Seat of the Universal House of Justice,
governing body of the Bahá'ís, in Haifa, Israel
Greetings to my friends who are members of the Bahá’í International Community.
Today Bahá'ís observe the anniversary of the birth of Baha’u’llah (born Mirza Husayn-‘Ali) on Nov. 12, 1817, in Tehran, Persia (now Iran).
The Bahá'í Faith is a monotheistic religion founded by Baha’u’llah in nineteenth-century Persia, emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind. There are an estimated five to six million Bahá'ís around the world in more than 200 countries and territories.
The following principles are frequently listed as a quick summary of the Bahá'í teachings.
Unity of God
Unity of religion
Unity of humankind
Equality between men and women
Elimination of all forms of prejudice
World peace
Harmony of religion and science
Independent investigation of truth
Universal compulsory education
Universal auxiliary language
Obedience to government and non-involvement in partisan politics unless submission to law amounts to a denial of Faith.
Elimination of extremes of wealth and poverty
Baha’u’llah, which means the “Glory of God,” is the founder of the Baha’i Faith. It is one of the nine holy days of the year when work is suspended.
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Over the years I have been invited to many Bahá'í ‘firesides' and have formed friendships with some of the kindest people I know. I have also co-conducted many 'Healing of Racism' workshops with members of the Bahá'í faith whose main goals in life are that people live peacefully and give each other the respect that they deserve. My sentiments exactly!
peacesojourner
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