Aadel Collection
Terrorism in Iran
- . Xfi- 'i4:.; .fl.
V:T e ojnt
What happened to the hostages at
the Embassy in Tehran is only the tip
of the iceberg. Americans are finally
discovering what has been going on in
Iran for a year. Very little has been
Henry A. Singer
printed on The wideipread terrorism
abroad in Iran, particularly against
the aha'i community.
The persecution of the Baha'is and
the desperate action against the
American Embassy are not neces-
sarily what they appear to be. They
are symptoms of a floundering and
hopeless situation that is bein ex-
ploited by a hard core of political
opportunists. Counterforce cannot be
as effective as economic measures
and social-political isolation. The
American government sensibly re-
sponded in 'this (lirection. The Baha'is
were the first sacrificial offerings;
the 60 Americans were the next. It re-
mains a crisis seeking a solution.
• The Baha'i faith is an independent
religion that emerged in the city of
Shiraz in southern Iran, the city of the
great Persian poets, Hafiz and Saadl,
in 1844. Its prophet was All Muham-
mad who took the name of Bab or
“gate.” Like John the Baptist, he
claimed to be the Herald of One
greater than hituseif. The years that
followed the Bab's declaration were
filled with ferocious and fanatical
murder of thousands of Baha'i follow-
ers by Islamic zealots. Now, 135
years later, the cycle is being re-
peated.
Information obtained by this
writer from sources within Iran re-
veals a horror story that has barely
s irfaced in the world press. Baha'i
hostages have been held incommuni-
cado until bailed out by the Baha'i
com nunity. They are released after
payment and picked up a few weeks
-later for larger sums. Some, such as
BP00053 1
the. Baha'i elder in Masithad, were
less fortunate. When the community
could not raise $100,000, he was exe-
cuted.
Baha'i grave sites throughout Iran
are being dug up and desecrated. The
birthplace of the sect's founder in
Darkula was burned to the ground.
Homes of outstanding community
leaders, doctors, teachers, who hap-
pened to be Baha'is, have been looted
and destroyed, with some people
beaten and killed. While it has not yet
reached holocaust level, it does not
have far to go. The community is
gradually being destroyed. Many
school teachers are Baha'is. All have
been dismissed. Now, those non- '
Baha'is who authorized their hiring
originally are being persecuted, par-
ticularly in Isfahan and Shiraz. The
professors at the major universities
have been stripped of all positions
and then retired. They are now being
required to refund salaries and pen-
sions. Baha'is are on a black list.
Property, holdings, are being system-
atically confiscated.
((Like the SuBs, another Persian
minority, the Baha'is believe one
may approach Allah directly, without
the intervention of a priesthood. The
Baha'i religion claims to embrace the
prophets of all religions equally as
messengers of God. They believe that'
one should demonstrate his devotion
to justice and the human spirit in hi
daily behavior. “Too often,” wrote
Baha'u'llah, “has society suffered
from outwardly pious men, pillars of
church and ornaments of community,
who were convinced they were
‘saved' and they, could, with un-
punity, disregard, the basic rules of
decent conduct.”l) . -.
In an attempt to justify actions
taken against the Baha'is, the faith is
being identified not as a religion but a
• 1 T
I errorisni in iran
political party. It is alleged that the
Baha'i community supported the
previous regime and thereby became
powerful and wealthy. The truth of
the matter can be found in the Baha'i
principle and practice of complete ab-
stention from participation in parti-
san politics which was demonstrated
in Iran in 1975 when Baha'is in the
face of threats and considerable pres-
sure refused to become members of
the Rastakhiz Party promoted by the
shah.
active involvement with the previous
regime, the fact is that the vast
majority of Iranian Baha'is are of the
poorer classes living in villages. A
number were businessmen who pro-
vided facilities for enlightened em-
ployment for many workers.
