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| No. 488 | BAHA’I YEAR 128 | NOVEMBER, 1971 |
‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the Center of the Covenant[edit]
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From The Universal House of Justice
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| September 6, 1971 | THE UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE |
Hand of the Cause of God Músá Banání[edit]
Hand of the Cause of God Músá Banání was born in Baghdád eighty-five years ago. He became a Bahá’í in Kirmanshah, Persia, during World War I under unusual circumstances. He accidentally happened to appear in a photograph with a group of Bahá’ís who were later rounded up and persecuted and he very narrowly escaped dire consequences. As a result of this experience Mr. Banání became interested, investigated the Faith, and subsequently became a Bahá’í.
When asked recently what it was in the Bahá’í Writings which most directly influenced his acceptance of the Faith, Mr. Banání stated that it was the “Tablets of the Divine Plan” which were just at that time being received from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. From the very beginning his vision was global and it seemed that God favored him throughout his life for the historical services he was to perform for the Faith. One of his earliest services was as a member of a committee for the acquisition of Bahá’í Holy places in Persia. This work culminated in the acquisition and subsequent restoration of the House where Bahá’u’lláh was born in Ṭihrán. Two others closely associated with Mr. Banání in this endeavor were Nuriddin Fatheázam and Abbas Ayman.
Very soon after the beloved Guardian raised the call in 1950 for the opening of the Continent of Africa to the Faith, Mr. and Mrs. Banání proceeded to Kampala, Africa where they have lived ever since. In 1952 the Guardian named Mr. Banání Hand of the Cause of God. In 1953 he attended all the Intercontinental Conferences called by Shoghi Effendi, including the one in Wilmette, after which he spent considerable time traveling throughout the United States. In spite of great physical suffering and handicaps in recent years, Mr. Banání continued to play an active part in the growth of the Faith in Africa. Innumerable are the Bahá’ís everywhere who have been awed and inspired by his love for and devotion to Bahá’u’lláh and his instant, exact, and complete obedience to whatever was asked by the beloved Guardian.
The BAHÁ’Í NEWS Editorial Committee is indebted to Dr. Amin Banání of Santa Monica, California, for information regarding his renowned and beloved father from which these notes have been prepared.
Sixtieth Anniversary of Abdu’l-Bahá’s Travels to the Western World[edit]
The following is the substance of a talk given by Miss Edna True, who is one of the members of the Board of Counsellors for North America, at the Unity Feast held in Reykjavik, Iceland as the opening event of the North Atlantic Oceanic Conference in that city. These are essentially notes which she graciously consented to be printed for the commemoration of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. The talk was enriched by extemporaneous accounts of various stories about ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.
‘ABDU’L-BAHÁ—What magic for all Bahá’ís is in this
name! And how unfailingly, especially to those who
were blessed by having been in His presence, the very
mention of this name evokes a flood of warm, all-encompassing love, spiritual uplift and a deep sense of
inexpressible gratitude.
The 11th of this last August, just passed, marked the sixtieth anniversary of a date of great importance and significance in the annals of Bahá’í history, for it was on that day in 1911 that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, with four companions, sailed from Egypt on the first part of what have been termed by the Guardian as “ ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Historic Journeys to the West.”
To carry His Father’s Message to the peoples of the Western Hemisphere and Europe had become the Master’s greatest goal and desire, a task which seemed far beyond His failing health but which He was inflexibly resolved to undertake at whatever cost to His strength and at whatever risk to His life.
The first stage of His journey covered the period of August 11, 1911, to December of that year, and included a brief stop in Thonon-les-Bains (France), a month in London, followed by nine weeks in Paris before He returned to Egypt where He remained throughout that winter.
It was on March 25, 1912, that the Master embarked on His second journey to the West, during which he visited the United States and Canada for eight eventful months before re-crossing the Atlantic to England, staying in that country until leaving for Paris on Jan. 21, 1913. In the weeks which followed, His travels took Him to Stuttgart, Germany, Budapest, Vienna and Paris for a second and final visit of six weeks before sailing on June 13 from Marseilles to Port Said, Egypt. In great need of
‘Abdu’l-Bahá at a gathering in London.
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physical rest after His arduous journeys, which would
have been exhausting to one of lesser years, the Beloved
Master did not return home immediately, but remained
in Ramleh for a prolonged stay, arriving back in Haifa
once more on December 5, 1913.
The Guardian, in his God Passes By writes: (p. 294):
“A most significant scene in a century-old drama had been enacted. A glorious chapter in the history of the first Bahá’í century had been written. Seeds of undreamt-of potentialities had, with the hand of the Center of the Covenant Himself, been sown in some of the fertile fields of the Western world. Never in the entire range of religious history had any Figure of comparable stature arisen to perform a labor of such magnitude and imperishable worth. Forces were unleashed through those fateful journeys which even now, at a distance of well nigh thirty-five years, we are unable to measure or comprehend.”
Would that time would permit me to review with you the glorious achievements and wonderful experiences of every stage of these historic journeys. But since this is impossible I would like to concentrate our time together on reviewing in some detail the Master’s visit to the United States and Canada, sharing these events with which I am personally most familiar—events and their consequences which are typical of those throughout all His travels.
Long before ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s visit to the Western Hemisphere, His band of followers in the United States and Canada knew of His wonderful qualities, His exemplary life, His radiant and loving personality, His wisdom and dynamic spiritual power. Through the reports of the early pilgrims to the Holy Land, and even more intimately through the amazing flow of His Tablets in answer to their letters in which they had shared their personal problems, their joys and sorrows with Him, He had already become their beloved and understanding Master.
Therefore, the eager and joyous anticipation of His actual visit in their midst had been steadily mounting since the moment they knew of His departure from Naples on March 25th, 1912. During His last days on shipboard, the friends from the different parts of the country had been cabling to Him their loving greetings and welcome. Finally, on the afternoon of April 11th the Master arrived in New York on board the Steamship Cedric.
It is impossible, I believe, for us to imagine the feelings of those friends who had been waiting eagerly on the pier while the ship was being docked—when they first heard His voice and then saw Him standing, in person, before them. Mere words, I am sure, could never adequately express their joy and loving gratitude.
The friends were aware that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s actual arrival in the United States was an achievement marked by great personal sacrifice to Him in the demands it had made on His health and limited strength. Even in His first remarks they could sense His weariness and what an arduous undertaking this voyage was for Him. “It was a long, long trip,” He remarked, “The more we traveled, the greater seemed the expanse of the sea. I have come to America to meet the friends of God. The long voyage will prove how great is my love for you.”
Their own love and tender concern for the Master served to increase their awe and astonishment as they watched the swift development of His activities during the eight months which followed. The extent of His travels and the constant intensity of His program amazed everyone. He displayed a seemingly miraculous vitality and endurance.
In addition to His constant meetings with His followers,
‘Abdu’l-Bahá and friends at Lincoln Park, Chicago.
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‘Abdu’l-Bahá in Lincoln Park, Chicago. Dr. Zia Bagdádi is at the right.
wherever He went, His rooms were filled with visitors from early morning and all day long. Among these
were statesmen and diplomats, philosophers, scientists,
ecclesiastics, educators and social workers, to mention
only some—all of whom listened intently to His comments on all kinds of matters, and to His clear and
impressive presentations of His Father’s Message as
supplying the spiritual force needed for the regeneration
and unifying of all mankind. All doors and avenues of
approach seemed to be mysteriously opened to Him. He
was cordially invited to give addresses in several universities, to speak before scientific associations, socialistic bodies, and welfare organizations. He was the honored guest speaker in churches, temples, synagogues,
women’s clubs, and metaphysical groups. And across
the country ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was the guest of honor in the
homes of some of the outstanding families, and in those
of the humble and the poor. In short, He spoke with and
showered His love upon all types and races of men and
women everywhere, and everywhere the children were
especially drawn and attracted to Him.
His followers were deeply impressed by the great variety of audiences who were privileged to come into contact with His dynamic presence and to hear from His lips His Father’s Message.
The Master’s travels of more than 5,000 miles took Him from coast to coast in the United States and as far north as Montreal, Canada, and everywhere He maintained the same intensity of activities. In New York City alone He visited and made addresses in fifty-five different places.
On the day of His arrival in New York, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had said: “It is my purpose to set forth in America, the fundamental principles of the Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh.” This vital purpose He had most strikingly fulfilled. He had spared Himself no hardship to give to all America the basic principles and spiritual power of this new Faith, and to demonstrate with persuasiveness and force that not only were these Teachings suited to the needs of a new age, but that the Bahá’í “System” provides the necessary agencies for the establishment and maintenance of a permanent and universal peace. He had, singly and alone, carried out a program of proclamation which remains unparalleled in scope, in intensity and in its superb achievement.
What a legacy of spiritual knowledge and guidance He left to posterity in these many and profound talks and addresses! Our wonder and awe have only increased with the passing of time and with our personal education from this inexhaustible source of knowledge.
I regret that time does not permit me to speak more in detail about these historic addresses. However, I would like to mention a few which, to me, seem particularly outstanding as demonstrating the very special qualities of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá—His courage and persuasiveness, His brilliance and knowledge, His charm and spiritual power, His great universal love, and His compassion for the poor and down-trodden. Among such addresses was
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the one in the Temple Emmanu-El, a large Jewish
Synagogue in San Francisco, where before 2,000 people
He fearlessly asserted the truth of the prophetic missions of both Jesus Christ and Muḥammad.
Another was His illuminating discourse at Leland Stanford University before an audience of 1800 students, 180 teachers and professors. It was on this occasion that David Starr Jordan, President of Stanford, gave the Master his well-known introduction to his student audience: “ ‘Abdu’l-Bahá will surely unite the East and West for He treads the mystical path on practical feet.”
One of His most memorable visits, and to me one of the most touching (made at His own request), was to the Bowery Mission in the slums of New York. “To-night,” He remarked, “I am very happy for I have come here to meet my friends. I consider you my relatives, my companions, and I am your comrade ... And ... I ask you to accept ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as your servant.” At the close of this meeting, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá stood at the Bowery entrance to the Mission Hall, shaking hands with from 400 to 500 men and placing within each palm a piece of silver.
Though profoundly impressed and even astonished by His accomplishments in proclaiming His Father’s Faith, it was their own personal contacts with their beloved Master which made the greatest impact upon the believers, and this impact was primarily through the heart. Many of them confessed that they could not recall specific things that went on in His presence, but could remember only the impact of being there—aware only of the peace and joy experienced. Juliet Thompson, one of those early believers, expressed it thus:
“We gave very little thought to His titles and seldom, if ever, analyzed their meaning. To us He was our Beloved Master, Whose presence was the sun in our midst, the life we breathed to really live. He taught us mainly by pouring upon us the wonder of His Divine Love and by the perfection of His life lived before our eyes daily....”
