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Sun, May 29, 2011 | The Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center

Source: www.bahairights.org

Iran Intensifies Fight against its Bahai Minority

At least 14 citizens belonging to the Bahai faith who took part in a higher education program for Bahai youth were arrested last weekend. On Saturday, March 21, security forces raided 30 houses in the cities of Tehran, Karaj, Esfahan, and Shiraz to round up citizens taking part in a program operated by the Bahai Institute for Higher Education (BIHE). The institute was established in 1987 in response to the severe limitations imposed by Iran’s authorities on members of the Bahai faith, as a result of which many young Bahais are unable to attend higher education institutions in the country. The authorities have taken measures against the institute on several occasions since its establishment, going as far as to arrest 40 of its staff members in 1998.

In addition, the reformist student website Daneshjoo News reported this week that a Bahai student was recently expelled from the University of Mazandaran in northern Iran. The physics student was summoned to the university authorities and denied entry to classes, even though she was not involved in political activity. According to one of her classmates, she was recently interrogated by the university authorities about her religion. When she admitted she was Bahai, the university began taking measures against her and ultimately had her expelled (www.daneshjoonews.com, May 24).

In recent years, dozens of Bahai students have been expelled from higher education institutions across Iran. After the Islamic revolution Bahais were prohibited from applying to Iran’s universities. In 2004, apparently owing to pressure exerted by the international community, the government changed its policy and ruled that it was no longer necessary to fill in the religion field on the university admission examination forms. Nevertheless, many Bahai students are still denied the possibility to study in higher education institutions. Some students expelled in recent years were specifically told that, according to instructions issued by the government council in charge of university admission examinations, Bahais must not be accepted to universities even if they successfully pass the admission examinations.

The Bahais are the largest religious minority in Iran (approx. 300 thousand people). Unlike Jews, Christians, and Zoroastrians, however, they have no official minority status and have been systematically persecuted since the Islamic revolution. Since the revolution, over 200 Bahais have been killed, hundreds arrested, and thousands had their property confiscated or lost their jobs. In January 2008 three Bahais were sentenced in the city of Shiraz to four years in prison on charges of propaganda against the regime; in May 2008 six Bahai community leaders were arrested by the authorities on charges of collaboration with “foreign and Zionist” elements against state security. In recent years Iran’s conservative media have also intensified their vilification campaign against the Bahais and their religion, which, according to Islam, is a heresy punishable by death.