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Peace and Prejudice
An Open Letter to Iran's Rulers
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Temple of Light:,
The Quest for a Design
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VOLUME 18, NUMBER 1 • PUBLISHED QUARTERLY
EditorIal Board: IN THIS ISSUE
FIRUZ KAZEMZADEH
BETTY J. FISHER 2 Peace and Prejudice
HOWARD GAREY
4 Interchange: Letters from and to the Editor
Consultant In Poetry:
WILLIAM STAFFORD
WORLD ORDER IS INTENDED TO STIMULATE, INSPIRE, AND SERVE THINKING PEOPLE IN
THEIR SEARCH TO FIND RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN CONTEMPORARY LIFE AND CONTEMPO
RARY RELIGIOUS TEACHINGS AND PHILOSOPHY
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Copyright © 1984, National Spiritual Assem-
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Rights Reserved. Printed in the U.S.A.
ISSN 0043-8804
9 An Open Letter to Iran's Rulers
by National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha”Is of
Iran
19 Temple of Light: The Quest for a Design
by Bruce W Whitmore
37 Sensibility
poem by Deborah L. Bley
37 Upon Flying Puffer Kites for Inge
poem by Cal E. Rollins
39 The Poor in America: A Visionary Assessment
by June Thomas
Inside back cover: Authors & Artists in This Issue
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9
An Open Letter to Iran's Rulers
(TRANSLATED FROM PERSIAN)
ON AUGUST 29, 1983, the Revolutionary Prosecutor General of the Islamic
Republic of Iran, Siyyid Uusayn Mt'isavi TabrI;I, declared in a press inter-
view that Bahá'I religious organizations were illegal and participation in
them was a criminal act. The decree outlawed the National Spiritual Assem-
bly, governing body of the Iranian Bah 'I community, and four hundred lo-
cal spiritual assemblies, as well as their committees and subsidiary institu-
tions. In conformity with the teachings of their Faith the Bahá'Is of Iran
disbanded all their organizations.
The dissolution of organizations that the Bahá'Is call administrative insti-
tutions means much more than those who are unfamiliar with the role spiri-
tual assemblies play in a community that has no clergy may imagine. The
spiritual assemblies collectively perform the work of priest, teacher, advisor,
trustee of funds, and keeper of records. They admit to membership, witness
marriages, supervise the religious education of children, settle disputes
among individuals, grant religious divorce, encourage good deeds, and cen-
sure bad behavior. Thus spiritual assemblies are central to the life of the Ba-
h 'I community.
The document presented here is a letter written by the National Spiritual
Assembly of the Bah 'Is of Iran in response to the statement of the Prosecu-
tor General outlawing Bah 'I administrative institutions. One will realize
the degree of courage it took the members of the National Spiritual Assem-
bly thus to address the Islamic Government when one recalls that seventeen
of their predecessors on the National Assembly had been either abducted or
executed by the same regime.
The letter, delivered to some two thousand government officials and
prominent personages in Iran, eloquently testifies to the heroism of its au-
thors and the peaceful nature of the community they led. It exemplifies also
the confidence and pride of those who firmly believe that the One unknow-.
able God has decreed the ultimate triumph of truth and justice.
National Spiritual Assembly of
the Bahá'Is of the United States
November 1, 1983
12 ShahrIvar 1362
[ September 3, 1983]
ECENTLY the esteemed Prosecutor General of the Islamic Revolution of the
Country, in an interview that was published in the newspapers, declared that
the continued functioning of the Bahá'I religious and spiritual administration is
banned and that membership in it is considered to be a crime. This declaration was
made after certain unjustified accusations were leveled against the Bahá'I commu-
10 WORLD ORDER: FALL 1983
nity of Iran and after a number of its members—ostensibly for imaginary and fabri-
cated crimes but in reality merely for the sake of their beliefs—were either execut-
ed, or arrested and imprisoned. The majority of those who have been imprisoned
have not yet been brought to trial.
