The government of Tehran is launching a new offensive
against the so-called home churches, small groups of Christians who meet
in private houses to celebrate their faith because they cannon join the
Churches officially recognised (and controlled) by the State, Iranian
Christian news agency Mohabat reports.
Khorasan, a government
journal has published a long statement by Bahman Amiri Moghaddam, chief
of police for the Khorasa-Ravi province, in which he says security
forces “had taken care of a group of people that had formed a network of
home churches in Mashhad and will prosecute all people involved.”
The names of the people arrested have not been
published.
According to the chief of police, their activity involves
“promoting superstitions and corrupt beliefs during their evening
meetings. They bewitch young people and lure them towards their faith
with their polite ways.”
Mohabat reports that the aim of the news is to
provoke but also to create alarm start a sort of witch hunt in response
to a phenomenon which is clearly causing concern among leaders.
A while back, Ati News, which according to
Iranian dissidents is linked to government security agencies, published a
report which stated that home churches had been identified in “Islamic”
cities such as Qom and Mashhad.
Mashhad is a pilgrimage destination for
Shiite faithful and is the birthplace of Iran's supreme leader Seyyed
Ali Khamenei. This detail is naturally aimed at triggering the reader's
indignation. The report affirms that “these places are rented Church
leaders, to concern young people.”
It goes on to say that “Since
everyone knows Christians have religious buildings where they can go and
worship, this comes across as a scheme to corrupt and cause division
among religions.”
According to Iranian Christian sources, the number of arrests of people who convert from Islam to Christianity, has gone up in recent years. This has meant that many converts do not have free access to Iran's official religious buildings which are carefully watched by security services, in order to verify new arrivals....Consequently, Christian converts prefer to meet at home, in small groups, to pray, celebrate, study the Bible and follow catechesis and theology courses.
The Internet has definitely played a part in sparking
great interest and curiosity among young people for spiritual
experiences that are different to those offered by the Ayatollah regime.
The rise of home churches is one of the practical effects of this
feeling. Over the past years the regime has been constantly preoccupied
by a “wild” Christianity that is out of control.
Now though it's more
than just concern.
About a month ago, Jawan News, one of the
Guardians of the Revolution news agencies spoke of a growth throughout
the country and of the presence of two hundred home churches in the city
of Mashhad alone.
Another of the regime's representatives claimed that
Christian booklets and leaflets are handed out free to families in many
areas.