From Jasmine Parrish, Teheran, Iran:

You cannot understand how difficult it is to be a Christian and live in an Islamic country with a rigid mindset. We Christians have to celebrate Christmas or Easter inside our homes and be cautious that nobody notices. If anyone notices and reports on us, we'd be in jail and finally be executed.

Last year I criticized people with disabilities in America for complaining all the time despite having plenty of welfare services. My letter was published in Readers Forum in March,but some of your readers wrote disagreeing with me. They thought the services in the United States were not enough, and that blind people deserve much more. Probably they are right. But when you don't have enough assistive equipment and, in addition, don't even have the right to observe your own religion, how can you tolerate all these frustrations and be thankful?

When I review the 2006 issues of the Ziegler Magazine, I see how much I have learned
and to what extent it has developed my cultural, social and educational attitudes. I owe all this information to the editor and the Ziegler staff. I wish the most successful year for everyone, including also the readers. I would like to ask all the Ziegler readers to pray for Christians in Iran and for the freedom for each of us to choose his or her beliefs.