The Baha’i community here plans to seek India’s help against the reported harassment of the students of this community in Iran. The community feels India can use its good offices with Iran in pressing for the request.

“We will approach the Ministry of External Affairs to use India’s good offices with Iran in addressing the grave issues,” Farida Vahedi, Secretary for External Affairs, National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of India, told The Indian Express.

In May last also, the Baha’i community in India had sought the help of Prime Minister, President and a host of MPs in addressing the issue, following Pakistan human rights activists and the Special Rapporteur on freedom and belief talking about the systemic persecution of the community in Iran.

The Baha’i community alleges that during a “30-day period from mid-January to mid-February, some 150 incidents of insult, mistreatment and even physical violence by school authorities against Bahá’í students were reported in at least 10 Iranian cities”.

“The reports that the most vulnerable members of the Iranian Bahá’í community - children and youth - are being harassed, degraded, and in at least one case, blindfolded and beaten, is an extremely disturbing development,” said Bani Dugal, principal representative of the Bahá’í International Community to the United Nations.