Source: Bahá'í Library Online (bahai-library.com), curated by Jonah Winters. Used by permission of the curator. Original citation: Bahá'u'lláh, Cultural Diversity in the Age of Maturity, bahai-library.com.
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Cultural Diversity in the Age of Maturity

Bahá'u'lláh

Abdu'l-Bahá

Shoghi Effendi

Universal House of Justice

Universal House of Justice, Research Department

, compiler

published in

Compilation of Compilations

Volume 3, pp. 93-138

2000

Contents:

I. THE VISION UNFOLDING

An "ever-advancing civilization"

The Coming of Age of the Entire Human Race

II. RELIGION AND CULTURAL CHANGE

Religion–"the very basis and root-principle of culture and civilization"

A "new way of life for humanity"

Inevitability of Change

Nature and Processes of Cultural Evolution

III. APPRECIATION OF CULTURAL DIVERSITY

"Consider the flowers of a garden"–The Principle of Unity in Diversity

An "equal standard of human rights"

Enrichment of Community Life

V. CULTURAL DIVERSITY IN THE BAHÁ'Í COMMUNITY

Associating with People of Divers Beliefs and Customs

Responsibilities of Bahá'í Administrative Institutions

Preserving Flexibility

Fostering Diversity

Guiding and Encouraging Social Evolution

I. THE VISION UNFOLDING

• An "ever-advancing civilization"

142 All men have been created to carry forward an ever-advancing
civilization. The Almighty beareth Me witness: To act like the
beasts of the field is unworthy of man. Those virtues that befit
his dignity are forbearance, mercy, compassion and loving-kindness
towards all the peoples and kindreds of the earth.

(Gleanings from the writings of Bahá'u'lláh (Wilmette: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1983), section
CIX
, p.
215
)

143 The progress of the world, the development of nations, the
tranquillity of peoples, and the peace of all who dwell on earth
are among the principles and ordinances of God. Religion
bestoweth upon man the most precious of all gifts, offereth the
cup of prosperity, imparteth eternal life, and showereth
imperishable benefits upon mankind.

(Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh Revealed after the Kitáb-i-Aqdas
(Wilmette: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1995), pp.
129
-
30
)

144 ... the religions of God are the true source of the spiritual and
material perfections of man, and the fountainhead for all
mankind of enlightenment and beneficial knowledge.

('Abdu'l-Bahá, The Secret of Divine Civilization (Wilmette: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1994), p.
94
)

• The Coming of Age of the Entire Human Race

145 For every era hath a spirit; the spirit of this illumined era lieth
in the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh. For these lay the foundation of
the oneness of the world of humanity and promulgate
universal brotherhood. They are founded upon the unity of
science and religion and upon investigation of truth. They
uphold the principle that religion must be the cause of amity,
union and harmony among men. They establish the equality of
both sexes and propound economic principles which are for
the happiness of individuals. They diffuse universal education,
that every soul may as much as possible have a share of
knowledge. They abrogate and nullify religious, racial,
political, patriotic and economic prejudices and the like. Those
teachings that are scattered throughout the Epistles and Tablets
are the cause of the illumination and the life of the world of
humanity.

(Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá (Wilmette: Bahá'í Publishing
Trust, 1997), section
71
, p.
115
)

146 In this day ... means of communication have multiplied, and
the five continents of the earth have virtually merged into one.
And for everyone it is now easy to travel to any land, to
associate and exchange views with its peoples, and to become
familiar, through publications, with the conditions, the
religious beliefs and the thoughts of all men. In like manner all
the members of the human family, whether peoples or
governments, cities or villages, have become increasingly
interdependent. For none is self-sufficiency any longer
possible, inasmuch as political ties unite all peoples and
nations, and the bonds of trade and industry, of agriculture and
education, are being strengthened every day. Hence the unity
of all mankind can in this day be achieved. Verily this is none
other but one of the wonders of this wondrous age, this
glorious century. Of this past ages have been deprived, for this
century–the century of light–hath been endowed with unique
and unprecedented glory, power and illumination. Hence the
miraculous unfolding of a fresh marvel every day. Eventually
it will be seen how bright its candles will burn in the
assemblage of man.

Behold how its light is now dawning upon the world's
darkened horizon. The first candle is unity in the political
realm, the early glimmerings of which can now be discerned.
The second candle is unity of thought in world undertakings,
the consummation of which will erelong be witnessed. The
third candle is unity in freedom which will surely come to
pass. The fourth candle is unity in religion which is the
cornerstone of the foundation itself, and which, by the power
of God, will be revealed in all its splendour. The fifth candle is
the unity of nations–a unity which in this century will be
securely established, causing all the peoples of the world to
regard themselves as citizens of one common fatherland. The
sixth candle is unity of races, making of all that dwell on earth
peoples and kindreds of one race. The seventh candle is unity
of language, i.e., the choice of a universal tongue in which all
peoples will be instructed and converse. Each and every one of
these will inevitably come to pass, inasmuch as the power of
the Kingdom of God will aid and assist in their realization.

1

(Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá. section
15
, pp.
35
-
36
)

147 "The Tabernacle of Unity," Bahá'u'lláh proclaims in His
message to all mankind, "has been raised; regard ye not one
another as strangers ... Of one tree are all ye the fruit and of
one bough the leaves... The world is but one country and
mankind its citizens ... Let not a man glory in that he loves his
country; let him rather glory in this, that he loves his kind."

Let there be no mistake. The principle of the Oneness of
Mankind–the pivot round which all the teachings of
Bahá'u'lláh revolve–is no mere outburst of ignorant
emotionalism or an expression of vague and pious hope. Its
appeal is not to be merely identified with a reawakening of the
spirit of brotherhood and goodwill among men, nor does it aim
solely at the fostering of harmonious co-operation among
individual peoples and nations. Its implications are deeper, its
claims greater than any which the Prophets of old were
allowed to advance. Its message is applicable not only to the
individual, but concerns itself primarily with the nature of
those essential relationships that must bind all the states and
nations as members of one human family. It does not
constitute merely the enunciation of an ideal, but stands
inseparably associated with an institution adequate to embody
its truth, demonstrate its validity, and perpetuate its influence.
It implies an organic change in the structure of present-day
society, a change such as the world has not yet experienced. It
constitutes a challenge, at once bold and universal, to outworn
shibboleths of national creeds–creeds that have had their day
and which must, in the ordinary course of events as shaped
and controlled by Providence, give way to a new gospel,
fundamentally different from, and infinitely superior to, what
the world has already conceived. It calls for no less than the
reconstruction and the demilitarization of the whole civilized
world–a world organically unified in all the essential aspects
of its life, its political machinery, its spiritual aspiration, its
trade and finance, its script and language, and yet infinite in
the diversity of the national characteristics of its federated
units.

It represents the consummation of human evolution–an
evolution that has had its earliest beginnings in the birth of
family life, its subsequent development in the achievement of

tribal solidarity, leading in turn to the constitution of the
city-state, and expanding later into the institution of
independent and sovereign nations.

The principle of the Oneness of Mankind, as proclaimed by
Bahá'u'lláh, carries with it no more and no less than a solemn
assertion that attainment to this final stage in this stupendous
evolution is not only necessary but inevitable, that its
realization is fast approaching, and that nothing short of a
power that is born of God can succeed in establishing it.

(28 November 1931, Shoghi Effendi, in The World Order of Bahá'u'lláh:
Selected Letters (Wilmette: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1991), pp.
41
-
43
)

148 The Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh, whose supreme mission is
none other but the achievement of this organic and spiritual
unity of the whole body of nations, should, if we be faithful to
its implications, be regarded as signalizing through its advent
the COMING OF AGE OF THE ENTIRE HUMAN RACE. It
should be viewed not merely as yet another spiritual revival in
the ever-changing fortunes of mankind, not only as a further
stage in a chain of progressive Revelations, nor even as the
culmination of one of a series of recurrent prophetic cycles,
but rather as marking the last and highest stage in the
stupendous evolution of man's collective life on this planet.
The emergence of a world community, the consciousness of
world citizenship, the founding of a world civilization and
culture–all of which must synchronize with the initial stages in
the unfoldment of the Golden Age of the Bahá'í Era–should,
by their very nature, be regarded, as far as this planetary life is
concerned, as the furthermost limits in the organization of
human society, though man, as an individual, will, nay must
indeed as a result of such a consummation, continue
indefinitely to progress and develop.

That mystic, all-pervasive, yet undefinable change, which we
associate with the stage of maturity inevitable in the life of the
individual and the development of the fruit, must, if we would
correctly apprehend the utterances of Bahá'u'lláh, have its
counterpart in the evolution of the organization of human
society. A similar stage must sooner or later be attained in the
collective life of mankind, producing an even more striking
phenomenon in world relations, and endowing the whole
human race with such potentialities of well-being as shall

provide, throughout the succeeding ages, the chief incentive
required tor the eventual fulfilment of its high destiny. Such a
stage of maturity in the process of human government must,
for all time, if we would faithfully recognize the tremendous
claim advanced by Bahá'u'lláh, remain identified with the
Revelation of which He was the Bearer.

(11 March 1936, Shoghi Effendi, in The World Order of Bahá'u'lláh: Selected Letters, pp.
163
-
164
)

149 ... the World Civilization which will follow upon the Most
Great Peace will unfold and evolve and gradually perfect itself
during following Dispensations; in other words, a World
Civilization and a World Culture, which will reach its
ascendancy in the distant future and is something that will
require many thousands of years to mature.

(23 April 1954, written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi ta an individual believer)

II. RELIGION AND CULTURAL CHANGE

• Religion–"the very basis and root-principle of
culture and civilization"

2

150 Every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God is
endowed with such potency as can instill new life into every
human frame, if ye be of them that comprehend this truth. All
the wondrous works ye behold in this world have been
manifested through the operation of His supreme and most
exalted Will, His wondrous and inflexible Purpose. Through
the mere revelation of the word "Fashioner," issuing forth from
His lips and proclaiming His attribute to mankind, such power
is released as can generate, through successive ages, all the
manifold arts which the hands of man can produce. This,
verily, is a certain truth. No sooner is this resplendent word
uttered, than its animating energies, stirring within all created
things, give birth to the means and instruments whereby such
arts can be produced and perfected. All the wondrous
achievements ye now witness are the direct consequences of
the Revelation of this Name. In the days to come, ye will,
verily, behold things of which ye have never heard before.

(Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, section
LXXIV
, pp.
141
-
142
)

151 Religion is the light of the world, and the progress,
achievement, and happiness of man result from obedience to
the laws set down in the holy Books. Briefly, it is
demonstrable that in this life, both outwardly and inwardly the
mightiest of structures, the most solidly established, the most
enduring, standing guard over the world, assuring both the
spiritual and the material perfections of mankind, and
protecting the happiness and the civilization of society–is
religion...

By the Lord God, and there is no God but He, even the
minutest details of civilized life derive from the grace of the
Prophets of God. What thing of value to mankind has ever
come into being which was not first set forth either directly or
by implication in the Holy Scriptures? ...

... the Divine religions enjoin upon and encourage all the
faithful to adopt such principles as will conduce to continuous
improvements, and to acquire from other peoples sciences and
arts.

('Abdu'l-Bahá, The Secret of Divine Civilisation, p.
71
; p.
96
; and p.
99
)

152 ... as every Faith has given rise to a culture which flowered in
different forms, so too our beloved Faith may be expected to
do the same thing. It is premature to try and grasp what they
will be at present.

(23 December 1942, written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to
an individual believer)

153 When the masses of mankind are awakened and enter the Faith
of God, a new process is set in motion and the growth of a new
civilization begins. Witness the emergence of Christianity and
of Islam. These masses are the rank and file, steeped in
traditions of their own, but receptive to the new Word of God,
by which, when they truly respond to it, they become so
influenced as to transform those who come in contact with
them.

(13 July 1964, the Universal House of Justice to all
National Spiritual Assemblies, published in Messages from the
Universal House of Justice, 1963-1986 (Wilmette: Bahá'í
Publishing Trust, 1996), p.
38
)

154 The House of Justice is deeply concerned at the plight of so
many of the indigenous and aboriginal peoples in various parts
of the world who have been denied their rights as a
consequence of actions by oppressive majorities. Such
inequities and injustices are to be found in many countries.
The purpose of the coming of Bahá'u'lláh is to lift the yoke of
oppression from His loved ones, to liberate all the people of
the world, and to provide the means for their abiding
happiness.

The Bahá'í approach to resolution of the manifold problems
affecting human society rests upon the assertion by
Bahá'u'lláh that these ills are but various symptoms and side
effects of the basic disease, which the Divine Physician has
diagnosed to be disunity. Bahá'u'lláh has made it abundantly
clear that the first step essential for the health and harmony of
the whole of mankind is its unification. He says, "The well-being
of mankind, its peace and security are unattainable
unless and until its unity is firmly established" (The World
Order of Bahá'u'lláh, p.
203
). By contrast, the approach of
most people is the exact opposite: their concentration is on
attempts to remedy the multitude of ills besetting mankind,
with the expectation that the resolution of these problems will
lead ultimately to unity.

(15 June 1987, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice
to a Bahá'í couple)

155 It is, of course, true that new movements of thought, especially
in the field of religion, tend to obliterate old ones, or to
transform their nature in the eyes of the people. One has only
to consider how the religions of Greece and Rome, and those
of the Keltic and Germanic peoples, although still remembered
by the European peoples in the form of legend and literary
tradition, have been replaced by Christianity.

The House of Justice feels that in discussion with ... you
should not challenge this point, nor should you enter into
criticisms of the often ruthless manner in which the followers
of new religions have suppressed the old ways. It is suggested
that, instead, you present the Bahá'í concepts, as expressed by
'Abdu'l-Bahá, namely that the fountainhead of all religions is
to be found in God through the Teachings of His Prophets, and

that all peoples have drunk at this ocean of divine Revelation;
that sterile traditions and blind imitations accumulating over
the centuries, exacerbated by the barriers of geography, have
caused hatred and conflict where there should have been love
and collaboration. These distortions have also given rise to the
cruel and debased customs which are to be found in some
religions. It is the Bahá'í belief that each human soul has the
duty to God and the inborn capacity to seek out truth for
himself. Those who do this sincerely will ultimately find
themselves united, for there is only one God and Source of
Truth. The Bahá'í attitude to earlier religions, therefore, is not
that they are false or "heathen", but that, at root, they are all
true and that these fundamental truths still persist within them.
Bahá'ís encourage Indians in South America, for example, to
see and reverence the profound spiritual truths which are to be
found in both their pre-Christian religions and in the
Catholicism which, in later centuries, has to varying degrees
supplanted or overlaid their archaic faiths. Through the Bahá'í
teachings, the inner conflict which many still feel between
their ancient religions and Christianity is resolved and, at the
same time, they are enabled to understand their spiritual unity
with the peoples of other continents, such as Buddhists,
Hindus and Muslims with whom they will undoubtedly come
into contact with increasing frequency.

An example of the Bahá'í attitude is to be found in the
operation of such radio stations as Radio Bahá'í Ecuador,
which has a policy of encouraging Indian arts and music and
fostering in the Indians pride in their heritage.

(22 March 1988, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to a
National Spiritual Assembly)

• A "new way of life for humanity"

3

156 The Faith of Bahá'u'lláh has assimilated, by virtue of its
creative, its regulative and ennobling energies, the varied
races, nationalities, creeds and classes that have sought its
shadow, and have pledged unswerving fealty to its cause. It
has changed the hearts of its adherents, burned away their
prejudices, stilled their passions, exalted their conceptions,

ennobled their motives, co-ordinated their efforts, and
transformed their outlook. While preserving their patriotism
and safeguarding their lesser loyalties, it has made them lovers
of mankind, and the determined upholders of its best and
truest interests. While maintaining intact their belief in the
Divine origin of their respective religions, it has enabled them
to visualize the underlying purpose of these religions, to
discover their merits, to recognize their sequence, their
interdependence, their wholeness and unity, and to
acknowledge the bond that vitally links them to itself. This
universal, this transcending love which the followers of the
Bahá'í Faith feel for their fellow-men, of whatever race, creed,
class or nation, is neither mysterious nor can it be said to have
been artificially stimulated. It is both spontaneous and
genuine. They whose hearts are warmed by the energizing
influence of God's creative love cherish His creatures for His
sake, and recognize in every human face a sign of His
reflected glory.

(11 March 1936, Shoghi Effendi, in The World Order of
Bahá'u'lláh: Selected Letters, pp.
197
-
198
)

157 To believe in the Mouthpiece of God in His Day confers very
great blessings, not only on individuals, but on races, and he
hopes that you who are now numbered amongst the followers
of Bahá'u'lláh will give His Message to many more of your
tribe, and in this way hasten for your people a bright and
happy future.

(21 December 1947, written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to a Native
American Local Spiritual Assembly)

158 ...when a person becomes a Bahá'í, he gives up the past only in
the sense that he is a part of this new and living Faith of God,
and must seek to pattern himself, in act and thought, along the
lines laid down by Bahá'u'lláh. The fact that he is by origin a
Jew or a Christian, a black man or a white man, is not
important any more, but, as you say, lends colour and charm to
the Bahá'í Community in that it demonstrates unity in
diversity.

(12 March 1949, written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi
to an individual believer)

159 The teachings of Bahá'u'lláh will establish a new way of life
for humanity. Those who are Bahá'ís must endeavour to

establish this way of life just as rapidly as possible. Now that
the hour has arrived when the Bahá'í Faith is gaining
prominence, and is being reviewed by so many peoples, it is
necessary that the adherents of the Faith should live up to the
high ideals of the Faith in every way. In this way they can
demonstrate that the Bahá'í Faith does create a new way of
life, which brings to the individual a complete association with
the Will of God, and thus the establishment of a peaceful and
universal society. Divisional attachments are of men, while
universal service is of God.

(20 November 1955, written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to
an individual believer)

160 It is not enough to proclaim the Bahá'í message, essential as
that is. It is not enough to expand the rolls of Bahá'í
membership, vital as that is. Souls must be transformed,
communities thereby consolidated, new models of life thus
attained. Transformation is the essential purpose of the Cause
of Bahá'u'lláh, but it lies in the will and effort of the
individual to achieve it in obedience to the Covenant.
Necessary to the progress of this life-fulfilling transformation
is knowledge of the will and purpose of God through regular
reading and study of the Holy Word.

(
Ridván 1989
, the Universal House of Justice to
the Bahá'ís of the World)

• Inevitability of Change

161 ... change is a necessary quality and an essential attribute of
this world, and of time and place.

('Abdu'l-Bahá, cited in Messages from the Universal House of
Justice, 1963-1986, p.
85
)

162 Know that nothing which exists remains in a state of repose–
that is to say, all things are in motion. Everything is either
growing or declining; all things are either coming from
nonexistence into being, or going from existence into
nonexistence.

('Abdu'l-Bahá, Some Answered Questions (Wilmette: Bahá'í Publishing
Trust, 1984), p.
233
)

163 God has given us eyes, that we may look about us at the world,
and lay hold of whatsoever will further civilization and the arts
of living. He has given us ears, that we may hear and profit by

the wisdom of scholars and philosophers and arise to promote
and practice it. Senses and faculties have been bestowed upon
us, to be devoted to the service of the general good; so that we,
distinguished above all other forms of life for perceptiveness
and reason, should labor at all times and along all lines,
whether the occasion be great or small, ordinary or
extraordinary, until all mankind are safely gathered into the
impregnable stronghold of knowledge. We should continually
be establishing new bases for human happiness and creating
and promoting new instrumentalities toward this end ...

The superiority of the present in relation to the past consists in
this, that the present can take over and adopt as a model many
things which have been tried and tested and the great benefits
of which have been demonstrated in the past, and that it can
make its own new discoveries and by these augment its
valuable inheritance.

('Abdu'l-Bahá, The Secret of Divine Civilization, P.
3
; p.
114
)

164 O ye respected souls! From the continual imitation of ancient
and worn-out ways, the world had grown dark as darksome
night. The fundamentals of the divine Teachings had passed
from memory; their pith and heart had been totally forgotten,
and the people were holding on to husks. The nations had, like
tattered garments long outworn, fallen into a pitiful condition.

Out of this pitch blackness there dawned the morning
splendour of the Teachings of Bahá'u'lláh. He hath dressed the
world with a garment new and fair, and that new garment is
the principles which have come down from God.

