The desecration of cemeteries has always been used as a tactic to supress and offend, and Iran’s Bahai minority has faced this abuse for decades. The most recent desecration took place just days ago on the 27th of September in Isfahan, where trees were cut down from a Baha’i cemetery.

For pictures see: http://www.bahairights.org/2008/10/03/cutting-down-the-trees-of-the-baha...

Baha’is who have sought redress from the courts over “incomplete files” or unjustified dismissal from university have been met with official decisions with blanket statements like “the grievance is not recognized” and “the claim is rejected.” Both documen

NEW YORK — As the new academic year got under way, young Baha'is in Iran again found the door to higher education closed.

Although in its public stance the Iranian government maintains that Baha'is are free to attend university, reports over the past few weeks indicate that the policy of preventing Baha'is from obtaining higher education remains in effect.

As if unlawfully arresting the Faith’s leaders, intensifying propaganda campaigns and vilifying those willing to speak out on behalf of the oppressed isn’t enough, Iranian news agencies have reported the launch of a petition demanding the dissolution of Baha’i administrations in Iran.

LOS ANGELES, September 23 – Without international pressure there is little to stop the Iranian government from ratifying a bill that will make “apostasy,” or leaving Islam, a capital crime, say human rights groups and experts. On Sept. 9 the Iranian parliament approved a new penal code by a vote of 196-7 calling for a mandatory death sentence for apostates, or those who leave Islam. The Christian and Baha’i communities of Iran are most likely to be affected by this decision.

In many Muslim-majority countries, the history of the Baha’i community dates back to over a century. Sadly, their history has been marred with intolerance, discrimination and abuse. The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom recently released its Annual Report, and below is a round-up on the status of the Baha’i minority in several Muslim-majority countries.

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has just published a statement for immediate press release concerning the escalation of extreme measures taken by Iran's government against its religious minorities. Additionally the Commission has released its 2008 Annual Report with Iran being listed under "Countries of Particular Concern," and Egypt listed under "Watch List Countries."

On Wednesday Shahabnews.com, an organ of the Islamic Republic of Iran which prides itself on being a mixture of fundamentalism and reformism, announced that a petition would be circulated at Friday prayers today in Tehran calling for the dissolution of the Bahá’í administration.

Yesterday four Bahá’í youth who have been barred from entering university by the names of Armin Rahmani, Samim Pezeshki, Mavid Khanjani and Hesam Misaghi, paid a visit to the office of Hujjat’u'l-Islam Rahbar, the representative of Isfahan to the Islamic Senate. Their visit was to follow up on issues such as being dismissed form the university and being banned from entering any institute of higher education or university on the basis of their adherence to the Bahá’í Faith.

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.

It was a lucky day for me and my two then-toddlers when 14-year-old Susan answered my help-wanted ad for a mother's helper (as nannies were then called). For years, this gentle, patient girl proved to be an indispensable and much-loved fixture in our Montreal household, and thereafter a valued friend.