LONDON – Senior diplomatic representatives of five countries were among the guests at the parliamentary reception to mark Naw-Ruz, the Baha’i New Year, on 22 March.

The reception, hosted by the All Party Parliamentary Friends of the Baha’is, attracted around 100 guests from many walks of life, including a member of the European Parliament, Peers, MPs, friends from diverse faith communities and representatives of non-governmental organisations.

Lembit Opik MP, chair of the All Party Friends of the Baha’is welcomed everyone and read messages of greeting from Prime Minister Gordon Brown MP, from David Cameron MP, Leader of the Opposition, and from Nick Clegg MP, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Party. Mr Opik also spoke of his passionate commitment to the defence of the human rights of the Baha’is in Iran.

“I have been trying to visit Iran,” Mr Opik said, “but the Iranian embassy has told me that it is ‘technically impossible’ for me to do so. However, I will continue to do whatever I can to support the Baha’is.”

Mike Gapes MP

Mike Gapes MP, chair of the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee (FAC), recounted how he’d first met a Baha’i in the early 1970s while on voluntary service in Africa. “He was an American member of the Peace Corps,” Mr Gapes said. “I don’t remember his name, but he was a calm person who would do anything for anyone.”

Mr Gapes went on to explain that the FAC had visited Iran in 2007. “Our report,” said Mr Gapes, “highlighted the the discrimination and harassment against Baha’is and other minorities in Iran.” The FAC continues to be deeply concerned about the situation in Iran, particularly in light of events around the Iranian Presidential election and the Ashura demonstrations.

“Parliament must speak out for minorities around the world, especially those without a voice such as the Baha’is, who are no threat except to the ideology of the Iranian regime,” Mr Gapes said.

Dr Kishan Manocha, secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly, the UK Baha’is’ national governing council, explained that the festival of Naw-Ruz marked the end of the Baha’i period of fasting and was the start of the Baha’i new year. “I am delighted that the All Party Friends of the Baha’is have honoured this important festival with this reception,” he said.

He explained that the seven former members of the Yaran, the ad hoc leadership group of the Baha’is in Iran, had been detained for almost two years. “They are on trial on serious but utterly baseless charges,” he said, “and the trial is not yet concluded. The Iranian government is continuing to put into effect a plan that it has had since the early 1980s to eradicate the Baha’i community from Iran.”

Dr Manocha expressed the community’s gratitude to the UK government for its continuing support through the Foreign Office, to the Foreign Affairs Committee, and particularly to the All Party Parliamentary Friends of the Baha’is, which had been solid in its defence of the Baha’is in Iran over many years. The Baha’is in Iran are resilient and are responding to the call by the Baha’i community’s international governing council to step into the arena of service, particularly to promote the equality of men and women.

Zarin Hainsworth-Fadaei, activist in a number of national and international women’s organisations and a member of the UK Baha’is’ national governing council, spoke of the work that Baha’is are doing at international, national and local levels for the advancement of women.

“The equality of women and men is a fundamental Baha’i principle,” Mrs Hainsworth-Fadaei said, “and Baha’is contribute to policy and to the practicalities of making this principle a reality everywhere from the UN’s Commission on the Status of Women to the empowerment of women and children at the grassroots. Baha’i communities everywhere are engaged in simple but effective grassroots activities, such as studying the Word of God in small groups, classes for the spiritual and moral education of children, and the empowerment of 11-14 year old young people. In all of these activities women take a leading role and provide essential role models for girls.”

Baha’is in the UK are now taking a leading role in developing new discourses about gender equality and the advancement of women in a spiritually and practically healthy society.

Guests at the parliamentary Naw-Ruz reception

Photos © 2010 Hamid Jahanpour

Technorati Tags: Baha’i, Bahai, parliament, Naw-Ruz, Lembit Opik

It gives me great pleasure to send my warm regards to the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of the United Kingdom on the occasion of your annual reception.

This has been a difficult year for many Baha’is and I was deeply concerned to hear of the trial of the Yaran in January and of the arrest of other Baha’i members during the unrest in Iran during Ashura. Your dignity in the face of such discrimination is admirable and I have the utmost regard for your principles of equality and human rights.

I hope that this year brings both peace and prosperity to you all, and that in the months to come there can be a change for the better in the Iranian authorities’ attitude towards the Baha’i community in Iran.

[Signed: Gordon Brown]

UK Baha’is also welcomed a message of greeting from the Leader of the Opposition, David Cameron MP:

I am delighted to send you my best wishes as you celebrate the Baha’i New Year at the reception on 22 March.

The New Year is always a time for spending with friends, family and the wider community, and for looking forward to the months ahead.

It is also a time for considering many of the principles which the Baha’i community hold dear – like social justice, and a concern for the environment – which are of importance to our society today.

