Baha’i homes firebombed in Semnan, Iran

Iran Press Watch has posted a disturbing story about the attempted firebombing of several Baha’i homes in the Iranian city of Semnan.

Apparently two Baha’i homes were attacked at one o’clock yesterday (25 February) morning. An unknown group attempted to throw Molotov cocktails through the windows of apartments belonging to the Pirasteh and Pur-Husayni families. Fortunately the petrol bombs hit the masonry around the windows and did not penetrate the apartments.

Raids

Both apartments had previously been raided by by agents of the Ministry of Intelligence, who had confiscated personal effects, documents and papers. These raids, all too typical of what is being done to Baha’i homes in Iran at the moment, took place onf 15 December last year.

Previous firebombing

These were not the first attempts to firebomb Baha’i homes in Semnan. Unknown raiders tried to firebomb the home of Mr Khanjani, another Baha’i resident of the city, on 1st February this year.

Incitement by Friday prayer leader

The latest attacks did not take place out of the blue. In his 20 February sermon, Semnan’s Friday prayer leader, Hojjatu’l-Islam Siyyid Muhammad Shah-Cheraqi, spoke about the letter published by Ayatollah Dorri-Najafabadi, the Attorney-General, calling for the final eradication of any form of Baha’i organization through legal channels. He then declared:

The same way that the people were able to throw out the Shah from Iran, they can rid this nation of the Baha’is.

Other attacks on Semnan’s Baha’is

• A widespread attack on the homes of many Baha’is on 15 December 2008.
• Arrest of Mrs. Sahba Rezvani (Fana’ian), one of the Baha’i organizers in Semnan, on 15 December 2008.
• Arrest of Mr. Adel Fana’ian, Mr. Abbas Nurani (who were both among the present Baha’i organizers in Semnan) and Mr. Taher Eskandarian (a former Baha’i organizer in Semnan) on 4 January 2009.

Who’s behind these attacks?

There is no doubt that these attacks will have the blessing of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei. The Ministry of Information - what an Orwellian name for Iran’s security ministry - carried out the raids on homes, and it is very likely that the firebombings will have been carried out by “deniable intermediaries”, commissioned and equipped by the Ministry of Information.

Read more

You can read the story on Iran Press Watch here.

Technorati Tags: Baha’i, Bahai, Iran, Semnan, persecution, firebombing, Molotov cocktails

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