Dear Susan and Jim,Of course, there are instances of abusive behavior within the Baha'i community just as there is anywhere. Perhaps a little more, since we are dealing with a bunch of amateurs. ;-} But these things are hardly systemic and worthy of an academic study. And how would one go about researching it? Scholars can't get access to Assembly minutes so we are left with the reports of the so-called victims and we have no means for verifying what they say.
If the National Assembly is sincere about issues concerning growth and retention, as mentioned in their December 18, 2002 statement on the progress of the Five Year Plan, which I think it is, then an academic study of social problems in the Bahai Faith could be very significant. The long-standing problems with growth and retention suggest that social problems may be systematic. Some kind of study would provide some data one way or the other, whereas now we have nothing other than isolated opinions. Most of what goes on in any Bahai community should not be confidential, personal issues excepted. Abusive behavior in Bahai communities is not limited to personal issues, although confidentiality is often used as an excuse to hide social problems, albeit abusive behavior, theft, and conflicts of interest among Assembly members and the Assembly.
I think what "so-called victims" have to say could be very telling for the American Bahai community, instead of the pervasive attitude of ignoring problems that has existed for years, hoping they will go away. It would be important, however, to have some comprehensive study of a cross section of the membership. Local Assemblies could cooperate with such a study under the guidance of the Counselors or the National Assembly, who would have to first approve any proposed study. Much of what victims report throughout history cannot necessarily be confirmed after the fact, but that doesn't mean we don't collect the stories in attempt to document history and confirm what we can. Independent stories from unrelated victims in various regions may suggest some behavioral patterns in the Bahai community. There are a number of ways to corroborate personal accounts other than by relying on Assembly minutes. The assumption that Assembly minutes are some kind standard to confirm or deny personal reports is nonsense. Assembly minutes are simply one piece to the puzzle; they can be so incomplete or subjective that little insight into the true nature of community problems can ever come of them.
Sincerely, Marleen
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