User:Physics is all gnomes/Said Musa

Said Musa, also written Sayed Mossa (born 1965/6) is an Afghan physical therapist who is currently imprisoned in Kabul, Afghanistan. He was arrested on May 31 2010 on apostasy charges, having converted from Islam to Christianity eight years earlier. Christian Organisations and the US government are lobbying for his release.

Life up to 2010
In the 1990s Musa's leg was amputated after he stepped on a landmine, while serving with the Afghan army. He subsequently worked with amputees as a physical therapist for the International Committee of the Red Cross/Crescent orthopaedic centre in Kabul for over 15 years, until his arrest.

Musa is married and has three daughters and three sons. He converted from Islam to Christianity in 2001/2. In an interview with The Sunday Times newspaper his wife Guljan, a Muslim, says that she was furious when he converted, but grew to love him again afterwards. She explains "He told me that he still respected my religion... This is his choice."

Arrest and imprisonment
Musa's arrest came after the Afghan channel Noorin TV showed footage of men apparently being baptised and reciting Christian prayers in Farsi.

He was arrested on May 31 2010 by Afghan Interior Ministry Intelligence authorities on his way Kabul's German Embassy, where he was going to seek sanctuary after a warning from a friend. He’d just been to the Red Cross offices to request leave. After his arrest, Musa’s wife and children were evicted by their landlord and fled Afghanistan, fearing for their own safety.

Musa says that in Kabul's provincial jail he was sexually abused, beaten and deprived of sleep by other prisoners, who also spat in his face and mocked his religion. Musa was then transferred to another jail, reportedly following pressure from the American embassy. For his own safety, he sleeps in the corridor outside the office of the head guard. (x)

Response
International Christian Concern has criticised the Red Crescent for not intervening on Musa's behalf.

Possible sources to use
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dont-let-them-hang-Said-Musa/144759138918630 http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iKXZIK03CcdhdnVdqnOQWns9UfkA http://www.christiantelegraph.com/issue9932.html http://www.compassdirect.org/english/country/23987/29549/ http://www.compassdirect.org/english/country/23987/28442/ http://www.christianpost.com/article/20101201/afghan-convert-s-trial-rejected-by-judgecorrections-ordered/ http://www.christianpost.com/article/20101122/afghan-converts-trial-delayed-faces-possible-death-penalty/ http://pbaptist.wordpress.com/2010/12/06/christian-jailed-in-afghanistan-to-face-judge-on-sunday/

http://www.persecution.org/2010/12/14/red-cross-neglects-arrested-afghan-employee-for-converting-to-christianity/ http://www.postedeveille.ca/2010/12/afghanistan-la-croix-rouge-neglige-son-employe-converti-accuse-dapostasie.html http://www.worldmag.com/articles/17288 http://www.worldmag.com/webextra/17376