Bahá’í World/Volume 18/The Persecution of the Bahá’í Community of Írán 1979-1983

The Bahá’í World
Volume 18

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249

11. THE PERSECUTION OF THE BAHÁ'Í COMMUNITY OF ÍRÁN Riḍván 1979-Ridván 1983

GEOFFREY NASH

DURING the period 1979 to 1983 the revolutionary régime in Írán perpetrated the first full-scale persecution of Írán’s Bahá’í community since 1955—1956. In fact, this latest pogrom developed into the most severe onslaught in this century against the Bahá’í Faith, its members, endowments, holy places and institutions. By April 1983 well over one hundred Bahá’ís had been martyred or kidnapped. The wave of persecutions threatened to intensify overnight, swelling the number of deaths from hundreds to thousands. The desecration of the House of the Báb (1979), and the confiscation of holy places, administrative and social facilities owned by the community, not to speak of the loss of cemeteries, has left the Bahá’í community of Írán outwardly deprived of five generations' external development. The anguish experienced can, in human terms, barely be estimated. It can perhaps only be observed that throughout their ordeal, the Bahá’ís of Írán, under the self-sacrificing generalship of two martyred National Spiritual Assemblies and their heroic successors, and as many Auxiliary Board members, have retained a consciousness of their heritage in the arena of persecution that befittingly has raised them, in the eyes of the Bahá’í community outside the Cradle of the Faith, to rank alongside the Dawn Breakers of the Heroic Age. This consciousness, so poignantly felt by any reader of the day-to-day unfolding of the persecution, in which individuals and institutions successively rose up, only to fall to the assassin's bullet, calls to mind the incident at Bárfurúsh, chronicled by Nabíl, in which one by one the followers of the Báb arose to proclaim the new adhán (‘call to prayer’), and were each shot down, in spite of which the call was completed. This became the motto of the first National Spiritual Assembly.

To appreciate the providential outcome of this new persecution of the Iranian Bahá’ís for the growth of the Bahá’í Faith as a whole, one can do no better than study the observations Shoghi Effendi made on the pogrom of 1955, observations which seem even more apposite today:

‘. . . this fresh ordeal that has, in pursuance of the mysterious dispensations of Providence, afflicted the Faith, at this unexpected hour, far from dealing a fatal blow to its institutions or existence, should be regarded as a blessing in disguise, not a “calamity” but a “providence” of God_. . .

‘Whatever its outcome, this sudden commotion that has seized the Bahá’í world, that has revived the hopes and emboldened the host of the adversaries of the Faith intent on quenching its light and obliterating it from the face of the earth, has served as a trumpet call in the sounding of which the press of the world, the cries of its vociferous enemies, the public remonstrances of both men of good will and those in authority have joined, proclaiming far and wide its existence, publicizing its history, defending its verities, unveiling its truths, demonstrating the character of its institutions and advertising its aims and purposes.’

And speaking (in the same place) of the publicity the persecution of the Iranian Bahá’ís then had won for the Faith, the Guardian emphasized that this ‘. . . cannot but prove to be a prelude, however slow the process involved, to the emancipation of these same valiant sufferers from the galling fetters of an antiquated religious orthodoxy, which, great as has been its decline in the course of over a century, still wields considerable power and exercises a widespread influence in high circles as well as among the masses.“ ¹

It is in this context that we must view the outwardly tragic series of events that has befallen the Bahá’í community of Írán during the period in question.

¹ Shoghi Effendi. Citadel of Faith, Wilmette, Illinois, 1965, pp. 139-14].

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TRANSLATION

 ==== (Emblem of the Islamic Republic of Iran)
 Ministry of Home Affairs

 Governorate of Fars

 Date ............
 Ref. No .........

 Confidential

 Mrs.
 Mr.

 Now that, as a result of the Revolution of the Muslim nation, the
 Islamic Republic has been established in this country, and all of the
 exploited masses of the world are turning their attention to the orders
 of the great leader of this revolution in order to liberate themselves
 from the tyranny of the great Idols of the time, the undersigned feels
 it incumbent to notify you of the following.

 You have already been advised and guided by this Governorate to
 repent and sever your relations with the misguided group (Bahá’í), and
 thereby return to the life—giving bosom of Islam to enjoy the fragrance
 of the Words of God (Qur'án). Such repentance will he accepted in
 accordance with the injunctions Of the Holy Qur'án and you will be able
 to continue your services in this office and receive your unpaid dues.
 Otherwise, you will be dismissed from government service, charged with
 having a corrupt character, and you will be deprived of all your rights.

 On behalf of the Governorate of Fars
 (signed) Ni'matu'lláh Tuqá' ====
 '

Translation into English of a circular letter dated March 1982 which was addressed to a Bahá’í who was suspended from employment in government service. The letter threatens dismissal, and deprivation of salary and other rights, unless the recipient severs association with the Bahá’í Faith.

A. SURVEY OF EVENTS

The Growing Storm: the period January 1979 to January 1980

From the outset of the revolutionary upheaval that removed Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, Bahá’ís were subject to attack from several quarters. In the summer of the previous year (1978), and again in December, the agents of the government had harassed the Bahá’ís in several localities in order to transfer onto them the wrath of the anti—government crowds. Bahá’í’s were dismissed from government posts in an effort to bolster the government’s fast-waning popularity. Bahá’í homes were burned by SAVAK (secret police) agents, and in the Shíráz area a high-ranking local cleric turned back anti-Bahá’í mobs incited by SAVAK. However, once the change in regime had been effected, the non-participation in the process of revolution of the Bahá’í community, which is forbidden by its Faith to involve itself in politics, enabled traditionally hostile elements to conduct a campaign against it.

Faced with a chaotic proliferation of bodies

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claiming revolutionary authority, the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Írán, in the months immediately following the revolution, made representations to many leaders, as well as to the press, concerning the true nature of Bahá’í activity and institutions in Írán. This was an attempt to combat the increasingly widespread accusation that the Bahá’ís Of Írán had actively supported the régime Of the Shah, and had been members of SAVAK. In particular, Bahá’í representatives met with high-ranking clergy in Shíráz, Qum and Mashhad in February 1979. However, such representations, which continued in various forms preceding the arrest and disappearance of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Írán in August 1980, proved unavailing. Persecutions grew in volume, and while the source of these has undoubtedly been the fundamentalist clerics, their allies and supporters among the Revolutionary Guards and ‘Komitehs’, secular parties within Írán made little effort to stay their hands, and indeed in some cases have gone on record as attacking the Bahá’ís.

The same is true of the moderate clerics who have remained outside the Islamic régime. Bahá’í representatives in the early days more often than not reported a sympathetic hearing, yet events belied their initial optimism.

While it appears that the weakness of the provisional government, set up soon after the return of Ayatollah Khomeini to Írán in February, suggests that the opening stage of applied pressure on the Bahá’ís was not government sponsored, the extent to which Bahá’ís were harassed during this period; and, more significantly, the speed with which Bahá’í properties were confiscated, points to the existence of not only anti-Bahá’í cliques, but a more widespread sympathy for the measures being taken against the Bahá’í community. The take-over of the two Bahá’í companies, Nawnahálán (investment company) and Umaná’ (foundation for the maintenance and purchase of Bahá’í community properties and holy places), proceeded in two stages: first, they were raided by Revolutionary Guards (February), their offices searched and keys impounded; then they were progressively occupied, their staffs dismissed and, by the summer, their premises taken over by Revolutionary Guards; and, finally, by the end of the year, they had been officially stripped of their assets, and non-Bahá’í directors, inimical to the aims of the companies themselves, had been appointed over them. However, this was not the close of the matter — Bahá’í’s formerly associated with the administration of these companies were, in several instances, later on subjected by the new directors to crude demands for ‘compensation’.

Although there was strong suspicion that this prompt action taken against the Bahá’ís, involving the occupation of all their holy properties, including the Houses of the Báb in Shíráz and of Bahá’u’lláh in Tihrán and Tákur, was in many areas the work of forces spearheaded by Tablighat-i-Islami¹, the crude violence directed by mobs against the properties and businesses of Bahá’ís enabled the authorities to represent the overall situation as the fruit of revolutionary chaos. Indeed, the confusion of this period, in which Bahá’ís were by no means the only ones to suffer (the other religious minorities were also subject to harassment), gives credence to the view that local ‘Komitehs’ were simply going ahead and settling scores of their own. Thus before, during and after the transfer of power Bahá’ís all across the country were the objects of campaigns of Violence in which homes were attacked, businesses and shops burned, livestock destroyed, and individuals harassed and assaulted. Bahá’í cemeteries, in particular, were attacked, desecrated and in some cases set on fire. In February, forcible recantations were staged, often at the local mosque, notably in Sarvistán and in the area of Shíráz.

However, as the year wore on, and the Bahá’í properties, occupied initially, it was said, for their own ‘protection’, remained in the hands of the Revolutionary Guards, this stance of the government, and particularly that of the clergy-controlled Revolutionary Council headed by Ayatollah Beheshti - the effective source of policy in the first year of the Islamic Republic - became increasingly unbelievable. To begin with, all efforts by Bahá’ís and their sympathizers to gain for the community a declared status as a protected minority under the new Islamic constitution,

¹ See Section B, ‘Identity of the Persecutors, and Charges Levelled against the Bahá’ís', p. 267.

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went by the board. Under these circumstances the publicly announced abstention of the Bahá’í community from the April referendum for the Islamic Republic was a courageous stand that could be expected to win the Bahá’í’s few friends. Also courageous was the visit to Qum of a delegation of Sangsar Bahá’ís who requested and obtained an audience with Ayatollah Khomeini on the question of compensation for their Bahá’í Centre (Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds), destroyed by local mobs. The Ayatollah ordered local Komitehs to desist from harassing Bahá’ís, but this did not prevent the occupation of the House of the Báb at the end of the month. In fact, there was an evident deterioration in the situation for the Bahá’ís, virtually month by month. In March, Mr. Yúsif Subhání, a prominent Bahá’í of Ṭihrán, was arrested, as was a member of the National Spiritual Assembly, albeit temporarily. The_director of the Nawnahálán Company was in hiding. The Bahá’í Centre of Mashhad was occupied on the orders of senior Ayatollahs Shírázi and Qumi, later to be critics of the human rights record of the Islamic Government. In the Hamadán, Shíráz and Tabríz areas Bahá’ís were called upon to recant their faith. By the summer the

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situation was worsening. The Buyr-Ahmad tribe, driven from their villages by threatening mobs in the earlier part of the year, was living in refugee camps in the vicinity of Kata, Iṣfahán. After further harassment there, some six hundred of them set out for Iṣfahán itself, where they arrived in early May. These Bahá’ís, for the most part of peasant stock, belied the propaganda of the authorities that the Bahá’í Faith was made up of SAVAK employees and Zionist agents. Under considerable intimidation to renounce their religion they remained firm, and were rendered assistance by their more affluent co-believers of Iṣfahán before they were finally enabled to return to their homes. Meanwhile, Bahá’í homes in Ádhirbáyján were attacked, and the Local Spiritual Assembly members in Fárs and Hamadán provinces were required to conceal themselves. Two Bahá’í girls, along with a Zoroastrian, were forced to recant and were married to Muslims. The act was announced over the radio in Yazd. Forcible conversions were being announced regularly in the press, thus giving the lie to official statements that no one was persecuted for his or her religion in Írán.

In the face of this mounting pressure, the

National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Írán conducted a campaign designed to inform as many people as possible of the real nature of Bahá’í practice and belief. Articles were prepared and sent to newspapers, and pamphlets were distributed, sometimes on the streets by Bahá’í youth. Representations to the authorities at the highest level continued. Bahá’ís abroad made discreet approaches to Iranian consulates and embassies but did not criticize or slander the Iranian government nor even create the impression that they were conducting a campaign of opposition outside Írán . Yet the outcome of all this was renewed pressure, and in an atmosphere of increasingly orchestrated anti—Zionist feeling, Ayatollah Khomeini himself gave the go-ahead for the uprooting of Zionist sympathizers - a code name for the Bahá’ís who, due at least in part to the activities of the anti-Bahá’í’ organizations, were identified falsely as Zionist spies simply because the Bahá’í World Centre is located in Israel. The anti-Bahá’í groups were almost certainly responsible for the kidnapping of well-known Bahá’ís, including Mr. Shaykh Muhammad Muvahhid in Tihrán on 24 May, and Dr. ‘Alimurád Dávúdí, a member of the National Spiritual Assembly, on 11 November, also in Tihrán. They must also have provided leadership for the take-over of the Míthaqíyyih Bahá’í Hospital in Tihrán, and later on the attached Home for the Aged, when Bahá’í old people were made homeless. Although not at this point willing to approach the international media to publicize their position, the Bahá’ís learned that the Reuters’ correspondent in the capital had already been under pressure not to report the Bahá’ís’ predicament.

However, the focal point of the overall persecution—the attack upon and desecration of the House of the Báb—finally broke the news embargo. This event occurred in September (1979) and sources suggest it was at first planned and carried out by a group acting with a considerable amount of local independence in Shíráz. Yet, as had proved to be the case before, the central authorities in the capital stepped in only briefly as a token of order, but eventually concurred completely in a nefarious scheme to obliterate all traces of the holiest Bahá’í structure in Írán. For the

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House of the Báb, assaulted and substantially demolished between the 8th and 10th of September, received a guard appointed by the authorities in Qum, who also promised a committee of enquiry. Nevertheless, two months later the work of destruction was resumed, and the building almost razed to the ground. It was discovered that plans existed for the construction of a square in the vicinity of the mosque adjoining the House of the Báb that would require building on the site of the House. There was no question but that the plans, which were iterated several times later, were intended to accomplish the removal without trace of this holy Bahá’í Shrine. The international publicity given this event by the media certainly embarrassed the authorities in Tihrán when the story first broke in September. But neither this nor the cables dispatched to Ayatollah Khomeini in Qum and Ayatollah Beheshti in Tihrán, from Bahá’ís all over the world, resulted in any action being taken to restore the holy place to its rightful owners.

There could be no doubt that the symbolism of this sanctified place for Shí‘ih antagonism towards the Bahá’í religion in Írán, guaranteed that its desecration must further intensify an already precariously balanced struggle between, on the one hand, an increasingly ascendant fundamentalist Shí‘ih regime, sworn to exalt Islám and to put down those it considered its enemies, and a peaceful, nonpolitical, religious community which, whilst possessing neither the intention nor the sanction to combat violence with violence, would never acquiesce in its own spiritual extinction. Contemporaneous with this, the order for arrest of Bahá’ís went out from revolutionary committees in Shahsavár, Ábádán and Tabríz. Those detained included Local Spiritual Assembly members. In addition, homes in Tabríz were raided and literature seized. In late October Bahá’ís in the ministries of education, health and social administration were dismissed from their jobs. In Shahsavár, in November, the chief of police admitted to the existence of a circular prohibiting Bahá’í meetings, and that same month arrests were stepped up in Tabríz, Kirmán and Káshán. In Búshihr Bahá’ís were dismissed from their jobs, and in Ábádán a father was denied a birth certificate for his infant son on the grounds that he was a Bahá’í. In September

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Mr. Bahar Vujdání’ was executed in Mahábád, and in December Mr. ‘Azamatu’lláh Fahandizh in Tihrán; moreover, early in the year, at least three other Bahá’ís had been killed. For all of these people, the fact that they were Bahá’ís had been the significant factor which brought about their deaths.

With the fundamentalist clerics and their allies tightening their hold on the country, reliable information was received which indicated that persecution of the Iranian Bahá’í community was intensifying ‘gradually, quietly, but surely’. In the first month of 1980 another prominent Bahá’í, Mr. Rúhí Rawshaní, was taken away to unknown whereabouts, whilst the Bahá’í headquarters in Tihrán, already seized, was made the headquarters of the ‘Reconstruction Foundation’ set up by order of Ayatollah Khomeini, who conveyed from Qum to the Bahá’ís the need to be ‘patient’ and wait for the election of the first President of the Islamic Republic. National Spiritual Assembly members met Ayatollah Beheshti and Dr. Habibi, spokesman for the Revolutionary Council. No indication was received from these prominent officials which could have prepared the Bahá’í community of Írán for what was to come yet: the full brunt of a cruel persecution, a campaign of extermination.

The Storm Unloosed: the period February 1980 to February 1981

Against the foreground of a bitter debate, both internationally and within Írán, over the detention of hostages from the personnel of the American Embassy in Tihrán, the persecution of the Iranian Bahá’í community in Írán entered a second, more dangerous stage in February 1980. Perhaps the thinking behind this development took into consideration the outside world’s and the internal Iranian preoccupation with the American hostages. It seems more than likely, however, that the anti—Bahá’í groups and their sympathizers within the Iranian government believed their attack on the Bahá’í community could be conducted smoothly, and with little opposition. The attitude of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Írán, up to now, and indeed until January 1981, continued to be one of restraint when it came to apprising the world of what was happening to their Bahá’í brethren. It feared, no doubt with justification, that [Page 256]256

a campaign charging the leaders of Iran with maltreatment of the Bahá’ís would have serious repercussions upon the believers themselves. At the same time, the National Spiritual Assembly continued fearlessly and, as it transpired, poignantly, without regard for the safety of its members, to represent the injustice of the treatment of the Bahá’í community to the Islamic authorities.

The new stage of repression was launched with abductions and also raids on the homes of several National Spiritual Assembly members and a Counsellor, resulting in the imprisonment of Mr. Badí’u’lláh Faríd, a member of the Local Spiritual Assembly of Tihrán; Mr. Yadu’lláh Pústchí, head of the Bahá’í secretariat in Tihrán; and later, after a National Spiritual Assembly meeting at which he had been present, the arrest of Counsellor Masíh Farhangí. The two National Spiritual Assembly members, Mr. Yúsif Qadímí and Dr. Husayn Nají, escaped arrest because they were not at home when the guards called for them. Mrs. Nají was taken, however, and held with the intention of forcing Dr. Nají to give himself up. The abduction of these Bahá’ís raised the issue of who exactly was conducting such arrests. In the case of Dr. Nají it was ascertained that no official warrant for his arrest had been issued. The matter acquired a nightmare significance later in the year when all nine members of the National Spiritual Assembly were abducted and their kidnapping never thereafter officially admitted nor their fate revealed.

During this period the anxiety of the National Assembly for the deteriorating plight of the Bahá’í community was compounded by the refusal of any of the authorities to recognize that a threat of persecution actually existed. This front continued even while the arrest of well-known Bahá’ís and members of the administrative bodies was gathering momentum. In April eight Bahá’ís were arrested in Tabríz; all but three were later released because they signed a pledge promising not to take part in the future in Bahá’í administrative activities. The three who refused were members of the Local Spiritual Assembly; two were subsequently put on trial and executed (14 July). These were Mr. Yadu’lláh Ástání and Dr. Farámarz Samandarí. In May four Bahá’ís of Tihrán went on trial charged with sundry offences, but great play was made of their having had contact with Israel either as visitors or financial contributors to the Bahá’í endowments there. Their execution undoubtedly rested on the fact that they were Bahá’ís, although the ‘Zionist’ complexion of their activities was the reason adduced for their deaths. In the areas outside the towns and cities, persecution was even more rough and ready: an old Bahá’í shepherd in Andrún, near Bírjand, was found clubbed and stoned to death.

In June, at a time of deepening political crisis in the country, violence, both random and officially promoted, was directed against the Bahá’ís of Yazd. Known historically for its fanatical treatment of the Bahá’ís, notably in 1903 when over one hundred were murdered in its vicinity by mobs raised by elements among the local clergy, Yazd was the scene of arrests, harassment, burning of property, and exclusion from their workplaces of the Bahá’ís. To begin with, four members of the Local Spiritual Assembly were arrested. Then, in his Friday sermon, Ayatollah Sadduqi demanded that the Bahá’í’s be driven from their posts in government offices and brought before the authorities. His incendiary remarks were sufficient to send the mob on the rampage against Bahá’í homes and properties, and resulted in one hundred being prevented from working. Moreover, the cleric’s remarks were printed in a Tihrán newspaper, thus giving them a national airing. As fears for the safety of the Bahá’ís grew, the incident was publicized abroad in an article in the Paris newspaper, Le Monde. Low-key lobbying of human rights groups and journalists in the international forums, which had been progressing since the spring, was stepped up. But even now the Bahá’í’s remained exceptionally wary of being directly associated with any campaign against the Iranian authorities. Finally, at the end of the month, there came the news of the execution in Tihrán of Mr. Yúsif Subhání.

Now fears arose for the fate of Bahá’í prisoners in Tabríz, Yazd, Shíráz and Tihrán. Although the National Assembly used all the means at its disposal, including direct appeals to the government and approaches to the International Red Cross, the two Bahá’ís tried

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in Tabríz — Mr. Ástání and Dr. Samandarí were summarily executed, and preparations went ahead for the trial of those in Yazd, against a background of further anti—Bahá’í incitement by Ayatollah Sadduqi, this time broadcast over television and radio. Also, in Tihrán, Ayatollah Ali Khomeini issued dark threats against the Bahá’ís, albeit without expressly naming them.

At such a time of mounting tension — during which more Bahá’ís were arrested in Yazd and in the area of Shahabád, and assets belonging to some of the Bahá’ís in Hamadán were frozen — the National Assembly confirmed its plans for a new membership of the National Spiritual Assembly to step into the breach ‘if and when the present members are arrested’. Neither the growing notice being taken in the world press of the plight of Írán's Bahá’ís, nor the passing of a resolution on their behalf in the Canadian Parliament, had any effect on the deteriorating situation in Írán. In August, there appeared false and provocative accusations in the Iranian media concerning the participation of Bahá’ís in the July coup attempt by officers in the armed forces. A commander of a corps of Revolutionary Guards in Ṭihrán launched the story first, on television, and it was repeated during the month several times in the press.

Worse fears were raised by the confirmation as Prime Minister of Mohammed Ali Raja’i, a longstanding enemy of the Bahá’í Faith, who had been instrumental, as Minister of Education in 1979, in instigating the dismissal of Bahá’ís from their posts as teachers and educational administrators. Moreover, August had also witnessed the arrest of two British Anglican missionaries, and mounting pressure against the Christian community in general. It should be remembered that Ayatollah Khomeini himself, in his lectures on Islamic Government (1973)¹, had linked the Christian missions in Írán with the Bahá’ís as corrupters of Muslim youth.

¹ ‘In our own city of Tehran now there are centers of evil propaganda run by the churches, the Zionists, and the Bahá’ís in order to lead our people astray and make them abandon the ordinances and teachings of Islam.’ Ayatollah Khomeini‘ ‘Islamic Government’, in Islam and Revolution, writings and declarations of Imam Khomeini, translated and annotated by Hamid Algar, Berkeley, California, 1981, p. 128.

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One version of the coup charge against the Bahá’í’s — given by the Pars News Agency — associated the Bahá’ís with a recently departed missionary who, it was said, was collaborating with the American government in a plot to overthrow the Iranian government.

No conclusion was possible but that unified action was being planned against the Bahá’í’s by the highest circles in Írán when, on 21 August, the National Spiritual Assembly was interrupted in session and its members taken away to an unknown destination. Two Auxiliary Board members who were present at the meeting were also taken away. In the first months that followed this grave setback for the Bahá’ís Of Írán, strong circumstantial evidence suggested that the eleven prisoners had been taken to the Evin prison in Tihrán. The Attorney General of Írán initially confirmed orally that he had signed an order for their arrest, but soon afterwards he, along with other top figures in the regime, denied all knowledge of the affair. Another theory is that the Bahá’ís had been arrested by a terrorist or guerrilla group outside the government that wished to embarrass it. Unless firm evidence arises, any judgement as to the fate of these brave people would only be conjecture. Suffice it to say that after the discovery in late December 1981 of the bodies of five who took their place on the National Spiritual Assembly, the Universal House of Justice wrote in a cable to National Spiritual Assemblies Of the Bahá’í world: THIS HEINOUS ACT CAUSES US FEAR THAT MEMBERS PREVIOUS NATIONAL ASSEMBLY AND THE TWO AUXILIARY BOARD MEMBERS WHO DISAPPEARED AUGUST 1980 AS WELL AS TWO OTHERS WHOSE WHEREABOUTS UNKNOWN OVER TWO YEARS HAVE SUFFERED SAME FATE.

Thus, we have to conclude, passed from this world the first National Spiritual Assembly of Bahá’ís in the history of the Bahá’í Faith to suffer the ultimate penalty of death for belief. The members’ names are:

 Mr. ‘Abdu’l-Husayn Taslímí
 Mr. Húshang Mahmúdí
 Mr. Ibráhím Rahmání
 Dr. Husayn Nají
 Mr. Manúhir Qá’im-Maqámí
 Mr. ‘Atá’u’lláh Muqarrabí
 Mr. Yúsif Qadímí
 Mrs. Bahíyyih Nádirí
 Dr. Kámbíz Sádiqzádih

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Together with these were the first two Auxiliary Board members to suffer the same fate:

Dr. Yl’isif ‘Abbasiyan Dr. Hishmatu’lláh Rawhéni

As if the disappearance of their generals were not enough to dismay the Bahá’ís of Train, seven members of the community in Yazd were executed on 8 September, after a trial that was partly televised. Among the condemned was an old man in his eighties. The names of the Bahá’ís and their photographs were prominently displayed in the press, as was the announcement of the Revolutionary Court that the Bahá’ís had been executed to compensate for the lives of Muslims who had yielded theirs in the revolutionary struggle. The first large-scale, judicial elimination of Bahá’ís, the execution of seven in Yazd, was accompanied by a fanfare of publicity. But nevertheless, when the Bahá’í answer to the charges laid against them was faded out of the television broadcast, this caused some unrest in the town. Later on, when world public opinion, and a sizeable section of Iranian society, had become aroused by these despicable, insidious liquidations of innocent people, the authorities gave up announcing them. They even dispensed with the routine of informing relatives of the executions and giving them the opportunity to redeem and bury the bodies of their loved ones. Later, the bodies of martyred Bahá’ís would be consigned to cemeteries marked for ‘infidels’.

In mid-September more resolutions were passed on behalf of the Bahá’ís, in the European Parliament at Strasbourg, and at the United Nations at Geneva, where the Subcommission on the Protection of Minorities carried a motion unopposed. As before, no material change resulted from this activity on the diplomatic front, although it seems the Iranian government, now locked in a battle between its radical clergy and secular ‘moderates’, was embarrassed by it. Trials of Bahá’ís in Tihran and Hamadan were prepared. Mr. Háshim Farting, an Auxiliary Board member and member of the emergency committee, was arrested in Karaj. Mr. Buzurg ‘Alavr’yan, a member of the Local Spiritual Assembly of Ṭihrán and businessman, was subjected to

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a lengthy interrogation concerning the Bahá’í World Centre in Israel. At this time, and throughout the present persecution, the nature of the Bahá’í institutions in the Holy Land has been wantonly distorted by the enemies of the Bahá’í Faith to fit into their picture of the Bahá’ís as imperialist agents and Zionist spies. Yet the pressure placed upon Bahá’ís before and after their ‘trials’ invariably turned on their being given their freedom in return for a signed statement disclaiming their belief, or, alternatively, their suffering the confiscation of all their goods and, frequently, forfeit of their lives, in the case of refusal. Demands for ransoms were definitely illegal (though too often officially sanctioned) but they were usually only a temporary means of securing freedom from persecution. Only open and public recantation could achieve this, and the handful who did so were rewarded, féted by mullas, and had their names printed in the newspapers. Such activity was doubtless designed to undermine the will of the Bahá’ís overall.

Throughout the winter, 1980—1981, dismissal of Bahá’ís from their employment continued. Thousands of Bahá’ís from all over Tran were now in need, and the National Assembly was busy with their succour. Outside fran an international Persian Relief Fund was established by the Universal House of Justice. Further efforts were being extended to get a commission of international lawyers into Tran to examine the position of the Bahá’í community. However, as the year came to an end, pressure against the Bahá’ís was increased, as Ayatollah Rahnema accused the leadership of the Bahá’ís of corruption, and called for their trial. In his newspaper article, he said the mass of Bahá’ís had been misled and should be shown kindness and the way back to Islam. Though Bahá’í prisoners in Yazd were released, scores more remained in prison in other cities and towns, and in January the news of the assassination of Professor MamiQihr Ḥakím in his Tihran clinic cast a shadow over the entire Bahá’í community. This murder was most likely accomplished by the Fedayeen-i-Islami, but the confiscation of Professor Ḥakím’s property, and the deaf ear turned to all demands by his wife for restitution from the Komiteh responsible,

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implied the tacit approval of the authorities. Raids and arrests were conducted against the Bahá’ís of Kirmanshah in February, and as diplomatic activity on behalf of the Bahá’ís continued outside Iran, the National Assembly concluded in a memorandum that ‘all doors in Tran are being closed’, and gave its agreement to ‘large-scale international activities and publicity’. There was no guarantee that such procedure might not heap fresh hardship on the Bahá’ís, but the National Spiritual Assembly clearly felt there was no alternative.

Entering the ‘Dark Centre’: the period March 1981 to January 1982

A senior figure in the Iranian government, who later lost his post as the clerical party established itself as the one governing party, is known to have given a foreign diplomat his view concerning the regime’s persecution of the Bahá’í’s, and the effect international diplomatic pressure on their behalf might have. He is reported as having said: ‘World public opinion and moral pressure have no impact on the mullas, in fact, such pressures often cause them to become more adamant and obstinate.’ To this obduracy should be added, in any attempt to understand the motivation of the persecutors, their fanatical zeal in eliminating any and all whom they consider as their political opponents. Moreover, the persecu tion of the Bahá’ís, in spite of its essentially religious basis, was not without political overtones, as was evidenced by the fact that many of the executions of Bahá’í’s were carried out at times of acute (political struggle in the country. It could be said that at the beginning one of the reasons for executing Bahá’ís was the thinking that such actions would win popularity. Later, when this no longer seemed to be the case, the Bahá’ís were eliminated under the cover of periods of emergency. Nor 'should it be forgotten that the ‘political crimes’ said to have been committed by the Bahá’ís could always be linked with greater political issues of the time, such as the ‘Zionist conspiracy’ which was particularly important in the first year after the Revolution, and the actual coup attempt of J uly 1980, which could be discredited by linking it with the Christian

missionaries and the Bahá’ís. In both instan THE BAHA’I’ WORLD

ces there can be seen the already established Iranian practice of using the Bahá’í’s as scapegoats. (This is also applicable to the case of Amir Abbas Hoveyda, and other important political figures in the gums regime, wrongly but continually accused of being Bahá’ís.) And, as noted earlier, though the persecutors of the Bahá’í’s are now clearly identified as the historical enemies of the Bahá’í Faith, the fundamentalist clerics and their allies, other political groups in him made hardly any attempt to protect them, thus demonstrating the almost universal political as well as religious prejudice that Was extant concerning the Bahá’í’s.l Undoubtedly, a major reason for this is a general ignorance in Tran of the true character of the Bahá’í Faith.

