Police arrest 15 members of Christian sect in lead-up to Christmas

Asianews.it ^ | December 19, 2006 | Asia News

[outofstyle]

Teheran (AsiaNews) – Iran’s secret police have conducted raids against some Christian communities in the lead-up to Christmas. On Sunday, 10 December officials arrested 15 Christians in different areas of the country: Karaj, Teheran, Rasht and Bandar-i Anzali. Only two have been released, according to the Compass Direct agency that broke the news on 14 December. Compass initially reported 10 arrests but yesterday more details became available.

The site persecution.org said that in fact 15 Christians had been arrested. They belong to a movement of local house churches. The group describes itself as a Christian community of “liberal evangelicals”. However the Iranian evangelical community disagrees with some of the group’s unorthodox doctrines like the rejection of the concept of the Trinity.

An anonymous souce said police broke into the homes of Christians in Teheran, Karaj, Rasht and Bandar-i Anzali on the morning of 10 December. The officials charged those arrested with 10 accusations, including evangelization activities and actions against the national security of Iran. Police confiscated computers, CDs, tapes, Bibles and evangelistic literature.

In the days following the raid, several members of the movement were called in for a day or more of police interrogations and then released.

Members of the same community of 600 or more have been warned by police authorities not to spread any news about the arrests outside of Iran.

The Christians arrested in Rasht are: Shaheen Taghizadeh, Yosef Noorkhani, Mathias Hagh-Nejad, Parviz Khalaj, Muhammad Belyad, Peyman Salarvand, Sohrab Sayadi, Davoodand Amin. Those arrested in Teheran are: Mrs Shirin Sadegh, Behrooz Sadegh, Hamid-Reza Tolou’ee. And in Karaj: Behnam Irani and his brother Barman Irani. The last was released on 14 December together with Seyed Abdolreza and Ali Haghnejad from Bandar-i Anzali.

[SkyPilot]

And the Democrats cheer.

[Kimmers]

We need to pray for Christians world wide. These people are holding on to their faith despite whatever Satan disguised as government throws at them.

[NicknamedBob]

If we were there, we would have no greater hope than to be able to exercise our right to worship.

Here, where we face no threat or peril, we disdain the precious gift so dearly bought.

[Sisku Hanne]

But this can't be so! I heard a Mr. David Shenk, aka useful idiot, giving a hurl-inducing interview on my local Christian radio station. He was a special invited guest to Iran to "dialog" with Muslims. He says they were all treated so well and claimed Christians may worship freely there. BTW, He also said we should apologize for what our country did to Iran in order to "foster positive communication" and "move forward".

There are no worse useful idiots than ivory-tower liberal peacenik Christian useful idiots who allow themselves to be duped and trotted about like pet poodles on a leash.

[outofstyle]

we disdain the precious gift so dearly bought

That is very true. You don't know what you've got till it's gone. I hope "we" in the West wake up soon.

[outofstyle]

I wonder if Mr. David Shenk attempted to distribute a bible or two while he was there, just to check out the tolerance; probably not.

[river rat]

Hmmmm......

I'm sure the ALCU, Amnesty International, or CAIR will come to the aid of these Christians in Despair..
</sarcasm>

Yet - we still give MSM air time to the whining from the Muslim intentional and confrontational rabble rousers in this country..

THIS is the payback for treating lunatics like rational people. With Islamists - no good deed goes unpunished and kindness is mistaken for weakness.

I'm flying this week - and I will most assuredly be the very first to complain forcefully and loudly at the first sign of ANY disruptive or insulting behavior within sight or ear shot.

Semper Fi

[American in Israel]

The rumors in the street are that Iran is getting kinda freaked about a sudden surge of people leaving Islam for Christianity.

[Rameumptom]

ping

[outofstyle]

The rumors in the street are that Iran is getting kinda freaked about a sudden surge of people leaving Islam for Christianity.

I hope that there is substance to those rumors. Thanks for the view from the eye of the storm.

[Brad’s Gramma]

Then I will pray harder, AnI...!!!

[SkyPilot]

The rumors in the street are that Iran is getting kinda freaked about a sudden surge of people leaving Islam for Christianity.

Thanks. I have heard the same thing.

Iranian Christians have some contacts here in the US too. The identities of underground Christian leaders in Iran have to be guarded as carefully as Christian leaders in China.

They all face the same: arrest, prison, torture.

Satan's tactics have not changed since the first century.

[SkyPilot]

But this can't be so! I heard a Mr. David Shenk, aka useful idiot, giving a hurl-inducing interview on my local Christian radio station. He was a special invited guest to Iran to "dialog" with Muslims. He says they were all treated so well and claimed Christians may worship freely there.

Did he go over there with Rick Warren?

[Vanders9]

I disagree with the State controlling people's religious beliefs, and in spite of the charge of "harming the state" the clear motivation for these arrests is to suppress what the Iranian government regards as "impure thought".

These people are being victimised, even if they are heretics.

[Sisku Hanne]

I don't think so. But I'm out of the loop on Rick Warren, except for some insinuations I have read here on FR that he is not what I believed him to be.
It was astounding to listen to this guy prattle on about how he was "even invited to lead a prayer" at this conference, and how they were treated soooo well. Well, so are pigs as they are being fattened for butchering!

My heart grieves for what has become of the national church leaderships in this country. They have been taken over by leftist ideology, and created a mockery of the Word.

[Sisku Hanne]

He likely did get to distribute his book , and visit some happy little carefully selected Christain churches. They are flourishing in Iran, dontcha know.