Another response to those who associate Baha’is with Zionist agents

Marco, a Portuguese Baha’i whose post was first discussed here, has written a highly informative response to an Egyptian blogger who accused the Baha’is of being Zionist or foreign agents, and while the post is a year old the argument still applies today as many Muslims continue to wrongly associate the Baha’i faith with Zionism (read this post concerning that, as well.)

Excerpt:

Baha’is have always been persecuted under totalitarian governments; such governments fear religious diversity (or religion!). It happened here in Portugal, before the 1974 revolution, it happened in the former Soviet Union, in Nazi Germany and elsewhere.

Pakistan and Bangla Desh may be the few Muslim countries where Baha’is enjoy more freedom of belief. In all other Muslim countries Baha’is face harassment and persecutions, based on religious prejudice and anti-Israeli propaganda. Unfortunately, few Muslims have ever investigated what is the Baha’i Faith.

Our plan is to translate such posts into Arabic so that they can reach the right audience, and we will publish them here as well as on Inter-Iman where Arab Baha’is discuss persecution in countries like Egypt.

2

Baha'i Faith, Egypt, Religion

Marco Oliveira

11 August, 2007

Just a little note:

The darkest moment of the persecution of Portuguese dictatorship against the Baha’i Faith occurred in March 1966. Eduardo Duarte Vieira was killed by the political police in prison in Portuguese Guinea (now Guinea-Bissau) after months of harassment and beatings because of his faith. He was accused of subversive political activity. His arrest was encouraged by the Christian clergy.

To know more about Mr. Vieira:
http://members.shaw.ca/daystar/2002/Eduardo.htm

The Baha’i Community was officially recognized by the Portuguese Government in 1975. Today Baha’is are absolutely free to practice their religion in Portugal, like many other religious minorities.

henry

11 August, 2007

Dear Friends
I am a Baha’i, an arab from Isreal. I accepted Baha’u'llah in 1990 in Australia. I was born and lived in Haifa until 1987 when I immigrated to Australia. Thus, I have a first hand experience of Arab, Zionism and Baha’i faith. Nonetheless, I am not going to explain what each of those mean. The reason is this, those who accuse do so because they are either angry for reasons that has nothing to do with the Baha’i faith, or frustrated or say and do what others tell them to say and do and not because they have knowledge of the truth. They will know the truth only when they develop their humanity and manage to rise above those negative attributes they demonstrate. Only then they will be able to investigate for the sake of the truth and for the sake of the love of God.
There are those, however, who are out there seeking the truth with pure hearts and vigilant minds. To those, every effort is worth making in order to respond to their calls.