In Iran, a Baha'i Holy Place destroyed:

[arthra]

I had been hoping to post this news item earlier but couldn't due to the process of changing servers. What's so destressing for Baha'is is that this destruction is only the latest of a long series of Baha'i properties being destroyed or confiscated since the current regime assumed power. Previously, the House of the Bab in Shiraz, a Baha'i pilgrimage site was levelled for constructing Mosque and the National Headquarters of the Baha'is in Teheran was destroyed previous to that.

NEW YORK, United States, 22 April 2004 (BWNS) --

Government authorities
in Iran have destroyed a Baha'i holy site, the Baha'i International
Community has learned.
The gravesite of Quddus, a prominent figure in early Baha'i history,
has been razed to the ground, despite protests from Baha'is at the local,
national, and international levels.

"The destruction and desecration of this holy place were carried out
with the knowledge of the national government to which appeals had been
made beforehand," said Bani Dugal, the principal representative of the
Baha'i International Community to the United Nations.
"This act represents yet another example of the ongoing persecution
against Iran's 300,000 member Baha'i community, utterly contradicting the
government's claim that the human rights situation in Iran is
improving," said Ms. Dugal.

Destruction of the gravesite began in February but was temporarily
halted after local Baha'is demanded to see a legal permit for the
demolition work.

The Baha'is were referred to national authorities and for a time it
appeared that the desecration had been halted. More recently, it was
discovered that the dismantling of the gravesite had continued
surreptitiously over a period of days until the structure was entirely demolished.

The house-like structure marked the resting place of Mulla
Muhammad-'Ali Barfurushi, known as Quddus (The Most Holy). Quddus was the foremost
disciple of the Bab, the Prophet-Herald of the Baha'i Faith.
"It would be the least that the Government could do at this point to
return to the Baha'i community his sacred remains," said Ms. Dugal. "We
ask for the international community's support in this goal."

Ms. Dugal added that the destruction of the gravesite came soon after
the international community failed this year to offer a resolution on
the human rights situation in Iran.

Since the Islamic Republic of Iran was founded in 1979, more than 200
Baha'is have been killed by the Government. Hundreds more have spent
time in prison and thousands have been deprived of education, property,
and employment, solely because of their religious belief.
The killings and imprisonments of Baha'is have abated in recent years
in the face of increasing international outcry, such as a series of
resolutions in the United Nations Commission on Human Rights (CHR)
expressing concern over the treatment of Baha'is.

Over the last two years, however, the CHR has failed to pass such
resolutions owing to efforts by Iran to pursue a "dialogue" with Western
nations.

"Unfortunately," said Ms. Dugal, "the Baha'is of Iran still face, day
after day, systematic deprivation of their rights as Iranian citizens --
not only in terms of their civil and political rights, but also in
terms of their economic, social and cultural rights."

For more information,
visit
http://www.bahaiworldnews.org.


 

[smkolins]

