 The marginalization of the Iranian Bahá 'ís by current governments is rooted in historical efforts by Muslim clergy to persecute the religious minority . When the Báb started attracting a large following , the clergy hoped to stop the movement from spreading by stating that its followers were enemies of God . These clerical directives led to mob attacks and public executions . Starting in the twentieth century , in addition to repression that impacted individual Bahá 'ís , centrally directed campaigns that targeted the entire Bahá 'í community and its institutions were initiated . In one case in Yazd in 1903 more than 100 Bahá 'ís were killed . Bahá 'í schools , such as the <unk> boys ' and girls ' schools in Tehran , were closed in the 1930s and 1940s , Bahá 'í marriages were not recognized and Bahá 'í texts were censored . 
