The Church in Iran
Where there’s political strife, there’s religious strife, and in Iran, the two are inextricably intertwined.
Ever since the Iranian elections a few weeks ago, the political climate there has been tenuous at best. There have been massive protests, violence on the streets and even some deaths. Here in the United States, we’ve been inundated with Youtube videos and round-the-clock reporting. It’s definitely a situation that will take months to unravel, and the turmoil is showing no signs of slowing down.
Mission Network News is—as always—dutifully reporting on the situation. A few days ago they published an article about Christians joining in on the social networking activity that’s been coming out of Iran:
Yet, Christians are joining the Twitter Revolution and using Facebook to get information out of Iran. Open Doors learned through its contacts that voters are frustrated and have lost trust in Iran’s democracy in other cities outside of Tehran.
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In other districts of this southwest city of Shiraz, the situation is more grim as Daryush explains: “Friends told me that young people in Shiraz are being arrested and that they’ve seen young men and women being beaten, or worse. A friend who lives near the university and student dorms told me she heard screaming, shouting and gunfire in the early hours of the morning.“The predominately young demonstrators are calling Ahmadinejad a dictator, and they yell chants like ‘Ma dolate zoor nemikhaim,’ meaning ‘We don’t want a government of force.’ They also yell at the security forces and call them traitors and vote-stealers. A friend said that within the security forces are pro-Mousavi followers, saying ‘beechareh shodim!’ or ‘We are without hope.’”
Daryush continues: “The majority of people I spoke with consider the elections a fraud and don’t accept the results at all. A friend of our family lives in Shahe Cheragh, which is a predominantly religious and conservative district of Shiraz. He said that even in that district, a huge numbers of votes went to Mousavi.”
And here’s an excerpt from a recent article about the church in Iran:
However, many Christians have fled Iran because of persecution. Those who commit the crime of apostasy, or leaving Islam for another religion, are often arrested and tried in court. These charges are of particular concern since a draft law proposed in early 2008 that would mandate the death penalty for apostasy has passed several stages of Iran’s legislative process.
Even so, Penner says there is a growing church in Iran. Recent years have seen a growing appetite for political reform among the Iranian people. There is also a growing openness to considering the claims of Christianity, especially among the young.
Prayer is needed. “The situation for Christians worsened under Ahmadinejad’s previous term of presidency. That’s certainly going to deteriorate in the middle of this political chaos. We certainly need to be remembering our brothers and sisters in prayer during this time.”
Please pray for Iran and the world as this situation progresses.
For more information on what’s happening here’s CNN’s page on the Iran Elections.
Thanks for this report, I am so thankful for the Christians that are risking there lives for Jesus.
Yes please lets all pray for them.
yes, we need to be praying for Iran. They are in a dire situation but in the end we must all remember that God is in control and He has a plan.
Iran need every christian’s prayers, but it should be channeled well. It must be thus lord touch most of the political leaders to see need for christianity as a solution to the political crisis, because without Jesus into the country the crisis will continues, so let it be our prayers for to use it as point of reigning over there.
Thanks for the report. My prayers are certainly with all our sisters and brothers in Iran saddened or oppressed or persecuted or bereaved of loved ones or friends because of their stand for justice. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they shall have their fill.”
My love and solidarity goes out to you all dear sisters and brothers young or old.
Dear brothers and sisters
Here I am one of redeemed from Persia who made it just out of Iran to sweden,
I want to thank you all for praying for us, I do agree with “Light” It must be channeled .
I left my family but as Bible says I got hundreds of brothers & sisters here in Sweden instead
Situation there is really geting worse especialy afetr fake-election
thanks again
I’m looking forward to hear from you
Sherwin
Sherwin, we’re glad to hear that you’re safe! Are any of your family members with you? Or did they all stay in Iran?
I was born in a muslim family in other hand all people in Persia come into the world as a muslim, in summer 2004 I started to go to church
anyway
first I was just curios about christianity but Lord had a plan for me,
one years later after a discussion with my girl friend who was muslim
and when I had noting to loose I went to church on my knees ,,, something happened when I opened my gospel, holy god it was Matthew 11:28 “Come unto me all you that labour and are heavy laden … take my yoke upon you … ” that was the most important moment of my life and you know … It’s really a long story and my English is not good enough I guess!
unfortunately my parents are not christian yet but I’m hopefull & I believe in God’s plan for all of us I love them and I missed them I won’t forget when I converted they did not even complain but my brother which lives in US is my heavenly brother
I felt the danger and decided to leave the motherland,I came all alone but as you know I don’t feel lonely!
Not sure if I can get my stay otherwise it would be Luke 10:3
piece be with you
@Sherwin Thanks for sharing your story! It’s very inspiring.