June 29th, 2007 by Admin
Many of you are probably wondering why a Muslim network in defense of Baha’i rights exist. The answer is very simple - the best way to promote tolerance, human rights, religious freedom and respect is to rally for a cause that doesn’t necessarily affect you. When you strongly believe in a value, you should apply it to all people equally regardless of their faith, cultural differences, political stance or nationality. If within your country this doesn’t happen, as a loyal citizen you should actively enforce that such rights be met for the sake of a better and more productive society.
In this network, there are a few things that one should keep in mind:
The authors are Muslim interfaith activists who are deeply concerned with the treatment of Baha’is within the Middle East.
We don’t believe in the Baha’i faith. But there are minorities within our societies who are practicing Baha’is and for that, their rights are very rarely recognized, simply because of their religious differences.
We created this site to demand that the rights of Baha’i minorities is recognized by not only people, but by law.
We respectfully demand that all governments within the Arab and Muslim world allow Baha’i citizens to have equal opportunities in all fields and to practice their faith freely without facing any threats or discrimination whatsoever.
We would like to make the general public of the region be aware of Baha’i human rights abuses in order to take effective action against it. We can only successfully achieve the goals of this website if we move our citizens towards real action, no matter what our religious differences are. We are all civilians in need of basic rights, and thus we should join forces regardless of our differences and unite in a celebration of our diversity. Join us in this worthy struggle and make our goals a greater possibility in the name of freedom.
This is a very interesting project! Good luck to those involved.
AAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMMEEEEEEEENNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am very glad to see this project, as a baha’i of course but as a human being in particular !
– We are the leaves of the same tree –
Keep going
This is a wonderful humanitarian inter-faith initiative. As you rightly point out, the issue is not whether or not you believe in the Baha’i Faith (you don’t, I do), but it’s a matter of the rights of minorities. Freedom of religion or belief is a universal human right, but one that is much neglected or abused in far too many countries of the world.
I am moved and encouraged by your project.
Just like Barney above said, this is a wonderful initiative. I am a Baha’i, but I would have found it wonderfull even a few months ago, when I was not.
Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance. (Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights)
I was almost brought to tears seeing this website, and it reminded me that as a Baha’i youth I have a duty to be protecting the Faith of Muhammad(Islam) in the west. This is not a duty I keep up on too well, and it seems that you who are not Baha’i have embraced the spirit of it far better than I have.
Allah’u'abha! or Allah’u'akbar! (Whichever you prefer, both are beautiful. :p)
“Blessed is the spot, and the house, and place, and the the city, and the heart, and the mountain, and the refuge, and the cave, and the valley, and the land, and the sea, and the island, and the meadow where mention of God hath been made, and His praise glorified.”
- Bahá’u'lláh
Congratulations on this thoughtful initiative of providing another voice of reason, justice, and compassion representing the true spirit of Islam - that great religion that is based on submission (to God’s will) and on compassion.
May your efforts crown the Middle East with the jewels of understanding, respect, and justice. The Baha’is in Egypt and other Middle Eastern countries are only asking to be allowed to live in their own country in peace and harmony as they devote their energies to serve the same country that discriminates against them.
The groundswell of grassroots movements of enlightened Muslims is welcome and laudable. It is reminiscent of the generosity of spirit and greatness of the Islamic nation of earlier times where even enemies were treated with nobility and dignity.
I would like to say that as I was studying chemistry in univ. and heard about the Bahai Faith’s declaration that Muhammad is a Messenger of God. It prompted me to study the Qur’an as I was reading the Bahai teachings. So I not only know about my background religion, Christianity, and the new religion I joined, the Bahai Faith, but I have gained another valuable understanding through reading the Qur’an (in translation).
What a courageous act. It is a great service to educate many who will not otherwise listen or only hear government propaganda….. Good luck, and keep it going….
How noble a cause for you to promote. You are a beacon of light within the Islamic world, may you set a standard for others to follow.
Peace be with you always,
Sean Rayshel
You do great credit to the noble sentiments of the holy Qur’an. Human rights are God-given. “Let there be no compulsion in religion.”
