Iran’s Baha’is suffer arson and other violence

Posted: 28 Jul 2008 12:42 PM CDT

The Mousavi family of Fars province narrowly escaped injury when an arsonist poured gasoline and caused an explosion and fire that destroyed a hut near where the family was sleeping outside their home.

The Bahá’í World News Service reports that Bahá’ís in Iran are being subjected to increased levels of violence. Homes and cars belonging to Bahá’ís have been torched in arson attacks.

The home of the family Mehran Shaaker of Kerman, Iran, was gutted by fire on 18 July. Family members had received theatening phone calls, and their car had been the target of a recent arson attempt.

The fire at the Shaaker home in Kerman was one of at least a dozen fires or arson attempts affecting the property of Iranian Baha’is in the past year or so.

The Bahá’í World News Service story quotes Bani Dugal, the Bahá’í International Community’s Principal Representative at the UN:

As Bahá’ís worldwide watch with alarm this escalation in violence, their fears that a sinister plan of persecution is unfolding become increasingly confirmed. Their only hope is that enough voices of protests are raised around the world to compel the government in Iran to put an end to this violence.

This is a deeply disturbing development in the persecution of the Bahá’ís in Iran and is reminiscent of all too many previous episodes which led to concerted pogroms against the Bahá’ís.

Do read the whole story here.

Pictures © 2008 Bahá’í International Community.

Technorati Tags: Baha’i, Bahai, Iran, persecution, arson, violence, Baha’i World News Service

ARSONISTS IN IRAN TARGET BAHA'I HOMES, VEHICLES

NEW YORK, 28 July 2008 (BWNS) -- Acts of arson targeting homes and vehicles
are the latest violent tactics directed against the Baha'is of Iran.

"In the early hours of the morning of 18 July, the house of the Shaaker
family in Kerman went up in flames, only weeks after their car had been
torched and in the wake of a series of threatening phone calls," said Bani
Dugal, principal representative of the Baha'i International Community to the
United Nations.

"As would be expected in the light of the mistreatment Baha'is in Iran are
routinely receiving, the officials who investigated the fire either ignored
or dismissed obvious signs of suspicious activity, including a muffled
explosion, simply saying that it was the result of an electrical problem,"
she said.

At least a dozen cases of arson that target Baha'is have been reported in
Iran in the last 15 months, Ms. Dugal said. She gave the following examples:

-- On 15 July at 1:15 a.m., Molotov cocktails were thrown into the front
courtyard of the home of Khusraw Dehghani and his wife, Dr. Huma Agahi, in
Vilashahr, only months after anonymous threats directly related to her being
a Baha'i forced Dr. Agahi to close her clinic in nearby Najafabad where she
had practiced medicine for 28 years.

-- On 25 July, the car of a prominent Baha'i in Rafsanjan, in Kerman
province, was torched and destroyed by arsonists on motorbikes. Soheil
Naeimi, the owner of the car, and 10 other Baha'i families in the town had
received threatening letters from a group calling itself the Anti-Baha'ism
Movement of the Youth of Rafsanjan that, among other things, threatened
jihad (holy war) against the Baha'is.

-- On 10 June, an outbuilding on the property of the Mr. and Mrs. Mousavi,
elderly Baha'is living in the village of Tangriz in Fars province, was
destroyed by fire when it was doused with gasoline. The Mousavis, along with
their two sons who were sleeping close to the building, narrowly escaped
injury when the gasoline tank used to start the fire exploded. The Mousavis
believe that the perpetrator thought they were all sleeping in the hut when
he set the fire. Mr. Mousavi issued a formal complaint against the person
they suspected, but the legal office has declined to pursue the case because
the suspect swore on the Qur'an that he was not guilty. Out of respect for
the Qur'an, the Mousavis have dropped the charges.

-- On 4 April, the home of a Baha'i was set on fire in Babolsar, in the
north of Iran.

-- In February in Shiraz, a 53-year-old businessman was attacked on the
street, chained to a tree, doused with gasoline, and assaulted by unknown
persons who then attempted to throw lighted matches at him.

-- Also in Shiraz in February, several arson attempts were made against
vehicles and a home belonging to Baha'is.

-- On 1 May 2007, arson destroyed the home of 'Abdu'l-Baqi Rouhani in the
village of Ivil, in Mazandaran.

