Why Islamists Persecute the Baha'is

The Bahais were strengthened under the hated Shah and formed an exclusive club that had a death grip over higher level posts in the government civil service. Most Iranians don't like Bahais, and view them as a cult. It has nothing to do with "Islamism"

Ever since the caliphate collapsed back in the 1920s Islam has had no direction. It has been a free for all of imams saying whatever THEY think to whoever will listen and follow.History has shown how the christian faiths, through their rather rigid hierarchy have made progress in moderating their early hostile attitudes toward other faiths and moderninity. No such leadership now exists in Islam to even attempt to reign in the old ways and teachings. When one does appear they are contradicted by another almost immedietly. Frankly I find your illumination of Baha'i teachings fascinating but I hold little hope for the larger Islamic community to evr consider them anything but apostates.That would require a central leadership that the general Islamic population has not had for almost a century and will most likely lack for a long time to come. Shame really.

These folks sound alot like most of us. All WE really want is to be left alone to our own devices, which is fine as long as we do no harm to others. Our 1st Amendment has served us well. The Founding Fathers were wise indeed. We should attempt to to bring these folks to the table.

This column is an example of why I never let a day go by without reading American Thinker. I always learn something new. Thanks!

The real knock against Islam concerning the Bahais is not that some Muslims persecute them but, rather, that the rest of the Muslim world does not speak out against the persecution. The so-called intellectual communities in Turkey, Egypt, Pakistan, Iran, and elsewhere in the Muslim world should be leading the fight for freedom of belief among Bahais and others and thereby salvaging the good name of Islam. That not even the intellectuals in the Muslim world will speak up in defense of the persecuted suggests that Islam does not deserve its good name.

Great article. As a Baha'i I just wanted to show you that there are some Muslims who are leading the way in promoting Baha'i rights. We must always try to find the light at the end of the tunnel.

The comment by the first poster is an example of the false beliefs about the Baha'is that are part of th Iranian government's and clergy's campaign against Baha'is. Baha'is cannot hold political posts. They held some civil service jobs bu with only 300,000 Baha'is in a country of 30 million, it is difficult to see how Baha'is could ever have had a "death grip" on top government jobs. The accusation is absurd.

It should be noted that the shrine of the Bab is in Haifa, Israel which may be one of the reasons Ahmadinejad is so anxious to destroy the country.

So, the Baha'i are liberal protestant Muslims. Or worse, New Age Muslims. I hope their theology is a bit more profound than the author describes.

"God sends his teachers to his school, from time to time with new lessons, advance the people to a higher and higher level of humanness."
The thing with the humanness of mankind is we have a series flaw that cannot be removed by teaching and cannot be removed by breeding. Look at mankind in any century and in any land, non-have achieved 'success' to care for even the basics of their people. Our own times have seen leaders only interested in self in North Korea, Iraq, Zimbabwe, even China and many more failed states, some are very rich others are very poor. Yet non-have been able to remove the serious problem that afflicts mankind; the problem of pride and the need to do things mans way. Islam tries to make all be born into the religion and be a successful slave before God, yet look a the failures of Islamic states, places like Saudi Arabia and Dubai are only possible with oil money and millions of 'foreign economic slaves' keeping the country going for the locals, look at the borders and internal politics of Islam and it is awash with innocent blood. Clearly you cannot be born into being a perfect person. Only one man has claimed to be perfect before God, only one man claims to know the way to God. Its incredibly simple, by faith being 'born again', by trusting and following the Lord Jesus, who is the intermediary, the go-between God and man, opening the way for all people, of all tribes, of all colours and from all births, knowing God possible the perfect man. There is no need for new lessons as the way, the method, the hope has already been established by God. What more can be asked of God other than to reveal Himself to the individual. Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. Romans 3:28Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. Romans 3:24 Being justified freely by his (God) grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. John 3:3
In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again. " John 3:2-4 (in Context)

"It is imperative for the free people of the world to defend freedom of conscience, including freedom of religion, irrespective of one's own personal belief." Is so very true, as God has given us the freedom to accept or to reject! It's the most basic right before God.

