 Maryam Rustampoor, 27, and Marzieh Amirizadeh, 30 |
In a display of raw courage, two Iranian women in court accused of being Christian have told a government prosecutor that not only are they Christian, it is up to God, not a bureaucrat, to whom He talks.
Maryam Rustampoor, 27, and Marzieh Amirizadeh, 30, appeared in court in Iran yesterday to be interrogated by a prosecutor.
They’ve been held in prison since March 5 when they were taken into custody because of their faith.
The Sunday hearing, at which they were supposed to hear their sentences on allegations of apostasy, instead devolved into another interrogation, this one run by the deputy prosecutor identified only by his surname, Haddad.
According to a report from the Christian ministry called Elam, a dramatic part of the hearing came when they refused to deny their Christian faith.
They explained that God had convicted them through the Holy Spirit.
“It is impossible for God to speak with humans,” Haddad stated.
“Are you questioning whether God is Almighty?” Amirizadeh asked him.
To which Haddad then replied. “You are not worthy for God to speak to you.”
“It is God, and not you, who determines if I am worthy,” she said.
Eventually Haddad instructed the women to go back to their prison cells and think about their options, and to return to court when they are ready to comply.
“We have already done our thinking,” the woman said, according to Elam, a ministry founded in 1988 by senior Iranian church leaders with a vision to serve the growing Iranian Christian community.
The fact that no verdict was given in the case indicates the court is focusing solely on the women’s Christian faith and no other “offense.”
Haddad earlier had asked if the women were Christian.
“We love Jesus,” they replied.
“You were Muslims and now you have become Christians,” Haddad stated.
“We were born in Muslim families, but we were not Muslims,” the women said.
The deputy prosecutor asked about their regrets, and they said, “We have no regrets.”
“You should renounce your faith verbally and in written form,” he warned.
They refused.
Eventually they were returned to Evin prison. The Elam report said during the five months of their prison stay, both have been sick and lost weight.
“Marzieh is in pain due to an on-going problem with her spine, as well as an infected tooth and intense headaches. She desperately needs medical attention,” the Elam report said. “Two months ago the prison officials told her the prison had proper medical equipment and that they will attend to her, but so far no proper treatment has been given.”
On a blog for the Voice of the Martyrs, there was a suggestion for prayer for the two.
Under Shariah law, the penalty for apostasy often is death. According to reports about the punishment system within Iran, for women the execution often is preceded by rape.
Reports have revealed that both women have been subjected to solitary confinement as well as extended interrogations already, with health problems resulting.
“Despite the concentrated effort of officials to pressure them into recanting their faith, Maryam and Marzieh love Jesus and they are determined to stand firm to the very end no matter whatever happens,” the Elam report said. “They have demonstrated their love for Jesus and would offer their lives for Him if they were called to do so.
“Maryam and Marzieh’s case is a clear and harsh violation of human rights and religious liberty by Iran’s authorities. They deserve the support of all those who respect human rights and to be released without charges so they can pursue a life of freedom.”
