Iran Changes ID Cards

01/09/2019 Iran (International Christian Concern) – A new change to Iran’s laws removes the option to state “other” in the religious affiliation section of their identification card applications. Identification cards are required for most basic tasks in Iran, including opening a bank account and getting a driver’s license.

Iranian Christians are only legally recognized if they belong to a historic Christian church which existed inside Iran prior to the 1979 revolution. As a result, Armenian and Assyrian Christians are recognized. But Persian Christians are not. Persians are born Muslim and Iran does not allow them convert away from Islam. As a result, Persian Christians often still legally live as Muslims, even on their identification cards.

Christianity has grown substantially among the Persian community, who are often disenchanted with Islam. Iran has experienced significant protests over the last year, as the country asks the government to respect human rights and cease its attempts to govern the peoples’ consciences. Many Iranians are living as agnostics, as they have had enough of following the harsh version of Islam dictated by the government.

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