Amid all the controversies about Qur’an-burning in the West, Islamic apologists are frequently asserting that Muslims, in contrast to wicked Western Christians, respect all religions. This kind of story shows that this claim is, unfortunately, not quite always true.
“‘As a mother there was nothing I could do to calm my child and it was very painful,’” Article 18, July 14, 2023:
Amid and Sanaz’s son Danial was just four years old when Ministry of Intelligence agents came to arrest his parents.
The agents – three male, two female – first searched the family’s home and confiscated anything that could conceivably be considered related to Christianity, including some of Danial’s toys.
“‘Why are you taking that?’ I asked when an agent took away one of my son’s toys: a Santa in a snow globe,” Sanaz recalls. “He said: ‘It’s a symbol of Christianity, and should be confiscated!’”
“My son was crying profusely and wanted his tablet and toys,” Amid says. “It was very painful to see my son’s fear and tears.”
Amid and Sanaz had converted to Christianity a few years earlier, and after the Persian-speaking church they had been attending was told it could no longer welcome converts, they had started hosting church services in their home.
By the time of their arrest, in December 2015, Amid and Sanaz had been hosting church services for around three and a half years, and Amid says that “for a while” they had been anticipating the day of their arrest.
Because of this, he explains, the couple had even cancelled their Christmas party that year, and had hidden some of their personal items, like their passports, baptism certificates, and computer, which contained information about the names of church members, as well as audio files of sermons and worship songs.
They also had a number of Bibles and Christian books hidden away in a corner of their yard, covered with a cloth, and although the agents searched the house from 6.30 in the morning until noon, they didn’t find them.
But they did find the family’s Christmas trees.
“The agent took them and said: ‘They haven’t got just one or two, but three trees!’” Sanaz explains. “‘Now we’ll take you and give you a lecture so that from now on you celebrate the birth of Prophet Muhammad!’”
Amid’s elderly parents lived on the floor above them, and “cried a lot” during their arrest, Amid says, and asked: “Sir, where are you taking them? What will happen to them?”
“The officers didn’t answer their questions,” Amid says, “though one of them eventually lied: ‘In the afternoon or tomorrow, they’ll return home.’ Then he said to my son: ‘Don’t worry, your mum will come back soon and clean the house.’ My father, mother and son were crying, and mine and my wife’s hearts were full of pain.”
Sanaz adds: “My son Danial was afraid of the behaviour of the agents, and was crying, and now he was going to be left without us, and had to stay with his grandparents. I asked an agent to let me hold my son for a minute before leaving, but he wouldn’t allow it!”
Amid and Sanaz were then driven away, and detained separately in unknown locations – in conditions Amid describes as “excruciating”, and “like hell” – for 18 and seven days, respectively, during which time they were repeatedly interrogated about their Christian activities, threatened, and told to “repent and return to Islam”.
At first, they were also refused permission to call their son, but even when this permission was eventually granted, they were made to regret it.
“When I called, my husband’s family picked up the phone and cried when they heard my voice and said: ‘Where are you?’” Sanaz recalls. “‘Since the day you left, your child has only been crying and won’t stop!’ I could hear Danial crying. As a mother, there was nothing I could do to calm my child and it was very painful. I talked to my son for about two to three minutes. Hearing my son crying made me feel worse and I said to myself that I wish I hadn’t called.
“After I ended the call, the interrogator said: ‘Where is your Jesus now? You heard your child crying; now calm him down!’ I said: ‘I didn’t do anything bad or wrong!’ He said: ‘You changed the thinking of a generation, and you say I didn’t do anything!’”
After Sanaz’s release on bail, she was summoned again and told that her husband would only be released if they both signed two blank promissory notes, which essentially meant pledging to pay an unknown person the equivalent of $200,000.
“We want to be reassured that you won’t continue your Christian activities once you are released,” the interrogator explained to Amid when he was asked to add his signature to the notes. “If you start your activities again, we’ll arrest you, and this time we’ll take you to the prison because the promissory notes show you owe a lot of money!”…
somehistory says
This should be shouted for the world to hear. But it won’t be. There is too much cover for the ‘image” of this wild beast from satan.
