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--- In farsibooks@yahoogro
wrote:
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: Iran Press Watch: The Baha'is <neysan@...>
> Date: Mon, Jan 19, 2009 at 11:36 PM
> Subject: Iran Press Watch: The Baha'i Community
> To: ahang.rabbani@
>
>
> Iran Press Watch: The Baha'i Community
<http://www.iranpres
>
> Ebadi and a Dangerous
>
Message<http://www.iranpres
>
> Posted: 19 Jan 2009 12:38 PM PST
>
> As part of the Iranian regime's confrontation with human rights
activists
> and advocates, ýthe recent harsh attacks on Nobel Peace laurette Shirin
> Ebadi have made it pay dearly. ý
>
> Silence on the part of many political activists who have focused their
> entire energy on a ývictory in the upcoming presidential election is
> questionable. I say "questionable,
> Iranian government has chosen to impose such a cost ýon itself,
given Shirin
> Ebadi's reputation outside of Iran and the influence that her
ýspeeches and
> coverage have on swaying global opinion. This has meaning. ý
>
> The first analysis that comes to mind explaining the state's costly
move is
> that the closure ýof the Center for Defense of Human Rights and
attacks on
> its founder, Shirin Ebadi, are ýserous warnings to other human rights
> defenders in Iran. That includes lawyers active at ýthe Center, who,
more
> than any other group, have voluntarily defended the rights of civil
> ýsociety, human rights and other political activists in recent
years. Many
> people obtain ýinformation about the cases of political, social, civil,
> human rights, women's rights, ýstudents, workers and teachers union
> activists from attorney reports and interviews. ýMany civil society
> activists relied on their assistance when in danger and were certain
ýthat,
> in the case any unfortunate event happens, there is a lawyer who
will speak
> and seek ýjustice on their behalf. ý
>
> We all know that volunteering to defend people accused of "acting
against
> national ýsecurity," is no small feat. One cannot forget what
happened to
> critical dissidents during ýthe dangerous and tumultuous days of the
chain
> murders in the 1990s. We also know ýthat, in such circumstances,
> representing a client can have dire consequences for the ýattorney.
> Therefore, the systemic confrontation and pressure on a group of
lawyers who
> ývolunteer to represent political and ideological prisoners is not
simply to
> confront them ýbut is an attempt to isolate all activists who rely
on their
> representation. Through this, a ýgroup of activists is naturally
deprived of
> the right to representation by attorneys who ýthemselves are under
security
> pressures, and another group, thinking that having ýattorneys who are
> themselves under pressure can be more costly, choose isolation or less
> ýactivist lawyers. Either way, the person harmed the most is the
defendant
> who is not ýgiven the right to be represented by a lawyer who
believes in
> equality and human rights. ý
>
> But the other dimension to recent attacks is a warning signal about the
> "behavior" of the ýIranian regime, especially in light of the
international
> prestige of Shirin Ebadi, winner of ýthe Nobel Peace Prize. Many of
us - at
> least those in Iran - always thought that Ebadi ýwas secure, and was
backed
> by so much international prestige that when she reported ýphysical
threats
> against her and family members' lives, the Iranian president would be
> ýforced to promise that she would be safe (something that was done
in April
> 2008, after ýthreats were made on Shirin Ebadi's life.) ý
>
> Many of us had the good feeling that the Center headed by Ebadi,
published
> quarterly ýreports covering human rights violations in our country;
and that
> Ebadi occassionally ýheld a press conference at the Center and
challenged
> human rights violators. But today… ýshe herself is subject to the most
> dangerous attacks. ý
>
> Attacking Ebadi means that the Iranian regime is ready to pay the
highest
> price for ýconfronting human rights defenders in Iran. Confronting
her is
> confronting everyone ýwho - whether individually or as part of a
group - has
> entered that circle in society which ýchallenges discrimination and
> inequality. This is a serious threat that must be responded ýto. If the
> human rights society in Iran is unable to defend itself, how can it
claim to
> ýdefend others? ý
>
> But we have a word for those politicians who claim to support human
rights
> and civil ýsociety, but have failed to react appropriately to recent
> threats. How can they hope to ýearn the trust and votes of the
public when
> they remain silent in face authoritarian attacks ýon human rights
defenders?
