APOLITICAL BUT ANXIOUSLY CONCERNED




The intention of the Fathers of the American Constitution
was to protect the rights and freedom of their people.


Dear Angels,

How to engage politically in a non-partisan way is often difficult for a Baha'i to grasp; but as this is an important concept, the purpose of this article is to try to define it through the Scriptures and some examples. 

First, in this survey, are the following two reminders from the House of Justice, the spiritual and administrative center of the BAHA'I FAITH.
It is a fundamental principle of the Bahá’í Faith that its followers strictly refrain from involvement in any partisan political activity, whether local, national or international. Bahá’ís view government as a system for maintaining the welfare and orderly progress of human society, and obedience to the laws of the land is a distinguishing feature of their beliefs.
Since our way of life often depends on the political decisions we make, the occasions for partisanship are many, as are its dangers. One would be to succumb to the flattery of officials who seek to exploit our community for political gain, which makes it crucial for our institutions to acquire enough political knowledge to see through it.
Beware, beware lest the foul odor of the parties and peoples of foreign lands in the west, and their pernicious methods, such as intrigues, party politics and propaganda--practices which are abhorrent even in name--should ever reach the Bahá'í Community, exert any influence whatsoever upon the friends, and thus bring all spirituality to naught. The friends should, through their devotion, love, loyalty and altruism, abolish these evil practices, not imitate them. It is only after the friends completely ignore and sanctify themselves from these evils, that the spirit of God can penetrate and operate in the body of humanity, and in the Bahá'í Community.  That political life everywhere has continued to deteriorate at an alarming rate in the intervening years, as the very conception of statesmanship has been drained of meaning, as policies have come to serve the economic interests of the few in the name of progress, as hypocrisy has been allowed to undermine the operation of social and economic structures, is evident. If indeed great effort was required for the friends to uphold the high standards of the Faith then, how much greater must be the exertion in a world that rewards dishonesty, that encourages corruption, and that treats truth as a negotiable commodity. Profound is the confusion that threatens the foundations of society, and unwavering must be the resolve of all those involved in Bahá’í activity, lest the slightest trace of self-interest becloud their judgement.

The most obvious reason for Baha'u'llah's call for party neutrality is the pervasive corruption of the POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT and its propaganda machine.

Let them refrain from associating themselves, whether by word or by deed, with the political pursuits of their respective nations, with the policies of their governments and the schemes and programs of parties and factions. In such controversies they should assign no blame, take no side, further no design, and identify themselves with no system prejudicial to the best interests of that world-wide Fellowship which it is their aim to guard and foster. Let them beware lest they allow themselves to become the tools of unscrupulous politicians, or to be entrapped by the treacherous devices of the plotters and the perfidious among their countrymen. Let them so shape their lives and regulate their conduct that no charge of secrecy, of fraud, of bribery or of intimidation may, however ill-founded, be brought against them. Let them rise above all particularism and partisanship, above the vain disputes, the petty calculations, the transient passions that agitate the face, and engage the attention, of a changing world. [­­­...] Let them affirm their unyielding determination to stand, firmly and unreservedly, for the way of Bahá'u'lláh, to avoid the entanglements and bickerings inseparable from the pursuits of the politician, and to become worthy agencies of that Divine Polity which incarnates God's immutable Purpose for all men.

Because of the inherent limitations of science and politics in relation to God's Word, we have been invited to base our political decisions and opinions on the third, Revelation, and thus stay away from the special interests, shifting opinions, and controversies of the first two, which are typically used to overturn godly policies, if we are to speak boldly.

"But we are certainly not to vote for persons or programs that promote laws contrary to God's commandments!" we hear you say, and you are right. Baha'u'llah's warning is clear:

Know thou for a certainty that whoso disbelieveth in God is neither trustworthy nor truthful. This, indeed, is the truth, the undoubted truth. He that acteth treacherously towards God will, also, act treacherously towards his king. Nothing whatever can deter such a man from evil, nothing can hinder him from betraying his neighbour, nothing can induce him to walk uprightly.

The reality is that there is no more certainty for anyone about anything, except religious principles, when the MEDIA continually feed the public with lies, half-truths, fears and prejudices, keeping the public in the dark about the fundamentals, giving air instead to the "deranged dreams" of the political parties to which they are subservient, whatever they call themselves and whatever their orientation.

Let the Guardian speak:

The chief idols in the desecrated temple of mankind are none other than the triple gods of Nationalism, Racialism and Communism, at whose altars governments and peoples, whether democratic or totalitarian, at peace or at war, of the East or of the West, Christian or Islamic, are, in various forms and in different degrees, now worshiping. Their high priests are the politicians and the worldly-wise, the so-called sages of the age; their sacrifice, the flesh and blood of the slaughtered multitudes; their incantations outworn shibboleths and insidious and irreverent formulas; their incense, the smoke of anguish that ascends from the lacerated hearts of the bereaved, the maimed, and the homeless.
So what attitude to pursue? According to the Guardian, Pacific Resistance.

The friends must at all times bear in mind that they are in a way like soldiers under attack. The world is at present in an exceedingly dark condition spiritually; hatred and prejudice of every sort are literally tearing it to pieces. We, on the other hand, are the custodians of the opposite forces, the forces of love, of unity, of peace and integration [...] Love for each other, the deep sense that we are a new organism, the dawn-breakers of a new World Order, must constantly animate our Bahá’í lives, and we must pray to be protected from the contamination of society which is so diseased with prejudices.
If the campaign to defend the BAHA'IS OF IRAN was an excellent example, the violation of other human rights and gross injustices should not be tolerated. As Baha'is and citizens, we are free, if not morally obligated, to play a role in this regard. Of course, the best time to voice our concerns is before an abuse or violation occurs, whether by a governing body or by any other institution, although the norm is our strict obedience to duly elected governments when the law does not violate an important moral principle. Likewise, the instruments and language used to convey the pleas must be consistent with the standards of dignity and courtesy.

Now that everything seems to have been said, the question remains as to what Baha'u'llah meant when He asked us to be anxiously concerned with THE NEEDS OF THE AGE in which we live, and to focus our deliberations on its demands and requirements. I think the answer lies, at least in part, in the following luminous injunction (the italics are mine).
In whatever country they reside, Bahá’ís strive to promote the welfare of society. They are enjoined to work alongside their compatriots in fostering fellowship and unity and in establishing peace and justice. They seek to uphold their own rights, as well as the rights of others, through whatever legal means are available to them, conducting themselves at all times with honesty and integrity. They eschew conflict and dissension. They avoid contest for worldly power.
Regarding the Human Rights Charter, has the Baha'i International Community not affirmed that :
Universal education, freedom of movement, access to information, and the opportunity to participate in political life are all aspects of its operation that require explicit guarantee by the international community. The same is true of freedom of thought and belief, including religious liberty, along with the right to hold opinions and express these opinions appropriately.
As we are well-informed, Abdu'l-Baha, our Perfect Example, did this for most of His life and was thus recognized as an outstanding citizen by friends and foes alike, as is this inspiring Bahá'í human rights lawyer, Dr. Payam Akavan, who calls us to ACTION.




For your convenience, three helpful documents are available online for further exploration of this issue:



Be wonderfully blessed !

Loesha

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