Iran defies global suicide statistics

Globally, men commit suicide at higher rates than women. The statistics show that men are more than three to five times more likely to succeed at killing themselves than women. But in Iran, women commit suicide more often than men. Only China compares with Iran in this grim statistic.

You may think these numbers show the despair of women in Iran, and you would be right—but they do not show its full depth. Across the world—including China—when women do commit suicide, their number one method is some form of poison, either drugs or pesticides; in Iran, the number one method of suicide is self-immolation (burning). Half of all suicides in Iran happen through burning, and for every five of these desperate acts, four are committed by women.

These Iranian women really want to take their lives in a horrendous way. They don’t want to take poison as the easier way out; they want to die with great pain. It is to the point now where suicide by self-immolation happens more frequently in Iran than in Hindu cultures, which see fire as a purifier. This trend in Iran is considered by global health organizations as a significant public health problem.

What has caused Persian women to have such despair?

According to the studies, the top motivating factors for self-immolation among women in Iran are marital conflict and conflict with other family members.

In Islam, women have no value. Millions of Persian woman endure marriages where their husband beats them up. Sharia and government law approve of husbands beating their wives. Many married women are just the maid, the cook, and sex slave. The husband often doesn’t love them.
He might even be married to other younger women. What the wives like doesn’t matter, and they have no real path for speaking up. Many feel their only escape is death.

Why do women stay in these marriages?

A woman in Iran usually cannot get a divorce. The courts are against them obtaining a legal divorce. They could perhaps just leave—and some do—but, please tell me, where would they go? A divorced woman in Islamic society is considered a curse. The divorced woman opens herself to be approached for prostitution (called a “temporary marriage” in Shariah law). Any and every man can offer her some money one night at a time, creating yet another form of horrific enslavement.

Also, if the woman leaves or divorces her husband, she loses her children, who always go to the husband. So women generally just suffer in these relationships or they kill themselves with great pain and self-hatred.

There is a better answer:

Throughout history, the oppressed have always responded to Jesus best. In Iran, the most oppressed are the women.

Christ is so appealing to these dear souls who have been devalued by their husbands and society that they fall in love with Him. Suddenly they come to Christ, and they realize they are valuable and God is calling them to serve. Their commitment is tremendously high because they know where they come from, and now they are daughters of the King. This correct assessment of their self-worth brings such healing.

So when a woman comes to Christ, they become a great light. The husband notices, “You have changed.” And they have. Before they were hopeless and the husband was unkind or even cruel—the least the wives felt they could do before was be angry, answer back, and hurt their husbands in return. Now they have responded to a Greater Love, and they begin returning grace and kindness for the abuse thrown at them. It shocks everyone.

Once transformed themselves, these women are bringing healing to husbands and kids. Once transformed, these women become agents of transformation for the rest of their family and friends.

Our new initiative: Flourish

As you would guess, then, a majority of our leaders in the underground Church in Iran are women—and they are very good leaders. We want to continue reaching out to these dear sisters and equip them and develop them for the ministry God is giving them. Called “Flourish,” our new initiative is more than television programs, though it is that in part; this initiative is a call to women to be equipped and raise a new generation of leaders. It is a call to flourish in a society that expects them to wilt and burn.

Would you pray for this new initiative? My soul longs to see many, many Persian women discover their true worth as daughters of our gracious King. I pray that many will hear the call of Jesus, and know that His life is worth living. I pray that they will flourish and transform Iran into a Christian nation in this generation.

Related Articles:

Ahmadi, Alireza. “Suicide by Self-Immolation: Comprehensive Overview, Experiences and Suggestions.” Journal of Burn Care & Research: Official Publication of the American Burn Association 28, no. 1 (February 2007)

Vijayakumar, Lakshmi. “Suicide in Women.” Indian Journal of Psychiatry 57, no. Suppl 2 (July 2015)

“When Home Is a Prison,” December 22, 2015.