Inculcating British School Children to Islam

Inculcating British School Children to Islam

Tue, July 17, 2012

by:  Soeren Kern

In Cheshire, two students at the Alsager High School were punished by their teacher for refusing to pray to Allah as part of their religious education class.

In Scotland, 30 non-Muslim children from the Parkview Primary School recently were required to visit the Bait ur Rehman Ahmadiyya mosque in the Yorkhill district of Glasgow (videos here and here). At the mosque, the children were instructed to recite theshahada, the Muslim declaration of faith which states: "There is no god but Allah and Mohammed is his messenger." Muslims are also demanding that Islamic preachers be sent to every school in Scotland to teach children about Islam, ostensibly in an effort to end negative attitudes about Muslims.

British schools are increasingly dropping the Jewish Holocaust from history lessons to avoid offending Muslim pupils, according to a report entitled, Teaching Emotive and Controversial History, commissioned by the Department for Education and Skills.

British teachers are also reluctant to discuss the medieval Crusades, in which Christians fought Muslim armies for control of Jerusalem: lessons often contradict what is taught in local mosques.

In an effort to counter "Islamophobia" in British schools, teachers now are required to teach "key Muslim contributions such as Algebra and the number zero" in math and science courses, even though the concept of zero originated in India.

In the East London district of Tower Hamlets, four Muslims were recently jailed for attacking a local white teacher who gave religious studies lessons to Muslim girls; and 85 out of 90 schools have implemented "no pork" policies.

In West Yorkshire, the Park Road Junior Infant and Nursery School in Batley has banned stories featuring pigs, including "The Three Little Pigs," in case they offend Muslim children.

In Nottingham, the Greenwood Primary School cancelled a Christmas nativity play; it interfered with the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha. In Scarborough, the Yorkshire Coast College removed the words Christmas and Easter from their calendar not to offend Muslims.

Also in Cheshire, a 14-year-old Roman Catholic girl who attends Ellesmere Port Catholic High School was branded a truant by teachers for refusing to dress like a Muslim and visit a mosque.

In Stoke-on-Trent, schools have been ordered to rearrange exams, cancel swimming lessons and stop sex education during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. In Norwich, the Knowland Grove Community First School has axed the traditional Christmas play to "look at some of the other great cultural festivals of the world."

Meanwhile, the politically correct ban on pigs in Britain also extends to toys for children. A toy farm set called HappyLand Goosefeather Farm recently removed pigs in order to avoid offending Muslims.

The pig removal came to public attention after a British mother bought the toy as a present for her daughter's first birthday. Although the set contained a model of a cow, sheep, chicken, horse and dog, there was no pig, despite there being a sty and a button which generated an "oink" sound.

After the mother complained, the Early Learning Centre (ELC), which manufactures the toy, responded: "Previously the pig was part of the Goosefeather Farm. However due to customer feedback and religious reasons this is no longer part of the farm."

After a public outcry, however, ELC later reversed its decision: "We recognize that pigs are familiar farm animals, especially for our UK customers. We have taken the decision to reinstate the pig and to no longer sell the set in international markets where it might create an issue."

Schools across Britain are, in fact, increasingly banning pork from lunch menus to avoid offending Muslim students. Hundreds of schools have adopted a "no pork" policy, according to a recent report by the London-based Daily Telegraph.

The culinary restrictions join a long list of politically correct changes that gradually are bringing hundreds of British primary and secondary education into conformity with Islamic Sharia law.

The London Borough of Haringey, a heavily Muslim district in North London, is the latest school district to switch to a menu that is fully halal (religiously permissible for Muslims).

The Haringey Town Council recently issued "best practice" advice to all schools in its area to "ban all pork products in order to cater for the needs of staff and pupils who are not permitted contact with these for religious reasons."

Local politicians have criticized the new policy as pandering to Muslims, and local farmers, who have pointed out that all schools in Britain already offer vegetarian options, have accused school administrators of depriving non-Muslim children of a choice.

Following an outcry from non-Muslim parents, the town council removed the guidance from its website, although the new policy remains in place.

At the Cypress Junior School, in Croydon, south London, school administrators announced in the school newsletter dated June 1, 2012 that the school has opted for a pork-free menu "as a result of pupil and parental feedback."

The announcement states: "Whilst beef, chicken, turkey and fish will all feature, as well as the daily vegetarian and jacket potato or pasta option, the sausages served will now be chicken rather than pork."

