July 11, 2002
This month's archived letters by
subject
PART I
See Part II
* Since 1844
I read your article about the Bahai faith, and I just wanted to comment on the
part where you said that Bahais have been persecuted for three generations [Heechee
kam nadaaran]. Well, I'm not exactly sure if your math is correct or not, but
they have been persecuted since day 1 when ... declared himself as a prophet in 1844,
so basically 158 years of persecution.
I really enjoyed the article.
Thanks,
Shervin
To top
* Koran is Scripture to me
I appreciate the article by Jahanshah Javid in Iranian.com [Heechee
kam nadaaran]. Muslims recognize (and end its persecution) of the Bahais in Iran.
I am an anglo-American who was drawn to the Bahai Faith 7 years ago by its teaching,
unique in the world's religions, to never hit children. As I studied it I was impressed
with its recognition of all people and religions, and its message and plan for world
peace.
When I was a Christian I believed that Muhammad was either misguided or some emmisary
of Satan--which is probably what most Muslims think of the Bahais today. When I became
a Bahai, however, I had to also accept Muhammad as a Manifestation of God. The Koran
is now Scripture to me, where before it was not.
One of the saddest things I have ever heard was the case of the ten Bahai women who
were hanged in the 1980s - -including the beautiful 17-year-old girl, Mona. We are
blessed to have many Iranian Bahais here in Metro Detroit--and we love to hear them
chant Persian and Arabic prayers. They certainly do look Iranian from our end.
Best wishes to all of you. I believe Muhammad was a messenger of peace, and did not
teach, and is not responsible, for present hatreds and persecutions.
Sincerely,
Jeff Charles
To top
* What do you expect?
Sheila Khanoom, [Not
worth it]
I lived in KC for four wonderful years until I met my wife and moved to California.
I went to many of those concerts, I even invited many of these morons to come to
KC to get the small community of Iranians together for a night of fun. I did come
across comments such as what Moin made about KC being small and even referring to
KC as "dahat".
What do you expect from him? He was born in a classless family and sang versus of
Koran in the local cemeteries. I have seen him many times in LA. He walks around
with the back of his Italian shoes bent folded in and drags his shoes while walking.
The man has more money than you can imagine but no class.
Actually doesn't surprise me what he said and how late he was. Anything better would
have surprised me. The entertainers in LA are really getting better. I have attended
every concert Dariush performs and he's not a minute late. Googoosh also was very
on time and very classy.
I don't know what to say, it is rather sad. I know people who know Moin and I make
sure he gets this message.
Have some BBQ for me at Gates and Sons!
Hamid
To top
* Similar incident
I agree with you 100 percent [Not
worth it]. I had similar incident with Moin. It was my wedding night at a Persian
restaurant years back. The place we rented, charged us per person whom the owner
provided Persian food, drinks and the band.
In the middle of the night, I saw Moine with a bunch of other people came to the
restaurant and the owner set up a big table for him and his group in a corner, middle
of my wedding. I thought to myself oh well; it's nice we have a famous signer here.
After half an hour so, I had my relative came to me that we asked Moines to sign
for us but he is ignoring us. I had my husband to ask him, and he ignored him too.
At that point, I felt he is ignorant man too and since that time, I did not attended
his concert or buy his CDs.
You see ... he lost a few fans that night, any how thank you for sharing your thought
with us.
Atash
To top
* 20 years after our escape from Iran
I do not know what made you think about Bahai's [Heechee
kam nadaaran]. It sounded like you were honest. It touched my heart any way.
I do not care if all the things you wrote was correct or not, the fact is that your
conclusion is correct.
I am a Bahai from Iran. We had to flee for our life. If you think it was an easy
decision to take your tow children out of boarder on motocycle in the middle of winter,
not knowing where you will end up going,think again. all I know for sure that I have
been a victem and so I know what I am talking about.
All through out school in Isfahan, my college in Shiraz, I was never immune to being
treated as second hand citizen -- and that was during the Shah's time. Yes we left
our country with tears in our eyes and prayers in our heart that God will help us
settle in a safe place. Not toolong after we setteled my husband was murdered at
his small business that he had started to support his family.
And now, 20 years after our escape from Iran, I still have tears in my eyes and prayers
in my heart to make it through each moment and each day. Yes I do also wonder why
people should be persecuted for what they believe specially if that belief makes
them peace loving people. We were rubbed of all of our belongingins, jobs, and rights.
When the PASDARS were taking even our QURAN and I asked why, he said "You are
NAJESS and should not have the Holey book in your house."
Yes with tears in my eyes and prayer in my heart I asked God to guide us all to the
right path. When we left Iran that is all we had with us. our tears and our prayers.
Thank you Jahanbakhsh for speeking out your mind. Yes let us not judge people. KASSI
RA TOYEH GHABREH KASSI DIGAR NEMIKHABOONAND. I do not mind at all to give all the
informations about me so you all can check it out.
Nasrin
To top
* All religions from same God
If you may allow me to introduce myself, my name is Flavio Azm Rassekh and I'm
a native of Brazil. My parents are Persian, my mom is Muslim and my father was a
Bahai from Jewish background.
The main reason I'm writing this is to thank you for speaking out about the situation
of the Bahais in Iran, as a colleague of yours said in his article Heechee
kam nadaarann" most people in Iran don't recognize the basic rights of Bahais
to exist and live like everybody else. As you know Bahais don't get involved in politics
and don't respond with violence when tortured or persecuted.
Hope more people get to read your articles. The way to end prejudice is the understanding
of our common heritage. We are children of the same parents, all the religions of
the past came from the same God, everything else is peoples interpretation.
Warm regards,
Flavio
Sao Paulo BRAZIL
To top
* Relative killed for being Bahai
As a person whose relatives were killed for being Bahai, thank you. [Heechee
kam nadaaran]
Robert Babak Rowshan
To top
* Independence from akhounds
Dear Mr. Javid,
I admire your brave stand [Heechee
kam nadaaran] to follow your conscience and speak up for the Bahais of Iran.
Such an action is almost unheard of from a non-Bahai Iranian. It takes a renewed
way of thinking and a serious abandonment of the cultural and social ailments and
prejudices to speak up as you have.
A fair minded person would agree that the Bahais and Bahai beliefs do not pose any
danger to the well being of the society (if not benefit the society.) This has been
demonstrated by most countries allowing Bahais to practice their religion. Bahais
are recognised as one of the active contributors in the U.N. and their involvement
is valued.
While the United Nation and most countries have issued resolutions unreservedly demanding
fair conditions for Bahais in Iran, why do Iranians opt to stay quiet about Bahais
and their lack of basic human rights in Iran?
This may be a puzzling question for some, but it is certainly not a new phenomenon
in Iran of today. Bahais and Bahai Faith has always been a tabu subject in Iran.
It does not take a genius to work out that the people who are threatened most by
the growth in the number of Bahais are the religious leaders. The akhounds of Iran
have always faced the danger of losing power in Iran, if Bahais grew in numbers.
A quick look as the Bahai history of late 1880's shows Iran experiencing a rapid
growth in the number of Babis (the Babi Faith is the predecessor of the Bahai Faith).
