More Than Just Reform-Minded Protestors Persecuted by Iran's Ayatollahs

Reform minded protestors aren't the only ones facing arrest and death in Iran.

As demonstrations continued for a sixth-straight day throughout the country, some Iranian Christians say they also have been targeted for persecution days before the nationwide protests.

Members of the Message of Peace house church in the west central Iranian city of Dezful say one of its members-Abdol-Ali Pourmand was arrested just last week during a raid on the church. Bibles and other Christian materials were confiscated and according to Mohabat News, government authorities threatened to beat the house church attendees to death, or force them to leave the country. 

Pourmand was driven two hours away and jailed in the city of Ahwaz. He reportedly made a phone call to family members and said he would not be detained for long.

Three other Christians were reportedly arrested recently in Dezful. Another member of the Message of Peace church was arrested last October and is still imprisoned.

A growing number of Iranian young people have turned against the Islamic regime. During weekend protests, some were overheard shouting, "death to the Ayatollah!" Many have become disillusioned with  their government and some with Islam. A growing number of young Iranians have rejected the Islamic faith and many have embraced Christianity.

That development has alarmed Islamic clerics and government officials who blame "foreign influence" for the conversions. They view Iran as a Muslim nation and believe that anyone who rejects Islam also rejects the Islamic State. So, those who have turned to Christianity are viewed as being involved in "anti-government," "anti- Iranian," or "Western activities." Christians say they love their country and often pray for government leaders.

The Iranian government has banned house churches and the preaching of the Gospel message in the Farsi language. Those caught proselytizing  are arrested and converts are considered apostates. Apostasy is punishable by death under Islamic law.

Some prominent Islamic seminarians admit young Iranians are leaving the faith--particularly in the city of Qom.That is of primary concern because Qom is a prominent city of scholarship for Shia Islam and houses a shrine to Fatima bint Musa, the sister of Persian Imam Reza. 

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom lists Iran as one of the world's worst persecutors of minority faiths because it strictly enforces anti-blasphemy laws and discriminates against religious minorities.