5 Convicted of Crimes Against the Order in Shiraz, Iran
ICC Note:
“The Islamic Republic of Iran is continuing their campaign of persecution against evangelical and non-denominational house churches,” Present Truth Ministries reports. On Tuesday, the Revolutionary Court held a trial for five Christians in Shiraz. They were sentenced with a one year imprisonment, and were given twenty days to appeal the sentence. Please pray.
By Jason DeMars
3/8/2011 Iran (Present Truth Ministries) – The Islamic Republic of Iran is continuing their campaign of persecution against evangelical and non-denominational house churches. In particular, message believers are targeted as they feel their movement is isolated and thus easier to destroy.
Today the Revolutionary Court of Shiraz held trial for the following individuals for actions against the Islamic order:
1. Behrouz Sadegh-Khandjani
2. Mehdi Furutan
3. Mohammad Beliad
4. Parviz Khalaj
5. Nazly Beliad
They have been sentenced to one year in prison and have 20 days to appeal the sentencing. I ask that you pray for their safety and for wisdom to know the direction that God is leading them in their lives.
I want to give you a bigger picture of the situation for Christians in Iran. For each individual that becomes a Christian, there is the immediate understanding of the suffering that goes along with that decision. First, there is pressure from their Muslim family as their conversion causes the family shame. Secondly, there is the pressure that the government will find out about their conversion, arrest them, torture them, and put them in prison. Currently, the political situation in Iran forces them to either meet completely secretly in extremely small groups, or not to meet at all. Third, when you apply for a job you must disclose what religion you are a part of. If you are a Christian, you are typically not hired for the position. Therefore the financial situation of a Christian tends to be quite difficult.
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