-- In Karaj, the burial section of a Baha'i cemetery was set on fire.

"These latest attacks follow the authorities' attempts to deprive the
Iranian Baha'i community of its leadership," Ms. Dugal said, referring to
the arrests in March and May this year of the seven members of Iran's
national Baha'i coordinating group, all of whom are still locked up in Evin
Prison in Tehran without any charges and without access to an attorney or to
their families.

"As Baha'is worldwide watch with alarm this escalation in violence," she
added, "their fears that a sinister plan of persecution is unfolding become
increasingly confirmed. Their only hope is that enough voices of protests
are raised around the world to compel the government in Iran to put an end
to this violence."

To view the photos and additional features click here:
http://news.bahai.org

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8-wee-080728-1-ARSON-645-S

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A Baha’i home arsoned in Kerman, Iran

July 19th, 2008 by Admin

Disturbing news was just received from Kerman, Iran. A summary of the report:

Mihran Shakir and his family are Baha’is and live in Kerman. For some time, Mrs. Shakir had been receiving threatening phone calls (presumably for being members of the Baha’i community). When the family attended the commemorative meeting on the night of Baha’u'llah’s Ascension, their car parked on the street was firebombed. Fortunately, the friends at the gathering had noticed the fire and quickly put it out by a fire extinguisher. The car was not damaged very much.

But during the early hours of Friday, July 18, the Shakir’s home was burned completely and arson is suspected. It so happened that the Shakirs had left for the weekend and no one was home or injured by this incident. The report notes that at 4 in the morning, one of the neighbors was disturbed by smoke and had immediately telephoned the fire department. By 5 am the fire engines arrived, had extinguished the fire and began an investigation. Soon it was learned that one of the neighbors had heard a soft expulsion about 3:30 am, but had not thought much about it. Someone else had also noticed suspicious activities on the roof. The investigators believe the fire started in the living room and initially thought it occurred because of problems with the electrical wiring. However, that appears unlikely since the fire had generated a heat so intense that it had bent thick iron bars used in the ceilings. All the furniture and interior of the house were either completely destroyed or seriously damaged.

Pictures of this horrific incident:

1. Kawthar July 19th, 2008 at 12:00 pm

   If it were a Muslim family being persecuted, those Mullahs would have been screaming “Jihad!” by now.

   Appalling!

2. nura July 19th, 2008 at 12:54 pm

   this is seriously disturbing and make one think that things are continually getting worse for the bahais. i hope that things will change for them and the many other iranians that are suffering daily.

3. smile rose July 19th, 2008 at 3:12 pm

   o god my god it is too much for the bahais . god with them

4. Peter Deer July 21st, 2008 at 2:40 am

   God bless the Shakirs, who have given so much. May He also forgive the arsonists, they are truly the unfortunate ones.

5. Terry July 21st, 2008 at 5:43 am

   Mahmoud Ahmadinejad proves again that he is the ANTI-Christ

   Because this reminds me of incidents that happened in the Southern USA during the 1950’s & 1960’s when decendants of former slaves were seeking their rights as human beings to co-exist with other Americans…

   This also similar to incidents in NAZI Germany in the 1930’s when Hitler was targeting Jews

6. henry July 22nd, 2008 at 6:21 pm

   Dear Friends,
   It has been said that the darkness of the whole universe cannot extinguish or put off the light of one candle. This and other incidents only show that our world is spiritually ill, and that it is our duty to care for this world with all the hardship involved. It is not with hatered, or fear or anger that our world with those mullas and thier followers in it that will cure those spiritual illnesses. But with love, the love of God, and the love of humanity. With light and only light that darkness is defeated.

7. papijoon July 23rd, 2008 at 12:46 am

   What do Baha’is believe?
   Bahá’ís believe that there is one God, that all humanity is one family, and that there is a fundamental unity underlying religion.

   They recognize that the coming of Bahá’u'lláh has opened the age for the establishment of world peace, when, as anticipated in the sacred scriptures of the past,

   all humanity will achieve its spiritual and social maturity, and live as one united family in a just, global society.