Sadly before even the Faith was a few years old we see massive massacres of Babis
by the mob and the zealous crowds in public places under direct orders from the akhounds.
Killing the "infidels and agents of foreigners" were to bring the mob rewards
in after life.
The extend of killings was so severe that by early 1890's it was hardly possible
to find any Babis in Iran. The Babi issue became a closed case, (so the government
and akhounds thought!) Babis were dreadfully harassed and discriminated against.
Those who were not murdered, endured terrible sufferings. The akhounds carried on
with their spread of doubts and rumours about Babis. No one dared to stand up for
Babis as the consequences were too harsh.
As Babi became Bahais the trend continued with Bahais. The harsh consequences kept
people away form Bahais. Meanwhile the seeds lies and of doubts planted by akhounds
in the minds of Iranians grew to become dense bushes obscuring the views of the average
Iranians of the Bahai Faith.
Bahaism has became a tabu subject that Iranians don't wish to discuss. This basic
protective tactic of the akhounds has served them very well. They have effectively
kept people away from discussing the Bahai question and clouded their minds at the
same time. The average Iranian is either unaware of the Bahais situation in Iran
(because it is not discussed), or his/her mind is so poisoned with preconceived prejudices
and political, social and moral accusations against Bahais, that he/she will make
a quick and judgmental call on Bahais.
The akhounds of Iran with their "marja-eh taghlid" have the masses of Iran
eating right from the palm of their hands. Iranians lack the initiative to investigate
for themselves. They are prone to accept easy answers and naively believe others.
So my dear Mr. Javid, having said all this, the quick answer to your question is
that "hamash zir sare akhound-ha ast" (in contrast to "hamsh zir sare
inglisi-hast"). I certainly hope Iraj Mirza was wrong when he wrote:
![](//iranian.com/Letters/2002/July/Images/iraj.gif)
While I doubt that he was addressing Bahais, his poem applies equally to the Bahais,
and the rest of Iranians.
As Iran and Iranians mature, stand up on their own feet, start thinking with their
own minds. They will claim their intellectual and social independence from the akhounds.
However, the biggest cultural challenge they face will be to identified the truth
from the fancies and propaganda that is infused in the Iranian culture and psyche
over many generations.
Regards,
Tooraj Enayati
To top
* Finally
Finally someone stopped to say something about a religion with a population of
over 6 million [Conception
of gender roles]. Unlike other religious groups, we dont like to toot our own
horns.
Gooya Abrar
To top
* Finding intolerance as intolerable
As an American born Bahá'í, I would like to thank you for your
support [Conception
of gender roles]. It is indeed wonderful to find a human being who finds intolerance
as intolerable as I do.
May God bless you. No matter what you call Him, He has remarkable Names.
Alláh-u-Abhá
Rex Block
To top
* My grandmother!
Wow!!! How exciting to open up iranian.com today
and find an article on my grandmother! (my mom's mom)... [Conception
of gender roles]
I just had to share it with you all!
Faranak
To top
* Trust has gone with the wind
I read your comments [Heechee
kam nadaaran]. I think the article was great, never the less having open minded
iranian soul is not something that we see everyday.
I hope you are not one the molla's and hopefully you are not fishing, well!! Don't
blame me, trust among Iranians has gone with the wind.
regards :)
Aqdas
To top
* Who?
This is Miaad-e-Shokoofeha cultural & art institute . We are interested in
contact Mr. Parviz Davie to make a deal with him, any kind of connection with him
will help us . Please write us if you have his E-mail address, tel no or postal address.
Thanks for help
Miaad
To top
* Blessed be the king
"Blessed be the king whose sovereignty hath withheld him not from his Sovereign,
and who hath turned unto God with his heart."
"He, verily, is accounted of those that have attained unto that which God, the
Mighty, the All-Wise, hath willed."
"Thy Lord is, in truth, potent over all things."
"We make mention of thee for the sake of God."
"Thy name may be exalted through thy remembrance of God, the Creator of earth
and heaven."
"God hath, truly, destined a reward for thee, because of" what you have
written. [Heechee
kam nadaaran]
Fereshteh
To top
* Desire to control women's bodies
In response to "Just
as normal as you" and "Evolution"
me as a young Iranian boy who has grew up both in Iran and In France i can t marry
a girl without having sex with her before the wedding, it's a matter of how you see
the world. All this fuzz with vitginity comes from our islamic tradition ( in all
islamic countries they face this same problem ) and our desire to control women's
bodies.
But to add to the previous articles i wanted to focus on the mother's role in the
continuation of this way of thinking in our tradition. Nobody can't deny that at
in our homes women (mothers) control the houses, the education of the children, the
decoration etc... Men (fathers) come after work , play a little bit with the kids
then they go watch tv or have a rest. Mothers are responsable to educating their
sons as such as : you are a boy you can go and play outside etc... and say to their
girl : you has to stay at home helping me washing things...when a 5 years old has
the right to go and play but her sister of the same age can t what do you thing the
boy realise?! " I can go playing outside but my sister can 't so i m better
than her, so i m more important than her "...
That's why dividing the world in : Men the bad and women the victims is not completly
true... All this fuzz about virginity come of course from the hypocrite attitudes
of many of the Iranian men but also the pressure the women put on other women by
judging them worst than men can do...
But we know that Iran and specially Tehran with its 8 millions inhabitants can t
be like an ancient Persian town where everything can be controlled. Like ant big
city people will take advantage of the anonimity of the big city to do what they
want.
Amin Naraghi
To top
* Iranian-American cop in trouble
One of the officers who were videotaped beating a black
teenager in Inglewood, California earlier this week is Iranian (Bijan Darvish).
Read the court
papers the father filed in the lawsuit against the city
and the officers.
Ben Bagheri
To top
* He wrote me beautiful love letters
I am an American woman who has been having a love affair with an Iranian man
for five years. He has been an American citizen for more than half his life. He is
full of fun and has a wonderful sense of humor. We love each other deeply and learned
that we have so many things in common, despite our different backgrounds. Often we
start to speak and find that we are saying the same things at the same time. He says
this means that our hearts are connected together.
A year ago, he told me that he needed go back to Iran, because his father was dying
and he had to be there to handle his father's business. He called me from the train
on his cell phone and we talked during his entire trip to New York, where he was
catching a plane. Much of my end of the conversation was just sobbing. It was terribly
painful for me to be left here alone. He promised me that he would be back soon.
I have never known anyone who could comfort me when I was crying with such tenderness
and love as he can. When he arrived in Tehran, he bought a computer and arranged
an Internet connection, because he wanted to stay in touch with me.
We wrote e-mail almost every day and he wrote me beautiful love letters. It seemed
that we became even closer emotionally, although we are thousands of miles apart.
Then, one day, he wrote to me that it was his dying father's wish that he marry an
Iranian girl and stay in Tehran to carry on the family business. At first, he refused
to do this, but his parents put pressure on him and finally persuaded him to meet
a girl whom they considered suitable for him. He told me that she is very beautiful
and that he was trying to get to know her a little bit, before he made a decision.
Suddenly, last month, I received an e-mail from him telling me that they had gotten
married! I was so shocked that I cried for hours, until I feared I would die from
the pain and grief I felt. At the end of his letter about his wedding, he told me
that he loves me the same as always and that I will be his woman in America, while
his wife stays in Tehran. I cannot bear the thought of waiting here to be his mistress
while his trusting wife lives with him there. She was a virgin when he met her and
is fifteen years younger than he is.
