=================================
00 July 18 UHJ Bahá'í Democratization
Universal House of Justice
(c) 2006 Bahá'í World Centre
=================================
18 July 2000
Dear Bahá'í Friend,

The Universal House of Justice received your letter of 31 May 2000 and

has asked us to send you the following reply.

To your question "What do I have to think of the promotion of a Bahá'í

democratization?" there is both a simple reply and a more complex one,

and the

House of Justice feels that it is desirable to approach the matter from both

points of view.

Firstly, as a Bahá'í who has given many decades of outstanding service

in

your community, you understand that the Bahá'í Administrative Order is

an

integral part of the Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh; it is a divinely conceived

system which, as the Guardian explained in The Dispensation of

Bahá'u'lláh,

"incorporates within its structure certain elements which are to be found in

each of the three recognized forms of secular government, without being

in any

sense a mere replica of any one of them, and without introducing within

its

machinery any of the objectionable features which they inherently possess.

It

blends and harmonizes, as no government fashioned by mortal hands has

as yet

accomplished, the salutary truths which each of these systems

undoubtedly
Page No 2

contains without vitiating the integrity of those God-given verities on

which
it is ultimately founded."

It is the continuing task of Bahá'ís to increase their understanding of

the principles on which the Administrative Order is founded, and to

improve

the faithfulness with which they implement these principles in their

actions.

Indeed one of the specific needs of this period in the development of the

Faith is the evolution of national and local Bahá'í institutions. If,

therefore, by "the promotion of a Bahá'í democratization" is meant the

furthering of an increasingly responsible participation in the work of the

community by its individual members, this is highly meritorious, and

should be
a continual endeavour of Bahá'í institutions.

That is the simple answer. However, if the intention is that the Bahá'í

Administrative Order should be altered to more closely accord with

current

concepts of political democracy, a more complex series of issues arises. In

The Dispensation of Bahá'u'lláh, Shoghi Effendi lists evidences "of the non-

autocratic character of the Bahá'í Administrative Order and of its

inclination

to democratic methods in the administration of its affairs", but this does

not

justify a proposal to change the system which has been established in the

Writings of Bahá'u'lláh and 'Abdu'l-Bahá and in the elucidations of Shoghi

Effendi. Such an effort, whether or not described as "the promotion of a

Bahá'í democratization", would be contrary to the clear teachings of the

Faith.

Consideration of the various specific questions included in your letter will

help to clarify this distinction.
Page No 3
18 July 2000
Page 2

In the second paragraph of your letter you say that you understand that

the Bahá'í World Order is "at least 80%, a theocratic-aristocratic order".

Inasmuch as the Order of Bahá'u'lláh is an integral part of the divine

Revelation that He, as a Manifestation of God, has given us, one could say

that

this Order is essentially theocratic, but inasmuch as it is entirely devoid of

any kind of clergy or priesthood, it is not at all a "theocracy" in the sense

in which the term is generally used and understood.

Similarly, the quality of aristocracy (rule by the best) as it appears in

the Faith is in sharp contrast to what is generally understood by this term.

Free from electioneering or such external pressures as those coming from

economic power or manipulation of the press, the believers seek to elect

for

membership on their governing institutions those persons whom they

regard as

best qualified for such office. The elected members are then responsible to

God and to their consciences, rather than to those who elect them. You are

undoubtedly familiar with Shoghi Effendi's words in Bahá'í

Administration on

the attitude and responsibility of members of Assemblies:

The duties of those whom the friends have freely and

conscientiously elected as their representatives are no less vital

and binding than the obligations of those who have chosen them.

