Dwight from The Office, Rainn Wilson has something to say about Bahai persecutions in Iran

[ourbluenation]

It's a bit strange for me, to say the least; a comic character actor best known for playing weirdos with bad haircuts getting all serious to talk about the persecution of the fellow members of his religious faith.

Dear readers of CNN, I assure you that what I'm writing about is no joking matter or some hoax perpetrated by a paper-sellin', bear-fearin', Battlestar-Galactica obsessed beet farmer.

I am a member of the Baha'i faith. What is that, you ask? Well, long story short, it's an independent world religion that began in the mid-1800s in Iran. Baha'is believe that there is only one God and therefore only one religion.

All of the world's divine teachers (Jesus, Muhammad, Buddha, Moses, Abraham, Krishna, etc.) bring essentially the same message -- one of unity, love and knowledge of God or the divine.

This constantly updated faith of God, Baha'is believe, has been refreshed for this day and age by our founder, Baha'u'llah. There. Nutshell version.

Now, as I mentioned, this all happened in Iran, and needless to say the Muslim authorities did not like the Baha'is very much, accusing them of heresy and apostasy. Tens of thousands were killed in the early years of the faith, and the persecutions have continued off and on for the past 150 years.

Why write about all this now? Well, I'm glad you asked. You see there's a 'trial' going on very soon for seven Baha'i national leaders in Iran.

They've been accused of all manner of things including being "spies for Israel," "insulting religious sanctities" and "propaganda against the Islamic Republic."

They've been held for a year in Evin Prison in Tehran without any access to their lawyer (the Nobel Laureate Shirin Ebadi) and with zero evidence of any of these charges.

When a similar thing happened in 1980, the national leadership of the Iranian Baha'i community disappeared. And this was repeated again in 1981.

In fact, since 1979, more than 200 Baha'is have been killed, holy places and cemeteries desecrated, homes burned, civil rights taken away and secret lists compiled of Baha'is (and even Muslims who associate with them) by government agencies.

It's bad right now for all the peace-loving Baha'is in Iran who want only to practice their religion and follow their beliefs. It's especially bad for these seven. Here's a link to their bios. They're teachers, and engineers, and optometrists and social workers just like us.

This thought has become kind of a cliché', but we take our rights for granted here in America. Imagine if a group of people were rounded up and imprisoned and then disappeared not for anything they'd done, but because they wanted to worship differently than the majority.

There is a resolution on the situation of the Baha'is in Iran being sent to Congress. Please ask your representatives to support it. And ask them to speak out about this terrible situation.

Thanks for reading. Now back to bears, paper and beets!

http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/02/17/wilson.faith/index.html

[ourbluenation]

1. Bumping...more info. Please contact your Reps to co-sponsor

U.S. House Introduces Resolution on Baha’i case
February 15, 2009

The United States House of Representatives has introduced a resolution, H.Res.175, on the persecution of the Baha’is in Iran. The resolution was sponsored by Representatives Mark Kirk, James McGovern, Brad Sherman, Dan Burton, Bill Foster, Maurice Hinchey, Frank Wolf, and Jim Moran.

Action Alert:

Ask your Representative to co-sponsor and vote for this resolution. Visit http://www.house.gov/ and enter your “zip plus four” code. Click on the homepage for your Representative. Follow the instructions for sending an email message and ask for co-sponsorship.

The Resolution:

111th Congress; 1st Session; H.Res.175

Condemning the Government of Iran for its state-sponsored persecution of its Baha’i minority and its continued violation of the International Covenants on Human Rights.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

FEBRUARY 13, 2009

Mr. KIRK (for himself, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. SHERMAN, Mr. BURTON of Indiana, Mr. FOSTER, Mr. HINCHEY, Mr. WOLF, and Mr. MORAN of Virginia) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

RESOLUTION

Condemning the Government of Iran for its state-sponsored persecution of its Baha’i minority and its continued violation of the International Covenants on Human Rights. Whereas in 1982, 1984, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1996, 2000, 2006, and 2008, Congress declared that it deplored the religious persecution by the Government of Iran of the Baha’i community and would hold the Government of Iran responsible for upholding the rights of all Iranian nationals, including members of the Baha’i faith;

Whereas in November 2007, the Iranian Ministry of Information in Shiraz jailed Baha’is Ms. Raha Sabet, 33; Mr. Sasan Taqva, 32; and Ms. Haleh Roohi, 29; for educating underprivileged children and gave them 4-year prison terms, which they are serving;

Whereas Ms. Sabet, Mr. Taqva, and Ms. Rooshi were targeted solely on the basis of their religion;

Whereas, on January 23, 2008, the United States Department of State released a statement urging the Iranian regime to release all individuals held without due process and a fair trial, including the 3 young Baha’is being held in an Iranian Ministry of Intelligence detention center in Shiraz;

Whereas in March and May of 2008, Iranian intelligence officials in Mashhad and Tehran arrested and imprisoned Mrs. Fariba Kamalabadi, Mr. Jamaloddin Khanjani, Mr. Afif Naeimi, Mr. Saeid Rezaie, Mr. Behrouz Tavakkoli, Mrs. Mahvash Sabet, and Mr. Vahid Tizfahm, the members of the coordinating group for the Baha’i community in Iran;

Whereas, on February 11, 2009, the deputy prosecutor in Tehran, Mr. Hassan Haddad, announced that those seven leaders will go on trial at a Revolutionary Court the week of February 15, 2009, on charges of ‘‘espionage for Israel, insulting religious sanctities and propaganda against the Islamic Republic’’;

Whereas the lawyer for these seven leaders, Mrs. Shirin Ebadi, the Nobel Laureate, has been denied all access to the prisoners and their files;

