The city of Antioch, where the believers were first called Christians, has been all but wiped out by the recent earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria
The family during Mass in a Catholic church in Tehran. (Photo by ATTA KENARE/AFP)
When Ali (not his real name) went to the French Office for the Protection of Refugees and Stateless Persons (OFPRA) for his interview, he knew that he would be questioned about his personal history, particularly about his conversion to Christianity in Iran.
He was asked to name a scripture passage that was important to him. He chose the Passion of Jesus Christ. How did this passage resonate with you? the protection officer asked. What attracted me most is that a human being, even at the moment of being tortured, asks people for forgiveness, even though he is here because of their faults. (.) That s what made me begin to love Jesus and this gesture, Ali said.