by Aimee Herd : Jun 6, 2011 : Trevor Persaud – Christianity Today

“…in places like Tehran and more educated communities, if you say, ‘I have become a Christian,’ they will respect you because of your courage and your independent thinking.” -Issa Dibaj

(Iran)—Just as we have witnessed in China, where oppression against Christians there has only caused faith, and the underground Church to grow exponentially over the years; the same is reportedly happening now in Iran.

According to a recent article in Christianity Today, it was noted that Iran’s Government previously had discounted Believers denying that any “Iranians become Christians.” But that now the House Church movement has become too big for them to ignore, and they’ve subsequently labeled the grass roots movement as “enemies of Iran.”

“The Iranian public basically doesn’t trust the government anymore,” explained Abe Ghaffari, executive director of Iranian Christians International, “and they don’t trust the Muslim clergy anymore, because they have seen a lot of double standards and hypocrisy.”

Although there is still persecution of converts by family members, Christianity is becoming more tolerated by Iranian citizens, especially in urban areas.

Issa Dibaj, an Iranian Christian who works as an Elam translator, added that “in places like Tehran and more educated communities, if you say, ‘I have become a Christian,’ they will respect you because of your courage and your independent thinking.”

Still, Believers everywhere are called on to be praying for the Church in Iran. For more information on the Iranian underground Church, log onto: www.elam.com.

Read the full Christianity Today article by following the source link provided.