Aadel Collection
Baha’i International Community — Report of Baha’i International Community Delegation to Thirty-fourth Session of the United Nations Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection Minorities
BAHAI INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY
886 UNITED NATIONS PLAZA • NEW YORK, N. V. 10017. U.S.A.
Cable: BAHAINTCOM NEWYORK - Telex: 666363 BICNY
(212) 486 - 0560
Representative -
to the United Nations
Dr. Victor de Araujo
Airemate Representative
Mr. Gerald Knight
Report of the Baha'i International Community Delegation
to the Thirty _ Fol. rthAnnUal Session of the United Nations Sub-Commission
on Prevention of Discrimination andProtectionof Miflorities;Palai.sdeS
Nations, Geneva, Switzerlafld 17 AliguSt - 11 September 1981
The Sub-Commission is a 26-member body of independent experts, nominated
for membership by their own government but elected for a three year term
by the parent body, the Commission on Human Rights, which is a functional
commission of the United Nations Economic and Social Council. A list of
the individual expert members of the Sub-Commission is attached.
The Baha'i International Community delegation to the Sub-Commission was:
Mr. Gerald Knight, Alternate Representative to the United Nations from
the Baha'i International Community's United Nations Office in New York;
Mr. Giovanni Ballerio, Representative to the United Nations in Geneva;
and Mme. Mahshid Fatio, Alternate Representative in Geneva.
The Baha'i International Community delegation made extensive
contact with members of the Sub—Commission during the first few days of
the session, drawing their attention to the worsening plight of the
Baha'iSin Iran, sharing with them the report on the persecutions con-
tained in the “White Paper” prepared by the Baha' i International Community
United Nations Office and emphasizing that the Baha'i persecution was not
part of the revolutionary process, but was a continuing and quite separate
issue. The Ba):ia'i delegates emphasized that the revolution provides a
cover for fanatical elements to pursue their determined campaign to
eliminate the Baha'i Faith in the land of its birth.
The reaction of members was extremely favourable and it soon became
clear that the Baha'i case would be extensively referred to during the
meetings and that there was an excellent chance of a resolution being
adopted under the relevant agenda item.
The efforts of the delegation were greatly assisted by actions taken
by governments sympathetic to the Baha'i case, in particular Australia
and Canada, whose permanent missions .in Geneva had submitted official
requests to the Secretary—General that the resolutions of their national
parliaments should be circulated as official documents of the Sub—Corn-
mission at its Thirty-Fourth Session and of the Commission at its
Thirty-Eighth Session in 1982.
The Bah&i International Community representatives had close contact
with observer delegates from Australia and Canada, as well as from many
Accredited in consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and the United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF)
Associated with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the United Nations Department of Public Information (DPI)
-2-
other governments, and it became clear that there was a wide measure
of support and interest. Information about the persecution was shared
with many delegates, as well as with representatives of a number of
non—governmental organizations.
Many delegates commented very favourably about the thoroughness of
the Baha'i campaign to come to the aid of their oppressed brethren in
Iran and said they were extremely impressed by the results obtained.
This has led them to inquire more deeply into the ‘raison d'gtre' of
the Baha'iS and there have been many opportunities to inform delegates
of the character of the Faith and the nature of its teachings.
Members of the Sub-Commission and government delegates, from Africa,
Asia, North and South r merica and Europe, were guests of the Baha'i
International Community at private dinner parties held in Baha'i homes
in Geneva. Two delegates even came uninvited, so intrigued were they
to learn more about the Baha'is and enjoy their hospitality.
The warmth of the contacts made and the measure of support which
seemed to exist for the Baha'i case was due in no small measure to the
excellent contacts made by the relevant National Assemblies with the Sub-
Commission members and with their governments.
Members from many countries mentioned being visited by, or receiving
material from, Baha'is in their own countries and there is no doubt that
this had a positive effect. Worthy of special note were the comments in
• this connection made by the members from Ghana, Zambia, Bangladesh, India,
Norway, Peru, France and the United Kingdom.
So keen were some members of the Sub-Commission to highlight the
plight of the Baha'is in Iran that they did not wait for the most appro-
priate agenda item dealing with gross violations of human rights. In-
stead they brought the matter up under a narrower and more restricted
item dealing with detention or imprisonment. Mr. Ben Whitaker from the
• United Kingdom was the first to mention the Baha'i case in public. He
quoted the “urgent and deplorable” case of the Baha'is in Iran, who were,
he said, innocent citizens who are loyal to the Government. Their leaders,
he continued, have been executed without cause and proof of the false
charges was the fact that they had been offered their lives in exchange
for a change of their religious beliefs. He felt it was in the interests
of Iran and of human rights for the Sub-Commission to protest publicly
against this persecution. Under the same agenda item, three more members,
Mr. Foli from Ghana, Mr. Mubanga-ChiPOYa from Zambia and Mrs. Warzazi
from Morocco also quoted the Baha'i situation in Iran. Mr. Foli said the
persecution had reached an alarming new stage. He felt that there was
convincing evidence of a determined policy of extermination arid the Sub—
Commission should pronounce itself very clearly on this case.
Mrs. Warzazi referred to the summary arrests and executions in Iran,
saying that the pitiless repression cast a shadow over Islam and its
values of tolerance, love of justice, respect for the human person, pro-
tection of human life, love of liberty and condemnation of excess. She
specifically referred to the persecution of the Baha'i religious minority
as an example of what was being done in the name of Islam.
