Angie Bell (Moncrieff, Liberal National Party, Shadow Minister for Early Childhood Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) acknowledges the Baha'i faith and their right to express their religious beliefs;

(2) condemns the actions of the Iranian Government's persecution of those of the Baha'i faith including the:

(a) imprisonment of Iranian Bahai's due to their faith;

(b) destruction and repossession of property and belongings of Iranian Baha'is;

(c) propaganda and incitement of hate and violence against those of the Baha'i faith; and

(d) barred access to education, including higher education for many Iranian Baha'is

(3) endorses the work of the Baha'i community in Australia who support citizens escaping persecution, and draw attention to the violation of humans rights of Baha'is in Iran.

It gives me great pleasure to rise in the chamber today after meeting, out on the parliament lawn, with Iranian Australians and many from the Baha'i faith to speak about what's going on in Iran but also to defend the right of those of the Baha'i faith to practise their religion without being persecuted. Earlier this year, in my office, I met with Sepehr Abedian and Houta Sabet, two members of the Gold Coast Baha'i Community, and we spoke about their concerns regarding the treatment of their friends and family in Iran. Baha'is are the largest non-Muslim religious minority in Iran, and for decades they have been routinely persecuted, arrested, detained and imprisoned. More recently, international media has reported that homes were raided, confiscated or bulldozed and members of the Baha'i community were arrested in various cities throughout Iran because of their faith. None of this is new. The Baha'i Faith community in Iran has been dealing with mistreatment and persecution for decades. Since 2005, more than 800 Iranian Baha'is have been arrested or detained due to their faith, and there have been more than 780 incidents of economic persecution documented. I heard one just the other night, of a Gold Coaster whose family had escaped on camelback. He won an export award at the Australian Export Awards the other night, in the Great Hall, and is very, very proud of his achievements in this country.

Baha'is are barred from holding government jobs, their businesses are routinely closed or discriminated against and young Baha'is are prevented from attending university because of their faith. Where they can, Baha'i elders hold underground universities, where they can learn and receive an education. The elders must be careful, as those caught educating young Baha'is can be, and have been, sentenced to five-year jail terms. This is the 21st century, and we are witnessing young people refused the opportunity to further their knowledge because of their religion. Many Bahai's have left Iran, as I mentioned before, to seek a better life elsewhere, including in my community on the Gold Coast. I want to share a story that Seppi—as we call him with great warmth—shared with me during our meeting about a young Baha'i who came to Australia recently.

After arriving in Australia, Sep took this young person on a tour of a nearby university campus where there was an option to study. As part of the tour, they visited the campus library. This Baha'i, new to our country, was so nervous about entering the library that she asked Sep if he was sure she was allowed to go inside. Could you imagine feeling like that—unsure whether you're welcome in a place where so many of us feel safe, such as a public or university library? It's heartbreaking to hear the story. To know that young people are banned from places of learning and banned from having educational opportunities is heartbreaking. Baha'is in Iran are subject to systemic violence and harassment with hundreds of incidents reported of torture, physical assault, disappearances, suspicious deaths, arson against homes and businesses, vandalism, cemetery desecration and the abuse of schoolchildren, which is fuelled by a continuous campaign to incite hatred against Baha'is in Iran.

Iran's human rights record has been a longstanding and serious concern for Australia. During our time in government, the coalition repeatedly raised our concerns with Iran in Canberra, Tehran and in multilateral forums. Australia is a co-sponsor of the annual UN General Assembly resolution on the human rights situation in Iran. We also co-sponsor the UN Human Rights Council resolution extending the mandate of the special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran. In December last year, there was a UN General Assembly calling for an end to the harassment and discrimination against the Baha'i Faith. We are troubled by the high number of death sentences and continued executions in Iran, and the treatment of ethnic and religious minorities, women and girls, and the LGBTIQA community.

