Monday, March 5, 2012

Encourage Pastor Youcef with a letter!



Let Pastor Youcef know that he is not forgotten and that Christians around the world are praying for him.

  Youcef Nadarkhani
  Lakan Prison
  Rasht
  ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN

Please note:
 When writing a letter, never mention the name of the source of your information or the name of any organization. Also, please do not state anything negative about their government. 



Please keep Pastor Youcef in prayer. 
·                     Please pray that Pastor Youcef's courage and faith will continue to be an example to the world that the Lord is more valuable than any earthly reward. 
·                     Please pray that his steadfast resolve to protect the integrity of the gospel message will lead others to salvation. 
·                     Please pray for his release.

Iranian Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani is still alive. Here is his history


Youcef is 34 years old and is from Rasht, in the Gilan province of Iran. For the past ten years he has been a pastor in a network of house churches. He was previously imprisoned in December of 2006, the charges being apostasy (leaving Islam for Christianity)  and evangelism (spreading the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ), but was released two weeks later.

He is married and has two sons, Daniel age 9 and Yoel age 7. They were attending a local school when the government decided that all children should be taught about Islam, including those from Christian families. Youcef went to the school and protested this based on the Iranian constitution, which allows for freedom to practice religion. As a result, the secret police called him before the political tribunal in Rasht, Iran on October 12, 2009. At that time he was arrested, charged for protesting, and has been in prison in Lakan (which is seven miles south of Rasht) ever since. Later the charges changed to apostasy and evangelism to Muslims.

Youcef is imprisoned in the Lakan prison, a city close to Rasht. Over the time of his incarceration he has mostly has had access to an attorney, and has been allowed visits from his wife, children, and friends. However, for the first month in prison and for several months around the time of his trial he was in solitary confinement. They have used various methods to try to convert him back to Islam, including giving him pills, apparently in an attempt to claim that he was insane.