Aside from the strange opening about the difficulty of spelling ‘Baha’i’ (don’t worry, we know exactly what you’re talking about) there’s a great story up in the Huntsville Times about an interfaith devotional meeting held by the Hiebert family of Huntsville, Alabama in the US:

And some people have trouble understanding that when the Hieberts invite people to an “Interfaith Devotional,” they mean just that.

It’s not a Baha’i prayer meeting, though Baha’i prayers are included along with readings from the Bible, the Quran and other holy scriptures. It’s not a Baha’i entrapment where guests must listen to an explanation of the obscure, but worldwide faith.

It’s just people. Praying together after eating some of Ruhi’s saffron-scented rice pilaf. Listening to prayer songs from the world’s faiths. Laughing together over cheesecake and coffee.

Just in case you were beginning to think that it was ALL bad news for Bahá’ís in the middle east these days, the Egyptian Administrative Court has just ruled that Bahá’ís in that country may now actually identify themselves as Bahá’ís on official government documents:

The decision, announced on 4 April, “sent a strong message that it is the right of every Egyptian citizen to adopt the religion of their choice”, said Hossam Bahgat, director of the Egyptian Initiative for Private Rights (EIPR).

The ruling is the result of a lawsuit filed by a married Bahai couple against Interior Minister Habib al-Adly in June 2004. According to an EIPR statement, officials from the Civil Status Department (CSD) confiscated the couple’s official documentation because it cited their religious affiliation as Bahai, an obscure offshoot of orthodox Islam unrecognised in this majority Sunni Muslim country. “The CSD refused to issue new identification documents unless the family agreed to identify themselves as Muslim,” the EIPR statement reads.

According to activists, the ruling in favour of the family was partly a result of intense lobbying efforts by rights groups. “This is a landmark case. We feel our efforts have paid off,” said Gamal Eid, director of the Arab Network for Human Rights Information. “The authorities felt so threatened with exposure that they backed down and ruled in favour of the Bahais’ inherent rights.”

The situation of the Bahá’ís in Egypt has been discussed here before.

Another addition to the growing press on the UN report on the Iranian government’s actions against the Bahá’ís in Iran, this time from India’s national newspaper, The Hindu:

“She [Ms. Jahangir] calls on the Government of Iran to refrain from categorising individuals according to their religion and to ensure that members of all religious minorities are free to hold and practice their religious beliefs, without discrimination or fear,” the statement said.

The Anti-Defamation League has issued a press release regarding the current situation of the Bahá’ís in Iran, saying that it “sets a dangerous precedent” and “is reminiscent of the laws imposed on European Jews in the 1930s”. From the release:

“These actions by the Iranian government are reminiscent of the steps taken against Jews in Europe and a dangerous step toward the institution of Nuremberg-type laws,” said Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director. “This clear attempt to step-up persecution of the Bahai community in Iran sets a dangerous precedent. Since the Iranian Revolution, the Bahais have suffered religious persecution and bigotry in Iran, but this step raises it to the next level.”

It’s not hard for university papers to find a good lead-in for stories about the persecution of the Bahá’ís in Iran, since the denial of education is something that’s bound to stir up interest on college campuses.

Along those lines, we have this article from York University’s Excalibur:

Stop. Look around you. You might be in class; you might be sitting in the various buildings that make up the landscape of this university. One thing that you share with your neighbour is the right to be in school. “Everyone has a right to education,” declares Article 26, Sections one and two of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. And yet, across the North Atlantic and Mediterranean seas, youth, based on their religion, are being systematically denied the right to higher learning.

This article from the Harvard Crimson, looks at the issue of freedom of speech and journalism:

You may have been stressed out during finals, but at least you didn’t have to take your tests in handcuffs.

That’s what Mojtaba Saminejad, a student at Tehran’s Azad University, had to do on Jan. 21. Saminejad was sentenced to two years for nothing more than “insulting the Supreme Guide.”

In a country referred to as the “largest prison for journalists in the Middle East,” Iranians face stiff penalties for exercising their right to free speech. Since April 2000, nearly 100 newspapers have been shut down because bold journalists dared to challenge the regime.