I have cried over this every night and every morning since he told me this news.
I love him with all my heart, but I won't continue our affair, no matter what he
says. He tells me she will never know about me, but he doesn't seem to realize how
painful it is for me to know about her. I am doing my best to find a way to live
without him, but my love for him will not give me any peace. I miss him so terribly
that I ache inside, but he has chosen to marry and I don't belong in the picture
any more. I have lost him to Iran and there is nothing I can do about it. In the
end, the cultural differences that we thought did not matter between us, became the
thing that divided us forever.
Ada Barrett
To top
* In His Service
Dear Mr. Javid, [Heechee
kam nadaaran]
Indeed, you ask a very pertinent question in your musings while waiting for your
computer to right itself. The Revelation of Baha'u'llah, representing as it does,
the latest emanation from the "Unknowable Essence" and hence the fulfillment
of all the prophecies of former dispensations, is worthy fodder for any serious communicant
seeking ultimate reunion with his Maker.
As for those blessed to have recognized the station of the "One whom God will
make manifest", their destiny is of course assured by the Prophet, the Mouthpiece
of God, beyond the limitations imposed by mortal machinations. Therein lies the "radiant
acquiescence" you have noted in association with the followers of Baha'u'llah.
In any case, the unification of this world into one characterized by the "Most
Great Peace" is a mighty undertaking, requiring unswerving dedication, a "new
race of men", as it were. I pray that your musings have prompted even one soul
to re-examine his bearings.
In His Service,
A. Salvo
To top
* Police have entered gay networks in Iran
I think all of us have heard about the recent restrictions in peoples' private
lives in Iran, especially major cities like Tehran. Police officers, Nirooye entezami
, as well ? Basijis? can be seen all over the city and they arrest young Iranians
who want to have their primary rights.
One of the recent aspects that they have focused on is homosexuality and Iranian
gays. In past days they have tried to arrest gays in Tehran. You all might know that,
as it is very dangerous to be openly gay and of course life threatening Iranian gays
have their own network and gatherings and police forces have entered these networks
and have attacked one of the gay parties last Friday and arrested our compatriots
just because of their sexual orientation. They have told them that the judiciary
system is going to persecute all of them in order to get rid of their filth.
According to Islamic and national laws, gays would be sentenced to death and the
religious government has started a new movement to arrest and kill homosexuals.
I think we all need to know it and let others know about it also.
Hasan
To top
* Uphill battle
My father sent me your article, which I read with interest [Heechee
kam nadaaran]. I hope you don't mind me sending you an email. Your casual writing
style (at least in English language) was delightful and intriguing. It comes across
as very secular journalism and atheist/humanistic in spirit. The trouble is, if your
audience/readership is predominantly Iranian people then aren't you mainly trying
to argue to convince Islamic folks of your enlightened human rights advocacy towards
Bahai's?
Correct me if I'm wrong. I'd like to know how people like yourself are getting on
with bringing Iranian society to a more humane and tolerant state with regard to
treatment of religious minorities. It would seem an uphill battle from someone like
myself who looks in from the outside.
The bizzarre thing is that you can even find a reason to write such an article!!
Surely, in a civilized and intelligent society (and I'm sure most Iranians ARE civilized
and intelligent, at least all Iranians that I've met are) there'd be no need to even
argue for human rights because they'd be a GIVEN, a natural state of affairs.
SO it seems to me that the terrible treatment of people like Bahai's that goes on
in Iranian society (and by the way, it goes back at least to the founding of the
Babi Faith by Siyyid Ali Muhammad in 1844 (~1260AH), and the founding of the Bahai
Faith by Baha'u'llah (Mirza Husayn Ali) in 1863-64), is attributable largely to the
profound lack of understanding by most people (whether in Iran, Europe, America,
Asia, africa or whereever) as to what the Bahai Faith really is in essence!
My pet theory is that if the principles and esence of the Bahai Faith were sincerely
studied by people, and a more than surficial understanding were obtained, then most
people would, by in large, be far more reasonably disposed towards the Bahai's. It's
the lack of education that breeds fear, and the fear breeds hatred, animosity, and
as you can bear witness ultimately it brings persecution and fanatical opposition.
In truth, Islam has nothing to fear from Bahai's because the Bahai Faith both demands
acceptance of all well-founded religions from it's adherants, has no clergy, and
also demands independent investigation of truth (religious or otherwise). Indeed,
the Bahai Faith sees all religion as One, united in essence, differing only in the
needs and teachings required for the relevant time in history.
Now whether you are religious or not, there seesm nothing to fear from Bahai's because
they canonically cannot convert people away from their beliefs, any Bahai becomes
so only out of an individually and privately felt acceptance of Baha'u'llah's teachings,
and a profound reverence for all religions as dispensations given to humanity as
a whole by One universal unknowable Creator.
Before you discount all religion as crockery! I'd recommend that you at least educate
yoursefl better about the Bahai Faith. YOu can get ample information from books like
Esslemont's "Baha'u'llah and the New Era", or Gloria Faizi's "The
Bahai Faith". Also there
are copious websites, if your internet connection is healthy! e.g. try reading through,
//www.us.bahai.org/
//www.ibiblio.org/Bahai/TrueSeeker/
I recommend this latter site, because (despite the rather pompous sounding URL) it
does contain the pure, unadulterated canonical writings. So although not brief, these
will at least, if you read them carefully, give you a high quality education on all
Bahai principles.
Finally, good luck and best wishes to you and all who struggle in Iran for human
rights and peace. I hope to visit your beautiful country some day with my daughter,
before she gets too
old and entrenched in her prejudices! (She's a very cute 2.5 year old called Kezia
Olivia Smith! We're also New Zealand citizens, so don't be put off by my work address
below! And I'm a physicist, not a nuclear engineer, again despite my place of work.)
Sincerest regards,
Dr Blair M. Smith
Innovative Nuclear Space Power and Propulsion Institute, (INSPI)
University of Florida
To top
* There is NO excuse
Salam,
My name is Tabby and I am an Iranian residing in DC. I wanted to thank you for writing
such an honest article [Heechee
kam nadaaran]. It's nice to come across realistic work in days when our eyes
are covered with curtains of stereotypes.
There is NO excuse for the inhumane conditions that we expose our fellow brothers
and sisters to. Besides, who is to say that a specific ideology or religion is superior
over others, have we personally spoken with God? Did God TELL us that one reigns
supreme over the others, or do we simply beleive that those OTHER religions are inferior
because we are not members of them..
I have come to realize that man falls victim to the desires of his ego, particulary
the desire for power. People that focus their lives around the needs of their ego's,
fail to consider those around them as humans. They almost seperate the emotional
aspect of a "human" from the physical, this is why they have no difficulty
persecuting or torturing those with "different" ideologies. Whether its
the Bahai's of Iran, the Palestinians or the Sierra Leonians, NO person or GROUPS
of PEOPLE deserve to be treated inhumanly. You are right when you write that it is
unfair to place all the blame on the Mullahs.
