Letter sent to President of Russia

O my God! O my God! Unite the hearts of Thy servants, and reveal to them Thy great purpose. May they follow Thy commandments and abide in Thy law. Help them, O God, in their endeavor, and grant them strength to serve Thee, O God! Leave them not to themselves, but guide their steps by the light of Thy knowledge, and cheer their hearts by Thy love. Verily, Thou art their Helper and their Lord.

Baha’u’llah

23rd May 2022

Dear President of the Russian Federation Putin Vladimir Vladimirovich, May this letter find you in good spirits and its contents benefit you in the important work of aiding and assisting all the people of the world in realizing their hopes and dreams for cooperation and freedom in these trying times.

We are a worldwide religious community known as Baha’is Under the Provisions of the Covenant (BUPC). This is one of several groups in the world which identify as Baha’i, belonging to the most recent world religion known as the Baha’i Faith. The BUPC, based on the teachings of Baha’u’llah, promulgates the oneness of humanity and religion. They extend the right of freedom of religion to all, including the members of the other Baha’i groups. However, for a long time now, we have been subject to legal attacks and discrimination from the mainstream Baha’i group based in Wilmette, USA, who deny us the right to even call ourselves Baha’i. We wish to inform you of a current court case, hoping that you may be able to make a stand for justice and the universal right of freedom and diversity for people of all faiths. We also wish to prevent the creation of a new precedent that would trigger the speedy erosion of the religious rights and freedoms of people everywhere.

Freedom of religion or belief is a universal human right enshrined in Articles 18 of both the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). The Baha’i Faith also emphasizes the importance of the recognition of religious diversity. In the words of the founder of the faith, Baha’u’llah: The Purpose of the one true God, exalted be His glory, in revealing Himself unto men is to lay bare those gems that lie hidden within the mine of their true and inmost selves.

That the diverse communions of the earth, and the manifold systems of religious belief, should never be allowed to foster the feelings of animosity among men, is, in this Day, of the essence of the Faith of God and His Religion. These principles and laws, these firmly-established and mighty systems, have proceeded from one Source, and are the rays of one Light. That they differ one from another is to be attributed to the varying requirements of the ages in which they were promulgated….. The utterance of God is a lamp, whose light is these words: Ye are the fruits of one tree, and the leaves of one branch. Deal ye one with another with the utmost love and harmony, with friendliness and fellowship. He Who is the Day Star of Truth beareth Me witness! So powerful is the light of unity that it can illuminate the whole earth. (Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings, p.287-288)

To summarize our situation, the American Baha’i administration located in Wilmette Illinois, belonging to the mainstream Baha’i group based in Haifa, Israel, has attempted since a long time to deny us the right to call ourselves Baha’i. Its members believe that only they have the right to call themselves Baha’i, to the exclusion of all the other Baha’i groups. Nor do they approve of other Baha’i groups using the word Baha’i in their teaching activities.

This situation is similar to nearly every other religion in history where each time the founder of the religion passed away, branches were created in the religion over succession, traditions and understandings of the teachings. The Catholic church has many branches, all of which call themselves Catholic. In Islam there are the Sunni, Shi’a, Ibadi, Ahmadiyya, and Sufi branches, again all of which call themselves Muslim. The divisions in the Baha’i Faith are similar to Catholicism and Islam in which the cause of division is the issue of succession to religious authority.

In 2005, the group in Wilmette attempted to shut down the official website of our supreme administrative institution known as the Second Baha’i International Council/Universal House of Justice which is located in the Rocky Mountains of the USA by claiming a trademark on its domain name (uhj.net). The Universal House of Justice in the USA is the only institution in the world with the guardian who is a descendant of Baha’u’llah as its president as required by the Will and Testament of Abdu'l-Baha. Their case was overturned at WIPO, as the organization did not find any valid basis for their claims.

In 2020, they trademarked the acronym UHJ too and now they have launched yet another attempt to close down the website, this time directly aiming their attack at the president and guardian of Universal House of Justice, all in complete disregard for the teachings of Baháú'lláh, who aptly stated: It is incumbent upon every man, in this Day, to hold fast unto whatsoever will promote the interests, and exalt the station, of all nations and just governments. Through each and every one of the verses which the Pen of the Most High hath revealed, the doors of love and unity have been unlocked and flung open to the face of men. We have erewhile declared – and Our Word is the truth: "Consort with the followers of all religions in a spirit of friendliness and fellowship." Whatsoever hath led the children of men to shun one another, and hath caused dissensions and divisions amongst them, hath, through the revelation of these words, been nullified and abolished. From the heaven of God's Will, and for the purpose of ennobling the world of being and of elevating the minds and souls of men, hath been sent down that which is the most effective instrument for the education of the whole human race. Of old it hath been revealed: "Love of one's country is an element of the Faith of God." The Tongue of Grandeur hath, however, in the day of His manifestation proclaimed: “It is not his to boast who loveth his country, but it is his who loveth the world."

Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings, p. 94-95

Both as human beings and members of the BUPC we believe that this is a gross violation of the religious freedom of the BUPC and their supreme institution and may set a dangerous precedent for the erosion of religious freedom. We invite you to review these documents, and with your advanced understanding of Law make a statement against this injustice. The trial date for the current federal court case in the 10th circuit of the USA, Denver Colorado, has been set for December 7, 2022.

Please find attached a package which contains several important letters and documents which will be useful for you to understand this issue. Included in the package among other items are the following: 1. Letter by Neal Chase informing the BUPC about the current legal court case 2. The Seven Candles - A tablet by Abdu’l-Baha which highlights seven types of unity needed by the world, symbolized by seven candles 3. A letter by Neal Chase to the Israeli Prime Ministers 4. Response by Neal Chase to the legal summons issued against - It will provide a better understanding of the legal case 5. A statement by Shoghi Effendi on the relationship of the Baha’i Faith to Palestine 6. A letter by the BUPC National Council of the US to the President and Vice-President of the US 7. A letter by Neal Chase to the President and Vice-President of the US 8. A letter by the BUPC National Council of India to the Indian government 9. A letter by Neal Chase to the President of Iran 10. A letter by a member of the BUPC in the UK to the British Prime Minister 11. A letter by Neal Chase to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth It is our hope that reading this material will provide you enough information to understand the violation of the rights of the BUPC and their supreme institution. Thank you in advance for your support.

Yours Sincerely, Mohammad Yusuf Muquit Greater European BUPC community Email: GreatEuropeanBahaiCouncil@gmail.com