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Saturday, December 26, 2015
Wednesday, December 16, 2015
The first woman martyr of Jewish background
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| SHÍRUKH AMÍR-KÍYÁ BAQÁ 1935-1982 |
Shídrukh Amír-Kíyá Baqá came of valiant stock. A paternal grandfather, Hájí Dáwúd Mítháqíyán, a prominent member of the Jewish community of Káshán, while still young accepted the Cause in that city and went on foot to the Holy Land to attain the Master's presence. 'Abdu'l-Bahá referred to him in a Tablet as 'Affectionate'. Later on, with his wife and some of his children, he pioneered for about twenty years in Palma, Spain, and was privileged to buy a plot of land in Madrid for the Mashriqu'l-Adhkár.
Another forebear, on the father's side, Mírzá Háshím, also embraced the Cause in Káshán at a time when the friends were being persecuted. He arose in their defence and protested to the Governor against the injustice and oppression, and was promptly locked up in prison himself. However, his wit and eloquence won him liberty. The Master addressed him as 'Zealous'.
A maternal grandfather, Hájí Dáwúd Iqrárí, of Káshán, accepted the Faith when young. His father and brother, too, embraced the Cause but none knew of the others' belief until they met at a Bahá'í meeting. Thereafter, they worked together in service to the Faith, entertaining the friends and guiding seekers to the Truth. They bought the impressive house of a high-ranking official with a view to holding befitting meetings therein to teach the Faith and, in this, they attained to their heart's desire. At one of these meetings they hoisted in front of the house a banner bearing the inscription Yá Bahá'u'l-Abhá, inviting friend and stranger to enter. The Master said they were hospitable and of noble aim and that He was well pleased with them.
Shídrukh, a granddaughter of these veterans, was born in Tihrán on 8 October 1935, the eldest daughter of Rúhu'lláh Mítháqíyán and Ruhníyyih Iqrárí, both faithful servants of the Faith. Shídrukh had three sisters and one brother and from an early age was deeply attached to the Cause and its institutions. She was fond of music and took piano lessons at school. She had a charming voice and was the first person in Írán to record a prayer, revealed by our beloved Guardian, to the accompaniment of the piano. It was highly approved by the Hands of the Cause and was played in many continental conferences and large Bahá'í gatherings in Írán. For a time she was on the national television network demonstrating cooking and other domestic courses. She knew English and was well-versed in some arts. At age sixteen Shídrukh was married to Manúchihr Baqá; one daughter and two sons were born of the union.
A visit to the Holy Land as a pilgrim reinvigorated her faith; she attended the International Conferences held in London, Palermo, Alaska, Paris and Brazil and had vivid recollections of them all.
While in the United States, two years ago, for her daughter's wedding, her children and sisters urged her not to return to Írán where her life would be in danger, but she disregarded their plea. 'When our beloved Guardian exhorted us to pioneer,' she told them, 'we did not heed his call; we let ourselves down. Now that the Universal House of Justice bids us maintain our posts, will we desert them and fail a second time? Not I! I feel I am needed in Írán and return there to do what lies in my power, regardless of the consequences.' When the hour for departure arrived, she was overcome with emotion. She opened her prayer book and read prayers which brought solace to her heart and the strength and courage to continue on her course to her destined fate and eternal glory.
Though Írán was agitated and distress was rife, she stood firm as a rock, bringing the friends together in devotional meetings and restoring calm and tranquility to their disturbed hearts. She was ever ready to serve and was appointed on various committees. She was put in charge of organizing the Nineteen Day Feasts held in her district. This took up most of her evenings. She spoke to the friends of the need for steadfastness, courage and sacrifice in the path of the Beloved, conveyed to them the messages of the National Spiritual Assembly, and inspired them to be firm. Whenever news came of a martyrdom or some other affliction engulfing the Bahá'ís, she would expatiate on the glory of sacrifice, the station of the martyrs and the lustre which their deeds would shed on the pages of history.
The steadily mounting wave of oppression instigated by the authorities with a view to casting terror into the hearts of the believers, dampening their zeal and thus weakening the institutions of the Faith, was putting a heavy strain on the faith of some of the friends. At such a time of stress, Shídrukh did not flinch or falter. With the utmost courage, she arranged meetings at her own home or at the homes of her sister or children who were all abroad. She attended to the bereaved families of the martyrs and offered them comfort and shelter. One of these was a Bahá'í woman from Yazd whom she lodged in her sister's home.
Shídrukh was always very cautious in arranging Bahá'í meetings, and if she suspected any leak threatening the safety of a proposed meeting, she promptly switched it to the house of her sister or children. In spite of all her precautions, however, there came a night — Monday, 2 November 1981 — when, at the hour of nine, there was a knock on her door. The Local Spiritual Assembly of Tihrán was in session at her home. She approached the door and asked who was knocking. The Bahá'í woman from Yazd answered, and recognizing her voice, Shídrukh was reassured and opened the door. To her dismay, she found that the Bahá'í woman was not alone; armed guards of the Islamic Revolutionary Party accompanied her. What had transpired was this: at the home of Shídrukh's sister was also a Muslim lodger, addicted to drugs, who made himself a nuisance to the neighbourhood. Shídrukh had consulted the Local Spiritual Assembly about the advisability of evicting him on the ground of his failure to pay the rent but was asked to refrain from taking any action for the moment. It appears, however, that some of the neighbours had lodged a complaint against the man and the guards had come to investigate. They asked where the owner of the house was and the Bahá'í woman from Yazd, being simple, led them to Shídrukh
The guards asked the six Assembly members in session. Shídrukh, her husband, the woman from Yazd and another Bahá'í (Firdawsí's son), there present, to accompany them. Aware that the National Spiritual Assembly members who had been asked to accompany a similar squad of guards had never been seen again, Shídrukh insisted that she would accompany them only to the police station situate in the same street. The wrangle attracted the neighbours, and faced with a not too friendly crowd, the guards complied with Shídrukh's wish. Once at the police station, however, the guards transported their captives to a prison. After some ten days, Firdawsí's son and the woman from Yazd were released, and the rest transferred to another jail noted for its severe discipline and the oppression inflicted by its warders.
The following account is based on reports by fellow prisoners, Bahá'í and non-Bahá'í, and Shídrukh's relatives who were witness to these incidents.
Time and again, the Revolutionary Committee put pressure upon her to recant her faith, holding out freedom as the reward. It was a serious life-and-death game, not a mock one. A letter to her sister a week before related her encounter with the authorities when she approached them on behalf of herself, her sisters and brother to clear up the matter of their inheritance from their father. 'What is your religion?' the President of the Court had asked, and she had replied that she was a Bahá'í. 'If you desire prosperity,' he had suggested, 'you had better recant your faith or you will experience serious loss.' 'Did you not hear,' she answered, 'what the old Bahá'í in Yazd said when such a proposition was put to him, that man of eighty summers whose head was repeatedly dashed to the ground to persuade him to comply with your demand? Did he not say: "What! Should I surrender my faith to secure some baubles?" I, too, tell you that I can do without my inheritance, if necessary.' The President said, 'You represent others who may not be of the same mind as you.' She replied, 'They are Bahá'ís, too, and none of them will barter the eternal world for this transitory one.' Having said this, she arose and, without waiting for permission from the Court, departed, leaving the President fuming with rage at his failure to turn her from her faith.