Muslims persecute Bahais for the same reason the persecute everyone else, they're intolerant. The only time muslims are tolerant is when their population isn't strong enough to take over a land and make it part of the Umah, and institute Sharia law. Many people of different faiths in Asia and Africa can claim the same grievances against Europe and the West (colonialism, etc), but when was the last time we were hit by a Buddhist Monk-suicide bomber, or a Hindu-suicide bomber? Is anyone else catching this? "I feel like I'm taking crazy pills here!"

Excellent article.
After having experienced the social upheaval in Latin America with the tremendous hope placed on the different revolutions, the Baha'i Faith offers a needed new vision.

It would be easier to sympathise with them if they weren't such a virulently homophobic cult with no respect for the liberty and spirituality of gay and lesbian people.

The Jews see divine authority in the revelation of their God in the Old Testament text, so much so that the text was hand copied with great care in antiquity. The text we have today matches all available portions of the text dated from thousands of years ago. No other text has this quality.

Christians see divine authority in the resurrection of Jesus, a singular event in recorded history. If anyone rejects the resurrection, claiming it a hoax, then said person must accept that the 12 disciples chose a hard path they knew would lead to a violent death for a lie, knowing it a lie. The resurrection was central to their teaching, and if it was a lie, they would know it. There is no parallel human behavior in history. So, it takes great faith, perhaps greater, to reject Christianity.

Muslims attempt to copy textual authority via the Koran. They have failed to copy the resurrection event.

The article fails to describe Baha'i divine authority. If they have none, it is obvious why they are persecuted. Without divine authority with some reasonable basis for belief, they are heretics, just making stuff up, and in fact, lend support to the argument that religion is just made up.

I am unaware of any Jewish "reformation". My understanding is that the Christian "reformation" called for a return to the teachings of the New Testament texts. No divine authority was required.

To get a version of Islam that is compatible with freedom requires a rejection, or re-interpretation, of most of the Koran. The question is, what will be the divine authority for such? Without that authority, a re-interpretation is just more "making stuff up".

"Baha'is have a very rosy and possibly unrealistic view of humanity. They say that their goal is for every human being, irrespective of any and all considerations, to be granted all his God-given rights and be allowed to worship his creator the way he sees fit."

Nothing rosy and unrealistic about that. Quite the opposite. If there is a God then He created us all, didn't He? and we are thus essentially one family of man. Justice cannot be justice if some of us have more right to it than others, isn't that so?. If you agree with that, then all of God's creature are equal in the sight of God.

"They have a sort of lovey-dovey vision of the world where everyone will live as a valued member of the larger human family."

You mean that no one should live as a valued member of society or only some should? And if you agree that all men have that right, then why cannot an All Powerful God make sure we are allowed to exercise that right?

The Baha'i Faith is by no means the only religion to advocate justice for all. All religions teach that we would treat others as we others would wish to vbe treated. And since God created the world, why cannot He establish justice in it?

Bahai's don't care if you are gay or lesbian so where did this come the teaching is no sex outside marrage for health and spiritual reasons and this is for everyone regardless of sexual orientation all are equal in the eyes of God why do some people have such a problem with this simple concept

Thank you for the article. It is very informative. In response to the first comment it appears some people simply parrot-like reiterate whatever they have heard from certain sources aligned with government spokespersons and fundamentalists in Iran. Our comments are reflection of our bias or fairness.

Excellent article, American Thinker, it's not easy to write accurately about the Baha'i Faith. You just gained a new reader, and you may have helped to save the lives of the Baha'is recently arrested in Iran. More please. Lovey-dovey to you, too!

The first comment provides the primary cause of why Baha'is have been persecuted from the inception, simply, blind ignorance prejudice, once you have that, anything goes and it is true this vehment has not been exclusive to the Baha'is only, however Baha'is remain hopeful that all these events will eventually bring people out of this state so mankind can chose to interact with each through knowledge and not through fear and force.

I have Baha'i family members; they're good folk.

However, Baha'i theology isn't worthy of being called "theology." It's more like an idealistic college student's first foray into moral philosophy.

It says, "People ought to be good, not bad" ...an observation which any well-raised 3rd grader could make.

Of course they should; but they don't. Why is that, and what's to be done about it?

This is where the Baha'i, the secular humanists, and everyone else but Christianity (and the few Jews who're still orthodox enough to practice expiatory sacrifice) fall short.

If homilies were all it took to save humans from themselves, then they'd have been saved long ago. For we've had moral philosophers preaching to us since before Hammurabi. If all we needed was sermons, all would have been well for the last several thousand years!

