Christian Taxi Driver Fight’s German City’s Harsh Fine Over His Bible Verse Sticker
The Iranian-born Christian convert insists the sticker is a personal expression of faith and not “religious advertising”
A taxi driver in Germany is fighting against a fine he was issued over the placement of a Bible verse sticker on his cab which says, “Jesus — I am the way, the truth, and the life.”
While authorities in the city of Essen, Germany claimed that driver Jalil Mashali’s sticker constituted “religious advertising,” he and his representatives at ADF International argue that the sticker is an expression of his fundamental human rights to free expression.
"In a free society, the government should not be silencing peaceful expressions of faith," the organization’s Dr. Lidia Rieder explains, as reported by The Christian Post. "Jalil's actions are protected by the basic human right to freedom of religion, which includes the right to share one's deeply held convictions with others. The state must refrain from unjustly interfering with this freedom."
"The repercussions for Mashali are significant, with the possibility of dismissal as a taxi driver if he refuses to remove the text, as his car is deemed unfit for German roads," the ADF also notes.
Mashali, who was born in Iran and raised in a devout Muslim household but came to Christ after experiencing miraculous healing following the prayers of a Christian woman, received a notice in October 2023 threatening him with a fine of up to 1,000 euros over the sticker.
He has refused so far, subjecting him to further fines of over 80 euros.
Other Christians should put similar bumper stickers on their cars so that thousands are “deemed unfit for German roads!”
Father God, make a way for this believer where there seems to be no way!