I want to thank the Baha'i Faith community on the Gold Coast for the incredible job they do in raising awareness and campaigning against the treatment of Baha'is in Iran. They've done such a great job, and I also want to say thank you to Kimberley Diamond who represents the Baha'i Faith on my youth Gold Coast community cabinet. I thank her for her voice for the future of the Baha'i Faith on the Gold Coast. (Time expired)

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

Is there a seconder for the motion?

Ian Goodenough (Moore, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I second the motion and reserve my right to speak.

Sam Lim (Tangney, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to take this opportunity to speak to a grave matter. I speak in this parliament as a Buddhist and as a person from a different country. I would like to acknowledge that, in Australia, I have the freedom to express my views. In Australia, we have the gifts and protections that democracy allows. These protections are not afforded to all around the world. Right now, horrific abuse is taking place in Iran. There is bloodshed, violence, death and fear. This is marked by the brutal killing of Jina Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman, at the hands of the so-called morality police in Iran. The morality police said Jina was wearing her hijab too loosely. This is unconscionable. Jina's death is unconscionable.

This has led to protests. In Iran, people have taken to the streets. Women, in particular, have taken to the streets. These women are risking their lives to have their voices heard. These women are demonstrating, with their actions, that they would sooner face the risk of death than continue to face oppression. And people have faced death. Hundreds have lost their lives in the protests. For those who have been arrested, Iran's parliament recently voted in favour of the death penalty for all current protest prisoners.

Shockingly, the violence continues to grow, with members of the Baha'i faith subjected to appalling persecution. This violence is, tragically, nothing new. The Baha'i have been facing persecution from the Iranian government for 40 long years. There has been intensified repression of and discrimination against the Baha'i in Iran. This is deeply concerning. My heart breaks for and with the Baha'i people.

Amnesty International's 2021-22 report The state of the world's human rightshighlights the persecution inflicted on members of the Baha'i faith by the Iranian government, including restricted participation in education, employment and political office. It includes torture, arbitrary detention and other cruel, violent means. Enforced disappearances are not uncommon; nor is the forcible closure of businesses or confiscation of property. Houses are demolished, cemeteries are destroyed, and hate speech comes from officials and state media. Authorities have prevented Baha'is from burying their loved ones in empty plots in cemeteries, instead insisting that they use mass grave sites.

The Baha'i are not a violent people. Importantly, the Baha'i faith calls for obedience to civil authorities and rejects any acts of violence or aggression. The Baha'i are a kind people. They are a just people. They believe in the equality of women and men. They believe in the harmony of religion and science. They believe in the elimination of all forms of prejudice and an equal standard of human rights for all people. I am fortunate to have made connections with members of the Baha'i faith during my time as a police officer. These warm relationships continue. I am very grateful for the friendship of the Baha'i community of Melville, including Dr Jimmy Seow and his peers. Their tireless work inspires me.

The Albanese government condemns the human rights abuses perpetrated by Iran. Australia calls on Iran to respect human rights and cease discrimination against religious and ethnic minorities. We have raised our concerns with Iranian officials across multilateral fora, including at the UN. I stand in solidarity with those persecuted in Iran. I stand with them in their aspirations for freedom, self-governance and democracy. I stand with them in their campaign for peace. Zendibad Azadi! Long live freedom!

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

I just want to acknowledge that there is a very strong Baha'i faith community in my electorate of Newcastle, and I know that today in the chamber we have people from the Baha'i communities of Canberra, Brisbane and Sydney. You're very welcome.

Ian Goodenough (Moore, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On behalf of the Baha'i community in Australia, I'm happy to have seconded this private members' motion calling for an end to the systematic persecution of Baha'is in Iran. The Baha'i faith is considered the second-largest religion in Iran, after Islam. According to the United Nations there are an estimated 350,000 adherents of the Baha'i faith in Iran and an estimated five million followers worldwide.

The freedom to practise one's chosen religion is a fundamental right that forms the core of our democratic beliefs in Australia. Our society allows freedom of religion free from persecution, intimidation and harassment. It is our sincere hope that the international religious tolerance movement will spread like a light throughout the world. It is incumbent upon us as elected representatives in a free society to call upon foreign governments around the world, including countries such as Iran, to respect the freedom of religion and allow their citizens to worship peaceably with tolerance.