> ý
>
> Source:
>
http://www.roozonli
>
> Bahai's Living in Iran with No Human
>
Rights<http://www.iranpres
>
> Posted: 19 Jan 2009 07:46 AM PST
>
> By Wahied Wahdat-Hagh, Die Welt, 12-Dec-2008
>
> *Editor's note:* A german translation of this article can be found at
>
http://europeandemo
>
> *Universal human rights are being trampled underfoot in the Islamic
> "Republic" of Iran. In particular, the Baha'is in Iran are regarded as
> people with no rights.*
>
> On 10 December, Human Rights Day, the organisation known as Human Rights
> Activists In Iran recalled a demonstration held in Tehran on 7 December
> 1953. At this demonstration, intended to show solidarity with the
then prime
> minister Mossadegh, three Iranian students were shot dead: Shariat
Razavi,
> Ghandchi and Bozorgnia. Since then, 7 December has been known as
Student Day
> in Iran.
>
> This year, too, several hundred students gathered in front of the main
> building of Tehran University. Their demands included the release of
> students from Iranian prisons and an end to discrimination against
Iranian
> women.
>
> *State ban on education for Baha'is*
>
> On 7 December 2008, Human Rights Activists in Iran published a
statement by
> two Baha'i students issued on behalf of all Baha'is not allowed to
study in
> Iran. Navid Khanjani and Hesam Misaqi linked this statement to the
events of
> 7 December 1953.
>
> Today, 55 years later, many young Iranians are denied the right to
> university education. For more than 30 years, the Iranian Bahai's
have had
> no civil rights. Until 2004, they did not even have the right to sit the
> university admission exam. While it is true that a few have enrolled
in the
> past few years, most of them have been driven out of university, again
> solely because of their religious beliefs. A handful of Baha'is are
> currently allowed to study at Iranian universities in an attempt to
limit
> international criticism.
>
> *Cultural crime*
>
> Khanjani and Misaqi rightly speak of a "cultural crime" since each year
> about 1,000 new applicants for university places are turned down and not
> allowed to study purely because of their beliefs. The students point out
> that Hossein Amanat, the architect of Tehran University, built
before the
> Islamic Revolution, was a Baha'i. Amanat also built the Azadi Tower, the
> city's landmark. Today, however, Iranian students who are Baha'is like
> Amanat are apparently no longer allowed to study at the very
university that
> was designed by a Baha'i.
>
> The first girls' school in Iran was also founded by Baha'is in 1909.
It was
> later closed following pressure from fanatical clerics. Today, the
children
> of those who instituted such schools are no longer allowed to study at
> Iranian universities.
>
> While Khanjani and Misaqi did not take part in this year's student
actions,
> they nonetheless wholeheartedly supported the Iranian student activists.
> Khanjani and Misaqi hope that one day they will be free to take part in
> campaigns involving students of all beliefs and persuasions.
> *
> Graveyard desecrations sanctioned by state (and arbitrary detentions)*
>
> On 9 December 2008, Human Rights Activists in Iran again reported on the
> systematic destruction of Baha'i cemeteries. Although the destruction of
> Baha'i graves is nothing new, this phenomenon has definitely
increased over
> the past few months.
>
> The human rights organisation delivered a report on the Baha'i
cemetery in
> Qaemshahr, created on a plot of land given to the Baha'i community by
> Abdolqani Abdi about 100 years ago. As early as 1983, a number of
Muslims
> living near the cemetery prevented Baha'is burying their dead there. The
> bodies had to be buried in a cemetery in Darzikola.
>
> This cemetery has been repeatedly vandalised over the past few
months. On 12
> May 2008, the Baha'i community was warned by the Iranian secret
service in
> Qaemshahr not to bury its dead in Darzikola either.
