"Celebrating Christmas in Iran's Underground Church."

 

  The Christmas Season is supposed to be a season of celebration, a special time of gathering together with friends and families, decorating the Christmas tree, having hot cocoa by the fireplace, opening presents, and watching the glow on children's faces as they excitedly open up their gifts, eating delicious food, and singing your favorite Christmas carols.

                                                                           

 However, if you are a member of a house church in the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Christmas season is anything but magical and joyous. In fact, it can be a very frightening experience!

 You meet secretly in a small apartment building with several other men, women, and children. You remove your shoes, gather together in a circle, and open up your copy of a small New Testament, that is forbidden in Iran. 

Blankets are pressed against the doors to muffle the sound. Believers are instructed to worship quietly for security reasons because you never know if the neighbor next door might report your gathering to the police.  

 Someone in the group begins to softly strum his acoustic guitar. You begin to quietly sing some worship songs. After a few minutes, the singing stops and the house church leader delivers a brief message on the birth of the Messiah.

                                                                                  

 Suddenly, your Christmas celebration is rudely interrupted as 10 plainclothes officers burst through the front door, separating the men from the women. They begin conducting strip body searches and confiscating Bibles and computers. Frightened and terrified, your children begin crying and are forcefully pulled away from your hands by security officers. You are handcuffed and arrested, accused of acting against national security, and then hauled away in waiting vans to prison.

Pastor Farhad Sabokrooh, who was arrested in 2011 during a Christmas gathering in his home in Ahvaz, recalls how celebrating the birth of Jesus was a mixture of both joy and trepidation.

 "For me and my family, the days of Christmas and New Year are always a reminder of our arrest, going to jail, and finally being forced out of Iran."

 Amin Afshar-Naderi is also tormented by memories of arrest and imprisonment during the Christmas season. Alongside his pastor and a Christian convert, Amin was sentenced to ten years in prison for his role in the house church movement.

 "I spent one Christmas and two New Year's Eves in prison and as another holiday approaches, I am reminded of the sadness and loneliness of the prison cell and the reality that this fate can await other Christians, who despite the risk of arrest, want to celebrate the birth of Christ."

 A day of happiness and celebration for many former Muslims who have found their hope and freedom in Christ has instead been transformed into a day of great dread and anxiety because the agents from the Ministry of Intelligence deliberately have them under surveillance targeting their group, especially during the Christmas holidays.

                                                                                    

 Christians are intimidated, harassed, persecuted, and arrested because of their faith in Jesus. If you are a Christian in Iran and do not evangelize and do not advertise your religion, you will not go to jail. However, Iranian Christians who have discovered the love and forgiveness in Christ, are excited about sharing their faith. They are unashamed and unafraid to tell others and because of their zeal, they are arrested, placed in solitary confinement, and tortured for converting to Christianity. 

 Iranian Christians refuse to allow the government to control them through fear and intimidation.  The government accuses them of "engaging in activities contrary to the holy religion of Islam by establishing house churches." They risk losing their jobs, their families, and in some cases, even their lives, and yet these bold Iranians still gather together to celebrate the birth of a Savior.

 The glorious proclamation by the Angel of the Lord to Joseph was to not be afraid to take Mary as his wife for "she will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."

The Shepherds of Israel were astonished when an angel appeared to them one night, announcing to them, "Do not be afraid! I bring you good news of great joy, which will be for all people. For today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord." (Luke 2:10-11)

 The Christians in Iran are overwhelmed with great joy at the good news about the birth of Christ. Why?  Because as former Muslims, Jesus was only a prophet and not a savior. They spent their entire life with no assurance of salvation or forgiveness. They were taught in Islam that Jesus wasn't crucified for their sins. To be righteous before Allah, they would need to fast, pray, give alms, and hope that on the day of Judgment, they would be worthy enough to obtain paradise.

  It is no wonder they are filled with inexpressible joy when they open up their Bibles and read the life-transforming words of Jesus who declared, "Whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me, has eternal life. He does not come into the judgment but has passed from death to life. (John 5:24)

  These former Muslims are astonished by the good news of Christ. They are no longer burdened by the rituals and demands of Islam to perfect themselves but have discovered a living savior who lavishes his love and forgiveness on them as a free gift of grace, that cannot be earned.

 This Christmas, as you gather together with your family or friends underneath the Christmas tree, to open presents, remember the Christians in Iran, and don't take your freedoms for granted. While you are peacefully singing your favorite Christmas carols, say a prayer for the suffering Iranian Christians, who are very likely spending their Christmas in a dirty prison cell separated from their family and friends, and facing a death sentence for their faith.

                                                                   

"Facing the death penalty for refusing to wear a piece of cloth."

 

 Since the tragic death of Mahsi Amini in September of 2022, which sparked the "Woman, Life, Freedom" uprising, Iranian women have refused to back down from the oppressive Hijab Law.  In January of this year, Roya Heshmati defied the law by posting a picture of herself walking down the streets of Tehran "hijabless." Her protest was met with drastic consequences as she detailed in a special report how she was lashed 74 times for her rebellious activity.

 In July of 2024, Arezoo Badri was confronted with a hijab violation and as she fled the scene in her car, security forces shot her. Since that violent encounter, Arezoo remains paralyzed from the waist down in a hospital in Tehran.

