Why would Abdullah al-Sabah think he might be murdered for exercising his freedom of conscience? After all, Muslim spokesmen such as Salam al-Marayati, M. Cherif Bassiouni, and Ali Eteraz (among many others) have assured us that Islam has no death penalty for apostasy.
Unfortunately, in doing so they fool credulous Westerners, but they disagree with Muhammad, the prophet of Islam, who said, "Whoever changed his Islamic religion, then kill him" (Bukhari 9.84.57). And all the schools of Islamic law still teach that death is the proper penalty for apostates.
In a sane world, this would be an international human rights issue, with calls from the UN to protect apostates from Islam. But this is not a sane world.
"Kuwait: The prince's mysterious conversion," by Marco Tosatti for Vatican Insider, January 16 (thanks to Jerry Newcombe):
According to reports, a Kuwaiti royal prince has become a follower of Jesus Christ. In an audio file posted with his name, he affirms that if he is killed because of a recording he made where he talks about his conversion, he firmly believes that he will meet Jesus Christ face-to-face. The news comes from Middle Eastern sources which state that al-Haqiqa – a Christian satellite TV channel in Arabic that transmits Christian religious programmes – broadcast an audio file attributed to the Kuwaiti prince, identified as Abdullah al-Sabah. The al-Sabahs are the royal family of Kuwait, a country rich in oil. The name Abdullah (servant of God) frequently appears in the Emir’s family tree.In his audio file, Abdullah declared: “First of all, I fully agree with the distribution of this audio file and I now declare that if they kill me because of it, then I will appear before Jesus Christ and be with him for all eternity.” In this statement, the prince demonstrates his awareness of the fate in store for a martyr of the faith, according to Christian doctrine. The television channel stated that Abdullah is a member of the royal family, and that he recently renounced his faith in Islam and became a Christian, without specifying which particular branch of Christianity he had chosen. After stating his full name, the prince declared: “I will accept whatever they do to me, because the truth in the Bible has guided me towards the right path.”
In the audio file, Abdullah talks about the Islamic groups that are winning the elections in Egypt and declares: “Islamic communities have always wanted to attack in different parts of the world but God has preserved the world and still protects it. This is why we have recently seen disagreements appearing among Islamic groups who are now fighting with each other. They are about to divide further into different groups.”
Mohabat News, a Christian Iranian website which has been following the fate of Christian minorities in the Middle East closely and which has monitored Abdullah’s statement, confirms that this news was published briefly by Arabic news agencies and also by the Iranian state news agency. Some independent websites with Shiite leanings denied the reports and quoted another Kuwaiti prince, Azbi al-Sabah, who said: “There’s no one by that name in the Kuwaiti royal family.” In actual fact, the name Abdullah does not appear on the list of the 15 members of the royal family who rule this small, extremely wealthy country in different capacities: from the Sheikh down to Princess Nijirah al-Sabah, who testified in the US Congress under the assumed name of "Nurse Nayirah" on the humanitarian situation in the country after the invasion by Saddam Hussein’s Iraq and just before the Gulf War. That isn’t to say that this high-profile convert is not hidden somewhere within the extended family, under a different name.
In Kuwait the overwhelming majority of the population is Muslim (only 4% is Christian) and the country’s Constitution states: “Islam is the official religion of the country and Sharia is the main source for legislation.”...
Great step, Prince.
Welcome to the non-islamic world. This world respects human beings, allows people to make choices, does not trample women's rights or the rights of people of other religions, accords dignity to women and children - does not treat them like posessions, celebrates freedom of expression, etc etc.
You have chosen to leave islam.
You have made a good choice.
Bravo.
This is sticking it to the mahoundians. I love it.
He's a brave man to do what he does.
If true this may be a significant event.
Of course, the guy could be a nutball doing this for reasons that nobody else could understand. But it doesn't sound that way.
It is certainly very surprising.
It puts me in mind of conversions, especially secret conversions by Roman royalty in the late period.
Jolly good show.
One of the more visible examples of the millions who are breaking the chains of Islam and setting themselves free.
Good man!
If true, a very pleasant surprise, brave, and remarkable, setting an intelligent leadership example!
They are coming to Christ by the millions.
"This Christianization movement is too big to be dealt with even by all arab countries combined." Sheikh Al Qataani on Al Jazeera TV.
http://crossmuslims.blogspot.com/2010/05/dying-islam-lislam-mourant.html
God bless and protect the prince. He knows that although earthly authority is invested in him, they can still kill him as he is only a human being.
"Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul."
God bless this man!
Thanks be to God.
If this is more than a rumor, it's sort of astounding. Reminds me a bit of the emergence of dissidents in the Soviet Union.
We have only recently entered an era of vibrant worldwide Islam-criticism at a level perhaps approximating in effectiveness to that of the worldwide criticism that arose toward human rights abuses in the Soviet Union.
But we are all dissidents now (except for devout Muslims and their allies), since Islam throws a chill over all of us with regard to free speech. That chill can't throw a U.S. citizen in prison, but it does hang real threats, both physical and social, over the heads of those who openly criticise Islam.
Survival as a public dissident in Kuwait might be more difficult than survival in the Soviet Union as a dissident. (Of course it depends on whether you are talking Stalinist or post-Stalinist Soviet Union.)
Assuming this story is true, this is, as several before me have already mentioned, a very brave man. Moreover, this particular story made me think how extraordinarily better off the entire Middle East would be if millions of Muslims there in that very dysfunctional part of the world would become converts to Christianity. Yeah, it would be a major step up, even though Muslims remaining Muslims would go into hysterics and want to harm or kill apostates of Mo's creed, as Mo himself said should be done.
