http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ii2DtC9Aw8s

It is a news channel that goes in-depth regarding the recent torching of homes and talking with Mr. Gamal.

Every morning I open this page up to see what Ali has to say. Ali what a profound statement, ” . . .And the perpetrators that commit these attacks are people who realy are seeking help.” So true!

I read your comments from the Isfahan Billboard thread to my Baha’i associates (Spiritual Assembly) last night. They loved (!) your comments and thought your perspective was fascinating regarding the loss of Baha’i administratition as being helpful instead of harmful. Your words made us laugh and rejoice. Your perspective is amazing.

I know an Iranian woman who entered Turkey as a Muslim refugee with a group of Baha’is from Iran several decades ago. While they were all being detained together she learned about the Faith and finally expressed her belief. She said the Muslims were horrified and wanted nothing more to do with her, while some of the Baha’is who had been so harrassed and terrified were afraid that she was a government “spy.” Nevertheless, she became a success here, raised two beautiful daughters and now a terrific, dedicated Baha’i.

While Mollahs admister rape, torture, stoning and murder, you educate yourselves, respond with kindness and forgive. You observe intently the ills of the society, make personal connections, offer modern day practical solutions, establish emotional bond with peoples of all religeous, ethnic and racial backgrounds and encourage the healing of the entire human race. While they believe in controlling what people can see and hear, you let everyone have access to your writings freely to discover the truth for themselves in their language of choice. This is why the forces of darkness and ignorance Boo and you Baha’is WOO, WOW and WIN!

“Some time ago it was my privilege to hear Mr. G. Bernard Shaw (author) hold forth on Religion at Cambridge. He was very modern, very sceptical, and very European and in the course of his lecture he declared that we should no longer be contented to clothe ourselves in the discarded rags of Oriental creeds.

He then proceeded to sketch in broad outline the brand new Western religion which should take the place of these rags and I was surprised and somewhat amused to find that he had merely restated in somewhat modern terms what is at once the most recent and one of the most ancient Persian heresies; and that his system in its essence merely reiterated in a more explicit form the doctrine of Mirza Husayn `Ali, the Persian, better known as Bahá’u'lláh.

Whatever may be the political future of Persia, I reflected it does not seem probable that, so long as she anticipates the speculations of advanced European thought, she will cease to be what she has so long continued to be, the source and inspiration of the religious and philosophical ideas of the world.”

We all learn from each other. What a terrible Bah’si I would be by myself.
The community of believers (especially my Iranian friends) strengthens me
along with the bright guidance of the Universal House of Justice.

Ali, I want to mention a Baha’i who was born of a great house of Iranain Shi’a scholars, Abu’l-Qásim Faizí (also titled Hand of the Cause by Shoghi Effendi). While a young man he became a devoted Baha’i after attending the Tariyabat School the first coed private school in Iran with modern curricula, run (of course) by Baha’is (Reza Shah later had it closed).

see: http://www.bahai-library.org/books/conqueror/biography.html

Ali there are most likely even more “Shi’a” waiting to become Baha’is in Iran.
Since the Iranian Baha’is have had to close the Iranaian Baha’i administration and because of the obvious danger to a person becoming Baha’i in Iran . . .we don’t hear directly about them.

Here is a story he told of Baha’u'llah:

“A hundred years ago when Bahá’u'lláh was in Baghdád, one day He was pacing up and down in front of His House and rows of people were standing near Him. Some were Persian princes and some were from Arab noble families.

Bahá’u'lláh asked, `What is the news of the town? What is the news of the martyrs?’ And one of the Persian princes said, `How is it that when you are with your own people, you speak to them of such exalted subjects, but when you are with us, you only ask us of the news of the town and of the martyrs?’

Bahá’u'lláh paced up and down and said, `People who can hear my words are not yet created.’ He again paced up and down and started to tell them something. One of the things He said at that time was this: He said, `If there are pearls beneath seven seas, I will bring them out.’

Ali, Mark, Wendy . . .we are the ones privileged enough to begin hearing His Words.

You have followed one of the first directives of Baha’u'llah to a seeker of truth . . .throw out all you know, all you have heard from others, then search relentlessly for the truth, . . . I have seen individuals begin as you have and develop a deep conviction that this is the one singular thing on the planet that really is what it says it is . . .

Here is part of a letter written in 1948 from a secretary of Shoghi Effendi, paraphrasing to a youth what the purpose of the Baha’i Faith is (we refer to Shoghi Effendi as the Guardian of the Baha’i Faith):
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‘The whole object of our lives is bound up with the lives of all human beings: not a personal salvation we are seeking, but a universal one. We are not to cast eyes within ourselves and say “Now get busy saving your soul and reserving a comfortable berth in the Next World!”

No, we are to get busy on bringing Heaven to the Planet. That is a very big concept. The Guardian then went on to explain that our aim is to produce a world civilization which will in turn react on the character of the individual. It is, in a way, the inverse of Christianity which started with the individual and through it reached out to the conglomerate life of men. . .’
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See how visionary this movement is? Such a statement sounds like it was written on the web a few moments ago! This is what Baha’u'llah forsaw from His prison cell . . .in 19th century Persia, no less. I am so moved that you are taking Ruhi Book 1, it is my favorite Ruhi book. Now you have seen with your own eyes. We need the friendship of Iranians like you, ther ei smuch we can learn form you.

There has never been anything in my life that could state such a coherent and lofty goal: the bringing of “Heaven to the Planet.” Why should anyone settle for less? This is the only thing that I have found that possesses a spiritual framework strong enough, lofty enough, make that goal attainable for me, you, my children, and for yours.

Yes, may our children live in peace and justice. Salaam!