In Luton, an industrial city some 50 kilometers (30 miles) north of London where more than 15% of the population is now Muslim, 23 out of 57 schools have banned pork.

In the City of Bradford, a borough of West Yorkshire in Northern England where there are nowtwice as many practicing Muslims that there are practicing Anglicans, 24 out of 160 schools have eliminated pork from their menus. In Newham (East London), 25 out of 75 schools have banned pork.

Other pork-free schools include Cranford Park Primary School in Hayes (Middlesex), and Dog Kennel Hill Primary in East Dulwich (South London).

The Borough of Harrow in northwest London was among the first in Britain to encourage halal menus. In 2010, Harrow Council announced plans to ban pork in the borough's 52 state primary schools, following a switch by ten secondary schools to offer halal-only menus.

According to the UK-based National Pig Association, which represents commercial pork producers, "It is disappointing that schools cannot be sufficiently organized to give children a choice of meat. Sausages and roast pork are staples of a British diet and children enjoy eating them. If products can be labeled with warnings that they contain nuts and vegetarian dishes can be made and kept separate from meat dishes, [we] don't see why the same can't apply to pork."

Source: http://www.radicalislam.org/analysis/politically-correct-education-transforming-britain

Madonna and the death of the West

Kuhner: Madonna and the death of the West

Pop icon Madonna launched her latest world tour with a show in Tel Aviv, Israel, on May 31, kicking off a road trip of more than 30 countries in what will be her longest tour.

American popular culture is a moral sewer. It celebrates drugs, pornography, abortion, mindless violence, street thugs, sexual promiscuity, homosexuality, hedonism and even cannibalism. For the past 25 years, one of its cultural icons has been Madonna. The singer has limited talent. The key to Madonna’s success has not been her voice or the beauty of her songs; rather, it is her willingness to push the envelope, to shock the public with acts of lewdness and vulgarity.

Recently, at a concert in Turkey, the material girl outraged many in the audience by flashing her right breast. In Italy, she followed this up by exposing her rear to the crowd — her derriere covered only by a G-string thong. The words “No Fear” were marked on her semi-naked back. It takes no courage, however, to prance around on stage like a cheap porn star. The media laps it up; Madonna’s fans love it, praising her for being a provocative trailblazer and bold performance “artist.” In the decadent West, she has become a feminist hero — the embodiment of the sexual revolution.      

Madonna has made a living by courting controversy and deliberately shocking our moral sensibilities. She has simulated masturbation on stage. In a 2006 concert, the singer hung herself from a 20-foot crucifix wearing a crown of thorns. Her behavior was blasphemous and deeply insulting to Christians. Yet, her antics are also that of a puerile poseur, a secular charlatan pretending to be taking a brave stand against traditionalism. Mocking Christianity is easy; Christians are routinely vilified in Hollywood movies, TV shows and pop music. There is no professional or personal price to be paid. In fact, anti-Christian bigotry — Christophobia — is celebrated by our ruling elites. They are cowards. Liberals understand that Christianity is the true religion of peace. They know Catholic priests or Baptist ministers won’t be issuing any fatwas for blasphemous acts.

Islam, however, is a different story. If Madonna really wants to be an avatar of sexual liberation — and demonstrate “no fear” — let her paint a Muslim crescent on her back as she shows her 53-year-old behind. Or better yet, instead of hanging from a crucifix, she can display a tattooed image of the Prophet Muhammad. That, at least, would take real courage. Unfortunately, she would probably be the victim of some crazed jihadist or trigger numerous riots by rampaging Muslims. And this is why Madonna — or any other pop star — will never do it. She encapsulates the moral surrender at the heart of the secular West. Progressive multiculturalism is no match for Islamic fundamentalism.

Madonna is not the only exhibitionist singer to be intimidated by Muslim extremists. Lady Gaga recently had to cancel a concert in Indonesia for fear of inciting Islamist violence. These singers are reviled by large swathes of the Islamic world. They are viewed as symbols of the degenerate West and American cultural imperialism.

The great myth of our time is that jihadism is a by-product of U.S. foreign policy. The argument espoused by one-world liberals such as Michael Moore, Bill Maher and Madonna is that Islamic terrorists are here because we are over there; they contend that the American invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq combined with our support for Israel have driven countless Muslims into the arms of radical Islam. And the supposed prime recruiter for Islamist terror was former President George W. Bush — the militarist cowboy. This is false and a self-serving, dangerous delusion.

