BILL ANALYSIS
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THIRD READING
Bill No: SCR 52
Author: Lowenthal (D)
Amended: As introduced
Vote: 21
WITHOUT REFERENCE TO COMMITTEE OR FILE
SUBJECT : Iranian persecution: Baha''i
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This resolution condemns the government of Iran
for its state-sponsored persecution of Bahais, call on the
government of Iran to immediately cease activities aimed at
the repression of the Iranian Baha'i community, and hold
the government of Iran responsible for upholding all the
rights of its nationals, including members of the Baha'i
community.
ANALYSIS :
This resolution states:
1.On March 20, 2006, the United Nations Special Rapporteur
on freedom of religion or belief, Asma Jahangir,
revealed the existence of a confidential letter dated
October 29, 2005, from the chairman of the command
headquarters of Iran's Armed Forces to the Ministry of
Information, the Revolutionary Guard, and the police
force, stating the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei,
CONTINUED
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instructed the command headquarters to identify members
of the Baha'i faith in Iran and monitor their
activities.
2.The United Nations Special Rapporteur expressed "grave
concern and apprehension" about the implications of this
letter for the safety of the Baha'i community.
3.In May 2006, 54 Baha'is were arrested in Shiraz and held
for several days without trial in the largest roundup of
Baha'is since the 1980s.
4.In August 2006, the Iranian Ministry of the Interior
ordered provincial officials to "cautiously and
carefully monitor and manage" all Baha'i social
activities.
5.In 2006, the Central Security Office of Iran's Ministry
of Science, Research, and Technology ordered 81 Iranian
universities to expel any student discovered to be a
Baha'i.
6.In November 2006, a letter issued by Payame Noor
University stated that it is Iranian policy to prevent
Baha'is from enrolling in universities and to expel
Baha'is upon discovery.
7.In 2007, more than two-thirds of the Baha'is enrolled in
universities were expelled upon identification as a
Baha'i.
8.In February of 2007, police in Tehran and surrounding
towns entered Baha'i homes and businesses to collect
details on family members.
9.In April of 2007, the Iranian Public Intelligence and
Security Force ordered 25 industries to deny business
licenses to Baha'is.
10.In 2006 and 2007, the Iranian Ministry of Information
pressured employers to fire Baha'i employees and
instructed banks to refuse to provide loans to
Baha'i-owned businesses.
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11.In July of 2007, a Baha'i cemetery was destroyed by
earthmoving equipment in Yazd, and in September 2007, a
Baha'i cemetery was bulldozed outside of Najafabad,
erasing the memory of those Iranian citizens.
12.The Government of Iran is party to the International
Covenants on Human Rights.
13.In December 2007, the Iranian Parliament published a
draft Islamic Penal Code, which violates Iran's
commitment under the International Covenants on Human
Rights by requiring the death penalty for "apostates," a
term applied to Baha'is and any convert from Islam.
14.The Legislature condemns the government of Iran for its
state-sponsored persecution of Baha'is, calls on the
government of Iran to immediately cease activities aimed
at the repression of the Iranian Baha'i community, and
continues to hold the government of Iran responsible for
upholding all the rights of its nationals, including
members of the Baha'i community
FISCAL EFFECT : Fiscal Com.: No
RJG:do 8/17/09 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: NONE RECEIVED
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