http://www.voicesdivine.com Bahai audio books & podcast recordings of writings, prayers, news, & community messages for lovers of Bahaullah Fri, 13 Jan 2012 00:38:12 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= Bahai audio books & podcast recordings of writings, prayers, news, & community messages for lovers of Bahaullah VoicesDivine no © 2008-2010 VoicesDivine.com and others VoicesDivine.com Baha'i Podcasts https://www.voicesdivine.com/main/wp-content/plugins/powerpress/rss_default.jpg http://www.voicesdivine.com http://www.voicesdivine.com/news/trial-seven-bahai-leaders-under-way-tehran/ http://www.voicesdivine.com/news/trial-seven-bahai-leaders-under-way-tehran/#comments Tue, 12 Jan 2010 16:29:43 +0000 John Iron http://www.voicesdivine.com/?p=897 http://www.voicesdivine.com/news/trial-seven-bahai-leaders-under-way-tehran/feed/ 0 Bahai, Baha'i, trial, Iran, Yaran, Mrs. Fariba Kamalabadi, Mr. Jamaloddin Khanjani, Mr. Afif Naeimi, Mr. Saeid Rezaie, Mrs. Mahvash Sabet, Mr. Behrouz Tavakkoli, Mr. Vahid Tizfahm John Iron reads: "The trial of seven imprisoned Baha'i leaders began today in Iran. Initial reports indicate that the trial is marked by numerous violations of legal due process..." The trial of seven imprisoned Baha'i leaders began today in Iran. Initial reports indicate that the trial is marked by numerous violations of legal due process. VoicesDivine no 2:58 http://www.voicesdivine.com/news/745-trial-looms/ http://www.voicesdivine.com/news/745-trial-looms/#comments Tue, 05 Jan 2010 18:19:34 +0000 John Iron http://www.voicesdivine.com/?p=838 http://www.voicesdivine.com/news/745-trial-looms/feed/ 0 arrest,arrested,Baha'i,Baha'i World News Service,Baha’i International Community,BWNS,Evin Prison,human rights,Iran,leaders,Leva Khanjani,Mr. Afif Naeimi Recent developments in Iran have raised grave concern about the ultimate fate of the seven Baha'i leaders who are scheduled to go on trial next Tuesday. This is a recording from VoicesDivine.com (http://www.voicesdivine.com).  To see our other podcasts and our terms of use, go to www.voicesdivine.com (http://www.voicesdivine.com).  This is John Iron (http://johniron.com) reading from the Baha'i World N... VoicesDivine no 6:01 http://www.voicesdivine.com/news/canadas-parliament-condemns-persecution-of-bahais-in-iran/ http://www.voicesdivine.com/news/canadas-parliament-condemns-persecution-of-bahais-in-iran/#comments Thu, 02 Apr 2009 18:19:19 +0000 John Iron http://news.voicesdivine.com/?p=289 http://www.voicesdivine.com/news/canadas-parliament-condemns-persecution-of-bahais-in-iran/feed/ 0 Baha'i,Canada,condemn,Evin Prison,House of Commons,human rights,Iran,motion,Parliament,persecution,spies,Yaran Canada's House of Commons unanimously adopted a strongly worded motion condemning the persecution of Baha'is in Iran and calling for release of Baha'i leaders. (http://news.voicesdivine.com/wp-content/uploads/news/20090402-BWNS-706-Canadian-Parliament-150.jpg) 2009 April 2, OTTAWA, Canada (http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=45.424442,-75.699277&spn=0.004925,0.011373&t=h&z=17) - Canada's House of Commons has unanimously adopted a strongly worded motion condemning the persecution of Baha'is in Iran and calling on the Iranian government to release Baha'i leaders imprisoned in Tehran. The motion, which was approved on 30 March, stated that the accusations against the Baha'is - espionage for Israel, insulting religious sanctities, and propaganda against the Islamic republic - are charges "frequently used by Iranian authorities to target human rights defenders and religious minorities, and there is nothing in the history or teachings of the Baha'i community to lend any credence to such charges." The motion was addressed in a debate on the floor of the House of Commons which lasted some 90 minutes. Members of Parliament from all four of Canada's political parties spoke of the long history of persecution suffered by Iran's Baha'is and the current "campaign of hatred and incitement" against the Baha'i community there, noting that these current attacks "constitute a number of warning signs that often foreshadow widespread ethnic, racial or religious cleansing." Decrying the "persistent and pervasive" violation of the human rights not only of Iran's Baha'i but of all Iranian citizens who have suffered repression at the hands of extremist elements in that country, members of Parliament also expressed deep admiration for Iran's people and "the enormous contribution" that Iran's "great civilization" has made to humankind. The resolution concludes: "Therefore, be it resolved that this House condemns the ongoing persecution of the Baha'i minority of Iran and calls upon the government of Iran to reconsider its charges against the members of the Friends in Iran, and release them immediately or failing this, that it proceed to trial without further delay, ensuring that the proceedings are open and fair and are conducted in the presence of international observers." Seven of the Baha'is imprisoned in Tehran had comprised an ad hoc group called the "Friends in Iran" that tended to the minimum needs of the 300,000-member Baha'i community in Iran. The seven were rounded up a year ago and have been detained ever since, without access to legal counsel. Accusations against them were only recently announced, but no hearing or trial has yet been held. More than 30 Baha'is are currently jailed in Iran because of their religion. The following is the wording of the full motion adopted by the Canadian House of Commons: "Whereas, the House of Commons recognizes that on 14 May 2008, six members of an informal group known as the Friends in Iran tommunity in Iran