Our Story is One Campaign

Explore the incredible content being created across Australia and the world in honour of the 10 Bahá’í women who were executed in Iran more than 40 years ago simply for their beliefs in a more unified world.

The story

On 18 June 1983 — just over 40 years ago — 10 Baháʼí women were executed following months of imprisonment and torture. Ranging in age from 17 through to their 50s, their crime was their belief in a faith that promoted gender equality, justice and unity. They were hanged one by one, each forced to watch the next woman’s death in a harrowing attempt to coerce them into renouncing their faith. None did.

Their story, however, is not over. It was a chapter in the unfolding story of Iranian women’s resilience and sacrifice for equality. Following that tragic event and for the four decades that followed, hundreds more Baháʼí women were persecuted — facing discrimination both as women and as Baháʼís – imprisoned, tortured, and executed.

Today, in the blood, tears and wounds of thousands of young women in Iran fighting for equality, we can see the legacy of the 10 women of Shiraz whose tragic death touched the lives of many. We see the same spirit, the same choice being made: to stand up for the principles of justice and equality at any cost, even one’s life. Though mistreated and imprisoned, today’s women — just like those before them — are bravely and joyously sacrificing their all to live in a more prosperous Iran.

The campaign

The Baha’i International Community has now launched a global campaign, called #OurStoryIsOne, to honour the executed women and the long struggle for equality lived by women of all faiths in Iran for more than four decades which continues to this day. The campaign aims to demonstrate that despite the Iranian government’s efforts to sow discord and hate between groups, that our story is a shared one. We have become unified in our suffering and resilience, in our persecution and unwavering strength to combat oppression and above all to rebuild Iran, whatever sacrifices it takes.

This collection honours those 10 women, showcasing stories, artistic expressions, and news from around Australia and paying tribute to the bravery, resilience and ongoing suffering faced by the women of Iran as they endeavour to build a more just and unified world.