Persecution of Baha'is in Iran

[Bahai.Lifter]

How do they afford to build and maintain all these places? Absolutely no one ever asked me for any type of donation and I never noticed an area to leave money. I was told everyone at the temple was a volunteer, but it still seems pretty pricey!

That's a good question, since other places of worship of other religions may ask for donations. The Bahá'í Temples are open to the public for free (it is a free service, as are other things like children's classes, etc.). The idea of a Bahá'í Temple, after all, is a service to the community. When there are more resources and the time is right, all Bahá'í Temples will have to have hospitals, libraries, orphanages, old age homes, schools, etc., built around them according to Bahá'í teachings. No one is ever required to become a Bahá'í, that's a personal thing between him and God when he is ready (if he wants to join). Per Bahá'í law, people not enrolled as Bahá'ís cannot give money to the Bahá'í Fund. Contributing to the Bahá'í Fund is only a privilege reserved for Bahá'ís. So all of this is really due to the selfless sacrifice of the Bahá'ís, for giving generously to the Fund. They also give their time, etc., and like you said there are volunteers at the temples.

[Bahai.Lifter]

http://news.bahai.org/story/1012

In Luxembourg, President of Chamber of Deputies expresses appreciation for work of Baha'i community
20 July 2014


The President of Luxembourg's Chamber of Deputies, Mars Di Bartolomeo addresses an event, held on 26 June, to mark National Day, the official birthday of His Royal Highness Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg.


LUXEMBOURG CITY, Luxembourg — The President of Luxembourg's Chamber of Deputies has thanked the Baha'i community for its activities to build bridges between different elements of society.

"For me the efforts carried out by the Baha'is can be summarized by the word 'cohesion,'" Mars Di Bartolomeo told some 100 guests gathered at a celebration of National Day, the official birthday of His Royal Highness Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg.

"Unity in diversity is more than a slogan for the Baha'i community," said Mr. Di Bartolomeo, "it is the very foundation of their belief and actions."

Mr. Di Bartolomeo began his speech with a well-known quotation from the Baha'i sacred writings: "The earth is but one country and mankind its citizens."


Some 100 guests – including politicians, and representatives of religious groups and civil society – gathered at Luxembourg's national Baha'i center on 26 June.


"This principle of the oneness of humanity, taught by Baha'u'llah, touched my heart from the very first time I heard it," he said.

"Since then, for many years, I have had the opportunity to work together with Baha'is in social projects...and I can testify to the sincerity with which Baha'is are striving to implement these teachings."

The Baha'is, he said, are "inviting all their fellow citizens to work with them side by side for the betterment of society."

Also present at the event – which took place at Luxembourg's national Baha'i center on 26 June – were three other Members of Parliament including Viviane Loschetter, President of the Parliamentary Group of the Green Party. Representatives of religious groups and civil society were also among the guests.

Other elements of the program included an introductory speech by Wafa Arzani, chairperson of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Luxembourg, as well as readings of selections from the Baha'i writings and a musical presentation.

[Bahai.Lifter]

Quote of the Day:

The spirit of man must acquire its bounties from the Kingdom of God in order that it may become the mirror and manifestation of lights and the dawning point of divine traces, because the human reality is like the soil. If no bounty of rain descends from heaven upon the soil, if no heat of the sun penetrates, it will remain black, forbidding, unproductive; but when the moistening shower and the effulgent glow of the sun’s rays fall upon it, beautiful and redolent flowers grow from its bosom. Similarly, the human spirit or reality of man, unless it becomes the recipient of the lights of the Kingdom, develops divine susceptibilities and consciously reflects the effulgence of God, will not be the manifestation of ideal bounties, for only the reality of man can become the mirror wherein the lights of God are revealed. The reality of man will then be as the spirit of this world, for just as the animus of life quickens the physical human body, so the body of the world will receive its vivification through the animating virtue of the sanctified spirit of man.

—‘Abdu’l-Bahá

(Source: http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/ab/P...105.html#pg330)

[Bahai.Lifter]

http://iranpresswatch.org/post/10597/

Jail Sentences for 15 Baha’is in Shiraz

BY EDITOR · JULY 22, 2014

Source: http://goo.gl/2MKYZN

Translation by Iran Press Watch



Friday, July 19, 2014

HRANA News Agency-

The Revolutionary Court of Shiraz has issued jail sentences of 18 months to 3 years for 15 followers of the Baha’i Faith in that province.

According to a report by the ILNA news agency, Guity Pour Fazel informed them of the conviction of her 15 Baha’i clients and stated that the presiding judge in these cases in the Revolutionary Court of Shiraz sentenced four women to one and half years in jail; however, he has also ruled on the option to extend the sentences to 5 years later. In addition, four of the remaining eleven accused were given a three and half year jail term for the alleged crime of “continuous activity against national security”. The last seven are to serve twenty month terms each.

Referring to the fact that her colleague had seen the verdict on these cases, Guity Pour Fazel stated that she has decided to challenge these sentences in a court of appeals, and that she hopes that the judge handling the case would reconsider the initial rulings.

[Bahai.Lifter]

http://iranpresswatch.org/post/10584/

In the Middle of My Interrogation, I Realized There Were Also Some Baha’is among Our Friends
BY EDITOR · JULY 18, 2014

Source: http://goo.gl/ATSSiL

The Full Text of an Article by Morteza Esmailpour (1) – One of the Aid Workers Arrested after the Earthquake in Azerbaijan (2) – Written Two Years after the Incident

Translation by Iran Press Watch



I don’t recall whether it was two years ago or less, when right in the middle of my interrogation led by the Ministry of Information I realized there were also some Baha’is among our friends. The interrogator – or as he referred to himself, the expert officer – asked me to tell him about my Baha’i friends. I replied: “To be honest, they are nice people. They were calm and quiet and they truly helped a lot in the region. Of course, I have heard they never lie either.” He got upset and asked:”Do you mean to say you agree with these people?” I said: “Honestly, the only thing that bothers me is that I just learned here that these friends have religious inclinations, but I never saw any negative traits in them.” He asked again: “Do you agree with them or not?” I replied: “What difference does it make to me what religious beliefs they have? I know that they were aid workers like me, who arrived here a day after the earthquake and have stayed till now, nearly a month later. They were also here to help.” He seemed not to be giving up. He showed me a picture and said: “Identify anyone whom you believe is a Baha’i.” I said: “It seems that you do not understand what I am saying. The people you are asking me to identify I know only as friends, not as Baha’is.”

It was at that time that I realized why he insisted on me identifying them as Baha’is. He ordered me to write that they were teaching the Baha’i Faith. I said: “I never heard them mention the names Baha or the Bab or anything related to their religion. How can I falsely say they were teaching their religion?”

My interrogation lasted 7 hours that day. He kept leaving and returning and he would say: “You are a Muslim and a Shi’ite. So write that they were teaching their religion.” I said: “Nowhere in the writings of Islam are we encouraged to lie.” He was obviously frustrated. He said: “I will report you as an enemy of the State and you will be sentenced to 12 years in prison. It seems that I cannot rehabilitate you. You are defending them instead of testifying against and betraying them.” I said: “What exactly do you mean by ‘defending?’ As far as I remember, we were just helping earthquake victims.” He turned back to me and said: “You bastards had no right to come to our aid. You are a bunch of Persians who are trying to portray the government as weak by pretending to help us Turks.” He was frustrated and angry, and I realized that he would leave me alone and let me rest for half an hour, when he got angry. So I said: “What do you mean by pretending?” And he got frustrated again and left.

I didn’t write anything about the Baha’i friends in our camp, then. However, I decided to write today as a token of my appreciation. To tell the truth, there were people of many beliefs in our group, ranging from leftist to liberal, from religious to non-religious, and from Muslim to Baha’i. The volunteers’ looks, religion and social status were never an issue. We were all united and serving. Some examples were Hossein Ronaghi (3) who is imprisoned and sick in ward 350 (4), and Navid Khanjani (5) who is serving his sentence in Rajai Shahr. We were all close friends. We laughed, sang and cried together. We were happy, afraid and courageous at the same time. All kinds of feelings were abundant, especially human nobility.

We all tried to serve selflessly and gracefully. There were educators who played with children in those conditions, and aid workers who specialized in women’s issues who talked to girls and women about health. There were also physicians among us. We spoke with the victims and went from one village to another after giving them what they needed. Doing all that, no one ever asked us what religion we belonged to or what religion we disliked. We became emotionally encouraged and stronger as we finished work in one village and moved on to the next. Most of my friends were well educated, and looked and dressed differently in their own cities. However, here we were all in dirty clothes travelling in the back of pickup trucks. Every night we returned to our camp and slept in our individual tents that we had set up in the courtyard of the warehouse. We woke up early in the morning, had breakfast and resumed work.

Sometimes local people approached us and asked for some necessities with much appreciation. It is not an exaggeration if I say the residents of Varzaqan and Aris loved the aid workers, and needless to say everywhere we went people were extremely thankful.

Getting back to the main topic, there was really no difference between us and our Baha’i friends. They, like the rest of us, were concerned for the country and its people. I don’t understand why we should compare or separate them from others. We are all Iranians and proud of it.

These few pictures bring back memories as they show smiles on everyone’s faces in the middle of all the hard work. Only after being imprisoned did I realize that these friends were Baha’is, and they served their people lovingly. I am definitely happy these beloved people are my friends. If there is a religious debate, I may have some criticism for this religion, as there can be criticism of every religion. However, religion was not important to me. They were dear to me regardless of what they believed.



1. Prisoner information on Morteza Esmailpour can be found here: http://iranhr.blogspot.com/2013/01/p...smailpour.html

2. The earthquakes and their aftermath are described here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012_Ea...an_earthquakes

3. An article about Hossien Ronaghi is here: http://www.amnesty.org/en/for-media/...tely-2013-08-3

4. The notorious Ward 350 of Evin Prison is described here: http://www.iranhumanrights.org/2010/...ine-and-abuse/

5. There is a profile of Navid Khanjani at http://www.bahairights.org/2013/07/2...ghts-activist/

[HaythamKenway]

Why would Baba'alulaha let something like this happen if he is God?