In raising public awareness of this issue it is hoped that world attention will be focused on addressing this grave injustice. Baha'is have remained peaceful and active members of Iranian society. They pose no threat to the government. They are not aligned with any political ideology or opposition movement, nor do they engage in subversive activity or violence.

Currently in Iran Baha'is are barred from holding government jobs and their shops and other enterprises are routinely closed by officials at all levels. The youth in the Baha'i community are also persecuted, prevented from attending university and, as volunteer educators, have been arrested and imprisoned. In 2022 alone there have been over 30 arrests on account of their faith in various cities throughout Iran. In August this year, authorities bulldozed six Baha'i houses and confiscated more than 20 hectares of land in the Mazandaran province in northern Iran. Earlier this month Iran stepped up its actions against the Baha'i community, arresting 12 citizens. This has been condemned by global rights groups.

In supporting this motion for an end to the systematic persecution of Baha'is by the government of Iran and, more broadly, an end to persecution of Baha'is by governments across the world, I urge all governments to consider the potential contributions that can be made to society by allowing Baha'is to freely practice their religion, free from persecution, intimidation and harassment. International monitoring constitutes a vital safeguard for the protection of the Baha'i community. Whenever this issue is publicised, discussed in parliaments or raised with Iranian officials, it sends a signal to the Iranian government that it is being held to account for its actions.

The Australian government has repeatedly raised concerns with Iran in Canberra, with Tehran and through multilateral forums. As a nation we are a co-sponsor of the annual United Nations General Assembly resolution on the human rights situation in Iran. In addition, Australia co-sponsors the Human Rights Council resolution, extending the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran. In December last year there was a United Nations General Assembly resolution calling for an end to the harassment and discrimination of Baha'is in Iran.

There is a strong Baha'i community in Western Australia, in particular in the northern suburbs of Perth. I have been fortunate enough to meet many Baha'is living in my electorate and also in the surrounding suburbs. Through my association with the local Baha'i community over a number of years, I have observed its members to be very peaceful, tolerant and family oriented. The religion could hardly be described as fundamentalist or extremist in nature. Rather, it is very moderate. As I have become more familiar with individual members of the local spiritual assembly, what greatly impresses me generally about the Baha'i community is the ability of its members to integrate and assimilate into Australian society by fully and actively participating in the development and advancement of our nation through higher education and their professional careers in fields such as business, engineering, medicine and academia.

Josh Burns (Macnamara, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

NS () (): I rise to speak on this important motion moved by the member for Moncrieff and I congratulate her for raising this matter. It is an important matter in this place. Support for the brave people of Iran and opposition to religious persecution is something that unites Australia and the Australian parliament. I have great admiration for the Baha'i people. Dr Vahid Master is a Baha'i leader in my electorate, an extraordinary doctor. He has welcomed me to his home on many occasions to celebrate the Baha'i community and faith. The things that strike me in my time with the Baha'i community locally is their sense of self-respect, dignity and peace as well as their deep appreciation and love for the Australian people and the Australian community more broadly. I also have stood on top of the Baha'i World Centre in Haifa and seen the most breathtaking gardens that really speak volumes to the self-respect and imagination of the Baha'i people.

Yet for the last 40 years in Iran, the birthplace of the Baha'i faith, the Baha'i have not enjoyed the same freedom that they do here in Australia. Ever since the regime of the Ayatollahs came to power in 1979, the Baha'i have been persecuted for their beliefs. They been subject to arbitrary arrest, their businesses have been closed down, their homes and places of worship have been raided. They have been denied entry to university and they have been unable to travel. Even their cemeteries have been desecrated.

This year protests have surged across Iran demanding greater freedom, particularly for women. In the wake of the murder of Mahsa Amini by Iran's so-called morality police in September, the regime has responded by increasing its persecution of the Baha'i. Many Baha'i have been arrested, some were detained at their homes while others were rounded up with other protesters in the streets. Like many of the arrested demonstrate, these Baha'i have been locked up without specific charges and have not been allowed to meet with their families.

