Frederick Glysher [1], the author, editor, researcher, poet and one of the critics of Bahaism was blamed by the Bahaism organization after 25 years of membership actively in the Baha’i community due to his critical positions and was boycotted. As a Baha’i open-minded person, he criticized the universal house of justice function (the leadership of Bahaism in Haifa) and mentions the universal house of justice as despotic leadership which has limited each kind of freedom.
Some of Glysher’s criticisms are as follows:
The investigation of critical views of Frederick Glysher:
Glysher [2] has criticized teaching systems and the Baha’i organization very much. He has prevented some of these viewpoints directly in the form of various articles and has presented some of the other articles narrated by other Baha’i critics in his site.
Glysher is the founder of reformist Baha’is group. This group believe that Bahaism after Abdul Baha has been deviated and has changed from a spiritual creed into an organizational one. The reformist Baha’is don’t accept the validity and truth of the forged will tablets which are attributed to Abdul Baha. So, they don’t assign any legitimacy for Shoghi Effendi and the string of God’s faith guardianship. Also, they don’t believe in the universal house of justice and its organizations.
Glysher believes that the reformist Baha’is are one of the greatest and strongest branches in Bahaism who are extensively and continuously harassed by bigoted Haifa Baha’is. He writes in this regard:
“… My special ability and skill is the discussion and explanation about “excommunication” and calling various people as “infidel” and “apostate” and “covenant breakers”, because I have personally observed out of prejudice behavior and the Middle Aged ones of the Baha’i organization people against the Haifa Baha’i victims in the cyber and real space in America and other countries.
Since 1996 A.D. on, I actively follow the issue of freedom of statement and thought among the Baha’is. Most American Baha’is
don’t know about these issues and some of their groups have been deceived and brainwashed and have accepted the deviated Baha’i history and teachings blindly without thinking like the members of cults… “.
The principles of the reformist Baha’i society’s constitution aims narrated by Glysher:
As people like Ruth White, Mira Ahmad Sohrab, Julli Shauler and thousands of other Baha’is during Shogi Effendi’s period of time opposed and resisted against the forged will tablets of Abdul Baha during 1920s to 1940s due to pressures, restrictions and despotic behaviors of the Baha’i organization the reformist Bahaism community revitalized too after being tyrannized by the Bahaism organization.
During these years, God has preserved historical documents related to the event for the sage and thinkers’ consideration and lesson.
Ruth Wight, Ahmad Sohrab and Julli Shauler’s books and works and writings have saved these viewpoints. Anyway, the confrontations and conflicts of the current 50 years happened inside the Baha’i community has caused thousands of Baha’is to be aware of the extent of deviations and functions of people in charge of the Baha’i creed to act as a chief, exploit and superficial domineering.
I feel it is my responsibility to study, think and investigate Martin Luther and John Wesley’s views and thoughts to edit and rewrite the Christian reformists in Bahaullah and Abdul Baha’s creed and to present a clear and different course of the bigoted, radical and ISIS creed of Haifa Bahaism.
A group whose beliefs have been founded based on the forged will tablets made by shogi Effendi and his family and insular vies which end in keeping Baha’is minds and thoughts closed and their surrounding and submission against tyranny and injustice of the universal house of justice and the national assembly of America which are illegal, illegitimate and deviated.
Some the viewpoints and beliefs of the reformist Baha’is:
۱) Testifying for deviation of the organizational Baha’i group out of the correct and true course and imposing corruptions and clear innovations during several lamentable decades which have caused Baha’is quit their community and have brought about fear, censorship, obligation, deviation and incorrect interpretations. They have imposed each kind of cut-like policies which are specially applied by dictators and despotic heads including political or religious on the Baha’i community and the Baha’i people and families.
۲) The local and national assemblies of Bahaism are servers of the Baha’i community not the dictators whom people serve and obey!
۳) A free and veracious voting system causes praiseworthy people to be elected and this issue is essential for serving the Baha’i faith
۴) (Contrary to the universal house of justice and the national assembly of America) Bahaullah wasn’t going to register the
commercial brand and copy write its creed’s name; but he liked it to be freely reposed for all.
۵) The Babi killed ones didn’t sacrifice their souls for Bahaism brand, the commercial name and copy write or “the greatest name”.
۶) The universal message of Bahaullah is beyond all chain made after Abdul Baha’s death!
۷) Deceiving governments in the east and the west of the world and the United Nations organization and making them quarrel and mislead their elected representatives by giving false data are disgusting and unacceptable.
۸) No one and no organization must induce the Baha’i faith as a means for gaining power and controlling materially and accumulating wealth.
۹) Financial and accounting records related to “administrative organization” of Bahaism which must be accessible to be investigated freely by all members of the Baha’i community and the public thoughts.
