Persecution

This article first appeared in the February 2012 edition of the CAUT Bulletin, which is widely circulated and read by professors across Canada. The lead to the article was mentioned on the front page of the publication and the article had excellent placement on page two. The bulletin is published by the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT). CAUT has more than 66,000 members from the academic community.

By Deborah K. van den Hoonaard, Pierre-Yves Mocquais, Niky Kamran, Redwan Moqbel, Claire Lapointe, David R. Smith, Will C. van den Hoonaard, Lisa Dufraimont, Lyse Langlois, Albert M. Berghuis, W. Andy Knight and Michael Power

The seven imprisoned Baha’i educators are (top row, left to right): Mahmoud Badavam, Ramin Zibaie, Riaz Sobhani, Farhad Sedghi; (bottom row, left to right) Noushin Khadem, Kamran Mortezaie, and Vahid Mahmoudi. © BWNSOttawa, Ontario, 24 February 2012 (CBNS)— For more than a decade Canadian universities and professors have played a quiet but essential role in providing graduate education to Baha’i students banned from university in Iran because of their religion. Now, the Iranian government is declaring their Canadian degrees “illegal.” They are also imprisoning Baha’i faculty and staff involved with a community initiative known as the Baha’i Institute for Higher Education (BIHE), set up in 1987 after the Iranian government fired all Baha’i professors and expelled Baha’i students from post-secondary institutions.

Concordia University students, faculty and campus club members launching the Education Under Fire campaign. © Shahab Akhound Montreal, Quebec, 14 February 2012 (CBNS)— The film Education Under Fire premiered recently at Concordia University. Students, faculty and several campus clubs came together to engage in conversations and action to support Iranian students denied access to higher education based on ideological or religious reasons. The audience viewed the powerful 30-minute documentary, and participated in an engaging discussion with a cross-section of students about follow-up action they could take on campus and beyond.

Allan Rock and Lloyd Axworthy.
Toronto, Ontario, 5 January 2012 (CBNS) — Two pre-eminent Canadians, Lloyd Axworthy, President of the University of Winnipeg and former Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Allan Rock, President of the University of Ottawa and former Canadian Ambassador to the United Nations and federal cabinet minister, have published an eloquent appeal on behalf of the Baha’is of Iran.

Senator Mobina Jaffer. "We must continue to stand up and directly face the threat presented by Iran to its own people," Senator Jaffer told the Canadian Senate on 1 December.
Ottawa, Ontario, 5 December 2011 (BWNS)— At the Canadian Senate enquiry into the persecution of Iranian Baha'is, Canada's first Muslim senator has strongly criticized Iran for its prosecution and imprisonment of Baha'i educators.

Lieutenant-General The Honourable Roméo A. Dallaire, O.C., C.M.M., G.O.C, M.S.C., C.D., (Retired), Senator Ottawa, Ontario, 30 November 2011 (CBNS)— Senator Romeo Dallaire addressed Canada’s Senate on Tuesday 29 November 2011 in one of the most challenging and detailed public indictments of Iran’s treatment of Baha’is.