Around 70% of people in the Persian world are disillusioned with Islam, according to TWR’s Farsi ministry director. “They used to believe in Islam, but now they don’t believe in any religion.”
Those who take a secular stance often risk imprisonment. One example is Amir,* a man who took great pride in opposing Islam. “For these beliefs, I was in prison for four years by the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Amir said.
But from within that same context of religious disillusionment, a spiritual hunger is growing. Amir is one of many Farsi speakers who kept searching until he heard the truth of Jesus.
“I sinned, and God saw. I spoke blasphemies, and God heard. I behaved arrogantly, and God forgave me.”
“Then, through listening to Persian World Radio (PWR) [a ministry of TWR], I learned about Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. To my surprise, God was still waiting for me to return, and over time, my heart began to find peace.”
Farsi speakers are hearing and accepting God’s Word, often through innovative media platforms that protect their anonymity. After all, across much of the Farsi-speaking world, it’s illegal to convert from Islam to Christianity. Secure digital media spaces allow people to freely ask faith-related questions without giving away their identities.
This edition of Reach the Last explores how TWR’s Farsi ministry continually innovates to share the unwavering truth of the Gospel in relevant and culturally appropriate ways.
The Context
Globally, there are more than 48 million speakers of the Farsi language, as documented by Joshua Project. Although most live in Iran, significant populations of Farsi speakers reside in nations such as Afghanistan, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq and Germany.
While Persian is often used in English to refer to the Farsi language, it’s worth noting that Persian can also denote a broader cultural and linguistic region with its various languages and dialects. Among these are Dari in Afghanistan and Tajik in Tajikistan. In this article, however, our focus will be specifically on Farsi – the official language of Iran.
In Iran, conducting worship services and reading the Bible in Farsi are strictly forbidden, as noted by Open Doors. Even the printing, publication and distribution of Bibles in Farsi is illegal within Iran, a nation that adheres to Islamic law. Many Christians face intense oppression and either hide their faith or emigrate as a result.
Women have even more to contend with. In addition to their struggle to worship God freely, women also lack basic rights in society.
“In Islam, women don’t have rights, and this makes them feel hopeless. We have to encourage them, let them know they are amazing in the eyes of God and that God can use them,” said TWR’s Farsi ministry director.*
Although Islam is the majority religion in Iran, at least on paper, there is a growing disillusionment with religion and a swing toward secularism. The Women, Life, Freedom protest movement, which began in 2022 after an Iranian woman was arrested for not wearing a hijab properly, has fueled a lot of anger in Iran toward religious rituals and formalities.
But even with the sharp rise in secularism, many Farsi speakers are looking for a sense of spiritual purpose.
The Next Generation
TWR’s Farsi ministry is eager to meet the needs of the next generation.
“People are becoming more receptive to the Gospel and are curious about God,” the director said. “They are not looking for a religion but for a relationship with God.”
For that reason, much of TWR’s content for Farsi speakers is in the form of stories that connect with listeners on a personal level.
The team weaves music into their content to give it an extra layer of interest. After all, the heartbeat of Iranian culture is its music. From north to south, each region’s traditional music is characterized by specific musical instruments such as the setar or santoor.
“When we produce Farsi programmes, we use the language and music of the people we are speaking to,” the director said. “By doing this, we touch their soul because music speaks to the soul.”
The director can see a stark contrast between older and younger generations in Iranian society. He can see that children no longer respect their parents as they did in the past. He also notices that nearly every family seems to have at least one member struggling with some form of addiction. As drug addiction and prostitution have risen, so too have suicide rates.
The way media is consumed also varies between the young and old. While parents spend a lot of time in front of the TV, youth are immensely active on social media apps such as Instagram, Telegram and Clubhouse.
Whatever the media platform, the ministry director wants Farsi speakers to have a chance to cultivate a relationship with Jesus rather than to simply follow a set of religious rules.
“My concern for the new generation in Iran is that they may miss out on the experiences of support and community that we had. I hope that our programmes can help revive these values, teaching the importance of being there for one another in person, not just through digital means. Our faith teaches us to think and choose, to seek wisdom and not to blindly follow rules – this is the essence of our message.”
One Message, Many Channels
TWR’s Farsi ministry meets people where they are, in the places they go. Traditional radio, digital radio, podcasts, social media, video and even the metaverse (virtual and augmented reality spaces) are all channels for the Gospel.
The ministry’s dynamic team of young adults works within the broader Persian World Radio to create and produce content tailored to specific audiences.
There’s a palpable sense of love and unity on the team, currently made up of 44 members and growing. Members are highly skilled in everything from scriptwriting to film production.
The team has been working hard on new initiatives. TWR is working in cooperation with Transform Iran to produce an audio version of the Bible for Farsi speakers as well as speakers of the Gilaki and Balochi languages. It will be in the form of a digital radio stream titled Persian Word of God Radio. Each Bible reading will be enhanced by immersive Dolby Atmos audio.
We’re also launching Persian Worship Radio, a 24-hour online worship radio stream that integrates traditional instruments from various regions. Over 500 songs have been produced and more will continue to be added. The music created for Persian Worship Radio will also be creatively blended into Persian Word of God Radio’s dramatised Bible readings.
To address the needs of Farsi-speaking women, TWR’s Women of Hope programmes begin with uplifting music, often followed by personal testimonies. Listeners are encouraged to contact the team with questions or needs.
Pand, meaning “wise words” in Farsi, is a collection of programmes that continually evolve to meet the needs of listeners. Each 30-minute programme is designed with a particular audience in mind. Popular programmes include daily Bible teachings, marriage, family, discipleship and raising children.
One of the Pand programmes, Time with Pastor Ivan, is a prime example of the way the Farsi team pushes the limits of creativity. Not only does Pastor Ivan teach biblical truths in each episode, but he also uses his gift of singing.
Another exciting development is the SUNDAY app, designed to reach refugees and migrants who have moved to a European country and have questions about getting situated in their new home.
The app is a cooperation between TWR partners: Norea Norway, Norea Sweden, Norea Denmark, Sansa (Finland), TWR Netherlands & Belgium and TWR Canada. It is now available in Farsi and more languages will be added.
Within the app, users can access information about society, culture and language, or find answers to questions about the Bible. They can even find contact information for local Farsi-speaking believers in their resident countries.
Through these and other media channels, Farsi speakers are finding true hope. While the media channels may change, the message remains the same.
* Name changed or withheld for security purposes
