Family Home burnt to the ground in Kerman.
Tuesday, July 22nd, 2008In the early hours of Friday July 18th the home of the Shakir Family, who are members of the Bahai’ community in Kerman, was burnt down in a suspected arson attack. Fortunately the family were away during the attack. Everything from furniture to possessions perished in the fire.
This family, like many in the Bahai community, are no strangers to harassment. In a recent event prior to that, whilst at a Bahai gathering, their friends noticed that the Shakirs car was set alight and tried to put it out with a fire extinguisher. They had also been on the receiving end of many threatening phone calls quite a while.
Posted in Baha'is, Christians, Ethnic Minorities, Jews, Kurds, Other, Sunnis | No Comments »
Comedy for Human Rights
Thursday, July 10th, 2008The Muslim network of Bahai Rights have created a comic strip to raise awareness
of the shocking plight facing the Baha’i youth of Iran (and Egypt). At present these youth face a very powerful form of persecution, where their fundamental right to an education is denied.
This is no less than suffocation, to cut off such a lifeline is to deny these individuals the right to knowledge and growth, the right to fulfil their potential as individuals, and in turn contribute to the world they live in. The Muslim network of Baha’i rights were so outraged by this latest addition in a long line of persecutions heaped upon this peace-loving community, that they were inspired to create this comic. It is simple, witty and poignant.
Imprisoned for being a Baha’i, Kamran Aghdasi, begins his sentence.
Thursday, July 10th, 2008On the 31 January the home of Kamran Aqdasi and his mother was raided by the security
authorities in the city of Hamadan, Iran. All their Baha’i literature was confiscated and Kamran himself was arrested. Why? Was he a criminal? Well actually he was just a Baha’i and in Iran that is considered criminal. He was detained for eight days and then released pending his trial. Unfortunately on the 3rd of April he was sentenced to a year in prison. After losing an appeal to the higher court, he persevered, and, appealed again, this time to Irans supreme court. Strangely his files were put on a back-log for a minimum of six months. He began serving his sentence on the 19 June 2008.
Although this is one of countless stories of human rights abuses towards minorities in Iran, each one is the violation of a unique individuals life and the numbers can in no part, dilute the pain and suffering endured by them and their families.
Six Nobel Peace Laureates issue statement for the unconditional release of Baha’i prisoners in Iran.
Sunday, July 6th, 2008Mounting concern over the arrests of seven prominent members of the
Iranian Baha’i community has inspired six Nobel Laureates to issue a statement
of concern to the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Amongst the six
courageous voices, were Betty Williams and Maired Corrigan Maguire, founders
of the Peace People in Northern Ireland and winners of the 1976 Nobel Peace Prize.
Their statement was issued under the banner of the Nobel Women’s Initiative,
which was established by the six women in 2006.
Iran’s continues its relentless witch-hunt against its largest non-muslim religious minority.
Sunday, July 6th, 2008Bahar Tahzib writes a moving and thought provoking article for The Guardian on the continued violation of the human rights of the Bahai community in her native Iran. This is one of many passionate responses to the recent arrests of seven members of its informal leadership committee in May this year. There has been no news of them since.
Bahar whose own father, Yusuf Subhani, was executed in June 1980, highlights the unshakable integrity of the Baha’i community as they persevere, through decades of violent and unyielding persecution, to use peaceful and diplomatic means to call attention to their plight. “ Their steadfastness in the face of oppression, and the evidence of their goodwill towards their countrymen is gaining increasing recognition amongst ever greater numbers of Iranians at home and abroad. Muslim campaigners are openly calling for the Iranian government to respect the human rights of its Baha’i population.”