Shídrukh had for long prior to these events been engaged in committing to memory prayers and Tablets and passages from the Holy Writings. This she did in anticipation of the day when she might be confined somewhere without access to Bahá'í literature. Now, in prison, she could reap the reward of her foresight and draw on her memory for those priceless gems that were to delight, sustain and strengthen her.
Several times they told her that she could secure her freedom just by signing a paper. This was ostensibly to the effect that she would not participate any longer in any Bahá'í administrative activities, but she knew in reality it was a ruse on the part of the authorities; if secured, that document would be given wide publicity as evidence of her recantation in an effort to demoralize the friends, weaken their resolve and undermine the institutions of the Faith.
While she was in jail, the authorities confiscated her property as well as that belonging to her deceased parents, her sisters, her brother and her children who were all abroad and whom she represented legally.
During one of the interrogations, Shídrukh came face to face with her husband who was also in prison. He told her that he had signed the paper presented to him and was to be freed. 'For the sake of our children,' he said, 'you, too, sign it and secure your freedom.' She pressed his hand and merely said, 'Steadfastness! Steadfastness!' and was sorrowful, wondering what contrivance had brought about his defection.
According to her sister, Shídrukh was permitted to make one short telephone call to her relatives a few days prior to her martyrdom. She told them not to be concerned about her.
A non-Bahá'í who was immured for three days with that group said, on release, how the morale of them all had been sustained by the courageous spirit and uplifting words of Shídrukh — 'With such faith and steadfastness and zeal animating her, you should have no fear for her,' we were assured.
On 4 January 1982, Shídrukh and the six members of the Local Spiritual Assembly of Tihrán were secretly executed, this information being obtained fortuitously by their relatives and friends. No will or document exists to attest to her martyrdom although it was reported that she and the members of the Local Spiritual Assembly had decided to write their wills. The authorities were not prepared to deliver her body and, later, a demand seems to have been made for five hundred thousand túmáns [in excess of $50,000 U.S.] apiece for every will they would hand over. Since their wishes and intentions were known and their deeds and words were testimony to the unity, the greatness and glory of God, there was nothing further that could be gleaned from their wills. It is said that all these prisoners were buried unwashed, in the clothes they were wearing, and without any funeral rites, in a common grave.
As far as is known, Shídrukh is the first Bahá'í woman of Jewish extraction to lay down her life for the Faith. A year prior to her martyrdom, she requested the prayers of the Universal House of Justice for steadfastness in the Faith for herself and her sisters and brother, and for the progress of her father's soul in the realms above. She withstood all tests and trials and never faltered until she attained the glorious station of martyrdom. She advanced with arms extended wide to embrace the darts of sacrifice and gave her life joyously for her belief. Her daughter and two sons, her three sisters and brother, all firm and active in the Faith, endure this tragic blow confident that the precious blood so willingly shed on Írán's soil for the love of the Glory of God will not be in vain and that every drop will raise a thousand lovers to serve the Cause of God and His people.
Shídrukh was a loving mother, an affectionate sister, a trustworthy companion, a faithful mate, a gracious hostess, a true Bahá'í.
In response to an enquiry from the National Spiritual Assembly of Canada the Universal House of Justice cabled on 14 January 1982:
Another forebear, on the father's side, Mírzá Háshím, also embraced the Cause in Káshán at a time when the friends were being persecuted. He arose in their defence and protested to the Governor against the injustice and oppression, and was promptly locked up in prison himself. However, his wit and eloquence won him liberty. The Master addressed him as 'Zealous'.
A maternal grandfather, Hájí Dáwúd Iqrárí, of Káshán, accepted the Faith when young. His father and brother, too, embraced the Cause but none knew of the others' belief until they met at a Bahá'í meeting. Thereafter, they worked together in service to the Faith, entertaining the friends and guiding seekers to the Truth. They bought the impressive house of a high-ranking official with a view to holding befitting meetings therein to teach the Faith and, in this, they attained to their heart's desire. At one of these meetings they hoisted in front of the house a banner bearing the inscription Yá Bahá'u'l-Abhá, inviting friend and stranger to enter. The Master said they were hospitable and of noble aim and that He was well pleased with them.
Shídrukh, a granddaughter of these veterans, was born in Tihrán on 8 October 1935, the eldest daughter of Rúhu'lláh Mítháqíyán and Ruhníyyih Iqrárí, both faithful servants of the Faith. Shídrukh had three sisters and one brother and from an early age was deeply attached to the Cause and its institutions. She was fond of music and took piano lessons at school. She had a charming voice and was the first person in Írán to record a prayer, revealed by our beloved Guardian, to the accompaniment of the piano. It was highly approved by the Hands of the Cause and was played in many continental conferences and large Bahá'í gatherings in Írán. For a time she was on the national television network demonstrating cooking and other domestic courses. She knew English and was well-versed in some arts. At age sixteen Shídrukh was married to Manúchihr Baqá; one daughter and two sons were born of the union.
A visit to the Holy Land as a pilgrim reinvigorated her faith; she attended the International Conferences held in London, Palermo, Alaska, Paris and Brazil and had vivid recollections of them all.
While in the United States, two years ago, for her daughter's wedding, her children and sisters urged her not to return to Írán where her life would be in danger, but she disregarded their plea. 'When our beloved Guardian exhorted us to pioneer,' she told them, 'we did not heed his call; we let ourselves down. Now that the Universal House of Justice bids us maintain our posts, will we desert them and fail a second time? Not I! I feel I am needed in Írán and return there to do what lies in my power, regardless of the consequences.' When the hour for departure arrived, she was overcome with emotion. She opened her prayer book and read prayers which brought solace to her heart and the strength and courage to continue on her course to her destined fate and eternal glory.
Though Írán was agitated and distress was rife, she stood firm as a rock, bringing the friends together in devotional meetings and restoring calm and tranquility to their disturbed hearts. She was ever ready to serve and was appointed on various committees. She was put in charge of organizing the Nineteen Day Feasts held in her district. This took up most of her evenings. She spoke to the friends of the need for steadfastness, courage and sacrifice in the path of the Beloved, conveyed to them the messages of the National Spiritual Assembly, and inspired them to be firm. Whenever news came of a martyrdom or some other affliction engulfing the Bahá'ís, she would expatiate on the glory of sacrifice, the station of the martyrs and the lustre which their deeds would shed on the pages of history.
