INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION OF TRUTH OR CHILD REGISTRATION?

Dear Readers,

This article endeavors to examine legality (both as per the Holy Writings and as per acceptable human values) of Child Registration in Baha’i Faith and establish our responsibility as Members of Baha'i Faith with regard to the practice.

At the outset, let us examine, through the scriptures the position of a Child. As per the Baha’i Faith a child is a like a bud which will bloom exhibiting all its potential in some time. Childhood is considered as a sapling, which if nourished, will result in a strong tree. Both Baha'u'llah and Abdul Baha have conveyed in several writings, childhood as a period for inculcating values. When a child is brought up with such nurturing he/she will go grow to appreciate the Baha’i Faith and will be a harbinger for establishing the world order. Further, the Faith, with its well-known principle of Independent Investigation of Truth, compliments the idea of a development not to be prejudiced or succumbed to any pressure while accepting the Faith.

The United Nations in its charter on Child Rights has also desired to have a society which is beyond chains of bias or prejudice. It desires that development of child be on values to develop responsible World Citizens. Throughout its charter it hints at religious bigotry not coming in way of human development.

For the Baha’is adapting to such expectations have always come naturally. I remember my Baha’i parents ensured that my upbringing included values from all major religions. Not to be limited to this, the fundamentals of major religions were brought to my disposal by making available scriptures and important books of these religions. It is with this background that I and many other Baha’is have grown to appreciate the Baha’i Faith better and can fit into a modern world like a tee.

Alas, some administrative functionaries of the Baha’i Faith have in recent years desired to focus more on numbers. Instead of ripening of the fruit naturally they have resolved to reap early benefits. With a short term view of exhibiting big populations, Baha’i Faith members in many regions are approaching school going children with short term value based coaching and thereafter seeking their allegiance to the Faith. The increase in numbers is then proudly circulated. Such an approach is damaging from several aspects:

1. It is against the spirit of Holy teachings, even if was to enjoy administrative support of short sighted elected members.

2. It is against law of the land of many countries and has placed the Faith under scanner in many regions.

3. Such registrations will bear no results and it will be like an under-nourished plan which can be easily uprooted.

4. Imagine when such children become adult and get a feeling that they have been cheated to register allegiance for something as personal as religion? What would their approach be towards the Baha’i Faith?

It is with this concern I would urge all responsible friends to stand-up against any such attempts to register allegiance to the Baha’i Faith from minors. It is against principles of the Faith and human values. The Baha’i Faith should not be seen as fraudulent and deceptive Faith, if we want the world to appreciate its values. Let’s all stand and raise our voice against such practices, even if it offends any of our esteemed friends from the administrative bodies.

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Ali Nakhjavani - Voice of alienated Persian Baha'is

Since the establishment of Universal House of Justice in 1963 at Baha’i World Centre, at Haifa the Baha’is cannot make any departure from the norms and the procedures laid down by the UHJ. No amount of failure or development of progressive ideals can supersede whatever is written in the Messages/letters of UHJ.

There is a wide divide between the democratic ideals of equality and freedom, rights of citizens, individual liberty and pluralism cherished by Baha’u’llah, Abdul Baha and the rigid format of governance envisaged by the Self-centric and anti-pluralistic Universal House of Justice.

As a result, most of the Baha’is have remained isolated from the Baha’i Holy writings of Central figures of the Faith. The widespread and disproportionately higher level of intolerance shown by Universal House of Justice for all other ideas and thinking and fear of excommunication have made the Baha’is to examine the claims of other Sects of Baha’is and to take solace in them especially the one having Universal House of Justice.

The terrible failure of Ruhi curriculum and humiliating court case defeats resulting into NSA attorney Mr. Christopher Dolan begging the Sects leader to have a compromise and to find a way out for such a humiliating situation has put further question mark on the UHJ claim of infallibility.

