Persecution of Bahá'ís

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See also

Symbols · Laws Teachings · Literature Calendar · Divisions Index of Bahá'í Articles This box: view • talk • edit

The persecution of Bahá'ís refers to the religious persecution of Bahá'ís in various countries, especially in Iran, the nation of origin of the Bahá'í Faith, Iran's largest religious minority and the location of one of the largest Bahá'í populations in the world.

Bahá'ís and various third party entities such as the United Nations, Amnesty International, the European Union, the United States and peer-reviewed academic literature have stated that the members of the Bahá'í community in Iran have been subjected to unwarranted arrests, false imprisonment, beatings, torture, unjustified executions, confiscation and destruction of property owned by individuals and the Bahá'í community, denial of employment, denial of government benefits, denial of civil rights and liberties, and denial of access to higher education.^[1]

Contents 1 Contexts 1.1 Historical context 1.2 Legal context 2 Current situation 2.1 Arrest of 54 young people in Shiraz 2.2 Monitoring of activities 2.3 Deaths 2.4 Barriers to higher education 2.5 Destruction of holy sites 2.6 Media attacks 2.7 Other events 2.8 Secret memorandum 3 Statements 3.1 Statements by the United Nations 3.2 Statements by Amnesty International 3.3 Statements by the European Union 3.4 Statements by the United States government 3.5 Response from the Iranian government 3.6 Statements by some Iranian writers and academics 3.7 Response from the United Nations 4 Outside Iran 4.1 Egypt 5 Notes 6 References 7 External links

[edit] Contexts

[edit] Historical context

The Bahá'í Faith grew out of the Bábí Faith which was established in 1844 by the Báb in Persia, which is current-day Iran.^[2] 89% of Iranians adhere to the Twelver school of the Shi'a sect of Islam, which holds as one of its core doctrines the expected advent of a Messianic figure, the Qa'im (Imam Mahdi).^[3] The Báb claimed he was the Imam Mahdi and thus he had equal status to the Prophet Muhammad with the power, which he exercised, to abrogate the final provisions of Islamic law.^[4]

Bahá'u'lláh, a Bábí leader who claimed to be the one foretold by the Báb, claimed a similar station for himself in 1863 as a Manifestation of God and as the promised figure foretold in the sacred scriptures of the major religious traditions of the past and founded the Bahá'í Faith.^[5]

Concerning the historical context of the persecutions, Friedrich W. Affolter in "War Crimes, Genocide, & Crimes against Humanity" writes:

"Bahá’u’lláh’s writings deal with a variety of themes that challenge long-cherished doctrines of Shí’i‐Islam. In addition to making the ‘heretic’[sic] claim of being a ‘Manifestation of God,’ he suggested that school curricula should include ‘Western Sciences,’ that the nation states (Muslim and non-Muslim) should establish a world federal government, and that men and women were equal. Bahá’u’lláh also wrote that in this time and age, priests were no longer necessary for religious guidance. Humanity, he argued, had reached an age of maturity where it was incumbent upon every individual to search for God and truth independently.

"These principles did not only call into question the need for a priesthood, but also the entire Shí’i ecclesiastical structure and the vast system of endowments, benefices and fees that sustained it. No surprise then that in the following decades until the overthrow of the Qájár dynasty in 1925, it was the mullas who instigated attacks against the Bahá’ís in cities or villages where the clerical establishment was particularly influential."^[6]

In addition to this the Bábí religion, the forerunner of the Bahá'í Faith had a violent history in Iran. Friedrich W. Affolter writes:

"Initially, the mullas hoped to stop the Bábí movement from spreading by denouncing its followers as apostates and enemies of God. These denouncements resulted in mob attacks, public executions and torture of early Bábís. When the Bábís (in accordance with Koranic principles) organized to defend themselves, the government sent troops into a series of engagements that resulted in heavy losses on both sides. The Báb himself was imprisoned from 1846 until 1850 and eventually publicly executed. In August 1852, two deranged Bábís attempted to kill the Shah in revenge for the execution of the Báb. This resulted in an extensive pogrom during which more than 20,000 Bábís – among them 400 Shí’i mullas who had embraced the Bábí teachings – lost their lives."^[6]

