Who are the Baha'is? (Al-Jazeera)

AlJazeera.com published today an article by Sheikha Sajida about the Baha’i Faith. It expresses the traditional Muslim conservative perspective. Here are my comments to the author about her text.

1 . Egyptian Baha'is are demanding the same civil rights as any other Egyptian citizens have. And that means to have official ID cards. Whether those cards state citizens religious affiliation or whether in such field one is allowed write the word «other» or leave it blank, is a question the Egyptian Government has to answer. That is the central question. And you preferred not to approach such issue. A subject about which you expressed no opinion. A silent complicity?

2. "...the new «sect»...". You are, of course, free to classify Baha’is as a trend, a movement or a way of thinking. Many scholars in the world consider the Baha'i Faith as a new religion. The Baha’is have their own Sacred Writings, administrative structure, temples, calendar, holy days. It’s is definitely not a trend or a branch of Islam (like Sufis and the Ammadhya). Naturally, Muslims tend to state that the Baha’i Faith is not a religion. Why? Because de the mere existence of such a religion questions a basic belief of most Muslims: the finality of God’s revelation with Muhammad. It seems that today Muslims are the ones to believe that God has His hands tied up! (Qur'án 5:64)

3. "...hurts Muslims, who form the majority of the Egyptian public". You may feel very comfortable to follow the opinion of the majority of Egyptian society. Let me remind you that in the Middle Age in Europe, the majority of people believed that the sun goes around the earth.

4. "...estimated to be 6 million". Baha'is only claim to be five million. Did you see their official site?

5. But would the baha’i teachings "bring much disorder to the Egyptian society"? To abandon any form of prejudice is a source of disorder? Claiming equal rights for man and women is to cause disorder? Claiming education for every children is a source of disorder? Affirming the need for a universal auxiliary language and the elimination of extremes of poverty and wealth area problem for any society? Do you really know the teachings of Baha’u’llah?

6. "Supporting the Bahais in their quest for recognition, just like Christians and Muslims, is another attempt to shake the unity of the Egyptian society". Baha'is are recognized as a religion in many countries, just like Muslims, Christians, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus and others? Did that shake the unity of those countries? Or... are such countries more tolerant to religious diversity than Egypt?

7. I am surprised that you were not able to answer your own questions (are bahais satanic or trying to establish a political party?) Let me answer you: baha'is don't get involved in politics! As for Satanism, check the activities of the Baha’is all over the world and decide whether those are satanic activities.

A FINAL NOTE: Other Muslims countries (Algeria, Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Sudan, Tunisia and Emirates) do give ID cards to baha’is. So this is not a problem of Baha’is vs. Muslims. It is a problem concerning the civil rights of Baha’is in Egypt.