The Tri-Cities Baha'i community believes seven members of their faith are wrongly imprisoned in Iran, and they're hoping to draw attention to the prisoners' plight through a public event next week.

Coquitlam resident Cheri King said the rights of Baha'is have been stripped away in Iran.

"They're not allowed to send their children to university. They're not allowed to own property. Their marriages aren't seen as legal. Their children aren't seen as legal. They're not allowed to have a bank account. They can't have pensions. Even their cemeteries have been ploughed over and desecrated," said King, who was raised Christian but became Baha'i 28 years ago.

"And they're not allowed to meet, even in each others' homes. If they're found meeting together or talking together, they could be thrown in prison."

As a result, the Baha'is in Iran nominated seven people to organize basic survival tools, King said.

"Those were the seven that tried to keep it organized to help each other," she said. "And those were the seven that they imprisoned. Their prison sentence is 20 years."

Charges against them include forming a group that aims to disturb national security, spreading propaganda against the Islamic Republic of Iran, engaging in espionage and collaborating with foreign governments hostile to Iran.

The international Baha'i community rejects these allegations as incorrect, said Ramin, a Port Moody Baha'i man originally from Iran. Ramin did not want his last name published for fear of the safety of his extended family in Iran.

"We don't know why they were given 20 years in prison. These charges, as far as we're concerned, were trumped up and made up. The fact is that they're all incorrect, and the Baha'i community worldwide has rejected those allegations outright," Ramin said.

"It's basically accusing them of working against the government, working against the regime of power, working to advance the interests of other countries such as Israel, working to dethrone the regime."

As one of about 2,000 Baha'is living in the Tri-Cities, Ramin said their faith is based on a belief in the oneness of humanity.

"We believe that all humanity's ideals and aspirations come from the same source. The fact that we have different religions is a sign, an indication, of the need for a different teacher at a different time of humanity's evolution," he said. "One prophet's message, the prophet of Mohammed's teachings, was not different than the one that came before him ... They all come from the same source -- that is God.

"When prophet Jesus came, his message wasn't any different in terms of, 'Be good to your neighbours, don't kill, don't do anything bad.'"

The religion was founded in 1844 during the lifetime of Baha'u'llah, whom the Baha'is believe to be God's latest messenger sent with new teachings for the modern world.

However, for the past several decades, the Baha'is in Iran have faced ongoing discrimination, Ramin said.

"Since the '80s, according to our records, over 200 Baha'is have been either persecuted or killed in Iran since the Irani revolution."

The Tri-Cities Baha'is hope to share information about these struggles, with a particular focus on the seven people currently in prison.

They are hosting a free community event on Thursday, Oct. 7 at 7:30 p.m. at Inlet Theatre, located at 100 Newport Dr. in Port Moody.

The evening will feature a photo gallery, live music and a drama presentation on justice. SFU professor and former Anmore mayor Hal Weinberg will address the crowd as a guest speaker, along with Baha'i member Harold Rosen.

"Education is everything. Without education and information, the fact is that the government of Iran will likely continue to do what is in their best interest with no regard for basic human rights of others," Ramin said.

"Our hope is that through this public awareness, there will be additional pressure put on the government to cease the persecution based on belief and basic human rights being taken away."

For more information or to reserve a seat, e-mail lsapomo@gmail.com.

jmcfee@thenownews.com