As our world becomes more and more inundated with wars, poverty, and terrorism, there is also a growing concern for the fascist dictators that have either recently grabbed the reigns of power or flexed their muscles in an effort to deny the rights of people. One nation that has denied the rights of Christians is Iran.     

In the past few months, the United States has gone back and forth with Iran on a power struggle for nuclear weapons, but politics is not what is at question in this particular article.  We well remember Abdul Rahman  in Afghanistan, who was imprisoned and sentenced to death until the outcry from the global community and specifically the United States, saved his life, but also forced him out of his country forever.  Now it is Iran’s turn again to crack down on religion, specifically Christians who have turned away from the Muslim faith.

“Seven years after Issa Motamedi Mojdehi converted from Islam to Christianity, Iranian secret police have jailed him for abandoning Islam, but officially charged him with illegal drug trafficking,” reported Compass Direct News on August 8, 2006.

This type of arrest is apparently nothing new to the police nor is it a one-time incident.  Radio Free Europe reports that “Iran officials have confirmed that more than 60 percent of the nations’ prisoners are being held on drug-related charges.”

Compass News continues with their investigation on erroneous drug charges used against Christians in Iran by saying, “The Iranian government routinely uses fabricated drug charges as a pretext to jail prisoners for their political or religious beliefs.  Thus, it circumvents the guarantees of Article 23 of the Iranian Constitution, which forbid investigation into individual’s beliefs and specify that ‘no one may be molested or taken to task simply for holding a certain belief.’”

But drug charges are not the only way that the Iranian government is cracking down on religious freedom.  Sammy Tippit Ministries has obtained photos showing the government seizure of satellite dishes in an effort to stop the spread of Christianity through preaching and teaching.  Several pictures show that the Iranian government is so worried about the spread of the gospel, that despite explicit promise of not interfering in the internal affairs of Iranian families, (the soldiers) are entering apartments buildings by force and destroying the dishes.”

However, reports say that it is the family of one of the Ayatollahs that is importing the dishes. The report says, “The import and sales of the existing models are all organized by one of the Ayatollah families and the rumor is that the new series are being imported and the market should be ready for it.” It seems to be a contradiction of a government trying to stop satellite television on one hand and profit from it on another hand.

Sammy Tippit Ministries has been proclaiming the gospel through satellite television for three years.  STM has several programs on air with Tippit preaching and spreading the Gospel, which reaches thousands of Iranian people through the dishes that are now being destroyed.

As we continue to watch this country and its people struggle for their religious rights and freedom, please keep not only the ministry that STM has in Iran in your prayers, but also lift up the Iranian people who are giving up all for the sake of the Gospel.  Pray for countless men and women such as Motamedi Mojedhi, who have been falsely accused because of their faith.  And pray for the families of those who are suffering and have suffered while seeing their loves ones hauled off for simply loving and wanting to know more of Christ.