I’m grateful to a “Anonymouz”, a reader, who forwarded an informal chat with a Baha’i youth living in Iran. The youth gave their permission for their conversation with Anonymouz to be made public (omitting his name).
My comment regarding the equal susceptibility of Baha’i youth in Iran to the same societal pressures as other youth upset a few fellow Baha’is. We seem to have an idealized picture of Baha’i youth as spotless “Supermans”, somehow remaining pure even while swimming in the foulest muck. While I don’t doubt that there are Baha’i youth in Iran who do fit that bill, I also acknowledge that they are for the most part, human, just like you and I.
Being young and living in a very harsh and restrictive atmosphere, it is only natural that they “rebel”. This is true for religious youth or those who have no real religious identities or beliefs. Such pressures are even more pronounced when the ideals of the Baha’i Faith are heaped upon them and to top it off! the constant and growing pressure of potential religious persecution.
Depression is rampant among the Iranian youth. So is drug abuse and other activities not suitable for explicit mention in a family friendly blog. In any case, I hope that my characterization of the unfortunate situation in the Cradle of the Faith is not misconstrued by some as an attack on the precious Baha’i youth in Iran but rather as even more reasons why they deserve to exit and live in a free and just society.
What follows is an informal, somewhat rambling “chat”. I’m sure your honors will forgive Anonymouz for leading the witness. The Baha’i youth in Iran, whoever he or she is, does offer some interesting information. Finally, I should also mention that I simply take Anonymouz on his/her word and have no way to verify if s/he did indeed have this conversation with a Baha’i in Iran. Enjoy and please keep the Baha’is of Iran in your thoughts and prayers.
[START DOCUMENT]
Baha’i youth in Iran: allah u abha Mr …!!!!
Me: Allah’u’Abha!
Me: Chetori agha [how are you]
Baha’i youth in Iran: mamnoon [thankful]
Baha’i youth in Iran: tnx
Baha’i youth in Iran: khosh migzare??? [good times?]
Me: sareh kar’am [im at work]
Me: khastegee [tierd]
Baha’i youth in Iran: oo then I shouldn’t disturb you
Me: No please
Me: its ok
Baha’i youth in Iran: ooo
Baha’i youth in Iran: ok
Me: I work online
Me: with an internet company
Baha’i youth in Iran: @-)
Baha’i youth in Iran: O my God
Me: Haha
Me: tell me something
Baha’i youth in Iran: about???
Me: Ayatollah Montazeri
Me: what does the Baha’is think of his fatwa?
Baha’i youth in Iran: they like it
Baha’i youth in Iran: about this man.. I should say that after KHomeini he was the leader of Iran
Me: I know
Baha’i youth in Iran: ok about this fatwa
Me: but it seems the government became more angry
Baha’i youth in Iran: yes they are always angry with any thing that stand against them
Baha’i youth in Iran: but they can’t do any thing about Mr montazeri
Baha’i youth in Iran: because he is the most important ayyatollah after khameneyi(our dear leader:x)
Me: I see
Me: tell me something else
Me: do Baha’i youth party a lot in iran?
Baha’i youth in Iran: oh no
Me: like other young people?
Baha’i youth in Iran: all of them are leaving iran
Baha’i youth in Iran: no
Baha’i youth in Iran: we can not do very important doings
Me: javanan dar iran behtar as javoona degar neestan? [young people in Iran are better behaved than other?]
Baha’i youth in Iran: I don not know realy
Me: masalan rajeba [for example regarding] drinking and drugs
Baha’i youth in Iran: but if one of us has aproblem that we can do something for him we do any thing
Baha’i youth in Iran: ooo
Baha’i youth in Iran: no most of them never drink
Me: man fekr meekonam ke javanon [I think that the youth] Bahai are well behaved
Baha’i youth in Iran: but some of them smoke cigarette
Me: thats no big deal
Me: not against baha’i faith
Baha’i youth in Iran: oooo
Baha’i youth in Iran: yes
Baha’i youth in Iran: most of the bahai youth are the best people on the earth
Me: vali az nazreh man kheili beshtar as musalmoon o massiyeh o yahudi behtaran [but in my opinion they really stand out against the muslim, christian and jewish]
Me: karanash [in the behavior]
Me: harf zadan [in their speech]
Baha’i youth in Iran: albate [of course]
Baha’i youth in Iran: ok did u ever travel to Iran???
Me: in the future, I want to travel or live abroad
Baha’i youth in Iran: one month 2 month???one year??
Me: zendegee [for life]
Me: yeh soaleh degeh daram [I have another question]
Baha’i youth in Iran: ask it
Baha’i youth in Iran: please:P
Me: beshtareh as javoonaan dar Iran, ba ham degeh ziyad doreh ham’an ? [do most of the youth in Iran hang out together]
Me: Bahaiyah
Baha’i youth in Iran: 2 years ago yes because we had gathering like youth gathering ang teenagers gathering..picnics and……….
