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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

Iran’s Baha’is Deprived of all Human Rights
By Smile Rose
Fariba Davoudi-Mohajer
نشر موقع منتدى جوزار للديمقراطية وحقوق الانسان هذا المقال بقلم فاريبا مهاجر فى 25 يناير 2010 تناولت فيه الحقوق المسلوبة من البهائيين فى ايران
January 25th, 2010
Recent weeks have seen Iran’s Baha’i community come under maximum pressure. Twelve Baha’i citizens were arrested and nine Baha’is were sentenced to five-year prison terms and barred from exiting the country for ten years. These sentences were meted out to two Baha’is in Mashhad, Babak Rouhi and Ezzatollah Hamidian, while the seven Baha’i leaders arrested in June 2008 are also due to receive sentences shortly. These individuals are accused of “spying for Israel,” “blasphemy,” “propaganda against the system,” and “moral degeneration on earth.” <!–<if !supportLineBreakNewLine>–><!–<endif>–>
Diane Ala’i, the Baha’i International Community’s spokesperson in Geneva, rejected these charges and stated that these individuals are neither spies nor have insulted Islam, and were arrested solely because of their religious beliefs. According to the International Covenant on Human Rights, no person may be arrested or harassed on this basis.
According to Article 13 of Iran’s constitution, the country’s officially recognized minority religions include only Zoroastrianism, Judaism, and Christianity, while Baha’ism is excluded. Yet this cannot justify the systematic harassment, imprisonment, torture, and civil rights violations of Baha’is.
Iranian state media broadcasts and prints negative propaganda against all non-Shiite religious minorities, especially Baha’is, Sufi Muslims, Christian Evangelists, and Sunnis. The Baha’i community, numbering 300,000 to 350,000, constitutes Iran’s largest non-Muslim religious minority.
The “blood price” of Baha’is is not equal to that of Muslims, and since their faith is not considered a religion, it is possible to spill their blood and avoid punishment. They are banned from freely performing their religious duties and from teaching their religion. Baha’is are strictly prohibited from working in government posts, the education system, and the armed forces.
The Islamic Republic regards Baha’is as a political sect. According to the Ministry of Justice, Baha’is can enroll at school on the condition that they refrain from identifying themselves as Baha’i. In 2007, a brief policy change allowed Baha’is to enroll in university. But soon the former policy was reinstated, whereby Baha’is must list themselves as non-Baha’i in order to register for the national university entrance exam. This poses a serious barrier to their opportunity for education, because one of the tenets of Baha’ism is that a Baha’i must never deny his/her religion. Roughly 128 Baha’i students were expelled from universities across the country in the 2006-2007 academic year. The order was issued by Asghar Zarehei, head of the central security department of the Ministry of Science and Technology, barring these students from studying in Iran ever again.
Baha’is are also excluded from social security coverage. They are prohibited from receiving financial reparations for physical injuries, blood price, and inheritance. Their marriage and divorce is not officially recognized, but the government accepts notary receipts in lieu of a marriage certificate. The government frequently rejects requests for issuing or extending work and business licenses for Baha’is, and constantly hassles them to “repent” from their faith, if only to escape these types of pressure!
In February 2009, the semi-official Fars News Agency reported that the General Prosecutor in a letter to the Ministry of Intelligence warned that Baha’is have widespread and strong ties with the “Zionist regime” <Israel> and that Baha’i followers are gathering intelligence and infiltrating the public with the aim of destroying <Muslim> beliefs.
When arrested, Baha’is are usually accused of violating articles 500 and 698 of the Islamic penal code – “acts against the establishment” and “publishing propaganda”, and sometimes even “moral degeneration on earth”.
June 18 is the anniversary of the execution of 10 Baha’i women who were executed in 1983 in Shiraz’s Adel Abad prison. Mona Mohammadnejad, the youngest of this group, was arrested and executed together with her father on charges of espionage.
The harassment of Baha’is extends even to the desecration of their cemeteries. For example, in January 2009, a cemetery in Ghaem Shahr <in northern Iran> was destroyed for the fourth time, when municipality officials bulldozed the cemetery overnight. The cemetery was known as the “Unbeliever’s Graveyard.” Anti-Baha’ism is rampantly seen in setting fire to or damaging cars, offices, and properties belonging to Baha’is.
Websites, blogs, and state media try to discredit Baha’is in public opinion. “Sarab Baha’i”<!–<if !supportFootnotes>–><1><!–<endif>–> is one of these blogs, which accuses Baha’is of involvement with counter-revolutionary systems under the guise of not being politically involved. The blog goes on to accuse Baha’is of ties with the U.S. and Israel and claims that during the Shah’s time, Baha’is infiltrated top government posts and used governmental funds to promote Baha’ism. Of course, no evidence is ever presented to back up these and other claims.
“Yousef Zahra” is another website set up to fight Baha’ism. The homepage of “Girls Against Baha’ism in Rafsanjan” asks viewers to report the identities and activities of any Baha’is living in the town of Rafsanjan. On the site, in an article entitled “Bahai’s Nighttime Meeting at Ovaisi’s Garden in Qom” writes: “On the eve of Ashura, Baha’is kidnapped a Muslim child and took it to this garden. Stamping their feet and cheering, they murdered the child and while drinking, they stuck the body’s child with the alcohol bottles.” The website obviously had not done the slightest bit of research about the Baha’i faith –for example, that drinking alcohol is banned in Baha’ism!
Kayhan, a hardliner daily, is also very active in this regard. In an article titled “Baha’is are not Iranian citizens,” Kayhan writes: “We have irrefutable evidence of <their> Zionist identity and the true role of the Baha’i Party as an Israeli group and the fifth column of Israel.” It goes on to say that following the arrests of members of this “party,” Ayatollah Khomeini wrote to Iranian officials of the time: “Baha’ism is not a religion; it is a party. A party formerly backed by Britain, and currently backed by the US. Baha’is are spies.”
The brief article above shows that Iranian Baha’is in Iran are not presented or treated as citizens and are deprived of basic human rights. Because of their religion, they have been made to endure various difficulties after the Islamic Revolution. Many of them have been executed. The Islamic Republic’s actions against Baha’is has constituted a blatant violation of their rights. Perhaps if a warning bell is not sounded in their defense, we will witness countless more atrocities committed against this minority in Iran.
Persian:
http://www.gozaar.org/template1.php?id=1416&la...
English:
http://www.gozaar.org/template1.php?id=1416&la...


