Iran arrests at least 100 Christians, including ex-Muslims

"It has become clear that Protestant Christians are now viewed as enemy number one of the state."

Islamic Tolerance Alert from the Islamic Republic of Iran: "BREAKING NEWS: Iran Launching Massive Arrests Of Evangelicals," by Stefan J. Bos for BosNewsLife, October 13 (thanks to The Religion of Peace):

TEHRAN, IRAN (BosNewsLife)-- Massive arrests of evangelical Protestant Christians, including many former Muslims, are reported in Iran, with men and women being dragged to prisons across the Islamic nation.
"We have learned that at least 100, but perhaps as many as 400 people, have been detained over the last 10 days," said Firouz Khandjani, a council member of the 'Church of Iran' house church movement.

Speaking from an undisclosed location, he told BosNewsLife late Saturday, October 13, that forces of the feared intelligence service, who he called "Iran's Gestapo", broke up worship services in Esfehan, Shiraz and Tehran areas.

"They are of several movements. But it has become clear that Protestant Christians are now viewed as enemy number one of the state," Khandjani said. "We need urgent prayers," he added when asked what believers need most.

CHURCH MEMBERS DETAINED

He said among those detained late Friday, October 12, are at least five members of the Church of Iran in the city of Shiraz, including Mohammad Roghangir, known locally as 'Brother Vahid', who led a house church service attended by some 15 people.

"We are also concerned about sister Roxana Forughi as this is the second time she is being detained."

Other Christians captured during the same raid were identified as Eskandar Rezaie, Bijan Haghighi, Mehdi Ameruni and Shahin Lahooti.

Iranian Christians said they were taken to the notorious detention center Plaque 100 of Iran's Intelligence Ministry.

SUSPENDED SENTENCES

Khandjani confirmed reports that on Thursday, October 11, seven Christians received suspended five year sentences for "action against the national security," after they were already jailed for up to three weeks in Rasht, some six years ago.

He said he was also concerned about the situation of Christians taken to prisons in recent days. "We know that many have been forced to say they will no longer attend church services in exchange for freedom."...

Since their arrests, the five been confined in cells housing dangerous criminals on charges of "creating illegal groups", "participating in a house church service", "propagation against the Islamic regime" and "defaming Islamic holy figures through Christian evangelizing," Iranian Christians said....

Despite the reported persecution, there may be at least 100,000 evangelical Christians in Iran, according to church groups, with others giving higher estimates.

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15 Comments

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Godzaconic | October 14, 2012 11:37 AM | Reply

"We need urgent prayers," he added when asked what believers need most.

Sad. These poor delusional people will need more than prayers

Counterjihad2012 | October 14, 2012 11:45 AM | Reply

Q.4:89 "They wish you would disbelieve as they disbelieved so you would be alike. So do not take from among them allies until they emigrate for the cause of Allah. But if they turn away (leave Islam), then seize them and kill them wherever you find them and take not from among them any ally or helper."

Death for Apostasy

Godzaconic | October 14, 2012 11:59 AM | Reply

SUSPENDED SENTENCES

Hope not- in Iran that often means suspended from a crane...

Counterjihad2012 | October 14, 2012 12:38 PM | Reply

One of the most authoritative Koranic commentators, Baydawi (d. 1315/16) interprets this passage thus:

“Whosoever turns back from belief (irtada), openly or secretly, take him and kill him wheresoever ye find him, like any other infidel. Separate yourself from him altogether. Do not accept intercession in his regard" (cited in Zwemer, The Law of Apostasy in Islam, 1924, pp. 33-34). Ibn Kathir's (d. 1373) venerated commentary on Koran 4:89 concurs, maintaining that as the unbelievers have manifested their unbelief, they should be punished by death ..."

Kepha | October 14, 2012 12:53 PM | Reply

Mohammad Roghangir, known locally as 'Brother Vahid'...

****************

This guy's name and his arrest by a nasty government say it all. "Islam is the world's fastest growing religion"--thanks to birth rates and confused Western teens who think it's cool to wear a kufi for a couple of years. But I think real conviction tells another story.

margaritha | October 14, 2012 1:33 PM | Reply

Iranian Muslims,who live in USA should be rounded up and detained in jails till the Iranian Christians are released in Iran . But do you expect Obama do this? Impossible.

