A tribute to Mr. Hushmand Fatheazam. By Former NSA Member of India.

Mr. Fatheazam was born in Tehran, Iran to a Bahá’í Family. He served as curator at the Library of the Faculty of Arts at Tehran University from 1950 to 1952.

In 1950 Shoghi Effendi gave the call to the Persian Bahá’ís to leave Iran and pioneer to other places. His main aim was not to propagate the Faith but to control the Faith in every country through some Iranians. The effect of which we can see in the present Bahá’í administration that every country has 2 or 3 Iranian members on the NSA.

Fatheazam came to India as an pioneer in 1953, here he got a Masters degree in Arts from the Wiswa Bharati University in Shantiniketan, India in 1954.

Mr. Fatheazam worked as managing director of the Bahá’í Publishing Trust, New Delhi from 1955 to 1963. Mr. Fatheazam served as secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of India from 1955 to 1963. After this he was elected to the UHJ in 1963 and thus he was successful in his plan of becoming a UHJ member.

Looking at the rise of Mr. Fatheazam in the Bahá’í Administration many Iranian Bahá’ís migrated to India in the name pioneering but actually to be elected to the Bahá’í Administration, like Mr. Mohajer, Mr. B. Afshin, Mr. L. Azadi, Mr. Fariborz Sahba.

Mr. Sabha was so much adamant to get the high post that during the temple inauguration at Delhi in 1986 he went on talking to the delegates that he belongs to the Family of Gulpaygani which was a sheer lie. He wanted to give the impression that he belonged to a family who has his own contribution to the faith.

Mr. Fatheazam ostentatively went on praising India and kept saying that “India is in my heart”. Before every election of UHJ he use to visit India - less for the sake of love for it - but more for the nine votes of members of NSA of India

He had a scant respect for sanctity of Bahá’í elections and used to interfere in elections of NSA of India by appointing Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer of his choice. He attended the meetings of NSA and many times pointed to some of the Indian members to resign from the NSA. His purpose was to see more Iranians on the NSA and to have a full control of it. This job is now being handled by Mr. Payman Mohajer.

He was in constant touch with the pioneer Iranian group in India. He saw to it that they rise high in the administration and was constantly on the hot line with the Persian Bahá’ís asking them what to do. His directives were very often against the messages of UHJ.

Mrs. & Mr. Fatheazam at the home of an Iranian Pioneer with some poor innocent Indians.

When UHJ and Indian NSA wanted to close down the Panchgani Academy due to its functioning against the interest of Indian Bahá’ís, Mr. Fatheazam supported the Persians and ordered them not to follow the directives of NSA and UHJ.

He instigated a massive showdown with Mr. Hasan Sabri the Head of Socio Economic Project of the World Centre and the Persian Bahá’ís representing the Bahá’í Academy of India due to which Mr. Sabri was humiliated many a times.

He asked Mr. Vahedi to start Miraat Publications against the wishes of NSA of India ignoring the mandate given by NSA to Bahá’í Publishing Trust.

Mr. Fatheazam along with Hand of Cause Dr. Rahmatu'llah Mohajer stilled in the Bahá’ís that they should make fake census of Indian Bahá’ís and inflate the number of LSAs due to which the number of LSA went to more than 10,000 a big lie. This job is now being done by Mr. Omid Seioshanseian.

He went against the Mass Teaching initiated by Mr. H.B. Singh of Malkousie and said “We do not want such type of Bahá’ís”. We want Bahá’ís with potentialities - so he created a ‘Class System’ in the Bahá’ís. He was more inclined towards the Muslim Background Bahá’ís and started many programmes to deepen them through Mr. Afshin. He believed that Muslim background Bahá’ís are real Bahá’ís. For Hindus, Bahá’í Faith is much of bread and butter.

Due to his instigation the Persian Bahá’ís formed a group against the NSA and the Indian Bahá’ís. This group used to make fun of the respected Indian Bahá’ís like Mr. R.N. Shah and Mr. Kishen Khemani.

In one of the public meetings he openly confided that “He has not done a single Ruhi Book” and said “I do not know who has said that Doing Ruhi book is obligatory on every Bahá’í!”. He instigated the Bahá’ís to revolt against the Ruhi Curriculum fully being aware that it is the decision of UHJ. This job is now being handled by Mr. Ali Nakhjawani.

