←Previous | Bahá’í News Issue 306 |
Next→ |
![]() |
No. 306 | BAHA’I YEAR 113 | AUGUST, 1956 |
GUARDIAN’S SUPPLEMENTARY MESSAGE TO THE FOUR AFRICA CONVENTIONS, APRIL 1956[edit]
At this historic hour, marking the opening of the third phase of the global Spiritual Crusade so courageously undertaken by the followers of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh, I hail the convocation of the four epoch-making Bahá’í Conventions now being held in the African Continent.
My heart brims with joy and my soul is uplifted with thankfulness as I contemplate on this auspicious occasion, the magnificent feats which have been accomplished in recent years over the entire length and breadth of a rapidly quickening continent, feats which, in their range, number, quality and swiftness, have eclipsed the signal victories which have distinguished the campaigns successively launched in the Continent of Europe and in Latin America.
Continent Boasts Many Supporters[edit]
This vast, highly receptive, spiritually famished and long down-trodden continent—the nest of the Negro race. constituting so large a proportion of the world’s population—which was first opened, in an hour of trial and adversity, in the lifetime of Bahá’u’lláh; whose southern fringes were, during the last epoch of the Heroic Age of the Faith, illuminated by the rays of a divinely established Covenant; on whose northern shores the standard of Bahá’í emancipation has been hoisted and the struggle for the recognition of the independent character of the Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh has commenced—such a continent now boasts, by virtue of the dynamic influence exerted by a rising divinely conceived Order, and the propelling forces generated by a world-embracing, three-year-old Spiritual Crusade, over three thousand avowed supporters, five-sixths of whom belong to the Negro race, scattered throughout more than fifty territories and islands, and residing in over four hundred localities. Representatives of no less than one hundred and forty of its tribes have, moreover, enlisted under the banner of the Faith. Over a hundred and twenty Bahá’í local assemblies are already functioning throughout its territories. Into more than fifty of its indigenous languages Bahá’í literature has been and is being translated. The process of incorporating the newly formed local assemblies has furthermore been inaugurated. A National Administrative Headquarters has been established in each one of its four pivotal centers, while three Temple sites situated within its confines have been recently purchased, on one of which the Mother Temple of Africa is soon to be erected.
The Concourse on high cannot but laud such remarkable, soul-stirring exploits. The Captain, guiding from His throne of glory in the Abhá Kingdom the march of the army of Bahá’u’lláh’s Crusaders, undoubtedly applauds the fidelity, the valour, the zeal and the perseverance of the executors of His Design, while the Founder of the Faith Himself, the wellspring of the energizing influences nourishing the lives, and sustaining the activities, of these Crusaders, confers His benediction upon, and lays up treasures for, those who have so conspicuously contributed to the glory and honor of His Name.
I feel impelled, on so memorable an occasion, to pay a warm and heartfelt tribute to the Hand of the Cause appointed for the African Continent; to the members of the British, the American, the Persian, the Indian, the Egyptian and the Iraqi National Spiritual Assemblies; to the members of the African Auxiliary Board; to the numerous assemblies, committees and pioneers who have, singly and collectively, contributed in such a large measure to the expansion of so colossal an enterprise, and who have had so decisive a share in directing its course, in stimulating its unfoldment, and in consolidating its foundations,
Assemblies Will Lend Impetus[edit]
I cannot but feel confident that the emergence of tour regional National Spiritual Assemblies, as a result of the deliberations of the delegates attending these four Bahá’í Conventions—Assemblies designed to pave the way for the erection of the pillars which must support the future Universal House of Justice — will, by enabling the activities of the Faith to be directed and coordinated from within the Continent itself, lend a tremendous impetus to the progress and eventual fruition of the stupendous undertaking launched from coast to coast through the concerted and systematic efforts of the followers of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh.
AUGUST, 1956
I call upon these Regional National Spiritual Assemblies to celebrate their birth, and signalize the opening of the third phase of this World Spiritual Crusade, through the formulation of four subsidiary Seven-Year Plans, designed to multiply the number of the avowed supporters of the Faith and of the isolated centers, groups and local Assemblies; to consolidate the work already achieved in the newly opened virgin territories within the confines of that Continent and in its neighboring islands; to initiate the institution of the National Bahá’í Fund; to stimulate the twin processes of establishing Bahá’í endowments and of incorporating local spiritual assemblies; to hasten the construction of the first Mashriqu’l-Adhkár of the African Continent; to ensure the establishment of the Bahá’í Publishing Trust in Egypt; and to speed up the translation of Bahá’í literature into the remaining African languages listed in the Ten Year Plan, as well as the incorporation of the newly formed Regional National Spiritual Assemblies.
Lend Continued Support[edit]
I appeal to the British, the American, the Persian, the Indian, the Egyptian and the Iraqi National Spiritual Assemblies, who have set in motion these vast undertakings, not to abandon these fledgling African Bahá’í communities to their fate, but to lend their support and assistance to the newly emerged Regional National Spiritual Assemblies, enriching thereby the record of the superb and historic services rendered by them, throughout that continent, to its diversified peoples, tribes and races.
May the manifold blessings of Bahá’u’lláh, glorifying in His Kingdom the African victories won in His Name in such rapid succession, rest upon the deliberations of all the delegates attending these four history-making Conventions. May the combined efforts of the faithful, laboring now and in the days that lie ahead, yield, in the years to come, a harvest which will infinitely enable the record of unforgettable achievements associated with the rise of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh and the establishment of His World Order in the African Continent.
—SHOGHI
April, 1956
“Fervently Praying Great Victories”[edit]
Dear Bahá’í Friends:
The beloved Guardian on June 22 cabled the NSA: “Fervently praying great victories (on) home front. Appeal (to) entire community (to) arise, participate (and) insure attainment (of) goals.”
His prayer for great victories, and his appeal, are not directed primarily to Assemblies and Committees but to every individual Bahá’í. Shoghi Effendi has brought all of us within the realm of his spiritual influence, and made each one of us responsible for participation and assuring success in winning the goals set for the home front.
Bahá’í institutions have their essential and important functions to carry out, for example in defining particular goals for a particular period, co-ordinating the efforts of individual Bahá’ís, of communities and of groups, and supplying both information and material; but it is the resolution of individual Bahá’ís which endows the institutions with power to act.
Of what does the home front work consist? What are the goals to attain? (1) Restoration of dissolved Assemblies or substitution of new goals in the same States; (2) bringing to Assembly status by April 21, 1957, as many groups as possible; (3) increasing the number of enrollments by all local Assemblies and Area Teaching Committees.
What methods are employed? Area conferences; circuit teaching; pioneering; extension teaching; intensified local teaching by communities and groups.
What materials are available and helpful? Releases by Bahá’í Press Service for the observance of the selected Special Events for 1956-1957; Bahá’í Summer School courses, discussions and research; National and Area Teaching Committee bulletins; Bahá’í literature for study and for free distribution; and the Institute book on The Covenant and Administration which the National Spiritual Assembly has urged all Assemblies to use this year for community study and discussion, to deepen the understanding of fundamental Bahá’í teachings and to derive strength and resolution for ardent service to the Faith.
Among the materials special attention is called at this time to the pamphlet The Power of the Covenant which the National Assembly has compiled and is sending to every American Bahá’í with a letter setting forth its meaning and purpose. Copies are also being sent to pioneers in posts outside the United States.
Now let us recall with awe the fateful words written by the beloved Guardian in his letter dated July 28, 1954, issued as an insert in BAHÁ’Í NEWS under the title “American Bahá’ís In The Time of World Peril.”
“The administrative agencies of a divinely conceived Administrative Order at long last erected and relatively perfected stand in dire need of the individual believer to come forward and utilize them with undeviating purpose, serene confidence and exemplary dedication. The heart of the Guardian cannot but leap with joy, and his mind derive inspiration, at every evidence testifying to the response of the individual to his allotted task. The unseen legions, standing rank upon rank, and eager to pour forth from the Kingdom on high the full measure of their celestial strength on the individual participants of the incomparably glorious Crusade, are powerless unless and until each potential crusader decides for himself, and perseveres in his determination, to rush into the arena of service ready to sacrifice his all for the Cause he is called upon to champion.”
