Bahaism in the Eye of the Iranian Researchers

Bahaism in the Eye of the Iranian Researchers


Iranian historians and researchers have expressed two different views concerning the ties between Bab and the early Babism to the colonialist centers. A group of them relying on a group of historical evidences and witnesses which cannot be ignored easily, has introduced and involved colonialist powers in the genesis and establishment of the original Babist movement, and the other group considers Babism to be a spontaneous movement fundamentally and believes that the arrogant powers involved in this movement after its genesis and expansion. However, typically these historians and researchers are almost unanimous about involvement of colonialist states in creation of Bahaism (or at least its consolidation and progress), and even those who termed "Babism" as a so-called popular and revolutionary movement have made it clear that "Bahaism" basically had a colonialist root. Dr. Mohammad Javad Sheikholeslami remarking on the support by the British ambassador for them said during the recent century the Babists and Bahais have always followed the British political policy in the east and the praise of the British ambassador for them is quite natural.

picture : Ahmad Kasravi : Author , historian

Ahmad Kasravi, too, believed the Bahai leadership was tied and bound to Tsar Colonialism at the beginning, whereas they joined the British Empire in the following ages (particularly late in the World War I). Esmaeil Raeen in a similar comment believed that during the developments and fractions which took place after the murder of Ali Mohammad Bab among his followers and supporters, the Bahais emerged as the portion of the Tsar Russia and the Azalis particularly after domination of Britain over Cyprus (and seizing it from the Ottomans) emerged as the portion of London.

Dr. Fereidoun Adamiyat : historian

Dr. Fereidoun Adamiyat has a highly negative outlook particularly toward Bahais. In his opinion the two Bahai and Azali creeds, derived from Babism are two "political religions" which have been connected to the Russian and British colonialism in the history and supported by them. The view of Mohammad Reza Fashahi about the Bahai sect is basically too negative.

picture : Ehsan Tabari : Author

Meanwhile, Ehsan Tabari does not have a positive interpretation of the opposition of Hosseinali Baha to "national and religious prejudices", which is a pride by Bahais , and believes that this teaching causes closure of any uprising and war and deviation of nations from their social-political struggles. Briefly, researchers with different intellectual and political tendencies have reached a consensus about such common viewpoints.