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| No. 380 | BAHA’I YEAR 119 | NOVEMBER, 1962 |
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Beloved Friends:
The days will shortly be here when we shall celebrate the Most Great Jubilee of the Cause of God, a date prophesied by the Prophet Daniel and lauded in glowing terms by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and the Guardian of the Cause. To appreciate, however inadequately, the importance of this Jubilee and to prepare ourselves to greet it, we must view it not only as the successful culmination of the Ten Year Crusade, but primarily as the Centenary of the Declaration of Bahá’u’lláh. We must view it in the light of eternity and recognize its place in the centuries-old unfoldment of God’s mighty purpose.
The history of mankind is turbulent and confused but through it we can discern the unfoldment of the immutable purpose of God; we can see mankind being shepherded inexorably to populate the earth, to raise up civilizations, and to extend ever more widely the sphere of love and loyalty: from the family to the tribe, from the tribe to the city-state and from the city-state to the nation. With the advent of Bahá’u’lláh, “The time fore-ordained unto the peoples and kindreds of the earth is now come. The promises of God as recorded in the holy Scriptures have all been fulfilled ...” This is the culmination of millenia of patient preparation, the opening of a new era in mankind’s life, the coming of age of the human race. And this Most Great Jubilee is a moment of climacteric importance in the establishment of the Bahá’í Revelation; it is the time when “the teachings of God” shall be “firmly established upon the earth, and the Divine Light shall flood the world from the East even unto the West.”
The transformation of human society which is now taking place under the influence of this pervasive Revelation, the reformation of the customs of widely diverse peoples, the removal of age-long prejudices, superstitions and antipathies, the welding of mankind into a unified but diversified way of life and the battle with the basic sins of pride and greed, call for an all-embracing love, a magnanimity of understanding and, above all, an unshakable loyalty to the law of God unexampled in the history of the world.
Triumph in the Face of Tribulation[edit]
That men and women have rallied to this call is proven by the triumph of this Faith and its enduring unity in the face of attacks and betrayals the enormity of which only future generations will be capable of understanding. “The tribulations attending the progressive unfoldment of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh,” wrote Shoghi Effendi, “have indeed been such as to exceed in gravity those from which the religions of the past have suffered. Unlike those religions, however, these tribulations have failed utterly to impair its unity, or to create, even temporarily, a breach in the ranks of its adherents. It has not only survived these ordeals, but has emerged, purified and inviolate, endowed with greater capacity to face and surmount any crisis which its resistless march may engender in the future.”
The power above all that has maintained the unity of the Cause of God and made possible its advance is the Covenant of Bahá’u’lláh. That same power of which ‘Abdu’l-Bahá stated: “the axis of the oneness of the world of humanity is the power of the Covenant and nothing else.” “Had the Covenant not come to pass,” He declared, “had it not been revealed from the Supreme Pen and had not the Book of the Covenant like unto the ray of the Sun of Reality, illuminated the world, the forces of the Cause of God would have been utterly scattered and certain souls who were the prisoners of their own passions and lusts would have taken into their hands an axe, cutting the root of this Blessed Tree. Every person would have pushed forward his own desire and every individual aired his own opinion! Notwithstanding this great Covenant, a few negligent souls galloped with their chargers into the battlefield, thinking perchance they might be able to weaken the foundation of the Cause of God; but praise be to God, all of them were afflicted with regret and loss ...”
From this we can see the supreme, the cardinal importance of firmness in the Covenant, and in the years immediately ahead, one way of showing this firmness will be in obedience and loyalty to the Universal House of Justice.
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Entrance to the Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh.
The Pattern of Victory and Crisis[edit]
The pattern of triumph and crisis in the growth of the Faith was clearly set forth by the beloved Guardian in a letter to the American believers in 1941: “From the record of its tumultuous history, almost every page of which portrays a fresh crisis, is laden with the description of a new calamity, recounts the tale of a base betrayal, and is stained with the account of unspeakable atrocities, there emerges, clear and incontrovertible, the supreme truth that with every fresh outbreak of hostility to the Faith, whether from within or from without, a corresponding measure of outpouring grace, sustaining its defenders and confounding its adversaries, has been providentially released, communicating a fresh impulse to the onward march of the Faith, while this impetus, in its turn, would through its manifestations, provoke fresh hostility in quarters heretofore unaware of its challenging implications — this increased hostility being accompanied by a still more arresting revelation of Divine Power and a more abundant effusion of celestial grace, which, by enabling the upholders of that Faith to register still more brilliant victories, would thereby generate issues of still more vital import and raise up still more formidable enemies against a Cause that cannot but, in the end, resolve those issues and crush the resistance of those enemies, through a still more glorious unfoldment of its inherent power.
“The resistless march of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh, viewed in this light, and propelled by the stimulating influences which the unwisdom of its enemies and the force latent within itself, both engender, resolves itself into a series of rhythmic pulsations, precipitated, on the one hand, through the explosive outbursts of its foes, and the vibrations of Divine Power, on the other, which speed it, with ever-increasing momentum, along that predestined course traced for it by the Hand of the Almighty.”
