Iran’s new Virgin Mary metro station and what it reveals about faith in the Islamic Republic

Last week, social media was flooded with images showing a new subway station in Tehran called “Virgin Mary”. The photos went viral, sparking widespread debate between those who celebrate it as a rare gesture of opening, those who dismiss it as a staged act to burnish the regime’s image, and others who simply wonder if it even exists.

According to publications circulating online, the “Virgin Mary” station is located on Line 6 of the Tehran metro, near the Armenian Cathedral of Saint Sarkis.

According to France 24, the station has been under construction for 10 years. Its vaulted vestibule and dome feature religious frescoes and artwork in honor of the Virgin Mary alongside what appears to be a church, presumably the cathedral.

For many, the idea of ​​a metro station in Iran named after Jesus’ mother comes as a surprise. Others see it as consistent with Shiite culture, which also venerates the Virgin Mary. And there are those who interpret it as an attempt to highlight the religious diversity of the country.

Many argue that such a move is inconsistent with the Islamic Republic’s record in its treatment of religious minorities, and some dismiss it as propaganda aimed at projecting a more tolerant image of the regime to international audiences.

The official account in X from the Iranian embassy in Yerevan weighed in, describing the station as “a beautiful sign of coexistence between Iranians and the Armenian community.”

In reality, however, this “coexistence” is far below international standards in terms of religious freedom and human rights.

Iranian lawfor example, prohibits proselytizing or conversion from Islam to Christianity and imposes strict religious and social codes. During the month of Ramadanno person, regardless of faith, is allowed to eat in public, and during Muharram followers of all religions are prohibited from celebrating weddings or celebrations.

Additionally, mandatory hijab wearing continues to apply strictly to women, and religious minorities are largely excluded from government employment, leaving communities such as Armenian Christians often feeling like second-class citizens.

Even if the subway station is a symbolic gesture toward Christians, particularly Armenian Christians, it serves as a reminder of a harsher reality: Christians in Iran continue to face arrest, torture, and imprisonment for their faith. In February 2024, an Iranian judge sentenced Hakako Gochumyan to prison for participating in what authorities described as “illegal Christian activities.”

According to the 2024 annual report of Article18, a London-based nonprofit that advocates for persecuted Iranian Christians, 166 believers were arrested in 2023, and a third of them for simply possessing more than one copy of the Bible.

However, despite this climate of persecution, Christianity continues to grow in Iran. In 2021, Open Doors estimated that nearly 800,000 Iranians had converted from Islam to Christianity, a notable trend that persists underground and silently.

Translated and adapted by the ACI Prensa team. Originally published in ACI MENA.