On this International Women’s Day, we discuss how women experience persecution differently than men telling the story of Sahar from Iran. You can watch Sahar’s story at https://youtu.be/3prAp48shJw.
Life is hard for women in Iran. For women who convert to Christianity, it’s worse. But even amid danger, women are strengthening each other.
Tears rolled down Sahar’s face as she was driven away from the family home. The pain was overwhelming and she cried out to God – “Why are you allowing this to happen?”
Sahar, a new convert to Christianity, was thrown out of her home when her husband discovered her faith. Separation from her two young children was heart-breaking. But while Sahar’s suffering was devastating, it’s not unusual. Christian women who’ve converted from Islam, both in Iran and around the world, face intense persecution.
Growing up in Iran in a Muslim family, Sahar felt empty. For decades, she searched for God. It was only when her sister-in-law gave her a New Testament Bible that Sahar found peace.
“I read it from cover to cover, and when I closed the book I felt a calmness covering my spirit, soul and life. I was transformed through Christ.”
But in choosing to follow Jesus, Sahar took an enormous risk.
Iran is the eighth most dangerous place in the world to be a Christian, according to the 2023 World Watch List. And women from the Middle East and North Africa, who’ve converted from Islam, are among the most persecuted believers in the world. For women, persecution is hidden, complex and violent… Forced marriage, divorce, rape and physical beatings all happen behind closed doors.
It means millions of women and girls suffer in silence.
Sahar was imprisoned for her faith but today, she lives in Turkey and ministers to other persecuted Christian women. This is only possible with your support. Your gifts and prayers can give courage and confidence to persecuted women. Through discipleship training and trauma care, they can be strengthened and equipped to reach their God-given potential.
Will you see the hidden persecution of Christian women and equip them for change?
Please Pray for Sahar and her family. Ask God to use her as a powerful witness to Christ’s love among other Iranian women.
Discover how persecution impacts women. Read the 2023 Gender Report, available here.
Give a Gift to strengthen persecuted women like Sahar.
$30 could provide three persecuted women with a Bible in her language.
$45 could help a woman or girl receive trauma care so she can heal and realize her God-given identity and worth.
$60 could train four women to withstand persecution with courage and confidence.
The Christmas season is in full swing in Canada. Lights are being hung, trees decorated and Christmas music is playing everywhere, but this isn’t what it’s like for millions of Christians around the world. In this episode, we’ll talk a bit about what Christmas is like for Christians living under persecution.
In this episode, we’ll talk about the good news of a prisoner who was released from prison in Iran. We’ll also discuss the current protests in Iran. Of course, we’ll finish by praying for Iran.
Open Doors expresses its deep concern and sadness over the death of Mahsa Amini in Iran after she was detained by the country’s morality police for wearing “improper” hijab. We condemn the practices of the Iranian morality police that enforce conservative Islamic dress code and behavior and use their power to punish anyone who does not abide by their religious standards.
Open Doors is also deeply troubled to see the increasing instability in the country over the past week as a result of Iran security forces’ violent response to the public protests against the government. We urge the Iranian government to respect its citizens’ right to protest peacefully.
The case at hand unveils a broader issue of Iran’s gross violations of international norms on freedom of expression, women’s rights and freedom of religion or belief, which affects many religious groups in Iran, including Christians.
Open Doors recognizes that the restrictions on religious freedom affect Christians in Iran in many ways, including harsh limitations on places of worship. We express our serious concern that Christian gatherings in private homes have been denounced as “illegal groups” and acts “against national security” while many churches continue to be closed. We urge the Iranian government to cease imposing criminal charges and imprisonment on these grounds and allow free exercise of worship to all religious groups.
We also urge the Iranian government to respect the right to freedom of religion or belief for all, which involves ceasing to impose the obligation on women to abide to an interpretation of religious clothing that might not align with their own religion or belief.
We call upon the international community to continue raising the issue of freedom of religion or belief and discrimination against women, with the Iranian government through diplomatic channels, trade and JCPA negotiations, and to insist on accountability of perpetrators of violations of fundamental rights.
Prayer for Iran
Lord Jesus, pour out Your peace and justice on Iran today. Comfort Mahsa Amini’s family as they grieve and seek answers about her death. Protect protestors from violence – help them to make their voices heard and so bring about greater freedom of religion or belief in the country. Help the church in Iran to unite in prayer and be a beacon of hope to their communities during this turbulent time. Amen.
