Meeting the three imprisoned youth in Shiraz

Three articles: Two moving first-hand accounts of the experiences of travelers who met three of the Bahá'í prisoners in Iran, and other news from Shiraz. From iranpresswatch.org.

A Visit with the 3 Imprisoned Youth in Shiraz

Posted: 13 May 2009

Editor's Note: The following is a letter by Neysan Mohajer, kindly shared with Iran Press Watch. Mr. Mohajer's sister, Shomeys, had an opportunity to visit with the three imprisoned Baha'i youth in Shiraz, and some of her recollections are reflected in this letter.

By Neysan Mohajer

This is a moving account of my sister's home visit with Sasan Taqavi in Shiraz on Sunday May 10, 2009. Sasan is one of the three youth imprisoned 18 months ago in Shiraz on a 4 year sentence. He had been home for a week, while the two other youth, Haleh Rouhi and Raha Sabet, went back to prison today May 12, 2009, after a one-week break at home.

Shomeys also had the bounty of visiting Haleh Rouhi (see attached photo) yesterday, May 11, at whose house there were lots of youth present. These visitors were the youth who had been arrested while performing community service, and then ordered by the court to attend Islamic Education once a week. Shomeys said she felt she was in heaven among the chosen angels of BahaE2u'llah. Sasan's sister, Roya, is also among this group of youth arrested while performing community service. Imagine how hard it must be for his parents. If you have not seen the letter Roya wrote to Sasan at Naw-Ruz, it is here: http://www.iranpresswatch.org/2009/04/letter-sasan/

Shomeys has only written the account of her personal experience of visiting Sasan, but not what was said during the visit. She had an opportunity to hear Sasan speak about his torment and hardship, and learn about how he was doing. But with Haleh there was a large group, and it was not possible to talk in depth.

In the past 18 months these three did not even have a mattress to sleep on. They had to sleep on the floor — all have severe backaches. After months of pleading by Sasan's parents, all three have now been given a mattress only recently. Sasan, as you know, had a broken leg after his arrest, which is not fully healed and needs treatment.

Sasan's family is originally from Bushihr and lives in a small rented house in Shiraz under impoverished conditions. Sasan was granted leave from prison for one week after 110 days of not being released. They are very strict and harsh about allowing them to have a furlough. This time Sasan's father wanted Sasan to stay one more week, but Sasan knew this would be impossible to ask. His father determined went alone to ask the prison authorities for permission. Meanwhile Sasan prayed and pleaded with Baha'u'llah not to break his father's heart. Sasan knew this would be too much to ask Baha'u'llah. When his father returned Sasan saw him happy and joyful. Baha'u'llah had granted his father's wish — he was granted an extension for another week. For Sasan this was a nothing but a pure miracle and a proof of the confirmations of Baha'u'llah. So he is going back to jail on Monday May 18.

Sasan is confined to solitary confinement, and is not allowed to speak or see anyone the whole day. His daily exercise and fresh air is a half hour slot each day when he is taken to another room which has no roof. Every time he has to come out of his cell, he is blindfolded. Sasan said his loneliness was very hard to overcome.

During her visit Shomeys chanted the Tablet of Abdu'l-Baha (attached) during which Sasan was holding back his tears. When it ended they all cried and wept together. This Tablet seems as though it w as specially revealed for people like Sasan. Abdu'l-Baha says a seated lover is better than an itinerant learned man. She chanted the same Tablet when she visited Haleh.

The three in prison have set aside Wednesdays at 8 pm (Iran time) to pray for each other. When Shoemys was leaving, Sasan asked her to remember him in her prayers on Wednesday at 8 pm. He said to her, "Dear Shomeys, do not forget to say a prayer for me on Wednesday. Chant it loudly, so I can hear you from my lonely cell." He repeated, "I want to hear you…"

I am planning to go to the Guardian's resting place [outside London] tomorrow, Wednesday at 4:30 PM, which is 8:00 PM in Shiraz. Let's be with them and visit them on Wednesdays with our souls.

Qurbanat, Neysan

A Visit with Sasan Taqva

Posted: 15 May 2009

Editor’s Note: As Iran Press Watch reported earlier (http://www.iranpresswatch.org/2009/05/visit-shiraz/), a description of some recent visits has been received and is shared below in translation.

