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The Baha'i World Centre and many other shrines and administrative centers are located in Haifa and Acre. In fact, according to the Baha'i website, the religion's connection to this area goes back to the 1860's when the Bahaullah and his followers were exiled from Persia to an Ottoman penal colony.
Obviously, then, it's rather hard for the Baha'i leadership in Iran not to have connections with Israel and other "foreigners." And the Baha'i faith is illegal in Iran, with its members regarded as unbelievers for revering a prophetic figure after Muhammad. So they certainly can't bypass the controversy with Israel by setting up parallel offices in Iran. Catch 22.
An update on this story. "Iran: Bahai leaders detained over ‘connection with Zionists’," by Dudi Cohen for YNet News (with additional reporting by Agence France-Presse), May 20:
Iran confirmed on Tuesday that it arrested leaders of the Bahai community for “anti-Iranian” activities. Last week it was reported that intelligence officials arrested six Bahai community leaders at their homes.
Government Spokesman Gholam Hossein Elham confirmed the matter and said that “this group worked against the state’s interests and had connections with foreigners, especially Zionists.”
Elham also said that “our intelligence service has acted based on legal criteria and it is pursuing the issue as a duty and as part of every country's rules."
Last week, Canadian Foreign Minister Maxime Bernier expressed concern over the arrest and called for their release. The Canadian minister accused Iran of arresting them, "Solely on the basis of their faith," but the Iranian spokesman said that “this (arrest) does not have to do with ideological issues or if you want to call it beliefs, which we basically do not approve of."
One of the estimations is that the Bahai leaders were arrested as a result of a bombing which occurred last month in a Shiraz mosque that killed 14 people. The bombing occurred while a local clergyman was preaching against the Bahais.
However, Iran officially blamed a local terror organization and arrested more than a dozen suspects, who according to the government admitted that they received funding and instruction from the United States, England, and Israel. However, Iran has not yet shown any proof of this.
In January, Iran announced that it tried 54 Bahais over propaganda against the regime charges. Three of them were sentenced to four years imprisonment and the rest were sentenced to a year’s imprisonment on probation. Justice officials said that the Bahais held missionary activity in Shiraz under the guise of assistance to the needy.
The Bahai religion developed in Iran in the 19th century, but since the 1979 Islamic Revolution is considered illegal in the Islamic Republic. According to estimations, 300,000 Bahais live in Iran. They are considered infidels according to the government and are forced to practice their religion in secrecy.
The Bahais view the Bahaullah, born in 1817, as their last prophet, sent by divine intervention to the world. The Bahaullah was banished from Iran and buried in Haifa, Israel, the most sacred place for the Bahai religion.
Posted by Marisol at May 20, 2008 3:38 PM
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I hope Iran will expel Islam for 'anti-Iranian activities'. It deserves so.
Posted by: Henrik![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jihadwatch.org/dhimmiwatch/nav-commenters.gif)
at May 20, 2008 4:35 PM
Of all the reform movements to have arisen in the Islamic world over the past 13 centuries I believe that the Baha'i movement offers the world's best hope of neutralizing the twin doctrines of jihad and dhimmitude. The founder of the movement, Mirza Hussein Ali, asserted authority equal to that of Muhammad. With this authority he abrogated the doctrine of jihad and even proclaimed the equality of the sexes.
It has survived for 160 years under severe persecution and continues to even grow. Even if we do not agree with all of the tenets of the Baha'i religion, it should be incumbent upon all fair minded persons in the world to offer whatever support we can to this much maligned and undeservedly persecuted religious minority.
Posted by: SaracensAtTheGates at May 20, 2008 5:09 PM
"However, Iran officially blamed a local terror organization ..."
bwahahahahahaha..these Iranians sure are funny.
at May 20, 2008 7:04 PM
SaracensAtTheGates - Baha'is are all right in my book. You are correct to say that the Baha'i faith would seem to be a logical replacement for Islam.
Of course, logic is not a word I would associate with fundamentalist Islam.
Posted by: tanstaafl at May 20, 2008 10:12 PM
Gee whiz, those nasty Zionists! They have even got their hand in Baha'i-ism - a faith that predates Zionism by a generation!
Posted by: Paolo at May 21, 2008 5:24 AM
The persecution of Bahais in Iran presents an opportunity not only to reveal the oppressive character of the mullah-ocracy, but to bash the multi-culturalists in the West that defend Islam as something benign.
Posted by: Cornelius at May 21, 2008 7:24 AM
The Baha'i faith can legitimately claim to be a "religion of peace", unlike islam. I'm glad to see Canada's Minister for Foreign Affairs had the guts to protest the arrest, and to clearly state the obvious reason behind it.
Posted by: ImNoDhimmi at May 21, 2008 7:43 AM
I'm honoured to see Jihad Watch covering this. The counterjihad is a difficult thing for me as a Bahá’í to be able to lend the support it deserves, because as Bahá’ís we're traditionally asked not to involve ourselves in overly divisive political disputes, lest we do violence to the goal of helping humanity realize its essential dignity and unity. And as we believe that the prophet Muhammad was indeed sent as one of God's divine messengers, grappling with the hard truths of what is contained in the earliest siras is a challenge.
But in the face of such mammoth human rights violations against kuffar of every type over the years, I feel I have no option but to speak out, even at risk of contravening the typical quiet stance we take. My coreligionists in Iran have endured hardships with great stoicism-- they built the Bahá’í Institute for Higher Education after the government refused their students university entry-- and we will not be broken by this latest rash of injustices. My prayers go out to the six men and women of the National Spiritual Assembly who have been imprisoned, and to all the victims of Islamic supremacism and bigotry everyplace.
Posted by: Funky Child at May 21, 2008 1:57 PM
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Ayatollah Montazeri Decrees Baha'is Rightful Citizens of Iran
A decree was just issued by Grand Ayatollah Montazeri declaring Iranian Baha'is as rightful citizens.
As background information:
Grand Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri (Persian: حسین علی منتظری), styled His Honourable Eminence, (born in 1922), was one of the leaders of the Islamic Revolution in Iran. He is best known as the one-time designated successor to the revolution's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khomeini who fell out with Khomeini in 1989 over government policies that Montazeri claimed infringed on freedom and denied people's rights. He currently lives in the holy city of Qom, and remains politically influential in Iran, especially upon reformist politics. Montazeri is a senior Islamic scholar and a grand marja (religious authority) of Islam.
Translation of the decree:
In the Name of God
With greetings,
The congregation of Baha'ism not having the heavenly book like those of Jews, Christians, and Zoaretrians in the constitution [of Islamic republic of Iran], are not considered one of the religious minorities. However, since they are the citizens of this country, they have the rights of a citizen and to live in this country. Furthermore, they must benefit from the Islamic compassion which is stressed in Quran and by the religious authorities.
God-willing you will be successful,
(Wal Salam–u Alaykum Warahmatullah)
[Peace and Mercy of God be upon you]
25 Urdibehesht 1387 [14 May 2008]
Signature: Montazeri [Seal]
In the context of my humble experience, practicing the Baha'i Faith is like walking a path of burgeoning hope while surrounded by seeming hopelessness. . .this is the transformative power we all possess; to act hopefully is to exercise faith in God.
The above post is evidence what hopefulness may inspire . . .
Posted by: Susan at May 23, 2008 8:40 AM
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