Iran Working Group, International Religious Freedom Office Iran calls on the ruling regime in Iran to respect religious freedom

Shabtabnews – Iran Working Group, International Religious Freedom Office Iran in a statement calls on the ruling regime in Iran to respect religious freedom.

The statement declared that : “Since the inception of the ruling regime in Iran, a persistent theme of oppression has been the intensification of the persecution of religious minorities during times of particular significance for these communities. Over the past 42 years, Iranian Christians, and particularly Muslim-background Christians, have endured such atrocities, particularly during Christmas and Easter, forcing many of them to practice their faith in secret, underground churches. With Easter fast approaching, Iranian Christians are faced with celebrating Easter in fear of raids on their churches, arrests, interrogations, long prison sentences and even death. We, the members of the Iran Working Group at the International Religious Freedom Office, ask the International Community to stand with the people of Iran and call on the ruling regime in Iran to respect this most basic of God-given human rights, the right to practice one’s faith, and allow the Iranian Christian community to celebrate Easter with peace, joy and hope. The regime in Iran must understand that the International Community will not tolerate its oppressive policies and gross systematic violations of the rights of not just Christians, but all religious minorities in Iran.”