Editorial Note: Accusations against Baha'is

Since the very last days of December of 2009, the authorities in Iran, through statements and the State news media, have accused the Baha’is of being involved in many ways with the recent political and social unrest in Iran. This comes as no surprise to the Baha’is in Iran or to the Baha’is around the world. In fact, such accusations in order to use the Baha’is as scapegoats for any social or political unrest in Iran has been a practice for the past 165 years, since the inception of the Baha’i Faith in Iran, though admittedly, the current Islamic Republic government in Iran has developed this strategy into a systematic plan.

Even the claim that the opposition leader is a Baha’i is not a new tactic, and was no surprise. The hope of conservative elements in Iran in so doing is to portray him as being under the dark cloud that they have tried so hard to cast over the Baha’is, thereby turning public opinion against their rivals. How ironic that the same person – Mir-Hossein Musavi, as the Prime Minister during the time of Khomeni who arrested, jailed and killed so many Baha’is — is now being stigmatized and is suffering himself by the very scheme he help to establish! Of course, it is clear that these persons are not Bahai’s – either Mr.Musavi or the courageous attorney whose firm is representing the accused Baha’i leaders, Shirin Ebadi.

The list of baseless accusations, false representations and claims is very long, quite imaginative, and simply ridiculous. The Baha’is are referred to as a “colonialist sect,” who are responsible for “the desecration of religious sanctities” and “disturbances witnessed on `Ashura,” and who are “spying for the Zionist regime” and “speaking out against the Islamic government.” The volume of such accusations is so high that Iran Press Watch could never translate and publish all of them. We include a selection of the headings below:

Baha’ism, Led by Zionism, is Hatching Intrigue Behind the Scenes of the Recent Unrest ( http://www.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=8810071122)

“It is evident that these inhumane and criminal acts, these nefarious deeds committed by deviant and misguided people, were designed and organized by global arrogance, international Zionism, the misguided Baha’i sect, and other shunned and condemned groups of traitors…” (http://www.irna.ir/View/FullStory/?NewsId=866869)

President of the Coordinating Council for Islamic Propagation in Western Azerbaijan: “Of course, this movement of hooligans and agents of (global) arrogance bent on desecrating religious sanctities has only one goal: to harm the Revolution and Islam and advance the objectives of America, Israel, and Baha’ism.” (http://www.isna.ir/isna/NewsView.aspx?ID=News-1464140)

Regarding the role of Baha’ism in desecrating religious sanctities, our expert in matters of security stated, “The path that the Musawi camp is taking in their attack on religious sanctities is the exact same path that the misguided Baha’i sect has been on for years.” (http://www.javanonline.ir/Nsite/FullStory/?Id=200302)

Iran State Media Blames the “Baha’i Sect” for Recent Unrest (http://www.bahairights.org/2009/12/29/iran-state-media-blames-the-bahai-sect-for-recent-unrest/)

Muhammad Karim Abedi, “..Zionism and Baha’is, the ill-wishers of Religion, tried all in their power to disturb Ashura” (http://www.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=8810081569)

The list very long. In the interest of making this note short, the list has been limited to the above.

It is well known, and there has been a long and exhaustively documented history showing that two central tenets of the Baha’i Faith are obedience to the government of whatever country in which Baha’is reside, and reverence for the revelators of all major religions, especially for the Prophet Muhammad. The International Baha’i Community has rejected the above allegations in a detailed article at the following link: http://news.bahai.org/story/747

Interestingly enough, today, the Universal House of Justice, the world governing body of the Baha’i Faith, in a letter to the Baha’is of Iran, has clarified that the Baha’is, whereever they may live, must exert their utmost effort, shoulder to shoulder with their countrymen, for the betterment of that country. (see the letter here: http://www.universal-house-of-justice-messages.org/payam/2010-01-10.html ). “The betterment of the World” Baha’u’llah tells the people of the world, “can be accomplished through pure and goodly deeds, through commendable and seemly conduct.”

Iran Press Watch will continue to provide information regarding the context for this current discussion. We will soon be providing historical documentation to facilitate readers’ comprehension . This is the first in a series of Editorials to enable readers to understand the recent baseless fabrications by the government of Iran.

The Editor,

Iran Press Watch.