{"id":930,"date":"2016-06-08T15:11:54","date_gmt":"2016-06-08T15:11:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.iransos.com\/en\/?p=930"},"modified":"2016-06-08T15:11:54","modified_gmt":"2016-06-08T15:11:54","slug":"new-video-time-for-anti-bahai-discrimination-to-end-in-iran","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.iransos.com\/en\/?p=930","title":{"rendered":"New Video: Time for Anti-Baha’i Discrimination To End In Iran"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"StateJune 7, 2016\u2014The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran and Impact Iran released an animated\u00a0video<\/a>\u00a0today calling for an end to the discrimination and incitement to hatred against members of the Baha\u2019i faith in Iran.<\/p>\n

Click\u00a0here\u00a0<\/a>to view video<\/em><\/p>\n

The new video is being released on the heels of a spike in anti-Baha\u2019i rhetoric by Iranian state media outlets and government affiliated clerics, which followed a\u00a0meeting<\/a>\u00a0between Faezeh Hashemi, a prominent political figure and daughter of former president Hashemi Rafsanjani, and imprisoned Baha\u2019i leader Fariba Kamalabadi on May 13, 2016. Kamalabadi was on furlough from prison at the time.<\/p>\n

\u201cIran\u2019s systematic persecution of Baha\u2019is is fueled by a steady supply of hateful rhetoric from clerics and media bound to the state,\u201d said Hadi Ghaemi, executive director of the Campaign. \u201cDemonization of the Baha\u2019is is needed to justify the human rights violations they are subjected to.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to the Baha\u2019i International Community (BIC), since the May 13 meeting between Hashemi and Kamalabadi, \u201cthere has been an unprecedented number of anti-Baha\u2019i statements across Iran, expressed in the official news media and on government-sponsored websites.\u201d<\/p>\n

The BIC reported that at least 169 clerics and state officials, including members of Iran\u2019s Revolutionary Guard, Judiciary, and Assembly of Experts, have made public statements against Baha\u2019is, calling members of the community \u201cthe enemy\u201d and encouraging others to have \u201cno contact with them.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is greatly disturbing that arms of the state would incite hatred against any minority group,\u201d said Mani Mostofi, director of Impact Iran. \u201cThis type of official rhetoric is closely linked to the ongoing policies of persecution and violence against Iranian Baha\u2019is and other minorities.\u201d<\/p>\n

Impact Iran and the Campaign\u2019s new animation tells the story of a young Iranian Baha\u2019i as he is repeatedly exposed to defamatory speech, and shows how anti-Baha\u2019i discourse translates into bigoted government policies.<\/p>\n

The animation\u2019s stunning visuals were the result of a collaboration between prominent Iranian artists, including internationally recognized illustrator Touka Neyestani.<\/p>\n

Baha\u2019is are one of Iran\u2019s most persecuted minorities. In state media and government sanctioned religious gatherings, Baha\u2019i are routinely called immoral, unclean, a deviant religious sect, spies, supporters of the former monarchy, and foreign agents. In Iranian law and practice, Baha\u2019is face harsh restrictions on the right to practice their faith. They are denied access to higher education and regular employment and are routinely arrested for involvement in their religious community.<\/p>\n

Fariba Kamalabadi and six other Iranian Baha\u2019i leaders were arrested in May 2008 and sentenced to 20 years in prison each for administering the affairs of their community nationwide. They were convicted on charges of \u201cespionage,\u201d \u201cpropaganda against the state,\u201d and \u201corganizing and expanding an illegal group.\u201d<\/p>\n

In 2008, the UN declared the detention of these seven Baha\u2019is illegal and a violation of human rights law, and the UN has repeatedly\u00a0condemned<\/a>\u00a0the systematic discrimination against Baha\u2019is in Iran.<\/p>\n

Kamalabadi was on her first furlough after eight years in prison when Hashemi visited her home. Kamalabadi has since been returned to Evin Prison.<\/p>\n

Hashemi, herself a former political prisoner, has been under intense criticism from state officials since the meeting but has defended her actions saying:<\/p>\n

\u201cI paid a visit to Ms. Kamalabadi because she was my cellmate. We lived together for six months,\u201d she said in an\u00a0interview<\/a>\u00a0with Euronews\u2019 Persian service on May 15, 2016. \u201cMeeting her when she was released on furlough for five days after eight years of imprisonment was a very ordinary thing. We aren\u2019t animals who ignore moral and humanitarian obligations that are put on our shoulders at certain periods of our life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Faezeh Hashemi also described her time in prison as a \u201cvery valuable learning experience\u201d adding, \u201cWe in Iran are committing injustice not only against [Baha\u2019is] but against many others as well. But the level [of injustice] against [Baha\u2019is] is worse than all others. This should not be happening. We must change our behavior.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe state\u2019s anti-Baha\u2019i rhetoric is aimed a recruiting ordinary Iranians into its discriminatory system but more people are seeing through the propaganda,\u201d said Ghaemi. \u00a0\u201cWe hope this video, like Hashemi\u2019s commendable actions, will prompt more people to find ways to make Iran a place of less discrimination and bigotry.\u201d<\/p>\n

Follow the\u00a0Campaign<\/em> on Facebook<\/a> and Twitter<\/a><\/p>\n

For the latest human rights developments in Iran visit the Campaign\u2019s<\/em> website<\/a><\/p>\n

For interviews, contact:<\/p>\n

Hadi Ghaemi at +1-917-669-5996, hadighaemi@iranhumanrights.org<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

June 7, 2016\u2014The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran and Impact Iran released an animated\u00a0video\u00a0today calling for an end to the discrimination and incitement to hatred against members of<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[269,268],"class_list":["post-930","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-human-rights","tag-bahai","tag-bahai-discrimination"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.iransos.com\/en\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/930","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.iransos.com\/en\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.iransos.com\/en\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.iransos.com\/en\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.iransos.com\/en\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=930"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.iransos.com\/en\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/930\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":931,"href":"https:\/\/www.iransos.com\/en\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/930\/revisions\/931"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.iransos.com\/en\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=930"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.iransos.com\/en\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=930"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.iransos.com\/en\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=930"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}