{"id":8918,"date":"2018-12-23T17:52:31","date_gmt":"2018-12-23T16:52:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/iranfreedom.org\/en\/?p=8918"},"modified":"2018-12-25T16:05:16","modified_gmt":"2018-12-25T15:05:16","slug":"christian-citizens-christmas-iran","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/iranfreedom.org\/en\/articles\/2018\/12\/christian-citizens-christmas-iran\/8918\/","title":{"rendered":"Christian citizens celebrate Christmas under the boots of tyranny"},"content":{"rendered":"<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\">\n<!--?xml encoding=\"UTF-8\"--><html><body><p>Christian citizens celebrate Christmas under the boots of tyranny<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u00a0\u201cTrust\nin the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Take delight\nin the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to\nthe LORD; trust in him and he will do this: he will make your righteous reward\nshine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Psalm\n37:3-6 <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Christian citizens celebrate Christmas under the boots of tyranny\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/h4EbV9JEocg?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>On the eve of the new year, our greetings to the Virgin Mary, who endured much suffering and a major test in a dark night before she delivered Jesus, the word of love and hope, the message of rebellion against coercion and deception, and <a href=\"https:\/\/iranfreedom.org\/en\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"the carol of light and freedom (opens in a new tab)\">the carol of light and freedom<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Someone\ncame to give shelter to the poor and the needy, to be the voice of the\noppressed and the light for the eyes of those who immersed in darkness. He gave\nthe power of speech to free peoples who stood up to oppression, evil and\nwickedness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While\nChristians in the world are preparing to celebrate Christmas, Christian\ncitizens in Iran are in dire straits because of a new wave of suppression\ncarried out by the Islamic Republic\u2019s regime. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Iranian\nofficials regularly arrest Christian citizens, attack their house churches, and\nconfiscate their gospels and religious texts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Since\nthe beginning of mullahs\u2019 rule, the religious minorities in Iran have always\nfaced oppression and harassment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Not\nonly Iranian Bahai\u2019s, Christians, Zoroastrians, but also the Iranians belonging\nto other Islamic branches such as Sunnis, Yarsanians, the Gonabaadi Dervishes,\nand even the Shias who are recognized as religious-nationalists or\nreligious-intellectuals have not been safe from the pressures and oppression.\nThis has led to the migration of many of them from Iran, especially Christian\ncitizens, Jews, and Baha\u2019is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So far, several\nchurch leaders, such as the <a href=\"http:\/\/ikelisa.com\/en\/the-ultimate-guide-to-logo-design\/\">Bishop Haik Hovsepian Mehr\n(in January 1994 in Karaj), and Bishop Mehdi Dibaj and Tateos Michaelian (in June 1994)<\/a> were abducted and\nbrutally murdered by the state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The\nBible is banned from being published in Persian, and many editions of the Bible\nwere burned along with drugs and bottles of alcoholic beverages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Services\nwere halted at churches and were practiced at house churches. Persian Churches\u2019\nservices were banned in Tehran on Fridays. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Iranian\nMuslims who convert to Christianity are also at risk of death on charges of\napostasy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Christian\nconverts are most often subjected to security pressures in Iran, and it can be\nsaid that these Iranian citizens are facing severe security restrictions for\ntheir religious rites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They are also attacked by security forces at their home churches and their priests are arrested, including the arrest of\u00a0<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/news\/human-rights\/23696-iran-religious-persecution-continues\" target=\"_blank\">Mohammad Ali Torabi <\/a>in Dezful on October 10, 2017,<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" arrest of Reza Montazami, and his wife Fereshteh Dibaj (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/news\/human-rights\/2328-iran-police-arrest-martyred-christian-priests-daughter?highlight=WyJtb250YXphbWkiLCJtb250YXphbWkncyIsImhpcyIsIidoaXMiLCJyZXphIiwicmV6YSdzIiwicmV6YSdpIiwiJ3JlemEiLCJyZXphJ2lhbiIsIndpZmUiLCJ3aWZlJ3MiLCJmZXJlc2h0ZWgiLCJmZXJlc2h0ZWgncyIsIndpZmUgZmVyZXNodGVoIl0=\" target=\"_blank\"> arrest of Reza Montazami, and his wife Fereshteh Dibaj<\/a>, the arrest of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/news\/human-rights\/5655-iran-a-christian-clergy-was-arrested-in-orumieh?highlight=WyJzaHJld2RlciIsInlhZGdhciIsInlhZGdhcidzIiwic2hyZXdkZXIgeWFkZ2FyIl0=\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Shrewder Yadgar a member of the Evangelical Church (opens in a new tab)\">Shrewder Yadgar a member of the Evangelical Church<\/a> in the northwestern city of Orumieh. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color\">\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.uscirf.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/2018USCIRFAR.pdf\">(United States Commission on International Religious Freedom- Iran section, page 44)<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Another method for suppressing Christian citizens in Iran is the confiscation of their properties. One of such instances is the confiscation of Garden of Sharon in Karaj by the decree of Branch 3 of the so-called <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Islamic_Revolutionary_Court\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"revolutionary court of Tehran (opens in a new tab)\">revolutionary court of Tehran<\/a> in summer of 2015.