They were touched and inspired by His irresistible charm and warmth, His strength and fortitude, His understanding and compassion. In everything He did or said, He was the shining “Exemplar” of the Bahá’í Faith.
In intimate gatherings and in personal contacts He was constantly infusing into the entire body of His followers those statements and principles which would deepen their understanding of the Faith and encourage and sustain them through the difficulties which He knew they would encounter in their new tasks He was soon to bestow upon them in His “Tablets of the Divine Plan.” With unfailing patience and love, with great clarity and persuasiveness He taught them about the essential need of unity, of firmness in the Covenant, and of developing the spiritual virtues.
In meeting after meeting and in private conversations, over and over again, He called upon the believers clustered around Him to strive to acquire Bahá’í virtues, for, He asserted, “without the inner change and development of character, no outward good could be accomplished.” “This is my prayer for you,” He would say over and over again.
Adapting His Father’s Teachings to the western mind, He gave His followers the “Twelve Basic Principles” which have been used so much ever since, and which He characterized as the “Spirit of the Age.”
Certainly, His proclaiming of the Covenant in New York City (June 19) to a group of the believers stands
‘Abdu’l-Bahá being knighted by the British government in recognition of His services.
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‘Abdu’l-Bahá in the center with believers gathered around Him. American pilgrims are included in the group with the tomb of The Báb in the background.
out as perhaps the most important single happening
during His entire visit. Juliet Thompson tells about this
epoch-making event in the following way: “On Wednesday, June 19, I was finishing my portrait of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, while Lua (Getsinger) sat nearby on the couch.... the Master closed His eyes, sitting erect and still as a
statue while He apparently slept.... Suddenly His eyes
flashed open and power seemed to rock the room. To
Lua and me the Master appeared transfigured.... He
spoke to Lua.... ‘I appoint you, Lua, the Herald of the
Covenant. I appoint you the Herald of the Covenant.
And I AM THE COVENANT, appointed by Bahá’u’lláh
and no one can refute His word.... Go forth and
proclaim: “This is the Covenant of God in your midst!’ ”
We were both so shaken by the Glory we had seen, the
rushing Power we had felt, that we wept violently.
“Shortly afterward, He sent Lua downstairs to the waiting believers to ‘proclaim the Covenant.’ Then ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Himself, went down to speak!”
Underlining His dynamic explanations of the Covenant, the Tablet of the Branch was read to the entire body. The believers, crowded into the room sitting on the stairs, listened to the words written by Bahá’u’lláh: “Whosoever turns to Him hath surely turned unto God, and whosoever turneth away from Him hath turned away from My beauty, denied My proof and is of those who transgress.” ‘Abdu’l-Bahá also designated New York as the “City of the Covenant.”
In Chicago, as well, He had dwelt specifically on the Covenant as He guided the friends there in dealing with some actual Covenant-breaking. His firmness in this instance was in great contrast to His usual loving and gentle manner, and served to emphasize the importance of His instructions. He referred to this spiritual disease as a “cancer” which is contagious and must be immediately cut out.
Another event of special importance took place in Chicago which should be mentioned. On the evening of His arrival there, when addressing an audience of several hundred at the last session of the Convention of the Bahá’í Temple Unity, He said, “The real Temple is the very Word of God; for to it all humanity must turn, and it is the center of unity for all mankind.... Temples are the symbols of the divine uniting force.”
Then the next day (May 1) in a large tent, pitched on the Temple grounds in Wilmette, He gathered with the friends and at high noon, with representatives of every race and nationality present, prepared a spot for the Dedication Stone, which He set in its place on behalf of all the peoples of the world. And then He said: “The Temple is already built.”
The quality which seemed to have impressed His devoted followers above all others was ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s all-encompassing love which He showered upon all whom He met. Through this, they were irresistibly drawn to their Beloved Master and then through Him, to each
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The Master on Mount Carmel in 1920.
other. Although His love surrounded and embraced all
humankind, each of the friends experienced something
uniquely his, when the Master seemed to read every
heart, fitting His words and deeds to each one’s specific
need. The love He personified was not blind but observant, not impersonal but warm and tender; it was a
continual attitude of unobtrusive care.
Countless are the precious stories of these gatherings and personal visits with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá which we have inherited and which in a very real sense have made us co-sharers of the manifold bounties and blessings of the Master’s visit to the Western World.
(Stories)
- Rough hands—“sacrifice”
- Personal experience—The Master and the old man in the park
- Bellboys
- The black rose
His last visit to New York (Nov. 12-Dec. 5) could be called a month-long “deepening class” on practically every aspect of the Faith. Refusing most of the invitations pouring in upon Him, He concentrated on His meetings with the friends, day and night, preparing them for the things they must do, for the sacrifices they must make, the spirituality they must attain, the total integration and oneness they must achieve, and the service they would be called upon to render to their fellow-men in the path of Bahá’u’lláh.
With clarity and patient understanding, He spoke to them of justice, truth, obedience, and of the love of humankind which they must strive for. Of love He said:
“The greatest bestowal of God is love.”
“Love is the source of all the bestowals of God. Until love takes possession of the heart no other divine bounty can be revealed in it.” (Bahá’í World Faith, p. 218)
“Love is light in whatsoever house it may shine, and enmity is darkness in whatsoever abode it dwells.”
The significance and result of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s journeys to the West go far beyond their immediate effect upon those who were blessed in sharing these infinitely precious experiences with Him. It is the Guardian who has clarified for us the real importance and stature of this visit, during which ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had given to His faithful followers, throughout the world, a perfect pattern for living the Bahá’í life and for propagating our beloved Faith. In his God Passes By he wrote:
“The establishment of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh in the Western Hemisphere—(is) the most outstanding achievement that will forever be associated with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s ministry ...” (p. 279)
“The seeds which ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s ceaseless activities so lavishly scattered had endowed the United States and Canada, nay the entire continent, with potentialities such as it had never known in its history. On the small band of His trained and beloved disciples and through them on their descendents, He, through that visit, had bequeathed a priceless heritage—a heritage which carried with it the sacred and primary obligation to arise and carry on in that fertile field, the work He had so gloriously initiated.”
“It is my purpose,” ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had said on the day of His arrival in New York, “to set forth in America the fundamental principles of the Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh.... It will then become the duty of the Bahá’ís in this country to give these principles unfoldment and application in the minds, hearts and lives of the people.”
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And when leaving Canada, after ten days of ceaseless
activities, speaking to the public, teaching, exhorting
and giving of Himself to the believers, the Master remarked: “I have sown the seed. Now water it.”
December 5, 1912, was a clear, and a beautiful day when the friends gathered on board the Steamship Celtic to take leave of their Beloved Master. He spoke to each one of them, distributed to each the flowers which had been brought. Then He addressed them for the last time.
“This is my last meeting with you, for now I am on the ship ready to sail away. These are my final words of exhortation. I have repeatedly summoned you to the cause of the unity of the world of humanity....
“Your eyes have been illumined, your ears are attentive, your hearts knowing ... the best way to thank God is to love one another.
“Beware lest ye offend any heart, lest ye speak against any one in his absence, lest ye estrange yourselves from the servants of God....
“... your efforts must be lofty. Exert yourselves with heart and soul so that perchance through your efforts the light of Universal Peace may shine....
“... you are informed of the mysteries of God. Your eyes are illumined, your ears are quickened with hearing. You must therefore look toward each other and then toward mankind with the utmost love and kindness. You have no excuse to bring before God if you fail to live according to His command, for you are informed of that which constitutes the good-pleasure of God ... It is my hope that you may become successful in this high calling.... And unto this I call you, praying to God to strengthen and bless you.”
His band of followers left the ship and looked up to where ‘Abdu’l-Bahá stood on the deck. He was smiling very faintly. He waved His hand gently toward them. And they prayed that they might never fail Him. AND THEY WEPT.
The funeral procession of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. He departed on November 28, 1921, fifty years ago.
Fujita-San[edit]
Saturday evening, September 18, the friends fortunate enough to be in the vicinity of Wilmette were privileged to see, to hear about, to meet and speak with an
indomitable blithe spirit, who brought to our National
Center a delightful remembrance of earlier days of the
Cause of God in this country. Saichiro Fujita, whose
face and manner clearly reflect the joy that is generated
through faithfulness to the Divine Call, shared with us
some of the highlights of his remarkable life, during
this gentle, happy evening.
Mr. Wyatt Cooper, longtime close friend, introduced Fujita to the approximately 200 guests who had come to honor him, and both Mr. Cooper and Miss Edna True, member of the Continental Board of Counsellors in North America, who also shared the platform, recalled for us some of Fujita’s early experiences in the Faith.
Fujita had come alone to this country from Japan, and he had accepted the new Word of God when he first learned of it in California in 1904. In 1905 he received the first of many Tablets from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. While in school in Michigan in 1912, he learned that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was to be in Chicago, and he hastened to that city and entered His presence. (Fujita tells a delightful tale of taking a night train and arriving in Chicago before ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, of waiting for Him at the station and, because there were so many people that he couldn’t see Him, of climbing a tree. “ ‘Abdu’l-Bahá saw me, and called me down. I went to His automobile and met Him, and He said to me, ‘You are my Japanese. You follow me.’ ” Fujita says, “I followed. I became a real Bahá’í!” It was during this first meeting that Fujita offered to serve ‘Abdu’l-Bahá for the rest of his life.
It was also during the Chicago visit, when our beloved Master laid the cornerstone for the House of Worship here in Wilmette, that Fujita built his first garden. A circular bed of spring flowering bulbs—hyacinth, tulips, narcissus and jonquil, it was destined to be the first of many glorious flower beds which bloomed through his devoted care.
Fujita with some of the staff members at the National Center.
Fujita went by train with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to California,
and he recalls hearing ‘Abdu’l-Bahá speak to a multitude of people at a Jewish Synagogue in San Francisco. It
was arranged that Fujita should stay in Chicago with
Mrs. Corinne True until ‘Abdu’l-Bahá should send for
him. How remarkable it is that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá should
have written Fujita even before He completed His
Western trip! While in Paris, en route to the Holy Land,
‘Abdu’l-Bahá wrote Fujita to “gain perfect efficiency in
electrical engineering. When thou hast learned these
things I will send for thee”.
