In conclusions issued Friday, the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) questioned why Iranian minorities – such as Arabs, Azeris, Balochis, Kurds and Baha’is – are so poorly represented in Iran’s public life.

The Baha’i International Community has welcomed the panel’s findings that categorize Iran’s persecution of Baha’is as a matter of discrimination based on race, ethnicity or religion.

“This finding is important because it represents the opinion of a body of international experts on discrimination – including many from countries that are friendly to Iran,” said Diane Ala’i, the representative of the Baha’i International Committee to the United Nations in Geneva.

“As such, their criticism of Iran, even if couched in somewhat mild diplomatic language, represents further evidence that the world community will not turn a blind eye to Iran’s ongoing persecution of Baha’is, which are that country’s largest non-Muslim religious minority nor, for that matter, to the violation of the human rights of any of that nation’s citizens,” said Ms. Ala’i.

Committee’s concern

In its conclusions about Baha’is and other minority groups, CERD urged Iran to “carry out a study of members of all such communities that would enable the State party to identify their particular needs and draw up effective plans of action, programmes and public policies to combat racial discrimination and disadvantage relating to all areas of the public life of these communities.”

The recommendation followed a series of exchanges on 4-5 August with an Iranian delegation that came before the Committee to defend their human rights record.

Committee members appeared quite skeptical about Iran’s efforts to meet the mandates of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, which the Committee monitors, including a number of members from countries that have generally friendly relations with Iran, such as Brazil, India, and Turkey.

To read the full article online and view images, go to:
http://news.bahai.org/story/791

For the Baha’i World News Service home page, go to:
http://news.bahai.org/

As lawyers for the prisoners prepare to appeal against the 20-year jail terms, the government of New Zealand has voiced its concern that the trial “was conducted in a manner that was neither fair nor transparent.”

“New Zealand is dismayed that Iran has failed to uphold its international human rights commitments, and its own due legal processes in this case,” said Foreign Minister Murray McCully.

“The sentences appear to be based wholly on the fact that these people are members of a minority religious group,” said Mr. McCully, in a statement issued on 20 August.

“New Zealand calls on the Government of Iran to protect the fundamental rights of all its citizens, and to end its ongoing and systematic persecution of the Baha’i,” he said.

The governments of Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, United Kingdom and United States of America – as well as the European Union and the President of the European Parliament – have already condemned the sentencing of the seven.

In the wake of calls from numerous international organizations for the prisoners to be released, groups focused specifically on human rights abuses in Iran –  such as the Human Rights Activists News Agency and United4Iran – as well as Amnesty International, have now launched letter-writing campaigns encouraging supporters to call for justice for the seven. Prominent individuals, including British barrister Cherie Blair, have also been raising their voices in support of the Baha’i leaders.

Minority Rights Group International (MRG) – which campaigns on behalf of disadvantaged minorities and indigenous peoples – has expressed it deep concern over the lengthy sentences.

“Given that independent observers were not allowed to attend the trial, and the history of persecution that the Baha’i community has faced in Iran, the outcome will do nothing to encourage faith in the Iranian justice system,” said Carl Soderbergh, MRG’s Director of Policy and Communications.

“MRG calls on Iran to quash the convictions and release the defendants immediately,” Mr. Soderbergh added.

To read the full article online and view images and links, go to:
http://news.bahai.org/story/790

For the Baha’i World News Service home page, go to:
http://news.bahai.org/

Nobel laureate Shirin Ebadi, whose Defenders of Human Rights Center represented the Baha’i defendants, said she was “stunned” by the reported 20-year jail terms.

“I have read their case file page by page and did not find anything proving the accusations, nor did I find any document that could prove the claims of the prosecutor,” said Mrs. Ebadi in a television interview, broadcast on 8 August by the Persian-language service of the BBC.

The flagrantly unjust sentence has provoked vehement protest from governments throughout the world – including Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, the U.K. and the U.S.A. The European Union and the President of the European Parliament have also joined the chorus of condemnation, along with numerous human rights organizations – including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and FIDH – as well as other groups, and countless individuals. Read international reaction here.

