I am a Bahai too

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Jahanshah Javid
by Jahanshah Javid
13-Jan-2010
 

We are overwhelmed by an avalanche of news about unprecedented protests in Iran. The detentions, the killings, the lies. Meanwhile leaders of the Bahai community in Iran are quietly put on trial for... what? Vague charges of attempting to undermine the Islamic Republic.

These accusations are not new. The religious establishment has always labeled Bahais as agents of foreign powers on a mission to destroy Islam. In fact various clerics and radical groups have used attacks on Bahais as a means to generate hysteria and portray themselves as defenders of Islam. [Watch most recent example]

After 1979, the Islamic Republic has used the same tactics to generate fear and blame others for its failures. And conditions today could not be worse. The most radical, ruthless and irrational elements have seized power and implementing the same tactics they have learned and practiced all their lives, with finger-pointing against Bahais being their favorite.

***

I doubt that any of the accused would get the death sentence. The regime would not want to make martyrs out of leading Bahais. What they would probably do is give them long prison sentences as a warning to followers.

The problem with the regime's thinking is that whether they kill or jail Bahais, nothing is going to change. Bahais will continue with their normal lives. They will continue to keep their faith. And they will continue to be discriminated and abused simply for what they believe in.

Yes, this ridiculous show trial will please the dwindling, dogmatic supporters of the regime. But the general population is so disillusioned and distrustful of the regime that it won't pay much attention to the proceedings.

If anything, this trial will generate more disgust towards the regime, more condemnation by human rights groups as well as the international community and, ironically, more reason for non-Bahais to explore a faith that preaches everything the Islamic Republic is not.

***

It is no secret that a significant number of Iranians, even those who are educated, live in the West and hate the Islamic Republic, do not have much sympathy for Bahais. Many of us are reluctant to defend them as vigorously as we would protesters, women, journalists, or political activists.

There seems to be an underlying distrust of Bahais, an unfortunate result of age-old propaganda by the least tolerant segments of the Shia establishment. We often point to aspects of Bahai beliefs or history which we find unappealing. But we forget that they have a right to believe in anything they want. Just like the followers of any other religion who believe in ideas that could be argued away by rational human beings.

To those Iranians I say try to put yourself in Bahai shoes. Imagine being a Bahai in Iran for a day, with no guaranteed right to send your child to school, attend university, register your marriage, own a house or business in your own name, work for the government, or have a temple. And on top of that, live under constant threat simply for believing in a different religion.

There have been hopeful signs that our attitudes are changing. It is no longer unusual for non-Bahais, including writers, journalists, academics and politicians to speak out on behalf of Bahais. In an unprecedented act for a senior Shia figure, even Ayatollah Montazeri defended Bahais as Iranian citizens in no uncertain terms towards the end of his life.

So I do see an unmistakable trend towards the general acceptance of Bahais, not for their beliefs, but for who they are: people! People who have the right to believe and practice their faith freely.

Religious tolerance starts with us. Let's be fair and accepting of all. An attack on the rights and well-being of any individual is an attack on all of us. If believing in something different is a seditious act and shows that I am a mercenary for foreign powers, then I am a Bahai too.

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Adib Masumian

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Set your silly rumors to rest, for they have been refuted time and time again - you aren't fooling anyone with your rehashed trash, least of all the Iranian diaspora:

//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allegations_of_Baha'i_involvement_with_other_powers

//www.lulu.com/content/paperback_book/debunking_the_myths/6430166


Immortal Guard

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by Immortal Guard on

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When members of a minority ethnic or religious group take over a country they are more prone, by the virtue of their separate identity, to not care about the majority. Why? Because if for whatever reason they move to another land there won't be a change of status for them. They remain a minority. Thus they are more prone to act in their self-interest rather than that of the majority. But when members of a majority are forced to leave their country then they lose their majority privileges by becoming a minority in another country.


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Despite the fact that I am not a Bahaai, Muslim or not part of any other religion, in support and safety of all Bahaais in Iran, Today I claim myself as a "Bahaai" too.

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by Anahid Hojjati on

 

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Red Wine

...

by Red Wine on

ای خدا بشنو صدای فریاد‌های ما را !

ما دلمان برای بهاییان میسوزد.برای ایرانیان و ایران میسوزد.

این چه نکبتی بود که مملکت دچار آن شد ؟ این چه هیولایی بود که ایران طعمه آن شد ؟

نفرین بر آنکه خون هموطن ریزد، مرگ بر آن باد که به خاطر غیر به سوی ایرانی سیزد.

برای پشتیبانی از خلق ایران،آبرو و خون ایرانیها،بهائی و غیر بهائی،بنده هم یک بهائی هستم.

 


maziar 58

all rise........

by maziar 58 on

we should prescribe to be humane and act as such......

our believes spiritual or such should remain within.

and pendar neek,goftar neek, kerdar neek should be the final judge and no one else.         

sign me in as bahai too       Maziar


Parvaneh A. Farid

we Baha'is are defending Iranian human rights everywhere we are

by Parvaneh A. Farid on

"It is no secret that a significant number of Iranians, even those who are educated, live in the West and hate the Islamic Republic, do not have much sympathy for Bahais. Many of us are reluctant to defend them as vigorously as we would protesters, women, journalists, or political activists."

