In Shiraz, Persia during the night of May 22, 1844, a twenty-four-year old merchant, Siyyid 'Ali Muhammad, declared that He was a Messenger of God sent to initiate a new age for humankind. He took the title, the Bab, meaning the "Gate." On May 23, members of the Baha'i Faith celebrate the Declaration of the Bab, which inaugurated the Baha'i Dispensation.
The Bab declared Himself that night to a young seeker named Mulla Husayn who was anticipating the advent of and searching for the Promised One of Islam, the Qa'im. The Bab's ministry lasted for six years until he was martyred in the Persian city of Tabriz. The Bab foretold the coming of another Messenger of God Who would fulfill the prophetic expectations of all the world's religions and Whose teachings would lead to world civilization and world peace. Baha'is believe this Promised One of all humankind is Baha'u'llah.
This normally joyous Holy Day is marred this year by a fresh wave of persecutions against Baha'is in Iran (formerly Persia). Some 300,000 Baha'is live in Iran, making them the most numerous religious minority in the country. But the Baha'i Faith is not recognized by the Iranian constitution and government, and Baha'is are not allowed to organize or to practice their religion. They are subject to persecution, arbitrary arrest, imprisonment and even execution. Their rights to employment and education are severely limited.
In the past 48 hours about 30 Baha'is were arrested at their homes in a series of raids in the cities of Tehran, Karaj, Isfahan, and Shiraz. "All of the targets were homes of individuals closely involved with the operations of the Baha'i Institute for Higher Education," said Diane Ala'i, representative of the Baha'i International Community to the United Nations in Geneva.
The Baha'i Institute for Higher Education was founded in Iran in 1987 to provide young Baha'is the equivalent of a university education in the homes of people involved with the Institute. Baha'is are forbidden from attending universities in Iran.
"The Institute has been a remarkably creative -- and entirely non-violent -- response to the Iranian government's on-going effort to stifle the normal human development of the Baha'i community," said Ms. Ala'i.
"The Iranian authorities -- not content with debarring Baha'is from university solely on account of their religious beliefs -- are now cruelly seeking to shut down the community's efforts to provide its youth with higher education through alternative means."
This reporter heard last night from an Iranian American Baha'i, who had a phone call from a relative in Iran, that there has been a second wave of raids and arrests, but this is as of yet unconfirmed. It is unclear at this point if the initial arrests of 30 Baha'is are the same 30 people arrested as "spies for the United States" as announced by state television in Tehran. Baha'is are often charged with being spies for the United States or for Israel.
"We are calling upon governments and educational organizations throughout the world to register with the government of Iran their strong disapproval of its systematic, ongoing efforts to deny to young Baha'is their fundamental human right to access higher education, " said Ala'i.
Some 385 Baha'is have been arrested on various charges since 2004 -- not including the most recent arrests. 319 cases against Baha'is are still pending. The informal leadership of the Baha'is in Iran, known as the "Yaran" or "friends" were arrested three years ago and held without trial until they were sentenced to twenty years in prison on trumped up charges. 74 Baha'is are imprisoned in Iran.
About fifty Baha'i homes were demolished by heavy equipment in the remote village of Ivel last year. Baha'i cemeteries have been bulldozed and Baha'i Holy Places have been destroyed. The persecution of Iranian Baha'is continues despite the outcry of many international human rights organizations and governments.
GENEVA, 25 May 2011 (BWNS) – The two women amongst Iran's seven imprisoned Baha'i leaders have been returned to Tehran's notorious Evin prison.
The Baha'i International Community has confirmed that Fariba Kamalabadi and Mahvash Sabet are now back behind bars in the jail where their incarceration began three years ago.
The transfer of the two women to Evin followed a brief spell held in reportedly appalling conditions at Qarchak prison, some 45 kilometers from Tehran.
It is understood that family members of the two prisoners have now been able to visit them at Evin.
Mrs. Sabet and Mrs. Kamalabadi – along with five male colleagues – were members of a national-level ad hoc group that helped attend to the needs of Iran's 300,000-strong Baha'i community. After an illegal 30 month detention in Evin, they were tried on trumped-up charges and each sentenced in August 2010 to 20 years in jail.
Following the trial, the seven were sent to Gohardasht prison, where the five men are still being held under close scrutiny in a wing reserved for political prisoners.
Global support
An ongoing series of events is marking the third anniversary of the detention of the seven Baha’i leaders...
http://news.bahai.org/story/826
Thank God, though Evin prison is still disgusting. They're innocent women! If they recanted their faith, they would be instantly released. Gotta hand it to them for their steadfastness. It must be awful.
I hope you had a blessed Holy Day!
pray for mankind, the faith is the only solution!
And to be sure, I say this not because I agree with Ba'hai teachings. Far from it. I say this while having found numerous teachings of Ba'hai faith to be quite erroneous, logically and spiritually.
However, justice is justice, and differences in belief can never justify violence. Belief is personal; it is a matter between a person and God, and any person who believes s/he can intervene is either incompetent, vicious, or both. Either way, such a person has nothing to do with God. Anyone using difference in belief as an 'excuse' to persecute, or to justify persecution of Ba'hai's knows nothing of God, and actually only works for evil, not for God.
My prayers go out to the Ba'hai's suffering on account of their faith.
Thank you for your kind words of support. I find the prevalent bigotry and hostility towards Muslims in the United States and Europe to be abhorrent. I express my solidarity with and support for the Muslim community. My prayers, too, go out to the Muslims suffering on account of their Faith.
Best regards,
Rothwell
It is ironic that the Baha'i faith has declared the Israeli port city of Haifa the `Mecca' for the religion's five million members. It is the religious duty of every Baha'i to make at least one pilgrimage to holy places there.
Allan Richter - I do not understand this remark. The history of the Baha’i Faith has been linked to the Akka-Haifa area from 1868 onwards (i.e. since Baha’u’llah arrived in Turkish Palestine as an exile & prisoner). What is “ironic†about that? My dictionary tells me (English is not my native language): “An ironic remark or gesture is inappropriate in the situation in which it is made, and is intended as a joke or insultâ€.
The Baha’i holy places are (unlike Mecca) open to all.
In the early 1980s Baha'is working for the government were fired. They were told their employment was illegal, dating back to the day they got their jobs. Pensions and other benefits were denied, and they were asked to repay wages from the entire period of their employment.
The property rights of farmers and others are often disrespected as well. Land confiscations on false pretenses are common.
It reminds me a lot of how Christian Jews are treated in Israel or, how Shia Muslims are treated in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.
Of course, since Israel and Saudi are "allies", we never hear about the state-sanctioned persecution and oppression of 350,000 Christian Jews and 20,000,000 Shia Muslims.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EII5Km3jN3U
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4J7iqMO4EaQ
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persecution_of_Shia_Muslims
I, for one, hope that Bahais, Christian Jews and Shia Muslims are treated fairly.
I, only ask and, wonder why we never hear about the oppression of Christian Jews or Shia in those other countries.
The Revolutionaire Guards will be enjoying torturing and killing defenceless people.