March 21st, 2008 by Admin
After the recent news about the draft law in Iran that would lead to further discrimination against Baha’is and other religious minorities, yet more bad news emerges from Iran.
Baha’is in Shiraz are subjected to systematic persecution by a group that calls itself Sarbazan Gumnam Imam Zaman (the unknown soldiers of the Lord of the Age). On the 17th of March Baha’i living in Shiraz received accusing Baha’is of being infidels and spies for infidel. The letter (translated from Persian) further threatens him and 8 other Baha’is with public execution.
Therefore, in accordance with the research conducted by the Sarbazan Gumnam [the Unknown Soldiers] of the Imam Zaman, established in the city of the martyred at the altar, Ayatollah Dastghayb, you and eight other infidels [i.e. Baha’is] are condemned to revolutionary execution which will be soon carried out publicly.
Two days later, as he was opening the door of his car, he was approached by a man with a gallon size container, asking him for fuel for his vehicle. After providing the man with gas from his tank, the Baha’i (whose name is withheld) was surprised to find himself overtaken by two men.
[They carried] me to a nearby tree where they chained me and secured it with a lock around my neck. They then poured gasoline all over me.
The first person quickly went to his car and got in. The second person struck a match and threw it towards me. But it did not light. The second match died when struck. The third match struck my clothes and extinguished. The fourth and final match fell near my foot and while it was lit, I put it out with my shoe.
At that point, he too ran away and got into the car and together they disappeared.
After his numerous requests for help from passersby were ignored, the man managed to reach for his cell phone and call for the emergency services. Half an hour later, the police arrived and he was taken to the station a report was filed.