By Shomeys Mohajer

The moment of seeing a friend again is an unforgettable moment… I could not believe my eyes would be blessed by visiting such a cherished friend as dear Sasan.
Years ago, when we served together on the [now defunct] National Youth Committee, he was the representative for region 9 from Shiraz. He was a dignified young man with a radiant face, who — although he spoke with great excitement — refrained from exaggeration. When his turn came to give his report; everyone was in awe of the activities of the youth in his region.
His reports reflected the fact that he was not a man of mere words; but that he was a man of action. His activities were interesting experiences for others, and everyone always remained in eager anticipation of hearing his reports; so that they could carry back news of great events as a souvenir. Then again this region has always been blessed with divine favours, and the Dawning of the Revelation of the Blessed Bab from that land is testimony to this claim.
Shiraz and events and incidents therein have always marked the beginnings of new movements in the Cradle of the Baha’i Faith. In the same way that the seven Brides of Shiraz[1] released unprecedented energy in the Baha’i world, 53 love-intoxicated young people brought back to life the epic movements of their ancestors and set out to breathe life into this blessed land by serving the inhabitants of the land of Baha’u'llah’s birth… Yet alas, it has been a year and a half since three of these ardent lovers of the Beloved Beauty have been incarcerated in the prison of Shiraz, and the rest of the youth have been subjected to sitting in weekly classes where they have to endure calumnious misinterpretations of His blessed Faith.
I was finally able to visit with dear Sasan. How I wish my pen had the ability to capture the spiritual power of those moments. How can my pen recount what I witnessed? A power beyond any physical force… Yes, I saw in Sasan a sort of spiritual strength not easily describable… How can I express those moments? I did not wish for them to come to a conclusion… Yet time was short…
He said a bit about the difficult conditions in prison and his utter loneliness there… However, whatever he said was indicative of some great strength… indicative of the bounties of Baha’u'llah and of nothing else… In the midst of his utterances, one could feel the confirmations he attracted from the Concourse on High. But alas! The special spiritual experiences he recounted were not quite comprehensible to me; for how could a lowly earthling such as I understand such lofty realms as he described? Surely, he was not speaking of hardship; but material as I am I could only comprehend the pain and suffering.
In any case, the moments were passing far too fast… He asked repeatedly that we should pray for him, so that he may be able to endure these difficulties and attain the good pleasure of the Beloved. But from whom was he beseeching prayers so earnestly? Surely he must have been discerning angels everywhere and at every moment, to have been beseeching so intently.
When he was speaking about solitary confinement and complained of loneliness, I realised just how blessed we are with incredible bounties, and yet we are not cognizant of any of it. Dear Sasan imparted such insight to me that I will remain grateful to him for ever. He opened my eyes to the bounties and favours of God, so that I may be empowered to take greater steps than ever before in the proclamation of His Words. How blessed indeed is he for having firmly demonstrated his servitude to the Holy Threshold… God help me for I know not when — if ever — I could do that…
Upon saying goodbye, he informed me that the three of them in prison[2] were reciting prayers every Wednesday at 8 pm. He asked me to say prayers also at the same time, and asked that I should say them out loud with such fervour that he could feel their penetration. And I promised to pray in such wise that I would feel the confirmations. This sums up what I witnessed during my visit.
We ended our meeting with the recitation of the following Tablet, which indeed bears witness to Sasan and his friends in prison.
He is the Most Glorious;
O thou who hast rendered up thy life unto the traceless Friend,
Myriads have been the wise who have sought after Him, but have remained deprived of His Presence and bereft of beholding His Countenance. Yet you found Him; you recognised Him! You surrendered in the game of servitude, set firm your station, and hoisted the banner of prosperity and salvation.
How astonishing a tale and peculiar a tiding: Those who searched after Him did not attain Him, but those who remained seated beheld Him. I beg forgiveness of God, for their search was that of those who have drunk to satiety and not of those who thirst in longing; and their desire was that of the worldly-wise and not of the enthralled lover.
“The worldly-wise who garner the ears of grain are unaware of Layla’s secret,
For unto none was accorded the great glory but Majnun — he who set
the whole harvest afire!”
Better the lover who remaineth seated, than the wise man who endeavoureth in active service.
Upon thee be His Glory.

