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If I were a Shiite
11-Sep-2008
[Reza Fani-Yazdi is an Iranian-American human rights activist and freelance writer who has published extensively on the plight of Iranians under the current regime. On 8 August 2008, he published the following article in the online Persian journal Iran-Emrooz: iran-emrooz.net. Fani-Yazdi is not associated with the Bahai community. Ahang Rabbani, translator.]
If I were a Shiite, if I were a high-ranking Shiite cleric, if I were sitting in the place of the object of emulation of the Shiites, then at the same time that I would love the Shiite creed, I would also think about humanity. My heart would ache over all the atrocities that have been done to people, Shiite or otherwise. And when I saw records of the barbaric tortures that have been carried out in the prisons of the Islamic Republic, tears would pour from my eyes.
At the same time, if I had any courage and had the rank of a religious cleric, if the craving for political power and the lust for the trappings of leadership had not blinded my eyes and turned my heart into a stone, I would do the same thing that Ayatollah Montazeri did in the 1980s, through his peerless bravery and without concern for the implications of his action on his own person.
When he acted, Ayatollah Montazeri was not a member of the Mujahedin,1 nor was he a supporter of any of the Marxist or leftist groups. He was one of the architects of the Islamic regime; he occupied the seat of the deputy Supreme Leader and the "hope of people and the Imam". But when he witnessed the slaughter carried out by the regime and the inhuman tortures in the nation's prisons and when he heard about the carnage taking place within the prison walls, then not only did his heart ache and his eyes weep, but he also loosened his tongue to strongly protest and oppose such tyranny.
He sacrificed his entire political position and future leadership in defense of human virtues. He defended the Mujahidin, who had cravenly assassinated his own son, as well as the communists and Marxists whom he had no reason to like and indeed may not have had any sympathies for at all. He condemned the regime's numerous massacres and the medieval tortures of that murderous decade. In carrying out his historic duty, in the strongest voice possible, he denounced the serial massacres of prisoners throughout the country which were taking place on the instructions of the powerful ruler of that time, Ayatollah Khomeini, and he deplored them as crimes against humanity, thereby parting company with the cruel and murderous leadership.
Ayatollah Montazeri denounced Khomeini's leadership at a time when no one else would dare complain about the vicious and murderous deeds of the "Imam". Many of those who today array themselves in opposition to the government, or who appear in the cloak of reform and who pretend that from birth they have been defenders of democracy and human rights, not only at that time, when Montazeri spoke courageously in denunciation of Khomeini, they did not utter a word against any of the criminal deeds of the regime and its leader. Indeed many of them closely collaborated with the regime in implementing those tyrannical and barbaric policies. Not only did they refuse to provide any support whatsoever to Ayatollah Montazeri, but in fact they arose in opposition to him, or with their calculated silence they aligned themselves with the murderers and thereby helped to further isolate and marginalize Montazeri.
The latest effort of Ayatollah Montazeri in defending the civil rights of the Bahais is yet more evidence of his historic bravery.2
The significance of his remarkable defense of the Bahai community and the civil rights of the Bahais is underscored even more when, even after his declaration, we still find only a handful of religious intellectuals who concur in supporting the civil rights of the Bahais. And the one or two who have found the courage to speak in support of the civil rights of the Bahai community have gained this courage after the brave pronouncement of Ayatollah Montazeri, as otherwise, most likely they would have continued with their deafening silence on this vital issue.
The defense by Ayatollah Montazeri of the Bahai community of Iran speaks of his deep commitment to human rights.
Whether as a Shiite cleric or from the position of a devoted Shiite, it is most evident that Ayatollah Montazeri has no sympathies towards the Bahai community or the followers of that religion. In fact, from his religious perspective and jurisprudential convictions, most likely he considers the Bahai Faith to be a wayward sect and an opponent and enemy of the Shiite creed.
Nevertheless, he has defended the civil rights of the Bahais of Iran, and has signified that they possess all the rights associated with such citizenship.
The historic import of this verdict is in the fact that during the past 150 years, not a single religious authority has shown the same courage in defending the rights of the Bahai, particularly at a time when the government in the name of "Islam" has devoted itself to the suppression of the followers of this religion.
