Religion Can, Should Help Decrease Domestic Violence

Mr. Kenneth E Bowers thank you for your comments.
Please advised, according to what practical standard of application must Justice be applied to met a just and fair balance in our human world of mankind?

Paul,

It seems constricting your conversations solely to people who agree with you has severely corroded your reasoning abilities. In any case, the non-sequitor in your assertion is awe-inspiring, if somewhat nauseating that you take yourself seriously.

We who "blame" religion for perpetuating abuse of women also practise the change we want to be: We have thrown off the superstitious dogmatism of Abrahamic religion (including the Bahá'í Faith) that teaches women's inferiority and we encourage others to do so as well, embracing love of humanity for humanity's sake (not for the sake of an invisible patriarch in the sky).

Your narrow-minded emphasis on "unity" is the ironic evil that motivates Bahá'í institutions to conceal the abuses that happen in their community for fear of "tarnishing the image of the Faith". If you had even bothered to read anything in the foregoing discussion instead of immediately launching into your public relations repair work (always "defending the faith", aren't we?), you would have already seen that complaint.

There is without question an advancement in the equality of men and women. There is one God, therefore there is only one religion. It has always been here and always will be. Investigation is a requirement. Unity is the ultimate goal.
You can blame religion for the problems of mankind and you can blame religion for your own problems. But that usually means you know you can make a difference, you know you can make a change, and you choose not to.

The references to fear of "tarnishing the image of the Faith" is a good reminder that this is precisely the argument used by all religions to prevent the public airing of internal problems.

We've seen it with the Catholic church, which spent decades denying that any of its clergy were involved in child sexual abuse. It required thousands of cases in hundreds of dioceses for the church to finally acknowledge the truth, and even then, the extent of the problem was downplayed to protect the image of the church (and its overflowing coffers) from costly litigation.

We've seen it with the Mormon church, which exacts severe punishment on members who write or make public comments that are "not faith-promoting." This includes writing about actual, fact-based Mormon history that the church would like everyone to forget about (e.g., polygamy, ban on black priesthood, etc.).

In short, anything a religion has to be ashamed of (and they all have quite a bit) should be hidden from sight so as not to "tarnish" its shining exterior -- never mind what's going on in the seething interior.

And tragically, where abuse of women is concerned, the directive to hide the truth is conveniently already a part of the scriptures of most religions.

so sad. You neither commented on the case at hand, which is the beheading of a woman by her muslim husband, nor did you give any insight or opinion on the matter. all you did was take the opportunity to promote your own religion and thus your own profession. Great Job.

I was led to investigate the Baha'i faith due to the recent persecutions and the powerful video that opened my eyes (www.kdkfactory.com/quench/). I am happy to see that Baha'is are involved in different aspects of the society.

Does your national headwaters work with the local ones regarding domestic violence?

GC, you are off topic. Please move your discussion over to the appropriate article (i.e., Kenny Bowers' previous entry about investigating truth).

Ross Campbell is the public voice of the so-called "Orthodox Baha'is" and is well aware that the National Spiitual Assembly of the Baha'is of the United States is not trying to deprive the "Orthodox Baha'is" of their right to believe as they wish, of their life, property, or any other civil right. Baha'is are bound to uphold these, even for someone who has been expelled from the Baha'i community. What the case was about is the methodology of his organization to misuse identifying trademarks of the Baha'i Faith to make others believe that their organization represents the Baha'i Faith rather than the extremely small schismatic group for which he speaks.

The Baha'i Faith has a covenant that preserves the unity of the Baha'i Faith. It explicitly names those who are the Head of the Faith and the conditions under which succession occurs. The 9-member Universal House of Justice is the head of the worldwide Baha'i Faith. One who violates this covenant by attempting to set up a schismatic group and competing institutions is expelled. Mr. Campbell is one such person. One term used in Baha'i scriptures for such excommunicants is "covenant-breaker" or "violator of the covenant."

