BIC Statement at the 40th Session of UN Commission on Human Rights (BIC – 3/7/84)

          
          Baha' International Community Statement
          at the 40th session of the
          United Nations Commission on Human Rights
          Geneva — 7 March 1984
          Agenda item 12: Question of the violation
          of human rights and fundamental freedoms
          in any part of the world
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          In its statements under other agenda items, both at thIs session and
          at previous sessions of the Commission, the Baha' International community
          has focused upon the universal aspect of the Commission's work — that is to
          say, the work performed by the Commission in establishing principles, drawing
          up guidelines and elaborating international instr .unepts that are designed
          to promote and protect human rights generally and universally. We share to
          the full the concern of the Commission for all those who suffer discrimina-
          tion, injustice and oppression, whatever their race, creed, colour, sex,
          nationality or ethnic origin, and we have felt that we could best contribute
          to the betterment of the situation of the mass of mankind by presenting
          ideas and suggestions that were uni versal in their application and would
          thus assist the commission in carrying out the all-important universal aspect
          of its work.
          In making this statement under agenda item 12, we are, however, most
          unfortunately compelled to be specific and to bring once again to the
          attention of the Commission the continuing persecution of the Baha' religious
          minority in Iran. Their plight is desperate, they are isolated and totally
          defenceless, and they cannot speak here for themselves.
          The members of the Commission are already aware that, ever since the
          start of the Islamic Revolution, the 300,000 followers of the BahS' Faith
          in iran have been the victims of an official campaign of religious persecu-
          tion which has deprived them of their most fundamental human rights, including
          the right to life itself. They have been imprisoned, tortured and executed,
          denied jobs and education and deprived of their homes, possessions and means
          of livelihood solely on the grounds of their religious beliefs. Their holy
          places have been desecrated and destroyed, their cQxtm unity properties con-
          fiscated and their financial assets seized by the authorities.
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          Since the Corr nission debated this issue at its 39th session, the perse-
          cutions have continued unabated. Bah ' men and women, and even teenage girl ,
          have been executed for refusing to recant their faith. Baha' administrative
          activities have been declared illegal in Iran, and although the Bah ' s have
          disbanded all their admjrjstratjve institutions in Iran, hundreds of Baha' s
          who formerly served as members of these institutions ha e been summarily
          arrested. At least six hundred Baha' men, women and children are currently
          in prison and many of them are being tortured to try to force them to recant
          their faith. More details of these incidents can be found in paragraph 41 of.
          the report of the Secretary-General contained in document E/CN.4/l984/28.
          Ever since the persecutions began, the Government of the Islamic Repub-
          lic of Iran has consistently denied that it is engaged in a campaign of
          religious persecution against the Bah ' s and has sought to justify its
          actions by alleging that the Baha' Faith is a subversive political organi-
          zation, actively engaged in international espionage. No shred of credible
          evidence has ever been produced in support of these fanciful allegations and
          they have been rejected out of hand by every human rights organ that has so
          far examined them.
          History has taught us, Mr. Chairman, that revolution almost invariably
          brings in its wake a period of severe repression, characterized by large-
          scale violations of human rights. This is the state of affairs that exists
          in Iran today. When viewed against this background, the persecution of the
          Baha' minority might very easily be seen simply as one of the many unfor-
          tunate side-effects of the Iranian revolution. But that is most emphatically.
          not the case and we would like to emphasize to the Commission that, funda-
          mentally, the persecution of the Baha' s in Iran has nothing whatsoever to
          do with the Islamic Revolution. The revolution facilitated the persecution,
          but it did not inspire it.
          
        

          
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          The inspiration and motivation for the persecution of the Bah 'i s is
          religious prejudice, and that prejudice has existed ever since the Baha'
          Faith was founded in Iran in 1844. Because it appeared after Islam, it was
          categorized by the religious establishment as a dangerous heresy. For over
          a hundred years, fanatical elements among the fundamentalist Shi'ite clergy
          have agitated ceaselessly for the suppression of the Baha' Faith and, as
          a result, the Baha' s have been the most oppressed minority in ‘Iran.
          When the Islamic Revolution took place, it brought to power those very
          elements of the fundamentalist clergy most fanatically opposed to the Baha'
          Faith — and a religious pogrom was inevitable. A systematic plan was de-
          vised which was intended to accomplish the long-standing goal of annihilating
          the BahS' community and obliterating all traces of the Baha' Faith in the
          land of its birth. This plan — broad in its conception, remorseless in its
          execution — was immediately put into effect and rapidly advanced in all its
          phases.
          what is happening to the Baha'3 s in Iran is therefore something quite
          different and apart from the equal1 disturbing violations of human rights
          being suffered by countless other Iranian citizens. It is different because
          it is a campaign that is being waged against an entire community solely on
          the basis of religious affiliation. it is apart because, as we have explained,
          it is fundamentally unconnected with the revolution. And it is profoundly
          disturbing because, if allowed to proceed unchecked, it could result in the
          annihilation of an entire religious community. It has, indeed, been described
          by many independent observers as a campaign of religious genocide.
          The possibility clearly existed that the Government of Iran could pursue
          its campaign clandestinely, under cover of the post-revolutionary turmoil
          enveloping Iran, but, thanks to the vigilance of the international community,
          this has not been allowed to happen. The Commission on Human Rights, for
          
        

          
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          example, clearly perceived the very particular nature of the campaign being
          waged against the Bah ' minority and, in its wisdom, included specific re-
          ferences to the Bah ' s in its resolutions 1982/27 and 1983/34 dealing with
          the general human rights situation in Iran.
          We would like at this point, Mr. chairman, to express our profound
          gratitude to the Corrmission for the concern it has already de.monstrated for
          the BahS' minority in Iran. We are firmly convinced that the intervention
          of the international community has been instrumental in saving lives and in
          restraining the Iranian authorities from carrying out a pogrom of truly
          horrifying dimensions.
          At the same time, Mr. chairman, we continue to be gravely concerned
          for the fate of our fellow believers in Iran, especially the many hundreds
          who are currently in prison and who are suffering grievous tortures to try
          to force them to recant their faith.
          The Baha' s in Iran are totally defenceless. They have appealed to
          their govermment for justice and fair treatment, but all their appeals have
          been ignored. They are prepared to die rather than renounce their faith —
          but that is all they are prepared to do. As an article of their faith, the
          Bah ' s will not use violence to defend themselves against attack or arrest:
          they believe it is better to be killed than to kill. They wield no political
          power arid have no political allies because Bah ' s are obliged as an article
          of faith to abstain from any participation in politics. They will not oppose
          or attempt to overthrow their oppressors, because the Bah ' Faith requires
          all its followers to show the utmost loyalty and obedience to their govern-
          merit and to shun involvement in any form of subversive activity.
          Mr. Chairman, the Bah ' s in Iran have put their trust in God and hope
          for relief from their present persecutions through the goodwill, the com-
          passion and the sense of justice of the international community. We therefore
          
        

          
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          most earnestly appeal to the Commission on Human Rights once again to extend
          its aid to these innocent and helpless victims of a cruel and senseless
          persecution.
          In conclusion, 1W. Chairman, we would like to refer to the document
          “Bahaism - its origins and its role” which was distributed to the Commission
          yesterday at the request of the delegation of Iran. This latest attempt to
          defame the Baha' Faith contains charges which are so exaggerated and contra-
          dictory that it is very clear that they are false. However, in case it may
          be useful, we have prepared a Commentary on the document which we are making
          available to anyone who is interested.
          I
          7 March 1984