The Bahá'I community finds the conduct of the authorities and the judges bewil-
dering and lamentable—as indeed would any fair-minded observer who is unblind-
ed by malice. The authorities are the refuge of the people; the judges in pursuit of
their work of examining and ascertaining the truth and facts in legal cases devote
years of their lives to studying the law and, when uncertain of a legal point, spend
hours poring over copious tomes in order to cross a t and dot an i. Yet these very
people consider themselves to be justified in brazenly bringing false accusations
against a band of innocent people, without fear of the Day of Judgment, without
even believing the calumnies they utter against their victims, and having exerted
not the slightest effort to investigate to any degree the validity of the charges they
are making. “Methinks they are not believers in the Day of Judgment” [ I fi , a
fourteenth-century Persian poet].
The honorable Prosecutor has again introduced the baseless and fictitious story
that Bahá' s engage in espionage, but without producing so much as one document
in support of the accusation, without presenting proof in any form, and without
any explanation as to what is the mission in this country of this extraordinary
number of “spies”: what sort of information they obtain arid from what sources?
Whither do they relay it, and for what purpose? What kind of “spy” is an eighty-
five year old man from Yazd who has never set foot outside his village? Why do
these alleged “spies” not hide themselves, conceal their religious beliefs and exert
every effort to penetrate, by every stratagem, the Government's information cen-
ters and offices? Why has no Bah i'I “spy” been arrested anywhere else in the
world? How could students, housewives, innocent young girls, and old men and
women, such as those blameless Bah 'Is who have recently been delivered to the
gallows in Iran, or who have become targets for the darts of prejudice and enmity,
be “spies”? How could the I3ah 'I farmers of the villages of Af(is Ch g n, the Fort
of Malak (near Isfah n), and those of the village of Nt'ik in BIrjand, be “spies”?
What secret intelligence documents have been found in their possession? What es-
pionage equipment has come to hand? What “spying” activities were engaged in by
the primary school children who have been expelled from their schools?
And how strange! The honorable Prosecutor perhaps does not know, or does
not care to know, that spying is an element of politics, while noninterference in
politics is an established principle of the Bah 'I Faith. On the contrary, Bahá'Is love
their country and never permit themselves to be traitors. ‘Abdu'l-Bah , the succes-
sor of the Founder of the Bah 'I Cause, says: “Any abasement is bearable except be-
traying one's own country, and any sin is forgivable other than dishonoring the
government and inflicting harm upon the nation.”
All the other accusations made against the Bah ' s by the honorable Prosecutor
of the Revolution are similarly groundless. He brands the Bahá'I community with
accusations of subversion and corruption. For example, on the basis of a manifest-
ly forged interview, the falsity of which has been dealt with in a detailed statement,
he accuses the Bahá'I community of hoarding, an act which its members would
consider highly reprehensible. The Prosecutor alleges that the Bah ' administra-
tion sanctioned the insensible act of hoarding, yet he subtly overlooks the fact that
with the proceeds that might be realized from the sale of unusable automobile
AN OPEN LETTER 11
spare parts whose total value is some seventy million t imáns—the value of the
stock of any medium-size store for spare parts—it would be impossible to over-
throw a powerful government whose daily expenditures. amount to hundreds of
millions of t m ns. If the Prosecutor chooses to label the Bah .'I administration as
a network of espionage, let him at least consider it intelligent enough not to plan
the overthrow of such a strong regime by hoarding a few spare parts! Yes, such alle-
gations of corruption and subversion are similar to those hurled against us at the
time of the Episcopalian case in I fah n en this oppressed community was ac-
cused of collaboration with foreign agents, as a result of which seven innocent Ba-
há'Is of Yazd were executed. Following this the falsity of the charges was made
known and the Prosecutor announced the episode to be the outcome of a forgery.
