(VIDEO) a mullah in a mosque talking about the bahais

[BritishBahai]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EG-IMOD0m0
This is a recording of a top mullah talking to a group of mullahs in a mosque.
________________________________________________________________
(unofficial translation!)

Open your eyes
The bahais are causing a stir
Can you see what they have done?
Do you know this??

Can you see how their actions coincide with their teachings and this is their BEST way of teaching their faith
Are you aware of this? Are you?

A Bahai girl, in a school of 800 girls, has studied herself to such a degree and carries herself in such a way that everyone is amazed.
Are you aware of this?!

She is so dignified that anyone who doesn’t know her, thinks that she is probably the daughter of an Ayatollah… but shes a Bahai!

Look at how a Bahai girl walks, and look at how a Shia muslim girl walks!
Oh oh oh! If I go on and on, you guys will lose hope! I should just say, “hey guys, I will see you in hell tomorrow”. Honestly.

Look at what theyre doing. I don’t want to make you guys unhopeful --- I want to wake you up!
Either you (Mullahs) know how to do something or not. If not, then get lost and let other [muslims] do their job.
As soon as one of the Mullahs finally manage to do something positive, another one of you do something again.

I will say this and if anyone doesn’t like what im saying, they don’t have to come here tomorrow evening

The bahais faith is like a wolf to us and our efforts.
I will give a prize to the first person who shows me a bahai or jew who is a drug addict
You don’t see a single bahai who is a drug addict
You don’t see a single bahai whose behaviour is bad, who grabs someone by the collar to swear at them

When tested on the Quran at school, a Bahai would receive 20/20 and a Shiah Muslim would get 2/20
(Mind you, we only gave them a score of 2 because we know the student’s dad). I mean, the dad wouldnt be satisfied otherwise and would get angry.

I myself had a Bahai student, a Jewish student, a Christian student
I swear to ((the Mullah mentions a few holy places)) that I would give 20/20 to a bahai for their personality and behaviour ...because I cant give them 30!
In class, a Bahai student wouldnt have any quarrels with anyone, would never swear at anyone, never did he ever stir up the class, (shouts) - VERY TIDY APPEARANCE! …. But what about a Shiah?! Nothing. Search the school. You would find 2kg of substance.

[brettz9]

Furthermore, the sign of truth and falsehood is designated and appointed in the Book. By this divinely-appointed touchstone, the claims and pretensions of all men must needs be assayed, so that the truthful may be known and distinguished from the imposter. This touchstone is no other than this verse: "Wish for death, if ye are men of truth." Consider these martyrs of unquestionable sincerity, to whose truthfulness testifieth the explicit text of the Book, and all of whom, as thou hast witnessed, have sacrificed their life, their substance, their wives, their children, their all, and ascended unto the loftiest chambers of Paradise. Is it fair to reject the testimony of these detached and exalted beings to the truth of this pre-eminent and glorious Revelation and to regard as acceptable the denunciations which have been uttered against this resplendent Light by this faithless people, who for gold have forsaken their faith, and who for the sake of leadership have repudiated Him Who is the First Leader of all mankind? This, although their character is now revealed unto all people who have recognized them as those who will in no wise relinquish one jot or one tittle of their temporal authority for the sake of God's holy Faith, how much less their life, their substance, and the like.

Behold how the divine Touchstone hath, according to the explicit text of the Book, separated and distinguished the true from the false. Notwithstanding, they are still oblivious of this truth, and in the sleep of heedlessness, are pursuing the vanities of the world, and are occupied with thoughts of vain and earthly leadership.

"O Son of Man! Many a day hath passed over thee whilst thou hast busied thyself with thy fancies and idle imaginings. How long art thou to slumber on thy bed? Lift up thine head from slumber, for the Sun hath risen to the zenith; haply it may shine upon thee with the light of beauty."

Baha'u'llah, Kitab-i-Iqan, par. 252-254)

[Allah Is The Truth]

I personally think it is wrong to generalize any group of people as being good, or being bad. It does disservice to the individual of any group in society. I don't think this sermon is very new. A Persian Baha'i played me a sermon just like this over two years ago, and translated it for me while it was playing, and it was the same theme. Basically, the Mullah employs the old 'our enemies have good character' tactic, but then uses this tactic to lead into a conspiracy theory about how the 'enemies' are only acting good as means of propaganda to mislead people away from the 'true religion'. More shockingly, I have seen some Baha'is rejoice in this as a way to bolster how 'moral' they are. This is a dangerous slope, my friends. My advice is just to take it all with a grain of salt, and move on.