The steadily mounting wave of oppression instigated by the authorities with a view to casting terror into the hearts of the believers, dampening their zeal and thus weakening the institutions of the Faith, was putting a heavy strain on the faith of some of the friends. At such a time of stress, Shídrukh did not flinch or falter. With the utmost courage, she arranged meetings at her own home or at the homes of her sister or children who were all abroad. She attended to the bereaved families of the martyrs and offered them comfort and shelter. One of these was a Bahá'í woman from Yazd whom she lodged in her sister's home.
Shídrukh was always very cautious in arranging Bahá'í meetings, and if she suspected any leak threatening the safety of a proposed meeting, she promptly switched it to the house of her sister or children. In spite of all her precautions, however, there came a night — Monday, 2 November 1981 — when, at the hour of nine, there was a knock on her door. The Local Spiritual Assembly of Tihrán was in session at her home. She approached the door and asked who was knocking. The Bahá'í woman from Yazd answered, and recognizing her voice, Shídrukh was reassured and opened the door. To her dismay, she found that the Bahá'í woman was not alone; armed guards of the Islamic Revolutionary Party accompanied her. What had transpired was this: at the home of Shídrukh's sister was also a Muslim lodger, addicted to drugs, who made himself a nuisance to the neighbourhood. Shídrukh had consulted the Local Spiritual Assembly about the advisability of evicting him on the ground of his failure to pay the rent but was asked to refrain from taking any action for the moment. It appears, however, that some of the neighbours had lodged a complaint against the man and the guards had come to investigate. They asked where the owner of the house was and the Bahá'í woman from Yazd, being simple, led them to Shídrukh
The guards asked the six Assembly members in session. Shídrukh, her husband, the woman from Yazd and another Bahá'í (Firdawsí's son), there present, to accompany them. Aware that the National Spiritual Assembly members who had been asked to accompany a similar squad of guards had never been seen again, Shídrukh insisted that she would accompany them only to the police station situate in the same street. The wrangle attracted the neighbours, and faced with a not too friendly crowd, the guards complied with Shídrukh's wish. Once at the police station, however, the guards transported their captives to a prison. After some ten days, Firdawsí's son and the woman from Yazd were released, and the rest transferred to another jail noted for its severe discipline and the oppression inflicted by its warders.
The following account is based on reports by fellow prisoners, Bahá'í and non-Bahá'í, and Shídrukh's relatives who were witness to these incidents.
Time and again, the Revolutionary Committee put pressure upon her to recant her faith, holding out freedom as the reward. It was a serious life-and-death game, not a mock one. A letter to her sister a week before related her encounter with the authorities when she approached them on behalf of herself, her sisters and brother to clear up the matter of their inheritance from their father. 'What is your religion?' the President of the Court had asked, and she had replied that she was a Bahá'í. 'If you desire prosperity,' he had suggested, 'you had better recant your faith or you will experience serious loss.' 'Did you not hear,' she answered, 'what the old Bahá'í in Yazd said when such a proposition was put to him, that man of eighty summers whose head was repeatedly dashed to the ground to persuade him to comply with your demand? Did he not say: "What! Should I surrender my faith to secure some baubles?" I, too, tell you that I can do without my inheritance, if necessary.' The President said, 'You represent others who may not be of the same mind as you.' She replied, 'They are Bahá'ís, too, and none of them will barter the eternal world for this transitory one.' Having said this, she arose and, without waiting for permission from the Court, departed, leaving the President fuming with rage at his failure to turn her from her faith.
Shídrukh had for long prior to these events been engaged in committing to memory prayers and Tablets and passages from the Holy Writings. This she did in anticipation of the day when she might be confined somewhere without access to Bahá'í literature. Now, in prison, she could reap the reward of her foresight and draw on her memory for those priceless gems that were to delight, sustain and strengthen her.
Several times they told her that she could secure her freedom just by signing a paper. This was ostensibly to the effect that she would not participate any longer in any Bahá'í administrative activities, but she knew in reality it was a ruse on the part of the authorities; if secured, that document would be given wide publicity as evidence of her recantation in an effort to demoralize the friends, weaken their resolve and undermine the institutions of the Faith.
While she was in jail, the authorities confiscated her property as well as that belonging to her deceased parents, her sisters, her brother and her children who were all abroad and whom she represented legally.
During one of the interrogations, Shídrukh came face to face with her husband who was also in prison. He told her that he had signed the paper presented to him and was to be freed. 'For the sake of our children,' he said, 'you, too, sign it and secure your freedom.' She pressed his hand and merely said, 'Steadfastness! Steadfastness!' and was sorrowful, wondering what contrivance had brought about his defection.
According to her sister, Shídrukh was permitted to make one short telephone call to her relatives a few days prior to her martyrdom. She told them not to be concerned about her.
A non-Bahá'í who was immured for three days with that group said, on release, how the morale of them all had been sustained by the courageous spirit and uplifting words of Shídrukh — 'With such faith and steadfastness and zeal animating her, you should have no fear for her,' we were assured.
On 4 January 1982, Shídrukh and the six members of the Local Spiritual Assembly of Tihrán were secretly executed, this information being obtained fortuitously by their relatives and friends. No will or document exists to attest to her martyrdom although it was reported that she and the members of the Local Spiritual Assembly had decided to write their wills. The authorities were not prepared to deliver her body and, later, a demand seems to have been made for five hundred thousand túmáns [in excess of $50,000 U.S.] apiece for every will they would hand over. Since their wishes and intentions were known and their deeds and words were testimony to the unity, the greatness and glory of God, there was nothing further that could be gleaned from their wills. It is said that all these prisoners were buried unwashed, in the clothes they were wearing, and without any funeral rites, in a common grave.
As far as is known, Shídrukh is the first Bahá'í woman of Jewish extraction to lay down her life for the Faith. A year prior to her martyrdom, she requested the prayers of the Universal House of Justice for steadfastness in the Faith for herself and her sisters and brother, and for the progress of her father's soul in the realms above. She withstood all tests and trials and never faltered until she attained the glorious station of martyrdom. She advanced with arms extended wide to embrace the darts of sacrifice and gave her life joyously for her belief. Her daughter and two sons, her three sisters and brother, all firm and active in the Faith, endure this tragic blow confident that the precious blood so willingly shed on Írán's soil for the love of the Glory of God will not be in vain and that every drop will raise a thousand lovers to serve the Cause of God and His people.
Shídrukh was a loving mother, an affectionate sister, a trustworthy companion, a faithful mate, a gracious hostess, a true Bahá'í.
