This is a cross-post from Just Journalism.
The French news agency AFP today reported on a series of arrests in Iran of members of the Bahai faith for ‘propagating their faith’:
‘Iran has arrested a “number” of Bahais for running an “online Bahai university” aimed at propagating their faith, the government-run Iran newspaper reported on Monday.’
The article cites further the Iranian contention that the university was a ‘trap’ to spread the ‘misled’ religion of the Bahai:
‘The Iran newspaper report added that, “this so-called online university was in fact a disguise for spreading the (faith) of the misled Bahai group and setting a trap for the citizens… A large number of books, CDs and computers were seized from them.”’
Furthermore, the article notes that this follows a similar incident in March, when a number of Bahais were arrested for ‘promoting their faith in kindergartens’. These arrests are part of a wider pattern of wider persecution:
‘The Bahais, who are barred from higher education and government posts in staunchly Shiite Muslim Iran, are regarded as infidels by the majority community and have been persecuted both before and after the country’s 1979 Islamic revolution.’
Just Journalism will monitor to see if any other mainstream media covers the story.
The Bahai are not the only religious community which has seen its members arrested by the Iranian regime this year. Just Journalism reported in January that The Times were the only outlet to cover a serious crackdown of Christians in the country.
