'Abdu'l-Bahá on the Journey of the Soul

Therefore I say that man must travel in the way of God. Day by day he must endeavor to become better, his belief must increase and become firmer, his good qualities and his turning to God must be greater, the fire of his love must flame more brightly; then day by day he will make progress, for to stop advancing is the means of going back. The bird when he flies soars ever higher and higher, for as soon as he stops flying he will come down. Every day, in the morning when arising you should compare today with yesterday and see in what condition you are. If you see your belief is stronger and your heart more occupied with God and your love increased and your freedom from the world greater then thank God and ask for the increase of these qualities. You must begin to pray and repent for all that you have done that is wrong and you must implore and ask for help and assistance that you may become better than yesterday so that you may continue to make progress.[1]

The wisdom of the appearance of the spirit in the body is this: the human spirit is a Divine Trust, and it must traverse all conditions, for its passage and movement through the conditions of existence will be the means of its acquiring perfections. So when a man travels and passes through different regions and numerous countries with system and method, it is certainly a means of his acquiring perfection, for he will see places, scenes and countries, from which he will discover the conditions and states of other nations. He will thus become acquainted with the geography of countries and their wonders and arts; he will familiarize himself with the habits, customs and usages of peoples; he will see the civilization and progress of the epoch; he will become aware of the policy of governments and the power and capacity of each country. It is the same when the human spirit passes through the conditions of existence: it will become the possessor of each degree and station. Even in the condition of the body it will surely acquire perfections.

Besides this, it is necessary that the signs of the perfection of the spirit should be apparent in this world, so that the world of creation may bring forth endless results, and this body may receive life and manifest the divine bounties. So, for example, the rays of the sun must shine upon the earth, and the solar heat develop the earthly beings; if the rays and heat of the sun did not shine upon the earth, the earth would be uninhabited, without meaning; and its development would be retarded. In the same way, if the perfections of the spirit did not appear in this world, this world would be unenlightened and absolutely brutal. By the appearance of the spirit in the physical form, this world is enlightened. As the spirit of man is the cause of the life of the body, so the world is in the condition of the body, and man is in the condition of the spirit. If there were no man, the perfections of the spirit would not appear, and the light of the mind would not be resplendent in this world. This world would be like a body without a soul.

This world is also in the condition of a fruit tree, and man is like the fruit; without fruit the tree would be useless.

Moreover, these members, these elements, this composition, which are found in the organism of man, are an attraction and magnet for the spirit; it is certain that the spirit will appear in it. So a mirror which is clear will certainly attract the rays of the sun. It will become luminous, and wonderful images will appear in it - that is to say, when these existing elements are gathered together according to the natural order, and with perfect strength, they become a magnet for the spirit, and the spirit will become manifest in them with all its perfections.

Under this conditions it cannot be said, "What is the necessity for the rays of the sun to descend upon the mirror?" - for the connection which exists between the reality of things, whether they be spiritual or material, requires that when the mirror is clear and faces the sun, the light of the sun must become apparent in it. In the same way, when the elements are arranged and combined in the most glorious system, organization and manner, the human spirit will appear and be manifest in them. This is the decree of the Powerful, the Wise.[2]

You have asked why it was necessary for the soul that was from God to make this journey back to God? ...

Man must walk in many paths and be subjected to various processes in his evolution upward. Physically he is not born in full stature but passes through consecutive stages of fetus, infant, childhood, youth, maturity and old age. Suppose he had the power to remain young throughout his life. He then would not understand the meaning of old age and could not believe it existed. If he could not realize the condition of old age, he would not know that he was young. He would not know the difference between young and old without experiencing the old. Unless you have passed through the state of infancy, how would you know this was an infant beside you? If there were no wrong, how would you recognize the right? If it were not for sin, how would you appreciate virtue? If evil deeds were unknown, how could you commend good actions? If sickness did not exist, how would you understand health? Evil is nonexistent; it is the absence of good. Sickness is the loss of health; poverty, the lack of riches. When wealth disappears, you are poor; you look within the treasure box but find nothing there. Without knowledge there is ignorance; therefore, ignorance is simply the lack of knowledge. Death is the absence of life. Therefore, on the one hand, we have existence; on the other, nonexistence, negation or absence of existence.

