The Bahais of Iran

          
          1 3 SEP 1981
          -— IIER XN43 2017 2 3/08/8i L:r.NES •T: 23 P 2o :1'53 0
          DESPATCH FROM GENEVA
          :8Y nLAN Mcr3Rt:::OOR
          F N. TEL CAL.L. 19 3O TAPE NO 34 237
          : THE aAHIAS OF IRAN
          N/N
          CUE In Oenev'a the twent'.j—s:i.; member UN Human I: igh+
          3s.j —Con is ion on Pi' eventi.on of Di.scr :Lm.i.nat,.i.on and
          t roteCt:Lofl of M:i.nor :Lt:Les ‘: staken up the subject of'
          what is nOW happening to the Eti.l tCd three hu.ndr ed-
          thousand E .ahai r ci ig :Lous m:Lnor :LtLJ in I r an Al an Mc Or egor
          On the basis of' details put before the sub—c omm.ission b Mr
          (3cral ci Kn:i.ght represent:i.fl(3 the Baha:i. .internat:i.ona). c:ammun:i.tcj, the
          :e': h' is :w jec:t to ‘perc cI.Ation rem:i.n:Lscent in ome•
          wiaLjs of who.t happened to Jews in Na :i Ger mantj just before the second
          world: WIlT' ., Tlkel.j were facing e; ccut:i.on he said cb.. ; i_ssai from
          emp iotjment and c xc: lusi.on from c:ommerc:c .. The onlij consistent
          alter native offered them being recantation of thei r faith r cgiaT'ded
          as heretical bLJ Iran's Mi. .s1. m fi.jnc1u: tent'alists The .j were being
          pub). ic i'j denounced he w nt on during Fr :Lday ser mans in the Mcques ..
          ‘Theq had no i:tratection iaga:Lnst looting arson . beatings murcici .
          tar t'.ire fr ee :Lng o+ bank accounts or c onfi..scat.ton 0+' proper ttj . . He
          cited ‘as ttjpic'al of what was happena.ng the vi ii ‘age of Dow3. 'atab'ad near
          Teher 'an . where the Bahai .inhabit':ints had been g:Lven ‘an ultimu
          c:Lther to c mbrance Islam., or leave the viii age.. As a T'Cs'i.Jt c c suc:h
          pressures in man'j areas at 1 east ten—thousand Dahai..s were now
          homeless.. :1: ecluc'aU.on he sa:i.d ? rampant discr :i.m:Lnat:i.on was be:Lncj
          practised.. Some schools now had spcc:ial forms on which pupils
          re). ig:i.on had to be inscr.ibed admi.ss:i.on be:i. ng refused if ward
          Bahial. were inserted ,. He spoke of ‘a systcmat:Lc progr o.nime in schools to
          br'ai.nwash and har r 'ass tjoi.tng B 'ahuai.s , even ‘at element'ariJ 3. eve is In
          BP000582
          
        

          
          02-” XN4S 2017 2 /08/ 31 L.INES T:2 5 P
          e pre s:ing th':inks for repre ent'it:ions m'ad.e •k •) Ir':xn
          ing the pi: st ‘.jesar btj gover nments in c ever'a1 countr :Les
          he en pa:ks:i ed th.:tt o f”r these hiact hiaci no e f+'ect
          l LAN .MCGREG0R , BFSC , GENEVA
          tNt' JR/BUSH NIU