Update on the Baha'is of Iran

It's been a few weeks since we updated this blog on the situation of the Baha'is in Iran. As some of you may know, on May 14, 6 leaders of the Baha'i Faith were arrested and detained in the notorious Evin prison -- joining another Baha'i who was arrested in March. After nearly 8 weeks they have not been charged with any crime, have not been able to contact a lawyer and have only had brief contact with their families by phone on one occasion 2 weeks ago. It is yet another example of the Iranian authorities efforts to destroy the Baha'i Faith in that country.

Well, last week six Nobel Peace Prize laureates have issued a statement calling on the Iranian government to free these Baha'is immediately. Additional concerns have been raised by other governments and prominent people in an effort to win their release. To see a full update on this click here >

However I just saw this posting on another blog that I wanted to share. It's a recording of a sermon given by a Mullah that attacks the Baha'is on the grounds that they are such upright and good people that they put their fellow Muslims to shame! A translation of the sermon includes this statement:

"A Bahai girl, in a school of 800 girls, has studied herself to such a degree and carries herself in such a way that everyone is amazed. Are you aware of this?! She is so dignified that anyone who doesn’t know her, thinks that she is probably the daughter of an Ayatollah… but shes a Bahai!

"...I myself had a Bahai student, a Jewish student, a Christian student. I swear to that I would give 20/20 to a bahai for their personality and behaviour …because I cant give them 30!"

See the posting and hear the sermon here. He does sound pretty riled up about this....