>
> No permission was granted to establish a new cemetery. At the same
time two
> members of the Baha'i community were arbitrarily detained in the
region of
> Mazandaran. On 23 October the Darzikola cemetery was destroyed by
> bulldozers, with only a few gravestones surviving the destruction. The
> Baha'i cemetery was subsequently attacked twice more, on 3 November
and 22
> November, to destroy the remaining gravestones.
> *
> The right to freedom of education*
>
> The Intelligence Service Ministry has a new representative in the
province
> of Mazandaran. According to Iranpresswatch, it is highly likely that
the new
> representative will use paramilitary forces to desecrate these Baha'i
> graves.
>
> Iranpresswatch also reported that three Baha'i social workers in
Yasuj had
> been detained on 23 November 2008. Ruhiyyih Yazdani, Zulaykha Musavi and
> Ali-Askar Ravanbakhsh have helped children aged between five and
seven from
> poor families to read and write. They were accused of being a "threat to
> national security" because they wanted to help children to lead a better
> life.
>
> As Timesonline reported, on the 60th anniversary of the adoption and
> proclamation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, professors,
> clerics, writers and politicians have spoken up for the Iranian
Baha'is and
> called for the right to freedom of education for Bahai in Iran:
> Lord Parekh of Kingston-upon-
Deborah
> Orr; Mairead Corrigan Maguire; Nobel Peace Laureate; Professor
Stephen Chan;
> Department of Political and International Studies, SOAS; Professor
Geraldine
> van Bueren; Queen Mary University of London; Professor Peter Finn;
> Principal, St Mary University College, Belfast; Professor Tony
Gallagher;
> School of Education; St. Mary's University College, Belfast; Lord
Gifford;
> Bishop Idris Jones; Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church; The
Right Rev
> David Lunan; Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of
Scotland;
> Norman Richardson; Stranmillis College, Belfast; Pierrot Ngadi;
Co-ordinator
> , Refugee Wales; Francis Davis; Director, International Young Leaders
> Network; Patrick Yu, Executive Director, Northern Ireland Council
for Ethnic
> Minorities, Professor Colin Sucking; Former Vice Principal,
University of
> Strathclyde, The Most Rev. Keith Patrick O'Brien, Cardinal and
Archbishop of
> St Andrews and Edinburgh.
>
> Source:
>
<http://europeandemo
>
http://europeandemo
>
> The Annual Report of Human Rights Activists in Iran: The Worrisome
Condition
> of the Iranian Baha'i Community in
>
2008<http://www.iranpres
>
> Posted: 19 Jan 2009 07:37 AM PST
>
> Monday, 19 January 2009
> *
> Editor's Note: *Given the increasingly difficult situation of Baha'is in
> Iran, and an increase in the number of arrests, searches and
destruction of
> Baha'i cemeteries, and also the fact that Baha'i students are denied the
> right to higher education, the following report seeks to outline and
present
> a list of instances of abuse and persecution. The escalation of
pressure and
> persecution is an extremely worrisome development for human rights
> activists. Iran Press Watch hopes that the officials in charge will take
> appropriate actions in an expeditious manner to remedy the
situation. It is
> important to state that none of the charges of "sedition against the
Islamic
> Republic of Iran" or "acting against national security" or similar
charges
> detailed in this report are true — the people who have been charged
in these
> cases are simply active and devout members of the Baha'i minority of
Iran.
> Given the volatile condition and the security atmosphere against the
Baha'is
> in Iran it is possible that some anti-Baha'i activities have been
> underreported; Iran Press Watch would appreciate any further information
> from informed readers.
