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Following the destruction of significant
edifices associated with the history of the Bahá’í faith
in Iran and renewed efforts to prevent young Bahá’ís from
accessing higher education, the UK Bahá’í community has
been gratified by the prompt response of Parliamentarians
and the government to these problems.
After the destruction of the house of Bahá’u’lláh’s
father, Linda Perham - Labour MP tabled an Early Day Motion,
expressing concern at these acts of cultural cleansing.
So far 80 Parliamentarians from all parties have signed
the motion. The issue has also been raised in a Parliamentary
Question by Tom Brake MP. Another Parliamentary Question
about the persecution of the Bahá’ís was put to Foreign
Office Minister, Bill Rammell MP by Mike Hancock MP.
Questions relating to the persecution of
the Bahá’ís were raised by several speakers during an Adjournment
Debate on EU Relations with Iran on October 19 in the House
of Commons. The debate had been tabled by Mr Win Griffiths
MP, who has visited Iran in person. Amongst a number of
concerns, Mr Griffiths raised the question of the continuing
problems for the Bahá’ís and drew attention to the plight
of young Bahá’í students who have been denied access to
university.
Sir Sydney Chapman spoke in glowing terms
of the Bahá’í faith, stating: ‘I cannot think of any religious
organisation that contains so many peace-loving, kindly
and gentle people as the Bahá’í faith.’ These words were
backed up with a firm comment concerning efforts by Iran’s
government to close down the Bahá’í Institute for Higher
Education, a private initiative by the Bahá’ís to ensure
that at least a small number of their youth are educated.
The Bahá’í community is grateful to MPs
from across the political spectrum who are willing to go
on record and call for the emancipation of co-religionists
in Iran. The response of the government is also gratifying.
Dr Denis MacShane MP, the Minister for Europe, chose to
address his final words of the debate to the Bahá’í issue,
saying: ‘I hope that the whole House will send a message
of solidarity to people of the Bahá’í faith. It is a great,
noble, tolerant and peace-loving religion, and its treatment
at the hands of the Iranian authorities is an insult to
human values anywhere in the world.’
DW
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