See

"During the few days that elapsed after that incident, the enemy, still encamped in the neighbourhood of the fort, refrained from any act of hostility towards Quddus and his companions. On Wednesday morning, the sixteenth of Jamadiyu'th-Thani, an emissary of the prince arrived at the fort and requested that two representatives be delegated by the besieged to conduct confidential negotiations with them in the hope of arriving at a peaceful settlement of the issues outstanding between them.
Accordingly, Quddus instructed Mulla Yusuf-i-Ardibili and Siyyid Riday-i-Khurasani to act as his representatives, and bade them inform the prince of his readiness to accede to his wish. Mihdi-Quli Mirza courteously received them, and invited them to partake of the tea which he had prepared. "We should," they said, as they declined his offer, "feel it to be an act of disloyalty on our part were we to partake of either meat or drink whilst our beloved leader languishes worn and famished in the fort." "The hostilities between us," the prince remarked, "have been unduly prolonged. We, on both sides, have fought long and suffered grievously. It is my fervent wish to achieve an amicable settlement of our differences." He took hold of a copy of the Qur'an that lay beside him, and wrote, with his own hand, in confirmation of his statement, the following words on the margin of the opening Surih: "I swear by this most holy Book, by the righteousness of God who has revealed it, and the Mission of Him who was inspired with its verses, that I cherish no other purpose than to promote peace and friendliness between us. Come forth from your stronghold and rest assured that no hand will be stretched forth against you. You yourself and your companions, I solemnly declare, are under the sheltering protection of the Almighty, of Muhammad, His Prophet, and of Nasiri'd-Din Shah, our sovereign. I pledge my honour that no man, either in this army or in this neighbourhood, will ever attempt to assail you. The malediction of God, the omnipotent Avenger, rest upon me if in my heart I cherish any other desire than that which I have stated."
He affixed his seal to his statement and, delivering the Qur'an into the hands of Mulla Yusuf, asked him to convey his greetings to his leader and to present him this formal and written assurance. "I will," he added, "in pursuance of my declaration, despatch to the gate of the fort, this very afternoon, a number of horses, which I trust he and his leading companions will accept and mount, in order to ride to the neighbourhood of this camp, where a special tent will have been pitched for their reception. I would request them to be our guests until such time as I shall be able to arrange for their return, at my expense, to their homes."
Quddus received the Qur'an from the hand of his messenger, kissed it reverently, and said: "O our Lord, decide between us and between our people with truth; for the best to decide art Thou." Immediately after, he bade the rest of his companions prepare themselves to leave the fort. "By our response to their invitation," he told them, "we shall enable them to demonstrate the sincerity of their intentions."
As the hour of their departure approached, Quddus attired his head with the green turban which the Bab had sent to him at the time He sent the one that Mulla Husayn wore on the day of his martyrdom. At the gate of the fort, they mounted the horses which had been placed at their disposal, Quddus mounting the favourite steed of the prince which the latter had sent for his use. His chief companions, among whom were a number of siyyids and learned divines, rode behind him, and were followed by the rest, who marched on foot, carrying with them all that was left of their arms and belongings. As the company, who were two hundred and two in number, reached the tent which the prince had ordered to be pitched for Quddus in the vicinity of the public bath of the village of Dizva, overlooking the camp of the enemy, they alighted and proceeded to occupy their lodgings in the neighbourhood of that tent.
Soon after their arrival, Quddus emerged from his tent and, gathering together his companions, addressed them in these words: "You should show forth exemplary renunciation, for such behaviour on your part will exalt our Cause and redound to its glory. Anything short of complete detachment will but serve to tarnish the purity of its name and to obscure its splendour. Pray the Almighty to grant that even to your last hour He may graciously assist you to contribute your share to the exaltation of His Faith....

No sooner had the prince freed them from the restraints which he had exercised than the ulamas and the people of Barfurush, acting under orders from the Sa'idu'l-'Ulama', arose to perpetrate upon the body of their victim acts of such atrocious cruelty as no pen can describe. By the testimony of Baha'u'llah, that heroic youth, who was still on the threshold of his life, was subjected to such tortures and suffered such a death as even Jesus had not faced in the hour of His greatest agony. The absence of any restraint on the part of the government authorities, the ingenious barbarity which the torture-mongers of Barfurush so ably displayed, the fierce fanaticism which glowed in the breasts of its shi'ah inhabitants, the moral support accorded to them by the dignitaries of Church and State in the capital--above all, the acts of heroism which their victim and his companions had accomplished and which had served to heighten their exasperation, all combined to nerve the hand of the assailants and to add to the diabolical ferocity which characterised his martyrdom.
Such were its circumstances that the Bab, who was then confined in the castle of Chihriq, was unable for a period of six months either to write or to dictate. The deep grief which he felt had stilled the voice of revelation and silenced His pen. How deeply He mourned His loss! What cries of anguish He must have uttered as the tale of the siege, the untold sufferings, the shameless betrayal, and the wholesale massacre of the companions of Shaykh Tabarsi reached His ears and was unfolded before His eyes! What pangs of sorrow He must have felt when He learned of the shameful treatment which His beloved Quddus had undergone in his hour of martyrdom at the hands of the people of Barfurush; how he was stripped of his clothes; how the turban which He had bestowed upon him had been befouled; how, barefooted, bareheaded, and loaded with chains, he was paraded through the streets, followed and scorned by the entire population of the town; how he was execrated and spat upon by the howling mob; how he was assailed with the knives and axes of the scum of its female inhabitants; how his body was pierced and mutilated, and how eventually it was delivered to the flames!
Amidst his torments, Quddus was heard whispering forgiveness to his foes. "Forgive, O my God," he cried, "the trespasses of this people. Deal with them in Thy mercy, for they know not what we already have discovered and cherish. I have striven to show them the path that leads to their salvation; behold how they have risen to overwhelm and kill me! Show them, O God, the way of Truth, and turn their ignorance into faith." In his hour of agony, the Siyyid-i-Qumi, who had so treacherously deserted the fort, was seen passing by his side. Observing his helplessness, he smote him in the face. "You claimed," he cried in haughty scorn, "that your voice was the voice of God. If you speak the truth, burst your bonds asunder and free yourself from the hands of your enemies." Quddus looked steadfastly into his face, sighed deeply, and said: "May God requite you for your deed, inasmuch as you have helped to add to the measure of my afflictions." Approaching the Sabzih-Maydan, he raised his voice and said: "Would that my mother were with me, and could see with her own eyes the splendour of my nuptials!" He had scarcely spoken these words when the enraged multitude fell upon him and, tearing his body to pieces, threw the scattered members into the fire which they had kindled for that purpose. In the middle of the night, what still remained of the fragments of that burned and mutilated body was gathered by the hand of a devoted friend and interred in a place not far distant from the scene of his martyrdom."

