Excommunication for associating with a Covenant-breaker

Parvine Afnan Shahid, the daughter of the marriage between two grand-children of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was determined by the Universal House of Justice to be a covenant-breaker in 1996, since by virtue of her continued association with this lady, another Bahá’í was declared a covenant-breaker.

(Letter of Universal House of Justice to National Spiritual Assembly of New Zealand, 12 December 1996; Letter of National Spiritual Assembly of the New Zealand to Bahá’ís of New Zealand, 16 December, 1996.)

(Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, Moojan Momen)
http://irfancolloquia.org/pdf/lights10_momen.pdf

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Baha'i issue in Iran explained by a former Persian Baha'i

In Iran, Baha'i faith is mostly frowned upon for the following reasons:

1- It is viewed as a cult. Whether some people feel offended by the word 'cult' or not, that is how most Iranians see them. You can also see the testimonies of people on /r/exbahai for more info.

2- Historically, the leaders have flourished under the protection of Iran's greatest foes. Their founder Baha'u'lah was a convicted felon wanted by Muhammad Shah of Qajar and his successor Nasir al-din Shah. He was arrested for collaborating with others to assassinate Nasir al-din Shah and was put on death row but released under pressure from the Russian government who was at war with Iran. To this day, they are protected by the Israeli government and they frequently lobby against Iran through American senators. Another one of their leaders was awarded a title of knighthood for his service to the British government while at the same time Iran was being raped by the British.

3- The majority of Iranians are Shia Muslims. Baha'is claim that through Baha'ism, the prophecies of Shia Islam have been fulfilled about the Mahdi. In reality no prophecy in this regard has been fulfilled and Bah'u'llah had to resort to forging Islamic traditions to make it look like some prophecies had been fulfilled. This attitude resulted in the strong reaction of Shia scholars, which Baha'u'llah mostly responded with hatred and profanities like calling them donkeys: “Protect yourself so that from the donkey enemies, those with large turbans do not turn you away from (Baha'ism)...” (Baha’u’llah, Athar-i Qalam-i A`la, vol. 2, no. 83, p. 504)

4- They hide the violent face of their founder and claim he was a peaceful person. This is while historically he had collaborated in all forms of violent acts like collaborating to assassinate the Shah of Iran, participating in civil wars, giving orders to hit people in the face, and even throwing his own followers on the ground and kicking them in the head.

Furthermore, Baha'i was essentially born out of Babism. Babism was a 19th century ISIS that one Baha'i leader described with these words:

“The utterance of the [book or religion] of Bayan (the Bab's religion) in the day of the appearance of his Highness A'la (meaning the Bab) was to behead, burn the books, destroy the monuments, and massacre [everyone] but those who believed [in the Bab’s religion] and verified it,” Abdu’l-Baha, Makatib, vol. 2, p. 266.

Baha'u'llah the founder of the Baha'i faith praised these vicious orders by this statement:

“I [swear by] He who in His hand is my soul and my essence, a single letter from the Bayan is dearer to me than everything that is in the heavens and the earth,” Asad-Allah Fadil Mazandarani, Asrar al-athar khususi, vol. 5, p. 333.

5- They single out Iran in almost everything like calling out prosecution and etc while they turn a blind eye to whatever happens to Baha'is and non-Baha'is alike in countries that are politically allied with the west.

6- Baha'ism is not a simple religious entity where you keep your beliefs to yourselves. It is an organization where the adherents are required by their beliefs to participate in all matters of the cult in an organized matter taking orders in a hierarchical form from the highest in rank, the Universal House of Justice, down to the Local Spiritual Assemblies.

Any organization, in any country, must first obtain the necessary legal approvals in accordance with that countries laws for it to be able to start its activities. Baha'is have received no approvals whatsoever and their organizational activities are all illegal in Iran. Interestingly, the Israeli government does not allow them to have any activities in Israel and Baha'is happily oblige and never protest. Their persecution in Israel is so harsh that they are not even allowed to live in Israel (only allowed a short few day visit to visit their holy cites, and only IF the Universal House of Justice allows them), yet they never ever protest to this. This hypocritical behavior makes matters even worse for them in Iran because they are obviously making themselves a tool of the western governments against Iran by this attitude.

7-Another point that must be considered in this regard is the fact that Baha'is have formed a government within a government. You see, they have absolute obedience to the UHJ, the headquarters located in Israel. The orders of the UHJ have precedence over the laws of the Iranian government (although they claim the contrary). No government will tolerate such a behavior.

https://www.reddit.com/r/iranian/comments/hvrxwx/can_someone_explain_the_bahai_issue_in_iran/

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Udo Schaefer about Law on Property Inheritance in the Baha'i faith

Legal succession is based on quotas or shares (as is also the case in the estate laws of Islam). The decedent’s estate (al-mawarith) is divided into two thousand five hundred and twenty parts and shared among seven categories of heirs, namely the children, spouse, father, mother, brothers, sisters and teachers of the deceased. Persons who are not Baha’is are excluded from the legal line of succession. If the decedent’s estate contains a residence, this passes exclusively to male offspring, not female, namely to the eldest son. If there is no male offspring, one third of the residence passes to the House of Justice.

