{"componentChunkName":"component---src-templates-archive-page-jsx","path":"/archive/40/","result":{"pageContext":{"strings":{"about":"About","additional_articles":"Additional Articles","administration":"Administration","africa":"Africa","all_bahaiorg_sites":"All Bahai.org Sites","all_sites":"All sites","all_sites_arising_serve":"Arising to Serve","all_sites_arising_serve_caption":"A film recounting highlights of the 41 regional Bahá’í conferences called by the Universal House of Justice in 2008","all_sites_bahai_org":"The official website of the worldwide Bahá’í community","all_sites_bahai_org_library":"Bahá’í Reference Library","all_sites_bahai_org_library_caption":"The authoritative online source of Bahá’í writings","all_sites_bahaullah_org":"The Life of Bahá’u’lláh","all_sites_bahaullah_org_caption":"A photographic narrative of the life of Bahá’u’lláh","all_sites_bic":"Bahá’í International Community Representative Offices","all_sites_bic_caption":"The official website of the Bahá’í International Community’s Representative Offices. The site contains news and information about recent activity and provides access to BIC statements, reports, and other publications","all_sites_bicentenary":"Bicentenary of the Birth of Bahá’u’lláh","all_sites_bicentenary_bab":"Bicentenary of the Birth of The Báb","all_sites_bicentenary_caption":"The official international website for the bicentenary of the birth of Bahá’u’lláh","all_sites_frontiers_learning":"Frontiers of Learning","all_sites_frontiers_learning_caption":"This film captures the insights and experiences of people from four communities across the world whose efforts to build vibrant communities are at the frontiers of learning","all_sites_light_to_the_world":"Light to the World","all_sites_light_to_the_world_caption":"A feature film about the life and teachings of Bahá’u’lláh","all_sites_media_bank":"Bahá’í Media Bank","all_sites_media_bank_caption":"Photographs available for downloading","all_sites_national_communities":"National Bahá’í Communities","all_sites_national_communities_caption":"A page containing links to the websites of many national Bahá’í communities from around the world","all_sites_news_bahai_org_caption":"The official news website of the worldwide Bahá’í community","all_sites_title":"Official Bahá’í Sites","all_sites_universalhouseofjustice_org":"The Universal House of Justice","all_sites_universalhouseofjustice_org_caption":"Information about the Universal House of Justice and selected statements and letters","all_sites_widening_embrace":"A Widening Embrace","all_sites_widening_embrace_caption":"A documentary film about the community-building efforts of the Bahá’í world","americas":"Americas","android":"Android","archive_results_to_of_a":"Results","archive_results_to_of_b":"to","archive_results_to_of_c":"of","asia":"Asia","back_to_story":"Back to Story","bahai_international_community":"Bahá'í International Community","bahai_media_bank":"Bahá’í Media Bank","bahai_reference_library":"Bahá’í Reference Library","bahai_world_centre":"Bahá’í World Centre","bahai_world_news_service":"Bahá’í World News Service","bahai_world_news_service_bwns":"Bahá’í World News Service (BWNS)","bahaiorg_home":"Bahai.org Home","bahais_semnan":"The Bahá’ís of Semnan","battambang_cambodia_house_worship":"House of Worship in Battambang, Cambodia","battambang_cambodia_temple":"Battambang, Cambodia Temple Inauguration","before_downloading_terms":"Before downloading please refer to the [Terms of use](/legal/).","bic_un_office":"Bahá’í International Community\nUN Office","brief_history":"Brief history","bwns_noTranslation":"BWNS","cdn_documentlibrary_path":"http://dl.bahai.org/bwns/assets/documentlibrary/","cdn_images_path":"//bwns.imgix.net/","chile_house_worship":"Chile House of Worship","chile_temple":"Chile Temple Inauguration","close":"Close","closed_doors_denial_education_iran":"Closed Doors: Denial of Education in Iran","comma":",","comprehensive_report":"Comprehensive report","contact":"Contact","contact_h1":"Contacting the Bahá’í World News Service","contact_h2":"Contacting Bahá’í institutions","contact_h3":"Reporting technical problems","contact_information":"Contact Information","contact_p1":"General inquiries about BWNS can be directed to [news@bahai.org](mailto:news@bahai.org). Information regarding news and media contacts is available in the [Media Information](/media-information/) section.","contact_p2":"The Bahá’í Faith is established in more than 100,000 localities in virtually every country and territory around the world. At the national level, the affairs of the Bahá’í community are guided by National Spiritual Assemblies, and a list of websites for many national Bahá’í communities can be found at the [National Communities page](https://www.bahai.org/national-communities/) on Bahai.org.","contact_p3":"To report a technical problem with this site, please send a detailed description and screenshot of the issue, along with the address of the page where it occurred, to [webmaster@bahai.org](mailto:webmaster@bahai.org). Please note that this email address exists to receive reports of technical problems with the site and it is not possible to respond to other queries through this facility.","copy_link":"Copy Link","did_not_match_any_documents_showing_results_for":"did not match any documents. Showing results for","did_you_mean":"Did you mean:","download":"Download","download_highest_resolution":"Download highest resolution","email":"Email","email_address":"Email Address","enlarge":"Enlarge","error_page":"Error Occurred","error_page_p1":"Sorry. An error has occurred with your request. It would help us if you let us know what you were trying to do when this error occurred by using our [contact form](https://www.bahai.org/contact/).","europe":"Europe","featured_stories":"Featured stories","featured_videos":"Featured videos","follow_updates_via_instagram_twitter":"Follow the Bahá’í World News Service on Twitter and Instagram for regular updates and stories","from_bwns_archive":"From the Bahá’í World News Service archive","get_notified_stories":"Get notified of stories","highest_resolution":"Highest resolution","historical_photographs":"Historical photographs","homepage_feature_audio_h2":"Recent podcast episodes","homepage_feature_audio_h3":"Audio versions of stories","homepage_feature_audio_p1":"Selected audio content from around the globe","homepage_feature_h1":"Subscribe to BWNS Updates","houses_worship":"Houses of Worship","human_rights_iran":"Human Rights in Iran","images":"images","ios":"iOS","iran_news_stories":"Iran News Stories","key_terms_facts":"Key terms and facts","latest_headlines":"Latest headlines","latest_video_category":"Latest","legal":"Legal","legal_h1":"Privacy","legal_h2":"Terms of Use","legal_information":"Legal Information","legal_li_1":"They must at all times be attributed to the Bahá’í World News Service.","legal_li_2":"Photographs and stories cannot be used in any way (including, without limitation, suggesting an association with or endorsement of any product, service, opinion or cause) that conflicts with the intent and premise of the original source.","legal_li_3":"Photographs may be edited for size only. Captions must remain with the photographs at all times.","legal_li_4":"The Bahá’í World News Service will not be responsible to any person or organization for any liability for any direct, incidental,  consequential, indirect, or punitive damages that may result from any access to or use of the stories and/or photographs on our site.","legal_li_5":"Although this blanket permission to reproduce BWNS material is given freely such that no special permission is required, the Bahá’í World News Service retains full copyright protection for its stories and photographs under all applicable national and international laws.","legal_p1_1":"On this Web site we try to ensure your privacy. We collect only personal information provided by you on a voluntary basis, in order to respond to your queries and to send you any additional information and material that you request.","legal_p1_2":"Visitors to this Web site are not tracked, except to produce aggregate statistical data that does not identify individual users. Where we must use cookies to provide essential functionality, these are not used to track your use of the site or to store personally-identifiable information. Steps have been taken to ensure that all information collected from you will remain secure, free from unauthorized access, use or disclosure. Please keep in mind that if you leave this site via a link, the other site may have a different policy regarding privacy.","legal_p1_3a":"We occasionally update this privacy policy and encourage you to review it periodically. If you wish to correct your personal information, or have questions regarding this policy, please send an email message to","legal_p1_3b":"or call the Bahá’í World News Service at +972 (4) 835-8412, between 8 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. GMT +2, Sunday through Thursday.","legal_p2_1":"All stories and photographs produced by the Bahá’í World News Service may be freely reprinted, e-mailed, posted to the World Wide Web and otherwise reproduced by any individual or organization, subject to the following restrictions:","legal_p2_2":"The Bahá’í World News Service is an agency of the Bahá’í International Community, a nongovernmental organization that represents and encompasses the five million members of the Bahá’í Faith.","links_other_websites":"Links to other Web sites","listen":"Listen","listen_bwns":"Listen to BWNS","load_more_results":"Load more results","media_bank":"Media Bank","media_information":"Media Information","media_information_about_bwns":"About BWNS","media_information_administration_h2":"International","media_information_administration_h3":"National","media_information_administration_h4":"Local","media_information_administration_p1":"The Bahá’í Faith is administered by a series of elected bodies at the local, national, and international levels. There is no class of ecclesiastics or clergy.","media_information_administration_p2":"The Universal House of Justice is the international governing council of the Bahá’í Faith. It is the supreme administrative body ordained by Bahá’u’lláh in His book of laws. The Universal House of Justice is elected every five years at the International Bahá’í Convention, where members of the National Spiritual Assemblies (see below) around the world serve as delegates. The Universal House of Justice was first elected in 1963. Its permanent seat is on Mount Carmel in Haifa.","media_information_administration_p3":"At the national level, the affairs of the Bahá’í community are administered by the National Spiritual Assembly, a nine-member elected council responsible for guiding, co-ordinating, and stimulating the activities of Local Spiritual Assemblies and individual members of the Bahá’í community within a given country. The responsibilities of a National Spiritual Assembly include channelling the community’s financial resources, fostering the growth and vibrancy of the national Bahá’í community, supervising the affairs of the community including its social and economic development activities and its properties, overseeing relations with government, resolving questions from individuals and Local Spiritual Assemblies, and strengthening the participation of the Bahá’í community in the life of society at the national level.","media_information_administration_p4":"At the local level, the affairs of the Bahá’í community are administered by the Local Spiritual Assembly. Each Local Assembly consists of nine members who are chosen in annual elections. As with all other elected Bahá’í institutions, the Assembly functions as a body and makes decisions through consultation. The responsibilities of the Local Spiritual Assembly include promoting the spiritual education of children and young people, strengthening the spiritual and social fabric of Bahá’í community life, assessing and utilizing the community’s resources, and ensuring that the energies and talents of community members contribute towards progress.","media_information_administration_p5":"In addition, the Bahá’í Faith has **counsellors**, appointed to five-year terms by the Universal House of Justice, who serve as advisers in countries and regions around the world. Currently there are 90 such counsellors assigned to specific countries or regions, and an additional nine counsellors who constitute the membership of the International Teaching Centre at the Bahá’í World Centre in Haifa.","media_information_administration_p6":"The Bahá’í International Community is a non-governmental organization that represents the worldwide Bahá’í community. It has been registered with the United Nations (UN) as a non-governmental organization since 1948. It currently has consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social council (ECOSOC) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), as well as accreditation with the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) and the United Nations Department of Public Information (DPI). The Bahá’í International Community collaborates with the UN and its specialized agencies, as well as member states, inter- and non-governmental organizations, academia, and practitioners. It has Representative Offices in Addis Ababa, Brussels, Cairo, Geneva, Jakarta, and New York.","media_information_bahai_world_centre_li_4_a":"the Seat of the Universal House of Justice,","media_information_bahai_world_centre_li_4_b":"the International Teaching Centre,","media_information_bahai_world_centre_li_4_c":"the Centre for the Study of the Texts,","media_information_bahai_world_centre_li_4_d":"the International Archives Building.","media_information_bahai_world_centre_p1":"The spiritual and administrative center of the Bahá’í Faith is permanently established in the Acre-Haifa area of northern Israel, following the explicit instructions of Bahá’u’lláh.","media_information_bahai_world_centre_p2":"The burial place, or shrine, of Bahá’u’lláh near Acre and that of the Báb on Mount Carmel in Haifa are the holiest spots on earth for Bahá’ís. Other sites associated with the life of Bahá’u’lláh as well as the burial site of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá are revered by Bahá’ís as holy places.","media_information_bahai_world_centre_p3":"The shrines are the object of pilgrimage for thousands of Bahá’ís each year.","media_information_bahai_world_centre_p4":"The administrative offices are positioned in an Arc across Mount Carmel in Haifa and include:","media_information_bahai_world_centre_p5":"Also in Haifa are the Bahá’í International Community’s Secretariat and Office of Public Information.","media_information_bahai_world_centre_p6":"The Bahá’í World Centre is known for the gardens surrounding the Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh near Acre, and also for the gardens and terraces surrounding the golden-domed Shrine of the Báb on Mount Carmel in Haifa.","media_information_bahai_world_centre_p7":"At this time the Shrine of the Báb is open to the public.","media_information_brief_history_p1":"The Bahá’í Faith traces its origin to 1844 and the announcement by a young man, Siyyid ‘Alí-Muhammad, in Shiraz, Persia (now Iran), that He had been sent by God to prepare humanity for a new age and the imminent appearance of another Messenger even greater than Himself.","media_information_brief_history_p10":"During the 40 years of His exile, Bahá’u’lláh revealed a series of books, tablets, and letters that today form the core of the **holy writings of the Bahá’í Faith**. Comprising the equivalent of some 100 volumes, the writings of Bahá’u’lláh describe the nature of God and the purpose of human existence, give new religious laws, and outline a vision for creating a peaceful and prosperous global society.","media_information_brief_history_p11":"In His will, Bahá’u’lláh named His eldest son, ‘Abbás Effendi (1844-1921), as the head of the Bahá’í Faith and authorized interpreter of His teachings. ‘Abbás Effendi, known to Bahá’ís as ‘Abdu’l-Bahá (“Servant of Bahá”), became well-known in the Haifa/Acre area for his charitable works, and he also traveled through Europe and North America to encourage nascent Bahá’í communities and to proclaim Bahá’u’lláh’s teachings to the general public. The writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá are considered part of the sacred scriptures of the Bahá’í Faith.","media_information_brief_history_p12":"‘Abdu’l-Bahá passed away in 1921. In his will he had designated his grandson **Shoghi Effendi** (1897-1957) as his successor, with the title of **Guardian of the Bahá’í Faith**. During the ministry of Shoghi Effendi, the religion spread around the world, and its local and national administrative institutions were established. With the passing of Shoghi Effendi in 1957, the line of hereditary leaders of the Bahá’í Faith came to an end.","media_information_brief_history_p13":"Following provisions established by Bahá’u’lláh, in 1963 the **Universal House of Justice** was elected to direct the affairs of the worldwide Bahá’í community. The nine members of the Universal House of Justice are elected every five years by the members of the Bahá’í national administrative bodies around the world.","media_information_brief_history_p2":"Siyyid ‘Alí-Muhammad took the title of the **Báb** (meaning “Gate” in Arabic) and said the one whose coming He foretold would be the universal Manifestation of God sent to inaugurate an age of peace and enlightenment as promised in all the world’s religions.","media_information_brief_history_p3":"The Báb’s teachings, which spread rapidly, were viewed as heretical by the clergy and government of Persia. More than 20,000 of His followers, known as Bábís, perished in a series of massacres throughout the country.","media_information_brief_history_p4":"The Báb Himself was publicly executed in the city of Tabriz on 9 July 1850.","media_information_brief_history_p5":"Bahá’ís consider the Báb to be both an independent Messenger of God and the forerunner of **Bahá’u’lláh** (“the Glory of God” in Arabic), who is the founder of the Bahá’í Faith.","media_information_brief_history_p6":"Bahá’u’lláh, whose name was Mírzá Husayn ‘Alí, was born into a noble family in Tehran on 12 November 1817. In His mid-20s, He declined a life of privilege and became one of the leading disciples of the Báb.","media_information_brief_history_p7":"In 1852, in the course of the persecution of the Bábís, He was arrested, beaten, and thrown into an infamous dungeon in Tehran. After four months, He was released and banished from His native land – the beginning of 40 years of exile and imprisonment.","media_information_brief_history_p8":"He was first sent to Baghdad, where He and His companions stayed for 10 years. In 1863, on the eve of His further banishment to what is now Turkey and then to the Holy Land, Bahá’u’lláh announced that He was the Universal Messenger of God foretold by the Báb.","media_information_brief_history_p9":"In 1868, Bahá’u’lláh arrived in the Holy Land with about 70 family members and followers, sentenced by the Ottoman authorities to perpetual confinement in the penal colony of Acre. The order of confinement was never lifted, but because of the growing recognition of His outstanding character, He eventually was able to move outside the walls of the prison city. He lived His final years at a country home called Bahjí, where He passed away in 1892. He was interred there, and His shrine is the holiest place on earth for Bahá’ís.","media_information_description":"Contacts, facts, style guide,\ngeneral information, and photos","media_information_h1":"National and local","media_information_h2":"International","media_information_h2_a":"Bahá’í World News Service","media_information_h2_b":"Bahá’í International Community","media_information_h2_c":"Bahá’í International Community - United Nations Offices:","media_information_h2_e":"For languages other than English:","media_information_houses_worship_li_1":"Wilmette, Illinois, United States. Opened in 1953.","media_information_houses_worship_li_2":"Kampala, Uganda. Opened in 1961.","media_information_houses_worship_li_3":"Sydney, Australia. Opened in 1961.","media_information_houses_worship_li_4":"Frankfurt, Germany. Opened in 1964.","media_information_houses_worship_li_5":"Panama City, Panama. Opened in 1972.","media_information_houses_worship_li_6":"Apia, Samoa. Opened in 1984.","media_information_houses_worship_li_7":"New Delhi, India. Opened in 1986.","media_information_houses_worship_li_8":"Santiago, Chile. Opened in 2016.","media_information_houses_worship_li_9":"Battambang, Cambodia. Opened in 2017.","media_information_houses_worship_li_10":"Norte del Cauca, Colombia. Opened in 2018.","media_information_houses_worship_li_11":"Matunda Soy, Kenya. Opened in 2021.","media_information_houses_worship_li_12":"Tanna, Vanuatu. Opened in 2021.","media_information_houses_worship_li_13":"Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Opened in 2023.","media_information_houses_worship_li_14":"Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. Opened in 2024.","media_information_houses_worship_p1":"Bahá’u’lláh designated Bahá’í Houses of Worship as spiritual gathering places for prayer and meditation around which will cluster social, humanitarian, educational, and scientific institutions. Eight continental, two national, and four local Bahá’í Houses of Worship have been built.","media_information_houses_worship_p2":"The physical structure of a House of Worship comprises a central building—a House of Worship—along with several dependencies. While the House of Worship forms the focal point of worship in a geographical area, its purpose is not solely to provide a place for prayer. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá explained that, through the provision of education, healthcare and other services it is also to support the social and economic progress of the community and afford shelter, relief and assistance to those in need. In this connection, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá anticipated that subsidiary branches—such as a hospital, school, university, dispensary, and hospice—would gradually be added to a House of Worship. Bahá’u’lláh refers to the House of Worship as a Mashriqu’l-Adhkár, Arabic for “dawning place of the mention of God.”","media_information_houses_worship_p3":"Bahá’í Houses of Worship are located in:","media_information_houses_worship_p4":"Plans are underway to build a national House of Worship in Brazil, Canada, and Malawi. A local House of Worship is also being constructed in Batouri, Cameroon; Bihar Sharif, India; Kanchanpur, Nepal; and Mwinilunga, Zambia. At the local level, meetings for worship are held regularly in Bahá’í centers and in the homes of believers all over the world.","media_information_key_terms_facts_h1":"Name of the religion and of the organization – the Bahá’í Faith","media_information_key_terms_facts_h2":"Founder of the Bahá’í Faith – Bahá’u’lláh","media_information_key_terms_facts_h3":"Year of founding – 1844","media_information_key_terms_facts_h4":"Head of the religion – the Universal House of Justice","media_information_key_terms_facts_h5":"Number of Bahá’ís – more than 5 million","media_information_key_terms_facts_h6":"Description of the religion and key beliefs","media_information_key_terms_facts_li_6_a":"the unity of the races and elimination of prejudice,","media_information_key_terms_facts_li_6_b":"the equality of women and men,","media_information_key_terms_facts_li_6_c":"universal education,","media_information_key_terms_facts_li_6_d":"the elimination of extremes of wealth and poverty,","media_information_key_terms_facts_li_6_e":"a spiritual solution to economic problems,","media_information_key_terms_facts_li_6_f":"establishment of a universal auxiliary language,","media_information_key_terms_facts_li_6_g":"the harmony of science and religion,","media_information_key_terms_facts_li_6_h":"the independent investigation of truth,","media_information_key_terms_facts_li_6_i":"the creation of a world commonwealth of nations that will keep the peace through collective security.","media_information_key_terms_facts_p1_a":"The Bahá’í Faith is an independent world religion.","media_information_key_terms_facts_p1_b":"A member is called a Bahá’í (plural: Bahá’ís). It is also correct to say that someone is a “member of the Bahá’í Faith,” a “follower of the Bahá’í Faith,” a “follower of Bahá’u’lláh,” or a member of the Bahá’í community of a given locality.","media_information_key_terms_facts_p1_c":"The term “Bahá’í International Community” refers to the non-governmental organization that represents the worldwide Bahá’í community. It has been registered with the United Nations (UN) as a non-governmental organization since 1948. It currently has consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social council (ECOSOC) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), as well as accreditation with the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) and the United Nations Department of Public Information (DPI). The Bahá’í International Community collaborates with the UN and its specialized agencies, as well as member states, inter- and non-governmental organizations, academia, and practitioners. It has Representative Offices in Addis Ababa, Brussels, Cairo, Geneva, Jakarta, and New York.","media_information_key_terms_facts_p2":"Bahá’ís consider Bahá’u’lláh to be the most recent in a line of great religious teachers, or Messengers of God, that includes Abraham, Buddha, Jesus Christ, Krishna, Muhammad, Moses, Zoroaster, and others. Bahá’u’lláh—the name is Arabic for “Glory of God”—was born in 1817 in Tehran, Iran, and passed away in 1892 in Acre, Israel. The coming of Bahá’u’lláh was announced by the Báb (Arabic for “Gate”), also considered by Bahá’ís to be a divine Messenger.","media_information_key_terms_facts_p3":"There are a number of important dates in the establishment of the Bahá’í Faith, but the first announcement by the Báb of the new religion came in 1844.","media_information_key_terms_facts_p4":"The Universal House of Justice is the international governing council of the Bahá’í community, an elected body of nine men. Its seat is at the Bahá’í World Centre in Haifa, Israel. Around the world, in almost all countries, a National Spiritual Assembly oversees the affairs of the Bahá’í Faith in that country, and Local Spiritual Assemblies oversee local affairs.","media_information_key_terms_facts_p6_a":"The Bahá’í Faith is an independent, monotheistic religion established in virtually every country of the world. Bahá’ís believe that the world’s major religions represent unfolding chapters in God’s teachings for humankind, and that the writings of Bahá’u’lláh represent God’s guidance for this age.","media_information_key_terms_facts_p6_b":"Bahá’u’lláh’s central teaching is the unity of humanity under one God.","media_information_key_terms_facts_p6_c":"Among the many Bahá’í principles are the following:","media_information_key_terms_facts_p7":"For more information, see [Bahai.org](https://www.bahai.org).","media_information_li_a_1":"Phone (office): +972 (4) 835-8412","media_information_li_a_2":"E-mail, for news inquiries: [news@bahai.org](mailto:news@bahai.org)","media_information_li_b_1":"Mr. Saleem Vaillaincourt (London)","media_information_li_b_2":"Senior information officer","media_information_li_b_3":"Phone (office): +1 (212) 803-2544","media_information_li_b_4":"E-mail: [media@bic.org](mailto:media@bic.org)","media_information_li_c_1":"Ms. Bani Dugal (New York)","media_information_li_c_2":"Principal Representative of the Bahá’í International Community to the United Nations","media_information_li_c_3":"Bahá’í International Community","media_information_li_c_4":"Phone: +1 (212) 803-2500","media_information_li_c_5":"After-hours phone: +1 (914) 329-3020","media_information_li_c_6":"E-mail: [uno-nyc@bic.org](mailto:uno-nyc@bic.org)","media_information_li_d_1":"Ms. Simin Fahandej (Geneva)","media_information_li_d_2":"Representative of the Bahá’í International Community to the United Nations","media_information_li_d_3":"Bahá’í International Community","media_information_li_d_4":"Phone: +41 (27) 798-5400","media_information_li_d_5":"After-hours phone: +41 (78) 880-0759","media_information_li_d_6":"E-mail: [geneva@bic.org](mailto:geneva@bic.org)","media_information_li_e_1":"Persian – Simin Fahandej, +41 (27) 798-5400","media_information_li_e_2":"French – Rachel Bayani, +32 (475) 750394","media_information_li_e_3":"To arrange other languages +972 (4) 835-8412","media_information_media_contacts":"Media Contacts","media_information_p1":"Editors, journalists, and other media professionals are encouraged to contact the National Office of the Bahá’ís of their own country. See [National Communities](https://www.bahai.org/national-communities/).","media_information_p2":"BWNS reports on major developments and endeavors of the global Bahá’í community.","media_information_p3":"Information about the Bahá’í Faith is available at [Bahai.org](https://www.bahai.org/)","media_information_p_native":"The website for BWNS is located at [news.bahai.org](https://news.bahai.org/)","media_information_photographs_p1":"To arrange for photographs, you are encouraged to contact the office of the National Spiritual Assembly of the  Bahá’ís of your country. See [National Communities](https://www.bahai.org/national-communities/).","media_information_photographs_p2":"For more information, or for international photographs, contact the Bahá’í World Centre:","media_information_photographs_p3":"Phone: +972 (4) 835-8412  \n            E-mail: [news@bahai.org](mailto:news@bahai.org)","media_information_photographs_p4":"Photographs here may be downloaded and published, with photo credit given to the Bahá’í World Centre. [Terms of use](https://news.bahai.org/legal/).","media_information_photographs_p5":"Additional photos are available through the [Bahá’í Media Bank](https://media.bahai.org/). Images attached to articles in the [Bahá’í World News Service](https://news.bahai.org/) main site may also be downloaded.","media_information_photographs_p6":"Photographs of Bahá’ís imprisoned in Iran are available in the [Iran Update](/human-rights/iran/iran-update/photos.html) section of this Web site.","media_information_sidecontent_h1":"Bahá’ís in Iran","media_information_sidecontent_li":"Updates, background, photos","media_information_statistics_p1":"There are more than 5 million Bahá’ís in the world.","media_information_statistics_p2":"The Bahá’í Faith is established in virtually every country and in many dependent territories and overseas departments of countries. Bahá’ís reside in well over 100,000 localities. About 2,100 indigenous tribes, races, and ethnic groups are represented in the Bahá’í community.","media_information_statistics_p3":"There are currently 188 councils at the national level that oversee the work of communities. A network of over 300 training institutes, offering formal programs of Bahá’í education, span the globe.","media_information_statistics_p4":"Of the several thousand Bahá’í efforts in social and economic development, more than 900 are large-scale, sustained projects, including more than 600 schools and over 70 development agencies.","media_information_statistics_p5":"There are currently 14 Bahá’í Houses of Worship – in Australia, Cambodia, Chile, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Germany, India, Kenya, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Uganda, the United States, and Vanuatu. Plans are underway to build a national House of Worship in Brazil, Canada, and Malawi. Local Houses of Worship are also being constructed in Batouri, Cameroon; Bihar Sharif, India; Kanchanpur, Nepal; and Mwinilunga, Zambia. At the local level, meetings for worship are held regularly in Bahá’í centers and in the homes of believers all over the world.","media_information_statistics_p6":"The Bahá’í International Community has been registered with the United Nations as a non-governmental organization since 1948. It currently has consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social council (ECOSOC) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), as well as accreditation with the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) and the United Nations Department of Public Information (DPI). The Bahá’í International Community collaborates with the UN and its specialized agencies, as well as member states, inter- and non-governmental organizations, academia, and practitioners. It has Representative Offices in Addis Ababa, Brussels, Cairo, Geneva, Jakarta, and New York.","media_information_statistics_p7":"Bahá’í writings and other literature have been translated into more than 800 languages.","media_information_statistics_p8":"Each year, around one million people visit the Bahá’í Shrine, terraces, and gardens on Mount Carmel in Haifa, Israel.","media_information_statistics_p9":"In Iran, where the Bahá’í Faith originated, there are now about 300,000 Bahá’ís, constituting the largest religious minority in that country.","media_information_style_guide_h1":"Pronunciation guide","media_information_style_guide_h2":"Style guide and glossary","media_information_style_guide_p1":"**Bahá’í:**   Ba-HIGH  \n            **Bahá’u’lláh:**   Ba-ha-ul-LAH  \n            **Báb:**   Bahb (Bob)  \n            **‘Abdu’l-Bahá:**   Abdul ba-HAH  \n            **Naw-Rúz:**   Naw Rooz  \n            **Ridván:**   REZ-vahn","media_information_style_guide_p2_1":"**‘Abdu’l-Bahá** (1844-1921) – The son of Bahá’u’lláh who was the head of the Bahá’í Faith from 1892 to 1921. Bahá’u’lláh in His will had designated ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as His successor. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá occupies a special station as the authoritative interpreter of the writings of Bahá’u’lláh and as the perfect example of how a Bahá’í should live. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá traveled widely through Europe and North America from 1911-1913, explaining his Father’s teachings in talks, interviews, and addresses at universities, churches, temples, synagogues, and missions for the poor. (Bahá’ís capitalize pronouns—for example, “He”—that refers to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá out of respect for his special station. Such pronouns are not capitalized in this guide in deference to international journalistic style and also to avoid confusion with Bahá’u’lláh and the Báb, who are considered to be divine Prophets.) For more information, see [Bahai.org](https://www.bahai.org).","media_information_style_guide_p2_10":"**Bahá’í Faith** – The correct term for the religion is the Bahá’í Faith. It is an independent, monotheistic religion established in virtually every country of the world. It is not a sect of another religion. In a list of major religions, it would look like this: Hinduism, Zoroastrianism,  Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, the Bahá’í Faith.","media_information_style_guide_p2_11":"**Bahá’í International Community** – The Bahá’í International Community is a non-governmental organization that represents the worldwide Bahá’í community. It has been registered with the United Nations as a non-governmental organization since 1948. It currently has consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social council (ECOSOC) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), as well as accreditation with the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) and the United Nations Department of Public Information (DPI). The Bahá’í International Community collaborates with the UN and its specialized agencies, as well as member states, inter- and non-governmental organizations, academia, and practitioners. It has Representative Offices in Addis Ababa, Brussels, Cairo, Geneva, Jakarta, and New York. For more information, see [bic.org](https://www.bic.org).","media_information_style_guide_p2_12":"**Bahá’í World Centre** – The spiritual and administrative center of the Bahá’í Faith, comprising the holy places in the Haifa/Acre area in northern Israel and the Arc of administrative buildings on Mount Carmel in Haifa. The Bahá’í World Centre itself uses the spelling “Centre”; elsewhere both “Centre” and “Center” are used, depending on the custom of the country.","media_information_style_guide_p2_13":"**Bahá’u’lláh** – The founder of the Bahá’í Faith, who lived from 1817 to 1892, considered by Bahá’ís to be the most recent divine Messenger, or Manifestation of God, in a line of great religious figures that includes Abraham, Buddha, Jesus, Krishna, Moses, Muhammad, Zoroaster, the Báb, and others. Bahá’u’lláh was born in Tehran in present-day Iran, and passed away near Acre, in what is now Israel. “Bahá’u’lláh” is a title that means the “Glory of God” in Arabic; His name was Mírzá Husayn-‘Alí. His writings, which would equal about a hundred volumes, form the basis of the Bahá’í teachings. For more information, see [Bahai.org](http://www.bahai.org).","media_information_style_guide_p2_14":"**Bahjí** – The place near Acre where the Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh (His burial place) is located, as well as the mansion that was His last residence and surrounding gardens. It is a place of pilgrimage for Bahá’ís. The word “Bahjí” is Arabic for “delight.”","media_information_style_guide_p2_15":"**children’s classes** – Classes in moral education, open to all, that are provided for children, operated at the community level by the Bahá’í training institute.","media_information_style_guide_p2_16":"**Convention** – See [International Bahá’í Convention](#internationalbahaiconvention) and [National Bahá’í Convention](#nationalbahaicconvention).","media_information_style_guide_p2_18":"**counsellor** – An adviser appointed by the Universal House of Justice who serves in a particular geographic area or at the Bahá’í World Centre in Haifa. At present, there are 90 counsellors assigned to specific countries or regions, and nine counsellors who form the membership of the International Teaching Centre at the  Bahá’í World Centre. Appointments are for five years.","media_information_style_guide_p2_19":"**devotional meetings** – Gatherings, often in people’s homes, for prayers and to read the sacred writings of the Bahá’í Faith and other religions. Usually undertaken as an individual initiative.","media_information_style_guide_p2_2":"**accent marks** – Bahá’í, Bahá’u’lláh, and other names are written with accent marks, but many publications and websites do not have the facility for using such marks.","media_information_style_guide_p2_20":"**fast, the** – A period during which Bahá’ís abstain from food and drink from sunrise to sundown during the Bahá’í month of ‘Alá’, from 2 March to 20 March. Bahá’u’lláh enjoined His followers to pray and fast during this period. The sick, the traveler, and pregnant women, among others, are exempt.","media_information_style_guide_p2_21":"**feast** – See [Nineteen Day Feast](#nineteendayfeast).","media_information_style_guide_p2_22":"**Guardian of the Bahá’í Faith** – See [Shoghi Effendi](#shoghieffendi).","media_information_style_guide_p2_23":"**Haifa** – The city in northern Israel that, along with nearby Acre, is the location of the Bahá’í World Centre. The international administrative buildings of the Bahá’í Faith (including the Seat of the Universal House of Justice), the Shrine of the Báb, and surrounding terraces and gardens are all located on Mount Carmel in the heart of Haifa.","media_information_style_guide_p2_24":"**Holy days** – Eleven days that commemorate significant Bahá’í anniversaries. The nine holy days on which work is suspended are the Birth of Bahá’u’lláh, the Birth of the Báb, Declaration of the Báb, Ascension of Bahá’u’lláh, Martyrdom of the Báb, Naw-Rúz, Ridván (a 12-day festival, of which the first, ninth and 12th days are holy days). The other two holy days are the Day of the Covenant and the Ascension of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. *See names of individual holy days.