[smkolins]

Unfortunately all that is available is a provisional translation of a section of the prayer revealed for the martyrs of Fort Tabarsi, but Quddus is foremost among them.

Tablet of Visitation for the martyrs, on them be peace, who have sacrificed themselves for the Last Name of God, Quddús, Quddús, Quddús.


      In the Name of God, the Most Inaccessible, the Most Holy!

Holy, holy, holy (quddus, quddus, quddus)! The glory from God, no other God is there but He, rest upon thy heart and the heart of whomsoever is in thy heart, and upon thy spirit and the spirit of whomsoever is in thy spirit, and upon thy soul and whomsoever is in thy soul, and upon thy body and whomsoever is in thy body. The exaltation from God rest upon thy heart and the heart of whomsoever hath been created from the light of thy praise, and upon thy spirit and whomsoever hath been created from the spirit of thy benediction, and upon thy soul and whomsoever hath been created from the soul of thy unification, and upon thy body and whomsoever hath been created from the light of thy glorification. Thou hast been raised up, nor is there above thee anyone possessed of exaltation like unto thee; thou hast come near, nor is there anyone possessed of proximity like unto thine. All created things have given praise in unison out of the essence of thy praise, and all atoms have rendered glorification out of the camphor of thy glorification, and all the glorious entities have extolled the oneness of God in unison out of the substance of thine extolling of His unity, and all the individual realities have lauded the greatness of God in unison out of the absolute reality of thy glorification of His greatness. All render praise unto God through thee, and all sanctify God through thee, and all extol God's singleness through thee, and all magnify God through thee. So great hath been thine affliction that the afflictions of all created things are cut off from any connection with it; the calamity that hath overwhelmed thee hath reached so high a station that no other calamity of any created thing may be mentioned in the same breath as it. By thy glory, there is nothing in existence apart from God that weepeth not sore over thee, that is not established under thy shadow, that doth not praise God with the praise thou didst offer, that doth not sanctify His name with the sanctification thou didst render, that doth not extol the unity of God with the praise of His unity that thou didst utter, and that doth not magnify God with the magnification whereby thou didst honour His greatness. From all eternity and unto all eternity thou hast been in the exaltation of holiness and majesty, and unto all eternity thou shalt be in the height of sanctity and beauteousness. Thou art he that hath become manifest through the manifestation of thy Lord, and kept hidden through the concealment of thy Lord, and thou art the First, for there is no first save thee, and the Last, for there is no last other than thee. Thou hast ascended through the degrees of creation unto that horizon where none hath gone before thee; and thou hast been raised upon the throne of thy glory on the highest horizon of paradise, higher than which there is nothing whatever in the knowledge of God. I call upon thee and upon all things as witnesses that thy blood is pure, untainted and unsullied, and that through the residue of its very mention the realities of all created things have been made manifest . . . I call upon God and upon all things as witnesses that God hath sanctified thee from all likenesses and hath given unto thee what He hath given unto no one in His creation - not the dominion of earth and all that is on it, but the dominion of Paradise and all that dwell therein. Thus, there shall not come into the heart of anyone a mention of grandeur or might, save that he shall come unto thee with a mention of humility and shall descend to the door of thy courtyard in the utmost degree of abasement . . . Verily, I call to witness the angels of the Throne and the Seat and the heavens and the Most Exalted Paradise and the most glorious garden, that circle about thy grave, and ask that they may take the water that poureth from the eyes of whomsoever exhibiteth love for thee and may bring it into the presence of God, thy Lord, and that God may look upon him that hath performed that act of grace and that His paradise may lament over him, and that He may single him out for all His grace and all that He may fashion, for there is no drop of water more loved by God than that which hath flowed out over thy tribulations and hath appeared on the cheek by reason of thy sufferings ...

