Opinions
Veteran: You Fought for Your Country, Now Set Yourself Free
Memorial Day is a time to remember those who have fallen in the service of ...
War
Christian War Veteran Talks NATO Protest, War, Faith and Peace
Jacob George, a Christian war veteran who served three tours of duty in ...
Column
Hypnosis and Yoga Open Hidden Spiritual Doors
Hypnosis and yoga are a couple of mystical practices which have basically gone ...
Pastors
Seven Keys to Preventing Pastoral Burnout
I have the incredible opportunity to interact with pastors regularly. In recent ...
An Afghan aid worker is facing execution within three days for converting to Christianity.
Said Musa, 45, was told by a judge that he would be hanged within days unless he reconverts to Islam.
But the father of six has refused to renounce his faith, telling the Sunday Times, “My body is theirs to do what they want with. Only God can decide if my spirit goes to hell.”
He also claimed he was tortured and sexually abused by prison guards and inmates.
Musa has been held in prison since May last year, after a local TV network broadcast secret images of Afghan Christians being baptized by westerners. The broadcast caused outrage as protesters demanded the expulsion of those who appeared in the footage.
He sought asylum at the German Embassy but was arrested by authorities after calls by the deputy secretary of the Afghan parliament, Abdul Sattar Khawasi, for the public execution of the alleged converts, sparking a nationwide manhunt.
Like us on Facebook
The case sparked international outcry from human rights groups, which pointed out that Afghanistan is a signatory of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The document declares the right to freedom of religion, including the freedom to change religion or belief. However, under Islamic, or sharia law, conversion to another religion is considered a crime.
Defense lawyers have refused to represent Musa unless he reconverts, while others have dropped his case after being threatened.
Musa, who lost his left leg in a landmine explosion in the 1990s, worked as a physiotherapist for the Red Cross for 15 years while assisting in the treatment of fellow amputees.
The situation for Christians in Afghanistan, ranked third on Open Doors' World Watch List of countries where Christian persecution is most severe, has deteriorated over the past year with a major crackdown by the government on Muslim background believers.
244