*","media_information_style_guide_p2_25":"**Holy Land** – The area associated with present-day Israel, which is holy to a number of religions, including to Bahá’ís. The resting places of Bahá’u’lláh near Acre and of the Báb in Haifa are, to Bahá’ís, the holiest spots on earth.","media_information_style_guide_p2_26":"**International Archives Building** – One of the buildings at the Bahá’í World Centre on Mount Carmel in Haifa. The repository of many sacred relics of the Bahá’í Faith, it is visited by thousands of Bahá’í pilgrims each year.","media_information_style_guide_p2_27":"**International Bahá’í Convention** – A gathering every five years of delegates from around the world to consult on the affairs of the Bahá’í Faith and elect the members of the Universal House of Justice. Members of the National Spiritual Assemblies serve as delegates.","media_information_style_guide_p2_28":"**International Teaching Centre** – One of the institutions at the Bahá’í World Centre in Haifa. The International Teaching Centre has nine members, all counsellors appointed by the Universal House of Justice. Appointments are for five years.","media_information_style_guide_p2_29":"**Local Spiritual Assembly** – At the local level, the affairs of the Bahá’í community are administered by the Local Spiritual Assembly. Each Local Assembly consists of nine members who are chosen in annual elections. As with all other elected Bahá’í institutions, the Assembly functions as a body and makes decisions through consultation. The responsibilities of the Local Spiritual Assembly include promoting the spiritual education of children and young people, strengthening the spiritual and social fabric of Bahá’í community life, assessing and utilizing the community’s resources, and ensuring that the energies and talents of community members contribute towards progress.","media_information_style_guide_p2_3":"**Acre**– English rendering of the name of the city north of Haifa where Bahá’u’lláh was exiled in 1868. He lived in or near the city until His passing in 1892. Bahá’ís often use the Arabic name, ‘Akká, which was the name in general use during the time of Bahá’u’lláh. In Hebrew the name is Akko.","media_information_style_guide_p2_30":"**Mount Carmel** – In Haifa, Israel, site of the Bahá’í World Centre, including several Bahá’í holy places, the most important of which is the Shrine of the Báb, and the buildings housing the administrative offices of the Bahá’í World Centre.","media_information_style_guide_p2_31":"**National Bahá’í Convention** – In each country, the annual gathering of elected delegates to discuss the affairs of the Bahá’í Faith in their jurisdiction and to elect the members of the National Spiritual Assembly.","media_information_style_guide_p2_32":"**National Spiritual Assembly** – At the national level, the affairs of the Bahá’í community are administered by the National Spiritual Assembly, a nine-member elected council responsible for guiding, co-ordinating, and stimulating the activities of Local Spiritual Assemblies and individual members of the Bahá’í community within a given country. The responsibilities of a National Spiritual Assembly include channelling the community’s financial resources, fostering the growth and vibrancy of the national Bahá’í community, supervising the affairs of the community including its social and economic development activities and its properties, overseeing relations with government, resolving questions from individuals and Local Spiritual Assemblies, and strengthening the participation of the Bahá’í community in the life of society at the national level.","media_information_style_guide_p2_33":"**Nineteen Day Feast** – An administrative gathering at the local level. The term refers to a spiritual “feast” of prayers,  consultation and fellowship. It is held every 19 days, on the first day of each Bahá’í month.","media_information_style_guide_p2_34":"**pilgrimage** – Each year thousands of Bahá’ís undertake pilgrimage, during which they forge a profound and lasting connection with the spiritual and administrative centre of their Faith, located in the Haifa-Acre area of what is now northern Israel. Bahá’í pilgrims pray and meditate at the Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh and the Shrine of the Báb, as well as in the beautiful gardens that surround them. They also draw inspiration from the time spent at various historical sites associated with the lives of Bahá’u’lláh, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and Shoghi Effendi, as well as from visits to the edifices dedicated to the worldwide administration of the Bahá’í Faith.","media_information_style_guide_p2_35":"**progressive revelation** – The central belief that Manifestations of God have successively provided the guidance necessary for humanity’s social and spiritual evolution.","media_information_style_guide_p2_36":"**Regional Bahá’í Council** – In some countries, the National Spiritual Assembly assigns certain of its functions to Regional Bahá’í Councils, which serve a designated geographical area within the land in question. The responsibilities of a Regional Council may include carrying out policies of the National Spiritual Assembly, supervising progress of particular plans and projects, and taking steps to stimulate and coordinate the growth of the Bahá’í community within the region.","media_information_style_guide_p2_37":"**Shoghi Effendi** (1897-1957) – The head of the Bahá’í Faith from 1921 to 1957. His title is Guardian of the Bahá’í Faith. He is the grandson of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and the great-grandson of Bahá’u’lláh. For more information, see [Bahai.org](https://www.bahai.org).","media_information_style_guide_p2_38":"**Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh** – The resting place of the mortal remains of Bahá’u’lláh, located near the city of Acre in what is now Israel. The shrine is the holiest spot on earth to Bahá’ís and a place of pilgrimage.","media_information_style_guide_p2_39":"**Shrine of the Báb** – The resting place of the mortal remains of the Báb, located on Mount Carmel in Haifa, Israel. It is a sacred site to Bahá’ís and a place of pilgrimage.","media_information_style_guide_p2_4":"**‘Akká, Akko** – See entry above for “[Acre](#acre)”.","media_information_style_guide_p2_40":"**study circles** – A study circle is one of the principal elements of the process of distance education offered by the [Bahá’í training institute](https://www.bahai.org/action/response-call-bahaullah/training-institute). It is a small group that meets regularly to study the institute course materials.","media_information_style_guide_p2_41":"**Universal House of Justice** – The international governing council of the Bahá’í Faith. It is the supreme administrative body ordained by Bahá’u’lláh in His book of laws. The Universal House of Justice is elected every five years at the International Bahá’í Convention, where members of the National Spiritual Assemblies around the world serve as delegates. The Universal House of Justice was first elected in 1963. Its permanent seat is on Mount Carmel in Haifa.","media_information_style_guide_p2_5":"**Arc** – An area on Mount Carmel in Haifa, shaped like an arc, where the major international administrative buildings of the Bahá’í Faith, including the Seat of the Universal House of Justice, are situated.","media_information_style_guide_p2_6":"**Báb** – The title, meaning “Gate,” assumed by Siyyid ‘Ali-Muhammad, the Founder of the Bábí Faith and the Forerunner of Bahá’u’lláh. Considered by Bahá’ís to be one of the twin Manifestations of God associated with the Bahá’í Faith. Born on 20 October 1819, the Báb proclaimed Himself to be the Promised One of Islam and said His mission was to announce the imminent coming of another Messenger even greater than Himself, namely Bahá’u’lláh. Because of these claims, the Báb was executed by firing squad in the public square in Tabriz on 9 July 1850. His remains were hidden in Iran for many years before being taken to Haifa/Acre in 1899 and buried on Mount Carmel in 1909. For more information, see [Bahai.org](http://www.bahai.org).","media_information_style_guide_p2_7":"**Bábí Faith** – The religion founded by the Báb. After 1863 and the announcement by Bahá’u’lláh that He was the Messenger whose coming had been foretold by the Báb, the Bahá’í Faith gradually became established and most followers of the Báb began to call themselves Bahá’ís.","media_information_style_guide_p2_8":"**Badí‘ calendar** – The Bahá’í calendar, consisting of 19 months of 19 days each, with the addition of intercalary days known as Ayyám-i-Há. The number of these intercalary days varies according to the timing of the vernal equinox in the northern hemisphere in successive years. The first day of the year corresponds to the spring equinox. The Bahá’í era (B.E.) begins with 1844, the year of the Báb’s declaration. For more information, see [Bahai.org](https://www.bahai.org/action/devotional-life/calendar).","media_information_style_guide_p2_9":"**Bahá’í** – (1) A noun referring to a member of the Bahá’í Faith. The plural is Bahá’ís. (2) An adjective describing a person, place, or thing related to the Bahá’í Faith. Examples: a Bahá’í book, the Bahá’í community, a Bahá’í holy day, a Bahá’í holy place.","media_reports":"Media Reports","menu":"Menu","meta_description_bwns":"The Bahá’í World News Service - BWNS - The official news source of the worldwide Bahá’í community, reports on major developments and endeavors of the global Bahá’í community.","minutes_short":"min","mobile_app":"Mobile app","national_bahai_communities":"National Bahá’í Communities","news_email":"news@bahai.org","news_service_home":"BWNS Home","no_matches_for":"No matches for","no_results_for":"No results for","number_of":"of","oceania":"Oceania","official_news_site":"Official news source of the worldwide Bahá’í community","one_country":"One Country","other_bahai_sites":"Other Bahá’í Sites","other_sites":"Other sites","other_stories":"Other Stories","overview_section":"Overview of this Section","page_link":"Page link","photographs":"Photographs","photographs_download":"Photographs for download","podcast":"Podcast","podcast_available":"Podcast available","podcast_description_bwns":"Reporting on major developments and endeavors of the global Bahá’í community.","podcast_p1":"The Bahá’í World News Service (BWNS) podcast reports on major developments and endeavors of the global Bahá’í community.","podcast_subscribe":"Subscribe to the BWNS podcast for additional audio content.","print":"Print","privacy":"Privacy","recent_articles":"Recent Articles","recent_headlines":"Recent headlines","recent_media_reports":"Recent media reports","recieve_stories_email":"Receive stories via email","related_stories":"Related Stories","results":"Results","return_top":"Return to top","rss":"RSS","search":"Search","search_bahai_reference_library":"Search the Bahá’í Reference Library","search_bahaiorg":"Search Bahai.org","search_news_service":"Search the News Service","section_shrine_of_abdulbaha_description":"Read reports on the progress","section_shrine_of_abdulbaha_title":"Coverage of Construction Work of the Shrine of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá","see_all":"See All","seven_bahais_leaders":"The Seven Bahá’í Leaders","share":"Share","share_this_article":"Share this article","share_this_page":"Share this page","show_more":"Show more","sign_up":"Sign Up","slideshow":"Slideshow","social_media_name_instagram":"Instagram","social_media_name_instagram_account":"bahaiworldnewsservice","social_media_name_twitter":"Twitter","social_media_name_twitter_account":"bahainews","special_reports":"SPECIAL REPORTS","special_reports_shrine_construction":"Coverage of construction work for the Shrine of ‘Abdu’l‑Bahá","statistics":"Statistics","story_archive":"Story Archive","style_glossary_pronunciation_guide":"Style guide, glossary and pronunciation guide","subscribe":"Subscribe","subscribe-confirmation-message":"Thank you for your interest in Bahá’í World News Service (BWNS)","subscribe-souble-optin-email":"You will receive an email shortly, asking you to confirm your subscription.","subscribe_bot_submission":"This doesn't look like a human submission.","subscribe_check_email":"Please check your email to confirm your subscription!","subscribe_email_exists":"This email already exists! 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The ongoing...","date":"2014-05-08","customDateline":false,"city":"NEW YORK","country":"UNITED STATES","thumbnail":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543584324-99400.jpg"},"featureAudio":null,"feature":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ImageRecord","image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543584324-99400.jpg"},"imageDescription":"Photos of the destruction of a historic Baha’i cemetery in Shiraz by the Revolutionary Guards.","imageStyle":"large-right","imageLink":""}],"storyContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"Despite a worldwide outcry, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards is continuing to destroy a historic Baha'i cemetery in Shiraz, Iran.\n\nThe ongoing demolition – which is understood to be taking place without a permit from municipal authorities – continues unabated. Ironically, President Hassan Rouhani's advisor on religious and ethnic minorities spoke last Friday in a synagogue in Shiraz and called on Iranians to respect the rights of religious minorities. All the while, the revolutionary guards were carrying out the ongoing destruction in another part of the city.\n\n\"Baha'is around the world have been moved by the overwhelming expressions of outrage in the media and particularly from Iranians both inside and outside of Iran who condemn this deplorable act,\" said Ms. Bani Dugal, the principal representative of the Baha'i International Community to the United Nations.\n\nMany Iranians have responded with anger, registering their concern online.\n\n\"I'm a Shiite Muslim and now my religion is placing a great burden on me because it is destroying the cemetery of another religion,\" wrote someone in response to a story on Radio Farda, an Iranian news website. \"Mr. Rouhani, please wake up from your sleep.\"\n\nOn Facebook, on a Persian-language page dedicated to promoting the spirit of citizenship, an individual posted an article about the Shiraz cemetery's destruction, saying that whether someone was pro-government or against it, religious or atheist, how could one imagine supporting such an action. \"Which one of you supports this act committed against our Baha'i compatriots by the Islamic Republic?\"\n\nMs. Dugal added: \"Given the historic character of this ground, where some 950 Baha'is are buried, including [ten women](https://www.bic.org/sites/default/files/pdf/TheBahaiQuestion%2047-48.pdf) who were hanged in 1983 for their refusal to recant their Baha'i belief, this continuing action is not only illegal but morally outrageous.\"\n\nNoting that the news has been widely discussed in the news media and online, Ms. Dugal called on the international community to continue to raise its voice against the Guards' action, in the hope that it will motivate the authorities in Iran to press harder for them to stop the demolition.\n\n\"Given that his own advisor has been travelling the country calling for respect for religious minorities, we would hope that President Rouhani himself would step in and get the Revolutionary Guards to stop this desecration,\" she said.\n"},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_InlineImageRecord","slideshowImageNumber":2},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"[Word of the cemetery's demolition](/story/993) emerged on 1 May after the Baha'i International Community learned that Revolutionary Guards had in late April dug up an area of some 200 square meters and lined up some 40 to 50 trucks for continuing excavation.\n\nIt has since been learned that the appropriate municipal authorities had not issued a permit for the excavation, a legal procedure required for any such work. The Guards, who took ownership of the site three years ago and announced plans to build a new cultural and sports building there, ignored the legal requirement.\n\nAli Younesi, the special advisor to President Hassan Rouhani for ethnic and religious minorities, who issued a call for religious tolerance while visiting a synagogue in Shiraz, is reported to have said: \"Iran belongs to all Iranians from every minority group and they all have the right to live with peace among other people.\" He added: \"No one has the right to violate the rights of any minorities.\"\n\nMs. Dugal said Mr. Younesi's remarks seemed to make a mockery of the government's ability to control the Revolutionary Guards.\n\n\"Here we have a top presidential advisor to Hassan Rouhani calling for Iranians to respect the rights of religious minorities, in a talk given at a Jewish holy place no less, while the revolutionary guards are hard at work in another part of the city destroying the holy ground of another religious group,\" said Ms. Dugal. \"The irony, let alone the injustice, is incredible.\""}],"disableInlineCaptions":false,"slideshow":[{"image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543584320-99401.jpg"},"imageDescription":"Photos of the destruction of a historic Baha’i cemetery in Shiraz by the Revolutionary Guards."}],"pushRelatedContentDown":null,"relatedContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedFieldHeaderRecord","relatedHeaderText":"Related Stories"},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedArticleRecord","storyNumber":993,"relatedStoryCaption":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedArticleRecord","storyNumber":987,"relatedStoryCaption":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedArticleRecord","storyNumber":984,"relatedStoryCaption":""}],"updatedContent":false,"excludeFromHomepage":false,"category":[{"tagName":"defence"}],"highlightClip":null},{"storyNumber":993,"evergreenUrl":"destruction-historic-bahai-cemetery-under-way-shiraz-iranian-revolutionary-guards","title":"Destruction of historic Baha'i cemetery under way in Shiraz by Iranian Revolutionary Guards","description":"The Baha'i International Community was shocked to hear the news that Iran's Revolutionary Guards has begun excavation in a historically important...","date":"2014-05-01","customDateline":null,"city":"NEW YORK","country":"UNITED STATES","thumbnail":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1687959778-bwns-default-missing-image-endslate-still-8-1-1.jpg"},"featureAudio":null,"feature":[],"storyContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"The Baha'i International Community was shocked to hear the news that Iran's Revolutionary Guards has begun excavation in a historically important Baha'i cemetery in Shiraz. The site is, among other things, the resting place of ten Baha'i women whose cruel hanging in 1983 came to symbolize the government's deadly persecution of Baha'is.\n\n\"Reports from Iran came in yesterday that the excavation has begun and graves are being destroyed. Some 40 to 50 trucks are lined up to remove the earth and accelerate the work,\" said Bani Dugal, the principal representative of the Baha'i International Community to the United Nations.\n\n\"We are urgently calling on the international community to raise its voice in protest at this disturbing act.\n\n\"We also appeal directly to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to halt this act of desecration.\"\n\nReports received so far indicate that workers for the Revolutionary Guards had completed an excavation some 1.5 meters deep and 200 square meters in area. The hole is near a number of very old gravesites in the western part of the cemetery but is not yet deep enough to have disturbed the remains, it is believed.\n\nMs. Dugal said the local Baha'is have made appeals directly to the Revolutionary Guards asking that it construct the proposed  building on the areas of the site where there are no graves, and turn the areas with the graves into a green space, leaving the dead undisturbed.\n\n\"Appeals were made to various city and provincial authorities, including the commander in chief of the Revolutionary Guards, the municipality of Shiraz, the Friday prayer Imam, the governor of the city, Iran's prosecutor general and the head of the judiciary, with no results,\" said Ms. Dugal.\n\nOwned and used by the Baha'is of Shiraz since the early 1920s, the site was confiscated by the government in 1983, at which time its grave markers were leveled and its main buildings destroyed. Its ownership has since changed. Three years ago, the provincial office of the Revolutionary Guards announced it had taken over the site, and a sign was posted indicating that it planned to build a \"cultural and sports building\" there.\n\nSome 950 Baha'is are buried in the cemetery.\n\nAmong the prominent individuals at rest in the cemetery are the \"[ten Baha'i women of Shiraz](https://www.bic.org/sites/default/files/pdf/TheBahaiQuestion%2047-48.pdf),\" who were hanged on 18 June 1983 at the height of the government's campaign of execution against Baha'is. Between 1979 and 1988, more than 200 Baha'is were killed in Iran.\n\nThe ten women, who ranged in age from 17 to 57, were convicted of \"crimes\" such as being \"Zionists\" and the teaching of children's classes – the equivalent of \"Sunday school\" in the West. Their wrongful and dramatic execution drew condemnation from around the world. After their sentencing, for example, US President Ronald Reagan issued a plea for clemency for them and 12 other Baha'is who had been sentenced to death.\n\nDuring their trial, the ten women were told that if they recanted their faith, they would be released. \"Whether you accept it or not, I am a Baha'i,\" replied 28-year-old Zarrin Muqimi-Abyanih. \"You cannot take it away from me. I am a Baha'i with my whole being and my whole heart.\"\n\nThe youngest among them, Mona Mahmudnizhad, only 17 at the time of her death, has been immortalized in songs and videos. Her conspicuous innocence and brave demeanor in the face of death made her and the nine other women international symbols of Iran's harsh repression of Baha'is.\n\n[Attacks on Baha'i cemeteries](/story/976) have been a common feature of the persecution of Baha'is in Iran in recent years. Between 2005 and 2012, at least 42 Baha'i-owned cemeteries were attacked in some manner.\n\nThese attacks, often carried out with implicit if not direct government support, have involved the firebombing of mortuary buildings, the toppling of gravestones, the uprooting of landscape shrubbery, the spray-painting of anti-Baha'i graffiti on cemetery walls, and the exhumation of bodies."}],"disableInlineCaptions":false,"slideshow":[],"pushRelatedContentDown":null,"relatedContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedFieldHeaderRecord","relatedHeaderText":"The Baha'is of Iran"},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedLinkRecord","relatedLinkText":"[\"Unfulfilled Promises: Iran’s failure to act after its 2010 Universal Periodic Review\"](http://www.bic.org/unfulfilledpromises)","relatedLinkDescription":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedLinkRecord","relatedLinkText":"[\"Violence with Impunity: Acts of aggression against Iran's Baha'i community\"](https://news.bahai.org/story/942)","relatedLinkDescription":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedLinkRecord","relatedLinkText":"[\"Closed Doors: Iran's Campaign to Deny Higher Education to Baha'is\" - Special Section](https://news.bahai.org/human-rights/iran/education-special-report/)","relatedLinkDescription":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedLinkRecord","relatedLinkText":"[The Baha'is of Semnan - Special Report](https://news.bahai.org/human-rights/iran/semnan/)","relatedLinkDescription":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedLinkRecord","relatedLinkText":"[\"The Trial of the Seven Baha'i Leaders\" - Special Report](https://news.bahai.org/human-rights/iran/yaran-special-report/)","relatedLinkDescription":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedLinkRecord","relatedLinkText":"[BWNS Iran Update](https://news.bahai.org/human-rights/iran/iran-update.html)","relatedLinkDescription":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedLinkRecord","relatedLinkText":"[\"Inciting Hatred: Iran's Media Campaign to Demonize Baha'is\" - Special Report](http://bic.org/resources/documents/inciting-hatred-book)","relatedLinkDescription":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedFieldHeaderRecord","relatedHeaderText":"Related Stories"},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedArticleRecord","storyNumber":983,"relatedStoryCaption":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedArticleRecord","storyNumber":979,"relatedStoryCaption":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedArticleRecord","storyNumber":987,"relatedStoryCaption":""}],"updatedContent":false,"excludeFromHomepage":false,"category":[{"tagName":"defence"}],"highlightClip":null},{"storyNumber":992,"evergreenUrl":"ayatollah-tehranis-gift-stirs-global-conversation-religious-coexistence","title":"Ayatollah Tehrani's gift stirs global conversation on religious coexistence","description":"The ground-breaking gift of a senior Iranian cleric to the worldwide Baha'i community is beginning to stir a global conversation about religious...","date":"2014-04-25","customDateline":false,"city":"NEW YORK","country":"UNITED STATES","thumbnail":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543584299-99201.jpg"},"featureAudio":null,"feature":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ImageRecord","image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543584299-99201.jpg"},"imageDescription":"Bishop Angaelos of the Coptic Orthodox Church in the UK. In his recent statement, Bishop Angaelos praises Ayatollah Tehrani's gesture, saying he prays that the promotion of tolerance and coexistence will “become increasingly manifest not only in Iran but across the Middle East and the world.”","imageStyle":"canvas-right","imageLink":""}],"storyContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"The ground-breaking gift of a senior Iranian cleric to the worldwide Baha'i community is beginning to stir a global conversation about religious coexistence and freedom of religion.