Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it." - Matthew 16:18 [NIV]

Iran

Fourteen Christians in prison after authorities crack down

It is being reported that following several waves of arrests, at least fourteen Iranian Christians are now in prison for their faith. Three of them – Maryam Jalili, Mitra Zahmati and Farzan Matin – are being held in Tehran's notorious Evin Prison.

In Shiraz, south-west Iran, seven Christians - Parviz Khaladj, Mehdi Furutan, Roxana Furouyi, Behrouz Sadegh-Khanjani, Abdol Reza Ali Haghnejad, Iman Farzad and one identified only as Mahyar - have been detained since 11 January: six of them have been told they will be charged with apostasy. Another Christian in the northern city of Rasht, Davoot Nejatsabet, has been arrested, while Yousef Nadarkhani, who was arrested on 13 October in Rasht, remains in prison. Two more were arrested in Isfahan.

It is virtually impossible for detained Christians to get legal representation. It is either denied them or is simply unavailable as most of Iran's human rights lawyers have either fled the country or been imprisoned. Those remaining are simply overburdened and regard Christian cases as lower priority and greater risk. Apostasy (leaving Islam for another religion) is a criminal offence in Iran and the judge may issue a death sentence if he so chooses. Every Iranian Muslim knows that to become a Christian involves breaking the law and risking your life.

Iran's troubles run deep. Iran is more than a Shi'ite theocracy: it is a totalitarian police state whose ruling regime is protected by concentric rings of loyal guardians who have both the power and the motivation to eradicate all opposition. While the Iranian army protects the State from external enemies, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, a trained army that defends the Islamic revolution, protects the regime from internal enemies.

Dissent in Iran is primarily about economics and life-style. Opponents say President Ahmadinejad's overt belligerence isolates Iran and has a negative impact on the economy. The global financial downturn is threatening to make things more difficult for Iranians as the Government struggles to continue funding subsidies for the impoverished.

Source: Open Doors/Compass Direct

Please pray:

1. Remember the fourteen Iranian Christians in prison and pray that God would protect and encourage them. Please pray that through His power they would be freed and that their witness would have a powerful impact on others in the prison.
2. Give praise that even in the midst of this adversity, God is at work and the church in Iran is growing.
3. Pray that human rights lawyers would be found who are willing to represent Christians fighting for their freedom. Pray that the right people would come forward and God would give them wisdom and courage in doing a very difficult job.

For more information about believers for whom faith costs the most, go to www.opendoorsuk.org/wfcm

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