An in-depth Investigation of Baha’i Principles
What `Abdu’l-Bahā is clearly claiming is that there is or must be complete and utter equality between men and women and their rights. This belief is illogical. Under no circumstances can two different groups with great differences in their emotional, psychological, and physical aspects be expected to be exactly equal and have perfectly identical rights.
Baha’is claim men and women are equal. On the subject of obedience, `Abdu’l-Bahā has clearly stated that women must obey their husbands
If a husband finds out his wife is not a virgin he can take back the dowry even though the marriage was not conditioned on the virginity of the spouse
Bahā’u’llāh didn’t even adhere to the equality of sexes regarding his own family. He labeled his male offspring as Branches (Aghsān) and his female offspring as Leaves (waraqāt).
The duty of upbringing the children has been chiefly given to the women. This has been called a privilege for the mother!
Bahā’u’llāh says:
The Lord hath ordained that those of you who are able shall make pilgrimage to the sacred House, and from this He hath exempted women as a mercy on His part.
The Guardian of the Cause can only be a male descendant of `Abdu’l-Bahā’. Although this issue is no longer a matter of concern because the prophecies of these infallible manifestations turned out to be false, the question still remains as to why women are deprived of this right.
According to Baha’i law, women cannot become members of the Universal House of Justice (UHJ).[1] If there is equality between men and women,
Even though Baha’is express opposition to polygamy, their leader was a polygamist and had three wives. Bahā’u’llāh even allowed his followers to have two wives and an unspecified number of virgins at their service:
According to Bahā’u’llāh:
No marriage may be contracted without payment of a dowry, which hath been fixed for city-dwellers at nineteen mithqāls[1] of pure gold, and for village-dwellers at the same amount in silver. Whoso wisheth to increase this sum, it is forbidden him to exceed the limit of ninety-five mithqāls. Thus hath the command been writ in majesty and power.[2]