Iranian officials hopeful Christians will forget about Pastor Nadarkhani

Please remember Pastor Youcef in your prayers.
Photo: Present Truth Ministries   

Iranian Christians thank us for our continued prayer for Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani, whose death sentence for apostasy (i.e. leaving Islam) was upheld in provincial court hearings in late September 2011, reports Middle East Concern. No written verdict has yet been delivered following those hearings.

It has recently been reported that the Head of the Judiciary had ordered the presiding judge at the provincial court to continue delaying the issuing of the written verdict. Pastor Youcef is to remain detained, and pressure to recant his faith in Jesus is to continue. Recanting his faith would lead to his immediate release.

Youcef is a pastor within the Full Gospel Church of Iran denomination in the northern city of Rasht. He has been detained in prison since October 2009. In September 2010 the Revolutionary Tribunal of Gilan Province found him guilty of apostasy and sentenced him to death - a verdict upheld by the Supreme Court in July 2011.

The Supreme Court also ordered the original tribunal to clarify whether or not Youcef was ever a practicing Muslim as an adult, and to give him further opportunity to recant his faith in Jesus. He refused to do so during the September 2011 hearings. The judge's verbal ruling acknowledged that Youcef had not been a practicing Muslim as an adult but upheld the death sentence because he was from Muslim ancestry and therefore guilty of apostasy (for more on Pastor Youcef, click here).

According to Present Truth Ministries, the order was designed to cause the international community, specifically Christians, to forget about Youcef’s case.

"Once we forget about him, then they are free to execute him," a spokesperson from Present Truth Ministries told Mission Network News.

Please don’t forget Pastor Youcef! 

• Pray that Youcef's death sentence will be revoked and his conviction overturned.
• Please pray that Youcef, his wife, Fatemeh, and their two sons will know the comfort, presence and hope of Jesus, and that the family will be reunited soon. 
• Pray that Christians throughout Iran will not be intimidated but will know the Lord's enabling and guidance. 
• Pray that all officials involved will love mercy, act justly, learn about Jesus and choose to follow Him.

Iranian pastor’s death sentence verified

Pastor Youcef and his wife.
A written verdict from Iran's Supreme Court
confirms Pastor Youcef's death sentence.
(Photo: Present Truth Ministries)

Last week we told you about the uncertainty surrounding Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani’s possible death sentence. Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) has since been able to confirm that his appeal against the death sentence was unsuccessful.

CSW received a copy of a written verdict from the Supreme Court of Iran which upholds Pastor Youcef’s death sentence. While the verdict is dated June 12, 2011, Pastor Youcef’s lawyer was only given this written notification recently. When Pastor Youcef was initially tried for apostasy in September, a similar delay was made with regards to his guilty verdict.

There is no death sentence for apostasy in Iran’s penal code; however, the Supreme Court refuses to overturn the verdict seemingly for fear of potential controversy. The Supreme Court did request the court in Rasht, Pastor Youcef’s hometown, to re-examine some procedural flaws in the case but has still left Pastor Youcef’s fate in their hands.

Pastor Youcef was arrested in October 2009. Of the Church of Iran denomination, Pastor Youcef had been attempting to register his church. His arrest is believed to be based on his question of Muslim control of the religious instruction of Iranian children. He was initially charged with protesting, but the charges were later changed to apostasy and evangelizing Muslims.

Pastor Youcef’s lawyer, Mr. Mohammed Ali Dadkhah, a prominent human rights defender, has also been sentenced to 9 years in prison for allegedly acting against the Islamic regime.

CSW’s entire article can be found here.

You can help by praying!

• Pray God will fill Pastor Youcef and his family with peace and that they will continue to stand on the Word, knowing that God protects His children.
• Pray for those in charge of Pastor Youcef's case, that God would soften their hearts and cause them to overturn their decision.
• Pray Iranian officials operating in corrupt and oppressive ways will repent of their actions and come to embrace Christ as Lord.

