ANNOUNCER:

THE VOICE OF AMERICA PRESENTS DIFFERING POINTS OF VIEW ON A WIDE VARIETY OF ISSUES. NEXT, AN EDITORIAL EXPRESSING THE POLICIES OF THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT.

VOICE:

RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION IS A HARSH FACT OF LIFE FOR IRAN'S BAHÁ'Í COMMUNITY. THIS MONTH, IT TURNED DEADLY WITH THE EXECUTION OF RUHOLLAH ROWHANI. ROWHANI, AGE FIFTY-TWO, WAS A MEDICAL SUPPLIES SALESMAN AND A FATHER OF FOUR. IN SEPTEMBER 1997, HE WAS ACCUSED BY IRANIAN AUTHORITIES IN MASHHAD OF CONVERTING AN IRANIAN MUSLIM WOMAN TO THE BAHÁ'Í FAITH. THE ALLEGED CONVERT INSISTED THAT SHE HAD BEEN BAHÁ'Í FROM BIRTH. ROWHANI WAS ARRESTED AND HELD IN SOLITARY CONFINEMENT AT MASHHAD PRISON. WITHOUT ACCESS TO LEGAL COUNSEL, WITHOUT A TRIAL OR ANY PROCESS OF LAW, ROWHANI WAS TAKEN FROM HIS CELL ON JULY 21ST AND SUMMARILY HANGED. HIS FAMILY WAS GIVEN ONLY ONE HOUR TO BURY HIS REMAINS.

ROWHANI IS THE FIRST BAHÁ'Í TO BE EXECUTED IN IRAN SINCE MARCH 1992. IRANIAN BAHÁ'ÍS FEAR THAT HE WILL NOT BE THE LAST. SEVEN BAHÁ'ÍS ARE CURRENTLY UNDER SENTENCE OF DEATH IN IRANIAN PRISONS. THEY ARE BEHNAM MISAQI, KAYVAN KHALAJABADI, ATAOLLAH HAMID NASIRIZADEH, SIRUS ZABIHI-MUGADDAM, MUSA TALEBI, ZABIHULLAH MAHRAMI, AND HEDAYAT-KASHIFI NAJAFABADI.

CLASSIFIED AS "UNPROTECTED INFIDELS" BY THE TEHRAN REGIME, BAHÁ'ÍS SUFFER EXTREME DISCRIMINATION UNDER IRANIAN LAW. BAHÁ'ÍS CANNOT LEGALLY ENFORCE A CONTRACT, INHERIT PROPERTY, COLLECT PENSIONS, HOLD GOVERNMENT JOBS, OR ATTEND UNIVERSITIES. THEY ARE ROUTINELY JAILED AND THEIR PERSONAL PROPERTY IS CONFISCATED. BAHÁ'Í MARRIAGES AND DIVORCES ARE NOT RECOGNIZED.

IN JANUARY, IRAN'S PRESIDENT MOHAMMAD KHATAMI SPOKE OF "RELIGIOSITY, LIBERTY, AND JUSTICE." HIS WORDS RAISED HOPES THAT PERSECUTION OF BAHÁ'ÍS AND OTHER RELIGIOUS MINORITIES MIGHT SOON ABATE IN IRAN. BUT THE EXECUTION OF RUHOLLAH ROWHANI MAKES IT TERRIBLY CLEAR THAT THE PERSECUTION OF BAHÁ'ÍS CONTINUES. THE U.S. CONDEMNS THE ROWHANI EXECUTION AND IRAN'S CONTINUED PERSECUTION OF THE BAHÁ'Í COMMUNITY. THE U.S. CALLS ON IRAN TO RESPECT THE BASIC RIGHTS OF ALL CITIZENS -- INCLUDING THE BAHÁ'ÍS.

ANNOUNCER:

THAT WAS AN EDITORIAL EXPRESSING THE POLICIES OF THE U.S. GOVERNMENT. IF YOU HAVE A COMMENT, PLEASE WRITE TO EDITORIALS, V.O.A., WASHINGTON, D.C., 20547, U.S.A. . . .

27-July-1998 3:11 p.m. EDT (1911 UTC) Report 0-07890 Source - Voice of America