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BY JOYCE FULLER KLEIKAMP
Baha’i Community of Pinal County
www.bahai.org
Published: Thursday, March 4, 2010 8:30 AM MST

There is an important difference between passively learning about a set of beliefs and ideals and actively supporting those beliefs and ideals. One can say he or she knows and understands something without taking a single step towards making it happen. To bring knowledge and belief into practice is the mark of a mature and spiritually enlightened individual.

In this day, at this stage of humanity’s development, women and men the world over are being asked to participate in building a peaceful, unified and just society based upon the divine teachings voiced by the manifestation of God. Actively creating a world civilization requires stepping forth into the arena of service.

Since the purpose of the Baha’i faith is to unify humanity—to bring an over-arching unity which celebrates and values diversity, and recognizes the common foundation of all faiths, and which promotes the spiritual education of all children, as well as adults—it is obvious that its organized structure calls for the enthusiastic participation of all those who choose to join.

As explained in the presentation booklet, “The Baha’i Faith”, there are three participants in the work: the individual, the community and the institutions. The first participant is the individual believer. It is the duty of this individual to remain firm in the Covenant, to strive daily to bring his or her life in line with Baha’u’llah’s teachings, and to serve humanity. As we do this, we are always conscious of the fact that life does not end with death and that one’s relation with God is eternal. After death, our souls become free and continue to progress towards God for all eternity. This is like the spiritual ‘big picture.’

In comparing life with the ‘afterlife,’ it is explained that our lives here on earth are very much like the life of a fetus in the womb of the mother. For nine months, the child develops faculties—eyes, ears, hands and so on—to be used later in this physical world. In the same way, then, we are to develop while here, the spiritual faculties that we need to progress in the other worlds of God.

Thinking, doing, sharing, practicing: We must continue our spiritual work. As individuals, we live among others and carry out our purpose within communities. Therefore, the second participant in the endeavor of building a world civilization and unifying the human race is the community. Human beings were not created to exist alone. We live in communities and must work together to build the new civilization.

The community closest to us is the local one, which consists of the Baha’is who reside in our village or town. It is in the local community where we learn to cooperate with one another, to grow together and become united. In addition to being members of the local community, we are also members of the national community and then the worldwide Baha’i community, which is constantly expanding and attracting people from every religious background, race, and nationality.

As mentioned in previous articles, Baha’is and their friends, families, co-workers and neighbors are actively engaged in children’s classes, junior youth groups, adult study circles and devotional meetings, which nurture spiritual development. More about this next week.


Knowledge is the first step; resolve, the second step; action, its fulfillment, is the third step. To construct a building one must first of all make a plan, then one must have the power (money), then one can build. A society of Unity is formed, that is good -- but meetings and discussions are not enough. In Egypt these meetings take place but there is only talk and no result. These meetings here in London are good, the knowledge and the intention are good, but how can there be a result without action? Today the force for Unity is the Holy Spirit of Bah'u'llh. He manifested this spirit of Unity. Bahᡡ'u'llh brings East and West together. Go back, search history, you will not find a precedent for this.
(Abdu'l-Baha, Abdu'l-Baha in London, p. 54)

Baha'i faith: The emergence of a world community in Nepal
By David Gestoso

Some regard it as the cutting edge in the organisation of human society. Others discard it as a sect. In a few countries it is considered a threat: its followers - mercilessly persecuted and discriminated against.
The Baha'i faith is a monotheistic religion and is considered to be the youngest of the independent religions of the world. It was founded in 1863 in Persia by Mirza Husain Ali, who later became known as Baha'u'llah, which, in Arabic, means 'glory of god'.

Baha'u'llah had been a leader in the Babist movement, which was started by a young Iranian who called himself the Bab. The Bab declared that a new divine messenger, following the line of Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Mohamed would soon appear.

This proclamation was a challenge to the Muslim state in which he lived, and, ultimately led to his arrest. After the Bab's execution, Baha'u'llah was imprisoned in Tehran- where he experienced divine revelations- and wrote letters and books outlining his ideas for human harmony.