   The earth is but one country,and mankind its citizens. BAHÁ’U'LLÁH

source---http://www.bahairights.org/2008/07/19/a-bahai-home-arsoned-in-kerman-iran/#comment-541

Baha'i Faith in Egypt



























Posted: 10 Jul 2008 08:47 PM CDT
As time passes, the Baha'is of Egypt continue to find that they are in a state utter confusion. The recent (29 January) court decision has clearly supported their rights in becoming recognized, for the purpose of obtaining their civil status documents.

According to the court's decision, which was recently supported by the State's Commissioner Council, they were granted the right to obtain identity documents and birth certificates. The ruling fell short of allowing them to enter their true religious identity on these documents, but instead it allowed them to leave it blank or enter [--] dashes. Even with this, not quite favorable comphttp://www.s4it.net/AllAboutNews/072008/09072008/p11-020-09072008.jpgromise, the Baha'is have been content with such middle of the road solution to their dilemma.

To this day, not a single one of them has been able to obtain any documents. Even worse, more recently, their children have been denied admission to elementary schools. Their older children are now being subjected to further obstacles in their attempts to register for the final secondary education examinations required for entry into the university education system.

As recommended in yesterday's accompanying article--written in Al-Ahaly newspaper by Amina Al-Naqash, who explained the struggle of the Baha'is very clearly and objectively--the Baha'is cannot even obtain Egyptian passports (that do not identify the person's religion) because they have no ID cards, a requirement for processing passport applications.

In the meantime--as the status of the Baha'is of Egypt is approaching a crisis level because of their inability to obtain their basic citizenship rights--to make matters worse, the Ministry of Religious Endowment, headed by Mr. Zaqzouq, has just instructed all mosques in Egypt to launch an attack on the Baha'is. The second, attached, Rose Al-Youssef newspaper article, published today, proudly announces this fresh piece of news.

In brief, the article states that the Ministry has distributed to all Mosque leaders (Imams) a book called "Baha'iy'ah and the position of Islam," aimed at telling people to watch-out for those Baha'is who are out to get them and destroy Islam in the process.

The book, and the article, repeat the usual falsehood that has been propagated in Egypt (and Iran) about the Baha'is, that is: the usual unfounded propaganda about connections to Zionism, etc.... It accuses the Baha'is of being apostates, and explains how Sheikh Al-Azhar in 1947 had classified them as such, and had declared their marriages to be null and void. It even incites Egyptians "to warn their youth about the dangers of 'Baha'iy'ah' so that they don't fall for its entrapment."

Fascinating indeed.... One doubts, however, that Egyptians can be that gullible! On the other hand, if the audience at these sermons of Friday mosque gatherings is not well informed to begin with, or if they were easily influenced by this persuasive and superfluous talk because of their lack of education, this can easily lead to a state of public unrest and can disrupt "Public Order."

Why would the Ministry of Religious Endowment begin this hateful campaign at this juncture, exactly to coincide with the Ministry of Interior's--and the court's--attempts to find a just solution to the status of the Baha'is of Egypt? This is indeed very disturbing, and to put it mildly, irresponsible.

More on UNESCO’s World

Heritage listing of Baha’i sites

As reported yesterday, UNESCO have inscribed a number of Bahá’í Holy Places in Israel on the World Heritage Site list.

UNESCO’s website has reported this:

The Bahá’i Holy Places in Haifa and Western Galilee (Israel) are inscribed for the testimony they provide to the Bahá’i’s strong tradition of pilgrimage and for their profound meaning for the faith. The property numbers 26 buildings, monuments and sites at 11 locations in Acre and Haifa, associated with the founders of the faith, among them the Shrine of the Bahá’u’lláh in Acre and the Mausoleum of the Báb in Haifa. It also includes houses, gardens, a cemetery and a large group of modern buildings in the neoclassical style that serve for administration, archives and a research centre.

BAHA'I SHRINES CHOSEN AS WORLD HERITAGE SITES

QUEBEC CITY, Canada, 8 July 2008 (BWNS) -- Muslims to Mecca, Jews to Jerusalem, Christians to Bethlehem, Buddhists to Lumbini - and Baha'is to Acre.

The holiest spots on earth to Baha'is - the resting places of Baha'u'llah and the Bab, the founders of the Baha'i Faith and both considered Manifestations of God - attract thousands of pilgrims and visitors each year.

Now the sites, located in northern Israel, have been named to the UNESCO World Heritage list in recognition of their "outstanding universal value" to the common heritage of humanity.

