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"It is possible to govern based on an approach that is distinctly different from one of coercion, force and injustice," said Ahmadinejad. Maybe he meant, "...except when it comes to non-Muslims."
From AKI, with thanks to Sr. Soph:
Tehran, 4 Jan. (AKI) - The Iranian Evangelical Church has denounced a crackdown by authorities on its members. Under a new government measure, pastors with the official churches will have to provide a list of names of all those who take part in functions to the intelligence ministry. Pastors will also need an authorisation from security forces to celebrate mass. Christians are less than 1 percent of Iran's population of over 68 million.However, unofficial data shows that the number of converts from Islam to the Evangelical Church is on the rise. Contrary to Catholics and Gregorian Orthodox Christians who discourage conversions for fear of reprisals on their members, Evangelical Christians are in fact extremely active in Iranian society and their number is believed to be growing.
In Iran, Evangelical Christians are often not authorised by authorities to practice their religion and most of their churches are clandestine. The faithful are often forced to celebrate mass in private homes, which is illegal in Iran.
Since Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was elected president in June 2005 there has been a significant crackdown on Christians and in particular on members of the Evangelical Church. At least 50 members of the church have been jailed since then and are still being detained without trial.
The last reported crackdown on Evangelical Church members occurred before a conference questioning the existence of the Holocaust on 11-12 December. At the time leaders of the congregation denounced the arrest of members in Tehran and in the north of the country.
Authorities provided no official reason for the arrests of the members of the Protestant Church, who had all converted from Islam, but fellow congregation members suspected the reason was their criticism of the government-sponsored conference which questioned the extermination of six million Jews during World War II.
Posted by Robert at January 4, 2007 7:39 AM
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"Authorities provided no official reason for the arrests..."
Do you think it could have something to do with the fact that, "unofficial data shows that the number of converts from Islam to the Evangelical church is on the rise"?
Posted by: Isabellathecrusader![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jihadwatch.org/dhimmiwatch/nav-commenters.gif)
at January 4, 2007 8:39 AM
Many Americans simply fail to understand the few platitudes sprinkled through the surahs which call for mutual reciprocity, charity, tolerance and respect apply to 'brother muslims' alone. None apply to disbelievers.
Americans don't understand that the 10 commandments and the Golden Rule are missing in the third 'Abrahamic Religion'. They seem to think that al-lah means 'God' in the generic way... it does at this point.. however al-Lah is a franchised brand name from the Seventh Century. Since the al-Lah cult came to monopolize thought in large swaths of the world for enough time, al-Lah became allah by the same mechanism we refer to soft drinks as 'Coke' or facial tissues as 'Kleenex' or photocopies as 'Xeroxes'. It is a matter of brand dominance leading to simple name substitution. al-Lah is not the same as Yahweh and never was.
If we can get Americans to see these distinctions and the rest of the infidel world for that matter -- we'll have made some progress.
at January 4, 2007 9:37 AM
Have a gander at this >>>>>
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=426308&in_page_id=1770
Now at this >>>>>
http://www.google.com/trends?q=man+boy+sex&ctab=1&sa=N
Posted by: aladdinsane57 at January 4, 2007 9:50 AM
"In Iran, Evangelical Christians are often not authorised by authorities to practice their religion "
We should use the same tactic on Muslims in non Muslim countries.
In fact, we should outlaw Islam and ban Muslim Immigration.
We should never allow Muslims to pray in Christian churches and we should never allow Muslims to dictate religious mandates to anyone.
Islams seeks to destroy Christianity. For proof, just review the history of Christians in Muslim dominated countries.
Posted by: exsgtbrown at January 4, 2007 10:31 AM
I agree. Islam needs to be outlawed and recognized for the Nazi like belief system it is. Much more than a religion, its a religious-political entity. As Robert Spencer has said, year one of the Islamic calender (unlike the Christian calender) is not the birth of the founder but the first year muhammed became a POLITICAL leader. Islam seeks not only to destroy all other religions but all other (democratic escpecially) political systems and replace them with Islamic Shiaria law.
Iran's wickedness in arresting and killing innocent Christians for just being Chrisitans reveals the morally banckruptcy of this backside of the desert 'philosophy' called Islam.
In the US CAIR must be revealed to be the violent organization it is --just another Nation of Islam --group of hate. nonmuslim Islam supporters and nonreligious people in general should wake up: if muslims do this to Chrisitans do you know what they would do to YOU?
at January 4, 2007 11:00 AM
ISLAM = NAZISM
Posted by: THE ALLIES SHALL WIN at January 4, 2007 11:01 AM
"give list of names to the intelligence ministry" == "tell them who to execute when the time comes"
Posted by: aynrandgirl at January 4, 2007 12:12 PM
Word around the campfire is that Christianity is on the rise in Iran:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LB0WtyGHaJo
Posted by: EliasAlucard at January 4, 2007 12:50 PM
This is not suprising, since more Muslims are leaving Islam in coming to faith in Christ and are becoming Christians. Also a sign that Satan is losing the war in the increase in the attacking Christians.
Posted by: bigcatgirl13106 at January 4, 2007 1:18 PM
More on the plight of Christians:
Police Fired Tear Gas Grenades During Cathedral Church Service in Sudan
Top 10 persecutors of Christians named
CSI Highlights Plight of Persecuted Christians in Syria
Posted by: ummahnewslinks at January 4, 2007 1:21 PM
"Contrary to Catholics and Gregorian Orthodox Christians who discourage conversions for fear of reprisals on their members"
from the article above.
This is a shame on my Church. While the bishops do have a responsibility not to bring suffering on their flocks, they should never forget that the Orthodox Catholics of the early Church openly invited martyrdom, knowing that the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Faith.