This site is not a bona fide Muslim pro-Bahai site. No real Muslim would be supporting the Zionist cult of Bahaism. This site is created and maintained by the Internet Committee of the Bahai administration deceptively trying to make people believe it is real. It is not.
Ahmad
What a shameful and disturbing comment, Ahmad. Thankfully the rest of the people here aren’t half as hateful or ignorant as you seem to be.
1. I am an Egyptian born British resident of the UK. I am a Baha’i and the founder and chairman of the “Elmbridge Multi-Faith Forum”, that functions within the Surrey Borough of Elmbridge. I am also a voluntary advisor to Surrey County Council, Surrey Police and Elmbridge Borough Council on Multi-faith, multi-Ethnic issues.
Our Forum has members from all faiths, and no faith. We respect them all. We exchange views and work together towards an understanding of our commonalities, and appreciate the need for some minor differences between faiths, brought upon by the differing need s of the people along the ages.
My message is simple: We must be free to persue any belief or faith we feel comfortable with, provided we are within the law and that we feel part of the whole (of our society, of the Human race etc..)
I hope I am contributing in a small way towards the lofty message of your blog. Thank you for giving me the chance
While reviewing the comment section on this new site I noticed that some were from Baha’is who were quite ecstatic about the site, even offering to help with it, while others attacked it and even [wrongly] accused the site of being deceptively created by Baha’i internet agencies, and describing them as “Zionist cult of Bahaism.”
It is critical to clearly and emphatically point out here that this new site “The Muslim Network for Baha’i Rights” was created and maintained by an entirely independent group of Muslims who believe in the true essence of Islam and who want to promote acceptance, tolerance and harmony between all people regardless of their religion, race or ethnicity.
Let there be no doubt that this site has NO connection whatsoever, in the original idea of its creation or its maintenance, to any Baha’is or Baha’i Institutions or Agencies. It was however stated in one of the comments that the idea for the site was inspired by material available on another blog.
Even though it is natural to be tempted to offer help when agreeing with the published material, the authors of the site should be left alone in maintaining the site, gathering material and publishing information on it. This would ensure and guarantee its integrity, its credibility and its reliability.
I am particularly concerned for the Bahais of Iran which is the cradle of the faith. Almost like the saying ‘you can’t see the forest for the trees’.
I am a US Baha’i who was led into a study of Islam because our faith encourages it (and it amplifies one’s own understanding of the Baha’i texts). I actually teach other Westerners about Islam now and about its essential underlying message of peace, the unity of religion, and the brotherhood of man. It breaks my heart that so many in the West think of the Qur’an as a book that must teach about hijacking planes and flying them into buildings. Yet it is a challenge to teach about the essentially peaceful, spiritually discipling message of Islam when people ask about how the Baha’is are treated in the Middle East (I hesitate to say “Muslim countries” because places with a higher per capita numbers of Muslims like Indonesia give us no grief at all) and I have to mention that there are people on death row and being martyred. I believe the rank and file of the Muslim community feels as you do, and I thank you for this visible effort to champion my co-religionists’ rights in the land of our faith’s birth.
Thank you, thank you, thank you - who as moderate Muslims who are publicly demonstrating the tolerance that is deeply Muslim. Have you seen the beautiful initiative that is going on in Palestine/Israel at www.interfaith-encounter.org where Muslims, Jews and Christians are meeting together to find common ground? There is no antidote to the unfortunate image of Islam in the western press except for compelling and shining examples of love and brotherhood. Let us smile and be happy that such efforts are taking place - let us tell our friends. Let the rest of us of whatever background try to do a little more.
It takes great courage to stand against a tide of prejudice and it is wonderful that there is this group of devoted Muslims prepared to do this. Most prejudice is caused by ignorance or propaganda, and it does not diminish one’s own faith by trying to understand the beliefs of others. In fact, the opposite is true, for the heart of religion is that we love God and express this by the love we show to each other.