Isolation, fears and the constant risk of imprisonment: being a leader in Iran’s house church is not for the faint of heart. This is the story of church leader Neda, who has been faithfully serving the Lord in Iran for over 25 years with no intention to quit anytime soon.
Where and how Open Doors talked to Neda* can’t be revealed: if the government of Iran knows she has talked to us, she will most definitely be called for interrogation. Open Doors must be careful, but Neda wants to share her story with you because she knows the worldwide church is surrounding the Iranian church with prayer and support.
Neda is a sophisticated lady whose calm manner of speaking fits in flawlessly with her wise words. In addition to her role as a church leader, Neda is a mother of 4 adult children. She is a faithful servant, but also a human with fears and doubts.
Her first experience with God was long before she knew Him personally: “As I child there was a Christian nurse who had told my father I was ‘a daughter of God’.” Neda starts sharing. “After I came to faith, almost 20 years later, I met this nurse again in the house church: a clear sign that God has a plan for each and every one of us.”
Neda came to Christ when she found a Bible hidden in her future husband’s drawer. It surprised her because she knew him as a strict Muslim. But when she started reading in secret, her heart was touched. “I became interested in Christianity and visited a church several times. That is where I came to Christ. When persecution increased and we couldn’t visit a church building anymore my husband and I decided to start a house church.”
Fear
We know the Iranian church from the many stories about God’s powerful presence, and as a long-term church leader, Neda has her share of stories too. But what not everyone realizes is that these blessings go paired with hardships.
“Since I gave my heart to the Lord, there was fear,” Neda shares. “Especially after we started the house church. My husband was taken for questioning regularly. It went on for years. People we knew were thrown into prison. A Christian friend of mine had her child taken from her after she left her husband who abused her for years to make her renounce her faith. I can’t lie, it was a very stressful situation, especially for my husband and me as church leaders.”
Neda’s son jumps into the conversation and says: “Sometimes there was so much pressure that it was only us as a family that could come together safely. We took it seriously: Around 5:30 we were all sitting down. One of us would lead devotions, the other one would play guitar. My father was preaching, and we even took offerings. What would happen if someone would have caught us? We were really scared, but we did continue.”
Ever since her husband passed away Neda is leading the church by herself. Her children married and moved to different cities: the church has changed. But the persecution has remained consistently strong: “We know some of us are monitored, so we have to be careful. We don’t talk about our meetings over the phone. Instead, we meet each other at the bus station or grocery store to secretly pass on the meeting details.”
Blessings
Neda could have chosen to give up. But after more than 25 years, she still serves the church. Neda doesn’t take credit for this herself. Rather she thanks the Lord, who has always guided her through the storm. “‘I am the Way, the Truth and the Light’” Neda quotes her saviour. The church leader has always felt the Lord’s guidance, mostly through Bible texts.
At times the Lord has come to her through dreams. She remembers one in particular, at a time she was very worried about her children’s safety: “I dreamed that I saw a lion that was about to attack my kids. I was so afraid! But to my amazement, the lion did nothing. I understood this dream when I read the story of Daniel in the lion’s den: God protected us like he had protected Daniel.”
It’s the tangible presence of God that keeps Neda excited to serve the Lord in Iran. Because yes, there is pressure, but the other side of the coin is the blessings and miracles she sees. “Even though our church consists of just a small group of people, we are very blessed. God shows his power everywhere, but I believe it becomes even more apparent in places where Christians are under pressure. I know that God is with us, and I am excited to see Him do more great things in our country.”
*Neda’s name and some recognizable details in the story are altered for security reasons.
Please Pray
Pray for Neda’s ministry, pray she has the wisdom to lead well in this complicated country.
Pray that God will open the eyes of the authorities to see that Christians aren’t a threat to Iran but a valuable part of Iranian society.
Pray that the house churches will equip believers to serve Jesus.
When an Iranian couple were interrogated and abused, they depended on prayer. Your support sustained them through years of persecution – and today their faith is as strong as ever.
Ali was freed from drug addiction the day he chose to follow Jesus. When his wife Zahra came to faith too, they knew the decision would change their lives forever. After all, the couple lived in Iran, where converts to Christianity are among the world’s most persecuted believers.
It wasn’t long before Ali and Zahra were arrested for the first time. “On the way to prison, I deleted numbers from my phone to keep other believers safe,” said Ali. “I was taken to a cell with no lights, toilet or blanket. They interrogated and beat me. They wanted to infiltrate the church.”
The couple were released – but two years of persecution, harassment, and violence followed. “Each day was suffering and torture,” said Ali. No one would employ Ali, the children were banned from school, friends and family turned against them. They could be arrested and questioned at any moment.
