Join me for this illuminating interview with Parivash Rohani, who left her native country of Iran fleeing religious persecution due to her Baha'i Faith and now is an activist for social justice and freedom. Her words about the importance of standing up for what you believe in, working with other people and weaving humanity together in truth and love.

Parivash Rohani left Iran and fled to India in 1979 due to religious persecution. She arrived in the United States in 1986 as an immigrant. Currently she lives in Portland with her husband and children. Professionally, she is a ICU registered nurse. She has been involved with many humanitarian, environmental, and interfaith projects. Her involvement in MIPL and International human right campaign "Education Is Not A Crime" is due to her firm conviction that change happens organically at the grass roots level, and justice demands universal participation. Parivash believes it is our moral obligation to be involved in social action and participate in the prevalent discourse of society.

To Light a Candle (2014) is a film about the triumph of knowledge over intolerance. The Baha’is are Iran’s largest religious minority. They are persecuted because of their faith, and barred from teaching and studying at university. But Baha'is do teach, and do study. The Baha’i Institute for Higher Education (BIHE) was established in 1987 to give young Baha’is a chance to pursue knowledge and receive a quality education The informal courses take place in people’s homes, via mail correspondence, and with online lectures. The Iranian government regularly raids BIHE classes and arrests its students and teachers. Hundreds of Baha’is have been jailed simply for teaching and studying at BIHE. Yet, many Muslim Iranians support the right of the Baha’is to higher education and fight for the full enjoyment of civil and human rights by all Baha’is. Maziar Bahari’s To Light a Candle is a hopeful story of the BIHE and Iran. In 2015 the film sparked the global Education Is Not A Crime campaign for universal access to higher education. The last Friday of every February will be celebrated as Education is not a Crime day. The campaign has been endorsed by a string of Nobel laureates and other prominent figures around the world. Official website is http://www.notacrime.me/ .

In the spirit of justice, freedom, and our shared humanity, please check out and spread the word about this important film and work of Education is Not a Crime!

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