NINE OR NINETEEN MEMBERS ON UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE? – A DEBATE IN THE BAHAI FAITH

 

NINE OR NINETEEN MEMBERS ON UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE? – A DEBATE IN THE BAHAI FAITH

 

When someone joins a religion, it will always be riddled with uncertainty for him or her rather than filled with faith. Even if one was born into the faith or grew up among the most devoted of friends and relatives, this is true. A religion journey is usually distinguished by great joy, astonishment, and exquisite camaraderie, as well as a great deal of doubt, difficulty, and grief.

Okay, so it's acknowledged that doubts are a natural component of religious beliefs, and when people have concerns, they strive to work through them, investigate them, and emerge stronger and more confident in their views. Perhaps there are good answers to your doubts, and as a result, your faith will be stronger and more solid. On the other hand, if you don't get any positive replies, you'll be forced to choose between sticking with a religion you know isn't logical and abandoning it in favour of ideas that are.

Now, imagine there are contradictions and incompatibilities in what one perceives to be true, only to discover later that it was all untrue and based on selfish gain? There is a laundry list of such items forced down Bahais' throats that are not supported by the Bahai Scriptures and are not founded on Bahaullah and Abdul Baha's teachings. Today, I'd want to look at one of the items on that list and compare it to the teachings of the Bahai faith's founders.

Among the many incompatibilities and inconsistencies in the Bahai Faith's beliefs, practices, and governance, such as the continuation of Guardianship, the authenticity of Abdul Baha's Will and Testament, the validity of the current Universal House of Justice, and the non-election of women to the UHJ, to which the current Administration has provided no satisfactory answer, a new controversy is arising that will strike the foundations of the UHJ, and it is the number of members. For these integers that are diagonally opposite each other, we discover various references. Some sources claim 19, while others say between 9 and 19, and some state things that aren't specifically referenced in the Holy Scriptures.

The Bahai faith is unable to make decisions on a number of contentious problems, one of which being where nine should be used and where nineteen should be applied. There is a clear reference from Abdul Baha stating that the UHJ will have 19 members.

1- We can see that Abdul Baha clearly said that the UHJ will have 19 members.

The King and Rulers of the world will find their true authority under the ruling of House of Justice. The Laws of God will be vested in nineteen men who will compose the House of Justice and render decisions…. The House of Justice will decide between kings and kings. All judgment will be from the standpoint of God’s law

(Ten days in the light of Acca by Julite M. Grundy, Printed in Chicago December 1907. Published by Bahai Publishing Society Chicago, ILLIONIS, U.S.A. WORDS OF ABDUL BAHA)

2-The Present universal House of justice is advocating for membership between 9 and 19.

 The number of members of the Universal House of Justice is not explicitly fixed at nine,^[a} and in a Tablet ‘Abdu’l-Bahá stated that the Universal House of Justice may function with up to nineteen members at its discretion^.(b)

According to Ali Nakhjawani, Abdul Baha claimed that the number "might be 19," and that he justifies this by stating, "We had a meeting of UHJ with members of ITC, and the members were 18 and manageable."

A member of the Universal House of Justice incorrectly attributes this to Abdul Baha. 'Ninteen' is plainly referenced in the previous passage.

(a) 1998 letter by / on behalf of Universal House of Justice

(b) 'Ali Nakhjavani, Shoghi Effendi: The Range and Power of his Pen, Casa Editrice Baha'i, 2006, p 251

 

3- The number of members is not specifically specified in Holy Text, according to Shoghi Effendi's secretary. This is also incorrect.

"The membership of the Universal House of Justice is confined to men. Fixing the number of the members, the procedures for election and the term of membership will be known later, as these are not explicitly revealed in the Holy Text." (27 May 1940)

(Women on the Universal House of Justice: by / on behalf of Universal House of Justice, 1988-05-31, date of original: 1998)

4- Another study argues that the UHJ should be made up of 19 people. The Local Spiritual Assembly was most likely formerly known as the Local House of Justice, and the House of Justice had 19 members in 1905.

“There are three meetings held in Bombay, on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday evenings at six o clock. The Tuesday meeting is reserved for house of justice composed on 19 members”

(A year with the Bahais of India and Burma by Sydney Sprague second edition pa 15 The Priory Press High Street, Hampstead, London, N.W.)