“The trumped-up charges, and the total lack of any credible evidence against these seven prisoners, reflects the false accusations and misinformation that Iran’s regime has used to vilify and defame a peaceful, religious community for an entire generation,” said Bani Dugal, the principal representative of the Baha’i International Community to the United Nations.

Ms. Dugal noted that the seven have reportedly been transferred to Gohardasht Prison in Karaj, a facility about 20 kilometers west of Tehran. “The reason for the move is not yet known and it is too early to assess the implications for the prisoners,” she said. “It does, however, clearly impose an added burden to their families, who now have to travel outside Tehran to visit their loved ones.”

The seven – Fariba Kamalabadi, Jamaloddin Khanjani, Afif Naeimi, Saeid Rezaie, Mahvash Sabet, Behrouz Tavakkoli, and Vahid Tizfahm – were all members of a national-level group that, with the government’s knowledge, helped see to the minimum spiritual needs of Iran’s Baha’i community.

“That these manifestly innocent people should each be jailed for 20 years after a sham trial is utterly reprehensible,” said Ms. Dugal. “We ask the Iranian government: Does such a callous disregard for justice contribute to the advancement of Iranian society? Or does it, rather, further diminish your credibility among your own people and among the nations of the world?”

Ms. Dugal said the Baha’i International Community condemns the widespread injustice perpetrated by the Iranian authorities against others throughout Iran, whether religious minorities, journalists, academics, civil society activists, women’s rights defenders, or others.

To read the full article online and view images and links, go to:
http://news.bahai.org/story/789

For the Baha’i World News Service home page, go to:
http://news.bahai.org/

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton described the act as a “violation of Iran’s obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.”

In a statement dated 12 August, Secretary Clinton said that the United States is “deeply concerned with the Iranian government’s continued persecution of Baha’is and other religious minority communities in Iran.”

“Freedom of religion is the birthright of people of all faiths and beliefs in all places,” she said.

“The United States is committed to defending religious freedom around the world, and we have not forgotten the Baha’i community in Iran.”

“We will continue to speak out against injustice and call on the Iranian government to respect the fundamental rights of all its citizens in accordance with its international obligations,” said Secretary Clinton.

The statement from the United States came as reports reached the Baha’i International Community that the seven Baha’i leaders have been transferred from Tehran’s Evin Prison, where they had been incarcerated for more than two years.

They have been taken to Gohardasht Prison – also known as Rajaishahr Prison – in Karaj, some 20 kilometers west of the Iranian capital.

Other support

Support for the prisoners has also been expressed by the European Union, in a statement made by Baroness Catherine Ashton, the E.U.’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.

“The European Union expresses its serious concern about the sentencing of seven Baha’i leaders in Iran to 20 years imprisonment and calls for their immediate release,” the declaration said.

“The verdict appears to be based on the defendants belonging to a religious minority and the judicial process was seriously flawed, respecting neither Iran’s international commitments under the International Covenant for Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) nor its national legislation regarding fair trial rights.”

“The EU recalls that freedom of thought, conscience and religion are fundamental rights which must be guaranteed under all circumstances according to article 18 of the ICCPR which the Islamic Republic of Iran has signed up to and ratified.”

“The EU calls on Iran to put an end to the persecution of the Baha’i community,” said Baroness Ashton.

In the United Kingdom, Foreign Secretary William Hague said he was “appalled” to hear of the prison sentences, describing them as a “shocking example of the Iranian state’s continued discrimination against the Baha’is.”

“It is completely unacceptable,” said Mr. Hague in a statement released on Wednesday.

“The Iranian judiciary has repeatedly failed to allay international and domestic concerns that these seven men and women are guilty of anything other than practicing their faith. It is clear that from arrest to sentencing, the Iranian authorities did not follow even their own due process, let alone the international standards to which Iran is committed. The accused were denied proper access to lawyers, and there is evidence that the trial was neither fair nor transparent.”

“I call on the Iranian authorities urgently to consider any appeal against this decision, and to cease the harassment of the Baha’i community. I further call on the Iranian Government to ensure that the rights of all individuals are fully protected, without discrimination, and that it fulfils its obligations to its own citizens as set out in the Iranian constitution,” said Mr. Hague.

