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.
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7 March 1984