O people of Justice! Be as brilliant as the light, and as splendid as the fire that blazed in the Burning Bush. The brightness of the fire of your love will no doubt fuse and unify the contending peoples and kindreds of the earth, whilst the fierceness of the flame of enmity and hatred cannot but result in strife and ruin. We beseech God that He may shield His creatures from the evil designs of His enemies. He verily hath power over all things.

Baha'u'llah
Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 122

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

A Special Visit to the Baha'i National Center
November 17, 4:55 PM Topeka Bahai Examiner Duane Herrmann

This past weekend four members of the Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of Shawnee County (the governing council of the Baha’i community surrounding Topeka) participated in the “Special Visit” program to the Baha’i National Center. The National Center is in Evanston and Wilmette, IL where the Baha’i House of Worship for North America is located, north of Chicago. This program is sponsored by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of the United States, the national governing coucil.
The purpose of the program is to deepen the knowledge of members of local Spiritual Assemblies about the functioning of various offices of the national center. Local councils and offices of the national center work together to administer the affairs of the local Baha’i community. Communication is usually by letter, phone or email. The Special Visit program provides a comprehensive face-to-face communication.
Presentation were made by various offices about their functions. These were given by the Office of Communications (publications of the National Assembly and news media relations), the Office of Fund Development (long range financial planning), the Office of the Treasurer (current financial operations), the National Teaching Office (regarding efforts to share news of the Baha’i Faith with the public), the House of Worship Activities Office (regarding programs at the House of Worship), the House of Worship Restoration Project (updates on progress, past the half way mark, and construction of a new Visitors Center, to begin next year), the Office of Assembly Development (to assist the functioning of local Spiritual Assemblies), and the Office of Community Administration (dealing with issues of Baha’i law).
After the presentations, participants were encouraged to personally visit those and other offices if they had more questions or concerns. The Shawnee County members took advantage of this to register their new, recently elected Secretary: Mary St. John, and Treasurer: Dr. Mark Herrmann. And another address problem was cleared up.
Those attending the program were given a special tour of the Baha’i House of Worship to see progress in the restoration. The most visible undertaking of the restoration is the replacing of the nineteen monumental stairs that encircle the structure and the plaza or apron at their base. The harsh Chicago winters had caused significant deterioration of the steps and the nearly century-old waterproofing was no longer viable.
To expand usable space in the foundation area the back-fill under the apron was excavated and that area enclosed to become part of the foundation space. That has now become a new foundation encircling the original building and is devoted to the new heating and cooling system as well as the pumps and electrical service for the nine fountains in the nine gardens surrounding the building. Computer monitored wind sensors were installed in the fountains so that high winds will no longer send water drenching those walking in the gardens. Such equipment did not exist when the original fountains were install over half a century ago. Reflection pools at the two main entrances, called for in the original plans, have now been installed, one with a waterfall.
Status of the construction of the next Continental Baha’i House of Worship, near Santiago,Chile was also shared. Clear title to the land has been obtained and foundation work is beginning. Fabrication of components of the structure has begun in Canada where the architect is located. The building will utilize panels of pressed glass and alabaster on steel framework. Sunlight will enter the building from all angles during the day and radiate light at night. It will glow in the dark!
Just as the House of Worship in Wilmette stretched the technological limits of the day (it was the first building to be made of pre-cast concrete panels, among other things), the Santiago House of Worship is pushing the limits of current technology (a building of glass and alabaster in an earthquake zone!)
A special exhibit was arranged for participants by the Baha’i National Archives. This exhibit included an illuminated Tablet written by Baha’u’llah, Prophet-Founder of the Baha’i Faith, several letters written to American Baha’is by ‘Abdu’l-Baha, son of Baha’u’llah and Center of the Baha’i Covenant as well as other items.
This Special Visit program is held only three times a year for members of half a dozen local Spiritual Assemblies. Members of the Shawnee County Assembly felt privileged to participate.


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