Safeguard the Innocent Persecution Bahais in Iran

Humanitarian activities got Bahais imprisoned Iran Video

"Souls of Shiraz"



Lyrics, Vocals, Flute, Piano, Violin: Anke Keitel
myspace.com/ankekeitel
lastfm.de/music/Anke+Keitel
leibundseelemusic.de

Chanting: Mehdi Rezwan
Percussion: Armin Heislitz
Produced by Mike K. Downing


53 souls on the streets of Shiraz
Out to share their message of love
with youth from deprived backgrounds
breezes of confirmation floating around

All were captured and put into a cell
Their social deeds were thus ignored
into deep grounds they fell
Mis-judgement of their Baha'i belief
the cause of such grief

Confined in a prison
captured for their passion
May God burst their cage asunder
and let their souls soar

Haleh, Sasan, Raha you are the same age as me
29, 32, 33
imprisoned in a cell without a bed or a chair
without medicine, movement or a bit of fresh air

I cannot understand
how you deal with such pain
Injustice, maltreatment
where is the gain
Your souls must be so strong
to be tested like this

Confined in a prison
captured for your passion
May God burst your cage asunder
and let your souls soar.

Amnesty International Launched post initiative for Bahai prisoners in Iran

Amnesty International has launched an action for Naw Ruz, which requests

its members to send a card to seven prisoners of conscience. Seven is in fact a group,
the former Friends in Iran

Seven Baha'is

Seven leaders of Iran’s Baha’i community are currently on trial on serious, but baseless, charges that could lead to the imposition of the death penalty. Although they have done nothing more than peacefully practice their religion, they have been charged with spying for Israel, for “insulting religious sanctities,” with “propaganda against the system” and with being “mofsed fil arz” or “corruption on earth.” They have denied all charges.

The seven include two women, Fariba Kamalabadi and Mahvash Sabet, and five men: Jamaloddin Khanjani, Afif Naeimi, Saeid Rezaei, Behrouz Tavakkoli and Vahid Tizfahm. All are leading members of a group responsible for the Baha’i community’s religious and administrative affairs. Mahvash Sabet who acted as the group’s secretary, was arrested on 5 March 2008. The others were arrested on 14 May 2008. All seven are held in Section 209 of Evin Prison in Tehran, which is run by the Ministry of Intelligence. They have only been allowed very limited access to their lawyers while they have been in custody.

The first session of their trial—which had been repeatedly postponed—finally began before a Revolutionary Court in Tehran on 12 January 2010. Their next court date is scheduled for 10 April. Amnesty International has repeatedly criticized proceedings held in Iran’s Revolutionary Courts for their failure to adhere to international standards for fair trials. In fact, the authorities attempted to bar the Baha’is’ lawyers from the courtroom on 12 January and only allowed them access after they insisted upon entering.

You can send Nowruz greetings to the seven Baha’is to:

Baha’i International Community
15 route des Morillons

1218 Grand Saconnex Switzerland

To mark the Persian spring holiday of Nowrouz, Amnesty International has launched a campaign to send messages of goodwill to prisoners of conscience in Iran.

The seven cases selected by Amnesty International mirror the “Haft Sin” (seven “s”s) traditionally placed on a Nowrouz table.

The 14 individuals in the seven cases have all been identified as being “at risk”. Many have been sentenced to long prison terms for their beliefs or peaceful activism and several are in poor health.

Trade union leader Mansour Ossanlu is serving a five-year prison sentence for “acts against national security” in connection with his peaceful trade union activities.

Ronak Safarzadeh, an Iranian-Kurdish graphic artist and women’s rights activist, is serving a prison sentence of six years and seven months.

Prominent journalist Emadeddin Baghi, the 2009 recipient of the prestigious Martin Ennals Award for human rights defenders, was arrested on 28 December 2009 after protests marking the Shi’a religious festival of Ashoura. He is detained without charge or trial.

Seven leaders of Iran’s Baha’i community are currently on trial on serious, but baseless, charges including espionage for Israel and propaganda against the system that could lead to the imposition of the death penalty.

Human rights activist Shiva Nazar Ahari was arrested on 20 December 2009 and has since told her family she has been transferred to a “cage-like” solitary confinement cell where she cannot move her arms or legs. This is her second arrest since the disputed presidential election of 2009.

Brothers Kamiar Alaei and Arash Alaei, doctors specializing in the prevention and treatment of HIV and AIDS, were sentenced in January 2009 to six and three years in jail respectively for plotting to overthrow the Iranian government after an unfair trial in spite of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention declaring their detention arbitrary.

