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Iran: End Persecution of Baha’is
Dozens Detained Without Charge; Leaders Face Charges Carrying Death Penalty
February 23, 2010
(New York) – The Iranian government should immediately stop harassing and arbitrarily detaining members of the Baha’i community, Human Rights Watch said today.
The detention of 13 Baha’is on February 10 and 11 follows the arrest of 13 others in early January. The government alleges that those arrested in January helped to organize recent anti-government demonstrations but has not made public any charges against those detained in February. These arrests come during a broad government crackdown on opposition activists.
“The Iranian government seems to be using the post-election unrest as a cover for targeting the Baha’i community,” said Joe Stork, deputy Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch. “These arrests are only the latest chapter in the government’s systematic persecution of the Baha’i.”
Unlike Iran’s Jewish, Christian, and Zoroastrian communities, which are accorded constitutional protection, the Iranian government does not recognize the Baha’i Faith and considers its adherents to be apostates from Shi’a Islam. Since the Islamic revolution in 1979, the Iranian government has put in effect various discriminatory policies against the Baha’is, including limiting access to education and employment.
Since October 2009, authorities have detained at least 47 Baha’is in Tehran, Mashhad, Sari, Semnan, and Yazd, according to the United Nations office of the Baha’i International Community (BIC) in Geneva. In May 2008, the government arrested seven leaders of the Baha’i community in Tehran, who have been held in detention since then. Their trial began on January 12, but has been postponed to April 10.
The Judiciary has charged the seven community leaders with a range of national-security-related offenses, including spying for the benefit of foreigners, propaganda against the system, establishing and spreading illegal organizations, undermining the image of the Islamic Republic in the international community, and spreading “corruption on earth.” Most of these charges carry the death penalty. During the more than a year and a half that the five men and two women have been held, they have been allowed only limited visits from family and lawyers.
One of those detained on February 10 was Alaeddin Khanjani. According to the Committee of Human Rights Reporters in Iran, Ministry of Intelligence (MOI) agents entered his home in Tehran at about 2:30 a.m., searched the premises, confiscated personal belongings including a computer and religious material, and took him into custody. Khanjani is the son of Jamaloddin Khanjani, one of the seven Baha’i leaders on trial in Tehran. Ministry of Intelligence agents had also arrested Alaeddin Khanjani’s adult daughter in January. Within several hours of Alaeddin Khanjani’s arrest, agents arrested seven more Baha’is, claiming they were being detained for their involvement in recent public demonstrations. On February 11, agents arrested five Baha’is in their homes in Tehran. No charges have been filed against any of the 13.
On January 3, MOI agents also raided the homes of 13 Baha’is and detained them, releasing three of them after they indicated they would not participate in further public demonstrations. In addition to the others arrested on February 10, one of those arrested on January 3 and then released was rearrested on February 10.
In a press statement on January 12, Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi, the Tehran general prosecutor, said that the 10 Baha’is who have been held since January 3 faced charges of “organizing the unrest on Ashura <December 27> and sending photos of the unrest abroad.” In a previous statement on January 8, he claimed that authorities had found arms and ammunition in some of their homes. Dolatabadi denied that the arrests had anything to do with their Baha’i affiliation. Security forces have reportedly arrested hundreds of Iranians for their alleged involvement in the demonstrations on Ashura, a Shi’a day of mourning.
The authorities are holding those arrested on January 3 in Gohardasht Prison in Karaj and have not allowed them to contact their lawyers. According to the BIC, a few of them were allowed to contact family members after spending several weeks in prison.
The BIC also indicated that 60 Baha’is are currently in detention, with an additional 90 having been released but awaiting trial. Since 2004, 99 Baha’is have been convicted of various charges, including acting against national security, teaching against the Islamic Republic, propaganda against the regime, involvement in establishing illegal groups and organizations, and insulting the sacred institutions of Islam. These individuals are free pending appeal. Scores of others have been summoned and interrogated by security and intelligence agents without being taken into custody, according to the BIC.
The five Baha’is arrested in Tehran on February 11 are: Taraneh Ghanouni, Naghmeh Ghanouni, Shaida Yousefi, Aria Shadmehr, and Riaz Firouzmandi.
In addition to Alaeddin Khanjani, those arrested on February 10 are: Ashkan Bassari, Maria Ehsan Jafar, Bashir Ehsani, Romina Zabihiyan, Houtan Sistani, Simin Ghaffari, and Pedram Sanaei.
Those arrested on January 3 are: Mehran Rowhani, Farid Rowhani, Babak Mobasher, Leva Mobasher Khanjani, Payam Fanaian, Jinous Ghazanfari Sobhani, Artin Ghazanfari, Nikav Hoveydaei, Ebrahim Shadmehr, Zavosh Shadmehr, Negar Sabet, Mona Hoveydaei Misaghi, and Nasim Beiglari. Negar Sabet, Mona Misaghi, and Nasim Beiglari were released on January 3, but Mona Misaghi was summoned to the MOI agency’s office again on February 10 and rearrested.
The seven members of the Baha’i leadership whose trial began on January 12 are: Fariba Kamalabadi, Jamaloddin Khanjani, Afif Naeimi, Saeid Rezaie, Mahvash Sabet, Behrouz Tavakkoli, and Vahid Tizfahm.
Background
Due to governmental restrictions on openly practicing their faith, Baha’is in Iran are unable to convene and administer a National Spiritual Assembly as in most countries where Baha’i communities exist. Instead, they have formed an informal coordinating body known as the “Friends of Iran.” The seven members facing trial consist of six leaders and the secretary of this coordinating body.
Haifa, in present-day Israel, is the final resting place of Baha’ullah – the founder of the Baha’i Faith – and the faith’s administrative headquarters since 1868, when Haifa was under Ottoman rule, Despite the fact that sites in and around Haifa were considered holy to the Baha’is well before the creation of the state of Israel, the Iranian government has repeatedly used the connection as an excuse to accuse Baha’is in Iran of spying for Israel, with which Iran has hostile relations.
During a recent review of its human rights record before the United Nations Human Rights Council, Iranian officials dismissed numerous concerns by member states regarding the government’s treatment of its Baha’i minority. Mohammad Javad Larijani, the head of Iran’s UN delegation, stated on February 15 that “no Baha’i in Iran is prosecuted because he is a Baha’i,” and the government rejected recommendations put forth by other governments calling for “an end to discrimination and incitement to hatred vis--vis the Baha’i.”

