Rainn Wilson is best known for his role as Dwight on "The Office," but the actor is also one of the key supporters of equal rights and access to education and jobs for Iranian Baha'is. The documentary "Education Under Fire," which discusses the unjust treatment of members of the Baha'i faith, was screened on Tuesday evening in the Rockefeller Center, bringing this often overlooked human rights issue to the attention of members of the Dartmouth community.
The documentary "Education Under Fire" was produced by Single Arrow Productions and derives its name from a non-governmental organization founded by David Hoffman, a member of the Baha'i faith. The NGO aims to use international pressure to convince Iran to grant Baha'is a Persian religion emphasizing human unity basic human rights, such as access to education. The documentary's production was co-sponsored by Amnesty International.
The Education Under Fire campaign was formed by several Baha'is, according to Stephen Langley, the assistant musical ensemble director for the Hopkins center and a member of the Baha'i faith.
"The goal of the event was to bring this issue to light among the Dartmouth community," Langley said.
Denis Rydjeski, a member of Hanover's Amnesty International chapter and one of the event's organizers said Baha'is' lack of access to education is only one of several human rights issues that needs to be addressed in Iran.
"[The documentary] focuses specifically on one human rights issue in Iran," Rydjeski said. "It's by no means the only human rights issue."
The Baha'i faith has seven million adherents worldwide in 247 countries, and the majority of Baha'is live in India, Iran and the United States, according to Langley. The Baha'i faith was founded in 1866 in Persia, modern-day Iran, by Mirza ?usayn-Ali Nuri, Langley said. Unlike other major religions, the Baha'i faith accepts the universality of all religions and views each religion as stemming from a belief in the same god.
The event, co-sponsored by the sociology department and Hanover community activists involved in Amnesty International, was attended primarily by members of the Hanover Community and those of the Baha'i faith.
The event began with a showing of a video clip of Wilson advocating on behalf of the Baha'i, followed by an introduction by Langley, who read a letter from Baha'u'llah, the founder of the Baha'i, that called for world peace and equality among people.
"Opposition and persecution have often made being a Baha'i a difficult or deadly thing," Langley said. "Baha'u'llah's message was primarily one of unity."
The 30-minute long documentary was in a traditional format and featured interviews with Baha'is who had been persecuted in Iran. They face persecution in much of the Islamic world because the faith is seen as apostasy from Islam, which is illegal in many Islamic countries, according to the documentary. "Education Under Fire" addresses what it believes to be the most damaging of the persecution they face Baha'is' limited access to education and employment in Iran.
The documentary followed the creation of the Baha'i Institute of Higher Education, an illegal underground higher education system. BIHE was founded in 1987 to help Baha'is gain access to higher education, which they were being denied due to their religion, according to the documentary. Since they were not allowed to participate in an educational system openly, students would meet in apartments and homes. The documentary also highlighted the effects of a May 21, 2011 raid against the Baha'i Institute of Higher Education by the Iranian government, which resulted in the confiscation of learning materials and arrests. Furthermore, the lack of citizenship for Baha'is makes them an easy target for persecution by the government.
After the screening, Charles Buell, a member of Building Bridges: Middle East-U.S., described a trip he took to Iran and attempted to dispel preconceived notions others may have had about the country.
"When I visited Iran in 2003, I had a relatively optimistic view of Iran," he said. "I was impressed with their openness to Americans."
Along with Baha'is, Jews, Christians and Zororastrians can be found in Iran. Many Baha'i in the documentary said that they enjoyed good relations with Muslim neighbors and that the persecution of those of the Baha'i faith is mostly propagated by the government of Iran.
"The problem that Baha'is have is that their religion started quite recently within an Islamic faith," Buell said. "They are viewed as apostates, which is the theoretical justification for persecution of the Baha'is. However, though there is theoretical justification, the primary cause is a political one Zororastrians, Jews and Christians are second-class citizens in Iran, but they are at least recognized."
Sociology professor Misagh Parsa also explained how persecution of Baha'is was used by the government to set an example for other dissident groups.
"It's not just Baha'is all these religious groups are being arrested." Parsa said.
Parsa also said he believes that the spread of democracy in the Middle East would also end the persecution of minority groups.
"The future looks bright," Parsa said. "Iran will be one of the most Democratic countries in the Middle East. The future may be 20 years, it may be 30 years, it may be tomorrow. The future will be happy the present makes me very sad."