Jihadism goes back to the founding of Islam in the 7th century. The Muslim faith expanded through the sword, conquering and religiously cleansing its enemies — especially Christians and Jews. Islamic civilization has had periods of peace. But it also has always had a violent, militant streak. Modern-day Islamists are simply continuing their long struggle against Western Christendom (along with its ally Israel).

Yet Islam is much more than religious atavism and relentless expansion. It is a very serious faith based on a God-centered society. It is the fastest growing and largest religion in the world. Its adherents obey the Koran’s strict moral laws — against adultery, sexual permissiveness, abortion, homosexuality, contraception, drugs, alcohol and pornography. They regard the West’s militant secularism and cultural decadence as repugnant. We are viewed with contempt. And they rightly refuse to adopt our postmodern, nihilistic values.

There is something pathetic about an aging pop star whose claim to fame is making sadomasochism and public masturbation part of the acceptable mainstream. Madonna, however, has done more than Mr. Bush, the U.S. military or Uncle Sam ever could to stir up passionate hatred among millions of Muslims. Of course, nothing she does justifies jihad. But she is a glaring example of our moral decay, and why the Islamists believe their day is coming. They’re over here because she’s over there.                                 

Jeffrey T. Kuhneris a columnist at The Washington Times and president of the Edmund Burke Institute.

Read more:http://times247.com/articles/06madonna-and-the-death-of-the-west4#ixzz1yGhempmM

Obama Apologizes for Quran Burning in Afghanistan

Obama Apologizes for Quran Burning in Afghanistan

By AMIR SHAH and PATRICK QUINN Associated Press

KABUL, Afghanistan February 23, 2012 (AP)

President Barack Obama apologized Thursday for the burning of copies of the Muslim holy book at a U.S. military base this week, as violent protests raging nationwide led a man dressed in an Afghan army uniform to kill two U.S. troops.

The Afghans' furious response to the Quran burning — three days of riots in several cities nationwide — reflected the anger at what they perceive as foreign forces disrespect for Afghan laws and culture.

In a letter sent to Afghan President Hamid Karzai, Obama expressed his administration's "regret and apologies over the incident in which religious materials were unintentionally mishandled," White House national security council spokesman Tommy Vietor said. He added that the letter was delivered by Ryan Crocker, the U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, Thursday afternoon.

Karzai's office said Obama called the Quran burnings "inadvertent," adding that the U.S. "will take the appropriate steps to avoid any recurrence, to include holding accountable those responsible."

U.S. apologies for the desecration — and an appeal from Karzai for calm — have failed to temper the anger of Afghans, who staged rallies in seven provinces Thursday, sparking clashes with Afghan police and security forces that left at least five demonstrators dead. Seven protesters were killed in clashes on Wednesday.


The two NATO service members were killed in eastern Afghanistan by a man dressed in an Afghan army uniform. Both troops were Americans, according to a U.S. official, who confirmed their nationalities on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to disclose the information.

Mohammad Hassan, an official in Nangarhar province where the shooting took place, said the two Americans were shot by an Afghan soldier after soldiers fired in the air to disperse protesters outside a U.S. base in the Khogyani district. Two protesters were also killed in the ensuing gunfire, Afghan officials said.

A rising number of Afghan security forces, or militants wearing their uniforms, have shot and killed U.S. and NATO service members.

The Taliban on Thursday called on Afghans to attack foreign troops, and their spokesman has issued a statement ordering its commanders to embrace and protect the families of any Afghan policeman or soldier who turns his gun on foreign troops. "Call them heroes," he said.

Protesters also rioted outside a U.S. base in Mehterlam, the capital of Laghman province. Police broke up a demonstration using water cannons and batons after protesters tried to storm the base.

"Hundreds of our people in Laghman province gathered because of the burning of the holy book by the Americans," said protester Mohammad Issa.

"Everyone is so emotional. The burning of the Quran broke our hearts and we are attacking the PRT because they are American," he said, using the acronym for the provincial reconstruction team.

In Oslo, Norwegian military spokesman Ivar Moen said a Norwegian soldier was wounded after demonstrators threw a hand grenade into a military base in Maimanah, in northwestern Faryab province where Norwegian, Latvian, Afghan and U.S. troops are deployed.