Any person who adheres to dogma, whether its Muslim, Christian or whatever, is indeed
blinded by stereopyes, and is just AS accountable as the Mullah. To see changes,
we must come off our personal pedostals and open our eyes to see that ALL humans
are equal in rank. No human can judge another, unless of course they personally spoke
with God...thats unlikely though...
Tabby
To top
* Faith as dictat is not faith
I was sorry to see that demonstrations were curtailed in Iran on the July 9th
anniversary. It appears as if the Mullahs are determined to prevent popular dissent
from reaching the streets. I am not a Muslim and I dont profess to know the depths
of Islamic devotion that pervade in Iran. But I do know that repression... be it
secular or clerical...will not long stand. And I have read enough about Iran to know
that it is a nation yearning to breath free.
Millions of Americans are hoping to see the day when Iran shakes free of the shackles
that have bound them for these tragic decades. Despite the past, and certainly there
have been infringements upon Iranian sovereignty, Iran and America should be allies.
Although I write this in the safe comfort of my far away home, I hope Iranians everywhere
will rise up and shout a resounding "No More!" to the government that has
decimated the Iranian economy, rescinded the rights of women, and sullied the reputation
of Iran in much of the free world.
Im not bashing Islam and am a true believer in the beauty and necessity to be found
in religious belief. The heart and the soul thrive on faith, and it is thru faith
that mankind often demonstrates its greatest attributes. But faith as dictat is not
faith..it is enslavement. My heart and support goes out to all those who raise their
fists and make their voices heard. Long live freedom in Iran!
DM in the USA
To top
* Inconsistent with your message
Dear Mr. Javid, [Heechee
kam nadaaran]
I just read your essay. I thought you made some excellent points about the extent
of the persecution and repression of the Bahais in Iran. There have been numerous
conspiracy theories about the Bahai faith flying around over the years but then again
we are known for our conspiracy theories.
I'm more content with respecting a person's spirituality and not paying attention
to the label of Jew, Christian, Muslim, Bahai, Hindu, Buddhist, etc.
What made me uncomfortable, however, is that you wrote this piece because you were
waiting for your internet connection to reappear and not because you truly wanted
to write it that day.
Your asides in parentheses made me feel like you would have been happier doing anything
else other than writing that piece which is inconsistent with your message. I'm going
to think positively and hope that that was your underlying point.
It's possible that we as Iranians would rather do anything other than own our responsibilities
and shame.
Sincerely,
Parissa B.
To top
* Fair ethical points
Reference to Jahanshah Javid's July 3 Bahai article - EXCELLENT. [Heechee
kam nadaaran]
I hope it is the start of a movement of ethical awakening by the non-Bahai majority
in Iran. This article's most moving power to me is that the author is apparently
not a believer in religion, yet comes to such just and fair ethical points mosly
by his logic.
I am a Bahai, and it is as it seems, a positive, very spiritual, uplifting religion
that welcomes all without prejudice.
Thanks,
Steven King
USA National Fingerstyle Guitar Champion
www.kingofguitar.net
To top
* Show and tell
Jahanshah,
Are you getting any thing for this article? [Heechee
kam nadaaran]
As a Bahá'í I enjoyed your article. We never wanted to convert all
the people to Bahá'í faith but we ask them to give us a chance to see
how our "show and tell" would change their lives.
Take care and regards,
Fereydoun
To top
* Not only for Bahais, but for all
I just wanted to say thank you for writing such a nice article about the Bahais
- "Heechee
kam nadaaran"... myself, I am a half-Iranian Bahai, living in Canada. It's
nice to see that Iranians are becoming more concerned about the plight of our fellow
believers in Iran. The question is, when will things shift from mere words to actions?
"Let deeds, not words, be your adorning", is one of my favourite quotes
from Bahá'u'lláh.
I read the other article you wrote, "The
education of Mahdiyeh", and that too was very nicely expressed. I'm surprised
that a Bahai in Iran would speak with such openness about his beliefs (in general),
but I commend his honesty.
One thing that caught my eye (and it may have been mentioned to you many times before,
so I apologise if it has) was you had mentioned that some 200 Bahais had been executed
since 1979 ... maybe I am confusing things, and my history is not that good, but
for some reason I have 20,000 in my head. I will check into this further and let
you know what I come up with, but if you can clarify things for me, that would be
great. :)
It is my sincere hope that your limited role as Mahdiyeh's father has instilled within
her a sense of justice... not only for Bahais, but for all things good and right
in this world.
Best Wishes,
Kurosh :)
To top
* Not every non-Bahai Iranian hates us
Hi,
Don't worry, I'm not here to fill your inbox with conspiracy theories or be a nasty
critic [Heechee
kam nadaaran]. Actually, I want to thank you. I'm a Bahai (in fact not Iranian,
but I have very close Iranian friends and relatives) and I want you to know that
it's sort of reasssuring to know that someone notices the wrongs done, that not every
non-Bahai Iranian hates us. Thanks for commenting.
That's All,
Jamie
To top
* It's time for more than merely waving the flag
The following is a response I would like to give to the column that appears on
the National
Review written by Rob Sobhani:
Mr Sobhani, who made a run for the US Senate not long ago, is off track on many counts.
To begin with, Rob Sobhani believes that multiculturalism is a responsible agent
"eroding America's sovereignty and the national identity of its citizens".
He contends: "Once in America, recent immigrants have little incentive to become
Americans because the liberal culture tells them that we are a multicultural nation
of immigrants rather than a nation of people from many different countries embracing
the American culture". My first question to him and all other kaaseh-ye-daagh
tar az aash patriotoids who wish to totally ignore their past roots is: What exactly
is "the American culture"? The Eurocentric doctrines imposed by a ruling
white majority?
Example: As a graduate student, why must I constantly be studying European traditions,
icons, and systems of convention in all my general studies? Why can I become an expert
in Architecture knowing every work of Le Corbusier and Frank Lloyd Wright, while
never bothering to learn about one of the world's seven wonders of Architecture,
The Taj Mahal, which was based on Persian Safavid designs? During all my years of
schooling in the US (in 3 Universities), rarely if at all did we ever climb out of
the narcisstic shell of "America and nothing else" to learn that America
is not just about European heritage, something that Mr Sobhani now erroneously calls
American culture.
Has Mr Sobhani ever paid any attention to statistics showing that the America of
2025 will have a non-white majority? Mr Sobhani calls people in favor of a bilingual
America "shameful" in their policies, claiming that bilinguality prevents
a country from holding together. Folks, time to tell your kids to forget that second
grader level of Farsi that your teenage kids barely know. Funny how I remember kids
speaking 3 or 4 languages in my high school days in Belgium, a bilingual country.
Switzerland is an even better example where multi linguality has incredibly enrichened
a country.
Mr Sobhani even blames the strained status of American public schools on immigration.
He probably doesnt know that my school of 40000 students was shut down a week ago
with threats of budget cuts of up to $50 million because legislators in the State
of Tennessee cannot avoid the corporate influence in politics. Not to mention the
even worse condition of Tennessee's public K-12 system. And Tennessee is red neck
country with hardly any immigrants. Mr Sobhani also believes that students who come
to the US for studying, should eventually have to go back.
