On Location of Power: A More Feminine Society
Photo: Hand of the Cause of God Ruhiyyih Khanum
"[T]here is the vexed issue of why there are no women on the Universal House of Justice. This, in the context of present-day society, is a question of the location of power. ...[T]he very fact that this question of power is such a burning issue is an indication of the extent to which the values of this society are distant from those which the Bahá'í Faith envisages. It is the assumption that membership of this body is a powerful, high status position, that makes the exclusion of women from membership of this institution such a problem. And the extent to which this is perceived as a problem is thus a benchmark of our success in transforming society. We will truly have achieved a more feminine society when the question of who wields power is no longer important. "
Moojan Momen, "In All the Ways that Matter, Women Don't Count"
1 comment:
I've often thought that the world would be better off if women were running it - for exactly the reasons that this author indicated. It was a maiden that spoke to Baha'u'llah in his dream, who gave him the power of His voice; it was also Baha'u'llah's wife who made all the arrangements to get the family out of Iran when he was banished; she nursed Baha'u'llah back to health after his 4 month imprisonment, seeing to it that he recovered from his wounds and gained strength for the journey. She it was who was also pregnant on that overland journey in winter, through the mountains to Baghdad. She suffered his long absence while he was up in the mountains of Sulymaniyyih. Without her constant help, He would not have lived to fulfull the work of His mission. Also, His daughter, Bahiyyih, took care of the family when they were in Israel, guiding Shoghi Effendi.
The central figures of this Faith show where the real power of women is - in deeply spiritual, nurturing relationships. Sacrificing self, to promote the well being of everyone. None of them wanted power - but the Cause of Baha'u'llah wouldn't have made it without their contributions.
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