10 years ago, two Baha’is were killed in Iran merely because of their beliefs. They shall be remembered:

Mr. Masha’llah Enayati (Masha’llah Inayati), a 63-year-old Baha’i resident of Tehran, who was well known for having constantly taught the Faith in a bold and zealous manner, died on 4 July 1997 after being severely beaten while in custody. During a visit to his native village of Ardistan to attend the meeting held to commemorate the anniversary of the Ascension of Baha’u'llah, Mr. Enayati was arrested in circumstances which are not clear.

He was taken to prison in Isfahan, where he was severely beaten on all parts of the body. It appears that he was held in prison for about a week before being taken to a hospital. His daughter, who lives in Australia, was in Iran at the time and visited her father in the hospital, where he was still under armed guard, though it was only a minor matter for which he had been arrested. She witnessed the effects of the beating, including visible bruising all over his body and especially on his hands, which were black from his injuries. She reports that he was in good health before his arrest. Mr. Enayati passed away in the hospital. The Friends in Iran have added that Mr. Enayati’s death certificate is worded in a most un… certificate. Under “cause of death” is entered, “Will be known later”, in the handwriting of the doctor.

Mr. Shahram Reza’i (Shahram Rida’i), a young Baha’i man who was serving as a conscript in the army near the city of Rasht, was shot in the head by his weapons training officer on 6 July 1997 and died the following day. In court the officer claimed that the shooting was an accident. He was released after a few days, once the court established that the man killed was a Baha’i. The court excused the officer of paying the blood-money normally required in such instances, ordering him to pay just the cost of the three bullets used to kill Mr. Reza’i. The Friends in Iran have no doubt that this was a case of deliberate murder and predicted before the “trial” that the officer would be released, since this has been so in other similar cases. We [Universal House of Justice] understand that Mr. Reza’i is the seventh Baha’i undertaking compulsory army duties to have been killed by colleagues or officers.

Such tragic events must be remembered and strongly condemned in order to avoid similar abuses from taking place in the future. May God bless all the innocent individuals who died for their faith.