Category Archives: Politics

Iran To Execute Youcef Nadarkhani, a Pastor, For Converting to Christianity

This is Youcef Nadarkhani

Youcef Nadarkhani is a 34 year old man who converted to Christianity at age 19. He came under the Iranian government’s radar in 2006 when he applied for his church to be recognized by the Iranian government.

Three years later, he went to local officials to complain about the indoctrination of Islam at his children’s local school, saying that his children should not be forced to learn about Islam. He was subsequently faced with a court order to renounce his Christian faith, which he refused to do. He is now facing the death penalty, being put on death row.

The Christian pastor faced charges of “apostasy” and “evangelizing muslims.” The widespread condemnation has led  the Iranian court to accuse the pastor of committing rape and other crimes as well. As of today, he is still alive.

For reference, Iran is one of the signatories of the Human Rights charter, as well as various United Nations agreements, which guarantee religious freedom. The US congress has also unanimously approved of a resolution to condem the sentencing.

The Iranian government is known to carry on execution sentences at random times. Nadarkhani’s sentencing can be carried out immediately or dragged on for years. His supporters fear his case might be used by the Iranian government as leverage against the sanctions imposed on the country.

Youcef Nadarkhani with his family

I honestly cannot fathom how some governments can rationalize decisions like this in the 21st century. Not only is the Iranian government violating every single human rights agreement it has signed, it’s also doing so flagrantly. How can a government sign an agreement to ensure religious freedom and then kill those who do not follow the religion enforced by the state?  How can the judges of said Iranian court remain sane with them fabricating charges for a man whose only “fault” was to change religions?

Even Nadarkhani’s wife was arrested and found guilty before she appealed the decision and got released two weeks later. Her arrest was seen by many as a pressure on her husband to renounce his faith.

Religious minorities in Iran, such as Christians, Jews, Bahais, etc… face social marginalization, persecution and political isolation. The Iranian government, however, saves its hardest punishment to those who “abandon” Islam. It even has fatwas that demand the death of apostates.

Iran’s secretive judicial system leaves the international community questioning Nadarkhani’s fate. But the international pressure being put on Iran by various governments and organizations is paying off. Pastor Nadrakhani would have been executed already if his case hadn’t caused outrage.

It looks like world is still concerned with religious freedom, as is evident by people from various political fields (conservatives and liberals), countries and religious views (Atheism, Judaism, Islam and Christianity) coming together to help Youcef Nadarkhani. So what can we do? We can help by spreading the word. The more people know about Nadrakhani’s case, the harder it will be for such oppressive governments to let it slide. It is high time we stand up for our basic liberties, such as our freedom to choose whatever religion we want to follow. When it comes to one’s relationship with God (or any other entity), the government should have no say – let alone punishing a person for not having the relationship it deems appropriate.

 

PS: For the Lebanese reading this who will accuse me of being one-sided, the same applies to the Saudi government’s oppressive view towards religions (and other basic liberties) too.

 

The Battle of Homs: A Video from inside the Syrian Revolution

A French photojournalist named Mani was brave enough to take footage from inside the battles currently taking place in the Syrian city of Homs, called by many as the capitol of the revolution.

The video features scenes from gunfights, funerals, wounded & dead people…. It is possibly the first time such a report has been made of what’s going on inside Syria with almost every other footage from inside the city was being transmitted via mobile phones.

You might want to check out an earlier post as well: What Is Going On In Syria?

For now, I leave you with the video:

Thanks Beirutspring for the tip.

What Is Going On in Syria?

In case you don’t know what’s happening in Syria, this is for you.

In case you don’t think anything is happening in Syria, this is for you, too.

“Be brave. Don’t give up. The history is on your side. Every dictator… every bad person out there throughout history has gone down in flames. They all go sooner or later – no matter how bad or evil they are. History advances, and the human race progresses. And that’s what’s happening now in Syria. I’m so proud of you” – Michael Moore.