[smkolins]

Unfortunately all that is available is a provisional translation of a section of the prayer revealed for the martyrs of Fort Tabarsi, but Quddus is foremost among them.

Tablet of Visitation for the martyrs, on them be peace, who have sacrificed themselves for the Last Name of God, Quddús, Quddús, Quddús.


      In the Name of God, the Most Inaccessible, the Most Holy!

Holy, holy, holy (quddus, quddus, quddus)! The glory from God, no other God is there but He, rest upon thy heart and the heart of whomsoever is in thy heart, and upon thy spirit and the spirit of whomsoever is in thy spirit, and upon thy soul and whomsoever is in thy soul, and upon thy body and whomsoever is in thy body. The exaltation from God rest upon thy heart and the heart of whomsoever hath been created from the light of thy praise, and upon thy spirit and whomsoever hath been created from the spirit of thy benediction, and upon thy soul and whomsoever hath been created from the soul of thy unification, and upon thy body and whomsoever hath been created from the light of thy glorification. Thou hast been raised up, nor is there above thee anyone possessed of exaltation like unto thee; thou hast come near, nor is there anyone possessed of proximity like unto thine. All created things have given praise in unison out of the essence of thy praise, and all atoms have rendered glorification out of the camphor of thy glorification, and all the glorious entities have extolled the oneness of God in unison out of the substance of thine extolling of His unity, and all the individual realities have lauded the greatness of God in unison out of the absolute reality of thy glorification of His greatness. All render praise unto God through thee, and all sanctify God through thee, and all extol God's singleness through thee, and all magnify God through thee. So great hath been thine affliction that the afflictions of all created things are cut off from any connection with it; the calamity that hath overwhelmed thee hath reached so high a station that no other calamity of any created thing may be mentioned in the same breath as it. By thy glory, there is nothing in existence apart from God that weepeth not sore over thee, that is not established under thy shadow, that doth not praise God with the praise thou didst offer, that doth not sanctify His name with the sanctification thou didst render, that doth not extol the unity of God with the praise of His unity that thou didst utter, and that doth not magnify God with the magnification whereby thou didst honour His greatness. From all eternity and unto all eternity thou hast been in the exaltation of holiness and majesty, and unto all eternity thou shalt be in the height of sanctity and beauteousness. Thou art he that hath become manifest through the manifestation of thy Lord, and kept hidden through the concealment of thy Lord, and thou art the First, for there is no first save thee, and the Last, for there is no last other than thee. Thou hast ascended through the degrees of creation unto that horizon where none hath gone before thee; and thou hast been raised upon the throne of thy glory on the highest horizon of paradise, higher than which there is nothing whatever in the knowledge of God. I call upon thee and upon all things as witnesses that thy blood is pure, untainted and unsullied, and that through the residue of its very mention the realities of all created things have been made manifest . . . I call upon God and upon all things as witnesses that God hath sanctified thee from all likenesses and hath given unto thee what He hath given unto no one in His creation - not the dominion of earth and all that is on it, but the dominion of Paradise and all that dwell therein. Thus, there shall not come into the heart of anyone a mention of grandeur or might, save that he shall come unto thee with a mention of humility and shall descend to the door of thy courtyard in the utmost degree of abasement . . . Verily, I call to witness the angels of the Throne and the Seat and the heavens and the Most Exalted Paradise and the most glorious garden, that circle about thy grave, and ask that they may take the water that poureth from the eyes of whomsoever exhibiteth love for thee and may bring it into the presence of God, thy Lord, and that God may look upon him that hath performed that act of grace and that His paradise may lament over him, and that He may single him out for all His grace and all that He may fashion, for there is no drop of water more loved by God than that which hath flowed out over thy tribulations and hath appeared on the cheek by reason of thy sufferings ...

