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A very formative community that I've spent the majority of my life within is the Baha'i Faith. A world religion that embraces the unity of mankind, elimination of prejudice, equality of men and women, and an overall inclusive philosophy that has had a profound impact on my beliefs.

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https://youtu.be/RmAC7PYiK_k?si=jI8MbzO94XDAHB5u

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This article explains the diversity of Baha'is, and how they interact and engage within their community through social action.

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Bahá'í efforts of social action seek to promote the social and material well-being of people of all walks of life, whatever their beliefs or background. Such efforts are motivated by the desire to serve humanity and contribute to constructive social change. Together they represent a growing process of learning concerned with the application of the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh, along with knowledge accumulated in different fields of human endeavour, to social reality.

Issues of social and economic development can be complex, and the efforts of Bahá'ís to engage in social action are, by comparison, modest. They are usually carried out by small groups of individuals in a locality where the courses of the training institute are being widely offered. Efforts emerge out of growing collective consciousness. Most are projects of a fixed duration. They come to a close when their objectives have been met. They may be related to any one of a variety of fields, for example, health, sanitation, education, agriculture or environmental protection. Whatever their nature, they aim at improving some aspect of the life of the local population. In a few cases, those engaged in grassroots social action are able to extend the range of their activities in an organic fashion, and their efforts evolve into projects of a more sustained nature, with administrative structure.

In such cases, a non-profit, non-governmental organization may be established by a group of Bahá'ís, often with like-minded colleagues, to address one or another issue of social and economic development. Operating on the principles of the Bahá'í Faith, it is generally called a "Bahá'í-inspired organization". It provides institutional capacity in a country or region to deal with the generation, application and diffusion of knowledge about development. Typically, such an organization will begin with one primary line of action and will allow its efforts to increase in complexity over time.

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The website of the worldwide Bahá'í community

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This article explains the Baha'i perspective of the climate crisis, and how there is a twofold element of scientific and spiritual development in order for advancement to be fruitful. They believe that the solution lies in a united and all embracing vision that calls for moderation and the elimination of extremes in wealth and poverty.

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In this article, first published in World Order magazine in 1994, Michael Karlberg describes how the Bahá'í Faith provides a source of purpose, faith, and inspiration-elements that have proven to be potent forces in human change.

In January 1990 leading thinkers from around the world convened in Moscow for the Global Forum on Environment and Development for Human Survival. One thousand delegates, representing a cross section of the world's scientific, political, and religious communities, attended the week-long conference. One of the outstanding features of the historic gathering was an appeal, by consensus of the entire assemblage, for humanity to "find a new spiritual and ethical basis for human activities on Earth" and to "enter into a new communion with Nature."Moscow Declaration of the Global Forum on Environment and Development for Human Survival, 15-19 January 1990.

During the course of the gathering, a number of prominent scientists expanded on the theme. In a proclamation entitled "Preserving and Cherishing the Earth: An Appeal for Joint Commitment in Science and Religion," they asserted that the problems facing humanity today must "be recognized from the outset as having a religious as well as scientific dimension," that the "environmental crisis requires radical changes ... in individual behavior," and that the "historical record makes clear that religious teaching, example, and leadership are powerfully able to influence personal conduct and commitment." They further stated:

As scientists, many of us have had profound experiences of awe and reverence before the universe. We understand that what is regarded as sacred is more likely to be treated with care and respect. Our planetary home should be so regarded. Efforts to safeguard and cherish the environment need to be infused with a vision of the sacred .... Thus, there is a vital role for both religion and science."Preserving and Cherishing the Earth: An Appeal for Joint Commitment in Science and Religion," prepared for the Global Forum on Environment and Development for Human Survival, 15-19 January 1990.

The statements made at the Global Forum reflect an unprecedented acknowledgment by the scientific community that the moral, ethical, and inspirational aspects of human nature - which have always been the very substance of religious thought - must play a prominent role in efforts to safeguard the environment.

In October 1990 the appeal for a new level of spiritual commitment was echoed in the "Universal Code of Environmental Conduct" issued by the Non-Governmental Organization/Media Symposium on Communication for Environment convened in Bangkok, Thailand. This second declaration, however, took the message one step further than the Global Forum proclamation by appealing not only to spiritually based changes in individual behavior, conduct, and commitment but to a unified response by all the "citizens of this earth." "The world," it began,

is in a deep environmental crisis. This crisis is rooted in global patterns of human behaviour that are ecologically unsustainable, socially alienating and economically unjust. We need a transformation of human purpose that unites material and spiritual realities and creates a common conscience. . .

... unity is essential if diverse people are to work towards a common future ....Universal Code of Environmental Conduct, Declaration of the NGO/Media Symposium on Communication for Environment, 10-16 October 1990, Bangkok, Thailand.

Both the Bangkok and Moscow proclamations invoke elements common to all of the world's religions - namely, a spiritual world view and a concomitant change in standards of human behavior. The Bangkok Declaration in particular explicitly states the need for global unity in this "transformation of human purpose."

In light of the essential need for unity, the Bahá'í Faith, a newly emerging world religion, merits attention.The Bahá'í Faith is recognized as the second most widespread religion in the world, after Roman Catholicism. See "World Religious Statistics," Britannica Book of the Year, 1988. Not only does it promulgate the spiritual values common to all religions, but it also offers social teachings that speak directly to the problems of this global age. Its pivotal teachings are world unity and the establishment of unity among the peoples and nations of the world. Whereas the social teachings of past religions were concerned with the relationship of the individual to family, tribe, or even state - according to the exigencies of the age in which the religions appeared - the Bahá'í Faith expands the scope of social teachings to include the relationship of the individual, and any group of individuals (racial, ethnic, political or other), to the entire world community.

Given its emphasis on world unity and global cooperation, the teachings of the Bahá'í Faith provide a unique "new spiritual and ethical basis for human activities on Earth." Four aspects of the Bahá'í model must be examined: the Bahá'í Faith's vision of nature; Bahá'í principles that bear directly on humanity's relation to the natural world; the Bahá'í perspective on the underlying causes of the environmental crisis; and the Bahá'í prescription for world unity and global cooperation.

The Bahá'í Vision of Nature

whatever is on the earth is a direct evidence of the revelation within it of the attributes and names of God, inasmuch as within every atom are enshrined the signs that bear eloquent testimony to the revelation of that most great Light.... How resplendent the luminaries of knowledge that shine in an atom, and how vast the oceans of wisdom that surge within a drop.Bahá'u'lláh, The Kitáb-i-Íqán: The Book of Certitude, pp. 100-101.

The Bahá'í Faith is founded on a belief in one God - the "inmost Reality of all things," the "Primal Will," the "unknowable Essence."Bahá'u'lláh, The Kitáb-i-Íqán: The Book of Certitude, pp. 99, 98. The natural world, the Bahá'í writings assert, is a reflection of this unknowable Essence on earth. "Nature," wrote Bahá'u'lláh, the Founder of the Bahá'í Faith, "is God's Will and is its expression in and through the contingent world."Bahá'u'lláh, Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh, p.142. Therefore,

Every time I turn my gaze to Thine earth, I am made to recognize the evidences of Thy power and the tokens of Thy bounty. And when I behold the sea, I find that it speaketh to me of Thy majesty, and of the potency of Thy might, and of Thy sovereignty and Thy grandeur. And at what-ever time I contemplate the mountains, I am led to discover the ensigns of Thy victory and the standards of Thine omnipotence.

...I can hear from the whisper of the winds the sound of Thy glorification and praise, and can recognize in the murmur of the waters the voice that proclaimeth Thy virtues and Thine attributes, and can apprehend from the rustling of the leaves the mysteries that have been irrevocably ordained by Thee in Thy realm.Bahá'u'lláh, Prayers and Meditations, p.272.

Reflect upon the inner realities of the universe, the secret wisdoms involved, the enigmas, the inter-relationships, the rules that govern all. For every part of the universe is connected with every other part by ties that are very powerful and admit of no imbalance.'Abdu'l-Bahá, Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, p.15.

On another occasion Bahá'u'lláh, addressing Himself to God, wrote:

even as the human body in this world, which is outwardly composed of different limbs and organs, is in reality a closely integrated, coherent entity, similarly the structure of the physical world is like unto a single being whose limbs and members are inseparably linked together.

Were one to observe with an eye that discovereth the realities of all things, it would become clear that the greatest relationship that bindeth the world of being together lieth in the range of created things themselves, and that co-operation, mutual aid and reciprocity are essential characteristics in the unified body of the world of being, inasmuch as all created things are closely related together and each is influenced by the other or deriveth benefit therefrom, either directly or indirectly.'Abdu'l-Bahá, in "Conservation of the Earth's Resources", Compilation of Compilations, Volume 1, p. 71.

