Faith Under Fire.........
Member of parliament: Execute all those Christians!
Reports confirm believers now in hiding because of threats
Posted: June 05, 2010
1:55 am Eastern
By Bob Unruh
© 2010 WorldNetDaily
A member of parliament in Afghanistan has called for the public
execution of Christians, sending many members of the faith into hiding
over concern for their lives, according to a new report from
International Christian Concern.
The organization said it had learned from Associated Free Press that
Abdul Sattar Khawasi, deputy secretary for the lower house in the
Afghan parliament, had called for the execution of those Afghanis who
converted from Islam to Christianity.
The public call to violence came after a video was broadcast by Noorin
TV, an Afghan television network, that showed Christian men being
baptized and praying in Farsi.
According to the ICC report, Khawasi said, "Those Afghans that appeared
in this video film should be executed in public, the house should order
the attorney general and the NDS (the state police intelligence agency)
to arrest these Afghans and execute them."
Aidan Clay, an ICC official who deals with issues in the Middle said,
called it "absolutely appalling that the execution of Christians would
be promoted on the floor of the Afghan parliament.
"Khawasi's statement sounded a whole lot like the tyrannical manifesto
of the Taliban, not that of a U.S. ally," he said. "American lives are
being lost fighting terrorism and defending freedom in Afghanistan –
yet Christians are being oppressed within Afghan borders. This comes
after billions of U.S. dollars have been invested in the war effort,
and millions more have been given in aid."
He said the U.S. government needs to step up to make certain that
religious freedoms are protected for all Afghans.
"Intervention is not a choice, but a responsibility, as Afghan policies
reflect the U.S. government's ability and commitment to secure a stable
government in Afghanistan," he said.
The report said the broadcast about the Christians also triggered a
protest by students at the University of Kabul, where crowds estimated
in the hundreds shouted death threats and demanded the expulsion of
Christian foreigners accused of proselytizing.
The report said because of the conflict, officials with Church World
Services from the United States and Church Aid from Norway have
suspended their operations for the time being.
"ICC sources within Afghanistan have reported that many national
Christians are in hiding, fearful of execution. Under government
pressure during investigations, some Afghans have reportedly revealed
names and locations of Christian converts," the ICC report said.