Annahita Parsan has suffered much more than her share, yet now offers hope to all kinds of people. In Stranger No More: A Muslim Refugee's Story of Harrowing Escape, Miraculous Rescue, and the Quiet Call of Jesus, she tells her story of suffering and oppression and, ultimately, her physical and spiritual salvation. I was horrified as I read of her experiences in Iran, at the hands of her abusive husband, and her flight to safety.
Parsan lived in Iran at the time of the Iranian revolution. After her first husband was killed in an automobile accident she felt pressure to marry again. She met a man with whom she thought she had rapport and understanding, but on their wedding night the beating and raping began. This man was absolutely crazy, violently beating her, berating her, and treating her as less than human. Yet her concern not to bring shame to her family kept her in this toxic marriage.
Many enlightened Westerners resist any hint of cultural superiority. Yet as I read about Parsan's experiences in Iran, where women are devalued, where husbands beat their wives with impunity, where teachers beat their students into submission, I became convinced that any culture with these characteristics is inherently inferior. I know there are kind people in cultures like that, and in the United States abuse occurs, but the open acceptance and expectation of such treatment in Parsan's Iran was appalling. She noticed the difference upon her arrival in Denmark. "I noticed that people in Denmark were so different from people in Iran or Turkey. There was not visible anger in them, no hate raging just beneath the surface. . . . Things were gentle, warm, and easy."
When her husband became a target for the revolutionaries--he was in favor of restoring the power of the Shah--Parsan had to flee with him. Smugglers helped them across the snowy mountains into Turkey. Without adequate food or clothing, the fact that they survived without starving or freezing to death is remarkable. When they finally arrived in Turkey, officials there thought they were spies. Their family languished in unspeakably terrible conditions in prison, repeatedly questioned and abused by their captors.
Eventually they were released and allowed entry into Denmark. The Danes assisted them tremendously, but Parsan's husband continued to abuse her. Once in Denmark, Parsan began the process of separating from him, eventually divorcing. During this time, door-to-door evangelists gave her a Bible in Farsi. She didn't read it much at first, but began praying for God's help. For a time, she and her children found refuge in a convent. As the nuns ministered to her, she came to appreciate their faith and the rhythm of their worship. Eventually she fully embraced God's salvation and became a pastor.
While most of Parsan's suffering resulted from her husband's insane violence, the values of Islam played a part in her experiences. The flight to the West and her embrace of the Christian faith showed her another way. Her suffering equipped her to bring succor to others who suffer. Her salvation after her life as a Muslim equipped her to share the gospel with other Muslims and refugees. Her story tells a shocking reality, but also offers hope for people suffering in terrible cultures and abusive marriages around the world, and a reminder to us who live in comfort and safety not to neglect the suffering in our world.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!
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