Comic against the arbitrary arrests

May 26th, 2008 by Admin

Censeo, a platform that hosts comics in an effort to “re-examine truth”, recently featured a comic that touches upon the plight of Baha’is in Iran.

Throughout the years, Bahai’s have suffered through and endured the hurling of baseless charges at them. This gross abuse against their human rights is intolerable and must be brought to an end!

Baha'i Faith in Egypt

Humor Tells it All in Egypt and Iran

Posted: 20 Jun 2008 12:05 AM CDT

Good humor has its way of making a point. Frequently it can tell much more than pages and pages of discourse. The two cartoons below, published by the Muslim Network for Baha'i Rights--a website operated by Muslim youth who took it upon themselves to defend the rights of the Baha'is wherever they are persecuted--illustrate this point very well.

The first comic speaks clearly for the identification document crisis facing the Baha'is of Egypt, and some of its effects on the daily living of these Egyptian citizens. The second one, also initially published on censeo humor site, depicts, in no uncertain terms, the strategy undertaken by the Iranian authorities in targeting the Baha'i population of that country.

Update on the Jailed Baha'i Leaders in Iran

Posted: 19 Jun 2008 02:53 PM CDT

The Baha'i World News Service (BWNS) has just announced that the seven Baha'i leaders held in Iran were able to make brief telephone contact with their families.

Additionally, the Baha'i International Community has just added a new page, named "Iran Update," to its BWNS website that will provide a continuous flow of information on the situation of the Baha'is of Iran. This web-page, "updated regularly, is provided as a service to news media and others desiring details of the situation of the Baha'is in Iran. All information has been verified by the Baha'i International Community."

This much-needed service (Iran Update) will be of great value in officially providing confirmed information--all in one place--to the news media at large, human rights activists, bloggers, government agencies, concerned citizens and any other individuals or organizations interested in following, or acting on, this important human rights situation.

Below is a re-publication of the original announcement, regarding the jailed Baha'is, which can be found on the BWNS website at this link:

Seven jailed Iranian Baha’is make brief contact with families
19 June 2008

NEW YORK — Seven prominent Baha’is imprisoned in Iran have each been allowed a brief phone call to their families, the Baha’i International Community has learned.

The calls were the first contact with the jailed Baha’is since six of them were arrested on 14 May in pre-dawn raids at their homes in Tehran. The seventh was arrested in March in the city of Mashhad.

The Baha’i International Community has learned that on 3 June, Mrs. Mahvash Sabet and Mrs. Fariba Kamalabadi were permitted to make short phone calls to their families. Mrs. Sabet had been detained in Mashhad on 5 March but on 26 May was transferred to Evin Prison in Tehran, where it is believed the others are also being held.

Later it was confirmed that Mr. Jamaloddin Khanjani, Mr. Afif Naeimi, Mr. Saeid Rezaie, Mr. Behrouz Tavakkoli, and Mr. Vahid Tizfahm also have made brief phone calls to their families.

No charges have been filed against any of the seven, who comprise the entire membership of a coordinating committee that saw to the minimal needs of the 300,000-member Baha’i community of Iran.

In 1980, all nine members of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of Iran were taken away and presumed killed as they were never heard from again. A year later, after the Assembly had been reconstituted, eight of the nine members were arrested and killed.

Besides the seven committee members imprisoned in Tehran, about 15 other Baha’is are currently detained in Iran, some incommunicado and most with no formal charges.

