Comments on: Economic Strangulation of the Baha’i Community http://www.iranpresswatch.org/post/1578 Documenting the Persecution of the Baha'i Community in Iran Sat, 28 Jan 2012 01:45:12 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8 hourly 1 By: Ratnam Alagiah http://www.iranpresswatch.org/post/1578/comment-page-1#comment-721 Ratnam Alagiah Fri, 06 Mar 2009 02:43:11 +0000 http://www.iranpresswatch.org/?p=1578#comment-721 Both Mark and Baljit make useful points and I think they are related. On the one hand I think not standing up to injustice, where it is clearly based on prejudice and ignorance, is a form of allowing that injustice to continue. The second point is this: for injustice to continue, all it needs is for good men to be silent. Thirdly, the Baha'i Faith is Divine in nature. Opposition to the Divine puts whoever is oppressing it in a pretty dangerous place. As Baljit points out the "wrath of God" will be witnessed in the near future. Both Mark and Baljit make useful points and I think they are related. On the one hand I think not standing up to injustice, where it is clearly based on prejudice and ignorance, is a form of allowing that injustice to continue. The second point is this: for injustice to continue, all it needs is for good men to be silent. Thirdly, the Baha’i Faith is Divine in nature. Opposition to the Divine puts whoever is oppressing it in a pretty dangerous place. As Baljit points out the “wrath of God” will be witnessed in the near future.

]]> By: Baljit Singh http://www.iranpresswatch.org/post/1578/comment-page-1#comment-699 Baljit Singh Wed, 04 Mar 2009 05:10:03 +0000 http://www.iranpresswatch.org/?p=1578#comment-699 Beware O'peoples of Iran, are these the spiritual qualities your chosen leaders of your country display?.....where God' had chosen such a high destiny for the peoples of your land, now its in ruins and yet your voices are still, is this a sign of your approval.? Its time you stood up to these bullies in cloaks and wolves in sheep's clothing and rid yourselves of their persons, before the "Holy Wrath of God" befalls thee and your bloodied land. Beware O’peoples of Iran, are these the spiritual qualities your chosen leaders of your country display?…..where God’ had chosen such a high destiny for the peoples of your land, now its in ruins and yet your voices are still, is this a sign of your approval.? Its time you stood up to these bullies in cloaks and wolves in sheep’s clothing and rid yourselves of their persons, before the
“Holy Wrath of God” befalls thee and your bloodied land.

]]> By: Mark Obenauer http://www.iranpresswatch.org/post/1578/comment-page-1#comment-698 Mark Obenauer Wed, 04 Mar 2009 04:58:03 +0000 http://www.iranpresswatch.org/?p=1578#comment-698 I agree with the quotation you have quoted. I understand this is a truth that binds Baha'i's together because partisan politics and Nationalism divide people. It is written in the Hidden Words that Justice is the best beloved in God’s sight. The Justice I assume is more all encompassing that just simple justice that is in our legal compendia or traditions. It is the Justice that allows us to perceive things with our own unique perspective and not as a lockstep automaton who regurgitates everything that he or she has been taught. By deduction this kind of Justice also encompasses the independent investigation of truth because it speaks of judging something with “thine own knowledge and not through the knowledge of thy neighbor.” Human rights can be a partisan issue. I don’t think it is a partisan issue to pray that Iranian Baha’i’s suffering is alleviated and that their persecutors cease their activities. Is it political to disagree with a government’s policy because religious brethren are being oppressed? Now oppression can also be a partisan issue. Some people view denying a sect people a right to have religious freedom as simple justice because of their belief system. Some people believe in it is just for capital punishment to occur for heterodox religious belief. Now do I agree with this policy? I disagree with this policy not only because I am a Baha’i’ but because I understand from recent (the Holocaust) and from past history (the Inquisition) that these were anathema to my enlightenment influenced Western mind. These were unjust because these people had value beyond their beliefs whether I agree with their religion or disagree with their creeds, and as a person influenced by Western humanist philosophy I believe that every life is of great worth, and as a person influenced by Christianity that every person a reflection of God. So persecuting people is wrong whether or not I agree with them. Now is it a partisan hope when I wish for some sort of justice for the victims of persecution? Possibly this is true. I am a Westerner whose German-American parents experienced World War II and because of close cultural ties to Germany they were very familiar with political movements in Germany. I can only tell you that I see a parallel between German of the 1930’s and Iran. And this parallel has to do with the persecution and marginalization of religious minorities. I do not agree with this policy because it is anathema to the very core of my being, and I hope that there is some Justice in my perception. I agree with the quotation you have quoted. I understand this is a truth that binds Baha’i’s together because partisan politics and Nationalism divide people.

It is written in the Hidden Words that Justice is the best beloved in God’s sight. The Justice I assume is more all encompassing that just simple justice that is in our legal compendia or traditions. It is the Justice that allows us to perceive things with our own unique perspective and not as a lockstep automaton who regurgitates everything that he or she has been taught. By deduction this kind of Justice also encompasses the independent investigation of truth because it speaks of judging something with “thine own knowledge and not through the knowledge of thy neighbor.”