Bah 'Is are accused of collecting contributions and transferring sums of money
to foreign countries. How strange! If Muslims, in accordance with their sacred and
respected spiritual beliefs, send millions of ti m .ns to Karbil ., NajafandJerusalem,
or to other Muslim holy places outside Iran, to be spent on the maintenance and
upkeep of the Islamic sacred shrines, it is considered very praiseworthy; but if a Ba-
h .'i—even during the time in which the transfer of foreign currency was allowed—
sends a negligible amount for his international community to be used for the repair
and maintenance of the holy places of his Faith, it is considered that he has com-
mitted an unforgivable sin and it is counted as proof that he has done so in order to
strengthen other countries.
Accusations of this nature are many, but all are easy to investigate. If just and
impartial people and God-fearing judges will only do so, the falsity of these spur-
ious accusations will be revealed in case after case. The Bah 'I community emphati-
cally requests that such accusations be investigated openly in the presence of juries
composed of judges and international observers so that, once and for all, the accu-
sations may be discredited and their repetition prevented.
The basic principles and beliefs of the Bahá' s have been repeatedly proclaimed
and set forth in writing during the past five years. Apparently these communica-
tions, either by deliberate design or by mischance, have not received any attention;
otherwise, accusations such as those described above would not have been repeated
by one of the highest and most responsible authorities. This in itself is a proof that
the numerous communications referred to were not accorded the attention of the
leaders; therefore, we mention them again.
THE BAHAf FAITH confesses the unity of God and the justice of the divine Essence.
It recognizes that Almighty God is an exalted, unknowable and concealed entity,
sanctified from ascent and descent, from egress and regress, and from assuming a
physical body. The Bah YI Faith, which professes the existence of the invisible
God, the One, the Single, the Eternal, the Peerless, bows before the loftiness of His
Threshold, believes in all divine Manifestations, considers all the Prophets from
Adam to the Seal of the Prophets as true divine Messengers Who are the Manifesta-
tions of Truth in the world of creation, accepts Their Books as having come from
God, believes in the continuation of the divine outpourings, emphatically believes
in reward and punishment, and, uniquely among existing revealed religions out-
side Islam, accepts the Prophet Mul ammad as a true Prophet and the Qur'án as the
Word of God.
The Bah 'I Faith embodies independent principles and laws. It has its own Holy
Book. It prescribes pilgrimage and worship. A Bah .'I performs obligatory prayers
12 /X'ORI_D ()Rl)EK: FAI.1. 1983
and obseives a fast. Hc gives, according to his beliefs, tithes and contributions. He
is required to be of upright conduct, to manifest a praiseworthy character, to love
all mankind, to be of service to the world of humanity and to sacrifice his own in-
terests for the good and well-being of his kind. He is forbidden to commit unbe-
coming deeds. ‘Abdu'l-Bah says: “A Bah 'i is known by the attributes manifested
by him, not by his name: he is recognized by his character, not by his person.”
Shoghi Rabbini, the Guardian of the Bahá'I Cause, says: “. . . a person who is
not adorned with the ornaments of virtue, sanctity, and morality, is not a true Ba-
h 'I, even though he may call himself one and be known as such.”
He also says: “The friends of God . . . are required to be virtuous, well-wishers,
forbearing, sanctified, detached from all except God and free from worldly con-
cerns. They are called upon to manifest divine attributes and characteristics.”
The teachings and laws of the Bah t'I religion testify to this truth. Fortunately,
the books and writings which have been plundered in abundance from the homes
of Bahá' s and are available to the authorities, bear witness to the truth of these as-
sertions. Bah t'is, in keeping with their spiritual beliefs, stay clear of politics; they
do not support or reject any party, group, or nation; they do not champion or at-
tack any ideology or any specific political philosophy; they shrink from and abhor
political agitation. The Guardian of the Bahá'I Cause says, “The followers of Ba-
hi'u'lláh under whatever state or government they may reside should conduct
themselves with truthfulness, fidelity, trustworthiness and absolute virtue. .
