A doorbell. The faulty fan of a car. Banging on a metal door. Screaming and crying. A hymn. A bird singing at dawn. What could these sounds possibly have in common? They are all part of the acoustic world of imprisonment: sounds that have remained in the memories of people who experienced arrest, detention and torture in Iran, sometimes continuing to affect their everyday lives years after their release.

With no longer any bishop in the country, nor even visits of foreign-based bishops permitted, no churches open, and no possibility of new members, the future of the Anglican Church in Iran seems bleak.