Issues@Hand

AFA initiatives, Christian activism, news briefs

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March 2016 – An imprisoned Iranian pastor, Farshid Fathi, was released two years early from a seven-year prison term. Fathi was arrested on December 26, 2010, for “action against the regime’s security, being in contact with foreign organizations, and religious propaganda.” He was imprisoned for 15 months in Tehran, Iran, without a trial, and sentenced in January 2012. His release came in December 2015.

The fulltime pastor had been arrested at the same time as 60 other Christians. In May 2015, the American Center for Law and Justice estimated that 90 Christians were imprisoned in Iran because of their faith.

Meanwhile, in Egypt, some political parties are supporting legislation to change or cancel the country’s blasphemy law, which is levied against those who are said to blaspheme against Islamic beliefs. According to Egyptian defense lawyer Hamdi al-Assyouti, 90% of blasphemy charges are filed against Christians, and the law is “a tool in the hands of extremists against minorities, thinkers, and the creative impulse.” The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights recorded a rise in blasphemy cases, from 3 in 2011 to 12 in 2012 and 17 in 2015.

worldwatchmonitor.org, 12/22/15; 1/8/16; onenewsnow.com, 12/27/15