In a new twist to the saga of American pastor Saeed Abedini who is languishing in Iranian prison, it turns out he is not the only one in his family who is on trial for his Christian faith.
Sharing a similar fate as her husband, Naghmeh Abedini said she is also under fire, not from Iranian authorities, but from radical Muslims and even Christians who question her faith, according to The Christian Post.
In a message she wrote on her Facebook page on Sunday, Naghmeh said despite all the trials her family is facing, despite her mounting fears over her husband's fate, despite the criticism she is receiving left and right, her faith in God has remained unshaken and, in fact, has even grown.
"The last three years have been very intense not only because of Saeed's imprisonment, but also because of the attacks that have come from not only radical Muslims, but at times from those closest to me. I have been told many things of which some have been that I am not a good mom for traveling so much .. that how could I possibly share about Christ when I have not even been to a Bible School," Naghmeh said.
"I have been criticised from what I wear, to what I say, to the way I parent. ... I use to break to pieces after each attack and criticism, but recently the Lord has been speaking to me through the life of Moses. That I should use the attacks to keep me humble," she wrote.
Naghmeh said when whenever people try to vilify her, she turns to a particular passage in the Bible where Moses asked God to forgive those who cause strife. She said reading the Bible has inspired her to have a "heart of compassion" instead of a "heart of bitterness."
In her personal mission to drum support for her imprisoned husband, who is currently serving an eight-year prison term in Iran for the patently false charge of endangering national security, Naghmeh has been traveling all over the US for speaking arrangements. She has spoken to US lawmakers and given testimony in the US Congress and even the United Nations, urging world leaders, particularly President Obama, to press Iran harder on its human rights record, and help free her husband.
In another Facebook post, Naghmeh recounted the story told in Mark 16 about the two women who went to the Tomb of Jesus who, on their way, worried how they would move the huge heavy stone that covered the entrance to the tomb. She said like those women, she is also filled with worry about her husband.
"As I was reading, it struck me that these women were so worried about how they were going to roll away the stone. And yet when they reached there it was ALREADY ROLLED AWAY!!!" she said.
"The Lord spoke to my heart and showed the worries of the future that I am carrying with me ... worries of in what condition I will receive Saeed and how our marriage will look like and in what condition the kids will have their father."
She said she has been a Christian for nearly 30 years now, "but only recently has the voice of my Shepherd been so clear and so different from all of the so many voices around me. I believe it is because of being in such a broken state and being so desperate for Him that we can be in a position to hear from the Lord."
Naghmeh has been posting updates on Facebook about the campaign to free her husband. Last month, she launched a 21-day fast to raise awareness of Saeed's plight.
The Abedini couple have two young children back at their home in Boise, Idaho.