\n\nMore statements of support for the actions and words of Ayatollah Abdol-Hamid Masoumi-Tehrani have been issued in the United Kingdom and India, and other prominent individuals are offering comments in the Netherlands, Spain, and the United States.\n\nThe response comes after Ayatollah Tehrani bravely gave to the Baha'is of the world a calligraphic rendering of Baha'i sacred verses, along with a plea for religious \"coexistence\".\n\nIn the United Kingdom, Catholic Archbishop Kevin McDonald said in a statement on Thursday: \"In interreligious relations it is vital that adherents of different religions come to understand each other more deeply and more sympathetically. This development within the Iranian context is therefore particularly significant and welcome.\" Archbishop McDonald is director of the Office for Interreligious Relations of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales.\n\nAlso on Thursday in the United Kingdom, Bishop Angaelos of the Coptic Orthodox Church issued a statement praising Ayatollah Tehrani, saying he prays that the promotion of tolerance and coexistence will \"become increasingly manifest not only in Iran but across the Middle East and the world.\"\n\n\"Within the last few years it has become increasingly apparent that one of the most important rights to preserve is that of religious freedom, yet many across the world remain persecuted for their beliefs and are denied that very basic right,\" said Bishop Angaelos.  \"As Christians we believe that God created individuals with a freedom to choose and practice their personal religion and belief, and viewing this as an essential gift we continue to advocate for all who are entitled to this,\" he said.\n\nHarry van Bommel, a Member of Parliament in the Netherlands, published news of Ayatollah Tehrani's actions [on his blog](http://harryvanbommel.sp.nl/weblog), saying: \"The action of this Ayatollah is important and does not stand alone. There are a growing number of religious scholars who together form a constructive and principled voice [for religious coexistence] that deserves to be supported and promoted.\"\n\n"},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_InlineImageRecord","slideshowImageNumber":2},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"In the Netherlands, prominent journalist and Middle East affairs expert Eildert Mulder has published a column in the newspaper Trouw extolling Ayatollah Tehrani's action and calling him an \"advocate for real freedom of religion or belief\". Ayatollah Tehrani's gift was a \"striking\" action aimed at promoting tolerance between the different religions, he said.\n\nIn India, Soli Sorabjee, the country's former Attorney General, and Amitabh Behar, a noted civil society activist, both discussed Ayatollah Tehrani's actions in terms of minority rights.\n\nMr. Sorabjee called Ayatollah Tehrani's words and deeds \"courageous\" in a land where \"minorities have been suffering human rights violations\" and discrimination.\n\n\"This senior cleric has indeed articulated constructive and principled voice of commitment to religious tolerance and respect for human dignity which is the dire need in the conflict-ridden societies in many nations and states,\" said Mr. Sorabjee.\n\nMr. Behar, who is Executive Director of the National Foundation for India, which works for social justice philanthropy in India, said he hoped Ayatollah Tehrani's gesture would \"create a more conducive environment for minority rights in Iran.\"\n\n\"(W)e globally see a spurt in intolerance and discrimination against the minorities of all kinds,\" said Mr. Behar. \"In these times all acts to strengthen a plural and tolerant society and polity are most welcome. We need to celebrate diversity and acts of courage which build a peaceful and just society.\"\n\nIn Spain, representatives of the humanist movement Comunidad del Mensaje de Silo de Alcala de Henares wrote an open letter to the Iranian Embassy in Spain, praising Ayatollah Tehrani and calling for greater religious tolerance.\n\n\"It is clear that from a people in whom Poetry is a value and a perspective on life, one could not hope for more than an act as brave as that which has been done, recognizing universal human values such as equality and respect, regardless of what religion one professes,\" wrote Fernando Montalban, Mabel Naya and Marisol Gonzalez.\n\nIn the United States, the FaithStreet website published [an article by Michael Karlberg](http://www.faithstreet.com/onfaith/2014/04/23/an-ayatollahs-gift-to-bahais-irans-largest-religious-minority/31794), a professor at Western Washington University who has a special interest in constructive resilience, on its OnFaith blog that linked Ayatollah Tehrani's actions to a list of others who have acted courageously in support of human rights and tolerance.\n\nAyatollah Tehrani's \"message is urgently needed in Iran and his actions provide a model that should be emulated by growing numbers of thoughtful and courageous Iranians,\" said Dr. Karlberg.  \"(H)is message and his actions are universally relevant. They offer a model of enlightened discourse and enlightened action that deserves support and emulation in every nation where prejudice and intolerance prevail.\"\n\nAyatollah Tehrani's gift was [announced on April 7, 2014](/story/987), when he posted an image of an illuminated calligraphic work quoting several verses from Baha'u'llah's Kitab-i-Aqdas, the \"Most Holy Book\".\n\nAt the heart of the work are the following words: \"Consort with the followers of all religions with amity and concord.\"\n\nThe calligraphic work was accompanied by a three-page statement, which, among other things, said: \"I present this precious symbol – an expression of sympathy and care from me and on behalf of all my open-minded fellow citizens who respect others for their humanity and not for their religion or way of worship – to all the Baha'is of the world, particularly to the Baha'is of Iran who have suffered in manifold ways as a result of blind religious prejudice.\"\n\nLast week, [religious leaders in India](/story/989) and [Church of England clerics in the United Kingdom](/story/988) also issued statements of praise for Ayatollah Tehrani's actions.\n\nThere is also a growing discussion in the Arab world about the impact and importance of Ayatollah Tehrani's actions."}],"disableInlineCaptions":false,"slideshow":[{"image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543584299-99200.jpg"},"imageDescription":"Catholic Archbishop Kevin McDonald, Director of the Office for Interreligious Relations of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales. In his statement on Thursday, he said, “In interreligious relations it is vital that adherents of different religions come to understand each other more deeply and more sympathetically\"."},{"image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543584299-99204.jpg"},"imageDescription":"Soli Sorabjee, former Attorney General of India. Mr. Sorabjee called Ayatollah Tehrani’s words and deeds “courageous” in a land where “minorities have been suffering human rights violations” and discrimination."},{"image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543584299-992030.jpg"},"imageDescription":"Amitabh Behar, Executive Director of the National Foundation for India, which works for social justice philanthropy in India. In his response to Ayatollah Tehrani's gesture, Mr. Behar stated, \"In these times all acts to strengthen a plural and tolerant society and polity are most welcome. We need to celebrate diversity and acts of courage which build a peaceful and just society\"."}],"pushRelatedContentDown":null,"relatedContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedFieldHeaderRecord","relatedHeaderText":"Related Stories"},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedArticleRecord","storyNumber":987,"relatedStoryCaption":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedArticleRecord","storyNumber":988,"relatedStoryCaption":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedArticleRecord","storyNumber":989,"relatedStoryCaption":""}],"updatedContent":false,"excludeFromHomepage":false,"category":[],"highlightClip":null},{"storyNumber":991,"evergreenUrl":"in-myanmar-prize-winning-feature-film-sheds-light-misunderstood-minority","title":"In Myanmar, prize-winning feature film sheds light on misunderstood minority","description":"YANGON, Myanmar - In a remote rural town of Dou Ngan Kha not far from Myanmar's border with Thailand, tribes from the Kayan people gather every...","date":"2014-04-24","customDateline":null,"city":"YANGON","country":"MYANMAR","thumbnail":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543584287-99100.jpg"},"featureAudio":null,"feature":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ImageRecord","image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543584287-99100.jpg"},"imageDescription":"Mu Dan, Mu Pau and Mu Lai - women of the Kayan Lahwi tribe - pictured returning to their village in the feature film Kayan Beauties, which has been widely acclaimed in Myanmar and further afield.","imageStyle":"large-right","imageLink":""}],"storyContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"In a remote rural town of Dou Ngan Kha not far from Myanmar's border with Thailand, tribes from the Kayan people gather every year for a National Festival. Through ceremonies, music and dance, the annual event serves to preserve their traditions and celebrate their achievements.\n\nPart of Myanmar's Tibeto-Burman ethnic minority, Kayans have lived here for generations but, in the late 1980s and early 1990s, civil unrest forced many Kayans to flee Myanmar for Thailand. Often misunderstood in their own homeland, the Kayan Lahwi women in particular have become known around the world for the coils of decorative brass rings they wear around their necks.\n\nThis month's Festival honoured two filmmakers who have brought the Kayan culture to a wide audience through a feature-length drama that has been acclaimed in Myanmar and further afield.\n\nIn front of high-ranking officials, as well as the region's Roman Catholic Archbishop Matthias Shwe and senior Buddhist monks, the creators of Kayan Beauties - writer and director Aung Ko Latt, who is a member of Myanmar's Baha'i community, and screenwriter Hector Carosso from New York City - were presented with awards that expressed the profound appreciation of the Kayan people.\n\nThe film tells the story of three Kayan women who travel from their village to sell handicrafts in a distant city. A young girl who has recently acquired her first brass rings accompanies them. In the city, human traffickers abduct the girl. So, far from home and out of their element, the women find themselves involved in a desperate search for their friend.\n\n"},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_InlineImageRecord","slideshowImageNumber":2},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"Aung Ko Latt first visited the region some years ago at the request of Archbishop Shwe to teach music in the villages. He stayed almost eight months.\n\n\"From the very beginning, I felt a strong connection to the people and to their culture,\" said Mr. Latt. \"The Archbishop has been a strong advocate of the Kayan, often offering refuge to them and other groups. Through our conversations, I had the spark of an idea for the film.\"\n\nMinority groups are, as a whole, marginalized in Myanmar, explained Hector Carosso, \"and with regard to films, normally not considered. And the horrible reality of human trafficking is growing in every country of the world.\"\n\nMr. Latt's desire to create a film about the Kayan was very much motivated by his Baha'i beliefs. \"Very simply, humankind is one,\" he said. \"Kayan Beauties is a movie for humankind, containing lessons and ideas for all humans.\"\n\n\"No religion accepts discrimination, trafficking and selling people.  Also, the promotion of women's empowerment is strong in the story. It shows that in remote areas and villages, there are real people; they are not somehow less than city people.\"\n\nThe recognition at the Kayan National Festival is not the first time in recent months that Kayan Beauties has won acclaim. It received the Special Jury Award at the ASEAN International Film Festival in Kuching, Malaysia, becoming the first film in Myanmar's history to win an international accolade. Last December, at the 56th Annual Myanmar Academy Awards, Mr. Latt won in the Best Cinematographer category and the film also took the award for Best Sound. Kayan Beauties was the first Myanmar film to incorporate the international standard of Dolby digital sound technology.\n\nTo produce the film, its makers were faced with some major technical, logistical and financial obstacles, along with overcoming censorship issues. All the equipment had to be sourced from other countries and the Myanmar crew trained to learn how to use it. Permission also had to be sought from several different Ministries in order for Mr. Carosso to be able to enter some of the areas where they filmed.\n\nDespite these challenges, the finished film has succeeded in promoting a greater appreciation of the Kayan people and their culture.\n\n\"We wanted to show that serious issues can be addressed in Myanmar films and that people will go to watch it, whereas the prior assumption was that only comedies, action films and weepy dramas could capture the audience,\" said Mr. Latt.\n\n\"The challenge now is for future filmmakers in Myanmar to address other serious issues in dramatic and compelling ways.\""}],"disableInlineCaptions":false,"slideshow":[{"image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543584287-99103.jpg"},"imageDescription":"Director Aung Ko Latt discusses a scene with his actors during the filming of Kayan Beauties, a feature film that has brought the Kayan culture to a wide audience for the first time."},{"image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543584287-99102.jpg"},"imageDescription":"In the film Kayan Beauties, Kayan Lahwi women Mu Yan, Mu Pau, Mu Dan and Mu Lai are shown travelling from their remote village to the distant city of Taunggyi to sell handicrafts."},{"image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543584287-99101.jpg"},"imageDescription":"The cast and makers of Kayan Beauties at the 56th Annual Myanmar Academy Awards where the film took the awards for Best Cinematographer and Best Sound. From left to right: Nwe Ni Win, Nin Mai, Mu Tho, Aung Ko Latt, Hector Carosso, Rose Mary and Khin Mar Win."}],"pushRelatedContentDown":null,"relatedContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedFieldHeaderRecord","relatedHeaderText":"Other Stories"},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedArticleRecord","storyNumber":952,"relatedStoryCaption":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedArticleRecord","storyNumber":890,"relatedStoryCaption":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedArticleRecord","storyNumber":638,"relatedStoryCaption":""}],"updatedContent":false,"excludeFromHomepage":false,"category":[],"highlightClip":null},{"storyNumber":990,"evergreenUrl":"ridvan-message-made-available-universal-house-justice-website","title":"Ridvan message made available on Universal House of Justice website","description":"The 2014 Ridvan message of the Universal House of Justice to the Baha'is of the world has been made available this year for the first time on...","date":"2014-04-20","customDateline":null,"city":"HAIFA","country":"ISRAEL","thumbnail":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1687959778-bwns-default-missing-image-endslate-still-8-1-1.jpg"},"featureAudio":null,"feature":[],"storyContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"The 2014 Ridvan message of the Universal House of Justice to the Baha'is of the world has been made available this year for the first time on the new [official website for the Universal House of Justice](http://universalhouseofjustice.bahai.org).\n\nThe message can be found at [universalhouseofjustice.bahai.org](http://universalhouseofjustice.bahai.org).\n"}],"disableInlineCaptions":false,"slideshow":[],"pushRelatedContentDown":null,"relatedContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedFieldHeaderRecord","relatedHeaderText":"Related Stories"},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedArticleRecord","storyNumber":985,"relatedStoryCaption":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedArticleRecord","storyNumber":951,"relatedStoryCaption":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedArticleRecord","storyNumber":950,"relatedStoryCaption":""}],"updatedContent":false,"excludeFromHomepage":false,"category":[],"highlightClip":null},{"storyNumber":989,"evergreenUrl":"religious-leaders-prominent-thinkers-india-respond-iranian-clerics-courageous-act","title":"Religious leaders and prominent thinkers in India respond to Iranian cleric's courageous act","description":"In India, a number of prominent religious leaders have commended the recent decision of Ayatollah Abdol-Hamid Masoumi-Tehrani to gift an artistic...","date":"2014-04-17","customDateline":false,"city":"NEW DELHI","country":"INDIA","thumbnail":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543584271-98900.jpg"},"featureAudio":null,"feature":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ImageRecord","image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543584271-98900.jpg"},"imageDescription":"Dr. Amitabh Kundu (left), an internationally recognized author of more than 25 books on economics, development, and social science, and Maulana Khalid Rasheed Farangi Mahli (right), head of the Islamic Centre of India, are among the prominent leaders in India who have responded to the courageous action of Ayatollah Tehrani with statements of support and hope.","imageStyle":"large-right","imageLink":""}],"storyContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"In India, a number of prominent religious leaders have commended the recent decision of Ayatollah Abdol-Hamid Masoumi-Tehrani to gift an artistic rendering of a verse from the Baha'i sacred writings to the Baha'is of the world.  This action represents a profound appeal for religious coexistence and the recognition of the human dignity of all members of society.  Ayatollah Tehrani's gift was accompanied by a statement calling for an end to \"blind religious prejudice\" against the Baha'is of Iran.\n\nIn recent days, leaders of the Buddhist, Islamic, Jain, Sikh, and Zoroastrian communities have responded with statements of support and hope.\n\nIn a response to this unprecedented gesture by an Iranian religious leader, the head of the Islamic Centre of India, Maulana Khalid Rasheed Farangi Mahli, commented: \"This friendliness towards a beleaguered religious minority is an exemplary act.  It underscores the principle of the equality of all people before God, irrespective of religious belief.\"\n\n\"Islam teaches brotherhood and unity with all peoples on earth, and Ayatollah Tehrani's exalted act is in accordance with the fundamental teachings of God.\"\n\nBhikshu Pragyanand of the Indian Buddhist Society (Bhartiya Buddha Samiti), a regionally prominent leader who is based in Lucknow, said Ayatollah Tehrani has set \"an example for religious leaders of the world.\"\n\n\"His exhortation for the avoidance of hatred, enmity, and blind religious prejudice is very needed in today's world where freedom of conscience and freedom of belief are under constant threat in many countries,\" said Bhikshu Pragyanand.\n\nRepresenting the Sikh community, Rajendra Singh Bagga, president of the Lucknow Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee, said Ayatollah Tehrani's gift \"once again proves that humanity, compassion and peaceful coexistence is a very base of every religion of the world.