Billah* and Family
Funding Progress
($10,000 AUD)
About Billah and Family
Three years ago, Eliza (b. 2005) and Mara (b. 2008) applied for a ian visa processing, or the possibility of resettlement in another country, meanthem navigate the application process and providing practical care and support during this difficult season.
We invite you to read their story below, to pray for Eliza and Mara, and to consider partnering with us as we continue to stand with them.
Please be wary their story may contain some distressing themes.
August 2026:
Billah’s Story
“My name is Billah, and I am with my wife and two children. We are from Iran.
I was born in a Muslim family and stopped believing in Islam when I was in high school. I was never happy following strict Islamic rules. Worshipping Allah to me was characterised by disagreements between partners and families, no equality of rights for men and women, and no justice either.
I decided to free myself from the heavy burden of Sharia Law. I left my home to pursue work and met my wife, who also questioned Islam. We did not dress how a traditional Islamic believer would dress (I did not like having a long beard), and she was also questioned for the type of make-up that she wore. Whenever we would go outside, we were followed by the police for looking different. Life was scary, we were always anxious, and always waited for something bad to happen to us every day.
I no longer believed in anything, and had somehow become a non-believer.
Exposure to Christianity
In my work, I met an Armenian man who was always very kind and joyful – the opposite of me. I always felt peace whenever I was with him.
One day he gifted me a Bible. Although I was reluctant to take it, I did. It took me 3 months to read the entire thing, and I was feeling the best I had ever felt.
When I told him about what I had been feeling, he connected me with a man who led an underground house church. After having a few meetings with this man, he invited me to his church, and I joined them to gather once a week.
I studied the Bible and prayed for several months, and felt the presence of the Holy Spirit in my heart. As I continued to read more of the Word, I understood that Jesus Christ saved us and has now invited us to his kingdom. There is no way of salvation except faith in Jesus Christ.
The Bible saved my life and my family. I worshipped God with joy and song. I officially converted in 2011. My wife saw that my faith was increasing and I was growing spiritually, and I eventually told her about my Christian faith (it is very dangerous to convert so I had to be careful). When I spoke about the Bible to her, she also became a believer.
The First Arrest
After a year of attending a house church, one day it was infiltrated. A bunch of people barged in and arrested all of us, blindfolding us and shoving us into a van. I was left alone in a room for 2 days, where I was insulted and beaten. When they found out that I was Kurdish, they treated me worse.
I was given a paper that I was forced to sign without reading, and they threatened me to not practice Christianity again.
The Second Arrest
The second time I was arrested, the police came into my work place and took me away.
I had recently gifted one of my close friends a Bible, because I spoke about Christianity to him and he was very enthusiastic about it. Unfortunately, his father found out about this – a very religious man with government influence. He reported me.
I was interrogated at the police station for a total of 10 days, and transferred to a prison where I was in solitary confinement for 23 days. During this time I was harassed and tortured mentally and physically, including using electric shocks.
When I was released, I was forced to keep a low profile. I did not know that they were closely monitoring me.
The Last Arrest
Months later, private agents barged into my house, where only my wife and daughter were home. They told them that if I did not present myself, they would be arrested too.
They searched my home, taking all of my personal belongings like my laptop, Bible books, CDs, my passport and documents. My wife was so afraid and was under such mental pressure that the neighbours took her to the hospital.
Afraid to return home but not wanting my family to be harmed, I contacted a lawyer, who told me to leave the country.
Fleeing to Turkey
A week later, we all fled to Turkey. I had to find a way separate from my family considering that I did not have a passport. This route was very difficult and exhausted, and it took me 7 days until I could reunite with my family. There, we registered with the UNHCR.
Fortunately we were able to connect with a church here in Turkey, where we attend twice a week, studying the word. We all got baptised in 2015.
International Pressure
We have lived in limbo for 9 years as refugees in Turkey. We are required to go to the Immigration office and Turkish police office to register ourselves weekly. One day in 2022, as I was registering with the Turkish police, they found out that we are Christians and Kurdish (an ethnic minority in Iran) and suddenly they treated us very harshly. He kicked me out of his office, and the next week I went back to find out that they had ‘closed our case’ and cancelled our permits.
They then arrested me for not having a permit. I was transferred to a detention camp where I was subject to more abuse. Below is an excerpt of one of the letters my daughter wrote to the center:
"Dear Mr. ________,
I am the daughter of Billah. It has been several months that he has been confined in the detention center. I don't know how many letters I have written. I miss my father so much. I cannot sleep every night because I am waiting for him to open the door and come home. I am in 8th grade. My father is the only motivation in my life, but he is not here near by me and I miss him so much. Also my family are in troubles like rent and tuition...I am starving at school to save money. We are kicked out of our home and in a really bad situation. Please let my father come back home."
As I was calling my family one day, I told them all that was happening to me and the human rights abuses I was experiencing, and he sent it to a popular news station.
When the director of the camp found this out, I was released due to international pressure. I was there for 7 months. I believe that this release was a miracle, Jesus Christ saved me during these hard times.
I really loved my country…
Now that I have reunited with my family, we are all on constant lockdown because they refuse to give us residency permits.
I cannot work, and my children cannot study. We are in a very difficult situation. We are not safe here anymore, but we cannot return to Iran. If I do, I will be executed or endure 25 years of imprisonment.
I really loved my country, I didn’t want to leave. I was forced to leave and to give up everything I had earned through hard work. The Iranian secret police have already threatened us and are seeking to arrest me.
May God help us with his miracles, and may Jesus Christ save us.”