In this mailing: Majid Rafizadeh: Christians Sentenced to Death Under Sharia Law Raymond Ibrahim: "Genocide against Christians" Christians Sentenced to Death Under Sharia Law by Majid Rafizadeh  •  October 14, 2018 at 6:00 am          In response to the latest abuses against Christians, Amnesty International has initiated an "urgent action" appeal. It has called on the Iranian regime to "quash the convictions and sentences of Victor Bet-Tamraz, Shamiram Isavi, Amin Afshar-Naderi, and Hadi Asgari, as they have been targeted solely for the peaceful exercise of their rights to freedoms of religion and belief, expression, and association, through their Christian faith." However there are far more stories of Christian persecution throughout Iran, than just these four. After significant pressure from legal and human rights groups, the Islamist leaders of Iran commuted Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani's sentence from death to 10 years in prison. He will have 10 years of his life stolen from him, just because he practiced his faith. What is important to note is that in countries, run by Sharia law, the constitution becomes inferior to the Islamist laws of the land. When radical Islam gains power, every article in the constitution becomes contingent on compliance with sharia. The rights that are promised in the constitution therefore become null and void. It is not enough to hope that one day Christians will be able to practice their faith in Iran without fear of persecution or death; action must be taken by the global community to ensure that the Iranian regime stands by its own constitution and provides its Christian citizens with equal rights and protections. The Greek Orthodox Church of Virgin Mary Tehran, Iran. (Image source: Orijentolog/Wikimedia Commons) Frequently, Shiite Islamic preachers and leaders can be heard stating that Islam recognized "People of the Book," which refers to Christians and Jews. This assertion sounds as if Islam gives Christian and Jews the same level of status and respect as their Muslim counterparts. That argument was recently confirmed when the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Hassan Rouhani, claimed that "Christians have the same rights as others do." With that confirmation, it might be easy to assume that Christians are relatively safe in Iran. But are they? In speeches, and on paper, these words probably give the impression that Christians are not only welcome in Iran, but given equal rights and protections. However, the everyday experiences of Christians in Iran, tell a very different story. Continue Reading Article