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Plight of Iranian. Ba'ha'is October 1984
Background : Since the 1979 u • 1
the Government of the islamic Be ubti a' 0 a flomeini,
the embodiment of one specific re Ligi o n— —Bb S ' it. 7a ° to be
authprity to persecute adherents of other telL S
it :: i
‘ t r t t ins t rc t 5 tirt O d
degree of discrimination, conditions have wor:ened particucari for
members of non-recognized groups such as thi Bsha'is, Ira&'s lax t'
torts: : t r: .ff ro*i n
social, and political grounds and have lost favor disproportionatel
under the current government. The Khomeini regime has virtually
‘1 faith, creating one of the gravest human rights
The Baha'i faiths The Baha'i faith—originally an offshoot of' Shi”ite
Islam —arose in Iran during the 19th century. The central figure in
the founding of Saha'ism, 3aha ”ullah, severed formal ties with Islam
and developed the new faith into a separate religion. Baha'is believe
in equality of the sexes, racial harmony, and universal education, and
practice abstinence from alcohol. There are sore than 1.5 million
aaha”is worldwide, about 350,000 of them in Iran. persecution' of
Baha'is is based mainly upon theological differences: Muslims believe
that there can be no revelation after Mohammed, and many consider the
flaha'i faith not as a separate religion but as a heretical departuri
from Islam.
treatment of Saha”i'S : Viewing flha”is as heretics and claiming they
are a •f jj ' colucts for the US and' Israel, the Khomeini regina
consistentlY has violated the basic human' rights of Iranian Baha'is.
Because Baha'i marriages never were recognised officially in Iran, for
example, the revolutionary regime has branded Baha 'S married women as
‘prostitutes. Baha'iSltrtnes have been desecrated a'6estroyedr the
House of ash, the site of the tounding of the aaha'i faith and its
most holy shrine, was demolished and converted into a parkIng 1st.
aabs'iS have been fired from their jobs and' their businesses
confiscated. They have been expelled fros schools at all levels and
denied social services and pensions to which: they were entitled under
Iranian law. Some of' these actions involved mob violence against
Saba' is , but most persecution has been' directed:, ‘by Iranian £3overnsent
authcsritiese A number of government officials belong to the
nojjatiyab. a society dedicated ‘to terninatiflg all Baha'iS.
tranian Government actions The President of the evoIutiontry Court
ji! the city of' Shfraz stated early in 1983:: wIt is absolutely certain
that in the Islamic Republic of Iran there is' no place for Btha'is and:
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flaha'iss. 0 The flantén Governzent has executed Baba'i's and,. through
torture and itpri:sonnent,. has. forced: Conversións of Bsha'is. to.
Is la m ,. Since' the: revolution,, tore than 110 flha• 1 1S;. have been executed.
b7 the regime or have died under torture in prison; others have sitp1 r
disappeared' ant are presuast dead . Prominent Baba9S.. have. besn
arrested' ‘and charged' with such ‘vague offEnses. as against Got 1 ,.!'
•corrupti 0a on earth,. 4. ?he I s lam i C: Bepablic t i official.
posit ion toward. saha:S'iA,, hardened'. i'n August: 1183,.. when: Iran 's
Prosecutor General' declared th&t •inivitio. of Balsa “is are: banned it'
Iran
• Zn response to: the n gtor' General t S pronouncement and. in keeping.
a saM't traditIOn of submitting to. governmental authority,, the
Natitnal Spiritual ‘Aesnbly'. of Baha”iS in Iran diSsolved a n
administrative institutions. At the same time,, these' elected'
representatives: of tb' s' Iranian Saha”i .unity.: appealed to uts
Iranian Government.' whi'àh was responsible for' ‘the execution or
• disappearance of' all ‘members of' the two:preceding: sahà “ 1 ati:oaa.l
Assemblies, to, restore' afl' rights, denied:: to indiv idual “ ha'ia because
of their religion.
Following its. ban on all Balsa'S reLtgioua. and' institutional
activiti:es,.. the IranianvGovernsent has intensified. Ste persecution.
?oday, more than 750' Baha ‘is's many of than. women., are imprisoned
Iran. Some 32”ot them are now awaitiflg ‘executiOn.. Accounts. of their
treatment indicate that. some prisoners. including' ,cmen, have been.
chained' to benches smite ' being: whipped' with canes. others report
teenage girls. beifl'g: executsd by “fiESfl squads or by:banflng and sCa
and women having boiling, water poured on their heads and: having. their
legs: and; backs: branded with bat. irons. Despite: promises of' f reeds
and restoratiOn: of' their property' if ‘they recant' and despite brutal.
treatment few.' BaW l's.. have' renounced' their faith and' t donverted to
Islam . , ,,
us: Government action: on: behalf . 1Zrfl $a LP !!ft't!t Publit pressure is.
one tthflhw” € 1's avaflab1e to the US Government when serious hUman”
rights violations take plot . Ste country, such as. Iran, .where .fl e: Ut
‘has little i:nf1ue e. Zfl key statements by the President and major
Mntntstrattow officials 4 in: the Countr)t ttS on HUman kights
• practices subtitted' annually' to. Congress.. in comments. on the: vMte of
XEiff a ,:in: ts concurrent congressional resolutions,. and: in a number
f: statements to. the. press,, the US Government has condemned' Iranian'
persecution at ‘the. Baba'is. ia . additthn , the US' has given refuge to
totS ‘than: lO:,,000 Iranian Baht'is during, the last 4 years. . pinally,
the fl5: has supported:' intetnational efforts on behalf of the' Daha”is..
including, those undertaken by the UN: S*crstar General, the UN
Econatic and Social Council,, and” the OW Human Rights Commission.
flarriot P. Caller,: Editor ‘ ( 02). 632a1208 - ‘ ‘‘ - - —