The Crimson also featured an editorial about the Iraqi Freedom Concert, that featured this bit on the Bahá’í community:

Journalists are locked up for writing articles that are critical of the government. Some of the country’s minorities—members of the Baha’i religion, for example—are often unable to attend university or are imprisoned on the basis of their faith. The way of life we take for granted in the U.S. and other westernized countries is foreign to the people of Iran.

A new site has just been put up by the Bahá’í community in South Africa addressing the denial of education of the Bahá’ís in Iran. The site, which compares the treatment of Bahá’ís in Iran to apartheid in South Africa, describes how the government has denied Bahá’ís access to colleges and universities for over 25 years. It also encourages visitors to sign a letter addressed to many international organizations (including Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, UNICEF and UNESCO) calling for the government of Iran to allow all Iranians, no matter what their race, gender, class, or religion may be, to pursue higher education.

I know this blog is at risk of turning into the BahaiIranBlog, but I just couldn’t pass this one up. Now, at this point I know you’re all aware of the situation of the Bahá’ís in Iran right? So in the face of damning UN reports and international pressure regarding their treatment of religious minorities what do they do? They call for a UN probe into “rights abuses” in the U.S. Just a reminder that this is coming from a country that has actually drafted a memo outlining the systematic destruction of their largest religious minority.
(I’m just going to pause here a second and let the audacity soak in)
…
What in the name of Sam Hill are these people thinking? I harbour no illusions about the US. I don’t believe it to be a utopian society without hate or prejudice, but until the US starts drafting memos outlining the systematic destruction of the largest religious minority in their country, I’d say the Iranians should keep their mouths shut.

[update: A reader wrote in to comment on the tone that I took earlier in this post (specifically the critisims of the government of Iran). While I do believe that the treatment of the Bahá'ís by the Iranian government is appaling and should be condemned in the strongest language, I also believe that she was right. This perhaps isn't the best forum for me to be voicing my personal displeasure towards the leadership in Iran, so the post has been edited accordingly. Apologies to all, and thanks to Leyla for writing in.]

At the White House press briefing today, Spokesman Scott McClellan said the President is concerned over last week’s UN report that stated government persecution of the Bahá’ís in Iran is getting worse.
Excerpts from the press briefing transcript:

Q: Scott, the U.N. Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion and Belief has said that she’s highly concerned that the government of Iran is about to increase its persecution of the 300,000 members of the Baha’i faith in that country. What is the President’s message to the government of Iran on this issue?

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, as you pointed out, she has expressed her concern that the situation with regard to religious minorities in Iran, the Baha’i, is, in fact, worsening. We share those concerns. We call on the regime in Iran to respect the religious freedom of all its minorities, and to ensure that these minorities are free to practice their religious beliefs without discrimination or fear. And we will continue to monitor the situation of the Baha’i — the Baha’is in Iran very closely, and to speak out when their rights are denied.

Q: What pressure would you urge, perhaps, other countries to put on Iran?

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, I think we will talk with ambassadors of other countries in the region and raise this issue with them, and with their governments. We will continue to speak out and to raise this issue, the treatment of the Baha’is, in the United Nations and other organizations, and to ask all those who have any sort of influence in Tehran to continue to defend the rights of the Baha’i and other religious minorities.

The full transcript is available here.

(via US Bahá’í News)

Well no, not really. But it seems that when William L. H. Roberts, a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of the US, spoke at the annual Interfaith Brotherhood-Sisterhood brunch in Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey, there was, shall we say, a little friction. Mr Roberts was speaking about threats to religious freedom, including the recent report released by the UN concerning the persecution of the Baha’is in Iran and it seems a few of the Muslims attending the event were less than pleased with Roberts’ presentation:

Several Muslims said after the speech that they were offended by what they saw as Roberts’ singling out of Islam as a persecuting religion.

“I felt that he’s bashing Islam indirectly,” said Mehdi Eliefifi, president of the New Jersey Outreach Group, which works to bring different faiths together.

“It feeds into the stereotype, putting examples of bad behavior of individuals and governments as being the main theme of Islam,” he said.

