- Population: 82,801,633 people
- Official language: Persian
- Form of government: Islamic Republic
An Interview with Bishop Ramzi Garmou by Luc Balbont
Whether during our first meeting in 1999 in Tehran, just after his appointment, or during our most recent interview in Paris, the first question asked remains the same: Is it possible to live as a Christian in the Islamic Republic of Iran?
His answer never changes. “The government is benevolent toward the official churches (*1). In Iran, Christians work, study, and raise their families. And as long as they do not cross the permitted boundaries, they are able to live out their faith.”
The limits? Do not evangelize. Speak of one’s faith only within one’s church. Do not hold services in Persian, the common language spoken and understood in Iran (*2). It is forbidden to welcome Muslims into parishes—especially converts—under penalty of severe consequences. Despite the threats and persecution, Ramzi Garmou confides that these “apostates” who have converted to Christianity “number in the dozens every year.” Forced to live in hiding, they are pursued by the religious police, threatened by their neighbors, coworkers, and sometimes their own families. Most discover the Gospel through reading the works of Persian mystical poets,” the bishop explains.
Another problem is the lack of cooperation and solidarity among Christian denominations—particularly the Chaldean and Armenian churches.
“The Church in Iran is made up of groups strongly defined by their ethnic characteristics,” the bishop laments. “We live withdrawn into our communities, closed off from the outside world. We lack a missionary spirit.” ”
As a member of a Christian minority tolerated in an Islamic republic, Bishop Garmou always speaks cautiously when describing the situation of Christians in Iran, weighing every word so as not to endanger the communities.
An Iraqi, Ramzi Garmou loves Iran. He speaks, eats, and thinks in Persian. A priest at the St. Mary, Mother of God parish for more than 20 years, he has lived happily in this neighborhood of Tehran, where, he says, “he never encountered the slightest difficulty with his neighbors, even during the war between the two countries from 1980 to 1988.”
There are reportedly fewer than 100,000 Christians in Iran, across all denominations. Some sources even put the figure at fewer than 60,000, with Armenians making up the vast majority. This is difficult to verify in the absence of a reliable census, compounded by ongoing emigration. The Chaldean Church, which is affiliated with Rome and of which Ramzi Garmou is the pastor, is said to have approximately 5,000 members. That’s 5,000 believers out of a population of nearly 80 million, 98% of whom are Muslim…As if to downplay the insignificance of the statistic, Ramzi Garmou immediately adds: “It is through the power of its witness, the quality of its members, and its openness to modernity that the Church’s presence remains indispensable in Iran. ”
The Bishop of Tehran places great hope in Iranian youth. These young people are finding it increasingly difficult to endure the pressures and dictates imposed by the mullahs’ regime. These new generations are protesting, fighting, and do not hesitate to take to the streets—as they did in 2009—to challenge religious authority. Aware of the richness of their culture, they ask only for the right to live and express themselves without fear. It is these young Iranians who will change the country and Islam. Bishop Garmou is betting on them.
Luc Balbont
(*1) Armenian and Chaldean
(*2) The two main churches in Iran conduct services in Armenian or Chaldean. Persian, the common language, remains banned.
(*3) XO Éditions
