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Iranian cleric gives due recognition to Baha’is as Iranian citizens
This is a piece of good news for human rights (may I quickly remind everyone, the first fundamental aim of shari’a is freedom of religious belief): Ayatollah Montazeri has proclaimed that Baha’is are rightful Iranian citizens and should be treated as such:
In the Name of the Most High
With greetings,
The congregation of Baha’ism not having the heavenly book like those of Jews, Christians, and Zoroastrians in the constitution [of Islamic republic of Iran], are not considered one of the religious minorities. However, since they are the citizens of this country, they have the right of citizenship and to live in this country. Furthermore, they must benefit from the Islamic compassion which is stressed in Quran and by the religious authorities.
God-willing you will be successful,
(Wal Salam–u Alaykum Warahmatullah)
[Peace and Mercy of God be upon you]25 Urdibehesht 1387 [14 May 2008]
Signature: Montazeri [Seal]
I’m not an expert on Iranian politics, but reading between the lines is the Ayatollah signaling that the arrest of the Baha’i leadership in Iran, is incompatible with the Iranian constitution and the normative Islamic ethic of compassion?
I, and many Muslims like me, certainly believe so. May Allah 
reward the Ayatollah for having the moral courage to speak out against oppression of a religious minority. The Qur’an warns us to protect the rights of religious minorities, even if they possess theological beliefs incompatible with the fundamental tenets of Islam:
Let there be no compulsion in religion: truth stands out clear from error (Al-Baqarah 2:256).
And [thus it is:] had thy Sustainer so willed, all those who live on earth would surely have attained to faith, all of them: dost thou, then, think that thou couldst compel people to believe? (Yunus 10:99)
For every one We have appointed a divine law and custom. If God had wished, He would have made you all one religious nation, but [God chose not to do that in order] to try you by what He has given you. So vie with one another in doing good works! Unto God you must all return, and He will then inform you of how you differ. (Al-Ma’idah 5:48)
Those who believe, and who are Jews, and Christians and Sabaeans – whoever believes in God and the Last Day and who works righteousness - they have their reward with their Lord, they shall not fear nor should they grieve. (Al-Baqarah 2:62, my emphasis)
O humankind! We have created you male and female, and have made you nations and tribes that you may know one another. The noblest of you, in the sight of God is the best in God-consciousness. God is knower, aware. (Al-Hujurat 49:13)
Frankly, the beliefs and practices of Baha’is are much closer to Islam than those of many of the ahl al-kitab (Jews and Christians). Furthermore, if Iranian and Arab Muslims would stop oppressing Baha’is, many of the latter might pause for a moment to look at what Islam itself actually teaches, rather than (understandably) see Muslims merely as persecutors and our beautiful religion as failed or out-of-date.
(Hijab flutter to Baha’is Online)
Tags: baha'is, Baha'iyya, human rights, Iran, Montazeri
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May 27th, 2008 at 8:10 am
I’m a Baha’i and I assure you that
Baha’is do not look upon Muslims
as persecutors. We can truthfully
say that ‘There is no God but God
and Mohammed is His prophet.’ We
simply do not agree that Mohammmed’s
title as ‘Seal of the Prophets’
means that he is that last prophet
that God sent to this planet.
Surely this question is a
debatable one? All the prophets
were persecuted because of such
‘debatable’ issues. The
tolerance you display in this
post is true to the Quran. May
God bless you for it.
May 27th, 2008 at 1:16 pm
Hi Martin,
Welcome to Dervish. You’re right of course, it is simplistic to say that Baha’is look at Muslims as persecutors, I am guilty of generalising. I apologise.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:40 pm
Dear Umm Yasmin, I wonder if you might finally comment on this letter below. Thank you!
Wahid Azal
NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY OF THE BAHA’IS OF AUSTRALIA INCORPORATED
In reply please quote ref no:
OPM/CD
3 April 2002
Mr Hamid Taheri
19 Dunbar Rd
CLAREMONT WA 6010
[(08) 938-45246]
Dear Baha’i Friend,
The National Spiritual Assembly understands that you are involved in a weekly Iranian television programme in Perth, sponsored by an Iranian Muslim.
As you would undoubtedly be aware the House of Justice calls for Baha’is to exercise great caution in their relations with the Iranian community. The National Assembly has determined that your involvement
in this programme is not wise. In the best interests of the Faith you should immediately cease your participation in this television programme.