I would like to remind him that the Los Alamos project, which virtually established
America as a superpower, was almost entirely run by Naturalized immigrants, Einstein
himself an immigrant. This is even more obvious if one visits any elite scientific
laboratory in any academic center in this country. Just count how many Indians, Iranians,
Chinese, Koreans, etc you see. This country thrives on immigrants and the skill and
knowledge they bring with them. Not to mention that these American educated students
more than often eventually do return home taking with them a working knowledge of
democracy. Its a win-win situation anyway you look at it.
"We should not apologize for asking immigrants to be patriotic" asserts
Mr Sobhani.
Instead of advocating strict anti-immigration policies (like claiming that bringing
in other family members for every immigrant that comes to the US "places an
enormous burden on our nation's resources") we should maintain a bit of humility.
Instead of claiming, "America is the greatest nation on Earth," we might
say, "I live in the United States and have deep emotional ties to its land and
ideals, and I want to highlight the many positive things while working to change
what is wrong."
We can say that without suggesting other people are less capable of understanding
democracy or defending freedom, accusing them of lack of patriotism. We can believe
that and encourage spirited debate about policy. Let me tell you who the REAL American
patriot is:
A true patriot will not stand idly by as long as one child goes hungry.
A true patriot will not rest easily while fellow citizens have no place to live.
A true patriot will not turn a blind eye toward those who are ill and cannot afford
health care.
A true patriot will not support politicians who throw billions of dollars toward
military armaments and other boondoggles while giving our educational system and
our national infrastructure short shrift.
A true patriot will not endure corporate criminals who loot their companies and leave
employees with little to show for their labor.
A true patriot will not support an economic system in which the richest 1 percent
of the population owns more wealth than the bottom 95 percent. (Mr Sobhani is a Republican
by the way).
A true patriot will not tolerate the destruction of American natural resources and
the extinction of thousands of species to feed an economy that acts like there's
no tomorrow.
A true patriot will not accept acts of violence against any human being or animal
of any other species.
A true patriot will not abide stolen civil liberties in the name of greater national
security.
It's time for more than merely waving the flag, singing patriotic songs and proclaiming
one's love of country. To be a patriot in this day and age is to wake up and look
around, with clarity and discernment. To be a patriot is to take personal action
- to feed the hungry, to house the homeless, to live more simply, to elect true public
servants, to enrichen this country with our original culture. To be a patriot is
to allocate America's resources wisely and to live out our highest values as individuals
and as a nation.
At the end, I like to quote Adlai Stevenson:
"Do not ... regard the critics as questionable patriots. What were Washington
and Jefferson and Adams but profound critics of the colonial status quo?"
God bless The World.
Nima Kasraie
University of Tennessee-Knoxville.
To top
* Without taking any sides
A friend of mine forwarded your article and I have to say I have really enjoyed
it [Heechee
kam nadaaran]. Thank you. Very well written without taking any sides, especially
since it is written by a Persian non-Bahai that grow up in Iran (so you could easily
be influenced by what you were taught in school).
Your article just asks people to see the truth.
Thanks again.
ARIS
To top
* A nation overlooking the obvious
"Why do we treat Bahais so badly? Or at least why aren't we concerned when they
are treated badly?" asks Jahanshah Javid [Heechee
kam nadaaran]. That has puzzled me too. We know why the Khomeinists oppose them:
first because the Bahais present a model of a religious community that gets along
just fine thank you, without having any ulama: no priests, no fuqaha, no taqlid:
just democratically elected councils. Their very existence as a community reads like
a redundancy notice for the mullahs. And second because the Bahai teachings give
a religious justification for the separation of church and state, a model that crosses
the boundaries of the neat dualism between western-secular-separation-Bad and Iranian-religious-theocracy-Good.
And we know that the Pahlavis didn't really hate them, they just threw them to the
dogs when it was convenient. The Pahlavis didn't care, but it was nothing personal.
But what about the intellectuals, the NGOs, the Iranians? Why the blind spot?
From a safe distance, this is what I think. When you've been overlooking the patently
obvious for a long time, you can't see the obvious without saying (at least to yourself),
that you've been a fool. And when a nation has been overlooking the obvious, they
are a nation of fools. Not the first in history, and probably not the last, but that
doesn't make it easier to swallow. So when somebody puts the obvious in font of your
nose, you just don't see it. It's easier that way. So if the answer is obvious, what's
the question?
When modernity rolled over the world, it brought a compound pain. Modernity has created
a kind of society that is completely different to old ideas -- western, eastern,
whatever -- completely different to old ideas of how a society works. A society in
which religion and science and commerce and politics are different worlds, functioning
according to different logics. A society in which the individual has no single identity,
no "position", but a profile of positions and functions in different spheres,
so you make yourself a mix-and-match version of a personal identity. A society functioning
quite well without one permeating system of religious values -- which philosophers
and theologians had for millennia proclaimed to be essential.
A society in which one's own language and ethnicity is just a local particularity,
within a horizon that embraces a thousand ways of talking and ways of doing things.
Different parts of this pain have hit different societies at various times, with
the 'West' in most cases suffering the first impact. But a big part of this -- and
one that has caused a couple of centuries pain in Europe -- is how to fit religion
into the new picture. How can one be faith-full and live in a society in which religion
is a department of life, not the umbrella over all, and how do you live with the
fact that religious pluralism is here to stay? The situation today is, that even
if religion were to return to supply society with its values and cohesion (which
it won't), there could be no answer to the question, which religion? Various ad hoc
solutions have been found.
Quite a variety have been tried in various countries, including Iran. But the most
elegant of the religious solutions is the Iranian one. The Bahai one that is: not
the Khomeinist one. It's simple really. You have to reconceive of "religion"
not as a particular religion but as a world religious system. You have to position
that firmly as one department of life, alongside the global economy, the world political
system, science without borders, art international and so on. You have to justify
this religiously, not as the "breakdown" of society, but as the way things
are meant to be in the Kingdom (by whatever name you call it). You have to make ethnic
pluralism, even religious pluralism, a positive religious value.
You have to redesign religious communities so that they at the least do not directly
oppose the democratic, individualistic, questioning ethos of modern society. You
may have to take an axe to some old ideas about the roles of men and women, and the
religious sanctions for them. You might have to clear away a clutter of turbans and
togas, but hang on to your religious intellectuals. They are a precious resource,
and very rare (in fact, if you find two in one generation, one is probably a mistake).
So there you are. Bahai is more than "peace, love and tolerance", but it
is still a pretty simple idea, a solution to the problem of religion in modernity,
wrapped in the forms of Iranian culture: a calendar like the Zoroastrians for example.
With all due respect to the sincere gentlemen from Iran who have wrestled with this
problem, and with the additional issue, for non-western thinkers, of how much of
"western" solutions can be adopted, the best solution has been right under
their noses all the time. If you are passing by a village in Peru or an island somewhere
watery at the right time of year, and hear Naw Ruz being celebrated, there are good
odds that it will be those Bahais. Iran's gift to the world, export only.
Sen McGlinn
To top
* Writing humorously about Bahais
What a nice article [Heechee
kam nadaaran]. First of all hope by now your computer is working and secondly
I am a third generation Bahai. Have heard it all and seen it all but never seen anybody
writing humorously like yours.