\"\n\nH. S. Sepai, leader of the Lucknow Parsi Anjuman of the Zoroastrian community, said Ayatollah Tehrani has shown \"the way towards realization of world unity and world peace.\"\n\nShailendra Jain, national vice president of Bhartiya Jain Milan, called Ayatollah Tehrani's statement \"path-breaking.\" \"His noble gesture for the Baha'is of the world is to be appreciated by one and all,\" he said.\n\nProminent individuals in the academic and development communities have also responded with praise, including the well-known social scientist Amitabh Kundu.  Dr. Kundu, an internationally recognized author of more than 25 books on economics, development, and social science, said he felt \"happiness and satisfaction\" upon learning of Ayatollah Tehrani's action.\n\n\"Let us hope that this is a beginning of a new beginning,\" he further commented. \"This would be the view and hope of all right thinking people in India desiring to live in an inclusive world.\"\n\nRakesh Kumar Mittal of the Kabir Peace Mission called Ayatollah Tehrani's action \"courageous,\" saying that he has \"stood up for freedom of belief and the equality of all before God.\"\n\nAyatollah Tehrani's gift was dedicated to the Bahai's of the world and sent to the Universal House of Justice - the governing council of the worldwide Baha'i community.  It was announced on 7 April 2014 when he posted an image of the work on his website, along with a personal statement about his intentions in creating an illuminated calligraphic rendering of a verse from Baha'u'llah's Kitab-i-Aqdas, which translates as the \"Most Holy Book.\"\n\nAt the heart of this verse are the following words: \"Consort with the followers of all religions with amity and concord.\"\n\nAyatollah Tehrani's action has received wide coverage in the media, as well as statements of praise from Christian leaders."}],"disableInlineCaptions":false,"slideshow":[],"pushRelatedContentDown":null,"relatedContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedFieldHeaderRecord","relatedHeaderText":"Related Stories"},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedArticleRecord","storyNumber":987,"relatedStoryCaption":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedArticleRecord","storyNumber":988,"relatedStoryCaption":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedArticleRecord","storyNumber":984,"relatedStoryCaption":""}],"updatedContent":false,"excludeFromHomepage":false,"category":[],"highlightClip":null},{"storyNumber":988,"evergreenUrl":"senior-anglican-leaders-praise-significance-courage-iranian-ayatollahs-gift-bahais","title":"Senior Anglican leaders praise \"significance\" and \"courage\" of Iranian ayatollah's gift to Baha'is","description":"Two senior leaders of the Church of England have praised the ground-breaking action of an Iranian ayatollah who last week called for religious...","date":"2014-04-15","customDateline":false,"city":"LONDON","country":"ENGLAND","thumbnail":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543584256-98800.jpg"},"featureAudio":null,"feature":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ImageRecord","image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543584256-98800.jpg"},"imageDescription":"Dr. Rowan Williams, former archbishop of Canterbury. As the archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Williams was the most senior bishop of the worldwide Anglican Communion. He has called Ayatollah Tehrani's gift to the Baha'is an act of \"immense significance\". (Photo courtesy of Magdalene College)","imageStyle":"canvas-right","imageLink":""}],"storyContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"Two senior leaders of the Church of England have praised the ground-breaking action of an Iranian ayatollah who last week called for religious \"coexistence\" by dedicating to the Baha'is of the world, and particularly the Baha'is of Iran, an illuminated calligraphic rendering of a passage from their sacred texts.\n\nLord Rowan Williams of Oystermouth, the former archbishop of Canterbury, said the gift of Ayatollah Abdol-Hamid Masoumi-Tehrani was of \"immense significance\".\n\n\"It represents not only a personally gracious gesture but also a strand within the Islamic world at its best and most creative which is deeply appreciative of all that helps human beings to respond to God's will for peace and understanding,\" said Dr. Williams.\n\n\"Along with many others of all faiths, I shall pray that this marks a turning point in Iran's attitudes to the Baha'i community, and I give thanks for the courage and generosity which have motivated this gift.\"\n\nEarlier, Christopher Cocksworth, the bishop of Coventry, said he was \"heartened to learn\" of Ayatollah Tehrani's gift to Baha'is.\n\n\"Given the systemic and long standing suffering experienced by the Baha'i community in Iran, this is an imaginatively courageous step by a senior Iranian Islamic scholar,\" said Dr. Cocksworth on 9 April.\n\nAyatollah Tehrani's \"action reminds us all that despite the dehumanising nature of many of today's conflicts, religious leaders have a shared responsibility to encourage freedom of religion and belief and to foster a deeper respect for human dignity,\" said Bishop Cocksworth, who is the Church of England's lead bishop in the Lords on foreign policy.\n\n"},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_InlineImageRecord","slideshowImageNumber":2},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"Ayatollah Tehrani's gift was [announced on 7 April 2014](/story/987) when he posted an image of the work on his website, along with a personal statement about his intentions in creating an illuminated calligraphic rendering of several verses from Baha'u'llah's Kitab-i-Aqdas, the \"Most Holy Book\".\n\n\"I present this precious symbol – an expression of sympathy and care from me and on behalf of all my open-minded fellow citizens who respect others for their humanity and not for their religion or way of worship – to all the Baha'is of the world, particularly to the Baha'is of Iran who have suffered in manifold ways as a result of blind religious prejudice,\" said Ayatollah Tehrani.\n\nNews of the action was quickly spread by news organizations and social media last week.\n\nIn addition, Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), which advocates for religious freedom, issued [a statement on Friday](http://dynamic.csw.org.uk/article.asp?t=news&id=2036&search=)  that praised Ayatollah Tehrani's action.\n\n\"Ayatollah Tehrani's kind gesture to the Baha'i community is particularly welcome at a time when the community is being actively targeted and vilified by the Iranian regime,\" said Mervyn Thomas, CSW's chief executive.\n\n\"Dozens of Baha'is are languishing in jail and the community is subject to attack, harassment and intimidation. CSW urges President Rouhani to emulate the Ayatollah's inclusivity by upholding the rights of the Baha'i community as equal citizens and to guarantee freedom of religion or belief for all religious communities.\"\n\nThe preparation and dedication of Ayatollah Tehrani's gift was undertaken at great personal risk, given that the Iranian government refuses to recognize the Baha'i Faith as a religion and has systematically persecuted Baha'is since the 1979 Islamic Revolution."}],"disableInlineCaptions":false,"slideshow":[{"image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543584255-98801.jpg"},"imageDescription":"Dr. Christopher Cocksworth, bishop of Conventry, Anglican Church. Bishop Cocksworth called Ayatollah Tehrani's gift to the Baha'is a \"courageous step\". (Photo courtesy of Dr. Cocksworth's office)"}],"pushRelatedContentDown":null,"relatedContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedFieldHeaderRecord","relatedHeaderText":"Related Stories"},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedArticleRecord","storyNumber":987,"relatedStoryCaption":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedArticleRecord","storyNumber":984,"relatedStoryCaption":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedArticleRecord","storyNumber":983,"relatedStoryCaption":""}],"updatedContent":false,"excludeFromHomepage":false,"category":[],"highlightClip":null},{"storyNumber":987,"evergreenUrl":"in-an-unprecedented-symbolic-act-senior-cleric-calls-religious-coexistence-iran","title":"In an unprecedented symbolic act senior cleric calls for religious coexistence in Iran","description":"In a symbolic and unprecedented move, Ayatollah Abdol-Hamid Masoumi-Tehrani, a prominent Muslim cleric in Iran, announced today that he has gifted...","date":"2014-04-07","customDateline":false,"city":"NEW YORK","country":"UNITED STATES","thumbnail":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543584226-98700.jpg"},"featureAudio":null,"feature":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ImageRecord","image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543584226-98700.jpg"},"imageDescription":"Ayatollah Abdol-Hamid Masoumi-Tehrani perfecting an illuminated work of calligraphy. The words used in this piece are from the writings of Baha'u'llah.","imageStyle":"large-right","imageLink":""}],"storyContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"In a symbolic and unprecedented move, Ayatollah Abdol-Hamid Masoumi-Tehrani, a prominent Muslim cleric in Iran, announced today that he has gifted to the Baha'is of the world an illuminated work of calligraphy of a paragraph from the writings of Baha'u'llah, the Prophet-founder of the Baha'i Faith.\n\nThis move comes in the wake of several recent statements by religious scholars in the Muslim world who have set out alternative interpretations of the teachings of Islam in which tolerance of every religion is, in fact, upheld by the holy Qur'an.\n\n\"This is a most welcome and hopeful development with possible implications for the coexistence of the peoples of the world,\" said Ms. Bani Dugal, Principal Representative of the Baha'i International Community at the United Nations.\n\nAyatollah Tehrani states on his website [(see translation of statement](http://dl.bahai.org/bwns/assets/documentlibrary/987_website-statement-translation-en.pdf)) that he prepared the calligraphy of the verse as a \"symbolic action to serve as a reminder of the importance of valuing human beings, of peaceful coexistence, of cooperation and mutual support, and avoidance of hatred, enmity and blind religious prejudice.\"\n\nAyatollah Tehrani presents this exquisite gift to the Baha'is of the world, particularly to the Baha'is of Iran, who he says \"have suffered in manifold ways as a result of blind religious prejudice.\"  He further states that this act is \"an expression of sympathy and care from me and on behalf of all my open-minded fellow citizens.\"\n\nIn response, Ms. Dugal stated: \"The Baha'i International Community is deeply touched by this act of high-mindedness and the sentiments of religious tolerance and respect for human dignity that prompted it.\"\n\n\"This bold action by a senior Muslim cleric in contemporary Iran is unprecedented,\" said Ms. Dugal.  \"It is also remarkable in light of the ongoing and systematic persecution of the Baha'i community in that country by the Islamic government.\"\n\n[The intricate artwork](http://dl.bahai.org/bwns/assets/documentlibrary/987_01.jpg) must have taken several months to painstakingly prepare by hand.  It features at its center, a symbol known to Baha'is as \"[The Greatest Name](http://dl.bahai.org/bwns/assets/documentlibrary/987_02.jpg)\" – a calligraphic representation of the conceptual relationship between God, His prophets and the world of creation. The gift measures at approximately 60cm x 70cm and is illuminated in a classical style. Ayatollah Tehrani's other artworks include the illumination of the Qur'an, the Torah, the Psalms, the New Testament, and the Book of Ezra. His illumination of the Psalms is currently being held in the United States Library of Congress."},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_InlineImageRecord","slideshowImageNumber":2},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"The excerpt that Ayatollah Tehrani chose to cite in the gift is taken from Baha'u'llah's Kitab-i-Aqdas – \"Most Holy Book\". It reads \"Consort with all religions with amity and concord, that they may inhale from you the sweet fragrance of God. Beware lest amidst men the flame of foolish ignorance overpower you. All things proceed from God and unto Him they return. He is the source of all things and in Him all things are ended.\"\n\nOn previous occasions, Ayatollah Tehrani has with great courage publicly voiced concern about the ongoing and severe persecution of [religious minorities](http://dl.bahai.org/bwns/assets/documentlibrary/987_letter-ministry-translation-en.pdf), including the Baha'is in Iran. Since the Islamic Revolution in 1979, hundreds of Baha'is have been killed and thousands have been imprisoned. There are currently 115 Baha'is being held in prison solely on the basis of their religious beliefs. Baha'is in Iran are denied access to higher education, obstructed from earning a livelihood, prevented from burying their dead in accordance with their own burial rites and subjected to the demolition and desecration and expropriation of their cemeteries, all because of their religion.\n\nAyatollah Tehrani's hope is that this gift \"which will be kept by the Universal House of Justice [the international governing body of the Baha'i Faith] will serve as a reminder of the rich and ancient Iranian tradition of friendship and of its culture of coexistence.\""}],"disableInlineCaptions":false,"slideshow":[{"image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543584233-98701.jpg"},"imageDescription":"An illuminated calligraphic work by Ayatollah Abdol-Hamid Masoumi-Tehrani, containing the words of Baha'u'llah."},{"image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543584225-98702.jpg"},"imageDescription":"The centerpiece of a calligraphic work by Ayatollah Abdol-Hamid Masoumi-Tehrani showing a symbol known to Baha'is as \"The Greatest Name.\""},{"image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543584224-98703.jpg"},"imageDescription":"Ayatollah Abdol-Hamid Masoumi-Tehrani"},{"image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543584227-98704.jpg"},"imageDescription":"Ayatollah Abdol-Hamid Masoumi-Tehrani"},{"image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543584225-98705-english.jpg"},"imageDescription":"The text reads: 1. Consort with all religions with amity and concord2.that they may inhale from you the sweet fragrance of God.Beware lest 3.amidst men the flame of foolish ignorance overpower you. 4. All things proceed from God and unto Him they return. 5. He is the source of all things and in Him all things are ended."}],"pushRelatedContentDown":null,"relatedContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedFieldHeaderRecord","relatedHeaderText":"Related Stories"},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedArticleRecord","storyNumber":984,"relatedStoryCaption":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedArticleRecord","storyNumber":983,"relatedStoryCaption":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedArticleRecord","storyNumber":979,"relatedStoryCaption":""}],"updatedContent":false,"excludeFromHomepage":false,"category":[],"highlightClip":null},{"storyNumber":986,"evergreenUrl":"in-india-brazil-events-promote-freedom-believe","title":"In India and Brazil, events promote freedom to believe","description":"Freedom of belief must be a fundamental element of societies that are sustainable and equitable. That was the message being promoted at a recent...","date":"2014-04-03","customDateline":null,"city":"NEW DELHI","country":"INDIA","thumbnail":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543584204-986000.jpg"},"featureAudio":null,"feature":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ImageRecord","image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543584204-986000.jpg"},"imageDescription":"Professor Shiv Visvanathan of O.P. Jindal Global University speaks about freedom of religion and belief at a conference in New Delhi on 5 March.","imageStyle":"canvas-right","imageLink":""}],"storyContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"Freedom of belief must be a fundamental element of societies that are sustainable and equitable.\n\nThat was the message being promoted at a recent seminar held in New Delhi, as well as at events in Brazil's major cities.\n\nAt the conference held at India's National Baha'i Centre, Professor Shiv Visvanathan of O.P. Jindal Global University called on those present to re-conceptualize the fundamental assumptions at the basis of the discourse on freedom and belief.\n\n\"Diversity is embedded in human rights,\" said Prof. Visvanathan, challenging participants to think beyond legal mechanisms and embrace a different ethical framework to facilitate the peaceful coexistence of diverse perspectives.\n\nThe seminar, which was held on 5 March, was jointly organized by the Global Foundation for Civilizational Harmony and the Baha'i community of India.\n\nEleven panelists – including Akhtarul Wasey, senior professor of Islamic studies at India's National Islamic University, and Rabbi Ezekiel Malekar, head of the Jewish community in New Delhi – participated in discussions which called for the discourse on diversity to move beyond tolerance towards genuine respect, the recognition of human interdependence, and the promotion of freedom of expression.\n\n**Celebrating diversity in Brazil**\n\nIn Brazil, the National Day Against Religious Intolerance – an initiative of the Brazilian government – brought people of diverse faiths together in a variety of events to promote greater respect and understanding.\n\nIn Brasilia, an interfaith event was held at the city's Temple of Good Will on 21 January.\n\n\"There was a quiet time during which leaders and representatives of the various religious denominations shared their gifts of prayers, song, or messages,\" said Luiz Mourao, a representative of the city's Baha'i community.\n"},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_InlineImageRecord","slideshowImageNumber":2},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"A ceremony was also held at the City Hall in Campinas, Sao Paulo State, which brought together some 200 representatives of religious denominations, as well as artists and politicians. The aim was to promote a culture of peace, justice, and respect for different religious and philosophical beliefs.\n\n\"It was an event of great importance to disseminate the message of the need for understanding between religions and to establish relationships with representatives of religious and governmental organizations,\" said Alexandre Beust, a representative of the local Baha'i community.\n\nIn Rio de Janeiro, the Commission on Combating Religious Intolerance also hosted an event where representatives of participating religions had the opportunity to meet each other and offer performances. The Baha'i community was represented by the music duo Marta and Bia, who have previously appeared at Rio's Walk in Defense of Religious Liberty, traditionally held in September at Copacabana beach."}],"disableInlineCaptions":false,"slideshow":[{"image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543584203-986010.jpg"},"imageDescription":"Two Baha'is perform at an event initiated by the Commission on Combating Religious Intolerance in Brazil. The gathering on 21 January provided an opportunity for representatives of each religion in the commission to share a greeting and musical performance."},{"image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543584204-986020.jpg"},"imageDescription":"Panelists at a seminar held at the National Baha'i Centre in New Delhi on 5 March."}],"pushRelatedContentDown":null,"relatedContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedFieldHeaderRecord","relatedHeaderText":"Related Stories"},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedArticleRecord","storyNumber":924,"relatedStoryCaption":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedArticleRecord","storyNumber":936,"relatedStoryCaption":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedArticleRecord","storyNumber":944,"relatedStoryCaption":""}],"updatedContent":false,"excludeFromHomepage":false,"category":[],"highlightClip":null},{"storyNumber":985,"evergreenUrl":"official-website-universal-house-justice-launches","title":"Official website for Universal House of Justice launches","description":"A new official website of the Baha’i Faith has been launched providing general information about the Universal House of Justice – the international...","date":"2014-03-30","customDateline":false,"city":"HAIFA","country":"ISRAEL","thumbnail":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543584190-98500.jpg"},"featureAudio":null,"feature":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ImageRecord","image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543584190-98500.jpg"},"imageDescription":"The official website for the Universal House of Justice.","imageStyle":"canvas-right","imageLink":"http://universalhouseofjustice.bahai.org/"}],"storyContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"A new official website of the Baha’i Faith has been launched providing general information about the Universal House of Justice – the international governing body of the Baha’i community – and making available selected statements and letters that have been written by it or prepared under its supervision.\n\nThe Universal House of Justice is elected every five years by representatives of over 170 national Baha’i communities.  