The Wilmette Life also posted the following article about the persecution of the Baha’is in Iran where an Iranian Baha’i who now lives in the area relates her account of life in Iran as a Baha’i: Persecution has long roots
Continue Reading…Thursday, August 14, 2008
Kirk takes up Baha'i fight
The Wilmette Life published the following article about the persecution of the Baha’is in Iran and the recent resolution that was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives condemning the treatment of the Baha’i community in Iran: Kirk takes up Baha’i fight
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Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Iranian media attacks on Baha'is and Nobel Prize Winner Shirin Ebadi seek to stir “irrational fears and prejudices”
NEW YORK, August 12 2008 (BWNS) — Fraudulent claims in the Iranian news media about seven imprisoned Baha’i leaders and the efforts of Nobel Peace Prize winner Shirin Ebadi and others to defend them represent an effort by the government to prevent Baha’is from having adequate legal representation – and also to stir up “irrational fears and prejudices,” the Baha’i International Community said in a statement today.“Reports published in government-run news outlets point to an effort on the part of the authorities to use the mass media to spread accusations that the seven prisoners have engaged in subversive activities, and to continue to deprive these Baha’is from any access to legal counsel by maligning Mrs. Shirin Ebadi, the well-known Iranian human rights lawyer and Nobel Peace Prize winner who, together with her colleagues, has stated her readiness to defend the Baha’is,” said the statement.
The statement, posted to the Baha’i International Community’s United Nations Office Web site, responds to allegations that Mrs. Ebadi’s daughter has become a Baha’i, that Baha’is are agents of Zionism, and that when Iranian Baha’is communicate with the Baha’i Faith’s international governing body in Israel, it is somehow a “conspiracy.”
“The Iranian government seizes every means at its disposal to stigmatize the Baha’is and then, within the poisoned atmosphere it has itself created, when it wants to discredit someone, it asserts that the person is a Baha’i,” the statement said. “Mrs. Ebadi is not the first individual upon whom this tactic has been used. As a lawyer, Mrs. Ebadi defends individuals and groups of many different backgrounds; this does not mean that she necessarily espouses their beliefs. What, then, is the state-sanctioned press trying to insinuate when it contends that her daughter is a Baha’i?”
The full statement can be read at:
http://bic.org/statements-and-reports/featured/Iran-Intensifies-Disinfor… Continue Reading…
The statement, posted to the Baha’i International Community’s United Nations Office Web site, responds to allegations that Mrs. Ebadi’s daughter has become a Baha’i, that Baha’is are agents of Zionism, and that when Iranian Baha’is communicate with the Baha’i Faith’s international governing body in Israel, it is somehow a “conspiracy.”
“The Iranian government seizes every means at its disposal to stigmatize the Baha’is and then, within the poisoned atmosphere it has itself created, when it wants to discredit someone, it asserts that the person is a Baha’i,” the statement said. “Mrs. Ebadi is not the first individual upon whom this tactic has been used. As a lawyer, Mrs. Ebadi defends individuals and groups of many different backgrounds; this does not mean that she necessarily espouses their beliefs. What, then, is the state-sanctioned press trying to insinuate when it contends that her daughter is a Baha’i?”
The full statement can be read at:
http://bic.org/statements-and-reports/featured/Iran-Intensifies-Disinfor… Continue Reading…
Monday, August 11, 2008
Barred from college in Iran, Moorpark resident excels at studies in the U.S.
The Ventura Country Star published the following article about an Iranian Baha’i student who came to Moorpark, CA, 4 years ago: Barred from college in Iran, Moorpark resident excels at studies in the U.S.
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Friday, August 8, 2008
VOA: Terrorizing The Iranian People
The following Voice of America editorial includes reference to the recent events affecting the Baha’i community in Iran: Terrorizing the Iranian People
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Monday, August 4, 2008
Baha’is deny accusations of subversive activity
IranVNC has posted the following article: Baha’is deny accusations of subversive activity
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Sunday, August 3, 2008
Baha'is reject allegations of subversive activity in Iran
NEW YORK, August 3 2008 (BWNS) — The Baha’i International Community categorically rejects statements by an Iranian prosecutor that seven Baha’is detained in Tehran have “confessed” to operating an “illegal” organization with ties to Israel and other countries.
