Doctor Grandma

There are 7 individuals imprisoned in Iran. There crime is being members of the Baha’i Faith. The Baha’i Faith is a worldwide religion that believes in the unification of all the peoples of the world into one universal cause, one common faith. The glorious sun in our sky gives light to the earth, bestowing life upon all creation, along with water and air. For our planet, there is one life-sustaining sun. If you were up at sunrise today, you saw it appear on the horizon and slowly make its way over the edge, gradually climbing into the top of the sky, then descending again. Night comes to give us peace, darkness, and rest. Then the sun rises once again, this time at a slightly different point on the horizon. Is it the same sun? Has the sun changed or moved? No, actually we revolve around it. The beauty of the sun is the same, no matter at what point on the horizon it appears.

The Founder of the Baha’i Faith is known by the name Baha’u’llah, which means the Glory of God. His given name at birth was a Persian name but He was known to all as Father of the Poor, loved and sought out for his kindness to all peoples, long before His involvement as leader of the Baha’i Faith. Bahai’s believe He is the latest in a succession of Holy Messengers from the One God. His life was full of suffering and misery. He was sent to the foulest of prisons in Iran, put in chains, tortured, poisoned, and placed with his family for years in house arrest. He was banished 4 different times, from Iran to Baghdad, to Adrianople, Constantinople, and finally to Akka, the “prison city” in Israel, which is how the world center for the Baha’i Faith today ended up in Israel. It was not due to His wishes, but the result of banishments and mistreatment.

Next Tuesday, the 7 people mentioned at the beginning of this note are scheduled to go on trial. Imagine going on trial for the crimes of teaching children’s virtues classes, teaching them lessons on kindness, tolerance, love for your enemies, obedience to government, and to live chaste and holy lives. Imagine going on trial for the crime of believing in the education of women equally with men. For teaching the love of all humanity under one God, the elimination of prejudices of all kinds, freedom of education for all, the elimination of wealth and poverty. This is what these 7 people are on trial for. The government of Iran says it is for being spies for Israel and propaganda against Islam, and other made-up, totally false charges.

We do not yet know the final fate of these 7 individuals. But in reality, they are only 7 of 7,000 upon thousands upon thousands before and after them, who are unjustly imprisoned and accused of crimes against humanity they did not commit. In reality, their jailers and those who make decisions to imprison them, are commiting the crimes. In reality, the jailers and the ones in power are themselves IMPRISONED by their own egos, lies, prejudices, ignorance and greed. May God forgive them, and may He release those imprisoned from their tests and trials. May He bless them by holding them one and all to His blessed heart, and being their constant Companion forever and ever! May God bless them for all their days.

“My only JOY in this swiftly-passing world was to tread the stony path of God and to endure hard tests and all material griefs. For otherwise, this earthly life would prove barren and vain, and better would be death . . . Thus it is my hope that once again some circumstance will make my cup of anguish to brim over, and that beauteous Love, that Slayer of souls, will dazzle the beholders again. Then will this heart be blissful, this soul be blessed.”  ‘Abdu’l-Baha

“To me prison is freedom, troubles rest me, death is life, and to be despised is honour. Therefore, I was happy all that time in prison. When one is released from the prison of self, that is indeed release, for that is the greater prison. When this release takes place, then one cannot be outwardly imprisoned.”  —  (Abdu’l-Baha, Abdu’l-Baha in London, p. 119)