We are young digital natives reaching out across seemingly impenetrable national, social, political, ethnic, and sectarian barriers, employing the freedom created by media platforms to demand and create our own civil discourse.

School’s out for the Baha’is (Comic)

July 6th, 2008Esra'a (Bahrain)

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 five languages so far: Arabic, Farsi, French, Portuguese, and English (below).

[Click for the larger and clearer version of the comic.]

Retweet Share on Facebook Awareness, Baha'i Faith, Baha'is, Civil Rights, Education, Egypt, Iran, Society, Youth
Report this post Print Trackback Follow RSS

7 Responses to “School’s out for the Baha’is (Comic)”

  1. #1 Mohammad Memarian (Iran) - July 6th, 2008 at 9:40 pm

    Once I read about Bihe in Iran and it was a sad yet inspiring story…

  2. #2 N. E. Hoyle - July 7th, 2008 at 2:21 pm

    Kam kam, ruz bi ruz… your efforts in the cause of justice are not wasted. Just as individual drops of water can wear away the hardest stone, the collective voices of individual enlightened souls will, in time, soften and penetrate the hardest hearts. Congratulations on your mission and your dedication!

  3. #3 Lord Kavi (Iran) - July 7th, 2008 at 11:17 pm

    :) ) great and sad story!

  4. #4 ray - July 8th, 2008 at 2:35 pm

    what a great strip! this topic is so important as what is being done to the Bahais is simple outrageous. Its such a deranged form of persecution. Denying children access to children is “intellectual starvation” which is just a modern version of slowly killing the human spirit.

    thank you for bringing this topic to our attention.

    ps love the cartoons! they convey the message in a simple and very straightforward way. touches the mind and heart.

  5. #5 Afghan LORD - July 8th, 2008 at 11:18 pm

    That is a sad story…

  6. #6 Reya - July 10th, 2008 at 8:41 am

    What you’re doing is so important – raising awareness, initiative and hopefully change for the better – for our brothers and sisters in Iran. May we all do our part.

  7. #7 Help us reach our target - Mideast Youth - Thinking Ahead - July 13th, 2008 at 7:49 am

    [...] can also see examples of our comics: School’s out for the Baha’is Comic: Turkey – Successful arrest? Comic: Patience Stretched (And many more to [...]

Feel free to take part in our discussions and debates. Please be respectful and aware that what you say is only your opinion and may not agree with other points of views. Absolutely no hate speech or defamation will be tolerated. Be smart and comment smart. Read our comment policy to find out how not to annoy us.