What is it? Who Are They? Why Should We Care? by lyle e davis How would you like to live in a world where there was no war? Where all people of all races, creeds and cultures were as one, and there was no prejudice? Where women and men were equal? Where there were no extremes of poverty, nor of extreme wealth? Where the family and its unity was recognized as being critically important? Where everyone received an education? Would that sound like a world you would like to live in and be part of? Like you, I knew little or nothing about Baha’i. I have now learned that the above elements are but a part of what members of Baha’i seek and work for. Having lived in Chicago for five years I was struck by the beautiful architecture of the Baha’i Temple in Wilmette, Illinois, and would often take visitors sightseeing and show them the impressive building. I have never entered the temple and I only knew a couple of people who were Baha’is. I knew them as a kindly, gentle people. People who didn’t hassle you. They didn’t pester you in your neighborhood, knocking on your door, trying to recruit you to their way of thinking. I didn’t really know what they believed, what they practiced, what the basic tenets of the Baha’i faith was. I knew it was a religious philosophy that originated in the Mid East . . . which, for some reason, seems to be where most of the world’s major religions originated. But that was about all I knew of Baha’i. In Esconiddo I had a good friend, Jacque Smith. Jacque was, and is, very well known in North San Diego County. He’s that guy who, whenever they called for volunteers for any civic or service project, always wound up at the head of the line. He has been a major community asset for Escondido. Jacque was a beloved member of our Hidden Valley Kiwanis Club. He retired from our club a number of years ago and said he wanted to dedicate the rest of his life to working for Baha’i. More recently, I became acquainted with the well known North County chiropractor, Dr. Omid Rahmanian and his lovely wife, Dr. Parisa Rahmanian, a prominent North County dentist. They and their children are Baha’is. In fact, Dr. O’Mead (as most folks call him, and spell his Amercanized name), at great danger to himself, flew home to Iran to help bring his mother and father to America, where they now live. Dr. O’Mead’s father had been imprisoned in Iran for no other reason than being a member of Baha’i. When his father was finally released from prison, Dr. O’Mead took the risk of being arrested himself, flew into Iran and, thankfully, was able to return home to North San Diego County. So, I knew a few Baha’is fairly well, and I knew about the temple in Wilmette, Illinois. But I really didn’t know much more than that. Certain events and timing have come together where I felt it would be not only appropriate, but important, to research Baha’i and find out a bit more about what it was and, “just who are these people that belong to Baha’i?” We propose to share that information with you in this cover story. You may be as surprised as I was. And am. You may be in a position to be of major help to some deserving people who are in grave danger. We will brief you. Perhaps one of the better and more succinct explanations of Baha’i is that given by the television actor, Rainn Wilson, who plays paper salesman Dwight Schrute in the television comedy "The Office." Stepping out of character and providing a commentary for CNN, Wilson says: “I am a member of the Baha'i faith. What is that, you ask? Well, long story short, it's an independent world religion that began in the mid-1800s in Iran. Baha'is believe that there is only one God and therefore only one religion. All of the world's divine teachers (Jesus, Muhammad, Buddha, Moses, Abraham, Krishna, etc.) bring essentially the same message -- one of unity, love and knowledge of God or the divine. This constantly updated faith of God, Baha'is believe, has been refreshed for this day and age by our founder, Baha'u'llah. There. Nutshell version.” Now, as I mentioned, this all happened in Iran, and needless to say the Muslim authorities did not like the Baha'is very much, accusing them of heresy and apostasy. Tens of thousands were killed in the early years of the faith, and the persecutions have continued off and on for the past 150 years. Why write about all this now? Well, I'm glad you asked. You see there's a 'trial' going on very soon for seven Baha'i national leaders in Iran. They've been accused of all manner of things including being "spies for Israel," "insulting religious sanctities" and "propaganda against the Islamic Republic." They've been held for a year in Evin Prison in Tehran without any access to their lawyer (the Nobel Laureate Shirin Ebadi) and with zero evidence of any of these charges. The imprisoned in Iran. Their Crime? They are members of the Baha’i Religious Group When a similar thing happened in 1980, the national leadership of the Iranian Baha'i community disappeared. And this was repeated again in 1981. In fact, since 1979, more than 200 Baha'is have been killed, holy places and cemeteries desecrated, homes burned, civil rights taken away and secret lists compiled of Baha'is (and even Muslims who associate with them) by government agencies. It's bad right now for all the peace-loving Baha'is in Iran who want only to practice their religion and follow their beliefs. It's especially bad for these seven. They're teachers, and engineers, and optometrists and social workers just like us. This thought has become kind of a cliché', but we take our rights for granted here in America. Imagine if a group of people were rounded up and imprisoned and then disappeared not for anything they'd done, but because they wanted to worship differently than the majority. There is a resolution on the situation of the Baha'is in Iran being sent to Congress. Please ask your representatives to support it. And ask them to speak out about this terrible situation. We’ll have more information on the “trial” and the accused a bit later on in this story. But let’s examine a little more in-depth of who the Baha’i are, so that we might better understand the issues: First off, there are a couple of unique features to the Baha’i lifestyle . . . for it is a lifestyle as well as a religious philosophy. They don’t have ministers. They don’t have a “church hierarchy.” No Pope, no Bishops, no ministers, no pastors. They democratically elect their local and national leaders. Every year. They do not accept funding from anyone outside the Baha’i faith. One of the Rockefellers once wanted to help support Baha’i with a major, large donation. The Baha’is courteously declined the money. You will never see a Baha’i in a political race. They do not believe in partisan political activity because it is divisive and, in the end, that is what the primary goal of Baha’i is. Unity. Not to divide a people, or political parties, or governments, or nations . . . but to unify the world. While there are many Baha’is in the military, they serve as noncombatants. They avoid violence and would become violent only if it were to save someone else’s life, but not their own. If ordered by a superior military officer in time of war to take military action, they will comply as they are taught the necessity of following the government’s orders. If you look at the Baha’i beliefs, their tenets, their philosphy, as a lifestyle . . . you’d probably agree with every single element. What do Baha’is practice? • daily prayer and communion with God • high moral principles, including trustworthiness, chastity and honesty • independent investigation of truth • a life dedicated to the service of humanity • fellowship with the followers of all religions • avoidance of excessive materialism, partisan politics, backbiting, alcohol, drugs and gambling Hmmmm. Still sounds interesting, doesn’t it? And logical. And practical. Just what do Baha’is believe? • the purpose of life is to know and worship God, to acquire virtues, to promote the oneness of humankind and to carry forward an ever-advancing civilization • all humanity was created by one God and is part of one human race • work performed in the spirit of service is a form of worship • the soul, created at the moment of conception, is destined by God to reach the afterlife, where it will continue to progress until it attains the