Sorrow as jailed Baha'i leader is unable to attend wife's funeral
BWNS
12-Mar-2011 (6 comments)

— The Baha'i International Community has described as "desperately cruel" the fact that one of Iran's seven Baha'i leaders has been unable to attend the funeral of his own wife.

81 year old Mrs. Ashraf Khanjani – who was married to Mr. Jamaloddin Khanjani for more than 50 years – died yesterday morning at the family home in Tehran. She had been unwell for many months.

Mr. Khanjani, 77, is serving a ten-year jail term at Iran's notorious Gohardasht prison, along with six other Baha'is who were all members of a national-level ad hoc group that attended to the needs of Iran's Baha'i community.

"This is a desperately cruel turn of events," said Diane Ala'i, representative of the Baha'i International Community to the United Nations in Geneva.

"For an innocent man to be denied the opportunity to be with his devoted wife as she passed away, and then to be unable to attend her funeral – this shows the depth of inhumanity to which the Iranian authorities have sunk," said Ms. Ala'i.

"Islamic compassion and justice are nowhere to be seen," she said.

It is understood that the funeral of Mrs. Khanjani, held early today in Tehran, attracted between 8,000 and 10,000 mourners from all walks of life. Ministry of Intelligence officers were also reportedly present, filming the proceedings.

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Ali Najafi

Soosan, thanks for your

by Ali Najafi on

Soosan, thanks for your comments. I was thinking about your question "what can be done?"

The best way to prevent these types of acts is to raise a generation of young people that think for themselves and truly respect the rights of all people (regardless of religion, gender, ethnicity, etc), This way, in the future, the governments that are elected will reflect the integrity, fair-mindedness, and dignity of the people that bring them to power.

 


Reality-Bites

Desparately sad for the situation of Bahais

by Reality-Bites on

My thoughts are with Mr Khanjani for his loss.


Mona 19

In memory of Mrs. Khanjani ...

by Mona 19 on


Mona 19

My thoughts & prayers are with them

by Mona 19 on

لوا خانجانی،نوه آقای خانجانی، در دادگاه تجدید نظر به ۲ سال حبس تعزیری محکوم شد

همچنین بابک مبشر همسر لوا خانجانی  در تاریخ ۱۳ دی ۱۳۸۸ به اتهام  شرکت در حوادث روز عاشورا بازداشت شد و پدر وی علاءالدین خانجانی و برادر وی فواد خانجانی نیز پیش تر توسط نیروهای امنیتی بازداشت گردیده بودند و در حال حاضر با قرار وثیقه آزاد می باشند.

منبع ~ جمعیت مبارزه با تبعیض تحصیلی


Soosan Khanoom

Truly sad ....... What can

by Soosan Khanoom on

Truly sad ....... What can be done?  ..... I am so pissed off at the ruling people over there ....... I do anything to wipe that Islamic part from that so called republic regime cause it has nothing to do with Islam ....... Hell with them all !


Ali Najafi

Iranian of the Day

by Ali Najafi on

Since I heard of the death of Mrs. Khanjani, my thoughts have been with her and the family. The worst cruelty is to deprive an innocent man from being at the funeral of his wife, who he has loved for more than 50 years.

Jahanshah, I would like to suggest Mrs. Ashraf Khanjani as Iranian of the Day. Since the revolution, this IRI has targeted harsh cruelty on this family. The Khanjanis are, yet, another example of the heroic qualities of the human spirit.