                                                                          

 Just recently, a science and research student at Azad University in Tehran was arrested and placed in a mental ward, after stripping down to her underwear and bra, following a violent confrontation with security forces over not wearing her hijab. Previous to her arrest, security forces had attacked her, ripping her clothing. Angry and disgusted, Ahoo removed the rest of her torn clothing and proceeded to walk across the campus in protest.

 Branded, mentally ill, Ahoo was detained in a mental war and finally released two weeks later back to her family.

                                                                      

 Iranian women refuse to be silent and back down! As a result of their defiance, The Iranian Parliament has adopted a new law that can impose the death penalty on women who dare to resist and go out publicly without wearing that "piece of cloth" over their heads.

 "This shameful law intensifies the persecution of women and girls for daring to stand up for their rights, following the "woman, life, freedom" uprising, says Diana Eltahawy, Amnesty International's International Deputy Regional Director.

 The New Law contains 74 articles imposing flogging, exorbitant fines, harsh prison sentences, travel bans, and restrictions on education and employment for women and girls who defy compulsory veiling laws. It will also penalize private entities that fail to enforce the hijab law.

Article 286 of the Islamic penal code states that conduct amounting to "corruption on earth" can be punishable by death. The death penalty will be imposed on women and girls sending videos of themselves unveiled to media outside Iran and also engaging in peaceful activism.

 Article 49 warns violators that "nudity" by women and girls in public or online will lead to immediate detention, prosecution, and up to ten years in prison. Repeat offenders will be fined and imprisoned for up to 15 years.

The complex web of fines also prohibits importing and selling clothes, statues, dolls, mannequins, paintings, books, and magazines that promote nudity, indecency, unveiling, and bad dressing.                                              

 The New Law basically prohibits the existence of women! If you are born female and you live in Iran, then you will be under constant oppression and scrutiny from the cradle to the grave. The punishments and threats to women have gone "off the charts!" The evil regime's thirst for power and control over their bodies and minds has gone to a whole new extreme! 

 The International communities across Europe must stand up and condemn this new outrageous law. The feminists of the world must awaken from their apathy and silence and start being the voices of Iranian women. 

                                                                         

 However, if I know anything about the women of Iran, these Persian ladies are unafraid, unashamed of their beliefs, courageous, tough, and unwilling to comply with any new laws. They will continue their activism and protest, regardless of the support of international communities or "so-called" feminists. They don't need them. They have proven time and time again to be courageous survivors on the front lines of battle. 

 For more than four decades these brave Persian women have stood up to this regime, fighting against gender apartheid, discrimination, and inequality, demanding their human rights for free speech and expression. They will not bow down to any new law that would sentence them to death for refusing to wear a silly piece of cloth over their head. 

 The Protest will continue!

"The suffering Children of Iran."

 

  They get up early in the morning and hit the streets, selling flowers, candy, and shining shoes. The streets are their home, not the schoolyard. They have no access to healthcare and education. They suffer from harsh weather, starvation, and police repression. They are Iran's street children struggling to survive in the cities of Tehran, Isfahan, Mashad, and Shiraz.   These young boys and girls, ranging from the ages of 10 to 14, are forced to live out on the streets, some in garbage collection centers, some in rug factories, and others trapped in the violent and oppressive sex industry.

  These children never had a normal childhood. They are the innocent victims of poverty, parental drug addiction, or parental divorce. Many of them become scavengers, crossing the border from Afghanistan, lured into the false promise of making money, and end up dying at a very young age, buried beneath the trash at garbage separation centers. The owners of the garbage separation centers exploit the vulnerable child laborers, sending them to the streets to collect recyclable items from trash cans and paying them very little in return.

 The work is so hard that they suffer from extreme pain in their backs and joints from lifting huge bags of trash around all day. At the end of the day, they fall asleep among the filthy trash exhausted from the harsh labor. The unsanitary conditions take an immense toll on the children. Many of them don't live beyond the age of 10, dying from bronchitis, tuberculosis, hepatitis, and even AIDS. The horrifying reality for these children is not only dying at a very young age but also having a trash bin become their final grave marker.

 Children are not only victims of the curse of poverty living under the harsh rule of rich Mullahs in Iran, but they also suffer from the abuse and violence of forced marriages. More than 1,077,000 female child marriages have been registered in Iran in the last eight years, including 13,500 girls under the age of 13. The Statistical Center of Iran reported that 27,488 girls under the age of 15 were married in Iran between December 2021 and November 2022. Since 2022, statistics have conveniently vanished from record keeping and no one knows exactly now how many young girls have been married off to spouses twice their age!

  Before the 1979 revolution, women were required to be at least eighteen years of age to be married. When the Islamic Republic came into power in 1981, that law was abolished, setting the legal age of marriage to thirteen. In 2000, the age was dropped to nine years of age if the child's male guardian gave consent.

                                                                     

   

 Playing with dolls and going to the playground was no longer a reality for young Iranian girls.  The new reality was becoming a young bride and struggling to psychologically adjust to being the wife of a forty-year-old man!

