Baha’i Community Worries About Member Still in Iran

          
          TIlE WASUITilGTON POST
          :Baha ‘j C'oiflinunity Worries About M e nbers Still in Iran
          By Marjorie }i 'er
          w. h I, m,o,,p , , 5 5jjwr um
          NEW YORK—No one Is keeping a
          more anxious watch on developments
          Jo Iran these dass than Victor de
          A aujo, who is tie representative of
          tbe International Bsha'l community to
          tile L'nltezi Notions here.
          :The Raha'i faith, which de Araujo
          represents and ohich originated In
          Iran, has had several bloody conflicts
          with the dominant Moslem forces
          there in it more than a century of
          exivtertre. With the control of Iran
          now moving too ned the pIece tradi-
          tional Moslem religious leaders again,
          ste Ara:ijo Is particularly anxious
          about the future.
          Baha'is form the largest religious
          Minority in Iran ste Araujo pointed
          out, but have no legal Status in the
          overwhelmingly Moslem state. White
          repoets reaching ste Araujo at his of-
          fice hers across from the U.N. build.
          log are confused, the Baha'is In Iran
          already have suffered during the tur-
          anoil there.
          Since the revolutIon began In Iran
          last winter, according to de Araujo,
          about 00 (1 Baha'i homes in that coun-
          try have becn burned; 15 adherents of
          (he faith have bevn wounded and two
          kill,'d: the putlltshtng house and
          llrha'i center in Tchran hove bp n
          padlocked; a Boha'lrun clinic in Is-
          fatson was dynantitect; orchards be-
          longing to Batia'i farmers have been
          seized; and hotv places of the religion
          have been seized or desecrated.
          Baha'( Commun :ties have been terrn
          recized, indiricisiats and families
          beaten and, de Araujo charged, In
          some Inslanc s driven to lalamic mns.
          ‘toes and forced to repent their faith.
          . The bitter antagonism of Moslems
          In the Baha'i faith has deep theotogi.
          iii roots, it is an aniagoniani, ste
          Araujo maintains, that also has been
          exploited for political purpooss.
          “The founders of the flahal faith
          were (Moslem) reformers within Iran.”
          he explained. “Like Christianity came
          out of Judaism, the flaha'I faith came
          Out of Iotztm.”
          The Baha'j faith began 1st the mid.
          19th century. In 1844 a young Persian
          merchant who came to be known as
          the flab disputed Islam's traditional
          view of the prophet Mohammed es the
          ultimate manifestation of God to man.
          The Rala taught that a new prophet
          would appeal' to bring a new law and
          a new era In the history of mankind.
          This challenee to the traditional Is-
          lamic view of illohammef was viewed
          an heresy by Moslems of that day
          and the flab was Imprisoned and
          finally executed in 1850.
          There followed an era of religious
          persecution in which, according to
          Bziha'l tradition, about 20,000 discIples
          of the Bob were killed and others
          forced Into exile.
          Thirteen yearn later, one of these
          exiles, who had fled to Baghdad, pro.
          claimed himself to be the prophet
          whom the Bab had foretold. For the
          stext 40 years this prophet, who be-
          came known as Bstta'u'llata, produced
          the body of writings thot Jlaha'is ac-
          knowledge 55 their seriotures.
          Though he continued in exile, his
          followers lii Iran. who became known
          as Bahais, remained faithful to his
          teaching. Respite harsh measures by
          Moslem leaders to wipe out this
          “heresy,” their numbers slowly In-
          creased and the faith Spread elm.
          where.
          Today the Batta'l believers, though
          relatively few In number, are scat-
          tered throughout the world. “Today
          110 national administrative bodiea of
          Raha'is throughout the world are re-
          cognized lby Secular government] and
          Rev, lit. WilIlam Hnwafd, president of
          the national council. He Is an Ameri-
          can Baptist minister and works for
          the Reformed Church in America.
          The Russian delegation luclude
          leaders of the Russian Orthodox
          Church and four other churches.
