Fifth Reflection

Baha’u’llah’s third statement is the basis of his new conception of identity. Humanity so far has reduced the identity or truth of human beings to factors that separate humans from each other. Place of birth, family, race, gender, social class, caste, age, language, nationality, religion and the like have been the defining feature of our identity. But reducing human beings to these particularistic characteristics turns other human groups to strangers or enemies. The oppressors have been defining identities in this way, and the battle of the oppressors against oppression has also been waged under the same internalized framework. The result is that even challenge of oppression itself usually helps to perpetuate the logic of oppression and hate. Baha’u’llah, on the first day of Ridvan, offered a different concept of identity. The real identity of all humans and all beings is that they are all reflections of divine attributes. Therefore, all are one, all are sacred, all are beautiful, all are endowed with rights. In other words, the first day of Ridvan announced the inception of a new day, the Day of God, the day of sanctity of all people, the day of universal love and universal human rights.