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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

Faith & Action: Power of Unity
BY JOYCE FULLER KLEIKAMP
Baha’i Community of Pinal County

One of the most disheartening and frustrating aspects of the religions of the world is that they seem to be so different from each other. What’s more, each particular religion has numerous branches and sects that can appear as different from each other as the major faiths themselves.

This is why the central theme and purpose of the Baha’i faith, to unite the human family within one universal cause, within one common faith, has sparked hope and excitement in the hearts of people everywhere.

In the past in all other religions, the followers were left to themselves once their manifestation of God was no longer walking among them. Thousands of disputes arose resulting in the fracturing and splitting of the faithful into sects, denominations and groups. The underlying cause of this disunity was often a strong desire for leadership on the part of ambitious individuals. Differences of opinion about what should be done and what should happen created problems that ultimately could not withstand the pressure. No one, no group, was authorized to act. This is now the day, the era, in which the power of unity has been preserved through the unique functioning of the covenant.

The divine design for unity has been safeguarded; Baha’u’llah protected the faith against division by writing his will and testament, in it designating his eldest son, Abdu’l-Baha, to be the sole interpreter of his teachings and Center of the Covenant. Abdu’l-Baha’s life was a gift to humanity. He was the perfect exemplar of the teachings. He lived for 77 years, shared the exiles and tribulations of his father, labored to spread the word of God throughout the east and west, and wrote thousands of tablets and letters which educated the Baha’is in the ways of unity. His writings are an important part of the writings of the Baha’i faith.

By focusing on the life and writings of Abdu’l-Baha, as the center of the covenant, in addition to the life and writings of Baha’u’llah himself, the worldwide Baha’i community remained united in their efforts to create a new civilization based upon the understanding that we are one human family and that there is a blueprint for building unity in our communities. We understand that justice is a key that overlooking the faults of others and developing virtues is vital.

Furthering the protection of the faith, Abdu’l-Baha wrote in his will that his eldest grandson, Shoghi Effendi, would serve as guardian of the faith, to be the authorized interpreter of the teachings and to guide the expansion of the faith in every part of the world. For 36 years, he clarified and educated humanity. And now, as clearly delineated, the affairs of the Baha’i world are handled by elected councils of people, at the local, national and international levels. The supreme institution guiding the faith is called the Universal House of Justice.

Throughout these years of divine revelation, divine interpretation and authorized action, the Baha’is continue to build unity in the world community; this unity is based upon the foundation of the laws and commandments given to us by the manifestation of God for this day, the promised one of all ages.

Next week, we’ll explore some of the most important and exciting of these laws and guidelines. These are the building blocks of our unity, the lamps of guidance for our footsteps. This series of articles is taken directly from the presentation entitled “The Baha’i Faith”.

Visit the Web site for the local Baha’i chapter at www.bahai.org.


I have come from distant lands to visit the meetings and assemblies of this country (US). In every meeting I find people gathered loving each other; therefore I am greatly pleased. The bond of union is evidenced in this assembly today where the power of God has brought together in faith, agreement and concord those who are engaged in furthering the development of the human world. It is my hope that all mankind may become similarly united in the bond and agreement of love. Unity is the expression of the loving power of God and reflects the reality of divinity. It is resplendent in this day through the bestowals of light upon humanity.

Abdu'l-Baha
Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 274

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

On faith: Your simple acts of love can spread to our global village
Dr. Chris Gilbert
guest columnist
Published: 11:39AM November 25th, 2009

May the joyousness and sacredness of this season of thanks extend to you, your loved ones and to our fellow family of mankind.
These weeks ripe with the fruit of unity and a spirit of giving thanks permeates our families and friends. This is the fertile ground for growing peace on earth and goodwill toward one another.
Strange idea that world peace is not grown with treaties, agreements, negotiations or political wrangling. It does not originate in ambassadorial offerings or summits — or even in the halls of the United Nations.
It is planted and flourishes in the healing and peace of our families. It grows outward from simple acts of kindness extended to others in our homes and in our lives.
For, if we cannot find such peace inside ourselves and our homes, how can we expect to plant it in our neighborhoods, let alone in the bustling rooms of international detante?
The Baha’i writings tell us we can “ ... compare the nations of the world to the members of a family. A family is a nation in miniature. Simply enlarge the circle of the household and you have the nation. Enlarge the circle of nations and you have all humanity.”
If you look closely enough, you can see your acts of family love ripple upstairs to the next apartment, or across the street and over the fence into the neighbors’ house.
They appear in the smiles shared in the grocery line or at the drive through. They show up in the donations of money, gifts or goodwill shared with the less fortunate.
And, they flow even farther outward into our communities and across those who, like us, are starved for a safer world filled with trusting regard, patient understanding and loving respect.
From neighborhoods and communities, these acts of graciousness shared with loved ones slink like the transformed Grinch into crevices of the world where economic, social and spiritual bridges are forming every day between nations and continents.
The gifts you shared this season help bring connections to those in the far-away spots who had a hand in making them. Your need becomes the resource to fulfill their need.
And we experience the indirect results of the gifts they can share with each other due, in part, to the work of our hands. We see but a fraction of these connections so prevalent in this growing, global village.
The central principle for this new order to the world is the oneness of humanity.
“The well-being of mankind, its peace and security,” Bah’u’llh, the Founder of the Bahᡡ’ Faith, asserted over a century ago, “are unattainable unless and until its unity is firmly established.”
Acceptance of the interrelatedness and interdependence of all people implies the renewal of every social institution on the planet, including the family.
With tongue in cheek do I suggest that we should celebrate 364 days like we do this one, and perhaps save just one day a year for all the less than happy, less than connected, less than caring interactions which occur in our lives far more frequently than they should.
Life seems a bit backwards somehow when it’s put that way, doesn’t it?
Yet this idea that one day a year is set aside to concentrate on love and unity, and the other 364 days slip into “regular,” busy patterns of a life less conscientious argue for celebrating a year of these days.
That would certainly accelerate world accord.
It may seem difficult to find true happiness in the midst of so many changes and so many dire predictions this year. Even the elation shared by many in the diversity-shaping leadership in the country is shaken by more personal concerns about what tomorrow means in our neighborhoods and homes.
Yet there have been so many milestones in our global village this year — so many things worth celebrating.
That our families are usually close by this time of year makes our view of life less daunting and our perspective on our happenstances less straining.
That alone is worth celebrating.
I think one of the great gifts of this season is its reminder to notice and act on these connections of unity and friendship.
So the next time difficult news or a bad experience tears at our sense of peace, try a simple act of random kindness. These sew the greatest seeds of healing and world unity, and isn’t that a gift worth thanks giving?
On Faith columnist Dr. Chris Gilbert of Baha’i Faith can be reached by e-mail at ckgilbert9@netscape.net. For more information, visit www.bahai.org.



A new chapter in the life of the planet has been opened. Humanity has attained its maturity, and the race consciousness has awakened to the fact that it must put away the childish things which seemed necessary in the day of the "survival of the fittest." This day "wherein the feet of the people deviate" is to be followed by a glorious to-morrow; for -- "This is a new cycle of human power. All the horizons of the world are luminous and the world will become indeed as a garden and a paradise. It is the hour of unity of the sons of men and of the drawing together of all races and all classes. "The gift of God to this enlightened age is the knowledge of the oneness of mankind and the fundamental oneness of religion. War shall cease between the nations and by the will of God the most great peace shall come; the world will be seen as a new world and all men will live as brothers."

Abdu'l-Baha
Divine Philosophy, p. 12