Freedom for all

The Bahais and higher education in Iran


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Freedom for all
by Ahmad Batebi
04-Sep-2008
 

Ahmad Batebi (b. 1977) came to international notice through his appearance on the 17 July, 1999, cover of The Economist magazine, holding up a shirt splattered with the blood of a fellow protester. This photo, which has been called “an icon for Iran’s student reform movement”, was taken during the Iranian student protests of July 1999 in Tehran. Following its publication, Batebi was arrested, tried in closed-door proceedings, found guilty of “creating street unrest”, and sentenced to death. After seven years of torture and imprisonment, he managed to escape, and it is believed that he now lives in the United States. Mr. Batebi is not associated with the Bahai community.(1) The following essay was first published on Tuesday, 2 September 2008, in Persian in RoozOnline. All footnotes were contributed by the translator. -- Ahang Rabbani.

From the first hours of 27 July 2008, the results of the nationwide university entrance examination(2) were available on the official website of the National Organization for Educational Assessment.(3)

However, after entering their personal data on the registration website, most of the Bahai applicants were confronted with the strange system response, “incomplete file”. At present there are no exact statistics on how many Bahai applicants have been rejected on the base of “incomplete file”; in light of the imprisonment of the leaders of the Bahai community in Iran, perhaps such statistics will never become available through official means.

However, “incomplete file” is the most perplexing response to student applicants in place of an actual diploma. This is because if the file of a student is indeed missing some important piece of information such that that he is disqualified from receiving a diploma, then according to the regulations of the Organization for Assessment that student is disbarred from participation in the national examination, and under no circumstances would a permit card be issued for him to attend such an entrance exam.

Interestingly enough, alleging that the file is incomplete means that Bahai applicants can no longer appeal to the country’s judiciary for recourse or to outside sources, because under such conditions it is impossible to show that the file has actually been completed.

The same situation for the Bahai students occurred last year as well, but unfortunately repeated and extensive appeals yielded no action and no investigation by the government, the parliament, the judiciary, or any of the oversight agencies. It is understood that the same pattern will be repeated again this year and that once more, a large contingent of the brightest students of Iran will be deprived of higher education – the most natural right of every citizen.

Even if the Bahai youth of Iran were allowed to participate and pass college entrance examinations, they would still not be immune from the menace of a vengeful ideological government. To illustrate this point, I draw the attention of the esteemed readers to a letter of suffering by Hesam Mithaqi – a student deprived of the right to education:

"In 1385 Sh [2006] I participated in the nationwide college entrance examination and was accepted in the bachelor program for English translation in the Sanai Institute of Advanced Studies in Isfahan.

"Early in the first semester, our professor in the Islamic studies class inquired, 'Do we have any religious minorities in the class?' Miss Rezai [a Bahai], a Christian student and I declared that we were among the religious minorities. I also added that I intended to minor in Islamic studies. The instructor then asked me to name my religion, but since I knew that mentioning the word 'Bahai' would not be prudent, I avoided a direct answer. However, the instructor insisted and I stated that I followed the Bahai Faith.

"After that session, Miss Rezai and I together went to the instructor and suggested that in view of the pervasive circumstances it would be best for him to avoid a discussion of the Bahai Faith in the class and university, since it might result in complications for us, and even for him. He accepted and from that date no such discussion took place in our sessions.

"At the conclusion of the second semester and after we had received our transcripts, we were notified on 14/4/86 [5 July 2007] that back in Farvardin [March 2007] the university had received official instructions for our expulsion. In response, the school authorities had written to their superiors explaining their unwillingness to expel any student in the middle of a semester, and requesting a reconsideration of the original decision. However, they had been confronted with a hostile response. Consequently, they decided to send us along with a letter to the Organization for Assessment so they could determine our status.(4)

"After we had gone to the aforesaid Organization and some time had passed, we were told to refer back to the university as their decision would be communicated to the school. However, we stated, 'We must return to school with your decision.' We were then delivered into the custody of the Organization and told to refer to the Organization’s office in Tehran, on Karim-Khan Zand Avenue, for a response. Also, the reference number of a letter was given to us (86/4/18, m/1/270) and we were informed that the letter had already been sent to the Organization for Assessment’s office in Tehran.

