A transgender woman will join representatives from the Sikh and Baha'i communities as new advisers to President Obama on faith-based issues.

The White House announced the additions to the President's third and final advisory council on faith-based and neighbourhood partnerships last week.

National LGBT Task Force Barbara Satin was involved in the UCC's decision to fully include LGBT people as members and ministers in 2003

Barbara Satin is the assistant faith work director for the National LGBTQ Task Force and a member of the United Church of Christ (UCC). She was the first openly transgender member of the UCC's executive council and has served on the board of a number of other LGBT community groups.

Of her appointment, Satin said: "Given the current political climate, I believe it's important that a voice of faith representing the transgender and gender non-conforming community — as well as a person of my years, nearly 82 — be present and heard in these vital conversations."

The other appointments included Naseem Kourosh, human rights officer at the US Baha'i office of public affairs and Manjit Singh, co-founder and chairman of the Sikh American Legal Defence and Education Fund.

Along with a number of other appointments, Obama said Satin, Kourosh and Singh were "fine public servants" and would bring "depth of experience and tremendous dedication" to their roles.

"I look forward to working with them," he said.

The President's advisory council is charged with making policy recommendations to the administration as well as suggesting improvements and best practices for services that relate to faith-based groups. The council currently has fifteen members, most of whom are Christian.

http://www.christiantoday.com/article/obama.appoints.transgender.woman.sikh.and.bahai.to.faith.advisory.council/86267.htm

"it is a fake faith, forged by foreigners and colonizers." - Sadeq Amoli Larijani

Baku, Azerbaijan, May 16

By Umid Niayesh - Trend:

Iran is accusing its Baha'i citizens of working for foreign intelligence agencies.

Iran's Judiciary Chief Sadeq Amoli Larijani said the leaders of the Baha'i community are linked to foreign countries and receive security related orders from them, IRIB news agency reported May 16.

He expressed regret over the support from certain figures in Iran to the Baha'is, and accused them of violating the norms.

Amoli Larijani's remarks come after Faezeh Hashemi, daughter of ex-president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, recently met with Fariba Kamalabadi, a female leader of the Baha'i community, who had been allowed out of prison on a five-day break.

Kamalabadi was arrested eight years ago with six other leaders of the Baha'i community and sentenced to 20 years in prison for charges including espionage.

Faezeh Hashemi's meeting with Kamalabadi sparked serious controversy in the country, and both Faezeh and his moderate father have become a target of serious criticism by conservative factions in the country.

Rafsanjani himself has said his daughter had made a mistake that needs to be corrected.

Amoli Larijani further warned that defending Bahaism in Iran is meaningless, adding "it is a fake faith, forged by foreigners and colonizers."

However, he added that the members of the Baha'i community are jailed in Iran not for their beliefs, but for violating the country's security.

Iranians condemn meeting of Faezeh Rafsanjani with Fariba Kamalabadi

Amoli Larijani also warned Rafsanjani's daughter that she maybe pursued legally if her "norms violation" initiative reaches a criminal level.

Baha'is throughout the world celebrate the "temporary release" of Fariba Kamalabadi (فریبا کمال آبادی ), one of the seven convicted Baha'is

This picture is used for representation purpose only.

This picture is used for representation purpose only. 

The life of Baha'i prisoners in Iran

Fariba Kamalabadi is released for 5 Days from her "luxurious" prison.
Iranian government is taking good care of their guests!

How Haifan UHJ gathers intelligence through its "Offices of External Affairs" ?

A programme organised by the external affairs office of the Baha'i community of Ireland
From left to right: Karen McHugh, Donnah Vuma, Tom Reichental, Payam Akhavan, Sharon Murphy, Ann O'Sullivan.

From left to right: Retired member of the Universal House of Justice Glenford Mitchell, Director of the U.S. Baha'i Office of External Affairs in Washington, Anthony Vance (Director of the U.S. Baha’i External Affairs Office in Washington) and U.S. Senator Mark Kirk from Illinois. Photo by Jack Gordon.

Omna Sreeni Ong (from Petaling Jaya), the Malaysian Baha'i community's Director of External Affairs

Nilakshi Rajkhowa and Baha'i External Affairs office bearers meet with BJP leader Shyam Jaju in New Delhi, India

By Investigator919

You might remember a post from a few weeks ago titled: "Open letter from 50 business leaders calls on Tehran to stop persecuting Baha’i businesses" being propagated by the Baha'i propaganda website: http://iranpresswatch.org

It is obvious that 50 businesses won't magically gather together and sign an open letter. I had stated in that topic that

"The Businesses have signed this letter due to intense amounts of Baha'i lobbying, presumably using biased statements and exaggeration of facts."

This has finally been confirmed. Two days ago, the Baha'i cult Universal House of Justice of the Haifan order, officially sent the following email to the National Spiritual Assemblies of the Bahá’ís of Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, India, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United State:

https://ia601502.us.archive.org/29/items/UHJLetter2May2016DoingBusinessWithIran/UHJ%20Letter%202%20May%202016%20Doing%20Business%20With%20Iran.pdf

Ordering them to find companies that are doing business in Iran and ... read for yourselves:

"You are asked to request your Offices of External Affairs to identify such companies— in collaboration with relevant government agencies, like-minded groups and other non-governmental organizations—and to develop strategies to approach them with a view to learn about their commitment to ethical standards in their businesses in Iran. As they gain greater insight into the social reality in that country, they will come to appreciate that these standards should include, for instance, eschewing any form of discrimination in their employment practices or their treatment of employees, be it against women or minorities. In this context the economic oppression of the Bahá’ís by the government of Iran can be brought to their attention. As these companies may naturally be looking to recruit hard-working, skilled and honest Iranian individuals to assist in establishing their businesses in Iran, the history of discrimination against graduates of the Bahá’í Institute for Higher Education could be explained to them."

Gathering intelligence on companies doing business in Iran in the name of Baha'i rights... brainwashing those companies into believing exaggerated stories about what happens to Baha'is in Iran... encourage them to speak out against Iran and use it for propaganda purposes...

The letter continues:

"Alongside the actions of your Offices of External Affairs, the Bahá’í International Community United Nations Office will be undertaking complementary initiatives at the international level."

You see Baha'is do not meddle in political affairs /s

And finally if you haven't realized where the information goes, and this is what greatly troubles me:

"Kindly keep the Universal House of Justice and the Bahá’í International Community United Nations Office apprised of the outcome of your ongoing endeavours."

The info goes directly to the Baha'i UHJ in Israel and we all definitely know that under no circumstances will it be shared with some Intelligence groups or enemies...