۱۰) Bahaullah hasn’t issued any verdict concerning “registering formally and the organizational regulations resembling what is done by the universal house of justice.
۱۱) Abdul Baha considered this not essential and acceptable that the Baha’is must participate at their country fate and affairs.
۱۲) Bahaullah and Abdul Baha were in favor of having social intercourses with the followers of other religions not preaching religious isolation.
۱۳) The method of social seclusion is the tactic of charlatans, dictators and cult to control the followers; because they are worried lest God’s sheep exited out of their dominance.
۱۴) The aim If Bahaism founders was not domineering and gaining the universal dominance, but its aim was the recognition of God and serving people.
۱۵) Destruction and limitation of media mustn’t be proselytized and imposed.
۱۶) The membership card in the Baha’i community isn’t a reason or guarantee for “cordial belief”.
۱۷) Abdul Baha was the forerunner of freedom of thought, freedom of meditation and freedom of speech.
۱۸) The literal and superficial interpretation of Abdul Baha’s will tablets caused Bahaullah’s creed to become invalid and people’s lives and the Baha’i community to be destroyed.
۱۹) Repressing thought and inspecting belief under each name and title must not have any name and title in Baha’i thought and viewpoint.
۲۰) In Bahaullah’s creed, there isn’t any place for investigation boards and censorship!
۲۱) Bahaullah’s model for the new universal discipline is in lack of tyrant and despotic religious institutions.
۲۲) The Baha’i community life is not based on autocracy and organized sectarian dictatorship.
۲۳) The reformist Bahaism believes in God and is dependent on Him.
۲۴) Espionage, snitching and framing for people due to issues of freedom of thought and destroying others in the cyberspace, E-mail, and social media are forbidden and indecent. (They are done by the universal house of justice.)
۲۵) The reformist Baha’is group welcome to have social intercourse with other people and be kind with them and they never pursue issuing ID card, controlling identity and members specifications.
۲۶) There isn’t any place for boycotting, excommunication and dismissal in our creed.
۲۷) The Middle Ages rituals and traditions have been out-of-date and we as Unitarian Baha’is mention it as historical lesson.
۲۸) In Bahaullah’s creed and commandments, there aren’t group sin and punishment.
۲۹) New spiritual class which is just thinking of privilege and position for itself and hides itself behind secular names and titles like “organization” and “administrative organization” resembles a herd of wolves. Their appearance is not important.
۳۰) Baha’is and non-Baha’is are right to become aware of historical realities and writings completely. Nothing must be hidden for them or presented to them in a brief, deviated or censored.
۳۱) Contrary to what is said by the heads of Bahaism organization and the universal house of justice, the individual thought isn’t dangerous groundless fear resulted in Christian precipitations, but it is a valuable divine gift.
۳۲) Abdul Baha has defined the conditions for membership in the Baha’i community: “Being a Baha’i is merely to love all the world, to be kind with all humanity and to try to serve them for general peace and public brotherhood.”
۳۳) Frightening the members of the Baha’i community by the administrative or spiritual boycott is forbidden and condemned.
۳۴) Shogi Effendi’s writings are undoubtedly containing errors and mistakes.
۳۵) the Baha’i experiences and history show that the coherent and organizational Bahaism has deviated from Bahaullah teachings and it opposes each kind of debate, reform and modernism blindly and fanatically.
۳۶) The Baha’is who think well has no way but accept facts, revision, and reforms in all levels in the Baha’i teachings.
۳۷) The reformist Baha’i group has no compulsion and emphasis on other Baha’i sects to conceive Bahaullah’s teachings the same as themselves.
۳۸) The reformist Baha’i group is not deviating the writing to create special understanding or extreme emphasis to meet sectarian aims, thought control and organizational purposes.
۳۹) The reformist Baha’i creed considers it allowable for all Baha’is to think and praise based on their understanding of Bahaullah’s works and to share the results of their thoughts with everybody who likes to listen.
۴۰) The reformist Baha’is cute invite those Baha’is who have been boycotted or excommunicated or insulted or accused to serve human beings.
Conclusions:
Although the Excellency Glysher has criticized the Haifa Baha’is, but unfortunately he is ignored of the main issue that Bahaism organization has been made by Colonialism and is claiming for Hussein Ali Nouri’s slogans such as the oneness of religions and etc. have been correct which have been deviated later on by the next leaders of this organization. Of course, each deviated organization is trying to cover its satanic aims under the cover of humane and supreme teachings and to induce its addressees that the organization and original leader of Bahaism is exactly the proof of this issue.
Source: Bahai Shenasi, No. 10 – ۲۰٫
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