Todd Nettleton with The Voice of the Martyrs USA says the most significant sentence came against an ethnically Armenian pastor. “Anooshavan Avedian was sentenced to 10 years in prison. He just turned 60, so that would put him in prison until he is 70.”

Exile

But he isn’t done after 10 years, Nettleton says. “They added on to the sentence two more years of really what I would call internal exile. Basically, he cannot live in the city of Tehran, where he lives. He’s being sent to a very isolated, rural part of the country, far away from his family and far away from his home.”

Why did the judge add two years of exile? Nettleton says this isn’t the first time a similar sentence has been handed down. “Ibrahim Firouzi, I believe, served six years in prison. And then they said, ‘Okay, now two more years, in this rural area along the Pakistani border.’ They watched his house where he was living and they limited his internet access.”

Nettleton says the Iranian government likely wants to keep these Christians quiet beyond their prison sentences.

Questions

The other 6 Christians had all converted from Islam. But Iran views Armenians as Christians already. Nettleton says, “So it’s not a crime for an Armenian person to be a follower of Christ. In fact, it’s kind of expected that they would be. This is an Armenian pastor who was sentenced for, ‘propaganda contrary to and disturbing to the holy religion of Islam.’ That raises questions.”

Nettleton says the judge who handed down the ruling has a reputation for harshness towards Christians.

Ask God to encourage and strengthen these believers. As they appeal the rulings, pray their sentences will get reversed.

(Header photo by Masih Shahbazi: https://www.pexels.com/photo/the-gate-of-all-nations-palace-in-persepolis-iran-7760091/)

The Ottoman Empire, which was based in modern-day Turkey, carried out the massacre. Todd Nettleton of The Voice of the Martyrs USA says, “The U.S. House and the Senate have both passed resolutions in the past, calling it a genocide. But the President had never said that before. So this is a significant change to have our head of state identifying what happened as a genocide. And the Turkish Government, their response was very immediate, and it was very negative.”

Religious factors

Nettleton points out the massacre had some religious motivations. “Part of the average Turkish person’s identity is, ‘I am Turkish, I’m a Muslim.’ Part of the average Armenian person’s identity is, ‘I’m Armenian. I’m a Christian.’”

These fractures can still be seen today. Last year, Turkey helped Azerbaijan in a war against Armenia. Nettleton says, “This will be seen by some (In Turkey) as, ‘These Christians are attacking us. They’re saying these bad things about us.’ So we need to pray for Turkish Christians that God will watch over them and protect them. Because there is the potential for them to be harassed or targeted as sort of a proxy for the United States during this time.”

The header photo shows an Armenian leader visiting the site of a massacre that took place during the Armenian Genocide. (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons) 

Turkey recently rejected the US State Department’s report, which placed them on a “Special Watch List” for a lack of religious freedom. Religious and ethnic minorities in Turkey continue to face threats and violence.

The vandalized churches are part of the Armenian Apostolic Church, which is the national church of the Armenian people.

Joe Willey, Marketing and Communications Manager with SAT-7 North America, says, “Two churches were vandalized in Istanbul. The first church suffered an arson attempt. After the arson attempt, another church was vandalized and had [a] cross removed. The suspect [of the first incident] reportedly made a statement to authorities blaming non-Muslims for the COVID-19 pandemic.”

The baptism of an ancient king who had persecuted Armenian Christians, but later became a Christian. Pray that many in Turkey would come to know Christ. (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

COVID-19 has caused a lot of fear and uncertainty in Turkey and other countries, Willey says. “A loss of jobs, a weakened economy, and a disruption of normal routines have created a climate of stress.”

SAT-7 TURK’s response

SAT-7’s program WorldView responded to this vandalism first by listening. Willey says, “They consider current events. But then they turn to God’s Word to encourage Christians, but also to demonstrate God’s mercy to non-Christians.”

Specifically, the WorldView presenters turned to Acts chapter 10 and the story of Peter seeing a sheet being let down with many different kinds of animals in it. They encouraged viewers to see that God does not distinguish between different people groups. All are equally welcome into Christ’s kingdom.

WorldView encourages a healthy discussion on the issues of racial justice and unity. They’re examining the protests and the overall history of events through a biblical perspective.

As unrest and protests mount, Willey encourages Christians to pray for their brothers and sisters around the globe. “I think following this story, but also other stories on SAT-7 will help raise general awareness of difficulties that Christians face in the Middle East and North Africa. When you follow the plight of other Christians, it really does create empathy and your prayers become more focused.”

Christians in these countries face challenges difficult to understand in the United States, Willey says. “I have never witnessed a baptism at a church in which, by professing faith in Christ and being baptized, you are actually putting yourself or your family in danger. That’s never an experience I’ve had.”

Saint Gregory the Illuminator Church of Galata, the church in Istanbul that had a cross removed. (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

According to reports, up to 80 Christians have been killed and more than 600 families are displaced. Both the United States and Russia are condemning the attacks which were carried out by Islamists linked to al-Qaeda, who crossed into the region from Turkey.

This area had been relatively peaceful since the civil war began three years ago.

Tom Doyle is E3 Partner’s Vice President
and Middle East expert.

Vice President and Middle East expert with E3 Partners Tom Doyle says, “The terrorist groups are accumulating along the coast which is a strong area for the Alawites. They’re trying to break that off. Obviously that would be to their advantage to gain the ports.”

President Assad is Alawite Muslim. Doyle says, “We’ve heard that as many as 11 major terrorist groups [are] all vying for control of who’s going to be leading this Sunni Muslim front against the government, which they hope will get rid of Assad and his government, and they hope to be in power.”

Doyle says Armenian Christians pre-date the Muslims in this area. Despite that, it’s dangerous for them. “If you do not name Islam as your religion and you’re a Christian, they may come after you.”

According to Doyle, centuries of conflict have never been resolved. “It’s been horrible for the Armenians. But it’s been great to see that there have been churches having prayer time for the Armenian Christians.”

Syrian forces are trying to retake the majority Christian city along the Syrian-Turkish border.

Doyle says prayer is needed. SOS message are coming in across the region. “It’s just getting unbearable. They don’t want to move. Many Christians have fled. They want to stay there. They want to bring Christ to this hurting nation,” says Doyle.

It’s very difficult right now, says Doyle: “Children being kidnapped, women being taken for wives for terrorists, shootings in the streets, indiscriminate killing that happens all over. Syrian Christians are asking and pleading for the body of Christ to pray for them.”

How can you do that? “A good way to do that is to sign up on the 8thirty8 Facebook page and get updates from the region. Pretty much daily we’re going to be having updates from areas where there’s lots of persecution,” says Doyle.

Join the 8thirty8 prayer effort. You can also support E3’s refugee relief project by clicking here with your generous donation.