[Bahai.Lifter]

http://iranpresswatch.org/post/10606/

As You Read This Letter, I Am behind Bars

BY EDITOR · JULY 24, 2014

Source: http://iranwire.com/blogs/6272/6075/

Translation by Iran Press Watch



As you read this letter, I am behind bars

Sarang Etehadi

As you read this letter, I, Sarang Etehadi, have left my home, along with my small bag, for prison, for a period of a year. House lights are turned off, and the kettle on the stove is empty of water and cold. The windows are closed and the curtains drawn shut. There is no aroma of home cooked food, and the pleasant humidity of the cooler in the hot midday hours of summer has been replaced by the heavy and humid air of when the electricity is off.

As you read this letter, I am there, behind bars, charged with the crime of being a Baha’i, guilty of thinking differently, like so many others with various charges. I do not know how big the cell that I will occupy is, or how much light it has. I do not know who is there or what will become of me. But I do know that no one is waiting for me at home, because my wife, Nasim already went to Evin prison to serve her sentence before me. I think of her, who instead of sitting in our home, is sitting in one of the cells of the same prison, far from my cell, with the same charges, every bit as unjust and unfair.

As this letter is being read, perhaps with my eyes are closed as I sit at the bottom of a cell, thinking about our town, the town that both Nasim and I love, and our home with its lights off. My heart is probably heavy in the darkness; longing for the sun, which is probably rare in the prison.

I don’t want to imagine my town as a place where the lights of the homes go off one by one, as the prison cells fill up with people who are now behind locked doors. I would like to see a city filled with sunlight and freshly washed clean colorful clothes lined up to dry in the sun. A city that belongs to all the people, where grandfathers are enjoying themselves in the parks, where classrooms are full of fragrant and colorful pens and notebooks, filled with kids and parents, where no one questions anyone’s beliefs. There, at the bottom of a prison cell, I would like to imagine my town at some better time, a day when no one has been summoned to court for their beliefs no matter what the beliefs may be – and the sound of laughter pouring out from all the windows.

As this letter is read, it would be good if you too would close your eyes and imagine the same city. A city where no one is detained for the crime of thinking differently. In this city, the lights of our house are on. The curtains are open, and the aroma of freshly brewed tea has filled the air. Nasim is sitting on the couch reading a book. I will probably not be missing her anymore, since I am sitting next to her. There, at the bottom of the cell, I imagine Nasim’s smile and I miss the sun. My lovely town, the town that I never want to leave, even if, in all its vastness, my share would only be a small cell. A town where I will stay until it offers me a home with lit lights and a friendly smile.

I, Sarang Etehadi, will remain hopeful all my three hundred and sixty-five days in the prison, with the hope that it is a step toward reaching the day when tolerance, mutual understanding and friendship will replace violence, revenge, and bullying. A day in which no one will ask about another’s beliefs, or imprison anyone because of their beliefs. A day when everyone will have a bench where they can study, a room in which to work for a living, and a space to rest in peace after death. A day when no forms will have a “religion” question, when people will not be fired from work or universities, and when no one demolishes anyone’s tombstone. A day when all the people of the town have a share of the sun. That day will surely come, and the sky of this town will hear the sound of our laughter. I have no doubt about this. When you read this letter, even from there, from the bottom of that cell I can imagine your hopeful smile. I too will smile with you, with all my hope, anticipating the steps that you will take – all over the world – until that day, which is not far off, when we will all go home and turn on the darkened lights forever…

[Bahai.Lifter]

http://iranpresswatch.org/post/10602/

Another Baha’i Couple Headed for Prison

BY EDITOR · JULY 22, 2014

Source: Taghato (Intersection), http://taghato.net/article/7417

Translation by Iran Press Watch



Date: July 15, 2014

Taghato: Continuing with arrests and imprisonments of Baha’is in Iran, another Baha’i couple is headed to Evin and Rajai Shahr prisons – within one month – to start their prison terms.

Based on reports, Shomeys Mohajer, a Baha’i citizen residing in Tehran who had previously been sentenced to one year imprisonment, was transferred to the women’s political and ideological ward of Evin prison on June 28th.

This happened under conditions in which Mrs. Mohajer’s husband, Shahab Dehghani, had also started his four year prison term, on May 24th. Mr. Dehghani was transferred to Rajai Shahr in Karaj one day after turning himself in to Evin prison.

This young Baha’i couple had been arrested in summer 2011 after security forces invaded their home, and they were later freed after bail was set.

The couple were later accused of “propaganda against the regime” and “forming an illegal group” by Branch 28 of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Court headed by Judge Moghiseh. They were subsequently sentenced to one and four year imprisonments, respectively. These sentences were confirmed by the Appeals Court.

In a conversation with the “International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran”, Mrs. Ruhollah Fada – Shomeys Mohajer’s mother – denied all the charges against her daughter and son-in-law and mentioned that the reason for their arrests was their open expression of their beliefs and attending Baha’i prayer gatherings. She said: “Thank God, my daughter is doing well. There are eight other Baha’i prisoners in the women’s ward of Evin prison and she is not lonely there. I have nothing else to say. I am not grieved and this will pass.”

Meanwhile, sources close to Baha’is also reported the arrest of Saghi Fadaei – a young Baha’i girl residing in Mashhad – by agents of the Ministry of Information in that city.

Ms. Fadaei’s arrest was done 35 days after a search of her home and the incarceration of her mother, May Kholousi, on June 2nd, at which time two other Baha’i citizens named Shayan Tafazzoli and Dori Amri were also arrested.

Moreover, on Thursday, July 3rd the “Supporters of Human Rights” website reported that Branch 1 of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Court in Oroumieh, headed by Judge “Chabok”, sentenced seven Baha’i citizens to a total of 20 years’ imprisonment.

According to this report, 3 of these 7 citizens – Fardin Aazayee (Aghsani), his wife, Farahnaz Moghadam and Guisou Sheykh Hassan Abadi – were sentenced to one year each for “teaching activities on behalf or the Baha’i sect” and “propaganda against the Islamic Republic Regime” and five years each for “assembling and planning against national security” through “membership in the Baha’i cult and relations with the Baha’i House of Justice in Israel”.

The court also sentenced four Baha’i citizens – Neda Forsatipour, Amir Maboudi, Nooshin Misaghi and Soheyla Aghdasi – to 6 months’ imprisonment each, for “teaching activities on behalf of the Baha’i Faith.”

[Bahai.Lifter]

http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/...ahai-religion/

New Religious Affairs Minister Supports State Recognition of Baha’i Religion

By Camelia Pasandaran on 07:40 pm Jul 25, 2014


New Religious Affairs Minister Lukman Saifuddin. (Antara Photo/Regina Safri)


Jakarta. The new religious affairs minister has indicated that the Baha’i religion should be the seventh religion to be recognized by Indonesia as an official faith.

“Baha’i is a religion, not a sect,” Lukman Saifuddin tweeted from his Twitter account @lukmansaifuddin on Thursday. “There are 220 believers in Banyuwangi, 100 in Jakarta, 100 in Medan, 98 in Surabaya, 80 in Palopo, 50 in Bandung, 30 in Malang and in other regions.”

Lukman said he made the comment as a result of a letter sent by the Home Affairs Ministry requesting clarification about the religion.

“I told [the Home Affairs Ministry] that Baha’i is a religion protected by articles 28E and 29 in the Constitution,” Lukman said.

He added that adherents of the faith should be entitled to identify themselves as such on their national identity cards — and that recognition would make it easier to obtain necessary documentation, such as driver licenses, birth certificates, marriage certificates and land deeds.

Some local governments take a hard line against minorities in Indonesia by holding up various permits to individuals if they do not select one of the six religions recognized by Indonesia — Islam, Buddhism, Catholicism, Protestantism, Confucianism and Hinduism.

Baha’i is a religion that combines syncretism with its own distinct monotheistic tradition. It was founded by Bahaullahin in 19th-century Persia and has around 5 million followers worldwide today.

Home Affairs Minister Gamawan Fauzi said his ministry would wait on the Religious Affairs Ministry before reviewing whether Baha’i would be included as an option on identity cards.

“If it is stated as part of the religions acknowledged here then we will put it on their identity card,” Gamawan said on Friday as quoted by jpnn.com. “”If there is to be an addition [to the existing six religions] please inform us, because there are only six options of religion on the identity card.”

The Baha’i secretariat in Indonesia refused to comment on the issue, saying that the Baha’i assembly had not discussed it.

“There are thousands of Baha’i followers in Indonesia, but there’s no exact number,” Rias, the staff of the secretariat told the Jakarta Globe on Friday.

The deputy secretary of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) Amirsyah Tambunan called Bahi’a a sect and said it should not be recognized.

“Clearly, I say Baha’i cannot be categorized as religion,” Amir said, adding that religions should be sourced from a revelation, such as the Abrahamic faiths.

Bonar Tigor Naipospos, deputy chairman of Setara Institute — which advocates religious freedom — told the Globe that the government should acknowledge every religion.

“The Constitution never mentioned official religions — it only said that people are free to hold a religion or belief and worship according to their religion and belief,” he said. “The problem is with the Religious Affairs Ministry, which in this case being exclusive and discriminative.”

Bonar said that without the recognition from the government, the believers of those outside the six religions, such as Baha’i and Sunda Wiwitan, have been and will continue to be prone to discrimination.

“Some years ago, a believer of Baha’i was arrested in Lampung because he was accused of spreading heresy,” Bonar said. “In another case in Central Java, people refused to bury a Baha’i follower in their village. There are also many cases when the civil registry office refused the marriage registration of believers outside the six religions. Some population administration offices forced them to choose one of the six religions.”

[Bahai.Lifter]

http://iranpresswatch.org/post/10557/

Family Arrested for Religion and Instruction of Music

BY EDITOR · JULY 16, 2014

Source: http://iranwire.com/news/20/6353/

Translation by Alliance for Rights of All Minorities-ARAM

According to a report from Iran Wire, on Saturday, July 12, a Baha’i family was arrested from their house and sent to detention on charges of “instruction of music” and “religious affiliation” in Tabriz. At the time of arrest, the family’s books, musical instruments and other possessions were confiscated. A hefty bail totaling 80 million Tomans has been set for Farzad Bahadari, Samin Rasouli and their children, Sahar andNassim Bahadari. A trial date is scheduled for July 17th.

