Crackdown in Iran Hits Official Churches

Authorities target Isfahan’s Anglicans, as well as ‘underground’ Christians.

ISTANBUL, March 16 (CDN) — In a rare crackdown on a concentrated area, Iranian authorities have arrested Christians living in the country’s third largest city in what is seen as a tactic to discourage Muslims and converts to Christianity from attending official churches.

Since last month officials have arrested about 12 Christian converts in Isfahan, 340 kilometers (211 miles) south of Tehran. Authorities have arrested leaders and members of churches meeting in buildings, as well as some from underground churches, according to Mohabat News.

The targeted arrests started on Feb. 22, when intelligence officers arrested approximately seven Christians at their homes between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m., Mohabat reported. Authorities raided their homes and confiscated valuables, including Bibles, computers, identification and other documents, and in one case even pictures decorating walls.

The Christian Iranian news service identified those detained on Feb. 22 as Hekmat Salimi, pastor of St. Paul Anglican Church, a convert of 30 years and author of theological books; Giti Hakimpour, 78, a female pastor at St. Luke’s Anglican Church; Shahram Ghaedi, an actor; Maryam Del-Aram, 54; Shahnaz Zarifi, a mother of two; and Enayat Jafari.

Another Christian, Majid Enayat, was arrested on the same day at his workplace. He is a member of a house church, and Mohabat reported that prior to his arrest, authorities arrested other members of his group. Some of these Christians warned him that authorities intended to arrest him.

Of those arrested, Mohabat reported that authorities released Hakimpour on Feb. 25. Authorities have denied proper medical treatment to Del-Aram, who is under medical supervision. When her daughter tried to bring her medication to her at the prison, they refused it, according to Mohabat.

On March 2, authorities arrested another convert in Isfahan, Fariborz Parsi-Nejad.

Authorities have allegedly arrested more Christians in Isfahan, but sources have not been able to confirm the arrests and details. None of those arrested in Isfahan last month has been officially charged.

Though religious freedom monitors in Iran said it was not clear what triggered authorities to target Christians in Isfahan, one Iranian Christian outside the country said it may be yet another tactic to stop converts from attending Farsi-speaking meetings in official church buildings.

“I now have 12 names of Christians arrested in Isfahan,” said the Iranian Christian, who requested anonymity. “Isfahan is a very Islamic city. We have two or three church buildings there. The government is very sensitive in Isfahan, which is the only city apart from Tehran with official church buildings. Now the government is focusing on the church buildings to scare the people so they don’t go.”

There are also a number of church buildings in various cities in Iran that are attended by ethnic Armenian Christians. The services are held in Armenian, and members have relatively more freedom to meet.

Earlier in February, authorities in Tehran ordered Emmanuel Protestant Church and St. Peter’s Evangelical Church to discontinue their Farsi-language services. These were the last two official churches in the capital offering Farsi-language services on Fridays.

On Feb. 12, Noorallah Qabitizade was transferred to Dastgerd Prison in Isfahan. He was originally arrested in Dezful on Dec. 24, 2010, and this is the third time authorities have transferred him to a different prison because he is outspoken about his faith while incarcerated. His conditions in Isfahan were expected to be harsher, according to Mohabat.

Previous ArrestsSince the beginning of this year, authorities have arrested Christian converts in Tehran, Ahwaz, Shiraz, Isfahan and Kermanshah.

In Tehran, authorities on Feb. 8 arrested the pastor of Narmak Assemblies of God Church. He was released on bail on Feb. 16. Sources reported that his arrest was part of a government targeting of government-sanctioned, evangelical denominations.

In Kermanshah, authorities raided a house church on Feb. 21, arresting 13 Christians who had gathered to worship. Authorities verbally and physically abused them during the arrest, according to Mohabat. Of those arrested, most were released the next day, and now only three remain in prison.

But the Revolutionary Court of Kermanshah last month sentenced Masoud Delijani, a convert to Christianity arrested last year, to three years in prison on charges of being a Christian, holding illegal house church gatherings, evangelizing Muslims and action “against national security,” according to Mohabat.

Arrested on March 17, 2011, Delijani suffered great mental and physical pressure while in prison, according to Mohabat. In July 2011 he was released on bail amounting to about US$100,000 and rearrested two weeks later. Authorities did not give him due legal process, denying him legal defense, according to Mohabat.

In January 2010, officials had ordered the Pentecostal Church of Assyrians in Kermanshah to close on charges of spreading Christianity among Muslims.

Christians in Iran, most belonging to networks of house churches meeting in small groups in secret, are routinely arrested and interrogated. Iranian authorities view Christianity as a deviant anti-government movement and Christians as pawns of the West.

