This publication has not strayed from its predecessors, with its reiteration of baseless claims of Zionist support and covert attempts at weakening Muslims.

The book further went on stress the importance of meeting the Baha’i faith and all similar “intellectual epidemics” that diverge from Islam with firmness, and called on the state to invest all its efforts in combatting and uprooting them from society.

We at the Muslim Network for Baha’i Rights fervently condemn the publication of this book, that would lead to further violence and hatred against the innocent Baha’i minority in Egypt. It is incumbent on Muslims not only in Egypt, but across the globe to rise and say enough! Enough to all the hatred, enough to all the violence, enough to all the injustice.

Reach out and make an effort to educate yourself on the Baha’is and their faith, and most importantly, respect their humanity.

In 1983, the ABC news network also featured an exclusive program on the persecution of Baha’is, which we translated into Arabic so more people can know about this in the region and you may find the video here.

Sadly, you can see that not much of this has changed.

But it will. We need to work with each other in order to ensure that.

 Throughout the years, Bahai’s have suffered through and endured the hurling of baseless charges at them. This gross abuse against their human rights is intolerable and must be brought to an end!

Statement on Critical Situation of the Baha’i Community in Iran

The week of May 12th has been one of great importance to the international Baha’i Community. Friends from countries and territories all over the world have been distressed by the suffering of their human family in Myammar and China. The tragedies there have compelled us all to lament the condition of humanity, not just because of the havoc and human destruction from nature, but mostly because of our frailties in not being able to protect our fellow world citizens from the limitations of ideologies and practices that prevent us from helping those who are in the greatest need. This is the greatest tragedy, when we want to help one another, and we’re not allowed.

This is also the case in Iran. Our community feels powerless to help those who were arrested this past week with out just cause or having committed any crime. These men and women join thousands of Bahai’s in Iran who have been imprisoned, tortured and executed over the course of the last century strictly because of their beliefs. And what is their crime? They are world citizens who have a sane loyalty to their country and the desire to see their country thrive and prosper. They appreciate the contributions to civilization that Persia and Persians have made over the course of human history and are proud of their culture and people.

Because of their faith, they don’t participate in party politics and they hold steadfast to their convictions that all peoples should have the right to their conscience. They believe that ultimately the human race is one family, that we are guided and protected by one God, the Founder of all the great religions of humanity, who has taught all of us to respect one another, to appreciate diversity of belief and to love one another.

To hear of more arrests this week was both discouraging and profoundly sad. It reminded the Baha’i Community of the most recent pogroms in Iran in the 1980’s where the IRI arrested thousands, carried out a merciless campaign to execute the leadership of the Baha’i Community in Iran (executing over 200 Baha’i’s) and threw Bahai’s out of their jobs, their schools, defining them as non-citizens of the country they love. The Islamic Republic also destroyed Holy Places and cemeteries as if to obliterate every trace of the Baha’I Faith in the land of It’s birth. It has been described by some in the international community as cultural genocide but at it’s heart, it is a campaign to eradicate this community which represents the largest religious minority in Iran, numbering close to half a million people.

The Freedom to Believe Foundation has been organized in North America and many countries to come in order to combat this fanaticism and try to encourage understanding of every human being’s right to hold their own heartfelt convictions without fear of intimidation. The first project of the Foundation is to produce a feature length movie about ten women teenagers to grandmothers, who were executed in Shiraz, Iran by the government in 1983 for their beliefs. They were arrested, imprisoned and tortured by the authorities for nine months and finally hanged before dawn on June 18th, 1983. The youngest of them was a 17 year old girl, Mona Mahmudnizhad, who refused to recant her beliefs and the movie is based on her story and will be called “Mona’s Dream”. Shohreh Agdashloo, Oscar-nominated actress for “House of Sand and Fog” will play Mona’s mother in the film and Mona’s role will be played by Keisha Castle-Hughes, Oscar -nominated actress for “Whale Rider”.

The goal of the Foundation and the film will be to create awareness of these injustices and help support people of all faiths and no faith to be protected when their conscience is violated. Please join us in helping to make these ideas become successful on the world stage.

You may contact this foundation via phone at 1-813-770-0870 or e-mail at freedomtobelievefoundation@gmail.com

Please protest in any way that you can before the situation worsens. It is important for us to stick together regardless of our different faith or nationalities in order to help release these innocent individuals!

“All seven Bahá’ís who form a group that sees to the needs of the Bahá’í community of Iran have been arrested, six of them in early-morning raids on 14 May 2008 at their homes in Tehran.”

We as Muslims strongly condemn this grave injustice which continues to occur in our name. Our religion does not promote these crimes nor does it justify it, and it is imperative that we stand up against this and voice our regret and concerns as well as share our support with the harmless Baha’i minority who have suffered such abuse for decades in Iran with their situation only worsening. To our Baha’i friends, our unconditional support, heart, and thoughts remains with you.

You may read some comments concerning this here. Please voice your support.

In 1983, ABC produced a short documentary highlighting the perils facing Baha’is in Iran. That was a dark era in the history of Iran, marked with an oppressive crackdown on Baha’is and other religious minorities. Sadly, the repression continues to this day.