Now, as we stand on the threshold of one of the greatest triumphs of the Cause of God, we must prepare ourselves for the tests which such triumphs bring in their wake, and recall the warning in the Guardian’s cable of June 4, 1957, concerning the victories won by that date, which had produced “Evidences of increasing hostility without, persistent machinations within, foreshadowing dire contests destined to range the Army of Light against the forces of darkness, both secular and religious, predicted in unequivocal language by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá ...”
The Greatest of All Enemies[edit]
The greatest of all enemies with which a human being has to wrestle is his own self. It is through self in all its manifestations, whether as self-righteousness or ambition, the temptation to cherish one’s own opinions, or any other of the myriads of ways in which self leads mankind astray, that the enemies of the Faith are enabled to introduce their insidious poison into the community of Bahá’ís.
No soul is ever compelled to be a Bahá’í. God’s revelation is a free gift to every being: “Whosoever desireth, let him turn aside from this counsel and whosoever desireth, let him choose the path to his Lord.” But a revelation that we freely accept and freely follow, it is our duty to wholeheartedly obey.
In past dispensations it was possible for the proud and the ambitious to seize the reins of authority and disrupt the Cause of God. In this age we are preserved from this danger by the Covenant, which, through the Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, made provision for institutions on earth, divinely guided, which no man can overthrow. It is for this reason, to preserve the unity and purity of the Cause, and to protect it against the errors and evil of the proud, that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá wrote with such vehemence of the authority of each of these institutions. At the very end of His Will and Testament He warned: “Beware lest anyone falsely interpret these words, and like unto them that have broken the Covenant after the Day of Ascension (of Bahá’u’lláh) advance a pretext, raise the standard of revolt, wax stubborn and open wide the door of false interpretation. To none is given the right to put forth his own opinion or to express his particular convictions: All must seek guidance and turn unto the Center of the Cause and the House of Justice. And he that turneth unto whatsoever else is indeed in grievous error.”
Harbinger of Still Greater Triumphs[edit]
Thus will the followers of the Cause of God be enabled to surmount the tests which the victory of the Crusade may well bring in its wake. For though this year is the close of a historic century and the culmination of a mighty Ten Year Plan, it is even more the opening of a new period and the harbinger of still greater triumphs.
“Let no one, while this System is still in its infancy,” wrote Shoghi Effendi in The Dispensation of Bahá’u’lláh, “misconceive its character, belittle its significance or misrepresent its purpose. The bedrock on which this Administrative Order is founded is God’s immutable purpose for mankind in this day. The Source from which it derives its inspiration is no one less than Bahá’u’lláh Himself. Its shield and defender are
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the embattled hosts of the Abhá Kingdom. Its seed is
the blood of no less than twenty thousand martyrs
who have offered up their lives that it may be born
and flourish. The axis round which its institutions revolve are the authentic provisions of the Will and
Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Its guiding principles are
the truths which He Who is the unerring Interpreter
of the teachings of our Faith has so clearly enunciated
in His public addresses throughout the West. The laws
that govern its operation and limit its functions are
those which have been expressly ordained in the
Kitáb-i-Aqdas. The seat round which its spiritual, its
humanitarian and administrative activities will cluster
are the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár and its Dependencies. The
pillars that sustain its authority and buttress its structure are the twin institutions of the Guardianship and
of the Universal House of Justice. The central, the
underlying aim which animates it is the establishment
of the New World Order as adumbrated by Bahá’u’lláh.
The methods it employs, the standard it inculcates,
incline it to neither East nor West, neither Jew nor
Gentile, neither rich nor poor, neither white nor colored. Its watchword is the unification of the human
race; its standard the Most Great Peace; its consummation the advent of that golden millennium — the
Day when the kingdoms of this world shall have
become the Kingdom of God Himself, the Kingdom of
Bahá’u’lláh.”
News Items from around the World[edit]
We have just experienced a most happy and significant occasion at the World Center. Mr. Apollo Milton Obote, Prime Minister of Uganda, accompanied by his Personal Secretary, Mr. Paul M. Nsibiwa, and the Director of Public Relations of the Israeli Foreign Ministry, visited the Shrine of the Báb on Wednesday, September 5, and then had luncheon with the Hands and members of the International Bahá’í Council in the House of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.
Not long before, on August 21, Sir Barnet Janner, a member of the British House of Commons and Chairman of the Jewish Board of Guardians in Britain, also visited the Shrine and stayed for refreshments and a very cordial hour’s conversation with the Hands and members of the International Council.
On Tuesday, September 11, the President and Secretary-General of the International Council visited Jerusalem to officially inform the Director of the Prime Minister’s Office of the forthcoming International Convention. The arrangements for this are now well in hand, and those national assemblies which have not yet informed the Council of their expected attendance are urged to do so as soon as possible.