[Provisional translation]

[1] The seven unmarried young girls who were martyred together with 3 other women on June 18, 1983 in Shiraz because of their adherence to the Baha’i Faith: Mrs. Nusrat Yalda’i, Mrs. Izzat Ishraqi, Roya Ishraqi, Mrs. Tahirih Siyavushi, Zarrin Muqimi, Shirin Dalvand, Akhtar Sabit, Simin Sabiri, Mahshrid Nirumand, Mona Mahmudnizhad.
[2] Raha Sabet, Haleh Rouhi and Sasan Taqva.

Update on the Situation in Shiraz

Posted: 10 May 2009

As the readers of this site have guessed, very little information and news has come from Iran in recent days. Iran Press Watch was able to glean the following from a few sites in Persian:

• Raha Sabet voluntarily went back to prison so that Sasan Taqva might be released. Sasan was released on April 28. The authorities have renewed his family leave for a week.
  Haleh Rouhi was given family leave on Sunday April 19. Her leave has been renewed for the third week.
• Raha, Sasan and Haleh have served over one-third of their incarceration sentence. They can be eligible for pardon soon, which generally happens after the prisoner has served about a third of their sentence. Families of the three Baha’i youth are trying and hope that happens.
• Vahdat Dana is in solitary confinement. He is father of two children. His heart ailment is the cause of concern. He had a heart attack not long ago, for which he spent a few days in intensive care.
• Keyvan Karami and Farham Masumi are incarcerated in the same cell. There was a glimmer of hope for their release, which unfortunately did not happen.
• Farham Masumi was married just a few months ago and this was supposed to be the newly-wed’s first Naw-Ruz together.
  Families of prisoners and some other Baha’is continue to receive threatening phone calls.

VIDEO marking anniversary of Bahá'í leadership's arrest

Two articles: a video (2 min.) about developments since the Yaran's (group of seven) arrest and timeline for their imprisonment. From iranpresswatch.org.

Video marking the Anniversary of the Yaran Incarceration

Posted: 14 May 2009 12:18 PM PDT

Today marks the anniversary of the incarceration of the seven Baha'i leaders in Iran.

This video is also available on Vimeo and on Youtube.

In March and May 2008, the leaders of the Bahai Community in Iran ( Mrs. Fariba Kamalabadi, Mr. Jamaloddin Khanjani, Mr. Afif Naeimi, Mr. Saeid Rezaie, Mrs. Mahvash Sabet, Mr. Behrouz Tavakkoli, and Mr. Vahid Tizfahm) were arrested by the Iranian authorities. The seven have since been held in the notorious Evin Prison without access to to lawyers and very limited contact to their families.
In February, authorities finally announced the charges against the leaders: espionage for Israel, insulting religious sanctities, and propaganda against the Islamic republic.
Their detention and pending trial constitute one step in a 30-year-long systematic campaign orchestrated by the government to eliminate the Baha'i community as a viable entity in Iran, the birthplace of the Baha'i Faith.
The background track used in this clip is O Saya from the Slumdog Millionaire.

Timeline of the Imprisonment of the Yaran

Posted: 14 May 2009

The following provides an overview of the months since the initial imprisonment in March and May 2008 of the seven Iranian Baha'is, known as the Yaran ('Friends'), who had previously functioned as an adhoc coordinating body for the Baha'i community of Iran.

• March 5, 2008: Mahvash Sabet, one of the Baha'i leaders, was arrested in Mashhad.
• May 14, 2008: The remaining six Baha'i leaders - Behrouz Tavakkoli, Saeid Rezaie, Fariba Kamalabadi, Vahid Tizfahm, Jamaloddin Khanjani, and Afif Naeimi - were arrested at their homes in Tehran. They were charged with "espionage on behalf of Israel", "insulting the sacredness of Islam", and "propaganda against the regime."
• September 2008: After being held in solitary confinement for about 4 months, the Yaran were relocated to a normal prison cell in Tehran's Evin Prison, where they have been held ever since.
• October 2008: The Yaran were separated from other prisoners, where the five men have been kept in one cell and the two women in another, isolated from others.

• February 11, 2009: The legal reporter of ISNA, Judge Hassan Haddad stated that the Yaran would be tried within the coming week. This did not take place.
• February was marked by strong condemnation of the case of the Yaran throughout the world press and governments. A list of the most significant articles and statements can be found here.
• February 25, 2009: The Yaran were allowed to meet with their families. Their trial was also said to be postponed for another two weeks, but again, this did not hold up.
• February 27, 2009: Iran's Attorney-General, Qorban-Ali Dorri-Najafabadi, declared that the Yaran have confessed to the charges leveled against them, obviously a blatant lie.
• March 2009: The Yaran decided that as a measure of goodwill to disband all Baha'i organizations in Iran. This decision was ratified by the Universal House of Justice.
• April 27, 2009: A fourth charge was leveled against the Yaran: "Aiding, teaching and propagating the Baha'i religion in Iran." This is tantamount to "mufsed fel-arz" [corrupt on earth] which has historically carried harsh consequences, including the death penalty. This report was confirmed by the Baha'i World News Service on May 12, 2009.