But all has not been well. The Moral Law is not enough. It allows us to detect the problem of human self-centeredness and self-deception...but it does not correct the problem.

Without sacrifice, there is no removal of guilt. Without eternity, there is no purpose in life. Without a deity who will walk with us, be in us, and live through us, there is no righteousness, for we men have, ourselves, never lived up to even the moral codes we profess most loudly. Without a deity who will allow us to accept or reject Him, there is no free will, and thus, no such thing as love.

The problem is like a puzzle or a lock. The missing piece, the key, can only be an Eternal, Loving God who created men with free will and who allows, but does not compel, them to be joined to Him through the expiation of their sins via perfect sacrifice.

Sorry, folks. Individual Christians may sometimes be prigs or dopes or jerks...just like the rest of us, incidentally!...but Christianity is the only creed which actually solves the problem. It's apparently the only creed to realize what the problem is!

In regards to the first comment, the reason some Baha'is ended up in higher posts during Shah's administration was not that they had political connection to the Shah, rather they were trusted by the Shah. Shah knew that Bahai's were not interested in politics or taking over the country. That was always a point of concern to the mullas in Iran who used that reason to misinform Iranian Muslims. As a matter of fact, Baha'is are supposed to be respectful to the government that they live under. That is what Baha'is practice thoughout the world today. As the article mentioned, the Baha'i Faith's goal is establishing oneness of mankind and universal peace. Humanity has reached the age of maturity and needs to work towards these goals. The world despritly needs pease, unity, and prosperity. Is it such a bad thing to hope and work towards a unified world where all nations can live in pease and harmony? Isn't that what the world is missing today? Think about it?

The Divine Authority of the Bahá'í Faith is Bahá'u'lláh. This means "The Glory of God". His Revelation from God is contained in more than 100 volumes. He was born in Iran in 1817 and died in 1892 in captivity which lasted 40 years. During His ministry He was imprisoned, tortured and exiled to Akka in the then Palestine where it was hoped He and His followers would perish. For more information look at www.bahai.org

It is unfortunate that any person on the planet is denied their basic human rights. However, I disagree in framing this topic as "Islam" vs. "The Baha'i Faith." The problem is not Islam; it is politically motivated individuals who would stop at nothing to achieve their ends. That type of person exists, unfortunately, in every culture, religion, race or country. To frame it as a problem with Islam, in fact, takes the responsibility away from the individuals that are guilty and makes "Islam" the scapegoat - exactly what the people who are guilty would want, for they, obviously, do not care about the name of Islam.

If the Baha'i's had a "death grip" on the Shah, it is beyond strange that the Shah, at various times, himself allowed and even participated in persecution of the Baha'i's and destruction of their holy places. "Death grip", what an uninformed opinion.

This is an excellent article and I congratulate the author for his bold initiative. I am a Baha'i of India for the past 32 years and it has been a wonderful experience of learning and serving humanity. Thousands come every day to the Baha'i Lotus Temple in New Delhi and are inspired to learn more of the Teachings of Baha'u'llah, the Messenger of God for this Age. Opposition to His message and persecution of His followers serves to release fresh spiritual energies and awaken the peoples of the world to the realities of the age we live in. Every Spiritual Luminary in every age has been doubted, despised, mocked, persecuted, imprisoned and some even killed. And out of the crucible of their suffering the reality of true religion has shone forth and the hearts of men and women infused with the power of Divine Love. The steadfastness of the Baha'is of Iran in the face of such harrowing persecutions shall only add to the proof of the truth of Baha'u'llah's Revelation and the power of God.

With best wishes and kind regards!