In response to an enquiry from the National Spiritual Assembly of Canada the Universal House of Justice cabled on 14 January 1982:
MARTYRDOM SHIDRUKH AMIR-KIYA WIFE MANUCHIHR BAQA SIGNIFICANT. SHE AND HUSBAND WERE HOSTS LOCAL ASSEMBLY TIHRAN WHEN THEIR HOME RAIDED AND BOTH WERE ARRESTED ALONG WITH SIX MEMBERS ASSEMBLY. AS IN OTHER CASES PRESSURE WAS BROUGHT RECANT FAITH SAVE LIVES. UNFORTUNATELY APPEARS HUSBAND DID NOT STAND TEST AND AS PUBLISHED NEWSPAPERS RENOUNCED FAITH AND WAS IMMEDIATELY RELEASED. HE INCREASED PRESSURE HIS WIFE SHIDRUKH BY PLEADING HER FOLLOW HIM. SHE CHOSE CROWN MARTYRDOM REFUSED BETRAY HER FAITH AND JOINED RANKS IMMORTALS. HISTORY WILL EVER EXTOL EXEMPLARY COURAGE RESOLUTE FAITH ONE WHO SACRIFICED HER LIFE THRESHOLD HER BELOVED. (Translated from the Persian by RUSTOM SABIT)
Tuesday, December 15, 2015
An examplary Bahá'í of Jewish Background who wished for the people of Holy Land to recognize their Lord.
ABDUL-MISSAGH (ABDOLMISSAGH) MISSAGHIYEH
('ABDU'L-MÍTHAQ MÍTHAQÍYIH)
1890-1981
('ABDU'L-MÍTHAQ MÍTHAQÍYIH)
1890-1981
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| Abdu'l-Missagh Missaghiyeh |
Mírzá Ilyás (Elias), later called 'Abdu'l-Missagh Missaghiyeh ('Abdu'l-Míthaq Míthaqíyih), was the grandson of Hakím Hárún, a well-known Jewish scholar and physician of Káshán, central Írán, most of whose descendants became Bahá'ís and raised large and prominent families. One of his daughters, Jahán, married Mírzá Yahúdá, an esteemed Bahá'í of Káshán, who was also of Jewish background. Although Jahán was a fierce opponent of the Bahá'í Faith at the time of her marriage and for some time later, she embraced the Cause of the Blessed Beauty and became a devout servant as a result of a dream in which she saw Bahá'u'lláh. Six children were born of the union of Mírzá Yahúdá and Jahán. Ilyás was the eldest son.
When Ilyás ('Abdu'l-Míthaq Míthaqíyih) was twelve years old he wrote a poem of eighty verses which he sent to 'Abdu'l-Bahá. The poem was both an urgent appeal to the people of the Holy Land to recognize their Lord and a confession of faith of a Bahá'í child supplicating the Master to take him under His protection and to hear his wish for sacrifice. In response, 'Abdu'l-Bahá addressed a beautiful Tablet to the boy, alluding to him in the salutation as an eloquent and brilliant poet. In the same year Ilyás's father was attacked by enemies of the Faith who struck him with shovels. Wounded on the head, he passed away at the age of forty years, having been in a state of semi-consciousness for some months. Ilyás thus became the head of the family, and left Káshán, his native city, to seek employment in a business in Hamadán. He went later to Rasht, in the north of Írán, to direct a branch of a business belonging to Khájih Rabbí' Muttahidih, an esteemed Bahá'í of Káshán, and became the secretary of the Local Spiritual Assembly of Rasht. Some time later he was entrusted with a business mission in Kirmánsháh, a city whose population was bitterly opposed to the Faith. He was expelled from that town and replaced with by Mírzá Ya'qúb Muttahidih, Khájih's brother, who was later martyred in Kirmánsháh, thus becoming the first Bahá'í martyr of Jewish origin.
Mírzá Ilyás was a self-taught man. Forced to work from childhood, he had no opportunity to obtain a higher education. However, his gift for poetry was sustained by a good knowledge of Persian and Arabic. The teaching trips that he undertook in company with the great teacher, Mr. Mihdí Akhaván-i Safá enabled him to widen his knowledge of the Teachings and to gain skill in the art of presenting them. During the meetings he lifted the hearts of the participants by reading and chanting Tablets and prayers in his beautiful clear voice.
In 1912, when he was twenty-two years old, he was finally able to fulfill his dearest wish, that of making his pilgrimage and attaining the presence of 'Abdu'l-Bahá. He was again privileged to go on pilgrimage towards the end of 1919, spending forty-five unforgettable days in the Holy Land and being frequently in the company of the Master. During that sojourn, an account of which Mírzá Ilyás wrote in verse, 'Abdu'l-Bahá on several occasions demonstrated the esteem in which He held him. It seemed to the delighted pilgrim that the Master fulfilled, one by one, his hidden wishes without their having to be expressed: while strolling in the garden surrounding the Shrine of the Báb he received from the hand of Shoghi Effendi a Tablet revealed specially for Mírzá Ilyás from 'Abdu'l-Bahá; he was photographed with the Master and other members of the Holy Family; and he was summoned by the Master who invited him to be seated while He dictated to His secretary a Tablet in which He bestowed upon the awe-struck pilgrim the name 'Missaghiyeh' (Míthaqíyih), or 'firmness'. Henceforth he adopted as his first name ''Abdu'l-Missagh' ('Abdu'l-Míthaq), or 'servant of the Covenant'. Thus he indicated his humble dedication to the Master Who was the Centre of the Covenant. Yet another wish was fulfilled during this pilgrimage: Abdu'l-Missagh was entrusted with a mission by his Beloved, that of returning to Írán via Egypt and India and placing into the hands of their recipients the Tablets addressed to them by 'Abdu'l-Bahá and which were eagerly awaited following the break in communications caused by the first World War. One can easily guess what ineffable joy flooded his being as a result of having received so many honours and favours from the beloved Master! Nor had the bounties ceased: before his departure 'Abdu'l-Bahá gave him a gold coin which was to become, in Abdu'l-Missagh's mind, the symbolic basis of his personal capital.
In Írán he continued to work tirelessly in service to the Faith and the friends. He married Maryam Khánum, a charitable and generous lady, who was the daughter of Khájih Rabbí', and from this union one daughter and three sons were born. He settled in Tihrán and worked in real estate. His business became very successful and prosperous and soon he became widely known and highly respected throughout the community as a businessman. Those who worked for him or had dealings with him also appeared to attract prosperity to their affairs. Abdu'l-Missagh attributed this success to the coin he had received from the hands of 'Abdu'l-Bahá. However, his professional activities did not prevent him from serving the Faith. He was elected several times to membership on the National Spiritual Assembly, and the Local Spiritual Assembly of Tihrán, and he served on various committees. In about 1940 he built the hospital that he offered to the Bahá'í community of Írán.1 Until the end of his life he contributed to the development and enlargement of the Missaghiyeh Hospital and Maternity Clinic, one of the most important and best equipped in the Iranian capital. Soon a school for nurses and later a home for the aged were created as auxiliaries of the hospital. These institutions to which persons of all backgrounds were admitted, sometimes free of charge, were 'silent teachers', the only Bahá'í-operated service institutions with which Iranians of all religions had a relationship. Abdu'l-Missagh took a deep personal interest in the hospital and his generosity made it unnecessary for appeals to be made for the purchase of new equipment or to meet deficits in the operating costs.