Now, I understand Mr. Eliefifi’s concern and if I was in his shoes I would be mad as hell, but I think his anger is misdirected. I would suggest that perhaps it be more rightly focused on a government who seems intent on exterminating the Bahá’í community as a viable entity in Iran and erasing all traces of its culture. A government that claims to be following the same Holy Teachings as he does and as a result is in large part responsible for the stereotype that he so deplores. Just a thought.

Of course, in keeping with the spirit of unity that the Interfaith Brotherhood-Sisterhood stands for I’ll just like to highlight this final bit from the article:

Darul Islah Imam Saeed Qureshi, who spoke after Roberts, apologized for the persecution of Baha’is in Iran, but also asked those gathered not to judge all Muslims by the actions of a few.

“Today we are together with Muslims who you see and experience as peaceful humans. There are others that call themselves terrorists.” If you judge all Muslims by the actions of the terrorists, he said, “there will never be peace.”

This is just a friendly reminder to everyone to be sure to keep checking back with Australia’s Bahá’í Youth Portal THEHEYDAY.COM for their regularly updated content (sadly, they have no rss feed, so we’re all going to have to bookmark it and check back the old fashioned way). For instance, there’s this great story up right now about a group of Australian youth that traveled to Samoa to serve the Samoan Bahá’í community. They taught classes, visited Bahá’í families and volunteered at the Bahá’í House of Worship in Apia.
So here’s your homework:

1. bookmark http://www.theheyday.com
2. check the site for news, columns and more.
3. repeat as needed.

As a follow up to last week’s post about the report from the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief outlining concerns about actions by the government of Iran against the Bahá’ís, here is a great piece by Ruth Gledhill, religion correspondant for The Times. She goes into a brief history of the persecution that the Bahá’ís have faced in Iran, calling for the world to pay close attention to what is happening right now, and saying that she does “not want to be part of another ‘conspiracy of silence’”. She closes with this:

As much pressure as possible needs to be exerted on Iran to prevent the ultimate elimination of a community that is dedicated to what we all want, peace.

Thank you Ms Gledhill, I couldn’t have said it better myself.

Short and sweet little piece in The Lismore Northern Star about Vahideh Hosseini, regional manager for the Red Cross in Lismore, Australia, who is assiting with the support, comfort and care of victims of Cyclone Larry, which hit the North Coast of Australia last week. From the Northern Star:

Like those she is helping now, Vahideh was once left homeless.

A member of the Baha’i religion, she moved to Australia 18 years ago as a refugee from Iran after suffering persecution for her faith.

The Red Cross provided her with travel documents that allowed her to come here, inspiring her to help others.

I hate to bring this up so soon into your joyous new year, but it seems that things are getting much worse in Iran.
The linked BWNS story tells how the United Nations Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, Asma Jahangir, released a statement about actions of the Iranian government against the Baha’is.
It seems that on October 29th of last year the Chairman of the Command Headquarters of the Armed Forces in Iran wrote a letter to a bunch of government agencies asking them to, “in a highly confidential manner, collect any and all information about members of the Baha’i faith,” prompting Ms. Jahangir to respond that she “considers that such monitoring constitutes an impermissible and unacceptable interference with the rights of members of religious minorities.”
From the story:

Such actions come in the wake of mounting media attacks on the Baha’is, the nature of which in the past have preceded government-led assaults on the Baha’is in Iran. “Kayhan,” the official Tehran daily newspaper has carried more than 30 articles about the Baha’is and their religion in recent weeks, all defamatory in ways that are meant to create provocation. Radio and television programs have joined in as well with broadcasts condemning the Baha’is and their beliefs. In addition, the rise in influence in Iranian governmental circles of the Anti-Baha’i Society, Hojjatieh, an organization committed to the destruction of the Baha’i Faith, can only heighten the fears for that beleaguered community.

[Bani Dugal, the Baha'i International Community's principal representative to the UN said,] “We well know what hateful propaganda can lead to; recent history offers too many examples of its horrific consequences. We make an urgent appeal to all nations and peoples on behalf of our Iranian coreligionists that they not allow a peace-loving, law-abiding people to face the extremes to which blind hate can lead,” said Ms. Dugal. “The ghastly deeds that grew out of similar circumstances in the past should not now be allowed to happen. Not again.”

