What Bahais?
A strange and insiduous issue has recently crept up on Egypt's religious scene. According to this Ahram Weekly article, a court ruling providing official recognition to Bahais has sparked debate over this Israeli-based cult.I have no problems at all with people choosing to follow whatever faith/religion they want (they can worship flies, for all I care) but it's another issue altogether to give official recognition to every single belief system under the sun. If tomorrow a million Egyptians decide to worship Mubarak and create a cult transforming him into the Messiah, do we give them official recognition on the basis of human rights? Bahai history is just as dubious especially considering that "Bahaism is headquartered in Israel and chose Misson, a Jewish- American, as its spiritual leader in 1950, after the state of Israel was declared." According to this article, Bahais were also "notorious for being instrumental in helping the British occupation of India."
They're welcome to worship whatever they want in the privacy of their homes and should not be persecuted for their beliefs, but to give them official recognition can only setr in motion a cycle of sedition in Egyptian society and foster intervention and pressure from foreign powers with their own agendas on the basis of human rights.
The Egyptian Organization of Human Rights' Hafez Abou Seada, whose work I respect a great deal, should be careful what he's fighting for. His vehement defence of the Bahai's right to official recognition ("Everyone is free to believe in whatever he or she wants") misses the point. Freedom of belief is not the issue at stake here. He doesn't seem to see the wood for the trees.
What I think he should campaign against is this meaningless inclusion of one's religion on the national ID card. That's a battle I would fight.
posted by anguishedmuslim @ 5/14/2006 03:13:00 PM
4 Comments:
A few corrections: Bahaa'is resorted to Israel after having been prosecuted in other Islamic countries, including Iran where they first appeared by the end of the 19th century, before Israel even existed.
It may be true that Israel accepted them to appear as THE tolerant state in the area as they always do; fishing in muddy water, but still, everything has a reason and a history.
"but it's another issue altogether to give official recognition to every single belief system under the sun"
You're totaly correct here. That's why the state should have nothing to do with religions in the first place as long as a given religion doesn't collide with the law. In fact, there's nothing official at all about any religion.
Ideally the state shouldn't involve itself with people's religious beliefs and practices, including that it shouldn't require individuals to state their religion in any official papers (IDs included). But since it is the case currently in this country that IDs have a field for religion in it, then a person who is Baha'i, not jew, chistian, nor a moslem, has the right to have his chosen religion stated in that field. No? The state asked for it, not the Baha'is, and that's what the fuss was all about.
I am not sure about the following part, but you are likely mixing the role of Bahaa'is in occupying India with the rumors that are commonly associated with another extra-islamic group: The Ahmadis (Ahmadieyh الأحمدية). When Baha'is appeared as a faith emerging from Islam and having distinct characteristics, India has long been a jewel in the British crown.
How would you have reacted if a christian country decided not to recognise Islam based on the fact that it's a "cult"? What you're calling for would give the hand to the majority of any country to decide what should or should not be recognized as a faith or valid religion. That would surely open the doos for discrmination.
have to second what alif said. since religion is a mtter of compulsory identity in egypot from which civil rights flow, then they must campaign for recognition. when egypt stops listing people's religion everywhere like it was some sort of outwar chracteristic like hair colour, not a set of beliefs that are subject to change, then there won't be any need.
i also strongly suggest you research bahai'ism. in so far as any religon can be more credible than another, it's one of the more credible ones out there.
If you believe everything you read in Al Ahram, you'll be running into some pretty significant discrepancies between Al-Ahram and fact.
A disclaimer: I am a non-Baha'i and actually reject Baha'i doctrine wholly.
However, with that said, this Al-Ahram article is wildly incorrect. There was never an individual named Misson in charge of the Baha'i faith. Even the most basic research reveals that.
Also, the Baha'i temple in India is the most visited site in the entire nation today and millions (of non-Baha'i Hindus) gather there during Hindu holidays each year. Interesting considering the alleged Baha'i involvement in exploiting Indians via the British government.
An Zionist cult? In my arguments with Baha'is, most of them privately reject Zionism and are Palestinian empathizers. If the basis of the "cult" is spying for Israel, how can people have independent thoughts against it?
Egypt supports many American/Israeli efforts in the Middle East. Is the Egyptian government then a Zionist puppet? I'm saddened by your ignorant believe-what-you-read attitude.
Go ahead and reject Baha'is, but do it based on sound reasoning and intelligence, not suspicion and laziness.
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