175 Years of Persecution

A History of the Babis & Baha'is of Iran

Fereydun Vahman

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English

Oneworld Publications
01 April 2019

History; Middle Eastern history; Social & cultural history; Religious intolerance, persecution & conflict; Baha'i; Religious groups: social & cultural aspects

The Baha’i faith is the youngest of the world religions and the second most widespread after Christianity. It is well known for its belief in the essential unity of all religions and its global outlook. Its core beliefs of peace, harmony and tolerance, as well as its high regard for ethical conduct, make it a faith with a broad and potent appeal in the modern world.

For almost two centuries, followers of the Baha’i faith in Iran have been persecuted by the state. They have been made scapegoats for the nation’s ills, branded enemies of Islam and denounced as foreign agents. Since the Islamic Revolution of 1979 they have been barred from entering the nation’s universities, more than two hundred have been executed, and many hundreds more imprisoned and tortured.

Now, however, Iran is at a turning point. A new generation has begun to question how the Baha’is have been portrayed by the government and the clergy, and called for them to be given equal rights as fellow citizens. In documenting, for the first time, the plight of this religious community in Iran since its inception, Fereydun Vahman also reveals the greater plight of a nation aspiring to develop a modern identity built on respect for diversity rather than hatred and self-deception.

By: Fereydun Vahman
Imprint: Oneworld Publications
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 153mm, Spine: 30mm
ISBN: 9781786075864
ISBN 10: 1786075865
Pages: 352
Publication Date: 01 April 2019
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Foreword Acknowledgements Introduction: The “Enigma” of the Baha’i Religion in Iran PART ONE: Persecution During the Qajar and Pahlavi Dynasties, 1844–1979 Chapter 1: Why Were the Babi and Baha’i Faiths Suppressed in Iran? Chapter 2: The Violent Repression of the Babis and Baha’is during the Qajar Period Chapter 3: The Baha’is during the Reign of Reza Shah Pahlavi Chapter 4: Baha’is in the Reign of Muhammad Reza Shah Pahlavi Chapter 5: The Shahrud Incident Chapter 6: Eighty-One Stab Wounds: The Murder of Dr Berjis in Kashan Chapter 7: True Crime: The Incident at Abarqu Chapter 8: The Events of 1955: Hojjat al-Islam Falsafi, the Ramadan Broadcasts, and the Military Occupation of the Baha’i Center PART TWO: The Islamic Republic in Confrontation with the Baha’i Faith Chapter 9: Baha’i Persecution during the Last Days of the Shah’s Regime Chapter 10: The Baha’is—the First Victims of Oppression in the Islamic Republic Chapter 11: The Persecution of Baha’is under Bazargan and the Revolutionary Council Chapter 12: The Presidencies of Banisadr and Raja’i Chapter 13: Arrests and Executions of the Baha’i Assemblies, 1981–85 Chapter 14: The Destruction of Baha’i Holy Sites and Community Resources Chapter 15: After Ayatollah Khomeini: The Escalation of Persecution Chapter 16: Efforts at Reform under President Khatami Chapter 17: Escalating Repression under President Ahmadinejad (2005–13) Chapter 18: An Obsession with Conspiracy Theories in the Islamic Republic Chapter 19: Systematic Humiliation: Being Labeled Ritually Unclean (Najes) Chapter 20: The Perspectives of Iran’s Grand Ayatollahs on the Baha’i Faith Chapter 21: The Appeals of International Organizations and the Iranian Diaspora Epilogue Postscript Appendix Glossary Select Bibliography Notes Index

Fereydun Vahman is professor emeritus at the University of Copenhagen. Since the Islamic Revolution in Iran in 1979 he has been a leading voice defending the rights of Baha'is. He is the author of several books in Persian, English and Danish, and is editor of the Religion and Society in Iran series.

Reviews for 175 Years of Persecution: A History of the Babis & Baha'is of Iran

'An exceptional book written in an exceptional time in the modern evolution of an ancient nation... a comprehensive and heart-breaking, infuriating but incisive, eloquent yet scholarly account of a virulent, obsessive hatred that has profoundly shaped the construction of Iran's modern identity. It is a masterful weaving of abstract historical events with intimate stories of suffering, demonstrating how the choices made by the wielders of power shape the lives of ordinary people going about their lives.' * <i>Iran Press Watch</i> * '175 Years of Persecution offers a lucid academic account of the lives of the Baha'is under such intolerable conditions... This book is a must-read for all interested in modern Iran.' -- Mohamad Tavakoli-Targhi, Professor of History, University of Toronto 'Vahman, a very learned specialist in Iranian studies, offers a significant addition to our understanding of modern Iranian history... Important reading.' -- Roy Mottahedeh, Gurney Research Professor, Harvard University, and author of <i>The Mantle of the Prophet</i> 'Fereydun Vahman's book 175 Years of Persecution provides, in accessible narrative vignettes, a sweeping account of the persecution of Iran's Baha'i community. Many articles and reports have documented the persecutions, but usually focusing on a chronologically and geographically confined space, often with a clinical approach. However, like Dee Brown's Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee on the genocidal campaign against Native Americans, or James Allen's Without Sanctuary, a visual history of lynching in the American south, here we have a work that brings the human impact to the fore. Vahman weaves together a larger story from individual, mob, or state-sponsored acts of murder, arson, gravesite desecration, imprisonment, dismissal from jobs, deprivation of pensions and education, etc. In clear and readable prose suitable for students, activists, and the general public, this book memorably describes the beleaguerment of the Baha'i community in Iran since its inception and makes it clear why the situation of Baha'is has been described as a bellwether of the prospects for true political rights and civil society for the entire Iranian polity.' -- Franklin Lewis, Associate Professor of Persian Language & Literature, University of Chicago