\u200bWe are aware of reports that over 100 Baha'i owned shops and businesses were forced to close for observing Baha'i holy days and, in particular, for observing the bicentenary of the birth of Baha'u'llah earlier this year. Reports estimate that there have been over 1,170 incidents of economic suppression against Iranian Baha'is since 2005. The British Government calls on Iran to respect the rights and freedoms of all its citizens no matter what their religion or belief.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1201", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Alistair Burt"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "North East Bedfordshire"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Alistair Burt"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2017-11-21", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2017-11-21T16:43:31.147Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "16"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2017-11-15", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Iran: Baha'i Faith"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports his Department has received on the rate at which the Iranian Government has forced Baha'i shops and businesses to be sealed; and if he will make a statement.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4488", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Martyn Day"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Linlithgow and East Falkirk"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Martyn Day"} ], "uin" : "113420"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/790068", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/790068/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The treatment of the Baha'i community in Iran is of particular concern. This includes recent reports of an increased number of Baha'i students being expelled from university, as well as the denial of access to higher education for adherents of the Baha'i faith, and reports of students being forced to renounce their faith in order to further their education. The British Government supports the UN Special Rapporteur's assessment that discrimination against the Baha'i community in Iran is aggravated by lack of recognition for the Baha'i faith in the Iranian constitution. We call on Iran to respect the rights and freedoms of all its citizens no matter what their religion or belief.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1201", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Alistair Burt"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "North East Bedfordshire"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Alistair Burt"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2017-11-21", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2017-11-21T16:41:44.863Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "16"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2017-11-15", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Iran: Baha'i Faith"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether his Department has received reports on an increase in the number of expulsions of Baha'i university students in Iran since June 2017, and if he will make a statement.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4488", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Martyn Day"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Linlithgow and East Falkirk"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Martyn Day"} ], "uin" : "113419"} ], "itemsPerPage" : 10, "page" : 0, "startIndex" : 1, "totalResults" : 2, "type" : ["http://purl.org/linked-data/api/vocab#ListEndpoint", "http://purl.org/linked-data/api/vocab#Page"]} }