Iran is the fifth worst persecutor of Christians in the world, according to the most recent World Watch List by Christian support group Open Doors.


END

Iranian Christian convert sentenced to one year of deprivation of education

By Michael Ireland
Senior International Correspondent, ASSIST News Service

TEHRAN, IRAN (ANS) -- In the latest approach of the Islamic Republic of Iran to oppose the growth of Christianity, a Christian convert was sentenced to one year of deprivation of education by a Revolutionary Court in Tehran.

According to the Iranian Christian news agency, www.MohabatNews.com  , Ms. Fatemeh Nouri, an art student in one of the universities in Tehran (the name of university is withheld for security reasons) was sentenced to one year of deprivation of education by the Revolutionary Court for believing in Christianity.

Mohabat News says Ms. Nouri is a Christian convert who was arrested by security authorities on September 2011 at her residence in east Tehran and then transferred to Evin prison.

In an online report, Mohabat News says Ms. Nouri was convicted on charges of "attending a house church, insulting sacred figures, and activities against national security" in Revolutionary Courts branch of Moalem Street. The judge's ruling was one year deprivation of education for her.

“This Christian convert was released on November 30, 2011, after nearly three months in prison, but the sentence of deprivation of education remained in place,” Mohabat News stated.

The news agency said Ms. Nouri's arrest was related to the case of another Christian convert, Leila Mohammadi.

Commenting on the case, Mohanat News said: “It's notable that Ms. Mohammadi was found guilty of ‘collaborating with foreign-dependent groups, broad anti-Islamic propaganda, deceiving citizens by forming what is called a house church, insulting sacred figures and activities against national security’ by the Revolutionary Court branch of Moalem Street on January 18, after enduring five months in custody. However, the judge acquitted her of the charge of ‘collaborating with foreign-dependent groups’ for he believed that the crime was done unintentionally. Therefore, this Christian convert was sentenced to two years in prison and the ruling was delivered to her.”

Sentence of deprivation of education is against the law
Mohabat News explains that although the Iranian constitution clearly affirms religious freedom for followers of non-Islamic faiths, the Islamic Republic regime has by its actions proved that it not only violates its own domestic laws but does not even show respect to international conventions and is careless in their enforcement.

Mohabat News stated: “Prior to this case, such rulings were an instrument in the hands of the regime to pressure the Bahaei community or a group of dissatisfied university students,but today they are used to threaten and pressure Christians as well. It seems that prior to Ms. Nouri's case such sentences were not issued for Christian converts. This shows that previous methods of the regime for opposing Christians were ineffective.”

The news agency goes on to say that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which was adopted on December 10, 1948, “considers the rights of education as a right for all mankind regardless their race, color, belief, religion and gender.” According to this, everyone has the right to education (Section 1, Article 26 of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights).

Mohabat News concluded: “In the past, after identifying university students who had converted from Islam to Christianity, the Islamic Republic had made some efforts against them in holding Islamic courses to guide them to its own chosen way which is nothing other than Islam.

“So, they were trying to impact these students' thoughts and change them through discussions. 

However, it seems that failure of these former approaches has caused the regime to use deprivation of education or expulsion from universities as a new way to oppose the growth of Christianity and put pressure on Christian converts and their families.”

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** Michael Ireland is the Senior International Correspondent for ANS. He is an international British freelance journalist who was formerly a reporter with a London (United Kingdom) newspaper and has been a frequent contributor to UCB UK, a British Christian radio station. While in the UK, Michael traveled to Canada and the United States, Albania,Yugoslavia, Holland, Germany,and Czechoslovakia. He has reported for ANS from Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Israel, Jordan, China,and Russia. Michael's volunteer involvement with ASSIST News Service is a sponsored ministry department -- 'Michael Ireland Media Missionary' (MIMM) -- of A.C.T. International of P.O.Box 1649, Brentwood, TN 37024-1649, at: Artists in Christian Testimony (A.C.T.) International where you can make a donation online under 'Donate' tab, then look for 'Michael Ireland Media Missionary' under 'Donation Category' to support his stated mission of 'Truth Through Christian Journalism.' Michael is a member in good standing of the National Writers Union, Society of Professional Journalists, Religion Newswriters Association, Evangelical Press Association and International Press Association. If you have a news or feature story idea for Michael, please contact him at: ANS Senior International Reporter

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** You may republish this story with proper attribution.

