is this fair?  

Bahai’s have also experienced this,if I named them all, the list would go on for hundreds of pages.

Has any of the following ever happened to you?

Sleeping or eating dinner with your family,then all of a sudden revolutionary guards are knocking at your door,demanding to search your house?

While at school,the principal calls you into their office and tells you that you are to be expelled due to your religion?

Teachers telling fellow class members that they should not be friends with you as you are different and are not Muslim?

Opening your eyes in the morning to notice your mother,dad or sibling has been taken away by guards to prison?

Not having your family around at a birthday or gathering,as they are in prison or martyred due to being a Bahai?

Your belongings eg.(computer,phone,iPod,documents,photos…) being taken off you by guards and never getting them back?

Your house or land being taken off you by the government?

Not being able to attend university or have a job?

I wonder if anyone could even try to imagine this happening to them and their family?

Well sadly all of this is true and many families in Iran have had either one or at times all of these scenarios happen to them.

We can really see that history is repeating itself. What I don’t understand is that how? How can this happen? How can someone do these to any family,and all because of their religion? is this right?

now consider this question… Is it fair to ask for something and then contradict what you are asking of ?

In December 2010,an open letter from the Baha’i International community was written to the head of Iran’s Judiciary,in response to the Muslims own call for ’Muslim minorities to be treated fairly in other countries’. The letter is very politely and well-written, the letter explains what the situation with Bahais in Iran is at the moment,asking that something should be done or at least the Bahais should be released from prison as their only crime is being a Bahai.

They even added a section from the Iranian Constitution itself, saying, “In accordance with the sacred verse, ‘God doth not forbid you to deal with kindness and fairness towards those who have not made war upon you on account of your religion, or driven you forth from your homes ’ [60:8], 

 The letter ends with this.. “The Bahá’ís are not “others” in your country: they are an inseparable part of the Iranian nation. The injustices meted out to them are a reflection of the terrible oppression that has engulfed the nation. Your respect now for the rights of the Iranian Bahá’ís would signal a willingness to respect the rights of all the citizens of your country. Redressing the wrongs suffered by the Bahá’ís would bring hope to the hearts of all Iranians that you are ready to ensure justice for everyone. Our call, then, is in reality a call for respect of the rights of all the Iranian people.

 With our hearts filled with love for Iran and our earnest hopes for the exaltation and glory of that land, we urge you, in your capacity as the Head of the Judiciary,  to release the former members of the Yaran from prison and, along with them, all the Bahá’ís who are incarcerated across the country. These include Miss Haleh Rouhi, Miss Raha Sabet, and Mr. Sasan Taqva, the three young Bahá’ís who have now entered the fourth year of imprisonment in Shiraz for the crime of helping impoverished children to learn how to read and write. We likewise request that the Bahá’ís in that country be granted their full rights of citizenship, in order that they may be able to fulfill their heartfelt aspiration to contribute, alongside their fellow citizens, to the advancement of their nation. This, indeed, is no more than what you rightfully ask for Muslim minorities who reside in other lands. Bahá’ís merely seek the same treatment from you.

Respectfully,

Bahá’í International Community”





 

Now consider the question asked before..Is it fair to ask for something and then contradict what you are asking of?

I believe it isn’t ,and what the Baha’is are asking is merely what the Muslims are asking of them.

We pray for all religions to be in harmony and peace,with each other regardless of religion,race or gender.  ’Regard ye not one another as strangers. Ye are the fruits of one tree, and the leaves of one branch’   -Baha’u'llah

This is the link for the open letter in english http://www.iranpresswatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/801_bic_open_letter_larijani_en.pdf

Several people flee Iran for a better lifestyle,many of which we do not know of their whereabouts or if they are still alive. Many of them were killed by the heat and starvation in the deserts while leaving Iran,some have drowned at sea while on a boat,looking for a better future for themselves and their family.

 The interesting thing is, that they know that escaping from Iran can result in death,but they are still more than happy to escape as living conditions with the situation in Iran at the moment is at times,worse than dieing. and this has been proven by many people,that had the opportuinty to escape and reach many countries.

Not long ago,a boat full of asylum seekers which included many Iranians,was en route to Australia from Indonisia,heading to Christmas Island. There was a chance the boat engine had failed and the passengers and crew were shipwrecked on a remote island, but relatives feared the boat may have sunk..

All these people onboard wanted to leave their countries for a better life,even when they knew their lives were at stake.

97 are belieived dead with many injured and many bodies not found yet.