Where else outside His Faith is there a promise so overpowering, a reinforcement so assured, a reward so glorious as the Guardian offered us in these challenging words?
—NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY
[Page 3]BAHA’I NEWS
3
STATUS OF BAHÁ’ÍS IN ÍRÁN REVEALED[edit]
(The following summary has been made of the principal items recently received from authentic sources.)
1. Local and National Bahá’í Properties
Orders were issued some months ago by the Prime Minister and the Minister of the Interior that the Bahá’í administrative centers throughout the provinces were to be restored to their Bahá’í caretakers, but this action was made contingent on assurance from the Bahá’í caretakers that these properties would not be used for Bahá’í meetings. Moreover, of the eighty properties seized by the government last year only thirteen have been turned back to the Bahá’í owners. The reason for non-action in the case of the remaining sixty-seven Bahá’í properties is that civil officials disapproving the order have so far failed to carry it out.
In this connection the Bahá’í International Community emphasizes the fact that the severe conditions imposed upon the custodians of the thirteen local properties continue the policy of deliberate effort to extirpate the Bahá’í Faith in Írán.
As for the large and imposing national Bahá’í Center in Ṭihrán, whose beautiful dome was destroyed in 1955, this building is still occupied by the Military as their official headquarters.
2. Harsh Penalties Imposed on Individual Bahá’ís
That it is still illegal to accept and practice the tenets of the Bahá’í Faith in Írán is demonstrated by these specific instances:
A. Bahá’ís employed in government departments including the Ministry of Roads, the Ministry of Post and Telegraph and the Ministry of Education are dismissed from service or suspended. These employees are compelled to fill out a Personnel Card which calls for their religious affiliation, and those who name Bahá’í as their religion are severely penalized.
B. In Ṭihrán alone several score Bahá’ís work as bus drivers, conductors or ticket collectors. The private bus companies are uniting as a
FERRINI, VINCENZA
Photograph of the recently completed tympanum of the east facade of the International Bahá’í Archives Building, Haifa. The central part, shown open in the photograph, will contain the monogram of the Greatest Name, from which golden rays depart in all directions. There are three acroteria over one meter high, one placed in the middle and two at the extremes, and forty antefixes. The rear tympanum is identical, minus the Greatest Name.
joint corporation under government
supervision. Their employees are
now obliged to fill out a form which
provides a blank for their religious
affiliation. Here, likewise, the
Bahá’ís are being dismissed from
their jobs.
C. While Íránian Bahá’ís are denied freedom of speech and access to the press, their fanatical enemies are allowed complete liberty to publish false accusations, calumnies and insults concerning the Bahá’í Faith and the Bahá’í community. There is no tribunal to which the Bahá’ís can appeal and submit their evidence and proof. The Íránian Bahá’ís are actually a “stateless people,” “untouchables” as it were, in a country which has officially registered its acceptance of the principles upheld by United Nations.
D. The police have been ordered by the Ministry of the Interior to prevent the Bahá’ís from observing their Holy Days. In some localities Bahá’í shopkeepers are not permitted to close their shops on these days, an unprecedented restriction.
E. Tragic to state, Bahá’í children attending schools in some parts of Írán are subjected to ridicule and contempt by their classmates. Is it from their teachers and school superintendents that Muslim children are instigated to join the persecutors of the Íránian Bahá’ís? For religious prejudice is not innate in the soul of man—it is always the result of indoctrination.
3. Economic Penalties
Our information discloses an intolerable condition for Bahá’ís in their business affairs, a condition approaching the appalling crime of genocide.
For example, in a village not far from Isfahan where there are some two hundred or more Bahá’í adults and their children, the Islamic mullas prevent all other villagers from conducting customary commercial transactions with Bahá’ís. The government-operated oil stations will not sell them oil for heat and light. Non-Bahá’ís collect debts from Bahá’ís, but Bahá’ís cannot collect debts from others.
Bahá’í farms and orchards are not safe from depredation. The police collaborate with those who instigate mobs to overrun Bahá’í farms and orchards. The local bank gives no credit to Bahá’í firms.
—NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY
AUGUST, 1956
PRAY FOR OUR SUFFERING BRETHREN IN IRAN, NATIONAL ASSEMBLY ASKS[edit]
The National Spiritual Assembly, deeply moved by the oppressive conditions still suffered by the Bahá’ís in Írán, invites the believers throughout the United States to unite in prayers to Bahá’u’lláh for the removal of their burdens and the achievement of their spiritual freedom and rights.
May our hearts be imbued with loving concern for these fellow-believers residing in the land where the Faith of God was first proclaimed, the Báb was cruelly slain, Bahá’u’lláh was imprisoned and the blood of the martyrs was poured forth in sacrifice to consecrate their souls to God.
That the land of Persia, and the city of Ṭihrán, have a special destiny to fulfill in this Promised Day was attested by Bahá’u’lláh in Gleanings, pages 196, 219, 305, 104, 110, 120, 121 and 228.
In order to set a definite time and an appropriate occasion for this nation-wide prayer, the National Spiritual Assembly designates the Nineteen Day Feast of August 20, celebrated between sunset on August 19 and sunset on August 20. As to the prayer or prayers, the Tablet of Aḥmad is suggested, but the selection is left to the discretion of the friends in each community or group.
—NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY
28 STATES RECOGNIZE BAHÁ’Í MARRIAGES[edit]
Up to April 21, 1956, a total of 28 States (including Territories of Alaska and Hawaii, and the District of Columbia) have recognized the authority of one or more local Assemblies to conduct a legal Bahá’í marriage. All incorporated Assemblies which have not received this authority are expected to apply for it so that Bahá’ís in the vicinity may have a Bahá’í ceremony.
—NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY
Newly acquired Hazíratu’l-Quds of the National Spiritual Assembly of Canada at
Toronto, purchased on May 10, 1956. The dedication ceremonies will be held all
September 30.
EXPLAIN PROVISIONS FOR TAX DEDUCTIONS[edit]
Acting on the recommendation of the Forty-Eighth Annual Convention, the National Spiritual Assembly has prepared the following summary of income tax considerations related to contributions and bequests to the Bahá’í Faith.
Under the federal income tax provisions, a citizen can deduct from his income the amount he has donated to religious and other recognized humanitarian bodies up to a total of 30 per cent of his income for the year. Thus, donations to the National Bahá’í Fund or to the treasurer of a local Assembly give the benefit of this deduction to the Bahá’í taxpayer. Donations to a religious body located outside the United States are not deductible.
While state statutes differ in regard to bequests, and an attorney should be consulted in preparation of a will and testament by a Bahá’í, federal estate taxes exempt religious bequests, and most if not all states also exempt them from inheritance taxes up to a certain proportion of the estate. It is very important in providing for a Bahá’í bequest to designate very accurately the religious character of the body receiving the bequest. For example: “National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States, the national administrative body of the Bahá’í religion in the United States, whose principal office is located at Wilmette, County of Cook, Illinois.”
—NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY
UNITED NATIONS DAY[edit]
All local Assemblies wishing to join in the nation-wide observance of United Nations Day on October 24, 1956, are requested to appoint a member of the Assembly or community to serve as U.N. Day Correspondent so that information and materials prepared by this Committee may be forwarded without delay. Please send the name and address of the Correspondent to the following address before August 20, 1956:
Mrs. Lee Blackwell
30 Grace Avenue
Great Neck, L.I., N.Y
—NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY
[Page 5]BAHA’I NEWS
5
INTERCONTINENTAL COMMITTEES[edit]
Europe
CEREMONIES DEDICATE HAZÍRATU’L-QUDS AT THE HAGUE[edit]
The dedication of the Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds in The Hague, Holland, took place on May 20, 1956, at 9:30 A.M., preceding the opening of the Benelux Conference. About 70 Bahá’ís attended, representing nine countries.