Such passages in the Bahá'í writings portray the natural world as beautiful and mysterious, a sacred reflection of the divine. 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Bahá'u'lláh's eldest son and appointed successor, urged humanity to contemplate these mysteries of nature.'Abdu'l-Bahá was appointed by Bahá'u'lláh in His Will and Testament as the authoritative interpreter of Bahá'u'lláh's writings and as the one to whom the Bahá'í community should turn after His passing. In turn, Shoghi Effendi, the grandson of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, was appointed the Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith in 'Abdu'l-Bahá's Will and Testament. After Shoghi Effendi's passing, the authoritative center of the Bahá'í world community is now the Universal House of Justice, the highest institution of the Bahá'í administrative order. It is elected by the Bahá'í world every five years. This chain of succession, which was established by Bahá'u'lláh, ensures the preservation of the unity of the Bahá'í world and frees it from schism. The writings of these four successive "centers" constitute the authoritative writings of the Bahá'í Faith, from which the substance of this paper is drawn. Calling attention to the order and balance underlying the physical universe, 'Abdu'l-Bahá wrote:

O God! Educate these children. These children are the plants of Thine orchard, the flowers of Thy meadow, the roses of Thy garden. Let Thy rain fall upon them; let the Sun of Reality shine upon them with Thy love. Let Thy breeze refresh them in order that they may be trained, grow and develop, and appear in the utmost beauty. Thou art the Giver. Thou art the Compassionate.'Abdu'l-Bahá, Bahá'í Prayers, pp.35-36.

In another passage, 'Abdu'l-Bahá expanded His explanation of the balance and unity of nature; His definition of ecology seems a necessary lesson at the end of the twentieth century. He explains that

Such passages in the Bahá'í writings provide a unique scriptural basis for revering and appreciating nature. They also convey the subtleties, interrelationships, and delicate balances of the physical world.

The appreciation of nature is further re-inforced in the Bahá'í writings by extensive use of analogy and metaphor drawn from the physical world - the imagery of nature is embedded in the very language of the Bahá'í writings and is often used to represent spiritual realities. A Bahá'í prayer for children illustrates this:

Daily reading of Bahá'í writings can cultivate a world view that cherishes and reveres the wonders of nature. They articulate, in the words of the Moscow Declaration, an appreciation for nature that is "infused with a vision of the sacred." This, however, is only a starting point for practical environmental stewardship.

Spiritual Principles Guiding Humanity's Relationship to Nature

The essential merit of spiritual principle is that it not only presents a perspective which harmonizes with that which is immanent in human nature, it also induces an attitude, a dynamic, a will, an aspiration, which facilitate the discovery and implementation of practical measures. Leaders of governments and all in authority would be well served in their efforts to solve problems if they would first seek to identify the principles involved and then be guided by them.The Universal House of Justice, The Promise of World Peace, p.28.

Bahá'ís believe that "There are spiritual principles, or what some call human values, by which solutions can be found to every social problem." The challenge in dealing with the complex social issues currently facing humanity, Bahá'ís assert, is "to raise the context to the level of principle, as distinct from pure pragmatism."The Universal House of Justice, The Promise of World Peace, p.28.

The necessity of spiritual solutions for social problems bears on individual as well as collective actions. For the individual, commitment to spiritual principles guides behavior. It provides a moral reference point in common daily actions, and requires, in some cases, the submission of self-centered impulses in consideration of the common good. For society, commitment to shared principles provides a means for agreement and a guide for action. It thus facilitates collective decision making and problem solving.

As the Universal House of Justice, the supreme governing and legislative body of the Bahá'í Faith, explains:

The Bahá'í writings identify the principles to which Bahá'ís around the world are committed; many of these principles relate, either directly or indirectly, to humanity's relationship with the natural world. A few of the principles most pertinent to the environmental dialogue are outlined below.

Stewardship of the Earth. A central principle of the Bahá'í environmental ethic is stated emphatically by Bahá'u'lláh: "There is no glory for him that committeth disorder on the earth after it hath been made so good."Bahá'u'lláh, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p.24. 'Abdu'l-Baha reinforced this principle by affirming that the earth should be tended with "the care of a skilful gardener."'Abdu'l-Bahá, Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, p. 290.

in the beginning matter was one, and that one matter appeared in different aspects in each element. Thus various forms were produced, and these various aspects as they were produced became permanent, and each element was specialized. . . .

Then these elements became composed, and organized and combined in infinite forms....

Consider the world of created beings, how varied and diverse they are in species, yet with one sole origin. All the differences that appear are those of outward form and colour. This diversity of type is apparent throughout the whole of nature.

... Let us look ... at the beauty in diversity, the beauty of harmony, and learn a lesson ....'Abdu'l-Bahá, Paris Talks, pp.51-52.

... from the composition and combination of elements, from their decomposition, from their measure, and from the effect of other beings upon them, resulted forms, endless realities and innumerable beings.... this terrestrial globe, having once found existence, grew and developed in the matrix of the universe, and came forth in different forms and conditions, until gradually it attained this present perfection, and became adorned with in-numerable beings....'Abdu'l-Bahá, Some Answered Questions, pp.180-83.

it is not only their fellow human beings that the beloved of God must treat with mercy and compassion, rather must they show forth the utmost loving-kindness to every living creature. . . .

Train your children from their earliest days to be infinitely tender and loving to animals.

... Tenderness and loving-kindness are basic principles of God's heavenly Kingdom.'Abdu'l-Bahá, Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, pp.158-160.

Man, possessed of an inner faculty which plants and animals do not have, a power which enables him to discover the secrets of nature . . . has a special responsibility to use his God-given powers for positive ends. The Universal House of Justice indicates that "the proper exercise of this responsibility is the key to whether his inventive genius produces beneficial results, or creates havoc in the material world."Research Department of the Universal House of Justice, "Conservation of the Earth's Resources", Compilation of Compilations, Volume 1, p. 68.

The full implications of the principle of stewardship may be understood in light of the Bahá'í teaching that the physical universe is a matrix for the refinement and development of the human soul, even as the womb of the mother is the matrix for a child's initial physical development.For further discussions on the comparison of the physical world to the womb, see 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, pp.170-171, 177, 185. Bahá'u'lláh informs humanity that God has "ordained for thy training every atom in existence and the essence of all created things."Bahá'u'lláh, The Hidden Words, p.32. One aspect of training, in turn, is learning the principle of stewardship of the earth. Thus the Bahá'í teachings associate stewardship of the earth with one of the purposes of human life - namely, spiritual training and development.

The Value of Diversity. Related to the principle of stewardship is that of the value the Bahá'í teachings place on diversity. 'Abdu'l-Bahá states that diversity in this world is "the essence of perfection" and "contributeth to the beauty, efficiency and perfection of the whole."'Abdu'l-Bahá, Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, p.291. The preservation of genetic and biotic diversity, a central issue in the environmental movement, is thus a logical conclusion of the application of this principle.

Impressing upon humanity the importance of environmental stewardship, 'Abdu'l-Bahá explains that diversity of form is an expression of a universal law underlying the vast evolutionary processes of the physical universe and that

'Abdu'l-Bahá further urges humanity to learn from the lessons inherent in nature:

Preservation of the earth's diversity is thus a practical expression of the application of the fundamental Bahá'í principle of unity in diversity.

Kindness to All Beings. Yet another principle related to that of the stewardship of the earth is that of kindness to all beings. This principle is expressed throughout the Bahá'í writings. In one passage 'Abdu'l-Bahá writes:

Thus the expression of "tenderness and loving-kindness" toward all living beings is not a matter of mere ethical speculation or moral debate. It is a firmly established spiritual principle that bears directly on humankind's relationship with the natural world.

Responsible Uses of Science. The Bahá'í Faith teaches that science and religion are, by their very nature, in accord - that they reveal complementary aspects of one truth. 'Abdu'l-Bahá explains that religion is the "promoter of truth" and cannot, consequently, oppose scientific knowledge.'Abdu'l-Bahá, Some Answered Questions, p.137. He also states that religion without science quickly falls into "the quagmire of superstition," while science without religion descends into "the despairing slough of materialism."'Abdu'l-Bahá, Paris Talks, p.143. The Bahá'í writings thus encourage scientific pursuit but assert that its application must be morally guided. Commenting on the responsibility humanity has in the realm of science, the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice writes that

Men must bestir themselves in this matter, and no longer delay in altering conditions which bring the misery of grinding poverty to a very large number of people. The rich must give of their abundance, they must soften their hearts and cultivate a compassionate intelligence, taking thought for those sad ones who are suffering from lack of the very necessities of life.'Abdu'l-Bahá, Paris Talks, p.153.

At the turn of the last century 'Abdu'l-Bahá stated that the capacity for scientific endeavor "is the most praiseworthy power of man, for through its employment and exercise the betterment of the human race is accomplished, ... and the spirit and mysteries of God become manifest."'Abdu'l-Bahá, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p.31.

calls for the combined application of spiritual, moral and practical approaches. A fresh look at the problem is required, entailing consultation with experts from a wide spectrum of disciplines, devoid of economic and ideological polemics, and involving the people directly affected in the decisions that must urgently be made.The Universal House of Justice, The Promise of World Peace, p.12.

'Abdu'l-Bahá tempers His praise, however, with the caution that "any agency whatever, though it be the instrument of mankind's greatest good, is capable of misuse. Its proper use or abuse depends on the varying degrees of enlightenment, capacity, faith, honesty, devotion and highmindedness" of those who exercise responsibility over it.'Abdu'l-Bahá, The Secret of Divine Civilization, p.16.

