Persecution of Bahá'ís in Iran

In its latest report on women’s rights in Iran, updated March 12, 2010, Freedom House explained the constitutional provisions that limit religious freedom in that country, including restrictions on Baha’is.

From the report…

Article 13 of the constitution recognizes Christians, Jews, and Zoroastrians as religious minorities and grants them limited freedom of religious practice, education, and political representation within the Majlis. However, conversion by Muslims to other religions is considered apostasy, as is being a member of the unrecognized Baha’i faith. Baha’i men and women are routinely denied the fundamental legal protections and state benefits afforded to other Iranians, and even recognized religious minorities are subject to various forms of discrimination.

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Human Rights Watch again included the persecution of Iran’s Baha’i community in it’s annual report, World Report 2010, which evaluates human rights in 90 countries and territories throughout 2009.

Below is an excerpt from the report on Iran, mentioning the situation of the Baha’is:

The government continues to deny members of the Baha’i faith, Iran’s largest non-Muslim religious minority, freedom of religion. In May 2008 authorities arrested seven leaders of the national organization of Baha’i based on fabricated security related accusations. The government accused them of espionage without providing evidence and has denied their lawyers request to release them on bail and promptly conduct a free and fair trial. As of November 2009 the seven remain in detention.

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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.

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U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon yesterday expressed strong criticism of Iran’s human rights record, voicing concern about the use of excessive force after Iran’s presidential election, the harassment of women’s rights activists, the ongoing execution of juveniles, and the continued persecution of minorities, including Baha’is.

In a 19-page report written specifically to address a request made last December from the U.N. General Assembly about human rights in Iran, Mr. Ban said there have been “negative developments” in the area of civil and political rights since 2008.

• Read the full story from the Baha’i World News Service
• Read the U.N. report titled “The situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran”

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The Amnesty International 2009 human rights report chronicles the persecution of Baha’is in Iran and Egypt during 2008.

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The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom released its 2009 annual report today. The persecution of the Baha’is in Iran, and in other countries, is referenced in a number of sections.

• Access a video of the release of the report at the National Press Club

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The U.S. Department of State released its country reports on Human Rights Practices for 2008, on February 25, 2009. The section on Iran contains several references to the difficulties experienced by the Baha’i community in Iran.

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The Iran Human Rights Documentation Center (IHRDC) has released a new report on the situation of the Baha’is in Iran. The report is titled “A Crime Against Humanity: The Islamic Republic’s Attacks on the Baha’is”. Click here to view the IHRDC’s press release.

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The U.S. Department of State released on Friday its International Religious Freedom Report. The section on Iran contained several references to the difficulties experienced by the Baha’i community in Iran.

Several references to the Baha’is were also made in Ambassador Hanford’s remarks at the briefing for the report.

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The Washington Institute for Near East Policy has described the treatment of the Baha’is as a test of human rights in Iran, in a new report.

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The U.S. Department of State released, on March 11, 2008, its Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2007. The section on Iran has several references to the difficulties experienced by the Baha’i community in Iran.

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Human Rights Watch (HRW) specifically mentioned the situation of the Baha’is in Iran and in Egypt in its recently published World Report 2008. The report deals with human rights concerns in countries throughout the world. Continue Reading »

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The Iran Human Rights Documentation Center today issued a new report titled “Community under Siege: The Ordeal of the Bahá’ís of Shiraz”.

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The U.S. Department of State released today it’s International Religious Freedom Report.  The Iran section had several references to the difficulties experienced by the Baha’i community in Iran.

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The Iran Human Rights Documentation Center released a report entitled “A Faith Denied: The Persecution of the Bahá’ís of Iran”.

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The Iran section of Human Rights Watch World Report 2007 makes particular mention about the continuing difficulties being faced by the Iranian Baha’i community.

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The U.S. Department of State released  it’s International Religious Freedom Report today. The section on Iran had several references to the difficulties experienced by the Baha’i community in Iran.

You can access the Iran section of the report here.

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Amnesty International has issued a report Iran: New government fails to address dire human rights situation.

The report includes reference to the challenging situation faced by the Baha’is in Iran.

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