What is Asoo medium? At first look at Asoo medium, the atmosphere of the media which were preaching liberal thoughts in earlier 1370s in Iran is reminded. The media which were trying to expand rudiments of Liberation thought in religion domain and economic, cultural, social and political affairs via a superficially descriptive and impartial appearance. However; in other side, Asoo medium also reminds the Baha’i media which were, published late 20th century and created a great challenge in the community of the Baha’is.
The dominant atmosphere on the subject of Asoo medium is quite close to Intellectual movement of Iran, but it differs from the Intellectual thought in Iran: The Iranian open-minded people have been generally in the atmosphere of liberalism thought and even try to present a liberal narration out of religion, but the consequence of their thought ends in a kind of secularism which ask for the separation between religion and policy.
Definitely, Asoo is trying not to reveal its pivoted ideology openly and is stating its ideological nature in the form of literary or social criticism narrated by famous authors but sometimes it poses its ideology openly too.
The origin of Asoo:
Asoo medium doesn’t introduce its policy making council and writing board like other Baha’i media and its policy is vague. So, it seems Tastimi foundation in Santa Monica is its supporter and “the American Baha’i community” is related to this collection.
Since the second half of the 20th century coincided with the project of “modern Baha’i studies” had been considered as serious late Shogi’s periods of time, the need for rereading and modernization of earlier Baha’i texts were deeply sensed among the Baha’is.
Consequently, it was attempted for text teachings like the Aghdas and anti-modem statements of first Baha’i leaders to be revolutionized and modernized via a kind of soft interpretation which was a hard task.
The problem started when at the beginning of this process some academic Baha’is didn’t consider free thinking as serious and published critical studies against the universal house of justice and several Baha’i irrational teachings.
The reaction of the universal house justice was clear; the severe censorship of their speech and excommunicating from the Baha’i community. However; since those periods of time, another movement creeped slowly under the cover of academic and had the same path and direction in interpretation and suitable analyses with the modern western world and with the Baha’i teachings without the slightest criticism against the universal house of justice. Asoo medium is in the same path of this movement and continues its activities without having the slightest disturb of censorships of the universal house of justice.
The main question is that based on which rudiment the system of problems and policies dominating on Asoo is determined? Is there any relationship between the root of Asoo policies and the American Baha’i community?
Let’s turn back and reread the trace of some issues in the American Baha’i community since nearly 1976.
First, a minor group of American-Baha’i open-minded people and researchers created a challenge for the Baha’i organization slowly. This 10-12 people study group were gathered together in Los Angeles. The result of this gathering was a newsletter which was received by at most 120 people.
In this newsletter, issues such as infallibility of the universal house of justice was investigated which was quickly reacted by Wilmot (the center of Bahaism in America). Thus, one of the members of the national assembly of America visited the gathering in 1979 A.D. and warned the members about the tone of dialogues and debates. He expressed that debates and newsletters have caused oppositions in the community and such activities are against the Baha’i tradition and rituals.
Mutually, the national assembly asked for the materials of the newsletter to be investigated by a board and for censorship to be controlled by a local assembly, Because the group members were dissatisfied with the process of controlling and supervision, they eventually decided to prevent publishing the newsletter.
In the mid of 1980s, the issue of freedom of thought became more important.
In 1980s A.D., a group of the Baha’is of California published the first issue of the Baha’i periodical called “dialogue”. According to the periodical editor called Steven Scholl, the aim of this periodical is encouraging the Baha’is to intellectual and social current debates of the world such as disarming and peace, human rights, dialogues among religions, the equality of sex, environment and the development of third world countries.
As according to the current regulations of the organization all articles and writings pointing out the issue of Bahaism must be investigated and controlled, they were asked for dialogue articles to be investigated and controlled by the organizational officials.
After numerous and ups and downs happened since nearly 1970s A.D. in the Baha’i community concerning reviewing the Baha’i texts, a group succeeded to attract the universal house of justice’s view and to present a soft reading from Bahaism with criticizing the universal house of justice and criticizing the Bahaism teachings and to divert Baha’ism problem towards the modern social, political, religious, economic and cultural debates in the context of liberal thought.
The common origin of Asoo at the intersection with the Baha’is of America and England:
When in 1976 A.D. a group in Los Angeles decided to publish new issues and investigate Bahaism differently from the viewpoint of the universal house of justice, a bit earlier 1970s A.D. in England, important transformations happened. In 1970 A.D., the universal community of Bahaism gained consult position in the economic and social council of the United Nations (ECOSOC).
A bit later, the social and economic development office of the Baha’is was established and those days, the Baha’i community had achieved the conditions which could invest tremendously in new studies.
It is worthy to be said that Asoo dependence on Tailimi foundation is probably due to the allowance for publishing and legal process and the like in America; otherwise it wasn’t unlikely for Asoo to hide its dependence on Taslimi foundation at first, too.
Asoo medium Structure:
Asoo medium has been formed of the fallowing parts:
– article
– book
– Asoo offices
– Multi-media
– Audio
– notes
– Case
– Common future
– Colleague.
Asoo articles are generally a updated based on contemporary social and political transformations, but the following related issues are being highlighted more.
I) Interpreting woman with liberal reading
II) Stating the historical issues since Qajar period of time so far concentrating on the issue of modernization of Iran.
III) The viewpoints which are applied criticizing the hegemony of the east particularly China and Russia.
IV) Debates in the field of social art and criticism which are definitely along with the narration of western human rights
V) Studies about the future of Iran and changing cultural-social conditions.
Definitely, Asoo especially considers the problem of “contemporary Iran” and tries to make movements and dialogues concerning the contemporary Iran in the mentioned issues domain.
Source: The book “Bahaism in transition periods of time, pp. 89-100.
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