Comments on: Iranian Islam, not the Yaran, on trial in the court of international opinion

By: Christopher Buck, Ph.D., J.D.

Christopher Buck, Ph.D., J.D. — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 01:14:52 +0000

Jonathan, please see the section on “Civil Obedience, Civil Disobedience, and Social Change” in Robert Stockman, “The Unity Principle: Ideas of Social Concord and Discord in the Bahá’í Faith.” Research in Human Social Conflict, Volume 2 Ed. Joseph Gittler (Westview, CT: JAI Press, 2000), pp. 1-19, online at http://rsmd.net/tchase/articles/CONCORD.htm, especially this statement: “Bahá’ís reject nonviolent civil disobedience as a mechanism for bringing about change in wider society, for it relies on violation of laws and the creation of a partisan atmosphere. Instead, Bahá’ís support social change through education, personal example, use of legitimate legal means (such as legal marches and obtaining press coverage) and initiatives that may represent unusual ways of obeying laws.” Space does not permit specific examples here.

By: Nader

Nader — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 07:08:54 +0000

The principal no. 13 of The Iranian Constitution of which has been quoted here says that Iranians of Zoroastrian, Jewish and Christian religions are the only ones that can practice their religious activities in Iran and thus legally “recognized”. Naturally considering Baha’is an outlaw means that not only Baha’is can not practice their religious beliefs, the rest of the citizens are also limited in their choice! which in turn means lack of freedom of choice and belief for the rest of the citizens!! Interestingly enough the last principal ( 177)enunciates that whenever the Leader deems it necessary this Constitution shall be amended. I hope principal 13 be amended soon!
Need to mention that the words “except for the Baha’is” written in this article is outside the quotation marks and do not make a part of the principals of the constitution.

By: sb

sb — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 12:55:16 +0000

Jonathan, it is a mute “protest” against injustice. Acceptance of the legal dissolution of Baha’i Administration in Iran by the Baha’is has shone the world the crying need for liberalization of Iranian human rights policies. Isn’t the best response to injustice an act that demonstrates faith in justice? In other words, the imprisoned Iranian Baha’is have demonstrated a just course of action by magnifying its absence. This is not idle theory: global appeal to Iranian authorities by the great nations of the world and worldwide outcry for the release of Baha’i prisoners held in Iran is proof that the course of humble compliance has amplified the reprehensible actions of the IRI. The spiritual effect of this is enormous.

By: Jonathan Menon

Jonathan Menon — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 06:24:33 +0000

You write the following:

“In the Baha’i tradition of reform by “civil obedience” — rather than by “civil disobedience” — the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of Iran (a democratically elected body of nine Baha’i men and women) formally dissolved itself in 1983, along with the remainder of the Iranian Baha’i administration. This act of compliance was a dramatic act of protest.”

It may have been a vivid demonstration of the Baha’is’ sticking to their principles even when tempted by the familiar, globally-accepted option of civil resistance. But the point seems to have been that they were determined to AVOID political means of protest.

To refer to it, therefore, as “an act of protest” seems ambiguous and contradictory. If it was a protest, what was it a protest of?

By: حکومت ایران، نه یاران، در دادگاه افکار عمومی جهان محاکمه می‏شوند - Iran Press Watch فارسی

Sun, 17 Jan 2010 19:49:26 +0000

[...] Iranian Islam, not the Yaran, on trial in the court of international opinion [...]

By: Christopher Buck

Christopher Buck — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 05:47:50 +0000

Tooba: Thanks for your excellent suggestion! Please see these peer-reviewed articles that I’ve previously published:

1. “Religious Minority Rights.” The Islamic World. Edited by Andrew Rippin. London/New York: Routledge, 2008. Pp. 638–655. [Final chapter.]

2. “Islam and Minorities: The Case of the Bahá’ís.” Studies in Contemporary Islam 5.1–2 (Spring/Fall 2003): 83–106. Proceedings of the Twentieth Annual Conference of the American Council for the Study of Islamic Societies (ACSIS), University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, 2–3 May 2003. (Published June 2005.)

These are available on Iran Press Watch, and are also available in both English and Persian translation on my academic website at http://christopherbuck.com.

This IPW article may be characterized as essentially an “Islamic argument” or, better still, an appeal to the enlightened self-interest of those who wish to preserve [whatever remains of] the fair name and reputation of Iranian Islam.

By: tooba

tooba — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 20:16:51 +0000

EXCELLENT ARTICLE…Could it be published also in non-Baha’i journals?

By: Edward K.

Edward K. — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 16:05:27 +0000

The irony being that it is probably the success of the Baha´is in defending Islamic principles to the Western intellectual communities, that makes the Faith feared by those who would be leaders in a state of religious war. If Islamic principles can be taught by reason, the very real differences between Western economic theory and Qur´anic economic theory do not need to be contested on the battlefield, since an academic synthesis is possible. It is far more likely that the schools of ¨orthodoxy¨ that are willing to make Islam absurd through adherence to the dead letter, are the ones receiving economic and ideological assistance from the economic citadels that do not want to see the Western model challenged.

By: Daniel Schaubacher, Brussels

Daniel Schaubacher, Brussels — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 10:50:27 +0000

Remarkable article, points well put. These Baha’is are the best ambassadors in the world for the Iranian culture and genius and truly exemplify the virtues of integrity, fortitude, loyalty, truthfulness and trustworthiness taught by Islam and the world’s great revealed religions.

By: Róbert Badí Baldursson

Róbert Badí Baldursson — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 09:35:24 +0000

Thanks for a very informative article. I would however like to point out the following:

Shirin Ebadi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2003, not 1993 like the article states. Also there seems to be something missing after section 6 of article 14 of the ICCPR towards the end of this article.

Greetings from Iceland.
Badí