Happy Ayyám-í-Há to anyone else who celebrates!!

(and good luck with the fast!!)

Sunday recalled another anniversary, the public hangings, of 10 Baha’i women in Shiraz, #Iran.

This anniversary — the 40th — begins a year-long campaign led by the Baha'i International Community: #OurStoryIsOne

What can others do to show support? If you know Baha’is, ask how you might help.

Or you can call toll-free 1-800-228-6483 for information about reaching a Baha’i community near you. And of course, prayers are always welcome. Use your own prayers, or choose from a compilation of Baha’i prayers that can be found at the link.

The Lioness’ Of Shiraz

“I will not.” One after another the moving melody of the women’s words was made Sweeter like honey on their lips. When like peals rending asunder authority they routinely refused To give in for the nightingale’s destiny is to reach the Rose. “I will not.” At every sigh or tear, their inner mirth led to the Gate of Love and They entered; And to the Blessed Spot and Valley they journeyed. “I will not.” For the will was not theirs, and they knew For their words were a fire created in darkness by His Hand. “I will not.” Such was the litany of answers like they were one body, breathing In the Word of God to gain a devoted sustenance. “I will not.” And they smiled for every morn the obligatory prayer was recited; Each utterance, how great the quake in their hearts, How great the immersion that one can see the faces of union. “I will not.” It was their stage to command. No theatrics of lies, no remark, And curse, and no act turned them to turmoil For there was naught but His Presence and Words. “I will not.” They must have thought of Tahirih, the solace of their eyes. And Anis, the friend, Quddus, the letter, Badi, the bearer, And the Martyrs afore. Let their strength before the dawn be ours they said and it was. “I will not.” Holding each other’s hand, the feast of joy commenced, And the éclat of true wealth and with it true poverty was invoked. The Trumpet Blast sounded off— the look in their eyes, And in the women’s hearts, precious and free, The bird seeing out from the cage. “I will not.” Martyrdom, that declaration, to kiss its robe! To wear the beauty upon their skin! They chanted to its praise and its starry light, And looked upon it, smiling in that silent moment where self was no more; When the spirit ascends, witnessing the Threshold of His Abode, Keeping hold the ecstasy of the reverie of the next world. The silent contentment; of things made new;  of principals that were their Glory; The children they educated; the embracing of virtues as though time were limited; And mirroring the love of the thought of the Final embarkation towards the Plains of the Beloved. “I will not recant.”

man i wish i cld see canonically bahai characters in tv shows someday

Many members of the Baha'i religious minority have been arrested across Iran in recent weeks amid unabated nationwide protests. Some were detained at their homes while others were rounded up with other protesters in the streets. Like many of the arrested demonstrators, these Baha’is have been locked up behind bars without specific charges and haven’t been allowed to meet with their families. (...)

43 Years of Harassment and Persecution

Members of the Baha’i community are among the most persecuted groups in Iran. From the very first days following the victory of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, they have been violently harassed by the Islamic Republic and its lackeys. The properties and the homes of many Baha’is were confiscated, their cemeteries in all Iranian cities were seized and destroyed, and Baha’i villagers were driven out of their ancestral lands.

The homes and the livestock of many of these villagers were set on fire, and some of the elderly villagers were killed by setting them ablaze. Baha’is were expelled from all government positions, academics were kicked out of educational institutions, and students were banned from higher education.

During the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s, Baha’is served in the military, just like their fellow Iranians. A large number of them were killed, sustained serious injuries or became prisoners of war, but the Islamic Republic has not recognized any of them as “martyr,” POW or war wounded soldier, and their names were removed from the lists of the Martyrs Foundation.

For more than a decade, Baha’is have been banned from leaving Iran and none of them have been given a passport. Over the past 43 years, more than 200 followers of the Baha’i faith have been murdered and executed by the Islamic Republic. Thousands of them have served prison time because of their faith.

During the ongoing protests, security agents of the Islamic Republic have killed a number of children, but for the Baha’is that’s not something new. Forty years ago, on June 18, 1983, Mona Mahmoudnejad, a 16-year-old Baha’i girl, was executed by hanging in the southern city of Shiraz just for refusing to convert to Islam. Babak Talebi and Payman Sobhani are among other Baha’i children who have been murdered in Iran.

Persecuting the Baha’is as a Mean to Silence Protests

Misleading public opinion is one of the methods that the Islamic Republic has consistently used whenever it has been challenged by protests. In the early days of the current wave of demonstrations, the Iranian government once again resorted to this tactic to mislead public opinion and sow divisions among protesters.

In a statement on September 30, the Intelligence Ministry claimed that Baha’is “have had an extensive presence on the scenes of unrest and riots,” using this fallacious excuse to arrest three Baha’i leaders and two members of their communication team.