By any measure, the sites are beautiful. Stunning formal gardens surround them - the Shrine of Baha'u'llah in the countryside near Acre, north of the city of Haifa, and the Shrine of the Bab, a golden-domed building on the slope of Mount Carmel in the heart of Haifa itself.

Pilgrims will tell you that the outward beauty is but a symbol, an expression of love for the Messengers of God who lie entombed there and a beacon of hope for the future of humanity.

"It's hard to put into words," said Gary Marx, on pilgrimage from his home in Michigan in the United States. "You can describe things physically, but it's really not about that. Pilgrimage is an experience that goes back to the dawn of mankind. It's a yearning to connect with spiritual reality ... and to connect with yourself."

Although the two shrines have specific meaning for Baha'is, their spiritual nature appeals to others as well.

"People who are not Baha'is come here and say it is like a piece of heaven falling from the sky," said Taraneh Rafati, who has served for the past 10 years as a pilgrim guide to the Baha'i holy sites.

"Whether you are a Muslim, Jew, Christian, Buddhist, in the holy texts, heaven is described. It is like this," she said, mentioning the peacefulness, the beauty. "You come and feel close to your Lord. It is free of charge, and it is for everyone."

Visitors, tourists, and pilgrims

Half a million people visited the shrine areas last year, many of them tourists wanting to see the gardens and get a close look particularly at the Shrine of the Bab, a famous landmark in Israel that looks out over the city of Haifa and Haifa Bay, and beyond that to the Mediterranean Sea.

More than 80,000 of those visitors entered the shrine itself, removing their shoes and walking silently into the room adjacent to the burial chamber of the Bab. Some just want a peek but many linger to read a prayer of Baha'u'llah that adorns one of the walls, or engage in their own meditation or prayer. Some are visibly moved.

"There was one group of Catholics, and they all went to their knees as soon as they entered," remembers one of the guides.

Baha'i pilgrims participate in a special nine-day program that includes visits to both shrines. Guides say that individuals have different reactions to the experience.

"The response is as varied as the people who come," said Marcia Lample, a pilgrim guide for the last five years.

Some people, for example, cannot immediately go in the shrine when they arrive. "They feel unworthy," she explained. For others, the sacred shrines are like a magnet, pulling them in.

"Some people go in and stay for hours. Some stay for four minutes. It doesn't matter. They stay as long as they need to stay," Mrs. Lample said.


The Shrine of Baha'u'llah

The Shrine of Baha'u'llah is the holiest spot on earth for Baha'is - the place they turn to each day in prayer.

"It's amazing inside," said Farzin Rasouli-Seisan, 26, on pilgrimage from Sydney, Australia. "You go in and it leads to a garden inside - there are flowers and a couple of trees, all under a skylight. There are a number of rooms, and one of them is Baha'u'llah's resting place. You can't go in that room, but there is a step where you can put your head down."

Mrs. Rafati says of being in the shrines: "It is not that we are worshipping the dust or worshipping a wall - it is the connection that the place has with our beloved. We do not go there to worship the flowers. We go to there to pour out our heart."

The shrine is also special because it is adjacent to the country house where Baha'u'llah lived the last years of His life. Pilgrims can go there and enter His room - the room where He passed away in 1892 - restored to the way it was when He was present. Some of His actual belongings can be viewed.

Baha'u'llah lived at the estate, called Bahji, the final years of His life, after authorities loosened the restrictions that had kept Him inside the prison city of Acre for years following His banishment from His native Iran.


The golden dome in Haifa

Before He passed away, Baha'u'llah was able to go several times to nearby Haifa, and He gave explicit instructions to establish the Shrine of the Bab on Mount Carmel.

The Bab - who in 1844 in Iran had announced that He was a Messenger of God who had come to foretell the imminent arrival of a second Messenger even greater than Himself, namely Baha'u'llah - had been executed in 1850 in the public square in Tabriz. His followers hid His remains for years, waiting for the time they could provide a proper burial.

Half a century later, the sacred remains were taken to Haifa and finally laid in their permanent resting place on Mount Carmel, in the Bible described as the "mountain of the Lord."

The golden dome that crowns the shrine was completed in 1953 along with an extension of earlier gardens at the site. In 2001, a series of beautiful garden terraces was completed, both above and below the shrine, stretching more than a kilometer up the side of Mount Carmel.


