President Trump urged to confront Iranian regime over repression of Christians ‘Growth of Christianity has deeply alarmed the Islamic Republic,’ Iranian convert says

Fox News ^ | February 16, 2025 | Benjamin Weinthal

[daniel1212]

Iran is reported to have launched a new crackdown against Iranian Christians this month following the re-arrest of two men.

Article18 said a "number of other Tehran Christians were also arrested at the same time and remain in custody."....

Wahied Wahdat-Hagh, a German-Iranian political scientist, who is a leading expert on religious minorities in Iran, told Fox News Digital, according to the Christian advocacy organization OpenDoors 2025 annual report, "Christian discrimination in Iran remains extremely severe, scoring 86 out of 100 points and ranking 9th among the worst countries for Christian persecution."

He added, "The government views Christian converts as a threat to national security, believing they are influenced by Western nations to undermine Islam and the regime. As a result, Christian converts face severe religious freedom violations, including arrests [and] long prison sentences."

..."Those who leave Islam to follow Christianity are the most vulnerable. They are denied legal recognition and are frequently targeted by security forces."

One Iranian Christian who fled Iran to Germany to practice her faith free from persecution is Sheina Vojoudi.

She told Fox News Digital, "As the belief in Islam keeps going down in Iran, the important growth of Christianity has deeply alarmed the Islamic Republic, a theocratic dictatorship. Iran has seen an outstanding rise in the number of Christian converts, despite the decidedly oppressive environment....they remain in constant danger of re-arrest and severe punishment."

The most recent U.S. State Department report on religious freedom in Iran (2023) states, "... official reports and state-run media continued to characterize private Christian churches in homes as ‘illegal networks’ and ‘Zionist propaganda institutions."

Boston University’s 2020 World Religion Database notes there are roughly 579,000 Christians in Iran, while Article 18 estimates there are 500,000 to 800,000. Open Doors reports the number at 1.24 million.

[daniel1212]

excerpts (FR 300 world limit) of larger article. Also,

Also, Iran proxies engaged in 'invisible jihad' against Christians in Middle East, report warns The report warns of an "invisible jihad" by Iranian proxies in the region

Iran has world’s ‘fastest-growing church,’ despite no buildings - and it's mostly led by women: documentary

Christian faith and its remarkable depths displayed in new film 'The 21' Short new film 'The 21' tells poignant story of martyrs' incredible faith

[MotorCityBuck]

FYI...

Statistics on religious belief and religiosity
The constitution of Iran limits the number of recognized non-Islamic religions to three - Zoroastrians, Jews, and Christians - and the laws of the Islamic Republic forbid atheism and conversion by Muslims to another religion. Obtaining accurate data on religious belief in Iran presents challenges to pollsters because Iranians do not always feel “comfortable sharing their opinions with strangers”.

[daniel1212]

Ping and pray.

Let them be ashamed and confounded that seek after my soul: let them be turned backward, and put to confusion, that desire my hurt. Let them be turned back for a reward of their shame that say, Aha, aha. Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: and let such as love thy salvation say continually, Let God be magnified. But I am poor and needy: make haste unto me, O God: thou art my help and my deliverer; O Lord, make no tarrying. (Psalms 70:2-5)

[CondoleezzaProtege]

Don’t think Benjamin Netanyahu cares about Iranian Christian collateral🙄

Don’t care for Iran/Hezbollah/Hamas obviously, but Bibi grates on me too.

[hardspunned]

You want to find repression and murder of Christians, look to the CIA/USAID/Erdogan/Bibi created terrorist gangster regime in Damascus.

[ClearCase_guy]

The USA needs to get out of the business of solving the world’s problems. I don’t mean to be heartless, but we have a boatload of problems to solve right here — and prejudice against Christians is one of them. I’m real happy if Israel takes out Iran’s nuclear capability and possibly causes regime change. But Trump? Confront Iran? Over their internal issues with Christianity? It’s a bad idea.

[HYPOCRACY]

“One Iranian Christian who fled Iran to Germany to practice her faith free from persecution is Sheina Vojoudi”.

Don’t let the krauts find out. They probably thought she was muzzie when they let her in.

[ViLaLuz]

Praying for our Brothers and Sisters in Christ.

[Jan_Sobieski]

Christianity is not spread with the sword like Demonic Islam. Truth spreads by faith.

[Jan_Sobieski]

but Bibi grates on me too.

Why? Because he fights to protect his people from Islamic hoards sworn to Israel’s destruction?

[Romulus]

Because Israel tolerates institutional and cultural hostility toward Christians.

