What A Bahá'í Romance Can Tell Us About Iran

“If the learned and worldly-wise men of this age were to allow mankind to inhale the fragrance of fellowship and love, every understanding heart would apprehend the meaning of true liberty, and discover the secret of undisturbed peace and absolute composure.”

Those words were penned 200 years ago by Bahá’u’lláh, the founder of the Bahá’í faith.

It was for words like these and other beliefs deemed heretical that Bahá’u’lláh spent much of his life being tortured and imprisoned.

The Bahá’í faith is known for being a religion of peace—teaching the oneness of all humanity, the truths found in all religions and equality of men and women. Today, the Bahá’í faith has over five million members worldwide, many of whom are persecuted, particularly in Islamic-ruled nations.

Iran, currently in the midst of its own international conflict, holds 300,000 of these Bahá’ís. Much like their leader, Bahá’ís living in Iran face imprisonment for practicing their faith.

A new film entitled “Cast Aside The Clouds” tells the story of a Bahá’í woman falling in love with a Muslim man—right in the middle of turbulent Iran.

Religion Unplugged’s Culture Critic Joseph Holmes spoke with the director of “Cast Aside The Clouds,” Mary Darling about why she wanted to make the film, her own journey with the bahá’í faith and the unity and conversations she hopes will come about as a result of its release.

The film is not yet available on streaming, but is being screened in New York City at the end of this week, after which it will be screened in many large cities across the U.S. For more information on how to see the film, visit castasidetheclouds.com.