[TRANSCRIPT OF ORIGINAL NEWS ARTICLE IN ENGLISH]
Translation
Embassy of the Islamic
In His Venerated Name
Buenos Aires
[Date:] 26 September 1979
Sirs:
In reply to your letters and telegrams in which you express your concern for the fact that your group is not mentioned in the New Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran as a religious minority, and about the destruction of buildings in Shiraz, which are important to your group, the following facts will serve to clarify the situation for you.
On the 17th of Shahrivar, the first anniversary of Black Friday, the day on which many Iranians died, faithful Muslims were mourning in the whole country. In Shiraz some of the mourners began to destroy the birthplace of Ali Mohamad, the Bab, and the security forces and guards of the house were not able to stop them from doing so, as this could have resulted in the martyrdom of many Muslim champions of Shiraz .
The Islamic Republic of Iran, having as its official religion Shí’ih Islam, cannot and should not place a misguided group like the Baha'is, whose affiliation and association with world Zionism is a clear fact, in the same category as minorities like the Christians, Jews and Zoroastrians, and recognize them as a religious minority.
The history of this group shows that it was originally established by Russian Tsars and British imperialism, and that it is being backed by Israel and American imperialism, whose only goal is to oppose the permanently growing spiritual power of Islam, and to create discord. Furthermore, the means and methods of the destructive activity of the Baha'is and their open espionage for foreigners prove its connection, as a traitorous political party, supporting the sworn enemy of Islam and of the oppressed and abused people of Palestine, namely, international Zionism.
As the challenge to world Zionism is one of the cornerstones of the Islamic Republic, how can the Baha'is be recognized as a minority and be given the same rights as all others?
The meetings of this group have always served as nests of espionage and our Muslim Nation cannot tolerate this sort of nest.
(Signed)
Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran
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