[Bahai.Lifter]

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE

http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2014/07/229861.htm

Remarks on the Release of the 2013 Report on International Religious Freedom


Special Briefing
Tom Malinowski
Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
Press Briefing Room
Washington, DC
July 28, 2014

ASSISTANT SECRETARY MALINOWSKI: Thanks, everyone. Sorry I’m not the Secretary. (Laughter.) So let me just pick up where the Secretary left off and talk a little bit about the report and some of the highlights, some of which, of course, he already mentioned.

The 2013 International Religious Freedom Report documents how, where and when the universal right to religious freedom was violated or protected in nearly 200 countries around the world, and it reflects the commitment that the Secretary expressed of the United States to advancing religious freedom for every person.

Now, from my point of view, religious freedom is fundamental because it protects our ability to hold and profess and change our most deeply held and personal convictions. Being deeply held and deeply personal, religious beliefs are often strongly contested. But the most significant abuses of religious freedom – those involving large-scale discrimination, persecution, and killing – rarely arise naturally from religious differences among ordinary people. There is usually the additional factor of cynical calculation by political forces seeking to maintain power or exploit religious differences for political ends.

Authoritarian governments, for example, often cannot tolerate independent communities of conscience beyond state control. When I was a kid visiting the country where I was born, Poland, in the 1980s, I remember seeing how threatened the communist authorities were by Catholic communities and churches where every Sunday, sanctuaries were created where people did not fear their government. Buddhist monasteries in Burma played a similar role under military role and they – rule and they were similarly persecuted.

Likewise, today the Chinese Government often severely restricts the ability of unregistered religious or spiritual groups to meet, sometimes banning them outright, as in the case of the Falun Gong, persecuting their defenders, like the human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng. We urge Chinese authorities to release Gao as scheduled on August 7th and allow him to return to his family, without harassment or restrictions to his movement.

In Tibet, authorities continue to assert control over Tibetan Buddhist religious practices. As the Secretary mentioned, the Chinese Government also severely restricts the religious practices of Uighur Muslims, including banning fasting during this month of Ramadan for civil servants, teachers, and others. Broadly targeting an entire religious or ethnic community in response to the actions of a few only increases the potential for violent extremism.

In Vietnam, individuals in congregations of multiple faiths reported harassment, detentions, and surveillance throughout the year. That said, the Vietnamese Government is making some progress on religious freedom, registering over 100 church congregations in 2013 and inviting the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief to visit the country.

Tajikistan remained the only country on Earth to ban people under the age of 18 from participating in public religious activities. In Turkmenistan, as the Secretary mentioned, people detained for religious reasons suffered beating and torture, and some religious groups were denied places to worship or even the ability to print or import religious materials.

In Sudan, laws are still on the books prohibiting conversion from Islam to another religion, contradicting the constitution.

These are all examples of governments that fear people who practice their faith. As I mentioned, abuses of religious freedom also happen when political forces exploit differences between their communities. It’s a very old tactic: Pick a minority religious group – Jews, Bahais, Ahmadiyya, Copts, Shias in some part of the Muslim world, Sunnis in others – cultivate hatred and fear of members of that group, and then use it to build support for your side, or at least distract people from opposing you.

In Burma, if you fear or oppose your country’s forward political progress, you’re probably not going to convince too many people to be against democracy. But you might get somewhere by trying to divide people across religious and racial lines, focusing political discourse on issues like interfaith marriage and religious conversion. And so we’ve seen Burma’s so-called “969” movement, supported by prominent nationalist monks, fuel anti-Muslim sentiment and violence in a country that has had a long tradition of different communities living together.

In Pakistan, violence targeted at members of religious minorities and human rights defenders underscored the government’s failure to provide adequate security. Earlier this year, we were deeply saddened by the murder of Rashid Rehman, a lawyer and human rights defender who, despite threats to his life, was representing a university professor accused of blasphemy. And authorities continue to enforce blasphemy laws and laws designed to marginalize the Ahmadiyya Muslim community.

In Iran, the Secretary mentioned the case of Pastor Abedini. We have urged the Iranian Government at every opportunity to press for his release. The government also continued to persecute adherence of the Baha’i faith. Secretary Kerry already described the abuses of ISIL, which are on all of our minds today. We strongly condemn the despicable and cowardly murder of 13 Sunni Muslim clerics in Mosul in June. These brave and honorable men encouraged their followers to reject ISIL and paid the ultimate sacrifice. Since then ISIL has enforced the moratorium that the Secretary mentioned to expel non-Muslims and Shia in Mosul to force them to convert to Islam or to leave the city or face execution.

. . . [To continue reading, follow link above]

[Bahai.Lifter]

http://iranpresswatch.org/post/10535/

The Baha’i Gardens: A Beautiful Symbol to the World of an Iranian Religion

BY EDITOR · JULY 12, 2014

Source: http://iranwire.com/blogs/6264/2781/

Translation by Iran Press Watch

By Jahan Shahjavid



For a secular person like me, it may seem strange to see the delightful Baha’i gardens in Haifa, Israel. However, this was indeed the case.

When I decided to go to Israel, the very first thing I did was that I contacted Baha’i friends and acquaintances and asked them about the possibility of going to see the gardens.

Arrangements were made, and with the assistance and accompaniment of Sara Vadir, Vahid ‘Alaviyan, and Tarane Raf’ati, three representatives of the Baha’i community, I saw the gardens of Haifa and ‘Akka, including the shrines of the Bab, Baha’u’llah, and ‘Abdu’l-Baha, all in one day. I also learned about the brief history and activities of the faith in the region.

It was a good day. The gardens were beautiful—flawless, one of the most exquisite in the world. And my companions were very loving and warm-hearted. My mind, however, was busy thinking about one thing: it’s so bizarre that Baha’is are persecuted and oppressed in our country.

My interest is in a person’s personal conduct and professionalism, not their religious belief. Let us refer back to people’s conduct prior to the revolution, when I was in school in Abadan [the oil production capital of Iran]. Two of my classmates were my friends, and one of them was a Baha’i. During that period, religious people, at least in their family life, in the oil industry, would never raise any protests or concerns. However, after the revolution, when I entered journalism, as an observer, the feelings and sentiments of Muslims and their non-religious acolytes about this “sect” (Baha’is) became clear to me.

What’s unbelievable and interesting to me is that a prophet (Baha’u’llah) appeared in Iran with a message of peace, love, and the equality of all humankind, but in the land of its birth it has been condemned and attacked in the worst possible way. I understood religions had their differences with each other and each perceived itself to be better than the rest, but they usually tolerate one another and don’t interact. How come this wasn’t the case in Iran? Why are Baha’is not tolerated? How come their basic human rights aren’t upheld and respected?

We more or less know why the fanatical Shi’ite clergy and the leaders of the Islamic Republic treat anyone who thinks differently, especially if it is in a way which threatens their monopoly on power and undermines their rule.

It is a basic fact that Muslims accept Muhammad as the “Seal of the Prophets”, and the Shi’ites are awaiting the appearance of the promised Mahdi [the "Rightly Guided One" of the end of days], so the appearance of a new religion in the heart of the Islamic world with controversial claims becomes problematic. However, the age of bloody religious wars has passed. Today, we live in a world where religious freedom is recognized as one of the basic, fundamental rights of people. We and several other countries have lagged far behind in this regard.

Iran is one of the few countries in which some of its people are not considered citizens. The Baha’i Faith is not recognized in the constitution of the Islamic Republic as an official religion, so its followers have been deprived of basic rights. From 1979 up until now, hundreds of people, leaders and members of the Baha’i Faith, have been imprisoned or executed. Most of their property and belongings have been confiscated without justification. Their children have been harassed in public schools and have no right to study in Iranian colleges and universities. Their homes and businesses are regularly attacked and they are pressured by fanatic Muslims to convert to Islam. They are prohibited from having places of worship and religious ceremonies. Even their cemeteries are destroyed. What is this? Should we not feel ashamed that our country acts in this manner just because some people have different beliefs?

The situation is completely different in other parts of the world. It is said that the Baha’i Faith is the fastest-growing religion compared to others. This Iranian religion encompasses the entire world. Now is the time for us, like other ancient religions of the past, to take them into account and recognize them. This is the least of our duties as human beings.

[Bahai.Lifter]

http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/orig...hristians.html

An Iranian-Christian woman looks at Christmas decorations while shopping in central Tehran, Dec. 13, 2011. (photo by REUTERS/Morteza Nikoubazl)

Situation deteriorates for Iran's religious minorities, experts say

A year after Hassan Rouhani’s inauguration as Iran’s president, the human rights situation in the country has deteriorated for many human rights defenders and especially for Baha’is and Christian converts as a result of what some experts describe as a hard-line counteroffensive against the pro-Rouhani pragmatist/Reformist camp.

Rouhani has devoted most of his efforts during his first year in office to trying to resolve the nuclear crisis in hopes of gaining sanctions relief and boosting Iran’s anemic economy. But the cleric also promised to increase civil liberties in Iran — a promise that he has had difficulty fulfilling.

While the overall atmosphere has improved somewhat for ordinary Iranians, “human rights violations are widespread and very serious,” Hadi Ghaemi, executive director of the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, told a July 28 briefing on Capitol Hill. “Hundreds of political prisoners remain behind bars” including prominent human rights defenders such as lawyer Abdolfattah Soltani. Just last week, Ghaemi noted, Iran detained several Iranian-American journalists including Jason Rezaian, the Tehran correspondent for The Washington Post. Ghaemi said that there is still “no record of their detention” by the judiciary, a sign that intelligence authorities may be interrogating them and trying to build a case against them.

Hopes were raised after Rouhani’s inauguration that Iranian activists would face less repression than they had under Rouhani’s predecessor, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. A number of prominent Iranian political prisoners were released before the UN General Assembly last September for his presidential debut on the world stage. Media freedom also expanded initially and the atmosphere on university campuses lightened up with the removal of incompetent hard-liners installed by Ahmadinejad. Iranian women are becoming more and more liberal in their interpretation of Islamic dress. But there have been new arrests of civil society activists and censorship and Internet filtering continue. Former presidential candidates Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi remain under house arrest for their refusal to apologize for their role in stirring up anti-government protests following fraud-tainted 2009 elections.

Ghaemi told Al-Monitor that hard-liners are “reinforcing the repression … to make sure they do not lose control of domestic politics and major institutions.” They are “terrified of a more open press and increased political and social freedoms, because they fear once they allow any such opening their tight control of domestic affairs will quickly unravel and they will be challenged on many fronts, forcing accountability for their actions since the disputed 2009 election.”

