Iranian believers in Bible study (photo courtesy of VOM)
Iran (MNN) ― On the 10th Anniversary of the International Religious Freedom Act, U.S. President George W. Bush condemned Iran, among several other countries, for violations of religious rights.
Iran's Islamist regime managed to provoke global outrage for the regime's suppression of believers.
Voice of the Martyrs' Todd Nettleton explains that it has gone further than arrests. "Within the last two weeks, we have heard word of a draft bill that makes the death penalty the punishment for using the Internet to encourage apostasy, to witness to Muslims and encourage them to follow Christ. Earlier, there was a draft bill to make the death penalty a mandatory punishment for apostasy."
That earlier draft law defines an apostate as "any Muslim who clearly announces that he/she has left Islam and declares blasphemy," is clearly aimed to deter conversion from Islam.
The proposal contravenes Article 18 of the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights (of which Iran is a signatory) that states, "Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief."
Believers are also discriminated against in education, employment, and property ownership, and several pastors have been murdered. Although missions are not allowed to enter Iran, a growing number of Muslims have converted to Christianity.
Iran has continued its wave of arrests over the last two months. Church leaders and other related workers are being taken in for questioning, and many times they are tortured for their religious activity.
Under the past three decades of the regime, hundreds of citizens who have left Islam and become Christians have been arrested for weeks or months, held in unknown locations and subjected to psychological and physical torture. When released on bail, they remain under threat of criminal prosecution if they dare to worship in house churches or become involved in any Christian activities.
In spite of the persecution, Nettleton says there is an incredible openness to the Gospel. "We need to pray that our brothers and sisters will be bold in reaching out and in answering the openness and sharing the Gospel. The other thing that I encourage people to pray for is for government authorities to come to know Christ personally."