Ayatollah Montazeri's defense is a new chapter in the acceptance of the civil rights of the Bahais, a right recognized by one of the highest religious authorities among Shiite centers. I don't know whether if I had been a high ranking cleric, or if I had been the source of emulation of the Shiites, or if I had been the deputy supreme leader of the nation, I would have had the courage, the humanity and the deep conviction in human virtues and human rights which prompted Ayatollah Montazeri to defend his imprisoned opponents. I don't know if I could have acted as nobly as he has.
As far as I recall, many leaders of political groups, many even among the rank and file, have become very happy about the suppression of their opponents at the hands of the Islamic regime. They have never complained when the principals of various parties and political groups were tortured in the most barbaric manner and dragged before sham television shows to confess to their "guilt".
Husayn-Ali Montazeri is among those rare figures in the contemporary history of Iran who has defended his adversaries, even has defended those who assassinated his own child. His defense of the Bahais and their entitlement to live and enjoy civil rights is yet another demonstration of his deep belief and his understanding of the rights of all people, including those with whom he disagrees.
If I Were a Muslim Lawyer
During all these years, as a courageous lawyer, Mrs. Shirin Ebadi has consented to defend those who have often been rejected as clients by other lawyers. She has time and again demonstrated this audacity.
Agreeing to defend the civil rights of the imprisoned Bahais is her latest courageous act.
However, because she decided to defend the imprisoned Bahais, the Security authorities have recently attempted, through the nation's official reporting agency, IRNA, to elevate the "cost" to her to the level of a charge of apostasy, in a filthy and malicious plot. In this official scheme, IRNA has announced that her daughter has become a Bahai and has then proceeded to claim that Mrs. Ebadi herself has also become a Bahai, and that it is her change of religion from Shiites to the Bahai Faith which has prompted her to defend the civil rights of the Bahais.
To neutralize this malicious campaign against her, Mrs. Ebadi announced in a press conference that she was a Shiite and proud of her adherence to that religion, but that she also would continue to defend the civil rights of the Bahais.
It appears that some friends have been annoyed that she has said that she is a Shiite and is proud of being a Shiite.
What would I do in this situation if I were a lawyer and a Muslim Shiite and at the same had enough courage and professional ethics, and if I was committed to defending the human rights of other citizens, would I defend the civil rights of the followers of the Bahai Faith?
Would I be willing, as a lawyer, to defend those who have been incarcerated on the grounds of being Bahais, particularly in a country in which Bahais enjoy no rights whatsoever?
Would I defend Bahais, when as their lawyer I stand accused by the official news organ of the nation, which is the voice of organized crime and of the dreaded security apparatus of Iran, of the charge of apostasy, and have been threatened with death?
And if I had the courage to defend the Bahais, would I remain silent in the face of an evidently false charge of apostasy by the security and intelligence agencies of the nation, or would I express my pride at being a Muslim who is willing to defend the civil rights of the Bahais?
I am not sure how many among us, if we lived in Iran, and were a Shiite (and actually believed in our religion!), and were a lawyer, and if our life was constantly threatened by both the official authorities and by their hired thugs, would continue like Mrs. Ebadi to defend the Bahais. There are hundreds, perhaps thousands, of Shiite lawyers in Iran, and very few of them would contemplate taking on such a case.
When Shirin Ebadi says she is a Shiite, she is not lying. She is a Shiite, in the same way that Ayatollah Montazeri is a Shiite. She has now agreed to defend the Bahais and their leaders in the courts of the Islamic Republic after three decades in which the silenced Bahais have been brutally suppressed, even though there are thousands of other lawyers and legal scholars in Iran.
Why shouldn't she express her pride at being a Shiite at the same time that she has arisen to defend the rights of the Bahais? Should the situation be as the publishers of the Kayhan Newspaper insist, namely, that if she wants to defend the Bahais then she must abandon her Shiite faith? Is it written somewhere that only the Bahais are allowed to defend the Bahais?
I can be a Jew and be proud that I'm a Jew. I can be a Christian and be proud that I'm a Christian. I can be a Shiite and be proud that I'm a Shiite. I can be a Bahai and be proud that I'm a Bahai. I can have no religion and be proud that I'm irreligious.
But at the same time that I am proud of my convictions, if I stood up to defend the rights of others, then I could also be proud of my humanity.
