Persecution could become genocide for Bahais in Iran (San Francisco Chronicle – 7/3/1983)

          
          SAN FRANCISCO, CA.
          EXAMINER -CHRONICLE
          S. 675,000
          SAN FRANCISCO METROPOLITAN AREA
          JJL 3 3S '
          Bahais say they face a decision like Christian martyrs 2,000 years ago — ren6unce their faith or die
          Persecution could
          become genocide
          for Bahais in Iran
          By Don Lattin
          Examiner religion writer
          Azam Yazdi looks back on the
          death of her husband, executed in
          Iran two years ago by an Islamic
          revolutionary firing squad, from two
          perspectives.
          “As the wife of a Bahal martyr, I
          feel very proud,” Azam said last week
          in her cousin's Pacifies home.
          “But as a wife who has lost her
          husband, it's a very different thing.'
          Azani continued, with tears welling
          and her dignified expression melting
          into one of long-repressed agony.
          Thousands of Bahais living in the
          United States, those who were here
          before the 1979 Islamic revolution -
          and others who have fled the ex-
          treme fundamentalism of the Ayatol-
          lah Ruhollah Khomeini, are con-
          cerned about family and friends in
          Iran.
          More than 150 members of the•
          Bahai faith — whose belief in the
          equality of women and “oneness” of
          all religions contradicts the Islamic
          law of the Iranian government —
          have been executed in the last four
          years.
          Religious leaders here fear that
          the campaign against the 300,000
          meniberE of the Bahai minority in
          Iran will escalate into genocide.
          On June 18, 10 Bahai women were
          hanged in the southern Iranian city
          of Shiraz. Six Bahal men were execut-
          ed by firing squad there two days
          earlier.
          Amnesty International, the Inter-
          A
          national human rights grdup, has pro-
          tested Iran's treatment of the Bahais,
          saying that “they ire being persecut-
          ed solely for their religious beliefs,”
          Bahais here say members of their
          faith in Iran are faced with a decision
          tragically similar to that of the Chris-
          stan martyrs nearly 2,000 years ago —
          renounce their faith or die.
          Azam, who was aP-wed to visit
          her husband during hL nine months
          in prison, said he endured seven
          lengthy interrogations and was told
          “if he recanted he would be set free?'
          “His grandfather was martyred
          for being a Bshai and he said he
          would never recant,” said Azam, who
          asked that her real last name not be . - -
          used out of fear for Bahai relatives -
          still in Iran.
          “If my husband had done some-
          thing wrong, it would be different,”
          she said. “But he died being tree to.
          his religion to the last minute.”
          There are 4,000 to 5,930 Bahals In
          the Bay Area. Among them are Vahid
          and Mahro Vafaei of Berkeley, who
          lost a third relative in the moat recent
          government-sanctioned executions.
          Their 59-year-old father, Rahmatol-
          lah Vafaei, was arrested last Decem'
          ber and executed on March 12, He
          ran a small radio and appliance store
          In a southern Iran city, where he was
          a longtime member of the local Bahal
          spiritual assembly,
          “The only charge was ‘Zionism' -
          and ‘sending money to Israel,'” Vahkt,
          said. “If we send money to Israel, It's
          not for the Israeli people or the Israeli
          government, it's for our temple there
          —‘ -j
          and for the Bahal central governing
          committee in Israel. It's just an ex-
          cuse.”
          (People of the Bshai faith — like
          Jews, Christians and Moslems — have
          an Important religious shrine in Is-
          rael. Their World Bahal Center was
          established there in the last century,:
          shortly after the founder of their,
          faith, Baha Allah, died in the Holy:
          Land after being exiled from his
          native Iran.)
          Vshid's uncle, another Bahai ac-
          tis'e in one of the local spiritual as-
          semblies in Iran, was executed last
          year.
          His father's 79-year-old cousin sas
          one of the 10 women hanged last
          month.
          “She was ‘gery active,” said Vahid's Katia said. “If they recognize Baha
          wife, Katia Vafaei. “All of the Bahai Allah as a prophet, what happens to
          children have been kicked out of the the things they have been saying all
          schools, and she had been teaching these years?”
          them in her home.” Bath Katia Vsfaei and her hue-
          Bahal children have been expelled band, a student at San Francisco
          from Iranian schools, religious lead- State University, came here before
          em here say, because their parents'. the shah's ouster in february -1979.
          marriages are not recognized under Mahro Vafaei came to the United
          Islamic law and the children are con- States shortly after the revolution
          sidered illegitimate or “unclean.” and enrolled at Alameda Community
          “It's not like all Muslims in Iran College.
          hate the Bahais,” Vahid said. “But Azam, whose martyred husband
          those who are in power today are the was a prominent construction engi.
          ones who hate Bahals.” neer and member of the spiritual
          “They (the mullahs who control assembly in Tehran, escaped from
          tile government) believe that Islam Iran last year. Her three sons are 110w
          the last religion in the world and that living in anads, where she plans to
          Mohammed W5S tile last prophet,” settle.
          — “They just threw me out of my
          house with nothing.” she said, speak-
          log through an interpreter. “This has
          happened to many of the Bahais.”
          Her husband, whose family has
          been Bahat Since the founding of the
          religion in the last century, was out of
          the country in 1979, ut returned
          because he thought he had nothing to
          worry about.
          During the shah's regime, she said,
          there had been relatively little gov-
          ernment-sanctioned persecution of
          Bshais.
          “We were not concerned,”, she
          said. “Khomeini had announced the
          Bahsis would hsve freedom and
          many thought it would be even better
          than under the shah. And right after
          the revoiutssn, the Ministry of Roads
          asked him ther husband) to be in-
          solved in a big project.”
          ]E POOO24O
          C
          Azam Vazdi, right, is proud to be wife of Bahai martyr, ‘but as a wife who has lost her husband, it's a very different thing'