At the end of his life, being left by Bahá’í Administration Mr. Fatheazam was in contact with the Bahá’ís all over the world and sending writings of Covenant Breaker Mr. Bahremand and asking them which Bahá’í group is this? It was absolutely not expected by an Ex-UHJ member and a Persian Bahá’í. What he meant was please study the writing of Nosrat Bahremand.

Inspite of all this, Mr. Fatheazam respected the Indian culture of treating women with respect, unlike the late UHJ member Mr. Peter Khan and ITC Counselor Mr. Aziz Azadi who made a point to kiss every young girl in full view of the public. Sometimes giving the indication that they have been deputed by the UHJ to spoil the Indian culture.

By FORMER MEMBER OF NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY OF INDIA

Source : http://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/talk.religion.bahai

An open Letter to Baha'i Parents.

Dear Friends,

This is a letter from a troubled father to all Friends in the Community. Hopefully this letter will bring to light certain concerns about the Conduct of our beloved UHJ. Of course facts would be presented before drawing conclusions.

Friends, we hear time and again appeals from the UHJ for volunteers at the Holy Land. With deep sincerity the message is circulated by the respected LSAs. With equal sincerity some of our youth, purely for serving the Faith, volunteer. The Local Community is overjoyed when certain youth are selected for serving at Holy Land. Indeed, it is a representation of the local community – an honour. However the tragedy starts when after serving at Holy Land for about a decade, the now “middle aged” volunteer returns. In private discussions, these volunteers tell their woes. Some of the common points that emerge are :

1.    The Selection Process: The volunteers selected are youths in early twenties and mostly females. This reality never strikes us, but when we ponder on certain long term serving volunteers we indeed come to know of this gender preference (eg in India we have examples of Shraddha Singh, Elisa Rassiwalla, Yasmin Rassiwallah, Shraddha Teli, Pooja Puthran and some others).

2.    Service of Volunteers : The Volunteers are assigned as secretaries / under-studies to certain chiefs of departments. Interestingly all the girl volunteers work under middle-aged male bosses.

3.    Grooming – What goes into it?: The enthusiastic and simple girls, while being induced and groomed for the work, are subtly conveyed the ‘other expectations’. There ‘other expectations’ include spending long hours with bosses in privacy, not resisting advances by bosses (as the poor man is over loaded with various assignments of the UHJ, and thereby needs some ‘relaxation’ as there is no outlet for ‘relaxation’ of the bosses, except the volunteers) and always having a cheerful presence.

4.    Feelings of the volunteers: These volunteers who are thousands of miles away from their parents, in a foreign country and almost in captivity in the huge premise, feel terribly lonely. Having no one to confide, except those who re-affirm the ‘expectations’ and need for serving the Faith with ‘Body’ and ‘Soul’, most volunteers feel that best way out is to continue the service without complaints. Atleast, with the stipend, they are not a burden on their parents. The volunteer is shunted across various departments every couple of years.

5.    The worst stage: Probably the worst stage in the career of the volunteer, is when she approaches her 40’s. Now the youth, the charm, the vigour starts fading. With age, and with this exposure in the name of service, the so–far unmarried volunteer, develops medical complications. She is now a liability to the Holy Land and UHJ and is very gently shown the door. The volunteer, trudges her way back to India, only to experience a sense of guilt and a life and a career lost. She develops depression, especially when she finds that how cunningly the Persian and Zoroastrian background Baha’is, did not send their children of same age for service but had motivated the simple Indian Baha’i parents for the same. The children of these Persian and Zoroastrian Bahai parents develop into settled professionals and have an established family, while the poor volunteer has returned with absolute loss.

Friends, as a father who cannot see the plight of his daughter, I appeal to all to be cautious in sending their daughters, as volunteers to the Holy Land. It is indeed saddening, how this exploitation is happening at the most Holy place for the Bahais.  The UHJ is indeed a den of vice.

