The Baha’i Faith started in Iran in 1844. It came out of Islam the same way Christianity came out of Judaism. It is an independent world religion that believes in the unity of humankind, the elimination of all forms of prejudice, the education and equality of women with men, free education of all children of the world, a balance of the truths of science and religion, and other such uplifting beliefs. One of the Baha’i beliefs is obedience to one’s government. They also do not deny their faith. In Iran, they have been severely persecuted since their beginning there. Since the Baha’i Faith came after Islam, they are considered a heretic religion. The same way Pontius Pilate allowed persecution and crucifixion of Christ, the Baha’is are denied justice in the court system, educational system, marriage and family institution, funeral and burial practices, and any other basic human right allowed other peoples. In the Faith’s beginning, same as the Christians were treated in the time of and immediately after Christ, they were put in prison, tortured and killed in horrible ways. Today it is becoming even worse and more barbaric than a few decades ago. When you deny education to a nation of people, they become more & more barbaric and without a sense of justice and morality. They become worse than animals, subjecting their fellow human beings to barbaric cruelty without remorse. Baha’i students are denied access to colleges just on the basis of their religion. Mothers are being put into prison with their children, and parents put into prison without their children, leaving the children at home stranded, just for saying prayers within their own home. This is the world we live in. We are one world, one human people. I long for the time when peoples of the world will rise up and collectively demand nothing less than a just and peaceful world.
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“Regard man as a mine rich in gems of inestimable value. Education alone will cause it to reveal its treasures, and enable mankind to benefit therefrom.”
“The earth is one country and mankind its citizens.”
“Now is the time to cheer and refresh the downcast through the envigorating breeze of love and fellowship.” — Baha’i Writings.
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This is the story of Farzaneh and Rouhi’s brother ( Perth) which happened recently.
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“The judge promptly ordered Kashani to be beaten in the courtroom”
One of the six Baha’is from Gorgan is Kamal Kashani. According to sources in Iran, guards entered his home and confiscated books, computers, CDs, even wall hangings. Two hours later the guards arrested him and took him in for questioning. He has been in prison ever since.
Kashani’s wife, Parisa, went to the police station everyday asking for his whereabouts. Finally, after 4 days she received a handwritten note from her husband requesting warm clothing. She was finally granted a visit with her husband after one month of his arrest. She was shocked at how much weight he had lost. She recounts that he had been severely beaten and his fingers were so skinny that his wedding ring would no longer stay on his finger.
Another Baha’i from Gorgan, Farhad Fahandezh, was beaten so badly that he was transferred to Tehran in an ambulance. One Baha’i prisoner remembers an Iranian official telling his torturer that he was permitted to beat Baha’is as much as he wanted, but was not permitted to kill them for fear of international media attention.
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Kashani’s first court appearance was last February, four months after his initial arrest. At this time he had not been officially charged with specific crimes.
At the court hearing, Kashani’s lawyer explained to the judge that he had not been granted ample time with his client. The judge planned to sentence Kashani and the other Baha’is from Gorgan after 30 minutes. However, the judge agreed to postpone the trial for three months so that the lawyer could prepare a defense.
Kashani and the other Baha’is from Gorgan had their second and apparently final court date on April 24. The judge spoke to each prisoner for about 10 minutes. He asked Kashani why he was organizing gatherings for the “service of humanity.” Kashani replied that Baha’is are not permitted to organize gatherings in Iran. The judge then asked him if he prayed at home. “Of course,” Kashani said. The judge asked whether he prayed with his family. Again, Kashani replied affirmatively. The judge then explained that these family prayers amounted to illegal Baha’i gatherings.
The judge promptly ordered Kashani to be beaten in the courtroom. Severely injured, Kashani could hardly stand for the remainder of the hearing.
The judge announced that he would hand down a sentence the following week. However, the ruling was delayed for nearly a month because the judge reportedly went on pilgrimage to Mecca.
As the imprisoned Gorgan Baha’is were awaiting the judge’s ruling in Gohardasht prison, Kashani’s wife Parisa was arrested in Gorgan on May 8, which meant that her four children were left home alone. Similar arrest warrants were issued for the wives of the other imprisoned Baha’is from Gorgan.
After a week and a half, authorities in Gorgan finally confirmed to the children that their mother was in custody. On May 20, Parisa was suddenly released after her children paid a steep fee, which prison officials had demanded.
On May 22, Kashani and most of the other Baha’is from Gorgan were sentenced to five years in prison. This is the second prison sentence for Kashani. He served a five year term after the 1979 revolution. His brother, Jamal Kashani, was also executed by the Islamic Republic in 1984.
The experience of Kamal Kashani and the other Baha’is from the city of Gorgan is but one example of Iran’s human rights crisis. Iran’s persecution of Baha’is is one of the most “extreme manifestations of religious intolerance and persecution” in the world, according to UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion and Belief, Dr. Heiner Bielefeldt.
“Where there is love,
nothing is too much trouble,
and there is always time.”
-Abdul’Baha
http://www.bahai.org/
This entry was posted on June 7, 2013 at 7:51 am and is filed under Bahai's in Iran, stories in the news. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
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