Now the new age is here and creation is reborn. Humanity hath
taken on new life. The autumn hath gone by, and the reviving
spring is here. All things are now made new. Arts and
industries have been reborn, there are new discoveries in
science, and there are new inventions; even the details of
human affairs, such as dress and personal effects–even
weapons–all these have likewise been renewed. The laws and
procedures of every government have be revised. Renewal is
the order of the day.

And all this newness hath its source in the fresh outpourings of

wondrous grace and favor from the Lord of the Kingdom,
which have renewed the world. The people, therefore, must be
set completely free from their old patterns of thought, that all
their attention may be focused upon these new principles, for
these are the light of this time and the very spirit of this age.

Unless these Teachings are effectively spread among the
people, until the old ways, the old concepts, are gone and
forgotten, this world of being will find no peace, nor will it
reflect the perfections of the Heavenly Kingdom. Strive ye
with all your hearts to make the heedless conscious, to waken
those who sleep, to bring knowledge to the ignorant, to make
the blind to see, the deaf to hear, and restore the dead to life.

(Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, section
205
, pp.
264
-
65
)

165 The Bahá'ís should not always be the last to take up new and
obviously excellent methods, but rather the first, as this agrees
with the dynamic net of the Faith which is not only
progressive, but holds within itself the seed of an entirely new
culture and civilization.

(5 May 1946, written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer)

• Nature and Processes of Cultural Evolution

166 Let there be no misgivings as to the animating purpose of the
worldwide Law of Bahá'u'lláh. Far from aiming at the
subversion of the existing foundations of society, it seeks to
broaden its basis, to remould its institutions in a manner
consonant with the needs of an ever-changing world. It can
conflict with no legitimate allegiances, nor can it undermine
essential loyalties. Its purpose is neither to stifle the flame of a
sane and intelligent patriotism in men's hearts, nor to abolish
the system of national autonomy so essential if the evils of
excessive centralization are to be avoided. It does not ignore,
nor does it attempt to suppress, the diversity of ethnical
origins, of climate, of history, of language and tradition, of
thought and habit, that differentiate the peoples and nations of
the world. It calls for a wider loyalty, for a larger aspiration
than any that has animated the human race. It insists upon the
subordination of national impulses and interests to the
imperative claims of a unified world. It repudiates excessive
centralization on one hand, and disclaims all attempts at

uniformity on the other. Its watchword is unity in diversity ...

The call of Bahá'u'lláh is primarily directed against all forms
of provincialism, all insularities and prejudices. If long-cherished
ideals and time-honoured institutions, if certain
social assumptions and religious formulae have ceased to
promote the welfare of the generality of mankind, if they no
longer administer to the needs of a continually evolving
humanity, let them be swept away and relegated to the limbo
of obsolescent and forgotten doctrines. Why should these, in a
world subject to the immutable law of change and decay, be
exempt from the deterioration that must needs overtake every
human institution? For legal standards, political and economic
theories are solely designed to safeguard the interests of
humanity as a whole, and not humanity to be crucified for the
preservation of the integrity of any particular law or doctrine.

(28 November 1931, Shoghi Effendi, in The World Order
of Bahá'u'lláh: Selected Letters, pp.
41
-
42
)

167 The Revelation, of which Bahá'u'lláh is the source and centre,
abrogates none of the religions that have preceded it, nor does
it attempt, in the slightest degree, to distort their features or to
belittle their value. It disclaims any intention of dwarfing any
of the Prophets of the past, or of whittling down the eternal
verity of their teachings. It can, in no wise, conflict with the
spirit that animates their claims, nor does it seek to undermine
the basis of any man's allegiance to their cause. Its declared,
its primary, purpose is to enable every adherent of these Faiths
to obtain a fuller understanding of the religion with which he
stands identified, and to acquire a clearer apprehension of its
purpose. It is neither eclectic in the presentation of its truths,
nor arrogant in the affirmation of its claims. Its teachings
revolve around the fundamental principle that religious truth is
not absolute but relative, that Divine Revelation is progressive,
not final. Unequivocally and without the least reservation it
proclaims all established religions to be divine in origin,
identical in their aims, complementary in their functions,
continuous in their purpose, indispensable in their value to
mankind.

(21 March 1932, Shoghi Effendi, in The World Order of
Bahá'u'lláh: Selected Letters, pp.
57
-
58
)

168 As regards the questions of tribal practice, the Guardian
wishes you to be extremely forbearing and patient in weaning
the Bahá'ís away from their old customs. This can only be
done by taking each case individually as it comes up, using the
greatest wisdom and kindness, and not trying rigorously to
impose all Bahá'í laws in every detail at this time.

(8 August 1957, written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to a
National Spiritual Assembly)

169 Bahá'ís should obviously be encouraged to preserve their
inherited cultural identities, as long as the activities involved
do not contravene the principles of the Faith. The perpetuation
of such cultural characteristics is an expression of unity in
diversity. Although most of these festive celebrations have no
doubt stemmed from religious rituals in bygone ages, the
believers should not be deterred from participating in those in
which, over the course of time, the religious meaning has
given way to purely culturally oriented practices. For example,
Naw-Rúz itself was originally a Zoroastrian religious festival,
but gradually its Zoroastrian connotation has almost been
forgotten. Iranians, even after their conversion to Islam, have
been observing it as a national festival. Now Naw-Rúz has
become a Bahá'í Holy Day and is being observed throughout
the world, but, in addition to the Bahá'í observance, many
Iranian Bahá'ís continue to carry out their past cultural
traditions in connection with this Feast. Similarly, there are a
number of national customs in every part of the world which
have cultural rather than religious connotations.

In deciding whether or not to participate in such traditional
activities, the Bahá'ís must guard against two extremes. The
one is to disassociate themselves needlessly from harmless
cultural observances and thus alienate themselves from their
non-Bahá'í families and friends; the other is to continue the
practice of abrogated observances of previous dispensations
and thus undermine the independence of the Bahá'í Faith and
create undesirable distinctions between themselves and their
fellow-Bahá'ís. In this connection there is a difference
between what Bahá'ís do among themselves and what they do
in companionship with their non-Bahá'í friends and relations.
For example, in a letter written on behalf of the Guardian there
appears the following guidance:

As regards the celebration of the Christian Holidays by the
believers: it is surely preferable and even highly advisable
that the friends should in their relation to each other
discontinue observing such holidays as Christmas and New
Year, and to have their festal gatherings of this nature
instead during the intercalary days and Naw-Ruz.

Further, there is no objection for Bahá'ís to attend religious
marriage ceremonies of their friends and relatives or take part
in festivities usually connected with these events, provided that
in doing so they do not contravene Bahá'í Law. For example, if
consuming alcoholic beverages is a part of such activities, the
Bahá'ís, of course, would be obliged to refrain from partaking
of such drinks.

There are some exclusive religious ceremonies in which
Bahá'ís should not participate, in order to safeguard the
independence of the Faith. In this regard, the beloved
Guardian has given the following advice to an individual
believer: "In these days the friends should, as much as
possible, demonstrate through their deeds the independence of
the Holy Faith of God, and its freedom from the customs,
rituals and practices of a discredited and abrogated past."

In observing this principle, the House of Justice advises the
Bahá'ís to maintain a balance between their adherence to the
Cause and obedience to its laws on the one hand, and their role
in society on the other. When an individual becomes a Bahá'í
he acquires, as you are aware, a wider loyalty to the
Manifestations of God. Having found this new way of life, he
should be careful not to isolate himself from his family and his
people, and he should show respect for his former religion.
The Bahá'ís should, of course, avoid performing any acts
which could be considered as implying their membership in
another religion or which are contrary to Bahá'í principles.
There is a clear distinction between participating in festive and
cultural events, as opposed to performing religious ceremonies
and rituals.

It should also be remembered that the weaning away of the
Bahá'ís from customs and traditions, which have been
established among communities for centuries, takes time and

is a gradual process. Therefore, while the National Assembly
should avoid rigidity in these matters, it should also not
compromise when the interests of the Faith and its integrity
and independence are at stake.

(26 May 1982, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to a
National Spiritual Assembly)

170 The House of Justice supports the view that in every country
the cultural traditions of the people should be observed within
the Bahá'í community as long as they are not contrary to the
Teachings...

Of course, many cultural elements everywhere inevitably will
disappear or be merged with related ones from their societies,
yet the totality will achieve that promised diversity within
world unity. We can expect much cultural diversity in the long
period before the emergence of a world commonwealth of
nations in the Golden Age of Bahá'u'lláh's new world order.
Much wisdom and tolerance will be required, and much time
must elapse until the advent of that great day,

(25 July 1988, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to a
National Spiritual Assembly)

171 ...what Bahá'u'lláh has done for us all is to provide a standard
by which to determine what is pleasing in God's sight, thereby
freeing us to maintain those elements of diversity which are
unique to our different cultures. The adoption of this divine
standard enables each people to be confident in the
permissibility of what it can retain from its past.

(23 June 1995, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an
individual believer)

172 Since change is inevitable if progress is to be made by any
African society, a primary challenge to Bahá'ís is to preserve
and improve those wholesome aspects of tribal and family
custom that are in accord with the Bahá'í Teachings and to
dispense with those that are not. Such a challenge must be
embraced with the understanding that the Book of God is the
standard by which to weigh all forms of behaviour. While
unwavering action is necessary, wisdom and tact and patience
must, of course, be exercised. Let it be understood, too, that
Africans are not alone in the struggle to change certain age-old
practices. People everywhere have customs which must be

abandoned so as to clear the path along which their societies
must evolve towards that glorious, new civilization which is to
be the fruit of Bahá'u'lláh's stupendous Revelation. Indeed, in
no society on earth can there be found practices which
adequately mirror the standards of His Cause. His own
truth-bearing Words clarify the matter: "The summons and the
message which We gave were never intended to reach or to
benefit one land or one people only. Mankind in its entirety
must firmly adhere to whatsoever hath been revealed and
vouchsafed unto it. Then and only then will it attain unto true
liberty. The whole earth is illuminated with the resplendent
glory of God's Revelation."

(
Ridván 1996
, the Universal House of Justice to the Followers
of Bahá'u'lláh in Africa)

III. APPRECIATION OF CULTURAL DIVERSITY

• "Consider the flowers of a garden"–The Principle of
Unity in Diversity

4

173 All countries, in the estimation of the one true God, are but
one country, and all cities and villages are on an equal footing.
Neither holds distinction over another.

