{"id":474,"date":"2025-02-25T08:44:11","date_gmt":"2025-02-25T08:44:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/2025\/02\/25\/this-christian-convert-fled-iran-and-ran-into-trumps-deportation-policy-the-new-york-times\/"},"modified":"2025-02-25T08:44:11","modified_gmt":"2025-02-25T08:44:11","slug":"this-christian-convert-fled-iran-and-ran-into-trumps-deportation-policy-the-new-york-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/2025\/02\/25\/this-christian-convert-fled-iran-and-ran-into-trumps-deportation-policy-the-new-york-times\/","title":{"rendered":"This Christian Convert Fled Iran, and Ran Into Trump\u2019s Deportation Policy &#8211; The New York Times"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"site-content\">\n<div id=\"in-story-masthead\">\n<p><span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/world\/middleeast\">Middle East<\/a><\/span><span>|<\/span><span>This Christian Convert Fled Iran, and Ran Into Trump\u2019s Deportation Policy<\/span><\/p>\n<div>\n<p><span>https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/02\/23\/world\/middleeast\/this-christian-convert-fled-iran-and-ran-into-trumps-deportation-policy.html<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<article id=\"story\">\n<div aria-live=\"polite\">\n<p>You have a preview view of this article while we are checking your access. When we have confirmed access, the full article content will load.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"fullBleedHeaderContent\">\n<header>\n<div data-testid=\"imageblock-wrapper\">\n<figure aria-label=\"media\" role=\"group\">\n<div data-testid=\"imageContainer-children-Image\"><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 599px) and (min-device-pixel-ratio: 3),(max-width: 599px) and (min-resolution: 3dppx),(max-width: 599px) and (min-resolution: 288dpi)\" ><source media=\"(max-width: 599px) and (min-device-pixel-ratio: 2),(max-width: 599px) and (min-resolution: 2dppx),(max-width: 599px) and (min-resolution: 192dpi)\" ><source media=\"(max-width: 599px) and (min-device-pixel-ratio: 1),(max-width: 599px) and (min-resolution: 1dppx),(max-width: 599px) and (min-resolution: 96dpi)\" ><img loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"A woman with long dark hair, T-shirt and a crucifix necklace.\" src=\"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2025\/02\/23\/world\/23panama-iran-migrants\/23panama-iran-migrants-articleLarge.jpg?quality=75&#038;auto=webp&#038;disable=upscale\"   decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"800\"><\/picture><\/div><figcaption data-testid=\"photoviewer-children-ImageCaption\"><span>Artemis Ghasemzadeh fled Iran, where she could face a death sentence for converting to Christianity.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p><h2 id=\"link-2910e91d\" data-testid=\"headline\">This Christian Convert Fled Iran, and Ran Into Trump\u2019s Deportation Policy<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\"><span>Artemis Ghasemzadeh fled Iran, where she could face a death sentence for converting to Christianity.<\/span><span><span>Credit&#8230;<\/span><span><span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<div>\n<ul>\n<li><time datetime=\"2025-02-24T22:32:35-05:00\"><span>Published Feb. 23, 2025<\/span><span>Updated Feb. 24, 2025<\/span><\/time><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<section name=\"articleBody\">\n<div data-testid=\"companionColumn-0\">\n<p>She first entered a church on a visit to Turkey. She remembers feeling a sense of calm so overpowering that she purchased a small Bible. She wrapped it in her clothes and smuggled it back to her hometown, Isfahan, in central Iran.<\/p>\n<p>Artemis Ghasemzadeh\u2019s conversion from Islam to Christianity evolved over a few years starting in 2019, through an Iranian network of underground churches and secret online classes. Three years ago, she was baptized and, in her words, \u201creborn.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Converting was colossally risky. While Christians born into the faith are free to practice, Iran\u2019s Shariah laws state that abandoning Islam for another religion is considered blasphemy, punishable by death. Some members of her Bible-study group were arrested.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div data-testid=\"companionColumn-1\">\n<p>So in December, Ms. Ghasemzadeh set out for the United States.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI wanted to live freely, to live without fear, to live without someone wanting to kill me,\u201d Ms. Ghasemzadeh, 27, said in a series of phone interviews.