…The program began in an appropriately somber tone with prayers, two in English and one chanted in Farsi. The crowd, while largely Baha’is, were a mix of Iranians and Americans, Baha’is and those who were either friends of Baha’is or interested in the current political turmoil in Iran.

The first speaker was Marjan Aziza-Elahi, a resident of the Granite Bay Baha’i community who was joined at the speaker’s podium by her six year old daughter, Raha.  During the widespread increase of government-sanctioned persecution of Baha’is following the Islamic Revolution of 1979, Ms. Aziza-Elahi lost three of her uncles to execution. She did not, however, dwell on the horrific memories of that tragedy, but instead, remained focused on how Baha’is survived during the fiercely hostile early years of the Islamic Republic of Iran.  Baha’is, along with concerned non-Baha’i family members and friends, helped each other with food, clothing, shelter and other necessities for survival, she explained.  They had to be careful, however, because gathering in a group would lead to arrest. The Islamic -ran government had outlawed the worship and teaching activities of the Baha’i Faith, and a group of Baha’is coming together for any reason was considered to be in defiance of the law.

She described how an 85 year old grandmother was arrested by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards because she refused to recant the Baha’i Faith. The elderly woman remained steadfast in her resolution that she would rather remain incarcerated than disavow her faith.  Eventually, she was released.