The following is a translation from Farsi of the relevant paragraphs of the Fars News Agency story:

Baha’ism, Led by Zionism, is Hatching Intrigue Behind the Scenes of the Recent Unrest

Ne’matollah Bavand, an expert and researcher in political affairs, proclaims that Baha’ism under the leadership of Zionism is behind the latest crisis and unrest.

Asserting that there is no doubt that Baha’ism, led by Zionism, is behind these disturbances, Bavand declared: “A female advisor to one of the candidates in the recent presidential election who wears a turban defended Baha’ism.” [Note: this is an implied and disparaging reference to Mehdi Karroubi].

He added: “How long will the government put up with these people? Haven’t the people been convinced yet of the nature of these hypocrisies?…An advisor to this man, who pretends to be a man of the cloth and who was once the head of parliament, has openly come out in defense of Baha’ism and is currently completing training with her husband in England to become spies.”

He emphasized, “The public sees these things and becomes upset. Isn’t there a way to take care of these problems? The key players leave Iran and people of lesser importance are tried, when it is the key players that need to be tried!…The enemy has come to seek revenge for all the victories [of the Islamic Republic] in the Mecca of Islam: Iran!”

Below in a translation from Farsi of the Javan newspaper story

Plot of Baha’ism in the Musawi Camp to Publicly Desecrate Religious Sanctities is Exposed

On ‘Ashura, the protectors of the Musawi camp did not have the decency to abstain from desecrating even the most sacred of religious sanctities. By tearing up copies of the Qur’an on Enqelab Street in front of those mourning the martyrdom of Imam Husayn, they have exposed another side of their contempt for religion.

Confirming the above report, an expert in matters of security told Javan Online: “The actions of the Musawi Camp in desecrating religious sanctities is nothing new. In fact, this began happening when a Baha’i branch in the staff of this candidate was formed during the days leading up to the election.”

He added: “This sect has long been planning to attack the religious sanctities of the people on ‘Ashura but since they can never secure the protection of the masses, they will never be succeed.”

Regarding the role of Baha’ism in desecrating religious sanctities, our expert in matters of security stated, “The path that the Musawi camp is taking in their attack on religious sanctities is the exact same path that the misguided Baha’i sect has been on for years.”

He added: “We have evidence connecting the sect of Baha’ism with the Musawi camp and the strategic partnership between these two groups.”

Related posts:

1. Iranian Regime Continues to Scapegoat the Baha’is for Recent Unrest
2. Uzbekistani State Media Accuses Baha’is of Being Iranian Agents
3. Serious Charges Emerge against Recently Detained Baha’is in Iran

It is interesting how the Iranian regime accuses Baha’is of being agents of Israel and other Western powers, and that Uzbekistani state media now claims that Baha’is are in fact Iranian agents. The following is a translation prepared by BahaiRights from the original article in Russian:

Sect Member Sows Trouble
By Abduvali Turayev
September 16, 2009

A recent decision by the Khamzin regional court in the Uzbekistani capital Tashkent led to the expulsion without the right to return from Uzbekistan of a 36 year-old citizen of Kazakhstan. The Kazakh, Timur Chekparbaev, was found guilty of active propagation of the ideas of the Baha’i religious community.

The missionary had a temporary right to stay [propiska] in the Khamzin region of Tashkent. Looking at if from the side, it seems strange how a foreigner was able to put together a significant religion community in a short time. This community included young people not just from Tashkent, but also from the Djizak and the Bukharian governorates of Uzbekistan.
I would like to offer a short explanation to the readers about this new religion. The teachings of the Baha’is took shape in 1844 in Persia, as a totally separate religion, wholly based on the teachings of its founder, Baha’u'llah. It does not represent a cult within a religion, a reformist movement or a sect within some other religion. It can not be called a mere philosophical system.

Back in 1904 the Russian writer Sergey Ignatyevich Umanetz mentioned the Baha’i as a separate religion. And in 1925, an Islamic court in Egypt ruled that the Baha’i Faith is a separate religion, and not a sect within Islam. However, other opinions on this matter exist. For example, according to the known expert on sects Walter Martin “Baha’ism is an Iranian transplant in the United States, a syncretic religion that aims at uniting all believers in a worldwide brotherhood. The Faith adheres to the truths of the major world religions and considers Baha’u'llah to be the Messiah of our time. The Faith attaches less importance to other issues, and gives people the freedom of belief regarding those issues.”

It is clear that Mr. Chekparbaev arrived in Uzbekistan in the aim of creating a similar Iranian transplant in the country, drawing on the support of generous donations from sponsors. By the way, the headquarters of the Baha’is operate in the open in Israel. Certain elements from that country find it very useful to use the Baha’i community to shatter the unity of the Muslim ranks, since the Jews see Islam as the main opponent of Judaism. It is also interesting that in the dawn of Baha’ism, Russia offered asylum to one of the leaders of this persecuted religion. And in Ashkhabad [Turkmenistan], one of the Baha’i communities was built.

This young man [Chekparbaev] carried out missionary and proselytizing activity without having the proper religious education and the appropriate license to carry on an activity of such sort, and in violation of the Uzbekistani law, and the rules governing stays in the country.