Thank you. Keep up the good work.
Shahin
To top
* Answer harf-e-hessab
Mr. Guive,
What a wonderful essay [Give
this republic a chance]. Now we know you know everything about gardening, sightseeing
in Paris and next to nothing about Iran. I will let some of the other people in this
forum to respond to you.
I have a simple question to ask you. Since Republicanism is your favorite form of
government and the revolution of 1979 was about republicanism versus monarchy and
not the rule of clergy versus secularism. You were therefore always a republican
. Right?
In this case just tell us one single thing. Who paid for your education? Were you
or were you not on a full scholarship with the Pahlavi Foundation? If you have always
been a republican then why did you take money from a Foundation affiliated with the
Crown?
Set the empty words aside and answer harf-e-hessab. Or did you learn honesty, loyalty
and integrity from your esteemed father.
Like one day Foreign Minister of Iran and the next day receiving money from Saddam
Hussein under the guise of "Patriotism".
Is not it true?
Regards,
Kerman Zero 1
To top
* What aroused you?
A friend tonight told me about your article, "Heechee
kam nadaaran", and I just read it. I am a Bahai in the United States, for
almost 29 years now. Thank you for thinking of us and our suffering brethren in Iran.
I would like to ask you a question. I understand from your article that you are not
particularly religious (hocus pocus, you said, right?) so I would like to understand
how the suffering of the Bahais came to your attention and what aroused you to speak
out about them.
Feel free to say as much as or as little as is comfortable for you. I was just thinking
it would be nice to understand the thinking of the author of this article a little
better.
If you decide to respond, let me thank you in advance.
With my best wishes,
Ed Price
To top
* Shooting-around-without-any-real-bullets
I refer to your article "Shah
bee shah". Lovely, only you forgot to mention that they had bottles of Evian
water flown in to Teheran. The city famous for its granate (spelling?) system
throughout the world! (fresh mountain water, for goodness' sake!)
(Ms Farah also paid for the highway between Nice and Cannes in the hope for it to
carry her name. Nice, maybe a few roads in Iran wouldn't have gone amiss?)
Yours faithfully,
Shooting-around-without-any-real-bullets
Marjaneh
To top
* IRI not a real republic
Everyone with a little brain knows that "Islamic Republic" is not a
real republic [Give
this republic a chance]. It is and was from day 1 the "dictatorship of the
Mollas", or as I used to call it in 1358 "dictatorship of Mollaria"
as most of the Iranian left also supported this phoney republic. We need a secular
Iran, be it "constitutional monarchy" or "republic", is secondary
for me.
Eventhough personally I believe that our route to secularism is much quicker through
Pahlavi monarchy, as Reza shah the great was the founder of modern and secular Iran,
and hence we can trust his grandson for this a lot more than anyone else. People
like Mr. Mirfendereski who support this murderous regime under the pretext of "republicanism"
are either complete idiots or on the payroll of the Mollas. Shame on all of them.
Kaveh
To top
* Government has nothing to do with it
It is regrettable that Mr. Kadivar ["Your beloved republic"]
has found it opportune to make fun of my French; only if my typewriter could do French
accents like his can [Give
this republic a chance]. Nevermind: I am baffled though at his declaration that
the Miserables is Victor Hugo's "most famous novel." I thought he should
mostly favor the "Hunchback of Notre Dame."
As for Voltaire's belief in a "Monarch eclaire," or Enlightened King, I
can only say enlightenment is a function of wattage and sometimes what is eclaire
in one culture does not obtain in another milieu, because of the difference in voltage!
As for what the republic is doing: The republican form of government has nothing
to do with it. It is the government in the republic that is doing what it is doing.
As for my "constant glorification of republicanism," well, what can I say,
it is hardly a match for the cacophonous choir that resounds from his shrill part
of the political spectrum. He is right in one regard: I do write well. Thank God.
Sincerely,
Guive Mirfendereski
Newton, USA
To top
* Your beloved republic
Bonjour, [Give
this republic a chance]
Sorry but look what your beloved republic is doing in the meantime. See here
and here.
You do write well and have arguments sir, but with all respect, and I know I shouldn't
react so emotionally but Mr. Mirfenderiski your constant glorification of republicanism
makes me itch and angry especially in todays context.
For your information Voltaire was a Constitutionalist who believed in the benefits
of a "Monarch éclairé" . He was therefore not against the
Monarchy unlike most of other "Lumière" intellectuals such as Jean
Jacques Rousseau.
While you cultivate your garden Sir, let me submit to your sagacity to the following
sentence from the "Miserables" Victor Hugo's most famous novel:
" je suis tomber parterre c'est la faute à Voltaire. Je suis tomber dans
le ruisseau c'est la faute à Rousseau" (" I am to fall down it is
the fault of Voltaire. I am to fall in the brook it is the fault of Rousseau ")
These were little Gavroche's last words before being Shot at the barricades in the
1948 revolution ...
regards,
Darius KADIVAR
Paris, FRANCE
To top
* Lawyers CAN write
Guive Mirfendereski's "Give
this republic a chance" has all the three elements that make a message persuasive:
it makes rational sense, it appeals to the senses, and it is being delivered by someone
with high personal credibility.
The argument is compelling because in a country like Iran, especially with Shiite
culture's affinity to charismatic leadership, it has taken much perseverence to institutionalize
elections -- however imperfect they have been -- as the principal venue for the expression
of public opinion. It is impossible to deny that, no matter where our individual
political preferences may lie.
The style of Mirefendereski's writing, in its lucidity and depth, should put to rest
once and for all the -- often true -- assertion that lawyers make poor writers. But
then he is no ordinary lawyer. He is a legal scholar with an abiding interest in
the key issues of our time, and the erudition to back it up.
The core of his personal credibility, beyond the books he has read, stems from the
fact that for two decades he has shown in word and deed that when Iranian talent
in America is actually allowed to blossom beyond the workaday demands of BMWs and
three-garage houses, when it manages to educate itself, it has the potential to bring
up and enlighten not only people of its own ilk, but many from many different lands
with whom it comes into contact.
Alidad Mafinezam
To top
* Dirt is on this man's car
Thanks for posting the "Haji
Be Em Ve" photos on Iranian.com . One question regarding the
photos below: wonder if this poor man knows the location of a near by car wash, and
if so, wonder if he realizes how badly he should take his car to it! Having that
much grime and dirt on a BMW somehow lessens the joy of owning and driving a BMW.
While driving a less than new model automobile is no shame, (actually, some automobiles
increase in value with age) but to leisurely drive a BMW around town with that much
grime and dirt on it, is a shame..... and an embarrassment. (wouldn't it be funny
if someone were to write with their finger in the dirt instead of "Wash Me"
but instead to write something such as "Honk if you love Jesus" or "Vote
for me as the next Shah" or "President of Keep Iran Clean and Beautiful
Committee" or "Cleanliness is next to Godliness")...... sorry, I just
kept laughing at how much dirt is on this man's car.
It reminds me of how occassionally in town there are those big 4 wheel drive trucks
and they are covered with mud - even the windshield has a thick layer of mud except
where the wipers cleared a visual opening for the driver. The mud is dried to a hard
crust so you know the mud has been on the vehicle for at least 24 hours as if they
actually WANT to drive around town so people will know they have been "4-wheeling
in the mud pits" (what an honor).