Whatever the cause, the change from nineteen to nine was not a divine decree; rather, it was the kind of deception for which the Bahai faith is notorious. The Bahai Administration is now attempting to justify its nine members. This, along with several other flaws in the Bahai Faith, will cause Bahais to doubt the faith's authenticity. Without a doubt, the Bahai Faith is a man-made religion that evolves through time. Downsizing became necessary because the Bahai Administration believed that supervising and controlling 9 members would be simpler.

 

What is the importance of the UHJ in the Baha’i faith?

As per the teachings Bahaullah and Abdul Baha, the UHJ plays a very important role especially because it enacts laws “that are not expressly recorded in the Book,” according to the Baha’i writings, legislating on issues not covered in the original writings of Baha’u’llah and Abdul Baha:

Those matters of major importance which constitute the foundation of the Law of God are explicitly recorded in the Text, but subsidiary laws are left to the House of Justice. The wisdom of this is that the times never remain the same, for change is a necessary quality and an essential attribute of this world, and of time and place. – Abdul Baha, cited in Wellsprings of Guidance, pp. 84-86.

Abdul Baha also promised that the Universal House of Justice is “the source of all good and freed from all error.” Will and Testament of Abdul Baha, p. 19.

To summarize, the UHJ is a group of people who are responsible for looking after the whole Bahai community and for putting the teachings into practice as well as developing laws from Bahaullah's teachings. They are, in a sense, acting as a Guardian who has assumed control of the faith today. Imagine a team that has a big role to play in the Bahai world, but its basis is built on lies?! Also, if a 19-member team can become infallible when they work together, can we be confident that reducing the number to 9 will have the same outcome? Is it really possible to consider them infallible? Is it possible to trust their acts and statements at face value? Perhaps this is why, from the inception of this complete system of existing form of UHJ, the team has strayed so far from the faith. All of their choices have been discovered to have faults and weaknesses.

 

The big question!

Now comes the big question that every Bahai should consider: Do we still believe in a system despite its numerous flaws? If one is unable to discover solutions to his or her problems and questions, it may be time to change one's path. It doesn't have to be atheism or a different theological perspective; it only has to be one that is based on truth and is rational and clear. You should not be ashamed of seeking to discover your own path in a way that makes sense to you; you are not required to follow the same faith as your family just because you have done so previously.

A CRY FROM THE HEART

DEAR BAHA’I FRIEND 

After all, thinking is our freedom to investigate the truth and follow it. If one is truly liberal then his approaches will not suffocate the human mind to certain ideals only. The Universal House of Justice.When Naomi Long MP, the Member of Parliament for Belfast East, spoke of “shocking treatment of the Baha’i community in Iran”, I failed to understand that why these elected Member of Parliament have closed their eyes and ears to the treatment given to the Bahá’ís by the Bahá’í Administrative bodies in their own backyard. The Bahá’ís  of world have experienced abandonment, shunning, excommunication, fear and everything one can imagine at the hands of certain individuals serving on Baha’I Apex Body the Universal House of Justice , which we are supposed to believe is Infallible. Baseless court cases are imposed on them to make them surrender to the Will of the Bahá’í Institutions.

Can UHJ and his Haifan organization answer?

         The Haifan Baha’is always preaches tolerance and peace then why do they not extend the same tolerance and peace to their own while demanding it from other religious leaders? is this not hypocrisy?

         Why excommunicate Academician and University professor like Prof FirouzAnarki the former member of NSA of Thailand just because he believed that to become a good teacher for Children classes one need not do Ruhi book 3.

         Why excommunicate Mr. Jamshed Fozdar who so sincerely worked for Haifan Baha’is as a counselor for a number of years. His only fault was his assertions that the content of the books of the Ruhi Institute are unjustified, and that the only valid way to teach the Cause to the peoples of the world is through the use of the scriptures of their respective religions

         Why send Counselors to threaten professors of history and Middle East studies of 'making statements contrary to the covenant' in the Spring of 1996 and bully them out of the religion?

         Why the crackdown on the talis...@indiana.edu list and its participants? Why bully individuals to retract statements of fact, but when they do under duress, they are Sanctioned?

         Why bully the editors of dialogue magazine to close it down and accuse them of negative campaigning and lying for an article entitled *A Modest Proposal* which had gone through the process of pre-publication review by the NSA itself and then accuse these editors of being covenant breakers for following the NSA's own rules and guidelines on the floor of National Convention in 1988?

         Why threaten people believing in freedom of conscience and freedom to express one's opinion?

         Why expel Michael McKenney for merely believing that women should serve on the UHJ?

