Terrorism in Iran

          
          - . Xfi- 'i4:.; .fl.
          V:T e ojnt
          What happened to the hostages at
          the Embassy in Tehran is only the tip
          of the iceberg. Americans are finally
          discovering what has been going on in
          Iran for a year. Very little has been
          Henry A. Singer
          printed on The wideipread terrorism
          abroad in Iran, particularly against
          the aha'i community.
          The persecution of the Baha'is and
          the desperate action against the
          American Embassy are not neces-
          sarily what they appear to be. They
          are symptoms of a floundering and
          hopeless situation that is bein ex-
          ploited by a hard core of political
          opportunists. Counterforce cannot be
          as effective as economic measures
          and social-political isolation. The
          American government sensibly re-
          sponded in 'this (lirection. The Baha'is
          were the first sacrificial offerings;
          the 60 Americans were the next. It re-
          mains a crisis seeking a solution.
          • The Baha'i faith is an independent
          religion that emerged in the city of
          Shiraz in southern Iran, the city of the
          great Persian poets, Hafiz and Saadl,
          in 1844. Its prophet was All Muham-
          mad who took the name of Bab or
          “gate.” Like John the Baptist, he
          claimed to be the Herald of One
          greater than hituseif. The years that
          followed the Bab's declaration were
          filled with ferocious and fanatical
          murder of thousands of Baha'i follow-
          ers by Islamic zealots. Now, 135
          years later, the cycle is being re-
          peated.
          Information obtained by this
          writer from sources within Iran re-
          veals a horror story that has barely
          s irfaced in the world press. Baha'i
          hostages have been held incommuni-
          cado until bailed out by the Baha'i
          com nunity. They are released after
          payment and picked up a few weeks
          -later for larger sums. Some, such as
          BP00053 1
          the. Baha'i elder in Masithad, were
          less fortunate. When the community
          could not raise $100,000, he was exe-
          cuted.
          Baha'i grave sites throughout Iran
          are being dug up and desecrated. The
          birthplace of the sect's founder in
          Darkula was burned to the ground.
          Homes of outstanding community
          leaders, doctors, teachers, who hap-
          pened to be Baha'is, have been looted
          and destroyed, with some people
          beaten and killed. While it has not yet
          reached holocaust level, it does not
          have far to go. The community is
          gradually being destroyed. Many
          school teachers are Baha'is. All have
          been dismissed. Now, those non- '
          Baha'is who authorized their hiring
          originally are being persecuted, par-
          ticularly in Isfahan and Shiraz. The
          professors at the major universities
          have been stripped of all positions
          and then retired. They are now being
          required to refund salaries and pen-
          sions. Baha'is are on a black list.
          Property, holdings, are being system-
          atically confiscated.
          ((Like the SuBs, another Persian
          minority, the Baha'is believe one
          may approach Allah directly, without
          the intervention of a priesthood. The
          Baha'i religion claims to embrace the
          prophets of all religions equally as
          messengers of God. They believe that'
          one should demonstrate his devotion
          to justice and the human spirit in hi
          daily behavior. “Too often,” wrote
          Baha'u'llah, “has society suffered
          from outwardly pious men, pillars of
          church and ornaments of community,
          who were convinced they were
          ‘saved' and they, could, with un-
          punity, disregard, the basic rules of
          decent conduct.”l) . -.
          In an attempt to justify actions
          taken against the Baha'is, the faith is
          being identified not as a religion but a
          • 1 T
          I errorisni in iran
          political party. It is alleged that the
          Baha'i community supported the
          previous regime and thereby became
          powerful and wealthy. The truth of
          the matter can be found in the Baha'i
          principle and practice of complete ab-
          stention from participation in parti-
          san politics which was demonstrated
          in Iran in 1975 when Baha'is in the
          face of threats and considerable pres-
          sure refused to become members of
          the Rastakhiz Party promoted by the
          shah.
          active involvement with the previous
          regime, the fact is that the vast
          majority of Iranian Baha'is are of the
          poorer classes living in villages. A
          number were businessmen who pro-
          vided facilities for enlightened em-
          ployment for many workers.
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          • IRAN
          