M. Barette
To top
* Why should we?
Mr. Guive, [Give
this republic a chance]
I have one question for you ñ why should we give this so-called republic a chance?
While you are enjoying your gardening, travels, and "intellectual" pursuits,
Iranians in Iran have given up their freedoms and human rights while this sham of
a "republic" has been at it (mullah-republicanism) for over 23 years.
I don't know what your agenda is, but I am surprised that you are not already living
in this paradise, or let's say developing republican paradise.
Shahla Samii
To top
* Qorboone marefatet
Your article about the Bahaiyan dar Iran was really nice and you deserve a DAMET
GARM phrase [Heechee
kam nadaaran]. Hamshahri vaqean k gol gofti. This
many years most of my friends or even my non Bahai relatives kept absolute silence.
Even out of ensaniyat they could express a little bit of hamdardi amma hyf k kasi
in shahamat ham az khodesh neshoon nadad. Shekayat nist vali ma az hamvatanane azizemoon
entezar darim. Dar har hal qorboone marefatet dadash befadat khodam saber.
Jena Hamadani
To top
* They won't go away on their own
Giving a democratic republic a chance in Iran is certainly a good idea for Iranians
[Give
this republic a chance], in fact the best idea, having looked at the examples
of other alternatives provided by history. However, to give it a chance doesn't mean
that its problems should be overlooked or simply dismissed. They won't go away on
their own and until they do, unsatisfactory leaders perforce will end up being removed
via violence and there will always be a threat of internal terrorism from opposing
political parties. First problem: If a certain unelected leader and his equally unelected
cronies can veto anything the people vote for, then it's not a true democratic republic.
The elected leaders (and by extension the people who elected them) have no real power
which makes voting simply a head-game and a very unfunny joke. Second problem: The
basic intolerance inherent in a strictly theocratic controlled system. This intolerance
frames every law and institution to favor adherents of one religion only, Shi-ism,
(based on the arrogant assumption that it is the only right one) and, as are many
religions, is quite stingy with that favor when it comes to women. Even so, it is
illegal to criticize the government or in any way express an opinion contrary to
its own.
What this amounts to, is in inability for the government to solve problems to the
satisfaction of the people it purports to serve, since, after all, if you can't admit
a problem exists or even look at it, how can you fix it? For non-adherents of the
preferred religion comes harassment and repression, no voice in government whatsoever
and many a trumped-up legal charge.
What this all amounts to, is a LOT of differing political groups and individuals
who feel personally persecuted and inclined to react violently to it. Hence, the
secular-inclined but terrorist MKO consists largely of very angry women who would
really just like basic civil rights. (I sympathize with their goals and can't help
but admire the fact that they've managed to build an army of their own, but can't
condone their using terrorism as their modus operandi - that's just wrong and a sure
sign of societal sickness).
The monarchists justifiably, reminisce over better conditions during the Shah's time
despite the fact that monarchy is unstable and doesn't usually manage to work well
for the people (as you pointed out). This is nostalgia and idealism working here,
not true people-power aspirations. As for the communists, I'm not sure I really understand
them, but guess they probably feel they will never get their due in life if resources
are not forcibly divided among the people.
As I am an American (3rd generation issue descended from Swedish, British, and Norwegian
immigrants), I am sure there is a lot about the motivations of Iranian political
factions I can't possibly understand. But there is a good reason that American versions
of most such factions don't tear our society apart.
We have basic civil rights built right into our constitution including the right
to practice whatever religion we choose. Reference "by the people, for the people,"
and the "life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness," clauses. Since there
was some ambiguity even there and bigotry exists even in ideal circumstances, we
have, over the years, added ant-discrimination amendments to the constitution and
to our laws. This is a dynamic system that grows in proportion to our consciousness
of problems and mostly without bloodshed.
This isn't like Iran's 1906 constitution if I understand it right (please correct
me if I'm wrong), which simply gave veto right to the mullahs over any law they felt
contrary to their religious beliefs. As for monarchy, there is no American-equivalent
faction for it. Our country was founded on its opposition to monarchy, the "Divine
(therefore capricious) Right of Kings," and anything whatsoever that wholly
removes power and responsibility from the people and places it in the hands of one
man - be he King or Supreme Leader or even President.
That aside, there's a product you can buy at most hardware or garden stores called
"Weed Be Gone" (I think that's the name). You can sprinkle on your garden
after you've thoroughly weeded it and your flowers and vegetables are already well
established. The stuff keeps new seeds from generating for an entire season, though
it won't stop whatever comes from a broken piece of root left in the ground (i.e.
dandelions, buttercups, and blackberries). Still, it does lighten up the need to
weed.
Debra Johnson
To top
* Bahai with Jewish and Muslim background
This was a great article and much needed [Heechee
kam nadaaran]. Thank you.
One of the reasons that majority of the Iranian people don't like the bahais, is
the fact that all Bahais at one time or another were Muslims or Jewish. I am a Bahai
person with Jewish and Muslim background/family members. Within my own family, I
see the problem with converting to another religion. It is almost as if they have
been betrayed or sold out by the family members converting to another religion.
I feel proud of my grand-grand parents for converting to the Bahai faith and creating
a better life/processes of thinking for me. It was not an easy task or a life style
to choose at that time. Regardless of the prosecution and the persecution Bahais
have endured, we all stray away from one of the major criteria of the religion, and
thats judgment. Thats how we continue to grow and blossem as a religion/school of
thought/culture?????
My only recommendation for everyone is, the independent investigation of truth. That
is among the top ten amendments of the Bahai faith. If we all did this, we would
have a much better world.
Thank you
Gina
To top
* Fighting to pove who's religion is best
Couldn't stop myself not writing to you after reading your article about (when
we are going to recognize the Bahai Faith) [Heechee
kam nadaaran]. Wish more people would think your
way.. At least.. we would surely have a better place to live with love and harmony...
Im a Bahai and i believe that since the basic of all religions (no matter what names
they are called and recognised with) are the same... then its a real big shame to
fight and try to prove who's religion is the best... all religions have come to fulfil
one single main goal and that is to make us live in peace and unity together as human
beings.. so..s houldn't we appreciate such a blessing and great honor and try to
make earth the real home for humanity???? since the real love is not in loving our
own countries only ..but to love the whole nations as one single family.
Regards.
Farah. R.
To top
* Recognizing injustice
Thank you for your piece [Heechee
kam nadaaran]. As an American Bahai I have only
been exposed to the martyrdom and persecution of Iranian (generally prefer the term
Persian) Bahai's second hand. Very interesting to hear perspective of a non-Bahai
seemingly average Iranian citizen. It seems that clearly the attempt to put out the
light of Baha'u'allah in Iran has failed miserably because clearly you know more
about the fundamentals (vaguely of course) than most Americans.
As a person I thank you for recognizing injustice and going out on a limb to question
your peers and raise awareness. I also wanted to point out that many customs of "eastern"
culture that "western" cultural looks down on (chador..lack of womens rights..etc)
are also fundamentally opposed to the teachings of the Bahai Faith. So in a sense
allowing Iranian Bahai's to live a "Bahai life" in Iran would require GREAT
social changes. Not a bad idea butÖ..from where I sit the opinion may be a bit bias.
