WITH HEAVY-LADEN HEARTS ANNOUNCE NEWS JUST RECEIVED NINE HEROIC FRIENDS EXECUTED TABRIZ BY FIRING SQUAD ONE OF WHOM AUXILIARY BOARD MEMBER AND SEVEN MEMBERS LOCAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY:
MASRUR DAKHILI
HUSAYN ASADU'LLAHZADIH
ALLAH-VIRDI MITHAQI
MANUCHIHR KHADI'I
'ABDU'L-'ALI ASADYARI
ISMA'IL ZIHTAB
PARVIZ FIRUZI
MIHDI BAHIRI
HABIBU'LLAH TAHQIQI
TWO TEENAGE GIRL STUDENTS ... ABDUCTED FROM SCHOOL BY TEACHERS IN RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION. PARENTS UNABLE DETERMINE FATE DISAPPEARED CHILDREN. TEACHERS CLAIM GIRLS CONVERTED ISLAM REFUSE MEET BAHA'I PARENTS. LOCAL AUTHORITIES UNCOOPERATIVE.
GRIEVED AT RUTHLESSNESS RAPIDITY WITH WHICH PRECIOUS LIVES DISTINGUISHED VIRTUOUS MEMBERS COMMUNITY BEING SNUFFED OUT, THEIR HONOUR VIOLATED, THEIR HOMES POSSESSIONS PLUNDERED. WE PRAY BAHA'U'LLAH BEHALF ENTIRE BAHA'I WORLD ATTAIN GREATER CAPACITY SERENELY BEAR WEIGHT ORDEALS, WITNESS EARLY DELIVERANCE HIS PERSECUTED LOVERS CRADLE FAITH FROM SHACKLES REPRESSION BIGOTRY, AS PROMISED HIS SACRED WRITINGS.
UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE
(‘Messages from the Universal House of Justice, 1963-1986’)