The most recent area of mass conversion is Borneo, in the East Indies, where, it was reported in July, there were 2,300 Bahá’ís and thirty-four local spiritual assemblies in Sarawak and Brunei, 1,300 of these having declared in one month. A later report now gives the number at 3,500. Among the new believers are representatives of the Ibans, Kayans, Kelabits and Dusuns. These tribes have remained impervious to both Christianity and Islám but are now accepting the Bahá’í Faith in large numbers. In the nearby Philippines there is also a surge forward. The number of
The Shrine of the Báb on Mt. Carmel.
centers has been doubled to nearly 200 since Riḍván,
and members of four tribes have entered the Faith,
raising the number of believers to over 2,000 in this
archipelago. In India we find the number of believers
now exceeds 34,000.
In Africa, news of the significant step of the legal incorporation of nine village local spiritual assemblies in Uganda has been received, the beginning of a development that must ultimately spread to all other areas.
Thrilling Developments in the Congo[edit]
A graphic description of developments in the Congo is given in these words from the reports and letters of the two Auxiliary Board members whose visit there was mentioned in our last News Letter. “The developing of the work in the Congo is beyond any simple words to explain. The devotion of the friends you find nowhere else ... I can in no way adequately explain the bounties from on high Bahá’u’lláh has bestowed upon us, poor and weak as we are, to stand among His loved ones and strong servants of His in the Congo ...” “On the middle of the way we met with 300 Bahá’ís, including Bahá’í school children and three Chiefs, awaiting us. Then together we walked three kilometers, singing on the way with a wonderful rejoicing ... The attendants were 450 Bahá’ís from about eight localities. The conference lasted for two days.” “The village Chief asked permission to address the conference ... He said: ‘The Bahá’í Faith is quite a miracle religion because the chiefs and the people all love this Faith, whereas the former religions, the people did not have much interest in them at all. Now then, let the Bahá’í Faith be taught in all this country ... ’ ”
A similar spirit seems to be evinced by the believers in all the mass conversion areas. From Bolivia the Hand of the Cause, Mr. Faizi, wrote on August 8: “The believers are simply wonderful. Such expressions of love I have never seen. They all embrace the newcomer and shout ‘Alláh’u’Abhá, Brother.’ They say it
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in such a way that each word goes deep in one’s heart.
They weep and ask, ‘How are our brothers? How is
their work? When will they come to see us?’ ”
Sabino Ortega, an Indian Bahá’í from Bolivia, has been teaching the Faith across the border in Argentina, and nine Argentinians of Indian descent have now accepted the Faith. In Brazil sixteen Kiriri Indians have declared in Lagoa Grande, near Mirandela, having been taught by Bahá’ís from Bahia, and now have their own assembly.
Would that this same degree of love and devotion could spread to every land and that the multitudes would flock to the Faith on every continent and from “every stratum of present-day society” as our beloved Guardian so confidently foresaw.
Such are the victorious days in which we are living; triumphs such as these, and more than these, are in store for the Cause of God in the months and years ahead, and we should give thought to the point at which we stand and the weighty responsibilities which rest upon the shoulders of this generation of Bahá’ís.
World Center of the Faith
September 17, 1962
Part of the gardens surrounding the Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh and the Mansion at Bahjí.
The Heart of the Baha’i Community[edit]
The intention and the ability of the Bahá’ís today to develop a world community inspired with love for God, reverence for His law and justice and consideration for all types of human beings are not only the greatest matters being undertaken on earth today; they are the greatest undertaking humanity has ever assumed. Town by town, country by country, by tens and by scores and by hundreds, the believers who have responded to the Proclamation of Bahá’u’lláh pursue this sacred mission.
Without changing their residence, they have changed their hearts; without abandoning their family or professional responsibilities, they work with a new mind. In a society stricken by fear they build a society of firmest conviction. Surrounded by conditions reflecting injustice, inequity, prejudice and lawlessness, the Bahá’ís are they who by unity know that evil will be barred out, and by activity for the sake of His Cause soul sickness and contagion are left behind.
This is the most mysterious process of the ages. It is as though in an ancient rug, once beautiful, now rent, discolored and outworn, certain threads could be used again, and these threads are pulled from the old rug and rewoven in a new design.
The pulsating heart in this process of society-building is a social institution imbued with spiritual significance, the Nineteen Day Feast.
The Nineteen Day Feast is not one of many Bahá’í meetings. It is not an occasion or gathering which any Bahá’í can deem to be incidental to some other, more important duty. The Nineteen Day Feast is the shuttle which, in the hands of the Divine Artist, weaves into the new pattern all those threads which are strong enough to serve His purpose.
Groups study, individuals pray, assemblies deliberate, committees plan. All this is essential and necessary, but nothing on earth today has the specific and functional purpose of the Nineteen Day Feast — the builder of the world community which must demonstrate the Most Great Peace.
