The Baha'i Studies Listserv On Thu, Dec 23, 2010 at 2:36 AM, Khazeh <[email protected]> wrote: > The Baha'i Studies Listserv
> > Gilberto Simpson wrote saying that he agrees with > Matt Haase [email protected] > > Collective guilt is such a fascinating concept to me. This idea that > people living hundreds or even thousands of years apart from certain > event, can somehow be blamed for (insert whatever bad action here) is > very peculiar to me. I find it astonishing that some people still > accept this basic logical fallacy, and think it is a decent argument. > You are right, this is how anti-Semitism started. I shudder to think in > a thousand years, those Muslim children will be beaten up at school by > their Baha'i classmates for being a "Babi killer." Some people might > laugh at the thought now, but when talk such as "this is what your > people have done" is allowed to fester and go on for hundreds of years, > who knows what that can lead to? > Khazeh writes lovingly and humbly yet again: > The scenario you (Gilberto) and Matt present is not realistic, not > compatible with the essence of the Bahai Faith and its teachings and it > almost shows as if you are on this list to prevent to impede to obstruct the > process of people becoming familiar with the Bahai faith and Its teachings > and to frighten and intimidate the enquirer. It is not fair especially on > your part Gilberto S who have been so many years on this list. > > Firstly > The Bahai Faith considers itself to be the essence of Islam and Its Spirit. > This is the alpha and omega of our thesis and that the Manifestations of God > are One in Their Essence. > The same beloved Guardian that you quote from the PDIC wrote about the > absolute oneness of the Prophets. > The Bahai Children of the future as well as the Bahai Children of this age > and adults like me on the verge of leaving this world are taught the same > truth *the absolute oneness of the Prophets. And by a similar token, Christianity considers itself the completion and fulfillment of Judaism. They believe that Jesus was the fulfillment of the messianic prophecies of the Old Testament. The New Testament writings go on and on about the importance of love and compassion and forgiveness, and especially loving the stranger living in your midst. And in spite of all those things, there was long history of violent Christian anti-semitism culminating in the Holocaust. I would agree with you that some kind of violent Islamophobic Bahai movement is strictly opposed by the best statements of the Bahai writings. But that doesn't mean such a scenario is unrealistic. In any case, it is theoretical. And we both hope it never happens. > And the Guardian says the same as Baha’u’llah > ** Know thou assuredly that the essence of all the Prophets of God is one > and the same. Their unity is absolute. > > (Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 78) > ** > So if you meet a Moslem on this list Gilberto you should inform them > lovingly that Baha’is in all their sacred scriptures believe in this > absolute oneness. > I agree that there is a high degree of oneness but I'm not sure that I could refer to it as "absolute". > Secondly: > The Guardian is writing in the “Promised Day is Come” Passage about his > dread and awe as to what may transpire if the rejections and hatreds and > persecutions continue. Well here is what that passage says: "Islám, at once the progenitor and persecutor of the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh, is, if we read aright the signs of the times, only beginning to sustain the impact of this invincible and triumphant Faith. We need only recall the nineteen hundred years of abject misery and dispersion which they, who only for the short space of three years persecuted the Son of God, have had to endure, and are still enduring. We may well ask ourselves, with mingled feelings of dread and awe, how severe must be the tribulations of those who, during no less than fifty years, have, "at every moment tormented with a fresh torment" Him Who is the Father, and who have, in addition, made His Herald--Himself a Manifestation of God--to quaff, in such tragic circumstances, the cup of martyrdom." Note, that among the actual individuals who persecuted Jesus for 3 years. NONE of them actually lived for 1900 years. So this text seems to contain the germ of an idea which historically has been really dangerous. (Taking the sins of a group of individuals, and aholding a larger group as morally responsible) And in a parallelway, this dangerous idea is being applied to Muslims as well. > No one is wishing for sorrow and pain but one always dreads as to what > could/would/transpire if the divine justice is trampled upon, if the cry of > the orphan and persecuted is not responded to > I understand that you don't want this. I don't think there is any guarantee that some Bahai who is less well grounded in the best teachings of the Faith won't fall into the trap. > Can anyone honestly think that we or the Bahai Scriptures are against Islam > in Its truth? > > Please please Gilberto be fair and do not impede the river of love and truth > and reconciliation to flow. > I don't believe at all that you, Khazeh, harbor any ill will towards Islam or Muslims. I think you, Khazeh, have been a consistently unifying voice and you do a good job of emphasizing the best parts of the Bahai writings. But also not every Bahai is going to be as immersed in the writings as you. And not every Bahai is going to be as careful as you are about not demonizing Muslims. __________________________________________________ You are subscribed to Baha'i Studies as: mailto:[email protected] Unsubscribe: send a blank email to mailto:leave-548648-27401.54f46e81b66496c9909bcdc2f7987...@list.jccc.edu Subscribe: send subscribe bahai-st in the message body to [email protected] Or subscribe: http://list.jccc.edu:8080/read/all_forums/subscribe?name=bahai-st Baha'i Studies is available through the following: Mail - mailto:[email protected] Web - http://list.jccc.edu:8080/read/?forum=bahai-st News (on-campus only) - news://list.jccc.edu/bahai-st Old Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] New Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]