>
> *Tehran: *
>
> - January 14, 2009: Jinoos Sobhani, Niusha Nokhah, Payam Aghsani,
Aziz
> Samandari, Shahrokh Taef and Didar Raoufi were arrested following
widespread
> raids on their homes. The homes of the following individuals were
also
> raided, although these Baha'is were not taken into custody:
Shahriar Cyrus,
> Riaz Sobhani and Golshan Sobhani. The authorities who conducted
these raids
> were plainclothes agents. Items seized from the homes of these
persons
> include pictures related to the Baha'i Faith, family photos, personal
> computers and other personal items.
>
> *Semnan:*
>
> - January 4, 2009: Adel Fanaian and Abbas Nourani, who are both
members
> of the local Baha'i administrative body in Semnan, and Taher
Eskandarian, a
> former member of the administrative body, were detained.
>
>
> - December 15, 2008: Sahba Rezvani, a member of the Baha'i
administrative
> body in Semnan, was arrested. On the same day, the homes of
numerous Baha'is
> were raided. Several items were seized from each home.
>
> *Yasouj:*
>
> - October 26, 2008: Zoleykha Mousavi, Ruhiyyih Yazdani, and Aliaskar
> Ravanbakhsh were arrested. On November 18 2008 they were
sentenced to two
> years in prison for actions against national security by holding
> "anti-Islamic classes" [actually, they were holding "virtues
classes", which
> teach such virtues as kindness, charity, love of God, etc.].
>
> *Yazd:*
>
> - May 29, 2008: Mehran Bandy Amirabad was arrested at his work by
> Ministry of Intelligence agents. On August 28, 2008 he was
sentenced to
> three and a half years in prison for conspiracy against national
security,
> propaganda against the Islamic Republic, supporting
anti-government groups,
> and possession of satellite equipment [his actual "crime" was to
be an
> active Baha'i].
>
> *Isfahan:*
>
> - September 28, 2008: The Baha'i cemetery and 2500 trees on the
property
> were destroyed.
>
>
> - May 27, 2008: Houshmand Talabi and Mehran Zeini were arrested on
> charges of burying bodies in the Baha'i cemetery in Vilashahr,
which is
> close to Isfahan.
>
> *
> Mazandaran Province (Qa'emshahr, Sari and Tonekabon):*
>
> - January 19, 2009: The Baha'i Cemetery of Qa'emshahr was severely
> vandalized and heavily damaged using heavy machinery at midnight.
Gunshots
> were fired during this attack.
>
>
> - January 18, 2009: Five Baha'i women were arrested in
Qa'emshahr. The
> names of the victims are: Taraneh Sanai, Shahnaz Sa'adati, Amelia
Fanaian,
> Anisa Fanaian and Farzaneh Ahmadzadegan.
>
>
> - January 10, 2009: Firouzeh Yegan and Pegah Sanai, 20, were
arrested.
> The authorities entered their residence by climbing the wall.
>
>
> - January 4, 2009: The homes of the Sanai, Asadi, Nokhah and Fanaian
> families, all in Qaimshahr, were raided and searched.
>
>
> - December 24, 2008: A number of Baha'is in Qa'emshahr were
summoned to
> the Ministry of Intelligence. Farzaneh Ahmadzadeh, Taraneh Sanai,
Bijan
> Nokhah, Sohrab Laghayi and Emilia Fanaian were among those
summoned. A
> number of homes were also searched.
>
>
> - November 22, 2008: Anvar Moslemi was arrested, and his home was
> searched.
>
>
> - November 22, 2008: The Baha'i cemetery in Qa'emshahr was
vandalized for
> the third time.
>
>
> - March 28, 2008: Soheila Motalebi was arrested, and her home in
> Qa'emshahr was searched.
>
>
> - November 17, 2008: Masoud Atayian was arrested, and his home in
> Qa'emshahr was searched.
>
>
> - November 4, 2008: Siamak Ebrahimian was arrested in Tonekabon.
He was
> sentenced to four months in prison and two years of internal
exile to Zabol.
>
>
> - November 3, 2008: The Baha'i cemetery in Qa'emshahr was
vandalized for
> the second time.
>
>
> - October 23, 2008: The Baha'i cemetery in Qa'emshahr was vandalized.
