A map of Yemen

NEW YORK — Three Baha’is currently imprisoned in Yemen are facing the possibility of imminent deportation to Iran, where Baha’is are intensely persecuted and they would likely face imprisonment or torture.

“We are gravely concerned about the fate of these three Baha'is, who are being held without charges in a case that is clearly based on religious persecution,” said Bani Dugal, the principal representative of the Baha'i International Community to the United Nations.

Several days ago, the Associated Press reported that the Yemeni authorities detained six Iranian Baha’is, for allegedly belonging to a rebel group. The news came as surprising to many; Yemen had provided a relatively safer haven for Baha’is to freely practise their faith.

Nelson Évora, photo by caboindex from flickr

Nelson Evora, a Bahá’í from Portugal, has won the gold medal for the triple jump at the Beijing Olympics. He had previously won the triple jump World Champion title at the athletics world championships in Osaka in August 2007.

Although recent crackdowns by Iran's government against Bahá'ís have gained the attention of western politicians and religious freedom activists, living as Bahá'í has been a daily struggle since the 1979 revolution brought Islamic fundamentalists to power.

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Rep. Mark Kirk, R-10th and Wilmette-area Bahá'ís are speaking out against what they say is a stepped up campaign of persecution against Bahá'ís in Iran, the birthplace of the religion. The U.S. House of Representatives recently passed a bi-partisan resolution authored by Kirk and New Jersey Democrat Rob Andrews condemning arsons, detentions and other forms of intimidation they say has worsened over the past year.

Six Bahá'í leaders arrested in Iran; pattern matches deadly sweeps of early 1980s

New York, 12 August 2008 — The fears of Bahá’ís worldwide over the intended fate of their coreligionists in Iran have heightened in the light of occurrences since the arrests, three months ago, of the “Friends in Iran,” the seven Bahá’ís who coordinate the affairs of the 300,000 Bahá’ís across Iran.

MANUKAU counsellor Aryana Khadem is helping organise a concert and information evening on Saturday to raise awareness of the victimisation of the Baha’is in Iran. Mrs Khadem, who works with migrant women, is herself an immigrant from Iran. She left her homeland more than 20 years ago, following the disappearance of her father and the execution of her mother for being members of the Baha’i Faith, Iran’s largest religious minority. Her father was never found. The concert MC is Chief Human Rights Commissioner Rosslyn Noonan.

The National Seeker Response system works to connect individuals interested in learning about the Bahá’í Faith with nearby believers. Here are two stories shared by the regional seeker response specialist for the Northeast that illustrate the importance of patience and persistence:

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ELIOT, Maine — The Sarah Farmer Peace Award for 2008 will be awarded to Friends Forever, a Portsmouth-based organization that focuses on “World Peace…. Grown Locally.”

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Payvand's Iran News has recently published an extensive article on the progress of the feature film, Mona's Dream.

As to the genesis of the film project, the article states the following: