Iran Beats, Arrests Five More Christians at a Family Party
Iranian authorities beat and arrested five Christian men last week for their faith in Christ.
It was a joyous family party before Iranian police stormed in and rounded up 15 people. When they attendees tried to resist, they were brutally beaten.
A number of those arrested were Christian converts, a crime that could cost them their lives in this Muslim country. Among the Christians arrested were Afshar Naderi, Hadi Asgari, Amir Saman Dashti, Ramil Bet-Tamraz, and Mohammad Dehnavi. Alll the men are Christian converts from Islam.
According to Mohabat News, an Iranian Christian News Agency, government authorities are cracking down on family parties and weddings where Islamic principals are not strictly followed. If arrested, they could be charged with refusing to follow Islamic law.
The five men were taken to an unknown location and permitted limited contact with their families. The Iranian government charged them with evangelism, a crime that could mean death or life imprisonment. They have yet to appear before court.
The recent crackdown at the private family celebration is another example of an increasing attack on personal privacy.
Iranian law says police cannot search or make arrests unless permitted by a court order. However, this has not stopped many Christians from being the target of relentless persecution.
According to Open Doors, an organization that fights Christian persecution, "Christianity is considered a condemnable Western influence and imminent threat to the Islamic identiy."
Despite the vilification of Christianity, Open Doors says the number of converts from Islam to Christianity is "growing" and "even children of political and spiritual leaders are leaving Islam."
