Divine Origin of the Bahá'í Faith
First presented at the Irfan Colloquia Session #93
Louhelen Bahá'í School: Davison, Michigan, USA
October 8–11, 2009
(see list of papers from #93)
On May 7th of this year, Mr. Ataollah Mohajerani , former minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance in the cabinet of Mr. Mohammad Khatami, called the Bahá'í faith a semi-religion or a "man-made" religion. This occurred in a press conference in Berlin. He further asserted that he came to this conclusion by reading the Book of Certitude and the Book of Bayan. When told that many of our compatriots believe in the Bahá'í faith and their citizenship rights should not be violated Mr. Mohajerani replied by saying that many Bahá'í in Iran are peasants and villagers and were deceived by personable Bahá'í teachers. He concludes by saying that the charge against those Baha'is who have been arrested and imprisoned is "espionage". He denies that they have been so charged because of their religion as Baha'is. He tried to justify the ample violation of the citizenship rights of Bahá'ís or to conceal it somehow.
Defense of the human rights of each Iranian, nay each human being, should not be conditioned upon their religious beliefs. Mr. Mohajerani, when faced with the question of citizenship rights of Bahá'ís, should not have mitigated and humiliated their beliefs. Even though persecution of the Bahá'ís of Iran is a stigmata on the brow of the history of our land, an even more shameful act is becoming an obstructing cloud for the sun and depriving Iran and Iranians from the truth of the Bahá'í faith. Persecution of the Bahá'ís have always been accompanied by defaming them and their beliefs and teachings in eye of the public, and their faith has been kept in a veil of mystery and dust of slander by their adversaries. Bahá'ís want something more than citizenship rights and that is acquaintance of people with the teachings and goals of their faith, which they believe is the solution to humanity's problems.
This article summarizes the proofs of the divine origins of the Bahá'í faith. Most of the proofs are from the Book of Certitude and the Book of Bayan. The purpose of using these two texts is to prove to Mr. Mohajerani the fallacy of his claims using texts he has read and referred to previously. For further clarification, proofs from Seven Proofs by the Bab, the Bahá'í Proofs and Faraed by Mirza Abulfazael Golpaygani are also mentioned in this article. This article is meant as a conclusive response to Mr. Mohaherani's statements, one that readers might ponder and reflect for its implications and its evidence to the contrary of those beliefs so common in Iran. Perhaps, it might lead to a more open and informed discourse on the Bahá'í Faith and the activities of Baha'is in the country where the religion originated. This article will also serve to introduce Mr. Mohajerani and other Iranians to the precepts and principles of the Bahá'í faith.
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