Entertainment in Baha'i gatherings

Friends, we have made a supreme sacrifice by leaving our religion and accepting the Bahai Faith. Little did we know about the skeletons in the cupboard. The situation now is that we are forced to see the tragic plight of our unmarried daughters in our old age without anyone to fall back. Our relatives and friends of our previous religion have forsaken us and the Bahais have exploited us. Indeed this is a cumulative loss.

Friends lets unite and expose the mis-deeds so that we can save the next generation. Lets bring this awareness globally, as our daughters have narrated that volunteers come to the Holy Land for service from all over the world – in particular from developing and under-developed countries, and undergo same experience. Lets campaign globally about reducing the male dominance at the Holy Land and UHJ, especially in responsible positions. Lets campaign that volunteers selected should be predominantly males. Lets clean the Faith of shameful mal-practices.

Source : http://bahaiculture.blogspot.com

One more Gaddafi !

Hushmand Fatheazam (January 8, 1924 - August 13, 2013) was a member of the Universal House of Justice from 1963 to 2003.


Fatheazam was born in Tehran. He served as curator at the Library of the Faculty of Arts at Tehran University from 1950 to 1952, as lecturer of Persian literature at the Punjab University in New Delhi, India from 1959 to 1963, as staff artist of All-India Radio in New Delhi from 1955 to 1963, and as managing director of the Bahá’í Publishing Trust, New Delhi from 1955 to 1963. Fatheazam served as secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of India from 1955 to 1963. He was elected to the Universal House of Justice in 1963 and served in that capacity until 2003.

http://bahaikipedia.org/Hushmand_Fatheazam

President of the Zionist State Chaim Herzog visits the Baha'i World Centre (21 October 1984)
Fatheazam is seen in the first row, standing extreme left.

Baha'is shocked by "Fatwa of Shunning" (What an example of Hypocrisy!!!)

AND WHAT IS THIS :

Click to Enlarge.

Read more on this topic :

• Steve Scholl on shunning family  
• Jeffrey Goldberg's poignant story. I hope others will take the time to read and reflect on it. "My wife and I were declared to be covenant-breakers." Golberg was the lawyer representing the Orthodox Baha'i denominations in the NSA lawsuit of 2006 to 2008.
• Compare LaAeterna's "publicly denounce my family as heretics"
• David Langness "cultlike practice of shunning and casting out any dissidents"
• Ruletherod "shunning mentality"
• Michael McKenny, "removed your name from our membership rolls."
• Alison Marshall, "removed your name from the rolls."
• Juan Cole on Baha'i Shunning 1 uhj denounces New Zealander as a covenant breaker, Ms Pauline Smith
• Juan Cole on Baha'i Shunning 2 "non-Baha'is are being shunned by the Baha'i community"
• Juan Cole on Baha'i Shunning 3 "a form of libel as traditionally defined"
• Juan Cole on Baha'i Shunning 4 "Shunning is the marker of a cult."
• Juan Cole on Baha'i Shunning 5 "institutionalization of shunning as a feature of everyday life"
• Juan Cole on Baha'i Shunning 6 "Baha'is are always on heresy trial"
• Juan Cole on Baha'i Shunning 7 "shunning is threatened or imposed"
• Juan Cole on Baha'i Shunning  8 "sentenced to the "social death" of shunning" 
• Larry Rowe - Hypocrisy of Bahai Shunning December, 2005
• Larry Rowe - 2006 Extensive comments on shunning and slander
• religioustolerance.org "shunning or expelling non-conforming adherents"

Still More :

http://www.fglaysher.com/bahaicensorship/shunning.htm

http://www.fglaysher.com/bahaicensorship/shunning2.htm

Youth Moral Classes being used by some Baha'is to groom and recruit young girls for trafficking purposes

Hi all,

…I’m a “white” woman in her 60′s who joined the bahai organization in the 70′s. I was attracted to the principals, especially the oneness of humanity. I was married to a Native American in ND with four children. In the years following I remained a steadfast bahai until recent years when I noticed the organization becoming more and more “top heavy”, with the leadership not listening to rank and file bahais, only sending directives from the top down. And while many of the directives quoted the bahai writings, in actuality the activities seemed to not reflect what a deepened bahai could believe. In my opinion Ruhi was created as top-down extracts from bahai writings with the goal of bringing in troops of people to brainwash, creating McBahais. An individual being deepened in the bahai writings seemingly became a liability to the leadership who more and more were manufactured from the Ruhi factory.

