Association for Baha’i Studies

Women’s and minority rights in Iran must not be overlooked while the world focuses on the country’s nuclear issue. That’s the conclusion of an important new pamphlet from the Foreign Policy Centre being launched on November 25 to coincide with UN International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. In the pamphlet entitled, ‘A Revolution Without Rights: Women, Kurds and Baha’is Searching for Equality in Iran’, authors Geoffrey Cameron and Tahirih Danesh examine the religious, legal and social obstacles to equality faced by women, Baha’is and Kurds in Iran, comparing the experiences of the three groups. They evaluate the Iranian government’s compliance with its own constitution and look at how Iran’s treatment of women and minorities measures up to the international agreements it has signed. The pamphlet lays out practical steps that British and European policy-makers can take to support the equal treatment of women and minorities in Iran. These include: Diplomatic pressure to ensure human rights remain on the agenda Access for the UN to monitor the situation on the ground EU trade incentives such as the EU-Iran Trade and Cooperation Agreement linked to human rights improvements Technical and political support for Iran’s WTO membership Option of travel bans and financial restrictions for individual regime members responsible for human rights abuses

Foreign Office Minister Lord Mark Malloch Brown, who describes the report as an ‘important contribution to the debate, and an important part of ensuring that improving Iran’s human rights record stays firmly on the agenda worldwide’ said: “Iran consistently fails to meet the international commitments that it is signed up to. It ignores its own laws and terms of its own constitution such as arbitrary arrest and the denial of due process. And it is increasingly – and worryingly – using vague, national security-related charges such as ‘acting against state security’ and ‘propaganda against the system’ against individuals who are exercising their right to peaceful protest.” “The international community must take responsibility to lobby the Iranian government and support those within Iran who are bravely fighting for their human rights.” Foreign Policy Director Stephen Twigg said: ‘This report challenges Iran to fulfil its obligations to its own citizens under international law and its constitution. We must support the tireless work of Iranian human rights activists working to bring change in their own country and make sure their struggle is not overlooked as the international community focuses on the nuclear issue.’

In 2004 Necati Alkan completed his PH.D. thesis at the Ruhr Universität Bochum“The Babi and Baha’i Religions in the Ottoman Empire and Turkey, 1844-1928″ . This new publication from the academic publisher Isis Press  represents the revised print version of this thesis. The thesis is notable for its original use of Ottoman Archive materials.  Contents: Illustrations Acknowledgements A Note on the Transliteration Foreword Introduction 1. Reforms in the Late Ottoman Empire Westernising Reforms and the Role of the ulema at the Turn of the 19th Century Sultan Abdülmecid The Tanzimat Period 2. Early Babis in the Ottoman Empire The Rule of Necib Pasha in Iraq and the Relationship with Iran The Rise of the Babi Movement Combined Sunni-Shi‘i Opposition: the Trial of Mulla ‘Ali Bastami The Bab’s Epistle to Sultan Abdülmecid Sultan Abdülmecid and Tahira . 3. The Babis, Iran and the Ottoman Reform Elite The Exile of Baha’u’llah in Baghdad and Iran’s Intervention Forced Residence of Baha’u’llah in Istanbul Baha’u’llah in Edirne: the Deterioration of Babi-Ottoman Relations Final Exile in ‘Akka: Baha’u’llah’s Letters to Âli Pasha and Fuad Pasha .4. The Baha’is and the ‘Fathers’ of Ottoman Constitutionalism Young Ottomans and the Baha’is Midhat Pasha and ‘Abdu’l-Baha 5. Iranian Reformers, Young Turks and the ‘Babis’ in 19th Century Istanbul Sayyid Jamalu’d-Din ‘al-Afghani’ Al-Afghani, the Babis and the Baha’is The ‘Babi Leader’ al-Afghani and the Young Turks Mirza Malkum Khan, the Babis and the Baha’is The Reformist Baha’i Qajar Prince Shaykhu’r-Ra’is . . 6. ‘Abdu’l-Baha and the Ottomans, 1890s – 1910s Ottoman Intellectuals on ‘Abdu’l-Baha ‘Abdu’l-Baha, Abdülhamid II and the Young Turks ‘Abdu’l-Baha and the Young Turks after 1908 7. From Empire to Republic: State and Religion in the Era of Kemalist reform The Young Turks and Kemalist Westernism: the Role of Abdullah Cevdet Abdullah Cevdet, Islam and the Baha’i Religion Atatürk’s Secularist Reforms and the Baha’i Response Baha’is under the Scrutiny of the Kemalist State Atatürk and the Baha’i Religion Conclusions Appendices Illustration Bibliography Index. A number of scholarly articles deriving from the original research have been published in journals but it is satisfying to see this work finally published.

