"Where is the Justice? stories from behind closed doors," by Rosa Vasseghi

September 14, 2010 , editor , 1 Comment

Inspired by the teachings of the Baha’i Faith, in face of bitter and most horrible injustice, the Baha’is of Iran focus their creative energies in bringing about awareness and positive transformation to the World.

Rosa Vasseghi, faithful to her belief in nobility of humanity and absolutely convinced by the truth of the core teaching of the Baha’i Faith on oneness of mankind, sets out to “tell” the world, in her book Where is the Justice: stories from behind closed doors, about her life in her homeland Iran, and the life of her dear sister, Rozita, who is at this moment in prison in Iran for her belief in same truth that motivates millions of Baha’is around the world to dedicate themselves at the hour of down of every day to the dual character of their purpose in life: to achieve a personal transformation, and to effect a social transformation to help bring about an ever advancing civilization.

Some excerpts from Rosa’s interview at Treasures of Wonderment:

“I came from across the ocean to tell you stories from behind closed doors.
I came to tell you about the ugly face of our world and of humans.
I came to tell you about women’s lives, their light, their hope, their fears and death.
I came from the world where blind law and power denies truth and smiles.
It is time that our stories shock the conscience of humanity.”

Annick: Thank you Rosa for taking the time to share your story with us. I know that you were born in Iran; how old were you at the beginning of the 1979 Islamic revolution in Iran?

Rosa Vasseghi: I was 24 years old.

Annick: How did you first feel discriminated against?

Rosa Vasseghi: When the new government took power they didn’t let me continue my work and my studies and they also took everything I had built for my future. I remember I was working in a big company in the South of Iran. I was asked by the people who had taken over the company to change my religion and sign a paper that I was not Baha’i any longer to allow me to continue working, which I didn’t do. So they fired me and confiscated all the valuable things I had in my house in the South. Also they blocked my savings in the bank and took all the savings I had. And at the same time two of my sisters could not continue their studies at their universities as they were prohibited from attending. They took the house where my parents lived and my mother’s shop and all her inheritance. My sisters’ children also could not study at universities and many times were harassed by teachers, the principals and people from The Centre of Education in their cities because their parents were Baha’i. It is important to remember that all these things that I mentioned have been happening to other Baha’is too. Many people were thrown from their homes, jobs and universities – their only crime was that they were Baha’i.
…
Annick: You mention that the birth place of your faith is in Iran, so why would the Iranian government attack its own people and destroy its own cultural treasures?

Rosa Vasseghi: I really can’t understand why the authorities always attack Baha’i people but if you look at the history of Iran you can see, the manifestation of God , the founder of the Baha’i Faith, Baha’u’llah, was born in Tehran, the capital of Iran. Baha’u’llah came from a noble family. But He refused to accept a high position in the court of the King. He spent his time helping the oppressed, the sick and the poor, and championing the cause of justice. People in Iran really should be very proud and happy to have a manifestation of God in their own land. A person who prefers to give His life for people rather than hold more power. Someone who brings messages of love, unity and peace for the world. But the Iranian government cannot realize and understand what a valuable treasure it has. In reality I think people who have power are afraid of knowing new things. They don’t want to accept the value of the lives of all people. When they have chosen materialism, fundamentalism or other belief systems, it is difficult for them to have their principles challenged and also they are afraid of losing their power. The clergy in Iran have always interpreted Islam in their own way and as a result the Iranian government attacks its own treasure.
…
Annick: If the persecution ends, and we hope that it is soon, would you move back to Iran and could you find happiness there?

Rosa Vasseghi: We are citizens of the world, and, Iran is the land of my Beloved, my birth place and where I grew up. But I also love Australia too because when I didn’t have any place to go Australia opened its door for me and accepted me for who I am. I think if one day I will be able to go back to Iran, I will be very happy but I can’t gave up the country and people who showed their love and support to me when I needed it.