Iranian Christian leaders have announced their support for Reza Pahlavi

More than 200 Christian leaders from Iran have announced their support for Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of the country’s last Shah. The announcement came amid ongoing deadly protests in the country against the government, which leaders say has lost all legitimacy and is causing great harm to the people. Christian figures are calling for national unity and regime change so that Iran can once again become a herald of hope and freedom.

Christian leaders representing a wide range of organizations and denominations stressed in a statement that they consider themselves “an integral part of the Iranian nation” and that the country is going through “one of its most decisive moments,” Christian Today reported. They accused the Iranian government of failing to protect the people and “causing grave harm” to the nation. Because of the crimes committed against the Iranian people since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, they said, the government has lost all “moral, national and international legitimacy.”

“Today, to overcome despotism, violence, and moral and social collapse, Iran requires national solidarity, responsible leadership, and a transition based on wisdom and reason. Accordingly, we express our support for Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi and his program, ” the statement said. It comes amid recent deadly protests in Iran in which tens of thousands of people are believed to have been killed by security forces.

The statement also mentions a figure from Iran’s distant past – Cyrus the Great, a Persian king mentioned repeatedly in the Bible who ordered the release of the Jews from Babylonian captivity and the rebuilding of the Temple. “We believe that our beloved Iran can once again, as it did in the time of Cyrus the Great, become a messenger of hope and freedom to its people and neighbors. In this spirit, we affirm that the living and true God is able to bring warmth and healing to broken hearts … May the peace and healing of God be upon our nation,” the document reads.

The situation of religious freedoms in Iran remains dire. According to the Open Doors organization, Iran ranks 10th in the world in persecution of Christians. Conversion from Islam is illegal, and even those who are not converts are forced to meet secretly in house churches and face the constant threat of police raids. Christians are often arrested on charges related to “national security.”