Widespread unrest in Iran has captured headlines around the world. The protests on Iran’s streets are certainly in response to economic pressures and livelihood pressures – but they are a reflection of a far deeper crisis.
“What we are witnessing in Iran today is a cry for dignity, justice and life itself,” shares an Open Doors source from the region. “It is a cry rising from streets soaked in fear and courage alike. Street protests have expanded across the entire nation, and security forces respond with mass arrests and lethal force, in an attempt to control the masses.”
What does this mean for Christians?
Christians are always vulnerable in Iran. It’s number ten on the Open Doors World Watch List, and believers – particularly converts from Islam – face severe religious freedom violations. Our Iranian brothers and sisters experience persecution from the government and often from their own communities too.
In the eyes of the Iranian authorities, Christians are ‘national security threats’, supposedly foreign agents influenced by Western countries to undermine the Iranian regime. This framing of Christianity leads to converts from Islam and house church leaders being prosecuted under national security charges, often resulting in heavy prison terms, simply for gathering for prayer and worship. These existing strictures are exacerbated by the current uprising.
How are Christians involved?
“Iranian Christians view the current situation through a strong commitment to justice, human dignity and peace,” shares the Open Doors local source. “This is shaped both by their lived experience of marginalisation and by Christian ethics emphasising non-violence and love of one’s neighbour.”
She continues: “As Persian-speaking believers without recognised places of worship and under constant pressure, their desire for change is deeply personal, yet they understand the present moment not as a religious uprising but as a unified national movement. Whether visible on the streets or standing in prayer and solidarity, Iranian Christians who participate do so first as Iranian citizens, motivated by conscience and a shared hope for a future defined by equality, accountability and respect for human life across all religious and ethnic lines.”
Please pray
Your prayers are urgently needed for Iran and for our Iranian brothers and sisters. Local believers ask that you join in praying for:
• Peace, protection and wisdom for the people of Iran amid violence and uncertainty
• Comfort for families who have lost loved ones, and divine healing for those injured and traumatised
• Iranian Christians to have courage, protection and perseverance in this season of unrest
• Unfair arrests to cease, and that innocent prisoners – both those recently arrested and those serving existing sentences – would find grace in the eyes of the prison guards
• Leaders and decision-makers worldwide to act justly and speak boldly for freedom of religion and belief
• Restored internet and communication with people inside the country
• God’s light to shine through the church in Iran, bringing true freedom, dignity and hope.
please pray
Heavenly Father, please give courage, protection and perseverance to my brothers and sisters in Iran. May this period of unrest be resolved in peace, justice and huge leaps in religious freedom. Give wise counsel to decision-makers and may the persecuted church in Iran show the true light of Jesus Christ. Amen.
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