During the ministry of Shoghi Effendi, Abdu'l-Missagh was privileged to make pilgrimages in 1927 and 1952. During his second pilgrimage he fell ill as soon as he arrived in Haifa. The beloved Guardian himself came to visit him. Moved by this great honour, Abdu'l-Missagh recited these verses: 'If it is you who, as a compassionate physician, comes to my bedside, I would not give to anyone the pleasure of being ill!' On the occasion of his second pilgrimage the Guardian entrusted him with the mission of transferring the remains of Mírzá Akhaván-I Safá from the cemetery in which they were laid to the shrine of the martyrs Sultán'u'l-Shudadá and Mahbúb'u'l-Shuhadá in Isfahán.[sic]
In addition to the services he rendered as a member of Bahá'í institutions and through the teaching trips he made throughout Írán offering encouragement to the friends, he made generous gifts of funds which made possible the acquisition of lands and buildings for the Faith in Asia, Europe and Africa. These gifts were made without ostentation, often without even his family being informed and in many cases in response to Shoghi Effendi's wishes. Although it is impossible to compile a complete record, his munificence can be glimpsed by mentioning that in Africa alone he had up to 1958 purchased no less than forty-four Temple sites, Teaching Institutes, Bahá'í Centres and other sites. This very generous man was, however, sparing with himself, residing in a simple house and living a modest life. As to his wife, Maryam, she was the refuge of needy people, finding jobs for some and personally supplying the needs of others. When Abdu'l-Missagh was asked why he did not spend a little more money on himself, he answered: 'This money does not belong to me, it belongs to 'Abdu'l-Bahá; I am only giving it back to Him!' It might be said that Abdu'l-Missagh was 'poor for himself and rich for the Faith'
On 21 November 1981 he passed away in Tihrán at the age of ninety-one. The members of his family residing outside Írán were honoured by being informed of his passing by the Universal House of justice in a cable addressed to the National Spiritual Assembly of France on 25 November:
KINDLY INFORM ROSHAN MAVADDAT GRIEVED NEWS PASSING ABDOLMISSAGH MISSAGHIEH STEADFAST DEVOTED PROMOTER FAITH WHOSE MANIFOLD SERVICES SPIRITUAL HUMANITARIAN FIELDS LOVINGLY REMEMBERED. ASSURE RELATIVES FRIENDS FERVENT PRAYERS SACRED THRESHOLD PROGRESS SOUL ABHA KINGDOM.
(Adapted from a memoir by ROSHAN MAVADDAT)
Footnote :
[1] See Írán, persecution des Bahá'ís: un livre blanc (Paris: National Spiritual Assembly of France, 1982), p. 61.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá about the future of Haifa
About Haifa’s Development
Sunday, 13 Jaddí 1298 [4 January 1920], Haifa (During a Visit to the Shrine of the Exalted One [the Báb])
[‘Abdu’l-Bahá] stated:
Sunday, 13 Jaddí 1298 [4 January 1920], Haifa (During a Visit to the Shrine of the Exalted One [the Báb])
[‘Abdu’l-Bahá] stated:
Haifa will develop to such a degree that this mountain will be covered entirely in light. From here to ‘Akká will be connected by roads and on each side trees will be planted. This will be become the most important port in the world. Innumerable ships will come and go. I now see ships have anchored in this bay and with utmost humility and modesty, monarchs will come to visit of the Shrine of the Exalted One [the Báb].
Mrs. Parsons asked, “Where will the Mashriqu’l-Adhkar be built?” [‘Abdu’l-Bahá] replied, “Near the Shrine of the Exalted One. On one side, the largest and the most important scientific school will be raised.” Then He added, “On the other side, there will be an asylum for the invalids and on the opposite side an orphanage.”
From "With ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: By Mírzá ‘Isá Isfahání"
Translated by Ahang Rabbani
Translated by Ahang Rabbani
Friday, July 31, 2015
Justin Baldoni is proud of his Jewish ancestry.
 |
| Justin Baldoni and Emily Baldoni |
Jane the Virgin star Justin Baldoni has an out-of-the-ordinary interfaith background. “My mom was Jewish and became a Baha’i before she met my dad, and when they fell in love he became a Baha’i. When I was in my teenage years I became a Baha’i,” he relates. “But we celebrated Hanukkah and Christmas, as an ode to our grandparents. Baha’is have some amazing holidays and we did those too. It was a wonderful thing to grow up in an interfaith family.”
Baldoni explains that “In the Baha’i faith we believe that all religions are one so it’s important for me to know about everything—Jesus, Moses, Buddha, Mohammed. It’s a beautiful thing. Baha’is believe that we are known by our deeds—it’s not about what we say, it’s about what we do. So it’s all about our service to humanity.”
Now married to a Swedish woman, also Baha’i, he doesn’t celebrate Jewish holidays now but is proud of his Jewish ancestry. “My grandfather was in WWII and a lot of my family was killed in the Holocaust,” he notes. “One of my aunts was a survivor.”
Baldoni (Charmed, Everwood), who plays a rich hotel owner and inadvertent father of the mistakenly inseminated young woman of the title in Jane the Virgin, calls the new CW show “Kind of my comeback to acting. I took a break to start my production company, Wayfarer Entertainment. We create socially conscious, inspirational content. The project that we’re most known for is a series called My Last Days. I took two years and spent time with people that were dying from terminal illnesses. We wanted to tell their stories in a way to inspire others to live. It’s a show about living told by people who are dying. It’s the most-watched documentary series in the history of YouTube. Thirty million views.”
His next projects include TV and feature documentaries. “We’re developing reality content that we think is going to make a difference and inspire people to be the best version of themselves,” he says. “We’re all about being of service to each other. We have to use what we have to do good.”
Baldoni explains that “In the Baha’i faith we believe that all religions are one so it’s important for me to know about everything—Jesus, Moses, Buddha, Mohammed. It’s a beautiful thing. Baha’is believe that we are known by our deeds—it’s not about what we say, it’s about what we do. So it’s all about our service to humanity.”
Now married to a Swedish woman, also Baha’i, he doesn’t celebrate Jewish holidays now but is proud of his Jewish ancestry. “My grandfather was in WWII and a lot of my family was killed in the Holocaust,” he notes. “One of my aunts was a survivor.”
Baldoni (Charmed, Everwood), who plays a rich hotel owner and inadvertent father of the mistakenly inseminated young woman of the title in Jane the Virgin, calls the new CW show “Kind of my comeback to acting. I took a break to start my production company, Wayfarer Entertainment. We create socially conscious, inspirational content. The project that we’re most known for is a series called My Last Days. I took two years and spent time with people that were dying from terminal illnesses. We wanted to tell their stories in a way to inspire others to live. It’s a show about living told by people who are dying. It’s the most-watched documentary series in the history of YouTube. Thirty million views.”
His next projects include TV and feature documentaries. “We’re developing reality content that we think is going to make a difference and inspire people to be the best version of themselves,” he says. “We’re all about being of service to each other. We have to use what we have to do good.”
