The Bahá’í community in India is deeply distressed by the war in Iran, which has seen an increase in persecution of Iranian Bahá’ís. Many Indian Bahá’ís originally came from Iran and have relatives living in the same country.As the Islamic Republic regime tightens its grip and brutally crushes any internal opposition during the conflict, there has been a harsh crackdown on Iranian Bahais, the country’s largest non-Muslim minority.“Iranian Bahá’ís have a history of persecution that became systematic state policy after the 1979 Islamic revolution,” says Nilakshi Rajkhowa, representative of the Bahá’í Office of Public Affairs. “Whenever there is a crisis in Iran, the Bahá’ís are made scapegoats. The constitution of the Islamic Republic does not even recognize the Bahá’í Faith, and there was even a 1991 memorandum calling for the growth of the Bahá’ís to be stopped on all sides.“The Islamic Republic has long denied Bahá’ís basic rights such as education, government employment, and even access to cemeteries to bury the dead. During the latest conflict, dozens of Bahá’ís were detained, charged or prosecuted without due process. They include cousins Payvand and Borna Naimi.According to Iran Human Rights, 30-year-old Peyvand was arrested in Kerman on January 8. He was accused of encouraging other Iranian youth to protest, was not given a lawyer, and was reportedly subjected to torture in custody, including mock execution.Borna was arrested on 1 March and similarly tortured. According to the Bahá’í International Community and Amnesty International, authorities coerced confessions from the cousins under extreme pressure for the murder of three security personnel.The most common accusation leveled against the Baha’is in Iran is that of spying at the behest of Israel. “This is complete nonsense. The founder of the Bahá’í Faith, Bahá’u’lláh, was exiled in the 19th century, and his final resting place is near Haifa in modern Israel. The Islamic Republic regime keeps linking the Bahá’ís to Israel because of this. But modern Israel didn’t even exist then, it was part of the old Ottoman Empire,” says Farah Motalebi, who was born and raised in Tehran.“Last July, my mother-in-law died in Shahrud, in eastern Iran, where she was refused burial. They had to take her body 300 km to another city for burial. This is the constant harassment we have endured for 40 years.”Another Iranian-born Indian Bahá’í, Romina (name changed) details her family’s difficulties. “My sister was arrested and jailed along with her one-month-old child in 1980. She also had a two-year-old child at that time, who she had to leave alone at home. My sister’s crime? They were accused of teaching children – the Iranian regime considers Bahá’ís to be irreligious, and therefore, they are barred from teaching, especially values education classes.““Yes, the regime recognizes Christianity, Judaism and Zoroastrianism. But not any faith that came after Islam,” says Motalebi. “Therefore, Bahá’ís are automatically singled out by the regime, making them easy targets for scapegoating.” Romina adds, “Our faith teaches us to be loyal to our country and the government where we live. Iranian Bahá’ís want to help Iran. But the Islamic regime does not view Bahá’ís as equal citizens.“