About Exodus From Darkness

EFD is a specialized apologetics and evangelistic ministry; encouraging all people to search for the best beliefs and values: proclaiming that eternal confidence is found only in Jesus Christ.

Dr. Shayesteh was born into a Muslim family in Northern Iran. He found renewed faith in Islam during his university years and became involved in the widespread civil unrest (demonstrations and strikes) that led to the exile of the Shah (king of Iran). This opened the door for Ayatollah Khomeini to come to power leading an Islamic Fundamentalist Government.

Dr Shayesteh closely aligned himself with Ayatollah Khomeini's rise to power and became a radical Muslim leader and teacher of Islam. A little while after the Revolution, Dr Shayesteh and two other revolutionaries were asked to start the Iranian Revolutionary Army, which had the nickname of Hezbollah. All the committed followers of Ayatollah were called Hezbollah at that time. But Dr Shayesteh's involvement in this Revolutionary Army was shortlived because of ideological disagreements between the two groups of leading clergies and also because of Dr Shayesteh's growing disillusionment with Khomeini.

Dr Shayesteh then moved from Tehran to his hometown, Tarlesh, in the first year after the Revolution. He started to serve in a newly established revolutionary governmental organization, Jehadi Building (Jaha’de Sazandegie in Persian), and ultimately became its CEO. As part of a country-wide curriculum for all revolutionary governmental organizations, Dr Shayesteh's organization had a role in teaching people (mostly the young) how to prepare themselves for an Islamic war against Israel and infidels. However, the main activities of this organization were building schools, roads and bridges in the countryside seeking to demonstrate that the Islamic Fundamentalist Revolution was established to serve people - even though it was becoming obvious that Khomeini didn't share this vision.

Dr Shayesteh's service as the CEO of this successful organisation made him very popular in the area and caused him to announce his candidacy for the Islamic Parliament, but as an independent and as an opposition to the Ayatollah. However, opposing the Ayatollah was forbidden and Dr Shayesteh was arrested and sentenced to death. But Dr Shaysteh was able to eventually escape to Turkey where he began an amazing journey to faith in Jesus Christ.

Daniel established the organization ‘Exodus from Darkness’ in 2000 to facilitate his ministry to western churches and to immigrants from the Middle East in Australia and around the world. His mission is to help others understand and lovingly respond to those who do not know Christ. Daniel has made a thorough study of other beliefs and sees the only hope for peace in the values and example of Jesus Christ. His call to all is that they begin to ‘Search for Truth together’. Daniel is confident that people who search openly will discover, as he has, that ‘eternal confidence is only found in Jesus Christ’.

Daniel Shayesteh Interview

Projects

Turkish Voice Over

We have already produced a Turkish translation of Understanding and Freedom. Daniel is now working on how to produce a Turkish voiceover of the book so that Turkish speakers can listen to it on YouTube and other Social Media video platforms. Over 80 million people speak Turkish, both in Turkey and across the world. The great majority of these are Muslim. If you would specifically like to support a project to speakers of Turkish, please ask to direct your donations to this project. The cost of this project, including the cost of marketing to the target audiences, is estimated to be US$20,000.

Hindi Translation

We have translated Understanding and Freedom into Hindi (one of the official languages of India). Hindi has close links to Urdu which we completed translating in 2019. There are estimated to be 600 million speakers of Hindi. If you would specifically like to support a project to speakers of Hindi, please ask to direct your donations to this project. The cost of this project, including the cost of marketing to the target audiences is estimated to be US$20,000.

Bangla Translation

We have translated Understanding and Freedom into Bangla (the official language of Bangladesh). Bangla has a distant link to Urdu which we completed translating in 2019. There are estimated to be 270 million speakers of Bangla around the world. If you would specifically like to support a project to speakers of Bangla, please ask to direct your donations to this project. The cost of the project, including the cost of marketing to the target audiences, is estimated to be US$20,000.

Indonesian Book & Social Media

Over 200 million people speak Indonesian in Indonesia. The great majority of these are Muslim.

We have completed an Indonesian translation of Understanding and Freedom.
We have produced an Indonesian version of the Understanding and Freedom book.
We need to reflect prayerfully on the best way to share this new Indonesian version on YouTube and other Social Media video platforms.

We are aiming to raise US$20,000 for this project to make more progress over the next 12 months.

Urdu Book & Social Media

There are estimated to be 170 million speakers of Urdu in Pakistan/India and around the world.

We have completed an Urdu translation of Understanding and Freedom - widely spoken in Pakistan and parts of India.
We have produced an Urdu version of the Understanding and Freedom book.
We then need to reflect prayerfully on the best way to share this new Urdu version on YouTube and other Social Media video platforms.

We are aiming to raise US$20,000 for this project to make more progress over the next 12 months.

Mandarin Book & Social Media

There are estimated to be almost a billion native speakers of Mandarin.

The Mandarin version of the Understanding and Freedom book has been uploaded to the Exodus From Darkness website.
We thank God for the team who have created this latest version of Understanding and Freedom in Mandarin.
We need to reflect prayerfully on the best way to share the new Mandarin version on YouTube and other Social Media video platforms.

We are aiming to raise US$20,000 for this project to make more progress over the next 12 months.

Hausa Translation

We have completed a draft translation of Understanding and Freedom into Hausa. Hausa is a major language of Nigeria/West Africa. There are estimated to be over 80 million speakers of Hausa. If you would specifically like to support a project to speakers of Hausa, please ask to direct your donations to this project. The cost of this project, including the cost of marketing to the target audiences is estimated to be US$20,000.

French and Russian Translations

The French and Russian versions of the Understanding and Freedom eBook have been uploaded to the Exodus From Darkness website.

We thank God for the team who have created these latest versions of Understanding and Freedom.

We need to reflect prayerfully on the best way to share all the eBooks on YouTube and other Social Media video platforms.

If you would specifically like to support a project to speakers of French and Russian, please ask to direct your donations to these projects.

Our vision for 2022

To reach out to a much wider global Muslim audience, while also building partnerships around the world, sharing Christ in both word and deed.

As we walk with Jesus our intent is to do the following:

Build our relationship with MIssion Partners in Southern Africa.
Create new simple, accessible and brief content throughout 2021.
Design content of interest to a broad audience of Muslims, while also being of interest to Christians & people of other faiths around the world.