The countries located at the western part of Asia have been paid attention due to the existence of rich oil resources and etc. One of the successful countries in the Persian Gulf margin is Qatar; an Arabic country in the western beach of the Persian Gulf including 95 percent Muslim people.
Due to the geographic position, Qatar is important geopolitically. A part of the western beach and the southern border of this country are connected to the Saudi Arabia beaches and Bahrain and its east has been located at the beach and borders of the United Arab Emirates and Oman. The geographic position of this country and its position in the heart of the Persian Gulf region and its neighborhood with the important countries in the region; and on the other side, discovering oil and possessing great gas resources; Qatar possesses great resources of natural gas of the world after Russia and Iran.[1]
Historically, Qatar follows the policy of “open doors” and it causes this country to be powerful and influential. A policy which helps it gather groups and countries having opposite interests in one place and even it can exploit factors and events to produce and expand its influence in the international communities.[2]
Due to such insight and policy, a wave of the Baha’i organization oppositions for dismissing the Baha’is from this country was announced by media. An issue which was done contrary to the approach of “Open door policy” which indicates that this measure is important. Baha’ism which is active in this country having economic and commercial approach is encountered with a wave of coercive clashes and being in the black list of this country.
The Baha’i media and spokesmen condemned Baha’is dismissal and called this measure of Qatar government as religious cleansing pattern “in a statement dated March 31, 2021 A.D.
Baha’ism does each measure in various parts to establish a head quarter for its organization supervised and guided by the main center of the cult in Haifa which increases its dimensions and the scope of its influence. On October 1983 A.D., when it issued a message pointing out the systematic attention on economic and social development activities for its members, the Baha’i organization established a center called “the economic and social development office” to preach and coordinate Baha’ism activity in this regard in the occupied Palestine. The main focus of the office is developing Baha’i concepts in various regions influenced by the Baha’is in various companies or establishing the Baha’i autonomous companies.
Each activity done by the Baha’is is in the direction of Baha’ism organization. The followings are some examples of social-economic activities having the sectarian plans figured out by various messages issued by the main center of the organization: “Each measure or plan individually or generally must be done having the spirit of serving and it is impossible to be assumed that the Baha’i economic and social development plan not to be acted based on service principles.[3]”
“All these duties are done supervised and guided by the national spiritual assembly consulted by the consultants whose vital roles have been distinguished by the Universal House of Justice in its message dated October 1983 A.D.[4]”
No plan and measure can be done having sincere aim to improve the residential geographic conditions of the Baha’is; but each Baha’i member must be active serving the cult center: “Each measure or every individual or general plan must be done based on the service spirit. The service domain mustn’t be considered as the main aim of the Baha’i development.[5]”
The Baha’ism approach is that it starts its main program which is the proselytizing for Baha’ism and the organizational attracting by consolidation in influential affairs or being active in domains such as economy, commerce and even policy: “Because the Baha’i community has transferred from a stage to another one, its activity expansion has been increased. When the Baha’i community was small dimensionally, all of its transactions with a big community was fit and compatible easily entitled direct and indirect proselytizing. However; as time going by, new dimensions of activity are emerged. Participation in civil society, the highly organized diplomatic activities, and the like had their own aims, methods and special resources. All of these activities can be pointed out as proselytizing because their final goal is preaching Baha’ism, presenting the Excellency Bahaullah’s works to the humane world and serving community.[6]”
[۱] Mottaqi Zadeh, Zeinab, the political geography of Shias in the Persian Gulf region, Qom: Shieshenasi institute, 1384 S.H., p. 98.
[۲] Behrawesh, Meysam, the Crisis of Qatar and the importance of dignity and esteem in the international relationships, the Persian BBC Site, Mordad 2, 1396 S.H.
[۳] The approved statement of the main center of Baha’i organization, September, 1993 A.D.
[۴] Ibid.
[۵] Ibid.
[۶] Ibid.
