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Yes, let's come to an accord with this regime, eh, Mr. Kerry? From WND, with thanks to Jeffrey Imm:
At least 80 Christian leaders attending the general conference of the Iranian Assemblies of God, being held near Tehran, were arrested and questioned following a police raid three days ago. Ten pastors taken into custody are still being held, and their families are not being allowed to communicate with them.According to Compass Direct News Service, authorities surrounded the denomination's headquarters in Karaj, 20 miles from the capital, on the conference's first day and burst in suddenly, arresting all those present.
"The police came from everywhere," one Iranian Christian told Compass Direct, "and there were a lot of them."
According to the U.S. State Department's 2003 International Religious Freedom Report, "Christian groups have reported instances of government harassment of churchgoers in Tehran, in particular against worshippers at the Assembly of God congregation in the capitol. Harassment has included conspicuous monitoring outside Christian premises by Revolutionary Guards to discourage Muslims or converts from entering church premises and demands for the presentation of the identity papers of worshippers inside."
Indeed, according to a Compass Iranian source, "Every single person present was put under arrest, blindfolded and taken in for interrogation." They were reportedly driven around for several hours with their eyes shielded in order to disorient them before they were questioned. According to reports, the questioning was conducted separately for each of the detainees, and the interrogators revealed extensive personal knowledge of the individuals and their families.
Tehran's constitution declares the "official religion of Iran is Islam and the doctrine followed is that of Ja'fari Shi'ism." The government severely restricts freedom of religion, particularly efforts by Christians to evangelize. Since conversion of a Muslim to another faith is considered apostasy under Shari'a law, non-Muslims who proselytize followers of Islam put their own lives at risk.
Posted by Robert at September 12, 2004 8:54 AM
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News from Iran, and Afghanistan:
http://www.apostatesofislam.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=661
http://www.daneshjoo.org/cgi-bin/messageboard/ikonboard.cgi
http://www.radiofarda.com/archive/transcripts/en/
http://www.payvand.com/news/
Iran and Afghanistan, with focus on women:
http://www.irandokht.com/news/
http://www.irandwr.org/english/
Afghanistan:
http://www.afghanistannews.net/
Posted by: Ali Dashti![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jihadwatch.org/dhimmiwatch/nav-commenters.gif)
at September 12, 2004 9:51 AM
How about the Chi-com regime? Bush certainly came to an accord with them, eh, Mr. Spencer?
Bush: "I'm sorry that we had our most sophisticated spy plane in your vicinity. I'm sorry you shot down our plane on purpose. I'm sorry we didn't destroy all the computers on the plane. I'm sorry you kept the American Air Force crew of the plane prisoner for two weeks. I'm sorry we left the plane there unguarded for three months."
Then we hired Russia to bring the plane back for us, and POOF! The "liberal" media never mentioned it again.
I guess the commies aren't much of a threat after all, eh, Mr. Reagan? Too bad he couldn't figure that out back when he was pouring (taxpayer) money in Afghanistan.
Posted by: kj at September 12, 2004 10:15 AM
Gosh, Islam is a real hell-hole, huh?
Reminds me of these lines from a famous rock number Hotel California, which ring true when taken literally in islam's case:
'Relax'said the nightman
We are, programmed to receive
You can check out any time you like
but
you can never leeeeave....
And as regards dhimmi doctrine and the PC creed that prevents concerted action against these jihadis:
Mirrers on the ceiling
pink champagne on ice
we're all just prisoners here
of our own device....
Go figure.
Posted by: voletti at September 12, 2004 10:23 AM
Hmmm. 'pouring all that money into Afghanistan' is likely one of the Big reasons the Soviet Union no longer exists, wouldn't you say, kj?
Of course if we hadn't stepped in, the Soviets would now be standing on the doorstep of Iraq and all it's oil, or perhaps even be running the country by now, at least covertly. I don't think it is too much of a stretch to think that a possibility.
Would they have kept the Jihadists from spreading as fast as they have? No way of knowing. But another good bet is, Soviet-backed Jihadists would be vying with SA for power around the world right now...
I'm open for (sensible) critique on that.
Posted by: Gary at September 12, 2004 11:00 AM
No one should be surprised that Iran would have Christian leaders and their families under surveillance as Islam does not permit open worship or any other religion.
What surprises is that leaders failed to secure their own safety. Why were so many leaders congregated in one group in a land that is hostile to Christianity and that would take reprisals against them? Could they not foresee that they would be arrested and that their movement would have been put at risk? I hope that in future, better judgment is used.
Posted by: epg at September 12, 2004 11:11 AM
to voletti: thanks for your aesthetic combination of philosophy & pop culture. kind of reminds me of the wonderful mind of greil marcus
Posted by: ted at September 12, 2004 11:42 AM
IRAN, YOU'RE NEXT!
Posted by: Ummagumma at September 12, 2004 3:04 PM
Iran is a terror country but it´s big and dangerous, it would be a difficult war, be careful.
Posted by: Franze at September 12, 2004 5:28 PM
the Lord Yeshua said:
-Work while it is day, the night cometh when no man can work.-
the NIGHT of islam has descended on many countries
and has practically dried up gospel evangelism.
the light of the gospel is still shining, albeit dimly in some western countries.
it is a light that is often dim because of a watered
down gospel that cannot save.
now would be a GREAT and opportune time to receive
Jesus as YOUR saviour!
just ask!
