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Iran

  • Iranian Pastor to Face Apostasy Charges

    Iranian lay pastor, Hamid Pourmand, is scheduled to appear before an Islamic Sharia court by April 14 at the latest, according to reports received from Iranian Christians.  Pourmand faces charges of apostasy from the Islamic faith, and, if convicted, he will likely be sentenced to death.

    Pourmand converted to Christianity from Islam twenty-five years ago.  Until he was arrested in September 2004, he was a colonel in the Iranian army.  In February he was convicted of deceiving the military by not proclaiming his Christian faith, despite evidence that he had made his beliefs clear.  Non-Muslims are not allowed to serve as military officers in Iran.  Pourmand was sentenced to three years in prison and his wife and two children were left homeless when they were removed from military housing.

    Three other Christian leaders have been convicted of apostasy in the past sixteen years.  Pastor Hussein Soodman was hanged in 1989. Deacon Maher was spared the death penalty by recanting of his faith in 1992. Pastor Mehdi Dibaj was sentenced to death in December 1993, but released after intense international pressure.  He was murdered six months later.

    Pray for that Hamid Pourmand will be spared the death sentence.  Pray that he will stand firm in his faith, knowing the presence of God's Holy Spirit with him.  Pray for comfort and strength for Hamid and his family.

    For more information on the suffering facing Christians in Iran,click here.
  • Trial Begins for Iranian Pastor

    For months following Pastor Hamid Pourmand's arrest by Iranian authorities on September 9, there had been little word on his location or condition.  On February 4, Compass Direct reported that Pourmand had finally appeared in court during the last week of January.  His family was also reportedly able to visit him in a military prison on February 3.

    Pourmand, a military officer and Assembly of God pastor, faces charges of deception.  Since Christians are not allowed to serve in the Iranian military, he is accused of misleading his superiors as to his religious beliefs.  Pourmand claims to have documentation proving that he was forthcoming with his Christian faith.  He was also informed that he would be transferred back to his home town of Bandar-i Bushehr, where he would face charges of apostasy and proselytizing.  Both are capital offenses in Iran.

     Pray for Pastor Pourmand, his wife and two children during this very challenging time.  Pray for peace and protection for the family, as well as a successful outcome in the trial.

    For more information on persecution of Christians in Iran,click here.
  • New Hope for Iranian Christian

    In April, the Persecution and Prayer Alert covered the story of "Nancy," a refugee from Iran who came to Canada after threats on her life when she converted to Christianity. On investigation, the Canadian Immigration and Refugee Board judge was not convinced she was a Christian, despite clear testimony from her and her pastor. The judge admitted to knowing little about Protestant Christian beliefs, but ruled against her anyway when Nancy was unable to name more than two Christian sacraments and did not use the term "holy communion" for the receiving of bread and wine. As a result, she was ordered deported to Iran.

    An August 5 article in Christian Week reports that she has now applied for a religious worker's visa for the United States to work with the Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod, in ministering to Iranian immigrants in Utah. If the U.S. embassy recognizes this as a legitimate job and she passes the interview expected this month, she will be moving to the U.S. and applying for a permanent residency permit for herself and her family. Nancy's husband and children are still living in Iran.

    Pray that this opportunity will enable Nancy to go to the U.S. and not be forced to return to Iran to face likely persecution. Pray also that her family will be able to join her.
  • New Hope for Iranian Christian

    In April, the Persecution and Prayer Alert covered the story of "Nancy," a refugee from Iran who came to Canada after threats on her life when she converted to Christianity. On investigation, the Canadian Immigration and Refugee Board judge was not convinced she was a Christian, despite clear testimony from her and her pastor. The judge admitted to knowing little about Protestant Christian beliefs, but ruled against her anyway when Nancy was unable to name more than two Christian sacraments and did not use the term "holy communion" for the receiving of bread and wine. As a result, she was ordered deported to Iran.

    An August 5 article in Christian Week reports that she has now applied for a religious worker's visa for the United States to work with the Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod, in ministering to Iranian immigrants in Utah. If the U.S. embassy recognizes this as a legitimate job and she passes the interview expected this month, she will be moving to the U.S. and applying for a permanent residency permit for herself and her family. Nancy's husband and children are still living in Iran.

    Pray that this opportunity will enable Nancy to go to the U.S. and not be forced to return to Iran to face likely persecution. Pray also that her family will be able to join her.
  • Convert Faces Deportation to Iran

    "Nancy," an Iranian convert to Christ, is facing deportation from Canada on April 24 after failing to convince an Immigration and Refugee Board judge that she is a Christian. This is despite clear testimony from both her and her pastor. Wanting to protect her family in Iran, Nancy has asked that her real name not be published.

