Not My Kind

A nice editorial in the Boston Globe today about new research into the impact of "hidden bias" in the workplace. Check it out. I'll comment later.

The New Face of Racism

Check out this article on ABCNews about the twin musicians of Prussian Blue. We have so much work to do and this illustrates why educating children about the reality that human beings, in all our diversity are a single people and the earth is our common homeland is so important. "The earth is one country and mankind it citizens." This is part of why promoting the universal education of children is a central aspect of Baha'i activism.

Immigration is Everyone's Problem

Just read another article about a hot topic of discussion these days, "illegal immigration" by Daniel Pipes. There's a lot of talk about the need to build bigger walls and use the military to prevent people from entering Western countries illegally (ironic if you pause for a moment and consider the history of European and American colonialism and enslavement of peoples from the very countries they are so concerned about). Note the dehumanizing way that the people attempting to immigrate illegally are described. As a Baha'i I do not believe that poverty, deprivation or even threats to one's life are necessarily justifications for breaking the law. Because I belong to a faith community which is global I know many people personally who have had to immigrate to other countries, but who do so legally. But I also believe that all humanity is responsible for addressing the systems of oppression which concentrate wealth in the hands of a few, while denying it to the vast majority of my fellow human beings. The current world (dis)order that perpetuates such systems is a major contributor to people being so desperate that they will risk their lives to leave their homes. I do not believe that because of the accident of my being born in America that I am entitled to a better life than other people on this planet. People should be able to live in dignity in their country of origin as well as have the freedom to live in any country they chose as long as they do so legally. As Baha'u'llah has said, "The earth is one country and mankind its citizens." The idea that we can solve the problem of illegal immigration by retreating behind our borders and building the biggest possible walls, with the sharpest razor wire and soldiers armed to the teeth is a fantasy. Not only is it spiritually and morally bankrupt, it is impractical. We need real leadership which is focused on creating a global order that reflects the reality that humanity is a single people and the earth is our common homeland. Immigration is everyone's problem.

God, International Court, and Poverty

Today has a real wealth of editorials in the Boston Globe addressing issues directly relevant to Baha'i teaching and activism. One is about the concept of God being beyond human comprehension, contrasted the with concepts of God at play politically, socially and culturally in current events that begin with the assumption that we know what God is and what God does. The second deals with the process of convicting Saddam Hussein of crimes against humanity and the importance of International Courts in general. The third addresses the debate over whether poverty is primarily a social problem or a cultural problem and references the oft quoted but usually misinterpreted "the poor will always be with us." First, Baha'is view "God" as unknowable and beyond human comprehension. Because of this that "Essence of Essences" we refer to as God has sent those transcendent Figures of history who we commonly associate with the founding of the worlds relgions, such as Moses, Christ or Muhammad. These Figures "manifest" (meaning to reveal) God's love and knowledge and act as Educators of the souls of humanity who have advanced the process of spiritual development both personally and socially throughout history. Everthing that we "know" about God is what has been revealed to us through the "Manifestations" of God who like mirrors, reflect God's attributes in this world.
As for the International Criminal Court and the trying of world leaders such as Saddam Hussein for their crimes, the Baha'i writings anticipate the founding of such a court as part of the developing of a new social order, a World Order where justice is the organizing principle. Supporting the developing of such a court and a system of international law in general is an area of focus of Baha'i Activism as a described in a previous post. As for poverty, the Baha'i writings emphasize that those who possess wealth have a moral responsibility to "guard" the poor who are God's "trust" and not be "content with your own ease". Eliminating extremes of wealth and poverty through both legal means and voluntary giving is a critical prerequisite of world peace. However transformation at the individual level is also required and habits that do not contribute to "an ever advancing civilization" are to be abandoned. Individuals are expected to work and be "fruitful" and work done in a spirit of service is elevated in Baha'i teaching to an act of worship. Change is necessary at all three levels of human experience, conscious, character and community as I also mentioned in a previous post and Manifestations of God, the Educators of humanity have demonstrated their ability to effect change at all three levels. This has been their unique contribution to the advancement of civilization.

