On February 3, 2022, members of AMCD met with American-Iranian Pastor Saeed Abedini on zoom.
Pastor Abedini was born into the Muslim religion. His father was a member of the shah’s imperial guard and was quite secular, but his mother was a strongly religious Muslim. Pastor Abedini began his life following his mother’s lead and became a very zealous Muslim. So much so that at the age of 14, he was chosen by the government to be sent to Israel as part of a sleeper cell. At age 20, he contemplated killing a Christian Pastor in Iran, but the night before he was to carry out his attack, Jesus appeared to him and said, “Saeed, I am coming back soon. I want you to work for me.”
After that, he returned to Iran to start an orphanage. He was soon arrested and sent to prison. He was eventually released as part of a hostage negotiation with Iran under President Obama. Recently, he took part in a hunger strike in Vienna to protest the Biden administration’s efforts to appease Iran and re-join the JCPOA, also known as the Iran nuclear deal. His position is that any agreement with Iran will result in the increased persecution of Christians and other dissidents in Iran. He also thinks that the numerous hostages held in Iran from many Western countries should be released before any negotiations begin.
He does not believe any negotiated deal with Iran will change its behavior or its determination to obtain nuclear weapons. The Iranian plan to attack Israel will not change either. He stressed that after the last negotiations with the Obama administration, Iran engaged in a cruel crackdown on its population with 1,500 to 5,000 people murdered or imprisoned or both.
When Paster Abedini was held in Evin prison, they put the political prisoners in the same area where murderers and the worst kinds of criminals were held. These prisoners murdered and beheaded other prisoners with impunity. The guards did nothing to stop them.
The Pastor also pointed out that while it is illegal for private citizens to meet with terrorists, Western governments are meeting with the Iranian terrorist government and negotiating with them even though the United States’ position is never to negotiate with terrorists. The Europeans especially seem more concerned with lucrative economic contracts with Iran than with human rights within Iran.
Question: Do you think the Iranian people are ready for regime change?
Answer: Yes! The people are very ready for regime change, but the opposition is not unified and they are not armed. The regime I constantly bombarding the people with propaganda. They are withholding medicine and food saying that it is the fault of American sanctions, when those sanctions always allowed food and medicine to come in.
Question: Is there any group that could be supported to overthrow the government?
Answer: Not now. Supporters of the Iran regime like Trita Parsi are very well organized and have the ear of the Biden administration. NIAC is deeply embedded with the Democrats and the Republican side has little organization (apart from AMCD and some others).
Question: Iran has reduced its oil exports to Turkey. What is the cause of the rift?
Answer: There is always tension between the Sunni and the Shia with each side vying to lead the Muslim world. Iran has been successful in leading an Islamic revolution and installing an Islamic structure over the government. Turkey is more prosperous, and it is gradually becoming more radical. Erdogan wants to lead the Muslim world with a Sunni caliphate and unite Muslims against Israel and against the Christian world generally. There are many Christian refuges in Turkey who are languishing in camps after having escaped the radical Muslims of Syria and elsewhere. They are treated as third-class citizens in Turkey.
Question: Actually, in Iran and among the Iranians abroad, there is widespread support for Prince Reza Pahlavi.
Answer: True, but there is no unity. The opposition groups focus on the second steps – who will lead after the overthrow of the mullahs. They need to concentrate of step one and unite to overthrow the government first. America needs to lend support. The youth are supporting a new nationalism concentrating on Iran’s pre-Islamic past.
Question: What can explain the Democratic party’s affinity for the most illiberal government on earth?
Answer: The Democratic party is allowing, even aiding, the formation of a new enemy Axis – Iran, Russia and China. In my opinion this is a Satanic plan. According to Revelations, this Axis will attack Israel and draw the rest of the world into war.
We are behind in this struggle and we need three things. 1) The media is against us. Pro-Iranian regime people staff the VOA and every other outlet in Iran. This needs to be remedied. 2) We need to strengthen our team of Iranian Republicans and grow the base. 3) We need funding.
We thank Pastor Abedini for giving of his time to speak with us. You may donate to Abedini Ministries here.