Baha’i Community in Iran Under Attack

It never ceases to surprise me how easy it is to incite hatred based on rumour mongering.

Today a particularly silent and pernicious attack on a peaceful community is occurring in Iran.

Because of their faith and its guiding principles the Baha’i community in Iran has suffered from persecution since its inception well over 150 years ago. Recently efforts to eradicate them have been stepped up.

Not many people are aware of the Baha’is or what they stand for. Yet Baha’is are all over the world, in every country and region of the planet. Some communities are larger than others. Some are freer to express themselves than others but all of them try to put the guiding principles of their faith into practice.

None of the other religious minorities in Iran suffer the level of persecution and deprivation currently experienced by the Baha’is.

The Baha’i guiding principles are so beautifully balanced and modern that it is difficult to understand how they can incite such hatred, although in Iran the sharpening edge of the sword of religious fanaticism is increasingly waging war on the Baha’i community.

A peaceful community that is bound by principle to respect local law and authorities in as much as this does not conflict with the basic tenets of their faith. How harmful can that be, given the basic principles that Baha’is attempt to live by? For example, Baha’is believe in:

• independent investigation of truth
• a life dedicated to the service of humanity
• fellowship with the followers of all religions
• equality of women and men
• the harmony of science and religion as two complementary systems of knowledge that must work together to advance the well being and progress of humanity
• the elimination of prejudice
• the establishment of a world commonwealth of nations
• recognition of the common origin and fundamental unity of purpose of all religions
• spiritual solutions to economic problems and the removal of economic barriers and restrictions
• the abolition of extremes of poverty and wealth
• the adoption of a world auxiliary language, a world script, and a uniform and universal system of currency and weights and measures.

Given these principles, some might argue that it is easy to understand why Iranian authorities are vexed. Some of the principles clearly deviate from sharia law and this should threaten religious authorities.

However, rather than judging the Baha’i Faith on its true merits and its followers on their actions, the Iranian authorities judge harshly, often based on rumour and without a shred of credible evidence in hand.

True, some principles implicitly undermine the power and influence that local religious authorities would hold over the Community, but does that justify flagrant abuse of a community’s basic human and religious rights?

Others, like me, would argue that principles such as the ones enunciated by the Baha’i Faith can only enhance the quality of life and collaboration in any society.

Especially, as there is ample evidence world-wide that this tends to be the case. Numerous are the social-economic development projects that the world-wide Baha’i community is involved in. Many in close collaboration with UN Agencies and other like-minded organisations.

Proselytising and fanaticism are not condoned in the Baha’i Faith. In stead, education, peace promoting projects, service to mankind and tolerance towards others are key principles to which Baha’is adhere.

Where possible Baha’i communities around the world have expressed their solidarity with the Iranian Baha’i community by drawing attention to the plight of their fellow believers. Public Information offices and press contacts are engaged in an effort to raise awareness of the relentless persecution.

For further information about the Baha’i Community in Iran as well as the community in the Suisse-romande you can contact Ms Daniele Bianchi at daniele.bianchi@bahai.ch or the local Baha’i Centre in Geneva at 20, route de Malagnou.