Insight #64 This edition of Insight is about the Five Years Too Many campaign featured in our previous post of yesterday. Host, Bhakti Larry Hough, interviews Anthony Vance, Director of the US Baha'i Office of Public Affairs, and Iraj Kamalabadi, the brother of one of the ad hoc leaders that are in prison in Iran. The program also includes excerpts from the Five Years Too Many event held May 6th in Washington DC: Rainn Wilson, actor (Dwight Schrute, from the TV program, The Office) and Roxana Saberi, journalist and author, who was imprisoned in the same cell as the two female members of the Yaran. This edition is longer than normal due to the nature of the topic. A higher quality version of the program, can be downloaded here, but its 56MB. To listen to the program, simply click on the link at the top of the article, or the higher quality version, or right click on the links and download the files.
The imprisoned Baha'i leaders are, top from left, Behrouz Tavakkoli, Fariba Kamalabadi, Vahid Tizfahm, Mahvash Sabet; bottom from left, Jamaloddin Khanjani, Saeid Rezaie and Afif Naeimi.
For five years, seven Baha'i leaders have been wrongly imprisoned in Iran. Today, May 14th, marks the anniversary of their 20-year sentences, which are the longest given to any current prisoners of conscience in Iran. The harshness of their sentences reflects the Government’s resolve to oppress completely the Iranian Baha'i community, which faces a systematic, “cradle-to-grave” persecution that is among the most serious examples of state-sponsored religious persecution in the world today.
Baha'i communities around the world have launched a campaign calling for the immediate release of these seven – and the release of all innocent prisoners of conscience in Iranian prisons. The campaign is called, “Five Years Too Many.”
The US Bahá’i community has initiated a Congressional Call-In Day today, to gather support for Senate Resolution 75 and House Resolution 109, both of which, “condemn the Government of Iran for its state-sponsored persecution of its Baha’i minority and its continued violation of the International Covenants on Human Rights.”
The charges leveled against the seven Baha’i leaders reflect the depth of animosity and prejudice directed towards them — as well as a degree of ignorance regarding the basic principles and history of the Baha’i Faith.
Despite the overwhelming evidence that the Baha’i community in Iran is being persecuted solely because of its religious beliefs, the Iranian government continues – in both public and private forums – to justify its behavior with unsubstantiated accusations.
Specifically in the case of the seven Iranian Baha’i leaders, there was never any evidence presented to support the charges.
Information on the Congressional Call-In Day today to gather support for Senate Resolution 75 and House Resolution 109, condemning the Government of Iran for its state-sponsored persecution of its Baha’i minority is available on the web at iran.bahai.us.
Below are links on the campaign to call for the release of the Bahá'ís in Iran that have been unjustly sentenced to 20 years in prison, of which they have already served five years, “Five Years Too Many”!
LINKS
Five Years Too Many for information about the Five Years Too Many campaign and details about the effort to gain their release, and background about who these wonderful people are.
Congressional Call-In Day, for information about the campaign to call US Senators and Representatives to ask them to support either Senate Resolution 75 or House Resolution 109, condemning the Government of Iran for its state-sponsored persecution of its Baha’i minority.
Insight #64 This edition of Insight is about the Five Years Too Many campaign featured in our previous post of yesterday. Host, Bhakti Larry Hough, interviews Anthony Vance, Director of the US Baha'i Office of Public Affairs, and Iraj Kamalabadi, the brother of one of the ad hoc leaders that are in prison in Iran. The program also includes excerpts from the Five Years Too Many event held May 6th in Washington DC: Rainn Wilson, actor (Dwight Schrute, from the TV program, The Office) and Roxana Saberi, journalist and author, who was imprisoned in the same cell as the two female members of the Yaran. This edition is longer than normal due to the nature of the topic. A higher quality version of the program, can be downloaded here, but its 56MB. To listen to the program, simply click on the link at the top of the article, or the higher quality version, or right click on the links and download the files.