Joseph Arthur Comte de Gobineau (July 14, 1816 — October 13, 1882) was a French diplomat, novelist historian and theorist of racial inequality who was one of the earliest Europeans to chronicle the events of Babi history within a few decades of their happening. Gobineau in turn influenced and inspired historians, orientalists and philologists in Europe including Edward Granvile Browne and ALM Nicolas. For a time he was the Charges d’Affaires in Teheran (Oct 1856-Jan 1858) and later Minister (January 1862-October 1863) which led to the two works Three Years in Asia and Religions and Philosophies of Central Asia respectively. Geoffrey Nash and his translator colleague Daniel o’Donoghue have performed a marvellous service by making Gobineau’s studies of religious movements more accessible in their new work Comte de Gobineau and Orientalism: Selected eastern writings in the Routledge series Culture and Civilization in the Middle East.

Though known to specialists, Comte de Gobineau’s vital if idiosyncratic contribution to Orientalism has only been accessible to the English reader through secondary sources. Especially important for its portrayal of an esoteric Sufi sect like the Ahl-i Haqq, and its vivid narrative of the Babi episode in Persia, Gobineau’s work impacted significantly on European intelligentsia, including Ernest Renan, Matthew Arnold, Lord Curzon, and the Orientalist Edward Granville Browne. Daniel O’Donoghue’s brilliant translation now makes available sizeable extracts from Gobineau’s two most important writings on the East: Three Years in Asia and Religions and Philosophies of Central Asia. Geoffrey Nash’s comprehensive introduction and notes contextualise Gobineau’s work in the light of contemporary scholarship, as well as assessing its impact on nineteenth century Orientalists and modern Iranians, and its relevance to debates around Islam and modernity that are still alive today. Series: Culture and Civilization in the Middle East . This book provides an introduction to de Gobineau’s writings on the Middle East and extensive translations of his most important work. Table of Contents Introductory Essay Part 1: Three Years in Asia 1. The Nation 2. Religion 3. The Sufis 4. The Condition of Individuals 5. Characters, Social Relations 6. Probable Results of Relations Between Europe and Asia Part 2: Religions and Philosophies of Central Asia 1. Religious and Moral Character of Asiatics 2. Persian Islamism 3. Faith of the Arabs, Origin and development of Shi’ism 4. Beginnings of Babism 5. Development of Babism 6. Battles and Successes of The Babis in Mazandaran 7. Fall of the Castle of Shaykh Tabarsi, Trouble in Zanjan 8. Insurrection in Zanjan, Captivity and Death of the Bab 9. Attempt on the King’s Life Notes Bibliography . Routledge. Hardback. ISBN-13: 978-0415440196

Sixth North American Bahá’í Conference on Law: Exploring the Intersections of Religion & Governance: Past, Present, & Future October 9-11, 2008 American University, Washington College of Law 4801 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Room 603, Washington, DC.  Under this theme, we will be bringing together a diverse group of speakers and participants, including both Bahá’ís and many who will be new to the Faith. Besides a keynote address by Professor Abdullahi An-Na’im, a pre-eminent scholar of Islamic law and secularism, we will also hear from Arash Abizadeh, Suheil Bushrui, Roshan Danesh, Bill Davis, John Grayzel, Sovaida Ma’ani-Ewing, and Layli Miller-Muro, among numerous other presenters. There will also, of course, be much opportunity for networking and otherwise getting to know one another. For anyone interested in law, governance, democracy, development, and –of course– religion, the conference will be more than well worth attending! his gathering seeks to address the question of what contributions the world’s religious traditions might make to governance – broadly defined as the traditions, institutions, and processes by which authority is exercised in a given society. What can faith and religion teach us about “good governance” and its features? What do the various faith traditions or world views emphasize as the essential elements of good governance? Since the mid-1990s, international organizations and donor agencies have been advocating “good governance” as a condition for development aid. The criteria for such governance have variously included accountability, responsiveness, transparency, public participation, and the rule of law. Many have highlighted the roots of these concepts in Western democratic culture. This conference hopes to examine the religious dimensions of these concepts as well. The conference will thus provide a forum for an open and frank discussion of the relationship of religion and governance and the complex legacy of their interaction. The North American Bahá’í Conferences on Law seek to promote new ideas for addressing global problems, with the hope of promoting unity and global justice, while maintaining and respecting a diversity of views, cultures, and beliefs. This goal is inspired by the view that all humankind is one, and all religions and faith traditions are ultimately united, as diverse reflections of one truth. Prior conferences have been held at Columbia Law School, the University of California - Berkeley Law School, and the University of Toronto School of Law. To register: please go to www.wcl.american.edu/secle/registration. For full agenda, list of speakers and other information, please visit www.wcl.american.edu/secle/fall/2008/081010.cfm or contact: Office of Special Events & Continuing Legal Education, American University, Washington College of Law Phone: 202.274.4075 - Fax: 202.274.4079 - secle[at]wcl.american.edu

