Michael Keenan (Stirling, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I congratulate the member for Throsby on bringing before the House this important motion relating to the Baha’i faith in Iran. It comes after reports that the Iranian regime, one that has an extremely poor human rights record, has stepped up its campaign of religious persecution against non-Muslims in that country. This issue was first raised with me by constituents who had fled the persecution of the Iranian regime and who hold grave fears for friends and family who are still in Iran.

I investigated the claims that they made to me, which were truly horrific. Sadly, those claims were backed up by substantial evidence from independent bodies, including the UNHCR and Amnesty International. In fact, on investigation, what I found exceeded the horror of the stories they had told me. The steps being taken currently by the Iranian government are truly frightening, and those with a good knowledge of history should be extraordinarily worried about the actions of that regime. Specifically, steps being taken to monitor and identify people of the Baha’i faith, combined with an increase in the ferocity of media propaganda vilifying them, are grave cause for concern.

The UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief highlighted some of these concerns on 20 May this year. She outlined to the world an official letter sent on 29 October 2005 by the Chairman of the Command Headquarters of Iran’s Armed Forces to several Iranian government agencies. This letter stated that Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, had instructed the command headquarters to identify and monitor, in a highly confidential manner, members of the Baha’i faith. She has since expressed her fear that the information gained through such monitoring will be used as a basis for increased persecution and discrimination against members of the Baha’i faith—in gross violation of all international standards. The UN has since issued more than 56 pronouncements condemning Iran’s execution and imprisonment of Baha’i followers solely because of their membership of the Baha’i community and criticising the overt discrimination of this religious community by Iran’s government.

Amnesty International supports these concerns. It has written to the head of Iran’s judiciary to express concern at continuing abuses committed against the country’s Baha’i community. It has urged him to ensure that no-one is imprisoned on account of their religious or cultural identity or because of their peaceful activities in support of their community. Amnesty International has criticised the increasing pattern of harassment of the Baha’i community, which has seen at least 66 Baha’i followers arrested since the beginning of 2005—apparently on account of their identity as Baha’i or because of their peaceful activities on behalf of the Baha’i community. Amnesty believes that in recent months members of Iran’s Baha’i community have been attacked repeatedly by unidentified assailants and Baha’i cemeteries and holy sites have been vandalised and destroyed. Some Baha’i followers have had their homes confiscated by authorities.

Baha’is are generally subject to discriminatory laws and regulations that limit their access to employment and to benefits such as pensions. For many years young people belonging to the Baha’i community have been denied access to higher education by an official requirement that applicants state their allegiance to Islam or one of three other recognised religions. History tells us that identifying and then vilifying minorities in this way can be the beginning of increasing persecution.

Given the situation as it now stands, the Baha’is in Iran can only be living in fear about what these measures might mean in practice. I do not think this parliament or the world in general should keep quiet. We need to ensure that the principles of freedom, respect, dignity, equality and justice are upheld in Iran for the Baha’i minority. I would also congratulate the Australian government on making representations, on behalf of the Baha’i community, to the Iranian authorities. I conclude by commending again the member for Throsby for bringing this very important motion before the House. (Time expired)

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