ARTS & CULTURE I NOVEMBER 30, 2009 I THE CHRONICLE
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United Nations and they also any religion after Islam.” make recommendations and try On Oct. 22, the U.S. House to infuse Baha’i principles into of Representatives passed world problems that the United House Resolution 175, which condemns the Iranian govNations is confronting.” Like the international Baha’is, ernment for the persecuChicago Baha’is are doing what tion of Baha’is, according to they can to help Iranian Baha’is a government Web site. through hosting an event in “Baha’is are not really offered November to comany kind of memorate Baha’is protection; this is not a cause they don’t being persecuted and killed in Iran. have rights in “[It was] on meant for one land and Iran,” Davis Nov. 14 at Mandel said. “It’s not Hall. It [was] not one people only, it is to say that only the Chicago the majorBaha’i community, meant for the whole ity of Iranians but neighboring are against communities and world.” B a h a ’ i s , it [was] to have a but there –Nathan Davis has been a tribute to those in Iran who are imprisoned and long history of persecution who are suffering,” Possey said. and there is a campaign to try Baha’is have had a longstanding to eliminate the Baha’i faith history of persecution in Iran, in Iran.” since the time of Baha’u’llah. While there are many who “In Iran, the Baha’is are not have been killed in Iran, there really recognized as a legitimate are some who have escaped. religion because Baha’u’llah came “I came to America to see after Muhammad and brought a my children who were studynew religion after Islam,” Davis ing here, and it was about nine said. “There are some who months after the revolution,” believe that this is not possible said Ayman, a Chicago Baha’i because Muhammad is the seal of member and retired educator. “I the prophets and there cannot be received letters not to go back …
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because I am a Baha’i and I was considered a traitor.” She said that once she and her husband left Iran, all of their belongings were confiscated by the government and her family was interrogated by the government about their whereabouts. Friends of theirs who were Baha’is were killed once Ayman and her husband left Iran.“Many of our friends were executed,” Ayman said. “It reminds you of what was going on in Germany when Hitler was around. They are accusing Baha’is of everything they can and there is no limit to it, all of it is rubbish and it’s not true.” She said that persecution is not limited to killing, but educational restraints have been put on Baha’is, restricting them from attending college. All Baha’is are suffering, she said. “[Children] are persecuted in horrible ways. Just the other day we heard that a child went to drink water [with the other children] and she was pushed away by the director of the school [and told] ‘Don’t you know you’re not suppose to drink from here, you’re a Baha’i, you’re soiling the water,’” Ayman said. Though there are terrible things that have happened to Baha’is,
Aymen recalled one of her most fulfilling moments as a Baha’i. “The first Baha’i conference that I went to once I left Iran, I saw hundreds of Baha’is attending that conference,” Ayman said. “I started weeping, it was a joyous feeling to see all of these internationals getting together and at the same time, I thought the [Iranian] government thinks they can abolish the Baha’i faith. They should come to a conference and see how international it is.” Ayman said she wants the Baha’i faith to be recognized as a religion by the Iranian government so that the Baha’is can become active members of Iranian society. She said she would also like to return to Iran so she can be buried there upon her death. “My hope for the future is that one day we will have a just government and that the Baha’i faith will be recognized as a religion and have its own right,” Ayman said. “[To return is] my most earnest wish, but I don’t think that it will happen at all.” kgamby@chroniclemail.com