While Bahá’u’lláh took a more conciliatory position, forbidding the use of holy war to spread his faith, instead attempting to engage various governments in dialogue, the radical nature of his religious claim to prophethood did little to change the perception of the people of Iran. To this day Bahá'ís are a widely-hated minority in Iran since they are seen as apostates from Islam, and supporters of the West and Israel.^[7] Eliz Sanasarian writes:

"Persecution does not lie only in the action of a state or a community, but in the mind of every individual. The Bahá’ís represent everything that was sanctioned (by the state, the ulama, the Shi'i Muslim community, and the secular, even Western-educated) to hate--namely, apostasy, association with the West and Israel, pro-monarchism, and an elite club bent on self-promotion and propaganda." ^[7]

The 1979 Islamic Revolution has refocused the persecutions against the Bahá’í Faith. Bahá’í sources estimate that more than 200 Bahá’ís have been executed since that time, with many more imprisoned, expelled from schools and workplaces, denied various benefits or denied registration for their marriages.^[6] Additionally, several Bahá’í holy sites were destroyed in the revolution's aftermath, including the house of Bahá'u'lláh at Takur (in Mazandaran), and the house of Muhammad-Ali Barfurushi (Quddús) in Tehran.^[6]

[edit] Legal context

The Islamic Republic of Iran recognizes four religions, whose status is formally protected: Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.^[1] Members of the first three minority religions receive special treatment under Iranian law. For example, their members are allowed to drink alcohol, and representatives of several minority communities are guaranteed seats in parliament.^[1]

However, religious freedom in Iran is far from absolute, to say the least. Conversion away from Islam ("apostasy") is forbidden, with both converts and missionaries risking prison.^[1] Those seeking to start a new religious group (whether Muslim or not) face severe restrictions. In contrast to a country like the United States--whose inhabitants are essentially free to establish whatever new mosques, churches, denominations, and religions they please--none of these things are allowed in Iran.

The Bahá’í faith faces an additional, technical hurdle. Iranian law recognizes all those who accept the existence of God and the prophethood of Muhammad as Muslims. Bahá’ís accept both of these precepts, however Bahá’ís recognize the Báb and Bahá'u'lláh as additional prophets that have appeared after Muhammad.^[5] Muslims, on the other hand, assert the finality of Muhammad's revelation. Iranian law therefore treats Bahá’ís as "heretics" rather than members of an independent religion, as they describe themselves.^[6]

Other unrecognized Iranian religious minorities include the Ahl-e Haqq, the Mandaeans, Bayanis and Evangelical Christians. Non-Muslims comprise less than 1% of Iran's population. See Religious minorities in Iran.

[edit] Current situation

[edit] Arrest of 54 young people in Shiraz

On May 19, 2006 Iranian officials arrested 54 Bahá'ís, mostly young people, in Shiraz, according to representatives of the International Bahá'í Community.^[8] Apparently the group was arrested during its participation in a community-service project teaching classes to underprivileged children, initiated by a local non-governmental organization.^[8] The group is reported to have had in its possession a letter of permission from the Islamic Council of Shiraz to undertake this service project at the time of its arrest. The nature of the charges against the Bahá'ís is unknown at present as are the conditions under which the detainees are being held.^[9]

On the very same day, one of the 54 Bahá'ís who had been arrested earlier but who was under the age of 15 was released without having to post bail. Several other young people who had been arrested along with the Bahá'ís but who were not themselves Bahá'í were also released without posting bail.^[8]

"The arrests coincided with raids on six Bahá'í homes during which notebooks, computers, books, and other documents were confiscated," according to an article by the Bahá'í World News Service. The article further reports that since January, other than the aforementioned 54 detainees, "seven Bahá'ís have been arrested and held for periods of up to one month in Kermanshah, Isfahan, and Tehran.^[8][9]

On May 24, fourteen of the Bahá'ís were released, each having been required to provide deeds of property to the value of ten million tumans (approximately US$11,000).^[8][10] On the following day 36 Bahá'ís were released on the strength of either personal guarantees or the deposit of work licenses with the court as surety that they will appear when summoned to court. ^[10]

