Some Frequently Asked Questions for Israel (and Bahais)
September 1, 2012 4 Comments
Enclosed is an extract from an article titled “The Fourth Faith” by a Jewish journalist, who asks many unusual (embarrassing questions) about the Bahai Faith’s world center at Haifa most non-baha’is do not know about.
Questions to the Jews of Israel
1) Why are Baha’i s not allowed to teach their Faith in the State of Israel?
2) Why is there no other Baha’i community in any other part of Israel except those 700 volunteers who work at the BWC in Haifa and Acre?
3) Why is if an inquirer (citizen from the state) wished to become a Baha’i there request would be refused, unless they left Israel and became a citizen of another country?
4) Why are young Baha’i s who work at the Baha’i center not allowed to date, become engaged or marry any citizen in the state of Israel ?
5) Why do Baha’i s insist that their presence in Haifa is that they have brought tremendous economic benefit to the city, surely this is a materialistic rather than a spiritual reason for being there?
6) Why do certain Iranian propagandists bring forth a charge that members of the Baha’i Faith are “agents of Zionism.”?
Questions to Bahai Faith:
1. Two alternative Baha’i organizations have been sued by the Baha’i Faith organization for using the word “Baha’i” to describe their beliefs. That’s like the Catholic Church suing Protestants for calling themselves “Christians”. Do you agree that this makes your faith look ridiculous and petty?
2. You believe that eventually all people and nations should come under the theocratic rule of the infallibly inspired Baha’i Universal House of Justice. How is this any different than the Caliphate, Shari’ah, Wilayat-i-faqih?
3. In the Kitáb-i-Aqdas (Most Holy Book) Baha’u’llah limits the number of wives to 2, but he had 3 wives. Why believe in such a hypocrite?
4. Bahá’u’lláh was a polygamist who allowed men to have up to 2 wives, so why is polygamy forbidden by Baha’i law?
5. In the Kitáb-i-Aqdas (Most Holy Book) Baha’u’llah commands that a thief should have a visible mark put on his forehead after the third offense. Why do you consider this man to be the greatest Manifestation of God?
6. Abdu’l Baha and Shoghi Effendi are both infallible, so why can’t they decide if Confucius was or was not a Manifestation?
7. You believe all the greatest faiths founded by Manifestations differ only in non-essential aspects of their doctrines. Even a cursory glance at the doctrines of the major world religions will tell you this is false. So why do you believe this?
8. If Baha’u’llah is the apex of all previous Manifestations, why can’t he walk on water or split the moon?
9. According to your faith, each Manifestation is more perfect than the previous one, but do you honestly believe Prophet Muhammad’s teachings are superior to Christ’s or Buddha’s?
10. In “Baha’u’llah and the New Era” (official Baha’i text) Abdu’l Baha (“Slave of Baha”, the infallible guide and eldest son of Baha’u’llah) stated that the Kingdom of God would be established on earth by 1957. Where is it, and why has this statemant been removed from the 1970 republication?
11. Bab declared Mirza Yahya (Baha’u’llah’s brother) as his successor and presented Baha’u’llah as an inferior. Why do Baha’is suppress this fact?
12. If Baha’is are so peaceful, why was the faith founded on violence and assassinations between supporters of Mirza Yahya and Baha’u’llah?
13. You believe Christianity was perverted during the first century (as per Shoghi Effendi’s claim). Isn’t this hypocritical coming from a faith that suppresses source materials and revises the writings of deceased authors in futile attempts to make your beliefs match historical reality?
14. Abdu’l Baha “excommunicated” practically all his closest relatives and deprived them of their income from Baha’u’llah’s estate after his fathers death. Do you agree that your infallible guide was a cruel and heartless individual?
15. Based on the example set by the infallible Abdu’l Baha, Covenant-breakers (heretics and apostates) are often treated unkindly and ostracized by other Baha’is. So what makes your faith any better than mainstream Islam?
16. Huququllah is the right of guardian, it is clearly stated in your holy writings. Then why Haifan UHJ is accepting it in the absence of guardian?
17. Why you state that Baha’is are united when there are two UHJs and so many guardians and so many sects?
18. When the membership of UHJ will be opened for women?
19. When the teaching of the Baha’i faith will be permitted in the Holy Land (Israel)?
About imranshaykh
The Bahai Insider 
The world center was established Haifa during the late 1800s in Palestine. The ban on teaching activities in Israel goes back to the days of Bahaullah and has been in existence long before the establishment of Israel.
This was in all likelihood established out of sensitivity concerning missionary work among Muslim and Jewish communities as well as neutrality concerning Israeli affairs. This restriction also explains why there are no local spiritual assemblies in the state of Israel or Israeli converts not being accepted if they don’t emigrate to another country and policies about dating or marrying Israeli citizens. However, this doesn’t cover all of historical Palestine. There are local spiritual assemblies for example in Jordan and Jordanian Bahais.
As far as claims of economic benefits working at a worthwhile occupation is considered a form of worship in the Bahai faith. The world center in Israel is a major tourist attraction so yes, there is a valid claim of generating tourist revenue for the area.
Bahaullah was exiled to Acre by the Shah of Iran and the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire. His half brother was exiled to Cyprus. This is why the world center ended up in Israel. It had nothing to do with Zionism.
The plan to form the Jewish state has been in existence for decades before it was actually put into practice. The key requirement was to split the Muslim community so that the state could be formed. The support to false groups like Bahais and Qadianis was part of this plan.
Anyways Bahais should question why they are not allowed to teach in Israel. More importantly, they are not allowed to teach to JEWS. That is more worthy of attention than the fact that they cannot teach in Israel.
What I read from this is the Jews telling the Bahais that you can stay here on the condition that you dont teach one of our own. Also if Bahaism was a true religion then it would stand up for what is right and wrong. It would support the rights of the weak and admonish the oppressor. We never hear the Bahais even whisper anything for the state of Israel even though it commits crimes against the Palestenians.
Warm regards
Imran Shaykh
The Bahais didn’t split anything because they were never a part of the Ummah to begin with.If the purpose was to split the Muslim community then why a Jewish State instead of say a Bahai State? The prohibition is against teaching activities in the state of Israel not against any one particular religious group. The prohibition that applies against Israeli Jews is also the same prohibition against Israeli Muslims or Israeli Christians.
The Ahamadiyya are a different story. Are you talking about the Qadanis or the Lahoris? Not all Ahamadis accept prophethood after Muhammad. People have asked why the Ahmadiyya did not rebel against the British colonial rulers in India? The answer is very simple. The British colonial rulers permitted freedom of religion. There was no justification for rebelling under these circumstances.