Their function is not to dictate, but to consult, and consult not

only among themselves, but as much as possible with the friends whom

they represent. They must regard themselves in no other light but

that of chosen instruments for a more efficient and dignified

presentation of the Cause of God. They should never be led to

suppose that they are the central ornaments of the body of the

Page No 4

Cause, intrinsically superior to others in capacity or merit, and

sole promoters of its teachings and principles. They should

approach their task with extreme humility, and endeavour, by their

open-mindedness, their high sense of justice and duty, their

candour, their modesty, their entire devotion to the welfare and

interests of the friends, the Cause, and humanity, to win, not only

the confidence and the genuine support and respect of those whom

they serve, but also their esteem and real affection. They must, at

all times, avoid the spirit of exclusiveness, the atmosphere of

secrecy, free themselves from a domineering attitude, and banish all

forms of prejudice and passion from their deliberations. They

should, within the limits of wise discretion, take the friends into

their confidence, acquaint them with their plans, share with them

their problems and anxieties, and seek their advice and counsel.

And, when they are called upon to arrive at a certain decision, they

should, after dispassionate, anxious and cordial consultation, turn

to God in prayer, and with earnestness and conviction and courage

record their vote and abide by the voice of the majority, which we

are told by our Master to be the voice of truth, never to be

challenged, and always to be whole-heartedly enforced. To this

voice the friends must heartily respond, and regard it as the only

means that can ensure the protection and advancement of the Cause.

As already noted above, the way in which believers become members of

the

elected institutions is democratic. It is, indeed, far more democratic than

the methods by which the members of most parliaments are elected. The

Bahá'í

electoral system is entirely free from the power and bargaining of parties

and

factions, and from the manipulations of vested interests. Each voter is free

to cast his or her ballot for whomever he or she chooses.

Page No 5
18 July 2000
Page 3

Even in the best democracies nowadays the driving incentive in

elections

is the wish of each politician to obtain power so as to be able to carry out

the programme that he particularly favours--an election becomes a

competition

which the self-promoting candidates either "win" or "lose". The electorate

is

treated as a mass to be swayed, by rhetoric and various forms of

inducement, to

support one or other candidate. In the Bahá'í system, however, the voters

are

the active force and the motive which impels them is to choose those

individuals who are best suited to serve on the institution. The persons

elected are passive in the electoral process (except in their role as voters)

and accept election as an obligation to serve the community in response to

the

wish of the electorate. In other words, the systems differ in their essential

spirit: one is a seeking for power, the other is an acceptance of

responsibility for service.

You mention several things which you describe as the most significant

democratic principles and values. Among them are transparency,

accountability,

freedom of the press and critical dialogue. Here too, just as the spirit

underlying the Bahá'í system differs from that impelling most current

democratic systems, so do the methods of implementing these principles

and the
attitude of those involved.

In general one can say that modern democracies have been established

as
Page No 6

the outcome of attempts to limit the power of absolute monarchy, of

dictatorships, or of certain dominant classes. This may have come about

gradually through the centuries, or tumultuously by a series of

revolutions.

Thus, even when democratic constitutions and structures have been

established,

there remains a suspicion of authority as such, and a tension between the

degree of freedom accorded to individual citizens and the imposition of

sufficient public discipline to protect the weak against the selfish pursuits

of the strong among the citizenry. The operation of transparency,

accountability, freedom of the press and critical dialogue is thus imbued

with

a spirit of partisanship that easily descends into the merciless invasion of

personal privacy, the dissemination of calumny, the exaggeration of

mistrust,

and the misuse of the news media at the hands of vested interests. The

reaction of those who attempt to protect themselves against such

distortions of

the system produces secretiveness, concealment of uncomfortable facts,

and

reciprocal misuse of the media--in all, a perpetuation of disharmony in the

social fabric.

