Humour at last

The continuous stream of anti-Bahai hate speech in the Iranian media continues unabated. There are perhaps 3 or 4 new items generated each week, and reproduced on dozens of sites. The stories are usually about the Bahais as servants of Russian/British colonialism, agents of zionism, spies for Israel and so forth: the usual fabrications recycled. Two of the favourite images to accompany these stories are one of a ghoul with red eyes rising from his chains, mouth open in a snarl and something unspeakable in his mouth, and one of a cowled “pied piper” in sinister colours, face hidden in shadow. These are supposed to represent the Bahai threat to society.

Today [19 October 2009] a new image has appeared at the Javan News site. The story that goes with the image just says that the spying activities of the Bahais are increasing, without saying how a community excluded from education, government jobs, large corporations and the police and military can spy on anything, or why Israel should tell its spies not to pretend to be Shiah and infiltrate something, but rather to say they are Bahais so they can be subject to continuous surveillance from the intelligence ministry, frequent home searches and the confiscation of their computers, and be deprived of access to higher education, pensions and even basic human rights.

The latest threat to Iran’s national security, apparently, is Bahais lurking in folded beach umbrellas!

Postscript 17 November 2009
I’m going to collect some more images in a scrap-book, with the thought that there might be a research paper in this, for me or someone else.

The Greatest Name with a cracked face is from the “mid-night” blog, which is not very active, and has copied a story that is being relayed on many Iranian sites. It says there is increasing Bahai activity using satellite media, and that Bahai missionaries continue to teach the Faith, even in prison. The Bahais are said to be supported by Israel, and to call international attention to the supposed violation of the human rights of minorities in Iran. However since the Bahai sect is not considered a religion, but rather deviant, it is right that it should be restricted.

This ‘pied piper’ image is one of the more popular representations of the Bahai threat. I copied this one from Patoghu forum, 24 November 2009. the story that goes with it is the same as the one above.

 
 
This image seeks to associate the Bahai Faith — an Iranian religion with a cosmopolitan world-view – with the United States. I found it used on friendfeed, on 29 November, 2009.
 
 
 
 

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