  Lily Meschi understands this harsh reality. She was the victim of an arranged marriage at the age of 18. For fourteen years she suffered in an abusive relationship. At that time, it seemed normal because most of her peers, cousins, and neighbors lived in similar situations. Fortunately, Lily found her hope and freedom in Christ and now is busily counseling other Iranian women through Iran Alive Ministries.

 Commenting on the legal marriage age in Iran, Lily declares, "I can't even fathom what a nine-year-old psychologically goes through when they're given in marriage at that early age."

 Lily isolated herself from others and lived in fear for fourteen long years. She understands the trauma suffered by these child brides.

 "One of the things that keeps the victim in isolation is the fear of shame. We don't want others to see the shame that we carry."

 Child marriage in Iran becomes an endless cycle of systematic violence and abuse against these innocent young brides.

 Mona was just 17 when she was forced to marry her cousin, who was 15 years older than her. Suffering from endless abuse and finding no solace in the legal system, she fled to Turkey and fell prey to human traffickers.  Coerced to return to Iran with false assurances of protection, Mona was brutally murdered by her husband in February 2022 in an apparent honor killing. To celebrate his so-called, " honor crime," he beheaded her and paraded her severed head through the streets for everyone to see!

 At the tender age of thirteen, Maryam was the victim of a forced marriage. Then a malicious rumor of her sending a nude picture to a married man circulated in the community. Her family subjected her to unimaginable torture, shaving her hair, and then hanging her by a rope.

                                                                   *************

  In a country rich in oil profits, Iran turns a blind eye to suffering children. They instead spend their money on exporting terrorism all over the world through Hezbollah and Hamas. While children are expendable to the government, and the parliament fails to promote laws to alleviate their suffering, children are very precious to Jesus.

 Jesus puts a high value on the lives of all children. They are very precious to him.

 Jesus invites children to come and find hope and protection in Him. He declares, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."                       (Matthew 19:14)

 Nine years ago, I published an eye-opening story about what life is like for Iranian street children. It puts a face on them and gives us a glimpse into their daily struggles. It was written in July of 2015 right after Obama signed a nuclear deal with Iran and sent them sanction relief money. It is entitled, "The Diary of an Iranian Street Child."

 "Every person in the world has their own story to tell. My story is the story of poverty."

 Most children in Iran are very poor, so poor that we have to abandon going to school and instead work in the streets, in both rainy and cold weather, wandering among cars, selling flowers and snacks.

 "Sir would you like to buy these flowers? "  "Do you need some chewing gum?"
  "These Quran verses will solve the problems of your life!

 From morning until evening, exhausted and hungry, we plead with people to buy our flowers or gum.
 Unlike others, we love the traffic lights! We have to jump in front of people's cars, and quickly clean their windshields. Some people ignore us, some treat us like animals, and fortunately, a few give us some money.
 We are also known as "rented kids," who are dropped off in the morning by a minibus at specific locations to work the streets and sell our merchandise. At the end of the day, our employer collects our earnings, and maybe if we're lucky he will reward us with a few Tomans.

Who's fault is it, if our parents cannot make money, because they are in prison or addicted to drugs or disabled?

Most of our mothers, if they cannot earn money, will sell their kidneys to survive for another month. Most of us cannot go to school. We are bullied, offended, abused, raped, or used by our employers to carry drugs. Because of that, most of us end up becoming addicts.

We are suffering, dying, and crying out in desperation, while billions of dollars which should be ours, instead are being transferred into foreign bank accounts by Mullahs and government officials. The terrorists in Syria and Lebanon receive their illegal portion of the money to buy weapons, while we are starving and dying in the streets.
Millions of dollars are used to decorate the Mausoleum of Khomeini and enhance the gold dome and the carpets inside. The Shi'a Imam's tombs are beautiful, bright, and polished and we have to pay for them with our lives in darkness and despair.
We are living in hell while the Mullahs are living the lifestyles of Kings and emperors.

 I have a question for the Supreme Leader, Mr. Khamenei, what will you do with the money you received from the nuclear deal? Will you help us so that we don't have to wander the streets day and night and sell our bodies and souls to stay alive?

                                                                 ***********

  Street children and child brides. The suffering is unimaginable and this injustice will continue as long as the Islamic Republic of Iran is in control. Our response to this tragedy is to be their voice, tell their stories, and pray for the day when their suffering will finally come to an end.

 

 "Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; defend the rights of those who have nothing. Speak up and judge fairly, and defend the rights of the poor and needy."

                                          (Proverbs 31:8-9)

          

 

  

"The Prophecy of Elam and the future of Iran."

  There is no other book in the world like the Bible. One of the chief characteristics of the "God of the Bible" is His ability to not only know the future but to ordain it and bring it to pass.

  In Isaiah 46, Verse 10,  God declares, "I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, "My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please."

  God is not like the fortune tellers and the crystal ball gazers who exploit people with their occult deception and false predictions but rather, God is the sovereign Lord of the universe who plans and controls every detail of history.

  Daniel Chapter 2, verse 21, says of God. "He controls the course of world events."

  The ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran tops the news headlines every day. Iran is hell-bent on destroying Israel through their proxies of Hezbollah and Hamas. Israelis endure almost daily the terrifying experience of missiles being launched against them and Hamas terrorists attacking and murdering innocent civilians.

