Christians in Iran are a small minority among more than 70 million population of this 98 % Moslem country. The Christians in Iran are from Armenian, Assyrian and Moslem or other religions background. Armenian and Assyrian are as recognized Christian minority in Iran, but Moslem background Christians have no right to exist among other Moslems according to the Islamic laws.

Background

Christians in Iran have lived in harmony for centuries among Moslems and they had their own communities. The situation is not changed much till today.

Religious situation

1) Publication, printing and distributing of the Bible in Persian language within Iran is free. 2) According to some, it is forbidden to bring the Bible in Persian language into Iran from other countries with severe punishment for violators. 3) Government supports propaganda by which the Bible is presented publicly in mosques, universities, schools and via media as a book that has been changed, and Jesus Christ is denied as having been crucified, and as the Son of God. The Qur'an teaching about Jesus Christ is taught among Moslems. This results especially in mixed Christians-Moslems schools and in the universities to sometimes serious discussions with Christians. And in many cases Christians are afraid to defend and explain their beliefs because of being forbidden to proselytize Moslems. This also results in depression and guiltiness feeling in Christians, especially children and young people, as they are forced not to testify or to have to deny their beliefs . This problem is more serious for Christians who are stronger in their Christian faith. 4) The repairing and rebuilding of old churches has been carried out by the Iranian government, such as Qara-Kelisa and many other Armenian churches in Azarbaijan-e Gharbi. 5) Christians, while in public, must respect all Islam rules but are free in private circles. 6) Surveillance of the active church members by the Islamic information organizations, the Ministry of Information and the Ministry of Islamic Guidance. Also the church members are forced to give information about church activities.

Social situation

1) There is no limitation for using public athletic places for Christians. 2) The Islamic government of Iran prevent Christians from gathering for non religious occasions such as marriage and birthday ceremonies and require formal permission with agreement of Islamic officials. 3) There is a conflict between the Islamic laws like "Diyeh" (an Islamic law for blood money) with the known world laws. For instance, the Diyeh for Moslem people is not equal to Christian people, and the monetary penalty for men and women is different and less than for Moslem people. Thus, because the restitution or blood money for non-Moslems is negligible, there is no protection for the security of non-Moslems. 4) There is a restitution law in Iran which is based on the principle "an eye for an eye" (Ghesas). However, this law is only applicable for a Moslem plaintiff. A non-Moslem has no chance to see this principle applied in a complaint against a Moslem. According to Article 297 of the Islamic Criminal Code, there is no supporting law for non-Moslems regarding their life security, due to the law requiring very little restitution. If a Christian kills a Moslem in any way, even unintentionally, he is condemned as guilty; he is liable to maximum punishment and monetary penalty, which is paid to the survivors of the deceased; it is much more than what is paid to the Christian survivors if a Moslem kills a Christian. This monetary penalty is even much more in the so-called holy months, "Moharram and Safar". 5) There is a limitation for employing Christians in all segments of government services, and with government pressure upon them, spreading this limitation to private sectors and employing the Islamic fundamentalist fanatics who they are in Islamic line activity although they are not suitable for that job.(?) 6) Publicly slandering all Christian beliefs and forbidding Christian gatherings, supposing that Christians have no right for expressing their thoughts and ideas, by nature of their religion, and if Christian people defend their position they are severely punished. 7) Isolation of Christians with this belief that they are Najis ("unclean", read about it in the Islamic rules) particularly from the Moslem hard-liners' point of view, but it exists also in the general point of view of all Moslems, especially in their physical contact with non-Moslems. The Christian minority (Armenian and Assyrian) is known easily and mostly by its accent, and by their names and their appearance. This matter is especially hard for Christian children when they understand the view of their Moslem acquaintances in school or in society. Many Christians and Moslems avoid having a relationship with each other because of this belief. 8) The Christian people are most known in their living places in different cities and are being bothered by their fundamentalist fanatic Moslem neighbors, resulting in problems for Christians, and consequently the Christians are forced to escape from them to anywhere else. This despite Article 23 providing for the freedom to choose where to live. 9) To frighten Christian families in some religious areas in Iran, Moslems steal Christian property, since it is written in the religious books that the property of a non-Moslem and infidel should be taken and given to a Moslem. 10) Service is refused to Christians by some service centers like dry-cleaning, barbers and beauty salons and some restaurants because they believe that Christians are Najis (from the Islamic fundamentalist fanatic point of view). We should remember that Christians, especially Armenian and Assyrian Christians, are very easily known because of their accent, when they speak in the Persian language and by their appearance. 11) It is difficult for Christians to rent or buy a house, and usually the Christians are forced to rent or buy houses from their own minority group. This is because the general idea of Moslems is, that the Christians are Najis (unclean) and infidel, so the Moslem people shouldn't rent or sell their house to Christian people. 12) Accusing the Christian people of propagandizing for the Christian religion in the society and administrative centers, for the purpose of frightening Christians, and to cause emotional stress in the society. 13) Theft of church properties and also Christian sacred places by Moslems and some organized groups. During the last 100 years many of the church properties have been stolen by fanatic Moslems. 14) To destroy the Christians' cemeteries and farms in the suburbs of the cities or small villages for various fabricated reasons. 15) In some universities, the Christian students are faced with discrimination in using the university accommodations, and they are obliged to rent rooms at their own expense, and in many cases, these students being under pressure for financial affairs and consequently they have to give up their study. 16) Accusation of Christian boys of having relationships with Moslem girls, and forcing them to convert to Islam; and if they don't accept, they are under punishment, and vise versa for Christian girls. Also in cases of adultery, the punishment is more severe for a non-Moslem than for a Moslem. 17) Islamic law regarding inheritance gives more rights to Moslems, if there is a Moslem in a family, he/she will have the right to receive all the inheritance, and non-Moslems in the family are totally discriminated against.

