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Faith leaders urge William Hague to call for release of imprisoned Bahá’ís in Iran

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HG Bishop Angaelos of the Coptic Orthodox Church in the UK presents the letter to Foreign Office Minister Alistair Burt MP at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 14 May

LONDON, 14 May — Fifty leaders of faith communities in the United Kingdom have signed an open letter, addressed to the Rt Hon William Hague MP, the Foreign Secretary, calling on him to renew the UK Government’s support for the seven imprisoned leaders of the long-suffering Bahá’í community in Iran, the country’s largest religious minority. May 14th marks the day that these seven innocent Bahá’í leaders have been behind bars for five years, imprisoned solely because of their religious beliefs. The letter was received on the Foreign Secretary’s behalf, at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, [...] Read more »

In London, seminar discusses access to justice in Iran

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(From left) Mahnaz Parakand, Kirsty Brimelow QC, Dr Ahmed Shaheed, Dr Nazila Ghanea, discuss access to justice violations in Iran

LONDON, 9 May 2013 – Issues of due legal process and access to justice in Iran came under scrutiny at a high-level seminar, organised to mark the fifth anniversary of the arrest of Iran’s seven former Baha’i leaders. Held at the Law Society of England and Wales – and co-hosted by the Bar Human Rights Committee – the seminar on Thursday 9 May attracted more than 50 practising barristers, solicitors and human rights lawyers. The seminar heard how the trial and sentencing of the seven Baha’is to 20 years in prison each, was conducted under [...] Read more »

Baha’is celebrate Ridvan at House of Commons

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Ridvan guests at the House of Commons

LONDON, 22 April 2013 – The reception, which was hosted by the All-Party Parliamentary Friends of the Baha’is at the House of Commons, was an opportunity for the Baha’i community to share in this festive period with its friends and collaborators from across the country. Faith leaders, Members of Parliament, civil society activists, diplomats and others all gathered to celebrate the festival. Louise Ellman MP, chair of the all-party group, welcomed the assembled guests. Ridvan marks the time when the Founder of the Baha’i Faith, Baha’u’llah, announced that He was the Manifestation of God for [...] Read more »

Bahá’ís sign open letter on Millennium Development Goals

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LONDON – An open letter, “Thirteen years on, the MDG values are as imperative as ever,” calling on the world’s G8 governments to renew their commitments to the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and signed by religious leaders and councils from all the major faiths of the G8 countries, was published today in the Financial Times newspaper. Writing in the paper on the date marking 1,000 days until the 2015 deadline of the MDGs, which were agreed at the UN’s Millennium Summit in 2000, the 88 religious representatives  The signatories, lead by Archibishop Justin Welby of [...] Read more »

UN Iran expert concerned over access to education at Parliamentary seminar

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LONDON – At a seminar in Parliament on December 18, Dr Ahmed Shaheed, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran, expressed concern over an Iranian state policy of excluding from higher education those it deems “ideologically unsound,” such as minorities, political activists, and women. Dr Shaheed described the discriminatory policies of the Iranian government as, “eroding progress made in female enrolment in post-secondary institutions, creating significant obstacles for minority access, punishing political, cultural, and human rights activists for exercising their civil and political rights, and undermining academic freedom.” In his recent report to the UN General [...] Read more »

Parliament debates “appalling” treatment of Iranian Baha’is

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NaomilongAlistairBurt

LONDON – Members of Parliament debate the “shocking” treatment of the Baha’i community in Iran. Naomi Long MP, the Member of Parliament for Belfast East, spoke of a recent intensification of the persecution of the Baha’is in Iran, with a strong emphasis on the Baha’is in Semnan at the debate. In Semnan, a town to the east of Tehran, Baha’is have been subjected to arson attacks on homes and businesses, Baha’i students are expelled from secondary schools, Baha’i owned businesses are closed down resulting in the losses of jobs for both Baha’i and non-Baha’i employees, [...] Read more »

UK Bahá’í Review – Summer 2012

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UK_Bahai_Review _Summer_2012_cover

Read about the activities of the UK Bahá’í community in the latest edition of the UK Bahá’í Review, which you can download here. This edition includes reflections on what it is to serve in a community, as well as reports on multifaith social action and celebrations to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. We also explore the Festival of Ridvan, which commemorates Bahá’u’lláh’s declaration as a Manifestation of God in 1863, and look at the significance of the Festival for Bahá’ís across the UK today. Read more »

Bahá’ís of Semnan: A community under fire

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Map of Iran

A dramatic intensification of persecution of Bahá’ís in the Iranian city of Semnan has been described as “distinctive and alarming” by the Bahá’í International Community. Dozens of attacks since 2009 against a large number of Semnan’s Bahá’ís have been carried out by officials, semi-official groups, and plainclothes agents.  At least 30 Bahá’ís have been arrested, with several now serving long prison sentences; homes and shops have been targeted by arsonists; and numerous Bahá’í-owned businesses have been shut down by authorities. Bahá’ís in the city are also facing ongoing harassment, marked by the close and constant [...] Read more »

Bahá’í Centre hosts celebration of work towards the equality of women and men

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Participants at celebration of work towards the equality of women and men

Comedian Omid Djalili joined equality activist Annette Lawson and representatives from UK civil society at the National Bahá’í Centre, on 18 July, to celebrate work towards the equality of women and men. “The equality of women and men is not just a cause to be championed by women; it is for both sexes to pursue,” said Zarin Hainsworth, a member of the Bahá’í Faith who serves on its elected national administrative body.  This year she was included in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List for work towards the equality of women and men. “Recognition of one person [...] Read more »

Queen’s University Belfast Students’ Union pass motion condemning denial of access to higher education for Bahá’ís and others in Iran

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Campus of Queen's University, Belfast

The Students’ Union Council at Queen’s University, Belfast, passed a robustly-worded motion on 26 April expressing outrage at the Iranian government’s practice of denying access to higher education on the basis of ethnicity or belief. The full text of the motion is written below. “This is a tremendously positive intervention”, said Soha Graham, a student at Queen’s.  “Access to higher education is an issue that’s naturally close to all our hearts, and it is important to shine a spotlight on those who would deny this right to others.” In violation of article 26 of the UN [...] Read more »