Yet, the Human Rights Committee and the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
have noted that public education that includes instruction in a particular religion or belief is
inconsistent with Articles18.4 9 of the ICCPR and 13 of the CESCR,10 “unless provision is made
for non-discriminatory exemptions or alternatives that would accommodate the wishes of parents
and guardians”. Such imposition of Shia Islam education as exemplified above is therefore
inconsistent with the ICCPR.
Article 8 of the Charter of the Citizen’s rights stipulates that “The Government shall refrain from
adopting any decision and taking any action that leads to the widening of the class divide, undue
discrimination or deprivation of citizen’s rights” including in the context of educational
opportunities. Additionally, during its last Universal Periodic Review session in 2019 the
government of the Islamic Republic of Iran affirmed that minorities were free to choose their
schools.11 Yet, following a new ministry initiative entitled Project Mehr, the Minister of
Education Mohsen Haji-Mirzaei announced on September 11th, 2019 that “If students say that
they follow a faith other than the country’s official religions and this is seen as proselytising,
they cannot continue attending school”.12 The project would give to schools increased authority
to identify children’s religion in school and to deny education to religious minorities students.
The practice of identifying children’s religion in school, including Baha’i children’s, is ongoing
in the Islamic Republic of Iran and supported by the Government. Reports have shown that
children are intimidated and expelled from school on account of their religion.
Recommendation Status:
This recommendation has NOT been implemented.
International Community’s (BIC) page on Bahais in Iran, https://www.bic.org/focus-areas/situation-iranian-bahais
9
CCPR General Comment No.22: Article 18 (Freedom of Thought, Conscience or Religion)
https://www.refworld.org/docid/453883fb22.html
10
CESCR General Comment No. 13: The Right to Education (Art. 13) https://www.refworld.org/pdfid/4538838c22.pdf
11
Report of the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review Islamic Republic of Iran, 27 December 2019,
https://undocs.org/A/HRC/43/12
12
Iran Wire, 2019, https://iranwire.com/en/features/6303
2