Editor’s Note: We live in a new moment of history. For the first time in the entire history of the Baha’i Faith, Iranian intellectuals, journalists, university professors and generally Iranians of all walks of life are speaking loudly and courageously in support of the beleaguered Baha’is of Iran. Many pages of this site have been dedicated to recording testimonials of these individuals who are moved by the remarkable example of the Baha’is of Iran in voicing their profound concern and deep indignation. Joining this chorus of support is now an unlikely voice. Abdollah Shahbazi is no friend of Baha’is. For the last 30 years, he has made a career writing the most caustic attacks against the Baha’i Faith and its members – all in the guise of “historical research”. Nonetheless, recent events seem to have awakened the conscience even of a man like Shahbazi – with his deep-seated hatred of the Baha’is – and compelled him to speak up against atrocities committed by the regime against the Baha’is of Iran or planned genocide by their nefarious agents. This is a translation of what Shahbazi posted on his personal blog on Monday, 26 January 2009, under the title “Important Announcement”.
In recent days, the names of a number of the Baha’is of Shiraz have been widely disseminated in a document of 31 pages. This list is accompanied by several provocative extracts from talks of Imam Khomeini, the exalted leader of the Revolution, and several other sources of emulation [i.e. high clerics] regarding the Baha’i sect, intended to incite religious sentiments against the aforesaid Baha’is. This list provides the complete identity and details of a number of Baha’is who occupy various occupations, such as painters, welders, carpenters, physicians, health care providers, or people engaged in other pursuits. The list gives their exact home and work addresses as well.
This action, which has taken place at the behest of certain societies [i.e. Hojjatieh Society which greatly influences Iran’s ruling class and is dedicated to eradication of the Baha’i community], is the beginning of the execution of a plan which can lead to most tragic and evil ends, such as unleashing waves of attacks against the listed Baha’is and promoting persecution against them.
I strongly condemn this most conniving and worrisome act, which is only now at the beginning of its implementation, and direct the attention of authorities in the Judiciary, Intelligence and Security apparatuses of the nation and province to its dangerous and treacherous consequences. …
[Posted on Monday, 26 January 2009, at: http://www.shahbazi.org/blog/index.htm. Translation by Iran Press Watch.]
January 31, 2009 4:17 am
This list is accompanied by several provocative extracts from talks of Imam Khomeini, the exalted leader of the Revolution, and several other sources of emulation [i.e. high clerics] regarding the Baha’i sect, intended to incite religious sentiments against the aforesaid Baha’is. This list provides the complete identity and details of a number of Baha’is who occupy various occupations, such as painters, welders, carpenters, physicians, health care providers, or people engaged in other pursuits. The list gives their exact home and work addresses as well.
January 31, 2009 10:33 am
There are currently three Houses of Power competing fiercely for Shiia leadership in Iran.
1. the House of Najaf, in Iraq headed by Iranian-born Ayatollah Al-Sistani and supported by UK & US,
2. the House of Mashhad, in Iran (birth place of the Hujjatieh Society) and
3. the House of Qum, in Iran headed by Ayatollahs Ali Khamanei.
The Houses of Najaf and Mashhad do not believe in Velayateh Faghih(VF) where as the House of Qum has its entire premise based on the existence of VF.
Then there is the Haghani School in Qom, which is the “School of National Administration for the Islamic Republic” whose alumni form the backbone of the clerical regime’s management class and run Iran’s key security, military and political institutions. This school was founded by Ayatollah Mohammad Taghi Mesbah Yazdi, Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati, Ayatollah Dr. Beheshti, Ayatollah Sdoughi and Ayatollah Talleghani.
Ayatollah Mohammad Taghi Mesbah Yazdi (above) is the leader of the Hujjatieh Society and is reported in Iranian media to be President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s ideological mentor and spiritual guide.
Also don’t forget that on August 19, 2006, Iran’s “leadership” ordered its security services to “secretly” draw up the list of all the Baha’is in Iran for this same dooms day scenario in a secret memorandum. So these attacks have been in the planning by for sometime. Which means the infighting between the Houses of Mashahd and Qum is deep rooted and Hujjatis are taking advantage of Ayatollah Khamanei’s weakness and are gunning for the crown, full speed using any and all means at their disposal including attacks on the “Baha’is” as a way to distract and hide their tracks.
These coordinated assaults on Baha’is shows Ayatoallah Khamanei is no longer in full control of the security services or military as he used to be. As these types of coordinated attacks had not happened earlier during his reign as the Supreme Leader of Iran. He is aged and as such is weak and ripe for his enemies to overthrow.
Meanwhile the House of Najaf grows in popularity day by day and is becoming the Second Vatican supported by foreign powers looking for a replacement for the Houses of Qum and Mashhad.
