The immense courage of the persecuted Baha'is in Iran

This letter is from an Iranian Baha'i man:

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Total Emancipation & Formal Recognition of the Baha'i Community of Iran, NOW! 

To all the family and friends, far and near:

 

As you may all by now know, per my open announcement last week, without hesitation and with resolute determination to act and get results, I arrived in Tehran on May 8th 2011.

 

I have been here in Tehran for 5 days now.

 

For the sake of constant, non-stop, and ever-vigilant world-wide attention to the grave situation of the entire Baha’i Community of Iran, and in order to show serious solid decision to act relentlessly, to see it through and expect nothing less than real results now and immediately, I shall be posting regular reports and vision statements from now on, following my last open letter.

 

The level of vision which is called for, and the naturally reasonable and rightful demand which is set out and stated therein is nothing short of immediate & unconditional release of all the Baha'i prisoners of Iran including the Yaran, and the total emancipation of the age-long persecuted and systematically contained Baha'i Community of Iran, once and for all, and finally the full official recognition of the Baha'i Community of Iran and its legal status as a free religious community with full-scale civil, religious, and social rights, NOW, in this generation, and within this period of human history; with only results and results only! 

 

There is no reason for any one why it should be otherwise, except that we all have for too long gotten accustomed to this 168-year-long tragic episode and scenario and have taken it somewhat as given, and thus have become rather complacent despite praiseworthy concerted efforts and overwhelming awareness raised, yet short of decisive and definitive end-results.  I say it is high time for us all to think, feel, act, and demand this fundamental change and press to get swift total results and nothing less!  We must raise the expectation and bring the future to the present. The complete results will follow surely...

 

As is the pure motive of the Faith of Baha'u'llah, my motive and methodology in raising such a call will always be fully peaceful and respectful, and this sacred call is completely free from any intent to degrade or belittle, and surely far from any undignified motive to even wish ill-will much less to oppose the government of Iran and the Islamic Regime despite the possible hopes and expectations of other groups with different motives or political agendas, for the Faith of Baha'u’llah forever only aims at the higher goal of spiritual transformation of societies, and the lofty ideal of the upliftment and enlightenment of the nations, and not meddling with worldly powers for selfish gains and private vested interests of its own community.

 

My only aim therefore is, as it is clear to all the high level leaders here in Iran, the Arab World, China, and anywhere else where I have been socially active for years with decades of recorded history of pure service, that in this important individual initiative which has also raised a global call, I have come only to help and assist with the exaltation of Iran and its government, order, system, and people, for their own higher good, in similar manner as in the past two decades I had focused and done so for the positive direction of China (and to a lesser degree elsewhere) effectively...This is the standard and the banner raised, lofty and pure, candidly open and clear. 

 

The reason why I am so determined to sacrifice my all for raising the call for the complete freedom of the Baha'i Community of Iran, NOW and forever, and will stop at nothing to accomplish this with highest dignity, is that at the end this will not just selfishly benefit only the Baha'is of Iran, but that the contributions which such a divinely endowed and blessed community will multiply release and offer back to Iran and the world will in reality best serve the highest interests of Iran and its government and people, while also the powerful positive future contributions of the Baha'i community of Iran will greatly benefit the shaping of the badly and sadly needed peaceful world civilization, the full benefits of which the world has been much deprived of due to such age long repressions.

 

Purely with this vision in mind and heart, I arrived to Tehran 5 days ago.  Right away upon arrival that same day, after consultation with the family members of the twin Heavenly Angels, Mahvash and Fariba, together we started rounds of visits to the judiciary and chief attorney's offices where we first placed our signed letters, followed by effective meetings with the related authorities the next day.  Through the Divine Confirmations, backed by the most valuable and overwhelming world-wide united action by all of you, we were able to obtain swift positive results, albeit still minor and incomplete, in the form of:

 

1.  At least cordial reception and positive and apologetic explanatory attitude from the mid-level authorities and the head of the prison, the head of security of the prison, and the head of visitation of the prison, who seemed to have read all the weblogs and latest worldwide statements including mine, and as such were prepared to at least show some signs of care and respect.

2.  Obtaining swift written permission on the second day for the family members of the twin shining stars to have direct "in-person" visit with Mahvash and Fariba. 