Article by historian Dr. Momen: Imprisoning and persecuting the innocent not in Iran's national interest

Renowned author, historian on Islam, Dr. Moojan Momen, writes in New Statesman online.
(Excerpts:)
Ms Saberi leaves behind her many other inmates in Tehran's notorious Evin prison whose "crimes" against the Iranian state are also open to question.

Thursday (14 May) marks the first anniversary of the arrest and detention of seven prominent members of the Baha'i faith, Iran's largest non-Muslim religious minority...

For the seven Baha'is being held in the grim confines of their Evin cells, their best hope for release might lie in a public protest as widespread as the one that led to the freeing of Roxana Saberi.

Such an outcry may help Iran's leaders to reflect that imprisoning and persecuting the innocent is not in their national interest.

A bleak future for Baha'is

Moojan Momen

Published 13 May 2009

International pressure may have set Roxana Saberi free, but the plight of seven Iranian Baha'is, imprisoned in Tehran a year ago, has gone largely unnoticed.

The seven Baha'i prisoners, detained in Tehran's notorious Evin prison (above), have not been charged or allowed legal counsel since their incarceration last year

Earlier this week, US-Iranian journalist Roxana Saberi was freed from prison in Iran after having her sentence for "spying" reduced. The charge, which she strongly denied, sparked international attention and calls for her release, which has now been widely welcomed.

But Ms Saberi leaves behind her many other inmates in Tehran's notorious Evin prison whose "crimes" against the Iranian state are also open to question.

Thursday (14 May) marks the first anniversary of the arrest and detention of seven prominent members of the Baha'i faith, Iran's largest non-Muslim religious minority.

The five men and two women made up an informal national committee, serving the needs of the country's 300,000 strong Baha'i community in the absence of formal Baha'i institutions, which are outlawed. Their committee – which had operated with the full knowledge of the authorities – along with all local ad hoc Baha'i administrations – was disbanded in March this year in a gesture of good will from the peaceful and law-abiding Baha'is to their government.

In the one year since their incarceration, the seven detainees have faced no charges nor have they been allowed access to their legal counsel, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate Dr Shirin Ebadi. They have faced spurious accusations of "espionage for Israel", and "insulting religious sanctities".

Iran's prosecutor-general, Ayatollah Dorri-Najafabadi, has asserted that there is evidence that the seven have been involved in "intelligence-gathering" and "infiltration", thus more or less declaring their guilt before any trial date has been announced. The evidence he refers to has yet to be disclosed to the public or produced in a court of law.

In recent days, however, a report from the Baha'i's UN office indicates that another charge is being levelled against the seven prisoners; that of "spreading corruption on earth."

To the Western reader, such an accusation may seem to be a confusing or even nebulous basis for criminal charges. But in theocratic Iran it has a basis in the penal code and leaves the accused in an extremely vulnerable position.

The term, found in the Koran, has increasingly been used within Islamic legal practice to brand any undesirable "offender": Muslims considered to be too lax in their practices; those who are considered socially evil, such as drug-traffickers and prostitutes; or those with whom the authorities have a fundamental theological disagreement, such as the Baha'is.

Vague as these charges may be, they still have the potential to lead the accused to the executioner.

The allegations against the Baha'is are as nonsensical as they are unjust. The accusations play to the fears of certain areas of the Iranian population about enemies - internal and external - conspiring to undermine the country.

Iran remains a state with a great sense of its own historic legacy and with a clear goal of attaining a mantle of regional leadership - of both moral, as well as political, dimensions.

For the seven Baha'is being held in the grim confines of their Evin cells, their best hope for release might lie in a public protest as widespread as the one that led to the freeing of Roxana Saberi.

Such an outcry may help Iran's leaders to reflect that imprisoning and persecuting the innocent is not in their national interest.