For more information about the situation of Baha’is in Iran, please go here. Then, take a moment to puruse the graphic below, which highlights persecutions of the Baha’is in Iran from 1979 to the present (and feel free to download this high-res version of it.) And finally, please remember the Baha’is of Iran in your prayers. They could use them now more than ever.



(For previous entries on persecution of Bahai’s in Iran, look here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.)

Great little story about a Baha’i devotional meeting in Jackson, TN courtesy of the Jackson Sun:

What typically happens is that open invitations are extended for members of the community to come to one of their nondenominational prayer meetings. On the glass coffee table in the Schmidts’ home are the books “The Bounty of Allah” and “The Glorious Journey to God” stacked on top of one another.

On a recent Tuesday, three candles are lit on the coffee table as Bahai members gather for this informal prayer meeting. Rebecca Schmidt’s husband, Rick, opens up the meeting with a Buddhist ritual.

“I get to ring my bell of awareness,” he says. In the palm of his hand, he holds a small circular bell. To help get them in the mindset for meditation and prayer, he says “present moment, perfect moment” before he taps the bell with a wand three times. After the sounding of the third bell, the prayer meeting begins.

Rick Schmidt, though he is the only Buddhist in the room, doesn’t feel like an outsider. In fact, he says, “the similarity I see between Buddhism and Bahais is acceptance and compassion,” he says.

The article is fairly info-heavy (as much as single page newspaper articles can be) and covers a lot of the basic information about the Faith as well as extending the invitation to all to join the Baha’is of Jackson at their next devotional. I’m just going to go ahead and assume that anyone reading this who is going to be in the neighbourhood of Jackson, Tennesse around 6 p.m. on Tuesday evening will be dropping by the Schmidt’s house at 1492 Lambuth Blvd. right?

Lest you think that Iran is the only country giving Baha’is a hard time, the report on Egypt from the same 2005 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices describes the current situation of Baha’is being denied national ID cards, birth certificates, and marriage licenses:

The government continued to deny civil documents, including ID cards, birth certificates, and marriage licenses, to members of the Baha’i community. Law 263 of 1960, still in force, bans Baha’i institutions and community activities, and a 1961 Presidential decree stripped Baha’is of legal recognition. The problems of Baha’is, who number fewer than 2,000 persons, have been compounded since the Ministry of Interior began to upgrade its automation of civil records, including national identity cards. The government asserted that its new software requires all citizens to be categorized as Muslims, Christians, or Jews, although some Baha’is initially received identity cards that listed their religion as “other.” During the year, Baha’is and members of other religious groups were compelled either to misrepresent themselves as Muslim, Christian or Jewish, or go without valid identity documents. Most Baha’is have chosen the latter course. The government’s unwillingness to issue Baha’is identity cards and other necessary documents made it increasingly difficult for Baha’is to register their children in school, to open bank accounts, and to register businesses. At the end of 2004, some Baha’is reported that government representatives had offered them passports but no other documents. Police, often on public buses, conduct random inspections of identity papers, and anyone without an ID card risks arrest and detention until the document is provided to the police. Some Baha’is, unable to receive identity cards, choose to stay home to avoid possible arrest.

Further details are provided in the International Religious Freedom Report 2005, which was released on November 8, 2005, including the fact that in 2003 Al-Azhar’s Islamic Research Center issued a fatwa, or legal opinion, in December 2003 condemning Baha’is as apostates. The report also goes on to outline what the US is doing about all of this:

The subject of religious freedom is an important part of the bilateral dialogue. The subject has been raised with senior Egyptian government officials by all levels of the U.S. Government, including by the Secretary of State, Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs, the Ambassador, and other Embassy officials. The Embassy maintains formal contacts with the Office of Human Rights at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Embassy also discusses religious freedom issues regularly in contacts with other government officials, including governors and Members of Parliament. The Ambassador has made public statements supporting interfaith understanding and efforts toward harmony and equality among citizens of all faiths. Specifically, the Embassy has raised its concerns about official discrimination against Baha’is with the Government.

