Bahai persecution in Iran

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Bahai persecution in Iran

On May 19th, Iranian security officials had arrested 54 Bahais in the city of Shiraz, based on groundless charges, other than planning a service-community project. To no astonishment, this incident was nothing but an offshoot from the real persecution Bahais have been subjected to since the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran. During the 1980’s, more than 200 Bahais were executed by the Islamic regime, since they were identified as “infidels” who were trying to promote their “dirty” religion. They are, on a daily basis, interrogated, arrested, harassed, have personal properties taken away from them, and so forth, for this very reason just stated. Source

The Bahai faith recognize Muhammad as a prophet of God, but believe their last prophet, Bahai’ullah, came after Muhammad. This very belief is considered blasphemous through Islamic doctrine, and has been the primary pretext for the mullahs, in justifying their ongoing persecution of Bahais in Iran.

The first couple years after the 1979 revolution, hostilities against the Bahai people significantly escalated. A certain organization called the Hojjatieh Society, was notorious for its anti-Bahai ideology which, henceforth, propelled the draconian measures that were taken against the Bahais, by the mullahs. However, due to certain theological differences between the society and the ruling khomeiniists, the society was banned in 1984. This does not mean that the party’s opponents were any more humane, ideologically, than the party members themselves. For instance, in 2004 the IRI permitted the destruction of two highly regarded Bahai holy places of worship. Also, the gravesite of Quddus, an important figure in Bahai history, was razed. The Bahais essentially are to the Islamic Republic, what the Iraqi Kurds were to Saddam Hussein. Source

To understand more about this fundamental belief of backwardness, we have to dig into the Islamic sources. There were many cases during the early time period of Islam, where Muslims who tried to reform Islam or called themselves prophets, were often crushed and marginalized. For instance, there was Musaylimah of Banu Hanifa, who claimed to be a prophet and rose to power, before he was quickly defeated after the death of Muhammad. Even though Muhammad never got to be the primary figure to intercede and have Musaylimah's followers assassinated, it certainly was his wish to do so.

When one of Musaylimah’s messengers came to Muhammad on terms of diplomacy and greetings, Muhammad replied by saying “If you had not been the ambassadors and messengers I would have ordered you to be put to death. When you had already embraced Islam and acknowledged my prophethood, why did you follow such a blockhead and give up the sacred religion of Islam”.Source

Sunan Abu-Dawud

Book 14, Number 2756:

Narrated Abdullah ibn Mas'ud:

Harithah ibn Mudarrib said that he came to Abdullah ibn Mas'ud and said (to him): There is no enmity between me and any of the Arabs. I passed a mosque of Banu Hanifah. They (the people) believed in Musaylimah. Abdullah (ibn Mas'ud) sent for them. They were brought, and he asked them to repent, except Ibn an-Nawwahah. He said to him: I heard the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) say: Were it not that you were not a messenger, I would behead you. But today you are not a messenger. He then ordered Qarazah ibn Ka'b (to kill him). He beheaded him in the market. Anyone who wants to see Ibn an-Nawwahah slain in the market (he may see him).

Book 14, Number 2755:

Narrated Nu'aym ibn Mas'ud:

I heard the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) say when he read the letter of Musaylimah: What do you believe yourselves? They said: We believe as he believes. He said: I swear by Allah that were it not that messengers are not killed, I would cut off your heads.

It is clearly written in the Quran as well, about this subject.

“And there are those who put up a mosque by way of mischief and infidelity - to disunite the Believers - and in preparation for one who warred against Allah and His Messenger aforetime. They will indeed swear that their intention is nothing but good; But Allah doth declare that they are certainly liars”. (Q. 9:107)

Obviously, the terms “mischief” can have numerous meanings after reading the hadith above. For the IRI, “mischief” means practicing a “dirty” religion through following a “blockhead” prophet, which consequently invokes violence and execution orders, via the mandate of Islam.

For anyone to understand the barbaric rhetoric of radical zealots, as intellectuals they must be able to objectively analyze and study the banner for which these bigots fight for. We must derive the truth to understand the cause of this obscurantism, by exegetically examining and studying the historical stratum of Islam. Just as an archeologist goes back to study the fossils of history in order to understand the present product, we must go to the heartbeat of this shockwave that has ravaged mankind, to make sure it never happens again. After Islam is confronted with this incontrovertible logic, only then can we revive ourselves from barbarity and go back to taking the light path to modernity.