Youcef Nadarkhani Update

I’ve written before about Youcef Nadarkhani, the Iranian Christian whose life is in jeopardy because of a (apparently fictitious) charge of apostasy. In Iran, it is a capital crime for a Muslim to have a change of heart about their faith. (Really!) Which in any event is not the case with Nadarkhani, who was never a Muslim.

Anyway, Nadarkhani is still in prison, with an execution order hanging over him. But now his lawyer is being persecuted as well. Mohammad Ali Dadkhah, the lawyer, who has represented several dissidents, has been sentenced to nine years in jail:

“I have been convicted of acting against the national security, spreading propaganda against the regime and keeping banned books at home,” Dadkhah told the Guardian from Tehran.

The next time someone tells how bad Christians were during the Crusades or Inquisition, fine. Tell them you’re sorry. Then ask them how they feel about religions that are still doing those things today.