presence of God. Let’s take a look and get to know some of our neighbors in North San Diego County. They’re pretty much the same as you and me. The only difference? They are Bahai’s. We spoke earlier of Jacque Smith. He has a wife, Gracie, that all of Escondido has loved ever since they’ve been in town. Actually, it was Gracie that led Jacque to Baha’i. It was on July 6, 1947, that Jacque and Gracie Smith were married in Santa Monica. Jacque was 20, Gracie was 17. (If you’re doing the math, they’ve been married 61 years). They raised three beautiful children and are retired today and living in Escondido. Gracie became a Baha’i in 1957 in Santa Monica. Her brother had become a Baha’i. She observed, liked it, and joined. Gracie tells the story: “We had one child, Anita. I had friends all around me who were wanting me to baptize her. Most were Catholics. I prayed every night to be shown the right way. I wanted to bring my child up to believe in the right path to God. Soon after that, months perhaps, my brother found the faith through his dentist. He became totally enamored of the faith. He and his wife became B’ahai. He brought literature home. It took me awhile to even pick up the literature . . . My mom said, “I was born Episcoplian, I will die an Episcopalian.” Finally, I had to read the literature. The first thing I read totally convinced me, “this is the truth.” I read it to my mother . . . mother agreed. The two of us then knew it was the truth. . . she and I then declared our faith in Baha’i, together. I invited Jacque to a Baha’i meeting called a Fireside. He went, enjoyed it, and the answers suited him and he began reading on his own. Jacque and my dad became Baha’is a year later. Jacque Smith picks up the story: “Back then, it was mandatory in order to join Baha’i that you had to study books. You had to know the ground rules. That is no longer mandatory. You do learn, however, that Baha’i is a democratically elected organization. Every 19 days there is a mandatory meeting that you should attend. There is no punishment if you don’t, but it’s for your own good. They consist of spiritual readings, an administrative part of the feast, then comes the part, you meet and great people and we have a meal together.” Jacque would retire from the Navy where he had served for 25 years as a deep sea and salvage diver. As Jacque explained to me, for a Baha'i, the primary mission is to bring unity . . .to unify the world in peace . . . to not attack your brother, ever. “Gossip is one of the worst things you can do,” he said. “It is called the ‘Fire of the Tongue.’ Other tenets of the faith include getting written permission from all living and sane parents to marry; because it is not a marriage of individuals but of family. Marriage exists for family.” The Baha’i World Center is in Haifa, Israel. There, the "Universal House Justice", comprised of nine elected panel members reside and oversee the worldwide Baha’i faith. They serve five year terms. Another North County Baha’i neighbor is Eileen Norman. Like Jacque and Gracie Smith, Eileen Norman was not born in the faith but discovered it and embraced it. “I had a very good friend who had become a Baha’i; we were in our 20’s, raising children. One of my pregnancies was very difficult with the potential for serious consquences which could involve losing my child. I became morose, desperate. My friend gave me a pamphlet called “Open Door.” I read it and it made great sense to me. That took me to my first Fireside meeting. It took about a year, heels dragging, and I asked every question I could think so I could trip those people up. After a year, I realized I was a Baha’i! It was so close to what I believed in all my life that I became a Baha’i. That was 51 years ago, in Los Angeles.” Eileen, now a widow, had three children. Her daughter, who died at age 29, was a Baha’i prior to her death. Her son is a physicist. He and his wife are both Baha’i, as was her husband, prior to his passing. Her husband was a musician and Eileen was a professional singer, prior to their marriage. She was invited by the Baha’i National Assembly to go to Wilmette, Illinois, where she managed the International Department and, later, the Education Department. She moved to La Costa in 1982. She has traveled all over the world for Baha’i. Panama, India, Central America, all over Europe. “Wherever you go,” she says, “if you are a Baha’i, there is an instant close, warm, bond. Baha’i is like a giant family, world wide. Perhaps you don’t speak the same language . . but that’s not important. If you are Baha’i . . . you are instant family, wherever you go.” We asked Eileen about the tenet that requires a Baha’i to not engage in partisan politics. “That’s true,” she says. “It’s divisive. But, we do vote; we do serve in offices which are not partisan. We just don’t participate in divisive politics. We feel the bedrock of world peace and advancement of civilization is the unity of people.” What about when a Baha’i dies? Is there a traditional funeral? Or do they burn the dead on funeral pyres as in India? "Upon death, we do not cremate. Nor do we embalm. We believe that which composes gradually should decompose gradually. The funeral service is anything that is planned by the family; no ritual, no special speeches; there are prayers for the departed.” Eileen was not born into Baha’i. She acquired it. Her background is Jewish. Her husband also became Baha’i, after Eileen embraced it. All of their combined children and grandchildren are Baha’i . . but they were all free to choose their own religion. An interesting quote that we heard from several Baha’is we interviewed for this story: “We don’t make Bahai’s, Bahai’s are found.” Shahla Mazandarany is one Baha’i in North County who was born into the faith. (Out of an estimated seven million Baha’i members worldwide, only about 800,000 are born into the faith. In Iran, where the Faith began, there are only 300,000 Baha’is. The remaining 500,000 born into the faith are in the rest of the world.) “I was born in Western Iran. My great great grandfather was one of the first Bahai’s in Iran. All of our family is Baha’i. I am about 4th or 5th generation Baha’i. At age 17, I emigrated to America to study at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, studying chemistry but got married before I graduated. My husband was born into a Muslim family but he does not follow Islam, nor is he a member of Baha’i. After our children were grown I switched my college studies from chemistry to accounting. Today, I am Treasurer of the Bahai’ Assembly of Carlsbad. Our children are not Baha’i. They are not active religiously. We all have freedom of choice in our religious beliefs. We elect nine people every year, on April 21st, to be on our Carlsbad Assembly.” Yet another Baha’i in North County is a retired psychologist, Dr. Homayoun Mahmoudi. He was born in Iran, coming here for college in 1958. He was of the Muslim tradition and, of all things, attended Brigham Young University, that bastion of Mormonism . . . which is where he became . . . no, not a Mormon, but a Baha’i. “Prior to that I was an existentialist agnostic. But, while in Provo, Utah, I began to study a variety of religions. As a result, I became a Baha’i in 1961. I Became a psychologist, taking my undergraduate work at BYU, my Masters at Utah State, my Phd at Florida. I had a 35 year practice in Solana Beach and Rancho Santa Fe, working primarily with schools in the area, counseling students. I also have a Juris Doctor degreee, but never practiced law. My daughter, however, is an attorney. I married an American gal from Kansas. We had three children, all of whom are Baha’i." Another North County Baha’i family is Patty and Dick Yant. Dick was in college and at age 24 when he became a Baha’i in 1970. In 1977 Patty became a Baha’i. Dick was in college and was searching for his religious identity. He had been raised a Methodist, his great grandfather was a Methodist minister. In high school, he decided he didn’t like the hypocrisy and exlusivity (one religion is right, all others are wrong) that was taught by his Methodist clergy, as well as all other Christian faiths. He became an agnostic. Then, at UC Davis, there was an anti-war rally that he attended. The UC Davis student body had invited a Baha’i to speak. “The things he spoke of drew