Fifteenth Reflection

“ fear the sighs and tears of this Wronged One. ” But in fact, he is discussing the sighs and tears of the people who are suffering under the unjust kings. In fact, we owe this understanding to the interpretive translation of the Guardian of the Baha’i Faith who has translated “Al-Mazlum” as “this Wronged One,” when it equally means “the oppressed” as well. Statement of Baha’u’llah equates the oppressed of the world, the people of the world, with his own reality as the Manifestation of God. These words are not only an expression of absolute love of Baha’u’llah for the oppressed, they also affirm the legitimacy of political democracy. If the rulers act justly they are shadows of divine attributes. But here, Baha’u’llah is defining the people as the Manifestation of God. Kings, in other words, are symbols and servants of the people. The light of God and his manifestation is equated with the people and the oppressed. Sovereignty belongs to the people as reflections of divine attributes. This subtle point is a reflection of the spiritual worldview of Baha’u’llah. Since all humans are reflections of divine names and attributes, they are all sacred and endowed with rights. Defining humans as spirit and consciousness, Baha’u’llah sees the only legitimate way of regulating society as the logic of consultation, unity, and communication of the people. Baha’u’llah’s emphasis on oneness of humankind, spiritual nobility of all people, and equal rights of all is incompatible with any form of despotism. That is why he noted that the age of clerical despotism and political despotism is over: “ From two ranks amongst men power hath been seized: kings and ecclesiastics .” 2. Democracy as Collective Security Undoubtedly, one of the most distinguishing features of the revelation of Baha’u’llah is his emphasis on the need for a global consciousness. One of the reflections of this teaching is his frequent call for transforming the international political and military structures of the world, moving from the institution of national security towards institutionalization of collective and global security. In the modern world, humanity has understood the necessity of overcoming the chaos and violence of the lawlessness of state of nature within nation states. Furthermore, modernity has become supportive of instituting democratic institutions at the level of these civil societies. The problem, however, is that this idea of nation state as a civil society is not extended to the realm of international relations. The result is that despite some advancements, the dominant structure of international political and military relations primarily remains that of anarchy. But this international state of nature encourages the dominance of militarism, global inequality, war, imperialism, and destruction of the planet. Baha’u’llah’s call to collective security is another manifestation of his democratic political philosophy. In the emerging global world, we must change both our consciousness and our institutions to accord with the requirements of the new world. In a global world, most of the decisions that affect the life of people anywhere on this plant are not decided through democratic means. These decisions are made in the space between nation states and not within nation states. It is either multi-national corporation or the blind outcome of national decisions that determine the actual life of the people. Nobility of human beings, however, requires that these decisions would also be made in a consultative and democratic way. Therefore, for Baha’u’llah it is necessary that a global democratic parliament would regulate the minimum requirements of justice and peace in the world. In other words, collective consultative security is the extension of the idea of participatory democracy to the life of the people. It is necessary here to dispel a prevalent error. Many assume that the Baha’i global approach is the same as the Marxist approach to internationalism. Nothing can be further from truth. In real Marxist theory, and not what is prevalent, communism means elimination of state from the world. Communism, therefore, is not advocating a democratic