It is not uncommon for those who have no respect for the belief of others, or dislike Christianity, or hate the followers of Jesus to ask such as, “Where is your Jesus (or God) now?” when things are happening to the Christian to whom they speak.
I have read numerous accounts of Christians being asked that by hitler’s troops when torturing those whom they hated.
That fact is because those who are not Christian, do not, and cannot understand Christian Faith.
The Apostle Peter said that Christians would be “mocked,” and would be asked, “Where is this promised presence of His, for things are continuing exactly as from the world’s beginning until now.”
True Christians know that relief may be long in coming; Jesus never promised that it would be easy to keep one’s faith. In fact, He warned of the persecution to come. He also promised that He would come at the right time.
This poor little family. I do hope and pray they can maintain their faith; and that they can escape to a safer place.
bill says
One can ask the same thing of a Muslim about “allah” when they are captured. the fact is that whatever you choose to call “god” he or she never helps anybody as a bit of time studying history will show
PRCS says
+1
somehistory says
You study the wrong “history” and your comparison of Christian faith to what mozlums pretend is putrid.
Christians have something which others refuse and it just tears the refusers up inside.
It doesn’t matter if you and your fellow atheists….those raised by Christian parents or otherwise…want to deny, attempt to tear down, or mock.
Christians….those who **really are*** Christian, not just maybe once considered to be…know and have something others do not, cannot, and don’t want to understand.
Everyone, Christians and others…mockers included….will reap and the Truth will out.
Some will reap the good fruit they have sown.
PRCS says
1. He said, “the fact is that whatever you choose to call “god” he or she never helps anybody as a bit of time studying history will show”.
YOU need to read with understanding.
2. “Everyone, Christians and others…mockers included….will reap and the Truth will out.
Some will reap the good fruit they have sown.”
Another example of presenting belief as fact.
PRCS says
“Everyone, Christians and others…mockers included….will reap and the Truth will out.
Some will reap the good fruit they have sown.”
Do you read palms too?
Janu says
Please write on ‘Gajwa e hind’
PRCS says
“That fact is because those who are not Christian, do not, and cannot understand Christian Faith.”
That is not a fact.
An unknown number of ex-Christians DO understand Christianity.
PS: yes, hoping they can escape to a safer place.
somehistory says
You need to learn to read with understanding. You put the “fact” with the wrong part.
Furthermore,
You have asked the same question, so it is a “fact” that Christian faith, something you don’t have, is something your don’t understand. If you ever really had it, you would still.
PRCS says
I understand it which is why I reject it.
somehistory says
No, you don’t understand it. You never did **know** God or His Son or you would not now say they don’t exist.
Even if you had *lost faith* due to your lack of accurate knowledge, if you ever had any real faith, you would not now say that God and His Son don’t exist.
You might deny that they ever help anyone if you felt they never helped you, but you would not deny them if you had ever Known them in order to have faith in them.
When you *know* someone, you don’t later say that someone never existed. You may cut ties, cease having a relationship with that one, but you don’t say they never existed.
So, you don’t **understand** the Faith of True Christians. You never did.
Mockers mock for the same reason mozlums mocked these people.
One of your fellow atheists here said essentially, ‘atheists don’t believe, they know’
Atheists don’t “know” any such thing as that God does not exist, or that He will not help these Christians….being persecuted and *mocked* by mozlums.
atheists only *believe* what they want to be true.
FYI says
Iranian Ministry of intelligence?What intelligence?Terrorizing a little boy and confiscating his toys?
That’s not very intelligent but then clearly that is not a requirement to work for the Iranian ministry of intelligence is it?
And santa claus is not actually a symbol of christianity.
Say Where is your muhammed now?
Is he still flying around up in the clouds on buraq,his flying female centaur with a peacock tail.
Here buraq..come on girl..where are you?She must be still up there.
And you’ll never defeat Israel.Never.”it is written” ..but not in your holey quran.But you’ll never get that in the ministry of intelligence!
࿗Infidel࿘ says
More accurately, it’s their spy agency
somehistory says
Yes. “intelligence” is sorely lacking. They just want to catch their enemies who know the Truth.
FYI says
Sure.All the more reason you would think they have better things to do than bully these nice people.
