World Religions Day: An Opportunity for Solidarity and Mutual Respect
World Religions Day today is not merely a symbolic date to celebrate diversity; rather, it is a global indicator for measuring a government’s commitment to humanity. The philosophy of this day is a reminder of a reality often overlooked: religious diversity is not a threat to security, but rather the foundation of sustainable peace—a truth that stands in direct opposition to the security-centric and exclusionary approach governing Iran.
This global message stands in stark contrast to the reality in Iran. In a land where religious diversity should be an opportunity for cultural enrichment, we are witnessing the securitization of faith and the systematic violation of citizens’ rights. Reports from recent years show that the Islamic Republic has gone beyond discriminatory practices and entered a phase of systematic elimination of dissent. Where Baháʼís, Christians, Jews, Zoroastrians, and followers of other faiths are treated not as citizens, but as “security suspects,” subjected to the harshest judicial, economic, and social pressures, and where difference of belief has effectively become a criminal case.
The repression apparatus of the Islamic Republic of Iran has structured its strategy around religious segregation:
In border regions, it resorts to physical elimination; for Baháʼís and Christians it enforces long-term imprisonment; and against Sunni citizens it employs economic strangulation, arrests, and imprisonment. During the protests of Dey 1403 (December 2024–January 2025), this repression was intensified under the guise of “security coverage.” Under the shadow of street violence, the state accelerated elimination processes and, at lower media cost, carried out arrests and heavy sentences.
Arrests and deaths during the protests of Dey 1403:
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Baháʼí citizens: 32 arrested, 1 killed
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Christian citizens: 2 killed, 1 arrested
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Zoroastrian citizens: 7 killed, 3 arrested
It should be noted that these figures are based on internet access and censorship; the true scale of repression will be many times greater.
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
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Article 3: Right to life for all
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Article 5: Prohibition of torture
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Article 9: Prohibition of arbitrary arrest, detention, or exile
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Article 18: Freedom of belief
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Article 19: Right to freedom of expression
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
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Article 18: Freedom of thought, conscience, and religion
UN Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief
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Article 1: Freedom of thought, conscience, religion, or belief
Defense of Human Rights Association in Iran
Defense of the Rights of Followers of Religions Committee
Translated by Alireza Jahan Bin
