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Bahram Nadimi

For Baha’is, the period between March 2nd and March 20th  is a time of restraint and fasting. The preceding period between February 26th and March 1st is called Ayyam-i-ha or the Days Between. Literally, the days that fall between the last two months of the Bahá’í calendar. They are a time for hospitality, charity, gift giving and celebration prior to the Fast.

Regarding fasting Bahá’u’lláh (the Prophet Founder of the Baha’i Faith) stated:

“All praise be unto God, Who hath revealed the law of obligatory prayer as a reminder to His servants, and enjoined on them the Fast that those possessed of means may become apprised of the woes and sufferings of the destitute.[4]”

Given this, I thought it might be appropriate to talk about the plight of the poor. Here are some statistics [3]:

• Almost half the world — over 3 billion people — live on less than $2.50 day.
• The GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of the 41 heavily indebted poor countries (567 million people) is less than the wealth of the world’s 7 richest individuals combined.
• Nearly a billion people entered the 21st century unable to read a book or sign their names.
• Less than 1% of what the world spends every year on weapons was all that was needed to put every child into school by the year 2000 and yet it didn’t happen.
• 1 billion children live in poverty (that’s half the children in the world). 640 million live without adequate shelter, 400 million have no access to safe water, 270 million have no access to health services. 10.6 million died in 2003 before they reached the age of 5 (or roughly 29,000 children per day).

Abdu’l-Bahá and the poor

About 100 years ago, April 19th 1912, Abdu’l-Bahá (son of Bahá’u’lláh) visited the Bowery Mission for the poor in New York. In a talk the previous day Abdu’l-Bahá said:  “I am in love with the poor”.  He was looking forward to this visit. Some four hundred Americans, all poor and destitute, were present in the Bowery when he arrived.

He addressed them, with praise and gave them the glad-tidings of the message of Bahá’u'lláh:

“Tonight I am very happy, for I have come here to meet my friends. I consider you my relatives, my companions; and I am your comrade… You must be thankful to God that you are poor, for Jesus Christ has said, ‘Blessed are the poor.” He never said, “Blessed are the rich.’… therefore, you must be thankful to God that although in this world you are indigent, yet the treasures of God are within your reach; and although in the material realm you are poor, yet in the Kingdom of God you are precious…
    “He (Jesus) passed His time in the desert, traveling among the poor, and lived upon the herbs of the field. He had no place to lay His head, no home… yet He chose this rather than riches. …. Therefore, you are the disciples of Jesus Christ; you are His comrades, for He outwardly was poor, not rich… You will find many of the wealthy exposed to dangers and troubled by difficulties, and in their last moments upon the bed of death there remains the regret that they must be separated from that to which their hearts are so attached. .. All they possess they must leave behind and pass away solitary, alone…
    “Praise be to God! Our hope is in the mercy of God, and there is no doubt that the divine compassion is bestowed upon the poor. Jesus Christ said so; Bahá’u'lláh said so. While Bahá’u'lláh was in Baghdad, still in possession of great wealth, He left all He had and went alone from the city, living two years among the poor. They were His comrades. He ate with them, slept with them and gloried in being one of them. He chose for one of His names the title of The Poor One … He admonished all that we must be the servants of the poor, helpers of the poor, remember the sorrows of the poor, associate with them; for thereby we may inherit the Kingdom of heaven… Therefore, the poor are nearer the threshold of God and His throne. . .
    “So, my comrades, you are following in the footsteps of Jesus Christ. Your lives are similar to His life; your attitude is like unto His; you resemble Him more than the rich do. Therefore, we will thank God that we have been so blessed with real riches. And in conclusion, I ask you to accept ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as your servant” [1].

At the end of this meeting, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá stood at the Bowery entrance to the Mission hall, shaking hands with four or five hundred men and placing within each palm a piece of silver.

Ayyam-i-Ha: Time for charity

Nine years ago, during this wonderful festival before the Bahá’í fast, my friend Ian and I were visiting Baltimore. We got to talk to a homeless person who was in the streets next to the aquarium asking for money, not a hand-out but money so that he could shower and get clean. He said that he had an interview at the aquarium the next day for a job. He said he did not drink or take drugs and wanted to get a job and be a productive member of society; while this attitude may be rare, we believed his story. We gave him the money that he needed and wished him well. I wish I could travel back in time to see if he got that job. Here is a picture the two of us.

The Baha’i World Congress in New York

In 1992, the Bahá’ís of the world observed the hundredth anniversary of the passing of Baha’u’llah by holding a World Congress in New York city that drew Bahá’ís from countries around the globe.

During one night of the Congress, my cousin and I were walking in the streets of New York City when we were abruptly stopped by a homeless gentleman who startled us by grabbing my hand. He had seen our registration badges for the congress and recognized us as being from the Bahá’í gathering. He told us that he had passed by the Javits Center (where the congress was held) a few days earlier, and felt a spirit of love that moved him. He had asked for a pamphlet from a bystander, liked what he had read, and wanted to become a Bahá’í.

He could hardly wait to become Bahá’í, he said, and added that he had never before felt such an overwhelming spirit of fellowship. He was beaming with joy and was very excited about the Bahá’í Faith. My cousin and I took him to a restaurant where the man told us the story of how he had become homeless.

His house burned down, he said, and told us that a dog would be treated better than the way he was treated when going to the homeless shelters. We gave him the address of the Bahá’í Center in New York City and some money so he could contact the Bahá’ís there. During the whole evening, I could not help but be reminded of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s talk at the Bowery in lower Manhattan. My wish since then has been to meet this man again one day and let him know that the energy released from his embrace of the Bahá’í teachings on the oneness of humanity—especially during the World Congress—will no doubt have positive ripple effects for the blessed city of New York and beyond.

He is, as Abdu’l-Bahá said roughly one-hundred years ago, precious.

I’d like to close with a passage from Baha’u’llah:

“Be not troubled in poverty nor confident in riches, for poverty is followed by riches, and riches are followed by poverty. Yet to be poor in all save God is a wondrous gift, belittle not the value thereof, for in the end it will make thee rich in God, and thus thou shalt know the meaning of the utterance, “In truth ye are the poor,” and the holy words, “God is the all-possessing,” shall even as the true morn break forth gloriously resplendent upon the horizon of the lover’s heart, and abide secure on the throne of wealth.[2]”

============== References==================

Abdu’l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 32)
Baha’u'llah, The Persian Hidden Words
http://www.globalissues.org/article/26/poverty-facts-and-stats
Compilations, The Importance of Obligatory Prayer and Fasting

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Bahram Nadimi

I never thought I’d write—let alone be teary-eyed about—someone I never met. It was during my recent trip to the Research Triangle Park (RTP) in North Carolina, where I got to visit my dear friends Mark and Azadeh Perry, whom I had not seen for a while.

During this visit I got to hear about a young lady of the tender age of 18, Lillian Chason.  This is her story.

A play about Mona

A little bit of background: In the year 2003, I moved to RTP in North Carolina to be close to my twin brother and his family. The day I arrived—straight from the airport, in fact—I got to see a play entitled A Dress for Mona performed by a devoted theater group called the Drama Circle. Many of the performers were westerners, though the play is set in the heart of the Middle East. It tells the story of Mona Mahmudnizhad, a young woman who was executed—along with nine other Bahá’í women and girls—because of her faith. She and the women with whom she was hanged were Bahá’ís.

Mona

This play about an Iranian teenager was instigated by Mark Perry, a playwright and his wife Azadeh who knew Mona in Iran. The write-up on the Drama Circle website (www.dramacircle.org) describes the situation this way:

“Shiraz, Iran 1982, fanaticism ran rampant in the streets, and Mona, as a Baha’i—a member of Iran’s largest religious minority—was the fanatic’s prime target. Based on a true story, this is a story of one teenager’s capacity to love in the face of fierce persecution”[1].

In the next few years a video and a documentary about A Dress for Mona were produced; the documentary won an award. During that time, I was overjoyed when Mark and Azadeh asked me to help out with other dramatic endeavors, which resulted in me co-producng a new dramatic work by Mark.

The Universal House of Justice (the world governing body of the Bahá’ís) commented on the endeavors of the Drama Circle in context with a general statement on the power of the arts, especially the performing arts:

“The Universal House of Justice wished for us to express to you its delight in learning about the recent accomplishments of the Drama Circle and to convey its warmest encouragement of your work…the arts have a special capacity not only to stimulate people’s thinking but even more, to touch their hearts and to open their eyes to new possibilities…”

Enter, Lillian

Lillian Chason

This is where Lillian walks on stage—literally. A couple of years ago, Mark—now a University of North Carolina drama lecturer—embarked on the remake of A Dress for Mona. It was then that he met Lillian when she tried out for the lead role.

Lillian had a deep connection to Mona and wept when she heard Mona’s story. This connection was noticeable to everyone around her, thus making her well suited for this lead role.

It was shortly after she started rehearsals that she contracted the H1N1 flu virus and was hospitalized. After putting up a valiant fight, she could not overcome this disease and passed away December 16th 2009.

The Universal Nature of Youth Sacrifice

It is hard to overestimate the effect Lillian had on those around her, including the cast of the play. According to her family and friends, Lillian was a joy, talent, a beauty and force to be reckoned with. Her situation got a lot of local TV coverage. Thousands prayed for Lillian’s recovery and started a blood drive on her behalf. Performing the lead role of a play about a 16 year old teenager sacrificing her life for love, suddenly took a whole new meaning. Stunned cast members and producers devastated by this development, started to look for another person to play the role of Mona.

It was only an hour after the cast found a replacement that Lillian took her wings from this world and soared into the limitless spiritual world beyond.

Cast photo: A Dress for Mona

Lillian’s parents said they felt Mona’s presence while their daughter was on life support. Azadeh’s brother-in-law is one of the Yaran (the appointed leadership of the Bahá’ís in Iran) who, like Mona, has been unjustly imprisoned in Iran for his belief in Bahá’u’lláh. No surprise that Azaedeh was profoundly moved by Lillian’s situation.

Yes, this is a story about the tragically short life of Lillian, but it is also testament to the universality of youthful spirit as well as the mystery and power of the sacrifices people make for love.  I am positive Mona and Lillian are hanging out together somewhere in the “heavens”.

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Bahram Nadimi

We know that the twentieth century marked the emergence of ‘unity of nations’, when world consciousness entered a new stage.

Also, in the years immediately after the Holy Year in 1992, the impetus towards peace gained momentum; during the 1998 Asian crisis, the G20 was formed. This development was another example of the growing momentum towards peace; the Universal House of Justice stated in 1998:

“For one thing, amid the din of a society in turmoil can be discerned an unmistakable trend towards the Lesser Peace.  An intriguing inkling is provided by the greater involvement of the United Nations, with the backing of powerful governments, in attending to long-standing and urgent world problems; another derives from the dramatic recognition by world leaders in only recent months of what the interconnectedness of all nations in the matter of trade and finance really implies [18].”

 We, however, had another significant and perhaps lesser known development at the end of twentieth century—the completion of the Mount Carmel Arc Project by the Bahá’í International Community. The House of Justice stated in April of 2000 during the Bahá’í celebration of Ridvan (the anniversary of Bahá’u’lláh’s declaration of His mission):

“At the conclusion of these four eventful years, we have arrived at a portentous convergence of ends and beginnings in measures of Gregorian time and the Bahá’í era. In one instance, this convergence entails the wrapping up of the twentieth century and, in the other, opens a new stage in the unfolding of the Formative Age. The perspective from these two frames of time prompts us to reflect on a vision of world-shaping trends that have synchronized, and to do so in the context of the insight so graphically projected by Shoghi Effendi at the inception of the Arc he conceived. [12]”

At first glance one might be tempted to conclude that in the year 2000, the start of this synchronization marked the emergence of the Lesser Peace, one of the three processes already mentioned. However, in the above-mentioned quote, the House of Justice is talking about “world shaping trends” that have become synchronized not milestones that have been reached. Around the year 2000, we had significant advance in all three processes within the Bahá’í community (Arc, NSA/LSA maturation and the Lesser Peace) for the first time.

Before 1990 the Lesser Peace seemed so far away, and the timing of the completion of the Arc project was not decided upon.  It was around year 2000 that we saw for the first time a clear trend and enough momentum for all three processes.  A few months later, the House of Justice gave more clarification to the above observation:

“Such intimations were communicated in our report last Ridván of the change in culture of the Bahá’í community as training institutes emerged, as the construction projects on Mount Carmel approached their completion, and as the internal processes of institutional consolidation and the external processes towards world unity became more fully synchronized [13]”

The linkage between Unity of Nations and Lesser Peace

The House of Justice has clearly linked the ‘unity of nations’ to the Lesser Peace: “First, there will come the Lesser Peace, when the unity of nations will be achieved…” [14]

They are distinct yet closely related processes, hence the ‘unity of nations’ or the development of world consciousness is an important prerequisite for the establishment of the Lesser Peace. And while at the end of the twentieth century we had the secure establishment of ‘unity of nations’, this does not necessarily imply that the lesser peace started at that time also.

The Emergence of the Lesser Peace

Shoghi Effendi has told us that the exact timing of the Lesser Peace is not known to us, however the House of Justice, after analyzing the world condition during the last few decades of the twentieth century, concluded that the processes of integration and disintegration were and are approaching a climax, and the result of this will — in a not-too-distant future — force the emergence of the Lesser Peace.

“Out of the “universal fermentation” created by these processes[of integration and disintegration], peace will emerge in stages, through which the unifying effects of a growing consciousness of world citizenship will become manifest.[11]”.

In 1983 the House of Justice stated that the youth of that decade would see the Lesser Peace in their lifetime:

“This generation of Bahá’í youth enjoys a unique distinction. You will live your lives in a period when the forces of history are moving to a climax, when mankind will see the establishment of the Lesser Peace, and during which the Cause of God will play an increasingly prominent role in the reconstruction of human society [15]”

They also stated that

“The acceleration of the processes it generates is lending impetus to developments which, with all the initial pain and heartache attributable to them, we Bahá’ís see as signs of the emergence of the Lesser Peace [16].”

To summarize, the Universal House of Justice concluded that in a general sense, due to the climaxing of the twin processes, the very beginnings of the Lesser Peace cannot be too far away.

Capacity Building and the Twentieth Century

There are a lot of positive references in the Baha’i writings regarding the twentieth century.  Abdu’l-Bahá has referred to it as “the century of light” endowed with unprecedented potentialities. During the twentieth century, the capacity for achieving world peace was obtained; Abdu’l-Bahá has also stated:

“All of us know that international peace is good, that it is conducive to human welfare and the glory of man, but volition and action are necessary before it can be established. Action is essential. Inasmuch as this century is a century of light, capacity for action is assured to mankind”[19].

A less tangible and yet important factor in establishing world peace is the Divine Will, gradually manifested physically through the spread of the Word of God.  Later in the same passage Abdu’l-Bahá states:

“Necessarily the divine principles will be spread among men until the time of action arrives. Surely this has been so and truly the time and conditions are ripe for action now.”[20]

Most Great Peace and the Merging of Three Processes

Shoghi Effendi has given more detail on the synchronization of the processes that will eventually lead to the Most Great Peace. These are the construction of the buildings of the Arc on Mount Carmel, the development of local and national spiritual assemblies and the establishment of Lesser Peace.  The House of justice has clarified that this synchronization will be dynamic in nature:

“…that these hopeful conditions make more discernible the shaping of the dynamic synchronization envisaged by Shoghi Effendi, no honest observer can deny [8]”.

Since these are distinct, yet related and mutually reinforcing processes, not events, that will dynamically synchronize. They are organic processes that will only grow stronger and more synchronous with the passage of time, until they fully merge in the Most Great Peace.

======================= References ============================
[13] The Universal House of Justice, 16 January, 2001
[14] Compilations, Lights of Guidance, p. 436
[15] Compilations, Lights of Guidance, p. 634
[16] The Universal House of Justice, Ridvan 155, 1998, p. 4
[17] Compilations, Lights of Guidance, p. 128
[18] The Universal House of Justice, Ridvan 155, 1998, p. 4
[19] Abdu’l-Baha, Foundations of World Unity, p. 26
[20] Abdu’l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 121

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Bahram Nadimi

Baha’u’llah has stated:

“Now that ye have refused the Most Great Peace, hold ye fast unto this the Lesser Peace, that haply ye may in some degree better your own condition and that of your dependents.[6]“.

Shoghi Effendi — Bahá’u’lláh’s great-grandson who led the Bahá’i community from 1921 to 1957 —elaborated on the meaning of Lesser Peace and the Most Great Peace in a letter to an individual believer.

“Your view that the lesser peace will come about through political efforts of the states and nations of the world, and independently of any direct Bahá’í plan or effort, and the Most Great peace established through the instrumentality of the believers, and by the direct operation of the laws and principles revealed by Bahá’u'lláh and the functioning of the Universal House of Justice as the supreme organ of the Bahá’í super state — your view on this subject is quite correct…[7]”

To clarify, the Lesser Peace is when the vast majority of world leaders will commit themselves to the process of consultation, and will come up with agreements and covenants so to prevent war.

The emergence of the Lesser Peace will be gradual and thorny, and within this process there will be an event of monumental significance, and that is the prophesied and much anticipated convocation of world leaders.  The Universal House of Justice said in 1996:

“Clearly, the emergence of the Lesser Peace will be a gradual process and its various stages will no doubt witness tests and setbacks, as well as great advances. It will certainly include, however, a development of historic importance: that point at which the majority of the world’s nation-states formally commit themselves to a global order comprising institutions and laws, and equipped with the means by which collective decisions can be enforced. While we cannot at present foresee the precise form that this development will take, much less the point at which it will occur, we recognize that it is a feature of the process of the Lesser Peace. [1]”.

It should be noted that the period after the convocation of world leaders that includes commitment to world order, will signalize the start of world government. The period of the emergence that is before this convocation can be regarded as political unification of the nations that will stop short of any formal commitment to world order.

The Holy Year: the Turning Point for the Lesser Peace

The Universal House of Justice has stated:

“Abdu’l-Bahá anticipated that the Lesser Peace could be established before the end of the twentieth century [17].

For most of the twentieth century, however, achieving actual peace between nations was a chimera at best.

It wasn’t until the fall of the Soviet Union that the prospects for the coming of Lesser Peace became feasible. In the 1990s the Universal House of Justice analyzed the trends and events, intimating that it was around 1992—the Holy Year marking the hundredth anniversary of passing of Baha’u’llah—that the processes of Lesser peace accelerated and went through an inflection point:

“Towards that end, recent world developments have, paradoxically, been both shocking and reassuring. On one hand, the disarray of human affairs produces a daily diet of horrors that benumb the senses; on the other, world leaders are often taking collective actions that, to a Bahá’í observer, signify a tendency towards a common approach by nations to solving world problems. Consider, for instance, the unusual frequency of the global occasions on which these leaders have gathered since the Holy Year four years ago, such as the one in observance of the Fiftieth Anniversary of the United Nations, at which the attending heads of state and heads of government asserted their commitment to world peace[11].”

Next: Peace and the 20th Century

=================== References ===================

[6] Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Baha’u'llah, p. 162
[7] Compilations, Lights of Guidance, p. 431)
[8]Compilations, Promoting Entry by Troops, p. 17)
[9] Commissioned by the Universal House of Justice, Century of Light, p. 129
[10] Abdu’l-Baha, the Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 377
[11] The Universal House of Justice, Ridvan 153, 1996
[12] The Universal House of Justice, Ridvan 157, 2000, p. 7)
[13] The Universal House of Justice, 16 January, 2001
[14] Compilations, Lights of Guidance, p. 436
[15] Compilations, Lights of Guidance, p. 634
[16] The Universal House of Justice, Ridvan 155, 1998, p. 4
[17] Compilations, Lights of Guidance, p. 128

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Bahram Nadimi

The Universal House of justice and the Baha’i international community have, on several occasions, elaborated on what needs to transpire to attain World Peace. For anyone who is interested, two of the clearest statements about this can be found in the following documents.

The Universal House of Justice, 2001 Apr 19, Unity of Nations and the Lesser Peace[1]
Baha’i International Community, 1999 Mar 20, Peace Among the Nations[2]

What I’d like to do here on Common Ground is to explore some Baha’i writings on peace and the twentieth century.  This article assumes some familiarity with the terminology used in the Baha’i writings. For an analysis that is less technical please refer to my recent blog:

http://www.commongroundgroup.net/2011/07/29/world-peace-a-bahai-perspective/

Introduction

According to the Baha’i writings, world peace will result from the culmination of two broad and gradually unfolding processes, within and outside the Baha’i faith. One process is the development of the Baha’i community—including its institutions; the other is the attainment of world solidarity as well as what Bahá’u’lláh refers to as the Lesser Peace. Many other more specific processes are encapsulated within these two broad processes. Understanding what is required for the attainment of a lasting peace entails having a good grasp of these smaller processes.

Unity of Nations and the Twentieth Century

Abdu’l-Bahá in his famous ‘seven candles of unity’ tablet lists seven processes needed for world unity.  For the 5th candle He states:

“The fifth candle is the unity of nations — a unity which in this century will be securely established, causing all the peoples of the world to regard themselves as citizens of one common fatherland.[3]” 

At first glance it seems that He was talking about actual peace between nations being established sometime in the twentieth century.  However if one looks at this more carefully He is stating that we will reach a stage where mankind will regard itself as members of one family; in other words He is talking about world consciousness taking hold in the twentieth century, eventually leading to  world solidarity.

There are other occasions where He has elaborated on this theme. One such quote that reflects on this is:

“In this wondrous Revelation, this glorious century, the foundation of the Faith of God, and the distinguishing feature of His Law, is the consciousness of the oneness of mankind.[4]“

Unity in the Political Realm and the Twentieth Century

In the same tablet Abdul’-Baha also states:

“The first candle is unity in the political realm, the early glimmerings of which can now be discerned”.  

He seems to be referring to some sort of political unity taking hold between nations and sovereign states.  In the book Century of Light commissioned by the Universal House of Justice, it states:

“As to ‘unity in the political realm’, Shoghi Effendi has explained that the reference is to unity which sovereign states achieve among themselves, a developing process the present stage of which is the establishment of the United Nations… [5]”

In essence, ‘unity in the political realm’ is the development of the framework for peace.  It is safe to say that its emergence was marked by the coming of the League of Nations and its establishment was secured with the creation of the stable United Nations in 1945.  It should be noted that at the current stage of its development, the United Nations stops short of actual peace between nations; it is the infrastructure for peace that was established in 1945.  History tells us that immediately after the creation of the UN, we witnessed the start of the cold war, yet this structure remains intact.

As this process of global organizational development advances, it will no doubt lead to more advanced structures for peace, such as a world parliament, international executive, and an international judicial tribunal.

Universal Peace and the Twentieth Century

Abdu'l-Bahá

When asked about peace and the twentieth century:

“The Montreal Daily Star had quoted Him (Abdul’-Baha) as saying: “It [peace] will be universal in the twentieth century. All nations will be forced into it.” The years immediately following 1945 witnessed advances in framing a new social order that went far beyond the brightest hopes of earlier decades.[9]”

It seems that Abdu’l-Bahá was envisioning a time when all nations will decide to be part of an organizational structure devoted to peace, and that momentum towards actual peace will become irreversible. In 1945 the United Nations came into existence, thus fulfilling this role.

During Abdu’l-Bahá’s visit to America, in San Francisco He prayed:“May the first flag of international peace be upraised in this state.[10]”. This took on the spirit of prophecy when the charter of the United Nations was signed in San Francisco. Around the turn of the century we saw, for the first time, acceleration towards more substantive cooperation between the powerful nations of the world. In essence, the foundation for peace was established in the twentieth century, and began to bear fruit in the United Nations and European Union.

Next: Peace, Great and Small

========= References =========

[1] The Universal House of Justice, 2001 Apr 19, Unity of Nations and the Lesser Peace
[2] Baha’i International Community, 1999 Mar 20, Peace Among the Nations
[3] Abdu’l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu’l-Baha, p. 32
[4] Shoghi Effendi, The Promised Day is Come, p. 118
[5] Commissioned by the Universal House of Justice, Century of Light, p. 71

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Bahram Nadimi

Much has been written on the treatment of religion in science fiction. However, I personally find the idea of World Order in SF even more fascinating. I am by no means an expert, in fact Maya Bohnhoff—a friend who is one of the major contributors on this website—is, in real life a professional science fiction writer.  In this blog I will do an analysis of the similarities between the highly acclaimed Babylon 5 SF TV series and world order processes here on earth.

Also as a Bahá’í, I cannot but digress and touch upon the prediction of space travel by Abdul’-Bahá, son of the prophet-founder of the Baha’i Faith.

The Bahá’í Faith and Space Travel

First, I’d like to talk about space travel in relation to my faith, the Bahá’í Faith.  I did a quick search and found some interesting quotations.  Here are some:

“O servant of Baha! Be self-sacrificing in the path of God, and wing thy flight unto the heavens of the love of the Abha Beauty, for any movement animated by love moveth from the periphery to the centre, from space to the  Day-Star of the universe. Perchance thou deemest this to be difficult, but I tell thee that such cannot be the case, for when the motivating and guiding power is the divine force of magnetism it is possible, by its aid, to traverse time and space easily and swiftly[1]”.

“I know, verily, that the universal, never ending, eternal, bright and divine establishments are only the diffusing of the breaths of God, and the spreading of the instructions of God, and all that are beside these, though they be the reigning over all the regions of the earth, or the construction of railroads from the earth to the heavens, or means of transportation with the rapidity of rising lightning from the globe of earth to the globe of the sun, all are mortal, perishing, demolishing and disadvantageous, in comparison with the divine establishments[2].”

It is fascinating that the first quote seems to talk about how to power spacecraft using the force of magnetism while the second quotes talks about the inevitably of space and time travel with lightning speed.