"When we visited the Organization’s office in Tehran, we met with Dr. Nurbakhsh. He said that he had worked diligently to secure the rights of the Bahais and was laboring to secure an avenue for our university attendance. He also suggested that we should not approach various governmental offices as it would bear no fruit.

"After visiting the above-mentioned office, we went to the Science Ministry and there learned that a letter sent by our university to that Ministry had gone missing! However, one of the officials indicated that the said letter was with Dr. Muslemi. When we approached Dr. Muslemi, he denied all knowledge and said that he had sent the file to the Organization for Assessment.

"At the same time, I wrote a letter to Isfahan’s representative to the Islamic Parliament, Dr. Kamran, although his secretary would not give me the letter’s reference number. I also wrote via email to many other members of the Parliament and the office of the President, all of which went unanswered.

"To this day, I continue visiting the offices of the Science Ministry, the Organization for Assessment, the Agency for Revolutionary Education, and offices of representatives of the Parliament and other governmental agencies. However, no logical response has been given to this date, and everyone pretends that they are uninvolved and refers me to other offices.

"Now that two semesters have passed since my dismissal from the university, I have not received an official letter of expulsion. In accordance with the regulations of the Science Ministry, if a student fails to attend two semesters his expulsion is issued automatically. Therefore, I am now considered an expelled student.

"Also, I have tried to receive exemption from military service and – unbelievably! – they have me recorded as a student in the Sanai Institute of Advanced Studies. Because of my exemption as a “student”, therefore they have refused to grant me a general exemption.

It is bizarre that Bahai youth are barred from attending universities, but must enlist for military service."

Article 30 of the Islamic Republic’s constitution requires the government to provide all citizens with free education up to secondary school, and to expand free higher education to the extent required by the country for attaining self-sufficiency.

However, after the Islamic Revolution we have persistently witnessed that nearly all Bahai students have been expelled from Iran’s institutions of higher learning because of their religion, and none were permitted to attend universities.(5)

Moreover, starting four years ago, outwardly permission was granted for Bahai students to enroll in universities. However, every year saw a large segment of these students prevented from enrolling in schools for various excuses, such as incompleteness of files, and those who were able to enroll were mostly expelled on the basis that they were Bahais.

Separate from these difficulties that the Bahai youth of Iran have been confronting, this summer has witnessed many diverse incidents of persecutions visited upon the Bahai communities in many cities of Iran.

Moreover, the leadership of the Bahai community was seized [on 14 May 2008] and to this date remains in Evin prison. These seven Bahais are: Mahvash Sabet; Fariba Kamalabadi; Afif Naeimi; Saeid Rezaie; Vahid Tizfahm; Jamaloddin Khanjani; and Behrouz Tavakkoli.(6)

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These individuals are incarcerated in section 209, administered by the Security and Intelligence Ministry. For the first time, on 20 June 2008 they were allowed a brief contact with their families; in more recent days they have been permitted a second brief contact with their loved ones. However, Behrouz Tavakkoli has been denied all communications with the outside world.

According to reports, the period of their imprisonment has been renewed, and they continue to languish in solitary confinement – despite the fact that Jamaloddin Khanjani and Behrouz Tavakkoli suffer from various ailments, including digestive and skin conditions.

In the course of these events, an interesting development is the proclamation of Ayatollah Montezeri regarding the civil rights of the Bahais of Iran. He, as one of the highest ranking clerics outside of government, openly proclaimed:

"In the Name of God,

"With greetings,

"The congregation of Bahaism not having the heavenly book like those of Jews, Christians, and Zoroastrians in the constitution [of the Islamic republic of Iran], are not considered to be among the religious minorities. However, since they are citizens of this country, they have the rights of citizens and the right to live in this country. Furthermore, they must benefit from Islamic compassion, which is stressed in Quran and by the religious authorities."
(7)

The civil rights mentioned above should inevitably include all provisions enunciated in the constitution of the Islamic Republic. In this regard, Article 20 of that document proclaims:

All citizens of the country, both men and women, equally enjoy the protection of the law and enjoy all human, political, economic, social, and cultural rights, in conformity with Islamic criteria.

And Articles 22, 23, 28, and 30, respectively, state:

Article 22: The dignity, life, property, rights, residence, and occupation of the individual are inviolate, except in cases sanctioned by law.

Article 23: The investigation of an individual’s beliefs is forbidden, and no one may be molested or taken to task simply for holding a certain belief.

Article 28: (1) Everyone has the right to choose any occupation he wishes, if it is not contrary to Islam and the public interests, and does not infringe the rights of others. (2) The government has the duty, with due consideration of the need of society for different kinds of work, to provide every citizen with the opportunity to work, and to create equal conditions for obtaining it.

Article 30: The government must provide all citizens with free education up to secondary school, and must expand free higher education to the extent required by the country for attaining self-sufficiency.

Without doubt, the problem of the Islamic regime with the Bahai Faith is based in ideology. However, the question is: Why is the Shiite sect ruling over the people of Iran, despite the fact that the Bahai Faith believes and respects the foundation of all other religions, especially Islam, is solely attacking the Bahais when other religious minorities, such as the Christians, the Jews or the Zoroastrians are not under similar pressure? From the perspective of this writer, the Shiite persecution has two reasons:

* The appearance of this religion after Islam, as the last divine religion, which according to their belief, is sent by Almighty God for the salvation of the world of humanity.

* The close proximity of certain teachings of the Bahai Faith to key beliefs of the governmental authorities, such as the phenomenon of the Lord of the Age, or the doctrine of Mahdaviyat, or eschatological views.(8) The authorities firmly believe that these issues are the foremost foundation of the divine legitimacy of the Islamic regime, while simultaneously they are also the largest differences between this sect (namely, the Shiites) and all other sects of Islam.

The Bahais believe that the Qaim of the House of Muhammad(9) was manifested in 1844 and has left behind a copious body of writings. Further, the Qaim prophesized the imminent appearance of another Person and that Person is Baha’u’llah, the founder of the Bahai Faith. Also, the Bahais believe that the teachings and exhortations of the Bahai Faith are consistent with the needs of the present age of humanity, the current state of maturity and development of the world, and the requirements of the people over the course of the next several centuries, and that it is this religion that will prepare mankind for the next stage of its global civilization.

This belief of Bahais from the perspective of Shi‘i law is erroneous. This belief is also the principle foundation for the pressure on the followers of the Bahai Faith, and has caused the basic human rights and civil liberties of the vast majority of our Bahai fellow-citizens, despite being native Iranians, to be denied to this day.

In accordance with a certain traditional reading of Shi‘i law, in a society in which a majority are Muslim, the people of the Book are not permitted to proselytize their religion. Therefore, in accordance with the same understanding, in such a society discussion of Bahai beliefs is also forbidden. However, it is imperative to point out that the phenomena of understanding and discernment is personal, and is the sole prerogative of the individual. One person cannot think for another person.

Similarly, every belief is personal – and religious convictions are in like manner personal and not societal. Consequently, to attain to faith is a matter of personal conviction – one cannot order a society to accept or reject certain beliefs. Nor can a society be instructed through a public declaration or announcement to renew or change the beliefs of a people. Therefore, it should be evident that when it comes to matters of belief and religious persuasion, the views of a certain leader or a school of thought or even government cannot be overrule the will of individuals in that society.

Belief and convictions to any religion is a matter of faith and personal understanding. Therefore, it is illogical to expect that such an acceptance could be left to the judgment of others. It is absurd to think that some other person can act as the agent of belief of all others, and on behalf of other people he would be charged to study, to ponder, to doubt, to question, to meditate, to trust in God and to ask for His confirmations and eventually to come to believe. When it comes to gaining faith, one cannot accept a deputy or surrogate.

To recognize and come to faith requires the most personal and deepest exercise of one’s conscience. Each of us, in our own unique way, arrives at this recognition and acceptance which entails the innermost aspects of our spiritual and psychological commitment. How can such a thing be delegated to someone else?

From another direction this question can be raised: Are individual Muslims exempt from the duty to study, contemplate and decide on the validity or the falsehood of claims to Qaimiyyat? Or has God, His traditions, divine teachings and Islamic law left this matter exclusively for the inquiry of religious leaders and the jurists of the age?

In accordance with Shi‘i jurisprudence, is every Muslim not duty bound to first consider the claim of every claimant with his own eyes, mind and discernment, and to look for the right signs and evidences, and only afterwards, in case it is needed, to consult with ecclesiastics and ask for their views? Is each and every Muslim not obligated to carefully consider, read and assess with his own mind the writings of such claimants to Qaimiyyat, and only then, if necessary, to consult with others, perhaps even ranking clerics?

Based on what principle or judgment should Muslims make their beliefs, or disbeliefs, the same, and dependent on the views of religious clerics and mullahs? Every Muslim has the spiritual and religious duty to fully investigate the truth or the falsehood of the claim to Qaimiyyat by himself. The right to come to a conclusion regarding the genuineness or fabrication of a claim to the Qaimiyyat by its various claimants belongs to all people.

Divine tradition has always been that the Messengers of God have addressed each and every person directly, and not merely the religious clerics of the age (such as the absurd claim of the Islamic Republic to have exclusive contact with the Lord of the Age). Therefore, the acceptance or rejection of the claim to Qaimiyyat is a matter for all people and not the sole domain of the ‘ulama. The divine message is for all and not just for a few.

Whether to accept or reject the Bahai Faith and all its exhortations and teachings, like any other spiritual doctrine, requires deep contemplation, study and research.

For what reason then is the Islamic Republic, having thorough command over all financial and media resources of the nation, and maintaining belief and insistence on its own divine and absolutely unquestioned mandate and ideology (which is a belief in Islam through the Rule of the Religious Jurists) and its persistent injection of this belief into all elements of the nation, so afraid of any contact between the people and not only the Bahais but every religious minority group?

Is it not the case that the government believes that Islam (its version of the Rule of the Religious Jurists) is the most complete, unadulterated and precious religious thought, and no other religion enshrines the same truth and validity? Therefore, why are the authorities so afraid of the followers of other religions, particularly the Bahais?

Is it not true that a Muslim should be able to ask his questions from others in complete liberty, and that others are also enjoined to have the freedom to share and expound without any restriction or constraint their beliefs and religious convictions? Given this fact, then the Bahais in all Islamic societies must be given complete and unhindered freedom of expression.

NOTES
(1) For further details on Ahmad Batebi see here and related links.

(2) Since university seats are limited in Iran, a nationwide examination is administered to identify the best candidates for higher education. This examination is typically given once a year and is known as the National Entrance Examination [Konkúr].

(3) The National Organization for Educational Assessment and Evaluation is a division of Iran’s Ministry of Science, Research and Technology. This organization is responsible for administering nationwide tests which identify candidates for college entrance.

(4) The letters given to the students are numbered: 86/391/4, 86/390/4 and 86/390/4.

(5) For the entire period of 1980-2004, no Bahai was admitted to any institution of higher education in Iran. Since 2004, a handful of Bahais have gained admittance. In order to educate its youth, the Bahai community of Iran has formed its own university, where a worldwide network of instructors provide lectures through electronic and internet means. This university has now been forced to suspend its operations as well at the demand of authorities in Tehran.

(6) For details of the arrest and imprisonment of these Bahai leaders, see here.

(7) This decree was issued on 14 May 2008. The Persian original can be found here.

(8) Islam teaches that at the end of time, the Promised Mahdi will appear and will right all wrongs. The Bahais believe that this promise was fulfilled in the Person of Baha’u’llah, the Founder of their religion.

(9) Qaim means the One Who will arise. For the Muslims He represents the Promised One, and for the Shi‘is He also represents the Twelfth Imam, Who went into hiding in 873 AD, and is expected to reappear at the “end of time” to bring justice and equity to the world.


