Local Bahá'í Community commemorates 40th anniversary of sacrifice

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Robin Caudell, The Press-Republican, Plattsburgh, N.Y.
Fri, June 23, 2023 


Jun. 23—PLATTSBURGH — Say their names.

Mona Mahmoudnejad. Roya Eshraghi. Ezzat-Janami Eshraghi. Simin Saberi. Shahin (Shirin) Dalvand. Akhtar Sabet. Mahshid Niroumand. Zarrin Moghimi-Abyaneh. Tahereh Arjomandi Siyavashi. Nosrat Ghufrani Yaldaie.

These are the names of the 10 women, who were hung, one after another, on June 18, 1983 in the Chowgan Square in Iran.

Their offense: refusal to renounce their Bahá'í faith.

Their religion was founded in Iraq in the mid-19th century by Mīrzā Hosayn 'Alī Nūrī, who is known as Bahā' Allāh (also spelled Bahā'ullāh), which in Arabic means "Glory of God." The cornerstone of Bahā'ī belief is the conviction that Bahā' Allāh and his forerunner, who was known as the Bāb (Persian: "Gateway"), were manifestations of God, who in his essence is unknowable.


The principal Bahā'ī tenets are the essential unity of all religions and the unity of humanity. Bahā'īs believe that all the founders of the world's great religions have been manifestations of God and agents of a progressive divine plan for the education of the human race, according to britannica.com

LOCAL OBSERVANCE

The local Bahá'í community is hosting an Open House in Plattsburgh to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the 10 Bahá'í women executed in Iran. The event will be held Sunday, June 25, from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at 12 Marcy Lane in Plattsburgh.

"Forty years ago last Sunday was the anniversary of the execution of 10 Bahá'í women in Iran," Mary Kay Sisson, a member and treasurer for the Bahá'í Community of Plattsburgh NY, said.

"They were arrested for teaching children's classes. It was the whole, 'Say you're not a Bahá'ís, and we won't kill you.' Six months of torture, then they were hung in a public square. No notice to their families. No trial or anything like that."

IN THE HOUSE

House Resolution 492 (H.Res.492) calls for the release of all prisoners held on account of their religion; an end to state-sponsored hate propaganda; and the abolishment of all policies that deny Bahá'ís and other religious minorities equality before the law. H.Res. 492 states: "June 18, 2023, marks the 40th anniversary of the execution of 10 Bahá'í women by the Iranian Government each witnessing the hanging of those hanged before her in a final failed attempt to induce abandonment of their faith after over 6 months of imprisonment and violent abuse, with the youngest only 17 years old."

The introduction of the resolution was accompanied by its immediate bipartisan co-sponsorship by 28 members of the House of Representatives.

"With everything that is going in the last year, a couple of women have been executed in Iran for basically taking off hijabs, fighting for women's rights and equality in Iran," Sisson said.

"A lot of women have been arrested. Some men have been arrested for demonstrating for women's rights as well. So in light of this, fight for rights, equality under the law, religious equality, women's rights, in honor of this 40th anniversary, the International Bahá'í community is doing a campaign called #OurStoryIsOne. It's just bringing awareness to women's rights in Iran, rights of religious minorities in Iran."

Officially recognized minority religions in Iran are Christianity, Judaism and Zoroastrianism.

Currently, and for many, many years, it has been illegal to be Bahá'ís in Iran.

"Most of the Bahá'ís cemeteries have been desecrated," Sisson said.

"A lot of people have been arrested for insane prison terms like 10 years for being a Bahá'ís. It's illegal to get higher education as a Bahá'ís in Iran. You can't hold a public job and you can't go to university."

There is an underground university network, where a lot of world-renowned professors teach classes online.

"Sunday at the Open House, we'll be showing the documentary about that system, that underground network of college education," Sisson said.

"I personally know several people who have graduated from that program and one on to professional or graduate school like a dental school, medical school or PhD. program in the U.S. coming out of that as their undergraduate education."

The students meet in people's houses, and the network was operative before Zoom and other online platforms.

"It's a really impressive program, and in honor of that we're showing that film," Sisson said.

"People are welcome to stop by. Ask questions. It's in support of everybody. It's not like its a denominational thing. The Bahá'í faith recognizes all the major religions as one religion with the same essential message.

"The way the Bahá'ís phrase it, we believe in progressive revelation. That all the major religions are messengers from the same God with the same core spiritual teachings. Social teachings that come to us in time and place to bring humanity to the next level of development."

Email: rcaudell@pressrepublican.com

Twitter@RobinCaudell