Babylon 5, the TV series

Even if one is not into the fiction genre, the TV series Star Trek is well known.  I watched Star Trek since I was 12 years old and probably have seen each TV episode many times over.  However ‘Babylon 5’ is not known outside the Sci-Fi universe.  I started to watch Babylon 5 by accident, but it did not take too long to realize that I had stumbled upon something special.   I won’t delve into the details of the overall plot too much but suffice it to say that the TV novel-Babylon 5- with an extraordinary story line, quality writing, character development, special effects and cultural sensitivity, made me conclude that it is not only one of the best Sci-Fi series, but one of the best TV shows ever (spoilers to come).

Babylon 5, United Nations in Space

Babylon 5 is a space station, a focal point for diplomacy, politics and commerce.  The first 4 stations were either destroyed or just disappeared.  Here on Earth, we similarly had the failed League of Nations, which did not prevent a second world war.  We now have the United Nations that is a stable international venue for the achieving political unity.

Religion in Babylon 5

The Creator of Babylon 5 J. Michael Straczynski (JMS), who is an atheist, had the foresight that religion is an integral part of life and cannot be ignored.  His sensitive and insightful portrayal of the role of religion in this series, adds to the already many layers of tapestry which is Babylon 5.  My hat’s off to JMS.

Martyrs of Peace

In B5 we have the strong willed commander John Sheridan and charismatic ambassador Delenn.  By the end of the series they both become legends and heroes.  Throughout the series they struggle with their motives, whether they are the Chosen, the One, and the Messiah.  In one of my favorite episodes, “Here comes the Inquisitor” an inquisitor is brought to the station in order to determine if they are ready for the war to come.  The inquisitor asks the same question over and over again “Who are you?”  When the answers are unacceptable, he administers shock and pain.  Only after Delenn offers her life to save Sheridan, does the inquisitor conclude that they are “the right people, in the right place at the right time”.

In another episode, “The Deconstruction of Falling Stars”, it takes place in the future when the interstellar alliance is a done deal.  This powerful episode endeavors to show the impact of Sheridan and Delenn by historians 100,500, 1000 and one million years after the founding of the alliance.

Here on earth we have a different situation, we have Woodrow Wilson who gave every ounce of his energy to create the League of Nations, but unlike Sheridan of B5, he ultimately failed in his endeavor.  Wilson like Sheridan believed that he was chosen by providence. This “tragically unappreciated president” who, in the eyes of many historians, is not even in the list of top ten presidents, is considered to be a failed president and associated with the still born League of Nations.  Yet in the eyes of others, such as the former heads of the Bahá’i Faith, he is considered to be immortal, the originator of the process of global organizational development that will eventually lead not only to a lasting political peace but also the establishment of the Kingdom of God on earth. While Franklin D. Roosevelt and presidents after him will always be remembered for their contribution to the founding and enhancing of the United Nations, Wilson will, in my opinion will be considered to be one of the greatest presidents, standing on a higher pedestal than any other president in the twentieth century (see my blog on Woodrow Wilson and world peace)

The Founding of a lasting Peace

A lasting peace still eludes us, but we have the United Nations, an organization from which future structures of peace will be founded.  Similarly, B5 is considered to be an international interstellar venue for diplomacy. Study of history reveals a bold yet failed peace program, the 14 points of Woodrow Wilson that included the creation of the league. B5 goes a step further; in the episode “Rising Star” an interstellar alliance is formed to create and implement peace and prosperity after a war that nearly destroyed the galaxy. The powerful speech given by Delenn to convince earth to join the alliance, is eerily similar to the writing of the Bahá’i faith on this subject.

In science fiction such as Star Trek and the B5 TV series, we have a detailed account of processes needed to achieve peace.  Yet ironically the vast majority of people in the world including SF enthusiasts consider having a global alliance here on earth an impossibility.

To me peace is inevitable, and it is interesting that science fiction has tackled this concept on many occasions.  In B5 we had the unbearable pain of war paving the way for political unity and peace.  Here on earth we still have time for a peaceful transition; I pray that we will have the foresight to do the right thing.

============= References =============================
[1] Abdu’l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu’l-Baha, p. 197

[2] Abdu’l-Baha, Tablets of Abdu’l-Baha v1, p. 32

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Bahram Nadimi

Archbishop Desmond M. Tutu and President José Ramos-Horta of East Timor recently wrote an open letter to the international academic community regarding the systematic denial of higher education to the Bahá’ís of Iran, the largest non-Muslim religious minority of that country. A denial which has resulted in the creation of the BIHE (Bahá’í Institute of Higher Education) a completely voluntary organization of academics in Iran and abroad dedicated to providing quality higher education for disenfranchised Bahá’í students.

Here are links to the letter, which also ran as a front page item and blog in the Huffington Post:

http://www.educationunderfire.com/nobel-laureates-letter.php
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/desmond-tutu/iran-bahai-_b_978090.html

In this letter, these two Nobel laureates eloquently and passionately stated that in this supposedly enlightened age, it is unacceptable and immoral for any government to deny education to their citizens based on their religious affiliations.

Regarding the Bahá’ís, they specifically asked the international academic community to:

1. Call on the government of the Iranian Republic to release unconditionally and drop charges against the educators involved in the BIHE.
2. As academic leaders, administrators and professors, register through any possible channels in the Iranian academic community their disagreement with and disapproval of any policy which would bar individuals from higher education based on their religious background or political persuasion.
3. Encourage their own universities to review the educational quality of the BIHE coursework for possible acceptance of its credits.
4. As possible, offer available online university level curricula, through scholarships if needed, to students in Iran who would otherwise be deprived of the right to higher education or who, due to government limitation on social sciences, are denied a full array of educational choices.

Why is this important? After all, oppression is rampant around the world, why should we worry about a minority group in a country so far away, let alone one already so unpopular in the West?  In this blog, I hope to shed light on this by giving context to this situation.

Education and the Bahá’ís of Iran: a bit of history

It would be no exaggeration to state that the high regard for education is interwoven and completely integrated within Bahá’í community life.  The acquisition of knowledge and pursuit of education is part of being a Bahá’í.

Bahá’u’lláh, the Prophet founder of the Bahá’í Faith, stated:

“Man is the supreme Talisman. Lack of a proper education hath, however, deprived him of that which he doth inherently possess…”[1]

Abdu'l-Bahá

Regarding the education of women, we have a stunning statement from Abdu’l-Bahá, son of Bahá’u’lláh and appointed interpreter of His teachings:

“The girl’s education is of more importance today than the boy’s, for she is the mother of the future race…[2]”

Amazingly, this was stated more than 100 years ago; yet, it is only fairly recently that the United Nations has stated that priority of education for young girls and promotion of equality of women and men are the fastest way of getting a country out of poverty.

It should be no surprise that the Bahá’ís promoted education for both women and men more than 100 years ago in Iran.  Here is a chronology of Bahá’í educational initiatives and Iran’s response[3]:

1899—Baha’is establish the Tarbiyat school for boys, which became one of the best schools in the country.
1911—the Tarbiyat school for girls, likewise, became known for its educational innovation.

Tavakkul School for Girls

1934—Iranian authorities shut down 47 public schools run by Bahá’ís.
1979—Authorities dismissed Bahá’í professors and teachers and expelled students, both youth and children.
1983—Sociologist Shirin Dalvand (25) was hanged along with 9 other women (the youngest, age 18) for teaching Baha’i children.

1987—Formation of Bahá’í institute for higher education (BIHE) to teach Bahá’í students barred from access to universities in Iran

Iranian government raids 500 Bahá’í homes, and arrests 6 BIHE faculty and staff members.
2001 & 2002—Continued government action against BIHE.

2010—BIHE offers 17 university level programs across three faculties.

2011—Raids on 30 homes; 16 Bahá’ís—BIHE professors and administrators—are arrested in May. Muslim participants in BIHE are arrested, warned against further association with Bahá’ís, and released.

Forgotten History—Forgotten Schools

It is hard to overestimate the contribution of the Bahá’í-run schools to the revitalization of Iranian society.  Dr. Soli Shahvar, who is not a Bahá’í, wrote a book called “The Forgotten Schools”[4]. The following is an excerpt from a review of Dr. Shahvar’s book by Sally Weeks:

His new work tells the story of the establishment by Bahá’ís of dozens of schools in Iran—in cities, towns, and villages—starting around the turn of the 20th century. In 1934, the Shah ordered most of the schools closed…

One way the Bahá’í schools were different is that they welcomed students from all religious backgrounds, including Muslims. This most likely made these schools one of the few places in Iran where people of different faiths mixed as a community, he said. (emphasis mine)

And unlike the other religious schools, which used the academic setting for religious training, the Bahá’í schools did not offer instruction in the Bahá’í Faith itself.

“The main distinguishing feature of the Bahá’í schools was their excellence,” said Dr. Shahvar during a recent interview. “Because education was part of [Bahá'í] belief, they did it the best they could. That’s why their schools were better,” he said, adding that the teachers were not well paid but were extremely devoted.

Progressive Bahá’í beliefs—the equality of women and men, democratic ideals, the importance of science—spilled over into education. Bahá’í schools had maps and blackboards, and in some localities, they were the only schools available to girls or to children of certain backgrounds, he said … the excellence of the Bahá’í schools drew many non-Bahá’í students, said Dr. Shahvar, including children of high government officials and the aristocracy.

The fact that Bahá’í schools were owned and run by individuals rather than by Bahá’í institutions could be one reason they are virtually unmentioned in histories of education in Iran, he said. But the Bahá’í connection was never secret. Dr. Shahvar believes a key factor in their obscurity has been government coercion aimed at preventing historians from talking about the Bahá’í Faith.

“The Iranian government made it taboo to talk about [the Bahá'í Faith]. If a scholar wants cooperation from the government, he has to go along,” he said, noting that what little has been written tends to be by Bahá’ís themselves. “Nobody else wants to touch it.”

The Bahá’í emphasis on education had broad ramifications, Dr. Shahvar said. “Everything stems from education,” he said. “It is more important than money. … The Bahá’ís excelled in everything they did. And it benefited the whole society, not just the Bahá’ís.”

He believes the lack of scholarly material goes beyond the role of the Bahá’í community in modern Iran, extending even to basic information about the religion and its founders. “Why, in the intellectual history of 20th century Iran, is there no mention of Bahá’u'lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá?” he said. “They were talking about globalization and international security before anyone. How can you call yourself a scholar and not mention them?”

What’s next?

The Bahá’ís wholeheartedly believe that the future of Iran is bright; Bahá’u’lláh states:

“The horizon of Persia hath been illumined with the light of the heavenly Orb. Erelong will the Daystar of the supernal realm shine so brightly as to raise that land even unto the ethereal heights and to cause it to shed its radiance over the whole earth. The imperishable glory of bygone generations shall once more be manifest in such wise as to dazzle and bewilder the eyes…”

“Iran shall become a focal centre of divine splendours. Her darksome soil will become luminous and her land will shine resplendent. Although now wanting in name and fame, she will become renowned throughout the world; although now deprived, she will attain her highest hopes and aspirations; although now destitute and despondent, she will obtain abundant grace, achieve distinction and find abiding honour.”

History tends to repeat itself; I find it ironic that the formation of the Bahá’í Institute of Higher Education, the response to the cruel deprivation of higher education to its largest religious minority, might well in the future be the very instrument that will revitalize Iran, even as it did 100 years ago.

Watch the videos at Education Under Fire.   You can take action here: http://action.educationunderfire.com/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=6910

You can also purchase a documentary on this:  http://www.educationunderfire.com/the-documentary/

__________________________________ References __________________________________
[1] Baha’u'llah, Tablets of Baha’u'llah, p. 161
[2] Abdu’l-Baha, Abdu’l-Baha in London, p. 91
[3] Awareness campaign brochure, 2011
[4] http://www.onecountry.org/e204/e20416as_Review_Forgotten_Schools_story.html

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Bahram Nadimi

This was the headline today on a major cable news website.  A few days ago, my colleague asked the same thing, what is going on?  What do these swings signify?

I have also thought about this, and would like to share some insights.  I am not a student of history, but I recall reading that the days and weeks before the great stock market crash of 1929, the market was very unstable also.  The crash was preceded by a speculative boom. This was not the only crisis; we had the Asian financial crisis of 1998, and the more recent crisis of 2008, just to name a few.

My intention is not to analyze the ins and outs of the financial market, but to delve more deeply into the reasons behind this volatility, and possible solutions.

A Sinking Ship?

I have heard many times that the US or the world economy is a sinking ship, and there is nothing that can be done about it.  Many are resigned to the fact that the market and world economy will crash eventually and all we can do is to wait and see.

I beg to differ. We are not in a sinking ship, but in a wobbly and unstable ship. As we have become more and more interdependent, the ship is getting smaller and smaller.  We have reached a point that one person at one side of the ship affects, in a significant way, what occurs on the other side. If we think of the people in the ship representing different countries, it becomes obvious that this volatility is due to lack of coordination between the nations, and hence the solution will be to use a common approach to solve the pressing financial as well as other global issues.

Pain or foresight?

