Baha’i community holds anniversary

Followers of the Baha’i faith in Abuja at the weekend joined their fellow believers worldwide to mark the birthdays of the founders of their religion, Siyyid Ali-Mohammed also known as Bab and Mirza Husayn-Ali mostly called Baha’u’llah.
The Baha’i, practised in about 188 countries, is relatively a new religion, founded in the 19th century in Persia. It has been in Nigeria for about 25 years.
The about 1,500 Baha’is in Abuja worship in a temple located along Karimo road.
A devotee of Baha’i faith, former Commissioner of Police Mr Lawrence Alobi who read the history of Baha’i charged believers in diverse faiths to promote oneness.
“In whatever name we call God, we’re all one and the same. Prejudices, dogmas should not influence our judgment,” he appealed to the congregation stressing that all religions come from one source based on man’s understanding at the time.
A female believer, Saqar Furouhi who described Nov. 13 and 14 as very special days for the Baha’i, said, “We’re celebrating twin manifestations of God.”
The celebration was characterised by film show, reading from the tablet and extolling the awesomeness of God.
In Baha’i faith, there is no clergy. “The problem of many religious groups in the world is the clergy,” Alobi maintained.
Baha’i temples have nine doors, each representing a religion. It houses the Bible, the Qur’an and other holy books.