Panel discussion: „Antisemitism and Persecution of the Bahá'í in the Islamic Republic of Iran“

Audio documentation of the event with Prof. Dr. Ingo Hofmann, Javad Asadian, Jörg Rensmann and a greeting by Lala Süsskind, Head of the Jewish Community in Berlin:

October 29, 2009, 8.00 p.m.

Location: Berlin, Filmbühne am Steinplatz, Hardenbergstr. 12 (U/S Zoologischer Garten)

Since its founding, the Islamic dictatorship of Iran has persecuted religious groups that are not part of Shiite Islam.

The Bahá'í community in particular has been massively persecuted and threatened by discrimination, show trials, cemetery desecrations, and assaults. Similarly with Iran’s ancient Jewish community. Though some assure us that the community is safe, on closer examination its situation within a regime that makes frequent threats to “wipe Israel off the map” is in fact a great deal more precarious than depicted. 

The major significance and danger of the regime’s intolerant ideology came vividly to light in the current crisis, not only in the ways the Iranian media and militia whipped up a pogrom-like atmosphere, but also in the ways the Iranian liberation movement is denounced as “Zionist” or “controlled by the Bahá'í.” 

Panel:

Isabel Schayani will unfortunately not be able to speak at the event!

Prof. Dr. Ingo Hofmann, since 2005 commisioner for foreign affairs of the Bahá'í community in Germany and its spokesperson for human rights violations. In this context his focus lies on the oppression of the Bahá'í in Iran. Professor Hofmann is physicist and teaches and researches at the University Frankfurt.

Javad Asadian, writer and political scientist, former president of the exile Iranian PEN-Club.

Moderation:
Jörg Rensmannfileadmin/editors_de/Audio/Hdk.mp3, Mideast Freedom Forum Berlin

The event will be hosted by the Jewish adult education center in cooperation with the Mideast Freedom Forum Berlin (MFFB), the Stop the Bomb campaign and the DIG Berlin-Potsdam.