I thought it would get easier, writing about the two older women in the group of ten that I think of as “The Shiraz Ten”. But guess what? It isn’t. Because 46 and 57, the ages of the last two women left to cover, is not old; they both had a lot of life left,… Read More #OurStoryIsOne: Nosrat Ghufrani Yaldaie, 46 years old
There has always been, at least in the spaces that I have been in throughout my life, a focus on Mona Mahmoudnejad. And it was and still is shocking that a mere 17-year-old would be put to death by hanging for the reasons Mona was. But 23 isn’t that much more, the age Roya Eshraghi… Read More #OurStoryIsOne: Roya Eshraghi, 23 years old (part 1)
Although I was really young, I still remember the phone calls, usually late at night, during which the adults’ voices would increase in pitch: “Allo? Allo? Allo! Iran? Iran?!?” I should have been in bed, but I knew something was up. My memories of course are extremely hazy because I was a toddler, and the… Read More #OurStoryIsOne: Ten Bahá’í Women Martyred in Shiraz 40 Years Ago
One of the aspects of spiritual development is that of excellence, which is a challenging goal to aspire to. It is of course much easier to strive for spiritual excellence when one is part of an institution that promotes it. Let’s go for an extreme example: being chaste is a lot easier in a nunnery… Read More Striving For Excellence Without Guilt Tripping in a Morally Lax World
The day was perfect. The sight over the Bay of Haifa is often blanketed by pollution and sandy winds, but not last Friday. Crystal-blue waters and a clear view of the mountains on the other side of the bay are a much appreciated treat for the inhabitants of this northern Israeli city, especially when the… Read More Haifa Bahá’í Gardens: Open Day for an Open Religion
I recently read an article, which talks about the relationship between poor housing conditions and the 25% of children in Montreal who suffer from lung disease, and suggests that the province of Quebec should invest not only in hospitals, but in home construction as well. Before, such articles would just make me so angry at… Read More Noticing the Glimmering of the Lesser Peace
I love fashion. I have a rather simple fashion taste, but it doesn’t mean that I don’t enjoy putting on nice outfits on, neither does it mean that I don’t enjoy seeing a fabulous outfit on the street. However, I always question what is the relationship between fashion and one’s spiritual progress in life. There… Read More Thoughts on a Baha’i Sense of Fashion
GENEVA — A coordinated series of raids have been carried out on the homes of several Iranian Baha’is, active in a community initiative to provide a higher education programme for young members who are barred from university. Initial reports indicate that raids took place yesterday on houses in Tehran, Karaj, Isfahan, and Shiraz. As many… Read More BWBS: Baha’i educational programme targeted in raids