The documentary To light a Candle, which inspired the initiative, highlights the constructive resilience of Iran's young Bahais who have developed an informal arrangement known as the Bahai Institute of Higher Education
An intensification of the persecution of the Bahai community in Iran over the last 18 months has prompted declarations of support for that country’s largest religious minority from prominent voices, and has spurred a worldwide initiative called ‘Education is Not a Crime’.
The 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran marked the beginning of what has become systematic and state-sponsored persecution of the Bahais in the land of their faith’s birth — solely because of their religious belief.
The last year and a half has seen an alarming escalation of well-documented cases that drew comment by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, of illegal detainment, closure of Bahai-owned businesses, arbitrary house searches and arrests, destruction of Bahai cemeteries, anti-Bahai propaganda disseminated through government channels and denial to attain higher education.
The documentary To light a Candle, which inspired the ‘Education is Not a Crime’ initiative, highlights the constructive resilience of Iran’s young Bahais who have developed an informal arrangement known as the Bahai Institute of Higher Education (BIHE) through which they could have an access to university-level courses. In March, the UN Human Rights Council will hear from the Iranian government regarding which of the recommendations made during its 2014 Universal Periodic Review it intends to accept.
The documentary has recently been screened at hundreds of locations worldwide including at the Bahai House of Worship in Delhi and at various educational institutions throughout India. Nobel Peace laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu has endorsed the campaign. “The Iranian government says that education is a crime for Bahais. But I want to tell you that we can change that — we can give voice on their behalf.”
Four other Nobel Peace laureates — Shirin Ebadi, Tawakkol Karman, Jody Williams and Mairead Maguire — have also expressed their support. The initiative has also earned the endorsement of a number of international artists and intellectuals including Rainn Wilson, an American television star, and Mohanimad Maleki, former president of the University of Tehran.
“We are heartened by the outpouring of support, both in India and beyond, for the plight of the Bahai community in Iran,” said Shatrughun Jiwnani, director, Public Information, Bahai Office of Public Affairs, “and hope that it will result in significant improvement of the human-rights situation in Iran when the matter comes before the UN Human Rights Council in March.” The documentary was produced by Maziar Bahari, an acclaimed journalist who was imprisoned in Iran in 2009. Bahari, who is not a Bahai himself, launched the ‘Education is Not a Crime’ initiative last November.