Ghaemi added that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was backing the repression as part of an effort to calibrate “the degree and extent of rapprochement with the West” in the event that Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany (P5+1) succeed in concluding a long-term nuclear deal.

Haleh Esfandiari, director of the Middle East program at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars — herself a former political prisoner in Iran — told Al-Monitor that Rezaian, his wife and two others had been arrested “to embarrass and humiliate Rouhani,” who has made a major effort to improve Iran’s image among Iranian dual nationals.

“We know that Rouhani can’t control the intelligence institutions and the judiciary,” Esfandiari added. “I’m sure he wishes he could do more.”

The July 28 hearing coincided with release of the US State Department’s International Religious Freedom Report for 2013. According to the report, the Iranian government's “rhetoric and actions created a threatening atmosphere for nearly all non-Shia religious groups, most notably for Baha’is, as well as for Sufi Muslims, evangelical Christians, Jews, and Shia groups not sharing the government’s official religious views.”

Anthony Vance, director of public affairs for the Baha’is of the United States, told the Capitol Hill briefing that Baha’is — who have suffered intermittent persecution since the religion was founded in the 19th century — were “guardedly optimistic” about Rouhani after last year’s election. But Vance said that the number of Baha’is in prison has increased from 115 to at least 136 and Baha’is continue to face discrimination in education and employment. Although Rouhani has introduced a so-called Charter of Citizens Rights for public discussion, it offers no improvement for Baha’is, Vance said, because it is “couched in terms of the constitution or Iranian law” which do not regard his faith as legitimate.

Iran’s government also continues to persecute Sufi and Sunni Muslims as well as Shiite clerics who oppose the notion of velayet-e faquih, or rule by a senior Shiite jurisprudent, according to Dwight Bashir, deputy director of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom.

The legal system is particularly harsh when it comes to Christian converts, Bashir and other experts told the Congressional briefing. While the regime no longer charges them with apostasy, which is a capital crime, it often accuses them of undermining national security and other vague but serious offenses, said Tiffany Barrans, international legal director for the American Center for Law and Justice.

Barrans told the briefing that Iranian authorities try to limit the practice of Christianity to ethnic Christians among native Armenians and Assyrians by blocking Christian churches from offering services in Farsi. At the same time, Farsi-speaking Christians who hold prayer services in private homes are subject to arrest and prosecution, she said. She pointed to the case of Pastor Saeed Abedini, an Iranian-American convert to Christianity who's serving an eight-year prison sentence because he held such meetings in private homes from 2000 to 2005. Abedini was arrested two years ago when he returned to Iran to finalize work on a nonsectarian orphanage he was helping to build outside the city of Rasht, Barrans said. “He was not there as a missionary but someone who wanted to care for the people of Iran.”

Rates of capital punishment in Iran also remain high, with 687 executions carried out in 2013, according to Ahmad Shaheed, the UN’s special rapporteur for Iran Human Rights. One interesting development has been a movement within Iran in which relatives of murder victims have chosen to accept financial compensation from convicted perpetrators and spared them from the death penalty. According to Iranian Prosecutor General Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejei, 358 condemned Iranians were spared from March 2013 to March 2014.

Ghaemi told Al-Monitor that the "wave of forgiveness" in death penalty cases is “a byproduct of civil society campaigns in raising awareness and promoting a culture of anti-death penalty over the years. As long as it is impossible to advocate for legislative and structural changes in Iran's death penalty practices, it is the best window of opportunity in saving lives from executions and countering a culture of violence sanctioned by the state through large number of executions, many of them carried out in public.”

Despite Iran’s disappointing human rights record, Ghaemi and rights activists say the issue should not be used as an excuse to oppose a long-term nuclear agreement between Iran and P5+1.

According to a survey of leading civil society figures inside Iran — including many who Ghaemi said were themselves victims of egregious human rights violations — “Iranian civil society strongly supports the P5+1 negotiations.”

[Bahai.Lifter]

Persian song about persecution of Bahá'ís:

[Bahai.Lifter]

http://www.christiantoday.com/articl...ison/37435.htm

Iranian Christians tortured in prison

Published 14 May 2014 | Carey Lodge


People make their way, at the Baharestan Sq. in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, Sept. 25, 2011



Further reports have emerged of Christians being violently tortured and beaten while serving prison sentences for their faith in Iran.

According to Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), an international organisation campaigning for religious freedom worldwide, inmates Silas Rabbani and Amin Khaki have each experienced brutal treatment while being held captive by Iranian authorities.

Khaki was detained in Shoush, Iran on March 5, one of eight Christians who were arrested during a picnic. He was recently transferred to Ahwaz Prison on 7 May where he says he has been violently beaten.

Rabbani, who is connected to the same church in Karaj as Khaki, was arrested and detained by intelligence agents on 5 May. An associate pastor with a wife and two children, Rabbani is currently being held in Gohardasht prison. He has reported being tortured by his guards and according to International Christian Concern, Rabbini also told his wife that he was beaten during interrogation.

Pastor Saeed Abedini, an American-Iranian pastor who is well over a year into an eight-year sentence for 'threatening the security of the state', has also reported receiving brutal treatment and recently spent his 34th birthday in prison.

Iran has a long history of human rights abuses and laws allow the persecution of minority communities such as Baha'i Muslims [sic], who have been condemned by Iranian authorities as an "illegal cult".

Many leaders of the small faith community have received harsh prison sentences of up to 20 years for practising their beliefs, and one member was shot in the head on the outskirts of Bandar Abbas in August last year. In February, a well-known Baha'i family were physically attacked in their home.

"We are extremely concerned by recent reports of Iranian prison authorities using excessive violence against prisoners," said CSW chief executive Mervyn Thomas.

"We urge the Iranian authorities to refrain from any form of torture or violence, which violates their obligations under article 7 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which prohibits torture, and cruel inhuman and degrading treatment, and article 10, which states that prisoners should be treated with humanity and respect for their inherent human dignity."

In addition, CSW also reports that Iranian Revolutionary Guards are currently illegally excavating a historic Baha'i cemetery in Shiraz, supposedly to create space for a business centre and care park.

This activity has been denounced as "morally outrageous" by the Provincial Representative of the Baha'i International Community to the UN, Ms Bani Dugal.

"Given the historic character of this ground, where some 950 Baha'is are buried, including ten women who were hanged in 1983 for their refusal to recant their Baha'i belief, this continuing action is not only illegal but morally outrageous," she says.

Mr Thomas added: "We also call for an immediate halt to the illegal demolition of the Baha'i cemetery. This lamentable act not only violates the right to freedom of religion and belief, but is a reprehensible destruction of cultural heritage.

"CSW calls on the Iranian government to intervene in this case as a matter of urgency in order to ensure the preservation of this historic site."

[HaythamKenway]

http://www.christiantoday.com/articl...ison/37435.htm

What would Baha'balula do in a time like this? Would he be able to stop the violence?

[Bahai.Lifter]

http://iranpresswatch.org/post/10531/

Save Freedom of Worship in the Middle East

BY EDITOR · JULY 11, 2014

Source: National Review Online, http://goo.gl/OKkVmZ

We must prioritize protecting religious minorities under threat.

By Ileana Ros-Lehtinen


Catholic Church in Banghdad, Iraq, 2011 (Mario Tama/Getty Images)


Earlier this year, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) released its 15th annual report on the status of religious freedom around the world. USCIRF’s report reaffirms what we’ve known for years: The plight of religious minorities around the world is troubling, and in many places — such as the Middle East — it is getting worse. Three weeks ago I held a congressional hearing to examine the situation of human rights in Iran and highlight the plight of religious minorities there, despite the false promises of moderation made by Hassan Rouhani.

The fact is that throughout the Middle East, and particularly in Iran, Egypt, Iraq, and Syria, there is widespread persecution of religious minorities, especially Christians. If we want to see a stable and secure Middle East, we must first ensure that the fundamental human rights of all people are being respected, and that includes the right to profess and practice one’s faith freely and openly without fear of persecution. If democracy is ever going to take hold in the region, then the rights of minority communities must be respected. Recent years have proven that elections alone do not make a democracy, and it is equally true that you cannot have a democracy without respect for human rights.



In Iran, one of the world’s worst violators of human rights, the regime systematically discriminates against and persecutes religious minorities. For example, more than 135 members of the Baha’i community — the largest non-Muslim minority in Iran — are currently imprisoned on sham charges, including seven of its leaders. This brutal regime also targets the Christian community — as we were sadly reminded last October, when four Iranian Christians were sentenced to 80 lashes for drinking sacramental wine during communion, and as we are reminded every day by the continued plight of Pastor Saeed Abedini, a U.S. citizen, who has been imprisoned for over a year for practicing his Christian faith.



As part of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission’s Defending Freedoms Project, I have chosen to “adopt” Rozita Vaseghi, an Iranian prisoner of conscience, to help call attention not just to her plight, but to that of all religious minorities in Iran. Rozita is a member of Iran’s Baha’i community who has been placed in solitary confinement for at least six months and is denied access to the medical treatment she desperately needs. As the Obama administration continues to negotiate with Iran, this is the perfect time to hold the regime’s feet to the fire and make Iran’s human-rights record, and its support for and backing of terrorism, part of the negotiations.

Meanwhile, in Egypt, Coptic Christians continue to face danger from Muslim Brotherhood members and other extremists, who have attacked hundreds of churches, homes, businesses, schools, and orphanages to kidnap young Christian girls and compel them into forced marriages or make them victims of human trafficking. And in Iraq and Syria, Christians and other minorities are caught in the middle of violent conflicts for political and territorial control.

Because of the resurgence in sectarian violence in Iraq, more than 65,000 Christians have fled to the north, and thousands of others have left the country entirely. This has led to a drastic decline in the number of Iraqi Christians, from over a million before the war to fewer than half a million today. The situation is also dire in Syria, where more than 1,000 Christians were killed in 2013 and public crucifixions are being carried out, according to reports. The danger for Christians and moderate minorities grows as rebels become even more radicalized, as demonstrated earlier this year by the killing of the beloved Father Frans, a Dutch priest who gave refuge to Christians and Muslims in his monastery.