Briefly, the journey of the soul is necessary. The pathway of life is the road which leads to divine knowledge and attainment. Without training and guidance the soul could never progress beyond the conditions of its lower nature, which is ignorant and defective.[3]

In the beginning of his human life man was embryonic in the world of the matrix. There he received capacity and endowment for the reality of human existence. The forces and powers necessary for this world were bestowed upon him in that limited condition. In this world he needed eyes; he received them potentially in the other. He needed ears; he obtained them there in http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifreadiness and preparation for his new existence. The powers requisite in this world were conferred upon him in the world of the matrix so that when he entered this realm of real existence he not only possessed all necessary functions and powers but found provision for his material sustenance awaiting him.

Therefore, in this world he must prepare himself for the life beyond. That which he needs in the world of the Kingdom must be obtained here. Just as he prepared himself in the world of the matrix by acquiring forces necessary in this sphere of existence, so, likewise, the indispensable forces of the divine existence must be potentially attained in this world.

What is he in need of in the Kingdom which transcends the life and limitation of this mortal sphere? That world beyond is a world of sanctity and radiance; therefore, it is necessary that in this world he should acquire these divine attributes. In that world there is need of spirituality, faith, assurance, the knowledge and love of God. These he must attain in this world so that after his ascension from the earthly to the heavenly Kingdom he shall find all that is needful in that eternal life ready for him.

That divine world is manifestly a world of lights; therefore, man has need of illumination here. That is a world of love; the love of God is essential. It is a world of perfections; virtues, or perfections, must be acquired. That world is vivified by the breaths of the Holy Spirit; in this world we must seek them. That is the Kingdom of everlasting life; it must be attained during this vanishing existence.

By what means can man acquire these things? How shall he obtain these merciful gifts and powers? First, through the knowledge of God. Second, through the love of God. Third, through faith. Fourth, through philanthropic deeds. Fifth, through self-sacrifice. Sixth, through severance from this world. Seventh, through sanctity and holiness. Unless he acquires these forces and attains to these requirements, he will surely be deprived of the life that is eternal. But if he possesses the knowledge of God, becomes ignited through the fire of the love of God, witnesses the great and mighty signs of the Kingdom, becomes the cause of love among mankind and lives in the utmost state of sanctity and holiness, he shall surely attain to second birth, be baptized by the Holy Spirit and enjoy everlasting existence.[4]

[1] 'Abdu'l-Bahá, in Star of the West 8, no. 6 (24 June 1917): p. 68.
[2] `Abdu'l-Bahá, Some Answered Questions (Wilmette: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1964), pp. 200-02.
[3] 'Abdu'l-Bahá, The Promulgation of Universal Peace (Wilmette: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1922. 2nd edition 1982), p. 294-96.
[4] 'Abdu'l-Bahá, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, pp. 225-26.

The Soul [1]

The Bahá'í writings affirm that "the soul is a sign of God, a heavenly gem whose reality the most learned of men hath failed to grasp, and whose mystery no mind, however acute, can ever hope to unravel." [2]

Concerning the soul or spirit of human beings and its relationship to the physical body, Bahá'u'lláh explained:

Know thou that the soul of man is exalted above, and is independent of all infirmities of body or mind. That a sick person showeth signs of weakness is due to the hindrances that interpose themselves between his soul and his body, for the soul itself remaineth unaffected by any bodily ailments. ... When it leaveth the body, however, it will evince such ascendancy, and reveal such influence as no force on earth can equal ... consider the sun which hath been obscured by the clouds. Observe how its splendor appeareth to have diminished, when in reality the source of that light hath remained unchanged. The soul of man should be likened unto this sun, and all things on earth should be regarded as his body. So long as no external impediment interveneth between them, the body will, in its entirety, continue to reflect the light of the soul, and to be sustained by its power. As soon as, however, a veil interposeth itself between them, the brightness of the light seemeth to lessen.... The soul of man is the sun by which his body is illumined, and from which it draweth its sustenance, and should be so regarded. [3]

The soul not only continues to live after the physical death of the human body, but is, in fact, immortal. Bahá'u'lláh wrote:

Know thou of a truth that the soul, after its separation from the body, will continue to progress until it attaineth the presence of God, in a state and condition which neither the revolution of ages and centuries, nor the changes and chances of this world, can alter. It will endure as long as the Kingdom of God, His sovereignty, His dominion and power will endure. [4]

