Hasan Ershad (Nasere Nasereddin) challenges Baha\'i UHJ to literacy test in Arabic

Hasan Ershad (Nasere Nasereddin)

Iranian scholar and critic of Bahaism Hasan Ershad challenges the Baha\'i Universal House of Justice in Haifa, occupied Palestine to a live public literacy test in Arabic via skype to prove its competency in the legal and jurisprudential matters it is theoretically tasked with.

Text of Subtitles (by N. Wahid Azal).

At the beginning I indicated the following point; in summary...

...at the beginning of this discussion I indicated this point...

...that the [Baha’i] Universal House of Justice...

...has no expertise in creating a legal or jurisprudential order...

...outside of [very narrowly] defined [existing] textual issues.

Why?

Because these “dear ones” have no competent literacy [in Arabic].

One of the reasons negating… 

…any entry into this area of discussion…

…is the illiteracy [in Arabic] of these “dear ones”…

…inasmuch I claimed …

….that one of the legal sources of the Baha’is…

… are the books of the Bab.

Because there are rules governing these laws [and regulations]....

…and it has been written by Mr. Baha’u’llah…

…that regarding those issues where…

…what he has clearly abrogated...

…all the remaining laws and ordinances of the Bab…

…still hold legal authority…

…and remain topical…

…and the Baha’is are meant to act according to them.

What does this mean?

This means that one of the [primary] sources…

…for legislation on issues outside of the Baha’i texts…

…are the works of the Bab.

And the works of the Bab are generally in Arabic…

…and the Persian is even worse than the Arabic…

I said to Mr. Sorbi, recommending to him…

…that for one program, for five minutes…

…broadcast a live program…

…from 1 to 9, write down [on pieces of paper] the names of the UHJ members…

…put it in a raffle cup…

…and pick one out…

Out comes Mr. X.

Via Skype I will make contact…

From my end, I will then take just one page…

…from [Baha’i] legal texts…

…relating to one of the legislations of Mr. Bab…

…and I will display it…

This “dear one” in the UHJ, or wherever he may be, should then read it out loud…

…and then translate it [out loud]…

…give a brief explanation…

…as to what it is about…

Forget about its textual exposition.

Forget about its legislative particulars. 

They cannot do it!

So when they [the UHJ] don’t have the required expertise…

…this is in itself is a reason for the negation of entry into the very arena… 

….of [proper] legislating [by them, and law making]…

And I keep saying…

…why hasn’t the UHJ discussed this matter and that matter etc…

One of the reasons is because they don’t possess literacy…

…and this area is closed off to them…

…and so they do not possess the expert competency [to act in that regard].

http://bahaism.blogspot.com/