Survey Finds Increasing Religious Diversity in Iran Despite Persecution
02/18/2021 Iran (International Christian Concern) – According to a recent poll conducted by a European research organization, the Iranian regime’s policy of discrimination and, in some cases, persecution of non-Shia Muslim groups may be having the effect of driving Iranians to other religions. It seems that the spiritual gap between Iran’s Shia ayatollahs and the people they rule is growing as increasing numbers of Iranians are leaving religion or experimenting with alternatives to Shiism. Christians, Baha’is, and Zoroastrians in the country have all reported soaring interest and leaders of other forms of Islam speak of popular revivals and “loyalty changes” as Iranians turn to other religions because they no longer find satisfaction in the official faith.
01/27/2021 Iran (International Christian Concern) – In 1979, Islamic revolutionaries took over Iran, banning all Christian and western influences from the region. The people were not happy with the Shah, and extremist Muslims took advantage of the general discontent and assumed control. Iran officially became an Islamic republic.
But in the past few years, we’ve seen a surge of Christianity in Iran.
Hundreds of thousands of Muslims are leaving their religion for Christianity, even with the threat of apostasy and imprisonment handing over their heads. Wonder why?
I interviewed Dr. Daniel Shayesteh for my podcast called
Into the Deep to find out more about what it was like to go from being one of the Ayatollah’s right-hand men to his sworn enemies.
Floggings Reported in Iran Against Religious Minorities
01/09/2021 Iran (International Christian Concern) – The Iran Human Rights Monitor shared in their newly released 2020 Annual Report that amputation and flogging sentences were widely practiced in Iran. The report states,
“At least 19 flogging verdicts were carried out in 2020 against labor activists, religious and ethnic minorities, protesters and ordinary citizens. Dozens of others were sentenced to flogging.”
Last fall, the flogging sentence of 80 lashes each was carried out against two Christian men named Mohammadreza Omidi and Zaman Fadaii. Both were issued this sentence for drinking communion wine during a church service. Last spring, an Iranian Christian woman was also sentenced to flogging after her arrest for being present in an area of protest. While her trial was not specifically regarding charges of a religious freedom nature, the judge reviewing her case made it clear that her Christian faith was not wel
Iran’s Parliament Considers Penal Code Changes
12/14/2020 Iran (International Christian Concern) – Iran’s parliament has made a number of amendments to a draft bill which would further criminalize freedom of expression and belief, warns Article 19. This draft bill was passed in May 2020 but sent back to parliament that June by the Guardian Council, who listed a number of objections. These latest amendments were made in response to those objections.
Article 19 writes,
“Under international human rights law, any restrictions on freedom of expression must meet the requirements of the three-part test of legality, legitimate aim and necessity and proportionality. The draft Bill meets none of these conditions.”