{"id":1306,"date":"2014-05-02T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2014-05-02T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bahai.org.au\/index.php\/news\/appeal-for-halt-to-cemetery-desecration\/"},"modified":"2017-10-14T04:47:20","modified_gmt":"2017-10-14T04:47:20","slug":"appeal-for-halt-to-cemetery-desecration","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bahai.org.au\/index.php\/appeal-for-halt-to-cemetery-desecration\/","title":{"rendered":"Appeal for halt to cemetery desecration"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/bahai.org.au\/Portals\/0\/Mona.jpg\" alt=\"Appeal for halt to cemetery desecration\" \/><figcaption>Mona Mahumdnizhad, 17, tortured and hanged for teaching &#8220;Sunday school&#8221;, is buried in the Shiraz cemetery now being excavated. Photo: Baha&#8217;i World News Service.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>The Australian Baha\u2019i Community is shocked to learn that Iranian authorities are allowing the excavation of a Shiraz cemetery which has some 950 graves of Baha\u2019is, including those of ten women hanged in 1983 for teaching the equivalent of Sunday school lessons.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The news of the torture and execution of the innocent women, aged between 17 and 57, led to an international outcry at the time and the outpouring of artistic works commemorating those who had died.<\/p>\n<p>This week Iran\u2019s Revolutionary Guards began excavating the cemetery, used solely for members of the Baha&#8217;i Faith, Iran\u2019s biggest non-Muslim religious minority.<\/p>\n<p>A spokesperson for the Australian Baha\u2019i Community, Dr Natalie Mobini, condemned the ongoing excavation and is inviting Australians to join with Baha\u2019is in calling upon the President of Iran, Hasan Rouhani, to order an immediate halt to the work.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis appalling act of desecration offends the standards of human decency recognised worldwide and is deeply distressing to Australian Baha\u2019is, some of whose relatives are buried in the cemetery,&#8221; Dr Mobini said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBy exhuming bodies, this excavation also offends the laws of Islam, the religion to which the Revolutionary Guards claim adherence,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>Dr Mobini said that the affront to humanity in hanging innocent women should not now be compounded with such a shameful act.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe failure of local officials to respond to the pleas of local Baha\u2019is to leave the graves in peace leaves no option but to appeal to the president.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPresident Rouhani came to his post expressing a wish to counter human rights abuses, and he now has an opportunity to do so.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dr Mobini said widespread, systematic persecution of Baha\u2019is is continuing in Iran. Seven leaders remain in prison, six years into a 20 year prison sentence which has been widely condemned by the international community, including the Australian Federal Government.<\/p>\n<p>Between 1979 and 1988, more than 200 Baha\u2019is were executed by the authorities in Iran, despite the lack of evidence of any crime. Under the laws of their religion, Baha\u2019is are obliged to obey the law of the land and to abstain from partisan political activity.<\/p>\n<p>For more information visit <a href=\"https:\/\/news.bahai.org\/story\/993\"> https:\/\/news.bahai.org\/story\/993<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Australian Baha\u2019i Community is shocked to learn that Iranian authorities are allowing the excavation of a Shiraz cemetery which has some 950 graves of Baha\u2019is, including those of ten women hanged in 1983 for teaching the equivalent of Sunday school lessons.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1306","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-media-releases","category-uncategorised"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Appeal for halt to cemetery desecration - Australian Baha&#039;i Community<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/bahai.org.au\/index.php\/appeal-for-halt-to-cemetery-desecration\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Appeal for halt to cemetery desecration - Australian Baha&#039;i Community\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Australian Baha\u2019i Community is shocked to learn that Iranian authorities are allowing the excavation of a Shiraz cemetery which has some 950 graves of Baha\u2019is, including those of ten women hanged in 1983 for teaching the equivalent of Sunday school lessons.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/bahai.org.au\/index.php\/appeal-for-halt-to-cemetery-desecration\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Australian Baha&#039;i Community\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2014-05-02T00:00:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2017-10-14T04:47:20+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/bahai.org.au\/Portals\/0\/Mona.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"it-admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"it-admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bahai.org.au\/index.php\/appeal-for-halt-to-cemetery-desecration\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/bahai.org.au\/index.php\/appeal-for-halt-to-cemetery-desecration\/\",\"name\":\"Appeal for halt to cemetery desecration - Australian Baha&#039;i Community\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bahai.org.au\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bahai.org.au\/index.php\/appeal-for-halt-to-cemetery-desecration\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bahai.org.au\/index.php\/appeal-for-halt-to-cemetery-desecration\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/bahai.org.au\/Portals\/0\/Mona.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2014-05-02T00:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2017-10-14T04:47:20+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bahai.org.au\/#\/schema\/person\/27e40e806cfb1ed651dbd81accc2b48f\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bahai.org.au\/index.php\/appeal-for-halt-to-cemetery-desecration\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/bahai.org.au\/index.php\/appeal-for-halt-to-cemetery-desecration\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bahai.org.au\/index.php\/appeal-for-halt-to-cemetery-desecration\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/bahai.org.au\/Portals\/0\/Mona.