iran-test

Persecution has long roots

2008-08-14T14:39:00.000-07:00

The Wilmette Life also posted the following article about the persecution of the Baha’is in Iran where an Iranian Baha’i who now lives in the area relates her account of life in Iran as a Baha’i: Persecution has long roots

Kirk takes up Baha'i fight

2008-08-14T14:28:00.000-07:00

The Wilmette Life published the following article about the persecution of the Baha’is in Iran and the recent resolution that was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives condemning the treatment of the Baha’i community in Iran: Kirk takes up Baha’i fight

Iranian media attacks on Baha'is and Nobel Prize Winner Shirin Ebadi seek to stir “irrational fears and prejudices”

2008-08-12T15:46:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK, August 12 2008 (BWNS) — Fraudulent claims in the Iranian news media about seven imprisoned Baha’i leaders and the efforts of Nobel Peace Prize winner Shirin Ebadi and others to defend them represent an effort by the government to prevent Baha’is from having adequate legal representation – and also to stir up “irrational fears and prejudices,” the Baha’i International Community said in a statement today.“Reports published in government-run news outlets point to an effort on the part of the authorities to use the mass media to spread accusations that the seven prisoners have engaged in subversive activities, and to continue to deprive these Baha’is from any access to legal counsel by maligning Mrs. Shirin Ebadi, the well-known Iranian human rights lawyer and Nobel Peace Prize winner who, together with her colleagues, has stated her readiness to defend the Baha’is,” said the statement.

The statement, posted to the Baha’i International Community’s United Nations Office Web site, responds to allegations that Mrs. Ebadi’s daughter has become a Baha’i, that Baha’is are agents of Zionism, and that when Iranian Baha’is communicate with the Baha’i Faith’s international governing body in Israel, it is somehow a “conspiracy.”

“The Iranian government seizes every means at its disposal to stigmatize the Baha’is and then, within the poisoned atmosphere it has itself created, when it wants to discredit someone, it asserts that the person is a Baha’i,” the statement said. “Mrs. Ebadi is not the first individual upon whom this tactic has been used. As a lawyer, Mrs. Ebadi defends individuals and groups of many different backgrounds; this does not mean that she necessarily espouses their beliefs. What, then, is the state-sanctioned press trying to insinuate when it contends that her daughter is a Baha’i?”

The full statement can be read at:

http://bic.org/statements-and-reports/featured/Iran-Intensifies-Disinfor…

Barred from college in Iran, Moorpark resident excels at studies in the U.S.

2008-08-11T15:59:00.000-07:00

The Ventura Country Star published the following article about an Iranian Baha’i student who came to Moorpark, CA, 4 years ago: Barred from college in Iran, Moorpark resident excels at studies in the U.S.

VOA: Terrorizing The Iranian People

2008-08-08T16:01:00.000-07:00

The following Voice of America editorial includes reference to the recent events affecting the Baha’i community in Iran: Terrorizing the Iranian People

Baha’is deny accusations of subversive activity

2008-08-04T16:03:00.000-07:00

IranVNC has posted the following article: Baha’is deny accusations of subversive activity

Baha'is reject allegations of subversive activity in Iran

2008-08-03T16:04:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK, August 3 2008 (BWNS) — The Baha’i International Community categorically rejects statements by an Iranian prosecutor that seven Baha’is detained in Tehran have “confessed” to operating an “illegal” organization with ties to Israel and other countries.

“We deny in the strongest possible terms the suggestion that Baha’is in Iran have engaged in any subversive activity,” said Bani Dugal, principal representative of the Baha’i International Community to the United Nations. “The Baha’i community is not involved in political affairs. Their only ‘crime’ is the practice of their religion.”

“The seriousness of the allegations makes us fear for the lives of these seven individuals,” she said.

She was responding to Iranian newspaper reports of statements by Hasan Haddad, deputy prosecutor general for security at the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Tehran.