People who see the Baha'i Faith as "Islam light" or as a selective compilation from other religions are typically those who have traded their particular faith for a personally philosophic understanding of the world and its history. For such a person Buddhism is what "you" think it is, Islam is what "you" think it is, the United States is what "you" think it is. This is precisely why there is a strong emphasis in the Baha'i Faith on both the abolition of prejudice (thinking you know something about something before you have investigated it carefully) and the personal investigation of Truth.
It is a difficult thing to free one's mind of what one has been taught and has learned through the filters of what one has been taught. However, it is not impossible. It is the basic condition of the true seeker. It does require a committment to discovering Reality beyond one's own conceptions of it. This is the same attitude that advances both the sciences and the arts as well.
From a theological point of view, Baha'u'llah gives a profoundly different and radically unique way of looking at both human history and its potential future. There is nothing "light" nor derivative about the Baha'i teachings in this regard.
Baha'is belive that the universe was created to reflect the attributes of its Creator. These attributes are everywhere in Creation but their essence is specifically focused on the reality of the human spirit. The process of evolution has brought forth the physical form of humanity which has the capacity to engage with the human spirit. Since then our evolution has been been through the development of the human heart and mind (the rational soul) independent of the regulatory laws of nature which govern the rest of Creation.
This evolution of the human mind and heart is the process of religion that has been consistently guiding and challenging humanity to higher and higher levels of morality. Morality is simply being harmonious with the laws of nature by choice, since we have free will.
The attributes of God that are specialised for humanity are the capacity to know, to love and to create. We can recognize these as potential mirrors of the Creator's eternal essence as all-knowing, all-loving and the Creator of all. This is what is meant when we say that we have been created in the image of God.
The revelation of each Messenger or Manifestation of God totally abrogates the conditions of humanity from the preceeding period and establishes new conditions that have the power to shape humanity's present and near future until the next Messenger is sent.
This force of revelation sets up a sort of "spiritual wave" that acts to increase the strength of whatever resonates with that wave and to shake to its foundation anything that does not. It is not a coincidence that one of the oldest religions existent, Hinduism, sees that the Divine authority also contains the "destroyer". Anything man-made that is not in harmony with the reality of this spiritual wave will be destroyed, not by a vengeful god, but simply as the ocean tide destroys the sand castle.
Each human being, according to Baha'i theology, has two fundamental responsibilities. The first is to recognize the Manifestation of God and the second is to follow his guidance and contribute to the ever-advancing civilization of humanity.
Recognition of the new Messenger ranges from actually coming to discover and follow the direct teachings to catching the fragrances of change on the wind and the glimpse of light on the horizon and genuinely pursuing these new stirrings.
Historically, revelations from God are rejcted and persecuted at first, then adopted and become the core of a new civilization and then ultimately become the orthodoxy and dogmas that set up a return to human suffering at our own hands. It has been and will continue to be a cyclic process of development.
However with the appearnace of Baha'u'llah in the mid-1800's, humanity is being lifted to an unprecedented awareness of this process itself. Baha'is have faith in the unstoppable nature of this process and we trust that as this process dawns upon human consciousness, all of humanity will be able to co-operate with it.
This is hardly Islam light nor Mammy Yokum's dictum that "Good is better than evil because it's nicer."

Kudos to the author for being brave enough to voice his opinion, and not just be part of the 'silent majority' (Nixon).

The peoples of the world should simply open their eyes and see for themselves how in a span of just 165 years the Baha'i Faith has attracted adherents from nearly every conceivable ethnic background: from the aborigines in Australia to the whites in Europe; from the Mongolians to the Pygmies; from Norwegians to Indians; from Iranians to the red-skinned South Americans; from Samoans to Alaskans; And all of them having the exact same vision of the unifying power of Baha'u'llah's revelation. All follow the same - the exact same - laws of Baha'i administration.

Just reflect on this for a moment: A Baha'i governing council of the pygmies of the jungles of Africa, and a Baha'i governing council of the highly sophisticated people of, say, New York - these two councils have THE SAME rules for election. For example, no electioneering, no nomination, etc; they function by THE SAME principle of Baha'i consultation; their day of election is THE SAME year after year after year; their membership is fixed - nine members only; they are both subservient to ONE and ONLY ONE central authority; No unbiased observer can deny the fact the impact this 'order' will have on the future of human society: an order that has replaced priesthood by consultative and democratically elected governing bodies whose members not only do not receive any salary, but consider themselves the servants of those they govern!

Also let's not forget that the Baha'i Faith is the fastest growing religion in the world and the second most widespread according to Encycopaedia Britannica. This is not surprising, given the fact the the Baha'is have a world-embracing vision inspired by the Manifestation of God for this age and the PROMISED ONE of all ages, Baha'u'llah ('The Glory of God')

The internet is there for all to use and see for themselves the healing message of Baha'u'llah.