[daniel1212]

The USA needs to get out of the business of solving the world’s problems. I don’t mean to be heartless, but we have a boatload of problems to solve right here — and prejudice against Christians is one of them. I’m real happy if Israel takes out Iran’s nuclear capability and possibly causes regime change. But Trump? Confront Iran? Over their internal issues with Christianity? It’s a bad idea.

Wrong: confronting Iran as well as China, etc. over their punishment of real Christians is wholly consistent with opposing Iran as a military threat against the US, which is part of its larger war against vibrant evangelical Christianity, which the Western Left also wants to extinguish. The fact of Islamic persecution of Christians by Iran makes Trump's opposition to militant Islam more justifiable and stronger, if not being the only reason.

While getting your own house in order does take priority, yet insofar as that is done, it means dealing with both evils within as well as without, and supporting those who are likewise threatened by them. And it is right and consistent with MAGA, which must mean great in the eyes of God.

[daniel1212]

You want to find repression and murder of Christians, look to the CIA/USAID/Erdogan/Bibi created terrorist gangster regime in Damascus.

Militant Islam seeks the extermination of vibrant Christian faith, as does the Liberal Left o the West.

[Jan_Sobieski]

Do they chop heads off? Gosh…I’ve been to Israel multiple times meeting with Christian groups. They were not in hiding. I wasn’t threatened.

[Romulus]

Sometimes they just shoot you.

[cowboyusa]

The bigotry is twoards Messianic Jews.

[Jan_Sobieski]

I’d shoot terrorists too if they were coming after my family. Unfortunately, Muslims use Christians a human shields. Smart Christians leave those areas

[Elsie]

What does Islam say about a Muslim converting to another religion? - IslamQA

 

 

Aslam o alaikum

Here i ‘ve a question asked by my wife newly converted to Islam Alhamdulillah. What does Quran or Hadees says about a muslim who quit Islam and converts to Christianity or another religion.

Maybe you ‘ve read in the newspaper about the afghani muslim who converted to Christianity and according to Sharriyah deserves the death penalty. We ‘ve problems understanding this situation.

We’ll be very thankful if you reply.
Allah bless us All.
M.Amer

---

---

Answer

Bismillah

Al-jawab billahi at-taufeeq (the answer with Allah’s guidance)

The corporal punishment that should be implemented on an apostate is death as the Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam) said: “Whoever changes his religion, kill him.”

“Allah’s Apostle said, The blood of a Muslim, who confesses that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and that I am His Apostle, cannot be shed except in three cases: In Qisas for murder, a married person who commits illegal sexual intercourse and the one who reverts from Islam (apostate) and leaves the Muslims.” (Bukhari Vol 9, Book 83, Number 17)

The Amal (actions) of the Sahabah on implementing the punishment of death on the apostates:

1) Narrated Abu Musa: A man embraced Islam and then reverted back to Judaism. Mu’adh bin Jabal came and saw the man with Abu Musa. Mu’adh asked, “What is wrong with this (man)?” Abu Musa replied, “He embraced Islam and then reverted back to Judaism.” Mu’adh said, “I will not sit down unless you kill him (as it is) the verdict of Allah and His Apostle.” (Bukhari, Vol 9, Book 89, Number 271)

2) Narrated ‘Ikrima: ‘Ali burnt some people and this news reached ibn ‘Abbas, who said, “Had I been in his place I would not have burnt them, as the Prophet said, ‘Don’t punish (anybody) with Allah’s Punishment.’ No doubt, I would have killed them, for the Prophet said, ‘If somebody (a Muslim) discards his religion, kill him.’ (Bukhari, Vol 4, Book 52, Number 260)

The punishment to an apostate is death, this is also according to the Ijma’ (concensus) of the Fuqaha (jurists). (Al Mabsoot Lis Sarakhsi Vol. 10 Pg. 98, Badai’ 7/134, Raddul Muhtar 4/226- Darse Tirmidhi 5/111)

The reason of given the punishment of death to an apostates:

The corporal punishment of a person who apostates, is death because Allaah legislated so, and we cannot object His Decree. Allaah Ta’ala Says (which means): {It is not for a believing man or a believing woman, when Allaah and His Messenger have decided a matter, that they should [thereafter] have any choice about their affair. And whoever disobeys Allaah and His Messenger has certainly strayed into clear error.}[Quran 33:36]. Moreover, this apostate knew the greatness of Islam and that it is the true religion, but then he rejected it and abandoned it just because of following his desires and following the devil, so he deserves to be killed.

And Only Allah Ta’ala Knows Best.

————————————–
Moulana Qamruz Zaman
London, UK

 

[Elsie]

...flee to the mountains...