Ms. Dugal said that seven Baha’is arrested earlier this year were members of a committee that helped attend to the needs of the 300,000 Baha’is in Iran.

“That is no secret – the government knew perfectly well about the existence of this committee long before its members were arrested, just as the government knows perfectly well that these people are not involved in any underhanded activity,” she said.

Ms. Dugal said the detentions are part of a well-documented, decades-long campaign to stamp out the Baha’i community in Iran, and that the latest accusations follow the same pattern as previous unfounded charges.

“Suggestions of collusion with the state of Israel are categorically false and misleading. The Iranian authorities are playing on the fact that the Baha’i world administrative center is located in northern Israel,” she said.

“The Iranian government completely ignores the well-known historical fact that the Baha’i Faith was centered in Iran until 1853 when the authorities there banished the Baha’i prophet-founder, who was forced into exile and eventually imprisoned in Acre on the Mediterranean coast under the Ottoman Turkish regime. That area happens to be in what is now Israel.”

Ms. Dugal said many Baha’is in Iran – including members of the coordinating committee before their imprisonment – are frequently detained for questioning about their activities. The Baha’is, she said, have nothing to hide and try to answer truthfully whenever they are interrogated.

http://bwns.org/story/648

Congress condemns Iran’s persecution of Baha’is

2008-08-03T14:32:00.000-07:00

IranVNC has posted the following article about the Congressional resolution: Congress condems Iran’s persecution of Baha’is

Reuters: Report says Iran accuses arrested Baha'is of Israel links

2008-08-03T14:30:00.000-07:00

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Seven detained Baha’i believers have confessed to setting up an illegal organisation in Iran that took orders from Israel and others to undermine the Islamic system, an Iranian newspaper reported on Sunday.
You can access the full article here

Congress condemns Iran’s persecution of Baha’is

2008-08-02T14:32:00.000-07:00

IranVNC has posted the following article about the Congressional resolution: Congress condems Iran’s persecution of Baha’is

U.S. House of Representatives Passes Resolution Condemning the Persecution of Baha’is in Iran

2008-08-01T14:36:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON, August 1 2008 – The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a resolution condemning the persecution of the Baha’is in Iran. H. RES. 1008 is the tenth congressional resolution since 1982 on the Baha’is in Iran.

“The passing of this resolution is particularly timely given the escalation of attacks against the Baha’is in Iran in recent months,” said Ms. Kit Bigelow, Director of External Affairs for the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of the U.S. “This includes a series of arson attacks on the homes and vehicles of Baha’is, and the arrests in March and May of the seven members of Iran’s national Baha’i coordinating group. They are being held in Evin Prison in Tehran without any charges and without access to an attorney or to their families.”

The congressional resolution condemns the government of Iran for its state-sponsored persecution of Baha’is; calls on Iran’s Parliament to reject a proposed Islamic penal code, and calls on the Iranian regime to immediately release ten imprisoned Baha’is.

“This is government-sponsored persecution,” said Rep. Mark Kirk (IL-10), who introduced the resolution. “And we in the Congress should not be silent as Iran sets up the mechanism to ethnically cleanse its Baha’i minority, totaling over 250,000 human beings.”

“It sends a strong signal that Congress will continue to watch closely the treatment of the Baha’i people in Iran,” said Rep Howard L. Berman (CA-28), who is the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee and co-sponsored the resolution.

“We are deeply grateful that the U.S. House of Representatives has passed this resolution, which speaks up for those who are unable to have their voices heard in their homeland. We look forward to the day when the Iranian Baha’is will have their human rights restored and be able to contribute as equal citizens to the advancement of the country and the global community which they love,” said Ms. Kit Bigelow.

