Exodus from Iran

Several thousand Iranian Baha'is, members of a persecuted minority, fled their homes during and after the Revolution of 1979. Most became refugees forced to hire people smugglers. Recent immigration policies in Australia created a safe haven for them and facilitated their settlement. Their religious beliefs centre on unity and strongly feature the need for equality of men and women. The belief in the oneness of humanity coupled with the presence of an established Baha'i community in Australia provided the migrants with a social network and an acceptable identity in their host society. The women acquired individual autonomy, freedom, and the opportunity for tertiary education and achieved the success denied them in their homeland. Most of the refugees became an asset to their adopted country. This book tracks their journey from terror to security - in some cases from prison to individual freedom and prosperity.

Autorentext

Margaret Bluett regularly travels internationally and visited Iran on two occasions, in 1969 and 1973. She won first prize in the National Literature Competition of Papua New Guinea in 1993 and achieved a P.H.D. in History in 2006. Membership in the Bahäi World Faith allowed her access to personal stories of Iranian refugees.

Klappentext

Several thousand Iranian Baha''is, members of a persecuted minority, fled their homes during and after the Revolution of 1979. Most became refugees forced to hire people smugglers. Recent immigration policies in Australia created a safe haven for them and facilitated their settlement. Their religious beliefs centre on unity and strongly feature the need for equality of men and women. The belief in the oneness of humanity coupled with the presence of an established Baha''i community in Australia provided the migrants with a social network and an acceptable identity in their host society. The women acquired individual autonomy, freedom, and the opportunity for tertiary education and achieved the success denied them in their homeland. Most of the refugees became an asset to their adopted country. This book tracks their journey from terror to security - in some cases from prison to individual freedom and prosperity.