Uncertain Times for post-Kim Jong Il North Korea; Final Verdict on Yousef Nadarkhani Case Delayed

The Death of a Dictator

2011 has been a hard year for oppressive governments. Protestors forced the dictators of Tunisia and Egypt to step down. Armed militias in Libya, with some NATO backing eventually killed Gaddafi and put his body on display. The rumbles of revolution shook autocratic governments from Morocco to China, drawing promises of reform from some and brutal crackdown from others.Now in the last month of 2011 the North Korean government has announced that Kim Jong Il, the violent and erratic dictator of North Korea died of a heart attack last week. Kim Jong Il, who assumed power in 1994, is responsible for recklessly pursuing nuclear weapons while the North Korean people starved and killing dissidents, reformers and members of any religion except the cult of personality which worships his father Kim Il Sung.

Kim Jong Un, the third son of Kim Jong Il, has been groomed to take his father’s place and continue the program of death and destruction which has killed over 3 million North Koreans and reduced the nation to a poverty stricken wreck held together only by the military. This time of transition will be a delicate one, with internal conflicts between high-ranking North Korean generals or a renewal of hostilities with South Korea and the U.S. very possible.

While we pray that Kim Jong Un will rule well and begin to heal the wounds of his country, we are very aware that a time of insecurity and thus increased persecution is imminent. We must pray for the people of North Korea at this critical time.

Reprieve Without Freedom

Despite the massive expressions of outrage regarding the case of Yousef Nadarkhani, this Iranian pastor remains in prison. As you know Yousef was arrested for protesting the mandatory Muslim indoctrination of his children, charged with apostasy and imprisoned in 2009. Over the past two years Nadarkhani has suffered torture, seen his wife imprisoned, weathered threats that his children would be sent to a Muslim orphanage.Unable to shake this pastor’s faith, the Iranian government sentenced him to death for apostasy. His case was appealed all the way up to the Iranian Supreme Court, but in the end the courts verbally sentenced him to death on September 25,  2011. Fortunately the response from the free world has put Iran under enormous pressure for blatantly violating one of the most basic rights of the human soul.

Fearing the international response if they  execute him and the internal response if they release him, the government of Iran engaged in a series of delaying tactics, trying to stall until the furor dies down. The most recent announcement from the head of the Iranian Judicial system indicates that there will be no final decision until March or April.

Jubilee Campaign rejoices that the outcry on Yousef’s behalf has been so effectual. We believe that the Lord has granted us this time to raise even more support before we deliver our petition in February. We pray that our efforts along with all those fighting for Yousef’s freedom will grow to the point where Iran cannot ignore them.

In the meantime we urge you all to pray that the Lord will preserve Yousef’s life. While Yousef is the first Christian to be publicly condemned for apostasy in two decades Iranian prisons are run by Muslim extremists and extrajudicial executions are common. Despite the danger, we recognize that God has his hand over Pastor Nadarkhani and we pray that he and the many other pastors and evangelists imprisoned in Iran will be released soon.

Support the Protection of Religious Minorities

Libyan Rebels Edge Toward Shari’a Law

You are all aware of the armed conflict occurring in the nation of Libya. Over the past months and weeks the West watched ‘freedom-loving’ revolutionaries push back the forces of the socialist dictator Moammar Gadhafi. However, as with the rest of the Arab Spring movements, the Libyan movement contains strongly Islamist elements.

While the total number of extremists among the Libyan revolutionaries cannot be verified, this article in the Wall Street Journal notes the presence of Islamic extremists in key military posts responsible for training and commanding the rebels.

No one, at least in the human rights community, denies the injustice and human rights violations committed by Gadhafi’s regime. However, Jubilee Campaign fears that any government set up along Islamic principles will prove to be no better than the dictatorship.

A potential draft for the Libyan Constitution released online explicitly affirms Shari’a as the “principle source of legislation.” The validity of this Constitutional draft cannot be confirmed, and it will be some time before Libya can conduct a vote to ratify this or any other Constitution. Nevertheless, this represents a dangerous way to begin the discussion on the future of Libyan governance.

While a successful revolution in Libya may ease the repression of the general populace, basing the laws of a nation on Shari’a tilts the playing field in favor of Islamic extremists. The best case scenario looks something like Iraq or Afghanistan. Unfortunately, despite heavy American involvement in those countries, discrimination and violence against Christians continues and extremism is on the rise.

The situation in Libya highlights the need for a Special Envoy to the Middle East. The powerful forces unleashed by the Arab Spring represent the best hope for genuine freedom and democracy that we have seen in the Middle East for decades. Unfortunately, the trend appears to be moving away from that noble end.

Libya is only one example of the critical need for focus on this issue in this region at this time. The House version of this Bill HR 440 passed 402 to 20. Now we desperately need action on the Senate side.

Once again we ask you to contact your Senator and ask them to support S. 1245 Full Text Here.
Mail in the sample letter below or use it as a script when you call. Feel free to personalize the letter.

As the Congressional recess draws to a close we ask you to contact the the staffers responsible for this issue both in the office your senators and in the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. We need this issue to be place on the Committee soon after the recess so that it can be sent to the Senate floor with enough time to vote on the bill.

Here is the contact information for the Committee
U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations
446 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510-6225

Majority Phone: (202) 224-4651
Minority Phone: (202) 224-6797

We encourage you to reach out and discuss how the situation in Libya specifically requires this bill.

In HIS Grace
Ann Buwalda
Executive Director, Jubilee Campaign
Sample Letter to Senators

Senator ____________

I am greatly concerned about the future of human rights and religious freedom in Libya. No one denies the injustice and human rights violations committed by Gadhafi’s regime. However, I fear that any government set up along Islamic principles will prove to be no better than the dictatorship. The presence of Islamic extremists in key military posts within the Libyan rebel forces and the proposed Libyan Constitution citing Shari’a as the source of all legislation represent dangerous trends for freedom and genuine democracy.

The failure of the US government to meaningfully advocate for religious minorities prompted the the “Near East and South Central Asia Religious Freedom Act of 2011.” Senators Roy Blunt and Carl Levin introduced introduced this bill in the Senate as S. 1245. It has already passed the House 402 to 20 in a massive showing of bipartisan support.

As my Senator, I would like to ask to you to support this Bill. If the governments of the Middle East become controlled by Islamists, it will harm both the religious minorities in these countries and the ability of the United States to combat terrorism both abroad and at home. I ask that you do everything in your power to support freedom and genuine democracy including religious freedom.

Sincerely
Your Name