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

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Source: hra-news.org

Translation by Iran Press Watch

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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
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4 Responses

  1. vafa-canada

    March 10, 2015 7:57 pm

    May Baha’u’llah bless every one of the signatories to this letter. If only more of the Iranian population would follow suite, and not remain silent.

    Reply
  2. Tony

    March 10, 2015 9:09 pm

    God bless all people striving for justice. All those who have tried to silence God in the past are but things forgotten, of no value. The Victory is already won, but the foolish and ignorant know not.

    Reply
  3. Jade

    March 11, 2015 10:40 pm

    I support snd pray for the signatures of this letter, that they may be safe in their bravery. I support the government in every effort to reestablish justice to minorities. Iran will be stronger for it.

    Reply

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