If, in 1980, Yazd had acquired the dubious reputation of being the worst location for persecution of Bahá’ís, the city of Shl’raz, in the spring of 1981, achieved eminence as inaugurating a new stage in the pogrom. The measure of endorsement given from the highest quarters in Tihran to the execution of five Bahá’ís in two separate batches in the spring of 1981 unmasked the fact, so long concealed, that an official campaign against the Bahá’í community of Iran was in operation. The executions of Mr. Mihdi Anvari’ and Mr. Hidéyatu’llah Dihqam’ on 17 March, and of Mr. Yadu’llah Vahdat, Mr. Sattar Igtuihlflu and Mr. Ihsanu’llah Mihdizadih on 30 April, established, according to contemporary observers, that membership in Bahá’í Assemblies was of itself a criminal offence. Mr. Anvan’ and Mr. Dihqani were accused at their trial of being members of Bahá’í Assemblies and having contact with the Universal House of J ustice. They were also charged with having collaborated with ‘Colonel Vahdat’-—Yadu’llah Vahdat, who at the time of their trial Was awaiting sentence for his ‘spying’ activities. Mr. Vahdat had, in fact, been the chairman of a relief committee for the Bahá’ís suffering privation within the Shíráz area. His wife, who had grown ill, was imprisoned as well. The execution of Mr. Vahdat, and two more of his Bahá’í ‘collaborators’, at the end of

' Sce H. M. Balyuzi, Edward Granville Browne and the Bahá’í Faith, London, 1970, ch. VII, ‘Edward Browne, Orientalist’, for an account of persecutions of the Bahá’í community in Iran in the first decade of the twentieth century, and the political considerations that, accompanied them.

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April, represented nothing less than a cynical move by the authorities against the Bahá’í administration. Hitherto, imprisonments and executions could be dismissed by the government as just retribution for crimes committed, having nothing to do with the victims’ religion. Now such a defence was laid bare, though it did not prevent its employment on subsequent occasions. Besides these executions, other Bahá’ís were sentenced to long terms in prison by the shiraz courts. There was now no doubt that moves against the Bahá’í’s were being sanctioned by the central authorities in Tihran. (Attendance at the burials of the latter three was officially restricted after the funerals of Mr. Anvarf and Mr. Dihqam’ had drawn thousands.)

As the summer of 1981 progressed Iran?

entered a period of intense political and social turmoil, and the reverberations could not but affect the Bahá’í community, vulnerable as it always has been in the land of its birth at times of national upheaval. Growing political demonstrations and an effective, if limited, state of civil war between the clerics and supporters of the Islamic Republican Party, now effectively the party of the government, on the one hand, and on the other the Mojahedin supporters of the ousted President, Bani-Sadr, created an atmosphere of near anarchy. In May there were fili‘ih—Sunni clashes to complicate matters, and for the first time, an attack by fanatics upon the Armenian Christian district in Iṣfahán (Julfa). Also during this month the plan to construct a square—or, as some reports now suggested, a road—over the site of the House of the Báb, moved a step nearer fruition when pressure to quit their homes was exerted upon the Bahá’í householders in the vicinity. Elsewhere in Fars province some seventy Bahá’í families were under duress to recant or lose all their property. And as the governmental split came to a crisis in mid-June, there OCCurred the worst spate of executions of Bahá’ís to date. On 14 June seven died before a firing squad in Hamadan. Between nine and ten days later two rounds of executions left seven more dead in Ṭihrán. These Bahá’í’s of both cities had been in prison for relatively long periods: in the cases of Dr. Masr’h Farhangi, Mr. Badi‘u’llah Farid and Mr. Yadu’llah Pfistgi, the period of imprisonment had been sixteen

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months before they died in Tihran.

There was a strong possibility that in the end their executions were hastily carried out and were related in some way to the agitated conditions of the time. Over two thousand mourners attended the funerals of the dead Bahá’ís in the capital city—they now became known as the second ‘seven martyrs of Tihran’, standing alongside the seven celebrated Babi martyrs who had died in that place so many years before. As for the ‘seven martyrs of Hamadén’, it had been discovered from examination of their corpses that six of these brave men had been physically tortured before their deaths. The body of the seventh had been riddled with bullets. It is even possible that during this period the missing eleven Bahá’ís, including the members of the first National Spiritual Assembly, met a similar fate.

On 28 June a bomb exploded at the headquartes Of the governing Islamic Republican Party, killing over seventy leading members, including the Chief Justice, Ayatollah Beheshti. Next month, a government source informed a correspondent of the Christian Science Monitor that the bomb blast was the work of Israel acting through the Bahá’ís in Tihran. In such a climate arrests of Bahá’í’s grew, including ten in Maflhad, two of whom, Mr. Kamalu’d-Di’n Balghtavar and Mr. Ni‘matullah Katibpiir-Shah1’di, were executed in Kas_limar on 26 July. In Kalman, three members of the Local Spiritual Assembly were arrested and taken to Daryl’in, Iṣfahán. Other Bahá’ís in the area were taken to Daryl’m, including five who, in early September, were executed there. Thirty-one villagers near Iṣfahán recanted under pressure from mobs led by Hujjat Sa‘adati, an instigator of activities against the Bahá’ís in that area. A Bahá’í medical student in Iṣfahán,in the sixth and final year of her studies, was prevented from completing her course because of her religion; and also in Iṣfahán seven Bahá’ís were arrested, and homes were raided and literature seized. Finally, on 29 July, nine Bahá’í’s were executed in Tabríz, bringing to twenty—five the number of Bahá’ís so dealt with in the two months of June and July. The situation for the Bahá’ís had escalated in an alarming fashion—it had truly reached a point of no return. In September the National

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Assembly learned through an unofficial channel of the government that after the political opposition had been eliminated, the turn of the Bahá’ís would come in earnest.

As if to underline this, in August and September Yazd was once more the scene of intense pressure. This time matters centred on a list of one hundred and seventeen Bahá’íslater increased to one hundred and fifty—who were summoned to appear before the Revolutionary Court after their bank accounts had been frozen. The deadline was extended to the end of September, and for a six-week period the fate of these Bahá’ís—or those of them still alive, for the list included names of those now dead—hung in the balance. In the interim a motion specifically referring to the sufferings of the Bahá’í community of Train was raised at the United Nations in Geneva, where the Sub-Commission on the Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities adopted its second resolution on behalf of the Bahá’ís—this time more directly censorious of the Iranian government than its first resolution a year before. Perhaps this diplomatic activity bore fruit, for the ultimatum against the Bahá’ís of Yazd was allowed to drop soon afterwards. Nevertheless, five Bahá’ís were executed in Darylin, near Iṣfahán, on 11 September, and in Tihran, on 29 August, Mr. Habíbu’llah ‘Azizi of England was also shot. Also in August sixty fundamentalists arrived in the Bahá’í village of Mazgan, near Kashan—they had been sent from Qum for the purpose of exerting pressure on the Bahá’ís to recant, but they were later called back-in disgrace. The Bahá’ís who died in Daryiin met their fate without any announcement being made of their deaths; indeed, the bodies of three of them were buried in a Muslim cemetery. This set the precedent for the events surrounding the execution, in December, of the members of the second National Spiritual Assembly. Meanwhile, Mr. ‘Azizi’s relatives suffered harassment; five were imprisoned, including his mother, then in her eighties.

With the National Spiritual Assembly of Train helpless to influence events, and international action on behalf of the Bahá’ís under way, persecution within lran grew more pervasive. Bahá’í college students and school children began to face dismissal from schools,

’I'HE BAHA’I’ WORLD

starting, as so often before, in Yazd. In addition, the business licences Of Bahá’ís in one area of Mézindaran were invalidated, and in Uri’imiyyih arrests of Bahá’ís, including old women and children, rose to thirty-eight within a short time. Harassment and attacks continued around Birjand. A circular letter was issued instructing Iranian embassies and consulates not to renew the passports of Bahá’ís and political dissidents living abroad. Even the Iranian émigré press began to realize that the Bahá’ís—uniquely out of all those suffering in Tran—were being persecuted on religious grounds alone. Then in November, amidst continuing confiscation of the property of Bahá’ís and a fresh raid on the Bahá’í national office, there were arrested six members of the Local Spiritual Assembly of Tihran, an institution of strategic importance to the beleaguered Bahá’í administration. At their interrogation they were beaten. Their plight foreshadowed the third major coup against the Iranian Bahá’í community. After the sack of the House of the Báb, and the kidnapping of the first National Spiritual Assembly the third major blow was the arrest and secret execution of eight of the nine members of the second National Spiritual Assembly.1 This time there could be no doubt of the government’s complicity in the event. Every single member of this protecting, goveming body of the Bahá’ís of Tran was known by name to the authorities. Some had courageously had contact, directly and indirectly, with representatives of the government. They had, like their predecessors on the first National Spiritual Assembly, fearlessly championed the cause of their fellow-believers before the authorities, and they had done so in the knowledge that one day their lives must be forfeit. Their deaths, contrived and accomplished by their persecutors in an ignominious fashion—the bodies of five were by chance discovered in a graveyard marked for ‘infidels’ —struck at the very core of the Bahá’í Faith in Iran. And when on 4 J anuary 1982 seven more Bahá’ís met their deaths, including six members of the Local Spiritual Assembly of Tihran and the lady in whose house they had been meeting, it was apparent that the leadership of

' The ninth member, a woman. was indisposed and could not attend the meeting. She later succeeded in escaping from Iran.

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, f F?“ MI,

”ab?

u! :ij .‘x '

Mourners gathered for the funeral of Dr. Mandiflhr Ḥakím, assassinated in Tihran on 12 January 1981.

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the Bahá’í community at its highest level had been wiped out. Their names are:

The National Spiritual Assembly (eight

members)

Mr. Kamran Samimi

Mrs. Z_hinfis Ni‘mat Mahml’ldi’

Mr. Mahmfid Majghl’lb

Mr. Jala’l ‘Azizi

Mr. Mihdi Amin-Amin

Dr. Siri’rs Rawflani

Dr. ‘Izzatu’llah Furfihf

Mr. Qudratu’llah Rawhani

The Local Spiritual Assembly of Tihran (six members) Mr. Kfirufl Tala’l’ Mr. @usraw Muhandisi Mr. lskandar ‘Azizi Mr. Fathu’llah Firdawsr’ Mr. Ata’u’llah Yavari’ Mrs. @iva Mahmfidi Asadu’llah-Zadih

Mrs. Shidruk_h Amir-Kiya Baqa, the hostess in whose home the Local Spiritual Assembly of Tihran were gathered, died with them.

It should be noted that steps were taken immediately to elect nine new members to serve on the National Spiritual Assembly although it was known that they could well meet the same fate as their predecessors.

Existing on a Precipice: the period February 1980 to April 1983

The pressure on the Bahá’í community operated at all levels. At the end of 1981 Tihran’s Bahá’í cemetery was confiscated and a municipal garden planned for its site. Bahá’ís were told they must be buried alongside ‘anti—revolutionaries’, and, indeed, executed members of an opposition guerrilla movement had already been buried by the authorities in the Bahá’í cemetery in Shl’raz. Several months after the Bahá’í cemetery in Tihran was closed two of its staff were arrested. The dismissal of Bahá’ís from a wide range of government and semi-official employment received confirmation when a circular letter from the Ministry of Labour was published in Kayhan, 8 December 1981. This set out that ‘the punishment for anyone who is a member of the misguided Bahá’í group, which Muslims unanimously consider to be outside of Islam and whose by—laws are based

THE BAHA‘I’ WORLD

0n the denial of God’s religion, is dismissal for life from government service’.

In February 1982 the National Spiritual Assembly reported that the Bahá’í community was under increasing stress in respect of its members’ financial needs. At a time when unemployment in Iran as a whole was rising to critical proportions and swelling the unrest, the Bahá’í community was under an added handicap. Formerly able to serve the country through the skilled and educated personnel in its ranks, the Bahá’í community now laboured under official opprobrium. Many of its professional people had either left the country, or been imprisoned or executed, and almost all had lost their employment. Newspapers recorded daily the names of people who it was claimed were Bahá’í’s but who it was said now denied their faith in order to retain right to their pensions.l In Fars province the Health Department addressed a document to the Department of Economics and Finance cancelling the pensions and salaries of retired and regular employees because of their membership in the ‘misguided sect’—thirty-six names of Bahá’ís were listed. Not only in Fars province was such activity occurring. When it is remembered how, earlier, Bahá’í army officers were denied their pensions, and letters of dismissal were sent to individual Bahá’ís on account of their religion from other national institutions, such as the National Oil Company and the Ministry of Education, and when it is recalled that Bahá’í doctors had been discharged and applications from Bahá’í students rejected, in both cases on grounds of their religion, it becomes clear that a policy against the Bahá’ís had been adopted by all the official authorities. So thorough and heartless was this policy that in one instance a widow, who was dismissed from her work for being a Bahá’í, was forbidden a share of her dead husband’s salary, as decreed in regulations, in spite of the fact she had two young dependent children; worse, she was even denied custody of her children.

Further confirmation that a campaign against the Bahá’ís was being waged by the highest authorities was available in the pronounce ' For the most part, such names could not be identified by the Bahá’ís as members of the community.

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ments of government figures in the media. In January 1982 Ayatollah Musavi-Ardibili, the Chief J ustice of the Islamic Republic, referred to the Bahá’ís as ‘infidels’ in an article appearing in Kayhan. In the same piece, the Prosecutor of the Revolutionary Courts, Ayatollah Muhammadi Gilani, made the point that according to the Qur’án the punishment for infidels was death. However, outside Iran the case of the authorities was faring badly. In March the United Nations Commission on Human Rights passed a resolution criticizing the Iranian government’s persecution of the Bahá’ís within its borders. Finally, at the Third Committee of the General Assembly at the United Nations headquarters in November, Iran tciok the offensive by circulating to representatives a document entitled: ‘Human Rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran—A Review of the Facts.’ The report did no more, however, than repeat the accusations levelled against the Bahá’ís from the outset of the Islamic Republic. The stance of the government remained, incredibly, that in spite of all that had been said and done within Iran since 1979, no one had suffered in that country on account of his religion. Yet it had been no uncommon thing to read in the newspapers in Iran—as for example in Kayhan, 1 December 1981—that Mr. so-and-so had recanted his faith as a Bahá’í in the presence of the Revolutionary Prosecutor (in the above reported case, Ayatollah Muhammadi Gilani). On occasion, the newspaper might even report that an executed prisoner refused to recant his religion.

Thus the ordeal of the Bahá’ís continued. While the war between Iran and ‘Iráq proceeded alongside the Iranian government’s war with its internal political enemies, and tens of thousands were dying in both contests, it remained true that the Bahá’ís were ‘the only Iranians . . . victimized exclusively for religious reasons’.1 By March 1982 over one hundred Bahá’í’s had been killed or executed, and as many were in prison. Students would have had to produce certificates of conversion in order to gain admittance into state schools, and there had been talk of ration coupons being denied to those who were not members of one of the four officially recognized re ] Sepehr Zabih, Iran Since the Revolution, London, 1982, p. 229.

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ligions. That this threat did not materialize has been attributed by some unbiased observers to the international voice raised against the regime’s treatment of the Bahá’ís. ‘The outcry by the international media as well as by human rights organizations, including the New York-based Freedom House, Amnesty International and the prestigious Committee for the Free World, however, appeared to have persuaded the Iranian regime to move back from the brink of a “final solution” to the Bahá’í problem.2

During the late winter and early spring of 1982 the detached observer could be forgiven for seeing a religious community cowed into silence and displaying signs of confusion. Hundreds were fleeing over the borders, whilst many others, within the country, were effectively on the run or in hiding. The authorities were now arresting the entire membership of Local Spiritual Assembliesas in April, when they detained eight members of the Qazvin Bahá’í Assembly. (In July four of these were executed, and another three, under pressure, recanted.) In Shfraz, Tihran, Yazd and elsewhere the number of Bahá’ís being arrested grew almost daily. Some were released—e.g. four in Tihran—as part of the amnesty announced by Ayatollah Khomeini in late February. Then, just as quickly, others would take their places. shiréz now became the chief area of danger. In March seventeen Bahá’í homes in the city were confiscated and thirty-five bank accounts of Bahá’í’s were frozen. Meanwhile, executions proceeded apace: two in February, one in Tihran and another in Babulsar. In these cases the families were not notified, and the victims were buried in non—Bahá’í cemeteries. In.April two Bahá’ís were executed, one in Uruml’yyih, the other in Maflhad. Mr. ‘Azizu’llah Gulsham’, victim of the hangman in Maflhad, was reported later in Kayhan as having been executed owing to his being murtad that is, an apostate from Islam. Mr. Gulflani had written a small booklet entitled Why I am a Bahá’í’, and this was taken as evidence that he had endeavoured to seduce Muslims from their faith. The ominous phenomenon of the mass—intimidation of Bahá’ís was not a new thing—it had occurred with the

3 ihidt

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Buyr—Ahmad tribe in a mountain area, with several Bahá’í villages, and with those in Yazd who were summoned before the Revolutionary Court. In April it was the turn of the Bahá’ís of Saysan, who were intimidated by the Imam-Jum’ih of Bustan—Abad to become Muslims within one month or face grave consequences. While this pressure was averted, in September fifty Bahá’ís from Saysan were forced to append their thumb-prints to documents they later learned purported to be proof of their having recanted. The episode was publicized in the newspapers, though not the letters of vehement denial written by these Bahá’ís t0 the same newspapers, avowing their continuing Bahá’í belief. In early May the government initiated renewed repression against a number of different communities and organizations, including the Shaykh1’s of Kirman. That month six Bahá’í Assembly members were arrested in Zanjan, and two were executed in Unimi’yyih. Five more executions followed: three in Karaj (8 May), and two in Tihran (16 May).

The early summer passed with what the National Spiritual Assembly of Iran called an funeasy lull’ for the Bahá’í’s. In late June, however, over thirty Bahá’ís who were employees of the Bank Saderat were detained in Shíráz. These Bahá’ís spent over a month in prison before being released in August. In rnid—July another Bahá’í was executed in Shíráz. In August a further execution took place in Urt’imi’yyih. (West Agirbayjan, where this town is located, had been the scene of bitter fighting between the government forces and local insurgents, including Kurdish guerrillas.) The Bahá’ís of Urfimiyyih had been under pressure all year and four had been executed. It is worth noting that in these violent times, a new charge against the Bahá’ís, that of attempting to subvert the government, had been added to the charges customarily brought against them. In September, Manfigihr Vafa’i was murdered in Tihran, and a note left on his body saying he had been killed because he was a Bahá’í. The summer—in the two years previous a particularly grave period for execution of Bahá’íspassed with six executions between June and late August.

In the six-month period between midoctober 1982 and mid-April 1983 the persecu ’l‘HE BAHA‘I’ WORLD

tion of the Iranian Bahá’í community teetered towards a crevasse. As war flared again between Kurdish forces and the government, and pressure Was placed upon the recognized religious minorities to conform to the government’s code of Islamic behaviour, and shortages became an ever more oppressive feature of daily life in Iran, a realignment in the balance of political forces brought steadily to the fore a conservative clerical faction called the Hujjatiyyih. The signal triumph of this group was to be the purge of the Tudeh (Communist) Party in May 1983, which it inspired and saw implemented through its sympathizers in the government. The Hujjati’yyih had grown to eminence specifically as the anti-Bahá’í’ society. As its influence in government grew, the case of the Bahá’ís looked still more precarious with each passing month. In one city in particular, this faction had achieved a powerful hegemony. Following the arrest of most of the members of the Local Spiritual Assembly of Kirmanshah in October, and the scattering of those members still at large, the focus of arrests turned to Shi’raz. By early November some forty Bahá’ís were imprisoned in the latter city. That same month Mr. Ḥabíbu’lláh iji was executed in Sh1’raz, as was, subsequently, Dr. Diya’u’llah Ahrari’, whose crime, according to Kayhan which reported his death, had been ‘spying for Zionism’. Two more Bahá’ís were condemned to death in December—this time in Zanjanand more were arrested in Ṭihrán, MiyanDuab and Urt’imi’yyih. But Shíráz became the centre of a deepening crisis for the Bahá’í community of Iran. There were reports that the still numerous Bahá’í prisoners were being tortured. A démarche made by fifteen European countries and expressing the fears of the signatories for the fate of the Iranian Bahá’ís was delivered to Tihran in January.

That month Ayatollah Khomeini announced measures to curb the arbitrary power of the Revolutionary Courts. But this ‘liberalization’ policy left the Bahá’ís behind. Another Bahá’í, Mr. Hidéyatu’llah Si’yavushi, was executed in Shfraz, and it was learned in February through a newspaper report that twenty—two of the prisoners in Shíráz were under sentence of death. Presumably all that was between them and their executions was the harsh pressure applied in such cases by the prison authorities

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to get them to recant. In another newspaper piece in February the President of the Revolutionary Court in shiraz gave a chilling warning to the Bahá’ís: ‘. . . before it is too late . . . recant Bahá’ísm’. It was ‘absolutely certain that in the Islamic Republic of Iran there [was] no place whatsoever for Bahá’ís and Bahá’ísm . . . they [had] created a state within a state and a government and administration different from Islam’. In March three more Bahá’ís were executed secretly in Sh1’raz. It was not known whether these—and the one who had died in January—were among the original twenty-two sentenced to death. Meanwhile, as the political campaign waged at the behest of the Hujjatiyyih gained momentum through April, the position of the anti-Bahá’í society within the Iranian administration was going from strength to strength. The scene in Shíráz was being set for the worst sequence of judicial killing of members of the Bahá’í Faith since the start of the campaign against them in 1979.

B. IDENTITY OF THE PERSECUTORS, AND CHARGES LEVELLED AGAINST THE BAHA’lS

The Anti-Bahá’í Groups

Two prominent groups have. been particularly responsible for the harassment of the Bahá’í community of Train. Both have their roots deep in the Pahlavi period, when their activities were either countenanced by the authorities, or ignored. Both achieved influence and even representation in the highest circles of the government of the Islamic Republic of Train.

The Tablighat-i-Islami group was founded during the early years of the reign of Shah Mohammed Reza, and adopted a nonpolitical stance which enabled it to function without let during the later years of the Shah’s reign. The founder of Tablighat—i-Islami was Shaykh Mahmud Halabi, a cleric who made a special study of the Bahá’í Faith, including its organization and its tenets. Shaykh Halabi wrote books and pamphlets rejecting the teachings of the Bahá’í Faith, including a hostile commentary on Bahá’u’lláh’s Kitdb-iiqdn. Hard-core members of Tablighat—iIslami took courses of an intensive nature preparing them for detailed refutation and

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assailing Of the Bahá’í teachings. Members of this organization used to frequent Bahá’í meetings during the Pahlavi period, with the aim of causing disruption. They were also active at some periods disseminating antiBahá’í’ propaganda in the towns and villages of Tran. Their intent was to poison the minds of ordinary people against the Bahá’ís.

The Mujahedin organization, which was opposed to Tablighat-i-Islami, published a document in their paper, Mujahid, on 9 June 1980. This came from the office of SAVAK, and allowed Tablighat-i-Islami to function as long as its activities were not the cause of ‘provocation and disturbance”. The document was in fact a response to an invitation by Tablighat-i—Islami for SAVAK to join their organization in attacking the Bahá’ís in a ‘systematic way”. It should be noted that although the document was a proof of some complicity between SAVAK and Tablighat-iIslami, it does not necessarily support the view that SAVAK actively co-operated with the anti-Bahá’í group.

There is some evidence to show that in the early months after the Islamic revolution Tablighat—i—Islami spearheaded the seizure of Bahá’í properties and holy places. Shaykh Halabi, who remained the group’s ideologue, was reputed to have the ear of Ayatollah Taleqani, Ayatollah Gulpaygani—an 01d adversary of the Bahá’í Faith#and Ayatollah Khomeini himself. He is considered to have been largely responsible for the charge widely levelled against the Bahá’ís that they were agents of Zionism. Another sometime member of the group was Muhammad-Ali Raja’i, first Minister of Education, then Prime Minister, and finally President of the Islamic Republic. As Minister of Education Raja’i had been responsible for a circular letter dismissing Bahá’ís from their jobs as teachers.

During the period 1982—1983 this group, now known as the l-Iujjati’yyih Society, began to acquire a greater political influence on the affairs of the country. It was now in an even better position for carrying out its avowed programme of eliminating the Bahá’í Faith.1 Observers saw this faction as instrumental in

1 In 1982 a series of articles in the Tihran newspaper, Subbih Azadegan, identified the leadership, aims and methods of the Hujjati’yyih Society.

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the fierce persecution of the Bahá’í believers in Shiréz in 1982-1983.

The Fedayeen—i—Islami was founded in the 19405. In the early period of Sháh Mohammed Reza’s reign—particularly when the firah’s own position was weak and that of the clergy momentarily strong (1951—1955)—the Fedayeeni-Islami was influential and active in assassinating government officials. It has been said that this group encouraged the popular preacher Abu‘l-Qasim Falsafi in his sermons against the Bahá’í Faith in 1955. They were also responsible for the occasional assassination of Bahá’ís, for example, Dr. Sulayman Berjis (Birji’s) who was killed in this period.1 As an active faction within the revolutionary forces, they were probably behind the kidnapping and assassination of at least a few Bahá’ís, including, it has been suggested, Professor Manugihr Ḥakím (12 January 1981). The Fedayeen-i-Islami, like the Hujjatiyyih Society, had strong sympathizers in the government, including some notorious religious judges and a former member who had become an extremely influential minister.

In addition to these two main groups, other factions within the revolution are known to have been anti-Bahá’í and active against the Bahá’í Faith. One of these, called ‘The Society for Fighting Against Religious Transgressions’ (Mubarizih ba Munkarat), is said to have had its own prison, whose inmates included Bahá’ís, and was responsible for looting and sealing off Bahá’í homes in Tihran.

Accusations laid against the Bahá’ís

The anti-Bahá’í’ groups were not alone in lran in condemning the Bahá’ís. Prominent fli‘ih clerics of the last three decades were not reluctant to voice their anti-Bahá’í sentiments.

One such figure was the supreme fii‘ih Mujtahid of the 19505, Ayatollah Burujirdi, who sympathized with Tablighat-i-Islami, and who wrote to Shaykh Falsafi complaining of the influence of the Bahá’ís, and expressing ‘the hope that a general purge of Bahá’ís from all government positions would be implemented’.2 Ayatollah Khomeini himself—as we

' Dr. Sulayman Berji’s (Birjis) of Kaflun, assassinated 3 February 1950. See ‘In Memoriam', The Bahá’í World, vol. XII, p. 684.

3 Shahrough Akhavi, Clergy—Stale Relations in the Pahlavi Period, New York, 1980, p. 78.

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have seen—referred to the Bahá’í Faith as a corrupt influence, and even the moderate and relatively liberal-minded Ayatollah Shariatmadari issued 'a fatvd with an implicit antiBaha’f bias.3 Whatever might have been the theological and political divisions with the §l_1i‘ih clergy, execration of the Bahá’í Faith was an issue upon which they could all join. This universal scorn of the Bahá’í Faith amongst the §l_u"ih clergy amounted in effect to a deep-seated fear of the theological premises and aims of the new religion. It was this fear which animated their assaults on the Bahá’í community, from the middle of the previous century up to the present. The Bahá’í teachings on issues like the return of the twelfth Imam and the fulfilment of the prophecies of Sh1"ih Islam in the coming of the Báb, the completion of the dispensation of the Qur’án and the consequent annulment of the authority of the clerics and learned who claimed to be its sole exponents, cut across the entire raison d’étre of these religious leaders, and they had arisen with each generation to attempt to extirpate the power of the Bahá’í Faith. These Shi‘ih clerics used as their excuse —for they knew that open debate on the fundamental theological issues would not be advantageous to their cause—such opportunist charges as might besmear the Bahá’ís and bring down on them the rancour of the people. Hence they chose, in the last century, to clothe the Bahá’ís with the unpopular mantle of British and Russian Imperialism, and in the later twentieth, they painted the Bahá’ís with the fashionable opprobrium of being agents of the United States and servers of Zionism. And when the occasion arosewith the fall of the upopular régime of the Shah—they sought to discredit the Bahá’í’s by associating them with the deposed monarch. The crucial debate immediately after the Revolution of 1978—1979 centred on the part the Bahá’ís had played, or not played, in it. The other religious minorities could claim that they had been represented in the revolutionary coalition that overthrew the Shah. The Bahá’ís—for the obvious reason that they were forbidden by their religious teaching to involve themselves in politics—could not. However, the Bahá’ís non—involvement in

3 See M. M. J. Fischer, Iran from Religious Dispute to Revolution, Cambridge, Mass, 1980. p. 174, n. 7.

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politics had never been recognized or accepted in fran, and the popular prejudice that the Shah had surrounded himself with Bahá’ís who had effectively run his government as well as the secret police, SAVAK, would be hard to dispel. Within a few weeks of the establishment of Premier Bazargan’s provisional government in February 1979, a supporter of the new régime in America, Mansur Farhang, gave voice to these very accusations in a panel programme on American television.

It was upon this base—the one which maintained that the Bahá’ís had collaborated politically with the Shah and his secret police —that the attack against the Bahá’í community in fran was initially launched. Added to these charges were the further accusations that the Bahá’ís had intimate links with the government of Israel, contributed to its funds and promoted its interests. The Bahá’ís, in short, were Zionist spies.

Finally, two more charges were raised. As well as being spies for Israel, the Bahá’ís were agents of the Western powers and, in particular, of the United States and Great Britain. All such trumped up charges were covers for decrying them as ‘enemies of Islam’, the real basis of Shl"ih Islam’s fanatical hatred of the Bahá’í Faith being its claim to embody a further revelation of divine truth after that of Islam.

The Bahá’í International Community, which was active in countering such arguments and generally defending the Bahá’ís as well as bringing their plight to the attention of the world diplomatic community through the United Nations in New York and Geneva, through the media ‘ and by approaches to governments, included in its publication ‘Bahá’ís in iran: A Report on the Persecution of a Religious Minority’ answers to accusations most commonly levelled against the Bahá’ís of Iran. These were supplemented by the statement it prepared in response to the Iranian government’s document entitled Human Rights in the Islamic Republic of lran—A Review of the Facts.

Below are some extracts from the Bahá’í publications:

‘1. Bahá’z’s are accused of being supporters. of the late Shah, of having co-operated with and benefited from the former regime, and of

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being a political organization opposed to the present Iranian government.

‘The allegation that the Bahá’ís supported and benefited from the former régime is founded upon the fact that the Bahá’í community did not denounce the Pahlavi regime or affiliate itself with political or other organizations opposed to the regime, and that a small number of Bahá’ís were appointed to prominent positions in the civil service of that regime.

‘In accordance with the teachings of their Faith, Bahá’í’s must show loyalty and obedience to the government of the country in which they live, whatever its form or policies. Accordingly, they do not engage in subversive activities. In addition, Bahá’ís are forbidden by the laws of their Faith from becoming involved in partisan politics or from holding any political post. These principles are fundamental and do not change with changing governments.

‘. . . So fundamental is the principle of not accepting any political post that, in one case under the Pahlavi régime, when a Bahá’í accepted appointment as a Cabinet Minister, he was expelled from the Bahá’í community.

‘2. Bahti’z’s are accused of collaboration with SAVAK.

‘Denunciation of any organ of government is contrary to the Bahá’í principle of loyalty and obedience to government and therefore no condemnation of SAVAK and its activities was ever made by the Iranian Bahá’ís, either individually or collectively. Once again, the silence of the Bahá’ís has been used as evidence of support and approbation.

‘It can categorically be stated that the Bahá’í community of train was never associated with the operations of SAVAK. Such activities and organizations are contrary to the most fundamental principles of the Bahá’í Faith, whose teachings explicitly condemn the methods of unscrupulous politicians, forbid any form of violence, and lay upon every adherent the responsibility for respecting the dignity of his fellow-men and for upholding individual human rights.

‘No evidence exists of any collaboration between SAVAK and the Bahá’í community or between SAVAK and any individual Bahá’í. SAVAK officials such as Parvíz Sabeti, who have been described as Bahá’ís, were not

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Bahá’ís. The alleged membership of such individuals in the Bahá’í Faith stems from the fact that their fathers or families had once been Bahá’í’s. It is, however, a basic principle of the Bahá’í religion that the gift of faith springs from the free choice of the individual and cannot be automatically and blindly inherited from an earlier generation.

