The Baha’i Faith is not well-known. It falls into those diffused world religions that often lack the critical mass in membership to raise their profile and actively work to tell their stories however they can. We measure that, of course, by how much they make themselves known where we are or how much they try to shape public policy.In my 22 years with the Tribune most of it writing about faiths I have been especially impressed by the Bahais, but disappointed in the inconsistency of their members to come forward with information about themselves, including their annual holidays. In spurts, there have been Bahai media representatives who engaged with us and supplied news. But not often. They are not alone.
I first became familiar with the Bahai Faith while living in Evanston, Ill., and pursuing my masters degree in journalism at Northwestern University. Just north of the city in Wilmette, along Lake Michigan where Sheridan Road makes a sharp turn, stands the Bahai House of Worship. It is one of nine or so Baha’i temples worldwide. The domed, nine-sided building is an eye-catching piece of architecture that rises 135 feet to expose its lace-like sides and many windows.
Bahais embrace universal beliefs few could quibble with. To be a Baha’i simply means to love all the world; to love humanity and try to serve it; to work for universal peace and universal brotherhood.” - Abdu’l-Baha. That would be too amorphous for those who rely and word-pack testaments and centuries of man-precipitated dogma and doctrine. Followers of the Bahai pride themselves in being so decentralized, so stripped of the tyranny and trouble that come with hierarchy and endowed leadership, that we sometimes wonder whether anyone is in control. Bahais, nonetheless, put strong emphasis on the intellect and follow human and world event with zest. The gatherings draw leading scholars dealing with heady topics that look at finding solutions to the planets problems, especially about people getting along.
Their official faith web site notes: The Baha’i Faith is the youngest of the worlds independent monotheistic religions. Founded in Iran in 1844, it now has more than 5 million adherents in 236 countries and territories. Baha’is come from nearly every national, ethnic and religious background, making the Baha’i Faith the second-most widespread religion in the world. Bahais are said to be the largest minority religion in Iran, and over time, it has faced widespread persecution. Repression has gotten worse since 1979 with establishment of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Since then hundred of Bahais have been killed and hundreds imprisoned. Others have been deprived of education and their education. International pressure helped to stem it, but there are fears that that is increasing.
The antagonists call Bahais infidels and practice dirty religion. The web site of faithfreedom.org reports that on May 19, Iranian security officials incarcerated 54 Bahais in Shiraz, based on groundless charges, other than planning a service-community project.
United Nations officials reported finding a secret letter from the Iranian militarys h igh command to various government agencies calling for them to to identify persons who adhere to the Bahai Faith and monitor their activities. There’s a foreboding specter for a religion that is seemingly among the most peaceful on the planet.