Women situation

The overall situation of the Christian women is not much different from the Iranian Muslim women.

Cultural issues

Christians are allowed to have their own subjects at schools and in the university exams. In some universities and high educational centers, the minority students are exempted from passing the Islamic learning and Koran, and other units related to Islamic ideology. There is in general not much cultural problems especial to the Christian minority other than the general problems prevailing among all Iranians.

Converted Moslem to Christianity problems

1) If their conversion is known to the authorities, and they aren't willing to come back again to Islam, they (converted Moslems) can be faced with serious problems, like death or long-term imprisonment. 2) In the mind of Moslems, a Moslem can't change his/her religion. A Moslem is for ever a Moslem. The converts have no right to exist among Moslems, if they keep believing in Christianity. But the authorities are aware of the growth of Christianity among the Iranian Moslems, and because of Persia's international relationships, do not carry out the Islamic Laws towards converts in every known single case. Because of that, the converts are "allowed" to "be" still among Moslems in the country, but in many cases, they are forced by various methods to repent back to Islam. 3) If the converts want to testify about their Christian beliefs, they are faced in some cases with severe punishment in the society, in their own family, in their work places, in school and the university. 4) Because of the harsh punishment against converts in the Islamic Laws and sometimes in the society, the converts are faced with huge depression, emotionally and mentally for living as Christians among Moslems. Moslem-background Christians don't have any kind of rights in the society, receive no public or private services and are not recognized as Christians according to Islamic laws and the constitution. 5) Fear of and not trusting their Moslem countrymen are a part of their daily struggle, and many of them are living anonymously and underground. This kind of life causes big conflicts in their faith and as being Christians. 6) The converts are somehow the "Fruits" of the evangelization activities of western churches, and because of that, they are people who have chosen Christianity through their conviction as their way to God. They are more interested than other traditional Christians to share their beliefs with others. This can cause them sometimes serious problems, especially when they haven't enough experience how to give the message about Jesus Christ to a Moslem. 7) Their cultural background is collective, and after their conversion to Christianity, they are isolated from their own family members, friends and colleagues and this increases their hard life in an Islamic country. 8) The converts are also hardly accepted in the traditionally Christian minority of Iran. (Notice that many converts are the first generation of Moslem-background Christians in Iran.) The Christian minority can't easily believe that a Moslem can become a Christian. The punishment for proselytizing Moslems is a serious matter, which hinders them from accepting converts into their communities. Especially the children of converts are faced with hard times in their life. They aren't allowed to be in officially Christian schools, and can also be faced with serious problems if they are in other schools where Moslems go. Many converted parents are afraid to send their children to officially Moslem schools, which will influence the future of them and their children very dramatically. 9) The converts to Christianity are not recognized as part of the Christian minority, and do not have the rights of the Christian minority. The converts have no human rights, or other civil rights with regard to any laws of the country or Islam. Because of this, their social and life security, economic condition, education, and cultural and religious beliefs are not a matter of consideration in the Islamic country. There are many other problems for Christians in Iran which couldn't be discussed in this report. Surely to solve some of these problems needs a total change in the Islamic society, and the process of how they can tolerate people from other religions. This needs its time, but most of these Christians who are faced now with severe problems can't wait for so long. They urgently need help, and this report is an appeal to every person who is able and ready to take steps to support this people in any possible way. "Nobody can know what his/her future is; if we learn and try to care today for each other, tomorrow we may face less problems."

