10 May 1982: To all National Spiritual Assemblies

AFTER BRIEF LULL AND RELEASE FEW BAHA'I PRISONERS, FRESH OUTBURST PERSECUTIONS AGAINST MEMBERS DEFENCELESS COMMUNITY IN CRADLE FAITH CLEARLY EVIDENT.

HEARTS GRIEVED ANNOUNCE THAT SINCE EARLY APRIL SIX STAUNCH BELIEVERS HAVE OFFERED THEIR LIVES ALTAR SACRIFICE.  ALL MERCILESSLY EXECUTED SOLELY DUE THEIR ADHERENCE BELOVED FAITH, BUT OUTWARDLY ON BASIS TRUMPED-UP ACCUSATIONS.

THEIR NAMES ARE:

 1. MR 'ASKAR MUHAMMADI OF RAHIMKHAN VILLAGE IN BUKAN, KURDISTAN, WHO WAS ASSASSINATED AT HIS HOME IN EARLY APRIL BY REVOLUTIONARY GUARDS AFTER INTRODUCING HIMSELF AS BAHA'I WHILE THEY WERE SEARCHING HOUSES THAT AREA FOR WEAPONS.

2. MR IHSANU'LLAH KHAYYAMI OF URUMIYYIH, WHO WAS EXECUTED BY FIRING SQUAD ON 12 APRIL AFTER INTENSE BUT UNSUCCESSFUL PRESSURE TO RECANT HIS FAITH.

 3. MR 'AZIZU'LLAH GULSHANI OF MASHHAD, KHURASAN, WHO WAS HANGED ON 29 APRIL. COURT VERDICT CLEARLY BASED HIS AFFILIATION FAITH AND BAHA'I ACTIVITIES. NEWSPAPER KAYHAN REPORTS VERDICT COURT REFERS TO HIM AS A HERETIC, WHICH IS PUNISHABLE BY DEATH. THIS IMPORTANT DOCUMENT PROVES BAHA'IS ARE BEING KILLED BECAUSE OF THEIR RELIGION.

4. MR BADI'U'LLAH HAQQ-PAYKAR OF KARAJ NEAR TIHRAN, AN ACTIVE MEMBER OF THE LOCAL ASSEMBLY, WHO WAS EXECUTED BY FIRING SQUAD ON 8 MAY.

5. AND 6. MR MAHMUD FARUHAR AND HIS WIFE ISHRAQIYYIH, HIGHLY QUALIFIED AND EDUCATED ACTIVE BELIEVERS, AND MEMBERS OF THE LOCAL ASSEMBLY, WHO WERE ALSO EXECUTED IN KARAJ ON 8 MAY.

FURTHER, MANY PROMINENT BAHA'IS, INCLUDING 23 MEMBERS LOCAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLIES IN VARIOUS PARTS COUNTRY ARRESTED IN RECENT WEEKS. ...

UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE

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