    In 1999 Nancy was introduced to Christ by a friend in Tehran and converted to Christianity in the summer of 2000. When her husband was questioned about her church attendance, Nancy fled to Montreal to live with her sister-in-law. While there, she attended a Pentecostal church where she was baptized. She later became an active member of the Ascension Lutheran Church in Montreal. Those who know her confirm that she has a genuine Christian faith.

    The immigration judge, Hélène Panagakos, repeatedly admitted in her ruling that she was not familiar with Protestant Christianity. This did not stop her, however, from judging Nancy's Protestant beliefs. When Nancy was unable to name more than two Christian sacraments and did not use the term "holy communion" for the receiving of bread and wine, Panagakos rejected her claim that she had become a Christian. It is worth noting that Protestants typically do not believe in more than two sacraments and frequently do not use the terminology "sacrament" and "holy communion." Panagakos claimed that Nancy obviously lacked knowledge of "the most basic Christian concepts." Canadian officials have further decided that, even if she is a Christian, she does not face a significant risk of persecution in Iran.

    As in much of the Muslim world, however, Iranian Muslims who convert from Islam to another religion are considered apostates. The penalty for apostasy in Iran is severe, often death. Nancy's family in Iran is already under surveillance by the authorities. For up-to-date information on the mistreatment of Christians and other religious minorities in Iran, see the International Religious Freedom Report for 2002 submitted to the US Congress by the State Department at http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2002/13995.htm. Iran is still considered a country of particular concern by The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (see http://www.uscirf.gov/crptPages/CPC-Iran.php3).

    According to the National Post, Immigration Canada has said there is little chance of the deportation order for April 24 being overturned. In an interview, Nancy said, "My life is not with the officer, it is in God's hands. I still have hope. I have been afflicted, but I am not despairing. I have been persecuted, but I am not forgotten."

    Pray that the deportation order will be overturned. Pray that Nancy will continue to find her strength in Christ. We encourage Canadians to write to their local members of Parliament as well as the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, Denis Coderre. Contact information is available through our links page.
  • Convert Faces Deportation to Iran

    "Nancy," an Iranian convert to Christ, is facing deportation from Canada on April 24 after failing to convince an Immigration and Refugee Board judge that she is a Christian. This is despite clear testimony from both her and her pastor. Wanting to protect her family in Iran, Nancy has asked that her real name not be published.

    In 1999 Nancy was introduced to Christ by a friend in Tehran and converted to Christianity in the summer of 2000. When her husband was questioned about her church attendance, Nancy fled to Montreal to live with her sister-in-law. While there, she attended a Pentecostal church where she was baptized. She later became an active member of the Ascension Lutheran Church in Montreal. Those who know her confirm that she has a genuine Christian faith.

    The immigration judge, Hélène Panagakos, repeatedly admitted in her ruling that she was not familiar with Protestant Christianity. This did not stop her, however, from judging Nancy's Protestant beliefs. When Nancy was unable to name more than two Christian sacraments and did not use the term "holy communion" for the receiving of bread and wine, Panagakos rejected her claim that she had become a Christian. It is worth noting that Protestants typically do not believe in more than two sacraments and frequently do not use the terminology "sacrament" and "holy communion." Panagakos claimed that Nancy obviously lacked knowledge of "the most basic Christian concepts." Canadian officials have further decided that, even if she is a Christian, she does not face a significant risk of persecution in Iran.

    As in much of the Muslim world, however, Iranian Muslims who convert from Islam to another religion are considered apostates. The penalty for apostasy in Iran is severe, often death. Nancy's family in Iran is already under surveillance by the authorities. For up-to-date information on the mistreatment of Christians and other religious minorities in Iran, see the International Religious Freedom Report for 2002 submitted to the US Congress by the State Department at http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2002/13995.htm. Iran is still considered a country of particular concern by The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (see http://www.uscirf.gov/crptPages/CPC-Iran.php3).

    According to the National Post, Immigration Canada has said there is little chance of the deportation order for April 24 being overturned. In an interview, Nancy said, "My life is not with the officer, it is in God's hands. I still have hope. I have been afflicted, but I am not despairing. I have been persecuted, but I am not forgotten."

    Pray that the deportation order will be overturned. Pray that Nancy will continue to find her strength in Christ. We encourage Canadians to write to their local members of Parliament as well as the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, Denis Coderre. Contact information is available through our website at https://www.vomcanada.com/links.htm.

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