Maybe in Kazakhstan they turn a blind eye on such things, but in Uzbekistan, the mission of the preacher of Baha’i religious ideas proved short. On the 24th of July of this year, Mr. Chekparbaev was arrested and sent to the court for holding yet another “meeting” in house 36 on Bayikurganska Street in the Khamzin region of Tashkent. The regional court gave him a rather lenient sentence: 15 days in prison followed by an expulsion from the country without a right to return.

In principle, Chekparbaev couldn’t officially carry missionary activity since Baha’i isn’t recognized as an official, separate religion by the world community. Therefore, this ideological sabotage had very clear goals that are connected to increasing the geo-political influence of Iran, and sowing confusion in the minds of millions of Uzbekistani citizens. Is seems that such a lenient treatment of all sorts of missionaries won’t stop the incoming waves of dark personalities, which wish to test their luck based on the questionable field of false prophets. The Uzbekistani authorities will kick out one person, but the people behind this will send someone instead. But the moral damage inflicted on the fragile souls on young people (by the way, Mr. Chekparbaev’s so-called flock included minors!), will not be reversed so easily. Who knows, maybe this is Kazakhstan’s attempts at transferring the work of all sorts of false prophets from their country to their neighbor, Uzbekistan.

Related posts:

1. Iran State Media Blames the “Baha’i Sect” for Recent Unrest
2. Iranian media claims arrested Baha’is possessed commincations equipment
3. Iran’s persecution of Bahá’ís is devastating

Freedom of belief and the Arab mind dilemma
By Pastor Rif’at Fikri Sa’yid

Issue number 4238 of Rosa Al-Yousef’s magazine, released on 29 August 2009, contained a unique and bold article about freedom of belief, and I thought of providing my own evidence concerning this serious matter since it is a touchy issue in our Arab World. Every person has the right, whether emotionally or mentally, to move in the direction that he or she chooses at his or her own accord. Freedom of conscience or freedom of belief is the right of every person to have faith or not to have it, to believe in anything or any idea or not to believe, to embrace a religion that is different from widespread religions or to be against that religion. Freedom of belief is an absolute freedom, and therefore, no person or authority has the right to control consciences or impose a sense of right and wrong on others, and no person or authority is entitled to force a person to embrace a religion that he or she does not believe in, or give up a religion that he or she deems as the right path.

Religious freedom dwells at the core of any just and free society, and as a universal principle, it is solidly based on foundational grounds. The right to freedom of religion also forms the corner stone for democracy, for it is the vital standard in the formation and safeguarding of a stable political system. Contrarily, failure to protect freedom of religions and other basic human rights will result in developing extremism, thus resulting in instability and violence.

Therefore, evaluating the situation of freedom of faith is considered an important indicator while diagnosing the general health and stability of a country.

Freedom of conscience or belief is considered among the deeply-rooted rights within international human rights laws and covenants, which were approved by Egypt.

Article 18 from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights stipulated the freedoms as follows:

1. 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.
2. No one shall be subject to coercion which would impair his freedom to have or to adopt a religion or belief of his choice.

In addition to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, three other international documents were prepared during the twentieth century with an aim to promote the principles of religious freedom: the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights for the year 1966, the United Nations declaration on eliminating all forms of fanaticism and discrimination that are based on religion of belief for the year 1981, and the Final Vienna Document for the year 1981. All these documents promote freedom of religion and support it legally, and should therefore be made universal.

All these texts, among others, ensure the right of a person to embrace whatever he or she wishes on terms of thought, belief or religion. Freedom of belonging to any religion is a personal conviction to believe in that religion by studying it and understanding it, whereby an individual becomes a believer and a messenger at the same time. And this is where freedom to embrace a religion clashes with the call to embrace another religion. Additionally, the principle of freedom of individuals to belong to any religion they choose, which is stipulated in the first paragraph of Article 18 from the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, appeared to determine the matter before all countries and societies that this freedom is fundamental to all individuals, and they are free to embrace a religion, deviate from it or change it.

The following text is stipulated in Article 18 from the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights:

1. Everyone shall have the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. This right shall include freedom to have or to adopt a religion or belief of his choice, and freedom, either individually or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in worship, observance, practice and teaching.
2. No one shall be subject to coercion which would impair his freedom to have or to adopt a religion or belief of his choice.
3. Freedom to manifest one’s religion or beliefs may be subject only to such limitations as are prescribed by law and are necessary to protect public safety, order, health, or morals or the fundamental rights and freedoms of others.

Egypt signed these international covenants and laws, which eventually became effective in the Egyptian Law. Article 151 from the Constitution of the Arabic Republic of Egypt states the following: “The President of Republic shall conclude treaties and communicate them to the People’s Assembly, accompanied with a suitable clarification. They shall have the force of law upon being concluded, ratified and published according to established procedure.”

The Egyptian Constitution also contains articles that support equality and freedom of belief. Article 40 from the Constitution stipulates that “All citizens are equal before the law. They have equal public rights and duties without discrimination on account of race, ethnic origin, language, religion or creed.” Article 46 also confirms that freedom of belief stipulating that “The State shall guarantee the freedom of belief and the freedom of practice of religious rites.”

