The wrongdoings of Shoghi Effendi

• Authoritarian Rule: Shoghi Effendi established a leadership style based on "complete conformity, total obedience and unswerving loyalty", acting as the "sole prosecutor, sole judge and one man jury" over both the community and his own family.
• Systematic Expulsion of Family: He expelled and shunned almost his entire immediate family, including his parents, brothers, sisters, aunts (the four daughters of 'Abdu'l-Bahá), and cousins, an act described as "contrary to the Spirit and principles of Bahaism".
• Acts of Physical Violence: He was noted for a "hot temper"; in one instance, he ordered his henchman to beat his brother Hossein in a courtyard, and in another, he struck his cousin Qudsi Onsi with a walking stick for eating a sandwich during a mandated fast while hiking.
• Interference in Marriages: He disregarded the Master’s wish for him to marry his cousin Maryam Shahid and instead attempted to arrange or forbid the marriages of his siblings and cousins based on his own approval. He even threatened that no Baha'is would attend his aunt's funeral if her son proceeded with a marriage he disliked.
• Ostracization of His Parents: He forced his parents, Zia Khanum and Mirza Hadi, into secluded isolation at a small home on Mount Carmel, where they lived in "sadness and desolation" after being shunned by the community they had served.
• Contradicting ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Forgiveness: While 'Abdu'l-Bahá forgave and welcomed descendants of those who opposed the Faith, Shoghi Effendi maintained a strict policy of shunning even the children of relatives, allegedly stating that "covenant breaking is transmitted through the mother’s milk".
• Ending the Guardianship Line: By marrying Mary Maxwell (Ruhiyyih Khanum), who was medically unable to bear children, Shoghi Effendi failed to produce an heir, which resulted in the termination of the line of Guardianship specified in the Will of 'Abdu'l-Bahá.
• Restricting the Primary Duty of Teaching: He forbade relatives from teaching or preaching the Cause, despite 'Abdu'l-Bahá’s Will explicitly stating that "if anyone or any assembly forbids [preaching], they must not be obeyed" as preaching is an essential duty.
• Use of Harsh and Libelous Language: He sent cables to the Baha'i world using vitriolic language, labeling his own relatives as "treacherous," "faithless," and "enemies of the Faith," which family members assert were based on hearsay rather than factual evidence.
• Enforcing Blind Obedience: He prioritized "blind, unquestioning obedience" over faith, contradicting the principle that belief and independent investigation of truth should come first.

(https://www.abdulbahasfamily.org)

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Renowned Baha'i artists

Among the numerous renowned artists are poet Michael Fitzgerald; novelist Bahiyyih Nakhjavani; singers Lin Cheng, Tierney Sutton, Rachel Price, Ahdieh, Celeste Buckingham, and Andy Grammar; architects Hussein Amanat, Fariborz Sahba, and Siamak Hariri; actors Rehana Sultan, Eva LaRue, Rainn Wilson, Parisa Fitz-Henley, Shabnam Tolouei, Travis Van Winkle, Penn Badgley, and Justin Baldoni; Lakota musician and dancer Kevin Locke; comedians Omid Djalili and Inder Manocha; photographer Donald Camp; filmmakers Mary Darling and Clark Donnelly; drummer Cindy Blackman; and composers/producers Jack Lenz, Tom Price, KC Porter, and Lasse Thoresen.

(The World of the Bahá’í Faith, Robert H. Stockman)

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You have to know how to defend the Cause.

You have to know how to defend the Cause. Not only to teach the Cause and proclaim the Cause but to defend the Cause. Everywhere it's going to be - it specifies Europe, particularly, everywhere. This is the Cause of God. It is progressing. It is developing. The other religions will be concerned. The House of Justice is telling us we are engaged in the process of entry by troops. When we have entry by troops, the others will be hoping, tell the Baháʼís "Bravo!". They won't say "Bravo!". They will oppose us. They will resist the growth of the Faith. They will try to stop the growth of the Faith. We have to be ready for this. We have to know how to defend the Cause.

