UNL grad student embraces Baha'i faith

Mihdi Vahedi approaches everything in his life with a purpose.

"Everyone has careers and goals, but in everything I do, I ask myself, ‘Is it increasing unity or not?'" said Vahedi, a University of Nebraska-Lincoln graduate student studying law. For Vahedi, striving for unity is the main purpose of his life, because it is the main purpose of the religion he practices: the Baha'i faith.

The Baha'i faith is a world religion founded in the 1800's by Baha'u'llah, meaning "glory of God." The main focus of the faith is to unite all people with "one cause, one faith."

Followers of the Baha'i faith believe that the leaders or founders of many world religions – such as Muhammad, Jesus and Buddha – are manifestations of God on Earth.

"They are like mirrors, they reflect God's love and guidance to us," Vahedi said.

Vahedi lived in New Delhi, India, through his high school years. He then moved to Chicago, where his grandmother lived, to pursue an education. New Delhi is home to a Baha'i temple and there is one about 20 miles from Chicago in Wilmette, Ill. There are only six Baha'i temples in the world, with a seventh one under construction. Vahedi said he feels fortunate to have grown up in communities where people had at least "a basic understanding of what the Baha'i faith is."

Things were not always so easy for Vahedi's grandparents, who lived in Iran at a time when people of the Baha'i faith were being persecuted and killed.

"My grandparents had to escape on a day's notice," Vahedi said. "They left everything behind and came to the United States."

While Vahedi was impacted by these persecutions indirectly, Baha'i students in Iran still face persecution.

"Because Baha'i abolishes the idea of clergy, it's a threat to their authority," Dr. Brian Lepard said, "Baha'i also teaches that men and women are equal, which goes against parts of the Quran."

Lepard is an alumni professor at the UNL College of Law and the adviser for the UNL Baha'i student association, and grew up in the Baha'i faith in California before eventually moving to Nebraska 17 years ago for a job offer.

Lepard said Baha'i college students are banned from classes or are expelled if they are found out, and so they hold private classes in homes of Baha'i professors. Recently, however, the Iranian government raided these homes and arrested several professors and students.

But Vahedi's experience since he came to UNL to study law in 2010 is that people are very accepting.

"I think the Baha'i community is accepted here because we value a lot of core Nebraska values," Vahedi said. "We try to provide an avenue for people to come together and serve the community."

According to Lepard, Lincoln in particular is a special place for the Baha'i faith in the United States.

Lepard said the oldest son of Baha'u'llah, Abdu'l-Bahá Abbas, came to Lincoln to visit William Jennings Bryan, who was interested in the Baha'i faith and had visited Abdu'l-Bahá Abbas in the Holy Land. Abdu'l-Bahá Abbas was left as the sole interpreter of his father's teachings after his death.

"You can imagine he was quite the spectacle, coming off the train in 1912 in Lincoln, Neb., in his turban and robes," Lepard said.

Lepard said the Lincoln Baha'is — there are about 100 of them— are planning some commemorative events this year for the visits 100th anniversary.

Although Lepard grew up in the Baha'i faith, he said he came to accept it as his own because of the many Baha'i teachings that "really touch my heart."

"The idea of the unity of all religions, that they all come from one God that's revealed to man through these human persons as manifestations of God, that really made sense to me," Lepard said.

"And religion is always evolving. We believe that Baha'u'llah was the most recent manifestation but certainly not the last," Lepard said, "As humanity progresses, there are new social laws that God wants us to know."

Lepard said his faith also allowed him to feel at ease with friends of all faiths while growing up.

"I had a wide variety of friends," Lepard said. "As a Baha'i, I believe in Jesus and I love Jesus, I believe in the Bible and in the Quran too, and in a sense I was Jewish as well. I felt comfortable attending church with my Christian friends or going to mosques or temples. I was able to feel a connection with other religions and friends of other religions. I never really felt that different."

With unity of all people regardless of race, religion or background as the main focus of the Baha'i religion, the Baha'i community in Lincoln strives for community services. Vahedi said a recent project with students from the Baha'i Student Association at UNL was to partner with the Kids Against Hunger program in Lincoln.

"We helped package food to send to children abroad who could physically do so much better if they just had three meals a day," Vahedi said. He said that the Baha'i faith takes the approach that rather than meeting as a congregation all the time, they are expected to take their values to serve those around them.

"It's kind of like, ‘You know what your values are, now go help the community,'" Vahedi said.

Lepard said junior youth programs sponsored by Baha'is, called Junior Youth Empowerment groups, teach 11 to 14 year olds how to serve their communities. In his neighborhood, a Junior Youth Empowerment group recently planted a community garden.

Lepard said the junior youth programs, as well as children's classes, study circles and devotional gatherings, are activities Baha'is participate in all over the world.

"We're kind of like candles. If we start to light candles in our own neighborhoods, soon there will be lights all over the world," Lepard said.

Since the only Baha'i temple in the UnitedStates is near Chicago, Vahedi said he will often host devotional gatherings at his home, which usually consist of some prayers and spiritual readings.

"People of all religious backgrounds are welcome," Vahedi said. "I will even invite friends who maybe don't believe in God and tell them to just bring something inspirational to read."

The UNL Baha'i Student Association also meets in the Union, usually at the beginning of every Baha'i month, which are each 19 days long.

While there are only about 15 to 20 practicing Baha'is at UNL, Vahedi said he has found the students and people in Lincoln to be very accepting of the religion.

"It's not tolerance really, because that almost sounds negative," Vahedi said. "It's more than that — we need a better word."

Students who want to learn more about the Baha'i faith can look at the UNL Baha'i Student Association Facebook page or visit www.bahai.org. To sign a petition against the persecution of Baha'i students, visit educationunderfire.com.

maryrezac@dailynebraskan.com