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October 24, 2024

“Unmarked shrine, destruction with faith/ Jafarian thought”

Summer of the year that I was supposed to go to the preschool in its autumn, which they used to call “preparation” at the time, we went to a strange place with my mother, her niece, and a group of people I didn’t know. It was a remote and hot place where you couldn’t easily see anything except for the feet of people standing in front of you, or you couldn’t hear any sound from them except for the cries of their children, which of course could be seen with one eye. A child’s hand in my age was pulling my ear. Finally, we arrived at an empty yard where everyone stood with their dusty shoes. I was tired of seeing only feet and feeling the heat. I let go of the hand I was holding and tried to find a way for myself among the feet. When all the feet were over, there was a relatively large yard with many bumps and heights in front of my eyes. Without delay, I went to the nearest

“In many cities in Iran, Bahai cemeteries were seized. The gravestones were broken apart with bulldozers and the graves were desecrated. The Bahai cemetery in Tehran, known as Golestan-e-Javid, was seized and its gates were closed on December 4, 1981. Thirteen employees were arrested and imprisoned by order of the Islamic Revolutionary Court. After wandering for some time and with the forced burial of several Bahai families’ deceased in their own backyards, the Bahais of Tehran were allowed to bury their dead in a remote and desolate land known as “La’nat Abad” or “Kofrabad”. Golestan-e-Javid, which was once a vast and lush area, later became a cultural foundation called “Khavaran”.”

It is mentioned in the footnote of this page:

“In the year 1388 (2009), the cursed cemetery of Lavizan, which in addition to the graves of Baha’i martyrs, also included the tombs of hundreds of young martyrs, was once again violated and destroyed. The Islamic Republic government apparently used the excuse of establishing a cultural center, but in reality, it was to cover up the mass executions and make the site unrecognizable by burying it under the same soil.”

Bahais in Iran or Communists (with any ideology and thinking) or those who were not accepted as a religious minority, have never been safe from the oppression of such behaviors. So much so that after 1988 and in 1997, we have also witnessed the destruction of these places in the east. The noteworthy point in this process is that even the accepted minorities (according to the Islamic Republic) have not been safe from this harm.

There is no Farsi text provided to translate. Please provide the Farsi text to be translated.
Destruction of Christian cemetery in Kermanshah – Photo by Mahabat News

The destruction of the Christian cemetery in Kermanshah is an incident that occurred in the month of Khordad 1396. This cemetery complex belongs to the Armenians and Christians, and its destruction is being carried out by the Kermanshah municipality through the irrigation of the cemetery grounds. Large parts of this cemetery have been seized by the municipality in previous years and sold, and construction has taken place on it. As a result, only a small remaining section of this vast cemetery is left, which is also being destroyed.

In addition to these destructions, it is necessary to mention the destruction of holy places of dervishes, which had a similar fate to the destruction of Baha’i holy places (such as the destruction of the House of Bab and Bahaullah in Shiraz and the construction of a mosque and square on their land).

The destruction of the Darvishan Hosseiniyeh in Borujerd is the third case of conflict between radical forces affiliated with Basij and the Darvishan Gonabadis in the past 20 months. (3) In the attack on the Darvishan Gonabadi Hosseiniyeh in Borujerd, Basij members were supported by special anti-insurgency units. Basij plainclothes forces, after two days of siege during the 19th and 20th of Aban month, finally took over the Darvishan Gonabadi Hosseiniyeh in Borujerd by using force and violence, resulting in the injury of over 50 Darvishan members and the arrest of over 700 of them, and set it on fire. At 3:30 am on Monday, 20th of Aban month, the attackers demolished the Darvishan Hosseiniyeh in Borujerd

Two months ago, a similar conflict was reported in Karaj. At that time, nearly one hundred members of the Basij forces in Karaj surrounded the Hosseiniyeh Darvishan-e Gonabad in Karaj for several consecutive nights and threatened to occupy it. However, it seems that due to security concerns and the worries of high-ranking government officials, the outbreak of conflict in Tehran and Karaj has been postponed and the Hosseiniyeh Darvishan-e Gonabad in Karaj has been spared from occupation and destruction.

This is a picture.
Photo of the book “One Hundred and Sixty Years of Struggle Against the Baha’i Faith”.

In late Bahman 1384 (February 2006), a group of Basij members in the city of Qom, after several days of siege on the Shariat Hosseiniyeh belonging to Gonabadis Dervishes, during intense clashes that resulted in the arrest of 1200 Dervishes and the injury of dozens of others, took over the Hosseiniyeh. In the early hours of 24 Bahman, the Shariat Hosseiniyeh in Qom was leveled to the ground in the presence of special anti-riot units and security forces of the Islamic Republic, and its land was turned into a parking lot. The arrested Dervishes were imprisoned for a long time and the court sentenced some of them to prison and even revoked the licenses of some of the lawyers defending the Dervishes.

It seems that the encounters with the Gonabad dervishes indicate that dealing with dervishes is part of a more comprehensive plan of the Islamic Republic system to confront what they call “internal security threats.” (4).

It must be mentioned that in the winter of 96, due to the attack on the home of the Gonabadi dervishes, we have also been faced with intense conflicts that led to a new wave of arrests and suppression of the dervishes in Tehran.

The destruction of various minority intellectual and religious cemeteries and their sacred places is gradually becoming an official norm in Iran and all its cities. This official norm, which is incompatible with any sense of justice, has been ongoing since the days of my memory until now. It seems that the only thing that has changed is the degree of severity of this action, but like the law of conservation of energy, it does not disappear. Perhaps the answer to the question of what kind of personality framework can be the basis for such destruction can alleviate the pain of all those who suffer from these discriminations.

Antisocial personality disorder.

اختلال شخصیت ضد اجتماعی

Antisocial personality disorder.)

A type of personality disorder in which the individual does not feel guilty or anxious about their behaviors. The hallmark of this disorder is persistent antisocial actions. Patients with antisocial personality disorder do not exhibit any signs of depression or anxiety.

The descriptions they give about their antisocial behavior are such that it seems as if the behavior was done out of thoughtlessness and indifference. However, there is no sign of delusion or other symptoms of irrational thinking in the mental content of the patient. They often have a very high sense of reality and are often influenced by their good verbal intelligence. Sexual recklessness, spousal abuse, and child abuse are common occurrences in the lives of these patients, and what is very noticeable is that they never regret their actions; it’s as if they have no conscience at all. (5).

Individuals with antisocial personality disorder, anxiety, guilt, or remorse do not experience these emotions even if they have caused significant harm to others. They often remain calm and dignified when confronted with their destructive behavior and feel disgust towards those who can deceive them.

These individuals act without regard for potential consequences based on their own impulses. They suddenly change their jobs and relationships and are prone to violence and recklessness. People with antisocial personalities can be very charming and persuasive, and are highly aware of the needs and weaknesses of others.

Although it may seem that such individuals are likely to become criminals, many members of society avoid legal problems and harm others by using less noticeable methods as fraudulent politicians.

Notes:

  1. Wahman, Fereydoun, one hundred and sixty years of struggle against the Baha’i faith, New Era Publications, 2009, p. 553.

  2. Same, p. 552.

  3. “Yeganeh, Bijan, Destruction of Khanqahs; End of Coexistence between Clerics and Dervishes?, Radio Farda, 23 November 2007.”

  4. Same.

  5. Sadock, Benjamin, Kaplan, Harold, Synopsis of Psychiatry, Vol. 2, translated by Rezaei, Farzin, Tehran: Arjmand Publications, 1388.

Created By: Andisheh Jafari
May 22, 2018

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