First comprehensive study of the Baha’i community of Iran Wide range of topics covered, including the role of women, schools and literature Includes many chapters authored by leading academics in Iranian Studies Fills a gap in the study of modern Iran

By the end of the nineteenth century it became evident to Iran's ruling Qajar elite that the state's contribution to the promotion of modern education in the country was unable to meet the growing expectations set by Iranian society. Muzaffar al-Din Shah sought to remedy this situation by permitting the entry of the private sector into the field of modern education and in 1899 the first Baha'i school was established in Tehran. By the 1930s there were dozens of Baha'i schools. Their high standards of education drew many non-Baha'i students, from all sections of society.Here Soli Shahvar assesses these 'forgotten schools' and investigates why they proved so popular not only with Baha'is, but Zoroastrians, Jews and especially Muslims. Shahvar explains why they were closed by the reformist Reza Shah in the late 1930s and the subsequent fragility of the Baha'is position in Iran.

For almost two centuries, followers of the Baha'i faith, Iran's largest religious minority, have been persecuted by the state. They have been made scapegoats for the nation's ills, branded enemies of Islam and denounced as foreign agents. Since the Islamic Revolution of 1979 Baha'is have been barred from entering the nation's universities, more than two hundred have been executed, and hundreds more imprisoned and tortured. Now, however, Iran is at a turning point. A new generation has begun to question how the Baha'is have been portrayed by the government and the clergy, and called for them to be given equal rights as fellow citizens. In documenting, for the first time, the plight of this religious community in Iran since its inception, Fereydun Vahman also reveals the greater plight of a nation aspiring to develop a modern identity built on respect for diversity rather than hatred and self-deception.

The Baha'i Faith is one of the world's newest religions. Founded in the mid-19th Century, its early followers faced persecution at the hands of state authorities. Over the next century the Baha'i Faith grew both inside and outside its Iranian homeland and presently there are over five million Baha'is worldwide. The 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran has resulted in severe repression of members of the Baha'i community, although the Baha'is have never, individually or collectively, advocated violence. They are enjoined by their own ordinance not to participate in politics. Persecution reached its height in the early 1980s with attacks and executions of individual Baha'is and the destruction of shrines, cemeteries, homes and businesses. In the 1990s persecution has abated somewhat, but the Baha'is still face enormous problems. The Baha'is of Iran, outlines the history and evolution of the Baha'i community and its present perilous position in Iran. It provides detailed evidence of the policies being followed by the Islamic government. Written with precision and clarity it is essential reading for all those interested in religion, the Middle East or human rights, as well as followers and sympathizers of the Baha'i Faith. Please note that the terminology in the fields of minority rights and indigenous peoples’ rights has changed over time. MRG strives to reflect these changes as well as respect the right to self-identification on the part of minorities and indigenous peoples. At the same time, after over 50 years’ work, we know that our archive is of considerable interest to activists and researchers. Therefore, we make available as much of our back catalogue as possible, while being aware that the language used may not reflect current thinking on these issues.

A collection of pioneering works, now a full scholarly series with essays & monographs. Eight volumes include studies of the history of the Babi & Baha'i communities in Iran, in India & in the West; articles on local Baha'i communities, the development of devotional life, conversion patterns, hierarchy & organization, internal social networks & relations & Baha'i identity. Comments about the series include: "The series demonstrates both that a critical mass of young scholars interested in these movements have formed & that the Baha'i community in the U.S. can now support academic books on the religion."--(British Society for Middle Eastern Studies Bulletin). "...much more work needs to be done on Baha'i history in Iran...that process is now underway & this collection carries it further."--(Middle East Journal). "There is...a mass of information here that could be used in more comparative or theoretically-oriented studies ..."--(Iranian Studies). "... a fascinating volume which offers much new information on the development of a modern faith."--(Religious Studies Review). "This volume is well worth reading by anyone seriously interested in religion in modern Iran."--(British Society for Middle Eastern Studies Bulletin).