Iranian Bahai called mob victims (UPI – 7/5/1983)

          
          U P se h en
          LONDON — At least 130 women
          and children belonging to the Bahai
          faith banned by Iran's Islamic ië fme
          were attacked and forced to hide in a
          north Iran forest last week for refus-
          ing to change their religion, the Bahai
          assembly of Britain said Monday.
          r'The mob which drove the group
          into the forest consisted of all kinds of
          pe ple, not just government forces,”
          sai i Mary Hardy, general secretary of
          the Bahai community's organization.
          iShe said the organization had no
          ne .vs of the group's whereabouts
          after it escaped into the forest. Nor
          did it know how many of the group
          w re children, she added.
          The Bahais were inhabitants of the
          Ival village, near the north Iranian
          to rn of Sari, before they “were
          he ded into a walled field without
          food and water on June 28,” Hardy
          saM in a prepared statement.
          “Tl ey were told they were to be
          h id there until they recanted their
          faith and embraced Islam.
          “At .the end of three days none of
          the captives had recanted,” the state-
          mént said.
          They were released July 1 “to
          return home” but before they could
          do so they were attacked by a “village
          mob and forced to hide in the nearby
          forest.”
          “Horrifically enough, the only
          crime they committed was that they
          were Bahais,” Hardy said.
          Sixteen Bahais, including 10
          women, were executed in Iran
          between June 16 and 18 desoite an
          appeal by President Reagan to spare
          their lives.
          The executions brought to 151 the
          number of Bahais who have been put
          to death because they refused to
          recant their faith, Hardy said.
          “As far as prisoners go we have no
          idea about their numbers,” she said.
          “The entire Bahai international
          community has been appalled at this
          new cruelty being inflicted on its Ira-
          nian brothers. Appeals are being
          made to the government-and all
          humanitarian agencies,” the state-
          ment said.
          The statement also said two
          Bahais, Jehangir Hedayati and
          Ahmad Bashiri, were kidnapped
          while walking in a street in Tehran on
          June 29.
          NEW YORK, N.Y.
          TRIBUNE
          —0. 69,000—
          NEW YORK CITY METROPOLITAN AREA
          JUL. 1983
          --
          NEW YORK, N.Y.
          TIMES
          D. 887,221—S. 1,461,673
          NEW YORK CITY METROPOLITAN AREA
          BP000241
          Ifràn an Baha group T
          caflad mOb victims:
          K
          .1