The last three of the group of 54 Bahá'ís were released on 14 June. Although the judge originally demanded a bond equivalent to $54,000, they were released without bail on the promise that they would return for a later court appearance. No formal charges have been made against them. However, in most cases, some form of bail, such as deeds of property, were demanded before release.^[11] Currently, two Bahá'ís, arrested in Tehran and Sanandaj, remain in prison.^[11]

[edit] Monitoring of activities

A confidential letter sent on October 29, 2005 by the Chairman of the Command Headquarters of the Armed Forces in Iran states that the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Khamenei has instructed the Command Headquarters to identify people who adhere to the Bahá'í Faith and to monitor their activities and gather any and all information about the members of the Bahá'í Faith.^[12][13] The letter was addressed to the Ministry of Information, the Revolutionary Guard and the Police Force.^[13] The letter was brought to the attention of the international community by Asma Jahangir, the Special Rapporteur of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights on freedom of religion or belief, in a March 20, 2006 press release.^[13]

In the press release the Special Rapporteur states that she "is highly concerned by information she has received concerning the treatment of members of the Bahá'í community in Iran."^[13] The UN's press release summarizing Ms. Jahangir's report states:

"The Special Rapporteur is apprehensive about the initiative to monitor the activities of individuals merely because they adhere to a religion that differs from the state religion. She considers that such monitoring constitutes an impermissible and unacceptable interference with the rights of members of religious minorities. She also expresses concern that the information gained as a result of such monitoring will be used as a basis for the increased persecution of, and discrimination against, members of the Bahá'í faith, in violation of international standards.

"The Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief has closely monitored the treatment of religious minorities in Iran, and has long been concerned by the systematic discrimination against members of the Bahá'í community. Since taking up the mandate in July 2004, the Special Rapporteur has intervened with the Government on a number of occasions regarding the treatment of the Bahá'í community.

"The Special Rapporteur is concerned that this latest development indicates that the situation with regard to religious minorities in Iran is, in fact, deteriorating."

(March 20, 2006 press release by the United Nations Commission on Human Rights on freedom of religion or belief)^[13]

[edit] Deaths

Amnesty International and others report that 202 Bahá’ís have been killed since the Islamic Revolution (see below).^[14] The most recent death of a Bahá’í in the custody of the Iranian government occurred on Dec, 15, 2005, in the city of Yazd. Zabihullah Mahrami had been sentenced to death in 1995, but in 1999 this was commuted to life in prison.^[15] His arrest was for the crime of apostasy against Islam, but he was convicted of spying for Israel. He was approximately 59 years old.^[15] He died in his prison cell of unknown causes. The United States condemned the imprisonment and alleged persecution of Zabihullah Mahrami, and State Department Deputy Spokesman, Adam Ereli, said that Mr. Mahrami had received death threats in prison and been forced to perform arduous physical labour.^[15]

The most recent Bahá’í execution apparently occurred in 1998, when the Iranian government hanged Ruhollah Rohani in Mashad on the charge of converting a woman to the faith though she herself stated that she had been a lifelong Bahá’í.^[1] Newspaper accounts describe this as the first Bahá’í execution in six years. Death sentences had also been passed against Sirus Zabhi-Moghaddam and Hedayat Kashefi-Najabadi, which have apparently not yet been carried out and Ataollah Hamid Nazrizadeh has received a ten-year prison sentence for related offences arising from the same situation.^[16]

[edit] Barriers to higher education

Bahá’í youth are not permitted to attend institutions of higher education in Iran unless prospective students identify themselves as followers of one of the four religions recognized by the state on university entrance exams.^[1] The Iranian government has said that if Bahá’ís identify themselves as Muslims on the exams they would be allowed to enroll but Bahá’ís, as a matter of religious principle, refuse to dissimulate their beliefs.^[6][17]

In an effort which the New York Times called "an elaborate act of communal self-preservation,"^[18] the Bahá'í community in 1987 established its own program of higher education to meet the educational needs of its young people, which evolved to become known as the Bahá’í Institute for Higher Education (BIHE), whose classes were held in private homes and had an enrollment of approximately 900 students.^[6][19] In 1998 (29 September - 2 October), Iranian authorities broke up the underground institution while arresting hundreds and confiscating books and computer equipment.^[1][19]

Iranian columnist Iqbal Latif calls Iran's denial of access to university education for Bahá'ís "[i]ntellectual cleansing of their ethnic brothers by the clergy-dominated regime."^[20]

