[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 12]
[Senate]
[Page 17251]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       PERSECUTION OF THE BAHA'IS

  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I want to take a moment to call the 
Senate's attention to members of the Baha'i faith who have and continue 
to suffer severe persecution by the Iranian Government.
  Senators should be aware that seven prominent Iranian Baha'i leaders 
are currently in prison, facing sentences of up to 10 years, charged 
with espionage, establishing an illegal administration, and promoting 
propaganda against the Islamic order. These spurious charges are only 
the latest example of the mistreatment of the largest religious 
minority in Iran.
  Ironically, the Baha'i faith originated in Iran during the 19th 
century, separating the Baha'is from their previous affiliation with 
Islam. The founder of the faith, known as The Bb, was then arrested, 
locked in a dungeon, and executed, as were some 20,000 of his 
followers. These atrocities devastated a religion whose tenets include 
global unity, peace and diversity.
  Persecution of the Baha'is in Iran continued into the next century, 
with the Iranian Government's destruction of Baha'i literature in 1933, 
and in 1955 the demolition of the Baha'i national headquarters. Since 
the establishment of the Islamic Republic of Iran in 1979, the 
government has stepped up its active discrimination against the 
Baha'is. Children are prohibited or discouraged from receiving higher 
education, Baha'is are unable to practice their faith in public, they 
are prevented from opening businesses or advancing their careers, and 
Baha'i cemeteries are destroyed. Baha'is are slandered by the Iranian 
media, often called worshippers of Satan.
  The arrests of the seven Baha'I leaders are the latest official 
Iranian abuse against members of this religious faith. These men and 
women led the ``Friends in Iran,'' a Baha'i group working to meet the 
needs of the Baha'is in Iran. After their arrest, the group disbanded, 
reducing the much needed support to the Baha'is. The leaders were 
incarcerated in 2008, and were not brought before a judge for over 20 
months.
  The systematic abuses of the Baha'i by the Iranian Government are 
clear violations of provisions in the International Covenant on Civil 
and Political Rights, to which Iran is a signatory, on economic and 
educational opportunities, religious freedom, and due process. They are 
also violations of Iran's own laws.
  Prominent global leaders are speaking out in support of the Baha'is 
in Iran, including Secretary of State Clinton, her British counterpart 
William Hague, and the President of the European Parliament, Jerzy 
Buzek. They have each expressed concern and disapproval with Iran's 
mistreatment of Baha'is. They are joined by a long list of human rights 
groups, such as the International Federation for Human rights, Human 
Rights Watch and the Iranian League for the Defense of Human Rights. I 
want to add my voice in condemning Iran's persecution of its Baha'i 
religious minority.
  Our Nation stands for fundamental rights and freedoms. We are not 
perfect, and I have not hesitated to speak out when I felt we fell 
short of our own values and principles. But I also believe we have an 
obligation to speak out when the fundamental rights of citizens of 
other nations are being denied. The Baha'is of Iran deserve our 
admiration and support.

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