1 November 2010, Farzam Faramarzi
Weblog: Haji Agha’s important discovery: Reasons for Tendencies to join Baha’ism
RASA news service has uncovered factors affecting the tendency to join Baha’ism!
Any rational mind, after reading the article, would wonder whether people who write this kind of news spend any time to ponder what they are disseminating.
As an example, note what the first paragraph of this new item contains:
“A gentle disposition, helping others, visiting the sick, sending gifts, selling items at discounted prices, visiting neighbors and helping the dispossessed are among the methods used by Baha’is in their practical teaching.”
At first glance, as a neutral reader, what would you think? Wouldn’t you think that this was part of a report or a book written by Baha’is? The opponents of the Baha’i are apparently so desperate that they do not realize that all the characteristics listed are among praiseworthy qualities that everyone should aspire to have. So, if you lack them and Baha’is have them, is it fair and just to put them down for having these attainments?
Furthermore, Hojjat’ul-Islam Ahmad Haj-Gholi, the Baha’i researcher — for which, read Baha’i antagonist — has said in an interview with a RASA reporter: misguided Baha’ism uses the two methods of direct and indirect approaches for its teaching work.
Dear Hojjat’ul-Islam, there are now three approaches! The third approach is using news agencies like RASA, where although no Baha’i works there and they think that by disseminating such news they are sending a blow to the Baha’is, in fact they have unwittingly become one of the best teachers for Baha’is — which of course is much appreciated.
But the point to be noted, which is of great importance, is this agency’s insult against Islam! One can derive from the first paragraph, which lists all the praiseworthy characteristics, that Baha’is possess these qualities and that this agency and Hojjat’ul-Islam are against the Baha’is; so therefore these characteristics must be condemned in their sight.
Now the conclusion of this line of thought would be that the opposite of these characteristics would be acceptable. Since he is a Shi’ite Muslim cleric, the logical extension would be that by condemning those qualities which are heretical Baha’i qualities, he is in a way pointing to the character that a Muslim should have. Let us look at what qualities which, according to these authorities, a good Muslim should have:
“Ill manners and bad habits, no help to others, not visiting the sick, not giving gifts to friends or acquaintances, price gouging, inattention to neighbors, and of no help to the dispossessed.”
Dear Muslim friends, I hope you are not offended by me and I hereby apologize to all Muslim friends for this piece of writing. But the true guilt belongs to the RASA site that has openly insulted Islam and Muslims. Well, naturally, when they see Baha’is as being bad and do not favour their work, anything that Baha’is do is seen as bad. Well, if those things are bad, then what do they consider to be good?
These people are so lost in their fight against Baha’is that without any thought or reflection they say and write whatever comes into their minds; the result is an insult to Islam and to Muslims.
Dear honorable Haj, is it possible to consider visiting friends and acquaintances to be a bad act if done by Baha’is, but a tradition of the Prophet and praiseworthy if done by you? Telling a lie is always bad, whether uttered by a Baha’i or a Muslim. This kind of interpretation has caused you to feel authorized to commit the biggest sins in the name of religion.
Mr. Ahmad Haj Gholi, how can it be that “Invite people to what is good with other than your tongues…” [a Shi’ite hadith from the Imam Sadiq; see wikipedia.org] means that we teach the Evident Faith of Islam by our deeds and words, but if Baha’is do the same, they are being arrogant?
To teach the faith of Islam, do you not send millions of dollars to Lebanon,
Iraq, Afghanistan and even farther to Communists? What problem is there that Baha’is have translated and distributed their books into 800 languages and dialects, and use television, radio, satellites, and the internet? Is there a problem or there is something illogical and suspicious in what you have said? O! for a refuge from imaginary enemies and suspicious imaginations!
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Source: http://freedomofpen.blogspot.com/2010/11/blog-post.html,
http://www.iranpresswatch.org/fa/post/1507
http://www.iranpressnews.com/source/086042.htm
November 12, 2010 1:17 pm
Bravo!
November 14, 2010 1:05 am
The link should be to http://www.rasanews.ir/NSite/FullStory/SendToFriends/?Id=88903 rather than http://www.rasanews.com/NSite/FullStory/SendToFriends/?Id=88903 – .ir rather than .com
Very interesting article – a rough translation to english can be seen at http://translate.google.co.uk/translate?js=n&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&layout=2&eotf=1&sl=fa&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rasanews.ir%2FNSite%2FFullStory%2FSendToFriends%2F%3FId%3D88903
As you say, it’s quite a positive article in a way – in an odd way it seems that Hojatoleslam Ahmad Haj Gholi is trying to be fair in his criticism and ends up being more positive than he might have set out to be! As someone who shares his name with a famous constitutionalist (are they related?) that may be unsurprising – who knows, you may have stumbled across a closet sympathiser. Sad that the author of this article didn’t feel inclined to be so gracious in response.
November 14, 2010 7:47 am
Thanks for pointing out the correct link to Rasa’s article.
loving greetings
November 14, 2010 8:08 pm
As an American Baha’i, I have seen the expatriate Iranian Muslim attitude toward the Baha’is evolve substantially, especially in the past few years. There now seems to be an almost universal consensus that the Baha’is of Iran have demonstrated exemplary behavior under enormous pressure; to the extent that even the outlets of the Iranian goverment condemn the Bahai’s with faint praise. The above article is a study in how truth will not be submerged by propaganda. exaggeration or lie.
November 20, 2010 2:17 am
The honourable Haj might have added that Baha’is attract people by promoting reconciliation and unity amongst all nations, creeds and races, the independent search for truth, abolition of priesthood and the intervention of religion in politics, the abandon of prejudice and superstition, complementarity between science and religion, a spiritual and humane solution to the world’s economical problems, and most of all, attract more than half of the world’s population by promoting equal rights between men and women and stressing the importance of educating girls. They also say that the teachings of Baha’u’llah are not reserved for Baha’is, but are offered to all humanity as a remedy for it’s ills and that Baha’is have a duty of sharing these teachings with all mankind.
November 21, 2010 9:24 am
Last but not least amongst these Baha’i principles which are felt as a threat to those wielding power in the IRI, a threat prompting the destruction of tombs and the harassment of school children, is the concept that the fundamental purpose of religion is to promote love and unity, and that if a religious activity becomes a source of hatred, division and conflict, it would be a saintly move to abandon it. Hence a nine pointed star symbolising the Baha’i principles on a tomb questions the very existence of the present regime.