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This is a caption.Hassan Yousefi Ashkoori

Most likely, the majority of people and media have been informed that recently in one of the villages in Damavand, the body of a Baha’i woman (apparently at night) was taken out of the grave and abandoned in the desert. Later, the police found the body and informed the family members, asking them to take the body to Tehran and bury it there. However, due to the family’s refusal (strictly for religious reasons), the body was taken to Tehran without their consent and buried in the Baha’i cemetery.

This is the whole story. But this seemingly insignificant event has had a widespread impact and has sparked a wave of anger, hatred, and protest. In the midst of this, a number of Muslim religious scholars strongly protested this important and horrific event by issuing a statement. I was also one of the signatories.

First, let me mention that although this incident may not seem very important in the grand scheme of things, especially in a time when unfortunately every day and every moment we hear bad and distressing news from our homeland; poverty and destitution, lack of water and water scarcity, environmental destruction, continuous decrease in national currency, expansion of Iranians living below the poverty line, daily unrest, protests by different groups and classes of people for various reasons, imprisonment and execution and death under various excuses, rape and harassment and all kinds of violence…; all of these are so important that next to them, the possibility of an elderly Baha’i woman’s grave being desecrated may not seem very significant. But the reality is that the dimensions of this incident are so tragic that it makes every honorable and free human being feel sorrow and protest, and the depth of this tragedy shakes the soul of every peace-loving and patriotic Iranian.

In the simplest terms, it can be said that even the dead are not safe in the Islamic Republic of Iran. A little reflection on this simple and perhaps colloquial statement reveals the depth of the tragedy. In all authoritarian and self-serving regimes, citizens (who are not truly citizens in practice) are faced with various pressures, restrictions, harassment, torture, and death. However, it is less common for them to have dealings with the dead. At the very least, after death, individuals find peace in their graves and their loved ones are able to hold funerals and mourn and pay their respects. But in the Islamic Republic of Iran, the dead, especially critics and opponents of religious or political beliefs, are often deprived of even this possibility.

This claim becomes clear with a brief review of the government’s record in these forty years. From political opponents and their secret burial and mass graves (including the bloody summer of 67) and the breaking of the gravestones of various opponents, let us pass over this tragedy that has repeatedly happened to our Baha’i compatriots. This is while Baha’is have never been involved in politics, nor have they ever opposed the current Islamic system or caused any disturbance. Of course, they themselves admit that they follow this method and tradition based on their religious rules and traditions.

However, such behavior can be considered from various perspectives.

The first ugliness of this behavior is moral. In any case, ethics and ethical standards are the most important and fundamental component of human and social life in all human societies; in a way that the lack of ethical life and even its weakness leads to the weakness of human relationships and this weakness ultimately leads to the collapse of society and the loss of social assets. Mutual respect and observance of mutual rights are among the most fundamental components of human ethics. Especially in this regard, showing respect for the deceased in all cultures, religions, and ancient and modern traditions is a visible and worthy matter.

Another issue is ensuring comprehensive security, which must be present in all parts of society and in all territories; security of life, property, housing, villages, cities, countries, occupations, education, etc. Respect for the deceased is also of special importance in the realm of security and is one of the most important and oldest concerns of all human societies. In this regard, governments have the greatest responsibility.

The third topic is the preservation of national solidarity. National solidarity has always been important and has been recognized by most people, but in modern times, since the emergence of national units under the name of nation-state and the increasing importance of geographical, cultural, and political unity, the element of national solidarity has become more prominent. It goes without saying that national solidarity is achieved through ethics, security, justice, peace, equality, public welfare, and in one word, the respect for the rights of all citizens without discrimination.

Given these three components, it can be said that although the Islamic Republic has violated and disregarded the rights of other Iranian citizens (including Muslims and some religious scholars) in the past forty years, it has also continuously committed injustices against its Baha’i compatriots, systematically depriving them of all their rights, including the right to life. In the light of the principle of nation-state in modern society, gender, religion, ethnicity, sect, and the like are not criteria for citizenship rights. Therefore, absolute equality reigns among all Iranians, regardless of their religion or lack thereof, and no individual, group, or religion has any special rights or privileges. Today, it is the duty of the government and the people to strengthen national solidarity, uphold universal human ethics, ensure public security, and make every effort to strengthen the foundations of national unity. Especially since such inhumane behaviors are carried out in the name of religion, it is incumbent upon every Muslim to condemn and protest against

Unfortunately, in these forty years, Iranian Bahais have been deprived even of their basic human and citizenship rights. From the right to education and employment, to the right to practice their religion and express their beliefs, and ultimately the right to die and be buried in their homeland according to their religious traditions. Such behaviors only increase hatred and religious and human prejudices. Hoping for a better tomorrow.