“The Nineteen Day Feast was inaugurated by the Báb and ratified by Bahá’u’lláh in His Holy Book, the Aqdas, so that people may gather together and outwardly show fellowship and love, that the Divine mysteries may be disclosed.” “The Nineteen Day Feast has been described by the Guardian as the foundation of the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh ... Bahá’ís should regard this Feast as the very heart of their spiritual activity, their participation in the mystery of the Holy Utterance, their steadfast unity one with another in a mystery raised high above the limitations of race, class, nationality, sect and personality, and their privilege of contributing to the power of the Cause in the realm of collective action.” (Originally published in November 1948; reprinted for the consideration of new believers.)
New Assembly Sponsors Week-End School[edit]
Beautiful and serene Hanalei Bay was the setting for the first school of the Kauai (Hawaii) Assembly, which itself was established only this past Riḍván. The program included devotions, study and recreation. Some of the classes were conducted by local believers while other sessions heard and then discussed recordings made at the Honolulu school.
The entire week end was spent at a large home, used for this type of activity by various groups, which amply accommodated the participants at nominal cost. It is hoped that the school will be an annual event.
The Mother Temple of Europe[edit]
Directly above: The “crowning touch” is lowered carefully into position.
Upper right: Close-up of dome elements.
Middle right: Dome elements ready for installation. Hundreds of visitors, including some who opposed the erection of the Temple, come every week end.
Lower right: Basement excavation. The heavy construction, except for the ambulatory, is practically completed.
Below: Of the 540 elements of the dome, 361 were already placed in August.
Mass Conversion in the Congo[edit]
Not so very long ago when we heard news from the Congo, our hearts were filled with anxiety for the Bahá’í friends there. Now our apprehension has changed to joyous anticipation, for the Congo is aflame with the light of Bahá’u’lláh. The latest statistics show 14,636 believers, 141 local spiritual assemblies and ninety-eight temporary Bahá’í centers.
Until Riḍván this year the number of Congo believers recorded stood at just over a thousand; at Convention, the delegates brought news that there were many times that number of Bahá’ís, but they could not give us an accurate figure.
The spirit of the Bahá’ís in the Congo is a wonderful example — they are helping each other in every way possible. As soon as they have a local assembly they try to build their own center — a mud and wattle house with a thatched roof. In some of these centers, children’s classes are held by the friends. Their local assemblies meet regularly every Bahá’í month and they have teaching meetings every week.
When Max Kanyerezi and Oloro Epyeru, NSA and Board members for this region, visited the Congo recently, they brought back accounts of thousand-strong meetings, of people walking for many days to attend their meetings, of receiving hundreds of declarations at a time and of their journeys on foot for many miles, often through heavy tropical rain, singing all the time.
These Congo Bahá’ís love to sing. If they hear something they like, they burst into song, whether they are at a meeting, at Convention, or walking through the bush. Their singing stood them in good stead on their journey to Kampala at Riḍván. Driving past an army unit, their drivers were called upon to halt; the drivers didn’t stop quickly enough for the army and the Bahá’ís were dragged from their cars and beaten up ... but they started to sing a song in praise of Bahá’u’lláh and His Faith. The army men were so astonished that they stopped beating them, apologized and asked the Bahá’ís to forgive them.
During their visit, Max and Oloro held many conferences at such places as Uvira, Kabumbe, Kaboke, Kitibile, Nakiele and Makabora. To get to Makabora, Max and Oloro had to travel by canoe as the road was flooded; but most of the time they had to walk as there was no form of transport between the majority of the villages. In some cases the Bahá’ís walked several kilometers to meet the visiting party.
The Congo believers have a truly Bahá’í sense of hospitality. Some of them accommodate and feed large numbers of visiting Bahá’ís. In one village there is a government maternity home which is run by one of the missions. The local community discovered that Bahá’í women attending this maternity center were not properly looked after; the local assembly therefore formed a committee to help these women, provide them with food and look after them until they are discharged.
The Bahá’ís in the Congo were rejoiced in September by the visit of Hand of the Cause Enoch Olinga and Max Kanyerezi.
OF CENTRAL AND EAST AFRICA
Thirty-nine young people, of whom nine were non-Bahá’ís, gathered in Padua on July 22 for the largest meeting of youth thus far assembled in Italy. The stimulating program elicited many original questions from the guests.
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Bahá’í children’s class of Kansai, Japan.
International News Briefs[edit]
The first inter-island conference in the New Hebrides was held July 19-22 in Port Villa. The first two days, for Bahá’ís only, had an attendance of twenty-three adults whose meditation and enthusiastic discussion deepened their knowledge and their resolve to further promulgate the Faith. The last two days guests were included which brought the participants up to fifty adults, including the chief of Fila Island, and twenty-six children.
Many of the non-Bahá’ís praised the work which the Nur Bahá’í School is doing to bring much needed education to the people of the islands, thus rescuing them from the darkness of ignorance.
