The Islamic Republic and the Bahá’ís

This post is an attempt to reflect on the growing miss-statements and outright lies being leveled against a group of people in Iran, known as Bahá’ís. While I will not spend too much time talking about the religion, which is my own, I will attempt to bring the truth to the forefront so any fair minded person may judge for themselves as opposed to the belligerent and calculated propaganda broadcast in Iranian media. I do not wish to use this forum as a means of possibly offending devout Muslims who do not agree with the claim of the Faith, but I will attempt to appeal to our common human sense of fairness and understanding. I also would like to say, that after a sincere and heartfelt study of Islam in the last few months I have a renewed sense of purpose and devotion to fostering dialog, understanding, sympathy and fellowship with our Muslim brothers and sisters. let us focus on what we have in common, not our differences. God knows of the suffering of Muslims, Jews, Christians, Buddhists, the poor, the native, the war ravaged and a vast number of others in our human family. We serve no one by blaming other victims nor do we act condusively by vilifying any of the oppressed or comparing sufferings. Would that our governments realize this!

That said, I would like to bring attention to the fraud that masquerade as fairness in the Iranian media. Recently a number of arrests were made in Iran and the entire defacto leadership of the Iranian Bahá’í community was put into notorious Evin prison. Roozonline.com also reports that 6 more Bahá’í community leaders were arrested by state security agents.

Their ‎names were listed as Hushmand Talebi and Mehran Zini, and Farhad Fardossian…The news site reports that these individuals were ‎arrested by security-law-enforcement agents and transferred to the prison of the town, ‎while their conditions remains unknown…it is reported that three other Bahá’ís named Ali Ahmadi, Changiz ‎Derakhshan, and Ms Simin too have been arrested in the northern town of Ghaemshahr.

Asianews.it reports that Gholam-Hossein Elham a government spokesman of Iran said that these arrest have nothing to do with being Bahá’í. This is clearly a lie. The government of Iran is scapegoating the Bahá’ís, a peace loving and loyal group who is not involved or conduct any subversive activity, for their own ineptitude in failing to find the real bombers of the Shiraz bombing.

For Bahá’ís to be involved in such an act is preposterous. Even the most vehement of critics know and acknowledge the Bahá’ís are non engaged politically or do they ever disobey the civil government. It is antithetical to assume that the Bahá’ís have a political agenda, engage in espionage, or actively try to subvert the government. If anyone who claims they are a Bahá’í and engages in such activities, they would be dis-enrolled and not recognized by other Bahá’ís.

Iran’s charges against the Bahá’ís which, are parroted by the unfortunate excuses for media, include being spies for Israel. A closer examination will show the hollowness of this claim.

Statement of facts:

350,000 plus Baha’is in Iran. Children, elderly, disabled, handicapped and across all ethnic lines and groups count members. Kurdish Bahá’ís, Azeri, Lori, Hazara, etc…Some families are 5 and 6 generations. Can they all be active agents of Zionism? Use your brain.

Bahá’í administrative headquarters are in Haifa, Israel. Duties include the management of the worldwide Bahá’í community. Not just Iran. Any communication that may be sent back and forth between Haifa and the friends in Iran is solely regarding the community itself. The government of Iran is aware and acknowledges this relationship and has allowed it. Since they are not afforded any rights in the Iranian constitution, it would only be prudent and practical for such a group to exist. To give credit to the fair minded people in the IRI government a workable understanding was put in place. For a while.

Bahá’ís cannot and will not be involved in any political movements of the day and refuse to at the same time betray their respective governments. This is peculiar to the Bahá’í Faith alone when compared to other mid 1800 movements, i.e, Mormonism or the Ahmadiyyeh sect.

Bahá’u’lláh required that His followers strictly abstain from conflict and contention, which are characteristics of the partisanship practiced in present-day politics. Bahá’ís, in whatever country they reside, are prohibited from holding membership in any political party.

At first glance, one might expect to find the members of the Bahá’í community actively engaged in a wide range of political pursuits in furtherance of its universal ideals. The opposite is in fact the case. But Bahá’ís are urged to contribute to the welfare of society, one way being to fulfill their civic responsibilities.

We can see activism in the Bahá’í Faith when it comes to serving humanity without a doubt. However, in Iran, when Bahá’ís engage in such “subversive” behavior they are arrested. See 54 Bahá’ís arrest in Iran.

Kayhan, that fountain of hate publication which is the mouthpiece of the Regime, continuously vilifies their fellow countrymen. Make no mistake Iranian Bahá’ís would die for their country and thousands did in the Iran-Iraq war. There is a endemic suffering of hyper paranoia among conservative elements in Iran and they are hindering the progress of the Iranian people. When will Iran be a contributor to World peace? When will Iran return to its glorious past and propagate its beloved culture? When will the people of the World enjoy the company of Iran?

If the government of Iran wants to accuse the Bahá’ís of assisting foreigners, or in collusion with colonialists, we invite them to show proof. We challenge them to find a verifiable fact of evidence connecting the Iranian Bahá’í community to espionage.

Kayhan news runs articles periodically that vilify the Bahá’ís. These articles are backed up by fictitious documents manufactured 80 years ago, in the time of the Shah. They spread lies and hate and agitate the susceptible. If Kayhan can attack the real Bahá’í Faith they may have more luck. Given there are those people out there who do not agree with World peace, equality of men and women, harmony of science and religion, spiritual solutions to economic problems, and education for all. Kayhan would be well served to seek them out in the caves they dwell in.

It is an insult to the Iranian community, Muslim, Christian, Zoroastrian, Jew alike to assume that the truth can be spread in such vilification.

Judge fairly and with a sincere desire to understand, and you will.

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