Former refugee and now human rights activist Ali Bakhtiavandi, now living in Ballarat, said that asylum seekers were, at times, treated ‘worse than animals’, and even though many Iranians have heard of these things,they still prefer this than the harsh treatment they recieve in Iran.

can we blame them?

People dont just leave Iran,for freedom and a better life. Some people,have to leave as they are being torured and treated unfairly,because of their religion. In Iran, Bahai’s are treated very poorly,children are deprived of a fair education,jobs are rairly given to Bahai’s and  they cannot attend university,as they have to state what religon they are. Many members of my family,had to leave Iran..they loved their country,but they knew they could not live any kind of life there.

Hopefully,one day, All the world will live in harmony and peace. Everyone will be treated fairly,regardless of gender,race or religion. Because at the end of the day,”We are drops of ONE ocean,we are leaves of ONE tree, we are flowers of ONE garden, we are pearls of ONE sea, ALL the world is ONE country”.   -Baha’i Faith.

I will finish off with this Baha’i prayer on the Unity of mankind,it is one of my favourite prayers as it is telling us exactly how the world should be….

“O Thou kind Lord!  Unite all.  Let the religions agree and make the nations one, so that they may see each other as one family and the whole earth as one home.  May they all live together in perfect harmony.

O God!  Raise aloft the banner of the oneness of mankind.

O God!  Establish the Most Great Peace.

Cement Thou, O God, the hearts together.”

- ‘Abdu’l-Bahá

dictionary meaning -Human rights: pl.n.
The basic rights and freedoms to which all humans are entitled, often held to include the right to life and liberty, freedom of thought and expression, and equality before the law.
 

So basically even BASIC rights and BASIC freedoms, to what we expect to be the minimum any person in any corner of the world should be allowed to have, putting religion,race and gender aside.

But sadly in some corners of the world, even the basic human rights are not followed ,in Iran, many Baha’is are not given any human rights at all,they have no freedom of speech or expression.

Two weeks ago,in one week,many human rights were broken and these are just some:

2 Bahai’s arrested and sent to prison

A resident arrested and detained 

A Bahai student expelled from school

………. their crime?   Being a Baha’i and believing in the Unity of mankind.

Baha’i Farms Confiscated by the Office of the Supreme Leader-more than 30 000 hectares of Bahai owned farms were seized.

…all this, in ONE week. Four Basic human rights taken away…because of their religion.

 This is all happening behind closed doors and as in many countries democratic countries,where we live in harmony and have freedom of speech and a right to be educated and have not experienced such hardships and injustices, we would not expect such basic human rights to be broken.

I will finish off with this Bahai prayer on Justice:)

“  O ye beloved of the Lord! The Kingdom of God is founded upon equity and justice, and also upon mercy, compassion, and kindness to every living soul. Strive ye then with all your heart to treat compassionately all humankind — except for those who have some selfish, private motive, or some disease of the soul. Kindness cannot be shown the tyrant, the deceiver, or the thief, because, far from awakening them to the error of their ways, it maketh them to continue in their perversity as before. No matter how much kindliness ye may expend upon the liar, he will but lie the more, for he believeth you to be deceived, while ye understand him but too well, and only remain silent out of your extreme compassion.
~`Abdu’l-Bahá

“He is, in truth, the Omnipotent, the Unconstrained!
    O Lord of Names and Fashioner of the Heavens!
Free Thy lovers from the prison of the enemy.
    Verily, Thou art the Sovereign Ordainer of Thine irrevocable decree,
He Who alone shineth resplendent on the horizon of creation.
    O Everlasting Root!  By the life of the All-Glorious,
deprive them not of hope, nay rather aid and assist them.
    Verily, Thou rulest as Thou pleasest and within Thy grasp lie the kingdoms of creation.
The fangs of Thine enemies have been whetted, ready to bite into the flesh of Thy lovers.
    Protect these companions,
O Thou Who rulest over all humankind and art the Judge on the Day of Judgment…”

        – Baha’u’llah

For the past 2 years, 7 Bahai leaders in Iran have been put on trial by the Iranian government without any charges given.

 They are :   Mrs. Fariba Kamalabadir, Mr. Jamaloddin Khanjani, Mr. Afif Naeimi, Mr. Saeid Rezaie ,Mrs. Mahvash Sabet, Mr. Behrouz Tavakkoli, Mr. Vahid Tizfahm.

You may ask what their crime was, well it was simply their religion, the Baha’i Faith.

The trial of the seven Baha’i leaders ended on 14 June 2010 after six brief sessions, characterized by their lack of due legal process.

