Book Reviews

 عبدالبهاء فرزند ایران

بخش فراموش شدهء تاریخ روشنفکری ایران

به کوشش پروفسور فریدون وهمن

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تاریخ غنیِ تجدد‌خواهی در ایران گرفتار تاریخ زدایی شده است

دکتر محمد توکلی طرقی، استاد تاریخ دانشگاه تورنتو 

تاریخ معاصر  ما و مهمتر از آن، درکی که از تاریخ معاصر  از خودمان و گذشته و حالمان به‌دست داده‌ایم سرشار از بدفهمی‌ها، بدخوانیها، بی‌اعتدالی‌ها و ناروایی‌های ریز و درشت است، ناروایی‌هایی که از درون عدم تعادل ما سر بر می‌کشد و به «تجدد» ما و تاریخ تجدّد ما سمت و سو می‌دهد.

دکتر ماشاءالله آجودانی مولف کتاب مشروطهء ایرانی  

کتاب عبدالبهاء  فرزند ایران کوششی است در نمایاندن پیوند تاریخ دیانت بهائی با تاریخ  جاودانی ایران  و نقش بارز این آیین  در جنبش روشنفکری ایران در صد و هشتاد سال گذشته، به‌ویژه در صدر مشروطه؛ همان حقیقتی که گرفتار تاریخ‌زدایی شده و سال‌هاسست که حتی گفتگو از آن جُرم محسوب می‌شود. 

در طول سی سال رهبری جامعهء بهائی (۱۸۹۲ تا ۱۹۲۱م.) عبدالبهاء با نامه‌های بیشماری  که از تبعید ناخواستهء خود در  عثمانی به ایران می‌فرستادند هزاران تن از ایرانیان را با تعالیم پدر خود، بهاءالله آشنا ساخت و از بهائيان خواست که هم‌میهنان خویش را نیز با آن تعالیم آشنا سازند. بدین‌ ترتیب از دهه‌ ها پیش از جنبش مشروطه، با گسترش دیانت بهائی، هزاران تن از ایرانیان   در سراسر ایران، حتی در دهات دورافتاده با آن تعالیم آشنا سدند. آن آموزه‌ها در زمان حیات عبدالبهاء  به ماوراء مرزهای ایران، به آسیای مرکزی و قفقاز و سپس به اروپا و امریکا رسید. 

آنچه عبدالبهاء  گفت و نوشت بزرگداشت انسان و مقام او، تساوی حقوق زنان و مردان، لزوم تعلیم و تربیت به ویژه تحصیلات دختران، آزادی عقاید و وجدان، لزوم توافق دین با علم و عقل، تساوی نژادها، حکومت مردم بر مردم، عدم دخلبت دین در سیاست و حکومت، صلح عمومی و خلع سلاح و امثال آن بود.  

  عبدالبهاء  نُه ساله بود که همراه خانواده به دستور ناصرالدین شاه از ایران  به عثمانی تبعید شد و از آن پس هرگر نتوانست به ایران بازگردد، ولی به شهادت آثارشا در تمام عمر  با عشق به ایران زیستند، با سخنانی ستایش‌آمیز از ایران گفت و نوشت، تا پایان عمر  رسوم و عادات ایرانی را حفظ کر  و آرزویش سربلندی و آبادانی آن سرزمین بود.

کتاب عبدالبهاء  فرزند ایران در دوازده فصل به بررسی افکار و تعالیم و شرح زندگانی این شخصیّت برجستهء تاریخ ایران، به ویژه رهنمودهای او در دوران انقلاب مشروطیت ایران (۱۹۰۵ م.) می‌پردازد. کتابی است برای همهء علاقمندان به تاریخ و سرنوشت ایران که شاید بتوان در آن پاسخی به این پرسش یافت که چرا و چگونه مردم ایران که یک قرن پیش جنبش مشروطه را آفریدند امروزه به جمهوری اسلامی رسیده‌اند.

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پروفسور فریدون وهمن استاد پیشین زبان‌ها و ادیان کهن ایران در دانشگاه کپنهاگ با بیش از چهل سال سابقهء تدریس و پژوهش است. وی کتاب‌های متعددی در بارهء زبانها و لهجه‌ها، فولکلور، ادیان و  مذاهب ایران دارد. 

 کتاب به زبان فارسی است. در دوازده فصل و ۶۷۲ صفحه  با جلد محکم. قیمت ۴۰ دلار  امریکا شامل پست رایگان در سراسر  جهان. 

برای سفارش کتاب به آدرس: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

و یا با تلفن 514 849-0753

با ما لطفاً تماس بگیرید.

A new book in Persian:

'Abdul-Baha the Son of Persia,

The Forgotten Chapter of the History of Enlightenment in Iran

A Memorial Volume on the Centenary of Passing of 'Abdul-Baha 2021. *illustrated

(To be published in the middle of September 2023). 514 849-0753

A 666 pages hardcover book.  in 12 chapters written by Baha'i scholars covers almost all aspects of the life and the teachings of our beloved Master. 