The most recent election took place in April 2013, the fiftieth anniversary of when it was established.\n\nThe official website for the Universal House of Justice can be viewed at [universalhouseofjustice.bahai.org](http://universalhouseofjustice.bahai.org/)."}],"disableInlineCaptions":false,"slideshow":[],"pushRelatedContentDown":null,"relatedContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedFieldHeaderRecord","relatedHeaderText":"Link to site"},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedLinkRecord","relatedLinkText":"[The official website for the Universal House of Justice](http://universalhouseofjustice.bahai.org/)","relatedLinkDescription":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedFieldHeaderRecord","relatedHeaderText":"Related Stories"},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedArticleRecord","storyNumber":951,"relatedStoryCaption":"Results of election at 11th International Baha'i Convention announced."},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedArticleRecord","storyNumber":952,"relatedStoryCaption":"Documentary looks at developments in four communities."},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedArticleRecord","storyNumber":953,"relatedStoryCaption":"Delegates gather for convention's 50th anniversary."}],"updatedContent":false,"excludeFromHomepage":false,"category":[],"highlightClip":null},{"storyNumber":984,"evergreenUrl":"un-votes-continue-special-investigation-human-rights-violations-iran","title":"UN votes to continue special investigation of human rights violations in Iran","description":"The UN Human Rights Council’s overwhelming vote today to extend the mandate of its special investigator on Iran shows that the international...","date":"2014-03-27","customDateline":null,"city":"GENEVA","country":"SWITZERLAND","thumbnail":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1687959778-bwns-default-missing-image-endslate-still-8-1-1.jpg"},"featureAudio":null,"feature":[],"storyContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"The UN Human Rights Council’s overwhelming vote today to extend the mandate of its special investigator on Iran shows that the international community is pleased with Ahmed Shaheed’s excellent work and it expects Iran to make good on its promises to improve human rights, said the Baha'i International Community.\n\n“The vote today to extend the mandate of Ahmed Shaheed is a powerful signal that the world expects action – not just words – from President Rouhani and his government on human rights,” said Diane Ala’i, the representative of the Baha'i International Community to the United Nations in Geneva.\n\nThe vote, 21 to 9 with 16 abstentions, came after new reports by Dr. Shaheed, the Council’s Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran, and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. Both said Iran has generally failed over the last year to address its persistent human rights problems.\n\nWhile Dr. Shaheed and Mr. Ban took note of small improvements, by and large they said that Iran continues to make numerous and serious human rights violations. These include high rates of improperly adjudicated executions, the ongoing oppression of women, the use of torture, and the wrongful imprisonment of journalists, human rights defenders and minorities, including members of the Baha'i Faith.\n\n“Hundreds of individuals reportedly remain in some form of confinement for exercising their fundamental rights, including some 39 journalists and bloggers, 92 human rights defenders, 136 Baha’is, 90 Sunni Muslims, 50 Christians, and 19 Dervish Muslims,” said Dr. Shaheed during the presentation of his report to the Council last week.\n\nMs. Ala’i said the path forward for Iran is quite clear.\n\n“Iran can begin by releasing, among others, the 136 Baha’is who are in prison solely for their religious beliefs,” said Ms. Ala’i. “The government can also easily allow Baha’i youth to attend university. And the practice of raiding Baha’i homes and arbitrarily arresting occupants can be halted with the stroke of a pen in Tehran.\"\n\n“Given that Baha’is are committed to non-violence and obedience to legal authorities, these measures would pose no threat to the government and could be rapidly instituted,” said Ms. Ala’i.\n\n“Iran must also address the concerns of the international community by allowing Dr. Shaheed to visit the country,” said Ms. Ala’i. “The fact that Dr. Shaheed has never been invited to visit Iran is merely more evidence of the Iranian government’s disregard for international human rights mechanisms.”"}],"disableInlineCaptions":false,"slideshow":[],"pushRelatedContentDown":null,"relatedContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedFieldHeaderRecord","relatedHeaderText":"The Baha'is of Iran"},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedLinkRecord","relatedLinkText":"[The Baha'is of Semnan - Special Report](https://news.bahai.org/human-rights/iran/semnan/)","relatedLinkDescription":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedLinkRecord","relatedLinkText":"[\"The Trial of the Seven Baha'i Leaders\" - Special Report](https://news.bahai.org/human-rights/iran/yaran-special-report/)","relatedLinkDescription":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedLinkRecord","relatedLinkText":"[\"Closed Doors: Iran's Campaign to Deny Higher Education to Baha'is\" - Special Section](https://news.bahai.org/human-rights/iran/education-special-report/)","relatedLinkDescription":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedLinkRecord","relatedLinkText":"[BWNS Iran Update](https://news.bahai.org/human-rights/iran/iran-update.html)","relatedLinkDescription":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedLinkRecord","relatedLinkText":"[\"Inciting Hatred: Iran's Media Campaign to Demonize Baha'is\" - Special Report](http://bic.org/resources/documents/inciting-hatred-book)","relatedLinkDescription":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedLinkRecord","relatedLinkText":"[List of BWNS articles](http://www.bahai.org/persecution/iran)","relatedLinkDescription":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedFieldHeaderRecord","relatedHeaderText":"Related Stories"},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedArticleRecord","storyNumber":983,"relatedStoryCaption":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedArticleRecord","storyNumber":978,"relatedStoryCaption":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedArticleRecord","storyNumber":979,"relatedStoryCaption":""}],"updatedContent":false,"excludeFromHomepage":false,"category":[{"tagName":"defence"}],"highlightClip":null},{"storyNumber":983,"evergreenUrl":"concern-over-persecution-iranian-bahais-un-human-rights-council","title":"Concern over persecution of Iranian Baha'is at UN Human Rights Council","description":"Overall, human rights in Iran have not improved substantially since the election of President Hassan Rouhani last year, despite his promises...","date":"2014-03-18","customDateline":false,"city":"GENEVA","country":"SWITZERLAND","thumbnail":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543584029-89700smaller.jpg"},"featureAudio":null,"feature":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ImageRecord","image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543584029-89700smaller.jpg"},"imageDescription":"Ahmed Shaheed, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran. UN Photo/Jean-Marc Ferré.","imageStyle":"large-right","imageLink":""}],"storyContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"Overall, human rights in Iran have not improved substantially since the election of President Hassan Rouhani last year, despite his promises to grant citizens more rights and to end discriminatory practices, according to Ahmed Shaheed, the UN special rapporteur on human rights in Iran.\n\nIn a presentation to the Human Rights Council yesterday, Dr. Shaheed said that while Iran had made a few positive steps towards strengthening human rights, the government continues to violate international legal standards, oppress women, and persecute ethnic and religious minorities, including members of the Baha'i Faith.\n\n\"Hundreds of individuals reportedly remain in some form of confinement for exercising their fundamental rights, including some 39 journalists and bloggers, 92 human rights defenders, 136 Baha'is, 90 Sunni Muslims, 50 Christians, and 19 Dervish Muslims,\" Dr. Shaheed said.\n\nThe session marked the formal presentation of his annual report to the Council. In that report, which was issued last week, and before the Council yesterday, Dr. Shaheed noted that while Iran's proposed charter of citizen's rights is \"a step in the right direction,\" it nevertheless \"falls short of strengthening protections for the equal enjoyment of human rights for women and members of the country's religious and ethnic minority communities.\"\n\n\"It also fails to address the use of cruel, inhumane or degrading punishment, including flogging, hanging, stoning and amputation.\"\n\n\"The charter does not ban the execution of juveniles and also fails to address concerns about the use of capital punishment, in particular for offenses that do not meet the standards for most serious crimes under international law,\" Dr. Shaheed said.\n\nLast week, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon also released his annual report to the Council on human rights in Iran. He said that he found no improvements for Baha'is and other religious minorities, and few improvements in Iran's human rights situation overall.\n\n\"There have been no improvements in the situation of religious and ethnic minorities, who continue to suffer severe restrictions in the enjoyment of their civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights,\" said Mr. Ban. \"Religious minorities such as Baha'is and Christians face violations entrenched in law and in practice.\"\n\nYesterday, during Dr. Shaheed's presentation, known as an interactive dialogue, country delegations and non-governmental organizations were allowed to respond and ask questions.\n\nAt least nine countries specifically expressed concern about the ongoing persecution of Iranian Baha'is. They included Australia, Belgium, Botswana, France, Germany, Ireland, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The European Union, in its statement, also mentioned the Baha'is.\n\nIreland said: \"The situation of members of religious minorities continues to be of concern.\"\n\n\"We note in particular the information contained in the Special Rapporteur's report on the situation of the Baha'is, including that they are regularly prosecuted for participation in their community affairs, including by facilitating educational services and publicly engaging in religious practices, such as attending devotional gatherings, but that they are typically charged with political or security crimes, such as espionage or 'propaganda against the ruling system.'\"\n\nBotswana said: \"We also ask Iran to eliminate discrimination against religious minorities, including Baha'is.\"\n\nSwitzerland asked why Baha'is are \"subjected to growing oppression, despite the fact that they are very discreet in Iran\" and are \"not critical of the government.\"\n\nDiane Ala'i, the representative of the Baha'i International Community to the United Nations in Geneva, also participated in the session, as did a number of other NGO representatives.\n\n\"To date, there has been no improvement in the situation of Iranian Baha'is,\" Ms. Ala'i  said, addressing Dr. Shaheed. \"As you indicated yourself, 136 Baha'is are in prison solely on religious grounds, not one Baha'i youth has been able to complete his or her studies in an Iranian university and most of them are denied access in the first place, shops continue to be sealed, work in the public sector is prohibited, cemeteries are desecrated, and incitement to hatred in state-sponsored media is rampant.\""}],"disableInlineCaptions":false,"slideshow":[],"pushRelatedContentDown":null,"relatedContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedFieldHeaderRecord","relatedHeaderText":"Report of the Special Rapporteur to the United Nations Human Rights Council"},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedPdfRecord","relatedPdfText":"[Full report](http://dl.bahai.org/bwns/assets/documentlibrary/982_00 Report.pdf) (Adobe Acrobat 324KB)","relatedPdfDescription":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedFieldHeaderRecord","relatedHeaderText":"Report of the Secretary-General to the Council on human rights in Iran"},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedPdfRecord","relatedPdfText":"[Full report](http://dl.bahai.org/bwns/assets/documentlibrary/982_01 Ban Report.pdf) (Adobe Acrobat 275KB)","relatedPdfDescription":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedFieldHeaderRecord","relatedHeaderText":"The Baha'is of Iran"},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedLinkRecord","relatedLinkText":"[The Baha'is of Semnan - Special Report](https://news.bahai.org/human-rights/iran/semnan/)","relatedLinkDescription":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedLinkRecord","relatedLinkText":"[\"The Trial of the Seven Baha'i Leaders\" - Special Report](https://news.bahai.org/human-rights/iran/yaran-special-report/)","relatedLinkDescription":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedLinkRecord","relatedLinkText":"[\"Closed Doors: Iran's Campaign to Deny Higher Education to Baha'is\" - Special Section](https://news.bahai.org/human-rights/iran/education-special-report/)","relatedLinkDescription":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedLinkRecord","relatedLinkText":"[BWNS Iran Update](https://news.bahai.org/human-rights/iran/iran-update.html)","relatedLinkDescription":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedLinkRecord","relatedLinkText":"[\"Inciting Hatred: Iran's Media Campaign to Demonize Baha'is\" - Special Report](http://bic.org/resources/documents/inciting-hatred-book)","relatedLinkDescription":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedLinkRecord","relatedLinkText":"[List of BWNS articles](http://www.bahai.org/persecution/iran)","relatedLinkDescription":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedArticleRecord","storyNumber":978,"relatedStoryCaption":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedArticleRecord","storyNumber":974,"relatedStoryCaption":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedArticleRecord","storyNumber":977,"relatedStoryCaption":""}],"updatedContent":false,"excludeFromHomepage":false,"category":[{"tagName":"defence"}],"highlightClip":null},{"storyNumber":982,"evergreenUrl":"house-worship-newsreel-highlights-recent-developments","title":"House of Worship newsreel highlights recent developments","description":"The latest in a series of video newsreels showing the progress of the construction of the Baha'i House of Worship in Santiago has been released...","date":"2014-03-14","customDateline":false,"city":"SANTIAGO","country":"CHILE","thumbnail":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543584017-982000.jpg"},"featureAudio":null,"feature":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ImageRecord","image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543584017-982000.jpg"},"imageDescription":"A view of the House of Worship superstructure at night, overlooking the city of Santiago.","imageStyle":"large-right","imageLink":""}],"storyContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"The latest in a series of video newsreels showing the progress of the construction of the Baha'i House of Worship in Santiago has been released and can be viewed online in Spanish and English at [the official website](http://templo.bahai.cl/en/medios/videos/).\n\nTitled \"Construction, Worship and Service\", this episode describes a number of significant developments in the construction process since October 2013 related to the erection of the superstructure and the initial work on the adjacent landscaping and facilities, which includes pathways laid out along the five hectares of land.  The newsreel also highlights how the building is emerging in parallel with the surrounding community's evolving understanding of the ways in which individual and collective worship find practical expression in service to humanity.\n\nConstruction of the House of Worship began in November 2010.  When completed, the edifice in Santiago will be the last of the Baha'i Houses of Worship erected to serve an entire continent."},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_InlineImageRecord","slideshowImageNumber":2}],"disableInlineCaptions":false,"slideshow":[{"image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543584017-98201.jpg"},"imageDescription":"Workers gather for their daily safety briefing on the construction site in this photo from January 2014."},{"image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543584017-98202.png"},"imageDescription":"Community members gather at the site of the House of Worship, with the superstructure in the background."},{"image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543584017-98203.jpg"},"imageDescription":"Work has begun on laying out over two kilometers of pathways surrounding the House of Worship, which is located in the foothills of the Andes mountain range."}],"pushRelatedContentDown":null,"relatedContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedFieldHeaderRecord","relatedHeaderText":"Related Stories"},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedArticleRecord","storyNumber":975,"relatedStoryCaption":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedArticleRecord","storyNumber":959,"relatedStoryCaption":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedArticleRecord","storyNumber":940,"relatedStoryCaption":""}],"updatedContent":false,"excludeFromHomepage":false,"category":[{"tagName":"houses_of_worship"}],"highlightClip":null},{"storyNumber":981,"evergreenUrl":"prime-minister-samoa-pays-tribute-bahai-community-60th-anniversary","title":"Prime Minister of Samoa pays tribute to Baha’i community on 60th anniversary","description":"The Prime Minister of Samoa has expressed his gratitude to the country's Baha'i community for its long service to the development of Samoan society....","date":"2014-03-09","customDateline":false,"city":"APIA","country":"SAMOA","thumbnail":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543584000-98100.jpg"},"featureAudio":null,"feature":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ImageRecord","image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543584000-98100.jpg"},"imageDescription":"Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi with Cabinet Ministers and members of the Baha’i Faith at the celebration of their 60th Anniversary, 14 January 2014.","imageStyle":"large-right","imageLink":""}],"storyContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"The Prime Minister of Samoa has expressed his gratitude to the country's Baha'i community for its long service to the development of Samoan society.\n\nThe Honorable Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi made his remarks during celebrations marking the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the Baha'i Faith in the Pacific island nation.\n\n\"I take this opportunity to express the appreciation of the government for the important contribution that you make to the spiritual life of our country,\" he said.\n\nThe Prime Minister noted that the work of the Baha'i community, along with all churches in Samoa, is paramount in bringing out the best in people.\n\nA number of Cabinet Ministers joined the Prime Minister and representatives of the Baha'i community at a special observance, held at the Samoa Tradition Resort on Tuesday 14 January, 2014.\n\nHe additionally assured those gathered that the Samoan Government strives to protect the right of all to worship.\n\n\"We are also very conscious of abuses of human rights and freedom that persists in many countries around the world,\" he said. \"As part of Samoa's engagement internationally through its membership with the UN, Samoa endeavors to support efforts to protect the rights of people in various countries including Iran where the Baha'i Faith struggles through persecution.\"\n"},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_InlineImageRecord","slideshowImageNumber":2},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"The Baha'i Faith was first established in Samoa in 1954 with the arrival there of a Swiss-Australian woman, Lilian Wyss. The Samoan Head of State from 1962-2007, His Highness Susuga Malietoa Tanumafili II,  became the first reigning sovereign to accept the Baha'i Faith. He dedicated the Baha'i House of Worship in Tiapapata in 1984. A special commemorative service was held there on 12 January for Baha'is and their friends to celebrate, reflect and review milestones in their community's development.\n\nIn a message marking the anniversary, the Universal House of Justice wrote, \"We are delighted to see that the Baha'i House of Worship in Samoa – an edifice dedicated to the union of worship and service – is fostering bonds of unity from heart to heart, adding impetus to the regenerative process of community building throughout your island nation.\"\n\nA member of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Samoa, Peseta Demetrius Fogaseuga Taofiga, said the events offered an occasion to reflect on the challenges and accomplishments of the past six decades.