Iran’s Persecution of Bahais (Christian Science Monitor – 7/14/83)

          
          Increased persecution of members of the
          Bahal faith in Iran should concern all people
          of religious conscience. President Reagan in
          May issued an appeal to the. Ayatollah
          Khomeini to stop the planned execution of a
          number of well-known Bahais. His appeal
          proved unavailing. Since then 17 Bahais have
          been executed, and the severe repression of
          the Bahai community, including mistreat-
          ment of Bahai children in the schools and
          even outright banning of school attendance by
          them, continues.
          Ironically,. the fundamentalist. Shia Mus-
          lims of Iran do recognize o.ther religions..
          Zoroastrj.anism, Judaism, and Christianity
          have a special place in Islam and enjoy the
          protection of the law. The Bahais, however,
          are regarded as heretics and blasphemers be-
          cause they emerged out of Islam, claiming
          that their founder was the twelfth Shia Imam
          whose return to earth is still awaited. The fact
          that the rites and rituals of the Bahai faith are
          secret and that the international movement is
          headquarted in Haifa, Israel, adds to the sus-
          picion with which the Bahais are viewed.
          Ironically, too,.the Bahais — and there are
          some 300,000 in Iran — are good citizens. They
          tend to be well-educated and members of the
          professional class, serving as businessmen,
          teachers, middle-level go ernrnent officials,
          and army officers. Yet, as so often happens.
          with successful minorities, their very afflu-
          ence and professional achievements have
          helped fuel prejudice and make them the
          scapegoats for the nation's ills..
          If the theological and historical factors
          surrounding the Bahal issue were not compli-
          cated enough. another element now enters the
          picture. This is the rising influence in Iran of
          the Hodjatich faction within the fundamental
          ist Islamic movement. This anticommunist
          group favors free enterprise and a more secu-
          lar government. But it is extremely conserva-
          tive religiously, and opposes the Bahai faith.
          The fundamentalist regime of Ayatollah
          Khomeini thus finds itself between a rock and
          a hard place. lilt comes out against persecu-
          tion .of the Bahais — and this persecution
          seems to be largelyordered..a implemented
          at the local level it risks being accused by
          the Hodjatich faction of diluting Islam and
          thus its religious legitimacy. If it does noth-
          ing, it feeds Iran's disgrace in the eyes of the
          world.
          Everyone who cherishes religious freedom
          will hope that the international community
          brings all possible moral pressure to bear on
          the situation. The Islamic nations and Islamic
          leaders could be especially helpful to t.he Ba-
          hai community both by direct appeals to the
          government of Iran and by making clear what
          the ideals of Islam are. Surely these do not
          include intolerance and brutal repression of
          those who choose a different religious p l •
          •ns SSS
          BOSTON, MASS.
          CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR
          EASTERN ED.
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          BOSTON, MASS.
          CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR
          (New England Ed.)
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          BOSTON-LOWELL METROPOLITAN AREA
          BOSTON, MASS.
          CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR
          (Western Ed.)
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          JUL 14: I9 33 JUL 14 (983
          / Iran's persecution of Bahais
          - BP000244