On the occasion of the bicentenary of the birth of Baháʼu'lláh, the founder of the Baháʼí faith, we spoke with those who have chosen this religion, which promotes unity, gender equality, inclusion and the abandonment of all prejudice.
Millions of Baháʼís, the followers of the Baháʼí faith, gathered to celebrate the two-hundredth anniversary of the birth of Baháʼu'lláh, the founder of the religion. Born in the Iranian city of Tehran, Baháʼu'lláh was known as the "manifestation of God" and recognised for his message of peace and spiritual unification, having dedicated his life (he was born in 1817 and died in 1892) to spreading a new revelation of God to all humanity through his writings, such as books, letters and verses.
"Baháʼu'lláh brought with him ideas that were new for his time," Noushin Samii, an active member of the Baháʼí community in Belgium, told us. "He spoke of the unity of humankind, universal peace and the abandonment of prejudices." His approach was global; he promoted the creation of a new world order that would encompass both the material and the spiritual plane. For this reason he spent 40 years of his life in the harshest conditions, exiled and imprisoned.
Read also: Angaangaq Angakkorsuaq. Il significato spirituale dei cambiamenti climatici spiegato dallo sciamano eschimese
Samii points out that two hundred years may not seem like a great deal, but the number of Baháʼís around the world and all the languages into which the writings have been translated are proof of the reach and impact of Baháʼu'lláh's teachings. "The community that has been created over the course of these two hundred years represents unity in diversity across all of humankind," she adds. "Baháʼís desire social justice and development in everything that surrounds them."
"There are still many prejudices in the world. When two people meet we often hear: 'Where are you from?' That creates a distance," says Samii. "I believe a moment will come when we will all be citizens of the world. It is important to respect traditions, but I think we are all part of one single family of humankind." Baháʼu'lláh's message does not stop there. His teachings also encourage the abandonment of every kind of prejudice, including gender prejudice. Promoting equality between men and women is a most important part of his creed.
"The Baháʼí faith promotes a happy community. For me, the ultimate purpose of a religion should be the happiness of people. Very often you feel this at Baháʼí gatherings. People are happy, there is love and joy, and everyone works together towards a shared goal. I truly felt the joy of the whole community during the bicentenary celebrations. There are people from every country. You can see the diversity within the community, and that is the result of the Baháʼí teachings," Samii explains.
"Everyone feels happy when they feel useful, and when can you be useful? When you place yourself at the service of society, doing something to improve it," she adds, full of joy.
When we observe the complex history of religions from the perspective of the Baháʼí faith, we notice a progressive revelation. Each new religion of God arrives to renew old teachings and bring new ones adapted to the age, while the foundations always remain the same. Christianity, like all the others, can be understood as a divinely inspired religion that requires regeneration. Religions are therefore no longer seen as separate and rival systems, and the barriers that divide them are overcome when communities come together in sacred prayer to the one God.
There can be no doubt whatever that the peoples of the world, of whatever race or religion, derive their inspiration from one heavenly Source, and are the subjects of one God. The difference between the ordinances under which they abide should be attributed to the varying requirements and exigencies of the age in which they were revealed.Baháʼu'lláh, Gleanings 217
The Baháʼí faith is non-dogmatic and encourages everyone to find truth within themselves. "Everyone prays directly to God. There are no priests. I think that is a good thing — we should all try to have this dialogue with God, to have a moment of gratitude for what we have in life. We do not need a priest as an intermediary," Samii explains. "Perhaps at a time when people could neither read nor write a priest was necessary, but I see no need for an intermediary if one can pray directly to God. We believe in the unity of God, in the fact that it is the same God in all religions, and we believe in the unity of all religions."
The independent search for truth is at the heart of the Baháʼí faith, and everyone, regardless of gender, nationality or any other element of diversity, is encouraged to read more, ask questions and learn for themselves. The bicentenary was important because it reminded us that Baháʼu'lláh invited humanity to create a new world order that values happiness and promotes justice, education, freedom from prejudice and unity in diversity.