New developments in case of Iranian pastor sentenced to death

Youcef Nardharkhani and his wife

Last month, Youcef Nardarkhani, an Iranian pastor convicted of apostasy for leaving Islam, had his death sentence for apostasy upheld and confirmed by the Iranian Supreme Court.

On July 3, Pastor Youcef’s lawyer reported that his case was being returned to the Revolutionary Tribunal of Gilan Province and that the Supreme Court would annul the sentence if Youcef renounced his faith.

Iranian Christians are emphasizing, however, that reports indicating Pastor Youcef’s case has already been annulled are misleading, as the annulment is dependent on him recanting his faith and embracing Islam (sources include Middle East Concern, Mohabat News and Present Truth Ministries).

Pastor Youcef thus remains at serious risk of execution and continues to face extreme pressure to deny Christ.

The Revolutionary Tribunal has been instructed to give Youcef more time in which to recant his faith in Jesus, which suggests that while the death sentence remains against him it may not be as imminent as first thought. There remains some uncertainty, however, as Pastor Youcef’s lawyer has yet to receive written confirmation of the death sentence verdict.

You can help by praying!

• Pray Pastor Youcef will be exonerated and released.
• Pray he will continue to find encouragement and strength in Christ in prison.
• Pray Iranian officials operating in corrupt and oppressive ways will repent of their actions and come to embrace Christ as Lord.
• Pray Christians in Iran will set their minds on Christ as they serve Him amid opposition (1 Corinthians 1:10).

Update: Iranian pastor’s death sentence upheld

Youcef Nardarkhani

The death sentence of Youcef Nardarkhani, an Iranian pastor convicted of apostasy, has been upheld and confirmed by the Iranian Supreme Court, reports Present Truth Ministeries.

Pastor Youcef, a leader in the Full Gospel "Church of Iran" network, was arrested and imprisoned in October 2009 after protesting a decision by the government requiring that his son study the Qur'an.

In September, Iran's 11th Circuit Criminal Court of Appeals for the Gilan Province upheld Pastor Youcef’s death sentence and conviction for apostasy. The delivery of the death sentence, however, was delayed. Many believe the delay was a means to pressure him to him to turn away from Christ in prison.

With the sentence now upheld and confirmed, it is possible that the authorities will ask him to recant his faith and execute him if he refuses without advance notice—a typical pattern of action taken by authorities in such cases.

If Pastor Youcef is indeed executed, his would be the first judicial execution of a Christian in Iran in two decades. He is but one of several members of his church who have been arrested by Iranian officials, and his wife has also spent time in prison because of her faith in Christ.

You can help by praying!

• Pray God will continue to equip Pastor Youcef to stand firm in his faith.
• Pray he will sense the love and support of all those praying for him and working on his behalf. 
• Pray the Iranian authorities involved will be convicted of their injustice and overturn the case.
• Pray for comfort to abound in the hearts and minds of Pastor Youcef’s wife and children.

Asia Bibi fears she's next, after Pakistani minister’s slaying

Asia Bibi fears death following
assassination of Shahbaz Bhatti,
a supporter.

Agenzia Fides posted a story on Tuesday about Asia Bibi and her fears following the March 2 assassination of Pakistani Minister Shahbaz Bhatti, one of her supporters. Her lawyer recently spoke with the news agency.

From her jail cell in Sheikhupura, Punjab province, Asia expressed her “pain and concern for the death of Minister Shahbaz Bhatti.” She is also saddened by the death of a person who “like Governor Taseer, defended her publicly, and paid with his life.”

The lawyer said, “Asia says that part of her hope died with Bhatti, but there are other things that give her hope: the support of all Christians in Pakistan and around the world; the visit of her children, made possible recently after bureaucratic problems.”

Asia is still afraid, given that she could be the next target of radical Islamic groups. Inside the jail in Sheikhupura, posters have appeared with images of Taseer and Bhatti with a large question mark and the phrase, “Who will be next?”

You can read the full report here.

Please continue to lift up Asia and her family in your prayers. Pray for physical protection and strength as well as spiritual strength.

Government of Pakistan will not amend blasphemy law

Pakistan's prime minister
said Wednesday the
government will not
amend the blasphemy law.

