The Religious Conversion of Iranian Asylum-Seeking Women in the Process of Searching for Identity

Abstract

This article explores the experiences of Iranian women who converted from Islam to Christianity, particularly focusing on the challenges they faced in their home country and as immigrants. Following the 1979 Iranian revolution, women, especially those from minority groups, endured significant oppression. Many women fled Iran in pursuit of freedom, but their difficulties persisted as immigrants, now compounded by their minority status in a new context. Based on qualitative research, including in-depth interviews with twenty-seven women in Eskisehir, Turkey, the study uncovers how patriarchal norms, domestic abuse, early marriage, and a lack of educational opportunities in Iran pushed these women toward Christianity, which offered them not only a new faith but also a sense of personal and spiritual autonomy. The research highlights the complex interplay of identity, religion, and agency, demonstrating how these women's conversions were both an act of defiance against oppressive systems and a path toward personal liberation.