One thing made a difference to Ali and Zahra: your prayers. Knowing the global church was standing with them in prayer meant everything – and God answered in powerful ways. “In solitary confinement in prison, the only thing that strengthened us was prayer,” said Ali. “Nothing else. Only God can go into those dark places. We are part of the body of Christ, no matter where we are.”
Zahra added, “While in prison, I thought to myself: there are people who love me and cry for my pain and, most importantly, pray for me. Without God’s power, I could not have tolerated prison.”
“If I went back, would I still choose Jesus? Yes!”.
The couple made the hard decision to leave Iran, and now live in Turkey. Here, your generous support helped the whole family. They attended a seminar to begin healing the deep wounds of persecution, and recover from the trauma of imprisonment and interrogation. The support and prayers of their worldwide family helped this couple know they are not alone.
Today, thanks to you, their faith is as strong as ever. “If I went back, would I still choose Jesus?” said Ali. “Yes! Through all these sufferings, Christ never left me alone. I cannot live without him, there is no other way around it.”
The couple, with children Daniel and Samuel, now live safely in Turkey.
Lift up Ali and Zahra, and their two children Daniel and Samuel, before God. Give thanks for their steadfast faith, and ask God to heal their trauma and fill them with hope for the future. Pray too for the church in Iran, courageously persevering despite intense opposition
One With Them
On June 26, 2022, join believers across Canada for a day of prayer for Christian captives in places where faith costs the most. Across the world many of our brothers and sisters are being imprisoned or held captive for their faith in Jesus.
According to the Open Doors 2022 World Watch List research, last year 6,175 Christians were detained without trial, arrested, sentenced and imprisoned because of their faith. Another 3,829 Christians were abducted. And these are just the cases we know about. The One With Them Campaign from Open Doors Canada encourages us to pause, remember and pray for our brothers and sisters who are in captivity because they choose to follow Jesus. Join us, and add your voice to thousands of Canadians marking One With Them: A day for Christian captives. Learn more about how you can get involved on our website here. The link to the youtube live stream is here.
According to Article18.com, two Iranian women, one of whom recently got married, have started prison sentences because of activities relating to their Christian faith. Both Fariba Dalir and Sakine (Mehri) Behjati started their sentences on Easter Saturday, April 16th. Dalir will spend two years in Evin Prison in Iran’s capital Tehran, while Behjati is serving a two-year sentence in Lakan Prison in the northern city of Rasht.
Establishing and leading a church
Fariba Dalir was arrested alongside her (then) fiancé, Soroush, and four other Christian converts in Tehran in July last year. She, Soroush and two others were sentenced in December. A 17-year-old girl was released “after spending ten days in solitary confinement and being subjected to intense interrogations in a detention centre of the Revolutionary Guard Corps”. The sixth person was not mentioned in the verdict and their situation was unknown at time of publication.
In the end, only Dalir ended up in prison, serving a two-year sentence, for “acting against national security by establishing and leading an Evangelical Christian church”. The other three were given 10-months-sentences for membership of a house church but because they had already served time in detention, they were given the option to pay a fine of 5 million tomans (approx. US$ 250) each and not go to jail.
Among them is Dalir’s husband. They got married while they were awaiting their sentencing and will now be separated for two years.
Unpredictability of justice
Mehri Behjati was among a different group of four Christian converts who were arrested in February 2020 in connection with accusations that they belonged to a house-church in Rasht.
Fariba Dalir is one of two Christian woman starting a prison sentence.
They were formally charged in May and were sentenced three months later, receiving between two and five years in prison for “acting against national security” and “spreading Zionist Christianity”. Behjati was handed a two-year sentence. Her appeal was rejected by Iran’s Supreme Court.
While one of those convicted started their prison sentence earlier this year, Behjati was allowed to spend Iranian new year with her family before she reported to prison on Easter Saturday. The two others are still out of prison, waiting to start their sentences.
The cases against both women and the other Christians highlight how unpredictable justice in Iran is. In February an appeals court acquitted nine Christian converts and members of a house church who had been imprisoned on similar charges, saying they found “insufficient evidence” to support the charges.
In a report to the UN Human Rights Council earlier this year, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran, Javaid Rehman, said he was concerned about the “continued repression of religious minorities”, including at least 53 Christians who had been arrested between 1 January and 1 December 2021 for practicing their faith.
Please Pray
Pray for your sisters as they face the next two years in prison. Pray also for their family as they will go the next two years without loved ones. Let them be filled with the strength and endurance to overcome this persecution and continue to find rest and comfort in Jesus.