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There are 2 versions of Bill number H. Res. 1008 for the 110th Congress

1. Condemning the persecution of Baha’is in Iran. (Introduced in House)[H.RES.1008.IH]
2. Whereas in 1982, 1984, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1996, 2000, and 2006, Congress declared that it deplored the religious persecution by the Government of Iran of the Baha’i community and… (Engrossed as Agreed to or Passed by House)[H.RES.1008.EH]

Other notable quotes from the Congressional record:

Rep. Mark Kirk (IL-10):

“For the life of me, I do not understand why they attack Baha’is. The Baha’i faith teaches that Moses and Jesus and Mohammed are all respected teachers who added to the faith of our times. The Baha’is embody acceptance and tolerance and accommodation. They have a faith which renders them incapable of being a threat to a government, so it is up to us to speak for them. It’s up to us to hold up a mirror to the Iranian Government to show it as a vicious and cruel state.”

“We have seen this movie before, but they have worn other uniforms in other countries. It is my hope that we can make this call to action to join with the European Parliament. We can help change the ending of this flick so that hundreds of thousands of Baha’is may one day be able to sleep well in future days knowing that the great democracies from across the seas in Europe and America watch over them.”

Rep. Steve Chabot (R-OH):

“Totalitarian regimes everywhere, hiding behind the false excuse of state sovereignty, are eager to combat any progress in human rights and freedoms and to expand their hegemony and repression as far as others allow them to do. Therefore, the United States must continue to make clear, in both word and deed, that the spread of religious freedom and human rights worldwide is not merely an ideal, but an imperative.”

Rep. Frank R. Wolf (VA-10)

“I am pleased to join a bipartisan group of my colleagues as a cosponsor of this important resolution, and I hope its passage will send a strong message to the Iranian government that the United States Congress will always stand in solidarity with the persecuted people of the world.”

The full congressional record from the House floor can be accessed here

The press release from Congressman Kirk’s office can be accessed here

Congressman Wolf’s statement on the House floor can be accessed here.

WSJ: A Campaign of Persecution Against a Faith of Tolerance

2008-08-01T14:33:00.000-07:00

The Wall Street Journal has published the following article: A Campaign of Persecution Against a Faith of Tolerance

(CNN) Iran: Religious minority reports arson attacks

2008-07-29T14:35:00.000-07:00

CNN has posted the following story about the arson attacks on the Baha’is in Iran: Religious minority reports arson attacks

The Institute on Religion and Public Policy condemns arson attacks

2008-07-29T14:33:00.000-07:00

The IRPP has put out the following statement:

Institute condemns Iranian arsonist targeting of Baha’is

In the early hours of the morning of July 18, the house of the Shaaker family in Kerman was set on fire, only weeks after their car had been torched and in the wake of a series of threatening phone calls. Officials investigating the fire ignored and dismissed obvious signs of suspicious activity, such as a muffled explosion, simply saying that it was the result of an electrical problem.

At least a dozen cases of arson that target Baha’is have been reported in Iran in the last 15 months. Furthermore, over two months ago, seven members of Iran’s national Bahá’í coordinating group were arrested. Although they have still not been charged, they remain in Evin Prison in Tehran, without access to an attorney or to their families.

Photographs of this attack, as well as details on other recent arson cases targeting Iranian Bahá’ís, are available on the Bahá’í World News website at: http://news.bahai.org/story/645.

About Institute on Religion and Public Policy

Nominated for the 2007 Nobel Prize in Peace, the Institute on Religion and Public Policy is an international, inter-religious non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring freedom of religion as the foundation for security, stability, and democracy.

The Institute works globally with government policymakers, religious leaders, business executives, academics, international and regional organizations, non-governmental organizations and others in order to develop, protect, and promote fundamental rights - especially the right of religious freedom - and contributes to the intellectual and moral foundation of the fundamental right of religious freedom. The Institute encourages and assists in the effective and cooperative advancement of religious freedom.