        

          
          Terrorism In Iran
          THE SUNDAY POST, Bridgeport, Dec. 2, 1979
          ‘4
          The exercise at the American
          Embassy is part of the intoxication of
          power that has swept through the Left-
          ist youth in Iran. The mask of religi-
          osity seems to be an illusion.
          Khomeini has limited power. The real
          power appears to be in the hands of
          the Palestine cadres, 16 to 20..year-old
          PLO-trained political advisers at-
          tached to Kometahs in every locality.
          They are under the control of the PLO
          apparatus within Iran who direct the
          action, including the American
          Embassy takeover. The PLO ploy
          offering to obtain the release of the
          hostages is ironic. It has been part of
          the process of creating the incident.in
          the first place. -
          Whatever is left of civil govern-
          rnent in Iran has attempted to placate
          those making representation on
          behalf of the Baha'is by asserting
          that the Iranian Baha'is are a politi-
          cal party. The foreign minister, Dr.
          Ibrahirn .Yazdi, claimed on a recent
          American-television program that
          Iranian Baha'is, unlike Baha'is else-
          where, were involved in politics, con-
          spired with and were favored and
          supported by the shah. Dr. Yazdi at-.
          leges that they were prominent mem-
          bers of SAVAKI the shah's secret pa-
          ‘ice.
          Although some Baha'is with
          unique qualifications were placed in
          positions of trust because of their
          ability and integrity, it ts simply not
          true to say that Baha'is were favored
          by the Shah. On the contrary, they
          were denied civil rights. They could
          not register their marriages, nor hold
          religious ceremonies. They were for-
          bidden to publish Baha'i literature r
          establish Baha'i schools. Many from
          the rank and file of the Baha'is were
          denied jobs and sometimes even their
          ,-ohtc tn npnciflns h e mse of their
          - I
          As to the alleged role of Bahã is in
          SAVAK, this is clearly untrue. For
          example, as late as January 1979,
          through the machinations of SAVAK,
          before the final collapse of the hah's
          government, an order was given to
          systematically loot and destroy hun-
          dreds of homes of Baha'is in order to
          make it appear as if it were done by
          Khomeini ‘s followers.
          Although some Muslim clerics
          were among the first to try to dis-
          suade the mobs from participating in
          the SAVAK plan, they eventually
          could not contain the mobs from vent-
          ing their anger against the l3aha'is. It
          has now become a political device to
          distract the masses from the chaotic
          political and economic mismanage-
          ment.
          Nicholas Gage wrote in December
          of 1978: “For Iranians, the muljah's
          orders are law.” He referred to the•
          massacre of some 500 people locked
          in a movie theatre in Shiraz and set
          afire. This act was justified because
          the dead had been attending the
          cinema on a religious holiday.
          Combining this fanaticism with the
          militancy of the young PLO-inspired
          radicals makes the situation combus-
          tible. With the additional ingredient
          of Iranian oil, the chain reaction is
          awesorn . The Baha'is have been the
          first victims. The economic sanctions
          should be combined with continual
          political pressure for the human
          rights of the Baha'I minority and all
          peoples trapped within Iran.
          (Dr. Singer is executive director of
          the Human Resources Institute of
          Westport. He has been a visiting
          professor at the University of Tehran
          .,. l 1,,,..,, f,
          oliticat party. It is alleged that the
          aha'i community supported the
          revious regime and thereby became
          werful and wealthy. The truth of
          .e matter can be found in the Baha'i
          inciple and practice of complete ab-
          In one case when a Baha'i ac-
          cepted a cabinet post under duress he
          was deprived of membership in the
          Baha'i community. As to the allega-
          tion that the Baha'i community
          reaped financial reward because of
          IRAN
          :ention from participation in parti-
          in politics which was demonstrated
          tIran ii 1975 when Baha'is in the
          ice of threats and considerable pres.
          ire refused to become members of
          T ...
          active involvement with the previous
          regime, the fact is that the vast
          majority of Iranian Baha'is are of the
          poorer classes living in villages. A
          number were businessmen who pro-
          .,;A,.A f...-