Christians in Pakistan received a blow yesterday. The government of Pakistan will not be amending the country’s controversial blasphemy law, reported ASSIST News Service.

This decision followed on the heels of massive countrywide protests against the government by Islamic and mainstream opposition parties who had taken to the streets to demand that there be no amendments to the blasphemy law that has been widely criticized around the world.

The protestors demanded that the Pakistani government make clear its stance over the issue of blasphemy law, which uses its Penal Code to prohibit and punish blasphemy against Islam.

The Criminal Code provides penalties for blasphemy ranging from a fine to death. An accusation of blasphemy commonly subjects the accused, police, lawyers and judges to harassment, threats and attacks. An accusation is sometimes the prelude to vigilantism and rioting.

The prime minister told parliament in a speech before the National Assembly in Islamabad, on Wednesday that his government would not touch the legislation, which human rights groups say is routinely abused to persecute minorities and settle personal scores.

The prime minister called upon parliamentarians, media and Islamic scholars to come forward and help the government of Pakistan to introduce a mechanism to stop the misuse of the blasphemy law. He also urged people protesting against the amendments to now “stop their protests as the government has made it clear that there will be no change in the Pakistan Penal Code Section 295 B & C.”

Most recently, the blasphemy law was used against Asia Bibi, a Christian mother, who was found guilty of the alleged crime and sentenced to death by hanging. Her case is currently being appealed.

You can read the full report here.

Asia Bibi moving to new prison

Asia Bibi will be moved to a new prison.

Asia Bibi, the Pakistani Christian woman sentenced to death on blasphemy charges, will soon be moved to an all-women prison due to security concerns, reported ASSIST News Service yesterday.

Sheikhupura Prison superintendent Khalid Sheikh told the media, "I have received directives from the Punjab Home Department to shift Asia from Sheikhupura district jail to an all-women jail in Multan, as her life is in danger in Sheikhupura jail."

The transfer is expected to take place within the week.

Since Asia’s sentence, the Christian community has been raising concerns to the authorities and Shahbaz Bhatti, the Federal Minister for Minority Affairs, claiming Asia is not receiving sufficient security in spite of life threats from militants and rewards for her death being announced across Pakistan.

Asia`s husband, Ashiq Masih, also appealed to the authorities to raise her security, as her life is in danger.

You can read the full report here.

Asia Bibi facing threat of suicide attack

Officials are concerned there may
be a suicide attack on the prison
where Asia Bibi is being held.

Asia Bibi, the Christian woman who triggered a blasphemy furor in Pakistan and in whose defence Punjab province Governor Salman Taseer lost his life, is facing a threat of a suicide attack inside a jail, where she is currently lodged, reported ASSIST News Service on Tuesday.

According to a story by Z News, a militant organization known as the “Moaviya group” plans to mount a suicide attack on Sheikhupura district jail, where Asia is being held. An intelligence report issued last week has corroborated threat to her life.

Punjab police and jail authorities have reportedly beefed up security due to the intelligence report and the assassination of Taseer.

The Z News story said that 131 people are being held in jails across Punjab on blasphemy charges. Eleven of them have been sentenced to death, including Asia, who is the first woman to be given the penalty.

“Though no one has been executed after being convicted under the controversial law, 35 people, including Taseer, who were accused of committing blasphemy or defending those charged with blasphemy have been killed between 1990 and 2011,” said Z News. “They were either victims of extra-judicial killings or found dead in prison in suspicious circumstances.”

Last week, we told you that Asia’s family has been receiving threats from anonymous callers. Her husband Ashiq Masih insists that his wife is innocent and will be freed, but he worries about what will happen if she is released. "When she comes out, how she can live safely?" he asks. "No one will let her live. The mullahs are saying they will kill her when she comes out."

Please pray the Lord will protect and provide for Ashiq Masih and his children. May the entire family know the Lord's strengthening presence. Pray the Lord will use Asia's situation to bring about change in Pakistan for His glory. Pray for her release.

Afghan Christian faces potential death sentence for apostasy; send letters

Pray for Afghan believers!

