A convert from Islam to Christianity, beheaded by mujahedin in Kashmir: more evidence that the Islamic death penalty for apostates, rooted in Muhammad’s command, “If anyone changes his religion, kill him,” is still very much taken seriously by some Muslim groups. Yet in the United States, Islamic apologists try to convince us that this death penalty doesn’t exist, rather than acknowledge its existence and work to combat its influence in the Islamic world.
By Michael Ireland for ASSIST News Service, with thanks to Cindy:
KASHMIR, INDIA (ANS) — An active member of the Salem Voice Ministries underground House Church in Kashmir was brutally murdered on Saturday, April 14, according to news sources in India.
Manzoor Ahmad Chat, 33, was beheaded by Hizbul militants on Saturday before dawn. Local police recovered the head and the remains of his body from Gundi Pora and Pinglana villages in Pulwama District. Manzoor and his family became believers in Jesus Christ after converting from Islam and regularly attended prayer services held by the SVM (Underground) House Church. He was a prayer leader in the house church.
Manzoor was employed by the Government as a lineman of the Power Development Department (PDD) in the Kakapora area. On Friday he was traveling by scooter to carry out his duties. While he was going he met two believers and reminded them about the prayer meetings, but on the way he was kidnapped by the militants, according to police reports.
On Saturday, people in the village of Pinglena found Manzoor’s headless body in a nearby paddy field. They also found the head kept in a polythene bag near the mosque.
According to SVM, militants had planned to kill him earlier. A gun battle between militants and armed forces had taken place at Manzoor’s house last year. Reports say Manzoor seemed to have been brutally tortured and finally slaughtered to death.
Police registered a case and investigations have been launched. The dead body has been handed over to the family following a post mortem. Police also say they killed two leaders of the militant group Leshkar-e-Toyiba….
Four months ago evangelist and campaigner Basheer Ahamed Tantry, who was also a government employed engineer, was shot dead in Kashmir in public during the day.
Also, Pastor Ashir of the SVM Underground Church in Kupwara in Kashmir was severely attacked last month.