Vol. 325 No. 4
asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he is aware of the persecution of members of the Baha'i Faith in Iran by the authorities there and of the grave concern of the Irish members of this faith about the campaign to eliminate all members of this persuasion in Iran; and if he will convey a protest to the Iranian authorities on behalf of the Irish members of this faith in relation to the imprisonment, execution and harrassment of their co-religious in Iran.
13.
asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs whether he is aware of the harrassment and persecution of members of the Baha'i faith in Iran: and whether he will make representations at national and EEC level in regard to such oppression.
14.
asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he is aware of the continued persecution of the Baha'i community in Iran; the measures, if any, he has taken to bring pressure on the Iranian Government to cease its violation of human rights; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 12, 13 and 14 together.
Reports of persecution of adherents of the Baha'i faith in Iran have come to my attention. These reports are a matter of serious concern to the Government, as are reports of interference with other religious communities in Iran. In my address to the United Nations General Assembly on 30 September last, I specifically called on the Government and people of Iran to respect the rights of others with whom they may differ on a political or religious basis and to uphold fundamental and humanitarian principles.
The internal situation in Iran has been unstable for some time, and has been characterised by the absence of a clearly identifiable centre of political power. The situation is now further complicated by the hostilities between Iraq and Iran and the effects of these hostilities within Iran. Given the absence of a central authority which is fully in control of the country, and the current hostilities, representations to the Iranian authorities in regard to religious freedoms can be expected to be of limited effectiveness for the present and might even prove to be counter-productive. At the same time there are hopeful signs that Iran is becoming increasingly aware of its isolation in the international community and may possibly be more responsive in the future to international concerns on issues such as religious freedom.
The Government will continue to follow developments in Iran closely and to examine, along with our partners in the EEC, suitable opportunities which may arise to convey to the Iranian authorities their concern on the matter of religious freedom, including the treatment of the Baha'is. The Government are prepared to support any initiative to have the treatment of the Baha'is discussed in appropriate international fora.