Moderation. Another Bahá'í teaching pertains to humanity's relation to the natural world not to overstep "the bounds of moderation."Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, p.235. Bahá'u'lláh warns that if "carried to excess, civilization will prove as prolific a source of evil as it had been of goodness when kept within the restraints of moderation."Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, p.343.

Moderation bears on every aspect of humanity's relation to and impact on the natural world. It is a standard that guides patterns of consumption, waste, and the accumulation of material possessions. All aspects of human activity, Bahá'u'lláh makes clear, "are subject to this same principle of moderation."Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, p.343.

The scientific and technological advances occurring in this unusually blessed century portend a great surge forward in the social evolution of the planet, and indicate the means by which the practical problems of humanity may be solved. They provide, indeed, the very means for the administration of the complex life of a united world. Yet barriers persist. Doubts, misconceptions, prejudices, suspicions and narrow self-interests beset nations and peoples in their relations one to another.The Universal House of Justice, The Promise of World Peace, p. 14.

The principle of moderation attains a yet fuller significance in light of the Bahá'í belief that human dignity and happiness are not found solely in materialistic pursuits. While Bahá'u'lláh encourages humanity to enjoy the richness of the earth and "partake of the benefits it can bestow," he also warns against "attachment to this world and the vanities thereof."Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, p.276. 'Abdu'l-Bahá explains that "the honor and exaltation of man must be something more than material riches. Material comforts are only a branch, but the root of the exaltation of man is the good attributes and virtues which are the adornments of his reality."'Abdu'l-Bahá, Some Answered Questions, p.79.
The Oneness of Humanity
The Bahá'í Faith thus rejects the materialistic philosophy that has become one of the dominant features of twentieth-century life. It replaces that philosophy with the belief that the attainment of "good attributes and virtues" is the highest human achievement and that the exercise of moderation in material pursuits is a means of attaining this end. This principle has special relevance in the industrialized countries of the world where rampant materialism has generated gross patterns of consumption, accumulation, and waste, creating inordinate pressures on the world's ecological systems.

Alleviation of Poverty. The counterpart of the principle of moderation, the alleviation of poverty, pertains to the significant portion of the global population who suffer not from excess but from a lack of the means of subsistence. Environmental degradation is closely linked to human social and economic conditions; poverty, as much as excessive wealth, exerts extreme pressures on the earth's ecological systems. The deforestation of the Amazon, the desertification of Sub-Saharan Africa, the pollution in Eastern Europe - all are examples of the deleterious effects of poverty on the natural environment. The alleviation of poverty is a basic Bahá'í teaching, and the consequences of "inordinate disparity between the rich and poor" are clearly anticipated in the Bahá'í writings.The Universal House of Justice, The Promise of World Peace, p.12. Bahá'u'lláh alludes to the consequences of having extremes of wealth and poverty: "O Children of Dust! Tell the rich of the midnight sighing of the poor, lest heedlessness lead them into the path of destruction."Bahá'u'lláh, The Hidden Words, p.39.

Generosity, equity, and fairness in economic relations are emphasized throughout the Bahá'í writings as divine virtues. 'Abdu'l-Bahá states that

The principle of the Oneness of Mankind - the pivot round which all the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh revolve - is no mere outburst of ignorant emotionalism or an expression of vague and pious hope. Its appeal is not to be merely identified with a reawakening of the spirit of brotherhood and good-will among men.... Its message is applicable not only to the individual, but concerns itself primarily with the nature of those essential relationships that must bind all the states and nations as members of one human family. . . It implies an organic change in the structure of present-day society, a change such as the world has not yet experienced.Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Bahá'u'lláh, pp.42-43.

It is important to note, however, that the Bahá'í writings do not advocate absolute equalization of wealth.For a discussion of equalization of wealth, see Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, pp.115, 302. Rather, Bahá'ís appeal for the elimination of extremes of wealth and poverty. The solution, the Universal House of Justice writes,

Unity in World Undertakings. The Bahá'í writings assert that "unity of thought in world undertakings" is an essential requirement of this age.'Abdu'l-Bahá, Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, p.32. Bahá'ís believe that conscious, unified, global determination is necessary to resolve transnational problems.
The Bahá'í Historical Perspective
Environmental problems provide a prime example of the necessity of global unity. Ecological problems do not respect political boundaries, and it is now generally acknowledged that no nation can resolve them alone. The Universal House of Justice accordingly cites the urgent need in this day for "global cooperation of the family of nations in devising and adopting measures designed to preserve the ecological balance."The Universal House of Justice, quoted in Research Department of the Universal House of Justice, "Conservation of the Earth's Resources," Compilation of Compilations, Volume 1, p.85.

In an age when the technical means for addressing environmental concerns and for coordinating global efforts are largely at hand, international cooperation continues to remain elusive. Commenting on this dilemma, the Universal House of Justice notes that

The Bahá'í Faith regards the current world confusion and calamitous condition in human affairs as a natural phase in an organic process leading ultimately and irresistibly to the unification of the human race in a single social order whose boundaries are those of the planet. The human race, as a distinct, organic unit, has passed through evolutionary stages analogous to the stages of infancy and childhood in the lives of its individual members, and is now in the culminating period of its turbulent adolescence approaching its long-awaited coming of age.The Universal House of Justice, The Promise of World Peace, p. 16.

"The primary question to be resolved," the Universal House of Justice continues, "is how the present world, with its entrenched pattern of conflict, can change to a world in which harmony and cooperation will prevail." These changes, the House of Justice concludes, "can be founded only on an unshakable consciousness of the oneness of mankind. . . ."The Universal House of Justice, The Promise of World Peace p.28.

The winds of despair are, alas, blowing from every direction, and the strife that divideth and afflicteth the human race is daily increasing. The signs of impending convulsions and chaos can now be discerned, inasmuch as the prevailing order appeareth to be lamentably defective.Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 216.

The principle of the oneness of humankind, the fundamental unity of all peoples of the earth, is perhaps the most fundamental Bahá'í teaching. It protects against all forms of prejudice and division and "calls for a wider loyalty, for a larger aspiration than any that has animated the human race."Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Bahá'u'lláh, pp. 41-42. Bahá'ís believe that the acceptance of this principle by the generality of humanity is a prerequisite for the unity of thought and global cooperation necessary for the advancement of environmental stewardship. Promotion of the principle of the oneness of humanity is thus a central aspect of Bahá'í life.

The principle of unity is emphasized repeatedly throughout the Bahá'í writings. "Let your vision be world-embracing, rather than confined to your own self," Bahá'u'lláh writes. And again: "Let not man glory in this that he loveth his country, let him rather glory in this that he loveth his kind." Most concisely, Bahá'u'lláh states that "The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens."Bahá'u'lláh, Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh, pp.87, 127-28, 167.

the goal towards which a harassed humanity is striving. Nation-building has come to an end. The anarchy inherent in state sovereignty is moving towards a climax. A world, growing to maturity, must abandon this fetish, recognize the oneness and wholeness of human relationships, and establish once for all the machinery that can best incarnate this fundamental principle of its life.Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Bahá'u'lláh, p.202.

Shoghi Effendi, the grandson of 'Abdu'l-Bahá and appointed Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith after 'Abdu'l-Bahá's passing, explains that
Prescription for a New World Order
Bahá'ís believe that only this "organic change in the structure of present day society," based on a recognition that all of humanity is part of one global community, can ultimately engender the international will and determination needed to address the world's current environmental concerns.

The unity of the human race, as envisaged by Bahá'u'lláh, implies the establishment of a world commonwealth in which all nations, races, creeds and classes are closely and permanently united, and in which the autonomy of its state members and the personal freedom and initiative of the individuals that compose them are definitely and completely safeguarded. This commonwealth must . . . consist of a world legislature, whose members will, as the trustees of the whole of mankind, ultimately control the entire resources of all the component nations, and will enact such laws as shall be required to regulate the life, satisfy the needs and adjust the relationships of all races and peoples. A world executive, backed by an international Force, will carry out the decisions arrived at, and apply the laws enacted by, this world legislature, and will safeguard the organic unity of the whole commonwealth. A world tribunal will adjudicate and deliver its compulsory and final verdict in all and any disputes that may arise between the various elements constituting this universal system.Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Bahá'u'lláh, p.203.

Such a change requires a recognition that the wealth and wonders of the earth are the common heritage of all people. It requires just and equitable access to the earth's resources by all the peoples of the earth. And it requires that the conservation of these resources become the conscious and determined goal of a global society unified in its commitment to both the stewardship of the earth and the well-being of its people.

to broaden its basis, to remold its institutions in a manner consonant with the needs of an ever-changing world. It can conflict with no legitimate allegiances, nor can it undermine essential loyalties. Its purpose is neither to stifle the flame of a sane and intelligent patriotism in men's hearts, nor to abolish the system of national autonomy so essential if the evils of excessive centralization are to be avoided. It does not ignore, nor does it attempt to suppress, the diversity of ethnical origins, of climate, of history, of language and tradition, of thought and habit, that differentiate the peoples and nations of the world. . . . It repudiates excessive centralization on one hand, and disclaims all attempts at uniformity on the other. Its watchword is unity in diversity ....Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Bahá'u'lláh, pp.41-42.