The experience of the pilgrim

Baha'is plan and save their money for years to be able to come to Acre and Haifa, Mrs. Lample said.

"They get a chance to pray in the place where the founder of their faith has walked, where He revealed the word of God, where He suffered for them and for the unity of the human race," she said. "And mostly they come to pray in the places which contain the precious remains of the central figures of their religion."

Roger and Cathy Hamrick, who live in North Carolina in the United States, came in June for their first pilgrimage.

"We have been married almost 30 years, and we have been wanting to come that whole time," Mrs. Hamrick said. "Going to the shrines is like the culmination of a spiritual journey of a lifetime. How can anything compare to putting your forehead on the sacred threshold?"

Pilgrimage also helps Baha'is see their faith in practice, Mr. Hamrick said. The main teaching of the Baha'i Faith is the unity of mankind under one God, and people who come to the Holy Land meet Baha'is from all around the world.

"There is such joy in experiencing the oneness of the human family," he said. "It is unlike anything I have ever done."

Mrs. Lample said that pilgrims also attend talks and programs about the development of the Baha'i Faith around the world, which helps them envision how their own community back home fits into the bigger picture.

Still, she said, the main purpose of pilgrimage is praying and meditating at the shrines, and it is almost always a special experience.

"People can find something," she said. "There is a spirit surrounding these places. It is palpable. People can sense the presence of God."



To view the photos and additional features click here:
http://news.bahai.org

--



Iran is a signatory of the UNESCO world heritage list,
we hope they restore as soon as possible

ALL the baha'i holy place in Iran as with the Shrines
being inscribed its a recognition that the Baha'i faiths figures and history are of "outstanding universal value" and of importance to humanity.
PAPIJOON

In their post, published today, the authors state:

Baha’is in Egypt and Iran are being denied their right to education. Why? Simply because of their faith. On the Muslim Network for Baha’i Rights, we have written about the discrimination that Egyptian Baha’is have been receiving, which right now is comparable to what Iran has been putting its Baha’i students through for decades.

Inspired by these human rights abuses we have created a comic to raise awareness on the absurdity of this crisis. Why do I call it a crisis? Because this is intellectual abuse. Baha’i youth are being victims of intellectual starvation, they are unable to acquire an education which is their given right as citizens. They are being isolated and humiliated on a daily basis. These governments, instead of protecting them, are denying them the chance to learn, which means that they are robbing them of their dreams, of having a career, a future, a life.

Don’t all children deserve an education no matter who they are? The Egyptian and Iranian authorities have no right to treat the Baha’is so differently.

This comic should make you laugh first. And then it should make you think. It’s available in four languages so far: Arabic, Farsi, French, and English.

This comic also points to the innocence of children. Recent experience shows that classmates of persecuted children in Iran and Egypt are beginning to take notice and resent the the way their friends are being treated. At times, even siding with their cause. It also shows the obvious: that children look at life through different lenses than adults--their priorities are not always the same!

Barnabas quotidianus

Baha’is in Iran - latest update Posted: 04 Jul 2008 05:31 AM CDT The Bahá’í World News Service’s Iran Update has just been updated. I’m both angry and deeply concerned to learn that: The seven members of the committee that sees to the minimum needs of the 300,000-member Baha’i community of Iran are still being held by the government. No formal charges have been filed against them, and none of them have been allowed contact with an attorney. The Baha’i International Community learned several weeks ago that the seven were each allowed one brief phone call to their families. Since then, however, there has been no contact with them, nor has there been any news regarding their health or well-being. Mrs. Fariba Kamalabadi, Mr. Jamaloddin Khanjani, Mr. Afif Naeimi, Mr. Saeid Rezaie, Mr. Behrouz Tavakkoli and Mr. Vahid Tizfahm (all arrested on 14 May) and Mrs. Mahvash Sabet (detained in Mashad on 5 March) are believed to be held in the notorious Evin Prison in Tehran. The update makes it clear that these faithful and dedicated Bahá’ís were arrested purely because they are Bahá’ís and not for any alleged risk to Iran’s national security. The statement of support from the six women Nobel Peace Prize laureates is also mentioned and there’s a round-up of some of the other significant statements of support we have received. Read the update here. Oh, and please note that the URL for the Bahá’í World News Service is http://www.news.bahai.org/. Apparently some people are still using outdated versions of this address. Technorati Tags: Baha’i, Bahai, Iran, human rights, Evin, Nobel Peace Prize, Fariba Kamalabadi, Jamaloddin Khanjani, Afif Naeimi, Saeid Rezaie, Behrouz Tavakkoli Vahid Tizfahm, Mahvash Sabet hi-swis-beStart Slide Show with PicLens Lite ShareThis

