As most of you know we've been following the sad situation with Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani the last few weeks. The last time we reported on his situation we told you about how his case had been turned over to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who is supposed to be making the final decision about whether Pastor Youcef will live of die.
Now we have some new reports from our friends at Christian Solidarity Worldwide that Pastor Youcef and others have been given Islamic literature while he is in prison, which some say is a way that may be used to entrap him.
Katherine Weber at The Christian Post wrote the following concerning this situation:
The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) identifies two motives for providing Nadarkhani with literature; either to instigate a Christian response, which would result in an additional charge of blasphemy in court, or to convince him to recant his Christian faith.
“It is no surprise that security agents, who answer directly to the Supreme Leader, would try to either do away with the case or provide an alternative justification for continued punishment,” contends the ACLJ.
According to Dr. Khataza Gondwe, Team Leader for Africa and Middle East at Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), Christian prisoners who receive such literature have been advised to practice caution when responding to official interrogation pertaining to it.
Gondwe told The Christian Post that if prisoners read the literature and respond when interrogated, it must be “done very carefully because [the prisoners] may be open to further charges,” including blasphemy against Islam.
We would ask for your continued prayers for Pastor Youcef and his family. We pray the Lord's will be done, on earth as it is in heaven, and that He would use Pastor Youcef for His glory.