 However, unlike their evil government, Iranians have a close friendship with the Jewish people and desire a day when they will finally have a true democracy instead of a dictatorship.

  Will there be a future for the people of Iran where peace instead of terror reigns?

                                                                       *********

                                                                    

  There is a little-known obscure prophecy ticked away in the Bible that seems to predict a day when Iranians will have a true democracy. In fact, Hormoz Shariat, founder and president of Iran Alive Ministries has said, "Iranians are excited about what the Bible says about their future."

 The Bible does speak of Iran, but not in a favorable way that indicates a future of peace. Iran is one of the nations mentioned in Ezekiel 38 (Persia) that will be part of a coalition of nations led by Russia in the last days that will attack Israel. In response, God causes a massive earthquake and wipes them out.

  However, the prophet Jeremiah mentions another mysterious prophecy, written around 596 B.C., about an ancient civilization known as Elam.

    "This is the Word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning Elam, early in the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah.

    This is what the Lord Almighty says:

   "See, I will break the bow of Elam, the mainstay of their might. I will bring against Elam the four winds from the four quarters of heaven; I will scatter them to the four winds, and there will not be a nation where Elam's exiles won't go.

  I will shatter Elam before their foes, before those who want to kill them;

  I will bring disaster on them, even my fierce anger," declares the Lord, "I will pursue them with the sword until I have made an end of them.

  I will set my throne in Elam and destroy her kings and officials, declares the Lord.

  "Yet I will restore the fortunes of Elam in days to come," declares the Lord.

                                                   (Jeremiah 49:34-38)

   In the King James Version, verse 39 is very significant. to our discussion.  God declares, "But it shall come to pass, in the latter days, that I will bring again the captivity of Elam," saith the Lord.

 The term, "Latter days," makes it abundantly clear that this prophecy has not yet been fulfilled, but will be fulfilled in the latter days. Author and Prophecy expert, Bill Salus has written extensively on this topic in his book, "Nuclear Showdown in Iran."

  The context of this amazing prophecy is centered around the civilization of the Elamities. Elam was the son of Shem, who was the son of Noah. Elam created a tiny civilization in Persia thousands of years ago. Elam was an ancient territory within Persia, located today in Western Iran, that hugged the Persian Gulf and was separated by the Zagros mountain range. 

 According to history and the Bible, The Elamites were expert Archers and God declared that He was going to "break their bow" in an act of judgment.

 But what does this ancient prophecy have to do with modern-day Iran?

 We have already established that this prophecy has a future fulfillment and the unique language outlined in the verses seems to indicate that God will enact a future judgment upon Elam, which of course correlates with modern-day Iran. The judgment is restricted to Elam's leaders and not the people of Iran.

                                                                    

                                                             

 God declares "I will break the bow of Elam."

 God indeed judged the ancient Elamites by striking a death blow to their military might, which of course was their archers.

  However, looking ahead to the present day, God will strike Elam once again, breaking their bow, breaking their military might, and what is Iran's present-day military might?

 It is their nuclear program and their ICBM missiles. God is threatening to destroy their missile launching capabilities. The location for the ancient civilization of Elam just so happens to be in the exact location of one of Iran’s oldest Nuclear Power Plants, The Busheher Nuclear site!

 We saw a foreshadowing of this future attack back in April of 2024 when Israel launched a strike against Iran in retaliation for their missile attack. The Israeli military struck Isfahan and scored a major attack near their nuclear facilities. This is a foreshadowing of what is yet to come.  

 If indeed, there is a major nuclear fallout from an attack by Israel in the near future, the prophecy goes on to say that the result of this attack will create a humanitarian crisis. Iranians will flee in a worldwide diaspora because of the judgment of God upon the government. The nuclear meltdown will be the catalyst for this worldwide scattering.

The prophecy says that God is fiercely angry with Elam. Why?

When Ahmadinejad was president he publicly declared that Iran would wipe Israel off the map. God will defend His covenant people and any threats against them, He takes them very seriously!

Another major reason for the anger of God is The Islamic Republic's treatment of Christians. They are daily arrested and persecuted because they refuse to worship Allah and follow the dictates of Islam.

                                                                   

   

 However, there is a glorious future promised for the Iranian people. God promises, "I will set my throne in Elam."

 The Bible mentions God's throne is in heaven, in Jerusalem, and in Elam.

 He is already working mightily among the people of Iran. Iran has the fastest-growing underground church in the world. Millions of Iranians have embraced Christ, despite the persecution, and have turned their backs on Islam. God is using dreams, visions, and miracles to awaken the Iranian people and bring them to faith in Christ.

"Yet I will restore the fortunes of Elam in days to come," declares the Lord.

God promises the Iranians a bright and prosperous future. He will destroy the oppressive regime and give them true freedom and democracy one day. No wonder Iranians are excited about their future when they read the Bible!

Letters from Iran, "We are in a hopeless situation."

 

                                                                     

  "There is a desperate cry for help coming from the people of Iran. The oppressive Islamic Republic of Iran continues to arrest and torture women for Hijab violations. They continually execute protesters who believe in that seven-letter dirty little word called freedom. For those Iranians who remain silent and submissive to the government, they suffer from the pains of addiction, poverty, and joblessness. Iran has become a culture of death and despair since The Iranian Revolution of 1979 that sent the Shah and his family into exile.

