 Bahá 'ís continue to be persecuted in Islamic countries , as Islamic leaders do not recognize the Bahá 'í Faith as an independent religion , but rather as apostasy from Islam . The most severe persecutions have occurred in Iran , where over 200 Bahá 'ís were executed between 1978 and 1998 , and in Egypt . The rights of Bahá 'ís have been restricted to greater or lesser extents in numerous other countries , including Afghanistan , Indonesia , Iraq , Morocco , and several countries in sub @-@ Saharan Africa . 
