Destruction of Homes of Three Bahai Families in Roshankooh Village, Sari
On Monday, the 11th of Mordad, homes of three Bahai families in Roshankooh village in Sari were demolished by government agencies. This action was carried out without presenting a court order or prior warning. Previously, on the 31st of Shahrivar 1399, a meeting was held with representatives of several Iranian security and governmental organizations at the Sari governorate office. According to confidential documents that were released, decisions were made in this meeting regarding a significant increase in suppression of religious minorities not recognized in the Iranian Constitution, particularly followers of the Bahai faith and Darvishes.
According to Hrana news agency, the news outlet of the Iranian human rights activists network, on Monday, the 11th of Mordad 1400, homes of three Bahai families in Roshankooh village in Sari were demolished by government agencies.
The homes of Mr. Sabatian, Navid Dorakshan, and Mr. Enayati were demolished while Navid Dorakshan and Mr. Enayati were not present in their homes at the time of demolition. A source close to these Bahai citizens told the Hrana reporter: “Recently, the Department of Natural Resources has claimed that 14 parcels of land in Roshankooh village were previously forest and Bahais in this village have been engaged in agriculture and construction by encroaching on forest lands. For this reason, this department has requested dispossession and clearing of these lands. This is while these lands have belonged to Bahais for over seventy years – that is, before the land reforms in 1342.”
It is worth noting that Roshankooh village is part of Chahardangi district in Sari city in Mazandaran province, Iran, and has long been inhabited mostly by Bahais.
According to this informed source: “In recent years, systematic and extensive efforts have been made to force Bahais from this village to leave. While construction in neighboring villages where Bahai citizens do not reside takes place easily, the residents of this village are not given construction permits or completion certificates solely because they are Bahais.”
It is reported that relevant agencies avoid providing aerial photographs and maps of the region from the 1940s, 1950s, and before to Bahais in Roshankooh village.
Although such actions regarding the destruction or confiscation of homes and property of Bahai citizens and also sites belonging to these citizens, such as Bahai cemeteries known as Golestan-e Javidan, by government agencies or with the green light of officials, have precedent, on the 31st of Shahrivar 1399, a meeting was also held with representatives of several Iranian security and government organizations at the Sari governorate office. According to confidential documents that were first released by the Society for the Defense of Human Rights in Iran, decisions were made in this meeting regarding a significant increase in suppression of religious minorities not recognized in the Iranian Constitution, particularly followers of the Bahai faith and Darvishes.
Based on these documents, a meeting of the “Commission on Peoples, Sects and Denominations” was held in Sari with the participation of representatives from 9 government security and intelligence organizations regarding “examining the latest situation of Darvishes and Bahaism,” and in this meeting, decisions were made regarding what was mentioned in the meeting minutes documents as “precise control of the movements of the deviant Bahai sect and Darvishes” and “planning in the field of cultural and educational institutions.”
Furthermore, the participants approved that all activities of followers of the Bahai faith be carefully monitored and instructed officials in education to identify and supervise Bahai students and “attract them to Islam.” Additionally, in this meeting, university presidents in the city were asked to monitor this matter considering the ban on Bahai education in universities, and the head of the Department of Industry and Mines was also required to control the activities of Bahai citizens in the market.
It appears that such actions, including the issuance of a ruling for confiscation of lands of 27 Bahai farming families in Iyul village, which falls within the administrative jurisdiction of Sari city, on the 22nd of Mehr 1399, may be one of the immediate results of the meeting dated the 31st of Shahrivar 99.
Bahai citizens in Iran are deprived of freedoms related to religious beliefs. This systematic deprivation occurs despite the fact that according to Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, everyone has the right to freedom of religion and the right to change religion with conviction, as well as freedom to express it, whether individually or in association with others, and whether openly or in private.
It should be noted that based on unofficial sources in Iran, there are more than 300,000 Bahais; however, the Iranian Constitution only recognizes Islam, Christianity, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism, and does not recognize the Bahai faith. For this reason, over the past years, the rights of Bahais in Iran have been systematically violated.
Source: Hrana
