Take Action! Send e-letters in support of Iran’s 7 Baha’i Leaders

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ENGLISH: Send e-letters to WORLD LEADERS ]

ENGLISH: Send e-letters to IRI EMBASSIES & OFFICIALS ]

[ FARSI: Send e-letters to IRI EMBASSIES & OFFICIALS ] — COMING SOON

Screen-shot-2010-08-12-at-2.33.25-PMBackground
In early August 2010, after over two years of detention, Iran’s 7 Baha’i leaders were sentenced to 20 years prison. Considering the advanced ages of several of these spiritual leaders, the IRI has effectively dealt life sentences. These two women and five men formed the national leadership of the Baha’i community in Iran, known as ‘yaran’ or ‘friends,’ to tend to the spiritual needs of Iran’s largest religious minority. The Baha’i community faces systematic oppression and discrimination by the IRI, including denial of education and government jobs, home raids, arbitrary detention, cemetery desecration, and much more.

One tireless Baha’i activist wrote:

As a Bahá’í I was deeply saddened to hear the news about the 20 year-prison-sentence dealt by Bahá’í leaders in Iran. The Bahá’ís of Iran are the most diverse minority group in Iran. Bahá’í faith, being the youngest of world religions, has members from different ethnic backgrounds – including Kurdish, Azeri, Balochi, and Turkmen. Iranian Bahá’ís also come from Muslim, Zoroastrian, and Jewish backgrounds. Members of the Bahá’í faith have unconditionally served their country from the inception of the Bahá’í faith.

These seven Bahá’ís were charged with engaging in “propaganda against the Islamic Republic of Iran” and “propaganda against Islam” – all of which are contrary to the teachings of the Bahá’í faith, which requires its members to abide by and respect the rules of the country in which they live, respect all religions, including Islam, and strive for unity of religions.

The IRI has declared illegal the administrative work of the community despite having a clear knowledge of the actions of the Bahá’í community for the past thirty years. Bahá’í institutions in Iran were disbanded in 1983, and the seven leaders who now face 20-year-prison terms formed an ad-hoc group that looked over the affairs of the community, including marriages, funerals, and monthly feasts. All this happened with the government’s knowledge.

It is really unfortunate to see that the nuclear dispute continues to overshadow severe, broad, and systematic human rights violations by the Islamic Republic, the ongoing oppression of minorities, and state of thousands of prisoners of conscience in Iran.

As an Iranian and a Bahá’í, I would like to encourage everyone to send letters to world leaders and IRI officials asking them to condemn the ongoing human rights violations of Bahá’ís and other prisoners of conscience in IRI prisons. Supporting these Bahá’í prisoners today and sending letters to world leaders on their behalf shows the government of Iran that Iranians and non-Iranians are working in solidarity with one another to address the human right violations of all Iranians irrespective of their faith, ethnicity, and ideological backgrounds.

Directions
To access the letters, see the links at the top of the page OR scroll down further. If you choose to add a personal message to the e-letter, please keep it polite, human-rights focused, and without rhetoric. To the right of the e- letter page are the various recipients of the e-mail you send — this way you don’t have to send a letter multiple times (one click will send your message to all of the listed embassies, consulates, interest sections, IRI authorities, and UN officials).

The recipients of this letter include ambassadors from IRI embassies, Navanethem Pillay (the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights), Ban Ki-Moon (Secretary-General of the UN), Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (President of the IRI), Ayatollah Sadegh Larijani (Head of the Judiciary of the IRI), and Mohammad Javad Larijani (High Council for Human Rights for the IRI), and several more.

Below the letter are personal fields to fill out. Enter as much information as you feel comfortable. A VALID e-mail address is required; however, if you don’t feel comfortable sharing your e-mail, consider making an e-mail account just to use for actions like this.

If you have any questions, feel free to e-mail us at [email protected]

Learn More
Watch a video campaign highlighting the cases of the 7 Baha’i leaders (made in May 2010), including a background:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rf2dLxjTEy4&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

Source: http://united4iran.com/2010/08/take-action-send-e-letters-in-support-of-irans-7-bahai-leaders/

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12 Responses

  1. Eric Mosai Teitelbaum

    August 13, 2010 8:10 pm

    Dear sirs:
    Please free and release the 7 Bahà`ì Leaders who were recently sentenced to 20 years of imprisonment. As you know, they are not guilty of anything; they have not broken any Iranian civil laws, other than that they are law abiding Iranian Bahà`ì citizens, and they were only doing their work in helping the Bahà`ìs in their community throughout Iran. You should be and feel proud of these Bahà`ì citizens for the work they do, for the love they have foor their country and for the respect and obedience they demonstrate to the Revolutionary Islamic Government of Iran. Please treat all minority religious and social groups with fairness, justice and respect.
    Sincerely and Respectfully yours,
    Eric Mosai Teitelbaum, Turbaaco, Colombia.

