Sen. Kirk has introduced bipartisan resolutions in Congress regarding a cause near and dear to LaRue's and my hearts: Calling attention to the continued plight of Iran's persecuted Baha'i community. The bicameral resolutions condemn the Iranian regime’s continued persecution of its Baha’i minority, call on the regime to release Baha’i prisoners and urge President Obama and Secretary Clinton to designate Iranian officials and other individuals directly responsible for egregious human rights violations in Iran.
LaRue, a Baha'i herself, was a featured speaker at the event, focusing on two female Baha'i prisoners, Mahvash Sabet and Fariba Kamalabadi. LaRue had spoken with Fariba’s mother and identified with Mahvash and Fariba as a daughter, mother and humanitarian.
Baha’is comprise the largest religious minority in Iran, where the Baha’i religion was founded in the 19th century. According to the 2010 U.S. State Department International Religious Freedom Report, “Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, more than 200 Baha'is have been killed, and many have faced regular raids and confiscation of property.” In October 2010, the United Nations Secretary General issued a special report on human rights in Iran, stating that “the Baha’i, who comprise the country’s largest non-Muslim religious minority, face multiple forms of discrimination and harassment, including denial of employment, Government benefits and access to higher education.”
The event marked the three-year anniversary of the unlawful imprisonment of seven Baha'i leaders in Iran. After an illegal 30-month detention in Tehran's Evin prison, they were tried on trumped-up charges and sentenced in August 2010 to 20 years in jail.
Baha’is comprise the largest religious minority in Iran, where the Baha’i religion was founded in the 19th century. According to the 2010 U.S. State Department International Religious Freedom Report, “Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, more than 200 Baha'is have been killed, and many have faced regular raids and confiscation of property.” In October 2010, the United Nations Secretary General issued a special report on human rights in Iran, stating that “the Baha’i, who comprise the country’s largest non-Muslim religious minority, face multiple forms of discrimination and harassment, including denial of employment, Government benefits and access to higher education.”
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| U.S. Representative Michael Grimm (NY-13) greets Secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the U.S., Ken Bowers; CSI: Miami star Eva LaRue and her family; Iranian-American Iraj Kamalabadi, brother of an imprisoned Iranian Baha'i; and Kathryn Cameron Porter, President of Leadership Council for Human Rights. |
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| Eva LaRue with daughter, Kaya, and husband, Joe Cappuccio |
Photo Credit: Jack Gordon. Copyright holder: Baha’is of the U.S.
1 comments:
God bless America, God bless Iran, God bless Eva LaRue, God bless the Baha'is :) :) :)
June 3, 2011 12:16 AMPost a Comment