Iranian authorities arrested 10 Baha’i women January 22, according to a statement from a group representing this community, which denounced what it described as an escalation of repression against the country’s largest non-Muslim religious minority.

The Baha’i International Community (BIC), which represents the interests of this religious minority globally at the United Nations, reported that Iranian security forces “entered the homes of these ten women without warrants or prior notice,” conducting “painful and invasive searches.”
Baha’is branded as spies

The Islamic Republic, where Shia Islam is the state religion, regards Baha’is as heretics and “spies” affiliated with Israel, Tehran’s sworn enemy, due to the global administrative center of the faith being located in Haifa, northern Israel.

“The Iranian government has once again revealed its true face,” lamented Simin Fahandej, BIC’s representative to the United Nations in Geneva, calling the raids a “new senseless act against completely innocent women.”

According to the BIC, these “shocking” arrests are “part of a systematic and intensifying campaign of persecution against the Baha’is.”

Earlier, Mahvash Sabet, a 71-year-old poet, and Fariba Kamalabadi, aged 62, were both arrested in July 2022 and are serving ten-year prison sentences. Iranian authorities have previously imprisoned both women over the past two decades. Mahvash Sabet may face re-incarceration after being granted medical leave for open-heart surgery, her supporters warn, while Fariba Kamalabadi remains in prison.
Targeting Baha’i women

In December, UN experts expressed concern over “the systematic targeting of Baha’i women” in Iran. Eighteen UN Special Rapporteurs jointly issued a letter condemning Iran’s actions, while the Abdorrahman Boroumand Center published a harrowing account of 45 years of violence against the Baha’i community.

Further amplifying global outrage, Human Rights Watch declared in April that the persecution of Baha’is by Iranian authorities since the 1979 Islamic Revolution constitutes a “crime of persecution against humanity.”

BIC confirmed that “the Baha’i community in Iran continues to face extensive discrimination and persecution, including arbitrary arrests, property confiscations, denial of access to higher education and employment, and state-led hate propaganda.”
The Baha’i faith

Baha’is follow the teachings of Baha’u’llah, born in Iran in 1817, whom they consider a prophet and the founder of their monotheistic religion, which promotes unity and equality. Baha’u’llah founded the Baha’i faith in Iran in 1863. At the time, the Baha’i community was largely concentrated within the Iranian and Ottoman empires. However, by the time of Baháʼu’lláh’s passing in 1892, his teachings had gained followers in 13 countries across Asia and Africa.

Baha’i teachings believe in one God who is the creator of the universe, that all religions teach the same truth, despite their differences, and in the unity of humanity and the abolition of prejudice. At the core of Bahaʼi teachings is the desire to establish a unified world order, ensuring the prosperity of all nations, races, creeds, and classes.

Today, the Baha’i faith has grown to encompass over 8.5 million adherents worldwide. However, estimates of the Baha’i population in Iran vary significantly due to factors such as persecution and secrecy. Some sources suggest numbers ranging from 150,000 to 500,000, while others estimate approximately 251,127 Bahaʼis in Iran as of 2010. This variance highlights the challenges in obtaining precise figures for the Baháʼí population in Iran.

Unlike other recognized non-Muslim religious minorities in Iran, such as Christianity, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism, the Baha’i faith is not officially acknowledged.

Source » international.la-croix