In commenting on the immortality of the rational soul, 'Abdu'l- Baha explained that everything in creation which is composed of elements is subject to decomposition:

The soul is not a combination of elements, it is not composed of many atoms, it is of one indivisible substance and therefore eternal. It is entirely out of the order of the physical creation; it is immortal ! [5]

Bahá'u'lláh taught that individuals have no existence previous to their life here on earth. Neither is the soul reborn several times in different bodies. He explained, rather, that the soul's evolution is always towards God and away from the material world. A human being spends nine months in the womb in preparation for entry into this physical life. During that nine-month period, the fetus acquires the physical tools (e.g., eyes, limbs, and so forth) necessary for existence in this world. Similarly, this physical world is like a womb for entry into the spiritual world. Our time here is thus a period of preparation during which we are to acquire the spiritual and intellectual tools necessary for life in the next world.

The crucial difference is that, whereas physical development in the mother's womb is involuntary, spiritual and intellectual development in this world depend strictly on conscious individual effort:

The incomparable Creator hath created all men from one same substance, and hath exalted their reality above the rest of His creatures. Success or failure, gain or loss, must, therefore, depend upon man's own exertions. The more he striveth, the greater will be his progress. [6]

The Bahá'í writings often speak of the bounty or grace of God towards humanity, but explain that an appropriate human response is always necessary for God's grace and mercy to penetrate the human soul and bring about any genuine change within us:

"No matter how strong the measure of Divine grace, unless supplemented by personal, sustained and intelligent effort, it cannot become fully effective and be of any real and abiding advantage." [7]

Thus, in the Bahá'í conception, salvation is not simply a unidirectional gift from God to us, but is rather a dialogue, a collaborative venture initiated by God but requiring vigorous and intelligent human participation.

Since human nature is spiritual, the essential capacities of women and men are the capacities of the soul. In other words, one's personality, one's basic intellectual and spiritual faculties, reside in the soul, even though they are expressed through the instrumentality of the body for the short duration of earthly life. Some of the faculties that Bahá'u'lláh mentioned as capacities of the soul are
1. the mind, which represents the capacity for rational thought and intellectual investigation;
2. the will, which represents the capacity for self-initiated action; and
3. the "heart" or the capacity for conscious, deliberate, self-sacrificing love (sometimes called altruism).

The Bahá'í teachings confirm that the soul retains its individuality and consciousness after death, and is able to associate with other souls that are drawn together by love.

[1] Adapted from William S. Hatcher and Douglas Martin, The Bahá'í Faith: The Emerging Global Religion (San Francisco: Harper and Row, 1985), pp. 104-06.
[2] Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, 2d rev. ed. (Wilmette: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1976), pp. 158-59.
[3] Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings, pp. 153-55.
[4] Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings, pp. 155-56.
[5] `Abdu'l-Bahá, Paris Talks: Addresses given by `Abdu'l-Bahá in Paris in 1911-1912,11th ed. (London: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1969), p. 91.
[6] Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings, pp. 81-82.
[7] From a letter date 27 February 1938 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer.

Life, Death, and the Soul

According to Bahá'í teachings human nature is fundamentally spiritual. Although human beings exist on earth in physical bodies, the essential identity of each person is defined by an invisible, rational, and everlasting soul.

The soul animates the body and distinguishes human beings from the animals. It grows and develops only through the individual's relationship with God, as mediated by His Messengers. The relationship is fostered through prayer, knowledge of the scriptures revealed by these Teachers, love for God, moral self-discipline, and service to humanity. This process is what gives meaning to life.

Cultivation of life's spiritual side has several benefits. First, the individual increasingly develops those innate qualities that lie at the foundation of human happiness and social progress. Such qualities include faith, courage, love, compassion, trustworthiness and humility. As these qualities are increasingly manifest, society as a whole advances.

Another effect of spiritual development is alignment with God's will. This growing closer to God prepares the individual for the afterlife. The soul lives on after the body's death, embarking on a spiritual journey towards God through many "worlds" or planes of existence. Progress on this journey, in traditional terms, is likened to "heaven." If the soul fails to develop, one remains distant from God. This condition of remoteness from God can in some sense be understood as "hell." Thus, heaven and hell are regarded not as literal places but descriptions of one's spiritual progress toward the light of God.

