Once in a while in the financial and political chaos, there comes a story or two that make one's heart glad.
The Iranian Christian pastor who refused to renounce his faith in Jesus has been released from prison. Youcef Nadarkhani has been reunited with his family after a death sentence and persecution of the most extreme kind. The Iranian government decided to acquit him of apostasy, but guilty of acting against the national security and therefore sentenced to three years in prison. Since he had served three years, he was released.
Pressure from the West and many other governments helped. We can rejoice that our brother has been spared martyrdom.
The other story is about the mentally challenged girl in Pakistan who was framed for supposedly burning a book used to teach children about the Quran. A Muslim cleric was arrested for planting evidence to incriminate the Christian girl. She has been released on bail. Pakistan's blasphemy law is a relic of the past but an indication of the future if radical Islam is allowed to advance.
I'm Cal Thomas in Washington.
Publication date: September 12, 2012
