On 31 January 2008, the security authorities in Hamadan, Iran, went to the homes of Kamran Aqdasi and his mother and searched both residences for Baha’i materials. They confiscated all Baha’i-related documents and books. Mr. Aqdasi was arrested and imprisoned for eight days, but then released and allowed to return home pending his trial. On [...]

In 1925, Egypt became the first Muslim-majority country to recognize the Baha’i faith as an independent religion. However, almost 80 years later, Baha’is in Egypt continue to face heinous discrimination, due to their failure to obtain identity cards. Identity cards are the key towards gaining access to education, health care, and economic opportunities. Without them, [...]

In the wake of the illegal arrests of 6 Baha’i leaders, Grand Ayatollah Hoseynali Montazeri, a founding father of the Islamic Republic of Iran, proclaimed that while the Baha’i faith is not recognized in the constitution, adherents to the faith have the right of full citizenship. The news was met with much enthusiasm by Baha’is [...]

Imagine an Iran where Baha’is are free to practise their faith. Imagine an Iran where Baha’is proudly proclaim their identity, without fear of retribution. Imagine an Iran where the National Spiritual Assembly is an active entity in leading the country towards progress. Imagine an Iran where the government actively seeks to protect Baha’i cemeteries and [...]

On the 27th of June, 1980, Bahar Tahzib’s father was executed in Iran for no other than being a Baha’i. This wasn’t an isolated incident, but a part of a wide and systemic crackdown on the country’s peaceful Baha’i community in the wake of the Islamic Revolution. Tahzib’s family finds itself once again reliving the [...]