In the 11th paragraph of the above article it is mentioned "..every child born in a Baha'i family is required to make his own independent decision regarding whether or not he wishes to be a Baha'i. Freedom to choose and independent thinking are cherished values of the Baha'is,.."
What a lie, the Baha'is are ordered to shun those their fellow Baha'is and call them covenant breakers (see www.mybahaifaith.blogspot.com ). They are not allowed to have water, meet or any relations with those who believe in the continuity of the guardianship. The Baha'is reject the will and the testament of Abdu'l Baha, while Abd'ul Baha was the son of Baha u llah. They burn the letters they receive without reading the truth. They do not accept Abd'ul Baha's plan that the universal house of justice has no meaning without a guardian. The Bahai's abuse their living guardian Mr. Joel B Marangella. Now they are talking about other religious practices. They oppose priesthood, but, themselves have priests in another name as Counselors. No one can speak his/her thoughts as they will ex-communicated. their voting rights will be taken away. Baha'i Faith is not a religion, but an NGO. Why an American will not write against a Muslims and Islam, the world knows that they have invaded the Muslim countries and occupied their lands. So, there is resistance. American die in these resistances. The Baha'is are security threat to Iran and other Muslim countries. They pass on informations of the Muslim countries they live in to Israel. No country will tolerate espionage. Even America, UK and other countries have tough laws for their security. So does Iran does have every right to protect its country from the spies. None of the country will ever allow that its sensitive information is passed on to its enemy country.

Which Baha'i Faith are you talking about? Orthodox or Heterodox!

Who is this American thinker? I want to know that only his half and biased side of his brain is functioning? From when he started supporting the spies. Is he from the progeny of James Bond?

Mr. Amil Imani, were you in coma for a long time like Mr. Sharon? What happened to you? Have you lost your mental balance. Are you still in search of WMD in Iraq? Since when you started to work on such foolish subject?

A very interesting article and even more interesting replies. Those who cling to a dead-Islam have nothing to say to justify their actions or belief, so they attack the writer ! Classic defense for those who are in the wrong! Islamists claim to have the final chapter of the 'moral book' of God, yet their conduct and societies are backward : we send women to space, they still talk of allowing them to drive ! We sent rapists to prison, they punish the 'raped' !! We worry about education for the thief, they cut their hands ( ironically, all Mullah's in Iran who stole people's property have both of their hands safe and sound ... so the law only applies if you are not a mullah ), and they complain, in this country, if they are profiled in an Airport, but in most Muslim countries, Baha'is and others are openly persecuted.. .and all the while, the Islamists claim that somehow this is a morally superior and more advanced 'idealogy', fit to guide us for the next 100000 years !! and if you do not believe that, well, they will have suicide bomber visit you soon !! btw, Islamists are also antagonistic to the Alavi sect in Turkey, and Ahmadieh sect in Indonesia... the intolerance of Islam is an equal opportunity hater :)

And as the first poster rightly noted, most Iranians love and respect the Baha'is, but most Islamist-Iranians do not ! So the issue, once again, is Islamist idealogy ( if you don't believe me, buy a ticket and go to Iran ... ask the people on the street .. the more Islamist, the more anti-Baha'i !!! )

Mr. Ray, pleeeaazzz tell me which Baha'is are to talking about Heterodox or Orthodox? If you call yourself to be tolerant then why did you stop the minority group from teaching and want to take away the basic Baha'i faith from Orthodox sect ( http://www.rt66.com/~obfusa/capsule.htm ). You people have been defeated legally by Orthodox believing in continuity of guardianship. Mr. ray can you tell me who is your present and living guardian? Mr. Ray go and read the "Will & Testament" of Abdu'l Baha. there lies the true Baha'i Faith.

My wife and I have some lovely Baha'i friends; however, we do not share their beliefs. The poster on June 9, '08 at 1.45am expresses where we are coming from. I am very thankful to James' contribution.

We must know that Islam is an outdated religion and it can not reply human needs in this new period; it is obvious that a religion which was manifested 1400 years ago can not be the best and we can understand it, even with a cursory look I am sure that clergies and priests also recognize this matter and they always endeavor to refresh some rules by changing the basic matter in Islam and if they can not understand this mater they must be really ....
They solely claim that they are the most perfect religion but they do not have any solution for the problems of our world, and if they had they solved thousands of problems in Iran. Even in the 21st century, they want to achieve their goals with cruelty and war.
If you want to see a perfect sample of Islam look at Iran.