 Recently, "Transform Iran," A Christian internet ministry dedicated to preaching the gospel, planting churches in Iran, and discipling believers, asked three house church leaders to describe for the world exactly what life is like in Iran. They agreed and shared with "Transform Iran" a series of voice notes, detailing and explaining the hopeless situation that Iranians face on a daily basis. The pain and anguish in their voices were almost unbearable to listen to. 

 I want to share a sample of their "Letters from Iran" and educate us on the pain and suffering of a people desperate for hope and freedom.

                                                                     *************

                                                                                

   One house church leader describes the situation in his own words:

  "The majority of people are depressed. This is no exaggeration. The opportunity to earn a living and make a life for yourself is gone."

  Poverty is great. It is everywhere and growing constantly. People are hungry and powerless to change their circumstances. Prostitution is alarmingly high. Real value and worth is fragile. Dignity is lost. There is no joy.

  You look at women and they don't look normal anymore. Those that can afford it have had so much plastic surgery, that it's devastating to see. They are pursuing external beauty to mask the emptiness inside.

  Another house church leader points out the three major problems among the youth:

  Poverty, addiction, and joblessness are the three major problems facing the youth in Iran.

  Poverty is turning people against each other. The extreme poverty is leading to crime. To numb all of the pain, people are turning to drugs and getting high to forget their troubles even if just for a moment. They have lost all hope.

 Our girls, our younger generation, are being lost to prostitution. They make choices that will harm them in the long run, all out of desperation to survive.

 Little children who should be getting an education are instead out in the streets selling flowers, washing car windshields, and polishing shoes.

  Depression among men is very high. It is like 90% of our men are bound in deep and hidden depression and many don't even know it.

 It is very bad. Iran needs a miracle!

                                                                        

  People ask us if God has turned away from Iran. "Where is God?" they ask us. We always encourage them that He still remains, and He is listening to our voices, to all of our cries for help.

  These voice notes that were translated into letters are heartbreaking. They reveal a deep hopelessness among Iranians. The Mullahs refuse to listen to their voices or give them any relief. The government has used all of the sanction relief money courtesy of the Biden administration, to further its terrorist activities through groups like Hezbollah and Hamas.

 However, God has not forsaken the people of Iran. He continues to bring believers to himself through dreams and visions of Jesus. Even though 50,000 mosques have closed their doors in Iran, God has been faithful to answer the cries of desperate Iranians. Iranians are abandoning Islam and embracing Christianity, becoming active members of the underground house churches.

  God hears the cries of aching and hopeless hearts. He is inviting them to come to the living waters of hope through Jesus Christ.

  Jesus is reaching out to Iranians with his arms of love declaring,

   "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest."

                                                          (Matthew 11:28 NLT)

   There is hope for Iranians. It is not in a new government or a strong charismatic leader promising utopia, but instead, it's in a living savior who cleanses us from all of our guilt and shame and makes everything new!

  

 

Ahoo Daryaei, "You don't control my body!"

 

   In another courageous example of standing up for women's rights, a 30-year-old student at the University of Tehran publicly defied security forces, stripped down to her underwear, and began walking shamelessly across the campus. Ahoo Daryaei is currently a student in the Science and Research Branch of Tehran's Islamic Azad University. 

                                                                   

Last week, Ahoo was confronted by security forces for not wearing a proper hijab. Instead of submitting to their harassment, she turned her body into a symbol of protest by removing her trousers and flinging them at the Morality Police. The video of her protest immediately went viral and at one point in the video, security officers can be seen finally surrounding her and forcing Ahoo into a waiting van. It was later reported that Ahoo was taken to a mental ward and treated for some type of mental illness.

  Is it a mental illness to demand freedom? Is it a crime to resist the demands of men for control over your body? For women living in Iran under the oppression of Islam, it is a crime to be free and it is a crime to control one's own body. Two years ago, on September 13, 2022, a young Kurdish woman was arrested by the Morality Police for showing too much hair and later beaten to death while in custody. The death of Mahsa Amini sparked a massive revolution known as the "Woman, life, Freedom," movement in Iran.

  Ahoo clearly understood what her fate would be if she submitted to the Morality Police. Instead, she boldly removed her clothing to make a statement not only to the University campus but to the whole world. She was saying no to control and oppression! She was loudly proclaiming, "Hands off! This is my body!"

  The common response of authorities is to claim that she is mentally unbalanced and must be removed from society. This tactic is continuously used by the government to delegitimize the protests of women who refuse to submit but instead oppose this evil regime. The government must discredit their protest and assign them to a group of unstable non-conformists who must be silenced.  Ironically Ahoo's name means, "deer of the sea" which translated refers to one who is resilient and brave. The government is deathly afraid of anyone who would dare to stand up and scream to the world that dirty little seven-letter world called, "Freedom!"

                                                                       

  The right to live freely, safely, and with dignity is a crime in Iran. Every person who protests is slowly chipping away at the foundation of oppression in Iran and that cannot be tolerated! Ahoo has raised the issues of bodily autonomy, freedom of expression, and gender equality. For the last four decades, Iranian women have raised their voices loudly to the silent world of feminists in the West who are more preoccupied and terrified of losing their "so called" rights under a Trump Administration and have no clue about the struggle of women in the Middle East.