(Transcript of: Scholarship, the Power of Understanding and Service by Ali Nakhjavani)

https://bahai.works/Transcript:Ali_Nakhjavani/Scholarship,_Understanding_and_Service

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To refuse to imbue oneself with the spirit of the Administrative Order, to disassociate oneself from its institutions or to withdraw from active collaboration with its agencies constitutes the greatest privation.

To refuse to imbue oneself with the spirit of the Administrative Order, to disassociate oneself from its institutions or to withdraw from active collaboration with its agencies constitutes the greatest privation. The new sap mounts through the majestic trunk of the Divine Order of Bahá’u’lláh, flows through all its branches and reaches the smallest leaves, ourselves, who live from the life of the tree. On the other hand, the institutions find themselves paralyzed wherever the believers fail to recognize their essential responsibility which is to live in accordance with the precepts and regulations and to teach, individually and collectively.

“Without his (the individual believer’s) continual support, at once whole-hearted, continuous and generous, every measure adopted and every plan formulated, by the Body which acts as the national representative of the community to which he belongs, is foredoomed to failure. The World Center of the Faith itself is paralyzed if such a support on the part of the rank and file of the community is denied to it. The Author of the Divine Plan Himself is impeded in His purpose if the proper instruments for the execution of His design are lacking. The sustaining strength of Bahá’u’lláh Himself, the Founder of the Faith, will be withheld from each and every individual who fails in the long run to arise and play his part.”5

The Administrative Order of Bahá’u’lláh is, thus, animated by the same spirit as His Revelation.

(Bahá’í News, Issue 383)

https://bahai.works/Bahá’í_News/Issue_383/Text

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All such outworn practices our Guardian urged us to discard

Today [1934-1935], a marriage has been solemnized here in the Bahá’í form and registered in accordance with the country’s law, and this event, we believe, is without a precedent in the history of our Cause in this land [India]. Heretofore it was the custom of the general body of the friends on all occasions where religious ceremonies were to be observed to follow those prescribed by their past Faiths. For instance, among those believers who hailed from the Zoroastrian fold, even the ceremony initiating their children into the Zoroastrian religion was prevalent. All such outworn practices our Guardian urged us to discard, and our community decided to render “instant, exact and complete obedience” by breaking entirely with the past and enforcing, within the limits of the law, the ordinances of the New Day. The path was not smooth. Enemies offered opposition and ridicule. Friends watched from a reverent distance with folded arms. “Premature,” “unwise,” “rash,” were some of the kind terms applied to our action. But we prevailed, for the Lord of Hosts was with us.

(Bahá’í News, Issue 93)

https://bahai.works/Bahá’í_News/Issue_93/Text#ANNUAL_REPORT_OF_THE_SPIRITUAL_ASSEMBLY_OF_THE_BAHA’IS_OF_POONA

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appealing believers for funds is entirely permissible

Question: We are very upset by the letter written by Dorothy Nelson to each believer in our community concerning the Fund. We believe her letter violates one of the primary principles of the Bahá’í Faith concerning coercion and individual solicitation of funds. Our interpretation of the Writings, as quoted in Guidelines for Local Spiritual Assemblies, pp. 137–138, is that they prohibit this sort of thing from happening in the Faith. We feel that her letter returns the Bahá’í Faith to the realm of the old world order.

Answer: The National Spiritual Assembly consulted on the matter before arriving at the decision to present an appeal to every believer in the American Bahá’í community.

There is a clear distinction between solicitation of funds from certain members of a community and a general appeal addressed to the entire body of believers and sent to every individual in the community. An example of the former would be a letter to individuals who have not been contributing to the Fund, reminding them of their responsibility to do so. Such a singling out of specific individuals is clearly a violation of Bahá’í principle.