They neither thirst for fame nor clamor for leadership. They neither indulge in
flattery, nor practice hypocrisy, nor are they impelled by selfish ambition or the
desire to accumulate wealth. They are not anxious to attain high ranks and posi-
tions, nor are they the bond-slaves of titles and honors. They abhor every form of
ostentation and are far removed from the use of such methods as would entail vio-
lence or coercion. They have detached themselves from all else save God and have
fixed their hearts upon the unfailing promises of their Lord. .. . They have become
forgetful of their own selves and have dedicated themselves to that which will serve
the interests of humanity. . . . They unhesitatingly refuse such functions and posts
as are political in nature, but wholeheartedly accept those that are purely adminis-
trative in character. For the cardinal aim of the people of Bahá is to promote the in-
terests of the whole nation. .
“Such is the way of the followers of Bah , such is the attitude of the spiritually
minded, and whatsoever else is but manifest error.”
Also, Bah 'Is, in accordance with their exalted teachings, are duty bound to be
obedient to their government. Elucidating this subject, Shoghi Rahbin says: “The
people of Bah are required to obey their respective governments, and to demon-
strate their truthfulness and good will towards the authorities. . . . Bahá'fs, in every
land and without any exception, should . . . be obedient and bow to the clear
instructions and the declared decrees issued by the authorities. They must faithful-
ly carry out such directives.”
Bahá'i organizations have no aini except the good of all nations and do not take
any steps that are against the public good. Contrary to he conception it may create
in the mind because of the similarity in name, it does not resemble the current or-
ganizations of political parties; it does not interfere in political affairs; and it is the
safeguard against the involvement of Bah t'Is in subversive political activities. Its
high ideals are “to improve the characters of men; to extend the scope of knowl-
edge; to abolish ignorance and prejudice; to strengthen the foundations of true reli-
H
AN OPEN LETTER 13
gion in all hearts; to encourage self-reliance, and discourage false imitation; . . . to
uphold truthfulness, audacity, frankness, and courage; to promote craftsmanship
and agriculture;. . . to educate, on a compulsory basis, children of both sexes; to in-
sist on integrity in business transactions; to lay stress on the observance of honesty
and piety; . . . to acquire mastery and skill in the modern sciences and arts; to pro-
mote the interests of the public;. . . to obey outwardly and inwardly and with true
loyalty the regulations enacted by state and government;. . . to honor, to extol and
to follow the example of those who have distinguished themselves in science and
learning And again, “. . . to help the needy from every creed or sect, and to
collaborate with the people of the country in all welfare services.”
In brief, whatever the clergy in other religions undertake individually and by
virtue of their appointment to their positions, the Bahá' administration performs
collectively and through an elective process.
THE STATEMENTS made by the esteemed Prosecutor of the Revolution do not seem
to have legal basis, because in order to circumscribe individuals and deprive them
of the rights which have not been denied them by the Constitution, it is necessary
to enact special legislation, provided that legislation is not contradictory to the
Constitution. It was hoped that the past recent years would have witnessed, on
the one hand, the administration of divine justice—a principle promoted by the
true religion of Islam and prescribed by all monotheistic religions—and, on the
other, and coupled with an impartial investigation of the truths of the Bah 'I Faith,
the abolition or at least mitigation of discrimination, restrictions and pressures
suffered by Bahá'i's over the past 135 years. Alas, on the contrary, because of
long-standing misunderstandings and prejudices, the difficulties increased im-
mensely and the portals of calamity were thrown wide open in the faces of the
long-suffering and sorely oppressed Bahá'Is of Iran who were, to an even greater
degree, deprived of their birthrights through the systematic machinations of Gov-
ernment oflicials who are supposed to be the refuge of the public, and of some im-
posters in the garb of divines, who engaged in official or unofficial spreading of
mischievous and harmful accusations and calumnies, and issued, in the name of re-
ligious and judicial authorities, unlawful decrees and verdicts.
Many are the pure and innocent lives that have been snuffed out; many the dis-
tinguished heads that have adorned the hangman's noose; and many the precious
breasts that have become the targets of firing squads. Vast amounts of money and
great quantities of personal property have been plundered or confiscated. Many
technical experts and learned people have been tortured and condemned to long-
term imprisonment and are still languishing in dark dungeons, deprived of the op-
portunity of placing their expertise at the service of the Government and the na-
tion. Numerous are the self-sacrificing employees of the Government who spent
their lives in faithful service but who were dismissed from work and afflicted with
poverty and need because of hatred and prejudice. Even the owners of private
firms and institutions were prevented from engaging Bahá'Is. Many privately
owned Bahá'I establishments have been confiscated. Many tradesmen have been
denied the right to continue working by cancellation of their business licenses. Ba-
há'I youth have been denied access to education in many schools and in all univer-
sities and institutions of higher education. Bah 'I university students abroad are de-
prived of receiving money for their education, and others who wish to pursue their
studies outside Iran have been denied exit permits. Bahá'Is, including the very sick
14 /VQRLI) ORDER: FALL 1983
whose only hope for cure was to receive medical treatment in specialized medical
centers in foreign lands, have been prevented from leaving the country. Bahá'
cemeteries have been confiscated and bodies rudely disinterred. Numerous have
been the days when a body has remained unburied while the bereaved family
pleaded to have a permit issued and a burial place assigned so that the body might
be decently buried. As of today, thousands of Bahá'Is have been divested of their
homes and forced to live as exiles. Many have been driven from their villages and
dwelling places and are living as wanderers and stranded refugees in other parts of
Iran with no other haven and refuge but theCourt of the All-Merciful God and the
loving-kindness of their friends and relatives.
It is a pity that the mass media, newspapers, and magazines, either do not want
or are not allowed to publish any news about the Bahá'I community of Iran or to
elaborate upon what is happening. If they were free to do so and were unbiased in
reporting the daily news, volumes would have been compiled describing the inhu-
mane cruelty to and oppression of the innocent. For example, if they were allowed
to do so, they would have written that in 4r z seven courageous men and ten val-
iant women—seven of whom were girls in the prime of their lives—audaciously re-
jected the suggestion of the religious judge that they recant their faith or, at least,
dissemble their belief, and preferred death to the concealment of their faith. The
women, after hours of waiting with dried lips, shrouded themselves in their chá-
durs, kissed the noose of their gallows, and with intense love offered up their souls
for the One Who proferreth life. The observers of this cruel scene might well ask
forgiveness for the murderers at Karbilá, since they, despite their countless atroc-
ities, did not put women to the sword nor harass the sick and infirm. Alas, tongues
are prevented from making utterance and pens are broken and the hidden cause of
these brutalities is not made manifest to teach the world a lesson. The Prosecutor
alleges that they were spies. Gracious God! Where in history can one point to a spy
who readily surrendered his life in order to prove the truth of his belief?
Unfortunately, it is beyond the scope of this letter to recount the atrocities in-
flicted upon the guiltless Bahá's of Iran or to answer, one by one, the accusations
leveled against them. But let us ask all just and fair-minded people only one ques-
tion: If, according to the much-publicized statements of the Prosecutor, Bah 'Is are
not arrested and executed because of their belief, and are not even imprisoned on
that account, how is it that, when a group of them is arrested and each is charged
with the same “crime” of “spying,” if one of them recants his belief, he is immedi-
ately freed, a photograph of him and a description of his defection are victoriously
featured in the newspapers, and respect and glory are heaped upon him? What kind
of spying, subversion, illegal accumulation of goods, aggression or conspiracy or
other “crime” can it be that is capable of being blotted out upon the recantation of
one's beliefs? Is this not a clear proof of the absurdity of the accusations?