We have a choice: either we can have the foresight to coordinate our efforts, or we can all fall in the painfully cold water, where we will be forced to work together to get back on the ship.  Calls for coordination, and for a common approach have been raised by many world leaders. One such leader is Gordon Brown, former prime minister of the UK, who boldly advocated the need for a new world order, especially after the 2008 financial crisis.  This article is just one example of his thoughts on these issues.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/recession/3414946/Gordon-Brown-calls-for-new-world-order-to-beat-recession.html

Need for True Governance

Amid the disintegration of obsolete institutions that advocate absolute sovereignty, there are ample signs of hope. Only recently, French and German leaders called for “true economic governance” for the Eurozone in response to the euro debt crisis.
This is significant; a debt crisis has forced two powerful European nations to advocate giving up some sovereignty for, in this case, the greater European good and ultimately for the global good.

About 15 years ago, the world governing body of the Bahá’í’s stated:

On one hand, the disarray of human affairs produces a daily diet of horrors that benumb the senses; on the other, world leaders are often taking collective actions that, to a Bahá’í observer, signify a tendency towards a common approach by nations to solving world problems. Consider, for instance, the unusual frequency of the global occasions on which these leaders have gathered …, such as the one in observance of the Fiftieth Anniversary of the United Nations, at which the attending heads of state and heads of government asserted their commitment to world peace. Noteworthy, too, are the promptitude and spontaneity with which these government leaders have been acting together in responding to a variety of crises in different parts of the world. Such trends coincide with the increasing cries from enlightened circles for attention to be given to the feasibility of achieving some form of global governance. Might we not see in these swiftly developing occurrences the workings of the Hand of Providence, indeed the very harbinger of the monumental occasion forecast in our Writings?[1]”

This monumental event, the convocation of world leaders prophesied by the Prophet founder of the Bahá’í Faith, Bahá’u’lláh, may well happen in our life time. I hope to be alive to see it.

============== references =================

[1]The Universal House of Justice, Ridvan 153, 1996)

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Bahram Nadimi

Tides of change are sweeping the earth, and we all feel helpless to withstand its powerful force. Every day there is fresh and depressing news of terrorism, famine, war, deep economic disorders and the like. Shoghi Effendi, the head of the Baha’i faith from 1921-1957 has stated:

 “A tempest, unprecedented in its violence, unpredictable in its course, catastrophic in its immediate effects, unimaginably glorious in its ultimate consequences, is at present sweeping the face of the earth. Its driving power is remorselessly gaining in range and momentum. … Humanity, gripped in the clutches of its devastating power, is smitten by the evidences of its resistless fury. It can neither perceive its origin, nor probe its significance, nor discern its outcome. Bewildered, agonized and helpless, it watches this great and mighty wind of God invading the remotest and fairest regions of the earth…[1]”

The question is: how can we mitigate the negative and channel the positive effects of these powerful forces of change?  Where do we start?  How can we overcome the paralysis of will that is preventing people and leaders of good will to come together for the sake of unity, to solve the pressing issues of the day?

We have to start with our thoughts; our thoughts are our reality.

Abdu’l-Bahá (son of the Prophet-Founder of the Bahá’í Faith) has stated:

“I charge you all that each one of you concentrate all the thoughts of your heart on love and unity. When a thought of war comes, oppose it by a stronger thought of peace. A thought of hatred must be destroyed by a more powerful thought of love. Thoughts of war bring destruction to all harmony, well-being, restfulness and content.[2]”

 I cannot but recall a wonderful song by DePeche Mode called “People Are People”, here it is including the lyrics:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dvu5EpWnngE

In this song, this band expresses its frustration with hate and disunity in this world and how it is just a matter of time before the thoughts of hate will translate to violence and destruction.

Good Thoughts, Good Words, Good Deeds

Good Thoughts, Good Words, Good Deeds

Two-thousand-five-hundred years ago we were urged to follow the three pillars of the Zoroastrian religion: “Good Thoughts, Good Words, Good Deeds”.

While this statement is timeless—and illustrates the powerful and positive effect of the Word of God through different Prophets at different times—we need more detail at present to expand on these themes. The governing body of the Bahá’ís of the United States released a statement on world peace roughly a decade ago. This amazing document delineates the steps needed for a lasting peace.  Here it talks about thoughts as a potent reality:

 “The courage, the resolution, the pure motive, the selfless love of one people for another — all the spiritual and moral qualities required for effecting this momentous step towards peace are focused on the will to act. And it is towards arousing the necessary volition that earnest consideration must be given to the reality of man, namely, his thought. To understand the relevance of this potent reality is also to appreciate the social necessity of actualizing its unique value through candid, dispassionate and cordial consultation, and of acting upon the results of this process. Bahá’u'lláh insistently drew attention to the virtues and indispensability of consultation for ordering human affairs. He said: “Consultation bestows greater awareness and transmutes conjecture into certitude. It is a shining light which, in a dark world, leads the way and guides… The very attempt to achieve peace through the consultative action he proposed can release such a salutary spirit among the peoples of the earth that no power could resist the final, triumphal outcome [3]”

It goes on to say that a mighty convocation of leaders is needed that “must make the Cause of Peace the object of general consultation, and seek by every means in their power to establish a Union of the nations of the world.[3]”.

There is no other way; world leaders need to sacrifice a little bit of their national sovereignty for the sake of world unity. The pain and suffering will increase until it forces change. We can mitigate this pain, though, by acting with foresight.

 Recent Events in Norway and an important Hundredth Anniversary this Month

It is hard not to be affected by the horrible events—events fueled by hate and racism—that have occurred in Norway. We see similar events all over the world. Can we counter these thoughts of destruction with stronger thoughts of peace and unity as the writings of  the Bahá’í Faith suggest?

As it happens, exactly 100 years ago a historic congress on race unity and anti-racism was held in Europe, at the University of London, July 26-29 1911. See my blog on this congress:

http://www.commongroundgroup.net/2011/01/18/twentieth-century-renaissance-and-race-unity/

This hundredth anniversary has passed virtually unnoticed even in academic circles.  Would it not have been wonderful to have had this bold and noble gathering—at which people of capacity exchanged views on race, culture and religion—publicized?

Norway priminister said after the shootings: ‘We’re going to answer hatred with love’ ; he is right, in order for peace to conquer war, we need thoughts—and deeds—of love to overcome thoughts of hate.

========================= References ==============================

[1] Shoghi Effendi, The Promised Day is Come, p. 3
[2] Abdu’l-Baha, Paris Talks, p. 29
[3] The Universal House of Justice, 1985 Oct, The Promise of World Peace, p. 4

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Bahram Nadimi

We have a global zinc deficiency epidemic on our hands; over one third of the population of the world is zinc deficient, contributing to about half a million deaths in children world wide every year, and putting two billion people at risk. Zinc is vital to many biological functions, such as disease resistance, wound healing, digestion, reproduction, physical growth, blood sugar regulation, taste and smell.

October 2011 marks the fiftieth anniversary of first conceptual breakthrough of zinc deficiency in man. The discovery was in Shiraz Iran (the city of my birth), one of the places where health concerns due to zinc deficiency was suspected. Three medical residents of the Namazee Hospital—doctors from India, the United States, and Iran—wrote a thoroughly researched paper that, for the first time, described zinc deficiency to be the main cause of growth retardation, male hypogonadism, and adolescent nutritional dwarfism in villages around Shiraz. This paper [2] was a true breakthrough and since it has been referenced in countless papers and journals on zinc deficiency. About a decade later zinc deficiency was identified and recognized in industrialized countries [4].

In response to this growing epidemic, many organizations and initiatives, such as UNICEF, the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI), Zinc Saves Kids initiative and  International Zinc Association (IZA) have, in the last decade, mounted a global campaign to raise awareness and provide supplements for the affected regions of the world.

Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Hosting a Meeting with UNICEF and Zinc Industry Partners

In 2009, CGI hosted a meeting with UNICEF and zinc industry partners, announcing a unique effort aimed at eliminating zinc deficiency and improving food security in developing countries [1].

President Bill Clinton called for greater awareness and understanding of the importance of zinc in nutrition. The rolling out of supplements and the changing of health policies were mentioned as key factors in reducing deaths around the globe. Collaboration with the zinc industry will also accelerate the continuing reduction of deaths among children under the age of five.

More Awareness is Critical

One of my main reasons for writing this blog is to contribute, however little, to further raising the awareness of this easily preventable health crisis. The fiftieth anniversary of the paper describing zinc deficiency in humans for the first time, might provide this much needed publicity;  President Clinton has said “there is almost no other strategy on earth that could save that many lives for that little money…, [yet] this is something 90 percent of us are unaware of or wouldn’t have a clue as to what to do about it.”  [1]

In order to get more information on Zinc deficiency, you can join a facebook page hosted by Zinc saves kids organization: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=355245623012

Here is a wonderful youtube video on initiatives to eradicate zinc deficiency around the world: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vN_qQPxPK3Q

Honoring My Father

From left to right, Farokh Nadimi, Anna Halsted (daughter of Franklin D. Roosevelt), James Halsted and Manouchehr Nadimi

My father, Dr. Manouchehr Nadimi, was one of the three doctors who wrote that historic paper fifty years ago. The other two doctors were: Ananda S. Prasad, MD, PhD, and James A. Halsted, MD. In subsequent years both Prasad and Halsted devoted their lives to promote the awareness of zinc deficiency.

I would like to take this opportunity to honor my father, an outstanding physician as well as a devoted member of the Baha’i Faith.  His faith has been the main force behind his yearning to serve his fellow man,  channeled through his profession as a physician. I hope that his contribution will be an example to future generations of physicians, including those from, Iran, the country where this discovery was first made. It is a country blessed with a legendary tradition in the field of medicine.  (See my blog on Ibn Sina [3]). 

=============== References =================
[1] http://www.unicef.org/nutrition/index_51215.html
[2] http://garfield.library.upenn.edu/classics1991/A1991FT75800002.pdf
[3] http://www.commongroundgroup.net/2010/11/30/islamic-science-and-the-renaissance-3/
[4] http://jn.nutrition.org/content/130/5/1344S.full

International Zinc Association.(IZA)

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Bahram Nadimi

The hope for world peace and good will is a deep desire of the overwhelming majority of the peoples of the world. The Prophets of the past prophesied—and countless sages and poets have longed for—the time when peace and harmony will replace war and conflict. Many futuristic science fiction novels and TV shows have also endeavored to give a clear vision of what world peace might look like.

Bahá’ís believe that we are living in extraordinarily precious times—the promised age of fulfillment foretold by the prophets and avatars of past ages—and that world unity has already begun to dawn. The fact that war, conflict and partisanship are rife is the result the people and nations of the world clinging to obsolete concepts and, therefore, failing to recognize the oneness of the human race. It is no surprise that there are many passages in the Bahá’í Writings that articulate, in detail, the developing processes already in existence in this age of transition that will eventually lead to a glorious global civilization.

One might ask, what have science and religion (the main theme of this website) to do with world peace? In this blog, I will try to answer this question, and also articulate what I think are the processes already in play that will culminate in what the Bahá’ Writings refer to as the “Most Great Peace”.

The Twin Processes of Integration and Disintegration

At least for me, it is hard not to be affected by the overall disintegration of societies and cultures. The signs are indisputable: the acceleration of moral decay, fraud, deep economic and social disorders are just some symptoms. On the other hand, we see integrative tendencies, however weak at this stage, towards peace. The Universal House of Justice—the world governing body of the Bahá’í Faith have stated:

“Out of the ‘universal fermentation’ created by these processes, peace will emerge in stages, through which the unifying effects of a growing consciousness of world citizenship will become manifest.”

World Peace: The Merging of Science and Religion

It is rarely acknowledged that a monumental change in human conduct and the development of virtues and the resulting positive actions are important prerequisites for a lasting world peace—one that only religion, shorn of its superstitions, has the motive power to accomplish. The Universal House of Justice has stated in the now classic document called The Promise of World Peace :

“No serious attempt to set human affairs aright, to achieve world peace, can ignore religion.”

The Guardian of the Bahá’í Faith, Shoghi Effendi, stated that:

Not even, I venture to assert, would the very act of devising the machinery required for the political and economic unification of the world — a principle that has been increasingly advocated in recent times — provide in itself the antidote against the poison that is steadily undermining the vigor of organized peoples and nations.[1].

The integrative process of the “spiritualization of mankind” has already started, as evidenced by the sudden rise of interest in religion and spirituality during the last few decades. This has yet to translate into a global sea change in behavior. And though altruism is a growing trend in human life, it seems that we will probably see dramatic changes of human conduct only in the distant future.

In not-too-distant future, we will probably witness the very beginnings of what the Bahá’ís call “the Lesser Peace” and some sort of nascent world order coming into existence.  This scientific process of global organizational development started with the organization of the family, expanded to the tribe, city and nation; one may conclude that the next stage is the creation of the machinery for the unification of mankind. This process seems to have advanced through pain and heartache. We have seen tangible and concrete milestones in this regard already, starting with Woodrow Wilson’s fourteen points that eventually led to the creation of the League of Nations, and more recently the establishment of the United Nations. Each of these milestones were preceded by world wars. (Please refer to my blog on Woodrow Wilson and world peace for more detail.)

