Iranian mendacity about religious freedom

I was astounded to read this on the IRNA (Islamic Republic News Agency) website today:

Iranian Constitution has granted full freedom for religious minorities in the country, Foreign Ministry official said.

He said that Iranians from religious minorities enjoy religious, educational, cultural, social and economic freedom.

The remarks were in reaction to concern expressed by British Foreign Office Minister Kim Howells over social freedom of followers of Bahai’s sect in Iran.

Religious minorities play active role in the Iranian society and have their own representative at Majlis, he said.

The official said that religious minorities have lived in peace for centuries with their Iranian Muslim brothers.

“We see the rights of religious minorities mainly Muslims are being extremely violated in many Western countries including England and they suffer from restrictions to perform their religious ceremonies,” the Iranian official said expressing concern over violation of religious and social rights of Muslim Community in Britain.

Lies

There are at least two out-and-out lies in this news release:

1. Iranians from at least one religious minority - the Baha’is - do not “enjoy religious, educational, cultural, social and economic freedom.” Far from it.

2. The rights of Muslim are not violated in England and they are not restricted in performing their religious ceremonies.

Iranian Baha’is in jail

These 3 Baha’is, Haleh Rouhi, Raha Sabet and Sasan Taqva , have been imprisoned in the detention centre of the Ministry of Intelligence and Security in Shiraz (in other words, not in a regular jail, but in a “special prison”) since November. Why? Because they have been involved in projects aimed at helping deprived and sick children in Shiraz. Not Baha’i children. Muslim children.

They have been accused of being “Baha’i propagandists” and of trying to convert the children to the Baha’i Faith. But this is completely untrue. The materials they were using to help children to read and express themselves and to develop their moral capacities, although inspired by the Baha’i teachings, have nothing in them that could in any way be interpreted as religious teaching.

Ironically, the Baha’is were encouraged in their service projects by Muslims, including the parents of the children who benefited (and the parents knew exactly what was involved) and assisted by Muslims who tutored the children alongside the Baha’is.

And what wonderful treatment do these young Baha’is receive? Three-minute visits with family members, separated by glass screens. Oh, and the prisoners are brought into the visiting room and taken out again blindfolded. At least one guard is always present. God knows what happens to them when they are out of sight of their visitors.

So that’s the Iranian version of religious freedom. Do something to help your fellow citizens and you end up in jail!

Apostasy

And as if that weren’t bad enough, a new penal code is currently being considered by the Iranian parliament, the Majlis. The new code will make the death sentence for apostasy mandatory.

If you have at least one Muslim parent when you’re conceived, become a Muslim yourself after the age of maturity, and then cease to be a Muslim, you’re dead.

If you have no Muslim parent, become a Muslim after the age of maturity, and then cease to be a Muslim, you have three days to think about it, and then you’re dead, unless of course you recant your new religion.

If you have at least one Muslim parent when you’re conceived, don’t become a Muslim but choose “blasphemy”, you have three days to think about it, recant your misguided ways or die.

Unless you’re a woman, of course, in which case you’re in jail for life “with hardship” until you recant and return to Islam.

No ifs, no buts, no possibility of commuting the sentence.

And Iran is a state party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Article 18 of which confers freedom of religion or belief, including freedom to choose your religion.

Read more here.

Technorati Tags: Baha’i, Bahai, Iran, Islam, Muslim, religious freedom, apostasy, death penalty

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