International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that a judge has given an Afghan convert from Islam to Christianity one week to renounce his faith, or else be sentenced with the death penalty or up to 20 years’ imprisonment, reports ASSIST News Service. The verdict is expected this week.

“Shoaib Assadullah was arrested on October 21 in Mazar-e-Sharif for giving a Bible to a man who later reported him to local authorities. He is currently in a prison in Mazar-e-Sharif, in northern Afghanistan,” said an ICC spokesperson. “ICC sources closely following the case tell us that at a court hearing on December 28, Assadullah was told to recant Christianity and return to Islam.”

Shoaib said he was quite certain that the court officials will give him the death penalty. He said he has given his life completely into the hands of Jesus. He is happy for the spiritual fight, saying, “Without my faith I would not be able to live.”

An ICC source in Mazar-e-Sharif was told by a court official today that Shoaib was to be summoned to court this morning at 10 a.m. local time.

You can read the full report here.

Afghanistan is a signatory of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). According to article 18, “Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.”

Please consider writing to the Afghanistan embassy in Canada to express your concern.

His Excellency Jawed Ludin
Ambassador of Afghanistan in Canada
Embassy of Afghanistan in Canada
240 Argyle Ave.
Ottawa, ON K2P 1B9

You can download a letter-writing guide (includes Prisoners List) here.

Please pray for Shoaib’s release. Pray that God will strengthen him and his family during this difficult time. Pray that God will touch the hearts of Afghan officials who are overseeing Shoaib’s case.

Pakistan's blasphemy law will change 'over our dead bodies,' say Muslim cleric

Protesters held a 24-hour strike in Pakistan on Friday against amendments to the country's blasphemy law, reports Mission Network News and BBC News.

The strike resulted in the transportation shut down of two cities, Karachi and Quetta, and a partial shutdown of Islamabad. Demonstrators blocked traffic, and bus owners were reportedly nervous that their vehicles would be set on fire if they tried to drive them.

Currently, the blasphemy law mandates that any person to insult Islam must be put to death. Although no one has ever been executed under the law, over 30 people convicted have been murdered by mobs. Asia Bibi, a Christian woman, was sentenced to death on November 8, 2010, under the blasphemy law and is currently awaiting an appeals court hearing, which the High Court has yet to set.

Muslim clerics went ahead with the strike despite the claim of the religious affairs minister on Thursday that Pakistan "has no intention to repeal the blasphemy law."

You can read the full report here.

Pray that believers would be kept safe amidst the conflict. Pray that the blasphemy law would indeed be repealed, and that if it is, Christians would be protected, as one Sunni cleric warned that any changes to the blasphemy law would happen "over our dead bodies."

More death threats for Asia Bibi

Asia Bibi faces death threats.

Mission Network News is reporting that Asia Bibi, the Christian Pakistani mother accused of blasphemy in 2009, has received yet another threat to her life, as Islamic groups protest against her and any pardon the Pakistani president might hand down.

Carl Moeller with Open Doors USA said, "The latest tragic development is that a hard-line cleric in Pakistan is actually offering a reward for anyone who will kill Asia Bibi if the government does not put her to death."

The announcement was made by Maulana Yousef Qureshi at a rally in the northwestern town of Peshwar. He told people that his mosque would give $6,000 to the person who would take Asia Bibi's life.

Pray for Asia Bibi and her family, that they will stay strong through the court cases and that she will be protected from these death threats if she is pardoned. Pray for her children to be comforted and her husband encouraged in this situation.

You can read the full report here.

Court says president cannot pardon Asia Bibi

International Christian Concern (ICC) is reporting that Pakistan’s president cannot grant pardon to Asia Bibi, the Christian woman who has been sentenced to death for “blasphemy” against Muhammad. The Lahore High Court issued the order after lawyers argued that President Asif Ali Zardari cannot issue the pardon before Asia’s appeal to the High Court is decided.

Asia has appealed to the High Court, but the court has yet to set a date for her appeal hearing.