I am reading these replies to this author and I find some of their comments quite interesting...

First I would like to thank the author for his curage to tell the truth....

For the record I have been a Bahai since 1983 and I do come from a Conservative Christian Background[Roman Catholic]

When my parents found out that I became a Bahai they just thought it was a phase that would pass...

the more I investigated the faith... the more I was convinced that it was what the world needed

It abolished the priesthood... made each individual responsible for their own spiritual development...It banned the use of opiates alcohol and cannibis for recreational purposes... gave women equal rights ...and encouraged interracial marriage[something frowned upon in the southern USA].

and that is something that NO CREED can do because all creeds[Dogmas] are man made [Christian and Islamic]and only the spirit of God can free the human soul from the prison of self...

There is only one Bahai Faith. One of the unique features of this religion is that because its main goal is to bring about the unity of humankind, Baha'u'llah in his writings, the original of which in his own handwriting and bearing his signature are kept in the Bahai International Archives Centre and open for all to see and ascertain for themselves, appointed his eldest son 'Abdu'l-Baha as the center towards which the faithful should turn for guidance. For the first time in the history of religion, this covenant he made with his followers prevented the Bahai Faith from being divided into different sects. To ensure that the unity of the Bahais would be safeguarded, Baha'u'llah also introduced the Administrative Order. The Bahais elect bodies at the local and national levels. Members of these institutions do not receive salaries and, apart from rare exceptions, they all continue to work at their regular jobs after being elected. They see their work as service to not only the Bahais but the entire population of their locality and rather to the entire human family. The Bahais also elect an international body which is called the Universal House of Justice and was first elected in 1963, 100 years after Baha'u'llah's declaration. And after that Bahais from all the corners of the world have continued to choose delegates from their countries every five years to gather together and elect the Universal House of Justice.

When you read the history of this Faith you realize that there have been many people who during different phases of its evolution have tried hard to divide its followers and thus fulfill their ambitions, but have invariably failed in the end to achieve their goals. This, Bahai scripture says, is because of the mighty covenant Baha'u'llah made to ensure that the unity of his followers would remain intact, so that they would be able to work to bring about, in the fullness of time, the unity of the entire human race.

"The Covenant of Baha'u'llah" and "The Child of the Covenant" explore this aspect of the history of the Bahai Faith. They are available in bookstores or on "Ocean, Free Software Library of the World's Religious Literature": http://www.bahai-education.org/ocean/

we are living in critical moment of human history to choose one of these two choices, one to destroy humanity and civilization all togther or find a way to get along with each other, and this informative article shows us Bahai faith Idea is practical way of life to come togther as one humanity.
I came from a zealous Moslems ,s family and I appreciate the oneness of God,oneness of religion and oneness of humanity.
thwnk you again for informative article

Religions are created by men who are super achievers. They are big businesses. Like all types of multinationals, they compete, strategize, set objectives, accummulate profits, properties - just add on. They lobby too, and in exchange support certain governments be it the Israeli, American, or whatever government. Let us not be fooled. Bahai's base their business on what Baha'u'llah, his son and grandson said or didn't say. Many issues are debatable and contradictory. This is to justify their existence and the big business bucks they receive from all the members while constantly claiming deficits to accummulate huge properties making slaves of many members who resent this religion but have to keep quiet for obvious reasons. If there are 5 million Baha'is, and the Baha'i Faith's total properties are equivalent to over 590 million or more (depending on the currency) this comes out to how much per member? What then is the Baha'i Faith doing to increase its wealth? This is serious and requires further investigation. Why do they shred so any articles? Why do they hide the truth from so many? Are they going to get some secret service to watch on us? Think, think, think.

As a former Baha'i (over 40 years), I think that you should known that the Baha'is have a hidden agenda. They want to establish a world-wide Theocracy run by them. You have to understand that the Baha'is are very careful of what they let the outside world know. They will deny what I have said and point to the writings of Baha'u'llah. They will say the Universal House of Justice (which does not allow women to be a member) is freely elected. That is not true. Just google how their current elections are run. That is what will happen in the future. What Baha'u'llah said in his writings and what the current Baha'i Administrations are doing are not the same.

Why have all the rich Baha'is left Iran? Instead of building so many temples, could not the money be used to get these poor suffering souls out of Iran? Isn't there something odd about this whole process? Is it a marketing strategy or an excuse to get attention from the greater community and funds from different sources?

