Jeune Street

While my blogging (and that of several others, I have to say) has become more infrequent, it's heartening to see another interesting blog hit the scene. Dr Michael Karlberg has just launched a bloggy venture called 'Agency and Change' and it has several thought-provoking posts up already that correlate the Baha'i teachings to social issues.

He also happens to have a post up on Iran Press Watch that proposes a way to conceptualize the Baha'i response to oppression in Iran. Michael calls this 'constructive resilience':

While the methods of non-violent confrontation have led to some remarkable achievements, they are arguably reaching a point of diminishing returns, and it is unlikely that these methods alone can lead us to the world of unity and justice we seek.

In this context, Baha’is are pioneering a radical model of social change that is unifying rather than divisive, that focuses on constructing the framework of a new social order, and that works even in the face of violent oppression. If I could describe this model in one phrase, I would call it “constructive resilience”.

The model is constructive because all of the energy of the Baha’i community goes into constructing a new social order, rather than attacking or tearing down the old order or those who benefit from it. It is resilient because it has proven itself capable of withstanding the most violent opposition. The Baha’i community bends, but never breaks. It is like a palm tree that can withstand the hurricane winds that assail it from time to time, while the tree continues to grow, and thrive, and ultimately yield its fruit.

Despite the pressure Iranian Baha'is face in their daily lives, and the arbitrary violence that many have experienced, the response of the community has been truly remarkable. They have consistently acted with dignity and discipline in a way that transcends passive non-violence. Many youth continue to engage actively in Iranian society, expressing the teachings of their religion through service to humanity. Despite everything the government has done to extinguish the flame of community life, they continue to act with tenacity and courage to advance a vision of what Iran could be: a nation that reconciles the imperatives of religion and democracy.