Inspiration from the Mahatma Gandhi

"You must be the change you want to see in the world."

~ Mahatma Gandhi

Seven Lights of Unity

In one of His Tablets 'Abdu'l-Bahá, elucidating further His noble theme, reveals the following:

"In cycles gone by, though harmony was established, yet, owing to the absence of means, the unity of all mankind could not have been achieved. Continents remained widely divided, nay even among the peoples of one and the same continent association and interchange of thought were well nigh impossible. Consequently intercourse, understanding and unity amongst all the peoples and kindreds of the earth were unattainable. In this day, however, means of communication have multiplied, and the five continents of the earth have virtually merged into one... In like manner all the members of the human family, whether peoples or governments, cities or villages, have become increasingly interdependent. For none is self-sufficiency any longer possible, inasmuch as political ties unite all peoples and nations, and the bonds of trade and industry, of agriculture and education, are being strengthened every day. Hence the unity of all mankind can in this day be achieved. Verily this is none other but one of the wonders of this wondrous age, this glorious century. Of this past ages have been deprived, for this century -- the century of light -- has been endowed with unique and unprecedented glory, power and illumination. Hence the miraculous unfolding of a fresh marvel every day. Eventually it will be seen how bright its candles will burn in the assemblage of man."

"Behold how its light is now dawning upon the world's darkened horizon. The first candle is unity in the political realm, the early glimmerings of which can now be discerned. The second candle is unity of thought in world undertakings, the consummation of which will ere long be witnessed. The third candle is unity in freedom which will surely come to pass. The fourth candle is unity in religion which is the corner-stone of the foundation itself, and which, by the power of God, will be revealed in all its splendor. The fifth candle is the unity of nations -- a unity which in this century will be securely established, causing all the peoples of the world to regard themselves as citizens of one common fatherland. The sixth candle is unity of races, making of all that dwell on earth peoples and kindreds of one race. The seventh candle is unity of language, i.e., the choice of a universal tongue in which all peoples will be instructed and converse. Each and every one of these will inevitably come to pass, inasmuch as the power of the Kingdom of God will aid and assist in their realization."

~ Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Baha'u'llah

Attitude to adopt when entering a city

"Should any one of you enter a city, he should become a center of attraction by reason of his sincerity, his faithfulness and love, his honesty and fidelity, his truthfulness and loving-kindness towards all the peoples of the world, so that the people of that city may cry out and say: “This man is unquestionably a Bahá’í, for his manners, his behavior, his conduct, his morals, his nature, and disposition reflect the attributes of the Bahá’ís.”
~ ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá (Wilmette: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1997), p. 71

Why do Bahais NOT go on strike or demonstrate?

Below are notes from a talk by Michael Karlberg given at the Eastside Bahá'í Center in Bellevue, Washington, on 27 June 2009, as part of a larger public program organized in support of the Bahá'í prisoners in Iran.

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As you know, one year ago, seven Iranian Baha’is were arrested and imprisoned for the
crime of believing that there is only one God; that all of the world’s great religions spring from this same Divine Source and have all contributed to humanity’s collective spiritual evolution; and that the most important spiritual lesson humanity is facing in this day is the need to recognize our unity and interdependence – across all of the lines that have historically divided us – so that we can create a new social order based on the principle of the oneness of humanity.

For holding these beliefs, these seven Bahá'ís that we are remembering tonight have been charged with the crime of “spreading corruption on earth” and they face possible
execution. Over 200 Iranian Bahá'ís have been killed by the Iranian government since
the revolution in 1979, as a result of similar charges. Many of us know the stories of some of these Bahá'ís. For instance, one story that stands out most of our memories is the story of Mona Mahmudnizhad, a 17-year old girl who was arrested 26 years ago this month, and was hung in the dead of night, after watching nine other Bahá'í women being hung for the same crime – being a Bahá'í.

But these persecutions trace back much deeper than the current regime in Iran. One
hundred and fifty seven years ago, the founder of the Bahá'í Faith – Bahá'u'lláh – who was the author of the beliefs for which those we are remembering tonight were
persecuted, was himself arrested and thrown in a dark underground pit for four months to languish near death, and then sent into a forty year-long imprisonment and exile that would last until his death. One hundred and fifty nine years ago, the herald of the Bahá'í Faith – the Bab – was likewise arrested, imprisoned, and executed by a firing squad of 750 riflemen, for proclaiming the birth of this Faith.

