Local leaders decry Baha’i persecution in Iran

Baha’is, Iran’s largest non-Muslim religious minority, has long endured persecution by the hands of Iranian authorities, but the UN and international human rights agencies have raised alarm that such unprovoked attacks have intensified in recent weeks.

Authorities are launching a “flurry of raids, arbitrary arrests, home demolitions and land grabs” on members of the Baha’i community, said the human rights watchdog  Amnesty International back in late August.

Religious and community leaders from the Valley Stream Religious Council and local officials joined with fellow Baha’is at the Baha’i Nassau County Community Center in Valley Stream to stand in solidarity with the persecuted minority and urged for an immediate end to hostilities.

The religious council sends a note of “sincere sorrow and support for the oppression of those of Baha’i faith in Iran,” said Sister Margie Kelly, President of the Religious Council and representative of Holy Name of Mary in Valley Stream.

“The persecution of the Baha’i community in Iran has been with us for decades, and the world has done far too little in response to the suffering and abuse these people have experienced for far too long,” said Rabbi Yechiel Buchband, a member of council and of the Valley Stream Jewish Center. “The persecution of a community which is known for its love of all humanity and its respect for all religious traditions makes their mistreatment even more unbearable.”

Assemblywoman Michaelle Solages, a Democrat, elicited the need for swift action from local leaders and media groups to spread awareness to others about the attacks and speak out against them. She further pledged to bring this issue in front of her fellow state assemblymembers.

Mayor Edwin Fare also shared his remarks in a statement: “We stand with the persecuted and recognize our shared humanity and collective commitment to the right of freedom of religion or belief.”