“We deny in the strongest possible terms the suggestion that Baha’is in Iran have engaged in any subversive activity,” said Bani Dugal, principal representative of the Baha’i International Community to the United Nations. “The Baha’i community is not involved in political affairs. Their only ‘crime’ is the practice of their religion.”
“The seriousness of the allegations makes us fear for the lives of these seven individuals,” she said.
She was responding to Iranian newspaper reports of statements by Hasan Haddad, deputy prosecutor general for security at the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Tehran.
Ms. Dugal said that seven Baha’is arrested earlier this year were members of a committee that helped attend to the needs of the 300,000 Baha’is in Iran.
“That is no secret – the government knew perfectly well about the existence of this committee long before its members were arrested, just as the government knows perfectly well that these people are not involved in any underhanded activity,” she said.
Ms. Dugal said the detentions are part of a well-documented, decades-long campaign to stamp out the Baha’i community in Iran, and that the latest accusations follow the same pattern as previous unfounded charges.
“Suggestions of collusion with the state of Israel are categorically false and misleading. The Iranian authorities are playing on the fact that the Baha’i world administrative center is located in northern Israel,” she said.
“The Iranian government completely ignores the well-known historical fact that the Baha’i Faith was centered in Iran until 1853 when the authorities there banished the Baha’i prophet-founder, who was forced into exile and eventually imprisoned in Acre on the Mediterranean coast under the Ottoman Turkish regime. That area happens to be in what is now Israel.”
Ms. Dugal said many Baha’is in Iran – including members of the coordinating committee before their imprisonment – are frequently detained for questioning about their activities. The Baha’is, she said, have nothing to hide and try to answer truthfully whenever they are interrogated.
http://bwns.org/story/648 Continue Reading…
“We deny in the strongest possible terms the suggestion that Baha’is in Iran have engaged in any subversive activity,” said Bani Dugal, principal representative of the Baha’i International Community to the United Nations. “The Baha’i community is not involved in political affairs. Their only ‘crime’ is the practice of their religion.”
“The seriousness of the allegations makes us fear for the lives of these seven individuals,” she said.
She was responding to Iranian newspaper reports of statements by Hasan Haddad, deputy prosecutor general for security at the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Tehran.
Ms. Dugal said that seven Baha’is arrested earlier this year were members of a committee that helped attend to the needs of the 300,000 Baha’is in Iran.
“That is no secret – the government knew perfectly well about the existence of this committee long before its members were arrested, just as the government knows perfectly well that these people are not involved in any underhanded activity,” she said.
Ms. Dugal said the detentions are part of a well-documented, decades-long campaign to stamp out the Baha’i community in Iran, and that the latest accusations follow the same pattern as previous unfounded charges.
“Suggestions of collusion with the state of Israel are categorically false and misleading. The Iranian authorities are playing on the fact that the Baha’i world administrative center is located in northern Israel,” she said.
“The Iranian government completely ignores the well-known historical fact that the Baha’i Faith was centered in Iran until 1853 when the authorities there banished the Baha’i prophet-founder, who was forced into exile and eventually imprisoned in Acre on the Mediterranean coast under the Ottoman Turkish regime. That area happens to be in what is now Israel.”
Ms. Dugal said many Baha’is in Iran – including members of the coordinating committee before their imprisonment – are frequently detained for questioning about their activities. The Baha’is, she said, have nothing to hide and try to answer truthfully whenever they are interrogated.
http://bwns.org/story/648 Continue Reading…
Congress condemns Iran’s persecution of Baha’is
IranVNC has posted the following article about the Congressional resolution: Congress condems Iran’s persecution of Baha’is
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Reuters: Report says Iran accuses arrested Baha'is of Israel links
TEHRAN (Reuters) - Seven detained Baha’i believers have confessed to setting up an illegal organisation in Iran that took orders from Israel and others to undermine the Islamic system, an Iranian newspaper reported on Sunday.
