Baha'i International Community rejects allegations that arrested Baha'is had weapons in homes
BWNS
09-Jan-2010 (9 comments)

— The Baha'i International Community today categorically rejected new allegations by the Iranian government that arms and ammunition were found in the homes of Baha'is who were arrested in Tehran last Sunday.

"This is nothing less than a blatant lie," said Diane Ala'i, the Baha'i International Community's representative to the United Nations in Geneva. "Baha'is are by the most basic principles of their faith committed to absolute nonviolence, and any charge that there might have been weapons or 'live rounds' in their homes is simply and completely unbelievable.

"Without doubt, these are baseless fabrications devised by the government to further create an atmosphere of prejudice and hatred against the Iranian Baha'i community. For more than a century Baha'is have suffered all manner of persecution in Iran and have not resorted to armed violence, and everyone knows this. Unfortunately, the Iranian government is once again resorting to outright falsehoods to justify its nefarious intentions against the Baha'i community. It should know that these lies will have no credibility whatsoever.

"We are particularly concerned by the fact that these accusations come just days before the scheduled trial of seven Baha'i leaders, who have been locked up for nearly two years on equally unfounded charges," she said.

>>>
recommended by Ali Najafi

Share/Save/Bookmark

 
persian_jeanie

BAHAI IS NOT A RELIGION THAT IS INHERITED - IT IS CHOSEN

by persian_jeanie on

Dear friend, Dariushabadi,

I agree with you that not all people follow religion to the letter. We are all, after all, human.

But please note this, if not for devotion for Baha'u'llah and the belief that what He said was indeed the truth (for which they have to stand up for), there is NOTHING to keep a Baha'i, a Baha'i.

No one's religion is registered in their Birth Certificate, nor on their Driver's License. As a Baha'i, we COULD pretend to be a Moslem, a Christian, a Jew or even a Zoroastrian & enjoy higher education, work, social rights that others have AND totally avoid persecution.

I myself am a Baha'i from a Jewish ancestary. As though being Jewish in iran wasn't hard or bad enough, we realised the Bahai faith & lived as a Baha'i in a complete hostile environment but lived AUTHENTICALLY.

Dear Dariush, If someone is standing up & letting you know they are a Baha'i, it's not the same as saying they are a Jew or a Moslem. Baha'is see this as a way of life, BECAUSE RELIGION IS NOT INHERITED, unlike any other religion we know of. You are not condemned to die (MORTAD), nor are you forced or obliged to follow it. Nor will Baha'is abandon you if you choose to remove your name. There are well-known people who for valid reasons like practicing politics have decided they no longer want to practice the Baha'i Faith. 

One of the main principles of this religion is INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION for truth. So, if one has willingly, in the face of all this has become a Baha'i, why would you think they wouldn't follow the teaching of their faith?

Living here in USA, while becoming a US citizen, they ask you this question: will you bear arms for your country? Much like Iran, United States is now my home & I love this country, but according to the teachings of Baha'ullah, I cannot willingly take part in killing anyone, nor have or use guns. Baha'is like myself, risk being rejected citizenship but still truthfully explained my religious obligations. I explained my belief, I provided a letter from our National Spiritual Assembly & explained I would be willing to drive an ambulance, tend to the wounded, cook or do other chores, but cannot carry arms.

Now I ask you sir, why would these devoted individuals who live openly as Baha'is in Iran & their homes are constantly under observation(and they know it) hide or own arms ?! And if they did, why would they not use it ?!

I have to say, I don't blame you . You are not the only person who secretly thinks that Baha'is are agents of some foreign power, although they don't exactly know which ! United Kingdom must be one of them ! France, Russia, United States & Maybe India too.

Iranian's have been bombarded for ONE HUNDRED & SIXTY YEARS with INCOMPLETE  or MIS-INFORMATION. and we Baha'is know it. And we don't blame you, because we would have told you much if not for the restrictions we lived under.

I wish for Iranians the open heart & mind to investigate more about the Baha'is and hope in this search realise how baseless suspicion has been planted within them.

 NK


Ruhi

Dear Daryoush

by Ruhi on

Those arrested Bahai's are prominent Bahai's, they cannot be frivolous Bahai's, Due to the persecutions against them, Bahai's have been turned into steadfast and strong Bahai's.IRI is trying to kill two birds with one shot.The whole issue is political.Did you read the headline of Keyhan 3 or 4 days ago?

 It is to hinder ordinary people from joining the opposition movements by making believe that Bahai's are behind this movement. IRI thinks that they can fool people by these lies.I think the majority of People are aware of such deceiving propagandas.IRI konws Bahai's quite well.Besides Bahai's are aware that they are being spied on constantly and totally.

During the last 160 years Mullahs and fanatical groups have poisoned the minds of ordinary people against Bahai's,and IRI has done its part the last 30 years. but people already know that whatever the goverment says is quite the opposite.

 


Ali Najafi

Harsh

by Ali Najafi on

The IRI is arresting prominent Baha'is, including relatives of the 7 Baha'i leaders that were arrested two years ago.

