In Iran, Mehdi Dibaj, an Assemblies of God minister, spent nearly 10 years in prison for his faith. A convert from Islam in 1955, Dibaj is given every opportunity by the authorities to regain his freedom. First, he is asked to sign a paper admitting he was wrong and that he wants to return to Islam. When this fails, he is beaten, tortured, and put through mock executions. His wife succumbs to pressure, converts to Islam, and marries another man, though Dibaj’s children refuse to renounce their faith.

Next Dibaj is offered freedom in exchange for admitting he is mentally unstable. It is only after fellow pastor Haik Hovsepian-Mehr, chairman of Iran’s Protestant Council, courageously sends out an open letter to Western media publicizing Dibaj’s plight that he is freed. Not long after, Haik disappears and his murdered body is found. Still, Dibaj refuses to flee and continues his pastoral ministry; soon he meets the same fate. What is the result?

“In 1977 there were only 2,700 evangelicals in Iran out of a population of 45 million. Of these only 300 were former Muslims … Today, there are close to 55 thousand believers, of whom 27 thousand are from Muslim backgrounds.”

Citation: Michael G. Maudlin, “Have You Seen Jesus Lately?” Books & Culture (May/June 2002), p. 14

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