While Mr. Campbell attacks the Baha'i community for using the term "covenant-breaker," he fails to explain that his own organization has repeatedly attacked the members of the worldwide Baha'i community in the same terms that he claims to abhor.

It should be repeated that the worldwide Baha'i Faith does not, nor would ever, seek the persecution of those who have been removed from membership in the Baha'i community for violation of the covenant. Baha'is have spiritual obligations regarding non-association with expelled individuals, but they are absolutely bound, by common humanity and the teachings of their Faith, to accord those expelled from the Baha'i community the same civil and human rights that are due to all by their common humanity. Mr. Campbell well knows this.

Ross, you may be right, but it's completely irrelevant to the current topic, which is abuse of women through religion. You wouldn't want random people changing your conversations' topics, so please return the courtesy here.

While we deplore the abuse and injustices of Iranian authorities towards Bahá'ís in that Nation, we consider that readers should be informed that The National Spiritual Assembly of Bahá'ís of the United States is acting with a similar attitude and plans towards Orthodox Bahá'ís in America as the attitude and plans of Iranian authorities towards Bahá'ís who live in
that Nation. The National Spiritual Assembly of Bahá'ís of the United States is attempting to use U.S. Courts to force Orthodox Bahá'ís to stop practicing their Faith, stopping them from identifying themselves as Bahá'ís or using the name Bahá'í or the symbols of their Faith. The National Spiritual Assembly failed in its Court Action to deprive Orthodox Bahá'ís of their freedom of religion and now the National Spiritual Assembly filed an appeal to the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals of Judge Amy J. St. Eve's decision in favor of the Orthodox Bahá'í Faith. Here is the link which leads to the details of the Court Action:

http://www.truebahai.com/court_case.html

Evidently the goal/plan of the leadership of the large body of Bahá'ís concerning Orthodox Bahá'ís parallels the goal/plan of Islamic leaders in Iran towards Bahá'ís, namely to eradicate them, and the justification of the leadership of the large body of Bahá'ís for its actions against Orthodox Bahá'ís is identical, namely, that it considers Orthodox Bahá'ís to be apostates (heretical/Covenant-breakers).

The most astonishing fact related to this circumstance is that this article has the title:

"A Duty and Privilege to Investigate Truth"

and yet the National Spiritual Assembly of the U.S.A. forbids its members/adherents to communicate with Orthodox Bahá'ís and its NSA counterpart in Canada has sent out official letters banning its adherents from communicating with one who became Orthodox Bahá'í. This is the link to those official letters: http://lavaleo.tripod.com/cgi-bin/ross.html

Bahá'ís are persecuted in Iran essentially for providing Muslims in that Nation the opportunity to exercise their "Duty and Privilege to Investigate Truth", and the Islamic clergy in Iran seeks to eradicate the Bahá'í Faith for providing that opportunity, while at the very same time the National Spiritual Assembly of Bahá'ís in America is seeking to use Court action to eradicate the Orthodox Bahá'í Faith for providing the large body of Bahá'ís in America with the opportunity to exercise their "Duty and Privilege to Investigate Truth" which Truth Orthodox Bahá'ís believe that they are holding forth just as Bahá'ís in Iran believe that they are holding forth Truth for Muslims to investigate.

Cordially,
Ross

No one here has said that the Baha’i community has a worse record with domestic violence than any other religious community. But to insist that it has a BETTER record than others is wishful thinking. I, too, have been a victim of domestic violence within the Baha’i community, and have known personally many, many women who have been encouraged to reconcile with their abusive husbands, even after their husbands have literally tried to kill them. Women are counseled not to “backbite”, and therefore abusers are able to function in the community without public knowledge of their actions, and are able repeat these behaviors in other relationships as well.