The Association for Bahá’í Studies, North America, is pleased to announce that its 33rd annual conference will be held from the 13th to the 16th of August, 2009, in Washington DC, at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel. The theme of the conference will be Environments. The teachings of the Bahá’í Faith shed light on the dialectical relationship between the human soul and its environment. As Shoghi Effendi explained, “We cannot segregate the human heart from the environment outside us and say that once one of these is reformed everything will be improved. Man is organic with the world. His inner life moulds the environment and is itself also deeply affected by it. The one acts upon the other and every abiding change in the life of man is the result of these mutual reactions.”[1] The nature, quality, and condition of the environments we inhabit therefore have profound implications for human well-being. In this context, how can science and religion, as complementary systems of knowledge and practice, be applied more effectively to the preservation, refinement, and improvement of the myriad environments – natural, cultural, and built – within which we live and grow?
You are invited to explore this theme at the 33rd annual conference of the North American Association for Bahá’í Studies. New and experienced presenters and participants, from all backgrounds and disciplines, are welcome. Possible topics for presentation might include, but are not limited to: the spiritual dimensions of environmental stewardship; the impact of diverse environments on human development and well-being; understanding nature as an expression of the Divine; empowering children and youth to cope with and transform the media environment they are growing up within; beautifying and enriching our environments through the arts; understanding the environment of the study circle; refining the social environment within our communities; mobilizing communities to care for their natural environments; probing the nexus between environment and development; and applying spiritual and scientific principles to the design of our built environment. A call for presentations will follow later this Fall. [1] Cited in Conservation of the Earth’s Resources: A Compilation of Extracts from the Bahá’í Writings, prepared by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice, 1990.

The UK publisher George Ronald have announced two new publications which will be of interest to Bahai scholars and researchers. The first is a study of the Badi (”New”) calendar, Time and the Baha’i Era, a calendar which originated in the Writings of the Bab. This thought-provoking book examines the historical background and symbolic significance of the Badí‘ calendar, as well as practical issues to be resolved before it can assume its rightful place as a world calendar. The Badí‘ calendar is derived directly from the revealed writings of both the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh and is a component part of the revelation of Bahá’u’lláh, whose teachings must be understood in their entirety as medicine for the diseases of our age. Its inherent symbolism, however, has until now remained largely unexplored, so that the systematic investigation presented by this wide-ranging, impressive study is no doubt the first of its kind. One of the main themes of the book is that the Badí‘ calendar is creative in the sense that, through its symbolic association with different aspects of the Bahá’í Faith, it can serve to represent and illustrate many of the central tenets of the Faith. Symbol and object converge in the Badí‘ calendar in a manner which is unique in the entire revelation. The full effect the Badí‘ calendar will have on society is hardly predictable at present or in the near future. Just as the actual unfolding of the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh will reveal to future generations aspects of practical and spiritual life which we cannot even imagine today, so too will the world-wide application of the Badí‘ calendar exert an influence on the physical and spiritual rhythm of life in a fashion and to a degree which we cannot yet appreciate. The meaning of the Badí‘ calendar will first become fully evident to those privileged to live in the pulse of this future World Order. The second volume is the companion to Udo Schaefers study of Baha’i Ethics released earlier in 2008. Available in Feb 2009, Schaefer’s second volume. Baha’i Ethics in Light of Scripture: Volume 2:  Virtues and Divine Commandments “attempts to analyse the underlying structures and detect the interior architecture of the Bahá’í moral system and is a step towards developing a Bahá’í moral theology. Finely argued and meticulously researched and annotated, Virtues and Divine Commandments, the second of two volumes, considers the structures of the moral order and its concrete values – the virtues, divine commandments and principles of social ethics, including justice, from a Bahá’í perspective. Includes an appendix on art and morality and correspondence with the Universal House of Justice on issues considered in the book.

