IRANIAN BAHA'IS SENTENCED TO PRISON WERE HELPING UNDERPRIVILEGED YOUTH
GENEVA, 6 February 2008 (BWNS) -- Accusations by the Iranian government that54 Baha'is were engaged in anti-regime "propaganda" when they were arrestedalmost two years ago are patently false, the Baha'i International Communitysaid today. In November, three of that group were re-arrested and imprisoned for fouryears. The others have reportedly been given suspended one-year sentences. "Far from working against the government, the Baha'is who were arrested inMay 2006 were engaged in a humanitarian project aimed at helpingunderprivileged young people in the city of Shiraz," said Diane Ala'i, theBaha'i International Community's representative to the United Nations inGeneva."Charges by the government that suggest otherwise are nothing less than anattempt to repress Iranian Baha'is generally and to deflect internationalcriticism of Iran's human rights record," she said.Concern over the status of the Baha'is sentenced in Shiraz was highlightedlast week after an Iranian government spokesperson accused them of engagingin anti-government "propaganda," according to wire service reports. (Whilethose reports put the total arrests at 54, Baha'i sources indicate that only53 Baha'is were arrested in May 2006.)That charge of anti-regime propaganda came several days after the US StateDepartment and Amnesty International expressed concern over the fact thatthree of the Baha'is arrested had been summarily imprisoned in November forterms of four years.According to Agence France-Presse, an Iranian judiciary spokesman, Ali RezaJamshidi, confirmed the prison sentences for the three and also toldreporters on 29 January that 51 others had received suspended one-year jailterms, conditional on their attendance of courses held by the state'sIslamic Propaganda Organization."The accounts emerging from Iran tell of a government that is desperate tojustify its actions in the jailing of three innocent people by accusing themof teaching the Baha'i Faith, which is synonymous with 'anti-regimepropaganda' in the government's twisted perspective, said Ms. Ala'i. "Thisis further evidenced by the requirement that the others attend re-educationclasses, which are clearly aimed at coercing them away from their religiousbeliefs. "While teaching the Baha'i Faith cannot be considered a crime of any sort,given that freedom of religion is protected by international law, the factis that the Baha'is who were arrested almost two years ago in Shiraz werenot working to spread Baha'i teachings -- rather they had initiated and wereparticipating in a number of literacy and youth empowerment projects invarious locations in and near Shiraz."Moreover, the group had introduced the projects to the Islamic Council ofthe city of Shiraz in 2005 and had subsequently received a letter from theCultural Commission granting permission to continue their activities," saidMs. Ala'i.Ms. Ala'i also discussed charges, made in court documents, that the use of aworkbook titled "Breezes of Confirmation," which focuses on teachinglanguage skills and basic moral principles, constitutes part of the evidencethat Baha'is were teaching the Baha'i Faith."The fact is," said Ms. Ala'i, " 'Breezes of Confirmation' makes no directreference to the Baha'i Faith -- and its lessons reflect moral lessonscommon to all religions."In view of the government's continued rebuff of international appeals forthe immediate release of the three prisoners, it is important to provide adetailed account, so as to set the record straight," said Ms. Ala'i. Thenames of the three are Haleh Rouhi Jahromi, 29; Raha Sabet Sarvestani , 33;and Sasan Taqva, 32.Read an account of the development of the social service projects initiatedby the Baha'i community of Shiraz:http://news.bahai.org/documentlibrary/602/01_shiraz_bahai_social_service_projects_en.pdfView a sample lesson from the workbook "Breezes of Confirmation":http://news.bahai.org/documentlibrary/602/02_breezes_of_confirmation_lesson_excerpt_en.pdfTo view the photos and additional features click here:http://news.bahai.org--8-bp-080206-1-SHIRAZFEB08-602-S------------------------------------------------------------Advance release: Please check our website for the final version of thisarticle.------------------------------------------------------------Copyright 2008 by the Baha'i World News Service. All stories and photographsproduced by the Baha'i World News Service may be freely reprinted,re-emailed, re-posted to the World Wide Web and otherwise reproduced by anyindividual or organization as long as they are attributed to the Baha'iWorld News Service. For more information, visit http://news.bahai.org.------------------------------------------------------------