Carter Chris: Reports — Complaint Regarding the Medicines Regulations 1984—Consideration of Report of Regulations Review Committee Briefing from the New Zealand Baha’i Community—Consideration of Report of Foreign Affairs Defence and Trade Committee Report from the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment on Change in the High Country: Environmental Stewardship and Tenure Review and Related Briefing—Consideration of Report of Primary Production Committee Reserve Bank of New Zealand’s Financial Stability Report November 2009—Consideration of Report of Finance and Expenditure Committee 
Carter Chris: Reports — Complaint Regarding the Medicines Regulations 1984—Consideration of Report of Regulations Review Committee Briefing from the New Zealand Baha’i Community—Consideration of Report of Foreign Affairs Defence and Trade Committee Report from the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment on Change in the High Country: Environmental Stewardship and Tenure Review and Related Briefing—Consideration of Report of Primary Production Committee Reserve Bank of New Zealand’s Financial Stability Report November 2009—Consideration of Report of Finance and Expenditure Committee 
[Volume:659;Page:8428] 
Hon CHRIS CARTER (Labour—Te Atatu) 
: 
 I rise to speak on the briefing from the New Zealand Baha’i community which was received by the Foreign Affairs Defence and Trade Committee of which I am a member. The chair of the committee John Hayes has just spoken about the concerns that the New Zealand Baha’i community brought to our committee about the condition of Baha’is in Iran. They raised with us specific cases of family members of Iranian Kiwis from the Baha’i community who live in New Zealand. They also spoke about others of their faith who are imprisoned or have lost jobs and who have suffered over a long period of time. 
That has not happened just during the period of the Islamic Republic in Iran which was established of course after the return of Ayatollah Khomeini in the late 1970s but prior to that. There has been a long period in Iran where Baha’i followers have not been considered either under the Shah’s regime and under the Islamic republic as full citizens of that country. That is very sad because it gives the impression to non-Muslims that Islam is an intolerant faith. Actually that is far from true. Indeed during the Middle Ages the Jewish community was driven from Spain by the Catholic rulers of that country and found refuge in the Ottoman Empire ruled from Constantinople. That showed that at that time an Islamic State was a more welcoming place for diversity than Christian Europe. Similarly during the time of the Abbasid rulers of Baghdad during the Middle Ages when Baghdad and Cordoba were two of the greatest cities on earth that Arab Islamic State was marked by tolerance of its many different nationalities and religions. Indeed during the Ottoman period in the Balkans people could practice both Orthodox and Christian faith. The only penalty was that they paid taxes whereas Muslims did not. That was quite an incentive of course for many Bosnians to become Muslims. 
So Islam is not by nature a religion that is intolerant but its practice in Iran in the Islamic Republic towards the Baha’is certainly infringes human rights. It is very important that New Zealand a country with a proud tradition of human rights—indeed as all members of this House know the very first country in the world to give women the vote—a small country far from Iran but nevertheless the home to some people of the Baha’i religion sends a message to Iran. Although we admire the material progress that the Islamic republic has made particularly in its redistribution of wealth to the poorer sections of that society—it has made tremendous progress in that area and in education and health—nevertheless in the area of human rights particularly pertaining to the Baha’i community serious questions were raised in the Foreign Affairs Defence and Trade Committee and serious questions have been raised at the United Nations and globally. They are legitimate questions. The declarations of the Islamic republic whose re-elected President Ahmadinejad says he is a great proponent of human rights—indeed he has spoken on this very subject at the UN—about the equality of peoples particularly of all peoples within Iran constitute a very important promise to be kept. 
We have listened carefully to the evidence brought before us. We have recommended as Mr Hayes has said that these issues are raised with the Iranian authorities. I understand the deputy secretary of Foreign Affairs and Trade has been in Tehran in the last few months meeting with the Iranian Foreign Ministry and the human rights commission raising our concerns yet again. I know that when Phil Goff as our Minister of Foreign Affairs visited Tehran he raised those issues with the Foreign Ministry of the Islamic republic. I know that in the past—in the last 7 years for example—at the United Nations when Canada moved a resolution on human rights in Iran New Zealand has been a co-sponsor of it. I understand in the Third Committee of the United Nations General Assembly we are considering attaching our name again to the Canadian resolution. I urge the Minister of Foreign Affairs the Hon Murray McCully to ensure that that happens because we did it under a Labour Government for 7 years. 
We ought to send a strong message to the Islamic Republic of Iran that the Baha’i community in Iran must enjoy the same civil and religious rights that other Iranians of different faiths enjoy. President Ahmadinejad spoke about the small remaining Jewish community and its place in Iran. There are many members of the Arab minority who are Sunni rather than Shi’ite Muslims. They have a guarantee under the constitution of the Islamic republic of full rights. It is only the Baha’is the 350000 or so Iranians of the Baha’i community who appear to not enjoy any of those rights. This Parliament is sending a message by tabling this report. We are saying to the Islamic Republic of Iran to please consider its actions in regard to the Baha’is that these actions in our view contravene human rights that the Baha’i community in New Zealand is especially concerned about friends relatives and co-members of their religion and that they be treated equally. This document has the full support I believe of all parties in this House. Speaking as a united voice in this Parliament we say to the Islamic Republic of Iran to please respect the human rights of its citizens of the Baha’i religion.