NOTES
(1) While more than one group in Iran have called themselves Mujahidin [holy warriors], the most famous is the People’s Mujahedin of Iran – currently an Iraq-based Islamic Socialist militant organization that advocates the overthrow of Iran’s present regime and believes that socialism and religion can live side by side.
(2) Reference here is to a religious ruling issued by Ayatollah Montazeri on 14 May 2008. The original text of this fatwa is available here:
In the Name of the Most High
With greetings,
The congregation of Bahais, not having heavenly books like those of the Jews, Christians, and Zoroastrians, is not considered one of the religious minorities in the constitution [of the Islamic Republic of Iran]. However, since they are citizens of this country, they have a right to the land and water, and to enjoy civil rights. Furthermore, they must benefit from the Islamic compassion which is stressed in the Qur’an and by the religious authorities.
God willing, you will be successful.
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love
by Mother of two teenagers (not verified) on Sun Sep 14, 2008 09:36 AM PDTBahai's in the world (America, Asia, Europe,Africa) don't go around with hatred in their hearts for rabbis, ministers, pastors and mullahs!!!
Thank you!
by Marco Oliveira (not verified) on Sun Sep 14, 2008 09:17 AM PDTThank you for your text Mr. Fani-Yazdi.
I translated to Portuguese several passages to my blog.
If I were a Shiite
by FFarshad (not verified) on Sun Sep 14, 2008 07:00 AM PDTI never thought I would see the day when a Muslims may speak out in defense of the rights of Baha'is. Until very recently I knew many Muslims who inspite of living abroad and being "broad minded" still would refer to the Baha'is as "Khodatun". Even the late Shah, when he met my father in Africa in the seventies used this word. I guess even mentioning the word Baha'i might have given it some form of legitimacy. The Iranians from the clergy, government officials on down, have for years hoped that by pretending that Baha'is do not exist maybe somehow in a miraculous way this entire "thing" will disappear. First with the martyrdom of the Bab it was hoped that the matter was settled once and for all. Then the decimation of the Babis didn't change the situation. The banishment and imprisonment of Baha'u'llah didn't extinguish its flame. The constant barrage of fabrication of lies and distortion of facts, the murder of hopeless and helpless individuals , and the constant harassment in school and workplace, if allowed to work and go to school, has not stopped the onslaught of the progress of this fledgling Faith. Thank you for your thoughts and help Mr. Montazeri and Mr.Fani Yazdi, but it is a little too late. The dammage has been done, It is too late in trying to salvage what is left of Shiism. My forfathers, 150 years ago in the cradle of Shiism,with no formal education in the sciences or divinity, with no access to internet, TV, libraries, universities, foreign media or even foreign nationals, had enough courage and insight to understand that there was a new wind blowing, that Islam had lived its course , and despite all the dangers sorrounding them, they wholeheartedly accepted what Baha'u'llah offered them as renewal of God's message and guidance for today's Global society.
your article
by Anonymous10 (not verified) on Sun Sep 14, 2008 06:35 AM PDTI am an American woman married for 45 years to an Iranian. For all these years, I have socialized with Iranian friends who were highly educated but abysmally ignorant and biased about religion, even about Islam itself. Their attitudes towards the Baha'i Faith reminded me of that attitudes of white Americans toward African-Americans in the 1950's. It is therefore with a deep appreciation that I read your article and see how contemporary Iranian thinkers are broadening and deepening the minds of their countrymen. Thank you.
Mr. Fani-Yazdi
by Nasser (not verified) on Sat Sep 13, 2008 06:39 PM PDT“In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”
- Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968)
Thank you Mr. Fani-Yazdi for speaking out the truth. May God bless you and your family for ever.
Regards Nasser
If I were a Shiite
by Phillip (not verified) on Fri Sep 12, 2008 10:51 AM PDTMr. Fani-Yazdi:
I loved the eloquence and feeling of your article. It is more than a statement -- it is a prose poem of a high order. Moreover, the feeling which it evokes, of high-minded compassion and empathy, is clearly one which elevates the spirit of human beings toward the realm of their Creator.
All other considerations aside, this quality in itself shows that your sentiments are correct and are in accordance with spiritual truth. You are not condemning so much as pointing the way toward a higher path, which is what the Qur'an and all real ideas from the mind of God intend to do for us -- for us all as one humanity. This is a human reality, for the believer or the atheist -- love and compassion are the highest truths.
