Persecution of Bahá'ís in Iran

On May 28, 2010, the Committee on International Freedom of Scientists of the American Physical Society wrote a letter to Iran’s Minister of Education, Dr. Hamid Reza Haji Babaie, expressing concern over the country’s systematic denial of higher education to Baha’i students.

From the letter:

Denying anyone access to education based upon their personal convictions is rightly considered to be deplorable, whether these convictions are religious or political, and in the long run such policies serve to undermine not only human rights but also future benefits to that country at issue and to the world at large. In addition such actions are in direct contravention to several international treaties which Iran is a signatory, namely The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights1, The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights2 and in particular The Convention on the Rights of the Child3 which in article 28 explicitly address the rights of a child to education and in 1c, with making “higher education accessible to all on the basis of capacity.”

ShareThis

On Monday, April 12, the Miami Herald published an article about a Baha’i woman in Miami who experienced educational discrimination in Iran for her beliefs. Nadia Riazati, who arrived in the U.S. two years ago and is currently pursuing a doctorate degree at Florida International University, shared her story during a public event in Miami dedicated to the Baha’is of Iran, which was held on Sunday, April 11.

About 300 people attended the event in Miami, where Former Universal House of Justice Member Douglas Martin and U.S. Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen were the keynote speakers.

From the article…

From an early age, Nadia Riazati knew the pain of discrimination, humiliation and punishment. When she was expelled from school in Iran for revealing her religion, her teacher insulted her. “You have sullied our school,” she admonished.

Riazati, 28, belongs to the Baha’i faith, the largest non-Islamic religious minority in Iran, and one that has been the target of relentless persecution by the government for decades. Because of her religious beliefs, she was banned from Iran’s universities. Two years ago, after seven failed attempts, she managed to leave the country.

“The Iranian government wants to destroy us culturally and intellectually by denying us the opportunity to educate ourselves,” said Riazati, who is studying for a doctorate in sociology at Florida International University.

ShareThis

On October 26, the U.S. Department of State released its 2009 International Religious Freedom Report on Iran, which includes several mentions of the persecution of Iran’s Baha’i minority. For example,

Adherents of religious groups not recognized by the Constitution, such as the Baha’is, do not have freedom to practice their beliefs. The Government prohibits Baha’is from teaching and practicing their faith. Baha’is are barred from all leadership positions in the Government and military.

The Government considers Baha’is to be apostates and defines the Baha’i Faith as a political “sect.” The Ministry of Justice states that Baha’is are permitted to enroll in schools only if they do not identify themselves as such, and that Baha’is preferably should be enrolled in schools with a strong and imposing religious ideology. There were reports that Baha’i children in public schools faced attempts to convert them to Islam.

ShareThis

On July 9, 2009, Robert A. Oden, Jr., president of Carleton College in Norfield, MN, sent a letter to Iran’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Mohammad Khazaee, advocating for Baha’is’ right to higher education in Iran.

ShareThis

On Saturday, March 7, 2009, several Persian online journals carried this report about the expulsion of Miss Minoo Shahriari on the grounds that she was a Baha’i. Continue Reading »

ShareThis

Iran Press Watch posted a compelling interview with an Iranian Baha’i student who has been denied access to university education in Iran.

ShareThis

Iran Press Watch published today the translation of an account by an Iranian Baha’i student who was expelled from university this fall. Continue Reading »

ShareThis

The Bahá’í representative at Harvard Chaplains gave a short talk for the Morning Prayer Service in late October, in which she was also able to address the situation of Bahá’í students in Iran. Continue Reading »

ShareThis

The University of Minnesota campus newspaper published a column titled “Baha’is face discrimination in Iran”.

ShareThis

26 Muslim students at Goldasht College in Kelardasht, Mazandaran, refused to take their first-term final examinations in protest of the expulsion of a fellow classmate because he is a Baha’i. Continue Reading »

ShareThis

M.S. Hanaee Kashani, a professor of English literature at Shaheed Beheshti University, posted his account regarding the expulsion of his Baha’i students.  The account is posted at www.Fallosafah.org, a site dedicated to “the Journals of M.S. Hanaee Kashani”.  Click here to access his account in Farsi. An English translation is also available.

ShareThis

The National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of the U.S.  just launched a video contest to raise awareness about the plight of Baha’is in Iran who are trying to gain access to higher education. The contest is open to everyone. Please visit:  http://www.youtube.com/group/bahaistudentsiran

ShareThis

The Ohlone, CA, community college newspaper published an opinion article titled “Education denied to the Baha’i minority in Iran”.

ShareThis

Virginia’s James Madison University’s The Breeze published an opinion article titled “Religious Persecution Persists in Iran“.

ShareThis

On Monday, 13 October 2008, Human Rights Activists of Iran published an account by Arash Shahsavandi, a Baha’i student, who was expelled from an Iranian university on account of his religion. Click here for the English translation.

ShareThis

On October 6, Human Rights Activists in Iran published a letter by a Baha’i student. Click here for an English translation.

ShareThis

NEW YORK, October 3, 2008 (BWNS) — As the new academic year got under way, young Baha’is in Iran again found the door to higher education closed. Continue Reading »

ShareThis

The Ventura Country Star published an article titled “Barred from college in Iran, Moorpark resident excels at studies in the U.S.” about an Iranian Baha’i student who came to Moorpark, CA, 4 years ago.

ShareThis

The American Association of University Professors passed a resolution on June 15, 2008, urging the government of Iran to “remove barriers that deny access to higher education on religious or ethnic grounds.” In particular, the AAUP wants to ensure that Iran does not keep members of the Baha’i religious community “out of universities.”

ShareThis

A Baha’i World News Service article provides further developments of the Iranian government’s campaign to deny Baha’i students access to higher education.

Almost 800 of the more than 1,000 Baha’is who sat for and properly completed the entrance exam in June 2007 have received word that their files are “incomplete” — thus preventing their enrollment.

ShareThis