The first World War prevented Fujita from immediately responding to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s summons to the Holy Land, when he had finished his schooling. For years he waited, and finally, in 1919, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá wired him to come. In New York, while waiting for his visa, he stayed with early believer Roy Wilhelm, and visited Green Acre Bahá’í Summer School for two weeks. His steamer eventually took him to Italy, where he awaited ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s wire for him to proceed to Haifa. His visa was issued to him by Lord Allenby, who played such an important role in Mid-Eastern affairs of that time.
From this time on Fujita was to chauffeur and to help with the gardens. Fujita recalls going with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to the Mosque in Haifa where, he said, “ ‘Abdu’l-Bahá would give alms to the poor, who were always waiting.” On the day that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was knighted by the British crown, Fujita was there, and he tells of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá refusing to ride in the car that was provided, preferring a simple means of transportation. Fujita made many trips with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, caring for Him to the best of his ability. As well as serving ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Fujita has also been privileged to serve Shoghi Effendi, the Hands of the Cause of God, and now, The Universal House of Justice.
When World War II came, Shoghi Effendi sent Fujita home to Japan, and there he waited for his summons to return, which came in 1950. The trip back to Haifa took him two years to complete. It was difficult to gain permission to enter Israel at that time, but he persevered, and he succeeded.
Fujita had decided not to go to Japan on this trip. But he shared news from Japan with us, and told us that two years ago, in Hiroshima, his brother, who died last April, had become a Bahá’í! We are grateful that Fujita chose to visit us. (He came to us via the Youth Conference in Switzerland. When asked his age, this 86 year old youth responded, “I’m 25! I’m 25!”). Upon reaching this country, he visited Indian Reservations in the Southwest, participated in Mass Proclamation in El Paso/Juarez, attended the Dallas Summer School and, over Labor Day weekend, the Davison Bahá’í Summer School.
During the evening festivities Miss True told us that Fujita had made ‘Abdu’l-Bahá happy. “Truly, he was the servant of the Blessed Servant of Bahá!” She read us several of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Tablets to Fujita. One of these so beautifully described him, “O thou fresh plant in the garden of the love of God! Thy name is registered in the Book of God ...” It was an evening of joy, to be with him. At the close of the program, with exquisite courtesy, Fujita thanked us all, and then chanted a prayer in Japanese. At the reception which followed, he graciously received his old and new friends. When a drop draws help from the ocean, it is an ocean itself.
Goldsboro Teaching/Deepening Campaign[edit]
Deep in the woods a lone Bahá’í waited for fellow Bahá’ís from several towns in North and South Carolina to arrive with equipment. The tall trees, the scent of foliage, the stillness, the air was vibrant with the aura of expectancy. The Bahá’ís from Dillon arrived with the large tent that would canopy many devoted footsoldiers and many new believers singing praises to His Glorious Name. All through the night, Bahá’ís arrived from all over the country, down the winding, dirt road which led to the camp. Before the project was over, Bahá’ís had arrived from twenty-five states and countries including Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Great Britain and Iran.
With the morning came the happy singing of people building the home they would live in for the next five weeks. Water was carried a hundred yards from the pump that was the single water source, an area was cleared for the erection of the big tent and smaller tents were interspersed among the trees. A city was erected. During the week the population centered around thirty-five footsoldiers, while on weekends it swelled to over a hundred Bahá’ís. The conditions were primitive yet the spirit was overwhelming.
Each morning the footsoldiers awoke to the supplications sung by Charles Bullock and other early risers. After breakfast there was singing, praying and deepening in the big tent. Then the soldiers of Bahá’u’lláh’s army rode out of camp to combat the forces of darkness in the towns surrounding Goldsboro. The teaching during this project was significant for two reasons. During the initial contact the people were not only told about Bahá’u’lláh but they were also deepened in Bahá’u’lláh’s purpose for man in this day. New believers were continually recontacted for meetings and as many as possible were brought to camp. Also, much of the teaching in this campaign was carried on by new believers from Rock Hill and Dillon, South Carolina and several new believers from the Goldsboro project went teaching with the teams and on their own.
One Bahá’í in a town near Goldsboro went up on a front porch to tell an elderly man about Bahá’u’lláh. The man was unable to walk since he was crippled by arthritis. The Bahá’í told him about Bahá’u’lláh and then said a healing prayer for the man before he left. The Bahá’í revisited the man and found him walking with the aid of crutches. The man declared his belief in Bahá’u’lláh and then began walking through his neighborhood and the tobacco fields telling people about the Faith.
The project yielded many victories. There was a total of 397 declarations with nineteen towns opened and nine of these towns have enough adult members to form Assemblies next Riḍván.
In one of these towns there was much racial tension from recent disturbances. Some of the citizens became upset when the Bahá’ís came into the town. The Chief of Police would allow no more than three teachers in the town at one time. Meanwhile the new believers were setting up meetings and getting people to attend them. One new believer even gave a short talk on the Báb’s martyrdom. One policeman told the team that there had been no trouble in the part of town where they were teaching in the three weeks the Bahá’ís had been there.
One lady from Farmville had a dream over fifty years ago that was amazing. She dreamed that she was walking in a strange land when she came upon a well surrounded by several women. She approached the well and asked for a drink of water. One of the women held a cup to her mouth and allowed her to drink. Instead of water there was a hard object in her mouth. She took a smooth white stone from her mouth and saw that there
The forest kitchen
Writing songs at Goldsboro
New Bahá’ís at Goldsboro.
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was strange writing on the stone. A few years later she
partially understood her dream. She came upon a quotation from Revelations 2:17 which says, “... I will give
him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone
which no one knows except him who receives it.” Now
she knows about Bahá’u’lláh.
One of the many people attracted to the camp was a public relations expert from La Grange. On his own he was working to bring races together because he felt this was the only way to achieve peace in the world. He came to camp several times and finally embraced the Faith.
Another victory was at the Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in Goldsboro. This began when three servicemen on bicycles accidentally wandered into camp. They left camp amazed and aware of Bahá’u’lláh’s Revelation. The teaching began on the base with twelve to fifteen declarations. The Feast of Kamál was held on the base and the new believers immediately began discussing plans for a teaching campaign of their own and plans to set up a library.
The spirit of unity that prevailed in camp spread through the woods to the surrounding communities and enabled the soldiers to sustain the project for five weeks. Three soldiers have remained in the area as pioneers. Several new believers from the Air Force Base, La Grange and Farmville have formed a teaching team to set up meetings and assist with consolidation and have attended teaching campaigns in Dillon, South Carolina and Maryland. The project in the woods is closed. Most of the soldiers went to new battle stations, but the follow-up will continue at least until the end of the Nine Year Plan; until all these new communities have functioning local Spiritual Assemblies and the native Bahá’ís are teaching His Cause.
Deep in the woods a lone Bahá’í watches the last of the cars go down the road carrying the big tent back to Dillon. There is a sadness in parting but there will no longer be a feeling of loneliness for Bahá’ís in the Goldsboro area; the trees stand erect as monuments to His Glory.
Windward Islands: Yield 500 New Believers[edit]
About one dozen Bahá’ís made a vacant cane cutter’s house their headquarters in Valley Land, St. George’s, Barbados for three weeks in August. From here they spread out through the island, carrying the Word of Bahá’u’lláh to the pure hearts and souls ready to accept and become part of the growing world family of Bahá’ís working for those principles which will transform the world into “Thy Kingdom come on earth even as it is in heaven.”
The original teachers included a special team of four from the United States and eight from the islands of St. Thomas, St. Martin, St. Vincent, Grenada, and Barbados. Soon some of the newly declared Bahá’ís joined the teaching team, eagerly enthusiastic about immediately bringing the Message to other souls. These included a fifteen-year-old girl and a forty-year-old man with impaired eyesight who went out day after day to teach.
From early morning until late at night teaching and deepening activities took place. After morning prayers and breakfast the teams dispersed, all day long carrying the Message to all who were interested, coming back late in the day for evening sessions which included talks, music, slide programs, questions and answers, deepening, declarations. During the first week alone over 200 people came to the house every evening to hear more. During the following weeks special meetings were set up in other areas also, where the Message had been given during the day.
The new method of mass teaching brings a brief but comprehensive picture of the Faith to waiting souls, eager for the message of unity. It tells them about Bahá’u’lláh as the Messenger of God for today, of the Báb as the Herald-Prophet of the New Day, of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as the Center of the Covenant, of Shoghi Effendi as the Guardian, and the continuing of the Covenant through The Universal House of Justice ... showing how each Bahá’í is important in the Great Plan from God through Bahá’u’lláh.
The new believers ranged from an eleven-year-old boy who brought in eleven new Bahá’ís at the last report to a lovely lady of eighty-eight years. The understanding of the Station of Bahá’u’lláh and of the Bahá’í Faith on the part of the new Bahá’ís of Barbados was overwhelming to the teachers. The teachers will forever carry in their hearts the beauty and the privilege of being able to serve Bahá’u’lláh by sharing His Message with the beautiful people of Barbados.
Statistical Report[edit]
During the first six months of this year, the area of the Leeward, Windward and Virgin Islands gained nine groups, three isolated centers, and 271 new believers, through June.
(From the Bahá’í News of the Lesser Antilles, Sept. 1971) By October 10, Barbados had 1600 believers (Editor)
Proclamation Team to Cariboo Indian Reserve[edit]
On August 31, a significant breakthrough in teaching was made in the Cariboo region when seven residents of the Bonaparte Reserve located near Cache Creek, British Columbia, Canada, accepted the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh. This is the first Indian Reserve in the Cariboo region which is located in the south end of the district to be opened to the Faith.
The success of the venture was due almost entirely to the remarkable efforts and talents of the Bahá’í musical teaching group, The Hollow Reed. This group of seven young Bahá’ís put on a musical show at the Community Hall located on the Reserve and presented the Faith so dramatically and lovingly to the audience comprised mainly of youth and two mothers and grandmothers, that several of the youth and one adult were moved to spontaneously embrace the Faith.
Follow-up teaching and deepening of the new believers are underway.
WILMETTE[edit]
In the House of Worship in Wilmette, prayers are being offered every two hours, each day beginning at 10:00 a.m., and ending at 10:00 p.m. Visitors respond to the outpouring of the spirit. Readers are arranged at the coordinator’s office. Staff members of the National Office, nearby believers and visiting Bahá’ís feel that it is the greatest privilege to serve in this manner. A requirement is that a prospective reader be dressed suitably.