As with every other community, domestic violence in the Baha’i community is a very real issue. Until people are more concerned with the safety of women and children than they are with the reputation of the Baha’i faith, it will not be dealt with in an honest and effective manner. The guidelines discussed by Mr. Bowers are indeed an excellent first step. If they were enforced as frequently as the rule not to backbite, they might be more effective.

As a Baha'i, I want to share with readers that the last several years has brought the domestic violence front and foresquare to the attention of Baha'i community. This has been done via publication of articles in widely distributed Baha'i periodicals, community discussions and administrative development programs for Local Spiritual Assemblies, which are comprised of elected members of local communities. In clear, unrestricted language the message is clear that Baha'i administration has a zero-tolerance policy for domestic abuse. Also, firsthand, I have seen swift action when there was a case in question, which immediately made provisions for at-risk-for-abuse family members to find haven until they could safely resettle themselves.

If Baha'i community members have had domestic violence issues not appropriately or adequately addressed by their local Baha'i administrations, they they, unfortunately, deserved better. In recent years, Baha'i administration has made it resoundingly clear that at-risk individuals are to use the legal remedies available in their jurisdictions to minimize their contact with an abusive family member, in addition to seeking support from their local Baha'i administrations.

Functioning all over the globe are Baha'i supported and Baha'i inspired programs to promote the benefits of gender equality, to safeguard the rights of victims and to open new pathways for communities to provide equal opportunities for education and employment. Gender inequality lies at the crux of domestic violence, and one can find numerous Baha'is involved in academic research, policy development and direct aid services, whose common goal is to end domestic violence through sustainable practices. This means working to reduce immediate risk through physical and material protection, and reshaping values to appreciate the reality of the benefits of gender equality for women and men.

I don't want to depict the greater Baha'i religious community as any worse off than any other, but to lend some reality to this discussion, I feel a need to present my own experience as a Baha'i. I didn't have to be a Baha'i for 46 years to witness and experience domestic violence and institutionalized sexual abuse. I know of other examples of moral and criminal misconduct in Baha'i communities. But again, Baha'is are only human. Let's recognize that, so that Baha'i solutions to human problems in Baha'i communities can be crafted. I applaud the American Baha'i leadership for recognizing the need for an actionable plan. Enough denial already.

To Amanda, my heart goes out to you. The problems you experienced resulted from real human ignorance, not, I think, a systemic problem in the Baha'i community. As Baha'is and Baha'i institutions have gained greater understanding, the institutions have attained greater capacity to address these issues directly and with concern for justice and protection.

Mavaddat, you may not be aware that Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Baha'i Faith, appointed his aunt, Bahiyyih Khanum ('Abdu'l-Baha's sister), to lead the Baha'i Faith for lengthy periods of several months each during the early period of his leadership.

Certain types of leadership in the Baha'i Faith also fall to individuals of high rank - Hands of the Cause of God and Counselors. In both cases, many of these leaders were an are women.

A clergyman of the Evangelical Luthran Church once attempted to corner me with a question about the male membership of the Universal House of Justice. My response was a simple statement and a question: "While Baha'u'llah specialized the Universal House of Justice to men, for reasons we do not know, forty percent of the members of local and national Baha'i councils, and the Boards of Counselors, are women. How many Evangelical Lutheran Church clergy are women?" The answer at the time was 17%.

One can criticize the fact that the Manifestation of God was male and that the successive appointed leaders were male, but one cannot change the fact that equality of women and men is a fundamental social principle of the Baha'i Faith that is being implemented in the real world. That is what, in the end, counts.

So sayeth Wendy of 46 years faith: "Indeed, a woman was at one time the head of the Baha'i Faith, so women obviously have a revered and honored position." Let us review...