The Netherlands’ Minister of Foreign Affairs, Maxime Verhagen, expressed his country’s concern at “the poor execution of the judicial process in the case of the seven Baha’i leaders” and its fears that the arrest and sentence is “based solely on discrimination of religious belief.”

“That these people seem to be condemned because of their faith is shocking,” said Mr. Verhagen.

“I urge the Iranian authorities to abide by their international human rights obligations. The Baha’i leaders have a right to a fair trial and they must be released as soon as possible.”

Australia, Canada, France, Germany and the President of the European Parliament earlier expressed strong statements of concern at news that Iran’s seven Baha’i leaders have each received prison sentences of 20 years, as reported by the Baha’i World News Service on 11 August.

To read the full article online and view images and links, go to:
http://news.bahai.org/story/788

For the Baha’i World News Service home page, go to:
http://news.bahai.org/

Australia, Canada, France, Germany – and the President of the European Parliament – have all expressed strong statements of concern.

They are calling for the prisoners to be released on bail, for an annulment of the judgment, and for Iran to demonstrate that the trial was fair and in accordance with international standards.

Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Lawrence Cannon, said that his country was “deeply disturbed” by the sentences that were “passed without either written judgments or due process.” He urged Iran to grant bail to the prisoners.

Germany described the outcome of the trial as a “massive setback for all those who engage themselves for the promotion of human dignity and human rights in Iran.”

Markus Loning, commissioner for human rights and humanitarian aid at Germany’s Foreign Office, said Iran must annul the judgment and “provide a fair and transparent court procedure.”

“There are major doubts as to the compliance with the basic legal rights during the judicial proceedings,” he said.

France expressed its “consternation” at the 20-year jail term.

At a press briefing, Christine Fages, a French Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, stated that Iranian authorities should stop persecuting Baha’is and other religious minorities and “respect the freedom of religion and conscience as defined by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Iran has freely signed up.”

Australia has also shared its deep concern at the sentences. “We continue to call on Iran to ensure that all trials are fair and transparent and are conducted in accordance with Iran’s international obligations,” said a spokesman for the Australian government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

In a statement issued today, the President of the European Parliament – Jerzy Buzek – called the sentences “a shocking signal and an immense disappointment for all who have hoped for an improvement of the human rights situation in Iran.”

“Iran has committed itself to international standards and I underline that this includes also the respect and protection of religious freedom,” he said.

International human rights organizations have additionally joined the chorus of protest against the reported prison sentences.

To read the full article online and view pictures, go to:
http://news.bahai.org/story/787

For the Baha’i World News Service home page, go to:
http://news.bahai.org/

The two women and five men have been held in Tehran’s notorious Evin prison since they were arrested in 2008 – six of them on 14 May and one of them two months earlier.

“If this news proves to be accurate, it represents a deeply shocking outcome to the case of these innocent and harmless people,” said Bani Dugal, the principal representative of the Baha’i International Community to the United Nations.

“We understand that they have been informed of this sentence and that their lawyers are in the process of launching an appeal,” said Ms. Dugal.

The prisoners – Fariba Kamalabadi, Jamaloddin Khanjani, Afif Naeimi, Saeid Rezaie, Mahvash Sabet, Behrouz Tavakkoli, and Vahid Tizfahm – were all members of a national-level group that helped see to the minimum needs of Iran’s 300,000-strong Baha’i community, the country’s largest non-Muslim religious minority.

The trial of the seven consisted of six brief court appearances which began on 12 January this year after they had been incarcerated without charge for 20 months, during which time they were allowed barely one hour’s access to their legal counsel. The trial ended on 14 June.

The defendants were accused of espionage, propaganda activities against the Islamic order, and the establishment of an illegal administration, among other allegations. All the charges are completely and categorically denied.

To read this article online and view the photograph, go to:
http://news.bahai.org/story/786

For the Baha’i World News Service home page, go to:
http://news.bahai.org/

The trial of the seven concluded on 14 June. No verdict has yet been given.

“These innocent Baha’is have now been held for more than two years under a series of successive orders for their ‘temporary’ detention, which by law must not exceed two months,” said Diane Ala’i, representative of the Baha’i International Community to the United Nations in Geneva.

