United Nations expresses concern over discrimination

For the 16th time in 17 years, the United Nations General Assembly has expressed "concern" over human rights violations in Iran, according to the Baha'i news service.

The Assembly specifically noted the "still-existing discrimination" against the Baha'i community of Iran.

By a vote of 72 to 49, with 46 abstentions, the Assembly passed a resolution on Dec. 19 that calls on the Islamic Republic of Iran to "eliminate all forms of discrimination based on religious grounds" and, more specifically, asks the Iranian Government to fully implement previous United Nations recommendations that the Baha'is be granted complete freedom to practice their religion.

The resolution followed a report issued in August by the UN Human Rights Commission's special representative on Iran that indicated that the 300,000-member Iranian Baha'i community continues to experience discrimination in the areas of education, employment, travel, housing and the practice of religious activities.

More specifically, Prof. Copithorne said that Baha'i property continues to be subject to confiscation. He indicated that a number of Baha'i families were forced to leave their homes and farmlands in the first months of 2001 in Kata, Buyr-Ahmand.

In 2000, he said, information was received that four buildings were confiscated in Tehran, three in Shiraz and one in Isfahan.