Locked away, but not silenced . . . Maryam Rostampour and Marziyeh Amirizadeh knew they were putting their lives on the line. Though Islamic laws in Iran forbade them from sharing their Christian beliefs, in three years they’d covertly put New Testaments into the hands of twenty thousand of their countrymen. They’d started two secret house churches, including one for prostitutes—many of them women who had been abandoned by their husbands and had no other way to support themselves and their children. Maryam and Marziyeh had almost been caught many times . . . it seemed like divine intervention when they were not.
But finally—perhaps inevitably—in 2009, the two young women were arrested and held in the notorious Evin Prison in Tehran, a place where inmates are routinely tortured, and executions are swift and sudden. But in the face of chilling interrogations and intimidation, and risking a death sentence, something remarkable happened: Instead of succumbing to fear, they chose to take the radical—and dangerous—step of sharing their faith inside the very walls of the government stronghold that was meant to silence them.
In Captive in Iran, Maryam and Marziyeh recount how God used their 259 days in Evin Prison to bring about a miraculous reversal: shining light into one of the world’s darkest places, giving hope to those who had lost everything, and showing love to those in despair.
For all we knew, this could be our last day on earth. “I hope you’ve been thinking carefully,” the interrogator said, nibbling on a piece of bread. “Have you?”
I wondered if he knew how hungry we were, or if he always ate in front of prisoners.
“What should we have been thinking of?” Maryam asked.
“About telling us what we want to know about you and your activities. I have checked your laptop and read all the evidence against you,” he said sternly. “You must tell us everything about people you have contact with, which organizations you work with. Otherwise, we will lock your hands and feet together and beat you until you die.
“Think about that as you prepare for your interrogation.” Pushing back abruptly from the table, he walked out.
Despite our earlier bravado, we were afraid. For all we knew, this could be our last day on earth. We held hands and prayed for strength.
If we are tortured, give us the power to stand fast.
Maryam Rostampour and Marziyeh Amirizadeh knew they were putting their lives on the line. Islamic laws in Iran forbade them from sharing their Christian beliefs, but in three years, they’d covertly put New Testaments into the hands of twenty thousand of their countrymen and started two secret house churches.
In 2009, they were finally arrested and held in the notorious Evin Prison in Tehran, a place where inmates are routinely tortured and executions are commonplace. In the face of ruthless interrogations, persecution, and a death sentence, Maryam and Marziyeh chose to take the radical—and dangerous—step of sharing their faith inside the very walls of the government stronghold that was meant to silence them. In Captive in Iran, two courageous Iranian women recount how God used their 259 days in Evin Prison to shine His light into one of the world’s darkest places, giving hope to those who had lost everything and showing love to those in despair.
Ashley
Wow! What an inspiring, heartbreaking, and interesting book! I just finished reading Captive in Iran and I absolutely loved it and highly recommend reading it. This book offers a unique inside look into the Iranian culture from a converted Iranian Christian that is rare due to Iran's harsh restrictions on their people. It is such a different world than what most of us Americans can comprehend and it really opens your eyes to the gross injustice and assaults on freedom that are taking place around the world. This book is a very quick read - I didn't want to put it down! Marayam and Marziyeh are incredibly brave women and I am so thankful that they are willing to tell their story!
Soleil
Captive In Iran, is written by Maryam Rostampour and Marziyeh Amirizadeh. These two Iranian women courageously stood firm in their faith while in Evin, the notorious Tehran prison. Despite the possible sentence of death, Maryam and Marziyeh continued to share their faith to their fellow cellmates. Captive in Iran is a mind blowing and encouraging story of how these two sisters in Christ continued to believe, not matter what the cost.
I was excited to finally be able to read Captive In Iran, but what not sure of what to expect. What I read was really amazing. I cannot begin to imagine what it must have been like in Evin. How loosing your friends, facing interrogations, and the many other things they went through must have been like, and yet they faithfully continued to share the love of Christ to everyone. I definitely suggest you read this book. It has the moments when you are joyful for those who are freed, and when you are saddened from the executions of others. It is encouraging to read of how they prayed and when their prayers were answered. Captive In Iran is a must read.