An Open Letter to the Islamic Republic
Wall Street Journal / Kishan Manocha
16-Dec-2010 (2 comments)

The seven Bahais are today incarcerated in Gohardasht prison, near Karaj. This facility is notorious for its appalling filth, pestilence, disease, and the privation of adequate facilities for basic personal hygiene.... In these conditions, the Bahai community has received accounts of a growing admiration among the prison population for their fellow inmates, the seven Bahais, who have become beacons of hope and sources of comfort. For the Gohardasht prisoners, they are symbols of the free spirit of sincere Iranians.

The Bahais in Iran are not "others"—they are an inseparable part of the Iranian nation. The injustices they have suffered reflect the oppression that has engulfed the nation. If the leaders of the Islamic Republic could respect the rights of Iranian Bahais, it would signal their willingness to respect the rights of all Iranian citizens. The Bahai community today calls for the release of the seven Bahai prisoners, and the dozens of other Bahais incarcerated throughout the country. But this call is not limited to the Bahais: The Iranian government must respect the rights of all Iranian people.

This is no more than what the Islamic Republic asks on behalf of Muslim minorities in other lands. Bahais merely seek the same treatment from Iran.

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Ali Najafi

I do agree that media

by Ali Najafi on Thu Dec 16, 2010 09:07 PM PST

I do agree that media outlets have their bias.

What I think is important is the spirit of what the Letter conveys and the intent to draw attention to a human rights crisis facing our Iranian sisters and brothers (no matter their philosophy, belief, ethnicity, gender, etc). Regardless of the paper, the truth of the words speaks for itself.

You are right to call attention to human rights abuses taking place in different countries. As members of a world community, we should also demand respect for human dignity, regardless the country.


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Ever since

by IranMilitaryForum.net on Thu Dec 16, 2010 08:39 PM PST

when the US has been a force to care for human rights around the world ? Moreover, Wall Street Journal would be the last to be the conduit of such news !

If their intention is true beyond a concentrated barrage of propaganda against Iran for its nuclear activity, the pay attention to the news they bring to you from Egypt, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Tunisia and other regional countries that have appalling record in human rights violations.

 

;-)


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