Who will speak up?

In our country we have plenty of discussions about religious tolerance, and it can be said that many today are much more tolerant of non-Christian faiths than of traditional Christian faiths. But even if there is some imbalance in the USA, we are committed to religious tolerance. I believe in and defend religious tolerance in the USA, and that means I would support the freedom for Muslims to build a mosque in my neighborhood.

But I am not convinced that enough Muslims in the USA, who are both participating in religious tolerance in the USA and spreading that faith in the USA because of tolerance, are speaking up for religious tolerance or against religious intolerance in traditional Muslim countries.

Like Iran, and here’s a story and I wonder what American Muslims are saying about this? I call especially on American Muslims to speak to this situation.

An Iranian pastor could be executed if he refuses to give up his faith. Rev Yousef Nadarkhani has twice refused to recant his Christian faith during two court hearings held in Rasht, Gilan Province on 25 and 26 September. Sources close to Christian Solidarity Worldwide indicate that recanting will again be demanded at sessions scheduled for 27 and 28 September, and that if he continues to refuse, he will be executed thereafter.

Pastor Nadarkhani was tried and found guilty of apostasy (abandoning Islam) in September 2010 by the court of appeals in Rasht. The verdict was delivered verbally in court, while written confirmation of the death sentence was received nearly two months later. At the appeal in June 2011, the Supreme Court of Iran upheld Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani’s sentence, but asked the court in Rasht, which issued the initial sentence, to re-examine whether or not he had been a practicing Muslim adult prior to converting to Christianity. The written verdict of the Supreme Court’s decision included provision for annulment of the death sentence if Pastor Nadarkhani recanted his faith.