Bahá'ís in Iran

Several weeks ago, I wrote an email to a certain senator from Wisconsin expressing my concern about the growing threat to Iran's Bahá'ís. Today I received a response in the mail that began:

Dear Mr. Greuel,

Thank you for contacting me to express your support for wind power and to share your concerns over how the provision related to the development of an offshore wind energy facility in the Nantucket Sound was added to H.R. 889, the Coast Guard reauthorization bill.

Hmm. I think there was a mixup somewhere. Presumably, someone else got a random letter about the Bahá'ís, so at least a little awareness is being raised. But still. I wanted to hear what he had to say. Someone (*cough*Dan) should talk to him for me.

Meanwhile, in Shiraz:

54 Baha'is arrested in Iran

NEW YORK, 24 May 2006 (BWNS) -- Iranian officials have arrested 54 Baha'is in the city of Shiraz, the Baha'i International Community has learned. They are mostly youth and were all engaged in humanitarian service when they were arrested. It is one of the largest number of Baha'is taken at once since the 1980s. The specific charges are not clear, though in the past, Baha'is have been arrested summarily on false charges.

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