‘3.1 Bahá’ís are accused of being agents of Zionism.

‘The Bahá’í World Centre was, in fact, established in the last century, long before the State of Israel came into existence, and has nothing to do with Zionism. The Founder of the Bahá’í Faith, Bahá’u’lláh, was exiled to the Holy Land in compliance with the orders of two Islamic governments (Tran and Turkey). He remained in the Holy Land until His death in 1892. His Shrine was raised there, and the Holy Land thus became the world spiritual centre of the Bahá’í Faith.

‘Bahá’í’ pilgrims from all parts of the world regularly travel to Israel to visit the Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh and other sites closely associated with their Faith. Thousands of Iranian Bahá’ís made this pilgrimage during the time when they were permitted by law to visit Israel.

‘In accordance with the clear requirements of the teachings of the Bahá’í Faith, its world spiritual and administrative centres must always be united in one locality. Accordingly, the world administrative centre of the Bahá’í Faith has always been and must continue to be in the Holy Land. It cannot be relocated for the sake of a temporary political expediency.

‘Contributions sent by Bahá’ís to the Bahá’í World Centre in Israel are solely and exclusively for the upkeep of their Holy Shrines and historic sites, and for the administration of their Faith. Almost all Bahá’ís in Tran have made such contributions, and this fact is often used to support charges against them of collusion with Israel.

‘4.2 It is alleged that the Bahá’í Faith was used by the colonial powers as a tool for colonial expansion into Muslim countries.

,1 The first three heads are quoted from The Bahá’ís in Iran: no. 3 above is no. 4 in the original.

2 This extract is from the answer to Human Rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran and refers specifically to the invitation extended to Bahá’u’lláh by the British consulgeneral in Baghdad mentioned in God Passes By and cited by the Iranian report as proof of Britain’s support of

movements which, it says, weakened the opposition to colonialism in Muslim societies.

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‘At the time of the invitation [see below], news of the martyrdom of the Báb . . . and the massacre of 20,000 of His followers, had spread to the West and had aroused much sympathy and interest among Europeans. Bahá’u’lláh . . . was exiled by the Iranian government and imprisoned in Baghdad, ‘Iráq. His plight attracted the sympathetic attention of the British consul-general in Baghdad, who offered-Him the protection of British citizenship and also offered to arrange residence for Him in India or in any other place agreeable to Him. Bahá’u’lláh declined these offers and chose instead to remain a prisoner in Baghdad.

‘It was not unusual at that time, nor is it unusual today, for government officials to offer aid and sanctuary to those they perceive as being the victims of oppression in other countries. This kind of intervention is commonly recognized as being humanitarian and non-political in nature. The attempt to portray the humanitarian assistance offered to Bahá’u’lláh as being part of a sinister project of colonial expansion is clearly ridiculous.’

In the same document, other instances raised by the Iranian report—such as the services rendered by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to the people of Palestine during the First World War, and His receiving of a British Knighthood (which are cited as further proof of the ‘colonial’ argument)——are given answers. Indeed, these arguments are best summed up by the Bahá’í International Community’s rebuttal of the Iranian case in the following sentence, ‘All of the allegations made against the Bahá’ís in Tran are based on deliberate misinterpretations of the aims and purposes of the Bahá’í Faith and its teachings.’ To this could be added the rider: such allegations were also made through deliberate misinterpretation of the facts.

One further charge, not mentioned above, is perhaps even more insidious. This is the accusation that certain Bahá’ís were responsible for ‘promoting prostitution’; in reality, this meant the witnesses to Bahá’í marriages who signed their names on the rmarriage certificates. Under the Pahlavis Bahá’í marriages were not officially recognized, but were not discredited either. Under the Islamic Republic the fact that the Bahá’í Faith was not recognized in the constitution meant that the

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laws and ordinances of the Bahá’í Faith were neither respected nor recognized. Thus Bahá’í marriages of many years’ standing were held to be invalid, and the children of such unions were considered illegitimate. Those Bahá’ís who appended their names to Bahá’í marriage certificates were in danger of arrest and trial on the charge noted above.

The charges laid against the Bahá’í community in Tran have been refuted in the international forums and turned back upon the accusers who in turn have been indicted for their denial of basic human rights to the Bahá’ís. The Bahá’í Faith has been recognized in the eyes of the world as a bona fide, independent religion, with laws and ordinances of its own, and as such the plight of its followers in the land of its birth, where they have been without rights and recognition since the inception of their Faith, has been roundly condemned by a substantial section of the world community. It can truly be said that the trials and indignities heaped upon the Bahá’ís of Train by their traditional persecutors have achieved the opposite ends to those for which they were intended: instead of eradicating the Bahá’í Faith once and for all, its enemies have only succeeded in giving it greater prominence before the eyes of mankind.

C. PATTERN OF PERSECUTION

This section is made up of reports of the persecution of the Iranian Bahá’ís, coming mostly from eyewitnesses, participants or knowledgeable friends and acquaintances of

the victims.

Pressure in the villages and in the countryside

The Buyr-Ahmad tribe lives in the mountainous region of central Tran between Iṣfahán and Fars provinces. The tribe consists of eleven clans, one of which, the Sédat-Mahmfidi’, is more prosperous than the others. Most of the Bahá’ís in this area belong to this clan.

‘On 12 January 1979, a few hundred non-Bahá’í’ people of the Sédét—Mahmt’idi clan surrounded the little town of Gurfizih. This hamlet consisted of eight families, six of which were Bahá’ís. They fired shots and threw stones at them and burned the fences around their houses. The Bahá’í families, in the

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confusion of this sudden attack, escaped to the mountains. They later noticed, however, that three of their babies were left in the houses. When the attackers left the next day, the Bahá’ís returned to their damaged property and calmed their frightened and hungry babies. The next night the same incidents took place. The attackers first set fire to the motor of the mill and then started shooting. One Bahá’í was injured by gun—fire.

‘On the sixth night, the attacks became more severe, the mill was completely burned down, household furnishings were looted, all houses were destroyed, cattle were stolen, and the fields were damaged and orchards uprooted. Because of this the Bahá’ís had to take refuge in the village of Darih-sh1’1r (which has forty Bahá’í families out of forty-eight households). However, in this village, the friends faced the same attacks, and the intensity of the recent events brought upon them the same fate as had befallen the Bahá’ís of Gurt’lzih. After two months of resisting attacks and skirmishes by armed men, they, too, were sadly forced to leave their homes and seek refuge in the central town of Kata’. The attacks on this village were so severe that the few Muslim inhabitants also had to flee; however, their property and belongings were later returned to them, whereas the Bahá’ís were forced to leave the ruins of their homes, their cattle, and their fields to the looters. The neighbouring villages of Katuk, Murgh-C_hinar, Guladan, Abgarmak, Baraftab, Darih-gazi, Minj and Hast received the same treatment. A number of Bahá’í’s received gunshot injuries.

‘In the beginning, many of the fleeing Bahá’ís sought refuge in Kata, which consisted of seventy-eight households where all but ten were Bahá’ís. Each Bahá’í family of this village had the bounty of receiving and caring for a number of the refugees from other Villages. As more refugees arrived in Kata, the circle around them became increasingly constricting. On five occasions, a number of Mullas came to Kata to ask the Bahá’ís to recant their faith if they wanted to save their lives and property. One of the tribal leaders, Habl’b Bahadur, extracted a considerable sum of money from the Bahá’ís and promised to protect them from the attacks. This, however, turned out to be a trick, and his gunmen attacked them more severely. From the 6th of

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Tent settlement of Bahá’z’ refugees from Katd, Buyir-Ahmad tribal district, near Igfahdn; May—July 1979.

A Bahá’í’family in the aftermath of harassment by a hostile mob which drove them from their home.

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May, Habfl) Bahadur’s forces, as well as others, surrounded the village. Two armed men and two regular policemen, under the supervision of a Mulla, came to Kata and announced that they had given the Bahá’ís their final warning. They said that the Bahá’ís now had no escape, and they therefore had to go to the Mujtahid and recant their faith if they wanted to stay alive. One of the Mullas was heard saying to Habfl) Bahadur that, in the past four months, he and a number of clergymen had made every endeavour to make the Bahá’ís recant their faith and become Muslims; however, they had failed. Now this privilege was turned over to him to force the Bahá’ís to accept Islam. Fierce shooting broke out and continued all day from all directions. The Bahá’ís, men and women, young and old, gathered together in one place, praying and chanting Tablets. They decided to send a delegation to the attackers to tell them that since a number of their wives and daughters were in the fields, they needed some time to bring them back to the village, and then they could decide collectively what to do. Fortunately, they were given five days of grace and this period of time gave them the opportunity to consult with the Local Spiritual Assembly of Iṣfahán, which advised them to come to that city as soon as possible. They started on their way, a journey which was hazardous in itself, but it became even more perilous because of the heavy rains, lack of transportation, and because they had to carry with them as many of their belongings as they could manage.

‘The first convoy of refugees from the tribal region of Buyr-Ahmad started arriving in Iṣfahán at 5:00 p.m. on 7 May 1979. They were placed in the Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds of that city, and a special committee was assigned to care for them. In less than forty-eight hours, blankets, food, carpets, etc., were provided for them. The first three days after their arrival were the most difficult for the refugees. They had come from a very difficult and dangerous journey and had lost one of their fellow Bahá’í’s on the way, who died after having been severely beaten. Three of the women gave birth prematurely, soon after their arrival. All these unfortunate Bahá’ís were transferred to the campsite except for a group of women and children, as well as the

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old and the infirm. This group was in the Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds when armed men from the Islamic Revolutionary Court suddenly arrived, and, taking with them the members of the special committee for the Bahá’í refugees, commanded the oppressed souls to vacate the premises in twenty—four hours and to leave the city within seventy-two hours. However, the members of the “Komiteh” did not even wait for the twenty-four hours. After two hours another group of gunmen came to the Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds and very roughly threw out these innocent people, among them an old lady who was paralysed. Although the government authorities gave instructions that the refugees should not be harassed, and the Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds should not be occupied, the Revolutionary Guards paid no heed.

‘One afternoon, two weeks after the camp was established in the desert campsite of Mihyar, a number of gunmen, uninvited, entered the grounds with a loudspeaker and said they were sent by the Revolutionary Committee. They first gave a sermon and issued repeated insults about the Faith and its Central Figures and slandered the Bahá’í administration. The Bahá’ís very bravely countered their accusations. One of the armed men asked publicly, “Who is the Bahá’í teacher in this camp?” A man grasped the hand of a Bahá’í child of tender years, took him to the loudspeaker and said, “This is one of our Bahá’í teachers.” The child very bravely and reverently chanted a beautiful prayer. The courage which was demonstrated by this young child when intoning the Words of God had a tremendous impact on the Revolutionary Guards. Their attitude changed immediately and one of them apologetically said they came to the camp merely to see if the Bahá’ís needed anything. As soon as the camp was established and sheltert food and other necessities provided, some Bahá’ís from Iṣfahán started a school programme at the campsite so that the young Bahá’ís, who had to leave their schools, could continue their studies. Early morning prayer meetings were set up and were attended by almost all of the more than 1,200 inhabitants of the camp. Some learned Bahá’ís began deepening classes for children and adults, and a tent was immediately set up as a dispensary by the Bahá’í doctors. The Bahá’ís of Buyr-Ahmad suffered

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for almost three months. beginning from early May until the middle of July. They were able to return to their villages only when the Mullz’t who instigated the wave of persecutions against the Bahá’ís in this area was disgraced by the Revolutionary authorities for his misbehaviour on some other counts and was banished from the region.’

Kalalih is a small town in the midst of the Turkoman desert thirty miles east of Gunbadi-Kavus. It has a sizeable Sunni population and had until recently about twenty-one Bahá’í families. In September 1981 a new Imam—Jurn‘ih arrived and in a Friday sermon issued orders to the Shi‘ih population to entirely boycott the Bahá’ís, and two days later the municipal authorities abrogated the licences to trade of all the Bahá’í shopkeepers. The local Bahá’ís appealed with no avail t0 the Mayor and the District Governor. Several hostile incidents occurred against individual Bahá’ís before the coming of Muharram (the first ten days of the first month of the Muslim year observed by Shl"ihs as part of their mourning period for the Imams).

‘The Bahá’ís are used to and expect outrageous incidents during the ten days’ mourning period in the month of Muharram.

“On the third day (8 November 1981), suddenly a group of armed militiamen invaded the Bahá’í shops, driving out the customers and snatching the articles they had bought. “These are Bahá’ís!” they shouted. “Don’t you know that it is forbidden to deal with these infidels?” They had hoped to gather people around and cause a riot, but those who passed by merely whispered, “Why bother these innocent people?” Instead, the militiamen sought the aid of the ruffians Of the town. About fourteen of these assembled in the central square shouting anti-Bahá’í slogans and endeavouring to attract a crowd.

‘Finally, a number of Muslim citizens, though they knew the consequence if they interfered, came to the aid of the Bahá’í shopkeepers and chased the ruffians off. Later, officers of the Gendarmerie came and closed the Bahá’ís’ shops so as to avoid further disturbance. In obedience to the authorities the Bahá’ís complied.

‘9 November. Twelve Bahá’í students were expelled from four high schools in town. Though the majority of students and teachers

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deplore this unjust treatment of their fellow students and friends, they are too scared to speak out. On the same day the Imam-Jum‘ih issued an order forbidding the sale of necessities of life such as bread, meat, and kerosene t0 the Bahá’ís. Anyone doing business with Bahá’ís would receive one hundred lashes. The news created fear and panic in the town. It was rumoured that the Imém—Jum‘ih had ordered the Bahá’í’s to be brought to the mosque on Friday in order to have them recant. The Local Spiritual Assembly considered the option of all the Bahá’ís leaving the town. However, that same night the ImamJum‘ih of Gunbad-i-Kavus, having received representatives from Qum who presumably brought him new instructions, came to Kalalih and prevailed upon the new Imam-Jum‘ih there to postpone his plan. Nevertheless, no one now dared to speak in favour of the Bahá’ís. Four days later, in a typical incident, a Bahá’í woman went to the bakery with her child. All the bakers and butchers had been forbidden to serve Bahá’ís. A fanatic in the queue told the baker the woman was a Bahá’í and he must not sell her bread. However, the man whispered to the lady to give her basket to the child and leave the shop. But again, when the baker moved to put a loaf in the child’s basket, the fanatic shouted in protest. Whereupon the shopkeeper cried, “How can I refuse bread to this innocent child? What am I to say in answer to God’s reprimand in the next world!” He gave the child the bread and let him go. The adversary remained silent. In fact, the people of Kalélih determined that the Bahá’ís should have what they needed, even if this required taking provisions to their homes.’

Eventually, in early December, the situation changed for the Bahá’ís, and they were allowed to re-open their shops, the ban on the sale of food to them was gradually lifted, and the Bahá’í children were enabled to go back to school. In this instance. the local people had refused to side with the powerful local cleric and his efforts against the Bahá’ís were, in the end, frustrated.

The village of Balu is situated in West Aghirbziyjan; the nearest town is Uruml’yyih.

‘On Monday, 30 May 1981, in the village of Balu, Miss Mitra Aqdasi [age fifteen], daughter of Mr. ‘Atta’ulláh Aqdasi and a

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student of the secondary school, did not return home after her final examination. Her father went to the school and enquired about his daughter, but the headmistress was away, and he learned from the students that Mitra had been taken to town by the teacher, Ms. Safiyyih Asaduqli [Asadughlu]. The next day Mr. Aqdasi again returned to the school to enquire after his daughter. The headmistress expressed her sorrow, but did not give him the address of the teacher who had custody of Mitra. Mr. Aqdasi then filed complaints with the Education Office of Uri’lmiyyih, and asked that his daughter be found and returned to her family. After an investigation, the Central Komiteh informed Mr. Aqdasi that his daughter was in the custody of the Religious Judge. Mr. Aqdasi then referred his case to the Revolutionary Court. but the Religious Judge explained that Mitra had become a Muslim and that Mr. Aqdasi now had no rights as a father and could not see her. In reply, Mr. Aqdasi said that his daughter was still only fifteen and had not yet chosen a religion, and she was free to choose for herself. However, he desired to see her and hear the story from her own mouth. But though he pursued the matter through the office of the Attorney-General of Urumiyyih, Mr. Aqdasi did not succeed in seeing his daughter. The Attorney-General did request by letter that the Court allow Mr. Aqdasi to have access to her, but the Court gave a negative written reply. Some days after, in fact, the Court forcibly demanded that Mr. Aqdasi hand over Mitra’s identity card. When under duress he reluctantly complied, he was sent an official receipt.”

Subsequently, after some months, Mitra Aqdasi was returned to her family.

Murder and Assassination

Ibrahim Ma‘navi lived in Hisar, a village in K_hurasan, where he owned his house and some land. A bachelor of about seventy years of age, he had some knowledge of medicines and treated people of the area as there was no doctor.

‘The Bahá’ís Of Hisar had suffered greatly in the past. Towards the end of 1978 loudspeakers from the local mosque began to arouse the population against them. Finally, at the beginning of February 1979, a mob of

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some five thousand from Hisar and its environs, armed with hatchets, spades and pickaxes, and provided with petrol and paraffin, converged upon the village intent on doing mischief t0 the Bahá’ís. One Shaylg Sahmi, who had befriended the Bahá’ís in the past, prevented the rabble from carrying out their aim, but advised the members of the Local Assembly either to accept Islam or to quit the village, or pay an expiatory fine. Some Bahá’ís —the friends having been given ten days to decide—consulted with their fellow believers 0n the Assembly of Mashhad. Tension in the village increased. A group went to the home of Mr. Ma‘navi, looted his property, and carried him off. A later search revealed no trace of his body except clots of blood and a broken set of artificial teeth. It was apparent that he had been beaten to death.

‘Mr. Ma‘navi had served on the Local Spiritual Assembly, and as a boy of fifteen, he had been so badly beaten on account of his religion that he had been near to death. His injuries had rendered him impotent, so he never married. It was six months before the oppressive atmosphere lifted for the Bahá’ís of Hisar, and they were free to purchase necessities of life and move as they wished.’

Mfr—Asadu’llah Mulgtari was seventy years of age at the time of his death. He had moved to the village of Andrun near Birjand, [gmasan, some thirty-five years before where, as a Bahá’í, he had repeatedly and patiently suffered persecution at the hands of local fanatics.

‘At the end of the month of Agar 1357 (between November and December 1978), towards the fall of the Pahlavi regime, about one hundred men from the village of fiirk went to Andart’ln and besieged the homes of the Bahá’ís. They collected all their Bahá’í books and documents and started torturing Asadu‘llah, asking him to recant his faith. His steadfastness made the crowd even angrier. They wanted to cut his throat. Someone else suggested they burn him alive. Asadu’llah said, “I have some beautiful logs in my storage bin and a container of kerosene.” He then took from his pocket a box of matches, gave it to the leader of the mob and said, “Even if you burn me alive, I am still a Bahá’í and will never give up my faith!”

‘That same night they beat him severely and

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started pillaging his belongings. His wife aided them by holding a lantern close by so they could attend to their looting more easily. The family was left without a single blanket or carpet that night. Asadu’llah, accompanied by his wife and children, left for Birjand.

‘They returned to Andrfin two and a half months later, and in the month of Isfand, 1358 (between February and March 1979), Asadu’llah bought a few sheep. He could not afford to employ anyone to help him and had no other means of support except to tend his flock of sheep, which at least provided food for his family. On many occasions he told his wife that one of these days it was possible he would not return home because he might be killed.

‘On 18 May 1980, Asadu’llah took his knapsack, canteen, a few loaves of bread and other supplies, and went out to the pasture with his sheep. At dusk, the sheep returned to their fold alone. Asadu’llah’s children tried all night to find their father. At dawn, five kilometres from Andarun Village and about one kilometre off the main road, his body was found soaked in blood. He had been stoned and clubbed and, according to the attending physician, he had also been choked. He was found lying face down on the ground with his knapsack still on his back.

‘At the office of the security guards, and in the presence of officers as well as the physician, a number of people, including the murderers, had come to attend the inquest. They shouted violently that they did not want Asadu’llzih’s body buried in Andart’ln. They boasted that they had killed him with their own hands, and added that the Bahá’ís in Andart’ln were condemned to death and soon all would be killed. The policemen tried to quiet them, but these ruffians did not care and in front of the police and guards they started throwing stones at the Bahá’ís. The confessed murderers were finally subdued and taken by the police to Birjand, where they were charged with the murder of Asadu’llah. In their appeal to Maflhad, however, they were exonerated, and in the middle of November 1980 they returned to Shirk to a hero’s welcome.’ '

Mr. Muhammad-Husayn Ma’sumi and his wife, flikkar-Nisa‘, had a farm in the village of Nuk, near Birjand.

‘On 22 November 1980, at around 10:00

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pm. on a bright moonlit evening, the man told his wife that he had to go out to fill the feeding trough for the sheep. His wife urged him to hurry as the tea would become cold. She was drinking hers and had not even finished half of it when she heard the door open. Since there was a curtain in front of the door, she could not see anyone. She called out her husband’s name, but there was no reply.

‘Suddenly several masked men entered the room, and fiikkar-Nisa‘ knew they had evil intentions since the door of the courtyard had been locked and they would have had to climb the wall to enter the premises. The kerosene lamp in the room provided only dim light, and even if the men had not been masked, she would not have been able to recognize them.

‘Out of fear, she dropped her half—filled glass of tea. The men, without speaking, grabbed her by the arms and hands and dragged her inside the room. She cried out her husband’s name, shouting for help, and one of the men tried to choke her to keep her from screaming. She begged them in a gentle, low voice not to harm her husband. One man held her tightly so she could not move, and another went out and brought in some rope. While she continued pleading with them not to harm her husband, they tied her securely from head to toe and paid no attention to her request. Then they took her into the corridor, placed her near the wall, and brought a heavy wooden door from the corner of the house and put it on top of her. She still did not know what their intentions were. Soon, however, when they put some dry wood on top of the door and brought a kerosene lamp and poured its contents all over the wood and onto her clothes, she was horrified to realize they planned to burn her alive!’

Later she related that her assailants then abandoned her. The flames reached the ropes which were made of nylon and the intense heat melted them, enabling her to free herself, even though half of her body was burnt. She found her husband’s overcoat, wrapped herself in it, and ran to her neighbours for assistance.

‘When her neighbours opened the door, they were horrified to see her with her Charred hands burned to the bone, and their children started to cry. She told them everything that had happened, and asked them to go to help

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her husband. The man in the household did not have the courage to leave the house, and was thinking of what he could do. After much pleading from her he went on the roof to see if he could see what was happening in the vicinity of the stable where she said her husband had gone. Although the moon was full, he said he could not detect anything untoward occurring.

‘She could wait no longer, so she borrowed a hurricane lantern from them, carried it in her burned hands, and rushed out to look for her husband. After searching for a while, she saw a form in a ditch, ran to it, and found to her horror it was her husband. He had been burned to death.

‘One of the eyewitnesses that night told a member of the family that when everyone was looking at the crime from a distance, one of the bystanders, who was thought to be the leader of the murderous gang, was fearfully surprised when he saw fiikkar-Nisa‘, who was supposed to be ashes by then, standing alive near the ditch. He was afraid she might recognize him and the others and said he would go and find out what had happened. He was the only one who rushed to the burning ditch, and it is thought that he hit the skull of that helpless woman, because after he went to her she lost her power of speech.

‘The man returned to where the bystanders stood—men, women and children—and all of them returned to their homes. None came forward to help this half-burned woman and offer her refuge. None went to inform her son-in-law who lived in the neighbouring Village of Zirk, only one half—mile away. In the middle of the night this wronged soul, with her burning heart and body, left the charred remains of her husband in a ditch in the bitter cold of the desert, and returned home and locked herself alone in the house.’

Tragically, Mrs. Ma’sfimf had to wait many hours, unattended, before her son-in-law was informed of her ordeal. When he discovered her she was speechless. By the time she reached hospital she was in a coma, and she finally died six days afterwards. Her assailants were not detained.

Mr. ‘Askar Muhammadi lived in Rahimk_hani, a Kurdish village in Kirmén province. He had moved there from Tabrl’z, some years ago, with his two brothers.

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‘On 2 April 1982, Mr. Muhammadi returned from his brother’s house to find a number of armed guards at his door. Having searched his home and found nothing, they enquired whether he had any armaments in the house. He answered that he was a Bahá’í, and therefore forbidden on account of his religion to carry arms. When they learned he was a Bahá’í, the guards ordered Mr. Muhammadi’ downstairs and, as he turned to go, shot him in the back. After throwing his body in the yard they helped themselves to spoils from his house. As they were leaving they met ‘Abbas Muhammadi, and asked for his brother’s identity card which they knew he possessed. Seeing ‘Askar Muhammadi’s picture they were able to identify him as the man they had just shot. ‘Abbas asked them what crime his brother had committed that warranted his death, and was told: “He was a Bahá’í, and to kill a Bahá’í is a good deed for devout Muslims.” Mr. Muhammadi’ left three sons of whom the eldest was thirteen.’

Professor Manfigihr Ḥakím, the renowned gastro-enterologist and Professor of Anatomy at Tihran University, Faculty of Medicine, had a clinic in Tihran, and had served on the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’í’r’s of lran. Several days before his death he received phone calls threatening his life, as well as a visit from revolutionaries demanding a list of names of Bahá’í doctors, which he refused to give.

‘On 12 January 1981, Professor Ḥakím was working in his surgery in a wing of his residence. It was evening and he was alone, waiting for a patient who had made the last appointment of the day, but had not yet appeared. He told his receptionist she could leave, he would wait a while longer for his patient. The housekeeper was away doing the shopping. The door of the surgery was unbolted.

‘When the housekeeper returned, she at once sensed that something was amiss: contrary to the usual practice, the door of the receptionist’s room was open but the room was unoccupied. Proceeding to the surgery she found the Professor in a half—sitting posture in a corner. There was a bullet wound in his head. On the floor were some banknotes and his gold watch; a streak of blood to the door indicated that Professor Ḥakím had not

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even in his last moments departed from his customary act of courtesy of seeing his patient out.

‘Following a police investigation, their report concluded that the motive of the murder was not robbery or political vengeance; the only other possible motive was that of religion; it appeared that the murderers must have had a violent antipathy to the religious persuasion of the deceased.

‘The newspapers, aware for the most part that Professor Ḥakím had been murdered because he was a Bahá’í, were with one exception—Mizan of Tihran, No. 104, which carried a brief notice—afraid to report his death. However, a magazine—Tib va Dani, No. 62, 4 February 1981—subsequently published an article by Dr. Shukru’llah Asadizadih, noting the Professor’s achievements.

‘Shortly after this tragedy, the residence of Professor Ḥakím and its entire contents were confiscated by order of a Komiteh of Tihran. Professor Ḥakím had married a Frenchwoman, and had two grown-up children.’ (See Les Bahá’ís 0u_ victoire sur la violence, by Christine Samandari-Ḥakím, Lausanne: Editions Pierre Marcel Favre, written shortly after her father’s death.)

The Path to Martyrdom

The following accounts of the arrests, imprisonments, trials and executions of individuals and groups of Bahá’ís, for the most part, come from first-hand witnesses or those closely associated with them.

Mr. Yusif Subhani’ was one of the first Bahá’ís to be judicially executed for his beliefs. A well-known businessman, he was imprisoned in March 1979, and died on 27 June 1980, in Tihran. The following account is from a Bahá’í who had visited Mr. Subhani before his death.

‘I was sitting in such a way that I could see the courtyard of the prison through the shutters. I saw Mr. Subhani, as had always been his habit, walking very erect and taking long and quick strides, and the few guardsmen who were with him had difficulty keeping pace with him. He arrived in the hall with eighteen guards and prison staff members. The atmosphere was charged with spirituality, heroism and courage“ He embraced everyone in our

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group with warmth and happiness. Raising his right hand, the first thing he said, addressing both his relatives and the prison staff in a strong and unshaking voice, was “Let it be known to you and to all the friends who are not here that I am being killed because of my belief in Bahá’u’lláh. This is the source of my honour, my ultimate wish. I also said this at my trial in the Revolutionary Court. During the court proceedings two people gave false testimony in my case and God will soon punish them for what they have done."

‘One of the guards who had led the group told Mr. Subhanl’, “We have not yet heard anything and have not received any order [for execution].” Mr. Subhani replied, “I am quite sure of my fate. For the past four days my heart has told me what is in store for me. I am willingly waiting for that moment. When they told me in prison that my cell had been changed, I knew what it meant, and I happily announced to my fellow prisoners that I was going to be killed; so I bade them all farewell.”

‘All of us had chairs to sit on in that big hall. Mr. Subhani was radiating happiness and when we saw him in this elated state we were ashamed of ourselves because before coming to see him we had been preparing ourselves to console and encourage him! In fact, his courage gave us strength and removed our fears. He was constantly smiling and joking with the members of his family, and told his wife: “Never weep for me or show your grief because that will disturb my soul.” He advised that after his death no family members should wear black, and since his wife had on a colourful dress, he told her to wear it to his funeral. He added, “If you knew how happy I am, you would rejoice. During the past few days, it is as if I have had a direct connection with Bahá’u’lláh, and I am counting every second for the end of my life to come. Had it not been against the wish of God, I would have made a will calling on you to observe the occasion of my death with a big feast instead of a memorial service. If these gentlemen [pointing at the guards] would allow me, I would dance to the gallows and distribute sweets to them.” The guards and staff members were highly moved and all except one left the hall with bowed heads. Some of them were heard murmuring to each other, “It is a

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pity that such a man/has to be killed”, and others said, “Praised be this man.”

‘Among the relatives present was the son of Mr. G_hulam Husayn A‘zami, who had been killed thirty—five days before. Mr. Subhanl’ told him, “You should be proud of your father because he had the same spirit as I have today.” The boy, who had been very sad, was transformed, and the next day removed his black suit and said that Mr. Subhani had given him assurance. He has since become even more firm in the Faith.

‘Mr. Subhani’ asked the brother of Mr. A‘zamf if he still exercised and continued his track activities because “those who wish to give body and soul to Bahá’u’lláh should be healthy and strong like me.” Then he said some kind words to one of the guards who was in command of the firing squad, and asked him to convey his greetings to Mr. Kagu‘i, the chief of his prison ward. Then he jokingly told the man, “Do you see how strong my chest and muscles are? Tell your men to shoot very hard because I don’t think the regular bullets will cause any pain to this strong body of mine; and tell them that this chest is full of the love of Bahá’u’lláh, and ask if they would allow me, myself, to give the command to fire.” The man answered, “Whatever you say.” This man, called Haj-Aqa by Mr. Subham’, was greatly ashamed and very moved for a few moments, and he left the hall, saying to one of the Bahá’ís, “What a man!”

‘Our meeting with Mr. Subham’ lasted for forty-five minutes, and in an atmosphere of enthusiasm, joy and heroism. Mr. Subhani’ said that if such things did not happen, the Cause of God would not progress. Then, addressing his family, he admonished them to avoid having any sense of revenge against those who had given false testimony at his trial, as he had left them to God, who would surely punish the wrongdoers.

‘During the last minutes of our meeting with him he asked us to inform the Universal House of Justice how joyful he was at the time of his martyrdom, so that the Supreme Body would be happy.

‘With great respect one of the guardsmen said that the time of the visit was over. Mr. Subham’ embraced his family and relatives and later embraced all of the guardsmen who were waiting, kissed them, and told them how

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grateful he was to them. At the end he embraced and kissed Héj-Aqa Salihi’ [commander of the firing squad].

