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Cultural Cleansing of Baha’is in Iran |
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Introduction Baha'i Faith is the youngest of the world's independent religions. It was originated in 1844 in Iran. It has become the second most wide-spread religion throughout the world after Christianity and has established itself in every country on the planet. It was founded by Baha'u'llah (1817-1892). Baha’is revere Him as the Divine Messenger of God for today. The central theme of Baha'u'llah's message is that humanity is one single race and that the day has come for its unification in one global society. The latest available official Baha'i statistics (2007) state that there are between 5 and 6 million Baha'is in the world; that Baha'is live in over 127,000 localities; that there are over 11,000 places where there are organized Baha'i communities with elected local councils and 182 national elected bodies. The 300,000-member Baha'i community forms the largest religious minority in Iran. Because the Baha'i Faith is not recognized, Baha'is in Iran are considered "unprotected infidels" whose civil and human rights may be violated with impunity. They have been oppressed solely because of religious intolerance. Islamic leaders in Iran and elsewhere have long viewed the Bahá'í Faith as a threat to Islam and have branded the Baha'is as heretics. The progressive stands of the Faith on women's rights, independent investigation of truth, and education have particularly infuriated Muslim clerics. This website is focusing on the persecution of Baha'is in Iran after 1979, and the recent surge of coordinated efforts to eradicate the Baha'i community as a viable group within the Iranian society. |