me to the faith,” said Dick. “It seemed like a lifestyle I had been looking for all my life. The things he spoke of were things I believed already. I soon became a member of Baha’i.” Patty: “I stumbled into it; was in a down side of my life, learned it was a way to world peace, learned all the tenets . . what I had gleaned from other Christian faiths was that we were going to be damned and going to hell; also, if we didn’t believe the way they did then we were totally lost. I just couldn’t buy that. I looked at all the Buddhists and Muslims in the world. What about them I wondered? But Baha’i . . . unified the world. I came into Baha’i from my head, then after a time, my head and heart came together.” These, then, are just a few of the members of Baha’i who live, work and love in North San Diego County. There is no proselytizing within Baha’i. If the subject of religion comes up . . .they will discuss it, if asked. They believe the best way to teach is by example. “If you don’t walk the walk you shouldn’t talk the talk,” said Gracie Smith. You will see occasional ads in newspapers. This is not considered proslyetizing. While amongst the approximate seven million Baha’is in the world there are some wealthy patron/members, the faith is supported largely by its members who are just ordinary citizens. Members of Baha’i include people who were Muslims, Jews, Christians and those of no organized religion at all. In keeping with their goal of unity, Baha’i members are urged to “consort with the followers of all religions . . . with the utmost affection and love. Whatever you have, you offer it as a servant offering to the king, a gift. If the gift is accepted, your mission is accomplished. If not, you should pray for them and move on.” Above, The Shrine of the Báb Oceanside has a Baha’i Center, as does San Diego. Each continent has a Baha’i temple. For America, the national temple is in Wilmette, Illinois. It’s the goal of every Baha’i to to go Haifa, Israel, once in a lifetime. Upon completion of the pilgrimage, they meet with members of The Universal House of Justice and other Baha’is. There are many prayers and meditations, and they visit holy sites which includes the tombs of its founder, Bahá’u’lláh and the messenger who announced the coming of Bahá’u’lláh, The Bab. Now . . . just what is this religious philosophy? Where did it come from? Who started it? It’s a comparatively new religion, having started in 1844. The Baha’is believe that throughout history, God has revealed Himself to humanity through a series of divine Messengers, each of whom has founded a great religion. The Messengers have included Jesus, Abraham, Krishna, Zoroaster, Moses, Buddha, and Muhammad. The latest, the Baha’is believe was Bahá’u’lláh. In 1844, a youth named Siyyid 'Alí-Muhammad arose in Iran to proclaim that the great day of God awaited by all religions had come. He called Himself the Báb, which, in Arabic, means "the Gate." His teachings shook the country to its core and spread rapidly among its most notable people. At that time there was a young and prosperous man, Husayn Ali, the son of a wealthy government minister, Mirza Buzurg-i-Nuri. Husayn Ali had been born on 12 November 1817 in Tehran, Iran. The family could trace its ancestry back to the great dynasties of Iran's imperial past. The young man led a princely life, receiving an education that focused largely on calligraphy, horsemanship, classic poetry, and swordsmanship. Much later in life, after the Prince had a son, his son would remark: “From earliest childhood He was distinguished among His relatives and friends.… In wisdom, intelligence and as a source of new knowledge, He was advanced beyond His age and superior to His surroundings. All who knew Him were astonished at His precocity. It was usual for them to say, 'Such a child will not live,' for it is commonly believed that precocious children do not reach maturity." Mirza Husayn Ali Mohammed, a prince of Nur, became one of the most active followers of the Báb. At the village of Badasht, in 1848, the Prince hosted a gathering of the most eminent followers of the Báb, known as Bábís. The meeting established for the growing number of believers the independent character of the Bábí religion. In 1848, in Amul in the province of Mázindarán, the Prince was arrested and bastinadoed (beaten with a rod on the soles of His feet) for being a follower of the Báb. Before he died the Báb identified the Prince, Mirza Husayn Ali Mohammed, a prince of Nur, as the true Messenger of God. He gave the Prince a new name, Bahá’u’lláh. The name, translated, means: Baha’ = Glory, u = of, llah = God. “Glory of God.” The Báb was executed in 1850, by 750 soldiers. Nearly all the leading exponents of His religion were killed by fanatical clergy and government troops. Bahá’u’lláh was spared the fate of His companions but was falsely charged, in 1852, with complicity in an attempt on the life of the Shah. Without shade, under a blazing August sun, Bahá’u’lláh was forced to walk to the place of imprisonment in Tehran. In Tehran, Bahá’u’lláh was cast into a dungeon known as the Black Pit, notorious for its foul air, filth, and pitch-black darkness. It was in this prison that He received the first intimations of a divine revelation within Him. He later wrote: "I was but a man like others, asleep upon My couch, when lo, the breezes of the All-Glorious were wafted over Me, and taught Me the knowledge of all that hath been. This thing is not from Me, but from One Who is Almighty and All-Knowing. And He bade Me lift up My voice between earth and heaven." The tomb of Bahá’u’lláh However, the time to publicly announce this revelation would be later. The Baha’is believe Bahá’u’lláh brings new spiritual and social teachings for our modern age. He taught that there is only one God, that all of the world’s religions are from God, and that now is the time for humanity to recognize its oneness and unite. During His visit to Mount Carmel in 1891, Bahá’u’lláh stood near a circle of cypress trees and showed his son, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, where the tomb of the Báb should be built. The sacred remains of the Báb had been carefully hidden in Iran since His execution in 1850. In 1899, at the instruction of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, they were brought to the Holy Land and, in 1909, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá fulfilled his Father's wishes by placing them in their final resting place on Mount Carmel. The Prince would now be known as Bahá’u’lláh forever more. Bahá’u’lláh wrote 100 volumes of books himself; His books have been said to be “sent by God,” a revelation. One book. . . a book of laws - the major book is known as - “Aghdas” - “the most holy.” His son wrote almost 250 volumes of books as well. His grandson, who was “Shoghi Effendi” - was named as Guardian of the Faith. Since that time the Universal House of Justice has become the Guardian of the Faith. This organization is comprised of all Baha'is. There are nine members, all democratically elected. They serve for five years and must live in Haifa. The passing of Bahá’u’lláh In the early hours of May 29, 1892, Bahá’u’lláh passed away at the Mansion of Bahjí. Nine days later His will was unsealed. It designated ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as His successor and head of the Bahá'í Faith — the first time in history that the founder of a world religion had made explicitly clear whom should follow after His death. This declaration of a successor is the pivotal provision of what is known to Bahá'ís as the "Covenant of Bahá’u’lláh." It has enabled the Bahá'í Faith to remain united around one central authority for over a century. After Abdu’l-Bahá died, Shoghi Effendi, the great-grandson of Bahá’u’lláh became the Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith. He passed away in 1957. With a religious belief that promotes unity, equality, justice, and that is opposed to war and political power, why, then, have the Baha’is been persecuted down through the years and, indeed, even in the present time? It is because the Muslims consider the Baha’is heretics. Baha’is came from Islam. They left Islam to form their new religion. As a result, the Muslims have killed thousands of Baha’is in the name of their religion. Most of the persecution