‘When he shook hands and embraced me at the last moment, he jokingly said, “They are going to kill me! Why are your hands so cold? See how warm mine are?”

‘On his way out of the room and from a distance he shouted to the son and brother of A‘zami, “Don’t you have a message for your father and brother? I’m going to see him in a few hours.”

‘He returned to his cell with the same firm steps and erect posture. All Of the guards accompanying him, as well as those stationed in the area who were having their dinner, were astonished at him.’ Dr. Faramarz Samandari’ and Mr. Yadu’llah Asténi both died after three months imprisonment in Tabríz. They were accused of the standard Bahá’í ‘crimes’, and their executions were conducted hastily on 14 July 1980.

“At 10:00 p.m. on Sunday, 13 July 1980, the five Bahá’í prisoners in Tabríz were having their dinner when two guardsmen came in and announced that Dr. Samandari and Mr. Astani’ should collect their belongings and follow them. Dr. Samandari’ asked, “What for?”, and one of the guards simply replied, “You are to be executed.” Dr. Samandarí’ protested, saying, “I have not even been tried yet.” However, the guard responded, “It’s none of my business.”

‘All the prisoners in the cell protested loudly, and the other three Bahá’ís went forward and said they should also be executed as they all had one and the same “crime”they were Bahá’ís. The guards said, “Your turn has not yet come.”

‘The two condemned men were taken out of the cell and then hurriedly wrote their wills. At 11:00 p.m. the other prisoners heard gunshots and knew their two friends had been executed.’

Yazd—September l 980

On 2 September 1980 fifteen Bahá’í’s were put on trial in Yazd, charged with misleading Muslims, belonging to the party of Zionism, and spying for the United States and Israel. The proceedings were taped. The accused prepared a statement in their defence. During the trial one of the Bahá’í’s asked if the Bahá’í

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Faith were being put on trial, and he received the answer: ‘We are trying the leaders of the Bahá’ís.’ The prisoners were not informed of the verdict, but on 8 September seven of them were taken away and shot. Each one was tied to a post, given the option of recanting and receiving a pardon, and then shot in a hail of bullets. One of the Bahá’ís refused to be blindfolded Another, an elderly farmer in his eighties, bent with age, was unable to stand erect; an examination of his body revealed that three bullets went through his abdomen rather than his chest.

The following is a brief account by the wife of one of the martyrs:

“On the first day of July 1980, we were awakened at about 1:15 a.m. by the ringing of the doorbell. My husband immediately said they had come to take him away. Twenty Revolutionary Guards under the command of a man called Kashmiri’, actually invaded our home without presenting a written summons [search warrant] from the Attorney—General. They used our telephone several times, and took all of our Bahá’í books and typewriters [English and Persian], on which letters of the Local Spiritual Assembly of Yazd had been typed. However, that night they did not touch the picture of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Later, the typewriters were presented at the trial as evidence of espionage. The same night they arrested six other Bahá’ís.

‘We did not have any information about the prisoners for twenty—five days and they would not issue a permit for us to see them. We complained and petitioned all appropriate government and religious institutions, including Ayatollah Sadduqi, but to no avail. We even sent cables to Ayatollah Khomeini, the President, and others, all of which also had no effect. After the twenty-five days passed, they allowed us to meet with the prisoners for just ten minutes.

‘Two months went by and they moved the prisoners to another prison, this time keeping them in a dark underground room without any outside windows. They took the prisoners out of this dark cell once every fifteen days for ten minutes only. We did not have any more visits with them during this time.

‘On 7 September 1980, they phoned us to come and meet with the prisoners, and all of the families went to see their loved ones. I

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noticed that my husband was very pale because of the lack of sunshine, and he had difficulty opening his eyes in the light. He said they were told of being transferred to another city and a decision about them would be made that night.With this understanding, we left the prison.

‘At 7:00 a.m. the next day, somebody phoned on behalf of the Revolutionary Komiteh and told us that seven Bahá’ís had been executed for espionage.’

Another account concludes:

‘One of the guards who took the seven Bahá’ís away was located and confided to a Bahá’í friend that the prisoners had been taken to Bagh—i-Iflian, which is a few kilometres outsicE Yazd. The Bahá’í’s were told they were going to be executed in a few minutes and were given a brief period to write their wills. Then each was tied to a tree. The firing was erratic and more excessive than was necessary. The guard who was telling the story said that he had been one of the security guards, and the executioners were masked so as not to be identified.’

The names of the seven are:

Mr. Ni’lru’llah AtharlQavari

Mr. Mahmud Hasanzadih

Mr. ‘Azfzu’llah D_hab1’hi’yan

Mr. Firaydi’m Faridani (Auxiliary Board member)

Mr. ‘Abdu’l-Vahhab Kazimi-Manshadi

Mr. ‘Ali Mutahharl’

Mr. Jalal Mustaqi’m

Tabrz’z

Mr. Rida Firuzi, born into the Muslim Faith in 1904, became a Bahá’í in 1927, and for years lived on in the place of his birth, the small town of Ahar, Atlhirbayjén. At age seventy-six he was detained in Tabríz where his son had already been imprisoned, and to where he journeyed at the wish of the National Spiritual Assembly, knowing he would likewise be put in jail. He was arrested in the village of Ahar before being sent on to Tabrfz. There he had three trial sessions, was condemned to death without the knowledge of his family, told he was going to be transported to a prison in another town, and was eventually executed on 9 November 1980.

‘At about 6:00 pm. his son was called and told to bid farewell as he was being sent to

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Ardibil. His son reported that when he saw his father he was puzzled by the confidence and elation that had seized him. He knew it would be the last meeting with his father. Later, when the family went to the prison to visit Mr. Firuzi, they were told he had been executed and they could collect his body from “Védf Rahmat”. All of Mr. Firuzi’s assets were confiscated .’

flu’rdz—March—April 198]

The circumstances surrounding the death of five Bahá’ís of Shíráz at this period have been described earlier. The two extracts that follow accurately convey the ambience surrounding their deaths.

‘The martyrdom of the two Bahá’ís from Abédih, in Sh1’raz, Mr. Hidayatu’llah Dihqanf and Mr. Mihdi’ Anvari (17 March 1981), has generally created quite a stir. Until the last moment of their lives, the Revolutionary Guards tried to make them recant their faith in order to stay the execution. They even staged a mock execution, firing into the air, again demanding that the prisoners recant their faith. These tactics bore no results. Mr. Anvari had expressed in his last will and testament the request that his family should distribute sweets among those who had executed him. The family took some money to the authorities and stated that in accordance with the will of Mr. Anvarl’, they should take the money and buy and distribute sweets to those Who had executed him. They specifically stated that they did not wish to know who the executioners were; this is why they brought money instead of the sweets.’

Mr. Yadu’llah Vahdat, Mr. Sattar K_hu$lflu, and Ihsanu’llah Mihdl’zadih were executed more than a month later (30 April 1981):

‘An eye—witness was present on that fateful day. He reported that when Ihsan [Mihdizadih] was brought to the scene with his two companions, he fell on his knees before the guards, saying: “I am at your disposal. As you see, I have no means of defending myself, nor do I have the intention of doing so. It is my last wish, however, to know which one of you is to fire the bullet which would cause my death.” None of the guards responded to his plea. He repeated his entreaty, and then sorely wept as he redirected his plea to them.

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Finally one of them said: “I.” At this point Ihsan knelt before the man who spoke, and kissed his feet, and cried out: “Praise be to God that in the last moments of my life I succeeded in carrying out an injunction of the Blessed Beauty. I am now ready and at your disposal. I do have, however, another request. Could you not blindfold me? Could you leave me free so that with my open eyes, as you fire, I may see my end?” Mr. Vahdat immediately made a similar request, saying: “It is my wish to welcome the bullets with open eyes.” These events took place on Thursday, 30 April 1981, at 7:00 p.m. in shiraz.’

Hamaddn—June 1981

The summer of 1981 witnessed a cruel spate of executions of prominent figures in the Bahá’í community of Iran. Among these stands out the torture and execution of seven members of the Bahá’í Local Assembly of Hamadan, amongst whom were counted two medical doctors. Several of these Bahá’ís were detained and questioned in 1979. Drs. Vafa’i’ and Na’imi’ were arrested and imprisoned before the others in February 1980. The friends were summoned to the Revolutionary Court on 9 August, were released and then summoned again on 12 August, when they were taken to the police prison. After three and a half months, during which time they saw nothing of their families, the six were moved to the political prison where they joined Dr. Vafa’i. Whilst they were in prison the homes of these Bahá’í’s were confiscated, and their bank accounts frozen. After their deaths their families were not allowed to return to their homes. The following extracts are from accounts written by their families and friends.

‘On 15 July 1979, a number of armed Revolutionary Guards entered the home of Husayn Mutlaq, searched it for several hours, then took Husayn to the Army Headquarters. He was detained for nine days during which time he was asked many questions concerning his work as secretary of the local Bahá’í Assembly. Finally, the Bahá’ís managed to secure his release on bail. In December of the same year, Husayn journeyed to Spain where his children were living. During the period of forty~five days he was in Spain, Husayn Mutlaq could not be prevailed upon to re [Page 282]7

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282 THE BAHA

Mourners gathered for the funeral of the martyrs Mihdz’ Anvarl’ and Hiddymu'lláh Dihqdm’, . executed 0n 1 7 March 1981 in Sh1’rdz.

Relatives visiting the graves of Bahá’í martyrs whose bodies were unceremoniously interred in ground set aside for the burial of ‘irzfia’els'; 1979.

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main. He had a very strong feeling that his place was in iran. During the period in prison, Husayn occupied himself with art work—the calligraphy of the Greatest Name and several books of prayers. His memoir, which he wrote during the last days, comprised over three hundred pages. He also started to compose poetry, though he had never done so before.’

‘During Dr. Vafa’i’s trial, a witness testified against him in the following terms: “I know him. He was a doctor for SAVAK. I was taken to him and he ordered hot water to be poured over my chest.” Dr. Vafa’i’ asked the man if he would take his shirt off so that the spot that had been burned could be seen. The man explained: “It wasn’t so bad as to leave a mark.” Thereupon Dr. Vafa’l’ laughed: “Gentlemen, he was probably given a bath and he thinks boiling water was poured over him!” ’

‘Dr. Na’imi was employed by the Department of Malaria Eradication of Hamadan, first as assistant superintendent, later as superintendent . . . He acted as chairman of the Hamadan Local Spiritual Assembly. He bought an apartment, one room of which he used for an office and the others for a Bahá’í friend and his family who had been driven out of a neighbouring town. After the doctor’s death, when his property had been confiscated, this family was evicted from the flat.’

‘Mr. Tarazu’llah Iszayn [1917—1981] was the oldest member of the Bahá’í group. He was a humorist; at one time, when the friends objected to his snoring, he said: “Well, if you don’t like it, leave the prison!” ’

‘Husayn Ifliandil [1943—1981] was particularly worried for his three little children during the time he was in prison. When the prisoners were taken to the general prison his children came to visit their father twice a week. He told his father (Yadu’llah) not to make efforts for his release, since in any eventuality the end was death, and he believed he was destined to be martyred for his faith. During the last days he made a poster of the Greatest Name for his sister-in—law.’

‘The saddest part of the story was, unfortunately, its ending. When the bodies of the executed Bahá’ís were washed for burial, the marks of torture were discovered. The ribs of Tarazu’llah Qiuzayn were crushed, and his hands were slashed. His legs and thighs had

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been pierced with a bayonet, and the injuries had turned his skin black and the tissues were swollen. [He was sixty-four when he died.] Suhrab Habflai’s back had been branded with a hot ring—his own—and he had severe burns. The fingers of Husayn Khándil were slashed and his abdomen had been cut open. Dr. Na’imf’s back had been broken and Dr. Vafa’i’s thighs had been cut open; Suhayl Habflai’s shoulders had been broken and smashed. Husayn Mutlaq had not been tortured but his body showed the greatest number of bullet wounds.’ (They were executed on 13 June 1981.)

Tihran—June 1981

On 23 June 1981 the following Bahá’ís were executed in Tihran: Mr. Buzurg ‘Alaviyan, Mr. Háshim Farmish and Mr. Farhang Mavaddat. Buzurg ‘Alaviyan was a businessman in his mid-sixties who had served on the Local Spiritual Assembly of Tihran. He managed to leave an extensive account of his imprisonment and interrogation which is, however, too long to extract. Haflim Farnl’ifl was a distinguished teacher of the Bahá’í Faith, and had served on the Local Spiritual Assembly of Karaj. Farhang Mavaddat was fifty-six years old, and the father of three adult children. He was described as a ‘quiet man, the very image of a Bahá’í’. Like Mr. Farnfish, he served on the Local Assembly in Karaj.

On 24 June four prominent Bahá’ís died in front of firing squads in Tihran. They were: Dr. Masfh Farhangi’, a physician and member of the Continental Board of Counsellors, who had a distinguished career in the service of the Bahá’í Faith for which he had spent periods in ‘Iráq and Turkey, and who had served on the National Spiritual Assemblies of both Iran and ‘Iráq; Mr. Badf‘u’llah Farid, whose services in the field of Bahá’í literature were particularly noteworthy; Mr. Yadu’llah Pfistfli, and Mr. Varqa Tibyaniyan.

Maizhad—July 1981

Mr. Kamalu’d—Din Bak_htavar, a writer, scholar and teacher of the Bahá’í Faith, was executed in Mashhad on 26 July; alongside him was Mr. Ni‘matullah Kétibpfir—flahidi, sixty-seven years old, and a representative of the Umana’ company in Mashhad. A public address system was arranged outside the

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courtroom during their trial, and the two prisoners made statements concerning their Faith which were thus relayed to the crowd.

Tabríz—July 1981

Seven members of the ”Local Spiritual Assembly, together with an Auxiliary Board member and another Bahá’í, died in Tabrl’z on 30 July. They were: Mr. Manfiflihr Ighadi’i, a fifty-five-year-old engineer, survived by a wife and two sons; Dr. Isma’i’l Zihtéb, a dentist in his mid-fifties, survived by a wife, two sons and two daughters; Dr. Masrl’ir Dalgi’li’, around fifty, with a wife, two daughters and one son; Mr. Husayn Asadu’lláhzadih, a draughtsman, married, aged over seventy; Mr. Mihdi’ Béhirr’, a family man in his forties; Dr. Parvíz Firtizr’, a pharmacist of thirty-eight; Mr. Allahvirdi Mit_héqi and Mr. ‘Abdu’l-‘Ali Asadyari, both teachers, married, in their fifties; and Mr. Habibu’lláh Tahqiql’, an engineer, married, also in his fifties.

Ddryzin, Isfahdn—September 1981

‘As a result of the machinations of some leading clerics, a number of Bahá’ís were imprisoned in the province of Iṣfahán in the summer of 1981. Others became fugitives, and five were executed. The five were inoffensive people, farmers and trappers by occupation. They had often been the subject of persecution, but had borne it with patience and forbearance.’

(Over thirty Bahá’í villagers were at this time pressed to recant their faith by an inquisition under the direction of $_haylg Ridau’llah Sa‘édati.

‘Mr. ‘Izzatu’llzih ‘Atl’fi’ was a farmer and resident of Affis; Bahman ‘Ati’fi’ was his younger brother. Gushtésb Habit Résilg was from @igan, and he was a young married man with children. Mr. ‘Atau’llah Rawhzim’ was from Faridan, and was married with seven children. Mr. Ahmad Riḍváni was also from Faridan, and had a large family.

‘They were subject to threats and inducements in turn. They were permitted to return home [from prison] with the intention of weakening their resolve by exposing them to the pleading of their families. Instead, these encouraged them to remain firm. After this they were not allowed to see their families again. On 11 September, after physical and

THE BAHA‘I’ WORLD

psychological torture, the five Bahá’í’s were taken from their cells at midnight, blindfolded, and told to run in the prison yard while shots were fired at their feet. Finally they were riddled with machine-gun bullets. When the son of ‘Ati’fi was told he could collect their bodies, he was informed they had been shot while trying to escape. Their relatives were ordered to dig holes and bury the bodies without display. No burial service was allowed, and the corpses were consigned to their graves enclosed in plastic bags. The families were not even allowed to look upon the faces of their dead.”

D. LAST LETTERS, WILLS AND TESTAMENTS

Excerpts from the will and testament, and last letters, of Mr. Mihdl’ Anvarz’, Of flu’rdz, while he fasted in prison, prior to his execution on I 7 March I 98] :

. . . The value and personality of an individual are related to his patience and steadfastness in times of adversities. Two men were looking out through the bars of their prison. One looked heavenward and exclaimed, ‘What a bright sky! What glittering stars!’ The other, gazing down to the earth, remarked, ‘What a dusty mess.’

If one attains to the recognition of truth, he will never be tormented with worries . . .

During our imprisonment, except for brief periods when we were Obliged to rest, we have filled our hours with prayers. No moment is passed without our being occupied in the remembrance of God. Outwardly, people may conclude that we are indifferent or stoical, but our hearts are out of our control. Through our devotions we have endeavoured to prepare our hearts to serve as a seat‘of the divine—I do not know if we are worthy to have our hearts become the recipients of His mercy; however, we desire His bounties and favours . . .

The means which change this fire [of tribulation] into a rosegarden are the rains of reliance on God and the sweet breezes of devotion. ‘He doeth what He willeth . . .’ The fire of love cannot be quenched by water nor extinguished by a breeze . . .

Our hands are empty but our aspirations and resolve are high. When the test comes the

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resolve of people will be proven and their reliance will be manifested . . .

I ardently pray that my deeds be accepted at the Threshold of God. I have nothing to offer but sins, however. Mine was a humble life and I surrender it for the good of humanity.

May God grant us the favour of attaining His good pleasure!

Last letter of Mr. Hiddyatu’lláh Dihqdm’ Of Shz’rtiz, while he fasted in prison, before his execution on 17 March 1981:

. . . I thank God that I am able to sacrifice my life for my religion and have committed no crime. I counsel all my children arid relatives to be patient and forbearing before the will of God as I, myself, bow my head before His wish and good pleasure.

I again yield thanks that I am not being killed because of any crime or transgression that would bring shame to my family. I have, in fact, attained an honour that I never imagined I would deserve to attain. It is a great bounty to be numbered among the twenty-five thousand who have. drunk from the cup of martyrdom. I beg God, the Almighty, to forgive any sins I may have committed in this world and to grant me His mercy. _

At this moment I sit beside Mr. Mihdi Anvari. I do not know how many hours remain for us. May God assist you and the dear friends all over the world. Be proud; be happy!

I leave you under the protection of God . . . Believe me, I am not disturbed or sad but overwhelmed with inexpressible emotions . . .

Excerpt from letter of Auxiliary Board member Yadu’lláh Vahdat, Of flu’rdz, written from prison before his execution on 30 April 1981:

O God, Thou art aware that I have no other wish than to attain a good end. O God. grant that we may win Thy good pleasure.

With a sincere heart I seek the good pleasure of God and am prepared for martyrdom. I am free of worry and I consider martyrdom a source of honour for myself and my children. I beseech Thee, O God, by the sacred blood of the Báb, the Exalted One, to cause us to attain a good ending. I supplicate God to grant me such a degree of faith and

285

power as not to cause my footsteps to falter in the face of tribulations, even of martyrdom, and make me fail to attain the glorious end, that greatest honour.

I call to mind the poem:

The fire of love is alive even when Death arrives; It is a lamp carried from this house to the other!

I have prayed tens of times that God may grant me to drink of the wine of martyrdom and that my sacrifice may result in other friends’ release and return to the warmth and comfort of their‘homes and families.

Yesterday I wrote to my children urging them to pray for me that I might be enabled to partake of the grace of God and offer my blood in His path.

With great patience and forbearance, with utmost faith, I express my allegiance to Bahá’u’lláh, the Founder of the Bahá’í Faith; to the Báb. His unique Forerunner; to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the Mystery of God, Exemplar and Interpreter Of His Teachings; to Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of God’s Cause; and to the Universal House of Justice, the infallible institution which today guides the destiny of the Faith; and to all Bahá’í institutions.

I ask my Children to hold, with great love and firmness, memorial meetings for me, and to show to all, but especially the families of my fellow-prisoners, a spirit of steadfastness and forbearance.

Last letter of Mr. Samir lflzusit/im, Of flu’rdz, written from prison before his execution on 30 April 1981:

. . . Have no doubt about my courage and spiritual fortitude. I have passed the days of my life with honour, engaged in worthy efforts. I have tried always to be of help to the weak. Now I do not wish people to have pity for me. I only beg prayers from my relatives and friends—as I repeatedly begged when they Visited me in prison—that I shall have a good end.

Even in the presence of the religious judge I never uttered a word indicating my weakness. Although I faced the cruellest insults and gravest charges our imprisonment has not been for our personal deeds. Perhaps it is for the good of the Cause of God that at this point in time a few should be imprisoned and some

[Page 286]286

even attain to the high rank of martyrs, for the liberation of the Bahá’í community from the claws of the enemies requires sacrifice on the part of a few of the followers of Bahá’u’lláh. Therefore, should it be decreed that this humble creature be as a mere point in the great circle of the Cause it would be the greatest honour for him and his family. I am not sad, therefore. but happy and proud. Even if it should be decreed that I be released from this prison I rejoice that in my captivity I have become a new creation. It would then be my hope to serve the Cause with greater devotion and find another outlet through which I might sacrifice. I believe in the decrees of God and know that no leaf stirs but through His will.

In this ‘palace’ that my fellow Bahá’í’s and I now occupy. I am not sad; rather, I am happier than ever before in all the years of my life. My family should know that we have been granted an honour; the world and all its wealth cannot bestow an equivalent joy. It is but the grace of God that one as weak and unworthy as I should have been granted such unending honour, the gift of spiritual and eternal life.

I ask that you remember me during your devotions so that I may be enabled to remain steadfast to my last breath and fulfil the vows I have made to my Beloved. In this way I can be a source of pride to my family.

Last letter of Mr. Suhrdb (Muhammad—Ba’qir) Habz’bz’, Of Hamaddn, written from prison before his execution on 14 June 1981.

My dear and affectionate Parvr’n, my dear children, apples of my eye,

It is five minutes to 11 p.m. on 23/3/1360 [13 June 1981]. We have been summoned by the revolutionary court and called to the field' of martyrdom. My wish is that you may share the tranquillity of conscience and confidence of heart that I feel in these last moments before my physical separation from you. It is stated in our Sacred Writings that we Bahá’ís should always observe calmness, dignity and moderation. ‘

At this hour I express my recognition of the station of the Exalted Lord [the Báb] and of the Ancient Beauty as Manifestations of God; of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as the Centre of God’s Covenant; of the Guardian of the Cause of

THE Bahá’í WORLD

God as the interpreter of the Teachings; and of the station of the Universal House of Justice.

Farewell. farewell to all of you. I wish you all success.

You, dear Ilham, and Ru’ya. are very fortunate girls to have a mother like mama who is not only your mother but your friend and confidant. I have not much to tell you now. All that I might wish to tell you is already recorded in the Sacred Words of God. Remember me in your devotions; I shall feel close to you in spirit. Always try to serve under the Bahá’í administration.

As for worldly belongings, I have only an uncompleted house and some unpaid debts. You are welcome to dispose of the house or use it in any way you deem fit.

My dear Parvin, take good care of the children. My children, take good care of mama. May your father be sacrificed for you. I hope that you will not cry and mourn for this is against the wish of God.

Before I finish, I remind you again that whenever you feel moved to converse with me, read the Words of God. Whatever is in the true essence of my heart is recorded in the Books and Tablets.

I have [made] two bracelets which are in the pocket of my short—sleeved shirt in prison. There is a ring in the pocket of the jacket which I am wearing.

My dear wife Parvin, I wish you happiness and success during your life. The will of God is that we should be physically separated, but spiritually we are always together. Do not grieve and have no sorrow because of what has happened to me. Be steadfast like a high mountain. My dearest children, Ilham and Ru’ya, will be under your care.

Ask forgiveness from all my friends and family.

Your affectionate husband,

Suhrab

Last letter of Mr. Tardzu’lltih [fizuzaym Of Hamaddn, written from prison before his execution on 14 June 1981. 9th Nur 138 3.13. 23.3.1360 My dear filamsi; my loving Mother and Brother, It is now 11 p.m. We have been transferred

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from the prison to the court premises. They are about to execute all seven of us. Praised be God, we are all in the utmost submission to His will and are most content! God willing, we shall have a good ending. I hereby bid farewell to you dear ones and to other members of the family.

I have finished the two tapestries.1 On these I have woven my name, the prison of Hamadan and the date, 138 Bahá’í Era. They are among my personal effects. Please take them from the prison.

I have 430 tuméns in cash, a watch, my clothing‘ and a copy of the Charge sheet and of my defence. The rest of my belorigings are in the sack. My shaving equipment is by the sack and the blanket is near the bedding. Collect all of them.

I have previously written my will and testament. Please follow what is written in it.

I am grateful to the believers fortthe trouble they have taken on my behalf and beg forgiveness from them all. Kindly express my thanks to all who have come to visit us in prison.

I beseech your prayers. I hope that our insignificant blood will water the blessed tree of the Cause of God, that the Faith will soon hgain its independence and the Bahá’ís of Iran their freedom, and that future generations will be able to serve the Cause with the greatest comfort.

I had started this evening to make a bracelet for my dear Fariba and intended to weave her initials, F.M., into the design. Unfortunately I had no time to finish it; it was left behind when we Were transferred here. I wish I had time to weave bracelets for Fariba and Anita, but this was not to be. Tell Turan Khánum to kiss my brother. Qudrat, for me. The money entrusted to Turan Khánum by Mr. Nusrat’u’llah may be spent in my memorial meetings in Tihran and Hamadan.

Yours devotedly,

Tarézu’llah Ifliuzayn

Last letter of Mr. Suhayl Muhammad-quir Habibl’, Of Hamaddn, written from prison before his execution on 14 June 1981. He opens with Bahá’í prayers.

' It should be noted that during their year-long imprison ment the Bahá’í prisoners in Hamadzin occupied themselves by weaving tapestries

287

He is God!

O my God! May my life be sacrificed for Thy lovers! Make the blood of this despondent one to be shed in the way of those who are Thy friends and cause this withered body to become dust on the path trodden by Thy loved ones, O Thou Who art my God!

(‘Abdu’l-Bahá)

O God. my God! I testify to Thy oneness and Thy singleness. I beg of Thee, O Thou Possessor of Names and Fashioner of the Heavens, by the influence of Thine exalted Word and the potency of Thy Supreme Pen, to aid me with the standards of Thy power and might, and to protect me from the mischief Of Thine enemies who have broken Thy Covenant and Testament.

(Baha‘u‘lláh)

I bear witness, O my God. that Thou hast created me to know Thee and to worship Thee. I testify, at this moment, to my powerlessness and to Thy might. to my poverty and t0 Thy wealth.

There is none other God but Thee, the Help in Peril, the Self—Subsisting‘

(Bahá’u’lláh)

O my relatives! Place your trust in God. Fix your gaze at all times on His bestowals. This is my last exhortation to you. I have reached the fulfilment of my wish.

11:00 pm. Sunday 23.3.60 before my martyrdom‘

Muhammad—Béqir Habibi

Last letter of Mr. Husayn Muflaq Ardm’, Of Hamaddn, written from prison before his execution on 14 June 198]:

My dear Bahirih, Payam and Parisa. and my beautiful Nazi,

There is an end to every life. How wonderful it is when the end is accompanied by honour, truth and faith! In my last moments of life I beseech the Blessed Beauty to grant you hearts full of faith, love and kindness toward all people. I rejoice that my life has had a happy ending.

My love to all my relatives. Convey my sincere love‘ with great humility. to all, especially my Aunt and her family, and to the Grandfather.

Bahirih, my dear wife, my only regret is

[Page 288]288

that you alone, after my departure, will carry the heavy burden in life.

I pray even for those who have judged and wronged me. I hope that the truth of my case will be clarified to all people.

My dear Pan’sa, it is your birthday and I have prayed for you. In fact. I pray for all. Tonight I have had the most glorious prayers of my life.

I bid farewell to my brothers and sisters, and to my mother from whom I seek forgiveness. With my kisses.

Thank you for your love and kindness.

Husayn Mutlaq Arani 10:45 pm. 23.3.60

Last will and testament of Mr. Farhang Mama'dat Of Tihran, written in Evin prison, before his execution on 23 June 1981:

lst Tir 1360

This is the will and testament of me, Farhang Mavaddat, written in Evin prison.

I offer my thanks and praise to God the Almighty and tender my complete recognition of the truth of all the Manifestations of God.

I exhort my dear children to rely upon the will of God and to be steadfast in their study of the Bahá’í” Writings. They should also pray for their father. I earnestly request my dear Mihri’, who has always been a peerless wife to me to continue to care for my children and to be content with the will of God.

Should any property remain in my ownership it must be divided equally among my children. My body must be buried in the Eternal Rosegarden [Bahá’í cemetery] in accordance with the Bahá’í burial laws.

I request my friends to pray for me. If I have committed any wrong or have been disrespectful to any one, I hereby beg forgiveness.

My dear family should remember that a verse from a poem is quoted in one of the writings of the beloved Guardian, which offers comfort:

Glad tidings, glad tidings to the lovers That the time of separation shall pass‘ The time of Oneness shall come And the Lord Himself shall rule.

Greetings to my dear father. I hope he is

pleased with me.

’I‘HE BAHA‘I’ WORLD

Faridih, my dear sister, and her loving children, are always remembered by me.

Kisses to my dear ones—m'y children Payam, Nazi and Naghmih—and to my dear wife, Mihri’. Preserve your bonds of unity and love.

At this moment my whole being is infused with a sense of honour; God grant that you also feel proud of your father.

[am sorry if my handwriting is not good; it is because I do not have my glasses with me.

It is my wish that my children will not wear mourning; rather, they should chant the Tablet of Visitation of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá on my behalf.

In this glorious journey I am in the company of Háshim Farnush and Buzurg ‘Alaviyan.

My dearest Mihri, are you well pleased with me?

(signed) Farhang Mavaddat

Last letter OfDr. Masilj Farhangf, Of Tihran, a member of the Continental Board of Counsellors for Asia, written from prison before his execution on 24 June 1981:

date: 60/4/3 My dear Wife,

At this last moment of my transitory life, when I am on my way to the realm of eternity, I bid you farewell. I beg you to accept, with great patience and forbearance, what God has willed. Be thankful; be patient!

During our forty—four years together I have felt nothing but tranquillity and comfort. I had no wish except companionship with you. I hope you are pleased with me and will not deny me your loving prayers. ‘I have come from God and to God do I return.’

The beginning and the end of all is in the Hand of Providence; faith in God is a balm to the hearts and a cause of tranquillity of the souls and of our beings.

I am greatly relieved at this moment, content and pleased. I yield my thanks to God that He has vouchsafed to me this final overwhelming blessing. Praised be God, the Lord of all the worlds! If my hands are empty of the treasures of the world, they have always been raised in prayers and thanksgiving t0

[Page 289]INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA‘I ACTIVITIES

Him. And so, at this moment, my hands are raised in gratitude to my Lord.

I sent my watch through one of the guards to Ward N0. 2. They are supposed to give it to you with other of my belongings. I have less than 400 tuméns in cash in my pocket. Our wedding ring and the Greatest Name were also given to the guards in order to be kept in the family.