According to Wikipedia, here are some Haghani school graduates holding top positions in Iran. This is just the tip of the ice burg. But it shows how much Ayatollah Khamanei has lost ground:
Ali Fallahian,
Ahmad Jannati
Ali Younesi
Rouhollah Hosseinian
Gholam Hossein Mohseni-Ejehei
Mostafa Pourmohammadi
Mostafa ebrahimifar
Gholamhossein Karbaschi
Hojjat ol eslam Raieesi
Hojjat ol eslam Alizadeh
Gholam Reza Naghdi
General Zolghadr
General Allah Karam
Hossein Shariatmadari
Abbas Salimi Namin
Hasan Shaian- far
Mojtaba Zonnour
Hojjat ol eslam Izad-Panah
Hojjat ol eslam Meravi
Hojjat ol eslam Rahbar
Mohammad Rei-shahri
Hojjat ol eslam Neeiazi
Hojjat ol eslam Nezam-Zadeh
Hojjat ol eslam Mohammadi-Eraghi
Hojjat ol eslam Moalla
Sadeq Ziarati
Mohsen Mohammadi Eraqi
Hojjat ol eslam Mir-Sepah
Hojjat ol eslam Faker
Ahmad Khatami
Ayatollah Seyyed Hasan taheri Khorramabadi
Ayatollah Javadi Amoli
Ayatollah Dr. Ahmad Ahmadi
January 31, 2009 5:57 pm
God Save The Republic! Hujatis control everything in Iran. After Ayatollah Khamanei failed to stop them it’s every man for himself. He doesn’t even know where to begin or who to trust. They have bugged his bedroom, offices, homes, planes and you name it. Even his guards are Hujjatis. They control what he sees and what he hears. So now they are launching attacks against human rights activists, Christians, Zoroastrians, Bahais, Sufis, Darvishes and Jews to weaken him further and show him as impotent. I doubt there is anyone man enough left in Iran’s establishment to stop them. That’s why people like Abdolah are sounding the
alarm to stop their sinister plans of taking over Iran. He could care less what they do your people. He is after his own interest.
February 2, 2009 1:12 am
Dear Friends,
I like your optimistic introductory note. However, my take on Shahbazi’s not is very different yours. I wish I could agree with you. In any case, it is fortunate he published this note, as it may really prevent or postpone any plans his note is referring to. But more than having been awakened, there are other motivations behind his posting.
As you well know, in the past year he has come up with the strange idea that some of his political enemies in the Ministry of Information are crypto-Baha’is. He thinks that these crypto-Baha’is who are in high positions in the IRI are the real organizers and administrators of the Baha’is in Iran and the Baha’is co-ordinators who are now in jail are just little insignificant figures in the hands of the former. He seems to be saying in this announcement that those enemies of him who are hidden Baha’is have planned this possible riot in order to defame the IRI in the international arena, on the one hand, and to prevent him from further research and revealing the “truth” about Baha’is, on the other.
February 2, 2009 10:21 pm
A leopard cannot change his spots. After 30 years as an active hater and persecutor of Baha’is, why would Mr. Shahbazi suddenly show concern for Baha’is and condemn their tormentors? He is not to be believed or trusted. Only the most gullible persons would accept his word.
It is time for strong language and denunciation of the wicked ones. Lovers of Justice: ARISE AND SPEAK OUT !
February 3, 2009 4:01 am
Shah-bazi has seen the writing on the wall from Hujjatis. He is now trying to change his image while his visa application to Spain (to flee from Iran) is being reviewed. The word on the street is that England and Canada had turned him down. They told him he has no credit whatsoever.
February 3, 2009 7:15 pm
Shahbazi, Shah bazi (played shah) for 30 years, now Shah bazi has got Shahbazi into trouble! Now mollahs have let loose Hujjatis in a bid to replace Shahbzi’s Shah bazi with Hujjatis Shah “Nazi”. This too shall fail. Iranians of all walks of life see through these things and will not satnd by for these mollah Shah bazi/ Shah Nazi to destroy Iran’s great heritage of not only respecting other beliefs, but also establishing the First Declaration of Human Rights guaranteeing freedom of religion to everyone. Mollahs actions show they are outcasts from God and as such they will fail in their attempt to shape Iran’s future in their own image of the 7th century tyrants who believed in killing people for having different beliefs based on a book NOT written by Prophet Mohammad but written by his barbarian enemies who took power in their hands, some sixty years after the prophets death. Prophet Mohammad didn’t raise his sword on Iran let alone killing them. All that has been done and written in Quran, has been done and written by the barbarians who took power in their hands after his death. And Mollahs who should be acting as “divine” guides for Iranians are now act as blind barbarians implementing the same barbaric laws on Iranians of all Faiths that neither the Prophet spoke about or even contemplated acting on. What kind of God would say kill people who change their beliefs? Only Satan in the name of God would do such a thing. And since the Prophet was not alive when Koran was compiled and written, Satan put those laws in it to prevent the progress of Moslims everywhere. Satan did not even allow the Prophet to write down the name of his successor who would have prevented this misery from falling on the Moslim nations. Yet we see Mollahs doing exactly what Satan had instructed them to do, instead of putting their thinking hats on and ruling out these barbaric laws out of Koran as the Prophet would have done, had he been around, when the book was compiled AND written in His name.