comes from Iran, but wherever there is a large community of Muslims, there is strong sentiment against Baha’is which often results in violence, sometimes deadly. Even though members of Baha’i have no real interest in political, military or financial power, those members of Islam who are fanatics, are bound to “destroy all heretics.” Chief amongst this list of heretics are Baha’is. And that is where we are now. As mentioned earlier in this story, time and circumstance dictated that now was an appropriate and important time to learn a bit more about the Baha’i faith. Why? Because, today, there are seven innocent members being held and persecuted in Iran because they have committed no crime but that of being Baha’i. The chief Iranian prosecutor says, “the seven Baha'i followers will be tried on charges of ‘espionage for Israel, desecrating religious sanctities and propaganda against the Islamic Republic." Upon hearing this, the US State Department condemned the action, saying the espionage charges were “baseless.” “Baha'i organizations are illegal and their connections to Israel and their enmity toward Islam and the Islamic system are absolutely certain and their threat against the national security is a proven fact,” added the Iranian cleric. Followers of the Baha'i sect — founded in Iran in 1863 — are regarded as infidels and have been persecuted both before and after the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Meanwhile, The Baha’i International Community has issued a statement of gratitude to the Iranian intellectuals, scholars, writers, journalists, activists, and artists throughout the world who signed an open letter apologizing for their silence during Iran’s long-running persecution of the Baha’is. . The open letter from the Iranians - dated 3 February 2009 and signed so far by 243 men and women living in 19 countries - had asked Baha’is to forgive them “for the wrongs committed against the Baha’i community of Iran” over the last century and a half. “We will no longer be silent when injustice is visited upon you,” the letter said after enumerating some of the ways Baha’is have been persecuted, from “barbaric murders” to depriving youth of higher education. The letter was particularly significant in that it rejected the milieu of intimidation created by Iranian authorities throughout the decades that served to silence “those fair-minded and informed individuals who had always wished to rise up” in support of the Baha’is. The mansion of Bahji, where Bahá’u’lláh passed away Indeed, in a press statement recently, the organizers behind the letter said that many more people would like to sign. “We are confident,” their statement said, “that many more individuals, responsible and humane individuals, both inside and outside Iran, will add their seal of approval to it, as they become aware of such a letter, and we hope that the independent and committed Iranian media will join us in disseminating this message.” The open letter began with the heading “We are ashamed! A century and a half of oppression and silence is enough! We are ashamed that during the last 30 years, the killing of Baha’is solely on the basis of their religious beliefs has gained legal status and over 200 Baha’is have been slain on this account,” said one clause. “We are ashamed that a group of intellectuals have justified coercion against the Baha’i community of Iran,” the letter continued. The letter ended thus: “We stand by you in achieving all the rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of the Human Rights. Let us join hands in replacing hatred and ignorance with love and tolerance.” Meanwhile, The United States House of Representatives has introduced a resolution, H.Res.175, on the persecution of the Baha’is in Iran. The resolution was sponsored by Representatives Mark Kirk, James McGovern, Brad Sherman, Dan Burton, Bill Foster, Maurice Hinchey, Frank Wolf, and Jim Moran. The resolution reads, in part: Whereas in November 2007, the Iranian Ministry of Information in Shiraz jailed Baha’is Ms. Raha Sabet, 33; Mr. Sasan Taqva, 32; and Ms. Haleh Roohi, 29; for educating underprivileged children and gave them 4-year prison terms, which they are serving; Whereas Ms. Sabet, Mr. Taqva, and Ms. Rooshi were targeted solely on the basis of their religion; Whereas, on January 23, 2008, the United States Department of State released a statement urging the Iranian regime to release all individuals held without due process and a fair trial, including the 3 young Baha’is being held in an Iranian Ministry of Intelligence detention center in Shiraz; Whereas in March and May of 2008, Iranian intelligence officials in Mashhad and Tehran arrested and imprisoned Mrs. Fariba Kamalabadi, Mr. Jamaloddin Khanjani, Mr. Afif Naeimi, Mr. Saeid Rezaie, Mr. Behrouz Tavakkoli, Mrs. Mahvash Sabet, and Mr. Vahid Tizfahm, the members of the coordinating group for the Baha’i community in Iran; Whereas, on February 11, 2009, the deputy prosecutor in Tehran, Mr. Hassan Haddad, announced that those seven leaders will go on trial at a Revolutionary Court the week of February 15, 2009, on charges of ‘espionage for Israel, insulting religious sanctities and propaganda against the Islamic Republic’’; Whereas the lawyer for these seven leaders, Mrs. Shirin Ebadi, the Nobel Laureate, has been denied all access to the prisoners and their files; Whereas these seven Baha’i leaders were targeted solely on the basis of their religion; and Whereas the Government of Iran is party to the International Covenants on Human Rights: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the House of Representatives— (1) condemns the Government of Iran for its state-sponsored persecution of its Baha’i minority and its continued violation of the International Covenants on Human Rights; (2) calls on the Government of Iran to immediately release the seven leaders and all other prisoners held solely on account of their religion; (3) calls on the President and Secretary of State, in cooperation with the international community, to immediately condemn Iran’s continued violation of human rights and demand the immediate release of prisoners held solely on account of their religion. Above, the Universal House of Justice, Haifa, Israel International reaction to news that Iran may soon put on trial seven Baha’i leaders for espionage and other charges came swiftly last week as governments, parliamentary leaders and human rights organizations expressed strong criticism of any such trial. Many called for the immediate release of the Baha’is. A spokeswoman for the Baha’i International Community last week stated emphatically that the seven are innocent of all charges and are being held solely because of their religious belief. “The accusations are false, and the government knows this,” said Diane Ala’i, the representative of the Baha’i International Community to the United Nations in Geneva. “The seven Baha’is detained in Tehran should be immediately released.” In its “urgent action” appeal last Thursday, Amnesty International said it “considers the charges to be politically motivated and those held to be prisoners of conscience, detained solely because of their conscientiously held beliefs or their peaceful activities on behalf of the Baha’i community. If convicted, they would face lengthy prison terms, or even the death penalty,” the organization said. Other human rights groups and nongovernmental organizations made similar statements. The Freedom House published a condemnation of Iran over the possibility of a trial for the seven, saying: “The five men and two women should be released immediately, along with dozens of other Baha’is who are in prison for exercising their human right to religious freedom.” In one of his latter day messages, Bahá’u’lláh stated: "… That all nations should become one in faith and all men as brothers; that the bonds of affection and unity between the sons of men should be strengthened; that diversity of religion should cease, and differences of race be annulled — what harm is there in this? … Yet so it shall be; these fruitless strifes, these ruinous wars shall pass away, and the 'Most Great Peace' shall come.… Let not a man glory in this, that he loves his country; let him rather glory in this, that he loves his kind." Source: http://www.thecommunitypaper.com/archive/2009/02_26/index.php