The separation of the residence from the rest of the decedent’s estate and its allocation to the male offspring (and only secondarily to female offspring - I.e., if there are no male offspring (see Kitab-i Aqdas, Questions 72) is—as already mentioned—an exception to the principle of gender equality. With regard to the staggered allocation of shares, the question arises as to whether the clearly disadvantaged position of female relatives (mother and sisters) in comparison with their male counterparts (father and brothers) is also an exception to the principle of equality.

https://bahai-library.com/pdf/s/schaefer_introduction_bahai_law.pdf

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Excommunication under Baha’i law by Udo Schaefer

The divine law does not contain a legal definition of this offense, but from the scriptural passages, it is clear that only exponents of subversion and sedition are covenant-breakers (naqidu'l-mithaq): they who "sow the seeds of doubt in the hearts of men" and promote "discord" and bring about "division." 'Abdu'l-Baha calls them "mischief-makers" who are "seeking leadership." Because they do not declare their evil intentions openly but instead "they secretly sow the seeds of suspicion" — "sweet in words, ... but at heart a deadly poison" — they are also referred to as "hypocrites" (al-munafiqun). As the covenant-breaker has struck with his axe at "the root of the Blessed Tree" the divine law provides that covenant-breakers, along with all who continue to associate with them, be cast out from the congregation of the people of Baha. The believer who has been excommunicated is no longer a member of the Baha'i community.

https://bahai-library.com/pdf/s/schaefer_introduction_bahai_law.pdf

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Can a Christian Become a Baha'i?

William Miller says that the Bahá'ís have stolen their theology from Christianity. He writes:

[n]o religion has been so widely misrepresented in its presentation in the West... voluntary missionaries have represented the faith as an enlightened humanism with a new and original message of universal peace. As a matter of fact, there is not one truth in these Occidental representations of Baha'ism that is not borrowed from Christianity...

For more details, check "Can a Christian Become a Baha'i?" by Miller 

Samuel Graham Wilson, in his writings, offers an analogue to Miller's belief that Christians can not be Bahá'ís by enumerating six reasons for characterizing the Bahá'í faith as "antichristian":

1. It lowered Christianity to the same level as other religions.

2. The Bahá'í Faith claimed to supersede Christianity with a new revelation.

3. The Bahá'í Faith dethroned Christ and saw him as one manifestation of God among many.

4. It assumed falsely that Bahá'u'lláh is Christ returned.

5. It argued that biblical prophecies were fulfilled by Bahá'u'lláh and 'Abdu'1-Bahá.

6. It denied Christ's miracles and his bodily resurrection.

(The Bahá'í Faith and its relationship to Islam, Christianity, and Judaism: A brief history, Adam Berry)

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Articles 13 and 14 of the Iranian Constitution

Articles 13 and 14 of the Iranian Constitution.

Article 13 [Recognized Religious Minorities]

Zoroastrian, Jewish, and Christian Iranians are the only recognized religious minorities, who, within the limits of the law, are free to perform their religious rites and ceremonies, and to act according to their own canon in matters of personal affairs and religious education.

Article 14 [Non-Muslims' Rights]

In accordance with the sacred verse "God does not forbid you to deal kindly and justly with those who have not fought against you because of your religion and who have not expelled you from your homes" [Q60:8], the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran and all Muslims are duty-bound to treat non-Muslims in conformity with ethical norms and the principles of Islamic justice and equity, and to respect their human rights. This principle applies to all who refrain from engaging in conspiracy or activity against Islam and the Islamic Republic of Iran.

(ADAM BERRY - THE BAHA'I FAITH AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO ISLAM, CHRISTIANITY, AND JUDAISM A BRIEF HISTORY)

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Baha'i faith "resembles other esoteric offshoots of Shi'ite Islam"

Former Baha'i, Historian and Scholar, Juan Cole says that the Baha'i faith "resembles other esoteric offshoots of Shi'ite Islam such as Ismailism or the Nusayris in having an onion-like series of layers, with an outward one presented to outsiders."

https://bahai-library.com/cole_mcmullen_bahai

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"participation in anti-apartheid demonstrations and protest activities could be construed as involvement in politics, and therefore should be avoided."

April 16. On this date in 1985, the Universal House of Justice wrote an NSA "participation in anti-apartheid demonstrations and protest activities could be construed as involvement in politics, and therefore should be avoided."

1805. The Bahá'í Must Scrupulously Avoid Involvement in Political Issues Therefore Cannot Participate in Anti-Apartheid Demonstrations

"In reply to your letter of 15 July 1985 seeking further clarification on the issue of apartheid, the Universal House of Justice has instructed us to point out that as the policy of apartheid derives from racial discrimination, it cannot be accepted by Bahá'ís wherever, and in whatever form, it may be practised.

