The Bahá’i Role in the 50-Year Crimes of the Annihilated Pahlavi Regime

This section demonstrates part of the documents and reports acquired from SAVAK concerning the Bahá’is' collaboration with the regime. The original documents are respectively provided at the end of this section.

A. The connection between Bahá’is and Reza Khan

During the rule of Reza Shah, there did not exist a strong intelligence organization, such that a document on the Bahá’i connection with the regime might be divulged. However, confessions by a Bahá’i leader in this respect cleared everything up: According to a SAVAK report, at a meeting of the Nafhatollah Publishing Commission in Shiraz on 31.3.1350 (June 21,1971), Mr. Massihollah Rohani said: "At the time of Reza Shah and Seyed Noureddin, we were plundered, but Reza Shah, very dismayed about this affair, secretly killed off some Muslims without the Ulema's knowledge. Since he was a real Bahá’i and always supported the Bahá’is, the unveiling of women was done in conformity with Bahá’u’lláh's rule and logic." (Exhibit No. 17)

B. The connection between Bahá’is and the deceased Shah

The major part of the organizations of the Shah's damned rule, particularly SAVAK, was managed by Bahá’is. As an example, suffice it to look at the following list of names, all of whom were Bahá’is:

• Hoveyda, the Shah's 13-year Prime Minister as well as Minister of the Imperial Court and Minister of Finance;
• Mehri Rasekh, Farah's boon companion;
• Gen. Abdol-Karim Ayadi, the Shah's special physician, who held 23 high-ranking government jobs;
• Gen. Ali Mohammad Khademi;
• Gen. Sani'ee, Minister of War;
• Habib Sabet and Hojabr Yazdani, two major economic supports and two financial arms of the Zionists in Iran;
• Mansoor Rohani, the Shah's minister for 13 years;
• Mrs Farokhrou Parsa, Minister of Education and holder of tens of other jobs;
• Shapour Rasekh, the Shah's sincere advisor;
• Hossein Amanat, the famous capitalist, designer and executor of the Shahyad Monu­ment;
• Parviz Sabeti, Director of Internal Security of the Shah's security police;
• Lili Amir-Arjomand, trainer of the Shah's children.

It is obvious that the Shah's crimes were mostly committed by such influential persons. This fact, which is not a secret to anyone, is well-supported by the Bahá’is' own admissions as well as by the documents of SAVAK which tried very hard to cover up the Bahá’is' role in the government. SAVAK's document Ref. 3H/20299 dated 29.8.1357 (Nov. 20, 1978) reads": ... Mr. Ra'oofian (a Bahá’i leader in Shiraz) has said: Mr. Amir Abbas Hoveyda, supported by the Universal House of Justice (in Israel) and by Kambala in Africa, governed Iran for 13 years, during which period the Bahá’i community achieved considerable progress, and influential Bahá’i persons occupied important positions in Iran and transferred the country's funds abroad." (Exhibit No. 18).

SAVAK'sdocument Ref. H/765dated 20.2.1350 (May 10,1971) reads:"... In a speech at the Bahá’i meeting in Dehbid, Mr. Azizollah Bampoosian, referring to the Prime Minister's attendance at the Bahá’i community on the occasion of the Ridván festivities, spoke of the Government's co-operation with Bahá’is in provincial towns." (Exhibit No. 19).

SAVAK's document dated 7.3.1347 (May 28,1968) concerning a speech by Mr. Abbas Aqdas at the Bahá’i Commission reports as follows:"... H.E. Assadollah Alam, Minister of the Royal Court, has been very kind to us, particularly H.E. Amir Abbas Hoveyda (a Bahá’i and of Bahá’i parentage); may they both be junior headmen of the Bahá’is." (Exhibit No. 20).

SAVAK's report Ref. H8/10871 dated 20.5.1350 (Aug. 11, 1971): "... Beit-ol-Adl, the House of Justice, has given instructions to the National Assembly in Iran that the Bahá’is resident in Iran should fully participate in the ceremonies of the 2500 years monarchy and see to it that the Bahá’is celebrate the occasion with more splendour than the other religious minorities." (Exhibit No. 21).

SAVAK's document Ref. H/19496 dated 7.11.1351 (Jan. 27, 1973) concerning the Bahá’is' meeting in Col. Shabab's home and the speech by Mr. Ardeshir Master: "The late Col. Shabab was an officer of the security organization (SAVAK). While he served with SAVAK in Shiraz, he helped the Bahá’is of Shiraz very much (He was the former SAVAK chief in Khorramabad). Then Col. Shabab's father said: A few years ago Shahanshah Aryamehr decided to issue instructions for formal recognition of Bahá’ism. However, Qamal Abdul-Nasser, the Egyptian President, found an excuse and said that the Shah of Iran had become a Bahá’i... The Shah of Iran follows the same path as did His Holiness Bahá’u’lláh'." (Exhibit No. 22).