Recently Mayor Samuel Yorty of Los Angeles, California, presented to Mr. and Mrs. Dudley Blakely a special letter of greeting to be delivered to Queen Shalote Toupou of Tonga. The event was arranged by Anthony Lease—whose radio program, “Lease on Life,” was awarded the mayor’s commendation for its international theme of the oneness of mankind — while
Second Annual Convention of the Bahá’ís of Ecuador, held in Quito April 28-29, 1962.
Mr. and Mrs. Blakely, American pioneers in the Kingdom of Tonga, were visiting in Los Angeles.
The fiftieth anniversary of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s visit was the occasion chosen for the first large public meeting in the new Cucamonga (California) Center. Eleven non-Bahá’ís signed the guest register, a number of whom expressed happiness at being present.
The Bahá’í youth of Fresno, California, in cooperation with the local assembly, arranged a successful study camp for youth at the Hitching Post Ranch in the Sierra Mountains, August 21-22. Thirty-seven took part in the interesting program which included classes on various aspects of the Faith. Of the twelve non-Bahá’ís who attended, two have since made their declarations.
Group of delegates and visitors at the Second National Convention of the Bahá’ís of Argentina, Riḍván 1962.
Proclamations for World Peace Day Issued by Many State Governors[edit]
Officially recognized by only one state in 1960 and by four in 1961, World Peace Day this year drew proclamations from sixteen state governors, according to present information. Much effort and careful planning were required to make the necessary arrangements; in one case involving 2600 miles of travel back and forth to the state capital. Most of the governors and their staffs were cordial and cooperative, which made it possible to obtain good publicity, and often photographs were taken at the time of the signing. In some states the governor or members of his staff received Bahá’í literature or books.
Taking full advantage of the official proclamations where possible, many communities and groups across the nation staged outstanding observances of this annual Bahá’í event. Included were dinner meetings, publicized firesides, prayer services, panel discussions and public meetings with guest speakers — both Bahá’í and non-Bahá’í. A conference on the Hopi Indian Reservation also commemorated World Peace Day.
Considerable free publicity, advertising, radio and TV announcements and programs, engendered by the governors’ proclamations and the various meetings, gave added impetus to the effort of making the masses aware of Bahá’u’lláh and the Faith. In addition to the usual posters, invitations, guest books and displays in libraries and stores, some communities used special means of publicizing the event. These comprised small posters, postcard follow-ups to invitations and small cards for individual believers to leave on restaurant tables or similar places. In one instance letters were sent to church groups, telling of the governor’s proclamation and inviting the members to the observance and to offer special prayers for world peace. Significant, too, was the issuing of a proclamation by the mayor of Savannah, Georgia.
Proclamation of World Peace Day by Governor Farris Bryant of Florida typifies those signed by the chief executives of many states.
North Dakota believers with Governor William L. Guy
as he signs his proclamation. Left to right, standing:
Miss Mavis Nymon, Harry T. D. Rost, Mrs. Vera Esinhart, Aryan Gene LaQuier.
Bahá’ís receive the signed proclamation of World Peace Day from Governor Bert Combs of Kentucky.
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Part of the audience at the public meeting in Rapid City, South Dakota.
Mrs. George Ashworth (left) and Mrs. Bertha Campbell observe Governor John Anderson, Jr. of Kansas as he signs the proclamation.
Richard Ham, executive assistant to the governor (left), with Mr. and Mrs. Thomas West at the time Governor Grant Sawyer of Nevada issued the proclamation.
Specially produced small poster used extensively in Kansas City (both Kansas and Missouri). The date and place of meeting were added.
Governor John B. Swainson of Michigan holds his proclamation. Seated is Miss June McKee. Standing: Allan Ward, Mrs. Eulalia Bobo, Marvin Hughes.
The Springfield, Illinois, believers presented “Foundations of World Unity” to the Lincoln Library as part of their observance of World Peace Day. Shown, from left: Miss Grace Gilman, director of the library, Mrs. William Maslauski and Mrs. Aden Lauchner.
Hopi Reservation Conference Observes World Peace Day[edit]
“Blessed is the spot ...” The banner of Yá-Bahá’u’l-Abhá was unfurled on a mesa in the high desert country of northern Arizona in the Hopi village of Hotevilla on September 15 and 16. A beautiful blue flag, bearing the symbol of the Greatest Name, was raised at the meeting place in front of the Snake Chief’s house where a shelter had been built by the Bahá’ís for the participants and spectators.
The occasion was the “Gathering of Indian Brothers with Bahá’ís for World Peace Day.” The location was the reservation homeland of a people, the Hopis, whose very name means “peaceful ones.”
Cars from four directions bearing believers from eleven states and Indian friends from seven tribes (Chippewa, Navajo, Hopi, Zuni, Washoe, Piute, and Eskimo) arrived all Saturday afternoon. By dusk the outskirts of the village were peppered with soft glowing campfires. As darkness descended the village crier called from a roof top for all the people to gather. An orange moon rising full over the horizon shed soft light upon the group quietly moving into the Plaza. One by one the friends joined the Bahá’ís to partake of prayers in many tongues. Francis Johnson was master of ceremonies; Amoz Gibson extended loving greetings from the National Spiritual Assembly, Paul Pettit from the American National Teaching Committee.