-Jennifer
To top
* Need to do something
Good on you Mr Javid, [Heechee
kam nadaaran]
I agree that ordinary Iranians need to do something about this issue.
Regards,
T. Ehsani
To top
* Sad rahmat beh Khe'ya'boon-e- Ray
"Montreal
never sleeps" You said? Cut some slackss, Bro. Montreal, and the rest of
Canada as a matter of a fact, is a hole in the ground. A dump. As we say in my home-town:"SAG
HAM TU CANADA ZENDEGEE NEMEE'KONEH."
I live in the City of Brotherly-loved, Vegas, and you tell me about a shit place
called ... what the f...ck is the name?...o...yeah, Canada? Khe'ya'boon-e- Ray, south
of Tehran in the 1960's SAD RAH'MAT DAAREH BEH your Canada.
For ever, DON'YA VU DU JAA: AABODAAN -U- VEGAS.
Issa
UNLV
To top
* Gracias
Danke [Heechee
kam nadaaran]
Obrigado
Thanks
Merci
Cristiane Reys
To top
* Make home with whoever accepts me
I am impressed and shocked that someone (Non Bahai) actually took the time and
wrote that article [Heechee
kam nadaaran]. Did it ever occur to anyone that
when you treat a Bahai like a non Iranian how that Bahai would feel?
I am a Bahai and I am Iranian but to be honest, I can never identify myself as a
part of Iran. I hop from one place to another and make home with whoever accepts
me. The world has been extremely kind to me and so I thank my lucky stars that the
rest of the world exists.
May Tazehzadeh
To top
* Banning hairy men
In response to "Omberian
visa requirements", I wonder if our beloved George W has considered proposing
US legislation banning men with very hairy arms and chests from entering the US of
A? That would automatically exclude 99.9% of Iranian men and most other men of Middle
Eastern origin from ever getting US visas.
Katayoun Jarrah-Layegh
To top
* First time (openly)
Dear Sirs,
It was a very nice piece of writing [Heechee
kam nadaaran]. It is the first time I read something
criticizing the criminal way of Bahá'ís treatment in Iran, at least
openly.
Thanks
Ivone Félix Correia - Portugal
To top
* People who question
I liked your peice [Heechee
kam nadaaran]. It's people with open minds like
you, people who question why things are the way they are and not carry through life
like sheeps in a hurd that will change the world to a better peacefull place.
Just as an fyi Baha'u'llah is the founder of the Bahai religion.
Born in 1817, Bahá'u'lláh was a member of one of the great patrician
families of Persia. The family could trace its lineage to the ruling dynasties of
Persia's imperial past, and was endowed with wealth and vast estates. Turning His
back on the position at court which these advantages offered Him, Bahá'u'lláh
became known for His generosity and kindliness which made Him deeply loved among
His countrymen.
This privileged position did not long survive Bahá'u'lláh's announcement
of support for the message of
the Báb. Engulfed in the waves of violence unleashed upon the Bábís
after the Báb's execution Bahá'u'lláh suffered not only the
loss of all His worldly endowments but was subjected to imprisonment, torture, and
a series of banishments.
The first was to Baghdad where, in 1863, He announced Himself as the One promised
by the Báb. From Baghdad, Bahá'u'lláh was sent to Constantinople,
to Adrianople, and finally to Acre, in the Holy Land, where He arrived as a prisoner
in 1868.
From Adrianople and later from Acre, Bahá'u'lláh addressed a series
of letters to the rulers of His day that are among the most remarkable documents
in religious history. They proclaimed the coming unification of humanity and the
emergence of a world civilization.
The kings, emperors, and presidents of the nineteenth century were called upon to
reconcile their differences, curtail their armaments, and devote their energies to
the establishment of universal peace.
Bahá'u'lláh passed away at Bahjí, just north of Acre, and is
buried there. His teachings had already begun to spread beyond the confines of the
Middle East, and His Shrine is today the focal point of the world community which
these teachings have brought into being.
For more information you can visit www.bahai.org
Sincerely,
Kaveh Alexander Baghaee
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* Need to be fair
Your very entertaining column [Heechee
kam nadaaran] about the Bahais, was interesting to millions
of followers around the world, including myself.
As an American Bahai, I was attracted to the Bahai teachings for their high morals
and ethics and their view of humanity as a "progressing" species, capable
of peace and justice and respect for all culture and all belief. Indeed, the love
of Persian culture has been carried to nearly 200 nations by Iranian Bahais who wish
to share this very beautiful view of humanity with all who dwell on earth.
Now, Iranian Bahais are vastly outnumbered by indigenous Bahais who teach their children
that the future of the world can be hopeful. This ethic is one of the great "exports"
of Iran, and it is having a tremendously positive effect in communities in every
corner of the world. Thank you for calling the attention of your many readers to
the need to be fair in the judgement of the Bahais.
Kevin P. Smith
Toronto, Ontario
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* Like you being kicked out of the universe
Thank you for your article and your thoughts about the matter [Heechee
kam nadaaran]. It has actually kept my mind busy for quit sometime now. I had
to go through the Bahai books and the Islamic books that reject it to get some clue
what is this Bahai faith all about.
I am officially shi'a Moslem but I am not religious at all. In fact I don't believe
in many parts of it. however I did find out that Bahai faith cant be anything but
a big con. The con is defiantly harmful for Islam for all the reasons that you know
better than me. but is it really harmful for mankind and society, I don't think so,
at least not yet. Religions have been destructive only at the time they had power.
Otherwise every religion has a period of goody, goody look.
Few things I like to mention are that Bahai faith believes in a central religious
government. (it seems they like to put it in Haifa, Israel) I don't think you or
any other person at this time of civilization vote for that. The other thing is Bahais
approach to criticism. If you try to argue with them or try to make a dialog about
their religion if they can't convince or answer you they would label you as a person
who's heart is not open up to receive the message of god from his last profit and
lot of B.S. like that. The worst thing is their approach to breakers of the faith.
As you may know Bahais don't have big communities around the world. Ten here, hundred
there and if its somewhere popular maybe thousands people show up. When you are a
breaker none of these people would talk to you ever after! You feel like you have
been kicked out of the universe. I have read terrible stories about these people.
About bob and Baha's greatness I think it doesn't apply to bob at all. He was more
to the crazy side. Go read his books and find it for yourself.
I admit Baha was smarter and the smartest was Abdul Baha. He and Shoghi Afandi screwed
up quit a lot. Being central figures they were suppose to know everything but of
course they didn't. one thing you can check out was this homosexuals mater that was
brough up to shoghi afandi. He was totally against it and ignored them with harsh
words. Now the faith accepts gay Bahais. I think it comes with being open minded!
This was just to mention what I have found out about this goody, goody, sweet looking
religion.
You are very true about all the discrimination that they suffer in Iran. Its not
only Bahais though but I know that they suffer a big deal. I hope things change for
them.
A. N.
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* Minoo Samimi
Dear All,
I am a French writer and i'm looking for a woman named Minoo Samimi. I will explain
why to people who ask!
Lots of the best for all
Marie
See Part I
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