         Why expel Alison Marshall for believing that the UHJ is not infallible?

         Why sanction those Iranian Baha'is for leaving Iran via Mehrabad airport because they were required to fill out a form stating their religion?

         Why spy on individuals and violate their fundamental right to privacy a year after they had formally left the religion?

         Why write libelous and slanderous letters about people and then denounce them as enemies in their national publications?

         Why attempt to have people shunned and split up their families because they believe differently from the official line? And so on and so forth, ad nauseum!

Given the current UHJ's own track record with its own dissidents, it is the last one who can preach about peace and tolerance towards others! They ought to start with themselves first before telling others what to do?

 We should remain Baha’I but not under the criminal cluthes of UHJ.

Please join the Free Baha’is Group:

http://singaporebahais.blogspot.com/

http://thai-bahais.blogspot.com

DEAR BAHA’I FRIEND 

After all, thinking is our freedom to investigate the truth and follow it. If one is truly liberal then his approaches will not suffocate the human mind to certain ideals only. The Universal House of Justice.When Naomi Long MP, the Member of Parliament for Belfast East, spoke of “shocking treatment of the Baha’i community in Iran”, I failed to understand that why these elected Member of Parliament have closed their eyes and ears to the treatment given to the Bahá’ís by the Bahá’í Administrative bodies in their own backyard. The Bahá’ís  of world have experienced abandonment, shunning, excommunication, fear and everything one can imagine at the hands of certain individuals serving on Baha’I Apex Body the Universal House of Justice , which we are supposed to believe is Infallible. Baseless court cases are imposed on them to make them surrender to the Will of the Bahá’í Institutions.

Can UHJ and his Haifan organization answer?

         The Haifan Baha’is always preaches tolerance and peace then why do they not extend the same tolerance and peace to their own while demanding it from other religious leaders? is this not hypocrisy?

         Why excommunicate Academician and University professor like Prof FirouzAnarki the former member of NSA of Thailand just because he believed that to become a good teacher for Children classes one need not do Ruhi book 3.

         Why excommunicate Mr. Jamshed Fozdar who so sincerely worked for Haifan Baha’is as a counselor for a number of years. His only fault was his assertions that the content of the books of the Ruhi Institute are unjustified, and that the only valid way to teach the Cause to the peoples of the world is through the use of the scriptures of their respective religions

         Why send Counselors to threaten professors of history and Middle East studies of 'making statements contrary to the covenant' in the Spring of 1996 and bully them out of the religion?

         Why the crackdown on the talis...@indiana.edu list and its participants? Why bully individuals to retract statements of fact, but when they do under duress, they are Sanctioned?

         Why bully the editors of dialogue magazine to close it down and accuse them of negative campaigning and lying for an article entitled *A Modest Proposal* which had gone through the process of pre-publication review by the NSA itself and then accuse these editors of being covenant breakers for following the NSA's own rules and guidelines on the floor of National Convention in 1988?

         Why threaten people believing in freedom of conscience and freedom to express one's opinion?

         Why expel Michael McKenney for merely believing that women should serve on the UHJ?

         Why expel Alison Marshall for believing that the UHJ is not infallible?

         Why sanction those Iranian Baha'is for leaving Iran via Mehrabad airport because they were required to fill out a form stating their religion?

         Why spy on individuals and violate their fundamental right to privacy a year after they had formally left the religion?

         Why write libelous and slanderous letters about people and then denounce them as enemies in their national publications?

         Why attempt to have people shunned and split up their families because they believe differently from the official line? And so on and so forth, ad nauseum!

Given the current UHJ's own track record with its own dissidents, it is the last one who can preach about peace and tolerance towards others! They ought to start with themselves first before telling others what to do?

 We should remain Baha’I but not under the criminal cluthes of UHJ.

Please join the Free Baha’is Group:

http://singaporebahais.blogspot.com/

http://thai-bahais.blogspot.com

 

Mainstream Baha'i Faith is heading for a vertical split.

Mainstream Baha'i Faith is heading for a vertical split.

Persian Baha'is vs the Rest

The Baha'i Faith the youngest of all the Faiths and supposedly the most united is now suffering from existential crisis. Already divided into many fractions and sects, the Faith is now faced with its existential threat of a power struggle between the Persian Baha'is and the rest. This crisis may lead to the already decimated Faith into vertical split shaking the roots of the faith.

There is no denying the fact that the Baha'i Faith is born in Persia and Persians have had a great sacrifice in spreading the Faith across the globe.

