Iran's Jesus Revolution: Mosques Close as 1 Million Muslims Accept Christ
Amid talk of a broader war in the Middle East, there is also news that a Jesus Revolution may be underway.
An unprecedented number of Muslims are choosing to follow Christ, especially in Iran as people search for a better life.
Iranians are growing tired of the ayatollahs and a nation led by the empty promises of their Islamic theocracy. An anonymous internal poll found that 80% now prefer a democratic government, and many are leaving Islam.
"You have a country with one of the highest drug addiction rates in the world. You have a country where corruption runs rampant. You have a country where more than half the people live below the poverty line," explained Todd Nettleton of The Voice of the Martyrs (VOM).
"And the people of Iran are looking at this and they are saying, 'Wait a minute. If this is what Islam has brought us in the last 45 years, we're not interested. We want to know what the other options are.'"
According to Nettleton, Vice President of Messaging at VOM, the faith option many are choosing is Jesus with at least a million Muslims reportedly leaving Islam for Christianity.
So, how is the regime reacting to this with a reported 50,000 of the country's 75,000 mosques now closed?
"This is not something that is making the regime happy. And, really, in many ways, they are seeking to solidify their power and to crush any kind of dissent," Nettleton said. "We have heard multiple stories this year of Bible study, a home church being raided. Everyone there is photographed, everyone there is questioned. But then the leader of the meeting is held on to. They are arrested. They are detained, they're put in prison."
***Please sign up for CBN Newsletters and download the CBN News app to ensure you keep receiving the latest news from a distinctly Christian perspective.***
Moreover, Nettleton contends family members and friends are more tolerant than the government about leaving Islam.
"They kind of have the attitude of, 'Hey, if you found something that works for you, if it's Jesus or if it's atheism or if it's whatever, if it works for you... I know Islam doesn't work, so I'm happy you found something that works,'" he explained.
"I think what's happening there is actually representative of what's happening in the Islamic world," said Don Shenk, executive director of The Tide Ministry.
He explains how Muslims are experiencing dreams and visions, leading many to find purpose and a different understanding of God.
"We get responses from listeners who say, you know, now I understand that God loves me. I always thought that God wanted to punish me," Shenk explained. "And I think there's an awakening that is taking place across the Muslim world, not just in Iran."
Shenk says Tide Ministry radio broadcasts are even receiving positive responses in Afghanistan where the Taliban pose great danger for those seeking information from secret Christians within the country.
"There's a lot of suspicion, okay. If I'm going to meet with these people and share that I'm now a believer, 'Are they really true believers or are they, just trying to identify me?'" he said.
"It's more than simply being ostracized or disowned by your family. It is actually the threat of death. So, accepting new life in Christ means accepting the possibility of your life ending in this world."
Christianity is also spreading in Yemen, where the Joshua Project reports Christian growth is almost double the global average.
Next door, Nettleton sees the Saudi Arabian monarchy becoming a bit more tolerant of Christians and their churches.
"Not necessarily welcoming with open arms, obviously. But just the understanding that it could happen, that there could be Christians here," he explained. "And maybe that's not the worst thing in the world. That's such a change from what we would have seen 10 or 15 or 20 years ago."
It's a move of God's Spirit bringing change that may eventually transform not only Iran but the entire Middle East.
RELATED:
'Follow Me': Iranian Muslim Sees Jesus in a Vision, Abandons Islam for Christianity
Exiled Iranian Christian Woman Tells Inspiring Story of Faith, Courage under Persecution
EXCLUSIVE: 20 Iranian Christians Embark on Secret Journey to Celebrate Baptism
About The Author
Mr. Lane served as International News Director and Senior International Correspondent for CBN News. He traveled to more than 120 countries—many of them restricted nations or areas hostile to Christianity and other minority faiths where he has interviewed persecution victims and provided video reports and analysis for CBN News. Also, he provided written stories and served as a consultant for the Voice of the Martyrs.
Gary joined The Christian Broadcasting Network in 1984 as the first full-time Middle East Correspondent for CBN News. Based in Jerusalem, Gary produced reports from Beirut on the Lebanese civil war. He was reassigned to Washington, D.C., at the start of President Reagan’s second term and served as National Security Correspondent from the U.S. State Department, Pentagon, Capitol Hill, and the White House.
Gary left CBN briefly in 1988 to work as Senior Press Secretary for Pat Robertson’s presidential campaign. Afterward, he returned to Washington and served as Washington Bureau Chief for CBN News from 1989-1992.
Gary transferred to CBN headquarters in Virginia Beach in 1996, where he began more extensive international traveling and reporting as a Senior Correspondent.
In addition to his extensive reporting on Christian persecution, Gary is also known for his reporting on the civil war in Sudan. He made 20 trips to the country since 1993 and also testified before Congress about the plight of Burmese refugees.
Gary produced numerous documentaries, including Americans Abandoned for the American Defense Institute, which afforded him the opportunity to become the first American journalist granted access to the Vietnamese Defense and Cultural Film archives. The investigative film about American POWs featured Vietnam War footage never seen before by Americans.
Gary also produced several persecution documentaries, including one about Christians in Egypt for Freedom House—Their Blood Cries Out—and another about attacks in Indonesia for The Voice of the Martyrs—Island Jihad. He also worked as a production consultant and videographer for the VOM video specials Underground Reality Vietnam and Underground Reality Colombia.
Over the years, Gary covered wars in Lebanon, Israel, Nicaragua, Angola, Burma, Sudan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, Colombia, Libya, and Syria. He won several awards, including one from the National Gulf War Resource Center for his groundbreaking investigative reporting of Gulf War Illness, an affliction affecting veterans of Operation Desert Storm. The Australian Evangelical Press Association gave him an award for his reporting of a church massacre that occurred in Bahawalpur, Pakistan, shortly after 9-11.
Gary left CBN in 2000 to join the Voice of The Martyrs as their News Director, where he directed the mission’s multimedia efforts. Those included the website, monthly newsletter, video productions, publications, press releases, and media interviews.
Gary rejoined CBN in late 2003 as International News Director/Senior Correspondent. He served as executive producer of three weekly international news programs: Christian World News (CWN); Mundo Cristiano, a Spanish version of CWN produced in Costa Rica; and an Arabic language version of CWN, CWN Arabic, which was broadcast throughout North Africa and the Middle East. He also hosted and produced the weekly CBN News Channel program, The Global Lane.
Prior to CBN, Gary worked for various local television stations in Michigan, including one owned by Time Inc. and another by Knight-Ridder. Before that, he worked at local radio stations in Flint and Detroit.
Gary is a 1979 honors graduate of The University of Michigan, Flint, where he served as political editor of The University News, studied pre-law, and received an A.B. in political science and history.
