Author Archive for Baquia

How Do You Say “Baha’i” In Sign Language?

Published
by
Baquia
on June 8, 2008
in Bahai Writings
. 20 Comments

bahai-sign-languageAs far as I know, there is no official way to sign “Baha’i” in sign language.

Stephen Bedingfield offers the suggested sign - to the left - for the deaf and hard of hearing community to represent the word “Baha’i”. If I’m blessed enough to have any readers from that community, I’d appreciate their input.

This reminds me of a story: One day I was dining at an outdoor cafe with a Baha’i friend when we were approached by a deaf person who simply placed a small, well-worn card on our table and walked away to do the same to the other tables.

When I picked it up I read that he was asking for money and explaining that he was deaf. When he returned to our table, my friend surprised him by speaking to him in sign language. At first he was shocked because she was not deaf but had by choice learned sign language.

I sat there transfixed for a few minutes as a dizzying array of finger and hand gestures flew in front of my face. I was curious what they were talking about but obviously had no way to know. After he had left my friend told me that she was trying to convince him to see himself as someone who could achieve more in life and not to accept that this was all he could be.

It didn’t look like she convinced him but it did, once again, renew the question of whether Baha’is are allowed or supposed to give alms to needy persons.

According to the Baha’i Faith, begging and asceticism are forbidden. But can we help those in dire need? should we? We have the example of Abdu’l-Baha who regularly pressed coins into the hands of beggars. We also have Writings which make the Baha’i institutions, and especially the Universal House of Justice, responsible for the well-being of the poor, orphans and elderly.

If ye meet the abased or the down-trodden, turn not away disdainfully from them, for the King of Glory ever watcheth over them and surroundeth them with such tenderness as none can fathom except them that have suffered their wishes and desires to be merged in the Will of your Lord, the Gracious, the All-Wise. O ye rich ones of the earth! Flee not from the face of the poor that lieth in the dust, nay rather befriend him and suffer him to recount the tale of the woes with which God’s inscrutable Decree hath caused him to be afflicted. By the righteousness of God! Whilst ye consort with him, the Concourse on high will be looking upon you, will be interceding for you, will be extolling your names and glorifying your action.
Baha’u'llah

There is also this Hidden Word:

O MY SERVANT!
The best of men are they that earn a livelihood by their calling and spend upon themselves and upon their kindred for the love of God, the Lord of all words.
Baha’u'llah

What are you thoughts? Have you ever given money to a beggar? did you feel guilty as a Baha’i? or do you make it a policy to not give money to beggars?

A Chat with a Baha’i Youth in Iran

Published
by
Baquia
on June 2, 2008
in Iran
. 25 Comments

iranian-youth
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]
Continue reading ‘A Chat with a Baha’i Youth in Iran’

Power of Love or Love of Power?

Published
by
Baquia
on May 31, 2008
in Sundry
. 2 Comments

Hope you like this little noetic eye candy I cooked up for you:

power-of-love

When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.
Jimmi Hendrix

The way I see it, power is all about control. Love is all about losing control.

God’s love for us is the primary force behind Creation and the fountain of mankind’s nobility is free will. Which in a funny sort of way means that God gave up “control” and in a sense, put it in our own hands. We are not brute animals, controlled, lashed or beaten by God throughout our lives but instead are guided lovingly by His manifestations through intermittent divine revelations. And yet, whether we realize it or not, we always have the freedom to choose our reactions, behavior, speech… our very lives.

You and I may not be covetous of power in the meaning that we want to rule a country or take over the world. But in our own way we each choose, moment to moment, to either let go and love; or grab on to gain and maintain control and therefore, power. Lord knows I could sure use less of the latter and a heaping spoonful of the former.

Here’s the curious thing, when your power to love overcomes your love of power, something magical happens. People are drawn to you. You become a beacon, attracting others as if magnetized. They may not even know why but they sense something in you that others lack. Look at the example in the life and person of Abdu’l-Baha. Even as desiring no rank nor station beyond that of servitude, Abdu’l-Baha was so loved, revered and respected by all people.

