Comments on: A letter from a Baha'i family in Shiraz

By: Mehyar

Mehyar — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 06:18:50 +0000

Jina!
The name India goes way back, even before 1947! As you most probably know its name is derived from Indus, which is derived from the Old Persian word Hindu, the historic local appellation for the Indus River (see Oxford english dictionary).

Hindustan, a term used historically (2000years+!) by Iranians/Persians, and translated into English as “India” mainly referred to what’s now northern India (http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/266465/Hindustan)

By: Mark Townsend

Mark Townsend — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 01:59:53 +0000

In Persia the mullas went so far as to proclaim from the pulpits against the Cause of Bahá’u'lláh casting their turbans upon the ground — a sign of great agitation — and crying out, “O people! This Bahá’u'lláh is a sorcerer who is seeking to mesmerize you; he is alienating you from your own religion and making you his own followers. Beware! lest you read his book. Beware! lest you associate with his friends.”

Bahá’u'lláh, speaking of these very ones who were attacking and decrying Him, said, “They are My heralds; they are the ones who are proclaiming My message and spreading My Word. Pray that they may be multiplied, pray that their number may increase and that they may cry out more loudly. The more they abuse Me by their words and the greater their agitation, the more potent and mighty will be the efficacy of the Cause of God, the more luminous the light of the Word and the greater the radiance of the divine Sun. And eventually the gloomy darkness of the outer world will disappear, and the light of reality will shine until the whole earth will be effulgent with its glory.” (Abdu’l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 436)

By: Mark Townsend

Mark Townsend — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 01:58:11 +0000

It is interesting that we pray for the safety of the friends who are arrested, endangered, or have no rights throughout the “Muslim” world, but the Master also prays for the loudness of their enemies:

Day by day the majesty of Christ grew in splendor and effulgence. Therefore, my purpose is to warn and strengthen you against accusations, criticisms, revilings and derision in newspaper articles or other publications. Be not disturbed by them. They are the very confirmation of the Cause, the very source of upbuilding to the Movement. May God confirm the day when a score of ministers of the churches may arise and with bared heads cry at the top of their voices that the Bahá’ís are misguided. I would like to see that day, for that is the time when the Cause of God will spread. Bahá’u'lláh has pronounced such as these the couriers of the Cause. They will proclaim from pulpits that the Bahá’ís are fools, that they are a wicked and unrighteous people, but be ye steadfast and unwavering in the Cause of God. They will spread the message of Bahá’u'lláh.(Abdu’l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 429)

By: Elinor (Iran)

Elinor (Iran) — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 21:55:53 +0000

I am talking to to Sasan’s mother, to the sister, to his beloved ones who are awaiting his return. I am talking to you as a fellow Iranian to a fellow Iranian, as a human being to another human being, consider me, a random Iranian some one who shares the sorrow of dealing with discrimination. There is no reason why an Iranian should be deprived of his/her rights inside his/her country, nor a man in his country any where in the world. As human beings we are all free to choose our path, if we do not choose it and if it is merely imposed upon a person, then we cannot call it a faith, not a path, not even a way of life. We all know about the verse in the holy scriptures that Bahais and muslims share : There is no compulsion regarding faith..
I respect your religion, even I do not know much about the faith, I just know some people of the faith and I have found them admirable cultivated people. As a MidEastern I denounce any maltreatment to the followers of your faith, or any other faith. O G-d bring justice to our trobuled land…
Sasan, we pray for your reteurn brother!

By: Omid T (Iran/USA)

Omid T (Iran/USA) — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 19:09:10 +0000

More or less…

By: Murad

Murad — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 19:04:44 +0000

350,000 more stories like this…

Is that how many Baha’is there are in Iran?

By: Jina

Jina — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 18:56:55 +0000

Yet again the original post is lost in pointless ego raves…

I would say the person who keep defending a mistake would be the one with ego.

By: Omid T (Iran/USA)

Omid T (Iran/USA) — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 18:32:50 +0000

Yet again the original post is lost in pointless ego raves…

By: Jina

Jina — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 18:18:48 +0000

“potato” “patato” So the point is, I think the term India was used just like Iraq, Armenia and Iran are used…using modern terminology to describe historic regions.

No, Iraq is generally refers to as Mesopotamia/Babylon etc in history books and Iran as Persia when the ancient world is the context. So find another potato example…

We all make reference in errors.

And defending that error is more annoying than actually making it. Spam…

I wasn’t being sarcastic or petty, I was getting annoyed by the typical ignorance exhibited by people.

By: Todd

Todd — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 18:01:34 +0000

Jina,
Honestly, you bring up a good point. It is an important distinction to make between ancient and modern terms. However, Omid is also right. You did it in a sarcastic and petty way. Also, you refer to that previous message as spam, which, by all definitions, it clearly is not. We all make reference in errors. There is no need to be rude about it.