The Baha段s of Montreal have more reasons to worry about the safety of their fellow Baha段s in Iran.  Recent news indicates that elementary and secondary school children have become the targets of government sanctioned harassment and vilification. For many years, Baha段s have not been allowed to attend university, but the mistreatment of Baha'i students has now reached down into the primary and secondary grades. 

Baha'i pupils are being secretly monitored and reported to authorities by school officials, are subjected to vile and outrageous tales about their religion by teachers, and are often expelled when they identify themselves as Baha'is.  Baha'i pupils are frequently attacked by those of their classmates whose views of the Baha'i Faith have been shaped by the misrepresentation conveyed by the government and the clergy who ridicule the Baha'is as "unclean".  Baha'is in secondary schools are to be given grades sufficient to graduate but too low to allow entrance to university as a matter of government policy.

These reports follow on news, a month ago, of a draft penal code before the Iranian Parliament that will make the crime of apostasy punishable by death.  Baha段s have been frequently charged with apostasy as Baha置値lah, the Prophet-Founder of the Baha'i Faith, lived from 1817 to 1892, many centuries after Muhammad預 matter that many Muslims believe is unacceptable in religious terms.

Over the past two years, the systematic persecution of Baha段s by government authorities has increased with more short-term arrests, economic attacks, and destruction of cemeteries, as well as more than 50 articles published in the government-sponsored newspaper denigrating their religion. Last fall, 54 young Baha段s were sentenced to terms, ranging from one to three years, simply for their participation in a locally approved social and economic development project in Shiraz. 

The persecution has been carried out following a scheme publicized by the UN in 1993, in a secret government document signed by the Supreme Leader and President in 1991 that the New York Times has referred to as Iran痴 Nuremberg laws.  The Baha段 Faith is the largest religious minority in Iran with over 300,000 members.  There are some 30,000 Baha段s in Canada, some 9,000 of whom are of Iranian background.

DOCUMENTS:

Summary of Attacks on Baha'i children (PDF document)

Appeal Letter Addresses (Word document)

Press Release-3- 27-08 (Word document)

Sample appeal letter to world agencies (Word document)

Sample appeal letter to Iranian authorities (Word document)