Kim Wilkie (Swan, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I would associate myself strongly with the member for Throsby’s motion regarding the Baha’i faith in Iran. In doing so, I speak today on behalf of the Baha’i spiritual assemblies of Belmont, Canning, Victoria Park and South Perth in my electorate of Swan. I met with a delegation from the Baha’i spiritual assemblies in my electorate office a fortnight ago and I would sincerely thank Dianne Massoudi, Lai Loh, Houman Milani and Oscar Domingo for raising their concerns directly with me.

The United Nations statement of 20 March concerning the treatment of Baha’i followers in Iran is a disturbing document. Given some of the odious comments emanating recently from the Iranian leadership, it certainly enforces the view that Iran is continuing its slide into the practices of a totalitarian state. Freedom of religion and freedom to practise spiritual beliefs—indeed, freedom not to subscribe to a religion—remain some of the most inalienable rights of society and the individual. As we have heard, there are around 300,000 members of the Baha’i faith in Iran; however, they are not recognised as a religious minority and do not have the right to practise their religion. As the International Federation of Human Rights noted in 2003:

Since the establishment of the Islamic Republic in 1979, approximately 300,000 Baha’is in Iran are considered ‘unprotected infidels ... non-persons’ with ‘no legal rights or protection’.

They have no right to receive pensions, be employed in the civil service, inscribe a name on the tombs of their dead, inherit, or gather for religious worship. Their holy sites and cemeteries have been destroyed. Many Baha’is have had their belongings confiscated. Employers are pressured to dismiss their Baha’i employees.

It was troubling to read last week that, as recently as 19 May, 54 Baha’is were arrested by Iranian officials in the city of Shiraz. Most of the arrested Baha’is were young teachers who were educating underprivileged children in a school, as part of a UNICEF community service activity. At the time of their arrest, they had a letter of permission to teach from the Islamic Council of Shiraz. These arrests come against the backdrop, as I said, of increasing concern and evidence that the Iranian government is escalating its harassment and victimisation of Baha’i followers.

The UN statement in March released news of a secret October 2005 letter from the Iranian military high command ordering police and revolutionary units to ‘identify’ and ‘monitor’ members of the Baha’i community. The letter states that Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, had ordered this monitoring to take place. It is with some gall that the Iranian Embassy here in Canberra delivered a letter to members last week which included a copy of the rather bizarre correspondence from Iranian President Mahmood Ahmadinejad to US President George Bush. The letter states:

We increasingly see that people around the world are flocking towards a main focal point—that is the Almighty God. Undoubtedly through faith in God and the teachings of the prophets, the people will conquer their problems ...

It continues:

Whether we like it or not, the world is gravitating towards faith in the Almighty and justice and the will of God will prevail over all things.

The hypocrisy of this letter is quite staggering. The Iranian President dares to harangue the United States on religion, while Iranian authorities preside over the religious persecution of the Baha’is. The Iranian President also lectures:

History tells us that repressive and cruel governments do not survive.

No, Mr President, they do not, but unfortunately they can survive long enough to commit or condone atrocious acts of victimisation, murder and genocide. I call again on the government to raise the concerns of the Baha’i assemblies in my electorate with representatives of the Iranian government.

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