More Frustration

I watched a fair amount of the coverage of the Millions More Movement yesterday with mixed emotions. It was encouraging to see and hear black people making an effort to unite for our advancement, including reaching out to Native Americans and Latinos. Once again people gathered in Washington to "dramatize a shameful condition" as Dr. King said some 40 years ago on that very spot. Unfortunately, the frustration and anger was palpable and most of the speakers put forth the same limited concepts and paradigms about what is necessary to change the "shameful condition" under which too many human beings, black and white have to live in the current world (dis)order. There were some truly inspiring moments such as when the Prime Minister of Jamaica gave his address, but there was also a lot of overheated rhetoric and political posturing. You can read about some of the remarks of Louis Farrakhan here. Ironically on the same day as the Millions More Movement, black folks in Toledo, Ohio rioted in response to the attempt by a Neo-Nazi group to march in that city. You can read about the riot here. Guess you could call yesterday a day of frustration. I'm reminded of the Words of Baha'u'llah, "Sanctify your ears from the idle talk of them who are the symbols of denial and the exponents of violence and anger."

Still Vital, Still Challenging

Just read an article put out by the Anti-Defamation League about various white supremacist reactions to Hurricane Katrina. Pretty disturbing stuff, you can read the article here. Articles like these demonstrate how much work we have yet to do toward helping our fellow Americans to recognize the oneness of humanity and to create a social order that reflects that reality, rather than various racist fantasies that have been created over the last 400 years. The Baha'i International Community issued a wonderful statement to the World Conference on Racism that took place in Durban South Africa in 2001 that is a nice antidote to the sad and bizarre statements people made in the ADL article.
Read both and let me know what you think.

MillionsMoreMovement

I was just reading about the Millions More Movement gathering that will be happening in Washington D.C. this weekend. It is being presented as a commemoration of the Million Man March which took place in 1995. I will not be attending, but will follow coverage of the proceedings closely. This has the potential to be yet another dramatization of how racism is America's most vital and challenging issue as stated in the Baha'i writings. You can read about the Movement here.
I was also reading an interview with Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice in Ebony magazine that is worth checking out if you get the chance. I've been inspired to try and provide information, links and commetaries on "the pupil of the eye" as people of African Descent have been characterized by Baha'u'llah the Founder of the Baha'i Faith. Stay tuned for updates on the Millions More Movement and other interesting developments.

Persecution of Baha'is in Iran

Just reviewed a new website detailing the latest persecution of the Baha'i community of Iran through denying higher education to Baha'i youth. That people claiming to be the followers of the Prophet Muhammed(on Him be peace)engage in such unjust behavior breaks my heart especially as it is motivated purely by blind prejudice. The courage of the Baha'is of Iran in the face of their persecution, however is a source of great inspiration. You can read about the current situation and the history of the persecution of the Iranian Baha'i community here.

Religion vs. Science: Unintelligent Debate

I read several more letters to the editor today regarding the debate over Intelligent Design being taught along side evolution in schools. As a Baha'i I view religion and science as harmonious and complementary approaches to knowledge both of which are necessary for the advancement of civilization. We actually just had international conference in Cambridge dedicated to religion, science and society that you can read about here.Like so many of the challenging issues facing humanity in this age, people have created a false dichotomy that we then spend countless hours fighting over. Framing the debate between evolution and creationism as being a clash between religion and science is misleading. I know many seriously scientific people who are also serious about their religion and see no conflict between the two. This whole struggle right now is really more about politics than religion or science. Let's be clear, on the religious side you have a group of fundamentalist Christians who are seeking to impose their interpretation of the Bible on society, to create an America in their image. The Intelligent Design issue is part of that broader strategy. On the scientific side you have many people who are dogmatic materialists who deny any spiritual dimension to reality or who view faith as a purely personal matter with no relevance to the public sphere. I believe that this debate is driven largely by extremists on both sides who share a common goal, to impose their version of reality on other people. This is a struggle for the power to promote one's view of the world while marginalizing any alternative perspective.

Baha'i Activism: Search for Values

You'll recall from my earlier post about Baha'i activism how I mentioned the second aspect of a global strategy was influencing those processes leading toward world peace. The Baha'i International Community which is represented at the United Nations has issued a statement called The Search For Values in an Age of Transition in honor of the 60th anniversary of the United Nations. You can read the full text of the statement here. Statements such as these offer a Baha'i perspective to the ongoing conversation about the future of the human family and act as a transformative force. Responses to the statement are most welcome. Let me know what you think.

