On Sustainability and Prevalence of Violence

By Bahman Mohajerin

First presented at the Irfan Colloquia Session #104
Centre for Bahá'í Studies: Acuto, Italy
July 9–12, 2011
(see list of papers from #104)

We are witnessing that violence, in the forms of violent thoughts and deeds, is widely and abundantly spreading in all corners of the world. However despite the measures adopted and the efforts exerted to reverse this trend and occasional progress achieved so far, not only the violence is not uprooted but actually since 1980's it has been advancing and spreading throughout the world like drought and AIDS. Our history is full of evidences of how violence been preached and sanctified. Many people have experienced violence in one way or other during their childhood and even later stages of their lives. The general atmosphere in many parts of the world shows a deterministic acceptance of violence, especially by women, even though they are at the frontline of suffering from such attacks.

Lack of effective and appealing solutions to counteract the alternative pattern help the spread and prevalence of violence. Post-world war II era has witnessed two new developments: the advent of a new breed of religious fundamentalism advocating violence and deliberate, acute and systematic violent acts aimed at wide majority of people by their respective governments.

As the Army of Light our duty is to do our best in reversing the above-mentioned trend. Baha'i Writings contains especial recommendations and guidelines on the needed approach in rectifying this deplorable situation. In this presentation we try to briefly review the current literature on the phenomenon of violence and the Baha'i prescription for counteracting violence in words and in deeds.

Our history is so full of violence; preaching and sanctifying the violence. Many people have their upbringing by ways and means of violence. The general atmosphere in many parts of the world shows a deterministic acceptance of violence, especially by women, even though they are at the forefront of such violent behavior.

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