AN OPEN LETTER TO UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE

Persecution of Persian Baha’is at the Highest Seat of Baha’i Administration

Dear Esteemed Members of Universal House of Justice

Paul Lample

Payman Mohajer

Shahriar Razavi

Stephen Birkland

Stephen Hall

Ayman Rouhani

Chuungu Malitonga

Juan Francisco Mora

Praveen Mallik

It saddens me to write this letter to the esteemed members. Members, who collectively are supposed to be infallible in their decisions. For quite some time, some of the decisions of the members are being viewed as being with a targeted agenda –cleansing the Bahai Administration of Persian Baha’is’ very silent callous Racism and fanatism is engulfing the whole of Bahai Community. The Persian Bahais are being persecuted in which ever land they pioneered and surprisingly the Universal House of Justice is mock spectator to this persecution.

One could argue that these steps are seen with prejudice. However, when sequence of similar actions is witnessed the benefit of doubt reduces.

Let us one by one see such incidences to conclude whether it is co-incidence or otherwise:

1.      Recently a prominent Heterodox Baha’i, Omid Seioshansian, who was born in Qatar, was blacklisted in Qatar. Government authorities in the country have levelled criminal and national security charges against him. Mr. Omid now will face severe penalties in Qatar’s judicial system. And will be denied entry.

Although Bani Duggal, the BIC’s Principal Representative to the United Nations, said that “the Baha’i International Community is saddened that the State of Qatar has chosen to expel members of a community that has peacefully coexisted in and contributed to the progress of the country”, the silence of UHJ has raised concerns. Many prominent Bahais are of the opinion that UHJ is behind the expelling of Omid as they are in cleansing process of Persian Bahais and Omid a high ranking Persian Bahai in Bahai Administration, who has an eye on selection to UHJ. He has a lot of cloud in countries like India.

2.      Another high ranking Persian Bahai, a counsellor, Dr. Jabbar Eidelkhani who had served for many years in Bangladesh was also removed from his post and a very insignificant Indian Bahai was asked to step in his shoes. Was this part of a strategy? 

3.      Another Persian background lady, a former counsellor and member of NSA of India, Mrs Zeena Sorabjee, was asked to resign/retire from NSA after being elected on NSA. Fate accompli? 

4.      A prominent Bahai of the USA, Mr. Bahareh Moghaddam has been accused of trying to deceive and misguide the Bahais of Iranian descent by sowing seeds of discord. UHJ just watched silently. 

5.      Mr. Ali Nakhjawani was hunted for his misunderstood statement resulting into ignorant Bahais daring to ask him that why he gave such statement. UHJ could have defended in this situation.

6.The case of Bahai Scholar Ahang Rabbani has not been forgotten. After working for 15 years at the World Centre, he was heartbroken. UHJ had no comfort to offer.

7.  Jamshed Fozdar and Firoz Anaki were on the brink of being declared Covenant Breakers but some better reasoning prevailed on UHJ and they stopped from doing such an atrocious act. Both these gentlemen have bitterness still.

8.      The Late Mr. Hasan Sabri along with Isabella Sabri made fun of Persian Bahais and used to call them KHAR (donkey) and used to say that Persian Bahais are misguiding other Bahais. There are several other such incidences of rebuke. UHJ conveniently ignores these. They use to say Panchami is the centre of deviation. 

9.      The number of Persian Bahais as counsellors have come down drastically and the story is not different for the ABMs. They were asked to leave their place of pioneer (where they had established themselves, gained respect and involved themselves in Teaching of the Faith) and settle in some other parts of the world. This is nothing but humiliation and harassment. UHJ choses to look the other way.

10.   When a non-Persian Counsellor retires from his post, he is immediately offered another post in his own country. But if the counsellor is Persian, and that too a pioneer, never this opportunity of service had been offered to him or his experience used for promotion of the Faith. This happens under watchful eyes of the UHJ. 

11.  A sincere Persian Bahai Mr. A.S. Furudi who took care of the Bahai property the National Hotel at Pune in India was threatened by one of the members of UHJ that he should come in line with UHJ or face severe consequences. 

12.  A Persian pioneer a devoted  Bahai Dr. Ahmed Ansari was asked to resign after he was elected as a delegate for National convention. It was feared that he was a sure member of NSA

13.   Payam Shoghi - A person of capacity, he served the faith as a counsellor but he was sacked by the UHJ and was asked to resign from all his administrative positions, just because he was "accused" for forging Documents? Which was never proved. 

14.  Shahryar Nooreyazdan - He has such a wide experience about the faith. Has given years as a pioneer to Mumbai Community. A person instrumental in building the Lotus Temple and donating huge amounts of his savings was never given any hearing by UHJ. All his suggestions are ignored and was made centre of mockery.

15.  Farida Vahedi - She served the Faith with best of her capacity running the External affair department very efficiently but just some Indian NSA members did not like her success was asked to resign from the NSA of India. In her place a dumb Ram Sevak Yadav was brought to NSA just to appease the Hindu nationalist Government . 

16.   Afshin and his son Naim now live a life of loneliness. Afshin gave all of his golden years for the propagation of faith in India. Today when he is ill and may be in need of financial assistance, the UHJ is wasting sources on inexperienced, and worthless people like Praveen Mallick, Rajan Sawant etc. All the "soldiers of Baha'u'llah" are being treated like worthless entity.

17.  The Bahai Academy in Panchgani was subjected to pressure because its Director Mr. Leson Azadi was a Persian and son of a Martyr. UHJ made his life and of his family miserable. He was sacked as Auxillary Board Member.

Such examples leave us with a bitter conclusion that those having Persian (Cradle of Faith) background need to sieved.  It is as though the UHJ sees the Persian Bahais being responsible for the formation of so many sects. A thought is prevailing in the Faith that Persian Baha’is are working in groups and are having soft corner for the Persian fourth Guardian Nosrat'u'llah Bahremand of the Orthodox Baha’i Faith, who is calling his shots from Australia. Such a suspicion has been prevailing for many years now. UHJ has so far not taken any steps to reject this idea.

While all this is happening, the clout of Bahais with Jewish background is increasing. Whether it is happening with connivance of Jewish state, is a question that then comes to mind.