Editor's note: Actor Rainn Wilson plays paper salesman Dwight Schrute in the television comedy "The Office."

Rainn Wilson says fellow members of his Baha'i faith are being persecuted in Iran.

(CNN) -- Why is Rainn Wilson, "Dwight" on "The Office," writing a news commentary for CNN? Good question.

It's a bit strange for me, to say the least; a comic character actor best known for playing weirdos with bad haircuts getting all serious to talk about the persecution of the fellow members of his religious faith.

Dear readers of CNN, I assure you that what I'm writing about is no joking matter or some hoax perpetrated by a paper-sellin', bear-fearin', Battlestar-Galactica obsessed beet farmer.

I am a member of the Baha'i faith. What is that, you ask? Well, long story short, it's an independent world religion that began in the mid-1800s in Iran. Baha'is believe that there is only one God and therefore only one religion.

All of the world's divine teachers (Jesus, Muhammad, Buddha, Moses, Abraham, Krishna, etc.) bring essentially the same message -- one of unity, love and knowledge of God or the divine.

This constantly updated faith of God, Baha'is believe, has been refreshed for this day and age by our founder, Baha'u'llah. There. Nutshell version.

Now, as I mentioned, this all happened in Iran, and needless to say the Muslim authorities did not like the Baha'is very much, accusing them of heresy and apostasy. Tens of thousands were killed in the early years of the faith, and the persecutions have continued off and on for the past 150 years.

Why write about all this now? Well, I'm glad you asked. You see there's a 'trial' going on very soon for seven Baha'i national leaders in Iran.

They've been accused of all manner of things including being "spies for Israel," "insulting religious sanctities" and "propaganda against the Islamic Republic."

They've been held for a year in Evin Prison in Tehran without any access to their lawyer (the Nobel Laureate Shirin Ebadi) and with zero evidence of any of these charges.

When a similar thing happened in 1980, the national leadership of the Iranian Baha'i community disappeared. And this was repeated again in 1981.

In fact, since 1979, more than 200 Baha'is have been killed, holy places and cemeteries desecrated, homes burned, civil rights taken away and secret lists compiled of Baha'is (and even Muslims who associate with them) by government agencies.

It's bad right now for all the peace-loving Baha'is in Iran who want only to practice their religion and follow their beliefs. It's especially bad for these seven. Here's a link to their bios. They're teachers, and engineers, and optometrists and social workers just like us.

This thought has become kind of a cliché', but we take our rights for granted here in America. Imagine if a group of people were rounded up and imprisoned and then disappeared not for anything they'd done, but because they wanted to worship differently than the majority.