Due to the need to protect the Faith in Australia the National Assembly feels it necessary to warn you that failure to comply with this instruction will result in the removal of your administrative rights. The National Assembly looks forward to receiving confirmation that you have discontinued this activity.
We take this opportunity to recommend that you re-familiarize yourself with the guidance of the Universal House of Justice in its letter
dated June 18, 1999. A copy of this letter is enclosed.
With loving Baha’i greetings,
NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY
OF THE BAHA’IS OF AUSTRALIA INC.
Stephen Hall
Secretary
May 29th, 2008 at 2:43 pm
Oh yes, I remember that. Disgraceful really. Whatever happened to the poor soul - did he keep on doing his chat show, or did he comply?
May 29th, 2008 at 3:07 pm
He told the NSA to lump it and continued, was sanctioned, soon withdrawing from the Haifan organization altogether. His children were subsequently ordered by the UHJ to shun their father, one of his daughter’s being appointed as an ABM for protection in the Perth area. Here is the UHJ letter to his son Omid, after the latter had written protesting his father being publicly libeled everywhere by the global Haifan Baha’i organization:
The Universal House of Justice
Department of Secretariat
20 February 2003
Transmitted by email: o…@iinet.net.au
Mr. Omeed Taheri
Australia
Dear Baha’i Friend,
Your email letter of 21 December 2002, sent on behalf of your
sisters Mrs Mahshid Taheri-Jones and Dr. Guity Taheri in addition to
yourself, has been received. We have been asked to provide the
following response.
The Universal House of Justice understands your distress at the
action taken by the National Spiritual Assembly of Australia in
removing the administrative rights of your father, Mr Hamid Taheri,
and your ardent desire to have this action rescinded. However, it has
decided, after a detailed examination of this matter, that the
decision of the National Assembly should be upheld and that he should
remain deprived of these rights.
In accordance with the procedure set out in Section VIII of the
By-Laws to “The Constitution of the Universal House of Justice”, an
appeal against such a National Spiritual Assembly decision should be
made by the individual concerned, who would, in the first instance,
approach his National Spiritual Assembly for reconsideration or
submission of his appeal to the House of Justice. In this instance,
the House of Justice decided to investigate the circumstances
surrounding the removal of Mr. Taheri’s rights, despite the fact that
there was no indication of his having initiated an appeal.
Mr Taheri’s administrative rights were removed in August 2002 for
his failure to adhere to a commitment to the National Assembly in May
2002 in which he signed. Just before the National Assembly took this
action its Secretary had ascertained, through a telephone call to Mr.
Taheri, that he was determined not to follow the Assembly’s
instructions and that he was aware of the possible consequences of his
disobedience.
Following its receipt of your letter, the House of Justice asked
the National Assembly to inquire further into Mr Taheri’s attitudes.
>From statements made directly to the National Assembly Chairman, it is
clear that he remains unrepentent about his actions and that he
continues to manifest an intense animosity toward the Baha’i
administrative bodies.
The House of Justice is most concerned about Mr. Taheri’s attitude
to the institutions of the Cause. It hopes that his own study of the
authoritative texts of the Faith concerning the Covenant and the
institutions to which it gives rise will enable him to make the
necessary changes in attitudes and conduct which would open the way to
restoration of his rights. Your own example of unyielding adherence to
the principles of the Faith, as well as your wholehearted support of
the decisions of the National Assembly, could well play an important
role in encouraging him to make the required alterations to his
thinking.
Your letter raises the issue of the plan of the National Assembly
to publish in the national Baha’i newsletter an announcement of the
removal of his administrative rights. In general such matters are left
to the discretion of a National Spiritual Assembly, which is asked to
consider the particular circumstances in each instance, including the
possibility of the believer concerned visiting other Baha’i
communities which might not be aware of his Baha’i status.
As regards Mr Taheri, there is good reason for an announcement to
be published in the national newsletter, in light of his recent
extensive travels.
The Universal House of Justice recognizes that you are apprehensive
about the effect on members of the family when it becomes more widely
known that your father’s administrative rights have been removed. It
urges your to reflect on the seriousness of his actions, and to strive
to obtain a deeper insight into the damaging effect that his attitude
towards the Baha’i institutions could have on other believers who
might not be well deepened in the Faith, if they are not ware of his
Baha’i status.
Your are assured of the prayers of the Universal House of Justice
in the Holy Shrines at this time of difficulty for you.