The vision of a unified world community, so fundamental to Bahá'í thought, is regarded by many as unattainable. Bahá'ís hold, however, that its establishment is not only possible, but inevitable.The Universal House of Justice, The Promise of World Peace, p.13. This conviction is based on a historical perspective, enunciated by Bahá'u'lláh in the middle of the last century, that gives meaning to the current condition of human affairs and instills faith in the eventual outcome.

The present calamities that beset human society and threaten the earth's ecological balance are seen by Bahá'ís as the expressions of a turbulent, transitional stage in human evolution. The Universal House of Justice explains that

many problems of pollution are merely one aspect of the multitude of problems that will be solved when mankind accepts the reconstruction of human society as adumbrated by Bahá'u'lláh.From a previously unpublished letter dated 28 October 1971 written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual.

The Bahá'í writings explain that, while humanity has already passed through the organizational stages of family, tribe, and city-state, the dominant feature of the present age is the passage from a system of autonomous and often antagonistic sovereign nations, to a single world society. Bahá'ís believe that this transition, while ultimately of immense benefit to humanity, will be accompanied by considerable strife and difficulty - as attested by the current widespread levels of environmental degradation that are seen by Bahá'ís as one manifestation of this process. Alluding to this process, Bahá'u'lláh wrote more than a century ago that

Until such time as the nations of the world understand and follow the admonitions of Bahá' u'lláh to whole-heartedly work together in looking after the best interests of all humankind, and unite in the search for ways and means to meet the many environmental problems besetting our planet, . . . little progress will be made towards their solution.The Universal House of Justice, quoted in Research Department of the Universal House of Justice, "Conservation of the Earth's Resources", Compilation of Compilations, Volume 1, p. 85.

Such a perspective is not, however, a cause of despair for Bahá'ís. Rather, Baha'is believe that acknowledging this historical perspective is itself an essential prerequisite to humanity's further collective evolution. It is with confidence that Bahá'ís anticipate the fulfillment of Bahá'u'lláh's promise that "Soon will the present-day order be rolled up, and a new one spread out in its stead."Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 7.
Conclusion
Elaborating on this theme, Shoghi Effendi explains that world unity is

We cannot segregate the human heart from the environment outside us and say that once one of these is reformed everything will be improved. Man is organic with the world. His inner life moulds the environment and is itself also deeply affected by it. The one acts upon the other and every abiding change in the life of man is the result of these mutual reactions.Shoghi Effendi, quoted in Research Department of the Universal House of Justice, "Conservation of the Earth's Resources", Compilation of Compilations, Volume 1, p. 84.

The destructive trends associated with this period of transition toward unity, including environmental degradation, are, therefore, seen by Bahá'ís as cause for action, not resignation or paralysis. Baha'is around the world are striving, in accordance with the Bahá'í teachings, to actively address the many problems facing the world today and to rectify the damage that humanity is inflicting upon itself and its world in this transitional period. For the Bahá'í Faith confidently asserts that such problems are not insurmountable - that they represent, rather, the last expressions of an immature stage in a "vast historical process" of social evolution leading ultimately to a social order whose boundaries are those of the planet.The Universal House of Justice, The Promise of World Peace, p.16.

The essential features of the world order of Bahá'u'lláh are summarized by Shoghi Effendi:

Shoghi Effendi explains that the new world order seeks not to subvert "the existing foundations of society," but rather

Bahá'ís assert that nothing short of the federation of all the nations and peoples of the earth into this world-embracing commonwealth can ultimately promote the best interests and safeguard the well-being of an emerging global civilization.

Elaborating on the implications of the theme for the global environment, the Universal House of Justice observes that the

The Universal House of Justice also states that

While the reconstruction of human society is derided by many as a utopian vision, the Universal House of Justice has urged the peoples of the world to consider that "such an enterprise is possible, that the necessary constructive forces do exist, that unifying social structures can be erected ...."The Universal House of Justice, The Promise of World Peace, p.16. The Universal House of Justice goes on to say that "The experience of the Bahá'í community may be seen as an example" of "enlarging unity." It is a community of more than five million people drawn from many nations, races, cultures, classes, and creeds and "engaged in a wide range of activities serving the spiritual, social and economic needs of the people of many lands." The global Bahá'í community is a "single social organism, representative of the diversity of the human family, conducting its affairs through a system of commonly accepted consultative principles, and cherishing equally all the great outpourings of divine guidance in human history. Its existence is yet another proof of the practicality" of Bahá'u'lláh's "vision of a united world, another evidence that humanity can live as one global society, equal to whatever challenges its coming of age may entail."The Universal House of Justice, The Promise of World Peace, p.36.

The teachings of the Bahá'í Faith, as well as the experience of its followers as an emerging world community, offer a unique model for those who recognize the vital role of religion - and world unity - in human affairs. It is a model that inspires reverence and appreciation for nature; identifies principles upon which a harmonious relationship with the natural world can be founded; makes sense out of the current disorderly state of human affairs; and prescribes fundamental changes in the ordering of affairs in a manner consonant with the needs of the present day. But, above all, it is a model that unites all of these aspects into a single belief system that is a source of purpose, faith, and inspiration - elements that have proven to be potent forces in human change. In its outlook on environmental stewardship, the Bahá'í Faith seeks to address both the human environment and the human heart and spirit. In the words of Shoghi Effendi:

Article copyright ©1994 by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States.

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The website of the worldwide Bahá'í community

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Baha'is have been persecuted and discriminated over centuries in Iran. The above report highlights how Iranian Baha'is have had their rights infringed, and had their security and well-being disparaged. (It's quite long so I would consider just reading the summary.)

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Baha'is are the largest unrecognized religious minority in Iran. They have been the target of harsh, state-backed repression since their religion was established in the 19th century. After the 1979 revolution, Iranian authorities executed or forcibly disappeared hundreds of Baha'is, including their community leaders. Thousands more have lost their jobs and pensions or were forced to leave their homes or country.

For the past four decades, the authorities' serial violations of Baha'is' rights have continued, directed by the state's most senior officials and the Islamic Republic's ideology, which holds extreme animus against adherents of the Baha'i faith. While the intensity of violations against Baha'is has varied over time, the authorities' persecution of people who are members of this faith community has remained constant, impacting virtually every aspect of Baha'is' private and public lives.

In recent years, as Iranian authorities have brutally repressed widespread protests demanding fundamental political, economic, and social change in the country, the authorities have also targeted Baha'is. Authorities have raided Baha'i homes, arrested dozens of Baha'i citizens and community leaders, and confiscated property owned by Baha'is.

Iranian authorities have intentionally and severely deprived Baha'is of their fundamental rights. Authorities have denied Baha'is' their rights to freedom of religion and political representation. They have arbitrarily arrested and prosecuted members of the Baha'i community due to their faith. Authorities routinely trample on Baha'is' rights to education, employment, property, and dignified burial.

The Islamic Republic's repression of Baha'is, particularly after 1979, is enshrined in Iranian law and is official government policy. The country's repressive laws and policies are zealously enforced by the country's notorious security forces and judicial authorities. Judicial authorities, for example, interpret Iran's vaguely defined national security laws as classifying Baha'is as an outlawed religious minority community, and as an illegal group intent on disrupting national security.

Human Rights Watch believes that the cumulative impact of authorities' decades-long systematic repression is an intentional and severe deprivation of Baha'is' fundamental rights and amounts to the crime against humanity of persecution.

The Rome Statute, the founding treaty of the International Criminal Court (ICC), defines persecution as the intentional and severe deprivation of fundamental rights contrary to international law by reason of "the identity of the group or collectivity," including on national, religious, or ethnic grounds. Under international law, crimes against humanity are some of the most serious crimes that are "committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack directed against any civilian population, with knowledge of the attack."

In this report, Human Rights Watch analyzed Iranian authorities' major violations of Baha'is' fundamental rights and found them to be widespread and systematic practices carried out as a matter of state policy.

Iranian authorities often claim that Baha'is are prosecuted when they commit national security crimes such as "propaganda against the state," but that Baha'is are otherwise free to enjoy their rights as citizens. Yet, Human Rights Watch found that the Iranian government prosecutions of Baha'is, including in recent years, have regularly targeted Baha'is for merely belonging to the Baha'i faith group or expressing their faith. Iranian court documents show that, in government prosecutions of Baha'i members, judicial authorities regularly refer to the Baha'i faith as a "deviant cult" and the religious community as an "illegal group."

Further, discrimination against members of the Baha'i community is official state policy. Several state policy memorandums and government documents reviewed by Human Rights Watch, almost all of which remain in effect, stipulate that being a member of the Baha'i faith is qualifying grounds for exclusion from employment and educational opportunities in Iran, as well as justification for the state's denial of pensions and confiscation of property.

Baha'is who spoke to Human Rights Watch described their persecution as a series of violations that begin with their first encounters with the Iranian state and impact every aspect of their lives, including education, employment, and marriage.

