Christians are still persecuted in Iran - despite a train station named after the Virgin Mary

Tehran’s Holy Virgin Mary metro station supposedly celebrates the “peaceful coexistence” of religions in Iran. But on International Religious Freedom Day, Steve Dew-Jones reminds us that Christian converts still face extreme persecution

Did you hear the news? Iran has recently made the surprise move of naming a Tehran metro station after the Virgin Mary. The newly upgraded station, now called Maryam-e Moqaddas - Persian for Holy Virgin Mary - features Christian-themed art and is located near Saint Sarkis Armenian Cathedral, the main hub for the city’s Armenian Christian community. 

It’s just the sort of news one might hope to hear on International Religious Freedom Day. Except that,  as is often the case in Iran, it isn’t quite as positive as it sounds.

The Iranian authorities and the state media tell us that the renaming is symbolic of the “peaceful coexistence”  of religions in Iran. But such coexistence is only available to those born within ethnic minority families considered Christian in origin, such as Armenians and Assyrians - and provided that they are willing to accept certain conditions. This includes, for example, not talking about their faith with “Muslim-born” Iranians, nor permitting Persian speakers to attend their services.