The ex-Baha’is need to find themselves. Like a new sapling which has been brought from sapling-grove which needs to be cared against various scourges such as weeds and etc.
Regarding my experiences in this field, I say investigating the ex-Baha’is affairs needs more attempts and aspirations in the community. An ex-Baha’i can be expected to be aware of all issues: To know prayer, ablutions and etc.
Nobody asked me to know prayer and ablutions? To know about the method of participating at Islamic communities? To know about shaking hands with a Muslim woman?… Etiquette isn’t trained to any ex-Baha’is.
Maybe, a group of people are familiar with these affairs, but all people aren’t in the same level. A group of them need to take special classes. I wish the dear clergymen to take religious commandments for people like me or even group prayers. Because the ex-Baha’is feel frustrated due to being far apart each other. However, they feel good when they feel people like themselves are existent; for example, in Mazandaran, Yazd, Kerman, Urmia and etc. and keep in touch with each other. If a problem happens for one of them, he/she will be contented to have friends to help him/her.
I say it again that being unexperienced with the independent life without the organization dominance is really hard for ex-Baha’is. A great number of ex-Baha’is working for Baha’i lost bosses whose jobs will be lost if they turn against Bahaism.
One of the problems of ex-Baha’is is marriage. Unfortunately, some Muslims consider getting married with ex-Baha’i families as shameful. There isn’t any criterion for human being to enforce him/herself as a person who is not Baha’i anymore to the word Baha’i to people who are becoming Muslim is a sin!
The negative mentality of people about the ex-Baha’is past is of the annoying affairs of the newly-Muslimed people; for example, a person may be annoyed due to my offspring’s behavior. He/she will attribute the behavior to our past and it will make our relationship boring.
Even, two young people may elect each other to get married, but such issues which are related to the person’s past or family may create problems for them. I may tolerate, but my daughter can’t.
Each human being may make a mistake and the ex-Baha’i may make a mistake after being Muslim. However, we shouldn’t attribute everything to his/her being a Baha’i in the past. Naturally, it takes many years for this heartfelt injury to be improved. If these people are educated under special shared Shia teachings, a suitable atmosphere will be provided for recognizing and stating the common sense and sympathy which will end in tranquility.
Meanwhile, they may figure out each other better and bond.
I wish the people in charge of religious affairs of society to be interested in fundamental transformation of the Baha’is and other cults to set time for the development in this regard.
Source: Ata’s years; a narration of the biography of Ataullah Qaderi, the ex-Baha’i, pp. 271-273
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