Published on: 26 November 2024
DOHI STAFF
According to Iranian government estimates, Muslims constitute roughly 99.4% of the population in Iran. However, this official statistic is far from the truth. In fact, according to recent research, Iran is no longer looking like an ‘Islamic nation.’
Two years ago, two university professors asked over 50,000 Iranians, “What do you believe in?” Less than one third of those polled said that they believe in Islam. One third said that God was not relevant to their life, or that there is no God, and the last one third responded that they believed in other religions, including Christianity, but not Islam.
Since the Islamic Revolution of 1979, the government has done everything in their power to run the country according to Islamic teachings. And yet, today, we see that less than 33% of Iranians see themselves as Muslims.
What are the factors that have led to this huge falling away?
Firstly, Iranians have become fed up with the extent to which Islamic laws invade every aspect of life, controlling their private space at home, relationships and even political life.
This fight to break with the last 40+ years of diabolic oppression has been led over the past 2 years by the women of Iran. Nation-wide protests erupted after the unlawful death of 22-year-old Jina Mahasa Amini, arrested by Iran’s “morality police” in Tehran on 13 September 2022 for alleged non-compliance with Iran’s laws on mandatory hijab. Under the slogan of “Women, Life, Freedom,” brave women risked arrest, beatings, and death to demand that the government finally put an end to the repression of women and girls and the important freedoms of religion and expression.
Secondly, there is a revival happening in Iran today! Huge numbers of Iranians are coming to faith in Jesus Christ. People from every economic and social sector are calling into our ministry partners at ICNET TV and sharing their conversion stories.
Here are just a few of testimonies to encourage you to continue to pray for the people of Iran and the outpouring of God’s Holy Spirit.
“Hello, I am a 4th year medical student. I have been watching your channel for a while now and I love your programs, especially Dr. Rana’s presentations. I am in the life science field and have great interest in genetics and the origin of man. Thank you so much for showing me and many of us educated men and women in Iran that the Christian Bible has so many fascinating truths that are in line with science. I think I will change my religion to Christianity!” R from Tehran
“Greetings! I am an engineer. I am a new Christian. I became a Christian after my wife, who is a Christian for 3 years, encouraged me to watch ICNET TV. I love Dr. Ed and love his guests. I love Dr. Ross! He is such a humble man and yet he is so knowledgeable that I become shocked the way he so nicely explains science and the words of the Bible. Please, please give us more of these programs. God bless you.” A from Tabriz
“Dear ICNET TV, I am a housewife, but my education was in mathematics, and I am a regular viewer of ICNET 1 and 2. I love the programs on ICNET 2 and pray everyone in Iran would watch them. This is an amazing channel, because it proves that God and science can be together, and we don’t have to choose one or the other. I am a Muslim, but I am searching to know the creator and ICNET 2 and the speakers like Dr. Ross and Dr. Rana are helping me find God. I am afraid to admit, but I love Jesus and want to believe Him. Maybe one of these days, I will call Dr. Ed and ask him to pray for me.” A from Shiraz