   I am praying That Ahoo will not become another statistic like previous brave protesters who were tortured, raped, and then killed. One way to ensure that Ahoo will not become another statistic is to be her voice and tell her story. Flood the media with pictures of her protest and make her name known to the whole world. The ongoing struggle for freedom and justice in Iran must be met with your support and prayers.

  On January 20, 2025, Donald J. Trump will be sworn in as the 47th president of the United States. While he was president in 2017, Trump was a huge supporter of the rights of the Iranian people. He was constantly on Twitter confronting the regime in Iran and warning them that the whole world was watching.                                                                  

  The whole world is watching you Ahoo! We have your back and we won't be silent until you are released and the oppression against women finally becomes a thing of the past in Iran!

                                                                   

Hasti Panahi, "Struggling to survive where freedom is a crime."

 

 "Here, all the butterflies die in their cocoons because freedom is a crime."

                                           (Hasti Hossein Panahi)

                             

 The day she heard about Mahsa Amini's death, her life changed forever! Fourteen-year-old Hasti Panahi, a young schoolgirl in the city of Dehgolan, took to the streets to protest during the "Woman, life, freedom," uprising in Iran. Besides having a passion for writing and poetry, Hasti also has a burning passion for freedom. She thought it was her duty to join her classmates and take to the streets for the rights of all Iranian women.

  However, November 9, 2022, would be Hasti's "day from hell,"a day that would alter the course for the rest of her life. That traumatic day is still very hazy and unclear for Hasti. All she can recall is saying to her mother, Samira, "Mom, If I don't go, if dad, uncle, and aunt don't go then who will? It is our duty to go to the streets."

  Hasti went out on the streets distributing leaflets with the slogan "Woman, life, freedom" printed on them. She placed them on cars and was seen tearing up pictures of the Supreme Leader. Unaware to Hasti, she was being filmed by one of the CCTV cameras of a local bank.  The bank manager secured the video footage and gave it to the Ministry of Intelligence.  

                                 

                                    

  Within a few hours, plainclothes security agents from the Ministry of Intelligence went to Hasti's school and interrogated her alone in a room without the presence and knowledge of her parents. Terrified, Hasti managed to escape from the agents and hurried toward her school bus. The agents pursued her, captured her, and dragged her back to school. Hasti feared that she would be raped and once again managed to escape after a lengthy interrogation.

  A few hours later, Hasti's parents were notified to immediately come to the local hospital. According to the security forces, Hasti had fallen off the bus and suffered a fractured skull. Doctors confirmed that Hasti had suffered a severe injury to the brain but immediately questioned the validity of the story. There were no cuts, bruises, or broken bones anywhere else on her body. If Hasti had fallen off the bus as the agents claimed, then why were there no other injuries to her body? Her parents immediately realized what had happened. Hasti had been beaten severely during the interrogations and they were trying to cover up what really happened.

  The next six months were "hell on earth" for Samira, Hasti's mother. Hasti was comatose. Day and night, she watched her daughter slip away in the ICU.  The doctors didn't give her much hope. The bleeding on her brain was not subsiding and would probably leave her in a vegetative state. The only procedure that could give Hasti a chance to survive was a delicate surgery to place a shunt and drain the cerebral fluid from around her brain.

                                                                                         

 After the surgery, Samira went into Hasti's room spraying perfume, sitting by her bedside, talking to her, and spent all night long, praying to God and pleading with him to return her daughter to her. "Please God, awaken Hasti and return my daughter to me."

 During this agonizing time, the security agents harassed Samira and urged her to disconnect Hasti from the life-saving machines. They tried to tell her, "That's not Hasti breathing, it's the machine." Day after day, they harassed and discouraged her, forbidding any visitors to see Hasti and pointing out the enormous hospital costs of keeping her alive. But Samira refused to listen to them and instead held out hope for a miracle.

 The miracle that Samira had prayed for took place on March 19, 2023, exactly six months after that traumatic day in November. Hasti began moving the finger of her left hand. and opened her eyes. She asked for a drink of water. She had finally awakened! Overwhelmed with joy, Samira quickly wet her lips with some cool water and began recording the miraculous event on her cell phone. Hasti managed to raise her hand giving the sign of victory to her mother. 

 Even though Hasti had emerged from the coma, half of her body was paralyzed and she still couldn't speak. A month later she was released from the hospital but the Panahi family continued to be harassed and warned by the Ministry of Intelligence to not speak to media or else they would be arrested. Unable to cope with the stress of the situation, Hasti and her family decided to leave their homeland. With the help of the "Munich Circle" group, they migrated to Germany in February 2024 where Hasti can now receive excellent rehabilitative care to begin walking and speaking again.

                                                                       

  Before her traumatic brain injury, Hasti wrote about the death of Mahsa Amini, the young Kurdish girl murdered by security forces, It was Mahsa that motivated her to protest out in the streets. Reflecting on her tragic death, Hasti wrote, "Here, all the butterflies die in their cocoons because freedom is a crime."

