In this period of strife, India is privileged to be a light to the world, the Torchbearer of a message of universal brotherhood. Indian culture possesses the capacity for rejuvenation, and can without loss of continuity bring about a spiritual change. Indian people, though somewhat slow-going, have the strength and vitality of youth and so have preserved their basic human instinct for love of the truth. Their instinct reacts infallibly to the impact of realities. They are capable of effecting changes, not by imposition nor by intimidation, but by the process of education, a spiritual refining.
A part of this Indian Culture is the Orthodox Baha'is of India residing in every nook and corner of this country.
The Orthodox Baha'is are indeed cornered about the harassment meted out to our fellow believers in United States due to an imposed court case on them, on the pretext that they have no right to be called as Baha'is. [To see the court documents, click here: http://trueseeker.typepad.com/true_seeker/court_case.html]
In India there are a number of Christians, Hindus and the Muslims religious denominations, all calling them Christians, Hindus and Muslims. But this is unprecedented in the history of the Faiths that a Bahai denomination has taken the help of Court to silence the other Bahai denominations.
We, the Orthodox Baha'is, believe that:
Bahaullah was the Prophet founder of the Bahai Faith, He appointed His eldest son Abdul Baha as the Center of his Covenant. Abdul Baha, on His passing appointed His Grandson, Shoghi Effendi, as the first Guardian of the Bahai Faith according to the Will and Testament of Abdu'l-Baha. After the passing of the first Guardian, Charles Mason Remey, referred to by ‘Abdu’l-Baha as His spiritual son and who had been appointed by Shoghi Effendi as the President of the International Bahá’í Council, assumed responsibility as the second Guardian of the Bahá’í Faith. Later on, Charles Mason Remy appointed Joel B. Marangella as the third Guardian of the Bahai Faith, according to the Will and Testament of Abdul Baha which very clearly states that it is incumbent upon Guardian to appoint another Guardian in his life time.
The Orthodox Bahá’í also believes that:
1. The Guardianship is an integral part of the Bahai Faith and that any organization calling itself the Bahá’í Faith without a living Guardian as the "sacred head", is nothing more than a man-made organization, subject to corruption.
2. The State of Guardianship is the supermost thing upon Earth, for the Guardians are God’s lieutenants upon earth. That which concerns the mystery of the Guardian’s power is not lawful to be disputed.
3. The Guardian ought to have no equal in his realm because this would nullify the rule that an equal cannot have authority over his equals. Still less ought he to have a superior or anyone more powerful than he, for he would then be below his own deputies and it is impossible that inferiors should be equal to the Supreme.
4. The Supremacy of the Guardian in spiritual matters is absolute under God. Substantially he is the "AQDAS" in the sense that he can neither be removed nor held responsible and has ultimate authority over the rest of the hierarchy, which his deputies have not. The Guardian has full power to create Hands of the Cause and can do so without any of the customary forms of election.
5. The unique power possessed by the Guardian alone, is, therefore a "divine right". It confers a peculiar superiority, a power of revision and supervision over all other forms of authority whether ecclesiastical or secular. In substance, the Guardian alone is the head of the entire legal system, not, indeed, as a universal executive but as a court of final authority, which functions not in absentia but by presence. It is evident that it is impossible to invest the community or even the Hands of the Cause, with the supreme authority, which is the divine prerogative of the Guardian.
6. The sans-Guardian organization (currently in occupation of Haifa) have repudiated the major provisions of the ‘Divine Charter’ bequeathed by the ‘Architect of the Administrative Order’ by removing the ‘Center of the Cause,’ the ‘expounder of the Word of God’ and the ‘sacred head and the distinguished member for life’ of the Universal House of Justice" i.e., the living Guardian.
We also believe that:
1. Anyone who believes in Bahaullah has a right to be called as a Bahai.
2. We also believe that if the Christians, Hindus Muslims etc wish to call themselves as Bahais, it will be HONOR to us and not CONTEMPT.
3. We Orthodox Bahais in India believe that the matter of Faith cannot be legalized. Every individual is free to follow a set of beliefs and the others should respect his belief and not follow the policy of imposition, intimidation and harassment.
4.We Orthodox Bahais in India feel that American judicial system is being subjected to “PRESSURE TESTING” by the sans-Guardian organization.
Therefore, We, Orthodox Bahais of India, appeal to all “LOVERS OF JUSTICE” all across the globe to condemn the action taken by the sans-Guardian Bahai organization in following the policy of imposition, intimidation and harassment against the true Bahai Faith.
by Provisional National Bahai Council of the Orthodox Baha'is of India
http://www.bahaisorthodox.com/
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