For further study:

Kafir or infidel 107. An infidel (i.e. a person who does not believe in Allah and His Oneness), is najis ("unclean"). Similarly, Ghulat, who believe in any of the holy twelve Imams as God, or that they are incarnations of God; and Khawarij and Nawasib, who express enmity towards the holy Imams, are also najis. And similar is the case of those who deny Prophethood, or any of the necessary laws of Islam, like, namaz and fasting, which are believed by the Muslims to be a part of Islam, and which they also know as such. As regards the people of the Book (i.e. the Jews and the Christians), who do not accept the Prophethood of Prophet Muhammad bin Abdullah (Peace be upon him and his progeny), they are commonly considered najis, but it is not improbable that they are Pak (clean). However, it is better to avoid them. 108. The entire body of a Kafir, including his hair and nails, and all liquid substances of his body, are najis (unclean). 109. If the parents, paternal grandmother and paternal grandfather of a minor child are all kafir, that child is najis, except when he is intelligent enough, and professes Islam. When, even one person from his parents or grandparents is a Muslim, the child is Pak (The details will be explained in rule 217). 110. A person about whom it is not known whether he is a Muslim or not, and if no signs exist to establish him as a Muslim, he will be considered Pak. But he will not have the privileges of a Muslim, like, he cannot marry a Muslim woman, nor can he be buried in a Muslim cemetery. 111. Any person who abuses any of the twelve holy Imams on account of enmity, is najis (unclean). Address: http://www.al-shia.com/html/eng/books/fiqh&usool/islamic-laws/18.html

"Fight and slay the Pagans wherever ye find them, and seize them, beleaguer them, and lie in wait for them in every stratagem (of war)" says the Qur'an (Surah 9, verse 5). An explanatory note in the respected translation by A. Yusuf Ali makes clear that this is not intended metaphorically: "When war becomes inevitable it must be pursued with vigour ………… The fighting may take the form of slaughter, or capture, or siege, or ambush and other strategems."

Another verse from the Qur'an which is not often quoted in non-Islamic contexts runs: "Ye shall be summoned to fight against a people given to vehement war: then shall you fight or they shall submit." (Surah 48, verse 16). The meaning here is that the Muslims should fight until their opponents embrace Islam. According to the Shari'ah (Islamic laws), non-Muslims living within Muslim societies were to be treated very much as second-class citizens. Numerous petty laws restricted and humiliated them in their daily lives at work, at worship, in the law courts, etc. Those who left Islam to follow another religion were, according to the Shari'ah, to be killed. The general attitude of contempt for non-Muslims still exists in many Muslim countries, and these non-Muslims find themselves discriminated against in many ways. Similarly, the ruling that a convert from Islam is deserving of death is still followed in some countries today (e.g. Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, and Iran). Even where it is illegal to kill converts, most will find themselves severely harassed and sometimes murdered, with little likelihood of punishment for the murderer. Christians and other non-Muslims living in Muslim-majority contexts suffer in a multitude of ways and feel themselves powerless and voiceless. Let us not forget our fellow-Christians around the world who are also suffering innocently. It is unfair and un-Biblical to keep silent about our Christian brothers and sisters in need, just because we want to spare the feelings of Muslims. Sometimes there seems to be a conspiracy of silence about the sufferings of Christians. This only adds to their pain. They are hurt, perplexed, baffled and despairing. They cannot understand why Christians who have the freedom and power to help them will not do so. Muslims are not embarrassed to show that they care first and foremost about their co-religionists. As Christians, who follow a God of love, can we do less? Our brothers and sisters depend on us. Address: http://www.barnabasfund.org/Archive/News%20Archive/complex_faith.htm

See also the following addresses:

http://www.hrwf.net/newhrwf/html/iran2001.html (See "No freedom of press for religious minorities") http://www.uscirf.gov/reports/01Nov00/iran.php3 http://www.persecution.org/humanrights/iran.html http://www.netiran.com/Htdocs/Clippings/DPolitics/990122XXDP01.html http://www.netiran.com/Htdocs/Clippings/DPolitics/990101XXDP01.html Some verses from Qur'an to consider: 5/71-72, 10/67-68, 3/84&97, 9/28&72&122, 8/38, 25/51, 3/117-118, 5/50 http://www.umr.edu/~msaumr/Quran/

Some more addresses:

http://islamicity.com/mosque/quran/ http://www.quran.org.uk/ http://www.wilayah.org/english/ahkam/index.htm Taharat-Impurity of the Infidel http://www2.ari.net/gckl/islam/law.htm http://www.proaxis.com/~deardorj/legends.htm#V Jesus within Islam http://www.visi.com/~contra_m/ab/cschirrmacher/crucifixion.html http://www.the-good-way.com/eng/book/b06.htm The person of Christ in the Gospel and the Qur'an http://www.unn.ac.uk/societies/islamic/quran/noble/glossary.htm