('Abdu'l-Bahá, Tablets of the Divine Plan (Wilmette: Bahá'í
Publishing Trust, 1993), p.
61
)

174 A critic may object, saying that peoples, races, tribes and
communities of the world are of different and varied customs,
habits, tastes, character, inclinations and ideas, that opinions
and thoughts are contrary to one another, and how, therefore, is
it possible for real unity to be revealed and perfect accord
among human souls to exist?

In answer we say that differences are of two kinds. One is the
cause of annihilation and is like the antipathy existing among
warring nations and conflicting tribes who seek each other's
destruction, uprooting one another's families, depriving one
another of rest and comfort and unleashing carnage. The other
kind which is a token of diversity is the essence of perfection
and the cause of the appearance of the bestowals of the Most
Glorious Lord.

Consider the flowers of a garden: though differing in kind,
color, form and shape, yet, inasmuch as they are refreshed by
the waters of one spring, revived by the breath of one wind,
invigorated by the rays of one sun, this diversity increaseth
their charm, and addeth unto their beauty. Thus when that
unifying force, the penetrating influence of the Word of God,
taketh effect, the difference of customs, manners, habits, ideas,
opinions and dispositions embellisheth the world of humanity.
This diversity, this difference is like the naturally created
dissimilarity and variety of the limbs and organs of the human
body, for each one contributeth to the beauty, efficiency and
perfection of the whole. When these different limbs and organs
come under the influence of man's sovereign soul, and the
soul's power pervadeth the limbs and members, veins and
arteries of the body, then difference reinforceth harmony,
diversity strengtheneth love, and multiplicity is the greatest
factor for coordination.

How unpleasing to the eye if all the flowers and plants, the
leaves and blossoms, the fruits, the branches and the trees of
that garden were all of the same shape and color! Diversity of
hues, form and shape, enricheth and adometh the garden, and
heighteneth the effect thereof. In like manner, when divers
shades of thought, temperament and character, are brought
together under the power and influence of one central agency,
the beauty and glory of human perfection will be revealed and
made manifest. Naught but the celestial potency of the Word
of God, which ruleth and transcendeth the realities of all
things, is capable of harmonizing the divergent thoughts,
sentiments, ideas, and convictions of the children of men.
Verily, it is the penetrating power in all things, the mover of
souls and the binder and regulator in the world of humanity.

Praise be to God, today the splendor of the Word of God hath
illumined every horizon, and from all sects, races, tribes,
nations, and communities souls have come together in the light
of the Word, assembled, united and agreed in perfect harmony.
Oh! What a great number of meetings are held adorned with
souls from various races and diverse sects! Anyone attending
these will be struck with amazement, and might suppose that
these souls are all of one land, one nationality, one community,

one thought, one belief and one opinion: whereas, in fact, one
is an American, the other an African, one cometh from Asia
and another from Europe, one is a native of India, another is
from Turkestan, one is an Arab, another a Tajik, another a
Persian and yet another a Greek. Notwithstanding such
diversity they associate in perfect harmony and unity, love and
freedom; they have one voice, one thought and one purpose.
Verily, this is from the penetrative power of the Word of God!

(Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, section
225
, pp.
305
-
306
)

175 The Cause does not wish to suppress national characteristics.
It abhors too much uniformity, and stands for the principle of
unity in diversity, which principle we believe can alone
provide a solution for the unification of mankind.

(25 June 1935, written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer)

176 Such a Faith knows no division of class or of party. It
subordinates, without hesitation or equivocation, every
particularistic interest, be it personal, regional, or national, to
the paramount interests of humanity, firmly convinced that in a
world of interdependent peoples and nations the advantage of
the part is best to be reached by the advantage of the whole,
and that no abiding benefit can be conferred upon the
component parts if the general interests of the entity itself are
ignored or neglected...

The unity of the human race, as envisaged by Bahá'u'lláh,
implies the establishment of a world commonwealth in which
all nations, races, creeds and classes are closely and
permanently united, and in which the autonomy of its state
members and the personal freedom and initiative of the
individuals that compose them are definitely and completely
safeguarded: This commonwealth must, as far as we can
visualize it, consist of a world legislature, whose members
will, as the trustees of the whole of mankind, ultimately
control the entire resources of all the component nations, and
will enact such laws as shall be required to regulate the life,
satisfy the needs and adjust the relationships of all races and
peoples...

National rivalries, hatred, and intrigues will cease, and racial
animosity and prejudice will be replaced by racial amity,

understanding and co-operation. The causes of religious strife
will be permanently removed, economic barriers and
restrictions will be completely abolished, and the inordinate
distinction between classes will be obliterated.

(11 March 1936, Shoghi Effendi, in The World Order of Bahá'u'lláh: Selected
Letters, p.
198
; and pp.
203
-
4
.
)

177 With the coming of Bahá'u'lláh and the emphasis that His
Revelation gives to the oneness of mankind, it is inevitable
that peoples in all parts of the world who once seemed
dormant or who have suffered discrimination would rise to
assert their place in society. As with so many fundamental
social issues, those concerning "indigenous rights" and
"self-determination" find, for Bahá'ís, their proper expression
and resolution within the context of the principle of the
oneness of mankind. However, as is often the case, such issues
are expressed in political forms which are unacceptable to
Bahá'ís, who conscientiously avoid partisanship, subversion,
and the corrupt attitudes and involvements associated with
politics. At the present time, it is recognized that important
issues of society fall within the province of government and
perforce engage political processes currently in practice.
Increasingly, as the Faith emerges from obscurity the Bahá'í
community will find itself compelled to assist in finding
solutions to the social problems afflicting humanity; it will
have to be wise in its actions to avoid the pitfalls of politics.

Generally, the wisest course for individual Bahá'ís and the
Bahá'í community in controversial situations is to remain
uninvolved, although not uninterested. It is the responsibility
of the Bahá'í, in their contact with the native people, to
explain that the Bahá'í approach, with its emphasis upon the
achievement of unity as a basis for an enduring resolution to
the problems of mankind, far from being indifferent to the real
needs of disadvantaged peoples, represents a fundamental
solution derived from the diagnosis by the All-Knowing
Physician of the manifold ills of human society.

(27 June 1993, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an
individual believer)

178 The fundamental principle of the oneness of mankind, and the
aim of the Faith to promote unity in diversity, underlie the
Bahá'í approach to indigenous peoples. Their rights are

inseparable from human rights for all, and the Bahá'í Faith
upholds the right of indigenous peoples to develop and take
pride in their own identity, culture and language. Great
importance is attached to teaching the Faith to the indigenous
populations in a country, more especially since they have so
often been neglected or downtrodden by other segments of
society; in many instances their suffering has made them
particularly receptive to the Message of Bahá'u'lláh ...

A unique feature of the Bahá'í Administrative Order is the
manner in which it enables all the diverse elements of the
Bahá'í community, drawn from a variety of ethnic, racial,
cultural and educational backgrounds, to work together in a
mutually supportive and spiritually beneficial manner. This is
in direct contrast to the declining social order external to the
Bahá'í community, in which each segment seeks to pursue a
separate path in its social and political organization and
activities.

(25 July 1995, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice
to an individual believer)

179 ... the oneness of mankind will not be based on forced
assimilation, but upon protection of cultural diversity. At the
same time, however, we should beware of inadvertently
settling upon a limited model, such as the one sometimes
associated in contemporary discourse on multiculturalism. A
distinctively Bahá'í culture will welcome an infinite diversity
in regard to secondary characteristics, but also firmly uphold
unity in regard to fundamental principles; thereby achieving a
vigorous complementarity. For example, in Selections from
the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá (Haifa: Bahá'í World Centre,
1982), page
260
-
1
, we find the following intriguing statement:

What a blessing that will be–when all shall come together,
even as once separate torrents, rivers and streams, running
brooks and single drops, when collected together in one
place will form a mighty sea. And to such a degree will the
inherent unity of all prevail, that the traditions, rules,
customs and distinctions in the fanciful life of these
populations will be effaced and vanish away like isolated
drops, once the great sea of oneness doth leap and surge
and roll.

The point is not to minimize differences, nor to make of unity
and diversity a false dichotomy, but ever to keep in mind that
the Bahá'í standard is very high and grounded in divine love.

(13 February 1996, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice
to an individual believer)

• An "equal standard of human rights"

5

180 ... Bahá'u'lláh taught that an equal standard of human rights
must be recognized and adopted. In the estimation of God all
men are equal; there is no distinction or preferment for any
soul in the dominion of His justice and equity.

('Abdu'l-Bahá, The Promulgation of Universal Peace: Talks Delivered by
'Abdu'l-Bahá during His Visit to the United States and Canada in 1912,
rev. ed. (Wilmette: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1982), p.
182
)

181 As to your question concerning the rights of the minority of
non-Bahá'í citizens in a Bahá'í state, it is clear from the
writings of our Faith that under a Bahá'í system the rights of
minorities of any type must always be respected and upheld.
Just as Bahá'ís today show obedience and loyalty to the
government but refuse to bow to the majority if they are asked
to deny their faith, so in the future, when the majority is
represented by the Faith the Bahá'ís will not force the minority
to become followers of Bahá'u'lláh but they will expect the
minority to be similarly obedient and loyal. As you indicate
the ways of the world are basically and usually at variance
with this standard ...

The ultimate safeguard in the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh to ensure
that this principle and all its other fundamental tenets are not
violated is the Universal House of Justice, which, as its
Constitution clearly stipulates, is charged with the
responsibility of maintaining the integrity of the teachings and
of safeguarding their inviolability.

(9 March 1977, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice
to an individual believer)

182 We appreciate the careful thought you have given to the
subject of indigenous populations. The Bahá'í International

Community should maintain its involvement with this issue,
continuing the emphasis on the need for unity in diversity–a
unity which implies mutual tolerance among the various
populations, a recognition by dominant populations of the
freedom of indigenous peoples to exercise their rights in all
legitimate varieties of ways, and the corollary recognition of
indigenous peoples themselves that such freedom carries with
it the responsibility of recognizing the rights of all others to
the same expressions. The implications for indigenous peoples
also include: realization of the virtues of cross-cultural
influences; appreciation of the values of other cultures as
accruing to the wealth of human experience and the freedom
of all to share in such values without necessarily giving up
their respective identities; avoidance of parochial attitudes
which degenerate into ethnic and cultural prejudices; and,
above all, appreciation of the necessity to maintain a global
perspective within which the particulars of indigenous
expression can find an enduring context.

