From: hakim@bigq.enet.dec.com (Kamran Hakim)
Subject: Please leave BAHA'IS out of this! (Re: Israel and Khomeini regimes)
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation
Date:  8 OCT 92 10:09:39    


abbasa@ul.ie, Abbas, you write:

A>In a her bid to cover up her realtions with Israel and her maters, MKO(
A>an anti-Iran organisation mostly comprised of non-moslems factions, like 
A>Bahais, and financed by Saddam, CIA, and Musad) is desperately trying to 
  ^^^^^^
A>fabricate some sort of link between Islamic Iran and Israel. But I doubt
A>that these kind of tricks will help her a lot. 

In article <saied.718397804@cwis>, saied@cwis.unomaha.edu (Saied*) replies to 
Abbas:

S>Also, since you seem to know of "her" relations with Israel and
S>financial support for "her" from Saddam, CIA, and Musad, why do
S>not you present one (i.e., "vahed" since you know Arabic better)
S>authentic document to support your claim. Note that I am not
S>asking for proof of "her" being mostly non-Muslims and Baha'i.
                                                         ^^^^^^

I respectfully challenge both Abbas and Saied to produce documents which 
prove such an association. Talk is after all <.01$/metric ton :-).

Baha'is have been persecuted from the early days by being identified as the
agents of English and Russian Imperialism. As time went on Baha'is were 
also identified with Israel, USA, SAVAK, etc..., etc... Dictates of time
appear to suggest it more fashionable to these days to associate the Baha'is 
with the Mojahedin-e Khalgh. God knows what will be the dictate of fashion 
tomorrow!

Baha'i Faith is non-political in principal and the teachings of the Faith
discourage its adherents from associating with any political organizations. 
If any Baha'i participates in any political activities that equates to the
removal of their administrative rights (i.e. loss of their membership in
the community.). Perhaps the following quotation will serve to convey this 
point for the Nth time to the readership of these groups and the posters:

"In every country where any of this people [i.e. Baha'is] reside, they must
 behave towards the government of that country with loyalty, honesty and
 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
 truthfulness. This is that which hath been revealed at the behest of Him 
 ^^^^^^^^^^^^
 Who is the Ordainer, the Ancient of Days."

				Baha'u'llah  -Tablets of Baha'u'llah-

For homework assignment I leave the implication of this teaching for you to 
contemplate on.

It is important to point out the underlying philosophy for the Baha'i 
non-participation in political affairs. Abdu'l-Baha says in reference 
to religion and politics:

"Religion is concerned with things of the spirit, politics with things 
of the world. Religion has to work with the world of thought, whilst the 
              ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
field of politics lies with the world of external conditions.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
It is the work of the clergy to educate the people, to instruct them, to 
give them good advice and teaching so that they may progress spiritually. 
With political questions they [i.e. clergy] have nothing to do.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 
						`Abdu'l-Baha

Please note that Abdu'l-Baha categorically rejects interference of religion 
with politics. Eventhough, Abdu'l-Baha distinguishes religion from politics 
and discourages the participating of clergy in politics, yet, one can easily 
see a relationship between what Abdu'l-Baha identifies as "the world of 
thought" and "the world of external conditions". A passive or indirect role 
for religion can readily be seen, thus, its impact on politics. What kind of 
role does religion play in the society?

Abdu'l-Baha elaborates on the implications of this in "The Secret of 
Divine Civilization":

"With the advent of the Prophets of God, their power of creating a real union, 
one which is both external and of the heart, draws together malevolent peoples 
who have been thirsting for one another's blood, into the one shelter of the 
Word of God. Then a hundred thousand souls become as one soul and unnumbered 
individuals emerge as one body... Nothing can be effected in the world, not 
even conceivable, without unity and agreement, and the perfect means for 
engendering fellowship and union is true religion. `Hadst Thou spent all the 
riches of the earth, Thou couldst not have united their hearts; but God hath 
united them...'[Qur'an 8:64]"
							p. 71-74

In the absence of such unity and agreement among people, neither social nor 
political institution can stand in the society. Politics is in the simplest 
terms, a methodology that human beings create or adopt to manage human 
interactions on local, national and international levels. Clearly the 
performance of a political system IS DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE BEHAVIOR OF 
THE RESPONSIBLE INDIVIDUALS WORKING IN THAT SYSTEM. Therefore, any political 
system is subject to abuse in the absence of proper human ethics. In fact: 

"...any agency whatever, though it be the instrument of mankind's greatest 
good, is capable of misuse. Its proper use or abuse depends on the varying
                                ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
degrees of enlightenment, capacity, faith, honesty, devotion and highminded-
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
ness of the  leaders of public opinion." 
^^^^
			Abdu'l-Baha, The Secret of Divine Civilization

The goal of the Baha'i Faith is to bring about the FUNDAMENTAL CHANGE in 
HUMAN ATTITUDE. Such a change will transform the disfunctional sociopolitical 
machineries throughout the planet into functional ones. This is why it is 
MEANINGLESS for a Baha'i to BECOME POLITICALLY INVOLVED with either the 
English, or the Russian; support the Israeli or the American; side with 
Mojahedin or (place your favorite political faction here). All these various
political groups are treating the SYMPTOMS without understanding the root
of the problem, while Baha'is are convinced that they are working towards
eliminating the ROOT CAUSE of these symptoms.

Please for God's sake attempt, for once, to see with your own eyes and 
understand with your own minds rather than relying on hearsay.

Warm regards,

Kamran Hakim
Newsgroups: soc.culture.iranian