Persecution of Christians in Iran: the treatment of Mohammadreza Omidi (Youhan) confirms the observation of US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo that “In Iran, the regime’s crackdown on Baha’is, Christians and others continues to shock the conscience.” Converts to Christianity such as Mohammadreza Omidi (Youhan) are particularly in the cross-hairs, as Iranian authorities view them as a threat to the regime.
We continue to pray that the international community will take the persecution of Christians in Iran seriously and move to protect the embattled Christians and other religious minorities of that country. Please join us in pray for an end to the persecution of Christians of Iran, that the Christian communities of that country would be protected and strengthened, and that all Iranians would find by God’s grace the full expression in the Holy Orthodox Church of the faith that Iran’s Christians are holding fast to amid so much suffering.
For previous ChristianPersecution.com coverage of Iran, see here.
“Iranian Christian Receives 80 Lashes,” International Christian Concern, October 15, 2020:
10/15/2020 Iran (International Christian Concern) – Yesterday, Iranian Christian convert Mohammadreza Omidi (Youhan) received 80 lashes after receiving a summons on Saturday from his home town authorities in Rashit for him to return. He is currently serving two years of internal exile in the city of Borazjan, over 1,000 kilometers away. He had previously served two years in prison because of membership in a house church. The lashes were received because he was also charged for drinking wine as part of communion. This is the second time he received 80 lashes for the same charge.
Iran is a strictly Islamic country….The government criminalizes conversion to Christianity, and severely restricts the faith practice of Armenian and Assyrian Christians.