Ayatollah Montazeri clarifies his position on Bahai Faith - Mideast Youth - Thinking Ahead




Ayatollah Montazeri clarifies his position on Bahai Faith
Author: Mohammad Memarian (Iran) - June 17, 2008

Question:
Your Excellency,
In one of your [previous] answers to [the questions regarding] Bahai sect, pointing out that Bahai faith is not considered a legal religious minority for it lacks a divine scripture, you stated:
“However, for they are citizens of this country and have a right due to belonging to this country, they have the right of citizenship.”
Following your response, some of the followers of Bahai faith abused [it] and made significant claims, and it’s even said that your pre-revolution opinion about them has changed [into this newer version]. Please kindly clarify this issue and your point about ‘right of citizenship’.
*****
Ayatollah Monatazeri’s Answer:
Blessing and peace
My opinion regarding Bahai sect is still what I did believe in since pre-revolution years and has not experienced any change. However, due to Quran stating that “Allah does not forbid you respecting those who have not made war against you on account of (your) religion, and have not driven you forth from your homes, that you show them kindness and deal with them justly; surely Allah loves the doers of justice” (60-8), and due to Imam Ali’s letter to Malik Ashtar (a sincere companion of Imam Ali, appointed by him to govern Egypt) that “Maalik! You must create in your mind kindness, compassion and love for your subjects. Do not behave towards them as if you are a voracious and ravenous beast and as if your success lies in devouring them. Remember, Maalik, that amongst your subjects there are two kinds of people: those who have the same religion as you have; they are brothers to you, and those who have religions other than that of yours, they are human beings like you”, the humane rights of those who do not follow any heavenly religion must be respected.
‘Right of Citizenship’ is a general term, and its limits should be defined according to public customs and the constitution of which the majority are approving. However, if any person is trying to be the enemy of country’s people, or cooperate with external enemies [of the nation] and their cooperation is proved in a credible court, they must be punished. And their citizenship is not a barrier to the law being enforced. And attention should be paid so as the youth do not get trapped by their malicious propaganda; and if doing business or having companionship with them works as a mean strengthening their position, it should be avoided.
God-willing you will be successful,

25-Khordad-1387 (14-June-2008)
*****
Source: Comments to a post in Radio Zamaneh. Note that the source is not that reliable; however, since the issue is of a relatively high importance, I do expect several other sources to publish it as soon as possible.
Update: Here is a reliable reference from the official site of Ayatollah Montazeri. the first 3 fatwas are about Bahaism, including the previous one published earlier in MEY and this newest one. And there is something in between them repeating the same theme.

		12 - 18 June 2008 Issue No. 901 Egypt	Current issue Previous issue Site map
Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875

