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Spero News posted the transcript from an exclusive interview between RFE/RL correspondent Golnaz Esfandiari and Asma Jahangir, the UN special rapporteur on freedom of religion. This interview included a question about the status of the Baha’i community in Iran.
UN Expresses "Serious Concern" Over Human Rights in Iran
UNITED NATIONS November 22, 2006 (BWNS) A committee of the United Nations General Assembly yesterday passed a resolution expressing “serious concern” over the human rights situation in Iran, including the escalation of violations against Iranian Baha’is.
U.S. Senate passes Resolution supporting Baha'is in Iran
The U.S. Senate passed Concurrent Resolution 101 deploring “the religious persecution by the Government of Iran of the Baha’i community and holds the Government of Iran responsible for upholding the rights of all Iranian nationals, including members of the Baha’i Faith.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 2, 2006
Contact: Ms. Bani Dugal, Principal Representative, or Ms. Diane Ala’i, Representative Bahá’í International Community, United Nations Office, New York 212-803-2500 / Mobile: 914-329-3020; uno-nyc@bic.org
IRAN STEPS UP SECRET MONITORING OF BAHA’IS
NEW YORK – In an ominous move, Iran’s Ministry of Interior has ordered officials throughout the country to step up the surveillance of Iranian Baha’is, focusing in particular on their community activities.
Voice of America reported the U.S. House of Representatives debate on three resolutions dealing with political and human rights issues in Iran. One of these condemned the Iranian government’s treatment of the Baha’i community in that country. You can read more about it here.
U.S. House of Representatives passes Resolution on Baha'is in Iran
The U.S. House of Representatives has passed Concurrent Resolution 415 declaring that “the religious persecution by the Government of Iran of the Baha’i community and holds the Government of Iran responsible for upholding the rights of all Iranian nationals, including members of the Baha’i Faith” You can access the full text of the resolution here. [...]
2006 U.S. State Department International Religious Freedom Report
The U.S. Department of State released it’s International Religious Freedom Report today. The section on Iran had several references to the difficulties experienced by the Baha’i community in Iran. You can access the Iran section of the report here.
The New York Times published a piece by Lionel Beehner, staff writer for the Council on Foreign Relations, about human rights in Iran. The section about the persecution of religious or ethnic minorities makes reference to the the Baha’is:
Kit Bigelow, director of external affairs for the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of the U.S. was a guest on the Interfaith Alliance’s “State of Belief” radio show. Ms. Bigelow commented on the current persecution of the Baha’is in Iran. You can read more about the program here
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Contact: Ellen Price 847-370-4589
Wilmette, IL, May 2, 2005 —The Baha’i community of the United States elected its national governing body at a national convention held April 28 to May 1 at the Baha´i House of Worship, near Chicago, Illinois. The nine-member National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of the United States was elected by 168 delegates chosen at the regional level by the 150,000 members of the Baha’i Faith in the contiguous 48 states. The nine individuals elected to the National Spiritual Assembly were Kenneth Bowers, Juana Conrad, William Davis, Robert C. Henderson, Jacqueline Left Hand Bull, Dorothy Nelson, William Roberts, Erica Toussaint and David Young.
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Contact: Betty Fisher–505-828-9282 | Glen Fullmer: 847-733-3411
Evanston, IL, January 24, 2005—World Order, a quarterly journal published by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States since 1966, has received an international award for Best Journal Design in recognition of new cover and interior designs that convey the journal´s relevance to the 21st century and its multidisciplinary nature.
Testimony before the Congressional Hearing
The situation of the Baha’is in Iran and Egypt was presented in a testimony before the Congressional Hearing on June 30, 2006: “Can Religious Pluralism Survive in the Middle East: The Plight of the Minorities”.
Two major human rights groups decry Iran's persecution of Baha'is
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) recently expressed concern about the Islamic Republic of Iran’s latest confidential action against its 300,000-member Baha’i community.
‘Tis the season. However, for members of the Baha’i Faith, who come from virtually all national, cultural and religious backgrounds, gift-giving is still a few months away. It’s a difficult concept for many outside our faith to grasp. My husband, Ed, and I are the only Baha’is in our respective families, and they still don’t [...]
Voice of America posted the following story about a conference on Capitol Hill on protecting religious freedom around the world. U.S. Senator Rick Santorum, a Republican from Pennsylvania, hosted the conference . The U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, John Bolton, in his remarks cited the Iranian government’s repression of its Bahai religious minority. You [...]
The Washington Post just published the following article that includes information about the problems faced by Baha’is in Iran. You can read the article here
The New York Times published the following article by Laurie Goodstein about the persecution of the Baha’is in Iran You can find it here
Terry Mattingly from Scripps Howard News Service wrote the following article about the situation of the Baha’is in Iran.
White House Expresses Concern for Baha'is in Iran
The White House today expressed concern for the worsening situation of the Baha’is in Iran and called on the Government of Iran to respect the religious freedom of its minorities.
Amnesty International Releases Report on Iran Human Rights
Amnesty International has issued a report Iran: New government fails to address dire human rights situation. The report includes reference to the challenging situation faced by the Baha’is in Iran.
The Washington Post Metro Section reported on a service held at the local Washington D.C. Baha’i Center to commemorate the passing of Mr. Dhabihu’llah Mahrami, a Baha’i who died in an Iranian jail of unknown causes. You can read the article here.