A memorial service for Hand of the Cause Músá Banání is scheduled for Saturday, October 16, 1971 8:00 p.m. in Foundation Hall of the House of Worship.
The First Bahá’í College Club has been formed in the University of the Americas, located in Puebla, Mexico. It is mostly made up of Americans who are studying in the University.
North Pacific Oceanic Conference-Sapporo, Japan[edit]
The North Pacific Oceanic Conference held in Sapporo, Japan on September 3-5, 1971, brought together
Bahá’ís from thirty-one countries. It gave people from
small islands in the middle of the Pacific and little
villages in Hokkaido a chance to meet believers from all
over the globe and to know that they were indeed members of a world faith.
Great emphasis was given by the conference to the importance of teaching in Japan and China, as called for in the message from The Universal House of Justice to the conference read by Hand of the Cause A. A. Furútan, representing that Divine Institution. (See the full text of the message starting on this page).
In 1957, following the formation of the National Spiritual Assembly of North East Asia with its seat in Japan, the beloved Guardian said that Japan’s economic victories will be exceeded by her spiritual victories, that she is destined to play a preponderating role in the future spiritual conquest of the main body of the yellow race on the Chinese mainland. In his first letter to the Japanese Bahá’ís in 1922, he had recalled the words of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá that “Japan will turn ablaze” and, with another country, “will take the lead in the spiritual reawakening of peoples and nations that the world shall soon witness.” The spirit that prevailed throughout the conference seemed to be that this day was now breaking.
Dr. R. Muhájir, in his address, called for travelling teachers to fulfill ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s hope, expressed in the Tablets of the Divine Plan, for “a commission composed of men and women, to travel together through China and Japan.” At the end of the conference twenty-one people volunteered for immediate travel-teaching in Japan. And in the ensuing two weeks, follow-up conferences have been held in Korea, Hong Kong, and Taiwan where many more travelling teachers have volunteered for those countries.
During the Sapporo conference session on proclamation, Hand of the Cause H. Collis Featherstone spoke of our duty to let every human being hear of Bahá’u’lláh, and of the necessity to make sure government officials understand the nature and aims of the Faith, so that we will be protected from future persecution.
Teaching[edit]
In the session on group-teaching. Hand of the Cause Dr. Muhájir told how mass conversion had started among the tribes of East Africa in the 1950’s, spread to the villages of Bolivia and India in the ’60’s, and now in the ’70’s is spreading even to the towns and cities—Melbourne, Sydney, Honolulu, New Delhi.
“Seeming obstacles to teaching are only our own self-imposed obstacles,” Dr. Muhájir said. He had asked his ten-year old daughter how to make friends with people. She replied, “It’s easy—just say hello.” Working in a group is important when we go out to teach, because we empower each other. Counsellor R. Mumtazi reminded the believers that Dr. Muhájir once remarked, “there is no bad Bahá’í teacher in the whole world—everyone who arises and teaches is a good one.” There are good watchmakers and shoemakers, but there is no such thing as a “Bahá’í-maker.” Every soul is able to accept Bahá’u’lláh. We cannot decide from a distance who will be receptive—we must teach all. Counsellor Mumtazi stated, “At first we are embarrassed to teach in the street—but it is better to be embarrassed in this world than in the next.” After we tell someone of the Faith we must not forget to invite him to be a Bahá’í.
Proclamation[edit]
Hand of the Cause A. A. Furútan and two prominent non-Bahá’í educators in Japan spoke on “A New Concept of Education” at a public meeting attended by about 600 people, 150 of them requesting information. Twenty-three became Bahá’ís at the meeting, (36 in all during the conference, 150 in a month of teaching work in Hokkaido prior to the conference, and 70 in four days of intensive teaching just after the conference). Publicity for the public meeting included 2,000 posters, 1,500 invitations, interviews with two major press clubs, and time on two television stations and three radio stations.
Results[edit]
In all, 625 Bahá’ís from thirty-one countries attended the North Pacific Oceanic Conference. They donated or pledged about $20,000 for the regular funds and $60,000 toward special projects, including the purchase of temple sites and literature distribution centers, the printing of materials, and the support of pioneers in the areas where jobs are not available. The projects will extend the range of the Faith in eleven countries in Asia which have special needs. The travel-teaching is already under way. The results are beginning to appear.
Message from the Universal House of Justice[edit]
To the Friends of God
- Assembled in the Conference
- of the North Pacific Ocean.
Dearly-loved Friends,
On the eve of the Fiftieth Anniversary of the opening of the Formative Age of our Faith we call to mind the high hopes often expressed by the beloved Master for the spread of the Cause in this region, His mention in the Tablets of the Divine Plan of many of the territories represented in this Conference, and the faithful and devoted services of that maid-servant of Bahá’u’lláh, the Hand of the Cause Agnes Alexander, who brought the Teachings to these shores in the early years of this century.
In these days we are witnessing an unprecedented acceleration of the teaching work in almost every part of the globe. In the North Pacific Ocean area great strides have been made in the advancement of the Cause since that historic Asia Regional Teaching Conference in Nikko just sixteen years ago. The next two years witnessed the formation of the National Spiritual Assembly of Alaska and of the Regional National Spiritual Assembly of North East Asia. To the Convention in Tokyo at Riḍván 1957 the Guardian addressed these prophetic words:
“This auspicious event, which posterity will regard as the culmination of a process initiated, half a century ago, in the capital city of Japan ... marks the opening of the second chapter in the
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history of the evolution of His Faith in the North
Pacific area. Such a consummation cannot fail
to lend a tremendous impetus to its onward
march in the entire Pacific Ocean ...”
Since that time National Spiritual Assemblies have also been firmly established in Korea and Taiwan.
Hokkaido, the site of this Conference, first heard of the Teachings less than fifteen years ago, and the first aboriginal peoples of this land accepted Bahá’u’lláh just over a decade ago. Now you are the witnesses to the beginnings of a rapid increase in the number of believers. Peoples in other islands and lands of the North Pacific, including the Ryukyus, Guam, the Trust Territories, the western shores of Canada and Alaska and the Aleutians are also enrolling under the banner of the Most Great Name, and next Riḍván yet another pillar of The Universal House of Justice is to be raised in Micronesia. We are heartened at the prospect that from the indigenous peoples of this vast oceanic area, the Ainu, the Japanese, the Chinese, the Koreans, the Okinawans, the Micronesians, the American Indians, the Eskimos, and the Aleuts vast numbers will soon enter the Faith.
The final hours of the Nine Year Plan are fast fleeting. Praised be to God that you have gathered to consult on ways and means of assuring complete victory so that from these outposts the Teachings may spread to those nearby lands where teeming millions have not as yet heard of the advent of this Most Great Dispensation.
The sweet perfume of victory is in the air, and we must hasten to achieve it while there is yet time. Vital goals, particularly on the homefronts of Taiwan and Japan, remain to be won, and everywhere the roots of the faith of the believers must sink deeper and deeper into the firm earth of the Teachings lest tempests and trials as yet unforeseen shake or uproot the tender plants so lovingly raised in the islands of this great Ocean and the land surrounding it.
As you and the friends in the sister Conference in Reykjavik bring this series of eight Oceanic and Continental Conferences to a triumphant close, our prayers for the success of your deliberations ascend at the Holy Threshold. May God grant you the resources, the strength, and the determination to attain your highest hopes, and enable you to open a new and glorious chapter in the evolution of His Faith in the North Pacific area.
—THE UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE
Gilbert and Ellice Islands Teaching Conferences[edit]
A very successful Teaching Conference was held at the National Teaching Institute, Bikenibeu, Tarawa August 28-29-30, with forty-eight attending representing seven islands of the Gilbert group and one from the Ellice Islands.
Following the Conference a deepening class was held for one week for those who had offered to go on traveling teaching trips to various islands.
Following this a teaching team arrived from Australia, Dr. and Mrs. D. L. Darby with young son and Mr. Eric Cookson who awakened the Bahá’ís to the necessity of mass teaching, with the result that twenty-nine accepted the Faith in ten days. This makes a total of seventy-four who have accepted the Faith in this area since the Oceanic Conference of Suva, Fiji.
Soon all of the teaching teams will have departed from Tarawa for various islands.
of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands
Conference in Seoul, Korea, September 10-12[edit]
An occasion of historical significance occurred in
Seoul, Korea, September 10-12 when the National Spiritual Assembly of Korea combined with a follow-up conference to the North Pacific Oceanic Conference in
Sapporo, Japan, commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of the introduction of the Bahá’í Faith into Korea,
and receipt of the one and only Tablet from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to that country.
In 1921 Miss Agnes B. Alexander, as suggested by the Master, spent a month in Korea. At a gathering on September 8 arranged by one of her new-found friends, Miss Alexander talked about the Faith. Much interest was expressed in what she said about ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and many questions were asked concerning His life and His Teachings. Fifteen of the young men present at the meeting expressed their interest in writing, and these comments were sent to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá by Miss Alexander on her return to Tokyo September 19, 1921.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s reply addressed each of the fifteen young men by name, saying: “O heavenly friends, the doors of heaven have been opened, the lights of God have shone forth and the heavenly call has been raised. Summon ye all humanity to listen to the Heavenly Call and invite them to the Celestial World, so that they may find a new spirit and attain to a new life. In all conditions my heart and spirit are with you.” On November 5, 1921 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had stated: “It is my hope that in Korea thou wilt raise the banner of the Greatest Guidance.”
Not until in the 1950’s did teaching the Faith in Korea begin in earnest. During the war years American servicemen and others held firesides, study classes, and conferences as reported in BAHÁ’Í NEWS of those years. In 1957 the Guardian included Korea in the area which comprised the Bahá’í Community of the National Spiritual Assembly of North East Asia. At Riḍván 1964 Korea elected its own National Spiritual Assembly and was assigned its own goals as part of the Nine Year Plan called for by The Universal House of Justice.
The follow-up to the Sapporo Conference in Seoul turned out to be truly international in character. Nearly 500 Bahá’ís from eleven countries were registered, including approximately 300 Koreans, the largest gathering of Korean Bahá’ís to have been held up to that time. Hand of the Cause of God H. Collis Featherstone, Continental Board members John McHenry, III of Korea, R. Mumtazi of Japan, Miss Thelma Perks of Australia, and Mr. Yankee Leong of Malaysia were present and participated, as did representatives of the National Spiritual Assemblies of Taiwan, Írán, Hawaii, West Pakistan and the United States.
