Women as a “Wing” of the Baha’i Faith
Introduction: I represent my Baha’i community in our City’s Interfaith Alliance. I have been a Baha’i since September of 1971. Some of the material in the following article will appear in the anthology titled Through the Eyes of Love.
In the year 1912, a Baha’i named Abdu’l-Baha, a man who had journeyed from Persia, visited the United States. He was the son of Baha’u’llah, the prophet-founder of the Baha’i Faith. This visitor spent a good deal of time in New York City. While there, he met with some of the suffragists, those who wanted women to have the right to vote.
Abdu’l-Baha wanted to encourage those who could sense the need for equality of all people-- black and white, men and women, rich and poor. For that reason, Abdu’l-Baha initiated a conversation with Annie Besant, the President of the Theosophical Society in New York City.
Abdu’l-Baha presented Ms. Besant with this challenge: “Give me your reasons for believing that women should have the vote.”
Ms. Besant had this reply: “I believe that humanity is a divine humanity and that it must rise higher and higher, but it cannot soar with only one wing.”
Abu’l-Baha liked Ms. Besant’s answer, but he could foresee how others might question her statement. The visitor from Persia thus had a question for the American suffragist. He asked, “But what will you do if one wing is stronger than the other?”
Ms. Besant said, “Then we must strengthen the weaker wing otherwise the flight will always be hampered. “
Ms. Besant provided Abdu’l-Baha with a useful allegory, one that he called upon frequently when talking about the equality of men and women.
The present-day Baha’i communities strive to use both of their “wings” to the fullest extent. There is no clergy in the Baha’i Faith. All functions, such as weddings, funerals and worship services, are arranged by a nine member body called the Local Spiritual Assembly. Both men and women serve on the Assemblies.
Every year the Bahai’is in each country vote for the men and women who will attend a national convention, and will elect the nine members of the National Spiritual Assembly. The Baha’is can not yet claim to have equal representation of men and women at each of those conventions. The Baha’is do seek to attain that goal.
Baha’is accept, but do not fully understand, one teaching of the faith. Those who serve on the Faith’s nine member, international administrative body, the Universal House of Justice, are to be only of the male gender. Baha’is believe that the reason for that provision will be made clear in the future.