The trial of the seven Bahai’s was in many ways  the trial of an entire community of more than 300,000 Iranian Baha’is. Over the last 30 years, more than 200 Baha’is have been killed, hundreds more imprisoned, and thousands deprived of jobs, education, and the freedom to worship.

The charges against the seven reflects the kinds of false accusations and campaign of misinformation that Iran’s regime has used to defame Baha’is for decades.

The initial sentence of 20 years imprisonment for each of the defendants, met with outrage and condemnation throughout the world. The jail terms were later reduced to 10 years, according to information conveyed orally to their lawyers.

We pray for their strength and courage throughout this time, and hope that their jail terms will decrease even more.

He is the All-Glorious!

O God, my God! Verily, Thou seest Thy servants acting with sincerity toward the whole of mankind, even the ill-disposed enemy. They are serving the entire human race with pure hearts and sanctified breasts and are exposed to grave danger. Darts are aimed at them, arrows directed towards them. Spears are pointed at them, swords drawn against them.

-Abdu’l-Baha

“When all mankind shall receive the same opportunity of education and the equality of men and women be realised the foundations of war will be utterly destroyed. Without equality this will be impossible because all differences and distinction are conductive to discord and strife. Equality between men and women is conductive to the abolition of warfare for the reason that women will never be willing to sanction it.”                                               -Abdu’lBaha          – from the   Baha’i writings.

If we look at society as a bird where men and women are its wings, the bird will not be able to fly properly and go forward, if the two wings do not have equal strength. 

In some countries, men and women are equal and receive the same education and opportunities…In some countries this is only just beginning to happen…And sadly in a few countries men and women are completely different.

In Iran, most women do not have a lot of freedom and are not allowed to express their feelings and concerns in their community. There is only a limit to what they can do and what jobs they are allowed to carry out.

In some cases women are expected to clean, look after the children, cook and manage the house, while the men work and provide their family with food and shelter.

Some of these women don’t mind this, it is what they think their role in life is and don’t even believe that life could be different for them, but most of them eagerly want a job they enjoy, they want to work and earn money for themselves without been put down and laughed at, they want to walk down the streets freely with their friends and enjoy life without having to be dependant upon men.

Over 160 years ago a woman named Tahereh (the pure), gave her life for the advancement and station of women all over the world. In Iran, women were and still are expected to completely cover their skin from head to toe, including their hair. Over 160 years ago, Tahereh removed her veil and stood up for the rights of women in public and as a result she was martyred.

One day, the equality of men and women will be recognised all over the world and women will be able to follow their dreams and aspirations  and peace will come to the whole world  because… “Until the reality of equality between man and woman is fully established and attained, the highest social development of mankind is not possible…” and let it be known once more that until woman and man recognise and realise equality, social and political progress here or anywhere will not be possible”.  -Abdu’lBaha         –Baha’i writings

You may have heard of the arrest of the 7 Baha’i leaders in Iran, and that their trial has been repeatedly postponed for the last 3 years without any charges.

They have been accused of : espionage, propaganda activities against the Islamic order, and “corruption on earth,” among other charges. They have categorically denied all charges.

On Monday 12th April 2010, their 3rd trial session was held in a court in Tehran.  The judge did not announce a date for the continuing trial yet.

Even though inside the courtroom, there were officials, interrogators from the Ministry Of Intelligence and a film crew, the families of the seven believers were not allowed in.

Since been arrested in 2008, the seven Bahai’s have been held in Tehran’s Evin Prison. Their first court session was held on 12th January 2010, the second on 7th February 2010 and now the third on 12 April 2010.

 The seven defendants are:

 Mrs. Fariba Kamalabadir

Mr. Jamaloddin Khanjani

 Mr. Afif Naeimi

 Mr. Saeid Rezaie

 Mrs. Mahvash Sabet

 Mr. Behrouz Tavakkoli

 Mr. Vahid Tizfahm.

Mrs. Sabet was arrested on 5 March 2008 and the others on 14 May 2008.

This video is dedicated to the Bahai’s of Iran in particular these 7 Baha’i leaders.

Although blogging is restricted, in October 2005, the estimated amount of Iranian blogs was 700,000. Iran is the third-largest country of bloggers in the world, with ‘farsi’- the iranian language being the second-most popular language for blogging sites.

The youth use these blogs to tell the world what is happening in Iran, at this time more than ever. Also just because it is the only way in which they can express themselves and say what their views are and to have a voice.

