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PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIANS IN IRAN
by Wahied Wahdat-Hagh
Iran Press Watch
http://europeandemocracy.org/index.php
http: //www.iranpresswatch.org/2009/04/christians/commen t-page-1/
April 4 2009
Editor's Note: The Baha'i case is an outstanding example of the moral
and intellectual corruption of the Iranian Islamic government. Readers
should, however, be made aware that other groups such as women, Kurds,
and Christians endure similar persecutions in the same country.
Christians are unlikely to be doing missionary work in Iran. Following
a court ruling, even churches are closed down if they preach in
Farsi. And bloggers who put biblical quotations on the internet
are detained.
On 25 March 2009, the Farsi Christian News Network FCNN reported that
the Assyrian church in the town of Shahrara was to be closed down
following a ruling by an Iranian revolutionary court. On 19 March,
Jonathan Betkolia had informed the Assyrian community in the Iranian
capital Tehran of this decision.The reason for the ruling was given as
"Farsi-speaking Iranians newly converted to Christianity taking part
in church masses".
Court ruling on church closure
Jonathan Betkolia, who represents Iran's 35,000-strong Assyrian
community in the Islamic "Parliament", has come into conflict with
Iranian priests in the Assyrian community.As a politician, in the past
few months he has often criticised the activities of the priests,
who had allegedly enabled Farsi-speaking Christians to gain access
to the Assyrian church. After warnings from the Assyrian politician,
Father Viktor admittedly announced that only Assyrians could take part
in church masses, otherwise the church would be closed down. A court
ruling to close down the church has nonetheless been issued. The
Christian committee of the organisation Human Rights Activists in
Iran reported that this ruling had taken place in the context of
growing pressure on Iranian Christians.
Sermons only allowed in the Armenian or Assyrian languages
The alleged aim is to "cleanse Iranian Christians",thereby preventing
the Christian faith from spreading among Iranians who are not members
of the ethnic groups of Assyrians and Armenians. The Armenian and
Assyrian churches are regarded as ethnic churches.Preaching in
Farsi is not allowed there, with sermons only allowed in Armenian
or Assyrian. Human Rights Activists in Iran write that the Iranian
state is depriving Iranians of their human rights to change religion
and faith. Nor is there any right to speak about one's own faith
collectively and publicly, in Farsi, in the context of churches'
religious instruction and in church masses. In the past eight years
the Assyrian church in Shahrara has held additional events and masses
on Fridays and Sundays for Farsi-speaking, non-Assyrian people.
Two Christians detained in Isfahan
The FCNN further reported on 24 March that two Iranian Christians had
been detained in Isfahan.One of them, called Mazaher R, is 30 years
old and a "Christian internet activist". According to the FCNN, he
had proclaimed the Bible's message in his blog.One of his readers, who
contacted him by email as "Father Reza", arranged a meeting with him
to discuss "the message of Jesus Christ". On 22 February, Mazaher went
to the meeting together with his sister and another fellow Christian
called Hamed C.The supposed "Father Reza" was present with a woman
who introduced herself as Maria."Father Reza", who later turned out
to be a police informer, invited the three Iranian Christians to a
residence where a new Christian was allegedly to be baptised.Together
they went into the building indicated as a house church,where they
were arrested by civil servants and security forces.With their eyes
covered, they were led away to an unknown place.
No information on detention of Iranian Christians
On 23 February the Iranian police raided the house of the father of the
Christian blogger Mazaher R, seizing computers, printers and Christian
books, among other things. The sister of Mazaher R was released after
a week in detention.She said that under interrogation she was berated
and placed under so much pressure that she distanced herself from her
own brother's Christian activities. For a month now, Iranian police
and secret services have refused to give any information about the
detention of the two Iranian Christians. Members of the detained
Christians' families have in the meantime found out about the house,
described by the police informer "Father Reza" as a house church. On
finding it empty, they quizzed the occupants of the neighbouring
house, who told them that the house had been empty and unoccupied
for months. Nobody in the street knew of any "Father Reza". As
written by Human Rights Activists in Iran, the detention of the two
Christians must be seen in connection with the Revolutionary Guards'
new repressive measures against bloggers. The Islamic government, they
said, regarded any "non-Islamic activity as anti-Islamic and directed
against the religion".This meant that the government could paint any
religious movement as a measure of "gentle subversive revolution".
