Feb 5th, 2009
Truth Shines
Let the Light of Truth and Honesty shine from them . . . Baha’i writings
A remarkable document has emerged this week. Written in Persian, it has now been translated into English and can be read here.
It is remarkable because of what it says, who has signed it, where it has been posted and the date of its release. Called `We are Ashamed’, it is a rehearsal of the human rights abuses committed against the Baha’i community in Iran for over 150 years and an admission by academics, intellectuals and artists that they have themselves perpetrated such abuses or remained silent when they occurred. It has now been posted on iranian.com, which is an e-zine for Iranians around the world and very popular. Thousands of people will read it.
A map has also come to my attention today. The editor of the Muslim Network for Baha’i Rights has been mapping where the recent persecutions of the Baha’i has been taking place. Find it here.
This month marks the 30th anniversary of the Islamic revolution in Iran - a whole generation of people have been born who have never been able to learn the truth of the Baha’i Faith or understand how they have been misled. At the same time, a whole generation of Baha’is have been denied basic human rights, a whole generation has been denied access to higher education, a whole generation has been unable to enter the professions and serve their country as they would like.
While it is well known that the Islamic religious leaders in Iran have always opposed the Baha’i Faith and its followers - indeed, executed its forerunner, the Bab; incarcerated its founder, Bahá’u'lláh; and sent into exile not only Baha’u'llah but his whole family and many of his followers - it is less well known in the West that the Iranian intelligentsia, for the whole of the 20th century, was also antagonistic to the Baha’is. So widespread, so pervasive, so permeating, so cleverly contorted were the lies told about the Baha’i Faith that even liberal academics denounced it.
But truth shines. It always triumphs, in the end. This document is evidence that is possible to look beyond what has been accepted as true for a century and half, and to change.
Which, in fact, is the very purpose of the coming of the Manifestation of God: to help people and their societies change.
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