What's happening to Baháʼí faith practitioners living in Iran?
Baháʼí leaders in the United States are sounding the alarm, saying the hundreds of thousands of believers in Iran are facing growing persecution and scrutiny over their beliefs.
As one of the world's newest religions, the Baháʼí faith is also one of the fastest growing. Founded in the 19th century in Iran, the faith centers around principles of humanity and oneness.
Under the current regime in Iran, Baháʼís have long faced persecution. A senior faith leader estimates that between 1979 and 1998, thousands were arrested by the Iranian government. Hundreds were executed and countless others were forced to recant their faith.
As the war in Iran intensifies, the persecution is once again growing, says Anthony Vance Sr., representative of public affairs for Baháʼís in the U.S. He says right now, 57 Baháʼís are imprisoned in Iran.
"Over time, we see the dangers, the immediate dangers to these individuals as just the tip of the iceberg," Vance said. "If the government chooses to go in the direction of severe scapegoating it has pursued in the past, if they were to do it this time around with such severe trials that the country has gone to recently, it may feel justified in expanding its punishment from its perspective."
Vance says their effort now is to sound the alarm to what Baháʼí's in Iran are experiencing.
"We're very much hoping that a set of circumstances will arise such that religious freedom becomes commonplace in Iran rather than the opposite," he said.
Bigger Than Belief
You can listen to a full conversation with Anthony Vance on this week's episode of "Bigger Than Belief" — a weekly podcast exploring faith, belief and religion, all through the stories of believers.
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