Rights and wrongs
Civil society is increasingly perturbed by the prickly question of religious freedoms in Egypt, writes Gamal Nkrumah
A heady mix of religious and sexual equality, secularism and citizenship rights has become a major preoccupation for many human rights organisations in Egypt. The separation of religion and the state, the right to choose and freely practise one's own religion and the right not to practise a particular religion in which he or she was born into were also publicly debated.
On Wednesday, 4 June, a seminar on religious freedom in Egypt was convened under the auspices of the Middle East Freedom Forum. More than 200 people -- mainly activists and academics -- attended, including representatives of the various ethnic minorities who aired their own particular grievances. Speakers included Christians, Bahaais, Shia Muslims and leading human rights activists.
"Religion is a private affair. Religious affiliation, or lack of it, should be an entirely private matter. The state has no business prying and citizenship rights ought to be enjoyed by all citizens, regardless of religious affiliation. Yet today no one dare confess to being an atheist or an agnostic in public. Such an admission would be considered a serious crime and would result in the wrath of the public, lynching not excluded," Magdi Khalil, head of the Middle East Freedom Forum, told Al-Ahram Weekly.
The seminar, which touched a raw nerve in Egypt, was followed by a meeting on 5 June at the Egyptian National Council of Human Rights, headed by former United Nations secretary- general Boutros Ghali. Presided over by Coptic MP Georgette Qellini, it also focussed on the theme of religious freedom, especially the predicament of the Bahaais.
Even though the Egyptian constitution guarantees freedom of belief, in practice the situation could not be more different. Members of religious minorities repeatedly complain of alledged discriminatory government policies and legal rulings that negatively impact their lives. The Coptic Christian community, for instance, deeply resents laws that make it extremely difficult to construct new churches or repair existing ones. Until quite recently it was impossible to build a new church without presidential approval. Christians of all denominations what they claim are the stringent conditions applied to the issuing of permissions to construct places of worship.
The Bahaai community complains of a different set of problems. In January this year Cairo's Administrative Court ruled in favour of two Bahaai families, allowing them to obtain birth certificates and personal identification documents as long as they omitted stating their religion on court documents. This was widely seen as a minor, albeit qualified, triumph in the Bahaais' long struggle to win legal recognition. On 15 May 2006, Egypt's Supreme Administrative Court had suspended the implementation of an earlier lower court ruling that allowed Bahaais to enter their religion on official documents. Since official computerised identification cards in which an individual's religion is stated are now essential for any transaction, including the buying of property and vehicles and as a prerequisite for enrolling at university and other institutions of higher learning, Bahaais claim the ruling turns them into invisible citizens.
The verdict was baffling. Rarely has a judicial ruling in a civil court set off such controversy in the country. "The problem with the Bahaais is that they are moved by Israeli fingers," warned a prominent member of the Muslim Brotherhood, Mustafa Awadallah. "We want the Ministry of Interior not to yield to the cheap blackmail of this deviant group." Awadallah's views, say Bahaais, are sadly typical.
Syllabuses often misrepresent religious minorities, reinforcing misleading and confusing myths about their religious convictions and their practices. Small, weak and vulnerable as they are, religious minorities in Egypt are increasingly finding the courage to articulate their grievances in ways that were inconceivable just five years ago. It is a development that holds great promise.
As they gird their loins for long, protracted legal battles, Egypt's religious minorities are standing up for their rights. At the seminar Mina, a Coptic monk from Abu Fana Monastery, spoke about the recent violence that erupted in the vicinity of his monastery in the Upper Egyptian governorate of Minya. He stressed that there was no repository of arms in the monastery, as had been claimed in the sensational media coverage that accompanied the incident.
"The Bahaais of Egypt cannot open a bank account, register a car in their own name or purchase or sell property because of their religious affiliation. Our situation is tragic and we must wait until 1 November when the courts will once again review our case," says Bahaai activist Basma Moussa. She concedes that there have been some gains, the most important of which is the publicity surrounding the Bahaais' predicament in Egypt today.
Participants agreed that playing politics with religion is a dangerous game. Magdi El-Naggar and Hamdi Al-Assiuti, the self-styled "freedoms lawyer", stressed that the current situation is untenable. Ahmed Rasem El-Nafis, a religious intellectual, and Sayed El-Qimni spoke of the difficulties faced by Egypt's Shia Muslim minority. El-Qimni, among the most prominent Shia scholars in Egypt today, points out that the Shia in contemporary Egypt are not permitted to build mosques.
Bahieddin Hassan, head of the Cairo Centre for Human Rights Studies, concurred. Ramsis El-Naggar, the lawyer representing the Copts who converted to Islam and were keen on reverting to their original religion, defended the rights of those who wished to re-embrace Christianity. He pointed out that the media portrays minorities unfairly, highlighting differences in culture and rituals, and accusing minorities of collaborating with foreign powers, especially Israel and the United States. Indignant religious minorities, he insists, must be placated and encouraged to take part in the decision-making process and enjoy full citizenship rights. That, more or less, was the premise of a seminar at which participants agreed that unless action is taken, and soon, the stage is being set for a conundrum of Wagnerian dimensions.

Iranian Bahá’í leaders allowed contact with families

by Barney

It is good to learn that Mrs Mahvash Sabet, the secretary of the ad hoc Bahá’í leadership group in Iran, was able to make a short phone call to her family on 3 June. She’d been moved to Evin prison in Tehran on 26 May, having been held incommunicado by the Iranian intelligence ministry in Mashhad since 5 March.

Mrs Fariba Kamalabadi was also allowed to have a brief phone conversation with her daughter. She reassured her family that she was in good health.

