According to HRANA [Human Rights Activists News Agency], based on reports from the Baha’i Committee of Human Rights Activists in Iran, unidentified persons took one of the two large water tanks at the Baha’i cemetery in the city of Sangsar (near Semnan) in the past few days.
This type of water tank is very large and holds a considerable volume of water. Moving it without proper equipment and a crane is impossible. It is noteworthy that the road leading to this cemetery has been closed by the Municipality of Sangsar for a while now, and access has been restricted to Municipality personnel only.
[Source: http://hra-news.info/news/8275.aspx; Translated by Iran Press Watch]
November 4, 2009 6:24 pm
Is the “Baha’i Committee of Human Rights Activists in Iran” affiliated within the administration Baha’i Faith or are they a spin-off group not sanctioned by the Baha’i Administration? Is the Committee appointed by the Universal House of Justice or other Baha’i administrative body?
Assuming it is made up of Baha’is, how many members form this committee? How were they formed? Do they have a website, an email address, or other point of contact for independent contact by the world press community and other like-minded groups who may wish to contact them?
November 4, 2009 11:44 pm
My reading of the term is that it is the committee of HRA for Bahai coverage. I don’t think that a human-rights group could afford to have a group do its own coverage, for reasons of professional credibility.
Some Baha’i input would be necessary for reliable coverage of remote areas or events such as nighttime abductions. In some countries, non-legal activities against human-rights workers is common enough that some degree of modesty is practiced even by members of the dominant social group, even members of powerful families having been harmed on occasion.
World press organizations with good lawyers to protect their sources used to have some safety, but you may have noticed news of reporters being imprisoned in Iran on suspicion of sensitive local contacts.
November 5, 2009 12:13 am
Robert, i just found that hra-iran.net is well represented in a Google search on Human Rights In Iran, and the site is functioning correctly in English. Someone has reported it to Microsoft as infected, so Explorer gives a warning. If you also have no trouble with it, you may wish to correct the report.
Several of the items on Baha’is are illustrated with the Greatest Name calligraphy by Mishkin Qalam, which suggests to me that staff members other than Baha’is feel this is better than having no picture or a generic photo from the province. There are some public-domain images available, for instance Wikipedia’s Media Commons, if you want to write about the situation.
November 5, 2009 4:06 pm
I have emailed the Baha’i International Community (BIC) regarding whether or not the “Baha’i Committee of Human Rights Activists in Iran” is part of the Baha’i Faith or, as is suggested by one view above, they are not. I’ll share their response here if and when I get one.
November 5, 2009 11:06 pm
Dear Robert,
HRA Iran is an independent human rights organization not affiliated with the Baha’i institutions. A segment of the organization is concerned with the treatment of the Baha’is in Iran.
Regards,
Neysan
November 9, 2009 7:34 pm
Update:
My email of November 5th 2009 to the Baha’i International Community (BIC) has not been answerred as of this date re. my inquiring whether or not the “Baha’i Committee of Human Rights Activists in Iran” referred to as a source on this website is a Baha’i sponsored group.
I will email the Universal House of Justice and ask the same question.
Stay tuned for an update.