From: khademi@cajal.usc.edu (Peyvand Khademi)
Newsgroups: soc.rights.human,soc.culture.iranian
Subject: Re: Editorial in N.Y. Times (8/18/92)
Date: 22 Aug 1992 16:05:24 -0700
Organization: University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: cajal.usc.edu


In article <o9r.dpi1j@lab.ntt.jp> farzin@apollo3d.apollo3.ntt.JP
(Farzin Mokhtarian) writes

>#fm = farzin@apollo3d.apollo3.ntt.JP (Farzin Mokhtarian)
>#mt = towfiq@Microdyne.COM
>#
>#mt> [From the New York Times:] Despite recurrent reports that Iran has
>#mt> become "moderate," persecution of members of the Bahai faith has
>#mt> intensified.  On March 17, a businessman named Bahman Samandari
>#mt> was summoned to the notorious Evin prison in Teheran, where he was
>#mt> secretly executed the next day.
>
> [stuff deleted]
>
>You said that you don't even know what the source of the NY Times is!
>So you don't know how reliable that source is. So how can you jump to
>all these conclusions?!
       
> - Farzin

Meaning what, that the NY Times got it wrong?  Meaning that numerous
parliments and governments and human rights organizations got it wrong
during the last decade decrying the treatment of Baha'is in Iran? That
the U.S. Congress got it wrong when on June 2nd of this year they passed
another resolution calling for the emancipation of the Baha'i community
in Iran, and specifically citing the execution of Mr. Samandari?

Here's a few exerpts form the Congressional Record of that resoultion:

------------- exerpts, Congressional Record, Resolution 156  ------------

Mr. Hamilton (Rep. Lee Hamilton of Indiana).  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong 
support of House Concurrent Resolution 156, a resolution which concerns the 
emancipation of the Baha'i community in Iran.
    This is fifth time in the last decade that Congress will have recognized 
this important human rights issue in Iran.  Unfortunately, as the recent 
execution of a Baha'i leader and the recent arrests of several Baha'i 
community members indicates, these resolutions are still needed.

Mr. Porter (Rep. John Porter of Illinois)...Once again, we condemn 
the persecution inflicted on the more than 300,000 Baha'i faithful and we 
call on the Iranian Government to restore internationally recognized human 
rights to Baha'is.
    Despite the notion that there is a more moderate Government in power in 
Iran today, there has been no significant improvement in the Government's 
human rights practices, particularly with regard to its treatment of the 
Baha'is and other religious minorities.  Individual Baha'is continue to be 
considered unprotected infidels who have no legal rights.  Baha'is are not 
allowed to practice their religion: they are denied the right to organize, 
select their leaders, acquire and maintain places of worship, educate their 
youth, or conduct religious activities.
    ...I was particularly shocked to learn of the recent execution of a 
leading Baha'i who was summarily executed the day after he was arrested.  
This execution, the first in 3 years, shows that the Iranian Government is 
up to its old tricks of using attacks on Baha'is as a means to mollify 
extremist elements in Iran.
    Because Iran does not recognize nor respect the rights of Baha'is, it is 
incumbent upon the United States and other governments to speak out on their 
behalf in order to free them from suffering and systematic discrimination.  
The congressional human rights caucus initiated a new project last year to 
coordinate a global effort on behalf of the Baha'is.  We have been in touch 
with over 250 parliamentarians around the world urging them to pass similar 
resolutions to the one we are considering today.  The caucus received many 
favorable replies to this initiative and I am pleased to say that the German 
Parliament recently passed a resolution on the Baha'is and mentioned our 
initiative in their debate...

Mr. Owens (Rep. Wayne Owens of Utah).  ...As originally introduced, House 
Concurrent Resolution 156 actually reflected some improvement in Iran's 
treatment of Baha'is, in that no executions had been reported for more than 2 
years and many Baha'is imprisoned had been released.
    Sadly, this statement is no longer true.  Just 2 months ago, Bahman 
Samandari, a prominent Iranian Baha'i was arrested and promptly executed.  No 
charges were filed, no meaningful judicial proceedings, no appeals.  Just a 
cold, calculated summary execution...

Statements were also made by Rep. William Broomfield of Michigan, Rep. Tom 
Lantos of California, Rep. Benjamin Gilman of New York and Rep. Dante
Fascell of Florida.

-------------------------------  end exerpts  --------------------------

I guess the list of people who got it wrong grows longer, doesn't it!


Peyv&
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Peyvand Mark Khademi                   
Department of Computer Science         khademi@cajal.usc.edu
University of Southern California      Los Angeles