Secret Church |
| New Leadership or “New Leadership”? Posted: 25 Jun 2013 04:15 AM PDT
In a country whose government suppresses Christianity, it might have been expected that believers would express hope for improvement under President Rouhani’s fresh leadership. However, according to an Open Doors field worker, Christians there “seemed rather apathetic about the elections.” The worker went on to explain that “they don’t seem to expect significant changes in Iran’s policies against Christians.” Why the seemingly pessimistic expectations? Although Rouhani spoke of repairing the tattered relationship Iran has with the western world while campaigning, even of releasing political prisoners, he remains loyal to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, and Ayatollah Khamenei does not have the reputation of a “reformer.” This is significant because the way Iran’s government is set up, the Ayatollah is actually the religious and political head, over even the president. Unfortunately, Ayatollah Khamenei’s track record makes it clear that he is not exercising his authority in Christians’ favor… it was under his leadership that former President Manhmoud Ahmadinejad ramped up persecution of religious minorities. Listen to this Iranian believer’s solemn warning: "In your Western media, the candidates are divided into conservatives and reformers, as if there is a choice, but let me tell you this: there is no choice. All of the candidates are from Ayatollah Khamenei's team." So with President Rouhani on what appears to be a tight leash, and being unsure of how serious he was about his campaign promises anyway, the future for Christians in Iran is uncertain. The question is, “Will anything actually change under the supposed new leadership?” and at this point it is unanswerable. While there is not yet reason for despair, there is reason for concern. And while Christians always have reason for hope and joy, only time will tell if they currently have a reason for celebrating under the direction of President Rouhani. We need to pray for our brothers and sisters in Iran. This information was gathered from an Open Doors prayer update. |
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