The usual accusations Iranian officials have made against Baha’is (supporting Zionism and insulting religious sanctities) are ridiculous in themselves. But some of the accusations leveled against Baha’is cross over into the realm of bizarreness:
One of the accusations made against the NSA members in 1981 was “Sending or receiving reports containing code words such as ‘Amoo jan’ [Dear Uncle] etc. in various languages to the House of Justice in Haifa”
In 1982, Tuba Za’irpur was charged with “not being married”.
In 1996, two men from Mashhad were arrested while conducting a children’s art exhibition, and charged with…”working against the country’s security by organizing a children’s art exhibit”
Recently, it came to our attention that Iranian media has been making claims that the arrested Baha’i leaders had “sophisticated communications devices” in their possession. Given the authority’s track record, we can only imagine what the real-case scenario was:
In Farsi (click image to read full post):
Iran’s Deputy Prosecutor has announced that the case against the Baha’i leaders has been prepared, and will likely appear in court in the upcoming days. The likelihood of their receiving a fair trial is negligible, yet it is not too late for us to take action.
The Baha’i International Community addressed an eloquent letter to Ayatollah Qorban-Ali Dorri-Najafabadi refuting the allegations made against Baha’is and extending a hand for communication. You can read it here (PDF).
Iran’s leaders lose no opportunity to remind the world of their painful efforts to show “respect” and “tolerance” the Baha’i community. The latest proclamation came from Najafabadi, Iran’s Prosecutor General who stated that “the Iranian government has provided the Bahai sect in Iran with all the facilities offered to other Iranian citizens” and has “always showed great kindness to the Bahai citizens in Iran”.
Najafabadi went on to state that the government offers Baha’is “a variety of services”. We ask, “What services?”
In recent months, Iran has escalated its campaign of arrests against Baha’is. Dozens of Baha’is currently languish in prisons, with no hope of being accorded a fair trial. Those reportedly arrested weren’t criminals, thieves or murderers but were in fact community leaders, social activists and educators who strove to serve their communities.
The Iranian regime has adopted the mission of preventing the progress of Baha’is, both within and outside Iran, and there is no telling how far it is willing to go to fulfill its mission.
We created a comic about the absurdity of this situation:
2,500 years ago, Cyrus the Great penned down what is regarded as the first declaration for human rights, affirming the right to freedom of worship. But centuries later, what is the situation of Iran’s largest religious minority?
Note: images for this clip were lovingly borrowed from the feature film, “Persepolis.” Marjane Satrapi’s admirable production. She continues to serve as an inspiration for us all.
If you cannot access YouTube, this video is also available here in (English) and (Farsi.)
Much has been said and written on the persecution of the Baha’i minority in Iran, but in these dark days, and as troubling news continues to emerge, it is time to rise up and proclaim, enough! Whether it is justified by religion, or hidden under the guise of nationalism, or instigated by prejudice, religious intolerance is a plague that threatens the fabric of our societies. It is our moral obligation to not sit by silently as our fellow brothers and sisters are murdered, imprisoned and denied their rights as citizens due to their personal beliefs.
Spread the word:
Promote this clip by sharing it with your friends, colleagues, and on social networks.
Stay aware of human rights abuses against this innocent minority.
Contact Iranian Embassies
Contact your nearest Iranian embassy, expressing your concern over the treatment of Baha’is. We’ve provided a template letter, as well as contact details of embassies worldwide.
For those in Iran:
Learn more about the faith, and be aware that the IRI and officials of other countries like Egypt have launched massive propaganda campaigns against them.
Reach out to Baha’is, and keep an open mind.
Remember, you don’t have to believe in the Baha’i faith in order to tolerate and respect its members. We all deserve equal human rights, and an equal status in citizenship, regardless of our faiths.
[If you would rather watch a higher resolution version, visit our video sharing site]
Several days ago, “Egyptian Baha’i” brought the world’s attention to the distressing story of Noor and Hannah, two little girls who were denied their right to an education for no other reason than their being Baha’is. While reporting on the story, we were struck by not only the Egyptian government’s reluctance to abide by its own law and guarantee all its citizens are treated equally regardless of gender, race or religious affiliation.
What struck us was the sheer absurdity of what the government considers to be an “Official Document”.
Not able to view the clip? or can’t access YouTube from where you are click HERE.
Original post was on June 10th The idea of this clip was born at a late night coffee outing close to the anniversary of the passing of Martin Luther King, when a friend said “Imagine Ahmadinejad speaking in the voice of MLK”. We needed about a month to finish the clip as finding the footage and synchronizing the voices took lots of tweaking.
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