It is not enough to be saddened and shocked by this reality; we must take meaningful action. Our State Department should demonstrate that it takes this issue seriously by designating offending countries, such as Iraq and Syria, as Countries of Particular Concern (CPC). It’s alarming that the State Department has not added any countries to the CPC list for nearly a decade now, despite USCIRF’s continual recommendations that it do so.

At the National Prayer Breakfast in February, President Obama said that promoting religious freedom is a key U.S. foreign-policy objective, and that he looked forward to nominating an ambassador-at-large for religious freedom (which he has yet to do). It is time for the president to back up these words with action and defend this most basic of human rights — not only because it is the correct thing to do, but because this matters to the stability of the region and to our national-security interests.

— Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a Republican, represents Florida’s 27th congressional district. She is chairman emeritus of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and current chairman of its Middle East and North Africa subcommittee.

[Bahai.Lifter]

http://iranpresswatch.org/post/10540/

The Celebration of Iqan Shahidi’s Birthday, A Baha’i Student and Noble Captive

BY EDITOR · JULY 12, 2014

Source: http://melliun.org/iran/44106

Translation by Iran Press Watch

Wednesday, July 9, 2014

From the Melliyun-i Iran [Nationalists of Iran] website



On July 8, a number of political and human rights activists from Kermanshah, as well as some relatives of Iqan Shahidi—an imprisoned Baha’i student—came together at the home of Iqan’s father in Kermanshah to celebrate Iqan’s birthday and honor him. During the celebration, Iqan’s mother alluded to some of the difficulties her son is facing in Raja’i-Shahr prison, including her inability to receive letters from the prison. She noted that, “We even asked the censors at Raja’i-Shahr Prison to inform us of any protocol in our letters that we may have violated so that we can observe it in the future and exchange letters with our son. Despite our efforts, our suggestion was not accepted. Phone contact has also never been an option; thus, Raja’i-Shahr prison officials have effectively denied any sort of contact with family members. In addition, conditions inside the prison are also problematic. For example, last winter there was no hot water, so prisoners were forced to shower with cold water.” In a similar vein, she also complained about the low quality of the prison food.



Next, people played music and Mr. Dashtian—a poet from Kermanshah—recalled some of his memories with Iqan and recited some of the poetry he wrote in his honor, which was welcomed by all who were present. This is a translation of the first couplet of one of his poems:

Do you remember when you said, “You and I are fellow travelers?”

We are wayfarers on a tortuous, perilous journey

At the end of the program, Iqan’s mother also recited a poem dedicated to him:

O you who are my all! Without you, I can’t breathe

If I have you, I will have attained to all my desires

Everyone in attendance repeated these lines a few times to honor his memory.

Iqan Shahidi is a Baha’i student who was born on July 8, 1988, and has been barred from pursuing a higher education. On March 2, 2010, Iqan was arrested as a result of his efforts to legalize access to higher education for all, and sentenced to five years’ imprisonment, of which he has now served about 25 months. He is currently being held in Raja’i-Shahr Prison.

[johnnycomehome]

There is a Bahai temple in Haifa, it's really cool. What is the Iranians deal with the Bahai? I mean why do they hate them so much? It seems so random

[Bahai.Lifter]

There is a Bahai temple in Haifa, it's really cool. What is the Iranians deal with the Bahai? I mean why do they hate them so much? It seems so random

Thanks for your question, and comment about the temple. I think there are many reasons, just some that come to mind: Muslims of course believe that no religion can postdate Islam—and the Bahá'í Faith (the largest non-Muslim religion in Iran) states that it is a recent Revelation from God. So that is in a sense a challenge to their view or interpretation. Also clergy want to hold onto power, and in the Bahá'í Faith there is no clergy so if everyone became Bahá'ís in Iran the clergy would have no power/control over people. Not to mention that Bahá'ís are an easy scapegoat in such a society, and the government has stolen Bahá'í properties and so on; even destroys their graves and holy sites and takes their land, money, homes, property away and unjustly imprisons them, so that may be another incentive (easy target, because Bahá'ís are non-violent and don't seek revenge against the government/persecutors).

The persecution of Bahá'ís became state-sponsored after the 1979 Islamic revolution. The government kidnapped many Bahá'ís (including members of Bahá'í Assemblies) and tortured/executed them, not returning the bodies in certain cases). So most of the persecution is coming from the Iranian government, which for example requires universities to kick out/not accept any Bahá'í students. To try to create hatred against Bahá'ís, the government for example says that Bahá'ís are spies of Israel, spies of English, they say all sorts of things like that. They have no proof of one single thing they say. In fact, they know very well that Bahá'ís are non-partisan (non-political) and are are forbidden by their religion from meddling in politics in any way, or working against the countries they live in. But it is used as an excuse for persecution. In fact, the Bahá'í sites ended up in Israel because the two most powerful Islamic empires at the time (Ottomans and Qajars) worked together to persecute Bahá'ís and finally—after a series of banishments—sent Bahá'u'lláh, the Founder of the Bahá'í Faith, to 'Akká (this was long before Israel). So the remains of Bahá'u'lláh and the Báb (Shrine of the Báb in Haifa) are in Israel naturally, as well as other Bahá'í sites there. Also, their arguments are just as senseless as saying that all Muslims are spies of Saudi Arabia, since the holy sites of Muslims are located in that country. Basically, it is prejudice and religious hatred that has always caused persecutors to make up all kinds of excuses (without any proof) to justify the religious persecution.

Basically the blind prejudice against Bahá'ís was based on rumors that were spread (by fanatics), but now as Iranians are learning more about the Bahá'í Faith they are, more and more, showing solidarity with Bahá'ís. For example, even some Ayatollahs in Iran have been showing support for Bahá'ís. Recently, for instance, Ayatollah Abdol-Hamid Masoumi Tehrani made a calligraphic work from a Bahá'í Holy Book, and sent it as a gift to the Universal House of Justice in Haifa (http://news.bahai.org/story/987). That takes a lot of courage since it is a great risk to his life in Iran.

Also famous Iranians from other walks of life have shown support for Bahá'ís recently. All the way from the most famous Iranian pop singer (Dariush, who made a song for a Bahá'í documentary), to many Iranian Muslims making documentaries about persecution of Bahá'ís, to Iranian actors (including in Hollywood) and activists, etc. It is a new trend, Iranians are starting to see what a great and peaceful religion it is which they were lied to about through rumors from prejudiced sources and so on. The Iranian government spreads a lot of anti-Bahá'í propaganda through state-run media, etc., trying to incite violence against that peaceful community (Bahá'ís), but with the internet and better knowledge Iranians are starting to learn the truth and show more support than ever for Bahá'ís, including famous and influential Iranians.

In the Bahá'í view, the purpose of religion is to create unity and concord; if it is not, it is being used in the wrong way (i.e., religion should not be used to create disunity and disharmony and hatred, it should create good-will and peace among all mankind). That is why the Bahá'í Faith emphasizes unity so strongly. The Bahá'í Writings state: "Bahá’u’lláh said that God has sent religion for the purpose of establishing fellowship among humankind and not to create strife and discord, for all religion is founded upon the love of humanity. ... True religion is based upon love and agreement. Bahá’u’lláh has said, 'If religion and faith are the causes of enmity and sedition, it is far better to be nonreligious, and the absence of religion would be preferable; for we desire religion to be the cause of amity and fellowship. If enmity and hatred exist, irreligion is preferable.' Therefore, the removal of this dissension has been specialized in Bahá’u’lláh, for religion is the divine remedy for human antagonism and discord. But when we make the remedy the cause of the disease, it would be better to do without the remedy" (The Promulgation of Universal Peace, pp. 231–32)



Here's some YouTube videos about the persecution:







By the way, the top Iranian filmmaker, Mr. Makhmalbaf (he used to be one of the strongest/most prominent supporters of the Islamic revolution in Iran, but now says he does not have a religion I believe) made documentary about the Bahá'í Faith and filmed it in Haifa; it's called The Gardener:



It's just one of many examples of famous Iranians (Muslim, etc.) beginning to speak out for Bahá'ís. Just another quick example: Mohammad Nourizad, he is a journalist/filmmaker who was a writer for the most conservative paper in Iran (the voice of the Islamic government); now he is a humans rights activist and has been speaking up for Bahá'ís and even kissed the feet of a Bahá'í child (whose father/mother are in prison) and asked for forgiveness on the behalf of Muslims for the persecution (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohammad_Nourizad). He has been arrested many times and beaten up and released, he said one time they broke all his bones in prison and he thought he was going to be dead right there. So there are many people like that in Iran, who really do want to know the truth about things, and are speaking out for their persecuted countrymen. Also the younger generation of Iranians seem more open minded especially compared to previous ones. IMHO despite the persecution there is a lot of reason to be hopeful and optimistic about Iran I believe, especially with more individuals like those speaking up.

[Bahai.Lifter]

http://news.bahai.org/story/1013

Shiraz cemetery destruction resumes

6 August 2014


Plans to build a sports and cultural complex over a Baha’i cemetery have resumed with concrete being poured into the site where the graves of Baha’is were excavated in order to lay the building foundation. Demolition of the cemetery, which began in late April, had temporarily stopped after the international media reported on the desecration and other governments expressed concern.


GENEVA — Iran’s Revolutionary Guard has resumed its demolition of a historic Baha’i cemetery in Shiraz, Iran, after pausing for several months in the face of international pressure and the expression of outrage on the part of Iranians from all walks of life.

Reports from Iran indicate that the Guard has now removed human remains from some 30 to 50 of the 950 graves of Baha'is in the cemetery, placing them in an open canal to make way for the construction of a new cultural and sports complex.

In June, the Guards held a public celebration of their progress in clearing the site. In advance of that celebration, to which the media was invited, they used a heavy roller to compact the ground. A carpet was then laid over a number of graves and the commander of the Guards gave a speech attacking Baha'is.

“The manner in which the Revolutionary Guards have gone about destroying these sacred grounds and, now, celebrating its demolition goes beyond the pale in terms of humane behavior,” said Diane Ala’i, the representative of the Baha'i International Community to the United Nations in Geneva.


A poster at the entrance to the cemetery provides images of the Revolutionary Guards’ planned construction of a sports and cultural complex that will include a library, mosque, restaurant, theatre, child care facility and sports hall.