The IRI has no proof against the Baha'is. If they has proof they should have provided it 2 years ago when the Baha'i leaders were arressted. Furthermore, the IRI is arresting their family members and other leading Baha'is as a form of harsh physical and mental persecution against the Baha'is. This impacts not just Baha'is but all Iranians -- as we are all one people (Baha'i, Muslim, Atheist, Zoroastrian, Jewish, Christian, etc).

These are the people arressted recently.

"Among the 13 arrested on 3 January were relatives of two of the imprisoned leaders, including Negar Sabet, daughter of Mahvash Sabet; Leva Khanjani, granddaughter of Jamaloddin Khanjani; and her husband, Babak Mobasher. Others arrested were Jinous Sobhani, former secretary of Mrs. Shirin Ebadi, and her husband Artin Ghazanfari; Mehran Rowhani and Farid Rowhani, who are brothers; Nasim Beiglari; Payam Fanaian; Nikav Hoveydaie and his wife, Mona Misaghi; and Ebrahim Shadmehr and his son, Zavosh Shadmehr"


faryarm

Love and Self Sacrifice has been their only Weapon.

by faryarm on

Dear Dariush, 

Those who know and have had Bahais as friends, neigbours or as prison cell mates would testify, that even the least observant Bahai would not advocate or have any part in any act of violence; that rather, the opposite is true.

One just has to look at Bahai history to see that , even under the most severe circumstances, The Bahais have put their trust in their faith and principles, sometimes even dying for their beliefs.

 

As they say the Pen is Mightier Than the Sword, and the IRI knows full well that, given the freedom to defend themselves against 160 years of lies and accusations, the IRI thugs do not have a leg to stand on, as far as challenging the scholars of Islam and those who claim to defend it  on its authenticity and legitimacy of The Bahai Faith as a Peaceful Universal Faith, with the sole mission to change people's hearts through the example of steadfastness, love and sacrifice.

 

The Islamic Republic's fear of Bahais , is solely due to the kind of knowledge that would finally expose their lies and sheer moral and religious  bankrupcy, not to mention close their "businesses" down.

The explosion in information technology and the access it has given to the average Iranian to satisfy its curiosity about a Persian born Faith that it knows little about, has enabled  it to have direct access to Bahai originated information, like Payame doost Radio, Aeen Bahai TV, the various Persian blogs, which for the first time has enlightened Iranians about Bahai history, its goals and achievements in the rest of the world.

Examples of which the people of Iran have witnessed and weighted against the preposterous lies and accusations The Islamic Republic has  always used against a defenseless community; the kind of lies and propaganda it has used the last six months against the rest of the population and the Green Movement.

The Islamic Republic fears the Bahais as it does the rest of the nation, because it is morally and spiritually bankrupt and can not meet or contain the hopes and aspirations of the new generation of under 30.

faryarm


cyclicforward

Dariush

by cyclicforward on

It is a simple fact that the filthy IRI government does not have any credibility whatsoever. The killed Neda and then said the British did it. Then they run over protesters and they said it was the stolen squad car. Now if I doubt anyone, it would be IRI.


Ali9 Akbar

and what is your point???

by Ali9 Akbar on

are you agreeing with the Iranian government???

 Are you accusing the Iranian Bahai community of subversion????

I guess I could follow your logic and accuse you of being an Islamic terrorist and have you deported by the USA dept of homeland security.... but what would that get us.... Just more confusion... would it not???

 

Instead of just BLINDLY accusing people of subversion why don't you INVESTIGATE THE MATTER for yourself....

 

have a good day sir....


dariushabadi

Book is one thing, believer another

by dariushabadi on

Islam also forbids the killing of civilians, but certain muslim individuals kill civilians.

 

Imam Ali (A) said you cannot punish someone whose testimony was received under torture or coerssion, yet the Islamic Republic routinely tortures and punishes people. 

 

The Qur'an forbids stealing, but some Muslims steal.

 

So just because the Bahai book says you cannot have weapons doesn't mean all Bahai's are following it by the letter. 


Ali9 Akbar

Bahais are FORBIDDEN from having any weapons in their houses

by Ali9 Akbar on

Unless the local governments allow Citizens to have them for SELF DEFENSE.... Or their JOB requires them to have a concealed and they MUST OBEY the law regulating concealed weapons.... Here in the USA the 2nd Amendment to the US Constitution allows weapons for self defense....  Also in the USA we enjoy FREEDOM OF RELIGION Iran is NOT the USA  

159
It hath been forbidden you to carry arms unless
essential, and permitted you to attire yourselves in silk.
The Lord hath relieved you, as a bounty on His part, of
the restrictions that formerly applied to clothing and to  
the trim of the beard.

 (Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Aqdas, p. 76-77)

 


dariushabadi

how would they know?

by dariushabadi on

Just as not all Muslims are monolithic, not all Bahai's are monolithic. Some are passive, some are aggressive, some are peacefuly, some are violent.

 

At the end of the day, it isn't our religion that really dictates us, but our human nature (religion only tries to reform that nature)

 

So how would this Bahai organization know if these 5 individuals would have had guns in their houses or not? To claim they know they didn't is to say they have Divine knowledge.

 

I'm not saying that the IRI doesn't have a history of planting these things, but you can't come out and claim you KNOW they didn't. Maybe they did, how do you know.