Thank you.
Phillip
Mr.Fani Yazdi ...
by Mona 19 on Fri Sep 12, 2008 11:26 AM PDTThank you for your insight and humanity.
I hope and pray that these clouds of darkness that cover our beloved country pass away soon and we witness the sun of justice and equity shines brightly upon Iran and the warmth of fairness kindle in her heart again.
Warmest Regards,Mona ;)
(No subject)
by faryarm on Fri Sep 12, 2008 09:52 AM PDTToday's Critical Challenge to Any True Iranian Patriot.
by faryarm on Fri Sep 12, 2008 12:45 PM PDTDear Mammad
My comments were not made to prove any "superiority"or to any way push my personal beliefs; I don’t believe in superiority, and certainly as a Bahai, I see all humanity, its social and religious history as evolving and therefore don’t see Bahais in competition with Islam or any other religion. I believe as humans, we have one common spiritual foundation that has been slowly evolving.I see unfolding the eventual awakening of the Iranian people and realization of has been kept from them by the forces against progress and evolution, namely the Shia clergy.
Today the most critical challenge for the people of Iran, beyond the vicious circle of partisanship and rivalry, is to wake up to the merits of perhaps the most noble and progressive principles that over 150 years ago could have propelled them from the miserable medieval backwardness of the Qajar era to regaining their greatness as the descendants of Cyrus and the ideals of Zoroaster. Where would we be today as a nation?
If we had adopted those principles and taught them in our schools, how would the Iranian nation be regarded today by the rest of the world?
Would we have the same leaders? Would we be as divided and morally bankrupt as we have become?
The challenge to any open minded and true Iranian patriot remains to find ANY other ideology or social or spiritual , sprung fromIran, in the last 200 years that has so clearly and comprehensivelypredicted the plight of humanity in its future and so fully addressed ,outlinedand defined the road to not just a civil society but a Divine charter for Global co-existence and world unity as its goal, one awaited and promised in all of the world's religions, and in full affinity with the aspirations of the Persian heart and Soul.
Dear friends, once Iranians in general finally bring themselves to realise and validate the immensity of such a claim; only then can they begin to understand the passion with which Bahais love the cradle of their faith, their unrelenting resistance and steadfastness , that to this day has kept firm their resolve , even in the face of imprisonment, torture and death.
As early as 1875, Abdul Baha, the interpreteor of His father's teachings, wrote these words to His native land, iran; He was a prisoner and an exile in then Ottoman territory(Palestine), at a time when Iran was an ocean of poverty and ignorance. Its kings and ministers and religious leaders have been described as thoroughly corrupt and self serving. (sound familiar ?)
Some have argued that these words were the seeds for the great constitutionalist movement less than 50 years later:
"O people of Persia!
Look into those blossoming pages that tell of another day, atime long past. Read them and wonder; see the great sight. Írán in that day was as the heart of the world; she was the bright torch flaming in the assemblage of mankind. Her power and glory shone out like the morning above the world’shorizons, and the splendor of her learning cast its rays over East andWest. Word of the widespread empire of those who wore her crown reached even tothe dwellers in the arctic circle, and the fame of the awesome presence of her King of Kings humbled the rulers of Greece and Rome. The greatest of the world’s philosophers marveled at the wisdom of her government, and herpolitical system became the model for all the kings of the four continents then known. She was distinguished among all peoples for the scope of her dominion, she was honored by all for her praiseworthy culture and civilization. She wasas the pivot of the world, she was the source and center of sciences and arts,the wellspring of great inventions and discoveries, the rich mine of humanvirtues and perfections. The intellect, the wisdom of the individual members ofthis excellent nation dazzled the minds of other peoples, the brilliance andperceptive genius that characterized all this noble race aroused the envy ofthe whole world..."
O people of Persia!
Awake from your drunken sleep! Rise up from your lethargy! Be fair in your judgment: will the dictates of honor permit thisholy land, once the wellspring of world civilization, the source of glory andjoy for all mankind, the envy of East and West, to remain an object of pity,deplored by all nations? She was once the noblest of peoples: will you let contemporary history register for the ages her now degenerate state? Will youcomplacently accept her present wretchedness, when she was once the land of allmankind’s desire? Must she now, for this contemptible sloth, this failure to struggle, this utter ignorance, be accounted the most backward of nations? Were not the people of Persia, in days long gone, the head and front of intellect and wisdom? Did they not, by God’s grace, shine out like the daystar from the horizons of Divine knowledge? How is it that we are satisfiedtoday with this miserable condition, are engrossed in our licentious passions,have blinded ourselves to supreme happiness, to that which is pleasing in God’s sight, and have all become absorbed in our selfish concerns and the search for ignoble, personal advantage?
