Baha’i Perspectives

nooshin April 24th, 2008

There have been various sets of elections in the headlines lately, and most of it not good news. Most people have become cynical about the electoral process, and the institutions they establish. As a Baha’i, however, I have just taken part in the election of my city’s Local Spiritual Assembly and eagerly await the start of the process for the election of the Universal House of Justice, which will begin shortly.

In a letter dated 25 March 2007, the Universal House of Justice, addressing the Baha’is of the world, make mention of this very topic. They begin with a description of the present electoral systems in the world:

One of the signs of the breakdown of society in all parts of the world is the erosion of trust and collaboration between the individual and the institutions of governance. In many nations, the electoral process has become discredited because of endemic corruption. Contributing to the widening distrust of so vital a process are the influence on the the outcome from vested interests having access to lavish funds, the restrictions on freedom of choice inherent in the party system, and the distortion in public perception of the candidates by the bias expressed in the media.

Having described what ails the system, the House of Justice explains what ails the individuals in the system:

Apathy, alienation, and disillusionment are a consequence, too, as is a growing sense of despair of the unlikelihood that the most capable citizens will emerge to deal with the manifold problems of a defective social order. Evident everywhere is a yearning for institutions which will dispense justice, dispel oppression, and foster an enduring unity between the disparate elements of society.

Shoghi Effendi describes the manner in which Baha’is should participate in Baha’i elections:

When called upon to vote in a Baha’i election, believers should be aware that they are carrying out a sacred task unique to this Dispensation. They should approach this duty in a prayerful attitude, seeking divine guidance and confirmation. As Shoghi Effendi has advised “they must turn completely to God, and with a purity of motive, a freedom of spirit and a sanctity of heart, participate in the elections.

The Baha’i Administrative system comprises of elected institutions as local, national and international levels. Baha’u'llah describes them as follows:

It behoveth them to be the trusted ones of the Merciful among men and to regard themselves as the guardians appointed of God for all that dwell on earth. It is incumbent upon them to take counsel together and to have regard for the interests of the servants of God, for His sake, even as they regard their own interests, and to choose that which is meet and seemly.

The rights and responsibilities of these elected institutions are expressed in the following excerpt from a letter by Shoghi Effendi:

Their function is not to dictate, but to consult, and consult not only among themselves, but as much as possible with the Friends whom they represent… They should approach their task with extreme humility, and endeavour, by their openmindedness, their high sense of justice and duty, their candour, their modesty, their entire devotion to the welfare and interests of the Friends, the Cause, and humanity, to win, not only the confidence and the genuine support and respect of those whom they serve, but also their esteem and real affection.

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Baha'i Perspectives April 27th, 2008

As delegates begin arriving in Haifa, Israel for an event that occurs once every five years, the excitement builds.

“A thousand delegates from 153 countries have arrived – from the southern tip of Africa, to Siberia, to the Americas, to remote Pacific islands – to participate in the 10th International Bahá’í Convention.

On Tuesday, 29 April, they will gather to elect the nine members of the Universal House of Justice, the international governing body of the Bahá’í Faith, a task that delegates view as both a sacred duty and a supreme privilege…”

Read the full story on the Baha’i World News Service or view a brief slide show of photos on the same site.

Members of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Democratic Republic of the Congo register on 26 April for the
International Baha’i Convention in Haifa, Israel.

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Baha'i Perspectives April 30th, 2008

The results of the election of the governing council of the Baha’i Faith, the Universal House of Justice, were announced in a moving ceremony held today in Haifa, Israel.

Following yesterday’s dignified and joyous election procedure, in which national delegates from across the globe — many of whom were dressed in their cultural attire — filed on stage to cast their votes, the results were announced by the chairperson early this afternoon.

The beautifully-redesigned Baha’i World News Service carries the full story, in addition to a flurry of other reports and multimedia related to the Tenth International Baha’i Convention. To date these include:

• A report and slideshow of the delegates’ visits to Baha’i Holy Places prior to the start of the Convention.
• A report and slideshow of the election process held on Day 1 of the Convention, including an explanation of the unique nature of these elections.
• A report and slideshow of the celebration of the festival of Ridvan held following the election.
• A report on the election results announced this morning.

For those who have had the privilege to attend this year’s Convention, this has undoubtedly been a week that will live long in their memories.

Many delegates wore their native dress — from Western business suits to the colorful garb of specific regions of South America, Africa, and Asia.

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nooshin November 4th, 2008

I am on holiday in the United States, and being here right now, during their presidential elections has been fascinating.  It is, after all, one of the world’s oldest democracies, and should have it all worked out by now.  Right?

If their political advertising is anything to go by, not really.  There seems to be mainly two tactics: Chicken Little politics (“the sky is falling down, the sky is falling down”) and the politics of fear (“Mr. X voted 125 times to ban alligator hunting.  If you vote for Mr. X, he will destroy you, your family and the whole American way of life”).  Four out of five adverts I have seen are negative ones, focusing on what is wrong with the opponent, rather than what is positive about the candidates themselves.

Shoghi Effendi, explaining that Baha’is are expressly forbidden to take part in partisan politics, said the following:

It remains for the individuals to so use their right to vote as to keep aloof from party politics, and always bear in mind that they are voting on the merits of the individual, rather than because he belongs to one party or another.

The merits of the individual, as far as I can see, should be what kind of a servant s/he would be.  In the present world order, to be a servant is to have a low social standing, a low salary and little respect.  In Baha’u'llah’s new world order, this definition will be turned on its head, with the rendering of service a duty and an aspiration.

So, what makes a good civil servant? `Abdu’l-Bahá clearly outlines what is expected of those entrusted with service to civil society;

Should any one of you enter into the service (or employment) of the government, he must live and act with the utmost truthfulness, righteousness, chastity, uprightness, purity, sanctity, justice and equity. But if—I seek refuge in God—any one betray the least of trusts or neglect and be remiss in the performance of duties which are intrusted to him, or by oppression takes one penny of extortion from the subjects, or seeks after his own personal, selfish aims and ends in the attainment of his own interests, he shall undoubtedly remain deprived of the outpourings of His Highness the Almighty.

Bahá’u'lláh, the Founder of the Baha’i Faith, addressed a series of letters to the kings and rulers of the time, which included the following exhortation:

Take heed, O concourse of the rulers of the world! There is no force on earth that can equal in its conquering power the force of justice and wisdom… Blessed is the king who marcheth with the ensign of wisdom unfurled before him, and the battalions of justice massed in his rear. He verily is the ornament that adorneth the brow of peace and the countenance of security. There can be no doubt whatever that if the day star of justice, which the clouds of tyranny have obscured, were to shed its light upon men, the face of the earth would be completely transformed.

These are tough standards to meet, even for those with the best of intentions.  I believe becoming a good servant is a life-long pursuit, one based on the suppression of the ego and increasing selflessness.  For instance, a good civil servant should be a master at consultation.  Consultation is only effective when its participants learn to be detached from their ideas, and work towards the greater good. The more our egos get involved, the more they get bruised, and need to be protected, and the more we lose sight of the goal:

…is there any deed in the world that would be nobler than service to the common good? Is there any greater blessing conceivable for a man, than that he should become the cause of the education, the development, the prosperity and honor of his fellow-creatures? No, by the Lord God! The highest righteousness of all is for blessed souls to take hold of the hands of the helpless and deliver them out of their ignorance and abasement and poverty, and with pure motives, and only for the sake of God, to arise and energetically devote themselves to the service of the masses, forgetting their own worldly advantage and working only to serve the general good.

`Abdu’l-Bahá

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