On 24 July, two days after the most recent two-month prison term concluded, the defense attorneys for the seven once again issued a formal request that the prisoners be released on bail, as permitted under Iranian law.

Since then, the judge presiding over the case has told the prisoners that their detention had once again been extended for two months.

The attorneys have now submitted a written objection to the extension, said Ms. Alai.

“There is no legal basis whatsoever to refuse the request that the defendants be released on bail,” she said.

The seven prisoners are Fariba Kamalabadi, Jamaloddin Khanjani, Afif Naeimi, Saeid Rezaie, Mahvash Sabet, Behrouz Tavakkoli, and Vahid Tizfahm. They categorically deny charges of espionage, propaganda activities against the Islamic order, and “corruption on earth,” among other allegations.

To read the full article online and view a photograph, go to:
http://news.bahai.org/story/784

For the Baha’i World News Service home page, go to:
http://news.bahai.org/

Passing through the city of Haifa, he was deeply impressed by the buildings and gardens of the Baha’i World Centre, situated on the slopes of Mount Carmel.

“I was amazed,” said Mr. Cerrato. “I immediately thought I had to discover what lay behind that beauty.”

Returning to Spain, the author – who is Roman Catholic and has written extensively about religion – started looking into the history and teachings of the Baha’i Faith and was fascinated by what he found out.

“I discovered that the long-awaited bridge between East and West – which many politicians and intellectuals have tried to create with the Alliance of Civilizations and such – already exists,” he said.

“Without losing any of the principles of previous religions, the Baha’i social teachings have it all – the need for supranational bodies, the equality between men and women, universal education… I believe in these principles and they attract me – so I have no problem in broadcasting them.”

During his research, Mr. Cerrato also became impressed by “the great faith and steadfastness” that the Baha’i community of Iran shows in the face of opposition.

He decided to write a book charting the story of the Baha’i Faith, with an emphasis on the severe oppression its members have experienced at the instigation of the authorities in Iran – the land of the Faith’s birth – since its inception in the middle of the 19th century.

The book, titled “Desde el corazon de Iran – Los baha’is: La esperanza oprimida” (“From the Heart of Iran – The Baha’is: Oppressed Hope”), has recently been published by Erasmus Ediciones. It is one of the first major works written in Spanish about the genesis and  persecution of the Baha’i community in Iran.

To read the full article and view photographs online, go to:
http://news.bahai.org/story/783

For the Baha’i World News Service home page, go to:
http://news.bahai.org/

The action occurred in Ivel, Mazandaran, when inhabitants – incited by elements inimical to the Baha’i community – blocked normal access to the village, while allowing trucks and at least four front-end loaders to begin leveling the houses.

Amateur video, shot on mobile telephones and posted by Iranian human rights activists on the Internet, showed what appeared to be several buildings reduced to rubble as well as fiercely burning fires.

The demolitions are the latest development in an ongoing, officially-sanctioned program in the area which has targeted every activity of the Baha’is.

“They’re being forbidden to associate with Muslims, or even offer service to their friends and neighbours,” said Diane Ala’i, representative of the Baha’i International Community to the United Nations in Geneva.

“Even the smallest acts of good will – such as taking flowers to someone who’s sick in hospital or donating gifts to an orphanage – these are being seen as actions against the regime.”

To read the full article online and view the photographs, go to:
http://news.bahai.org/story/780

For the Baha’i World News Service home page, go to:
http://news.bahai.org/

The challenge was made in a statement drafted by representatives of the world’s religions, who gathered at the University of Winnipeg in advance of this week’s G8 and G20 summits in Toronto.

“Acknowledging our common humanity and embracing the imperative to treat all persons with dignity, we affirm that no one person is more or less valuable than another,” said the statement.

“We urge the political leaders to consider first the vulnerable among us, particularly our children, and to work together to address the dehumanizing scourge of poverty and injustice, and practice and promote care for our common environment, the Earth,” the statement said.

The World Religions Summit 2010 was the sixth in a series of interfaith gatherings associated with the annual G8 meetings. It brought together more than 80 participants from all of the world’s major faiths including, for the first time, representatives of the Baha’i community.

