Every now and then a story strikes me as so significant that my sense is we need to discuss and highlight such amidst these postings.\u00a0 The depth of the news deserves our attention.\u00a0 Today is such a day.<\/p>\n
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Allow me to initially note that this account is very current; that being so, details are evolving daily.\u00a0 I would encourage you to pay attention to those details.\u00a0 Hence, take note of the following name:\u00a0 Saeed Abedini.<\/p>\n
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Abedini is a 32 year old American citizen.\u00a0 He is originally from Iran.\u00a0 Abedini has a wife and 2 small children.\u00a0 His extended family remains in Iran.<\/p>\n
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Abedini returns regularly to the Arab country in order to both visit his extended family and oversee a humanitarian effort he began years ago to build an orphanage; he has been arrested multiple<\/em> times upon his return. \u00a0 What has Abedini been arrested for?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Abedini is a pastor.\u00a0 He is an American Christian<\/em> pastor.\u00a0 Abedini converted from<\/em> Islam to<\/em> Christianity.\u00a0 As we logically wrestle with fact as opposed to rhetoric, know that any Muslim who apostatizes \u2014 literally \u201cregresses\u201d \u2014 or specifically goes on to at some point, somehow reject the Islamic faith \u2014 commits an offense which may <\/em>be punishable by death.\u00a0 Islamic scholars disagree on this assessment; the reality exists, however, that a sizable number of scholars believe execution is the appropriate consequence.\u00a0 Under Shariah law, a Muslim who converts to Christianity is on par with someone waging war against Islam.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In mid-December without initial notice of any formal charges, Abedini was again imprisoned.\u00a0 As he remained incarcerated, the Iranian government ambiguously charged him with compromising national security, omitting the specifics of the compromising actions.\u00a0 The government also announced the American would go on trial for this offense.\u00a0 According to his attorneys, Abedini is scheduled to appear before an Iranian judge known as the \u201changing judge,\u201d a man identified by the European Union in 2011 as an individual actually subject to sanctions for human rights violations.\u00a0 Judge Pir-Abassi has reportedly presided over a number of cases against human rights activists, often handing down long prison sentences and even several death penalties.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n One more seemingly significant detail:\u00a0 at the time of this writing, Abedini\u2019s whereabouts are also ambiguous.\u00a0 When his family went to visit him in Iranian prison last Wednesday, they were told he was not there.\u00a0 Then yesterday, they were told he had been moved within the prison yet they were not permitted to see him.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n A couple more related notes:\u00a0 Abedini\u2019s family reports that he has been repeatedly interrogated and beaten within prison walls.\u00a0 He has also experienced injury and pain as a result of these beatings and may be in need of medical treatment.\u00a0 His attorney and family seem to know few more specifics.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Allow me one more rather relevant detail…<\/p>\n <\/p>\n While the American government often calls for the fair and humane treatment of its citizens \u2014 in fact, our government often simply calls for the fair and humane treatment of all<\/em> people regardless<\/em> of citizenship \u2014 for months the American government has said nothing.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Finally, this week \u2014 only after approximately 250,000 online signatures, significant negative publicity, and public appeals by 50 U.S. House Representatives \u2014 the U.S. State Department called for Abedini\u2019s release.\u00a0 As Rep. Trent Franks (R-AZ) stated, \u201cEvery U.S. citizen should have the assurance that the U.S. government will come vigorously to their defense in a time of need, especially when they are unjustly tried in a foreign country.\u201d\u00a0<\/em> For months, there was not only no vigorous defense; there was no defense.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Why would we allow an innocent man to persevere alone?\u00a0 Did his religion affect our response?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ensuring that we wrestle with fact as opposed to rhetoric, the Intramuralist can only concerningly, definitely offer, \u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Respectfully,<\/p>\n AR<\/p>\n [Note: \u00a0This morning, Jan. 27th, Abedini was sentenced to 8 years in prison for attempting to undermine the Iranian government. \u00a0His attorney was apparently shut out from some of the judicial proceedings. \u00a0What will now be the response of governments around the world?]<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Every now and then a story strikes me as so significant that my sense is we need to discuss and highlight such amidst these postings.\u00a0 The depth of the news deserves our attention.\u00a0 Today is such a day. Allow me to initially note that this account is very current; that being so, details are … <\/p>\n