In spite of all this, the Bah 'c community of Iran, whose principles have been de-
scribed earlier in this statement, announces the suspension of the Bahá'i organiza-
tions throughout Iran, in order to establish its good intentions and in conformity
with its basic tenets concerning complete obedience to the instructions of the Gov-
ernment. Henceforth, until the time when, God willing, the misunderstandings
are eliminated and the realities are at last made manifest to the authorities, the Na-
tional Assembly and all local spiritual assemblies and their committees are disband-
ed, and no one may any longer be designated a member of the Bah 'I administra-
tion.
AN OPEN LETTER 15
THE BAHA'f COMMUNITY0f Iran hopes that this step will be considered a sign of its
complete obedience to the Government in power. It further hopes that the au-
thorities—including the esteemed Prosecutor of the Islamic Revolution who says
that there is no opposition to and no enmity towards individual Bah 'Is, who has
acknowledged the existence of a large Bahá'I community and has, in his interview,
guaranteed its members the right to live and be free in their acts of worship—will
reciprocate by proving their good intentions and the truth of their assurances by is-
suing orders that pledge, henceforth:
1. To bring to an end the persecutions, arrests,' ortui e, and imprisonment of
Bah 'Is for imaginary crimes and on baseless pretexts, because God knows—and
so do the authorities—that the only “crime” of which these innocent ones are
guilty is that of their beliefs, and not the unsubstantiated accusations brought
against them;
2. To guarantee the safety of their lives, their personal property and belong-
ings, and their honor;
3. To accord them freedom to choose their residence and occupation and the
right of association based on the provisions of the Constitution of the Islamic
Republic;
4. To restore all the rights which have been taken away from them in accor-
dance with the groundless assertions of the Prosecutor of the Country;
5. To restore to Bahá'I employees the rights denied them by returning them to
their jobs and by paying them their due wages;
6. To release from prison all innocent prisoners;
7. To lift the restrictions imposed on the properties of those Bahá'fs who, in
their own country, have been deprived of their belongings;
8. To permit Bah 'I students who wish to continue their studies abroad to
benefit from the same facilities that are provided to others;
9. To permit those Bahá'I youth who have been prevented from continuing
their studies in the country to resume their education;
10. To permit those Bah 'i students stranded abroad who have been deprived of
foreign exchange facilities to receive their allowances as other Iranian students
do;
11. To restore Bahá'I cemeteries and to permit Bah .'Is to bury their dead in ac-
cordance with Bah 'I burial ceremonies;
12. To guarantee the freedom of Bahá'Is to perform their religious rites; to con-
duct funerals and burials including the recitation of the Prayer for the Dead; to
solemnize Bahá'I marriages and divorces, and to carry out all acts of worship
and laws and ordinances affecting personal status; because although Bahá'Is are
entirely obedient and subordinate to the Government in the administration of
the affairs which are in the jurisdiction of the Bahá'I organizations, in matters of
conscience and belief, and in accordance with their spiritual principles, they
prefer martyrdom to recantation or the abandoning of the divine ordinances
prescribed by their faith;
13. To desist henceforth from arresting and imprisoning anyone because of his
previous membership in Bahá'I organizations.
Finally, although the order issued by the Prosecutor of the Islamic Revolution
was unjust and unfair, we have accepted it. We beseech God to remove the dross of
prejudice from the hearts of the authorities so that aided and enlightened by His
confirmations they will be inspired to recognize the true nature of the affairs of the
16 WORLD ORDER: FALL 1983
Bah 'I community and come to the unalterable conviction that the infliction of
atrocities and cruelties upon a pious band of wronged ones, and the shedding of
their pure blood, will stain the good name and injure the prestige of any nation or
government, for what will, in truth, endure are the records of good deeds, and of
acts of justice and fairness, and the names of the doers of good. These will history
preserve in its bosom for posterity.
Respectfully,
(signed) National Spiritual Assembly of
the Bah .' s of Iran