(19 July 1985, the Universal House of Justice to a Bahá'í
International Community UN Office)

183 Concerning indigenous rights, it stands to reason that
indigenous people are entitled to all the human rights accorded
other peoples. For example, they should be guaranteed the full
rights of citizenship, and all acts of discrimination against
them, which may have developed over the years, should be
eliminated. At the same time, it would be unseemly for the
demands for their rights to make, on the basis of their
indigenousness, a special claim to exclusive rights and
privileges which exceed the necessity to redress injustices. The
Bahá'í attitude on such questions should be guided by
Bahá'u'lláh's teaching that "The earth is but one country, and
mankind its citizens." Thus it should be borne in mind that
while upholding indigenous rights may well deserve the
support of the Bahá'ís, often the viewpoints of those claiming
such rights are so circumscribed and narrow that Bahá'ís find
it difficult to wholeheartedly subscribe to them.

(14 January 1988, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to a
National Spiritual Assembly).

184 Indigenous people have a highly significant role to play in the
development of the World Order of Bahá'u'lláh, as is indicated
in the oft-quoted words of 'Abdu'l-Bahá concerning the

American continent to the effect that "should these Indians be
educated and properly guided, there can be no doubt that
through the Divine teachings they will become so enlightened
that the whole earth will be illumined". In this period of social
evolution, however, minorities, including indigenous peoples,
continue to suffer from oppressive and disheartening treatment
in many parts of the world. On the subject of amelioration of
the condition of oppressed and unjustly treated minorities, in a
letter written on its behalf, the House of Justice has stated the
following.

The Universal House of Justice is deeply concerned at the
plight of so many of the aboriginal peoples in various parts
of the world who have been denied fundamental human
rights by uninterested and selfish majorities. Humanity is
plagued with many inequities and injustices in every part
of the world. Bahá'u'lláh speaks of these and points out
time and again that the solution to these problems lies in
the recognition of God and His Manifestation for this Day.
While there is no objection to any member of a minority
group asserting his legal claim to property or rights
through the courts or administrative agencies which may
be open to him, it is contrary to Bahá'í principles to take
political action in asserting those rights.

The principles stated in the Writings are clear, but usually it is
when these principles are applied that questions arise, and in
cases in which there is any doubt about the correct course of
action, the believers should consult their National Assembly.

(27 June 1993, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer)

• Enrichment of Community Life

185 ... the Guardian was very pleased to learn of the progress made
by the Indian National Spiritual Assembly in its efforts to
consolidate, widen and maintain the scope of its national
activities. The difficulties in your way are tremendous. The
differences of language and of social and intellectual
background do, undoubtedly, render the work somewhat
difficult to carry out and may temporarily check the efficient
and smooth working of the national administrative machinery
of the Faith. They, nevertheless, impart to the deliberations of
the National Assembly a universality which they would be

otherwise lacking, and give to its members a breadth of view
which it is their duty to cultivate and foster. It is not uniformity
which we should seek in the formation of any national or local
Assembly. For the bedrock of the Bahá'í administrative order
is the principle of unity in diversity, which has been so
strongly and so repeatedly emphasized in the writings of the
Cause. Differences which are not fundamental and contrary to
the basic teachings of the Cause should be maintained, while
the underlying unity of the administrative order should be at
any cost preserved and ensured. Unity, both of purpose and of
means, is, indeed, indispensable to the safe and speedy
working of every Assembly, whether local or national.

(2 January 1934, written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to
a National Spiritual Assembly)

186 Now that more of the Latin believers are active and beginning
to assume responsibilities, the work will go forward on a more
permanent foundation, as pioneers from a foreign land can
never take the place of native believers who must always
constitute the bedrock of any future development of the Faith
in their country.

(30 January ]948, written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi
to an individual believer)

187 Every effort should be made to teach the native Swedish
people, so they may ultimately take their part in the
community of races and people, who make the world order of
Bahá'u'lláh.

(4 January 1954, written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi
to two Local Spiritual Assemblies)

188 He was likewise very happy to know that there are now new
Assemblies formed in the Malayan Federation, and he hopes
that the Cause will make rapid progress in that part of the
world. There are so many races and so many nationalities, and
the future is infinitely bright when we think of what these
souls are going to contribute to the international Bahá'í life as
they become strong supporters of our glorious Faith.

(7 May 1954, written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi
to an individual believer)

189 In connection with the teaching work throughout the Pacific
area,... [the] Bahá'ís... must bear in mind that the primary
object of their living there is to teach the native population the
Faith...

He attaches great importance to teaching the aboriginal
Australians, and also in converting more Maoris to the Faith,
and hopes that the Bahá'ís will devote some attention to
contacting both of these minority groups.

(16 June 1954, written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi
to a National Spiritual Assembly)

190 At the same time there is a challenge of great urgency facing
the world-wide Bahá'í community. When launching the Ten
Year Crusade, Shoghi Effendi urged the believers to "carry the
torch of the Faith to regions so remote, so backward, so
inhospitable that neither the light of Christianity or Islam has,
after the revolution of centuries, as yet penetrated." A number
of such regions still exist in places like New Guinea, the heart
of Africa and the Amazon Basin in South America. As the
influence of civilization spreads, the age-old ways of life of
the inhabitants of these regions will inevitably perish, and they
will rapidly be infected with the materialistic ideas of a
decadent civilization. It is our pressing duty to carry the
Message of Bahá'u'lláh to such people while they are still
pure-hearted and receptive, and through it to prepare them for
the changed world which will come upon them ...

In addition to the tribes in these remote regions of the world,
there are tribes and minorities who still live in their traditional
ways in the midst of other cultures. All too often such peoples
are despised and ignored by the nations among whom they
dwell, but we should seek them out, teach them the Cause of
God, and enrich through their membership the Bahá'í
communities of the lands in which they live. So important is
this goal that each National Spiritual Assembly should study
the requirements for teaching each of the different tribes and
groups within its area, appoint a committee for this purpose–
even a special committee for each tribe or minority where this
is feasible and desirable–and launch a series of well-conceived,
far-reaching campaigns to bring about the
enrollment of these peoples within the Cause of Bahá'u'lláh,
and the establishment among them of the Bahá'í
Administrative Order.

(25 May 1975, from the Universal House of Justice to all
National Spiritual Assemblies)

V. CULTURAL DIVERSITY IN THE BAHÁ'Í
COMMUNITY

•Associating with People of Divers Beliefs and Customs

191 The most important teaching of Bahá'u'lláh is to leave behind
racial, religious, national and patriotic prejudices. Until these
prejudices are entirely removed mankind will not find rest.
Nay, rather, discord and bloodshed will increase day by day,
and the foundation of the prosperity of the world of man will
be destroyed.

('Abdu'l-Bahá, Tablet translated from the Persian)

192 To discriminate against any race, on the ground of its being
socially backward, politically immature, and numerically in a
minority, is a flagrant violation of the spirit that animates the
Faith of Bahá'u'lláh. The consciousness of any division or
cleavage in its ranks is alien to its very purpose, principles,
and ideals. Once its members have fully recognized the claim
of its Author, and, by identifying themselves with its
Administrative Order, accepted unreservedly the principles
and laws embodied in its teachings, every differentiation of
class, creed, or color must automatically be obliterated, and
never be allowed, under any pretext, and however great the
pressure of events or of public opinion, to reassert itself. If any
discrimination is at all to be tolerated, it should be a
discrimination not against, but rather in favor of the minority,
be it racial or otherwise. Unlike the nations and peoples of the
earth, be they of the East or of the West, democratic or
authoritarian, communist or capitalist, whether belonging to
the Old World or the New, who either ignore, trample upon, or
extirpate, the racial, religious, or political minorities within the
sphere of their jurisdiction, every organized community
enlisted under the banner of Bahá'u'lláh should feel it to be its
first and inescapable obligation to nurture, encourage, and
safeguard every minority belonging to any faith, race, class, or
nation within it. So great and vital is this principle that in such
circumstances, as when an equal number of ballots have been
cast in an election, or where the qualifications for any office
are balanced as between the various races, faiths or
nationalities within the community, priority should
unhesitatingly be accorded the party representing the minority,

and this for no other reason except to stimulate and encourage
it, and afford it an opportunity to further the interests of the
community. In the light of this principle, and bearing in mind
the extreme desirability of having the minority elements
participate and share responsibility in the conduct of Bahá'í
activity, it should be the duty of every Bahá'í community so to
arrange its affairs that in cases where individuals belonging to
the divers minority elements within it are already qualified and
fulfil the necessary requirements, Bahá'í representative
institutions, be they Assemblies, conventions, conferences, or
committees, may have represented on them as many of these
divers elements, racial or otherwise, as possible. The adoption
of such a course, and faithful adherence to it, would not only
be a source of inspiration and encouragement to those
elements that are numerically small and inadequately
represented, but would demonstrate to the world at large the
universality, and representative character of the Faith of
Bahá'u'lláh, and the freedom of His followers from the taint of
those prejudices which have already wrought such havoc in the
domestic affairs, as well as the foreign relationships, of the
nations.

(Shoghi Effendi, The Advent of Divine Justice (Wilmette: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1990). pp.
35
-
36
)

193 Association with all people of divers beliefs, customs, and
outlook is enjoined by Bahá'u'lláh, but we must guard against
interference in political affairs, nor must we give the
impression that we are a sect of any existing religion. We must
be tolerant, kind, broad-minded, and unprejudiced in our
dealings with all sorts and conditions of men, but it is our duty
also to assert and prove the independence of our precious and
sacred Faith, and to explain its liberal, universal principles.

(12 December 1932, Shoghi Effendi, in a footnote appended
to a letter written on his behalf to an individual believer)

194 The friends should first start by applying the principle of the
oneness of races within their own community, and thus set
before the world outside a noble and inspiring example. Every
trace of racial prejudice should be banished by the friends in
their community life, and also in their private life, so much so
that they should come to gradually forget the very existence of
the racial problem as such. Such an attitude is bound to
strongly impress every outsider and draw his attention to the

Cause, and convince him of the sublimity and practicability of
its Teachings.