Give my earnest greetings to all my dear

289

ones. I am pleased with all of them. In the realm above I shall beg for all of you welfare and happiness. Friends and relatives are in my prayers at this moment. I think of them, one and all, and see them in my mind’s eye. Console Táhirih lglénum and my other sisters. If possible, have prayers said at the graveside of my parents. God be with you. Yours affectionately, Masih Farhangi

The House of Bahá’u’lláh in Tdkur, district of Nu’r, Mdzindara’n. Írán. confiscated by the Revolutionary Government in the spring of 1979, for the purported purpose of ‘protecting' the property. On 10 December 1981 the Universal House of Justice announced to the Bahá’í World that this Bahá’í Holy Place had been totally demolished and the site, with its land and gardens. offered for sale to the public by the authorities.

[Page 290]

E. BAHA'lS KILLED IN I’RAN Riḍván 1978—Riqlvan 1983

He is God

0 LORD my God! O Thou Helper of the feeble, Succourer of the poor and Deliverer of the helpless who turn unto Thee.

With utmost lowliness I raise my suppliant hands to Thy kingdom of beauty and fervently call upon Thee with my inner tongue, saying: O God, my God! Aid me to adore Thee; strengthen my loins to serve Thee; assist me by Thy grace in my servitude to Thee; suffer me to remain steadfast in my obedience to Thee; pour forth upon me the liberal effusions of Thy bounty, let the glances of the eye of Thy loving-kindness be directed towards me, and immerse me in the ocean of Thy forgiveness. Grant that I may be confirmed in my allegiance to Thy Faith. and bestow upon me a fuller measure of certitude and assurance, that I may wholly dispense with the world, may turn my face with entire devotion towards Thy face, be reinforced by the compelling power of proofs and testimonies, and, invested with majesty and power, may pass beyond every region of heaven and earth. Verily Thou art the Merciful, the All—Glorious, the Kind, the Compassionate.

O Lord! These are the survivors of the martyrs, that company of blessed souls. They have sustained every tribulation and displayed patience in the face of grievous injustice. They have forsaken all comfort and prosperity, have willingly submitted to dire suffering and adversity in the path of Thy love, and are still held captive in the clutches of their enemies who continually torment them with sore torment, and oppress them because they walk steadfastly in Thy straight path. There is no one to help them, no one to befriend them. Apart from the ignoble and the wicked, there is no one to associate and consort with them.

0 Lord! These souls have tasted bitter agony in this earthly life and have, as a sign of their love for the shining beauty of Thy countenance and in their eagerness to attain Thy celestial kingdom, tolerated every gross indignity that the people of tyranny have inflicted upon them.

0 Lord! Fill their ears with the verses of divine assistance and of a speedy Victory, and deliver them from the oppression of such as wield terrible might. Withhold the hands of the wicked, and leave not these souls to be torn by the claws and teeth of fierce beasts, for they are captivated by their love for Thee, entrusted with the mysteries of Thy holiness, stand humbly at Thy door and have attained to Thine exalted precinct.

O Lord! Graciously reinforce them with a new spirit; illumine their eyes by enabling them to behold Thy wondrous evidences in the gloom of night; destine for them all good that aboundeth in Thy Kingdom of eternal mysteries; make them as brilliant stars shining over all regions, luxuriant trees laden with fruit and branches moving in the breezes of dawn.

Verily, Thou art the Bountiful, the Mighty, the Omnipotent, the Uncohstrained. There is none other God but Thee, the God of love and tender mercy, the AllGlorious, the Ever-Forgiving.

‘Abdu’l—Bahd

290

[Page 291]

Blessed is he who hath laid down his life in My path and [mill borne manifold hardships for 11w sake of My Name.

._1 .0

11. 12. 13. 14. 15.

16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32.

PWSP‘P‘PP’N"

. Name

. Ahmad Ismé‘l’ll’

. nyé’u’lláh Haqiqat

. Hájí—Muhammud ‘Azizi

. Hétam Rfizbihi

. Jén-‘Ali Rfizbihi

. flirMuhammad Dastpifl . Sifétu’lláh Fahandifl

. Mrs, Muqaddas Fahandifl Mr. Mr.

Parvíz Afnz’lm’ lflmsraw Al'nz’mi

. Ibréhim Ma‘navi

. Husayn Shakl’1ri

. Bahár Vujdz’ml’

. ‘Ali Sattérzédih .‘Azmatu‘llah Fahandiz_h_

. Habibu’lláh Panéhf

. G_hu1ém-Husayn A‘zami . Badi‘u’lláh Yazdém’

. ‘Ali-Akbar Mu‘l’m’

. ‘Ali-Akbar Iglursandi

. Parvíz Bayénf

. Mir-Asadu’lláh Mulfltén’ . Hasan Ismé‘ilzédih

. Yfisuf Subhz’ml’

. Farémarz Samandan’

. Yadu’lláh Astém’

. ‘Ali Dédéfl-Akban’

. Yadu’lláh Muth’lbfyzin

. [lyabfbu‘lláh Mu’mim’

. Nfiru’lláh Algtar—Kjévari . Mabmfid Hasanzédih

. ‘Azizu’lláh Dllabihl’yzin

Date 1978

unknown 27 Aug. 10 Oct. Dec. Dec. Dec. 14 Dec. 14 Dec. 22 Dec. 22 Dec.

1979

early 1979 2 Apr. 27 Sept. 28 Oct. 14 Dec.

1980

4 Feb. 6 May 6 May 6 May 9 May 11 May 18 May Jun. 27 Jun. 14 Jul. 14 Jul. 16 Jul. 30 Jul. 15 Aug. 8 Sept. 8 Sept. 8 Sept.

Place

Ahram Jahrum @urmflj Buyr-Ahmad Buyr-Ahmad Buyr-Ahmad Shiréz

Shl’réz MIyén-Duéb MIyén-Duéb

Higér Uflnaviyyih Mahébéd Bfikén Shiréz

Urflmfyyih Ṭihrán Tihrz’in Ṭihrán Ṭihrán Pirénflahr Andan’m Sanandaj Ṭihrán Tabrfz Tabríz Rafit Ṭihrán Ṭihrán Yazd Yazd Yazd

Bahzi‘u'llzih

Method

Killed Killed Beaten Mobbed Mobbed Mobbed Mobbed Mobbed Mobbed Mobbed

Killed Killed . Executed Killed Executed

Assassinated Executed Executed Executed Hanged Executed Stoned Killed Executed Executed Executed Executed Executed Executed Executed Executed Executed

291

[Page 292]

Blessed is he who hath laid down his life in My path and hath borne manifold hardships for the sake of My Name.

No. Name

33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40.

41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54. 55. 56. 57. 58. 59. 60. 61. 62. 63. 64. 65. 66. 67. 68.

Mr

. Firaydlin Faridéni

Mr. ‘Abdu’l-Vahhéb Káẓimf-Mangédi

Mr Mr Mr Mr

. Jalél Mustaqim . ‘All’ Muyahhuri . Ridzi FirL’lzi

. Muhammad—Husayn Ma‘gt’xml’

Mrs. Shikkar—Nisé' Ma‘sfimi

Mr

. Bihrfiz Sané’i

Dr. Manfigflihr Ḥakím

Mr

. Mihdl’ Anvari

Dr. Hidéyatu’lláh Dihqém’ Mrs. Nfirém’yyih Yzirflzitir

M M

-:‘-1

Mr. Mr. Mr.

S

. Yadu‘lláh Vahdut

. Sattér @ufllflfi

Ibse’mu'lláh Mihdi—Zédih Suhréb (Muhammad) Habflfi Husayn [ghzindil

. Tarézu’lláh lflluzayn

Dr. Firfiz Na‘l’mi

. Nzisir Vafé’i

. Suhayl (Muhammad—Béqir) Habibi . Husayn Mutlaq

. Buzurg ‘Alaviyén

. Héflim Farnlifl

. Farhang Mavaddat

. Masih Farhangi

. Badi‘u’lláh Farid

. Yadu’lláh Pfistgbj

. Varqé Tibyénl’yén (Tibyém’) . Kamélu‘d—Din Balgtévar

. Ni‘matu’lláh Katibpfir-Shahid1’ . Alláh-Virdi Mit_héqi

. Manfiflihr @adi‘i

. ‘Abdu’l—‘Ali Asadyéri

. Husayn Asadu’lláh-Zédih

. Ismé‘fl Zihtéb

Date

8 Sept. 8 Sept. 8 Sept. 8 Sept. 9 Nov. 23 Nov. 23 Nov. 17 Dec.

1981

12 Jan.

17 Mar. 17 Mar.

Apr. ‘30 Apr. 30 Apr. 30 Apr.

14 Jun. 14 Jun. 14 Jun. 14 Jun. 14 Jun. 14 Jun. 14 Jun. 23 Jun. 23 Jun. 23 Jun. 24 Jun. 24 Jun. 24 Jun. 24 Jun. 26 Jul. 26 Jul. 29 Jul. 29 Jul. 29 Jul. 29 Jul. 29 Jul.

Place

Yazd

Tabríz

Nl’lk, Birjand Nfik, Birjand Ṭihrán

Ṭihrán Shiréz S_111réz Ṭihrán Shirziz Shiréz fliréz Shiréz Hamadén Hamadén Hamadén Hamadén Hamadz’m Hamadén Ṭihrán Ṭihrán Ṭihrán Ṭihrán Ṭihrán Ṭihrán Ṭihrán Maflhad Maghhad Tabríz Tabríz Tabríz Tabn’z Tabríz

Bahá‘u'lláh

Method Executed Executed Executed Executed Executed Burned Burned Executed

Assassinated Executed Executed Assassinated Executed Executed Executed Executed Executed Exgcuted Executed Executed Executed Executed Executed Executed Executed Executed Executed Executed Executed Executed Executed Executed Executed Executed Executed Executed

292

[Page 293]

Blessed is he who hath laid down lzix life in My path and hath borne Intzrz1/k)ltl hardships for the sake of My Name.

No. Name

69. 70. 71. 72. 73. 74. 75. 76. 77. 78. 79. 80. 81. 82. 83. 84. 85. 86. 87. 88.

89. 90. 91. 92. 93. 94. 95. 96. 97. 98. 99. 100. 101. 102. 103. 104.

Dr. Parvíz Firfizi

Mr. Mihdi Béhiri

Mr. Habíbu’lláh Tahqiqi Dr. Masrfir Daflfli

Mr. Husayn Rastigér-Némdér Mr. Habibu’lláh ‘Azizi Mr. ‘Agz’l‘u‘lléfi Rawhz’lnl’ Mr. Ahmad Ridvz’mi

Mr. Gufltésb flébit-Résim Mr. ‘Izzat ‘Agifi

Mr. Bahman ‘Agiff

Mr. Yadu’lláh Sipihr-Arfa‘ Mr. Kémrén Samiml’

Mrs. Z_hinfis Mahmudi Mr. Mahmfid Mama) Mr. Jalz’il ‘Azfzi

Mr. Mihdf Amin Amin Dr. Sims Rawflani

Dr. ‘Izzatu’lláh Furfihl’ Mr. Qudratu’lláh Rawhzim’

Mr. Kfirufl Talé‘l’

Mr. K_husraw Muhandisi Mr. Iskandar ‘Azizi

Mr. Fathu’lláh Firdawsi

Mr. ‘Agé‘u'lláh Yévarl’

Mrs. Shl’v2i Asadu’lláh-Zédih Mrs. Shl’dru1;l_1 Amir-Kiyé Baqzi Mr. Ibréhim K_hayrlgéh

Mr. Husayn VahdaI-i-Haq Mr. ‘lhsénu‘lláh K_hayyémi Mr. ‘Azizu’lláh Gulfiam’ Mr. ‘Askar Muhammadi Mr. Mahml’ld Farl’lhar

Mrs. I&raql’yyih Fan’Jhar Mr. Badi‘u’lláh Haqpaykar Mr. Agéhu‘lláh Tizfahm

Duty

29 Jul. 29 Jul. 29 Jul. 29 Jul.

5 Aug. 29 Aug. 11 Sept. 11 Sept. 11 Sept. 11 Sept. 11 Sept. 18 Nov. 27 Dec. 27 Dec. 27 Dec. 27 Dec. 27 Dec. 27 Dec. 27 Dec. 27 Dec.

1982

4 Jan. 4 Jan. 4 Jan. 4 Jan. 4 Jan. 4 Jan. 4 Jan. 26 Feb. 28 Feb.

12 Apr. 29 Apr. 2 Apr.

8 May 8 May 8 May 10 May

Place

Tabríz

Tabn’z

Tabríz

Tihn’m

Tihrz’m

DziryL’m. [gl‘nhz’m Déryl’m, Iṣfahán Déryfin, 151'uhz’m Dzirylin, Iṣfahán DziryL’In, lsl'uhz’m Ṭihrán

Tihrz’m

Ṭihrán

Tihrz’m

Ṭihrán

Tihrzin

Ṭihrán

Tihrz’m

Tihrz’ln Ṭihrán Ṭihrán Tihrzin Ṭihrán Ṭihrán Ṭihrán Bábul—Sar Tihrz’m Urflmiyyih Maflhad Rabimkjlén Karaj Karaj Karaj Urfiml’yyih

Bahá’u’lláh

Method

Executed Executed Executed Executed Executed Executed Executed Executed Executed Executed Executed Executed Executed Executed Executed Executed Executed Executed Executed Executed

Executed Executed Executed Executed Executed Executed Executed Executed Executed Executed Executed Assassinated Executed Executed Executed Executed

293

[Page 294]

Blessed is he who hath laid down his life in My path and hath borne manifold hardships for the sake of My Name.

119.

120. 121. 122. 123. 124. 125.

. Name 105. 106. 107. 108. 109. 110. 111. 112. 113. 114. 115. 116. 117. 118.

Miss Jaléliyyih Muflta‘il—Uskfl'l’ Mrs. fran Rahl’mpfir (K_hurmé’1’) Mr. Sa‘du’lláh Bábézédih

Mr, N21$ru‘llz’1h Amim’

Mr. Muhammad Miin$l1r1

Mr. Jadidu'lláh Agraf

Mr. Muhammad ‘Abbési

Mr. Manfighihr Farzénih-Mu‘ayyad Mr. Manfiflihr Vafzi’i

Mr. ‘Abbés-‘Ali Sádiqipl’lr

Mr. ‘Ah’ Na‘l’miyén

Mr. Habibu’lláh iji

Dr. Diyé’u’lláh Ahra’u‘l’

Husayn Nzlyyl’ri—lsl‘ahfini'

Mrs. Guldénih Yfisifi ‘All’pfir

Mr. Hidéyat Siyévufli

Mr. Yadu‘lláh Mahmfidnifiéd Mr. Rahmatu’llzih Vafz’l’l’

Mrs. Tfibé Zé’irpfir

Mr. Jalél Ḥakímén

Mr. Suhayl Safé’i

Date

10 May 12 May 16 May 16 May 9 Jul. 9 Jul. 9 Jul. 9 Jul. 9 Jul. 15 Jul.

1 Aug. 16 Nov. 21 Nov. 29 Nov.

24 Dec.

1983

1Jan.

12 Mar. 12 Mar. 12 Mar.

1 May 1 May

Place Urfimiyyih Dizffil K_h;’1m’ébéd K_hz’1n1’ébéd Qazvin Qazvin Qazvin Qazvin Ṭihrán Shirziz Urfimiyyih §hiréz Shl’réz

Iṣfahán

Séri

Shiréz Shiréz Shiréz Sh1’réz Ṭihrán Isfahén

The following Bahzi'l’s wcrc kidnapped and are presumed dead: Muhammad Muvahhid (24 May 1979); Dr. ‘Alimuréd Dévfidi (11 November 1979); Rfihl’ Rawflam’ (1 March 1980); and on 21 August 1980 the nine members of the National Spiritual Assembly. ‘Abdu’l-Husuyn Tush’mi, Hfiflang Mahmfidf. Ibréhfm Rahmém’. Dr. Husayn Naji. Mamihir in'im-Muqzimi, ‘Ayz’x‘u’llz’ih Muqarribi, Yl'xsif Qadimi, Bahíyyih Nédirl’ and Dr. Kémbiz Sz’ldiqzédih, together with two members of the Auxiliary Board, Dr. Yl’lsif ‘Abbésiyz’m and Dr. Hiflmatu‘lláh Rawhz’ml’.

Bahz'x‘u'llzih

Method Executed Executed Executed Executed Executed Executed Executed Executed Assassinated Executed Executed Executed Executed Died in pnson Mobbed

Executed Executed Executed Executed Executed Executed

Note: Photographs 012111 the martyrs did not reach the World Centre before this volume 01‘ The

Bahá’í World went to prcss, but those which did appear on the following pages.

294

[Page 295]

Siftitu'lláh Falumdiz_/1 Muhammad MuvaI_1I_1id

‘Avaql-Gul Fulumdi:_l1

Bahár Vujdtini ‘Ah’murdzl Dévmli 'Agamalu'l/éh Fuhumli:_l1

MI'r-Asudu'lláh M Ilk_hl(iri Badz"u ’Ilcih Yazdtini Y1?.s'lfSltbhdHi

[Page 296]

Farémarz Samandarí’ Yallu'llzih Mahhlihfytin

Yadu‘lltih Asltinf

‘Aba'u'l-Humyn Tuslimi HliKháng Mahmzidl’ Ihnilu’m Rahmtim'

Mamihir Qé'im-Maqmm’ Husayn Najl’ "Agti'u'lláh Muqarrahf

[Page 297]

Ylisif Qudiml’ Klimbl’z Sa’diqztidih

Baht’yyih Nddiri

Ytisif ‘Abbdsiytin Higlmalu'lláh Rawhtim’ Nuru'lltih Ak_hIar-I_(_hdvari

“A bdu'l—Vahhtib Kdgimi-Munthit/I' Mahmud Hasanzddih laid] Mustaql’m

[Page 298]

‘Azizu'lláh D_hubl’l_1iy1in Fimydlin Farfdtini

“A [1’ M umhhun’

Rigid Finizi Shikkar-Nixri' Ma‘gzimi Muhammad—Husayn Malylimi

M(mtic_l1ihr Ḥakím Bilmiz Sami'i Mihdi Anvarl'

[Page 299]

Hiddyulu'lláh Dihqa’m’ Salltir Iflzushkhli

lhsdml'lltih MihdlCZridih Su/mib (Muhammad) Habihl’ Humyn Ifluindil

Ffrliz Na‘l'ml' Tardzu'lláh lflmzm'n N(i5ir Vafé'f

[Page 300]

Suhtlyl (Muhammad—quir) Habt'hl’ Buzurg ‘Aluw’ydn

HdLhim Farmigfl Farhang Mavaddal Masil] Farlmngi

YmI'u'l/(ih PIZSILIM’ Badt’w'lláh Farr’d Varqti Tibydniymz (Tibytim’)

[Page 301]

Kumtilu'd-Din Balimivar Humyn Asadu'lláh-Ztia'ih

Ni‘mum'lláh Ka'tibpliri/mln’dl’

Parvíz Ft’rlizi Mihdl’ B(ihiri Hubibu'lla’h Tahqiqi

Habibu'lláh 'Azz’zi Masrzir Dalfiu’li “A_Ici'u'lla’h Rawluim’

[Page 302]

Ahmad Ridvdm’ Bahman ‘Agifi

'Izzat ‘Agifi'

Yadu'lláh Sipihr-Arfa‘ Klimrdn Swm’mi Zju’mis Mahlmidi

Juldl ‘Azt’zi Malymid Maja'_hlib Mihdl’ Amin Amt’n

[Page 303]

Sirz’s Rawflmm’ Qudmtu ’lláh Rawhdm’

‘lzzatu'lláh Furlilu'

Kurum Tald'i Iskandar ‘Azizf Fathu'lláh Firdawsi

‘Agti'u'l/dh dem’ Sh[vd Asadu’lláh-Zcidi/z S/u'druliz Amir-Kiya’ Baqa’

[Page 304]

Husayn Vahdal—i—Haq Mahmzid Farlihur

‘Ihstinu'lltih lflwyyémz’

Iglraqiyyih Farlihar Aglihu'l/dh Tizfahm Jaldlfyyih Mufln‘a'il-Uskd'f

[rein Ruht’mptir (Iflmrmti'l’) Sa‘du'lláh Bdbézddih Ntt.ert'1/dh Aml’m’

[Page 305]

H iddyat Siydvushi Raljmalu 'Ilzih Vafé '1’

Yadu'lláh Mahmlldnifiuid

Tlibd Zé’irpzir Jalzil Hakz’mdn Suhayl Safti'i

S_/1irvMu/_1ammad DastpliLh ‘Ali-Akbar Iflmrsandi Habz’bu'lláh Pandl’u’

[Page 306]1

306 THE BAHA f WORLD

F. DOCUMENTATION OF THE PERSECUTION OF THE BAHA'I COMMUNITY OF I’RAN

1979—1983

(K!)) .- (“s: i ‘, i; 3“ t . {Ki [I = """‘, rI/I.Lq.,.~ ,Jih vibtd‘; - ' . , ‘ v, . I 2" ooh 7 5"“16" mg”: alfau S r “’

qutJ M .

Vw,aoa|fi JfVJgI-lima—ir 4.1.1.4 l".;~_._~..3a.~_u 9" .._”pr ““m: J.S.:

1...“, I41,» Id‘v ”$103 JAN ’s‘ifl). a 6.“... \°\] Aaaum “.1- (Jfi/‘SEE!Q Jy’t‘.‘

ff”?

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‘P" a‘u’rizs‘g, u-,.L~JJ0.\.‘4(‘.‘." 2-353“: .J‘l,“f':~-‘ )‘r‘:“‘;-‘.—”‘L3v.x v;,..£ i

(£30.. ', 3:334 3')“; 3, .~_-. ”.3; 3 ) J.~.n«...'.ir3 5);..er

’Lo..~ JAIJ5U¢;¥,'1.U¢INJ ,3: (.14‘5r’lf‘“:l":“"" : 034': 9’) ‘

ib‘qtfllfiqg' ’5'3ú;’30P.4\ard}1) Lgxl-N-J,‘ .e.,e.>_,;' H‘irfflwaslwg,‘ r'!‘*~’u~2~3,w ‘mzjhfirr; .513“ 9 .f,"‘""L'-1fw" 1-2.» '- 9‘J‘Q" (7915 133.5 ; -' {-J is“ 3"". a—‘figé‘ >} ("L‘ 1-3-.- U75 ,' ,. r..<\jitfl 9 >‘_vl3-‘y ~.\£:"<A‘.r< ~--' x‘ . find Hf

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. .‘1:w‘}ivzn"-v"-.“w'AEh .‘Tum 4M3 ‘. 'a u .1 k;

F'rwm

L‘ffl'V _ b.\11‘:‘J-L,’l\.< 1‘!“ .«Ls‘vm;

,anwm,. t

.‘al WA" 0 .‘lj‘x. .. A5 . x‘_".l)'.‘ Jr J. . . “J Jam ; lys‘A-‘f'w

"‘“"!“

Letter from the General Court of the District ofAbddih conveying the court’s verdict, dated

16.8.1362 (17 November 1983), that Mr. Bahrdm Jannati’ cannot operate his business as a

barber in the bazaar alongside Muslims because, as a Bahá’í’, he is an apostate and defiled,

and is not allowed to operate such a business; therefore his shop should be closed and his business permit revoked.

[Page 307]INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA’I’ ACTIVITIES 307

/ ' 24"»... « , 5‘7’“"‘°’~‘-"‘ . -'@> \ \ 6 ‘5 ”1". ' ’JW

,_. _.‘_.t_.'_): ¢V; “4).! 934., 41,4!)

r ‘ “L” ‘ “ ”f’f)“‘-”‘" w,‘.:..\, ‘V—x “Wkdbdjdt,ulw r““’gh"“’“/*/“ it"Y/YV-V- ——~;‘.Y~‘L:a.u’1QL,IJ\ 'wrvfileleI‘fabuvab L

1. 0wa 5.). J_‘L‘J‘at; If

J&WWwbywaJLa§tJ’w| ., ‘ ;

/‘ , x N} “l‘r’yr’” uh

.mm Mvm W,

Order dated 25.8.1362 ( I 6 November I 983) from the Attorney-General t0 the local branch

of the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Gurgén permitting confiscation of properties of

the members of the Bahá’í’ Spiritual Assembly in accordance with the decree of the religious judge of the Revolutionary Court.

[Page 308]9

308 THE BAHA 1’ WORLD

\mA/b/w 51 hr. 7'?"

7 ““15 _ . . , «'1; v 9 ' (. . ‘1, .. .

_////v‘v(")y—"V~’-/';"

v.".5:..-‘;. vr‘é‘

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arkLJeLrh—xrméb‘Jli-L’J‘fibkx'r; .' .. "

—:—~-—.L-—'—.'.u—— 5—LdJla-u L}. Jb—‘Jkglwlw -34 ‘4: .._.: ”JL‘_:.‘_‘_; __..“-.-.‘.’_..- L». _l.> Lay); Jrlgjbl La'. liifi-c . £1.65”; -‘—.>~—-"_;.’~ \Y J."~,~ ——__;'~~— -A_sqlf LMLQJHJLJJ nJLj‘hu u ..;£.’»fi.. ...» ._.';..- L». “ling...- -. ._‘.._. _ “-_..H'fir‘wmialm L' "u‘b 9-1;”. *" ~L‘I "1 5“" I" “'1"? _-L...‘_'..\ f"; 4" L ,_‘. 4.2:.»— .“;.-‘—:.. v- . e” .. .g. .3.b..>:."-:...> g»..~"~:."'*’.:

Letter dated 13.5.1358 (4 August 1979) to Mr. Nugratu’lla’h Alláh-virdz’from his employer, the Mustagl’afi’n Foundation (a benevolent organization for the care of needy families), informing him that he is accused of being a Bahá’í and stating that, if proved, his employment will contravene Article 1, Item 14, of the employment law: ‘You should deny your allegiance to this faith within ten days from the date of the receipt of this letter by appearing before the religious court and pledging your allegiance to one of the recognized religions of the country and announcing your action in one of the large and widely circulated newspapers. If you fail to do so, you will be dismissed from your job.‘

[Page 309]INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA‘I’ ACTIVITIES 309

J‘M‘ “""‘ “g . .. . .. .,V.-....- ......:.m..,w;-........,...u .‘ .N. , .. , ’ .. 1 ‘ .’ _:l .. f- A ' b x .‘ ~. , :,~ n An. ,I‘_ .. ~ . . . .! ’ 1v“: ) r \ V Y ‘IV'J .3 4 “ ~ ( . rr'r . z . Va... A ._ V i E , . MN. "m. "HI \nr UL”; VW-‘,¥"-.-~,:1,;‘,|_ __ -.- u .. l;,..v.‘\'fl..4,;f;. 4.. r .r I )‘J' h”) "4" J wxw IJIJl :‘I’l 3.? ú" Jiwl‘f -‘fn-f u.".«, L, ......m _ 1‘. ‘. .~ g .s‘. Jla.'.},&:o_\); L, 4.; quf‘1qt‘JLr/41‘);K’:;‘)-'J’ ~ .v .f. _,L A, .-‘,1' JL» _.J k” 4.: 4-b- !.,.;T,!< ., , asuuqk ‘51.; ..,._. . .‘I‘ ., ‘ 3. («I Z, L-'_~,1)H_'L] ..~.’;Ju_x..!nJY-'..(l_.-‘ 1-..»; v.3» . . . J J""“f" J..I.‘ec;‘.1 . m r 3 <r\_\(,! _, :‘L "3"“ Jr‘é ... ‘.— .. T mail? AH; .— \ , i — 2L... » -\ > _ a )0...) LL“~-.r .' » , 1 J‘L.» (”tfl,‘ '\ , r’\\‘\': '.“'t ‘.__. ( V l " 4 . . , ‘ _ _yf~ ‘_‘ 1 . ‘ 1‘ , ‘ ‘ I V ' r, z .I 'I a _" / ‘ , I, A// T\“ -..-:. 5." ‘ V:.f-pr 1. 4}- . . ‘3‘ ,4 ‘- ~' t » , v t

Letter dated 30. 9.1360 (21 December 1981) from the Government-operated Zam-Zam

Company of flu’rdz, addressed to the head office in Ighuzistdn, naming twelve Bahá’ís ‘who

insist that they want to continue to be members of the aberrant Bahaism; therefore they are dismissed’.

[Page 310]310 THE Bahá’í’ [WORLD

INVAY- ”k; g“ 3&4“an n/vxa 3:“ (JL-z—«lefi/ m03(_.l 931.25! 01.1-51.5 ‘3‘23 U1)“:

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/

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T

M.»LL;.l)-l‘).:_q;;,ftt;l,~.:q?fi:~:r .m: V1.5}: (1‘..!_rv.- ¢Li~r;.1;,;l>_. .x._.L___

1‘1L'PJLJJ*W¢J-'L9H (246:1‘1—3 4L(.|'.JL;') outgrow Cpl‘ffi’0J11lfjalj'ut‘kih'1WfJ‘5"":J""L';:~"°" L

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(vi)?

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Letter dated 15.6.1359 (6 September 1980) from the Islamic Revolutionary Court of the

District of Mara’g_hih conveying the verdict of the court concerning two Bahá’í women,

Ra ’fat Barqasa and Asiyih G_hulami, employees of the Government hospital, and stating

that they should be dismissed from their jobs because they are Bahd'z’s and should post a

cash bond pending the decision of the higher court regarding their actual penalty. The

two women refused to sign the verdict of the court and were released on bail of one million rials each.

[Page 311]7

INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA 1’ ACTIVITIES 311

((1))

wasvwf _.,.._t .mw . .. ‘ . A/ ‘ ww MW «m»- dww/iwu,;;

. ‘ , ‘ dakffiJ/V’Le

Order dated 21.2.1360 (11 April 198]) from the office of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development affecting Mr. Jala’l Payruvi—Mz’lam’, stating that ‘since you are a believer in the Bahá’í religion you are dismissed from the service of the Government’.

[Page 312]312 THE BAHA’I’ WORLD

N"

13/7/13 , b\(K 41L;

Car):

autemuxaworx

run a; nu

“ °JU’JOM £55194”;

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...b ¢pw34 wdfibwgbaglfl ALB £33 Ly eJaLu i us; 510,5? gab; b .191 c.2351 . #4.). 9,23, byi

‘ J}: “93”». 315 J?Mj‘infififisJ

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Letter dated 6.2.1361 (23 April 1982) signed by the general manager of the co-operative

company of window shutter manufactures, informing the recipient, Mr. Dihqdn, that ‘since

it is a religious obligation [for Muslims] to avoid having any business transactions with

members of the aberrant group of Bahaism, you are requested to clarify your religion and,

pending your written reply, the sales department of the company will not be able to sell any product to you.’

[Page 313]INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA’I’ ACTIVITIES 313

(:5 (c...) . \jts. .D "P weig’Kig’. $1! 1’51 M M, 15:2,.

Q3.

UN” : 0:.

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0X5 3v»? M”. u,-L.: «14.1. 99L di—«s‘zd www‘wy uB-WL‘ awwww-‘F‘Q'UJ'L; JMc‘O‘LJLbe‘JJ‘S “V1,? 2'.

‘JWW‘J‘M‘me 9.1%, #M‘

/. J..~'\- Jim» ',.J,A,E.J~«S .54.:ng 1;}

. JJJJWCJJJW‘ VflyitflL

Letter dated 188.1361 (9 November 1982) from the Council of Labour Unions of Kirmun, addressed to the Bahá’í’ owner of Ydrdn Hairdressers, stating that she has no licence and that ‘to avoid defiling Muslims by your touching them with your wet hands thus making them unclean, your business should be closed, as the Union does not wish to accept responsibility for Muslims being defiled (through their contact with you).’

