Cruel restrictions on Christian converts in Iran
Many years have passed since the presence of Christian converts in Iran, and they have always looked upon their Muslim compatriots with a loving gaze. However, this is not a reason not to talk about the persecution of them by the government. The reason for the struggle and persecution of the Islamic Republic government against church activists is undoubtedly the government's fear and intimidation due to the rapid and widespread spread of the Gospel of Jesus Christ among Iranians.
I, Ebrahim Firoozi, as a Christian convert who has been closely observing the situation of various churches in Iran for several years, would like to express some of the oppressive restrictions that the Iranian government imposes on various churches.
1. Prohibition of festive gatherings: It is customary among Christians to celebrate holidays such as Christmas and New Year, but Christian converts in Iran are not allowed to celebrate these holidays like Christians in other countries. The Islamic Republic's media congratulates these holidays in order to deceive the masses, but in most cases, when these holidays are celebrated, we encounter mass arrests of Christian converts.
2. Prohibition of worship services: Collective worship is emphasized in the Christian Bible, and being present in the company of other Christians to pray is considered a matter of worship. However, the Islamic Republic has banned Christians from gathering in their private homes and has officially interpreted holding worship services on private property as forming an anti-government group, and many Christian converts have been arrested during worship services.
3. Failure to print required books: Christian converts in Iran are not allowed to publish books or pamphlets related to their churches according to their original text, because the Islamic Republic believes that printing the books desired by Christians in Persian will make Persian-speaking people aware of the Bible and will lead them to Christianity. As a result, many converts do not have access to the written works of their churches.
The persecution that converts face from the Islamic Republic does not end with these four points, but the above points show that the current Iranian government is not willing to respect the minimum human rights of Christians and that freedom of belief and expression in the Islamic Republic has remained completely barren. I expect international organizations and human rights organizations to take intelligent stances and legitimate responses to prevent the spread of these discriminatory behaviors towards Christian converts in Iran.
