Abstract
A short story about a Baha'i family which first appeared in an underground paper in Iran
There are about 300,000 members of the Baha'i religion living in Iran. It is the only religious minority not recognised by the Iranian Constitution. Since the revolution of February 1979, 141 Baha'is have been reported executed, and another 200 are in prison without having been charged. Between 5,000 and 10,000 Baha'is are thought to have left the country. Baha'is are usually charged with ‘Zionism’ and espionage on behalf of Israel, apparently simply because their world headquarters are in Israel. The ruling Mullahs are also infuriated by the Baha'i belief that the teachings of most of the world's great prophets - including Muhammad – are only relevant for a certain time and that their revelations ‘progress’ from one era to another. Baha'i property has been confiscated and the Baha'is themselves are subject to laws which effectively prevent them from holding employment. Recanting their faith and converting to Shia Islam is the only way they can escape persecution.
According to a recent report (The Times, 29 July), 22 prominent Baha'is were arrested in Iran following the executions in June of 17 members of the faith, including several women.
The following short story appeared in Spring 1982 in Nowbahar, an underground paper, where it was entitled ‘The day light came to our house’ and signed ‘Bahereh’, which means ‘The one who has seen the light’. The ‘Komiteh’ referred to in the first paragraph is the ‘Imam Committee’, i.e. the political police set up after the revolution in 1979.