In the beginning, Siyyid `Alí Muḥammad (Persian male) titled himself "gate" and created an eponymous religion. Then came Mírzá Ḥusayn-`Alí (Persian male) who titled himself "glory" and claimed to fulfill that religion, thus creating his own eponymous religion. After his death, his son `Abbás Effendí (Persian male) was appointed its head, and he titled himself "slave". After his death, he appointed his grandson Shoghi (Persian male), who eschewed his predecessor's falsidical self-effacement by accepting the title of "guardian". After his death, an emergency committee was formed by Bahá'ís (male and female) formerly recognized by Shoghi as effective in propagating or defending the religion. They elected a legislative head of the religion, as prescribed by Ḥusayn-`Alí in a prolix letter of capricious rules, which he later described as the most holy book. This legislative body ironically entitled itself "universal justice house" (approximately) and restricted its body's membership to men -- exclusively.

In this narrative, whence did a female leader arise? Could someone assist?

Having been a Baha'i for 46 years, I can't say I have seen very much violence of any kind in the Baha'i community, let alone towards women. I'm really sorry Amanda had such a negative experience, but I don't think it's typical, and I don't think she can speak for the entire Baha'i Community, which exists in almost every country. The basic principles Baha'u'llah laid out as the foundation of the Faith include nonviolence and the equality of men and women. Indeed, a woman was at one time the head of the Baha'i Faith, so women obviously have a revered and honored position. As a woman myself, it has been rare that I ever felt I wasn't treated as an equal by the Baha'i men I've known. Baha'is come from all kinds of religious backgrounds and cultures, so naturally, some influences may have an effect on some people's thinking, and we are all growing in our understanding of Baha'i values, but on the whole I think the community does very well and is trying very hard to exemplify their own peaceful beliefs and practices, as Ken Bowers shows in his article. No one is perfect, of course, but it seems to me Baha'is do a good job at letting "deeds not words be [their] adorning." After all, believing in nonviolence wouldn't do much good if it weren't acted upon in all circumstances.

The recent murder in NY of Aasiya Zubair by her husband (co-founders of Bridges TV) has provoked a great deal of soul-searching in the US Muslim community about the violence women experience in their Faith community. It has also provoked a dismaying amount of lip service by imams who otherwise have shown hostility and indifference to the needs of women seeking their help and refuge from intimate and family violence. Lip service that, lacking any history of actual support and advocacy of real victims, seems motivated by a fear of “tarnishing the image of the Faith.” I can’t help but notice that this post falls so close on the heels of that lip service.

I hope that Mr. Bower’s post will draw people’s attention to the Guidelines he mentioned. But I also hope it will draw attention to the dire need of the majority of Bahá’í victims within the Bahá’í community, who are not being served by those Guidelines.

Women are inelegible for election to the highest level of leadership in the Baha'i community. Until the structural, patriarchal gender inequities in Baha'i law, administration, and culture are rooted out- Baha'i culture will continue to be an unsafe place for women.

I am equally dismayed and heartened by the existence of this post on Domestic Violence. As a survivor of Domestic Violence in the Bahá’í community, I can unfortunately report that the Bahá’í community has a severe problem with this issue. All communities, religious or secular, deal with abuse, it is not unique to cultures that originate in an Islamic, Bahá’í or Middle Eastern context. However, there are particulars of Bahá’í culture, Bahá’í law, and Bahá’í administrative organization that make it extremely difficult for Bahá’í victims to ever find justice or peace. Bahá’í victims- be they men, women, or children, face the double burden of a community that largely empowers abusers. The Guidelines cited by Ken Bowers are, in large part, lovely- and in large part, never followed by local or national (or international) Bahá’í communities. There are individual Bahá’ís of good conscience in most localities, and usually women know which women it is safe to turn to for help. But turning to a Bahá’í institution for help if you are being abused commonly results in the following:
1) Being told to “seek unity” with your abuser
2) Being told to “not backbite or find fault with your abuser,” and to instead, focus on your own “spiritual growth”
3) Referral to Bahá’í administrative bodies exclusively, discouragement from informing outside civil authorities, lest it “tarnish the image of the Faith”
4) Extreme pressure to remain married to your abuser, in cases of spousal abuse