The latter method, however, is entirely permissible and, indeed, “welcome under all circumstances” as long as the appeal is “of a general character, carefully worded and moving and dignified in tone,” leaving “entirely to the discretion of every conscientious believer” decisions about “the nature, the amount, the purpose of his or her contribution.” (Guidelines for Local Spiritual Assemblies, pp. 137–138)

This same method of addressing the believers was used by the Universal House of Justice when a crisis in our National Fund precipitated a similar crisis in the Bahá’í International Fund. On December 29, 1970, two letters were sent to every believer in America. They may be found on pp. 57–61 of Messages From the Universal House of Justice, 1968–1973.

We fully support your concern that an “old world” tactic not be employed. This is foremost in our minds as we work to develop an appreciation for the truly unique Institution of the Bahá’í Fund.

It is our bounden duty, however, to ensure that every believer in the American Bahá’í community is well informed of the financial status of the National Fund, “the bedrock upon which all the activities of the Cause ultimately rest,” and toward which “every Bahá’í, no matter how poor, must realize what a grave responsibility he has to shoulder.” (Shoghi Effendi in a letter to the National Spiritual Assembly of India, July 17, 1937)

Our responsibility to educate the believers about this vital Institution of the Faith is incomplete until the goal of universal participation is realized. Toward this end we are earnestly striving.

We are extremely grateful for your vigilance in guarding the principles of the Fund from the corrupting influences of fundraising methods used in the outside world. We are confident that in this instance no principle has been violated.

(The American Bahá’í, October, 1977)

https://bahai.works/The_American_Bahá’í/Volume_8/Issue_10/Text

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Baha'u'llah is Bhargo Devasia in Arya Varta?

"In Kali Yug, people will go against the Vedas and will forget to worship God, whom even Brahma is always worshipping.

At such a time when religion is at its lowest ebb and humanity so thoroughly wayward we are assured by Shree Krishna, in the Gita:

"Whenever there is decay of righteousness, O Bharat, and there is exaltation of unrighteousness then I Myself come forth, for the protection of the righteous, for the destruction of the evil-doers; for the sake of firmly establishing righteousness I am born from age to age.

"As if in fulfillment of this promise a call was raised in 1863 by Bahá’u’lláh (Bhargo Devasia or Glory of God) in Persia (Arya Varta), the land of the Aryas. He proclaimed to have arisen to uproot irreligion and to establish the truth, for He claimed to be the universally expected Manifestation.

(The Bahá’í Faith in India by Shirin Fozdar)

https://bahai.works/World_Order/Volume_13/Issue_5/Text#The_Bahá’í_Faith_in_India

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Disunity is a serious malady in Australia

Although many Assemblies are advancing well, the National Assembly has been saddened to observe a small number whose progress has been arrested, or even reversed, by serious disunity among the members. Disunity is a serious malady; when it impacts the functioning of a Local Assembly, the effects are also suffered by the individuals and community it serves. The National Assembly, in close collaboration with the institution of the Counsellors, has been striving to learn about mechanisms and resources through which Assemblies so afflicted can be supported, over an extended period, to rise above their challenges.

(Annual Ridvan Report, NSA of the Baha'is of Australia Inc. 2025-2026)

https://horizons.bahai.org.au/bahai-institutions/a-year-of-courage-conviction-and-confirmation-national-assembly-releases-annual-report/

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The Babis took up arms

Algar sees the Babi movement as a heresy of Shi‘i origin that sought to overthrow orthodoxy by force. He maintains that the Babi rebellion began in the summer of 1848, when Mulla Husayn-i-Bushrw’i, the Bab’s most renowned disciple, marched toward Mazandaran at the head of a band of Babis. MacEoin has proposed the view that “between 1847 and 1850, following the Bab’s announcement that he himself was the Qa’im, his followers took up arms to begin the last crusade or share in the messianic woes in the hope of hastening the final restitution of things.”

(The Bab and the Babi Community of Iran by Fereydun Vahman)

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The Australian Bahá’í Community had a net increase of 124 individuals but youth are not reaffirming

The Australian Bahá’í Community had a net increase of 124 from 21,651 at the end of 180 B.E. to 21,775 at the end of 181 B.E. There were 111 enrolments, a 63% increase compared to last year. 96 young Bahá’ís reaffirmed their faith in Bahá’u’lláh during the year, but 83 did not reaffirm by age 18. The number of Local Spiritual Assemblies at Ridván 2024 was 165.