—3—
Mr. Nubanga-Chipoya said that, although the Baha'i religion was
undoubtedly apolitical, the Government of Iran appeared to have singled
it out for persecution. He called on the Sub-Commission to examine what
could be done.
Later in the session, under an agenda item dealing with gross
violations of human rights in any part of the world, the attention of
the Sub—Commission was drawn to the persecution of the Baha'is in Iran
by eight speakers, namely Mr. Whitaker (United Kingdom), Mr. Bossuyt
(Belgium), Mr. Khalifa (Egypt), Mr. Masud (India), Mr. Eide (Norway),
Mr. Foli (Ghana), The International League for Human Rights and the
Baha'i International Community's U.N. representative.
Mr. Khalifa said that religious minorities, such as the Baha'is,
have taken more than their fair share of official violence. He asked
who had' the right to probe into the minds of people and judge their
ideas, convictions, faith or belief. “What happens at the hands of
these mullahs”, he said, “is the bizarrest ugly caricature of a wild
dream — not Islam”.
Mr. Masud, commenting that so many crimes were being perpetrated
in Iran in the name of religion, called on the present leadership not to
interpret the Islamic religion in the way they were doing. He said that
religion had been interpreted in different ways but all stand for faith
in God and service to humanity. He said this principle should be applied
to the Baha'is who believe in the oneness of God and of religion. They
were tried, he said, on false charges. He called on the Sub—Commission
to appeal to the Iranian Government to restore normalcy.
Mr. Eide described the Baha'i persecution as meaningless and un-
acceptable. There is no justification, he said, for these measures
against them, measures which, he said, now seemed to be fully documented.
Mr. Foil, in common with Mr. Bossuyt and others, described the
Baha'is as a peace-loving conununity. He said they were being liquidated
with abandon in Iran.
The Baha' i International Community made a statement describing the
suffering of its community in Iran and appealing to the conscience of
the international community to “investigate closely the plight of the
Baha ‘is• in Iran and to consider what may be done to alleviate their
suffering and to stem the perilous tide of extermination now threatening
their very existence”.
The International League for Human Rights said that the situation
of the Baha'is in Iran was of special concern. Referring to the “excellent
testimony of the Baha'i International Community representative”, the
League's representative said that the authorities in Iran had drastically
escalated their campaign of harassment and persecution and the situation
of the Bai-ia'is was now urgent.
—4—
A draft resolution sponsored by eleven members was adopted on
9 September 1981 by nineteen in favour with none against and five
abstentions. The resolution was introduced by Mr. Martinez Baez.
from Mexico. During the debate which followed, a number of members -
Mr. Whitaker, Mr. Eide, Mr. Foli and Mr. Jimeta - spoke in favour of
the resolution.
Press interest in the Baha'i persecution in Iran was evident from the
beginning of the session as many journalists were interested to know
what developments could be expected at the Sub-Commission. The Baha'i
International Community delegation learned from one journalist that
Mr. Theo van Boven, Director of the Division of Human Rights, had
directed the attention of journalists to the Baha'i case at a press
briefing the week before the commencement of the session.
Press interest resulted in major coverage. The BBC, in its
World Service news bulletins on Saturday 29 August, reported the state-
ment made to the Sub-Commission the day before by the Báha'i Inter-
national Community and, later the same day, the BBC Persian Service
quoted directly and extensively from the statement.
The leading French newspaper “Le Monde” reported the statements
made about the Baha'i persecution by three members of the Sub-Com-
mission and the major British weekly newspaper “The Sunday Times”
carried an excellent report of the persecutions in its 6 September
edition.
News items reporting the adoption of the resolution were dis-
tributed by AP, APP, DPA, UPI and Reuters. NBC Radio broadcast a
brief interview in the U.S.A. and reports were carried by, amongst
others, Le Monde, The Times, The Guardian and the International
Herald Tribune.
* **
Liat of M mbe
of the S b-C0flTmiSSiOfl on Prevention
of Discrimination nd PrOtectiOfl of Minorities
Thirty-Fourth Arint a1 Ses ion
African States
Mr. Jonas K.D. Foli Ghana
Mr. Ibrahim Jimeta Nigeria
Mr. méd Khalif a Egypt
Mr. C. L . C. Mubanga-ChipOya Zambia
Mr. Mohained Yousif Mudawi Sudan
Mrs. Halim Embarek Wa.rzazi Morocco
Mr. Fisseha Yimer Ethiopia
A ian States
Mr • Abu Sayeed Chowdhury Bangladesh
Mr. Riyadh AzizHadi Iraq
Mr. Nasser Kaddour Syrian Arab Republic
Mr. Syed S.A. Masud India
Mr. S. Sharifuddin Pirzada Pakistan
Eastern European States
Mr. Duxnitru Ceausu Romania
Mr. Vsevolod N. Sofinsky USSR
Mr. Ivan Tosevski Yugoslavia
Latin American States
Mr. Antonio Martinez Baez Mexico
Mrs. Elizabeth Odio Benito Costa Rica
Mr. Raul Ferrero Peru
Mr. Julio Oyhanarte Argentina
(Alternate, Mr. Gomensoro)
Mr. Jorge Eduardo Ritter Panama
(Alternate, Mrs. Perdi.mto de Sousa)
Western European and other States
Mr. Marc Bossuyt Belgium
Mrs. Erica—Irene A. Daes Greece
Mrs. Nicole Questiaux France
(Alternate, Mr. Joinet)
Mr. Benjamin Whitaker United Kingdom
Mr. Beverly Carter Jr. United States
Mr. Asbj orn Eide Norway
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