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Naghmeh Abedini Panahi; ex-wife of Saeed Abedini, who was imprisoned in Iran for his Christian faith, returns. In this second of two broadcasts, Naghmeh discusses her new book, “I Didn’t Survive, Emerging Whole After Deception, Persecution, and Hidden Abuse.”
The following is a quote from her book in reference to when she exposed the physical and emotional abuse in her marriage:
“By speaking up about Saeed’s (her ex-husband’s) abuse I was damaging the cause of Christ giving the church a bad reputation to the world… I was judged to be a liar, an adulteress, and a Jezebel, who was trying to take the lead in the family by drawing boundaries regarding the abuse. Many people were upset because they hadn’t gotten the happy ending they had hoped for. Becoming an outcast of the church was devastating. I was left bare and bleeding by the side of the road, untouchable by religious leaders. I was advised by several prominent Christian leaders to backtrack my statements and cover up the abuse or I would no longer be useful for ministry. Covering it up meant moving forward with a book deal and a movie deal, continuing to receive invitations to speak and receiving the praise of the Christian community. Not covering it up meant losing everything.”
In this broadcast Mike and Naghmeh discuss the Great Coverup of sexual sin and abuse in the church.