Sunday, January 04, 2009

Creepy Fars News article about Baha'i hanging

I don't know if the rape charge has any credibility. I am posting this because the claims about the status of the Baha'i in Iran are interesting, as is the final claim.
A follower of Baha'i faith was hanged in northeastern Iran after a local court sentenced him to death for raping his daughter.

Despite western media reports, sources said that Houshang Khodadad was convicted in a criminal court after his daughter sued him for sexual harassment and rape.

They also stressed that Khodadad had not been executed for religious beliefs.

Baha'ism is considered as a heretic religion in the Islamic Republic, but Tehran tolerates followers of the religion. Yet, new converts are prosecuted as converting from Islam to any other religion is considered as an act of heresy in Islam which requires capital punishment.

Khodadad was not a convert, sources said, adding that he was a registered follower of Baha'ism.

"He raped his own daughter a while ago, and he was imprisoned in (the northeastern city of) Torbat Heydarieh and was later hanged (after being tried and convicted) in a case raised by his daughter," sources said.

Khodadad had confessed not only to his adulterous relationship with close relatives, including his daughter, but also sodomy with one of the inmates when he was in prison.

Baha'ism allows adultery with family members and relatives, except one's stepmother.
I'm not an expert on Baha'ism, but it seems safe to call that a canard.

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