{"id":1264,"date":"2012-08-22T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2012-08-22T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bahai.org.au\/index.php\/news\/attacks-against-bahais-in-iran-alarm-relatives-in-australia\/"},"modified":"2017-10-14T04:47:21","modified_gmt":"2017-10-14T04:47:21","slug":"attacks-against-bahais-in-iran-alarm-relatives-in-australia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bahai.org.au\/index.php\/attacks-against-bahais-in-iran-alarm-relatives-in-australia\/","title":{"rendered":"Attacks against Baha’is in Iran alarm relatives in Australia"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Attacks
Vandalised Baha’i cemetery in Iran (Photo: Baha’i World News Service)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A systematic campaign of attacks orchestrated by the Iranian authorities on the Baha\u2019is of the city of Semnan has alarmed Australian relatives of the victims.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The coordinated and escalating attacks on the Baha\u2019is of Semnan are being perpetrated by government ministries, clergy, police and semi-official groups.<\/p>\n

Family members in Australia, many accepted here as refugees in the 1980s, have become highly anxious after hearing details of the campaign.<\/p>\n

Farisa Rohani of Sydney, a spokesperson for Australian relatives of Baha\u2019is in Semnan, said the family knew of relations who had been imprisoned and otherwise persecuted.<\/p>\n

Semnan, with a population of 125,000, is 200 kilometres east of Iran\u2019s capital, Tehran.<\/p>\n

A spokesperson for the Australian Baha\u2019i Community, Venus Khalessi, said the ongoing assault on Semnan\u2019s Baha\u2019is is terrifying.<\/p>\n


\n\u201cSo persistent are the attacks that young Baha\u2019i children have come to fear that a knock on the door will mean the arrest of their parents,\u201d Ms Khalessi said.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThe perpetual hounding of the Baha\u2019is is psychological cruelty aimed at the complete subjugation of their spirit.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe inhumane treatment of these people solely because of their faith is absolutely unwarranted and completely indefensible.<\/p>\n

\u201cSemnan has been assailed with particular severity but other targeted Baha\u2019i communities are in the cities of Abadeh, Aligudarz, Bukan, Isfahan, Ivel, Khorramabad, Laljin, Mashhad, Parsabad, Rafsanjan, Ravansar and Shiraz. \u201c<\/p>\n

Ms Khalessi said the coordinated attacks on Baha\u2019is include:<\/p>\n

Incitement to hatred
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

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