Disgraceful denial for Baha’i children in Egypt Posted: 03 Jul 2008 02:56 PM CDT Bilo’s blog, Baha’i Faith in Egypt and Iran, reports that Bahá’í children in Egypt are being turned away from school, even though Egypt’s administrative court recognized the right of Bahá’ís to have ID cards back in January. According to this story in Daily News Egypt: Adel Ramadan, a lawyer with the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) — which brought the case that was ruled on in January — says that schools are refusing to accept personal identity documents printed on paper… According to a report published in Arabic-language daily Al-Masry Al-Youm, school officials claim that they cannot accept identity papers in which the religious affiliation field is left blank. Ramadan says that the decision was taken in pursuance of the state’s policy of forcing people to issue the new computerized identity papers, but has the effect of discriminating against Bahais who either hold the old paper identity documents or have not been issued new documents following the Interior Ministry’s failure to implement the Administrative Court’s decision. I very strongly agree with Bilo’s closing comment about this outrage: This sad development must be seen by all Egyptians as a disgrace. Identity cards or not, these children belong in the schools, not the streets. How can a civil society tolerate such atrocities directed at innocent children? Unfortunately this is the exact same strategy that has been pursued in Iran against its children. Is this what Egypt–a nation endowed with so much great heritage–wants to be remembered for? One would certainly doubt that! Technorati Tags: Baha’i, Bahai, Egypt, human rights, education, ID cards hi-swis-beStart Slide Show with PicLens Lite ShareThis

Scary development in Iran’s apostasy law Posted: 03 Jul 2008 02:42 PM CDT The Khaleej Times reports that the Iranian parliament is about to debate a draft bill which would make certain blogging activities punishable by death. MPs on Wednesday voted to discuss as a priority the draft bill which seeks to “toughen punishment for harming mental security in society,” the ISNA news agency said. The text lists a wide range of crimes such rape and armed robbery for which the death penalty is already applicable. The crime of apostasy (the act of leaving a religion, in this case Islam) is also already punishable by death. However, the draft bill also includes “establishing weblogs and sites promoting corruption, prostitution and apostasy”, which is a new addition to crimes punishable by death. Those convicted of these crimes “should be punished as “mohareb’ (enemy of God) and “corrupt on the earth’,” the text says. Under Iranian law the standard punishments for these two crimes are “hanging, amputation of the right hand and then the left foot as well as exile.” The bill — which is yet to be debated by lawmakers — also stipulates that the punishment handed out in these cases “cannot be commuted, suspended or changed”. I certainly don’t approve of promoting corruption or prostitution, but a great deal turns on how the Iranian judiciary interpret “corruption”. And our old friend “apostasy” - already featuring in a draft penal code under consideration by the Iranian parliament - would attract a mandatory death sentence. Now what the law says and how judges make use of the law are not always straightforwardly related in Iran, and laws worded in this way would almost certainly be used against Iranian Bahá’ís, since any attempt to inform people about the Bahá’í Faith can be interpreted as promoting “apostasy”. Hat tip: Mideast Youth for blogging this story.

Baha'i Faith in Egypt

Baha'is of Egypt Continue Their "Roller Coaster Ride"

Posted: 01 Jul 2008 10:39 PM CDT

The state of uncertainty and confusion continues for the Baha'is of Egypt, just like a "roller coaster ride," when on a given day they might become elated at the news of progress and vindication, and on another they are brought down very rapidly by set-backs and regress.

A case in point is this most recent important piece of news that was announced yesterday in Cairo's Al-Dostoor newspaper (attached), which affirmed that Egypt's Judicial State Council has just upheld the 29 January 2008 court verdict, permitting the Baha'is to obtain identification documents with dashes "--" inserted in the religion section of these documents. The 29 January verdict was previously challenged by an Islamist lawyer who, in an attempt to stall the ruling on procedural excuses, attacked the judge and questioned his competence. This stalling tactic was discussed before in this post.