(CNN) Iran: Religious minority reports arson attacks

2008-07-29T11:22:00.000-07:00

CNN has posted the following story about the arson attacks on the Baha’is in Iran: Religious minority reports arson attacks

Arsonists in Iran target Baha'i homes, vehicles

2008-07-28T11:27:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK, July 28 2008 (BWNS) — Acts of arson targeting homes and vehicles are the latest violent tactics directed against the Baha’is of Iran. “In the early hours of the morning of 18 July, the house of the Shaaker family in Kerman went up in flames, only weeks after their car had been torched and in the wake of a series of threatening phone calls,” said Bani Dugal, principal representative of the Baha’i International Community to the United Nations.

“As would be expected in the light of the mistreatment Baha’is in Iran are routinely receiving, the officials who investigated the fire either ignored or dismissed obvious signs of suspicious activity, including a muffled explosion, simply saying that it was the result of an electrical problem,” she said.

At least a dozen cases of arson that target Baha’is have been reported in Iran in the last 15 months, Ms. Dugal said. She gave the following examples:

On 15 July at 1:15 a.m., Molotov cocktails were thrown into the front courtyard of the home of Khusraw Dehghani and his wife, Dr. Huma Agahi, in Vilashahr, only months after anonymous threats directly related to her being a Baha’i forced Dr. Agahi to close her clinic in nearby Najafabad where she had practiced medicine for 28 years.
On 25 July, the car of a prominent Baha’i in Rafsanjan, in Kerman province, was torched and destroyed by arsonists on motorbikes. Soheil Naeimi, the owner of the car, and 10 other Baha’i families in the town had received threatening letters from a group calling itself the Anti-Baha’ism Movement of the Youth of Rafsanjan that, among other things, threatened jihad (holy war) against the Baha’is.
On 10 June, an outbuilding on the property of the Mr. and Mrs. Mousavi, elderly Baha’is living in the village of Tangriz in Fars province, was destroyed by fire when it was doused with gasoline. The Mousavis, along with their two sons who were sleeping close to the building, narrowly escaped injury when the gasoline tank used to start the fire exploded. The Mousavis believe that the perpetrator thought they were all sleeping in the hut when he set the fire. Mr. Mousavi issued a formal complaint against the person they suspected, but the legal office has declined to pursue the case because the suspect swore on the Qur’an that he was not guilty. Out of respect for the Qur’an, the Mousavis have dropped the charges.
On 4 April, the home of a Baha’i was set on fire in Babolsar, in the north of Iran.
In February in Shiraz, a 53-year-old businessman was attacked on the street, chained to a tree, doused with gasoline, and assaulted by unknown persons who then attempted to throw lighted matches at him.
Also in Shiraz in February, several arson attempts were made against vehicles and a home belonging to Baha’is.
On 1 May 2007, arson destroyed the home of ‘Abdu’l-Baqi Rouhani in the village of Ivil, in Mazandaran.
In Karaj, the burial section of a Baha’i cemetery was set on fire.

“These latest attacks follow the authorities’ attempts to deprive the Iranian Baha’i community of its leadership,” Ms. Dugal said, referring to the arrests in March and May this year of the seven members of Iran’s national Baha’i coordinating group, all of whom are still locked up in Evin Prison in Tehran without any charges and without access to an attorney or to their families.

“As Baha’is worldwide watch with alarm this escalation in violence,” she added, “their fears that a sinister plan of persecution is unfolding become increasingly confirmed. Their only hope is that enough voices of protests are raised around the world to compel the government in Iran to put an end to this violence.”

http://news.bahai.org/story/645

Message of Persecution

2008-07-24T11:35:00.000-07:00

The following article was published in a local VA newspaper, The Arlington Connection: Message of Persecution

Iran's blood-drenched mullahs - Human Rights getting worse

2008-07-14T11:38:00.000-07:00

The following Op-Ed in today’s Washington Times includes information about the plight of the Baha’is in Iran: Iran’s blood-drenched mullahs.

