Storm builds up over religious slaughter in Iran

          
          -
          INTERNATIONAL pressure for
          a United Nations special inquiry
          into the persecution in Iran of
          the 300,000 people of the
          minority Baha'i religion will be
          strengthened by. last Friday's
          execution of a Briton visiting
          Iran, whose death is directly
          linked to his membership of the
          faith.
          Habbibollah Azizi, aged 65,
          was executed last week having
          been under arrest In Teheran
          since late last year. Azizi moved
          to Bournemouth 12 years ago
          and became * British resident in
          1979. He returned to visit his
          mother in Iran but was arrested
          two days after arrival.
          Evidence now before the
          human rights sub.commissiofl on
          the prevention of discrimination.
          meeting in Geneva, gives har-
          rowing details of executions.
          murders, torture and economic
          harassment . of the Baha'i reli-
          gious community since the 1979
          revolution In Iran.:
          Forcible mass conversions are
          a daily occurrence, and murders
          and executions are increasing.
          Ben Whitaker, director of the
          London-based 1 linority Rights
          Group, says that they are
          threatened by a systematic ofli-
          cial policy of extermination.
          Immediately after the 1979
          revolution, their adjniiiistrative
          offices were raided by revolution.
          ary guards and mobs incited by
          mullahs. Their cemeteries were
          desecrated. The authorities then
          claimed that this violence was
          random, and responded by con-
          fiscatin “for their protection
          the religion's holy places, hospi-
          tals, clinics and other community
          propertY.
          The holy placas have since
          been vandalised or demolished
          and the most sacred of them, the
          House of the Bab in Shiraz, has
          been razed to the round. Last
          June orders were given to build
          roads and a public square on the
          site.
          Members have also been dis.
          missed from their jobs in the
          civil service and the schools and
          deprived of their pension rii 1 hts.
          Businessmen have had their
          premises and assets confiscated.
          Whole rural communities have
          been driven from their homes.
          The religion was born in Iran
          a century ago, but is now world-
          wide, with several million adher-
          ents, including 4,000 in Britain.
          As convenient sca egoats at
          times of national . upheasraL
          members have been variously
          accused of being agents for
          Tsarist Russia, for British
          imperialism, for international
          Zionism and for the Central
          Intelligence Agency.
          They are vulnerable to these
          2 ccusations because they believe
          in world government and do
          not take part in national dec.
          tions or accept political posts,
          though they are required by
          their religion to obey whatever
          national government is in power.
          Buc, u n Ii k e Christianity.
          Judaism and other minority
          religions in Iran, this faith s not
          recognised by Iran's new Islamic
          constitution and is effectively
          put outside the protection of the
          law.
          The United NatIons sub -com•
          mission is expected to issue a
          format condemnation next week.
          accusing the Iranian government
          of “systematic persecution
          motivated by religious intoler-
          ance and a desire to eliminate
          the faith irs the land of its birth.”
          The Iranian government
          denies the charge, claiming that
          adherents have been executed
          for crimes “—such as espion-
          ace. corruption or warring
          against God. Almost all of those
          executed have been olTered their
          lives if they would convert to
          Islam.
          Their case is expected to come
          up bcfore the United Nations
          General Assembly later this
          month. Irais has turned a deaf
          ear to appeals by the European
          parliament and the Council of
          Europe as well as diplomatic
          efforts by a growing number of
          governments. The leadership
          continues to consider them a
          heretics and — despite the fact
          that their religion speciRcallv
          forbids them to engage in politi-
          cal activity — a a — political
          sect.” . T — - -.
          —BPOOO571
          , ..) C t .. (. ‘.
          3EPTEMBER 19
          9
          torjn builds .
          Q.;.ehgioU
          slaughter . j 11 .fr
          by Rosemary Rightl!r