“Yet those who journey in the garden land of knowledge, because they see the end in the beginning, see peace in war and friendliness in anger.”
The Valley of Knowledge - Baháulláh (1817-1892)
Have you ever been stuck in or observed a dark and negative situation where there seemed to be no way out and yet after a while the situation itself produced a wonderful solution?
Well according to the laws of mathematics, negative multiplied by negative results in a positive number. I think this is also true in real life. We see it every day but don’t recognize it. For example we saw some countries unjustly rich and others unjustly poor, to maximize profit, the wealthy business leaders of the rich countries took their businesses to the poor countries to find the cheapest of labour. By doing so, they moved technology, skills and knowledge from rich to poor, shifting and balancing the global economy.
Another example again is the situation of women in countries where women are second class citizens. Women, not being able to benefit from equal opportunities turn to education as the only way out and by doing so become the active agents of a profound social change.
Both of these complex situations require expert analysis to help us understand what is happening and I am in no way an expert, I just simply want to illustrate a pattern in the unfoldment of a new world order being born from darkness, yet it is light, the light of maturation of humanity and transformation of our society. It is the light of true justice.
Having set the scene about the birth of light from darkness, I want to share my feelings about a wonderful phenomenon which is called BIHE.
This educational institution which was unknown a few years ago, has recently attracted attention on a massive global scale from academics, artists , Nobel Peace Prize winners , politicians, religious groups and simply the global community , all have raised their voices in support of this institution.
BIHE stands for Baha’i Institute of Higher Education. It started in 1987 in response to the needs of the Baha’i community of Iran whose members are and have been denied education simply because they are Baha’is.
Let us imagine for one moment that our children are expelled from school and can not go to university. How would they gain any qualifications or skills? How would they find jobs to support themselves, to have a home? How would they be able to get married and to start a family? This is a cruel, calculated, long and painful way of strangling a community to death. To keep a community weak and needy.
Graduation Ceremony a day of happiness - Denied to the Baha'is of Iran
Hearing how the Baha’is are denied education, their social progress blocked, their movements are under close observation and using any small excuse, authorities arrest and fine them and confiscate their properties, I had a certain mental image of the Baha’is living in Iran. This mental image was shattered to pieces the first time that I met a BIHE student.
It was a few years ago at a Baha’i 19 Day Feast . I noticed a beautiful young lady sitting on the other side of the room. Her straight black hair fell to her shoulder. She was wearing a simple and yet smart suit making her look like one of the consultants at my work place. She was introduced as one of the BIHE students who had come out of Iran to do her Post Graduate degree. She spoke English very well but kept apologizing for making minor mistakes. She seemed very knowledgeable on any subject that she spoke about. She offered her views with confidence and yet great humility. More importantly, she radiated joy and positivity.
Later on she helped me with a youth weekend. During the short two days, I got to know her a little better. She had a fun loving character and had great love for life. However, in moments when she was in a reflective mood, looking into her eyes, you could catch a glimpse of the dark shadows of hate and injustice that had followed her and caused her pain. But then as soon as she sensed that she was being noticed, she would quickly get back to the moment.
She told the story of how she graduated from BIHE but had no certificate to show. She had got out of Iran to do her Post Graduate Degree. The Head of the Department had initially rejected her application with a speech about the prerequisites of the course i.e. degree certificate, after he had finished, she asked permission to speak. Then she had told them about the BIHE and her situation. Immediately the Head of her Department had called the admission office asking them to register her for an English entrance exam. She had been told that she would be accepted if she passes the test. She spoke calmly with great clarity and sincerity, with heart and soul. Her stories were very inspiring.
It was great to have her with us. She had a great sense of responsibility and worked very hard. Soon she graduated with very good results and left. I don’t know where she went after that but I know that she is involved in community building projects and works with women.
After this I met a few other BIHE students. All hard working, all demonstrated similar mix of seemingly contradicting qualities such as humility and confidence, determination and resignation, perseverance and detachment, sincerity, innocence and wisdom, fun loving and yet a great sense of maturity and responsibility. It was as if they were saying that we want to use every opportunity life has to offer now for we don’t know what awaits us round the corner and, we have confidence in that supreme power. I remember what my BIHE friend used to say to me when I complained. She would laugh and say dear Shiva, all will be okay, you will see.
My own experience of university and students can be summed up in a few words, sense of freedom leaving home, madness, moving noisily in the corridors to go to the next class, smokey common rooms and canteens, partying, copying assignments, trying to find out the exam questions, the gown, and finally getting the certificate followed by a well paid job which in most cases has no relation to the degree. How many times do we hear people complaining that they have a graduate at work who can’t even operate the photocopier.
Most of the classes offered by the Bahá’í Institute for Higher Education have been held in private homes
For BIHE students, it is entirely a different world as they study in someone’s living room without proper equipments, with constant fear of raids and arrests, corridors stretch out from house to house and city to city as students sometimes have to travel for hours to get to a class.
Some of the BIHE staff who have been arrested for educating young Baha'is.
Many searches and 14 arrests of BIHE faculty
These young students not only study but also contribute to the functioning of BIHE. They study, teach, help with the organization and if and when they leave Iran to continue for their post graduate programs, they often need to work to somehow manage the high cost of living and a weak Iranian currency.
And yet these brilliant brave men and women are all part of a system that has been created to address a desperate need, a system that places service and the betterment of the community at its core. In this system the educators, the students and the whole community are collaborators. This flexible education system uses any means available to it, to provide a service to the community, and as it struggles, it discovers new means and methods to overcome the difficulties. BIHE can pride itself on its resilience and purposefulness, on offering this lifeline to the Iran’s Baha’i community, helping knowledge and skills to flow from one generation to another. Although BIHE has no fancy buildings nor any elaborate classrooms and it functions from day to day, its fruits can be seen in the character and achievements of its students. Its success can be measured in the level of progress that it has made in such a short time. BIHE’s programs are now recognized by no less that 60 prestigious universities across the world
As we reflect on the true meaning of education, it becomes evident that BIHE is revolutionizing our education system, it is writing the pages of the history of education. Soon the educators will look at the BIHE model as an example to follow. The stories of BIHE students and staff will be used to inspire. People will pride themselves in having their ancestors as being the early BIHE members.
Is it Divine Justice that leads all the roads to the ultimate road of progress and growth or is it the hand of darkness and nothingness that can do naught but plant the seeds of light? Today these seeds of light are the BIHE students who struggle through this course, tomorrow however we will see forests of light spreading everywhere.
“The Great Being saith: Regard man as a mine rich in gems of inestimable value. Education can, alone, cause it to reveal its treasures, and enable mankind to benefit therefrom.” -Bahá’u'lláh “
tajasom
