FOLLOWING OUTRAGEOUS EXECUTION SIX BAHA'IS IN SHIRAZ ON 16 JUNE, FURTHER HIDEOUS CRIME HAS BEEN PERPETRATED BY AUTHORITIES THAT CITY BY HANGING TEN INNOCENT WOMEN NIGHT OF 18 JUNE. THEY ARE: MRS NUSRAT YALDA'I, 54 YEARS OLD, MOTHER OF BAHRAM, HANGED 16 JUNE MRS 'IZZAT JANAMI ISHRAQI 50 YEARS OLD, WIFE OF 'INAYATU'LLAH, HANGED 16 JUNE
MISS RU'YA ISHRAQI, IN EARLY 20S, DAUGHTER OF ABOVE
MRS TAHIRIH SIYAVUSHI, 32 YEARS OLD, WIFE OF JAMSHID, HANGED
16 JUNE
MISS MUNA MAHMUDNIZHAD, 18 YEARS OLD, DAUGHTER OF YADU'LLAH,
EXECUTED 12 MARCH
MISS ZARRIN MUQIMI-ABYANIH, UNDER 25 YEARS OLD
MISS SHAHIN (SHIRIN) DALVAND, EARLY 20S
MISS AKHTAR THABIT 19 YEARS OLD
MISS SIMIN SABIRI, IN EARLY 20S
MISS MAHSHID NIRUMAND, 18 YEARS OLD
THE EXECUTION OF THESE GUILTLESS WOMEN IN THE NAME OF RELIGION MUST SHOCK CONSCIENCE HUMANITY. THEY WERE ARRESTED FOR ACTIVITIES IN BAHA'I COMMUNITY INCLUDING EDUCATION OF YOUTH.
FOLLOWING LONG INTERROGATION IN PRISON THEY WERE WARNED THEY WOULD BE SUBJECTED TO FOUR SESSIONS PRESSURING THEM RECANT THEIR FAITH ACCEPT ISLAM AND IF BY FOURTH TIME THEY HAD NOT SIGNED PREPARED STATEMENT RECANTING FAITH THEY WOULD BE KILLED. ALL PREFERRED DIE RATHER THAN DENY THEIR FAITH.
FEW HOURS PRIOR EXECUTION WOMEN MET WITH FAMILIES, NONE OF WHOM KNEW IMPENDING EXECUTION. NEWS THIS DASTARDLY CRIME NOT PUBLICLY ANNOUNCED OR FORMALLY GIVEN TO FAMILIES. AUTHORITIES REFUSED ALLOW FAMILIES RECEIVE BODIES FOR BURIAL OR EVEN TO SEE THEM.
IT SHOULD BE RECALLED THAT BETWEEN OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER 1982 OVER 80 BAHA'IS WERE ARRESTED IN SHIRAZ. AUTHORITIES LATER REVEALED THAT 22 PERSONS AMONG THE 80 WERE CONDEMNED TO DEATH IF WOULD NOT RECANT. NAMES OF THESE 22 HOWEVER WERE NEVER REVEALED, INTENSIFYING PSYCHOLOGICAL STRESS AMONG BAHA'I PRISONERS.
IN DEFIANCE APPEALS WORLD LEADERS AND WORLD PUBLIC OPINION, 21 OF THESE BAHA'IS HAVE THUS FAR BEEN EXECUTED, CASTING SHADOW ON FATE REMAINING BELIEVERS LANGUISHING IN PRISON. ...
UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE
(‘Messages from the Universal House of Justice, 1963-1986’)