A few days earlier prison officials had asked Mrs Kamalabadi’s family to bring her reading glasses to the prison. Mr Vahid Tizfahm’s family had been requested to bring clothes to the jail. Neither family was able to see the prisoners when they took these items to Evin.

Mr Afif Naeim’i’s sons took some clothes to Evin prison for their father on their own initiative, but they couldn’t get to see him.

Mr Jamaloddin Khanjani has also had brief telephone contact with his family.

The very fact that I think it is good to learn that these prisoners have had some very limited contact with their families shows how bad things are. They have not committed any crime. They have not been charged with any offence. They are incarcerated purely because they are Bahá’ís.

They should be out of jail and free to go about their business, free to live, free to practise their faith, free to be with their families and friends without the fear of arbitrary and outrageous detention.

June 08, 2008
Why Islamists Persecute the Baha'is
By Amil Imani

Ideas and beliefs, including religion, are the software that determines how we behave. And some of the software of the past is no longer working because it is out of phase with the needs of the time as well as infected with destructive viruses.


Even a cursory look is enough to show that the software of Islam, over time, is so greatly manipulated by numberless sects, sub-sects and schools that it can hardly be considered a unitary belief system. And people are their ideas. Any assault on beliefs and ideas provokes the assailed to action.


This clash of beliefs, the old versus the new, is the reason for Islamists to unleash their power against the upstart iconoclastic Baha'i faith. In fact, the Baha'is revere Islam and respect all other religions. Baha'i faith has many teachings in common with Islam, so much so that some call it "Islam light," because, while it retains some of Islam's principles, it also abrogates a number of outdated and counterproductive Islamic laws and practices. Baha'is say their faith is not a wrecking ball that aims to demolish the schoolhouse of God called religion: a badly divided schoolhouse where everyone claims to worship the same God, yet keep oppressing, fighting and killing each other in the name of the same God.


Baha'is have a very rosy and possibly unrealistic view of humanity. They say that their goal is for every human being, irrespective of any and all considerations, to be granted all his God-given rights and be allowed to worship his creator the way he sees fit. They have a sort of lovey-dovey vision of the world where everyone will live as a valued member of the larger human family. Apparently they have hit a responsive enough cord with some 6-7 million people of the world from every ethnic, religious and national stratum. This vision may not convert the remaining 6-7 billion people any time soon, but it sure beats hands down the Islamists' idea to force the world under their so called Ummeh with its stone-age shariah law.


Baha'is believe that God sends his teachers to his school, from time to time with new lessons, to help advance the people to a higher and higher level of humanness. Trouble is, they believe, that people cling to the old school-work and the old teacher and doggedly resist accepting the new teacher and his teachings. Baha'is think of God's prophets as renovators who come from time to time to tear down walls of separation and to bring God's children together in an open-air general classroom out of their own foolishly walled-in dungeons of exclusivity and ignorance.


Below are some of the Baha'i teachings that clash head on with Islam's and provoke the Islamists to do all they can to destroy the new religion.


* The people of God. Muslims believe that they are the chosen people of Allah and recognize no other system of belief as legitimate. Baha'is believe that all people are the chosen people of God: that there is only one God, one religion of God, and one people of God, the entire human race.


* Pearls on a string. Muslims contend that Muhammad is the seal of the Prophets; that God sent his best and final messenger to mankind, and any other claimant is an imposter worthy of death. Baha'is believe that God has always sent his teachers with new and updated lessons to educate humanity and shall do so in the future. There have been numberless divine teachers in the course of human history who have appeared to various people. They say that these teachers are like pearls on a string and that Baha'u'llah is the latest, but not the last pearl.


* Independent thinking. Blind imitation is anathema to Baha'is. Baha'is believe that the human mind and the gift of reason should guide the person in making decisions about all matters. To this end, they place a premium on education and independent investigation of truth.


Baha'is consider the education of women as important as that of men, since women are the early teachers of children and can play their valuable part by being themselves educated. By contrast, Muslims look to religious authorities for guidance and often deprive women of education and independent thinking.


