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Peter Khan Passes Away
2011-07-16 02:30:00
Previous member of the Universal House of Justice Peter Khan has passed away today. Over the years we’ve discussed Khan’s extremist viewpoints more than a few times. He was also a key player in Alison Marshall’s expulsion as well as the UHJ member with the portfolio of Asia sent to pummel into submission the New ...

CESNUR Paper: Bahai Dissent by Bei Dawei
2011-07-02 02:43:00
On the heels of the conference in Canada, Intellectual Othering & the Baha’i Question in Iran, Center for Studies on New Religions (CESNUR) held its international conference in Taipei, Taiwan. Among the papers presented was “Baha’i and Subud dissent: Developments in the 2000′s” by Bei Dawei. The paper compares and contrasts the recent dissident community ...
More About: Paper , Panopticon

Intellectual Othering & the Baha?i Question in Iran
2011-06-14 02:38:00
The University of Toronto, in conjunction with the Foundation for Iran ian Studies and the Toronto Initiative for Iranian Studies, is sponsoring a conference about the Baha’is in Iran. The conference will take place July 1-3rd 2011 and offer an array of speakers, many of which should be familiar already to the readers of this blog: ...
More About: Question , Intellectual

Thoughts on the Latest Raids Against BIHE
2011-06-09 01:12:00
By now you’ve no doubt learned about the recent raids on the Baha’i Institute Higher Education by Iran ian government authorities. This resulted in the confiscation of teaching materials as well as the arrest of several Baha’is serving as faculty. Sen wrote about this almost immediately after it occurred: Many searches and 14 arrests of BIHE ...
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Little Known Fact: Baha?i Age of Consent
2011-05-27 01:34:00
If you asked your average friendly neighborhood Baha’i about the age of consent in the Baha’i Faith, they would most probably say 15 years of age. And that is true… for the most part. The Kitab-i-Aqdas and Some Answered Questions both mention the fifteenth year. But if that was all there was to it, this ...
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?The End Is Nigh? ? May 21, 2011
2011-05-22 00:31:00
In case you were otherwise engaged and were not made aware of this peculiar phenomena, for the past few months, a very small Christian group, lead by Harold Camping has been making a great hue and cry about the impending arrival of judgement day or the rapture on May 21st 2011. You may not be ...
More About: Humor

UHJ on Priority for Elimination of Racial Prejudice
2011-05-18 02:13:00
A recent letter from the Universal House of Justice (via the Secretariat) responding to a question from an individual Baha’i addresses the question of racial prejudice and the priority that the Baha’i community should place upon its elimination in the US. We don’t have the actual question but from the reply we can infer that ...
More About: Theology , Elimination

Big Mohammed?s House
2011-05-08 06:41:00
Hilarious clip from the Daily Show featuring John Oliver investigating Christians and Muslims in the US sharing each other’s places of worship: Canadians can watch the clip here.
More About: Humor , House , Mohammed

Canadian NSA Election ? 2011
2011-05-05 23:12:00
The delegates at the National Convention in Canada re-elected every single previous member of their National Spiritual Assembly. These included the two new members that were the result of the 20 December 2010 by-election (Simon Grandy and Dr. Mehran Anvari). The members of the Canadian NSA are: Karen McKye Deloria Bighorn Enayat Rawhani Simon Grandy ...
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Freedom for Art is Unity in Diversity
2010-06-23 05:00:00
Last Friday, I went to listen to Salman Rushdie present the “Leiden Freedom Lecture.” Freedom, he argued is the essence of life and the essence of creativity. So many Baha’is have told me that to be a Bahai and an artist means that you need to be ‘moderate’. Some, artists themselves, have presented all sorts ...
More About: Diversity , Freedom of Speech , The Arts

Declining Internet Interest for ?Baha?i?
2010-06-10 06:09:00
A while back we looked at the geographic breakdown of the data: Iranians Curious About ?Bahai?, Americans Not. I decided to go back and take a look at the pattern of search results for Baha’i. Since Google is the king of internet when it comes to search, I was somewhat saddened to see that the ...
More About: Internet , Interest

Abdu?l-Baha on Diet and Medicine
2010-06-04 04:29:00
I remember reading the quote below from Abdu’l-Baha many years ago and wondering exactly how in the world it would be possible to cure serious diseases with diet. It is, therefore, evident that it is possible to cure by foods, aliments and fruits; but as today the science of medicine is imperfect, this fact is ...
More About: Diet , Medicine

Lessons of the Catholic Church Sex Abuse Scandal
2010-05-24 06:35:00
I’m sure that everyone is by now aware of the sex abuse scandal plaguing the Catholic church. What was once talked about in hushed tones, if at all, is now openly and hotly debated in the media and the pews. The image and reputation of the Vatican and the Catholic church lies in tatters as ...
More About: Church , Abuse , Scandal , Catholic Church

