More than 85 Canadian communities will screen Maziar Bahari’s film “To Light a Candle” as part of a global campaign condemning the denial of the right of Baha’is to higher education in Iran.
The campaign, titled “Education Is Not a Crime”, begins with a global day of action on February 27. The campaign and the film document the peaceful response of the Baha’is of Iran to 35 years of unrelenting persecution, highlighting the story of informal arrangements by which Baha’is organized university classes in order to overcome the violation of their education rights by the Iranian regime.
The campaign and film were developed by Canadian-Iranian journalist, Maziar Bahari, whose own imprisonment in Iran is featured in the Jon Stewart movie “Rosewater”.
Canadian University Graduates Imprisoned in Iran
Like other Iranian Baha’is who have responded to the persecutions in constructive ways, rather than resorting to violence, and were then arrested because of their religious beliefs, many of those who sought to teach informal university classes have also been arrested and put in prison with Baha’i leaders, Baha’i children’s class teachers and Baha’i business owners. Among those incarcerated are four graduates of Canadian universities who returned to their homeland from Canada in order to teach subjects like business management, science and psychology.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu is the latest Nobel Laureate to add his voice to the chorus of condemnation of the actions by the government of Iran. His statement on his website notes, “… banning the Baha’is or any group from higher education is hurting Iran and the Iranian people.” Other Nobel Laureates speaking out include Ms. Mairead Maguire, Dr. Shirin Ebadi, Ms. Tawakkol Karman and Ms. Jody Williams.
Communities from Trail, BC, to Moose Jaw and St. John’s, Newfoundland, will be holding public screenings, some in partnership with other civic organizations to help raise awareness of the denial of education in Iran, and to put the spotlight on other attacks on the Baha’i community that have intensified over the past 18 months, including increased arrests, economic attacks, destruction of Baha’i cemeteries and a multiplication of government sponsored hate propaganda on TV and radio directed at the Baha’is.