Sharon Claydon (Newcastle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I'm very pleased to rise to contribute to this motion recognising the people of the Baha'i faith and acknowledging their ongoing contributions to our society. Thank you to the member for Moore for moving this motion and to all members who have spoken on this motion today. I would also like to recognise the people of the Baha'i faith who aren't able to join us in the chamber today. Ordinarily, this chamber would be full for such an occasion. But I know that many of those people will be watching from their homes. I want to acknowledge you today. I note that this month marks the centenary of the death Abdu'l Baha. People the world over are remembering his life and work and all those amazing people who came to know him.

The Baha'i faith is one of peace and inclusion, as we've heard from many of my colleagues today. It recognises the value and worth of all religions and sees the inherent unity of all people. It actively rejects the damaging scourge of racism, prejudice and discrimination. At a time when we see communities and countries across the globe splinter, fracture and fragment through hatred and division, it is clear that there is much to learn from the Baha'i faith and the belief system they have. The people in the Baha'i faith come from all walks of life and represent many sectors of our community.

In my electorate of Newcastle, there is a vibrant and deeply committed Baha'i community. It's a welcoming group of wonderful people. I particularly want to take time today to acknowledge the contribution of Tom Jones, who, sadly, passed last year, from the Baha'i community. Tom was a long-time volunteer Baha'i chaplain at the University of Newcastle. He led the Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'i in Newcastle. He was an incredibly determined advocate and stood up, always, to be counted in the face of intolerance, discrimination, prejudice and, indeed, the persecution of Baha'i people overseas. I'm so grateful for Tom's advocacy for and efforts with the Baha'i community both in Newcastle and on an international level. I'd also like to acknowledge the work of the current secretary of the Newcastle Baha'i community, Joanne Tonkin, for her incredible hard work and dedication and that of the team that she leads.

I'm glad that Australia is a place where all people can practise their faith freely. Regrettably, this isn't the case everywhere. Last time I rose in this place to speak on the Baha'i, I reflected on the appalling treatment of Iran's 300,000 Baha'i followers. Despite the economic and health crisis afflicting Iran, the systemic program of persecution against the entire Baha'i community has increased in its intensity over the past year. The number of pending court cases against the Baha'i has steadily increased during the coronavirus pandemic. Hundreds of Baha'i owned shops remain sealed by authorities, depriving thousands of a viable income. The entire public sector and numerous professions remain blocked to the Baha'i. University studies remain inaccessible. The authorities have leveraged the internet to spread hate speech about the Baha'i, their faith and their beliefs to various segments of the society.

A recent alarming development which occurred in late 2020 was the final and binding court decision which determined Baha'is' ownership of their own homes and farmlands in the village of Ivel to be illegitimate. Numerous Baha'i families who had farmed their land for generations in this village in the province of Mazandaran had their homes destroyed and their property confiscated for sale to other villages.

In recent months, the Iranian government's decades-long campaign of hate speech and propaganda against the Baha'i in Iran has reached new levels, increasing in both sophistication and scale. Australia must always—

A division having been called in the House of Representatives—

Sitting suspended from 17:47 to 18:03

Notwithstanding the vile ongoing campaign I was referring to against the Baha'i in Iran, Australia must continue to robustly defend the human rights of the Baha'i wherever they face persecution across the world. That is our responsibility and that is the job we must do.

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