I echo what one person said, that you are a beacon of light within the Islamic world, may you set a standard for others to follow. It is heartening to see a site like this, because Baha’is in the United States, especially since 9/11, often find themselves in the position of defending Islam to those who have no experience with it other than the representation of it by extremists which makes the news. It is actions like this website that will give people a more balanced view of what Islam truly is.
In response to what Ahmad Rais said. This site firmly states that the owners do no believe in the Baha’i Faith. No Baha’i would say such a thing, as Baha’is would never retract their belief in Baha’u'llah even under the threat of torture, imprisonment, or death.
If this were not true, the Baha’i Faith would not exist and there would be no need for this website.
This is a wonderful project! I wish you the blessings of God. It will be very helpful for those like Ahmad Rais who are inclined to believe the propoganda against the Baha’i Faith without regard for the facts. It is ironic to me that long before Israel was a state (80 years before), Baha’u'llah was exiled to Akka in then Palestine and imprisoned for His religion by the Ottoman government, and now to add insult to injury we are accused of being “Zionists.” Hopefully, this website will help people realize the absurdity of such an idea. The Baha’i community is headquartered in Israel because Muslim persecutors sent our Prophet-Founder there and it is now His final resting place. The Baha’i community itself exists in far more than 200 countries and territories, and Baha’is strive to live in peace and are supportive of whatever governments they live under. A Baha’i would never pretend not to be a Baha’i as this would be untruthful, and as Baha’u'llah taught, “Truthfulness is the foundation of all human virtues.” Apparently, this site is as it claims to be, and I for one am grateful for it.
Quran 2:110 And be steadfast in prayer and regular in charity: And whatever good ye send forth for your souls before you, ye shall find it with God: for God sees Well all that ye do.
What a wonderful service you are doing. As a Baha’i, living on the West Coast
You are the proof that there are still people who understand the core purpose of Religion; to unite the hearts of men.
I thank you for your courageous effort, it means so much to all Bahá’ís everywhere and to me personally.
I am moved and touched by your projectouched its really nice move from the Moslem part
Thanks a lot you make me feel I a not alone as a bahai person in my Arab country
During these times of world upheavals, we are offered a glimmer of hope, and it is reassuring to see that there are individuals who can be a beacon of light for the otherwise disappearing signs of sanity everywhere. I am happy to see that perpetrators of injustice don’t have allies in every sector. Today it is the Baha’is and tomorrow it will be some other unfortunate victim who happens to be in the destructive path of these self appointed irreligious individuals. Their hatred does not stop at the doorsteps of other minorities; it spills over onto their own co-religionists as we are witnessing today.
Thank you for this initiative. Kim has said what I wanted to say…. I can only say Hear Hear to her message.
Do you know of any websites that are created by Muslims and help promote unity and understanding and strong voice against the loud voices of a minority within the muslim world who create noise by setting off bombs, often attacking their fellow muslim brothers and sisters as well? I would love to come into contact with Muslims who are on fire with their religion and do not follow those voices who preach hatred and killing of other human beings.
I am not Muslim myself, I am a Bahai. I am saddened that Islam has fallen in the same trap as Christianity and Judaism, namely that religion is used for political ends and that a few try to limit the vast and limitless and try to obscure the love God has for people, the mercy God feels for people, by interpretations of texts by fallible and limited human minds and sell this off as being the ‘islamic view’. Yet how often is it not mentioned in the Qur’an that Allah is the All Merciful….. Why is that forgotten so often by those who promote violence and hatred and suspicion on especially Jews, but also on those who do not follow their interpretation of the Qur’an and hadith?
Even Shariah law is an interpretation of the Qur’an, not dictated by the Prophet, but deduced by human fallible minds from the text of the Qur’an and the hadiths.
Thank you, those who started this website for your understanding that God is All Merciful and that Islam promotes tolerance, and for trying to exemplify those attitudes in your lives. This is the way to prove to the world the power of Islam. Hatred only creates hatred. Love will create love.
