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| No. 417 | BAHA’I YEAR 122 | DECEMBER, 1965 |
in Seoul, Korea
The story of the purchase of this Center is given in this issue of BAHÁ’Í NEWS.
Universal House of Justice Announces Final Purification of Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh[edit]
ANNOUNCE BAHA’I WORLD REMOVAL FROM IMMEDIATE PRECINCTS HOLY SHRINE BAHA’U’LLAH REMAINS MIRZA DIYA’U’LLAH YOUNGER BROTHER MIRZA MUHAMMAD-‘ALI HIS ACCOMPLICE IN EFFORTS SUBVERT FOUNDATIONS COVENANT GOD SOON AFTER ASCENSION BAHA’U’LLAH. THIS FINAL STEP IN PROCESS PURIFICATION SACRED INTERNATIONAL ENDOWMENTS FAITH IN BAHJI FROM PAST CONTAMINATION WAS PROVIDENTIALLY UNDERTAKEN UPON REQUEST FAMILY OLD COVENANT BREAKERS A PROCESS WHOSE INITIAL STAGE WAS FULFILLED BY ‘ABDU’L-BAHA WHICH GATHERED MOMENTUM EARLY YEARS BELOVED GUARDIAN’S MINISTRY THROUGH EVACUATION MANSION ATTAINED CLIMAX THROUGH PURIFICATION HARAM-I-AQDAS AND NOW CONSUMMATED THROUGH CLEANSING INNER SANCTUARY MOST HALLOWED SHRINE QIBLIH BAHA’I WORLD PRESAGING EVENTUAL CONSTRUCTION BEFITTING MAUSOLEUM AS ANTICIPATED BELOVED SIGN GOD ON EARTH.
The above cable was received on the morning of
November 12, 1965, the 145th anniversary of the birth
of Bahá’u’lláh. This is a final victory in the process of
eliminating all traces of the presence of the Covenant-breakers, whose machinations to subvert the Cause
brought such trials and anguish to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and
Shoghi Effendi. Mírzá Muḥammad-‘Alí, half-brother of
‘Abdu’l-Bahá, designated by Shoghi Effendi as the
“archbreaker of Bahá’u’lláh’s Covenant,” challenged
the appointment of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as the Center of the
Covenant. In His Will and Testament, the Master
mentions Muḥammad-‘Alí several times and names
him the “Center of Sedition, the Prime Mover of
Mischief....”
Following the ascension of Bahá’u’lláh, Muḥammad-‘Alí, his children, relatives and a few other Covenant breakers, continued to live in the immediate vicinity of the Sacred Tomb, having inherited some shares in the Mansion and adjacent buildings. Muḥammad-‘Alí died in 1937, five years after the Guardian had succeeded in removing him from the Mansion itself and restoring it to its former beauty. At this time the British high Commissioner changed the status of the Mansion of Bahjí from a personal residence to a museum and pilgrim house of the Bahá’í Faith. Over a long period of years, Shoghi Effendi was able to carry out the legal steps that eliminated most of the unsightly structures still occupied by Covenant breakers which stood near the Mansion and the Shrine.
On November 12, 1952, the 132nd anniversary of the birth of Bahá’u’lláh, Shoghi Effendi announced the acquisition of a forty-acre property in the vicinity of the Holy Tomb and the Mansion. He also informed the Bahá’í world of the commencement of a large-scale landscaping program to beautify the immediate precincts of the “holiest spot in the entire Bahá’í world,” itself a prelude to the eventual erection of a befitting Mausoleum to “enshrine the Dust of the Founder of God’s Most Holy Faith.” The outer sanctuary, immediately adjacent to the Tomb of Bahá’u’lláh, was termed by Shoghi Effendi as the Ḥaram-i-Aqdas, or Most Holy Court, and was transformed into a landscaped area with curved paths, cypress trees and a monument-lined path leading to a beautiful wrought iron gate. The gate is the gift of Hand of the Cause, Mrs. Amelia Collins, and is the main entrance leading to the Shrine.
On September 6, 1957, shortly before his passing, Shoghi Effendi announced the “complete evacuation of the remnant of Covenant-breakers and the transfer of all their belongings from the precincts of the Most Holy Shrine, and the purification, after six long decades, of the Ḥaram-i-Aqdas from every trace of their contamination.” Now the removal of the remains of Mírzá Muḥammad-‘Alí’s younger brother, from the inner sanctuary of the Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh, Qiblih of the Bahá’í world, is a final witness to the declined fortunes of those who exerted many years of effort in attempts to subvert the Cause of God.
Note: For a detailed account of the historical aspects involved in the activities of the Covenant-breakers over a long period of years and the acquisition and beautification of Bahá’í properties surrounding the Holy Shrines, the friends should refer to messages from Shoghi Effendi contained in Messages to America, 1932-1946, Messages to the Bahá’í World 1950-1957, The Citadel of Faith, as well as articles in Bahá’í World XII (sections on Current Bahá’í Activities and The World Order of Bahá’u’lláh).
Memorial Service Honors Outstanding Hand of Cause Leroy C. Ioas[edit]
On Saturday evening, October 16, 1965, friends from all over the world gathered in the Bahá’í House of Worship in Wilmette in memory of beloved Hand of the Cause of God, Leroy C. Ioas who passed on to the Abhá Kingdom on July 22. His wife, Mrs. Sylvia Ioas, and many other members of the immediate family were present, as Hand of the Cause Zikrullah Khádem began the memorial service by chanting in Persian a meditation by Shoghi Effendi. The deep love, admiration and gratitude, intermingled with feelings of great loss and joy, felt by those who knew Leroy Ioas, must have also swelled in the hearts of all as they heard the opening remarks of Mr. Arthur Dahl, chairman of the meeting:
“Beloved friends, we are gathered in this sacred edifice this evening to pay homage to one of the truly great American Bahá’ís, and one who, for many of us, was also a deeply loved and valued friend. Those of us who at one point in our lives were close to Leroy, know that the sum total of his accomplishments is so vast that its true weight in Bahá’í history can not be evaluated at this time. What we can do is to recall those wonderful talents, qualities and actions which not only led to great achievements, but also endeared him in small ways to the individual Bahá’í.
“So that we might review and re-live this wonderful life of Leroy Ioas who brought such brilliant accomplishment to the Bahá’í world, we have asked members of his family and some of his friends to remember with us the incidents and qualities which marked this stalwart life.”
Meeting the Master[edit]
Mr. Ioas’ brother, Monroe, told of their early life in Chicago where in 1898 their parents wrote a letter to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in ‘Akká telling Him that they wanted to serve the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh. Leroy and the other children were sent to the Sunday School of their choice, however, they attended the firesides which were held regularly in their home, and Leroy was a great student. Monroe told of the profound impression upon his brother, Leroy, when first meeting the Master in 1912; of his complete devotion to Him even as a boy; of the occasion when he brought Him a bouquet of white carnations and his joy at receiving in return from the Master the red rose which He had worn.
Some of Mr. Ioas’ most fruitful and exciting years were spent in California where he went to live about 1919. Miss Charlotte Linfoot, Assistant Secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly, reviewed with the friends the days in the San Francisco Bay area, where Mr. Ioas was an active teacher and his home the center of Bahá’í love and hospitality.
Teaching in California[edit]
It was during this period of his life that Leroy Ioas pioneered in many aspects of the teaching work, especially in public proclamation and the training of Bahá’í teachers. The outstanding success of the first World Unity Conference, held in 1925, was through the tireless efforts and planning of Mr. Ioas, and resulted in succeeding large proclamation meetings for the next twenty years.
The publicity resulting from these first meetings created interest on the part of the public, and this pointed up the need for Bahá’í teachers. Mr. Ioas realized teachers must be found among the newer younger Bahá’ís, and as a member of the Western Coast Teaching Committee, he conceived the idea of holding institutes for deepening believers and preparing them to teach. This idea took shape at Geyserville on August 1, 1925, when a group gathered to celebrate the seventieth birthday of John Bosch. Within two years, the first Bahá’í School came into being, planned and conducted by a committee with Mr. Ioas as its chairman. Mr. Ioas’ own deep knowledge of the Faith added to his devotion and other outstanding abilities gave him a special talent for the training of Bahá’í teachers.
Member of National Assembly[edit]
In 1932 Leroy Ioas was first elected to the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada. In this capacity increased responsibilities and opportunities were opened to him, especially in awakening the entire North American Bahá’í Community to the importance and glory of teaching the Cause of God. At this time the National Teaching Committee came into existence and Mr. Ioas was made the chairman. This illustrious committee won the glorious victory of completing the first Seven Year Plan. Mr. Ioas served on the National Assembly until 1951, with a break of three years.
“It is quite impossible,” Miss Linfoot stated, “to cover the vast extent of Mr. Ioas’ teaching and administrative services. However, no matter how great the demands made upon him in his business and in his responsibilities as a National Assembly member, he never slackened in his personal teaching, both public and individual.”
Miss Linfoot told the friends that during the twenty-five years of her close association with Mr. Ioas, who
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had given the Faith to her and to all members but one
of her family, his love for Bahá’u’lláh and the Master,
his vision of the future of the Faith, his tireless efforts,
his devotion to Shoghi Effendi, and his ability to touch
the hearts of his fellow-men were a constant source of
inspiration and an example to all who knew him. “He
was my first teacher,” she stated. “I among hundreds
am eternally grateful to Bahá’u’lláh for having Mr.
Ioas as a friend and teacher, and to have early in my
Bahá’í life caught some vision of the Divine Plan
through which his spirit will continue to exert his
influence for ages to come.”
From California Mr. Ioas and his family moved to Wilmette, and it was here, in December 1951, that he received word that the Guardian had appointed him a Hand of the Cause of God. Soon afterward, Shoghi Effendi called him to the World Center to help him with the work there.
