Darius shares his story

A young man from Iran is seeking asylum in Britain. He became a Christian in his own country and he’d face persecution if he returned. Under Iranian law it’s a capital offence to convert from Islam, and the authorities have been known to threaten converts overseas or their families back home. So we can’t tell you this man’s real name. You can call him Darius.

Your donations put the Bible in Darius’ hands. Now he studies Scripture in Farsi, the language he grew up speaking, at his church in the South West of England. This is a freedom he doesn’t take for granted. ‘In Iran,’ he said, ‘If they see you holding a Bible like this, they kill you.’  

Read Darius’ amazing story and find out how he’s coped with recent events in Britain.

Darius’ testimony

I grew up in a strict religious family. I believed in Allah. In Iran, politics is contaminated with religion. Everything is based on Islam. 

We have to pray every Friday, chanting slogans in support of the regime. Islam in Iran is deeply rooted in violence. It’s really awful. They put people in prison because they don’t pray. It makes you think God is aggressive.

When I was at university, they hit people. They hit you for not praying. They hit women if they don’t cover their head. You want religion to improve your life, but in Iran, religion is about punishing people.

I could not fast because it made me feel faint. The university caught me eating in Ramadan and they reported me to the religious authorities. They wanted to suspend me from university.

I started to question. Why can’t I eat certain foods? Are western countries really that bad? I stopped praying, and little by little I left everything. I became an atheist.

I changed significantly. I started to drink alcohol, eat pork. I lived separate from my family. I had a dog because I lived alone, but dogs are considered unclean. I saw my neighbour hitting my dog. He reported me to the police for having one. I had to give my dog away because I was afraid they would kill him.

My father had a stroke and one of my best friends came to the hospital. He prayed and my father got better. I said, ‘Are you a Christian?’ He said, ‘Yes’.

It’s really dangerous to introduce someone to Christianity. He only mentioned it because he’s a life-long friend. He invited to me to his class in his home, but he had to assess me because the security services try to infiltrate these meetings.

There was a person there to teach us. I didn’t accept new things easily. I only went to watch. But they said God is love. I thought in religion there was a lot of war, but Jesus says when somebody hits you, turn the other cheek. For me that’s really amazing. Instead of taking revenge, you forgive.

Love your God; love your neighbour. It really touched my heart. I started watching videos, reading a book, seeking and following Jesus. At the class one day, I told them I want to be Christian. They said, ‘We don’t baptise in this country, but read this prayer.’ I prayed, became a Christian. I’d searched lots of religions; my life felt meaningless. Now I felt calm, serene.

I’m applying for asylum here because my life is at risk. After I left Iran, they found Christian resources in my home. So I can’t go back to Iran now. I’d be arrested, and they will use me to track down the Bible class.

I’ve been going to church here in England for four months. It’s bilingual so I can pray in Farsi. As Christian, you can pray in your own language, instead of in Arabic. You can pray whatever you want.

I have a Bible in Farsi, which is amazing. My favourite verse is 1 John 4.16. God is love. Jesus said forgive your enemies. He sacrificed himself. I used to chant, ‘Death to America,’ but now I pray for peace.

Will you join supporters of Bible Society and members of Welcome Churches in prayer following the riots? We’re praying for families in Southport, for peace on our streets, and for the faith of recent converts like Darius. See the full list of prayer points and share your prayer today.

You can also put the Bible in the hands of an asylum seeker or refugee just like Darius.

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