The Suffering Church: Anglicans in Iran
Episcopal News Service. February 12, 1981 [81048]
John D. Zimmerman
When the Revolution began, it appeared that there would be no problem. The Episcopal Church in Iran, is small, with centers in Teheran, Isfahan, Shiraz, Yezd, and Kerman. It had nine clergy -- all converts from Islam, Judaism, or Zoroastrianism. There were 25 foreign workers: clergy, doctors, nurses, and teachers to staff hospitals, clinics, and schools for the blind.
The first warning of adversity for the Church occurred Feb. 19, 1979. The Rev. Parvis Arasstoo Sayyah-Sina, rector in Shiraz of the Church of St. Simon the Zealot, was called to his office. He was found later, murdered.
Soon thereafter the hospitals in Isfahan and Shiraz were appropriated for the revolution, staff expelled. A large sign proclaimed: "Revolutionary Hospital." Not until October was the Farm for Blind Men, near Isfahan, taken by the revolution; the foreign staff were ordered to leave the country.
In August a gang of 30 men forced their way into the home of the Rt. Rev. H. B. Dehqani-Tafti in Isfahan. They refused to say by whose authority they had come. From the house they took private papers, diaries, photograph albums; going to the office they wrecked the furniture, took records from the files and made bonfires of them. As instructed, the bishop called the local revolutionary council. No action was taken.
Bishop and Mrs. Dehqani moved temporarily to Teheran. He was summoned to return to Isfahan to appear before a court. On Oct. 8 he presented himself, to find that this was now a religious court with a mullah as judge. The Church's current accounts had already been taken and transferred to the revolution. He had thought of himself as the complainant in this matter, but found himself accused of withholding funds of the Shiraz hospital which were demanded. He refused, saying that the money "belongs to the church, and our whole life and work here depend on it. " He was detained for an hour or so and released.
Later in the month the bishop and his wife were in Isfahan again. At 5 a. m. on Oct. 26, three men forced entry into the house, came to the bedroom, and fired at him at close range. Mrs. Dehqani spread an arm over him and was hit in the hand. The bishop's pillow-case had four holes in it. He keeps it with him, as he says, "to testify to the power of prayer." Police were called; they came accompanied by revolutionary guards. On examining the pillow and finding the four spent bullets, the police major was amazed that the bishop was alive!
In November the bishop was permitted to go to Cyprus for a meeting of the Synod of the Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East, of which he is the Presiding Bishop; thence to Oxford for a meeting of Primates of the Anglican Communion. His wife and a daughter were in England with him; two daughters and a son remained in Iran. Mrs. Dehqani returned to Iran to be with her family for Christmas. Their son Bahram, 24 and a graduate of Oxford, was a teacher and part-time translator for NBC.
Until May 1, 1980, no further attacks were made on church people. On that day two armed men entered Miss Jean Waddell's apartment in Teheran at 8:30 a. m. They said they were from the Revolutionary Council and wished to ask questions. They insisted that she must be blindfolded and go with them to the Council. Instead, they choked her, threw her to the floor and beat her into unconsciousness. Later she came to, finding herself in bed, tied hand and foot with stockings. Easily releasing her hands, she realized she was in great pain -- she had been shot in the side. Taken to the hospital by neighbors, she recovered and was taken to the British Embassy for safety. Miss Waddell had been secretary to the Archbishop in Jerusalem and went to Iran to assist Bishop Dehqani.
The next victim was Bahram. He was murdered on May 4 as he came from the school where he taught. He had been denied an exit visa to go to England for his sister's wedding, and refused to leave illegally. His father said, "He died because he loved his country and refused to leave it when he had the opportunity."
Waddell remained at the British Embassy awaiting an exit permit. It was promised, but it was also said that she was needed as a witness against her attackers. Instead, in August she was summoned to Isfahan and imprisoned. Charges were made that she had seduced high Iranian officials to gain secret information. Poorly forged letters were shown, purporting to come from the British ambassador, with instructions for transmitting intelligence. Jean Waddell became a victim of continued attacks against the Episcopal Church in Iran. The Revolutionary Council in Iran has charged that our churches have been bases for nests of spies operating with British and CIA funds. Eventually, in December, all charges were dropped and Waddell was promised release. As of February, 1981, she is still held.
By the end of August, 1980, the Rev. Iraj Muttahedah, parish priest in Isfahan, had been arrested, charged with being the head of spy operations. About the same time other arrests were made: the Rev. John Coleman, M. D., and his wife, Audrey -- they had been in charge of a clinic in Yezd. Finally, a month later, the last Iranian priest not in exile or in prison was arrested -- the Rev. Nustratullah Sharifian, of St. Andrew's, Kerman. Mr. Dimitri Bellow, administrator of the diocese, is also being held.
Bishop Dehqani has written: "The Way of the Cross has suddenly become so meaningful that we have willingly walked in it, with our Lord near us.... The end of an era has clearly come, and with it the beginning of a new one. May we be given the faith, hope, courage, humility, insight, wisdom, love, and perseverance to obey the call we have heard from God in the way our predecessors carried on with theirs in this new situation."