The Muslim Network for Baha'i Rights » Comics

Confessions

Muslim Network for Baha'i Rights — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 19:14:35 +0000

Responding to the public outcry from western nations against Iran for the plight of seven imprisoned Baha’i leaders, Iran’s Prosecutor-General stated that these individuals have “accepted the charges”. This comic strip speculates on how such a confession might have come about!

It should be noted previous “trials” of detained Baha’is consisted of a series of sessions in which the detainees were were given two options: convert or die.

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Sophis-tech-ated

Muslim Network for Baha'i Rights — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 17:50:47 +0000

The usual accusations Iranian officials have made against Baha’is (supporting Zionism and insulting religious sanctities) are ridiculous in themselves. But some of the accusations leveled against Baha’is cross over into the realm of bizarreness:

One of the accusations made against the NSA members in 1981 was “Sending or receiving reports containing code words such as ‘Amoo jan’ [Dear Uncle] etc. in various languages to the House of Justice in Haifa”
In 1982, Tuba Za’irpur was charged with “not being married”.
In 1996, two men from Mashhad were arrested while conducting a children’s art exhibition, and charged with…”working against the country’s security by organizing a children’s art exhibit”

Recently, it came to our attention that Iranian media has been making claims that the arrested Baha’i leaders had “sophisticated communications devices” in their possession. Given the authority’s track record, we can only imagine what the real-case scenario was:

Iran’s Deputy Prosecutor has announced that the case against the Baha’i leaders has been prepared, and will likely appear in court in the upcoming days. The likelihood of their receiving a fair trial is negligible, yet it is not too late for us to take action.

The Baha’i International Community addressed an eloquent letter to Ayatollah Qorban-Ali Dorri-Najafabadi refuting the allegations made against Baha’is and extending a hand for communication. You can read it here (PDF)

What Services?

Muslim Network for Baha'i Rights — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 17:46:41 +0000

Iran’s leaders lose no opportunity to remind the world of their painful efforts to show “respect” and “tolerance” the Baha’i community. The latest proclamation came from Najafabadi, Iran’s Prosecutor General who stated that “the Iranian government has provided the Bahai sect in Iran with all the facilities offered to other Iranian citizens” and has “always showed great kindness to the Bahai citizens in Iran”.

That the citizens of Iran have had their rights violated by the Iranian regime is a well-documented fact, but what distinguishes the persecution of Iranian Baha’is is that the government refuses to acknowledge their legitimacy as a community. Since the Islamic Revolution:

Over 200 Baha’is have been killed, the majority of whom were executed after refusing to recant their faith.
The government has made no effort to investigate attacks against members of the Baha’i community, let alone prosecute its perpetrators.
Prominent Baha’i sites have been demolished (and in some cases replaced with Islamic centers) and shrines and cemeteries have been desecrated.
In fact, the government has adopted a policy by which it denies Baha’is access to education, employment and any “position of influence”.

Najafabadi went on to state that the government offers Baha’is “a variety of services”. In light of the above we ask, “What services?”

Comic: Prison Break in Iran

Muslim Network for Baha'i Rights — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 20:44:00 +0000

In recent months, Iran has escalated its campaign of arrests against Baha’is. Dozens of Baha’is currently languish in prisons, with no hope of being accorded a fair trial. Those reportedly arrested weren’t criminals, thieves or murderers but were in fact community leaders, social activists and educators who strove to serve their communities.

The Iranian regime has adopted the mission of preventing the progress of Baha’is, both within and outside Iran, and there is no telling how far it is willing to go to fulfill its mission.

Our CENSEO team has created a comic about the absurdity of this situation:

Our comic for Baha’i rights in Egypt featured in Arab Women’s Magazine

Muslim Network for Baha'i Rights — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 12:46:48 +0000

Al Hansaa magazine, a monthly Arabic magazine targeting modern Arab women, conducted an interview where our work on BahaiRights.org has been featured. They have also published our cartoon concerning the Baha’i minority in Egypt:

Iranian authorities to Baha’i students: Scrap your dreams

Muslim Network for Baha'i Rights — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 12:57:38 +0000

Every year, millions of students worldwide prepare excitedly for a new academic year – a journey that will equip them with the knowledge and skills necessary to become active and productive citizens. But instead of worrying about homework, pop-up quizzes and detention, Baha’i students in Iran worry about being admitted to academic institutions in the first place.

Iranian authorities constantly deny that they discriminate against Baha’i students, citing a recent policy change that allowed students to enrol in universities for the first time in almost 3 decades. Although students were no longer forced to declare their religious affiliation when applying for the national university entrance examination, a memo revealed last year exposed their hypocrisy. The memo, sent from Iran’s Ministry of Science, Research and Technology, instructed all institutions to expel any student discovered to be a Baha’i.

Over the past two years a new tactic was employed: namely, denying Baha’i students admission by alleging their files are incomplete. Last year, almost 800 (of over 1,000) students had their dreams shattered this way. But this year, when trying to login to the national university examination website, Baha’i students were redirected to: http://82.99.202.139/karsarasari/87/index.php?msg=error_bah

Whether the Iranian authorities were caught in the folly of their ways, or “error_bah” was intentional is a tough call. But should the authorities want to upgrade their message for the next academic year, we have a fitting suggestion:

We have a handy response for them to use, should they run out of excuses: “How can we be accused of denying Baha’is access to education when we do not recognize their existence? The accusations are baseless!”

Re-defining “Official”

Muslim Network for Baha'i Rights — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 17:03:04 +0000

Several days ago, “Egyptian Baha’i” brought the world’s attention to the distressing story of Noor and Hannah, two little girls who were denied their right to an education for no other reason than their being Baha’is. While reporting on the story, we were struck by not only the Egyptian government’s reluctance to abide by its own law and guarantee all its citizens are treated equally regardless of gender, race or religious affiliation.

What struck us was the sheer absurdity of what the government considers to be an “Official Document”.

Click for larger image.

School’s out for the Baha’is

Muslim Network for Baha'i Rights — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 21:11:43 +0000

Baha’is in Egypt and Iran are being denied their right to education. Why? Simply because of their faith. On the Muslim Network for Baha’i Rights, we have written about the discrimination that Egyptian Baha’is have been receiving, which right now is comparable to what Iran has been putting its Baha’i students through for decades.

Inspired by these human rights abuses we have created a comic to raise awareness on the absurdity of this crisis. Why do I call it a crisis? Because this is intellectual abuse. Baha’i youth are being victims of intellectual starvation, they are unable to acquire an education which is their given right as citizens. They are being isolated and humiliated on a daily basis. These governments, instead of protecting them, are denying them the chance to learn, which means that they are robbing them of their dreams, of having a career, a future, a life.

Don’t all children deserve an education no matter who they are? The Egyptian and Iranian authorities have no right to treat the Baha’is so differently.

This comic should make you laugh first. And then it should make you think. It’s available in four languages so far: Arabic, Farsi (below), French, and English (below).

In Farsi:

Patience Stretched

Muslim Network for Baha'i Rights — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 21:55:20 +0000

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, Baha’is cannot exercise their full citizenship rights. (See our video for more details.)

Although a landmark ruling in January decreed that Baha’is can obtain identification papers, the government has yet to implement the ruling, and recently, a lawyer for Egypt’s Islamic Research Council filed a challenge intended to stall the process.

…and in the meantime, thousands of Baha’is are left waiting.