Usually, in examining the conditions and circumstances within a specific period of time and on a particular subject, an attempt is made to compare and evaluate it with previous periods. In this regard, if the situation of the Baha’is in the era of Mr. Rouhani is to be examined, it must be compared with the era of the previous president, Mr. Ahmadinejad. This comparison has a major flaw; because the performance of the government and the ruling system in Iran during that period was so weak and flawed in various levels and areas (especially due to the heinous mistake of suppressing the people) that it is not possible to reach a coherent understanding and perception of the current situation through comparison with it. This was one of the fortunate circumstances for Mr. Rouhani, who took over the presidency after the death of the previous president, whose performance was full of negligence and mistakes. However, this comparison of the situation of the Baha’is in the Rouhani era with the Ahmad

The continuation of the unsafe and blind anger shadow.

Honestly, what could be worse than constantly living under the shadow of insecurity, with someone or a group of people always watching over you in fear and terror? How does the situation of the Baha’is in Iran differ from that of the Jews during Hitler’s regime, when they were threatened and subjected to the brutal violence of the Nazis, experiencing horror and merciless slaughter? (3) Insecurity can take various forms and degrees, and the Iranian government, with the hatred and violence it has shown towards the Baha’is, has always reinforced the possibility of using all its power in a ruthless manner to destroy the members of this community in an unknown future and at an opportune moment. The nature of anger, hatred, and violence is nothing more than creating a blind and ruthless state in its owners and taking away their reason and judgment. The truth of the matter is that it is impossible to understand the treatment and suppression of the Baha’is, which has been carried out by the Iranian

Politics and personality of the clergy

Mr. Rouhani, who came to power in 2013 with the support of reformists, has a background that is not unrelated to his personality and character. Of course, understanding his personality and character is not easy, given the issues that are beyond the scope of this article, but it can be said briefly that in the world of politics, it is common for someone who has been involved in security work for many years to try to keep his personal life hidden. This is exactly the case with Mr. Rouhani. Overall, it can be said that over time, there has been a positive change in his positions and thoughts, which can be attributed to the new circumstances where anyone who does not accept the new political discourse is considered an enemy and is abandoned and sanctioned by the people. The prominent and focal point of his recent speeches has been “security”, which the Baha’is have not benefited from. However, his understanding of “security” is national and economic security, not the

Spiritual rotation?

Regarding his recent statements, it should be noted that there is a clear difference compared to before. In August 1980, he had suggested: “It would be good for the conspirators to bring them to Friday prayers and hang them in the gallows so that people can see and its impact would be greater.” Also, his satisfaction in the past with the fact that he has been successful in purging groups opposed to the Islamic Republic is due to these apparent shifts. However, how can his recent expression of happiness about the membership of Mostafa Pourmohammadi, the perpetrator of the execution of thousands of opponents of the Islamic Republic in the summer of 1967, in his government as Minister of Justice be related to his previous statements? (6) It is not surprising that reformists support Rouhani with such qualities, as they “know that turning human rights into a discourse or main platform in the political space can trap some important faces of reformists for their actions during the time

Excessive attention to the JCPOA in the media leads to less attention to human rights.

But what stood out more than any other action in the past 4 years, was Mr. Rouhani’s attention-grabbing presence on the world stage, particularly in regards to the issue of the Iran nuclear deal, which was seen as a successful program by himself and the reformists. However, it seems that this issue, seemingly unrelated to the Baha’is and other minorities, may not have been as harmless to them as it appeared. According to unofficial and private sources, it is said that in the negotiations for the nuclear deal, the Iranian side considered human rights and the suppression of Baha’is as a red line, even if it wasn’t explicitly stated. It must be acknowledged that the vast majority of Persian and non-Persian media’s focus on this issue cannot have any impact on the state of “human rights in Iran,” which in the current circumstances has been reduced to a mere media topic, and in this regard, one can mention the diversion of attention in the

The situation of the Baha’is during the spiritual era and the difficulty of understanding their circumstances.

The descriptions mentioned above indicate that the situation for Baha’is in Iran is strange and governed by a high price; and truly, in a space where even mentioning “Baha’i” or saying the word “Baha’i” in the presence of government officials is dangerous, how can one write about their rights and legal status in a way that their rights are recognized? How can one describe the psychological state of Baha’is, which is mixed with discrimination and a forceful attitude that does not tolerate hearing any words or seeing Baha’is? How can one describe it in such a way that others can understand? So that they do not tremble in the shadow of a demon and are not afraid of the roar of a lion, and the fear and trembling of demons and monsters do not become possible. With all these details, thanks to the media coverage of human rights issues in Iran and the actions of Iranian human rights media, it has become clear that the situation of Baha

From 2009 to 2016, 860 Baha’is have been arrested on baseless charges, with more than 151 of those cases occurring during Mr. Rouhani’s presidency.

At least 80 people are imprisoned on false charges.

More than 20,000 articles, videos, and pieces have been produced and broadcasted in a biased manner against Baha’is in the media of the Islamic Republic.

4- In 2014, 80 shops belonging to Bahais were arbitrarily sealed off for only one month because they closed their shops on religious holidays. In the administration of Mr. Rouhani, at least 388 Bahais have faced serious threats, including sealing off their businesses and other obstacles, related to their occupation and place of work.

5- The murders of Mr. Ataollah Rezvani (September 2013) by gunshot, Farhang Amiri (October 2016) by knife, and Ahmad Fanayan (December 2016) whose burned body was found, along with other suspicious killings that occurred before the era of Mr. Rouhani.

6- A terrifying knife attack on a family of 3 in their home in Birjand in 2014;

7- Deprivation of hundreds of valuable students from education and university with cunning tricks;

8- The threat and imprisonment of many managers, servants, and teachers of the BIHE scientific institute without any convincing reason;
In this report, there is also mention of the duality in Mr. Rouhani’s words and the actions that the ruling faction in Iran takes against the Baha’is; and in this regard, although the minimum expectation is for statesmen to openly acknowledge and refrain from denying it, such expectation and feeling does not prevent belief in reality. As the poet has said well about it:

“Little traveler! What news have you brought?”

Where did you hear the news from?

Be happy, but

You are wandering fruitlessly on the rooftop and door.

There is no news waiting for me.

Neither a visit, nor a strike, but a burden of responsibility.
ی نیست

Go there, where there is no eye or ear.

Go there, they are waiting for you.

Little traveler! In my heart, everyone is blind and deaf.

Take your hand off this strange homeland of yours.

“Do you still have a spark of greed in your stove that I don’t see any flames?”

The clouds of all worlds cry in my heart day and night.

1- Footnotes:
1- Asma Jahangir, UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran, referring to the same issue, says “Similar methods are used in Iran to silence those who express opposing views.” Quoted from Voice of America website.
2- Of course, in this regard, the above statement does not prevent us from knowing that the massacre of Baha’is in Iran has not been completely eliminated, and especially during the Rouhani era, we have witnessed at least three suspicious murders, which it is difficult to absolve the ruling power from, along with other bloody and severe attacks against them.
3- It seems that the only difference is that the Nazi regime used brutal methods against the oppressed Jews at that time, which the soft and human rights conditions in the international community allowed them to do, and now, if they wanted, they could not do the same as they did at that time; but it should be considered whether the Nazi regime had the facilities