2,500 years ago, Cyrus the Great penned down what is regarded as the first declaration for human rights, affirming the right to freedom of worship. But centuries later, what is the situation of Iran’s largest religious minority?

Note: images for this clip were lovingly borrowed from the feature film, “Persepolis.” Marjane Satrapi’s admirable production. She continues to serve as an inspiration for us all.If you cannot access YouTube, this video is also available here in (English) and (Farsi.)
Much has been said and written on the persecution of the Baha’i minority in Iran, but in these dark days, and as troubling news continues to emerge, it is time to rise up and proclaim, enough! Whether it is justified by religion, or hidden under the guise of nationalism, or instigated by prejudice, religious intolerance is a plague that threatens the fabric of our societies. It is our moral obligation to not sit by silently as our fellow brothers and sisters are murdered, imprisoned and denied their rights as citizens due to their personal beliefs.Spread the word:

• Promote this clip by sharing it with your friends, colleagues, and on social networks.
• Stay aware of human rights abuses against this innocent minority.

Contact Iranian Embassies

• Contact your nearest Iranian embassy, expressing your concern over the treatment of Baha’is. We’ve provided a template letter, as well as contact details of embassies worldwide.

For those in Iran:

• Learn more about the faith, and be aware that the IRI and officials of other countries like Egypt have launched massive propaganda campaigns against them.
• Reach out to Baha’is, and keep an open mind.

Remember, you don’t have to believe in the Baha’i faith in order to tolerate and respect its members. We all deserve equal human rights, and an equal status in citizenship, regardless of our faiths.

[Update: a Farsi version of the template letter is now available. I’d like to take this opportunity to send out a special thank you to all the Iranian youth (who wish to remain unnamed) for their help. Your contribution is greatly appreciated.]

[If you would rather watch a higher resolution version, visit our video sharing site]

Following the baseless accusations thrown by Tehran’s deputy prosecutor, in which he alleged that the 7 arrested Baha’i leaders forged links with Israel, Shirin Ebadi - the famed lawyer, human rights activist and Nobel Laureate - made a brave decision to defend them before court. Shirin Ebadi has long been a thorn at the side of the Iranian authority, actively speaking out for the rights of the marginalized in Iran.

And now, Iranian state media has stooped to a very low level, attempting to smear Ebadi’s efforts through claiming her daughter converted to the Baha’i faith almost a year ago. The implications of such an accusation are dire; conversion from Islam is a crime that is punishable by death.

We at the Muslim Network for Baha’i Rights applaud Ms. Ebadi’s courage and willingness to stand up for her fellow citizens. Fear and distrust of the Baha’i minority is entrenched in Iranian society - an aftermath of decades of villification. We hope that Ms. Ebadi’s efforts will signal a new beginning in Iran, and allow more and more Muslims to voice their sympathy and concern for their Baha’i brothers and sisters.

Last May, it was revealed that Iranian authorities detained the leaders of “the Friends”, an informal group that oversaw the needs of the Baha’i community. For months, they were held without charge or access to due process, and as the days and weeks passed, concern was growing for their safety.

Iran, with its history rife with incidents of abuse against the Baha’i minority, is known to target leaders of the faith. In August 1980, all members of the National Spiritual Assembly were abducted and are believed to have been killed. A year later, the Baha’i community was gripped again as members of their newly elected National Spiritual Assembly were executed. Soon after, the government banned all Baha’i institutions, thus leaving the Baha’i community with no other choice but to suspend all organizational and administrative activities.

Now a troubling development has ensued, with Resalat - a conservative newspaper in Iran - publishing a report that claims “7 Israeli spies were arrested”.

Speaking to ISNA (Iranian Students’ News Agency), Deputy of Tehran’s General and Revolutionary Dadsara mentioned the case of illegal Bahai establishment and said: 7 Bahais made an illegal group and had some sort of relations with few countries including Israel, taking directives from them to commit acts against IRI. This led to their arrest and they have admitted their charges including making an illegal group and having relations with Israel. This case is being investigated in First Branch of Security Dadsara.

Allegations that the Baha’i community works hand-in-hand with foreign powers are not new; they have been surfacing since the earliest days of the faith, with the supposed foreign power changing (from Russia, to Britain, Freemasons and now Israel) with every new turn in events.

We at the Muslim Network for Baha’i Rights cannot comprehend the Iranian authority’s ceaseless efforts to persecute a small, peaceful minority, and only shudder when we try to imagine what the motives behind the supposed confessions might be.

We will continue to pray and hope for our brothers and sisters in Iran and elsewhere. This unjustifiable madness must come to an end!

