Religious murder in Iran

          
          SAN FRANCISCO, CA.
          EXAMINER-CHRONICLE
          S. 675,000
          SAN FRANCISCO METROPOLITAN AREA
          Religious murder in Iran
          AS EXECUTIONS of follos ers of the Bahai nantly Moslem Iran, and since 1979 at least 160
          faith in Iran (where the persecuted aré Bahais have been martyred Thousands of oth-
          described as:”agents of Zionism”) mount, we ers have been deprived of their basic human
          are reminded again that men seldom do evil so rights, and forced intG hiding. Property has
          completely as ‘ hen they do it from religious been confiscated and graves desecrated in a
          co itvictions deliberate ‘paign sanctioned by the Iranian
          In recent days, i7 Bahais have been goverii1nèi ttd eliminate followers.:ofthé éli-
          dered by the government of the Ayatollah gion — Iran s largest religious mmority group
          Khomeini. On a single day, six men were . . 1n May, President Reagan asked the Khom-,..
          executed by hanging, on another, 10 women, erni government to spare the lives of impris-
          ranging in age from 18 to 54, were put to death oned Bahais — a plea meant to invite world
          by Iranian authorities attention to the plight of the persecuted sect in
          the hope that .a..stro g1flt rflatiOflal ea tion
          Their crime was adherence to a creed that might cause Iranian authorities to nd the
          shuns violence teaches spirtual units and af slaughter
          firp s the equality of men and women — which Iran's brutal answer, the l anging of 17
          is heresy to the Moslem clergy dominated gov more prisoners of the faith, suggests that the
          ernnient of Iran Khomeini government mste d has decided to
          rThe Bahai religion hich evolved from step up its pogrom
          Islam in the mid 19th century, is the only sect May the necessary mternational t espon5e
          bereft of constitutional protection in predomi of condemi ation be swift and strong
          LI__
          JUL ,3 ‘
          BP000S 41
          I