> Eighty percent of the graves were destroyed by use of front-end
loaders.
>
>
> - October 17, 2008: Tarazollah Allahverdi and Sonya Tebianian were
> arrested in Behshahr on charges of propaganda against the
government and of
> being in contact with the Baha'i World Center. They were subsequently
> transferred to Sari.
>
>
> - May 29, 2008: Foad Naimi was arrested in Sari. He was a member
of the
> local Baha'i administrative body. He was charged with membership
in the
> local Baha'i administrative body and actions against national
security. He
> was sentenced to two and a half years in prison and internal
exile to Fars
> province. It should also be noted that Feizollah Roshan, who was
arrested in
> 2007, was sentenced to one year in prison. He is still being held
in Sari.
>
>
> - May 19, 2008: Ali Ahmadi, Changiz Derakhshanian and Simin Gorji
were
> arrested in Qa'emshahr on charges of propaganda against the
government. Ali
> Ahmadi was sentenced to 10 months in prison and one year of exile to
> Khalkhal. His exile was later commuted. Changiz Derakhshanian was
sentenced
> to six months in prison. Simin Gorji was released after six
months in jail.
>
> *Kerman:*
>
> - January 14, 2009: Nine Baha'i students were dismissed from the
> University of Kerman on the grounds of belief in the Baha'i
Faith. The
> expelled students are: Bita Momtazi, Sepehr Qodrat, Mahnoosh
Dehqan, Ghazal
> Sadeqi, Daniel Mottahari, Liva Baghi, Nilofar Kan'ani, Nasim
Mo'attar and
> Arman Roshani.
>
> *The members of the national coordinating body of Baha'is of Iran:*
>
> - March 5, 2008: Mahvash Sabet, one of the members of the national
> administrative body, was arrested in Mashhad.
>
>
> - May 14, 2008: Six of the seven members of the national
administrative
> body were arrested. They are Fariba Kamalabadi, Afif Naimi, Said
Rezai,
> Vahid Tizfahm, Jamaleddin Khanjani and Behrouz Tavakoli. The
seven members
> of the national administrative body are all currently held in
section 209 of
> Evin Prison in Tehran. No further information is available on
their current
> condition.
>
> *Shiraz:*
>
> - On May 9 2006 a group comprised of both Muslim and Baha'i youth was
> arrested. The members of this group were engaged in a social and
economic
> development project in an underprivileged section of Shiraz.
Muslim members
> of this group were immediately released. The 54 Baha'i members,
however,
> were detained for one week. Most were released after one week. Three,
> however, were interrogated in Sepah prison for one month. The
three Baha'i
> youth were subsequently summoned to court, and they were
sentenced to four
> years in prison. The other 51 Baha'i youth were given suspended
sentences of
> one year imprisonment, on the condition that they attend classes
on Islam.
> Raha Sabet, Haleh Rouhi and Sasan Taghva have served 10 months of
their
> four-year sentences. The other 51 Baha'i youth are attending the
compulsory
> classes imposed by their sentence. An internal governmental
memorandum
> revealed that these young adults were not involved in any
conspiracy against
> the government and they were not teaching or promoting the Baha'i
Faith.
>
> [Source:
http://hrairan.
> .]
>
> A New Persian Song from Iran Titled
>
"Imprisoned"
>
> Posted: 19 Jan 2009 06:32 AM PST
>
> *Editor's Note:* As means of providing a forum for fostering artistic
> expressions of the Baha'i community of Iran, Iran Press Watch is
pleased to
> share the following newly composed song titled "Imprisoned"
> words of this song express the longing of all people of good will
that soon
> the reign of oppression and inequity will be replaced with freedom and
> social justice in a land that pioneered justice and freedom before all
> others.
>
> http://www.iranpres
>
> This posting includes an audio/video/
> Now<http://www.iranpres
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>
>
> --
> Ahang Rabbani, PhD
> http://ahang.
> http://iranpresswat
>
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