Just a few days ago, we reported this unfortunate case. We recently received news of another equally horrifying case concerning arson against the Baha’i minority in Iran:

On Friday July 25, 2008, at 5 in the morning, the personal vehicle of Suhail Na’imi was destroyed through arson as it was parked in front of his house. Mr. Na’imi is a Baha’i and lives in Rafsinjan. He is also a member of “khadimin” - a supervisory committee appointed in each town charged with coordinating Baha’i activities and attending to the community’s needs. According to neighbors, the arson took place by two individuals on motorcycles. Emergency police and fire engines arrived at the scene and prepared a report of the incident. The Muslim neighbors were most gracious towards the Na’imi family and strongly condemned this terrorist act.

Some time ago, Mr. Na’imi and 10 other Baha’i families in Rafsinjan had received warning letters [threatening them because of their religion.]

In most countries, arson is considered one of the most expensive crimes against property. It is very dangerous to know that there are people willfully setting fire to homes in otherwise peaceful neighborhoods in Iran. This case should be investigated and the criminals should be arrested for the sake of public security, and the human rights of the innocent Baha’i minority.

Disturbing news was just received from Kerman, Iran. A summary of the report:

Mihran Shakir and his family are Baha’is and live in Kerman. For some time, Mrs. Shakir had been receiving threatening phone calls (presumably for being members of the Baha’i community). When the family attended the commemorative meeting on the night of Baha’u'llah’s Ascension, their car parked on the street was firebombed. Fortunately, the friends at the gathering had noticed the fire and quickly put it out by a fire extinguisher. The car was not damaged very much.

But during the early hours of Friday, July 18, the Shakir’s home was burned completely and arson is suspected. It so happened that the Shakirs had left for the weekend and no one was home or injured by this incident. The report notes that at 4 in the morning, one of the neighbors was disturbed by smoke and had immediately telephoned the fire department. By 5 am the fire engines arrived, had extinguished the fire and began an investigation. Soon it was learned that one of the neighbors had heard a soft expulsion about 3:30 am, but had not thought much about it. Someone else had also noticed suspicious activities on the roof. The investigators believe the fire started in the living room and initially thought it occurred because of problems with the electrical wiring. However, that appears unlikely since the fire had generated a heat so intense that it had bent thick iron bars used in the ceilings. All the furniture and interior of the house were either completely destroyed or seriously damaged.

Pictures of this horrific incident:

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:

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 3 April 2008, he was sentenced to a year in prison.

Mr. Aqdasi appealed this verdict to a higher court, but on 21 April the ruling of the previous court was upheld. The verdict was then appealed to Iran’s Supreme Court and the case was fast-tracked. However later the file was put on back-logs and will not come up for a minimum of six months. He began serving his sentence on June 19.

You may read the documents in Persian here.

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 not only in Iran - the land where the faith was born - but throughout the world.

A comment posted in the Radio Zamaneh website (Persian) attributed a further clarification to the Ayatollah.

‘Right of Citizenship’ is a general term, and its limits should be defined according to public customs and the constitution of which the majority are approving. However, if any person is trying to be the enemy of country’s people, or cooperate with external enemies [of the nation] and their cooperation is proved in a credible court, they must be punished. And their citizenship is not a barrier to the law being enforced. And attention should be paid so as the youth do not get trapped by their malicious propaganda; and if doing business or having companionship with them works as a mean strengthening their position, it should be avoided.

The full text of the translated response can be read here.

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 holy sites, and make necessary renovations.

We have a dream that one day in Shiraz, a city with a black history of persecution, little Baha’i boys and Baha’i girls will be able to join hands with little Muslim boys and Muslim girls as sisters and brothers.

Driven by that dream, our media team has created an ingenious satirical video, imagining a world where Ahmedinejad announces a dramatic shift in Iran’s oppressive policies.

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 horror, as her uncle Jamaloddin Khanjani was arrested along with six other leaders of the community, with no access to lawyers or due process.

The tragedy of Iran’s obsessive witch-hunt against its largest non-Muslim religious minority is that the Baha’is cherish an abiding love for their country and have remained there – despite intense persecution – because they wish to contribute to its progress and prosperity. Iran is their homeland, and as the cradle of their faith and others, they extol it as a sacred land. Their steadfastness in the face of oppression, and the evidence of their goodwill towards their countrymen is gaining increasing recognition amongst ever greater numbers of Iranians at home and abroad. Muslim campaigners are openly calling for the Iranian government to respect the human rights of its Baha’i population

Read more here