I recently spoke with representatives of the Baha'i community locally who told me of their great concern for their families and friends in Iran and I'm sure other members share with me those grave concerns. They also told me that they were very grateful for the support that the Australian government and people have expressed in giving Baha'i people and indeed all of the persecuted people their voice of solidarity against what is occurring in Iran.

I thought I would take a moment to outline some of the things that have already occurred in response to the action of Iran. We have time and time again called for Iran to respect the human rights and cease the discrimination against religious and ethnic minorities. Australia's ambassador to Iran has raised our concerns in Tehran, and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has raised concerns with the Iranian embassy in Canberra.

Australia has made it clear that Iran's treatment of women and the protesters is incompatible with their membership of the UN Commission on the Status of Women. The government has been engaging with the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Australia and we will continue to advocate for the human rights of the Baha'i in Iran.

Australia as a member of the core drafting group for the UN General Assembly Third Committee resolution on the human rights situation in Iran did play an active role in shaping the language of the resolution, including regarding the Baha'i and other minorities. What we have here in Australia is a wonderful part of Australian society. We are proud of our Baha'i and we celebrate our Baha'i people here in Australia. I acknowledge those who have come to join and listen to this debate tonight. But I also know that, for them, a part of them is not complete without the Baha'i community feeling safe and free from the persecution that is occurring in Iran. So we stand with the Baha'i people in Australia and of course with the Baha'i in Iran. We raise our Australian voices to say that the persecution of the Baha'i people is unacceptable and that we hope for better days in the years to come.

Sophie Scamps (Mackellar, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'd also like to welcome those who are here this evening representing the Baha'i community. I'm honoured that my electorate of Mackellar is the proud home of Australia's Baha'i House of Worship, one of just 13 temples around the world and the only one on the Australasian continent. It is a symbol of unity and an icon of our electorate. It stands magnificently in the hinterland of our electorate, nestled amongst the beautiful bushland. It is a place of sanctuary, it is a place of worship and it is a place that is open and belongs to all Australians, where people of all different religions and backgrounds are welcome. This physical building is a reflection of the Baha'i faith and community—one that is committed to social cohesion and harmony and is warmly valued as part of our Mackellar community and as a contributor to Australia's broader community.

The Australian Baha'i Community was established in 1920 and is now represented in over 350 localities and regions throughout our country. They are part of a worldwide community of people of Baha'i faith, an independent world religion with more than five million members. On Wednesday evening, the Baha'i community will hold their annual parliamentary reception to celebrate the birth of Baha'u'llah. This event is also a celebration of the constructive cohesion and resilience demonstrated by Australians across the country and indeed many across the globe. Some of the key principles of the Baha'i faith—such as gender equality, elimination of all forms of prejudice and human rights for all people—are values that are shared by the broader Mackellar and Australian community. In neighbourhoods across Mackellar and across the country, Baha'is are striving to build united and spiritually vibrant communities.

However, as this motion highlights, this is not the experience of the Baha'is in Iran. Baha'i is Iran's largest non-Muslim religion, with around 300,000 Baha'is living in Iran. The Baha'is have a long history of persecution in Iran, especially since 1979 and the Iranian Revolution. Official news media has inflamed this persecution by inciting hatred, which has led to many violent attacks on Baha'is and their properties, including destruction of their cemeteries. Thousands of these attacks over many decades are documented on the website Archives of Baha'i Persecution in Iran, which is administered by the Baha'i International Community, an organisation which draws attention to human rights violations committed against Iranian Baha'is.

