Drinking Water While Fasting: Reactions to a Controversial Fatwa A fatwa that allows Shiite fasters to drink water during their day-long fast that was issued by senior ayatollah Bayat Zanjani a few days ago has caught the attention of Iran’s media and is stirring controversy. The ayatollah Zanjani’s official website has acknowledged that after […]
Tag: religious
Even on Death Row, Sunni Prisoners Mistreated for Religious Beliefs
According to a source with information about the situation of Sunni prisoners at Rajaee Shahr Prison, the 20 Sunni prisoners who have been sentenced to death by Branch 28 of Tehran Revolutionary Court under Judge Mohammad Moghisseh are: Edris Nemati, Taleb Maleki, Behrouz Shahnamaki, Bahman Rahimi, Mokhtar Rahimi, Yavar Rahimi, Shahram Rahmati, Keyvan Rahimi, […]
International Religious Freedom Report for 2012
Executive Summary Foremost among the rights Americans hold sacred is the freedom to worship as we choose…we also remember that religious liberty is not just an American right; it is a universal human right to be protected here at home and across the globe. This freedom is an essential part of human dignity, and […]
KELLNER: Religious persecution can mean political upheaval
Rising persecution of minority religious communities in Pakistan, Iran and Syria — and other nations — is a serious threat to stability in those countries and their neighbors, a panel of specialists said at a Hudson Institute forum this week, showing how religious tensions can have larger political ramifications in hot spots around the […]
U.S. Commission Decries Religious Freedom Violators
A U.S. government advisory body says that Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan are among the world’s worst violators of religious freedom. The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom’s 2013 report says the countries should be designated “countries of particular concern” by the U.S. government for “particularly severe” violations — a designation that […]
Stop the persecutions of religious minorities in Iran
Fundamentalist forces struggle for absolute power in Iran. They use all different kinds of accusations, allegations and demonisations against each interpretation of Islam that differs from their own violent interpretation and against the impact of other religions. For more than 8 years Darvishes, Baha’i, Sunnis and Christian converts face brutal campaigns against their buildings, […]
Belgian Minister shares concern of religious persecution such as dervishes in Iran
In a mail the Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Didier Reynders expresses his concern about the human rights situation in Iran in general and the persecution of religious minorities, such as the dervishes, in particular. “Your mail of 15 April had my full attention. I share your concern about the […]
Jashn e Sadeh, Persian Festival
Sadeh meaning hundred, is a mid winter feast celebrated with grandeur and magnificence in ancient Iran. It was a festivity to honor fire and to defeat the forces of darkness, frost and cold. Two different days were observed for its veneration.
Ahvaz activist Masoud Ladoni behind bars
A political activist has been arrested in the southern city of Ahvaz, according to media reports.
Nationalist-Religious figures advise against U.S. relations
Iranian Nationalist-Religious figures have warned Iran’s Supreme Leader against re-establishing relations with the United States, calling instead for greater openness in the national political arena.