The Eyes of the World Focus on Iran

There has been an outpouring of condemnation of what has been characterized as a show trial of seven Baha'i leaders in Iran scheduled for July 11. The seven Baha'is are falsely accused of espionage for Israel, insulting religious sanctities and propaganda against the Islamic Republic.

U. S. Commission on International Religious Freedom Chair Leonard Leo states: "The charges against these imprisoned Baha’is are baseless and a pretext for the persecution and harassment of a disfavored religious minority. They should be released immediately. . . " And U.S. Congressman Frank Wolf points out that the seven Baha'is have been "unjustly held for over a year without formal charges or access to their attorneys" and that "[t]hey will reportedly be charged with 'espionage for Israel,' a crime which is punishable by death."

British Foreign Office Minister Ivan Lewis MP, in a meeting of the U.K.'s Parliament, called for "maximum transparency and openness in the way in which that trial is conducted" and urged that "[t]he judicial process should be conducted along the lines of international best practice, and international observers should be allowed to witness every conceivable stage of those court proceedings.” In the same session of Parliament, Liberal Democrat MP Lembit Opik noted that "[t]he Baha’is seek no special privileges. . . All they seek are conditions that accord with the International Bill of Human Rights, of which Iran is a signatory. The right to life, the right to profess and practise their religion, the right to liberty and security of person, and the right to education and work: those are not heady demands."

Several of Germany's Parliamentary groups also addressed the issue, "demand[ing] the immediate and unconditional release of the leaders of the Baha’i religious community" in Iran. Norway’s Foreign Ministry recently summoned Iran’s charge d’affaires in Oslo to express its concern for the human rights situation in Iran, including that of the seven imprisoned Baha'i leaders, "urg[ing] the Iranian authorities to respect the religious beliefs of all minorities in Iran."

Many eyes, hearts and prayers are focused on this situation right now, as well as on the cause of human rights in Iran. Let us hope that some modicum of justice and fair mindedness is extended to the seven Baha'i leaders who face execution in Iran, and that the suffering of the people of Iran will soon be eased.

Message from the Universal House of Justice to the Baha'is of Iran

The Universal House of Justice issued a letter on June 23, 2009 to the Baha'is of Iran in light of recent events in that country. In the letter, the House of Justice describes its "mounting fear for the safety of millions of Iranian men and women, so many of them at the pinnacle of their youth, their vast potentialities yearning to be realized" and links the long suffering of the Iranian Baha'i community to the suffering being experienced by their fellow citizens.

Yet the letter reminds us that there is reason for hope for the future of Iran, that we should keep alive in our hearts "the feeling of confidence that the future of Iran holds bright promise . . . and the belief that love will ultimately conquer hatred and enmity." The House of Justice expresses its confidence that the Baha'is of Iran will adhere to the fundamental principle of the Baha'i Faith strictly prohibiting any involvement in partisan politics and illuminates the appropriate process by which oppression is overcome:

. . . the proper response to oppression is neither to succumb in resignation nor to take on the characteristics of the oppressor. The victim of oppression can transcend it through an inner strength that shields the soul from bitterness and hatred and which sustains consistent, principled action.

Certainly this passage brings to mind the attributes of the great historical figures and groups who were able to transcend oppression through their inner strength, refusal to give in to bitterness and hatred, and consistent, principled action. The letter closes with the assurance of the House of Justice's prayers for the Baha'is of Iran and their compatriots, and the following words of promise from 'Abdu'l-Baha:

Iran shall become a focal centre of divine splendours. Her darksome soil will become luminous and her land will shine resplendent.

Photo reprinted with permission of the Bahá’í International Community

Urgent Situation of Imprisoned Baha'is in Iran

As many of you know, the seven Baha'i leaders currently imprisoned in Iran face an imminent trial, with their execution a possible outcome of the baseless charges leveled against them of "espionage for Israel, insulting religious sanctities and propaganda against the Islamic Republic." Moreover recently the Prosecutor General of Iran made an announcement declaring illegal the national and local coordinating bodies of the Baha'i community of Iran.

In this context, the Baha'i International Community issued a letter to the Prosecutor General of Iran on 4 March 2009 describing in precise detail the history of the government-sponsored persecution of the Iranian Baha'i community since the Islamic Revolution in 1979, the true nature and focus of the activities of the Baha'i community and the fair mindedness and sympathy towards the Baha'is of the majority of Iranian society. The letter calls for the fair judgment of the Iranian judiciary both for the sake of the Baha'i community of Iran and for the freedom of conscience of all Iranian citizens.