Saturday, July 25, 2015
Kitab-i-Aqdas in Hebrew for Jewish friends
ALTHOUGH THE Baha’i World Center is located in Haifa, where its breathtaking terraced gardens are a must-see tourist attraction, Naw-Ruz, the Baha’i New Year, is traditionally celebrated in Jerusalem after first being celebrated in Haifa and Acre.
The Jerusalem reception, explained Baha’i International Community secretary-general Joshua Lincoln, is to show appreciation to the people and institutions Baha’i works with in many areas of endeavor. These include inter alia the Justice, Interior, Foreign Affairs, Religious Services and Tourism ministries; the leaders of the religious communities; the diplomatic corps; the legislature; and academia.
The golden-domed Shrine of the Báb, atop Haifa’s Mount Carmel, is the resting place of the prophet-herald of the Baha’í faith and a place of pilgrimage for the 6 million strong members of the global Baha’i community.
Work has begun on a future service facility for Baha’i pilgrims, said Lincoln, who also noted that the number of visitors to the Baha’i gardens over the past year was in the range of 870,000.
Lincoln also paid tribute to Kern and Barbara Wisman, Baha’i’s Jerusalem representatives, who organize the reception there.
Reception guest of honor was Prof. Moshe Sharon, who was Arab affairs adviser to prime minister Menachem Begin and also participated in the peace negotiations with Egypt; he now holds the chair in Baha’i studies at the Hebrew University’s faculty of the humanities.
Coincidentally, Sharon – who is also a Hebrew University alumnus – was born in Haifa. He joined the faculty of the Hebrew University in 1965 and received his PhD in Islamic history in 1971. A world-renowned specialist in Arabic epigraphy, Sharon has recorded all the Arabic inscriptions in the Holy Land. He related that 40 years ago, when he was teaching at Bar-Ilan University in Ramat Gan, one of his students came to seek his advice on a doctoral thesis on Baha’i; he told her he knew nothing about it and suggested she find another subject.
Some time later, when he was searching for Arabic inscriptions in Acre, he came across gravestones with terminology that was not familiar to him. He was intrigued and when told by an elderly man that the graves belonged to Baha’i, he found his way to the Baha’i World Center – where he asked many questions and became so enamored with the history and theology, he began writing extensively on the subject. The upshot was that in 1999, he was appointed to the chair of Baha’i studies at the Hebrew University.
In 2005 he published the first translation into Hebrew of Al-Kitab al-Aqdas, the holy book of the Babí-Baha’í faiths.
The Jerusalem reception, explained Baha’i International Community secretary-general Joshua Lincoln, is to show appreciation to the people and institutions Baha’i works with in many areas of endeavor. These include inter alia the Justice, Interior, Foreign Affairs, Religious Services and Tourism ministries; the leaders of the religious communities; the diplomatic corps; the legislature; and academia.
The golden-domed Shrine of the Báb, atop Haifa’s Mount Carmel, is the resting place of the prophet-herald of the Baha’í faith and a place of pilgrimage for the 6 million strong members of the global Baha’i community.
Work has begun on a future service facility for Baha’i pilgrims, said Lincoln, who also noted that the number of visitors to the Baha’i gardens over the past year was in the range of 870,000.
Lincoln also paid tribute to Kern and Barbara Wisman, Baha’i’s Jerusalem representatives, who organize the reception there.
Reception guest of honor was Prof. Moshe Sharon, who was Arab affairs adviser to prime minister Menachem Begin and also participated in the peace negotiations with Egypt; he now holds the chair in Baha’i studies at the Hebrew University’s faculty of the humanities.
Coincidentally, Sharon – who is also a Hebrew University alumnus – was born in Haifa. He joined the faculty of the Hebrew University in 1965 and received his PhD in Islamic history in 1971. A world-renowned specialist in Arabic epigraphy, Sharon has recorded all the Arabic inscriptions in the Holy Land. He related that 40 years ago, when he was teaching at Bar-Ilan University in Ramat Gan, one of his students came to seek his advice on a doctoral thesis on Baha’i; he told her he knew nothing about it and suggested she find another subject.
Some time later, when he was searching for Arabic inscriptions in Acre, he came across gravestones with terminology that was not familiar to him. He was intrigued and when told by an elderly man that the graves belonged to Baha’i, he found his way to the Baha’i World Center – where he asked many questions and became so enamored with the history and theology, he began writing extensively on the subject. The upshot was that in 1999, he was appointed to the chair of Baha’i studies at the Hebrew University.
In 2005 he published the first translation into Hebrew of Al-Kitab al-Aqdas, the holy book of the Babí-Baha’í faiths.
www.jpost.com
Tuesday, June 16, 2015
Friday, May 29, 2015
Wilmette Institute runs a 12 week course on teaching Jews.
Beginning May 20, our 12 week introductory course on Judaism for Deepening and Dialogue. Think beyond the Hebrew Bible to learn more about the contemporary beliefs of your friends, neighbors and connections in interfaith activities.
More info here.
More info here.
Monday, March 30, 2015
Annual reception of the global Baha’i community (2015)
Written by Sima Lahat
Published: 29 March 2015
http://www.diplomacy.co.il/diplomatic-events?start=175
On Tuesday evening, March 24, 2015, I was privileged to be invited to the annual international Baha’i community reception; an impressive festive event, held at the David Citadel in Jerusalem, to celebrate the Baha’i New Year (Nowruz).
The event was attended by government representatives, ministers and Knesset members, religious leaders in Israel, members of the diplomatic corps, the president of the Hebrew University and other academics, members of the international community who volunteer at the Haifa and Acre Baha’i centers, all of whom came to honor and salute the Baha’i community.
It was amazing to see “transplanted” parts of famous Baha’i gardens at the event’s entrance. Beds of flowers and colorful plants, laid out symmetrically and aesthetically, were admired by all the guests.
Published: 29 March 2015
http://www.diplomacy.co.il/diplomatic-events?start=175
On Tuesday evening, March 24, 2015, I was privileged to be invited to the annual international Baha’i community reception; an impressive festive event, held at the David Citadel in Jerusalem, to celebrate the Baha’i New Year (Nowruz).
The event was attended by government representatives, ministers and Knesset members, religious leaders in Israel, members of the diplomatic corps, the president of the Hebrew University and other academics, members of the international community who volunteer at the Haifa and Acre Baha’i centers, all of whom came to honor and salute the Baha’i community.
It was amazing to see “transplanted” parts of famous Baha’i gardens at the event’s entrance. Beds of flowers and colorful plants, laid out symmetrically and aesthetically, were admired by all the guests.
We were greeted by Dr. Joshua Lincoln, Secretary-General of the World Baha’i community, and his wife. Six volunteer musicians and singers from the US, England, Ghana and South Africa entertained the guests with delightful singing and music. Sumptuous refreshments and drinks were served. Every detail of the event was meticulous and elaborate, as in the Baha’i gardens.
