As we continue our week exploring the issue of Baha’i persecution in Iran, we are given the account of Mr. Kamal Khanjani, brother of Jamaloddin Khanjani, imprisoned Bahá’í leader. His statement follows:

Personal Statement:

I arrived in the United States in 1978 after studying electrical engineering Isfahan, Iran. In the United States, I started my own business doing air conditioning, heating and refrigeration. After running this business for almost 25 years, I sold it last year. I received awards for excellence, including the Pinnacle Award from the Better Business Bureau for five years in a row. 

My childhood and elementary school years were spent in a town in northern Iran called Sangsar. For high school, college and the rest of my time in Iran, I lived in Isfahan. As a Bahá’í, I was often confronted by teachers, the school’s faculty, and other students, as well as ordinary people outside of school.

Relationship with my brother, Jamaloddin Khanjani:

Mr. Jamaloddin Khanjani is my oldest brother. I am the youngest of the seven siblings. He is not only my oldest brother, but was a father to me, as well as a friend. Before the revolution, I witnessed his life and routine. He was up until midnight, or later, six nights a week, serving as a member of the Bahá’í Local Spiritual Assembly, which has since been disbanded, and assisting with other needs of the local Bahá’í community. 

The seventh night he hosted a study session for 40 students, both boys and girls, who, for various reasons, could not go to school. Jamaloddin and his wife, Ashraf, took full responsibility for these kids and supervised their needs, including accommodations, food, medication, and other daily necessities. All of these students finished elementary school and most of them finished high school. A few were even sent abroad to pursue higher education. 

My brother and I managed and operated a brick factory which, at that time, was uniquely sophisticated. After the Islamic Revolution, it was confiscated by the regime. Jamaloddin was arrested several times and his incarceration lasted from a few days to a few months at a time. Since the last incarceration on May 14, 2008, I have received some phone calls from him. The first time he called, I was away from my phone, but he was able to leave me a message. I have had the privilege of speaking with him in more recent phone calls. 

My beloved brother’s character, his belief in his faith, his sincerity and his devotion have inspired, and continue to inspire, my life.

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Again, I only ask that you share these stories with others. So often we take our freedoms of religious expression and assembly for granted. The Baha’is of Iran and indeed other minority faiths in that nation and elsewhere do not have such privileges. Only when we put aside our differences and struggle to ensure that ALL of mankind’s basic rights are observed can we call ourselves noble, good…Human.