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Further Control Over Religious Minorities In Iran

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  • Further Control Over Religious Minorities In Iran

    FURTHER CONTROL OVER RELIGIOUS MINORITIES IN IRAN

    Assyrian International News Agency AINA
    http://www.aina.org/news/20120831191726.htm
    Aug 31 2012

    Various sources tell of intensified pressure by the Religions
    Department of the Intelligence Ministry of the Islamic Republic
    against Armenian dioceses, associations and organizations affiliated
    with Armenian, Jewish, Zoroastrian and Assyrian religious and ethnic
    minorities.

    Some reports and documents reveal that trade unions are seeking to
    gather information about religious minorities to help the government
    increase its pressure on Iranian citizens, especially religious
    minorities. Religious minorities in Iran have been facing various
    kinds of discrimination and legal restrictions since the Islamic
    revolution in 1979.

    According to Mohabat News, the Human Rights Activists News Agency
    reported that Iranian authorities have attempted to gather information
    about religious minorities, especially Baha'is through syndicates
    in Shiraz.

    It is being said that Iranian police have given the form shown in
    the picture above to trade unions. When anyone goes to meet with the
    trade union, they, as well as their companions, are asked to complete
    this form.

    Opponents said, "what do our spouse's personal information, current
    and past addresses and the condition of our place of residence have
    to do with the union?"

    It should be said that trade unions are only asked to obtain
    professional and not personal information about their members.

    No doubt, such actions by the Iranian government cause Iranian
    citizens, especially religious minorities, to be identified and
    further controlled.

    Further control over religious minorities in Iran

    Various sources tell of intensified pressure by the Religions
    Department of the Intelligence Ministry of the Islamic Republic
    against Armenian dioceses, associations and organizations affiliated
    with Armenian, Jewish, Zoroastrian and Assyrian religious and ethnic
    minorities.

    According to published reports, the Revolutionary Court as well as the
    Intelligence and Security police of Tehran sent warning notices to
    the offices of parliament members representing religious and ethnic
    minorities asking them to obtain reports and information about some
    religious minorities immigrants and suspicious regime opponents and
    their families inside Iran.

    This is while the Intelligence Ministry of the Islamic Republic with
    the assistance of the Ministry of Communication and Technology, has
    compiled a list of phone numbers registered under Jewish, Armenian
    and Assyrian names and constantly spies on them by listening to
    their conversations. Also we hear many reports indicating religious
    minorities' representatives in the Islamic Parliament of Iran cooperate
    with the Ministry of Intelligence.

    A news source inside the country, also told Mohabat News that traces
    of a religious minorities representative can be seen in the closure
    of some churches as well as the banning of Farsi-speaking Christians
    from entering official churches. According to the report it is rumored
    that this member of Iranian parliament had confidential dealings with
    the Executive Secretary of the evangelical church and thus was able
    to bring a very special place of worship for Persian Christians under
    the government's control.

    Religious minorities living in Shiraz

    Shiraz, the capital of Fars province, is one of the largest cities
    of Iran and is a place where numerous religious minorities including
    Christian converts live. The religious minorities in this city as
    well as all across the country are subjected to harassment and are
    being prosecuted by the judicial system of the Islamic Republic.

    According to published reports, two religious minority communities,
    namely Christians and Baha'is residing in the city have had no good
    days since February 2012, for they are severely pressured and harassed
    by the intelligence office of that city.

    As the published reports reveal, the security authorities raided a
    house church in Shiraz and arrested ten Christian converts who had
    gathered for worship.

    Fariba Nazemian, Mojtaba Hosseini, Homayoun Shokouhi, Mohamad-Reza
    Partoei (Koorosh) and Vahid Hakkani were among those arrested. All
    these Christian converts are still being held in prison with their
    fate unknown.

    For more than six month they have been imprisoned in Adel-abad prison
    in Shiraz. Although their judicial status is still unknown, what is
    clear is that their only crime is their faith in Christianity.

    Also, about the same time as these Christians were arrested, the homes
    of 30 Iranian Baha'is residing in Shiraz were also attacked by security
    authorities and 11 of them were arrested. According to the "Baha'i
    Community" News service, security authorities had arrest warrants for
    21 of them, but they could not arrest all 21 Baha'i because not all
    of them were present at that time. Among those Baha'is arrested was
    a mother and her 9 month old baby who were released in the evening
    of the same day together with two other Baha'is.

    www.mohabatnews.com

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