Every human being has the right to make his or her basic choices without any external pressure. He or she has the right to choose between marriage and bachelorhood, or embrace Islam, Christianity, the Baha’i Faith or any other religion. He or she has the right to choose and determine all his or her life details from the simplest ones to the most complicated. However, it is unfortunate that the historical context obliges many governing systems, societies and Arab countries – which maintain their inherited thoughts and mentalities, especially for serving the purpose of religion – to ignore these rules and thoughts, and this freedom is not absolute, but there are existing restrictions and limits that forbid people from changing their religion because these societies believe that changing one’s religion threatens the security of society, its social well-being and the comfort of its people who live in its shadow in peace, tranquility, love and brotherhood! It is shameful that the concept of freedom of religion is absent in most Arab countries.

A state is responsible for ensuring the rule of law among its citizens and this law should be above all. A state is also responsible for ensuring freedom of belief among its citizens, especially the right of individuals to embrace any religion or change their own religion, because freedom of belief or religious freedom, as known all over the world, is the freedom of individuals to embrace whichever religion they choose, their freedom to perform the rituals of this religion publicly and freely, their freedom to spread the message of this religion as long as they are doing it properly and without coercion, and most of all, their freedom to change their religion.

This is freedom of belief in its true definition. Respecting human rights, mainly their right to freedom of belief, has become a general human direction and an international law that we should all support and follow. Ensuring the right of citizenship in Egypt, regardless of sex, religion, color or creed, is the only way to put an end to any religious commotion or any interference from external forces. If we all become truly equal before the law, whether we are rulers or ruled, rich or poor, Christian or Muslim, and when we have the same rights and duties, we will not be confronted with any sectarian problem or any other problem. A good citizen is not measured by the religion he chooses to embrace, but by his respect for the law and the services he provides to society. For that reason, confiscating religious rights is considered a continuous form of despotism, because the basic idea is the complete and absolute freedom of individuals to choose their religion, be it Baha’i, Buddhism or atheism. Wasn’t that stipulated in the Egyptian Constitution and all human rights conventions?

Some people might be viewed by fanatics and extremists as deviators from religion, or even atheists, agnostics or disbelievers. Is this a reason to violate their human right to freedom of belief and conscience and shed their blood? It is a matter of destiny and future. Is freedom of citizenship respected in Egypt? And is the right of an Egyptian citizens to life, security, work, expression of opinion and freedom to believe and practice his or her religious rituals, as stipulated in the Egyptian Constitution, respected?

Constitutions are made to be respected, and there should be mechanisms to impose this respect. And the first prerequisite for imposing this respect is when a constitution does not contain any contradicting articles that lead to a huge conflict when explaining and interpreting them. If we do not have respect for freedom of religion, then let us remove from the constitution all those articles that guarantee respect from freedom of religion. And if we do not have respect for freedom of citizenship, then let us remove from the constitution all those articles that guarantee the rights to citizenship regardless of sex, color, creed, religion and belief. If Arab societies do not defend the rights of their citizens to embrace the religions and beliefs they choose, then the Arab world is facing a real dilemma with itself and with the civilized world around it!

Related posts:

1. The Right of Belief in Egypt: Case study of Baha’i minority
2. Egypt must secure religious freedom
3. Turkey Still Imposes Restrictions on Religious Freedom

A congregation under suspension…with no clergymen (men of religion), of sons who do not belong to any political party… and Islamists call for their eradication

On the seventh day of last June, during the parliamentary elections, a woman arrived at a voting center in Al-Ashrafiya. And when the head of the department pronounced her name and religion, she told him that she was a “Bahai’i”, all the delegates turned to her with surprise to find out whether she was a Lebanese. They started asking whether her religion was part of the 18 congregations recognized by the Lebanese authorities.

Baha’is started arriving to Lebanon in 1870, and they immediately headed to Beirut because it was a wide attraction point during the eighteenth century.

Baha’is live in many areas in Lebanon starting from the capital Beirut and ending at the Western Beqaa and the towns of Mount Lebanon. The number of Baha’is living in Lebanon is about 350, and they have a large number of siblings and relatives living abroad. In the town of Mashghara within the Beqaa, Baha’i families live and practice their religious rites as well as their private social life without any outside interference or being subjected to harassment. The Baha’i faith arrived to the said town with Imam Sheikh Ja’afar Al-Tahhan, originally a Shiite, who died in 1923 after embracing the Baha’i faith. Baha’i families reside in the said town and they have close relationships with the Shiites.

The interesting thing is that the majority of Baha’is are registered as Shiites, and the records of a number of them were placed on the expunction lists pertaining to Sunnis, Maronites, Greek Orthodox Christians and a few Druze. The reason behind this is that the Lebanese government does not officially recognize the Baha’is, taking into consideration that a number of them are registered as Baha’is in their status records, and during the parliamentary and municipal elections, they are considered a minority.