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/bahai.org.au\/Portals\/0\/Mona.jpg\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bahai.org.au\/index.php\/appeal-for-halt-to-cemetery-desecration\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/bahai.org.au\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Appeal for halt to cemetery desecration\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bahai.org.au\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/bahai.org.au\/\",\"name\":\"Australian Baha&#039;i Community\",\"description\":\"The official website of the Baha&#039;is of Australia\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/bahai.org.au\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bahai.org.au\/#\/schema\/person\/27e40e806cfb1ed651dbd81accc2b48f\",\"name\":\"it-admin\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bahai.org.au\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0defdebd8063ec2ce723629dbfefdb5171c04bb384ad103a85d694485f46ddbe?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0defdebd8063ec2ce723629dbfefdb5171c04bb384ad103a85d694485f46ddbe?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"it-admin\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/bahai.org.au\/index.php\/author\/it-admin\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Appeal for halt to cemetery desecration - Australian Baha&#039;i Community","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/bahai.org.au\/index.php\/appeal-for-halt-to-cemetery-desecration\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Appeal for halt to cemetery desecration - Australian Baha&#039;i Community","og_description":"The Australian Baha\u2019i Community is shocked to learn that Iranian authorities are allowing the excavation of a Shiraz cemetery which has some 950 graves of Baha\u2019is, including those of ten women hanged in 1983 for teaching the equivalent of Sunday school lessons.","og_url":"https:\/\/bahai.org.au\/index.php\/appeal-for-halt-to-cemetery-desecration\/","og_site_name":"Australian Baha&#039;i Community","article_published_time":"2014-05-02T00:00:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2017-10-14T04:47:20+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/bahai.org.au\/Portals\/0\/Mona.jpg"}],"author":"it-admin","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"it-admin","Est. reading time":"2 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/bahai.org.au\/index.php\/appeal-for-halt-to-cemetery-desecration\/","url":"https:\/\/bahai.org.au\/index.php\/appeal-for-halt-to-cemetery-desecration\/","name":"Appeal for halt to cemetery desecration - Australian Baha&#039;i Community","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/bahai.org.au\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/bahai.org.au\/index.php\/appeal-for-halt-to-cemetery-desecration\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/bahai.org.au\/index.php\/appeal-for-halt-to-cemetery-desecration\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/bahai.org.au\/Portals\/0\/Mona.jpg","datePublished":"2014-05-02T00:00:00+00:00","dateModified":"2017-10-14T04:47:20+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/bahai.org.au\/#\/schema\/person\/27e40e806cfb1ed651dbd81accc2b48f"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/bahai.org.au\/index.php\/appeal-for-halt-to-cemetery-desecration\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-AU","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/bahai.org.au\/index.php\/appeal-for-halt-to-cemetery-desecration\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-AU","@id":"https:\/\/bahai.org.au\/index.php\/appeal-for-halt-to-cemetery-desecration\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/bahai.org.au\/Portals\/0\/Mona.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/bahai.org.au\/Portals\/0\/Mona.jpg"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/bahai.org.au\/index.php\/appeal-for-halt-to-cemetery-desecration\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/bahai.org.au\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Appeal for halt to cemetery desecration"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/bahai.org.au\/#website","url":"https:\/\/bahai.org.au\/","name":"Australian Baha&#039;i Community","description":"The official website of the Baha&#039;is of Australia","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/bahai.org.au\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-AU"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/bahai.org.au\/#\/schema\/person\/27e40e806cfb1ed651dbd81accc2b48f","name":"it-admin","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-AU","@id":"https:\/\/bahai.org.au\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0defdebd8063ec2ce723629dbfefdb5171c04bb384ad103a85d694485f46ddbe?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0defdebd8063ec2ce723629dbfefdb5171c04bb384ad103a85d694485f46ddbe?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"it-admin"},"url":"https:\/\/bahai.org.au\/index.php\/author\/it-admin\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bahai.org.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1306","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bahai.org.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bahai.org.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bahai.org.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bahai.org.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1306"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/bahai.org.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1306\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1541,"href":"https:\/\/bahai.org.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1306\/revisions\/1541"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bahai.org.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1306"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bahai.org.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1306"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bahai.org.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1306"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}