"[When I left Iran to continue my education], I did not intend to emigrate. But my experience at the university outside of the country was very different, as if for the first time a burden was lifted off my shoulder and the boot on my neck had disappeared... There [abroad] I experienced a strange freedom, and for the first time I was equal with other people, and no one was pulling themselves away from me," said Negar Sabet, 38-year-old daughter of Mahvash Sabet Shahriari, a prominent member of the Baha'i community currently imprisoned in Iran.

The Iranian Supreme Revolutionary Cultural Council (ISRCC)'s confidential memorandum issued on February 25, 1991, is a foundational policy document for the government authorities' systematic and widespread abuses against Baha'is that also reveals the state's clear discriminatory intent in its actions against Baha'is. The memorandum, which has been repeatedly referenced in numerous Iranian court documents since its publication, lays out specific state policy objectives to expel Baha'is from jobs with influence and "block their progress and development" as a community by limiting their educational and economic opportunities. This document has been repeatedly referenced in subsequent government and judicial correspondence as a justification for denying Baha'is enrolment in universities in Iran.

Iranian authorities have used several additional policies and legal provisions to systematically deny Baha'is access to employment, pensions, and benefits in the public sector. The government also discriminates against Baha'is in the private sector by suspending business licenses and arbitrarily closing Baha'i-owned businesses. Collectively, these policies economically strangle the Baha'i community and have been coupled with government legal proceedings that have confiscated hundreds of properties belonging to individual Baha'is and the Baha'i community.

Iran is not a member of the ICC, and under the Rome Statute the crime of persecution can be prosecuted only in connection with other crimes. However, there is no such requirement under customary international law. The commission of crimes against humanity can also serve as the basis for individual criminal liability not only before domestic courts of the country where the crime was perpetrated, the ICC, and in international tribunals, but also in domestic courts outside the country in question under the principle of universal jurisdiction. Four decades after Iran's leadership made the decision to systematically persecute the Baha'i community, UN member countries should urgently support all available accountability measures for these crimes including investigation and prosecution through domestic courts, in accordance with national laws. They should also renew the mandate of the UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Islamic Republic of Iranand ensure it has adequate resources to document the serious violations and international crimes against the Baha'is. Where possible, national judicial authorities should collect information related to the persecution of Baha'is as part of any future structural investigation into serious crimes in Iran.

To the Iranian Government

Immediately revoke all policies and repeal laws that legalize violations of the rights of Baha'is, including but not limited to:

Article 12 of the Iranian Constitution;

The 1991 confidential memorandum issued by the Iranian Supreme Revolutionary Cultural Council (ISRCC);

Section 34 of Article 8 of the 1993 law on administrative offenses;

Repeal of articles 499 bis and 500 bis of the Penal Code that have criminalized freedom of thought and belief and are now used to convict Baha'is.

Immediately cease persecution of Baha'is on the basis of their faith and release all those who are detained or who have been convicted on charges of membership in the Baha'i faith.

Reform laws as well as the judicial and administrative processes to guarantee non-repetition of similar abuses and crimes.

Publish all material, including government orders and confidential agreements related to government policies toward Baha'is, and disclose the fate of hundreds of those members of the Baha'i community who have been disappeared.

Immediately grant access to Baha'is to employment and education at all levels on an equal basis to other Iranian nationals.

Immediately restore old age and veterans' pensions to eligible Baha'is.

Cease confiscation of properties owned by Baha'is on the basis of their faith and ensure fair and transparent judicial process for property disputes.

Cooperate with and heed the recommendations of UN bodies and human rights mechanisms.

Ratify the Rome Statute and incorporate crimes against humanity, including the crime of persecution, into national criminal law with a view to investigating and prosecuting individuals credibly implicated in these crimes.

To the United Nations Independent, International Fact-Finding Mission

As part of establishing the facts and circumstances surrounding the alleged violations related to the protests that began in Iran in September 2022, collect information related to any crimes committed against Baha'is as it relates to hate speech, which increased after the protests, and the increase in the targeting of Baha'i women.

To All States

Issue individual and collective public statements expressing concern about Iranian authorities' commission of the crimes of persecution against Baha'is.

Incorporate the crimes against humanity of persecution into national criminal law with a view to investigate and prosecute individuals credibly implicated in these crimes.

Where possible and in accordance with domestic laws, support national judicial authorities collecting information related to the persecution of Baha'is as part of any future structural investigation into serious crimes in Iran.

All states and the UN Human Rights Council should ensure the renewal of the mandates of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iranand the UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Islamic Republic of Iran mandates at the upcoming 55th session of the Human Rights Council.

Support any national investigation and prosecution of those credibly implicated in serious crimes committed in Iran against the Baha'is, under the principle of universal jurisdiction and in accordance with national laws.

Impose targeted sanctions, including asset freezes, against officials and entities credibly implicated in the continued commission of grave international crimes, including persecution.

All states should recognize as a persecuted minority members of the Baha'i community who are or were nationals of the Islamic Republic of Iran because they share common characteristics that target them for religious persecution as being presumptively eligible for refugee status for purposes of resettlement or asylum.

The Iranian government does not allow international human rights groups such as Human Rights Watch to enter the country to conduct independent investigations into human rights abuses. Iranian activists, journalists, human rights lawyers, relatives of political prisoners, and former political prisoners are often not comfortable carrying out extended conversations on human rights issues via telephone or email, fearing government surveillance. The government often accuses its critics inside Iran, including human rights activists and Baha'is, of being agents of foreign states or entities, and prosecutes them under Iran's national security laws.

This report is based on years of documentation carried out by Human Rights Watch, as well as Iranian human rights groups, of Iranian authorities' violations against Baha'is in Iran. Human Rights Watch researchers reviewed dozens of government policies, as well as court documents and government correspondence with Baha'is. Most of these documents were accessed on the "Archive of the Persecution of Baha'is in Iran," a website managed by the Bahá'í International Community (BIC), which represents the worldwide Baha'i community. Human Rights Watch reviewed additional documents collected by the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), an independent human rights documentation organization, and documents that Baha'is shared with Human Rights Watch during interviews.

Between May 2022 and March 2023, a Human Rights Watch researcher interviewed 14 Baha'is, some of whom lived in Iran and others who were based outside the country. The interviews were conducted remotely and in Persian.

Human Rights Watch also wrote to Iranian authorities for comment on these findings on January 23 and 25, 2024. At time of writing, Human Rights Watch did not receive a response.

According to the Bahá'í International Community (BIC), an international non-governmental organization representing the members of the Baha'i faith at the United Nations and regional bodies such as the European Union, the African Union, and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Baha'is are the largest non-Muslim religious minority in Iran, estimated to be around 350,000 people at the time of the Iranian revolution in 1979.The Baha'i religion was established in Iran in the 19 century. Since its establishment,Baha'is have faced persecution directed at members of the community by elements within the Iranian government and influential Shia clerics. In the words of a prominent Iranian historian, Shia religious authorities have often directed "animosity" toward Baha'is due not only to doctrinal disagreements but also a fear of "Baha'i infiltration of government and society...". Central to the Iranian government's theological opposition to Baha'is is that the Baha'i faith is a religion that came after Islam. Unfounded accusations continued to be levied against them even though Baha'i teachings prevent Baha'is from involvement in partisan politics and interference in politics and political matters. Baha'is continue to be discriminated against elsewhere in the region, including in Qatar, Egypt, and Yemen.

After the 1979 Islamic revolution, the Iranian government made it official policy to discriminate against the Baha'is, including a state-sponsored campaign of persecution against the Baha'is. Iranian state violence against the Baha'i community in the early years after the revolution was particularly harsh; BIC estimates that authorities executed or forcibly disappeared over 200 people who were Baha'i, including influential members of the community or those who served on Baha'i institutions. Thousands more were arrested, expelled from their jobs, or forced to leave the country. While other unrecognized religious minorities in Iran, including Yarsanis (Ahl-e Haqq) who live mostly in Kurdish areas of Iran and Iraq, also face discriminatory restrictions, Iranian authorities have often singled out Baha'is as a target for repressive policies.

Not only are Baha'is unrecognized as a religious minority in the Iranian constitution, resulting in serious rights violations, over the past four decades, Iranian authorities have institutionalized violations of Baha'i rights, including by adopting various policy measures and decrees that restrict, impede or block Baha'is from exercising their fundamental rights.

Following the initial brutal killing and executions of Baha'is in the early years after the revolution and with growing international pressure on Iran, in 1991, the Iranian Supreme Revolutionary Cultural Council (ISRCC) issued a confidential memorandum that directed authorities to focus on socioeconomically and politically oppressing Baha'is. The memorandum clearly established Iranian government policy to discriminate and deny the fundamental rights of the Baha'i community. The ISRCC, established in the early 1980s, is a state body charged with setting the state's cultural agenda, particularly at the university level. It is headed by Iran's president and its decisions can only be overruled by Iran's supreme leader. The ISRCC memorandum that lays out government policy to discriminate against the Baha'i community, with a motive to dominate, was issued at the request of the supreme leader on February 25, 1991. The Iranian authorities have never denied the existence of this policy and several subsequent government correspondences have referred to the ISRCC to justify existing restrictions.

