Archive for May, 2006

The news is out.

54 Baha’is arrested in Iran

NEW YORK, 24 May 2006 (BWNS) — Iranian officials have arrested 54 Baha’is in the city of Shiraz, the Baha’i International Community has learned. [Read the entire article]

For the commentary of one blogger to this news read this post.

First, Max’s post on Religious Ramblings. He wrote:

So here’s how it goes… I’ve been a Catholic my whole life and of course I don’t believe everything that a “true” Catholic would but I guess I believed the basics (e.g. Jesus is the savior and the basics like that). But now I’m older and I guess I’ve grown out of the songs that they teach in Bible School to get that stuff etched inside your brain and I’m not the gullible little 6-year-old I once was. The point is that I don’t think that I’m actually a Catholic. What’s more, I don’t even know if I’m even a Christian!

I could just go ahead and say “I’m not a Christian” but that’s harder than it sounds. Saying that is like throwing away everything I’ve been. And everyone around me. The only people who aren’t Christian around here are Atheists and I’m not an atheist. Every week I go to a group thing, a “club” of sorts, where people get together and talk about Christianity. Like learning about your faith. “Thinking Like a Christian” is the book we read from, so you get the idea. Anyway, I’ve gone to these meetings for about a year and I’ve known from the start that I don’t agree with almost everything they say. The book and all the people say that Christianity is the cornerstone of life and everything has sprouted from Christianity. The human race couldn’t have got as far as it is now without Christianity. I didn’t agree then, I’m not agreeing now. …

So in my “self-search” to find what religion I really am I took the “Belief-O-Matic” quiz (which can be found here: www.beliefnet.com ) and I didn’t get Roman Catholic as the religion that best fits me, big surprise, I got Orthodox Quaker. Interesting but unrealistic. I’m no Quaker, sorry. A little down the list, about 5 or so I saw “The Baha’i Faith” so I clicked on it and the description was interesting so I did a little more research and I found out the Baha’i Faith is very interesting. …

One thing about The Baha’i Faith that is unique is their belief in the “oneness of religion”. They believe that all the major religions believe in the same God and that all their major prophets are “messengers” (in a sense) from God (e.g. Jesus, Abraham, Buddha, Zoroaster, Bab, and Baha’u'llah - the founder of the Baha’i Faith). This idea really struck me and when I had read over the basics of what the Baha’i Faith is about and what it believes, I was immediately sucked in. I wanted to know more about it! Some people call it a cult but I don’t think so. What do you all think?

My comment on his blog led Max to raise some questions via email to me. Here are his questions interspersed with my comments.

Thanks for commenting on my “blog”! I have a few questions if you don’t mind answering them.

1. Are Baha’is expected to be really peaceful and reserved? I’m not old and boring, I’m still a teenager! I have to have a social life with lots of fun, you can’t tell me I would have to be a loner, right? Maybe it just seems to me like Baha’is are this way (me being stereotypical, sorry).

Baha’is are young and old, extravert and introvert, as the Baha’i community is a microcosm of the macrocosm of the people of the world. Baha’is have fun, that’s for sure. If you want to check out what Baha’i youth are like, you might visit the ljbahai community at http://community.livejournal.com/ljbahai/

2. The Baha’i Prophets are:
* Krishna (~3102 BC)
* Zoroaster (Unknown time range of 1300 possible birth years.)
* Abraham (~1900 BC)
* Moses (~1405 BC)
* Buddha (~563-483 BC)
* Jesus (~0)
* Muhammad (~570)
* the Bab (1819-1850)
* Baha’u'llah (1817-1892)
So how does this make sense if they all taught totally different things?
Krishna was on a different plane of reality as a Hindu told me, Buddhists don’t even believe in a God, the Bab and Baha’u'llah were around in the same time frame so how does that make them both the prophet of their own era?