[smkolins]

See

"During the few days that elapsed after that incident, the enemy, still encamped in the neighbourhood of the fort, refrained from any act of hostility towards Quddus and his companions. On Wednesday morning, the sixteenth of Jamadiyu'th-Thani, an emissary of the prince arrived at the fort and requested that two representatives be delegated by the besieged to conduct confidential negotiations with them in the hope of arriving at a peaceful settlement of the issues outstanding between them.
Accordingly, Quddus instructed Mulla Yusuf-i-Ardibili and Siyyid Riday-i-Khurasani to act as his representatives, and bade them inform the prince of his readiness to accede to his wish. Mihdi-Quli Mirza courteously received them, and invited them to partake of the tea which he had prepared. "We should," they said, as they declined his offer, "feel it to be an act of disloyalty on our part were we to partake of either meat or drink whilst our beloved leader languishes worn and famished in the fort." "The hostilities between us," the prince remarked, "have been unduly prolonged. We, on both sides, have fought long and suffered grievously. It is my fervent wish to achieve an amicable settlement of our differences." He took hold of a copy of the Qur'an that lay beside him, and wrote, with his own hand, in confirmation of his statement, the following words on the margin of the opening Surih: "I swear by this most holy Book, by the righteousness of God who has revealed it, and the Mission of Him who was inspired with its verses, that I cherish no other purpose than to promote peace and friendliness between us. Come forth from your stronghold and rest assured that no hand will be stretched forth against you. You yourself and your companions, I solemnly declare, are under the sheltering protection of the Almighty, of Muhammad, His Prophet, and of Nasiri'd-Din Shah, our sovereign. I pledge my honour that no man, either in this army or in this neighbourhood, will ever attempt to assail you. The malediction of God, the omnipotent Avenger, rest upon me if in my heart I cherish any other desire than that which I have stated."
He affixed his seal to his statement and, delivering the Qur'an into the hands of Mulla Yusuf, asked him to convey his greetings to his leader and to present him this formal and written assurance. "I will," he added, "in pursuance of my declaration, despatch to the gate of the fort, this very afternoon, a number of horses, which I trust he and his leading companions will accept and mount, in order to ride to the neighbourhood of this camp, where a special tent will have been pitched for their reception. I would request them to be our guests until such time as I shall be able to arrange for their return, at my expense, to their homes."
Quddus received the Qur'an from the hand of his messenger, kissed it reverently, and said: "O our Lord, decide between us and between our people with truth; for the best to decide art Thou." Immediately after, he bade the rest of his companions prepare themselves to leave the fort. "By our response to their invitation," he told them, "we shall enable them to demonstrate the sincerity of their intentions."
As the hour of their departure approached, Quddus attired his head with the green turban which the Bab had sent to him at the time He sent the one that Mulla Husayn wore on the day of his martyrdom. At the gate of the fort, they mounted the horses which had been placed at their disposal, Quddus mounting the favourite steed of the prince which the latter had sent for his use. His chief companions, among whom were a number of siyyids and learned divines, rode behind him, and were followed by the rest, who marched on foot, carrying with them all that was left of their arms and belongings. As the company, who were two hundred and two in number, reached the tent which the prince had ordered to be pitched for Quddus in the vicinity of the public bath of the village of Dizva, overlooking the camp of the enemy, they alighted and proceeded to occupy their lodgings in the neighbourhood of that tent.
Soon after their arrival, Quddus emerged from his tent and, gathering together his companions, addressed them in these words: "You should show forth exemplary renunciation, for such behaviour on your part will exalt our Cause and redound to its glory. Anything short of complete detachment will but serve to tarnish the purity of its name and to obscure its splendour. Pray the Almighty to grant that even to your last hour He may graciously assist you to contribute your share to the exaltation of His Faith....