The 1991 ISRCC memorandum lays out the foundation of the abusive framework that Iranian authorities have used to persecute Baha'is for decades. According to the memorandum, the government must "block the progress and development of the Baha'i community", outlining a series of provisions by which to do this, including expulsion from universities and public places of employment, enlisting their children in school with a "strong religious ideology" and destroying their cultural roots outside of Iran. The document also claims that Baha'is should not be expelled from the country, arrested imprisoned, or penalized "without reason." In practice, however, Iranian authorities have arrested and penalized thousands of Baha'is citing their membership in the Baha'i Faith as the charge for the sentences against them.

A copy of this "secret" policy summary memorandum was first released in 1993 by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Islamic Republic of Iran and later published by BIC:

SUMMARY OF THE RESULTS OF THE DISCUSSIONS AND RECOMMENDATION
A.  General status of the Baha'is within the country's system
1. They will not be expelled from the country without reason.
2. They will not be arrested, imprisoned, or penalized without reason.
3. The government's dealings with them must be in such a way that their progress and development are blocked.
B.  Educational and cultural status
1. They can be enrolled in schools provided they have not identified themselves as Baha'is.
2. Preferably, they should be enrolled in schools which have a strong and imposing religious ideology.
3. They must be expelled from universities, either in the admission process or during the course of their studies, once it becomes known that they are Baha'is.
4. Their political (espionage) activities must be dealt with according to appropriate government laws and policies, and their religious and propaganda activities should be answered by giving them religious and cultural responses, as well as propaganda.
5. Propaganda institutions (such as the Islamic Propaganda Organization) must establish an independent section to counter the propaganda and brreligious activities of the Baha'is.
6. A plan must be devised to confront and destroy their cultural roots outside the country.
C.  Legal and social status
1. Permit them a modest livelihood as is available to the general population.
2. To the extent that it does not encourage them to be Baha'is, it is permissible to provide them the means for ordinary living in accordance with the general rights given to every Iranian citizen, such as ration booklets, passports, burial certificates, work permits, etc.
3. Deny them employment if they identify themselves as Baha'is.
4. Deny them any position of influence, such as in the educational sector, etc.

The 1991 ISRCC memorandum has been referred to in subsequent government correspondence, including a 2006 order of the Director General of the Central Security Office at the Ministry of Science and Research and Technology to bar Baha'i students from university education and a 2018 ruling of Branch 40 of the Court of Administrative Justice affirming this discriminatory policy in university education.

The severe restrictions laid out in the 1983 ban and the 1991 ISRCC memorandum are part of the comprehensive state policy that seeks to confine and control the lives of Baha'is in Iran today.

While the intensity of Iranian authorities' repression of Baha'is has varied over the past 40 years, the fundamental rights violations have remained the same, impacting virtually every aspect of Baha'is' private and public lives.

Denial of Religious Freedoms

As a religious minority unrecognized in Iran's constitution, Baha'is are prohibited from establishing any official institutions, cannot freely hold prayers, even in private, or perform other acts that are integral to their religion, such as disseminating religious material.

The Iranian authorities have prosecuted members of the Baha'i faith on the basis of activities recognized under international human rights law as an integral part of religious freedom, such as distribution of religious materials, holding private prayer sessions, or speaking to non-Baha'is about their faith. For instance, in a May 2011 verdict issued by the revolutionary court of Amol in Mazandaran province, the judge determined that participating in Baha'i ziafats (community gatherings and prayers) was evidence of "propaganda against the state," referring to the prosecutor general's statement in 2008 that the Baha'i institutions are outlawed.

State-Backed Incitement to Hatred

After the 1979 revolution, the speech of government officials, state institutions, government media outlets, and the Shia clerical establishment (which is closely intertwined with the post-1979 Iranian state) has consistently propagated incitement to hatred against the Baha'i community in Iran.

Six people who spoke to Human Rights Watch described being subjected to hateful comments during their primary education, particularly in religious studies classes. One Baha'i woman told Human Rights Watch:

Another Baha'i woman, now 36-years-old, told Human Rights Watch:

Arbitrary Arrests and Prosecution for Membership in the Baha'i Community

For decades, the Iranian authorities have used abusive national security provisions in Iran's Islamic Penal Code to crack down on dissent and peaceful activism across Iran. Human rights defenders, lawyers, journalists, political opposition activists, and many others have all been targeted and imprisoned on the pretext of national security. The authorities have also vigorously used these vaguely defined national security provisions to prosecute Baha'is based solely on their faith identity.

Over the past years, a few judges have ruled that "merely proselytizing for the Baha'i faith cannot be considered propaganda against the state and, fundamentally, the law does not criminalize the belief in the Baha'i faith to justify prosecuting and punishing individuals with such a charge." Such opinions, however, have been rare. They are overshadowed by the escalation of arrests and targeting of Baha'is by intelligence agencies, and by the continued conviction and sentencing of Baha'is based solely on their religious beliefs by other judicial authorities.

More recently, on July 31, 2022, Iranian authorities arrested 13 members of the Baha'i community, including Kamalabadi and Sabet, the two prominent members they had previously arrested in 2008. The Ministry of Intelligence issued a statement justifying the arrests by accusing the Baha'is of belonging to an "espionage party" that is spying for Israel. The statement added that those arrested were "propagating the teachings of fabricated Baha'i colonialism and infiltrating educational environments, particularly kindergartens." The statement was followed by a two-minute segment aired by the Islamic Republic Broadcasting Agency accusing Baha'is of promoting their religious material in kindergartens.Human Rights Watch is aware of no evidence supporting this allegation.

The practice of arbitrary prosecution of Baha'is dates to the very early days after the 1979 revolution when the Baha'i community estimates that 200 members, including members of local Baha'i governing boards, were executed or disappeared by the authorities during the initial years following the 1979 revolution. According to a statement issued by the Universal House of Justice, which is the nine-person body ruling body of the Baha'i faith, Iranian authorities executed eight members of the national spiritual assembly, the national governing body of Baha'i faith in Iran, on December 27, 1981, following a trial that fell grossly short of international standards.

Other members of the former leadership council, who were disappeared in August 1980, were feared dead, according to the same Universal House of Justice statement.Shahin Sadeghzadeh Milani, son of Kambiz Sadeghzadeh Milani, one of the disappeared members of the former leadership council, told Radio Farda on August 31, 2021, that despite asking several high-level authorities about his father's disappearance, his family had never received a response.

Recent Penal Codes Additions Add Further Risks to Baha'is

In February 2021, President Hassan Rouhani signed into law two additional articles-articles 499 bis and 500 bis - to Iran's penal code that could be used to prosecute unrecognized religious minorities, including Baha'is. Under the added article 499 bis, "anyone who insults Iranian ethnicities or divine religions, or Islamic schools of thought recognized under the constitution with the intent to cause violence or tension in society or with knowledge that such [consequences] will follow" will be subjected to imprisonment or financial fine. Under the added article 500 bis, "anyone who as part of a cult, group, crowd or association and uses mind control methods and psychological inductions in real or virtual space," or commits "any deviant educational or proselytizing activity that contradicts or interferes with the sacred law of Islam" including "making false claims or lying in religious and Islamic spheres, such as claiming divinity," will be sentenced to two to five years of imprisonment or financial fines.

In a context where authorities consider Baha'i beliefs as contrary to Islamic principles, these newly added, vague penal provisions provide a further basis for Iranian authorities to arrest and prosecute Baha'i for the expression of their beliefs.Since entering into force, authorities have routinely used the new articles in tens of cases against members of the Baha'i community, as well as three Christians from Muslim background, who were in Rasht, Gilan Province. On May 13, 2023, the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported that Branch One of Isfahan's Revolutionary Court sentenced Enayatollah Naeemi, a Baha'i, to 15 years in prison. The conviction was based on charges that included a violation of article 500 bis, for Naeemi's role in "establishing the Baha'i network of Yaran-e-Iran and Baha'I connections to Israel."

Denial of Access to Education

In the early years after the 1979 revolution, many Baha'i students were expelled from school. Since that time, members of the Baha'i community have been regularly denied access to education, particularly tertiary education.

Baha'i students continue to report being expelled from schools for simply being Baha'i and often for speaking out in support of their faith when teachers make offensive statements against their religion. School textbooks and education in school include incendiary content against the Baha'i faith, and if Baha'i students speak against the content, they can be expelled from school at any level, including primary, junior high, or high school.

The ban on Baha'i students attending university that was laid out in the 1991 memo remains in effect. Iranian authorities continue to systematically prevent students who identify as Baha'i from registering at universities. Even if the Baha'i students are not identified during the entrance exam needed for acceptance in public universities, authorities expel them, in accordance with the 1991 memo, if the students reveal their faith.

The denial of access to university education has a profound impact on the ability of Baha'i youth to choose a profession and develop intellectually. A 36-year-old Baha'i woman told Human Rights Watch that in high school she had no motivation to study because she knew that no matter how hard she tried she would not be able to enroll in university.

The most common official pretext for excluding Baha'is from registering at universities is that their documents are incomplete. Human Rights Watch reviewed three letters in which university authorities provided further information. In two, authorities wrote that they could not verify the "general qualification" of the candidate. This unfounded pretext refers to the fact that the criteria for entering universities in Iran is belonging to one of the recognized religions in the Iranian Constitution - Christianity, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism. In one document reviewed by Human Rights Watch, they wrote that the enrollment was terminated because of the student's "belief."