We will have to go back into the history to recollect that the Persian Baha'is pioneered to places far and wide and have devotedly served the faith. The progress of the faith in golden era from 1970 to 2010 was mainly due to the efforts of Eidelkhanis, Nakhjawanis, Razavis, Afshins, Rouhanis, Mohajers, Azadis and so on. All familiar names to the Baha'i community, known for their selfless services. While these individuals offered their service they also led administrative positions – so we had people who had practical experience for managing the affairs. 

Subsequently the faith saw some unfortunate developments. While the Persian front-runners toiled, a big section of the Persian Baha'is felt that it was their right to govern the affairs. They had a sense of superiority and prided that they were connected to the cradle of the faith. Perhaps as a result of this, resentment crept in amongst other sections. Added to this was the fact that growing tension between Israel and Iran, made Israel suspicious of the Baha'is of Persian background visiting Israel. And the crack widened.

During Chile Temple inauguration in 2016, many Persian Baha'is used to boast that Faith is spreading in Iran and many family members of the former Iranian President Ahmadinejad are taking part in Ruhi curriculum. The non-Persian Baha'is used to take this new-found interest of the Iranians in the Faith as an attempt of penetration rather than acceptance. As Ahmadinejad was seen as the arch-enemy of the Faith.

So today , while superficially Baha'is express perfect harmony, for most of us it is clear that the gap is too large now and cannot be bridged. Administrative responsibilities have started slipping from the hands of Persians and they make no attempt to hide their discontent. After all, they represent a section who has sacrificed most and have had to face severe hardships for the Cause of God. The rest of the community just enjoyed the outcome of their hard work and yet walked away with administrative posts. 

The non-Persian Baha'is feel that the Persian Baha'is have enjoyed enough limelight and it is high time they take a back seat. There have been few cases of disloyalty by some Persian Baha'is which has added to the demand that Persian Baha'is cannot be trusted entirely. 

As this split widens, though ideologically, the mainstream Baha'i Faith will not break, the future will see a risk of Persian Baha'is forming a separate body for governance of their affairs. Much to the dismay of the founding fathers of the faith and to the pleasure of the enemies of the Faith and Covenant-breakers, there is an enemy within. 

The grievances of Persian Baha'is are expressed in this open letter to the UHJ which is being widely circulated amongst Baha'is.

AN OPEN LETTER TO THE UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE

Subject: Persecution of the Persian Baha’is at the highest seat of the Baha’i Administration 

Dear esteemed members of The Universal House of Justice

Paul Lample, PaymanMohajer, Shahriar Razavi, Stephen Birkland,
Stephen Hall, Ayman Rouhani, ChuunguMalitonga, Juan Francisco Mora, Praveen Mallik 

It saddens me to write this letter to the esteemed members. Members, who collectively are supposed to be infallible in their decisions. For quite some time, some of the decisions of the members are being viewed as being with a targeted agenda –cleansing the Baha'i Administration of Persian Baha’is’ very silent callous Racism and fanatism is engulfing the whole of Baha'i Community. The Persian Baha'is are being persecuted in which ever land they pioneered and surprisingly the Universal House of Justice is mock spectator to this persecution.

One could argue that these steps are seen with prejudice. However, when sequence of similar actions is witnessed the benefit of doubt reduces. 

Let us one by one see such incidences to conclude whether it is co-incidence or otherwise:

1.         Recently a prominent Heterodox Baha’i, Omid Seioshansian, who was born in Qatar, was blacklisted in Qatar. Government authorities in the country have levelled criminal and national security charges against him. Mr. Omid now will face severe penalties in Qatar’s judicial system. And will be denied entry. 

Although Bani Duggal, the BIC’s Principal Representative to the United Nations, said that “the Baha’i International Community is saddened that the State of Qatar has chosen to expel members of a community that has peacefully coexisted in and contributed to the progress of the country”, the silence of UHJ has raised concerns. Many prominent Baha'is are of the opinion that UHJ is behind the expelling of Omid as they are in cleansing process of Persian Baha'is and Omid a high ranking Persian Baha'i in Baha'i Administration, who has an eye on selection to UHJ. He has a lot of cloud in countries like India. 

2.         Another high ranking Persian Baha'i, a counselor, Dr. Jabbar Eidelkhaniwho had served for many years in Bangladesh was also removed from his post and a very insignificant Indian Baha'i was asked to step in his shoes. Was this part of a strategy?