In contrast to these patterns bred by traditional antagonisms, the Bahá'í

system is based upon the ideals of unity, harmony, justice, diversity and

forbearance in the building of a divinely conceived administrative

structure

through a process of mutual learning and discovery. As already noted, the

element of power-seeking is entirely absent. All members of a Bahá'í

community, no matter what position they may temporarily occupy in the

administrative structure, are expected to regard themselves as involved in

a

learning process, as they strive to understand and implement the laws and

principles of the Faith. As part of this process, the Assemblies are

encouraged to continually share their hopes and cares and the news of

developments with the members of the community and to seek their views

and

support. There are, of course, matters such as the personal problems of a

believer which he (or she) brings to his Assembly for advice, the amounts

of

the contributions of individual believers to the Fund, and so forth, in

Page No 7

relation to which the Assembly must observe strict confidentiality. As in

any

just system of government the proper balance has to be sought and found

between

extremes. In this connection, you will recall Shoghi Effendi's statement in

Bahá'í Administration:
Page No 8
18 July 2000
Page 4

Let us also bear in mind that the keynote of the Cause of God

is not dictatorial authority but humble fellowship, not arbitrary

power, but the spirit of frank and loving consultation. Nothing

short of the spirit of a true Bahá'í can hope to reconcile the

principles of mercy and justice, of freedom and submission, of the

sanctity of the right of the individual and of self-surrender, of

vigilance, discretion, and prudence on the one hand, and fellowship,

candour, and courage on the other.

Wherever one finds misfunctioning in a Bahá'í community, it can be

traced

to a failure to follow properly the laws, principles and methods laid down

in

the Writings. The overcoming of such shortcomings is part of the learning

process in which all Bahá'ís are involved. The continual aim of the

institutions of the Bahá'í community--whether it be through the operation

of

summer schools and training institutes, through the development of the

Nineteen

Day Feasts and National Conventions, or through day-to-day interaction

among

the friends--is to empower the individual believers so that they will learn

how

to live their lives with increasing knowledge, wisdom, unity and

fruitfulness
in conformity with the Teachings of Bahá'u'lláh.

Further, in addition to the Spiritual Assemblies, the Bahá'í

Administrative Order also contains the institutions of the Continental

Boards

of Counsellors and their Auxiliary Boards. Their endeavours, with the

Page No 9

individuals, the community and the institutions, are intended to help

maintain the true spirit of the Faith, to counsel the governing institutions

and to assist

them to attain the high ideals set before them by Bahá'u'lláh and the

Master.

As the House of Justice wrote in a letter dated 24 April 1972: "The

existence of

institutions of such exalted rank, comprising individuals who play such a

vital

role, who yet have no legislative, administrative or judicial authority, and

are entirely devoid of priestly functions or the right to make authoritative

interpretations, is a feature of Bahá'í administration unparalleled in the

religions of the past." The House of Justice went on to comment that, only

as the Bahá'í community grows, and the believers are increasingly able to

contemplate its administrative structure uninfluenced by concepts from

past ages, will the vital interdependence of these two arms of the

administration be properly understood and

the value of their interaction be fully recognized.

Two other issues raised by you also deserve attention. Direct election

of the main institutions of a society can hardly be regarded as a significant

democratic principle. In the United States of America, for example, the

president is elected by an electoral college of individuals chosen in state

elections. In some other countries the president is elected by the

parliament,

not by the people. However, whether direct election is a democratic

principle

or not, it cannot be applied in the Bahá'í Faith because it is stated in the

Sacred Writings that the Universal House of Justice must be elected in a

three-

stage election and National Spiritual Assemblies must be the outcome of a

two-
stage election.

Finally, there is the question of the membership of the Universal House

of Justice being restricted to men. This, likewise, is a provision of the

Sacred Writings, as stated clearly by both 'Abdu'l-Bahá and the Guardian.

It

should be viewed in the light of the principle mentioned above, that

election

to institutions of Bahá'í administration is regarded as a summons to service

Page No 10

and not as an accession to power. It is also significant that the Universal

House of Justice has itself written that the fact that its membership is

restricted to men cannot be used as an indication that men excel women or

that

the Bahá'í principle of the equality of the sexes is not valid. As you know,

it is a mandate of the Universal House of Justice to ensure the

Page No 11
18 July 2000
Page 5

establishment of the equality of men and women, and you are

undoubtedly aware

of the vigour with which the Bahá'ís are putting this into effect. This

matter

was discussed at some length in a letter written on 31 May 1988 to the

National

Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of New Zealand, a copy of which is

enclosed
for your information.

The House of Justice hopes that these comments will help you to resolve

the confusion which you indicate is troubling you.

With loving Bahá'í greetings,
For Department of the Secretariat
Enclosure