Pray for Pastor Yosef Nadarkhani

Franklin Graham Denounces Death Sentence for Iranian Pastor

Monday, 03 Oct 2011 08:08 AM

By Mike Tighe
The Rev. Franklin Graham denounced the looming execution of an Iranian pastor sentenced to hang because he won’t renounce his Christian faith and embrace Islam.

The Rev. Franklin Graham: "A man is sentenced to be killed for the ‘crime’ of a sincere belief in Jesus Christ — a sentence in clear violation of international law. So where is the international outrage?"

International officials will be complicit in the death of Pastor Yosef Nadarkhani if they don’t join House Speaker John Boehner, the White House, and others in demanding a reversal of the sentence, said Graham, president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Samaritan's Purse.

Pastor Yosef Nadarkhani refused to recant his Christian faith in an Iranian court for the third and final time Wednesday.

"I am resolute in my faith and Christianity and have no wish to recant," he insisted, knowing full well that doing so could result in his death.

Pastor Yosef Nadarkhani refuses to renounce his faith.

Nadarkhani's lawyer, Mohammed Ali Dadkhah, said at the time that the panel of five judges will decide within a week whether to confirm the 34-year-old pastor's execution for apostasy. In this case, the apostasy is interpreted as abandoning Islam.

In addition, the original indictment against Nadarkhani, a father and evangelical pastor who became a Christian at age 19, accused him of organizing evangelistic meetings, sharing his faith, trying to convert Muslims to Christianity, running a house church, and rejecting Islamic values.

But Iranian officials now appear to be trumping up the charges after the fact, because they just amended the indictment to include allegations of rape, extortion, and national security, as well as accusing Nadarkhani of Zionism.

Read more on Newsmax.com: Franklin Graham Denounces Death Sentence for Iranian Christian Pastor