New Delhi, Feb 5 (PTI) An organisation representing members of the Bahá’í faith on Thursday flagged increasing efforts by the Iranian government to use their community members as a “scapegoat” in a moment of national crisis in that country.
In a statement, it said over the past week, programmes have been broadcast by a state television channel spreading false accusations against the Bahá’í community.
“This has been accompanied by reports of an increase in the arrest and detention of Baha’is across the country,” said the statement issued by the office of public affairs of the Bahá’í community of India, here.
At a time when the calls of the Iranian people for justice and for the betterment of their country have been met with violence, repression and widespread loss of life, the Bahá’í International Community (BIC) is alarmed by an increasing effort by the Iranian government to use Baha’is as a scapegoat in a moment of national crisis, consistent with its long-standing pattern, in state media and through increasing persecution, it said.
During every previous period of national crisis since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, whether social, economic, or political, the Iranian authorities have consistently and systematically scapegoated the Baha’is through false allegations and coordinated disinformation and hate campaigns, the statement said, adding “this time has been no different”.
On February 1, the so-called “confessions” of two Bahá’í, relating to the protests — confessions that are manifestly obtained under pressure and coercion — were broadcast by Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), the regime’s principal state media outlet, it said.
Human rights organisations have for many years documented the practice of forced confessions in Iranian prisons, where detainees are pressured, threatened and even tortured into giving false confessions against themselves, and broadcasting such forced confessions on state television is a major escalation in the Iranian government’s campaign against the Bahá’í community, the statement said.
For decades, the Iranian authorities have sought to justify the persecution of the Baha’is through hate speech and scapegoating, it added.
The Bahá’í faith is monotheistic. It was founded in the 19th century in Persia (modern-day Iran).
The teachings of the Bahá’í faith encourage its followers to devote their lives to advancing justice and unity in society. The Bahá’í House of Worship (popularly known as Lotus Temple) in New Delhi symbolises unity and harmony among people of all backgrounds.
“This is another attempt by the Iranian government to falsify the truth and present falsehoods to its own public. But this attempt is a new threadbare one, and its baselessness is proven. During every period of national crisis, whether social, economic, or political, the Iranian authorities consistently and systematically scapegoated the Baha’is,” said Fahandej, BIC representative to the United Nations in Geneva.
The Baha’i community is often among the first to be accused of false allegations, scapegoated, and targeted through coordinated disinformation and hate campaigns, she said, adding that this is a repeated pattern.
During the recent UN Special Session on Iran at the Human Rights Council in Geneva, the BIC noted that, alongside the Bahá’í community’s decades-long experience of persecution, many more people in Iran are now facing injustices.
“All Iranians across the country, from every religion, ethnicity and background, deserve to play a decisive role in the shaping of their country. This is an inherent human right that cannot be taken away by any government,” Fahandej said. PTI AKV HIG APL APL APL
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