In this regard, the Iranian Evangelical Church has proven itself to be the heirs of the Apostles and Fathers of the Church and God will bless them for it.
Posted by: Provoslavni at January 4, 2007 1:27 PM
Christians are persecuted in Muslim lands, and that goes on without objection by the West, but we still bend over backwards to accommodate their chosen difference and superiority complex here.
Dhimmi of the year: West Point. "The academy, he says, has been supportive. During Ramadan, the kitchen staff prepared food for the Muslim cadets at 4:45 a.m. so they could eat before sunrise, and they were excused from regular meals so they could fast during the day. They were also excused from regular duties to attend prayers in a room designated as their "mosque."
Will they have to fight in Muslim lands, fight during Ramadan, interrogate Muslims...?
http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/news/local/article_1406504.php
Posted by: PJ at January 4, 2007 1:53 PM
When speaking about Christian conversions in totalitarian regimes .. tread carefully. There are Christians and there are opportunistic cults masquerading to the uninitiated as "Christian":
"[B]ecause Christianity was so harshly repressed in China, and because many Chinese seem to be looking for millenarian, miracle-producing faiths, many popular house church movements have developed into authoritarian fiefdoms themselves, with adherents following one charismatic leader, who often has little religious training. These underground leaders are hardly vehicles for liberal reform. ...
Three Grades’s sworn enemy, another house church known as Eastern Lightning that claims a similar following, is just as intense. Eastern Lightning also believes that Jesus has returned to Earth, and has taken the form of a Chinese peasantwoman. Like Three Grades, Eastern Lightning tries to force other Christians to join its group, allegedly kidnapping other house church leaders and trying to brainwash them until they join Lightning."
- Source: Joshua Kurlantzick, Chinese Christians Are a Force, But What Kind? The Washington Post, USA, Nov. 28, 2004
http://www.apologeticsindex.org/189-eastern-lightning
Hopefully, the Christian movement in Iran is genuine - as is (some amount ) of Christianity practiced in China.
Posted by: Daisytoo at January 4, 2007 2:18 PM
What is our action plan to support Christians and Christianity in countries like Iran?
Posted by: payingattention at January 4, 2007 4:43 PM
Here is news from the UK which makes me think that the political leaders there have completely lost their minds:
Minister snubs desperate plea from twins
Posted by: ummahnewslinks at January 4, 2007 5:09 PM
and of course it is Ethiopia's response to jihad's belligerence that creates the problem, and of course US is acting according to its hot emotional buttons like a humiliated giant, and sharia is "widely accepted" (x million fans can't be wrong!) and welcomed by the savages! It brought order! Hitler made trains run on time dontcha know....
Please write and tell them
Posted by: kuchuklambat at January 4, 2007 5:19 PM
sorry URL got cutoff
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/c0aca1d0-9b98-11db-aa70-0000779e2340.html
Posted by: kuchuklambat at January 4, 2007 5:20 PM
Many muslims in iran are converting to christianity because they see for themselves that the biggest hypocrits to islamic faith are the ayatollahs.
Posted by: callmeinfidel at January 4, 2007 5:51 PM
I am quite agree with Provoslani, the catholic and orthodox church are weak in this issue, but this is a truth that there are false converts to denounce the police and close the church. But I would like that more catholic and orthodox laic and priests evangelizing to muslims. It´s more easy evangelizing a muslim that a leftist for example.
Posted by: Franze at January 4, 2007 6:00 PM
Off topic, but unremarked on by "conservatives" is the fact that Dubya's replacement for Bolton at the U.N. is a Muslim Zalmay Khalizad,,,add this to the cozy business and familial relationship of Cheney and Bush with the Saudis, and you understand why
he calls Islam a religion of peace.
Doesn't explain why he's supporting a regime (al Maliki) that supports Mogtada al Sadr and is supported by the Iranians.
Posted by: Nariz at January 4, 2007 6:39 PM
I am not a Christian, but isn't the most basic truth surrounding the rise of Christianity is that discrimination against Christians served to strengthen the faith? Rome? How about China today? Christianity is growing quite rapidly in China; I'd love to see Christianity take off in Iran.
Posted by: biorabbi at January 4, 2007 6:45 PM
Off topic:
Sen. Boxer Rescinds Award to CAIR Leader
Posted by: ummahnewslinks at January 4, 2007 6:47 PM
There is no better litmus test for where the truth is than this.
If islam was a true religion it would not get upset at all by a few non-muslim in the midst of an islamic society.
Truth doesn't shake or fret like that.
The church will grow and grow in Iran under this persecution.
at January 4, 2007 9:57 PM
Islam doesn't deserve the respect it gets internationally.
A religion that needs policemen and tanks and the weight of governments to promote itself, is despicable.
Islam should be smothered. It should not be allowed to survive.
Posted by: rocky at January 4, 2007 9:59 PM
In a throw-down between Christianity and Islam, in which conversion were completely legal in countries dominated by either religion and both sides were allowed to actively proselytize, we'd win by a country mile. All the mullahs and ayatollahs know that.
Posted by: pneumatikon at January 5, 2007 12:21 AM
A "new crackdown on Christians".....I believe it has been an ongoing plan of extermination for at least 1400 years.
Posted by: exsgtbrown at January 5, 2007 6:26 AM
biorabbi,
As per the second part of your post: "Christianity is growing quite rapidly in China; I'd love to see Christianity take off in Iran."
You may be interested in the links from my post .. about 7th or 8th above yours. You know .. be careful what you wish for .. etc.
Having said that, I do hope the Christianity in Iran is of the genuine variety .. that could be a great antidote to what ails the Iranians et al.
at January 5, 2007 12:27 PM
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