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Inciting Hatred: Iran's media campaign to demonize Baha'is

While Iran has claimed to support such efforts, a systematic campaign of state-sponsored incitement to hatred is today underway in that country. The target is the Bahá’í community, which has faced wide-ranging persecution at the hands of the Iranian authorities for more than three decades. Since 1979, more than 200 Iranian Bahá’ís have been executed and hundreds have been imprisoned.

 

Inciting Hatred
Inciting Hatred: Iran's media campaign to demonize Baha'is
Video of official launch (21 October 2011)

Inciting Hatred: Iran's media campaign to demonize Bahá'ís

Analyzing more than 400 press and media items issued in Iran by state-controlled or pro-government media over a 16-month period from late 2009 to early 2011, this report documents a wide-ranging campaign by the Islamic Republic of Iran to incite hatred and violence towards the 300,000 member Bahá'í minority. Using false accusations, inflammatory terminology, and repugnant imagery, this campaign is shocking in its volume and vehemence – and entirely in violation of international human rights law.

The links below go to the report itself, and an online only appendix that summarizes each of the 400-plus documents or articles that were collected by Bahá’í International Community during the main period of this survey, from 17 December 2009 to 16 May 2011.