Djamila
Bosnjakinja
I don't believe I need to provide any evidence beyond what most of you certainly already know when I say that Haifa is an example for the rest of Israel. It is a city where Jews, Muslims, and Christians have lived together peacefully with few exceptions since many Palestinians were allowed to return after being expelled in the 1940s.
It is a city without institutionalized racism, without walls between neighborhoods, and so on. It really is, as far as Israel goes, a wonderful city that can provide the hope and the potential reality of a happy and prosperous life for all of its citizens.
Now, my question then is...
Why? And do you believe the strong Bah'ai influence in Haifa has anything to do with this?
I can vouch for the fact that a city's smallest minority can have a tremendous impact. I've shared much of the story of Sarajevo's Jewish community and there are countless aspects of life in Sarajevo that would not have been the same had they not lived here and continued to live here. So I have no problem imagining that the Bah'ai people have had a tremendous impact on the society of Haifa.
I remember during this last war, when Jews were fleeing Haifa to go to Jerusalem. There were so many articles in the Israeli press about how disgusted they were with Jerusalem and how ironic it was that they were coming there to find peace when, for the people of Haifa, Jerusalem is a symbol of conflict.
So to what do you give the credit of Haifa's success? Obviously there are many factors, but I'm most interested in Bah'ai in this thread. What has been its effect, in your opinion?
It is a city without institutionalized racism, without walls between neighborhoods, and so on. It really is, as far as Israel goes, a wonderful city that can provide the hope and the potential reality of a happy and prosperous life for all of its citizens.
Now, my question then is...
Why? And do you believe the strong Bah'ai influence in Haifa has anything to do with this?
I can vouch for the fact that a city's smallest minority can have a tremendous impact. I've shared much of the story of Sarajevo's Jewish community and there are countless aspects of life in Sarajevo that would not have been the same had they not lived here and continued to live here. So I have no problem imagining that the Bah'ai people have had a tremendous impact on the society of Haifa.
I remember during this last war, when Jews were fleeing Haifa to go to Jerusalem. There were so many articles in the Israeli press about how disgusted they were with Jerusalem and how ironic it was that they were coming there to find peace when, for the people of Haifa, Jerusalem is a symbol of conflict.
So to what do you give the credit of Haifa's success? Obviously there are many factors, but I'm most interested in Bah'ai in this thread. What has been its effect, in your opinion?