With loving Baha’i greetings,
Department of the Secretariat
cc. National Spiritual Assembly of Australia (by email)
May 29th, 2008 at 3:08 pm
Then there is this unanswered letter authored by Ahmad Karimpour,
26/08/02
Dear Friends,
I read your letter dated 20/08/02 with disgust and have decided to
respond to you in English and set the record straight concerning the
violation of my human and Baha’i rights and your continued coercive
and intimidatory behaviour.
Your initial correspondence to this servant contained false and
inaccurate allegations. You failed to conduct an independent enquiry
and find out the merits of the case presented to you. You recorded as
factual the rumours forwarded to you by a number of ill-intentioned
and attention-seeking individuals, some of whom are regarded as the
“learned!”. You accepted the unsubstantiated gossips of wrong-doers
and did not bother to hear my side of the argument. On this count you
have failed in one of the basic teachings of our beloved faith: the
Independent Investigation of the Truth.
You demanded from me, to recant my alleged association with an
organisation I know nothing about and threatened me with sanctions of
I did not comply. Though I objected to your bias and prejudice so
clearly evident from the tone of your letter, I drafted a short reply
and complied with your wishes. I did so purely out of my love for
Baha’u'llah and the martyrs of the Faith, whom I had the pleasure of
knowing.
Yet in your most recent reply, you once again threaten me with
sanctions even though I have complied with your every request. I take
refuge in God from your harassments. Your tactics of thought control,
inquisition, violation of my individual rights (innocent until proven
guilty), intimidation, threats and sanctions are in complete violation
of the role and function of a Spiritual Assembly as foretold by
Abd’ul
Baha and Shoghi Effendi. Your actions resemble the 14th century
Inquisition by the Roman Catholic priests.
Your continued harassment of this servant on false charges, have drawn
a wedge in our family and resulted in the desertion of the Faith by my
daughter - something even the mullahs were incapable of doing.
You have demonstrated to be a puppet in the hands of a few un-elected
evil individuals with fancy titles. Persons who can say what they like
and commit what wrong-doings they can without being questioned. I ask
you, to whom shall we turn to, if these individuals one day rape our
children? Why are they above the law?
Anyone who questions their evil methods and intentions, is labelled a
“covenant breaker” and cast out of the Faith. Disagreement with them
is seen as “trying to build a following” or “campaigning against the
covenant”. Free speech and expressions of opinion are stifled through
the imposition of a soviet style conformity with the system. One is
persecuted for thinking independently and threatened with sanctions.
Big Brother is watching every where and George Orwell’s 1984 is re-
lived before our very eyes.
In the mean time “Entry by Troops” becomes “Desertion by Troops” and
even the thought-police are not able to halt the un-precendented
desertions from the faith that we are witnessing today. Justice and
equality amongst the Bahai’s has given way to the creation of a new
class of clergy with unlimited powers to silence any signs of
independent thinking or free enquiry.
In attempting to impose their vain imaginings on individuals, the
racist policies of Apartheid and Pauline Hanson’s One Nation Party are
practiced in disguise.
For the record, I wish to state the following:
1 - If you intend to cast me out of the faith (and yet have no solid
reason for doing so), feel free to let me know. My daughters and I
will happily resign en masse and grant your wish.
2 - If this event takes place, I reserve my full rights as an
Australian citizen and a free individual to raise my case and demand
justice through other sources / authorities.
You can never control my heart and faith. I came a Baha’i many decades
ago and successfully endured countless sessions of thought-trials with
the mullahs. Your continued threats and intimidations pale
insignificance compared with what I endured in the Islamic prisons for
being a Baha’i.
I make a clear distinction between the Faith of Baha’u'llah and the
evil intentions of those who seek leadership positions within the
Baha’i administration. Oppression will always be evident in the light
of history.
You have failed to be the “loving shepherds” you are meant to be.
Choosing to play politics and please the un-elected few is in direct
contravention of what you are elected for.
Regards,
Ahmad Karimpour
Perth - WA
May 29th, 2008 at 3:16 pm
The point of all this is that, even though the hardliners of the present Iranian theocracy are Fascists themselves (and they are), there is a clear, unequivocal and unmistakable anti-Islamic line that the organization of the Haifan Baha’is are advancing within Iran and elsewhere. The Haifan Bahai organization is a not a meek and politically innocent organization. It is quite hypocritical by this organization, for example, to raise an international media ruckus over the arrest of merely six functionaries when they were unprepared to say a word about the arrests of tens of hundreds of student leaders between 1999-2004; or, for that matter, to offer a whimper of protest about the war crimes committed by Israel against the people of Lebanon in the summer of 2006. As bad as the present Iranian regime is, and it is bad, they do however have a point about the political dangers that Haifan Bahaism as an organization represents.