In addition to that, the 29 January ruling had also faced another legal challenge by another lawyer. This second challenge was indeed an appeal of the ruling itself, intended to penetrate its core and reverse it altogether. This appeal was filed shortly after the 29 January verdict by another Islamist lawyer, named Abd El-Mageed El-Aanany. As a result of that appeal, the case was referred to the judicial State Council, which is a panel of judges at the highest level of the State, charged with acting on such judicial matters and appeals.

This council rejected the appeal by El-Aanany and upheld the administrative court's ruling to allow the Baha'is obtain identification documents. In its decision, the Council affirmed that the only authority that has interest in this case is the Ministry of Interior, not this lawyer or any others for that matter.

Since the defendants in these cases, i.e. the Ministry of Interior, its Minister, General Habib El-Adly, as well as the head of the civil [personal] affairs authority had not appealed the verdict during the alloted time period, that in itself led to the enforcement of the verdict. Thus the independent appeal by this lawyer was rejected by the State Council.

This is a very significant ruling that affirms that the administrative court verdict must stand and cannot be challenged, implying that the Baha'is of Egypt can now obtain ID cards and birth certificates as ruled by the court.

On the other hand, a day after this announcement, another newspaper, Al-Masry Al-Youm (attached) published an article that reported on cases when Baha'i students were refused admission to schools simply because of their religion.

When the parents of these students went to the schools to enroll their children, they were told by the schools' administrators that they were instructed to accept students only if their religion was stated as "Muslim" or "Christian," and that they will not accept any students with dashes "--" entered in the religion section of their birth certificates.

When the parents went to the Ministry of Education to complain, they were given the usual "run around" by placing the blame on other agencies, such as the Ministry of Interior. Of interest, one of these schools is a French private school and the other is a British private school--both report directly to the Egyptian Ministry of Education.

According to these new developments, it is clear that the "right hand does not know what the left hand is doing." These developments betray a state of chaos, with some individuals, who think that they are in "authority," are making their own arbitrary decisions without evidence of any sort of accountability. Those responsible for the citizens of Egypt must step-up and stop this state of madness and anarchy. They are under the absolute obligation to enforce the laws.

Resolution At US Congress Harshly Critical of Human Rights Situation in Egypt

Posted: 30 Jun 2008 12:17 PM CDT

The US Congress will be voting soon on resolution H. Res. 1303 calling on the Egyptian Government to respect human rights and freedoms of religion and expression in Egypt.

The resolution, sponsored by Rep. Frank Wolf [R-VA] and cosponsored by several other congressmen, was submitted to the US House of Representatives and referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs on June 24, 2008.

The Egyptian daily newspaper Al-Masry Al-Youm reported today on this legislation and called it "embarrassing" for Egypt. The case of the Baha'is of Egypt was also brought to light in this newspaper report as well as in the resolution itself.

The full text of the legislation is posted below:

HRES 1303 IH

110th CONGRESS

2d Session

H. RES. 1303

Calling on the Egyptian Government to respect human rights and freedoms of religion and expression in Egypt.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

June 24, 2008

Mr. WOLF (for himself, Mr. BURTON of Indiana, Mr. SMITH of New Jersey, Mr. FRANKS of Arizona, Mr. FOSSELLA, Mr. KIRK, Mr. MCCOTTER, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. SOUDER, Mr. DAVIS of Illinois, Mr. PITTS, Ms. WATERS, Mr. PENCE, Mr. MCGOVERN, and Mr. GOODE) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs
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RESOLUTION

Calling on the Egyptian Government to respect human rights and freedoms of religion and expression in Egypt.