Growing concern over condition of four detainees arrested at AOG church in Iran

By Michael Ireland
Senior International Correspondent, ASSIST News Service

AHWAZ, IRAN (ANS) -- Following an attack on the Assemblies of God Church of Ahwaz, which resulted in the arrest of a number of Christians and their children, concerns are growing over the conditions of four of these detainees.

According to reporters of Iranian Christian News Agency, Mohabat News, www.mohabatnews.com , concerns are growing over the unknown conditions of four of the people arrested during the attack on the AOG church of Ahwaz which took place almost one week ago.

Christian detainees from the AOG Church in Ahwaz, Iran (Courtesy: Mohabat News).

Mohabat News says the detainees include Farhad Sabokroh, the Pastor of the AOG church of Ahwaz, his wife Shahnaz and two other ministers and converts called Naser Zamen-Dezfuli and Davoud Alijani, who is also called David. No reliable information is available regarding their health and conditions in the places where they are being held.

According to Mohabat News, at 11 A.M. on Friday, December 23, security agents of the intelligence ministry raided the AOG church of Ahwaz in a pre-organized manner. All attendees at the weekly service were arrested and transferred by bus to an unknown location.

This report indicates that the security agents, whose faces were covered, showed no mercy to the Sunday school children of the church, apprehending them together with their parents who were present at the church. This incident has caused serious mental injury to these children.

After some hours all detainees were freed once their personal details such as home addresses were recorded, the news agency said.

However, four of the detainees named above, are still being held. The latest report on their condition indicates that Farhad Sabokroh and his wife suffer from varicose veins and their general health condition is not good. They were held in custody in the intelligence office until December 28 and were then separated and transferred to unknown locations and the news agency has received no further update concerning them.

The other two detainees are Naser Zamen-Dezfuli who is about 60 years of age and Davoud (David) Alijani who is 30. Before being arrested, Zamen-Dezfuli had his own business and Alijani was an engineer at a petrochemical site in Mahshahr port. After accepting Christ and applying Christian faith in his life, David was threatened and interrogated several times and was eventually fired from his engineering position.

Mohabat News says the health conditions, whereabouts and fate of these Christians are unknown, but it has been rumored that they might still be in the custody center of the intelligence office of Ahwaz or may have been transferred to Karoon prison of Ahwaz. Their families' efforts to obtain news concerning their whereabouts have yielded no information as yet.

Mohabat News commented: “This lack of news about their situation has resulted in a wave of anxiety among Christians, the detainees' families and especially the leaders of the churches in Iran. It's also being reported that the Ministry of Intelligence has even asked the leaders of the AOG church in Iran to not take any action in this regard.

“We hope that in this Christmas season, which involves celebrations and joy for our Savior's birthday, arrangements for the release of these Christians can be made and they will be released as soon as possible.”

Intense control over churches by security authorities
Mohabat News said this year, December 25, Christmas Day was on Sunday and Sundays are work-days in Iran.

“So, Iranian Christians gathered in churches on Friday, December 23 to celebrate Christmas, give thanks to God and worship their Lord, as Friday is a weekend day in Islamic countries.”

The agency goes on to say that based on the reports received by Mohabat News, agents of the intelligence office of Ahwaz predicted that large number of people might gather in the church on this date. Therefore they watched all traffic to the church on December 22. Then they attacked the church right at the time of celebration and arrested all attendees.

The agency added: “It is being said that one of the reasons for this attack by security agents was that the church leaders had neglected the warnings and orders of the Ministry of Intelligence which watches closely over the congregations and members of the official churches. Each month this ministry also summons the church leaders and gives them instructions which they are obliged to observe in their churches.”

Mohabat News explained that Article 13 of the Iranian constitution clearly states that Zoroastrians, Jews and Christians are the only recognized religious minorities in Iran.

“They are free to practice their faith within the limits of the law and are allowed to act according to their own canons regarding personal matters and religious education,” the agency stated.

“Although this attack by security and judicial authorities of Islamic regime of Iran contravenes the constitution and is considered interference in church affairs, it seems that the Islamic Republic doesn't fear or worry in this regard as it used to do.

“It seems that the attack on the AOG church of Ahwaz by security and intelligence agents on December 23 and the arrest of a number of church members occurred due to the broad and increasing interest in Christmas celebrations at the church by guests and new believers. Apparently the leaders of this church had not given sufficient credit to the warnings by the Ministry of Intelligence,” the agency said.

“It is noteworthy that official churches are under close scrutiny by security agents to the extent that in some of these churches, the church leaders or caretakers prevent visitors from entering the church building or refer them to the office of Islamic Guidance in order to receive a permit to enter the church by providing their personal information to the authorities!”

