Rosa Vasseghi, faithful to her belief in nobility of humanity and absolutely convinced by the truth of the core teaching of the Baha’i Faith on oneness of mankind, sets out to “tell” the world, in her book Where is the Justice: stories from behind closed doors, about her life in her homeland Iran, and the life of her dear sister, Rozita, who is at this moment in prison in Iran for her belief in same truth that motivates millions of Baha’is around the world to dedicate themselves at the hour of down of every day to the dual character of their purpose in life: to achieve a personal transformation, and to effect a social transformation to help bring about an ever advancing civilization.

Some excerpts from Rosa’s interview at Treasures of Wonderment:

“I came from across the ocean to tell you stories from behind closed doors.
I came to tell you about the ugly face of our world and of humans.
I came to tell you about women’s lives, their light, their hope, their fears and death.
I came from the world where blind law and power denies truth and smiles.
It is time that our stories shock the conscience of humanity.”

Annick: Thank you Rosa for taking the time to share your story with us. I know that you were born in Iran; how old were you at the beginning of the 1979 Islamic revolution in Iran?

Rosa Vasseghi: I was 24 years old.

Annick: How did you first feel discriminated against?

Rosa Vasseghi: When the new government took power they didn’t let me continue my work and my studies and they also took everything I had built for my future. I remember I was working in a big company in the South of Iran. I was asked by the people who had taken over the company to change my religion and sign a paper that I was not Baha’i any longer to allow me to continue working, which I didn’t do. So they fired me and confiscated all the valuable things I had in my house in the South. Also they blocked my savings in the bank and took all the savings I had. And at the same time two of my sisters could not continue their studies at their universities as they were prohibited from attending. They took the house where my parents lived and my mother’s shop and all her inheritance. My sisters’ children also could not study at universities and many times were harassed by teachers, the principals and people from The Centre of Education in their cities because their parents were Baha’i. It is important to remember that all these things that I mentioned have been happening to other Baha’is too. Many people were thrown from their homes, jobs and universities – their only crime was that they were Baha’i.
…
Annick: You mention that the birth place of your faith is in Iran, so why would the Iranian government attack its own people and destroy its own cultural treasures?

Rosa Vasseghi: I really can’t understand why the authorities always attack Baha’i people but if you look at the history of Iran you can see, the manifestation of God , the founder of the Baha’i Faith, Baha’u’llah, was born in Tehran, the capital of Iran. Baha’u’llah came from a noble family. But He refused to accept a high position in the court of the King. He spent his time helping the oppressed, the sick and the poor, and championing the cause of justice. People in Iran really should be very proud and happy to have a manifestation of God in their own land. A person who prefers to give His life for people rather than hold more power. Someone who brings messages of love, unity and peace for the world. But the Iranian government cannot realize and understand what a valuable treasure it has. In reality I think people who have power are afraid of knowing new things. They don’t want to accept the value of the lives of all people. When they have chosen materialism, fundamentalism or other belief systems, it is difficult for them to have their principles challenged and also they are afraid of losing their power. The clergy in Iran have always interpreted Islam in their own way and as a result the Iranian government attacks its own treasure.
…
Annick: If the persecution ends, and we hope that it is soon, would you move back to Iran and could you find happiness there?

Rosa Vasseghi: We are citizens of the world, and, Iran is the land of my Beloved, my birth place and where I grew up. But I also love Australia too because when I didn’t have any place to go Australia opened its door for me and accepted me for who I am. I think if one day I will be able to go back to Iran, I will be very happy but I can’t gave up the country and people who showed their love and support to me when I needed it.

Please read the full article here: http://www.treasuresofwonderment.com/story/2010-06-19/i-came-tell-you

Editor
Iran Press Watch.

Sorour Sorouriyan

Nahawand (Persian: نهاوند)

RAHANA: Baha’i Citizen Sorour Sorouriyan who began serving his sentence on May 23rd has been transferred to the Nahavand Prison on August 31st.

According to the RAHANA reporter, the conditions of Nahavand Prison are more disturbing than the Hamadan Prison. Sorour Sorouriyan and Sahba Khademi have been serving their one year sentence since July 31st for “Baha’i Propaganda.”

Source: http://www.rahana.org/en/?p=6717

[Source: StreetJournalist; Translated by StreetJournalist; edited by Iran Press Watch]

In continuation of widespread arrests of Baha’is throughout Iran, Mrs. Mehrangiz Husayni was arrested in Hamadan.  According to a court order issued on October 24, 2008, she was sentenced to a year incarceration and on August 16, 2009, was arrested by the security agents and conducted to prison to start her sentence.

