Yemen’s Baha’is face persecution as they struggle to practice their faith
Hamed Kamal Muhammad bin Haydara disappeared into the labyrinth of Yemen’s National Security Bureau three years ago. His crime: being a Baha’i. His wife says the last time she called him and spoke to him was in December 2013.
Since his disappearance, Haydara has been accused of “apostasy”, “insulting Islam”, and calling on Muslims to “embrace the Baha’i religion”.
New York-based Human Rights Watch says that the prosecution in Haydara’s trial has asked for the death penalty for him. It says that. “Most of the charges against Haydara relate to his practice of the Baha’i faith.”
Yemeni authorities allege that Haydara is an Iranian citizen who entered the country in 1991 under a false name while working for Israel.
“We reject this accusation” his wife, Elham Muhammad Hossain Zara’i, told Rudaw.
“We have lived in Yemen for decades. The father of my husband was the first doctor on Socotra island. His name is Dr. Kamal. But they always link us to that issue (of Israel) because the Baha’i administration body is in Israel, and our holy site is based in Israel. That is why they link us to the state of Israel.”
Haifa, in present-day Israel, has been the Baha’i faith’s administrative headquarters since Ottoman Rule in 17 century.
In Muslim Yemen, the law does not recognize any other minority religion except Judaism. Embracing any other religion is a punishable crime.
“The Baha’i faith is not recognized in the constitution, the tradition or by Islam. Therefore, it is a forbidden religion. If a Yemeni renounces his religion and declares himself a Baha’I, this is a crime to be tried at court.” an official from the ministry of justice said.
“But if the person is from a foreign country and visits us, they can practice their religion at home in private, and this is not a crime and will not be punished,” he explained.
Yemen has ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) since 1987, safeguarding the freedom of religion.
“Yemeni authorities have committed an injustice by prosecuting Haydara for his religious beliefs and compounding that injustice by seeking to execute him,” said Joe Stork, deputy Middle East director of HRW. “The charges should be dropped and Haydara should be released.”
HRW, which has published a detailed report on Haydara's case, says the judiciary system has been slowed down by the war in Yemen.
“The authorities have to deal with the issue, even if that means in contradiction to the law. We shall not allow the war to affect our humanity.” a rights activist from the local Mwatana Organization for Human Rights, which has monitored Haydar's case closely, told Rudaw
According to Baha'i estimates, there are about 2,000 Baha'is in Yemen. Their appearance in a protest in April for the first time amounted to declaring their religion as part of Yemeni society.
“Lots of people are researching the Baha'i religion, and embrace the religion. Lots of youth ask me for books and ask how can they embrace the Baha’i religion.” a Baha’i community leader based in Yemen told Rudaw.
HRW says that, if Haydara has been found not to be a Yemeni citizen, he may be extradited to Iran, his alleged country of origin, where the Baha’is also face severe persecution. But international law may not allow that to happen.