This summary merely skims the surface of this unique and important letter, a letter which demands our thoughtful study and will surely occupy a special place in history.

Speaking Out for Justice

Below are some remarks by U.S. Representative Tom Lantos, given on the floor of the House of Representatives on September 19, in support of a Congressional resolution condemning the persecution of the Bahá’ís in Iran and calling for the emancipation of the Iranian Bahá’í community:

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution. First, I would like to congratulate my good friend and colleague, Congressman Mark Kirk, for his leadership and strong voice in the defense of Baha’i communities all over the world. I am proud to be the original Democratic cosponsor of this important resolution.

The Baha’is are Iran’s largest religious minority, but because the Baha’i faith is not one of the four religions recognized by the Iran Constitution, Baha’i do not have rights under Iranian law. Iranian courts have ruled that people who injure or kill Baha’is are not liable for damages because the Baha’is are ‘‘unprotected infidels.’’ The absurdity of the statement that they are ‘‘unprotected infidels’’ says a great deal about this regime.

Congress has long recognized the plight of this suffering community. Since 1982, we have passed eight resolutions condemning the treatment of the Baha’i in Iran. On March 28 of this year, the White House expressed concern for a worsening situation of the Baha’i in Iran and called on the Government of Iran to respect the religious freedom of its minorities.

Madam Speaker, the situation of the Baha’i in Iran has deteriorated dramatically over the past year with an increase in arbitrary arrests, raids on private homes and imprisonments, a defamation campaign in the government-sponsored press and the continued denial of access to higher education to young men and women of the Baha’i faith.

Iran must grant the Baha’i their full human rights, as this resolution makes crystal clear. Our resolution calls on the Government of Iran simply to grant Baha’i the rights guaranteed by international law. Iran, Madam Speaker, is a signatory to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and several other human rights treaties, but it is obvious that Tehran has no more intention of observing the requirements of these agreements than it does the nuclear agreements it has signed.

The international community must not be mocked. It must hold Iran to those standards to which it has voluntarily committed itself. In fact, Iran’s contempt for basic human rights standards knows no bounds. Earlier this year, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei ordered the Ministry of Information, the Revolutionary Guard and the police force to identify Baha’is and collect information on their activities. This is particularly worrisome in light of the Iranian Government’s view of the Baha’is as non-persons.

The Anti-Defamation League has called this order ‘‘reminiscent of the laws imposed on European Jews in the 1930s by Nazi Germany.’’ Our resolution rightly highlights this order, which was revealed by the U.N. Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Religion or Belief.

Madam Speaker, the U.S. Congress needs to speak out strongly against these policies. We cannot stand by quietly as another pogrom against the Baha’is is quietly being prepared by the bigoted regime of Iran. We and the international community must put Iran on notice that such action is utterly intolerable.

Madam Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this important resolution.

The resolution passed by a vote of 393-2; you can read its full text here.

Bringing Injustice to Light

Laurie Goodstein writes in yesterday's New York Times of the recent imprisonment of 54 Bahá'í youth who were engaging in a community service project in the city of Shiraz, and of the general ratcheting up of persecution of the Bahá'ís in Iran. The article states:

The developments have alarmed human rights monitors at the United Nations, who say that since December, the government newspaper in Tehran has published more than 30 articles denigrating the Bahai faith — even accusing Bahais of sacrificing Muslim children on holy days. The arrests coincided with raids on six Bahai homes, in which notebooks, documents and computers were confiscated. More than 70 other Bahais have been arrested since January 2005 in smaller clusters, and some are still being held, the monitors said.

A few thoughts come to mind in light of this important work of journalism: First, the lofty station of anyone who defends the Cause of God in their writings, as described by Bahá'u'lláh:

If any man were to arise to defend, in his writings, the Cause of God against its assailants, such a man, however inconsiderable his share, shall be so honored in the world to come that the Concourse on high would envy his glory.

Second, the great bounty in this day of the nearly instant availability of information about the circumstances and sufferings of peoples around the world and the significance of this expression of concern by people in one part of the world for the well-being of people in another part ofthe world, regardless of race or creed.

Third, that despite these positive signs, the immediate future for the Bahá'ís of Iran remains quite foreboding.