Last night [22 Nov. 2009], Intelligence agents of the city of Sari, named Gholami and Heydari, aggressively entered the home of Mr. Vahid Ismail-Zadehgan, hitting him and with the use of foul language, attempted to break up a gathering at the home and arrested Mr. Soroush Garshasbi.
The agents verbally insulted those present and placed them on the floor, and told them that they did not have the right to resume their gathering. The condition and location of Mr. Soroush Garshasbi is as yet unknown.
Following the above attack, the agents reached the home of another Baha’i, Mr. Mokhtari, and arrested him. However, he was released after s few hours.
[Source: HRNA and Roshangari ; Translated by Iran Press Watch]
November 23, 2009 6:42 pm
Is it possible that an internationally recognized group can go to Iran and do a documentary on the plight of the Baha’is of Iran.
I am sure the government of Iran will be happy to tell it’s story to the world.
I would be happy to volunteer to carry a camera, notebook, luggage, anything.
November 24, 2009 1:44 pm
Dear Friend,
This is so disturbing, and saddening. Bounties be upon our beloved brethren who stand firm and steadfast. I think it is safe to say, “all of the friends around the entire world will offer fervent prayers, not only in this unjust ordeal, but for all who have already been unjustly treated, and all to come.”
I have often wondered, “what, if anythling can we, brothers and sisters of those in Iran who have and continue to face such barbarrick treatment/”
You are noble in your offer to go armed with such humble arcennal, to put your own life in harms way. This service is one to be admired. However, my dear friend, I would urge you to take your directions of such an act of service to our Supreme and infalable Source, The Universal House Of Justice.
We must look to this Most Noble, Most Wise Authority . Than you Dear One for your love and devotion to our Glorious Faith. In His Service, KH
November 24, 2009 5:01 pm
Prayer is so powerful at times like this. We must remain focussed and proudly accept that some are called for a special mission.
This torment continues, much as it did with The Bab. These tormentors are also tormented…they know not what else to do. One day, they too, will find the real power of this world, prayer.
November 24, 2009 5:23 pm
It is likely that those who allow the extraordinary discrimination we have seen here against Iranian Baha’is to go unchecked are more than cognizant that a documentary film about the conditions of Baha’is would only disgrace the Iranian authorities. After all, despite the mind-bending justifications the Nazis used to justify wholesale murder and persecution against Jews in WWII, the Nazi authorities tried (unsuccessfully) to disguise evidence of the Holocaust after they were close to defeat.
The civil liberties we know in the West are simply not available to Iranians be they Baha’i, Muslim, Christian or Jew. However, Iranian Baha’is have much less legal recourse or constitutional protection than other Iranians. Perhaps the consciences of ordinary people around the world must act as the “documentary” for the Baha’is of Iran . One bright spot is this website, Iran Press Watch.
November 26, 2009 1:35 am
Dear friends,
1st of all sending any international organization, human rights group to Iran to document the violations is not impossible, but risky and has to be done in secrecy (do not suggest at all) because if inform the Iranian regime and even ask for allowance, no matter what organization or nationality you are from, they will warn you to not to document anything about Bahaies in Iran. No organization could be as powerful as the UN and even UN is not permitted to do any reasearch about Bahaies inside Iran
The Islamic Republic sees Bahai’s as the biggest threat to it’s existance not because of them as a political threat, the opposite the mullah know history very well and know that the Bahai faith had over a million converts mostly shia Iranian background in less that a century since its establishment and also know about the spread of Bahai outside Iran w/ the population reaching something close to a million
In a deal between Saudi Arabia and Iran over one of the most important dlae
November 26, 2009 1:54 am
In a contract between Saudi Arabia and the Islamic Republic in exchange of several very important and valuable request from the saudis only requested one thing, do not allow Bahaies into Saudi Arabia (they are scared of Shia Saudies convert to Bahai and once Iranian Shia hear the news, they’ll question the truth about Bahai faith)
Islamic Republic’s survival is not based on Islam, its based on the political idealogy that the rulling regime is the holiest of all governments on the planet, a government directly connected & guided by god’s reps on earth (ayatollahs) and so what ever the regime does or says is abolute truth and anyone opposing it is an enemy of Islam
They just want to stay in power and they stand against anything that may be a threat to them in short or long term.
People’s Disagreement with the regime is unimportant as long as the oil money is rolling into their pockets