News Archives 2006-
Tehran's constitution declares the "official religion of Iran is Islam and the
doctrine followed is that of Ja'fari Shi'ism." The government severely restricts
freedom of religion, particularly efforts by Christians to evangelize. Since conversion of
a Muslim to another faith is apostasy under Shari'a law, non-Muslims who preach to
followers of Islam put their own lives at risk.
At least 80 Christian leaders attending the general conference of the Iranian Assemblies
of God, being held near Tehran, were arrested and questioned following a police raid three
days ago. Ten pastors taken into custody are still being held, and their families are not
being allowed to communicate with them.
According to Compass Direct News Service, authorities surrounded the denomination's
headquarters in Karaj, 20 miles from the capital, on the conference's first day and burst
in suddenly, arresting all those present.
"The police came from everywhere," one Iranian Christian told Compass Direct,
"and there were a lot of them."
According to the U.S. State Department's International Religious Freedom Report,
"Christian groups have reported instances of government harassment of churchgoers in
Tehran, in particular against worshippers at the Assembly of God congregation in the
capitol. Harassment has included conspicuous monitoring outside Christian premises by
Revolutionary Guards to discourage Muslims or converts from entering church premises and
demands for the presentation of the identity papers of worshippers inside."
Indeed, according to a Compass Iranian source, "Every single person present
was put under arrest, blindfolded and taken in for interrogation." They were
reportedly driven around for several hours with their eyes shielded in order to disorient
them before they were questioned. According to reports, the questioning was conducted
separately for each of the detainees, and the interrogators revealed extensive personal
knowledge of the individuals and their families.
Tehran's constitution declares the "official religion of Iran is Islam and
the doctrine followed is that of Ja'fari Shi'ism." The government severely restricts
freedom of religion, particularly efforts by Christians to evangelize. Since conversion of
a Muslim to another faith is considered apostasy under Shari'a law, non-Muslims who
proselytize followers of Islam put their own lives at risk.
The State Department warns that Tehran "vigilantly enforces its prohibition on
proselytizing activities by evangelical Christians by closing evangelical churches and
arresting converts. Members of evangelical congregations have been required to carry
membership cards, photocopies of which must be provided to the authorities. Worshippers
are subject to identity checks by authorities posted outside congregation centers."
Iran's theocratic government has also pressured evangelical Christian groups to compile
and submit membership lists for their congregations, but this demand has been resisted in
the past.
The 70 or so Christians released after questioning this weekend were told not to attend
church services this weekend, a moot point since their pastors were still being held
incommunicado. "There will be no one to preach when the congregations gather for
services," Compass Direct's source noted.
Six of the detained pastors are ordained and serve in six different cities in Iran. The
other four are lay ministers and elders.
"This is the biggest crisis for evangelical believers in the country since three
Protestant pastors were murdered 10 years ago," another source told Compass.
One of those killed, Rev.Haik Hovsepian Mehr, was general secretary of the Assemblies of
God in Iran. An outspoken advocate of religious freedom, he was one of a small number of
pastors who refused to sign the government's declaration that his denomination
would NOT allow Muslims to enter its churches.
Before his disappearance and murder, Rev. Hovsepian-Mehr had written, "If we die or
go to jail for our faith, we want the whole Christian world to know what is happening. ...
We have nothing else to lose. We have tolerated all these years and kept silent. Nothing
has changed. ... Please don't worry about me. I am ready for anything." |