Mr. Ioas’ sister, Mrs. Margarite Ullrich, told of his life after leaving Wilmette.
Serving in Haifa[edit]
He was appointed a member and Secretary General of the first International Bahá’í Council which had been formed in January 1951 by the Guardian.
Among the multitudinous duties which Shoghi Effendi assigned Mr. Ioas, and one of the most outstanding, was the supervision of the work on the Shrine of the Báb. Another herculean task was his supervision of the work in the construction of the International Archives Building. Both of these tasks were accomplished through a series of miraculous events which were followed, in turn, by other important achievements. For example, a meeting was arranged between Shoghi Effendi and the president of Israel. Mr. Ioas’ personal contact and association with the heads of the Israeli government, with whom he had to consult over many matters pertaining to the Faith, forged links of respect and admiration for our Faith from that government.
Other distinguished services which he was able to render and for which the Guardian stated the whole world is deeply indebted to him, was the purchase of the Temple land on Mount Carmel, and the freeing of the land around Bahjí from the Covenant-breakers.
These incidents and others, as related by Mrs. Ullrich are clear evidence that Hand of the Cause Leroy Ioas gave his all in a life of devotion and service to his Beloved.
Mr. Hugh Chance, member of the Universal House of Justice, spoke of Mr. Ioas’ great and courageous spirit during the last days of his illness in Haifa. “I do not know what kept him here except his love for Bahá’u’lláh,” Mr. Chance stated. He told of how Mrs. Ioas stayed with him faithfully day and night, stating that she had shared with him his life and service to the Cause, and that it was only fitting that she share this meeting in his memory.
Mr. Chance told the friends that the funeral services for Mr. Ioas were held in the place where he lived for so many years in his service to the beloved Guardian — the former Western Pilgrim House, the building where the Universal House of Justice now meets and works. From there he was taken to the Bahá’í cemetery in Haifa and laid to rest in close proximity to the other Hands of the Cause of God, Amelia Collins and Horace Holley.
“Hands of the Cause are always very precious to us,” Mr. Chance concluded, “but this one in particular left his imprint upon us not only in the Bahá’í world but also in the first stages of the history of Israel. The people of Israel knew and admired and loved him. He was truly a great man. His life itself is his own memorial.”
Personal Tributes[edit]
Mr. Dahl, the chairman, then shared with the friends some personal observations and experiences with Mr. Ioas, to whom he referred as his “spiritual father.” He spoke also of the early days of teaching in the San Francisco area and the Geyserville School, and of the great stir in the business community in San Francisco when Mr. Ioas left his business at great financial sacrifice in order to serve his beloved Faith in Israel.
Mr. Dahl pointed out that it seemed to him Mr. Ioas’ greatest joy was in teaching, and that he possessed a special gift for answering the questions of all kinds of people; he was a person-to-person teacher.
Loving messages from Hands of the Cause, Dr. Ugo Giachery and Mr. William Sears were read. In Mr. Sears’ letter he recalled how the Guardian had referred to Leroy Ioas as “Hercules,” because of his prodigious labors on behalf of our precious Faith.
The services in Foundation Hall were concluded with a chant in Arabic of one of the Guardian’s meditations for the departed, by Miss Bahia Dloomy, and the friends then quietly withdrew to the Auditorium upstairs where prayers and meditations were chanted and read by Hand of the Cause Zikru’lláh Khádem, National Assembly members Dr. Sarah Pereira and Dr. David Ruhe; Mr. Rowland Estall, member of the National Spiritual Assembly of Canada; Auxiliary Board member, Mrs. Velma Sherrill; and Mrs. Nadi Sohari.
Among the readings of the Word of God, we heard “O Son of the Supreme! I have made death a messenger of joy to thee.”
Other Memorial Services[edit]
The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Switzerland held a memorial service for beloved Hand of the Cause Leroy Ioas at their National Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds on August 21, attended by friends from every part of Switzerland. “The visits of beloved Hand of the Cause Mr. Ioas in our country,” their letter states, “and his letters to the Italo-Swiss Assembly regarding the purchase of our Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds and our Temple land, as well as his loving advice provided to pioneers in Switzerland, are dearly remembered by many friends.” Other befitting services were held in Swiss communities, locally, in memory of Mr. Ioas.
There have been many memorial services held locally in the United States to pay homage to Hand of the Cause Leroy Ioas, the first being on July 29 at Geyserville Bahá’í School, which Mr. Ioas helped to establish in 1927. Near relatives, close friends and students were present.
A memorial for Mr. Ioas was held in Southern California at which Hand of the Cause William Sears spoke of the devoted service, courage and achievements for the Faith of this distinguished Hand of the Cause of God.
Birmingham, Alabama, and Monterey-Carmel Judicial District, are among the local spiritual assemblies reporting local memorial services.
Faith Makes Impact Throughout Belgium[edit]
VISIT OF HAND OF CAUSE STIRS BAHÁ'ÍS AND THE PUBLIC[edit]
THE Belgian Bahá’ís awoke one September weekend to the presence in their midst of ‘Abu’l-Qasim Faizí. Although expected for months, they did not realize fully the mark he would leave in their communities both among themselves and their friends. This Hand of the Cause, this untiring pioneer who has served in difficult Arabian posts, brought the Bahá’ís and their guests very close to the pulse of the Cause that radiates throughout the world from the heart of the Faith in the Holy Land.
Said one Bahá’í guest: “He has a remarkable use of the metaphor,” and it was precisely his able storytelling and pertinent examples which so amply clarify the teachings that made people aware of the invisible powers of the Cause and its import today in world affairs.
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PHOTOS: (1) Participants in National Teaching Conference, Brussels; (2) Hand of Cause Mr. Faizí with Mr. and Mrs. Hubert Colleye; (3) with Ostende Group; (4) with Antwerp Bahá’ís and visitors; (5) with believers of Liege; (6) Mr. Faizí with Mr. and Mrs. Maurice Carème in Brussels; (7) with Mr. and Mrs. Siegfried Van Praag, (extreme right and left); (8) Departure of Mr. Faizí from Zaventem-Brussels airport; (9) Mr. A. Q. Faizí and Mrs. Lea Nys, Auxiliary Board member. |
Following upon the enthusiasm and high sense of mission generated at the Benelux summer school held several weeks previous, a national teaching conference was held at the Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds in Brussels, September 18-19. Foremost in mind were the goals of the Nine Year Plan: increase teaching in Flemish speaking regions (being intensified); assure existence of fifty centers (twenty-one now established); formation of twelve local assemblies (five now formed); incorporation of four local assemblies (two incorporated); establish Bahá’í Publishing Trust for French language (completed); recognition of Holy days and Bahá’í marriage certificate; purchase national endowment (attained); attain financial independence (present goal of all local assemblies); enrich Bahá’í literature in French (currently progressing — preparation for The Dawn-Breakers at hand).
On the evening of September 18, a round table discussion entitled “L’an Deux Mille a L’Heure du Choix — S’Affirmer ou Disparaitre,” was held at Hotel Cosmopolite in the heart of Brussels’ business district with
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over 150 people present. Bahá’ís of varying major
religious backgrounds presented the viewpoint of their
former religions on a series of five questions posed by
the moderator, with Mr. Faizí enunciating the Bahá’í
point of view. This meeting had widescale advance
publicity throughout the city.
The subsequent four days following the weekend conference constituted a period of intense activity, during which Mr. Faizí, accompanied by auxiliary board member Mrs. Lea Nys and Mr. Cambyse Samii, visited the larger communities of Belgium, with firesides being held in Brussels, Ostend, Antwerp, Charleroi and Liège. These were animated by a sense of expectation, the attendees — both Bahá’ís and their guests — eager to hear Mr. Faizí’s commentaries on a broad spectrum of religious and social questions.
Though time was at a premium, three visits made by Mr. Faizí are worthy of special note: (1) A special interview accorded by Belgian’s leading poet, Maurice Carème, a man of remarkable insight and sensitivity, whose writings on universality are akin to the Faith. This interview took place simultaneously with publication of an article in Paris-Match (Benelux edition) on his latest book of poems. (2) A meeting with the well-known Dutch-Flemish author, Siegfried Van Praag, and with his journalist wife. (3) A visit, requested by Mr. Faizí, to Wiertz Museum in Brussels to see the canvasses of painter Wiertz who recorded the anxiety of the XIV century in his works and his protest against the “great ones” of the earth. Mr. Faizí was escorted through the museum by Hubert Colleye, noted writer-journalist.
Mr. Faizí’s visit to Belgium thus came to a close, but his presence and encouragement will long manifest itself in the daily lives of the Bahá’ís.
National Spiritual Assembly of Belgium, elected at
Riḍván 1965. Left to right: Ben Levy (v. chairman),
Hasan Kamran (chairman), Shoghi Ghadimi, Andre
Jacobs, Fernand Bronchain, Jean-Pierre Laperche,
Roger Swinnen (secretary), Mrs. Bastogne (ass’t secretary), Louis Henuzet (far rear, treasurer).
Italy Holds Two-Week School in Bellaria[edit]
The fourth Italian summer school was held again in Bellaria near Rimini, September 5-19. This year the committee made a contract with a large hotel double the size of the preceding year and for two weeks instead of one. It was with trepidation that they opened the school for fear of not being able to cover the contract, but their fears were unfounded for 284 friends attended from sixteen countries, a truly international school, There were more than twenty non-Bahá’ís who enthusiastically followed not only the lectures but a progressive course just for them, resulting in five declarations.
The two Hands of the Cause present were John Ferraby, who gave an interesting course on “The Charters of the Cause of God,” and A. Faizi who spoke on “The Meaning of History from the Bahá’í Point of View,” “Education Bahá’í,” which was very helpful to the young mothers present and other subjects. The profound words and the spirit which accompanied them aroused such enthusiasm that other teachers gave up their courses willingly so that all could gain more from the Hands of the Cause of God.