The soldier was wounded after up to 200 demonstrators hurled rocks at the base and shouted epithets. Norwegian troops responded with warning shots and tear gas. Moen said the demonstration was over, but new protests are expected tomorrow.


In the city of Baghlan in the north, clashes between police and protesters attacking the police headquarters left one person dead. Police said 10 officers were also wounded, two from gunshot wounds.

Police said another two protesters were killed and six wounded in another exchange of gunfire during a protest in southern Uruzgan province.

The riots erupted Tuesday after Afghan workers at the main American military base, Bagram Air Field, saw soldiers dumping books in a pit where garbage is burned and noticed Qurans and other religious material among the trash.

The top U.S. and NATO commander, Gen. John Allen, quickly issued an apology and telephoned Karzai and major news organizations to explain that a collection of religious materials, including Qurans, had mistakenly been sent to be incinerated. As soon as someone realized what they were burning, they stopped and retrieved what was left, Allen said.

Karzai also met Thursday with parliamentarians — many of whom had called Wednesday for Afghans to wage a holy war against international forces. He told them that a U.S. officer responsible for the incident "didn't understand" what he was doing and the United States "accepted the mistake of its officer."

He commended the U.S. government for "acting quickly regarding this issue and apologizing." Karzai said that he was most concerned with making sure that such acts are not repeated.

Four copies of the Quran were burned before the incineration was halted, according to initial Afghan government reports.

NATO and Afghan investigators Wednesday visited the Parwan detention facility, where the Qurans were taken from. U.S. officials said they had been removed from the shelves of the facility's library because they contained extremist messages or inscriptions. The White House said it was an accident that they were sent to be burned. source:

The American Embassy in Kabul announced on Twitter that it is closing its doors and staff were forbidden to leave the premises, fearing violent attacks.

Quran burning: US apology fails to ease anger in Afghanistan

(Protesters shouted "Death to America!" and "Death to (President Hamid) Karzai" in a large demonstration on the outskirts of the Afghan capital.)


KABUL: Four people were shot dead and dozens wounded in protests in Afghanistan which flared for a second day on Wednesday in several cities over the burning of copies of the Quran, Islam's holy book, at NATO's main base in the country.

The American Embassy said its staff were in "lockdown" and travel had been suspended as thousands of people expressed fury over the burning, a public relations disaster for US-led NATO forces fighting Taliban militants ahead of the withdrawal of foreign combat troops by the end of 2014.

The US government and the American commander of NATO-led forces in Afghanistan apologised after Afghan labourers found charred copies of the Quran while collecting rubbish at the sprawling Bagram Airbase about an hour's drive north of Kabul.

It failed to contain the fury. Thousands of Afghans took to the streets again, chanting anti-American slogans.

Winning the hearts and minds of Afghans is critical to efforts to defeat the Taliban. Similar incidents in the past have caused deep divisions and resentment among Afghans towards the tens of thousands of foreign troops in Afghanistan.

Seven foreign UN workers were killed during protests that raged across Afghanistan for three days in April 2011 after a US pastor burned a Quran in Florida.

In Parwan province, home to the sprawling Bagram airbase where the Quran burning incident occurred, two people were shot dead by Afghan police and 13 wounded while attacking offices, provincial spokesman Roshan Khalid said.

A protester was shot dead by police in Logar province, east of the capital, the governor's spokesman, Deen Mohammad Darwish, said.

Afghan health ministry spokesman Ghulam Sakhi Kargar said one person also died in hospital in Kabul from gunshot wounds received during one of two shooting incidents at protests in at least four areas of the capital.

Shots came from the direction of a foreign military vehicle parked outside a US military base, said a Reuters witness. It is not clear who opened fire. International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) officials said they were unaware of shootings.

Later, wounded protesters along the busy Jalalabad road on the fringe of Kabul said Afghan police had fired on them.

CHANTS OF "DEATH TO AMERICA", "DEATH TO KARZAI"

Twenty-one people, including 11 policemen, were wounded in the capital, said Mohammad Zahir, head of Kabul police's crimes unit. They included the city police chief, Ayoub Salangi, who was hit in the ankle by a stone.

Critics say Western troops often fail to grasp the country's religious and cultural sensitivities. Demonstrations by as many as 2,000 people broke out as word of the find spread.

