Christian Church In Moslem State

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31343, 13 April 1967, Page 14

Christian Church In Moslem State

Christians indirectly influenced the political life of Iran like salt in a dish, the Bishop in Iran (the Rt Rev. Hassan DehqaniTafti) said in Christchurch yesterday. Although Christians numbered only 1 per cent in the Moslem state, their indirect influence was real, he said.

Bishop Dehqani-Tafti arrived from Australia to visit New Zealand for a month to speak about his country and the work of Christianity among the Moslem population.

Islam had proved the hardest field for Christianity because of its own high standard of morals and conduct, he said. When the first Christian missionaries went to Iran 90 years ago, the establishment of the Christian church was looked upon as an almost impossible task. Today, however, there was a small and efficient group of Christians in the country. They showed their concern through running hospitals and schools. Bishop Dehqani-Tafti is the first Anglican Persian bishop to be consecrated. He has six Persian clergy working with him, and says that for his small number of church members this is sufficient.

Asked if he thought that Iran would ever be a Christian country, the Bishop said he did not believe so. He did not think that Christ intended that all men be Christians, but that there be effective groups within the populations of countries.

Not many inquiries were received from Moslems wishing to become Christians. Most were handled by his church as some of the other communions working in the country did not accept that evangelism was part of their work.

Although small, the Christian Church did not want to

be an accepted minority but an integral part of the community, and for this reason it tried to be outward-looking in all its activities.

Iran was a country of extremes where, according to New Zealand standards, most were poor, the Bishop said. The country, however, was stable and many major reforms were being introduced by the Shah. A recent measure of major significance was concerned with land reform, and others included the introduction of the vote for women and literacy courses in the villages. Asked what New Zealand could do to assist Christian church work in his country. Bishop Dehqani-Tafti said that a science teacher to build up laboratories in schools and a doctor for medical services were urgently required.