Evangelicals and Threats to Christian Citizens in Iran: A Security-Media Narrative 20:30
The security-media narrator of the 20:30 news report speaks of connections between Christian citizens in Iran and evangelicals, claiming it demonstrates a major threat against Christians in Iran.
Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) released a visual news report from the 20:30 news section accusing several arrested Christian citizens of “espionage,” an action that can be described, according to United Nations definitions, as a very clear example of hate speech discourse.
The 20:30 news section, known for producing security documentaries, broadcasting forced confessions of political and ideological prisoners, and its journalists’ collaboration with security agencies in interrogations, attempted in its recent report to portray Christian citizens as affiliated with Israel and its security agency, Mossad.
This visual report, in addition to showing scenes of some arrested Christian citizens at a gathering in Turkey, displayed images of Christian Bibles, other Christian texts, and pamphlets from “Narcotics Anonymous” as confiscated items and evidence of crime. Television confessions from several arrested citizens in this security-media scenario were also included, in which they acknowledge traveling to participate in religious education seminars. In the documentary broadcast by the 20:30 news section, it is claimed that “evangelical pastors” are secretly engaged in converting Iranians to Christianity and their traces have been seen in Iran for years.
“Ameneh Sadat Zibaipur,” the producer of this report, whom critics call an “interrogator-journalist,” claimed that leaders of a Farsi-speaking church held “political sermons” in a worship conference program. This video then attempts to complete the security narrative by displaying items allegedly seized from detainees, audio files from unknown individuals, and television confessions. Ameneh Sadat Zibaipur, the narrator of this report, is listed on the sanctions list of the European Union, Australia, and the United States due to gross violations of human rights and extraction of forced confessions.
Ameneh Sadat Zibaipur says in this visual report: “When the Zionists attacked from the sky, there were supposed to be those on the ground implementing this attack. An extremist-deviationist sect called ‘Evangelicals’ who claim that the promised prophecy of the world coming under Zionist conquest, and the return of Jews to Jerusalem marking the emergence of the savior and the beginning of the end times, is coming. Supporters of settlement expansion in occupied territories, serious opponents of Palestinian statehood recognition. The main focus of evangelicals is on Western Asia; they see peace in this region as an obstacle to the savior’s emergence. They wage war against Iran and Hezbollah for this same reason.
Zionist pastors who openly preach in America are here in Western Asia secretly converting people. Their traces have been seen in Iran for some years now; the images you see record their secret comings and goings. They go to Izmir and Camp Izmir in Turkey. One of their leaders himself initially underwent training from this sect and has been very active against Iran on social networks, and support for Netanyahu is evident on his page. He, along with several evangelical pastors, formed an organization for the interests of America and Zionists.”
Zibaipur adds in her report: “Evangelicals in a paramilitary camp called ‘Arualia’ under Zionist support and guidance planted their ideas in the minds of these people. But this training course is not about converting faith and at the end, baptism is not merely brainwashing to become evangelical. Among religious teachings, political sermons are delivered.”
In one of these sermons, “Brian Adams” says: “It doesn’t matter if the government speaks badly about Israel, but in Iran there are people who pray for Israel.” Zibaipur, while referring to Adams’ statements, continues: “The teachings are mixed with the flag of monarchists and support for Zionists and seek greater proximity to Zionists than to Christian thought. Like Brian Adams, who has been going back and forth to occupied territories for years and his pride is taking pictures with Zionist child-killers.
Besides these in-person meetings, they hold multiple sessions in virtual space where monarchists are also present. They have divided Iran’s map with a cross and drawn churches instead of mosques, and with these images tried to wash crime off the faces of Zionists. Evangelicals had prepared Iranians for the promised day, but the promised day was not the emergence of the savior, but the time of Zion’s attack on Iran. They knew Iran was going to be attacked.”
Ameneh Sadat, while referring to Brian Adams’ statements that say: “I am speaking with Persian powers. All the satanic powers that exist in Iran’s sky are to be broken,” continues: “In these chats they tell their forces that Iran will be attacked, they mention ‘zero hour’ which is very near. Pastor Brian calls Zion God’s chosen land that Iran cannot attack and Iran’s missiles cannot reach Tel Aviv.”
In the mentioned video, Brian, in response to the question of how he thinks about this situation, says: “I said Iran cannot beat Israel because no one can beat Israel. Israel is God’s chosen place,” and Zibaipur says in this regard: “With this map, when Iran’s key points are targeted, their forces will seize sensitive points so that a puppet government comes to power.”
She also refers to a recorded voice of one of the agents and says: “It is about a large-scale organization and major operations such as elimination, elimination of military forces, elimination of military operatives, and also organizing and mobilization toward Tehran.”
A person who, according to Ameneh Sadat, is among the Zionist leaders inside the country says: “We need weapons, that is, equip thousands of forces for us so we go toward Tehran and capture the capital.” This interrogator-journalist, in response to the Zionist leader’s statements, continues: “They also intended to prepare mass graves for supporters of the Islamic Republic. Those claiming friendship and peace had prepared equipment and weapons to attack the people so that with the attack of the Zionist regime, conditions for Reza Pahlavi’s entry would be provided. But all of them were under surveillance before the attack and in detention by the Ministry of Intelligence during the attack.”
It is worth noting that during the aforementioned report, part of the forced confessions of several people who apparently were Zionist agents were also broadcast, stating: “The enemy is very prepared to exploit this situation and inject its own thoughts and desires and religious and mythical superstitions into our people, but people should be aware and careful not to fall into the trap of such people.”
Zibaipur says: “Images of exchanging organizational shipments show that they were under the auspices of the soldiers of the Hidden Imam. This very auspices was enough that before zero hour, more than fifty of their trained members were identified and arrested and the connection of this deviationist sect with internal agents was cut. A group with no affinity to Iranian Christians and real Christianity in Iran, Christians who have been extremely supportive of Muslims and have been greatly noticed by the leader of resistance and have even offered martyrs for Iran. These groups were only one puzzle of the enemy’s hybrid warfare in those 12 days, and in subsequent reports you will hear about other identified Zionist agents.”
However, the reality is that this documentary follows the same media pattern used for years against religious and ideological minorities in Iran, an attempt to legitimize the suppression and arrest of Christian citizens with general and security accusations. Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, with such reports, not only confronts Iranian Christians but also exposes the entire society to an atmosphere of constant intimidation and threat. The international community has previously repeatedly warned that the security of Christians and other religious minorities in Iran is seriously at risk, and the recent 20:30 report shows that this threat continues.