May 29th, 2008 at 3:32 pm
I don’t think the Iranians are worried about the organisation in Haifa, they just don’t like the idea of any post-Islamic religion in Iran having any legitimate rights.
As for the disgraceful actions of various administrative bodies to this poor family - you know my position on abuse of authority and power within the Baha’i organisations.
But two wrongs don’t make a right. Just because the UHJ and its subsidiaries act like big dictators in their own small fish-pond, doesn’t mean we cannot call the Iranians to account for their oppression of Baha’i human rights.
I continue to hope that normal, every-day Baha’is will wake up and realise their elected officials are just as mundane and political as every other type of administrative hierarchy. Maybe then they won’t accept this type of behaviour meted out to the Taheri family.
May 29th, 2008 at 3:36 pm
BTW - how’s things? Are you still up north? I haven’t heard from Juan since he hit the big time in the blogosphere, but I still hear from Steve M and Karen B from time to time.
May 29th, 2008 at 6:32 pm
I don’t believe that is the case at all. The Islamic Republic has left the small Bayani community completely unmolested. You don’t get any more of an ideological religious threat than the Bayanis. This isn’t an issue of wrongs and rights in that sense or an ideological battle of Islam vs Bahaism - the Western media makes its so and it is in the political interest of the hardliners to make it so as well. But the reality of it is much, much bigger than that. The Haifan Bahai apparatus is serving an unmistakable foreign policy agenda of the West and Israel specifically. The media hoopla around these recent arrests also plays into the hands of those various forces in the West who are after an Iraq-style ‘regime change’ = wag-the-dog. Note that the majority of the people arrested are functionaries of the Hayat-i-Yaran (Association of the Friends), i.e. the ad hoc NSA of Iran. These people are not exactly politically innocent or all that innocuous in their activities.
Yep, I am still up north. Haven’t heard from Juan Cole since 2002.
May 30th, 2008 at 12:19 am
How many Bayanis are there in Iran? I think you’re giving too much credit to the Iranians. Do they actually know there’s a difference?
May 30th, 2008 at 12:48 pm
There are a couple of thousand Bayanis in Iran. If you want exact figures, there is no organization or administration as such to produce such definite numbers. The Iranian authorities and educated religious figures in the loop definitely know the difference between Bayani and Baha’i, yes. Besides, over the past three and a half years I have made sure in the Persian blogosphere that people know the difference between the two. Bayanic.com has done the rest. It stretches credulity for this organization to cry foul against the Iranian mullocracy when labels of apostacy, apostate and then actual persecution of dissidents and political opponents in the West abounds, tarnishing the actual behavior of this organization, on the one hand; and their unqualified support for Israel and silence regarding its excesses, human rights abuses and war crimes, on the other - not to mention the corruption of this organization all around. I never thought I’d see the day I’d say it, but brutal experience has proven to me that the fundamental policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in containing the Haifan Bahai organization is fundamentally a sound one and prudent. This organization is absolutely dangerous and completely a fifth columnist element to any regime in Iran, be it Islamic, monarchist or secular. They are to Iran how al-Qa’ida is perceived in the West. The treatment of my family, then the Taheri family, Ahmad Karimpour and countless others is testimony to that.
June 2nd, 2008 at 11:22 am
There is a glaring discrepancy to a central aspect of this story as reported by the Western media that, as far as I am concerned, decidedly discredits it. This site here claims to reproduce a text of Montazeri’s decision with an affixed date of 14 May 2008:
http://www.mideastyouth.com/2008/05/22/ayatollah-montazeri-proclaims-...
Curiously, rather than signing off with the hegri date of 18th Jamadi’l-Ula 1429, it actually signs off with a secular Iranian shamsi/solar date of 25th of Ordibehesht 1387. A Grand Ayatollah and Source
of Emulation (marja’ taqlid) such as Montazeri, if even a liberal dissident to the Khomeinist mullocracy, would never sign an opinion let alone a decision as momentous as this with a secular solar date.