Mohabat News concluded: “We need to mention here that harassment and discrimination against religious minorities has been a major issue that has been violated by the Islamic regime of Iran.”

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** Michael Ireland is the Senior International Correspondent for ANS. He is an international British freelance journalist who was formerly a reporter with a London (United Kingdom) newspaper and has been a frequent contributor to UCB UK, a British Christian radio station. While in the UK, Michael traveled to Canada and the United States, Albania,Yugoslavia, Holland, Germany,and Czechoslovakia. He has reported for ANS from Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Israel, Jordan, China,and Russia. Michael's volunteer involvement with ASSIST News Service is a sponsored ministry department -- 'Michael Ireland Media Missionary' (MIMM) -- of A.C.T. International of P.O.Box 1649, Brentwood, TN 37024-1649, at: Artists in Christian Testimony (A.C.T.) International where you can make a donation online under 'Donate' tab, then look for 'Michael Ireland Media Missionary' under 'Donation Category' to support his stated mission of 'Truth Through Christian Journalism.' Michael is a member in good standing of the National Writers Union, Society of Professional Journalists, Religion Newswriters Association, Evangelical Press Association and International Press Association. If you have a news or feature story idea for Michael, please contact him at: ANS Senior International Reporter

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** You may republish this story with proper attribution.

Iranian Christian News Agency Exposes Unsubstantiated claim of Security Authorities Regarding Evangelical Activities by AOG Churcu

By Michael Ireland
Senior International Correspondent, ASSIST News Service

TEHRAN, IRAN (ANS) -- Exaggerating has become a habit of news providers for government-supported and regime-dependent media in Iran who introduce themselves as hidden soldiers, says Mohabat News (www.mohabatnews.com ) the Iranian Christian News Agency.

The inside of the Assemblies of God church of Markaz in Tehran. (Photo courtesy Mohabat News).

The news agency says that an unsubstantiated report about evangelistic activities of the Assemblies of God church of Markaz in Tehran “was obviously written by one of the hidden soldiers of the 12th Imam (Secret Security authorities) to motivate senior security authorities. It also appears that this shabby act was intended to spark anti-Christian feelings within Iran.”

MohabatNews says Iranian security services, through state-sponsored media outlets, “have claimed that the Markaz Church, an Assemblies of God church in Tehran, is extremely active in propagation and sending evangelical Christian groups throughout the country to attract Muslim youth to Christianity.”

The state-sponsored news media websites say: "The congregation of the Church of Markaz are Christian extremists who use various ways to bring members to their church and to convert Iranian Muslim youth. 

They try to destroy the image of the sacred regime of Iran in the world. They deceive young people who are financially in need by promising to grant them refugee status in other countries." 

Mohabat News says the websites also report that these evangelists, with the support of American mass media, want to show a negative image of the Islamic republic to the international community.

Mohabat News stated: “But making such repeated claims by the staff of government-sponsored media is more like a report to the security authorities and organizations rather than a piece of news. Such action seems to have an unstated purpose behind it.

“Presentations of this kind of biased news about Christianity and Iranian Christians has taken place at the same time as the Supreme Leader, scholars and Islamic clerics -- as well as senior authorities and staff of the Revolutionary Guards and other security and intelligence forces -- are making serious efforts to oppose Christianity in Iran.”

Mohabat News went on to say: “These unsubstantiated and misleading claims about the activities of churches to attract Muslim youth to Christianity are being made at time when government, religious and security authorities have become particularly sensitive on such issues. The churches don't consider it necessary to take such actions to invite Muslim youth to Christianity!

“Meanwhile, as a result of the increasing awareness of Iranian citizens following the establishment of the pure Islamic government and in spite of threats, torture, beatings, imprisonments and executions, Iranian youth are turning from Islam in large numbers and seeking to base their lives and religious beliefs on their own investigation.”

From closure of churches to shutting down of worship services of Farsi-speaking Christians

Despite all the pressures and threats by the regime, the movement to Christianity in Iran has grown to the extent that some (generally Farsi-speaking) churches in some cities were closed and locked by the security forces, Mohabat News reports.

“In the other churches that were not closed, these forces prevented Farsi-speaking Christians (mainly Christian converts) from entering. The Assyrian church of Shahr-Ara in Tehran is an example of this. Farsi-speaking Christians formed a large number of its congregation before security forces with the cooperation of the representative of the Assyrians in the Islamic parliament (Majles-e-shoraye-eslami), dismissed the pastor of the church and cancelled the Farsi worship services there.”