Admitted students are required to declare their religion in the general qualification form for enrolling in universities. According to BIC, university administrators have told Baha'is that they are forced to use the phrase "unqualified" in order not to create documentation for the reasons behind the dismissals. Numerous court documents on the Archives of Baha'i Persecution website refer to the 1991 memo for non-admissibility of Baha'i students to university.

The Baha'i community has long tried to challenge this ban through legal and procedural avenues.

Prior to 2003, when registering for the national entrance exam, which is required for students seeking to enroll in public university, applicants were required to choose from one of the recognized religions: Islam, Christianity, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism. Applicants who indicated they belonged to a faith other than one of the four officially recognized religions in Iran were simply excluded from the exam.

Baha'i students' efforts to challenge this policy in court have been rejected numerous times by judicial bodies. In 2018, Branch 40 of the Court of Administrative Justice rejected a complaint filed by a Baha'i student who said that after being accepted in a university he was prevented from registering and choosing courses on the basis of his "religious minority" status.

A 31-year-old woman expelled from a public university in Tehran in 2015 after receiving a Ministry of Science letter claiming they had not been able to verify her general qualifications told Human Rights Watch that after meeting with Morteza Nourbakhsh, the head of the Science Ministry screening ( Gozinesh) office, for over three hours, he asked her to write a letter of complaint but promptly proceeded to "throw the letter in the trash can."

Denial of Baha'is' Right to Work and Closure of Businesses

The discrimination against Baha'is extends further. Three Baha'i women told Human Rights Watch that employers in the private sector were put under pressure to fire them from their jobs. Others shared memories of their parents being dismissed from employment in the early decades after the revolution.

Interviewees told Human Rights Watch that Iranian authorities also revoked or suspended licenses of private businesses owned by Baha'is, especially for "manifestation" of their religion, such as observing Baha'i holidays. BIC has published a copy of a letter dated April 9, 2007, from the Public Intelligence and Security Force, Tehran - Public Places Supervision Office to police commanders in Tehran that specifically stated:

Baha'i activities in high-earning businesses should be halted, and only those work permits that would provide them with an ordinary livelihood should be allowed...

Issuing of [work] permits for the activities of the mentioned individuals in sensitive business categories (culture, propaganda, commerce, the press, jewelry and watchmaking, coffee shops, engraving, the tourist industry, car rentals, publishing, hostel and hotel management, tailoring training institutes, photography and film, [illegible] Internet, computer sales and Internet cafés), should be prevented...

Other government letters show that local authorities in different provinces were instructed to prevent Baha'is from occupying high earning jobs or to have businesses close to each other, for fear that they would become key decision-makers in trade or business.

HRANA has tracked the number of reported cases of authorities ordering the closure of Baha'i owned businesses in recent years as follows:

Land Grabs, Confiscation, and Demolition of Baha'is' Property

In 1989, Ayatollah Khomeini appointed three representatives to oversee the implementation of the order, effectively establishing what is now known as the headquarters for the "Execution of Imam Khomeini's Order (EIKO)," also known as Setad. In 2001, Ayatollah Hashemi Shahroudi, then-head of the judiciary, communicated additional guidelines for implementation of article 49, designating specific branches of the revolutionary courts with jurisdiction over these cases. Today, EIKO, under the supervision of the supreme leader's office, is a state-owned business enterprise with significant shares in major economic assets in the country.

Case of Eyval Village in Mazandaran Province

On November 4, 2019, the Special Court for Article 49 of the Constitution, Mazandaran Branch, ruled that EIKO could confiscate land belonging to Baha'i families in the village of Eyval, "so that by the sale of the land to people with meager properties in the village of Eyval, a cultural center may be established for the propagation of the hidden Imam and the remaining funds from the sale of these lands could be used for cultural matters and the expansion, development and flourishing of the village."

In the order deciding EIKO could confiscate the Baha'i properties, the Special Court for Article 49 of the Constitution explained the basis for its ruling as follows:

"The perverse sect of Baha'ism is confirmed as heretical and unclean (nijasat); there is no legitimacy in their ownership, and it is incumbent upon the fervent believers to confront the deception and corruption of this perverse sect and prevent the deviation and attraction of others towards them, and any contact with them has been declared haram... and given that certain individuals associated with this perverse faith among their leaders are now outside the country collaborating with the opposition groups against the regime, the court rules that there is no legal merit in leaving the remaining properties in the possession of the perverse sect of Baha'ism in the Village of Eyval, Chahar Dangeh Division, and issues a court order in that effect."

Case of Irrigated Lands in Kata Village in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province

On December 5, 2021, in a public statement, BIC warned about an advertisement posted by EIKO on an auction website the previous October. The advertisement referred to an auction of 13 parcels of land. This land had been confiscated from Baha'i families years before. BIC estimated that each property was listed for sale at a price at only about 15 percent of its fair market value. The original Baha'i property owners were excluded from participating in the auction to buy back their own properties.

On October 11, 2000, in a letter issued by the head of EIKO in Fars province to the head of the judiciary in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province, the head of EIKO asked the judiciary to facilitate the confiscation and transfer of these properties, which, at the time, were still in the possession of Baha'is. The EIKO head cited a court order dated April 18, 1994 ordering the transfer of the properties.Four court documents issued in 2002, 2007, 2008 and 2016 show that the lands were eventually confiscated, based on article 49 of the constitution, after the owners, who belonged to the Baha'i faith, had, according to the documents, "fled" the village. In a verdict issued by the Special Court for Article 49 of the Constitution of Mazandaran, which was reviewed by Human Rights Watch, the court cites the original property owners' activities promoting the Baha'i religion inside and outside Iran as a basis to rule in favor of the EIKO seizure of the theirproperty.

Baha'is in Semnan

On August 22, 2022, Saeed Dehghan, a lawyer, tweeted that Branch 1 of the Semnan Revolutionary Court ordered the confiscation of several Baha'i properties in the province, with transfer to EIKO. According to the court, authorities had discovered incriminating evidence "at the home of Mr. Jamaloddin Khanjani, an official of the illegal Baha'i organization." Khanjani was one of seven members of the former Yaran, a local, ad-hoc administrative group for Baha'is, who spent 10 years in prison. According to Dehghan, the authorities found a single sheet of paper with a few addresses and the names of individuals and businesses in Khanjani's house which they used as the basis for confiscating the properties.

Baha'is in Roshankouh

Restrictions on Civil Rights and Dignified Burial

Baha'is face significant discrimination in matters of personal status and legal recognition. During the presidencies of Hashemi Rafsanjani and Mohammad Khatami, covering the period from 1989 to 2005, Iranian authorities gradually granted Baha'is a few basic civil rights, such as the right to register marriages and to obtain passports. But Baha'is still face many hurdles and discrimination in matters of personal status and civil rights.

In 2023 the authorities introduced a new digital registry system for the registration of marriages, which has now denied the Baha'is the right to register their marriages. The online system requires couples to state their religious affiliation, which only provides options for the four recognized religions and does not provide an option to select "Baha'i" or "Other". The result of this action is that Baha'is are now excluded from registering their marriages, which also effects the registration of births, divorces, and inheritance.

According to Amnesty International, after the 1979 revolution, Iranian authorities desecrated and, in some cases, demolished Baha'i cemeteries across the country. To date, Baha'is report that local authorities interfere with burial processes and refuse to allow Baha'is to bury their loved ones in historically Baha'i cemeteries. In one of the latest cases, the BIC spokesperson said that in April 2021, authorities attempted to prevent Baha'is in Tehran from burying their deceased in a place previously allocated to them in Tehran's Khavaran cemetery. Authorities reportedly temporarily reversed their decision under national and international pressure, but in recent months have again increased pressure on the Baha'i community to bury their loved ones elsewhere-in an area which is believed to be the site of a mass grave of thousands of individuals killed in a mass execution of political prisoners and prisoners of conscience in the summer of 1988. On April 29, 2023, Radio Farda reported that authorities buried at least three Baha'is in that area without the consent of the family or a proper religious burial process.BIC has reported that this number has subsequently risen to scores of forced burials in the Khavaran mass grave site as at the end of November 2023.

Discrimination Codified in Iran's Constitution

After the revolution, Iran's constitution designated Islam as the official religion of the country and Shi'ism as the official Islamic sect. The constitution granted some other schools of Islam close to full protection of the lawand recognized certain, specific religious minorities. According to article 13 of the constitution, "Zoroastrian, Jewish, and Christian Iranians are the only recognized religious minorities, who, within the limits of the law, are free to perform their religious rites and ceremonies, and to act according to their own canon in matters of personal affairs and religious education [emphasis added]."

Religious minorities that are unrecognized in the constitution, including Baha'is, are not entitled to such limited constitutional protection, and face greater discrimination in criminal and civil law.