Whereas the promotion of respect for democracy, human rights, and civil liberties are fundamental principles and aims of the United States;

Whereas the United States attaches great importance to relations with Egypt and considers fair and transparent elections as the only way to make progress towards a more democratic society;

Whereas Egypt plays a significant role in the Middle East peace process and in the fight against international terrorism and fundamentalism;

Whereas the Egyptian authorities have promised to put an end to the imprisonment of journalists and bloggers, but this promise has so far gone unfulfilled;

Whereas Shiites, Koranists, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and other religious minorities are harassed, arrested, and imprisoned by security services;

Whereas all Baha’i institutions and community activities have been banned in Egypt since 1960, and members of the Baha’i faith are denied government required identification cards solely due to their religious affiliation;

Whereas material vilifying Jews appears regularly in the state controlled and semi official media;

Whereas the Copts, Egypt’s largest religious minority group and the largest Christian population in the Middle East, suffer from many forms of discrimination, including--

(1) a lack of employment in higher positions of the public sector, universities, army, and the security service;

(2) disproportional representation in Parliament and Shura Council;

(3) difficulty in building and repairing churches;

(4) lack of protection and lack of prosecution of perpetrators in cases of sectarian violence;

(5) government harassment of converts to Christianity while the government encourages conversion to Islam; and

(6) the inability to obtain government issued identification cards which reflect conversion to Christianity;

Whereas the opposition presidential candidate Ayman Nour is still serving a five-year prison sentence following an unfair trial in 2005 on politically motivated charges;

Whereas his health is deteriorating as a consequence of this imprisonment;

Whereas his numerous appeals for release on the grounds of his medical conditions and his request for a presidential pardon in March of 2008 have all been rejected;

Whereas Egyptian authorities closed the Centre for Trade Union and Workers’ Services and its branches, this being the first closure of a nongovernmental advocacy organization by an executive decision;

Whereas the Ibn Khaldun Center for Development Studies and its founder, Dr. Saad Eddin Ibrahim, have been threatened for their work to promote democratic reforms;

Whereas other civil society development organizations, including the International Republican Institute and the National Democratic Institute, have also been restricted in their work; and

Whereas the recent arrests and action against nongovernmental organizations and human rights defenders undermines the commitments entered into by the Egyptian Government concerning fundamental rights and freedoms and the democratic process in the country: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the House of Representatives--

(1) recognizes that respect for human rights is a fundamental value, and the bilateral relationship between the United States and Egypt should be a platform for promoting the rule of law and fundamental freedoms;

(2) calls on the Egyptian Government to end all forms of harassment, including judicial measures, the detention of media professionals and, more generally, human rights defenders and activists calling for reforms and to fully respect freedom of expression, in conformity with article 19 of the United Nations International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights;

(3) encourages the Egyptian Government to honor its commitment to repeal the state of emergency in order to allow for the full consolidation of the rule of law in Egypt;

(4) encourages the Egyptian Government to take the steps necessary to fully implement and protect the rights of religious minorities as full citizens;

(5) strongly supports measures to guarantee academic freedom, freedom of the media, and freedom of religion or belief in Egypt, including by ending arbitrary administrative measures, such as those taken against the Centre for Trade Union and Workers’ Services and the Association for Human Rights Legal Aid;

(6) urges the Egyptian Government not to impose arbitrary restrictions on the peaceful activities of civil society organizations;

(7) calls on the Egyptian Government for--

(A) the immediate release of Ayman Nour, in light of reports of his deteriorating state of health, and calls for an immediate welfare visit, including a visit by qualified medical personnel;

(B) the release of all political prisoners and other activists; and

(C) an end to the harassment of the Koranists;

(8) stresses the need to fully implement the principles of the 1969 Organization of African Unity Convention Governing the Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa and the 1993 International Convention concerning the rights and the protection of migrant workers and their families;

(9) supports the concluding observations of the United Nations Committee on Migrant Workers of May 2007, which called for the re-opening of the investigations into the killing of 27 Sudanese asylum-seekers in December 2005;

(10) calls for an end to all forms of torture and ill treatment and calls for investigations when there is reasonable suspicion that acts of torture have occurred;

(11) calls on the Egyptian Government to allow--

(A) a visit by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment; and

(B) a visit by the the United Nations Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief;

(12) emphasizes the importance of ensuring and strengthening the independence of the judiciary by amending or repealing all legal provisions that infringe or do not sufficiently guarantee its independence;

(13) stresses the need for respect and protection of the freedoms of thought, conscience, and religion as ensured in article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the 1981 United Nations Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination based on Religion and Belief;

(14) welcomes the efforts made by Egypt to secure the border with Gaza and encourages all parties concerned to redouble efforts to fight smuggling through tunnels into the Gaza strip; and

(15) urges the President and the Secretary of State to put human rights and religious freedom developments in Egypt very high on the United States Government’s agenda during meetings with Egyptian officials.

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]