You indicate that
some friends wonder whether the Guardian's statement characterizing racial
prejudice as “the most vital and challenging issue confronting the Bahá’í
community at the present stage of its evolution” still applies to the racial
situation in the United States, since it was written so long ago. The House of
Justice has determined that it is not productive to approach the issue in this
manner, as it gives rise to an implicit and false dichotomy that, either what
the Guardian said is no longer important, or it is so important that it must be
addressed before or apart from all other concerns. Yet, the situation is
infinitely more complex. The American nation is much more diverse than in 1938,
and the friends cannot be concerned only with relations between black and
white, essential as they are. The expressions of racial prejudice have
transmuted into forms that are multifaceted, less blatant and more intricate,
and thus more intractable. So too, the American Bahá’í community has evolved
significantly and is no longer at the same stage of its development; it faces a
wider range of challenges but also possesses greater capabilities. The House of
Justice stated that the principles Shoghi Effendi brought to the attention of
the American believers more than seventy years ago are relevant today, and they
will continue to be relevant to future generations. It is obvious, however,
that the “long and thorny road, beset with pitfalls” upon which the friends
must tread, will take them through an ever-changing landscape that requires
that they adapt their approaches to varying circumstances.
(From a letter dated
April 10, 2011 written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an
individual believer)