Dr. Joshua Lincoln opened with the blessing of welcome in Hebrew, English and Arabic. He then read a letter from President Rivlin in which the President congratulated the Baha'i community, the guests and the people of Israel with joy, success, peace and health. Dr. Lincoln expressed the hope that the coming year will be better than the last, and invited the audience to visit the Baha’i chapel, which is open to everyone.
“Dear Friends and Colleagues, Head of the Church, Members of the Diplomatic Corp, and President of the Hebrew University. Dear members of the Baha’i community in Israel.
A happy new year to all of you.
Naw Ruz-i-Mobarak from Jerusalem to the Baha’i community in the world at large, Ladies and Gentelmen.
Some 40 years ago I was approached by a student who wanted to write Ph.D. theses on the Baha’I religion. My answer was that I do not know anything about the Baha’is and advised her to look for a more interesting subject. Yet here I am standing in front of you today as the Head of the Chair in Baha’i studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, having established it 15 years ago. It was a mere coincidence which brought me to get interested in the Baha’is and without it I would not be here today.
In 1996 I was searching in the vicinity of Akko for Arabic inscriptions for my major research work on the Arabic inscriptions of the Holy Land. I came across a group of tombs with tombstones that looked rather unusual. The terminology, though Arabic and Persian, was not familiar to me and some dates were rather strange. I had never met in modern times dates like 80 or 90 or even less. I was intrigued until an old man living in the vicinity told me that the graves belonged to Baha’is. This is how my long journey into this fascinating world religion began. It led me to write the first book in Hebrew about the Baha’i faith and to prepare an annotated translation into Hebrew of the most Holy Book, the Holy writ that guides the life of millions of faithful all over the globe.
What attracts these millions from east and west from the great continents to the smallest islands of the Pacific ocean to a faith born out of the Shi’ah in Iran, whose original holy texts are mostly written in Persian and Arabic?
The answer to this question was already supplied by Edward Grenville Browne, the Cambridge scholar who was the first to recognize, more than 125 years ago, the importance and viability of this modern faith. He met Baha’ullah in his residence near Akko in 1890 and this is how he describes the meeting:
“No need to ask in whose presence I stood, as I lowed myself before one who is the object of devotion and love which kings might envy and emperors sigh for in vain!
A mild dignified voce bake me to be seated and then continued: ‘… thou hast come to see a prisoner and an exile… We desire but the good of the world and happiness of the nations; yet they deem us for a stirrer of strife and sedition worthy of bondage and banishment… That all nations should become on in faith and all men as brothers; that the bonds of affection and unity between the sons of men should be strengthened; that the 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. ...Do not you in Europe need this also? …Yet do we see your kings and rulers lavishing their treasures more freely on means for the destruction of the human race than on that which would conduce to the happiness of mankind… These strifes and this bloodshed and discord must cease… Let not a man glory in this that he loves his country, let him rather glory in this that he loves his kind.’
Commenting on these words Browne concludes: “let those who read these words consider …whether such doctrines merit death and bonds and whether the world is more likely to gain or lose from their diffusion.”
We have only to look around us to realize that today as then these words are relevant and topical. Let me finish with another saying of Baha’ullah cherished by 6,000,000 people around the world “Ye are the fruits of one tree, and the leaves of one branch.” Thank you and have a very enjoyable evening”.
And something about the Baha’i religion:
It is a monotheistic religion, independent and relatively new. Its source was in Iran in 1844, created by the Báb Ali Mohamed. The source is Shiite Islam, but it is not defined as a stream within it. The Baha’i center is in Acre and Haifa. Most of the holy writings were written by the prophet Baha’u’llah, who claimed that he continues the message of the Bab. It is estimated that there are about six million faithful around the world, in a very large number of countries. The religious texts have been translated into hundreds of languages. Despite the Muslim origins, there are almost no Arabs among its adherents, and in Iran the followers are severely persecuted. Most of the success was achieved in the West and in India, due to the universal teachings.
The message of the Báb and Baha’u’llah is that there is one God revealed to mankind over the years and who reveals His will. All religions have a common divine origin, and the prophets are messengers of God, including Moses, Buddha, Mohammed, Krishna, Jesus, Zarathustra and the Báb. They represent successive stages in the spiritual development of mankind. The last messenger, Baha’u’llah, emphasizes global peace, scientific progress and ethical behavior.
Baha’is believe in the unity of God; unity of the human race; in the search for truth; strengthening the common elements of all religions; faith in fundamental harmony between religion and science; volunteering; equality between men and women; monogamy; denial of prejudices and superstitions; strict obedience to the laws of the local government, non-violence, not bearing arms and no warfare and a ban on the participation in the military forces of any country, except for a U.N. force; compulsory education throughout the world; the search for a solution to the problems of the global economy, the use of a common world language (in the past Esperanto, now Lojban) and striving for world peace under international government that derives some of the powers of the countries.
At the Baha’i community reception I experienced the friendly and respectful approach of the hosts in the spirit of Baha’u’llah. His Word is given to people as "food for the soul". The hosts went a step further and added "wonderful food for the body". With that winning combination, plus a real mutual respect, the brave friendship between Israel and the Baha’i Community is not surprising.
Dr. Joshua Lincoln opened with the blessing of welcome in Hebrew, English and Arabic. He then read a letter from President Rivlin in which the President congratulated the Baha'i community, the guests and the people of Israel with joy, success, peace and health. Dr. Lincoln expressed the hope that the coming year will be better than the last, and invited the audience to visit the Baha’i chapel, which is open to everyone.
Professor Moshe Sharon, founder of the world's first Chair in Baha’i Studies, at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, addressed the assembly:
“Dear Friends and Colleagues, Head of the Church, Members of the Diplomatic Corp, and President of the Hebrew University. Dear members of the Baha’i community in Israel.
A happy new year to all of you.
Naw Ruz-i-Mobarak from Jerusalem to the Baha’i community in the world at large, Ladies and Gentelmen.
Some 40 years ago I was approached by a student who wanted to write Ph.D. theses on the Baha’I religion. My answer was that I do not know anything about the Baha’is and advised her to look for a more interesting subject. Yet here I am standing in front of you today as the Head of the Chair in Baha’i studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, having established it 15 years ago. It was a mere coincidence which brought me to get interested in the Baha’is and without it I would not be here today.
In 1996 I was searching in the vicinity of Akko for Arabic inscriptions for my major research work on the Arabic inscriptions of the Holy Land. I came across a group of tombs with tombstones that looked rather unusual. The terminology, though Arabic and Persian, was not familiar to me and some dates were rather strange. I had never met in modern times dates like 80 or 90 or even less. I was intrigued until an old man living in the vicinity told me that the graves belonged to Baha’is. This is how my long journey into this fascinating world religion began. It led me to write the first book in Hebrew about the Baha’i faith and to prepare an annotated translation into Hebrew of the most Holy Book, the Holy writ that guides the life of millions of faithful all over the globe.
What attracts these millions from east and west from the great continents to the smallest islands of the Pacific ocean to a faith born out of the Shi’ah in Iran, whose original holy texts are mostly written in Persian and Arabic?
