Iran: From Allah’s earth (The Economist)

          
          - . :.. :. . I d to .the hasty removal pf han's naval
          commander, Captain Bahram Aizali
          F ram A! h' c rth who was once considered one'of Tudeh's
          (A ace cards within, the regime.. , .
          . . . , , ‘ ‘••‘ The Hojattiha have now extended the ,.
          FROM A SPECLAL CORRESPONDENT fight against communism to a fight
          The unremitting persecution of Iran s against Iran s Kurds Earlier this year the
          Bahal community is one more sign of the .non-cornmunistKurdish Democratic par-
          ascendancy of the Hojattiha, the far-right ty released a statement saying that the .1.. /
          group of mullahs who originally called Soviet Union should be considered ‘a
          themselves the Anti-Bahai Society. The friend of iran”. This statement may have
          Hojattiha ‘hold the Bahais to. be' the been intended to shock the west into
          earth's most satanic beings, with commu- paying more h'eed to Kurdish demands
          fists coming second worst They are for autonomy The right-wing mullahs,
          dedicated to removing the Bahais from however, are using it as evidence that the
          the face of Allah s earth President Xurdish Democratic party has gone over
          Reagan has now asked *orld leaders to to the Soviet Union and needs to be
          join him in appealing to Ayatollah Kho wiped out for ideological as well as politi-
          meini not to carry out death sentences cal reasons
          against 22 Bahais awaiting execution in With Hojattiha support, Iran's army
          Shiraz; the likelihood of his being lis- and revolutionary guard have launched
          tened to is tiny an offensive against the Kurds in the
          The Bahais are considered Islamic her hope of blasting a path through their
          etics by the Iranian regime. The largest of mountain province.and opening ,a, new
          ‘Iran's religious minorities, ,the Bahais front against Iraq. So far the Kurdish
          were founded in 1844 by the Bab of guerrillas are more or less ho ing them
          Shiraz and have members in many parts back but the fighting is fierce and will
          of the world. There were about 300,000 grow fiercer. , , .
          in Iran but many have fled since the
          ayatollahs took over. Those who remain Guatemala
          are in hiding—and in danger The Hojat
          tiha who spent years compiling lists of B
          their names, ,were able to lengthen their ‘ ,
          lists last year when a' charitable fund ‘
          RO$,4 OUR CENTRAL AMERICA CORRESPONDENT
          helping needy Bahais was taken over and . . ‘ - ‘ ‘ ‘
          its documents confiscated So far 121 As a high level Guatemalan delegation to
          Bahais have been executed and more the United States was assuring receptive —
          than 200 are in prison Americans that a Guatemalan election
          ahai adults' are not allowed, to,work would ‘.be announced “not later than ‘ ‘ ‘ ,‘; “
          and Bahai children are banned from any March 1984 , with voting probably the succeeded where a similar campaign in
          sort of schooling Many parents have sent following June President Efrain Rios neighbouring El Salvador, pushed by
          their children to stay with Moslem friends MontL was declaring at lus regular tele American advisers, has failed Some
          or undetected Bahai relatwes so that they vised Sunday serm n that an election 100,000 Guatemalans have been prgan
          can continue their education In some would be put off indefinitely until the ised into a civil defence force armed with
          instances the regime offers a reprieve' nation was ready He claimed that more weapons ranging from nfles (some flint
          for Bahais who renounce their faith Few time was needed to reorganise the elec- locks) to machetes Anybody who resists
          have done so though there have been a toral register nd that the nation s sus- recruitment risks being summarily shot
          handful of showcase conversions with pended political parties (recently reinvi Money, food and work go to those who
          much attendant publicity gorated with the prospect of elections) ,,eollaborate with The government
          Compared with the Bahais, Iran s also needed to be modified This unex- Small patrols—another technique El
          other two main religious minorities, the pected volte-face has thrown Guaterna- Salvador s government could copy—have
          sews and the Christians have been left lans and Americans into confusion rooted the guerrillas out of-their strong
          alone They are not allowed t6 run their General Rios Montt an evangelical holds But the price of this success has
          own schools but can practise a subdued Protestant, has wrought great changes in been very high Civilians thought to be in
          version of their own faiths Their leaders Guatemala since lie was thrust to power sympathy with The guerrillas have been
          are penodically advised on the type of by young officers in March 1982 Most of Icilied in large numbers Some 100,000
          sermon they should be giving This advice the licensed killing in urban areas, a refugees who have fled to southern Mexi
          has included a call for recruitment to the feature of the brutal regime he succeed- Co tell horrendous tales of the murder of
          war with Iraq and many Armenian ed, has been curbed The 4,000 left-wing whole hamlets and the sadistic butchery
          Christians have responded insurgents who last year controlled most of women and children to deter other
          The Bahais have no way to fight back rif the rugged r orth-west of the country villagers from joining The left The coun
          a$a inst the regime Communism, the Ho- (about a third of its territory) have been try s lnd an population, amounting to
          jattiha s second enemy, presents more badly hit and dispersed marty fleeing into 60% of the whole, has bor ne thebruntof
          resistance Hojattiha influence was large- southern Mexico hese army killings, *hich still continue
          ly responsible for the closing down of This success is due largely to a counter- n addition, about un Indans have been
          Iran s Judeh (communist) party wh4ch insurgency lrive, known as Techos Jorti made homeless by the continued Fighting
          led last month, to the arrest of nearly liar y trabajo (roofs tortillas and work) General Rios Montt has suryived a
          4,Q0O suspected party members It also With the help of Israeli advisers, it has number of coup attempts all from the far
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          INTERNATIONAL