(11 November 1936, written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi
to an individual believer)

195 It is a great mistake to believe that because people are illiterate
or live primitive lives, they are lacking in either intelligence or
sensibility. On the contrary, they may well look on us, with the
evils of our civilization, with its moral corruption, its ruinous
wars, its hypocrisy and conceit, as people who merit watching
with both suspicion and contempt. We should meet them as
equals, well-wishers, people who admire and respect their
ancient descent, and who feel that they will be interested, as
we are, in a living religion and not in the dead forms of
present-day churches.

(21 September 1951, written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi
to a National Teaching Committee)

196 If the Japanese friends will realize that the American believers
have failures and weaknesses which often reflect those of their
nation, they will feel encouraged to not only be patient and
understanding in regard to them, but also to contribute more of
the fine points of their own national characteristics to the
community work as a whole. If they think that, because the
Cause is perfect the American Bahá'ís are perfect, they are
bound to be disappointed. In our great Bahá'í family we see
both the strong points and the weak points in national
character come out in the believers of different countries. The
strong points of the American friends are their devotion and
their initiative, their courage and determination and zeal, but
there are many characteristics they need, just like every
people!

The whole aim of teaching work is to create a body of native
believers who will carry on the work in their own land.
Therefore, the sooner the meetings can be conducted in
Japanese, the better; certainly on the Spiritual Assembly there
should be adequate translation into Japanese, in fact it would
be better if it could be the other way round, but perhaps this is
not feasible at present, and would cause confusion and
inharmony.

(19 August 1952, written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi
to an individual believer)

197 I need not tell you that the work in Africa, and more
particularly in Uganda, is very dear to his heart ... He feels that
this country and its peoples, in the very heart of Africa, are a
most precious trust. Their receptivity to the Teachings, their
great desire to serve their new Faith, the number of them who
have arisen to go out as pioneers, mark them as a people apart
in the Bahá'í world, at least for the time being. May many
others in neighbouring countries prove as worthy, and follow
their example.

In dealing with people who are still backward in relation to
our civilized standards, and in many cases guided by a tribal
system which has strong orders of its own, he feels that you
should be both tactful and forbearing.

(17 June 1954, written cm behalf of Shoghi Effendi
to a National Spiritual Assembly)

198 In spite of the fact that Mr.... has been expelled from the
Gilbert and Ellice Islands, the remarkable progress of the Faith
there has been a source of great satisfaction. It shows that a
spiritual receptivity, a purity of heart and uprightness of
character exist potentially amongst many of the peoples of the
Pacific Isles to an extent equal to that of the tribesmen of
Africa. It is indeed an encouraging and awe-inspiring sight to
witness the spread of our beloved Faith amongst those whom
civilized nations misguidedly term "savages", "primitive
peoples" and "uncivilized nations".

(11 July 1956, written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi
to a National Spiritual Assembly)

199 The second issue which causes difficulties for the African
friends in these days is the matter of tribalism ...

The Bahá'í attitude in such a situation is clearly set forth in the
Writings. As Bahá'ís we are attached to our tribes and clans,
just as we are to our families and, on a larger scale, to our
nations, but we do not allow this attachment to conflict with
our wider loyalty to humanity ...

In these days when tribal tensions are increasing in Africa the
friends should be vigilant lest any trace of prejudice or hatred,
God forbid, may enter their midst. On the contrary, they
should endeavour to bring into the Faith an ever larger
representation of the various tribes in each country, and

through complete lack of prejudice as well as through the love
that Bahá'ís have for each other and for their non-Bahá'í
neighbours, demonstrate to their countrymen what the Word of
God can do. They will thus provide, for the scrutiny of the
leaders and rulers of their countries, a shining example of a
unified community, working together in full concord and
harmony, demonstrating a hope that is attainable, and a pattern
worthy to be emulated.

To discriminate against any tribes because they are in a
minority is a violation of the spirit that animates the Faith of
Bahá'u'lláh. As followers of God's Holy Faith it is our
obligation to protect the just interests of any minority element
within the Bahá'í community. In fact in the administration of
our Bahá'í affairs, representatives of minority groups are not
only enabled to enjoy equal rights and privileges, but they are
even favoured and accorded priority. Bahá'ís should be careful
never to deviate from this noble standard, even if the course of
events or public opinion should bring pressure to bear upon
them.

(8 February 1970, from the Universal House of Justice to the
National Spiritual Assemblies in Africa, in Messages from
the Universal House of Justice, 1963-1986, pp.
165
-
166
)

200 The entry into the Spanish Bahá'í community of Gypsies, with
their distinctive traditions and attitudes, is a welcome evidence
of the power of the Faith to unite human beings of diverse
backgrounds and cultures. It also provides the Spanish Bahá'í
community with the challenge of working out ways of
gradually and patiently deepening the new believers'
understanding of and obedience to the teachings and laws of
the Faith.

In this process the older believers must be careful to
distinguish between those matters which are principles of the
Faith, and those which may merely be traditional Spanish or
Persian attitudes. As you are undoubtedly aware, pioneers have
sometimes caused unnecessary complications by insisting that
the new believers in a country adopt practices which turn out
to have nothing to do with the Faith but are merely norms of
behaviour from the pioneers' own homeland. In uniting the
peoples of the world in the Bahá'í community, we must

establish uniformity in essentials, but must permit diversity in
secondary matters.

(1 November 1979, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice
to a National Spiritual Assembly)

201 We should have no class prejudice in the Faith, but we should
not be blind to the differences and sensitivities of people who
come from different classes of society. There are social
differences in Europe, and the Bahá'ís should be aware of
them and make every effort to bridge them. The Bahá'í
community should aim at becoming a cross-section of the
national community.

(12 October 1983, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice
to an individual believer)

202 ... many Bahá'í communities around the world today function
in the context of societies which are struggling with problems
arising from ethnic differences. Conflicts often involve cultural
and linguistic issues and may be further complicated by the
presence of religious differences, and by opportunistic
political movements which use them for their own benefit. It is
not uncommon for the relevant issues to find expression
through violence. The essential challenge facing Bahá'ís in
such situations is to avoid becoming embroiled in pointless
debates. Inspired by the spirit of Bahá'u'lláh's Teachings, we
are called on to make the Bahá'í community a haven of
harmony and love, in contrast to the distress, contention and
strife of the surrounding society.

Like their fellow-believers in many lands, the Bahá'í
community in ... is challenged by such a situation. In seeking
to respond, the Bahá'í administration and the more
experienced friends must exercise great patience and wisdom
in guiding believers, some of whose passions may be raised by
the various issues. Essentially, the problems produced by
cultural and linguistic differences are impulses which can
serve to facilitate the growth of individuals and the maturation
of the institutions if we learn to take advantage of them.

(13 April 1994, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice
to. a Local Spiritual Assembly)

203 The difficulties which you describe are undoubtedly among
those facing many members of inter-racial families ... The

House of Justice feels that these are matters which need to be
worked out through the study and implementation of Bahá'í
principles, through personal wisdom and initiative, and by
taking advantage of the benefits of consultation among those
concerned. Of very great importance is development of the
consciousness that one is, above all, a human being and a
Bahá'í, and that differences of race are of far less significance.
It is hoped that the efforts of the believers, in conjunction with
those of the Bahá'í institutions, to resolve such difficulties will
attract divine confirmations and yield lasting results.

(13 October 1996, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice
to an individual believer)

• Responsibilities of Bahá'í Administrative Institutions

Preserving Flexibility

204 Shoghi Effendi believes that, although the friends may have
different methods of teaching the Cause, yet they should not
let such diversity lead to a consciousness of division among
them. To safeguard the unity of the Faith is the sacred
obligation of every loyal Bahá'í. We should, therefore, avoid
creating any misunderstandings which might develop into
actual division. We stand for unity through diversity and we
hold in contempt every attempt at uniformity or at complete
separateness.

(3 June 1933, written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi
to an individual believer)

205 The Guardian's emphasis on the question of uniformity
between national constitutions is prompted by his desire to
maintain in all national Bahá'í affairs a degree of uniformity
which he feels is essential to the effective functioning of
national administrative bodies throughout the Bahá'í world. In
matters which are not specified in the text of national
constitutions, and as such are secondary in character, every
National Spiritual Assembly is free to act according to its wish
and with due consideration to local exigencies and demands.
In this way, the principle of unity in diversity will be strictly
preserved and effectively applied.

(5 January 1935, written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi
to an individual believer)

206 The believers are free to paint, write and compose as their
talents guide them. If music is written, incorporating the
sacred writings, the friends are free to make use of it, but it
should never be considered a requirement at Bahá'í meetings
to have such music. The further away the friends keep from
any set forms, the better, for they must realize that the Cause is
absolutely universal, and what might seem a beautiful addition
to their mode of celebrating a Feast, etc., would perhaps fall
on the ears of people of another country as unpleasant sounds–
and vice versa.

(20 July 1946, written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi
to a National Spiritual Assembly)

207 He does not feel, however, that the regular meetings should all
open and close with songs. You see our Faith is for the whole
world, for all people, not just for Christians, and this is a
Christian custom to sing religious songs at a spiritual
gathering. The friends should, however, do all they can to
make the meetings interesting and hold the attention of people.

(31 May 1949, written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi
to an individual believer)

208 ... he feels that the friends should be very careful not to place
hindrances in the way of those who wish to accept the Faith. If
we make the requirements too rigorous, we will cool off the
initial enthusiasm, rebuff the hearts and cease to expand
rapidly. The essential thing is that the candidate for enrolment
should believe in his heart in the truth of Bahá'u'lláh. Whether
he is literate or illiterate, informed of all the Teachings or not,
is beside the point entirely. When the spark of faith exists the
essential Message is there, and gradually everything else can
be added unto it. The process of educating people of different
customs and backgrounds must be done with the greatest
patience and understanding, and rules and regulations not
imposed upon them, except where a rock-bottom essential is in
question. He feels sure that your Assembly is capable of
carrying on its work in this spirit, and of fanning the hearts to
flame through the fire of the love of God, rather than putting
out the first sparks with bucketsful of administrative
information and regulations.

(9 July 1957, written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi
to a National Spiritual Assembly)

209 We have reviewed your letter ... about the application of Bahá'í
marriage laws to persons who had married according to the
native custom, which we assume was prior to their enrollment
in the Faith.

Persons who are married according to native custom prior to
their enrollment as Bahá'ís are fully married in the eyes of the
Faith, and there is no point in their going through a Bahá'í
ceremony.