Moojan Momen is an Iranian author and academic, and a Fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society

Source: http://www.newstatesman.com/international-politics/2009/05/roxana-saberi-baha-iran-tehran

Anniversary of arrest, without charges, of 7 imprisoned former Bahá'í leaders in Iran

A timely update on the latest developments in the decades long persecution of the Bahá'ís in Iran - one an article by Barney Leith from his blog Barnabas quotidianus; the other the official report from the Bahá'í International Community.
(Excerpt from the former:)

Why are they in jail? Because they are Baha'is

Have they been formally charged? No.

Why not? Well, what would they be charged with? They've committed no crimes.

"Spreading corruption on earth" - new accusation against Iran's Baha'i leaders

Posted: 12 May 2009

Who is "spreading corruption on earth"?

Come Thursday, six of the members of the ad hoc group that coordinated the life of the Baha'i community of Iran - the Yaran - will have been in jail for exactly a year. They are Mrs Fariba Kamalabadi, Mr Jamaloddin Khanjani, Mr Afif Naemi, Mr Saeid Rezaie, Mr Behrouz Tavakkoli and Mr Vahid Tizfam.

The seventh member, Mrs Mahvash Sabet, has been in jail since 5 March 2008.

All seven are in Tehran's notorious Evin Prison.

Legal limbo

For a whole year the authorities have not seen fit to treat these leading Baha'is with anything remotely like justice.

Why are they in jail? Because they are Baha'is

Have they been formally charged? No.

Why not? Well, what would they be charged with? They've committed no crimes.

Charging madness

They may not have been formally charged, but they have certainly been publicly accused of "espionage for Israel" (they communicated with the Baha'i World Centre, which has been located in what is now Israel since the late 1806s), of "insulting religious sanctities" (they are Baha'is), and of "membership in an illegal body" (they were members of the Yaran, a body about which the Iranian authorities have known for many many years).

It took seven months of intensive interrogations to get to this point.

The Yaran voluntarily gave up their coordinating role in the Baha'i community so that the Iranian government would not be able to hold anything against them.

Except one thing: they are Baha'is.

And now, a year after their original detention, the authorities have told their families that the seven may face the more sinister charge of Mofsede fel-Arz - "spreading corruption on earth".

What is "spreading corruption on earth"?

It's one of those charges that covers anything the [persecutors] in the Iranian government don't like. If they can't get you for a sensible charge, they'll sure get you for "spreading corruption on earth".

Especially if you're a Baha'i.

And these seven Baha'i leaders could face...death. After all, "spreading corruption on earth" was the charge used against the Baha'is who were executed in the years immediately after the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

One thing this clearly demonstrates: the authorities have no basis for any allegation against these individuals, other than blatant religious persecution.

Tip of the iceberg

The seven members of the Baha'i leadership are the tip of a large iceberg. There are more than 300,000 Baha'is in Iran - the community is the largest non-Islamic religious minority in Iran - and they are all facing increased persecution by a government that claims to be a paragon of justice and human rights, but which routinely abuses the rights of women, children, journalists and others who seek dignity and justice.

Time for international action

I hope that the world's governments will tell Iran in no uncertain terms what they think about this utter injustice. I hope that the world's governments will demand the immediate release of Mrs Fariba Kamalabadi, Mr Jamaloddin Khanjani, Mr Afif Naemi, Mr Saeid Rezaie, Mrs Mahvash Sabet, Mr Behrouz Tavakkoli and Mr Vahid Tizfam. Or at least for a fair trial.

Iranian Baha'i leaders may face new accusation on anniversary of imprisonment

12 May 2009

NEW YORK — The seven Baha'i leaders currently imprisoned in Iran are facing the anniversary of their arrest this Thursday, along with new and extremely grave accusations, after spending a year in jail without formal charges or access to their lawyer, Shirin Ebadi.

"Despite their obvious innocence and the call by many for their immediate release, these seven men and women have been in legal limbo for a year now, against all international human rights standards," said Bani Dugal, the principal representative of the Baha'i International Community to the United Nations.

"Moreover, their families have recently been told of a possible new charge - 'the spreading of corruption on earth,' which goes by the term 'Mofsede fel-Arz' in Persian and carries the threat of death under the penal code of the Islamic Republic of Iran," said Ms. Dugal.

