"D" Word; Discrimination

Europe (various countries)

• Some countries have laws restricting:
  • Wearing religious clothing (e.g. hijab, niqab)
  • Certain Islamic practices
• European human rights data shows:
  • Many Muslims experience discrimination in public life and institutions [unric.org]
• Reports also mention laws affecting Muslim dress and religious freedoms [uscirf.gov]

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India – Citizenship law (CAA)

• A 2019 law fast-tracks citizenship for migrants from neighbouring countries—but excludes Muslims explicitly. [hrw.org]
• Human rights groups warned it could:
  • Leave some Muslims at risk of losing citizenship
  • Create unequal treatment based on religion [hrw.org]

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South Africa – Muslim marriages

• For many years, Muslim marriages were not legally recognized under national law.

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China – Uyghur Muslims

• Reports say over one million Muslims have been detained in Xinjiang. [cfr.org]
• Measures described include:
  • Mass detention
  • Religious restrictions
  • Surveillance and forced labour [cfr.org]

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Egypt - Baha'is

Refusal to record the correct marital status in official identification documents for Egyptian Bahá’ís has caused significant hardship. 

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Across these examples, the same legal mechanisms recur:

• Recognition vs. exclusion → Who counts as a legitimate religion
• Equality vs. differentiation → Whether all citizens are treated the same under law
• Rights vs. public order → Governments often justify limits using security or stability
• Courts as corrective forces → In some systems, courts push back against discrimination 

“Acceptance of the oneness of humanity demands that prejudice—

whether racial, religious, or gender-related—must be totally eliminated.” [bahai.org]

From The Secret of Divine Civilization, by ‘Abdu’l‑Bahá

“Arts, crafts and sciences uplift the world of being, and are conducive to its exaltation. Knowledge is as wings to man’s life, and a ladder for the ascent of his understanding. In truth, knowledge is a veritable treasure for man, and a source of glory, of bounty, of joy, of exaltation, of cheer and gladness unto him. The light of knowledge is the bestower of life and the cause of the progress of mankind. Knowledge is the most precious of all possessions; a man without knowledge is like a bird without wings.”

Examples from Egypt 

- The Pyramids, Temples.....................Craftsmanship and applied sciences / engineering 

- The Library of Alexandria ..................Knowledge as "wings" expand human potential 

- Cairo Opera House...........................Hub for artistic education, arts that uplift society 

- The Grand Egyptian Museum...........Knowledge as a national treasure transform culture

     

     

 

Bahá’í perspective on politics

Bahá’ís do not seek political power. They will not accept political posts in their respective governments, whatever the particular system in place, though they will take up positions which they deem to be purely administrative in nature. They will not affiliate themselves with political parties, become entangled in partisan issues, or participate in programmes tied to the divisive agendas of any group or faction. At the same time, Bahá’ís respect those who, out of a sincere desire to serve their countries, choose to pursue political aspirations or to engage in political activity. The approach adopted by the Bahá’í community of non-involvement in such activity is not intended as a statement expressing some fundamental objection to politics in its true sense; indeed, humanity organizes itself through its political affairs. Bahá’ís vote in civil elections, as long as they do not have to identify themselves with any party in order to do so. In this connection, they view government as a system for maintaining the welfare and orderly progress of a society, and they undertake, one and all, to observe the laws of the land in which they reside, without allowing their inner religious beliefs to be violated. Bahá’ís will not be party to any instigation to overthrow a government. Nor will they interfere in political relations between the governments of different nations. This does not mean that they are naive about political processes in the world today and make no distinction between just and tyrannical rule. The rulers of the earth have sacred obligations to fulfil towards their people, who should be seen as the most precious treasure of any nation. Wherever they reside, Bahá’ís endeavour to uphold the standard of justice, addressing inequities directed towards themselves or towards others, but only through lawful means available to them, eschewing all forms of violent protest. Moreover, in no way does the love they hold in their hearts for humanity run counter to the sense of duty they feel to expend their energies in service to their respective countries.

The approach, or strategy if you will, with the simple set of parameters outlined in the foregoing paragraph enables the community, in a world where nations and tribes are pitted one against the other and people are divided and separated by social structures, to maintain its cohesion and integrity as a global entity and to ensure that the activities of the Bahá’ís in one country do not jeopardize the existence of those elsewhere. Guarded against competing interests of nations and political parties, the Bahá’í community is thus able to build its capacity to contribute to processes that promote peace and unity.   The Universal House of Justice

a new definition of a good citizen:

“The happiness and greatness, the rank and station, the pleasure and peace of an individual have never consisted in his personal wealth, but rather in his excellent character, his high resolve, the breadth of his learning, and his ability to solve difficult problems. The primary purpose of any government or society is the promotion of the welfare and the tranquillity of the people.” Baha'u'llah 

Aspects of Baha’i Marriage

A Baha’i marriage is different from many other religious marriages 

in a few very specific, meaningful ways. 

Baha’i marriage is the commitment of the two parties one to the other, and their mutual attachment of mind and heart. Each must, however, exercise the utmost care to become thoroughly acquainted with the character of the other, that the binding covenant between them may be a tie that will endure forever. ‘Abdu’l-Baha, 

Consent of both and their parents are required

…marriage is dependent upon the consent of both parties. Desiring to establish love, unity and harmony amidst Our servants, We have conditioned it, once the couple’s wish is known, upon the permission of their parents, lest enmity and rancour should arise amongst them. Baha’u’llah,

The vow and Two witnesses

The couple themselves each saying, in the presence of at least two witnesses, the prescribed verse “We will all, verily, abide by the Will of God.” 

This ceremony is performed under the authority of a Spiritual Assembly which has the responsibility for ensuring that the various requirements of Baha’i law, such as obtaining the consent of the parents, are met, to whom the witnesses must be acceptable, and which issues the marriage certificate.

The Happiness of Mankind will be realized when women and men coordinate and advance equally, for each is the complement and helpmeet of the other. Abdu’l-Baha,

 

to our beloved mother who passed away recently...

A Bahá'í Prayer for One's Mother - YouTube

https://www.google.com/url?esrc=s&q=&rct=j&sa=U&url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpIF_WP5R2E&ved=2ahUKEwio7oT6v7yUAxXUpCsGHeU_IekQtwJ6BAgLEAE&usg=AOvVaw2iWRMrzpU7GKqqEPKkaqDZ

O Thou forgiving God! Forgive the sins of my loving mother, pardon her shortcomings, cast upon her the glance of Thy gracious providence, and enable her to gain admittance into Thy Kingdom.

O God! From the earliest days of my life she educated and nurtured me, yet I did not recompense her for her toil and labours. Do Thou reward her by granting her eternal life and making her exalted in Thy Kingdom.

Verily, Thou art the Forgiver, the Bestower, and the Kind.

"The great importance attached to the mother's role derives from the fact that she is the first educator of the child. Her attitude, her prayers, even what she eats and her physical condition have a great influence on the child when it is still in womb. When the child is born, it is she who has been endowed by God with the milk which is the first food designed for it, and it is intended that, if possible, she should be with the baby to train and nurture it in its earliest days and months.                                                  - Universal House of Justice, Lights of Guidance.

Prayer for My Mother | A Prayer for Mom | 'Abdu'l-Bahá | Baháʼí Gospel - YouTubewww.youtube.com › shorts