Full Text English
//reference.bahai.org/en/t/ab/SDC/sdc-1.html
Full text Persian
sdc-fa-pdf.zip
I ask serious and courageous people to consider this challenge and consider the social and religious consequences and the effects on our society over 150 years ago; of what could have been its effect in eradicating the effects of what in the Bahai writings is refered to as “the paralyzing influences of an antiquated, fanatical, and outrageously corrupt clergy,..”
If the people of iran had been allowed to be exposed to even just ONE of the Bahai principles:
The Independent Investigation of Truth.
Faryarm
(No subject)
by faryarm on Fri Sep 12, 2008 09:50 AM PDTThank you Mr Fani:
by Tahirih on Fri Sep 12, 2008 08:15 AM PDTTHOSE divines … who are truly adorned with the ornament of knowledge and of a goodly character are, verily, as a head to the body of the world, and as eyes to the nations. The guidance of men hath, at all times, been and is dependent upon these blessed souls. ~ Bahaullah~
Ahmed From Bahrain
by Anonymous Observer (not verified) on Fri Sep 12, 2008 06:04 AM PDTNicely put. Very nice post. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
If I were a Shite
by Ahmed from Bahrain on Fri Sep 12, 2008 04:19 AM PDTWell I am yet I never held any grudges against other ethnic minorities in Bahrain. I knew a few Bahai families in the sixties, as well as a few Jewish Bahraini families. They were all like us and a large number of them, including Sunnis, would visit our Hussainia and eat the free food, converse and basically have a good social night out!!
It has made me outgrow all that. Now I am a citizen of this universe and everyone else is just like myself, another citizen of this universe, doing their time in this world, each according to their own free well. Except most have their free will dictated to them by their upbrining, religious norms and society; all of which have been inherited from previous generations. We have stopped thinking for ourselves.
I admire people who choose to break from these bonds but never aim to offend another human being, since this is the only way that we can break old cycles and still be able to carry with us those who are around us. The path of least resistence. That is pure love in action.
Persians have the ability to see this readily. It makes me wonder whay are they taking so long to take leadership of their own lives??
Ahmed from Bahrain
Good article!
by Omid255 (not verified) on Fri Sep 12, 2008 04:15 AM PDTLoved it.
Koran XXIII.90
by Jamshed Fozdar (not verified) on Fri Sep 12, 2008 12:52 AM PDTKudos to Fani-Yazdi but even more so to Faryarm for
"hitting the nail on the head"!
"There is one impurity greater than all impurities.
Ignorance is the greatest impurity"(Buddha)."There
be none so blind as those who refuse to see"(Jesus).
While they too,were sent the Truth S.XXIII.90,most
Muhammadam leaders, whether sunni or shia have for
centuries corrupted the meaning and intent of their own holy book and therefore invited and unfailingly
received Allah's chastisement as promised in S.V.67.
They have continued to plot against Allah, despite knowing that Allah is the Greatest Plotter.His Plot for which there is "a fixed time" will soon unfold completely upon their heads and from His terrible
wrath "there will be no shelter".
Jamshed Fozdar
Thank you Mr. Fani, you are
by shadman (not verified) on Fri Sep 12, 2008 12:39 AM PDTThank you Mr. Fani,
you are among the few Iranian intellectuals that truly deserve the name. Many of our compatriots are fond of human rights, but when mention of Bahaism is made, they show the depth of their "Shi´-itoxication" (Shiezadegi) by either remaining silent or by submitting to the same old conspiracy theories like Bahais being Zionists. Seriously, nobody believes that anymore.
Faryarm
by Mammad on Thu Sep 11, 2008 06:58 PM PDTWith all due respect and much sympathies for my Bahai compatriots and the injustice done to them, this is not the time to score points about the supposed superiority of any religion, or proving anything else about my religion or yours. This is time to defend everybody's right to practice his/her religion as a private affair, regardless of what we feel or think of others' religion.