(6 April 1971, the Universal House of Justice
to a National Spiritual Assembly)

210 You have asked for suggestions regarding the preparation of
the handbook on Bahá'í Holy Days which you are planning to
publish. It is important that notwithstanding whatever details
you set forth therein, it be made clear that the contents do not
constitute procedures that must be rigidly adhered to,

Dignity and reverence befitting the occasion should obviously
characterize observances of Bahá'í Holy Days by the friends,
but this does not mean that cultural traditions which do not
contravene Bahá'í principles may not, and cannot, find
expression in the local observances and meetings of the
friends.

(1 August 1983, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice
to an individual believer)

211 With reference to the question concerning the clapping of
hands in songs where the Greatest Name is used, the House of
Justice does not want to draw hard and fast rules. Clearly such
matters are secondary and subject to cultural considerations,
customs, and the social conventions prevailing in a given
society. In some cultures, for example, clapping, as part of
religious expression, is considered offensive; in other cultures,
clapping is a means of keeping the rhythm of a hymn,
especially in the absence of a musical instrument and is
integral to religious experience; among other peoples, clapping
may constitute a demonstration of religious fervour. Further,
within any given country there may well be regional cultural
differences.

Therefore, it is left to the National Spiritual Assembly to
weigh each case with care and sensitivity in light of the

prevailing cultural milieu and, if necessary, provide guidance
to the friends.

(1 October 1986, the Universal House of Justice
to the International Teaching Centre)

Fostering Diversity

212 No more laudable and meritorious service can be rendered the
Cause of God, at the present hour, than a successful effort to
enhance the diversity of the members of the American Bahá'í
community by swelling the ranks of the Faith through the
enrollment of the members of these races.

6

A blending of these
highly differentiated elements of the human race,
harmoniously interwoven into the fabric of an all-embracing
Bahá'í fraternity, and assimilated through the dynamic
processes of a divinely appointed Administrative Order, and
contributing each its share to the enrichment and glory of
Bahá'í community life, is surely an achievement the
contemplation of which must warm and thrill every Bahá'í
heart.

(Shoghi Effendi, The Advent of Divine Justice, p.
54
)

213 It has been a great source of joy to the Guardian to see the
marked increase of native Bahá'ís throughout that area ...
However devoted the pioneers may be to these distant
countries of their adoption, their relation to them cannot but be
a transient one, especially in view of the disturbed state of the
world and gloomy clouds that hang over its political horizons.
They may suddenly be forced to go home; therefore, the native
Bahá'ís, in particular, must seize this opportunity and arise to,
themselves, in their own countries, pioneer to new cities and
towns, new islands and as yet unopened territories, so that they
may, with the help of their Bahá'í brethren from overseas, lay a
firm and enduring foundation, and commence the great task of
building up the Administrative Order, which is itself the
foundation of the future World Order.

(15 July 1957, written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi
to a National Spiritual Assembly)

214 In response to your letter ... requesting guidance about the
propriety of burning incense at Bahá'í Feasts and meetings,

the Universal House of Justice has asked us to convey the
following.

The reasons which prompted you to ask about the above
matter undoubtedly stemmed from your desire to safeguard the
interests of the Faith and to keep it free from the rituals of past
religions, points which Bahá'í institutions should bear in mind
when discharging their duties and responsibilities. At the same
time they should uphold the principle of unity in diversity,
which often demonstrates itself through the cultural heritage of
peoples. Your National Assembly may be aware that although
incense is burned in religious ceremonies and temples, it is
also a custom in some countries which is carried out at
non-religious gatherings. For example, in India people of both
Hindu and Muslim backgrounds burn incense in their homes
and at social gatherings. In some cases the reason behind their
using it is to freshen the air. It is therefore not objectionable in
principle for the friends to burn incense if they wish when
hosting Bahá'í meetings. However, this should not be done in
such a way as to give the impression that it is a regular
practice which is required at all Bahá'í meetings.

(28 June 1983, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to a
National Spiritual Assembly)

215 At the present time, the challenge to every Bahá'í community
is to avoid suppression of those culturally-diverse elements
which are not contrary to the teachings, while establishing and
maintaining such a high degree of unity that others are
attracted to the Cause of God.

(25 July 1988, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice
to a Bahá'í couple)

216 The Bahá'í Faith subscribes to the principle of unity in
diversity; the Bahá'í administrative structure provides a model
of people of diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds who unite
together under a National Spiritual Assembly to form a
dynamic social unit in which there is provision for the
expression of cultural diversity.

(27 June 1993, written on behalf of the Universal House a/Justice
to an individual believer)

217 You have asked about the appropriateness of ceremonies from
other cultures being presented at Bahá'í national events and
local gatherings ...

You mention that the popularity of the "Pipe Ceremony" is
part of the revival of native cultural values. While seeking out
the spiritual roots of their own tradition, it is natural for
Alaskan natives to view sympathetically symbols of the
spiritual roots that once sustained the indigenous peoples of
North America. Such a desire for the rediscovery of one's
culture is one in which Bahá'ís rejoice. In this context, it
would be acceptable occasionally to hold such cultural
ceremonies at Bahá'í national events and local gatherings, so
long as their features are not contrary to Bahá'í Teachings and
they do not become customary. Moreover, these ceremonies
should not be carried out during the formal part of a Bahá'í
event, such as during the consultation at a National
Convention, or in connection with the reading of prayers and
passages from the Writings during a feast or Holy Day
programme. Rather, such ceremonies may be included as an
adjunct to the programme, and participation in them should be
on a voluntary basis.

Regarding your question as to whether the audience should be
informed that the cultural ceremonies are not part of the Bahá'í
Faith, perhaps it would be possible to have this information
presented in a positive manner, such as by explaining
Bahá'u'lláh's teaching on unity in diversity, or the respect held
by Bahá'ís for diversity of cultural expression.

(16 November 1994, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice
to a National Spiritual Assembly)

218 The House of Justice sympathizes with your great desire to
find ways of making the Bahá'í Teachings attractive to the
Chinese people. Concerning the need, as you say, to
reformulate the Teachings in order to make them more readily
comprehensible to peoples of different cultural backgrounds,
Shoghi Effendi himself wrote:

Nor should any of the pioneers, at this early stage in the
upbuilding of Bahá'í national communities, overlook the
fundamental prerequisite for any successful teaching
enterprise, which is to adapt the presentation of the
fundamental principles of their Faith to the cultural and
religious backgrounds, the ideologies, and the
temperament of the divers races and nations whom they are

called upon to enlighten and attract. The susceptibilities of
these races and nations,... differing widely in their customs
and standards of living, should at all times be carefully
considered, and under no circumstances neglected.

(From a letter written by the Guardian to the American believers,
dated June 5, 1947)

However, this desire must be balanced against the
requirements of the Covenant which it is our sacred duty as
Bahá'ís to uphold...

While you have a laudable aim in preparing materials on the
Faith that will serve as a bridge of understanding for Chinese
people who encounter the Bahá'í Teachings, you undoubtedly
realize that these Teachings cannot be made to conform to the
beliefs and understanding of any portion of humanity.

Indeed, for every people certain beliefs are as veils that
prevent the penetration of the light of truth brought by a new
Manifestation. Just as the followers of, say, Christianity and
Islam must shed the veils imposed by their traditional beliefs,
so too must the Chinese who are deeply attracted to Confucius
be led to see that their aspirations are realized in the coming of
Bahá'u'lláh, Whose life-giving Message is the divine elixir
necessary for every people to achieve its promised destiny.

(4 June 1995, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice
to an individual believer)

219 As you may know, in many parts of the world there are certain
tribal and traditional dances which are performed in
glorification of God, and it is perfectly acceptable for a prayer
to be interpreted in the form of movement or dance. However,
to avoid that such expressions of prayer become gradually
ritualized, or that certain gestures and movement become
habitual accompaniments to prayers, it is preferable that they
not accompany the reciting of words of the prayers. Through
the revealed prayers, we seek communion with God, hence
they must be offered with the utmost reverence and dignity.
Each individual Bahá'í should be free to pray as he wishes, for
there is no set form for prayer except for those few which have
special instructions for observance upon their recitation.

(24 March 1997, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice
to a National Spiritual Assembly)

Guiding and Encouraging Social Evolution

220 He fully appreciates the fact that the believers are still
somewhat attached to the different cults from which they have
come; this is a problem which always faces the Faith in a new
region; it existed a long time in America, and seems part of the
growth of the Cause. He feels your Assembly can afford to be
patient with the friends, while at the same time educating them
into a deeper understanding of the Cause. As their awareness
of the true significance of Bahá'u'lláh grows, they will
become weaned from the old ideas and give full allegiance to
His teachings.

(30 June 1952, written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi
to a National Spiritual Assembly)

221 When enrolling new believers, we must be wise and gentle,
and not place so many obstacles in their way that they feel it
impossible to accept the Faith. On the other hand, once
accorded membership in the Community of the followers of
Bahá'u'lláh, it must be brought home to them that they are
expected to live up to His Teachings, and to show forth the
signs of a noble character in conformity with His Laws. This
can often, be done gradually, after the new believer is enrolled.

(25 June 1953, written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi
to a National Spiritual Assembly)

222 ... we noted your decision to place a notice in your Bahá'í
newsletter requesting clothing for the new believers, who are
described as "primitive".

It is not clear from the information contained in your Minutes
whether your decision to obtain clothing for the new believers
is for humanitarian reasons or whether it is your wish to clothe
the believers whose tribal custom does not require clothing. If
your reasons are humanitarian, certainly the plight of people in
great need arouses concern and sympathy in all of us. You
should bear in mind, however, that to begin such a program
might well endanger the future of the Cause among those
people and would affect the motives of other members of the
tribe when again offered the bounty of becoming followers of
Bahá'u'lláh. Assemblies, either Local or National, must
always hold as their first consideration that we, with our
limited resources, have the obligation to establish the World

Order of Bahá'u'lláh, and that while millions of people can
support projects such as this one, only Bahá'ís may contribute
to the work of the Cause.

If it is the tribal custom of those believers to remain unclothed,
you should avoid taking steps to obtain clothing for them or to
request them to wear clothing at this stage in their deepening.
The changing of such a custom should be a natural and
gradual process, and not an imposed one. We should avoid the
mistakes which have been made in the past by missionaries.

