Tag Archives: Saeed Abedini

Meriam Ibrahim Encourages Naghmeh Abedini At National Conference

Two women who have been on the front lines of the battle for religious freedom in the world took center stage at the Values Voter Summit in Washington, D.C.

Meriam Ibrahim, the woman who had been sentenced to death in Sudan for her Christian faith, appeared to accept the “Cost of Discipleship” award at the Summit and used her speech to encourage the wife of American pastor Saeed Abedini, who is imprisoned in Iran for his Christian faith.

“Do not fear; be strong. Take care of your kids and the Lord will be with you,” she said to Naghmeh Abedini, who addressed the Summit in her own address.  Ibrahim called Abedini “her sister” and encouraged her to stand strong no matter what evil the Iranians may throw her husband’s way.

Ibrahim, who gave birth to her daughter Maya while shackled in chains to a wall of the prison, spoke of the weight the imprisonment had on her young son Martin, who was also kept in the prison.

“That was the most difficult time for me because Martin would want to go with him and grab on to him and I would stand there unable to do anything because he’s a child. He didn’t understand why he was in jail through no fault of his. He didn’t understand why kids were able to play outside and enjoy themselves and be with their parents, their fathers and mothers,” described Ibrahim.

Ibrahim thanked everyone who prayed and worked to obtain her release and her family’s escape from Sudan.

Imprisoned Pastor’s Wife Speaks Out On Second Anniversary

The wife of imprisoned American Pastor Saeed Abedini is speaking out about the lack of moment by the U.S. government on her husband’s behalf as he marks two years behind bars.

Naghmeh Abedini addressed the issue on Friday ahead of her speech Saturday at the Values Voter Summit in Washington, D.C.  She says that the Obama administration has gotten better about speaking about her husband’s plight over the years.

“They’ve come a long way,” said Naghmeh. “The first six months when Saeed was in prison there were no statements. The last year and a half we’ve seen a few statements.”

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry last spoke of Saeed’s plight where he also called for the release of other Americans being held by Iranian authorities.

“The United States respectfully calls on the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to release Amir Hekmati, Saeed Abedini, and Jason Rezaian to their families and work cooperatively with us to find Robert Levinson and bring him home,” said Kerry.  At the time, Kerry claimed the government was working hard to see the release of the prisoners.

Naghmeh Abedini is not so sure.

“I have to say it is frustrating. It has been two years. It seems like there are a lot of statements, but no action. What are we doing to get him home?” she said.

Naghmeh says that she has felt stronger support coming from countries other than the United States, which boosts her hope that her husband may soon be released from custody.

“It’s encouraging because now it just isn’t between the U.S. and Iran,” said Naghmeh. “It’s the whole world speaking out. Brazil, Canada, England and other European nations have been a great support.”

Prayer rallies for Saeed Abedini were held around the world Friday on the two-year anniversary with over 400 gatherings in countries from Brazil to Kenya.

Franklin Graham Says Christians Need To Step Up Against Persecution Abroad

Reverend Franklin Graham is making a call to Christians across America to shake off their apathy and begin to work to help persecuted Christians around the world.

“I don’t think we’re doing enough. No, I don’t. There is much more we can do,” Graham told The Christian Post.

“The greatest thing we can do is to pray — to pray for the Christians who are suffering. Saeed Abedini is on the poster behind us, but there are thousands upon thousands of Christians in Syria and Iraq who are suffering because of the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Graham spoke at the Washington vigil for Saeed Abedini, whose plight has been largely ignored by the State Department and Obama administration.

Graham was also critical of Muslims around the world that have not taken steps to stop Islamic extremism.  Graham believes if they truly are against the movements of groups like ISIS or Boko Haram, they would be taking action.

“Followers of a peaceful religion do not cut off the heads of innocent people in the barbaric action the world has been watching,” said Graham before those gathered.

“Believers in a peaceful religion do not kidnap 300 young school girls as Boko Haram did in Northeastern Nigeria in April. … Men who practice a peaceful religion do not detonate bombs on American streets during a marathon race to kill and to maim.”

Worldwide Prayer Vigils For Saeed Abedini

Friday is a day of worldwide prayer for Pastor Saeed Abedini.

The event was organized by Saeed’s wife Naghmeh and is including groups of Christians from the United States to Mexico to Kenya.

The American Center for Law and Justice says the event is focusing on prayer for Abedini as the day marks the 2nd anniversary of his wrongful imprisonment for being a Christian.  The event will also pray for other Christians imprisoned around the world for professing Christ.

At the Washington, D.C. event, Naghmeh Abedini read a letter that Saeed wrote to his daughter for her recent eighth birthday.

“I know that you question why you have prayed so many times for my return and yet I am not home yet,” it read. “The answer to the why is who. Who is in control? [The] Lord Jesus Christ is in control.”

“Jesus allows me to be kept here for His glory,” Abedini continued. “He is doing something inside each of us and also outside in the world. People die and suffer for their Christian faith all over the world and some may wonder why. But you should know the answer of why is who. It is for Jesus. He is worth the price. And He has a plan to be glorified through our lives.”

United Nations Panel Slams Iran Over Abedini

A United Nations panel has slammed Iran for their continued imprisonment of Pastor Saeed Abedini for his Christian faith.

The Iranians have been firm in refusing to free the pastor before the end of an eight-year prison term for being a Christian.

United Nations Human Rights Council Working Group on Arbitrary Detention says that the 34-year-old Abedini “has been deprived of his liberty for peacefully exercising the rights to freedom of religion, belief, and association.”

The report detailed all the issues surrounding the imprisonment of Abedini and called for his immediate release.

Saeed’s wife Naghmeh has been pleading with the White House and lawmakers to do something to free her husband from his wrongful imprisonment.  She hopes that the U.N. report will be a large step toward her husband’s release.