Religious leaders from more than 20 countries attended, including each of the G8 nations – Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

To read the full article online and view the photographs, go to:
http://news.bahai.org/story/779

For the Baha’i World News Service home page, go to:
http://news.bahai.org/

The seven appeared in Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran on the morning of Saturday, 12 June and returned to Evin Prison shortly after noon.

The Court was reconvened the next day, as well as this morning.

“We can confirm that a court session was held today in Tehran,” said Bani Dugal, the principal representative of the Baha’i International Community to the United Nations, “and it seems from what we have heard that the trial itself has now concluded. But we have no further information at this time.”

The defendants are Fariba Kamalabadi, Jamaloddin Khanjani, Afif Naeimi, Saeid Rezaie, Mahvash Sabet, Behrouz Tavakkoli, and Vahid Tizfahm.

Before their imprisonment, they attended to the spiritual and social needs of Iran’s Baha’i community, which numbers more than 300,000. They have been held in Evin prison since they were arrested in 2008 – six of them on 14 May and one of them two months earlier.

Their trial began on 12 January this year after they had been incarcerated without charge in Evin prison for 20 months. At the first hearing, the seven categorically denied charges of espionage, propaganda activities against the Islamic order, and “corruption on earth,” among other allegations.

A second appearance on 7 February was concerned mainly with procedural issues. The third session on 12 April, which was purportedly a closed hearing, was adjourned after the seven – with the agreement of their attorneys – refused to be party to the proceedings because of the presence of nonjudicial personnel.

To view this article and a photograph, go to:
http://news.bahai.org/story/778

For the Baha’i World News Service home page, go to:
http://news.bahai.org/

The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Delhi has addressed Iran’s Supreme Leader calling for the release of the seven, “or at the very least for them to be released on bail and await a fair and open trial in accordance with the international standards of jurisprudence.”

“In the court sessions held so far, no evidence of wrongdoing has been presented, as their lawyers have confirmed,” Archbishop Vincent M. Concessao wrote in a letter to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, dated 5 June 2010.

Yesterday, the social activist and spiritual leader, Swami Agnivesh, led a peaceful procession through the streets of New Delhi to Hyderabad House, a government-owned venue used for major events and press conferences.

Campaigners – many of them wearing masks – carried banners and placards depicting the seven Baha’i leaders, as well as images of other prisoners currently being held.

Swami Agnivesh told the gathering that humanity demands love and respect for all and should allow people of different belief systems and ideologies to co-exist in peace and solidarity, reported The Hindu newspaper.

Global initiative

The march in New Delhi was a prelude to tomorrow’s global day of action, which demands an end to human rights abuses in Iran, and marks the one-year anniversary of last year’s contested presidential election.

The initiative – coordinated by United4Iran – is being cosponsored by numerous organizations including Amnesty International and the Baha’i International Community.

Prominent nongovernmental organizations are joining with a wide range of local, student and Internet-based groups to host simultaneous events in cities and on campuses around the globe. The campaign website can be visited here.

In the United Kingdom, a mobile billboard depicting the seven Baha’i leaders has been launched in London in order to bring attention to their plight.

Meanwhile, in the United States, Representative Frank R. Wolf, yesterday submitted a statement to the Congressional Record calling for renewed support for the seven.

“The world cannot turn a blind eye to this regime’s brutal repression of its own people,” said Mr Wolf.

“We must continue to advocate for due process and a fair trial for these seven Baha’i leaders and for basic rights for the community as a whole which according to the recently released report of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, “has long been subject to particularly severe religious violations in Iran.”" he said.

UN Human Rights Council

Concerns have also been expressed this week in a debate at the 14th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva. The situation of Iran’s persecuted Baha’i community was raised on Tuesday, 8 June, on behalf of the European Union by Spain. It was also mentioned in contributions made by Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States of America.

“We fear that the already poor human rights situation in Iran will continue to deteriorate if the international community does not continue to call the Iranian government to account for its actions,” said the Canadian representative.

In addition to endorsing the statement of Spain, seven member states of the European Union specifically mentioned their own concerns about the persecution of Baha’is.

Austria reported how it “remains gravely concerned about the discrimination and harassment of religious minorities, in particular members of the Baha’i and the trial against seven of their leaders, which we follow very closely.”