Lebanon, contrary to Jordan and the Kingdom of Bahrain for example, does not recognize the marriage certificates of Baha’is. The Baha’is have a center in Beit Miri located in the northern shore, where they celebrate their events. They used to have a place in Hreik neighborhood, which lasted until the early nineteen eighties. They also have a huge cemetery in Khilda and another in Mashghara, which was established in 1971.

Who are they?

Bahá’u’lláh, the founder of the Baha’i faith, was born in Persia, Iran in 1817. He was born into a noble family, was subjected to harassments, imprisoned, and then banished to Baghdad in 1852 through an order issued by Shah Nasser Eldin. In the Iraqi capital, he announced his religion in 1863 prior to his exile to Constantinople, and after that to Adrianople (modern Edirne) in Turkey during the rule of the Ottoman Empire. Five years after he announced his mission, Sultan Abdul Aziz issued a decree and imprisoned him in Acre’s Fortress in Palestine.

Baha’i writings state that Bahá’u’lláh’s experience in prison set in motion religious revelations that are available today in more than one hundred books and volumes, which outline moral and spiritual values as well as social and philosophical teachings. Baha’is describe Bahá’u’lláh as the “Messenger and Divine Revealer”. They believe in the heavenly books and claim to have no problem towards other religions. They also consider their faith an independent one that is similar to Islam and not derived from any other religious group.

Baha’is emphasize that the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad were not subjected to any form or degree of disregard or underestimation, and in his work “the Book of Certitude” Bahá’u’lláh expressed His appreciation of the Prophet Mohammad and defended the Christian Holy Bible.

Furthermore, Bahá’u’lláh does not consider Himself the concluder of Divine Revelations, for “with the passage of time, circumstance will change once again, and the necessity will call upon a new Divine message, and this will not happen before one thousand years at least.”

The covenant of Bahá’u’lláh states that He appointed His son Abdul Baha’a to succeed Him and become the sole revealer of the words of Bahá’u’lláh and the official implementer of the goals of His message. Abdul Baha’a was the supreme example of the principles of Baha’i life and its goodness by word and deed. The Covenant of Bahá’u’lláh includes unity and harmony in understanding the principles upon which His religion is based, and subsequently, incorporating this unity in the spiritual and social growth of the Baha’i community.

The Baha’i religion prompts its followers to believe in the Oneness of God and acknowledge the oneness of messengers and prophets without exceptions, and ensures the unity of human kind. It also obliges every believer to give up any shape or form of fanaticism and superstition.

The Honorable Al-Bab (Forerunner of Bahá’u'lláh)

Bahai’is believe that Al-Imam Al-Mahdi whose appearance is awaited by the Shiites is Mr. Ali Muhammad Al-Shirazi, who was born in the Iranian city of Shiraz in 1819, and announced his message in 1844 in the said city. “Al-Bab” (the gate or door) spread the message about the coming of a great man, and a large number of believers followed him, and his message spread quickly. Officials severely prosecuted the followers of Al-Bab.

Al-Bab was executed in 1850 in one of the squares of the Iranian city of Tabreez, and his remains were transferred to Mount Carmel in Haifa, where a monument was built for him in the center of the famous staircase Baha’i gardens. Baha’is from all around the world visit it and make pilgrimage.

The city of Haifa is also home to the Universal House of Justice whose board of directors is comprised of nine members who represent the Baha’is around the world. They pay visits to this place to ask the blessings of the Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh that is located in Shams al-Bahja district situated between Haifa and Acre. Arab Baha’is do not pay their visits to the place because of their ruptured relations with Israel.

The Most Holy Book (Al-Kitab Al-Aqdas)

Baha’is believe in the continuity of messages, and every Baha’i home contains a series of Baha’i books, most importantly, the Most Holy Book, which is considered as the Holy Bible or the Holy Quran. Baha’is do not hide their religion. It is an open religion that contains no secrets. A Baha’i person aspires that his family becomes a follower of this faith, but does not seek for it to inherit it.

The Council in Mashghara

The Baha’i congregation has no clergymen. In Mashghara for example, the local Baha’i governing council is comprised of nine members who run the affairs of Baha’is in the district, and this nine-member body elect runs for one year. In Lebanon, these members hold their meetings in their own homes, whereby the body elect oversees marriage and divorce affairs and issues the Baha’i marriage contract between spouses, which stipulates the approval of their parents, or otherwise the marriage is considered invalid. They consider this matter a main condition, and the ceremony is held in the presence of a number of witnesses at the local Baha’i governing council. The groom addresses his bride with the phrase “we will all, verily, abide by the will of God,” and she responds “we will all, verily, abide by the will of God.” Before completing the marriage contract, an engagement period is set and lasts for a period no longer than 95 days for the purpose of making a decision and contemplating before taking the big step into marriage.

A Baha’i man is allowed to marry a girl from a different religion, and gives her the freedom to maintain her own religion, whether she is a Christian or a Muslim. This choice is also granted to a Baha’i girl, because the main objectives of the Baha’i faith is treating other religions in a spirit of brotherhood and calling upon unity of mankind.