The Op-ed is by Nir Borns, vice president of the Center for Freedom in the Middle East, and Shayahn Arya, Iranian activist and associate researcher at the Institute for Monitoring and Cultural Tolerance in School Education.

Bahais a target in Iran

2008-07-10T11:40:00.000-07:00

Julia Duin’s column in The Washington Times published today: Bahais a target in Iran

White House statement about imprisoned Baha'i leaders

2008-07-07T11:47:00.000-07:00

On June 14 the White House made a statement about the imprisoned national Bahá’í leaders in Iran:

“The Iranian regime’s human rights record is shameful. A month ago today, the regime arrested six Bahai leaders solely on the grounds of their religion. They should be released immediately. Iran should uphold the basic human right to practice religion and should end its persecution of the Bahai community.” - Gordon Johndroe, National Security Council spokesperson.

Baha'i followers know persecution is alive and well

2008-07-07T11:46:00.000-07:00

On July 5 Oregon’s Statesman Journal published an article about a Baha’i who faced persecution in Iran, Baha’i followers know persecution is alive and well.

Persecuted for her faith, woman 'never became bitter'

2008-07-07T11:42:00.000-07:00

On July 5 Alabama’s Huntsville Times published an article, Persecuted for her faith, woman ‘never became bitter’, about the extraordinary life of Oliya Aqsanoshohada.

Nobel laureates call for release of Iranian Baha’i prisoners

2008-07-01T11:49:00.000-07:00

Six Nobel Peace Prize laureates have issued a statement calling on the Iranian government to immediately free seven prominent Iranian Baha’is imprisoned in Tehran.

The Nobel winners, under the banner of the Nobel Women’s Initiative, called on the Iranian government to guarantee the safety of the Baha’is — being held in Evin Prison with no formal charges and no access to lawyers — and to grant them an unconditional release.

“We are thankful to these internationally prominent activists for calling publicly for the release of our fellow Baha’is, who are detained for no reason other than their religion,” said Bani Dugal, principal representative of the Baha’i International Community to the United Nations.

The Nobel laureates issuing the statement are:

• Betty Williams and Mairead Corrigan Maguire, founders of the Peace People in Northern Ireland and winners of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1976
• Rigoberta Menchu Tum, a leading advocate of ethno-cultural reconciliation in her native Guatemala and Nobel winner in 1992
• Professor Jody Williams, international campaigner for the banning of land mines, winner in 1997
• Iranian human rights lawyer Dr. Shirin Ebadi, winner in 2003;
• Kenyan environmental activist Professor Wangari Muta Maathai, Nobel winner in 2004

Their statement, issued on the letterhead of the Nobel Women’s Initiative, reads:

“We note with concern the news of the arrest of six prominent Baha’is in Iran on 14 May 2008. We note that Mrs. Fariba Kamalabadi, Mr. Jamaloddin Khanjani, Mr. Afif Naeimi, Mr. Saeid Rezaie, Mr. Behrouz Tavakkoli, and Mr. Vahid Tizfahm are members of the informal group known as the Friends in Iran that coordinates the activities of the Baha’i community in Iran; we further note that another member of the Friends in Iran, Mrs. Mahvash Sabet, has been held in custody since 5 March 2008; we register our deepest concern at the mounting threats and persecution of the Iranian Baha’i community.

“We call on the Iranian Government to guarantee the safety of these individuals (and) grant their immediate unconditional release.”

The Nobel Women’s Initiative, based in Ottawa, Canada, was established in 2006 by the six women laureates — who represent North America, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa – to help build peace by working with women throughout the world. Only 12 women have won the Nobel Peace Prize.

CNN: Baha'is detained in Iran contact families

2008-06-20T11:56:00.000-07:00

CNN has posted the following article: Bahais detained in Iran contact families

Then they came for the Bahai

2008-06-20T11:55:00.000-07:00

The Jewish Daily Forward has published the following Op-Ep about the persecution of the Baha’is in Iran: Then they came for the Bahai