Baha'i Faith

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Baha'i Faith

Baha'u'llah, the prophet-founder of the Baha'i faith, was born in Teheran, Iran, in 1817. The religion he founded grew out of nineteenth-century Shiite messianic expectations, much as Christianity grew out of similar expectations within Judaism. In claiming to be the latest messenger from God with new divinely revealed laws, Baha'u'llah irremediably separated the new religion from its Islamic background.

Among the principles promulgated in Baha'i writings was the equality of women and men. That equality does not refer solely to the spiritual plane, for Baha'i scriptures explicitly state that education for women and men should be identical and that women should be active in political affairs. The major exception to that principle is women's exclusion from service in the Universal House of Justice, the Baha'i community's supreme governing body. Nonetheless, representation of women in top Baha'i administrative positions is high. According to statistics cited at the Fourth World Women's Forum in Beijing in 1995, women constituted about 30 percent of the Baha'i leadership at the national level and about half of those serving in local Baha'i communities.

WOMEN IN BAHA'U'LLAH'S WRITINGS

The writings of Baha'u'llah unequivocally proclaim the equality of men and women, asserting that "in this Day the Hand of divine grace hath removed all distinction. The Servants of God and His handmaidens are regarded on the same plane." Elsewhere he suggests that differences between the sexes are the result of vain imaginings and idle fancies that have been destroyed with the new revelation. Baha'u'llah further insists on the education of girls, a requirement that Baha'u'llah's son, 'Abdu'l-Baha, took further by giving girls preference in cases in which not all children could be educated.

The Kitab-i-Aqdas, the book that contains Baha'i sacred law, was written in Arabic, a language that requires the use of the male gender for collective terms. For that reason most of its admonitions and laws appear to be addressed to men. Baha'is, however, generally have not understood the greater part of the Aqdas in this manner. 'Abdu'l Baha, for instance, insisted that although the Aqdas appears to allow bigamy, this is conditioned on equal treatment of both wives, an impossibility that made monogamy alone permissible. Shoghi Effendi, who led the Baha'i community between 1921 and 1957, stated that women have the same rights as men to sue for divorce and that in most cases the laws in the Aqdas apply to persons of both sexes except when the context makes this impossible. For instance, since the Aqdas allows but does not encourage a man to divorce his wife if she falsely represented herself as a virgin before marriage, a woman may divorce a man in the same circumstances.

When read within the context of nineteenth-century Iran, the Kitab-i Aqdas presents startling contrasts to the norms of male-female relations. Although the Aqdas makes it optional for women to perform the obligatory prayers or fast during their menses, within Islam they are not permitted to do so at all because they are regarded as ritually unclean at such times, a concept that is not found in Baha'i teachings. Perhaps more surprising is Baha'u'llah's treatment of sexual issues. The sexuality of women in both Judaism and Islam has been seen as a potentially dangerous force that threatens the honor of the family and indeed the entire social fabric. For this reason adultery historically carried very high penalties, usually death. In contrast, according to the Aqdas, adulterers are subject to a fine, not the death penalty. There are some minor disparities between men and women in matters of inheritance, with the presumption being that men will provide the major means of support for the family. However, the laws in the Aqdas apply only to cases in which the deceased did not leave a will as required by Baha'i law. This leaves Baha'is free to make adjustments in accordance with their individual situations.

As in Islam, women have independent property rights even when they are married. The dowry or bride-price is presented by the groom to the bride, but there are strict limits on the amount of the dowry, making it a largely symbolic payment. Couples are required to obtain parental permission before marriage but are expected to select their own partners. Monogamous marriage between members of the opposite sex is regarded as the only acceptable outlet for sexual relations; thus, both premarital sex and homosexual conduct are not allowed. Procreation is regarded as the primary purpose of sex. Baha'is place no value on celibacy for its own sake, and monasticism is forbidden. Baha'is are encouraged to marry and live productive lives.

It has been argued that the exclusive use of the male gender in referring to God leads to a perpetuation of male dominance. Although Baha'u'llah's Arabic writings necessitated the use of the male gender in reference to God, the Persian language has no gender. However, thus far references to God have been translated using the male gender regardless of the original language. Perhaps more interesting is Baha'u'llah's treatment of the symbol of the Heavenly Maiden, or huri. In the Qur'anic vision of paradise black-eyed damsels, or huris, are thought to serve believers. Within the Baha'i context of fulfilled eschatology the huri comes to symbolize the holy spirit, the personification of Baha'u'llah's revelation and the vehicle through which he receives it.

WOMEN AND BAHA'I ADMINISTRATIVE INSTITUTIONS

Initially the prohibition against women serving in houses of justice was thought to apply to all administrative institutions, but in 1909 'Abdu'l-Baha stated that it applied only to the Universal House of Justice. In Iran their inclusion was implemented very gradually. Although women were allowed to vote in the Iranian Baha'i community, it was not until 1954 that they were permitted to serve in Baha'i institutions.

ABORTION AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

According to the Universal House of Justice, abortion "merely to prevent the birth of an unwanted child is strictly forbidden" (from a letter written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to the National Spiritual Assembly of Ireland, March 16, 1983). However, abortion is permitted for medical reasons and in cases of rape. Domestic violence is condemned in the strongest terms.