Police said most injuries were caused by flying stones and sticks hurled by protesters. Demonstrators had charged police lines and nearby military bases at a protest on the edge of Kabul, burning tyres and smashing vehicles and building windows.

Protesters shouted "Death to America!" and "Death to (President Hamid) Karzai" in a large demonstration on the outskirts of the Afghan capital.

"When the Americans insult us to this degree, we will join the insurgents," said Ajmal, an 18-year-old protester in Kabul.

Demonstrators set fire to part of a housing compound used by foreign contract workers. A Reuters witness said the fire damaged part of a guesthouse at the Green Village complex, where 1,500 mostly foreign contractors live and work.

Outrage also spilled over in the Afghan parliament, where several members shouted "death to America" inside the legislative chamber.

Muslims consider the Quran the literal word of God and treat each book with deep reverence.

The protests spread to several cities. In Jalalabad in the east, demonstrators praised the leader of the Afghan Taliban, the secretive Mullah Mohammad Omar, screaming "Long live Mullah Omar!", Reuters witnesses said. Five people were wounded, the governor's spokesman said.

Afghan media said demonstrations had also erupted in the province of Parwan, near the capital.

In Logar province, hundreds protested in front of the governor's office. Some threw stones. Separate protests were also under way in Jalalabad in the east.

Some protesters burned US flags and shouted "Death to America". Others torched fuel tankers near the city's airport. source

Mitt McRomney: “Islam: Peace-Loving “Religion”

"And the more we prattled about the peacefulness of Islam, the more we looked like we could be easily appeased with a few gestures. And so it was the Islamists who were more threatening, who got the benefit of of their appeasement. We had asked Muslim countries for an alliance with no mixed allegiances, in a region where only kin could ask or count on such an arrangement. And we are not their kin, neither by blood and certainly not by religion. While we insisted that all people were the same, this was a statement of our belief, not theirs. And they did not believe that we believed it either. by ZTW "

Mitt McRomney: Pro-Islamic, Leftist, Ass-Kissing Stooge Says “Islam: Peace-Loving “Religion”

So, this is what the ‘religion of peace is all about, ROMNEY?  ~SUDDEN JIHAD SYNDROME: Crazed gunman shouting “Allahu Akbar” goes on shooting spree in Hollywood …….There is no shortage on stupid in AmeriKa, now. Really, McRomney.. How bout not even mentioning Islamos? Why is there nothing that says CHRISTIANS are the patriots that love America & are the real peace-lovers? Huh? Is that too hard for you, you being a Mormon?

Learn from England you STUPID IDIOT, Romney. 

MY GOD, I HATE these candidates!

Yes, I AM A HATER of ALL things leftist and appeasing.

‘Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney says the Muslims he knows are “peace-loving and America-loving individuals.“

Read more on Newsmax.com: Romney: Islam Is a Peace-Loving Religion

  The left-wing of Britain have successfully destroyed the future of UK. But that was what they had planned all along. People from the left-wing simply just hate people, same as the leftists in AmeriKa. They want to destroy all civilization, so that the animals can have this planet for them selves.

Here is some ‘peace’ for ya, Romney:

Dont worry, ROMNEY you Muslim ass kissing IDIOT…

You have a GREAT friend in BarackHUSSEIN Obama.

SOURCE: http://themadjewess.com/tag/romney-islam-is-a-peace-loving-religion/

Iranian pastor who faces execution for refusing to recant his Christian faith.

An undated photograph provided by the American Center for Law & Justice shows Youcef Nadarkhani, an Iranian pastor who faces execution for refusing to recant his Christian faith.

Iranian Authorities Pressuring Jailed Christian Pastor to Convert to Islam

Government officials in Iran are trying to convince a jailed pastor to return to Islam as he waits for the nation’s supreme leader to decide whether he should be executed for converting to Christianity, sources close to the case told FoxNews.com.

Iran’s secret service officials recently approached 34-year-old pastor Youcef Nadarkhani at his prison site in Rasht and presented him with a book on Islamic literature, telling him they would be back to discuss the material and hear his opinion, the sources said.

FoxNews.com obtained a digital copy of the book given to Nadarkhani, a 300-page compilation entitled "Beshaarat-eh Ahdein," meaning “Message of the Two Eras,” referring to the New and Old Testaments. Through various narratives, the book claims Christianity is a fabrication and attempts to establish the superiority of Islam.

