Helen Haines (Indi, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

I'm so pleased to rise to speak in support of this motion today. I thank the member for Moore for his initiative and acknowledge the work of many others in this place, including the member for Wills and the member for Newcastle. I'm proud to represent a strong Baha'i community on the border, in Albury-Wodonga. Recently I met with local leaders Ben Metagi and Vita Bayani to hear how the Baha'i community has fared during the COVID pandemic, and I was inspired by efforts throughout their community to come together and support one another. The community held weekly and fortnightly Zoom meetings to keep in touch, share prayers, offer support and honour the idea of family and friendship, which is so fundamental to their lives. Ben and Vita also spoke of the timely publication of Light & Mercy, a compilation of Baha'i texts about mental health and resilience during difficult times.

When restrictions eased, the community also organised day trips across the region to museums and other social events so families and friends could connect again. Ben also told me proudly that nearly 100 per cent of the Baha'i community on the border had been vaccinated. That is just a remarkable effort. The principles of the Baha'i faith were central to this accomplishment, particularly the idea of unity and the importance of placing the community ahead of oneself. What a beautiful message to convey to this Chamber.

I also had the opportunity to speak with Ben and Vita about this motion and the desperate situation the Baha'i community in Iran finds itself in. Baha'is, who are Iran's largest non-Muslim religious minority, are routinely arrested, detained and imprisoned in Iran. The Baha'i are barred from holding government jobs, and their shops and businesses are routinely closed or discriminated against. Many are unable to attend schooling, and those who try to organise education for the Baha'i informally are often arrested and detained too.

A division having been called in the House of Representatives

Sitting suspended from 18:11 to 18:26

The persecution and human rights abuses are countless. Since the formation of the Islamic republic in Iran in 1979, tens of thousands of Iranian Baha'is have lost homes, jobs, pensions, savings and businesses, and they've seen their shrines and cemeteries desecrated. It's difficult to imagine the true impact of this persecution, and it was heartbreaking to hear Ben and Vita convey the situation in Iran.

Earlier this year I was pleased to co-sign an open letter from members of this place to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, calling out the treatment of the Baha'is in Iran, particularly the rise in violence against farmers at the village level. The global Baha'i community have also led powerful campaigns to have the situation in Iran exposed in the United Nations General Assembly and Human Rights Council and have worked with other international human rights NGOs on advocacy campaigns, speaking on behalf of their sisters and brothers in Iran who cannot speak up without fear of reprisal.

The Baha'i are peaceful and non-violent. In Iran the Baha'i work tirelessly for the betterment of their society, despite ongoing persecution. This faith and resilience is powerful, and I respect it deeply. Ben shared this passage with me to read in parliament: 'The Iranian Baha'i deeply love their homeland despite all the suffering they have endured. Regardless of the restrictions imposed upon them, they fulfil their spiritual and social responsibilities. Through participation in constructive discourse with neighbours, co-workers, friends and acquaintances, they nonetheless continue to contribute to the advancement of their nation and their people.' What a powerful message to convey to this House.

I want to thank Ben and Vita once again for sharing these messages from the Baha'i community in Albury-Wodonga with me and this parliament. I also want to acknowledge Dr Hamid Golshan, who was unable to attend our meeting due to work commitments as a doctor at Albury-Wodonga hospital. He felt the full brunt of the local COVID outbreak only weeks ago.

The Baha'i give so much to our border communities, and it is my pleasure and honour to recognise their contributions and their message on behalf of the Baha'i community in Iran. I commend this motion to the House.

See this speech in context