After his release, he begun a life in exile, and declared himself to be the new messenger of god- hence- the Baha'i faith was born. The core message of Baha'u'llahs teachings is that humanity is a single race, and that the moment has come for its unification in a global society, breaking the traditional barriers of race, gender, social class, creed and nation.

The religion is practised in most parts of the world, and of the approximately five million members claimed worldwide by the Baha'i authorities, seven to eight thousand live in Nepal - a relatively small figure in a country where the overwhelming majority of the population is Hindu and Buddhist.

The National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is in Nepal is located in Shantinagar, Kathmandu. The two-storey building is surrounded by clean and well-kept gardens, and people from all faiths are welcome to visit.

As I entered the gates of the Baha'i Spiritual Assembly, I was led to the first floor of the building and invited to sit in one of the meeting rooms. An air of serenity filled the place.

It was large and tastefully decorated with bamboo furniture, white cushions and a white carpet, sported on the walls were pictures of the Baha'i Universal House of Justice, which is the world governing body and the epicentre of the Baha'i faith, in Haifa, Israel.

Just as I was flicking through some of the books on Baha'i teachings, Larry Robertson, Chairman of the centre, entered the room and greeted me with a smile and an amiable handshake.

Mr Robertson, aged 59, lives in Kathmandu with his Nepali wife. He first came to Nepal in 1973 after gaining a civil engineering degree in his native America, to work as a peace-corps volunteer, and fell in love with the country.

He wasn't a Baha'i when he first came to the Nepal but admits that the experience he gained during that time in the country played a pivotal role when choosing his spiritual path.

"I was a Christian when I first came to Nepal," he explains, "but mingling with people from other faiths gave me a different perspective on religion."

Mr Robertson believes their faith is well-established in Nepalese society and he also assures me that no discrimination has been shown against their members, although things were different in the past.

"Before 1990, Nepal had very strict laws about teaching other faiths, so we had to teach on a very personal basis and we couldn't run any activities."

"It was more individual, Baha'is telling other people, but after our temple was built in India, people became more aware about our faith."

"Some people dismiss our faith, accusing us of being a sect of Islam, but it is not true," he protests, "the same way, you can't say that Christianity is a sect of Judaism."

"One of the amazing things is that Nepalese people are very responsive. They pick up things fairly easy and they are now responding to the Baha'i faith."

However, he points out that despite being registered with the government, religious minorities in Nepal still encounter many hurdles to have their faiths recognised by the Nepalese authorities, often having to register as NGOs.

"At the moment, the only way to register, is as an NGO, not as a religious rganization, and that is one of the issues we're raising with the government for the new constitution."

As in any other religion, an important part of the Baha'i faith is to spread their message and to educate. This is mainly done via a process of reflection, planning and action.

Education takes a central role for the Baha'is and it is highly encouraged for everybody from a very young age, says Mr Robertson.
"We have devotional meetings where we invite friends and neighbours, and we organise children classes on moral education."

"We also have junior activities, it helps them develop a sense of who they are, to think more critically and to judge on whether things are right or wrong. It helps them to work on these issues as they reach puberty."

"For 15-year-olds and above, we have study circles - designed to develop our human resources."

Arguably, one of the most painful issues for the Baha'is, is the increasing discrimination and human rights violations they've been subjected to over the years at the hands of the theocratic regime in Iran, the birthplace of their faith.

A recent report published by the committee for the promotion and protection of human rights of the United Nations, expresses its deep concerns at serious ongoing and recurring human rights violations in the Islamic Republic of Iran, in particular, attacks against Baha'is.

According to this report, there is increasing evidence of efforts by the state to identify, monitor and arbitrarily detain Baha'is, prevent members of the Baha'i faith from attending university and from sustaining themselves economically.

When I asked Mr Robertson for his opinion about the current situation on the Baha'is in Iran, he paused for a moment, held his palms aloft, and replied:" the Iranian government banned the administrative order, so we can't have priests."

"It is a very sensitive issue, and the Universal House of Justice is looking at it very closely. Many governments have voiced their concerns: the Netherlands, the UK and certainly the US."

"Every year the issue of human rights comes up in the UN, and the Baha'is is one of the groups mentioned as being persecuted for their religious faith. Seven Baha'i leaders were detained last year and faced serious charges without adequate or timely access to legal representation."