I am grateful you have brought this up! We Baha'is no matter where we reside, are the defenders of Human rights! When we appear in media or in all our work and activities, our hearts are with Iran and Iranian.Even non Iranian Baha'is have great respect for Iran. For them  this Country is a blessed country. This is something that specially the well educated Iranians who live in the west should realize.

Iranian Baha'is should have equal rights in their homeland.


faryarm

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by faryarm on

Dear Jahanshah

You from the beginning of IR.com have always stuck your neck out and this is as always appreciated by the defenseless Bahais of Iran and Non Iranian Bahais and people of goodwill, the world over.

There is agreement that there seems to be a change for the better  in Iranians' perception about Bahais as a result of technology and first hand information made available by Bahais to Iranians and the world; no doubt a reason for the stepped up systematic persecution by Ahmadinejad's regime.

One hopes that the average Iranian would go much further and examine more closely how such long standing misconceptions and calumnies about Bahais have come about, by whom and for what purpose. 

Fortunately I believe that Providence and the actions of the IRI these days

is forcing the corrupt segment of Shia establishment to reveal itself, as it has done in desperate acts and attempts of self preservation. 

One hopes that as one days soon, as Freedom of expression abounds  and finds its place in Iranian society, where there is finally an opportunity for the Iranian Bahai community to publicly  answer and defend itself against the last 160 years of lies and distortion by the Clerics.

Then, the level of Iranian public knowledge and discourse would hopefully rise and begin to heal the rifts and  damage caused by the  "age-old propaganda by the least tolerant segments of the Shia establishment", leading to a better understanding and judgement of Bahai beliefs and history.

The kind of open healthy public discourse and increase in knowledge and extent where , one could be a good judge and easily identify the character and the writer's motives, to be able to distinguish between fact and fiction, to see through attempts and ulterior motives of its enemies that  lie, distort, fabricate and forge documents; all of which have to date contributed to as you put it  "...an underlying distrust of Bahais, an unfortunate result of age-old propaganda by the least tolerant segments of the Shia establishment. We often point to aspects of Bahai beliefs or history which we find unappealing."

I look forward to asking and hopefully answering questions about what you described as "unappealing" aspects of Bahai beliefs and history .

Hopefully once all this is cleared up, Iranians may begin to examine and question the Source and The Faith  which has sustained the Bahais to withstand without compromise in the face of all its ruthless suppressors from Five Shahs, Two Ottomon Sultans, and the last Thirty years of Islamic Republic.

 

"Let nothing grieve thee, O Land of Tá (Tihrán), for God hath chosen thee to be the source of the joy of all mankind.." 

"Ere long will the state of affairs within thee be changed, and the reins of power fall into the hands of the people.

Verily, thy Lord is the All-Knowing. His authority embraceth all things. Rest thou assured in the gracious favor of thy Lord.

The eye of His loving-kindness shall everlastingly be directed towards thee. The day is approaching when thy agitation will have been transmuted into peace and quiet calm."*


Armed with such knowledge they may begin to believe and be confident of Iran's glorious future with the same degree of certitude, 

With gratitude

Faryarm 

 

*From Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh  


Artificial Intelligence

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by Artificial Intelligence on

Thank you JJ. Right on point. Unfortunatley, many Iranians are prejudiced against their own minorities. Its an excepted norm in Iran these days because of constant IRI propaganda. Its very sad.


Faramarz_Fateh

God bless you JJ

by Faramarz_Fateh on

Well written and 100% true from the first word to the last.  I love the statement It is no secret that a significant number of Iranians, even those who are educated, lived in the West and hate the Islamic Republic, do not have much sympathy for Bahais. Many of us are reluctant to defend them as vigorously as we would protesters, women, journalists, or political activists. There seems to be an underlying distrust of Bahais, an unfortunate result of age-old propaganda by the least tolerant segments of the Shia establishment. We often point to aspects of Bahai beliefs or history which we find unappealing.

I have been saying this about Jews and Bahais for the past 5 years on here.  However my style of writing and command of English is no where near yours.

Thank you for bringing up this point  BUT, 

Today I am super proud of my Muslim and atheist friends who are calling themselves Bahais.  The time has come for everyone to unite against the unlawful regime of IRI.

Today and until the day these 7 people are freed I am a Bahai too. 


LalehGillani

One Voice: I am a Baha'i too!

by LalehGillani on

It wasn’t long ago when we united to support Majid Tavakoli: I proudly watched Iranian men cover their heads with scarves to make a political statement.

To honor the Baha'i faith and to show our religious tolerance, Iranians must react with the same vigor and commitment. We must shed decades of prejudices instilled in our hearts and souls.

Muslim leaders launched a negative propaganda against our Baha'i countrymen decades ago long before the Islamic Republic of Iran was established. As a result, Iranians have been conditioned to accept the persecution of the Baha'i faithful.

The crimes against our Baha'i countrymen are committed against humanity, and as a human being, I say it loud and clear: No more!


Multiple Personality Disorder

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by Multiple Personality Disorder on

…even though I am an atheist.


DM

Well said, JJ.

by DM on

Well said, JJ.


Nazy Kaviani

I am a Bahai, too.

by Nazy Kaviani on

Every human being should have the right to choose and practice his or her own faith. Persecuting people for their spiritual beliefs is wrong and inhumane. Laws which keep people from this basic liberty are wrong and should be changed. Live and let live.


Yadam Beh-Khair

Me too

by Yadam Beh-Khair on

I am a Baha'i too!