The program which was patterned after the larger conference in Sapporo provided for consultation on ways and means for achieving the remaining goals of the Nine Year Plan, both in Korea and in other countries in that part of the globe. An appeal for pioneers to open new areas of Korea and for travelling teachers brought a tremendous response, with at least half of the Korean Bahá’ís present arising to answer to the latter need. Funds were contributed and pledged generously to assist those who could not finance their own travel costs, and for the production of more literature and other teaching aids.
Related activities arranged for proclamation purposes in Seoul and its environs included a press interview with Hand of the Cause Mr. Featherstone, and a conference with some forty representatives of university and high school publications in which Miss Charlotte Linfoot, from the United States, participated. At the close of the conference Mr. Featherstone addressed a large public meeting on the subject, “A New Race of Men.”
Immediately following the conference, the National Spiritual Assembly met in consultation with members of the Continental Board of Counsellors for the North East Pacific area to set up itineraries and mass teaching plans for the many believers who had volunteered their services. Included are plans to greatly increase the presently small number of Korean women enrolled in the Faith, and to expand a Bahá’í school which had already made an auspicious beginning in one of the remote areas where mass conversion promises to become a reality in the immediate future.
As in the conference in Sapporo, many were the loving tributes paid to the memory of the “Herald of the Pacific” Miss Agnes Alexander and later pioneers who had raised the Heavenly Call now being answered throughout all of South Korea.
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BAHÁ’Í NORTH PACIFIC OCEANIC CONFERENCE
•SAPPORO•1971
African Student in the United States Ignites Mass Declarations in Nigeria[edit]
The story is best told in excerpts from a letter to
Counsellor William Maxwell in Nigeria from Yvor Stoakley, Bahá’í student at Grinnell College, Grinnell, Iowa
on Sept. 7,1971. He wrote as follows:
“... Briefly ... since the fall of 1968 I’ve been enrolled as a student at Grinnell College in Iowa. This is my final year. Last fall (1970) a student from Ikot Antia-Ika, Abak Division, Nigeria, Mr. Mfon Ibangha, enrolled at Grinnell and has since become a very dear friend of mine. Over the course of the past year he has come to meet many Bahá’ís in this area and has attended a number of Bahá’í activities. He has also read some literature on the Bahá’í Faith and at this point has a fairly good grasp of the basic import and teachings of Bahá’u’lláh.... He is very enthusiastic and deeply interested. He feels very much the need for the uniting power of the Bahá’í Faith in terms of bringing peoples of different races, classes and religious backgrounds together. He has also been very impressed with the dedication of Bahá’ís he has met in their determination to live the Bahá’í life and teach by their example.
“During the time that he has been here he has been periodically writing to his brother Okon in Ikot Antia-Ika and keeping him abreast of what he learned about the Bahá’í Faith in the United States. In the course of his correspondence, Ibangha instructed his brother to hold a meeting in his home village for the purpose of introducing this new religion to the people there—strictly on the basis of what Ibangha had written to him and the few pamphlets and one copy of New Era sent. His brother Okon followed his instructions and I quote from the letter Okon wrote to Ibangha dated 15 July 1971:
‘On the question of the New Religion which you introduced to me, I had done exactly as you directed in your last letter to me. I made what use I could of the literature on the Bahá’í Faith you sent.
‘... Dear Ibangha, a very strange thing happened. Could you believe that two football fields in the village school compound were full of people? The on-the-spot count taken of those who attended the first meeting and also declared themselves Bahá’ís was 2746 people. Those who defected from different Churches in the vicinity and far away claim that since you endorse this religion, it must be a good one because you had always been very skeptical of all religion while you were at home.’
“It seems that while Ibangha was at home he had been very skeptical of the religions with which he had contact because by-and-large their preachers and adherents did not exemplify their teachings in their lives. During the course of his correspondence Ibangha had informed his brother very emphatically that he did not wish to request any help at all—monetary or otherwise—from the Bahá’í headquarters in the U.S. for the furtherance of the Bahá’í Faith in his home village should there be any interest (Ibangha himself was frankly amazed at the overwhelming response which his brother received.) ... Okon’s letter continues:
‘We need so many things to keep the faith strong and going ... How then do you think I shall be able to meet the challenge posed by this new religion? I say new because that is the first time that we even heard about it, and that notwithstanding, such a mammoth crowd of people turned up.... We urgently need means of transportation for people coming from afar to attend Bahá’í meetings. We need a place that we can always meet. We need books, literature, tracts and brochures. ... I have received so many inquiries from many more people about this Faith since the first convention or inauguration. I am now very confused since I don’t know how to answer most of the questions.... I always receive avalanche of mails from different places about this new Faith.... People are really excited.’ ”
The whole Bahá’í world will be eagerly awaiting further news of developments in this section of Nigeria. Surely this is an early fulfillment of the anticipation of the “hosts” which would be drawn to the Faith—and the promise of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá that people would come in troops.
El Paso Mass Teaching[edit]
The Bahá’í Community of El Paso, Texas sponsored a mass-teaching conference over the Labor Day weekend, September 4 to 6, with Auxiliary Board member Mr. Paul Pettit and friends from East-Texas and all around the Southwest in attendance. Special guests included Jean Randazzo, a staff member of The Universal House of Justice, and Mr. and Mrs. Arenas from Silver City, New Mexico, who were just returning from Haifa with many interesting slides and stories of spiritual experiences from their pilgrimage.
The “East-Texas Roadshow” helped bring all friends into the spirit of universal participation by singing new Bahá’í Songs.
“When the masses of mankind are awakened and enter the Faith of God, a new process is set in motion and the growth of a new civilization begins”.—With this quote from the message of our Universal House of Justice, (page 31, Wellspring of Guidance), Paul Pettit began giving the friends a blueprint of mass-teaching which motivated all.
Vahid Hedayati from Arlington, Texas and one of our veterans of mass-teaching in this area, showed us how simple and natural it is for all Bahá’ís to share Bahá’u’lláh’s Message with our brothers and sisters.
The believers armed with prayer books, declaration cards, pamphlets and roadmaps quickly left to find the waiting souls. Prayers were said by some from Mount Franklin, overlooking El Paso.
As a result of divine guidance, and efforts by tireless friends, a number of souls heard about Bahá’u’lláh. Thirty-eight committed themselves to help proclaim the Faith. Thirteen of the new believers were found outside the city limits, eleven in Fabens, Texas, one in the County of El Paso, and one in La Union, New Mexico. Some friends walked across the bridges to teach in Juarez, Mexico. One additional declaration resulted.
Conference - Reykjavik, Iceland, September 2-5, 1971[edit]
Like an Icelandic geyser gushing skyward, the “Allá’h-u-Abhá!” of the friends filled the air as they gathered for unique group photograph taken from theatre rooftop. Center portion of group shows Hands of Cause John Robarts and Paul Haney, and Continental Board Counsellors Edna True and Lloyd Gardner, mid-way down toward left.
Highlights of North Atlantic Oceanic Conference[edit]
The North Atlantic Oceanic Conference held in Reykjavik, Iceland, September 2-5, 1971 was the last in a
series of fifteen Conferences called by The Universal
House of Justice with the purpose of stimulating proclamation and consulting on the attainment of the goals of
the Nine Year Plan.
UNITY FEAST[edit]
The Conference was preceded by a Unity Feast which brought together in prayer and loving fellowship the 700 believers who had gathered in Iceland for this historic event. Prayers in five languages were read creating a wonderfully spiritual atmosphere. Two talks were presented, each on the subject of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, from whose Tablets of the Divine Plan, the present Nine Year Plan draws its inspiration and direction.
Mr. Abdu’l Rahim Yazdi who was formerly Chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly of Egypt, presented some brief glimpses of the Master—whom he had met and had had the privilege of serving. Mr. Yazdi said that it was difficult to convey in words what it’s like to meet the Master; it was more “a feeling, an experience”. In describing ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as the Perfect Exemplar, he said that every step ‘Abdu’l-Bahá took, He taught us how to be humble, truthful, to forgive, to be just, kind to all mankind and obedient to our Administration. He illustrated his points by sharing delightful stories of the Master. Mr. Yazdi succeeded in evoking the loving spirit of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. In the hushed room one could almost “hear” the gentle rustling of His aba!
Counsellor Miss Edna True, who as a child met ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in the United States, spoke of the “Sixtieth Anniversary of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá Travels to the Western World”. In a series of vivid word pictures Miss True sketched for us the excitement and anticipation of the friends as they waited for His ship to dock, the great sacrifices associated with His visit, His remarkable vitality and endurance, the intensity of His activity (in New York City alone, He spoke to fifty-five different groups), His attraction to children, the great impact which He had on the believers, the way in which He instructed the Bahá’ís in the Covenant, the final farewell address calling the friends to love and unity and reminding them of their high destiny, and the utter sadness of the friends as they watched His ship pull away from the wharf.
Miss True remarked, “ ‘Abdu’l-Bahá! What magic there is in that name for all Bahá’ís! Mention of His name evokes a flood of love!” That evening we were all immersed in that love!
Goals of Conference Outlined[edit]
The Conference was held at a theater in downtown Reykjavik. Mr. Rowland Estall welcomed the friends on behalf of the host National Spiritual Assembly of Canada and of the Icelandic believers.
The Conference was blessed with the presence of two Hands of the Cause of God, Mr. John Robarts, the official representative of The Universal House of Justice and Mr. Paul Haney; seven Counsellors, Miss Edna True and
Members of the Institution of the Hands of the Cause present at the Conference: members of the Continental Board of
Counsellors, front row, left to right; for North America, Miss Edna True, Mr. Lloyd Gardner; for Europe, Mrs. Dorothy
Ferraby, Mr. Erik Blumenthal, Louis Hénuzet, Betty Reed. Back row: Hand of the Cause Paul Haney, Auxiliary Board
members Houshang Rafaat, Gerd Strand, Modesta Hovide, Doris Katzenstein, Anna Grossmann, Angus Cowan, Peter Khan,
Günter Maltz, D. Thelma Jackson, Peggy Ross and Hand of the Cause John Robarts. Not pictured, Anneliese Bopp, and
Adrienne Reeves, Auxiliary Board members.
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Mr. Lloyd Gardner from North America; and Mr. Blumenthal, Miss Bopp, Mrs. Ferraby, Mr. Hénuzet and
Mrs. Reed from Europe; eleven Auxiliary Board members; representatives of nineteen National Spiritual Assemblies and believers from thirty-five different countries.
