- In January 2008, during the evening prayer in one of the mosques in Bahar, located fifteen kilometres from the city of Hamadan, a clergyman spoke against Mr. Kamran Aghdasi, a Baha’i from Hamadan, saying, “How can a Baha’i own a shop in the heart of Bahar and distribute compact discs and leaflets on his religion to the people of Bahar and lead them astray?” The clergyman asked the people not to do any business with Mr. Aghdasi. An individual who was in the mosque asked those present to accompany him to the house of the Imam Jum‘ih to obtain an order to close Mr. Aghdasi’s shop. Meanwhile, a friend of Mr. Aghdasi who was present defended him, saying, “The country has laws, and, in the event of an individual committing a wrongdoing, it is the law that has to deal with the person, not the people.” Despite much opposition to his remarks, he did succeed in calming the crowd. Two days later, a number of notices were found hanging on the walls of the mosques in the town’s central square and the streets leading to Mr. Aghdasi’s shop.
- In Marvast, following several provocative Friday sermons throughout August and September 2007, windows in two shops owned by Baha’is were broken. The Baha’is in Iran have indicated that the Imam Jum‘ih is attempting to drive the Baha’i families out of Marvast but that most of these families have refused to leave. The principal of a boys’ school refused to enrol the only Baha’i youth in that town but was obliged to enrol him after the parents appealed to the Education Department. Subsequently, the Imam Jum‘ih commented in a Friday sermon, “I would not send my child to a school where a Baha’i studies; you should do the same.”
- Then September 2007 brought with it reports that a Friday sermon in Jiroft, the Imam Jum‘ih propagated false accusations against the Baha’is and afterwards distributed amongst the population a circular that grossly distorts the history and Teachings of the Baha’i Faith. The circular includes a number of offensive assertions, among which are statements that Baha’is are unclean and enemies of Islam and acts of purification should be performed when a person has contact with them; that no food should be accepted from Baha’is; and that even when Baha’is display good moral conduct, they should be avoided.
- February 2008 brought with it reports that a number of Baha’is had received threatening emails from a group that names itself “Zedde Bahaiat” [Against Bahaism]. The communication states that Zedde Bahaiat is “the committee for the physical confrontation of teachers of Bahaism”, that it has now begun to operate, and that it “will continue its work until it completely uproots this perverse sect and this house of prostitution.”
- Again in February 2008 a scurrilous attack on the Faith was posted on a Persian-language Web site. Among various outrageous allegations, the article asserts that Baha’is promote “marriage between brothers and sisters”.
Links:
http://www.iran20.ir/view_print.asp?id=50530296926101436
http://bultannews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1210&itemid=1
http://www.kayhannews.ir/860610/2.htm#other207
http://www.baztab.com/news/68304.php
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