May I send my good wishes to you and your families at this time.

[Signed: David Cameron]

Baha’is will conclude their annual 19-day period of fasting from sunrise to sunset at sunset on 20 March. Baha’i celebration of the Naw-Ruz festival, which coincides with the traditional Zoroastrian and Iranian New Year, will begin this evening. This year Naw-Ruz marks the beginning of the year 167 in the Baha’i calendar.

Technorati Tags: Baha’i, Bahai, Iran, Naw-Ruz, festivals, holy days

The trial of the seven leaders of the Baha’is in Iran continues to be a subject of debate in the UK parliament, as reported in Hansard.

In a recent session of questions in the House of Lords, the parliament’s upper house, to Baroness Kinnock, Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Lord Eric Avebury asked what action the British government was going to take at the UN Human Rights Council on the trial of seven leading members of the Baha’i community in Iran.

“Reports so far suggest that the trial of the Baha’is has worrying parallels with the post-election show trials and falls far short of international standards,” Baroness Kinnock said in reply. “[Foreign Office Minister] Ivan Lewis summoned the Iranian ambassador on 20 January to echo EU calls for the Baha’is to receive a just and open trial. We are considering options for further action at the Human Rights Council, with the universal periodic review providing an important opportunity to draw attention to the deteriorating human rights situation in Iran.”

Former Att0rney General Lord Peter Goldsmith reminded the House of Lords about the cases of three young Baha’is, Haleh Rouhi, Raha Sabet and Sasan Taqva who have been held in Ministry of Intelligence detention facilities since November 2007 for their part in a development project to help poor children in Shiraz. Addressing Baroness Kinnock, Lord Goldsmith asked, “Can she confirm that, if they are supposed to be serving sentences of imprisonment, even under Iranian law it is illegal to hold them there? Will she be able to make representations on their behalf as well as on behalf of those to whom she has already referred?”

In a strongly worded intervention, Lord Howell of Guildford said, “My Lords, in addition to the very telling interventions that we have just had on the plight of the Baha’is, does the Minister recall that in modern Iran the persecution of the Baha’is has been long standing and very vicious and that it has involved executions-sometimes public executions-the desecration of cemeteries and other revolting practices that bring home the repulsive nature of much of the mullahs’ regime in Iran today? Will she therefore accept from this side, too, strong support for using very firm words and action in all possible fora to ensure that the plight of the Baha’is is brought home? Does she recall that many have had to seek refuge in this country, particularly in my home town of Guildford? We owe it to these people to stand up for them, given the horrific experiences that they have had.”

Baroness Kinnock assured the questioners that the British government would continue to take their concerns very seriously.

“My Lords, I reassure my noble and learned friend that I will ensure that representations are made on behalf of the people to whom he referred,” Lady Kinnock said. “We continuously express our deep reservations about the treatment and the severe intimidation that these people suffer as a result of staying true to their faith. At least 50 Baha’is remain in detention in Iran and we have grave concerns about the conditions in which they are being held.”

Technorati Tags: Baha’i, Bahai, House of Lords, Iran, persecution, human rights

Mr Brown’s remarks were made at a meeting which took place this afternoon at the Prime Minister’s office in the Houses of Parliament, attended by Lembit Öpik, MP for Montgomeryshire – who is Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Friends of the Bahá’ís group – and a delegation of three Bahá’ís, including two members of the national governing council of the Bahá’í Faith in the United Kingdom.

It was the first ever meeting between a UK Prime Minister and representatives of the Bahá’í community, which was established in Britain in 1898.

The prisoners – five men and two women – were arrested in spring 2008. Prior to their arrest they were members of an informal committee looking after the affairs of Iran’s 300,000 strong Bahá’í community, the country’s largest non-Muslim religious minority. Charges against the seven have been reported in government-controlled mass media as “espionage for Israel”, “insulting religious sanctities” and “propaganda against the Islamic republic”. A further accusation of “spreading corruption on earth” has also been cited.

For more than a year, the seven have been detained in Tehran’s notorious Evin prison without charge or access to their legal counsel, the Nobel laureate Dr Shirin Ebadi. Expectations that a trial would take place earlier this week were not realised. Some 30 other Bahá’ís are currently in prison in Iran.

The Bahá’í delegation was led by Dr Kishan Manocha, Secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United Kingdom. Also present were the Honourable Barney Leith, Director of Diplomatic Relations for the UK Bahá’í community, and Mrs Bahar Tahzib. Mrs Tahzib – originally from Iran, but now living in Sussex – shared with the Prime Minister her first hand experience of religious persecution. Her father Yusuf Subhani was executed in Iran for being a Bahá’í in June 1980. Her uncle, Mr Jamaloddin Khanjani, is one the seven detained Bahá’í leaders in Iran.