[Page 314]314 THE BAHA’I’ WORLD

I fl / LESMSAMoeMpO (7” ' Sygfifi‘ W3) AC? of:

( [/90 (TEL: ‘27". (If/f,‘f;‘_’f"L I/L

I / \ I / / .r“ .‘ , . 1y] 7).” (P

yam»???’HtwrC1.-//,d,,/,2.,;Zzt/,JC) ,4: J_I

‘ ’ ‘ VIIJ'I 'r/mvbz writ» Cygmth 4/

/ w/ly / // d / f ) ) J ,l) ld‘jbl’Lj/r LU/l‘lf (:le ,9 X '7}, )NI’J’v/h c r j?) /

1/.” wt, /L/ .—/‘j/h_/4/ /‘-"/’ :/(7/r n"U h; V (://U \/ /r,,” ?;U’)lj/'(/,{" J’Jrjllu fl/l‘;J/9‘.‘ 'p/I'L’Vd/F/W/(hyt (J/ )

.,., ’2/(‘9/k ruin}?

, f’,

(/T’ \A._,l.r//t. /.'f - Q

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. (‘ 1'\1I‘\V’(VVV10 ‘n mwm Letter dated 9.3.1361 (30 May 1982) to its employees from Irasco Company naming five Bahá’ís and stating ‘after repeated persuasion during the four years since the establishment of the revolution in Irdn those five labourers insist that they wish to remain Bahá’í’s:

therefore, because they have not cut themselves off from Bahaism, they have no right to enter the factory.’

[Page 315]INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA’I’ ACTIVITIES 315

\‘ /0/\A..‘.s/\~1°Y

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1v.» “v.“ .31..k ‘ f . .‘ Wu!” 5);?!) paybawumm "17“") . I ”A 1 ' w t L. ._; u;/\,'z_u,)x.“ Li’)‘ v.1. L M. d“ J_JL L‘L. K T“. LIL , ‘ I ‘_ ‘_;_‘ ng 4,- -t: "'1“ n-2,.” J , .,« er . ‘ Q31“; 3» {lynx .2. J

Circular letter dated 4.6.1361 (26 August 1982) from the head of the Land Registry Ofi‘ice

in Tihran, circulating an order from the central Revolutionary Court of Tihroin authorizing

the confiscation of twelve Bahá’íhistorical and holy places in the city, including the Bahá’í cemetery.

[Page 316]316 THE BAHA’I’ WORLD

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Order dated 16.10.1359) (6 January 1981 ) from the Islamic Revolutionary Court of the District of Mz’ydn-Du-Ab, addressed to all registry offices in the district, prohibiting

u; ,

business transactions relating to any property belonging to ‘the aberrant group of Baha 1s.

[Page 317]INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA’I’ ACTIVITIES 317

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-' -|--'#1-’ L f )- \‘JL J‘ 2', V -‘ ":1. ‘“ ‘ |.“;' “L“

Letter dated 30.6.1361 (21 September 1983) from the Reconstruction Committee dismissing a Bahá’í, Mrs. Silamsz’ Asfl’yd-zCNasab, from her employment as a teacher and denying her the right to a pension. The document quotes a court verdict which states that the recipient has been condemned to death by the Revolutionary Court of Hamaddn because of her ‘membership in the Bahá’í administration; nevertheless, since her activities against the Islamic régime could not be proved, she is condemned to imprisonment for ten years.’

[Page 318]318 THE BAHA’I’ WORLD

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414/)..ugu lewuu burn.

T- ‘i YT / /U.)JJS,._3.AJ

\

Letter dated 18.2.1361 (8 May 1982) from the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs,

signed by the Director of Vocational Training of the Province of Mdzindardn, addressing a

tailoring shop belonging to Mrs. Farzdm‘h Bind’z’ and stating that ‘according to information

received by us it has been ascertained that you are a member of Bahaism, therefore on the

basis of Order No. F.A. 10544 your business license is being revoked from this date: 23.9.1360 (14 December 1981).'

[Page 319]INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA’I’ ACTIVITIES 319

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fix; wawh-t groin! $1:

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Letter dated 15.4.1361 (6 June 1982) from the Deputy Attorney-General Of the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Tabrt’z, addressed to the Pharmaceutical Department of Tabrt’z, stating that the payments owing to Mr. ‘Indyatu’lla’h ‘Azz’zz’ [ who had imported powdered

milk for the Government] should be stopped ‘because he is a Baha z.

n» ,

[Page 320]320 THE BAHA’I’ WORLD

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IJHH

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a JL—vr.‘ 9-5»: up» r ' .fl“‘ "“ ; ~-—‘\ -r.,./. Q ~ //i r. /' , 4W 7 , . <:"“‘/ 4 ’/,. g L/ ’ t ,-—— x. “1’ " II \\'\V\ , ‘\\.t_\ ‘-."\x u;.C,;{)(.l:.v'- ‘35;

Certificate issued on 1.5.1359 (23 July 1980) by the Council of the Rural Construction

Movement of the Province of Gilan, certifying that Mr. Rida’ Suhaylijan was a foreman in

the city of Iflzumam who performed his professional work to the satisfaction of the Council

and stating that the Council interviewed him for several hours about Bahaism and conveyed

to him its views about ‘this school of thought’, but since he insists on continuing as a

member of Bahá’í ‘he cannot work with the Council from this date: 1.5.1359 (23 July 1980).’

[Page 321]INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'I ACTIVITIES 321

”T "L‘ Ci)” ' W u ' ,, , wd/k/w/L) “’ I

Uh; W ‘0”:ij dewfizi:fi' WI? UI/Idur’tj/V I

22153293359323-emsézséliazzmfles

Hereby, MR9 Omid Roshan second year student of this college is deprived from education in this college by the reason of

belinving 1n stray sect of Bahai.

Chancellcgfi’c 119:;\ '1‘; Déi'éhfl

3‘1‘ 3 . .

Lp—rs' ‘1 W

‘ K s “ . {\‘.y\,‘r u“ "\.'.‘.4 _.. -.. U»,- u L— _ kn. ‘n. a ...

Undated letter in English from the Chancellor of the Talegani Centre ofMedical Instruction stating that ‘Mr. 0mid Roshan second year student of this college is deprived from

n; )

education in this college by reason of believing in stray sect of Baha z.

[Page 322]ii

322 THE BAHA 1 WORLD

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An undated petition signed by a Bahá’íparent, Mrs. Mimi, addressed to Branch Six of the

Ministry of Education, Tihran, stating that her son has been dismissed from elementary

school ‘because of our being Bahá’ís', and requesting advice from the Ministry as to where

she should send the child to ensure the continuation of his education. The reply recorded on

the petition, under the seal of the Department of Education of Tihran Province, states ‘We cannot register Bahá’í pupils. ’

[Page 323]INTERNATIONAL‘SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA’EACTIVHWES 323

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\ I . ‘ '« _ . 5,9“. Maw“ O’MXJ J; 9 Uiflu W t p; , UVL fl JL— JL‘

l. ' .' _ . . . _ . ..‘ P“); '—_'-'—x-_*~J(k;.~»:~l> - 4%“ Jl’v‘: 51*1‘W""“r‘)¢’ktl‘“f‘“) . JEfiJ‘JWa-‘A?Jiijc‘dyf QJ\JJJ,;§- ”‘2‘;li I .( (., : 09"“) um“, ‘w“"

A confidential letter dated 21.5.1360 (12 August 1981) from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

of the Islamic Republic of irdn, issued by the Deputy Of the Cultural and Consular Affairs

of the Ministry, Mr. Javdd Mangirt’, instructing all Iranian Consulates throughout the world not to issue or renew the passports Of Bahá’ís and ‘anti-revolutionaries’.

[Page 324]324 THE BAHA’I’ WORLD

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‘ : r ". M/wI/WW'“ 7 ”*4 3..., J”; (ML JBIQ‘MvaY’M «19.101

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Y #4 \.,. kellrt‘ifwl‘: {$3 .—Y

?Jéir-vfm oé‘w‘fli?‘ ‘J‘Mv‘vL 43‘: ~—i Y+IL¥¢~J55wfI:JL’.JL,-JJ3-JQ.'L|_°

‘ TMLc‘L‘f'I‘Lf‘fQJ'iM 6w ‘1"-*" vied}; flfz'j' —\

V J—v'ywfi w'w‘J'J-r’b- -—v VMQMW rg‘kfuéaa‘i‘ L: ——A

’LJ—M'VLu

Undated circular letter issued by the Ministry of Education of the Islamic Republic of Iran to all schools in Tihran for distribution to Bahá’í students. The form requires the pupils to answer the following eight questions:

Name and other particulars.

Are your parents Bahá’ís?

Are you a follower of Bahaism?

How many years have you been following this religion?

Do you discuss Bahaism in your classes?

Which of your close relatives are followers of Bahaism?

Are you ready to recant your religion?

Write any other necessary information.

@NQMIKWNF

[Page 325]INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA’I’ ACTIVITIES 325

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I I. I unu- nun.“ "nun.“ :.I.I.-2 9:

Ian .7 'nufl flung." r.-.-t nu...“ "sun: nunnn.”

Letter dated 21.1.1361 (1 April 1982) from the Vice-Chancellor of the University of

Magthad addressed to the Chancellorship Of the University, dismissing Mr. Hamid

Malikdn-Najafdba’dt’, a student of the medical school of the university, who has completed his third year of studies, because he belongs ‘to the aberrant Bahá’z’ group.’

[Page 326]326 THE BAHA’I’ WORLD

.s'vé‘m ”11} 1 (w)

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y: i: Jibvdlafih,»l.g.aw IJNLE—Ifaiwfilh'

. glwalgaéhl um;

P " fi “ Aviva)” r—Du-vu- “17/ i1 .‘ 3 ‘ ' .5 i 9 . / ' _( z . -. dud» ‘ / .— - ’ / 0-1 _ ' 3 “’U/HL’Jw' 11’7“” V f’fé’Oi J

°'\\/\—'/) /;_,¢.dir,/,(:/I (5,ng “'31:,“ ’9vflU/(f' '“L

Grade card dated 11.5.1361 (2 August 1982) of Jama’l Lhdbit-Sarvistdm’, a student of the

secondary school in the Tawhz’d Educational Complex in flu’ra’z, who passed the

examination with high grades. In his own hand, and under the seal of the school, the

Principal has written of this student, ‘Although his character is satisfactory, because he is a

member of the Bahá’í group and confesses being a Bahá’í he has been dismissed from the school.’

[Page 327]u '.-—' .r‘— 5.x

"nun PJL. \‘ / ,’i '—l k; e; w" ”I... 1].) ,_ At. . .1 9‘2— ,7» ‘4J_‘L‘rh .U , 1 w ,,_‘.._‘.. r ;. L_‘Lw‘. I 'm ‘t . , I‘ 1 I . 1 < _ '1,‘_,.;_-____ -._,~_ .uréH.._.'._,gwu_g'_t.~,g_._;‘,-uh~_;,._y_yi_.Jug; ‘ _ ' “Nflls " ‘1 . ,. . 1 “ayu—J‘flJé—n‘l-qu‘kuw)w_‘r’€2.35."'.~>A_.J.‘LS - ' . _’r' J L. * k ' _ [. ' _,,___,ufl. 1:1. ,, ,4 , . r?.?hfrwrly,’ ,ngm 4..L.-;,,.d .1. -. '.-'f_-»17',1':..-.. trur.» .., -L_.L...__..,h_ lmuy'y .-_~,; L- _u__l__"_,'..;_t__..‘ A_wf‘guu‘ ‘ ,,_ >‘ y'“yank._‘.rg‘".),.VLI-JMu,‘ __, _ ,L‘Iyurgg.‘ ygfrwrxiléwuy _, t . ,—IJ‘>—a,—>‘l¢£’;__~;h¢ .L,J,_‘_,_,.L_Lst_lu__ ,J.iuJ.iS.,Ln~t.k_‘v _,_.:._, 8.- t_y__'_.Vs‘..\__. m3. .1.” ~UJISL‘VLA41LT_L)L_‘£‘__»£.J)_~"EF)4 1‘", / ‘ .‘ L_xy‘fr‘ugb,_,_',',5.\.'!~.,4w,4m\i.»w'$7.... I /V , . / ’2' .,_u‘,>_'._.>,_.z',; J,.-_..;_.L._ ’" 1"" \ ,, /,

rru—v wJ—U‘..—.

Circular letter dated 4.5.1360 (26 J uly 1981) from the manager of the Government-operated Sipah Bank requiring all heads

of departments, deputies and ‘members of the Party of God’ to inform the authorities of the names of any members of the

staff who are Bahá’ís because they are ‘considered to be apostate and should be reported to the authorities.’ The letter threatens those who are negligent in discharging this ‘religious duty’.

SHIJJIAIJOV (I‘YHVH JANEIHHHO :IO AHAHDS 'IVNOLIAVNHELLNI

LZE

[Page 328]115;; .11.: dime.“ yuyyajlumu wwxniflb clfildvgéfy? , ML;

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. 2L9, 1- cLJyJ.;.:,-Jtyg,¢;;,

cLULJ' J ‘11—‘15; >tulalfg':ér2 62‘?

J—"L‘ LL. l—";J -‘-¢

Circular letter dated 10. 6. 1360 (I September 1981) issued by the Religious Court of the Islamic Revolutionary Courts of Kirmdnshah addressed to the Government— operated Zam- Zam Company of this city requiring all Bah d’z’ employees ‘to repent and write in their personal files that they are Muslims and believe in the Shi ite twelve- Imam sect, and in addition, to advertise the same, accompanied by their own photographs, in a large and widely distributed newspaper’; otherwise, they will be dismissed from employment. ‘The time

limit for this action is until the end of the month of Sliahrz’var 1360 (September 1981).’

8Z2:

1

,

G'IHOM I‘VHVfl 3H1,

[Page 329]INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA’I’ ACTIVITIES 329

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[Page 330]a

330 THE BAHA 1’ WORLD

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Foundation 'in Amul, stating that since the Balm I cemetery of the city, like all other properties of Umami' Company, has been confiscated, the caretaker Of the cemetery should be dismissed and n0 Bahá’í burials should be permitted hereafter, as the Foundation wishes

to initiate construction projects on that land.

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331

G. BAHA’T CHILDREN IN TIME OF PERSECUTION

Excerpts from letters written by Mrs. ghz’mis Mahmtidi1

10 June 1981 Dear Friends,

We are extremely busy these days and it pains me to think of not being able to write to you. We have so many overwhelming stories to relate, which are so glorious that one feels guilty about not being able to write them.

One of the greatest and most important features of the present persecutions is the tests which are facing the Bahá’í children. So much is written and told about the outstanding perseverance and degree of devotion of the adult believers, but little is said about our dear children—their encounters with difficulties, their courage, and their heroic deeds.

It is unbelievable that human beings could ever think of pressuring innocent children of such tender age in the way the people in the schools of Tran are doing at this time. Thousands of Bahá’í pupils are facing such inhuman afflictions. Most of them are very studious, are more knowledgeable than other children of their age, and have special insight. Many people, including their teachers, look at them with awe. The enemies of the Cause do not Eleny that the Bahá’í children are generally much more advanced than their fellow classmates, but they are not pleased with this fact. Sometimes it even happens that when government authorities complain about the activities of the Bahá’ís, they cite as examples the actions of our little ones and how they confront their Muslim teachers and fellow pupils.

What do these children do that makes them deserve these pressures? Most Bahá’í children know their Islamic religious lessons better than all their fellow students. They can read the Qur’án and interpret it better than their Muslim counterparts, sometimes even better than their teachers! The highest marks in Islamic religious study are given to the Bahá’í children. Their teachers are often very surprised to note that they excel in competitions in the reading of the Qur’án and in religious instruction examinations. Yes, they are frequently surprised, but at the same time they are extremely resentful.

' Mrs. grinus Mahmudr' was martyred in Ṭihrán on 27 December 1981.

When the teachers become angry, they challenge the Bahá’í students unfairly. The parents of these children ask their instructors how they have the audacity to confront children of ten or eleven years, and their reply is that the Bahá’í children sometimes know more than they do. They complain that in their classes the Bahá’í children are occasionally made prayer leaders and are nicknamed by their fellow students as ‘Ayatollahs’ because their understanding of the Qur’án is deep and their beautiful explanations of its verses overshadow those of the teachers.

This is exactly the problem! Bahá’í children with such intelligence, understanding and knowledge are not favoured by the ideologists of the Ministry of Education. According to them, such children should be ‘guided to the right path’. It is certain that this Ministry has adopted a detailed and menacing plan to brainwash the Bahá’í children. We have so much evidence of such a plan! It is surprising to note that the authorities of the present regime are spending so much time, energy and money to prepare themselves on ways to confront our young children. It is not uncommon for two or three instructors of religious classes or trained ideologists of the Ministry of Education, as well as a number of students, to join forces and suddenly attack a Bahá’í child of ten or eleven years. With all their power they try to shatter the very foundation of his beliefs. They will argue with him for hours, and even use unfair methods to ‘guide’ him. They are bewildered when they realize, however, that all their efforts are in vain, and they are wonder-struck at the replies they receive from these young ones, which include a number of verses from the Qur’án and quotations from the Bahá’í Writings.

Sometimes such discussions, between say a teacher in his thirties and his Bahá’í pupil of ten or eleven years of age, take place in the classroom. The teacher begins with a barrage of insults and calumnies against the Faith. The child, of course, does not passively accept these insults—he reacts! And, his protests are the beginning of a public discussion about the Faith between him and his teacher. Impressive responses are given by the Bahá’í

[Page 332]332 THE BAHA'I WORLD

child, which often makes the teacher speechless. This delights the other children. who applaud and sometimes cry ‘Hurrah!’ for the student who has overcome the mighty instructor. The teacher then becomes angrier and he leaves the Classroom and consults with other teachers, who come to his rescue. They call for the Bahá’í child at an hour when he has other classes, such as gymnastics or mathematics, to discuss the Faith. Here are three of them attacking one young child! They argue and argue. What a fair encounter!

The Bahá’í children in lrén have a full share of the persecutions befalling the Bahá’ís in that country. Even the performances of tots in the kindergarten—their courage, their chanting of prayers by heart, their singing of Bahá’í songs, and their good behaviour—make some of the teachers angry, and others, while irate, are filled with awe and admiration.

We pray that these children will always be able to withstand this unjust pressure. We have hundreds of examples to relate, but here are just a few.

1. Sémi is five years old. He is preparing himself in the kindergarten to be admitted into Grade 1 next year. He knows by heart six prayers, the short Obligatory Prayer, and a number of extracts from the Bahá’í Writings. He is intelligent, well-behaved, and quick to learn, and he recites what he has learned very eloquently.

An inspector was sent to his school by the Ministry of Education, and the teacher, in order to boast how successful he had been in teaching the children in his class, called Sémi’ to recite the verses he had learned. Sémi’s performance astonished the inspector. At the end, the teacher instructed Sémr’ to recite a poem which began with the sentence, ‘I am a Muslim child.’ Sémi gazed silently at his teacher without uttering a word. The teacher repeated his instruction, but Sémi remained silent. The teacher was very surprised and became uneasy in front of the inspector. He could not understand why Sémi, who had always excelled in learning and reciting poetry, now remained silent, and so he asked the reason. Sémi replied, ‘Because I am not a Muslim, 1 am a Bahá’í!’

The inspector left the room in anger and complained to the headmaster, who called Sémi’s mother' to the school. She was warned that Sémi should be instructed not to teach the Faith at the school. The mother did not know what had happened, but when she found out she naturally told Sémi that he should be more careful and not behave the way he did. But little Sémi, who had learned in the Bahá’í community what it meant to be steadfast, could not accept this and replied, ‘I am a Bahá’í and I will always tell people that I am, and if they bother me I will go to the nearest ‘police station and complain!’

. Ilahi is eight years old . . . Her father was

one of the three recent martyrs in Shi’raz. She is the only one of his children who was allowed to meet with her father on the day before his execution. The day after the funeral of her beloved father, Ilahi took to her school flowers and sweets to distribute to the teacher and her classmates. The teacher was surprised and asked if it is a Bahá’í custom to do such a thing when one’s father is killed? The little girl replied, ‘My father was not killed, he was martyred!’

. Akram, the eleven-year-old daughter of

one of the seven martyrs of Yazd, is another example of such heroism. After her father and the six others were martyred, she went to school and the teacher asked the students in her class to write an essay about their experiences during the summer vacation. Akram wrote a sweet and factual essay about what had happened to her family during the summer—how the Revolutionary Guards and others came to their house and took her beloved father away, how they kept him in prison for some time, how she met him. in prison, and finally about his martyrdom, Her essay was so moving that it brought tears to the eyes of the teacher and the children in her class. However, since the word ‘Bahá’í’ was written in the essay, the teacher, even though moved, was angry. She took the essay to the headmistress, and a few days later the headmistress called Akram to her

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room. She said, ‘Your essay deserves to receive the highest mark, but since you mentioned the word “Bahá’í” a few times, you should withdraw it.” Akram replied, ‘I was supposed to write about my experiences during the summer. Whatever I have written is the exact truth. My father was

killed because he was a Bahá’í!’

The headmistress threatened Akram with dismissal because of what she had said, but told her that because her mother had lost a husband, she would be permitted to remain in school. Eventually, the headmistress demanded that Akram write an essay on some other subject, which she did, and she was given an excellent grade.

. Arman, eleven years old, is another hero of the Faith. Three prejudiced and cruel teachers, one of whom was violent, argued with him and threatened and abused him because of his being a Bahá’í. When they felt they had punished him. adequately in this fashion, they took him to a room, gave him a booklet which was written against the Faith, and compelled him to write repeatedly from this booklet certain sentences which attacked the Faith in offensive language. This punishment became so great that Arman developed severe headaches, which the doctors said were caused by nervous pressure.

. Ru’ya has just become fifteen years old and is in the first year of secondary school. Her school is not in a remote village where prejudiced and uneducated people might be expected to live. It is in one of the prosperous localities north of Tihran and is supposedly more civilized. When this school had been opened for a few years, an instructor of religion entered a classroom of new students, and first asked, ‘Is there anyone in this class who does not belong to the true religion?’ Nobody replied. The instructor then said, ‘What I meant was, is there a Bahá’í in the class?’ Ru’ya stood up and announced that she was a Bahá’í. The teacher then said in abusing and insulting language, ‘Let it be known to all of you that Ru’ya is defiled and untouchable and none of you are to have any contact with

333

her.’ She demanded that Ru’ya sit in the back of the room at a desk by herself, and those who were sitting at that particular desk were given another place. The instructor stated that this arrangement was to be observed until the end of the year and that nobody was allowed to sit next to her.

I have asked some of these children to write about their experiences and the types of discussions they have had with their teachers and fellow students. A beautiful compilation has been made, and although it has been composed by these children in simple language, it demonstrates the depth of their understanding of the Faith and their profound love for Bahá’u’lláh.

3 November 1981

My dear Brother,

. . . I do not know where to begin, there is too much to be written about. In these days of constant- struggle our children are in the vanguard. They always produce wonders. What is transpiring here is exceptional. Where were these heroes before? They must have existed but it is only now that they are able to manifest their spiritual potentialities, to reveal their precious essence, to prove the validity of the spiritual training they received from their families.

Most of our children, in different degrees, have now been given opportunities in their schools to demonstrate their heroism. In the Land of Ya [Yazd], the home of the brave, opportunities abound. So far over one hundred of our children have been expelled from their schools because they are Bahá’ís. Their dismissal, which ordinarily one would expect would be the cause of sadness, has produced in them a joy and vitality which I cannot describe. Because of their response to their dismissal, all Yazd is shaken. Our precious children have shown such courage as to have caused all Yazd to wonder. It should be said that all these children are among the very best students in the city.They attained the highest marks, were known for their exemplary conduct and were recognized as being exceptionally talented and intelligent. This has given rise to the first question among the people of Yazd: Why should the best be expelled?

The second question in the minds of those

[Page 334]334

who have expelled them arises from the courage and perseverance of these young ones. Although they were dismissed from school in an atmosphere charged with hatred and prejudice, our children have, with a sense of pride and a consciousness of being related to the followers of Bahá’u’lláh, collected their books and school bags with placid joy and left the school, smiling and walking with a light step, while their non-Bahá’í’ school friends wept for them.

I have to interrupt this letter as the telephone is ringing.

(Later)

I have been informed that six members of the Local Spiritual Assembly of Tihran have been arrested. Never a moment of peace! What strength is required to be able to concentrate our thoughts and compose our feelings!

I was writing about our children. The believers of Yazd have told us that there are very few Bahá’í children in the city who are unhappy and cry—they are those who as yet have not been expelled from the schools.

The teachers, and even headmasters, are extremely upset by the instruction from the Ministry to dismiss Bahá’í children. One headmaster decided to resign after receiving the order to dismiss his Bahá’í students but he was firmly warned against tendering his resignation. However, on the day of the dismissal of the Bahá’í students he absented himself from school, having clearly stated that he had no wish to witness such an unjust action.

(Later)

I have been interrupted by another phone call. A husband and wife in Karaj have been executed by firing squad for their ‘Zionist’ activities. My thoughts immediately go out to Mr. and Mrs. who are imprisoned in Karaj. Is this news true? Is it about them? Until we. can verify this report, what anxiety we have to endure! The air is thick with rumours these days, none of them good. God knows what consternation fills our minds until we are able to verify the truth or falsehood of these rumours.

I’m sorry—I was diverted again. This is what is happening to our children:

THE BAHA’I’ WORLD

On the appointed day the teacher asks the class whether there are any Bahá’ís among the students. Our children—our patient, wellbehaved, faithful and steadfast childrenstand up and with great pride and courage introduce themselves as Bahá’ís. They are then sent to the office of the headmaster. The teachers, and sometimes the headmasters, are embarrassed and sad. In the office of the headmaster the children are first asked to deny their faith and continue their studies. These requests are in many instances expressed with love and concern because the staff in the school really like these distinguished and outstanding students and do not want to lose them. But what they hear from these children surprises them. The children announce that they are Bahá’ís, that they personally decided to be Bahá’ís, that they cannot lie and deny their faith, and that they are proud of what they believe! At this point the headmaster and teachers have no alternative but to sign the order expelling them.

These children range in age from seven to seventeen or eighteen. It is a sight to see how cheerfully the Bahá’í children leave the school with no sense of shame, while their non-Bahá’í’ fellow students look on thoughtfully, some even weeping. Disturbances occur in the classroom after the Bahá’í children leave, and challenging discussions take place between the remaining pupils and their teachers. The children put questions until the end of the school day and the discussion is carried out to the streets. The non-Bahzi’l’ students invariably ask: ‘Isn’t it true that we are supposed to have freedom of belief? What’s wrong with the Bahá’í children—don’t they worship God and pray? Why are they being dismissed?‘ The children carry their questions home. Their queries spread to all parts of the city and are taken up in the streets and the bazaars.

The parents of the dismissed Bahá’í children—themselves the essence of patience and steadfastness—exclaim with pride: ‘What we have failed to achieve, our children are now achieving!’ They praise the children with candour and love. I doubt whether in the history of any society such honour has been heaped upon children of so tender an age. The parents remark: ‘It is true that in the 138 years since the beginning of our Faith we have endured many hardships, but we have never

[Page 335]INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA’I’ ACTIVITIES

been so successful as our children in proclaiming to the masses of the people of Yazd the exalted character of the Bahá’í Revelation, nor have our actions resulted, as have our children’s, in creating an atmosphere in which the Faith is being discussed so openly among the people in the streets and bazaars. Our persecuted children have succeeded in breaking through the barrier of prejudice of the hard-hearted people of this city.’

The parents go on to exclaim: ‘The events of the past have made us conservative and cautious; it is our children who have changed the atmosphere.’ . . . This change had its early beginnings last year when the martyrs shed their blood on the soil of Yazd. This change cannot be measured by existing standards.

A programme of study has been arranged for our children at home; they are learning with great speed and progressing in all fields of knowledge. They will surely surpass their fellow students who are still in school. More important than this, we have promised ourselves to help these children become so well versed in the Holy Writings that each will become the envy of scholars. There is no doubt that this will come to pass.

Let me tell you something about the adults. The Bahá’í men and women—particularly the women—are facing tribulations with such equanimity that no comparable example can be found even among the legendary heroines of the past. These women are in fact creating new legends through their patience, steadfastness, love and detachment. They have conquered the hearts of everyone and won the praises of all. The forces of hatred have been vanquished by the power of their faith. When they are looted of their property, furniture and belongings they part with them as they would with outworn dolls and playthings, looking on as though they were mere spectators They shower love upon those who come to take away their belongings as might an affectionate and indulgent parent who with a smile will give a worthless toy or plaything to a naughty child. It appears that they even enjoy the naughtiness of these children.

Such behaviour has greatly influenced the hearts of the looters who are not great in number. Mr. K.— that heartless man who is the leader of those who are executing the

335

Bahá’ís and confiscating their properties, and whose main task is to uproot the Faith in Yazd —is often seen entering the homes of the Bahá’ís, knocking upon their doors at any hour of the day or night. He has become such a familiar figure that the Bahá’ís jest with him, saying, ‘You have become one ofus!’ He even knows the nicknames Of the Bahá’í children. If he does not make an appearance for some time the Bahá’ís tell him they miss him. Although Mr. K. comes to take away their property or to send their loved ones to prison, they are pleasant to him, joke with him, enquire about his health. They even tell him that one day he should become a Bahá’í in order to understand the significance of what he is now doing.

. . The Bahá’ís Of Yazd say that this unfeeling man, Mr. K., is treated by them as a member of the family. When he comes to seize their furniture the young men of the family help him carry out the heavier pieces; when he arrives they invite him to join them at the table and give him sweets, fruits, even meals. After he has eaten he goes around the house and selects the furniture he wants to take away. If he does not have a vehicle available he gestures toward the selected articles of furniture and tells the owner, ‘These are my trust with you; keep them safely until I return.’ He sometimes even proposes that the family might buy back the furniture from him.The behaviour of the longsuffering Bahá’ís in these appalling circumstances is unprecedented. They recognize that they are indeed giving away worthless trinkets, as to an ignorant child.

The Bahá’ís whose homes have been confiscated do not leave the city but move to a small dwelling place, wherever they can find refuge . . . Almost all the Bahá’í men have been required to leave the city and this has provided the children, youth and women an opportunity to prove their courage and valour. How proud we are of them! What a creation has Bahá’u’lláh raised up! Such conduct has been unheard of, even in legends. When the Bahá’ís Of Yazd themselves relate these events they express amazement at the change in themselves. The people of Yazd have the reputation of being economical and thrifty; it is said that two families of Yazd could fight between themselves over posses [Page 336]336

sion of a valueless stick of wood. But look at them now! They have given up everything to show their love for Bahá’u’lláh. When one extends sympathy to them they express surprise, remarking that what they have parted with is worthless. They do not even denounce the thieves and looters when referring to them.

I cannot overlook mentioning a mother and daughter who are in prison—they are examples. The daughter is sixty years old and the mother is over eighty. The fact of imprisoning such elderly innocent women is in itself very strange, but it has been done. These women are Bahá’ís of Zoroastrian background. All their possessions were confiscated and they are now in the women’s prison with over one hundred prisoners of all kinds.