The authorities have stated that the charge against her is, “propagation of the Baha’i Faith”.

It should be noted that Iran claims freedom of expression for its citizens, but people are not at liberty to express their convictions.  What is being charged by authorities against the Baha’is as “propaganda against the regime” is in reality free expression of beliefs and convictions, which Baha’is carry out despite the high cost of imprisonments, fines, and large property or cash bails.

[Source: Khabar Navard.  Translation by Iran Press Watch.]

The homes of the following Baha’is were raided on Saturday, April 11, 2009, and some of their personal properties confiscated.  They were also arrested and after one day of incarceration and interrogations were released on bail and surety:  Miss Sorour Sorourian, Miss Samira Ayoubi, Mr. Payman Aqdasi and Mr. Faraz Purhamzeh.

Iran Press Watch will bring further updates as they become available.

Iran Press Watch

First, we first excerpt from a letter (slightly edited) from one of the Baha’is discussing the circumstances under which Sorour Sorourian was arrested yesterday:

Yesterday, April 11, 2009, at 11:30 a.m., the 25-year-old Sorour Sorourian was called to the representative office of the Ministry of Intelligence of Iran in Hamadan to answer some questions.  She was at work at that time and went to the office with her mother upon at 13:30 p.m. Afterwards, Sorour was detained and there is no news about her.  Then officers went home with her mother to search her room.  They confiscated some Baha’i materials and books, computer case and some personal belongings and left at 15:30 p.m.

The officers refrained from giving any detail on the charge of detaining Miss Sorourian and the place where she was kept. After the family strenuously objected to this detention, the authorities produced court orders for her arrest issued on April 8, 2009.

Because of the family relation with Mrs. Fariba Kamalabadi, one of the imprisoned members of the Friends in Iran, and Miss Sorourian’s late father’s four-time imprisonments on charge of being a Baha’i, the family is deeply worried about Sorour’s situation.  Furthermore, the way she was called to the intelligence representative office without indicating a charge against her adds to everyone’s concern about her present condition.

We sincerely request you to take prompt action on raising the issue by contacting Human Rights organizations, local authorities, media or any other way you might consider fruitful.  Imprisonment of this Baha’i youth, as well as other detained Baha’is in Iran, is absolutely without foundation.  In your appeals, kindly insist that she should have the right to legal representation, for her family to have permission to contact and see her in order to ensure her good health, and her immediate release.

The following is a communication received from the same source on Sunday April 12, 2009:

With heart brimmed with gratitude, I share with you the glad tiding of freedom of Sorour Sorourian, along with three other youth in Hamadan this afternoon.  The spiritual flood released through your ardent, unremitting prayers, the balm-like effect of your kind sentiments, widespread outcry you raised in various sites, and heartwarming actions you shared over this short span of time undeniably demonstrates the very spirit of unity animating the Baha’i community all around the world, and contributed greatly to withdrawal of the hand of injustice.

The joyful news is that out of the four Baha’i youth detained in Hamadan within last week, three are being released. The detainees were under interrogation for seven hours yesterday.

This achievement shows that authorities are sensitive to the negative effect of media. However my dear friends, not only one of the prisoners, 25 year old youth Miss Sahba Khademi, is still under custody, but also the other three have just been temporarily released through placing surety of some property. It appears that by doing so the government in just changing the outer form of detainment to calm the international outcry and objection without really freeing the detainees from the charges they are accused of. Thus they can be called back at any time and imprisoned again. Therefore, your fervent prayers and resolute action is kindly requested so that the clouds of injustice and misunderstanding would be torn asunder and the light of unity and amity would illumine the world.

• Mr. Afshin Ahsanian is arrested in Shiraz on charges of “being a Baha’i” – Read more
• Ms. Sahba Khademi, a 24-year old Baha’i is seized in Hamadan – her whereabouts remain unknown – Read more
• Imprisoned Baha’i leaders meet their families; a high-ranking official in the Prosecutor-General’s office has advised that their files will be completed by April 21; Shirin Ebadi continues to have no access to the legal case, or her incarcerated clients. – Read more
• Ms. Sorour Sorourian, a 25-year old Baha’i, is arrested in Hamadan – Read more
• Mrs. Haleh Hooshmandi presently remains in grave health conditions in prison. Her condition is “deteriorating” – Read more
• The home of Mr. Bahnam Rouhani, one of the Baha’is of Yazd, is raided by agents of the Ministry of Intelligence – Read more
• Mr. Ali Ehsani, 29-year old husband and father of two, remains incarcerated incommunicado; his bail was refused – Read more

Iran Press Watch

No further details are available at this time.