“My uncle is 75 years old and he has been kept in unsuitable conditions for more than a year,” Mrs Tahzib told the Prime Minister. “This is clearly a cause of great concern for the family and their wish is for a fair trial.”

“I was very touched by the Prime Minister’s genuine expressions of sympathy and concern,” said Mrs Tahzib after the meeting.

“We expressed our gratitude to the Prime Minister for the government’s ongoing support of our persecuted co-religionists in Iran,” added Dr Manocha, “and we particularly thanked Mr Brown for his personal support and understanding. We raised with him the need for the seven Bahá’í leaders to be released immediately – and that if Iran refuses to do this, a public trial must be held that respects internationally recognized trial standards.”

“Recent events in Iran have clearly demonstrated to the world the methods utilized by the government – particularly the manipulation of the judiciary process, to arbitrarily impose its will on those it declares to be its enemies,” said Mr Öpik. “The examples of the case of Roxana Saberi, the protestors picked up on the streets, in their homes and hospital beds, and the arrests of foreign and domestic journalists, among others, illustrate a pattern of arbitrary arrest, coercion, false confessions, baseless charges, and summary judgments.”

“The persecution of the Bahá’ís in Iran is a matter of religious prejudice and has nothing to do with state security. The seven – along with the 30 other Bahá’ís currently in prison in Iran – are being held solely because of their religious beliefs. Their imprisonment and impending trial are part of a systematic effort to dismantle the Bahá’í leadership as part of a larger process to destroy the Bahá’í community in Iran,” said Dr Manocha.

The UK government is demanding “transparency”, “openness” and “international best practice” in any forthcoming trial of seven Bahá’í leaders being detained in Iran.

The call came from Foreign Office Minister Ivan Lewis MP, pictured, during a Westminster Hall debate held in London’s Houses of Parliament this morning.

According to information conveyed by the authorities at Evin Prison to family members of the seven Bahá’ís who have been imprisoned for more than a year, a trial is expected in the next few days. The seven were arrested in the spring of 2008 and have been held without any formal charges or access to their attorneys. Official Iranian news reports have said the Baha’is will be accused of “espionage for Israel”, “insulting religious sanctities” and “propaganda against the Islamic Republic.”

“It is probably appropriate that all we do at this stage is demand maximum transparency and openness in the way in which that trial is conducted,” said Mr Lewis. “The judicial process should be conducted along the lines of international best practice, and international observers should be allowed to witness every conceivable stage of those court proceedings.”

Nine Members of Parliament spoke in the adjournment debate, tabled by Liberal Democrat MP Lembit Opik, who chairs the All-Party Parliamentary Friends of the Bahá’ís group in Westminster.

“The Baha’is seek no special privileges,” said Mr Opik, “All they seek are conditions that accord with the International Bill of Human Rights, of which Iran is a signatory. The right to life, the right to profess and practise their religion, the right to liberty and security of person, and the right to education and work: those are not heady demands.”

“We ask our British Government to apply whatever pressure they can to encourage the Iranian authorities to release the seven… They have done nothing wrong and do not deserve the treatment that they have received; they deserve justice and release from their unjustified incarceration.”

“We ask for collective action by British Ministers and our European and international partners for a longer-term easing of the persecution that is being endured by the Baha’is and others, including Christians, in Iran,” said Mr Opik.

“We will be keeping a close eye on proceedings to ensure that the leaders of the Baha’i community are treated appropriately and properly,” responded the Foreign Office Minister.

Read the full text of the debate

Gordon Brown’s comments came during Prime Minister’s questions in the House of Commons, in response to the MP for Montgomeryshire, Lembit Opik.

“I have become deeply concerned about the seven Baha’i leaders in Iran facing trial by the revolutionary court on 11 July on serious but unsubstantiated charges, with no evidence being offered against them,” said Mr Opik, who is Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Friends of the Bahá’ís group.

Describing current circumstances in Iran as “very difficult issues”, Mr Brown expressed his “disappointment at the restrictions that (Mr Opik) has mentioned on the freedoms of the Iranian people, with people due to stand before a closed court on 11 July.”

According to information conveyed by the authorities at Evin to the family members of the seven Bahá’ís who have been imprisoned for more than a year, a trial date has been set for 11 July. The seven were arrested in the spring of 2008 and have been held without any formal charges or access to their attorneys. Official Iranian news reports have said the Baha’is will be accused of “espionage for Israel, insulting religious sanctities and propaganda against the Islamic Republic.”

“Some people in Iran are seeking to use Britain as an explanation for the legitimate Iranian voices calling for greater openness and democracy. However, we will continue, with our international partners, to raise our concerns with Iran, including on the issue that the honorable Gentleman raised,” Mr Brown said.

A declaration made on behalf of the 27 European Union Member States was also signed by ten other European countries.