In the evenings all listened to stories from Bahá’ís of other lands. The Local Youth Committees organized delightful programs. The youth of Genoa offered a beautiful chorus of youthful voices, and the youth of Milan gave a play of Goldoni with professional acting, costumes and scenery. One evening was dedicated to the English youth present which was both interesting and entertaining. The National Youth Committee organized a quiz and other recreation. This balanced the hours of study and kept the youth busy and happy so that the fifteen days of school seemed all too short.
Most of the 284 Bahá’ís and their guests who attended the two-week Italian summer school at Bellaria near Rimini.
Berlin Youth Institute Kindles Enthusiasm[edit]
For ten days the city of Berlin was the center of a spiritually motivated institute for Bahá’í youth. It was the fifth European summer school for youth, held from July 31 to August 10. Its theme was “From Darkness into Light;” its goals were intensely directed to the future unity of the world of humanity.
One hundred and fifty youth came from nineteen countries — fourteen European and five from other continents. A welcome was extended to all on behalf of the German Bahá’í youth by Hellmut Schmidt. They took part in enlightening courses followed by small discussion groups, carried out in English, German or French, with simultaneous translations. They prayed together, studied, and shared their thoughts and hopes for the application of their Bahá’í ideals. Appropriately they were housed in the Berlin “House of Youth.”
A great enrichment to the school was the presence of Hand of the Cause, Dr. Mühlschlegel who led a course on “History of One Hundred Years.”
Sightseeing to East- as well as West-Berlin brought sharply into focus the urgent need for a spiritual power to unite mankind. Teaching experiences in the various countries were discussed, this again emphasizing the many different cultural backgrounds of the world and the need to reach all peoples with the Teachings of Bahá’u’lláh. The common determination to fulfill the goals of the Faith was shared by all present and the desire to apply all of their strength to this purpose.
An important official recognition was given to the youth. On behalf of the Berlin Senat, Oberregierungsrat Peter Haensch spoke to the Bahá’ís at a reception given at the Schöeberger Rathous. Among other things, he said: “As you know it is not depending on us alone to get over the barrier that splits the peoples of East and West. I mean that an aid to reach this high goal is tolerance, not of carelessness but of respect toward the thinking and doings of others — not only in words but in deeds. I will go still further and say that charity is necessary in order to keep peace on earth. I know that an essential part of your religion is tolerance and that you stress the common [foundation] of all religions. Knowing this, I feel that it was very valuable to choose Berlin for your gathering and I must tell you that we are delighted to have you here. I presume that you do not anticipate that everybody becomes Bahá’ís. But it is important that the essence of your Faith will change the life of the people of the world; that the principles will be practiced among the peoples and thereby cause peace to be kept on earth ...”
Hellmut Schmidt thanked him for the friendly reception and enumerated the goals of the Bahá’í Faith. Dr. Farhad Sobhani mentioned the requirements of true tolerance.
What a strong contrast this Berlin institute offers to a world in general where youth engages more distractedly each day in violent and degrading activities. What a challenge to Bahá’í youth all over the world to live the teachings of their Faith and to bring its healing to others. And lastly, what an inspiration to Bahá’ís all over the world to add their prayers to those of the young people assembled in Berlin in this summer of 1965!
Turkey Wins Nine Year Goal With First Summer School[edit]
The scene for the historic, first Summer School ever
held in Turkey was set in a green, flowering garden at
Yalova, near Istanbul. Hand of the Cause, Dr. R. Muhájir brought much joy with his unexpected appearance, midway on his journey to the East. The believers
of Turkey are happy to have achieved this goal of the
Nine Year Plan.
Sixty-two participants representing
eleven localities, some of them outside Turkey, concentrated for eight
days on the history, principles and
administrative order of the Faith.
Photo at lower left shows a children’s
class in session.
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ABOVE: The fifth National Convention of the Bahá’ís of
Bolivia, held in La Paz at Riḍván 1965 was attended by
delegates and friends who came from eight of the nine
provinces of that country. Hand of the Cause Dr. R.
Muhájir and Auxiliary Board member Athos Costas attended. RIGHT: The newly elected National Assembly
met at once to put into operation plans for teaching
institutes among the Indians. The members of the
National Assembly are: Estanislao Alvarez, Nazario
Tirado, corres. secretary; Ehsanolláh Rezvani, treasurer; Mrs. Angélica Costas, rec. secretary; Andrés
Jachakollo, Mrs. Yolanda de Lopez, Sabino Ortega,
Mario Pinto, Miguel Diez.
First Step Toward Victory in Trinidad-Tobago[edit]
Accelerated teaching efforts in Trinidad during the past year have culminated in the formation of the Local Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Port-of-Spain on April 21, 1965. This Local Assembly, brought back into existence after several years, marks the first important step toward the achievement of the numerous goals assigned for Trinidad-Tobago in the Nine Year Plan.
The process was begun last year when Dr. Israel Posner from Venezuela, the National Assembly responsible for the formation of the National Assembly of Trinidad-Tobago as well as many other Nine Year Plan goals for that area, made a successful teaching trip to Port-of-Spain, in which he held public meetings, obtained good radio and newspaper publicity, and awakened some of the earlier believers to renewed activity. Soon afterward two devoted pioneers from England, Mr. and Mrs. John Firman, arrived in that same city and their constant and dedicated teaching efforts in collaboration with the local believers have resulted in several new declarations in one year.
The joyous news of the election of the Local Assembly of Port-of-Spain is, however, only the first step. Many other goals must be achieved leading up to and following the formation of the National Assembly. These goals include twenty centers, four local assemblies, acquiring a national endowment, temple land, and Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds, and others. Additional pioneers and many visiting teachers will be needed.
Local Spiritual Assembly of Bahá’ís of Port of Spain, elected at Riḍván 1965. Left to right, REAR: Mrs. Baptiste, John Firman, Mrs. Philips. MIDDLE: Mrs. Firman, Mr. Paris, Miss Hopkinson. FRONT: Mrs. George, Mr. Kedheroo, Mrs. Coure.
First Local Assembly Formed in Iceland[edit]
The historic, first local spiritual assembly was established last Riḍván in the capital city of Reykjavik, Iceland, the first of three assemblies required for the Nine Year Plan. The signatories of the original document were: Asgeir Einarsson, Kirsten Bonnevie, Florence Grindlay, Jessie Echevarria, Carl John Spencer, Charles Grindlay, Liesel Becker, Barbel Thinat and Nicholas Echevarria. One of the earliest traveling teachers in Iceland was Eskil Ljunberg and the first pioneer, Marguerite Allman, arrived in 1956, during the Ten Year Crusade.
Mrs. Amelia Collins, late Hand of the Cause, was the first to visit Iceland, in 1924. During these few hours spent in Reykjavik she was able to make friends with an Icelandic lady with whom she corresponded about the Faith for many years. This same lady was then able to open many doors for Martha Root, the renowned traveling teacher, who came in July of 1935 to make the Faith known in that land.
It was a memorable month for Martha Root, filled with interviews, discussions with many people of note, a public hall filled with people who came to hear her address, radio broadcasts and newspaper articles for the first time in Iceland. One of the people she met was the famed sculptor, Einar Jonsson. It was in a museum that bears his name that Mrs. Collins met her Icelandic friend. Later, in 1937, a noted educator and author of Iceland, Miss Hólmfrídur Arnadóttir, wrote a beautiful tribute to the Faith [Bahá’í World, Vol. VII] and made the first translation of Bahá’u’lláh and the New Era into Icelandic.
Anyone who thinks of Iceland as a frigid, grim land should read Martha Root’s description of it in her article, “The Soul of Iceland—A Bahá’í Saga,” in Bahá’í World, Vol. VI: “... land of jagged snowcapped mountain peaks, great glaciers ... magnificent waterfalls, boiling hot springs ... everywhere that wonderful fascination and nameless charm associated with this high altitude ... a climate of extraordinary clearness and purity ... the air is full of ozone, one does not feel fatigue, and the salty breezes from the ocean are most bracing.... The future will witness many travelers from all lands coming to ... Iceland; for bodies, minds, souls experience here something different from what they have ever known before. There is a calm repose in the very Icelandic atmosphere ... not to be found anywhere else...”
But it was the people of Iceland that Martha Root loved, for she had a special admiration for these descendants of the Vikings — their strong character, exceptional kindness and hospitality.
Bahá’ís in all lands will welcome with joy this first assembly in Iceland and wish it Godspeed — even as there must be great joy in the Abhá Kingdom among those two great souls who began the work thirty and forty years ago!
Greenland Enrolls First Native Believer[edit]
Greenland now has its first native believer. Mr. Hendrik Olsen of Upernavik first heard of the Faith in 1946 by receiving literature sent to outstanding persons in Greenland by Mrs. Johanna Hoeg, now an Auxiliary Board member. At that time, Mr. Olsen was a member of the local parliament, later becoming a member of the Landsrad itself, the parliament of Greenland. The Canadian Bahá’í News reports: “He has very high literary distinctions, having been chosen as the translator for the works of Knud Rasmussen and he has offered to place these talents at the service of the Bahá’í world community by translating Bahá’u’lláh and the New Era.”
The first pioneer to Greenland was Palle Bischoff of Denmark (1951-1954), followed by Bill Carr, Knight of Bahá’u’lláh, who has managed to remain there steadily since 1955. The Bahá’í World Community joins with these friends in welcoming this first believer of Greenland.
National Assembly members of Haiti, elected at the
Fifth Annual Convention. Seated, left to right: Ampelius Posy, vice-chairman, Ruth Blackwell, treasurer,
Ibeney Fleurescar, F. Forelean Juste-Constant, chairman; standing, left to right, Serge Eugene, Jacques
Hyacinthe, Mural St. Juste, Salmat Pierre-Paul, and
Philippe Bastien. Two teaching committees were
formed to open up the north and south sections of the
Republic.
