Page 1069 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 17 March 2010
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Ms Scrine, a representative of the Australian Baha’i community, has stated that the seven Baha’i leaders have committed no crime but are suffering blatant religious persecution. In a recent media release, Ms Scrine said:
All those who know Baha’is throughout the world, including the Iranian authorities, are well aware that we are called upon by our Faith to be law-abiding and not to engage in partisan politics.
According to reports in government-sponsored news media, the seven have been charged with espionage, propaganda, activities against the Islamic order, the establishment of an illegal administration, cooperation with Israel, sending secret documents outside the country and acting against the security of the country. In court, the defendants explicitly denied all of the charges.
The most recent arrests add to the denial of rights to the Baha’i community in Iran and in many areas of society. This persecution has increased since the Islamic revolution in 1979. The Baha’i are banned from all social institutions in Iran unless they recant or conceal their religious faith. This includes access to the public education system, the pension system and positions of leadership in government or judicial systems.
The United Nations has uncovered documents that show the leadership of Iran in recent years have instructed the armed forces of Iran to monitor the Baha’i, particularly personal communication, and the UN has expressed concern this will lead to further persecution. Since the Islamic revolution, more than 200 Baha’i have been executed and the unofficial number is possibly much higher.
In relation to the arrests, the senior advocate for the Foreign Prisoner Support Service, Martin Hodgson, has called for:
… the Iranian regime to immediately release those individuals arrested and held for their religious beliefs and for Iran to honour its commitment to international law. All human beings have a right to be free from persecution and discrimination and this must be upheld by all responsible members of the international community.
The ACT Greens believe that all people universally recognise that human rights must be respected, protected and observed in all jurisdictions.
Debate interrupted.
Racing industry
MR SPEAKER: Members, it has been drawn to my attention that, under standing order 31, we have a problem with the previous vote. The vote that was just taken lacked a quorum. I therefore intend to invoke standing order 165, which says that, in case of an error, the Assembly shall again vote. So I am going to call a division on the amendment to Mr Smyth’s motion, and we are going to have to bring in more people, and pairs are out, to get a quorum.
A division having been called and the bells having been rung—
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