When they entered the rooms, all were deeply moved by the beauty which met their gaze. The sun streamed through the windows, and great branches of Japanese cherry blossoms overhung the scene, giving the atmosphere the breathless quality of Spring.
Huge bowls of tulips, every species imaginable, were placed on tables, the floor, and the mantel. At the speaker’s table a low, wide-spread floral arrangement of sweet peas filled the air with fragrance.
Opening Greetings
The dedication services opened with a greeting from Mr. Beets, expressing gratitude for the presence of so many who had come so far, and for the lovely gifts and flowers. He greeted especially the Hand of the Cause of God, Dr. Herman Grossmann, who had so graciously accepted the invitation to speak on this special occasion.
The recorded music of a Bach Brandenburg Concerto filled the room, while the singing of the birds through the open windows mingled with the melodic beauty of the Concerto.
Special prayers and readings from the Bahá’í Writings were read in French, German, and Dutch.
Then Dr. Grossmann arose, and with his face beaming with love, spoke of the great significance of this building. He said that these Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds are buildings made of brick, made by man, but nevertheless they are different.
Significance of Center
“They are institutions given by God through the mouth of the Manifestation. That is why they are different from other buildings. But the Spirit can only come into this building if we are ready to accept the fact that these Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds are different from other buildings . . . and it is our responsibility to see that they are different.
“There are few Bahá’ís in the world compared to other groups. But these few are known throughout the world to be different. If Bahá’ís do something, it is different than if others do . . . for the shortcomings of others are taken naturally, but the public expects Bahá’ís to be perfect. This gives a tremendous responsibility to every believer. In this same way, even Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds are different from other buildings!”
Center Is First Step
He spoke of the fact that “This building was the beginning of the realization of the establishment of our own national body, and that it would depend upon our own efforts as to how long it would take. The acquisition of the Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds is the first step. Bahá’ís know this, but to the public it is our National Center. So at present we must not think it is only a small building in The Hague. It is different. The non-Bahá’í world expects the Bahá’ís to make it a real Bahá’í Center.
“There are many many people in the world who expect Bahá’ís to save humanity. We shall enter this house in the proper spirit and dedicate our knowledge and love for the sake of humanity, because God wishes this.”
Dr. Grossmann related in detail the many interesting stories in connection with the purchase of the temple site in Germany. One of the clergy had said, “Christianity is in danger because 600 Bahá’ís are building a temple!”
Professor Zeine-Zeine followed Dr. Grossmann to the speaker’s table. He apologized in his charming way for presuming to add “his footnote
Bahá’ís attending the Italo-Swiss Conventionm held in Bern, Switzerland, April 28-30, 1956.
AUGUST, 1956
talk to the so-inspiring one of Dr. Grossmann.”
Meaning of Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds
He also spoke of the fact that these Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds are buildings different from other buildings. He said, “Ḥaẓira in Arabic would mean an enclosure to keep sheep, or to protect them from wolves. El-Quds means sanctified, a spiritual fortress. That is the spirit in which we should enter these buildings, and we should give thanks to all those who have made it possible.”
He quoted ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: “Lift up your heads above the present; look with eyes of faith into the future. Rejoice and be glad that this day is here. Try to realize its power. God has crowned you with honor. Verily, the light thereof shall brighten the whole world.”
The dedication services closed with prayers. The last note of beauty came when the sweet strains of a prayer chanted by a young Persian girl filled the air with its melody.
—ELEANOR HOLLIBAUGH
Western Hemisphere
EVERY GOAL OPENED, WHTC ANNOUNCES[edit]
Another victory of the World Crusade has been achieved with the recent announcement of the Western Hemisphere Teaching Committee that every virgin goal in the Western Hemisphere has been opened to the Bahá’í Faith.
“The army of pioneers has helped to make these new conquests for Bahá’u’lláh,” the Committee’s publication, The Crusader, states. “Today, the army in the Western Hemisphere stands at 140 pioneers and 3 youths.
“With each passing month, the army grows. The prayers of the Guardian and the new victories are releasing a new sense of dedication, new ideas, and new actions.”
Other World Crusade achievements include an increase of 150% in the number of local Spiritual Assemblies in Alaska, and a total of 15 newly formed local Assemblies throughout the Western Hemisphere, as follows: Key West, Florida, 1; Alaska, 2; Antilles, 2; South America, 3; and Central America, 7.
Statistics on the growth of the Faith in South America will be
First Local Spiritual Assembly of Monterrey, Mexico, formed on April 21, 1956.
found on page 13 of this issue of
BAHÁ’Í NEWS.
In the area under the jurisdiction of the National Spiritual Assembly of Central America, including the Antilles, the following cities elected new local Assemblies on April 21, 1956: David, Panama; Puntarenas, Costa Rica; La Lima, Honduras; Santa Ana, El Salvador; El Quiche, Guatemala; Monterrey, Mexico; St. Marc and Cap Haitien, Haiti; and Hamilton, Bermuda.
There are now 30 local Spiritual Assemblies and 13 groups in Central America and the Antilles.
Pioneer Letters
The Crusader has published a selection of letters from these pioneers that reflects the dedication and faith of these servants of Bahá’u’lláh, excerpted as follows:
The Neffs, Guatemala
“It is difficult to put into Words our deep thankfulness to Bahá’u’lláh for being allowed this blessed privilege of serving in this way. We felt extremely useless at first, but then Bahá’u’lláh gave us the opportunity every Saturday afternoon to teach English for one hour to a new be liever and his family, and then the Bahá’í Faith for one hour. How did we do it, knowing only a half dozen Spanish words? Simple, when God shows you how.
“They wanted to teach us Spanish for the English lessons, so — an inspiration on high — together we would read aloud the Spanish edition of the New Era. They were able to comprehend what they read, and hated for dusk to come when the reading had to be discontinued so that we could return home.
“A lowly servant, who can neither read or write, finally confesses to you that she loves ‘Abdu’l-Bahá's picture, stands before him when she is depressed, and prays to him to help her (before she has even been told who he is). She recognizes his strength and greatness. and she asks you about him. It is then you realize why you were sent to your particular goal city. You are able to sort out your few Spanish words, and with pantomime you are able to tell this daughter about ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the Exemplar. The unquestioned love and acceptance of these beautiful truths by the illiterate servant and daughter makes you ‘sit on a cloud’ when you realize that you were granted the privilege of telling in a foreign language the Message of Bahá’u’lláh.”
Emma Lawrence, Costa Rica
“The Bahá’í Center in this town is at last a reality, and Brotherhood Week was observed there. It is amazing how seats, benches, a table, and an oil lamp have materialized out of thin air. Our contacts are still with us at the new place, and I have a feeling that the Faith is on the point of breaking out all over town. There seems to be new contacts at every meeting . . . sometimes they do not attend the next, but soon they show up again.”
[Page 7]BAHA’I NEWS
7
Rezsi Sunshine, Bolivia
“I am happy . . . the doors to the teaching are open: radio stations, newspapers, etc. I am busy almost every moment. There are officially two public meetings at my house a week, all advertised in newspapers and on the radio. Besides this, I give private lessons in homes, for those who cannot come to the meetings. And there are the Indians. I am to visit four villages of Indians once every week, give English lessons free, and teach the Faith.
“Let me assure you of this: I would not exchange one hour of my pioneering in Bolivia for a year of all that the Queen of England’s pomp and glory can offer.”
Ruth Yancey, Honduras
“Any doubts which I may have entertained before my arrival have been completely erased, This is the most wonderful experience in my life, and I can’t thank Bahá’u’lláh enough for granting me the privilege of contributing some infinitesmal part to this Great Spiritual Drama.”
Asia
ENROLL MANY BELIEVERS IN PACIFIC ISLANDS[edit]
Through the Asian Teaching Committee of Central America we have received interesting news of the progress of the teaching work in the Pacific Islands under their supervision.
