In the United States we are due many liberties. As long as you aren’t hurting someone or even extremely harming yourself you can do pretty much whatever you want. This past week I had dinner with several exchange students from China. We were discussing the differences in our two countries and governing styles.
They told me some things that I was interested to hear. I was very shocked to learn they were not allowed to have media sites such as Facebook. The government also censors the types of movies they can watch or music that is accessible to them.
If that right was taken away from you and I, there would be an uproar on Capitol Hill. I can see the signs now: “You can’t take away my ‘friends’;” “If I want to write on your wall, I will.” There would be a fight for the right to free speech by nearly every teen and adult in the country.
We’ve decided that what we think, say, do or want should be allotted to us without questions from the government. So what if the right to believe what you want was taken away?
Currently, the U.S. government does not censor religious activity regardless of how different or strange it may seem. We don’t realize how fortunate we are to be able to worship openly and legally. Not all nations give this type of freedom to their citizens.
Fox News reported recently that a man in Iran, Youcef Nadarkhani, has been convicted and sentenced to death for being a Christian convert. Nadarkhani is a husband and father of two. He faces charges of apostasy for converting from Islam to Christianity.
In Iran there is no time period for which an execution could take place. He could be killed today, tomorrow or even 20 years from now. The sickening part of this story is that Nadarkhani may be enduring this treatment only because of Iran’s current animosity with international powers.
His story is, however, shedding light onto the corruption within this government, specifically toward those renouncing the Islamic faith. Don’t get me wrong; Iran is not the only government in the world that has corruption welling inside.
Nadarkhani has been given many options in order to save his life. He was asked to convert back to Islam, which he declined. He was also asked to name Muhammad as a prophet, which he declined as well.
The U.S. government has been trying vigorously to get Iran to release Nadarkhani. Several politicians have worked to ensure a quick release from sentencing. Iran has yet to back down.
Nadarkhani has been advised not to comment on anything. This particular government is known for twisting prisoners’ words in an unflattering light.
I applaud Nadarkhani for standing firm in his faith. He has found truth and held fast to it regardless of the looming danger he is in. If we were held under such controversy, how many of us would change our beliefs?
This man’s possible fate is not one we Americans can really comprehend. We don’t get arrested for saying there is a God or believing in the Bible or any other religious book.
There is a big world out there. The way we do things here is not a reality for the millions spread across the globe. If everyone were silenced because they thought differently then no one would actually get to speak.
We must not take for granted what our soldiers have fought and died for. The ability to choose for ourselves is ingrained in our human nature. That is not a right given by the government, but one handed to us by God.