From: khademi@cajal.usc.edu (Peyvand Khademi)
Subject: (none)
Organization: The Ohio State University Department of Computer and Information Science
Date: Thu, 23 Jul 1992 08:13:06 GMT

Newsgroups: soc.culture.iranian
Subject: Re: God help us.
Summary: 
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Organization: University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
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alireza@eng.umd.edu (Alireza Karimzadeh-Rad) writes

> Isn't it sad that the flames of the conflicts that the British instigated many 
> years ago in the Mid-East in order to creat havoc, as part of their "divide and
> conquer" policy, are today burning hotter than ever. Keep on fighting
> gentlemen.Allow your religious beliefs, which are simply your way of worshiping
> your God, the most private of affairs, to be used as the means of destruction.

Dear Alireza,

I imagine you are refering to the recent threads on SCI, re: the Baha'i Faith.
I am a Baha'i and I have been following these threads for a couple of weeks
(though, this is the first time I'm participating as a writer).

From the tone of the last two sentences of the above quote from your post, I
take it that you side with neither those who have been attacking or attempting
to disprove the legitimacy of the Baha'i Faith and its founder Baha'u'llah, nor
those who have been attempting to defend its validity.  I could see how
idealogical impasses based on religion among people who otherwise have so
much in common -- language, culture, history, etc. -- would make you sad.
But you are laying the reason for your sadness at the wrong door mat.

You refer to "the flames of the conflicts that the British instigated many
years ago in the Mid-East in order to creat havoc". As you did not mention the 
Baha'i Faith explicitly in your post, I can only imagine that by this you are
refering to the supposed handiwork of the British Intelligence in creating the
Babi and Baha'i Faiths, unsubstantiated theories about which have been forwarded
on SCI.

From the historical viewpoint of the Baha'i Faith, indeed as you have
witnessed, from the viewpoint of all of the Baha'is that have written to this
newsgroup, such theroies are patent, naked lies.  They are based on fantasy.
They are motivated by hatred for the Baha'i Faith and for the Baha'is.
Their sources are mullahs with vested interests in destroying this Faith.
That you, as an unbiased person, and so many of my countrymen have so
uncritically embraced these theories -- bought them lock, stock and barrel --
is what makes me sad.

There is a mentality prevalent among people of many nations, that Persians
have a great deal of, that "we know what's right, we know what's really going
on, other people are not as privy to the real meaning of what goes on in the
world as we are."  This mentality prevails among Persians with respect to
the Baha'i Faith.  Whereas the rest of the world has studied and gained
respect and admiration for the Baha'i Faith, and recognized it as an
independent religion working for the betterment of human nature and society,
Persians who think they know better than anybody hold on to this notion
of a conspiracy by the British to divide their nation that has somehow spun
itself out into something the conspiritors had not intended.
This mentality is provincial, arrogant and wrong.

That British conspiracy is the basis for a religion which today, almost
a hundred and fifty years since its inception, is thriving worldwide, is
uniting people of all national, ethnic and religious backgrounds,
is calling its adherents to an upright conduct and character, is upholding
enlightened principles of social justice and calling for an end to
superstition and imitation, and not incidentally has been and continues to
be the target of attacks from the religious orthodoxy, is believable only to
those who would have no problem standing outside on a sunny day and declaring:
"I heard form the prince of darkness that it is night and it sounds plausible
to me".

After all, isn't this the age of information?  Consider which of the two
groups -- the Baha'is and the mullah -- has had the reigns of power and
dominion over the people's mind and access to disseminate information over
the last century in Iran, and which has been squelched and persecuted?
Now that in this forum you have the opportunity to hear both arguments,
do you still choose to believe the implausible tales of the mulla, and 
disregard the story as told by Baha'is, who live the Baha'i life everyday
for no other reason than that they believe it to be true, and who have more
reason than anyone else to know the truth about their own Faith?

I have no beef with those who hate the Baha'i Faith based on sincere
belief that it's a heretical religion, founded by an impostor. I think
hating an ideology, be it religious or not, can be a righteuos, morally
rightful thing.  I hate racism.  Deep in my heart I know it to be dark,
ignorant, evil.  Even though, I don't hate racists.  I know they are
children of God.  I know they have imperfections, just like I do, and I
pray that they will untangle their souls from the shackles of their pre-
judice.  But I don't make up stories about racism, nor do I make it out
to be what it's not, just because I imagine fantastic lies and scare
tactics to be the fastest, most expedient way to discredit it as an
ideology.  I endeavor to find out and expose its truths.  If racism is
a bankrupt ideology, the facts alone will demonstrate its bankruptcy.

Learn the truth of the Baha'i Faith.  Study it with an open mind. Then
judge it as you will. I am not interested whether you embrace it.  I am
interested that you judge it fairly and not contribute to spreading
untruths about it.

Regards
Peyv&
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Peyvand M. Khademi
University of Southern California,     Los Angeles
Department of Computer Science         khademi@cajal.usc.edu


Newsgroups: soc.culture.iranian,soc.culture.arabic,soc.culture.pakistan