SAVAK's document Ref. H/15272 dated 29.9.1350 (Dec. 20,1971) reports Mr. Hack-aki's speech at the Shiraz Assembly as follows: "... Some people from the Royal Court secretly come to Shiraz to visit the Holy House (the Bahá’i shrine)" (Exhibit No. 23).

According to a SAVAK document, Iran's Bahá’i Assembly's notice dated November 13, 1967 reads as follows:"... As it has been already notified to H.E. Sabet, the representa­tive of your Assembly, this Board agrees to present the proposed gift to His Imperial Majesty. Needless to add that you will be advised of the outcome in due course." (Exhibit No. 24).

By the order of the Shah, Alam, the Minister of the Royal Court, presented Mr. Habib Sabet (an Iranian Bahá’i leader) a Commemoration Medal on the occasion of the celebrations marking the 25th centenary of the founding of the Iranian kingdom.

Relations of Bahá’is and usurping Israel under the protection of the Shah's regime.

SAVAK's 7th Office General has made the following comments on the relations between Iranian Bahá’is and Israel: "In view of Israel's recognition in 1972 of the Bahá’i sect as a religion, it appears that the Israeli government, by demonstrating friendly signs towards the sect, is endeavouring to exploit the Bahá’i minorities in other countries, especially in Iran, for political, intelligence and economic purposes." (Exhibit No. 25).

Document Ref. 20/1465 dated 10.5.1346 (Aug. 1, 1967): "According to information received, over the past month, about RIs. 1,200 million has been collected by the Iranian Bahá’is who intend to remit this sum ostensibly to the House of Justice in Haifa, but their real intention in remitting this sum is to aid the Israeli army..." (Exhibit No. 26).

Referring to the Iranian Bahá’is' aid to Israel, SAVAK's document Ref. V/300/20995 dated 1.11.1348 (Jan. 21,1970) reads:"... and the Bahá’i manufacturers now use Israeli parts." (Exhibit No. 27).

The document Ref. H/6063 dated 9.1.1350 (March 29,1971) reports as follows on Mr. Shadmani's speech at the meeting of the Bahá’i District 16 in Shiraz:"... America, Israel and our capitalists have penetrated Iran, and their profits are transferred to the charity fund." (Exhibit No. 28).

The speech by Mr. Hossein financial member of the Ministry of Finance and former deputy director of the Gendarmerie Accounting Dept., was reported by SAVAK as under:

"Owing to the secret deal to sell Iranian oil to Israel, which was accomplished by the will of Amir-Abbas Hoveyda, Israel has given him 140 thousand square metres of land in occupied Palestine." (Exhibit No. 29).

In another commentary on the relations between Israel and the Bahá’is, SAVAK has said:"... Since only Israel has recognized the Bahá’i faith and... therefore, [the Bahá’is] try to extend huge financial assistances to that country in order to aid the Israeli economy." (Exhibit No. 30).

A message by the International Bahá’i Council concerning good relations with Israel reads: "It is of the utmost pleasure and pride that our godly friends learn of the progress in the construction of the building called "Ala" in Mount Carmel, as well as ... development of relations with the officials of the Israeli government (Exhibit No. 31).

In a cable, Moshe Dayan thanked Mr. Ali Khademi for the gift he gave him during his visit to Israel.

According to a SAVAK report, at a meeting of the Bahá’is on 7.3.1347 (May 28, 1968), Mr. Abbas Aqdas said: "... The Israeli Government was recognized as the world champion in the 1967 war. The activities and progress of us Bahá’is is that we have a spy in every office and ministry in Iran. Once every week when the projects prepared by the government [of Mr. Hoveyda] are reported to Shahanshah Aryamehr, reports on the projects reach the Bahá’i Assemblies. For instance in the contractor group, the Iranian Bahá’i cadre submit their reports every day to the Bahá’i holy assembly on the Iranian army, how weapons are imported into Iran and how the parachutists are trained." (Exhibit No. 20).

According to the SAVAK report Ref. H/9864 dated 27.7.1347 (Oct. 19, 1968) on the meeting of the Shiraz Bahá’i Assembly, Mr. Ahad, one of the attendants at the meeting, instructed the invitees: "Don't deposit your monies in Iranian banks. Transfer them to Israeli and British banks."