In recognition of the importance of independent thinking, no one is born Baha'i. Once one is born to a Muslim, he is considered Muslim for life. If he decides to leave Islam, he is labeled apostate and, apostates are automatically condemned to death. By contrast, every child born in a Baha'i family is required to make his own independent decision regarding whether or not he wishes to be a Baha'i. Freedom to choose and independent thinking are cherished values of the Baha'is, in stark contrast to that of the closed-minded Islamists.


* Religion or science. Baha'is believe that truth transcends all boundaries. Scientific and religious truth emanate from the same universal source. They are like the two sides of the same coin. To Baha'is, science and religion are as two wings of a bird that enable humanity's flight toward the summit of its potential; that any religious belief that contradicts science is superstition. Muslims believe that their religious scripture and dogma, irrespective of their proven falsehood, are superior to that of science.


* Gender equality. Muslims hold the view, expressly stated in the Qur'an, that men are rulers over women. Baha'is reject this notion and subscribe to the unconditional equality of rights for the two sexes. This Baha'i principle emancipates one half of humanity from the status of subservient domestic to that of a fully participating and self-actualized human. It aims to put an end to the heartless exploitation of women and demands that women be treated with all due respect under the law.


* Participatory decision-making. Islam, by its very nature, is patriarchal and authoritarian. Baha'is believe in the value of decision making through the practice of consultation; a process where everyone, irrespective of any and all considerations, has a voice in making decisions. This participatory decision-making principle abrogates a major prerogative of Islamic clergy who have been dictating matters to their liking and advantage. Also, at all levels of society, including the family, all affected members have the opportunity, even the responsibility, to make their views known without fear. Baha'i teachings clearly emphasize this commitment to a democratic decision-making in their scripture, "The shining spark of truth cometh forth only after the clash of differing opinions."


* World-embracing outlook. Baha'is love their native countries, yet extend that same love to the entire planet and its people. Baha'is believe that love has no limit and need not have limits. One can love his country and love the world at the same time. This love of the world is frequently used as a pretense by the Islamists to accuse the Baha'is of Iran as traitors to their own homeland. It is for this reason that the present mullahs ruling Iran falsely claim that the Baha'is are agents of the Zionist Israel and its American sponsor.


* Eradication of prejudice. Prejudice of any type is alien to the Baha'i faith and severely undermines its pivotal principle of the oneness of humanity. Prejudice against others is thoroughly exploited by the Islamists. In contrast, Baha'i scriptures say, "...again, as to religious, racial, national and political bias: all these prejudices strike at the very root of human life; one and all they beget bloodshed, and the ruination of the world. So long as these prejudices survive, there will be continuous and fearsome wars."


* Abolition of priesthood. A major point of conflict involves the abolition of the clergy. Baha'is believe that humanity has matured enough that it no longer needs a cast of professional clergy to serve peoples' religious needs. By one stroke, this Baha'i teaching puts hundreds of thousands of mullahs and imams out of business and arouses the powerful cast of the do-nothing clergy to fight to retain their highly privileged parasitic positions.

It is imperative for the free people of the world to defend freedom of conscience, including freedom of religion, irrespective of one's own personal belief. It is for this reason that as a person who is not a Baha'i, I find it my solemn duty to speak up on behalf of a peaceful people, severely-persecuted by the savage Islamists.
Page source from: http://www.americanthinker.com/2008/06/why_islamists_persecute_the_ba.html at June 12, 2008 - 12:53:10 PM EDT

A Letter to the Baha'is of Iran

In response to the recent developments in Iran manifested in the escalation of systematic oppression of the Baha'is by the Iranian government--including the arrest of their entire leadership, the supreme governing body of the world's Baha'i community (The Universal House of Justice), located in Haifa, Israel, wrote a direct letter to the Baha'is of Iran.

Previously, in December 2006, when the Baha'is of Egypt were faced with a disappointing court decision that deprived them of their civil rights , the same body wrote a letter to the Baha'is of Egypt that had great impact on the progress of their case, sending a clear message to them, their supporters as well as to their oppressors and detractors.

The following is an English translation of the letter to the Baha'is of Iran,

provided by the Department of the Secretariat

TRANSLATION FROM PERSIAN
(Department of the Secretariat)

3 June 2008
To the believers in the Cradle of the Faith
Dear Bahá’í Friends,
Almost three weeks have passed since the recent arrest of the members of the distinguished body termed the “Friends in Iran”. No reliable information regarding their circumstances or whereabouts is available. This lack of news and the fact that these dear ones are deprived of access to their families and to legal counsel to defend their rights are causes of deep concern to the Bahá’ís of the world and to all those who seek justice and equity.
What is a source of comfort to our grief-stricken hearts is the courage and steadfastness you have manifested in the face of this crisis. You continue to discharge your spiritual obligations in unity and resolutely adhere to the Divine Teachings. Relying on heavenly grace, you are exerting efforts to protect and safeguard the interests of the Faith. The support that the press and other mass media have given to the oppressed believers in Iran, the advocacy of their cause undertaken by social activists, and the sympathy voiced by Iranian intellectuals evoke our hope and deep gratitude.
Observe how an increasing number of Iranians, who in honouring their ancient traditions, value human rights, believe that the time has now passed for ignorant prejudices to cause division and discrimination amongst people, and recognize that the true exaltation of the nation of Iran is to be attained through unity in diversity. Rest assured that the Iranian people will exert themselves to fulfil such a vision. How regrettable that a small band of those, their hearts darkened by the clouds of prejudice, have yielded to hatred and animosity, are incapable of comprehending the truth that Bahá’ís have no intention but to serve the world of humanity and to assist in the establishment of a spiritual civilization, attribute to you baseless conspiracies, persecute you for your religious beliefs and practices, and seek to inflict harm upon you. Yet, you recall the counsels of Bahá’u’lláh, Who asserts: “That one indeed is a man who, today, dedicateth himself to the service of the entire human race.”
Strive, then, to exemplify these words of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: “It behoveth the loved ones of the Lord to be the signs and tokens of His universal mercy and the embodiments of His own excelling grace. Like the sun, let them cast their rays upon garden and rubbish heap alike, and even as clouds in spring, let them shed down their rain upon flower and thorn.” Despite the current crisis, pay no heed to oppression and cruelty and, inspired by the Divine Teachings, act in the opposite manner. Focus your thoughts on being a source of good to those around you.
Exert every endeavour to serve your fellow citizens—heirs to a culture rich and humane—who themselves suffer from many an injustice. Avoid all divisiveness and conflict, consort with everyone with kindliness and sincerity, and engage with your compatriots in the discussion of ideas and the exchange of thoughts on matters with which they are anxiously concerned. Ignite in their hearts the flame of hope, faith, and assurance in Iran’s glorious future and in the bright destiny of humankind which you well know is sure to come to pass.
We supplicate in the Holy Shrines for the protection of the believers in the Cradle of the Faith.
[signed: The Universal House of Justice]

Cairo's Al-Badeel Newspaper (7 June 2008 edition)
Egypt's National Council for Human Rights

