Baha’is have been subject to persecution since the earliest days of the Faith. If anything, it is increasing in recent days in Iran, the land of its birth. People the world over object.
The disturbing news on the latest incident involving Baha’is in Egypt, the firebombing of Baha’i homes from in a village in the Southern part of the country, continues to unfold. I’m checking Twitter and Baha’is in Egypt. -gw
When I read the following paragraph in the current post on Iran Press Watch, the song title to one of my a favorite songs comes to mind, “Chill Out (Things Gonna Change)” by John Lee Hooker. My advice to the government of Iran is … “Chill Out.” My prediction for that country which I dearly love is … “Things Gonna Change.” -gw
…times have changed. In the 1980s, when these crimes [the putting to death of Baha'is] were committed against a defenseless community, there was no internet and no social networking sites. Thus, the infrastructure for grassroots movements was not nearly as robust as it is today. Therefore, while the Islamic Republic could come out of those unjustified killings relatively unscathed, it is now becoming virtually impossible for them to continue that practice. Every time a Baha’i or any other Iranian is arrested on unfounded charges, the news is global within hours. Thousands of concerned citizens from all walks of life and different corners of the earth stand up and demand justice in a wide variety of forums and blogs. Thus, the cost of administering injustice is becoming prohibitive. Regarding the Baha’i “dilemma”: while the official policy of the Islamic Republic has been to “fight their cultural influence” both inside and outside Iran, in reality this is proving to be a losing battle. The clerical establishment began its anti-Babi, anti-Baha’i activities over 160 years ago. If the most brutal and inhumane killings of thousands of members of a relatively small population of Babis and Baha’is across Persia in the 1800s and early 1900s could not “solve” this “dilemma”, then where does the optimism to wipe out a now global community of 5-6 million people come from?
The Baha’i Writings show up on a billboard on the streets of Isfahan, not likely placed there by Baha’is, and the post about it on IranPress Watch draws 25 comments, including the following. -gw
Since they disolved your adminstration, they don’t even know who the Baha’is are any more. There are many people in Iran who were Baha’is and didn’t want to identify themselves because you had requirements for them to sign your rolls. Now that there is no administration, these Mollahs don’t know what to do. Even their assistants are downloading your writings and Roohi books. They’ve lost control. People use filtershekan and by pass their internet censors. It’s all over. You should have no administration there even if they beg you. Your ranks have increased and as you see your writings are showing up at the hands of “trusted” government people. Iranians aren’t dumb. We just have dumb rulers. Cheers!
The attack by a mob on the homes of Baha’is in a village in Southern Egypt was the topic of a post in the online edition of the most influential Portuguese newspaper, as reported on Marco’s blog Povo de Bahahere. English translation is available on his site. Portugal has a favorite son who is Baha’i, as the concluding paragraph in the post makes clear. -gw
There are approximately six million Bahá’ís worldwide, including thousands in Portugal, where the most famous of them is the Olympic champion Nelson Évora of athletics, the son of a Cape Verdean who married in Ivory Coast, where he was born.
Here is another remarkable initiative designed to call attention to the current persecution of Baha’is in Iran. -gw
Recently the Iranian government published the addresses of Iranian Baha’is in local newspapers and prohibited citizens from any social and business interactions with them. After this mass spread of religious persecution, we realized that this virus had spread into the minds of Iranian children. Baha’i children all throughout the country are being mocked, shamed, insulted, and shunned, by both classmates and teachers because of their beliefs.
By Drawing the Circle of Unity we want to extend our support, warmth, and love to the children. Children of all religions are suffering from the hostile environment the government is enforcing upon their families. We hope to spread our support into the homes of all of the victims of Iran’s pernicious policy, please join us in spreading the vaccine: unity.
All children benefit from the recognition and practice of universal human rights. Through showing solidarity with those who have been stripped of their rights, we hope to raise awareness and draw the circle of unity by creating cards of hope, love, and harmony to be published online and sent to these children. …
The Event:
On Saturday, May 9, 2009, from 1p.m. to 4p.m., at Pomona [California] College’s Marston Quad, we’ll be providing materials so everyone can draw pictures and write little notes to send to the Baha’i children in Iran. We will also be posting them here and on facebook to ensure their availability to the Baha’is in Iran.
In light of the conspiracy theories that have been leveled at the Baha’i Faith and included even in 3rd grade textbooks in Iran, it is interesting to note that even Shi’a Islam was subject to such theories. -gw
The history of religion is filled with clashes between established and central religions and those on the periphery: This is the case with religions before Islam in Iran, as well as with Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Each one in their own time had to face such slander and vilification.
Even Shi’ism, which today in Iran is considered the official and legal state religion, at the beginning of its formation was accused of being created by Jews for the destruction of Islam (Sunni religion). Many among the followers of Sunni Islam consider a certain ‘Abdu’llah ibn Saba (who was a Jew and a resident of Kufih) as the one who formed the Shi’ite sect – a charge that Shi’ites reject.