That's truly royal !
Well, if this is true that a Kuwaiti prince has decided to "kiss the Son, lest he [the prince] perish in the way", I can only bow in humble gratitude to the Holy Spirit of God who works such miracles of grace. Many years ago, in the wake of the first Gylf War, a Kuwaiti citizen claimed adherence to Christ, but was bullied back into Islam, I understand. Perhaps there's more going on in that oil state than is widely known.
I pray that there will be many, many more following the prince's example.
Considering the posts by liberated, news of Abdullah al-Sabah, Youcef Nadarkhani, those Iranians arrested for being Christians, and so many more, I urge us, especially my brethren on the religious right, to remember that people's conversion by God's Word and Spirit is the real, unequivocal victory in spiritual warfare.
Article:
"Some independent websites with Shiite leanings denied the reports and quoted another Kuwaiti prince, Azbi al-Sabah, who said: “There’s no one by that name in the Kuwaiti royal family.” In actual fact, the name Abdullah does not appear on the list of the 15 members of the royal family who rule this small, extremely wealthy country in different capacities: from the Sheikh down to Princess Nijirah al-Sabah,..."
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I'm skeptical. I'll be astounded if this turns out to be true, and I'm not going to speculate, except to say that it sounds fishy to me. My BS meter's going off.
..."he firmly believes that he will meet Jesus Christ face-to-face."
Whether or not this story is true - one truth remains, that one day we will ALL meet Jesus face-to-face; in fact, the Bible states that EVERY knee will bow and EVERY tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is LORD! ...and every means EVERYONE.
"Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." -- Philippians 2:9-11
Welcome Abdullah!
You have a lot of courage and my highest regard for what you have done. All the best to you in this new course of life.
First thing that's gotta go is that name: abdullah... slave to allah.
Found this at the end of an article at News from Armenia:
"Last October Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah was found guilty of the murder of his nephew Shaikh Basil Salem Sabah Al Salem Al Sabah and was sentenced to death."
http://news.am/eng/news/89059.html
ahaha!!! ...great point, yeah a name change is definitely in order. Just as those who convert to islam change their name to say muhammad to honor THAT evil barbarian, "abdullah" could change his name to perhaps Matthew, Mark, Luke or John :-D
If this report is true, it means the Prince has changed his allegiance from an evil non-existant god to a kind non-existent god...... unless of course someone has verifiable evidence to prove the actual existence of Allah, Jehovah, Jesus's father or Bertrand Russell's teapot.
Nevertheless,if true, it is an improvement and the score is Islam 0 Anti-Islam 1. It is also satisfying and pleasing to know the Prince will be turning his cheek rather than smiting necks and fingertips.
However, be cautious; remember their are still 1.5 billion who earnestly believe that Allah knows best.
Kuwaiti royal prince declares conversion to Christianity: "if they kill me because of it, then I will appear before Jesus Christ"
Why would Abdullah al-Sabah think he might be murdered for exercising his freedom of conscience?
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Hard to know exactly who Abdullah al-Sabah is. He may be part of the Kuwaiti royal family, even if his is not among the scant fifteen names on the "list".
In any case, he is right to worry that his life would be in danger. As a high-profile apostate, I hope he stays safe.
IF this is true, it is good news.
Kuwait, eh?
Here is a story from Stuart Robinson's book 'Mosques and Miracles'. I am assuming Robinson, who has personal contact with Christian expats working as 'tentmakers' in the Middle East and elsewhere, heard it from someone in the field, or perhaps even from the person to whom it happened.
"In Kuwait, as a young Asian [not a Muslim - dda] paced back and forth on a motorway overpass, contemplating suicide, a passing car suddenly screeched to a halt beside him.
'A sophisticated Kuwaiti man jumped out, his dishdasha robes flowing behind him, and called, "Are you all right? What's the matter?' With care the man persuaded his desperate young friend to let him drive him home.
{Nota bene: given what we know about the usual treatment of Asian non-Muslim - and Muslim - 'guest workers' in places like Kuwait, and what we know about the propensity of Mohammedan males to proposition those whom they deem vulnerable, this particular Kuwaiti must have been giving off a very different 'vibe' from what the young Christian would have expected, for the Christian to have been willing to get in the car with him... dda}
'Just before he got out [of the car] the driver asked, 'By the way, are you a Muslim or a Christian?' The Asian youth, who had a Christian background, said, "I am a Christian".
{Very brave of him...dda}.
"To the young man's astonishment the man reached out and shook his hand, saying, "So am I. No-one knows . Not even my family. I will pray for you".' [Mosques and Miracles, 2004, pp. 238-239].
Guys you are celebrating too early. How do you know if this is not a trick by christians who leave no stone unturned to convert muslims to christianity. If the story is true how the prince will come face to face with Jesus. Jesus never resides in hell. Allah is great and Mohammad is his messenger
I'm glad to see that Abdullah no longer wishes to belong to the Crime Syndicate of Islam. I predict that if this continues, Islam will no longer exist to continue in heinous Criminal Activity -- stoning women to death; "marrying" underage little girls and then legally raping them; no more Honor Killing; no more murders of apostates; hanging homosexuals and lesbians by the neck until dead; no more chopping off clitorises of little girls; no more chopping off of hands, feet, and gouging out eyes of petty thieves; and many more Islamic crimes.
The Royal Family of Kuwait - could this become a safe haven for Christians?