The Yaran

Both my parents were born in Iran, both my parents left Iran, both my parents have never returned to Iran. My parents were among thousands of young Baha’is who were rejected from their country of birth because of their faith. My mum and dad were both in India during the revolution, my mum was sent to India by her parents for a few months to wait for things to settle in Iran. When things didn’t settle my mum stayed in India and her citizenship was revoked by the Iranian government. The same story can be said for all the Baha’is that left Iran.

The Baha’is in Iran had reason to fear for their safety and send their children away. Since the establishment of the Baha’i Faith which originated in Iran, the followers of the Faith have been persecuted. Thousands of the followers of the Bab and Baha’u’llah the Manifestations of God who brought the Babi and Baha’i Faith respectively were executed in Iran. These executions have been merciless and brutal, Mona was just 17 when she was hung with 9 other women. Her crime was teaching children’s classes and refusing to recant her faith.

The Iranian government, although denying that they are unjustly persecuting the Baha’is, have in place systematic measures for the destruction of the Baha’i Faith in Iran. Their approach reflects Hitler’s approach in the genocide that took place against the Jews. There is a document titled “The Baha’i question” which maps out plans for the destruction of the Faith. Attacks against the Baha’is in Iran include the destruction of Baha’i homes and property including Baha’i cemeteries where graves are dug up and the Baha’is are told to come and clean up the mess and propaganda belittling the Faith and the spreading of false accusations against the Baha’is. The Baha’is are refused basic rights like the right to attain a higher education, the right to work in senior government positions, the right to openly teach their Faith, the right to a pension and the list goes on.

Recently there has been an increase in the attacks against the Faith. Hundreds of Baha’is have been arrested and many of them have spent time in prison for crimes that they did not commit. Regardless of age or gender Baha’is are arrested many times without charge they are kept in holding cells and refused the rights of an actual prisoner like the right to family visitors or the right to one hour outdoors...etc

There are countless stories of several members of one family being arrested, their crime is their Faith and their refusal to deny it but there is one story that I want to bring attention to and that is of the 7 Yaran(friends) who have in the last few days been sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Every national Baha’i community has a national administrative body called the National Spiritual Assembly. Its purpose is to see to the needs of the Baha’is of its country in an administrative role as well as overlook the spiritual needs of the country. The Iranian government banned the Baha’is from having any administrative body in Iran so in order for the Baha’is to see to the needs of the community they established the Yaran of Iran. In each region members were appointed to see to the needs of the Baha’is in that community. Their actions were completely transparent and in accordance with the laws of the country. The government was made fully aware of the members and were kept informed of what they were doing.

In May 2008 these 7 leaders of the Baha’i Faith in Iran were arrested without charge and kept in one of Iran’s most notorious prisons the Evin Prison. Here they spent 20 months without charge, for some time they had no right to legal counsel or to see their families. In many cases in Iran where Baha’is are imprisoned it can be months before family are informed of where they are held and in some cases families are only called to collect the bodies as their loved ones have already been executed, some have even disappeared and to this day we are not sure where they have been buried and what the circumstances were of their deaths.

After a lengthy trial where the charges of espionage, propaganda activities against the Islamic order, and "corruption on earth” were made against them these 7 leaders consisting of 2 women and 5 men were sentenced to 20 years in prison. The charges were baseless and obscene, each charge was denied with extensive proof for the innocence of these 7 but this was never about justice or the law. Iran’s only motive was to bring down the Baha’i Faith in Iran, to silence its followers and ignite fear and hate amongst the Iranian people. In that regard Iran will never succeed. Everytime that government persecutes the Baha’is in Iran the international Baha’i community is strengthened. For every Baha’i who gave their life the spirit of the Faith is increased.

There is a school in the tiny islands of Vanuatu named after one of the martyrs. The Rowhani Baha’i school has hundreds of students who are educated under the banner of the Baha’i Faith in the name of a single man who made the greatest sacrifice for the sake of what he believed in.

Nothing will silence the members of this religion and so long as the Baha’is of Iran are prevented from working for the betterment of society the Baha’is of the world will only give more for their sake.

I am here, serving in South Africa, with the thought of those Baha’is who brave through every adversity and test, who forsake a university education because of their Faith, who face abuse and harassment by their neighbours or co workers because of their beliefs, who stand strong and determined when threatened with death in order to stand for their religion. If they can strive through all that and still refrain from backing down then so can we and so can I.

I remember the stories of my grandfather who spent 18 months in prison just after the revolution. The expression on his face when he talks about his time in prison, the beatings and the torture and how those months spent isolated and alone treated worse than a murderer or rapist were the best months of his life because he was in such a spiritual state, so ready to sacrifice anything for something so intangible, so incomprehensible as faith. This makes me want to work even harder.

If only to bring awareness to the sufferings of the Baha’is in Iran, if maybe to inspire us all to take full advantage of the freedoms and rights that we so often take for granted, perhaps to motivate action in the appeals of the international Baha’i community to free these innocent souls I would like you all to read about what is currently happening in Iran. Ignorance may be easier, especially when something is of no personal relation to you but if we consider the whole world as one family, if we are all the leaves of one tree then every hardship that befalls another human being is our hardship and we should take responsibility for this world. Awareness and action should go hand in hand. Through pressure from international governing bodies we can give justice to these Baha’is, that is how my grandfather avoiding execution. When the world stands up against any country that denies human rights we will see change. Writing to council members in your area is the best way to keep governments pressing Iran on this issue. The Australian government has already made statements condemning Iran for its persecution against the Baha’is and we need this to continue. Otherwise we ask for your prayers, we ask people to keep the Iranian Baha’is in mind and pray for their safekeeping.

This link is to the Baha’i news service where you can read all about Iran’s strategic plan against the Baha’is and the trial against the 7 leaders.

The following is a photo of the Yaran, now sent to serve 20 years behind bars.