Abedini, Naghmeh. "Jailed for Practicing Christianity in Iran." American Center for Law and Justice. The Wall Street Journal, 27 Sept. 13. Web.
This is a letter written from Saeed Abedini’s wife to the current president of Iran. Saeed Abedini has been in prison since the summer of 2012 for religious reasons. In this letter, Saeed’s wife explains how “Saeed holds dual U.S. and Iranian citizenship. For the past few years, he and I have been building an orphanage in Iran, construction that was approved by the government. In 2009, Saeed was assured by the Iranian intelligence ministry that he could come and go freely in the country, and that he would not be prosecuted for his earlier leadership in Christian churches. The intelligence officials stipulated that Saeed had to stop serving as a pastor for a network of Christian churches in Iran” (Abedini, 2013). She also mentions that based on Article 13 in Iran’s constitution, “Zoroastrian, Jewish, and Christian Iranians are the only recognized religious minorities, who, within the limits of the law, are free to perform their religious rites and ceremonies, and to act according to their own canon in matters of personal affairs and religious education” (Abedini, 2013). She continues by adding that Saeed was both physically and psychologically abused while in prison. In the end, she asks for mercy and wants president Rohani to set her husband free.
Annonymous. "Daniel Pipes: Religious Persecution in Islamic Middle East "Acquiring Genocidal Characteristics"." Politics & Government Week. N.p., 22 Mar. 2012.
This news article is based on Daniel Pipes' 25-minute address on “Religious Minorities in an Increasingly Intolerant Middle East.” In his address, Pipes talks about different instances of persecution in different Middle Eastern countries including Iran and concludes that “The challenge before us is to find a set of policies that allow Western governments to stand up against this persecution.” At the end, he asks Barack Obama to make the survival of Christianity and Judaism in the Middle East a priority in the current religious/political turmoil.
Annonymous. "Ignoring Persecution of Christians." The Wall Street Journal[New York] Sept. 2014, Eastern ed.: A.14.
Written by an anonymous writer, this Wall Street Journal article describes the ignorance towards the Christians in the Middle East during that past 50 years and how many Christians have had to flee the country because of all the existing political pressure. One interesting point that the author of this article brings up is that “it's not only the jihadists who are de-Christianizing the Mideast, where Christianity began. It's the whole region's governments and people” (2014). Therefore, the author believes that the religious intolerance has been caused not by just a single group but by the Muslim majority in the region.
Lewis, Bernard. "Secularism in the Middle East." Revue De Métaphysique et De Morale 100.2, LA SÉCULARISATION (1995): 151-64. JSTOR. Web.
This article gives an overview of cultural diffusion between the Arabic culture and Christian beliefs in the Middle Eastern countries such as Lebanon and Syria. It goes over how the separation of church and state—which he believes is a fundamental belief in Christianity—has been opposed to by the Middle Eastern governments. A great example of a Muslim extremist’s idea is mentioned by Lewis that “The solution is the same for all of these - to remove the alien and pagan laws and customs imposed by foreign imperialists and native reformers, and restore the only true law, the all-embracing law of God. The proponents of this doctrine won power in Iran in 1979” (161). Lewis believes that this cultural diffusion has encompassed many wars and battles that continue up to this day.
Mccallum, Fiona. "Religious Institutions and Authoritarian States: Church–state Relations in the Middle East." Third World Quarterly 33.1 (2012): 109-24. Web.
This article focuses on the church-state relationships in the three Middle Eastern countries of Egypt, Jordan and Syria. I discusses that although it is perceived that Middle Eastern churches are supportive of the authoritarian states in the region, they are actually divided into two main groups: Some that see their survival in light of working under the political authority of their respective countries and the others that are half autonomous and half submissive to the government. Fiona believes that the churches that are completely submissive have a higher chance of survival in the Middle Eastern countries while the churches that agitate for democratization. Fiona also mentions that “When dealing with insecurity, churches are faced with a dilemma: whether to defend communal rights at all costs or to exercise some self-censorship in the knowledge that the government is the ultimate provider of their security” (Third World Quarterly, 116). Therefore, there is always a constant struggle when a church decides not to be completely regulated by the government.
Nazir-Ali, Michael. "Christianity in Iran: A Brief Survey." International Journal for the Study of the Christian Church 9.1 (2009): 32-40. Web.
