By Kevin Kim
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

TEHRAN, Iran – In Iran, students are excluded from university admissions solely based on the religion they practice. That meant 800 Baha’i students were prevented from obtaining their national matriculation exam results this year. Without the scores, they could not complete the university admission process. And because the process was incomplete, they were denied of admissions.

Baha’is regularly face discrimination and persecution in Iran, which is overwhelmingly Shiite Muslim. The religion was founded in Iran in the mid-1800s and became Iran’s largest religious minority with over 300,000 members. However, because the Iranian government considers Baha’is to be apostates from Islam, the authorities implemented broad restrictions on Baha’is that severely undermined their ability to function as a community – the latest of which is on education.

One applicant was suggested that he would be able to get his test scores only if his family recanted their faith. Others were simply told that the examination officials had “received orders from above not to score the tests of Baha’i students.”

This blatant religious discrimination is contrary to Iran’s commitment to make higher education equally accessible to all without discrimination as a member of International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights. Iran is also under obligation to guarantee freedom of thought, conscience, and religion as a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Yet Baha’is cannot practice their religion in public and hundreds of Baha’i students will be absent from campuses because of their faith.

For more information, please see:

Chicago Sun-Times – Iran’s crackdown victimizes Baha’is – 30 September 2007

Iranian Truth – Grant Baha’is access to higher education – 22 September 2007

Reuters – Rights groups says Iran barring Baha’is from study – 20 September 2007

Human Rights Watch – Iran: allow Baha’i students access to higher education – 20 September 2007