The Bahá’ís believe that lasting peace will be the result of the merging of the process of global organizational development and radical change in human behavior born out of the spiritualization of the masses.

Recent developments

While a stable and developing structure for world unity has been established with the United Nations in 1945, the progress towards actual peace has only accelerated fairly recently. In the 1990s, after the fall of the Soviet Union, this process accelerated for the first time. In 1999, after the Asian financial crisis, the G20—an organization of twenty member nations to further international and economic development—was created. This crisis forced world leaders—probably for the first time—to acknowledge that all countries are economically very interdependent and, hence, global solutions are key to stabilizing the world economy.

The acceleration continued and at the very end of the twentieth century, there was a millennium summit held by the United Nations. This meeting was the largest gathering of world leaders in history as of the year 2000, with one aim of defining the role of the United Nations in the twenty-first century [2].

It seems that, while there is a paralysis of will among global leadership, most of the powerful world leaders understand the necessity for more concrete cooperation between nations. One such leader was Gordon Brown, Prime Minster of the United Kingdom from 2007-2010—in my opinion, one of the great thinkers in recent times. Brown boldly advocated the need for world order in many of his speeches, including a speech to the joint congress of the United States.

He has even stated that we need world order in order to save the earth, and has also stated:

I do not envisage a new world founded on the narrow and conventional idea of isolated states pursuing their own selfish interests. Instead, I see a world that harnesses for the common good the growing interdependence of nations, cultures and peoples that makes a truly global society.

The call for world order has generated at times virulent opposition. Some fear any world order must be an authoritarian world government with the sole aim of ruling the world. The Bahá’í position is that peace is inevitable, and whether we like it or not, we will be forced to create some sort of new order out of necessity. The ideal situation would be to promote a just organizational structure similar to the US federal system, where there is a good balance between individual and state rights, as well as federal needs. The West—especially the US—has the opportunity to take the lead in this process.

I find it ironic that by rejecting the concept of world order, the fearful are playing into the very forces they fear.

Next time, I will talk about world peace and science fiction.

[1] Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Baha’u'llah, p. 34
[2]  Millennium Summit Wikipedia.

Continue reading »]]> Today’s blog is an audio-visual presentation within an audio-visual presentation. The video is from a presentation Courosh Mehanian gave on New Atheism and the Bahá’í Faith in a private home. These are not professional recordings, so please do pardon the (ahem) interesting initial camera angle. I assure you, Courosh is not a table lamp , though he does hope to shed some light (ar-ar) on the subject of how he views New Atheist ideas through the lens of the Bahá’í Faith.

Courosh is, however, Principal Scientist at Charles River Laboratories. He studied physics at Cornell University and currently lives in Redmond, Washington.

 

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

part 7

Part 8

Part 9

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6ebXJ1jdF0&feature=related

==============================

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Bahram Nadimi

Abdu’l-Bahá (son of the Prophet Founder of the Bahá’í Faith) during his one of his trips to the West, about one hundred years ago, stated:

“When religion, shorn of its superstitions, traditions, and unintelligent dogmas, shows its conformity with science, then will there be a great unifying, cleansing force in the world which will sweep before it all wars, disagreements, discords and struggles — and then will mankind be united in the power of the Love of God. [1]”

In this blog, I explore the potential impact that science and religion can play in nation building, by touching upon the discourse that is happening in Egypt after the recent changes in the political landscape.  I will specifically talk about the recent contribution the Bahá’ís of Egypt have made to this discourse. Since I am a Bahá’í, I hope to give some insights into this, and—in later blogs—to explore the roles of other groups and organizations.

Unity First

If one looks at the news or is aware of the prevailing discourses of our society, one sees that solutions to peace and harmony are issue-oriented; if we only could solve the problem of hunger, or poverty, or warfare, then we might all be united. One of the most revolutionary concepts found in the Bahá’í writings is the opposite point of view—that is, in order to solve those problems and to have lasting peace, we must have unity first.

Bahá’u’lláh has said:

“The well-being of mankind, its peace and security, are unattainable unless and until its unity is firmly established.”

Abdu’l-Bahá has said that it is better to be united and wrong, than divided and right:

“Though one of the parties may be in the right and they disagree that will be the cause of a thousand wrongs, but if they agree and both parties are in the wrong, as it is in unity the truth will be revealed and the wrong made right.[6]“

One aspect of unity is the unity of science and religion, which once achieved (as Abdu’l-Bahá said): “will be a … cleansing force in the world” paving the way for the unity of mankind.

What impact might this play in the nation building processes of countries like Egypt?

In a recent unprecedented open letter, the Bahá’ís of Egypt wrote that “the nation must look beyond expedient solutions and existing models in other societies, and seek instead “a new, truly progressive approach”. They further wrote that enlightened choices can have a profound effect on other countries in the region[2,5].

The Bahá’ís of Egypt, a bit of History

Before delving into some of the salient points made in this open letter, a bit of history. Egypt has a long-standing Bahá’í tradition since it is among the few territories opened to this Faith during the ministry of Bahá’u'lláh (Prophet founder of Bahá’í faith-1853-92)[3].  The Bahá’ís of Egypt very quickly established a strong identity, including publications of numerous books and tablets that were made available to the general public.

This identity was solidified during the historical visit of Abdu’l-Bahá to Cairo just over one hundred years ago, after being freed from captivity.  There was positive press coverage of the event such as an interview with him that appeared in Christian Commonwealth (1910 28 Dec) entitled “A Wonderful Movement in The East”.  It seems that Abdu’l-Bahá was very well known in Egypt since considerable press coverage was also given of his funeral a decade later[3].

Notwithstanding this early promise, the Egyptian community has experienced intermittent and, at times, severe persecution during the last 80 years or so. The most recent difficulties this community endured occurred at the time national identity cards were issued that required a person belong to one of the accepted communities: Jewish, Christian, or Muslim. This forced the Bahá’ís either to lie about their religious beliefs or give up their state identification cards. The policy effectively deprived Egyptian Bahá’ís of access to most rights of citizenship, including education, financial services, and even medical care[4].

After a long and drawn out legal battle, Egypt officially changed rules on identification cards. This ordeal was given detailed press coverage in Egypt during the last year or two, and also some other countries in the region. The uniqueness is not the persecution, since persecution is rampant in every corner of the earth, but perhaps the Bahá’í’s measured response, during and after the publicized series of events, including the recent open letter to the people of Egypt.

An open letter to the people of Egypt

Perhaps the most striking aspect if this open letter is that the Bahá’ís did not dwell on the past issues and events that have plagued the their community, but rather focused on  maintaining their positive outlook in an attempt to shape the future course of their country.  The full text can be found at:

http://www.bahai-egypt.org/2011/04/open-letter-to-people-of-egypt.html

Some of the key points called for by this letter are:

• A process of consultation, key to universal engagement
• Essential principles needed for progressive nation building
• A national conversation at this critical juncture that takes in all segments of society, including the youth

Role of Science and religion

Since this website is primarily dedicated to science and religion, I will briefly touch upon the section of the open letter, related to this topic.  The letter uses the scientific process of evolution to analyze the societal and human trends now occurring in Egypt and the whole planet:

“The fact that, as a people, we have chosen to become actively involved in determining the direction of  our nation is a public sign that our society has reached a new stage in its development. A planted seed grows gradually and organically, and evolves through stages of increasing strength until it attains to a state that is recognizably “mature”; human societies share this trait too. At a certain time, dissatisfaction grows within a population at being held back from full participation in the processes that steer the course of a country, and the desire for more responsibility to be ceded to the citizens becomes overwhelming. Set in this context, the events that have taken place in Egypt can be seen as a response to forces that are, in fact, drawing the entire human race towards greater maturity and interdependence.”

It then states:

“The ramifications of this fundamental truth—the oneness of humanity—are so profound that many other vital principles, essential for the future development of Egypt, can be derived from it… Related to the topic of education is the interaction between science and religion, twin sources of insight that humanity can draw upon as it seeks to achieve progress. It is a blessing that Egyptian society, as a whole, does not assume that the two must be in conflict, a perception sadly commonplace elsewhere. Indeed, we possess a proud history of fostering a spirit of rational and scientific enquiry—with admirable results in the areas of farming and medicine, to name but two—while retaining a strong religious tradition and respect for the values promulgated by the world’s great faiths. There is nothing in such values that should incline us toward irrational thinking or fanaticism. All of us, especially our younger generation, can be conscious that it is possible for individuals to be imbued with sincere spirituality while actively labouring for the material progress of their nation.”[5]

It is heartwarming to see the harmony of science and religion considered a vital principle in achieving lasting social progress.  My prayers are with the people of Egypt.

=================== References ==========================
[1] Paris Talks, Abdul-Baha, p. 146
[2] http://news.bahai.org/story/817
[3] http://bahai-library.com/?file=hassall_egypt
[4] http://news.bahai.org/story/495
[5] http://www.bahai-egypt.org/2011/04/open-letter-to-people-of-egypt.html

[6]Abdu’l-Baha, Baha’i World Faith – Abdu’l-Baha Section, p. 411

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Bahram Nadimi

On a cold and dreary Armistice Day, November 11, 1923, in front of his S-Street house, an ailing Woodrow Wilson stood unassisted, in noticeable physical pain and under great strain to speak. He paused for a perceptible time before delivering his remarks, his body bent with years of illness, his face twitching as he raised his eyes to the disabled soldiers gathered before him. He declared that he “was not one of those who have the least anxiety about the triumph of the principles” he had stood for.

He continued:

“I have seen fools resist providence before and I have seen their destruction, as will come upon these again-utter destruction and contempt.  That we shall prevail is as sure as that God reigns.”[1]

These were defiant words, coming from a person who, in the eyes of his generation, was broken and defeated.

A few months later when he was told that the end was near, he said “I am a broken piece of machinery…” The faint voice trailed off, then he murmured “I am ready.”  On February 3, 1924, Woodrow Wilson died.

I don’t wish to dwell on the depressing period of Wilson’s twilight years, but to celebrate his life and glorious legacy.

It should be noted that a lot has been written about his life and legacy. Even Sigmund Freud wrote a book about him, analyzing his motives; this book was published after his wife’s death. Here, however, I am hoping to shed light on his life’s work and his place in history. In my opinion, Woodrow Wilson stood on a very high pedestal and was  the greatest US president of the twentieth century.

Woodrow Wilson, the Person

Woodrow Wilson

I have been curious about what Woodrow Wilson was really like. It is, of course, impossible to encapsulate his personality in a few short sentences, but I will try to share what I have discovered.

He was special—bright, a deep thinker and sensitive. He was America’s first and only president to have obtained a PhD and was considered to be a great scholar, and one of the most intelligent men to have occupied the White House. Outwardly he was a stoic and serious man, and did not display emotion. Once in a while he would be so moved by an incident that he would deviate from his usual cool persona.  One such incident is when he met with a Russian woman

“…who had a piteous tale to tell of the privations of her countrymen. Russia was torn by revolution. People were hungry. They needed his help. As Mme. Botchkarova made her stirring plea, tears streamed down the president’s face. This incident illustrates the depth and quality of Wilson’s identification with humanities suffering.” [6]

Though he was a very passionate man in many aspects of his life, he was by no means perfect—his views on race would be completely unacceptable today. His qualities did, however, endow him with a noble vision for a world exorcized of the evils of war. He resisted America’s entry into WWI, and was called a coward and traitor by some. One perspective of his motives behind his delay of America’s entry into the Great War is summarized here:

“One of the considerations that long held back President Woodrow Wilson from proposing to the United States Congress the declaration of war that had by then become virtually inescapable was his awareness of the moral damage that would ensue. Not the least of the distinctions that characterized this extraordinary man …was his understanding of the brutalization of human nature that would be the worst legacy of the tragedy that was by then engulfing Europe, a legacy beyond human capacity to reverse”.[7]

Wilson’s motives were altruistic and he was keenly aware of the unique position afforded to him by Providence to shape the future of the modern world.  His subsequent constant struggle to control his ego, in my opinion, led to the untimely stroke that took away his ability to promote the League  of Nations in the US, at a most crucial time.

Woodrow Wilson and “the Fourteen Points”: His Vision of a Postwar World

14 Point Speech

Wilson delivered the “fourteen points” speech to a joint session of Congress on January 8th, 1918—about 10 months before the Armistice. This speech was in essence a peace programme “closely associating for the first time that Republic with the fortunes of the Old World” [2].  In the speech, Wilson described the spirit of the Fourteen Points: “What we seek is the reign of law, based upon the consent of the governed and sustained by the organized opinion of mankind.”

The first five points were broad in scope, dealing with freedom of the seas, free trade and reduction in armaments, which was followed by formulas for redressing the wrongs inflicted on specific countries and regions. The fourteenth point led to the establishment of League of Nations [3].