Israel has a number of Biblical prophecies associated with it.All attempts to destroy Israel generally end in catastrophe.It exists against all odds.It is that David and Goliath thing.allah is not the Biblical God and islam has no prophecy source.Iranians should actually stay away from Israel!But they won’t.
somehistory says
And here, on the other side of the w orld, where mozlums are doing their utmost to take over,
“Muslim woman allegedly forced to remove hijab after arrest by Kentucky police”
“”The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is now calling for redress through an investigation on the alleged mistreatment of the Muslim woman, CAIR stated in a Friday press release.”
She broke the law; was arrested and then didn’t want to follow directions about having her mug shot taken. Always, they must demand special treatment.
while others in mozlum ruled lands, break no law, and are mistreated and threatened with more mistreatment. c.a.i.r. supposedly *cares* about “human rights.” The only *rights* about which mozlums care, are those they can use to their advantage, even if they must fabricate their so-called rights.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/muslim-woman-allegedly-forced-to-remove-hijab-after-arrest-by-kentucky-police/ar-AA1edpxd?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=a6df342e292e42cbbb11a0caaadb2b9a&ei=18
PRCS says
See also Larry Estevan’s Citizens for Confronting CAIR on Television
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hswnwr5UVsY
Clifford Fodor says
Our “Jesus” told us this would happen right after His death and up to the time of His Second Coming. “Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted; and shall kill you; and you shall be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. (Matthew 24:9).
somehistory says
And He said, “In the world you are having tribulation; But take courage, I have conquered the world.” He is Alive and knows everything that is happening. God says, “I will repay,” and repay He will.
Linde B. says
This is one hellish and disgusting story. No Christian should ever have to go through this
from their own government. ? I would be very interested to learn what happened to this couple and their children and parents.
I pray nothing bad happened to any of them and that they are still believers in Jesus Christ.+
Hudders. says
Don’t worry you despicable, utterly evil muslim fiend;
for The Lord Jesus, King of Glory and commander of the Heavenly Hosts, is there alright;
-watching, seeing all.
He has your name in that book of His, for the REAL judgement day. Not the FAKE allah one.
Jesus was watching your interrogation.
1PETER 3:12 KJV
‘FOR THE EYES OF THE LORD ARE OVER THE RIGHTEOUS,
AND HIS EARS ARE OPEN UNTO THEIR PRAYERS;
BUT THE FACE OF THE LORD IS AGAINST THEM THAT DO EVIL.’
Taunt, bully, torture and torment the Lord’s children as you will.
But He is watching.
PRCS says
He’s watching, you say.
And doing nothing about it.
somehistory says
Surely, you aren’t claiming to be able to see into Heaven?
PRCS says
Given man’s lengthy existence on this round earth, why does your god permit the continued suffering?
Because he either doesn’t exist or he (a) cannot do so, (b) enjoys watching it happen.
somehistory says
You know absolutely nothing about my God.
Your purpose in mocking anyone here who has faith in Him is akin to the mockers in islam. The purpose is the same…..make the Christian feel hopeless and alone.
I totally reject your **assumptions** about Someone you don’t know, never knew, and don’t want to know, based on your constant harping about His lack of caring or power.
I also know that nothing will make you stop your mockery before He does as He says He will do.
so…give it your best shot….or are you just a computer somewhere sending bots?
sunny imarhiagbe says
To be honest, we are the called, and the separated. As long as we are not of the world, we will continue to experience such. But thanks be to God who will not forget our labour of love. In His time, He will rise and intervene for His children. God bless you ? ❤️
Scotsman48 says
Iran Ministry of Intelligence Agents seems like an oxymoron to me.
Those Of The Far Left in the Western World seem to have no idea about how much they are being played for fools by muslims who demand they do what their evil book tells them to do.
No strange alliance has ever existed where the followers of islam and those Of The Left and the Gay Mafia are all buddies.
Gurek says
Yep, the far-left will be thrown in the trash bin of the history as soon as Muslims come to power, just as they did to the Iranian leftists after the Islamic revolution.
PRCS says
+1
Bromin says
Muslims ( or more precisely Islam, as some born muslims are aware of the falseness and criminal incitation of islam) nver respect you, your religion, your freedom, they behave falsely to impose their disgusting vomit first ( asking for tolerance) and as soon as possible impose their fascism in any place they can
Never trust muslims, never allow them to infect your country