Baha’i youth in Iran: but we c
Me: femeekonam nafahmeedee [I dont think you got it]
Me: =-)
Baha’i youth in Iran: chera fahmidam [yes I understood]
Me: beeshtareh doostat Bahai hastan? [are all your friends Baha’is?]
Baha’i youth in Iran: no I have both Bahai and cristian and muslim friends
Me: and they all know you are Bahai?
Baha’i youth in Iran: yes
Me: They know Bahais do not drink or smoke opium?
Baha’i youth in Iran: I found a new friend which is zoroastrian:d
Baha’i youth in Iran: she is a girl:P
Me: doost’at meedoon’an keh shoma va javoonan’eh Baha’i taryak va mashrugh nemekhoran? [your friends know that you and other bahai youth dont smoke or do drugs?]
Baha’i youth in Iran: yes
Baha’i youth in Iran: but they can not belive
Me: fekr meekonee keh javoonan bahai degar hameen toreh? [I think most of the youth are in similar]
Baha’i youth in Iran: no:( some of them drink
Baha’i youth in Iran: and it makes the face of some of bahai comunities dark
Me: vali beeshtarehshoon nemikon’an [but most of them dont]
Baha’i youth in Iran: 90%:(
Me: 90% meekonan ya nimikonam? [90% drink or dont drink]
Baha’i youth in Iran: dont drink
Me: khoobeh [thats good]
Baha’i youth in Iran: how about bahai’s in america
Me: dar america va europe paeentareh [in america and europe its lower]
Me: vali 90% khayli khoobeh [but 90% is really good]
Baha’i youth in Iran: naaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
Baha’i youth in Iran: it is horrible
Me: khoobeh ke ino fekrmeekonee [its good that you think this]
Baha’i youth in Iran: we shouldn’t have any drink in bahai’s
Me: I agree
Me: zee’ad doost dokhtar o doost pesar bazi hast dar jashneh Bahai? [ is there a lot of boyfriend girl friend stuff with Baha’is]
Me: to iran
Baha’i youth in Iran: :-O na baba
Me: ajab [amazing]
Me: fekrmeekonee keh injooriyeh dar har shahr? [is it like this in most cities?]
Baha’i youth in Iran: all the cities
Baha’i youth in Iran: if they have, they have a muslim one:d
Me: ajab [amazing]
Me: I read in the news that a new website will be created that it is anti-Bahai
Me: in Iran
Baha’i youth in Iran: 
I didn’t hear about this
Me: [site link]
Baha’i youth in Iran: ok it is a usual thing in iran
Me: well thats ok then
Me: no big deal
Baha’i youth in Iran: even the flea doesn’t bite us
Baha’i youth in Iran: a proverb
Baha’i youth in Iran: we have thick skins
Me: har sol fekrmeekonee chand nafr musalmoon Bahai meeshan? [how many muslims become Baha’is each year]
Baha’i youth in Iran: till last year 10 to 12 or less but from last year 60 or 70
Baha’i youth in Iran: or more:D
Me: wow
Me: why do you think?
Baha’i youth in Iran: because of the siyuation of iran and the people who are tired of lie
Baha’i youth in Iran: situation
Me: VEVAK spies on Bahais?
Baha’i youth in Iran: what is vevak????
Baha’i youth in Iran: like cia?
Me: Vezarat-e Ettela’at va Amniat-e Keshvar [successor to SAVAK]
Baha’i youth in Iran: yes
Baha’i youth in Iran: they controll our phones
Baha’i youth in Iran: and mobiles
Me: how do you know?
Me: can you hear them?
Baha’i youth in Iran: the record some of our speech
Baha’i youth in Iran: 
Baha’i youth in Iran: they arrest yaran [de facto NSA] last year and show them some aoff party films of marriage and let them to listen to some of that recordings that show them that we have a bad comunity
Me: but recording a wedding is not bad
Baha’i youth in Iran: yes we know…….but some of bahai women and girl can not control them selves and wear some dresses which make this kind of problems
Me: I see
Me: But Muslims are worse
Me: in this case
Baha’i youth in Iran: I know that all people are free in this subjects but in iran ……….you know thw situation
Baha’i youth in Iran: ooo
Baha’i youth in Iran: thay are awful
Me: Can you tell me something that happend to you
Baha’i youth in Iran: because they have less freedom than bahais or cristian or hebrews
Baha’i youth in Iran: about this controlls????
Me: harrassment
Me: yes
Baha’i youth in Iran: I hadn’t any problems but big bahai’s like yarane iran have
Baha’i youth in Iran: they make problems for us but not very bad and big problems
Me: What can American Baha’is do to help?
