Results 31 to 40 of 561

Baha'is and rights groups say Iranian president must address discrimination at home

GENEVA, 19 April 09

The Baha’i International Community joined two human rights organizations in calling on Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to address discrimination in his own country when he speaks this week at the conference known as Durban II. The statement was issued as a joint news release by the Baha’i International Community, the Iranian League for the Defense of Human Rights (LDDHI), and the International Federation of Human Rights (FIDH)

Egypt officially changes rules for ID cards

CAIRO, Egypt, 17 April 09

Egypt’s Ministry of Interior this week published a decree that allows individuals to obtain government documents without identifying themselves as belonging to a particular religion. The decree is the result of a recent Egyptian Supreme Administrative Court ruling – in a case involving Baha’is – that on government ID cards and other documents, individuals may put a dash in the field denoting religious affiliation.

Canada's Parliament condemns persecution of Baha'is in Iran

OTTAWA, 02 April 09

Canada's House of Commons has unanimously adopted a strongly worded motion condemning the persecution of Baha'is in Iran and calling on the Iranian government to release Baha'i leaders imprisoned in Tehran

Web site offers information for visiting Baha'i gardens, shrines

HAIFA, Israel, 19 March 09

A new Web site with information for visiting the Baha'i shrines and gardens in Haifa and Acre was introduced today by the Baha'i International Community. The Web site gives details about tours, hours, and the gardens themselves, as well as information about visiting the Shrine of Baha'u'llah in Acre and the Shrine of the Bab in Haifa. The shrines are the resting places of the founders of the Baha'i Faith.

Naw-Ruz this year marks centenary of entombment of the Bab

HAIFA, Israel, 18 March 09

On March 21, Baha'is around the world will mark Naw-Ruz - their new year - a date that this year coincides with the 100th anniversary of the interment of the remains of the Bab on Mount Carmel. On Naw-Ruz in 1909, 'Abdu'l-Baha, then the head of the Baha'i Faith, laid to rest the mortal remains of the Bab. 'Abdu'l-Baha personally placed the precious trust in its place in a building he had had constructed on Mount Carmel in Haifa.

Egyptian court removes barriers to ID documents for Baha'is

GENEVA, 16 March 09

A court in Egypt today removed any grounds for preventing Baha'is from receiving proper official identity documents, clearing the way for an end to years of deprivation for Egyptian Baha'is - and opening the door to a new level of respect for religious privacy in Egypt

Baha'i International Community sends letter to Iran's chief prosecutor

NEW YORK, 06 March 09

The Baha'i International Community has issued an open letter to Iran's prosecutor general outlining the tragic history of the persecution of Baha'is in that country, explaining their innocence in the face of accusations made by the government, and asking for fairness in any upcoming trial of seven Baha'i prisoners

Historic 18-week conference series comes to an end

KIEV, Ukraine, 03 March 09

The historic series of 41 Baha’i conferences that began four months ago in southern Africa wrapped up last weekend in eastern Europe with a gathering in the Ukrainian capital of Kiev. Some 730 people – mostly from Ukraine, Russia, Moldova, Armenia, Belarus, Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia – attended the Kiev event, which like all 41 of the conferences was convened by the Universal House of Justice.

Regional conferences in Ghana and Azerbaijan conclude

ACCRA, Ghana, 24 February 09

Accra was host this last weekend to the largest of the nine regional conferences held in Africa with 1,700 participants from eight countries. The Accra gathering was held concurrently with the regional conference in Baku, Azerbaijan. They were the 39th and 40th in the series called for by the Universal House of Justice and begun on 1 November in Lusaka, Zambia.

European Union expresses “deep concern” over seven Baha'i prisoners

GENEVA, 18 February 09

The European Union yesterday issued a statement expressing its “deep concern” over Iran’s plans to bring seven imprisoned Baha'i leaders to trial for espionage and other charges soon. The Baha’i International Community has called for their immediate release, maintaining their innocence and characterizing the regime’s claims as an “escalation of its systematic crackdown on the Baha’is