You can access the full article here
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You can access the full article here
Continue Reading…
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Congress condemns Iran’s persecution of Baha’is
IranVNC has posted the following article about the Congressional resolution: Congress condems Iran’s persecution of Baha’is
Continue Reading…
Friday, August 1, 2008
U.S. House of Representatives Passes Resolution Condemning the Persecution of Baha’is in Iran
WASHINGTON, August 1 2008 – The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a resolution condemning the persecution of the Baha’is in Iran. H. RES. 1008 is the tenth congressional resolution since 1982 on the Baha’is in Iran.
“The passing of this resolution is particularly timely given the escalation of attacks against the Baha’is in Iran in recent months,” said Ms. Kit Bigelow, Director of External Affairs for the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of the U.S. “This includes a series of arson attacks on the homes and vehicles of Baha’is, and the arrests in March and May of the seven members of Iran’s national Baha’i coordinating group. They are being held in Evin Prison in Tehran without any charges and without access to an attorney or to their families.”
The congressional resolution condemns the government of Iran for its state-sponsored persecution of Baha’is; calls on Iran’s Parliament to reject a proposed Islamic penal code, and calls on the Iranian regime to immediately release ten imprisoned Baha’is.
“This is government-sponsored persecution,” said Rep. Mark Kirk (IL-10), who introduced the resolution. “And we in the Congress should not be silent as Iran sets up the mechanism to ethnically cleanse its Baha’i minority, totaling over 250,000 human beings.”
“It sends a strong signal that Congress will continue to watch closely the treatment of the Baha’i people in Iran,” said Rep Howard L. Berman (CA-28), who is the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee and co-sponsored the resolution.
“We are deeply grateful that the U.S. House of Representatives has passed this resolution, which speaks up for those who are unable to have their voices heard in their homeland. We look forward to the day when the Iranian Baha’is will have their human rights restored and be able to contribute as equal citizens to the advancement of the country and the global community which they love,” said Ms. Kit Bigelow.
—————————–
There are 2 versions of Bill number H. Res. 1008 for the 110th Congress
1. Condemning the persecution of Baha’is in Iran. (Introduced in House)[H.RES.1008.IH]
2. Whereas in 1982, 1984, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1996, 2000, and 2006, Congress declared that it deplored the religious persecution by the Government of Iran of the Baha’i community and… (Engrossed as Agreed to or Passed by House)[H.RES.1008.EH]
Other notable quotes from the Congressional record:
Rep. Mark Kirk (IL-10):
“For the life of me, I do not understand why they attack Baha’is. The Baha’i faith teaches that Moses and Jesus and Mohammed are all respected teachers who added to the faith of our times. The Baha’is embody acceptance and tolerance and accommodation. They have a faith which renders them incapable of being a threat to a government, so it is up to us to speak for them. It’s up to us to hold up a mirror to the Iranian Government to show it as a vicious and cruel state.”
“We have seen this movie before, but they have worn other uniforms in other countries. It is my hope that we can make this call to action to join with the European Parliament. We can help change the ending of this flick so that hundreds of thousands of Baha’is may one day be able to sleep well in future days knowing that the great democracies from across the seas in Europe and America watch over them.”
Rep. Steve Chabot (R-OH):
“Totalitarian regimes everywhere, hiding behind the false excuse of state sovereignty, are eager to combat any progress in human rights and freedoms and to expand their hegemony and repression as far as others allow them to do. Therefore, the United States must continue to make clear, in both word and deed, that the spread of religious freedom and human rights worldwide is not merely an ideal, but an imperative.”
