An Iranian refugee who was held at gunpoint at school prior to fleeing Iran during the 1979 revolution is calling for hope, democracy, and prayers for his homeland as the U.S. joins Israel in targeting Iran’s ruling clerical regime.
David Nasser, now an American pastor, spoke to Digital six days after developments in Iran, which reignited haunting memories for him—including those from when he was 9 years old.
“When I was a child, my family and I had to escape Iran to save our lives,” recalled Nasser, President and CEO of Outreach.
“We found safety as refugees granted political asylum in the United States,” Nasser said, explaining that his father had been a high-ranking officer in Iran’s military, meaning “his family became targets as the”
“One of my clearest memories of realizing everything would never be the same was at a school assembly on a military base—a soldier called three names, and mine was first,” he said.
“When I reached the front, the soldier dropped a piece of paper, pulled a gun from his holster, pressed it to my head, and quoted the Quran. He told me he’d been sent to make an example of me,” Nasser added.
The principal intervened, but the message he delivered was unmistakeable, Nasser remembered.
“They’re killing anyone of importance. They’re trying to set an example with families like ours, using fear,” he recalled hearing at the time.
“That’s one of my earliest memories of the revolution—just being absolutely terrified for my life.”
Soon after, Nasser’s family came up with a plan: they would pretend his mother needed emergency heart surgery in Switzerland and buy round-trip tickets to avoid raising suspicion.
“We bought round-trip airline tickets as if we were going and coming back, but we weren’t—we were fleeing for our lives,” he said.
At the airport, Nasser remembers clinging tightly to his father’s hand and hearing words he’ll never forget.
“‘If they find out we’re escaping, they’ll kill us right here on the spot,’ my father said, his hands shaking as he held mine. The last time I was in Iran, I was a 9-year-old boy,” he said.
Now, watching events unfold in Iran from the safety of the U.S., Nasser said his heart remains with millions of desperate Iranians facing uncertainty.
“We see them—I see them, I hear them. My heart is racing for them right now, filled with hope and prayers for their protection and support,” Nasser said.
“Protection—I’m praying for their safety. I want to help provide for them. If Iran transitions, I want to help rebuild.”
“If this moment actually comes and they move from a theocracy to a democracy, I want to be part of the solution—for that 9-year-old boy I once was. I want to do this for him.”
Beyond political change, Nasser—who also serves as teaching pastor at New Vision Baptist Church—said he finds solace in what he describes as an ongoing spiritual transformation, calling it “the fastest-growing church in the world right now or the”
“We know there are at least 4 million and up to 8 million Christians in Iran right now,” he said.
“In Iran, converting from Islam to Christianity can be a death sentence. If they come into your home while you’re gathering for Christian worship, they’ll take your home title—you’ll lose your house.”
“They’re in prison. They’re being tortured. They’re being ridiculed. They’re being mocked.”
“Above all, I came to America—a land of opportunity—and was given the gift of democracy. I would love to see democracy in Iran, where all boys and girls have the same opportunities I had when I managed to escape.”