How interesting it is to see that contradictions are boiling in Iran in all matters.
Bahais are the largest religious minority in Iran with an official population of 300,000 members and many many more who have become Bahais but, for their own safety, have not registered. In other words, any individual who believes Bahaullah is the Manifestation of God for today and believes in all the other past religions and believes that the teachings that Bahaullah has brought to humanity are the healing message to the world is actually a Bahai.
The concept of Human Rights is a vague one in Iran and is hardly being practiced in any aspect of lives of the people in society. Because of this Bahais suffer – as do others. Others such as the those who want to bring knowledge to the minds of the people, be it journalists, university students and teachers, women who have realized they have rights which have been hidden from them, and many others.
Bahais all around the world, with the population of 5 and half million, are trying hard to see how they can, based on the teachings of Bahaullah, learn to live and make the world a better place. Their motto is as Bahaullah said: “All men have been created to carry forward an ever-advancing civilization.”
Elsewhere we learn that for that to be realized by all of us we need education – spiritual education, material education, and human education. This is beautifully exemplified in a series of courses which Bahais worldwide are going through and inviting others to participate in. These are the so called “Ruhi courses”.
In the very first of the series one learns that “The betterment of the world can be accomplished through pure and goodly deeds“. This is the very first quotation that a group of people who decides to go through the course discuss with each other.
Later they learn “Truthfulness is the foundation of all human virtues.” and then they discuss what other virtues there are and why truthfulness is the foundation. Later in this course there is a section about what prayer actually is. And we learn that according to the Bahai writings it is a loving conversation with God, the sweetest state in the whole creation and quoting the Prophet Mohammad: ”it is a ladder with which soul ascends to the spiritual world.”
Nearly two weeks ago another Bahai cemetery was vandalized by ignorant men in Iran. This time in Semnan. They also scribbled some graffiti: “Down to Bahais, down to Ruhi courses!” [photos ]
To them I have a kind invitation to just learn what the Ruhi courses are about. To those men who are so full of fear that they cannot even see the grave of a Bahai, I reach out my hand and ask you to sit down and be calm for a few moments and reflect on what you are doing. Have you ever sat down to reflect? Are you Muslims who recite your obligatory prayers 3 times every day? Are you people who wash your faces and hands before your prayers?
I suggest that you look in the mirror right above the water basin and look into your own eyes and connect to your soul… and let your prayer be a real one such as that one in the scriptures of Islam which Bahais also quote from. We love the Prophet Mohammad. We love Islam. Do you?