(National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Australia Incorporated - Annual Report for 181 B.E.)

National_Spiritual_Assembly_Annual_Report_181_BE_singles

The following statistics from the annual report highlight specific areas of decline or ongoing challenges within the Australian Bahá'í community during the 182 B.E. (2025–2026) period:

• Net Population Decrease: The community experienced a net decrease of 25 members, falling from 21,775 at the end of the previous year to 21,750.
• Declining Enrolments: There were 77 formal enrolments, representing a 31% decrease compared to the previous year. This is described as a "persistently low number".
• Youth Retention Issues: While 75 young Bahá'ís reaffirmed their faith, 83 youth did not reaffirm by age 18, resulting in a net loss in this demographic.
• Reduction in Core Activities: The total number of core activities (devotionals, children's classes, junior youth groups, and study circles) dropped from 3,228 to 3,071, a 4.9% decrease.
• Lower Participation: Overall participation in core activities fell from 20,476 to 19,186, a 6.3% decrease.
• Drop in Study Circles: The number of study circles saw a significant decline from 608 to 525.
• Human Resource Shortages: The community faces difficulty engaging skilled resources to replace staff completing their service, leading to a work overload for existing personnel.
• Institutional Disunity: The report notes that a small number of Local Spiritual Assemblies have had their progress "arrested, or even reversed, by serious disunity among the members".
• Pioneering Vacancies: Replacing international pioneers remains a "high priority," with seven goal areas currently requiring pioneers to be placed as soon as possible.

(National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Australia Incorporated - Annual Report for 182 B.E.)

https://horizons.bahai.org.au/bahai-institutions/a-year-of-courage-conviction-and-confirmation-national-assembly-releases-annual-report/

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One of the covenant-breakers says: ‘Infallibility belonged to Baha'u'llah alone; no other person is infallible.’

One of them [Covenant-breakers] saith: ‘[Bahá’u’lláh] hath made us independent of aught else, and hath left no need unmet.’ The secret intent of such a statement is that there is no need for an appointed Centre. Another exclaimeth: ‘Infallibility belonged to [Bahá’u’lláh] alone; no other person is infallible.’ His inner motive is to assert that [‘Abdu’l-Bahá] is liable to error. Furthermore, they say that one who was regarded with favour, who was a believer or the recipient of a Tablet during the days of [Bahá’u’lláh], cannot possibly be cast out. Their true objective is to hint that were such a person to arise in opposition, or be so bold as to show enmity, no harm would result.... The whole purpose of these words is to violate the Covenant and Testament.

(The World of the Baha'i Faith, Edited by Robert H. Stockman, p. 417)

https://www.routledge.com/The-World-of-the-Bahai-Faith/Stockman/p/book/9781032186078

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Problems with the infallibility of the UHJ

• In the current age of "fallibilism," any claim to infallibility is obsolete and untenable. Critics, including some Christian theologians like Hans Küng, argue that "No one is infallible save God" and point to historically erroneous decisions in other faiths (like the Catholic Church) as evidence against the concept.
• Because the Universal House of Justice relies on potentially fragmentary or misreported information from fallible subordinates, its decisions cannot claim absolute correctness. 'Conditional infallibility' is a contradiction in terms: a judgment built on faulty facts is simply an error, and the very need for later correction concedes that it was never infallible to begin with.
• An extensive interpretation that claims everything the House decides is infallible is extremely risky. Critics and zealous observers need only find a single evident error to falsify and empirically disprove the entire claim to divine guidance.
• Applying the "august concept of infallibility" to trivial matters - administrative appointments or building décor - reduces it to absurdity and trivializes the will of God. Worse, an uncritical, quasi-magical view of guidance recasts the institution as a Delphic Oracle, encouraging believers to evade personal responsibility and surrender their own reason.