Some day, when we have a democratic government in Iran, debates such as what you suggest may happen. Until then, let's support courageous people such as Ayatollah Montazeri and Shirin Ebadi, for the stance that they have taken, which few other people living in Iran, if any, are willing to take.
And, thank you Mr. Fani Yazdi.
Mammad
In Praise of Iran and Reza Fani-Yazdi
by Don Hawley on Thu Sep 11, 2008 06:09 PM PDTI found your defense of Baha'i rights very laudable. I am a twelvth generation American married to a lady from Iran. My brother learned to read, write, and speak Farsi as an officer in the US army and served there for two tours of duty. We are both admirers of Iranian culture and history. I have been to Iran and toured about it with admiration.
It is sad for me to realize that the Iranian shiite community has debased Islam in the view of my fellow Americans by their actions which are so inimical to the lofty ideals of Islam. As a Baha'i, I find myself in the position of defending Islam to my fellow Americans. Is it not strange that I, as a Baha'i of fifty-seven years, must be put into a position of trying to "sell" Islam to people when those I am defending are persecuting my fellow Baha'is in Iran? Is it not strange that I, as a former Christian, must continue to defend the Holy Quron and Islam when those who profess to be Muslims are prostituting the name of Islam at a time when the world needs to respect Islam and the Quron?
Does Allah need people to maintain the efficacy of His Word in Islam by blind brutality? Or is the Word of the Quron sufficient in and unto Itself? Why are the Shiie people of Iran (and many other places) afraid of the truth? Do they not have confidence in the power of the WORD itself? I, as a Baha'i, have full confidence in the WORD of Baha'u'llah and am not afraid to debate this issue with anyone. If no one wants to listen, so be it. But if they want to listen, why should I be afraid of their reaction. It is not up to me as to how they react. It is up to Allah. Praise be His Name.
Excellent article
by 11101932 (not verified) on Thu Sep 11, 2008 05:09 PM PDTPeople like you, sir, are the pride of Iran. Children of Cyrus and the best of our people. Only a noble person would rise to the defense of what is right. And, you sir, certainly qualify as a noble being. Why else would you spend your time in defense of "others?"
Great article
by Ali Najafi (not verified) on Thu Sep 11, 2008 04:02 PM PDTI enjoyed reading this piece. Thanks for your contribution.
You miss the point
by Asghar_Massombagi on Thu Sep 11, 2008 03:28 PM PDTThe point is not the initiation of an "inter-faith" dialogue between the Shi'a and the Baha'is. That may happen in the future, although to expect a traditional Shi'a clergy to advocate it is frankly not fair at this point in time. Montazeri's emphasis on the Bahai's civil rights is a lot more subtle and significant than those believers (such as faryam, although I’m guessing) who are seeking justification for their, in their mind, superior faith. Montazeri's defence of the Bahai's civil rights points to his acceptance of the citizenship rights over religious righteousness. That places him in clear defence of modernity. He is in effect rejecting, albeit mildly, the concept of ummat in favour of the concept of nation. Note that in his decree he's not just asking for traditional Islamic compassion but advocating the right of citizenship. There is a very important difference there. This is consistent with the positions he has taken in the past twenty years vis-a-vis the rights of prisoners and his advocacy of a primarily non-political role for the clergy.
Ayatollah Montazeri and Courage...
by faryarm on Thu Sep 11, 2008 02:24 PM PDTRemarkable as Ayatollah Montazeri's historic statement may be; It would have been infinitely more remarkable if he in addition to his statement about civil rights for the Bahais, had asked for the opportunity for the Bahais to publicly, whether on TV, Radio or newspapers respond, discuss, debate with high ranking clerics, may be even the Grand Ayatollah himself, the underlying scriptural reasons, and the reasons why the Shia hierarchy do not accept The Revelation of Baha'u'llah and His writings as the latest chapter in God's spiritual guidance for mankind.