No sooner had the prince freed them from the restraints which he had exercised than the ulamas and the people of Barfurush, acting under orders from the Sa'idu'l-'Ulama', arose to perpetrate upon the body of their victim acts of such atrocious cruelty as no pen can describe. By the testimony of Baha'u'llah, that heroic youth, who was still on the threshold of his life, was subjected to such tortures and suffered such a death as even Jesus had not faced in the hour of His greatest agony. The absence of any restraint on the part of the government authorities, the ingenious barbarity which the torture-mongers of Barfurush so ably displayed, the fierce fanaticism which glowed in the breasts of its shi'ah inhabitants, the moral support accorded to them by the dignitaries of Church and State in the capital--above all, the acts of heroism which their victim and his companions had accomplished and which had served to heighten their exasperation, all combined to nerve the hand of the assailants and to add to the diabolical ferocity which characterised his martyrdom.
Such were its circumstances that the Bab, who was then confined in the castle of Chihriq, was unable for a period of six months either to write or to dictate. The deep grief which he felt had stilled the voice of revelation and silenced His pen. How deeply He mourned His loss! What cries of anguish He must have uttered as the tale of the siege, the untold sufferings, the shameless betrayal, and the wholesale massacre of the companions of Shaykh Tabarsi reached His ears and was unfolded before His eyes! What pangs of sorrow He must have felt when He learned of the shameful treatment which His beloved Quddus had undergone in his hour of martyrdom at the hands of the people of Barfurush; how he was stripped of his clothes; how the turban which He had bestowed upon him had been befouled; how, barefooted, bareheaded, and loaded with chains, he was paraded through the streets, followed and scorned by the entire population of the town; how he was execrated and spat upon by the howling mob; how he was assailed with the knives and axes of the scum of its female inhabitants; how his body was pierced and mutilated, and how eventually it was delivered to the flames!
Amidst his torments, Quddus was heard whispering forgiveness to his foes. "Forgive, O my God," he cried, "the trespasses of this people. Deal with them in Thy mercy, for they know not what we already have discovered and cherish. I have striven to show them the path that leads to their salvation; behold how they have risen to overwhelm and kill me! Show them, O God, the way of Truth, and turn their ignorance into faith." In his hour of agony, the Siyyid-i-Qumi, who had so treacherously deserted the fort, was seen passing by his side. Observing his helplessness, he smote him in the face. "You claimed," he cried in haughty scorn, "that your voice was the voice of God. If you speak the truth, burst your bonds asunder and free yourself from the hands of your enemies." Quddus looked steadfastly into his face, sighed deeply, and said: "May God requite you for your deed, inasmuch as you have helped to add to the measure of my afflictions." Approaching the Sabzih-Maydan, he raised his voice and said: "Would that my mother were with me, and could see with her own eyes the splendour of my nuptials!" He had scarcely spoken these words when the enraged multitude fell upon him and, tearing his body to pieces, threw the scattered members into the fire which they had kindled for that purpose. In the middle of the night, what still remained of the fragments of that burned and mutilated body was gathered by the hand of a devoted friend and interred in a place not far distant from the scene of his martyrdom."

[I, Brian]

Certainly it is quite regrettable that the Iranian government should be seen to allow such a thing - my sincere condolancies on this issue.

Something that does pique my attention, though, is that there are statements in the story that are not supported in the story.

For example:

Originally Posted by Ms. Dugal

"This act represents yet another example of the ongoing persecution
against Iran's 300,000 member Baha'i community, utterly contradicting the
government's claim that the human rights situation in Iran is
improving," said Ms. Dugal.

implies that there is an onoging state persecution of the Baha'i community. Is there any information you could link to that better describes this?

Especially in the face of comments like:

Since the Islamic Republic of Iran was founded in 1979, more than 200
Baha'is have been killed by the Government. Hundreds more have spent
time in prison and thousands have been deprived of education, property,
and employment, solely because of their religious belief.

This statement seems to imply a direct policy of oppression - but 200 hundred dead over 25 years doesn't seem to suggest this - especially when we put this into context with the political issues over recent years, that has seen journalists murdered, students imprisoned en masse, not to mention intimidation of elected officials.

There's a big power struggle going on in Iran - my concern, I guess, is that Ms. Dugan is sensationalising the issue in a very plainly propagandist manner.

[arthra]

Originally Posted by I, Brian

Certainly it is quite regrettable that the Iranian government should be seen to allow such a thing - my sincere condolancies on this issue.

Something that does pique my attention, though, is that there are statements in the story that are not supported in the story.

For example:

implies that there is an onoging state persecution of the Baha'i community. Is there any information you could link to that better describes this?

Especially in the face of comments like:

This statement seems to imply a direct policy of oppression - but 200 hundred dead over 25 years doesn't seem to suggest this - especially when we put this into context with the political issues over recent years, that has seen journalists murdered, students imprisoned en masse, not to mention intimidation of elected officials.

There's a big power struggle going on in Iran - my concern, I guess, is that Ms. Dugan is sensationalising the issue in a very plainly propagandist manner.

Brian,

I was happy to learn yesterday that Comparative Religion is back on line but quite frankly your attitude as an Administrator of this Forum "that Ms. Dugal is sensationalising the issue in a very plainly proppagandist manner" comes as a deep shock to me! Especially since the issue of the persecution of Baha'is has been brought up on this Forum before.

Please refer to

http://www.bahai.org/article-1-8-3-7.html

for a good documented summary of the status of Baha'is in Iran.