On the Persecution of Iranian Baha?is
2010-05-12 04:43:00
A few months ago the Baha’is of Washington DC organized an event in support of the Baha’is of Iran . The evening featured Ms. Shohreh Aghdashloo, Dr. Azar Nafisi, Dr. Dwight Bashir, Layli Miller-Muro, as well as theatrical and musical performances. Here is a short video of the Emmy award winning and Oscar Nominated actress, Shohreh ...
More About: Video , Persecution

NSA Elections in North America ? 2010
2010-05-09 03:11:00
The recent NSA elections in North America was in keeping with the well-known bias towards incumbency. All previous members were re-elected to their positions with no new members entering either NSA. Jacqueline Left Hand Bull, Chair (standing at the podium), David F. Young (Vice-Chair), Juana C. Conrad (Deputy Secretary-General), Kenneth E. Bowers (Secretary-General), Erica Toussaint, ...
More About: Elections , North America

The Infidel
2010-04-27 04:27:00
Omid Djalili, the Iranian-born Baha’i comedian and actor stars in the new UK comedy “The Infidel”. In the film Djalili plays a Muslim man who discovers suddenly that he was adopted… from Jewish parents. Here is the trailer: They have also started a contest for the “funniest” religion. Here is Omid starting things off with ...
More About: Video , Humor

Universal House of Justice: Ridvan Message 2010
2010-04-21 21:13:00
Below you’ll find the most recent Ridvan message from the Universal House of Justice . This has to be the most Ruhi-laden Ridvan message I’ve ever read from them. It seems that the House is doubling down on Ruhi. It is also a very long message at 11 pages. Only time will tell if that is ...
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Iranian Baha?is on Trial: Quick Update
2010-04-15 00:10:00
It is easy to forget that we are closing in on almost 2 years of incarceration for the 7 members of the national administrative body of the Baha’is of Iran . In Persian, the body is known as the Yaran (or Friends): Since their arrest, they have been in legal limbo. The Iranian authorities are pressured ...
More About: Trial , Update , Quick

Change is a Law of Nature
2009-08-18 03:35:00
London July 4th 2009: Sarah Brown, wife of the British Prime Minister took part the London Pride March. This photo is used with permission by photographer, © Marco Secchi 2008. One of the most beautiful aspects of the Baha’i Writings in my view is that religious law can be flexible and adapt. “The second classification or division comprises social laws and regulations applicable to human conduct. This is not the essential spiritual quality of religion. It is subject to change and transformation according to the exigencies and requirements of time and place.” (Address by Abdu’l Baha Abbas before Congregation Emmanu-El, San Francisco, Cal. (Martin A. Meyer, Rabbi) Saturday, October 12, 1912. - Star of the West, Vol. 3, No. 13, p. 3) Abdu’l-Baha places principles such as justice and equality into the first classification, as part of what all religion is concerned with and which does not change. By “second classificiation” Abdu’l-Baha is...
More About: Nature , Change

The Trouble with the World
2009-08-12 06:14:00
The topic being discussed currently in various Baha’i forums is a speech given by Peter Khan, on July 3rd 2009 titled “Reflections on the Ridvan Message”. You can read the complete speech here. There isn’t much remarkable about it but if you manage to hack through the thick underbrush of verbiage you’ll find that almost at the end Khan says: The solution is childish simple; the solution is so simple, it [sic] hardly worth mentioning. The solution is no more and no less than unreserved acceptance of whatever the central authority of the Cause, in this case the Universal House of Justice decrees. Unfortunately Khan doesn’t explain what he really means by ‘decrees’. Does that mean anything the House decides? every word they write? every answer they give to a questioner? every letter of guidance to members or national administrative bodies? or does it mean what they decree as in their legislative authority within Baha’i administrat...
More About: World , The World

Iran’s Intergenerational Conflict
2009-07-23 06:48:00
Below is a short video from chunnel.tv which summarizes recent Iranian history to explain the opposing forces at work in Iranian politics today: Smells Like Teen Spirit: Thursday Night Heyat in Iran This video is a glimpse into the life of the ‘devout’ Muslim Iranian youth and the type of social activities they are able to participate in: Poetry Jam in Iran Culture Of Martyrdom Linkfest regarding the Iraian election protests: Turmoil in Iran
More About: Conflict

