Baha'is in Iran admit taking orders from Israel

TEHRAN -- Seven detained Baha'i believers have confessed to setting up an illegal organization in Iran that took orders from Israel and others to undermine the Islamic system, an Iranian paper reported on Saturday the 2nd of August 2008.

The report in Resalat daily comes amid Israel's heightened threats against Iran. Israel, believed to be the only Middle-East country with nuclear weapons, and its close ally the United States accuse Iran of seeking a nuclear weapon, while they have never presented any corroborative document to substantiate their allegations.

Iran vehemently denies the charges, insisting that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only. Tehran stresses that the country has always pursued a civilian path to provide power to the growing number of Iranian population, whose fossil fuel would eventually run dry.

The Resalat report appeared to refer to a group of Baha'is, most of whom were detained in May, but it did not spell this out. Judiciary officials had no immediate comment.

"Seven Baha'i individuals have set up an illegal organization with connections to a number of countries including Israel and they have received orders from them to undertake measures against the Islamic system," Resalat reported.

Resalat quoted an official in charge of security affairs of Tehran's revolutionary court, named as Mr. Haddad, as saying that the seven latest arrests had made confessions. Revolutionary courts handle matters of national security.

"This fact led to the arrest of seven individuals. They have all confessed to the formation of an illegal organization, including (having ties) with Israel," Resalat added.

Iran said in May it had detained six members of the Baha'i faith on security-related charges.

The seven arrestees were members of The Baha'i International Community, operating under a governing council which is based in Israel.

Seven Baha'i believers detained by the Iranian authorities have confessed to setting up an illegal organization in Iran that took orders from Israel and others for the purpose of undermining the Islamic system, an Iranian newspaper reported yesterday.

The seven will apparently be charged with illegal acts against the Islamic regime in Iran and of taking orders from Israel and other countries.

The heads of the world Baha'i community yesterday rejected the Iranian accusations as "ridiculous."

Douglas Moore, director of the Baha'i public information office, at the Baha'i World Center in Haifa, told Haaretz yesterday that the Iranian claim was an excuse to harm the heads of the Baha'i community. Moore said the Baha'i International Community categorically rejected the charges and viewed them as religious persecution. He said it was very easy to accuse them of spying for Israel because hatred of Israel is so great in Iran.

Moore told Israel Radio: "We see this as another trumped-up charge against the Baha'is in order for the government to go through the motions of setting them up on charges and convicting them on charges."

The initial report, in the Iranian newspaper Resalat, appeared to refer to a group of Baha'is, most of whom were detained in May, but it did not spell this out. Judicial officials in Iran had no immediate comment.

Resalat quoted an official in charge of security affairs for Tehran's revolutionary court, named only as Mr. Haddad, as saying that the seven latest arrested individuals had confessed. "They have all confessed to the formation of an illegal organisation, including [having ties] with Israel," the paper added. The seven are expected to stand trial before a revolutionary court, which could sentence them to death. Revolutionary courts handle matters of national security.

Baha'is say hundreds of their faith have been jailed and executed since Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution, a charge that is denied by the Iranian government.

For many years, the Iranian regime has allowed the Baha'i community to tend to its needs by way of a council of seven to eight members. The Baha'i International Community had said those detained were members of the committee. It said the group of six were detained in May and a seventh member was detained in March.

The families of the detainees do not know where they are being held. About six weeks ago, the detainees were each permitted to make a minute-long phone call to their families, but since then there has been no contact with them.

The Baha'i International Community represents the faith worldwide, operating under a governing council that has its base in Israel. Baha'is say the faith has 5 million adherents worldwide, including an estimated 300,000 or more in Iran.

Baha'is regard their faith's 19th-century founder, Baha'ullah (1817-1892), as the latest in a line of prophets including Abraham, Moses, Buddha, Jesus and Mohammed. Islam views Baha'is as heretics because they defy the Islamic principle that Mohammed was the last of the prophets.

Baha'ullah was exiled from Persia to Acre by the Ottoman Turks because of the religious status he had attained in Persia. He is buried near the house where he lived, north of Acre.

The disseminator of the faith, known as the Bab, is buried in Haifa.

To avoid religious persecution, the Baha'is conduct no religious or political activity in Israel. They have a presence in almost every country in the world, and suffer persecution from the regimes of other Islamic countries too, such as Egypt.

Seven detained Baha'i believers have confessed to setting up an illegal organization in Iran that took orders from Israel and others to undermine the Islamic system, an Iranian newspaper reported on Sunday.

The report in the Resalat daily appeared to refer to a group of Baha'is, most of whom were detained in May, but it did not spell this out. Judiciary officials had no immediate comment.

The international Baha'i community denied the charges.

Bani Dugal, the principal representative of the Baha'i International Community to the United Nations, denied the charge in a statement issued in New York.

"Suggestions of collusion with the state of Israel are categorically false and misleading. The Iranian authorities are playing on the fact that the Baha'i world administrative centre is located in northern Israel," she said.

The revelation comes amid heightened tensions between Iran and Israel over Tehran's disputed nuclear plans. Israel has accused Iran of seeking atomic bombs and has not ruled out military action if diplomacy fails. Iran has denied the charge.

"Seven Baha'i individuals have set up an illegal organization with connections to a number of countries including Israel and they have received orders from them to undertake measures against the Islamic system," Resalat reported.

Resalat quoted an official in charge of security affairs of Tehran's revolutionary court, named only as Mr Haddad, as saying that the seven latest arrests had confessed. Revolutionary courts handle matters of national security.

"This fact led to the arrest of seven individuals. They have all confessed to the formation of an illegal organization, including (having ties) with Israel," Resalat added.

Iran said in May it had detained six members of the Baha'i faith on security-related charges.

The Baha'i International Community had said they were members of a committee that tends to the needs of Baha'is in Iran. It said the group of six were detained in May and a seventh member was detained in March.

The Baha'i International Community represents the faith worldwide, operating under a governing council which is based in Israel, according to its website www.bahai.org.

Baha'is say hundreds of their faith have been jailed and executed since Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution. The government denies it has detained or executed people for their religion.

Baha'is regard their faith's 19th-century founder as the latest in a line of prophets including Abraham, Moses, Buddha, Jesus and Mohammad. Iran's Shi'ite religious establishment considers the faith a heretical offshoot of Islam.

The Baha'i faith originated in Iran 150 years ago and Baha'is say the faith has 5 million adherents worldwide, including an estimated 300,000 or more in Iran.