"LORD Jesus: Please save me.I believe that you died for my sins on the cross and rose again the third day. I receive you now as my saviour. amen."
if you have become a new christian please let me
know at: forrestshalom@swbell.net
time IS running out.. don't delay to receive the only sure remedy for the onslaught of islam in our day.
Posted by: forrest shalom at September 12, 2004 8:21 PM
And I think we must remember that the fascist government in Iran moderates itself due to considerable resistance among young and wealthy elements of society with connections to the West. But what if the money, the influence of these 'Western', anti-Muslim, 'Perisans' were diminished, as it surely would be in the event of an 'Islamic Europe'...but consider the possibility. With all the money, with all the power in the hands of the mullahs, without Western, economic and ideological constraints, without having to worry at all about Western reactions, the fascism in Iran might turn to extreme violence, repression, a return to the days of the revolution: a perpetual reign of terror.
So, I think, as Islam goes things in Iran right now are pretty good; it could get a lot worse.
at September 12, 2004 11:16 PM
The truth must be made known to all Muslims, & repeated until all Islamic followers & active practitioners on this earth find Christianity to be the missing link, and the way to their enlightenment. Islam, post 7th Century, cleverly devised the Koran’s foundation from 4th Century Christianity, after the Roman Empire’s recognition of the Nicene Creed. Islamic scholars created the Koran as a Muslim ‘response’ to the Roman Christian Empire. This makes the Koran a political game, rather then a peaceful answer for humanity. When today’s Muslims research Christianity, they will find all the original ideas. Muslims, must be encouraged themselves & by Christians, to seek the roots of their Muslim beliefs. When they do, they will find Christianity to be the truth they were searching for all along, but were not able to find in Islam.
Posted by: SFOD at September 12, 2004 11:50 PM
The persecution of Christians in Iran today is a state policy which is implemented at all levels, in various forms. It affects both individuals as well as the church as a whole.
Under the present Islamic regime, Christians and their institutions are intensely regulated, and subjected to intrusive questioning through the management of more than three Ministries and their Departments: the Ministry of Information and Islamic Guidance, The Ministry of Religious Affairs and Endowments, the Ministry of the Interior and its notorious State Secret police.
It is a serious offence to sell a copy of the Bible in Iran, which is practically impossible anyway, since the offices of the Iranian Bible Society were closed in 1980 and all its stocks confiscated by the State authorities.
The Law on Apostasy is practised and remains in full force.Under this law converts from Islam to other religions are often put to death.
The torture and murder of Church leaders is common place in Iran and this is just part of the many horrific abuses of human rights against Christians.
The Islamo-fascist regime of Iran has adopted a deliberate policy to eradicate the faith of Christianity from within its borders.
at September 13, 2004 3:09 AM
your're right Franze, what I said was a bit out of context. I am so angry at Islam, it is hard to control the bad thoughts that come from it. Please accept my apologies and disregard my comment.
Posted by: Ummagumma at September 13, 2004 9:33 PM
Dear KJ:
Communism was and remains as vicious as Islam ever was. The numbers of its victims since 1917 (and, don't forget that it is alive and well and living in China, Cuba, Viet Nam, North Korea, and Berkely, California) exceeds 100,000,000--and this in less than a century. Just as Islam made a desert of the ancient breadbaskets of the fertile crescent, Roman Africa, and Anatolia, the ecological degradation of countries under Communism is appalling. I myself have seen a section of Monsoon Asia turned into a moonscape in Guangdong--supposedly the best-off and most "modernized" of Mainland China's provinces. As for mind-numbing ignorance, China's universities still labor under directives that insist that all who teach in the social sciences accept as proven "scientific" fact a crack-brained schema of social-cultural evolution framed in the 19th century West.
The supposdely retarded Ronald Reagan blew on Poland, Nicaragua, and Afghanistan to tell the Soviets that if America really wanted to, it could pee in its enemies back yards, too. The result was that we discovered the bright, shining Red hope of modern progressive opinion was a thoroughly rotten, blighted, and unworkable system that, far from fulfilling its promise of ending economic want, only made the problem far worse.
I would not be following this blog if I did not think that radical Islamicism is a major problem. But don't forget that the Islamic world itself is a patchwork of different states, ethnicities (look at the beautiful Islamic brotherhood between Arabs and Darfuris or Kurds and Turks), and sectarian rivalries. In the 16th century, the Persian Safavids welcomed Portuguese predation on Ottoman shipping in the Indian Ocean; in the 20th, Afghanistan allied with Hindu India against Pakistan. Scarcely a generation after it emerged from Arabia, Islam broke into warring, fratricidial factions over the question of who should be Caliph.
There is no Islamic state capable of forming the core of a new bloc to challenge an America that is willing to shed its PC nonsense. Even if Europe goes Islamic within the century (despite the fact that Euro-Muslims are losing their youth), you can bet the farm that Europe's productive capacity will be hollowed out; and its newly Islamicized parts will probably blame each other and the older Islamic states, and start duking it out among themselves.
On the other hand, the Soviet Union was a real and dynamic threat that had proven its ability to project force into the heart of Europe and across oceans.
Nor can I help but note that a Europe undergoing a profound spiritual revival in the 16th and 17th centuries proved more than a match for an Islam that still possessed the three "superpowers" of Ottoman Turkey, Safavid Iran, and Mughal India.
at September 14, 2004 4:12 AM
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