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Three participants
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)

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

Ebadi on Baha’is
Shirin Ebadi, head of the Defenders of Human Rights Center, told the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran today that if the Iranian judiciary were to issue a verdict based on evidence in the case and not the Prosecutor’s claims, the trial of the seven Baha’i leaders in Tehran should end with an acquittal of her clients, as there is no evidence to her clients’ criminal behavior.
The seven Baha’i leaders have been in prison for more than a year and a half and their court sessions have been postponed several times. People close to this case have told the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran that these individuals have been arrested and imprisoned for their religious beliefs only. Several other members of this religious minority group were arrested with similar charges of relations with foreign governments and leading the riots after the Ashura unrest in Iran. The charges have been denied by those near to Baha’i community.
The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran condemns any violence or terrorist acts against civilians.

In short, by religion we mean those necessary bonds which have power to unify. This has ever been the essence of the religion of God. This is the eternal bestowal of God! This is the object of divine teachings and laws! This is the light of the everlasting life! Alas! A thousand times alas! that this solid foundation is abandoned and forgotten and the leaders of religions have fabricated a set of superstitions and rituals which are at complete variance with the underlying thought. As these man-made ideas differ from each other they cause dissension which breeds strife and ends in war and bloodshed; the blood of innocent people is spilled, their possessions are pillaged and their children become captives and orphans.

Abdu'l-Baha
Divine Philosophy, p. 129

“Baha’ism” behind Iran unrest, says political analyst on Iran’s state TV
Updated: Thursday, December 31, 2009
15:50GMT—11:50AM/EST

Washington, 29 December (WashingtonTV)--The state-owned television of the Islamic Republic of Iran broadcast on Monday a live interview with a political expert who blamed the Baha’i “sect” for the latest wave of unrest in Iran.

According to the Fars News Agency on Monday, Ne’matollah Bavand, told the network in this interview that “there is no doubt that Baha’ism, led by global Zionism, is behind these currents.”

Bavand’s remarks come in the wake of a violent crackdown on anti-government protesters during the observance of Ashura ceremonies last weekend, which left at least eight people dead and hundreds arrested.

“Baha’ism infiltrated the country’s management in the nineties,” said Bavand, adding that “some of the managers of that decade were influenced by Baha’ism and carried out certain projects.”

Bavand went on to implicitly attack Mehdi Karrubi, the failed presidential candidate and one of the leading pro-reform figures in Iran, accusing his “advisor” in the June presidential election campaign of supporting Baha’ism.

“The female advisor <Hengameh Shahidi presumably who was advisor to Karrubi on women’s affairs during the election campaign> of one of the presidential candidates - the turbaned one - defended Baha’ism,” Fars quoted Bavand as saying.

“Until when does the <Islamic Republic’s> system want to tolerate these individuals? These contradictions have failed to convince the people… the advisor of this pseudo-cleric who was also <at one point> the speaker of the Majlis <parliament> , has explicitly defended Baha’ism and now, she, along with her husband are completing training in Britain to become spies,” added Bavand.

This is while Hengameh Shahidi, who is a journalist and women’s rights activist was arrested on 30 June this year and sentenced in November to six years’ imprisonment for charges that included “gathering and colluding with intent to harm state security” according to various reports including Amnesty International.

Bavand concluded his comments by calling for “key players” to be put on trial.

“The people see these events and become upset. Is there no way to tackle this problem? The key players leave Iran and it is the second and third lot of players who are put on trial, whereas it is the key players who should be tried,” Bavand said according to the agency.


Such simultaneous processes of rise and of fall, of integration and of disintegration, of order and chaos, with their continuous and reciprocal reactions on each other, are but aspects of a greater Plan, one and indivisible, whose Source is God, whose author is Bah'u'llh, the theater of whose operations is the entire planet, and whose ultimate objectives are the unity of the human race and the peace of all mankind.

Shoghi Effendi
The Advent of Divine Justice, p. 72