[edit] Destruction of holy sites

In April 2004, Iranian authorities demolished the shrine and grave site of Muhammad-Ali Barfurushi (Quddús), a Bábí leader.^[6] The following June, the Tehran house of Mírzá `Abbás-i-Núrí (aka Mírzá Buzurg), Bahá'u'lláh's father, was destroyed. The previous such incident occurred in 1993 when a Bahá'í cemetery in Tehran was bulldozed in order to build a municipal centre.^[1]

[edit] Media attacks

In the later months of 2005, an intensive anti-Bahá'í campaign was conducted by Iranian newspapers and radio stations. The state-run and influential Kayhan^[21] newspaper, whose managing editor is appointed by Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei,^[22] ran nearly three dozen articles defaming the Bahá'í Faith.^[8] The articles, which make use of fake historical documents, engage in a distortion of history to falsely describe Bahá'í moral principles in a manner that would be offensive to Muslims, thus inducing feelings of suspicion, distrust and hatred to members of the Bahá'í community in Iran.^[23]

The articles claim, in the face of all historical data, that the religion was invented and implanted by colonialist powers to subvert Islam and to subjugate the Muslim peoples of Iran. They use fake historical documents such as the memoirs of Prince Dolgorouki, a mid-nineteenth century Russian minister in Tehran, to substantiate their claims; the memoirs were however manufactured in Iran in 1937 and have long since been exposed as forgeries.^[23]

The articles also state that the Báb, one of the Bahá'í Faith's central figures, was taught simultaneously by the Jews and the Tsarist government of Russia, even though the Tsarist government was well-known to have been unfavourable towards the Jews. The Bahá'í World Centre claims that the linking of Bahá'ís with Zionism serves to provoke suspicion and hatred towards the Bahá'ís.^[23]

A summary of the Kayhan articles can be found at here.

[edit] Other events

In 2005, Diane Ala'i, Bahá’í spokesperson to the United Nations in Geneva, described other forms of persecution to the UN Commission on Human Rights:

"The most serious outbreak occurred in Yazd, where several Bahá’ís were assaulted in their homes and beaten, a Bahá’ís shop was set on fire and burned, and others were harassed and threatened, following a series of arrests and short-term detentions. The Bahá’í cemetery in Yazd was wantonly destroyed, with cars driven over the graves, tombstones smashed and the remains of the interred left exposed."^[24]

Ms. Ala'i also said that in March, in Tehran, Iranian intelligence agents entered the homes of several Bahá’ís and spent hours ransacking their houses before carting away their possessions and taking them into custody.^[24]

"Five Bahá’ís have been imprisoned just this past month. Two were finally released on bail, but family and community members have not been able to locate those in detention. Two others, who had previously been briefly detained for nothing more than distributing copies of a courteous letter to President Khatami, have now received the maximum sentence for this so-called offence."^[24]

"Six more Bahá’í families recently had their homes and land confiscated, depriving them of their only means of livelihood."^[24]

The Bahá’í's New York spokesperson, Bani Dugal, clarified some of the involved:^[25]

"At least 59 Baha'is have been subject to various forms of arbitrary arrests, detention and imprisonment, and Baha'i young people have once again been denied the chance to attend college and university."^[25]

Ms. Dugal said that although the majority of those Bahá’ís who have been arrested were released, nine remained in prison as of late October [2005].^[25]

[edit] Secret memorandum

In early 1991, a confidential circular^[26] issued by the Supreme Revolutionary Cultural Council on "the Bahá'í question" and signed by Supreme Leader Khamenei himself, signalled an increase in efforts to suffocate the Iranian Bahá'í community through a more "silent" means.^[6][1][19] The document organized the methods of oppression used to persecute the Bahá’ís, and contained specific recommendations on how to block the progress of the Bahá'í communities both inside and outside Iran.^[6] The document stated that the most excessive types of persecutions should be avoided and instead, among other things recommended, that Bahá'ís be expelled from universities, "once it becomes known that they are Bahá'ís," to "deny them employment if they identify themselves as Bahá'ís" and to "deny them any position of influence."^[1]