Academic and social scientist Kian Tajbakhsh is serving five years in jail on politically-motivated charges including espionage, co-operation with an enemy government, and acting against national security.

PDF File

"The Change Will Come" Dedicated to the Bahais in Iran

This song was made by some Bahai Youth that are concerned with the trial and injustice going on at the moment in Iran against the Bahais.

Get album
http://www.amazon.de/Harmony/dp/B002M...

GENEVA — Seven imprisoned Baha'i leaders appeared in court today in Iran for a second session of their trial.

The session was once again closed, and family members were not permitted in the courtroom, the Baha'i International Community has learned.

The hearing, which lasted just over one hour, does not seem to have gone beyond procedural issues. No date was given for any future sessions.

The seven were arrested nearly two years ago and have been held in Tehran's Evin prison since that time, spending the first year there without formal charges or access to lawyers.

After several postponements, their trial officially began on 12 January, when the seven were arraigned in Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran.

That session was also closed to the public, but accounts in government-sponsored news media said the defendants were formally charged with espionage, propaganda activities against the Islamic order, the establishment of an illegal administration, cooperation with Israel, sending secret documents outside the country, acting against the security of the country, and corruption on earth.

All the charges have been categorically denied. The defendants are Mrs. Fariba Kamalabadi, Mr. Jamaloddin Khanjani, Mr. Afif Naeimi, Mr. Saeid Rezaie, Mrs. Mahvash Sabet, Mr. Behrouz Tavakkoli, and Mr. Vahid Tizfahm.

http://news.bahai.org/story/756


More info about the Bahai Faith:
www.bahai.org

"This love" Dedicated to the Bahais in Iran

"This Love"
Chelsea-Lyne W/ Nabil & Karim

Dedicated to The Baha'is in Iran, especially the 7 Baha'is on trial, and their families.

Listen To It @ http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?...

Lyrics (Written By N. Moghaddam, C.Heins, K.Rushdy)

Nabil:
They can take my life away
But this love will never change
They can take my rights away
But I'll grow stronger everyday

Chelsea-Lyne:
Its my right to live a life that's free
My right to simply be a citizen
Who believes in world equality
We shouldn't have to hide
Or feel the need to cower
Our beliefs shape who we are
They give us inner power
With our heads held high we shall walk on
With utmost love in our hearts we remain strong
They ask the question, we refuse.
Because it is our right to choose

They can take my life away
But this love will never change
They can take my rights away
But i'll grow stronger everyday

Karim:
In the silence of this courtroom
I closed my eyes and saw the future
Around the time that we heard from the prosecutor
And your honour I think you've already made your choice
So to the jury, please excuse me if I rejoice
Cause it was years ago, back when I decided to save
A place inside my heart where Baha'u'llah's resided
And my family all around the world will watch and pray
So I am not alone. Will I surrender?
Not today.

They can take my life away
But this love will never change
They can take my rights away
But i'll grow stronger everyday

Its my right to an education,
My right to the living I'm making
And yet they keep taking away from me
My material possessions have be ruined and put to pieces
My spirit remains a whole, my attachment thus decreases
Still in this day though times have changed,
They haven't changed enough
The friends must hide, obey,
Pray to avoid themselves handcuffed
Battle's changed but sacrifice remains the same
This is my devotion that ignites my inner flame

They can take my life away
But this love will never change
They can take my rights away
But i'll grow stronger everyday


More info about the Bahai Faith:
www.bahai.org

دين بهائى (Persian)

بـهائی

جمعى از بهائيان از نقاط مختلف جهان

امر بـهائی جوانترين دين از اديان مستقلّ جهان است و تجديد دين از اصول اين آئين است زيرا در هر زمان مقتضيّات جامعه بشری تغيير ميپذيرد و در هر عصری دينی جديد موافق با مقتضيّات جهان و نيازمندی جهانيان ظاهر ميگردد. بـهائيان معتقدند که حضرت بـهاءالله، بنيانگذار امر بـهائی (۱۸۱۷- ۱۸۹۲) جديدترين فرستاده الهی در سلسله پيامبران پيشين چون حضرت ابراهيم، موسی و بودا و زردشت و مسيح و بالاخره حضرت محمّد است و رسالتش برای ايجاد تمدّنی جديد و جهانی است که بشر در اين زمان بدان نيازمند است.

محور تعاليم پيام بـهائی وحدت عالم انسانی است يعنی وقت آن آمده است که بشر از هر قوم و نژادی به يگانگی رسند و همه در ظلّ يک جامعه جهانی درآيند. حضرت بـهاءالله فرموده است که خداوند بيمانند نيروهائی را در جهان بکار گماشته است تا آنچه را که بر حسب سنّتهای پيشين سبب جدائی و اختلاف ميان اقوام و طبقات و اديان و ملل عالم گشته است از ميان بردارد و مهمترين کاری که امروز بشر بايد بآن پردازد وحدت عالم انسانی و تلاش و کوشش در راه اتّحاد و اتّفاق اهل عالم است.

