Iran Ranks Ninth Among Christian-Persecuting Countries in 2015
According to the annual list released by the Christian organization Open Doors in January, which presents fifty countries where Christians face persecution and harassment, Iran ranks ninth and Afghanistan ranks fifth among Christian-persecuting countries.
According to the Christian Voice of Iran news agency, the organization Open Doors (OpenDoors) has released a new list of countries where Christians were persecuted and harassed in 2015, placing Iran in ninth position among the fifty countries on the list. Iran ranked seventh on this list in 2014.
Nevertheless, Iran, having climbed two positions on this list, remains among countries that subject Christians to extreme persecution (red status).
On this list, North Korea continues to hold first place as it did last year. Notably, Somalia has moved from second place to seventh, a position that Iran held in 2014.
Afghanistan, which ranked fifth in 2014, has moved to fourth place. The African country of Eritrea has moved from ninth place in 2014 to third place in 2015, indicating a worsening situation for Christians in that country.
Saudi Arabia, which ranked sixth in 2013 and improved to twelfth place in 2014, has moved to fourteenth place in 2015. However, despite these changes, it remains among highly oppressive countries, but its orange status for Christians indicates a better situation than Christians in Iran, who are in red status.
The best change is for Oman, which has moved from thirty-ninth place in 2014 to fiftieth place, the last position on this list, in 2015.
This report indicates that persecution is rapidly growing in Africa, particularly in sub-Saharan countries. In the Middle East, ISIS violence in Iraq and Syria has increased, and the rapid exodus of the Christian population from the region has become a global crisis.
Dr. Ahmad Shaheed has consistently warned in his annual reports about violations of the rights of religious minorities in Iran, such as Yarsan, Baha’is, Christians, and Sunni Muslims, and has declared the situation to remain critical.
Iran’s placement in the red zone, indicating extreme persecution of Christians, shows that despite Hassan Rouhani’s promises before the presidential election regarding the rights of religious minorities, not only has the situation not improved, it has actually worsened.
Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, to which the Iranian government is also a signatory, states that everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion; this right includes freedom to change one’s religion or belief, and freedom to manifest one’s religion or belief, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, through teaching, practice, worship, and observance.
Nevertheless, the Islamic Republic continues to evade implementing its commitments, and religious minorities in Iran continue to face persecution and harassment. It is abundantly clear that the Iranian government, disregarding its obligations, has turned the country’s law into a mandatory single-religion law of Shia Islam, granting all rights and privileges to Shia Islamic worship. Violations of the rights of Christians, Baha’is, Jews, and Sunni Muslims, carried out by extremist Shia Muslim elements, are entirely protected by the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, Ali Khamenei.
One of the well-known examples of Christian persecution in Iran is Iranian-American pastor Saeed Abedini, who has faced severe persecution, harassment, and beating. Saeed Abedini is an Iranian-American pastor who traveled to Iran in 2012 to build an orphanage and has been detained and transferred to prison since then.
