To mark Pastor Saeed Abedini's 1,000th day in an Iranian prison on Tuesday, Rev. Patrick Mahoney of the Church of the Hill, along with the Christian Defence Coalition, organised a prayer vigil for the persecuted pastor and urged other Christians to join them in prayers.
According to a press release provided to Christian Newswire, Mahoney and other Christian organisations held a press conference at the US Capitol Building in Washington D.C. in hopes of urging Congress to act on Abedini's release.
"Every five minutes across the globe, a Christian is killed because of their faith," Mahoney said. "Today marks day 1,000 that Pastor Saeed will be spending in an Iranian prison cell for his Christian faith; 1,000 days of being away from his wife and two precious young children; 1,000 days of facing brutal beatings and torture."
They also left 1,000 flowers at the US Capitol to remind the members of Congress that millions of Christians are facing persecution and violence around the world. The flowers are also symbolic of Christians' efforts to put an end to faith-based genocide.
"Pastor Saeed is an American citizen and it is unthinkable that Congress would move forward with a nuclear deal with Iran while he is being daily tortured in one of their prison cells," Mahoney said. "Congressional resolutions are not enough. Actions must speak louder than words regarding religious freedom and human rights."
Mahoney created a Facebook page for the #orangejumpsuit movement to get Christians from all around the world to express their unity with Abedini.
"We are also encouraging Christians across the nation to wear orange while they fast and pray for Pastor Saeed and our persecuted brothers and sisters," Mahoney said. "We cannot be silent or indifferent when it comes to the persecuted church."