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div data-testid=\"ImageBlock-3\">\n<figure aria-label=\"media\" role=\"group\">\n<div data-testid=\"photoviewer-children-figure\">\n<p><span>Image<\/span><\/p>\n<picture><source media=\"(max-width: 599px) and (min-device-pixel-ratio: 3),(max-width: 599px) and (min-resolution: 3dppx),(max-width: 599px) and (min-resolution: 288dpi)\" ><source media=\"(max-width: 599px) and (min-device-pixel-ratio: 2),(max-width: 599px) and (min-resolution: 2dppx),(max-width: 599px) and (min-resolution: 192dpi)\" ><source media=\"(max-width: 599px) and (min-device-pixel-ratio: 1),(max-width: 599px) and (min-resolution: 1dppx),(max-width: 599px) and (min-resolution: 96dpi)\" ><img loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"A woman in a flowing, fleece-lined jacket lights a church prayer candle.\" src=\"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2025\/02\/23\/world\/23panama-iran-migrants-02\/23panama-iran-migrants-02-articleLarge.jpg?quality=75&#038;auto=webp&#038;disable=upscale\"   uri=\"nyt:\/\/image\/f96fc32c-8d40-5aba-ab00-32d257dea368\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"950\"><\/picture><\/div><figcaption data-testid=\"photoviewer-children-caption\"><span>Ms. Ghasemzadeh visiting a Christian church in the country of Georgia. <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div data-testid=\"companionColumn-2\">\n<p>Her journey has landed her in a migrant detention camp on the outskirts of the Dari\u00e9n jungle in Panama. She and nine other Iranian Christian converts, three of them children, are among dozens <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/02\/19\/world\/americas\/us-migrants-panama-jungle-camp.html\" title>detained at the Saint Vincente camp.<\/a> Their fate remains uncertain.<\/p>\n<div>\n<div id=\"optimistic-truncator-a11y\" tabindex=\"-1\">\n<hr>\n<p>Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/myaccount.nytimes.com\/auth\/login?response_type=cookie&#038;client_id=vi&#038;redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2025%2F02%2F23%2Fworld%2Fmiddleeast%2Fthis-christian-convert-fled-iran-and-ran-into-trumps-deportation-policy.html&#038;asset=opttrunc\">log into<\/a>\u00a0your Times account, or\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/subscription?campaignId=89WYR&#038;redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2025%2F02%2F23%2Fworld%2Fmiddleeast%2Fthis-christian-convert-fled-iran-and-ran-into-trumps-deportation-policy.html\">subscribe<\/a>\u00a0for all of The Times.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<\/div>\n<div data-testid=\"optimistic-truncator-message\">\n<p>Thank you for your patience while we verify access.<\/p>\n<p>Already a subscriber?\u00a0<a data-testid=\"log-in-link\" href=\"https:\/\/myaccount.nytimes.com\/auth\/login?response_type=cookie&#038;client_id=vi&#038;redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2025%2F02%2F23%2Fworld%2Fmiddleeast%2Fthis-christian-convert-fled-iran-and-ran-into-trumps-deportation-policy.html&#038;asset=opttrunc\">Log in<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Want all of The Times?\u00a0<a data-testid=\"subscribe-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/subscription?campaignId=89WYR&#038;redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2025%2F02%2F23%2Fworld%2Fmiddleeast%2Fthis-christian-convert-fled-iran-and-ran-into-trumps-deportation-policy.html\">Subscribe<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<div id=\"bottom-wrapper\">\n<p>Advertisement<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/#after-bottom\">SKIP ADVERTISEMENT<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Middle East|This Christian Convert Fled Iran, and Ran Into Trump\u2019s Deportation Policy https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/02\/23\/world\/middleeast\/this-christian-convert-fled-iran-and-ran-into-trumps-deportation-policy.html You have a preview view of this article while we are checking your access. When we have confirmed access, the full article content will load. Artemis Ghasemzadeh fled Iran, where she could face a death sentence for converting to Christianity. This Christian [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":475,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-474","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/474","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=474"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/474\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/475"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=474"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=474"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=474"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}