held a round-table discussion on 6 June 2008 to examine various pressing human rights violations in Egypt.
Among which was the case of the Baha'is and the lack of progress in issuing identity documents. Several prominent activists and government representatives participated in this session.
One of the participants, General Ali Abdel-Mawla, first assistant to the Minister of Interior, stated that "the Ministry wants to implement the ruling of the administrative court [granting the Baha'is the right to obtain ID cards], but the challenge filed by the Islamists prevents [the Ministry] from doing so." He further affirmed that "in case these challenges were turned down [by the court], the Ministry will expeditiously implement the administrative court ruling."N.B. These statements were made a day before the most recent court hearing that addressed the procedural challenge by the Islamists. The Ministry of Interior's lawyers asked for a postponement in order to prepare their memorandum supporting the Baha'is. The court postponed the case until 1 November 2008.
So, it is clear, according to these statements, that the Ministry of Interior has no hesitation in applying the court ruling in favor of the Baha'is. It should be also understood that the fact a challenge was filed by a third party--who was not even a party to the lawsuit--should not prevent the Ministry from implementing the ruling. A further delay (until 1 November 2008) can only lead to further extreme hardships for the Baha'is of Egypt.
Another important point is that this challenge was not an "appeal" of the ruling itself, but rather a challenge to the judge's competency--a strategy that has been frequently used by this particular Islamist extremist lawyer (Hamed Saddiq) to obstruct many other--irrelevant--cases.
My questions to General Ali Abdel-Mawla are: if the court upholds the Islamists' challenge on the first of November, what would the Ministry do then? Would it ask for another postponement? Would it sue the Islamist challenger? Would it not implement the ruling? Would it implement the ruling?
The real issue here is: what are the true motives of the Ministry of Interior? Supposing that the motives are sincere and intended to solve this crisis, then the Ministry should do so without any further delays.
Allowing such illegitimate procedural challenges--whose malicious intentions are very clear--to interfere with the due process of the law can only lead to anarchy. The Ministry knows what is needed to be done; using these frivolous challenges as an excuse to explain such unrealistic delays cannot be justified.

As some religious leaders in Iran have called for “the utmost punishment” for detained ‎Bahais using state media resources, the confrontation with the followers of this belief has ‎intensified and yesterday such calls went deep into the country. Bahai leaders in ‎Vilashahr in the province of Isfahan were reported to have been arrested. ‎The news website “Human Rights Activists in Iran” announced that according to its latest ‎reports, the leaders of the Vilashahr Bahai community in Isfahan were arrested. Their ‎names were listed as Hushmand Talebi and Mehran Zini, and Farhad Fardossian who is ‎said to be a member of the community. The news site reports that these individuals were ‎arrested by security-law-enforcement agents and transferred to the prison of the town, ‎while their conditions remains unknown.‎In a related news story, it is reported that three other Bahais named Ali Ahmadi, Changiz ‎Derakhshan, and Ms Simin too have been arrested in the northern town of Ghaemshahr. ‎Prior to that, six leading members of the Iranian Bahai community were arrested, and ‎their names are Fariba Kamal Abadi, Jamaledin Khanjani, Afif Naimi, Saeed Rezai, ‎Behrouz Tavakoli and Vahid Tizfahm. Mahvash Sabet, another Bahai leader was arrested ‎earlier in March in the city of Mashhad. All of these seven last members comprised the ‎leadership of the sect in Iran.‎These new arrests follow the claims by Iranian authorities that the Bahais had been ‎arrested because of their anti state activities that threatened national security. Elham the ‎spokesperson for the Iranian government had said in his weekly meetings with the media ‎that “these individuals had been arrested because they had engaged in activities against ‎the security of the state and had been in contact with foreigners particularly Zionists.”‎Seyed Ahmadi El Alhodi, the Friday prayer leader of the city of Mashhad had recently ‎publicly called for the “revolutionary execution of the Bahai-Israeli spies”. According to ‎Shabestan news agency, this cleric said that Bahaism was not a religion and claimed that ‎‎“Bahaism was neither a religion nor even an idea” adding how could he accept these ‎‎“Israeli soldiers whose hands were stained with the blood of millions of people be ‎allowed to freely move around the Iran and, by taking advantage of a group of political ‎deviants and loose women and sex-driven boys, engage in collecting signatures to destroy ‎Islamic laws by engaging in any criminal activity.”‎Elm Al Hodi further said that the harshest revolutionary punishment should be imposed ‎on the members of this Satanic group, calling on the judiciary of Iran to forcefully ‎confront this espionage movement without any heed to the wishes of the US and … , as ‎the group engaged in espionage behind the backs of the intelligence community of the ‎country.‎