Leading academic publishers EJ Brill have announced the forthcoming publication, The Messiah of Shiraz: Studies in Early and Middle Babism, in the series Iran Studies (edited Ali Gheissari (University of San Diego, CA), Roy P. Mottahedeh (Harvard University), Yann Richard (Sorbonne Nouvelle)) The 19th century saw an enormous shift in the authority structure of Iranian and Iraqi Twelver Shiʿism, with the victory of a theological school (Usulism) that stressed the power of the clergy. This is well known. What is less well known is that there was a parallel development of authority in the Shaykhi school and its offshoot, the Babi sect. Here, especially in later forms of Babism, the Shiʿite claim to charismatic authority reached its limits in hyperbolic attestations of divinity. The present text is in two parts: a study of how Shaykhism bifurcated into a form close to orthodoxy next to the highly unorthodox Babi movement. Part two examines how Babism changed after the death in 1850 of its founder, the Bab. Author Denis M. MacEoin, Ph.D. (1979) in Persian Studies, University of Cambridge has taught Arabic and Islamic Studies at Newcastle University. His most recent work has been on radical Islam in the United Kingdom. His previous books include The Sources for Early Babi Doctrine and History. This volume joins the recently announced volume of translation and annotation by Ahang Rabbani from the same publisher The Genesis of the Babi-Bahá’í Faiths in Shiraz and Fars by Mírzá Hábíbu’lláh Afnán to be published as volume 122 in the series Numen Book Series ; Texts and Sources in the History of Religions (Editorial board: Steven Engler (Mount Royal College, Calgary, Canada), Richard King (Vanderbilt University, Nashville, U.S.A.), Kocku von Stuckrad (University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands), and Gerard Wiegers (Radboud University Nijmegen, the Netherlands). Also reccomended is the excellent study published by Brill in 2006, Margaret Warburg’s Citizens of the World A History and Sociology of the Baha’is from a Globalisation Perspective.

Muhammad ‘Abduh (1849-1905) was one of the key thinkers and reformers of modern Islam who has influenced both liberal and fundamentalist Muslims today. ‘Abdul-Baha (1844–1921) was the son of Baha ‘ullah (1817-1892), the founder of the Baha’i Faith; a new religion which began as a messianic movement in Shii Islam, before it departed from Islam.Oliver Scharbrodt offers an innovative and radically new perspective on the lives of these two major religious reformers in nineteenth-century Middle East by placing both figures into unfamiliar terrain. While one would classify ‘Abdul-Baha, leader of a messianic movement which claims to depart from Islam, as an exponent of heresy in Islam, ‘Abduh is perceived as an orthodox Sunni reformer.

This book, however, argues against the assumption that both represent two extremely opposite expressions of Islamic religiosity. It shows that both were influenced by similar intellectual and religious traditions of Islam and that both participated in the same discussions on the reform of Islam in the nineteenth century. Islam and the Baha’i Faith provides new insights into the Islamic back¬ground of the Baha’i Faith and into ‘Abduh’s own association with so-called heretical movements in Islam. This book is a valuable resource to anyone interested in the Baha’i Faith and its Islamic roots and in the intellectual history of modern Islam.

The book, Islam and the Baha’i Faith: A comparative study of Muhummad Abduh and ‘Abdu’l-Baha Abbas is published by Routledge in the Series: Culture and Civilization in the Middle East (General Editor: Ian Netton). Table of Contents: 1. Introduction 2. The Formative Years: Mysticism and Millenarianism 3. Into Modernity 4. Succession and Renewal 5. Charisma Routinized 6. Creating Orthodoxy: The View of Posterity Epilogue Bibliography. Oliver Scharbrodt is Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at Western Kentucky University, USA. His research interests lie in the study of modern Islam and of Iranian Shiism and Sufism.

Peter Terry has finally made available after many years of toil his translation of Louis Alphonse Daniel Nicolas’ biography in French of the life of the Bab, Seyyed Ali Mohammed dit le Bab (Paris, 1905). Not merely a translation, the book is heavily annotated and footnoted  to expand or correct with later research Nicola’s pioneering work.

ALM Nicolas was a translator at the French Legation in Tihran and became acquainted with the life of the Bab and his writings and over the course of several decades published a number of studies and translations of the Bab and the Babi movement. Nicolas was so captivated by the eloquence of the Bab that he describes himself as having become  “bit by bit profoundly and uniquely a Babi”. A Prophet in Modern Times is published on demand by lulu.com and is available from the usual onlne stores.

This volume represents Volume 1 of a series of planned translations of Nicolas’s Babi works and it is hoped that this version of Nicolas’ biography can be expanded to include those chapters that refer to the Bab’s colleagues, the Letters of the Living, some of which has been published recently elsewhere, as well as useful additions such as an index and an aggregated bibliography of the many cited sources in the footnotes.

 Nicolas personal library was acquired in part by the International Baha’i Library and constitutes one of its special collections. The French edition of the book translated here was reprinted a few years ago in the Elibron Classics series. It is also available in a digitised format from the H-Bahai Digital Library.