A few months ago a release order was issued for the mother, but she refused to leave unless her daughter was also released. so they remained in prison. Only ten days ago the authorities at last gave permission for them to receive occasional visitors.‘

Bahá’í visitors have witnessed the old woman embracing and demonstrating affection to the policewoman, before she would come forward to meet her visitors. During the course of the visit the old woman noticed a young male guard who was supposed to control the visitors. In her special Parsi—Yazdi accent she maternally addressed complimentary remarks to him with such obvious love and sincerity that the young man was visibly uncomfortable and ashamed. She remarked to her visitors, ‘I always thought that mothers could really love only their own children, but I have come to feel genuine love for these young men who are

THE BAHA‘I’ WORLD

on duty.’ The young guard had nothing to say, but stood with bowed head.

The fire of sincere love is melting the ice of hatred. Then with remarkable candour this old woman, more than eighty years of age, said to her visitors, ‘Tell everybody that Bahá’u’lláh has enabled me to perform miracles. Tell them that the Bahá’í prayers which I copy out for the sick ones in this prison cause them to become cured.” She related how one of the guards sought her out excitedly to tell her his story. ‘I was searching for you,’ he said. ‘I wanted to tell you that the prayers you wrote out for me and my wife a year ago have been answered and our wish to have'a baby is fulfilled. This has made it unnecessary for me to divorce my wife for her inability to conceive a child.’

In the evenings the women prisoners crowd together around the mother and daughter and ask them to tell them stories and speak to them. They speak most beautifully and with such a sweet accent that nobody wants to go to sleep. Even the guards do not object.

When Sarafréz, the mother, has a visitor, she begs them to bring fruit from her orchard in order to make a feast for the prisoners. The old woman does not know that her orchard and other properties have been confiscated. But the visitors know what to do. They purchase large quantities of fruit so she can provide hospitality to her fellow prisoners. When have you heard stories like this?

Glad tidings! Glad tidings! The climate of this city in the midst of the desert is changed and the perfume of the love of God has filled all corners. In my next letter I will write you more such stories—if I am still alive, or free

[Page 337]INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA‘I’ ACTIVITIES

b.) b.) \1

H. DETAILED SUMMARY OF ACTIONS TAKEN BY THE BAHA'I’ INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY. NATIONAL AND LOCAL Bahá’í INSTITUTIONS, GOVERNMENTS, NON-Bahá’í ORGANIZATIONS AND PROMINENT PEOPLE IN CONNECTION WITH THE PERSECUTION OF THE BAHA‘I’S OF iRAN

September 1978—April 1983

September

— United States—The National Spiritual Assembly sent a message to the Ambassador of Írán in Washington reporting on disturbances in Iran, expressing the concern of the Bahá’ís in the United States, stressing the non-involvement of Bahá’ís in political affairs, and stating they were relying on the justice and ability of authorities in Train to protect the lives, properties and rights of the Bahá’ís there.

November

— The Bahá’í International Community released a statement to the news media about the disturbances in Iran involving members of the Bahá’í community.

— United States—The National Assembly informed President Carter about the situation, offered to send a delegation to the

February

— United States—Senator Dole issued an appeal to President Carter to help Jewish, Christian and Bahá’í communities in fran.

— National and Local Assemblies, as well as individual Bahá’ís, offered articles to the media, letters to editors and statements to radio and television, repudiating falsehoods

about the Faith and providing the true facts.

March

— United States—The House of Representatives of the State of Illinois adopted a resolution deploring the persecution of the Bahá’ís' in Trim and petitioning President Carter to request Ayatollah Khomeini and the Iranian Government to recognize the Faith as a religious movement and to assure the people of iran that all religious minorities including the Bahá’í Faith will have full

White House, and asked for his intercession and requested him to convey the concern of the Bahá’ís t0 the Iranian Government.

December

— Assemblies—National Assemblies pursued a well—organized campaign of approaching the media, providing them with accurate information about the Faith.

— Most National Assemblies cabled the Prime Minister of train expressing their concern and appealing for assistance in safeguarding the lives of the Bahá’ís and protecting the Bahá’í Holy Places in train.

— The Bahci’z’ International Community shared the above information with the SecretaryGeneral of the United Nations and appropriate UN offices, urging them to intervene on behalf of the Bahá’ís in trén.

1979

political, cultural and religious rights. Copy of this document went to President Carter and Secretary of State Cyrus Vance.

— 22 United States Senators wrote to the Prime Minister of fran asking his intervention regarding the persecution of religious and ethnic minorities, including the Bahá’ís.

April

— Alaska—A resolution was passed by the Senate of the State of Alaska and_was sent to President Carter and the Secretary of State, expressing concern regarding the persecution of the Bahá’ís in Train and appealing to the United States Government to use its efforts to stop religious persecution and restriction of human rights in iran.

[Page 338]338 THE Bahá’í’ WORLD

May

— Assemblies—30 National Spiritual Assemblies sent cables to the Prime Minister of lran with a copy to the Iranian Embassy or Consulate in their countries offering to send a delegation to explain the Bahá’í position and convey the deep concern of the Bahá’ís for the safety of Bahá’í Holy Places in irzin.

— The Bahá’í International Community sent a letter to the Iranian representative of the United Nations regarding the above and sought an interview.

— 30 National Assemblies again contacted their Iranian Embassies or Consulates, in writing, about the proposed Constitution of iran omitting the Bahá’í Faith as a minority religion, for transmittal to the Iranian authorities. They also offered to send a delegation to the Embassy or Consulate, and meetings subsequently took place in many of these countries.

— Bahá’í International Community—a cable was sent to the Prime Minister of lran outlining the Bahá’í position in respect to accusations levelled against the Bahá’ís of lrén.

June

— Assemblies—104 National Assemblies and over 10,000 Local Assemblies sent cables to Ayatollah Khomeini regarding the expropriation of Bahá’í properties in lran.

— National Assemblies intensified their publicity campaigns about the above.

— Switzerland—Swiss Parliamentarians issued a statement about the Bahá’í religious minority in lran, expressing their concern and hope that in future the Bahá’ís would enjoy freedom and have their rights recognized. Most European National Spiritual Assemblies attempted to obtain similar statements from their Parliamentarians.

— A letter was sent from the SecretaryGeneral of the International Commission of Jurist: to the Prime Minister of him expressing the hope that the new Constitution for Iran would include provisions ‘to safeguard the rights of minorities, whether ethnic, religious, or of other kinds, with effective remedies for their enforcement’. He went on to say that ‘these rights should be extended to those minorities which may at times have incurred unpopularity, such as

the members of the Bahá’í Faith. We would

urge that, in accordance with the wellknown Islamic traditions of tolerance, they should also be assured such rights and protection.‘

July — Assemblies—42 National Spiritual Assem blies cabled the Iranian Embassy or Consulate in their countries expressing their concern for the growing persecutions in lran and appealing to them for the restitution of the National Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds in iran and other properties and the recognition of the Bahá’í Faith as a minority religion. Many National Spiritual Assemblies offered help to Iranian students residing in their countries, since their funds had been cut off because of the Iranian Government freezing the assets of Nawnahalan Co.

17 National Spiritual Assemblies sent a copy of an open letter (prepared by the National Spiritual Assembly of lran and distributed in fran to the press, appropriate governmental authorities, prominent people, etc., clarifying the position of the Bahá’í’s in the Cradle of the Faith) t0 the Iranian Bahá’ís in their areas.

Hawaiian [slands—The Governor wrote to President Carter expressing the concern of the National Spiritual Assembly and Local Spiritual Assemblies in Hawaii about the persecution of their fellow Bahá’ís in lrén.

August — Assemblies—42 National Spiritual Assem blies continued their active proclamation of the Faith, expressing their hope that provision would be made in the new Iranian Constitution for the protection of. the true civil rights of the Bahá’í community of Írán. 42 National Spiritual Assemblies sent cables to Ayatollah Khomeini and the Prime Minister of train as well as to the Iranian Embassy or Consulate in their countries, regarding the imminent demolition of the House of the Báb in Shi’raz, conveyed this information to Government officials of their countries and shared a press release with all media.

60 additional National Spiritual Assemblies later sent cables to Ayatollah Khomeini regarding the above.

— 42 National Spiritual Assemblies informed

Government officials and the media about

[Page 339]INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA‘I’ ACTIVITIES

damages to the House of the Báb, urging the Iranian Government to return the House to the Bahá’ís.

— 43 National Spiritual Assemblies contacted Government officials, their respective Iranian Embassy or Consulate and the media in their countries regarding the fact that the new Iranian Constitution did not include the Bahá’ís as a religious minority.

— United States—Many Senators and Congressmen protested to the President and Department of State concerning the plight of the Iranian Bahá’ís.

September

— Switzerland—The Human Rights Commission of'the Federation of Protestant Churches in Switzerland issued a declaration on the state of religious minorities in lran specifically about the state of the Bahá’ís in lran.

October

— Assemblies—43 National Spiritual Assemblies contacted officials and the press, refuting accusations made against the Bahá’ís in lrén.

— Austria—A delegation of the National Spiritual Assembly met with the authorities of the Iranian Embassy.

— Trinidad and Tobago—A protest was made by the Bureau on Human Rights to the UN Division of Human Rights in New York.

— United Kingdom—The Prime Minister expressed the concern of the Bahá’ís to the lranian Ambassador and asked what action could be taken.

339

— United States—A letter was sent to the Prime Minister of lran signed by 28 States Senators.

— An address was made by a Congressman in the House of Representatives of the United States.

November

— Assemblies—ZS National Spiritual Assemblies shared with Government authorities copies of correspondence received from the Iranian Embassy in their countries, as well as replies made.

— 95 National Spiritual Assemblies sent cables to the Secretary of the Revolutionary Council and the Minister of Foreign Affairs in lran regarding the further demolition of the House of the Báb, despite assurances by the Government that it would be protected.

— Canada—A debate was held in the House of Commons.

— United States—A delegation of the National Assembly met with officials at the Iranian Embassy in Washington DC.

December

— Luxembourg—A statement was issued from all 3 Parliamentary parties expressing their concern regarding the situation in lran and asking that the rights of the Bahá’í community be protected through the new Iranian Constitution.

— An address was made by a Congressman in the House of Representatives of the United States.

1980

June

— Assemblies—43 National Spiritual Assemblies sent delegations to the Iranian Embassy 0r Consulate in their countries expressing their concern regarding the freedom and safety of the Bahá’ís of lran. They also wrote letters to be transmitted to the Iranian Government by the Embassy or Consulate

— 7 National Spiritual Assemblies contacted the highest officials of their Governments dealing with foreign affairs.

— 8 National Spiritual Assemblies sent cables to Ayatollah Khomeini, the President and Head of the Revolutionary Council in lrén

regarding articles in Le Monde and in Iranian newspapers, conveying their concern about the fate of the Iranian Bahá’ís, asking them to take measures to protect them. They also shared a copy of these cables with their Iranian Embassy and informed the news media.

— 95 National Spiritual Assemblies, on behalf of the Bahá’ís in their communities, cabled Ayatollah Khomeini, the President of lran and the Head of the Supreme Court about the ominously increasing pressures against the Bahá’ís in lran; 41 of these National Spiritual Assemblies sent copies of these cables to the Iranian Embassies in their

[Page 340]340

countries, and 87 of them sent copies to high officials and the media.

87 National Spiritual Assemblies enlisted the support of prominent leaders and contacted the media regarding the continuation of the wave of persecutions.

16 European Assemblies approached the Council of Europe regarding the above. The Bahá’í International Community conveyed to appropriate offices and individuals the plight of the Bahá’í’s in lran. Canada—A resolution was adopted by the Parliament and forwarded to the UN Secretary-General.

lndia—A letter was sent from a former Chief Justice to the Secretary-General of the UN, proposing to raise the question of the Bahá’í persecutions on an international level by protest of judges and jurists of the world.

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands—The Governor wrote to President Carter asking that appropriate action be taken to focus world attention on the plight of Bahá’ís of lran.

Netherlands—9 political factions of the Dutch Parliament, comprising 148 of the total 150 members, signed a letter to the Iranian Embassy expressing concern about the growing number of executions of members of religious minorities in him and specifically mentioning the Bahá’ís.

The Government of Western Samoa asked its Ambassador in the UN to lodge a com THE BAHA’I’ WORLD

asked the Iranian Charge d’Affaires to inform the Iranian Government of the Australian Government’s concern about the persecutions of the Bahá’ís in lran. Luxembourg—A letter was sent from the Ministry of Cultural Affairs to the Ambassador of lran in Luxembourg asking his intervention with the Iranian Government, and asking that the persecution of the Bahá’í’s cease.

September —— Assemblies—Regarding 8 martyrs in Yazd

——93 National Spiritual Assemblies sent cables to the President and Prime Minister in lran; 87 of them contacted Government officials and protested to their respective Iranian Ambassador 0r Consul; 89 of them stepped up their publicity campaign and placed articles about the Faith in widelyread magazines and periodicals; and 3 Assemblies included the relatives of martyrs in their publicity projects.

Australia—A motion (notice given) was made in the House of Representatives. Europe—UN Sub—Commission 0n the Prevention of Discrimination and the Protection of Minorities, Geneva—A resolution was passed on 10 September.

European Parliamem—A resolution was adopted on 19 September.

Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe—A resolution was tabled on 29 September.

plaint about persecutions of all minorities in October / Iran, — Canada—‘Iran’s Secret Pogrom’ was pre sented 0n WSTV network. August

— Assemblies—96 National Spiritual Assemblies sent cables to the President and Prime

November — Assemblies—Sé National Spiritual Assem Minister of lrén protesting the arrest of all members of the National Spiritual Assembly of lran and two Auxiliary Board members. All but 8 of these Assemblies contacted the officials in their countries, and 86 sent copies of the above cables to their respective Embassy or Consulate and requested an interview, and shared the news with the mass media. 16 of these Assemblies informed their respective representatives of the Council of Europe and the European Parliament. .

— Australia—The Minister for Foreign Affairs

blies informed Government authorities about the problems facing the displaced Iranian Bahá’ís and many of them appointed committees to assist the friends. The National Spiritual Assemblies of Canada and Australia have worked with the immigration authorities in their countries to expedite the processing of applications of Iranian Bahá’ís for immigration into their countries.

43 National Spiritual Assemblies sent letters to their respective Iranian Ambassador 0r Consul regarding the recrudescence of the persecutions, shared the news with the

[Page 341]INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA’I’ ACTIVITIES 341

media and enlisted the support of eminent figures in humanitarian, business and professional circles who pledged use of their influence to help. They also maintained contact with Government officials.

December — Assemblies Regarding the martyrdom Of the Ma’sumi’s—Zl National Spiritual As

1981

January

— Assemblies—44 National Spiritual Assemblies and the Bahá’í International Community contacted the media, medical organizations, etc. in connection with the assassination of Professor Manugihr Ḥakím which occurred on 12 January 1981.

— 21 National Spiritual Assemblies stepped up their contacts with authorities, organiza semblies informed officials of their Governments and attempted to induce the news media to make efforts to obtain a report from their representatives in Iran if possible. The Bahá’í International Community informed the Human Rights Division of the United Nations, expressing the concern of the world-wide Bahá’í community over the fate of innocent Bahá’ís,

of the Commission on the question of missing and disappeared persons. Statements were also made at this session on the question of violation of human rights and fundamental freedoms by Viscount Colville of Culross (United Kingdom), representatives of the Netherlands, Canada and Australia, the Bahá’í International Community and the observer for iran.

tions and the media regarding the assas— March

sination of Professor Ḥakím and their apprehension about the Bahá’ís in iran losing their jobs because of their Faith.

February

— Assemblies—44 National Spiritual Assem- blies used documents from iran (which provide evidence of the persecution of the Bahá’ís) in their approaches to the authorities.

— Amnesty International issued a press release

regarding the execution of C01. Vahdat reported to have occurred on 18 March but denied on 19 March.

Hawaiian Islands—The director of the Bahá’í Public Relations Department gave a report on the persecution of the Iranian Bahá’ís as a part of the 30-minute report ‘Genocide in the World’ on KGMB-TV.

— 45 National Spiritual Assemblies informed A . pnl

authorities'and the media about the execution of two of the friends from Abadih. The Bahá’í International Community con — Europe—European Parliament—A second

resolution was passed on 10 April.

veyed this information to the appropriate May United Nations agencies. — Assemblies——Regarding the imminent obli — 98 National Spiritual Assemblies sent cables to Ayatollah Khomeini askng his intervention in the matter of the High Court of Justice in Ṭihrán upholding the verdict of the Shíráz court to execute two Bahá’ís. 16 of these Assemblies contacted appropriate officials and governmental agencies, and 54

used the information in their proclamation efforts.

— Australia—The Senate adopted a resolution deploring the persecution of the Bahá’ís of iran.

— Europe—UN Human Rights Commission, Geneva—The Bahá’í International Community made a statement at the 37th session

teration Of the site of the House of the Báb, 100 National Spiritual Assemblies brought the matter to the attention of their Governments and the media, and 85 of them sent a cable to the nearest Iranian Embassy asking it to convey to him the profound concern of the Bahá’ís over the persecutions.

Regarding the 7 martyrs of Hamadén—IOO National Spiritual Assemblies sent cables to Ayatollah Khomeini requesting his personal intervention, and sent a copy of the cable to the nearest Iranian Embassy with a letter appealing for their assistance. 118 sent cables to the Secretary—General of the United Nations, asking him to arrange to

[Page 342]342

send a special representative or a UN Commission to 1ran to ascertain the facts and assist the Bahá’ís. Thousands of Local Spiritual Assemblies, groups and isolated centres sent similar cables. 43 Assemblies shared copies of the cables with their Governments, appealing to them to make their own pleas to the Iranian authorities and to urge the Secretary-General of the United Nations to take action; and shared copies with the media on national and local levels; with humanitarian organizations concerned with human rights; and prominent people of goodwill. 100 shared by letter to appropriate UN offices copy of the cable to the Secretary-General from their Assemblies and samples of cables from their Local Spiritual Assemblies.

21 National Spiritual Assemblies cabled the Iranian Embassy for transmittal to fran expressing their shock over 3 more executions. They also maintained contact with their Governments, urging them to use measures open to them, and intensified their publicity campaigns.

21 National Spiritual Assemblies registered the protest of the entire Bahá’í world to their Governments, respective Iranian Embassies and the mass media regarding the execution of 4 more Bahá’ís.

The Bahá’í International Community prepared a brief general statement for the Dutch representative to the United Nations for transmittal to Ambassadors in Ṭihrán. Europc—Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe—A resolution was tabled on 14 May.

France—A letter was sent from Action by Christians for the Abolishment Of Torture t0 Ayatollah Khomeini, referring to the inhumane treatment of Bahá’ís. Germany—A resolution was adopted by the German Federal Parliament.

United Kingdom—A letter was written to the UN Secretary-General by the President of Trinity College, and was signed by 12 heads of other colleges in Oxford, England. United States—A cable was sent to Alexander Haig, Department of State, from the Commission on Social Action of Reform Judaism.

— The Pacific Conference of Churches sent a letter to the UN Secretary—General.

'I‘HE Bahá’í’ WORLD

— A publication of the irdn Committee

for Democratic Action and Human Rights urged widespread protests against violations of basic rights of the religious minorities in Iran.

— A letter was written to the UN Secretary General by the President of the Wilmette Rotary Club urging intervention by the United Nations to prevent further violations to the human rights of the Bahá’ís,

June — United Kingdom—A member of Parliament

tabled an ‘early day motion” in the House of Commons ‘calling upon Her Majesty’s Government to make urgent representations to the Iranian Government to give the Bahá’í community legal recognition and protection under the provisions of the UN Convention on Human Rights and put an end to the persecution of members of the Bahá’í community”.

July — Assemblies—All National Spiritual Assem blies received a copy of the resolution adopted by the European Parliament and most of them used this document in their contacts with the authorities and the media. 21 National Spiritual Assemblies informed their Governments of two more executions and Of the steadily deteriorating situation. All National Spiritual Assemblies received a copy of the resolution passed by the German Parliament deploring the persecutions of the Bahá’í’s in Him and 86 of these Assemblies used this document in their approaches to the authorities.

Canada—A second resolution was unanimously adopted by the House of Commons condemning the persecution of the Bahá’ís, particularly deploring the desecration of the House of the Báb.

Belgium—The Minister of Foreign Affairs sent a letter to the National Spiritual Assembly in response to the King’s request to answer question—besides supporting the action of the European Economic Community (EEC), the diplomatic representative was given instructions for the protection of members of the Bahá’í community. Germany—A letter was written to the National Assembly from the Foreign Minister, Hans—Dietrich Genscher.

[Page 343]INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT Bahá’í ACTIVITIES 343

— Netherlands—A resolution on the religious

persecutions in Iran was passed by the International Association for Religious Freedom at its Congress in Holland.

— United Kingdom—A letter was written to the UN Secretary-General by the Master of Balliol College in Oxford, England.

— A resolution was passed in a meeting of the House of Commons.

— United States—A speech was made from the floor of the House of Representatives.

August

- Assemblies—Zl National Spiritual Assemblies shared with their Governments and the media the news of the perilous situation in Yazd.

21 National Spiritual Assemblies encouraged or engaged well-known journalists to write articles about the Faith.

30 National Spiritual Assemblies began setting up Persian Relief Funds in their countries.

21 National Spiritual Assemblies shared with their Governments reports on the imprisonment and summary trials of some of the martyrs.

Australia—A resolution was adopted by the House of Representatives.

Europe—UN Sub-Commission 0n the Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities, Geneva—A statement was made by the Bahá’í International Community on Agenda item 6.

France—President Mitterrand wrote to the National Assembly.

16 French-speaking National Spiritual Assemblies received French President Mitterrand’s letter and shared the contents with the authorities in their countries.

brought to the attention of their Governments news of the dire developments in Yazd.

Most National Spiritual Assemblies informed the media of the above. Australia—Representation in connection with the persecution of the Bahá’ís in iran was made by the National Spiritual Assembly to the heads of the Commonwealth Governments when they met in Australia in September/October. Bahamas—lnformation about the persecution of the Bahá’ís in iran was presented to some of the 42 heads of delegations attending the Commonwealth Finance Ministers’ Conference.

Central African Republic—A letter was received from the Minister of Missions and Religious Organizations saying that the Government would support within all branches of the UN respect for the principle of freedom of conscience, and for protection against the violation of human rights. Europe—UN Sub—Commission 0n the Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities, Geneva—A resolution was adopted on 9 September.

Germany—TV ‘Weltspiegel’—an original BBC videotape was viewed with a commentary in German.

Luxembourg—A letter was received from the President of the Government of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg condemning the persecutions ‘by reason of religion’, and outlining steps it is taking to help the Iranian Bahá’ís.

United States—Newsweek article, 22 Sept. 1981.

An interview .was held with Glenford Mitchell on WBBM TV on the persecution of Iranian Bahá’ís. Focus Report.

September — Assemblies—40 National Spiritual Assemblies used, in their approaches to Govern October — Assemblies—Zl National Spiritual Assem ment officials, documents providing evidence regarding the persecution of Bahá’í students in Train and abroad.

blies shared with Government officials information about the broadcast on ‘Voice of America’ regarding a new campaign to

exterminate Bahá’ís in Iran.

— 21 National Spiritual Assemblies shared with Government officials and the media news regarding further acts of persecution.

— Bangladesh—A letter was sent from the High Commissioner of Canada for Bangla — 21 National Spiritual Assemblies shared with the media news about the execution in train of 6 more Bahá’ís.

— 21 National Spiritual Assemblies, especially in countries involved with the Council of Europe and the European Parliament,

[Page 344]344

desh expressing sympathy and ‘extending a helping hand’.

— Italy—A letter was sent from the Undersecretary of State to member of Parliament Mr. Fiandrotti regarding steps the Italian Government has taken to assist the Bahá’ís. UN General Assembly—Reference to the persecution of the Bahá’ís in iran was made by the United States alternate representative of the United Nations in the Third Committee of the 36th session of the Assembly, on the ‘Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination’. Statements were also made by the representative from Fiji, and by the representative from the United Kingdom, on behalf of the member States of the European Economic Community.

November — Amnesty International published a large

article about the Bahá’ís of train written by Curt Goering of its Washington DC. office. Assemblies—Zl National Spiritual Assemblies informed their Governments about the building of the road through the site of the House of the Báb, the issuance by the Iranian Government to its Consular representatives throughout the world of an order to compile a list of Bahá’ís and refrain from extending passports of Iranian Bahá’ís, the raiding of the National Spiritual Assembly office in iran and the arrest of 6 members of the Local Spiritual Assembly of Tihran.

Costa Rica—The Minister of Justice sent a letter to the National Assembly saying he will willingly collaborate in the task of denouncing the violation of human rights of the Bahá’ís of tram.

Finland—An enquiry was made by eleven members of Parliament to the Speaker of the Parliament, requesting that the members of the Cabinet advise them what action it plans to take to condemn the persecutions Of the Bahá’ís in train.

Iceland—A Bahá’í delegation visited the President, and the friends received an unprecedented amount of publicity. irdn—The Dutch Ambassador in Tihran conveyed the concern of his Government over the fate of the Bahá’í community of Him.

THE BAHA’I’ WORLD

— Luxembourg—An interview was held with

attorney Robert Krieps, lawyer and deputy of the Chamber of Deputies, regarding Iranian Bahá’ís living in Luxembourg. Iranian nationals who hold Luxembourg ID. cards can stay in the country, but may not travel abroad.

The Netherlands—A letter was received from the Minister of Foreign Affairs sharing the alarm of the Bahá’ís, and mentioning the raising of the matter by the TEN European countries at the UN General Assembly.

Thailand—The Hand of the Cause Collis Featherstone met with Ambassadors of Canada and Australia in Bangkok, Thailand, establishing friendly contacts and receiving assurances of the interest and sympathy of their respective Governments. UN General Assembly—Statements were made in the Third Committee of the 36th session of the Assembly under ECOSOC Report; Human Rights situations, by representatives of the following countries: Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Sweden.

A resolution was adopted by the UN General Assembly (Third Committee): ‘the Elimination of All Forms of Religious Intolerance.’

December — Alaska—The Auke Bay Local Spiritual

Assembly had a 10-minute interview on KINY-TV.

— Amnesty International telexed most of its

national sections calling for action regarding members of the Bahá’í Faith in iran and the arrest of the 8 members of the National Spiritual Assembly. The recommended action was: telegrams and airmail letters to Iranian authorities asking for clarification of the reasons for the arrest of these Bahá’ís and their present whereabouts.

— Assemblies—Many National Spiritual As semblies asked their Governments for help in dealing with Bahá’ís holding Iranian passports.

21 National Spiritual Assemblies informed the media and Government officials that the Bahá’í cemetery in Tihran had been seized and the House of Bahá’u’lláh in Tékur had

[Page 345]INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT Bahá’í’ ACTIVITIES 345

been demolished. Many other National Spiritual Assemblies later took similar action.

Many National Spiritual Assemblies contacted Government officials and the media regarding the arrest of 8 members of the National Spiritual Assembly of lran.

— Australia—A letter was received from the

Acting Foreign Minister saying that the Government will continue its efforts in international forums to heighten the world’s awareness of the persecution of the Bahá’í’s in lrén.

The Bahá’í International Community issued a press release about the execution of the 8 National Spiritual Assembly members, and many National Spiritual Assemblies shared the above news with their Governments and the media. The Bahá’í International Community also informed the UN SecretaryGeneral.

Letters were sent to selected National Assemblies in Europe from the Bahá’í International Community regarding the forthcoming 38th session of the United

Nations Commission on Human Rights in Geneva, 1 February—12 March 1982. Gambia and Senegal—The friends contacted high officials of the Government and obtained ‘positive results’.

Bahá’í representatives had a favourable interview with the Ambassador at the Senegalese Embassy.

Ghana—A half—hour radio interview was held, as well as a press conference. Greece—Announcements were made on radio and TV about the execution of 8 members of the National Spiritual Assembly of lrén.

Liberia—The friends distributed booklets entitled Plight of the Bahá’í Faith in [rain to the Head of State, Government officials and the media. As a result, letters were received from the Acting Minister of State, the Assistant Minister of Afro—Asian Affairs, Deputy Minister of Justice, Minister of Rural Development and Urban Reconstruction, Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Minister of Education, et al., all in Monrovia, Liberia.

1982

Ṭihrán of the execution of 8 members of the

January National Spiritual Assembly of lran. He

— Argentina—A proclamation folder ‘Special

Report on lrén’ was prepared for presentation to authorities and prominent people. Assemblies—22 National Spiritual Assemblies appealed to their Governments to lend support to the request of the Bahá’í International Community to the UN SecretaryGeneral to investigate denial by Ayatollah Ardibili of the execution of the 8 members of the National Spiritual Assembly of lran. 22 National Spiritual Assemblies wrote an open letter to the media for the attention and action of the Iranian Embassies in their countries regarding the above.

At least 22 National Spiritual Assemblies informed the media and appealed to their respective Governments about the execution of 6 members of the Local Spiritual Assembly of Tihran and one other person, and asked their Governments to take steps open to them to assist.

— Australia—A letter was received from the

Minister of Foreign Affairs about being informed by the Australian Embassy in

promised to move for a strong statement at the February 1982 meeting of the UN Human Rights Commission in Geneva. The Bahd'z’ International Community cabled Ayatollah Khomeini, the President of the Supreme Court and the Prime Minister of lran regarding the execution of the 8 members of the National Spiritual Assembly of lran.

The Bahd'z’ International Community wrote a letter to the Division of Human Rights, Geneva, with a 7-page summary of a report submitted to Mr. van Boven, Director of the Division of Human Rights.

Belize—The National Spiritual Assembly received a letter from the Prime Minister stating it is a ‘sad situation and is abhorred by all right and thinking people. We shall continue to do what is possible to help.’ Botswana—One of the friends met with President Dr. Q. K. J. Masire updating him about the plight of the friends in lrén.

If Iranian Embassies do not extend pass [Page 346]346

ports of the Iranian Bahá’ís, the Government will issue special residence permits. Brazil—A delegation of the National Assembly met with the Ambassador of the Department of Africa, Asia and the Far East, and with the Ambassador of the Department of International Organizations. Central African Republic—Media—ZOminute interview held on Radio Bangui regarding the execution of 8 members of the National Spiritual Assembly of lran. Immigration—Those Iranian Bahá’ís who can obtain an entry Visa do not need work permits and may stay in the country indefinitely without having a valid passport. Europe—A de’marche (joint representation) was made on 31 January 1982 to the Iranian Government in Tihran by the following 15 Governments: Australia, Belgium, Denmark, France, Federal Republic of Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe—A resolution was unanimously adopted (its third) following a 2—hour debate by 18 speakers from 10 countries, supporting the attitude of the Sub-Commission for Human Rights, expressing solidarity towards persons and communities who are unjustly treated, and calling on the Governments of the Council of Europe to use all channels and opportunities to convince the Iranian Government of the necessity to respect the law, etc. (Document #4835 of 18 Jan. 1982—resolution passed on 29 January 1982).

France—The National Spiritual Assembly received a letter from the Minister of Foreign Affairs regarding the recent executions.

Gambia—Letters were received from the office of the President and the VicePresident, both offering support and assurances that the Gambian Government would stand up to violations of human rights.

A full 2-page article appeared in Jeune Afrique, which has a circulation of about 2 million and goes to Africa and all Arab countries and francophone colonies.

— Germany—The German member of the Council of Europe plans to speak about the

THE BAHA’I’ WORLD

Bahá’í situation in iran at the meeting of the Council in Strasbourg‘

A live interview lasting 8 minutes was held on West German Rundfunk.

There were more than 240 news articles about the Bahá’í situation in fran.

The National Assembly received copies of letters of Amnesty International . from London and Germany giving details of the recent executions in lran and asking its members to turn to the Iranian authorities for help for the Bahá’ís.