"The sequence of events surrounding their detention exposes a shameless travesty of justice. Notwithstanding their having been subjected to intensive interrogations, it took a full seven months before they were given even a single pretext for their detention. On February 10, 2009, the Iranian Student News Agency quoted Tehran deputy prosecutor Hassan Haddad as having said that the investigation of these individuals was complete and that 'the case will be sent to the revolutionary court next week' and that these Baha'is are accused of 'espionage for Israel, insulting religious sanctities and propaganda against the Islamic Republic.' The international protest expressed by governments and civil society was immediate and widespread, causing the Iranian authorities to review their approach.

"Now a new wrongful accusation reportedly has been added some three months after the investigation was supposed to have concluded. The charge of being spreaders of corruption was used against the Baha'is who were executed in the years immediately following the Islamic revolution. That it may now be resorted to in this case is a further demonstration that the authorities have no basis for any allegation against these seven individuals, other than blatant religious persecution. This action against the Baha'i leadership reflects the government's sharply increased persecution of the entire Iranian Baha'i community of more than 300,000 members.

"The upcoming anniversary of their arrest offers an important milestone and we ask that the international community re-state once again in the strongest terms its demand for their immediate release, or, at least, for a fair and open trial that meets international standards of justice," said Ms. Dugal.

Ms. Dugal also noted that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has frequently emphasized the importance of "justice and human dignity" and "the establishment of a just world system," such as when he addressed the UN Durban Review Conference in Geneva last month.

"How can the calls of the Iranian leadership for justice in the international sphere be taken seriously if they do not grant justice to their own citizens? In Iran, by all accounts universally agreed upon human rights are routinely ignored, not only for Baha'is but also for women, journalists, and others who only seek dignity and justice," she said.

The seven are Mrs. Fariba Kamalabadi, Mr. Jamaloddin Khanjani, Mr. Afif Naeimi, Mr. Saeid Rezaie, Mrs. Mahvash Sabet, Mr. Behrouz Tavakkoli, and Mr. Vahid Tizfahm. All but one of the group were arrested on 14 May 2008 at their homes in Tehran. Mrs. Sabet was arrested on 5 March 2008 while in Mashhad.

For more information, go to http://news.bahai.org.

"After the silence of firing squads..." Poem: To the Children of Prison and Exile

A moving poem by Dr. Majid Naficy in remembrance of the many oppressed ones in the history of modern Iran.

(Excerpt:)

I want to turn this death into a poem,

That can be read like magic

When the corpse of a butterfly

Carried by ants

Makes you remember the dead ones.

I want to turn this death into life.

From iranpresswatch.org.

To the Children of Prison and Exile

Posted: 12 May 2009

A poem by Dr. Majid Naficy

Editor's Note: Iran Press Watch is deeply grateful to have received this poem from Dr. Naficy for publication at this site. The poem was composed on February 15, 1986 and an English version of it was first published in Dr. Naficy's anthology, Muddy Shoes (Beyond Baroque Books, 1999) and then in an anthology After Shocks: The poetry of Recovery (Sante Lucia Books 2008) edited by Tom Lombardo. Dr. Naficy's seminal essay, "Baha'is Need Justice", was previously translated and published by Iran Press Watch.

* To the Children of Prison and Exile *

After the silence of firing squads

Still it burns in our hearts

And we carry their corpses

On our broken backs.

I want to turn this death into life.

How many companions,

Who in these years of defeat and execution

Created life from an embryo?

I am talking about the children of prison and exile:

Cheshmeh, Roza, and Sulmaz.(1)

I want to turn this death into life

That like a jug of water

Becomes filled with the freshness of Cheshmeh,

And like a red rose

Blooms from the lips of Roza,

And like the word "sulmaz"

Becomes evergreen.

I will sift, grind, and soften this death,

Until the children of prison and exile

Mold it into play dough.

I am calling you,

O newborns of years of pain,

The crocodiles in your painting

Have no teeth,

Because the names of their friends

Never crossed their lips.

I want to turn this death into a poem,

That can be read like magic

When the corpse of a butterfly

Carried by ants

Makes you remember the dead ones.

I want to turn this death into life.

- Majid Naficy
1. These names respectively mean: "spring", "rose" and "everlasting".

Persecutors unwearying in determination to oppress defenseless Bahá'ís

Another glaring reminder of the Iranian government's irrepressible urge to mistreat and distress the country's Bahá'ís.
(Excerpt:)

Mr. Rouzbehani [Hojjatu'l-Islam, secretary of the Iran Supreme Revolutionary Cultural Council] you have written so much in repudiation of the Baha'i faith, you have come up with so many lies and slurs, you have scared people with the law of apostasy and heresy, and you have imposed so many limitations and deprivations. What are you afraid of?...

