From: bavafa@netcom.com (Hooshyar Naraghi)
Subject: Re: Some Question About Bahai Faith
Date: Thu, 30 Jul 92 11:55:30 GMT
Organization: suggestion
Keywords: Questions

In article <1304@newsserver.cs.uwindsor.ca> tarokh@server.uwindsor.ca (TAROKH VAHID             ) writes:
>I am neither a Bahai nor a Moslem, however after your discussions I
>developed some interest in the topic and started reading some	
>literature such as the Eslemont's Book. I would like to know why
>should the Bahais possess an identification card? Second would somebody
>please explain why should you vote for nine people and so on to determine
>your assembly and your universal house of justice? Why did Bahaullah chose
>nine and nineteen (like the months of Bahai calender). Do these numbers
>have special meaning? Third why all the cardholders at once do not
>determine the universal house of justice members through a democratic
>election? Fourth why should you obey the members of the mentioned
           ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>house of justice blindly? Is it like Velayate Faghih?!  
>^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>Your response will be appreciated.	
>
>Sincerely,
>
>Vahid

Dear Vahid, you have asked some very interesting questions.  I believe a
thorough discussion of your questions could be conducted at soc.religion.bahai
forum for they are basically administrative questions that might not warrant
enough interest at sci.  However, I found one of your questions something that
could be answered here.  I believe I can do that because you later questioned 
if UHJ (or perhaps obedience to it) was like Velayate Faghih.  Now this is to
do with Iran, politics, and general discussion of administrative nature.

The UHJ (and Local and National Assemblies alike) is made of nine members.
Those nine members do not enjoy any privilege, power, authority, special 
rights _outside_ the chamber when they officially meet.  It is the institution
and its decisions that the Baha'i Community is bound to obey not its members.
If a member makes a comment in a meeting or gathering of friends, their words
cannot be quoted as a member, or the institution itself cannot be questioned
for at that moment the person is only the person not a member.  _Only_ when
the institution has met in its chambers we can say we have an Assembly.  Now
your question still holds as why the community blindly follows it.  

Before I answer that, I need to offer some background information.  The 
institutions of the Faith have the right to interprete Baha'i teachings per
Baha'u'llah's instructions.  However, there are many issues that were not
legislated by Him and he left it to UHJ.  UHJ is the _only_ institution that
can legislate new laws that were not specifically enacted by Baha'u'llah
himself (LSA's and NSA's cannot).  Individual Baha'is caanot interprete nor
can they bring about new laws.  They can of course suggest new ways of doing
something to institutions or even consult with the institutions on matters.

A Local Assembly's decision can be appealed to the National Spiritual 
Assembly, and the NSA's decision in turn can be appealed to UHJ.  The decision
of UHJ is final.  As such it is natural that a final institution needs to be
there to make final rulings.  We have to have a supreme body to turn too at
some point.  We call it Universal House of Justice.  So it is only logical and
natural that we ought to obey this body.  Otherwise, what would be the good of
a legislative body if its decisions were not honored and respected by its 
members.

Now as whether this is any like the VelAyate Faghih I cannot comment because 
I do not really know about it.  Anybody out there in the netland who can 
explain it to us?

Regards,
Hooshyar F. Naraghi
(415)324-1055
Newsgroups: soc.culture.iranian