  The Islamic Republic of Iran desperately tried to silence Hasti Panahi for speaking out for freedom. They sincerely believed that she would never recover from her brain injury, but God had other plans. This evil regime could not thwart the plan of God for Hasti's life. This brave young Iranian girl just turned sixteen and is determined to walk again without help and speak fluently. She defied death by the grace of God and plans on pursuing her skills as a writer. Hasti Hossein Panahi is Iran's miracle child. She is a true survivor in a country where freedom is a crime.

                                                                      

                                                   

                                                                         

 

Nasrin Shakarami, "I refuse to be silent about Nika!"

 

  There is nothing more devastating to a mother than the loss of her child. For the past two years, Nasrin Shakarami has been on a personal crusade against the government of Iran. Despite being pressured to change her story to conform to the official government narrative, she has instead been very outspoken to the media, an act that may have resulted in her recent arrest.

                                                                      

  On October 16, 2024, Nasrin was arrested in the city of Khorramabad in Western Iran. Her daughter Aida told the media that she was unaware of the reason for her arrest, only that Nasrin was very upset that security forces had prevented her from having a special memorial ceremony for her daughter Nika.

  Nasrin is the mother of 16 year old, Nika Shakarami, whom she claims was abducted, tortured, sexually assaulted, and killed by agents of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, two years ago during the "Woman, life, freedom "uprisings in  Tehran.

 Nika had been distraught by the brutal death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish girl, who was beaten to death while in custody for an alleged hijab violation. On September 20, Nika left home and joined protesters in the streets to speak out against Mahsa's death. She had posted a video on her Instagram account, showing her standing on top of a dumpster, burning her hijab and shouting "freedom!"

 Nasrin remembers calling Nika on her cellphone, begging her to come home, but because of the noise level in the background, she was unable to hear her response. She discovered later that Nika had called her best friend informing her that she was being pursued by security officers. That was the last time Nika was ever heard from. Ten days later after a frantic search, Narsin was called to view her daughter's body in a morgue. She was horrified by the bruises all over Nika's face and the deep gash in the back of her head. The official autopsy report concluded that Nika had died from blunt force trauma to the head.

 From the very beginning, the official government narrative was that Nika was observed entering a high-rise structure and then leaping off the roof in an apparent act of committing suicide. Nasrin refused to believe that narrative and also denied it was Nika in a video provided by police that allegedly showed her entering the building late at night.

                                                                           

 Frustrated by Nasrin's refusal to accept their version of Nika's death, the government then arrested family members and forced them to confess on State TV that Nika's death was by suicide and had absolutely nothing to do with the protests. Nasrin refused to comply with their demands and continued to talk to the media and expose the deliberate cover-up of her daughter's death.

 In one more bold attempt to oppress a grieving mother, security forces secretly stole Nika's body before her funeral and had her secretly buried in another location to prevent a large gathering and more anti-government protests. Yet Nasrin refuses to be silent and back down. In the last few months, more pressure has been put upon her family. Her other daughter Aida was arrested for a hijab violation and held in detention for a week. After being released, Aida went back out publicly without wearing a hijab, refusing to comply with Islamic Law. 

  Nasrin is very proud of her daughter's courage to protest. She vividly remembers on October 2, 2022, what would have been Nika's 17th birthday, she posted on social media a special commemoration to her: "It was your birthday today, my love. Today I must congratulate you on your martyrdom."

 Nasrin is a warrior. She is unafraid of speaking out against a dictatorship government, understanding the risk that it is for her life and well-being. She refuses to cower in fear and agree to the false narrative put out by the government. She refuses to go on State TV and tell a lie in order to protect her life. Nasrin refuses to keep silent about the murder of her daughter and is busy exposing the lies of this evil regime and telling it to the whole world via social media. The government has been very busy for the past two years punishing the families of slain protesters, but they picked the wrong person to punish. Nasrin will not keep silent!

  You can read the full story of Nika's last night on earth as she bravely stood up to the Islamic Republic of Iran, by reading my book, "Uprising: We are the Revolution," available in Paperback, Kindle, and Audiobook," on Amazon.

                                                                                

Lana Silk, "Iranian daughter of destiny."

 

     "That religion that costs a man nothing is usually worth nothing."

                                      *Charles Spurgeon

                                                                   

   Lana Silk is extremely passionate about Iran. God has given her a calling and a mission to reach all Iranians with the gospel. She is currently the CEO of a ministry called, "Transform Iran."

  "Transform Iran" is about reaching all of Iran with the power and love of Christ," Lana proclaims. "There are 88 million people in Iran. We believe Iran is on God's agenda, and He loves the people of Iran. He has given us the mission and mandate to bring his life-changing love to all Iranians."

   Lana's incredible story began more than four decades ago during the tumultuous beginnings of the Iranian Revolution. This is her story, her calling, and her mission.

  September 8, 1978. Tehran 

  Famously known today as "Black Friday," More than 64 protesters were shot and killed during a confrontation with the military in Jaleh Square. Dodging bullets and racing toward the hospital, Lana's mother, Maggie Yeghnazar was just about to give birth. The violent and bloody incident marked the beginning of the end for the Shah and the Pahlavi Dynasty, ushering in the Iranian Revolution.