Baha’i youth in Iran: they can report this problems too their friends and show them that the love of baha is so powerful and help them to know baha
Me: When Beit’ul Adl [UHJ] wrote that letter to javoonaneh Iran
Me: how was it received?
Baha’i youth in Iran: which one?:D
Me: haha
Baha’i youth in Iran: about university???
Me: It was very public
Baha’i youth in Iran: or the last one??????
Me: like 2 years go
Baha’i youth in Iran: wow
Me: let me find it…
Baha’i youth in Iran: we gathered
Baha’i youth in Iran: I think
Baha’i youth in Iran: because when we had a message from universal .. we gathered and studied that
Baha’i youth in Iran: [site link]
Baha’i youth in Iran: it is a link
Baha’i youth in Iran: so funny
Me: Chee ast?
Baha’i youth in Iran: if you can read farsi
Baha’i youth in Iran: it is so funny
Me: roo sedah
Baha’i youth in Iran: no no
Baha’i youth in Iran: you should read it
Me: I need to read more in Persian
Baha’i youth in Iran: ok
Baha’i youth in Iran: you it is a conversation between an akhond and a girl
Me: haha
Me: akhondha kheli kharan [mullahs are very dumb]
Baha’i youth in Iran: the girl is khartar [dumber]
Baha’i youth in Iran: the girl asked the akhoond [mullah] if the presenter in Tv said salam we should answer it or not????=))
Me: hahahah
Me: Me: ok
Me: time for a break
Me: I will be back in 15 minutes
Baha’i youth in Iran: maybe I leave the net ok??
[END DOCUMENT]
I should also note that it was edited, because the conversation was much longer and touched on all kinds of stuff, I deleted out the fluff…most of it =-)
I would tend to agree there is certain “leading” in this chat and it is only the word of (1) youth. Nevertheless my prayers are with all the Bahai’s in Iran.
Yes it is just one person. The questions seem leading because the whole chat is not shown.
anonymouz, I don’t doubt your sincerity, if you wish to put up the complete transcript that’s not a problem. I only posted what you gave me.
But even with all the “leading” this interesting tidbit slipped out:
Let him who is not a sinner cast the first stone.
I said from the beginning no one is perfect.
But I do feel that his attitude is widely knowledge as the reputation of the Baha’is.
Funny how you should point out the negative in the whole things…why not quote something like
Baha’i youth in Iran: but if one of us has a problem that we can do something for him we do any thing
This just makes me smile =-)
Yes, you’re right. There are many wonderful Baha’is in Iran. The reason why I pointed out that specific quote is not to highlight the negative but because I was being drawn and quartered here by a guest of mine for saying pretty much the same thing that your friend said. But of course, she is now completely absent in light of this!
By the way, I’d love to see anyone last half a second writing anything a tenth as negative towards GWD on his blog as what has been written here towards me. The difference is that here the comments stand and I welcome them as part of a dialogue.
Over there? Well, lets just leave it and move on.
GWD?
George Wesley Dannells of bahaiviews.net and latterly also of defenseoffaith.net If you disagree with him, you’re not advancing the Cause of God. But then he just follows you around. Creepy.
Steve, I had no idea George had set up that other blog. I gather George feels he is somehow doing “good” by engaging in ad hominems, backbiting and libel against me but of course he is welcome here any time to comment on anything I’ve written and join in with everyone in the consultation. I’d be happy to exchange ideas and answer questions he may have. And he doesn’t have to agree with me. Unlike him I don’t censor people who don’t share my opinions.
Baquia, I think you might want to check this out:
defenseoffaith.net/2008/06/02/on-what-bugs-opponents-of-the-bahai-faith-any-talk-about-children/#comment-3
It would be funny if it weren’t so sad. I left a comment, but he’ll probably censor it.
I wrote:
Your argument, like the example below, is fallacious.
You have not written about the plight of children orphaned by the AIDS epidemic in Africa. Your omission of said topic is, therefore, an indication of your less than reputable intentions.
Also, your characterization of bahairants.com as part of an organized movement opposing the Bahai Faith is false and misleading, and your conflation of the aforementioned with the Hojjatieh is absolutely slanderous.
In the comments section of the above link…
George Wesley Dannells said…
Yes, Anon, Baha’i Rants appears to be at the top of the heap for anti-Baha’i sentiment, the most representative blog produced by members of the coalition of opponents of the Faith that constitute this “Internet anti-Baha’i society.”
CoL, well, I’d rather not to be honest. I know what you’re referring to. I think someone else pointed it out to me when it was published. I think it is truly sad, not in an insulting way ’sad’, but just that, sad. Lamentable.
I would also kindly request that you not bother George. He doesn’t appreciate any person who doesn’t hold the same convictions as him and he can be really hostile. There is no need to provoke him - I know you may not have meant it that way but that is sadly the way he may interpret your comment.
