The latest news from that most trustworthy of nuclear partners, Iran, has secret police thugs beating a Christian convert and dragging him off into the snow, while his family unsuccessfully pleaded to at least give him some warm clothing.
The report from Foreign Desk News describes Meysam Hojjati, who converted to Christianity from Islam, getting arrested by “plainclothes officers” at his home on December 23. A week later, his family still does not know what happened to him.
“The officers inspected Hojjati’s home, confiscating Bibles, a Christmas tree, all cell phones, a computer and other personal belongings, while assaulting him in front of family members,” according to a report from the Iranian Christian Mohabat News, as transcribed by Foreign Desk.
“Hojjati’s family was threatened against disclosing any information regarding his arrest as they begged the officers to allow him to change into warmer clothing before he was dragged off into the freezing cold weather,” the report continues.
Foreign Desk describes Hojjati’s arrest as part of a “large-scale crackdown” against converts to Christianity during the holiday season.
The Christian Post reports nine more Christians were arrested on Christmas Day for “celebrating their faith at an in-house church in the city of Shiraz.”
As with Hojjati, plainclothes secret police from the Ministry of Intelligence and Security made the arrest, and confiscated “personal items, including satellite dishes.”
“There has been a steady deterioration of human rights abuses in Iran during Hassan Rouhani’s tenure as president, including executions and suppression of religious and ethnic minorities,” said Shahin Gobadi of the National Council of Resistance of Iran. “This is just another case in point. Actually, the clerical regime is one of the top violators of rights of religious minorities, including Christians, in the world. The regime has institutionalized repression of the Iranian people as the main tool of its survival.”
The newly-elected president of the NCRI, Maryam Rajavi, expressed hope in her Christmas message that 2016 would be “a year of unity and victory over Islamic extremism and especially the religious fascism ruling Iran and its evil allies in the Middle East who sow the seeds of enmity in the world.”
“Muslims and Christians can rely on their common values to stand up to those who pervert their religions,” said Rajavi. “Let us hope for the relief of converted Christians in Iran from the oppression of ruling mullahs and for freedom of the whole Iranian nation from this religious dictatorship.”
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.