According to the Iranian Christian news agency (Mohabat News) Ayatollah Hadi Jahangosha in a presentation entitled "Mahdavism (belief in 12th Imam)" said: "The west is trying to divert our youth by publishing and advertising false Gnostic books" and he mentioned that the spreading of distorted Christianity has more far reaching effects than others. He did not give any explanation of the phrase "distorted Christianity" like other so called Islamic scholars and added: "Christian satellite channels are trying to change the religious culture in the Iranian society". This state-hired Ayatollah expressed his regret about growth of Christianity among youth and also mentioned that: "Islam approves Christianity in general, but with regard to the religious teachings of Christianity, unfortunately we witness the spread of Christianity among our youth.

The expansion of Home Churches is admitted

Jahangosha referred to what the supreme leader Ali Khamenei had said about the expansion of Home Churches and said : " This shows the importance of this issue because the real Christians do not believe in this distorted Christianity and Protestantism. " This Shiite Scholar also warned about widespread publication and distribution of books for children about Christian culture and said: "one of these children books with Christian subject has been published in 53 million volumes and in 128 different languages and it even can be found in smallest towns across Iran".

A warm welcome for Christianity among the Iranian people, even religious ones

He referred to the public culture of Iran and pointed out that: "our enemies have noticed that Satanism and false Gnosticism are not popular in Iran and because of that they are taking a religious approach to expand Christianity". This Shiite expert criticized the sale and supplying of Christian symbols in forms of books and toys and added: "a large volume of cartoons and other cultural products with Christian symbols are being sent freely and easily to people. He also said that this issue has been seen in religious cities of Iran like Qom and Mashhad and caused wholesale misleading and deviation even among religious society.

Concerns about the activities of satellite channels

This religious expert mentioned that: "some satellite networks have dedicated 70 percent of their activities to the different languages of the Iranian people for various children programs and educate our youth with distorted Christianity." Jahangosha also said that by "distorted Christianity" he meant Protestantism.

He compared distorted Christianity with Wahabism and said: "Iran's capital is more exposed to damage in this issue and some people here are attracted to Christianity due to financial reasons and some other people due to being neglected by the society". He called for more attention from officials and the seminarians to this issue and stressed: "everyone in society should feel responsibility in this matter and play his or her role in spreading of pure Islam and fight false and distorted cultures.

Ayatollah Jahangosha has made these anti-Christian remarks when one of the biggest concerns among clerical establishment of the Islamic republic is conversions to Christianity among people which has reached into the families and the relatives of the government officials inside and outside of Iran.

Mohabat News