   Reflecting back on that pivotal day, Lana felt that God was honoring her by being born on such a dramatic historical day. It would be a day that would shape the course of the rest of her life. As a young child, growing up in Iran, Lana was forced to wear the hijab while attending elementary school. She remembers that young girls coming to school in blue jeans were instructed to return home and come back wearing the proper clothing according to Islamic law. The schools were segregated because of the new Islamic Republic and one of the daily mandatory rules required of all school children was to daily chant, "Death to Israel and death to America."

 In 1988 the long, exhausting war between Iran and Iraq finally came to an end. It was at that time the persecution of Christians began. The government was now able to focus its attention back on the issues in Iran. Lana's parents, Lazarus and Maggie distinctly remember a life-changing dream that God gave both of them, in which He instructed them to leave Iran. It was a devastating experience for them. They loved their people and didn't want to leave their flock. Immediately they discussed the dream with their pastor, Haik Hovsepian. Haik persuaded them both to stay, that their Christian ministry was needed in Iran. Ironically that night however, God spoke to Pastor Haik in a dream and made it abundantly clear that it was His plan for them to leave.

  Giving away everything they owned, Lana and her parents reluctantly left Iran, not sure exactly where God was leading them. For the next several years, they met with many Iranians in the diaspora, who like them, had to leave their country because of the growing persecution. Traveling across Europe, the Yeghnazar family prayed and worshipped with many Iranians in exile, sensing that God had a special calling for them to revolutionize their homeland with the gospel.

 When Lana turned 15, she remembers the second pivotal event in her life that shaped her calling. She was about to be baptized as a committed follower of Jesus, when her younger sister ran up to her in tears screaming, "They've killed him!" Their best friend and Pastor, Haik Hovsepian had been brutally murdered by government security forces.

  The death of Haik Hovsepian was a major wake-up call in Lana's Christian walk. She remembers the shock of his death caused her to seriously evaluate what she was living for and why she was following Jesus. "God used this event in my life, " Lana recalls, "To remind me, and to give me an eternal perspective that, we are here for something much bigger than ourselves."

  In 1991, God once again spoke to Lana's parents about the direction of their ministry. He impressed the number 222 upon their minds. Through careful research, they came upon a text of scripture in 2 Timothy Chapter 2, verse 2, which says,

   "The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also."

  They immediately recognized this as a verse about discipleship and understood what the Lord was instructing them to do. Their mission was to train leaders who would then train others. The picture of God's calling had become very clear to them. Their passion was to train Iranian leaders for the underground church in Iran. They now realized why God had called them to leave Iran. He knew that the persecution would force the church to meet secretly underground. He had called them to teach and train Iranians to impact and lead the house church movement. Thus, The 222 Ministry was born, which would later become a worldwide ministry known as Transform Iran.

                                                                

  At this time, Lana was struggling with her part in the calling on her life. She had a burning passion in her heart for her homeland, for the people of Iran. Since living in the UK, she had earned college degrees in marketing, engineering, and fundraising. Lana wondered how her secular education could play a role in what God had planned for her life. Then one day, her prayers were answered. Lana's parents needed help in organizing a worldwide impact for their ministry. They asked her if she would use her skills and expertise in marketing, fundraising, and communication to oversee the outreach of the 222 Ministry. She happily agreed and once again, God had plans to move her to accomplish the next phase of her destiny.

  "You invest. You put down roots, but never assume that's where God will leave you," Lana tearfully remembers the day she left the UK to join her husband in America, while her parents kept her children. "Stretching your tent, expanding your ministry, God stretches us. It's uncomfortable, but you follow."

                                                                          

  Today, Lana is fulfilling the passionate but challenging call that God has on her life. She is the very busy CEO of "Transform Iran," a worldwide ministry whose mission is to preach the gospel to all Iranians, plant churches, and activate the body of Christ into nation-transforming missions. Her goal is to reach all of Iran with the gospel. At present, the ministry is just reaching the Farsi-speaking community with the gospel, but Lana has a vision for reaching the entire nation with the good news of Christ, where no churches are planted, and where Iranians speak different languages.

  Reflecting on the church in the West, Lana laments the reality that here in the West, we have a cheap grace, a cheap spirituality. "We have everything free. It doesn't cost us anything," she points out. "It's only when you are truly living for Christ, that it costs you something, and then your faith becomes precious." 

 There is a cost for following Jesus in Iran. If a Muslim changes his religion and converts to Christianity, it is considered apostasy and the result is either life in prison or execution. "The Ayatollahs force the people to believe in Islam. There's no choice," Lana explains, "This creates a hunger and thirst in them. In an environment where people are controlled, they are fighting and looking for water in a desert. We know that Jesus is the source of that life and they're finding him!"

  Lana is grateful for the pivotal events He has used to fulfill the calling on her life. One of her favorite quotes is by the famous British preacher, Charles Hadden Spurgeon, who once said, "That religion that costs a man nothing is usually worth nothing."

  The story, the calling, and the mission that God has placed on Lana's life has been very costly, but she is living out the dreams and the passions of her heart. From being a Sunday school teacher and worship leader in the UK to becoming the CEO of one of the largest ministries in the world is the fulfillment of a precious promise from the heart of God.

  "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future."  (Jeremiah 29:11)

  The Lord has indeed prospered and given this Iranian daughter an incredible future and an incredible destiny!