One With Them
In the month of June, we are placing a larger focus on praying for Christian captives for One With Them: A Day for Christian Captives. Learn more about how you can get involved here.
An appeal court has acquitted nine Christian converts who were imprisoned for “acting against national security” and “promoting Zionist Christianity” according to website Article18.
While the nine men had already spent time imprisoned on the basis of these accusations, the judges said there was “insufficient evidence” for their alleged crimes.
The Christians had been serving five-year prison sentences for membership of house-churches, until the Supreme Court in November 2021 ordered a review of their case saying they had not committed any offence. They were released conditionally pending the review of their case.
In its Feb. 28 ruling the appeal court mentioned arguments brought forward by the defence, namely that the nine men had only “worshipped in the house-church in accordance with the teachings of Christianity” and that Christians are taught to live in “obedience, submission and support of the authorities”, reported religious freedom advocacy organisation Article18.
“They also noted legal principle of “interpreting any doubt in favour of the accused”, as well as quoting an Islamic saying that teaches that “it is better to make mistakes in pardoning and forgiveness than in punishment,” it added.
A city in Iran, where justice is not always predictable.
The ruling and arguments give hope to Iran’s Christian converts, but it does not serve as a precedent for future trials as the case was not sent back to the Supreme Court for a final decision, Article18 said.
Also, justice in Iran is unpredictable. While the nine Christians were fully exonerated by the Supreme Court, two of them already face new charges and a third was sent back to prison in January by another Supreme Court judge on the grounds of an apparent mistake by an appeals court in a seven-year-old case.
Meanwhile, Christian convert Nasser Navard Gol-Tapeh was told last month that his appeal for a retrial was dismissed by the Supreme Court, despite the fact that he is serving a 10-year prison sentence for similar ‘crimes’ as the nine converts who were acquitted just days earlier.
“Unfortunately, the branches of the Supreme Court issue verdicts in an arbitrary way, without considering the rights of the accused,” said Nasser’s lawyer, Mr Soleimani, as quoted by Article18.
Praise God that the Christians were released, and continue to pray for further justice in Iran!
In recent years, the Iranian church has seen many Christian converts sentenced to long imprisonment for their membership of house-churches. Now, some Iranian Christian prisoners have taken it upon themselves to ask the government for an answer to the very basic question of where they can worship.
Christian converts are not permitted to attend churches of the recognised Armenian and Assyrian minorities, who are themselves prohibited from holding services in the Persian language to further dissuade converts from attending. This means the only available place for converts to worship is within their own homes, in what have become widely known as “house-churches”.
But the Iranian regime views membership of these churches as an “action against national security”, punishable by two to ten years in prison. With no place in which to worship, Iranian Christian converts are being denied their very basic rights under Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights – of which Iran is a signatory without reservation – and therefore obliged to provide all its citizens with freedom of religion, including the right to change religion and to worship “individually or in community with others, and in public or private”.
Campaign elements
In the #place2worship campaign, four points have been set out:
Persian-speaking Christians, comprising of converts to Christianity from a Muslim background, and ethnic Armenian and Assyrian Christian-background believers who choose the national language of Persian (Farsi) to worship together have no place to worship.
Only four small and highly surveilled Persian-speaking churches remain open in the country, and they are not allowed to accept visitors or take on any new members. The rest of the Persian-speaking churches – both Catholic and Protestant – have been forcibly closed down in recent years.
Peaceful religious activity must not be considered an arrestable security off Increasingly, Iran’s intelligence and security forces arrest Christians on allegations that their peaceful religious activities—such as gathering in house-churches for prayer and Bible studies—are unlawful or against the “security” of the state.
In 2020 there were at least 115 incidents of Christians being arrested, affecting 237 individuals, while a total of 147 years (1,760 months) in prison sentences were handed down to Christians. So far in 2021, at least 53 arrests have taken place, and many more are awaiting a court hearing soon. Meanwhile 17 Christians are currently in prison, serving sentences of two to 10 years, all on charges related to their faith.
Open Doors has signed a letter to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights asking for intervention in the situation in Iran.
One of the prisoners in question is Behnam Agklagi: In this video, Behnam lays out his case.
Response
Will you stand with your brothers and sisters seeking to live out their faith in Iran?
Start by sharing this story and the videos with the hashtag #place2worship, and commit to praying for your persecuted family who are trying to follow Jesus!
Find out more about #Place2Worship with the organization Article 18.
