Persecution of Bahá'ís in Iran

The Education Under Fire initiative will release seven new “Angels of Iran” videos — short films of Iranian citizens’ personal stories of courage and resilience in the face of torture, imprisonment and execution under the Islamic Republic of Iran. Beginning Jan. 17, the videos will be released weekly.

The UN General Assembly Third Committee today voted in favor of a resolution that condemned Iran for its “serious ongoing and recurring human rights violations.” The resolution – which is expected to be confirmed by the full Assembly in December – also requests that the UN Secretary General issue a report on human rights in Iran again next year.

Attacks such as these, against the rights of citizens to organize and be educated in freedom, can no longer be tolerated. We call upon the Iranian government not only to cease its persecution of Bahá’ís, but to provide, and promote, education for all.

Hollywood star Rainn Wilson and actress/activist Shiva Rose hosted an audience of 1,300 at the Kavli Theatre in Thousand Oaks, CA, in mid-September for an evening dedicated to human rights in Iran. The program combined arts, panel discussions and a keynote address by Iranian-born journalist and film-maker Maziar Bahari who recently published a book about his incarceration in Iran in 2009. [...]

“While Iran’s leaders hypocritally claim to promote tolerance, they continue to detain, imprison, harass, and abuse those who simply wish to worship the faith of their choosing.” — U.S. Department of State spokeswoman Victoria Nuland Read entire editorial here. Excerpt Earlier this month, Iranian authorities reportedly refused to allow a Baha’i family to bury a [...]

* This article has been updated to reflect new information on the number of arrests in connection with the BIHE raids. GENEVA — A coordinated series of raids have been carried out on the homes of several Iranian Baha’is, active in a community initiative to provide a higher education program for young members who are [...]

By overwhelming majority vote on March 24, the UN Human Rights Council called for a special investigator to monitor Iran’s compliance with international human rights standards to which the country has cynically paid lip service for decades. Growing world solidarity on the issue of  holding Iran accountable for its increasing violations of basic human rights. [...]

The count of Iranian Baha’is currently in prison because of their religion has climbed in recent weeks to 79, according to an update from the Baha’i World News Service released on March 20, up from 69 prisoners recorded in February. On the same day, U.S. President Barack Obama issued his annual Naw Ruz greeting to the people [...]

Three short films released today, featuring interviews with Iranian Baha’is whose families have been persecuted by the Iranian government, mark the launch of a series of mini-documentaries – titled “Angels of Iran” – that focus on the country’s human rights record. Executives chose the day celebrating the ancient Persian new year, Naw Ruz, as the [...]

Blogger Reza Aslan weighs in on how each individual can play a part in supporting the spread of human rights at this crucial time in a critical part of the world: As the Iranian regime continues to tighten the noose of oppression around the throats of all its citizens, one group of Iranians is being [...]

After meeting with a delegation of her Baha’i constituents, U.S. Representative Carolyn Maloney from New York’s 14th District released a statement on March 1 expressing concern about the treatment of Baha’is in Iran. The delegation requested the meeting with Congresswoman Maloney to consult with her about the unjust sentencing of the former Baha’i leadership group [...]

Four members of Congress from Illinois, the state that is home to the Baha’i House of Worship for North America, are asking the U.S. government to call on the Iranian government to change its policies towards the Baha’is. The two U.S. Senators are Mark Kirk and Dick Durbin and the two U.S. Representatives are Robert Dold and Dan Lipinski. [...]

On Tuesday, February 8, The Huffington Post published an opinion article about the persecution of Baha’is in Iran by Anthony Vance, Director of External Affairs for the Baha’is of the United States. It describes the recent burning of Baha’i-owned businesses, whose owners were accused of befriending Muslims in their community, as well as a series [...]

Photo courtesy of Baha’i World News Service Baha’i World News Service– A recent wave of arson attacks on Baha’i-owned businesses in Rafsanjan, Iran, appears to be part of a campaign to fracture relationships between Baha’is and Muslims in the city. After around a dozen attacks on shops – carried out since 25 October 2010 – [...]

Baha’i World News Service– In a vote today, the United Nations once again strongly condemned Iran for failing to live up to international human rights standards. By a vote of 78 to 45, with 59 abstentions, the UN General Assembly confirmed a resolution that expressed “deep concern at serious ongoing and recurring human rights violations.” [...]

Baha’i World News Service– According to the latest Iran Update, provided by the Baha’i World News Service wo of the three Iranian Baha’is, imprisoned for their participation in an education program for underprivileged children, have been freed after serving more than three years of their four-year jail terms. Haleh Rouhi and Sasan Taqva were released [...]

On December 3, U.S. Senator Sam Brownback introduced a resolution condemning Iran for its state-sponsored persecution of religious minorities and its continued violation of the International Covenants on Human Rights. “We are deeply grateful to Senator Brownback and all those who have contributed to a strong legacy of U.S. congressional support for international religious freedom,” [...]

Baha’i World News Service– In an open letter to the head of Iran’s Judiciary, the Baha’i International Community today contrasted the country’s persecution of Baha’is with Iran’s own call for Muslim minorities to be treated fairly in other countries. “We…request that the Baha’is in that country be granted their full rights of citizenship, in order [...]

The U.S. Department of State’s newly released Annual Report on International Religious Freedom (2010) again ranked Iran as one of the world’s worst violators of religious freedom. The ongoing persecution of the country’s 300,000 Baha’is was highlighted extensively in the report. From the section on Iran: Baha’i religious groups reported arbitrary arrest and prolonged detention, [...]

Baha’i World News Service — Despite compelling evidence that they never committed a crime, three Iranian Baha’is today begin their fourth year in captivity. The two women, Haleh Rouhi and Raha Sabet – and Mr. Sasan Taqva – were arrested in May 2006, along with some 51 other Baha’is and a number of Muslim friends, [...]