Hand of the Cause Mr. Robarts read the Message of The Universal House of Justice. The exciting Message inspired the friends and pointed the direction of their later deliberations. Mr. Robarts drew attention to the mention of Greenland and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s prophecy concerning the melting of the ice and the warming of the climate in that land, once the hearts of the people are “touched with the heat of the love of God”. He helped us to see that we have a part to play in achieving this miracle. By arising to spread the love of God throughout the world, the whole earth will become a Divine rose-garden.
Hand of the Cause Paul Haney brought greetings from the World Center, explained the purpose of the Conference and stressed the importance of consultation on the achievement of the remaining goals of the Nine Year Plan—especially in Europe where, he said, “... the fate of the Plan is hanging in the balance”. He called for a “tidal wave” of activity. In closing Mr. Haney reminded us that Bahá’u’lláh has given us the most powerful of instruments—the Lamp of His Teachings, and that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá promised that the whole world will be illumined by this Light. It is for us to arise to serve.
In presenting their greetings to the friends, the official representatives of the Continental Boards of Counsellors for Europe and North America, Mr. Hénuzet and Miss True both focused on the significance of Iceland. Mr. Hénuzet attributed the “new wind now blowing in Europe” to the inspiration that the European friends derived from the Icelandic Bahá’ís, when in January the size of the Icelandic community was doubled in one week!
Miss True indicated that the Master’s epic-making journey had the purpose of taking Bahá’u’lláh’s Message to the West. She said, “It is highly significant that the Conference is on an island midway in this Ocean. It is as if the seeds scattered by the Master were blown by the winds of destiny to this fertile field”. She called upon the Icelandic friends to become “spiritual Vikings” taking the Message to nearby islands.
Mr. Douglas Martin, Canadian National Spiritual Assembly member spoke on the subject, “The North Atlantic Community: Its Significance and its Opportunity”. In his presentation, Mr. Martin chose themes from The Universal House of Justice Message to the Conference to stretch our vision and deepen our consciousness of Bahá’í unity by focusing our attention on Europe and North America as one single region of the world—the North Atlantic Community; and to stress the importance of cooperation in discharging the remaining goals of the Nine Year Plan.
Tributes to Hands of the Cause[edit]
Tributes to Hands of the Cause Amelia Collins and Martha Root were presented. Both of these distinguished maid-servants were instrumental in helping to establish the Faith in Iceland. Mrs. Collins befriended Mrs. Holmfridur Arnadottir (who later became the first Icelandic believer) and financed the translation of Bahá’u’lláh and The New Era, and Martha Root confirmed the Faith of Mrs. Arnadottir and spent some time in Iceland teaching and proclaiming the Faith. A memorial service was held for Hand of the Cause Millie Collins and Mrs. Arnadottir.
Reports from 19 National Spiritual Assemblies[edit]
The National Spiritual Assembly reports provided exciting evidences of the world-wide growth of the Faith. They also demonstrated that this growth is, at present, uneven—some countries having exceeded their goals (e.g. Canada and U.S.A.), others having completed their goals (e.g. Iceland and Ireland—except for the formation of their National Spiritual Assemblies next Riḍván), others expressing a desire to complete their goals by Riḍván 1972 (e.g. Sweden, British Isles, etc.), and still others voicing a strong determination to win the goals by 1973.
One particularly hopeful note, was that although in
The conference hall.
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Smiles light the faces of Hand of the Cause John Robarts and Icelandic youth as lights shine on the map of Iceland showing Assemblies, groups and goals in the host country.
some countries, the number of Local Spiritual Assemblies is lagging behind, the rate of growth, in terms of
the number of new believers appears to be accelerating,
e.g. the French representative reported that in 1969 there
were only six new believers, in 1970 there were thirty,
and this year, to date, there have been forty new believers.
All of the reports expressed a confidence that complete victory would be achieved by the end of the Nine Year Plan. A new enthusiasm and hopefulness were expressed by many of the National Spiritual Assembly representatives, in the following terms: “The light is breaking all over Europe”; “Things are changing”; “... assured of five new Local Spiritual Assemblies”; “A new spirit is evident in the community”; “This is the time of harvest”.
This new spirit in the European Bahá’í Community appears to be related to a number of factors, which were mentioned in many of the reports:
(1) The inspiration provided by the meteoric growth of the Icelandic community.
(2) The recent visit of the beloved Hand of the Cause John Robarts and his wife to Europe. This visit served to increase the believers’ consciousness of the power of prayer and resulted in an upsurge of teaching activity.
(3) The Fiesch Youth Conference which seems to have galvanized the European community.
The National Spiritual Assemblies also explained their needs: youth proclamation teams, young travel teachers, consolidation help, international cooperation and funds for literature.
Spotlight on Greenland[edit]
Throughout the Conference, Greenland was one of the major foci. Brought to our attention by the Message from the Supreme Body, its spiritual significance was discussed and its Bahá’í history was reviewed by Jameson Bond, Knight of Bahá’u’lláh. Hand of the Cause John Robarts also made frequent references to Greenland. During the Conference a delegation of five believers flew to an Eskimo village in East Greenland, which had never before been visited by Bahá’ís, to proclaim the Faith. They received a warm and loving reception from the Eskimos. One Eskimo lady, after receiving a picture of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, clasped it to her breast, rocked it like a baby, and wept tears of joy.
Mrs. Peggy Ross, Auxiliary Board member from North America left on a teaching trip to Greenland at the end of the Conference. As the Canadian Charter flight headed back toward Canada, the plane flew across Greenland. One could see the glaciers flowing into the sea and the huge icebergs floating along the inhospitable coastline. As 250 Bahá’ís recited the Greatest Name, one could not but feel that the melting process was being hastened!
Special Topics Highlighted[edit]
The challenges involved in reaching various segments of humanity were discussed, including the Near East, Eastern Europe, the French-speaking world and the special challenge of bringing in the masses. Youth proclamation in the North Atlantic area, minority teaching (representatives of the Negro, Lapp, Indian, Eskimo and French-Canadian groups were present), universal participation, the importance of the Fund, and prayer were subjects which received consideration during the course of the Conference.
Call for Pioneers[edit]
When the call for pioneers was raised eighty souls unhesitatingly arose. Many of those who volunteered were the young Icelandic friends. Counsellor Betty Reed commenting on this response, remarked, “eighty pioneers out of 700 participants at the Conference. What a wonderfully rich harvest to lay at the threshold of Bahá’u’lláh!.... When you arise to pioneer, you are
Icelandic youth ready to pioneer on homefront or beyond.
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fulfilling your destiny”. Later sixty-five believers volunteered to serve as international travel teachers.
World Center and Institutions of the Faith[edit]
On the last morning of the conference, Hand of the Cause Mr. Paul Haney spoke of the World Center and its institutions. His presentation consisted of a consideration of the significance of the Bahá’í Holy Places and the development of institutions at the World Center, an audio-visual program entitled “Bahá’ís in the Holy Land,” and a discussion of the Station and functions of The Universal House of Justice. His closing remarks directed the friends to “study carefully the guidance of The Universal House of Justice. This is how the Faith will be protected”.
Counsellor Edna True spoke on the “Relationships and Functions of the Continental Boards of Counsellors and the National Spiritual Assemblies.” Reviewing the significance of these Institutions, she pointed out that they are component parts of the same “living organism,” the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh, and that the kind of collaboration called for by the beloved Guardian between these Institutions is based on a clear understanding of this fact.
Memorial Service for Hand of the Cause Mr. Banání[edit]
At the beginning of the last session of the Conference, Hand of the Cause John Robarts announced to the friends the passing of Hand of the Cause Mr. Banání. Mr. Robarts spoke of his great love and affection for Mr. Banání, and recalled working with him in Africa. He particularly stressed Shoghi Effendi’s high regard for Mr. Banání.
Hand of the Cause Paul Haney also commented on the Guardian’s respect for Mr. Banání, and he spoke of the great material sacrifices made by Mr. Banání when he went as a pioneer to serve the Faith in Africa.
Prayers for the Departed were then read by Mr. Haney and Mrs. Robarts.
At the termination of this brief but highly moving memorial service, Mr. Robarts called the Counsellors and Board members to the platform. He expressed the love of the Hands of the Cause for the Counsellors and the Board members and explained that the Counsellors were being trained to succeed the Hands. Although our hearts were heavy at the thought of having no more Hands of the Cause, the precious remnant left to us by the beloved Guardian, we were also cheered by the profound wisdom of The Universal House of Justice in providing us with this new institution. It was such a bitter-sweet moment!
Close of the Conference[edit]
Mr. Robarts said that we are “The Army of Light” and that our responsibility is to dispel the darkness in the world. He reminded us of the words of The House of Justice, “... the Faith of God is the sole source of salvation for mankind today”, and “upon our efforts depends in very large measure the fate of humanity”. He cautioned us that the time was short and reminded us of the assistance provided by the Concourse on High, those great souls who have gone on to the real world and who yearn to return to help us.
He likened our life on this plane of existence to the flight of a bird through a brightly lighted banquet hall—in one window, and out the window on the opposite side of the hall! We have so little time and so much to do.
He encouraged us by reminding us that serving the Cause is not a difficult thing. “When we go out and teach we are happier than at any other time, because we know we are assisted by God in the most fantastic ways”. He concluded, “The Army of Light, this is us! This is us!”
At the conclusion of his talk, Mr. Robarts called all
Three who spoke for the minorities on the last day of the
Conference and also made a flying proclamation trip to Greenland: left, Florence Springgay, Eskimo believer; Hugette James,
French-Canadian; Mary Ann Crow, Blackfoot Indian.
the Icelandic believers to join him on the stage. Each
believer received a flower. Additional volunteers for
pioneering and travel teaching spontaneously arose and
singing of “Ya Bahá’u’l-Abhá” filled the auditorium. No
one wanted to leave the theater. Such was the spiritual
unity of the friends. Sensitive to the needs of the friends,
Mr. Robarts assured us that we would “remember this
Conference throughout eternity!”, and with this thought
to cherish, we reluctantly began to file out of the
theater.
Four Post-Conference Workshops[edit]
Concurrent with the highly successful public meeting, four post-conference workshops were held at the instruction of The Universal House of Justice. These sessions dealt with the following subjects: Circumpolar Teaching, the United Nations, French Teaching and Proclamation and Mass Teaching. The sessions were well attended and proved to be a source of many practical teaching ideas as friends from the North Atlantic area shared experiences and consulted on each others’ needs and how these could be filled. These sessions provided an immediate outlet for the spirit which had been generated by the Conference.