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Dr. Muhájir, Hand of the Cause (center front) helping
to inaugurate new teaching plans in Korea during visit
from October 7-12. He was accompanied by Auxiliary
Board members John McHenry III and Yang Chae-ho
(seated left to right). Also in the photo are Mrs. Elizabeth McHenry and Kim Chan-Jin (seated at right) and
(standing left to right) Lt. Col. John S. McHenry, Kim
Pil-Su, Pak Sam-Bong, Kim Yong-Yon and Suh Byong-In. Two teachers’ conferences are scheduled for late
November, after which the teachers will spread out
over all of Korea to carry the “illumination of the
Divine Teachings.”
Korea Purchases Hazíratu’l-Quds[edit]
The Bahá’ís of Korea are proud to announce that through the generosity of the National Spiritual Assembly of Iran, some Persian friends outside Iran, as well as some American pioneers, they have just passed a momentous milestone toward completing the goals for the Nine Year Plan for Korea. On October 8th, at a cost of $11,183.00, final negotiations were completed for the initial purchase price of their Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds, in the capital city of Seoul. Unfortunately, an additional $1,400.00 is needed to meet the total cost of $12,583.00, as authorized by the Universal House of Justice, before the Bahá’ís will have the complete use of the building, plus $300.00 needed for repairs and redecorating. The soundness of this investment is verified by an offer to buy the building at a profit of $55,350.00 during the short time since the purchase.
The dignified and impressive three story building, which has double glass doors, brass studded, and an attractive display window facing the street, is well situated near the heart of the city on a main thoroughfare and easily accessible from all parts of the city.
At present the Bahá’ís have the use of the large lobby and the spacious second floor, which is large enough to accommodate National Spiritual Assembly meetings, offices for secretarial work, Nineteen Day Feasts for the Seoul Community, public meetings and firesides, and several weekly study classes.
Due to the peculiar real estate system practiced in Korea, the third floor of the building and a small two-story house on the grounds at the rear are still occupied by ‘renters,’ who paid key money to the original owner for the use of these rooms. Their investments were not part of the basic purchase price to the bank from which the Bahá’ís bought the building. However, the National Spiritual Assembly Secretary, Mr. Kim Yung Yun, has paid 150,000 won ($553.00) for the first floor with his personal funds and is acting as the resident Bahá’í and caretaker. It is sincerely hoped that in the not too distant future contributions from Bahá’ís in other countries may be added to the contributions of the Korean Bahá’ís so that all parts of the property may be utilized by the Faith. When the third floor is released it can be used as a hostel in conjunction with teaching institutes and summer schools, while the small house at the rear can be rented out and the funds used for paying building expenses.
In the meantime, the Bahá’ís are making good use of the parts of the building that are now theirs, and offer their everlasting thanks to the many generous donors.
Pioneers to Korea Give Years of Service[edit]
The Bahá’í Community of Seoul, Korea, has recently bid farewell to several stalwart pioneers who gave much of themselves to the work of the Faith in Korea. On August 4, 1965, Dr. David and Mrs. Joy Earl returned to the United States after a long period spent in the Orient, two years of which were in Korea. Dr. Earl served as chairman and Mrs. Earl as treasurer on the National Assembly since its inception in April, 1963, and held the same offices on the Local Spiritual Assembly of Seoul. Their teaching work was invaluable: they kept their home open for classes (the only meeting place available) several times each week, helped conduct teaching institutes and summer schools and went out into the villages to spread the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh.
A few weeks later Mrs. Lee Smits left Seoul with her three small children to join her husband, William, in Hawaii where he had preceded her. Korea owes a great debt to the Smits. Bill was one of the first pioneers who came to Korea to stay and it was through his continued teaching efforts that many people throughout the country heard of the Faith and became Bahá’ís. In 1963, at the London Congress, Lee was one of the only two native-born Korean Bahá’ís there and the only one to stand before that vast assemblage and read a prayer in her native tongue. Their home in Seoul was long the official residence of the Bahá’ís of that city and their only meeting place.
It is with the deepest regret that the Bahá’ís of Korea have bid farewell to these esteemed pioneers.
Bahá’ís of Seoul, Korea bidding farewell to pioneers Dr.
David and Mrs. Joy Earl who returned to the United
States in August of 1965 after many years of pioneering effort in the Orient, two years being spent in Korea.
[Page 12]
Second National Convention of the Bahá’ís of Tanzania, East Africa held April 30 - May 2, 1965. Despite bad weather
and transportation difficulties forty-nine of the ninety-five delegates were able to attend. The gathering was inspired
by loving messages from the Hands of the Cause brought by Board members Peter Mutabazi and Wallace Ngallomba.
Second National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of
Tanzania, East Africa. Left to right, rear: Hussein S.
Akida, Ruhulah Yazdani, Allen Elston, chairman, Jalal
Nakhjavani, treasurer. Front: Dr. Jamshed Samandari,
Mrs. M. Naimi, Joseph Sekikubo, v. chairman, Mrs.
Marye Elston, secretary, Lamuka Mwangulu, rec.
secretary.
Second annual Convention of the Bahá’ís of Kenya, held during Riḍván 1965.
A Tribute to an Early Believer[edit]
Mrs. Mariam P. Haney, who passed to the Abhá Kingdom September 1, 1965, was among the first believers in the United States. In 1909 she and her husband Charles Haney made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land where they spent nine days near ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the Master. This pilgrimage was the inspiration for both of them throughout the rest of their lives and some of the gems of wisdom they received at this time were printed in a little book, A Heavenly Feast.
Mrs. Haney gave tirelessly of herself towards the work of the Faith. Her home was open to the friends who enjoyed her hospitality, enriched with the Teachings of the Faith and interspersed with her stories gleaned from her rich experiences in serving the Faith. For many years she lived in Washington D.C. where she served as secretary of the local Assembly, as fireside teacher, as member of the program committee serving Green Acre School, as member of the National Inter-racial Committee of the Bahá’ís and, most notably, as writer of articles and editor of the Bahá’í Magazine, Star of the West. She also served as member of the editorial Committee of the early volumes of Bahá’í World. Among her students were many teachers, professors, deans and even the president of Howard University. She was a well known figure in inter-racial circles in Washington.
Her one son, Hand of the Cause Paul Haney, now residing in Haifa, visited her during the summer of 1965 after attending the National Convention in Wilmette where he had been sent to serve as official representative of the Universal House of Justice.
“Mother” Haney lived a life of dedication and steadfastness in the Faith, her works and attributes being shining examples of the fullness of her understanding of the words of the Master.
In visiting her just one month before her ascension to the Abhá Kingdom, it was apparent that her continuing concern and her bright and lively interest in the growth and progress of the Faith in Washington, in America and throughout the world were undimmed. Her characteristic alert and probing questions gave evidence of her devotion to the Faith. Particularly when the believers whom she knew or about whom she had heard some compliment were mentioned, she would ask, “Is he active in the Faith? Is he a comprehending Bahá’í?”
Although grieved at the passing of our beloved friend and co-worker, Mrs. Mariam Haney, we are consoled in the knowledge that her memory lingers fondly and we found solace in the beauty of the services conducted at her funeral by the Spiritual Assembly of Washington, D.C. on Sunday, September 5 in the Barber Funeral Home, Laytonsville, Maryland. The large number of friends who gathered to pay tribute to this steadfast and heroic maid-servant of Bahá bore eloquent testimony to the realization that “death proffereth unto every confident believer the cup that is life indeed.”
Mr. T. Samandarí, Hand of the Cause, and Soheil Samandarí meet with friends of Sudan during their tour of North East Africa.
- Hand of the Cause, Mr. Samandarí, at the Tenth Bahá’í Summer School of Somalia, while on his tour of North East Africa. With him are, (second left) Soheil Samandarí, first pioneer to Somalia, and Auxiliary Board member, Mehdi Samandarí (second right), July 22-August 1.
Mr. Le-Loc, secretary of the National
Spiritual Assembly of Vietnam, addressing a distinguished audience on
the occasion of the Birthday of the
Báb in October. This photo was published in the Saigon Daily News with an excellent article concerning the occasion.
New Teachers Developed Through India Institutes[edit]
Teaching work in India is moving forward — that land that had such tremendous success during the concluding years of the Ten Year Crusade. Several teaching institutes are being carried on, a recent one having been inaugurated at the district Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds of Sholapur in the Marathi language, conducted by N. S. Jadhav. Examinations are held and grades given at the conclusion of the courses held in these institutes.
One thousand people of Bastar, one of the most primitive districts, were able to hear the Bahá’í message through the efforts of an indefatigable teacher, Shri Nathulal Malviya [Badi], thus following up on efforts made by Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum just a year ago. Mrs. Shirin Boman has visited several districts, including Dhar, the scene of great success in the early days of mass teaching in India.
The National Assembly of India, in a special bulletin to the Indian Community, states: “We are happy to inform ... we have been able to present Bahá’í literature to all the Ministers of the Central and State governments, to many District Magistrates and Block Officers, and are receiving their sympathetic and favorable replies. We hope to continue our efforts toward giving the Message of God to the elite and educated masses of India through literature and correspondence.”
National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Southwest
Pacific, elected at Riḍván 1965. Left to right, rear: Wilson Rooikao, Edmond Maeligwath, Hamlyn Walker,
Ishmael Olawai, Bill Laing. Front: Johnson Tolomae,
Violet Hoehnke (Auxiliary Board member), Gertrude
Blum, Alvin Blum. Absent: Bertha Dobbins.
Know Your Baha’i Literature[edit]
“The Secret of Divine Civilization”[edit]
[Reviewed by Walter Wootten]
‘Abdu’l-Bahá, in His thirty-first year, addressed a monumental anonymous dissertation on political science to the Sháh of Persia. The treatise is called The Secret of Divine Civilization, translated into English from the original Persian text by Mrs. Marzieh Gail. On first appearance, an epistolary lamentation of the deplorable conditions of nineteenth-century Persia, it is also an apologia of revealed religion; yet again it is a broad outline of future world order.