\n\n\"It is also an opportunity to consult on ways and means to build better communities, and to continue serving Samoa and its people,\" he said."}],"disableInlineCaptions":false,"slideshow":[{"image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543584000-bwns5638-0.jpg"},"imageDescription":"The Baha’i House of Worship in Samoa: “an edifice dedicated to the union of worship and service” wrote the Universal House of Justice, that is “fostering bonds of unity from heart to heart, adding impetus to the regenerative process of community building” throughout Samoa."},{"image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543584000-98103.jpg"},"imageDescription":"Baha'is celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Baha'i Faith in Samoa at the House of Worship in Tiapapata, near Apia."},{"image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543584000-bwns5653-0.jpg"},"imageDescription":"The first Baha'i Local Spiritual Assembly in Samoa, 1957."},{"image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543584000-bwns5661-0.jpg"},"imageDescription":"Honored guests at the opening of the Baha'i Temple in Samoa in 1984: (left to right) Madame Ruhiyyih Rabbani and, slightly behind, Mr. Collis Featherstone, both Hands of the Cause of God. His Highness Susuga Malietoa Tanumafili II is seated at center next to his wife, Masiofo Lili Tuni Malietoa."}],"pushRelatedContentDown":null,"relatedContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedFieldHeaderRecord","relatedHeaderText":"Related Stories"},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedArticleRecord","storyNumber":959,"relatedStoryCaption":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedArticleRecord","storyNumber":543,"relatedStoryCaption":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedArticleRecord","storyNumber":889,"relatedStoryCaption":""}],"updatedContent":false,"excludeFromHomepage":false,"category":[{"tagName":"houses_of_worship"}],"highlightClip":null},{"storyNumber":980,"evergreenUrl":"to-serve-humanity-youth-discuss-contributing-betterment-society-series-short-films","title":"\"To Serve Humanity\" – youth discuss contributing to the betterment of society in a series of short films","description":"A series of short films, collectively entitled To Serve Humanity, has been released on the World Wide Web today – exactly one year after the...","date":"2014-02-08","customDateline":false,"city":"HAIFA","country":"ISRAEL","thumbnail":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1544529873-98001.jpg"},"featureAudio":null,"feature":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ImageRecord","image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1544529873-98001.jpg"},"imageDescription":"A series of short films on themes related to service to humanity are now available for viewing and download.","imageStyle":"large-right","imageLink":"https://news.bahai.org/community-news/toserve/"}],"storyContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"A series of short films, collectively entitled *To Serve Humanity*, has been released on the World Wide Web today – exactly one year after the announcement by the Universal House of Justice of a convocation of conferences for young people throughout the world.\n\n*To Serve Humanity* explores, through the diverse voices of a few of the 80,000 young people who participated in the 114 gatherings, the ways in which young people can contribute to the spiritual and material well-being of their communities.  As the young participants articulate insights on themes covered at each conference, what it means for their generation to be dedicated to the service of humanity is brought to life.\n\nAmong other examples, the films show how young people on every continent draw on the same concepts – such as friendship and mutual support – as they take responsibility for making a significant contribution to the development of their neighbourhoods and villages.  The segment on the theme of \"coherence\" highlights how clarity about one's purpose allows a young person to see each aspect of life as part of a coherent whole.\n\n*To Serve Humanity* is available to [download and view online here](https://news.bahai.org/community-news/toserve/), with options for watching the films with subtitles in Arabic, English, French, Russian, and Spanish.  A dubbed version is also accessible in Persian."}],"disableInlineCaptions":false,"slideshow":[],"pushRelatedContentDown":null,"relatedContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ManualContentRecord","inlineHtml":"<div style=\"padding-top: 75px;\">\n<h5>Related Stories</h5>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"/story/952/\">New film explores community-building throughout the world</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"/story/970/\">Youth arise to serve as conferences draw to a close</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"/story/962/\">Conferences for youth striving to serve their communities begin</a></li>\n</ul>\n</div>"}],"updatedContent":false,"excludeFromHomepage":false,"category":[],"highlightClip":null},{"storyNumber":979,"evergreenUrl":"three-bahais-stabbed-iran-apparently-religious-hate-crime","title":"Three Baha'is stabbed in Iran, apparently a religious hate crime","description":"In an apparent hate crime, three Baha'is were stabbed in their home in Birjand, Iran, by an unidentified intruder on Monday 3 February, the Baha'i...","date":"2014-02-07","customDateline":null,"city":"GENEVA","country":"SWITZERLAND","thumbnail":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1687959778-bwns-default-missing-image-endslate-still-8-1-1.jpg"},"featureAudio":null,"feature":[],"storyContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"In an apparent hate crime, three Baha'is were stabbed in their home in Birjand, Iran, by an unidentified intruder on Monday 3 February, the Baha'i International Community has learned.\n\nThe three – a husband and wife and their daughter – survived but are currently in intensive care at a nearby hospital.\n\nAccording to reports from Iran, the attacker – who was masked – entered the home of Ghodratollah Moodi and his wife, Touba Sabzehjou, at about 8 p.m.\n\nHe immediately assaulted Mr. Moodi, Mrs. Sabzehjou, and their daughter, Azam Moodi, with a knife or sharp instrument, seriously injuring all three of them.\n\nMr. Moodi was injured in his abdomen and side; Mrs. Sabzehjou was wounded in the neck. Both lost consciousness from the loss of blood.\n\nMs. Moodi, although also seriously hurt, was able to call the police and all three were taken to the hospital, where they are being closely monitored.\n\nDiane Ala'i, the Baha'i International Community’s representative to the United Nations in Geneva, said the attacker's only goal appears to have been to kill three innocent Baha'is in their home.\n\n\"As such, there can be no doubt that this crime was religiously motivated. Mr. Moodi was well-known as a leader in the Baha'i community in Birjand.\n\n\"Our immediate concern is for the recovery of the Moodi family. But we are also concerned that authorities in Iran begin immediately to investigate this crime and bring the perpetrator to justice.\n\n\"The sad fact is that there have been more than 50 physical assaults on Iranian Baha'is since 2005 – and none of the attackers has been prosecuted or otherwise brought to justice. And at least nine Baha'is have been murdered under suspicious circumstances in the same period, and the murderers have likewise enjoyed impunity.\n\n\"Most recently, for example, a Baha'i in Bandar Abbas was killed – and police have yet to charge anyone with the crime. Mr. Ataollah Rezvani, who was also a leader in the Baha'i community in his locality, was murdered in his own car by a gunshot to the head on 24 August 2013.\n\n\"If the new government of President Hassan Rouhani is sincere about his assertion that, under his presidency, all Iranian citizens will enjoy equal rights, then this new case should be taken extremely seriously, starting with an immediate search for the man who attacked the Moodi family.\n\n\"What is heartening is that once again non-Baha'i Iranians are registering their deep concern and support for the Baha'is of Iran, as evidenced by several online reports asking that Baha'is be treated with justice,\" said Ms. Ala'i.\n\n(Note: this version corrects the spelling of the name Mavadi to Moodi.)"}],"disableInlineCaptions":false,"slideshow":[],"pushRelatedContentDown":null,"relatedContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedFieldHeaderRecord","relatedHeaderText":"The Baha'is of Iran"},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedLinkRecord","relatedLinkText":"[\"Unfulfilled Promises: Iran’s failure to act after its 2010 Universal Periodic Review\"](http://www.bic.org/unfulfilledpromises)","relatedLinkDescription":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedLinkRecord","relatedLinkText":"[\"Violence with Impunity: Acts of aggression against Iran's Baha'i community\"](https://news.bahai.org/story/942)","relatedLinkDescription":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedLinkRecord","relatedLinkText":"[\"Closed Doors: Iran's Campaign to Deny Higher Education to Baha'is\" - Special Section](https://news.bahai.org/human-rights/iran/education-special-report/)","relatedLinkDescription":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedLinkRecord","relatedLinkText":"[The Baha'is of Semnan - Special Report](https://news.bahai.org/human-rights/iran/semnan/)","relatedLinkDescription":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedLinkRecord","relatedLinkText":"[\"The Trial of the Seven Baha'i Leaders\" - Special Report](https://news.bahai.org/human-rights/iran/yaran-special-report/)","relatedLinkDescription":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedLinkRecord","relatedLinkText":"[BWNS Iran Update](https://news.bahai.org/human-rights/iran/iran-update.html)","relatedLinkDescription":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedLinkRecord","relatedLinkText":"[\"Inciting Hatred: Iran's Media Campaign to Demonize Baha'is\" - Special Report](http://bic.org/resources/documents/inciting-hatred-book)","relatedLinkDescription":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedFieldHeaderRecord","relatedHeaderText":"Related Stories"},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedArticleRecord","storyNumber":977,"relatedStoryCaption":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedArticleRecord","storyNumber":978,"relatedStoryCaption":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedArticleRecord","storyNumber":976,"relatedStoryCaption":""}],"updatedContent":false,"excludeFromHomepage":false,"category":[{"tagName":"defence"}],"highlightClip":null},{"storyNumber":978,"evergreenUrl":"un-general-assembly-again-expresses-deep-concern-over-continuing-human-rights-violations-iran","title":"UN General Assembly again expresses \"deep concern\" over continuing human rights violations in Iran","description":"The United Nations General Assembly today expressed \"deep concern at serious ongoing and recurring human rights violations\" in Iran, showing...","date":"2013-12-18","customDateline":false,"city":"NEW YORK","country":"UNITED STATES","thumbnail":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1687959778-bwns-default-missing-image-endslate-still-8-1-1.jpg"},"featureAudio":null,"feature":[],"storyContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"The United Nations General Assembly today expressed \"deep concern at serious ongoing and recurring human rights violations\" in Iran, showing that the international community will not be swayed by mere promises of improvement.\n\nBy a vote of 86 to 36 with 61 abstentions, the Assembly approved a powerfully worded resolution that, while welcoming recent promises by Iran's new president to improve human rights, nevertheless cited alarm over unjustified executions, the use of torture, limits on freedom of assembly and expression, and ongoing discrimination against women, ethnic minorities, and religious minorities, including members of the Baha'i Faith.\n\n\"We welcome the fact that the international community clearly prefers action instead of words, and the world has thus made it clear by this vote today that it expects Iran to live up to the new promises it has made, as well as its commitments under international law,\" said Bani Dugal, the principal representative of the Baha'i International Community to the United Nations.\n\n\"Iran has not changed its ways yet. This is certainly true for Iranian Baha'is, who see no let-up in the ongoing, systematic persecution that has been directed by the government since 1979.\n\n\"As the catalog of violations in this resolution makes clear, neither has Iran relented in its oppression of millions of other Iranian citizens who only desire to share in the fundamental freedoms that enjoyed by the citizens of most other countries,\" she said.\n\nAmong other things, the resolution expresses \"deep concern\" over Iran's continued use of torture and its high rate of executions, noting the \"high frequency of the carrying out of the death penalty in the absence of internationally recognized safeguards.\"\n\nThe resolution also noted \"widespread and serious restrictions on the right to peaceful assembly, freedom of association and of opinion and expression,\" the \"systematic targeting and harassment of human rights defenders,\" and \"pervasive gender inequality and violence against women.\"\n\nOn the question of discrimination against ethnic and religious minorities, the Assembly expressed concern about discrimination against \"Arabs, Azeris, Balochis and Kurds and their defenders,\" along with ongoing \"severe limitations and restrictions on the right to freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief\" affecting \"Christians, Jews, Sufi Muslims, Sunni Muslims and Zoroastrians and their defenders.\"\n\nThe resolution devoted more than one paragraph to the situation facing Iranian Baha'is, noting their \"continued persecution\" including \"targeted attacks and murders, without proper investigation to hold those responsible accountable, arbitrary arrests and detention, the restriction of access to higher education on the basis of religion, the continued imprisonment of the leadership of the Iranian Baha'i community, the closure of Baha'i-owned businesses and the de facto criminalization of membership in the Baha'i faith.\"\n\nMs. Dugal noted that more than 100 Baha'is are currently in prison, held solely for their religious beliefs.\n\nThe resolution was put forward by 47 countries. It also calls on Iran to better cooperate with UN human rights monitors, such as by allowing them to make visits to Iran, and asks the UN secretary general to report back next year on Iran's progress at fulfilling its human rights obligations.\n\nToday's resolution was the 26th such resolution by the General Assembly since 1985.\n\nFor more information, go to http://www.bic.org"}],"disableInlineCaptions":false,"slideshow":[],"pushRelatedContentDown":null,"relatedContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedFieldHeaderRecord","relatedHeaderText":"The Baha'is of Iran"},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedLinkRecord","relatedLinkText":"[\"Violence with Impunity: Acts of aggression against Iran's Baha'i community\"](https://news.bahai.org/story/942)","relatedLinkDescription":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedLinkRecord","relatedLinkText":"[\"Closed Doors: Iran's Campaign to Deny Higher Education to Baha'is\" - Special Section](https://news.bahai.org/human-rights/iran/education-special-report/)","relatedLinkDescription":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedLinkRecord","relatedLinkText":"[The Baha'is of Semnan - Special Report](https://news.bahai.org/human-rights/iran/semnan/)","relatedLinkDescription":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedLinkRecord","relatedLinkText":"[\"The Trial of the Seven Baha'i Leaders\" - Special Report](https://news.bahai.org/human-rights/iran/yaran-special-report/)","relatedLinkDescription":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedLinkRecord","relatedLinkText":"[BWNS Iran Update](https://news.bahai.org/human-rights/iran/iran-update.html)","relatedLinkDescription":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedLinkRecord","relatedLinkText":"[\"Inciting Hatred: Iran's Media Campaign to Demonize Baha'is\" - Special Report](http://bic.org/resources/documents/inciting-hatred-book)","relatedLinkDescription":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedFieldHeaderRecord","relatedHeaderText":"Related Stories"},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedArticleRecord","storyNumber":977,"relatedStoryCaption":"NEW YORK — The seven imprisoned Iranian Baha'i leaders have written a letter to President Hassan Rouhani, commenting on his proposed \"Charter of Citizen's Rights.\""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedArticleRecord","storyNumber":974,"relatedStoryCaption":"UNITED NATIONS — Today's vote expressing concern over Iran's continued human rights violations demonstrates that the international community will not be swayed by mere promises of improvement, said the Baha'i International Community."},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedArticleRecord","storyNumber":971,"relatedStoryCaption":"UNITED NATIONS — Despite recent signals by Iran that it intends to improve on its human rights record, there has been little evidence of change, according to a report issued yesterday by the UN's expert on human rights in that country."}],"updatedContent":false,"excludeFromHomepage":false,"category":[{"tagName":"defence"}],"highlightClip":null},{"storyNumber":977,"evergreenUrl":"seven-imprisoned-bahai-leaders-send-letter-president-rouhani","title":"Seven imprisoned Baha’i leaders send letter to President Rouhani","description":"The seven imprisoned Iranian Baha'i leaders have written a letter to President Hassan Rouhani, commenting on his proposed \"Charter of Citizen's...","date":"2013-12-16","customDateline":false,"city":"NEW YORK","country":"UNITED STATES","thumbnail":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543583965-yaranletter-photo1.jpg"},"featureAudio":null,"feature":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ImageRecord","image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543583965-yaranletter-photo1.jpg"},"imageDescription":"Photo of the seven imprisoned Baha’i leaders; seated from left, Behrouz Tavakkoli and Saeid Rezaie, and standing, Fariba Kamalabadi, Vahid Tizfahm, Jamaloddin Khanjani, Afif Naemi and Mahvash Sabet.","imageStyle":"large-right","imageLink":""}],"storyContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"The seven imprisoned Iranian Baha'i leaders have written a letter to President Hassan Rouhani, commenting on his proposed \"Charter of Citizen's Rights.\"\n\nDuring his campaign for election earlier this year, President Rouhani promised such a Charter, saying it would aim to end discrimination on the basis of race, sex or religion.\n\nA draft version of that Charter was posted to a government website in Persian on 26 November 2013, giving Iranian citizens 30 days to offer comments on it.\n\nThe text of the letter - signed by the seven, whose names are Fariba Kamalabadi, Jamaloddin Khanjani, Afif Naeimi, Saeid Rezaie, Mahvash Sabet, Behrouz Tavakkoli, and Vahid Tizfahm - is given below in its entirety.\n\nThe seven are currently more than five years into 20-year prison sentences on wrongful charges related solely to their religious beliefs and practice, the longest sentences of any current prisoners of conscience in Iran.\n"},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_InlineImageRecord","slideshowImageNumber":2},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"Translation of a letter from the former Yaran to the President of Iran\n\nYour Excellency, Dr. Hassan Rouhani,\n\nIn the life of every nation there are moments of profound significance, when seemingly simple actions can turn the tide of history, when age-old misunderstandings can begin to be resolved, and when a new chapter in the destiny of its people can begin.  Your Excellency's recent public call for participation in a common discourse about the rights and responsibilities of citizens has kindled in hearts the light of hope that such a moment may have arrived for the people of Iran and for the destiny of this sacred land.  Appreciating this invitation, we are impelled by a moral duty towards our homeland, and especially by a deep concern for the youth of our country, to add our voice to this significant discourse.\n\nWe take this action from within our prison cell, notwithstanding the considerable obstacles in our path, as a band of law-abiding citizens who more than five years ago were arrested and have since suffered imprisonment simply for our efforts to manage the internal affairs of the Baha'i community of Iran.  We write this letter at this critical and decisive juncture lest history should judge us harshly as having failed in our duty.\n\nDr. Rouhani, Your Excellency,\n\nAlthough the sole fact of demonstrating an interest in reviewing and upholding the rights of the individual is in itself highly significant, we find it necessary here to state emphatically that, in our view, the oneness of all peoples and their fundamental liberty are not merely civil and legal constructs-they are spiritual principles whose source is the one Divine Creator, who made all humankind from the same stock.  