The existence of this so called Golpaygani Memorandum was brought to the attention of the public in a report by the then UN Human Rights Commissioner Mr Galindo Pohl (E/CM4/1993/41, 28 January 1993)^[26], and the policy recommendations of the document are still in force.^[6][19]

[edit] Statements

[edit] Statements by the United Nations

The United Nations and the United Nations Commission on Human Rights has published reports on the persecution of the Bahá'ís since the Iranian Revolution in 1979; in every year since 1984, except for 2002, the United Nations Commission on Human Rights has passed a resolution expressing concern about human rights violations against the Bahá'ís in Iran.^[6] The Special Representative on Iran, Professor Galindo Pohl, Canadian Jurist and UBC Law Professor, Maurice Copithorne, and the Special Rapporteur on Religious Intolerance, Professor Abdu’l Fatah Amor, have all reported on the persecutions that the Bahá'ís have faced in Iran. Throughout the years the Commission has written:

• 1995: "... the Bahá'ís, whose existence as a viable religious community in the Islamic Republic of Iran is threatened ..." ^[27]
• 1997: "... the grave breaches of the human rights of the Bahá'ís in the Islamic Republic of Iran ..." ^[28]
• 1999: "... the unabated and, in some instances, worsened pattern of persecution against the Bahá'ís, including death sentences, executions, arrests and the closure of the Bahá'í Institute for Higher Education ..." ^[29]
• 2000: "... unabated pattern of persecution against the Bahá'ís ..."^[30]
• 2001: "... its concern at the still-existing discrimination against persons belonging to minorities, in particular against Bahá'ís ..." ^[31]
• 2004: "... the Committee has noted discriminatory practices against the members of the Bahá'í[sic] in education [and] the Government provides no new information on the situation of the Bahá'í[sic] in terms of access to university and institutes of higher learning ..."^[32]
• January 2004: "The situation of the Bahá'ís is also a cause of concern for the Special Rapporteur. Members of the Bahá'í community are barred from expressing themselves as Bahá'í. The Bahá'í community are routinely harassed, arrested and sometimes sentenced to long periods of imprisonment either for apostasy or association with Bahá'ís institutions" ^[33]
• March 2005: "... individuals in the city of Babul began to destroy a property with great religious significance to the Bahá'í community worldwide ... . Despite attempts to protect the site, it was reported that the demolition of the rest of the structure had continued gradually and quietly, in a manner designed not to attract attention. ... the reported discrimination faced by certain minorities, including the Bahá'ís, who are deprived of certain rights ... appear to be discriminatory on both ethnic and religious grounds." ^[34]
• March 2005: "... it continues to be concerned at reports that these minorities, in particular the Bahá'í minority, are subjected to harassment, intimidation and imprisonment on account of their religious beliefs" ^[35]
• July 2005: "Information collected by the Special Rapporteur seems to indicate the existence of a number of cases of confiscation of Bahá'í property ..." ^[36]
• November 2005: "... the escalation and increased frequency of discrimination and other human rights violations against the Bahá’í[sic], including cases of arbitrary arrest and detention, the denial of freedom of religion or of publicly carrying out communal affairs, the disregard of property rights, the destruction of sites of religious importance, the suspension of social, educational and community-related activities and the denial of access to higher education, employment, pensions, adequate housing and other benefits ...". The United Nations "calls upon the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran ... to ensure equality before the law and the equal protection of the law without any discrimination in all instances, including for members of religious, ethnic, linguistic or other minority groups, officially recognized or otherwise ... . To eliminate, in law or in practice, all forms of discrimination based on religious, ethnic or linguistic grounds, and other human rights violations against persons belonging to minorities, including Arabs, Kurds, Baluchi, Christians, Jews, Sunni Muslims and the Bahá’í[sic], and to address this matter in an open manner, with the full participation of the minorities themselves, to otherwise ensure full respect for the right to freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief of all persons, and to implement the 1996 report of the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights on religious intolerance, which recommended ways the Islamic Republic of Iran could emancipate the Bahá’í[sic] community."^[37]

[edit] Statements by Amnesty International

Amnesty International has also documented the persecution of the Bahá'í community in Iran. It has written:

• 1993: "Serious human rights violations persist in Iran. Real or imagined political opponents are targeted, along with religious minorities such as Bahá'ís" ^[38]
• 1996: "At least 201 have been executed, most during the 1980s and apparently in connection with their religious beliefs. Bahá'ís are not permitted to meet, to hold religious ceremonies or to practice their religion communally. Bahá'í buildings, sites and centres have been confiscated and closed; private and business property of individual Bahá'ís has been confiscated, and Bahá'ís have been dismissed from government posts and schools" ^[14]
• 1998: "Amnesty International unreservedly condemns the execution of Ruhullah Rouhani and fears that he was executed for the non violent expression of his beliefs. Amnesty International currently knows of seven cases of Bahá'í prisoners under the sentence of death and is calling for commutation of these and all other death sentences without delay" ^[39]

[edit] Statements by the European Union

The European Union in the 2004 EU Annual Report on Human Rights wrote:

"There has not been discernible progress in the key areas of concern. Concern was also reiterated at the destruction of the Bahá'í holy site at Babol and the refusal of the authorities to allow the dignified re-interrment of the remains it contains"^[40]

Then in a speech given at the European Parliament in October of 2005 on behalf of the European Commissioner for Education, Training, Culture and Multilingualism, Jan Figel said:

"Regarding the actual situation of human rights in Iran, there is a growing cause for concern. There are other serious issues of concern which have emerged recently: ... the arrest of members of the Bahá'í Faith"^[41]

[edit] Statements by the United States government

The United States Department of State Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor stated in the 2004 Report on International Religious Freedom that:

• "The Government harasses the Bahá'í community by arresting Bahá'ís arbitrarily"^[42]
• "The property rights of Bahá'ís are generally disregarded, ... the Government has confiscated large numbers of private and business properties belonging to Bahá'ís" ^[42]
• "Public and private universities continue to deny admittance to Bahá'í students" ^[42]
• "... official Bahá'í schools are not allowed ..." ^[42]

[edit] Response from the Iranian government

The Iranian government claims that Bahá'ís are enemies of the state, were supporters of the former Shah's government and spies employed by imperialist governments of the West.^[6] The Ayatollah Khomeini, even before his return to Iran said in an interview that he believed that Bahá'ís were traitors — Zionists — and enemies of Islam.^[43]

The Iranian representative to the United Nations tried several times, albeit unsuccessfully, between 1982 and 1984 to convince the United Nations diplomatic community that the Bahá'í Faith is a politicized organization with a record of criminal activism against the Iranian government^[6] and not a legitimate religion like Judaism, Christianity, and Zoroastrianism which are protected under Iranian law;^[19] Iran has not even acknowledged that the Bahá'í Faith is a religion.^[19]

[edit] Statements by some Iranian writers and academics

The general belief among the Iranian people follows the statements of the Iranian government that Bahá'ís are enemies of the state, and supporters of the previous government of the Shah:

"The real truth is though that no one gives a damn what happens to Bahá'ís."

--Iqbal Latif in The Iranian August 5, 2002 ^[20]

"I'm just fascinated by the fact that we -- nearly every non-Bahá'í Iranian -- do not really consider Bahá'ís as Iranian. We consider them bastard children of British colonialism aiming to destroy Islam, specifically Shi'ite Islam. They're not even 'other' Iranians. We see them as something else. Or maybe we don't see them at all."

--Jahanshah Javid, in The Iranian July 3, 2002 ^[44]

"Still than being celebrated for their contribution and evolution of Iranian thought or even engaged in debates about the validity of their beliefs, Bahá'ís are considered to have suspect allegiances, foreign imperialists and 'Zionist agents'."

--Jahanshah Javid, in The Iranian July 3, 2002 ^[44]

"The popular notion among Iranian Muslims and other non-Muslims is that the Bahá'ís enjoyed a privileged status during the reign of Mohammad Reza Shah."

-- Professor Sanasarian ^[7]

There are many Iranians who have published how and why Iranians think of Bahá'ís as outsiders. Dr. Mohammad Tavakoli, a Muslim-Iranian, who is a Professor of Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Toronto presents in Iran-Nameh, a Persian language academic journal, a study that examines the processes that led to the ghettoization and eventual "othering" of the Bahá'ís in Iran by the political and religious forces within Iranian society.^[45] Other statements include:

"It is this eventuality that we all should assume responsibility for and to avert this; Iranians must accept that Bahá'ís are an integral and loyal community within Iran, extending the same inclusiveness reserved for Shi'ites and other minorities. "

--Iqbal Latif in The Iranian August 5, 2002 ^[20]

"Go ahead. Go and shed a tear for Palestinians. They deserve it. Israel is crushing them like ants. But when you get a chance, do give a shit about Bahá'ís too. You want a noble cause? You want to scream and shout about injustice? I'm telling you... Bahá'ís have been really underrated as far as causes go."

