DISCRIMINATION
به زبان فارسی
PICTORY
LATEST MUSIC
SEARCH
Freedom for all
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)
Your browser may not support display of this image.
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.
RECENT COMMENTS
IRANIANS OF THE DAY
| Person | About | Day |
|---|---|---|
| نسرین ستوده: زندانی روز | Dec 04 | |
| Saeed Malekpour: Prisoner of the day | Lawyer says death sentence suspended | Dec 03 |
| Majid Tavakoli: Prisoner of the day | Iterview with mother | Dec 02 |
| احسان نراقی: جامعه شناس و نویسنده ۱۳۰۵-۱۳۹۱ | Dec 02 | |
| Nasrin Sotoudeh: Prisoner of the day | 46 days on hunger strike | Dec 01 |
| Nasrin Sotoudeh: Graffiti | In Barcelona | Nov 30 |
| گوهر عشقی: مادر ستار بهشتی | Nov 30 | |
| Abdollah Momeni: Prisoner of the day | Activist denied leave and family visits for 1.5 years | Nov 30 |
| محمد کلالی: یکی از حمله کنندگان به سفارت ایران در برلین | Nov 29 | |
| Habibollah Golparipour: Prisoner of the day | Kurdish Activist on Death Row | Nov 28 |
Soufi
by Shekar on Sat Sep 06, 2008 12:56 PM PDTWhat is it to you who praises Batebi or not or whether or not they are anonymous or a registered user of the site? You said your piece and if you have something to add to it you should, otherwise don't make unnecessary comments.
I will remind you that I have also seen other comments by you which have been deleted shortly after you posted them, because they were offensive and rude. So, only if you have anything good and important to add, do it.
As a Moslem, I feel embarrassed for the inhumane and unjust treatment Bahaiis have received in the name of Islam for the past 30 years. I think it's high time people talked about those violations of human rightsin Iran.
Your intimidation tactics will not work on a group of people who have something to say and will say it any which way they can, as wel they should. I doubt any of the anonymous people on this thread are the same person. Is that hard for you to believe? It isn't for me. Do you know how many screams, how many tears, how many whispers, how many words have been suppressed over this for the past 30 years?
Even if there are 1,000 bullies like you on a thread, they won't be able to stop these guys from coming in and saying their piece. So stop it now.
It's O.K. to be a Hezbollahi. Really. I have no problems with that. But when Hezbollahi's are deaf and blind and unfeeling and unlearning to others, they give a bad rap to people who thought some day, "wouldn't it be great if we all belonged to Party of God?"
There is no Party of God, Soufi, which won't let all Bahaii's and Jews and Buddhists and Christians and Moslems and even atheists in it. That God that picks and chooses and doesn't love universally any and all his children may be your God. He is not mine.
Now, let me repeat this to you one more time: If you have nothing good to add to the dialogue, stop while you are ahead, before you make an even bigger clown out of yourself.
And one last word about Ahmad Batebi. The likes of you, Soufi, will have to work very hard, suffer ignorance for so long, and learn everything the very very hard way before you are at a level where you can have a chance to exchange even the simplest concepts and ideas and thoughts with the likes of Ahmad Batebi. He is a true child of Iran. You, I doubt very much care at all about Iran and the people of Iran.
That's what I think of Batebi and that's what I think of you. Now leave the peaceful people on this thread alone and let them have their say whichever way they want to and in whatever name they want to. You are a guest here yourself, so stop quizzing other guests.
Re: Re: I, too, wonder.. (to: soufi)
by Baha19 (not verified) on Sat Sep 06, 2008 12:48 PM PDTI'm not sure because I'm not an administrator or a moderator, I'm not even sure if one of those people has the ability to see our IPs. But if they can, you might as well ask them to ascertain your doubts since you appear to be insinuating that most of us are the same people under different identities.
Re: Soufi
by Souri on Sat Sep 06, 2008 12:50 PM PDTYou said :
Also , although now history, they should explain why SAVAK was
dominated at its leadership level by Bahais and run by them?"
Let say you were right about some bad Bahai person in the past.
This is of course your personal opinion and I don't agree with this.
Why should a minority be engaged in "explaining the past deed" all the
time to be able to benefit from their natural right of existence ?
Who we are, as a "majority" to decide whether we will give or not give
them the right to stay alive and continue preaching their religion ?
You say, there were Bahai people who "slept with Shah" and did very wrong
thing to the people ? So did some Shiite Muslim person who did
worse and they were much more numerous than the few number of Bahai you named here. Then, should we blame all the Shite and restrain them from
all activities, being religious or Politic ?
Why should this religion and their follower be constantly in defensive
and trying to answer all kind of accusation, just to be allowed to exist ?
Why not to take each person responsible for his act (past and present)
instead of generalizing their act to their religion and the whole
population who follow this religion ?
Did those Bahai person of the past, claimed that they were doing all those crimes and actions as "a Bahai" or in the name of their religion? Did they mention anywhere that this was their religion principle which teach
them to do that ?
If we had to judge people's action just based on their religion, so we
have to punish and eliminate all the Shiite Muslim in our country. When will we learn and admit that any person, any religion, any race is free to live and continue to believe in what they want, as long as they don't step on the other people's freedom !
...and this is valid for everyone, starting from the Shiite
Muslim, through zartoshti , catholic, Bahai.....and every and any
person in our country.
Re: I, too, wonder.. (to: Baha19)
by soufi on Sat Sep 06, 2008 12:40 PM PDTwhy don't you post the steps of determining posters' IP addresses? There is nothing illegal about that.
Thanks.
to the wonderer (Soufi)
by Anonym7 (not verified) on Sat Sep 06, 2008 12:30 PM PDTSoufi_jAn, continue to wonder. From your original comment I realized that you have been puzzled and lost (wondered) for quite sometime!
Go read the comments once again, you don't need to be very savvy to realize that not all those who disagree with you have the same view and therefore could not be the same guy!
Some of us participated in changes that took place some 30 years ago ... some of us including many in IRI learned from our mistakes (including mistakes regarding Bahais) ... you are still wondering however!
Lightbulbs!
by Jokester (not verified) on Sat Sep 06, 2008 12:29 PM PDTHow many mullahs does it take to change a lightbulb?
21, one to change the lightbulb and 20 to figure out how to blame it on the Baha'is!
Mr, Shawn Yavari, you are right!
by the other guy (not verified) on Sat Sep 06, 2008 11:59 AM PDTI wish you would elaborate more! Very deep and thoughtful!
NEW YORK , United States —
by real soufi (not verified) on Sat Sep 06, 2008 11:40 AM PDTNEW YORK , United States — In an ominous move, Iran's Ministry of Interior has ordered officials throughout the country to step up the surveillance of Iranian Baha'is focusing in particular on their community activities.
The Ministry has requested provincial officials to complete a detailed questionnaire about the circumstances and activities of local Baha'is, including their "financial status," "social interactions," and "association with foreign assemblies," among other things.
The Ministry's order came in a letter dated 19 August 2006 and addressed to provincial deputies of the Department of Politics and Security in Offices of the Governors' General throughout Iran.
The 19 August letter, which was recently obtained by the Baha'i International Community, asks these deputies to order "relevant offices to cautiously and sensitively monitor and supervise" all Baha'i social activities.
The letter is the latest in a series of threatening documents that outline a secret national effort to identify and monitor Baha'is in Iran.
"The emergence of this new letter highlights the gravity of the situation facing Iranian Baha'is," said Bani Dugal, the principal representative of the Baha'i International Community to the United Nations.
"This letter further confirms that Iran's government has targeted the Baha'is for covert surveillance," said Ms. Dugal. "It also reveals for the first time the type of information the government strives to collect on both individuals and the Baha'i community as a whole -- information that in most societies would be considered private and highly sensitive.
"The letter also contains elements of misinformation. For example, the letter asks for information on the 'socio-political activities' of Baha'is -- even though it is well known to authorities that Baha'is are entirely non-political in their activities, inasmuch as the Baha'i sacred writings stress the importance of non-involvement in politics, as well as non-violence.[MB1]
The 19 August letter follows the release earlier this year of a secret 29 October 2005 letter from the Iranian military headquarters to various Revolutionary Guard and police forces instructing them to "identify" and "monitor" Baha'is around the country.
News of the 29 October letter, first publicized by Asma Jahangir, the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief in March 2006, stirred alarm among international human rights groups. Ms. Jahangir herself expressed concern that "the information gained as a result of such monitoring will be used as a basis for the increased persecution of, and discrimination against, members of the Baha'i Faith."
Another letter, dated 2 May 2006, showed the degree to which the government has sought to implement such surveillance at the local level. That letter, from the Trades, Production, and Technical Services Society of Kermanshah to the Iranian Union of Battery Manufacturers, asked the Union to provide a list of members of "the Baha'i sect" in their membership.
Some observers have compared the government's effort to identify and monitor Baha'is to the situation facing Jews at the beginning of the Nazi era. In April, for example, the Anti-Defamation League said the orders issued in the 29 October letter were "reminiscent of the steps taken against Jews in Europe and a dangerous step toward the institution of Nuremberg-type laws."
Iranian authorities have continued to arrest and detain Baha'is throughout Iran in recent months, subjecting them to a "revolving door" sequence of imprisonment and release that is apparently designed to harass and oppress the Baha'i community.
Over the last two years, at least 129 Baha'is have been arrested, released on bail, and are now awaiting trial throughout the country. The bail demands have been high, in most cases requiring the Baha'is to hand over considerable sums of money, deeds to property, business or work licenses.
[To read the full text of the 19 August 2006 letter in an English translation, along with a link to the original letter in Persian, go to //bahai.org/persecution/iran/19-08-06]
Editor’s picks from the archives
Devotional meeting pulses with energy
The sound of African drums bursts out over a New York street.
//www.bwns.org/story/488?storyid=488
Freedom for all - Human rights
by Shawn (not verified) on Sat Sep 06, 2008 11:31 AM PDTI've read through what has been written here on this subject and most of what has been written about it here too.One could write a lot more.But I'll make a flew observations. One is to account for only what one does or doesn't do, not for what the other guy does or doesn't do, even if he is your father,son,co-coreligionist etc.We all are minorities,that is why human rights are needed.
I, too, wonder..
by Baha19 (not verified) on Sat Sep 06, 2008 11:28 AM PDTI also wonder why you are being so antagonistic. If it really bothers you that much and feel that we are THAT mendacious, Soufi, then I suggest you get someone with the ability to see peoples' IP addresses and have them see if any of ours are the same. I will tell you that I do have the same IP as one other person here, but that is because we are family.
I wonder ....
by soufi on Sat Sep 06, 2008 11:24 AM PDTI wonder why all these words of "praise" for Mr Batebi and his article come from "anonymous" posters. Could it be that they are coming from the same poster? If my assumption that these come from the same poster is true, and if I were Mr. Batebi, i would think of my "crusade" against iran seriously.
Thanks.
well done
by Madison (not verified) on Sat Sep 06, 2008 10:12 AM PDTThank you Mr. Batebi for defending these victims of oppression.
This essay is very serious
by Not anonymous (not verified) on Sat Sep 06, 2008 09:31 AM PDTThis essay is very serious and thoughtful. The trend here on this site is not in that direction.
Shining head and Islamists' ranting are just a diversion. An effective diversion on our opposition's part.
Attacking shining head et al is not, nor should it be our job, to inform all who come here is. Our blogs should be spell out how the Bahais, and other minorities, dissidents, women, Non Basiji, Non IRGC, Non-lackey's of IRI are being crushed under the fallout of 30 years of ruthless and immoral rule of the mullahs, effectively turning a country of 70 million into unethical, corrupt, inhumane, and immoral thieves and hypocrites.
Re: Crying wolf??!!!
by soufi on Sat Sep 06, 2008 09:27 AM PDTMaral says:
"All Iranians do not suffer. Mullas and all the friends of IRI are enjoying life very much."
You could replace the word "iranians" with any nationality, the word "Mullahs" with any group within that nationality, and the "IRI" with the government of that country, and your statement would still be correct.
Crying wolf??!!!
by Maral on Sat Sep 06, 2008 08:39 AM PDTIf you had given the time to read the article without any prejudice, you would not write these unkind comments.
All Iranians do not suffer. Mullas and all the friends of IRI are enjoying life very much.
Human Rights
by Seyyed Mehdi (not verified) on Sat Sep 06, 2008 08:30 AM PDTLook at the big picture and stop the negative comments.
The plight of Bahais in Iran and recently in other Arab nations is a clear violation of basic human rights. How dare any one trying to connect the entire community of Bahais to everything that has gone wrong in Iran, or for that matter the entire world.
The fact that the Bahais are suffering is not some fairy tale that should be overlooked, or justified for actions of others.
I ask the current govt of Iran to extend the same human rights to all citizens of Iran, regardless of their religious affiliation, so that collectively, we can make IRAN a bright spot in the world.
Do good for others
Right On!
by Yaun Kholrabi (not verified) on Sat Sep 06, 2008 08:06 AM PDTAn excellent, insightful essay. The truth is a powerful force.
Re: What else Bahais expect
by Anonym7 (not verified) on Sat Sep 06, 2008 07:56 AM PDTEruni says: "Bahais were in bed with the Shah from Hovaida ..."
And Shah betrayed Hovaida! .....
Anyhow, I am not a Bahai but I know that ordinary people's animosity towards Bahais during the Shah, and IRI's oppression of Bahais during IRI have been both wrong and have hurt us as a nation ...
There is one thing that is good though, I believe during past 28 years, animosity of ordinary Iranians towards Bahais has been diminishing .....
sooner or later we have to have reconciliation, events of past 28 years including blunders (that is an understatement) of extremists such as MEK leadership has proven that the worst enemies could emerge from Muslims, not Zoroastrians, Bahais, ... 6 emAmies, or even 2 1/2 emAmies!
Dear Godlust, You say that
by Onno (not verified) on Sat Sep 06, 2008 07:51 AM PDTDear Godlust,
You say that you do not have time to read the entire article, and this is also so clear from your reaction. What a pity. Since mr. Batebi is not a Bahai, I understand that you direct your arrows at the Bahais, not at mr. Batebi. And you are so right: Bahais seldom choose side when two are fighting, we are not partisan, we do not want to be associated with the one party or with the other, but we cooperate and collaborate with all others who work impartial for the betterment of mandkind. Bahai schools and other social insitutions are open to all and run by all who can subscribe to the underlying principles. Perhaps this is a nice exemple for you? //doubletake.tv/content/you-cant-stop-my-love. And to mr. Batebi, Thank you for the article. I am not an Iranian, but you make me very happy.
regards, Onno
Re: Desperate, Mindless, Tired old Lies and Accusations..
by shinie head on Sat Sep 06, 2008 07:27 AM PDTFaryam
Instead of attacking each other and or attacking Mr Batebi, we must get together and push for freedom for Bahais in Iran. Childish attacks because someone said this or that, or attacking Batebi because he is or is not a Bahai does not help the Bahais in Iran.
thanks.
Desperate, Mindless, Tired old Lies and Accusations..
by faryarm on Sat Sep 06, 2008 05:11 AM PDTNo reasonably educated and informed person these days with access to information has any time for the Mindless , tired old lies and accusations hurled against defenseless Bahais in Iran.
Anyone (usually anonymous ) repeating these recurrent lies about Hoveyda being a Bahai etc...reveals his/her identity as a "blind" victim to mullah manufactured propaganda.
The tide has turned as just and truth loving people have begun to speak up against ALL injustice in Iran, including the long ignored plight of the Bahais.
Ahmad Batebi and the Baha'is in Iran
by RonPrice (not verified) on Sat Sep 06, 2008 03:53 AM PDTIn 1953 my mother became a Baha'i in Canada. So it was that in 1955 when: (a) the popular preacher Falsafi spoke out against the supposed rising power of the Bahais in Iran and accused them of being traitors and foreign agents and (b) the Majlis voted to outlaw the Bahai Faith, the story of the Baha'is in Iran came into the lives of our family.
On 9 May 1955 the press carried reports of the destruction of the dome of the Bahai Center in Tehran and its occupation by troops. On 17 May it was announced that the Bahai Center in Shiraz had been closed and occupied by the military. The Chief of Staff and the Military Governor of Tehran led the attackers. I knew little of this at the time since I was only nine years old, but I remember my mother telling me about the opposition the Baha'is had experience all the way back to the 1840s.
And so the story goes on and now I am 65; my mother died long ago, but the Baha'is still are that beleagured minority in Iran. I wonder if the Baha'is will still be in the position they have now been in for 17 decades long after both I and the young and courageous Ahmad Batebi have left this mortal coil? -Ron Price in Tasmania Australia
What else Bahais expect
by Anonymous Eruni (not verified) on Fri Sep 05, 2008 11:39 PM PDTBahais were in bed with the Shah from Hovaida to Alam and many others.Now you want the current regime to say thank you for cooperating with the Shah.
I would like to thank Soufi!
by Ramin007 (not verified) on Fri Sep 05, 2008 10:31 PM PDTDear Soufi,
Thank you for once again repeating your baseless and slanderous accusations.
It must be very hard for you to see, such a positive article about Baha'is by a well known defender of human rights, Mr. Batebi, followed by many positive comments.
You just could not resist, could you?! you had to repeat the same old stuff which has been refuted each time you bring them up in various links.
But I like to thank you, because your comments are so outrageous that many people from all backgrounds arise to defend Baha'is.
you know sufis are a minority in Iran and persecuted, in your opinion, is it OK to persecute them because they are a minority?
Ramin
why Soufi!?
by Anonym7 (not verified) on Fri Sep 05, 2008 08:11 PM PDTSoufi says: "To start, Bahais should refrain from collaboration with iranian nation's enemies".
Soufi, I believe any Iranian and for that matter any decent human being should refrain from collaborating with Iranian nation's enemies such as Israeli extremists and their AIPAC/neocon followers. Why are you making a special case here? Wasn't it Mr. Alireza Jaafarzadeh a Muslim MEK who came to fox news and explicitly and with no shame said he would provide the Iranian targets for aerial bombardment!?
To Godlust
by Baha19 (not verified) on Fri Sep 05, 2008 04:32 PM PDTWhat are you even talking about? For the umpteenth time, Batebi is not a Baha'i. It is true that other minorities are oppressed by the Iranian regime and everybody loses, but if you look at the past 150+ years of Iranian history, you will see that the Baha'i Faith has, without a doubt, been treated with the greatest degree of injustice.
Not a lot of people speak in our defense, and in Iran we have no chance to do so ourselves, so he is now speaking out for Iran's most persecuted minority, the group of people that the mullahs sweep under the rug.
Batebi IS all about human rights, and the Baha'is are a group in Iran that have virtually NO human rights. You cannot deny that of all the minorities in Iran, the Baha'is are treated the worst.
He is defending an often-kicked-around group of people; don't be selfish and let him go about his humanitarian ways.
No.
by Baha19 (not verified) on Fri Sep 05, 2008 04:10 PM PDTBatebi is not a Baha'i; it's not like we're secretive about it outside of Iran. In Iran, the Baha'is are because they HAVE to be.
Regarding his escape, here it is from Wikipedia:
"While being temporarily released from Evin Prison to receive medical attention, Batebi fled the country into Iraq, then Austria. He was assisted by the KDPI and the Kurdish underground network who moved him to the northwestern border with Iraq and then to Erbil. With the assistance of human rights attorney Lily Mazahery, he was granted asylum in the United States on June 24th."
Batebi also said he used a cellphone camera to record almost every step of his escape and plans to go public with the story of how he got away.
Crying wolf! Are others treated any better? Why U R so special?
by goldust (not verified) on Fri Sep 05, 2008 03:55 PM PDTDo people really have time to read your entire essay? I don't! Almost everyoneone suffers under this regime! We care about all of the Iranians sufferings regardless of religion or what have you! But, you only care about the issues that only impact your community! Why? Don't you care about the rest? Till you don't change your attitute things are not going to change much! I thought your slogan is about ALL humanity!
Soufi
by cyclicforward on Fri Sep 05, 2008 03:45 PM PDTThe only enemy of Iran and Iranian people are the Mullah's and their tugs. I have yet to see a single Bahai to cause any damage to the country of Iran. but I have seen you guys in action and I have to say that there is no idealogy in the world that is as destructive as what IRI is doing.
Great article
by Ali Najafi (not verified) on Fri Sep 05, 2008 02:25 PM PDTVery informative. Thanks for sharing.