“Clearly, this latest action – a public celebration held upon the graves of innocent people – is an attempt by the Guards to justify to an increasingly outraged Iranian public the desecration of the cemetery and the treatment of Baha'is generally,” she said.

“We call on the government of Iran to immediately put a stop to this desecration, and we ask the international community to likewise voice its concerns about this outrageous development,” said Ms. Ala’i.

According to Ms. Ala’i, members of the Shiraz Baha'i community have pleaded with local authorities to enforce a permanent halt in the construction, offering also a compromise in which the sports complex could be built on the site away from areas where Baha'is are buried, while the graveyard itself is turned into a green space.

The Baha'is have been told, however, that local authorities have no control over the Revolutionary Guards, who acquired the land about three years ago.

Demolition of the cemetery – established in the 1920s – was first begun in late April with the digging of a large, shallow excavation. That was halted after the international media reported on the desecration and other governments expressed concern.

More recently, however, concrete has been poured for a foundation, and a number of signs have been posted proclaiming the Guards’ plan to build a sports and cultural complex that will include a library, mosque, restaurant, theatre, child care facility, and sports hall.

Of note, during the public celebration of the demolition’s progress, held 14 June, the commander of the Revolutionary Guards of Fars Province, gave a speech attacking Baha'is and calling the Baha'i Faith a “foul”, “perverse sect”.

According to IranWire, this same commander or another high-ranking official in the Revolutionary Guards of Fars Province subsequently stated, “We will use a vehement approach with those who teach about the perverse sect in this province.... Their religion, or sect, is not genuine.”

At the same time, Baha'is in the province have given voice to their deep anguish over the site’s destruction. In an open letter written to local authorities in May, for example, a 50-year-old Baha'i woman spoke of facing decades of oppression, capped now by this latest attack on a place where the bodies of her father, mother, and sister – who were all killed by the government in the 1980s – had been laid to rest.

“Yesterday…the cemetery where the bodies of my beloved family were buried was dug up and the soil was loaded onto trucks and taken away, so that no trace of evidence would be left of the crimes and atrocities committed by you over the past thirty years,” she wrote.

“End this long-standing rancor and enmity,” she said. “We are your countrymen, your fellow citizens, your neighbors, your family, and your relatives. We work for the dissemination of love; we adore affection and kindliness; and believe we all have a right to the life which God has bestowed upon us.”



A poster at the entrance to the cemetery provides images of the Revolutionary Guards’ planned construction of a sports and cultural complex that will include a library, mosque, restaurant, theatre, child care facility and sports hall.

[Bahai.Lifter]

http://iranpresswatch.org/post/10649/

Economic Threats: Ministry of Intelligence and Security Extremists’ Priority Path to Annihilating the Baha’is.

BY EDITOR · AUGUST 7, 2014

Source: http://www.rahesabz.net/story/84601

Publication date: 22 July, 2014, 10:33 PM

By Safa Rasti

Incredibly, the authorities continue the denial of discrimination against Baha’is in Iran.



Incredibly, the Islamic Republic of Iran continues its denial of discrimination against Baha’is in Iran. Mohammad Javad Larijani, secretary-general of the Islamic Human Rights Commission, and Sadeq Larijani, head of Iran’s judiciary, have claimed that the Baha’is in Iran have complete freedom and enjoy the same equal rights as other citizens when it comes to employment and education.

Amongst dozens of examples of violations, such as closing all the Baha’i businesses in Semnan, totaling 16 stores, 3 centers for medical and health equipment distribution, and two operating factories, and the resulting loss of employment for dozens of workers; in addition to denying Baha’i youth an education at universities in Iran by suspending them and not accepting them to university due to baseless excuses such as incomplete applications, are two examples of severe and pervasive economic pressure on the Baha’is of Tonkabon and Hamadan.

Economic Assault on the Baha’is of Hamadan

On November 17, 2012, without prior notice, all Hamadan Baha’i shops were closed on the same day by order of the Intelligence and Security Ministry. Inquiries of the business owners from all legal provincial entities and the Office of the president, the Supreme Leader’s office, the 90th Amendment Commission, the Islamic Human Rights Commission, the judiciary, the Attorney General, the Court of Justice, the Ministry of the Interior, Mr. Ali Younesi, Senior Assistant to the President for Ethnic and Religious Minorities , in-person appointments with Members of Parliament and the Armed Forces were fruitless. All of them (except The Supreme Leader’s office) expressed regret and sympathy but ultimately stated that it is out of their hands. It seems that all roads lead to the Ministry of Intelligence and Security and to the extremists in that office.

The publication of the story of closing the stores and businesses of the Baha’is and the spread of this news amongst the population, and given the knowledge that Baha’is are well known as trustworthy and honest amongst the people, drew certain reactions from the citizenry. In the city of Bahar, the neighborhood produced an elaborate petition (over forty signatures) in support of Kamran Aqdasi Yekta, a Baha’i owner of an automotive oil change business, which was unprecedented in its kind. Also, in some cases other business owners invited the Baha’is to use their shops to run their affairs, which indicates the general population’s empathy and solidarity with Baha’is.

Accusation of Smuggling of Goods

Under the initiation of the News Branch of the Ministry of Intelligence and Security, charges of rice smuggling have been brought against Na’im Aqdasi Yekta. His rice shipment, which had been purchased from Mr. Davud Lapechi, who is a known rice trader on Mulavi Street in Tehran, and which had been shipped to Hamedan through loading terminals, was confiscated as smuggled goods, and his business was shut down. Na’im Aqdasi’s lawyer, Hamid Soleimani Fard, writes in his defense statement: “How could a shipment which entered the county through the two companies ‘Rahrovan Durandish’ and ‘Afaq Shahid ****l’ in a totally legal manner and was transported to Tehran, with a massive weight of 530 Tons, and with a certified green pass, on each bag of which the name and specifics of the importing companies are clearly stated, but then this client buys a very small amount of it to take to Hamedan for his business – how can this be called smuggled goods? And if this is so, then how come the two thousand tons of goods in the warehouses of the above-mentioned companies, or the warehouses of known and trusted traders in this market, are not taken in to custody? Despite all certified documents, the court finally ruled that half of his rice was not contraband, but that for the other half he must pay a fine of 27 million toumans (approx $10,000). And the appeals court indicates that since in the certification papers the name of the rice is not specified, therefore technically the goods are considered illegal imports, which is in reality completely false.” With the lawyer’s persistence and proof that the name of the rice was indeed designated on the bags, and although in Tehran promises were made to coordinate with Hamedan as necessary about these findings, nevertheless, on Tuesday 26 November 2013, upon visiting the Hamedan court, he was detained and asked to immediately transfer 18 million Toumans (approx $6,800) to the court’s account or go to jail, hence his family was forced to pay the mentioned fee. Even after all this, finally on the 25th of December of the same year they revoked his business license.

People are Forbidden from Cooperating with Baha’is

The solidarity and cooperation of the fair and good-hearted people of Hamadan with their Baha’i compatriots did not sit well with the Ministry of Intelligence and Security officials. This time non-Baha’is were the targets of threats. After closing the optician’s store of Mozafar Ayoubi, Hamid Azizi, one of his employees, along with a non-Baha’i friend, opened another store, but after three or four months the Office of Properties visited them and gave them an explicit warning that if they continued to help Mr. Ayoubi their store would also be shut down; once again Hamid Azizi became unemployed.

Mansur Ayoubi, another Baha’i who owned a heavy machinery repair shop, started working for one of his previous employees after his business was shut down. Again the Office of Properties visited them and asked them their reason for helping Mr. Ayoubi. The former employee said, “I do not have enough know-how and skills, so he can help me.” After that, the employee was summoned to the Office of Properties and was told, “Mr. Ayoubi is being thoroughly monitored by us and we know that he works here full time.” Eventually, this shop was also shut down on the twenty fifth of November ,and M. Ayoubi became unemployed again. Another one if his friends invited him to join him, but again after some time, with the interference of the Office of Properties, lost his job again. For the third time he started working at a spare parts store, and this time too the Office of Properties summoned the three partners of the spare parts store and threatened them and forced them to fire Mansur Ayoubi.

Khosro Ma’budi, another of Hamadan’s Baha’is, after the closing of his engine tuning shop, continued to work in front of his closed store, and then started working in the shop of one of his non-Baha’i friends; this time too, due to threats by the Office of Properties, he lost his job again.

The wife of Mr. Arsalan (Solomon) Aqdasi used to teach in a school once a week. The principal of the school was threatened that if that cooperation continued, they would shut down the school entirely. At first he resisted this unreasonable demand, but he was ultimately forced to dismiss Ms. Aqdasi.

Shahram Rajabi, who started working with another individual after the closing of his own shop, was summoned to the Office of Properties. The interrogator tried to lure him and at the same time threaten him into accepting a proposal to cooperate with the News headquarters, which he did not accept.

The neighbors of Mehran Khandel, as well as neighbors of Kamran and Samandar Aghdasi in the city of Bahar, Hamadan, have been clearly warned and threatened not to cooperate with or help Baha’is.

. . .

[Continued...]

[Bahai.Lifter]

http://iranpresswatch.org/post/10649/

[Continued from above]



Fruitless Pursuit of Justice

Repeated visits of Baha’is to various institutions have produced no significant outcome. The tangible and intangible presence of the Ministry of Intelligence and Security is visible in all institutions. No one admits any guilt. Everyone passes the issue to the next institution. Some, using sarcasm and ambiguity, insinuate, and others implicitly and explicitly state that the Ministry of Intelligence and Security is involved. The people in most institutions lament the current situation.

Mehran Khandel submitted a complaint to the Fairness Court, but on 17 October 2013 the 5th Branch of the Fairness Court dismissed the complaint submitted by Mehran Khandel, and by this move, confirmed the orders of the Office of Properties.
Shujahuddin Jahangiri, who had requested the re-opening of his Optical store, was denied his request by the 6th Branch of the Fairness Court, on the 22 June of 2013. He requested a meeting with Advisor to the President and former minister of the Ministry of Intelligence and Security, Ali Younesi, which was not accepted; other officials offered merely offered sympathy and a vague hope of a better future.