In the Gilbert and Ellice Islands, opened by the arrival of Mr. and Mrs. Roy Fernie in March 1954, 123 native believers have enrolled. Four local Spiritual Assemblies were elected on April 21 this year, and five groups have been formed. The local Spiritual Assembly of Tuarabu is officially registered and recognized by the British Colonial Government.
Mrs. Fernie and the first Gilbertese believer, Mr. Peter Kanere, have almost completed translating a collection of the Bahá’í prayers, Hidden Words, and excerpts from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Additional pioneers are urgently needed to help with the teaching work.
The Marshall Islands, vacated for several months when it became necessary for Mrs. Marcia Stewart Atwater to leave, now have another Bahá’í pioneer in the person of Mrs. Betty Klaas, a believer from Honolulu.
The Tuamotu Archipelago, where the famous raft “Kon Tiki” ended its adventurous voyage on the coral reefs of the Island of Raroia, now claims three native believers. They, together with the Bahá’í pioneer, Mr. Jean Sevin, are actively teaching in some one hundred of four hundred islands in this South Pacific group.
—ASIA TEACHING COMMITTEE
First Local Spiritual Assembly of Coachabamba, Bolivia, formed
on April 21, 1956.
HONG KONG PIONEERS REPORT ACTIVITIES[edit]
Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Y. Seto, American pioneers in Hong Kong, have sent a very interesting report of their activities during the first six months of this year, which is summarized as follows:
As a result of a series of informal meetings, firesides and study classes, four new Bahá’ís were enrolled, bringing the community membership to twelve, two of whom were under the age of twenty-one years. Thus, it was possible to form the first local Spiritual Assembly of Hong Kong this year.
Mrs. Seto has made many fine contacts for the Faith through her activities with the United Nations Association. She was chairman of one of their public meetings during UN Week in October, and was asked to serve as chairman of its social committee. A tea given by Mr. and Mrs. Seto in January for a number of the Association members turned into a complete Bahá’í meeting at which Mrs. Seto spoke of the Faith and presented pamphlets to all of the guests. She was later requested to record this talk for possible broadcast over the local radio.
On April 7 the Setos were guests at another tea given by one of the members of the United Nations Association who is very Prominent in musical circles, and on April 24 were among the thirty guests at a dinner given by the Treasurer of the Association in his home. Among them were prominent business men, a professor of Hong Kong University, the Commissioner for India, and several women prominent in the cultural life of Hong Kong.
Mrs. Seto is also a member of the Hong Kong Council of Women, a non-political organization consisting of women of different nationalities, all very interested in world affairs.
The report concludes with the statement that Bahá’í literature has been presented to the head of the Department of Oriental Studies of Hong Kong University, who received it with warm appreciation and the assurance that it would be read with great interest.
—ASIA TEACHING COMMITTEE
AUGUST, 1956
For Christian Contacts[edit]
by George Townshend
The following article, taken from the Bahá’í Journal, published by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the British Isles presents a point of view of interest to Christians as well as Bahá’ís.
No Christian objection to the claims of Bahá’u’lláh is made more commonly or more confidently than the statement that the Revelation of Jesus Christ is final and absolute, that the Spirit of Truth came at Pentecost or that Christ is the ‘Promised One of All Ages’, ‘the Lord of Hosts’, and the object of all the great titles, ‘the mighty God’, ‘the everlasting Father’, ‘the Prince of Peace’, and the rest in Isaiah ix, 6, and that therefore there is no need or room for a further revelation or a new prophet, whether Bahá’u’lláh or any other.
But no objection is more easily refuted from the pages of the Bible itself than is this. The followers of every world religion (except that of Bahá’u’lláh) claim finality: without being able to give any proof of it. Christ, however, says positively, ‘Other things I have to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now,’ thus revealing in one breath that His teaching is neither final nor absolute, but is measured to the capacity of the hearer, and that more is to follow. There is nothing in history to indicate either that the Spirit of Truth spoke to the disciples at Pentecost or that the Christian Churches have since then been guided unto all truth.
Christ Himself never made the assertion that He was the ‘Promised One of All Ages’ or ‘the Lord of Hosts’; nor did any of the apostles, nor indeed is it to be found in the Bible. Peter’s mighty declaration of faith on which the Christian Church is built (Matthew xvi, 16) is simply that ‘Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God’.
Furthermore, Jesus expressly denied that He was the ‘Prince of Peace’ when he said (Matthew x, 34), ‘Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword’. He denied that ‘the government shall be upon His shoulder . . . to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice, from henceforth even for ever’ (Isaiah ix, 6-7) when He said (John xviii, 36) ‘My kingdom is not of this world’. He disclaimed that He was the ‘everlasting Father’ when He said ‘my Father is greater than I’ (John xiv, 28) or that He was ‘the mighty God’ when He affirmed that ‘God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son’ (John iii, 16). Yet again, Moses’ great prophecy in Deuteronomy xxviii, 63-68; xxx, 1-5 makes it plain that Jesus Christ is not to be identified with him whom Isaiah described in ix, 6-7, for when the Restorer of the Jews came to earth Moses predicted He would find that the kingdom of the Jews had been utterly destroyed in Palestine, that it had been plucked out of the land, and that the Jewish people for their sins and crimes had for long ages been scattered in misery and degradation among the nations of the earth. Then, Moses continued, the Lord would regather His ancient people in compassion, as soon as they had learned to believe in the one true God, would establish them in peace, prosperity and honour in the home of their forefathers for ever. But when Jesus Christ appeared in Palestine the Jews were still settled securely in the country. Their scattering did not begin till after the fall of Jerusalem in the year A.D. 70.
It is in the Bahá’í Era, not the Christian, that Moses’ prophecy of the restoration of the Jews is being fulfilled. The year 1844 is an important date in the progress of the emancipation of the Jews and their regathering into Palestine. It is the date of the great ‘Declaration of Independence’. The Jews ever since have been in the process of their restoration, which will be completed, as Moses foretold, when they have learned to accept Bahá’u’lláh as their true Messiah.
All these commonly made objections to the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh are merely human traditions which it is impious to accept when they contradict the word of God itself.
Group of the Bahá’ís of Tuarabu Village, Gilbert Islands.
[Page 9]BAHÁ’Í NEWS
9
Local Spiritual Assembly of Nice, France, elected on April 21, 1956.
From this fantastic delusion that
Christ Jesus is not only the Son of
God but also the Father in heaven
has flowed another consequence, not
the less mortal, perhaps, because it
is often overlooked altogether by
both pew and pulpit.
It has secularized human history for centuries past, and has materialized and demoralized the whole atmosphere of Western action.
The way in which such a result has come about is as follows:
The Old Testament reveals human history as being concerned not only with Man but with Man and God too; and with God as no secondary figure. God is the creator, man his creature; God is master and man his servant; God is all dominant, man has to learn to obey and submit.
These two figures are bound together by the terms of an inescapable covenant which really constitutes the shaping, directing, driving force of all history. It enshrines a promise that God will one day give to mankind the supreme blessedness of a redeemer who shall be the everlasting Father, the mighty God, on the performance of certain conditions.
We are shown through the prophets of Israel definite glimpses of what the Kingdom will be like—glimpses of something which has really already happened in the eternal world but which has not taken form on earth yet. A Bible Prophecy (of, say, Isaiah’s) is not merely a prediction; it is a true vision of something quite real which the prophet’s seership enables him to oversee.