Iran Press Watch

On Saturday morning, April 4, 2009, while on her way to her sister’s house in Hamadan, Sahba Khademi was seized by several plain-cloth persons.

When Miss Khademi was getting out of her car, she was stopped and questioned by several individuals and then taken to an unknown destination.  So far, no news of her has been received and her whereabouts remains unknown.

It should be noted that some time ago, agents of the Ministry of Intelligence called her and asked that she would present herself at the Ministry, but she refused to go.  And prior to that call, officers of the same Ministry had raided her home and confiscated some personal properties, including books, but since Sahba Khademi was not in Hamadan at that time, they were not able to arrest her.

Undoubtedly, the arrest of a 24-year old young lady and taking her to an unknown destination under suspicious circumstances is a source of deep worries for her family – and is yet another shameful act by those who instead of bringing security and tranquility to the nation, are causing stress and insecurity for the citizens of Iran.

[Source: http://khabarnavard.blogspot.com/2009/04/blog-post_10.html.  Translation by Iran Press Watch.]

By:  The Committee for Recourse of the Right of Access to Higher Education for Baha’is

The annual report of the Committee on the situation of higher education for the Baha’i community during the past year [March 2008 - March 2009].

This report contains multiple instances of the breach of social and civil rights of Baha’i students in Iran; it is published by the Committee for Recourse of the Right of Access to Higher Education for Baha’is [CRRAHEB], which is a sub-committee of the Human Rights Activists Organization in Iran.

It should be noted that due to the pressures exerted on the Baha’i community in Iran, which has intensified considerably during the past year, and in light of the absence of freedom for the press and the lack of freedom of movement of Human Rights activists to gather, present and pursue the wide-spread, persistent and organized instances of violation of human rights in Iran, this report cannot adequately reflect all violations of rights of Baha’i students in Iran and the suppression of their ability to seek recourse for their legitimate rights, and only represents that portion which has been reported by the Committee [CRRAHEB].

The deprivation of education to Baha’is in the year 1387 Sh [March 2008 - March 2009] can be divided into stages enforced by the Ministry of Intelligence and its security arm in the Ministry of Education.

1. Last year — that is, the year 1387 — we witnessed that many Baha’i students were  not allowed to participate in the national college entrance exam.  Many Baha’i students were deprived of their right to education, since the result of their exams was not reported and their files were shown as incomplete.  This also took place in the previous year [1386], and the number of persons who were declared to have “incomplete files” was reported to be 800.  Given that the Yaran ["Friends in Iran", a now defunct group, which previously had an ad hoc supervisory role for the Baha'i community of Iran] were in prison during most of last year, accurate statistics were not available, but it could be estimated that the number of those who were told that their files were “incomplete” was between 800 to 1000 during the year just completed.
2. In the year 1387, although a few Baha’i students received their report cards during the college entrance exam, a new trick was used to prevent them from entering many universities, such as the University of Shiraz.  Baha’i students discovered during the registration process, that was suppose to take place online, that only five choices were available for religion: Shi’a and Sunni Muslim, Christian, Jewish, and Zoroastrian. Applicants who did not select one of these five choices were unable to register!  In this way, many Baha’is were deprived of higher education in universities, which is in contradiction to paragraphs 3, 9, and 14 of article 3, as well as articles 14, 19, 20, and 30 of the [Islamic republic of Iran's] Constitution.
3. After some Baha’i youth were admitted into universities in year 1387, regrettably just as many were expelled, and in February and March we witnessed the intensification of these expulsions. Currently very few of those Baha’i students are enrolled in universities.  These few students who are still enrolled have no “educational security” whatsoever and may also be expelled at any moment. Hereunder, we describe briefly the accounts of entry, expulsion and deprivation of a few of these deprived Baha’i students who in cooperation with this committee have submitted their appeals.

