Can you guess where these quotations came from?
1. "At a time when religious extremism, intolerance, and discrimination are threatening peace and security in many parts of the world, it is imperative for the United Nations to address this issue [the freedom of religion or belief] openly and earnestly. Until all people are free to openly practice and share their beliefs within the parameters of equally applied laws, as well as change their religion or belief system, development and peace will prove elusive."
2. "Baha’is believe freedom of religion and conscience is the intrinsic right of each individual and is central to human development. It lies at the heart of an individual’s integrity and identity."
3. "Baha’is believe adherence to religion or belief must never be coerced."
4. "In their interpersonal relationships, Baha’is are guided by Baha’u’llah’s call to 'consort with the followers of all religions in a spirit of friendliness and fellowship.'"
5. "In the United States, the Baha’i community advocates for religious freedom..."
You might be shocked to know that quotation number 1 came from the Baha'i International Community's Response to the Secretary General's Report, 30 April 2005. http://statements.bahai.org/05-0402.htm.
The Bahá'í International Community is a non-governmental organization (NGO) registered with the United Nations and affiliated with the so-called Universal House of Justice now occupying Mt. Carmel in Haifa. If you want to see some more shameless hyprocrisy, check out these articles from the Bahai International Community:
Statement on religious freedom: http://www.bic-un.bahai.org/pdf/05-1001.pdf
Eliminating religious intolerance: http://www.bic-un.bahai.org/pdf/90-0125.pdf
The other quotations above are from a web page of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the United States (presently headquartered in Wilmette) that is devoted to "religious freedom." http://www.bahai.us/religious-freedom
Anyone familiar with this organization of Baha'is knows how stunning are the hypocrisy of these statements considering the track record of this organization in its constant attempts to stifle dissent and religious freedom of conscience within its own ranks. Everyone familiar with the organization knows how it shuns, coerces, and abuses anyone who might hold a different view from the one espoused by its leadership. The tight control of the community and the fanatical response to its critics lies in sharp contrast to the liberal words it espouses to the United Nations.
This hypocrisy is punctuated by the cries from the Wilmette NSA's religious freedom page over the persecution of Baha'is in Iran and Egypt. These cries of persecution are in sharp contrast to the actions of the Wilmette NSA in bringing the Orthodox Baha'is and others to court in an attempt to prevent them from using the word "Baha'i" in their names and from using the allegedly trademarked sacred symbols of the Greatest Name. For information about that action, go to: http://trueseeker.typepad.com/true_seeker/court_case.html
The attempt by this Bahai organization to put on a liberal face when it comes to religious freedom does not mean there is any hope at all that they will ever get their house in order and allow religious dissent within the Bahai community, and recognize the right of other denominations of Bahai to exist. It is only for show and to seek favors and pity from the international community over the mistreatment of the Bahais in Iran and Egypt. That mistreatment has not enlightened them about the falsity of their own position.
This hypocrisy is evident to the world at large. The fairly objective Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance has made note of this outrageous hypocrisy of the Bahais: http://www.religioustolerance.org/bahai5.htm.
Another amusing document is the bogus UHJ's statement on individual rights and freedom:
http://bahai-library.org/published.uhj/irf.html
What a contribution to the world's literature is this gem of a statement. In it, the UHJ expresses both its fear and contempt for free speech. It suggests that the principle of moderation should be applied to just how free society should allow speech to be, reminding us that Baha'u'llah approved of liberty in certain circumstances and did not in others. It is for their fascist UHJ to let us know what those circumstances are. Because Baha'u'llah said "excess of speech (is) a deadly poison," the UHJ apparently believes that speech needs to be feared and suppressed.
If you want to see how speech is to be regulated in this bogus UHJ's world order, check out this correspondence:
http://www.bahai-faith.com/ex-Bahai-7.html
Hopefully, the world's public will eventually awaken to the fascist elements of this sick Bahai organization that now occupies Haifa and Wilmette and which every day perverts and distorts the Message of Baha'u'llah.
Hopefully too the public will perceive the more subtle hypocrisy of this Bahai organization as it espouses a liberal attitude towards all of the world's religions. It is barely able to mask its contempt for the followers of the other revealed religions it superciliously regards as dead faiths of the historical past. If this organization is ever given the chance, it will probably oppose the right of those religions to exist as well.
It is time for the Bahai community to eliminate the condescending attitude it displays with respect to other religions. In every exposition of the unity of all religions by Baha'is, there is always this patronizing air to it, that the Baha'i Faith is so superior to the previously revealed religions. The actual teaching of Baha'u'llah is not that the Baha'i Faith is superior to other religions, but that all revealed religious faiths are successive chapters of the one Faith, and that it is the latest one but not the last. To believe that the Baha'i Faith is superior to other religions is to lose sight of the true teaching of the Faith and it serves only to alienate the members of other religions who can certainly perceive this air of superiority coming from Baha'is.
Indeed it is high time for Baha'is everywhere to live up to the ideals of tolerance and righteousness, brotherhood, and freedom of conscience that was taught by the Founding Figures of the Faith. I pray this will happen soon, before it is too late to resurrect the good name of Baha'i.
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