The trial of the seven Baha’i leaders began on 12 January after they had been incarcerated without charge in Tehran’s Evin prison for 20 months. At the first hearing, held in Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran, the Baha’is categorically denied charges of espionage, propaganda activities against the Islamic order, and “corruption on earth,” among other allegations.

The seven defendants are Fariba Kamalabadi, Jamaloddin Khanjani, Afif Naeimi, Saeid Rezaie, Mahvash Sabet, Behrouz Tavakkoli, and Vahid Tizfahm. Before their imprisonment, they attended to the spiritual and social needs of Iran’s Baha’i community, which numbers more than 300,000.

There are currently some 41 Baha’is in detention in various cities in Iran.

To read a longer version of the article and view the photographs, go to:
http://news.bahai.org/story/776

For the Baha’i World News Service home page, go to:
http://news.bahai.org/

The date coincides with the first anniversary of last year’s contested presidential election in Iran, as well as a global day of action aimed at calling attention to human rights abuses in the country.

The trial of the seven began on January 12 after they had been incarcerated without charge in Tehran’s Evin prison for 20 months.

At the first hearing, held in Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran, the Baha’is categorically denied charges of espionage, propaganda activities against the Islamic order, and “corruption on earth,” among other allegations.

A second appearance on February 7 was concerned mainly with procedural issues.

The third session on April 12, which was purportedly a closed hearing, was adjourned after the seven – with the agreement of their attorneys – refused to be party to the proceedings because of the presence of non-judicial personnel.

“To have spectators, including a film crew, in a supposedly closed hearing while denying entry to the defendants’ families was unacceptable,” said Diane Ala’i, Baha’i representative to the United Nations in Geneva. “There would be no objection if the trial were to be open and conducted in accordance with international standards.”

“In the court sessions held so far, no evidence of wrongdoing has been presented. As their lawyers have confirmed, they are completely innocent and are solely being persecuted for their religious belief,” said Ms. Ala’i.

“The Iranian government should know that its actions against these innocent citizens are under scrutiny throughout the world,” she said.

“Once again we call for their immediate release. Failing that, the seven should – at the very least – be released on bail pending a fair trial.”

The seven defendants are Fariba Kamalabadi, Jamaloddin Khanjani, Afif Naeimi, Saeid Rezaie, Mahvash Sabet, Behrouz Tavakkoli, and Vahid Tizfahm. Before their imprisonment, they attended to the spiritual and social needs of Iran’s Baha’i community, which numbers more than 300,000. Mrs. Sabet was arrested on March 5, 2008 and the others on May 14, 2008.

There are currently some 38 Baha’is in detention in various cities in Iran.

To read the article online, go to:
http://news.bahai.org/story/775

For the Baha’i World News Service home page, go to:
http://news.bahai.org

The initiative – coordinated by human rights group United4Iran – is being co-sponsored by numerous organizations including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the Nobel Women’s Initiative, the Baha’i International Community, the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies, FIDH (Federation Internationale des ligues des Droits de l’Homme), and Pen International.

“In our support for this nonpartisan initiative, we are standing together with ordinary citizens throughout the world to draw attention to the continuing and widespread abuse of human rights in Iran,” said Diane Ala’i, representative of the Baha’i International Community to the United Nations in Geneva.

The prominent nongovernmental organizations are joining with a wide range of local, student and Internet-based groups to host simultaneous events in cities and on campuses across the globe. Online initiatives include sending messages to specific recipients in support of individual prisoners of conscience.

Earlier this month, United4Iran marked the second anniversary – on 14 May – of the jailing of seven Baha’i leaders in Tehran’s Evin prison, calling for individuals to show support by replicating the size of the small jail cells and taking a photograph.

“The response was overwhelming,” reported the United4Iran website. “Notes, emails, video, old photographs of the leaders, former students, (and) community representatives from all the world participated.”

As a gesture of solidarity, supporters were asked to mark off the size of the cells shared by the Baha’i prisoners then occupy the space, so as to better appreciate their suffering.

The cells of the Baha’is in Evin prison do not have beds, forcing the prisoners to sleep on the concrete floor.

A video was posted online to show some of the photos the organization received.

