Illinois Lawmakers Introduce House and Senate Resolutions Condemning Iran's Continued Persecution of Baha'i Minority

Press Release

U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.), U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), U.S. Rep. Robert Dold (R-Ill.) and U.S. Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-Ill.) today introduced bipartisan resolutions in the House and Senate calling attention to the continued plight of Baha'is in Iran.

Baha'is comprise the largest religious minority in Iran, where the Baha'i religion was founded in the 19th century. According to the 2010 U.S. State Department International Religious Freedom Report, "Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, more than 200 Baha'is have been killed, and many have faced regular raids and confiscation of property." In October 2010, the United Nations Secretary General issued a special report on human rights in Iran, stating that "the Baha'i, who comprise the country's largest non-Muslim religious minority, face multiple forms of discrimination and harassment, including denial of employment, Government benefits and access to higher education."

"The plight of Baha'is in Iran should be deeply personal to all Americans, especially citizens of Illinois," Senator Kirk said. "I urge the administration to elevate the issue of human rights in Iran, including the plight of Iranian Baha'is, to the top of the international agenda."

"The religious persecution of Baha'is in Iran is a violation of one of our most basic human rights," Senator Durbin said. "We must continue to press for security and fairness for religious minorities around the world. The Baha'i community in Iran deserves the same religious freedoms enjoyed by our Baha'i neighbors in Illinois."

"I am deeply concerned about the signs of continued and worsening oppression of the Baha'i in Iran," Congressman Dold said. "The United States must take a leadership role within the international community to condemn Iran's harassment of human rights defenders, pervasive gender inequality and violence and discrimination against the Baha'i."

"I believe America has a duty to stand up for religious freedom around the world, wherever it is under attack," Rep. Lipinski said. "At a time when people across the Middle East are fighting for their liberty, America should make it clear that Iran's treatment of its Baha'i citizens is totally unacceptable."

The bicameral resolutions condemn the Iranian regime's continued persecution of its Baha'i minority, call on the regime to release Baha'i political prisoners and urge President Obama and Secretary Clinton to designate Iranian officials and other individuals directly responsible for egregious human rights violations in Iran.

The Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2010 (P.L. 111- 195), which became law last July, authorizes the President and the Secretary of State to impose sanctions on "the officials of the Government of Iran and other individuals who are responsible for continuing and severe violations of human rights and religious freedom in Iran." To date, only 10 individuals have been designated for such abuses.

In August 2010, the Iranian government sentenced seven leaders of Iran's Baha'i community to 20-year prison terms on charges of "spying for Israel, insulting religious sanctities, propaganda against the regime and spreading corruption on earth." Their lawyer has been denied all access to the Baha'i prisoners and their files. Last month, the Revolutionary Court in Tehran sentenced a Baha'i human rights activist, Navid Khanjani, to a 12-year prison term on charges that included "propaganda against the regime by publishing news, reports, and interviews with foreign TV and radio."

The House Resolution is also cosponsored by Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Calif).

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