Human rights can be a partisan issue. I don’t think it is a partisan issue to pray that Iranian Baha’i’s suffering is alleviated and that their persecutors cease their activities. Is it political to disagree with a government’s policy because religious brethren are being oppressed? Now oppression can also be a partisan issue. Some people view denying a sect people a right to have religious freedom as simple justice because of their belief system. Some people believe in it is just for capital punishment to occur for heterodox religious belief. Now do I agree with this policy? I disagree with this policy not only because I am a Baha’i’ but because I understand from recent (the Holocaust) and from past history (the Inquisition) that these were anathema to my enlightenment influenced Western mind. These were unjust because these people had value beyond their beliefs whether I agree with their religion or disagree with their creeds, and as a person influenced by Western humanist philosophy I believe that every life is of great worth, and as a person influenced by Christianity that every person a reflection of God. So persecuting people is wrong whether or not I agree with them.

Now is it a partisan hope when I wish for some sort of justice for the victims of persecution? Possibly this is true. I am a Westerner whose German-American parents experienced World War II and because of close cultural ties to Germany they were very familiar with political movements in Germany. I can only tell you that I see a parallel between German of the 1930’s and Iran. And this parallel has to do with the persecution and marginalization of religious minorities. I do not agree with this policy because it is anathema to the very core of my being, and I hope that there is some Justice in my perception.

]]> By: Ratnam Alagiah http://www.iranpresswatch.org/post/1578/comment-page-1#comment-697 Ratnam Alagiah Wed, 04 Mar 2009 02:07:09 +0000 http://www.iranpresswatch.org/?p=1578#comment-697 Lets us get this straight. Baha'is are apolitical. Baha'is do not interfere with the affairs, schemes and programs of government. "Let them refrain from associating themselves, whether by word or by deed, with the political pursuits of their respective nations, with the policies of their governments and the schemes and programs of parties and fractions." Lets us get this straight. Baha’is are apolitical. Baha’is do not interfere with the affairs, schemes and programs of government. “Let them refrain from associating themselves, whether by word or by deed, with the political pursuits of their respective nations, with the policies of their governments and the schemes and programs of parties and fractions.”

]]> By: Mark Obenauer http://www.iranpresswatch.org/post/1578/comment-page-1#comment-696 Mark Obenauer Tue, 03 Mar 2009 22:06:04 +0000 http://www.iranpresswatch.org/?p=1578#comment-696 Amen, to the above prayer! Amen, to the above prayer!

]]> By: Cesario B. Cabreros http://www.iranpresswatch.org/post/1578/comment-page-1#comment-694 Cesario B. Cabreros Tue, 03 Mar 2009 13:08:54 +0000 http://www.iranpresswatch.org/?p=1578#comment-694 Thanks be to God! These souls are thy the Heavenly armies! Assist them, with the Cohorts of the Concourse on High make them Victorious! So that each one of them maybe like unto a regiment that will conquer these countries! Baha'is are dedicated and wholeheartedly committed towards the World Peace. They follow the commandment of the Beloved Beauty, "Baha'u'llah" the founder of the Bahai Faith! They are obidient to the government to whatever country they reside! But Justice prevails! May God enlighten the hearts of all Men! So that they may free these folowers of GOD to people who are captivated from the darkness of ignorance! The Baha'is are pure to serve the world of humanity. They are pure to serve for the good of this world and of the next! May God be with us! God is the Most Glorious! from a Beloved Servant of God Thanks be to God! These souls are thy the Heavenly armies! Assist them, with the Cohorts of the Concourse on High make them Victorious! So that each one of them maybe like unto a regiment that will conquer these countries! Baha’is are dedicated and wholeheartedly committed towards the World Peace. They follow the commandment of the Beloved Beauty, “Baha’u'llah” the founder of the Bahai Faith! They are obidient to the government to whatever country they reside! But Justice prevails! May God enlighten the hearts of all Men! So that they may free these folowers of GOD to people who are captivated from the darkness of ignorance! The Baha’is are pure to serve the world of humanity. They are pure to serve for the good of this world and of the next!

May God be with us!

God is the Most Glorious!

from a Beloved Servant of God

]]> By: Mark Obenauer http://www.iranpresswatch.org/post/1578/comment-page-1#comment-692 Mark Obenauer Tue, 03 Mar 2009 01:49:39 +0000 http://www.iranpresswatch.org/?p=1578#comment-692 How is a charge of genocide brought before the International Criminal Court for genocide targeted at an ethnic or religious group? What are the mechanics of a brief making it to this legal body? What is happening to the Baha'i's in Iran mirrors the acts of the Nazi regime during the 1930's. What is next, concentration camps? How far must people suffer before something is done to legally censure war criminals? I have seen them termed as peace time crimes, but there is nothing peaceful about their actions. It is all about war! War against those who beliefs vary from a man-made orthodoxy-- a man-made orthodoxy that in some parts of the Islamic world's other man-made orthodoxy (ie Wahhabis) consider kafir. It all comes down to what is truth, and what is truth is the realm of God, not of men! How is a charge of genocide brought before the International Criminal Court for genocide targeted at an ethnic or religious group? What are the mechanics of a brief making it to this legal body? What is happening to the Baha’i’s in Iran mirrors the acts of the Nazi regime during the 1930’s. What is next, concentration camps? How far must people suffer before something is done to legally censure war criminals? I have seen them termed as peace time crimes, but there is nothing peaceful about their actions. It is all about war! War against those who beliefs vary from a man-made orthodoxy– a man-made orthodoxy that in some parts of the Islamic world’s other man-made orthodoxy (ie Wahhabis) consider kafir. It all comes down to what is truth, and what is truth is the realm of God, not of men!

]]>