To back its claim, the Intelligence Ministry created fake Twitter accounts and sent messages bearing the logo of the London-based, Persian-language Iran International TV channel. In these posts, Baha’is were supposedly calling on people to take to the streets on October 14 and 15. (...)

“Where there is love, nothing is too much trouble and there is always time.”

- `Abdu'l Bahá

Surrey, England

Christians believe that Christianity is the best religion, while Muslims argue that it’s Islam. Hindus, Buddhists, Jews, Zoroastrians, and other believers have the same opinion about their respective Faiths. So, how can we decide which religion is “best?” Who’s right and who’s wrong? Discussing this topic from a Baha’i perspective, you might be surprised at the answer. The Baha’i teachings offer humanity a unique central principle: the oneness of all religions. This oneness in the Baha’i teachings means that only one religion exists, which the Creator continually renews with each new revelation spanning the course of human history. Baha’is believe that all the major religions of the world have some aspect of divine revelation or influence — and that they each form a vital link in the continual, ongoing chain of God’s guidance. #religion #truth #truereligion #bestreligion #faith #god #creator #divine #revelation #believer #islam #muslim #christianity #hinduism #buddhism #jews #judaism #baha #bahai #onegod #oneness #religionbahai #wisdom #faith #faithoverfear #faithblogger #faithquotes #spirituality #beleiveinyourself #beleiver #beleivers https://www.instagram.com/p/CniONtvh2sw/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Does anyone else who fasts religiously notice that some years are hungry ones and others are just plain thirsty?

Also, pour one out for those poor suckers who walk away from a water fountain and freeze like Wily Coyote over a trap door when they realize what they've done, because they sure as hell can't pour one out for themselves.

Pete Haug delves into the historical and religious backgrounds of the three major monotheistic religions connected to this region: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, and suggests a fourth possibility, the Baha'i Faith, as a way to promote unity and understanding among these faiths.

He highlights the Baha'i teachings of one God, one religion, and one humankind as a potential path toward lasting peace in the region.

#renebauerphotography #travel #middleeast #israel #coast #haifa #bahai #bahaifaith #garden #hanginggarden #shrine #shrineofbab #holy #nature #culture #architecture #view #religion #faith #goldendome (hier: Bahai Gardens - Haifa, Israel) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cpa5BJKqvei/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

In regards to the map you posted about the second most popular religion in each state, the bahai faith actually has a long history in south carolina dating back to the reconstruction era. Many of the early members were black and the religion as a whole advocated for integration and racial unity. Bahai sweep!

I did not know that! I was surprised, and I'll have to look into that.

Published: Jan 31, 2023

PARIS: An Iranian court has handed jail sentences of over 10 years each to a young couple who danced in front of one of Tehran’s main landmarks in a video seen as a symbol of defiance against the regime, activists said on Tuesday.

Astiyazh Haghighi and her fiance Amir Mohammad Ahmadi, both in their early 20s, had been arrested in early November after a video went viral of them dancing romantically in front of the Azadi Tower in Tehran.

Haghighi did not wear a headscarf in defiance of the Islamic republic’s strict rules for women, while women are also not allowed to dance in public in Iran, let alone with a man.

A revolutionary court in Tehran sentenced them each to 10 years and six months in prison, as well as bans on using the Internet and leaving Iran, the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) said.

The couple, who already had a following in Tehran as popular Instagram bloggers, were convicted of “encouraging corruption and public prostitution” as well as “gathering with the intention of disrupting national security,” it added.

HRANA cited sources close to their families as saying they had been deprived of lawyers during the court proceedings while attempts to secure their release on bail have been rejected.

It said Haghighi is now in the notorious Qarchak prison for women outside Tehran, whose conditions are regularly condemned by activists.

Iranian authorities have clamped down severely on all forms of dissent since the death in September of Mahsa Amini, who had been arrested for allegedly violating the headscarf rules, sparked protests that have turned into a movement against the regime.

At least 14,000 people have been arrested, according to the United Nations, ranging from prominent celebrities, journalists and lawyers to ordinary people who took to the streets.

The couple’s video had been hailed as a symbol of the freedoms demanded by the protest movement, with Ahmadi at one moment lifting his partner in the air as her long hair flowed behind.

One of the main icons of the Iranian capital, the gigantic and futuristic Azadi (Freedom) Tower is a place of huge sensitivity.

It opened under the rule of the last shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi in the early 1970s when it was known as the Shahyad (In Memory of the Shah) Tower.

It was renamed after the shah was ousted in 1979 with the creation of the Islamic republic. Its architect, a member of the Bahai faith which is not recognized in today’s Iran, now lives in exile.