When Jesus, the Son of God, is identified with the Father the Covenant is fulfilled. The Great One promised is come. The Covenant has no longer a place in the progress of mankind. History begins to follow a new principle. In the time of Moses and of Christ there was among all true monotheists only one kind of history. God through His Covenant designed and carried out the destinies of man. Now in this Christian era there appears another kind of history. The dictionary distinguishes “sacred history”, which deals with the events in the Bible narrative, from “secular history”, which deals with events since Bible times. In “secular history” the Covenant is dropped. God is no longer dominant, acting the major part of the story as all-powerful, the judge and arbiter of men and kings and nations. God is no longer the omniscient, the Omnipotent designer of events and of their outcome; He is no longer the jealous, watchful overlord, the King of kings who rewards or punishes his vassals, condemns them or acquits, deposes or exalts according to His own will and determination. On the contrary, events are estimated on a purely human basis. Kings, governments and statesmen no longer seek to act and live according to the Covenant. The fear of God has disappeared as a deterrent from wrong action. The historians of Christendom write on the same basis as did those of Greece and Rome; as Herodotus or Livy or Tacitus, Edward Gibbon or Macaulay, Grote and Lecky and the rest, with the world historians and the national historians and continental historians—all treat history as a merely secular affair. None of them is able to see any meaning or plot or progress in the pattern of human happenings. Some of them confess and comment on this inability. “I can see”, says one of the most learned of them all, H. A. L Fisher, in his History of Europe, “only one emergency following upon another as wave follows upon wave, only one great fact with respect to which there can be no generalizations, only one safe note for the historians; that he should recognize in the development of human destinies the play of the contingent and the unforeseen”.
And religious history and church history—are they not from the Covenant point of view, secularized too?
The broad result has been that not only the Covenant but the role of God himself has disappeared from modern history. For all who read in schools and college the works of historians, life is secularized.
Meantime the Covenant of God proceeds upon it course as declared by the Bible, Mankind moves upon his appointed road towards the Kingdom. Unseen by the secular historian, and by every reader who acepts his point of view, Jesus Christ is succeeded by Muḥammad, Muḥammad by the Báb, the Báb by the Lord of Hosts, the Everlasting Father himself; and Christendom at last has come to a dead end and finds itself lost. No secular historian can explain the crisis or bring comfort. Sacred history alone can solve the enigma. The Bible holds the key. But the only people who can trace the real course of the Covenant are those who (as the Bahá’ís) have not misidentified Christ with the Father, but in simple Faith have regarded all history as sacred history, as ruled by the everlasting covenant, as designed, directed and controlled by the changeless will of the one omniscient and omnipotent God who is the creator of all and the Master of all.
AUGUST, 1956
First Local Spiritual Assembly of Huancayo, Peru, formed on
April 21, 1956.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS[edit]
Australia, New Zealand
PROGRESS CITED IN ANNUAL REPORT[edit]
The National Spiritual Assembly of Australia and New Zealand has summarized activities for 1955-1956 in their Annual Reports, which includes the following excerpts of special interest:
“The National Spiritual Assembly deeply appreciates the sacrifices made both in the teaching and in the administrative field, and brings before the friends the increasing need to arise with still greater fervour to meet the burden of the ever-increasing tasks of the Ten-Year Crusade.
“There are 103 Bahá’í centers, including 17 Assemblies, 41 Groups, and 45 isolated believers.
“The sum of $1000 was donated by Mrs. Amelia Collins, Hand of the Cause of God, for the purchase of a Bahá’í endowment in New Zealand.
“The goal islands of Cocos and Loyalty were achieved during the year, though the pioneers were able to remain only a short time in the area.
“The Bahá’í community of Suva, Fiji, found itself in the unique position of being able to register its Assembly as a Religious Body. It has been found possible to incorporate in Tasmania, Western Australia and South Australia, Queensland, and finally, a favourable report on New South Wales possibilities may open the way to incorporation in that State.
“A request by Shoghi Effendi that increased assistance be given to the New Zealand friends resulted in four visiting teachers going to New Zealand from October to and including March 1956.
“After much preliminary effort a number of our 14 (goal) languages have been translated, and preparation made to obtain some of the remaining translations.
“Upon the instruction of Shoghi Effendi a committee is to be formed to deal with contact work with Australian native people. A similar committee is to be established to contact the Maori people of New Zealand."
Goals
Progress in spreading the Faith has been reported in the following virgin goals: New Hebrides, Society, Mentawai, Portuguese Timer, Admiralty, Loyalty, and Cocos Islands; and in the following consolidation goals: New Caledonia, Bismark Archipelago, Papua, and Fiji Islands.
Translations have been made into the following languages: Kusaie (two prayers and the pamphlet produced by the American Indian Service Committee), Lifu (Principles of the Faith), Marquesas (the French pamphlet L’Appel Mondial de Bahá’u’lláh), Mentawai (The Bahá’í Faith), Mwala, Niue, Tonga (The Faith of Bahá’u’lláh, Descendant of Abraham), and Samoan. Bahá’í literature has also been translated into these extra languages: Roviana, Pidgin English, Tahitian, Nias, and Tapariuly.
In South Australia Naracoorte, Pt. Pirie, Salisbury, Lobethal, Tanunda, Kadina, Wallaroo, and Berri have been named goal cities.
New Plymouth and Wellington are goal cities in New Zealand.
Goal cities in New South Wales include Bathurst, Glen Innes, Nowra, Maitland, Griffith, Liverpool, Tamworth, Gosford, and Paramatta.
POST-CONVENTION INSTITUTE HELD AT SYDNEY[edit]
Bahá’í Bulletin, published by the National Spiritual Assembly of Australia and New Zealand, gives details of a post-Convention Teaching Institute conducted by the Regional Teaching Committee for New South Wales, held at the Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds in Sydney.
Purpose of the Institute was to deepen the knowledge of the Faith, and to stimulate interest by the exchange of ideas.
Topics included “Deepening the Inner Spiritual Life,” “Teaching Points,” Truth Challenged by Contemporary Facts,” “The Bahá’í in a non-Bahá’í World,” and “The Great Design.”
WORDS OF WISDOM[edit]
The estence of wisdom is the fear of God, on dread of His scourge and the apprehension of His justice and decree.
BWF, 140
[Page 11]BAHA’I NEWS
11
NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH WEST AFRICA FORMED AT CONVENTION IN TUNIS[edit]
The first convention of the Bahá’ís of North West Africa, held in the city of Tunis April 3 to May 1, 1956, brought together seventy delegates and visitors from twenty—five territories in North and West Africa to elect the first National Spiritual Assembly of North West Africa and to establish yet another pillar for the erection of the future Universal House of Justice.
Mr. Enoch Olinga, Convention Secretary, has prepared a very full report from which the following highlights have been gleaned.
Mr. ’Abdu.I-Rahim Yazdi, chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly of Egypt and Sudan (now included in the National Spiritual Assembly of North East Africa) Welcomed the delegates and the revered Hand of the Cause in Africa, Mr. Musa Banéni, who was present as the Guardian's special representative.
The opening prayers were read in Persian, English, and Ateso, and throughout the entire convention the business was conducted in Arabic, French, Persian, English, and Spanish. Miss Elsie Austin served as convention chairman and Mr. Enoch Olinga as convention secretary.
Message From Guardian[edit]
As in all Bahá’í conventions, the high point was the message from the Guardian. “While still swimming in the sea of joy, of delight and happiness there carne what appeared to be a thunderbolt which . . . produced a splendor of light and showed the assembled delegates what lay in’ their path.” This was the Guardian’s special supplementary message addressed to all four of the African conventions, published on page 1 of this issue of BAHÁ’Í NEWS. After expressing his joy and thankfulness for “the magnificent feats which have been accomplished in recent years . . . over this highly receptive, spiritually famished and long down-trodden continent—the nest of the Negro race," the Guardian called upon the new-born Regional National Spiritual Assemblies to “signalize the opening of the third phase of the World Crusade” through the formulation of subsidiary Seven-Year Plans whose nine objectives he clearly defined, and on which the delegates were to concentrate their deliberations.
In his speech, the Hand of the Cause, Mr. Banáni, urged all the delegates to ponder carefully the message of the Guardian “and to translate all their gratitude to him in action”, by the rededication of themselves and the sacrifice of their comforts “for the further spiritual attainments which had placed the blessed continent in the forefront of the teaching work from the very start of the world-girdling spiritual drama launched by the entire Bahá’í World Community.” Later in the convention, each of the friends were anointed by Mr. Banání with attar of rose sent to him by the Guardian for this special purpose.