In a statement to ICC, Pakistan’s Minister for Minorities, Shahbaz Bhatti, said that President Zardari has pledged to intervene if the High Court unnecessarily delay a decision in Asia’s case. Under Article 45 of the country’s constitution, the president has authority to free convicts.

However, ICC says fundamentalist Muslims have stepped up their threats against the Pakistani officials, warning that there will be anarchy if Asia is pardoned.

Please continue to pray for Asia’s release and protection for her and her family. There are reports that Asia’s husband and children have gone into hiding, concerned radical Islamic groups are planning to kill the family.

Read the full story here.

No immediate pardon for Asia Bibi

Asia Bibi will not be immediately
pardoned by Pakistan's president.

ASSIST News Service is reporting that Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari will not immediately pardon Asia Bibi, a Christian woman sentenced to die for insulting Islam, but may do so later if an appeals court delays her case too long, an official said yesterday.

A story posted at EPakistanNews.com stated Thursday: “The case has prompted outrage from international rights groups and inflamed religious passions at home. In recent days, demonstrations have been staged both by Pakistan’s Christian minority calling for her release and also by Muslims warning against any pardon for her and defending the country’s blasphemy law, which critics say is misused to settle personal scores and by extremists to persecute minorities.”

Minister for Minority Affairs Shahbaz Bhatti, who met with President Zardari yesterday, said the president has decided to let the appeal process play out instead of immediately pardoning Asia. Bhatti was quoted as saying, “However, Zardari agreed to pardon Bibi later if the appeal case is unduly delayed.”

No specific deadline given, but Bhatti said he believes the president “will not wait months or weeks.”

Asia is the first woman condemned to die under the blasphemy law. She has been jailed for 18 months and was sentenced November 8 to hang.

Read the full ASSIST News Service story here and the EPakistanNews story here.

Pakistani Muslim leaders threaten protests if Asia Bibi is released

CNN is reporting that two prominent Pakistani Muslim leaders threatened today to call for nationwide protests if the president pardons Asia Bibi, a Christian woman sentenced to death for insulting the Muslim prophet Mohammed.

"If the president pardons Asia Bibi, we will raise our voices across the country until he is forced to take his decision back," nationally known mufti Muneer Ur Rehman said. Hafiz Ibtisam Elahi Zaheer, a leading cleric in Lahore, said pardoning the woman would be "criminal negligence" and would cause inter-religious tension.

Punjab Gov. Salman Taseer told CNN Tuesday that President Asif Ali Zardari would pardon Bibi if the High Court did not grant her request for mercy.

A spokesman for Zardari said today that no action has been taken, but the president will pardon her if necessary.

You can read the CNN story here.

For a more complete report, visit the Assyrian International News Agency.

Iranian pastor officially charged—apostasy

Pastor Youcef Nardarkhani
and wife, "Sister Tina"

Our sister office, VOM-USA, is reporting that Iranian Pastor Youcef Nardarkhani has officially been charged with denying that Mohammed was a prophet. The Assize Court of the province of Gilan stated that this act is apostasy because Nardarkhani believes in Jesus and has shared his faith with others, says VOM-USA.

The indictment states that as an apostate, Pastor Youcef will be executed. His lawyers have 20 days to appeal the indictment.

The indictment, which was issued by a public prosecutor in the presence of a jury, stated: “[Youcef] has frequently denied the prophethood of the great prophet of Islam and the rule of the sacred religion of Islam. ... He has proven his apostasy by organizing evangelistic meetings and inviting others to Christianity, establishing a house church, baptizing people, expressing his faith to others and denying Islamic values.”

According to court documents, when Pastor Youcef was asked about his faith, he told authorities, “Since I was born in a Muslim family, I was Muslim until I converted to Christianity at the age of 19.” He openly acknowledged accepting Jesus Christ.

The court also stated that the apostasy charge was determined a crime according to Islamic theologians.
Pastor Youcef’s defense attorneys have entered a not-guilty plea to the charges, arguing that “since there is no punishment specified in the Islamic judicial system of Iran and other penal laws [on apostasy] ... their client has not committed a crime to deserve a punishment.”