Indeed, this was a Conference that will be remembered throughout eternity!
Lapp believer, speaking on minorities.
About the North Atlantic Oceanic Conference-Reykjavik, Iceland[edit]
The friends gathered from thirty-five countries for the
Reykjavik Conference on September 2-5, 1971. They flew
to Keflavik on the southern coast of Iceland from points
in Europe and North America to join the growing
community of believers of Iceland until the numbers
soared to over 750, making the North Atlantic Oceanic
Conference historic in significance for the Faith and for
the island as the largest gathering of an international
group ever reported to assemble in Iceland.
From the first seeds of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh planted by Hand of the Cause Amelia Collins in 1924, the Cause has sprouted and grown to the closing moments of the conference which saw the stage of the Austurbaejarbio Theater filled with radiant members of the young, fast-growing Icelandic community, over half a hundred of the 300 and more believers on the island. This community, so loved by Martha Root from her first visit in 1935, is growing rapidly toward formation of its National Assembly at next Riḍván. Before, during, and at the close of this crowning conference of the series of Oceanic Conferences called for by The Universal House of Justice, and anticipated by the Guardian, over seventy souls declared their Faith. They were young and old, residents of Reykjavik and visitors.
Months of preparation with the two major committees based in Canada and in Iceland, plus the heroic efforts of pioneers and the Icelandic friends, culminated in the outpouring of spirit and the events of this September week in Reykjavik.
At the Unity Feast, Miss Edna True, a member of the Board of
Counsellors for North America, gave highlights of the travels of
‘Abdu’l-Bahá to the western world. She is being greeted by
Mrs. Lea Nys.
On charter flight, 250 believers arrived from Canada on August
29. In foreground are Hand of the Cause John Robarts, Mrs.
Robarts and Allan Raynor, (with hat) coordinator of all conference arrangements.
Preceding the conference, some of the swelling number of friends on the island used their time to learn of the
rich Icelandic culture. Busloads traveled to the site of
Thingvellier, the plains location for the world’s oldest
parliament (Althing) where Icelandic chiefs assembled
as early as 930 A.D. to consult upon and resolve tribal
problems peacefully in annual summer conclaves. Here
the Bahá’ís offered prayers, for here may be the site of
Iceland’s first National Bahá’í Convention next Riḍván.
In the streets and shops of the city, Bahá’ís were welcomed by the island people whose newspapers and radio stations had reported the purpose and meaning of the Bahá’í Faith and this conference. Young people sought out the continuing fireside at the Dumas Medica Center to learn of the teaching which had attracted their friends and classmates to Bahá’u’lláh’s Cause. In dramatic complement, Prof. Bernhard Notz, eighty year old eminent German composer-pianist, signed his declaration card on the eve of the conference. So did his wife, who with her blind husband, has studied the Faith for one year in Europe.
Limited for the most part by lack of knowledge of the ancient Icelandic language, the friends could only recognize with appreciation the regular coverage in the five daily papers of the capital city as they featured story and photo coverage of the Bahá’í visitors and the conference. There was radio and poster coverage to awaken the ear and eye of the Reykjavik populace to the presence of the Bahá’ís and the belief in the Oneness of Mankind.
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In a remarkable manner, Canadian Bahá’í artist Don
Rogers completed a summer of pioneering and painting
in Iceland with an exhibition of his works which attracted the attention of the art community of Reykjavik. The National Gallery was offered a gift of one of
Rogers’ paintings, and promptly added to the acquisition by purchasing two more of his Iceland works in
order to present Mr. Rogers’ canvasses to better advantage in the National Gallery. Thus an enduring
impression is assured in the artistic community of this
culture-conscious people. The purchase price of these
paintings went directly to the Fund to provide a legacy
for Iceland.
The conference progressed in English with Icelandic translations. Beyond the conference site, a few selected representatives from the Institutions of the Cause and ethnic groups met in a series of events reaching into Iceland’s governmental and cultural strata. A delegation of five called on the Prime Minister of Iceland, Mr. Olafur Johanneson in an historic meeting which lasted over three times the scheduled ten minutes. It was a cordial reception, and the Prime Minister openly labeled his country’s most serious problem to be alcoholism. He showed interest in the Faith.
On another occasion, a reception was held for Icelandic notables to which came representatives from the German Embassy, the Ambassador from the United States, the deputy Mayor of Reykjavik, the Director of the National Art Gallery, and the Bahá’ís of various national and ethnic groups. This reception which gave the opportunity for the leaders of thought to learn of Bahá’u’lláh’s Message was held in the Saga Hotel, with Hand of the Cause Paul Haney, Continental Board Counsellor Edna True, representatives of the Canadian
At a reception held for Icelandic notables, Hand of the Cause
Paul Haney is introducing the American Ambassador to Iceland, Mr. Luther Replogle, to Mrs. Ertla Gudmundstottir and
to Paul Öjermark of Sweden.
Cultural news was made in Reykjavik as Norman Bailey,
German Bahá’í, Wagnerian baritone, accompanied by German
believer Sylvia Schulman, concert pianist, introduced a new
composition by newly declared believer Prof. Bernhard Notz of
Berlin .... a song in praise of God inspired by the Writings of
Bahá’u’lláh. A standing ovation by Icelandic guests paid tribute
to the talents of three visiting Bahá’ís in this culture conscious
land.
and the United States National Spiritual Assemblies,
and Icelandic Bahá’ís as well as believers of Persian,
Eskimo, Indian and other backgrounds. The reception
was considered highly advantageous in establishing
contacts in sensitive areas of influence.
The Message of The Universal House of Justice reminded the friends of the call and the promise of the day when the Cause should be kindled in Greenland. In a spontaneous action, a delegation was dispatched during the conference to fly to Greenland for just a few hours to take believers from the Northern territories. Mrs. Lotus Neilson, pioneer to Greenland, Eskimo believer Florence Springay, Crow and Blackfoot Indians Mary Ann Crow and Diane Hellson, and French Canadian Huguette James flew to a coast town in Greenland, met children in the streets, taught them to say “Allah’u’Abhá,” and the name of Bahá’u’lláh. They were welcomed into the homes of two families for tea. The brief meeting linked hearts so strongly that tears were shed at the parting, with a promise to return.
The way is prepared. The physical link with Greenland during the conference had its spiritual effect in pioneer responses and renewed the focus of the friends on every reference to this land in the Master’s Divine Plan.
In a special memorial service held on Sunday morning at the Einar Jonsson Museum in Reykjavik, there were prayers for Hand of the Cause Amelia Collins who first mentioned the Faith in Iceland in 1924; for beloved Martha Root who taught the Faith here in 1935 for months, and for Holmfridur Arnadottir, the first Icelandic believer.
Sunday evening, following the conference, the Public Congress in the Haskolabio (University Theater) filled that auditorium’s 1000 seats with Icelandic guests mingled with some Bahá’ís. The assembled crowd heard the well-known Wagnerian baritone, Norman Bailey, Bahá’í from Germany, his accompanist and soloist in her own
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right, Sylvia Schulman, also a Bahá’í. And in musical
compliment to the occasion, a new composition for Mr.
Bailey by new Bahá’í Prof. Bernhard Notz had its premier performance there in Reykjavik’s cultural center.
The standing ovation was for all the gifted contributors
at the conclusion of that number.
Difficulties of language impeded the flow of the eloquent introduction to the Faith by Adib Taherzadeh, but an excellent Icelandic translation was given by Mrs.
Seals and Crofts were joined by their wives on stage.
Miss Sophie Loeding of Wilmette, Illinois, who served the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States for many years,
and who was present at the unveiling of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Tablets
of the Divine Plan, still participating in the culminating conference of the Oceanic series, fifty-two years later! In the background is Mrs. Arlene Jennrich who was busy coordinating
photographs and reports.
Ertla Gudmundsdottir who was the Icelandic counterpart for mistress of ceremonies Mrs. Paisley Glen of
Canada.
For the final portion of the evening, Jimmy Seals and Dash Crofts needed no translator, as their music said it all. There was dancing in the aisles, spirit in the air, declaration cards signed in the lobby and new believers numbered thirty-five to forty before the evening closed. The Icelandic friends are all ready to embark on enrolling and deepening those whose souls quickened during the conference, so that by Riḍván, a strong and healthy community will form a new pillar for The Universal House of Justice.
The purity of the Icelandic friends, the clearness of their eyes and hearts, brings to mind the morning prayer, “I give praise to Thee, O my God, that Thou hast awakened me out of my sleep.” They are awakened in this warm land of the North, awakened to serve the Cause.
The friends in Iceland left with the hope of return and the farewell was the Icelandic “Bless.”
An Impression of the Icelandic Conference[edit]
Looking back over the years from the late 1890’s when
the Cause was first brought to Chicago to the present
time when a Conference just recently held in Iceland
and in Japan, it is awe-inspiring to contemplate the
growth of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh from a totally unknown teaching with only a handful of adherents to an
independent religion known the world over today as
“The Bahá’í Faith” with tremendous prestige and
with consultative status as a non-Governmental organization at the United Nations, could only have been
achieved through the operation of a Divine Power.
Thoughts such as these impressed themselves on one’s
consciousness as one participated in the sessions of this
Conference held in Reykjavik on September 2-5, 1971.
After the mechanics of registration, etc., and the Unity Feast on Thursday evening, the Conference opened with the reading of the Message from The Universal House of Justice by Hand of the Cause Mr. John Robarts. This Message told first of the visit of Hand of the Cause Mrs. Amelia Collins to Iceland in 1924, who was followed eleven years later by Miss Martha Root. The Message pointed out the urgent need of winning the still unachieved goals of the Nine Year Plan and the firm faith of The Universal House of Justice that victory will be attained. The Message closed with assurance of prayers at the Holy Shrines for that victory.
On that stirring note, the Conference proceeded with greetings and reports from many lands. Thirty-five nations were represented and 750 delegates from all over the world were present. The report on the youth activities formed an important part of the program and their accomplishments have been impressive.
The entire Conference was, to me, at least, unprecedentedly inspiring, and I am most grateful that I was privileged, so late in life, to make this journey and to hear about and see the miracles wrought by Bahá’u’lláh within the span of one’s lifetime. I have come back from the Conference with the greatest admiration for the conviction and courage of the workers, pioneers and teachers, and now youth, and humbled and saddened when I contemplate my own all too meagre contribution.
Impressions of Iceland[edit]
Since I was ten years old I’ve wanted to go to Iceland.
