Anti-Americanism, open hostility towards Israel, a legal system that does not grant men and women equal rights, and a doctrine that calls itself the “rule of the supreme legal scholar” have determined the official philosophy and actions of the Islamic Republic of Iran since the 1979 revolution.
Yet there is another, less well-known constant: hostility towards the religious minority of the Baha’i. In Iran, where the religion has its origins, there are still an estimated 350,000 Baha’i, making them the country’s largest religious minority by far. Unlike Jews and Christians, however, they are not entitled to protection as a religious minority under the constitution.
November 30, 2009 7:19 pm
This is an excellent overview of the alarming state of Irans’ largest religious minority, the Baha’is. Thank you Katajun Amirpur for summing up the situation so well. Regarding the final statement in the article, “It is a mystery why their persecution has not gained international attention.” Although it is gratifying to finally see international outcry concerning human rights in Iran . . .the real mystery lies with the unrelenting Iranian authorities who continue to condone the singularly cruel mistreatment of their fellow-citizens.