April 16. On this date in 2002, an article titled "Bahai feel bashed by local media" appeared in Haaretz. noting "Articles have appeared in the local and national press accusing the Bahai World Center of receiving government tax reimbursements which it is not entitled to, of having unethical links with the Labor Party, of using excessive amounts of water to maintain the gardens."

 

April 16. On this date in 2002, an article titled "Bahai feel bashed by local media" appeared in Haaretz. noting "Articles have appeared in the local and national press accusing the Bahai World Center of receiving government tax reimbursements which it is not entitled to, of having unethical links with the Labor Party, of using excessive amounts of water to maintain the gardens."

The sentiments in the article are reflected in the 2007 Israeli documentary film "Bahais in My Backyard" which includes interviews with Murray R. Smith (at 9 minutes 20 seconds), Moshe Sharon (at 12 minutes and 10 seconds), Nigar Bahai Amsalem (at 13 minutes 50 seconds), and Frederick Glaysher (at 40 minutes)

Moshe Sharon serves as Professor Emeritus of Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem where he serves as Chair in Bahá'í Studies. In the interview he states that the only Bahá'í academic chair in the world is in Israel due to his efforts in convincing Hebrew University to establish one and his efforts in finding a benefactor to fund the position. He also says that there are no descendants of Bahá'u'lláh in Israel. Despite Sharon's denial of the existence of such relatives, there are in fact dozens, and one of Bahá'u'lláh's great-granddaughters is featured in the film. Furthermore, even at the time of the interview, there were other Bahá'í academic chairs in existence, such as the ones established at Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya, a state university in Madhya Pradesh, in 1991 and at the University of Maryland in 1993.

Moshe Sharon denies the existence of Bahá'u'lláh's descendants in Israel. Despite Sharon's denial of the existence of such relatives, they do exist, and one of Bahá'u'lláh's great-granddaughters, Nigar Bahai Amsalem, is featured in the film. The denial of these descendants, no less by a purported academic who is "Chair of Bahá'í Studies" at arguably Israel's best university, is curious.

Frequently interviewed by Israeli media, Moshe Sharon has been called "Israel's greatest Middle East scholar". Among his political views is that there is "no possibility of peace between Israel and the Palestinians whatsoever, for ever" and that peace agreements with Arabs are "pieces of paper, parts of tactics, strategies...with no meaning." He blames the Bosnians' being Muslim for the Yugoslav conflict of the 1990's and argues that "The only way to avoid military confrontation with Iran is to leave this military confrontation to powers bigger than Israel."

Who are Bahá'u'lláh's descendants? They are a varied group of people. Some, such as Nigar Bahai Amsalem, have married Israeli Jews. Others have married Indians. Still others have married Arabs. In fact, Munib Shahid, Shoghi Effendi's cousin through `Abdu'l-Bahá's daughter Ruha, married Serene Husseini Shahid, and their daughter, Leila Shahid is a prominent Palestinian diplomat currently serving as General Delegate of Palestine to the European Union. She is frequently interviewed, particularly by francophone media,. Although Munib Shahid made trips abroad to promote the Bahá'í Faith, Shoghi Effendi would declare Munib Shahid a Covenant-breaker with the the following cable to the Bahá'í world in November 1944:

Monib Shahid, grandson of both `Abdu'l-Bahá and the King of Martyrs, married according to the Moslem rites the daughter of a political exile who is nephew of the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem. This treacherous act of alliance with enemies of the Faith merits condemnation of entire Bahá'í world." Bahá'í News, No. 172