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The branch, affiliated\nthe Council of Jama\u2019at-e Rabbani\u2019s churches<strong> \u00a0(<\/strong><strong>Jama\u2019at-e\nRabbani is the Iranian branch of the <\/strong><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Assemblies_of_God\">Assemblies\nof God<\/a><\/strong><strong>, one of the largest <\/strong><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Evangelicalism\">evangelical<\/a><\/strong><strong> <\/strong><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Pentecostal\">Pentecostal<\/a><\/strong><strong> <\/strong><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Christianity\">Christian<\/a><\/strong><strong> <\/strong><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Christian_denomination\">churches<\/a><\/strong><strong>)<\/strong> to the CIA and\nordered the confiscation of the Garden of Sharon which belongs to this council\nin favor of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/investigates\/iran\/#article\/part1\">the \u2018Executive Headquarters of Imam\u2019s (Khomeini) Order.<\/a> (The \u2018Executive\nHeadquarters of Imam\u2019s (Khomeini) Order is a powerful financial institution which\nhas $95 billion in possession and is controlled by Khamenei).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The\npurpose of such harassment on Christian citizens is to create a kind of\ndivision among religions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\nshould be reminded that the followers of some religions in Iran do not have the\nright to be hired in governmental offices. Some followers of other religions,\nsuch as Bahai\u2019s citizens, are prohibited from attending universities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\nis to be mentioned that on the first day of Khamenei\u2019s nine-day visit to Qom on\nOctober 19, 2010, he said in his speech:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe enemies of Islam\u201d are attempting to undermine religion in\nIranian society, \u201cby spreading immoral and permissive behavior, promoting false\nmysticism, and promoting\nBaha\u2019i faith and house churches in Iran.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Since\nthat speech, many churches have been shut down and Christian monuments have\nbeen destroyed. They are also prevented from holding church ceremonies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>House churches in Iran<\/strong><strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A house church is an underground church at a Christian\u2019\nhouse were the converts, insecure of practicing their rites at public\nchurches take refuge there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But\nin an Iran free of mullahs\u2019 rule, Christian citizens will not be suppressed. <a href=\"https:\/\/iranfreedom.org\/en\/maryam-rajavi\/\">Mrs.\nMaryam Rajavi<\/a> has emphasized on the religious freedom: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As a\nMuslim woman, while stressing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.maryam-rajavi.com\/en\/viewpoints\/secular-iran\">the need for separation of religion and state<\/a>, and\non behalf of a generation that has been defending the genuine Muhammadan <a href=\"https:\/\/www.maryam-rajavi.com\/en\/viewpoints\/iran-islamic-fundamentalism\">Islam\nagainst fundamentalism and religious<\/a> dictatorship for the\npast five decades, I declare:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We reject\ncompulsory religion and any compulsion in religion. Despotism under the name of\nIslam, the medieval Sharia laws, and the excommunication of opponents whether\nShiite or Sunni, are against Islam and the liberating Muhammadan religion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On January 20, 2016, in her <a href=\"https:\/\/www.maryam-rajavi.com\/en\/item\/meeting-with-two-prominent-leaders-of-christian-churches-in-britain\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"meeting with two prominent Christian leaders in Britain (opens in a new tab)\">meeting with two prominent Christian leaders in Britain<\/a>, the Right Reverend John Pritchard, former Bishop of Oxford and the Right Reverend Adrian Newman, the Bishop of Stepney, Mrs. Maryam Rajavi stated: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe true Islam teaches us that the members of the human society are sisters and brothers. Our relations with Christians and Jews is completely the opposite of those extremists who under the name of Islam, suppress the followers of other religions as well as those Moslems who represent the democratic and tolerant values of Islam.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Christian citizens celebrate Christmas under the boots of tyranny \u00a0\u201cTrust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: he will [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":8919,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"pgc_sgb_lightbox_settings":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[373,374,35],"class_list":["post-8918","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles","tag-christian-citizens","tag-christmas","tag-iran"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Christian citizens celebrate Christmas under the boots of tyranny - Iran Freedom<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Iranian officials regularly arrest Christian citizens, attack their house churches, and confiscate their gospels and religious texts.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/iranfreedom.org\/en\/articles\/2018\/12\/christian-citizens-christmas-iran\/8918\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Christian citizens celebrate Christmas under the boots of tyranny - 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