This article by Nazir-Ali, is a brief history of Christianity in Iran. At first, he goes over the way Christianity was first brought to Iran and how it has played different roles in the Iranian art and culture. He also goes over the history of Christianity after the Muslim conquest of Persia to modern-day Christianity and the recent struggles. Nazir-Ali writes “The authorities, on the one hand, are professing greater openness and declare that there is complete religious freedom: on the other hand, churches are still being closed down, Christian leaders arrested, and restrictions on the publication of the Bible and other Christian literature continue” (38). He believes that house churches might be a solution to the current restrictions on Christianity.
Prosor, Ron. "The Middle East War on Christians." The Middle East War on Christians. The Wall Street Journal, 17 Apr. 2014. Web.
This news article is about the current situation of Christianity in the Middle East. It states that all the three Abrahamic religions started in that region, Islamic extremists have been trying to get rid of the other two and turn that region into a unified Muslim state. Prosor, who is Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations mentions that “For 2,000 years, Christian communities dotted the region, enriching the Arab world with literature, culture and commerce. At the turn of the 20th century, Christians made up 26% of the Middle East's population. Today, that figure has dwindled to less than 10%. Intolerant and extremist governments are driving away the Christian communities that have lived in the Middle East since their faith was born” (2014). He goes on by writing that “In the Islamic Republic of Iran, expressions of political dissent are regarded as acts of blasphemy. Last summer, three Iranian Christians caught selling Bibles were found guilty of ‘crimes against state security’ and sentenced to 10 years in prison. They were relatively lucky. The regime has executed dozens of people for the so-called crimes of ‘waging war against God’ and ‘spreading corruption on Earth’ (2014). In the end, Prosor asks for change in regards to the current religious intolerance in the Middle East.
Translated Articles:
1) "موسسسه فرهنگی و اطلاع رسانی تبیان." تبليغ گسترده مسيحيت در ايران با 6 روش. Shia News, 11 Dec. 2008. Web. 09 Dec. 2014.
2) کشیش ندرخانی از زندان آزاد شد. BBC, 08 Sept. 2012. Web. 09 Dec. 2014.
3) "مسیحیت در ایران: جرم سیاسی ـ امنیتی." صدای آمریکا. N.p., 23 June 2012. Web. 16 Dec. 2014.
This is a letter written from Saeed Abedini’s wife to the current president of Iran. Saeed Abedini has been in prison since the summer of 2012 for religious reasons. In this letter, Saeed’s wife explains how “Saeed holds dual U.S. and Iranian citizenship. For the past few years, he and I have been building an orphanage in Iran, construction that was approved by the government. In 2009, Saeed was assured by the Iranian intelligence ministry that he could come and go freely in the country, and that he would not be prosecuted for his earlier leadership in Christian churches. The intelligence officials stipulated that Saeed had to stop serving as a pastor for a network of Christian churches in Iran” (Abedini, 2013). She also mentions that based on Article 13 in Iran’s constitution, “Zoroastrian, Jewish, and Christian Iranians are the only recognized religious minorities, who, within the limits of the law, are free to perform their religious rites and ceremonies, and to act according to their own canon in matters of personal affairs and religious education” (Abedini, 2013). She continues by adding that Saeed was both physically and psychologically abused while in prison. In the end, she asks for mercy and wants president Rohani to set her husband free.
Annonymous. "Daniel Pipes: Religious Persecution in Islamic Middle East "Acquiring Genocidal Characteristics"." Politics & Government Week. N.p., 22 Mar. 2012.
This news article is based on Daniel Pipes' 25-minute address on “Religious Minorities in an Increasingly Intolerant Middle East.” In his address, Pipes talks about different instances of persecution in different Middle Eastern countries including Iran and concludes that “The challenge before us is to find a set of policies that allow Western governments to stand up against this persecution.” At the end, he asks Barack Obama to make the survival of Christianity and Judaism in the Middle East a priority in the current religious/political turmoil.
Annonymous. "Ignoring Persecution of Christians." The Wall Street Journal[New York] Sept. 2014, Eastern ed.: A.14.
Written by an anonymous writer, this Wall Street Journal article describes the ignorance towards the Christians in the Middle East during that past 50 years and how many Christians have had to flee the country because of all the existing political pressure. One interesting point that the author of this article brings up is that “it's not only the jihadists who are de-Christianizing the Mideast, where Christianity began. It's the whole region's governments and people” (2014). Therefore, the author believes that the religious intolerance has been caused not by just a single group but by the Muslim majority in the region.
