Baha’i children abused in Iranian schools

From the Barnabas quotidianus weblog:

Disturbing news has emerged that Baha’i kids in primary and high schools in Iran are being bullied and vilified by their teachers and school administrators.

Young Baha’is are being forced to identify themselves as Baha’is. They then have to endure a catalogue of abuses. Among other thing, they’re insulted and degraded in front of their classmates and pressured to convert to Islam.

One Baha’i reports that children in Kermanshah were called to the front of the classroom and reduced to tears by being forced to listen to insults against their Faith.

A Baha’i student, accepted for study at an art institute, was followed and seized by the authorities. This student was blindfolded and beaten. Not once. Not twice. But three times. (Read it all)

Barnabas quotidianus also has a link to a video about the treatment of Baha’is in Iran and Egypt; Difficult Images weblog has information and photos of the more general widespread abuses of human rights in Iran.

Al-Qaeda Now Threatens to Assassinate the Dalai Lama!

Koran 3:85 "Whoso desires another religion than Islam, it shall not be accepted of him". Ingenious ways to torture: A Baha'i being executed in Iran 19th Century. (This picture is from an excellent collection of pictures at the Faith Freedom site: Learn About Islam Through Pictures.

Many westerners assume that the worldwide jihad (holy war) is only against Jews and Christians. However, Islamic fundamentalists feel that following any path other than Islam is an abomination. The Australian reports on a recent al-Qaeda threat to assassinate the Dalai Lama:

Terror Group's Threat Raises Dalai Lama Alert

SECURITY surrounding the Dalai Lama has been tightened after reports of an attempt by the al-Qa'ida-linked terrorist organisation Lashkar-e-Toiba to assassinate the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader. A three-tier security ring has been thrown around the 72-year-old Buddhist head, who lives at Dharamsala, in the Himalayan foothills, Indian police spokesman Prem Lal said.

All those approaching the exiled Tibetan chief will be closely watched by highly trained Tibetan security guards as well as heavily armed deployments of Indian police.

Visitors are being body-searched before being allowed to approach him.

The Dalai Lama is scheduled to make a widely anticipated 11-day visit to cities and regional centres across Australia in early June, making both free and ticketed appearances at public lectures, blessings and teaching sessions. Before that, he will visit the US.

In a recent document, Osama bin Laden denounced "pagan Buddhism" as part of his general attack on anything not Islamic." (Full Article)

This shouldn't come as a surprise . . . Islam not only believes that it is the only true path, but the Koran has many verses explaining Islam's views on infidels (non-believers), and specifically how they should be dealt with. For example:

Koran 8:12 “I shall terrorize the infidels. So wound their bodies and incapacitate them because they oppose Allah and His Apostle.”

Koran 8:39 “Fight them until all opposition ends and all submit to Allah.”

Koran 9:5 "Slay the unbelievers wherever you find them. Arrest them, besiege them, lie in ambush everywhere for them".

Unlike most other religions, however, where the people their adherents revere are models of peace and compassion, Mohammed himself was extremely intolerant, as well as a role model for excessively violent behaviour.

There are numerous fundamentalist Islamic groups worldwide perpetrating horrendous acts of terrorism in the name of jihad-- Al Qaeda is one of the better known ones. Here's an online Flash presentation of Al-Qaeda attacks since 1998-- how many do you remember?

(The Gates of Vienna weblog has a really excellent article about how almost all the destruction suffered by Buddhist culture has happened through Islam)