In February 2010, Iran started airing a TV show about the Persian Constitutional Revolution (1905-1911) and the events leading up to it. The earliest parts of the show feature the Bab and Baha'u'llah. I won't go into too much detail here (I've analyzed it further in depth here), but the trajectory of Baha'i events is basically distorted pretty badly in this show, and some of the conclusions that are drawn reinforce baseless conspiracy theories. In this entry, I want to focus on the most salient charge made to this effect.
There is a scene in this show where Mirza Aqa Khan Nuri, the future Prime Minister of Persia, is seen walking into the British embassy, where Baha'u'llah is already seated next to the British consulate. Even on the surface, this kind of positioning is highly suggestive. It indicates that Baha'u'llah is close to the British government, no doubt to give credence to the often repeated lie that the origin of the Baha'i Faith is ultimately political in nature and was created purely out of the ulterior motives of the British—as a way to consolidate their power and advance their colonialist efforts, no doubt.
Following this, Baha'u'llah, the British consulate, and Mirza Aqa Khan Nuri are seen discussing vengeance for the Bab's execution by overthrowing Amir Kabir, then the Prime Minister. Considering that Amir Kabir is widely hailed by Iranians as a national hero, such a treacherous cabal would give even more reason for Iranians to hate Baha'u'llah and, by association, his religion.
Baha'u'llah and foreign officials supposedly entering into a treasonous pact to take revenge against Amir Kabir
A foreign dignitary names Baha'u'llah as the successor of the Bab
Baha'u'llah and foreign dignitaries purportedly plotting their next moves against the government
But as with all ill-conceived conspiracy theories, there are many holes in the director's line of reasoning that simply cannot be covered up. For example, if the Bab was indeed nothing more than a paid agent of the British (another commonly professed conspiracy theory), why bother avenging his death in a way that would yield drastic repercussions? If he was nothing more than a tool that the British used to further their political hegemony, why make such a hero out of him? More importantly, why would the British consulate refer to his own paid agent as "Haḍrat-i Bab", literally meaning "His Holiness the Bab", as is done in the show? And then of course, there is the fact that Baha'u'llah never visited the British embassy or any other embassy in his entire life. These and numerous other flagrant inaccuracies later brought the director, Mohammad Reza Varzi, a great deal of criticism. Of course, Varzi and the Islamic Republic's government, who sponsored this sham attack on the Baha'i Faith and some of its Central Figures, did succeed in giving more misinformation to the Iranian masses and, in the process, probably created more animosity towards the Baha'is among some Iranians. However, most Iranians have developed a great deal of mistrust in the government and whatever their media outlets produce.
Therefore, in all likelihood, the government-sponsored Varzi's production has backfired and caused more curiosity among the Iranians, particularly the more educated, to independently investigate the truth about the history and origins of the Baha'i Faith.
I'm going to get this book soon. It looks like a good one. Unfortunately, I think these conspiracy theories will exist in Iranian society for some time to come. The "Illuminati" conspiracy theory was first introduced in America in the late 1700's, and there are still people writing material on it. It probably won't go away completely.
ReplyDeleteThe "conspiracy theory" is like a mental addiction. It's an existential and ideological disease. In the conspiracy theory mindset, the world MUST be controlled by an Elite organization of (insert any group of human and/or alien races.) It's not a matter of facts and reason, but of faith. Any evidence that disproves the conspiracy theory is simply rejected as "fabrications" by the very people perpetuating the great conspiracy in the first place! Thus, the only evidence that can be regarded as "the truth" is the research done by the people claiming there is a great conspiracy. And if you don't believe what they have uncovered, it's because you're either directly "working for the enemy" or are are just ignorant or brainwashed by the conspirators.
Conspiracy theories are the paradoxical byproducts of paranoia and insecurity. Most conspiray theories have something to do with an evil group of whatevers setting up extremely structured programs to control every facet of human life. Yet these theories are the most popular during times of great turmoil and lack of structure. I think that their desire for security/structure coupled with the paranoid feeling of being under siege, creates this kind of conspiracy theory mindset.