As we in Ireland begin to be released from lockdown, the Iranian authorities are locking up dozens of Bahá’ís.  More than 70 Irish people including politicians, medical professionals and society wide experts, have added their names to a statement calling on the Iranian government to stop the arrests and imprisonments of their Bahá’í citizens. 

“The Iranian government must end the state-sponsored dehumanisation and persecution of their Bahá’í citizens.  We call on them to end their current campaign of arbitrary arrests and imprisonments and allow Bahá’ís their basic human rights.” 

John Paul Phelan TD

Cian O'Callaghan TD

Joan Collins TD

Senator David Norris 

Thomas Pringle TD

Thomas Byrne TD

Noel Grealish TD

Joe O'Brien TD

Mick Barry TD

Louise O’Reilly TD

Sorca Clarke TD

PaulineTully TD

Malcolm Noonan TD

Senator Pauline O'Reilly

Pa Daly TD

Cathal Crowe TD

Seán Haughey TD

Senator Sharon Keogan

Neasa Hourigan TD

Catherine Connolly TD

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill TD

Cllr. Lettie Mc Carthy

Cllr. Kazi Ahmed

Cllr. Tom Murphy

Cllr. Jim Gildea

Cllr. Séafra Ó Faoláin

Cllr. Lourda Scott GP

Cllr. Jim O'Leary

Cllr. Paddy Holohan

Cllr. Donna McGettigan

Cllr. Joe Costello

Cllr. Clare O’Byrne

Cllr. Eoin Ó Broin

Cllr. Peter Kavanagh

Cllr. Kieran O Hanlon

Cllr. Elena Secas

Cllr. Tom Fortune

Cllr. Alan Edge

Cllr. Mags Crean

Cllr Denis O Callaghan

Cllr. Joe Lyons

Professor Afshin Samali BSc, PhD, MRIA

Professor Adrienne Gorman BA Mod, PhD

Dr. George Rahmani M.B., B.Ch, B.A.O., M.Ch, MSc.

Dr. Daniel Cunningham BA, B.Dent. Sc

Gita Nezamabad RGN

Dr. Sarah Sabour-Chadwick F.A.O.I., Ph.D

Dr. Cillian McNamara M.B., B.Ch., B.A.O., MSc.

Dr. Negin Reyhani M.D., M.I.C.G.P.

Dr. Neysan Chah BA, B.Dent.Sc

Sahar Rahmani MSc., T.M.C., BSc (Hons)., Lic. Ac

Dr. Denis Linehan,UCC

Dr. Katharina Swirak, UCC

Professor Kieran Sheahan UCD, School of Medicine

Dr. Brendan McNamara, Study of Religions Dept., UCC

Assoc. Prof. Iarfhlaith Watson, MSocSc, PhD, UCD School of Sociology

Caroline Smith M.I.A.H.I.P.

Dr. Lua Saba Rahmani Dip MB BCh BAO MCAI

Dr. Vivien Hick, PhD

Professor Seosamh Watson MA, MLitt, PhD, DLitt

Dr. Lawrence Staudt B.Sc., M.Eng, C.Eng

Ann O'Sullivan M.I.A.H.I.P.

Ann Carri M.Sc Couns Psych

Grainne McMurrow (SC, Rep. Council of Europe Venice Commission)

Ann O’Neill, (ECP) MICP MEAP MIAHIP SIAHIP

Dr. Mansi Mkarimi MD 

Dr. Hooman Reyhani, Ph.D., M.Eng., B.Eng

Dr. Thomas Kennedy 

Dr. Ruth Moloney 

Dr. Ehsan Chah B.E., PhD

Dr. Ian McCabe Clinical Director JIFACA

Dr Seán Conroy

The Iranian government has been trying to destroy the Bahá’í community for more than 40 years.  In 1991, a UN official discovered a secret memorandum signed by Iran’s Supreme Leader, calling for the “progress and development” of the Bahá’í community to be blocked.  This memorandum is still in force.  As well as suffering severe discrimination, Bahá’í are also commonly arrested and imprisoned on trumped-up charges. At any given time there are 50-100 Bahá’ís in prison in Iran - simply because they are Bahá’ís.

Heiner Bielefeldt, former UN Rapporteur, described the persecution of the Bahá’ís in Iran as, “…one of the most obvious cases of state persecution.” Now, in the face of an escalating health pandemic, the Iranian authorities have ramped up their persecution of Bahá’ís, targeting at least 77 people across the country.

Among the Bahá’ís recently sentenced to prison is an elderly man who will clearly be at great risk if he contracts COVID-19 while in prison.  The authorities have also arrested and charged a couple who have been caring for their daughter who has cancer.  These parents are deeply concerned for their daughter’s care should they be sent to prison. 

In addition to the arrests and imprisonments, the government has also ramped up its practice of vilifying and dehumanising Bahá’ís in the media. Slanders and falsehoods about Bahá’ís are being disseminated in state-controlled and state-sanctioned media.  Bahá’ís have become an all-purpose scapegoat, so much so that the Iranian government can smear its opponents by accusing them of being Bahá’ís, as if that were the most heinous crime. 

Why the Iranian authorities have escalated the persecution of their Bahá’í citizens is unknown.  It may be that they hope they can invisibly mistreat Bahá’ís while the world’s attention is on the global health crisis.  We want to sincerely thank all the people who are helping us to shine a light on these arbitrary arrests and imprisonments protect innocent Bahá’ís in Iran.  

Comhrá

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