Undoubtedly, the victory of the Islamic revolution and the establishment of the system of the government of the Islamic Republic are inspired by the Islamic teachings based on Shiite religious jurisprudence and have been the greatest impact on Bahaism body since its establishment till now. Bahaism dream for making Iran Baha’i and eradicating Islam was interpreted in inverted manner and the great wave of Islam endangered the existence of this creed.
Contrary to all oppositions and political and security limitations exerted during Qajar and Pahlavi periods of time up and down against the Baha’is, this time the political, economic and theological organizational basis of this creed was synchronically attacked. The emergence of revolutionary Islam which eradicated the basis of cruel kingdom and presented development and independence gates accompanied by spirituality ahead of the Iranian people, even influenced the Baha’is to such an extent that a wave of the Baha’is dismissal out of the country erupted.
The Islamic Republic is based on the Shite religious jurisprudence and theology. So, it is challenging with Bahaism basically. Thus, limitation against Bahaism changed to such an extent that it has according to Baha’is spokesman faced with the worst crisis during its 128-year history and is lying there dying administratively and socially.
Confronting against Bahaism by the Islamic Republic of Iran decreased the several year attempts of the Baha’is to gain power in executive and political domain in the level of community’s beliefs and thwarted their 10-year plans.
The most important influences of the victory of the Islamic Revolution and establishing the Republic system of government on Bahaism movement are as follows:
I) The wave of Baha’is turning to Islam from Bahaism:
The plan of revolutionary and liberating Islam by Imam Khomeini (P. H.) which ended in the emergence of the Islamic Revolution influenced on underprivileged classes of the Iranian community and gave them new motivation in the path of the quest for independence and freedom. This motivation showed up publicly in in most Iranian citizens recruited many Baha’is to the religion of Islam.
After the victory of the Islamic revolution, many Baha’is who were of the underprivileged and unaware classes of the cult became aware of the null path of Bahaism and turned to Islam.
Some ex-Baha’is ran a movement called the Iranian Baha’is liberating movement and published a periodical called “Ahrar” and openly opposed Baha’ism system.
The mentioned movement criticized the pre-revolution Bahaism and all those who had spied in favor of aliens during the Shah’s periods of time.
II) The lack of recognizing Bahaism formally:
Revealing the documents related to the relationships between the Baha’is and Pahlavi regime and some documents of SAVAK which are indicating gathering the Iranian army data by the Baha’is to send to other countries strengthened the old doubt of the scholars of religion concerning Baha’is espionage and betrayal in minds. Eventually; in 1362 S.H., the Bahaism organization was announced as illegal and formal and all of its organizational activities were forbidden.
Criticizing this decision, the national assembly of the Baha’is announced its dissolution. However, it continued its activity in formally entitled “the disciples of Iran”. This issue caused the revolution court to confront the Baha’i organization severely.
Thus; on Bahman 1387, the then prosecutor Najaf Abadi wrote a letter to the then minister intelligent service Mohseni Ejei and announced all activities of the Baha’i organization as illegal after the detention of seven members of this foundation.
“The organization of the deviant cult of Bahaism has been illegal and informal in all classes and their dependence on Israel and opposing to Islam and the Islamic system of government is evident and their danger for national security is documented. It is necessary for each kind of superseded organization which is acting in nature of a substitute for the original one to be acted in accordance with regulations.
III) Losing governmental supports:
Falling Pahlavi regime caused the Baha’is to lose all of their political, financial and administrative backings.
After the victory the Islamic Revolution, the Baha’is became deprived of all posts and positions in the country and military. All security and military centers, the influential, cultural and educational centers and the national media were purged of the entrance and presence of the members of this cult.
IV) Damage to the Bahaism organization:
Losing the strong governmental backing caused the disciplined organization of Bahaism to be damaged.
Some of the Bahaism heads in Tehran and some cities were condemned to various imprisonments and in some cases to execution due to spying after being put on trial in the Islamic Revolution courts.
V) Changing the kind of Bahaism activity:
After the victory of the Islamic revolution and breaking the Baha’is net, important changes occurred in the method of interacting between the Baha’is and sovereignty. For this reason, the Baha’is management system was changed. When the Last members of the last national assembly of the Baha’is were arrested, a seven-member board called the servants of the disciples of Iran became responsible for administrating the Baha’i affairs instead of the national assembly of Iran ordered by the universal house of justice.
The Iranian disciple organizations was dissolved on Ordibehest 1387 S.H. due to spying for Israel and insulting the holy things and proselytizing against the system of the government of Islamic Republic and the members were sentenced to ten years in prison.
Source: Hussein Rahnamaee, the Bahaism movement, pp. 201-206.
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