There are not just nine “Baha’i prophets”? Here is how one Baha’i describes it: “The Baha’i Faith is a continuation and fulfillment of the Abrahamic Judeo-Christian-Islamic religions, while for the first time within this huge stream, equally affirming the Hindu-Buddhist stream of spirituality. This is achieved by virtue of the principle of Progressive Revelation, in which the core principles of God’s religion never change, but some of the outward forms and social rules evolve to fit the needs of the times. The forward momentum of Progressive Revelation is maintained by a series of Manifestations of God who further the message, which includes Abraham, Moses, Jesus, Muhammad, Gautauma Buddha, Zoroaster, and others both known and unknown.”

3. Are Baha’is really expected to pray everyday?

There are three obligatory prayers from which to choose for daily prayers.

4. If Baha’is preach equality of the sexes why aren’t women allowed in the Universal House of Justice, isn’t that a HUGE contradiction?!

This subject can be a test for some people. It can be characterized as a mystery that will become apparent in time, although there are some very rational explanations than can be brought to bear. If you’re really interested, there are some links I can refer you to.

5. Does the Baha’i Faith accept homosexuals and homosexuality? If not, why not? Don’t you preach equality?

The Baha’i Faith is for everyone. If your question is, does the Baha’i Faith find acceptable homosexual behavior, the answer is no, as the proper place for the sexual act is between a man and a woman who are married. The Baha’i teachings in this matter are no different than those of any of the other world religions.

6. The photo of Baha’u'llah. It is supposed to be treated with the most reverence and what not. Do you treat all pictures of prophets that way?

There is no prohibition upon Baha’is towards viewing pictures of other Founders of Religion that I am aware of.

Here are Max’s follow-up questions.

Thanks for replying so quickly, I have another question (I really hope you don’t mind because if you do PLEASE tell me to stop).

If Baha’u'llah is the founder of the Baha’i Faith then why should Baha’is listen to what Abdul-Baha and Shoghi Effendi teach? They aren’t the founders. Is it like Catholics listening to what the Pope says?

Baha’is listen to Abdu’l-Baha and Shoghi Effendi because each was designated as the authoritative interpreter upon the passing of their predecessor. This is a big deal in religious history, because it has been precisely the naming of Abdu’l-Baha after Baha’u'llah’s passing, and Shoghi Effendi after Abdu’l-Baha’s passing and the Universal House of Justice after Shoghi Effendi’s passing that has prevented this Faith from being splintered into so many sects or denominations as previous religions have each experienced. The Baha’i Faith has remained unified because of these and other safeguards that Baha’u'llah addressed himself in his Writings.

Also, what does the Bab have to do with the Baha’i Faith if he had his own religion?

The Bab was the predecessor of Baha’u'llah. He is like a John the Baptist except that he is considered to have founded a new Faith. The Bab’s coming marked the end of the Cycle of Prophecy. With Baha’u'lah you have the beginning of the Cycle of Fulfillment, when things long promised, such as World Peace, will finally be achieved. There are many prophecies regarding the coming of not one, but two, Manifestations of God at this time. See http://www.bci.org/prophecy-fulfilled/

Rebekah has been tagged to reveal “Five Things” in her fridge, her car, her closet, and her purse. There a story in her purse. Here are the first three out of…

5 things in my Purse

1. My small Bobbie Brown compact holding 4 lipsticks in one compartment that slides back to reveal two eyeshadows and brown powder liner - and the perfect little application brushes. With that compact, I could make myself presentable if stranded for days.

2. A Starbucks card, loaded with lots of money so I can satisfy those needs that pop up on many occasions. You must always be prepared.

3. A brochure describing the Baha’i religion. A very sincere woman at a lovely restaurant, where my friend treated me on my birthday, gave both of us a brochure. I don’t really know why, but I could not bear to deny her. I would have liked to sit down and talk with her. From our very brief conversation, it is clear that she has lived a life filled with many challenges I have not had to face. She moved here from Iran several years ago and religious freedom was just one of the things she was seeking.

Rebekah, “I’m It,” Rebekah’s Musings

“Baha’is as a Middle East Contoversy” is a post by smkolins that provides an overview with links on comparative-religion.com. He is a Baha’i from North Carolina, USA. The site has a multi-faith forum with several Baha’is participating.
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“Justin Baldoni of ‘Everwood’ tells us about his Baha’i faith” is the subject of a podcast available on Current Question. “Everwood” is a current TV drama on WB. Justin is a second-generation Baha’i who was raised in Oregon. Last year he was also

And while we are looking at actor Baha’is, there is “Local Boy Makes Good” about Rainn Wilson on the blog “Tales of a 9th Grade Tuba Player.” The blogger ’s quote quotes Rainn as saying: “I give a big Baha’i shout-out to my Seattle Baha’i peeps!”