The book is also designed to introduce the Faith to the non-Baha'is as well, therefore we expect many Baha'is to give copies of it to those who are interested to know about the Faith. A large part of the book (about 200 pages) discusses the important role of the Baha'i teachings in awareness of Iranian society at the constitutional revolution of Iran in 1905. The equality of the rights of men and women as well as the importance of education of the girls, both hot issues in Iran today are emphasized.

With thousands of Iranians living in your area, this book is an excellent tool to demonstrate the pioneering role of 'Abdul-Baha's writings on the process of enlightenment of Iranian society. 

In spite of the high cost of producing books, we succeed -thanks to donations from some friends - to lower the price (Only 35 US dollars.) Books in this volume are sold about 60-70 dollars!). 

Fereydoun Vahman

Fellow, 2003, 2004, 2013, Yale MACMILLAN CENTER-Program in Iranian Studies

Fereydun Vahman is Professor Emeritus at Copenhagen University with more than forty years of teaching and research in Iranian religions and languages. He is the author of a number of books in Persian, English and Danish. His Persian books comprises of:  The Zoroastrian Religion; Folklores of Kirman; Diwan of Salmán of Sáweh, based on the Jewish-Persian manuscript at the Royal Library of Denmark; and recently An overview of 160 years of the Persecutions of the Baha’is of Iran.

 

New Book by: Lida Berghuis (Author)

This book is a compilation of my diary entries from when I was 12-16 years old, 1976-1980. The Islamic revolution took place in 1979 and just months before that my family left Iran for Canada because we were Bahá’ís and afraid of the persecution that would follow this regime change. This is also the story of immigration with all its challenges and joys.

Imagine a fourteen-year-old girl in Iran, writing in her diaries, and suddenly finding herself and her family at the Bahrein Airport, leaving Iran, because of the rumblings of a revolution and fear of persecution as a Bahá’í family. Her family goes to London for a month, intending to return to Iran, but the situation gets worse by the day, and finally the regime in Iran changes to an Islamic Republic. Her family never returns. Instead, they immigrate to Canada and build a new life in their adopted country.

This book is the story of religious persecution. The Bahá’ís who stayed in Iran paid a great price.  Some were imprisoned and some were killed, and many had their belongings confiscated. The youth were deprived of university education and the Bahá’ís were not allowed to work in the public sector. Those who left Iran had to start their lives all over in a new land with new rules, sometimes able to work, sometimes unable to transfer their skills to that country.

This book is the story of immigration. A family of four leaves Iran and arrives in Canada and tries to navigate its way in a new system, a new language, and a new culture. Immigration can lead to freedom of religion and thought but it has its own challenges for the members of the family who will respond differently to those issues.

This book is the story of a young girls who writes daily in her diary and wonders if one day she can publish it in a book and tell her story to the world.

I’m very pleased to say that that dream has been realized. I hope you enjoy reading the book which is available on Amazon. If you leave a review, I will be most grateful.

The Baha’i Faith claims a special and unique relationship to Islam. The religion acknowledges its origins in 19th-century Shi’i Islam, celebrates the Qur’an as the authentic Word of God, and honors the Prophet Muhammad as Messenger of God and Seal of the Prophets. But, on the other hand, the Baha’i Faith insists that it is a new and independent religion that stands distinct and apart from Islam and Islamic practice. This book attempts to understand how such an apparent “cognitive dissonance” may be resolved. Being Human seeks to reconcile contradictions and demonstrate how Baha’i teachings point the way toward peace and the reconciliation of all world religions

Online at kalimat.com.

Being Human:

Bahá’í Perspectives on Islam, Modernity, and Peace.

By Todd Lawson. Kalimat, 2019.

New edition of Dr. A.M.Ghadirian book, Doukhobors and the Bahá'í Faith including Tolstoy and his Appreciation of the Bahá'í Faith is now reviewed  and approved by the National Assembly and will remain as a Bahá'í Canada Publications.

The arts teacher is ruining what used to be Aiko’s favorite class.  Zeke misses out on the best part of the whole year – the science fair – when he has to go into the hospital.  Arwen lives to play soccer, but a stupid lie means he might not be allowed to play.  Ghada comes home to find that her beloved grandma has died.

When ten-year-old friends set up an after-school club so they can hang out together more often, they don’t expect to be able to solve these problems themselves.  But when they tap into the spirit within them, they and their friends discover that they have the power to make the world a better place.

Arwen’s schoolwork and coaching duties are increasing substantially; to make it worse, his parents are having marriage problems.  Ghada is struggling to choose between what her Bahá’í Faith teaches and what magazines, television, and movies invite her to do.  Being part of the Spirit Within Club is taking its toll on Egan’s friendships at the Buddhist Temple.  The club’s newest member, MaSovaida, doesn’t understand why the house of a devout Christian family like hers was robbed.

After the initial success of their club, launched only a year ago, a group of eleven-year-old friends realise that making the world a better place entails a whole new set of challenges. But when they start widening their circle - of friends, mentors, and activities – they realise that their power and influence can only increase.

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