United4Iran also published an old photograph of one of the jailed Baha’is, Fariba Kamalabadi, with one of her former students. The student sent the picture to United4Iran along with words from a letter she wrote to her teacher : “Now that you are in prison … for making the world a better place, … it brings tears to my eyes. And all I can do is pray. The things you taught me I will always know.”

“We are grateful for this outpouring of sympathy being offered to the people of Iran who are subject to oppression,” said Ms. Ala’i.

Several other organizations have recently launched campaigns in support of Iran’s oppressed Baha’i community.

The latest newsletter of the French branch of the organization Christians for the Abolition of Torture (ACAT-France) includes a call for action in support of the seven imprisoned Baha’i leaders, as well as 12 other Baha’is who have been recently detained.

On 14 March, Amnesty International requested messages of goodwill be sent to prisoners of conscience in Iran in order to mark the traditional Persian new year holiday.

The detained leaders of Iran’s Baha’i community were included among seven cases selected by Amnesty International.

To date, almost 600 messages have been received for the Baha’i prisoners – both individually and collectively – from as far afield as Japan, New Zealand, the Netherlands, and the United States.

The seven Baha’i leaders jailed in Tehran for the past two years are among about 36 Baha’i currently imprisoned in Iran because of their religion.

To read the full article and see the photographs, go to:
http://news.bahai.org/story/773

Link to Global Day of Action Website:

http://12june.org/

For information on this holy day, see http://www.bahai.us/declaration-of-the-bab.

Baha’i House of Worship Virtual Tour

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Baha'i House of Worship

The Louisville Spiritual Assembly will host a gathering for prayers on Friday evening, May 14, at the Baha’i Center. We will gather at 7:00 and begin at 7:30. If you are unable to attend, please honor these souls with your prayers wherever you are.

As seven Baha’i leaders in Iran enter their third year of imprisonment, new details about the harsh conditions of their incarceration have emerged, renewing calls for their immediate release.

The prisoners are Mrs. Fariba Kamalabadi, Mr. Jamaloddin Khanjani, Mr. Afif Naeimi, Mr. Saeid Rezaie, Mrs. Mahvash Sabet, Mr. Behrouz Tavakkoli, and Mr. Vahid Tizfahm.

“These innocent Baha’is have now been locked up for two full years in Tehran’s notorious Evin prison, under conditions which clearly violate international standards,” said Bani Dugal, the principal representative of the Baha’i International Community to the United Nations. “We call on the Iranian authorities to release them now, and ask the international community to join us in this plea. The dictates of justice demand no less.”

The prisoners, former members of an informal group known as the Yaran, or “Friends,” used to attend to the spiritual and social needs of the several hundred thousand Baha’is of Iran. They have been held in Evin prison since they were arrested in 2008 – six of them on 14 May and one of them two months earlier.

To read the full article about the international call for action, refer to the article from the Baha’i World News Service.

A more profound look at human nature would reveal the ability to respond to a higher calling, suggests the document – issued this week for the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development as it began its annual two-week session.

“The culture of consumerism … has tended to reduce human beings to competitive, insatiable consumers of goods and to objects of manipulation by the market,” it says.

In fact, “the human experience is essentially spiritual in nature: it is rooted in the inner reality – or what some call the ’soul’ – that we all share in common,” it states.

The document, titled “Rethinking Prosperity: Forging Alternatives to a Culture of Consumerism,” challenges the view that there is an intractable conflict between what people want – which supposedly is to consume more – and what humanity needs.

Read the full article from the Baha’i World News Service.

The statement can be read at http://bic.org/statements-and-reports/bic-statements/10-0503.htm.

The Twelfth Day of Ridvan will be celebrated with a picnic at the Louisville Baha’i Center on Sunday, May 2nd. The picnic will begin at 12:30 pm following Sunday morning Devotions and Children’s Classes at the Center.

The word “Ridvan” means “Paradise”. For twelve days, April 21 to May 2, Bahá’ís celebrate the period in 1863 when Bahá’u'lláh, the Prophet-Founder of the Bahá’í Faith resided in a garden in Baghdad which He called “the Garden of Ridvan.” During this period Bahá’u'lláh proclaimed his mission as God’s messenger for this age.