Good News!

Remember, Sayed Mussa, the Christian imprisoned in Afghanistan?  They let him out!  Praise God.  The best part is that I found out from my congressman.  Here's the email he sent.

Thank you for contacting me with your concerns with Sayed Mussa's imprisonment in Afghanistan. I appreciate hearing from you.
 
Afghanistan's Constitution, established in 2004, guarantees that people are "free to exercise their faith." But it also leaves it open for the courts to rely on Shariah, or Islamic law, on issues like conversion. Under some interpretations of Shariah, leaving Islam is considered apostasy, an offense punishable by death. Sayed Mussa was jailed in Kabul last year for converting from Islam to Christianity. As you may have heard, due to international pressure, Mr. Mussa was released from prison and has reportedly left Afghanistan.
 
Through the U.S. Embassy and Department of State, the United States has consistently promoted human rights with Afghanistan, including educating the Afghan government on the issue of religious freedom. I have serious concerns with the persecution of Christians in the Middle East and hope that the United States will continue to do all it can to promote religious freedom and tolerance.
 
Thank you again for sharing your concerns with me.
 

Sincerely,
Bill Huizenga
Member of Congress

Currently, in Afghanistan

I just found out about the story of a Christian jailed in Afghanistan who is awaiting execution for the crime of converting from Islam.  The story can be found over at www.ncregister.com.  Here's a copy of the letter that I sent to the appropriate politicians:

I have recently read an article about the plight of a prisoner in Afghanistan.  His crime is apparently being a Christian convert from Islam in a land where punishment for such conversion is death.  He somehow got a letter out that partially describes his incarceration and abuse by inmates and guards alike.  The following is an excerpt from the letter.  The full letter can be found at the Barnabas Fund (http://www.barnabasfund.org/Said-Musas-handwritten-letter.html).  His English is rudimentary but it is possible to understand what he is saying. 

“My name is Said Musa 45 years old. I have been working since 15 years as a Physiotherapist in I-C-R-C [International Committee of the Red Cross] orthopaedic centre in Kabul, Afghanistan. About four and a half months before by security force of Afghanistan I [was] captured, due to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, Saviour of the world.

...Since that time I am in jail. The authority and prisoners in jail did many bad behaviour with me about my faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. For example, they did sexual things with me, beat me by wood, by hands, by legs, put some things on my head, mocked me ‘He’s Jesus Christ’, spat on me, nobody let me for sleep night and day. Every person spat on me and beat me. Also the prosecutor wrote something wrong against me. He told from himself something wrong against me on my file.

Supposedly, our embassy has expressed concern and called for his release.  This needs more than concern.  After all, if this kind of government is going to be the result of our war on terrorism, what exactly are we or anyone else gaining from this war?  If we are going to let them set up such draconian laws, fine.  But we should get out now and let them fend for themselves instead of finding ourselves propping up yet another dictatorial regime in the name of national security.  Better still, we should enforce a minimum standard of human rights so that such things simply do not happen in countries that we support.