What would you say if someone should tell you that about 160 something years ago a Messenger of God, Baha’u’llah said that the time has come for men and women of the world to be equal, that no longer should women be excluded from the halls of power and opportunities in the arts and sciences. This man, Baha’u’llah, which means “Glory of God”, emerged from one of the darkest corners of the globe at that time in a land where women’s right was unheard of and women were in fact of no consequence. He was from Persia where women were treated as mere reproductive vessels and not worthy of education or prominent position in government or the public sphere, much the same as women in other parts of the world.
Baha’u’llah went further and said that until and unless this equality is achieved we can know no real peace on earth and that mankind will not achieve its highest climb because men and women are like two wings of a bird and the bird cannot reach the highest height with a handicap. What a powerful insight. To know that the He is serious he went on further to say that if money is tight within a family and only one child can be educated then that child should be a female. He saw women as the first educators of children.
What a revolutionary idea of the day. Today this sounds like nothing big but think for a moment 160 plus years ago when women were still considered as chattels and a man’s property, when stereotypes about women were regarded as fundamental truths and a male figure from the Middleast started talking about the emancipation of women. It must have shaken that part of the world beyond belief. We are not there yet but women have come a long way from the kitchen.
Ever since the new light has shone upon the world there has been a proliferation of scientific advances in almost every sphere of our lives. You do the research on this but like the equality of woman we have to go a step further and eliminate all prejudices and discrimination form the world and start treating people on the basis of their personal integrity rather than on the basis of stereotypes. It is the only way to peace and progress for all on our planet.