The answer to this question was already supplied by Edward Grenville Browne, the Cambridge scholar who was the first to recognize, more than 125 years ago, the importance and viability of this modern faith. He met Baha’ullah in his residence near Akko in 1890 and this is how he describes the meeting:
“No need to ask in whose presence I stood, as I lowed myself before one who is the object of devotion and love which kings might envy and emperors sigh for in vain!
A mild dignified voce bake me to be seated and then continued: ‘… thou hast come to see a prisoner and an exile… We desire but the good of the world and happiness of the nations; yet they deem us for a stirrer of strife and sedition worthy of bondage and banishment… That all nations should become on in faith and all men as brothers; that the bonds of affection and unity between the sons of men should be strengthened; that the 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. ...Do not you in Europe need this also? …Yet do we see your kings and rulers lavishing their treasures more freely on means for the destruction of the human race than on that which would conduce to the happiness of mankind… These strifes and this bloodshed and discord must cease… Let not a man glory in this that he loves his country, let him rather glory in this that he loves his kind.’
Commenting on these words Browne concludes: “let those who read these words consider …whether such doctrines merit death and bonds and whether the world is more likely to gain or lose from their diffusion.”
We have only to look around us to realize that today as then these words are relevant and topical. Let me finish with another saying of Baha’ullah cherished by 6,000,000 people around the world “Ye are the fruits of one tree, and the leaves of one branch.” Thank you and have a very enjoyable evening”.
And something about the Baha’i religion:
It is a monotheistic religion, independent and relatively new. Its source was in Iran in 1844, created by the Báb Ali Mohamed. The source is Shiite Islam, but it is not defined as a stream within it. The Baha’i center is in Acre and Haifa. Most of the holy writings were written by the prophet Baha’u’llah, who claimed that he continues the message of the Bab. It is estimated that there are about six million faithful around the world, in a very large number of countries. The religious texts have been translated into hundreds of languages. Despite the Muslim origins, there are almost no Arabs among its adherents, and in Iran the followers are severely persecuted. Most of the success was achieved in the West and in India, due to the universal teachings.
The message of the Báb and Baha’u’llah is that there is one God revealed to mankind over the years and who reveals His will. All religions have a common divine origin, and the prophets are messengers of God, including Moses, Buddha, Mohammed, Krishna, Jesus, Zarathustra and the Báb. They represent successive stages in the spiritual development of mankind. The last messenger, Baha’u’llah, emphasizes global peace, scientific progress and ethical behavior.
Baha’is believe in the unity of God; unity of the human race; in the search for truth; strengthening the common elements of all religions; faith in fundamental harmony between religion and science; volunteering; equality between men and women; monogamy; denial of prejudices and superstitions; strict obedience to the laws of the local government, non-violence, not bearing arms and no warfare and a ban on the participation in the military forces of any country, except for a U.N. force; compulsory education throughout the world; the search for a solution to the problems of the global economy, the use of a common world language (in the past Esperanto, now Lojban) and striving for world peace under international government that derives some of the powers of the countries.
At the Baha’i community reception I experienced the friendly and respectful approach of the hosts in the spirit of Baha’u’llah. His Word is given to people as "food for the soul". The hosts went a step further and added "wonderful food for the body". With that winning combination, plus a real mutual respect, the brave friendship between Israel and the Baha’i Community is not surprising.
Thursday, March 5, 2015
Christianity that dogged me until college’
Jack Gordon, 30, is a Bahá'í in Washington DC who is the Producer of Faith In Action DC (www.faithinactiondc.com). Here he tells us about his religious identity.
You could say I’m the product of an interfaith relationship that didn’t work out so well. My father and his family have a conservative Jewish eastern European background and my mother is from a Christian background, and there was a cultural clash in my household growing up. On my father’s side, based on the lamentable history that the Jews had at the hands of people who professed to believe in Christ, there was a distinct view that anything associated with Christianity was corrupt and phoney.
So I grew up with a very strong Jewish identity and a resentment of Christianity that dogged me until college. At college I got involved in community organising and started to re-examine the prejudices I had against Christians and Christianity and I began to open myself up a bit more. Part of that was due to a revelation I had at a Gospel concert I attended. Not that I became a Christian; I just realised Jesus was basically a really good community organiser, and that was something I could appreciate and value.
At the same time I was aware I had on my mom’s side a handful of family members in the Baha’i faith, starting with my grandmother who joined the Baha’i community in the Sixties. As I became more open to the spiritual side of things I decided to explore the Baha’i teachings. The more I read, the more I thought, ‘This is something I believe.’ It didn’t ask me to abandon my Jewish cultural heritage or identity; in fact, being a Baha’i has affirmed my desire to learn more about Judaism. It also encouraged me to be more open to Christianity because the Baha’i faith recognises Jesus as a divine messenger, just as it does Mohammed, Baha'u'llah and so on. It’s given me a totally different worldview about spirituality.
Representing a faith community that’s relatively obscure, I feel an imperative to explain my faith to others and strive to live a good example of the Baha’i teachings. There’s an explicit mandate in the Baha’i faith to commune with followers of all religions in a spirit of friendliness and to increase the bonds of cooperation. That has to start with trying to make peace in my own family, before extending it to my neighbourhood and the world at large.
You could say I’m the product of an interfaith relationship that didn’t work out so well. My father and his family have a conservative Jewish eastern European background and my mother is from a Christian background, and there was a cultural clash in my household growing up. On my father’s side, based on the lamentable history that the Jews had at the hands of people who professed to believe in Christ, there was a distinct view that anything associated with Christianity was corrupt and phoney.
So I grew up with a very strong Jewish identity and a resentment of Christianity that dogged me until college. At college I got involved in community organising and started to re-examine the prejudices I had against Christians and Christianity and I began to open myself up a bit more. Part of that was due to a revelation I had at a Gospel concert I attended. Not that I became a Christian; I just realised Jesus was basically a really good community organiser, and that was something I could appreciate and value.
At the same time I was aware I had on my mom’s side a handful of family members in the Baha’i faith, starting with my grandmother who joined the Baha’i community in the Sixties. As I became more open to the spiritual side of things I decided to explore the Baha’i teachings. The more I read, the more I thought, ‘This is something I believe.’ It didn’t ask me to abandon my Jewish cultural heritage or identity; in fact, being a Baha’i has affirmed my desire to learn more about Judaism. It also encouraged me to be more open to Christianity because the Baha’i faith recognises Jesus as a divine messenger, just as it does Mohammed, Baha'u'llah and so on. It’s given me a totally different worldview about spirituality.
Representing a faith community that’s relatively obscure, I feel an imperative to explain my faith to others and strive to live a good example of the Baha’i teachings. There’s an explicit mandate in the Baha’i faith to commune with followers of all religions in a spirit of friendliness and to increase the bonds of cooperation. That has to start with trying to make peace in my own family, before extending it to my neighbourhood and the world at large.
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