DATE=8/26/1999 TYPE=EDITORIAL TITLE=EDITORIAL:IRAN'S REPRESSION OF BAHA'IS NUMBER=0-08424 CONTENT= THIS IS THE ONLY EDITORIAL BEING RELEASED FOR BROADCAST 8/26/99. Anncr: The Voice of America presents differing points of view on a wide variety of issues. Next, an editorial expressing the policies of the United States Government: Voice: A recent report documents twenty years of unrelenting persecution of Iranian Baha'is by the government of Iran. The report was released by the non-governmental organization that represents the Baha'i international community at the United Nations Human Rights Commission. The U.S. has long protested these abuses, which have been cited in human rights reports issued by the State Department. Even before the Ayatollah Khomeini returned from exile to take power in February 1979, Islamic militants were inciting mob violence against the Baha'is. The new Iranian regime quickly stripped the country's more than three-hundred thousand Baha'is of any legal protection. Officially classified as "unprotected infidels," Baha'is have been assaulted, robbed, and murdered with impunity. During the past twenty years, more than two- hundred Baha'is have been executed by the Iranian government because of their religious beliefs. Among them was seventeen-year-old Mona Mahmudnizhad, one of ten Baha'i women executed in 1983 for teaching Baha'i children about their faith. The most recent victim, Ruhollah Rowhani, a father of four, was executed in July 1998. Four other Bah'is are currently in prison, under sentence of death. Thirteen Baha'is are believed to have been tortured to death in Iran. Hundreds more have been imprisoned and abused by their captors. Tens of thousands of others have been deprived of their jobs, businesses, pensions, and savings. Soon after it came to power, the Islamic government in Iran seized Baha'i community assets with no compensation paid. Baha'i shrines were systematically desecrated, including the House of the Bab in Shiraz, one of the holiest sites in the Baha'i religion. The house of Baha u'llah, in Takur, where the founder of the Bahai faith spent his youth, was demolished and the site offered for sale. Since 1985, the U-N General Assembly has approved thirteen resolutions expressing concern for the Baha'i community in Iran and calling on Tehran to stop these egregious human rights violations. Article Eighteen of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states unequivocally that, "Everyone has the right to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance." The U.S. calls on Iran's rulers to respect the right to worship of all the people of Iran, including Baha'is. Anncr: That was an editorial expressing the policies of the United States Government. If you have a comment, please write to Editorials, V-O-A, Washington, D-C, 20547, U-S-A. You may also comment at www-dot-voa-dot-gov-slash-editorials, or fax us at (202) 619-1043. 25-Aug-1999 12:44 PM EDT (25-Aug-1999 1644 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .
