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Apr
20
Election time for Baha’is – the Festival of Ridvan
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As the sun sets on 20 April, Baha’is around the world will be preparing for the greatest and holiest of their annual festivals, the twelve-day festival of Ridvan.
Perhaps uniquely amongst religious festivals, Ridván is not just a time for prayer and celebration. It is the occasion when Baha’is take part in the elections of their local and national governing councils, the Spiritual Assemblies.
Baha’is in some 100,000 localities around the world will get together in a prayerful atmosphere to elect their local Spiritual Assemblies, the nine-member bodies that coordinate local community activities.
“Baha’i elections are different,” said Aref Taidi, a member of the Welwyn Baha’i community in the south east of England. “Every adult Baha’i can vote and be voted for. Nobody is nominated and no one canvasses for votes. Before we vote, we pray so the election takes place in a spiritual atmosphere. It’s a sacred duty for Baha’is to take part in electing the Assembly.”
The same prayerful atmosphere will pervade the election of the Baha’i National Spiritual Assembly at the end of the Ridván period.
“It’s a two-stage election,” explained veteran Baha’i and former National Assembly member Dr Wendi Momen.
“Last December local Baha’is got together in 95 electoral units to elect their delegates. It’s the 95 delegates who go to National Convention on behalf of all of us,” Dr Momen said. “Each delegate votes in secret for the nine people she or he thinks can best serve as the members of the National Spiritual Assembly for the coming year. The nine people who get the most votes will form the National Assembly.”
“It’s very different from our General Election on 6 May,” said Mr Taidi. “We don’t have different parties in the Baha’i community. We vote for individuals who have the right qualities, such as well trained minds and a record of service to the community.”
“Baha’is can vote in political elections too, if they choose to do so,” said Dr Momen, “but they won’t vote on a party basis. As in the Baha’i elections, they should vote on the basis of the candidates’ personal qualities and integrity.”
The festival of Ridvan – an Arabic word meaning “paradise” – marks the anniversary of a crucial period in Baha’i history.
Baha’u'llah, Founder of the Baha’i Faith, exiled to Baghdad from His native Iran in 1853, had been summoned to Constantinople. During the twelve days before His departure, 21 April to 2 May 1863, He camped in a garden on the banks of the River Tigris. He named the garden Rivdan, or Paradise.
During this period Baha’u'llah announced to His closest companions that He was the Promised One of all earlier religions — “Him Whom God shall make manifest.” His declaration marks the beginning of the Baha’i Faith.