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CHRISTIANS IN IRAN: The Ayatollahs fear home churches
By Marco Tosatti
http://vaticaninsider.lastampa.it/en/inquiries-and-interviews/detail/articolo/iran-iran-iran-24046/
April 14, 2013
ROME - The phenomenon of Christians worshipping at home concerns the regime and the number of arrests for converting from Islam to Christianity has increased
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.
