Voice of America Report on Campaign of Arrests against Iranian Baha'is

22 October 1981

To all National Spiritual Assemblies

A REPORT FROM TIHRAN SAYS IRAN'S CENTRAL REVOLUTIONARY COMMITTEE IS PLANNING A NEW CAMPAIGN TO ROUND UP MEMBERS OF THE BAHA'I FAITH. THE BAHA'IS REPORTEDLY WILL BE ARRESTED ON GROUNDS THAT THEIR MARRIAGES ARE ILLEGAL AND THEIR CHILDREN ILLEGITIMATE SINCE IRAN DOES NOT RECOGNIZE THE BAHA'I FAITH. THE COMMITTEE SAYS SOME 96 BAHA'IS HAVE BEEN EXECUTED SO FAR AND ANOTHER 200 ARE UNDER ARREST. SOME 10,000 BAHA'I FAMILIES ARE BELIEVED TO HAVE FLED IRAN SINCE THE CAMPAIGN AGAINST THEM BEGAN. THE COMMITTEE HAS ANOTHER 20,000 BAHA'I NAMES ON ITS ARREST LIST COMPILED FROM CAPTURED BAHA'I OFFICE LISTS AND DOCUMENTS FROM THE SHAH'S OLD SECRET POLICE, SAVAK. MANY BAHA'IS HAVE CHANGED THEIR NAMES OR GONE INTO HIDING TO ESCAPE CAPTURE.

UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE

(‘Messages from the Universal House of Justice, 1963-1986’)

Further Deterioration of the Situation in Iran

16 October 1981 

To all National Spiritual Assemblies

SITUATION FRIENDS IRAN STEADILY DETERIORATING. ALTHOUGH REVOLUTIONARY COURT YAZD ORDERED RELEASE FOUR OF THOSE DETAINED PRESSURES IN DIFFERENT FORMS ARE MOUNTING IN YAZD AND IN OTHER PARTS COUNTRY. BAHA'I WORKERS BEING INCREASINGLY EXPELLED FROM FACTORIES, BAHA'I SHOPKEEPERS IN ONE PROVINCE ORDERED CLOSE DOWN FOLLOWING WITHDRAWAL BUSINESS LICENSES, SCHOOL AUTHORITIES SCRUTINIZING RELIGION STUDENTS PRIOR TO REGISTRATION RESULTING IN REFUSAL REGISTER BAHA'I STUDENTS IN ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS. DECREE ANNOUNCED BY MINISTRY OF EDUCATION PUBLISHED IN KAYHAN DAILY NUMBER 11397 DATED 9 MIHR 1360 (30 SEPTEMBER 1981) LISTS CRIMES WHICH BAR PROFESSORS AND STUDENTS FROM BEING EMPLOYED OR REGISTERED AT UNIVERSITIES. AMONG CRIMES LISTED IS WHAT TEXT OF DECREE DESCRIBES AS MEMBERSHIP IN SECT WHICH IS RECOGNIZED BY MUSLIMS AS MISLED AND HERETICAL SECT. THIS IS OBVIOUS REFERENCE TO MEMBERSHIP IN BAHA'I COMMUNITY. BAHA'I CHILDREN AND YOUTH EXEMPLIFYING HIGH SPIRIT HEROISM STEADFASTNESS PREFERRING DEPRIVATION FROM SCHOOL AND UNIVERSITY EDUCATION TO RECANTATION FAITH. ...

UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE

(‘Messages from the Universal House of Justice, 1963-1986’)

The Worsening Situation in Yazd

28 September 1981 

To all National Spiritual Assemblies

SITUATION PERSECUTION FRIENDS YAZD ENTERING NEW PERILOUS PHASE: FURTHER INFORMATION CONVEYED TO YOU OUR CABLE 11 AUGUST ABOUT RADIO SUMMONS ISSUED PROMINENT YAZD BAHA'IS THESE FRIENDS ARE AGAIN BEING CALLED PRESENT THEMSELVES BEFORE REVOLUTIONARY COURTS. 14 OF THEM HAVE SO FAR REPORTED. WHILE FATE THESE IN BALANCE TEN OTHER BELIEVERS YAZD WHO HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY DETAINED HAVE JUST BEEN TRANSFERRED TO PRISONS DIRECTLY ASSOCIATED REVOLUTIONARY COURTS. FOUR OF THESE ARE WOMEN. ONE OF THEM IS 75 YEARS OLD, THE OTHER THREE IN THEIR LATE FIFTIES. TRANSFER NEW PRISON OMINOUS SIGN THAT LOCAL REVOLUTIONARY COURT INTENDS ISSUE ITS FINAL VERDICT. FRIENDS IN CAPITAL HAVE REPEATEDLY IN PAST APPEALED WITHOUT SUCCESS FOR VINDICATION RIGHTS BAHA'IS TO CENTRAL AUTHORITIES TIHRAN. IN RECENT WEEKS HIGH-RANKING AUTHORITIES EVEN REFUSE GIVE AUDIENCE TO BAHA'IS AS SOON AS THEY LEARN SUBJECT MATTER. OFFICIALS IN LOWER RANKS SO FAR CONTACTED HAVE IN RECENT MONTHS WARNED BELIEVERS OF GRAVE PERSECUTIONS IN STORE FOR BAHA'IS. ONE GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVE HAS UNOFFICIALLY INFORMED BAHA'IS THAT DEVELOPMENTS IN YAZD MAY WELL FORM PATTERN FOR TREATMENT BAHA'IS ELSEWHERE IN COUNTRY, THAT AUTHORITIES ARE FULLY AWARE ALL MEASURES TAKEN BY BAHA'IS IN INTERNATIONAL CIRCLES, AND CONSIDER THESE AS ANTI-GOVERNMENT ACTIONS, THAT GOVERNMENT IRAN HAS NO REGARD FOR INTERNATIONAL OPINION, THAT BAHA'IS ARE ENEMIES ISLAM, AND BAHA'I TEACHINGS SUCH AS EQUALITY SEXES AND REMOVAL VEIL CONSTITUTE VIOLATION ISLAMIC PRINCIPLES, AND THAT GOVERNMENT CAPABLE ORGANIZE MOBS TO PUBLICLY DEMAND EXPULSION, EXECUTION, EXTERMINATION BAHA'IS. THESE THREATS SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN LIGHTLY. ...

UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE

(‘Messages from the Universal House of Justice, 1963-1986’)