TIlE WASUITilGTON POST
:Baha ‘j C'oiflinunity Worries About M e nbers Still in Iran
By Marjorie }i 'er
w. h I, m,o,,p , , 5 5jjwr um
NEW YORK—No one Is keeping a
more anxious watch on developments
Jo Iran these dass than Victor de
A aujo, who is tie representative of
tbe International Bsha'l community to
tile L'nltezi Notions here.
:The Raha'i faith, which de Araujo
represents and ohich originated In
Iran, has had several bloody conflicts
with the dominant Moslem forces
there in it more than a century of
exivtertre. With the control of Iran
now moving too ned the pIece tradi-
tional Moslem religious leaders again,
ste Ara:ijo Is particularly anxious
about the future.
Baha'is form the largest religious
Minority in Iran ste Araujo pointed
out, but have no legal Status in the
overwhelmingly Moslem state. White
repoets reaching ste Araujo at his of-
fice hers across from the U.N. build.
log are confused, the Baha'is In Iran
already have suffered during the tur-
anoil there.
Since the revolutIon began In Iran
last winter, according to de Araujo,
about 00 (1 Baha'i homes in that coun-
try have becn burned; 15 adherents of
(he faith have bevn wounded and two
kill,'d: the putlltshtng house and
llrha'i center in Tchran hove bp n
padlocked; a Boha'lrun clinic in Is-
fatson was dynantitect; orchards be-
longing to Batia'i farmers have been
seized; and hotv places of the religion
have been seized or desecrated.
Baha'( Commun :ties have been terrn
recized, indiricisiats and families
beaten and, de Araujo charged, In
some Inslanc s driven to lalamic mns.
‘toes and forced to repent their faith.
. The bitter antagonism of Moslems
In the Baha'i faith has deep theotogi.
iii roots, it is an aniagoniani, ste
Araujo maintains, that also has been
exploited for political purpooss.
“The founders of the flahal faith
were (Moslem) reformers within Iran.”
he explained. “Like Christianity came
out of Judaism, the flaha'I faith came
Out of Iotztm.”
The Baha'j faith began 1st the mid.
19th century. In 1844 a young Persian
merchant who came to be known as
the flab disputed Islam's traditional
view of the prophet Mohammed es the
ultimate manifestation of God to man.
The Rala taught that a new prophet
would appeal' to bring a new law and
a new era In the history of mankind.
This challenee to the traditional Is-
lamic view of illohammef was viewed
an heresy by Moslems of that day
and the flab was Imprisoned and
finally executed in 1850.
There followed an era of religious
persecution in which, according to
Bziha'l tradition, about 20,000 discIples
of the Bob were killed and others
forced Into exile.
Thirteen yearn later, one of these
exiles, who had fled to Baghdad, pro.
claimed himself to be the prophet
whom the Bab had foretold. For the
stext 40 years this prophet, who be-
came known as Bstta'u'llata, produced
the body of writings thot Jlaha'is ac-
knowledge 55 their seriotures.
Though he continued in exile, his
followers lii Iran. who became known
as Bahais, remained faithful to his
teaching. Respite harsh measures by
Moslem leaders to wipe out this
“heresy,” their numbers slowly In-
creased and the faith Spread elm.
where.
Today the Batta'l believers, though
relatively few In number, are scat-
tered throughout the world. “Today
110 national administrative bodiea of
Raha'is throughout the world are re-
cognized lby Secular government] and
Rev, lit. WilIlam Hnwafd, president of
the national council. He Is an Ameri-
can Baptist minister and works for
the Reformed Church in America.
The Russian delegation luclude
leaders of the Russian Orthodox
Church and four other churches.
The atstem nt, entitled “Choose
Lire,” includes a general section that
reiterates opposition to arms prolifer.
tion on an econoniic and political
. basis, then offers “Theological lieflec-
(ions” and concludes with an eight.
point “Call to Action,”
In the “Call t Action,” the church
renresentatlven ol.,l ,oi'
Soviet, U.S. CIim'clinieii
Call foi' End to Ai'm Race
:
GE s ”ES'A—Twenty top.lerel church
r prt'testatia'ea frern (to United States
and the Soviet Union have issued a
otatcnacnt nere declaring that their
coUntries' national resources should
i'e released from the arms race and
‘employed In the development of just,
sustainable and participatory soele.
iies.”
I .McetLig (or an unprecedented ec
rlUsisoltral' summiT, itie church lead.
era backed the SkIT II treaty—al.
llie'ugtt (lie,' believe it Inadequate—
and cali d for cessation of nuctoar
arm; testins and nrnduc(inn,
are able to hold property,” ste Arsujo .
said. ‘
“Traditionally in Islamic countrle
the Baha'ia have had difficulty,” he
continued. “Yet in I'akistsn they are
recognized and eutitiod to hold pro.
peity. And in Lebanon and Jordan
there Is more freedom to move about
than in Iran.”
In Iran Boha'ls “wore turned Into
the scapegoats of Islamic society,” ste
‘ Araujo said. ‘
While lhaI,a'Is today view their rell.
gion as a separate faith, orthodox Mos-
lems still sea It at a Mosk'na heresy
that in Iran Is accorded no t'lgtsta,
ste Araujo said.
