11/21/2019 Iran (International Christian Concern) – An Iranian Christian was reportedly killed on Sunday in Fardis while participating in the protests which erupted recently across the country. Ashur Kalta was 37 years old. He was an Assyrian Christian, which means that unlike Persian Christians, he would have had some rights recognized by the constitution, albeit extremely limited.

Protests in Iran erupted over rising fuel prices, but quickly grew into something more. Emboldened by the corresponding Iraqi protests against Iranian influence in Iraq, Iranians have flooded the streets asking for their own rights and regime change. The Iranian government has responded harshly. According to Amnesty International, at least 106 protesters have been killed across 21 cities. Others report significantly higher figures.

Similar to the protests in Iraq, Iranians are asking for a separation of religion from government. Iranian protesters are attacking Islamic seminaries in opposition to clerical rule. According to a recent Radio Farda report, at least nine Islamic seminaries and multiple Friday Prayer Imams’ offices across the country have been targeted. Slogans against the clerics have become a defining chant of the newly ignited protests. Persians are born Muslim and forced into strict observance of Islam by the government.

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