They keep complaining…

Posted: 12 May 2009

By Samandar, a Baha'i in Iran

Once upon a time I was in prison. One day the investigator summoned me and kept asking me all sorts of questions. I responded, "If I answer your questions, I will be accused of teaching my faith". He replied, "Don't worry - just answer my questions", so I did. A few days later, the same authority summoned my cellmate and told him that I had tried to convert him to the Baha'i Faith!

That is how it is in this country. If we sit idle and don't do anything, they say Baha'is don't care about this land and do nothing to improve it. (During the interrogation in jail, I was asked what humanitarian service I had performed). If we take any step towards an act of service, Hojjatu'l-Islam Rouzbehani goes on the pulpit and states, "Baha'is get involved in humanitarian services in order to manipulate the belief of the young generation".

If we don't participate in elections, they say we have distanced ourselves from the rest of our countrymen, and that we are trying to undermine the sanctity of Islam (one of the charges against me in jail). When the Universal House of Justice tells us we may participate in elections if we choose to do so, the authorities cause a lot of commotion and say "These Baha'is claim they don't get involved in politics. They are definitely planning to creep in and affect the outcome of the election by their participation".

If we keep quiet and don't respond to their unfounded accusations, they say "Baha'is shut their mouths since they don't have any answers". If we respond, they say "Baha'is are teaching and their teaching is propaganda against Islam. Therefore they should be executed."

If we have no communication with the rest of the Baha'i world, they say "These Baha'is are so lowly and downtrodden that even Baha'is in other parts of the world don't care about them". If we communicate with other Baha'is outside Iran, they say "Baha'is are spies and are sending secret information to Israel through other Baha'is".

If we place headstones on the graves of our departed, they say "Baha'is have become so bold that they dare to have gravestones on their tombs". Then, with an organized coordinated effort, they embark on demolishing the grave sites. If we don't have headstones on the graves, they say "Baha'is are so scared that they are even afraid of putting tombstone on graves of their departed ones".

If we don't object when we are banned from entering college, or are expelled from universities, they say "Baha'is are a bunch of illiterates! They are content with only having a high school diploma". If we establish a university and encourage our youth to further their education, they say "Baha'is have crossed the line and have dared to establish a Baha'i university in Islamic Iran". Then their militia will barge in while students are writing exams, and confiscate their papers and close the university.

It is completely unclear what Baha'is are permitted to do in their own homeland. On the one hand they say, "We have dismantled Baha'i study circles and teaching activities, and have eradicated them". On the other hand Mr. Rouzbehani announces "Baha'is are organizing teaching activities in some cities, are increasing their membership and are spreading their teachings".

I have a few questions to ask Mr. Rouzbehani. I hope he honors me with a response.

1) You are trying to prove that Baha'is are fewer in number than their actual numbers. My question is: Why is this number important? Did Christ have any followers other than the twelve disciples and Mary Magdalene at the time of his crucifixion? Were not Christians oppressed by the Romans and the Jews for 300 years? Let's suppose the number of Baha'is in Iran is not 300,000, and as you say is 80,000 or even fewer. That number compared to the 60-70 million population of Iran is insignificant. I wonder what worries you so much that you keep writing books, organizing seminars, publishing special issues of magazines, using the radio and television to attack and slander, and finally, imprison Baha'is with bogus accusations. Then you keep postponing their trials in the revolutionary court. I suggest that from tomorrow, just announce that there are only a handful of Baha'is are in Iran. It makes no difference whatsoever.

2) You have announced that intellectual and cultural poverty is the reason for the growth of sects. Isn't it better to eradicate the country's intellectual and cultural poverty instead of attacking Baha'is with phony accusations? Isn't it better to eliminate your weaknesses so that Muslims not only avoid the Baha'is but also are not attracted to Zoroastrians or Christians?

The reason for the poverty in society to which you yourself attest is that you are ignoring your own flaws and instead are attacking others. You write inflammatory articles against Christians, Baha'is and Wahhabis. You disregard your own faults and try to find fault in others. Christ said [Matthew 7:3], "How is it that you notice a speck of dust in your brother's eye and do not notice a beam in your own eye?"