A Baha’i marriage is not recognized in Lebanon as it is in Jordan and Bahrain, and it remains an internal affair among its followers. The couple head to Cyprus or any other country that allows civil marriages, and return to Lebanon to register the civil marriage at the concerned official departments and courts, and children are registered according to the religion of their parents. Polygamy is strictly forbidden.

Baha’is are forbidden from practicing sex before marriage, and they do not drink alcohol. They hate divorce, but they accept it in case of persistence. The spouses are given a period of one year of patience prior to holding the divorce ceremony, provided that they do not live together under one roof during that period, in the hope that they do not reach the point of divorce.

Baha’is call their cemeteries “the eternal gardens” and they place their dead in coffins that are buried in the earth, and write the name of the deceased on the tomb.

Baha’is in Lebanon aspire to obtain official recognition of their religion. They emphasize on respecting the constitutions and laws of countries they live in, and they discourage their children from joining political parties and being political extremists.

A month ago in Egypt, a Baha’i won his case at one of the courts because he was not treated as a Muslim and the category of religion in his identity card remained blank because Egypt only recognizes the three religions of Islam, Christianity and Judaism.

Baha’is in Cairo are subjected to harassment, particularly from the Ministry of Religious Affairs (Al-Awqaf) and Al-Azhar Council, which calls upon the eradication of Baha’is. Several books were issued calling upon the harassment of Baha’is, and the most famous one is for Khaled Abdul Azeem Al-Sayuti, author of the book “The Baha’i Faith: Its beliefs and colonial goals.”

In 1960, the Egyptian authorities dissolved Baha’i establishments, confiscated their assets and sold a piece of land belonging to the Baha’is at a public auction. This land was located on the banks of the Nile river and was designated to building houses of worship. After the war of 1967, Baha’is were imprisoned, and they are still facing continuous trials in Iran because those protesting against them accuse them of heresy due to their religious beliefs that conflict with Islam.

Retired engineer Ramzi Zein (72 years) told “Nahar al-Shabab” magazine that it is normal for us to be confronted with such criticism and attacks. We are subjected to many of these campaigns because they do not understand us, taking into consideration that we always call upon the unity of religions and that of the human world.

Zein from Lebanon is the son of a Baha’i father and a Protestant mother. He was brought up in the shelter of a Baha’i family, and he used to accompany his mother to church when she was practicing her Christian rituals. He read the Holy Bible and the Holy Quran and also read about Buddhism and other religions until he settled for the Baha’i faith. His mother died a Baha’i.

Zein describes fanaticism as the disease that divides humanity. He believes that factional life divides people, and for that reason Baha’is are not involved in political affairs, although they cast their votes during parliamentary and municipal elections.

Nutrition specialist Huda Ardkani, an Iranian Baha’i who was born in Jordan, married an Orthodox from the Memari family in Al-Ashrafiye, and the couple are parents to a son and a daughter. When her husband started reading Bahai’i books and publications, he embraced the faith and brought a shock to his family. But he is still in touch with them.

University student Maha Tahhan (20 years), is proud to be a Baha’i. She says that she has respect for all religions and that she is neither against Islam nor Christianity. She informs her colleagues about the Baha’i faith and its holy teachings. She reveals her religion to Lebanon and the whole world because a Baha’i does not conceal his faith. Maha does not oppose marrying a person from a different religion, whether a Muslim or a Christian.

The House of Worship

All Baha’is organize their social and religious life in a similar way wherever they are around the world, but they are most comfortable in countries where they are not subjected to harassments or trials as is the case in Egypt and Iran. They have places of worship known as “the House of Worship” located in India, Australia, Panama, Germany, Chile, Chicago, Uganda and others, as well as a large number of educational and social establishments.

In 1948, the United Nations recognized the Baha’i International Community as an international nongovernmental organization. In 1970, the Baha’i International Community was granted consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council. In March 1976, the said community received consultative status with the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF), with Dr. Bani Dugal as the official representative of the latter.

Finally, Baha’is in Lebanon continue to be a congregation under suspension…

They eat pork and forbid alcohol.

The Baha’i calendar is composed of 19 months and the first day of the year is Naw Ruz.

Daily Baha’i Prayer

Baha’is pray on a daily basis, preceded with ritual ablution before prayer. A believer has absolute freedom to choose one of the three prayers in accordance with the special conditions pertaining to each prayer. The Baha’i short prayer is as follows:

“I bear witness, O my God, that Thou hast created me to know Thee and to worship Thee. I testify, at this moment, to my powerlessness and to Thy might, to my poverty and to Thy wealth. There is none other God but Thee, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.”

The Feast of Ridvan

Baha’is celebrate the Feast of Ridvan on the 21st of April from each year to commemorate the declaration of the Baha’i message, and it lasts for 12 days. They also celebrate the Feast of Naw-Ruz during the Baha’i New year.

Their fasting period begins on the 2nd of March and lasts for 20 days, which are considered the last days of the Baha’i year. The fasting period lasts from dawn until dusk. Those who are under the age of 15 years and over the age of 70 years, in addition to those who are sick or traveling, are exempted from fasting.