Please continue praying for Pastor Youcef and his family. Pray that his appeal will be successful and that he will be released.

To learn more about Pastor Youcef, visit http://www.prisoneralert.com/.

Conflicting reports about Asia Bibi

Asia Bibi's husband and daughters

By now you may have heard conflicting reports regarding the release of Asia Bibi, the Pakistani Christian woman who was recently sentenced to death for blasphemy.

ASSIST News Service reports that several sources inside Pakistan claim that Asia, also known as Asia Noreen, who has spent the last year and a half in prison, was set free yesterday (November 22), after being pardoned by Pakistani President, Asif Ali Zardari.

Other sources are saying that this claim is premature.

A respected source close to the case said that according to their latest information, Asia has not been pardoned and that her mercy plea was sent to the Punjab Home Department, which will forward it to the Interior Ministry for onward submission to the Presidency.

The source also said that the presidential spokesperson made a statement that President Zardari had not “received any such plea” but that he may consider it on the “advice of the prime minister.”

It is also believed that, if and when Asia receives a possible presidential pardon, a strike is being called for Wednesday and threats of violence could erupt if Asia is released.

Nasir Saeed, coordinator of CLAAS in the UK, told ASSIST News: “The ordeal faced by Asia and her family is unimaginable to most people outside of Pakistan who are largely unaware of the abuse and discrimination faced by the tiny Christian minority there."

VOM will to keep you posted on Asia’s case. Please continue to pray for her release and for the safety of her and her family.

Read ASSIST News Service's full report here.

Update: Asia Bibi speaks with Compass Direct

The entrance to the prison where Asia Bibi is being held

VOM reported back in June that Asia Bibi, a Christian labourer, was arrested for allegedly blaspheming Muhammad and defaming Islam. Under pressure from area Islamists, a judge convicted her on November 8, citing Pakistan’s widely condemned blasphemy statutes and sentenced her to death.

Recently, Asia and her husband, Ashiq Masih, were able to share her story with Compass Direct at the jail northwest of Lahore, Punjab Province, where Asia is being held. Here are excerpts of her interview.

“I don’t know why – when I walked into court that day, I just knew,” Asia said of the day that she received the death sentence. “And when the judge announced my death sentence, I broke down crying and screaming. In the entire year that I have spent in this jail, I have not been asked even once for my statement in court. Not by the lawyers and not by the judge. After this, I have lost hope in any kind of justice being given to me.”

Asia said the triggering incident resulted from a “planned conspiracy” to “teach her a lesson,” as villagers in Ittanwali, near Nankana Sahib about 75 kilometers from Lahore, resented her and her family because of a few mishaps.

“What my village people have accused me of is a complete lie,” Asia said. “I had previously had a row over a trivial issue of water running out of my house onto the street, and a man called Tufail verbally abused me. On June 14, when I was out picking falsas [a type of berry] with about 30 women, they again asked me to convert to Islam.”

Asia said the women of the village frequently asked her to renounce Christianity while they worked in the fields, and that she refused each time. “This time, too, I said that I saw no reason why I should leave my own religion. They then asked me about Jesus Christ, and I told them to go and ask the local mullah and not to bother me with those questions.”

Meantime, one of the women asked her for water, she said. After she had fetched it, the others told the woman not to drink water brought by an “untouchable” and “dirty woman,” Asia said. “I asked them if Christians were not human …why the discrimination? This annoyed them, and they started verbally abusing me. We were soon engaged in a heated argument.”

Asia said that five days later, a mob led by Qari (one who has memorized the Qur’an) Muhammad Saalim burst upon her after some of the women told him about the incident in the fields. The mob pressured her to admit that she had blasphemed.

“They have been saying that I confessed to my crime, but the fact is that I said I was sorry for any word that I may have said during the argument that may have hurt their feelings,” Asia said.

Police arrived as they were beating her and took Asia into custody, where they registered a case under Section 295-C of the blasphemy laws against her based on the complaint of the imam.

“They [police] registered a false complaint, because the complainant [Saalim] was never present at the scene,” said Asia.