were arrested and taken to the political prisoners section of Evin prison in Tehran, where the seventh member was already being held, following her arrest in Mashhad in March 2008. "And whereas, the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in October 2005, uncovered a confidential letter from the Command headquarters of the Armed Forces of Iran ordering the identification and monitoring of all Baha'is and their activities. "And whereas, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief stated on March 20, 2006, that she 'also expresses her concern that the information gathered as a result of such monitoring will be used as a basis for the increased persecution of and discrimination against, members of the Baha'i Faith, in violation of international standards ... The Special Rapporteur is concerned that this latest development indicates that the situation with regard to religious minorities in Iran is, in fact, deteriorating.' "And whereas, the Baha'i community of Canada is gravely concerned for the safety of these seven Baha'is, who have been held without formal charges, John Iron no 6:33 http://www.voicesdivine.com/news/iranian-baha%e2%80%99i-leaders-being-held-incommunicado/ http://www.voicesdivine.com/news/iranian-baha%e2%80%99i-leaders-being-held-incommunicado/#comments Tue, 27 May 2008 17:19:20 +0000 John Iron http://news.voicesdivine.com/?p=210 http://www.voicesdivine.com/news/iranian-baha%e2%80%99i-leaders-being-held-incommunicado/feed/ 0 arrest,arrested,Baha'i,Evin Prison,human rights,Iran,leaders,Ms. Bani Dugal,persecution,prison Six Baha'i leaders, arrested nearly two weeks ago, have no access to lawyers or relatives. The Baha'i Community is very concerned about their fate. (http://news.voicesdivine.com/wp-content/uploads/news/20080527-BWNS-635-150.jpg) 2008 May 27, NEW YORK, USA (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=+new+york&sll=40.742835,-73.955841&sspn=0.247371,0.528717&ie=UTF8&ll=40.737893,-73.918762&spn=0.494778,1.057434&t=h&z=11&iwloc=addr) - Six Baha'i leaders who were arrested nearly two weeks ago are being held incommunicado, without access to lawyers or relatives, and the Baha'i International Community is increasingly concerned about their fate. "Although initial reports indicated they were taken to Evin prison (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=evin+prison,+iran&sll=47.49569,19.046173&sspn=0.051554,0.076389&ie=UTF8&ll=35.796391,51.383336&spn=0.015873,0.019097&t=h&z=16), in fact we don't know where they are, and we are extremely concerned," said Bani Dugal, the principal representative of the Baha'i International Community to the United Nations. "What is clear is that none of their fundamental rights are being upheld. They have had no access to family members or counsel. We don't even know if they have been before a judge or whether they have been formally charged. "All we know is what a government spokesperson said last week, which is that they were arrested for ‘security reasons,' a charge that is utterly baseless. "We appeal to the international community, human rights groups, and people of conscience, as well as the news media, to continue their efforts to press the Iranian government so that the rights of these people as detainees be upheld and that they be allowed access to counsel and general communication with the outside -- as a minimum step," said Ms. Dugal. The six, all members of the national-level group that helped see to the minimum needs of Baha'is in Iran, were arrested on 14 May 2008 in an early morning sweep that is ominously similar to episodes in the 1980s when scores of Iranian Baha'i leaders were rounded up and killed. A seventh member of the national coordinating group was arrested in early March in Mashhad (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=mashad,+iran&sll=35.796391,51.383336&sspn=0.015873,0.019097&ie=UTF8&ll=33.082337,54.338379&spn=16.333172,19.555664&t=h&z=6&iwloc=addr)after being summoned by the Ministry of Intelligence office there. The whereabouts of none of the seven are known, said Ms. Dugal. "We understood that the six were taken to Evin prison -- the seventh remaining in Mashhad -- principally because some of the government agents who arrested the six on the 14th had documents indicating they would be taken to that notorious place," she said. "However, in light of the fact that relatives have made repeated attempts to learn more about the fate of the seven, and in all cases have been met with evasion and conflicting stories from government officials, we must now say that we don't know where they are -- and that our level of concern for their fate is at the highest," Ms. Dugal said. Arrested on 14 May were: Mrs. Fariba Kamalabadi, Mr. Jamaloddin Khanjani, Mr. Afif Naeimi, Mr. Saeid Rezaie, Mr. Behrouz Tavakkoli, and Mr. Vahid Tizfahm. All live in Tehran. Arrested in Mashhad on 5 March was Mrs. Mahvash Sabet, who also resides in Tehran. Mrs. Sabet was summoned to Mashhad by the Ministry of Intelligence, ostensibly on the grounds that she was required to answer questions related to the burial of an individual in the Baha'i cemetery in that city. Last week, Iranian government spokesman Gholam-Hossein Elham gave a press conference at which he acknowledged the arrest and imprisonment of the six. News reports quoted Mr. Elham as saying on 20 May that the six were arrested for "security issues" and not because of their religious beliefs. Those assertions -- the only public statement by the government about the arrests -- were immediately rebutted by Ms. Dugal. "The group of Baha'is arrested last week, like the thousands of Baha'is who since 1979 have been killed, John Iron no 4:37