In this two-part episode, we are joined by Kiaa Aalipour from Article18. Article18 is a non-profit organization dedicated to the protection and promotion of religious freedom in Iran. They advocate on behalf of its persecuted Christians. Listen in to hear about what life is like for Christians in Iran. Kiaa will share about some current and former prisoners of conscience in Iran and we’ll talk about how we can act on their behalf.
In 2016, the news broke that four Christians had been arrested in Iran on accusations of “acting against national security through the establishment of house churches”. Three of them were Azerbaijani foreigners, and permitted to return to their home country, but the fourth was sentenced to prison time.
His name is Nasser Navard Gol-Tapeh, and he remains in prison to this day.
Image courtesy of articleeighteen.com
Nasser has spoken up about the injustice, and pointed out the inconsistencies in the sentence. Despite being charged with national security breaches, “it’s clear to all, including the prison authorities, judges, lawyers, and my fellow prisoners, that I am in prison because of my faith in Jesus Christ.” In 2018, Nasser wrote an open letter to the government officials and justice system of Iran, laying out the reasons why his sentence was unjust.
“Would it be even possible for a committed Christian – who was born and raised in Iran and whose forefathers lived in this land for thousands of years, and who is a servant to the God who has called him to a ministry of reconciliation – to act against the national security of his own country?
“Is the fellowship of a few Christian brothers and sisters in someone’s home, singing worship songs, reading the Bible and worshiping God acting against national security?
“Isn’t it a clear violation of civil and human rights, and an absolute injustice, to receive a ten-year prison sentence just for organising ‘house churches’, which is a sanctuary sanctified as a place to praise and worship God due to closure of churches in Iran?”
Nevertheless, Nasser concluded his letter by stating that “I bless those who have persecuted me and put me in jail, and I hope one day the truths of His word, which is able to build everyone up, will save them.”
In the years since he has been imprisoned, Nasser has suffered from health issues and has not received medical treatment. The authorities have refused him any temporary leave, and in late 2020 his request for a retrial was rejected.
Despite these trials, Nasser’s faith remains strong. Now 59 years old, he recently penned a poem from prison, expressing his continued trust in Christ.
“Be my guide, O Christ, in captivity;
Do not turn away from me,
So that the roaring waves of captivity do not wash me away.
May I whisper Your name to the turbulent waves of captivity,
And may this name open doors.
Who does not rejoice in watching the sunrise?
You are the perfect light,
Like your Father in the heavens.
You called us;
You brought us fresh wine.
Your word is sweet to listening ears,
But it has no place in emotionally empty souls;
It resides in the hearts of those who love you passionately.
Your burden, O Christ
Is light for anyone who carries it.
Oh how much you love mankind;
Oh how pleasant you are!
When I think of your love,
Fear turns away from me.
Whenever I want to worship you,
I do not know how to express my joy.
When I am seeking you,
Within my heart, I find you;
The rest that you give me!
Maybe I will also be worthy to hear your call;
How beautiful is your praise on my lips!
Dear ones, the ship of Christ has anchored;
Its load is eternal crowns,
And its captain is Christ.
Anchored for us to embark on it,
He accepts the heavy laden.
Beloved Christ,
Cleanse me with hyssop too,
So that I can cross your boundless sea,
And this year may be a new year,
When all the faithful and the saved rejoice and worship in your lifeboat.”
Nasser is just one of many Christians around the world who are facing captivity for their faith. During the month of June, you can stand with them during the One With Them campaign. By taking the prayer pledge, you will be adding your voice to Canadian Christians who have committed to praying for our persecuted family who are imprisoned. If you would like to help strengthen a persecuted believer through a gift, you can do so here.
The author of Hebrews reminds us to “remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering” (Hebrews 13:3).
Christians like Nasser provide a beautiful example of faith in the midst of mistreatment. Will you stand One With Them?
YOUR YEAR-END GIFT IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER.
Persecution is growing, and so are the needs of persecuted believers. More Christians need Bibles, discipleship, trauma counselling, and relief aid as they face violence, displacement, and loss.
The Canada Post strikes slowed the arrival of gifts during this critical time of year. Will you help?
Your support will empower persecuted believers through Bibles, training, relief aid, trauma counselling, and more.
Persecution is growing, and so are the needs of persecuted believers. More Christians need Bibles, discipleship, trauma counselling, and relief aid as they face violence, displacement, and loss.
The Canada Post strikes slowed the arrival of gifts during this critical time of year. Will you help?
Your support will empower persecuted believers through Bibles, training, relief aid, trauma counselling, and more.