“This isn’t the first time that we have seen this strategy used in the Iranian jail system,” said attorney Tiffany Barrans, the international legal director for the American Center for Law and Justice.

Barrans questioned whether this signaled the ayatollah's willingness to give Nadarkhani another chance, or rather "another way to trap him to allow the regime to continue to punish him or have documented evidence of blasphemy against Islam.”

Barrans, who said she has been in frequent contact with Nadarkhani’s attorneys, said he has been advised by family members, members of the church and lawyers to remain silent, out of fear that the Iranian government may try to use his statements against him, a strategy she said is commonly employed by the regime.

Nadarkhani remains in prison, awaiting a final verdict that has been drawn out and delayed amid heavy and targeted international attention to his case. Iran’s judiciary has been caught in a bind, fearing the ultimate decision will have far-reaching political implications.

If Nadarkhani is released, the judiciary risks appearing disrespectful of the tenets of Shariah law. But if he is executed, Iran will face increasing criticism from the international community, which continues to petition for the pastor’s release.

A few weeks ago, a letter on behalf of the judiciary was sent to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the nation’s highest authority in interpreting Shariah Law, asking him to make the final decision.

It is unusual for the supreme leader to be asked to weigh in on a case, but officials said this case is rare in nature and requires Khamenei’s stamp of approval in order to issue an execution.

Nadarkhani came under the regime’s radar in 2006 when he applied for his church to be registered with the state. According to sources, he was arrested at that time and then soon released.

In 2009, Nadarkhani went to local officials to complain about Islamic indoctrination in his school district, arguing that his children should not be forced to learn about Islam.

He was subsequently arrested and has been held since.

Barrans said there has been much confusion in the story, in part deliberately caused by the Iranian regime through its state-controlled media. She said that in an effort to distract the media, the Iranian government denied that the charge against Nadarkhani was apostasy, or leaving Islam, and instead alleged that he was being held for rape and extortion.

But according to details provided by Barrans and confirmed by FoxNews.com with sources close to the case in Iran, Nadarkhani was arrested in October 2009 and was tried and found guilty of apostasy by a lower court in Gilan, a province in Rasht. He was then given verbal notification of an impending death-by-hanging sentence.

In December, his lawyers appealed the decision, and the case was sent to Iran’s Supreme Court, which by June stated that it upheld the lower court’s decision of execution, provided it could be proven that he had been a practicing Muslim from the age of adulthood, 15 in Islamic law, to age 19, the time when he converted.

In September, the lower court ruled that Nadarkhani had not practiced Islam during his adult life but still upheld the apostasy charge because he was born into a Muslim family. The court then gave Nadarkhani the opportunity to recant, as the law requires a man to be given three chances to recant his beliefs and return to Islam.

Nadarkhani refused.

Experts credit international support of Nadarkhani in keeping him alive. Christian advocacy groups and human rights organizations have mounted numerous global campaigns and petitions against the Iranian government.

“For me, as a husband and a father of two, the first thing I think about is being in his situation,” said the Rev. Jason DeMars, founder of Present Truth Ministries, a support group for persecuted church communities in the Middle East.

DeMars has been linked to the network of churches in Iran to which Nadarkhani belonged, providing these communities with materials, mission coordination and international support.

“Politically, Iran wants to spread its influence and revolution throughout the Middle East. If we don’t raise our voices now, this persecution is going to affect Christians in other countries as well,” he said.

Apostasy is punishable by death in Shariah law. Article 225 of the Iranian penal code states, "Punishment for an Innate Apostate is death," and "Punishment for a Parental Apostate is death.”

Under this law, a Muslim who converts to Christian is called a mortad, meaning one who leaves Islam. If the convert attempts to convert others, he is called a mortad harbi, or a convert who is waging war against Islam. Death sentences for such individuals are prescribed both by fatwas, or legal decrees, and reinforced by Iran’s penal code.

All religious minorities in Iran, including Bahais, Zoroastrians, Jews and Christians, have faced various forms of persecution and political and social marginalization throughout the regime’s 30-year reign. But the government saves its harshest retribution for those who have abandoned Islam.

Khamenei is not expected to announce a public decision on the case; he traditionally has influenced cases behind closed doors. Should he decline, the lower court will be responsible for making final judgment. SOURCE: