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Violation of Human Rights in Iran

I along with my friends around the world are greatly concerned about the fate of the members of the Baha’i community in Iran, especially the seven Baha’i leaders who were imprisoned in 2008 and are currently threatened with execution. These are innocent and just good people. Baha’i marriages are not recognized and they are deprived of the right to attend Iranian universities.


The Iranian government is well aware that it is a fundamental principle of the Baha'i Faith that it’s followers strictly refrain from involvement in any partisan political activity, whether local, national, or international. They know very well that Baha’is are loyal to the elected governments and do not campaign for any political parties. Therefore, the arrest of ten Baha'is in early January, a full week after the Ashura demonstrations, and the claims that Baha'is were behind the recent anti-government turmoil have come as a complete surprise to the Baha'i community around the world.


We are shocked. Many governments and millions of people throughout the world too. At a recent meeting of the United Nations Human Rights Council, held in Geneva, many countries from around the world have voiced strong concern over Iran's deteriorating human rights record. This session was mainly focused on Iran’s human rights record.


It feels good to know that people do care for each other and governments around the world are concerned over the way the Iranian government treats it’s religious minorities.


Here is what Diane Ala’i, the representative of the Baha’i International Community to the United Nations in Geneva said, “The good news is that governments and organizations are rallying to defend innocent Iranians, who have over the last year seen their human rights so gravely violated. But the bad news is that Iran continues to ignore such appeals."


The following text is from Bahai World News: dated Feb 16, 2010.

“Muhammad Javad Larijani, secretary general of the Islamic Republic of Iran's High Council for Human Rights, told the session that there is religious freedom in Iran and that no Baha'i is persecuted for his beliefs. If any Baha'is are imprisoned, he said, it is because of "illegal activities" as a cult.


"Put bluntly, Iran once again completely discredited itself before the eyes of the international community," said Ms. Ala'i, noting that last week Iran arrested at least 14 more Baha'is.


Among those arrested, she said, was Niki Khanjani, the son of one of the seven Baha'i leaders who are currently on trial on false charges.


"As the Nobel laureate Mrs. Shirin Ebadi has recently stated in an open letter to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Iran is now trying to increase pressure on prisoners by taking their relatives hostage," said Ms. Ala'i. "Jamaloddin Khanjani is 76. He has been incarcerated for almost two years – and then they arrested his granddaughter at the beginning of January and now, his son."


"These are the desperate acts of a regime that is frantically lashing out to blame others for its troubles and to suppress any viewpoint that is different from its own ideology," she said.


The majority of countries who spoke out against Iran focused on the violence following last June's presidential election and also on the situation of the country's religious minorities.


Brazil called for Iran to extend rights to all religious groups in the country, saying Baha'is should enjoy the same rights as everyone. Mexico said all minorities – particularly the Baha'i community – must be able to practice their religion.


"Romania and Slovenia devoted almost the entire allotment of their time to discussing the increasing repression of Iran's Baha'i community," reported Ms. Ala'i.


Human rights groups, in documents filed with the Council, made similar points.


"The government systematically denies rights associated with freedom of religion to members of the Baha'i faith, Iran's largest non-Muslim religious minority. In most cases, including the persecution of the Baha'i community, the government uses 'security' as a pretext for detaining individuals and denying them basic due process rights," said a statement from Human Rights Watch.


All governments and fair-minded people throughout the world must join in unity to raise their voice to protest against the blatant violations of human rights in Iran.


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