Although the very core of the early believers of the Bab and Baha'u'llah were the ranking scholars of Islam in Iran, like Siyyid Yahya Darabi, who was Muhammad Shah Qajar's most trusted chief religious advisor; not to mention or Mírzá Abu'l-Fadl, He was Born in 1844 in Gulpáygán, Iran, to a family of Muslim religious scholars, at thirty Mírzá Abu'l-Fadl was the master teacher of a Tehrán religious seminary. After years of rejecting the Bahá'í Faith, he was moved to study it after an encounter with a humble Bahá'í blacksmith. In 1876, Abu'l-Fadl became a Bahá'í and devoted the rest of his life to teaching, travelling and writing about the Bahá'í Faith. His acceptance of The Bahai faith cost him much sacrifice and suffering , including imprisonment and torture.
This surely proves to the casual, secular or non religious observer that there is a definite religious case for some of Islam’s greatest minds to have accepted the message of the Bab and Baha’ullah and in most cases given their life in its path.
So for the sake of argument for those not familiar with the facts; could it be that the power hungry Shia clerics are either too clever or afraid to allow such public examination of Bahai history and teachings; are they just not that well read? or are they simply too afraid of a fair public face to face debate between a high ranking Shia Cleric/scholar and a Bahai? ...to once and for all settle the matter and to prove their case against Bahais..if any.
Obviously i doubt that will never happen, because historically they simply have never been able to win the argument fairly; the proof being. - The many former Shia clerics who were able to examine the historical and scriptural proofs of the Quran and the many references to the never ending divine guidance from God, in the form of new prophets after Muhammad and the central and often misinterpreted verse "seal of prophets". Not being able to win the religious argument, they have resorted to outright brutal persecution and savagery and rejection of the Bahai Faith based on monumental lies and branding the Bahais as a foreign inspired political group. This simple tactic has thus protected them from the pressure to engage the Bahais on scriptural grounds.
I have my suspicions that there definitely exists a class of perhaps young and untainted well meaning cleric who at least has honestly and objectively studied authentic Bahai writings and has formed a secret opinion; one which which will enable him to eventually come out of the woodwork.
Will Ayatollah Montazeri, in all his wisdom and knowledge, in the culminating years of of his earthly life be able to stand for the Bahais to be given the public platform in a Nationally televised debate between Iran's foremost Shia scholar and even a regular well read Bahai, a fair and decent chance to logically prove the Ayatollah's statement:
"The congregation of Bahais, not having heavenly books like those of the Jews, Christians, and Zoroastrians, is not considered one of the religious minorities in the constitution [of the Islamic Republic of Iran]."
as fundamentally incorrect and flawed, That Bahas are indeed a worldwide religious community whose teachings and principles are the very fulfillment of all that is promised in all previous Holy Books as well as the Holy Quran.
After all, what are they afraid of? if they allow such open discussion, they prove to the populace their confidence in their own beliefs and leadership.
The question is how confident are the Ayatollahs?
Mr. Fani-Yazdi
by Kaveh Nouraee on Thu Sep 11, 2008 12:49 PM PDTExcellent article, sir, especially the last two paragraphs.
It underscores the painful fact that humanity is a commodity that is in very short supply.
توطئه کثیف ??
Khadem (not verified)Thu Sep 11, 2008 12:41 PM PDT
جناب فانی یزدی
ایا اینکه ا یرنا به دختر عبادی گفته که او بهایی شده یک توطئه کثیف است
???!!!
"خانم عبادی در مصاحبهای رسما برای خنثی کردن این توطئه کثیف اعلام کردند که ایشان شیعه بوده و به شیعه بودن خویش افتخار میکند، و درهمان حال از شهروندان بهائی نیز دفاع می کنند."
//www.iran-emrooz.net/index.php?/politic/more/16525/
با احترام
ایرانی از بروکسل
If I were . . .
by Soroush (not verified) on Thu Sep 11, 2008 11:45 AM PDTDear Reza,
Thank you for an excellent and logical essay. We are fortunate that our culture still possesses men and women who display their humanity through their deeds as well their words, both written and spoken, with conviction.
Human Rights!
by Persian forever! (not verified) on Thu Sep 11, 2008 11:44 AM PDTبنی آدم اعضای یک پیکرند، که در آفرينش ز یک گوهرند
چو عضوى به درد آورد روزگار، دگر عضوها را نماند قرار
تو کز محنت دیگران بی غمی، نشاید که نامت نهند آدمی
"Of one Essence is the human race,
Thusly has Creation put the Base;
'
One Limb impacted is sufficient,
For all Others to feel the Mace."