3) You have said "Baha'is try to attract troops by their teaching activities". Mr. Rouzbehani, are we engaged in a war that we might need an army? For once, free yourself from prejudice and unfairness, come and listen to what Baha'is tell non-Baha'is! See if they do anything other than show the path they have found, saying accept it if you like and don't if you don't want to. One time I heard a Baha'i explaining our activities to a Muslim, saying it is like having a potluck, people of different religions have placed their food on the table and are giving their recipe to others. If one starts attacking and insulting another, telling him by listing the ingredients of your food, you intend to find fault with my food, would his action make sense to you? If one does not share his recipe, wouldn't others ask why you didn't tell us? No one is forcing others to eat his food; he just offers what he has. However, there is one exception; if a Muslim wants to try someone else's food, he will be labeled an apostate and there is a severe punishment awaiting him.

4) Mr. Rouzbehani you have written so much in repudiation of the Baha'i faith, you have come up with so many lies and slurs, you have scared people with the law of apostasy and heresy, and you have imposed so many limitations and deprivations. What are you afraid of? Are you afraid of your intellectual and cultural poverty? Don't you realize you are adhering to a position of weakness by your way of talking and acting? When instead of talking about the strong points of Islam you spend all your time and energy finding flaws in the beliefs of others, don't you demonstrate that you have nothing valuable to offer?

5) At the end, I request that instead of assaulting Baha'is, start a dialog with them. Let both sides openly offer what they have and kindly eliminate misunderstandings. Let people draw their own conclusions from discussions. We are all creations of the same God and we are all treading the path of recognizing and obeying the same Lord. We are all responsible for our own actions; nobody is responsible for anybody else, other than the responsibility of informing them of his beliefs. You Muslims want all human beings to be kind to each other and so do Baha'is.

Let us listen to a beautifully written poem by Fraidoon Moshiri:

We who wanted all creation

To be companions of each other for eternity.

We who wanted good deeds and compassion –

Join together and rule the world!

See how ill-fated we were throughout our lives;

We did not show empathy to each other.

Oh thou, who happen to live under this sky after us,

If you witness a time when humanity

Attains harmony and friendship –At that time, exonerate us and remember us!

Remember the disappointed ones, Who departed hoping for such a world …

Signed

Samandar

[The above essay was published in Persian on May 6, 2009, at: http://www.negah30.info/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1054&Itemid=24. Translation by Iran Press Watch.]

From iranpresswatch.org.

Message of solidarity from French National Convention to Bahá'ís in Iran

 

A moving gesture of love from the delegates gathered at the annual convention in France. From iranpresswatch.org.

 

Message from the French National Convention to the Baha'is of Iran

Posted: 07 May 2009

Delegates at the French National Baha'i Convention in France

 

To Our brothers and Sisters in Iran

 

Dearest Friends,

 

You have been constantly present in our minds, our consultations and our prayers as we were gathered at our National Convention last May 1 & 2. Our spirits were both uplifted by our Ridvan celebrations and saddened by the dawn of the anniversary of the imprisonment of the seven Yarans [former Baha'i leaders in Iran].

We observe with admiration and gratitude the exalted example of our brothers and sisters in the cradle of the Faith. Your commitment to the spiritual rebirth of your fellow-citizens and of all mankind, your courage, your steadfastness and your determination in the face of tribulations are a constant source of inspiration for us.

Your sacrifices, which bring Divine confirmations to the community of the Most Great Name as a whole, enable the Cause to gain historic victories.

This year, in France, the authorities have been active at the highest level on your behalf, thanks to the initiative of our Minister for Foreign Affairs, Monsieur Kouchner, who personally wrote a long letter addressed to the French [Baha'i] community re-affirming France's total commitment to your defense.

Furthermore, we are particularly happy to inform you that, by the end of this year, 2009, the French Baha'i community will have fulfilled its commitment to the Universal House of Justice by launching nine intensive programs of growth and is getting ready to face the challenge of exceeding this goal by the end of the Plan.

Conscious that we are blessed by being able to serve the Blessed Beauty in complete freedom we are privileged to work alongside you, and in your name, in order to achieve the goal fixed for us by the Universal House of Justice in its Ridvan message « to liberate humankind from the yoke of the most grievous oppression. »

Rest assured, dearest friends, of the total commitment of the French community to play its part humbly, alongside yourselves, in the progress of the Divine Plan and that you are constantly present in our thoughts and prayers.

The French National Convention.