Pakistani Baha'i Community in Swimming Pool

In my SP community the Ruhi system became the only method of teaching and learning in the “faith”. Ultimately Ruhi created a serious danger to the children and youth in our community. My 10 year old granddaughter was sexually assaulted at a “devotional”. When I found out a year later and reported it to the LSA the rumors and harassment began towards us. A teen girl in the community was involved with pimps and using bahai activities to groom and recruit young girls for trafficking purposes. Of course I didn’t know this at the time, but saw many “red flags”. The leadership would not listen to my efforts to keep this girl away from my granddaughter who was four years younger than this girl, but constantly undermined me, putting this girl in leadership positions and trying to involve my granddaughter and other children.

Though we had become totally inactive by 2009, ultimately through the efforts of a meddling LSA member my granddaughter ended up going to a Naw Ruz party in 2010 where the girl was. From there she ended up with this girl’s pimp. I’ve never been to or allowed my granddaughter to attend another bahai activity. After I wrote a long detailed letter to the NSA, they turned my daughters against me using them and others to slander me and my granddaughter in the most horrible ways. The letter I received back from the NSA after over six months didn’t even address my valid concerns. Instead they accused me of lying, blamed me and me only for my granddaughter being trafficked. They said both my daughters had met with the local LSA, accusing me of horrible abuse to all my children. They said they were considering removing my administrative rights because of “lies” that had “brought shame on the faith! ”

Meanwhile during this time my email and facebook accounts were hacked, and soon many of my friends and acquaintances were receiving horrible slander against me and my granddaughter. My daughters, who had not spoken to me since 2009, were involved, and some local members were too. Much of this was going on before I wrote the letter, but it increased dramatically after they received the letter. I’m an illustrator and artist and it almost killed my business. I’m not mentally ill (as they say about me), and I haven’t done the things they said I did. It’s just slander. But I realize that what was done to me has been done to many other bahais. They are too good at it. They get you to give them all the info you have that would make them liable, then they figure out how to destroy you and your entire life by using your bahai family members and everyone you know. I don’t believe it’s a faith, but an evil organization that uses religion as a front to gain power.
If that’s the definition of a cult, then I believe they are a cult. I don’t want to post any of this online, but that’s my story, greatly edited. I’m in the process of finding an attorney to send a letter to the NSA along with my card and my granddaughter’s card, which was sent without either of us requesting it. No longer will they use us as “stats”.

…I am very protective of my granddaughter, who is in her teens now and has been through more than any child should ever have to go through, including being both shunned and harassed by family members who have, along with the bahais here, IDed her as a “bad girl”, because she was trafficked and had a baby at age 13 (I’m also raising this baby). This horror began in the bahai Ruhi factory of deepenings, devotionals, and children’s classes where children were recruited by this girl who was promoted by the bahai leadership. When I first contacted national in 2010, I first spoke with Marie Sheffer, who told me that there was incest and trafficking in most US bahai communities, and convinced me how important it was to write a detailed letter so that the NSA could act and protect other children. She was warm and understanding and did convince me, and gave me guidelines. But soon after I began writing the letter she was moved from her position to “working with assemblies”. I still finished the letter after she called me when I stalled and convinced me to persevere. I summed up what happened to my granddaughter and me after that. I consider the knowing betrayal by Marie S almost as bad as the betrayal of my daughters. But that’s how they roll. They plot!  They get what they want then set about destroying you in the most horrific way possible. If you have family in the organization for them to manipulate, all the better!

…My original reason for writing to the NSA was for the protection of children, and I really don’t think they’re any safer now. The NSA is too busy covering up to worry about the children. The letter back from the NSA wasn’t signed by an individual, but I believe the author was Ken Bowers, the secretary at the time. He has a reputation for arrogance and ruthlessness even from stanch supporters, so he is good at his job, which is corporate. I also know deep in my heart that the only way to “blow the whistle” is outside this organization. They have too much to lose by truely cleaning up.

http://usnsapimpingyounggirls.blogspot.com