Progress of Faith[edit]
Messages of greetings and best wishes came from many countries, local Spiritual Assemblies, committees and individuals. The delegates gave stirring accounts of the progress of, and the difficulties confronting, the Faith in their respective localities. and “fact-finding” committees were appointed to furnish information and to open the consultation on various objectives called for in the Guardian’s letter. On the second day a message was cabled to the Guardian pledging the resolve of the delegates to “exert utmost (effort) (to) execute (the) sacred wishes,” expressed in the Guardian’s convention message. To this came the prompt reply: “Deeply appreciate resolve delegates. Supplicating abundant blessings discharge befittingly responsibilities attain goals plan. Deepest love.”
The election of the National Spiritual Assembly, the thrilling and exciting purpose of the convention, resulted in the election of the following members: Mr. Enoch Olinga, Miss Elsie Austin, Mr. S. Ghadimi, Mr. William Foster, Mr. Mustapha Bouchoucha, Mr. S. Riad Ruhani, Miss Valerie Wilson, Mr. Rowshan Mustapha, and Mr. Khamiri. At the first meeting of this newly formed institution, the following officers were elected: Chairman, Miss Elsie Austin; Vice-Chairman, Mr. Mustapha Bouchoucha; Secretary, Mr. Rowshan Mustapha; Treasurer, Mr. S. Ghadimi.
Recommendations of Committees[edit]
Each of the six committees appointed to report and make recommendations to the delegates for consultation addressed itself to one or more of the nine objectives set forth in the Guardian’s convention message to the four African conventions. These included consideration of the manner in which to in
Delegates and visitors attending the First National Convention of the Bahá’ís of
North West Africa at Tunis.
AUGUST, 1956
corporate the newly formed National Assembly, opening the remaining virgin territories, translations, teaching, pioneering, means for reaching the most difficult areas, and the inauguration of a National Fund. The lastnamed subject was introduced by a committee that reported that “probably the only news they had to tell the convention” was their own contributions to the Fund. This shining example of devotion and sacrifice “produced such a tremendously reverberating effect” that “tears streamed as donations rained on the table,” including precious jewelry and pieces of rich cloth.
Among the special recommendations made by the delegates was, that of the amount contributed, one-fourth be earmarked for the erection of the Temple in Kampala and one—tenth for the African Continental Fund.
The problem of literature received much consultation and it was recommended that a special committee be appointed to study the needs of the different communities and to prepare literature suited to the particular needs of the various localities.
Methods of Teaching[edit]
The committee on teaching recommended that Bahá’í literature be translated immediately into all five major languages of that part of the continent, with priority being given to Spanish; that the new National Assembly help new believers to overcome their fears of persecution by supplying them with information about the persecutions of the early supporters of the Faith and of other religions, as well as with current news of persecutions of Bahá’ís in other territories. Itinerant teaching, special study classes for prospective pioneers, and the establishment of social and cultural activities as well as classes in sewing, reading, and writing were recommended as ways of increasing teaching opportunities and activities.
In consultation on the problems encountered by some of the pioneers a number of very practical ideas evolved as to how they might achieve permanent settlement on a self-supporting basis.
Throughout the entire convention the delegates concentrated their every thought on “ways and means through which they Could fulfill the wishes which the beloved Guardian
First Regional National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of North
West Africa.
cherished for the spread of the Faith
on the continent.” As they parted
for their homes they Carried in their
hearts the Guardian’s assurance
that the “combined efforts of the
faithful” would be aided by “the
manifold blessings of Bahá’u’lláh”
to produce “in the years to come, a
harvest which will infinitely ennoble
the record of unforgettable achievement associated with the rise of the
Faith of Bahá’u’lláh and the establishment of His Word in the African
Continent.”
Central America
HAVANA CONVENTION TERMED GREAT SUCCESS[edit]
The Sixth Annual Convention of the Bahá’ís of Central America, Mexico, and the Antilles was held in the Hotel Plaza at Havana, Cuba, from April 22 to 26, 1956, and was very successful.
This report is contained in Bahá’í News of Central America, published by the National Spiritual Assembly of Central America.
A total of 33 Bahá’ís were present, including delegates and visitors, as well as members of the Havana community.
The outstanding events of the Convention included the following:
1. Reading of the Guardian’s Convention Message.
2. Report of the National Assembly stating the activities carried out during 1955-1956, of which the following are cited: (a) The purchase of eight Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds and nine National Endowments in these countries: Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, Cuba, and the Dominican Republic. (b) Establishment of nine new local Spiritual Assemblies, (C) The announcement that nine new pioneers have arisen during the year. (d) Establishment of four Assemblies and five groups in the Gilbert and Ellice Islands.
3. Election of the new National Spiritual Assembly.
4. Commemoration of the Feast of Riḍván, when the new Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds of Havana was officially inaugurated.
5. Public conference.
6. Special publicity in Cien Fuegos, Cuba, including visits to the offices of the two daily newspapers, the city authorities, the Chamber of Commerce, and the site of the National Endowment there.
[Page 13]BAHA’I NEWS
13
Bahá’í community of Key West, Fla., which reached Assembly status on April 21, 1956. Two members were not present for this photograph.
South America
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY LISTS YEAR’S ACTIVITIES[edit]
The Annual Report of the National Spiritual Assembly of South America, summarizing the accomplishments of the past year, includes many items of international interest, Excerpts from the Report follow:
The work done by the members of the Auxiliary Board to the American Hands of the Cause is gaining importance, and the fruits of their visits to the Bahá’í communities and groups of the South American continent may be seen in increased enthusiasm and dedication to the teaching work. Margot Worley, Gayle Woolson, Katherine McLaughlin, and William deForge visited a total of 44 localities under the jurisdiction of this National Assembly.
Publications[edit]
The following publications were made during the year: In Spanish, The Bahá’í Faith, Bahá’í—A World Faith, Prophecies Fulfilled, What Is The Bahá’í Faith, Spiritual Resolution of Social and Economic Problems, Kitáb-í-Íqán, Norms of Bahá’í Administration, and Bahá’u’lláh and the New Era; In Portuguese, Renewal of Civilization. The following books in Spanish are in the process of revision: Bahá’í Prayers, Bahá’í Proofs, and Gleanings. The books Kitáb-í-Íqán and Norms of Bahá’í Administration are being translated into Portuguese.
Translations[edit]
The pamphlet The Coming of the Messengers of God was translated and published in Quechua; another pamphlet, The Bahá’í Faith, has been translated into Quechua and will be published soon. The Coming of the Messengers of God has been translated into Aymara and Will be published soon. Basic Facts About The Bahá’í Faith was translated and published in Maori in the Cook Islands, and a prayer book is being translated into that language.
Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds[edit]
In accordance with the goals set by the Guardian, houses were bought in the capital cities of Santiago, Chile; Asuncion, Paraguay; La Paz, Bolivia; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Quito, Ecuador; Bogota, Colombia; Montevideo, Uruguay; and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, which will serve as the Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds of the future National Spiritual Assemblies of those countries. The purchase of these houses was made possible by our beloved Guardian’s contributions of $1000 for each one, the contribution of Mrs. Amelia Collins of $1000 for each one, and the generous help of the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, who furnished the rest of the amount spent.
Also thanks to the contribution of $1000 for each of the ten countries in the Continent by Mrs. Amelia Collins, it was possible to buy land which will serve as the endowment for the future National Spiritual Assemblies in Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, Venezuela, Colombia, and land for the endowment in Chile was donated by Fabienne Guillon in Loncoche, and for the endowment in Brazil land was donated by Leonora Armstrong.
New Assemblies, Groups[edit]
It gives us great joy to announce the formation of three new Local Spiritual Assemblies in South America in April, 1956: in Huancayo. Peru; in Cochabamba, Bolivia; and in Ezeiza, Argentina, making a total of 25 Local Spiritual Assemblies on the Continent.
Since the Fifth Annual Convention of 1955, eight new groups were formed in South America, in the following cities: Zarate and Burzaco, Argentina; Santo Andre and Sao Caetano, Brazil; Loncoche and Puerto Varas, Chile; and Arequipa and Trujillo, Peru, making a total of 25 groups in South America.
