Tag: News

Call for action as Iranian Bahá’í leaders enter third year in prison

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As seven Baha’i leaders in Iran enter their third year in jail and new details emerge about the harsh conditions of their imprisonment, members of the Bahá’í community of West Berkshire have backed renewed calls for their immediate release.

The prisoners, former members of an informal group known as ‘Friends’, used to attend to the spiritual and social needs of Baha’is of Iran. They have been in Evin prison since their arrests in 2008. Three court appearances so far have taken place this year.

Shawn Khorassani, a West Berkshire based Bahá’í, echoed Bani Dugal (principal representative of the Bahá’í International Community to the United Nations) when he said: “These innocent Bahá’ís have now been locked up for two full years under conditions which clearly violate international standards. The West Berkshire Bahá’ís back the Bahá’í International Community in calling on the Iranian authorities to release them now. The dictates of justice demand no less.

“If their freedom is not immediately granted, at the very least they should be released on bail. Steps should be taken to ensure that their trial is expedited and conducted fairly, in accordance with international standards.”

Reflections from National Baha’i Convention . . .

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National Convention delegate Richard Friend (left) with observers Shohreh and Anthony Fleming

Reflections on a message from the Baha’i Universal House of Justice (the community’s world governing council), provided the focus for more than 700 members of the UK Baha’i Community who gathered at their National Convention in Nottingham earlier this month.

Baha’is from the Thames Valley were amongst 600 observers who joined 95 delegates (elected by Baha’is at local level across the country), who focused on the neighbourhood-level community building that Baha’is the world over are committed to.

Delegates shared their experiences and thinking about how the building of spiritual, social and material capacity is the foundation of community building. They spoke about the way Baha’is work with people of all faiths and none to improve the well-being of all.

Shohreh Fleming, from West Berkshire, was an observer at National Convention. She said: “The Convention encourages all delegates, whether veterans or first-timers, to speak freely. I was touched by the ethos of careful listening and the fact that all contributions are accorded equal respect.”