Source:         www.assistnews.net

Date:            May 30, 2007

Bishop Concerned About Increasing Threats Against Former Muslims

By Wolfgang Polzer
Special to ASSIST News Service

BERLIN/STUTTGART (ANS) -- Muslim converts fear for their lives - not only in predominantly Muslim countries but also in Germany.

The leader of the main line Protestant Churches in Germany, Bishop Wolfgang Huber, is deeply concerned about increasing threats to the lives of former Muslims, who have embraced the Christian faith.

There are congregations of former Muslims in Berlin, Huber's diocese, who live in constant fear of violent attacks, the Bishop told the 6,000 participants of a Protestant Church Rally in Bavaria, May 28. Huber: "I am convinced that there are more Muslim converts in Germany than we know of."

According to evangelist Ulrich Parzany approximately 5,000 Muslims become Christians in Germany every year. Many of them change their identity because they are afraid of being killed.

Speaking at an ecumenical gathering of European Christians in Stuttgart, May 12, Parzany pointed out that according to the Quran and the Islamic religious law apostasy carries the death sentence.

According to Parzany, main speaker of the evangelistic outreach project ProChrist, Christians must speak out against the threats to Muslim converts.