Fariborz Parthor grew up as a Baha'i in Iran. He saw first-hand the discrimination people of his faith endured at the hands of government officials.

And for a while in the 1990s, he was not allowed to leave the country even though he had only come for a visit from the United States. He endured daylong interrogations.

While detained in Iran, Parthor married and started a family. Eventually, he, his wife and two children made their way to the United States.

Today, Parthor is the chairman of the spiritual assembly - locally elected leaders - for Boise Baha'is. But he also is concerned about spreading the word about problems Baha'is face in Iran, where they often are expelled from school and not allowed to hold government jobs.

While Baha'is suffer at the hands of Muslim clerics who hold power in the Iranian government, he says they do not represent most Muslims in Iran who are accepting of Baha'is.

Q: What kinds of problems does the Baha'i faith face in Iran, and why does Iran seems so focused on Baha'i?

A: Baha'is believe in equality of men and women. The Muslim clergy don't like that. They will never tolerate equality of men and women.

Another example would be a universal education. Every child in the world must receive an education. The Muslim clergy indirectly tries to keep people uneducated because then they can rule easier over those people.

Q: How do they do that?

A: The don't fund their education ministry very well. The schools are under supplied, and they don't have enough facilities. Baha'i students can't go to college.

Q: Do you hear form people in Iran? What is happening to them day by day?

A: They are allowed to live their lives normally right now. (Government officials) started by going after governing bodies of the Baha'i faith. In Iran, they arrested the members of the national assembly (of Baha'i faith). They are all arrested for, I think, four or five months. No contact with their families.

Q: So the leadership in the Baha'i faith in Iran is under arrest (and) in jail?

A: Yes. The ordinary Baha'is they don't go after because, to the government, ordinary Baha'is are insignificant. However, Baha'i have been fired from all their jobs and positions with the government since 1979. So they started businesses. Usually, they are very successful.

If a Baha'i makes a lot of money, if they standout, then they will go after him. They will confiscate his land, his business and his property. That happened to my own father. My father has a farm. Roughly half of his farm was confiscated by the government. No reason whatsoever. They just took it.

Q: Is the central issue here that your are not Islamic?

A: In my personal opinion, the central issue is the teaching of (Baha'i). If these teachings spread, (Muslim clerics) will be out of business.

We are hoping that this interview will raise the awareness of Boiseans, Idahoans and Americans to what is really going on in some remote corners of the world.

Bill Roberts: 377-6408