This remarkable speech had such moral authority in the minds of ordinary Europeans, that it could not be ignored even by the most uncooperative leaders of Allied powers [4]; Even Lenin hailed it as a landmark of enlightenment in international relations. [5]

The formulation of the Fourteen Points was in large part due to  Wilson’s keen understanding that the world was rapidly becoming a single organism; and hence the advantage and well being of the part is always best served by promotng the advantage of the whole.  Here is a quote of him:

“The world is linked together in a common life and interest such as humanity never saw before, and the starting of wars can never again be a private and individual matter for the nations. What disturbs the life of the whole world is the concern of the whole world. And it is our duty to lend the full force of this nation–moral and physical–to a league of nations.”

The Creation of the League of Nations

The months after WWI, tedious negotiations between Wilson and the Allied powers were carried out that eventually led to the treaty of Versailles. This treaty incorporated an attenuated form of his proposed League of Nations.

This version of League of Nations, while incorporating a legislature, a judiciary, an executive, could only take decisions when unanimous, thus making it ineffective. To make matters worse, the US senate did not ratify the treaty or join the League. Thus the League of Nations did not—or could not—stop the next even fiercer conflict, and eventually became a footnote of history.  It would be hard to overestimate the damage done  by the senate, led by Henry Cabot Lodge in not ratifying the treaty.  Partisan politics as well as Wilson’s stubbornness played an important role.

Woodrow Wilson, the League of Nations and the Baha’i Faith

For me, as a Bahá’í, it would be impossible not to mention the high praise given by the central figures of the Faith to Woodrow Wilson for the formulation of the fourteen points and the creation of League of Nations. To Bahá’ís, it is clear that he was influenced by the spirit of the age, and many of his “fourteen points” seem to be very similar to the provisions of collective security elucidated by the Founder and heads of the Bahá’í Faith decades earlier, as well as echoes from German philosophers from a few centuries ago. While William Jennings Bryan—Wilson’s eventual Secretary of State—knew of the Faith, and his wife and daughter were visited by Abdu’l-Bahá (son of Bahá’u’lláh, Prophet Founder of the Bahá’í Faith) during Abdu’l-Bahá’s visit to the US in 1912, there is no conclusive evidence that Wilson, himself, knew of the Faith or had read Bahá’í books, in the formulation of his peace programme.  Also The rumors of Wilson’s daughters connection to the Baha’i faith were…most certainly without any basis whatsoever.

Nevertheless Abdu’l-Bahá and later his grandson, Shoghi Effendi, praised Wilson. Shoghi Effendi wrote:

“To [America’s] President, the immortal Woodrow Wilson, must be ascribed the unique honor, among the statesmen of any nation, whether of the East or of the West, of having voiced sentiments so akin to the principles animating the Cause of Bahá’u'lláh, and of having more than any other world leader, contributed to the creation of the League of Nations—achievements which the pen of the Center of God’s Covenant acclaimed as signalizing the dawn of the Most Great Peace…” [8]

This is a stunning statement that not only immortalizes Wilson, but also identifies the creation of the League of Nations as the start of a process that will eventually lead to Kingdom of God on earth.

Many believe that the concept of collective security is a western construct, however as noted before,  in late 19th century and early 20th century,  Bahá’u'lláh, the Prophet founder of the Baha’i Faith or His son Abdu’l-Baha on many occasions, talked about the key elements of collective security.  Also many “progressive internationalists” during the presidency of Wilson met with Abdu’l-Baha during His travels to the United States in 1912[12].   

Here is an excerpt of a Tablet  Bahá’u'lláh wrote to Queen Victoria: 

“Be reconciled among yourselves, that ye may need no more armaments save in a measure to safeguard your territories and dominions… Be united, O kings of the earth, for thereby will the tempest of discord be stilled amongst you, and your peoples find rest, if ye be of them that comprehend. Should any one among you take up arms against another, rise ye all against him, for this is naught but manifest justice[11].”

This is eerie similiar to the 4th point of Wilosn’s fourteen points[3].

For more insights on the Baha’i Faith views on achieving world peace, refer to The Promise of World Peace document:

http://info.bahai.org/article-1-7-2-1.html

or, a blog I wrote:

http://www.commongroundgroup.net/2011/07/29/world-peace-a-bahai-perspective/

The Legacy of Wilson’s efforts: Ushering in the Dawn of Peace

To the casual observer, Wilson’s presidency might be considered a failure, notwithstanding his being awarded with the noble peace prize in 1920. After all, the League failed and a new world war, fiercer than the last, erupted.  The issue of the New York Times that quoted his Armistice speech on the front page also carried an ominous and portentous headline “Hitler forces also rallying in Munich” [1].

Still, Shoghi Effendi wrote of him:

“The ideals that fired the imagination of America’s tragically unappreciated President, whose high endeavors, however much nullified by a visionless generation…, though now lying in the dust, bitterly reproach a heedless generation for having so cruelly abandoned them”[9]

Those who have meditated on the modern-day forces and processes rather than events shaping our history, find that his efforts were more than a shooting star or a short burst of light in this dark world; it was the first true attempt and highly significant step in promoting the principles of a future world without war and conflict. He started the process of lasting peace between nations.  The League of Nations will be considered to be the harbinger of an international Tribunal that the leaders will one day establish. Indeed, the United Nations is built upon the foundation laid and the knowledge gained from the stillborn League.

Wilson’s fourteen points will, I believe, be considered a precursor of the time when the leaders of the world will in the near future, as a result of pain and heartache, come up with similar covenants and agreements.

And we have the irony of Henry Cabot Lodge Jr.—grandson of Henry Cabot Lodge the principal  opponent of the league— being  appointed the ambassador to the United Nations in 1953.

To quote Ibn Khaldun, 14th century Muslim polymath and philosopher:

“He who finds a new path is a pathfinder, even if the trail has to be found again by others; and he who walks far ahead of his contemporaries is a leader, even though centuries pass before he is recognized as such.”

Wilson strove day and night, gave his life and every ounce of energy to promote the cause of peace.  It would serve us well to emulate him.

=========================== References ==============================
[1] The New York Times, November 12, 1923
[2] Citadel of Faith  -Shoghi Effendi, , p. 32
[3] http://history.howstuffworks.com/world-war-i/fourteen-points.htm
[4] Century of light, commissioned by the Universal House of Justice-2001- p. 34
[5] http://future.state.gov/when/timeline/1914_timeline/wilson_14_pts.html
[6]Woodrow Wilson and Colonel House, by Alexander and Juliette George- p.195
[7] Century of Light , Commissioned by The Universal House of Justice, p. 31
[8] Citadel of Faith  -Shoghi Effendi, , p. 36
[9] The Advent of Divine Justice- Shoghi Effendi – P 88

[10] Semi-Centennial address at Omaha, Nebraska: October 6, 1916

[11] Tablet to Queen Victoria, http://bahai-library.com/bahaullah_lawh_malikih

[12] http://waisworld.org/go.jsp?id=02a3&objectType=post&o=68106&objectTypeId=62356&topicId=106

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Bahram Nadimi

The last few blogs I talked about the subject of Islam and the Renaissance and how it created the foundation for modern advances.  I like to step down from and touch upon another renaissance—the twentieth century renaissance. This period, I believe, will be regarded in the future as the dawn of a most glorious era, the birth of a magnificent global civilization, that cannot be visualized at present.

I have been especially interested in the period of 1900-1920, the period that is considered to be “Progressive Era” in the West, a time of reform and great expectations about the future, and “the proliferation of international conferences and agencies”[3] .

To echo a quote from yet another shining star of early Islam, Ibn Khaldun:

“He who finds a new path is a pathfinder, even if the trail has to be found again by others; and he who walks far ahead of his contemporaries is a leader, even though centuries pass before he is recognized as such.”

In this blog, I will talk about an example of activism and anti-racism in the twentieth century, an early fruit of the pathfinders of light: the first Universal Races Congress that convened one hundred years ago, in July 1911.  About thirteen years ago, a dear friend—Ms. George—and I wrote an article on this subject, that was published in the United Kingdom Baha’i Journal.[1] I have taken bits and pieces of this article and included it in this blog.

First Universal Races Congress, London England, 1911

It is hard to believe, that a congress on race unity, with such high motives, was convened so early in the twentieth century. This universal races congress was held at the University College of London (a college that I studied at decades later) in the hot and humid days of July 26-29, 1911. The Congress was initiated by the comments of Felix Adler in 1906 and largely executed due to the efforts of Gustov Spiller[2].

The original call for the Congress included these remarks about its purpose:

“To discuss, in the light of science and modern conscience, the general relations existing between the peoples of the West and those of the East, between the so-called “white” and the so-called “colored” peoples, with a view to encouraging between them a fuller understanding, the most friendly feelings, and the heartier co-operation.… The interchange of material and other wealth between the races of mankind has of late years assumed such dimensions that the old attitude of distrust and aloofness is giving way to a genuine desire for a closer acquaintanceship. Out of this interesting situation has spring the idea of holding a Congress where the representatives of the different races might meet each other face to face, and might, in friendly rivalry, further the cause of mutual trust and respect between the Occident and Orient, between the so-called “white” peoples and the so-called “colored” peoples.[3]

W.E.B. Dubois

At that time it was an unprecedented and remarkable gathering of people of capacity exchanging views on race, culture and religion. It was motivated by a strong sense of urgency to abolish ignorance and prejudice, and to kindle the light of unity between different races, and of East and West. More than fifty countries and twenty governments sent official representatives, resulting in fifty eight papers that were categorized into five groups[2]:

-Fundamental Considerations,
-General Confitions of Progress,
-Special Problems of Inter-racial Economics and Peaceful Contact between Civilizations,
-Modern Conscience in Relation to Racial Questions,
-Positive Suggestions for Promoting Inter-racial Friendliness.;

Attendees  included delegates from the second Hague conference, British governors, members of clergy and academics.   Participants also included scholars from many parts of the world, such as the great African-American scholar, W.E.B Du Bois and Dr. L.L Zamenhof, the originator of the international language of Esperanto, and religious speakers such as Thomas William Rhys Davids, Genchi Kato and Alfred Caldecott.  The head of and son of the Prophet founder of the Bahá’í Faith, Abdu’l-Bahá, was invited to speak but could not travel to England in time to attend[5].

The uniqueness of this congress prompted Abdu’l-Bahá to send an encouraging letter which was read in His absence[4].  The letter was published with the other papers submitted by the leading intellectuals of that time. This paper—though brief in comparison to the other papers presented—set the tone with these inspiring words:

“This Congress is one of the greatest of events. It will be forever to the glory of England that

it was established at her capital. It is easy to accept a truth; but it is difficult to be steadfast in it; for the tests are many and heavy.”

His letter encapsulated the very substance of the origins of racism and how to eradicate it:

“Rivalry between the different races of mankind was first caused by the struggle for existence among the wild animals. This struggle is no longer necessary: nay, rather interdependence and co-operation are seen to produce the highest welfare in nations. The struggle that now continues is cased by prejudice and bigotry. Today nothing but the power of the Divine Word, which embraces the Reality of all things, can draw together the minds, hearts, and spirits of the world under the shadow of the heavenly Tree of Unity.”

Abdu’l-Bahá continues to say:

Abdu'l-Bahá

“The call to arbitration, to peace, to love, and to loyalty is the call of Bahá’u'lláh. His standard floats since fifty years, summoning all of what ever race and creed.”

He then summoned the participants to the Call of His father, Bahá’u’lláh:

“O ye friends of God! Acknowledge this pure light; direct the people who are in ignorance, chanting the melodies of the Kingdom of God, until the dead body of mankind quickens with a new life… O friends of God! strive to dissipate the darkness and reveal the hidden meanings of things, until their Reality becomes clear and established in the sight of all.”

It is now been almost one hundred years since the world’s first congress on racial unity, and the work ahead to dispel racism and prejudice from our midst is still plenteous.  At this centenary it behooves us to set far-reaching goals in our personal and collective lives, to promote racial unity, and most of all, to remember the words of Abdu’l-Bahá:

“O Ye People! Cause this thing to be not a thing of words, but deeds.”

Next time: Efforts to create world order in early twentieth century.

================= References================================

[1] First ever Universal Races Congress- July 1911, Baha’i UK Journal, 1998
[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Races_Congress
[3]  G Spiller, ed., Papers on inter-racial problems:  Communicated to the first Universal Races Congress, july 1911
[4] “Star of the West” Vol 1. March 1910-September 1911 (20  August 1911)

[5]http://www.museumstuff.com/learn/topics/First_Universal_Races_Congress

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Bahram Nadimi

The subject of the Prophet Muhammad’s wives has come up a few times in my work place. Specifically, the fact that he had many wives—and that one of them seemed to have been underage by today’s standards—has been a cause of concern and confusion.

I should mention from the outset that I am a direct descendant of the Prophet Muhammad—on my father’s side of the family tree—through His grandson, Imam Hussain. Throughout the years, I have been understandably somewhat sensitive to unflattering comments and accusations of promiscuity aimed at Muhammad because of His wives. Hence, I have done some research on this subject.  I am by no means an expert; however, I’d like to briefly share some thoughts on this.

The Arabian Peninsula at the time of Muhammad

To echo a well known saying “context is everything”. It forces us to look at the conditions and environment surrounding an historical event or phenomenon. It forces us to think, “What would I do in his situation”? Or in the case of the subject of this blog, what would Jesus Christ, Buddha, or Moses do in Prophet Muhammad’s situation.