What you wrote may further cement his conviction that there is a “cabal” out there plotting and scheming. Or worse yet in his conspiracy filled haze convince himself that it was me who wrote that comment. Believe me, George is a very… ummm… sensitive person.
Of course, as I mentioned above, if he ventures here he is welcome as any fellow Baha’i.
Hmmm…
I just noticed that you had addressed this guy in one of your earlier comments above…so none of this is news to you then.
Baquia, I think I posted my last comment just as you posted yours.
Everything you said, duly noted!
Thank you. I appreciate your understanding and kindness.
And by engaging in some some unwarranted slurs against Anonymouz, too:
That’s the problem, Anonymouz. You start to have real dialogue with the “Internet Anti-Baha’i Society” and WHAM! you’re suspected by others of being part of the oppositional coalition.
ka kite
Steve
Well, he is, Steve. Don’t you remember?
Last week he brought the snacks to the ultra secret meeting… ooops!
I have said too much!
I shouldn’t have posted that chat. It is causing unnecessary friction and has been taken out of context.
PS- I am an enrolled Baha’i who lives in an active A cluster which I try humbly to assist.
What you’re experiencing is the slurs, fabrications and misrepresentations we “Internet Anti-Baha’i Society” members experience every day. Your posting of the chat didn’t cause the friction. An inappropriate and baseless assertion about your motives from George Wesley Dannells caused the friction.
My advice is that you not allow a highly imaginative but misguided zealot — who has no authority — to dictate to you what you will or will not do.
kia kaha,
Steve
I wonder how that will look on my resume of qualifications on comment of the BF.
And to think that some Bahai’s actually think I have malice in me… too funny.
Hi Bird,
You write:
When you use the Internet, you leave tracks. And when you visit self-evidently malicious sites like this one, it’s clear that you harbour malice within you.
As George Wesley Dannells said, with reference to another marginal:
I’m sorry, but that’s just the way it is.
warmest Baha’i love
Steve
I have never had a voice anyone really cares to listen to anyway Steve. I am a nothing more then a trouble causer… and along with you I am sorry too.
Aloha ke Akua -Bird
Awww, don’t be sad Bird. Just think, the early Bahais and Babis were rable-rousers, trouble makers, standing against established norms, rebels, etc etc etc (in the eyes of the Muslim clergy etc). Some good will come out of all this. We may be rebels, but it is not out of malice, but out of genuine concern. All those other spuds(aka GWD) will eventually be denounced as blinkered narrow minded nobs incapable of thinking their way out of a paper bag.
Grover you have made a very good point about early Bahà’í’s. I’m not complaining when I write no one listens to me, it’s just a fact I am used to. I am a “nothing” and quite happy these days to be such. Not listening to me doesn’t make me sad, the state of the world makes me sad. I come in to rant about it.
The elitist thinking, the “I’m in high school and your still in middle school”, the whole “Bahà’í” “non-Bahà’í”, “In or out”, … makes me sad. Since day one I did not like term “non-Bahà’í” to be used on all humans who are not Bahà’í, you know the other 99.99% of the planet. Seemed very contradictory to unity through diversity concepts…. People treated deplorably like Sen, Allison and others for a voice and expression from within the community for using a love called their own, unconstrained, is very sad. I fought these terms for years in my heart. My battles were never with Bahà’í’s themselves, they were within myself and my own common sense, left & right side of the brain. I tried to come up with new terms and even implemented them such as visitor, guest, friend… to no avail. You’re either in or you’re out, according to the AO, Bahà’í or non-Bahà’í.
I continue to find an affinity for those who really love our creator, and like myself are trenching through a sea of weeds to get to the fruit. I have found such souls in here, followers or ex-followers of an alleged new revelation of God, these pages filled with the ranting of the state of the world and the pangs in the hearts who signed up for change.
This dialog is about how Iranian Bahà’í youth are different because they are Bahà’í. That they possibly have some form of greater restrain because of their religious upbringing, possessing a unique hybrid conviction to uphold the conduct of a true Bahà’í, supreme, ordained, and endowed with more superior strength then the rest of the youth in their area, equally being raised in some form of religious suppressive background, most likely strict Muslim parents, from any sexual desires, expressions of such or the rebel age of trial of drugs or alcohol. Really now?
Re Iranian Baha’i youth, you, me, and the rest of the world knows that youth are the same the world over. The romantic notion that Iranian youth in general are somehow stronger makes good publicity and fills people hearts with warm fuzzies, but we know it aint so.
Re calling people non-Baha’i, Baha’i etc, its the same as calling people Christians and non-Christians. But what really gets up my goat is the whole “seeker” business. You get some poor sap dragged along to a Ruhi meeting or whatever, accosted by a bunch of soul hungry Baha’is, badgered for hours on end about the “Pure Word”, and he is automatically called a “seeker”. Reluctantly curious would be a better term.
Indeed Grover, indeed.