In the period from the execution of the Báb to the arrest of the seven Bahá'í friends one year ago over twenty thousand believers have been killed in the most brutal and inhumane ways; many more have had their property plundered, their livelihoods taken from them, their gravesites desecrated, and their holy places destroyed. Bahá'í students have been denied access to higher education. Bahá'í children have been vilified in their schools. And all Iranian Bahá'ís have been systematically vilified from the pulpit and through the media.

It is no easy thing to be a Bahá'í in Iran.

But I am not here today to solicit your pity on behalf of the Iranian Bahá'ís. I want to put their suffering in a larger context so that you can understand the purpose of this suffering – and why the Bahá'ís accept these hardships with patience and long-suffering.

As I’ve already mentioned, Bahá'ís believe in the oneness of humanity. But this concept of oneness is not merely a vague or naïve expression of idealism. It is a social reality that Bahá'ís all around the world are actively and intelligently working to create. Bahá'ís are working to create this reality through the moral and spiritual education of children, through the spiritual empowerment of adolescents, and through training processes that foster the capabilities for community service in youth and adults. Bahá'ís are working to create this reality through inclusive worship with people of all Faiths, through social action directed at the betterment of our society, through the construction of a new model of participatory governance that is unifying rather than divisive, and through attention to the underlying spiritual disciplines – such as prayer and meditation, fasting, and calling
oneself to account each day – that are essential to processes of deep personal and social transformation.

If you step back and look at all of these processes as a whole, you can see that they
constitute an approach to social change – or a model of social change – directed at
bringing about the oneness of humanity.

Skeptics might ask: will it work? Ultimately, there is only one way to find out. The
approach has to be tried. The experiment has to be run.

This is what the Bahá'ís are doing all over the world, in ever-growing numbers. They are engaged in a vast social experiment, testing the hypothesis that humanity can learn to live as one family, in a single social order, characterized by unity and justice. It will take many generations before any conclusions can be drawn about the success of this vast social experiment. But the early results, in my opinion, are promising. And the experiment warrants the attention of anyone interested in peace and social justice.

But what about those seven Bahá'ís languishing in an Iranian prison, who we are here
tonight to remember? It might seem, on the surface, that the experiment is not working so well for them. Clearly they are suffering deeply, and their lives are at great risk, just like so many Baha’is before them.

When I first began writing and speaking out about the Bahá'ís in Iran, and the suffering they are experiencing, some people asked me: Why don’t the Bahá'ís in Iran fight back? Why aren’t they willing to confront their oppressors by organizing politically? Or by engaging in acts of civil disobedience? And more recently, people might ask: Why are the Bahá'ís of Iran not taking to the streets in protest – like their fellow citizens this past week following the Iranian election? After all, there are over 300,000 Bahá'ís in Iran.
That’s a small army – if it was mobilized in opposition to the current regime.

To answer these questions, we need to look closer at the Bahá'í approach to social
change. The Bahá'í approach to social change has one more element that needs to be
carefully examined to fully understand what is going on.

If the goal of the Bahá'í Faith is to bring about the oneness of humanity – to promote unity across all of the lines that have historically divided humans from one another – clearly this cannot be accomplished through methods that are divisive or adversarial, because the means would not be consistent with the ends. Therefore violent revolution is not an option for Bahá'ís. But neither is non-violent confrontation. Confrontation of any form is divisive and incompatible with the goal of unity.

Furthermore, the methods of non-violent confrontation were tried by others throughout
the twentieth century. These methods led to some significant social advances, such as
independence in India and advances in the field of civil rights in this country. But these methods have proven to be limited because the methods, in themselves, do not construct lasting alternatives to the oppressive systems they seek to replace. After the non-violent independence movement in India threw off the oppressive yoke of the British empire, the country descended into a sectarian bloodbath in which millions were killed and millions more were turned into refugees. After the non-violent civil rights movement in the US threw off the Jim Crow laws in the south, racism assumed more subtle expressions – even as the growing chasm between the richest and poorest people in this country created other forms of widespread oppression.

In this regard, while the methods of non-violent confrontation have led to some
remarkable achievements, they are arguably reaching a point of diminishing returns, and it is unlikely that these methods alone can lead us to the world of unity and justice we seek.

