Tag Archives: bahai faith

Consider the fate of two Baha’i women in Iran who, in November, were sentenced to their second 10-year prison terms after a hiatus of four years. Mahvash Sabet, 69, and Fariba Kamalabadi, 60, were first incarcerated in 2008 and released in 2018. At the time they were part of an informal group of five men and two women who tended to the basic pastoral needs of the Iranian Baha’i community. This was with “full knowledge of the Iranian government,” according to the Baha’I International Community (BIC) in Geneva. The BIC represents the worldwide Baha’i community at the UN and other international forums.

The Bible promises an unending covenant between God and man, God’s commitment never to leave humankind alone. That original covenant is symbolized by the rainbow: “I set my rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between me and the earth.” The succession of God’s prophets over millennia fulfills that promise. God’s message is “updated” periodically through “Manifestations of God.” Abraham and Moses appear in the Old Testament, Christ in the New Testament and all within Muhammad’s Quran. Baha’is believe other manifestations include Krishna, Zoroaster and Buddha.

In our zero-sum political system, winners take all. It pays to invest in politicians who further our own interests, often at the expense of others. Ironically, our system of governance is among the world’s finest. For a couple of centuries it’s set the gold standard for emerging democracies worldwide. And that’s what’s scary. We can, we must, do better.

The Baha’i canon includes original scriptures handwritten by the Bab and Baha’u’llah, as well as authoritative interpretations by Baha’u’llah’s son ‘Abdu’l-Baha and great-grandson, Shoghi Effendi. Much of this canon was written in Arabic and Farsi. These original writings are available for research by scholars. Because the Baha’i Faith places great value on independent investigation, Baha’i administration oversees authorized translations into both mainstream and indigenous languages globally.

We’re now manipulated by information from all over. Hackers on both sides of the Ukraine war, for example, jockey to influence its outcome. Feeds from global social media draw viewers by the millions. How much of the information we imbibe is accurate? How much is generated by artificial intelligence? How much is just plain lies? Most importantly, how do we know?

Rayshel aims to make his religion, the Baha’i faith, more tolerant of its LGBTQ adherents. While making his documentary, “No Matter How Fine a Love” — which he’s airing in pieces in a YouTube series — Rayshel traveled across the U.S. and to Israel to shine a light on the struggle of LGBTQ Baha’is.