Next, in the discussion section of Montazeri’s own site, here,
http://www.amontazeri.com/farsi/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=56&FORUM_ID=4&CAT_...
the webmaster of the discussion logs responds in a post on behalf of Montazeri in a thread with the identically same note and the identically same wording as the purported text of the ruling the Haifan Bahais are making much noise regarding; but the date of the posting is given as **October 2 2007**. Moreover, the sentence where Montazeri articulates the fact that the Bahais do not possess rights in fiqh (principles of
Islamic jurisprudence) is gratuitously excised in the May 14th missive. Clearly there is a gigantic discrepancy and embellishment happening here, which on the indisputable face of things, is clearly not initiating from Ayatollah Montazeri or any of his representatives.
Umm Yasmin, you have a clear responsibility to the truth here both as a Muslim as well as a scholar. There is a lot I want to say to you, but not sure you are able to hear it…
W
June 19th, 2008 at 11:41 am
In the interests of fairness and accuracy below is a full technical translation of the original fatwa of the dissident Ayatollah Hossein-’Ali Montazeri as taken from the text of his website. As you can see, the text of this fatwa diverges from the one the Haifan Bahais are presently peddling to the Western media (which under any context can be determined a tampered and doctored text):
http://tinyurl.com/55b9tp
–
In His Name, the Most High!
With salutations and blessings. The opinion of this person (nazar-i-een jenab) regarding the misled cult of Bahaism (firqe-ye zale-ye baha’iye) is the same opinion as the one held during the years before the Revolution, and so has not changed. However [the case of] those who in most cases are not followers of any of the religions sent by heaven (adyan-i-asimani) [i.e. Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam] are referable to the ruling wisdom of the illustrious verse, “Allah
forbideth thee from dealing unkindly and unjustly with those who do not fight against thee in the faith nor are ones driving thee out of thy homes, for Allah 
loveth those who are just” (Qur’an. 60:8); as well as per the letter of the Commander of the Faithful [‘Ali] to Malik Ashtar, “You must kindle in thy heart kindness, compassion and love for thy subjects. Do not behave towards them as if you are a voracious and ravenous beast and as if your success lies in devouring them… they are brothers to you, and those who have a religion [other than yours], they are human beings like you (The Peak of Eloquence/Nahju’l-Balagha, Letter 53). [As such] their human rights should be respected.
[Now] citizenship rights are also in one particular respect universal and its limits should [therefore] be specified in that respect on the basis of the customary [‘or’ canon] law (‘urfi) and the Constitution [of the Islamic Republic] by the [will of the] majority of the people. However if certain persons are [determined in] pursuing [the path of] enmity against the people of the nation and are abetting foreign enemies, and if their association [with these foreign enemies] be established for the court(s) pursuant to the laws of the nation, they should be punished according to the law(s). Their citizenship [rights] (shahrvandi-i-anan) does not impede [or ‘obstruct’] the body of the law [to act] (mani’ az ajza’-i-qanun nemishavad]. [Yet] it is also necessary that precautions be taken (lazim ast morraqibat shavad) so that the youth of the nation (javanan-i-keshvar) do not become embroiled in their evil propaganda (tablighat-i-su’-i-anan); and if such dealings and association with them will only give cause to their [cultivation and] strength (mu’amileh va mu’asherat mujib-i-taghviyat-i-anan shavad), it is essential to disassociate from [‘or’ shun] them (lazim ast az an ijtinab gardad).
God willing, may your success be assured!
1387/3/25
June 19th, 2008 at 12:50 pm
Thanks for the posting the full translation - he seems to be speaking to two groups of people at the same time, so the message is ambivalent.
July 5th, 2008 at 10:28 pm
Montazeri is doing several things:
1) He is clarifying his actual position on the overall Bahai question that was falsely attributed to him in the marginal Western media by the Haifan Bahais.
- When the Haifan Bahai propaganda apparatus ran to the marginal Western media claiming Montazeri had issued a fatwa in their favor (since none of big outlets actually picked up a HUGE story like this), some of us non-aligned opposition to the mullocracy in Iran began looking around for an actually authenticated and verifiable text of the fatwa the Haifan Bahais were claiming Montazeri had issued and attributed to him. Nothing of the sort as the Haifan Bahais attributed to the marja’ was found on Montazeri’s website or confirmed by any of his representatives and aids on his site. Instead there were several messages of various length saying pretty much what the last message has already stated.