Ms. Dugal represents the International Baha'i Community. For more information on her refer to:

http://www.bahaiworldnews.org/story.cfm?storyid=284

- Art

[I, Brian]

I'm afraid I don't seem to remember the issue of persecution against Baha'is being raised - not directly - and I commented that I had a certain concern. I am like this with media reporting in general.

Especially because there is a much wider issue of repression going on in Iran, across the boundaries of faith.

Btw - I'm going to move this topic to the Baha'i section, as really the "news" section is for forum news.

[arthra]

Originally Posted by I, Brian

I'm afraid I don't seem to remember the issue of persecution against Baha'is being raised - not directly - and I commented that I had a certain concern. I am like this with media reporting in general.

Especially because there is a much wider issue of repression going on in Iran, across the boundaries of faith.

Btw - I'm going to move this topic to the Baha'i section, as really the "news" section is for forum news.

I do think you can certainly can move this item to the Baha'i topic... I thought since it was a example of religious oppression it would be of interest generally.

But I am still deeply troubled and saddened by your remarks.

- Art

[I, Brian]

Apologies for any offence taken, arthra - none was intended.

I have a natural tendency to cynicism when it comes to media reports - no matter the source. A bad habit, perhaps. Without being aware of the situation in modern Iran, regarding the issues of discrimination against Baha'is, the report seemed like one of it's primary aims was to create an emotive response.

It almost seemed to imply as well that Baha'is are the only group of people being oppressed, when Iran itself has been undergoing a very serious power struggle, most visible since Khatami became President. That was essnetially my concern.

Of course, do appreciate that I'm also reading the report without prior knowledge of what has specifically transpired with regards to Baha'is in Iran. I can assure you any offensive caused is almost certainly due to my ignorance, rather than any intention to offend.

[silverguy9]

Originally Posted by I, Brian

Apologies for any offence taken, arthra - none was intended.

I have a natural tendency to cynicism when it comes to media reports - no matter the source. A bad habit, perhaps. Without being aware of the situation in modern Iran, regarding the issues of discrimination against Baha'is, the report seemed like one of it's primary aims was to create an emotive response.

It almost seemed to imply as well that Baha'is are the only group of people being oppressed, when Iran itself has been undergoing a very serious power struggle, most visible since Khatami became President. That was essnetially my concern.

Of course, do appreciate that I'm also reading the report without prior knowledge of what has specifically transpired with regards to Baha'is in Iran. I can assure you any offensive caused is almost certainly due to my ignorance, rather than any intention to offend.

What U.S. president sent message to Iran to stop persecuting Iranian Baha’is….was it Eisenhower… I do not remember.

[arthra]

Originally Posted by I, Brian

Apologies for any offence taken, arthra - none was intended.

I have a natural tendency to cynicism when it comes to media reports - no matter the source. A bad habit, perhaps. Without being aware of the situation in modern Iran, regarding the issues of discrimination against Baha'is, the report seemed like one of it's primary aims was to create an emotive response.

It almost seemed to imply as well that Baha'is are the only group of people being oppressed, when Iran itself has been undergoing a very serious power struggle, most visible since Khatami became President. That was essnetially my concern.

Of course, do appreciate that I'm also reading the report without prior knowledge of what has specifically transpired with regards to Baha'is in Iran. I can assure you any offensive caused is almost certainly due to my ignorance, rather than any intention to offend.

Apologies accepted.

I think once you're familiar with our International Baha'i Community and how it functions you'll come to see it as providing a restrained and balanced response to news reporting. Through the Universal House of Justice, International Baha'i Community is the only body that represents the Baha'is in Iran and attempts to ameliorate their hardships which have been so many for so long.

- Art

[BruceDLimber]

Originally Posted by I, Brian

I'm afraid I don't seem to remember the issue of persecution against Baha'is being raised - not directly - and I commented that I had a certain concern. I am like this with media reporting in general.

Especially because there is a much wider issue of repression going on in Iran, across the boundaries of faith.

Greetings, Brian!

What you say is true, but the Baha'is are arguably a special case for several reasons. I'll endeavor to explain more about this below.

Unfortunately, from a historical perspective each religion has tended to oppose or persecute in particular the next religion to appear in that area. This is evident in the attitude of the Jews toward Christ and the early Christians, as well as the Christians' attitude toward Islam and Muslims. And tragically, this has happened yet again with the Muslims' view and treatment of Baha'is.

Babis and Baha'is have always been opposed and attacked by various Muslims, and especially by those in power (whether government or clergy). (I presume you have a nodding familiarity with the Babi Faith and who the Babis were; if not, please ask, and we'll be happy to explain.)