"Nepal used to vote against the UN resolution on the human rights situation in Iran, but we managed to convince the Nepalese government at least not to vote, just to abstain from it, and we're very thankful to them for that."

"But, you know, situations can change very quickly. Right now, the Nepalese and Iranian governments are working on a bilateral treaty of non-visas for nationals of both countries, so you never really know what might happen."

Mr Robertson's conversion from Christianity to the Baha'i faith is not an isolated case, but part of a wider trend.

Religion and philosophy, both, Eastern and Western, have never been more accessible to us than in our current global society, and, many people, who become disillusioned with their way of life, are embarking on a spiritual journey, seeking practical guidelines for a better form of living.

One such spiritual transformation happened to a Nepali, who became disenchanted with certain aspects of Hinduism, and converted to the Baha'i faith.

Mr Dhirga Vikram Shah assures me that his life has taken a positive turn after becoming a Baha'i. He is now the Secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is in Nepal.
The soft-spoken 58-year-old, converted to the Baha'i faith 25 years ago, he recalls:" I first heard about the Baha'i faith when I was working at the Ministry of Education. An American named David Walker, was at the time, the advisor for the Adult Education Program, he gave me the books, and searching for the truth, I became a Baha'i."

"My life has changed a lot," he adds, "before, as a Hindu, I used to drink, now as a Baha'i I don't. Before I was involved in politics, but now I'm not."

Baha'is are not allowed to become involved in politics as it is divisive, and anything that divides people, they have to stay away from.

"I follow the Baha'i principles: honesty, sincerity and truthfulness. I work towards the peace and unity of humankind."

"Also, in Nepal, there's a caste system, but I think we're all from the same root. I don't like the caste system. You see, God created us without a caste system, we're all from the same family," Mr Dirga smiles shyly.

The Nepalese constitution is about to be written, and religious and ethnic minorities, regardless of their size, need a pledge from the Nepalese government, to have a fair and equal representation on the new constitution.

As Mr Robertson pointed out, the Baha'i faith is peacefully coexisting with the other major religions in the country, but perhaps, without the same recognition.

Freedom of thought and religion takes a long time to build, and it has to be promoted, and defended with all our strength against every challenge.

The writer can be reached at forzacelta@asia.com . nepalnews.com


Say: O peoples of the earth! Destroy the abodes of negligence with the hands of power and assurance, and raise up the mansions of true knowledge within your hearts, that the All-Merciful may shed the radiance of His light upon them. Better is this for you than all whereon the sun shineth, and unto this beareth witness He Who holdeth within His grasp the ultimate decree. The Breeze of God hath been wafted over the world at the advent of the Desired One in His great glory, whereupon every stone and clod of earth hath cried out: "The Promised One is come! The Kingdom is God's, the Mighty, the Gracious, the Forgiving."

Baha'u'llah
The Seven Valleys, p. 23

Baha’i scores 99% IGCSE pass rate
28 January, 2010 10:00:00By Hlengiwe Ndlovu
http://www.observer.org.sz/index.php?news=10713

SETSEMBISO Sebunye (Baha’i) High School has attained an impressive 99% overall pass rate in the IGCSE exams.
The results were recently released by Cambridge and Setsembiso Sebunye already has access to both ICGSE and AS (Advanced Subsidiary) results.
Setsembiso Sebunye students have been fetching their results from the school since Monday, and for most, it was smiles all the way home as the results were good.
The performance for AS was also impressive as over 60% of the students recorded C grades and better in all subjects.
The school already has access to both IGCSE and AS results because it directly subscribes to Cambridge.
Impressed
Principal Mangaliso Dlamini was impressed with the school’s performance, especially after making an analysis of the results.
He said the school would have attained a 100% pass rate but for some reason, one student missed some of the papers during the exam.
Most schools in the country are doing the localised version of the IGCSE syllabus, SGCSE, though with some schools the syllabus has not been fully localised.
At Baha’i, the only subject that is being done under the localised SGCSE is SiSwati.
Horizons
The school is looking at means of broadening its horizons by offering commercial and humanities studies at the AS level.
Currently, only science subjects are being offered at AS for science, which limits the course only to students who want to pursue scientifically related fields.
Accompanied by their parents, students have been flocking the school to fetch their results from the school yesterday.
Smiles
Whiz kid Ntandoyenkhosi Mabuza who was in the company of her father was all smiles on Tuesday when she fetched her results from the school.
She has been admitted to the University of Pretoria to pursue Medicine and she is expected to begin classes today.


