ANALYSIS
We look at the streets of Iran and see a valley of decision that concerns us all as Christians. For months, we have watched in awe alongside the rest of the world as ordinary citizens—students, professionals, mothers, and fathers—have stood before the machinery of a brutal regime with nothing but their voices and their yearning for basic human dignity.
But that awe is now mingled with a profound and righteous grief. The reports are harrowing: an estimated 36,500 people have been systematically killed by the Iranian government in its desperate bid to extinguish the light of freedom. As Christians, we cannot look away. Our faith does not allow for neutrality in the face of state-sponsored slaughter. When a government turns its weapons on its own people, it forfeits its moral mandate to lead.
The Moral Mandate of Governance
As Christians, we believe a government’s primary duty is the protection of human life and the preservation of fundamental freedoms. The systematic killing of over 36,500 Iranians by their own government is a catastrophic violation of that mandate and an affront to the inherent dignity of every person. We are deeply moved and inspired by the courage of those who refuse to let their voices be silenced by fear.
We have a moral responsibility to stand in solidarity with those risking their lives for basic human rights and to demand that the international community hold this government accountable for its brutality. Silence in the face of such widespread government violence is not an option; we must advocate for a future where the right to life is absolute and the light of freedom is no longer extinguished by state violence. The struggle in Iran is not merely a political dispute; it is a fundamental clash between the yearning for liberty and the darkness of oppression. The 36,500 lives lost are not statistics; they are individuals made in the image of God, each with a story, a family, and a divine right to live free from the shadow of the gallows.
A Call to Prophetic Witness
For decades, the Iranian people have lived under a regime that utilizes religion as a cloak for tyranny. There is no mercy in the prisons of Tehran. There is no justice in the mass killings of peaceful protesters. When we see the Iranian people standing on the front lines of freedom, we are seeing a prophetic witness against tyranny. We stand with the protesters not just because we value democracy, but because we value the sacredness of every soul that yearns to be free.
The View from the Underground
Perhaps no one understands the cost of this struggle better than the Iranian Christian community—a community that has grown in the shadows despite decades of persecution. For too long, the Iranian government has treated its people as subjects to be crushed rather than citizens to be served. The 36,500 brothers and sisters killed in these recent weeks represent a blood-crying for justice from the ground.
But even in this darkness, there is an incredible hope. The fear that once paralyzed the people is breaking. We are seeing a generation that would rather die on their feet than live on their knees. As those who have felt the sting of this regime’s lash, we ask our brothers and sisters across the globe: do not forget us. Pray for the families of the fallen, yes, but also work for a world where faith is never again used as a tool of state execution.
The Path Forward: A Call to the Global Church
The response of the international community must be commensurate with the scale of the atrocity. We cannot continue with “business as usual” while the streets of Iran are stained with the blood of the innocent. We call upon the Global Church to take a stand through the following actions:
- Prophetic Prayer and Presence: We call on churches worldwide to host vigils and prayer services dedicated specifically to the people of Iran. Our solidarity must be visible; we must pray for the families of the 36,500 martyrs and for the safety of those still in the streets.
- Advocacy for the Persecuted: We urge Christian leaders to use their platforms to demand that their respective governments prioritize human rights in Iran. We must call for an immediate end to the executions and the release of thousands of prisoners currently facing the threat of death.
- Accountability and Justice: The Global Church must support international efforts to document these crimes. We call for the creation of an independent commission to investigate the deaths of these 36,500 individuals and for the prosecution of those responsible for ordering this slaughter.
- Practical Support for Refugees: As the body of Christ, we must open our arms to those fleeing this tyranny. We call on the church to be a place of sanctuary and support for the Iranian diaspora and those seeking asylum from religious and political persecution.
The Iranian people have shown us what courage looks like. They have shown us that the desire for freedom is a fire that no amount of state violence can fully douse. As Christians, our mandate is clear: we must stand with the oppressed, speak for the silenced, and work tirelessly until the day when there is a free Iran.
The world is watching. God is watching. We pray this is the hour of change.
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Alexei Laushkin is the Founder of Kingdom Mission Society.
Rev. Pat Mahoney is the Director of the Christian Defense Coalition.
Rev. Ara Torosian is an Iranian Christian leader and human rights advocate.
