On Friday, July 4, each resident of Culver City souoght a suitable way to celebrate our nation’s Independence Day.
The members of the Culver City Bahai community welcomed the chance to take part in both planned and unplanned events. At the same time, the Culver City Bahais could not help but reflect on how much their freedom contrasted with the depravation of freedom suffered by seven Bahais in Iran.
As the Bahai representative to the Culver City Interfaith Alliance, I have had contact with a number of the men and women who offer their services to one of Culver City’s diverse faith groups.
I know that clergy, imams and rabbis need to conduct weddings and funerals, in addition to speaking at regular worship services. In much the same manner, the seven men and women now held in an Iranian prison served on a national group that saw to the minimal needs of the Bahais in Iran.
Six of those seven were arrested during pre-dawn raids on their homes, raids carried out almost two months ago, on May 14. The seventh member had been held by the government since March. More than one week after those arrests, Bani Dugal, the principal Bahai representative to the United Nations, issued a statement, saying that she could not obtain any information concerning where those seven men and women were being held.
A report issued by the Bahai International Community as recently as June 19, indicated that the Iranian government had not yet filed charges against the seven Bahai prisoners. A spokesman for the Iranian government has acknowledged the arrest of those seven men and women. He has said that the arrest was made for security reasons.
Background
Ms. Dugal has disputed that claim. Ms. Dugal reminds all who will listen that the Bahais in Iran are not seeking to undermine or subvert the government. They simply want to share with friends and with neighbors the emphasis that they place on the oneness of humanity.
The Bahais follow the teachings of Baha Allah, a prophet who captured the attention of Persians during the last half of the 19th century. Later, in 1912, his son, Abdul-Baha, visited the United States. The Bahai teachings are viewed with suspicion in Iran, because Bahais have long drawn the attention of Iranian authorities, simply by practicing their faith.
Last week, on June 30, the Iranian government received a formal statement from six women, all of them Nobel Laureates. In that statement, the recognized peace advocates, called for the release of the seven recently-arrested Baha is. That statement helped to confirm the accusation of Ms. Dugal, that the Iranian government had put forth baseless charges against the imprisoned Bahais.
The Bahai International Community hopes that others will join the ranks of those six Nobel Laureates. Although the government no longer demands that those seven Bahais remain unable to contact their families, it still holds them in an Iranian prison, without producing any formal charges.
Such treatment displays the antithesis of the beliefs that led to formulation of the Declaration of Independence.
