Declaring the “general ineligibility” of Iranian Baha’is for university education
According to recent reports, the Iranian government has officially approved a policy of banning followers of the Baha’i faith from university. This year, Baha’i youth have been officially told that they are “rejected” because of their “general ineligibility” for university education.
On Monday, October 4, the Baha'i International Community issued a statement protesting the repression of followers of the Baha'i faith in Iran, including the deprivation of Baha'i youth from university education.
The statement said that in previous years, Baha'is who participated in the university entrance exam and passed the exam were later found to have "incomplete applications" even though their applications were free of any problems. However, this year, the Baha'i youth were told that the reason for their "rejection" was "general ineligibility" for university education.
According to the website of the National Assessment Organization, adherence to one of the official religions mentioned in the Iranian Constitution, namely Islam, Christianity, Judaism, or Zoroastrianism, is one of the general requirements for entering university.
The Baha'i International Community, however, has said that belief in the Baha'i faith and membership in the Baha'i community, which is the largest religious minority after Sunni followers, disqualifies a person from entering university.
Part of the statement also states that "tens of thousands of talented and motivated students are being denied higher education, and this policy is a cruel and destructive practice."
The Baha'i International Community said in its statement that Baha'is in Iran and around the world saw the coming to power of the new government as an opportunity for Iranian authorities to commit to guaranteeing the basic rights of all citizens and ending the long-standing oppression of Baha'is, but the government intends to further entrench its unjust policies within state institutions.
The international community has recommended that holding Iran accountable internationally and directly monitoring its higher education policies is essential to ending discrimination.
Baha'is called for urgent action by the United Nations and governments on behalf of Baha'is with Iranian authorities.
On the eve of the Baha'i International Community's statement, three human rights organizations, the International Committee Against the Death Penalty, the Committee for the Release of Political Prisoners, and the Campaign for the Release of Imprisoned Workers, issued a joint statement on Thursday, September 30, announcing that Baha'is who hold other religions and beliefs are being executed in the Islamic Republic.
HRANA News Agency, the news agency of the Human Rights Activists Association in Iran, also reported on Friday, October 29, that Arsalan Yazdani, a Baha'i citizen, is still being held in one of the security detention centers of Evin Prison, a month after his arrest.
HRANA stated in its report that Baha'i citizens in Iran are deprived of freedoms related to religious beliefs. This systematic deprivation comes 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 to change their religion with conviction, as well as the freedom to manifest it, individually or in community with others and in public or in private.
HRANA concluded its report by writing that according to unofficial sources, there are more than 300,000 Baha'i citizens in Iran, but the Iranian constitution does not recognize Baha'is. For this reason, the rights of Baha'is in Iran have been systematically violated over the past years.
