Schakowsky, Grimm Introduce Resolution Condemning Iran's Government Continued Persecution of the Baha'i Minority

Washington, DC (March 14, 2013) — Rep. Jan Schakowsky introduced a resolution condemning Iran's government persecution of the Baha'i minority:

Rep. Jan Schakowsky and Rep. Michael Grimm (R-NY) this week introduced a bipartisan resolution condemning the Iranian Government for its continued persecution of the Baha'i minority. Baha'is face severe persecution in Iran for their religious beliefs, including physical attacks, detention, arrests, and imprisonment. They are barred from military service and government employment and forbidden to establish places of worship or schools. Their religious sites and cemeteries are routinely desecrated. This resolution calls on Iran to release Baha'i political prisoners and urges the President to speak out against Iran's violations of human rights.

See summary of the H.Res. 109 below.

Summary, H.Res. 109: Condemning the Government of Iran for its state-sponsored persecution of its Baha'i minority and its continued violation of the International Covenants on Human Rights.

H.Res. 109 condemns the Government of Iran for its state-sponsored persecution of the Baha'i community and calls on Tehran to release all prisoners held because of their religious beliefs. The resolution asks the President and Secretary of State to speak out against Iran's continued violations of human rights, and to utilize all available tools, including recently-passed sanctions, to crack down on individuals directly responsible for human rights abuses.

Baha'is face severe persecution in Iran. According to the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom's 2012 report, "During the past year, religious freedom conditions continued to deteriorate, especially for religious minorities, most notably Baha'is, as well as Christians and Sufi Muslims, and physical attacks, harassment, detention, arrests, and imprisonment intensified." According to Iranian law, Baha'i blood is mobah, which means members of the Baha'i faith can be killed with impunity

According to the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), there are at least 300,000 Baha'is in Iran, where they are viewed as "heretics" by the Iranian regime. Since 1979, the government has killed over 200 Baha'i leaders; over 10,000 more have been dismissed from government and university jobs. They may not establish places of worship, schools, or independent religious associations in Iran; they are also barred from military and government jobs and pensions. They may not inherit property. Baha'i marriages/divorces are not recognized. Many Baha'i religious sites have been destroyed, and their cemeteries and holy places are routinely seized and desecrated.

Baha'is in Iran has serious economic pressure — including denial of jobs and of business licenses. Employers in the private sector are pressured by the government to dismiss Baha'i employees.

Over 500 Baha'is have been arbitrarily arrested in Iran since 2005. Currently, nearly 100 are being held by the regime solely because of their religious beliefs (according to USCIRF). Seven Baha'i leaders -- Fariba Kamalabadi, Jamaloddin Khanjani, Afif Naemi, Saeid Rezaie, Mahvash Sabet, Behrouz Tavakkoli, and Vahid Tizfahm — were arrested in early 2008. They were put in Evin prison in Tehran, and charged in 2010 with crimes ranging from espionage to propaganda to cooperation with Israel. In August 2010 they were sentenced to 20 years in prison; while there were reports that the sentence had been reduced to 10 years, it is now reported to be 20 years again.

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