Rep. Frank R. Wolf (VA-10)
“I am pleased to join a bipartisan group of my colleagues as a cosponsor of this important resolution, and I hope its passage will send a strong message to the Iranian government that the United States Congress will always stand in solidarity with the persecuted people of the world.”
The full congressional record from the House floor can be accessed here
The press release from Congressman Kirk’s office can be accessed here
Congressman Wolf’s statement on the House floor can be accessed here. Continue Reading…
“The passing of this resolution is particularly timely given the escalation of attacks against the Baha’is in Iran in recent months,” said Ms. Kit Bigelow, Director of External Affairs for the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of the U.S. “This includes a series of arson attacks on the homes and vehicles of Baha’is, and the arrests in March and May of the seven members of Iran’s national Baha’i coordinating group. They are being held in Evin Prison in Tehran without any charges and without access to an attorney or to their families.”
The congressional resolution condemns the government of Iran for its state-sponsored persecution of Baha’is; calls on Iran’s Parliament to reject a proposed Islamic penal code, and calls on the Iranian regime to immediately release ten imprisoned Baha’is.
“This is government-sponsored persecution,” said Rep. Mark Kirk (IL-10), who introduced the resolution. “And we in the Congress should not be silent as Iran sets up the mechanism to ethnically cleanse its Baha’i minority, totaling over 250,000 human beings.”
“It sends a strong signal that Congress will continue to watch closely the treatment of the Baha’i people in Iran,” said Rep Howard L. Berman (CA-28), who is the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee and co-sponsored the resolution.
“We are deeply grateful that the U.S. House of Representatives has passed this resolution, which speaks up for those who are unable to have their voices heard in their homeland. We look forward to the day when the Iranian Baha’is will have their human rights restored and be able to contribute as equal citizens to the advancement of the country and the global community which they love,” said Ms. Kit Bigelow.
—————————–
There are 2 versions of Bill number H. Res. 1008 for the 110th Congress
1. Condemning the persecution of Baha’is in Iran. (Introduced in House)[H.RES.1008.IH]
2. Whereas in 1982, 1984, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1996, 2000, and 2006, Congress declared that it deplored the religious persecution by the Government of Iran of the Baha’i community and… (Engrossed as Agreed to or Passed by House)[H.RES.1008.EH]
Other notable quotes from the Congressional record:
Rep. Mark Kirk (IL-10):
“For the life of me, I do not understand why they attack Baha’is. The Baha’i faith teaches that Moses and Jesus and Mohammed are all respected teachers who added to the faith of our times. The Baha’is embody acceptance and tolerance and accommodation. They have a faith which renders them incapable of being a threat to a government, so it is up to us to speak for them. It’s up to us to hold up a mirror to the Iranian Government to show it as a vicious and cruel state.”
“We have seen this movie before, but they have worn other uniforms in other countries. It is my hope that we can make this call to action to join with the European Parliament. We can help change the ending of this flick so that hundreds of thousands of Baha’is may one day be able to sleep well in future days knowing that the great democracies from across the seas in Europe and America watch over them.”
Rep. Steve Chabot (R-OH):
“Totalitarian regimes everywhere, hiding behind the false excuse of state sovereignty, are eager to combat any progress in human rights and freedoms and to expand their hegemony and repression as far as others allow them to do. Therefore, the United States must continue to make clear, in both word and deed, that the spread of religious freedom and human rights worldwide is not merely an ideal, but an imperative.”
Rep. Frank R. Wolf (VA-10)
“I am pleased to join a bipartisan group of my colleagues as a cosponsor of this important resolution, and I hope its passage will send a strong message to the Iranian government that the United States Congress will always stand in solidarity with the persecuted people of the world.”
The full congressional record from the House floor can be accessed here
The press release from Congressman Kirk’s office can be accessed here
Congressman Wolf’s statement on the House floor can be accessed here. Continue Reading…
WSJ: A Campaign of Persecution Against a Faith of Tolerance
The Wall Street Journal has published the following article: A Campaign of Persecution Against a Faith of Tolerance
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