(8 February 1972, the Universal House of Justice
to a National Spiritual Assembly)

223 Concerning your question whether Bahá'ís can participate in
the rites of other religions, it is clear from letters written on
behalf of the Guardian that while Bahá'ís are encouraged to
associate with the followers of other religions, they should not
in any way identify themselves with the doctrines and usages
of other religions. There may be a few cases, however, when
withdrawal of the new believer from membership in a religious
organization and his non-observance of its ceremonies and
customs may take place gradually, with the permission or upon
the advice of your National Assembly, which must consider
such situations carefully and render its decision in each case
separately.

(10 July 1978, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice
to a National Spiritual Assembly)

224 The cardinal purpose of the Bahá'í Faith is to establish the
oneness of the human race. As we do this, we bring into the
Bahá'í community people of many varied backgrounds and
temperaments, and only gradually can true unity be forged out
of such divergent elements while preserving the desirable
diversities which are not inconsistent with the divine
Teachings. This is most apparent in tribal societies, which
have very strong traditions. The Spiritual Assemblies in such
countries have the task, while teaching the Faith, of giving the
people pride and self-confidence in their native traditions, of
preserving those which are colourful enrichments of social and
personal life, while weaning the new believers gradually away
from those traditions which are harmful and in conflict with
the teachings and spirit of the Cause of God. A similar process
is necessary in Europe.

It is in establishing the unity of mankind that the
administration of the Faith plays such a vital part ...
'Abdu'l-Bahá ... wrote in the strongest terms about the
fundamental importance of the Administrative Order. In a
Tablet to an individual believer, for example, the translation of
which is published as section
69
of Selections from the
Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, He states:

Thou hast written concerning organization. The divine
teachings and the admonitions and exhortations of
Bahá'u'lláh are manifestly evident. These constitute the
organization of the Kingdom and their enforcement is
obligatory. The least deviation from them is absolute error.

There are also all the statements made by 'Abdu'l-Bahá in His

Will and Testament
, with which you must be familiar. By
obeying the Spiritual Assemblies and adhering to their
guidance, the Bahá'ís maintain the unity of the Faith, promote
God's Covenant, and ensure that the Cause does not fly into a
myriad conflicting sects and schools as has happened with the
earlier religions, no matter how spiritual they have been.

(12 October 1983, written an behalf of the Universal House of Justice
to an individual believer)

225 With regard to the questions you submitted as a result of your
contacts with the village women, the House of Justice has
directed us to convey its advice.

During this period of transition from practices current in the
present social orders of tribal society to the standards
advocated and upheld in the Bahá'í community, it is important
for Bahá'ís to exercise patience, and endeavour to show respect
to the tribal laws that apply in each case, provided they do not
contradict basic Bahá'í principles and regulations involving
such acts as denial of one's faith or contracting polygamous
marriages. It should also be borne in mind that in cases calling
for personal guidance, the friends should feel free to turn to
their Local Spiritual Assemblies which, being on the spot and
normally familiar with tribal and customary practices as well
as with the Bahá'í teachings which apply, will be able to
proffer advice, suggest solutions to personal difficulties and,
indeed, in some cases, be themselves instrumental in resolving
the problems.

(12 January 1986, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice
to an individual believer)

226 When a Spiritual Assembly is faced with questions of possible
conflict between tribal practices and Bahá'í law, it should
distinguish between aspects of tribal community life which are
related to fundamental laws (such as monogamy) and matters
of lesser importance, from which the friends can and should
extricate themselves gradually. Furthermore, the House of
Justice has offered the advice that the institutions of the Faith
should be careful not to press the friends to arbitrarily discard
those local traditions which are harmless and often colourful
characteristics of particular peoples and tribes. Were a new
Bahá'í suddenly to cease following the customs of his people,
it is possible that they might misunderstand the true nature of
the Bahá'í Faith, and the Bahá'ís could be regarded as having
turned against the traditions of the land. However, Bahá'ís
should exercise vigilance, with the aid of the institutions of the
Faith, to avoid inadvertent involvement in events which appear
at first sight to be purely cultural and traditional in nature, but
which are, in fact, held as a cover for politically oriented
gatherings. The weaning away of the Bahá'ís from customs
and traditions which have been established among
communities for centuries takes time and is a gradual process.
While an Assembly should avoid rigidity in these matters, it
should also not compromise when the interests of the Faith
and its integrity and independence are at stake ...

When the Bahá'í community in a village is a significant
proportion of the population, it has a wide range of
opportunities to be an example and an encouragement of
means of improving the quality of life in the village. Among
the initiatives which it might take are measures to foster child
education, adult literacy and the training of women to better
discharge their responsibilities as mothers and to play an
enlarged role in the administrative and social life of the
village; encouragement of the people of the village to join
together in devotions, perhaps in the early morning,
irrespective of their varieties of religious belief; support of
efforts to improve the hygiene and the health of the village,
including attention to the provision of pure water, the
preservation of cleanliness in the village environment, and
education in the harmful effects of narcotic and intoxicating
substances. No doubt other possibilities will present

themselves to the village Bahá'í community and its Local
Spiritual Assembly.

(25 July 1988, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice
to a National Spiritual Assembly)

227 The matters raised in your letter are concerned with the
differing cultures in ..., and their expression in the Bahá'í
community. The aim of the Bahá'í Faith is to maintain cultural
diversity while promoting the unity of all peoples. This
diversity will enrich human life in a peaceful world society.
Within the Bahá'í community the cultural traditions of the
people who comprise it should be observed, as long as those
traditions are not contrary to the Bahá'í teachings. It should
also be recognized that many cultural practices will eventually
disappear or be merged with related ones from other societies
as the social evolution of mankind continues.

The application of these principles requires great wisdom and
the exercise of careful judgement on the part of the Spiritual
Assemblies. When there is a conflict between a traditional
cultural practice and the Bahá'í teachings, the Assembly
concerned must decide whether the issue involved is of
fundamental importance, in which case the traditional practice
cannot be continued by the Bahá'ís, or whether it is of lesser
importance, such that the believers can be left to gradually
extricate themselves from it over a period of time. An
Assembly must also carefully seek out and follow a path
which offers encouragement and support to each culture with
which it comes in contact, while taking care not to slight the
rights and preferences of the believers whose cultural group
constitutes the majority in the community.

You are urged to consult fully and frankly with the Spiritual
Assemblies concerning the issues raised in your letter. Also,
you may well find it useful to seek advice from the
Counsellors and Auxiliary Board members on these matters.
Should you find yourself in disagreement with a decision of
the National Spiritual Assembly on a specific issue which you
feel to be of fundamental importance, you are free to appeal to
the National Assembly for reconsideration of the matter or for
its submission to the Universal House of Justice; in the latter
case, the Assembly will transmit your appeal together with its

own comments. By following these approaches, the unity of
the Bahá'í community is preserved as it devises appropriate
means of responding to the new challenges associated with the
expansion of the scope of its endeavours.

(7 May 1989, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice
to an individual believer)

228 With regard to the ritual use of peyote within the Native
American Church, it is understood that this practice is
countenanced by civil law. However, this should not alter the
clear understanding that, according to Bahá'í law, the use of
peyote and similar hallucinogenic agents is prohibited to
Bahá'ís except when prescribed for medical treatment by
competent physicians. Notwithstanding the prohibition
observed by Bahá'ís in this respect, the friends are advised to
adopt attitudes of tolerance and forbearance with regard to the
beliefs and practices of others and to exercise patience with
new believers in the Cause. Any Bahá'í who is found to be
involved in the use of peyote should be told by his Assembly
that in the Faith spiritual stimulation comes from turning one's
heart to Bahá'u'lláh and not through any physical means. The
Assembly should therefore encourage him, patiently but
persistently, to give up the use of peyote; otherwise it is not
possible for him to maintain membership in the Bahá'í
community.

(7 August 1989, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice
to an individual believer)

229 Regarding the use of traditional curative herbs, any herb
known to have medicinal effects can surely be used by the
friends, and those administering such medicaments should be
left entirely free to carry out their profession. However, it must
be borne in mind that this is different from traditional fetishist
practices which involve communication with departed spirits.

(23 December 1991, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice
to a National Spiritual Assembly)

230 ... the House of Justice does not wish to go beyond its
statement in 1985 that, "While we feel that under present
circumstances the drinking of kava should not be summarily
banned, the believers should be gradually weaned away from
its use." Any action to be taken on the use of kava is left to the
decision of National Spiritual Assemblies.

Since you are a member of the National Assembly of..., you
are certainly free to raise the matter with it from time to time,
as you deem wise. However, in dealing with such matters it is
often well to emphasize the role Bahá'í communities are to
play in bringing about the changes essential for the
transformation of society.

(20 April 1993, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice
to an individual believer)

231 The House of Justice has given careful consideration to the
question of the genital mutilation of girls, otherwise known as
"female circumcision". No reference in the Bahá'í Writings to
this subject has come to light; however, the House of Justice
regards the practice of female circumcision as contrary to the
spirit of the Bahá'í Teachings.

The House of Justice has noted a growing concern on the part
of medical authorities in Africa and other places over the
various methods and dire consequences of the operations
involved in such genital mutilation ...

Because this damaging custom is entrenched in tradition and is
reported to be widespread in Africa, the Bahá'í institutions
have the duty of weaning the friends from it through an
ongoing programme of education based on spiritual principles
and sound scientific information.

(29 March 1995, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice
to a National Spiritual Assembly)

232 In many of the nations of your area, women have traditionally
been restricted to a secondary role in the life of society. We
call upon the Bahá'í women of these countries, assured of the
support and encouragement of all elements of the Bahá'í
community, to demonstrate the transforming power of this
Revelation by their courage and initiative in the teaching work
and their full participation in the administrative activities of
the Faith.

(Ridván 1996, the Universal House of Justice to
the Followers of Bahá'u'lláh in Australasia)

Notes:

1

. Shoghi Effendi, in a letter dated 19 November 1945, written on his behalf,
explained that: "The Seven Lights of Unity will not necessarily appear in the
order given. A product of the second may well be universal culture."

2

. The Secret of Divine Civilization, p.
75

3

. 20 November 1955, written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual
believer.

4

. Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, p.
291
.

5

. 'Abdu'l-Bahá, in The Promulgation of Universal Peace: Talks Delivered by
'Abdu'l-Bahá during His Visit to the United States and Canada in 1912,
rev. ed. (Wilmette: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1982), p.
182
.

6

. "the Negro, the Indian, the Eskimo, and Jewish races".

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