Baha’i community concerned over fate of its members in Yemen

Baha’i community concerned over fate of its members in Yemen

The Baha'i community is deeply concerned for the safety of all Bahais in Yemen, says Mr Paddy Payne, spokesperson for the NZ Baha'i Community. “Baha'is have long suffered at the hands of the Iranian regime, but now severe persecution has reared its head in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.”

There has been deep concern for the safety of all Baha’is in Yemen following the Houthi prosecutor’s baseless accusations against Mr Hamed bin Haydara, a member of the Baha'i community, who is appealing his death sentence.

Arrested in 2013, Mr. Haydara was sentenced to death in 2018 after a long series of sham trials were held. The court further called for the confiscation of all assets owned by Baha’is and the dissolution of Baha’i institutions. Hundreds of Baha’is face persecution on the basis of their religion in Houthi-controlled areas. Despite calls by the international community to cease the persecution and release the Baha’i prisoners, the prosecutor has outlined a series of false and irrelevant accusations against Mr. Haydara, the Yemeni Baha’i community, and the Baha’i Faith itself.

“It's a grave situation. The Houthi's tactics are precisely the same as those used by the Iranian authorities in their efforts to disband the Iranian Baha’i community, Iran's largest religious minority.”

The Baha'i community has long championed equality and human rights. The New Zealand Baha’i community were instrumental in the establishment of Race Unity Day in New Zealand over 20 years ago and has organised the Race Unity Speech Awards since 2001. Mr Payne said the aim in speaking out about the persecution of Baha'is in Yemen was to highlight the fact that a global approach to justice is needed if humanity is to advance. “It seems more and more New Zealanders are recognising that if we want harmony and unity, then we have to address injustice – locally, nationally and internationally. Tragedy stirs us out of complacency, as we saw with the united response to the Christchurch mosque attack. We hope that it will not take a tragedy in Yemen to make us pay attention to the increasing persecution and injustice against Baha’is there.”

Mr Payne added that the Baha’is of Yemen have long sought to contribute to the life of their country and their fellow citizens. Yemeni Baha’is have initiated conflict resolution and peace-building efforts among tribes, programmes to empower youth to better serve their communities, and projects for the well-being of all Yemenis, such as the distribution of care packages over the many years of internal conflict in Yemen.

A background video is viewable here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q37a9te62OM

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