Baha'i Interfaith Work Increases After 9/11 (VIDEO)

Kenilworth, IL Patch:

Like many religious groups, the Bahá'í International Community saw the need for a renewed call for openness and friendship with Muslims in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks.

Two months after the attacks, the group issued a statement in The New York Times to encourage peaceful relations with the Muslim community.

"It was a statement talking about the peril we're in right now, and trying to remind us how the Bahá'í writings say that America has a spiritual destiny to bring the world together," said Ellen Price, the U.S. Bahá'í National Center's assistant director in the office of communications in Wilmette.

Read the whole story: Kenilworth, IL Patch

Comments

[Beckey Simmons Cook]

09:18 AM on 09/09/2011

Dear Researcher - as outlandish as that sounds about America leading the world spiritually, I would invite you to read some of our Holy writings on the subject - knowledge is what makes us grow spiritually don't you think? The entire Baha'i world belives this and is looking toward America as an example of this - after you have read some of the writings on this I would enjoy your response - Thank you

[researcher]

03:35 PM on 09/07/2011

america has a spiritual destiny to bring the world together????????

interesting comment.

if that third world nation has oil and lots of it that destiny is much stronger.

720 military bases around the world is not a spiritual destiny it is imperialism defined.

40% of america's federal budget spent on its war machine is not spiritual destiny. jesus the prince of peace would not consider that spiritual destiny.

wealth and military power are as destructive to a nation as poverty when spiritual destiny is viewed from a distance.

if you think americans care about the iraqi or afghan children or their freedoms then you have not spent much time talking to most christian americans.

I have never been in a christian church that the "christians" prayed for the iraqis or the afghan that are suffering from our military presence just their christian soldiers. during the vietnam war saw few very few pray for the millions of vietnamese we harmed during south vietname's civil war.

this is what imperialism does to the babies and children of another nation for their resources.

http://pubrecord.org/world/5811/depleted-uranium-babies-afghanistan/

shock and awe thing. as one male ego to another in a show down decided who was the most powerful.

[Wendy1844]

08:33 PM on 09/09/2011

And yet America's a country built on an idea, not ethnicity or religion, and people from every country live here. It gives the world a chance to see a multi-ethnic country learn to work together and shows people of different backgrounds getting along; even someone called Barack Obama can be president here!

Here's a prayer for America anyone can say on this or any other occasion:

O God, Almighty Protector! O Thou Who art the confirmer of every just power and equitable empire in eternal glory, everlasting power, continuance and greatness! Strengthen with the abundance of Thy mercy every government which acts with equity towards its subjects, and every dominion under whose flag the poor and weak find protection.

We ask Thee by Thy holiness and bounty to pour out Thy blessing upon this government which has stretched its tent over citizens from every land, that its inhabitants, its industries, its territories may be penetrated by justice.

O God! Strengthen its executives, give authority and influence to its word and utterance, protect its territories and dominions, guard its reputation, make its ideals to echo throughout the world, reveal its traces and exalt its principles by Thy conquering power and wonderful might throughout the kingdoms of creation.

Thou art the confirmer of whomsoever Thou willest. Verily, Thou art the powerful and the mighty!

('Abdu'l-Bahá, 1912, from an early edition of a Bahá’í prayer book.)