The newest and one of the oldest of the world’s major religions – the Baha’i Faith and Judaism – have a great deal in common. Both have a strong belief in the oneness of God; and both believe, as the Torah proclaims, that human beings all descend from one father. Baha’is revere Abraham, Moses and the teachings of Judaism, and many Baha’is come from Jewish backgrounds. The Holy Land in Israel houses the world centers of both Faiths. ................... And today, on Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, Jews around the world join the chorus that calls for an end to the persecution of the Baha’is in the Middle East. Many Middle-Eastern nations have attempted to outlaw or exterminate the progressive Baha’i teachings. In Egypt, the Baha’i Faith is illegal, and Baha’i children cannot attend public schools. Baha’is have been persecuted in many majority-Muslim countries, including Algeria, Iraq, Afghanistan under the Taliban and Indonesia, although in some places restrictions have eased in recent years. But the conditions for the Baha’is in the Faith’s birthplace of Iran have worsened, and today many Iranian Baha’is endure imprisonment, torture and even state-sanctioned murder and execution for their beliefs. The Iranian government has banned the Baha’i Faith, defamed the Faith in state-sponsored media attacks, prohibited Baha’i students from education, arrested and imprisoned Baha’i leaders on false charges and, Amnesty International reports, has executed at least 202 Baha’is since the Iranian revolution. Elderly Baha’is and even Baha’i babies and children – all completely innocent of any crime — have been imprisoned by the regime. Jewish religious leaders have joined the worldwide chorus of condemnation of these genocidal practices, saying that Jews in particular can understand what such oppression really means. At a Los Angeles interfaith event called Belief Behind Bars one Jewish leader spoke passionately about the connection between the two Faiths and called for the freedom of the Baha’is in Iran. In his article “We Are All Baha’is” in The Jewish Journal, Rabbi Mark Diamond, the Executive Vice President of the Board of Rabbis of Southern California, wrote this about his speech at the event: Anyone who has studied the Baha’i religion understands its core teachings of world peace and perfect unity. Anyone who has met Baha’i followers appreciates their gentle demeanor and heartfelt commitment to harmony and reconciliation between individuals and nations. The Baha’i leaders I work with share my passion for interfaith discourse between people of diverse faiths and backgrounds. In a profound sense, we are all Baha’is.
Posted on: Fri, 06 Sep 2013 04:28:29 +0000
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