Although the Islamic government of Iran and its security forces have banned Bible distribution, and even possessing a copy is considered a crime, Bibles and other illegal books can still be purchased from street vendors or in old book stores.

Naser-Khosro Street is one of the most well-known old streets of Tehran. It’s famed across Iran for illegal medication dealers who sell hard to obtain medications for very high prices.

A similar street in Tehran with a different purpose-for buying rare and illegal books- is Enqelab (meaning revolution) street.

There you can find books whose titles you might have just heard. Street peddlers in Enqelab Street sell books that are categorized as illegal by the Islamic regime of Iran, as well as rarely found books.

In this connection, Daneshjoo news service reported, some book market enthusiasts believe that many books that are banned from being printed or distributed can be found in these bookstores.

A university student studying religions says, "The book called "The Satanic Verses" whose author was called "apostate" by Ayatollah Khomeini and whose printing and distribution has been prohibited ever since, is freely sold in some old bookstores."

What is amazing is that the student says his/her professor has given him/her the address to these bookstores!

Muslims believe that Salman Rushdie has desecrated the Quran and Islam in his forth book, entitle "The Satanic Verses". Ayatollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Revolution in Iran issued a Fatwa against him on February 14, 1989 asking all Muslims to kill him wherever he is found, because, Khomeini said, he is an apostate.

Regarding the easiness of finding illegal books in Tehran, a book collector who buys books for his personal collection, says, "You can find books published before the Islamic Revolution without much effort in the collections of old bookstores in Enqelab Street.

Mohabat News' reporters say, "The sale of Bibles and Christian resources is even limited in Iranian churches. This is especially true about Bibles in Farsi as well as Christian theological books provided in Farsi for new believers. According to an order issued by Iranian security authorities, only official members of the churches are allowed in church libraries to see and/or buy books."

Although the sale of Bibles is prohibited in Iran, the Bible is considered an illegal book and bookstores are warned by security authorities against selling it, the Farsi version of the Bible can be easily bought in Tehran.
Also, some time ago, an Iranian author who has lived for 20 years in the U.S. said, "Sometimes when I pass Enqelab Street, I see that the Bible is being sold for only 300 Tomans (Approx. 25 cents)". He said this in an interview with Farsi semi-official news agency (a news agency owned by Revolutionary Guard).

This author's ideas are in line with the Islamic regime of Iran. He acknowledged that Iranian youth are turning to Christianity and stated, "They (Iranian youth) have just inherited Islam from their fathers and now they are following the Bible."

Prior to this, the Iranian Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance had announced that they will deal with the distribution of illegal books in bookstores.

Also, the Iranian Police commander, Esmaeil Ahamdi Moqadam said that police forces will strictly deal with book sellers who attempt to sell "illegal books".

Mohabat News