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’.