Archives › 2009 › October
Voice of America: Religious Liberty Violated in Iran
On October 30, Voice of America published the following editorial about religious freedom in Iran: The continuing imprisonment of 7 leaders of Iran’s Baha’i community falsely accused of capital crimes, as well as the incarceration of 2 Iranian Christian women who also lack adequate medical care, are 2 of the many cases that contribute to [...]
Voice of America: Religious Liberty Violated in Iran
On October 30, Voice of America published the following editorial about religious freedom in Iran: The continuing imprisonment of 7 leaders of Iran’s Baha’i community falsely accused of capital crimes, as well as the incarceration of 2 Iranian Christian women who also lack adequate medical care, are 2 of the many cases that contribute to [...]
Last night, Rainn Wilson, "a mostly comic character actor from a beloved TV sitcom" and active member of the Baha’i Faith, was interviewed on ABC’s Nightline television news program about the Baha’i Faith and his website, "Soul Pancake."
Baha’is included in 2009 International Religious Freedom Report on Iran
On October 26, the U.S. Department of State released its 2009 International Religious Freedom Report on Iran, which includes several mentions of the persecution of Iran’s Baha’i minority. For example, Adherents of religious groups not recognized by the Constitution, such as the Baha’is, do not have freedom to practice their beliefs. The Government prohibits Baha’is [...]
Baha’is included in 2009 International Religious Freedom Report on Iran
On October 26, the U.S. Department of State released its 2009 International Religious Freedom Report on Iran, which includes several mentions of the persecution of Iran’s Baha’i minority. For example, Adherents of religious groups not recognized by the Constitution, such as the Baha’is, do not have freedom to practice their beliefs. The Government prohibits Baha’is [...]
Radio program highlights persecution of Baha'is in Iran
Welton Gaddy, host of the radio program “State of Belief,” interviewed Los Angeles Baha’i Randolph Dobbs about the situation of the Baha’is in Iran in a segment that aired over the weekend, October 24-25. The program’s website also includes information about the pending resolution in the U.S. Senate, condemning the ongoing persecution of Iran’s Baha’i [...]
Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed, by a vote of 407-2, a resolution condemning the government of Iran for “state-sponsored persecution of its Baha’i minority and its continued violation of the International Covenants on Human Rights.”
U.S. House of Representatives Passes 11th Resolution Condemning the Persecution of Bahá'ís in Iran
On October 22, the U.S. House of Representatives passed, by a vote of 407-2, a resolution condemning the government of Iran for “state-sponsored persecution of its Bahá’í minority and its continued violation of the International Covenants on Human Rights.” H.Res.175 is the eleventh congressional resolution since 1982 to address the religious oppression of the Bahá’ís [...]
Interview with Iranian human rights lawyer, Abdolfattah Soltani
On October 22, the Committee of Human Rights Reporters published an interview with Iranian human rights attorney, Abdolfattah Soltani, who along with Nobel Laureate Shirin Ebadi, is one of the lead attorneys defending the seven Baha’is currently awaiting trial in Tehran. Read the original interview (in Farsi) from the Committee of Human Rights Reporters Read [...]
Floor speeches on H.Res.175 in defense of Baha'is in Iran
Floor speeches pertaining to H.Res.175, condemning the persecution of the Baha’is in Iran, were held today in the U.S. House of Representatives. Representatives John Boozman, R-Ark., Mark Kirk, R-Ill., and Diane Watson, D-Calif., delivered statements urging the adoption of the resolution, which can be viewed on CSPAN. (Please refer to time markers provided below to [...]
Institute on Religion and Public Policy urges congressional support for Baha'is in Iran
The Institute on Religion and Public Policy today called on U.S. Representatives to support H. Res. 175, “Condemning the Government of Iran for its state-sponsored persecution of its Baha’i minority and its continued violation of the International Covenants on Human Rights.”
Trial of seven Baha'is delayed, no new date set
Although the trial of seven Baha’i leaders imprisoned in Iran for more than 17 months was scheduled for today, when attorneys and families arrived at the court offices in Tehran they were told it would not take place. No new trial date was given. Diane Ala’i, the Baha’i International Community’s representative to the United Nations [...]
U.N. Secretary General releases report criticizing human rights abuses in Iran
U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon yesterday expressed strong criticism of Iran’s human rights record, voicing concern about the use of excessive force after Iran’s presidential election, the harassment of women’s rights activists, the ongoing execution of juveniles, and the continued persecution of minorities, including Baha’is. In a 19-page report written specifically to address a request [...]
October 18 trial of seven imprisoned Baha'i leaders likely to be postponed
The trial of seven Baha’i leaders in Iran, which, following previous postponements, was most recently scheduled to take place on Oct. 18, 2009, will likely be delayed again. No future trial date is known at this time. Although family members of the seven Baha’i prisoners have not been informed of any change to the trial [...]
"Belief Behind Bars" – A Call for Human Rights and Religious Freedom in Iran
On Wednesday, October 14, Baha’is in Los Angeles will host an event at 7:30 p.m. at the University of Southern California’s Bovard Auditorium to express strong support for seven imprisoned Iranian Baha’is. The event will be hosted by actor and comedian Rainn Wilson of NBC’s “The Office,” and will feature guest speakers, an array of [...]
On October 1, 2009, Baha’is attended a U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing titled, “Violence Against Women: Global Costs and Consequences.”
The Ageless Northshore website editors, Don and Peg Shearn, interviewed the Baha’i House of Worship Music Director, Van Gilmer, for a story on their site this week – Van Gilmer: the Harmonious Voice of Diversity.
Kevin Locke, world-renowned Native American performer and educator, and member of the Baha’i community, has won a Native American Music Award (Nammy) in the Record of the Year category for his latest recording, Earth Gift.
In 1893, in the city of Chicago, a "World’s Parliament of Religions" was held as an auxiliary event in conjunction with the World’s Columbian Exhibition (World’s Fair). This event marked the first official gathering of representatives from eastern and western religions and is considered the birthplace of formal interreligious dialogue.
For the last 40 years, Baha’is in the Washington, D.C., area have been hosting a birthday celebration, open to the public, for the most important person in their lives – Baha’u’llah, Founder of the Baha’i Faith, who was born on Nov. 12, 1817, in Tehran, Persia (now Iran).
In 2005, in Encino, Calif., Holiday Reinhorn (fiction writer and wife of actor Rainn Wilson) led her first fireside (introductory presentation on the Baha’i Faith), where she answered the question, "How did you go from being a person who was very uncomfortable about discussions of spiritual faith, a person who wasn’t quite sure what to think when it came to God—to a person who just joined the Baha’i Faith?"