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Sabeti!!

by none (not verified) on

صوفی عزیز

اول بگم که من به هیچ دینی معتقد نیستم

پرویز ثابتی اصلیت سنگسری هست.به عبارت دیگر همشهری بنده.سنگسر یک دهی هست در نزدیکی سمنان.من خانواده ثابتی را خیلی خوب میشناسم.
پرویز بهایی نبوده ونیست.پرویز فرزند حسین ثابتی بود که در سنگسر به دلایلی از جامعه بهایی طرد شد.به عبارت دیگر از جامعه بهایی خارج شد.به همین دلیل پرویز ثابتی همیشه رابطه منفی با بهاییان داشته .حتی بسیاری معتقد بر این هستند که او یکی از افرادی هست که سناریو اذیت و ازار بهاییان را بعد انقلاب نوشته!!

گذشته از همه این حرفها مگر پرویز ثابتی دلیل حقانیت بهایی ها هست?? همه وزرا و دست اندر کاران در زمان شاه که مسلمان بودن, هم وطن من.اصلا دین چه ربطی به سیاست و دولت داره??

با سپاس


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Fantastic article!

by Irandust (not verified) on

I'm very impressed with Mr. Batebi's lucid and clear arguments and his call for study of the Baha'i Faith by all fair-minded Iranians. Let us hope and pray that this dark period of Iran would pass soon and we witness the rule of justice and equity in that brilliant land.


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Dear Soufi, If you are after

by Iran forever (not verified) on

Dear Soufi,

If you are after the truth and sincerely want to find out whether the accusations about Bahá’ís being agents of SAVAK, Israel, and Zionism are indeed facts, then you will welcome any well-research article or paper on this subject. This is the ultimate test of your sincerity. If your mind is already made up and you don’t care what research shows, then stop reading. But if you do want to know the truth, then read this article on the most popular encyclopedia in the world:

//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allegations_of_Bah%C3...

Then judge for yourself. For well over 100 years, the mullahs have been making these sorts of accusations against the Bahá’ís. And neither during Qajar, nor Pahlavi, nor IRI, have we been given a chance to publicly defend ourselves. But times have changed. Unfortunately for the mullahs, they cannot hide behind their usual lies any longer. This is the age of the internet. Every lie they try to level against the Bahá’ís, we can easily expose them.

I hope this article helps dissipate your doubts. I will be glad to answer any other questions you might have.

To other Bahá’ís on this thread, you may want to bookmark the above article and forward it to others who may need to answer to inquiries similar to those by Soufi.

Best Wishes

Iran forever


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Soufi..

by Baha19 (not verified) on

Parviz Sabeti, Amir Abbas Hoveida, Farrokhroo Parsa among many others being Baha'is...none of these allegations are valid. They are all propaganda by the Iranian regime.

Please this Wikipedia article replete with sources:

//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allegations_of_Bah%C3...

Scroll down to the section about the Shah and SAVAK.


Maral

What next Soufi??

by Maral on

Why wait?

Just say it.

Batebi is a Bahai

He converted in America. Israel helped him leave Iran and he is going to marry Shirin Ebadi´s Bahai daughter.

Ohhh...Your henna has no more colour in it!


Tahirih

Thank you Mr Batabi.

by Tahirih on

I have said this before about you , before you defended our cause , that you are a true modern hero and Sohrab of our country. You will be remembered in our history books as the young man who could not be defeated by the forces of darkness.

Man like you are like the first rays of  morning sun , coming out, from under the darkness of night, glorious and heavenly.

May God bless you and the mother who raised you,

much respect ,

Tahirih

** please just ignore this soufi, with no spirituality, the soufi who is deprived of the virtue of truthfulness, the man who is hate **

 

 


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Soufi provide the link

by Anisa (not verified) on

Parviz Sabeti, WAS born into a Bahai family. However, he was later expelled from the Bahai community, due to breaking the Bahai law of non-interference in political matters, and when he became a SAVAK employee he no longer had anything to do with the Bahai Faith.

Soufi provide the link for ALL to see where/when Bahais are pushing for sanction on Iran.


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Dear Soufi,

by Shamse Vazir (not verified) on

I am really sick of hearing the word "Zio***". Why don't you guys use logic to further your arguments? Why do you think name calling is a winning approach? Most of us are not anti-Semites and don't appreciate this kind of generalization. I used to have some sympathy for your point of view. But after years of hearing the name calling I have had it. As soon as someone starts with Zio*** they lose the argument.


soufi

Re: Often repeated accusations (to: Martijn)

by soufi on

Dear  Martijn,

For Bahai's push  in US congress with regards to sanctions on Iran, please go to the US congress web page and search. For their collaboration with Zio-Nazis, also please see the same (note which congressman/senator supports their push -- all of them known pro-israeli zio-nazis).