And finally a more in-depth article published by The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (HRINFO) calling for the Egyptian government to ‘respect its religious impartiality by passing laws that consolidate the freedom of belief as stated in the Egyptian constitution and the International Covenant for Civil and Political Rights’ and to eliminate the religion sections in official documents. It also calls on The Al-Azhar Islamic Research Academy (those ‘unwitting champions of the Cause of Baha’u’llah’) to top issuing fatwas against religions.

I know a lot of this has been covered before, but I thought it important to check in again.

The Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor of the U.S. Department of State just released its 2005 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. Big surprise that the report on Iran outlines some less-than-kind treatment of the Iranian Baha’i community at the hands of the government. The following comes from the section on “Freedom of Religion”:

The constitution declares that the “official religion of Iran is Islam and the doctrine followed is that of Ja’fari (Twelver) Shi’ism.” The constitution also states that “other Islamic denominations are to be accorded full respect” and recognizes Zoroastrians, Christians, and Jews, the country’s pre-Islamic religions, as “protected” religious minorities; however, in practice the government restricted freedom of religion. Religions not specifically protected under the constitution, particularly Baha’is, did not enjoy freedom of religion….

Members of the country’s non-Muslim religious minorities, particularly Baha’is, reported imprisonment, harassment, and intimidation based on their religious beliefs….

Baha’is are considered apostates because of their claim to a religious revelation subsequent to that of the Prophet Mohammed. The government defined the Baha’i Faith as a political “sect” linked to the Pahlavi monarchy and, therefore, as counterrevolutionary. Historically at risk, Baha’is often have suffered increased levels of mistreatment during periods of political unrest and also faced discrimination prior to the revolution as well as currently.

Baha’i organizations outside the country warned that the circumstances of their coreligionists deteriorated during the year. The country’s estimated 300 to 350 thousand Baha’is were not allowed to teach or practice their faith or maintain links with coreligionists abroad. The government continued to imprison and detain Baha’is based on their religious beliefs. In 1993 the UN Commission on Human Rights released a copy of a 1991 memorandum from the supreme revolutionary council to the supreme leader, which outlined processes to gradually strangle the Baha’i community, including banning Baha’is from all higher education. A 2001 justice ministry report also indicated that government policy aimed at the eventual elimination of the Baha’is as a community.

On December 19, the longest held Baha’i prisoner, Zabihullah Mahrami, died in prison of unknown causes. Mahrami was arrested in 1995 and faced a life sentence for apostasy. Two other Baha’is were in prison at year’s end, including Mehran Kawsari, who wrote a letter in November 2004 to then President Khatami on the situation of Baha’is. He was sentenced to three years in prison for activities against the security of the state and spreading falsehoods. In addition the government arrested 65 other Baha’is, detained them, but later released them on bail. While imprisoned, often their families were not informed of their location, and authorities denied any record of their arrests or did not indicate charges against them. Some were not allowed to work for several months after their release. Government agents also searched numerous Baha’i homes and seized possessions.

In 2004 for the first time, Baha’i applicants were permitted to participate in the nationwide exam for entrance into state-run colleges. However, for those students who passed the exam, the word “Islam” was preprinted on their forms. This action precluded Baha’i matriculation, since Baha’is do not deny their faith; only a few students were allowed to enroll. Despite many with high scores, no Baha’i students were accepted into state universities during the year. Private universities reportedly only accepted adherents to officially recognized religions.

The UNGA resolution on the country’s human rights passed in December expressed serious concern at continuing discrimination against religious minorities, citing in particular the escalation of violations against Baha’is. It called on the government to implement the 1996 report of the UNSR of the commission on human rights on religious tolerance, particularly in regard to the Baha’i community.

(Via Baha’i Views)

[update: Barney writes in to say: "It's also worth looking at Amnesty International's recent report on Iran and the British Foreign Office's Annual Human Rights Report 2005."]

This profile of Australian Olympic athlete Cathy Freeman mentions her connection to the Faith and its influence in her life, even though she says she doesn’t consider herself a “devout Bahá’í.”

When Freeman was nine or 10, her mother’s conversion to the Baha’i faith was another seemingly random seed that would have enormous consequences for her future. Through the Baha’i community, Cecelia met her second husband, Bruce Barber, who would become Freeman’s first true believer and coach.

