Iran is one of the most difficult places to exist as a Christian. Their strict interpretation of Islamic law translates to imprisonment or death for believers. In Iran, Christianity is illegal, as is any Christian literature, including the Bible.
Take a minute and consider that. Today, half way around the world, there is no religious freedom in Iran. It’s not just frowned upon and overlooked. Stamping out Christianity is vehemently pursued by the Iranian government.
We know two young Christian brothers— one in his late twenties and still single, the other in his early thirties with a family. Both help to support their widowed mother through employment, and labor in the ministry building a local church in a country outside of Iran.
Just a few short years ago, they converted from Islam to Christianity, and so did their mother. With their newfound faith, they began distributing Bibles inside Iran and telling their friends.
Their father did not convert. Instead of following the traditional custom of gathering extended family and killing his sons for abandoning Islam, he turned a blind eye.
The two young sons were pursued by local Iranian officials, and they fled Iran to a foreign Middle Eastern country along with their mother. The Iranian government arrested their father and tortured him, hoping he would give up the location of his sons. He did not. Finally during his imprisonment and torture, he died to protect his sons and their new found Christian faith.
It is incredible that Iranians choose to convert to Christianity and live under such oppression for their new faith. Today, we have an opportunity to partner with our brothers to provide Bibles and other literature to them. Let’s not abandon them to struggle alone. Let’s join them in their suffering and provide a living hope through Bibles to Iran.