Prayer is a duty for every Baha’i man and woman who have reached the age of 15 years. Like Muslims, they submissively perform their prayers towards Al-Qubla, which to them, is the tomb of Bahá’u’lláh.

A Baha’i pays the amount of 19% of his profit and surplus on a yearly basis to one of the members of the Local Governing Council as a contribution to projects that aim at assisting the poor and needy within and outside Lebanon.

R. Aqeel

Related posts:

1. Iran’s persecution of Bahá’ís is devastating
2. Question of Faith
3. For fear that he would convert from Islam to the Baha’i faith

The nine member governing body merely provided support and comfort to the members of the local Bahá’í community including and provide support to people those who were persecuted and whose families were kidnapped, tortured and killed by the government. The Bahá’ís were not involved in politics and not doing anything illegal. As such, I thought that my parents and their guests would not remain in prison very long and would be released after the authorities realized that this whole thing was a mistake. I was wrong. My parents remained in prison and were subjected to harassment and interrogation.

The Baha’i Faith, an independent religion that started in Iran in the mid-19th century, has always been demonized by the Shiite religious establishment as being heretical and against Islam. The persecution in early 1980s reached new heights after the revolution and resulted in kidnappings, disappearances, and executions. The Bahá’í commitment to peaceful resolution of disputes, non-interference in partisan politics and obedience to governmental authority made them an easy target. Theological differences between the Bahá’í Holy Writings and those expressed by the Islamic clerical establishment – including the Bahá’í viewpoints on universal and progressive nature of religion, as well as equality of men and women – caused the authorities to want to stamp out the Bahá’í community from Iran. This despite the fact that the Bahá’ís are the largest religious minority within the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Months after my parents were arrested at their home, after they had been physically and emotionally abused and tortured and their property had been confiscated, my mother, Shidrukh Amirkia Bagha, was without any trial or opportunity to defend herself summarily and secretly executed on January 4,1982 together with seven of her guests who were arrested that fateful night. She was only 45 years old. My mother’s sole crime was that she was a Bahá’í who would not renounce her faith. In this way my mother was taken from me and I was denied the chance of seeing her again and introducing her to my son.

My mother never hurt a soul in her life. She loved her family and nurtured each of her children with utmost care. She loved music and the arts and was always encouraging and supportive to everyone. It is beyond comprehension that the government would sanction her killing because of her religion.

Now, over 28 years have passed since the day my mother was killed. The persecution of Bahá’í at the hands of the Islamic Republic of Iran has continued in different forms throughout these years. Within the last few years, it has increased in intensity forcing me and my family to relive that nightmare.

In 2008, seven members of the unofficial “Friends of Iran” were arrested without any explanation and imprisoned. This seven member group was allowed by the Iranian government to exist after the official nine member national governing body of the Bahá’ís of Iran were executed and all Bahá’í institutions were dismantled. The government had long known of this body and its members whose only duty was to serve and attend to the members of the Bahá’í community of Iran. They were operating with permission and with full knowledge of the authorities. This Tuesday, August 18th, the seven leaders of Iran’s Bahá’í community will go on trial on capital charges of espionage and threatening national security. They have been in prison for more than a year now. The group’s two lawyers have not only been refused the legally required visits with their clients, but neither will be in court on Tuesday. One Abdulfattah Sultani, is in prison on charges of participating i n the “Velvet Revolution,” while the other, the Nobel Laureate Shirin Ebadi, stands accused by the regime of participating in the same “conspiracy” – but has been fortunately traveling in the West.

I cannot help but feel the pain of the families of the imprisoned Bahá’í leaders as I only know too well what they are going through. At this time there are over 40 Bahá’ís in prison in Iran solely because of their religion.

I pray and hope that this time we can save them and all the innocent people imprisoned in Iran and that their families do not experience the hell that my family has gone through. When my mother was killed, all of the newspapers in Iran and outside were largely silent! No one protested. We cannot let this happen again! Every day that goes by, I wonder how I could have helped my mother. I cannot bring my mother back but I cannot stay silent and see others lose their loved ones too.

Sincerely,
Mojan Bagha

[We translated this letter to make it available in Arabic here.]

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The Civil Status Department refuses to recognize Baha’i marriages
by Nahed Nasser

On the seventh day I discovered that the Civil Status Department in Cairo refused to accept the application forms belonging to a number of female and male spouses requesting the issuance of a national number due to the fact that Baha’i marriages are not recognized by the state. One Baha’i who approached the said department stated that the employee in charge asked him to either document the marriage at the Ministry of Justice or raise a judicial case to obtain a proof of the marriage, or otherwise the category for social status in the national card will carry the word “bachelor.”

Dr. Raouf Hindi, the spokesperson of the Baha’i community, expressed his surprise regarding the obstacles placed by the Civil Status Department before the Baha’is despite the fact that a decision was issued by the Minister of Interior last March concerning the issuance of status documents for Baha’is. “For a period of four months, officials at the Civil Status Department did not consider the issue of social status, and we must continue to spend our time in the corridors of court houses,”

He also pointed out that married people who were refused by the Civil Status Department to obtain a national number are confirmed in the birth certificates of their children as parents. Some of them even carry a family card and passports confirming that they are husbands and wives.

