To be Tried or Not to be Tried

watch original V-Blog in Persian

Yesterday marked the anniversary of the martyrdom of the Bab, who was the forefunner of the Bahai Faith. When I hear the word 'martyrdom' I cringe. This has to do with the excellent job many have done in blowing themselves and others up in the name of God. How unfortunate. Those who are familiar with the story of the Bab will know that the concept of martyrdom has a completely different underlying paradigm. It has to do with sacrificing yourself for the good of others, not destroying the fabric of humanity in order to impose your warped understanding of a belief system on it.

Being a 'Bahai' is likewise an iffy concept in Iran. It means you're an invention of the British, a spy for Israel, an agent for America and that you're behind all the unrest and media "hype" surrounding the recent events in Iran. Bahais are perceived to undermine "Iran" when in reality they are its well wishers. One of the reasons I started this blog - and particularly the Persian version of it - was to dispel some of the misconceptions around Bahais and their beliefs. Psychologists say your first impression of a person or concept is very important and hard to replace. People's first impressions of the Bahai Faith in Iran is tainted by the crafty and negative images that Iran's mainstream media fabricates about Bahais. That's one reason why I'm very afraid for the fate of the Yaran, seven Bahais who are currently in prison.

These women and men who are due to stand trial tomorrow form the leadership of the Bahai community in Iran. They've committed no crime, but are being tried on a number of nonsensical charges, similar to those of Roxana Saberi. In her case the media hype turned things around for her. In the case of Bahais, the media has remained largely marginal. In honor of the Yaran, tomorrow has been declared as Bahai Rights day. May their lives contribute to a better tomorrow for the people of Iran. I emphasise 'lives', in the hopes that they will be spared...