Yesterday, in Iran, six Baha’is in leadership roles were arrested in dawn raids. A seventh has been detained since March. Their crime? Being Baha’is. Compared to the massive loss of life in Burma and China, compared to the collapse of an entire economy in Zimbabwe, the arrest of a few Bahá’ís in Iran seems unremarkable, certainly not newsworthy.

But consider. An indicator that a famine is approaching is when settled agrarian people become nomadic. At that point there is no famine, nothing to see. Yet the famine is coming. If action is not taken, it will be devastating. An indicator that the persecution of the Bahá’ís is escalating towards devastation is when children are denied education, when senior Baha’is are detained. There may not be much to remark upon now but there will be - and soon - unless such persecution is stopped.

But do we have the will to stop it? One of the worst features of the disasters that have encompassed our world is that they have been compounded by our collective inability to act collectively. We are still divided by country, race, religion, skin colour, class and gender. We fail to deal with each other with justice and humanity. People die in hurricanes but many more die because leaders do not trust the aid workers who could assist those injured or lacking food and water. Earthquakes in poor areas kill thousands because badly constructed buildings fall down on top of them. Marginalized people, whether in New Orleans, Burma, China, Manchester or Iran, are permitted to suffer because the rest of us will not get our act together and work in unity to eliminate hatred, ignorance, poverty, petty-mindedness and prejudice. We can conquer racism, empower women to advance, live more gently, enable good governance to thrive, work with each other rather than against each other - but we don’t. We are concerned, we are frustrated, we send money, we pray - but we don’t unite and use our collective power to deal with these issues.

`All that is necessary’, Edmund Burke said, `for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.’ The nothing that we do best is not working in unity.

I see this also a Wake Up Call
One which opens up a Door too Long Closed
The Entrance to The Debating Hall

More Power to Your Pen Sweet Wendy

A Point to Ponder Baha `u`llah said he and Bab suffered themselves to be imprisoned to slow down the process…..
Does Persecution slow or accelerate The Process.
Just a thought from Argyll.

This is why I am writing you to tell you, I’ve just linked this blog in my own portuguese-language blog.

Thank you!

You’re sharing a lot of wisdom, dear one! Over the years of my travelling I’ve learned how easy (and freeing) it is to “travel light” - how little of this world’s “trappings” we need on our journeys. I look forward to hearing more from you.

One of The First Evidence`s I had:
that You cannot avoid The Path Chosen was when I was back home living in Easterhouse after Declaring, During Investigation I had become friendly with The Bahai`s living in the “Bahai Flat in Hamilton who were a Rare Friendly Bunch so I got up out My Bed and decided Today I visit My Bahai Friends in Hamilton so off I went The Bus was as slow as it was Driving through Treacle it seemed to stop at every
traffic light on the way into Glasgow`s Buchanan St Bus Station. I
managed to catch The Hamilton Bus with the “skin o` my teeth” Same again all The Glasgow Roads seemed to be coated in Treacle That Saturday Morning then The Bus broke Down after another bus Arrived were taken onboard and finally I arrived in Hamilton. Quickly I rushed up to the Flat only to be told by someone working in The Local Newspaper Office The Bahai`s Neighbours told… they had all went off in a car. Well totally despondent feeling almost rejected I climbed onto The Glasgow bound Bus which seemed fly back to Glesga Toon IThere was My Easterhouse bus, as if sitting waiting, just for me. I was thinking I had a great story for the next Nineteen Day… anyway I arrived home at DalileaDr and was just sitting down with a cup of coffee when there was a rattle on the letterbox. I opened the door and there was My Bahai Mother Carrie MacDonald now Varjavandi standing there with My Hamilton Buddies. Yes it had been decided I would be with my Hamilton Bahai Buddies, but I had misinterpreted The message and even though obstacles had been continually placed in way:
I had ploughed on, in my mistaken furrow, that I was doing the right thing. Whereas I should `ve sat and waited for the future to to manifest itself, rather than tried to make happen, what was already going to happen.
Echoes of The Saying They also Serve who Stand to Wait

I know it is off the subject but thank you for writing such a good book on meditation. I purchased it a couple of years ago and it was really helpful as I had read so much about different approaches on line and I needed an overview.

Pauline