Imprisonment and Persecution of Baha’is in Iran

5 March 2008 – arrest of Mrs. Mahvash Sabet

14 May 2009 – arrest of Mrs. Fariba Kamalabadi, Mr. Jamaloddin Khanjani, Mr. Afif Naeimi, Mr. Saeid Rezaie, Mr. Behrouz Tavakkoli, and Mr. Vahid Tizfahm

These Baha’is were before their imprisonment part of an ad hoc group – known as the Friends “Yaran” – with the purpose to guide 300,000 Baha’is in Iran.

12 January 2010 – the trial of the seven Baha’is opened with a closed session of the Revolutionary Court, where the charges were read.

They are espionage, “propaganda activities against the Islamic order,” establishing an “illegal administration,” cooperation with Israel, sending secret documents outside the country, acting against the security of the country, and “corruption on earth.”

Their attorneys associated with the Defenders of Human Rights Center in Tehran rejected all these arbitrary claims.

7 February 2010 – the trial of the Baha’i “leaders” continues.

At present some 50 Baha’is are imprisoned because of their religion. This trial is a farce by which the Iranian government demonstrats their cruel and ill-mannered treatment of the religious minorities in their country.

We are all curious of the results. But waiting and watching is not enough. We need to act!  Baha’is all over the planet are joined in Prayer and the International Baha’i Community – a representative body of the Baha’is at large – are informing government bodies. The UN and the EU clearly rejected this persecution. UN resolution on Iran’s violation of human rights shows the continuous admonishment of the persecution of the Baha’is.

Further reading: Iranpresswatch, Baha’i News Service

 

The Light in us

photography by 'Alesa Dam' on Flickr

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?
Actually, who are we not to be? You are a child of God- your playing small doesn’t serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people will not feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us, it is in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

Marianne Williamson

 

International Protest for better studying conditions

Hey everybody,
the uni is burning, not really, but that’s what we students claim!
Now particular in Vienna it started at the Art’s Faculty and then spread to other Faculties, or some that hope to be one, some day, like International Development Studies is a self-initiated Project, not a Faculty, of more than 2500 Students.
But really everybody joined the Protest, at first very peaceful, the students became impatient and then occupied the AudioMax. A kettle here, a beer bottle there, and talbes full with cereal the 3rd day this place rather looked like bad location for a sleepover, despite this appearance, our demands are more serious:

• free education
• more state financing for education
• bigger auditoriums (now, you are lucky to find a place to sit on the ground!)
• better paychecks and longterm commitment contracts for the teaching stuff and more stuff
• no discriminatory selection concerning nationality or grade point average
• and many more

This is not an issue entirely of the university, but a social issue.

“Geld für Bildung, nicht für Banken” (Money for Education, not for Banks) are slogans to underline the controversy of money injections into failing car industries, rather than into Education and Future!

 

I love my Job!

Lately I was wondering, whenever I ask how people like their Job, I get the same underlying message: “I hate it”!
How is it possible that to many people dislike their Profession or dislike parts of it? Well the first hit on my search gave me this, and it as good as it gets

I Love My Job!

The Lost Dr Seuss Poem I love my job, I love the pay! I love it more and more each day. I love my boss, she is the best! I love her boss and all the rest.   I love my office and its location, I hate to have to go on vacation. I love my furniture, drab and gray, And piles of paper that grow each day!   I think my job is really swell, There’s nothing else I love so well. I love to work among my peers, I love their leers, and jeers, and sneers. I love my computer and its software; I hug it often though it won’t care. I love each program and every file. I’d love them more if they worked a while.   I’m happy to be here.  I am.  I am. I’m the happiest slave of the Firm, I am. I love this work, I love these chores. I love the meetings with deadly bores. I love my job – I’ll say it again - I even love those friendly men. Those friendly men who’ve come today, In clean white coats to take me away!

 

Hey sorry guys, that I didn’t keep up very much, but I did update my Profile!

 

The outcome of the international support to discharge the 7 Baha’is from the famous Evin-Prison caused, that the trial was delayed to a later unknown date. This has a two sided agenda. Its of course relieving that the Baha’is weren’t put on trial, since this would ultimately be their death sentence. On the other hand, the Iranian government tries with their apparent strategy with the uncertainty to lose big public attention and to proceed in the quite. But with all that demonstration going on at the time in and outside the country, maybe they will face trial, not the innocent Baha’is. Perhaps then the name: court of “Justice” will fulfill it true meaning.

So today was the big day where all over the world people gathered to support the Iranian people in their struggle for freedom in peaceful demonstrations. The one I attended was marked by unity, sorrow for the loss and a hope for a brighter future. This was well shown by the chanting of the national Anthem used before the revolution. Oh, how joyful and bitter sweet I felt. I was delighted to see especially one slogan known to be from Ghandi:

“First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.”

 

Baha’i Rights Day – 11th Juli

 

Rainn Wilson talking with Oprah Winfrey about Religion

Here is a way to put Religion into perspective and check out Rainn Wilsons soul pancake!

 

Verfolgung der Baha’i/Persecution of the Baha’is

This is especially for German speakers, but it’s with English subtitles, so feel free to watch it! It about the 7 persecuted Baha’i leaders in Iran, that have no access to a fair trail.

 

Coffee and enthusiasm

I can’t make whether it was the big mugg of coffee or my enthusiasm to get something done! My head is spinning and I’m managing well to keep my eyes fixed on the screen. I’m trying to make this world a better place, and give an end to the injustice: I want to become a Youth Representative of some NGO for Equalitiy of Women, Perseqution of Baha’i in Iran, Sustainable Developement, especially in impoverished parts of the world, or alike. Unfortunatly I couldn’t find any Sign-Up lists for NGO’s that need youth representation or as easy as such! So I’m sacrificing my sleep now, so that in the future I will be able to sacrifies more sleep to give equal opportunity to suffering people.