History of Baha\'is Activities in Middle East ----- Part 1

Conditions in Middle East countries are different from the rest of the world. These countries have different outlook, cultures is rigid, and conservative ways of living.  The religion most prevalent here is Islam. Islam is widely accepted here and its beliefs and practices are followed adherently by the people of Middle East.  Mosques are found in large number in nearly most of the streets and in the month of Ramadan, restaurants closed, If anybody is found eating anything in public it will be treated as an offence.

In such a conservative environment Baha’is exist as faith. They live like secret society among the Arabs and have adopted their culture very well. Most of them even acquire their nationality in deception. (Declaring as Moslem) How it happened? And how did they penetrate in such a conservative society? Well it all happened around sixty five years back.

In the year 1950 Shoghi Efendi the Guardian of the Bahai faith made a call to Baha’is in the name of Jihad-Akbar the “Great Migration for the Baha’i cause”, people from Iran (as it was the cradle of faith) prepared for migration. Hand of Cause of God Ali Akbar Frutan, Musa Banani started motivating young Baha’is to answer the call of the guardian of faith Shoghi Effendi, as these two were deputed by him for this job.

They arranged the marriages of young couples and prepared them for migration.

The ones migrated to European countries were given aerial route and the others selected for Middle East and African countries were given sea route.

The Baha’i center of Bandar Abbas and Kish Island near Iran were informed about the migrants and both these places were used for boarding and lodging The Baha’is who were selected for Arabistan (as they called the middle east in those days) UAE and Oman, were accommodated in Kish Island and for the countries of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar and Kuwait were accommodated in Bandar Abbas. During nineteen fifties there was limited frequency of ships, they had to wait for weeks and months for travelling.

Ali Akbar Frutan,
Master mind behind Baha\'i Network in Middle East

The condition of Middle East in 1950 was worst. The Arabs were leading nomadic life in harsh conditions with lack of amenities like electricity, water , transport, hospitals , schools etc and also diseases like malaria and cholera were wide spread. The climate was unfit for living with temperatures soaring above 50 degree Celsius and summer lasting for nearly seven to eight months. There was hardly any rainfall in the region.

The Baha’i migrant reached their destination and started to living amongst Arab as per instruction of Ali Akbar Frutan and Musa Banani they were not suppose to disclose about faith to anybody they started looking for government jobs . Some started small grocery shops.  They started bringing goods from Iran and started selling them to Arabs. They were instructed to make good contacts with government officials and Shaikhs they worked as instructed.

After few years Ali Akbar Frutan sent more migrants to each locality where bahai were already settled, he kept on motivating young Baha’is to go to these countries. for new comers it was easy because during these years Baha’is were settled down  some of them took houses near the port so whenever a new Baha’i came he would stay in their houses and later on settle down else where.

Ali Akbar Frutan was making trips to these places on regular basis to motivate the newcomers to settle there as most of them were from Iran,. Iran was more developed country as compare to middle east, life was difficult for most of the Iranians in  Middle East, he was giving them messages from Shoghi Effendi and motivating them by saying that beloved guardian is asking about you and he is regularly praying to Baha’u’llah  for your well being and safety.

As time passed till 1960 Baha’is were well settled in Middle East they were instructed to recite prayer in their homes and were instructed to focus on establishing themselves well. Shoghi effendi died in 1957.

Universal House of Justice was established in 1963, during 1957 to 1963, Baha’i community were wandering without any Guardian and head of community, they utilized these six years to organized their lives. In 1963 when first Universal House of Justice was elected they immediately started focusing on migrants Baha’is.

Universal House of Justice immediately deputed Three of its members, namely Peter Khan to Europe, Musa Banani to Africa and Ali Akbar Frutan to Middle East, Ali Akbar Frutan  travelled to Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Emirates, and instructed Baha’is to spread their wings, he started helping them in establishing National and Local Spiritual Assemblies to their respective countries. He further instructed them to register NSA with Ministry of Religious Affair and start purchasing land for Baha’i Center, Baha’i graveyard and Mashrequl Azkaar (Baha’i Temple).

Baha’is followed instruction and they started acquiring lands in deceptive manner, like they purchased land for Baha’i Temple in the name of Farm House, for Baha’i Center in the name of Garden, Grave Yard free of cost in the name of Gulistan. All these Baha’is achieved during 1964-1969 as five years plan by Universal House of Justice.

As Middle Eastern countries are Islamic, it was great challenge for Universal House of Justice for teaching faith. By Law it is prohibited in Middle East for propagation and conversion to any religion other then Islam specially to Arabs, since most of Baha’is had acquired Nationality Universal House of Justice instructed them to go and asked for minority status which was granted to them except Saudi Arabia, while seeking minority status they pledge that this minority community will leave amongst them self and will practice their religion without teaching or conversion specially to Moslems and Arabs.

After 1975 there was boom in economy of Middle Eastern countries, they became Oil reach Nations. From 1950 to 1975 during these 25 years all the Iranian Baha’is were well settled and were prospering as Middle East was prospering. Universal House of Justice sent instruction through Ali Akbar Frutan about marriage of their children as during these 25 years their new generation were ready the instruction was to get their Sons married to Iranian girls from Iran, and their daughters to marry Arabs specially to influential families of Arab (in which only few succeeded) even if apparently girl has to leave her religion.

Iranian Revolution

During 1979 Iranian Monarch Mohammed Reza Shah Pahlavi was over thrown by Mullah Ayatollah Khomaini, Baha’is were jubilant as they expect that democracy will prevail, but they received jilted shock as Ayatollah Khomaini decided to rule and become head of nation. During crack down of Reza Shah Pahlavi’s supporter government found and cracked spying network of Baha’is they found and caught red handed top brass of Baha’i administration in sending sensitive information of Iran to Israel through Telex and Radio communication many document were seized, and arrest were made, most of them were put behind bars and some of them were executed. Universal House of Justice took this opportunity and made international cry for the help through United Nation and worldwide Baha’i organization that Baha’is were prosecuted on the ground of religious belief.

Baha’is residing in Middle East took this opportunity as blessing in disguise those who’s citizenship was in pending they beg to kind hearted kings of Middle East as refugees and informed them that they have no places to go, by this time the Kings were aware of Baha’i existence to avoid international pressure, the Kings had no option other then granting them Citizenship.

Ali Akbar Frutan was visiting them regularly and was quite satisfied with the progress of Baha’is. In early 1980’s Ali Akbar Frutan came up with the instruction of Universal House of Justice to start teaching the faith to Arabs through unique and deceptive style.

http://arabbahais.blogspot.com/