I may not like Moore but his words resonate true – especially with all the atrocities happening in Syria. Award-winning journalist Marie Colvin was killed in Syria today. Anthony Shahid, a Pulitzer-prize winning journalist of Lebanese origins, died a few days ago.

More than 7000 people have been killed in Syria just for asking to be respected on every basic human level. The victims are losing their voices with every journalist killed. But the revolutionaries are still fighting and Assad’s forces are still killing. And some countries are still silent.
BeirutSpring speculates that the first step in starting a massacre is to end front-line reporters. This is what’s happening in Syria today in order to silence the world. This is what we, as bloggers, people, activists and humans, need to prevent from happening. It is high time to take a stand. I’ve taken mine. When will you take yours?

February 14th in Lebanon: Should It Become Hariri’s Day?

Every year since 2005, February 14th has served a double meaning in Lebanon, as I’ve tried to convey through this meme. For many, it’s your regular Valentine’s day: a chance to take your loved one out, etc…. For others, however, it serves as a commemoration to the late prime minister Rafic Hariri. Schools and universities close, as well as governmental offices – the whole country is shut down for one day in mourning for Mr. Hariri.

And it is here that I have to ask a question: 7 years after his assassination, aren’t we overdoing it?

Simply put, yes we are.

Sure, Hariri was considered a great man by many. Sure, he was prime minister for a very long time. And yet, we do not mourn any other politician by shutting the country down on the memory of their death. Case in point? He’s not the only politician that got assassinated. I can think of at least two Lebanese presidents that met the same fate.

Isn’t it unfair to the memory of those presidents that the only thing that takes place on their day in the whole country is a mass? Weren’t those presidents as cherished in their communities as Hariri was in his? Don’t they deserve a day off as well? Don’t all the other politicians that died before and after Hariri also deserve to be commemorated in such a way?

I understand taking the day off the first or second year after the assassination. But 7 years later? I hardly think it’s justified. If anything, I think it’s high-time that we, as a Lebanese society, work on moving on – especially that the wheels are in motion to bring
justice for Mr. Hariri. February 14th has quickly become a day where Hariri’s assassination is used for a political agenda, more so than to actually remember the man who was killed on this day. And frankly, we cannot as a country afford to add extra days off to our already extensive list. And when the Hariri off day is being added and the government was speculating about removing Good Friday from the list, you know they’re doing it wrong.

If anything, the political meaning the occasion has taken on February 14th is a detriment to the memory of Rafic Hariri, a man who managed to bring together people from different sects and religions together under one roof to work for Lebanon. I’m certain he wouldn’t appreciate using the memory of his death as a way to increase the divide in the country.

And note, I’m a supporter of the current political movement that Rafic Hariri’s movement, headed by his son Saad, is part of. So take this to heart. Don’t hate. I’m not saying ignore the occasion. I’m not saying we should forget what happened to Rafic Hariri. On the contrary, we should always remember because his death has turned into a turning point for the nation. I’m saying remember without shutting the country down in remembrance. And that would be a first step in advancing as Lebanese society: make it less about glorifying individuals and work towards bettering the country as a whole.

Regardless, rest in peace Rafic Hariri. It’s been 7 years and the country is in a worse situation than ever before.

A Few Words From an Angry Maronite

[Notice] For those who think talking about one’s sect is sectarian, this post is not for you. For everyone else, proceed with caution. 

Today, February 9th, marks the memory of the founder of the Maronite Church: St. Maroun. Most Maronites would start exhibiting pride in their heritage on (and leading up to) this day. I’m fairly certain if you look at your Facebook news feed at this very moment, you’ll find about five or six friends sharing pictures of St. Maroun.

Of course, Maronites have every right to be proud of their heritage. They have simply withstood so much in the rough mountains of Lebanon, they have fought for Lebanon like possibly no other sect has done and they have the greatest hand in the founding of the state of Lebanon. I’d give historical proof here but I don’t think that’s necessary.