Baha'is are routinely arrested, detained and imprisoned in Iran. They are banned from holding government jobs, and their shops are routinely closed or discriminated against by officials at all levels of government. Young Baha'is are prevented from attending university, and volunteer Baha'i educators are often arrested and imprisoned when they attempt to fill the education gap. Since the nationwide protests started this September, there has been an escalation of violent attacks and human rights violations on Baha'is in Iran, including interrogations, beatings and detentions without due process. In her recent address to the UN Human Rights Council, Simin Fahandej, representative of the Baha'i International Community, articulated the deteriorating situation of human rights in Iran. She said:

… the Baha'is in Iran are all too familiar with persecution, with suffering, arbitrary imprisonment, denial of higher education, hate propaganda, executions and daily harassment for 43 years. In fact, what we see in Iran today is the extension of the persecution against the Baha'is to the generality of Iranians. A government that oppresses one group will surely be unjust to all groups in the long term.

I support the member for Moncrieff's motion that condemns the actions of the Iranian government's persecution of those of the Baha'i faith. Cohesion and resilience are core values of strong communities, and I wholeheartedly support not only the Baha'i community in my electorate of Mackellar but the Baha'i community globally as they face the horrific persecution from the Iranian government. I just want you to know that, here in Australia and here in the parliament as well, we do support you. Thank you for being here tonight.

Gordon Reid (Robertson, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I start by welcoming all of you in the gallery of the Federation Chamber today. Thank you so much for coming and listening to us here today, and welcome to the people's house. I'll also start by thanking and congratulating the member for Moncrieff for raising this critical issue with the House, with the Chamber, with the members present here today and with the broader community. It is such an important and critical issue not just here in Australia but right across the world. We've seen that around the world people have been and continue to be persecuted because of their faith. We have seen communities subjugated. We have seen communities destroyed or oppressed and their belongings and property destroyed. They have been denied access to services, jailed or even worse.

Everybody on this planet deserves the right to be who they want to be. Everybody deserves the right, if they choose, to practise their faith without persecution or repercussion, and I'm a strong advocate for this, as are many of the members here in the Chamber tonight. I will continue be a supporter and a voice for those who are silenced because of their faith or their way of life. Faith is important to many because it provides people with a sense of self, a sense of community and a sense of direction. Faith can unify us, and it can be the guiding light for some during the darkest of times.

A few weeks ago, a gentleman named Vedad visited the Robertson electoral office. He's an elected member of the Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the Central Coast. I'm grateful to Vedad for visiting me that day—he has given me permission to use his name—as he was kind enough to provide insight into the Baha'i faith and the Baha'i community on the Central Coast in New South Wales, across Australia and, indeed, around the world. He was describing the Baha'i community, and I'd use the same words that the member for Moncrieff, the member for Macnamara and many members here tonight have used: peaceful, welcoming, educated. They are a beautiful people and a beautiful community. He spoke of the children's spiritual education classes in Gosford and the regular devotional meetings where the Baha'i community on the Central Coast would come together as one.

Vedad also highlighted the difficulties and persecution that the Baha'i community are facing in Iran. As has been noted previously, the government is deeply concerned by reports that, since 2 August 2022, repression and discrimination against the Baha'i people in Iran have increased and intensified. Australia has called and will continue to call on Iran to respect human rights and to cease the discrimination against religious and ethnic minorities. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is engaging with the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Australia and will continue to advocate for the human rights of the Baha'i in Iran. Australia's ambassador to Iran raised our concerns to Tehran on 14 June 2022, and most recently the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade raised our concerns with the Iranian embassy in Canberra on 13 October 2022. Australia, as a member of the core drafting group for the UN General Assembly Third Committee resolution on the human rights situation in Iran, played an active role in shaping the language of the resolution, including regarding the Baha'i and other minorities. The resolution was adopted with 79 yes votes and only 28 no votes—a better result than in 2021.

Again I wish to thank the member for Moncrieff for raising this important issue. As I said earlier, Australia will continue to call on Iran to respect human rights and cease the discrimination against minorities. We stand with the Baha'i people and the community both here in Australia and in Iran.

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

The time allotted for this debate has now expired. The debate is adjourned and the resumption of the debate will be made an order of the day for the next sitting.

Federation Chamber adjourned at 19:30