Be a Man! Work for Gender Equality

Just read a morally enraging piece by Daniel Pipes about "Sex Tourism" in India involving young girls. One of the things that I've always appreciated about Baha'i teaching on the necessity of gender equality is that men have a religious and moral responsibility to promote it. It is not just a passive acceptance that women are our equals, but active involvement in transforming the social order that is required. It is also not simply a case of political correctness or conforming to post-modern or "Western" social norms. For a Baha'i man it springs from his love for God and is an act of obedience. Sadly, that the men in the article are manipulating "loop-holes" in religious laws to justify their behavior speaks to the Baha'i view that traditional religious institutions are in a state of decline just as great as secular institutions. Such systemic, religiously sanctioned hypocrisy is one of the reasons that at the very moment in human history when the positive influence of religion is most needed, many people have ceased looking to religion for spiritual or moral guidance regarding the challenges of the day.

Addiction: Triumph of the Animal Aspect

As you know from my profile, I'm a clinician working in the addictions field. I've been wanted to post a Baha'i view about addiction for a while, so here goes. It begins with a Baha'i view of what a human being is. The reality of the human being is the soul and the mind is its essential quality, "Spirit is the tree and mind is the fruit". The Baha'i writings point out that another aspect of the human being is the material or animal aspect. Our spiritual development in this world involves the struggle of the soul to transcend the animal or material aspect of our lives so that the animal aspect can become a vehicle that serves the progress of the soul rather than enslaving it. Addiction turns this divine process on its head and puts the animal aspect firmly in control, spiritually, morally and mentally. It is the ultimate triumph of the animal side of our nature. A human being becomes defined by the need to gratify their animal desire for pleasure and need to avoid pain. That is why we find that people with addictions do things that are dehumanizing to them and everyone around them. This is why addiction is one of the greatest afflictions that a human being can suffer from. Recovering from addictions involves putting the animal aspect of our nature back in its proper place as a servant of the soul's progress in this world. It is thus a spiritual and moral process in addition to a mental and physical one.

American Symphony

Below is a letter I've written in response to an article attacking a friend of mine for convening a gathering for women of color that caused contraversy at her university. We are living in a strange time as far as race goes. Enjoy.

Dear author

I just read your article about the recent gathering for Women of Color at Northeastern and wanted to respond. An analogy that I've heard many times regarding these kinds of gatherings goes like this, America in all its diversity is like an orchestra that when it works well plays magnificent, soul stirring music. From time to time, in order to work on their parts, the different sections get together on their own and rehearse. They then return to the orchestra and because they have practiced on their own they are able to contribute to the harmony of the whole. The women of color gathering is similar. In order to make their contributions to the betterment of all Americans, people of color need opportunities to come together and work on their part. They need the freedom and safety to do so without others insisting on being there. Why is that so threatening to people? Your article suggests that you have felt accused of being an oppressor or racist at times and you suggest that because of your family history you cannot be held responsible for slavery. I believe that all of us have to get free of the tired debates about who's to blame, who's a racist, an oppressor and so on. It is simply irrelevant. All Americans have a stake in working to eliminate racism from our society because racism is bad for all Americans and is bad for humanity. Period. I think that people have to ask themselves why a few women from minority backgrounds getting together for a few hours of their lives is worthy of such strong reactions. These ladies did not advocate some radical racial separation for all time, enslaving white Americans or overthrowing the government. They met, had a conversation that from what I understand was empowering to them and then went right back to their multiracial American lives. There are many things happening in America at this very moment that are worthy of passionate outrage. The Women of Color meeting is simply not one of them.

Sweet Dreams Are Made of These

So a couple of nights ago I had a dream about 'Abdu'l-Baha. For folks who are not familiar with who He is, He was appointed by Baha'u'llah, the Founder of the Baha'i Faith as the Head of the Baha'i community after Baha'u'llah's passing, the Center of His Covenant with His followers and the Interpreter of His Words. 'Abdu'l-Baha is also viewed by Baha'is as the perfect Exemplar of the Baha'i Teachings. So in this dream He appeared very radiant and happy and went swiftly up a flight of stairs. I followed Him into a room where he was sitting in a chair. I approached Him and He opened His hands and I placed my hands in His. His hands were very warm and rough with age and much suffering. I knelt down and placed my forehead on His hands and started to cry and cry. Neither of us said a word to each other. I woke up and felt a great deal of joy and happiness. I have no idea what the meaning of this dream was but have enjoyed sharing it with people who are interested in these things. Comments on what you think it meant are welcome.