آنچه در ادامه می خوانید
Based on Denis MacEoin’s book called “Branches and claims of leadership in Baha’ism”
Denis MacEoin is a researcher who turned against the Baha’ism organization after 15 years of being the member of the Baha’i community. He was born on Jon, 26 1949 A.D. in Belfast, the Nothern Ireland. After Langley, the Irish poet, he became interested in theater and literature. During these years, he got familiar with Baha’ism and went to Dublin to learn English language and literature. After that, he learned Arabic, the holy Quran and Persian language in Edinburg university in Scotland. Then, he travelled to Jordan, Turkey and Iran. After a while, he educated in Shiraz university. He received his Ph.D. degree in Kings college Cambridge. His Thesis was about Sheikism and Babism in Shia Iran, 19th century.
The Baha’i Dr. Eoin taught English and Islamic civilization and translating from English to Arabic for two years in the 5th Muhammad university (located at Morocco (1979-1980). Then, (in 1981), he taught Arabic language in Newcastle university till the Saudi Arabia investors dismissed him due to teaching Shia and Sufism issues.
When he was a member of Baha’ism, he tried hard to explain the aims and nature of the cults quite scientifically and academically. It caused him to dismissed, too. MacEoin was excommunicated and dismissed from this cult after 15 years of ongoing serving Baha’ism such as participating at organizational conferences and giving speech, teaching in summer Baha’i schools and etc.
Denis MacEoin has written various articles about his scientific and objective discoveries including remarkable notes. The following statements contain such various notes:
“Basically, one of the cases that attracted my attention to Baha’ism were being modern, paying attention to the contemporary issues and the claiming for passing the old religions by Baha’ism and Baha’ism has presented new dimensions of belief and action. However, now when I look at it closely, I can see it as a creed being conducted by really traditional and conservative men and women. The Baha’is beliefs are matched with Jewish and Christian extremists and Muslim fundamentalists and Salafis rather than the Jewish, Christians, Muslims and Reformist Shias.[1] [3]”
Mr. MacEoin hasn’t achieved this conclusion fly by night or during a short period of time to turn against Baha’ism. Basically; at first, he wasn’t going to leave Baha’ism but he was going to keep his spirit of searching and science awakened.
After a period of time, his researches concerning Baha’ism expanded along with his proficiency on Arabic and Persian languages. At first, he tried to criticize to reform the current circumstance. Eventually; due to Baha’is function and theological positions, he turned against Baha’ism and wrote against it. The following are some issues criticized by this master of university:
- Criticizing the deviation of Babi and Baha’i history and hiding the historical facts and lack of honesty in narrating the historical events and being undocumented.
- Criticizing the lack of women’s presence in the leadership organization of Baha’ism.
- Opposing the Baha’i election due to being non-democratic and paying attention to appointing organization instead of electronic system.
- Criticizing Baha’is for being unconditional surrenders against the decisions of the universal house of justice and the Baha’i organization.
- Opposing the extensive censorship by Baha’ism and omitting and removing some facts from the books and works.
- Criticizing the violent confrontations of the Baha’i leaders and the contradictions among them.
- Criticizing the Baha’ism indifferences concerning the real problems of the people of the world and being amuzed with statistics and figure instead of paying attention to the world’s important problems and offering strategies to solve them[2] [4].
Baha’is helplessness in confronting and answering appropriately to a person like Denis MacEoin and their coercive actions indicate that contrary to claims by the cults for the importance and necessity for the principle of “the necessity for conformity between science and religion” (one of 12 principles of Baha’ism), it can’t tolerate any scientific view?!
Conclusion
Looking at pages of Baha’i history with evidence, this question arises in the mind of Baha’i:
- Why don’t Baha’is have the right to know their own history?
- Why don’t the Baha’is know that they had a split in their faith?
- Why are the Baha’is not allowed to decide for themselves about their historical truth? Before these documents are crushed in the wheels of censorship of the Baha’i organization and the Universal House of Justice? Stand the atmosphere dominating on the organization.
[۱] [5] Farnaq, Hamid, Baha’ism in Denis MacEoin’s researches, Tehran, Gooi publishing house, 1400 S.H., p. 14.
[۲] [6] Ibid, pp. 16 & 17