Wahied is a Senior Fellow with the European Foundation for Democracy
in Brussels.
by Wahied Wahdat-Hagh
Iran Press Watch
http://europeandemocracy.org/index.php
http: //www.iranpresswatch.org/2009/04/christians/commen t-page-1/
April 4 2009
Editor's Note: The Baha'i case is an outstanding example of the moral
and intellectual corruption of the Iranian Islamic government. Readers
should, however, be made aware that other groups such as women, Kurds,
and Christians endure similar persecutions in the same country.
Christians are unlikely to be doing missionary work in Iran. Following
a court ruling, even churches are closed down if they preach in
Farsi. And bloggers who put biblical quotations on the internet
are detained.
On 25 March 2009, the Farsi Christian News Network FCNN reported that
the Assyrian church in the town of Shahrara was to be closed down
following a ruling by an Iranian revolutionary court. On 19 March,
Jonathan Betkolia had informed the Assyrian community in the Iranian
capital Tehran of this decision.The reason for the ruling was given as
"Farsi-speaking Iranians newly converted to Christianity taking part
in church masses".
Court ruling on church closure
Jonathan Betkolia, who represents Iran's 35,000-strong Assyrian
community in the Islamic "Parliament", has come into conflict with
Iranian priests in the Assyrian community.As a politician, in the past
few months he has often criticised the activities of the priests,
who had allegedly enabled Farsi-speaking Christians to gain access
to the Assyrian church. After warnings from the Assyrian politician,
Father Viktor admittedly announced that only Assyrians could take part
in church masses, otherwise the church would be closed down. A court
ruling to close down the church has nonetheless been issued. The
Christian committee of the organisation Human Rights Activists in
Iran reported that this ruling had taken place in the context of
growing pressure on Iranian Christians.
Sermons only allowed in the Armenian or Assyrian languages
The alleged aim is to "cleanse Iranian Christians",thereby preventing
the Christian faith from spreading among Iranians who are not members
of the ethnic groups of Assyrians and Armenians. The Armenian and
Assyrian churches are regarded as ethnic churches.Preaching in
Farsi is not allowed there, with sermons only allowed in Armenian
or Assyrian. Human Rights Activists in Iran write that the Iranian
state is depriving Iranians of their human rights to change religion
and faith. Nor is there any right to speak about one's own faith
collectively and publicly, in Farsi, in the context of churches'
religious instruction and in church masses. In the past eight years
the Assyrian church in Shahrara has held additional events and masses
on Fridays and Sundays for Farsi-speaking, non-Assyrian people.
Two Christians detained in Isfahan
The FCNN further reported on 24 March that two Iranian Christians had
been detained in Isfahan.One of them, called Mazaher R, is 30 years
old and a "Christian internet activist". According to the FCNN, he
had proclaimed the Bible's message in his blog.One of his readers, who
contacted him by email as "Father Reza", arranged a meeting with him
to discuss "the message of Jesus Christ". On 22 February, Mazaher went
to the meeting together with his sister and another fellow Christian
called Hamed C.The supposed "Father Reza" was present with a woman
who introduced herself as Maria."Father Reza", who later turned out
to be a police informer, invited the three Iranian Christians to a
residence where a new Christian was allegedly to be baptised.Together
they went into the building indicated as a house church,where they
were arrested by civil servants and security forces.With their eyes
covered, they were led away to an unknown place.
No information on detention of Iranian Christians
On 23 February the Iranian police raided the house of the father of the
Christian blogger Mazaher R, seizing computers, printers and Christian
books, among other things. The sister of Mazaher R was released after
a week in detention.She said that under interrogation she was berated
and placed under so much pressure that she distanced herself from her
own brother's Christian activities. For a month now, Iranian police
and secret services have refused to give any information about the
detention of the two Iranian Christians. Members of the detained
Christians' families have in the meantime found out about the house,
described by the police informer "Father Reza" as a house church. On
finding it empty, they quizzed the occupants of the neighbouring
house, who told them that the house had been empty and unoccupied
for months. Nobody in the street knew of any "Father Reza". As
written by Human Rights Activists in Iran, the detention of the two
Christians must be seen in connection with the Revolutionary Guards'
new repressive measures against bloggers. The Islamic government, they
said, regarded any "non-Islamic activity as anti-Islamic and directed
against the religion".This meant that the government could paint any
religious movement as a measure of "gentle subversive revolution".
Wahied is a Senior Fellow with the European Foundation for Democracy
in Brussels.