The Baha’is of Pasadena: Education Under Fire: What If You Were Forbidden To Learn?

On Wednesday October 24, I was asked to show the film “Education Under Fire” at the weekly Pasadena fireside chat hosted by Dorothy Nelson. The film is about the Iranian government-sponsored campaign to deny members of the Bahai Faith their right to attend institutions of higher education. It also provides a good introduction to the situation endured by the Bahai’s in Iran since the 1979 revolution.

I was first introduced to the students effected by the Iranian government’s practices when I lived in Pune, India. At that time, Pune University was one of only a few universities that would accept Persian Bahai students who were unable to attend institutions of higher education in their own country. I found them to be highly motivated to complete their studies while facing extremely difficult conditions and many hardships.

Although the number of universities accepting these students has grown substantially in recent years, their lives inside of Iran are still difficult and uncertain. Over 474 Bahai’s have been arrested in Iran since 2004 and many of them are still in prison today. In its latest escalation of aggression toward the Bahai community, the government of Iran has arrested faculty of the Bahai Institute of Higher Education, an online correspondence program providing university-level education to Iran’s young Bahais.

Due to my early introduction to these students and regular interaction with them, I am particularly interested in bringing attention to their situation. “Education Under Fire” was released in December 2011 to expose the ever-worsening campaign of arrests, imprisonment, torture and harassment of Iran’s Bahai’s simply because of their beliefs. Everyone is urged to sign an online petition calling on the Iranian government to stop its campaign against the Bahai community and release those who are currently in prison. Their conditions are harsh and time is crucial.

Further information including the petition can be found at educationunderfire.com

For more information, call The Local Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of Pasadena at (626) 607-1844 or visit pasadenabahai.org