Guest Author - Lisa Schaffer-Harris

During one of my many internet research sessions, I happened upon the website for the Muslim Network for Baha’i Rights. Frankly, I could hardly believe my eyes. Historically, in Muslim countries, Baha’is have been persecuted and considered heretics. Persecution still exists in many Muslim countries as evidenced by the articles presented in the Muslim Network for Baha’i Rights website.

It is very encouraging to see that there are friends of the Islamic Faith who recognize that even though we have some differences in opinion regarding religious beliefs, that we deserve basic human rights and freedoms regardless of those differences. The website started in June 2007 by a group of Islamic students who were frustrated with the treatment of Baha’is in many Muslim countries.

In Iran, the cradle of the Baha’i Faith, Baha’is are denied access to just about everything that we take for granted. They are denied their right to education, right to make a livelihood, right to assemble as a community and worship, and many more human rights that are basic. Following the Islamic revolution in 1979 there was a very large backlash against the Baha’is and many were martyred when they refused to recant their Faith (see story about Mona Mahmudnizhad and the play “A Dress for Mona). Since the current regime has taken power, there has been some resurgence in persecution, with many of the Baha’is imprisoned without just cause. Although, Iran has been the most infamous and prolific in it’s continued oppression of the Baha’is, it is not alone. Many countries that have predominantly Muslim populations do not recognize the Baha’i Faith; and therefore Baha’is are continually denied rights in those countries.

The founders of the Muslim Network for Baha’i Rights stated that they are working independently, to help the Baha’is in their quest for human rights. They state that they believe in “tolerance, coexistence and freedom.” The website contains many articles that reference persecution of Baha’is in Muslim and Arab countries. There are places to post comments on the articles presented, podcasts, projects listed and links to them, and other resources. Articles are in English, Arabic and Farsi (Iranian). The website also contains an explanation of the purpose of the website as well as its author’s basic demands:

• The authors are Muslim interfaith activists who are deeply concerned with the treatment of Baha’is within the Middle East.
• We don’t believe in the Baha’i faith, yet we respect those who do. There are minorities within our societies who are practicing Baha’is and for that, their rights are very rarely recognized, simply because of their religious differences. We do not approve of this.
• We created this site to demand that the rights of Baha’i minorities is recognized by not only people, but by law.
• We respectfully demand that all governments within the Arab and Muslim world allow Baha’i citizens to have equal opportunities in all fields and to practice their faith freely without facing any threats or discrimination whatsoever.
• We would like to make the general public of the region be aware of Baha’i human rights abuses in order to take effective action against it. We can only successfully achieve the goals of this website if we move our citizens towards real action, no matter what our religious differences are. We are all civilians in need of basic rights, and thus we should join forces regardless of our differences and unite in a celebration of our diversity. Join us in this worthy struggle and make our goals a greater possibility in the name of freedom.


To access the Muslim Network for Baha’i Rights use this link: bahairights.org