Asia said she has been heartbroken and shattered since the conviction. “How can an innocent person be accused, have a case in court after a false FIR [First Information Report], and then be given the death sentence, without even once taking into consideration what he or she has to say?” she asks.

Asia’s lawyers filed an appeal against the Nankana sessions court’s verdict in the Lahore High Court on November  12, and the court is likely to take up the case soon.
  
Sohail Johnson of the Sharing Life Ministry, which has been following the case from the onset, said authorities may have been aware that the sensitive nature of the case would instantly bring it into public light.

Asia said she has not lost faith in Jesus. “He will rescue me from this fake case, and I will return home – please ask everyone to pray for me.”

To read the full story, visit Compass Direct online.

UPDATE: Asia Bibi remains steadfast; appeals sentence

A VOM contact in Pakistan had the opportunity to meet with Asia Bibi in the court place on Monday, prior to her sentencing. Surrounded by police and prison guards, he spent 25 minutes speaking to her and praying for her. During their conversation, Asia said the following:

“It does finally not matter to me whether I am sentenced or whether the judge will set me free because I know that I am innocent and most of all I know that the Lord is with me. They persecuted Jesus also, and the Bible says that they will persecute us as well.”

What an amazing testimony! Especially in light of her death sentence, which Asia is appealing. Her attorney is planning to submit an appeal and will wait to hear about a court date. VOM sources say that the court is currently reviewing cases from 2005.

Asia Bibi's husband and daughters.

While in Pakistan, the VOM contact was also able to meet Asia’s husband, Ashiq, and her daughters, Isham and Isha.

Please continue to pray for strength and peace for Asia and her family. Also, consider using the information below to contact the High Commissioner for the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and share your concerns about the unjust treatment of Pakistani Christians.

His Excellency Akbar Zeb

High Commissioner for the Islamic Republic of Pakistan

10 Range Road

Ottawa, ON K1N 8J3

Tel: (613) 238-7881

Fax: (613) 238-7296

Email: parepottawa@rogers.com

Wondering what or how you should write to a government official? Here is some advice:

• Write a short, clear message.
• Be polite. Remember you are representing Jesus Christ.
• State your general concern for persecuted believers and Asia’s case in particular.
• Do NOT write about politics or the government.

Here is a sample letter:

Your Excellency,

This week Asia Bibi was sentenced to death for blasphemy. The story of her case is circulating around the world, and thousands of Christians in Canada know about it. I ask that her sentence be reversed and that she be released from all charges and allowed to return home to her family. I am praying for you as you lead your country.

Sincerely,

Your Name

For more information about writing to government officials, download a PDF of VOM’s letter-writing guide and prisoner list.

PRAY: Pakistani woman sentenced to death

Asia Bibi and her family

VOM sources are reporting that Asia Bibi, a Christian mother-of-two, has been sentenced to death by a Pakistani court for blasphemy. She is the first Pakistani woman ever to receive this sentence for blasphemy.

Yesterday, a court judge gave Asia the maximum sentence at the end of a trial that lasted more than 16 months. Asia, a farm labourer in her late 30s from Ittanwali, Punjab province, was also fined more than the equivalent of an average worker’s two-and-a-half years’ salary. The decision comes as a crushing blow to Asia and her family as well as all Pakistani believers and those who have been praying for Asia’s release.

Police first filed a case against Asia in June 2009, after her local Muslim co-workers accused her of making derogatory comments against Islam’s prophet, Mohammed. VOM first reported on this story on June 24, 2009, and wrote an update last week about Asia languishing in prison.

Please pray for a reversal of the court ruling. Pray that God would soften the hearts of those in charge of Asia’s case. Pray God's perfect peace that surpasses all human understanding over Asia and her family.

Want to do more? You can voice your concern by sending emails directly to the offices of Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and Abdullah Hussain Haroon, the Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the United Nations.

Office of Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari

ambassador@embassyofpakistanusa.org

Abdullah Hussain Haroon, the Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the United Nations

pakistan@un.int

For more information about writing to government officials, download a PDF of VOM’s letter-writing guide and prisoner list, “Doing time for God.”