Welcome to world, bahaibaby! Hello friends! I am creating this journal to focus on my spiritual self and I made this community: bahai_rochester to encourage positive energy and interactions amongst friends.

Ron Stephens provides both text and podcasts on various Baha’i subjects on his website AwareTek Mash-Up. Here are his “Nine Reasons Why You May Want to Be a Baha’i”:

“Each fragment is a whole” - Nevergreen


Nevergreen paints another exquisite picture with her words with “six moments,” a collage of impressions that includes a description of the Baha’i Feast she attended the other night.

Jess describes how her spirit is “flickering to life” through her study of the Baha’i Faith and shares current feelings about the Christianity she was raised up in.

Here is what was written about the Faith in Al-Ahram. Here is how Baha’is responded:

“Never Heard of Him”

Sir– There is no one named Misson who was ever made leader of the Baha’i faith (‘The others‘ Al-Ahram Weekly 11-17 May). The head of the Baha’i community from 1921-1957 was Shoghi Effendi Rabbani. In 1963, the Baha’is elected, from among all Baha’is in the world, the nine men of the Universal House of Justice, which is the community’s governing body. Those nine men come from many places including Iran, Africa, Europe, America and Asia. The Baha’i faith’s world centre is in Haifa and Akko because its founder, Baha’ullah, was exiled there by the Iranian and Ottoman authorities in 1868, long before the establishment of the state of Israel.

Islam’s third holiest site, called The Noble Sanctuary
The Mosque of Al-Aqsa is in Jerusalem, now ruled by Israel, yet you do not attack your fellow Muslims as being in league with Zionism because your own holy place is there. Do not Muslims send endowments to the sacred Muslim shrines in Jerusalem? Why constantly call the Baha’is “Zionists” and “spies” because our holy places are there and we send funds for their upkeep? Our funds go only to the Baha’i endowments there just as yours go only to the Islamic endowments.

Baha’is are categorically forbidden to engage in political activity, sedition, and dissension. We are not permitted to interfere with government affairs. We only seek to practice our faith without fear.

William Collins
Virginia USA
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“Respected worldwide”

Sir– There is no respectable evidence at all that the Baha’is are “Israeli spies”, have “strong links with global Zionism in both theory and practice”, or “were notorious for being instrumental in helping the British occupation of India”. The Baha’i faith is recognised as a world religion and is respected for the contribution that it makes towards inter-faith dialogue, women’s rights, and social and economic development.

Behyar Nikravan
Bedfordshire UK
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“It’s a religion”

Sir– Baha’i is not a cult and it is not founded in Israel. It comes from Persia. They are not atheists. They believe wholly in God so if you want to call it a cult, then call all religions cults.

The Baha’i faith is the youngest of the world’s independent religions. It is based on the teachings of Baha’ullah (1817-1892), who is regarded by Baha’is as the most recent in a line of messengers of God. Baha’ullah taught that there is only one God and one human family, that all religions represent progressive stages in the revelation of God’s will, and that humanity is reaching its long-awaited stage of maturity, when a peaceful and just world order can finally be realised.

Jane Meadows
New York USA
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Here is what Zeinobia wrote in her blog.

Here is how Baha’is responded:

Egypt is signatory of the Declaration of Human Rights where it is stated that “everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion”. That same document states that “All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law. All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination in violation of this Declaration and against any incitement to such discrimination.”.

Therefore, denying anyone an official document due to religious reasons is denying a basic human right. I would not be proud if my government were doing something like that.So many States and Rulers have tried to discriminate or persecute several social groups (religious minorities, ethnical groups, social strata, professional groups, etc). But what was the benefit of that? What happened to them? How do historians describe them?