The people of Iran, justifiably, wish to prosper and flourish in their individual and collective lives.  They wish to see their children advance, their youth tread the path of progress, and their nation enjoy a state of peace and tranquillity.  Yet, surely, none of these aspirations can be accomplished unless social and legal conditions make it possible for all the constituent elements of society to be treated equally and well, for all individuals to be accorded their basic human rights, and for no one to be subjugated and oppressed by reason of their ethnicity, gender, religious belief, or any other distinction.\n\nThe present discourse on the rights of citizens centres on a charter currently being drafted, yet we believe that, beyond seeking comment about the contents of that document, your invitation is an opportunity for us all to reflect on the state of our country and consider the character of the society in which we wish to live.  For such a reflection to be effective, it seems essential that we should first ask ourselves searching questions about the state of our society and the environment in which we wish to raise future generations.  We must look deep into our hearts.  Given that our land has suffered every kind of prejudice, discrimination, aggression, and social ill-a suffering whose consequences are apparent in all departments of our nation's collective life-we must ask ourselves:  what are truly the most vital principles that would fulfil our highest aspirations for our nation, and what are the means to establish these principles?  How do we respect the nobility of every individual?  How will a constructive environment be fostered in which all the different constituent parts of society can thrive?  What are the necessary conditions that would enable women to contribute their full share?  How do we wish children to be treated?  How do we enable minorities-ethnic, religious, or other-to make their contribution to the betterment of society shoulder to shoulder with others?  What is to be done so that differences of views and beliefs are properly respected?  How do we eradicate violence from our society?  How do we guarantee the right to education for all?  These are among the thoughts that should inform us as we search for the principles that must guide our society and shape the formulation of the rights of its citizenry.\n\nYour Excellency,\n\nSeeking the views of the various elements of society about the future can, of course, represent a first step towards building a progressive country, but what is of foundational importance is that the nation's school curriculums be reviewed to ensure that the soil is prepared in which a progressive culture may take root, a culture established upon fundamental principles such as the nobility of humankind and the equality of all before the law.\n\nTo document the citizens' rights and enshrine them in a charter may well be an important initiative in the course of a country's development, but if such a charter is not carefully drafted or, worse still, if it is deliberately crafted as a means to exclude, it could be used as a tool for justifying discrimination and perpetuating oppression.  Therefore, beyond the benefits that accrue from a free and open discourse and appropriate educational programmes, it is imperative for the protection of the people's rights, first, to enact laws that explicitly protect these rights, and, second, to fashion the necessary structures that prevent an arbitrary interpretation of the law.  The dismissal of thousands of Baha'i citizens from government posts, the execution of more than two hundred innocent Baha'is, the expulsion of thousands of students from universities, the sentences handed down during the past eight years to hundreds of Baha'is-indeed, what has happened in our own case, and the judicial process that led to a twenty-year jail sentence for each one of us-are all salutary lessons that illustrate our point and amply demonstrate the need for safeguards in how the law is applied.  In all the years that we had the honour to serve the Baha'i community of Iran, the authorities had full knowledge of our involvement in this work.  Then, one day, as a result of warped thinking and on the whim of certain individuals in authority, it was decided that our service should be deemed illegal, and consequently, we have spent nearly six years behind bars.\n\nYour Excellency,\n\nIf no effective solutions are devised, under conditions where individual rights can be trampled upon so arbitrarily, who can be certain that the fate that has befallen us today will not befall him tomorrow.\n\nIn closing, we wish Your Excellency every success in your sincere service to the great nation of Iran in the path of justice, freedom, and equality.\n\nRespectfully,\n\nVahid Tizfahm, Jamaloddin Khanjani, Saeid Rezaie, Mahvash Shahriari, Behrouz Azizi-Tavakkoli, Fariba Kamalabadi, Afif Naimi"}],"disableInlineCaptions":false,"slideshow":[{"image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543583965-yaranletter-photo2.jpg"},"imageDescription":"Photos of the seven imprisoned Baha’i leaders, top from left Behrouz Tavakkoli, Fariba Kamalabadi, Vahid Tizfahm, Mahvash Sabet; bottom from left, Jamaloddin Khanjani, Saeid Rezaie and Afif Naemi."},{"image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543583966-yaranletter-photo3.jpg"},"imageDescription":"Photo of the seven Baha’i leaders, pictured with their spouses at some point before their arrest in 2008."}],"pushRelatedContentDown":null,"relatedContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedFieldHeaderRecord","relatedHeaderText":"The Baha'is of Iran"},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedLinkRecord","relatedLinkText":"[\"Violence with Impunity: Acts of aggression against Iran's Baha'i community\"](https://news.bahai.org/story/942)","relatedLinkDescription":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedLinkRecord","relatedLinkText":"[\"Closed Doors: Iran's Campaign to Deny Higher Education to Baha'is\" - Special Section](https://news.bahai.org/human-rights/iran/education-special-report/)","relatedLinkDescription":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedLinkRecord","relatedLinkText":"[The Baha'is of Semnan - Special Report](https://news.bahai.org/human-rights/iran/semnan/)","relatedLinkDescription":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedLinkRecord","relatedLinkText":"[\"The Trial of the Seven Baha'i Leaders\" - Special Report](https://news.bahai.org/human-rights/iran/yaran-special-report/)","relatedLinkDescription":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedLinkRecord","relatedLinkText":"[BWNS Iran Update](https://news.bahai.org/human-rights/iran/iran-update.html)","relatedLinkDescription":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedLinkRecord","relatedLinkText":"[\"Inciting Hatred: Iran's Media Campaign to Demonize Baha'is\" - Special Report](http://bic.org/resources/documents/inciting-hatred-book)","relatedLinkDescription":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedFieldHeaderRecord","relatedHeaderText":"Related Stories"},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedArticleRecord","storyNumber":960,"relatedStoryCaption":"A global outpouring of support and concern for the plight of the seven Iranian Baha'i leaders – and for the situation of other prisoners of conscience in Iran..."},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedArticleRecord","storyNumber":977,"relatedStoryCaption":"On 5 March 2008, Mahvash Sabet – a schoolteacher and mother of two – was arrested having been summoned to the Iranian city of Mashhad to discuss..."},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedArticleRecord","storyNumber":976,"relatedStoryCaption":"GENEVA — Among the many acts of persecution to which the Baha'is in Iran are being subjected, one of the most heartless is the wanton desecration of their cemeteries..."}],"updatedContent":false,"excludeFromHomepage":false,"category":[{"tagName":"defence"}],"highlightClip":null},{"storyNumber":976,"evergreenUrl":"bahai-cemetery-sanandaj-iran-attacked-partly-destroyed","title":"Baha'i cemetery in Sanandaj, Iran, attacked and partly destroyed","description":"Among the many acts of persecution to which the Baha'is in Iran are being subjected, one of the most heartless is the wanton desecration of their...","date":"2013-12-16","customDateline":false,"city":"GENEVA","country":"SWITZERLAND","thumbnail":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543583954-sanandajcemetarydestroyed.jpg"},"featureAudio":null,"feature":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ImageRecord","image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543583954-sanandajcemetarydestroyed.jpg"},"imageDescription":"Portions of Baha’i cemetery in Sanandaj, Iran, destroyed.","imageStyle":"large-right","imageLink":""}],"storyContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"Among the many acts of persecution to which the Baha'is in Iran are being subjected, one of the most heartless is the wanton desecration of their cemeteries. Most recently, attackers have destroyed portions of the Baha'i cemetery in Sanandaj, Iran, which has in recent years been threatened by local authorities who have sought to raze the site and repossess its land. The attack follows recent efforts by local officials to reclaim the site, which had been officially allocated to Baha'is some 20 years ago.\n\nReports from Iran say the morgue, where bodies are washed, along with the prayer room, a water tank, and the walls of the cemetery were destroyed sometime in the morning on 12 December 2013.\n\n\"We don't have all the details about this attack yet, but it appears to have been the result of a government effort to confiscate the cemetery land and destroy its buildings and graves,\" said Diane Ala'i, the representative of the Baha'i International Community to the United Nations in Geneva.\n\n\"Baha'is hold the legal deed to the land, and have even won support from many of their Muslim neighbors for their efforts to beautify the property and its surroundings. At one point, they planted more than 250 trees there.\n\n\"But elements of the government have more recently sought to reclaim the property, even seeking a court order to raze the buildings and graves. The Baha'is of Sanandaj fought back in the courts but their protests have now apparently failed to protect their rights,\" she said.\n\nMs. Ala'i said there was little doubt the incident was stirred by religious hatred.\n\n\"Since 2005, there have been at least 42 similar such attacks on Baha'i cemeteries around the country, and the long battle in Sanandaj over this property has been tinged with anti-Baha'i overtones.\n\n\"Iran's new president, Hassan Rouhani, has promised to uphold civil rights for all Iranian citizens - and so we hope that he will now call for an immediate and official investigation into this, and to take action to restore the rights of the Sanandaj Baha'i community,\" said Ms. Ala'i.\n\nSanandaj is a medium-sized city of roughly 300,000 people in western Iran. The Baha'i community there has faced a number of attacks in recent years. In December 2011, government agents raided 12 Baha'i homes in Sanandaj, confiscating Baha'i books, computers, mobile telephones, and even children's diaries.\n\nIn 2007, the cemetery was vandalized and hate graffiti with messages like \"Death to the Baha'is\" and \"Baha'is are unclean\" was written on its walls.\n\nYet it is also true that Baha'is have also won considerable support from many in the community for their efforts to beautify the cemetery.\n\nAt one point, the Office of Natural Resources suggested that the Baha'is consider planting trees on public land adjacent to the cemetery, thereby expanding the green zone. As a result, the largely Sunni Muslim residents of Sanandaj came to respect the place as a symbol of the Baha'i community's peaceful presence in their city.\n\nOnly after this process of beautification did local authorities begin to reassert their claim to the land."}],"disableInlineCaptions":false,"slideshow":[],"pushRelatedContentDown":null,"relatedContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedFieldHeaderRecord","relatedHeaderText":"The Baha'is of Iran"},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedLinkRecord","relatedLinkText":"[\"Violence with Impunity: Acts of aggression against Iran's Baha'i community\"](https://news.bahai.org/story/942)","relatedLinkDescription":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedLinkRecord","relatedLinkText":"[\"Closed Doors: Iran's Campaign to Deny Higher Education to Baha'is\" - Special Section](https://news.bahai.org/human-rights/iran/education-special-report/)","relatedLinkDescription":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedLinkRecord","relatedLinkText":"[The Baha'is of Semnan - Special Report](https://news.bahai.org/human-rights/iran/semnan/)","relatedLinkDescription":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedLinkRecord","relatedLinkText":"[\"The Trial of the Seven Baha'i Leaders\" - Special Report](https://news.bahai.org/human-rights/iran/yaran-special-report/)","relatedLinkDescription":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedLinkRecord","relatedLinkText":"[BWNS Iran Update](https://news.bahai.org/human-rights/iran/iran-update.html)","relatedLinkDescription":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedLinkRecord","relatedLinkText":"[\"Inciting Hatred: Iran's Media Campaign to Demonize Baha'is\" - Special Report](http://bic.org/resources/documents/inciting-hatred-book)","relatedLinkDescription":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedFieldHeaderRecord","relatedHeaderText":"Related Stories"},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedArticleRecord","storyNumber":973,"relatedStoryCaption":"GENEVA — Following raids on 14 Baha'i homes in the Iranian city of Abadeh last month, government agents summoned the occupants for questioning and urged them to leave town or face possible deadly attacks from city residents."},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedArticleRecord","storyNumber":972,"relatedStoryCaption":"GENEVA — Parva Rahmanian and her family used to run a flower shop in Iran – until the government revoked their business license."},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedArticleRecord","storyNumber":974,"relatedStoryCaption":"UNITED NATIONS — Today's vote expressing concern over Iran's continued human rights violations demonstrates that the international community will not be swayed by mere promises of improvement, said the Baha'i International Community."}],"updatedContent":false,"excludeFromHomepage":false,"category":[{"tagName":"defence"}],"highlightClip":null},{"storyNumber":975,"evergreenUrl":"in-santiago-work-commences-house-worships-superstructure","title":"In Santiago, work commences on House of Worship's superstructure","description":"Significant progress is being made in the construction of the Baha'i House of Worship here, the final one to be erected to serve an entire continent....","date":"2013-11-27","customDateline":false,"city":"SANTIAGO","country":"CHILE","thumbnail":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543583904-97511chileshrine.jpg"},"featureAudio":null,"feature":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ImageRecord","image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543583904-97511chileshrine.jpg"},"imageDescription":"Installation of the steel structure of the 9 wings of the superstructure.","imageStyle":"large-right","imageLink":""}],"storyContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"Significant progress is being made in the construction of the Baha'i House of Worship here, the final one to be erected to serve an entire continent.\n\nWork has been completed on a complex three-storey structure and underground service tunnel, requiring more than 2,000 cubic metres of concrete and 190 tonnes of reinforced steel.\n\nNow the next major phase of the project - the erection of the Temple's distinctive superstructure - has commenced.\n\nThe recent developments were announced in a letter from the Universal House of Justice, dated 26 November.\n\n\"We are delighted to share news of the progress on the construction of the continental House of Worship for South America rising in the foothills of the Andes in Chile,\" the Universal House of Justice wrote.\n\nThe 30-metre high superstructure will include an exterior envelope made of cast-glass pieces that will be mounted on some 3,200 aluminium frames, as well as more than 8,000 robotically milled panels of translucent stone which will clad the Temple's interior.\n\nThey are being fabricated in several facilities in Europe and the Americas and shipped to Chile for assembly and installation by a small team of engineers now working on-site together with local contractors, staff, and volunteers.\n"},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_InlineImageRecord","slideshowImageNumber":2},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"\"Discernible on the horizon from the city of Santiago is the structure's central scaffolding tower, upon which has been hoisted into prominent position the steel oculus ring that will unite eighteen arched tubular columns at the uppermost point of the edifice,\" observed the Universal House of Justice.\n\nWhen completed, the edifice in Santiago will be the eighth in a series of continental Baha'i Houses of Worship-distinctive buildings, open to everyone-established to integrate worship with service.\n\nAn integral concept of each Baha'i House of Worship is that it is a place of prayer and meditation as well as a spiritual center around which agencies and institutions of social, humanitarian, and educational service will emerge to serve the surrounding population.\n\n**Two videos released**\n\nA new video depicting the progress of the House of Worship's construction has recently been released. It shows the completion of the concrete structural elements and highlights the fabrication work of the components of the building's superstructure. A second video shows initiatives that are under way to develop vibrant united communities dedicated to the service of humanity in the neighborhoods surrounding the House of Worship. The videos can be viewed [here](http://templo.bahai.cl/en/medios/videos/) in English, and [here](http://templo.bahai.cl/medios/videos/) in Spanish."}],"disableInlineCaptions":false,"slideshow":[{"image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543583892-97501chileshrine.jpg"},"imageDescription":"An early model of the Baha’i House of Worship for the South American continent, stimulating how it will appear at night."},{"image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543583894-97502chileshrine.jpg"},"imageDescription":"The Temple as seen from the city of Santiago."},{"image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543583894-97503chileshrine.jpg"},"imageDescription":"View of the completed concrete work of the base of the Temple, landscaping around the Temple in progress and the City of Santiago."},{"image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543583909-97504chileshrine.jpg"},"imageDescription":"View of the completed concrete work of the mezzanine, columns and main floor of the Temple and Tunnel."},{"image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543583892-97505chileshrine.jpg"},"imageDescription":"Basement of the Temple."},{"image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543583901-97506chileshrine.jpg"},"imageDescription":"Oculus ring tube which will be installed at the apex of the Temple and unites the 9 wings of the Temple together."},{"image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543583897-97507chileshrine.jpg"},"imageDescription":"Installation of the oculus ring tube at the apex of the Temple that unites the 9 wings of the Temple together."},{"image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543583907-97508chileshrine.jpg"},"imageDescription":"Installation of the steel structure of the 9 wings of the superstructure."},{"image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543583905-97509chileshrine.jpg"},"imageDescription":"Installation of the steel structure of the 9 wings of the superstructure."},{"image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543583901-97510chileshrine.jpg"},"imageDescription":"Anchoring of the steel structure of the superstructure to the concrete Mezzanine of the Temple."},{"image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543583897-97511chileshrine.jpg"},"imageDescription":"Installation of the steel structure of the 9 wings of the superstructure."},{"image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543583892-97512chileshrine.jpg"},"imageDescription":"A group of international volunteers working on the preparation of the components of the superstructure."}],"pushRelatedContentDown":null,"relatedContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedFieldHeaderRecord","relatedHeaderText":"Related Stories"},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedArticleRecord","storyNumber":940,"relatedStoryCaption":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedArticleRecord","storyNumber":800,"relatedStoryCaption":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedArticleRecord","storyNumber":865,"relatedStoryCaption":""}],"updatedContent":false,"excludeFromHomepage":false,"category":[{"tagName":"houses_of_worship"}],"highlightClip":null}],"lang":"en","language":"en","location":"/archive/40/"}},"staticQueryHashes":["2762707590"]}