His Times Are in God’s Hands

on March 1, 2012

As far as we know, Iranian pastor Youcef Nadarkhani is still alive. That in itself is something, considering it was some seventeen months ago that the First Court of the Revolutionary Tribunal in Iran’s Gilan Province sentenced him to death for apostasy and abandoning Islam. You may remember reading about this on our website in July and September 2011, and in our most recent issue of Faith and Freedom, also available on the website now.

The pastor of a 400 plus member house church within the Evangelical Church of Iran, Nadarkhani was arrested in October 2009 for objecting to a requirement that Christian children, including his 8- and 9- year-old sons, study the Koran in school. School officials reported him after he told them that the Iranian Constitution guaranteed freedom of religious practice.

Nadarkhani was charged with apostasy from Islam because of his Christian faith. Even though he became a Christian as a teenager, Islamic law dictates that the child of Muslim parents is a Muslim. He was also charged with evangelization of Muslims and “denying Islamic values.” Although the death sentence isn’t specifically prescribed for apostasy under Iranian law, the Rasht court was so intent on punishing Nadarkhani that they used a loophole in the constitution and based their verdict on fatwas (religious rulings) by the Ayatollahs to sentence him to death by hanging.

Last Tuesday, February 21, 2012, a cry went out, warning that execution could be imminent for the 35-year-old pastor from Rasht, in the northern province of Gilan. Thankfully, news the next week was that the Iranian court had decided to postpone the execution. Advocates feel sure that international pressure had made the difference so far. The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) launched a “Tweet for Youcef” campaign reaching almost 900,000 Twitter accounts daily in 196 countries and territories. We encourage concerned citizens to keep up the pressure by this campaign and other ways.

Tonight on Capitol Hill the U.S. House of Representatives will discuss a bi-partisan resolution supporting Nadarkhani introduced by Congressman Joe Pitts (PA), a stalwart defender of religious liberty around the world. Mr. Pitts said that he had been “working closely with Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) on this resolution” and that both of them were grateful that Republican leadership “recognized the urgency” of the resolution. A strong statement by the House of Representatives, added to statements recently made by President Obama and by the State Department on Nadarkhani’s behalf will help keep up the pressure that has caused Iran to postpone the execution.

Please continue to pray for Youcef Nadarkhani and his family, as well as all of the Christians, the other persecuted religious believers such as the Baha’i, and all of the oppressed people of Iran. As the words of the Psalm, and the hymn that inspired by it assure us, “our times are in Thy hands.”

Our times are in Thy hands;

Father, we wish them there!

Our life, our souls, our all we leave,

Entirely to Thy care.

Our times are in Thy hand,

Whatever they may be;

Pleasing or painful, dark or bright,

As best may seem to Thee.

Our times are in Thy hand;

Why should we doubt or fear?

Our Father’s hand will never cause

His child a needless tear.

Our times are in Thy hand,

O Lord, our Advocate!

Nor is that hand outstretched in vain,

For us to supplicate.

Our times are in Thy hand;

We’ll always trust in Thee,

Till we have left this weary land,

And all Thy glory see.

(William F. Lloyd)

 

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