This is in part because the Baha'i Faith is simply something "different."

Another is that because Baha'is have no clergy or hierarchy at all, Muslim clergy may view us (quite wrongly) as a threat to their very livelihood!

And it is in part because Muslims take literally a statement by Muhammad that they believe implies there can never be another religion newer than Islam, so that they interpret the very existence of the Baha'i Faith as impossible (as well as incompatible with their world view)! This is one of the reasons why such hostility often seems so knee-jerk and unreasoning: because they seem to think their very world view is threatened because we exist at all.

Over 20,000 Babis and early Baha'is were murdered in the early years of our Faith!

And this persecution has continued, however sporadically, ever since. At times, the Baha'is have been largely ignored. At others, extreme measures have been taken! These include (and the list is only partial):

• the execution of hundreds of Baha'is in the past 25 years merely for being Baha'i and practicing their religion
• confiscation of government pensions (with demands for repayment of monies already paid) from retired Baha'i civil servants
• refusal to recognize Baha'i marriages with ensuing charges of prostitution, etc. against Baha'i wives
• kidnapping of children from Baha'i families in order to resettle them in families that then raise them as Muslims
• destruction of Baha'i shrines and other properties, with other structures then built on these same sites
• desecration and destruction of Baha'i cemeteries
• prohibition of any sort of higher education for any Baha'i: not only are they barred from enrolling in universities in Iran, but when the Baha'is opened their own, private universities for their youth, these were raided and everything taken from them (books, computers, etc.)
• unlike other religious minorities such as Jews and Christians, Baha'is have NO civil rights that others need respect! Recently someone murdered a Baha'i. He was fined the equivalent of $50 for disturbing the peace.
• (and as I said, there have been many other such outrages, too.)

One of the most notorious recent attacks came when the Iranian government arrested a dozen or more Baha'i youth for the specific offense of teaching the Baha'i Faith to the children of Baha'is! When they refused to recant and become Muslims, they were sentenced to death and hanged! One of these was a sixteen-year-old girl named Mona. She asked to be hanged last so that she could pray for the steadfastness of the others. And when she was led to the gallows, she kissed the noose.

I trust that such true accounts as this will help you to moderate your skepticism of what gets reported in the press, as not infrequently, the truth about this is even worse than what may get widely publicized. . . .

Oh--and for the record, when Baha'is have been executed for the past several decades, their families have not been allowed to collect and bury their bodies until they paid for the rope or bullets!

This is very personal for me, too, because several members of my wife's family had to escape from Iran because they were Baha'is; and I have several Baha'i friends in this area who have lost family members who were executed, including one who lost both her father and her brother!

There are many Web sites that will confirm this information, including a bunch of non-Baha'i ones! So I trust you can satisfy yourself about the truth of all this.

And the sources and statements available include the Congressional Record as well as formal statements by both the European Community and the UN.

Peace,

Bruce

[I, Brian]

Thank you for educating myself - I shall try to be more informed of such issues as they present themselves.

[barefootgal9]

I'm very worried that the destruction of Quddus' grave might portend that the Iranian authorities no longer fear international pressure or UN sanctions -- are they thinking that the world's attention is focussed on Iraq now -- or that UN and international resources are spread too thinly to worry about now?

If so, I fear that they may now be thinking that they can now be free to do whatever they like to the Baha'i community without repercussion. And I fear that that may be true!

We are currently awaiting the arrival of our second Baha'i refugee family here. The eldest son arrived a few weeks ago -- a wonderful young man and reknowned musician. The rest of his family are still waiting in Turkey for the necessary wheels to turn. Apparently it takes about 2 years for Baha'i refugees, once in Turkey, to get the clearances, etc to move on to Canada, Europe, or USA.

I was stunned by the number of Baha'is indicated in the news report. First, because it is the first time in 25 years that the Faith has revealed the size of the Baha'i community in Iran for fear of exposing more to persecution. Secondly -- because it is such a sad remnant of what the Baha'i population was before the revolution -- maybe as little as a tenth what it was then.

It is a wonderful bounty for us Westerners to have the Persian Baha'is among us -- 5th and 6th generation Baha'is who are so astonishingly strong in their Faith and character, and so deepened in the heritage and mysticism of the Faith. We Westerners SO need their example and depth of understanding! They have been giving, quite literally, their all, for generations. While we whine at giving up a few hours, or a few vices. And it is for OUR spiritual freedom that they have consented to sacrifice so much!