Dr. Raouf Hindi called upon the issuance of a speedy decision concerning this point in order to prevent an increase in the suffering of Baha’is who have been facing a state of civil death since the existence of national numbers. “We expect the decision issued by the Minister of Interior to be applied on all Baha’is without obstacles,” he added.

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Today, a voice is raised in many parts of the earth calling upon world peace. The need for peace these days does not only entail peace in a single area, but in the world at large, where the safety and wellbeing of people interlace. Stability and peace continue to be the characteristics of civilized populations.

If we follow the events that took place in the last few years, we discover that the voice calling upon peace was raised since the last century. This voice was the voice of women calling upon world leaders to put an end to wars and build a world for children where they could live in happiness and tranquility, in a world where their childhood is not stolen and their dreams unaffected by the shed of blood, as was the case with millions of children during past world wars, where the lives of millions around the world, mainly women and children, were lost.

For that reason, we need to focus on the supportive role of women as peacemakers serving humanity. Women by nature are in support of peace more than men, and they find it difficult to respond to launching wars. Women participate in humanitarian fields and obtain the right to vote, and with this right they could direct humanity towards peace. Divine effects make it clear that when all human beings have equal access to education and when equality is achieved between men and women, the foundations of war would completely collapse. Equality between men and women would lead to the eradication of wars because women will not approve their launch.

I am saying this because I listened to a great speech on the BBC channel delivered by Queen Rania of Jordan, who is a beautiful, humble and educated woman. She was talking about the importance of peace in the lives of children so that they grow up to become the children of tomorrow without inheriting the remains of wars and fanaticism around the world. The Queen strives diligently with peace movements and civil society organizations and joins first ladies from all over the world in the effort to spread the culture and message of peace. During the last few years, I followed the diligent efforts conducted by the first lady of Egypt in the peace movement that carried her name and that is sponsored on a global level. There is also the “Reading for All” festival, which carried the slogan “peaceful Egypt” to provide children with new ideas for sowing the seeds of peace. Many women around the world are now working in civil society organizations in order to achieve peace.

Women’s call for peace comes with a new type of human appeals characterized by tranquility away from violence and the cycles of war. The access of women into the field of humanitarian issues allowed them to work with strength in the bumpy path of peace, which is the only way to a better life for our children. From this day forward, not a single woman would accept to throw away the blood of her children into the kilns of war. If the time has come for women to assume power at the ministries of defense around the world, they would undoubtedly put an end to all wars, which would only become a painful memory in history and the children would no longer be sacrificed to phantoms of war.

I praise the Security Council for the issuance of the eminent Resolution Number 1325 in 2000 concerning women, peace and security, which admitted for the first time in its history the needs of women and girls during time of conflict and post conflict and their continuous role in promoting peace.

The mission to establish a peaceful world is in the hands of today’s world leaders, considering the large responsibilities that were thrown on their shoulders. The challenge world leaders are currently confronted with is to win back the trust of citizens in them, in their government, and in international organizations with constant commitment to the highest principles of justice and world priorities that solicit unity and solidarity. The greater peace that has been held in our minds for a very long time is actually at the tip of our fingers.

Now that women are active in all fields, they need to make a priority out of the issue of general peace to promote the unity of people around the world, eliminate weary hearts, discard religious and racial fundamentalism, as well as political fanaticism, for the human world is one family and all the children are the sons of Adam, the sons of God.

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Throughout its long history, the social system of the march of humanity had undergone various stages, arriving to where it is today. The experience was successful and managed to achieve unity within the family, the tribe, the state and the nation, and global unity became an objective for which a tortured humanity struggles to attain. Building a nation became stable and it became the duty of a world walking in the path of attainment to give up entirely on divisions and differences, admit to the unity and integration of its human relations, and establish once and for all the tool that materializes at best this basic principle for a better life.

In order for humanity to reach the required level of maturity it will need a complete transformation of the current social system, which should enable it to totally integrate the pluralism that marks human kind and benefit humanity of the wide range of talents and knowledge cultivated during thousands of years of cultural encounters and human experiences. From here, the principle of the “sameness of humankind” emerges. This notion has become a priority in today’s world, because it eliminates the causes of disputes and misunderstandings among people, among them the existence of different languages. During the past years, several problems have emerged among people, one of them was caused by the absence of a single common language spoken by the world. If this language exists, there would be harmony and unity among people and the world would be united.

Choosing a secondary global language alongside the national languages of countries, to be taught in all schools around the world, would be an easy tool for exchanging opinions, spreading culture and knowledge and increasing the level of understanding and rapprochement between people. In this manner, if any person travels from one country to another, it would be as if he or she is always heading home. This is a call upon all governments around the world, represented by their parliaments, to implement this important notion.

On the occasion of the 50th commemoration of the United Nations entitled “the transformation point for all nations”, the Bahai’i International Community issued a statement in October 1995 stating the following: “we propose the appointment of a high level committee that includes intelligent and concerned members coming from various parts of the world, with relevant expertise from linguists, economists, sociologists, educators and media persons, to conduct careful studies on the subject of a global language and the adoption of a common script.