My respect and admiration for true Muslims has never been so great and profound as it has been after perusing your aims and objectives. This site truly exemplifies the spirit of tolerance, good will and brotherhood that indeed all those who claim to adhere to any religion should cling to. Well done.
Bismillah-irrahman-irrahiiim,
Alhamdulillah-ir-rabb-il-’alamiin!
Thanks be to God for guiding us to Truth.
‘Muslim’ implies a belief in the Book of God.
‘Muslim’ should mean one who submits to God.
I laud your praiseworthy efforts. May God assist you!
Ye are the rightly guided, in properly portraying ‘Islamic’.
What I wrote at the end of an article published in my university newspaper, applies as much right now as it did back then. ‘It was refreshing to see a good representation of Islam in popular media. Elimination of prejudice is greatly facilitated by proper education. I find the more I learn about the beautiful teachings of Islam, the more fond I am of it…’ - http://www.peak.sfu.ca/the-peak/2003-3/issue4/fe-islam.html
There is no compulsion in religion.
Wa lathiiina jahado fiiinaa…
Lanah diyan-nahum
Sooboolana!
As a Baha’i I believe The Word of God through all religions is still the Word of God. It should be followed by the heart and the soul of every Human being. This website has completely blown me away, I was practically in tears when I read the name “The Muslim Network for Baha’i Rights”. You truly have rasied the bar for Muslims Worldwide.
Good Work
In the Name of God, The Most Clement, The most Merciful!
I’m and Irish Baha’i Raised by Baha’i Parents. I truly enamoured by the Qur’an and by the Adithz, I truly long to go to Karbilla to visit the site of the martyrdom of the Imam Hussayn. I have always beens worried that God would not reserve this honour for me, and am comforted by the fact that that is His perogative.
Today I read words written by a Muslim calling Baha’is “Brothers and Sisters” this is without a doubt the most wonderful and inspiring experience I’ve had in a Long time, and knowing this, makes my longing for pilgrimage to Iraq easier to accept.
Ya Baha’u'llabha!!
This site IS a bona fide Muslim pro-Bahai site, but then again Ahmed, the conspiracy theory that is very popular in the middle east and that you have obviously been effected with, might make it hard for you to imagine that there are peace loving Muslims that want freedom and equality for just about everybody, because these Muslims themselves are not given the chance nor the channels to express themselves in Arab or theocratic states, the Arab media is dedicated to portraying a one sided arrogant point of view that rejects almost everyone, including Muslims themselves that don’t think exactly the same!!
That’s why Ahmed sadly you deny the rights of people of your own faith as human beings with variable entities and opinions, your comment Ahmed is sadly not just against the rights of Baha’is but also against Muslims.
Cynthia Farahat
“Smile :)”, When I saw the name of the site I wondered but then when I went through the comments I figured it out , as so many cases…no Muslims except you Mr Ahmad all others either Baha2’s or Christians as I could see from the names “thank you all for not lying about that”, as it is the case in attacking hejab only when it is wear by Muslim not a Christian nun..!!
Me as a Muslim I don’t mind removing the religion filed from the ID of anyone who wants to remove it. but on the other hand as I don’t include myself in any Christian or Jewish …etc talk , I can’t help myself wondering who gave you the right to talk about Islam or in Islam or as in this case IN THE NAME OF MUSLIMS…while you are not…!!!
Ahmad
If we are Muslims, then we will speak as Muslims. No one has to give us the “right” to speak freely as Muslims and as people who believe in Islam (and to apologize on behalf of the crimes that Islam does not commit, but that others do in our name as average Muslims.) This is not wrong, and no one will stop us from speaking on our own behalf.
Nowhere did we claim to represent the entire Muslim population.
So if you think we don’t speak for you, once again, we never claimed that we did - we are Muslim individuals speaking freely as individuals with personal experiences and beliefs. Crimes against Baha’is should not happen in our name personally, yet many Muslim extremists argue otherwise - they argue that the Quran encourages abuse against the Baha’i minority which this website is actively trying to prove wrong. Islam is not about abuse or oppression. Why should we stand by and watch our own religion be butchered and used to justify abusive bigotry?