Women stand for religious freedom in Iran

Iran (MNN) – Iranian women are taking off their hijabs, defying authorities and the oppression they face at the hands of the government.

When Mahsa Amini was killed in 2022 for wearing her hijab incorrectly, removing a hijab became a symbolic protest in Iran.

This September, Iran’s President, Masoud Pezeshkian, criticized Iran’s hijab laws, saying, “Human beings have a right to choose.”

Around the same time that Iranian parliament member Mohammad Reza Bahonar said that hijab laws are not enforceable.

Denise Godwin from International Media Ministries says that people in the West are not aware of the different protests because they are seen as quiet. But after the confrontation with Israel this summer, arrests seemed to rise.

In some areas, businesses are being persecuted for selling to women without hijabs. In a culture like this, families may pressure women to wear them, as it could result in repercussions for neighbors.

“I think there are a lot of cultural norms that they’re up against as well in this situation,” Godwin says. “Bravo, them that are trying to take Iran, Persia, back to what it was.”

Before the last 40 years, Iran was a more secular Islamic State. Where in the 1970s people wore western-style clothing, nowadays, not wearing socks is a violation of nudity and chastity laws.

Godwin says, beyond the freedom to choose whether to wear a hijab or not, people need freedom of religion.

“Freedom to choose whether you’re going to be Islamic, even if you were born into an Islamic family. That’s not an option in Islamic countries,” she says.

As other countries also vie for human rights Godwin says, “I think it’s an incredible time in the world as we know it, to see these things changing almost daily before our eyes, and pray for powers of darkness to be thrown down, that that truth will have an opportunity, that Jesus Christ and the salvation of God can even have a chance to get into a lot of these places in the world.”

The work of IMM is a tool for this and is sending the message of God around the world before missionaries or people can. As they supply people with education and exposure, Godwin says it’s important to get the Christian message out. If believers don’t send messages out, others will.

IMM has finished filming their series Esther: Queen of Hope in Farsi. IMM had received requests for the project before, and they see now that the timing of the message is strategic.

Esther, Queen of the Persians, once represented her nation in need, just as Iran is in need today.

IMM creates a new series about the story of Esther. Photo Provided by IMM.

In Esther’s day, women could take on roles like judges and landowners.

King Cyrus was the first of the Persian Empire to implement religious freedom. He essentially said, “We’re not going to obliterate and relocate everybody. As long as you are an obedient citizen, pay your taxes, and don’t cause trouble, you can continue with your God and your religion,” Godwin says.

“That’s what makes the Esther story so remarkable, because it wasn’t in the DNA of the Persian Empire to obliterate a bunch of people for no particular reason, [when] they were not in an uprising,” Godwin says.

Godwin says that when Haman tried to punish the Jewish people, Esther didn’t just save her own people. She saved all the Persians from this controlling law.

These stories seem to resonate more as history repeats itself.

“I’m meeting people from outside the country who have mostly escaped due to political or religious persecution,” Godwin says. “These people all say that the regime is not Iran, it is not Iranians, it doesn’t represent them, and that they do look forward to a time when there can be friendship and peace between Israel and Iran.”

IMM is also working to make children’s programs, creating opportunities to instill biblical and critical thinking.

When people leave the Islamic faith, they often turn to atheism first, but struggle with giving up on the concept of God. When they meet Jesus, it becomes a huge revelation.

Please pray for the opportunities these people have through the media. Pray for people on the ground who are evangelizing despite the risk of persecution. As tension continues between Israel and Iran, pray for the people in these countries who want peace.

Pray that people in Iran will receive human rights and an end to persecution, and that people will hear about salvation and know the truth of Jesus Christ. Pray for peace in this region and for the Middle East to change in ways that reflect Jesus Christ.

Header Image by mostafa meraji from Pixabay