When I was writing this blog, I thought I would have a  look at some of the blogs Iranian youth have placed on the internet, it was heartbreaking to see how the youth in Iran have been denied even the most basic rights that EVERY human being should rightfully have, and made me aware of how lucky I, myself am to be  living in such a beauiful country where there is so much freedom.

We pray that the youth of Iran will be steadfast and wish for their freedom of speech and be able to express their ideas freely, I dedicate this Baha’i prayer to the youth of the world in general and Iran inparticular…

Glorified be Thy name, O Lord my God!  I beseech Thee by Thy power that hath encompassed all created things, and by Thy Sovereignty that hath transcended the entire creation, and by Thy Word which was hidden in Thy wisdom and whereby Thou didst create Thy heaven and Thy earth, both to enable us to be steadfast in our love for Thee and in our obedience to Thy pleasure, and to fix our gaze upon Thy face, and celebrate Thy glory.  Empower us, then, O my God, to spread abroad Thy signs among Thy creatures, and to guard Thy Faith in Thy realm.  Thou hast ever existed independently of the mention of any of Thy creatures, and wilt remain as Thou hast been for ever and ever.

In Thee I have placed my whole confidence, unto Thee I have turned my face, to the cord of Thy loving providence I have clung, and towards the shadow of Thy mercy I have hastened.  Cast me not as one disappointed out of Thy door, O my God, and withhold not from me Thy grace, for Thee alone do I seek.  No God is there beside Thee, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Bountiful.

Praise be to Thee, O Thou Who art the Beloved of them that have known Thee!

Bahá’u’lláh

“…for education is the indispensable foundation of all human excellence and alloweth man to work his way to the heights of abiding glory…”        – Abdu’l-Bahá.

The funny thing is that even though  in most countries, education is mandatory and every child until atleast the age of 16 must attend school,  in other countries, schools and even at times the  government does not allow some children to go to school and expel them simply because of their religion.

Most  Bahai children in Iran have expereinced this, when they want to apply for a school they usually get rejected because when the question of religion comes up, they say Baha’i and therefore the school doesnt want them. I have no idea why, when they are so smart, well-behaved and well-mannered and full of love and joy.

I visited Iran not long ago, and one day my cousin came home shaken and in tears, when I asked what was wrong, she said that her teacher told her to stand up infront of her whole school, while her teacher was telling her fellow students, that she is not human beause she is Baha’i and that no one should speak to “them” people, that they hum in your ears like bees, telling you to become Baha’i, and that the school will be having a talk on Bahai’s and about how dangerous they are.   A year before this she was expelled from school, beacause she was Baha’i.

Its very sad considering that in my opinion Iran is the most beautiful country in the world, full of history and culture, and then they do unjust things like this, that just brings down their own rank in the world because there is no way to justify such an act.

 Hopefully one day every child, no matter where they are, who they are , what colour or race they are, or whatever their religion is, will have the right to an education and attend school, without fear or harrassment of any sort.

i will finish with this Baha’i quote from Abdu’l- Baha

“The education and training of children is among the most meritorious acts of humankind…”

The Security forces arrived at the home of a Baha’i resident of Babolsar (identity-protected), on the evening of Tuesday , they searched the house, confiscated personal property items such as computers and religious books and after all this arrested them aswell. The Security officers took the citizen to an unidentified location.

On Wednesday, Security forces went to the home of Hoda Fallah, another Baha’i resident of Babolsar, they searched her house, confiscated her belongings, and then took Ms. Fallah to the Information Office. Ms. Fallah was released the same day, after a three hour interrogation. 

Also on Friday 15 January, Security forces had attacked a Baha’i religious gathering in Babolsar, interrogated those present, confiscated their mobile phones and  left.

source-http://www.iranpresswatch.org/post/5434

What i dont understand is what crime  the Baha’is have committed, all they want is unity amongst all peoples and harmony amongst all religions, as we can see in this prayer. “O Thou kind Lord!  Unite all.  Let the religions agree and make the nations one, so that they may see each other as one family and the whole earth as one home.  May they all live together in perfect harmony.”        — Abdu’l-Baha.

More than 2500 years ago, Persia( now known as Iran) wrote the first charter of human rights by the Persian emperor, Kourosh The Great.

But now, sadly Iran is going a bit backwards.  I am not saying that it is just Iran and no other country, other countries are as well but I am going to focus on Iran.  What ever happened to, “The earth is but one country and mankind its citizens”, this Baha’i quote is a great example of what the world should be like, because at the end of the day WE are ALL one!

Perhaps one day, the world will live in harmony again, full of love and happiness and prejudice of all kinds will be wiped off the face of the earth.