Indian Teaching[edit]
There are now Bahá’ís in a total of 31 isolated centers in the continent.
The first fruit of the Indian teaching work, begun this year, was the entrance of a civilized Indian as a member of the Bahá’í community of Bahia, Brazil. A Bahá’í recently went to live among the Indians in Chuquisaca, Bolivia, to give the message, and a new Bahá’í of Arequipa, Peru, has secured a teaching job in Puno, a region of the Peruvian highlands where there are so many Indians.
It makes us sad to think that this Convention (1956) is the last one in which all of the Bahá’ís of the Continent will be united, but knowing that it is a necessary step in the progress of the Cause, we are looking forward with much anticipation and enthusiasm to the two conventions which will be held in the South and in the North of South America in 1957.
—DOROTHY CAMPBELL
Secretary
AUGUST, 1956
Navajo students attending the adult education class held each Saturday at the Bahá’í Indian Center in Gallup, N. Mex. Although none of these woman ever attended school, some are beginning to read English, using old school textbooks.
NATIONAL NEWS[edit]
PRESS PUBLICIZES BAHÁ’Í INDIAN CENTER[edit]
The Independent, a daily newspaper in Gallup, N. Mex., published the photograph of Navajo women attending the adult education classes at the Bahá’í Indian Center there, which appears in this issue of BAHÁ’Í NEWS.
The picture appeared with an article announcing the publication of the Navajo booklet, A New Day Comes, containing the translated selections from the Bahá’í Writings. A good account of the purpose of the Bahá’í Faith, its basic truths, and its appreciation of the accomplishments of various people were also included. Mention was made of the English language classes, which attract Navajos from the reservation.
KETCHIKAN ASSEMBLY GAINED IN 2 YEARS[edit]
Ketchikan was designated a virgin goal city, along with five other Alaskan cities, by the Alaska Teaching Committee at the start of the World Crusade, who asked that three of the six be settled before Riḍván 1954.
In February 1954 the first pioneers, Georgine and Pat Moul, arrived in Ketchikan, attaining the first of the goals set for that year.
A little more than two years later, by Riḍván 1956, Ketchikan had enough Bahá’ís to elect an Assembly. The story of the development of this community to Assembly status in this brief period makes an exciting story of dedication, determination and action.
The Mouls were joined by Marguerite Meyer in March 1954. She stayed for two months until transferring to Juneau. While in Ketchikan she contacted Mrs. Vicki Jackson, and in July 1954 Mrs. Jackson became the first new believer enrolled in Alaska since the start of the World Crusade. In September 1954 Margaret Pirkey came to Ketchikan.
The next important step in the development of Ketchikan came in August 1955, with the visit of Florence Mayberry, member of the Auxiliary Board of the American Hands of the Cause. During her visit many people were contacted for the first time, and the first newspaper and radio publicity for the Faith was received.
A letter from one of the pioneers states, “About the first of the year 1956 our community decided we would have an Assembly by Riḍván or bust! We all recited the Tablet of Aḥmad daily for this purpose. We stepped up the pace of our firesides, and invited Bahá’ís we knew to settle in Ketchikan.”
In March 1956 Leo Baldwin arrived from the Anchorage Recording District Community. A few weeks later Don Anderson, who has been coming to firesides since shortly before Mrs. Mayberry’s visit declared himself. A week later Rex King arrived from the Anchorage Recording District. The number of Bahá’ís stood at seven, with Riḍván two weeks away.
Several days later Mrs. Sarah “Granny” Roberts declared herself at the wonderful age of 87 years, and word came that Robin Fowler, the first person to become a Bahá’í in the Yukon Territory of Canada, planned to come to Ketchikan to make the ninth Bahá’í. The Assembly was assured.
On the night of April 20 Mrs. Joyce Combs declared herself, becoming the first Alaskan believer of the Indian race, and representing two of the three major tribes of Alaskan Indians.
With ten Bahá’ís on April 21, an election was held. Afterward, one of the first acts of the new Ketchikan Local Spiritual Assembly was to enroll Miss Joyce Campbell as a new believer. She is a Youth, and is not only the first youth enrolled in Ketchikan, but is a representative of the third Indian tribe of Alaska.
Ketchikan now turns to its neighbor, Juneau, hoping to assist them enlarge the nucleus of three Bahá’ís there. In addition, several of the new Ketchikan believers are doing extention teaching work at Metlakatla, Alaska, while residing there temporarily, and local firesides hold promise of several more enrollments in the near future.
CATHEDRAL OF THE FINES MEETING HELD AT RINDGE[edit]
The sixth annual public meeting at Cathedral of the Pines, Rindge, N. H., was held on July 14. The program included organ music, readings from the Bahá’í Scriptures, an address titled “One Universal Faith,” and the “Prayer for all Nations.”
These annual meetings are sponsored by the Area Teaching Committee for the New England States.
[Page 15]BAHA’I NEWS
15
CHICAGO TV SHOWS FILMS OF TEMPLE[edit]
Residents within range of Television Station WBKB, Chicago, enjoyed a very unusual and interesting program on the Bahá’í House of Worship, Monday morning, June 25, during the regular “A.M. Show,” when Ronny Born spoke of the familiar Temple in Wilmette and presented a three-minute film of the interior of the auditorium. Besides excellent panoramic views of the interior of the dome and the texts in the nine alcoves, there were shots from inside the dome and upward through the ribs, views of the gardens and fountains from the dome, and a concluding close-up of one of the fountains in operation.
The short commentary mentioned the basic teachings of the Bahá’í Faith, the purpose of the Temple, its approximate cost, and the fact that it was built by the Bahá’ís alone.
That this program was offered at no cost whatever to the Bahá’ís is another evidence of the growing interest on the part of the general public in the Temple and what it stands for.
BAHÁ’Í IN THE NEWS[edit]
Wilmette Life for June 21, 1956 published a photograph of Mrs. Amelia Collins conducting some Bahá’í visitors through the Bahá’í gardens in Haifa, Israel. “Mrs. Amelia E. Collins, 121 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, has returned from Haifa, Israel, where she spent the winter at the Bahá’í World Center. As vice-president of the International Bahá’í Council, Mrs. Collins devotes the larger part of each year to international activities of the faith. Here she is shown . . . taking some Bahá’ís from New York and Karlsruhe, Germany, through the Bahá’í gardens in Haifa, Israel. The Bahá’ís were there as guests of Shoghi Effendi Rabbani, world head of the Bahá’í fait .”
Several selections from Gleanings have been sent to Mr. Wing Anderson for use in a forthcoming book containing prophecies Mr. Anderson has been collecting. From Bahá’í Writings he requested passages pertaining to the “coming world changes.”
Westport Town Crier & Herald, Westport, Conn., in its issue of
WORLD CRUSADE BUDGET[edit]
Fourth Year — 1956 - 1957
Annual Budget ............$500,000.00
Total Requirements
May 1 to July 15 ..... 104,000.00
Total Contributions
May 1 to July 15 ..... 82,300.00
—NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY
Thursday, June 14, 1956, ran a photograph of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Quigley taken in the Bahá’í gardens at Haifa while on pilgrimage to the World Center.
The Daily Journal — Gazette and Commerciul-Star, Mattoon, Illinois, published on May 17, 1956, the text of the NSA statement on “The Oneness of Mankind,” brought to the editor’s attention by Mr. L. Paul Harris of that city.
Decatur Herald, Decatur, Illinois, in its June 6th issue reprinted the Washington Post article on “Iran Fanatics Attack Bahá’ís.”
The Proceedings of the Pennsylvania Academy of Science, to be published in the autumn of 1956, will contain references to Bahá’í teachings on biological subjects.
Valdez Breeze, a mimeographed newspaper published in Valdez, Alaska, presented on May 26th, a paragraph describing the Bahá’í teaching on a Universal Language; and on June 2nd included a statement by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá on an International Tribunal. Ann Ashen is Business Manager and Home Editor of Valdez Breeze.
