Source: Baha'i World News Service

http://www.bahaiworldnews.org/story.cfm?storyid=293

On April 22, 2004 Baha'i World News Service reported, "Government authorities in Iran have destroyed a Baha'i holy site, the Baha'i International Community has learned. The gravesite of Quddus, a prominent figure in early Baha'i history, has been razed to the ground, despite protests from Baha'is at the local, national, and international levels. 'The destruction and desecration of this holy place were carried out with the knowledge of the national government to which appeals had been made beforehand,' said Bani Dugal, the principal representative of the Baha'i International Community to the United Nations. 'This act represents yet another example of the ongoing persecution against Iran's 300,000 member Baha'i community, utterly contradicting the government's claim that the human rights situation in Iran is improving,' said Ms. Dugal. Destruction of the gravesite began in February but was temporarily halted after local Baha'is demanded to see a legal permit for the demolition work. The Baha'is were referred to national authorities and for a time it appeared that the desecration had been halted. More recently, it was discovered that the dismantling of the gravesite had continued surreptitiously over a period of days until the structure was entirely demolished. The house-like structure marked the resting place of Mulla Muhammad-'Ali Barfurushi, known as Quddus (The Most Holy). Quddus was the foremost disciple of the Bab, the Prophet-Herald of the Baha'i Faith."