25
Jul
2007
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Zionist Agents–The Baha'is?

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Since I could remember I often hear the term Zionism and the name of my Faith, the Baha’i Faith, used in the same sentence by people who are responsible for abuse against the Baha’is. I have been thinking and trying to figure out how and why this assumption could be reached by the clerical regime in Iran. So, this post will try to lay out the facts for those curious individual who are wondering what to think.

So, lets start by laying out the facts, indisputable facts.

Zionism is a term referred to the theological and political movement of establishing a Jewish state. Guess what, it has happened and its probably not going anywhere regardless of your own views. Zionism was a strong movement that did reach its goal when the state of Israel was established in 1948. The movement to even exist today as an active transnational movement would be redundant because it has already accomplished its goal!

To be a spy or agent of a state or party means to actively work in gaining information for that state or party.

The Baha’is are the largest religious minority in Iran with some 300,000 believers spread through out the country. It is also a world wide religion with follows in every country from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe. It is an organized religion with its administrative headquarters in Haifa, Israel. Its headquarters have been there since the late 1800s.

Baha’is are apolitical and do not associate themselves at all with any kind of political movement or candidate. It is forbidden by Baha’i law for any enrolled Baha’i to engage in partisanship or run for political office. However, there have been Baha’is working in various offices of government in civil roles and military roles since the Faith began in many countries, i.e. department of agriculture or something most often times boring…

Baha’is are loyal and submissive to the government in which jurisdiction they fall as citizens. Here is a list of some prominent past and present Baha’is

Baha’is, just like any other religion have been dismissed by the religion that came before it as being untrue, irrelevant, satanic yada yada yada.

The official Baha’i view is best described here, from the official Baha’i website…

‘The Changeless Faith of God’

When Bahá’ís say that the various religions are one, they do not mean that the various religious creeds and organizations are the same. Rather, they believe that there is only one religion and all of the
Messengers of God have progressively revealed its nature. Together, the world’s great religions are expressions of a single unfolding Divine plan, “the changeless Faith of God, eternal in the past, eternal in the future.”

People from all of the major religious backgrounds have found that the promises and expectations of their own beliefs are fulfilled in the Bahá’í Faith. Bahá’ís from Native American, African and other
indigenous backgrounds, similarly, find in the Bahá’í teachings fulfillment of prophetic visions.

For Bahá’ís of Jewish background, Bahá’u'lláh is the appearance of the promised “Lord of Hosts” come down “with ten thousands of saints.” A descendent of Abraham and a “scion from the root of Jesse,” Bahá’u'lláh has come to lead the way for nations to “beat their swords into plowshares.” Many features of Bahá’u'lláh’s involuntary exile to the Land of Israel, along with other historical events during
Bahá’u'lláh’s life and since are seen as fulfilling numerous prophecies in the Bible.

For Bahá’ís of Buddhist background, Bahá’u'lláh fulfills the prophecies for the coming of “a Buddha named Maitreye, the Buddha of universal fellowship” who will, according to Buddhist traditions, bring peace and enlightenment for all humanity. They see the fulfillment of numerous prophecies, such as the fact that the Buddha Maitreye is to come from “the West”, noting the fact that Iran is West of India.

For Bahá’ís of Hindu background, Bahá’u'lláh comes as the new incarnation of Krishna, the “Tenth Avatar” and the “Most Great Spirit.” He is “the birthless, the deathless,” the One who, “when goodness grows weak,” returns “in every age” to “establish righteousness” as promised in the Bhagavad-Gita.

For Bahá’ís of Christian background, Bahá’u'lláh fulfills the paradoxical promises of Christ’s return “in the Glory of the Father” and as a “thief in the night.” That the Faith was founded in 1844 relates to numerous Christian prophecies. Bahá’ís note, for example, that central Africa was finally opened to Christianity in the 1840s, and that event was widely seen as fulfilling the promise that Christ would return after “the Gospel had been preached ‘to all nations.’” In Bahá’u'lláh’s teachings Bahá’ís see fulfillment of Christ’s promise to bring all people together so that “there shall be one fold, and one
shepherd.”

For Bahá’ís of Muslim background, Bahá’u'lláh fulfills the promise of the Qur’an for the “Day of God” and the “Great Announcement,” when “God” will come down “overshadowed with clouds.” They see in the dramatic events of the Bábi and Bahá’í movements the fulfillment of many traditional statements of Muhammad, which have long been a puzzle.

Baha’i prophecies and goals indicated that one day there will be peace among the nation’s and war as we know it in its conventional sense will fade away and mankind will focus on its collective abilities. We also believe that there is not going to be some catastrophic Judgment Day and the End of the World through Armageddon. These events to us have happened already but in a more symbolic manor. Just like all the prophecies of past religion have come to pass. Of course, there are un-educated people who really want to see things with there own eyes and will deny anything to the contrary. This is simply arrogance.

Now, to address the accusation directly about Iranian Baha’is being spies of Israel. It is easy to draw conspiratorial conclusions to fit ones own world view. And, indeed I can see how some Islamic regimes
draw these conclusions. But, it is against the very core of being a Baha’i to conspire against ones government, even if that government is the 3rd Riech. And yes there were Baha’is in Germany at the time. Most of them fled or were thrown into concentration camps. Baha’is would rather be executed, which many have, than take part in being agents against there own government.

In a poetic passage, Bahá’u'lláh described the actions of the moral individual and urged His followers to live accordingly:

Be generous in prosperity, and thankful in adversity. Be worthy of the trust of thy neighbor, and look upon him with a bright and friendly face. Be a treasure to the poor, an admonisher to the rich,
an answerer of the cry of the needy, a preserver of the sanctity of thy pledge. Be fair in thy judgment, and guarded in thy speech. Be unjust to no man, and show all meekness to all men. Be as a lamp unto
them that walk in darkness, a joy to the sorrowful, a sea for the thirsty, a haven for the distressed, an upholder and defender of the victim of oppression. Let integrity and uprightness distinguish all thine acts. Be a home for the stranger, a balm to the suffering, a tower of strength for the fugitive. Be eyes to the blind, and a guiding light unto the feet of the erring. Be an ornament to the countenance of truth, a crown to the brow of fidelity, a pillar of the temple of righteousness, a breath of life to the body of mankind, an ensign of the hosts of justice, a luminary above the horizon of virtue, a dew to the soil of the human heart, an ark on the ocean of knowledge, a sun in the heaven of bounty, a gem on the diadem of wisdom, a shining light in the firmament of thy generation, a fruit upon the tree of humility.

So, in conclusion we as Baha’is are friends of all people and are loyal to the governments to which jurisdiction we fall under, be it the USA, Iran, Egypt, Saudi Arabia or China or North Korea. We see the
World as one planet and its people as one (and in my view, dysfunctional) family. Yes, when our governments fight agaisnt each other, Baha’is have been sometime been caught in the middle. There was one incident in Vietnam where a Viet-cong patrol fought and won a battle against an American patrol. Somehow there was a Baha’i on each side, the American was about to be executed and said “Allah’u'Abha” as his last words and his would be executor responded with Allah’u'Abha, a Baha’i invocation meaning God is the Most Glorious. Needless to say the Baha’i was not executed but taken as a POW.

We work for and are all about peace, human rights, tolerance, understanding, harmony and equality or the sexes. Dont forget it and don’t be fooled.

PS- There are no Baha’is actually who are citizens of Israel, Baha’is live there but only have work visas and are forbidden from teaching or promoting the Faith in Israel. So, if you thought, “what about if there are Israeli Baha’is, could they be Zionist agents?” The answer is…Impossible.