“There are times where your cause feels forgotten — but today is not one of those days,” Naghmeh told Fox News. “From the depths of my heart, I urge the member countries of the UN to act on the recommendations of this report. As these countries sit face-to-face with Iran during the upcoming UN General Assembly, I plead with them to ask for my husband’s release. It is time for our family to be re-united. My children need their father and I need my husband.”

The administration has been criticized for negotiating the release of potential traitor Bowe Bergdahl while doing virtually nothing to gain the release of Abedini from Iran.

Secretary of State Kerry Calls On Iran To Release Abedini

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is making a strong public stand for imprisoned American pastor Saeed Abedini.

Kerry cited the hardship of Abedini’s family and the fact it’s almost two full years since Abedini has been wrongly imprisoned for his faith.

Kerry also spoke out about other Americans imprisoned in Iran.

“The United States respectfully calls on the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to release Amir Hekmati, Saeed Abedini and Jason Rezaian to their family and work cooperative with us to find Robert Levinson and bring him home,” Kerry said.

Lawyers for Abedini say that he has been under death threat from ISIS terrorists within Iranian prisons.  The Islamist group sees Abedini as an emblem of western Christianity and his killing would be a seen as a symbol to Islamic terrorists.

Naghmeh Abedini Says Husband’s Imprisonment Has Made Her Faith Stronger

The wife of a pastor imprisoned in Iran for being a Christian says her husband’s ordeal has significantly strengthened her faith in Christ.

Naghmeh Abedini wrote for TrueWoman.com that she didn’t realize how selfish she had been with her life and her walk with Christ until her husband was jailed for simply being a follower of Christ.

“I finally learned how to fight my deceptive selfish flesh on a daily basis; every nag, tantrum, despairing thought, and fear,” Naghmeh writes. “Before Saeed was thrown into one of the world’s worst prisons, I struggled with fear and anxiety. More than anything, I was afraid of flying and speaking in front of people.”

Naghmeh says that on the day of her husband’s arrest, she felt the peace of God in a way she had never felt in her life to that point.

“The peace of God that surpasses all understanding covered my whole being, and I was freed of all fear. I no longer feared death of loved ones. I no longer feared the loss of finances or health. I no longer feared the future. I was truly free in Jesus,” said Naghmeh.

Kerry Spotlights Pastor Saeed Abedini

Secretary of State John Kerry is highlighting the case of Pastor Saeed Abedini as an example of Christian persecution in the Middle East.

“In Iran, U.S. Iranian citizen Pastor Saeed Abedini remains imprisoned. The Iranian authorities sentenced him to eight years behind bars simply because of his religious beliefs. We will continue to call for his release and we will continue to work for it,” Kerry stated.

The American Center for Law and Justice, who has been working to get Pastor Abedini freed, released a statement saying they were thankful that the Secretary of State was finally paying real attention to the case.

Kerry was speaking about the State Department 2013 Report on International Religious Freedom.

“On several occasions, however, senior U.S. government officials, including the President and the Secretary of State, raised directly with their Iranian counterparts the case of Christian pastor and dual U.S.-Iranian national Saeed Abedini, who is being held on charges related to his religious beliefs, and called for his release,” the report states.  “The Department of State also publicly called for the release of Mr. Abedini and other prisoners held on religious grounds.”

Prayer vigils around the country are planned on September 26th, the two-year anniversary of Abedini’s unlawful imprisonment.

Pastor Saeed Abedini, Hobby Lobby Owners Honored

The Southern Baptist Convention presented two awards for Americans standing up for their faith in Christ in life and business.

The SBC gave their “Richard Land Distinguished Service Award” to Pastor Saeed Abedini, who has been risking his life daily while wrongfully imprisoned by Iran’s Islamic government.  Abedini’s wife Naghmeh was on hand to accept the award on his behalf.

Russell Moore, president of the SBC’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commision, said that Pastor Abedini is a “joyful Cross-bearer who has stirred the Church to stand up and speak out and will leave a legacy for generations to come.”

The SBC’s “John Leland Religious Liberty Award” was given to the owners of Hobby Lobby who are engaged in a battle with the Obama administration over parts of the health care law that require them to pay for abortion drugs.

“It would be really easy,” Moore said, “for the Green family to say, ‘lets just submit to that,’ but because of their strong faith in Jesus Christ, and because of their courage, the Greens have refused to comply with the Obama administration’s Department of Health and Human Services’ mandate under the Affordable Care Act that they provide employees with insurance coverage for what they believe to be abortion inducing drugs. Because they believe that God is the author of human life and that every human life from the moment of conception is sacred and they believe that the government is not the lord of their consciences.”

Saeed Abedini Beaten In Hospital And Returned To Prison

The family of wrongly imprisoned Pastor Saeed Abedini says that he has been beaten while in an Iranian hospital and then taken back to prison.

Iranian family members have reported that Pastor Abedini was beaten by Iranian jailers while shackled to his hospital bed and then rushed back to Rajai Shahr prison.  No explanation was given to the family or hospital staff for the immediate removal of Abedini.

Abedini had been hospitalized because of beatings taken at the hands of jailers and prisoners at both Evin and Rajai Shahr prisons.  Untreated internal bleeding had caused massive complications and heavy pain for Abedini and he had been scheduled for surgery until the Iranian government stopped it.

“It is a very disturbing development that underscores what we have known from the very beginning.  There is much upheaveal and uncertainty in Iran,” Jordan Sekulow of the American Center for Law and Justice said.  “This unexpected move raises great concern.”

The Obama Administration has not yet made any comment regarding this sudden reversal in treatment of American citizen Abedini by the Iranian government.