There is a resolution on the situation of the Baha'is in Iran being sent to Congress. Please ask your representatives to support it. And ask them to speak out about this terrible situation.

Thanks for reading. Now back to bears, paper and beets!

Egypt's Baha'is struggle for ID papers-group

April 2008 CE, (10^th) edit

originally: December 4, 2001CE

The Holy Ground and the Temple—     Kolya’s Story of  Embracing the Bahá’í Faith

I first heard about the Bahá’í Faith in Berlin, Germany, sometime around 1994 (give or take a couple years).  I believe that i first heard about it on TV, while channel surfing.  I don’t recall what the program was or why it was mentioned, however, it was probably one of the programs aired every now and then by the Berlin Bahá’í community on the Berlin public access channel (Offene Kanal).  I didn’t retain more about it, at the time, than that it started in Persia and that the Prophet has no pictures (except at the Bahá’í World Center Archives, i discovered later).  Some time after, still in Berlin, i learned a little more about the Faith on SFB4, Radio Muliti-Kulti; the multi cultural radio station that i usually listened to (and still can do, thanks to the internet).  On an evening radio program a Muliti-Kulti reporter was interviewing some Berlin Bahá'ís.  I learned that a major component of the Faith was acceptance and affirmation of the validity of the other World Religions, which had always been a concept that attracted me and I already believed this.  I had long felt that there were many truths in all religions and that many of these truths were common to all of them, such as loving your neighbor.  I also found out that daily reading of religious/spiritual texts, attributed to the Prophet-founders (or “Manifestations of God” in Bahá'í terminology) of the world’s religions was important to the Faith, as it helps to keep you more centered on spiritual and moral principals.

The concept of the commonality of all religions was something that had attracted me to the Indian, Sri Sathya Sai Baba at the end of 1993, in eleventh grade.  Sai Baba and Mary Summer Rain (who I discovered around April of ’94 through my Mum) were the guides that led to what i think of as my Spiritual Turnaround, in 1994, at the end of my eleventh grade.  The Spring of ’94 was a time where i made a spiritual leap.  It was a 180-degree turn in much of my thinking.  I made the decision to cut down on my pot consumption, which had been growing and had reached its peak in the first few months of ’94.  I had even started smoking up in lunch breaks two or three times a week.  I noticed the adverse affects on my learning ability and health and decided then in the middle of spring to restrict smoking up to the weekends.  I did this without too much difficulty and eventually also managed to not smoke cannabis for longer periods of time (despite most of my peers continuing to be devoted pot-heads).

Metaphorically, i now think of this time as the point in my life where i “stepped on to the Holy Ground” (see poem below).  It was truly a special time; i was truly in The Flow.  If i were looking for someone they would cross my path, if i was looking for some sort of information, there it would be in the book i happened to be staring at on the bookshelf in the school library.  This time of being in The Flow, of synchronicity, lasted for two weeks to a month.  Mary Summer Rain became, more and more, my guide and i eventually paid less attention to Sai Baba.  Through Summer Rain i was led to Edgar Cayce.  I didn’t actually get to reading any Cayce philosophy/theosophy until i got to college, however, i now consider him one of the best guides, outside the Faith, to many (but not all) spiritual truths (i recommend The Edgar Cayce Primer by Herbert B. Puryear).  It was actually something from the Cayce Primer that was one of my main reasons for embracing the Bahá’í Faith as soon as i did.  It recommended that structure can be very good for spirituality, that it can enhance one’s relationship with God.  It was just what I needed.  I was a New Ager and didn’t at first see a need for organized religion in my life.  But this opened the door for me.  I feel that the Bahá’í Faith is indeed good for a little more structure, which i feel has, indeed, strengthened my connection to the Creator.

While filling out the section on one’s religion in my college application i felt a little like checking the Bahá’í box as i felt more drawn to it than any of the other religious affiliations even though all i really knew about it was its inclusiveness of the other World Religions.  It wasn’t until 1998—my second semester at Fort Lewis College, in the beautiful area of Durango, Colorado, that i again came in contact with the Bahá’í Faith; much more intimately, this time.

It wasn’t until April 1998, that i saw a booth in the College Union Building (CUB: home of the canteen, KDUR radio station and more) that i again heard of the Faith.   In the CUB there are often booths for one thing or another.  On a day in the beginning of April i saw a booth promoting the video The Power of Race Unity which would be shown a few days later or perhaps the following week and would be followed by a panel discussion.  Due to a meeting of the Student Theatre club, Fourth Wall, that i had to attend, i missed the video but came in time for the panel discussion on local racism issues.  Before i left i grabbed a bunch of pamphlets and The Bahá’ís Magazine and was invited to a "Fireside"; a get-together where one can learn more about the Faith in a wonderful homey atmosphere.  The Fireside was on the following Friday, 17 April.  I was very excited after my first Fireside, which included a slide show presented by Marco from the nearby town of Aztec.  In my three-year diary, Millenium Memories (from Mary Summer Rain), i wrote, “Thankyou to the Powers That Be for my getting together with the Bahá’ís of Durango.  The Bahá’í philosophies seem to be 100% compatible with my present philosophies.  I therefore feel quite confident that i will myself be a Bahá’í.  In fact, i already kind of think of myself as one.  J  …  It is going to be a long and joyful relationship. After the meeting i noticed how i’d been catapulted to my higher-Self state of being….”  Looking back it actually seems quite amazing that i felt that connected after my very first Fireside.  I guess it was destined.  Simply put, i truly felt that i’d found the name for what i already was!  I was, in a sense, a Bahá'í already but i just did not fully understand that yet.

In high school i had often daydreamed of starting a hippy commune based on my New Age beliefs; calling it the “Order of the Spring Moon”—it also became the name of my first Radio Show as a volunteer DJ at KDUR Durango.  I wanted it to be a place that would spread peace and love and be a safe haven in the mountains should there ever be any kind of global catastrophe due to global warming or a polar shift.  However, when i discovered the Bahá'í Faith i found that there was already an organization established that shared all my most important beliefs.  Moreover, it was a global movement, with established communities in every country and territory on Earth.  I had desired to create something but i discovered that that which i wanted was already in existence and incomparably more beautiful and grander in scale and design then anything i could have created.  This is also the realization that inspired me to write the poem “My Spiritual Journey”:

My Spiritual Journey

I remember the time

When i first stepped onto the holy ground.

