Iran’s Islamic Republic Intelligence Minister, Mahmoud Alavi, has for the first time made a public admission about the spread of Christianity throughout the country.
As Iranwire.com reports, the Alavi made the revelation in a speech recently in the presence of Shia Muslim clerics, while attempting to encourage the people by making light of those converting.
Speaking to the clerics, the Minister said, “Christianity is spreading in ‘parts’ of Iran,” adding that, “these converts are ordinary people whose jobs are selling sandwiches or similar things.
“We had no choice but to summon them to ask them why they were converting. Some of them said they were looking for a religion that gives them peace. We told them that Islam is the religion of brotherhood and peace.
“They responded by saying that: ‘All the time, we see Muslim clerics and those who preach from the pulpit talk against each other. If Islam is the religion of cordiality, then before anything else, there must be cordiality and peace among the clerics themselves.
“It is not the job of the intelligence community to find the roots of these conversions from Islam. But it’s happening right before our eyes.” He said.
The intelligence minister told the assembled group and the clerics to quit backbiting among themselves.
The Islamic Republic is listed as number 9 among the world’s top persecutors of Christians according to Open Doors USA. Consequently, Christians in the country are prohibited from sharing their faith with non-Christians and Church services in Iran’s national language, Persian are not allowed.
