“My husband wants me to sell our 11 day old baby. What do I do?”

Human trafficking is a big business in Iran. Because of poverty, many poor families are willing to sell their children— even their babies—to the highest bidder.

Even worse, because of greed and corruption, many government officials play a role in it.

As a result, there is no serious government intervention to stop human trafficking. We want to share the story of Zara, a 20-year-old mother whose husband wanted to sell their newborn baby girl.

Zara was forced into a marriage at the age of 15. Soon after, her husband died. As a widow, she was deemed unwanted as a bride since she was not a virgin. Unable to survive on her own and faced with the burden of providing for her mother, she had no choice other than to become a temporary wife. 

As you may know, according to the Islamic law in Iran, there is a temporary marriage available to men—both single and married men. Since Zara was a little girl, she had longed to be a mother, so she was thrilled when she learned that she was pregnant by her temporary husband. Her temporary husband insisted that she abort the baby, however, God had other plans for Zara and her child. 

Once the child was born and her husband discovered that it was a girl, he became even more enraged. In a matter of days, Zara’s temporary husband found an Arab buyer who was willing to pay $6,000 for their daughter and was on his way to take the baby away. Terrified of losing her daughter, Zara went into hiding and came across our live satellite TV broadcast.

At that pivotal moment, her walk with Christ began. She was able to connect with an Iran Alive Ministries’ counselor, who heard her tragic story, and shared the Gospel with Zara, who wholeheartedly received Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior.

Six months later, Zara’s husband, Amir, found her and their daughter. Paralyzed with fear that he would take her baby away, she braced herself for the worst. Then, a miracle happened. By God’s grace, Zara was able to share the love and care she experienced through Iran Alive Ministries. Zara was able to convince her husband to watch one of our live programs with her.

In her own words, Zara shared with us…

“After watching your programs, my husband changed. One day, he melted in front of me and called your Counseling Center to say ‘thank you for helping my family. But why did you do all of this for her?’ Your counselor answered, ‘it was because God loves her, loves your daughter, and He loves you.’ That day, filled with gratitude and overcome with joy, Amir, gave his life to Christ.” 

Praise God! 

Zara’s story is just one of the thousands of women who have discovered Iran Alive Ministries through satellite TV. Her journey serves as a beautiful testament to the continuous work of the Lord within the hearts of countless women, including those in Iran. It is a remarkable account of how God can soften the hearts of people like Amir and how His love and grace know no bounds.