Last month, Pastor Saeed’s relatives were informed that he was finally admitted to the hospital to treat his internal bleeding. They went to visit him only to be told by the guards that his treatment was canceled.

The only doctor "allowed" to treat Saeed reportedly was not even at the hospital.   Guards beat Saeed before leaving the hospital.

He was beaten again when he returned to the prison.   After abusing him, the guards and prisoners mocked him as they paraded him through the prison.   Saeed is now in solitary confinement (a brutal form of torture) and experiencing complications with his kidneys as a result of the beatings and internal bleeding.

The international community has voiced strong support for Saeed, but the White House has been seemingly passive - especially given that Saeed is an American citizen.  

For this reason, U.S. Congressmen Cassidy and Labrador have drafted a resolution calling for the State Department to intensify its efforts to secure Saeed’s release.   The resolution is now being circulated in Congress for co-sponsors.

Given Saeed's failing medical condition, it is imperative that we all pray and speak out for his immediate medical care and unconditional release from Evin prison.

We encourage you to get involved by writing a letter directly to Saeed in Evin prison.  It is proven that letters to prisoners do make a difference!  Prisoners are treated more humanely when prison officials receive waves of letters and are reminded that the world is watching.

Feel free to use the sample letter below or to write your own.   Please be encouraging and do not say anything negative about the Iranian government.   Also, do not mention any organizations or churches that are supporting or advocating to free Christian prisoners because this could potentially put Saeed or others in greater danger.

Please forward this post to your friends who love Jesus and pray.

grace and peace,
brother Dominic

 
Sample Letter:

Dear Pastor Saeed Abedini,

I am writing to let you know there are a lot of people thinking, praying, and advocating for your immediate and unconditional release.

No one should be imprisoned for their religious beliefs. Your courage and grace has inspired many.   I pray daily for your release and safe keeping. You are a blessing from God to His people in Iran.

God bless you and God bless the people of Iran.

Sincerely,



Saeed’s Address:
Saeed Abedinigalangashi
Evin Prison
Saadat Abad
Tehran
Islamic Republic of Iran

Special thanks to our friends at Jubilee Campaign for originating this post.
Jubilee Campaign

^{(Christian Nina Oshana, gunned down by the Free Syrian Army)}

Christians remaining in Syria have been given three choices by the American supported Free Syrian Army (FSA): convert to Islam, flee their homeland, or die.  It is widely believed that this Islamic ideology will be enacted nationwide if President Assad is overthrown.  

Many Westerners falsely assume that since the FSA opposes a dictatorship, they must be democratic, secular, and tolerant.  In reality, however, the FSA seeks to establish a totally Islamic state governed by Sharia law.

Although many have suffered as a result of the civil war, Christians are special targets of the Muslim paradigm.  Christian refugees describe kidnapping, rape, harassment, torture, theft, and murder as commonplace activities toward believers in areas that the FSA has taken over.

“Just being Christian is enough to be a target,” report survivors.   Nina Oshana was one of the innocent victims.  She was simply a young Christian woman riding a bus.  The FSA attacked the bus and shot and killed her.

U.S. Congressman Frank Wolf (R-Va.) recently traveled to the Middle East and met with Syrian refugees in an urgent attempt to bring attention to this situation and spur U.S. policymakers to action.  During his visit, Congressman Wolf confirmed the true plight of Christians like Nina: they are not victims of generalized violence, but are persecuted by brutality, discrimination, and displacement.

Remember the prisoners, as though in prison with them,
and those who are ill-treated, since you yourselves also are in the body. 
(Hebrews 13:3 NASB)

Please continue to remember to pray for our brothers and sisters in Syria.

Please forward this post to your friends who love Jesus and pray.

^{(AFP Photo / Munir Uz Zaman)}

Muslims in Bangladesh are rioting in an aggressive effort to force the government to adopt Islamic laws.  Their demands include an ambiguous Pakistan styled anti-blasphemy law and death penalty for those who are perceived to speak in opposition to Islam.

The passage of these laws would be disastrous for our 1,000,000 Christian brothers and sisters who live in Bangladesh.   Pakistan has already revealed the blasphemy law’s true nature: to persecute, falsely imprison and murder Christians with impunity.

Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina boldly denied the Islamists’ demands and declared that Bangladesh will remain a “secular democracy.”

In response, the Islamists are threatening to bring the country “to a grinding halt” if the government does not meet their ultimatum by May 5.   This is serious – 90% of Bangladesh’s 154 million people are Muslim!

Please pray hard that the LORD would uphold Prime Minister Hasina and the Bangladeshi government, and not allow the passage of the Islamic and anti-blasphemy laws.

Please forward this to your friends who love Jesus and pray.

grace and peace,
brother Dominic

Sources for this post:
World Watch Monitor
International Christian Concern
RT

For this reason many Iranian Christian converts have fled to Sweden for asylum.   However, Swedish immigration officials are now illegally forcing them to return to Iran. 

We can’t imagine the nightmare these Christians will face when they deplane in Iran and are handed over to the Iranian authorities who are eagerly awaiting their return. 

Please click and watch the above video to meet Ali, Mahtab and their daughter.   They are just 3 of the many Iranian Christians who have been denied asylum and are now facing peril and death upon returning to Iran.  

According to the United Nations Refugee Convention, Sweden is required to provide protection and material assistance to these Christian asylum seekers.   The reality is that Sweden will continue to deport them until enough people speak up on their behalf. 

Please pray that the Swedish authorities would have mercy on immigrating Christians and not send them back to Iran.  

Also, please pray for Mute No More as we prepare to launch an advocacy campaign on behalf of these Iranian brothers and sisters in the Lord.

grace and peace,
brother Dominic 

Sources of Information for this post:
CBN News 

_{For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison.}
^{(2 Corinthians 4:17 NASB)}

Pastor Saeed’s wife, Naghmeh, has received a new letter from her husband.  

After six months in prison, Saeed writes that he saw himself in the mirror of an elevator and didn’t recognize himself because of the beatings.   He said that he had not received medical care because of his faith.  The prison medical staff would not treat him and told him, “in our religion we are not supposed to touch you, you are unclean…Christians are unclean!”   

Yet our brother Saeed continues to love those who hate him and he supernaturally writes about the importance of forgiveness.   He says that we must all forgive “so that we don’t become like the person we despised and who persecuted and tortured us.”

He said “I forgave the interrogator who beat me. I smiled at him and with respect shook his hand and I said my goodbye.  The minute I forgave them and loved them, that second I was filled with unspeakable joy.  I saw in the eyes of the interrogator that he had come to respect me and as he was leaving, he could not look behind him.” 

Brother Saeed concluded his letter with: “The Joy of the Lord is my strength.”

On the political front… Brazil, a country that has diplomatic relations with Iran, has joined the European Union and Australia in calling for Saeed Abedini’s release.

Thank the Lord for courageous and persevering Congressmen. The White House has finally broken its silence after receiving a strong letter from Congress demanding the State Department’s involvement. 

For the first time, a State Department spokesperson has called for Pastor Saeed’s release before the U.N. Human Rights Council.   In addition, Secretary of State Kerry has finally issued a statement urging Iran to immediately release Pastor Abedini. 

Secretary Kerry’s statement should be a significant step forward in our government’s involvement to secure brother Saeed’s release. 

PLEASE  CONTINUE  TO  PRAY. 

grace and peace,
brother Dominic 

Sources of Information for this post:
America Center for Law and Justice