Oldest Bible (Codex Sinaiticus) Now Online
2009-07-19 20:28:00
Although in physical form it is in 4 separate locations around the world, the oldest known copy of the Bible is now completely online. The document dates back to Constantine I and is considered one of the world’s greatest written treasures. Now, thanks to the internet, everyone has equal access to this historical heritage. To find out more about why this document is so important, you can read more about it here. Interestingly enough, there are many discrepancies between the contents of the Codex and what we consider as the Bible today. For example, it has no mention of a resurrected Jesus – a pivotal component of modern Christian doctrine. I took the image you see above while playing around with the controls at the Codex Sinaiticus website. As the image shows, you can zoom in to see quiet a lot of detail. Even you are not a librarian or a photographer or an archivist, it isn’t difficult to imagine the daunting task of digitizing a 1,600-year old manuscript that i...
More About: Online

Can a Woah-man! Serve on the UHJ?
2009-07-13 16:40:00
I was talking to a friend recently about her volunteer work within the GLBT community and something she said caught my attention: “gender is so over!”. Now that statement may seem ridiculous, especially when you consider that everything in our Western society demonstrates and magnifies the divide between the two sexes. Boys are given toy trucks, girls? Barbies. Even if the politically correct parents of today have moved beyond such cliches, I’m willing to bet that they may have read books like, Men are from Mars, Women from Venus. There are two sexes: men and women. But is it that clear cut? Turns out… no. Science is slowly beginning to come to grips with the question of gender and the discoveries are nothing short of astonishing. Whereas we once thought of the world divided between two halves, the new paradigm is one where there is a continuum. Recently I stumbled on this article: We’re all intersex where Gerald N. Callahan, the author of Between XX...

Global Currency Proposed By Russia
2009-07-11 06:53:00
Writing in the World Order of Baha’u'llah, Shoghi Effendi envisioned the future: A mechanism of world inter-communication will be devised, embracing the whole planet, freed from national hindrances and restrictions, and functioning with marvellous swiftness and perfect regularity. A world metropolis will act as the nerve centre of a world civilization, the focus towards which the unifying forces of life will converge and from which its energizing influences will radiate. A world language will either be invented or chosen from among the existing languages and will be taught in the schools of all the federated nations as an auxiliary language to their mother tongue. A world script, a world literature, a uniform and universal system of currency, of weights and measures, will simplify and facilitate intercourse and understanding among the nations and races of mankind. Keeping in mind that the above was written in 1938, you can’t help but be awed by his prophetic vision. We ...
More About: Currency , Global , Russia

Turmoil in Iran Simmering, Not Over
2009-07-07 20:06:00
Although news about Iran ’s stolen election have fallen off the radar of most news outlets, things have not calmed down or been resolved. Not by a long shot. While the ruthless Basij and riot police were able to suppress the protests and prevent any new ones, the same discontent simmer beneath the surface ready to explode at any moment. If this does play out following the same time line as the Iranian revolution 30 years ago, it will go on for months and build momentum slowly. I’m still not convinced that it will however. The Islamic Republic has shown itself to be completely without mercy when it comes to internal challenges. There is no line they will not cross to maintain power. But it would seem that Rafsanjani has been busy in Qom. The Assembly of Qom Seminary Scholars and Researchers recently released a shocking statement (see below). Doonesbury Since this all began I kept a running tally of links to important articles, new developments and analysis. I’ve con...

The Watermelon Miracle
2009-07-04 05:19:00
To tickle your funny bone this holiday weekend: Sketch from That Mitchell and Webb Look.
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Individual Baha’is Ignoring NSA Directive on Iran
2009-06-25 22:24:00
Daniela recently wrote a guest post about the ‘official’ Baha’i guidance regarding the protest movement in Iran : Don’t Speak Out for Them. There she quoted the UK NSA’s guidance to Baha’is to keep mum about the developments in Iran. I already linked to a similar message from the NSA of the USA. To summarize: “the believers ...
More About: Individual

How Do You Say ?Baha?i? In Sign Language?
2008-06-08 20:39:00
As far as I know, there is no official way to sign “Baha’i” in sign language. Stephen Bedingfield offers the suggested sign - to the left - for the deaf and hard of hearing community to represent the word “Baha’i”. If I’m blessed enough to have any readers from that community, I’d appreciate their input. ...
More About: Language , Sign , Sign language

A Chat with a Baha?i Youth in Iran
2008-06-02 17:38:00
I’m grateful to a “Anonymouz”, a reader, who forwarded an informal chat with a Baha’i youth living in Iran . The youth gave their permission for their conversation with Anonymouz to be made public (omitting his name). My comment regarding the equal susceptibility of Baha’i youth in Iran to the same societal pressures as other youth upset ...
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Power of Love or Love of Power?
2008-05-31 10:07:00
Hope you like this little noetic eye candy I cooked up for you: When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace. Jimmi Hendrix The way I see it, power is all about control. Love is all about losing control. God’s love for us is the primary force behind Creation and the fountain ...
More About: Power