In the end, the only choice the world has is to unanimously adopt a single global language and a single script to be taught in schools around the world, in addition to the local language or languages of each country. The goal of this is to facilitate the transformation of the world into a global society by improving communication between people, decreasing administrative costs of businessmen, governments and all those involved in global and humanitarian tasks and endeavors, and promoting more sincere and hearty relations among all members of the human family. This proposal should not be wrongly understood, because it does not at all imply the annihilation of any language or culture. It was discussed in Europe at the beginning of the past century where a new language known as Esperanto was announced. Discussions however, did not go far because the world was occupied with the tragedies of wars.

Whether we like it or not, the world is heading towards its unity. We read about the proposed global currency that was made in Belgium to replace all currencies, carrying the slogan “unity in diversity”, which was discussed in the corridors of the Industrial Summit in Italy a fortnight ago. This is another tool for achieving the unity of humankind. It will decrease the major gap between abject poverty and extreme wealth. Other tools will be discussed in upcoming articles.

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When we look at the world today, we discover that it is in need of unity to face the challenges confronting it, which have originally resulted from the harsh manner human beings deal with mother earth that carried us, protected us, and benefited us throughout time. Today, the earth suffers from all the ongoing racial, religious, tribal and national wars and conflicts as well as other destructions of the natural environment that God has created in the best order. The UNESCO played a major role in introducing the world to all the dangers that threaten its existence as a result of this systematic neglect of the earth and fired the danger alarm. The world however, only expressed its interest in this danger when climate changes, global warming and disappearing ice became issues of concern due to all the pollution that led to imbalances in the structure of all things God has created on earth, heaven and the atmosphere.

Those who were uprooting trees in forests were unaware that they were exhausting a rich resource that purifies the air that we breathe. Those who were polluting rivers were unaware that they were destroying the water source that provides are veins with life. Those who were demolishing the bottom of the earth and sea using destructive war machines were also unaware that they were paving the way for a natural revolution, which appeared in the form of hurricanes, oceanic commotions and volcanoes. Human beings have forgotten that all these disasters resulted from all forms of fanaticism in the world. If we look at the world today, we see all shapes and forms of fanaticism based on religion, sex, color and language. Isn’t it time to reject all forms of fanaticism? Isn’t it time to spread the hands of unity and solidarity so that we can all live in a better world?

During their conference that was held in Italy this week, the leaders of the great industrial nations realized the inevitability of solving the issue of hunger in the world. This would not be achieved through the distribution of food but with the implementation of developmental projects where the poor would work and earn their living away from harm. I call upon all the kings and leaders of the world to make the earth a safe harbor for all human beings, and put an end to the many centuries of wars and destruction. I call upon all religious leaders around the world to give a helping hand in joint work for the happiness and welfare of mankind. We all need to look at the common principles of religions whose only source is God Almighty who said: “the earth is one nation and all human beings are its inhabitants.” All this fanaticism leads to the destruction of the constitution of humans.

We hope for the discontinuation of this fanaticism, for the world to shine with the light of love, for all mankind to be granted the mercy of the Compassionate Benefactor, and for the human world to strive and liberate itself from the earthly chains of fanaticism. Look closely and you will discover that God created all human beings, and He is compassionate with each and every one of them and protects them. Beseech Him to eliminate the evil forms of fanaticism and selfishness to be replaced with unity in diversity and plurality.

During the meeting between President Obama and Russian President Medvedev at the Industrial Summit, a good initiative was launched to eradicate all forms of fanaticism, whereby discussions addressed seeking a new and common global money to prevent the occurrence of another economic crisis like that one that hit the world recently. The Russian President reached his pocket and took out a coin that had the phrase “unity in diversity” written on it. If a monetary union is achieved all over the world, one of the major economic obstacles to solve the problem of world poverty would be solved and the major gap between abject poverty and extreme wealth would be eliminated.

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Dr. Raouf Hindi, the official spokesman on behalf of the Bahai’is, confirmed that Dar Al-Mahfouzat (House of National Archives) in Egypt, specialized in issuing old official documents, refused to issue any official documents pertaining to Bahai’is and containing the sign (-) or “Bahai’i “ under the category of religion on the pretext of referring to the Islamic High Council first to check the possibility of issuing these documents.

About one month ago, when Raouf went to the House of National Archives to obtain the birth certificates of his son and daughter, Imad and Nancy Raouf Hindi, which contained the sign (-) following an administrative ruling to place the said sign under the category of religion, Hindi went to the House of National Archives once more to obtain the birth certificate of his oldest son Rami, to prove that he was a Bahai’i, and to issue a national identity card for him.

Hindi stated that Rami had an informal birth certificate that proved he was Bahai’i issued in 1987 and was valid until 2005. When he went to obtain the official electronic birth certificate, he was shocked to see an issued birth certificate stating that he was a Muslim, and considered it forgery of official documents. Hindi assured that with this obstinate behavior, Bahai’is are going back to square one, pointing out that his twin son and daughter have birth certificates containing the sign (-), while his oldest son has official document stating that he is a Muslim.

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