wfn.org | BWNS -- UN calls on Iran to stop persecution of Baha'is

[Baha'i World News Service <bwns@bwc.org>]

Baha'i World News Service
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UN calls on Iran to stop persecution of Baha'is
UNITED NATIONS, 17 December 2005 (BWNS) -- For the 18th time since 1985,
the United Nations General Assembly has passed a resolution expressing
"serious concern" over the human rights situation in Iran, also making
specific mention of the ongoing persecution of the Baha'i community
there.

The resolution, which had been put forward by Canada and co-sponsored by
46 countries including Australia, the European Union, and the United
States, passed by a vote of 75 to 50 on 16 December 2005.

Among other things, it called on Iran to "eliminate, in law or in
practice, all forms of discrimination based on religious, ethnic or
linguistic grounds, and other human rights violations against
minorities, including Arabs, Kurds, Baluchi, Christians, Jews, Sunni
Muslims and the Baha'i...."

The resolution quite specifically takes note of the upsurge in
persecution against Iran's 300,000-member Baha'i community, noting the
"escalation and increased frequency of discrimination and other human
rights violations against the Baha'i, including cases of arbitrary
arrest and detention, the denial of freedom of religion or of publicly
carrying out communal affairs, the disregard of property rights, the
destruction of sites of religious importance, the suspension of social,
educational and community-related activities and the denial of access to
higher education, employment, pensions, adequate housing and other
benefits...."

The resolution also encourages various agencies of the United Nations
Commission on Human Rights to continue to work to improve the human
rights situation in Iran, and at the same time it calls on the
government of Iran to cooperate with these agencies.

Ms. Bani Dugal, Principal Representative of the Baha'i International
Community to the United Nations, said the worldwide Baha'i community is
thankful for the support of the international community in expressing
its concern about human rights in Iran.

"It has been a year when human rights violations against Baha'i and
other groups in Iran have strikingly worsened, and the scrutiny and
support of the international community remains virtually the only tool
for the protection of innocent people in Iran," said Ms. Dugal.

"For Baha'is, who are persecuted solely for their religious beliefs, it
has been a very difficult year in Iran," said Ms. Dugal.

"At least 59 Baha'is have been subject to various forms of arbitrary
arrests, detention and imprisonment, and Baha'i young people have once
again been denied the chance to attend college and university."

Ms. Dugal said that although the majority of those Baha'is who have been
arrested were released, nine remained in prison as of late October.

As well, said Ms. Dugal, "Baha'is face a wide and growing range of
severely oppressive measures, including continued restrictions on
religious assembly, the confiscation and destruction of holy sites, the
denial of admission to Baha'i students into university, and various
economic restrictions."

"Not only do the revolving door arrests and imprisonments seek to
intimidate the Baha'i community, but the stringent economic and
educational restrictions are part of Iran's stated policy clearly aimed
at eliminating Iran's Baha'i community as a viable entity in society,"
said Ms. Dugal.