Sri Sathya Sai Baba and Mary Summer Rain

were my guides.

No temples i found,

on that holy ground, seemed quite right for me,

so it was, that i built a small temple of my own.

My temple bore the inscription: Order of the Spring Moon.

Also, above the doorway, as with the temple at Delphi,

engraved:

Know Thyself and Nothing in Excess,

and then Mary Summer Rain and Edgar Cayce

were my guides.

But then came the day

on which was spotted,

a greater, most marvelous temple.

Nine were its sides.

Its gardens emanated the sweet, fresh scent of the Beloved.

I examined this temple; very familiar it seemed,

And soon I had stepped inside.

Now Bahá’u’lláh and His Covenant are my guides,

Those of greatest authority.

The only spiritual teaching of the Bahá'í Faith that does not coincide with my previous beliefs is that of reincarnation (human to human).  Although, on the other hand, the Bahá’í explanation of the afterlife is not at all dissimilar to my previous beliefs.  Within my first year as a Bahá'í i slowly came to share the Bahá’í teaching that we are only in this world once but in the after life we continually progress through countless "worlds" of God.  Many or perhaps most indigenous belief systems also don’t believe in reincarnation.  Rather all the past ancestors are always there in the next world (and often keep in contact through dreams and shamans).   But my belief in reincarnation was mostly based on a New Age philosophical background and so it was an explanation coming out of this same New Age philosophy which helped me the most.  Experiences that some people have had, which might lead them to believe that they have remembered an experience from a past life can be explained by what is known in some (mostly New Age) circles as the “Akashik Records”.  The Akashik Records are an otherworldly store house of the experiences that anyone has ever had.  It is just as likely that when someone experiences what they might think is a past life experience that they are actually just experiencing a life as it is stored in the Akashik Records.  They experience the life in the first person perspective and can therefore easily mistake the experience as being that of themselves in a past life when actually they are just seeing someone else’s life through their eyes (as stored in the Akashic Records).

The Metaphorical Journey continues: stepping into the Temple.  Throughout the rest of April and May 1998 i read more on the Faith and started praying more.  I’ve found that praying, especially reciting the prayers revealed by Bahá’u’lláh (as well as those written by His son ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and His Announcer, the Báb) has and does very much help to strengthen and keep strong my connection to God as well as clearly providing Divine Assistance.  Prayer has also been a solace and help in times of difficulties.

My feeling of comfort and connectedness—of already being a Bahá’í grew stronger.  Then, on the 31^st of May i went with a friend of mine, a Bahá’í woman of my parents’ generation, Messel, who grew up in the part of Ethiopia that is now the independent country of Eritrea, to the house of a Navajo Bahá’í family on the northern part of the Navajo Reservation (Aneth), in southern Utah.  It was a teaching workshop where we, among other things, did some skits using quotes from the writings of the Faith and then had a great meal.  It really brought great joy to my heart to see how Bahá’ís treat the indigenous people: with great respect for their culture, for example, by encouraging the use of their native languages.  Much more than can be said, historically, of many or perhaps most Christians (missionaries).

Right before leaving, June McCall asked me whether i had any questions and whether i wanted to be a Bahá'í.  Since i had been thinking about when and how i could/would officially become a Bahá’í that very day, as i already felt like one inside, i didn’t hesitate to say yes, and at the time, no questions came to mind.  They gave me a little enrollment card and on it i signed that i did, indeed, believe that Bahá’u’lláh is the latest Manifestation of God for this Age.  (The enrollment card helps the National Spiritual Assembly keep track of the number of it’s members and also provides the address to which the national Bahá'í newspaper, The American Bahá'í, can be sent.)

I felt joyful on the way home but that evening i felt that i had perhaps been a little impulsive, that perhaps, i was not yet ready to officially be a Bahá’í.  A senior citizen Bahá’í, Art Hampsen, at the Four Corners Bahá’í Summer School (‘98) said it marvelously.  Art said (something like), “i joined the Faith and then found out about all the things i wasn’t allowed to do.  If i’d know about them beforehand i would never have become a Bahá’í.”  After which his wife, Ruth, promptly interjected, “Oh, yes you would have,” which is undoubtedly true, although, it might have taken a little longer.  My case was very similar.

That evening of the 31^st i realized about my conflicting belief in reincarnation.  However, since it didn’t interfere with anything in my daily life as a Bahá'í it wasn’t a major problem.  As I stated above I have since come to a new understanding on the subject, for i have come to see that there are alternative explanations for what some might think of as proof for reincarnation.  However, the larger problem that i discovered was that i didn’t feel ready to follow the laws on alcohol and pot.  Those were the main reasons that i thought i should have waited to officially enroll. Also my 22^nd birthday was coming up (June 18^th) and i had been planning to buy beer among the food etc. items that i splurged on that birthday week.  (Splurge because of the money spent.) That third week of my being a Bahá’í, the week of my birthday, i was at a friend’s house for dinner and i was offered a couple of glasses of wine which i accepted.  The morning after, even though it had only been about two glasses, the way i felt (although it wasn’t at all so bad as to be a hangover) did make me think that perhaps totally giving up alcohol wouldn’t be such a bad idea, after all. As it was, i did indeed buy beer the week of my birthday.  I was very moderate though, as i’d always meant to be.  I never had more than a beer a day.  At the time, i felt that if i was drinking it for the taste and not for the alcohol then it was not flagrant, and therefore excusable.  And, that one beer was generally with one of my meals.  I couldn’t see the harm in that, however, today, for one thing, i look at giving up alcohol as a sacrifice for all the alcoholics of the world.  It’s not just a matter of the effect but the principle.