The dissatisfaction amongst the Baha’is is brewing up against the policies of UHJ. The Baha’is worldwide are thinking that Ruhi curriculum has arrested the growth of Baha’i community worldwide because of its useless Ruhi Books and Ana’s presentation. The Baha’is think that the world requires Holy writings as the mean to affect the hearts of the people rather than a jumble box prepared by a former NSA member and counselor of Columbia. In fact Dr. Arbab did not resign but he was sacked by UHJ for forming a group inside UHJ to control and manipulate it. Lately this group is given the name of ‘Ruhi brigade’ comprising of Arbab himself, Firaydoun Javaheri, Payman Mohajer second seeded Mr. Shahriyar Razavi, Paul Lample and Gustav Correa.

In this system a highly successful Professor in a University or a Baha’i from a respected Family who served the Faith with distinction for the whole of his life whose two family members have served as Counselor are supposed to go through the rigorous courses of Ruhi Book where a 15 year Old Persian girl appointed as Teacher will teach you the tenets of Baha’i Faith. Any disagreement from this system will make you a recipient of a warning letter from the House of JUSTICE. The language used in the letter will make you further reflect that whether the letter is written by the custodians of the Faith or an international Terrorist organization threatening you to come in line with the UHJ or get ready to be declared as Covenant breaker.

Mr. Nakhjavani who represented the Voice of Persian Baha’is spilled the beans when in his speech he mentioned his observations while visiting different countries and finding out the same thoughts which cannot be attributed of being a rumor.

Mr. Nakhjavani said:

“I want to tell you, friends, that unfortunately I have seen in the Baha'i community in recent years things that have surprised me. I went to the United States. I saw the problem there. I went to Japan. I saw the problem there. I went to Canada. I saw the problem there. Recently I have been traveling for three months. When I came back from my travels I was so weak I could not eat. I had lost my appetite. What was the problem? The problem was that because the House of Justice has given us the institute process that is the only thing we have to do.”

That is wrong. That is where the mistake is. Dear Friends, the House of Justice has never said that the core activities are the only things we have to do. There is no such thing in the writings that instead of having firesides we have study circles; that the idea of firesides is an "old stuff", this is the "old method". The new method is study circles. This is wrong. There is no such thing in the writings of the House of Justice. Never!

Mr. Nakhjavani, if House has not said, then how come the thought was prevalent in every country you went? Moreover you accepted that may be the Assistants of ABM have said it. How it is possible that Assistant of ABMs of all those countries which you visited have said a wrong thing? Mr. Nakhjavani let us not beat around the bush, let us accept the reality and the reality is, It was UHJ’s idea, but because it has failed you want to put the blame on Assistants of ABMs.

In order to ensure an objective examination of the issues involved and promote a healthy discourse the UHJ should act on the following and let its former member gain his appetite and free him from insomnia. It is quite clear that Mr. Nakhjavani was representing Persian Baha’is who are getting alienated due to this Ruhi curriculum.

1. Baha’is should be free from institutional obstacles and fear of Ex-communication to the harmonious co-existence of Baha’i Administration with Baha’i Intellectuals groups across the globe is the need of time.

2. UHJ should come out clean in it electoral process which is rigged from International to National levels.

3. UHJ should leave class system and treat Baha’is of every country as equal. There cannot be more than one member from any country.
 

 4. They should come out with a clear and exact census data of Baha’is from each country. There is no point is admitting that we do not have his data or otherwise we will be forced to believe that either census is exaggerated or UHJ does not want to disclose it.

5. UHJ should appoint morally high Baha’is as counselor of continental Board and International Teaching centers. Baha’is with dubious character, morally bankckrupt Baha’is, divorced Baha’is, eloping Baha’is and Baha’is involved in economic bungling should he kept out from any elected or appointed Posts.
 

6. Ruhi'i'zation of Baha’i community by Universal House of Justice should stop from immediate effect.

7. The Ruhi brigade should own up the responsibility of Ruhi’s Failure and either they should resign or be sacked. The next election of the UHJ will be very crucial for the Baha’i Faith.