Iran: 30 converts from Islam to Christianity arrested
Again and again we see that the glowing respect that Muslim spokesmen in the West claim that Islam has for Christianity and Judaism doesn't seem to translate into any meaningful behavior to stop the persecution of the remaining Christians and Jews in the Islamic world.
"Iran: Authorities Tighten Grip On Christians As Unrest Roils," from Compass Direct, August 11 (thanks to Pamela):
LOS ANGELES, August 11 (Compass Direct News) – Amid a violent crackdown on protestors and a purge of opponents within the Iranian government, more than 30 Christians were arrested in the last two weeks near Tehran and in the northern city of Rasht.
Two waves of arrests near Tehran happened within days of each other, and while most of those detained – all converts from Islam – were held just a day for questioning, a total of eight Christians still remain in prison.
On July 31 police raided a special Christian meeting 25 kilometers (15 miles) north of Tehran in the village of Amameh in the area of Fashan. A Compass source said about 24 Christians, all converts from Islam, had gathered in a private home. In the afternoon police squads in both plain clothes and uniform raided and arrested everyone present.
“Many people stormed the villa, and in the same day they took everything,” said the source, a Christian Iranian who requested anonymity.
All present were taken by private car to their residences, where police took all their passports, documents, cash, CDs, computers and mobile phones, and from there to the police station.
“There were many cars so they could take each person with a car to their house from the meeting,” said the source. “Think of how many cars were there to arrest them. And they took all their books, PCs, CDs mobile phones, everything.”
While most of them were released the same evening, seven of them – Shahnam Behjatollah, and six others identified only as Shaheen, Maryam, Mobinaa, Mehdi, Ashraf and Nariman – all remain in detention in an unknown location. They have no contact with their family members.
Police have questioned each of their families and told them to prepare to pay bail. In the case of Behjatollah, for whom police had a warrant, authorities showed his family the official order for his arrest and told them they “knew all about him,” according to the source. Behjatollah is 34 years old, married and has a 6-year-old daughter.
The second wave of arrests of some of the same Christians near Tehran took place on Friday (Aug. 7).
“They brought the released members for interrogation to the secret police again, to get more information about their movements,” said the source.
In Rasht, a total of eight Christians belonging to the same network were arrested on July 29 and 30 in two separate rounds of arrest. Seven were released, while one, a male, remains in the city’s prison. Compass sources were unable to comment on the conditions of their arrest....
Jihad Watch: Iran: 30 converts from Islam to Christianity arrested
Again and again we see that the glowing respect that Muslim spokesmen in the West claim that Islam has for Christianity and Judaism doesn't seem to translate into any meaningful behavior to stop the persecution of the remaining Christians and Jews in the Islamic world.
"Iran: Authorities Tighten Grip On Christians As Unrest Roils," from Compass Direct, August 11 (thanks to Pamela):
LOS ANGELES, August 11 (Compass Direct News) – Amid a violent crackdown on protestors and a purge of opponents within the Iranian government, more than 30 Christians were arrested in the last two weeks near Tehran and in the northern city of Rasht.
Two waves of arrests near Tehran happened within days of each other, and while most of those detained – all converts from Islam – were held just a day for questioning, a total of eight Christians still remain in prison.
On July 31 police raided a special Christian meeting 25 kilometers (15 miles) north of Tehran in the village of Amameh in the area of Fashan. A Compass source said about 24 Christians, all converts from Islam, had gathered in a private home. In the afternoon police squads in both plain clothes and uniform raided and arrested everyone present.
“Many people stormed the villa, and in the same day they took everything,” said the source, a Christian Iranian who requested anonymity.
All present were taken by private car to their residences, where police took all their passports, documents, cash, CDs, computers and mobile phones, and from there to the police station.
“There were many cars so they could take each person with a car to their house from the meeting,” said the source. “Think of how many cars were there to arrest them. And they took all their books, PCs, CDs mobile phones, everything.”
While most of them were released the same evening, seven of them – Shahnam Behjatollah, and six others identified only as Shaheen, Maryam, Mobinaa, Mehdi, Ashraf and Nariman – all remain in detention in an unknown location. They have no contact with their family members.
Police have questioned each of their families and told them to prepare to pay bail. In the case of Behjatollah, for whom police had a warrant, authorities showed his family the official order for his arrest and told them they “knew all about him,” according to the source. Behjatollah is 34 years old, married and has a 6-year-old daughter.
The second wave of arrests of some of the same Christians near Tehran took place on Friday (Aug. 7).
“They brought the released members for interrogation to the secret police again, to get more information about their movements,” said the source.
In Rasht, a total of eight Christians belonging to the same network were arrested on July 29 and 30 in two separate rounds of arrest. Seven were released, while one, a male, remains in the city’s prison. Compass sources were unable to comment on the conditions of their arrest....
Jihad Watch: Iran: 30 converts from Islam to Christianity arrested
