V
Persecution of .Baha'is' continues despite
By Robert Di Veroli
Tribune Religion Writer
HAIFA, Israel A high-
ranking official of the
i Faith says protests power in 1979, the Khomeini
by foreign governments and government has destroyed
leaders have helped slow the Baha'i House of the Bab
down, but have not stopped, — the Bab was the forerun-
the persecution of Baha'is ner of Baha'i prophet
in Iran. Baha'u'llah — and other
“We think this has been Baha'i property, desecrated
successful in focusing atten- Baha'i cemeteries, expelled
tion on the situation and 25,000 to 30,000 Baha'i cliii-
slowing down the execu dren from Iranian schools
tions. It hasn't stopped it, and fired Baha'i employees
but it's slowed it down,” as part of a campaign to ex-
said Donald ‘M. Barrett, terminate Baha'ism in Iran.
American-born secretary- He said about 10,000
general of the Baha'i Faith, Baha'is fled the country to
whose world headquarters Europe, Asia, Canada, the
• are located in this northern United States and other
Israeli seacoast city. countries before Baha'i em-
“We have appealed to the igration was prohibited
• governments of the world about a year ago.
and have been quite suc- “It's getting worse and
cessful in getting support worse,” he said. ‘ -.
from them and prominent He said the persecution of
world figures,” Barrett Baha'is in Iran bas.its on-
said. . - ‘ gins in theology and culture.
He said that' Australia, Barret said the funda-
West Germany, Italy, the mentalist Shuite clergy as-
British House of Commons, sociated with the Khomeini
the United. States Senate revolution, condemn
and House of Representa- Baha'is, an offshoot of
tives as well as President Islam, as heretics for be-
Reagan and others have ap- lieving in the Eaha'u'llah
pealed to the Khomeini gov- after Mohammed and view
ernment to cease its harass- them with suspicion for en-
ment of Baha'is in Iran. dorsing universal education,
“He' (Reagan) has bocome women's rights; the work
one of many world leaders ethic, world government
who have condemned the and other modern ideas and
situation ‘and called for movements that many Sin-
basic human rights for ites reject, Barrett said.
Baha'is in Iran,” Barrett Barrett said Baha'is ac-'
said, .. , ‘ cept Mohammed as a
But' he added that the prophet, but as only one
persecution of the estimat- among many, including
ed 300,000 Baha'is in Iran Jesus, Moses, Abraham, the I
continues. . -: Buddha, the Baha'u'llah and
He said that since it took others yet to come. He said
protests. SAN DIEGO, CA.
TRIBUNE
D. 131,000
SAN DIEGO METROPOLITAN AREA
global
among the olive, groves and the nine-member Spiritual
hedges in the gardens of Asembly of Baha'is in the
Bahji, a mansion near Akko. United States.
— The Bab's remains are Barrett said his office
the absence of a Baha'i cler- interred under the golden- knows nothing more about
gy also nettles the majority ‘domed Baha'i shrine, a , the Jordan case than the po-
Shiite Muslim leaders i Haifa landmark, lice have revealed.
iran. Barrett said 149 Baha'is “We have no further in-
“The fact that there can have been killed as part of, formation in addition' to
be a thriving community of the Khomeini revolution that made known by police
300,000 iranians — they're and as “the result of the re- authorities shortly after his
all Iranians, by the way, not ilgious fanaticism of the death,” Barrett said. He
outsiders — who are suc- clergy in Iran,” “ said any suggestion that
cessful and distinguished In Since Barrett spoke, 16 Jordan might have been the
.many ways is a silent chal- more Baha'is, including victim of an iranian hit
lenge to the majority estab- three teenage girls, were iquad ‘“pure speculation.”
lishment and they can't hanged June 16 in Shiraz,
stand it,” Barrett said. ‘ Iran, despite an appeal for Barrett said Khomeini
He said the persecution df clemency by President government charges that
Baha'is in Iran is only “the Reagan. Ten were women. Iranian Bs a'is are agents
latest wave in a series, of According to Baha'i reports, of the CIA, part of a Zionist
persecutions” that began , the 10 were pressured to plot or that they sided with
1844 when Siyyid Ali give up ‘their religion and theformérshahareground-.
Muhammad, a Persian accept Islam. . less' because Baha'is are
known as the Bab, Barrett, an American cit- forbidden to' take part in,
claimed the coming 0 fL •1zen, attorney , and 195L Partisan politics.' ,
prophet who woujd herald a' UCLAiraduate, had little He said Baha'is are'en
new age of universal to say about,the case of Dr. couraged to vote, but not as
brotherhood and peaée. Daniel C. Jordan, the members of a political
Barrett said that within Escondido man whose body ‘party. Barrett, for example,
30 years, the Bab and 20,000' was found in October 1982, is an American citizen who
of his followers were exe- Stamford, Conn the ap-” voted in the 1980 election as
cuted by Islamic fundamen- parent victim of a single an independent.
talists. The- new ‘prophet, stab wound in the neck,, , ‘ The rationale is' that
Mirza Husayn All — known Jordan, 50, was dean of party politics “is not
as Baha'u'llah — revealed education at National Uni- swer to today's problems,
himself in 1863 in Bagdad, versity and cochairman of Barrett said, , ,‘ , .
but five years later he, his - - — . fi
family and a band of follow-' I
ens were sent' to Akko, just
north of here, under Turkish
house arrest.
Baha'u'llah died there in ‘ -
1892, his remains interred
165' EXECUTED UNDER KHOMEINI
‘It's getting worse and worse'
JUL S ! l83
:
CONCERNED — Persecution of Baha'is in Iran
continues, to be a serious problem, says Donald
M. Barrett, Baha'i secretary-general, shown here
at Baha'i world headquarters in Haifa, Israel
— Tribune photo by Robert DiVeroli .
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