At the meeting of Wilmette Rotary Club on June 20, 1956, the President read a letter received from the Rotary Club of Herzlia-Kfar Shmariaher, Israel, containing these references to the Faith:
“It is a great pleasure for me to inform you that at our meeting of May 30th the international toast was given in honour of your Club. Our guest speaker was Leroy Ioas, the General Secretary (Secretary-Genenal) of the International Bahá’í Faith Association who delivered a very interesting talk on the Bahá’í Faith. Knowing that the biggest Bahá’í Temple is in Wilmette we considered it appropriate to raise our glasses to you.” (signed) L. A. Bar-Gur, Chairman, International Service Committee.
NATIONAL NEWS BRIEFS[edit]
The Local Spiritual Assembly of Stamford, Conn., is sponsoring a series of four “Connecticut Sundays for Study and Sociability” during the summer to which all the Connecticut Bahá’ís are invited. The first meeting was highlighted by talks during the day by William and Marguerite Sears.
Bahá’ís of the Central Illinois area held their annual picnic on June 24 at Old Salem State Park. There were Bahá’ís from Quincy, Urbano, Champaign, Glenwood, and Melrose Township, Illinois, and from Ṭihrán. Non-Bahá’í guests included visitors from East Africa and Pákistán.
The Episcopal Church of Howard University, Washington, D.C., and the School of Religion at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, were given the principles of the Faith by two Bahá’ís of Charlottesville, Va., recently. At Howard University the students represented the West Indies, East Africa, Madagascar, Ethiopia, and the Bahamas, as well as the United States. Both meetings brought forth many intelligent questions and favorable comment.
The Maui, Hawaii, Bahá’í community welcomed a visit from Mrs. Bula Mott Stewart, pioneer on Molokai Island. At a public meeting she spoke on “The Evolution of Religions,” and illustrated her talk with colored slides. Half of the audience were non-Bahá’ís.
San Francisco, Calif., Bahá’ís observed the Declaration of the Báb on May 22 with a restaurant dinner followed by a talk on the significance of the Day, and an Institute on ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Mission held at the Bahá’í Center.
Eugene W. King, a Tlinget Indian Bahá’í of Tacoma, Wash., spoke at a public meeting there on June 6, on “One Religion for Mankind.” Mr. King, although blind, is regularly employed in the papermaking industry and is active in Bahá’í work at Tacoma Indian Hospital.
The newly re-established Local Spiritual Assembly of Kansas City, Mo., was invited to present the principles of the Faith at the home of a minister of a local Presbyterian Church. A group of 20 young people were vitally interested in the discussion, asked many questions, and requested literature,
AUGUST, 1956
AREA NEWS BULLETINS[edit]
The East Central States Bulletin lists 11 groups in that area that have been adopted as localities where there is a good opportunity to achieve Assembly status by April 1957: Mishawaka and Kokomo, Ind.; Marysville and Pontiac, Mich.; and Kettering, Cleveland Hts., East Cleveland, Hinckley Twp., Lakewood, East Olmstead, and Findlay, Ohio.
“CHlLD’S WAY” BULLETIN ADDRESSES LISTED[edit]
Mrs. Betty Fiedler, 836 Cedar Terrace, Deerfield, Illinois, is the Secretary of Child’s Way bulletin. Address all correspondence and materials for Child’s Way to Mrs. Fiedler. Mail requests for subscriptions to Miss Banu Hassan, 1244 Maple Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois.
BAHÁ’Í PUBLISHING TRUST[edit]
The Bahá’í World, Vol. XII, 1950-1954. Contains nearly 1,000 pages of text and over 300 illustrations including beautiful, four-color frontis-piece of the Shrine of Báb and six large supplementary maps and charts, four in color. Covers the Bahá’í Holy Year and Jubilee events, dedication of the Bahá’í Temple in Wilmette, completion of the Shrine of the Báb, the Four Intercontinental Conferences, and many other of the most significant events in Bahá’í history. Bound in midnight blue.
Per copy (mailed within the U.S. or territories) $15.00
Per copy (mailed to any point outside the U.S.) $15.75
Available from
BAHÁ’Í PUBLISHING TRUST
110 Linden Avenue
Wilmette, Illinois
BAHÁ’Í HOUSE OF WORSHIP[edit]
Visiting Hours
Weekdays:
10:30 A.M.—4:30 P.M.
7:00 P.M.—9.00 P.M.
Sundays and Holidays:
10:30 A.M.— 9:00 P.M.
(Auditorium only will be open in the evenings)
Service of Worship
Sunday at 3:30 P.M., lasting until 4:15.
MARRIAGES[edit]
“Glory be unto Thee, O my God! Verily, this Thy servant and this Thy maid-servant have gathered under the shadow of Thy mercy and they are united through Thy favor and generosity. O Lord! Assist them in this Thy world and Thy Kingdom and amine for them every good through Thy bounty and grace . . .”
—BAHÁ’U’LLÁH
Maui, Hawaii: Miss Barbara Morione Ellrns to Mr. Edmund Dover on May 19, 1955.
Los Angeles, California: Mrs. Mona Dudley to Mr. Howard Shelton on June 9, 1958.
Chicazo, Illinois: Miss Helen Cuéllar to Mr. Michael T. Vaggalis on June 9, 1956.
Peoria, Illinois: Miss Judith Summers to Mr. Benjamin Abrams on June 10, 1956.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Miss Jamilih Yiganih to Mr. Khalil Alavi on June 12, 1956.
Wilmette, Illinois: Miss Barbara Hannen to Mr. Wayne G. Griffin on June 16, 1956.
Los Angeles, California: Mrs. Doris Evelyn McClain to Mr. Charles Thomas Bewley on June 17, 1956.
Los Angeles, California: Miss Arleen Gloria Crook to Mr. James Kenneth Wiley on June 22, 1956.
Peoria, Illinois: Miss Caroline Ann Zeigler to Mr. Willis Dean Delaney on June 30, 1956.
CALENDAR OF EVENTS[edit]
FEASTS[edit]
August 1 —— Kamál (Perfection)
August 20 — Asmá’ (Names)
NATIONAL SPRITUAL ASSEMBLY MEETING[edit]
August 31, September 1, 2, 3
IN MEMORIAM[edit]
“Death proffereth unto every confident believer the cup that is His indeed. It bestoweth joy, and is the bearer of qladness. It conferreth the gift of everlasting life.”
—BAHÁ’U’LLÁH
Mrs. Lois Coe
Quincy, Illinois
April 9, 1956
Mrs. Florence Bauer
Muskegon, Michigan
May 21, 1956
Mrs. Margaret Morris
Seattle, Washington
May 28, 1956
Mrs. Ruth O’Brien
Peoria, Illinois
May 31, 1955
Mr. Charles Cumberbatch
New York, New York
June 7, 1956
Mr. Ira Hightower
Chicago, Illinois
June 12, 1956
Mr. Harry Feinstein
Los Angeles, California
June 12, 1956
Mrs. Maud Duttlinger
Grand Rapids, Michigan
June 13, 1956
Mr. Christian Hofer
Akron, Ohio
June 16, 1956
Mr. H. A. Keeler
Chicago, Illinois
June 29, 1955
BAHA’I NEWS is published by the National Spiritual Assembly 02 the Bahá’ís of the United States as a news organ reporting current activities of the Bahá’í World Community
Reports, plans, news items and photographs of general interest are requested from national committees and local assemblies of the United States as well as from National Assemblies be other lands. Material is due in Wilmette on the first day of the month preceding the date of issue for which it is intended.
BAHA’I NEWS is edited by an annually appointed Editorial Committee. The Committee for 1956-57: Mrs. Eunice Braun, Miss Charlotte Linfoot, Mr. Richard C. Thomas.
Editorial Office: 110 Linden Avenue, Wilmette. Illinois, U.S.A.
Change of address should he reported directly to National Bahá’í Office, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois, U.S.A.