Universal benefits derive from the grace of the Divine religions, for they lead their true followers to sincerity of intent, to high purpose, to purity and spotless honour, to surpassing kindness and compassion, to the keeping of their covenanted, to concern for the rights of others, to liberality, to justice in every aspect of life, to humanity and philanthropy, to valour and to unflagging efforts in the service of mankind.

Abdu’l-Baha
Secret of Divine Civilization, p. 98

Ebadi on Baha’is
Shirin Ebadi, head of the Defenders of Human Rights Center, told the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran today that if the Iranian judiciary were to issue a verdict based on evidence in the case and not the Prosecutor’s claims, the trial of the seven Baha’i leaders in Tehran should end with an acquittal of her clients, as there is no evidence to her clients’ criminal behavior.
The seven Baha’i leaders have been in prison for more than a year and a half and their court sessions have been postponed several times. People close to this case have told the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran that these individuals have been arrested and imprisoned for their religious beliefs only. Several other members of this religious minority group were arrested with similar charges of relations with foreign governments and leading the riots after the Ashura unrest in Iran. The charges have been denied by those near to Baha’i community.
The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran condemns any violence or terrorist acts against civilians.

In short, by religion we mean those necessary bonds which have power to unify. This has ever been the essence of the religion of God. This is the eternal bestowal of God! This is the object of divine teachings and laws! This is the light of the everlasting life! Alas! A thousand times alas! that this solid foundation is abandoned and forgotten and the leaders of religions have fabricated a set of superstitions and rituals which are at complete variance with the underlying thought. As these man-made ideas differ from each other they cause dissension which breeds strife and ends in war and bloodshed; the blood of innocent people is spilled, their possessions are pillaged and their children become captives and orphans.