• Parham Aqdassi: Majoring in Atomic Physics in Bu-Ali Sina University of Hamadan: was expelled on December 24, 2006, only after one semester.
• Hollaku Rahmanian: He was ranked number 76 in Iran in mathematics in the national college entrance exam in 2007, but after choosing a program was given the status “Refused”.  The following year, 2008, the same Baha’i youth was not allowed to participate in the national college entrance exam and his file was marked “incomplete”.
• Sima Haqiqat: Highest ranking student in Iran in foreign languages and 8th ranking in humanities in year 2004; she was deprived of education in subsequent years by being “Refused”.
• Hessam Missaqi: He was enrolled in the English language program at Sanaei University of Isfahan; after completing two terms and receiving a transcript for all passed subjects he was expelled along with two other Baha’i youth on July 4, 2008 on the charge of being a Baha’i.
• Arash Shahsavandi: Student in the Industrial Engineering program at the Polytechnic and Engineering University of Golpaygan: after completing one term with high honors, was expelled in February 2007.
• Mona Mohabbati:  Student in the Industrial Management program at Rezaei University of Kermanshah in 2006: after completing 3 terms was expelled during the fourth term in 2008.
• Arash Rouhani: Student in the Industrial Management program at Raqeb Advanced Studies Institute: was expelled after completing two terms.
• Minoo Sharyari: Student in the Economics program at the University of Semnan: was expelled on March 1, 2009.
• Sina Dana: Student in the Medical Engineering program at Sahand University of Tabriz: was expelled after completing one term on March 3, 2009.
• Sama Noorani: Student in the Medical Engineering program at Sahand University of Tabriz: was expelled after completing one term on March 3, 2009.  It is worth noting that he was expelled along with two other Baha’i students named Sina Dana and Faraz Vazirzadeh.
• Borhan Rasti: Student in the Commerce Management program at the University of Shiraz: was expelled during registration on September 17, 2007.
• Faran Khan-Yaqma: Student in the Mathematics program at the University of Mazandaran: after completing 5 terms was expelled on March 7, 2009.
• Arman Roshan: Student in Civil Engineering at the University of Kerman: was expelled on January, 14, 2009.
• Bita Momtazi: Student at the University of Kerman: was expelled on January 14, 2009.
• Sepehr Qodrat: Student at the University of Kerman: was expelled on January 14, 2009.
• Mahnoush Dehqan: Student at the University of Kerman: was expelled on January 14, 2009.
• Qazal Sadeqi: Student at the University of Kerman: was expelled on January 14, 2009.
• Daniel Motahhari: Student at the University of Kerman: was expelled on January 14, 2009.
• Lua Baqi: Student in the Civil Engineering program at the University of Kerman: was expelled on January 14, 2009.
• Niloufar Kanani: Student at the University of Kerman: was expelled on January 14, 2009.
• Nasim Moattar: Student of University at the Kerman: was expelled on January 14, 2009.
• Iman Mirza-Panah: This student was ranked number 88 in Iran in the national college entrance exam in the field of mathematics, but was prevented from selecting a program and entering university.
• Rozita Tashakor: Student in the Foreign Language Translation program at Payam-Nur University of Isfahan: was expelled in 2006 and deprived from further education.
• Saqar Miri: Student at Nuri University in Mazandaran: was expelled in 2006.

It should be emphasized that the names mentioned above are but a small fraction of the expulsions and deprivations from access to education for Baha’i students in recent times.

The following are a small sampling of encounters with the authorities that these youth barred from education have experience during the last year.

• Pulling guns on expelled student:  After being expelled from university, on September 11, 2008, three Baha’i students, Navid Khanjani, Hessam Missaqi, and Armin Rahmani, were following up on their appeal letters requesting reasons for their expulsion.  This letter was sent to their Parliamentary representative. When they visited that office, the youth were confronted by armed guards who tried to instigate an altercation with the Baha’i youth in hopes that they could arrest the Baha’is.  However, further escalation was prevented by the intercession of Hojjatu’l-Islam Mohammad-Taqi Rahbar, a member of parliament from Isfahan.
• Incarceration and interrogation at the Ministry of Education: In their follow-up, on December 16, 2008, these deprived students — namely, Navid Khanjani and Hessam Missaqi — went to the office of Dr. Jamshidi, the General Manager of Parliament Affairs of the Ministry of Education.  When they arrived at the said office, they were summarily arrested by undercover agents of the security division.  Afterwards, they were incarcerated and interrogated for 10 hours, all their papers, letters and forms were confiscated, and after many threats they were allowed to leave on the condition that they would never follow up on their expulsion again.

[This report was posted on March 19, 2009, on Iran Press News, http://www.iranpressnews.com/source/056430.htm and on Human Rights Activists of Iran, http://hra-iran.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=739:3&catid=160:6954&Itemid=368. Translation by Iran Press Watch.]