By way of historical background, we may note that at the time of its writing (1875), absolute despotism ruled the thrones of Europe and Asia. People’s wills had been beaten down and tyrannized in that century to such a nadir that authority and power were distilled in the persons of these monarchs. L’état, c’est moi. In a sense, that condition of centralization facilitated the missions of the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh, for They had only to address those despots, and technically, their acceptance or rejection was effected on behalf of everyone in their respective realms! Such was the case when the Sun of Reality dawned over Persia in 1844, and again in 1852. Bahá’u’lláh especially addressed His claims and epistles to the world’s temporal and spiritual rulers. In another sense, the Sháhs of Persia nominally held imperium over every person in the world by virtue of their royal trusteeship tenure of the Holy Imámate, the authorized institution of successorship of the Prophet Muḥammad!
And so the Báb addressed the Sháh; Bahá’u’lláh addressed the Sháh; and likewise did ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in The Secret of Divine Civilization (as had Muḥammad before them, in 628 A.D., and been rejected by Sháh Chosroës II, who promptly thereafter plunged to his dynastic ruin and death). Let us weigh this fate of Sháh Chosroës II, by way of comparison, with the Chinese Emperor Tai-tsung1 who not only in reply to Muḥammad, circa 628 A.D., sent Him felicitations, but unprecedentedly requested that Muḥammad send a number of His best scholars to the empirial court of China! Little wonder why that wise emperor preserved his “mandate from heaven” in universally envied prosperity for twelve hundred twenty-four years until 1844 A.D., when England destroyed China by invasion, treaty concession, and partition.
And now what is the secret in The Secret of Divine Civilization? The premise seems to rest upon repeated statements by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá that humanity may achieve Divine civilization, based on the teachings and laws of God’s Manifestations without necessarily developing elaborate and specialized material technology, but, however, “Until the two agree, real happiness among mankind will be unknown.” (P.U.P., I, p. 165) This theme seems to be repeated at least twenty-seven times in The Secret of Divine Civilization, albeit in different ways and from diverse perspectives, to cite a few:
Close investigation will show that the primary cause of oppression and injustice, of unrighteousness, irregularity and disorder, is the people’s lack of religious faith and the fact that they are uneducated, (p. 18)
... the happiness and greatness, the rank and station, the pleasure and peace, of an individual have never consisted in his personal wealth, but rather in his excellent character, his high resolve, the breadth of his learning, and his ability to solve difficult problems. (pp. 23-24)
... external lustre without inner perfection is “like a vapor in the desert which the thirsty dreameth to be water.” (p. 61)
Religion is the light of the world, and the progress, achievement, and happiness of man result from obedience to the laws set down in the holy Books. Briefly, it is demonstrable that in this life, both outwardly and inwardly the mightiest of structures, the most solidly established, the most enduring, standing guard over the world, assuring both the spiritual and the material perfections of mankind, and protecting the happiness and civilization of society—is religion, (p. 71)
Nothing can be effected in the world, not even conceivably, without unity and agreement, and the perfect means for engendering fellowship and union is true religion, (p. 73)
... religion is the very basic and root-principle of culture and civilization ... (p. 75)
Our purpose is to show how true religion promotes the civilization and honor, the prosperity and prestige, the learning and advancement of a people once abject, enslaved and ignorant, and how, when it falls into the hands of leaders who are foolish and fanatical, it is diverted to the wrong ends, until this greatest of splendors turns into blackest night, (p. 80)
... souls who have become characterized with such attributes of holiness [i.e., the Manifestations] are the distilled essence of creation and the sources of true civilization, (p. 82)
Those qualities which the philosophers attained when they had reached the very heights of their wisdom, those noble human attributes which characterized them at the peak of their perfection, would be exemplified by the believers as soon as they accepted the Faith, (pp. 83-84)
... in every particular the basic elements of their [European] civilization are derived from Islám, (p. 92)
The purpose of these references is to establish the fact that the religions of God are the true source of the spiritual and material perfections of man, and the fountainhead for all mankind of enlightenment and beneficial knowledge, (p. 94)
... even the minutest details of civilized life derive from the grace of the Prophets of God. (p. 96)
And yet, if we ponder the lessons of history it
[Page 16]
will become evident that this very sense of honor
and dignity is itself of the bounties deriving from
the instructions of the Prophets of God. (p. 97)
... the Divine religions, the holy precepts, the heavenly teachings, are the unassailable basis of human happiness, and that the peoples of the world can hope for no real relief or deliverance without this one great remedy, (p. 99)
From these verses it is clear that the secret of
material civilization and scientific technology is moral
righteousness; the secret of moral righteousness is
social religion; the secret of social religion is Divine
Revelation; the secret of Divine Revelation is that
whoever manifests God, whether He speak with the
rank of “... Divinity, Lordship, Prophethood, Messengership, Guardianship, Apostleship, or Servitude,
... whatsoever be their utterance, ... all is true,
beyond the shadow of doubt.”2
Having thus disclosed what the secret of Divine civilization is, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá then set up Bahá’u’lláh’s social program for the political union and reconstruction of the nations of the planet. On pages 64-66 He declared: “True civilization will unfurl its banner ... whenever a certain number of ... sovereigns ... shall arise ... to establish the Cause of Universal Peace ... a Union of the nations of the world.” He invoked the principle of a unitary armament control and collective military security, assuring the people of the “unfailing grace of God” in this noble endeavor.
Having touched upon the essentials of world order, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá turned to the matter of internal administration. He prescribed the abolition of absolute arbitrary authority of state and local magistrates and governors, the very prevalence of which killed the Báb, exiled Bahá’u’lláh and snuffed out the lives of over twenty thousand Bahá’ís. He implemented a merit system for individual public leaders, whether political or spiritual, and even set forth the broad outlines of their program of education. He urged the formulation and promulgation of a single code of civil, criminal and procedural law, and deplored the conflicting, demoralizing decisions and consequences which unwritten judicial decisions, (lex non scripta) unmodified by statute, produces—that it results in a society “brainsick” with “prolonged litigation.” He limited sentences of capital punishment and cases requiring imprisonment to the decisions of higher courts. Even those decisions, He said, should rest upon the final decree of the sovereign, himself, and even the sovereign might conduct his own independent investigation into the nature of an alleged criminal act.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá approved of the systematic study of political science based on the Divine Law, and urged also that a nation’s military officers be kept informed of the most modern developments in military science.
In short, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá lamented the torpor which had fallen over Persia, cited historical examples of the dazzling glories to which the Persian peoples and governments once had attained, tried to reinspire pride in the hearts of His countrymen, and predicted that some day her government and peoples again will, by the assistance of American and European peoples, be the most admired, envied, and advanced nation in the world.3 Yet alas! ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in The Secret of Divine Civilization did not specify when this glorious event would materialize. On the contrary, He went so far as to express doubt that His epistle would be heeded at all by the Sháh. He wrote:
... it is by no means certain that public opinion in Persia will be materially affected by its perusal, (p. 69)
Then what of The Secret of Divine Civilization? Is it
another dead letter to a dead Sháh of the deservedly
dead Qájár Dynasty? Has the spirit it enshrines been
allotted exclusively to the Persians and for no other
peoples? Both ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and twentieth-century history answer—“no!” Elsewhere, the Center of God’s
Covenant wrote:
When the spirit is breathed in the East, its signs immediately appear in the West, ... and it hath a spiritual dominion which penetrates the pillars of the world.4
The far-seeing Virginian Woodrow Wilson, shortly after
the writing of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s The Secret of Divine Civilization, commenced formulating a plan for international peace and a League of Nations. If, in Persia
and Turkey the “Spirit of the Age” was repressed,
wheels of progress instantly began to be set in motion
in the West, causing that spirit to find expression, first
by Chancellor Bismarck5, then by President Wilson.
Wilson, in two strokes of his pen, became the outward
instrument that broke the backs of the Sultán of Turkey, arch-persecutor of Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá;
destroyed ancient despotic dynasties in Europe and
Asia that had spurned and opposed Bahá’u’lláh; caused
to be concluded a treaty (Covenant) of a League of
Nations; caused a tribunal of international law to be
established in Europe, and set up the very forerunner
of a future world super-state to be based on a future
code of world law!
To Bahá’ís as well as to all sincere men and women everywhere struggling against the forces of evil, and the “demoralizing influences which a corruption-ridden political life so strikingly manifests” (A.D.J. p. 19); to those impotent statesmen who are being swept away beneath the undertow of Divine retribution — The Secret of Divine Civilization is especially commended.
1. Williams S. W., A History of China, Charles Scribner’s Sons,
New York, 1897, pp. 33-37.
2. Bahá’u’lláh, Kitáb-i-Igán, p. 181.
3. For statements by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá regarding Persia’s dazzling future, see Star of the West, IX, 2, pp. 23-24; Ibid, p. 116, two passages; Ibid, XIV, 8, p. 245: “ ... Ere long, ye shall see how the government of Bahá’u’lláh’s native land will become the most advanced country in all the regions of the world;” Most notably is His statement, quoted by the beloved Guardian Shoghi Effendi, recorded in Bahá’í News, #31, April, 1929, p. 4: “Ere long will your brethren from Europe and America journey to Persia. There they will promote to an unprecedented degree the interest of art and industry. There they will rear the institutions of true civilization, promote the development of husbandry and trade, and assist in the spread of education ... Assuredly they will come; assuredly they will contribute in the making of Irán the envy and the admiration of the peoples and nation of the world.” See also ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s recommendation that a Persian-American reciprocal trade alliance be concluded, whereby Persia would provide unimaginably vast raw materials and the United States would provide Persia with technology; recorded in Promulgation of Universal Peace, I, pp. 32-34.
4. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, II, p. 289.
5. Shoghi Effendi, The Promised Day is Come, Bahá’í Publishing Committee, 1941, pp. 58-59. Shoghi Effendi eulogizes the German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck as “a statesman rightly regarded as ‘one of the geniuses of his century’ ... that sagacious statesman, the true founder of his [Emperor William II] empire, to whose sagacity Bahá’u’lláh had paid tribute, and to the unwisdom of whose imperial and ungrateful master ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had testified.”
World Peace Day Celebrated in Thirty-Nine States[edit]
The sixth annual World Peace Day, September 19, 1965, was marked by observances in eighty localities in the United States according to reports received. One of the ways of obtaining recognition for this day is to solicit proclamations from state governors. In the past six years proclamations have been obtained in a total of thirty states, many of them annually. The chart shows activities this year including proclamations by governors and those by mayors. The story is related this year exclusively in charts and pictures.
World Peace Day Activities[edit]
| PLACE | GOVERNOR’S PROCLAMATION | MAYOR’S PROCLAMATION | PUBLIC MEETING | OTHER ACTIVITY |
| Alabama | ||||
| Mobile | X | |||
| Huntsville | X | |||
| Arkansas | ||||
| Little Rock | X | |||
| Arizona | ||||
| Phoenix | X | X | ||
| (with Glendale | ||||
| No. Maricopa co., | ||||
| Scottsdale, | ||||
| Tempe) | ||||
| Flagstaff | X | |||
| California | ||||
| Alhambra | X | Potluck Supper | ||
| Alturas | X | Rally | ||
| Campbell | X | |||
| (San Jose) | ||||
| Corona J.D. | X | X | Potluck Supper | |
| Culver City | X | |||
| Lakewood | X | X | Picnic | |
| (with Long | ||||
| Beach & | ||||
| nearby | ||||
| communities) | ||||
| Los Angeles | X | |||
| Orange | X | |||
| Palm Springs | X | |||
| Pomona | X | Potluck Supper | ||
| Riverside | X | Potluck | ||
| Sacramento | X | |||
| Santa Maria | X | X | ||
| Colorado | ||||
| Denver | X | X | ||
| Jefferson co. | X | Display at Fair | ||
| Connecticut | ||||
| Hartford | X | |||
| Florida | ||||
| Ft. Myers | Radio Publicity | |||
| Key West | X | |||
| Miami Beach | X | |||
| No. Dade co. | X | Radio Publicity | ||
| (with Miami) | ||||
| Pinellas co. | X | Cook out | ||
| West Palm | ||||
| Beach | X | |||
| Georgia | ||||
| Atlanta | X | |||
| Cobb co. | X | |||
| Illinois | ||||
| Champaign- | ||||
| Urbana | X | |||
| Springfield | X | |||
| Wilmette | X | |||
| Iowa | ||||
| Des Moines | X | |||
| Kansas | ||||
| Topeka | X | X | Radio Publicity | |
| Wichita | X | |||
| Massachusetts | ||||
| Cambridge | X | X | Picnic | |
| Maine | ||||
| Eliot | X | |||
| Maryland | ||||
| Baltimore | X | X | X | |
| Prince | ||||
| Georges co. | X | |||
| Missouri | ||||
| St. Louis | X | X | ||
| Webster Groves | X | |||
| Montana | ||||
| Butte | X | X | ||
| Great Falls | x | |||
| Helena | Newspaper Publicity | |||
| Minnesota | ||||
| Duluth | X | TV Publicity | ||
| Nebraska | ||||
| Omaha | X | X | Tea | |
| (with Macy, | ||||
| Lincoln, | ||||
| Winnebago, | ||||
| Council | ||||
| Bluffs, Iowa) | ||||
| Nevada | ||||
| Carson City | X | |||
| New Hampshire | ||||
| Peterborough | X | |||
| New Jersey | ||||
| Springfield | X | |||
| New Mexico | ||||
| Albuquerque | Publicity Campaign | |||
| University | ||||
| of New | ||||
| Mexico | Display | |||
| New York | ||||
| North | ||||
| Hempstead | ||||
| Twp. | X | X | Dinner | |
| New York | X |
| PLACE | GOVERNOR’S PROCLAMATION | MAYOR’S PROCLAMATION | PUBLIC MEETING | OTHER ACTIVITY |
| Yonkers | X | Drama-documentary | ||
| North Carolina | ||||
| Raleigh | X | |||
| North Dakota | ||||
| Fargo | X | |||
| Ohio | ||||
| Columbus | X | |||
| Dayton | X | Picnic | ||
| (with | ||||
| Cincinnati) | ||||
| Oklahoma | ||||
| Disney | X | 2 day picnic | ||
| (Mayes co. | & meetings | |||
| with Rogers, | ||||
| Ark.) | ||||
| Tulsa | X | X | Picnic | |
| Oregon | ||||
| Eugene | X | |||
| Lane co. | X | |||
| Portland | X | |||
| Pennsylvania | ||||
| Philadelphia | X | |||
| West Chester | X | |||
| Puerto Rico | ||||
| San Juan | X | |||
| Rhode Island | ||||
| Providence | X | X | Radio Publicity | |
| Picnic | ||||
| South Dakota | ||||
| Sioux Falls | X | X | Potluck Supper | |
| South Carolina | ||||
| Frogmore | X | Picnic & Hay | ||
| (with | Ride | |||
| Savannah, Ga.) | ||||
| Tennessee | ||||
| Nashville | X | X | ||
| Texas | ||||
| Amarillo | X | X | TV Telecast | |
| Ft. Worth | X | |||
| Houston | X | |||
| Utah | ||||
| Salt Lake | ||||
| City & | ||||
| emsp;Salt Lake | ||||
| co. | X | X | ||
| Virgin Islands | ||||
| St. Thomas | X | |||
| Wisconsin | ||||
| Madison | X | X | ||
| West Allis | X | Bus Trip to Temple | ||
| Wyoming | ||||
| Casper | X | X | ||
| Laramie | X |
Some of those who attended the two day picnic and meetings held at Grand Lake of the Cherokees near Disney, Oklahoma.
Mayor Robert Baker of Lakewood, California signs
World Peace Day Proclamation. Rear, left to right:
Iraj Talebereza, chairman of local Assembly; Mrs.
Jaleh Brunst, Mrs. Leila Antonson, secretary; F. Dana
Eckfeld, treasurer.
New York City. Left to right: Dr. Roberts Fuller of
local Assembly, Isabelle Silk, chairman of the meeting;
Dr. Firuz Kazemzadeh, speaker; Fred Thomas, guest
singer; Vereda Pearson, accompanist; William Dunlap,
v. chairman of local Assembly.
[Page 19]
Governor Carl E. Sanders of Georgia with (left to right): Raymond Lindsey, Maceo Winkfield, Melvin R. Slate, Mrs. Taube C. Slate, and Iraj Radpour.
Arizona’s Governor Samuel P. Goddard signs Proclamation. In rear, left to right are: Bruce Palmberg, Mrs.
George Bechtold, Mrs. Raymond Helmick, Mrs. Francis
Johnson.
Miss Jane Ward and Willie Astor watch Governor
Grant Sawyer of Nevada sign a World Peace Day
Proclamation.
Governor John H. Chafee of Rhode Island holds World
Peace Day Proclamation with Mrs. Beth Newport. Mrs.
Edith Carpenter and Ernest Lewis are on his left.
[Page 20]
Annual Thornton Chase Memorial service held, in memory of the first American Bahá’í, in California’s Inglewood Park Cemetery on Sunday, October 3rd was
attended by more than 350 Bahá’ís and guests. Children
of different nationalities placed flowers at the grave,
there were prayers and a Bahá’í choral selection as
well as the reading of an account of the life of Thornton Chase.
Fifty-Third Anniversary of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Visit to Niagara Falls Commemorated[edit]
More than 100 Bahá’ís and their friends from Western New York and nearby Canada attended commemoration festivities on September 11, marking the visit of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to Niagara Falls in September, 1912. The program planned by the Spiritual Assembly of Niagara Falls, New York lasted during the afternoon and evening, beginning with visits to Bahá’í displays at the Hotel Niagara, followed by a walk to the Falls over the same route on which the Master walked, then dinner at the hotel with a public meeting afterwards.
The plans prepared by the local Assembly were carefully made and carried out showing the believers and their guests the intrinsic spiritual value of such a commemoration and bringing comments of appreciation and thanks for the opportunity to participate in the program.
The “walk to the Falls” to the area where ‘Abdu’l-Bahá walked in 1912 brought people a bit closer to an understanding of the spirit of the Master. The excellence of service rendered by the Hotel Niagara provided the material feast while the presentation of the messages, “ ‘Abdu’l-Bahá- the Person and His Message” by guest speakers auxiliary Board member Peggy Ross of Canada, and John Trauger of New York State as well as the introductory comments of Arthur Patterson inspired all to new appreciations of the Servant of Bahá.
Every member of the Niagara Falls Community cooperated to carry out the many tasks of handling tickets and registrations, arranging Bahá’í literature display and sales, decorations, hostessing. The printed souvenir program, including a picture of the Master, description of Him and His visit to this area brief quotations from His messages on these occasions brought complimentary acclaim from many. The carefully prepared arrangements for publicity resulted in radio interviews including Mildred McKown, Peggy Ross, Fred Reis and Florence Pringle as well as excellent newspaper coverage.
Guardian’s Messages to America, 1947-1957, Now a Published Work[edit]
The Bahá’í Publishing Trust of the U.S. has just published a new collection of the messages of Shoghi Effendi entitled Citadel of Faith: Messages to America/1947-1957. These consist of the letters addressed to the American Bahá’í Community during the years 1947 to 1957. These messages are of deep concern to all Bahá’ís — to the American believers who were reminded of their spiritual primacy as the trustees and executors of the Divine Plan of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as well as to the inheritors of that mission as it became fulfilled throughout the world in the Ten Year Crusade and in conjunction with the other existing pillars of the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh.
Hand of the Cause in the Holy Land, Paul Haney, has written the Preface to this work, in which he states: “It is certain that a careful study of these communications will impart to the reader a profound understanding of the unique character of the mission conferred upon the American Bahá’í Community, not only in foreign fields, but on its own home front, and will reveal to the individual members of that favored community a new vision of the nature of that spiritual primacy which is their birthright.”
Included in this valued collection of more than eighty messages are: “Challenging Requirements of the Present Hour”; “The Citadel of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh”; “Spiritual Conquest of the Planet”; “American Bahá’ís in the Time of World Peril”; and his final message to America, “Heights Never Before Attained.” There is also a Necrology section with Shoghi Effendi’s tributes to the gallant souls who passed on in Bahá’í service during this decade.
This is the most important work issued by the Trust since the publication of Shoghi Effendi’s Messages to the Bahá’í World, 1950-1957. It is hoped that every believer will gain through this work a “new vision” of individual responsibility in the Nine Year Plan.
Care has been taken to make this book in its physical details a befitting receptacle for the words it contains. It is bound in olive-gold Holliston sailcloth, stamped in gold on a dark background. The jacket, in complementary tones, was designed by Conrad Heleniak with drawings of the four Baháí temples by Harlan Scheffler. A debt of gratitute is owed to Robert and Sue Meinhard who did the initial research in collecting the messages; also to Marian Lippitt for her work on the index. (See Publishing Trust announcement for price.)
Tanana Valley Sponsors First Summer Institute[edit]
Bahá’ís of the greater Fairbanks area are very happy with the results of the first summer institute to be held “on this frozen tundra we call home.” The institute, which they hope to make an annual event, was sponsored by the Local Spiritual Assembly of Tanana Valley, assisted by the Fairbanks Bahá’í Community on August 21-22. Much of the program took place out of doors for the thirty-five attendants. Teaching, living a Bahá’í life, history, administration and the principles and laws were among the subjects presented by various teachers, including auxiliary board member of Alaska, Howard Brown.
New Believers Attracted By Love In An Area Ravaged By Hate[edit]
Its streets had been strewn with the dead. Whole city blocks had been fiery infernos. Civil war, in miniature, had erupted with explosive violence in Watts.
An uneasy peace settled slowly on this densely-populated core of colored citizenry in the very center of the sprawling Los Angeles megalopolis. Its physical scars, ugly as they were, still were nothing in comparison with the deeper wounds in the hearts of a Negro populace understandably embittered, sullen, suspicious. The police, overwhelmingly white, had been dismally unconvincing as a guardian of peace and justice. Many residents, toughened by prior clashes with the law, and with the savagery that is born of the slums, had lashed out viciously at invader and neighbor alike. Could any other group of people be less convinced that mankind’s destiny is unity? Would people, afraid to open their doors, open their hearts? The word of John Law had roused resentment. The words of Bahá’u’lláh would arouse hope of justice and unity.
Such was the conviction of a Bahá’í man and wife, who faced the challenge of Watts with prayerful dedication and determination. Their efforts were the seeds of a campaign of love in a turbulent, hate-tormented area. They were speedily joined by equally dedicated souls. The result has been one of the most surprising, striking and significant victories in reaching and teaching a minority group.
Eight New Baha’is in the First Four Weeks[edit]
How was this accomplished, and how can it initiate and inspire similar significant breakthroughs with minority groups in all of the nation’s metropolitan areas?
Their first step was to make contact with a Negro Bahá’í resident of Watts. They asked permission to visit the home. Husband was Bahá’í; wife non-Bahá’í. During the visit they were successful in gaining introductions to neighbors, some of whom were hesitant, some hostile, but all of them curious about a white couple’s visit to a Negro friend’s home. The white visitors invited their new Negro acquaintances to visit their home. It was made plain that it was not a gesture, but meaningful, sincere, and warm with a genuine friendship. In the exchange of visits, the teaching team first taught without talking, but by listening. They sought out the thoughts and attitudes, the minority group feelings and reactions.
Then they spoke of Bahá’u’lláh — in a fireside that truly imparted light and warmth. They brought the light of Bahá’í with the warmth of love. As interest was aroused, follow-up firesides were immediately arranged, spreading out to more neighboring homes, opened to two-person teaching teams of black and white. At one such meeting, just two weeks later, three declarations took place; one the wife of the initially-contacted Bahá’í; one a pastor who resigned her church post the following week! Two weeks and two nights later the number of new Bahá’ís had reached eight!! To cover the story of this glorious victory for THE BAHÁ’Í NEWS as an inspiration for us all, this reporter sought expressions from the growing group now dedicated to this wonderful Watts teaching project. The keys are these, we were told:
“Search out your minority group acquaintance with friendship and interest. Get him to talk about himself. Take him to coffee.” “If you do not know a minority group person well enough to invite yourself to his home, find a reason to invite him to yours. Bahá’u’lláh will do the rest.”
“You may be surprised to find him far more spiritual than you were when you investigated Bahá’í. The poorer they are in material possessions, the richer they are in recognition of God.”
“Be a servant to the seeker. In his home or yours, be the one who rises to serve the refreshment, to wash the dishes. Show the Faith in action.”
“When interest is achieved, make the firesides frequent. Don’t desert the new believer. Help him start his own firesides immediately. And have a deepening plan that works.”
It is hardly surprising that their words echo those of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as quoted in the Advent of Divine Justice, page 32:
“If you meet those of a different race and color from yourself, do not mistrust them, and withdraw yourself into your shell of conventionality, but rather be glad and show them kindness.” And further:
“When a gathering of these two (black and white) races is brought about, that assemblage will become the magnet of the Concourse on high, and the confirmation of the Blessed Beauty will surround it.”
May the fire and the fervor of the Bahá’í activity in Watts inspire us all to bring the message of Bahá’u’lláh to the hungry, the restless, and unshepherded multitudes.
Duluth Bahá’ís Co-Sponsor Conference[edit]
A Study-Action Conference on the Indian of Northern Minnesota held October 2 at the University of Minnesota in Duluth was initiated by the Bahá’í Assembly of Duluth and co-sponsored by seventeen other organizations including such groups as the Duluth Council of Churches, the N.A.A.C.P., Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, Jewish Federation and the League of Women Voters. Mrs. Norma Cameron of the Duluth Bahá’í Community was chairman of the Conference Planning Committee while Joyan Peterson represented the Bahá’ís on this Committee. The residents of seven Indian Reservations were invited, many of whom appeared on the program in which Indian Agency representatives also took part. Ken Jeffers, representative for the Indian Service Committee of the Bahá’ís was one of the speakers.
Among the many good results of this cooperative effort were invitations to Ken Jeffers to address members of the Chippewa Tribe and the Fond du Lac Reservation and to speak at Macalester College in St. Paul; a telegram of commendation from Congressman John Blatnik; good press notices, and the many informal opportunities which arise at such gatherings for Bahá’ís to know other people and to show by deed and attitude as well as word what the Bahá’í Faith offers to humanity today.
The Movement of Pioneers to Foreign Goals[edit]
The exodus of American believers to posts outside the U.S. continues at a hearteningly steady pace. Since Riḍván 1965 fifteen adults and two youth have settled in U.S. goal areas. These are primary goals for which the United States has sole responsibility and are located in Puerto Rica and the Caribbean. Fourteen adults and one youth are now in “inter-assembly collaboration goals,” those posts where the American Bahá’í Community has been asked to assist other National Assemblies by sending pioneers. In addition there are twenty-three adults and one youth who have moved to foreign posts not assigned to the United States in the Nine Year Plan, but where assistance with Bahá’í teaching is welcome and needed. To add to this total of fifty-six can be named at least half a dozen young Bahá’í men in the military service who have been placed in areas where the Faith is rapidly becoming established and where, in their free time, these believers are rendering valued service in spreading the Message of Bahá’u’lláh. In many instances these young men, knowing where Bahá’í needs exist, requested transfer to these posts, often termed “hardship” by the military.
The U.S. Foreign Goals Committee is encouraged by the enthusiastic response from many believers who long to pioneer. Because procuring jobs and necessary entrance papers to some of the goals is not easy, there are many not counted above who are actively preparing for serving the Faith overseas. At least nineteen are at present in the “staging” process and hopefully will be at their posts within the next few weeks.
Despite this response there are still at least thirty pioneer posts to be filled by American believers before next Riḍván. Those who can arise to volunteer, without jeopardizing their Bahá’í communities are urged to get in touch with the Foreign Goals Committee, 112 Linden Ave., Wilmette, Illinois.
News Briefs[edit]
The Bahá’í Journal of the British Isles reports another dynamic two-week summer school session at Dalston Hall with a total registration of about eighty, including many youth. The article states: “The theme of the school was set against the title ‘Worthy to bear His Name.’ All the talks and seminars helped us to gain a deeper understanding of the significance of Bahá’u’lláh’s Revelation and the part individuals can play during these days.” Some highlights mentioned are: “The enlightening sessions on Prayers and Meditations; the enthusiasm and efforts of the young people who attended the seminar on teaching methods and speaker training, and the maturity of the consultation during the discussions of living a new life in the old order, with special reference to chastity and morality. The commemoration of the Martyrdom of the Báb was memorable and use was made of a script by Hand of the Cause Hasan Balyuzi.”
The Bahá’í House of Worship in Africa appears on the Uganda television every time the news is shown as one of the background buildings. It is estimated that since the dedication about 50,000 visits have been made to it. Embassies and tourist agencies bring visitors to this place of beauty.
