Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr has told the Australian Senate that the treatment of Baha’is in Iran has been described as “among the most extreme manifestation of religious intolerance and persecution in the world”.
Senator Carr made his statement in response to a question from WA Senator Mark Bishop during Questions without Notice last week about what Australia is doing to protect and promote human rights, including minority rights, in Iran.
“On 23 October 2011, the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief described the treatment of the 300,000 Baha’is as among the most extreme manifestation of religious intolerance and persecution in the world,” Senator Carr replied.
“Both in Australia and in Iran we have called for the protection and promotion of rights to freedom of assembly and expression, respect for gender equality, the repeal of the death penalty and the rights of ethnic and religious minorities to be upheld,” Senator Carr said.
Last week an Australian diplomatic representative told the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva that Australia remains deeply concerned by the human rights situation in Iran, and said Australia condemned discrimination “against ethnic and religious minorities, including Arab Iranians, Baha’is and religious converts, as well as women and girls”.
A spokesperson for the Australian Baha’i Community, Dr Natalie Mobini, said Baha’is were very grateful for the statements by Mr Carr and the Australian delegation to the UN Human Rights Council.
“The Australian Government has been consistent over the years in expressing its deep concern at the unjust treatment of the Baha’i community in Iran and calling on the Iranian Government to abide by the norms of international law,” Dr Mobini said.
Brave symbol
The public statements by the representatives of the Australian Government came the same day that Vargha Taefi, the son of Mrs Fariba Kamalabadi, one of seven Baha’i leaders now serving 20 year jail terms in Iran, met with Australian MPs interested in human rights.
“Although my mother is not alone in the battle for free expression in Iran, she has become a brave symbol for those seeking religious freedom and the right to say who they are and for what they stand,” said Mr Taefi, who noted that the seven leaders were recognised as Prisoners of Conscience by Amnesty International.
While in Canberra, Mr Taefi, a Melbourne-based government and corporate adviser also outlined the plight of the seven leaders to officials of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and gave media interviews to journalists.
“My mother is an educational psychologist and is a warm, compassionate, spiritual and intelligent person.
“She and her colleagues have been denied a fair trial and due judicial procedure. They faced baseless charges of espionage for Israel, insulting Islamic sanctities, crimes against national security, and spreading corruption on earth — each charge alone can result in a death sentence.
“No evidence was provided to back up any of their charges. They are completely and transparently innocent.
“Baha’is do not get involved in partisan politics and it is an article of their faith that they obey the law of the land.”