“Evidence suggests that the persecution deliberately aims to suppress Bahá’í religious identity and legitimate community activities,” said the declaration. “Concerns relating to this case are further reinforced by numerous reports of official harassment of members of the Bahá’í community, including detentions, police summons and pressure to desist from community religious activities.”

The declaration also condemned the continuing persecution by the Iranian authorities of legitimate expressions of Christian belief, citing the cases of five Iranian nationals who continue to be detained without charges. It also expressed concern at the plight of Ayatollah Boroujerdi, who has been imprisoned for his religious activities along with several of his followers.

“Available evidence suggests that the aim of this persecution is to suppress the free choice and expression of religious belief,” says the declaration.

The European Union has urgently called upon the Iranian authorities to “uphold their international legal undertakings to safeguard religious freedom and to stop their persecution of legitimate religious activities. The European Union also reminds the Iranian authorities of their duty to safeguard the health of all persons in prison or under detention.”

Foreign Office Minister of State Bill Rammell MP renewed calls on behalf of the UK government for the seven to be guaranteed a fair trial.

“A year ago today, 14 May 2008, six Iranian Bahá’ís; Fariba Kamalabadi, Jamaloddin Khanjani, Afif Naeimi, Saeid Rezaie, Behrouz Tavakkoli and Vahid Tizfahm were arrested,” said Mr Rammell. “Mrs Mahvash Sabet had been arrested in March of that year. The five men and two women made up an informal national committee, serving the needs of Iran’s 300,000 strong Baha’i community.”

“Despite being formally charged in February with spying for Israel, “insulting religious sanctities” and “propaganda against the Islamic Republic” – charges which could attract the death penalty – they are still awaiting trial,” said Mr Rammell.

Mr Rammell stated how the European Union has, on a number of occasions, expressed its deep concern for the wellbeing of the seven detainees, who have been denied access to legal counsel.

“I would like to reiterate these very genuine concerns today, and renew calls for the Iranian government to ensure that the lives and rights of these individuals are protected and that they are given a fair trial in accordance with international standard,” he said.

“Despite their obvious innocence and the call by many for their immediate release, these seven men and women have been in legal limbo for a year now, against all international human rights standards,” said Bani Dugal, the principal representative of the Bahá’í International Community to the United Nations. 

“Moreover, their families have recently been told of a possible new charge – “the spreading of corruption on earth” – which goes by the term ‘Mofsede fel-Arz’ in Persian – and carries the threat of death under the penal code of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” said Ms. Dugal.

The international protest expressed by governments and civil society about the detention has been widespread. Last month, the Prime Minister Gordon Brown told the UK Bahá’í community, “We have raised our concerns with the Iranian Government as I urge the authorities to ensure that these individuals receive a fair trial and ask them to put an end to discrimination against the wider Bahá’í community within Iran.” The Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Wiliams has also expressed his “solidarity with the Bahá’í leadership imprisoned in Iran”.

“Now a new wrongful accusation reportedly has been added some three months after the investigation was supposed to have concluded,” said Ms Dugal. “The charge of being spreaders of corruption was used against the Bahá’ís who were executed in the years immediately following the Islamic revolution. That it may now be resorted to in this case is a further demonstration that the authorities have no basis for any allegation against these seven individuals, other than blatant religious persecution.” 

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has frequently emphasized the importance of “justice and human dignity” and “the establishment of a just world system,” such as when he addressed the UN Durban Review Conference in Geneva last month.

“How can the calls of the Iranian leadership for justice in the international sphere be taken seriously if they do not grant justice to their own citizens?” said Ms Dugal, “In Iran, by all accounts universally agreed upon human rights are routinely ignored, not only for Bahá’ís but also for women, journalists, and others who only seek dignity and justice.”

The seven detained Bahá’ís are Mrs. Fariba Kamalabadi, Mr. Jamaloddin Khanjani, Mr. Afif Naeimi, Mr. Saeid Rezaie, Mrs. Mahvash Sabet, Mr. Behrouz Tavakkoli, and Mr. Vahid Tizfahm. All but one of the group were arrested on 14 May 2008 at their homes in Tehran. Mrs. Sabet was arrested on 5 March 2008 while in Mashhad.

Read the full story at Bahá’í World News Service

Special features in the latest edition includes news of the UNESCO recognition of Baha’i holy places in Israel as World Heritage sites, a report of the 10th international Bahá’í convention, the latest developments concerning the persecution of the Bahá’ís in Iran and news of awards and honours received by British Bahá’ís for their services to society in the last year.

Copies of the UK Bahá’í Review can be requested from opi@bahai.org.uk, or by post from the Office of Public Information, 27 Rutland Gate, London SW7 1PD. Copies cost £1.50 each (including postage). Cheques should be made payable to the “NSA of the Baha’is”, indicating that the payment is for the UK Bahá’í Review.