Another Baha’i-Owned Business Fire Bombed

The Association Against Educational Discrimination (AAED)- On December 30, 2010, the business and shop of yet another Baha’i citizen in the city of Rafsanjan (Province of Kerman, southeastern Iran) was fire bombed and the assailant(s) left a threatening letter at the shop.

Based on reports received by AAED, this was the ninth Baha’i-owned shop attacked in the city of Rafsanjan. The culprits threw a letter inside the shop that threatened if the Baha’is refuse to sign the enclosed treaty, “they [the assailants] will uproot the base of imperialism in the city”.

Prior to this attack, eight other shops belonging to Baha’i citizens were set on fire over 14 attacks.

The shop owners have taken their grievances to the Kerman Governor’s office, Rafsanjan’s Member of Parliament, National Security Commission, and the Kerman provincial police, but to no avail. Even the insurance companies refused to cover the real cost of the damages incurred by the shop owners.

Below is part of the text of the threatening letter thrown in the shop that was attacked:

In the Name of God

Warning and Commitment letter

Members of the Baha’i cult in the city of Rafsanjan:

Fighting against disbelief (rejection of religion) and polytheism, especially against a cult whose supporters are the biggest enemies of Islamic Iran- Israel and the US is the duty of each and every Muslim. Since you, contrary to the laws of the Islamic Republic of Iran, preach and propagate [your religion], you will not be entitled to any citizenship rights or security. However, since the enlightened Islamic religion permits entering into contracts between Muslims and non-Muslims to guarantee protection of the lives and properties of the latter, we inform the Baha’is of this city that if you accept our conditions mentioned below, we will not aggress your life and properties. But if you do not accept the terms of this treaty, it will be interpreted as your insistence on hostility toward the Muslim and Shiite residents of the city, and we shall uproot the basis of imperialism in this city through our Jihadi actions. Inshallah (God willing)

The terms of the treaty

1. Refraining from propogating and preaching the Baha’i faith even in cyber space (internet)

2. Refraining from relationships and friendships with Muslims except in the work and business context

3. Refraining from hiring Muslim employees by Baha’i shopkeepers

Since in the books of Rouhi Foundation, friendship with Muslims has been greatly encouraged as a means of preaching, any unnecessary friendship and ties outside the business framework will be considered an attempt to preach [your religion], and will be deemed violation of the terms of this treaty.

…..

The recipients of the letters are asked to send their consent to the treaty through an e-mail and are urged to share the letter with other Baha’is. They have also been promised confidentiality should they send their names to the provided e-mail address.