Iranian
Officials Heighten Control on Farsi-Speaking Christians.
 |
|
Persecution
of Citizens Prevails in Iran.
(Neda, Young
Woman Shot to Death in Past by Security.)
|
AOG
church in Tehran faces pressure to identify members to authorities.
By
Damaris Kremida
ISTANBUL,
May 11 (Compass Direct News) – Leaders of the Assemblies of
God’s (AOG) Central Church of Tehran told their congregation on
Sunday (May 6) that authorities have demanded a list of names and
identification numbers of church members, a major risk to converts
from Islam.
Church
leaders then asked members in attendance to volunteer their
information. The AOG church holds two Sunday services, both of which
are conducted in Farsi. It is the only church remaining in Tehran
that offers Farsi-language worship on Sundays.
“This
[government move] is basically to make sure the church is not taking
in new members and to make it difficult and risky for non-Christians
to attend,” Monsour Borji, an Iranian Christian and advocacy
officer for rights initiative Article 18, told Compass. “It is an
effort to limit the church, basically.”
The
result of the most recent demand, according to Borji, is that as
members of the Central AOG church consider whether they are willing
to turn over their names and identification numbers. Some are faced
with the ethical dilemma of whether they would be denying Christ by
declining to reveal themselves in this way.
“It
has created an ethical dilemma for some church members who are not
sure what to do, because giving their information feels suicidal,”
Borji said.
“Therefore
all those who devour you shall be devoured; And all your adversaries,
every one of them, shall go into captivity; Those who plunder you
shall become plunder, And all who prey upon you I will make a prey
(Jer 30:16 NKJV).”
Will
you Pray for the People of Iran?
Bill
Hunt
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