As to Egyptian Baha’is using foreign passports, that reminds me the dark days of the Portuguese dictatorship, when so citizens whose civil rights were denied had to travel with foreign passports. And in those days, the authorities use to tell them: “Don’t mess with the law in our country!”

By Marco
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I am not sure where do you get your “facts” from. Egyptian Baha’is have foreign passports? Tell me which country is giving away citizenship to Egyptians whether Baha’is or not? Did you get that from the lawyer on Dream show who was shouting “they have foreign passports” in a crazy way (along with weird cockroach comments and God knows what)? The Baha’i man on Dream has an Egyptian passport as he kept on saying, but that lawyer was too loud that he couldn’t even hear himself.

If you want facts, let me give you facts:

- There is no “religion” entry in passports, so the issue doesn’t apply here as it does for IDs

- I have an old torn ID that is missing a part from my grandfather’s name so it’s useless. (Torn delightfully in a police station by a stupid clerck who stapled it to other documents).

- I can’t use this ID to issue a passport due to its missing information.

- No one in the vital records is willing to help in giving me any document to prove my identity. They only say “go get a computerized ID” and (quoting) “enta Baha’i malaksh 3andena 7aga”. I wonder who is bending whose arm, as it was nicely mentioned on orbit that the Baha’is are bending the government arm.

- I’ve been stuck for more than 8 years without a passport and without a way to travel and I still didn’t hear of that magic country that gives away foreign passports to Baha’is. And even if I do, I want an Egyptian passport as I am an Egyptian citizen.

Egyptian Lotus
- Due to not having an ID I’m unable to buy property, take loans from banks or prove my identity in government offices.

- I spent one year trying to issue a birth certificate for my daughter and during every day of which the vital records people insisted on registering her as christian when she is not. I asked them to write “other religion” or leave it blank and they refused.

Every Baha’i person in this country is going through even much more troubles than me. We suffer on daily basis due to this situation. And we are still patient and still obeying the laws of our country. But obeying the law doesn’t mean I can’t demand to change it if it’s unjust. If the law allows only the followers of three religions to have full civil rights then it is unjust. If the constitution itself says that, then it needs to be amended.

Cairo, Egypt
This whole situation is based on wrong assumptions that everyone is taking as “facts”. If only you people get your facts checked first.And by the way, here is an excellent blog in reply to the “facts” that you all talk about.

By Egyptian Baha’i
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there shouldnt be any religious identification in documents to start with! who cares if you are muslim , bahai or christian?? we are all human beings , no one should be denied their rights based on their religion. the issue is not about the egyptian goverment recognizing officially the bahai religion, but rather that it is descriminating those citizens based on their religious beliefs, and that is just wrong.

i guess you would be ok if the united states didnt recognize islam, and oblige muslims to identify themselfes as christian?

By iuri
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By different reasons Islam Faith didn’t reach Europe in the first centuries A.H..It was even expeled from Spain and Portugal.

Eqyptian schoolgirls

As a matter of fact, there are a few prejudicies in the West against Islam. But when a western (or anyone else) accept Bahá’u'lláh, The founder of Bahá’í Faith, immediatly recognizes Muhammad like a Messenger of The Almighty.The Muslims should understand this.

Something else, The Qur’an says The Day of God will return in One Thousand Years. We can’t deny The Qur’an.

By João Moutinho
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Dear Zeinboia, I’m afraid you’re starting to make no sense. I got a vibe from you when i came across your blog that you know what you’re talking about. And even in your last post when you mentioned fiction as facts i gave you the benefit of doubt that maybe you didn’t know. But it seems like you are unwilling to know.

Egyptian People’s Assembly Chamber

What does money have to do with suffering from not getting basic civil rights? The dentist on the show had both his kids expelled from school because he couldn’t issue birth certificates for them, which is needed to be admitted in any school. No other school accepted them for the same reason. What will his money do in such a case?

Do not look at the Baha’is as one secluded group that live together and share funds. This would be the same as saying “Egyptians are not poor, look at Mohamed Nossair or Naguib Sawiras”. Baha’is in Egypt come from different backgrounds. We have poor people among us and we have rich people. We don’t have “filthy rich” people though (oh the suffering). They are all well educated as you might have noticed because education is obligatory in the Baha’i teachings whether you’re poor or rich.

Cairo street scene
I’m still trying to get any sensible input from you so i will ask you a question and see your answer. And by sensible I don’t mean agreeing with me, but something that makes “sense”. Not random gloating and off-the-mark comments.

Or maybe you can answer this: Imagine that you do not have an ID or a passport, when you get married your marriage is not legal, when you have a baby you can’t have a birth certificate for him/her, that’s beside the trouble of proving that it’s a legit baby since you don’t have a valid marriage certificate, you can’t get them into a school, you get stopped by police in the street and you have no ID so they take you with them, you can’t get a job (no ID, military paper if you are a man) and when you die (alf ba3d el shar 3aleeky) no one can issue a death certificate for you. Oh and with all that you have all the money that all the Baha’is have. What will your life be like?

By Egyptian Baha’i

Sad news from Egypt. Thanks to Povo de Baha for bringing this article to my attention.

CAIRO, 16 May 2006 (IRIN) - Egypt’s Supreme Administrative Court decided on 15 May to suspend the implementation of an earlier lower court ruling that allowed Bahais to have their religion recognised on official documents.

“While [we are] disappointed by the decision to suspend the administrative court ruling…it is important to note that the Supreme Administrative Court has yet to decide on the merits of the case,” read a press statement issued by the Cairo-based Egyptian Initiative for Private Rights (EIPR).

The earlier ruling, made on 4 April, was passed after a case was filed by a Bahai couple whose official documentation – on which their affiliation to Bahaism was stated – had been confiscated by the state. The ruling quickly became the epicentre of controversy in parliament, led by members of both the ruling National Democratic Party and the banned-but-tolerated Muslim Brotherhood, after which the interior ministry quickly filed an appeal to overturn the ruling.

“We have no issue with people describing themselves as followers of beliefs not recognised by Islam,” prominent Muslim Brotherhood member Abdel Moneim Abul Futouh said on 7 May. “What must be appealed is a ruling allowing followers of unrecognised faiths to describe themselves as followers of a religion in official documents when it’s not technically a religion.”

According to the EIPR statement, the Supreme Administrative Court has denied a request by the defence team for a postponement of the suspension until its members could present a written rebuttal.

Officials at the Supreme Administrative Court meanwhile declined to comment.

Informal estimates suggest that there are approximately 2,000 Bahais currently resident in Egypt. Founded in Iran in the 19th century, the movement’s spiritual and administrative homes are now respectively located in Akka and Haifa, Israel.

“EGYPT: Court suspends ruling recognising Bahai rights,” IRIN News.org, UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

Photos from Flitzy Phoebie

To assist a soul to become enamoured of Baha’u'llah is one of the most thrilling experiences a Baha’i can have. To be that nurturer who is there to assist the seeker from point of initial contact through to becoming fully connected to the Faith through participation in its core activities has its own special rewards in the eyes of God. Adalia has undoubtedly had such favor.

About Me
Name: Adalia Ellis
Location: Florence, South Carolina, and South Korea
I am pretty down to earth these days. Trying not to become a cynical person but realistic. I am pretty much at peace with myself.

Shingai- “Be Brave and Of Good Courage”, is my Shona name and has become the anthem of my life. I try to live a life that is balanced between the silly and the serious, though both require courage. My life is not an open book but what I do choose to share are small steps on my journey toward bravery.

Florence, South Carolina
Wednesday, May 17, 2006, Getting Antsy: I realised this morning that most of my girlfriends will be gone within the next month. I am a little sad about this. That is part of living in a country like Korea, doing the kind of job I am doing. Everything is in a state of transition…emotionally, spiritually, socially…like I know that right now I have so much to do before I leave but I can’t wait to get back to the States and get the rest of my life started.

I feel like I acheived the reason I came here. I was able to introduce the Faith to one person and that person became a Baha’i…instantly involved in the devotional gatherings and study circles. He is becoming more and more deepened..his love for God is undeniable as well as the fact that he is completely enamored with Baha’u'llah. He has been teaching the Faith to his family, which within themselves they have transformed, and now his sister is coming to devotions and is interested in study circles.