RELEASED: May 14th 2011
TRACKS: 1
TOTAL LENGTH: 00:05:21
FORMAT: 320 kbps MP3
CATEGORIES: Inspired Music
GENRE: Inspirational

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A Song For The Yaran

The song "Yaran", tells the story of the seven friends in Iran that were arrested and imprisoned unjustly, simply for believing in the Bahá'í Faith, whose central teaching is the unity of humanity, of religion and of God. They are law abiding Bahá'ís and have been held in prison since March, 2008, serving out a 20 year sentence.

I hope you enjoy the song and keep our dear friends in your thoughts and prayers always, and do what you can to let leaders everywhere speak out against this grave injustice. Thank you!! KC

Background History

On 5 March 2008, Mahvash Sabet - a schoolteacher and mother of two - was arrested having been summoned to the Iranian city of Mashhad to discuss some matters regarding a Baha'i burial. She has been in prison since that time - including the first 175 days spent in solitary confinement.

Two months later, on 14 May, six other prominent members of Iran's Baha'i community were incarcerated in Tehran's notorious Evin prison, after they were arrested in early morning raids at their homes in a sweep that was ominously similar to episodes in the 1980s when scores of Iranian Baha'i leaders were summarily rounded up and killed.

The six were Fariba Kamalabadi, Jamaloddin Khanjani, Afif Naeimi, Saeid Rezaie, Behrouz Tavakkoli, and Vahid Tizfahm.

Since its inception, the Bahá'í Faith has been systematically attacked and its members arrested in Iran simply for practicing a peaceful religion. Because respect for and obedience to the governments in which they reside is a teaching of the Bahá'í Faith, Bahá'ís obey the laws of Iran, oppressive as they may be. Over 200 Bahá'ís were killed between 1978 and 1998, the majority by execution, and thousands more were arrested.

Every day Bahá'ís in Iran are denied their education, jobs, pensions, properties and inheritances, victimized by violence incited by state-sponsored propaganda campaigns, and face constant threats of arrest, unlawful trials, imprisonment and death.

The Yaran are currently serving a 20 year sentence under the most abhorrent and inhumane conditions in Iran's worst prisons.

Today, as governments around the world, advocates for human rights and religious freedom, and many of the world's leaders have demanded that Iran release the Yaran and all other Baha'is. Please join us to cry out for human and religious rights in Iran. Let our prayers and our united voice reach the Yaran. Let them know that our love and support is unwavering.

For more information, visit: iran.Bahá'í.us

LYRICS:

In Spring 2008,
In a world not yet awake,
Seven loving parents,
Arrested for their faith.

Taken from their loved ones,
And stripped of all they own,
Into a small, dark cell,
Their fate would not be known.

Teaching was their service,
Their leaders would forbid,
And now they're serving countless years,
For things they never did.

Their only crime was selflessness,
And daring to believe,
That until there was unity,
The world would not know peace.

Yaran,
You Are Remembered And Not forgotten!

The world has come to know you,
As friends, as the Yaran,
Your strength and inspiration,
They help us carry on.

Bereft of every comfort,
Through day and sleepless night,
Still, in your darkest hour,
Your spirit's shining bright!

We will not sleep,
'Till you're released,
We will not eat,
'Till you are free,
How can we breathe,
While you're in captivity?
A hundred million of our tears,
Are swelling up,
Swelling up the sea!

You Are Remembered And Not forgotten!
Let your spirit sing!

CREDITS:
Keyboards, Acoustic Guitars and programming - KC Porter
Drums, Percussion - Gary Ponder
Bass - Kristian Attard
Electric Guitar - JB Eckl
Santur - Manoochehr Sadeghi
Sintir - Momo Loudiyi
Background vocals - Bella Blue, Trevor Jackson, Tierney Sutton, Sandy Simmons, Kristy Corwin, Capri Corwin, KC Porter, JB Eckl, Kristin Barnes, My-key Bellamy

Contains a sample of a prayer by `Abdu'l-Bahá, chanted by Fariba Kamalabadi, one of the seven Yaran.

Produced and mixed by KC Porter
Engineering and additional production by Sons of Androids

Special thanks to: Iraj Kamalabadi, Aimee Porter, Jeff Albert, David Langness, David Precht, Nic Marinelarena

© Copyright 2011 Olinga Music (BMI) Universal Music Publishing