We at the MNBR have translated the video to Arabic, in an effort to raise awareness about the peaceful nature of the Baha’i faith, the abuse innocent Baha’is face, and promote dialogue.

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.

Suppression of Baha’is of Iran in 1955
by Dr. Bahram Choubine

Translator’s Introduction

In introducing Ali Dashti’s seminal work, 23 Sal, Dr. Choubine has penned a learned essay that places the events of twentieth century Iran in their fuller perspective. This essay has been widely available on the internet. The erudite author has considerably expanded this essay, including more analysis and documentation, and offered it as a preface to Dasthi’s 23 Sal, distributed by Alburz Publishing, in Frankfurt, Germany. A section of this expanded essay (pages 34-42), appearing under the heading, “Sarkub-e Baha’iyan,” is provided below in translation with the kind permission of the author. All footnotes are by the author, unless otherwise noted, as are all comments in parentheses. Clarifying comments in square brackets [ ] are by the translator. Subheadings have been added in the translation to assist with the flow. The Persian original of this section is also available on-line.
– Ahang Rabbani

Read the full text by clicking here.

الحكم.. لا ميلاد.. لا تطعيم.. لا علاج.. ولا حتي معاش!

!

صعبة هي الحياة في وطن لا يعترف بحرية اعتقادك ويخيرك بين التخلي عن دينك الذي تؤمن به وبين وطنك الذي لا تستطيع العيش إلا في ظله هذه كانت شكوي جموع البهائيين الذين أصبحوا بلا هوية بعد أن رفض السجل المدني إصدار بطاقة الرقم القومي لهم الأمر الذي جعل كل الجهات الرسمية لا تعترف بهم فسقطوا من حسابات الحكومة كما وقعوا في سلسلة من المشكلات لم تنته بعد لينتظروا دورهم في طابور المحاكم أملا في إنهاء وضعهم المعلق ليصبحوا مواطنين مصريين لهم جميع الحقوق وعليهم جميع الواجبات، لذلك كان علينا أن نتحدث مع بعض من البهائيين لنتعرف علي المشكلة من أصحابها.

البداية كانت من عند د. بسمة جمال موسي التي قالت إن المشكلة الحقيقية هي أن تشعر بالتمييز في وطنك فمثلا البهائي يقوم باستخراج جواز سفر بحوالي 65 جنيها ويجدد كل سبع سنوات في حين أن البطاقة تستخرج بـ 15 جنيها ولا يتم تجديدها، وفي الوقت نفسه نجد جهات كثيرة ترفض التعامل بجواز السفر منها الشهر العقاري وبالتالي لا يتم توثيق عقودنا سواء عقود الزواج أو غيرها ويفتح لنا بابا من المشاكل.

وتستكمل د. بسمة أن هناك تسجيلا لبعض البهائيين دون البعض الآخر فإذا كان أحد الأبوين أجنبيا يتم التسجيل أما المصريون فلا يتم تسجيلهم مما يعتبر تمييزا لصالح الأجانب وعلي حساب المصريين أيضا هناك تعنت من قبل بعض الجهات علي الرغم من صدور أحكام قضائية مثل بعض الجامعات التي ترفض قيد بعض الطلاب البهائيين الذين لم يتحدد موقفهم من التجنيد بسبب الرقم القومي.

ويستكمل المهندس رءوف إسحاق توفيق أن مشكلته هي عدم استطاعته استخراج شهادة وفاة لوالدته حيث رفض مكتب الصحة التابع له استخراج الشهادة لأن والدته بهائية كما أن البهائيين حكم عليهم بالموت المدني لكونهم بهائيين ليتم في النهاية تسجيلها حسب معرفتهم تحت ديانة أخري علي الرغم من أن شهادة ميلادها مذكور فيها بهائية والبطاقة بها شرطة في خانة الديانة.

ويضيف المهندس رءوف أنهم لم يحصلوا علي معاش لوالدته ولم يحصلوا علي مستحقاتها من أي بنك ولا حتي إعلام الوراثة.

وعن مشكلة «نير نبيل حمامصي» الطالب بكلية تربية رياضية جامعة قناة السويس الذي تم وقف قيده منذ سنتين بالجامعة بسبب بطاقة الرقم القومي وعدم استطاعته تحديد موقفه من التجنيد، وبعد أن لجأ إلي القضاء وحصل علي حكم بإعادة قيده في الجامعة لم توافق الجامعة بل تعنتت في إعادة قيده مرة أخري.

وهذا ما حدث أيضا مع حسين حسني طالب بالمعهد العالي للخدمة الاجتماعية ببورسعيد والذي ينتظر حكم القضاء لإنهاء مشكلته مع الجامعة.

ولم تقف المشاكل عند هذا الحد بل لا يملك معظم المواليد بعد عام 2004 شهادات ميلاد ولا يحق لهم التطعيم كما لا يحق لجموع البهائيين العلاج بالمستشفيات أو الحصول علي تصاريح عمل أو البيع والشراء أو التملك أو الحصول علي وظيفة وغيرها من المشاكل.

