Barnabas quotidianus

Unbiased article about Baha’i Faith in Egyptian newspaper

Posted: 01 Aug 2008 05:38 AM CDT

Bahá’í Faith in Egypt and Iran, that the Egyptian newspaper, Al-Masry Al-Youm, had interviewed representatives of the US Bahá’í Office of External Affairs about the Bahá’í Faith and about the situation of the Bahá’ís in Egypt.

Bilo explains:

The paper reports that it interviewed Ms. Kit Bigelow and Mr. Aaron Emmel at their offices in Washington, DC. The reporter was quite impressed with the design of their offices, being walled with glass as a symbol and a representation of the transparency of that office’s work.

The article is quite extensive, objective and accurate as to the facts presented regarding the history, teachings, laws, principles and the administrative structure of the Baha’i religion.

But:

The comment section in the online version is another story! It contains a flood of comments (54 as of the writing of this post), presumably by extremist elements, attacking the Baha’i religion and the newspaper for its objective reporting. Some of these comments have been responded to by others but, in brief, these ferocious attacks betray how deep rooted is the hatred expressed by these extremists.

Here’s an English translation of the article (but not of the online comments):

Leaders of US Baha’is Demand the Government to Implement Verdict of Administrative Court; Estimate the number of Baha’is at about 2000

By Washington: Ahmed Ezziddin 31/7/2008

Controversy erupted again about Baha’is, especially following the verdict issued by administrative court last June, which ruled the Baha’i’s right not be registered as a Muslim in ID card.

Egypt was not the source of that controversy this time. The problem of this sect, which does not exceed 2000 citizens, springs frequently, when the time of litigation is tried or an appeal note is adjudicated, from abroad particularly in USA which has almost 160,000 Baha’is.

Al-Masry al-Youm met with a number of Baha’i leaders in their glass-walled office, which they consider a symbol of transparency, in the 7th floor, the 19th street, Washington.

Leaders of American Baha’is complained that the Egyptian government has not implemented to date the verdict issued by administrative court which ruled the Bahai’s right to get an ID with no reference to his faith.

Kit Bigelow, director of external affairs, National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of the United States, said that Baha’is only demand the government to allow them to have ID’s as other Egyptian citizens. She hoped that the government will execute the verdict so that they can practice their life affairs normally.

She added that no Baha’i so far was able to get an ID, unless he pretends to embrace either Islam or Christianity. She stressed that Baha’is will be grateful if the government would strikethrough the field of religion, leave it vacant, register their real faith, or write ‘others’ in that field.

Bigelow estimated the number of Baha’is in Egypt at 2000 persons, and 160,000 in USA. She indicated that, according to the Baha’i teachings, it is not allowed for Baha’is to join political parties, but rather to vote in elections.

She said that the ambition of Baha’is is to unify the international family to eliminate wars, referring to the Baha’is’ keen interest in avoiding involvement in any political or military clashes.

She hoped that the Palestinian-Israeli conflict will be settled to eliminate bloodshed and sufferings of human beings. She stressed that the Baha’is are impartial in such conflict.

Baha’is denied that they split up from Islam, but that they rather believe that their ideology is a natural progress of faiths.

In this concern, Aaron Emmel, in-charge of human rights in National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of the United States, said that as law of Jesus Christ is a progress to the message of Moses, the message of Baha’i is a progression and confirmation of the Sharia of Mohammed, PBUH, as each messenger has a pledge that should be fulfilled.

He added that the pledge of Islam Prophet is to unify the world and the Baha’i will act to achieve it.

The founder of this faith, Merza Hussein Ali al-Nouri, nicknamed as Baha’ullah, lived in the 19th century in the period from 1817-1892. According to the Baha’is’ narrations, Baha’ullah received inspiration from God while he was imprisoned in Iran.

He was then exiled to Baghdad, Constantinople, and then to Adrana. Later on the Ottoman Sultan exiled him to the Levant, where he settled in Akka which is now part of the occupying Israeli state.

Merza Hussein was entombed north of Haifa, which became the seat of Baha’is and their qibla (direction) of prayers.

Baha’is believe that Baha’ullah is not the last prophet, but the next prophet will be sent after 850 years, in compliance with the statement of their alleged prophet that the world has to expect a new prophet every one thousand years, and that whoever proclaims prophethood before the end of this period is imposter and liar.

Baha’i faith chooses and modifies religions in a manner that suits their faith, and as long as other faiths’ teachings go along with its supreme objective, namely to unify the world in a peaceful society.

The Baha’is adapts themselves to the laws and prevalent customs and cultures of the community they live in with no deviation. Thus, in spite of the intervention of the Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is to determine the issues of marriage and divorce among Baha’is, yet it frames its decision by dedicating the authority of the American laws which do not allow the Assembly to be the final arbitrator in approving divorce among believers of this faith.

The Baha’is does not set terms for the divorced woman or the widow who has to wait without marriage after iddat (the period following the annulment of marriage by divorce or husband’s death).

There is no religious authority in Baha’I faith, but the Universal House of Justice in Haifa is considered the supreme religious reference to the Baha’is world wide. The House of Justice forbids the Baha’i to conceal his faith, except in cases of repression and persecution, adopting the principle of Shiite dissimulation.

As for the laws of inheritance in Baha’i faith, Kit Bigelow, who is the spokeswoman of Baha’is in international assemblies especially in the UN and Congress sessions, said that the Baha’i should write down his will before his death, so that he can distribute his estate in the manner he likes without any binding shares.

In the time being, the Baha’i faith does not impose on its followers to adhere to that command. The Baha’is believe that in the foreseen future there will be a civilization that sticks to these principles, but currently the Baha’is have to acclimatize themselves to the prevalent man-made laws.

Kitáb-i-Aqdas ‘Most Holy Book’ which is a central book of the Bahá’í Faith is an assortment of laws and divine guidance. Bigelow estimated the number of Baha’is at six million persons. She indicated that the Baha’is apply all issues of marriage, fasting and divorce except for inheritance laws which include certain shares for sons, daughters and relative teachers with higher categories obtaining a larger share.

There are a very limited number of Baha’i’s temples, which are characterized with architectural symbolic designs with nine sides - the number refers to the unity of God and humanity, according to their beliefs. The Baha’i temple in USA is north of Chicago, but there are other local areas of worship that assemble Baha’is from different outskirts.

The Baha’is fast one month which is the month of ‘Ala’ lasting from 2 to 21 March, the last month in the Baha’i year, which are named after God’s most beautiful names like Ala, Jalal and Rahamat.

Jihad is forbidden in Baha’i faith as well as carrying arms.

Bigelow stressed that Baha’is do not have any political aspirations, as their ideology forbids them to participate in political practices, except to give votes in elections. She stressed that Baha’is deny that Mohammed is the last seal of prophets.

Baha’is assembles in their communities at the beginning of each month to study their affairs and situations. They do not accept donations except from believers of this faith. Funds are used, according to Bigelow, for humanitarian purposes. She stressed that the Baha’i has to pay what they call ‘God’s rights’, which are calculated by 19% of annual net income, after deducting all basic fees.

Translated from the Arabic by Eltorjoman International

Bilo’s closing comment on this is a telling one:

In conducting this interview and publishing this very well-written article, Al-Masry Al-Youm is to be commended on its courageous, objective and intellectually honest show of journalism.

It is not easy for journalists and news media in Egypt to take write and publish such an unbiased piece on the subject of the Bahá’í Faith and it is to Al-Masry Al-Youm’s credit that they’ve done so. Now, perhaps we can see more such articles.

And what about some unbiased journalism in Iran about the Bahá’ís?