[Keyvan]

I personally think it is wrong to generalize any group of people as being good, or being bad. It does disservice to the individual of any group in society. I don't think this sermon is very new. A Persian Baha'i played me a sermon just like this over two years ago, and translated it for me while it was playing, and it was the same theme. Basically, the Mullah employs the old 'our enemies have good character' tactic, but then uses this tactic to lead into a conspiracy theory about how the 'enemies' are only acting good as means of propaganda to mislead people away from the 'true religion'. More shockingly, I have seen some Baha'is rejoice in this as a way to bolster how 'moral' they are. This is a dangerous slope, my friends. My advice is just to take it all with a grain of salt, and move on.

I disagree. The fact that he leads into a conspiracy theory as an explanation for the morality just goes to accentuate how exceptional they find the morality of Baha'i's to be. As though it is so overwhelming that it must be a trick. Any rational discerning person would be able to make that distinction.

[brettz9]

As with every virtue, parallels between the macrocosm and microcosm can be found. I think the situation is like praise that we may receive as individuals. There's nothing wrong with being encouraged by praise:

If, however, a person setteth about speaking well of another, opening his lips to praise another, he will touch an answering chord in his hearers and they will be stirred up by the breathings of God. Their hearts and souls will rejoice to know that, God be thanked, here is a soul in the Faith who is a focus of human perfections, a very embodiment of the bounties of the Lord, one whose tongue is eloquent, and whose face shineth, in whatever gathering he may be, one who hath victory upon his brow, and who is a being sustained by the sweet savours of God.

(Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Baha, section 193)

Shoghi Effendi was recorded, as I recall, to have insisted to a self-effacing individual who denigrated his own work after Shoghi Effendi thanked him (I believe for his work on the electric wiring of the shrine of the Bab) that it was incumbent on us to accept the gratitude of others.

But similarly, we shouldn't get attached to such praise or let it go to our heads--or even worse, esteem ourselves above others if that praise comes at someone else's expense.

Despite saying this, I do think Baha'is can and must take pride in their own religion (and to adherence to religion in general), however, and even look down upon inferior worldly cultures--similarly to how the secular world looks down on us, but for the sake of not being cowed at every aggressive barb that comes our way and resisting dogmatic materialism's (or nationalism's or racialism's, etc.) assumptions of superiority. What I am suggesting is vastly different from exalting oneself or looking down on other individuals, however, as it is vastly different from being arrogant or dismissive of great discoveries and accomplishments of science and so on made within such cultures (or achievements of morality, if we are talking about hostile religious communities). Although I can't find it now, I do recall reading a pilgrim's note from Shoghi Effendi along these lines; and just read Mahmud's Diary for example and see how 'Abdu'l-Baha often commented about negative aspects of the culture which He saw (though obviously within a constructive light and communicated with great wisdom).

Brett

[nharandi]

I personally think it is wrong to generalize any group of people as being good, or being bad. It does disservice to the individual of any group in society. I don't think this sermon is very new. A Persian Baha'i played me a sermon just like this over two years ago, and translated it for me while it was playing, and it was the same theme. Basically, the Mullah employs the old 'our enemies have good character' tactic, but then uses this tactic to lead into a conspiracy theory about how the 'enemies' are only acting good as means of propaganda to mislead people away from the 'true religion'. More shockingly, I have seen some Baha'is rejoice in this as a way to bolster how 'moral' they are. This is a dangerous slope, my friends. My advice is just to take it all with a grain of salt, and move on.

I disagree. The fact that he leads into a conspiracy theory as an explanation for the morality just goes to accentuate how exceptional they find the morality of Baha'i's to be. As though it is so overwhelming that it must be a trick. Any rational discerning person would be able to make that distinction.

I'm a Baha'i and I still mostly agree with Allah is the Truth. I think this is hardly a reason for Baha'is everywhere to feel praised. Generalizations can't always be made. This is especially true given we cannot identify the true intent of these sermons. They don't necessarily have to mean the words but just be saying them in order to infuse motivation and better behavior among the listeners.

We probably can't help but enjoy part of the message being given, but I agree that we should take it all with a grain of salt and not put unneeded focus on any of this kind of stuff. How about we just let it be more motivation for ourselves to act (or continue to act) in the ways described?

EDIT: nicely said Brentz