According to historical sources, Prophet Muhammad was born in Mecca in 570AD and died in Medina in 632. At the time of the founding of Islam, the inhabitants of this region were pagans; the Arab tribes were uncivilized and had sunk to the lowest depths of barbarism. Burying their children alive was an honorable act among many tribes; the Banu-Tamim tribe was known to have buried their newborn daughters alive.

These were the conditions under which Muhammad took up the task of reforming the region and spreading His faith. Polygamy was the social norm and was generally practiced at this time. Marzieh Gail in her book, six lessons in Islam mentions that Parviz, a king of Persia contemporary with Muhammad, had 12,000 wives.

In the same book (page 25) Marzieh Gail points out that in Jewish Law and Christianity, there was no limit to the number of wives one might have:

The Jewish law set no limit to the number of wives a man might have. The holy Prophets of the Old Testament, such as Abraham, had more than one wife. As for Christianity, Jesus does not establish monogamy nor forbid polygamy. The early Christian clergy often had more than one wife at one time. W.E.H. Lecky says, “A tax called ‘Culagium,’ which was in fact a license to clergymen, to keep concubines, was during several centuries systematically levied by princes.” (History of European Morals, II, 330). “An Italian bishop of the tenth century epigrammatically described the morals of his time, when he declared, that if he were to enforce the canons against unchaste people administering ecclesiastical rites, no one would be left in the church except the boys; and if he were to observe the canons against bastards, these also must be excluded.” (Idem). Eventually, asceticism was forced on the priests, some being obliged to discard their legal wives.  (Marzieh Gail, Six Lessons on Islam, p. 25)

Later in this blog we will see that—despite common belief to the contrary—the Prophet Muhammad did in fact teach monogamy.

The Prophet Muhammad’s first marriage

The Prophet Muhammad’s first marriage is fascinating, given the historical and cultural context. At the age of 25, he married his employer—a 40-year-old merchant named Khadijah. Marzieh Gail describes this marriage as one of the greatest love stories of all time:

We read that there was a great wedding: some leather bottles of precious grape wine; in the inner court under the torches, the bride’s slave girls danced and sang to the tambourines; a camel was slaughtered on the door-step and its flesh divided among the poor…Muhammad and Khadijih had several children; the sons all died; then she became the mother of Fatimih, the holiest woman in Islam.

This was a joyous and happy marriage—and a monogamous one. Despite the fact that polygamy was the cultural norm, Muhammad took no other wives until after Khadijah’s death many years later. The marriage produced six children, though only one survived to adulthood. In contrast, only one childbirth resulted from the Prophet’s subsequent marriages, so it seems that physical intimacy was not the motive for them.

The Prophet Muhammad’s other wives

Only after Khadijah’s death did the Prophet take another wife. He was fifty years of age. If intimacy was his motive, he could have married other women sooner, since polygamy was an accepted norm. Yet, the pressing question asked by Westerners is: why did the Prophet Muhammad eventually marry twelve women?

John L. Esposito, a professor of religion, in his book (Islam: The Straight Path, Oxford University Press, 1988, p. 19) states that:

As was customary for Arab chiefs, many were political marriages to cement alliances. Others were marriages to the widows of his companions who had fallen in combat and were in need of protection.

Indeed, the Prophet’s wives included a number of widows, and marriage afforded them protection; a similar custom was observed by some Native American tribes. In the context of Arab culture, these women would have otherwise been left to die—or worse, become prostitutes. In this context, the humanitarian aspect of Muhammad’s marriages is clear, especially when compared with the prevailing cultural norms of that time.

More information on Muhammad’s wives can be found in: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammad’s_wives

The Prophet Muhammad and His marriage to Aisha

The present-day charge that Muhammad took his third wife, Aisha, when she was a minor is based on our understanding of prevailing traditions. In European culture at the time, also—especially among noble families—arranged marriages of minor children of both genders were contracted. In this case, the age of Aisha at the time of marriage is not known for certain (tradition places it as high as 13), or whether she was considered a minor at the time, but it is known that the Prophet Muhammad did not consummate this marriage immediately; some scholars doubt it was ever consummated physically.

In any event, rather than stifling her talents, the marriage to the Prophet enabled Aisha to blossom; she played an important role in Islamic history, absorbing vast religious knowledge from the Prophet—including memorizing the entire Qur’an. She was witness to much of the early history of Islam and helped preserve the details of those events, (as well as the details of the private and public life of Muhammad), by narrating a few thousand Hadith (traditions about the Prophet).

I found this interesting thread on “beliefnet” regarding Aisha’s age and circumstances of marriage: http://community.beliefnet.com/go/thread/view/43861/23110469/The_Prophet_Muhammad_and_marriage_to_Aisha_-_What_is_the_Bahai_perspective_on_this

Did the Prophet Muhammad teach Monogamy or Polygamy?

Quoting Marzieh Gail again:

The Qur’án teaches monogamy. The text states: “marry but two, or three, or four: and if ye still fear that ye shall not act equitably, then one only.” (4:3); elsewhere the text states that such equitable action would be impossible: “And ye will not have it at all in your power to treat your wives alike, even though you fain would do so….” (4:128).  (Marzieh Gail, Six Lessons on Islam, p 25)

So, while the Prophet Muhammad taught monogamy as matter of spiritual principle (justice), He allowed a man to marry up to four wives legally. Why? The historical context suggests that He felt that strictly enforcing this law would be too much for a generation who knew only a polygamous lifestyle.

We find a similar situation with regard to marriage in the Bible. Moses’ law allowed for a husband to divorce his wife “for any reason”, but Jesus Christ gave a different law of divorce. When questioned by the Pharisees as to why He would change Moses’ law, Jesus replied,

Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. (Matt. 19:8 – NIV)

Next time I will talk about the source and inspiration of Islamic Science: the Qur’án.

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Bahram Nadimi

We need to study history anew.

We live in a literally wonderful age of which Baha’u’llah has stated: “Peerless is this Day, for it is as the eye to past ages and centuries, and as a light unto the darkness of the times.”

In order to shed light unto former times and historical events, it behooves us to be in tune with the spirit of this age. It behooves us to develop our spiritual and intellectual insights first, since facts are easy to find and can come later. Indeed, they will be more meaningful if we develop the spiritual and intellectual capacities to comprehend them. I hope and pray that whatever insignificant insights and facts I do share are in accordance with the spiritual forces and tides of historical change.

Before talking about the contributions Avicenna (Ibn Sina—another wonderful personage from Persia) made to the Renaissance, I’d  like to touch upon what I believe is the destiny of Persia/Iran.

Iran’s Glorious Destiny

My belief in the glorious destiny of Iran comes through my faith—the Bahá’í Faith. The Bahá’í Faith started in 19th century Persia, at that time a very dark place intellectually, and a far cry from its glorious past.

In November of 2003, the Universal House of Justice—the world governing body of the Bahá’ís—sent a remarkable open letter to the Bahá’ís in Iran. It was the first such missive since the start of the most recent wave of persecutions that began in 1979. In this letter, the House of Justice talks about the past, present, and future of Iran. Here are some small portions:

“ …the Master(Abdul’-Baha) appealed in passionate language for its people to call to mind those days when Iran “was as the heart of the world”, “the source and centre of sciences and arts, the wellspring of great inventions and discoveries, the rich mine of human virtues and perfections”

It goes on to say:

“Ruling elites can make no more serious error than to imagine that the power they have managed to arrogate to themselves provides an enduring bulwark against the relentless tides of historical change. Today, in Iran as everywhere throughout the world, these tides roll in with insistent urgency and tumultuous force. They are not merely at the door of the house, but rise up irresistibly through its floors. They cannot be diverted. They will not be denied.

… Through your love, your sacrifices, your services and your very lives, you have proven to be the true promoters of the progress of your dear homeland of which Bahá’u'lláh has written:

“The horizon of Persia hath been illumined with the light of the heavenly Orb. Erelong will the Daystar of the supernal realm shine so brightly as to raise that land even unto the ethereal heights and to cause it to shed its radiance over the whole earth. The imperishable glory of bygone generations shall once more be manifest in such wise as to dazzle and bewilder the eyes…”.

“Iran shall become a focal centre of divine splendours. Her darksome soil will become luminous and her land will shine resplendent. Although now wanting in name and fame, she will become renowned throughout the world; although now deprived, she will attain her highest hopes and aspirations; although now destitute and despondent, she will obtain abundant grace, achieve distinction and find abiding honour.”

I find it exciting, not depressing, to talk about my homeland’s past, since I am confident that Iran will not only equal but outshine its former achievements.

Avicenna, A Giant Among Giants

Ibn Sina — Avicenna

A common old European saying is “Anyone who wants to be a good doctor must be an Avicennist”.  It is hard to believe that one person could accomplish so much, but the facts are easily obtainable. Take the following reference from wikipedia, which directs the visitor to no fewer than ninety-six scholarly references and a number of online resources as well :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avicenna

The summary below, which is from the San Jose State University website, leads to a host of information on our featured scholar.

Avicenna or Ibn Sina (980-1037). He was a Persian physician and philosopher. He was born near Bukhara then capital of the Samanid dynasty. By the time he was 10 years old he had learned the Koran as well as Arabic grammar and literature. By the age of 16 he had mastered not only natural science and rudimentary metaphysics but also medical theory. He was not satisfied with merely a theoretical understanding of medicine so he began to treat the sick. He knew enough about medicine to treat the ailing Samanid ruler Nuh Ibn Mansur. The successful treatment gained Avicenna access to the rich library of that prince.

Abu Ali Sina was one of the main interpreters of Aristotle and was the author of almost 200 books on science, religion and philosophy. Avicenna’s two most important works are: Shifa (The Book of Healing) and Al Qanun fi Tibb (The Canon of Medicine). The first is a philosophical encyclopedia based on Aristotelian tradition and the second is the most famous single book in the history of medicine. His medical system was long the standard in Europe and the Middle East.  “The Cannon”, that was comprised of 5 books was the most widely used medical book in both Muslim and European counties in the 12th-Century, it remained in use until the 17th Century and even was still in use in 1909 at Brussels University[from 1001 inventions, Muslim Heritage in Our World]. (direct link: http://www.sjsu.edu/depts/Museum/avicen.html)

His Legacy

To profile Avicenna, I’ve chosen to use the offering from wikipedia, which serves as a concise summary of this scholar’s contributions.

As early as the 14th century when Dante Alighieri showed him experiencing a perfect eternity with some of the greatest men in history in his Divine Comedy such as Virgil, Averroes, Homer, Horace, Ovid, Lucan, Socrates, Plato, and Saladin, Avicenna has been recognized by both East and West, as one of history’s great figures.

George Sarton, the author of The History of Science, described Ibn Sīnā as “one of the greatest thinkers and medical scholars in history” and called him “the most famous scientist of Islam and one of the most famous of all races, places, and times.” He was one of the Islamic world’s leading writers in the field of medicine. He was influenced by the approach of Hippocrates and Galen, as well as Sushruta and Charaka. Along with Rhazes, Abulcasis, Ibn al-Nafis, and al-Ibadi, Ibn Sīnā is considered an important compiler of early Muslim medicine. He is remembered in Western history of medicine as a major historical figure who made important contributions to medicine and the European Renaissance. Ibn Sīnā is also considered the father of the fundamental concept of momentum in physics.

In Iran, he is considered a national icon, and is often regarded as one of the greatest Persians to have ever lived. Many portraits and statues remain in Iran today.  The treatises of Ibn Sīnā influenced later Muslim thinkers in many areas including theology, philology, mathematics, astronomy, physics, and music. Ibn Sīnā’s works numbered almost 450 volumes on a wide range of subjects, of which around 240 have survived. In particular, 150 volumes of his surviving works concentrate on philosophy and 40 of them concentrate on medicine.

Next time: I’ll touch upon a cause of confusion and concern to some “westerners”—Muhammad’s wives.

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Bahram Nadimi

Some of the greatest minds of civilization came out of the Middle East. I’d like to take a side-step from my study of Islam to explore a few of them.  I’d also like to explore how religion shaped these great men’s thinking and philosophy.

Last time, I talked briefly about how early Islamic civilization cultural centers developed an advanced culture, far ahead of what was available in Western European cities. I also touched upon the fact that Western Europeans were pragmatic enough to use and enhance scientific methods and know-how brought to them by their Moslem counterparts. However, I should note that the Europeans, unfortunately, borrowed only from the material and technological side of Islamic civilization, and did not incorporate the spiritual and moral foundation of Islamic culture into the fabric of their society.

One can make a good case that the excesses of Western civilization after the Renaissance—such as Spanish colonization of the Americas—was a direct consequence of achieving significant technological progress without a corresponding moral or spiritual compass to protect against evils such as slavery and oppression.

But before Islam, other notable cultures arose in the Middle East that incorporated material and spiritual facets.