Whereas these seven Baha’i leaders were targeted solely on the basis of their religion; and

Whereas the Government of Iran is party to the International Covenants on Human Rights: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the House of Representatives—

(1) condemns the Government of Iran for its state-sponsored persecution of its Baha’i minority and its continued violation of the International Covenants on Human Rights;

(2) calls on the Government of Iran to immediately release the seven leaders and all other prisoners held solely on account of their religion, including: Mrs. Fariba Kamalabadi, Mr. Jamaloddin Khanjani, Mr. Afif Naeimi, Mr. Saeid Rezaie, Mr. Behrouz Tavakkoli, Mrs. Mahvash Sabet, Mr. Vahid Tizfahm, Ms. Raha Sabet, Mr. Sasan Taqva, and Ms. Haleh Roohi; and

(3) calls on the President and Secretary of State, in cooperation with the international community, to immediately condemn Iran’s continued violation of human rights and demand the immediate release of prisoners held solely on account of their religion, including Mrs. Fariba Kamalabadi, Mr. Jamaloddin Khanjani, Mr. Afif Naeimi, Mr. Saeid
Rezaie, Mr. Behrouz Tavakkoli, Mrs. Mahvash Sabet, Mr. Vahid Tizfahm, Ms. Raha Sabet, Mr. Sasan Taqva, and Ms. Haleh Roohi.

[ourbluenation]

5. Here's a picture of the so-called "heretics" & short bio's. If found guilty, they will be executed

and remember - they have no access to legal representation.





1. Mrs. Fariba Kamalabadi
___________________________________________________________________

Fariba Kamalabadi, 45 years old, received her postgraduate degree in Education, specializing in Developmental Psychology. She is married with three children - two daughters (one a 13-year-old high school student, and one, married, 20 years old) and one son who was recently married and lives in China.



2. Mr. Jamaloddin Khanjani
___________________________________________________________________

Jamaloddin Khanjani, a 76-year-old businessman, was the sales manager for Zamzam Company (a soft drink production company) and more recently he managed a brick factory. He is married with three children.



3. Mr. Afif Naemi
___________________________________________________________________

Afif Naemi, a 47-year-old industrialist, was expelled from medical school because of his membership in the Bahá’í Faith. He is married with two sons.



4. Mr. Saeid Rezaie
___________________________________________________________________

Saeid Rezaie, 50 years old, is a Farming Equipment Engineer. He had a successful business maintaining farming equipment in Shiraz and later he moved to Tehran. In addition to his regular profession, he is a scholar and author. He is married and has three children. Two of his daughters were among 54 Baha’i youth who were arrested in Shiraz in May 2006, while they were engaged in a humanitarian project aimed at helping underprivileged young people. Later they were released and tried.



5. Mrs. Mahvash Sabet
___________________________________________________________________

Mahvash Sabet, is a 56-year-old former teacher with a degree in educational planning. While she was working as a teacher she attended a training course for special education Corps, which sent recent graduates to remote areas in Iran to teach in schools. She was expelled from both her job and the training, because of being a Bahá’í. She is married and has two children.



6. Mr. Behrouz Tavakkoli
___________________________________________________________________

Behrouz Tavakkoli, a 57-year- old lecturer, received a bachelor’s degree in social work and worked as a civil servant until he was expelled because of his belief in the Bahá’í Faith. He is married with two children.



7. Mr. Vahid Tizfahm
___________________________________________________________________

Vahid Tizfahm is a 37-year-old optometrist and owner of an optical shop. He received his degree in sociology and later trained as an optometrist. He was born in Tabriz (northwest of Iran) and lived there until mid-2007 when he moved to Tehran with his wife and 8-year-old son.

[ourbluenation]

2. afternoon bump, sign me...Tenacious D

[spoony]

3. Wow, all around wow

This is a side of Mr. Wilson I wasn't aware of, and he's clearly very articulate and passionate about it. He just went way up in my book. Also 'wow' to the persecution he's talking about. I haven't heard that much about it. Thanks for posting this.

[ourbluenation]

4. Thx. My partner is an american bahai. The Bahis in Iran are treated horribly.

They basically have no rights. Like none. Except the right to this sham of a trial.

Here is a great link w/ more info. The european union, germany, brazil, the uk, amnesty international have all issued statements condemning this outrage. Please urge your congress reps in the house to co-sponsor HR 175.

http://iran.bahai.us/

[ourbluenation]

6. HEY! Is anyone paying attention? I want some K and R's and greatest page status PLEEEEEASE!!!

International pressure MUST be brought to bear..the USof A is already late to the party. Please urge your congress critters to get involved.

[ourbluenation]

7. Evening kick - one more rec so non gen discussion folks will see it. Thx in advance. n/t

[Lost in CT]

8. Rec no 5 here... nt

[pnorman]

9. Here's from Amnesty International:

http://www.amnesty.org/fr/library/asset/MDE13/013/2009/fr/67d5b8fe-f937-11dd-92e7-c59f81373cf2/mde130132009en.html

pnorman
On edit: I don't believe I've seen so many "UNION YES!" avatars in a single thread before! Here's another write up: http://www.timescolonist.com/Life/Iran+vows+Baha+leaders+spies/1279136/story.html

[scarletwoman]

10. k&r -- Thanks for bringing awareness of this issue here. (nt)

[ourbluenation]

11. late night bump

[Chulanowa]

12. The US will have to talk to Iran, period, before it can talk about this situation, I'm afraid

Shitty state of international politics. It's really hard to go from "You're a source of utter evil in the world and we will destroy you utterly unless you meet our demands" all the way over to "Hey, could you let these guys go?"