“Wherever there arc nine or more
Baha'ia, an administrative body Is
eteeted to take care of tire affairs of
the community,” he explained. Bsha'ls
may go abroad to apresd their faith
Community Services
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“not as mioshonarles but as pioneers
—they get a job and try to heroine
Integrated in the fife and culture ‘of
that country.”
A key tenet of Baha't belief Ia the
unity of all nations and racca and so,
acceptance of the divine origin of all.
great. religions including Judaism,
Christianity, Islam and Buddhism.
Baha'ls have no clergy, and “each
Boiia'I is a teacher,” de Araujo said.
lie denied that Daha'ts are aggreasive
ly cvan eiIatIe though “we do share
our faith In the tinily of all mankind,
hut we do not force our conr'ctlons
on anybody.”
Accordisg (a do Araujo, (lie bloody
history of Batta'is In their native
Iran was modified somewhat under
(lie Shati'bersuse “the Shah tried to
hold the muiIah ]Moslena religious
leaders] back,”
Easter Sunrise Serv,ce
Co ,n in : 0 .
EASTER SUNRISE SERVICE
Spn,,o,,d by ho A,I:,,gn, M: ,bnoI A,,on .oOm
6,30 AM. EASTER SUNDAY, 1979
“
IWO JIMA MONUMENT—NETHERLANDS BELL TOWER
M ,in by ho Wo,h;n 0 ,nn Jon l11gI S,'.nol ChoirS Amy Ho,, QorVI
o. iII boor , b ye; ; , l O o ,, spook,,. to, son 5 , .41
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5p''b' Rd. & N. Vn,eon, in ,O,ln, ,o,
United Methodist _ United Methodist
Palm Sunday Concert
Fourth Presbyierion
Church
2500 Ri. ., Rd.. RoIIn,dn. Md
320 3 5d0
APRIL 8 at 5:45 P.M.
Co ro ,” by ‘h o Chni,nl COn.,
bpl' Wr,On .n,,T,, C e l l og dOn,,
5,0,0 S'rny,on. Coodonro,
Lanhom United
Methodist Church
fnih.,fi.Id Cbop”I I S oH
‘ Rn. 450. HO.,y o.. awl
S ,o. 1 , 0 , 5. W :I,o, PoMo ,
PALM SUNDAY
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“JE SUS. Sij.EESTAI”
P 1 0 , o . Geon . E'o,, En .nn,bt.
m l ,,, 5i, ,,,bo.d
7.05w”.
MAUNOY THURSDAY
. O 3 Ope To'.b,o,
ln'oroo,y COn,, .
Cnn, ron to, o. .
.‘ nly Cyn,,,,y.o,
RASTER SUNDAY
Ho ,,. s . ” Snn n •
M n, ,,byY ,o rhdb,o p .
9.35 & I I ,., ,,.
“I ., ,, Ion,, 0.01, 40,0 iA, '
Moo, H,
II . e. M o 0 , , by ) o o,n o 0,11-
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“T HERE IS ONLY ONE REAL EGO”
AFREE
Christian Science
Lectuze by
W,llion, MiIIo,d Corn,1. C.S.R.
M,,ob., of ,ho Ctao,,d ,l Lnd n.,l' :p
SATURDAY, APRIL 7at3 P.M. :
STIPIIER DECATUR COMMUIIITY CENTET
8200 Pinewesd Dime, Clinton, Md.
Child Co,.
Be Araujo vehemently denied
‘charges leveled by some Iranian re-
‘ volutionarles that Bsha'is were poli
tiealiy active in support of the Shah.
“It would be a violation of their
religious beliefs to join a national
party,” lie asserted, “There are basic
principles involved. Boha'is have the
obligation to he loyal to the (national]
government wherever they live and
obey Its laws.” he saId. ,
“Rut because of the Bsha'l beliefs
In the organic onene 00 of the whole
human rare they must never he tn.
valved In any political organization
of ans state, short of the whole world.
Any organization ahort of the one-
ness of the whole world would be
divisive” and contrary to their goal
of ultimate world unity, he said.
De , 0 0 raujo estimated the number
of Baha'ia In Iran today at “between
300.000 and 500.000 (butl became of
the persecution, a I t have not coma
out directly” to decisre their allegi-
ance to the faith.
A bssc of the Bahal faith is edo-
e3liOn, nab: Be Araujo, “There are
almost no Illiterate Batss'is, beggary
is. forbidden.” As a result be said
they have werked themneives up into
the ranks of Iranian profeaaions acd I
the economic middle class whcre they
are more vi il,le and. ste .;rar1ja feels,
more vulnerable to attack.
Do Araujo feels that the f'o ure
security and well being of Bahs'ta in
trait hinges on there being some lr;al
ret'oTn :i.iun as a rotigiot's faith sepa-
rate from Islam. “That is why we are
very concerned about what might
clime about with this flew conslitu-
tion” to be drafted by the new revolu-
tio axy government, he said. .
Bible Way Church Worhdwbi”
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