Cyrus the Great

Cyrus, King of Persia

The empire of Cyrus the Great (ca.600 – 529 BCE) was the largest the world had ever seen; the Achaemenid Empire under Cyrus’s rule extended approximately from Turkey, Israel, Georgia and Arabia in the west to Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, the Indus River (Pakistan) and Oman in the east.

It was one of the most civilized empires, even by modern standards.  Cyrus respected the customs and traditions of the lands he conquered.  He had a tolerant and magnanimous attitude towards those he defeated. He was known for the freeing slaves and, as noted in both religious and secular histories, let the Jews return to their Promised Land. According to the Torah, the Jews regarded him as the ‘the anointed of the Lord’.

It should be noted that Cyrus was a worshipper of Zoroaster’s God, Ahura Mazda, and this religion shaped his life in many ways. His unshakeable belief in the Unity of God undoubtedly sprung from the teachings of Zoroaster.

The Great Cylinder

The cylinder of Cyrus the Great was created following his conquest of Babylon. The baked-clay cylinder is inscribed in the Akkadian language with cuneiform script and describes the conquest of Babylon, and sets forth the decrees of Cyrus regarding its rule.

The Cyrus Cylinder

There were three main premises in the decrees of the Cyrus Cylinder:

1. The political formulation of racial, linguistic, and religious equality.
2. Slaves and all deported peoples were to be allowed to return to home.
3. All destroyed temples were to be restored.

In 1971, the Cylinder was described as the world’s first written charter of human rights and was translated into all official U.N. languages.  A replica is in the United Nations, in New York.  The original is in the British Museum in London.

According to Professor Richard Frye:

“In short, the figure of Cyrus has survived throughout history as more than a great man who founded an empire. He became the epitome of the great qualities expected of a ruler in antiquity, and he assumed heroic features as a conqueror who was tolerant and magnanimous as well as brave and daring. His personality as seen by the Greeks influenced them and Alexander the Great, and, as the tradition was transmitted by the Romans, may be considered to influence our thinking even now.”

Many of the forefathers of the United States of America were thought to have sought inspiration from Cyrus the Great through works such as Cyropaedia. Thomas Jefferson, for one, owned a copy of this treatise.

Here is a wonderful Youtube video on the life and legacy of Cyrus and his influence on American democracy, called In Search Of Cyrus The Great:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YebB4nVw_Mg

Next time: I’ll return to the theme of Islam and explore Avicenna, the foremost philosopher and physician of his time.

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Bahram Nadimi

The end of the twentieth century marked a significant milestone.  It was not the end of the world, but it was when world consciousness—with the aid of scientific advances—reached a tipping point. For the first time, a critical mass of people in the world started to regard themselves as members of one common fatherland. This includes the unity of East and West—a unity, once achieved, that will have unimaginably glorious consequences.

Last time, we briefly talked about how early Islamic civilization from the East, through cultural centers like Cordoba, paved the way for the flourishing of modern Western Civilization. This is not to deny the wonderful qualities of the cultures of the West—which are pragmatic and progressive, their people builders and doers.

Before going further, I’d like to touch upon the dynamics and interactions of East and West.

Almost exactly 100 years ago, July 1911, in University of London (where I studied decades later), the first ever Race Unity Congress was held, and many progressive thinkers from the U.S. and mainland Europe attended. Abdu’l-Bahá, (the son of Bahá’u'lláh, the Prophet Founder of the Bahá’í Faith) could not attend, but sent a wonderful message, praising this historic congress. A few months later, circumstances did permit for him to travel to the UK, where he met one of the organizers of this race unity congress. Their meeting is described as follows in the book Abdu’l-Bahá in London:

“One of the organizers of the Races Congress present spoke of the Western ideals of Bahá’u'lláh as differing from those of former prophets which were tinged with the ideas and civilization of the East. He then asked whether Bahá’u'lláh had made a special study of Western writings, and founded his teachings in accordance with them.

Abdu’l-Bahá laughed heartily, and said that the books of Bahá’u'lláh, written and printed sixty years ago, contained the ideals now so familiar to the West, but, at that time, they had not been printed or thought of in the West. … In former days, in the time of the Buddha and Zoroaster, civilization in Asia and in the East was very much higher than in the West and ideas and thoughts of the Eastern peoples were much in advance of, and nearer to the thoughts of God than those of the West. But since that time superstitions had crept into the religion and ideals of the East, and from many differing causes the ideals and characters of the Eastern peoples had gone down and down, lower and lower, while the Western peoples had been constantly advancing and struggling towards the Light. Consequently, in these days, the civilization of the West was much higher than that of the East, and the ideas and thoughts of the people of the West were much nearer to the thought of God than those of the East.Therefore, the ideals of Bahá’u'lláh had been more quickly realized in the West[1]”.

Here we have it:

“One of the strangest dramas of history is that at the very moment when Europe, prodded by contacts with the Islamic culture in Sicily and Spain and by the Crusades, began to recover from its prolonged descent toward darkness, Islam entered a decline that was to carry it down into the very fog of obscurantism from which it had helped to rescue Europe[2]”

Pre-Renaissance Comparison

It would be useful to have a comparison table of Islamic Centers and Christian Centers before the Renaissance. The information below is all derived form lecture notes of Dr. Ron Herschel (I am hoping to find him and get him to blog, he has some amazing insights):

Islamic Centers — Religion and Morality
- Universal protection of all monotheistic religions from persecution
- Equality, abolition of racism
- Union of faith and Reason

Christian Centers — Religion and Morality
- Jews confined to ghettos in larger villages and cities
- Hierarchical social order-serfdom
- Masses controlled by superstition

Islamic Centers — Knowledge and Education
- Spiritual and material education
-New sciences and technologies
- Foreign talent and ideas sought after and nurtured
- Libraries systematized with over 400,000 paper books
- Universities with systematic and specialized study in philosophy, sciences, the arts, medicine
- Arabic-The universal language with a broad literate class

Christian Centers — Knowledge and Education
- Knowledge consisted primarily of religious dogma and tradition
- Only those sciences that were consistent with Church dogma
- Isolation from foreign influence
- Monastic libraries contained up to 200 parchment manuscripts
- Education dominated by biblical and theological studies
- Literacy in Latin by the clergy only

Islamic Centers — Economy and administration
- Freeing up ownership of the land
- Advanced irrigation-invention of the windmill and water mill
- Crop diversity
- Extremes of wealth and poverty discouraged in the Quran
- Distribution of wealth through a modern administration based on Persian model-low taxation
- Public works-sanitation, roads
- Extensive trades and crafts within cultural centers
- “modern” hospitals with broad treatment programs
- Extensive navigation skills which enlarged trade routes

Christian Centers – Economy and administration
- Land ownership by few
- Primitive irrigation susceptible to floods and droughts-famines
- Mono crops susceptible to pests
- Wealth hoarded by lords and Church officials- high taxes
- Poor management of natural resources-low standard of living
- Lack of proper sanitation resulted in terrible death toll of plagues
- Limited occupational choices
- Antiquated medical practices laced scientific basis
- Flat earth model limited navigation and trade routes

Islamic Centers — Peace and security
- Protection provided by a professional army

Christian Centers — Peace and security
- Lords used farmers as part time soldiers in their territorial disputes.

Spanish Waterwheel

Geography, Navigation and ship building

It is recorded that Columbus mentioned in one of his letters that writings by Islamic Spain’s Ibn Rushd (also known as Averroes), caused him to guess the existence of the Americas[3]. Ibn Rushd is regarded by many as one of the most important of the Islamic philosophers. A product of twelfth-century Islamic Spain, he set out to integrate Aristotelian philosophy with Islamic thought. A common theme throughout his writings is that there is no incompatibility between religion and philosophy when both are properly understood.

The Muslim geographers’ accomplishments were enormous who made the field of geography a science; they created untold volumes on the geography of Europe, Africa, China, and the East Indies between 8th and 15th centuries. The Muslims also brought their shipbuilding techniques—developed on the treacherous waters of the Indian Ocean—to the Mediterranean. The conquest of the Americas by the Europeans was made possible largely to this shipbuilding technology. Islamic geography and navigational sciences used the magnetic compass and a rudimentary instrument known as a “kamal” for celestial navigation and for measuring the altitudes and latitudes of the stars. They went further to perfect the use of sextant, quadrant and astrolabe in navigation. When combined with detailed maps of the period, sailors were able to sail across oceans rather than skirt along the coast. [4].

Astrolabe - Wooden Turkish Quadrants

Al-Biruni with Sextant

They also created the most detailed maps of the time; one cartographer who became legendary was al-Idrisi. His maps inspired Columbus to risk a voyage to the new world.  He was so well known that in the 12th century Sicily’s king Roger II brought him to Sicily, where he completed the construction of a mapped globe with solid silver.

Here are a couple of his maps:

Next time: We’ll look at the  contributions from some of the greatest minds of civilization.

Footnotes: [1]Abdu’l-Baha, Abdu’l-Baha in London, p. 68; [2]Islamic Contributions to Civilization by Stanwood Cobb 1963; [3]The Miracle of Islamic Science by Dr K. Ajram 1992; [4] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_and_cartography_in_medieval_Islam

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Bahram Nadimi

The age we live in is unique; a sea change in human consciousness is occurring, resulting in increased awareness of the fundamental unity of the world’s religions, especially for those who are bold enough to investigate truth for themselves.

My interest in the subject of Islam and the Renaissance started when I was in college in London, England, hanging out with my good friend, who was a history major studying the Renaissance.  I recall listening to stories and anecdotes from him, in quaint cafés in London—tales of progressive civilization in Spain just before the florescence of Renaissance in Europe.

My interest peaked many years later, here in the US, after 9/11. Being Iranian, I was asked questions about Islam (even though I am not a Muslim).  During my investigation into the enquiries made, I revisited the insights I had gained from my friend, and hence embarked on a wonderful journey, finding for myself, the choicest fruits of the Islamic civilization and how it has shaped us in the West.

My journey took me to Spain; where I visited such places as Cordoba and Seville, helping imagine the people and the motivating spirit behind these once flourishing cultural centers.

Even in this age of enlightenment, few people seem to be aware of the very significant contributions of the Islamic world to modern civilization; the purpose of these few articles is to hopefully provide a snapshot of history of this under-appreciated period.  Whatever one thinks of the state of Islam at present, it is hoped that a glimpse of this period in human history will provide a more balanced view of the contributions of Islam and religion in general to civilization.

The Dark Ages: a Black Hole in History or an Age of Enlightenment?

It will probably be safe to say that Western historians have over time downplayed (consciously or subconsciously) the contributions of Islamic civilization. Carl Sagan, for example, in his historical timeline of scientific achievements has a gap from about the fifth century to the fifteenth century, in which, because of the onset of the Dark Ages, he lists no individual achievements or inventions in this period. This is slowly changing, however; an exhibit on this subject had its opening in the science museum of London, called 1001 Inventions and the Library of Secrets, and has been a huge success.  A short film on the subject, starring Ben Kingsly, has even been made that is very entertaining.  Here is the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZDe9DCx7Wk

Right now, I’d like to explore what led to the intellectual awakening of Europe.  We will start with the city of Cordoba, Spain.

Cordoba, Spain

Until recently, this city was called a “city of transit,” a far cry from its glory days.  For example, it is written that at the peak of its prosperity, Cordoba contained more than two hundred thousand houses, and at least half a million inhabitants, and it had paved and illumined streets. At the same time in the major cities of Europe, which were in reality large  of 30,000 to 50,000 residents, there was not a paved street, and no illumination at night.

When I visited Cordoba, little trace of this civilization remained. Everything, for the most part, was destroyed after the fall of Islamic rule. One exception was the Great Cordoba Mosque, regarded as the heart and central focus of the capital. In 1236, Córdoba was captured by King Ferdinand III of Castile in the Reconquista, and the mosque was turned into a Christian church.

House of Worship in Cordoba

Traveling throughout the city, I saw very little evidence that the Muslim civilization even existed. There was one museum—very modest in appearance—at the one end of the main bridge, that had a wonderful audio-visual presentation of this period in history. I learnt, for example, to my surprise that utensils and silverware were introduced to the Europeans  by the Muslims.

However, there were echoes of this period that could be heard in the narrow streets of Cordoba; Spanish music, dancing, and singing, with noticeable elements and traces of the East.

West met East in Cordoba.

Some notable contributions of Cordoba

In Muslim Cordoba the first true European university was erected, and within its halls, multitudes of Europeans received the most advanced education anywhere in the modern world.  Many good families of Western Europe, whether Christian or Jews, sent their children for education here. Muslims, Christians, and Jews studied on the same levels with complete tolerance. Among them was Gerbert, who afterward became Sylvester II, an outstanding Pope of the Roman Church.  He was one of the few literate clergy in this period, and because of his interest in modern science, was suspected of sorcery.  He escaped the witch-burners and lynchers only because of his high position.

This city had dozens of public and systematized libraries, with hundreds of thousands of books, at a time when the kings of Europe were illiterate, signing their names with an ‘X’.

History records the remarkable civilization in Spain under Islamic rule that brought real progress, order, equality, and peace.

Next time: We will explore some tangible examples of knowledge and technology that flourished from this period of history, and helped pave the way for the Renaissance.