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Dhaka Day by Day

A New Faith for Unity and Peace

by Aasha Mehreen Amin
Moy 29th to • special day or over 5 million Bahais all over the world On this day they commemorate the hundredth anniversary of the passing away of their spiritual leader Ba haullah This year, which, started according to the Bahai Calendar from April 1992, has been declared as a holy year during which slgnift cant events will happen tn the world Hut what ever the year Is. the Bahais are concerned with one main objective to create a world of peace and bring about the unity of mankind This to to be done not by making a melting pot of the world. Rather, this objective will be accom pliahed by the acceptance of those very chare, teristlcs that make people different, through love of God and humanity
The Bahai Centre on Circuit House rvad lias been operating In thia particular building since 1970 although the faith itself came to this part of the world about 120 years ago. Entering the building, which to quite easy, since there art no guards to stop you. one Immediately expert cnees a sense of peace and tranquillity in the
spotlessly clean library and cool mosaic floors The pc ople at the centre are warm and gracious. speak Ing tn soft tones as if In a church. At th^ Bahai Centre
come, no matter what his/ her religion, ethnicity or political affili-atkxi.
The Bahai Faith is one of the youngest and fastest growing religions of the world. It was founded in the mid-nineteen th century by Bahaullah. a Persian pro phetic figure who devoted his entire life to Impart the doctrines of the faith io the world. Although it has its origins from an Islamic matrix, the Bahai Faith Is an Indepen dent religion
and not a sect of Islam as is often believed The Bahai Faith 1s unique tn that it universally accepts the validity of all other faiths — whether Islam. Christianity. Hinduism. Buddhism etc. The Bahais believe that all religions are an integral part of one divine plan. This stems from the idea of evolution of religion that Is. every religion has its relevance for specific periods, the Bahai Faith being the latest, appropriate for the present age the world Is In.
This acceptance of all religions, ethnic groups, nationalities possibly accounts for the wide spread of lite faith all over the world. One-third of the 6 million Bahais live In one or the other of the two largest national communities: India and Iran and they are still being per secuted in the latter country. In spite of persecution and skepticism, the Bahai Faith has managed to become a recognized. Independent religion. Today there are 30,000 elected local spiritual assemblies functioning in over two hundred Independent states and major terrlto rtes. It is estimated that Its membership represents over two thousand areas of the world. Bahai literature has been translated and pub-fished in over 800 languages
The Babul Centre in Dhaka is only one of the 120.000 centres worldwide In Bangladesh there arc about 4000 localities where Bahais live with around 50,000 registered Bahai faml Iles from all social and economic backgrounds. This centre like all other Bahai centres, has a 9-mcmber local spiritual assembly that Is elected by the Bahai community. Every 19 days the centre arranges a feast held on the first day of each Bahai month It may be mentioned that there are nineteen months each having nineteen days tn the Bahai calendar, the number 9 having special spiritual slgnlflr ance
The Bahai Centre also involves Itself In social activities Universal education being one of the main themes of the Bahai Faith, the centre has established a school for sium children. With a nominal fee of Tk 5 per month, these children get primary education, periodic medical check ups and health education Bahais do not believe In handing out alms to people; they be Here the only wu^ to help is to make people
self reliant. In Rajshshl a permanent medical clinic has been set up for women and children. All this is in line with another basic Bahai thrme — the equality of men and women. According to Ba haullah women have not been able to exercise thetr full potential because they have not got adequate edu cntional and social opportunities. With education, ft is predicted, "women will abolish warfare among mankind."
With a large pool of doctors in the Bahai community. the Centre has also arranged medical camps to help victims of floods and cyclones.
Seminars and awareness
programmes on social Issues such as drug abuse, disarmament and equality of sexes are also a preoccupation for the Centre.
All these activities are carried out with pure altruistic motives and there is no attempt made to convert anyone through obligation, a practice that is strictly prohibited by the faith. Acceptance of the religion has to be through free will without any kind of coercion.
The Bahai Faith advocates three basic principles — the oneness of God. the oneness of mankind and the fundamental unity of religions. With these three themes forming their foundation, the Bahai world community has embarked upon a crusade to bring about universal peace and security At the local level the Bahai Centre works forward bringing together people of diverse backgrounds and guiding them towards a path of peace through humanity and tolerance. This preoccupation with peace, in Itself, seems to justify the claim of the Bahai Faith as a progressive religion for today s turbulent world.