But knowledge of the need of this power is not sufficient. Realizing that wealth is desirable is not becoming wealthy. The admission that scientific attainment is praiseworthy does not confer scientific knowledge. Acknowledgment of the excellence of honor does not make a man honorable. Knowledge of human conditions and the needed remedy for them is not the cause of their betterment. To admit that health is good does not constitute health. A skilled physician is needed to remedy existing human conditions. As a physician is required to have complete knowledge of pathology, diagnosis, therapeutics and treatment, so this world physician must be wise, skillful and capable before health will result. His mere knowledge is not health; it must be applied and the remedy carried out.

The attainment of any object is conditioned upon knowledge, volition and action. Unless these three conditions are forthcoming there is no execution or accomplishment.

(Abdu'l-Baha, Foundations of World Unity, p. 100)

Iran detains Nobel laureate's sister
December 28, 2009 9:23 p.m. EST

(CNN) -- Iranian intelligence officials have detained the sister of Nobel laureate Shirin Ebadi, the Iranian lawyer and human rights activist said.
Ebadi said Monday that three men and a woman arrived at the Tehran home she shared with her sister, searched the house and seized Nushin Ebadi, 47, and her computer.
"They have detained her so I stop my work," Shirin Ebadi, 62, told CNN's Reza Sayah in a phone call from London. "She has done nothing wrong. She's not involved in human rights work, and she's never participated in any of the protests."
Nushin Ebadi's arrest came in the middle of a deadly crackdown on anti-government protests that has left at least eight dead, according to the Supreme National Security Council, although the Iranian government denies its forces have killed anyone.
Shirin Ebadi, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2003 for her human rights work, left Iran for a conference in Spain the day before June presidential elections that sparked an earlier round of violent protests. Friends, she said, warned her not to return to Tehran.
The Nobel laureate said she spoke with her sister Monday, a few hours before the 9 p.m. visit by ministry officials while Nushin Ebadi was at home with her husband and two sons.
Iranian Information Ministry officials contacted Nushin Ebadi several times previously, her sister said, telling her to leave their apartment and warning her not to contact her sister. Both women thought those demands were absurd.

They have detained her so I stop my work.

"Not only does my sister not do any human rights work, she doesn't do any cultural work either," Shirin Ebadi said. "They only took her because of me."
Information Ministry officials contacted Nushin Ebadi on Wednesday and told her to tell her sister to stop her work and stop saying the things she says, according to her sister. Nushin responded, Shirin said, that her sister was 15 years older and would not listen.
Shirin Ebadi's law firm represents seven members of Iran's Baha'i Community who have been charged with espionage. She said she is certain Iranian officials are trying to intimidate her by harassing her sister, but, she said, she will not back down.
"They want to intimidate me," she said. "The only thing they want is for me to change my work."
"I am worried. I'm worried because she [Nushin Ebadi] was detained because of the work I do," she said, adding it was that work that made Nushin a target.
"She's not interested in this kind of work. She's not involved in this kind of work."
Shirin Ebadi said she advised her sister to contact an attorney when Information Ministry officials first began approaching her and that she did so.
Nushin Ebadi and her husband are professors of dentistry at Azad University in Tehran, Shirin Ebadi said, and Nushin Ebadi's husband also has a private dental practice.


Say: O peoples of the earth! Destroy the abodes of negligence with the hands of power and assurance, and raise up the mansions of true knowledge within your hearts, that the All-Merciful may shed the radiance of His light upon them. Better is this for you than all whereon the sun shineth, and unto this beareth witness He Who holdeth within His grasp the ultimate decree. The Breeze of God hath been wafted over the world at the advent of the Desired One in His great glory, whereupon every stone and clod of earth hath cried out: "The Promised One is come! The Kingdom is God's, the Mighty, the Gracious, the Forgiving."

Baha'u'llah
The Seven Valleys, p. 23