In another case and prior to this incident, there were routine Farsi church services being held in the AOG church of Markaz in Tehran, but on Friday, October 30, 2009 security authorities threatened the church leaders and cancelled the Friday evening services which were being held in two services because of the huge number of attendees.

However, says Mohabat News, these restrictions have made every believer's house into a church and have caused the regime to be afraid of the house church movement and active churches. The authorities also seem to be afraid of historical churches which have become historical monuments and belong to the history of the country.

Mohabat News added: “The destruction of the historical church in the city of Kerman didn't cause an outcry from any Iranian authorities, not even the voice of the spineless representatives for religious minorities in the Islamic parliament of Iran. These are all examples of the attitude of the regime towards Iranian Christians and their places of worship.”

Spying on the activities of the churches
According to Mohabat News, “The dear person who writes such reports about the activities of the AOG church of Tehran and raises such claims, knows very well that all church activities, programs and services in Iran and, in this case the AOG church of Tehran, are under careful observation by security and intelligence agents.

“Though the writer of this article comes from the same church, it is well known that all the efforts and activities of the leadership of the AOG church of Tehran have always been according to the word of God which says: ‘Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right." (1 Peter 2:13-14).

A church is not like a mosque in receiving government funding
Mohabat News goes on to say: “It's been claimed that the AOG church in Iran is taking advantage of the poverty of jobless youth, especially those who lack sufficient funds to get married and deceives those who are weak in their Islamic faith.

“The purpose of this claim is not clear. However, the churches of Iran don't receive any kind of government support. All their funding comes from their congregations and believers who want to give to God and ministries in the form of tithes and offerings. In a situation where churches are facing financial challenges to even repair the church building, how could they support the youth in matters of marriage, employment and financial problems? Is it possible that such ideas come from the way mosques are managed since they receive huge amounts of money from government only to bring people to the prayer sessions? Allocation of a budget of $50 million USD to the mosque of Jamkaran only to develop its facilities to attract more people to the mosques, or huge funding of the Revolutionary Guards (Sepah-e-Pasdaran) to build mosques in Europe, are some of the examples of the major investment of the Iranian regime in propagating Islam.”

Mohabat News asks: “Isn't it true that all these attempts have failed to satisfy the spiritual needs of young people and to release them from their financial and social challenges?”

Seminary scholars complaining about the tendency of the youth toward Christianity
Despite three decades of effort and millions of dollars of investments to support the propagation of Islam, the regime feels it must use force, fear and threats to oppose Christianity, Mohabat News stated.

“It is interesting that all these attempts have been ineffective and the seminary scholars are complaining day and night about the drift of youth to Christianity. (Mohabat News has discussed this matter in detail in previous articles).

Mohabat News said: “The distaste of Iranian youth for Islam is a troubling reality that religious and government authorities are aware of and acknowledge. Their speeches and the actions of security authorities to crack down on Christians are also a clear confirmation of this fact.”

It adds: “The unsubstantiated report on the evangelistic activities of the Assemblies of God church of Markaz in Tehran was obviously written by one of the hidden soldiers of the 12th Imam (Secret Security authorities) to motivate the security authorities. It appears that this shabby act was intended to spark anti-Christian feelings within Iran. Without any reasoning, it seems that the author of the report is trying to influence the authorities of the regime and to show his loyalty towards the regime.”

Mohabat News concludes: “Such claims have been published over and over in media supported by the regime. They also mentioned other subjects, including distribution of books and flyers, etc., but Mohabat News does not consider it necessary to mention them here in view of the length of the article.”

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** Michael Ireland is the Senior International Correspondent for ANS. He is an international British freelance journalist who was formerly a reporter with a London (United Kingdom) newspaper and has been a frequent contributor to UCB UK, a British Christian radio station. While in the UK, Michael traveled to Canada and the United States, Albania,Yugoslavia, Holland, Germany,and Czechoslovakia. He has reported for ANS from Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Israel, Jordan, China,and Russia. Michael's volunteer involvement with ASSIST News Service is a sponsored ministry department -- 'Michael Ireland Media Missionary' (MIMM) -- of A.C.T. International of P.O.Box 1649, Brentwood, TN 37024-1649, at: Artists in Christian Testimony (A.C.T.) International where you can make a donation online under 'Donate' tab, then look for 'Michael Ireland Media Missionary' under 'Donation Category' to support his stated mission of 'Truth Through Christian Journalism.' Michael is a member in good standing of the National Writers Union, Society of Professional Journalists, Religion Newswriters Association, Evangelical Press Association and International Press Association. If you have a news or feature story idea for Michael, please contact him at: ANS Senior International Reporter

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** You may republish this story with proper attribution.