Faiza has known rejection since birth.
Long before she faced Christian persecution in Iran, she faced it at home.
Faiza was born into a Muslim family with a congenital disability. She is partially deaf and has limited use of her hands and legs. From childhood, she was treated as an inconvenience. Her mother humiliated her and berated her, cutting wounds deep into her heart. Her siblings ignored her and kept their distance. The only person who made her feel safe and seen was her grandfather.
When her father disappeared because of his political involvement, the family fractured even more. When Faiza was still young, she moved in with her grandfather, clinging to the one steady presence she had left. Then he passed away, too.
She was lost, alone and incredibly vulnerable without his love and protection.
Her mother withdrew even farther, and her siblings turned away. She began to believe what had always been implied: she did not matter.
She stopped believing in God. If He existed, she thought, He had chosen not to see her.
A God Who Sees the Rejected
One day, Faiza met a woman named Janan in a park. There was no grand introduction. Just conversation between two women. Janan did not push or pity her. She simply stayed and listened.
During one conversation, Janan placed a Bible in Faiza’s hands and said, “Read this, and if it touches your heart, let me know.”
Faiza began reading slowly, taking in the life-giving words of Jesus. As she moved through the Gospels, she encountered a different kind of God. She read about Jesus touching lepers, speaking gently to women, welcoming those society dismissed. She saw Him defend the vulnerable rather than overlook them.
And something inside her softened.
“The more I read,” Faiza said, “the more I felt God speaking directly to me, telling me, ‘You are not forgotten. You are loved.’”
Those words reached into wounds that had never healed. She soon decided to give her life to Jesus Christ.
“At that moment, the chains of rejection that had bound me for so many years were broken. Jesus accepted me just as I was, even with all my pain and disability, and gave me a new identity as a beloved child of God.”
For the first time, she did not feel like a burden. She felt chosen.
Through Janan, she joined a house church where she learned to pray and learned Scripture. She began sharing her faith with boldness that surprised even her.
She did not know how costly that boldness would become.
Why Converts Face Christian Persecution in Iran
In Iran, historic Christian communities are tolerated within strict limits. Families who have been Christian for generations are recognized as minorities, and are taxed for being Christians. But when a Muslim chooses to follow Jesus, everything changes.
Islam is not only a religion in Iran. It is bound tightly to national identity, family honor, and social belonging. To leave Islam is viewed as betrayal. It is seen as turning against your family, your culture, and your country at once.
When someone converts to Christianity, relatives often feel publicly shamed. Parents may fear gossip. Siblings may believe they are responsible for restoring honor. The convert is no longer simply someone with a different belief. They are treated as a threat to the family’s name.
Because apostasy is considered a serious offense, seeking help from authorities rarely protects the new believer. In many cases, it increases the danger. A Muslim family member accusing a relative of abandoning Islam carries weight. The convert has very little ability or power to advocate for themselves and remain standing untouched in their faith.
This is why persecution in Iran so often begins at home. The first blows are frequently delivered by those who once shared the same table.
Faiza understood this reality quickly. When her brother discovered her faith in Christ, his anger was not only personal. He believed she had disgraced the family. He believed he had a duty to correct her.
When Persecution Came to Her Door
Her brother had long been distant from her. When he discovered she had become a Christian, he came to her home furious.
He beat her severely. He demanded that she deny Christ. In one terrifying moment, he threw a knife at her back and shouted, “If you do not deny Christ, I will kill you.”
She did not deny Him.
She knew there would be no justice if she sought help. A Muslim man accusing his disabled sister of abandoning Islam would be believed. A convert woman would not.
Soon her house church was being watched. She began receiving anonymous calls warning her not to gather with other believers. She sensed eyes on her movements. Fear settled into her daily routine. One day, men chased her, and she knew she could not return home.
For weeks she moved quietly between safe places, relying on friends who were also risking their own safety. Each step required courage. Her body was fragile, but her conviction was not.
Eventually, she fled Iran for her faith.
A New Country, Familiar Hardship
After escaping Iran, Faiza eventually married Azzam, a Christian man who also lives with disabilities. Together, they welcomed a daughter who has autism and needs consistent care.
They are safe from the immediate threat of violence, but life remains difficult. Work is unstable. Medical needs are ongoing. Family support is nonexistent.
“Our situation was becoming harder every day,” Faiza shared. “We were deeply worried about how we would cover our living expenses. My husband works, but his income was not enough. Every day we prayed together, and we saw no way forward.”
The weight of uncertainty pressed heavily on them. Then help came—because of your faithful generosity!—through Help The Persecuted.
“God answered our prayers at a time when we truly needed it,” she said. “Because of this help, we were able to pay for medical treatments and cover our basic daily needs. What you did for us was truly God’s miracle in our lives.”
Through Emergency Relief Kits and living assistance, the Body of Christ surrounded this family. Not with pity, but with dignity. She once believed she had been forgotten. Now she knows she is seen.
The God Who Abides
Psalm 139:1-4 says: “O LORD, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know it altogether.”
Faiza once believed heaven was silent toward her pain. Now, she speaks differently. “My Heavenly Father will never leave me,” she says. “I am no longer defined by rejection but by His love.”
Christian persecution in Iran tried to silence her. Violence tried to intimidate her. Isolation tried to convince her she stood alone.
Yet, the same God who met her in Scripture has remained near through every medical appointment and every anxious night.
He saw her as a child in a home where she felt unwanted.
He saw her when her brother lifted a weapon.
He saw her when she crossed into exile.
And He sees her still.
How You Can Pray for Faiza
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Pray that her body would be strengthened as she manages daily physical limitations.
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Pray for wisdom and provision as she and Azzam continue rebuilding their life.
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Pray that Faiza’s faith would remain steady and radiant.
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Pray for her daughter’s growth and access to the care she needs.
Stand With Persecuted Christians in Iran
Faiza fled Iran because she would not deny Jesus. Today, she is rebuilding because Christians like you chose to stand with her.
If you want to stand with persecuted Christians, you can give today. Your gift becomes part of God’s answer to a family praying for relief. And in places where faith in Christ can cost everything, that answer carries eternal weight.