With circumstances becoming increasingly dire in Iran, many people seek alternative options. They often flee to the U.S. or other Western countries.
However, according to Uncharted Ministries’ JoAnn Doyle, Muslim immigrants frequently encounter resistance upon reaching their new home. “(Iranian) women see the freedom that women have in America… and they long for that same freedom. They think, ‘If I come to this new country, I will finally have freedom’,” she explains.
“Then, they come here, and we Americans are afraid of them. Or, perhaps we even hate them because of 9/11 and all the terrorism that we see,” Doyle continues.
“So what do we do? We reinforce the lie that they don’t matter by ignoring them, or by pretending we don’t see them.”
According to data from the U.S. Census Bureau, nearly half a million Americans self-identified as having Iranian heritage. Over 40% of the estimated U.S. total resides in California. “In Iran… most of the people do not like the regime that they are forced to live under. So, many of them do flee, especially into California,” Doyle explains.
“Los Angeles, they teasingly say, is ‘Tehrangeles.’ There are so many Iranians there.”
Doyle leads Not Forgotten, a division of Uncharted Ministries. Together with a small team, she teaches Christian women how to reach their Muslim neighbors. Learn more here.
“Our heart with Not Forgotten is to reach out to those women behind the veil, to show them their biblical place of honor that Jesus has reserved just for them as women.”
SOURCE: Mission Network News, Katey Hearth
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