وليبق السؤال حائرا في حاجة إلي إجابة..

لماذا يعامل مواطنون علي أرض هذا الوطن تلك المعاملة.. لا بطاقة.. لا شهادة ميلاد.. لا معاش.. لا علاج.. لا عمل.. لأنهم يختلفون معك فقط في الدين..؟!

متي سنتخلص من هذه النظرة للآخر..

As Egyptian authorities only recognize Islam, Christianity and Judaism, Baha’is in Egypt are denied from obtaining any official documents, such as birth and death certificates, identity cards and work permits. As a consequence, many are denied health care, education and employment.

At the conclusion of the article, the author asks:

“Why are citizens of this country subjected to such treatment? Is it just because they hold different beliefs?

When will we abandon this perspective against ‘the other’?”

Prof Lewisohn wrote:

In February 2006, I wrote a detailed report to scholars who subscribe to this list about destruction of the Ni‘matullahi-Gunabadi Hosseiniyya (Sufi Center or Khanaqah) in Qom, Iran. I described how on Feb. 13, 2006, a vigilante mob, abetted by the baton-wielding police of the Islamic Republic of Iran, seized, burned down and then bulldozed this Sufi prayer and meditation center, arresting hundreds of dervishes and wounding many demonstrators in the process. Unfortunately, that attack has proven to be but one in a series of ongoing attempted pogroms of Sufis in the Land of the Ayatollahs. The most recent attack took place a month ago in Borujerd, a city in the province of Loristan in the west of Iran, where some 1000 followers of the Gunabadi branch of the Ni‘matullahi Order currently live.

On November 4, 2007, an irregular armed, vigilante gang of thugs sponsored and funded by the fundamentalist, Islamicist regime, known as the Basij-i Mostaza‘fin (nicknamed ‘Basiji’), along with the state security services, attacked the center of this same group of Sufis in Borujerd. After pillaging all its possessions and furnishings, they burned it down. Some 70 people were injured and more than 150 dervishes or dervish sympathizers were imprisoned.

It may be useful to know something of the historical background to this event. Since 2005, several prominent exoteric clerics (‘ulama) in the city had been delivering sermons against Sufism, haranguing the populace about the evils of the Sufis, branding the Sufi mystical tradition in Islam as a dangerous heresy and aberration of faith. They incited their followers to destroy the Sufi Hosseiniyya (Khanaqah) there. In late October 2007, a conference on the greatest Muslim Sufi poet Jalal al-Din Rumi (d. 1273) of Iran, sponsored by the Institute of Philosophy in Tehran, was held in Tehran and Tabriz. A week after the conference the influential fundamentalist ideologue Ayatollah Safi Golpayegani issued a statement describing Rumi’s poetry as being full of “perverted and misleading ideas and against our principles [i.e. of the fundamentalist brand of Shi‘ite Islam propounded by the religious ideologues of the Islamic Republic of Iran].” The Hamshahri newspaper in Tehran furthermore reported him as saying, “I condemn this conference and its organizers… Its content comprised much dangerous innovation (bid‘at), including things such as listening to music (sama‘) and dance… Everyone should feel shame before the Imam of the Age that such a conference has been convened [in Iran].” Unfortunately, Ayatollah Safi belongs to that select group of mafioso clerics known as ‘Sources of Religious Emulation’, the pronouncements of whom, however outrageous, theologically biased and theosophically misinformed they may be, no one dares criticize, for to do so is to risk losing one’s job, or being blacklisted as an anti-revolutionary, or face imprisonment, or worse. I was in Tehran during the same week that Sign-of-God Safi’s comments were published so am a witness that none of the distraught organizers of the conference (friends of mine) dared raise their voice in the media to try to directly refute this mullah in order to expose the rank barrenness of literary and intellectual culture beneath his large turban. Safi’s characterization of Rumi’s Sufi poetry as being “dangerous innovation,” of course, provided just the right ammunition that the ideological enemies of the Ni‘matullahi Sufis needed. A few days later after Safi attacked Rumi, the Ni‘matullahi-Gunabadi Sufi center in Borujerd was appropriately razed to the ground—without, of course, hardly a word of protest at this religious vigilantism being voiced in the media. The psychology of this behaviour Rumi had described quite well incidentally: “The passional soul carries a rosary and the Holy Scripture in its right hand, but has a dagger and a sword up its sleeve.” (Nafs ra tasbih u mushaf dar yamin/ khanjar u shamshir andar asetin). (Mathnawi, III: 2554)

It should be emphasized that the Ni‘matullahi Order is the largest Sufi Order in Iran, with the members of all its various branches currently suffering persecution at the hands of the fundamentalist regime. The background, history and various details underlying this fresh assault on the Persian Sufi tradition, which are discussed and analysed by news-sites and other links in English and Persian, are provided below:

http://www.majzob.com

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/nation_world/20071112_Sufi_site_attacked_in_Iran.html

http://WWW.30morgh-121.blogfa.com

http://WWW.soofee.blogfa.com

http://gonabadie-news.blogspot.com

http://soltanalishahi.blogspot.com/2006/02/blog-post_08.html

http://WWW.darvishan.info