Archives › 2008 › September

Baha'is find safe place to practice faith

The Charlottesville Daily Progress published an article titled “Baha’is find safe place to practice faith” about a local Baha’i family who settled in the area after escaping religious persecution in Iran.

EU worried about freedom of religion in Iran

The European Union is “very worried” about the deterioration of religious freedom in Iran. The Associated Press posted a an article titled “EU worried about freedom of religion in Iran”.

Alvin: I was a broken-winged bird

Alvin Bitsilly
Mexican Springs, N.M.
Baha’i since 1991

Before discovering the Baha’i Faith in the late ’80s, I was into drugs and alcohol and living a real trashy life. I had just started to try to get my life together.

Iran: 'Apostasy' bill appears likely to become law

Compass Direct News posted an article titled “Iran: ‘Apostasy’ bill appears likely to become law”.

Enabling Ahmadinejad

Felice D. Gaer and Michael Cromartie, Commissioners on the U.S. Commission for International Religious Freedom, posted an article titled “Enabling Ahmadinejad” in the ‘On Faith’ section of The Washington Post.

Teen spirit? Young Baha’is give it a twist of faith

Haleh Chapman says she “went in one person and came out a different one” after spending 1 ½ years volunteering at Bosch Baha’i School near Santa Cruz, Calif.

Baha’i persecution in Iran, Egypt, noted in State Dept. religious freedom report

The U.S. Department of State’s 2008 International Religious Freedom Report, released on Sept. 19, calls attention to the grave persecution faced by Baha’is in Iran, as well as the discrimination against Baha’is in Egypt

USCIRF releases two statements on Iran

The US Commission on International Religious Freedom issued a statement on September 17 expressing concern over the institutionalization of a penal code in Iran that would introduce the death penalty in cases of apostasy.  Substantial mention is made about the Iranian Baha’i community in the following statement: USCIRF Concerned Over Apostasy Death Penalty Threat to Christians, [...]

VOA: US Religious Freedom Report Faults North Korea, Eritrea, Iran

Voice of America broadcast a piece titled “US Religious Freedom Report Faults North Korea, Eritrea, Iran”

2008 State Department International Religious Freedom Report

The U.S. Department of State released on Friday its International Religious Freedom Report. The section on Iran contained several references to the difficulties experienced by the Baha’i community in Iran. Several references to the Baha’is were also made in Ambassador Hanford’s remarks at the briefing for the report.

A dialog dinner for Ahmadinejad

The Hudson Institute’s Center for Religious Freedom published a piece in today’s National Review Online about a private iftar dinner that will be held in New York next week to celebrate the end of Ramadan.  The president of Iran will be the guest of honor at this dinner.  Significant reference is given to the deteriorating [...]

In the Baha’i Faith, family comes first

Just before their first child was born, Kerina and Carlos Arboleda searched for a religion in which to raise their family. Both came from Christian backgrounds, but wanted something to which they felt more connected.