يکى از اهداف و مقاصد دين بـهائی بذل و همّت و مساعدت در اين مسير است. از اين روی امر بـهائی جامعه‌ای جهانی مرکّب از قريب به ۵ ميليون نفر از اکثر ملل و نژادها و فرهنگهای جهان بوجود آورده و تعاليم حضرت بـهاءالله را در آن جامعه تجسّم بخشيده است. آزمايشی که بهائيان در اين راه کرده‌اند سبب تشويق کسانی است که از همان راه ميپويند و نوع انسان را اعضاء يک خاندان و کره زمين را يک وطن ميدانند. اصول و تعاليم حضرت بهاءالله

دين بهائى

اصول تعاليم بهائى

راه زندگى

زمينه تاريخى

حضرت باب
(۱۸۱۹-۱۸۵۰)

حضرت بهاءالله
(۱۸۱۷-۱۸۹۲)

حضرت عبدالبهاء
(۱۸۴۴-۱۹۲۱)

اتحاد بهائيان

ولى امر بهائى

بيت العدل اعظم

مرکز جهانى بهائى

جامعه جهانى بهائى

عبادتگاه بهائى يا
مشرق الا ذ کار

رفاه اجتماعى و اقتصادى

بهائيان و سازمان ملل متحد

تماس با ما

International News Prosecution against Bahais in Iran

Nations rally to defend human rights in Iran

16 February 2010

GENEVA — Countries from around the world have voiced strong concern at the United Nations Human Rights Council over Iran's deteriorating human rights record.

In speeches yesterday and in documents filed with the Council, nations and human rights groups described the degree to which Iran has failed to live up to its obligations under international human rights law.

"The good news is that governments and organizations are rallying to defend innocent Iranians, who have over the last year seen their human rights so gravely violated," said Diane Ala'i, the representative of the Baha'i International Community to the United Nations in Geneva.

"The bad news is that Iran continues to ignore such appeals," she said, speaking after yesterday's session of Council, which specifically focused on Iran's human rights record.

Muhammad Javad Larijani, secretary general of the Islamic Republic of Iran's High Council for Human Rights, told the session that there is religious freedom in Iran and that no Baha'i is persecuted for his beliefs. If any Baha'is are imprisoned, he said, it is because of "illegal activities" as a cult.

"Put bluntly, Iran once again completely discredited itself before the eyes of the international community," said Ms. Ala'i, noting that last week Iran arrested at least 14 more Baha'is.

Among those arrested, she said, was Niki Khanjani, the son of one of the seven Baha'i leaders who are currently on trial on false charges.

"As the Nobel laureate Mrs. Shirin Ebadi has recently stated in an open letter to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Iran is now trying to increase pressure on prisoners by taking their relatives hostage," said Ms. Ala'i. "Jamaloddin Khanjani is 76. He has been incarcerated for almost two years – and then they arrested his granddaughter at the beginning of January and now, his son."

"These are the desperate acts of a regime that is frantically lashing out to blame others for its troubles and to suppress any viewpoint that is different from its own ideology," she said.

The majority of countries who spoke out against Iran focused on the violence following last June's presidential election and also on the situation of the country's religious minorities.

Brazil called for Iran to extend rights to all religious groups in the country, saying Baha'is should enjoy the same rights as everyone. Mexico said all minorities – particularly the Baha'i community – must be able to practice their religion.

"Romania and Slovenia devoted almost the entire allotment of their time to discussing the increasing repression of Iran's Baha'i community," reported Ms. Ala'i.

Human rights groups, in documents filed with the Council, made similar points.

"Despite constitutional guarantees of equality, individuals belonging to minorities in Iran are subject to an array of discriminatory laws and practices," wrote Amnesty International in its statement. "Minorities suffering persecution include ethnic and linguistic minorities such as Kurds, Arabs, Azerbaijanis, Turkmen and Baluchis, and religious minorities such as Baha'is and the Ahl-e Haq."

"The government systematically denies rights associated with freedom of religion to members of the Baha'i faith, Iran's largest non-Muslim religious minority. In most cases, including the persecution of the Baha'i community, the government uses 'security' as a pretext for detaining individuals and denying them basic due process rights," said a statement from Human Rights Watch.

The session was part of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), a relatively new procedure that seeks to review the human rights record of all 192 United Nations member states once every four years. This year is the first time Iran has come up for review.