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'Abdu'l-Bahá’s infallibility as a complex topic that is distinct from the "Essential Infallibility" of the Manifestations of God.

• Conferred Infallibility vs. Essential Infallibility: While "The Most Great Infallibility" (Essential Infallibility) is confined strictly to the Manifestations of God, the sources note that 'Abdu'l-Bahá was not a Manifestation. Instead, his infallibility is generally categorized as conferred, inherent to his office as the successor of Bahá'u'lláh.
• Sinlessness and "Stainlessness": Conferred infallibility typically refers to immunity against error but does not necessarily imply immunity against sin. However, 'Abdu'l-Bahá is uniquely described in Bahá'í literature as the "Mystery of God" and a "stainless Mirror," with "stainlessness" indicating sinlessness.
• The Nature of His Knowledge: There is ongoing scholarly reflection regarding whether 'Abdu'l-Bahá possessed innate knowledge (like a Manifestation) or if his knowledge was acquired.
• Scope of Utterances: A point of discussion in Bahá'í thought is whether 'Abdu'l-Bahá’s oral and written utterances made before the inception of his office (which began upon the ascension of Bahá'u'lláh) are also considered free from error.
• Role in Defining Institutional Infallibility: 'Abdu'l-Bahá’s own Will and Testament is the primary scriptural authority that proclaims the conferred infallibility of the twin pillars of the Bahá'í Administrative Order: the Guardianship and the Universal House of Justice. He assured that both institutions would be under the "care and protection" and "unerring guidance" of God.

(Summary of "Infallible Institutions?" by Udo Schaefer published in Reason and Revelation: Studies in the Babi and Bahá'í Religions, vol. 13, eds. Seena Fazel and John Danesh, pp. 3-37, Los Angeles: Kalimat Press, 2002)

https://bahai-library.com/schaefer_infallible_institutions

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Learning from the analysis of the pattern of resignations from the Faith

Following an earlier analysis of the pattern of resignations from the Faith, a shared learning process has advanced on the spiritual tests that lead to individuals distancing themselves from the Faith. Analysis of the results of a survey of Local Assemblies and Auxiliary Board members is currently being distilled, with the purpose of identifying how local communities can be assisted to identify the early signs and respond in a timely and appropriate manner.

(National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Australia Incorporated - Annual Report for 181 B.E.)

National_Spiritual_Assembly_Annual_Report_181_BE_singles

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Dr. Abbas Milani about Baha'is and Gays in Iran during Shah's regime

Abbas Milani argues that while the Shah's regime restricted direct political criticism, it provided a level of cultural and social freedom for marginalized groups that was unprecedented in Iranian history.

Regarding Baha'is, Milani states:

• They enjoyed more freedom under the Shah than ever before or since.
• He emphasizes that the Iranian Baha'i community lived a "better life" during this period compared to both the times preceding the Shah and the era of the Islamic Republic.

Regarding Gays, Milani highlights several indicators of social tolerance:

• Gay Marriage: He notes that a gay marriage took place in Iran in 1975, involving a carriage covered in flowers and a participant who was "very close to the court of the Shah". The individual involved was neither dismissed from the court nor punished.
• Social Spaces: He mentions the existence of a gay bar during that time.
• The Queen's Intervention: Milani recounts an incident from American archives where the police attempted to harass patrons at a gay bar. Upon hearing of this, the Queen (Empress Farah Pahlavi) intervened with the Shah, asking, "What kind of a brutality is this these people are in a bar enjoying theirelves Let them have their [fun]".

Milani's broader argument is that these types of freedoms—for Baha'is, the LGBTQ+ community, women, and Jews—are as essential to a democratic society as the right to engage in political dissent or organize Marxist groups. He suggests that in retrospect, the right of these groups to live in freedom was just as important as the academic freedom he sought as a young Marxist.

(Unpacking Iran: A Conversation with Dr. Abbas Milani - The Chicago Forum for Free Inquiry and Expression)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSVhjqAv1WY

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