"While the friends should, of course, support the principles of the Faith, including those advocating the oneness of mankind, and may associate with groups and engage in activities which promote these principles, they must scrupulously take care not to become involved in political issues. As stated in the letter to you dated 16 April 1985, participation in anti-apartheid demonstrations and protest activities could be construed as involvement in politics, and therefore should be avoided.

"...The world around us is seething with unrest caused by the conflicting interests of governments, peoples, races and individuals. Each of these contending parties has some good and some evil on its side, and, whereas we will unhesitatingly uphold Bahá'í principles, we will never become embroiled in these internecine conflicts by identifying ourselves with one or other of the parties, however much in our hearts we may sympathize with its aims.

"The positive attitude to the question of racial prejudice is radiant and whole-hearted exemplification of the principle of the oneness of mankind, first among the members of your National Spiritual Assembly and then throughout the Bahá'í community...."

(From a letter written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to a National Spiritual Assembly, August 18, 1985)

More here : https://www.reddit.com/r/exbahai/comments/mrf8r4/because_the_cultlike_nature_of_the_bahai_faith_is/

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Babism is abrogated and replaced by the Baha'i faith

Babism and Baha'ism are both correlative and almost inseparable. Both are the part of the same religion, and have almost identical beliefs and doctrines, with the difference that Babism is considered to be the essential precedent to, and an integral part of Baha'ism. As according to Muslim belief Judaism is considered to have been abrogated and replaced by Christianity and subsequently Christianity by Islam, so also Babism is believed by the Baha'is to have been abrogated and replaced by, and at the same time assimilated into, Baha'ism.

https://www.jstor.org/stable/20846959?seq=1

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"Tablet explaining this existed but had been stolen by Covenant-breakers."

The obligatory prayer should be said facing the qiblih (point of adoration, i.e. the direction to face in prayer). The Báb had specified that in prayer believers should face Him Whom God shall make manifest. Thus during His lifetime Bahá'ís prayed facing the person of Bahá'u'lláh. `Abdu'l-Bahá later explained that after Bahá'u'lláh's death, the qiblih was Bahá'u'lláh's shrine and that a Tablet explaining this existed but had been stolen by Covenant-breakers. Facing the qiblih is obligatory for all three obligatory prayers.

John Walbridge, 1950. "Sacred Acts, Sacred Space, Sacred Time." Baha'i Studies 1996

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Recantation of the Bab

To appease the 'ulama and calm public excitement, he was then brought to the Friday congregation in the Vakil mosque and urged by Shaykh Abu Turab, the imam jum'a of Shiraz (and a friend of the Bab’s uncles), to renounce claims made by or attributed to him. In conformity with his own policy of prudence, in his statement from the pulpit the Bab denied claims to the Imam’s representation or deputyship, though he did not (and was not requested to) extend his denial to the claim of Qa’imiya itself. In a written statement, apparently produced under pressure, he again recanted any claims to the position of Babiya (gatehood), disowned those who advocated such beliefs, and added: “If certain words flowed from my pen, they are purely instinctive and entirely against the accepted norms and thus not to be taken as proofs of any cause.” To the satisfaction of the relatively tolerant Shaykh Abu Turab and perhaps the relief of his own family, the Bab’s statement saved him from the death penalty sought by some mujtahids and diverted public attention from him.

(Abbas Amanat, Resurrection and Renewal: The Making of the Babi Movement in Iran, 1844-1850, Page 255)

https://books.google.com/books/about/Resurrection_and_Renewal.html?id=UWnYAAAAMAAJ&redir_esc=y

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The glory of Sunni and Shia Islam shall be turned into the most abject abasement - Abdul Baha

The voice of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the Center of the Covenant of God, has, likewise, been raised, announcing the dire misfortunes which were to overtake, soon after His passing, the ecclesiastical hierarchies of both Sunní and Shí’ih Islám. “This glory,” He has written, “shall be turned into the most abject abasement, and this pomp and might converted into the most complete subjugation. Their palaces will be transformed into prisons, and the course of their ascendant star terminate in the depths of the pit. Laughter and merriment will vanish, nay more, the voice of their weeping will be raised.” “Even as the snow,” He moreover has written, “they will melt away in the July sun.”

The dissolution of the institution of the Caliphate, the complete secularization of the state which had enshrined the most august institution of Islám, and the virtual collapse of the Shí’ih hierarchy in Persia, were the visible and immediate consequences of the treatment meted out to the Cause of God by the clergy of the two largest communions of the Muslim world.

https://reference.bahai.org/en/t/se/PDC/pdc-22.html

(The Promised Day Is Come, Shoghi Effendi)

https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=13KdDwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA287#v=onepage&q&f=false

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