29 January 1985: To all National Spiritual Assemblies

JUST RECEIVED NEWS EXECUTION YAZD, RUHU'LLAH HASURI, 35 YEARS OLD. HE WAS SHOT IN PRISON. NEWS DEATH IN PRISON TIHRAN RUSTAM VARJAVANDI 15 SEPTEMBER CONFIRMED. THIS BRINGS TO 178 NUMBER THOSE WHO HAVE GIVEN THEIR LIVES FOR FAITH. SINCE 3 SEPTEMBER 16 BAHA'IS HAVE BEEN KILLED OR HAVE DIED IN PRISON, 101 IMPRISONED AND 79 RELEASED, SOME OF WHOM HAD NOT PREVIOUSLY BEEN REPORTED IMPRISONED. TOTAL NUMBER NOW IN PRISON, AS FAR AS CAN BE ASCERTAINED, IS 707. GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES WHO WERE DISMISSED OR THEIR PENSIONS STOPPED BECAUSE OF THEIR FAITH ARE NOW BEING SUMMONED BY ATTORNEY-GENERAL AND COMPELLED PAY BACK ALL THE SALARIES RECEIVED FOR MANY YEARS, EVEN DECADES, FAILING WHICH THEY WILL BE IMPRISONED. CAUSE MANY RECENT IMPRISONMENTS IS INABILITY TO PAY BACK SALARIES BAHA'IS HAD RECEIVED WHILE LAWFULLY EMPLOYED BY GOVERNMENT. ...

UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE

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

23 January 1985: To all National Spiritual Assemblies

Dear Baha'i friends,

1986 has been named the International Year of Peace by the United Nations. Considering the dangers surrounding mankind and the remedial prospects of the Lesser Peace to which Baha'u'llah has summoned the nations, we embrace this God-sent opportunity to proclaim ever more widely and convincingly the vitalizing principles upon which, as our Teachings emphatically assert, a lasting peace must be founded. The nature and variety of the proclamation activities which the Baha'i community will undertake, during 1986 and beyond, will be outlined in detail later.  We wish now to indicate some of the ideas we are contemplating, so that you may sense what to expect and how to prepare for your own participation.

In addition to projects to be initiated at the World Centre, these ideas include:

- Calling upon local and national Baha'i communities to sponsor a wide range of activities which will engage the attention of people from all walks of life to various topics relevant to peace, such as: the role of women, the elimination of racism, the eradication of prejudice, the promotion of education, the extension of social and economic development, the adoption of a world auxiliary language, the establishment of world government;

- Mounting a publicity campaign which will make use of such themes as "world peace through world religion," "world peace through world education," "world peace through world language," "world peace through world law" -- a campaign which could lead to discussion of these subjects in small or large gatherings, at local or national levels, and perhaps in collaboration with organizations promoting such ideas;

3 January 1985: To all National Spiritual Assemblies

DISTRESSED INFORM YOU THAT RECENTLY IRANIAN GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCED ANOTHER OPPRESSIVE MEASURE AGAINST BAHA'I PRISONERS. IN ORDER TO BE RELEASED PRISONER MUST SIGN FOLLOWING UNDERTAKING:  

"I THE UNDERSIGNED [DETAILS OF PERSONAL STATUS INCLUDING RELIGION] UNDERTAKE NOT TO HAVE IN MY POSSESSION ANY BOOK, PAMPHLET, DOCUMENT, SYMBOL OR PICTURE OF THIS MISGUIDED, ZIONIST, ESPIONAGE GROUP OF BAHA'IS. IF ANY OF THE ABOVE MENTIONED ARTICLES BELONGING TO THIS HATED UNDERGROUND MOVEMENT IS FOUND ON MY PERSON OR IN MY HOME, THIS WILL BE TANTAMOUNT TO MY BEING OF THOSE 'WHO WAR AGAINST GOD' AND THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL WOULD BE FREE TO DECIDE AGAINST ME IN THE MANNER HE DEEMS FIT."  

THE TERMINOLOGY "WHO WAR AGAINST GOD" IS A TERM USED BY PRESENT REGIME TO SIGNIFY A CRIME DESERVING SENTENCE OF DEATH. BAHA'I PRISONERS HAVE REFUSED SIGN SUCH AN INFAMOUS DOCUMENT FALSELY IMPUGNING THEIR FAITH. MOREOVER SIGNING SUCH A DOCUMENT WOULD LEAVE BAHA'IS OPEN TO HAVING SUCH ITEMS PLANTED ON THEIR PERSON OR IN THEIR HOMES. WAVE OF RECENT ARRESTS OF BAHA'IS SUGGESTS THAT AUTHORITIES PLAN EXERT PRESSURE ALL BAHA'IS TO SIGN SUCH AN IMPOSSIBLE UNDERTAKING. OBVIOUSLY FAITHFUL FRIENDS WILL REFUSE SUCCUMB SUCH CONTEMPTIBLE PLAN. ...

UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE

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

18 December 1984: To all National Spiritual Assemblies

FURTHER OUR TELEX 17 DECEMBER WE SORROWFULLY ANNOUNCE NEWS EXECUTION BY HANGING OF DR FARHAD ASDAQI ON 19 NOVEMBER AFTER FOUR MONTHS IMPRISONMENT AND TORTURE. MR DIYA'U'LLAH MANI'I-USKU'I AND MR 'ALI-RIDA NIYAKAN DIED IN TABRIZ PRISON 13TH AND 11TH NOVEMBER RESPECTIVELY AFTER TWO AND A HALF YEARS IMPRISONMENT. CAUSE DEATHS NOT ESTABLISHED.

UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE

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

17 December 1984: To National Spiritual Assemblies

REGRETFULLY ANNOUNCE SAD NEWS EXECUTION OF SIX BAHA'I FRIENDS IN TIHRAN: DR RUHU'LLAH TA'LIM FROM KIRMANSHAH, MR FIRUZ ATHARI, MR 'INAYATU'LLAH HAQIQI, MR JAMSHID PUR-USTADKAR, MR JAMAL KASHAMI, MR GHULAM HUSAYN FARHAND. THE LAST FIVE PREVIOUSLY NOTIFIED TO YOU AS AMONG THOSE CONDEMNED TO DEATH. FATE OF REMAINING 19 IN BALANCE.  ALL EXECUTIONS TOOK PLACE ON ONE DAY, 9 DECEMBER. DETAILS ARE UNKNOWN AS NEITHER RELATIVES FRIENDS WERE INFORMED. FACT OF EXECUTIONS DISCOVERED 8 DAYS LATER. ...

UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE

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