Among all the Lebanese sects, the only sect that kept believing in the idea of “Lebanon” throughout the years was the Maronite sect. And for that, as a Lebanese nationalist, I am proud.

But today, as I write this, I cannot but feel angry at Maronites: church, politicians and people.

The land:

I’m angry because the people are selling our land to whoever, however, whichever and for whatever reasons. I get infuriated when I hear that most of the land in certain villages has been sold to foreigners, regardless of the sect of those foreigners. It pisses me off that nobody seems to care about this as well. We actually care more about valet parking fights and useless comedy skits than about our own land. And that is very sad. It angers me that some of our politicians are among the people selling their land, as if they needed the money. You know, the monthly payment they get for life for being voted into office isn’t enough for expenditures. I’m angry because our church keeps preaching about not selling the land but does nothing with the wide resources it has about it. I’m angry because our grasp on our country is lessening not because of outsiders but because we, as insiders, are weak and easily tempted by everything materialistic that you don’t necessarily need.

Persecution:

I’m angry that the Maronite community is panicking regarding what’s happening in the region while they have no reason to be this afraid. Cautious, perhaps. But panic? Definitely not. I’m angry that certain politicians fuel this panic to serve their agenda. It angers me that the Maronite church is not doing anything to lessen this. On the contrary, it’s preaching that we should be afraid for our heads. Why should we afraid? What worse can happen to us as a community after the fragmentation we had to endure for over fifteen years because of the Syrians and because of our internal differences? What could be worse than to be constantly afraid because of something that is not threatening you directly? What could be more debilitating that to constantly live in fear?

Let me answer that for you. Nothing. And yet we live in fear. We are constantly worried that our thirty parliament seats will be taken away from us, that the president will no longer, someday, be forced by law to be a Maronite, that our homes will be ripped off from under our feet and that we’ll be shipped off to Canada or some other Western country that would accept us.

Politics is cyclical. Maronites had their reign, the Sunnis had their reign, the Shiites are having their reign. And the cycle will turn, however vicious it may be. I’m angry that we didn’t learn from our mistakes when we were in power and we will probably repeat them when we find power again.

The Politics:

I’m angry that our politicians cannot agree on anything regarding our community, regardless of who they are. We vote for them, we put our trust in them and yet nothing happens. And then we vote for the same people again because the alternative makes us rightfully cringe, regardless of where you fall on the cringing spectrum. We cannot agree on an electoral law that would serve our best interests. We cannot agree on managerial appointments that we are “entitled” to in order to run the country. We cannot agree about a grand scheme that we believe the country should be heading to. What we can agree upon is that each politician is living in the delusion of being the representative of Maronites when, at the end of the day, we are as fragmented, as divided, as weak and as paranoid as we’ve always been and we can also agree that the state of our politics is disheartening, miserable and dishonest.

The Grandeur:

I’m angry that we, as Maronites, have a false sense of grandeur about us – of the sort “Alla khala2na w kasar l aleb.” Modesty goes out the window when we’re discussing our sect, even without practicing it. Who, among you, actually goes to church every Sunday? Not many, I suppose, including me. Who, among you, actually knows something more about St. Maroun apart from the fact that we get a day off on February 9th because of him? Not many, I suppose, including me (unless what I read on Wikipedia can be considered valid). Who feels proud that they are Maronite just because of the “perks” it entitles you? Many people, I suppose. Who feels proud to be a Maronite just because it makes you not “them”? Many people, I’m sure. Who feels proud to be a Maronite just because…? Many people as well.

I guess I have many reasons to be angry, as a Maronite, as a Lebanese, as a resident of a certain caza, of a certain town. I am a Lebanese angry about many things in my country, especially Maronites because we keep messing things up. And the worst part is? We take pride in messing things up.

Yen3ad 3leikon jami3an w 3a2bel kell sene.

PS: I made this post not detailed on purpose, so an element of vagueness remains to it; thus, making it applicable to everyone, regardless of political affiliation.