2) Although Montazeri is technically the preeminent internal dissident to the mullocracy, let us not forget that he holds a constituency of his own - both as Source of Emulation on religious questions as well as the supreme Reformist cleric and opponent to the political elite in Tehran (these are two different functions).
- Whatever the Haifan Bahais have tried to attribute to him having said in the marginal Western media, note that this incident had the potential (now diffused) of reflecting terribly within Montazeri’s own internal constituency who are not exactly Bahai-friendly. This is why he issued the longer missive because these things have in the past backfired on the Reformist movement as a whole - note these guys are barely hanging on these days and they do not need this kind of bad press.
3) As such Montazeri is taking a pragmatic position whilst laying out his actual opinion. He is being humane as well as considering the greater national security questions;
- He believes individual Bahais are citizens and should enjoy citizenship rights, but does tacitly acknowledge the *actual* operations of the Haifan Bahai organization is up to no good in Iran - and given the recent history since 1999, he is right. In other words, he is willing to accede to rights under law for individuals, but draws a clear line in the sand regarding the CORPORATE activities of the Haifan Bahai organization. With its ties to Israel and associations to the previous regime, Montazeri is on solid ground.
4) Now Montazeri’s position in this missive is not substantially different than how Bahais were actually being viewed and treated inside Iran during the Khatami years just prior to Ahmadinejad’s election in 2005 and the now near total dominance of the hardliners over the reformists. What changed the somewhat muted (and now completely aborted) Tehran Spring years of 1997-2005 is the ascendancy of the NeoCons in North America, the war on Iraq and the hypocritical stance of the West over Iran’s nuclear enrichment program (which will probably shortly lead to absolute disaster for both).
- That you have North American Bahais quite close, comfortable and hand-in-glove to lobbyist organizations in Washington, DC, pushing for preemptive war does not help the Bahai case one bit, whether with reformists or hardliners!
- But that stated, Montazeri is basically advocating for a return of the situation that existed in Iran prior to the hardline political backlash and the election of Ahmadinejad.
5) Given the foregoing, this missive (which is technically not a ruling/fatwa at all) is basically a political swipe by Montazeri against the presently existing political conditions and the ruling elite, with the Bahai question being a mere afterthought.
What the Haifan Bahai organization does not get - or does not care to get - is that this whole incident rather than being a stage managed vindication of Montazeri as converted pro-Bahai for a choreographed special Western audience had the potential of completely discrediting him altogether and the reformist movement in Iran as a whole, which then would mean tighter security conditions and more harsher clamp downs on everyone, Bahais and non-Bahais alike! It does not seem to amaze how much the Haifa clique thinks and acts like the hardliners in Tehran: *it’s all about them and their interests*!
Wahid
July 7th, 2008 at 10:57 am
Actually, it strikes me that much of the sentiments in the missive are identical to the UHJ approach to ‘dissidents’ (aka Moojan’s Apostates). God-forbid, the UHJ ever run anything more than a new religious movement.
July 8th, 2008 at 4:27 pm
This is exactly what I said verbatim on TRB, that the tone and thrust of Montazeri’s non-fatwa missive is like many of the uhj’s own messages or Momen’s ‘irtidadiya’ in *Religion*.
As for NRM: the Haifan organization is an out and out cult and rightwing politicallobby group masquerading as an NRM. Other than a very thin veneer of platitudes, really, what beyond adminolotry and real estate exists in the Haifan creed? Nothing! Whereas Montazeri’s diction and argument is uhj-ish, when all is said and done, at least the establishment and creed he belongs to can rely on a deeply rich spiritual and philosophical heritage that Bahaism in any of its permutations can only dream about.
That said, for all their propaganda and razzmatazz in the Western media, at the end of the day the generality of Iranians, esp. in Iran itself, do not look at Bahaism any differently than they look upon the MKO/MEK Rajavi cult. Such actions as doctoring fatwas in the Western media by gratuitously cobbling together bits and pieces from existing messages on Montazeri’s website only cements the perception of Iranians even further of Bahaism as a dangerous Western-intelligence propped up fifth column.
So I don’t know what their friends in Tel Aviv or Langley, Virginia, have promised them, but in the event of regime change in Iran upon some Western supported preemptive war, even were Reza Pahlavi to be installed as Shah, Bahaism’s future in Iran will be at best highly suspect (worse than how Scientology or Jehovah’s Witnesses are perceived in the West) and at worst non-existent.
Wahid