Iranian Christians; Victims of Forced Migration!
ICC Note:
Iranian Christians, especially the Assyrians and others from traditional Christian backgrounds, have immigrated from Urmia, Tabriz, and other cities and villages across Iran, Mohabat News reports.
12/11/2012 Iran (Mohabat News) – For decades the Islamic regime of Iran has been making every effort to force religious minorities to leave the country. However, despite pressures by the Islamic Republic on Christians, still many of them believe Christians were in the country before “Islam” invaded it.
According to Iranian Christian news agency, Mohabat News, Deutsche Welle reported that the number of Christian communities in Iran is decreasing mainly because Iranian Christians from different denominations have migrated to other countries in recent years.
The St. John church in Urmia, in Western Azerbaijan province, belongs to the Assyrian protestant community. The church used to be visited by more foreign tourists than what it is today. Pastor Elias, the young pastor of the church says, “Tourists have become more rare.”
The St. John church is located in the heart of Urmia in North-Western Iran and has a population of one million people. It is believed that the city was built by Assyrians in the first place. Urmia, which is close to a lake bearing the same name, in Aramaic means “the water-side city”.
More than 40 percent of the city was Christian in the early twenty century, a majority of them being Assyrian and Armenians. Assyrians have inhabited this area since the early centuries with their church being known as the Assyrian Church of the East.
Elias, who has been pastoring the St. John church for the past 27 year, says, “We are recognized as a religious minority in Iran and this is not easy at all.”
“Migration is the Greatest Problem”
Today only five thousand Assyrian Christians live in Urmia. All siblings of Pastor Elias have emigrated to Europe and United States. The only family members of his who have stayed in the country are his wife, their 17 year old son, and seven year old daughter.
He says, “The greatest problem of all is Christian migration.” He, however, wants to stay in Iran. He added confidently, “We have been here even before Islam came.”
Assyrian Christians of Iran are divided among Protestant, Orthodox and Catholic denominations. However, as Pastor Elias says, denominational differences are not taken very seriously. Even inter-denominational marriages take place sometimes and they celebrate Christmas and Easter together, regardless of their denominational affiliations.
Pastor Elias says, “Our situation is not always ideal. Iran is an Islamic country. However, the situation in Syria, where more Assyrian Christians reside is much more difficult.” As he says, a great number of Assyrians have fled Syria due to the current civil war.
The number of Christians in Tabriz is also shrinking. There are only 800 Christians currently living in Tabriz, the forth largest city in Iran. There is an Armenian church at the center of Tabriz called, St. Mary church. The church was built in twelfth century. Marco Polo mentioned this church in his itinerary.
The church’s minister says, “Most of the Christians have left the city. They have either emigrated to Europe and the United States, or moved to the larger cities like Tehran and Esfahan.”
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