Preventing Baha’is from making a living is not limited only to shutting down their businesses. There is another hidden problem which is often not considered. For example, Attaollah Rajabali and his brothers worked together on a farm in the nearby village of Hamadan. In early summer 2013 they were accused of unlawfully taking over the land of some villagers, and told to leave most of the farmland by the end of the year. Mr. Rajabali responded that he holds the legal deeds and records of the land in question, and asked about the proof of their claim. The person then claimed that the deeds were not valid and that Mr. Rajabali had acquired it by paying people off and bribing. He was threatened several more times by such accusations. In the fall the same person along with his father and two other people came to the farmland and this time they threatened Mr. Rajabali with death and told him:”If you don’t leave this land, killing you is a piece of cake for us.” It is highly unlikely that any person could make such statements without backing from a higher power. Sherwin Rajabali, his son, was also summoned by the President of the Azad University of Hamadan, and without presenting any written orders, only verbally told him that he was being expelled from the university.

So why has the Office of Properties shut down Baha’i businesses? Apparently the Office of Properties’ excuse for shutting down Baha’i businesses is due to the businesses being closed on Baha’i holy days, but there is evidence that show this is simply an excuse to conceal their real aim of crippling Baha’is economically. The first supporting evidence is that the Office of Properties is an executive agent of the orders and policies of the Ministry of Intelligence and Security. These policies were devised by the Cultural Revolutionary Council and approved by the Leader of the Revolution in 1990; based on these plans the economic and cultural growth of Baha’is was to be stifled at any cost. Next, after the shutting down of the Baha’i businesses in Hamadan agents of the Ministry of Intelligence and Security monitored the actions of these Baha’is and took careful measures to block their employment in other places as well (as the above examples demonstrate). Sahba Khademi, the wife of Salar Seifi, started working as a beautician, serving some of her friends out of her own house after the closing of her husband’s shop; she was forced to stop after agents of the Ministry of Intelligence and Security threatened and warned her. Parviz and Khosro Ma’budi were allowed to keep the doors of their store open but were not allowed to operate their business. All this aside, the neighbors of the affected Baha’is reported that individuals dressed in civilian clothes had questioned them about how these Baha’is were now providing for their families. The methods employed to counter Mansur Ayoubi, Kamran and Samandar Aghdasi, Shahram Rajabi, Hamid Azizi, and other Baha’is are all indicative of the Ministry of Intelligence and Security’s aim to cripple Baha’is economically.

Given the atmosphere of intimidation and fear in Hamadan, the courageous acts of the non-Baha’i citizens of Hamadan in support of their Baha’i neighbors are very considerable. It seems that after many years, the collective spirit of fighting oppression has taken on new dimensions, which is not good news for oppressors. The Ministry of Intelligence and Security is trying to prevent the publication of such news to create a gap between Baha’is and other layers of society. Kiumars Rashedi Radis one of very few Baha’is who has been able to re-open his business, but he was summoned by the Ministry of Intelligence and Security and told to give a commitment to not talk to anyone and not mention to anyone that his store was shut down due to his religious beliefs, and also he is banned from hiring any Muslim workers. They forced Shervin Rajabali to sign a commitment to not tell anyone that he is a Baha’i and not to teach anything about the Baha’i faith over the years of his studies, and not to wear or possess anything that is in anyway attributable to the Baha’i Faith, such as written material, books, CDs, bracelets and the like. In order to demonstrate his pure intentions, and out of respect for the President of the University he agreed, but he reiterated that his commitment only applied on the University grounds, and was not valid outside of the university. The Head of the University did not even tolerate this condition, and ordered him to be expelled. Is it not true that the President of a University is only responsible for what takes place in his own university, and not the entire country?

Economic Storm in Tonkabon

The events in Tonkabon also are very similar to events in Hamadan. Since about 4 years ago more than 20 stores have been closed. Siamak Ebrahimi (Nusrat Arzani), Misagh Ismaelzadeghan, Ruhollah Vahid Ighani, Omid Ghaderi and Mojgan Samavi, Sorush Garshasbi and Mahvash Khazei, Sina Garshasbi, Iran Mirza Aqa, Mahyar Lotfi, Saleh Ashkurian, Jamaluddin Ismailpur, Khalil Naghipour, Payam Haghighat, Zia Ullah Qadri and Mr. Nassiri (all in Tankabon), and Michel Esmailpour, Armin Esmailpour and Badiullah Abolfazli (all three in Nashtarud), Senobar (Tarami) Mohsennejad and Haydar Mohsennejad, Eshagh Mohsennejad, Nushin Masudian (all four in Khorramabad Tankabon), used to be the owners of businesses such as computer electronics, appliance stores, appliance repairs, refrigerator and television repair, tailor shops, clothing shops, blacksmith and cabinet-making, and earned a living this way.
Wherever they have inquired, they have not received an appropriate answer. The main responsible party, which is the Office of Properties, claims that their orders were from the Department of Mining and Technology. But this one says the Office of Properties has more clear information about this, and added that “the order came from the City procurement council and has nothing to do with us; we just executed their orders.” The district attorney’s office said, “this serves you well, because you play tricks by presenting yourselves in a good light, and you sell your merchandize at a reasonable price and are nice to everyone so you can teach.” Using some of their friends they bring these issues up with the Governor who explicitly stated that he was not able to do anything for them. They demanded to meet with the city representatives in the parliament to no avail.

Another group of Baha’is in Khoramabad reached out to the District Attorney again, who told them he would not do anything for them, and the Governor said he needed to look into this. The meeting with one of the city council representatives only brought them a lot of sympathy. The Baha’is of Khoramabad Tankabon traveled to Sari another time to see the Security Manager of the Province, who received their letter, expressed plenty of regret and promised to help. Then they went to the Provincial Court and handed a similar letter to the head of the office. The next person to see was the Director General of the Department of Mining and Technology. The Director General expressed surprise at first. He immediately contacted Tonkabon and asked for information, and was told that this was not a civil issue and that the order had come from elsewhere – the final result of this meeting too ended up as a worthless expression of regret.

Another team went to Sari again within 48 hours and spoke with Mr. Faraj Poor (human rights lawyer), and began to speak about some legal measures. Then they traveled to the Provincial offices and spoke with the same person in charge, who invited them to be patient and told them that a new administration had been elected, and that human rights would be considered, “and as a result you will have a better experience too” – in short, he was very optimistic. The next day they went to the Department of Interior and spoke with the person in charge of minority affairs (Dr. Parvizi), who listened to them with a pleasant attitude, but told them “this issue has nothing to do with the Department of Interior, and you need to go through the Attorney General” (Mr. Bakhtiari). Then they went to visit the Office of the President and Mr. Younesi the First Advisor to the President, but they only succeeded in speaking with his assistant by the name of Mr. Mofidi, which ultimately resulted in an apology and an expression of regret, and obtaining a Letter of Grievance, a phone number and a promise to follow through Mr. Younesi and a follow-up contact, which does not come through. Some authorities seem to have learned to keep up appearances by showing a pleasant attitude, but in practice they do not do anything to help the situation.

The following week another group of 10 Tonkabon Baha’is went to see the same person in charge of Security at the Provincial Office, who was very optimistic, who finally told them that it was out of his hands and suggested that they follow up through the Judiciary: this huge change in perspective was quite a surprise. The next person was the Security and Political Deputy of the Governor – he promised to open the stores within the next three or four days, but during the next meeting he clarified that he had meant the stores would open “soon”. An effort to reach out to Mr. Younesi on the sidelines of his speaking event in Karaj on November 2013 was useless.

What is noteworthy is that the endless effort by Baha’is to gain their citizenship rights through legal and democratic means, and avoidance of any sort of unlawful acts, although this path may take a lot longer. But another important subject which can be highlighted is that the method of taking employment away from the entire Baha’i population of a region causes them not to be able to help each other, since the financial situation of everyone is in a dire state for a while. Although all the Baha’is in Iran struggle with many issues to make a living, they are worried that what happened in Hamedan, Tonkabon, and Semnan are test implementations of a wider plan to determine the results before implementing it throughout Iran, so that they can suppress the entire Baha’i population financially at the same time. This is the same policy approved by the Supreme Leader in 1990, that aimed to stifle the development and expansion of Baha’is*.



*A description and full translation of the letter can be found here: http://news.bahai.org/human-rights/i...cret-blueprint

[Bahai.Lifter]

[Bahai.Lifter]

Four Bahá'ís were arrested on 5 August in Shiraz, Iran. It is not known where they were taken.

Source (in Persian): http://hra-news.org/fa/religious-min...دن

[Bahai.Lifter]

http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/...e-recognition/

Indonesia’s Baha’i Community Grateful for Long-Awaited State Recognition

By Jakarta Globe on 11:30 pm Aug 07, 2014
Category Featured, News, Politics, Religion
Tags: Baha'i, Lukman Hakim Saifuddin


Religious Affairs Minister Lukman Hakim Saifuddin. (Antara Photo/Mohamad Hamzah)



Jakarta. The Indonesian Baha’i Society thanked the government on Thursday for officially recognizing the monotheistic faith as a religion, after Religious Affairs Minister Lukman Hakim Saifuddin’s recent statement that worshippers will be protected by the Constitution.

“We are gratefully and happily welcome [the minister’s] statement… that Baha’is, as Indonesian citizens, are recognized by the law,” the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’i society said in a statement.

“We express our deepest gratitude to the government, members of the press and the Indonesian public for their attention interest in our society.”

Through his Twitter account @lukmansaifuddin, Lukman tweeted last month that “Baha’i is a religion, not a sect,” in response to a letter sent by the Home Affairs Ministry requesting clarification about the 200-year-old faith.

The ministry is currently reviewing the suggestion of officially allowing the religious option of Baha’i on Indonesian KTP, or identity card.

Citizens are required to state their religion on their KTP, which they acquire at the age of 17. At present, only six government recognized religions can legally appear on an ID card, namely Islam, Protestant, Catholic, Buddhist, Hindu and Confucianist.

“I told [the ministry] that Baha’i is a religion protected by articles 28E and 29 in the Constitution,” Lukman tweeted on July 24.

Not long after, however, the Indonesian media began accusing the minister of promoting a new religion.

“That’s a distortion [of my previous statements],” he said in response, adding that he was not authorized to make any such endorsements.

“A number of online media sites have made misleading comments regarding my tweets, saying that I’ve inaugurated a new religion,” Lukman said.

Lukman further emphasized that Baha’is — whether or not they can put their religious identity on their ID cards — deserve equal public services from the government, including those concerning population and legal issues.