Sounds good. Now how do we do that?

The Baha’i Faith certainly has answers - which take a lifetime to glean. These two ladies also have some ideas: Karen Armstrong + Jill Bolte Taylor

Just a little something to ponder over the weekend. Hope you all have a wonderful and restful time. It wouldn’t hurt to crank up some of Jimmi’s music and dance like no one’s watching.

We Have Annulled The Rule Of The Sword

Published
by
Baquia
on May 29, 2008
in Iran
. 179 Comments

As my fellow Baha’is in Iran face a renewed wave of persecutions, there are some who charge the Baha’i community to be perpetrators of violence.

Of course these charges have no credibility but still I thought it would be fruitful to go to the source and see what Baha’u'llah commands:

Beware lest ye shed the blood of any one. Unsheathe the sword of your tongue from the scabbard of utterance, for therewith ye can conquer the citadels of men’s hearts. We have abolished the law to wage holy war against each other. God’s mercy hath, verily, encompassed all created things, if ye do but understand.
Epistle to the Son of the Wolf

And again, speaking to the Babi and Baha’i community of the time, Baha’u'llah explains not only the injunction to eschew violence but He explains in no uncertain terms that His Cause has no desire to gain or hold power in the form of civil authority:

Know thou that We have annulled the rule of the sword, as an aid to Our Cause, and substituted for it the power born of the utterance of men. Thus have We irrevocably decreed, by virtue of Our grace. Say: O people! Sow not the seeds of discord among men, and refrain from contending with your neighbor, for your Lord hath committed the world and the cities thereof to the care of the kings of the earth, and made them the emblems of His own power, by virtue of the sovereignty He hath chosen to bestow upon them. He hath refused to reserve for Himself any share whatever of this world’s dominion. To this He Who is Himself the Eternal Truth will testify. The things He hath reserved for Himself are the cities of men’s hearts, that He may cleanse them from all earthly defilements, and enable them to draw nigh unto the hallowed Spot which the hands of the infidel can never profane. Open, O people, the city of the human heart with the key of your utterance.
Tablet to Nabíl-i-‘Azam

annulled-rule-of-the-sword

I was going to write this in the comment section of a previous post but Baha’u'llah’s clear words deserve a more prominent exposition. I’m going to delve further into the question of church and state within the Baha’i Faith a bit later. But can’t resist for now to touch on it since it is so important an issue.

It has been not only an important issue but a contentious one for almost the whole duration of the Faith. Originally those who sought to cast the Baha’i Faith as supportive of theocracy were mischief makers who wished it ill. For example, they spread lies and rumors that Abdu’l-Baha was not building simply a shrine (of the Bab) but a citadel from which He would attempt to overthrow the government.

More recently the perpetrators are well meaning but ignorant Baha’is who have not bothered to read the consistent, clear and repeated Writings of their own Faith about this matter. Such error is dangerous whether the intention behind it is evil or not because it misrepresents the Baha’i Faith and it opens it to attacks from those who mistake it as having temporal motivations.

All I can say to fellow Baha’is who are under the wrong impression that their Faith promotes or condones in any way a theocratic model is, please, inform yourself. There are clear texts. You have but to read and study them.

Theirs is not the purpose, while endeavoring to conduct and perfect the administrative affairs of their Faith, to violate, under any circumstances, the provisions of their country’s constitution, much less to allow the machinery of their administration to supersede the government of their respective countries.
Shoghi Effendi

If you don’t know where to begin, a good place to start would be Church & State , a book that has passed Baha’i pre-publication review (as have all books published by Kalimat) [Ed. please see comments for clarification]. It contains a methodically and exhaustively collection of Baha’i texts on the relationship of church and state. Here is a recent and relevant entry from the author’s blog.

There is no shame in not knowing but there is shame in wallowing in ignorance. As a Baha’i the standard is extremely high and our duty is to fulfill individual investigation of truth.

God bless.