With regards to the SAVAK: 

You say:

"2. SAVAK was NOT dominated or run by baha'is. It doesn't make sense. It is one of many false accusations spread to arouse antagonism against baha'is."

 

Wasn't Mr Sabeti (the last head of SAVAK, who after shah's downfall took refugre in Los Angeles CA) a Bahai? So were his 2 predecessors. Which world are you living in?  These are known facts throughout Iran and especially by students in Iran at the shah's time who were tortured and many murdered in savak jails. Not that it is much better now, but hey history is history!

Sincerely


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«جز اعتراف به آئين خود پاسخي نخواهم داد...»

Atoosa Daughter of Persia (not verified)


روزي محمود خان کلانتر از طاهر قرة العين که در منزلش زنداني بود، خواست که بابي بودن خود را تکذيب کند. طاهره قرة العين در پاسخ با جسارت کامل گفت «جز اعتراف به آئين خود پاسخي نخواهم داد...».

بهاییان مردمی صلح طلب و صاحب فکر و تحصیل کرده هستند که طی بیش از یک قرن و نیم، همواره مصائب و معضلات عدیده یی را تحمل کرده اند.

در دوره ی ناصری بیش از 300 هزار تن از مؤمنین به باب و بهاءالله در قلعه ی شیخ طبرسی، نی ریز، زنجان، تبریز، خراسان، فارس و دیگر نقاط ایران وسیله ی سلاخان ناصری و عوامل آخوندی به طرز بسیار فجیعی به قتل رسیدند.

در دوره ی پهلوی دوم از سال 1344 به بعد، استخدام بهائیان در ادارات دولتی ممنوع اعلام شد و چند سال قبل از آن گنبد حضیرة القدس بهائیان در خیابان ثریا وسیله ی نیروهای نظامی و باحضور سپهبد نادر باتمانقلیچ، رییس وقت ستاد ارتش ایران تخریب گردید و شگفتا که کلنگ اول را باتمانقلیچ شخصا فرود آورد.

بعد از 22 بهمن 1357، تعداد زیادی از هموطنان مان فقط به جرم بهائی بودن، به جوخه های اعدام سپرده شدند که در بین آنان نام صد ها پزشک، مهندس و حتی دختران زیر 18 سال دیده می شود. هم سو با این اعدام ها، گورستان بهائیان به نام «گلستان جاوید»، واقع در جاده ی خاوران، مورد هجوم عوامل آخوندی قرار گرفت. قبرهای بسیاری تخریب شد و بر روی بخشی از قبرها بدون داشتن مجوز قانونی، ساختمان ساختند.

در حال حاضر فرزندان بهائیان از تحصیل محروم هستند و آنان را در دانشگاه ها و مدارس ثبت نام نمی کنند. از همه مهمتر دولت هر گونه چتر حمایتی از بهائیان را دریغ داشته است. و چنانچه یک بهائی به قتل برسد، به این بهانه که بهائیان صاحب کتاب نیستند، قاتل یا قاتلان تحت پیگرد قانونی قرار نمی گیرند و بلافاصله بعد از وقوع جرم، آزاد می شوند.


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Lost in translation?

by arthemis (not verified) on

I wish I had come earlier not to have had to read the usual slander routinely spread in the IRI's state-sponsored media and relayed here by "Soufi" (yes, I too am hiding behind an alias, but this is not my point). Thank God, Mr. Batebi has beautifully responded to Soufi and his/her likes.

I have a question for Mr. Rabbani, though: why did you change the title of Batebi's article? In Rooz and in Persian it was: "Bahaiyat raghib-e velayat?" or "Bahaism, a rival for the velayat?"


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Majority Rules but must not oppress and persecute

by Bill (not verified) on

Soufi's comment reflects the poisonous propaganda against the Baha'i community that Iran's political and religious leaders and press have excreted for the past 160 years.