Nevertheless, the Baha’i assembly in its Thursday’s press statement, said it wanted the people of Indonesia to learn about the religion from a credible source.

“Baha’i is an independent religion, neither a traditional belief nor a sect deviating from another faith,” the statement says.

“The core of Baha’i teachings is the oneness of God; the oneness of mankind and the spiritual basis of every religion,” the assembly explained.

[Bahai.Lifter]

http://iranpresswatch.org/post/10643/

A Note from the Heart by a Baha’i Girl Named Ruhieh about the Denial of Her University Appilcation

BY EDITOR · AUGUST 7, 2014

Source: Tavaana: E-Learning Institute for Iranian Civil Society, http://goo.gl/HKBzUD

08/03/2014

Translation by Iran Press Watch



The Nationwide University Entry Exam results have been sent out, but some received this message instead, because they were Baha’is.



Read a note from the heart by a Baha’i girl named Ruhieh:

After spending some time outside of the home with family, I come home and check my mobile. I see Maha’s message, it says: Ruhieh – did you get your Exam results?

Laughingly I tell my Mom: the results are in.

Mom, worried, says: So come and check!

With utmost peace of mind and quite relaxed, I pick up my laptop and enter the site and open the page. I enter all my information and await the “incomplete application” message, but a few seconds later a popup says “Please contact some PO BOX in Karaj in writing” (1) or …

I enter my information again, but the same note in red pops up. With laughter, out of anger, I tell my mom: Mom, there is a new incomplete application message!

My mom, worried and a little upset, sits next to me on a chair and says: Try again, maybe it’s a mistake.

I enter my details again, and get the same write-up. I turn my laptop towards my mom, and start calling my Baha’i friends, and one of my non-Baha’i friends. None of them had checked, they said they would check and let me know.

A few moments later, one of my friends from another city sent me a text message that said: It’s a new style; they are referring everyone to Karaj!! Call your non-Baha’i friends and ask.

I immediately call one of my non-Baha’i friends; she says her rank is 4000th, she needs to study for next year again, since she needs a ranking of better than 1000th for medical fields.

With laughter and a bit of disdain I say, I think I’ll be on the same path… she laughs.

I think to myself, although I had a lot of talent and potential in mathematics and physics, due to the love I had for veterinary medicine, I picked a science major (in high school), but a few months later I found out that they no longer accept girls in this field. I finished that year disappointed, and saw many of my friends get “incomplete application” in place of their test score results.

Mid third year (of high school) I became familiar with genetics and tried in that field for some time, but again I lost hope in that field and am no longer interested in life sciences.

I remembered Maha had asked me to text my Exam results to her.

I think for a moment, what should I tell her?

What should I say to someone I love like my younger sister, and have always tried to give hope to? Should I tell her not to study because it makes no difference? Or should I say leave your country and go study somewhere else?

I remember the times when somebody would lose hope; I used to laughingly tell them youth can move the world, even if she cannot… and then I would look at Maha and she would continue: She should be able to, this is according to Ruhieh, and then we would continue with renewed hope.

Now I don’t know how to tell her that sometimes youth cannot do anything, no matter how hard they try.

I have learned from childhood that perseverance and dealing with hardship in the path of justice and truth is worthwhile, and I still continue to believe that this is worthwhile.

But I question, why should it be this way? Didn’t Mr. Rouhani (Iran’s President) promise that those who had been kept from going to universities would be allowed to go? So what happened?

Dear Mr. Rouhani, I am not asking you to allow my brother, father, mother, my uncles, aunts, and cousins who were suspended from university to return, all I’m asking is that out of this very big family, just let me in to the university, this is all we need in order to be able to trust you, and know that you fulfilled you promise. If you had slapped me with an incomplete application, I would not have gotten upset, because I was expecting that, but to be dismissed by a new method is distressing. I had no hope of being accepted, but I was telling myself, if this year they let us in, I will do everything in my power to get in with the best scores next year. But now I am thinking to myself, which bookstore can I give my test preparation books to, so those who are not unclean and infidel and have blue blood running in their veins can take the tests and go to university?

I’m on the verge of laughter along with a lump in my throat.

Going to university in Iran is not that important, as there are correspondence/distance universities in many countries where I can study, but the lump in my throat is due to the injustice that they purposefully commit.

The lump in my throat is due to those whose consciences are peacefully asleep.

My little sister, I don’t know how to answer you so as not to cause you to lose faith, but at the same time show you the reality, and say: Do you see, Maha? This is a country whose development concerns all of us, these are our fellow countrymen whose comfort is the subject of our prayers, but don’t you lose your hope because youth can move the world, if she cannot…

Another lump in my throat, and another…



1. “Please contact Karaj PO Box 31535-3166

In writing or with the address: Karaj –

Meshkin Dasht, Shahid Motevaselian St. –

Institution for Evaluating the Country’s Education –

Response unit”

[Bahai.Lifter]

Quote of the Day:

Religion is the outer expression of the divine reality. Therefore, it must be living, vitalized, moving and progressive. If it be without motion and nonprogressive, it is without the divine life; it is dead. The divine institutes are continuously active and evolutionary; therefore, the revelation of them must be progressive and continuous. All things are subject to reformation. This is a century of life and renewal. Sciences and arts, industry and invention have been reformed. Law and ethics have been reconstituted, reorganized. The world of thought has been regenerated. Sciences of former ages and philosophies of the past are useless today. Present exigencies demand new methods of solution; world problems are without precedent. Old ideas and modes of thought are fast becoming obsolete. Ancient laws and archaic ethical systems will not meet the requirements of modern conditions, for this is clearly the century of a new life, the century of the revelation of reality and, therefore, the greatest of all centuries.

—‘Abdu’l-Bahá

(Source: http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/ab/PUP/pup-53.html)

[Bahai.Lifter]

http://www.themuslimtimes.org/2014/0...n-in-indonesia

Welcoming Baha’i: New official religion in Indonesia

Posted by Amtul Q Farhat

The Jakarta Post:



The Religious Affairs Ministry has added the Baha’i faith to the list of official Indonesian religions, which already comprises Islam, Christianity, Catholicism, Hinduism, Buddhism and Confucianism.

However, to say Baha’i is a new world religion is, somehow, historically indelicate, as in the early 19th century, Persia (now Iran) had witnessed the birth of this youngest form of Abrahamic religion. The predecessor of this religion was founded in 1844 by Sayyed ‘Ali Mohammad Shirazi, a charismatic young merchant from Shiraz, and affirmed Baha’ullah as its prophet (Momen, 2002).





The followers of Baha’i hold Al-Aqdas as their holy book, which has been translated into hundreds of languages. The word Baha’i itself means “the splendor”, meanwhile Baha’ullah means the “splendor of God”.

As a prophetic messiah, Baha’ullah proclaimed his mission to leaders of Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity, including Catholicism, Orthodox Christianity and Protestantism, and Islam (Sunni and Shia). Historically, Baha’ullah messages were addressed to the crowned heads of Europe, in public proclamations to Queen Victoria, Napoleon III, Pope Pius IX and other world leaders during the Adrianople in 1864–1868 and Akka periods in 1868–1892 (Buck, 2004: 157). When Baha’ullah died on May 18, 1892, his undertaking was continued by his eldest son Abdu’l-Bahá .

The Baha’i followers themselves have been faithful in propagating their faith to even the most obscure corners of the world (Miller, 1984). The spread of the Baha’i faith, thus, has been impressively fast, and on May 7, 1955, the campaign of anti-Baha’ism in Iran commenced.

The army and military were involved in destroying the dome of Baha’i center in Teheran (Fischer, 1990: 45) and Baha’i was then considered a (political) threat to Muslim communities, such as in Egypt, Pakistan, Turkey, Indonesia, and Malaysia.

In Indonesia, Baha’i as a religious movement has existed since the 1970s, although its arrival can be traced back to the 1920s. As mentioned by Religious Affairs Minister Lukman Hakim Saifuddin through his Twitter account, Baha’i followers in Indonesia have grown in number, scattered in major cities in Indonesia (Jakarta, Bandung, Malang, Surabaya, Medan, Banyuwangi and so on).

He said Baha’i was now a protected religion in Indonesia, according to Article 28E and 29 of the 1945 Constitution, and also based on Government Regulation No. 1/PNPS/1965, which refers to Baha’i as a form of religion apart from Islam, Christianity, Catholicism, Hinduism, Buddhism and Confucianism. This official acknowledgement brings with it a massive impact on the establishment of Baha’i in Indonesia.

Along with my almost-a-decade-research on this issue, I have witnessed various forms of social discrimination against Baha’i followers in my hometown Banyuwangi, East Java. In 2002, the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) issued a fatwa (edict) that bans Baha’i followers from being able to bury their dead relatives in public areas. Issues related to social injustice include the ban on legal Baha’i marriages.

Indonesian Baha’i followers had been living “in disguise” before the Religious Affairs Ministry acknowledged their existence.

According to my studies on the Baha’i faith in Indonesia, during the Dutch colonial era, the Baha’i faith was more accepted by society than in the New Order and Reform era. Religious violence targeting the Indonesian Baha’i community began in the New Order, as the Soeharto regime restricted the official religions to only five.

The government’s recognition of Baha’i as an official religion in Indonesia has confirmed the nation’s commitment to religious diversity. Indonesia’s third president, Abdurrahman Wahid, was a strong supporter of religious pluralism in the country.

The Baha’i faith is not deviant and every Baha’i follower has the right to profess their religious beliefs freely in Indonesia.

The writer is a Baha’i researcher in Southeast Asia who is pursuing a PhD degree at the Indonesian Consortium for Religious Studies (ICRS), Gadjah Mada University (UGM), Yogyakarta.

[Bahai.Lifter]

http://iranpresswatch.org/post/10593/

Ministry of Intelligence Office in Tabriz

BY EDITOR · JULY 21, 2014

Source: http://goo.gl/TErdst

Translation by Iran Press Watch



HRANA – On Sunday, July 13th, the day that Shabnam Isakhani was arrested, intelligence officers searched Rashin Saberi’s home and summoned her to court.
According to reporters of HRANA, the news organization of Human Rights Activists in Iran, security officers entered the home disguised as postmen, searched the home, and confiscated religious books, prayer books, Baha’i sacred photos, and her laptop computer.
The officers then gave her a summons for an interrogation the following Tuesday.