Mohammed appeared in 610AD, Baha'u'llah en 1863. This means that God did not have to send any prophets to save these people, or an opportunity gap to get famous and rich was the real reasons?

The problem with all religions is that they compete. Thus numbers become important. Although some have tried to make links with other religions - there are huge gaps and numerous contradictions. The great academic production of books, articles, and so on have to be analyzed according to who funds what. Moreover, all religions try to influence different societies and their institutions. Since people die, religious leaders attempt to leave their mark on various civilizations via a Holy Book, art, architecture, literature, etc. History indicates that the basic patterns are repeated in different eras; only the actors are distinct.

Furthermore, every religious group can be accused of the same atrocities - many preach "peace", but by cooperating with certain organizations and governments, they are indirectly participants of violence. That is, their hands are not free of violence.

For instance, why did the English and the UN not create a Palestine State too? Because politics is full of BS. Those who are not Jews or Muslims view this whole conflict from another point of view. It is best to go after the politicians who screwed up in the first place? Even if they are dead, these politicians should be condemned.
Why has the rest of the world to pay for the Israeli-Palestine conflict? If people are just a number to wage war, to attract funds, to make an organization powerful, to do dirty jobs for others, to sign petitions against each other - it makes no sense to bring them into this world. On the other hand, without these types of problems, there is no sense to life. The religious leaders and politicians have no purpose, no identity. That is without conflicts, they cannot justify their existence. Hence, conflicts are created deliberately. Manipulation is the art of who can fool who, and, at the same time, become richer and more powerful.

The problem with all religions is that they compete. Thus numbers become important. Although some have tried to make links with other religions - there are huge gaps and numerous contradictions. The great academic production of books, articles, and so on have to be analyzed according to who funds what. Moreover, all religions try to influence different societies and their institutions. Since people die, religious leaders attempt to leave their mark on various civilizations via a Holy Book, art, architecture, literature, etc. History indicates that the basic patterns are repeated in different eras; only the actors are distinct.

Furthermore, every religious group can be accused of the same atrocities - many preach "peace", but by cooperating with certain organizations and governments, they are indirectly participants of violence. That is, their hands are not free of violence.

For instance, why did the English and the UN not create a Palestine State too? Because politics is full of BS. Those who are not Jews or Muslims view this whole conflict from another point of view. It is best to go after the politicians who screwed up in the first place? Even if they are dead, these politicians should be condemned.
Why has the rest of the world to pay for the Israeli-Palestine conflict? If people are just a number to wage war, to attract funds, to make an organization powerful, to do dirty jobs for others, to sign petitions against each other - it makes no sense to bring them into this world. On the other hand, without these types of problems, there is no sense to life. The religious leaders and politicians have no purpose, no identity. That is without conflicts, they cannot justify their existence. Hence, conflicts are created deliberately. Manipulation is the art of who can fool who, and, at the same time, become richer and more powerful.

The problem with all religions is that they compete. Thus numbers become important. Although some have tried to make links with other religions - there are huge gaps and numerous contradictions. The great academic production of books, articles, and so on have to be analyzed according to who funds what. Moreover, all religions try to influence different societies and their institutions. Since people die, religious leaders attempt to leave their mark on various civilizations via a Holy Book, art, architecture, literature, etc. History indicates that the basic patterns are repeated in different eras; only the actors are distinct.

Furthermore, every religious group can be accused of the same atrocities - many preach "peace", but by cooperating with certain organizations and governments, they are indirectly participants of violence. That is, their hands are not free of violence.

For instance, why did the English and the UN not create a Palestine State too? Because politics is full of BS. Those who are not Jews or Muslims view this whole conflict from another point of view. It is best to go after the politicians who screwed up in the first place? Even if they are dead, these politicians should be condemned.
Why has the rest of the world to pay for the Israeli-Palestine conflict? If people are just a number to wage war, to attract funds, to make an organization powerful, to do dirty jobs for others, to sign petitions against each other - it makes no sense to bring them into this world. On the other hand, without these types of problems, there is no sense to life. The religious leaders and politicians have no purpose, no identity. That is without conflicts, they cannot justify their existence. Hence, conflicts are created deliberately. Manipulation is the art of who can fool who, and, at the same time, become richer and more powerful.