Recent Stories
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The Geneva headquarters of the UN Subject: Persecution of the Baha'i Community
Geneva—4 November 2011—As a United Nations body concluded that Iran's persecution of Baha'is is clearly violating one of the world's major human rights treaties, the Baha'i International Community has learned of a recent wave of attacks on Baha'is and their property.
In Rasht, three women were arrested on charges of activity against national security following terrifying raids on 16 Baha'i homes. In Semnan, around ten Baha'i-owned shops were sealed up by the authorities and two business licences were cancelled. In the city of Sanandaj, it has been reported that authorities have attempted to persuade groups of Baha'... Read more . . . |
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Heiner Bielefeldt – the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief. UN Photo/Paulo Filgueiras Subject: Persecution of the Baha'i Community
United Nations—23 October 2011—Iran's persecution of Baha'is is among the most "extreme manifestations of religious intolerance and persecution" in the world today, according to a UN expert. (See video of press conference.)
The remarks of Heiner Bielefeldt – Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief – came during a press conference here in response to a question about a new report... Read more . . . |
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The report – titled "Inciting Hatred: Iran's Media Campaign to Demonize Baha'is" – documents and analyzes more than 400 press and media items between late 2009 and early 2011. Subject: Persecution of the Baha'i Community
New York—21 October 2011—In a wide-ranging media campaign that has gone largely unnoticed outside of Iran, hatred and discrimination are being systematically stirred up against the country's 300,000-member Baha'i minority.
In a report released today, the Baha'i International Community documents and analyzes more than 400 press and media items over a 16-month period, that typify an insidious state-sponsored effort to demonize and vilify Baha'is, using false accusations, inflammatory terminology, and repugnant imagery.
Read the full report... Read more . . . |
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The seven Baha'i educators sentenced to prison are (top row, left to right): Mahmoud Badavam, Ramin Zibaie, Riaz Sobhani, Farhad Sedghi; (bottom row, left to right) Noushin Khadem, Kamran Mortezaie, and Vahid Mahmoudi. Subject: Persecution of the Baha'i Community
New York—18 October 2011—Seven Baha'i educators in Iran have each received four- or five-year prison sentences, according to reports received by the Baha'i International Community.
Verdicts against the seven were reportedly handed down by a judge at Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran.
The educators have been detained for almost five months in connection with their involvement in an informal community initiative – known as the Baha'i Institute for Higher Education (BIHE) – in which Baha'i professors, debarred by the Iranian government from practicing their professions, offer their services to... Read more . . . |
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Ahmed Shaheed, the new United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran. United Nations—16 October 2011—In his first report, the newly appointed UN investigator into human rights in Iran has appealed to the Iranian government to create a culture in which the fundamental rights and freedoms of minorities and women are protected.
Special Rapporteur Ahmed Shaheed also urged Iran to refrain from repressing dissent, expressed concern about the deteriorating health of some prisoners, and repeated an earlier request to be allowed to visit the country.
The interim report – submitted to the UN General Assembly at its 66th session now under way in New York – follows concerns about Iran expressed... Read more . . . |
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United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon.
UN Photo/Mark Garten. Subject: Persecution of the Baha'i Community
United Nations—13 October 2011—For the fourth consecutive year, the United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, has strongly criticized Iran's record on human rights, saying violations have "continued and intensified" over the last 12 months.
Iran has stepped up its crackdown on human rights defenders, women's rights activists and journalists, Mr. Ban said in a report released yesterday.
Read the Secretary General's report
The Secretary General said he was "deeply troubled" by recent developments, which... Read more . . . |
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(top row, left to right) Cornel West, Princeton, U.S.A.; Graham Ward, Oxford, U.K.; Charles Taylor, McGill, Canada; Leonardo Boff, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; (bottom row, left to right) Ebrahim Moosa, Duke, U.S.A.; Hilary Putnam, Harvard, U.S.A.; Stanley Hauerwas, Duke, U.S.A.; and Tahir Mahmood, former member, Law Commission, India. Subject: Persecution of the Baha'i Community
New York—10 October 2011—More than 40 distinguished philosophers and theologians from 16 countries have joined the condemnation of Iran's policy to bar young Baha'is and others from higher education.
In an unprecedented global initiative, the 43 prominent academics – of Christian, Hindu, Jewish, and Muslim backgrounds – have signed an open letter, published in The Daily Telegraph (UK), and reported in the Folha de São Paulo (Brazil).
Read the open letter.... Read more . . . |
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Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani, left, pictured with his wife, Fatemah, and their two young sons. Photo credit: Christian Solidarity Worldwide. Subject: Human Rights
Geneva—4 October 2011—The Baha'i International Community has joined the call for the release of Youcef Nadarkhani, a Christian pastor from Rasht, Iran.
Pastor Nadarkhani, who is the father of two young children, leads a network of house churches. He was found guilty of apostasy – "turning his back on Islam" – and "converting Muslims to Christianity," and sentenced to death in September 2010.
Iran's Supreme Court recently asked for a re-examination of the case to establish whether or not he had been a practising Muslim adult before he converted to Christianity. The court ruled he was not but, nevertheless, is still... Read more . . . |
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Two Nobel Peace Prize laureates – Desmond Tutu, the Anglican Archbishop Emeritus of Cape Town, and Jose Ramos-Horta, President of East Timor – who have joined the global outcry at the persecution faced by Baha'i educators in Iran. (Photo credits: left, UN Photo/Jean-Marc Ferre; right, UN Photo/Ky Chung) Subject: Persecution of the Baha'i Community
New York—26 September 2011—As a number of Baha'i educators appear in court in Iran, two Nobel Peace Prize winners have sharply criticized the Iranian government, comparing its actions to "the Dark Ages of Europe" or the "Spanish Inquisition."
The remarks by Desmond Tutu, the Anglican Archbishop Emeritus of Cape Town, and Jose Ramos-Horta, President of East Timor, appear in an open letter to the academic community published today in the Huffington Post, under the title "Iran's war against knowledge."
In the letter, the Nobel... Read more . . . |
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Diane Ala'i making oral statement. Click to see video statement. Subject: Human Rights
Geneva—23 September 2011—The Baha'i International Community made a statement on the situation of the Baha'is in Iran at the 18th session of the Human Rights Council. The statement focused on the right to education and the recent crackdown on the Baha'i Institute for Higher Education. "Today, nearly 100 Baha'is are in prison because of their beliefs," the statement read. "...None are spared, not even the dead whose resting places are desecrated, not even the little girl, a six year old child, whose hand is burnt in punishment by her ethics teacher, simply because she is a Baha'i. Despite all this, the Baha'is of Iran... Read more . . . |
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