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Bahá’í World Centre P.O. Box 155 31 001 Haifa, Israel
Tel: 972 (4) 835 8358 Fax: 972 (4) 835 8280 Email: secretariat@bwc.org
THE UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICEYour email message of 4 March 2003 has been received at the Bahá’í World Centre, and we can reply as follows. You state that there are large-scale demonstrations arising in your community and in communities around the world, and you inquire about the appropriateness of Bahá’ís participating in demonstrations for peace. It is important to keep in mind that while these activities are generally carried out in the name of peace, such occasions are motivated by highly political and controversial sentiments at a time of turmoil and confusion in the world. Not only would it be contrary to the Bahá’í principle of non-involvement in politics for individual believers, or Bahá’í institutions, to become associated with such activities, it could also be harmful to the interests of the Faith internationally. The point to bear in mind here is that current demonstrations are not intended to promote peace in principle but are focused on a specific dispute among governments. As you can no doubt understand, Bahá’í participation in public demonstrations involving controversial issues would undermine the Faith's essential purpose of promoting unity in all aspects of human affairs, and your desire to remain focused on the essential work of the Faith is deeply appreciated.
With loving Bahá’í greetings,cc: National Assembly of the United States (by email)