          The atstem nt, entitled “Choose
          Lire,” includes a general section that
          reiterates opposition to arms prolifer.
          tion on an econoniic and political
          . basis, then offers “Theological lieflec-
          (ions” and concludes with an eight.
          point “Call to Action,”
          In the “Call t Action,” the church
          renresentatlven ol.,l ,oi'
          Soviet, U.S. CIim'clinieii
          Call foi' End to Ai'm Race
          :
          GE s ”ES'A—Twenty top.lerel church
          r prt'testatia'ea frern (to United States
          and the Soviet Union have issued a
          otatcnacnt nere declaring that their
          coUntries' national resources should
          i'e released from the arms race and
          ‘employed In the development of just,
          sustainable and participatory soele.
          iies.”
          I .McetLig (or an unprecedented ec
          rlUsisoltral' summiT, itie church lead.
          era backed the SkIT II treaty—al.
          llie'ugtt (lie,' believe it Inadequate—
          and cali d for cessation of nuctoar
          arm; testins and nrnduc(inn,
          are able to hold property,” ste Arsujo .
          said. ‘
          “Traditionally in Islamic countrle
          the Baha'ia have had difficulty,” he
          continued. “Yet in I'akistsn they are
          recognized and eutitiod to hold pro.
          peity. And in Lebanon and Jordan
          there Is more freedom to move about
          than in Iran.”
          In Iran Boha'ls “wore turned Into
          the scapegoats of Islamic society,” ste
          ‘ Araujo said. ‘
          While lhaI,a'Is today view their rell.
          gion as a separate faith, orthodox Mos-
          lems still sea It at a Mosk'na heresy
          that in Iran Is accorded no t'lgtsta,
          ste Araujo said.
          “Wherever there arc nine or more
          Baha'ia, an administrative body Is
          eteeted to take care of tire affairs of
          the community,” he explained. Bsha'ls
          may go abroad to apresd their faith
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          “not as mioshonarles but as pioneers
          —they get a job and try to heroine
          Integrated in the fife and culture ‘of
          that country.”
          A key tenet of Baha't belief Ia the
          unity of all nations and racca and so,
          acceptance of the divine origin of all.
          great. religions including Judaism,
          Christianity, Islam and Buddhism.
          Baha'ls have no clergy, and “each
          Boiia'I is a teacher,” de Araujo said.
          lie denied that Daha'ts are aggreasive
          ly cvan eiIatIe though “we do share
          our faith In the tinily of all mankind,
          hut we do not force our conr'ctlons
          on anybody.”
          Accordisg (a do Araujo, (lie bloody
          history of Batta'is In their native
          Iran was modified somewhat under
          (lie Shati'bersuse “the Shah tried to
          hold the muiIah ]Moslena religious
          leaders] back,”
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          Be Araujo vehemently denied
          ‘charges leveled by some Iranian re-
          ‘ volutionarles that Bsha'is were poli
          tiealiy active in support of the Shah.
          “It would be a violation of their
          religious beliefs to join a national
          party,” lie asserted, “There are basic
          principles involved. Boha'is have the
          obligation to he loyal to the (national]
          government wherever they live and
          obey Its laws.” he saId. ,
          “Rut because of the Bsha'l beliefs
          In the organic onene 00 of the whole
          human rare they must never he tn.
          valved In any political organization
          of ans state, short of the whole world.
          Any organization ahort of the one-
          ness of the whole world would be
          divisive” and contrary to their goal
          of ultimate world unity, he said.
          De , 0 0 raujo estimated the number
          of Baha'ia In Iran today at “between
          300.000 and 500.000 (butl became of
          the persecution, a I t have not coma
          out directly” to decisre their allegi-
          ance to the faith.
          A bssc of the Bahal faith is edo-
          e3liOn, nab: Be Araujo, “There are
          almost no Illiterate Batss'is, beggary
          is. forbidden.” As a result be said
          they have werked themneives up into
          the ranks of Iranian profeaaions acd I
          the economic middle class whcre they
          are more vi il,le and. ste .;rar1ja feels,
          more vulnerable to attack.
          Do Araujo feels that the f'o ure
          security and well being of Bahs'ta in
          trait hinges on there being some lr;al
          ret'oTn :i.iun as a rotigiot's faith sepa-
          rate from Islam. “That is why we are
          very concerned about what might
          clime about with this flew conslitu-
          tion” to be drafted by the new revolu-
          tio axy government, he said. .
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