Cherie Blair has published an excellent article in today’s Times about the persecution of the Baha’is and other religious minorities in Iran.
Shirin Ebadi defends the Baha’is
Cherie Blair praises the courage of Dr Shirin Ebadi, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and, like Mrs Blair herself, a renowned human rights lawyer for taking on the defence of the seven former Baha’i leaders (known as the Yárán or the Friends), six of whom were arrested in May last year and the seventh of whom has been held in the notorious Evin prison since March last year.
It was typical of her bravery, and her belief in the importance of justice, that she announced she would defend the leaders of Iran’s Baha’i community who were arrested last year before the latest protests. The reaction of the authorities was also typical. Her offices were raided and shut down, angry mobs appeared outside her home and she, and her family, received renewed and serious threats to their safety.
This will have come as little surprise to Dr Ebadi. Not only is she regarded as a thorn in the side of the Iranian authorities, but the Baha’i community, the country’s largest religious minority, has also been the target for severe persecution for much of its history.
For more than 100 years, the followers of the Baha’i faith, a world religion that has its roots in Iran, have faced discrimination and persecution for having progressive ideals that place great emphasis on the unity of religion, the equality of the sexes and the right to education. Bahai’is have been prevented from following their faith, on penalty of imprisonment and even execution.
Baha’is face threats – and garner support
As Mrs Blair’s article points out, the former Baha’i leaders, who stepped down earlier this year as a gesture of goodwill to the authorities in Iran, have been publicly accused of…
…everything from “espionage for Israel” to “propaganda against the Islamic Republic”. Such charges carry very serious penalties in Iran, including the death penalty.
The most serious accusation against the Baha’is has been that they are “spreading corruption on earth”. If this accusation finds its way onto the charge sheet when the seven appear in court (probably on 11 or 13 July), they stand a very real risk of the death penalty if they are found guilty.
The conspiracy theorists within the Iranian regime, such as Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki. put it about that the British Government supports the “wayward Baha’i sect”. And there were banners on show during the post-election demonstrations in Tehran claiming that “BBC” stands for “Baha’i Broadcasting Company”.
But there are also voices of support within Iran for the Baha’is.
From within Iran, too, students and academics, artists and poets, political and social progressives have also bravely spoken up for the beleaguered Baha’i community. They, in turn, are now feeling the brunt of the state’s anger.
And many governments and non-governmental organizations have publicly condemned the treatment not only of the seven, but of the whole Baha’i community in Iran.
Branch 28
It seems likely that the seven will be tried in Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court, the same branch that tried Roxana Saberi, the Iranian-American journalist who was arrested, tried and condemned to eight years imprisonment in Iran earlier this year. Trials in this branch take place behind closed doors, so no one can be sure of due process and a fair trial. Ms Saberi was released only after intense international pressure.
Call for a fair trial
Like a growing number of voices, Cherie Blair is calling for greater international pressure on Iran and a fair trial for the seven former leaders of the Baha’i community there:
We must urge the Iranian Government to give the leaders of the Baha’i community a fair trial and allow independent observers access to ensure this happens. We must also call on Iran to live up to its international obligations to protect all its citizens and allow them to hold and practise their religious beliefs without discrimination or fear.
Shirin Ebadi is a courageous woman and a brilliant advocate. But we cannot let her carry this burden on her own.
Martyrdom of the Bab
Today Baha’is around the world are observing one of their solemn Holy Days, the Anniversary of the Martyrdom of the Bab, the Forerunner of Baha’u'llah, Founder of the Baha’i Faith. I know that we will all be praying for preservation of the seven Baha’is facing trial for their lives as well as for the entire persecuted Baha’i community in Iran.
Further reading
You can read more about the situation of the Baha’is in Iran here. And you can read Cherie Blair’s excellent article here.
Technorati Tags: Baha’i, Bahai, Iran, human rights, Cherie Blair, The Times, Shirin Ebadi
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