    Reply
  2. Maziar Rezvani

    August 13, 2010 8:22 pm

    “The essence of all that We have revealed for thee is Justice, is for man to free himself from idle fancy and imitation, discern with the eye of oneness His glorious handiwork, and look into all things with a searching eye.”
    -Baha’u’llah

    Free my brothers and sisters, they have committed no crime.

    Reply
  3. Felicity Penner

    August 13, 2010 8:49 pm

    As a member of the human race, I cannot fathom the atrocities these so called “believers in God and His Holiness Muhammad and Imam Ali (a Holy and Righteous Man of God – the pillars of Islam)” are committing! The question to answer is who is misinterpreting the Holy Qur’an and misleading the people of Iran? I pray and would hope that the UN, and/or people of power, could get serious about putting an end to these breeches of human rights committed by the government of Iran and/or others around the globe! The government of Iran should be ashamed of the way it is dealing with its people, whether Muslims or minorities (who also believe in the same God!) They should read the “Holy Qur’an”, and see how their Prophet and Imam Ali dealt with people of the Book (meaning those who believe in the same God they do!) I seriously do not believe they are Muslims, but bunch of blood thirsty wolves dressed in holy attires calling themselves Muslims! Thank you

    Reply
  4. Randall Black

    August 14, 2010 3:04 pm

    Despots and tyrants resort to criminalizing thoughts different from their own to manage a population who do not welcome the despotic or tyrannical rule. The free flow of thought is the only way a civilization can survive or thrive. Hatefully repressing, torturing and murdering those who don’t share the same beliefs is abhorrent to God/Allah. It is time to accept the reality that others think differently than you, that will not change…it’s done, it’s over. By giving up the fear that drives your perverse thinking you will be free yourself and you will find it in your heart to free those 7 Baha’i leaders because you having nothing to fear from them. If you are attending to God’s will, Inshallah, and God’s Will is the WHAT IS, your duty is to accept His Will and adapt, not rebuke His followers.

    Reply
  5. Gregory B. Howard Edmonds

    August 21, 2010 9:17 pm

    We all will have our judgement day. Believer and Non-Believer, Christian, and Moslem, and any other shade of belief. I would not want to be the ones who dealt wrongly and wickedly with the innocent, the poor, the powerless, the old, the faithful and the righteous. If I were an Iranian Judge, government Official, or Cleric involved in the case of the 7 Yaran sentenced to 20 years in a sham trial, I would dread my after-life. Because regardless of the Mercy of God, His Justice would not allow an evolving soul to not be aware of the full consequence of our earthly deeds. Especially those done using His name in vain, and Islam as a cover for dark and oppressive deeds for the purpose of maintaining power and control over a people.

    Reply
  6. Gabriela Panta

    August 21, 2010 9:49 pm

    Please is very important for the bahai comunity on earth, free the 7 Yaran sentences and attend the voice of God :
    O YE RICH ONES ON EARTH
    The poor in your midst are My trust; guardyee my trust, and be not intent only on your own ease

    Reply
  7. Esther Webb

    August 22, 2010 5:49 am

    For nigh unto 200 years you have caused the suffering of the Baha’i adherents. From its very inception in Iran (Persia) the birthplace of that blessed faith, your leaders have tried your hardest to destroy the faith of the Glory of God, Baha’u’llah. You have evicted him and forced his banishment across the continent. Your hatred followed him and you did your best to destroy him. The Bab you also attempted to destroy, and created the most heinous atrocities against his blessed person and his followers. As one Imam supplants another, your hatred grows and foments. You are unaware that the blood you shed, the travails you administer only water the faith of God. In the time you have attempted the destruction of the faith it has blossomed and grown exponentially. You have no power against whom God/Allah chooses to manifest.

    If you continue the punishment of these innocent followers, you will cause the hatred of the entire planet as well as the wrath of God.

    Reply
  8. Sali Diamond

    August 27, 2010 2:00 am

    Beloveds of God, You haven’t even been given a charge or the ability to defend youselves. Unspeakable. I feel powerless to help except thru my ardent prayers. I send messages of LOVE & Tolarance.

    Reply
  9. setarè giun

    September 1, 2010 8:23 pm

    Dear Sirs,
    The Government of Iran had kill the Holy Bab in Tabriz on 1850, after this all the Baha’u’llah family and Baha’u’llah himself were exiliate in many countries, 20000 people were been executed for been Baha’ì. You don’t have still underestand that
    you cannot stop the Baha’ì Faith because now there are Baha’ì believes in every city of the world. This was and this is the will of God. You are still on time to change, for your souls, will arrive the day of judgment and you will regret terribly, before God. Trust me.
    One who loves everybody.
    My best regards

    Reply

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