The Cupbearers[edit]
There are Bahá’ís who wander all over the world, bearing in their hands a Cup holding the Water of Life. They walk alone in distant lands, they go to the far-reaching corners of the earth, the Arctic beaches, the small islands. They proclaim the Cause of God unto all who are in the Heavens and the earth. They are looking for those who are thirsty, the lonely, the downtrodden who have lost hope, the poor, and the rich who are disenchanted with their possessions, agonized with fear that they may lose what they have, trusting no one, hoarding their gold. They indeed are the most pitiful of all. For these the cupbearers are looking and when they find them they will offer the Cup of Salvation, new hope, healing. Happy the one who drinks and slakens his thirst. If he rejects the drink the cupbearers will pass on and leave him in the hands of God. He will continue his search looking neither left nor right, unaffected by his surroundings, be it a city of culture and abundance, a remote island or the desolation of the slums. He is not concerned with his needs, for everything he needs and more will come to him. He need not make plans for he is Divinely guided, he will be protected by the Power of the Greatest Holy Name — Alláh-u-Abhá, he will lead the people to Bahá’u’lláh, the Holy Manifestation of the Word of God.
Unhappy people of the earth, beset with troubles, wandering aimlessly without hope, without faith, eternally crying, “why am I here; why was I born, what does my life mean? Is it only to work, eat, sleep, suffer and see others suffer?” Something within them tells them that this cannot be the true meaning of life, but they cannot find the answer. Happy the seeker who meets the cupbearer and drinks from the cup offered him with love, one drop will suffice to enrich him with the Bounty of the Lord, the Almighty, the All-Knowing. He will give him the answer as given by Bahá’u’lláh in one all embracing answer: “I bear witness that Thou hast created me to know Thee and worship Thee.” For this and for this only were we created.
Members of Chicago’s Bahá’í Community collected
1,000 bars of soap for distribution to the people of South
Vietnam. Some of those who took part are shown
above at the Chicago Bahá’í Center. The soap is used
to help cure skin diseases.
[Page 23]
Bahá’ís all over the world will be saddened to learn of
the passing of Issam Tahan on August 8, 1965 in
London. He was the small boy who, while his father
was in prison in Morocco, chanted a prayer at the Most
Great Jubilee celebration in the Royal Albert Hall and
who, Hand of the Cause T. Samandari thereupon said,
was crossing the space that would take others a thousand years to cross. He is buried near the resting place
of the beloved Guardian. He had been brought to
London for heart surgery by his father, Fuad Tahan.
The Bahá’í Newsletter of the South and West Africa Region brings news of an assembly formed in Windhoek. The Newsletter states: “Such a triumph for the Faith and for the believers .... the steadfastness of the pioneers over such a long, discouraging period, the never flagging efforts of the little band of believers there, is an inspiration to us all. In that land which suffers so much from drought, our dear friends will now be like the crops after the first rains. They will raise their heads and grow from strength to strength and the Faith will be the richer for their wonderful example.”
Auxiliary Board member, Mrs. Florence Mayberry visited Spokane, Washington in late September, appearing on TV and speaking at three meetings, two being public meetings and one for Bahá’ís of the area. Her visit brought joy and renewed enthusiasm to the believers, and opened new doors for those many guests who heard of the Faith for the first time.
A large public meeting held at the Unity Church of Spokane on September 27 was on the subject, “Bahá’í World Faith: The Religion for This Age” while at a public coffee hour two nights later at the Inland Power and Light Co. Auditorium there was chance for further talk and raising of questions. The events were well covered by the nine local radio stations while the interview with Mrs. Mayberry on television proved so interesting that the time given to her was increased. The newspapers also gave space for full writeups, including a picture of Mrs. Mayberry.
People outside the Spokane Community cooperated fully and the chairman at the Unity Church meeting was Mrs. Ruth Ottmar, of Millwood, Washington.
On October 5th, a meeting well publicized in press, radio and TV, was held at the Dunbar Negro Recreation Center, by the Bahá’ís of Fort Myers, Florida. Margarite and Clarence Ullrich showed their slides of the Holy Land, to an audience of about 150. The audience included children and the members of the Dunbar Senior High School Chorus, who were invited to sing. The evening’s program was opened with a prayer by a minister of one of the Dunbar churches. The adult audience was very attentive and many free pamphlets were picked up after the meeting. Also encouraging, was the splendid cooperation received from various individuals, churches and schools of Dunbar, in announcing the meeting and helping to distribute the invitations. The principal of the Senior High School expressed keen interest in knowing more about the Faith. The meeting closed with a community singing of the “Battle Hymn of the Republic” and the prayer for all mankind.
The winning religious display at the University of New
Mexico annual activities night was prepared by the
Bahá’í students. Sandra Bryant and Kenneth Gibson
are shown at the booth which was one of fifty and attracted about 2500 visitors. Kenneth Gibson, son of
Amoz and Mary Gibson, is president of the student
association.
The Bahá’í booth at the recent Virginia State Fair in
Richmond attracted attention from many of the 500,000
who attended the event. Thousands of pieces of literature were taken and there were thirty-six requests for
speakers, literature, or information about Bahá’í meetings. These requests came from as far away as Japan,
although mostly from the immediate Richmond area.
All inquiries have been answered either with information as to meetings nearby or with literature about the
Faith.
The arrival of Miss Bennett Dorn as a Bahá’í settler in Rogers, Arkansas was used as an opportunity by the Mayor for a letter of welcome to her. The letter stated in part: “Through the facilities of the Welcome Wagon, we are very happy to welcome you to Rogers and hope that your residence here will be both happy and prosperous. We hope you will attend the church of your choice and take advantage of the public library, youth center, parks and other facilities available for your comfort, convenience and enjoyment. We also invite you to participate actively in the civic affairs of our city ...”
The above letter shows a wide departure from the long standing attitude which forbade Negroes to remain in the city of Rogers overnight. When threats of physical violence came soon afterwards, the Mayor furnished police protection and declared publicly that there would be no rioting in Rogers.
BAHA'I IN THE NEWS[edit]
The Brown Texan, published monthly in Fort Worth, Texas has in its issue for September an article, “The Religious Cycle — Bahá’í Day” which tells of the need by man of the Holy Spirit and quotes several paragraphs from the Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá concerning this Holy Spirit. The author Kathryn Langlois states of these quotations, “Surely these are goals worth praying and meditating for!”
[Page 24]
Vogue Magazine for November 1, 1965 carries an
article about the Bahá’í artist Mark Tobey and refers to
the fact that he is a member of the Bahá’í Faith.
Everyone’s Guide to Israel by Joan Comay, published by Doubleday & Co. 1962 refers briefly on pages 284-5 to the prison in Acre (sic) and the gardens and shrine of Bahá’u’lláh near there.
The Swedish newspaper Värmlands Folkblad on September 9, 1965 published a feature article about the first Swedish Bahá’í, Edward Olsson, on the occasion of his eightieth birthday. The article stressed the fact that Mr. Olsson is a very active teacher of the Bahá’í Faith and told of how he became a believer in the United States in 1921 and came to Sweden ten years ago to become a well known and loved member of the Scandinavian Bahá’í Community and how he makes frequent trips to Bahá’í summer schools and conferences.
The September 1965 issue of House Beautiful carries an article on Israel which mentions, on page 199, the “golden dome of the international Bahá’í Temple and its gardens.”
Baha’i Publishing Trust[edit]
Citadel of Faith (Message to America/ 1947-1957) Shoghi Effendi. Preface by Hand of the Cause in the Holy Land, Paul Haney. Included in this collection of more than eighty messages are: “Challenging Requirements of the Present Hour”; “The Citadel of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh”; “Spiritual Conquest of the Planet”; and “Heights Never Before Attained.” Approximately 200 pages with preface, table of contents and extensive index; [For more details of this most important work see news announcement elsewhere in this issue.] bound in olive-gold sailcloth, stamped in gold on dark background, with attractive jacket created by Conrad Heleniak and Harlan Scheffler.
Per copy (clothbound only) | $3.00 |
Power to Renew the World (A Challenge to Christians).
Two letters written in 1957 by two students, one at Vanderbilt University and the other at Vanderbilt Divinity
School, explain their decision to become Bahá’ís in a
convincing and articulate manner. There is an introductory statement by Winston Evans; also some excellent commentaries by well known people, one of the
best and most recent being from the book, The City of Man by W. Warren Wagar, Professor of History, Wellesley College, published by Houghton Mifflin.
There is an attractive cover design, matching in size
many of our small, popular pamphlets, 3⅜ x 5⅝.
100 copies | $5.00 |
[A minimum of 20 copies for $1.00 can be ordered]
|
The Child’s Way
A GUIDE FOR PARENTS AND TEACHERS Published bi-monthly by The Child’s Way Editorial Committee
For information, subscriptions write to:
|
Bahá’í Wall Calendar, 1966. The new calendar has a photo of the Bahá’í Temple in Wilmette not previously published and also an enlarged detail photo of a single pylon that shows the various symbols. Feast and Holy Days are depicted in color as usual and all detailed information about special observances are on the back.
Per copy | $ .25 |
10 copies | $2.00 |
25 copies | $4.50 |
50 copies | $7.50 |
Baha’i House of Worship[edit]
- Weekdays
- 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (Auditorium only)
- Sundays and Holidays
- 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (Entire Building)
- Sundays
- 3:30 to 4:10 p.m.
- Sunday, December 19
- 4:15 p.m.
Calendar of Events[edit]
- FEASTS
- December 12 — Masá’il (Questions)
- December 31 — Sharaf (Honor)
- U.N. HUMAN RIGHTS DAY
- December 10
- U.S. NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY MEETING
- December 31 — January 2
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: Mrs. Sylvia Parmelee, Managing Editor; Mrs. Eunice Braun, International Editor; Miss Charlotte 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, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois, U.S.A. 60091.
Change of address should be reported directly to National Bahá’í Office, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois, U.S.A.
