Faith costs Baha’i life in Iran

MEMBERS of the
Baha’i Community in
West Vancouver met
Aug. 11 with John
Reynolds, MP for West
Vancouver-Sunshine
Coast to discuss the
execution in Iran of a
member of the Baha’i
Faith on July 21.

The focal Baha’is expressed
their concern for the fate of 15
other Baha’is in prisons in
Iran, especially three who have

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been given death sentences
simply for their religious
beliefs.

Ruhu'llah = Rawhani was
executed by hanging following
a year in prison. Rawhani, 52,
was a mesical supplies sales-
man and is survived by his wife
and four children. He had
been in prison on charges that
he had converted a Muslim to
the Baha’i faith. The woman
whom he was accused of con-
verting refuted the accusation,
stating thar she had been
raised as a Baha’i.

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“It is most alarming that
Mr. Rawhani was deprived of
proper legal process and access
to a lawyer,” said Kent
Brothers, a member of the
Bahai community on the
North Shore.

“Representatives of the
25,000 member Baha’

Community of Canada met

with — officials in’ the
Department of Foreign Affairs
in Ottawa. Following this
meeting, Foreign Affairs
Minister, Lloyd Axworthy
reivased to the press a strongly
worded statement condemn-
ing the execution of Mr.
Rawhani.

“We wished to express our
gratitude to our Member of
Parliament for the swift action
the Canadian government has
taken in this case as in past per-
secutions in Iran,” said
Brothers.

Baha‘is have no legal rights
in Tran where the regime
regards the Baha’i Faith as a
heresy, and individual Baha'is
as “unprotected infidels”,
refusing them admission to
university and the final year of
high school, government and
university employment, the
right to pensions, and any
freedom to pursuc their com-
munity’s religious activities.

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Wednesday, August 26, 1998— North Shore News — 17

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