Bahais open terraced garden
2001-05-22 23:15
Haifa, Israel - As the bright sun dimmed on Tuesday over Haifas Mount Carmel, hundreds of white lights were illuminated along the mountains cascading
western cliff throwing tiny shadows over the majestic terraced
gardens of the Bahai faith.
Three thousand Bahais descended on this coastal city from as far
afoot as Uganda, Samoa and Australia to celebrate the grand opening
of the massive gardens consecrating the burial site of the faith's
founder.
The gardens, tucked into the steep slopes of the impressive
mountain, are designed in nine concentric circles around the shrine
where Bahai prophet Siyyid Ali Muhammad - known to Bahais as "The
Bab" - is buried.
Light-filled ceremony
Funded by donations from members of the five-million strong Bahai
population worldwide, the gardens were officially opened to the
public on Tuesday evening in a light-filled ceremony at the foot of
Mount Carmel featuring premier performances of musical compositions
by Bahai composers.
Hundreds of spectators and police officers watched and applauded
the proceedings from the rooftops of apartment buildings
surrounding the gardens, which are covered by numerous
drought-resistant plants in an effort to save water, a scarce
commodity in this arid region.
The gardens, which sit on a 225m steep slope overlooking Haifa Bay, are the culmination of a 10-year, US$250-million project.
Peace project
Although eight months of Israeli-Palestinian violence have hit
Israels tourism industry hard, and security for the event was
tight, politics was far from the minds of most of the fervent
pilgrims.
"I came especially because of my faith," said Doris Toeg, a
Canadian pilgrim. "I wanted to be here for the opening of these
very important and sacred terraces. Its a dream come true for me."
In fact, while in Jerusalem and Netanya talk of late has revolved
around F-16 fighter jets and suicide bombs, atop the Bahais lush
mountaintop enclave, peace is the operative word.
"We believe peace is a long-term process," a Bahai spokesperson told reporters. "The whole peace process is something more
than signing papers. Peace begins in the hearts of everyone, and
we're working on that."
Persian roots
The Bahai faith was founded in Persia in 1863 when Bahaullah, or
"the glory of God," declared himself the divine messenger whose
arrival had been foretold nearly 20 years before by The Bab.
The Bab, revered as an Iranian descendent of the Muslim prophet
Mohammed, was executed in the mid-19th century in Persia and
Bahaullah lived out the remainder of his life as a prisoner of the
Ottoman Empire.
His message of unity for mankind, however, resonates until today
with the diverse Bahai population across the globe.
Following the Islamic revolution in 1979, Iran launched a brutal
campaign against its Bahai population, leaving some 200 followers
dead. In some countries the Bahais are considered a cult or Zionist
agents, because of their affiliation with Israel.
Picking up the neighbourhood
Indeed, the Bahais relations with Israel have been good. The
municipality of Haifa even moved a street to accommodate the
garden's aesthetic symmetry.
In addition to pleasing the eye, however, the gardens have given a
veritable shot in the arm to Haifas Arab community, a portion of
which lives in the historic German Colony at the mountains base.
"The base of the mountain, which is an historically Arab
neighbourhood, was falling into ruins," Bahai senior information
officer Glen Fullmer said.
When the municipality of Haifa projected that one million tourists
would visit the site each year, however, it launched what Fullmer
called an "urban renewal campaign" in anticipation.
With the advent of new restaurants and boutiques and the
restoration of the historic homes in the German Colony, he added,
property values on the garden's perimeter increased.
The relative ease with which Arabs and Jews coexist by Mount Carmel
makes the city seem a microcosm for the Bahais' global
neighbourhood. - Sapa-AFP
- SAPA