Recently, I traveled with a team from the ACLJ to the United Kingdom to cover what I believe is the defining issue of our time. Justice Scalia wrote that, America is at war with radical Islamists. The truth is, the fight against radical Islamists and their agenda is spreading around the world.
In early July, we gathered many of our ACLJ and ECLJ staff in Strasbourg, France to discuss the push by the Organization of the Islamic Conference to define defamation of religion at the United Nations. This definition of defamation would prevent Christians in Muslim countries, and many others, from worshipping freely and sharing the tenets of their faith. In the middle of our discussion, the ECLJ received an email from a former Muslim husband and wife seeking refuge in the United Kingdom.
This young couple, not much older than I, left Islam and became Christians. When their families learned of their conversion, they threatened to kill them. Imagine your father, mother, brother, or sister threatening you and your loved ones with death because of your faith. And why? Well, under Sharia Law, apostasy (leaving Islam for another faith) is a crime punishable by death. Even in Muslim countries with constitutional guarantees of religious freedom, Sharia law overrides all other laws. Typically, these are defined as Honor and Shame Killings and they are happening all over the world, even here in the United States.
But isnt the murderer prosecuted, you ask? Here in the United States when you murder someone, regardless of the reason, you are almost always brought to justice; but in much of the Middle East and Persian Gulf, an Honor Killing is not prosecuted and, thus, the perpetrators of these violent acts do not have that fear of being brought to justice or prosecution. In fact, they are considered to be honoring their families by carrying out these Sharia death sentences.
After receiving death threats by email, phone, and having menacing notes tacked to their car about being followed, this young couple had to make a life-or-death decision. They gathered what they could and took the first flight out of their Persian Gulf country to the United Kingdom to declare asylum. Since arriving in the U.K., they have been in an uphill fight for their freedom and continue to face deportation back to the husbands country.
Fortunately, during this battle for religious freedom and their lives, the husband and wife contacted our ECLJ office through email. Since that day in July, our ECLJ team has been hard at work; and in the last two weeks, we have arranged for local expert legal representation for this couple as they face their next appeal in the immigration courts. An ECLJ attorney will also be serving as an expert witness at the next trial set for September 12th.
The young wife had never been to church before arriving in the U.K. This couple gave up everything and risked their lives to follow their faith. The ECLJ was founded so that when a person is faced with difficult, life-and-death battles in courts around the world, we are ready to engage at a moments notice to assist them.
Currently, our ACLJ legal and research teams are preparing documents for the upcoming trial, and weve sent ACLJ attorneys to the U.K. to help our ECLJ staff.
On my recent visit to the U.K. with our production team, I had the privilege of interviewing this young husband and wife, as well as their pastor for our television program, ACLJ This Week. For a preview of our meeting, click here. Well continue to keep you updated on this tremendous battle, and I encourage you to pray for this young couple and learn more about them on the upcoming television broadcasts that will take you into the heart and soul of their fight for life and freedom.