Discrimination Rooted in Iran's Legal Codes

Iran enshrines discrimination against religious minorities throughout its legal system. For example, penalties in criminal law for members of religious minorities (both recognized and unrecognized) differ from those enjoyed by the Muslim majority for certain crimes. Iran's penal code states that non-Muslims will be subjected to more severe penalties than Muslims for the crimes of adultery, homosexuality, and premeditated murder. For adultery and tafkhiz (putting a male sex organ between the thighs or buttocks of another man), a non-Muslim male will be punished by the death penalty, according to Iran's penal code, while a Muslim male will be punished by floggings.

Members of the Baha'i community also face discrimination in matters related to personal status. In March 2022, the UN special rapporteur on freedom of religion said in a report that being a member of the Baha'i faith can result in "the loss of custody of children in divorce proceedings the non-recognition of marriages, and the state disregarding contents of wills or Baha'i inheritance laws in disputed estate matters." According to government documents published by BIC, following numerous complaints made to the administration of President Mohammad Khatami, on February 21, 2000, then-deputy interior minister and executive political director of the interior ministry communicated to governors' offices that registering "marriages of couples without listing their religion, whether they are from non-Islamic sects or unofficial religions, is now allowed."Two interviewees explained, however, that Baha'i marriages are registered by recording the affidavits of the two spouses (as opposed to registration by the state).

Human Rights and Minority Rights' Protections

As a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), Iran is obligated to protect everyone's right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion. Under ICCPR's article 18:

The Human Rights Committee's general comment on ICCPR's article 18, states that:

Among other documents, these obligations are spelled out in the non-discrimination clauses of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). Article 27 of ICCPR states that:

Iran is a party to both the ICCPR and ICESCR. It is clear, however, not only that the Iranian authorities have failed to fulfil their obligations to protect the rights of Baha'is, including their rights to freedom of religion, education, work, freedom from arbitrary arrests, fair trials enshrined in the covenants, but they have gone even further by launching a relentless campaign, led by the highest levels of government, to "contain" and "block the progress" of Baha'is as a religious minority.

It is important that states and the United Nations institutions press the Iranian authorities to halt the violations against and protect the rights of the Baha'is and other religious minorities. But the cumulative impact of ongoing violations against the Baha'i community amounts to severe violations of fundamental rights and may amount to an international crime.

Crime Against Humanity of Persecution

Among the 11 categories the Rome Statute defined as crimes against humanity is the crime of persecution.

Liability for serious crimes under international law is not limited to those who carry out the acts, but also those who order, assist, or are otherwise complicit in the crimes. That includes liability on the basis of command responsibility in which military and civilian officials, up to the top of the chain of command, can be held criminally responsible for crimes committed by their subordinates, when they knew or should have known that such crimes were being committed, but failed to take reasonable measures to prevent or stop them.

Iranian authorities regularly claim that Baha'is are targeted for committing national security crimes, but an abundance of judicial and policy documents make it clear that Baha'is are targeted because of their identity as a religious group. In fact, in numerous instances Iranian authorities have told Baha'is who were excluded from university or arrested and sentenced that to avoid these punishments they need to simply identify as Muslim in order to have their rights restored. This attitude is also reflected in official educational, employment, and civil documents and forms where applicants are only given the option of choosing from a recognized religion and Baha'is are encouraged by local official to simply choose the category Muslim to "avoid trouble."

The existence of numerous policy documents and regular references in judicial proceedings demonstrate that these egregious rights violations are committed as widespread state policy that is directed at the highest level. The cumulative impact of discriminatory and depredatory policies amount to serious violations of Baha'is' fundamental rights including freedom from arbitrary arrest and persecution, as well as economic rights such as to education and work. These measures appear to be taken with the intent to economically strangulate the community (for example, from the 1991 memo).

Systemic violations spelled out in this report including Baha'is rights to freedom of religion, education, work, freedom from arbitrary arrests, fair trials as well as authorities' overarching policy to prevent Baha'i's progress as a community are widespread and ongoing to this date.

Human Rights Watch believes that because of the gravity of these ongoing violations and that they are conducted in a systematic manner and with a clear discriminatory intent, they amount to the crime of persecution and that this should be investigated by credible judicial authorities. This would be the standalone crime of persecution under customary international law. It could also amount to the crime against humanity of persecution under the Rome Statute, in connection with other crimes under that Statute including the crimes of enforced disappearances, arbitrary detention, murder or other inhumane acts.

Criminal accountability is not only a crucial element of justice for those affected by the abuses but also an essential part of preventing the commission of such crimes in the future.

Iran is not a party to the International Criminal Court (ICC). Iran has also not incorporated crimes against humanity into its domestic legal framework. But under the principle of universal jurisdiction national judicial authorities in other countries can pursue cases involving serious crimes. "Universal jurisdiction" refers to the authority of national judicial systems to investigate and prosecute certain of the most serious crimes under international law no matter where they were committed, and regardless of the nationality of the suspects or their victims.

Countries have not uniformly implemented international law and universal jurisdiction into their national laws. As a result, some countries have universal jurisdiction for some crimes and not for others, and the starting date for such jurisdiction can vary. Most countries' laws require the suspect to be present on their territory.

Over the past two decades, the national courts of an increasing number of countries have pursued cases involving grave international crimes such as war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearance, and torture committed abroad. These experiences show that fair and effective exercise of universal jurisdiction is achievable where there are the right judicial commitments, adequate resources, and a combination of appropriate laws and political will.

Rights of Baha'is to Remedy and Reparation

Apart from investigating the commission of international crimes and holding those accountable for serious violations against Baha'is for more than 40 years, and in cases that do not rise to the level of criminal accountability, Iranian authorities are obligated to provide victims of gross human rights violations with compensation. In according the Basic Principles and Guidelines on the Right to a Remedy and Reparation for Victims of Gross Violations of International Human Rights Law and Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law the victims should be provided with full and effective reparation, which include restitution, compensation, rehabilitation, satisfaction, and guarantees of non-repetition. According to the basic principles " compensation should be provided for any economically assessable damage, as appropriate and proportional to the gravity of the violation and the circumstances of each case, resulting from gross violations of international human rights law and serious violations of international humanitarian law that includes:

(a) Physical or mental harm;

(b) Lost opportunities, including employment, education and social benefits;

(c) Material damages and loss of earnings, including loss of earning potential;

Human Rights Watch extends its heartfelt gratitude to Baha'i International Community (BIC) for their invaluable collaboration and support throughout the process of gathering information and crafting this report. Without their assistance, this endeavor would not have been possible.

Human Rights Watch also expresses its deepest appreciation to all the interviewees who generously shared their insights and experiences with us, whose willingness to speak openly about their experiences enriched this report immeasurably.

Tara Sepehri Far, senior researcher in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Division, along with Nahid Naghshbandi, research assistant in the MENA Division, and Azin Mohajerin, former research assistant in the MENA division, conducted interviews for, researched, and wrote this report. Michael Page, Middle East and North Africa deputy director, provided assistance in editing and advancing the report.

Tom Porteous, deputy director in the Program office, provided program review. Clive Baldwin, senior legal advisor in the Legal and Policy Office, provided legal review. Balkees Jarrah, International Justice Division associate director and acting MENA deputy director, provided substantive review, as well as: Farida Deif, Canada Director; Sarah Yager, Washington Director; and Victoria Strang, Policy Advocate with Faith Communities.

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The 49-page report, "'The Boot on My Neck': Iranian Authorities' Crime of Persecution Against Baha'is in Iran," documents Iranian authorities' systematic violation of the fundamental rights of members of the Baha'i community through discriminatory laws and policies that target them. Human Rights Watch found that Baha'is face a spectrum of abuses.

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A photo of a protest held in Rio De Janeiro against the imprisonment of 7 Bahai's in Iran.

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Because of this persecution many Iranian Baha'is have been forced to immigrate to different countries, yet because of this there has also been a great deal of successful teaching efforts and diversification of the faith around the world.

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The Baha'i faith encourages a great deal of educational institutions that have influence on communities globally. Among these intitiatives is the Ruhi insitute which is a curriculum that seeks to give guidance on Baha'i theological and moral principles, how people can contribute towards the betterment of their communities, and the improvement of peoples literacy and consultative/collaborative skills. The emphasis of many of these endeavors target youth as they're seen as the spear heads of social change and impetus of growth and development within our communities.

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I believe that the significance that education and service has within Baha'i culture encourages a lifestyle that is in tune with the needs of their community. There are many writings that emphasize the harmony of science and religion, and the encouragement of intellectual development as a facet of the collective betterment of society. I feel seeing these endeavors through this holistic mindset creates a solidarity founded on an open-minded desire to learn that distinguishes itself from many other religious dogmas founded on parochial world-views. There is also a great deal of inclusivity and encouragement of diverse perspective within Baha'i educational systems that stands in stark contrast to many of the hidden curriculums that we've discussed in this course.

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Video that explains the theology and foundational moral principles of the Baha'is faith.

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What is the Baha'i Faith? An Introduction by Rainn Wilson

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The Baha'i faith has been an important source of social stability to communities around the world because of its foundational beliefs of universal unity. This unity is founded on action and motivates people to identify the needs of their community and pragmatic solutions. I believe this creates a culture of vigilance that ceaselessly tries to improve the quality of life of communities around the world through edification and social initiatives that are inclusive to people of all backgrounds.