The e
Emba
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spired
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ability a
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by the'
were de
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denied
- rights •t
refusal
In one case when a Baha'i ac-
cepted a cabinet post under dure: h
was deprived of membership in th
Baha'i community. As to the aIlej -i.-
tion that the Baha'i commurthv
reaped financial reward because u
• IRAN
Terrorism In Iran
THE SUNDAY POST, Bridgeport, Dec. 2, 1979
‘4
The exercise at the American
Embassy is part of the intoxication of
power that has swept through the Left-
ist youth in Iran. The mask of religi-
osity seems to be an illusion.
Khomeini has limited power. The real
power appears to be in the hands of
the Palestine cadres, 16 to 20..year-old
PLO-trained political advisers at-
tached to Kometahs in every locality.
They are under the control of the PLO
apparatus within Iran who direct the
action, including the American
Embassy takeover. The PLO ploy
offering to obtain the release of the
hostages is ironic. It has been part of
the process of creating the incident.in
the first place. -
Whatever is left of civil govern-
rnent in Iran has attempted to placate
those making representation on
behalf of the Baha'is by asserting
that the Iranian Baha'is are a politi-
cal party. The foreign minister, Dr.
Ibrahirn .Yazdi, claimed on a recent
American-television program that
Iranian Baha'is, unlike Baha'is else-
where, were involved in politics, con-
spired with and were favored and
supported by the shah. Dr. Yazdi at-.
leges that they were prominent mem-
bers of SAVAKI the shah's secret pa-
‘ice.
Although some Baha'is with
unique qualifications were placed in
positions of trust because of their
ability and integrity, it ts simply not
true to say that Baha'is were favored
by the Shah. On the contrary, they
were denied civil rights. They could
not register their marriages, nor hold
religious ceremonies. They were for-
bidden to publish Baha'i literature r
establish Baha'i schools. Many from
the rank and file of the Baha'is were
denied jobs and sometimes even their
,-ohtc tn npnciflns h e mse of their
- I
As to the alleged role of Bahã is in
SAVAK, this is clearly untrue. For
example, as late as January 1979,
through the machinations of SAVAK,
before the final collapse of the hah's
government, an order was given to
systematically loot and destroy hun-
dreds of homes of Baha'is in order to
make it appear as if it were done by
Khomeini ‘s followers.
Although some Muslim clerics
were among the first to try to dis-
suade the mobs from participating in
the SAVAK plan, they eventually
could not contain the mobs from vent-
ing their anger against the l3aha'is. It
has now become a political device to
distract the masses from the chaotic
political and economic mismanage-
ment.
Nicholas Gage wrote in December
of 1978: “For Iranians, the muljah's
orders are law.” He referred to the•
massacre of some 500 people locked
in a movie theatre in Shiraz and set
afire. This act was justified because
the dead had been attending the
cinema on a religious holiday.
Combining this fanaticism with the
militancy of the young PLO-inspired
radicals makes the situation combus-
tible. With the additional ingredient
of Iranian oil, the chain reaction is
awesorn . The Baha'is have been the
first victims. The economic sanctions
should be combined with continual
political pressure for the human
rights of the Baha'I minority and all
peoples trapped within Iran.
(Dr. Singer is executive director of
the Human Resources Institute of
Westport. He has been a visiting
professor at the University of Tehran
.,. l 1,,,..,, f,
oliticat party. It is alleged that the
aha'i community supported the
revious regime and thereby became
werful and wealthy. The truth of
.e matter can be found in the Baha'i
inciple and practice of complete ab-
In one case when a Baha'i ac-
cepted a cabinet post under duress he
was deprived of membership in the
Baha'i community. As to the allega-
tion that the Baha'i community
reaped financial reward because of
IRAN
:ention from participation in parti-
in politics which was demonstrated
tIran ii 1975 when Baha'is in the
ice of threats and considerable pres.
ire refused to become members of
T ...
active involvement with the previous
regime, the fact is that the vast
majority of Iranian Baha'is are of the
poorer classes living in villages. A
number were businessmen who pro-
.,;A,.A f...-
