One of the main Islamic-based NRMs is the Bahá’í Faith, whose founder Bahá’u’lláh affirms the spiritual and social equality of women. Moreover, the institutions of the Baha’i community have a moral obligation to support and encourage the full participation of women in leadership positions and in all kinds of decisions related to life in the Bahá’í community. Statistics from several consecutive years show that women play an important role in the management and leadership of the Baha’i community around the world. For example, women make up 30% of the elected members of the national governing boards or the so-called National Spiritual Councils, 40% of the elected members of the local councils or the so-called Local Spiritual Councils. Moreover, 47% of the so-called The members of the Auxiliary Councils, whose aim is to inspire and advise the community at the sub-national and regional level, are women.
Yet, although the woman is allowed to participate in the governing life of the community, she is encouraged to develop certain skills in line with the Bahá’í scriptures. For example, according to the Bahá’í Faith, every woman should be an example of “impeccable honesty and devotion,” “extraordinary piety,” “good spirits,” “recognized talent and experience,” and so on. As for the way of dressing, both women and men have equal rights and are free to dress according to their taste.
Holidays for the Bahá’í Community are March 21 – the No-Roose (Bahá’í New Year), the Rezwan Festival on April 21, the Bab Mission Announcement on May 23, and Bahá’u’lláh’s Birth on November 12.
The central role of prayer and meditation in the Bahá’í community gives great importance to Prayer Houses as an institution. There are currently such Prayer Houses in Wilmet (USA), Frankfurt (Germany), Kampala (Uganda), Sydney (Australia), Panama City (Panama), Delhi (India) and Apia (Western Samoa). The services there consist of reading texts from the Bahá’í Scriptures, the Bible, the Qur’an, or the Talmud. Bahá’ís also pray in their homes or in nature without having to follow certain canons. In the future, each town and village will have its own Prayer Houses, which will serve as centers around which scientific, educational, cultural, humanitarian and administrative institutions will be set up.
Spiritual League of Nations
Plans for the first House of Prayer in the Western Hemisphere began in 1903, when a handful of Baha’is from Chicago, the first city in the United States to take an interest in the Bahá’í Faith, decided to embark on this endeavor. Many architects proposed plans, but the most unusual was the project of the French-Canadian architect Louis Bourgeois. Mr. Bourgeois began work in 1909 and for eight years worked diligently on his amazing idea. his yard.
His project was adopted unanimously by delegates elected by Bahá’í communities from across North America. The New York Times commented, “America needs to stop and look to see how the artist has woven the idea of a Spiritual League of Nations into it.”
On May 23, 1978, the House of Prayer in Wilmett was registered in the National Historical Register as “one of the national cultural values to be preserved.”
The Bahá’í Faith
The Bahá’ís are followers of Bahá’u’lláh. These are people who come from different religious backgrounds or did not have their own religion at all. They live in over 200 countries and territories around the world and represent all human races and almost all nationalities and tribal groups in the world. Through the unifying influence of the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh, they have become part of a global family.
Bahá’u’lláh was born in Persia and lived from 1817 to 1892. Among His teachings, expounded more than a century ago, are principles such as: the unity of God, the unity of religions, and the unity of the human race; the independent study of truth; the elimination of any prejudices; equality between men and women; general education; harmony between science and religion; eliminating extremes in poverty and wealth; world peace through world government.
These principles alone will not solve the world’s problems. A basic spiritual reorientation is needed. It was for this change that Bahá’u’lláh came. Its goal is the transformation of society, the establishment of world peace and a new civilization, through the unity of humanity, as well as the renewal of human souls. “The purpose which underlies the revelation of every divine Book, moreover, of every verse of it, is to endow men with reason and righteousness, so that peace and tranquility may be permanently established between them … Use, O , friends, the opportunity that this Day gives you and do not deprive yourself of the generous outbursts of His (God’s) grace. “
What exactly is the Baha’i religion?
-The main goal of the Bahá’í community is to unite the world. The development of the world requires such unification. This is already a matter of choice. There were iron curtains some time ago, but they did not stop the consequences of the Chernobyl accident. The fact that the world is one is not in doubt today. If there is a danger of bird flu somewhere, we are all afraid to some degree. There is also an economic relationship between countries. If there is an economic collapse in one country, it affects others as well. The Bahá’ís view humanity as one body. If in a small country people have a serious problem, it affects the rest of the earth, just as if we hit our toe, the pain floods our whole body. People are very focused on material things and lose their sense of spiritual needs. Man is a material, spiritual and intellectual being and must maintain all his aspects.
What is your attitude to other religions?
-They believe that there is only one god and there are not many religions, but only one, but in development. According to Bahá’ís, a historical process clearly shows an educational process in the emergence of different religions. According to the latest beliefs, the beginning is 5000 years ago with Krishna, followed by Moses 3,500 years ago, Buddha, Christ 2000 years ago, Muhammad 1600 years ago and the last religious movements, including Bahá’u’lláh. The scriptures of the different religions also do not differ fundamentally. The differences are in the interpretation of the time in which they arose.
-What, according to the Bahá’ís, is the individual?
-According to the Bahá’í religion, one is a mine of precious stones, but only education can reveal this wealth. Thus, there is no crowd in front of us, but many bearers of inner beauty that must be shown. This is the place of education. At the heart of the Bahá’í religion is that there is one world, one god, and humanity. They are against extremes in every possible sense. Equality between men and women is also a basic Bahá’í law. To be a Baha’i, you must strive to know yourself.
– How widespread is Baha’i in the world?
-Bahia is the most widespread religion in terms of geography, not as a number of followers. There are Baha’is in the most remote parts of the world.
-What do Bahá’ís not believe in?
-They do not believe in superstition, in this sense, for example, they do not have priests.
The world is changing in two aspects. One is a process of disintegration – wars, catastrophes. Public opinion is also more concentrated here. At the same time, there is a very clear and positive building process on which the Bahá’í community is focused, an example of which is Europe‘s achievements. They believe that the world is ripe for a very big and positive change. The processes have so far been part of the maturation of humanity. This includes globalization. It has its negatives and the road the world will take is a long one. But the Bahá’í community believes that a truly great and positive change is ahead, which will be a golden age in human development.
Bahá’ís are being severely persecuted in Iran – we can trace this interest and care of the EU as far as 2009. As early as February 2009, the Council of Europe issued a Declaration by the Presidency on behalf of the European Union on the trial of seven leaders of the Baha’i community in Iran [Brussels, 6567/09 (Presse 42)]:
“The EU is deeply concerned about the serious allegations made against seven leaders of the Baha’i community in Iran. They have been detained by the Iranian authorities for eight months without charge, during which time they have had no access to justice.
The EU is concerned that, after being detained for such a long time without due process, the leaders of the Baha’i community may not receive a fair trial. The EU therefore calls on the Islamic Republic of Iran to allow independent monitoring of the proceedings and to review the charges against them.
The EU strongly opposes all forms of discrimination and oppression, in particular on the basis of religious practices In this regard, the EU urges the Islamic Republic of Iran to respect and protect the religious minorities in Iran and to release all persons deprived of their liberty for their faith or religious practices.
This Declaration is joined by the candidate countries Turkey, Croatia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, the Stabilization and Association Process and potential candidate countries Albania and Montenegro, the EFTA States Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, members of the European Economic Area, and Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova.”
