Do Not Remain Silent amidst Violence, Discrimination and Persecution against Baha’is – a Collective Declaration

Source: hra-news.org

Translation by Iran Press Watch

Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) – A group of human rights activists, political, social and civic writers and journalists in Iran addressed the head of the Iranian judiciary in writing:  “As you are aware, over the last few months our Baha’i fellow citizens have experienced disproportionate pressure in the form of murder and assassination.  These incidents occur, although according to domestic and international laws, not only member countries but all residents are obligated to respect fundamental human rights with respect to religious, ethnic, linguistic and … [other] minorities.”

You can read the complete text of this letter, which has been provided to HRANA, below:

A group of human rights activists, political, social and civic writers and journalists have addressed the head of the Iranian judiciary in writing:

Do not remain silent amidst violence, discrimination and persecution against Baha’is…

Ayatollah Sadegh Amoli Larijani

Honorable Attorney General (and Head of the Iranian Judiciary)

Respectfully, we are a group of human rights activists, political, social and civic writers and journalists, who while attempting to avoid the kind of issues that can cause tension in public opinion and media discourse. Solely out of a feeling of responsibility towards the preservation of human dignity, we have decided to make a few remarks about recent deplorable actions against religious minorities in our country, in order to inform your judiciary office.

As you are aware, over the last few months our Baha’i fellow citizens have experienced disproportionate pressure in the form of murder and assassination.  These incidents occur although, according to domestic and international laws, not only member countries but all residents are obligated to respect fundamental human rights with respect to religious, ethnic, linguistic and …[other] minorities. The murder of a Baha’i in Bandar-Abbas and assassination attempts on other families in Birjand and other similar incidents are but a glimpse of the diverse forms of discrimination and persecution of Baha’is which have been taking place against them for a long time.  These are fellow citizens who have been forced to become refugees to other countries, or live their lives with substantial anxiety about their lives and the safety of their children.  Therefore, specifically in relation to recent events, we declare our regrets and objections to that which causes a larger rift between members of the same society, and brings about the isolation of a percentage of Iranians.  These actions prevent us from taking pride in peaceful coexistence, side by side with all disadvantaged citizens.

We, the signatories of this letter, out of altruism and a sense of commitment to our moral duty to “call all to goodwill”, and in observance of basic human rights, request the expansion of your legal and judicial approach based on the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran (Principles eight and fourteen), an approach that enjoins the duty of kindness and Islamic justice towards non-Muslims.  While we declare our strong objection to such acts, we demand the total elimination of violence, since such disgraceful acts could easily intensify and extend to other fellow Iranians as well.   In addition, in a country that claims to operate under Islamic laws, which should place the protection of human dignity at the top of its agenda and existential philosophy, we request at a minimum that you consider the extent of the destructive influence of such tragedies on social relations, that you not remain silent against such inhumane behavior, and that you deal with those who are the cause and agents of such acts in the proper legal manner.

Signatories:

1. Mohammad Maleki, human rights activist and the first President of Tehran University after the revolution
2. Nasrin Sotoudeh, human rights activist and lawyer
3. Heshmat Tabarzadi , General Secretary of the Democratic Front
4. Mohammad Nourizad, journalist , filmmaker and political activist
5. Narges Mohammadi, Deputy Director of Human Rights Defenders
6. Babak Ahmadi, researcher, writer, translator and art critic
7. Alireza Jabbari, writer , poet , translator and member of the Iranian Writers Association
8. Ayatollah Abdul Hamid Masoumi Tehrani, spiritual and modern thinker
9. Mehdi Mahmudian, journalist , human rights activist and political prisoner
10. Majid Dorri, student activist and political prisoner
11. Masoumeh Dehghan (Sultani), human rights activist
12. Amin Ahmadian, activist and member of the Central Council of the Office for Strengthening
13. Gohar Shemirani, women’s rights activist
14. Mahdieh  Galor, student activist and former political prisoner
15. Ismail Abdi, Secretary of the Teachers Union
16. Saba Sherdoust, journalist and political activist
17. Atefeh Nabavi, student activist and former political prisoner
18. Vahid Lalypour, social activist and former political prisoner
19. Milad Panahipour, journalist and social activist
20. Babak Ghiasi, the Lawyers Committee for Human Rights and Politics
21. Amir Kalhor, journalist and political activist
22. Zhila Karamzadh Makvandi, civic activist , poet and former political prisoner
23. Haniyeh Farshi, social activist and former political prisoner
24. Jamal Ameli, leftist activist and former political prisoner
25. Seyed Ali Reza Nabavi, civil rights activist and former political prisoner
26. Morteza Ismailpour, civil rights activist
27. Ashkan Moseibia, civil rights activist
28. Sarah Kharmanbiz, civic activist
29. Maryamolsadat Yahyavi, civil rights activist
30. Ali Golmohammadi, civil rights activist
31. Ramak Heidari, civil rights activist
32. Bayan Mohammadi, civil rights activist
33. Payman Ahmadi, civil rights activist
34. Hiva Fouladi, civil rights activist
35. Sassan Radfar, human rights activist
36. Mehdi Farshi, human rights activist
37. Azar Taherabadi, human rights activist
38. Nima Hosseini, women’s rights activist
39. Kaveh Rezaei, women’s rights activist
40. Mohammad Karimi, political activist
41. Seyed Reza Hosseini, political activist
42. Fereydoun Rostamian, political activist
43. Ehsan Assad, activist
44. Shahed Alawi, political activist
45. Younes Rostami, political activist
46. Parisa Farshchi, student activist
47. Mehdi Hamidi Shafiq, student activist
48. Attieh Hassanli, student activist
49. Amir Chamani, student
50. Hamid Bidar, student
51. Lida Rahmani, student activist
52. Ali Moslehi, journalist
53. Mohammadreza Ebrahimi, social activist
54. Muhammad Hajipour, social activist
55. Mohsen Azizi, social activist
56. Mohammad Karimi, social activist
57. Masood Chanasi, social activist
58. Ghazal Shetabi, social activist
59. Farzaneh Jalali, social activist
60.  Sharagim Zand, social activist
61.  Ali Shamayeli, social activist
62.  Azar Tahrabadi, social activist
63.  Abtin Pegah, social activist
64.  Iman Yari, social activist
65.  Najibeh Asadpour, social activist
66.  Ezatollah Torbati, social activist
67.  Mokhtar Zarei, social activist
68.  Parisa Karimi, social activist
69.  Kiomars Vaezi, social activist
70.  Jabbar Haji Moradi, social activist
71.  Masood Vafabakhsh, social activist
72.  Mohammadreza Niknezhad, social activist and educator
73.  Gholamreza Vakili, social worker and educator
74.  Mehdi Behlooli, social activist and educator
75.  Abbas Jamali, social activist and lawyer