--Jahanshah Javid, in The Iranian July 3, 2002 ^[44]

[edit] Response from the United Nations

The United Nations responded to the Iranian government's accusations by stating that there has been no evidence of Iran's claims and that the Bahá'í community in Iran professes its allegiance to the state. The United Nations pointed to the Bahá'í teaching of obedience to the government of one's country and stated that any involvement in any subversive acts against the government would be antithetical to precepts of the Bahá'í religion.^[14] The United Nations also stated that if the Iranian government did acknowledge that the Bahá'í Faith is a religion, it would be an admission that freedom of religion does not apply to all in Iran and that it is not abiding by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and International Covenants on Human Rights to which it is a signatory.^[19]

[edit] Outside Iran

[edit] Egypt

In 1925, Egypt became the first Islamic state to legally recognize the Bahá'í Faith as an independent religion apart from Islam. Despite a historically active Egyptian Bahá'í community during the early twentieth century, Bahá'í institutions and community activities are currently banned by Law 263. This law came into being in 1960, seven years after the founding of the Arab Republic of Egypt, at the decree of then-President Gamal Abdel Nasser. All Bahá'í community properties, including Bahá'í centers, libraries, and cemeteries, were confiscated by the government. The current Egyptian Bahá'í community, estimated to number between several hundred and two thousand, has also had fatwas issued against it by Al-Azhar's Islamic Research Center, which charges Bahá'ís with apostasy. ^[46]

In January 2001, 18 people, mostly Bahá'ís, were arrested in the city of Sohag under the pretence of having violated Article 98(F) of the Penal Code ("insulting a heavenly religion") and other possible charges, 10 of whom were held in detention for over 10 months without being formally charged. ^[47]

Similar to Iran, the Egyptian government requires that its citizens identify as either Jewish, Christian, or Muslim, leaving others to either misrepresent their faith or forego valid identity documents, passports, birth and death certificates, and marriage licenses. A May 2004 incident indicated that the Ministry of Interior has instructed officials to confiscate any identity cards belonging to Bahá'ís. The seriousness of such a matter is compounded by the essential nature of the identity card; it is linked to the ability to own property, attend university and have a business. On 6 April 2006, human rights activists "welcomed a landmark ruling by the Administrative Court recognising the right of Egyptian Bahais to have their religion acknowledged on official documents."^[48] However, on 3 May 2006 it was reported that "[t]he Egyptian government will appeal against a court ruling in favour of the rights of the country’s small Baha’i minority..." ^[49]

Notable quotations from ministers in the Egyptian government taken from the article, include:

Religious Endowments Minister Mahmoud Hamdi Zakzouk told parliament the government would base its appeal on the opinion of the :country’s leading Muslim cleric, the Sheikh of al-Azhar, that Baha’ism [sic] is not a “revealed religion” recognised by Muslims.

One member of parliament, Gamal Akl of the opposition Muslim Brotherhood, said the Baha’is were infidels who should be killed on the grounds that they had changed their religion.

“The problem with the Baha’is is they are moved by Israeli fingers. We wish the Ministry of the Interior would not yield to the cheap blackmail of this deviant group,” added another Muslim Brotherhood member, Mustafa Awadallah.

“there is an interest in them being known rather than unknown so that they do not succeed in infiltrating the ranks of society and :spreading their extremist and deviant ideology.”

According to Reuter's Alertnet, the judgement of 6 April was suspended on 15 May:

"Egypt's Supreme Administrative Court decided on 15 May to suspend the implementation of an earlier lower court ruling that allowed Bahais to have their religion recognised on official documents."^[50]

[edit] Notes

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• The Bahá'ís: The Growing Threat to Iran's Bahá'ís
• The Bahá’í Question - Cultural Cleansing in Iran