Moreover, some of the central tenets of Baha’i - oneness, equality, tolerance - would appear to explain Freeman’s extraordinary self-belief and strength of character in the face of the many instances of racism she describes in her book.

“I’m not a devout Baha’i but I like the prayers and I appreciate their values about the equality of all human kind,” she says.

“I’m not about barriers. I’m not about racism. I just take things in my stride. I always have. I don’t see what I can’t do, I see what I can do and that’s my strength.”

“Cecelia says Catherine is a Baha’i in her heart,” Lou Glover adds.

“I find that interesting because the unity of humankind is a very big Baha’i quality and I believe that Catherine is one of the only people in the history of this country that’s ever united the nation - albeit only for a couple of minutes.”

This article offers a fair introduction to the Faith and even has a somewhat challenging lede, since it opens with the angle of people who have converted from other faiths.

However, there are a couple of paragraphs near the end perpetuate a very common misconception:

The religion is very inviting to new and old ideas from other religions, Burgess said.

Although the different religions which make up Bahá’í may seem conflicting, Bressler said, the religions are like building blocks and work off each other to compose the overall structure of Bahá’í.

I’m not sure whether this is a result of a misquote, the reporter’s misapprehension, or a combination of the two, but it seems to be portraying the Faith as some kind of syncretism rather than as something independent, with its own doctrine and teachings that aren’t simply cobbled together from previous dispensations.

And which point do the editors choose to highlight in the headline? You guessed it — the one that gets it wrong. Thus the headline reads, “Newest ‘religion of God’ builds off old ideas.”

Today is International Women’s Day. Celebrated since 1911, It’s commemorated by the United Nations and is designated in many countries as a national holiday. And wouldn’t you know it? The ever-industrious US Baha’i website has a few stories up to mark the occasion including a profile of the late Patricia Locke, who was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in 2004; a review of a musical created by Baha’i Dorothy Marcic called “Respect: A Musical Journey of Women”, and a review of Phyllis Peterson’s book The Heroic Female Spirit.

The National Spiritual Assembly of the United States also happens to be a founding member of the Working Group on Ratification of the U.N. Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women(CEDAW), described as an international bill of rights for women.

And The Universal House of Justice had this to say about the advancement ot women in The Promise of Wolrd Peace:

“The emancipation of women, the achievement of full equality between the sexes, is one of the most important, though less acknowledged prerequisites of peace. The denial of such equality perpetrates an injustice against one half of the world’s population and promotes in men harmful attitudes and habits that are carried from the family to the workplace, to political life, and ultimately to international relations.
There are no grounds, moral, practical, or biological, upon which such denial can be justified. Only as women are welcomed into full partnership in all fields of human endeavor will the moral and psychological climate be created in which international peace can emerge.”

Quick post about an article up on SouthCoast Massachusetts News about Dr. Iraj Mottahed’s recent trip to Mongolia as part of the Mongolian International Physician Exchange:

According to Dr. Mottahed, the Baha’i faith is growing in Mongolia, and women, in particular, are receptive to the religion which promotes the unity of all mankind. Having been under Soviet Russian rule for 70 years, many of the people are on a spiritual search. Most are Buddhists.
“The people prayed in their own languages, translated from Baha’i writings,” Dr. Mottahed said. “It was fantastic.”
He also was amazed by the number of very old women dressed in traditional Mongolian gowns who came to the gatherings.
“They were tremendously spiritual,” he said.
Dr. Mottahed received a special tribute from the Baha’is. They hung a blue scarf around his neck, offered him a special milk-based drink and said a prayer on his behalf.

Though why they call his trip a ‘pilgrimage’ I have no idea.

I can’t say that I really know what to make of this column by ordained minister George Plagenz in the Martinsville Reporter-Times. Little more than a book report for William Sears’ ‘Thief in the Night’, the column runs back over Sears’ investigations into the Great Disappointment and his subsequent discovery of the Baha’i Faith. The book is certainly a classic in the Baha’i community and has led many people to the Faith (I remember it explaining the Biblical prophesies around the second coming of Christ very simply and clearly, though I haven’t read it in years), but I’m not sure what would move Mr Plagenz to write about it now, 45 years after it was first published. Perhaps he just found a copy of it at the church rummage sale?

