Palu (ANTARA News) - At least 31 residents of Banpers village in Palolo sub-district, Donggala district, Central Sulawesi, have converted their belief in Islam into that in Bahai.
Head of the Religious Affairs Office in Palolo sub-district, Nuyyun Nur said here on Sunday that the Bahai faith led by Mulahi, a former marriage counsellor for the first time entered Banpers village in the 1990s, and had persuaded 31 local residents to convert into the new belief.
Those who have embraced the Bahai faith were former moslems, so that the community in Banpers Village, 50 km east of Palu City, became worried about the apostasy.
"The homes of the Bahai faith`s followers in Banpers are often pelted by protesters," he said.
According to Hayyun, Bahai adherents believed that their teachings are right and universal and propogated by a self-styled prophet Baha`ullah. They have collected holy Bah`ullah verses as their main guidance.
The propagators of the Bahai faith to Donggala was still unidentified, as the adherents of the new faith rejected to disclose their identity. The Baha`i followers normally perform their rituals in secrecy.
Together with Palolo subdistrict administration and local authority, Hayyun had facilitated a meeting between the community and Bahaists in September, 2007.
In the meeting, it was agreed that Bahai adherents were called on to review the teachings they believed in, and to return their previous belief recognized by the government.
In the near future, there will be a meeting to hear the stance of the Bahaists, he said.
3 comments:
The Baha'i Faith is the latest of world monotheistic religions. Just as Moses, Christ, and Muhammad brought teachings for their time and age, Baha'u'llah (Glory of God), brought teachings for this day and age. These inclued, the Oneness of God, Oneness of Mankind, and Oneness of Religion. Millions of moslems have converted to the Baha'i Faith and have been subjected to persecution in many moslem lands. The steadfastness in their faith has been demonstrated since the Bahai Faith was founded in Persia (now Iran) in 1844. Those who recognize Baha'u'llah as the manifestation from God, are like those Jews who become Christians and those Christians who became Moslems. They also were persecuted. Please investigate more by visiting www.bahai.org.
Seems to me that what religion someone decides to adopt, or leave, should be that person's business. If freedom of religion is not allowed and encouraged, thus effectively forcing many people to outwardly hold to a religion they don't believe in inwardly, it just creates a bunch of hypocrites. In the great scheme of things, the truth should eventually shine forth if it is allowed to do so naturally. And even the Qur'an teaches there should be no compulsion in religion.
As for the Baha'i Faith, at least it has never participated in religious persecution, does not allow its members to practice violence against anyone for any reason, and encourages the independent investigation of the truth. After all, if people can't make up their own minds about what to believe without threats, we won't be able to trust that anyone is a true believer even if they are a member of a specific religion. Is that what we really want?
What is so special about this?
In a country where there is religious freedom this would be no news!
The baha’is believe in end of prejudice, education for all, equality of men and women, universal peace, harmony of science and religion. What harm can these teachings bring to the world? Look at the wonderful work they are doing in countries like South Africa, Bolivia, Tanzania!
If you are so worried about baha’is, you would better inform your readers about their principles and teachings. That would be good journalism!
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