BlueRaven replied to comment from margaritha | October 14, 2012 1:50 PM | Reply

"Iranian Muslims,who live in USA should be rounded up and detained in jails till the Iranian Christians are released in Iran"

Where will we go from there? Are you prepare to sink your moral grounds to the same level? I am not.

The only way to bring things forward is to let the Iranian people see and know we treat people equally no matter how much uncomfortable we are with their views - heck we have 2 Mil Muslims in our country. They get treated better than me.

salah | October 14, 2012 2:08 PM | Reply

"Despite the reported persecution, there may be at least 100,000 evangelical Christians in Iran"

"This Christianization movement is too big to be dealt with, even by all arab countries combined... We are living a tragedy sir, by Allah we are living a tragedy."
Sheikh Al-Qataani on Al-Jazeera TV.

Islam is dying, no matter what.

http://crossmuslims.blogspot.com/2010/05/dying-islam-lislam-mourant.html

Nordlys replied to comment from salah | October 14, 2012 2:28 PM | Reply

I wish it is true, but islam lives on lies. They lie each other to keep Satan's religion alive.
I will do what is in my possibility to defend freedom of speech.
About Europe, I don't think the whole Europe will fall under Islam (I think many in the west will wake up, and East Europe and Finland is strongly against islam), but probably England, Sweden, France and Italy will be conquered, and since I live in Italy, I will move in the east before it's too late.

john spielman | October 14, 2012 3:51 PM | Reply

I pray that the Lord God by His Spirit would send such fear into the Muslim captors that they dare not touch the children of God.

salah replied to comment from Nordlys | October 14, 2012 3:53 PM | Reply

Here is the Italian Daniela speaking the truth about Muhammad: PEDOFILO, she cried outloud!

http://crossmuslims.blogspot.com/2010/07/daniela-vs-muhammad.html

Larry A. Singleton | October 15, 2012 1:57 AM | Reply

Why don't we just start bombing the shit out of these assholes and be done with it. And after that go after every member of the MSA and everybody even remotely affiliated with it.

Larry A. Singleton
Riverside, CA

Yephora | October 15, 2012 2:40 AM | Reply

Dear Father God,
Please bless and protect these dear Christian brethren.
Strengthen them that they may they not deny your holy Name.
Release them and heal them please, Father God, according to thy will.
Glorify thyself, in Jesus' mighty Name.
Amen.

dumbledoresarmy replied to comment from Yephora | October 15, 2012 3:49 AM | Reply

Amen.

And in the meantime, here in the West, we who are Christians, besides praying, can support organisations such as Barnabas Fund and Open Doors and Voice of the Martyrs (who do lobbying, and provide practical as well as spiritual help, to suffering Christians); and we can tell the stories of the martyrs and confessors of the Church in Persia, as also in other places.

We can encourage our fellow parishioners - but also any decent person we know, who supports human rights, freedom of conscience, freedom of religion, and simple justice - to sign the Barnabas Fund's 'Proclaim Freedom ' petition which will be presented to a number of western governments at the end of this year or the beginning of next year.

https://barnabasfund.org/AU/Act/Campaign/Proclaim-Freedom/

(Note: Barnabas is based in the UK, but with branches in Australia,

We can encourage our churches to take part in 'Suffering Church Sunday' (on 4th November) and 'Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church' - which can also function as 'awareness raising' events, even among those who are not Christians.

http://www.idop.org/

Walter | October 15, 2012 11:53 AM | Reply

We may all be sure the the mullah's who are in power along with their friends,the imams are behind this terrible actions against the Christians of Iran. The mullahs do so many heinous things because of Islam in this is just one of them. Furthermore , the mullah's along with the imams speak many awful things that are falsehoods and lies about Christians and Christian doctrines in the mosque and madrassas,so much so, that the people who they mind program actually believe the false things that these Islamic cleric say about Christianity and its teaching. To this the Bible explains about such cleric as these mullahs and imams. For in Second Peter 2:12 it reads "They speak evil of thing that they do not understand and will utterly perish in their corruption." [NKJV]

It also should be noted that in this Bible context, as well as in John 3:16, the word "Perish" does not mean "Loss of being but loss of well being." Perish, as in going to ruin by ending up suffering in the fires of a terrible place called hell.

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