Overview
Iran, or the Islamic Republic of Iran, to give it its full name, is a Western Asian country with a long history. Still known in recent times as Persia, the area of modern Iran features in the Old Testament. The ancient empire of the Medes and Persians was a world superpower, and it was Persia’s Cyrus the Great who allowed Jews to return home from their captivity under the Babylonians. Alexander the Great conquered the land in the fourth century BC. Arab Muslims conquered a subsequent empire in the seventh century AD, leading to the Islamization of the country and the founding of a major centre of Islamic culture. In the 15th century the Safavid empire established the Shi’a form of Islam in the country that is now the state religion.
In the 20th Century closer ties with the Western world were developed under Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the last ‘Shah’ (King), until he was overthrown in the Iranian revolution of 1979, which saw the creation of an Islamic theocracy under, first, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and, after his death, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The modern Iranian government is considered strict and authoritarian.
What it means to be a Christian in Iran
Christianity has a long history in Iran; longer, in fact, than Islam, although it has always been a minority religion. Christians probably make up only about 1% of the country’s current population of around 85 million people. Nevertheless, Evangelical Christianity is growing rapidly.
Many believe there is an observable disillusionment with the hard-line, authoritarian, post-revolution government, particularly among the younger generation of Iranians. This, it is said, makes many Iranians open to hearing the gospel.
The number of converts to Christ from a Muslim background has been increasing rapidly in recent years, prompting a reaction from the authorities and a desire to curb the spread of Christianity, particularly among the majority Persian (Farsi) speaking people.
Iran’s constitution officially recognises Christianity, along with Judaism and Zoroastrianism, as minority religions. However, only those from the Armenian and Assyrian ethnic minority groups are free to practice their Christian faith. Ethnic Persians are deemed to be Muslim; any that profess to have become Christian are therefore, by definition, apostates.
Persecution
Christians in Iran, especially converts from a Persian background, face the constant threat of arrest and imprisonment. Those who are active in evangelism and leading house churches are most at risk. Christians who are arrested will usually be charged with crimes that speak of acting against ‘national security’.
A Voice of Persecuted Christians partner for Iran says the government is concerned about the rate at which disillusioned Muslims are turning to Christ and is determined to stem this. It is illegal to own, print or distribute Bibles and other Christian literature in the Farsi language. In recent years Iranian courts have been handing down longer prison sentences for those charged in relation to Christian activity. As a result of the on-going and increasingly severe attempts to stifle the spread of the gospel, there are many Iranian Christians who have been forced to flee the country.
Voice of Persecuted Christians work
Voice of Persecuted Christians supports ministries aimed at encouraging and equipping Iranian Christians who are – or who face the real risk of being – persecuted for their faith in Christ and for their proclamation of the gospel.
One partner supports a ministry to Christians who have fled Iran to another country. This work involves providing a place to meet, staffing, training and children’s work (Operation Daniel).
Another pair of projects supports a minister who conducts theological training for some of the next generation of Iranian Christian leaders (Operation James).
