https://groups.google.com/group/talk.religion.bahai/msg/6b786f5442f3b3fa?dmode=source&hl=en
After extensive harassment from Baha'i fundamentalists, a widely used tactic
to control and coerce those who fail to toe the party line, a moderator of
talisman9 has requested that her identity be suppressed from these messages, in
apparent fear of recrimination by Baha'i fanatics and "administrators."
Dear non-bahai observer:
In July of 2004, Steve Marshall, a "moderator" of talisman9,
corrupted my signature file slandering me as a "babytorturer,"
only to be disingenuously defended by Juan Cole, "moderator"
and owner of the list:
> >
This is yet one more incident that calls into question the true
motives of the "loyal opposition," Marshall being merely one of
many such individuals spreading disinformation and libel in
bahai cyberspace, while claiming cover behind the "disenrollment"
of his wife Alison Marshall. Far from talisman9 being a place for
"liberals" to discuss freely the compelling issues of free speech
and conscience, it is as tightly manipulated for the identification
and control of "miscreants," "covenant breakers", and other thinking
people, and their management, as any of the other more
fundamentalist fora, such as BeliefNet or the BCCA's Bahai-Studies
list.
NOTE: After harassing me as a "baby-torturer," I am the
one THROWN off talisman9, unjustly insulted and libeled by
Steve Marshall and Juan Cole, in a manner highly reminiscent of
the unjust BCCA's treatment of me in 1997. The non-Bahai
observer might very will want to linger on this exchange and
what it reveals.
"The best beloved of all things in my sight is Justice." --Baha'u'llah
Dear non-bahai observer:
Please note how Steve Marshall has corrupted my signature file
at the very bottom in his reply message censoring my legitimate
post to talisman9. It reveals a great deal about his "moderating"
tactics on talisman9.
> > FG
> > The Bahai Faith & Religious Freedom of Conscience
> > [highlighting added]
>
> Juan & [identity suppressed due to fundamentalist harassment],
>
> Is there a reason you're tolerating Marshall's continual censoring and
> harassing people? He openly slandered me as a covenant breaker early
> on, as did others, when I first began to post excerpts from Sohrab and
> terrorized others into silence. I repeatedly documented how such
> tactics were at variance with talisman9's purported Description, which
> is obviously only intended to work one way.
>
> I want it stopped now. Not in two weeks. Or stop the charade. Openly
> state talisman9 exists as a deceitful forum for the contemptible
> underlings of the administration.
>
> Allowing it to go on reflects poorly on both of you and on anyone else
> involved with talisman9.
>
> FG
> The Bahai Faith & Religious Freedom of Conscience
> https://fglaysher.com/bahaicensorship/
FYI
Again, I request that something be done immediately instead
of tacitly approving Marshall's "moderating" and corrupting my
signature file as detailed below: "babytorturer." That's inexcusable.
Or remove your "Description" to reflect the type of venue you then
are apparently supporting.
FG
> From: Cal E. Rollins (crollins@webtv.net)
> Fred, Steve, Rabia,
>
> Is it legal to change somebody else's signature file? It sure doesn't
> sound like it would be. To me it's like forging a check. I doubt that
> the authorities would accept, "Gee, Your Honor. I was just having fun
> when I forged that check." --Cal
> --
>
> Appears to be great fun to talisman9 "moderator" Steve Marshall and
> people like bahai scholar Susan Maneck.... and tells us a lot about the
> moral condition of the bahai administration....
>
> --
> FG
> The Bahai Faith & Religious Freedom of Conscience
> https://fglaysher.com/bahaicensorship/
>
> Join a new Yahoo Group, Bahai Censorship!
> https://groups.yahoo.com/group/bahaicensorship/
----- Original Message ----- From: [identity suppressed due to
fundamentalist harassment]
To: FG
Sent: Sunday, July 11, 2004 12:41 AM
Subject: Censorship/Apology
Dear Frederick,
I recognize the substance of your complaint and made the exact same point to
Juan Cole on July 9:
>Juan Cole wrote:
>
>>>However, if this was a matter of private communication, it is none of my
>>>business,
>>
>>
>
>It isn't a simple matter of private communication when Steve is
>communicating with a subscriber in the capacity of a moderator.
>
>[identity suppressed due to fundamentalist harassment]
>
Obviously, my point was ignored or deemed irrelevant. Personally, I am
sorry for how you have been treated and how the situation was handled.
Sincerely, [identity suppressed due to fundamentalist harassment]
Juan Cole,
Private email? Not so. He was acting in his capacity, which you, as
list owner, in one way or another, gave him, and therefore bear some
responsibility, further proven by the fact that Yahoo's customer service
advised me to contact you. Yahoo has standards and requirements,
which don't include such tactics.
"Babytorturer": You appear to justify, the most despicable, lowest fanatical
tactics imaginable. To ignore his actions and support them, blaming the
victim, is unworthy of you.
FG
The Bahai Faith & Religious Freedom of Conscience
https://fglaysher.com/bahaicensorship/
Join a new Yahoo Group, Bahai Censorship!
https://groups.yahoo.com/group/bahaicensorship/
Given the carefully calculated deceit to discredit and malign me, on the
part of Professor Cole in his email below, one might want to pause long
and hard over what his real loyalties and intentions are. "Blaming the
victim" of libel and the just-plain-nasty ill-will and injustice on the part
of Marshall, is manifestly absurd. Note Cole appears more motivated to
suppress knowledge of Sohrab's experience and writings, the importance
of which he himself shouldn't be ignorant of. To counsel me to be "good
humored
and polite to the moderators," when I'm the butt of an outrageous
attack is again deceitful, as is suggesting it was I who was harassing,
not harassed! Any normal person would feel outrage and want to defend
himself. The non-Bahai observer might very well want to linger on
this exchange and what it reveals about one of the supposedly "liberal"
discussion groups. Similar incidents have happened many times,
indeed regularly, hidden from the public eye, on BeliefNet, Bahai-Studies,
AOL Message Boards, soc.religion.bahai, and elsewhere in bahai cyberspace.
>> [identity suppressed due to fundamentalist harassment],
>>
>> Thanks for your note.
>>
>> Cole's equivocations call into question whether he's even
>> an honest participant. I continue to believe he should
>> resign from being the list owner of talisman9, if he refuses
>> to remove Steve Marshall for his actions. Yahoo should
>> remove Cole or delete the entire group. There can be no
>> excuse for smearing me as a "babytorturer," and THAT
>> is what Cole is seeking to justify....
>>
>> FG
>> The Bahai Faith & Religious Freedom of Conscience
>> https://fglaysher.com/bahaicensorship/