Lewis, Bernard. "Secularism in the Middle East." Revue De Métaphysique et De Morale 100.2, LA SÉCULARISATION (1995): 151-64. JSTOR. Web.
This article gives an overview of cultural diffusion between the Arabic culture and Christian beliefs in the Middle Eastern countries such as Lebanon and Syria. It goes over how the separation of church and state—which he believes is a fundamental belief in Christianity—has been opposed to by the Middle Eastern governments. A great example of a Muslim extremist’s idea is mentioned by Lewis that “The solution is the same for all of these - to remove the alien and pagan laws and customs imposed by foreign imperialists and native reformers, and restore the only true law, the all-embracing law of God. The proponents of this doctrine won power in Iran in 1979” (161). Lewis believes that this cultural diffusion has encompassed many wars and battles that continue up to this day.
Mccallum, Fiona. "Religious Institutions and Authoritarian States: Church–state Relations in the Middle East." Third World Quarterly 33.1 (2012): 109-24. Web.
This article focuses on the church-state relationships in the three Middle Eastern countries of Egypt, Jordan and Syria. I discusses that although it is perceived that Middle Eastern churches are supportive of the authoritarian states in the region, they are actually divided into two main groups: Some that see their survival in light of working under the political authority of their respective countries and the others that are half autonomous and half submissive to the government. Fiona believes that the churches that are completely submissive have a higher chance of survival in the Middle Eastern countries while the churches that agitate for democratization. Fiona also mentions that “When dealing with insecurity, churches are faced with a dilemma: whether to defend communal rights at all costs or to exercise some self-censorship in the knowledge that the government is the ultimate provider of their security” (Third World Quarterly, 116). Therefore, there is always a constant struggle when a church decides not to be completely regulated by the government.
Nazir-Ali, Michael. "Christianity in Iran: A Brief Survey." International Journal for the Study of the Christian Church 9.1 (2009): 32-40. Web.
This article by Nazir-Ali, is a brief history of Christianity in Iran. At first, he goes over the way Christianity was first brought to Iran and how it has played different roles in the Iranian art and culture. He also goes over the history of Christianity after the Muslim conquest of Persia to modern-day Christianity and the recent struggles. Nazir-Ali writes “The authorities, on the one hand, are professing greater openness and declare that there is complete religious freedom: on the other hand, churches are still being closed down, Christian leaders arrested, and restrictions on the publication of the Bible and other Christian literature continue” (38). He believes that house churches might be a solution to the current restrictions on Christianity.
Prosor, Ron. "The Middle East War on Christians." The Middle East War on Christians. The Wall Street Journal, 17 Apr. 2014. Web.
This news article is about the current situation of Christianity in the Middle East. It states that all the three Abrahamic religions started in that region, Islamic extremists have been trying to get rid of the other two and turn that region into a unified Muslim state. Prosor, who is Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations mentions that “For 2,000 years, Christian communities dotted the region, enriching the Arab world with literature, culture and commerce. At the turn of the 20th century, Christians made up 26% of the Middle East's population. Today, that figure has dwindled to less than 10%. Intolerant and extremist governments are driving away the Christian communities that have lived in the Middle East since their faith was born” (2014). He goes on by writing that “In the Islamic Republic of Iran, expressions of political dissent are regarded as acts of blasphemy. Last summer, three Iranian Christians caught selling Bibles were found guilty of ‘crimes against state security’ and sentenced to 10 years in prison. They were relatively lucky. The regime has executed dozens of people for the so-called crimes of ‘waging war against God’ and ‘spreading corruption on Earth’ (2014). In the end, Prosor asks for change in regards to the current religious intolerance in the Middle East.
Translated Articles:
1) "موسسسه فرهنگی و اطلاع رسانی تبیان." تبليغ گسترده مسيحيت در ايران با 6 روش. Shia News, 11 Dec. 2008. Web. 09 Dec. 2014.
2) کشیش ندرخانی از زندان آزاد شد. BBC, 08 Sept. 2012. Web. 09 Dec. 2014.
3) "مسیحیت در ایران: جرم سیاسی ـ امنیتی." صدای آمریکا. N.p., 23 June 2012. Web. 16 Dec. 2014.