Some of the 48 Deans and Senior Vice-Presidents of American medical schools who have signed an open letter condemning the Iranian government’s persecution of Baha’i students and educators. Pictured are, top row from left to right: D. Craig Brater, Betty M. Drees, Philip Pizzo, Valerie Montgomery Rice; Bottom row, from left to right: Pamela B. Davis, James Woolliscroft, Mark S. Johnson, and Marsha D. Rappley.

Islamic Republic Regime of Iran, not knowing and much against its intent, is serving the emergence of a global and just civilization Baha’u'llah has promised over 160 years ago. If you look carefully, you can see the silver lining! The Baha’is of Iran have been and continue to be the Dawn Breakers!

Recently another bugle was lauded against the injustice of the Iranian Regime by a very special and most respected group in the stage of human rights; Heads of medical schools urge Iran to release jailed Baha’i educators. You can read the open Letter, this most amazing expression of uprising of the academia in defense of global justice and humanity both in English and in Persian for yourself. The letter was published on the Persian-language “Association Against Education Discrimination” website on 7 December – the day that Iranian student movements annually commemorate Student Day. The open letter was published on the same day that the situation of Baha’i educators and students was raised in a joint statement by an international group of lawmakers – US Senators Mark Kirk and Joseph Lieberman, Canadian MP Irwin Cotler, British MP Denis MacShane, Australian MP Michael Danby, Italian MP Fiamma Nirenstein, and Lithuanian MP Emanuelis Zingeris. These latest actions come just days after Senator Mobina Jaffer, Canada’s first Muslim senator, told a Canadian Senate enquiry that it was “unprecedented” that Iran has now criminalized the education of young people. Add to this list Philosophers and Theologians Worldwide Condemn Iran’s Attack on Baha’i Students.

It is unprecedented and most encouraging. This is crisis and victory in action in a global scene.

Iranian Baha’is have proven to be the history’s longest lasting example of meekness, forbearance, patience, nobility and perseverance in the face of 160 years of unparalleled oppression, brutality, barbarism, ignorance plus power equated in viscous prejudice by the Islamic authoritarian regimes especially the Islamic Republic Regime of Iran.

The atrocities although heinous and brutal were concealed from the eyes of the civilized world, mostly because Iran has been a small and backward country living in the margins of rapidly evolving human civilization embracing universal human rights and the rewards of the latest discoveries in science.

Iranians women were kept behind a black shroud in order for the Muslim male do not violate them with their eyes and other parts which is out of control! Being a minority in Iran, especially if that minority be the shining example of civilization and humanity felt like a big dagger in the eyes of those who benefited from the mass ignorance of the faithful. Islamic Regime of Iran with all its antiquated laws makes every miserable attempt at any price to keep the masses in the dark, and save a religion they claim is in danger and perhaps they are right!

The Baha’i community of Iran has emerged, evolved and prospered in the midst of a pitch dark background of a society that continues to be governed by the heavy hand of the antiquated and outdated laws and customs of a thousand years ago; the age of no electricity, no running water, no modern medicine, no telephone, no radio, no mass media, no INTERNET and no  human rights as God given rights.

The Baha’i Teachings introduced 160 years ago the new and evolutionary laws and principles of religion for peace and progress towards an ever advancing civilization for a global community that embraces equality of men and women, harmony of religion and science, the oneness of all humanity, the oneness of God and the oneness and ever progressive nature of religion of God revealed to humanity ever since we can remember.

Baha’i Teachings has introduced to the human consciousness The spiritual solution to the economic problems of the world so many people are now in need of its miraculous and healing touch. The Baha’i Teachings has offered to the entire humanity the healing art of Baha’i consultation and consensus building to bring the best of human governance in all affairs of humanity, social political, personal, business, academic, moral, etc.

The reaction of the Islamic Republic regime of Iran towards the Baha’i community is the reaction of Dart Wader to Luke Sky-walker, the forces of darkness fighting the forces of light, the battle between Evil feeling threatened by emergence of Good. So far the force seems to be with Dart Wader but the world is waking up and the balance is shifting. This marks the beginning of a global awareness, awakenness, uprising and protest against ignorance, injustice, and defense of real progress, humanity, civilization, morality, justice, and eventually global peace.

I see this moral and justice crisis mitigated by the unavenged sufferings of the meek Baha’i community of Iran as the impetus for the rest of the world to rise up and claim victory of good over evil in the global stage and for the global community. In this light the open letter of the heads of medical schools in Us and around the world and the anger of human rights advocates all over the globe makes great and significant sense. We, as humanity, are rising to emerge from the tribal and petty loyalties of the past to claim our universal human rights, what Baha’ullah frames as a new and vital consciousness ready to rise in the minds and hearts of all humanity. Thanks to the explosions of science in mass communication we can see with our own mortal eyes that we are cells of one body, leaves of one branch, fruits of one tree, waves of one sea, one organic human family.

This is indeed crisis and victory and as a dear Baha’i friend in prison once said, if our imprisonment and suffering would awaken the world of humanity to its promised reality and closer to its spiritual glorious destiny, our days, years and lives in prison is a price well accepted and gladly paid!

Please God, we may achieve it.

Keyvan