3.         Another Persian background lady, a former counselor and member of the NSA of India, Mrs ZeenaSorabjee, was asked to resign/retire from NSA after being elected on NSA. Fate accompli?

4.         A prominent Baha'i of the USA, Bahareh Moghaddam has been accused of trying to deceive and misguide the Baha'is of Iranian descent by sowing seeds of discord. UHJ just watched silently.

5.         Mr. Ali Nakhjawaniwas hunted for his misunderstood statement resulting into ignorant Baha'is daring to ask him that why he gave such statement. UHJ could have defended in this situation.

6.         The case of Baha'i Scholar Ahang Rabbani has not been forgotten. After working for 15 years at the World Centre, he was heartbroken. UHJ had no comfort to offer.

7.         Jamshed Fozdarand FerozAnarkiwere on the brink of being declared Covenant-Breakers but some better reasoning prevailed on UHJ and they stopped from doing such an atrocious act. Both these gentlemen have bitterness still.

8.         The Late Mr. Hasan Sabri along with Isabella Sabri made fun of Persian Baha'is and used to call them KHAR (donkey) and used to say that Persian Baha'is are misguiding other Baha'is. There are several other such incidences of rebuke. UHJ conveniently ignores these. They use to say Panchami is the centre of deviation.

9.         The number of Persian Baha'is as counselors have come down drastically and the story is not different for the ABMs. They were asked to leave their place of pioneer (where they had established themselves, gained respect and involved themselves in Teaching of the Faith) and settle in some other parts of the world. This is nothing but humiliation and harassment. UHJ choses to look the other way.

10.       When a non-Persian Counselor retires from his post, he is immediately offered another post in his own country. But if the counselor is Persian, and that too a pioneer, never this opportunity of service had been offered to him or his experience used for promotion of the Faith. This happens under watchful eyes of the UHJ.

11.       A sincere Persian Baha'i Mr. A.S. Furudiwho took care of the Baha'i property the National Hotel at Pune in India was threatened by one of the members of UHJ that he should come in line with UHJ or face severe consequences.

12.       A Persian pioneer a devoted Baha'i Dr. Ahmed Ansari was asked to resign after he was elected as a delegate for National convention. It was feared that he was a sure member of NSA

13.       Payam Shoghi- A person of capacity, he served the faith as a counselor but he was sacked by the UHJ and was asked to resign from all his administrative positions, just because he was "accused" for forging Documents? Which was never proved.

14.       Shahryar Nooreyazdan- He has such a wide experience about the faith. Has given years as a pioneer to Mumbai Community. A person instrumental in building the Lotus Temple and donating huge amounts of his savings was never given any hearing by UHJ. All his suggestions are ignored and was made centre of mockery.

15.       Farida Vahedi- She served the Faith with best of her capacity running the External affair department very efficiently but just some Indian NSA members did not like her success was asked to resign from the NSA of India. In her place a dumb Ram Sevak Yadav was brought to NSA just to appease the Hindu nationalist Government .

16.       Afshin and his son Naimnow live a life of loneliness. Afshin gave all of his golden years for the propagation of faith in India. Today when he is ill and may be in need of financial assistance, the UHJ is wasting sources on inexperienced, and worthless people like Praveen Kumar Mallik, Rajan Sawant etc. All the "soldiers of Baha'u'llah" are being treated like worthless entity.

17.       The Baha'i Academy in Panchgani was subjected to pressure because its Director Mr. Lesan Azadi was a Persian and son of a Martyr. UHJ made his life and of his family miserable. He was sacked as Auxiliary Board Member.

Such examples leave us with a bitter conclusion that those having Persian (Cradle of Faith) background need to sieved. It is as though the UHJ sees the Persian Baha'is being responsible for the formation of so many sects. A thought is prevailing in the Faith that Persian Baha’is are working in groups and are having soft corner for the Persian fourth Guardian NosratullahBahremand of the Orthodox Baha’i Faith, who is calling his shots from Australia. Such a suspicion has been prevailing for many years now. UHJ has so far not taken any steps to reject this idea.

While all this is happening, the clout of Baha'is with Jewish background is increasing. Whether it is happening with connivance of Jewish state, is a question that then comes to mind.

Esteemed members do look into the injustice that has crept in functioning of the Faith. Else history would not forget UHJ being cause of moral and population downfall of our Beloved Faith.

A GROUP OF PERSIANS Baha'is

 

https://bahaism.blogspot.com/