Persecution of Bahá'ís in Iran

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Thursday, May 5, 2011 Contact: Ginous Alford  | O: 202-833-8990 |  M: 202-643-1612 |  USBahaiMedia@usbnc.org **MEDIA ADVISORY** BELIEF BEHIND BARS: Lawmakers, performers to drum up support at Capitol Hill reception for Iran’s seven imprisoned Baha’i leaders Remarks from special guests: U.S. Senator Mark Kirk U.S. Representative Michael Grimm Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for [...]

On April 28, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) released its 2011 Annual Report . The report describes - beginning on page 78 – the “severe” persecution of the Baha’i community in Iran from April 2010 to March 2011.  Iran is one of 14 countries USCIRF recommends that the Secretary of State name “countries of particular concern” or [...]

Iranian-American scientist Farzad Kamalabadi’s sister is a prisoner in their homeland for being a Baha’i, but Iran is betting the U.S. and other countries don’t care. On the contrary,  Dr. Kamalabadi spoke on Capitol Hill, at the Becket Fund reception Mar. 31 to honor the Congressional International Religious Freedom Caucus, about the crucial role of international pressure in the [...]

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. [...]

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 [...]

Iranian authorities have arrested a number of Baha’is who provided education to children in a region devastated by an earthquake seven years ago. The Baha’i International Community has so far been able to confirm the arrest of four Baha’is this month in connection with the provision of kindergarten-level education in Iran’s Kerman Province, south-east of [...]

The Baha’i International Community has described as “desperately cruel” the fact that one of Iran’s seven Baha’i leaders has been unable to attend the funeral of his own wife. 81 year old Mrs. Ashraf Khanjani – who was married to Mr. Jamaloddin Khanjani for more than 50 years – died yesterday morning at the family [...]

Amidst a series of public statements by human rights groups supporting the seven imprisoned members of the former Iranian Baha’i leadership group, Amnesty International USA has rallied its members to send greetings cards to the prisoners for the forthcoming Persian new year.   According to the Baha’i World News Service, the global support continues as Mahvash Sabet – [...]

In a public statement marking International Women’s Day, Amnesty International urges Iranian authorities “to release immediately all women detained arbitrarily in Iran, including political activists, rights defenders and members of religious and ethnic minorities.” The statement decries the unjust imprisonment by the Iranian government of innocent women who simply “wish to see greater respect for [...]

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, [...]