The spirit of love and oneness expressed in greetings, in songs, in stories and in prayers rose in the quiet night. The stage was the whole village, as sounds could be heard readily all down through the rows of stone houses. Nothing like this had ever happened in Hopiland before. The people were happy. This made the Elders happy.
Several Indian friends responded to the Bahá’í message. Among them was a Zuni war chief, 99 years old,
Upper right: The Hopi village of Hotevilla, atop a mesa in
northern Arizona, was the site of the “Gathering of Indian
Brothers with Bahá’ís.”
Upper left: Part of the group listening to talks by Bahá’ís, Hopis and other Indian friends who joined in this unique observance of World Peace Day.
Directly above: Bahá’í speaker addresses the gathering. Among those seated at the table are Chief Dan Katchinova and Thomas Banyacya, Hopi interpreter.
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who made his declaration soon after his
arrival in
the village. The sight of such love and unity among
his Indian brothers and Bahá’ís overwhelmed him and
although he had been long and lovingly nurtured by
Gallup friends, it took this display of oneness on another reservation to sway him completely. A visiting
Piute family, recently acquainted with the Faith, responded to the spirit of the gathering by saying they
would become Bahá’ís upon their return to Nevada.
Sunday morning Bahá’í speakers and Hopi leaders greeted the gathering of approximately 200. A small table with microphone had been set up around which gathered Hopi Chief Dan Katchinova, David Monongye, Thomas Banyacya, interpreter, and Bahá’ís Kenneth Wiley of Santa Monica, Lisa Janti of Culver City, Francis LaQuier of the Chippewa tribe and William Willoya, an Eskimo. The cup of Bahá’u’lláh’s message was offered with irresistible love and gentleness by these Bahá’í speakers.
An honored guest was Buddhist Abbot To-Lun in colorful attire of the far East. He chanted his message in his native tongue, sounding much like that of the Hopi.
In several talks the Hopis shared their age-old misgivings about the unjust treatment suffered in the past at the hands of the white man, but there was a new note of hope and graciousness because of what was happening before their very eyes. In response the Bahá’ís spoke encouragingly about the power of Bahá’u’lláh’s love to heal the hurts of the past and told of the great sufferings endured by Bahá’u’lláh for His Cause.
More loving greetings were extended, including a letter from Marion Macalister, a Bahá’í of the Sioux tribe now living in Hawaii. At noon time a pleasant surprise was announced by David. The Hopi ladies of the village had prepared a feast for all, to be served at the home of David’s daughter, where ‘Amatu’l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum had been a guest two years before.
After lunch, Bahá’ís who came from great distances began to leave, but a few returned to the Plaza for more talks by the Hopi leaders and then a most important speech by Chief Dan. He told the people he was getting old and wished to retire from his exacting cares and was now turning over the affairs of the village to David and Thomas, but wished to continue his search for the “True Brothers” told about in the prophecies concerning the “last days.” There was a touch of sadness in his statement, but happiness in the hearts of the Bahá’ís who had remained to hear him, knowing fulfillment was at hand.
Telling of Hopi teachings and steadfastness, Thomas described the symbols for which they search. The Chinese Buddhist bared his breast and showed tattooed there the swastika, star, and crescent. The Hopis were told of the symbols adorning the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár, the Dawning-place of the praises of God. The leaders responded with excitement and called a meeting of the villagers to tell them of this that evening. Francis LaQuier was invited to a prayer session with the Hopi spiritual leaders, at which time he would present a flower from the Holy Shrines, sent to Thomas Bauyacya by Rúḥíyyih Khánum.
David, who stands next in line to Chief Dan, said “something went out of my heart when the Bahá’ís left.” The Hopi family living on the hill next to the Plaza said, “all the ladies wept when the Bahá’ís went away. We did not want them to go; it made us cry.” Hopi children stopping their play to wave at departing cars called softly, “Alláh-u-Abhá, Alláh-u-Abhá!”
Three Hopi villages now have their Bahá’í pioneers. Martin Kob of Santa Monica remains in Hotevilla, William Willoya in Moencopi. Francis LaQuier has been invited by the medicine man to live in Oraibi, thus opening a way for the Faith in this oldest continuously-inhabited village on the continent.
Left: Believers of the Otomí race at a Bahá’í school in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Sra. Concepción de Morris, member of the Cora race now pioneering in this area, is the instructor. Right: School for teachers held in Guadalajara, Mexico. Present were Bahá’ís from Cuitzeo, Guadalajara, Ocotlán and Tequila.
[Page 12]
First Athabascan Indians to become Bahá’ís in Alaska
north of the Arctic Circle. Charley Roberts (left) and
Peter Simple enrolled last spring in Fort Yukon where,
with additional Athabascan enrollees and two pioneers,
a local assembly was established on August 1, 1962.