How have the Baha'is infringed on the rights of the Shiah majority of Iran? Baha'is seek to defend their right to practice their religion. In the United States Baha'is are free to practice their faith without the threat of loss of education, job, or life itself. Baha'is have nothing but hope for Iran's future and its ultimate development into an enlightened country. To protect the Baha'is in iran, do you not think that the Baha'is in other countries will seek the moral support of democratic governments to hold the Islamic Republic accountable for its tyranny and oppression? The effort to get a government to correct its tyranny does not make us an enemy of Iran.

The Baha'i Faith is not associated with Zionism. Its world center is in what is now Israel because IRAN and TURKEY exiled Baha'u'llah to Akko in Ottoman Palestine. The relationship of Baha'is to their holy places in Israel is like the relationship of Muslims or Christians to their holy places there. I note that Muslims don't accuse each other of being Zionist because they send endowment monies to support Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.

Finally, your repeat the egregious lie that Baha'is ran Savak. Do you not understand that Savak itself was part of the Shah's apparatus to oppress the Baha'i community? Nothing more hateful can be imagined than to accuse the victim of being the persecutor. But such is the way of tyranny. It distorts people's perceptions so that they will never investigate with open hearts.

May Almighty God touch your heart with His love and wisdom so that you may investigate for yourself and not repeat the lies you have been inundated with for all your life.


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Often repeated accusations

by Martijn R (not verified) on

To Soufi:
Here a short answer some of the often repeated accusations against the bahai's, to which you apparently subscribe:

1. Baha'is do not 'collaborate' with US, Israeli or any other government, and certainly not against Iran. There is nothing to gain from such actions. They do ask support from the UN and, where, possible, governments to speak out against the oppression of baha'is in Iran.

2. SAVAK was NOT dominated or run by baha'is. It doesn't make sense. It is one of many false accusations spread to arouse antagonism against baha'is.

Sincerely, Martijn


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THANKS to Mr.Batebi!

by Persian (not verified) on

"...ابر هر قدر کثیف باشد اشعه افتاب عاقبت او را
متلاشی مینماید و محو میکند.انوار افتاب حقیقت را هیچ ابری حجاب نشود.نسیم گلستان الهی را هیچ سدی مانع نگردد...درخت بی بار را کسی سنگ نزند.چراغ خاموش را کسی تعرض ننماید."
-خطابات حضرت عبدالبها


soufi

Majority Rules !

by soufi on

Nice article, but lets not forget that throughout our history, majority rules. Minority should be protected as long as they do not fringe on the rights of majority, not the other way around !

To start, Bahais should refrain from collaboration with iranian nation's enemies  (e.g., US congress sanctions supported and promoted by Bahai leaders in US and the Zio-Nazis, collaboration of Bahais with the Israelis against Iranian nation, etc.). Also , although now history, they should explain why SAVAK was dominated at its leadership level by Bahais  and run by them?

 

thanks...


samsam1111

"True Iran" is proud of You!

by samsam1111 on

 

Not "Mullah,s Iran", "Commi Iran", "Post Qadesiyeh Iran", "Mujahed Iran".......But "True Iran". Stay true to that concept , stay away from any "ism"  and One day We will change V-ran to Iran with all her glorious heritage as her founder Cyrus intended. Patriots like You are few among mullah educated youth.

God Bless & Keep well

Sepass Bishomar!


faryarm

Video: The Cycle of Opposition

by faryarm on


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Thank you

by Ramin007 (not verified) on

dear Mr. Batebi,

Thank you for your insight and humanity. It is extremely encouraging to see that Iranian student leaders such as your self have become so enlightened.
I can only be hopeful of Iran's future, when I see articles such as this.

warmest regards
Ramin


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Dear Ahmad, Dorood be

by Iran forever (not verified) on

Dear Ahmad, Dorood be sharafe to. Dorood be oon pedar va madari ke to ro parvaresh dadand. As rahe door soorate mahet ro miboosam.