Racing to get this one in under the wire, but I just came across this article from the Virginian-Pilot about Robert Wilson Turner, believed to be the first African-American Baha’i:

After the Civil War, an African American middle class began to emerge in the South. Before long, its members were filling out deeds and drawing wills. In old age, many passed on savings and property to their children.

Such economic progress was not what professional genealogist Langdon Hagen-Long, 55, had been taught before she started researching the Portsmouth connections of Robert Wilson Turner, who is believed to be the first African American to join the Bahai faith.
…
Hagen-Long, who grew up in Portsmouth’s Westhaven neighborhood, undertook the study on commission from a customer in California. The man, who she said wishes to remain anonymous, plans to write a book about the Bahai faith and include Robert Wilson Turner as the first African American to join the religion. Bahai began in Persia in the mid-1800s and teaches the essential unity of the world’s great religions.

Seemed like a good way to finish off Black History Month (check out an earlier post here). Oh, and it should be pointed out that this is for the American Black History Month. Over in the UK they were doing this back in October.

[update from mr. mcgee: "I’m not sure what the source for that information is, but the first African-American Baha’i is generally acknowledged to be Robert Turner. The strange thing is that all the information in that article seems to be about Turner, only they’re calling him “Wilson.”

Um yeah, so sorry about that. Good thing I have people smarter than me watching my back.]

So the fast is fast approaching (I’d tell you how long I’ve been waiting to type that if it didn’t make me look like a giant dork) and I hope you’re all prepared. If you’re not, head over here and read some quotes about the importance of fasting. Once you’re suitably amped, go here for a sunrise/sunset times generator for your area (you’ll need longitude and lattitude and your time zone, which you can get via links at the bottom of the page). After that, give a call to some local Baha’is and make arrangements to get together for breakfast and prayers, cause that’s always more fun than stumbling around at 4:30am by yourself right?
Then, with all of that taken care of, you can check out this article from The Record in Stockton, California about Baha’is getting ready for the fast. It’s a cute little piece about the hunger, the sleep deprivation, the halitosis and, of course, the spiritual rejuvination:

[Cathy Yavrom said] “…it’s a time for special prayers. It’s a time for self-evaluation and communing with God. I love to get up early, finish eating and say prayers when the sun comes up.”

[Dr. Ramin] Manshadi thinks there are several benefits to fasting, but that “the main thing is to put aside the material need and put more time toward fulfilling your spiritual needs,” he said.

Oh, and don’t forget to send everyone you know a nice e-card explaining why you won’t be coming to lunch for a while.

Earlier this month Britain’s Channel 4 aired The Root of All Evil? a two-part exploration of religious faith hosted and narrated by Richard Dawkins. Dawkins, an evolutionary biologist and ‘the world’s most famous out-of-the-closet living atheist’ (Salon, annoying ad viewing required) is not known as a lover of religion, but come on, finding a Christian pastor who is too ignorant to know he’s being insulted when Dawkins suggests his sermon was akin to a Nuremberg rally hardly counts as a thorough investigation of religion. (Need I even mention that the Baha’i Faith doesn’t even appear on thier list of “the main world religions.”Weak.)
Dawkins’ main arguments seem to revolve around his assertion that religion just doesn’t stand up to serious scientific scrutiny. But Abdu’l-Bahá pointed out that:

Every religion which is not in accordance with established science is superstition. Religion must be reasonable. If it does not square with reason, it is superstition and without foundation. It is like a mirage, which deceives man by leading him to think it is a body of water. God has endowed man with reason that he may perceive what is true. If we insist that such and such a subject is not to be reasoned out and tested according to the established logical modes of the intellect, what is the use of the reason which God has given man?

‘Abdu’l-Bahá, The Promulgation of Universal Peace (Wilmette: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1922. 2nd edition 1982, p. 231.

Anytime you’d like to sit down and chat Mr. Dawkins, we’d be happy to answer your questions.

In honour of Black History Month the US Baha’i website has posted some profiles of notable African- American Baha’is. Included in the list are Louis Gregory, Elsie Austin, Dizzy Gillespie and more.
I know this one’s a little late, but there are still a few more days left in the month right?