Members of the Savannah (Georgia) Bahá’í Group with guest teacher Mrs. Ruth Moffett and contacts.
Achievements in India[edit]
The progress of the Cause in India is most encouraging, there now being over 34,000 believers in 1242 localities with a total of 416 local assemblies.
One of the most interesting developments is the successful teaching work of a young boy, Bachanlal, who with the help of another Bahá’í has brought 900 souls to the Faith. He also aided the National Assembly of India in the formation of ten local assemblies. Bachanlal has won a government scholarship to study in one of the most famous schools of India, where no doubt he will continue his work of teaching the Faith.
In addition to the Bahá’í Teaching Institute at Indore, where 455 students received instruction from October to September, another Institute was recently organized in the Gwalior area. It is hoped that one will soon be established in Mysore. Condensed and simplified courses in history, administration, comparative religion, health and hygiene, as well as practical training for forming local assemblies and conducting Nineteen Day Feasts, are included in each week-long program.
A special school was held in Sholapur where representatives from several villages were invited to study with Dr. H. M. Munje.
Left: Representatives from several villages who attended a week-long study course in Sholapur, India, with Dr. H. M. Munje, the instructor. Right: Bachanlal, a youth of India, who has had such outstanding success in teaching the Cause among his own people.
[Page 13]
Fourth Malayan Summer School held August 12-13 at Vioekananda Hall in Seremban. About eighty believers and ten inquirers gathered for a program of talks, panel discussions, workshops and group consultation covering the history, administration and teaching. The participants were taken on field excursions to witness mass teaching.
First Spiritual Assembly of North Hempstead Township, New York, formed August 1, 1962 — the first in
the U.S. since Riḍván. Left to right, seated: Mrs.
Martha Kavelin (recording secretary), Mrs. Elizabeth
Thomas (secretary), Mrs. Josephine Tate, Mrs. Mary
Huxtable. Standing: Weston Huxtable (chairman), H.
Borrah Kavelin, Mrs. Josephine Lasoff (treasurer),
James Tate, David Thomas (vice-chairman).
First Spiritual Assembly of Youngstown, Ohio, formed
September 7, 1962. Left to right, seated: May Haskin,
Elva Walls, Calvin Walls (vice-chairman). Standing:
Odell Perry (chairman), Bettijane Walker (treasurer)
Gordon Haskin, Evelyn Wilson (secretary) and Ozella
Perry, Jimmie Allen.
First Spiritual Assembly of Walla Walla, Washington,
formed August 20, 1962. Left to right, seated: Dawn
Hupe, George Spearman, Pauline Spearman, Al Estling.
Standing: Margaret Ford, John Ford, Emmalu McCandless, Roland Smith, Marge Estling.
Spiritual Assembly of West Hollywood, California, incorporated May 29, 1962. Left to right, seated: Jon Angelo, Irene Holt, David Bond, Karen Woodead. Standing: Bert Solomon, Selma Solomon, Eli Boraks, Billie
Graves, Roy Miller.
[Page 14]
First Spiritual Assembly of Deerfield, Illinois, formed
April 1962. Left to right, seated: Mrs. Bette Duiker,
Mrs. Agnes Mitchell, Mrs. Mary Frances Zargarpur,
Mrs. Annamarie Baker, Mrs. Barbara McCurdy (secretary). Standing: Sohrab Najmi, Rouholah Zargarpur
(vice-chairman), William Baker (chairman), Richard
McCurdy (treasurer).
First Spiritual Assembly of Takarazuka, Japan, formed
April 1962. Left to right, seated: Mrs. Yoshiko Kobayashi, Mrs. Shin Kobayashi, Mrs. Mahin Moghbel (secretary), Miss Yasuko Fukushima. Standing: Yasuo
Kobayashi, Kenichi Mashimo, Jun Yamamoto (treasurer), Masahiro Kobayashi (vice-chairman), Ataullah
Moghbel (chairman).
BAHA'I IN THE NEWS[edit]
The French believers have been encouraged recently by the five following references to the Faith in the public press.
A novel, Tant qu’il y Aura la Peur (As Long as There Shall be Fear), by Francoise Gourdon, depicts racial problems in the United States as seen by a young French girl who goes there to study in a university. One of the principal characters is a professor of medicine who is a Bahá’í.
LeMonde, Paris newspaper, carried a news item about the unrest in Morocco and stated that members of the Bahá’í Faith had been imprisoned.
An article in Science et Voyage described the Bahá’í holy sites in Israel accompanied by fine photographs of these places as well as of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. The story included a well written resume of the Teachings.
In a “Question and Answer” section of Ecclesia, much read Catholic magazine, information about the
National Spiritual Assembly of the Dominican Republic, 1962-1963. Left to right, seated: Celestino Gómez
(secretary), Sheila Rice-Wray (treasurer), Frieda van
Houten, Wilfred Rowland (chairman). Standing: Felix
Gómez, Benito Peréz, Rafael Benzán (vice-chairman),
Rafael Peña, Manuel Garcia (recording secretary).