Conspiracy theory is the easiest way to construe the emergence of any new entity. However, from a historical point of view, it is not an effective way to confront and defend against such emerging faiths.
Ottawa, Ontario, 31 March 2009 (CBNS) — After a 90 minute debate, Monday evening 30 March 2009, Canada’s House of Commons adopted a strongly worded motion condemning the persecution of Baha’is in Iran and calling on the Government of Iran to immediately release Baha’i leaders currently in prison in Tehran. The debate was moving in the eloquence and well informed nature of the contributions from Members of Parliament representing virtually all regions of Canada, and as one MP noted, all parties were united in their concern about the situation of the Baha’is of Iran.
An ad hoc coordinating council for Baha’is in Tehran addressed a letter to Iran’s attorney general that concluded with this statement. -gw
Regarding Baha’i administration, surely you are aware that in 1984, after the Attorney General of that time announced [the illegality of Baha'i administration], all Baha’i institutions, which had been elected based on the provisions of the Baha’i administrative order, were shut down, and all local and national Spiritual Assemblies announced the termination of their operation. From that time until the present, groups of Khademin have discharged a limited supervisory role in regard to the spiritual and social activities of the Baha’i community, particularly in relation to personal status, education of children and so on. These activities have taken place with the complete awareness of the official authorities of the nation. In fact, when it did not conflict with the principles of Baha’i belief, Khademin have had meetings and collaborated with the country’s officials and authorities.
The understanding of the Baha’i community during the last 24 years has been that the nation’s authorities were completely aware of these activities and, recognizing that they offered no threat whatsoever to the regime, they did not hinder them.
Now that the esteemed Attorney General has officially announced the termination of these activities, and the Universal House of Justice and the Yaran in Iran have agreed to it: from this date forward, the group known as Khademin of section 4 of Tehran will end its activities, will have no responsibility, and its members will conduct themselves like any other individual members of the community.
It is hoped that this development will establish the positive intentions of the Baha’i community and will dispel any existing misunderstanding. God willing, it will pave the way for the end of discrimination and limitations on the rights of the followers of the Baha’i religion as rightful citizens of Iran.
The drum beat, slow and fast at times like a West African tempo from the Gold Coast, sad or joyful from tango to meringue, remains consistent in its universal appeal. Indeed, drums continue to carry to men and women of all color and creed a message that all understand: it is the soothing or haunting sound of freedom, even when journeys are harsh or long. Everywhere, drums give birth to a simple truth: every time you beat the drum, you break the silence.
While the slave trade may be a thing of the past, there continue to be unwon freedoms in the world. Baha’is are beating a drum, albeit a metaphorical one, with each blog post, article, and comment in defense of religious freedom today. From Anne, via comment to the previous post. -gw
The United Nations is using a drumbeat to commemorate the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade March 25: http://www.un.org/en/slavery/index.shtml
Frank Chalk is director and Kishan Manocha is a fellow of the Montreal Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies at Concordia University
“Persecution threatens the survival of Iran’s Baha’i community”
Ominously, a number of recent events in Iran point to something far more sinister at work than a simple clampdown on the freedom of the Bahá’ís. Official efforts to identify and monitor Bahá’ís and their activities, last year’s imprisonment of national Baha’i leaders, an orchestrated campaign of hate propaganda in the state-run news media that demonizes Baha’is, and a general upsurge in violence against Baha’is and their property undoubtedly perpetrated by agents of the Iranian authorities – these trends, when considered in the context of a known government plan for the quiet elimination of the Baha’i community as a viable entity, cannot and must not go unheeded and unprotested if the international community is to adhere to the promise it raised of “Never Again” following the Holocaust.
Content of this blog is autoposted from
Posterous (Baha'i Views & Baha'i Music). Also carrying this mirrored content is Baha'i Views (on Blogger). The email for all of these sites is: bahaiviews@gmail.com. None of these blogs constitute official sites of the Baha'i Faith. For authoritative material about the Baha'i Faith go to: http://bahai.org/ or http://bahai.us/. George Wesley Dannells
PupaKat Egyptians Face Trial for Incitement Against Baha’is, http://bit.ly/ApaGR
The disturbing news on the latest incident involving Baha’is in Egypt, the firebombing of Baha’i homes from in a village in the Southern part of the country, continues to unfold. I’m checking Twitter and Baha’is in Egypt. -gw
. -gw
The drum beat, slow and fast at times like a West African tempo from the Gold Coast, sad or joyful from tango to meringue, remains consistent in its universal appeal. Indeed, drums continue to carry to men and women of all color and creed a message that all understand: it is the soothing or haunting sound of freedom, even when journeys are harsh or long. Everywhere, drums give birth to a simple truth: every time you beat the drum, you break the silence.
The United Nations is using a drumbeat to commemorate the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade March 25: 
“Persecution threatens the survival of Iran’s Baha’i community”