Hawaiian Islands—Miss Haleh Samimi, daughter of martyr Kamram Samimi, was interviewed on the 6 and 10 pm. newscasts on KHON-TV and on two newsreels on KIKU-TV.

Italy—There is clear evidence that the Iranian Embassy is not renewing the passports of Iranian Bahá’ís.

A meeting of representatives of the National Spiritual Assembly was held with Dr. Lamela at the Home Office regarding the difficulties facing Iranian Bahá’ís in staying and working in Italy.

A letter was received by the Bahá’í community of San Marino from the Secretary of State of the Republic of San Marino. Kiribati—A Visit of National Assembly representatives was made to officials of immigration—the Government allows Iranians to apply for immigration into the country.

Luxembourg—A press conference was held resulting in 3 news articles and one radio programme.

A public commemoration was held on behalf of the martyrs in Him with press and radio releases.

The National Spiritual Assembly has established friendly relations with the local group of Amnesty International.

Mariana Islands—Representatives of the National Assembly met with the head of immigration on Guam.

South and West Africa—A radio news programme reported the number of telegrams and messages that have been received in iran from all over the world, including the United Nations, requesting the Iranian Government to stop the persecution of the Bahá’ís.

— Spain—Letters were sent to each member

[Page 347]INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA‘I’ AC’I'lVl'l‘IES 347

of Parliament, 350 in all, transmitting the White Paper prepared by the Bahá’í International Community“ In response one member expressed his solidarity with the Bahá’ís, condemned the repression to which they are subjected and promised to make it widely known to his Parliamentary group. At least six other members acknowledged receipt of the material.

Switzerlaml—The National Spiritual Assembly wrote to the Federal Councillor. Pierre Aubert, and informed the Federal authorities about the execution of 8 members of the National Spiritual Assembly of lran and 6 members of the Local Assembly of Ṭihrán.

United States—An article appeared in the New York Times.

Large memorial gatherings were held in Los Angeles, Boston and New York to honour the Bahá’í martyrs in lran.

The Los Angeles (California) Bahá’í community, between 4 and 12 January 1982. was able to obtain time on 13 TV programmes and 1 radio programme, and 4 news articles appeared in 3 major newspapers.

Zambia—Its Public Relations Committee met with the Zambian delegate to the UN Commission on Human Rights.

February

— 22 National Spiritual Assemblies shared with appropriate offices of their respective Governments the letter dated 10 January 1982 from Mr. Mansour Farhang, one-time Ambassador to the United Nations from lran. to Professor Richard Falk of Princeton University, in which he repudiates a number of accusations made by the Iranian Government against the Bahá’ís. Europe—A démarche was made by EEC Ambassadors in New York to the SecretaryGeneral of the United Nations on 12 February 1982.

France—A letter was received from the President of the Republic expressing his distress about the execution of the members of the National Spiritual Assembly of lrén, and saying they are doing all they can. He hopes that expressions of international conscience will incline the authorities to respect the rights of the Bahá’ís.

- Jamaica—A

— An article appeared in La Croix, a Catholic

newspaper‘ Germany—Amnesry International organized silent marches for those killed in lrén, including the Bahá’ís.

Italy—Roland Philipp consulted Dr. Hans Benedikter, delegate of the South Tyrolian People’s Party to the Roman House. He promised to present a resolution to the Italian Parliament advocating the rights of the Persian Bahá’ís, and to write an article for the German-language daily, etc.

Ivory Coast—Interviews were held between 22 February and 23 March by representatives of the National Spiritual Assembly and Counsellor Thelma Khelgati with the Lord Chancellor, the President of the Supreme Court, 9 Ministers of State, and other prominent people, informing them of the Bahá’í situation prevailing in lran.

letter was received from the Govemor—General sympathizing with the Bahá’ís and advising them to write to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade for help.

It appears that the Ministry of National Security and Justice will grant travel documents to replace Iranian passports of three Iranian Bahá’í families, whose passports have expired or are about to expire. Malawi—a delegation of the National Spiritual Assembly planned to meet with the Secretary to the President and Cabinet. Mexico—A letter was received from the President, Chamber of Deputies Commission on Foreign Relations, from the Director of the Department of Refugees, office of the Secretary of the Government, and from a lawyer to the Director of the Department of Refugees regarding Iranian Bahá’ís seeking asylum.

The Minority Rights Group published a report (No. 51), ‘The Bahá’ís of iran’, by Roger Cooper.

Namibia—Iranian Bahá’ís. who have permanent residence permits, could be given travel documents from the Government if their passports are not returned from the Iranian Embassy. Those with temporary residence visas will be considered case by case.

— Norway—A letter was received from the

Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs

[Page 348]348

advising that on 31 January 1982 Norway took part in a joint ‘western address to the Iranian authorities’. (Démarche as cited previously.)

Portugal—A meeting was held with the Secretary to the President of the Parliament, who said it was likely that the President would transmit information about the Bahá’ís of lran t0 the Committees for Political Affairs and Rights and Freedom. Spain—A representative of the National Spiritual Assembly contacted the High Commissioner for Refugees, ascertaining that it is possible to provide Persian Bahá’ís with passports, in collaboration with Spanish police, if the Iranian Embassy will not renew their passports. In some cases they will even help them obtain residency and work permits and extend financial assistance.

Swaziland—A letter was received from the Deputy Prime Minister’s office acknowledging receipt of documents about the persecution of the Bahá’ís in lran and saying that Swaziland ‘supports all those institutions and organizations that work toward this objective’, i.e., the promotion of national and international peace and human understanding.

Switzerland—TV programme ‘Visiteurs du Soir’, a 25-minute interview with Mrs. Christine Ḥakím—Samandarf about the assassination of her father and the persecution of the Bahá’í’s in lran.

UN Press Briefing—the Secretary-General met with representatives of Belgium, Denmark and the United Kingdom, who expressed the concern of the EEC over the persecution of the Bahá’ís in fran, as well as summary executions.

United Kingdom—the Bahá’í situation was discussed at a meeting of the House of Lords.

A letter was received from the Minister of State outlining the steps he has taken. United States—A Senator spoke in the Senate calling attention to the oppression of Iranian Bahá’ís and encouraging Congressional hearings on the persecution of religious minorities in lran.

March

— AssembliesfiMany National Spiritual As THE BAHA’I’ WORLD

semblies contacted Government officials and the media regarding the martyrdom of 2 more Bahá’ís in Iran and the continuing persecutions, especially in Yazd and Shfraz. Australia—A question from Representative Carlton was directed to the Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs regarding the plight of religious minorities in Tran, particularly the Bahá’í’s, asking if the Government is able to make a special provision for people to settle in Australia. Mr. Macphee answered about the special humanitarian programme established by the Immigration authorities. Belize—A Day of Prayer held in memory of the Bahá’í martyrs in lran was announced in the newspapers and on a 15-minute radio interview. Prayer meetings were held in 6 major towns. Bolivia—A press conference was held in La Paz resulting in a news article being printed in a major newspaper, Ultima Hora. Information folders were distributed to the media in that City. Contact was made with the Minister of the Interior by a Bahá’í delegation. Denmark—An interview was held with Mr. Gerald Knight of the Bahá’í International Community on national TV and radio news programmes. Europe—UN Commission for Human Rights, Geneva—A resolution was adopted, one of the clauses of which reads as follows: ‘Requests the Secretary-General to establish direct contacts with the Government of lran on the human rights situation prevailing in that country and to continue his efforts to endeavour to ensure that the Bahá’ís are guaranteed full enjoyment of their human rights and fundamental freedoms.’ Europe—UN Commission for Human Rights, Geneva—A statement was made by the Bahá’í International Community, on agenda item 20, ‘Report of the SubCommission’. Fiji—The Senate passed a resolution expressing its grave concern over the continuing persecution of the Bahá’ís of train and commending the Fiji Government’s stand at the Human Rights Commission sessions in Geneva. Finland—a press conference was held on 18

[Page 349]INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA’I’ ACTIVITIES 349

March at the Hotel Presidentti in Helsinki by Messrs. Gerald Knight and Giovanni Ballerio of the Bahá’í International Community and by representatives of the National Spiritual Assembly of Finland.

Hang Kong—A TV interview was held on Radio Hong Kong, English News Department.

Italy— In the city of Rimini at a preliminary meeting of Amnesty International, the Bahá’ís were invited to participate and report on the plight of the Bahá’ís in Iran. They drafted a resolution which will be presented at the 16—18 April meeting of Amnesty International in Assisi to arrange for a debate at the World Congress of Amnesty International in Rimini in September 1982.

New Caledonia & Loyalty Islands—The head of the Immigration Office in New Caledonia says that special visas with the possibility of employment will be granted to Iranians holding refugee status documents. New Zealand—A Bahá’í delegation met with the Governor-General about the plight of the friends in lran.

Samoa—A letter was sent from the Prime Minister and Departments of the Government sending a message through the Samoan Ambassador to the UN to be transmitted to the Iranian Government through their Embassy, expressing concern for the persecution of the Bahá’í’s in train and appealing for an immediate end to these persecutions and executions in the spirit of humanity.

Spain—The Senate’s Special Human Rights Commission adopted a declaration condemning the persecution of the Iranian Bahá’í’s.

Sweden—Mr. Knight of the Bahá’í International Community was interviewed on Swedish news TV-l on 18 March. Switzerland—A 30-minute radio programme was broadcast from Lugano.

United Kingdom—At a public meeting of Amnesty International at Guildford University on the subject of human rights the keynote speaker, Terry Waite, who was sent to lran to release English missionaries imprisoned there, made a specific plea on behalf of the Bahá’ís of train.

— On the TV programme ‘Newsnight’, Dr. Geoffrey Nash, who wrote irdn’s Secret

Pogrom, was interviewed regarding the persecution of the Bahá’ís as portrayed in his book.

— United States—A television documentary

was prepared on the persecution of the Bahá’ís in tran.

— An article appeared in the L05 Angeles

Times publishing a letter written by the Presbyterian President of the Southern California Inter-religious Council, the Executive Vice-President of the Southern California Board of Rabbis and the Executive Director of the Southern California Ecumenical Council, expressing their sympathy and condemnation over the killing and persecution of the Bahá’í’s in Tran.

— Senator Sidney Yates spoke in Congress, on

the floor of the House of Representatives.

- Virgin Islands—Interviews were held on

radio and TV.

April — Argentina—A meeting was held with the

Minister of Foreign Affairs to update him on news from lran. A dossier was prepared and presented to authorities and prominent people.

Assemblies—Many National Spiritual Assemblies informed Government officials and the neWs media about the execution of 2 more Bahá’ís in lran and the attacks against the friends in Saysan (near Tabri’z) and Hisar, and the increased arrests that are occurring.

National Spiritual Assemblies updated the authorities and the media about 8 more executions and a fresh outburst of persecutions against the Bahá’í community in Tran. Many National Spiritual Assemblies informed Government officials and the media about the execution of 2 more Bahá’ís in a village near Tihran.

— Australia—A 15—minute programme about

the Bahá’ís in lran was aired nationwide on ABC-TV.

The ‘60-Minutes’ TV news team filmed the special prayer service held by the friends in memory of the Bahá’í martyrs Of lran. The ‘60-Minutes’ TV show was aired, a 15minute segment of it being devoted to the persecution of the Bahá’ís in lrén.

— Brazil—A speech was made by Senator

Leite Chaves to the National Congress ap [Page 350]350

pealing to the Brazilian Minister of Foreign Affairs ‘to use his influence with the Iranian Embassy to put a stop to this violation of human rights, expressing the concern of the Senate of Brazil’; and he asked for a motion that the Senate express to the Bahá’í National Convention of Brazil that ‘such Violence and so much suffering in relation to the followers of religion should cease, as it should, in the country of its birth and of the Founder, where He had received the inspiration to create it and to spread it throughout the world’. (Published in the official Dia’rio Do Congresso Nacional, No. 052, 1 May 1982.)

Canada—The Committee on the Church and International Affairs of the United Church of Canada sent a letter to the President of the ICRC in Geneva expressing concern about ‘reported attacks on whole communities, such as the Bahá’ís’, and urging the ICRC to send an investigation team to lrén to inspect the prisons.

A letter was sent to the National Spiritual Assembly of Canada assuring its co-operation in any way possible.

French Antilles—FR3 TV in Guadeloupe and Martinique presented simultaneously the interview with Mrs. Christine ḤakímSamandari made by the French TV company.

Germany—Two members of the National Spiritual Assembly met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs in Bonn.

Hawaiian Islands—The State Senate passed a resolution urging the pursuit of all available means to put an end to the campaign of genocide against the Bahá’ís of train. Hang Kong—A 3—4—minute TV interview was held with Mr. Habflau’llah ‘Azizi whose two brothers were martyred in iran.

RTV News spot in English and Chinese regarding the execution of 3 Bahá’ís in Karaj.

The Netherlands—A 15-minute programme about the Iranian Bahá’í situation was aired on ‘Avro’s Televiser’, and concluded with a direct appeal to the Dutch Parliament to raise its voice for their protection because ‘it may well be too late for the 400,000 innocent people, and we will not be able to say then that we did not know about it’.

— Northern Ireland—A 50-minute interview

THE BAHA’I’ WORLD

was conducted on Radio FOYLE, publicizing irdn’s Secret Pogrom and A Cry from the Heart.

United Kingdom—The Amnesty International Newsletter contained an article about the martyrdom of six Bahá’ís and asked its members to send cables and letters to President Khamenei and Prime Minister Mousavi expressing concern about the recent executions, stressing Al’s opposition to the death penalty, but appealing against the imprisonment and execution of the Bahá’ís in particular.

United States—A letter was received from Senator Bill Bradley.

A Congressional hearing was held for 21/2 hours led by two Congressmen, one of whom introduced a resolution calling for an embargo on lran until conditions for the Bahá’ís improve. The chairman concluded that resolution ‘with teeth’ would be adopted to alleviate the suffering of the victims of religious persecution throughout the world.

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee adopted a resolution a few days before the above, introduced by Senator Heinz (in March).

The Tallahassee Ministerial Association (Florida) passed a resolution regarding the plight of the Iranian Bahá’ís.

Coffee Clubs distributed over 33,000 leaflets regarding the Bahá’í situation in lran, and 3,000 letters were sent to Congressional representatives protesting the treatment of the Iranian friends.

Virgin Islands—Letters were received from Senators in response to the National Spiritual Assembly’s appeal, and one Senator asked for an interview. Another letter was received from a Senator expressing sympathy and hoping ‘world leaders will resolve this deplorable act’.

June — Chile—The Spanish edition of the White

Paper was sent to all Ministers of State. All acknowledged receipt of this document.

— A letter was received from the Office of

Special Affairs of the Chilean Government acknowledging receipt of the Spanish version of the White Paper and inviting the representative of the Bahá’í Public Re [Page 351]INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA’I/ ACTIVITIES

lations Department of the National Spiritual Assembly to meet with the head of this Office. A 30-minute interview was held on 5 July.

France—A letter was received from the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Claude Cheysson, stating in part that ‘with the encouragement of the French Government, meetings are being held at this moment between the ten countries of the EEC for the purpose of reviewing humanitarian steps taken in January by its members with the Iranian authorities on behalf of the Bahá’ís, as well as action taken in January by these countries to approach the UN SecretaryGeneral’.

India—The Indian Express, New Delhi, one of the leading newspapers in India, published a letter from Mr. V. M. Tarkunde, a leading jurist and public figure in India, doubting a claim made by the Iranian Embassy that nobody is persecuted in lran merely because of his faith. He suggests that a delegation go to lran to investigate the situation.

Kiribati—National Spiritual Assembly representatives met with the President, who assured them his Government would send a communication to the Iranian Government through the Iranian Embassy in Australia expressing their concern about the persecution of Iranian Bahá’ís. (The communication referred to above was sent on 22 J uly 1982.)

Upper Volta—A TV programme was aired —documentary from the French TV network about the persecution and execution of Iranian Bahá’ís, including an interview with Mrs. Christine Ḥakím-Samandari.

July

— Assemblies—National Spiritual Assemblies informed Government officials and the media about the execution of 4 believers in Qazvr’n and the mounting pressures against the Bahá’ís in lrén.

Australia—A letter was received by the National Spiritual Assembly from the Minister of Foreign Affairs informing it that Australia joined 15 other countries in making a démarche to the Iranian Government, recalling the deep concern of all countries regarding the position of the

351

Baha’js in lrén, and seeking a response and assurances that the Iranian authorities would respect the human rights of the Iranian Bahá’ís.

The Bahá’í International Community reported that the Minority Rights Group Ltd. submitted a report to members of the Human Rights Committee of the UN dealing with compliance by lran with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

France—The National Spiritual Assembly reported that the Charge d’Affaires of Denmark made representation on behalf of the TEN EEC countries, plus 6 other countries presenting to the Director of the Legal Department of lran a note about the plight of the Bahá’í community.

Replies were received from prominent people in response to their receiving the French White Paper, among whom were members of the French Government National Assembly and Senate, the Ministers of Culture and Foreign Affairs, the President, and the Consul General of Grenoble.

A letter was received from the Technical Adviser to the Minister for European Affairs stating that ‘a new step will be undertaken as soon as possible by the representative of the EEC to the Secretary-General of the United Nations’.

A letter was received from Mr. Vincent Ansquer of the National Assembly of the Republic of France transmitting a copy of a proposal for a resolution of the European Parliament on the plight of the Bahá’í community of lran. (Document 1—381/82.) New Zealand—Prime Minister Muldoon wrote a letter to the National Spiritual Assembly advising that the UN Permanent Representatives in New York and Geneva have placed on record New Zealand’s concern regarding the situation of the Bahá’ís in lran.

Virgin Islands—A letter was received by the National Spiritual Assembly from Sidney Lee, Senator of the 14th Legislature, sup z, porting the stand of the Baha IS.

August

Assemblies—A number of National Spiritual Assemblies informed the authorities

[Page 352]352

and the media about the martyrdom of a Bahá’í in Shíráz and another in Urumi’yyih. Belgium—A letter was received from the Minister 'of Foreign Affairs reiterating the concern of the Belgian Government of continuing to bring within the TEN (EEC countries) its contribution to the alleviation of the plight of the Iranian Bahá’í community.

The European Parliament Socialist Group President sent a letter and proposition of a resolution regarding the persecution of the Bahá’ís in fran, calling on the Iranian authorities to grant the Bahá’ís their fundamental rights.

France—A letter was received from the Prime Minister, Pierre Mauroy, who asked the partners in EEC countries to undertake new joint steps with the Iranian authorities and the Secretary-General of the United Nations. (France and the Netherlands initiated this step.)

The Netherlands—A petition was presented to the Commission for Foreign Affairs of the Dutch Parliament (160 Bahá’ís took part) and a Bahá’í delegation met with 3 members of the Commission, who promised

THE Bahá’í WORLD

to bring the petition to the attention of the Foreign Minister.

— The above matter was discussed during a

meeting of the Commission for Foreign Affairs and the Minister on 1 September 1982.

— Virgin Islands—The President of the 14th

Legislature shared her concern and expressed her willingness to help the Bahá’ís.

September — Canada—A meeting was held by National

Spiritual Assembly representatives and an Auxiliary Board member with Prime Minister Trudeau, at which time he was briefed on the persecutions of the Iranian Bahá’ís. Europe—UN Human Rights Sub-Commission on the Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities, Geneva—A resolution was adopted on 8 September on the topic of religious intolerance. France—The Minister of Foreign Affairs of France wrote to a Deputy of the National Assembly of the Republic advising him he has asked that steps be renewed to help the Bahá’ís, i.e. to make representation to both the UN Secretary-General and the Iranian authorities.

1983

January — Belgium—An article appeared in the daily newspaper Le Soir on 24 January. Two

made to ‘bring about a change in that Government’s policies’. — Windward Islands—A delegation of local

important reactions followed accompanied by a request for regular clarification by the Minister of Finance and a TV journalist.

United States—An article appeared in The New York Times on 17 January about Zia Nassry and his experiences in prison in iran. He told reporters about the torture and wanton killings in fran prisons and praised the Bahá’í prisoners he met, stating that they ‘went to their deaths rather than renounce their faith. There was Postchi, a businessman, Farid, a lawyer; Dr. Farhangi, a physician, and Mowhundal, a science teacher, all of whom were executed.’ Virgin Islands——A letter was received from Ron de Lugo, Member of the US. Congress, expressing his concern about the treatment of the Bahá’ís in iran and pledging his support towards the efforts being

Bahá’ís met with Foreign Affairs Minister Hudson K. Tannis on 13 January to brief him with details about the persecution of the Iranian believers.

February — Amnesty International sent out on 14 Feb ruary an Urgent Action appeal for general distribution, asking recipients to send a cable or express letter immediately to one or more of the following: Ayatollah Khomeini, Hojjatoleslam Hashemi Rafsanjani, President Khamenei or Prime Minister Hussein Musavi. In such communications they should refer to the 22 Bahá’ís in shiraz who are sentenced to death, stressing Amnesty International’s opposition to the use of the death penalty and appealing in particular

[Page 353]INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA‘I’ ACTIVITIES 353

for a ‘halt to the imprisonment and execution of Bahá’ís’.

Australia—Letters were received from the following: Senator K. Sibraa advising that he would like to be informed of any new developments concerning the situation in Trim; the Commissioner for Community Relations expressing his sympathy for the situation in lrén; the Minister for Health expressing a continued interest in the situation in him; and the Minister for Education who said that he will continue to do all he can to encourage his Government to make our concerns known to Train. Botswana—Radio Botswana broadcast on two consecutive days news of efforts being made by the Bahá’í International Community in Geneva on behalf of the Bahá’ís in Tran. The news was apparently picked up from an international news source and read on the 7:00 am. news.

India—A statement was signed by some of the most prominent people in India appealing to the Iranian Government to stop the execution of the 22 Bahá’ís facing the death sentence in $13512. Copies of this appeal were sent to all leading newspapers throughout India.

Netherlands—The Dutch branch of Amnesty International consulted the Bahá’í National Assembly for background information about the Faith for publication in a bulletin which also contained the above 14 February despatch.

Senegal—On 3 February representatives of the National Assembly met with two Senegalese representatives to the Human Rights Commission, briefing them about the situation of the Bahá’ís in Tran.

Uganda—A delegation of the National Assembly met with Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials on 28 February 1983. The spokesman from the Ministry said he would brief the President of Uganda before his trip to New Delhi for the non—aligned summit, stated that ‘We fully support freedom of religion and are willing to join our voice with others on this issue’, and “will do everything possible to support you on this issue’.

United States—The secretary of the National Assembly met with the Washington representative Of the UN High Commissioner

for Refugees about the Iranian Bahá’ís in various countries needing immigration assistance. He also met with many other officials of the Government about the situation of the Bahá’ís in train.

The President of the National Council of Churches, Bishop James Armstrong, sent a telegram t0 Ayatollah Khomeini asking him to ‘. . . spare the lives of those sentenced to death in lran, who have been imprisoned 0n the basis of matters of conscience. Reports have reached us of the impending executions of 22 such persons recently sentenced in Shíráz . . .’ (22 February). The Temple Beth Ami in Reseda, California, gathered signatures on petitions denouncing the continued murder and persecution Of Bahá’ís in lran under the Khomeini regime. One set was sent to the UN Secretary-General, and the other to the Senator of their district with a copy to the Congressional Representative.

Articles appeared in the Los Angeles Times (21 February) and the New York Times (27 February) about the Bahá’í’s under death sentence in Sh1’réz.

March — Europe—Geneva—The Bahá’í International

Community made a statement to the 39th session of the Commission on Human Rights in Geneva on 2 March 1983.

The representative of the Islamic Republic of Train also made a statement at this session on the same date.

On 7 March 1983 the United Nations issued Press Release HR/1349 concerning the debate 0n Religious Intolerance at the Human Rights Commission in Geneva. It contained a statement made by Mrs. Mashid Fatio, representative of the Bahá’í International Community, welcoming the propoSals made in the draft resolution before the Commission.

The UN Commission on Human Rights adopted on 8 March a resolution expressing concern for the grave violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms in lrén, urging the Iranian Government to respect and ensure the rights of all individuals, requesting the Secretary-General or his representative to submit a report on the human rights situation in Train to the Com [Page 354]354

mission on Human Rights at its 40th session, and requesting the Iranian Government to extend its co-operation to the SecretaryGeneral. Bahá’ís are mentioned specifically in paragraphs 1 and 3. Significant statements which were of help to the Bahá’í case were made by the following Governments:

Item 12: Question of the violation of human rights and fundamental freedoms in any part of the world: Australia. Canada, Denmark, France, Federal Republic of Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Togo, United Kingdom, United States.

Item 19: Status of the International Covenants on Human Rights (which included discussion on the death penalty): the Netherlands.

Item 25: Implementation of the Declaration on the Elimination of all forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief: Canada, Denmark, Fiji, Ireland, the Netherlands, Peru, Switzerland, Togo, United States.

European Parliament—At its meeting in Strasbourg this body unanimously adopted an excellent resolution on 10 March dealing almost exclusively with the situation of the Bahá’ís in Shíráz.

Geneva—On 11 March the United Nations issued Press Release HR/1359 regarding the adoption of measures for continuing action to promote respect for human rights. The release mentioned the resolution about the continuing grave Violations of human rights in train, specifically mentioning the Bahá’ís, as cited above (Resolution passed on 8 March by UN Human Rights Commission). Ireland—On 11 March a letter was received by the National Assembly from the Office of the Minister for Foreign Affairs stating that: Ireland co—sponsored a resolution on the human rights question in lrén at the UN Human Rights Commission in Geneva; its Permanent Representative in Geneva spoke on this item appealing to the Iranian authorities to put a stop to the summary executiori of Bahá’í’s and to secure for them the freedom to practise their religion without discrimination.

Mauritius—On 21 March the secretary of the National Assembly was interviewed on television about the development of the

'I‘HE BAHA’I’ WORLD

Faith in that country and the persecution of the Bahá’ís in lrén.

Sweden—Two representatives of the National Assembly met with the Foreign Minister to discuss the plight of the Bahá’ís in fran. Switzerland—The National Assembly wrote on 16 March to the President of the Swiss Confederation, Mr. Pierre Aubert, to inform him of the execution on 12 March of three Bahá’ís in Shíráz.

United Kingdom—On 3 March a London Member of Parliament asked a question in the House of Commons seeking to know whether time would be made available for a full debate on the persecution of the Bahá’ís in lrén, and pointing out ‘. . . the gross offence that the Iranian treatment of the Bahá’í community gives to the Bahá’í community in our own country’.

At the same time two ‘Early Day Motions’ were submitted in the House of Commons, signed by a large number of members of Parliament from various parties. These motions are theoretically to be debated at some point, but in practice time is never available for them; however, they provide a useful device whereby the Government and public can be made aware that there are items about which a number of members of Parliament feel strongly and which they want publicized.

United Nations, Office of the UnderSecretary—General for Political and General Assembly Affairs—In response to a briefing paper on the situation facing the Bahá’ís in lran sent on 25 March to the SecretaryGeneral of the United Nations from the Bahá’í International Community, the Special Assistant for Political and Humanitarian Affairs answered on 28 March: ‘We of course will seek to be as helpful as circumstances permit, particularly with reference to the lives of those imprisoned.’

United Kingdom—Speaking in the House of Lords in the United'Kingdom on 8 March, Lord Whaddon asked her Majesty’s Government to urge the Iranian Government to include the Bahá’í Faith as a legitimate independent religion in their Constitution.

Lord McNair asked that no Iranian Bahá’í should be repatriated against his or her will from this country (United Kingdom) to lran.

[Page 355]INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT Bahá’í ACTIVITIES 355

— Lord Renton referred to the United King dom’s impeccable record of religious tolerance, while Lord Kilbracken asked whether or not the Government was equally concerned about the persecution by the Iranians of the Kurdish and other minorities. Lord Skelmersdale answered: ‘Human rights are human rights wherever they occur.’ United Nations Daily Press Briefing—At the briefing held on 17 March Mr. Frangois Giuliani said, in response to questions, that the UN had received reports about the summary execution of Bahá’ís in Tran and this was a matter of long-standing concern to the UN that had been discussed with the Iranian authorities on several occasions. United States—A concurrent resolution was passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate of the State of South Dakota, requesting the Congress of the United States to continue its efforts to halt the persecutions of the Bahá’í minority in Tran and instructing the Chief Clerk to send the document to each member of the South Dakota Congressional delegations, the President of the United States, the Bahá’í International Community and the Local Spiritual Assembly of Pierre, South Dakota. (2—4 March.)

Letters were received from 5 Senators in response to communications from the National Assembly updating them on the persecutions.

A letter dated 23 March was received from Senator Bob Dole transmitting a statement he made in the Senate on the same date. The statement appears in the Congressional Record of the Senate.

The secretary of the National Assembly met with the Director of the International Rescue Committee in New York regarding possible assistance in helping Bahá’í refugees.

Congressman John Porter of Illinois made a speech on the floor of the House of Representatives on 3 March about the ‘final solution’ planned by the ‘Khomeini regime for the Bahá’ís and other oppressed minorities in Tran’, and urged the State Department to do something to ‘end the evil persecution of the Bahá’ís by the tyrannical regime ’ until it is settled ‘to our satisfaction’.

— On 3 March Elliott Abrams, Assistant

Secretary of State, spoke before the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Human rights and International Organizations, expressing his ‘profound dismay and alarm with the recent reports that the Iranian Revolutionary Supreme Court in Tehran has upheld the death sentences of 22 Bahais . . . It is our sincere hope that the Iranian authorities will heed the voice of world public opinion and refrain from executing these individuals.’

The following actions were taken concerning the recent execution of 3 Bahá’ís in Shíráz: Appeals were telexed to Government officials, prominent people and the media; selected Local Spiritual Assemblies were mobilized to solicit statements from influential individuals and groups who have shown an interest in humanitarian matters, and to reach local media; individual believers were called upon to write letters to the editors of their local newspapers; 600 media committees and representatives were asked to support efforts of their Local Assemblies; and press releases were sent to major wire services, selected contacts of the press, and local media committees.

April — Australia—A notice of motion was made by

Senator Baume on 21 April as follows: ‘I give notice that, on the next day of sitting, I shall move—That the Australian Senate condemns the systematic deprivation by the Islamic Republic of Train of the most basic rights of citizens of that country whose only crime is that they are members of the Bahá’í and other minority religious faiths.’ Central South Zaire—A delegation of the Bahá’í Administrative Committee met with the President of the Republic of Zaire and Messrs. Mobutu and Ladawa, and during the meeting discussed the persecutions in Iran.

Panama—The article by Bernard Weinraub about the persecution of the Bahá’ís in Tran, which was published in The New York Times and widely circulated by the NY. Times News Service, appeared in the Panamanian Star & Herald on 29 April.

— United States—An article appeared in The

New York Times on 26 April about the new

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persecutions against the Bahá’ís, stating Christian churches and a synagogue in that ‘State Department officials are con— Wichita, Kansas, on the insistence of the cerned over a court sentence handed down clergy.

two months ago in Shíráz, in south central — A tree was planted on 15 April in the train, of execution for 22 Bahá’í’ men and Cortez City Park in memory of the Bahá’í women, for spying and for alleged links to martyrs in frén, a gift to the city from Israel.’ several Colorado State Bahá’í communities

— Prayers for the Bahá’í’s were said in three in that area.

A procession of Bahá’ís of The Netherlands, each carrying a white rose in honour of an

individual martyr, silently proceeded through The Hague t0 the Dutch Parliament where

government officials accorded sympathetic attention to the description of the plight of the Bahá’ís Of irdn; August 1982.

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Bahá’í World/Volume 18/The Persecution of the Bahá’í Community of Írán 1979-1983