Reflections by David Foroughi
I was born a Bahá’í child. I had lived in various places before living in Iowa. I was aware that being a Bahá’í meant being the only Bahá’í in lots of places and keeping it hidden out of politeness and protection. For example, when I was a first grader, a young teen who lived across town declared. Since he was black skinned and trying to come to the white neighborhood where we lived, he was arrested and taken to jail. He was kept there all night and when his father was allowed to pick him up, they were interrogated and threatened. This was in Jackson, Mississippi. Being Bahá’í could sometimes get us bullied. Submitting a paper to the school that was including Bahá’í quotes or ideas could get a failing grade. We had many good stories to tell but we also had to be very careful…
When we Bahá’í young could be together, we would bond very quickly and often strongly. Actually, I was pretty rough in my behavior and not well practiced at friendships. The youth at the meetings were from all over the state so we often only got to see each other at Bahá’í gatherings. It meant a lot to be with fun loving people who were loving about us being Bahá’í. It strengthened me.
