On anniversary of arrests, Canadian MPs highlight Iran’s human rights violations

16 May 2012 13:00:00 +0300

In a wide-ranging debate that took place on the fourth anniversary of the arrest of imprisoned Iranian Baha'i leaders, members of the Canadian Parliament voiced their grave concern about worsening violations of human rights in Iran. Earlier on Monday 14 May, Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs – John Baird – marked the anniversary by issuing a

Persecution intensifies as former Baha'i leaders mark anniversary behind bars

14 May 2012 13:00:00 +0300

Iran's former Baha'i leaders begin their fifth year in prison today amid an intensification of the persecution of their co-religionists. The seven prisoners each face the bleak prospect of 16 more years in jail for crimes they did not commit. Next week also marks the first anniversary of raids on homes of Baha'is associated with an informal initiative offering higher education to community...

Fifty years on, European Baha'i communities recall landmark elections

7 May 2012 13:00:00 +0300

Tributes have been paid to the Baha'i Faith on the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Norwegian National Spiritual Assembly. In Oslo, some 100 special guests participated in a celebratory gathering. Among them, Shazia Mushtaq – a representative of Norway's Islamic Council – praised the "many beautiful elements" in the commemorative event, which included spoken tributes and...

Guam joins global condemnation of Iran's human rights abuses

27 Apr 2012 13:00:00 +0300

The Senate of the western Pacific island territory of Guam has called upon the United States of America to keep up its pressure on Iran over human rights abuses. A resolution was unanimously passed this morning by the island's 15-member legislature. Fourteen senators voted in favor of the resolution, with none against. One senator was absent and did not vote. Guam – the largest and...

Panel examines the role of young people in social change

27 Apr 2012 13:00:00 +0300

Preparing the world's young people for the future will require new directions in education that emphasize their role as global citizens. That was among the ideas presented here at a panel discussion, sponsored by the Baha'i International Community, as a side event to the United Nations Commission on Population and Development, 23-27 April. Titled "Youth and Adolescents: Educating the...

Plans to build new Houses of Worship announced

22 Apr 2012 13:00:00 +0300

With the construction under way in Chile of the last of the continental Baha'i Houses of Worship, plans have been announced for the building of the first two national Baha'i Temples – in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Papua New Guinea. The historic announcement was made yesterday by the Universal House of Justice in its annual message to mark the first day of Ridvan, the holiest...

Christian dignitaries greet Baha'i community on historic anniversary

15 Apr 2012 13:00:00 +0300

Prominent Christian clergymen paid tribute to the Baha'i community here, 100 years after the ship carrying 'Abdu'l-Baha to the United States of America docked in Naples. Their remarks were conveyed at a special commemoration attended by more than 250 guests, held at the city's maritime station to mark the centenary of 'Abdu'l-Baha's presence in the port, on board the steamship Cedric....

World calls for unconditional release of Baha'i leaders and other Iranian prisoners of conscience

3 Apr 2012 13:00:00 +0300

The plight of Iran's seven imprisoned Baha'i leaders has been capturing the public's attention in 12 of the world's major cities, where a day of action marked the combined total of 10,000 days that the seven have so far spent in prison. In an initiative coordinated by human rights organization United4Iran, the image of the seven was widely displayed on...

U.S. Senate calls for release of religious prisoners in Iran

1 Apr 2012 13:00:00 +0300

The United States Senate has passed a resolution condemning the government of Iran for its systematic campaign of persecution of Baha'is and calling for the release of all Iranian prisoners held solely for their religious beliefs. The resolution – approved by unanimous consent on Thursday – also called for...

Iran's seven Baha'i leaders: 10,000 days in prison

29 Mar 2012 13:00:00 +0300

Sunday 1 April marks 10,000 days that Iran's seven former Baha'i leaders have spent in prison between them – a period throughout which they have been deprived of the rights accorded to prisoners under Iran's own laws and regulations. Prior to their arrests in 2008, the seven were members of an ad hoc national-level group which attended to the spiritual and social needs of Iran's Baha'i...

UN Human Rights Council extends mandate of Iran monitor

23 Mar 2012 13:00:00 +0300

The United Nations Human Rights Council has voted by an overwhelming margin for a continuing investigation into human rights violations in Iran. Yesterday's vote of 22 to 5 with 20 abstentions came after two major UN reports sharply criticized Iranian authorities. "This result is a clear indication of the Council's concern over Iran's abysmal record on human rights," said Diane Ala'i, the...

Iran's abuses of religious freedom condemned

22 Mar 2012 13:00:00 +0300

Iran remains one of the worst abusers of the right to religious freedom in the world, according to a new report. The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has described how the "government of Iran continues to engage in systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom, including prolonged detention, torture, and executions based primarily or entirely upon...

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