In this context, Bahá'ís are pioneering a radical model of social change that is unifying rather than divisive, that focuses on constructing the framework of a new social order, and that works even in the face of violent oppression. If I could describe this model in one phrase, I would call it “constructive resilience” (note: this phrase was used by the Universal House of Justice in a letter to the Bahá'í students deprived of access to higher education in Iran, dated 9 September 2007).

The model is constructive because all of the energy of the Bahá'í community goes into constructing a new social order, rather than attacking or tearing down the old order or those who benefit from it. It is resilient because it has proven itself capable of withstanding the most violent opposition. The Bahá'í community bends, but never breaks. It is like a palm tree that can withstand the hurricane winds that assail it from time to time, while the tree continues to grow, and thrive, and ultimately yield its fruit.

This model of constructive resilience is already proving itself to be remarkably effective. It enables the Bahá'í community to survive its birth in Iran, in the face of immediate, brutal, and sustained violence directed against it. From those humble origins the community has now taken root in every nation on earth. Its steadily growing membership numbers in the millions and in its diversity, the international Bahá'í community has become a microcosm of humanity.

With the Iranian revolution in 1979, a fresh wave of violent persecution was unleashed on the Bahá'í community there. Since then the principled response of the Iranian Bahá'í community has attracted the admiration of many Iranians. And it has denied the authorities any pretext with which to launch a much more violent, genocidal attack on the Bahá'ís.

Meanwhile, the worldwide Bahá'í community has been inspired to new heights of
achievement by the courageous and principled example of the Iranian Bahá'ís. This
worldwide community has also been galvanized in support of their Iranian brothers and
sisters and it has been able to shine a spotlight on the situation in Iran. As a result, governments and leaders of thought throughout the world have appealed for justice on behalf of the Bahá'ís of Iran. Countless resolutions of support have been passed by United Nations agencies, national governments, and international human rights organizations – and they have had a positive effect. A growing number of Iranian citizens outside and even inside Iran are also beginning to appeal for justice on behalf of the Bahá'ís – often at great personal risk.

Meanwhile, also inside Iran, every effort the government makes to eradicate the Bahá'í community spurs the development of creative, constructive responses. For instance, when the authorities denied Bahá'í students access to higher education, the Bahá'í community created a decentralized virtual university. It operates in Bahá'í living rooms across the country, and over the internet. Top faculty from inside Iran and around the world offer over a dozen university degrees that are recognized by prestigious graduate programs in many other countries.

This is constructive resilience. This is a force for progress that cannot be arrested and will not be denied. This is the big picture.

With this picture in mind, I want to turn our attention back to the seven friends in Iran who are languishing in prison, awaiting their sentence, with little hope of a fair trial.
These seven Bahá'ís are willing to pay the highest price of all – they are willing to
sacrifice their own lives – for the cause of the oneness of humanity. But these sacrifices may no longer be necessary because humanity is arriving at a new stage in its collective development. All around the world, people of conscience are recognizing that injury to one means injury to all, and that justice must become the reigning principle of human affairs. In this regard, the oneness of humanity is fast becoming a universally accepted ideal.

The Bahá'ís in Iran have made tremendous sacrifices, for over 150 years, to advance this ideal. It is time for humanity to lift the burden of sacrifice from their shoulders. It is time for people everywhere to speak out with a unified voice and say: enough is enough.

These oppression can no longer be tolerated – in any country, against any people.
Enough is enough.

So I urge all of you here to use every channel of communication and legitimate influence at your disposal to speak out. Speak out to your elected representatives and to your fellow citizens. Speak out through conversations, and emails, and letters, and the media. Speak out on behalf of our common humanity. Enough is enough.

Through their sacrifices, the Bahá'ís in Iran are offering humanity an opportunity to take the next step down the path toward unity and justice. It is time for humanity to move beyond the point of leaving persecuted and oppressed minorities to struggle in isolation for their own survival. It is time for all people of conscience, everywhere, to begin to speak out, with a unified voice, in support of the victims of oppression, everywhere. This is what the oneness of humanity looks like. This is where we are headed.

The Bahá'ís in Iran have made such painful sacrifices, for over 150 years, to bring about the reality of the oneness of humanity. It is time for humanity to lift the burden of sacrifice from their shoulders.