1880-00-00 — In an interview with Dr Mina Yazdani, a professor of history at Eastern Kentucky University, she spoke about the long history of service to Iran that has been rendered by the Bahá'í community specifically in the fields of health, agriculture and education. She described how Bahá’í schools first emerged in the small village of Mahfuruzak in Mazandaran, where a local religious leader who had embraced the Bahá’í Faith, along with his wife, established schools for both boys and girls. Despite facing opposition that ultimately led to his imprisonment and execution, this initiative sparked a transformative movement in education across Iran.
Their school was a precursor for the Tabbiyat School system that started in Tehran in 1898 and operated until 1934. These schools were distinctive for their approach, integrating moral and academic education while emphasizing the principle of equality between women and men. Dr. Yazdani noted various examples of how these schools were progressive in their approaches: “Physical punishment in schools… was ordinary at that time, …but Bahá’í schools did not do that. And then, co-ed schools were almost non-existent. For some time, wherever possible, they were co-ed schools.”
‘Abdul-Bahá was directly involved in the promotion of agricultural activity in Iran. The efforts drew inspiration from the Bahá’í teachings, which emphasize the role of the farmer as “the first active agent in human society.” He encouraged the Bahá’ís of Iran to begin cultivating tea, so that the country would not need to rely so heavily on imported tea. “He very clearly wanted the Bahá’ís of Iran to do their best for the betterment of the country in every aspect,” she noted.
Noteworthy also are the innovative efforts of the Bahá’ís related to public health matters and hygiene initiatives. These endeavours not only attended to the immediate material needs of individuals, but introduced ideas that were novel at that time, such as installing showers in traditional Iranian bath houses. Previously, these places had been sources of infection and disease, because the water would not be changed frequently. In contrast to other bath houses, the new, clean bath houses founded by Bahá’ís were open to everyone, irrespective of denomination—an initiative that benefitted all members of society. Other examples of the provision of health services were the Sehat Hospital and the Misaghieh Hospital, both established in Tehran.
The principle of the equality of women and men has challenged prevailing social norms. She gave an example of the capability of women in both private and public spheres. “From very early on, Bahá’ís have applied the principle of the equality of rights for men and women to their private, social, and administrative lives. The rights that women have, for example, in marriage, are all based on the equality of women and men.”
Another contribution of the Bahá’í community was to introduce the practice of consultation and collective decision-making.
In spite of the difficulties for the Bahá'ís in modern day Iran due to the relentless persecution, they continue to serve the needs of their society with constructive resilience, a term often used by the Universal House of Justice to describe stalwart spirit of the Bahá'ís of Iran in the face of the unjust situation. [BWNS1756]
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