The Christian Century, Volume 72, Number 23 (June 8,
1955): p. 677
EDITORIAL
Iran Seeks to Suppress Baha'i Faith
SO RAPIDLY has Baha'iism grown into a world girdling religion that many
Westerners do not realize that in Iran, the country of its birth, it is
regarded as a schismatic Muslim sect. Iran has a state religion - Shiah
Islam. This is now giving a demonstration of the way an established
religion always tends to behave, when it thinks it can safely do so,
against nonconformity. Fanatical mullahs began preaching a national holy
war against the Baha'iists during the recent fasting month of Ramadan.
This developed enough popular tumult so that, in mid-May, the government
ordered the suppression of the movement. On May 23 troops of the Teheran
garrison moved in on the Baha'i temple in that city, built during the
reign of the present shah's father, and started razing its dome. It is
to be converted into a mosque. Of course, persecution is no new
experience for the Baha'iists; it seems to be, as the New Testament
suggests, a touchstone of the vigor of any new religion. As yet,
Persia's Baha'iists have experienced nothig to compare with the savage
martyrdoms meted out to the Bab, the Baha'i founder, and 20,000 of his
followers in the 1850s. Nor is any such massacre in prospect. However,
this outbreak of persecution in Iran is another sign of the reawakening
of Islamic spirit which is being felt through the whole length of the
Muslim world. It is unfortunate that in this case it has been diverted
into such reactionary channels, though the attack on the Baha'iists,
coming just at this time, provides an enlightening comment on the
idyllic picture of Islamic toleration presented in the May 9 issue of
Life. Meanwhile, the expansion of Baha'iism will not suffer. Its
message of a universal brotherhood based on a continuing revelation and
pointing toward a future universal government appeals to many
contemporary minds, as do its syncretistic features. Like Buddhism and
Christianity, it may discover that rejection in its birthplace is a
prelude to the gaining of strength among strangers.
Copyright ©1955 The Christian Century
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