"To Light a Candle" documentary screening

Members of the Baha'i Faith who reside in Iran, the birthplace of their religion, are denied several human rights including the right to study or teach in Iranian universities.  The film "To Light a Candle" is the story of the persecution of Iran's Baha'is with a special emphasis on the denial of college education.  In 1987, Baha'is started the Baha'i Institute for Higher Education (BIHE) as an underground university in which dozens of teachers from Iran and around the world teach hundreds of Iranian Baha'i students. 

 

Baha'is, who are a religious minority in Iran, are not only denied higher education; many have been subjected to imprisonment, torture, and death by their government in the past and these human rights abuses continue today.  Through the use of powerful interviews, secretly shot footage, and other material, "To Light a Candle" depicts ongoing efforts by Baha'is to defy persecution via non-violent resistance and the education of their youth.

 

The film is produced by Iranian-Canadian filmmaker Maziar Bahari (the subject of Jon Stewart's film "Rosewater").

 

Learn about the challenes faced by Baha'is - especially young Baha'is seeking personal development through education - in present-day Iran. A discussion will follow the screening.