I haven’t drank any alcoholic beverages since the last of my birthday beer was drunk and i also no longer feel any inclination to use marijuana, although, i did have one single relapse in regards to marijuana in Ayyam’i’Há 155BE (1999CE).  But except for that one incident i have been able to lead a sober Bahá’í life since the month after declaring.  It is now truly not at all difficult to abstain from alcohol and pot, even if i’m with others who are using the substances.  I also feel much better physically, mentally and spiritually from being fully and continually sober and drug free.  Since i believe that Bahá’u’lláh is God’s most recent Prophet, who has come for this Day and Age, then i must also accept that the laws brought forth by Him came directly from God and that following them completely is the best way to make my personal life the happiest it can be, as well as bring about a new world that is cured of the ills of this day.  How did this change of viewpoint come about?  Well, quite simply, my faith and understanding has been getting stronger—the Ruhi institute has certainly helped a lot in this department too!  My faith—the Bahá’í Faith—and its laws, will prevail, for it is what my heart desires: to follow what i consider to be God’s laws for this Day and Age.

My development and growth as a Bahá’í

I went to many Firesides in my first year as a Bahá'í and also before i declared, when i was still a seeker.  Firesides have been of great enjoyment for me.  Firesides are always a gathering of friends, even when it is your first time and you don’t really know anyone.  Most of the firesides i attended in my first year as a Bahá’í were at the house of accomplished musicians, Oraea Varis and Steve Dejka.  Firesides have served to strengthen my own faith while, at the same time, serving to inform seekers of the Faith.  Also very enjoyable was Oraea’s ability and inspiration, to bring the arts (music and other arts) into her Firesides.  Also, it often happened that something i had been wondering or contemplating was answered or resolved in a Fireside, whether directly or not, about the Faith or not.

Also very functional to the strengthening of my faith along with Firesides and, simply, time, was the Four Corners Bahá’í Summer School, July 22-26, 1998.  I got to experience a small-scale version of Bahá’í society and the beautiful “unity in diversity”, that has become a catch-phrase of the Faith, in action.  The unity in diversity was expressed through the various cultures that were in attendance and, for example, by the reading of prayers in these respective languages (English, Persian, maybe also Arabic, Philippino, Navajo, Hawaiian and Spanish—i would have read a prayer in German but i didn’t have one and wasn’t able to translate one without a good German-English dictionary).

Deepenings (which today are most often a built-in part of Ruhi study circles but can still happen as their own thing) have also contributed greatly to my growth.  I soon found the deepenings at Mark and Diane Reddy’s home in La Plata County (just outside Durango), Colorado, to be sources of great enjoyment and education, which for a Bahá’í, fills a gap that Firesides don’t—quite.  In fact, all gatherings with Bahá’ís are sources of great contentment, mentally, emotionally and especially spiritually—Soul Food. As i attempt to lead my life on this path of high integrity, deepenings are sources of great strength.  Providing me with new strength of character and also thoroughly enjoyable evenings! (Most deepenings at the time were in the evening).  An especially good and effective type of study circle is the Ruhi Course.  I took part in a Ruhi book 1 circle while i was living in Chicago for a couple months in the beginning of 2001.  It was facilitated with excellence by John Cornyn and was very energizing as well as enlightening.  While they don’t have to be, the Ruhi institute now often is a Fireside and Deepening all in one, with participants being both Bahá'ís and seekers.

Another event which was again a great strengthener, deepener, and generally a wonderful event was my first visit to NABI, the Native American Bahá’í Institute, on the eastern Diné (Navajo) Nation (mostly NE Arizona), in June 26-27 1999AD.  It was perhaps my most powerful and spiritually uplifting experience yet, comparable only to other visits to NABI and service at the Houses of Worship.  I was also blessed with being able to serve as a volunteer at NABI for about two months in the summers of 2001 (May-June) and 2007 (June-July).  It was always a wonderful and spiritually energizing experience!

Serving on L.S.A.s (Local Spiritual Assemblies) has been at times challenging but also strengthening and very rewarding.  With local Bahá’í communities in America still at fairly low numbers outside of big cities it is not unusual for new Bahá’ís to end up on an LSA. 

I also grew as a person and a more knowledgeable Bahá’í by having the great bounty of serving as a volunteer guide at the House of Worship in New Delhi, India (the “Lotus Temple”) in August 1999, January and August 2001 and at the House of Worship in Wilmette (the “mother Temple of the West) in February-April 2001 and May 2001.  Nothing gives me greater pleasure than to volunteer at a House of Worship and answer visitor’s question about the Faith!

Back in April of 1998 when i first discovered this amazing global movement, the Bahá'í Faith, i might have wondered what i was getting myself into and if there would be any regrets in the future!  Today, i would be overjoyed to, if i could, assure that Kolya of the Past that there are no regrets!  For one thing every Bahá'í i’ve ever met has been a stellar individual.  And the more deepened they are in the writings of the Central Figures of the Faith, the more selfless, caring, kind, wonderful, virtuous people they are!  I cannot help but feel strongly that my life has been more filled with happiness and more fulfilling since 1998 (than it would otherwise have been).  And that my daily life has been inching towards higher and higher levels of integrity.  No life is without tests and difficulties but the Faith has provided me with sure and steady means of making it through all of life’s gales sane and happy, and has been invaluable in aiding me in my constant striving to make myself a more virtuous individual.

Aram Aflatuni, seen here on the set of his late night prime time show, has been working on television for 11 years.

Finnish TV talk show host finds success in unconventional approach

HELSINKI, Finland
9 December 2007 (BWNS)

Television talk shows often use conflict as their formula to win viewers, but a young producer in Finland is making a go of it with a different model.

On his Monday night program, Aram Aflatuni presents a problem, then has a panel of experts try to solve it using consultation and cooperation.

"I don't believe in confrontational journalism," he says. "I do not think that it is an effective way of finding solutions."

His hour-long show - "Härkää Sarvista," or "Grab the Bull by the Horns" - this week wraps up its first season of 15 episodes and has attracted as many as 345,000 viewers. Average viewership was 220,000 - 20 percent of the TV audience for its time period.

In Finland, TV shows often look for confrontation and "sometimes quite aggressive debate," said Juho-Pekka Rantala, a television executive who works on this show and others. "'Härkää Sarvista' is different. It is looking for solutions." ...

To read the rest of the article go to: http://news.bahai.org/story/593

Babies gravitate toward good Samaritans, study says