Abdu'l-Baha
Divine Philosophy, p. 129

Local Baha’is urge co-sponsorship of resolution for Iranian rights violations
Posted: 8:09 a.m. December 10, 2009

A delegation of five Baha’is representing the Baha’i Faith in Michigan, including University of Michigan professor June Thomas, met with a member of Senator Carl Levin’s staff last week in Detroit to voice concern over the government-led persecution of Baha’is in Iran and to urge the co-sponsorship of Senate Resolution 71. As the approximate 300,000 Baha’is in Iran continue to face growing rates of maltreatment, the Baha’i Local Spiritual Assembly in Ann Arbor sent Thomas to the Dec. 1 meeting. Although Sen. Levin had indeed signed on as one of 17 co-sponsors the day prior, the five Baha’is discussed the current situation in Iran while the resolution was being voted on in the Senate.
“We had no idea when it would be up for vote, but as we were sitting in our meeting, it passed with unanimous support,” said Thomas. “Many human rights are in violation here.”
According to Iranian native and Ann Arbor Baha’i Sasha Meshinchi, the passage of this resolution - and the raising of awareness of the situation in Iran - is the best method for hopes of easing the persecution of Baha’is.
“The reason why the Iranian government doesn’t just kill more Baha’is is because of international pressure - it likes to give a nice picture of itself, and what it doesn’t want is other countries, particularly Western countries, to know about this,” he said. “It’s a very systematic fight, so letting people know what is really going on is very important.”
The persecution of Baha’is in Iran has been an issue since the religion arose in the country in the mid-19th century, although negative actions during the past few decades have increased dramatically. This year, Baha’is have been arrested, detained or interrogated in almost two dozen cities and towns in Iran, and most currently, seven Baha’i leaders have been imprisoned since the spring of 2008. The seven imprisoned Baha’i leaders were formerly the Friends in Iran, and although a trial date was scheduled for Oct. 18 of this year, no trial was held and no new date was provided. In addition, the Iranian government just withheld the right for any Baha’i to obtain a higher education.
According to Meshinchi, his family was driven out of its home, harassed, robbed and imprisoned by Iranian government officials decades ago.
“When I was 9 years old, they fired my mom after 25 years of teaching at a primary school and fired my dad after 28 years of working at the National Bank of Iran. They confiscated all of our property and later imprisoned my dad, saying that he had to repay all of the money of his salaries because they claimed he had been paid with the money of the Muslim people,” said Meshinchi. “After three months in prison, they realized they couldn’t squeeze anything more out of this guy who had absolutely nothing, so they let him go.”
Senate Resolution 71 was introduced to the U.S. Senate on March 9, as the 11th resolution by the U.S. Congress since 1982 to address the religious oppression of Baha’is in Iran. Although the resolution focused on violations of human rights in regards to the treatment of multiple minorities, including Arabs, Azeris, Baluchis, Kurds, Christians, Jews, Sufis and Sunni Muslims, particular focus was upon Baha’is. The resolution states that “attacks on Baha’is and their Faith in State-sponsored media, increasing evidence of efforts by the State to identify, monitor and arbitrarily detain Baha’is, preventing members of the Baha’i Faith from attending university and from sustaining themselves economically.”
Contrary to the Iranian treatment, Baha’is are known for their all-inclusive acceptance of peoples of different races, belief systems and preferences. June Thomas, for example, says she joined the Baha’i Faith largely because of its peaceful mission.
“I’ve been a Baha’i since I was 21, because I was particularly drawn to the teachings on racial unity,” said Thomas. “It’s a peaceful worldwide religion that believes in the unity of all races and religions. Baha’is aren’t usually so politically involved, but changes have to be made when 1/3 of a million people in Iran are being denied human rights.”
Humiliation of schoolchildren, hospitals’ refusal of the release of a deceased family member’s remains and execution are more of the persecutions that Baha’is continue to face in Iran. According to the Associated Press, authorities recently shut down Iran’s largest-circulation newspaper, Hamshahri, after it published an advertisement containing a photograph of a Baha’i temple.
“The situation in Iran is still going on, so this is an ongoing fight,” said Sasha Mashinchi.
June Thomas said she wants local residents to know that many Baha’is are in their midst, and that these international issues weigh of great importance.
“Baha’is do live in this city <Ann Arbor>, and all over the world,” said Thomas. “There’s still plenty to do - we’re just not sure what the next step is yet. This is a continuing story.”
Stephanie Fenton is a contributor to the faith section of AnnArbor.com.


Universal benefits derive from the grace of the Divine religions, for they lead their true followers to sincerity of intent, to high purpose, to purity and spotless honour, to surpassing kindness and compassion, to the keeping of their covenanted, to concern for the rights of others, to liberality, to justice in every aspect of life, to humanity and philanthropy, to valour and to unflagging efforts in the service of mankind.