3.  Actual "in-person" visit (not behind the cabin) the next day, the third day of my arrival; the first ever "in-person" visitation for any one ever in the history of that Prison, Gharachak of Varamin / Rey (photo attached).  At least the basic safety of the twin saintly souls has been confirmed, while also the heartwarming support of the world behind them has been relayed to them!

 

However, although minor and small initial progress has been made, and, we as Baha'is always recognize, appreciate, acknowledge, and encourage any gesture of good will, no matter how small or limited to words only, yet it is important to note that despite verbal promises, not even the least of real action has taken place for the safety, sanitation, health, and relative comfort of these holy heroes of humanity and harbingers of the Golden Age of human history, and of the others.

 

More importantly, I want to make it emphatically and unequivocally clear in no uncertain terms, to the world and to the Iranian government friends and authorities with whom I will meet, that I have totally detached and dropped all and have come with full decision to abandon and sacrifice all, not merely for the sake of Fariba as my sister, but, for the final and total emancipation of the entire Baha'i community of Iran, within Iran's own existing legitimate legal frameworks, and nothing less or short of this final result (let me repeat; NOT JUST GOAL, BUT RESULT!). 

 

In order to show how real and serious this determination is, and how unshakable and unstoppable the force within my soul is, I have decided to:

 

1.  Change my return ticket to China, and stay in Iran in-definitely for now, as needed, with possible back and forth returns to China only later once I am sure the process which I have started is clearly set in motion and is firmly in place.

2.  Visit my native Mazandaran Province (and later other regions of Iran one by one) for support of all our beloved suffering Baha'is there as a starting point to show I have not come for Fariba, my sister, but for all the Baha'is of Iran and for the love and bright Destiny of Iran itself (its government and people included), and with the grave mission on our shoulder for the plight of humanity.

3.  Continue meeting, repeatedly, and consulting with other highest level leaders whom I have known.

 

It is now timely for all of us, starting with my own humble person first, while recognizing the valuable and brilliant collective efforts of all the peoples of good will all over the world for decades to ameliorate and improve the situation of the Iranian Baha'i Community, to realize we have not obtained fundamental results to date, and contemplate and believe that in the eyes of God and future generations, the faults in the form of negligence and omission even with good intentions and admirable efforts but no results, equals to sins of commission of wrongdoing and perpetration of such century-old prolonged gross injustices.  Only efforts will not redeem us and is not enough!  Results, and again, early real results...

 

It is high time for us all, in a united manner, to just simply say to ourselves and to all involved

 "enough is enough"; and announce to those who will act but only partially that it is "too little too late", and ask for nothing except total and complete RESULT.  But, it is important to note, this legitimate demand to result, is not just directed to the Government of Iran, but, more so also to the other governments of the world to not content themselves to kind supportive words and statements only, but to shift a few gears higher, and handle the case of the Baha'i community of Iran with much more urgency, and much more seriously and completely, and manfully sacrifice certain of their immediate vested interests and in turn place more effective demands on the government of Iran for this important cause, and relax not till real result has been achieved. 

 

As the ending thought, I share with you the following poignant statement:

 

The greater danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it - Michelangelo

 

By the grace of God, we shall aim high and reach it too, by pure and unified universal action, as this is the most important "Just Cause" in this turbulent world, determining the fate of the future of humanity.

 

I do not know more, but, I believe the power of one individual is actually limitless, not only in raising the call and inviting all to collectively achieve this easily obtainable task, but by the supreme power of example and total sacrifice.  So, while raising the call, I do not wait for anyone else!  My sole solace and backing is the genuine and simple support of all my 4 children specially the soul-shaking words of my youngest child, the 8 year-old boy Sarir, who the night before my departure spontaneously told me in a genuine manner in Chinese language and in a sweet tone, father, if you go to Iran to free auntie Fariba from jail and help save the Baha'is there and go to jail and get killed, do not worry for me; I am sure and I know that you will come to me often in my dreams from the other world and will be with me always.  May the spiritual understanding and the softness of the heart of the high authorities in charge and all of us handling this supreme sacred cause reach the level of this innocent 8 year old child.

 

In your service, and standing with you all, before God and before the call of Destiny,

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