How are Christians treated in Iran?

Answer 1

Answer 1

In Syria Christians have full and equal rights as Muslims. There are Christians in the Syrian Parliament and even Christian Ministers. Christians in Syria do not follow Islamic law and aren't forced to. While there are general courts that handle general matters (like property and criminal liability) there are also separate Christian courts for issues like Marriage or Divorce just like the separate Islamic Courts that handle the same thing.

About same is applied in most Arab countries except maybe Saudi Arabia but I'm not so sure about that.

Answer 2

Contrary to what many Apologists say on this subject, there are certainly conflicts and hardships between the Muslim and Christian communities in across the Arab World. Such issues are made quite clear when we see repetitive church bombings and hecklings of Christians occur in Egypt and when the Coptic Pope is forced to apologize for "offending Muslim sensibilities". We also see Churches and young Christians attacked for no reason by both Syrian Government and Rebel Forces in the Syrian Civil War. We see Iraqi Christians forbidden from selling beer and wine in the open street and prohibitions on asserting their Christian identities.

The reasons for the conflict are primarily based in the inequality afforded religions in the Arab World. Egypt is a good case-study. Christians, while Egyptian citizens, do not have the same legal protections in certain cases (such as the lack of the Christian right to build new or repair old churches while Muslims can easily build and repair mosques) and in other cases where the laws place Christians and Muslims on equal footing, there is a tendency to treat the Christians as inferior (such as property law). Christians are also expected not to openly drink wine (such as in restaurants that are exposed to the street or in other public places) and not to openly eat pork to avoid offending Muslims. Proselytization to Christianity is also forbidden by law, even though Islamic proselytization on Christians is permitted. It is very similar to South of the United States in the 1970s or 80s as concerns integration of Blacks into a White dominated society. As to why the Muslims keep forcing the Christians into this lower position, most honestly do not realize how unequal the system is (see Answer 1) because Christians have no power to speak out against it (due to rights restrictions in Egypt).

As for Answer 1's particular discussion of the Syrian court system. The separation between Christian and Muslim only works for private life-cycle matters. However, most court cases are brought in general courts. These courts have a tendency to not accept a Christian's evidence as well as a Muslim's, and to indict a Christian for crimes that they would not apply as often or at all to Muslim citizens. The system has the appearance of justice while being slanted towards the dominant Muslims. As for the Christian ministers in the Syrian Parliament, not only is the Parliament a joke since Assad has almost all of the power in Syria, but the Christian Ministers are not allowed to advocate for any serious change to Syrian policy especially as concerns their constituency.

Answer 2

See the related link 'Christianity in Iran' to the left for more information.