National Spiritual Assembly of Ecuador, 1962-1963. Left
to right, seated: Khalil’ullah Behjati, Gayle Woolson,
Alberto Carbo, Dorothy Campbell. Standing: Raul
Pavón, Bolívar Plaza, Juan Luis Aguirre, Patricia
Conger, Freydoun Monadjem.
[Page 15]
National Spiritual Assembly of Argentina, 1962-1963.
Left to right, seated: Cayetano Liardo (treasurer),
Shapour Saeed, Miss Mary Binda (recording secretary),
Dr. Jose Mielnik. Standing: Cinar Torres Lopez (secretary), Valiollah Samadani (chairman), Hooshmand Taraz (vice-chairman), Manuel Caballero, Ricardo
Schwartzmann.
Colorful booth arranged by the Bahá’ís of DeKalb County, Georgia, at the annual county fair. Much literature
was given on request, and a good contact list was obtained from the guest book.
Bahá’í Faith was requested. The answer though lengthy
contained some mis-statements.
Motel Guide for several countries of Europe devoted a half page in the advertising section to the Bahá’í World Community and included four of the basic principles.
Life World Library — Israel, a book by Robert St. John and the editors of Life, mentions the Faith (pp. 129-131 and Index, p. 157.)
On July 22 the Springfield, Illinois, State Journal and Register used a photograph of the Kampala Temple as part of a short tourist item on Uganda. The caption mentions the dedication in 1961 and states that the Temple is the tallest building in the country.
In August the New York-published magazine Fellowship in Prayer carried an editorial introduction,
During the Youth Summer School, August 18-26, the Bahá’í youth of the Netherlands were hosts to young people representing fifteen other countries. About 133 attended, and eight youth declared their intentions of enrolling. The
Dutch young people won new confidence and hope through the encouragement of their fellow youth and resolved on
strong teaching activity for the remaining months of the Crusade.
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National Bahá’í Addresses
Please Address Mail Correctly!
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“Bahá’í: A New World Religion,” followed by transcripts of Bahá’í material on the Faith. A quotation from the Writings, correctly attributed to Bahá’u’lláh, appeared on the cover.
An article by Dane Rudhyar in the August Horoscope mentions Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. The writer states that now the Cause is “spreading through all continents.”
On August 26 The Charlotte Observer (North Carolina) carried an extensive feature article about the Faith in general — history, aims, some of the principles — and its progress in Charlotte. Bahá’u’lláh was named in a dozen different references throughout the story, which was sympathetic in nature even though it contained an occasional mis-statement.
The Nashua Telegraph (New Hampshire) for September 20, in the column “Around the Town,” gave a report by Rabbi Bella Fischer about his recent trip to Israel. Included is this statement: “And now close by these holy places has been built the sacred shrine of a comparatively new religion, the world faith of Bahá’í — a most magnificent golden-domed temple surrounded by a Persian garden.”
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Summon Ye the People
The herald of peace, reformation, love and reconciliation is the religion of the Blessed Beauty which has pitched its tent on the apex of the world and proclaimed its summons to the people. ... Appreciate the value of this precious Revelation, move and act in accordance with it and walk in the straight path and the right way. Show it to the people. Raise the melody of the Kingdom and spread abroad the teachings and ordinances of the loving Lord so that the world may become another world, the darkened earth may become illumined and the dead body of the people may obtain new life.... Summon ye the people to God and call the souls to the manners and conduct of the Supreme Concourse.... O friends of God! Strive ye so that this darkness may be utterly dispelled and the Hidden Mystery may be revealed and the realities of things made evident and manifest. (BWF pp. 216-17.) |
Calendar of Events[edit]
- FEASTS
- November 4—Qudrat (Power)
- November 23—Qawl (Speech)
- HOLY DAYS
- November 12—Birth of Bahá’u’lláh
- November 26—Day of the Covenant
- November 28—Ascension of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá (1:00 a.m.)
- U.S. NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY MEETINGS
- November 16-18
- U.S. STATE CONVENTIONS
- December 2
Baha’i House of Worship[edit]
- Weekdays
- 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. (Auditorium only)
- Sundays and Holidays
- 10:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (Entire building)
- Sundays
- 3:30 to 4:10 p.m.
- Sunday, November 18
- 4:15 p.m.
BAHÁ’Í NEWS is published for circulation among Bahá’ís only by the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, as a news organ reporting current activities of the Bahá’í World Community.
BAHÁ’Í NEWS is edited by an annually appointed Editorial Committee: Mr. and Mrs. P. R. Meinhard, Managing Editors; Mrs. Eunice Braun, International News Editor; Miss Charlotte M. Linfoot, National Spiritual Assembly Representative.
Material must be received by the twentieth of the second month preceding date of issue. Address: Bahá’í News Editorial Office, 110 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois, U.S.A.
Change of address should be reported directly to National Bahá’í Office, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois, U.S.A.
