Iran’s regime ramps up persecution of Baha’is
Iran has intensified its violent repression of Baha’is in a series of arrest actions, home raids and denial of identification cards.
“These developments are part of a surge in persecution against the Baha’i community in Iran,” the Baha’i World News Service reported this past week, adding that “Iranian authorities are preventing Baha’is across the country from obtaining national identification cards, while a series of home raids, confiscations, arrests and attacks on properties have unjustly targeted Baha’is.”
According to the report, this is “despite continuous claims by Iranian officials inside the country and in UN fora that Baha’is have citizenship rights,” said Diane Ala’i, representative of the Baha’i International Community in Geneva. “The authorities are institutionalizing yet another mechanism that aims to destroy the Baha’i community as a viable entity, thereby extending a four-decade-long and relentless campaign of persecution against Baha’is across virtually every dimension of life – cultural, social, educational and economic.”
She added that, “Even so, the Baha’is of Iran continue to strive to live in accordance with the teachings of their faith, which upholds truthfulness as ‘the foundation of all human virtues.’ How could Baha’is who apply for their national identification cards, for public sector jobs, or to enroll in universities be punished simply for being truthful?”
The Baha’i World News Service explained that: “Members of several religious minorities in the country face restrictions in applying for a new national identification card, removing a previous facility that allowed the option ‘other’ to be selected instead of one of four recognized religions—
Islam, Christianity, Judaism or Zoroastrianism.
“The decision to remove that option now prevents Baha’is from obtaining their identification cards, depriving them of basic civil services such as applying for a loan, cashing a check, or buying property.”
In response to the report about the spike in violence and discrimination targeting Baha’is, human rights lawyer and former Canadian Justice Minister Irwin Cotler tweeted: “Deeply concerned re surge in persecution by the regime in Iran against the Baha’i community, including new national ID requirements which effectively exclude Baha’is from access to civil rights, further entrenching apartheid-like system of discrimination.”