Jim
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 Posted: Wed Mar 26, 2008 6:24 pm Post subject: Freedom from sectarian hatreds and other shackles |
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Freedom from sectarian hatreds and other shackles
http://www.geocities.com/netsofwonder/freedom.html
In the foreword to "One Common Faith," the Universal House of Justice
wrote:
". . . the disease of sectarian hatreds, if not decisively checked,
threatens harrowing consequences that will leave few areas of the
world unaffected."
". . . the concern of Baha'is must be with their own responsibility in
the matter."
". . . the accelerating breakdown in social order calls out
desperately for the religious spirit to be freed from the shackles
that have so far prevented it from bringing to bear the healing
influence of which it is capable."
The best response I see for Baha'i is, as the document states "the
culture of systematic growth taking root in the Bahá'í community."
In my understanding, in addition to that, the responses will also
include a variety of individual initiatives, including initiatives
that directly address sectarian hatreds, and other shackles on the
religious spirit, among Baha'is.
One example I see of sectarian hatreds among Baha'is, which I've tried
to address, is a kind of Hatfield-McCoy feud on the Internet that has
stifled and defamed a liberation movement in the Baha'i community. The
feud is most visible in the talk.religion.bahai Usenet newsgroup, but
it lurks in every Baha'i forum on the Internet, and stifles discussion
of vital social issues, including issues raised in "One Common Faith"
and in The Advent of Divine Justice. It can also be seen in a few
books, magazine articles and academic papers, and in numerous Web
pages and blogs. I've also seen it off line in the efforts of a few
Baha'i celebrities and members of institutions to stigmatize some
people associated with the movement.
Since I learned about the feud in 2001, I've responded to defamation
campaigns from both sides in a variety of ways. One way I've responded
to campaigns from the liberation side has been by providing a counter-
example to their caricatures of followers of the House of Justice.
Another way has been by inviting people to read what the House of
Justice itself says about the reasons for its actions.
One way I've responded to campaigns from the defense side has been by
writing "Glimpses of the dialogue/Talisman chronicles," a story about
my personal experiences with some people associated with the
liberation movement: Wahid Azal (formerly Nima Hazini), Karen Bacquet,
Juan Cole, Fred Glaysher, Susan Maneck, Alison Marshall, Steve
Marshall, Michael McKenny and Dermod Ryder. I wrote the story to help
people relate to them personally, but as I was writing it, it evolved
into a prelude to some wonderful possibilities I see in the liberation
movement, to help free the religious spirit from its shackles.
In an article about the Talisman discussion list, Karen Bacquet wrote:
"Old-time members of Talisman describe those early days as a time of
excitement and wonder . . . Outspoken feminists found themselves
corresponding with old-fashioned Middle Eastern men; legalistic
administrators talked to mystics; scriptural literalists went head-to-
head with scholars using academic methods."
http://www.angelfire.com/ca3/bigquestions/talisman.html
Jonah Winters wrote:
"I personally found it a most liberating experience. Like a large room
full of multiple conversations, some corners of the room had
conversations which I found distasteful and sometimes bitter, but most
conversations I found engaging, enlightening, exhilarating,
enthusiastic, and even the occasional epiphany."
http://bahai-library.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p10#9010
That summarizes what I think of as the spirit of the movement at its
best. I see the same spirit in a mysticism conference which took place
at Bosch Baha'i School in 1996.
"From February 23 through 24th, a remarkable conference took place at
Bosch Baha'i School, Santa Cruz, California. Envisioned as the first
in an annual series of conferences focusing on the mystical teachings
of the Bab, Baha'u'llah and 'Abdu'l Baha, the Baha'i Mysticism
Conference enabled the 97 participants to develop a greater sense of
devotion and mysticism in their personal lives, and to explore ways to
enrich the devotional aspects of Baha'i community life in general.
Although mysticism has always been part of the religious experience,
until Islam it existed at only the individual level. With the rise of
the Sufis (Islamic mystics) mysticism became a major flow of thought
pursuing the knowledge of transcendent truth through meditation and
prayer. By chanting verses from the Writings, the presence of God is
invoked. Musical repetition of sacred verses sets up a rhythm which
naturally unites people, uplifting them so that they are more
receptive. Borrowing from this Sufi tradition, one of the highlights
of the Mysticism Conference was its use of zikr (chanting sacred
verses) in the devotional portions of the program. The program itself
was an eclectic combination of scholarly presentations and uplifting
experiential activities such as group zikr, song, art, nature walks
and meditation."
- from the Talisman archives
( http://www-personal.umich.edu/~jrcole/t96mar10.htm )
An appendix to my story discusses that spirit, and the possibilities I
see in the movement. Another appendix links to some Web pages of
people in my story, other people involved in the feud, and other
people involved in the liberation movement. Another appendix links to
some documents related to the feud and to the movement.
I see the spirit of the liberation movement at its best living on in
some of the initiatives of people who were involved in it. I see some
of the networking possibilities being carried on in the Baha'i Library
Online, the Baha'i Association for the Arts, and Educators for Social
and Economic Development.
I'm hoping that Moojan Momen's paper, "Marginality and Apostasy in the
Baha'i Community," will help popularize the liberation movement as a
topic for study, and that my story with its appendixes will help
inspire research that highlights the best possibilities it represents.
Glimpses of the dialogue/Talisman chronicles
http://www.geocities.com/geotalk/glimpses/ |
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