You brought tears of joy to my eyes. You give Iranians all over the world HOPE that Iran's future will be MUCH brighter than its last 30 years. I have been following your ordeal on the web since those fateful days in 1999. I have cried for you at nights and in the mornings when I read stories of your sufferings and your resistance. And I'm sure I wasn't the only one to LIVE WITH YOU while thousands of miles away.

I saw your first interview on VOA. Right there and then, when you talked of forgiving those who persecuted you so severely, I knew that I was looking at a GIANT, not a regular man. This article simply reinforces my beliefs about you.

May the likes of you, Tabarzadi, Mohammadi brothers, and others who have sacrificed so much, multiply by the millions in Iran. Please don't stop. Write more. Give more hope to all the down-trodden population of Iran. I long for the day to meet you in person IN A FREE, DEMOCRATIC IRAN.

If you read this, please incude your email address so I could communicate with you. Long Live Iran


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Thank you.

by Baha19 (not verified) on

Mr. Batebi, thank you so much for honoring us with this eloquent essay written in our defense. You cannot imagine how much it means to us.


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Devastating Logic, Brilliant Truth

by scb (not verified) on

Bravo, Ahmad Batebi!

You are a light in the darkness and a hero to freedom-lovers all over the world!

What a pleasure to access this translation. Though not Iranian, I am awed by and grateful for Mr. Batebi's sacrifice and for his fearless witness to the desperate situation of the Iranian Baha'is.

What a nation Iran will be when it can breath freely!


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Thank you Mr. Batebi for

by Seagull (not verified) on

Thank you Mr. Batebi for your extraordinary contribution to the cause of peace, humanity, justice and most of all freedom.


Mona 19

Thanks Mr.Batebi ...

by Mona 19 on

...for writing about the plight of our Bahai youth in Iran.

I only hope that open minded individual like you arise against any injustice and speak out against it....God bless you.

Kindest Regards,Mona


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This is for all Ahmads, the soldiers of freedom and humanity

by Farzad (not verified) on

"....
O Ahmad! Forget not My bounties while I am absent. Remember My days during thy days, and My distress and banishment in this remote prison. And be thou so steadfast in My love that thy heart shall not waver, even if the swords of the enemies rain blows upon thee and all the heavens and the earth arise against thee..."
Bahá’u’lláh.

Freedom for all..


faryarm

The fruit of Ahmad Batebi's suffering.

by faryarm on

Ahmad has suffered...but he has obviously become more introspective as a result..

Perhaps the following describes his journey;

 

 "The mind and spirit of man advance when he is tried by suffering. The more the ground is ploughed the better the seed will grow, the better the harvest will be. Just as the plough furrows the earth deeply, purifying it of weeds and thistles, so suffering and tribulation free man from the petty affairs of this worldly life until he arrives at a state of complete detachment. His attitude in this world will be that of divine happiness. Man is, so to speak, unripe: the heat of the fire of suffering will mature him. Look back to the times past and you will find that the greatest men have suffered most." 

 

`Abdu'l-Bahá 

 

Mr Batebi is a great man indeed.

faryarm 


Lover of Iran

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by Lover of Iran on

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AmirAshkan Pishroo

Ayatollah Montazeri's positon is a good place to start

by AmirAshkan Pishroo on

In my utopian future Iran, there will be "worship-house" options for cynics, atheists, and realists, let alone Muslims, Jews, Christians, and Bahais.

But we have to start from where we are--that is we are under indispensable obligations to defend the Bahais' citizenship rights as fellow Iranians.

I think Ayatollah Montazeri's position is a good place to start when he concluded his view on Bahais, saying that Baha'i "members are from this country, ‎they have territorial rights and the rights deriving from citizenship."

Geate article.


Fred

We shall overcome

by Fred on

This is a fantastic English translation of the original Persian that I read day before yesterday. Welcome to the free world Ahmad, the Islamists can’t hurt you anymore.  Iran and the free world owe you a debt of gratitude for all that you’ve done and are doing  in the cause of freedom. Your humanity, specially after what you’ve been put through by the Islamists, is a testament to that quintessential humanistic Iranian  culture so at odds with the ruling Islamists’ ideology.  All Iranian be Baha’i, Moslem, Christian, Jew, Agnostic, Gnostic or … shall overcome.