We don’t pray for persecution to go away — we pray that we won’t deny Jesus when persecution comes,” said Reza, a young Iranian man.
Although persecution for Christians comes in different forms, to almost all Iranian believers, it is a question of “when” and not “if.” Reza became a Christian almost 10 years ago when his marriage appeared doomed. He reached out to a friend who was a Christian, and both he and his wife found hope and a future in Christ. That future, however, no longer included a once-promising career with his company. As his bosses learned that he had become a follower of Christ, promotions for Reza slowed and he was eventually demoted. Pay raises became a thing of the past even though Reza continues to be a respectful and conscientious employee. But Reza views his situation as part of being a Christian. “I can’t choose what God gives me,” he said. “How can I take good and not bad?”
Christian persecution in the workplace is common, but even more common is persecution among family members. Ali is a young father who smiles easily and makes friends almost instantly. But his ever-present smile masks the pain he feels at being rejected by family members because of his faith in Jesus Christ. “I have two aunts who used to love me as much as my own mother and I loved them equally,” he said. “Now it is difficult to see them.” Ali’s aunts have turned their backs on him, his wife and their two children, and they go to great lengths to hurt them. “When we go to their home, we bring them gifts, (but) they make a point to throw out our unopened gifts in front of us,” he said.
Even worse for Ali is when his aunts spray and wipe any place where he or his family has been sitting. Persecution from within the family has a greater sting than when it comes from an employer or the state.
Iran officially recognizes five religions: Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Zoroastrianism and Baha’i. According to the CIA World Factbook, the non-Muslim faiths are represented by 2 percent of the population. Historically Christian churches such as the Armenian Church or the Roman Catholic Church have been left alone, provided they bar Muslims from worshiping with them. Because of this, converts from Islam are routinely turned away from churches.
Mohammed, who became a believer after hearing a Christian broadcast, said that he went to nine different churches in Tehran just to get a Bible. After being allowed to become a member in one of the churches, he began a midweek house church in his home. The attendance grew to the point that neighbors began complaining about the noise. It was the parents of a former drug addict who caused the biggest problems, however. “This boy’s parents were happy that their son was no longer on drugs, but when they learned that it was because of Jesus, they said they would rather have a drug-addicted son,” Mohammed said. “Then they threatened to call the police and tell them about our house church.” Mohammed soon fled Iran and now lives in a European country.
In Iran, recognition does not equal acceptance, because state-sponsored persecution is on the rise. This has resulted in churches being closed and Muslim-background believers being forced underground and into house churches.
Pastors are the easiest targets for persecution, and they sometimes pay the greatest price for their faith. Ghorban Dordi Tourani was born a Muslim but became a Christian in Turkmenistan in the mid-1990s while in prison. When Tourani returned to Iran, he shared his faith openly and established a church in his hometown of Gonbad-e-Kavus in northern Iran. Despite repeated threats to his life, Tourani continued to minister to his community. On Nov. 22, 2005, Tourani, then 53, was arrested by police. A few hours after his arrest, his body was thrown in front of his home — he had been stabbed to death. Tourani left behind a wife and four children.
A year before his death, Tourani had written, “Lord Jesus, please let me glorify your holy name in every moment of my life on this earth. I am willing to give my life that belongs to you, for the sake of you and your Church.” Many other Iranians daily echo Tourani’s prayer.
Editor’s Note — M.M. Kumar is a Christian worker in Iran. His name and others were changed for security reasons.
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