Light and Life for Christians in the Midst of Iran’s Darkness
by Lela Gilbert, Providence Magazine:
[…] This story comes as no surprise to those familiar with Iran’s human rights record. Notorious for its outrageous cruelties, the Islamic Republic of Iran remains one of the world’s worst persecutors of religious minorities. The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) recommended in its 2020 report that the United States should “Redesignate Iran as a ‘country of particular concern,’ or CPC, for engaging in systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom.”
At the same time, Open Doors’ 2020 World Watch List places Iran as the ninth-worst persecutor of Christians in the world. Bet-Tamraz’s experience is emblematic of the suffering Iranian Christians have endured since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Today, however, the Islamic Republic unleashes most of its vitriol on Christian converts from Islam, whom it views as apostates, and often designates them as “Christian Zionists.” Yet despite the dangers, many of these converts are young, zealous, and outspoken.
Mary Mohammnadi serves as an example. President Donald Trump mentioned her by name during a National Prayer Breakfast speech, noting that Iran imprisoned her because “she converted to Christianity and shared the Gospel with others.”
After her conversion, the regime sentenced Mary to six months in prison in late 2017 for her Christian activities, which it characterized as “action against national security” and “propaganda against the system.” In 2019 Tehran University kicked Mary out without explanation on the eve of her English-language exams. A few weeks later, on January 12, authorities arrested her as protests took place in Azadi Square.
After that arrest, Mary is said to have been beaten so badly that her bruises were evident for weeks. She was mistreated in Iran’s Evin Prison, and the government held her in Iran’s infamous Qarchak women’s detention center, a filthy facility where she suffered further abused.
On February 28, 2020, the regime released Mary on bail prior to her final sentencing, which took place last April. At that time she received a suspended sentence of three months and one day and 10 lashes. Yet today, despite the risks, she perseveres. Mary serves as one example of valiant young Christian converts from Islam who take enormous risks for practicing and sharing their faith.
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