The audience sat in a pitch-black room on the third floor of the Reitz Union on Thursday night watching a video that recounted the troubles and brutalities the Baha’i people have endured for decades.
As a minority religious group in Iran that is persecuted by the Islamic government, the Baha’i people have lived in solidarity not knowing if relatives would be arrested or killed.
About 50 audience members watched some of the stories of the more than 200 people who were executed in the five years following the Islamic Revolution and discussed the animosity between the Muslims and Baha’i people.
“It’s gut-wrenching to know that this is going on. Many people in America are ignorant to the situation,” said Jaclyn Krantzler, a 19-year-old UF statistics and political science freshman.
As an interfaith ambassador, Krantzler said she wants to bridge the gap and promote acceptance between religions.
“This is a powerful film. It’s exceedingly depressing that things like this can happen in this day and age,” UF professor Winston Nagan said, as he answered questions in a panel discussion following the film. “Second, it shows the strength of the human spirit.”
Tate Quinones, a 22-year-old UF psychology and anthropology senior, also voiced her opinion. As a Baha’i herself, she told the audience that no Muslim person she’s ever spoken with agrees with what is happening in Iran.
“They would consider it against the faith and find it appalling,” she said.
[A version of this story ran on page 5 on 2/27/2015 under the headline “Film shows brutality against Baha’i”]