Abdu’l-Baha
Secret of Divine Civilization, p. 98

A Visit To Haiti: Could Education Be The Answer?


Payam Zamani
Chairman and CEO of Reply.com
Posted: November 24, 2009 04:40 PM

My wife Gouya and I traveled to Haiti last month with a group of supporters of the Mona Foundation, which included "The Office" actor Rainn Wilson (who plays Dwight Schrute) and his wife Holiday Reinhorn. Although I have also visited poverty-stricken villages in Africa with the foundation, Haiti's poverty is coupled with frequent warnings of violence against visitors, especially ones from the United States. If there is any glimmer of safety, it's because of the overwhelming presence of the UN.
Haiti is an ungoverned country with almost no infrastructure. It lacks many of the basics we are used to. Electricity is spotty, even in Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital city. As I traveled on Haiti's treacherous (mostly unpaved) and pothole-packed streets, I glimpsed a dichotomous scene: a scenically picturesque, lush landscape marred by crushing poverty.
Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. The top 1 percent of Haitians control 50 percent of its wealth. But despite the widespread poverty, chronic hunger (last year there were food riots in Haiti), and lack of amenities and social services, many of the Haitians I met on my trip remained optimistic about the future of their country.
Haitians are some of the most beautiful people I have ever met. While by any measure Haiti is a poor country, one cannot help but notice the pride people take in their appearance. Every child who attends school in Haiti -- even the poorest of the poor -- wears a bright, clean, and pressed uniform. In this impoverished country, children looked immaculate as they walked and focused on getting to their destination as they bypassed the traffic and devastation they've grown accustomed to.
The Mona-sponsored schools we visited provide their students with a strong foundation in reading and writing, as well as a curriculum that stresses morals, values, leadership, community-building, vocational training, and pride in their heritage. The schools provide their students with the skills they'll need to help heal and build their nation. According to one Mona school director, "These schools have great potential to serve the country by producing graduates who will be agents of change in their community."
While the Mona Foundation sponsors coed institutions, it is primarily focused on educating girls and women. Educating girls is crucial. As mothers, women are the first educators, and studies show that once a girl gets an education, she has the opportunity to raise the standard of living for herself, her family, her community, and her country. According to GirlEffect.org, research in developing countries has shown the children of educated women are healthier, and more likely to be in school themselves. A woman or girl will reinvest 90 percent of her income into her family, while a man will reinvest only 30 to 40 percent. An extra year of primary school raises a girl's lifetime wages by 10 to 20 percent, and an extra year of secondary school raises a girl's lifetime wages by 15 to 25 percent. Focusing money on educating girls is important because for every development dollar spent, girls typically receive less than 2 cents.
Highlights from the trip included visiting the New Horizon School, which is run by Bernard Martinod, a tireless French architect who has built a lovely, renowned school outside of Port au Prince that serves some of the small villages in the area. We also visited the Georges Marcellus School in the rural village of Gureot, where the kindergarteners charmed us with a song: "Hello, my friend. Hello, my friend. How are you?"
On this trip, I had the chance to observe how integral education is to the transformation of this ungoverned and shamelessly neglected country.
The Mona Foundation was named for Mona Mahmudnizhad-- a 16-year-old girl who taught children in orphanages how to read and write and in 1983 was executed by the Iranian government because she was a member of the Baha'i Faith. In her memory, the foundation supports schools and orphanages with a specific focus on those dedicated to education of women and girls. In a speech to the foundation supporters on the trip, Mona Founder and President Mahnaz Javid, said, "As we continue [Mona Mahmudizhad's] unfinished work in her honor, we will continue to do all we can to be the partner to social economic development projects, like this, that will ultimately raise the leaders of this country."
While many of us are not actively engaged in careers that will find the cure to cancer or solve global warming, we can still get involved and do a lot with our resources to make a valuable impact.
Follow Payam Zamani on Twitter: www.twitter.com/payamzamani


It is my hope that out of the bestowals of the Lord of Hosts ye will become the spiritual essence and the very radiance of humankind, binding the hearts of all with bonds of love; that through the power of the Word of God ye will bring to life the dead now buried in the graves of their sensual desires; that ye will, with the rays of the Sun of Truth, restore the sight of those whose inner eye is blind; that ye will bring spiritual healing to the spiritually sick. These things do I hope for, out of the bounties and the bestowals of the Beloved.

Abdu'l-Baha
Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, p. 36