Once in Iceland my greatest expectations were fulfilled.
Not only fulfilled but surpassed leaving me in a state of
perpetual emotion! My first impression was of the land.
It is so beautiful, raw and naked in its grandeur. We had
one day prior to the conference to rent a car and go
inland. There were no fences bounding the land. It was
all open and free. The sheep and cattle roamed at will.
There were no road signs marking the way to the tourist
attractions. That in itself was heavenly, being so overused to being tourist-herded to places of pre-selected
interest and value. It was far more than being in a
wilderness; it was like stepping back into time to the
primordial region of man’s creation. The land is a land
of unity from diversity: green vegetation clinging to
hard foundation, fiery volcanic action so close to the
earth it heats the water naturally; quicksand, lava,
glaciers, geysers and icy rivers; flat surface criss-crossed with huge crevaces, lava cliffs cut with crystal-clear waterfalls, rainbow in color, plummetting into
gigantic spray hitting original rock of earth’s crust;
mountains, flowering with snow and ice, rising in every
distance. It appeared to me that presented like a gift
from God as a setting for this conference was this
majestic, jewel-like land of fire and of snow, reflecting
and refracting light as a whirling crystal ball does from
within as well as from without.
That first day was lovely and bright. The only bright day we saw while in Iceland. The air was so pure. The
Icelandic believer, Jona Bjorg Saetran in native dress. She
became a Bahá’í while a foreign exchange student in Arizona
and returned to take the Cause to her island home and fellow
youth.
light was so strong. We could see for miles. It seemed as
if the island was suspended, caught breathlessly between sun-fire and earth-fire. We appeared to revolve
independently. The ice and snow acted like the beads of
crystal on the ball uniting the contrasts—uniting this
fire and snow, blending it into a perfect harmony. It was
just as well that the rest of the conference was bathed in
rain so there was no chance to diminish this sharp, vivid
impression.
There seemed to be a special spirit present within each participant that made this conference as rare and as precious as the glorious land.
The Icelandic people are as sturdy and durable as their country. They adhere tenaciously to their beliefs, which once held form strong, lasting heart-felt bonds with their lives just as their land is bound to the ocean. They are so close to their land and to its intrinsic qualities. As it is sturdy and durable; so are they. As it is beautiful and fragrant as a flower; so are they.
I have never had such an emotional time in my life. I felt like the long inactive geyser of Iceland that, just prior to the conference reactivated itself. As the tour bus, the last of the season, carrying a group of Bahá’ís pulled up at this historical geyser spring, the guide explained the history of the area and particularly of this geyser. It seems that the geyser is the pride of the Icelandic people who are close to the land and take delight in the various natural elements incorporated on their tiny island located in the heart of the oceans. However for several years there have been no eruptions of this geyser until the past few months. The renewed activity was not like former activity which had earned for it the nickname “the big geyser.” The group disembarked and went to have a peek. Just as they were at the brink of the geyser, it began to bubble and steam. “Stand back, stand back! It’s about to erupt!” called the guide sending the Bahá’ís scampering away. Virtually in the faces of the Bahá’ís in a majestic burst it shot upward soaring to unrecorded heights and new dimensions leaving in its steamy, misty aftermath about sixty extremely surprised people. The guide remarked to one of them, “Who are you people? You must be very special indeed to have our geyser perform so for you!” There was a brief explanation about the Bahá’í Faith after which one of the Bahá’ís suggested she report this incident to the local newspaper as it had happened with three newsworthy features: First as a new eruption of the famous geyser, second as the eruption on the last day of tourist season, and third in front of a large number of Bahá’ís from all over the globe the day before the conference was to begin as the sign of its good opening. The guide did this. A rough translation given to us by an Icelandic believer reads something like this: “Geyser erupts on last day of season in faces of Bahá’ís who are very lucky people”. It was followed by a nice article.
Before the conference I thought the Icelanders were like the angels of snow and of fire. During the conference we were welded together so strongly that we all took on these qualities until it was impossible to tell an Icelander from an African. We were all like the angels of snow and of fire. I hope that soon the whole world will be fused into this crystal ball until it too experiences what these conferences have shown to be possible. Perhaps there has been a glimmer of what it means to be children of the light. I hope this light will grow until the world becomes as one soul in one body. I offer this as my prayer.
Travel-Teaching in Rhodesia[edit]
On Saturday, July 31, 1971, pioneer John Sargent, Sr. drove to Gokwe where he was surprised by three travelling teachers—Joseph, Richard and Martin—waiting for him on the road. After checking in with the Police at Gokwe, they proceeded to the village of Seven where they met the friends and saw the new football field and basketball court erected by the Bahá’ís, and also the bricks they have molded for their Bahá’í Center. After a slide show of the Haifa Shrines, they went to Chief Nemangwe’s village where they presented the Chief with the customary blanket.
A Chief Declares[edit]
Chief Nemangwe said he had been studying the Bahá’í Faith and asked when he was going to get his Bahá’í papers. Thereupon a Bahá’í declaration card was produced and Chief Nemangwe became the third paramount chief to become a Bahá’í in Rhodesia. Chief Chiweshe was the first and the late Chief Chaona was the second. When the Chief had signed, he was presented with a Bahá’í pin and some Bahá’í literature to the ceremonial clapping of the Chief’s attendants. An elated Bahá’í team then left for Feast and an overnight stay at Mufungo village. Isaac Nemangwe, the first Bahá’í at Gokwe, and a brother to the Chief, presided at the Feast and during the business part asked for consultation on how their community could remain active between visits from travelling teachers and pioneers. These villagers had their tests early. Their crops failed shortly after becoming Bahá’ís and they spent the last of their money on a phone call to the Bahá’ís for help and no help came.
Newly enrolled paramount Chief Nemangwe and some of his tribesman. Rhodesia, August 1971.
Bahá’í friends welcome teaching team at Gwavi, Rhodesia, August, 1971.
At Seven[edit]
On August 1, the team travelled out through a rough ox cart trail to the road and back through the tsetse fly gate and up over the Zambesi escarpment to the village of Seven. There they gave a requested repeat performance of their slide show of the previous days and inaugurated the new playing fields with a football game and a basketball game. Everybody played; young, old, black, white, boys and girls, and the remaining stumps left in the field added an extra zest to the game. The National Spiritual Assembly member John Sargent, and a travelling teacher met with the Seven Local Spiritual Assembly at their request. A visit to the proposed site of the Seven Bahá’í Center was made. That evening food was provided for about two dozen people around an open fire in the center of the village followed by singing which attracted some seventy people and continued far into the night.
Roja[edit]
August 2. Up, up and away again. This time off to Roja—a trip that cost a tailpipe and a headlight cowling. The Roja community is very anxious to be a good Bahá’í community and has many questions stored up and waiting for the teaching team. So many Roja residents wanted to become Bahá’ís that they were hampered by having only one ballpoint pen and the supply of declaration cards was running short. At the Local Spiritual Assembly meeting that night all the discrepancies in the membership were sorted out and they decided that they should be incorporated. The next morning, August 3, all nine member of the Local Spiritual Assembly gathered for their photo and to bid farewell. The team arrived at the Muchero community a day earlier than expected so they pushed on to the Gwavi community which could gather a day earlier than planned.
Gwavi[edit]
Gwavi is a very large community and will probably be broken up into separate kraals in the future. Within an hour of arrival, declaration cards had run short, so a difficult journey was made to the home of a travelling
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teacher where they picked up about fifty more cards
and brought three more ballpoint pens. The chairman of
the Local Spiritual Assembly of Gwavi led a tour to a
proposed site for the Gwavi Bahá’í Center. They are
planning a large center—perhaps large enough to be
used for conferences. Symbolic of the size and vigor of
the community and the size of the proposed center is the
abundance of large baobab trees at the site. No sooner
was the card and pen shortage solved than another one
loomed. With less than half the trip-time elapsed, nearly
all of the Bahá’í literature had been passed out and still
the Bahá’ís were begging for more. All the people encountered in the Gwavi area seemed to be very eager to
learn and requested traveling teachers and literature
and visitors. Several are sending away for the correspondence course. That night at the meeting about seventy enthusiastic friends gathered for singing, lectures
and questions around a large campfire. The Local Spiritual Assembly met during the most of the meeting but
moved out to the campfire to share the closing prayer
with the community. During the Local Spiritual Assembly meeting they had decided to incorporate their Assembly.
On the morning of August 4, the Local Spiritual Assembly of Gwavi gathered for their picture and the whole Gwavi community asked to have their picture taken too—all except for a hundred-year-old woman who was afraid of being photographed.
Then off to Muchero where one of the Bahá’ís had made a large sunshade, with benches, underneath out of hand-hewn lumber. The Muchero Local Spiritual Assembly could not gather a quorum but about thirty friends gathered to hear about Bahá’u’lláh and see the slide show following which several signed declaration cards. The kraal chief thanked the team for coming and said he believed all that had been said but he did not ask for a declaration card. After lunch by the Muchero hostess, the team went to the St. Boniface Baptist Mission hospital and talked to the surgeon/missionary, Dr. Garret, who didn’t know what was happening to our missing mail. He was given a short talk about the Faith and then the team went to have healing prayers with the sister of one of the traveling teachers who had been taken to the hospital the previous day. Then back over that torturous track to Mufungo to rest for the night.
The morning of August 5, the team packed off to Chief Nemangwe’s court where a large group had gathered for the day’s court proceedings. The Chief appeared to deliver greetings, then invited the team to teach the assembled villagers about the Bahá’í Faith. During the following slide show, the Chief reappeared in his Chief’s regalia. The Chief’s messenger signed his declaration card, as did a few others. The Chief then put the team first on the court’s agenda to hear the application for Bahá’í Center sites throughout the Nemangwe Tribal Trust Land.
Nemangwe[edit]
Back at Nemangwe, five members of the Assembly were gathered and a Local Spiritual Assembly meeting was held. At the Assembly’s request, the team gave them a talk on Assembly duties, consultation and procedures. They decided to discuss incorporation when all nine members could be present. One more slow, painful trek back to Mufungo was successfully negotiated.
On the morning of August 6, friends slowly began to gather and by 10 a.m. there were enough to have a meeting, following which the Assembly of Mufungo met and invited the team in to assist in their consultation. They want the National Spiritual Assembly to get them started on their self-help school. They want to form a football team, to repair the road so Mrs. Bahiyyih Ford can visit there, to incorporate, and to assist in providing a combined traveling teacher/postman. The meeting was then adjourned to the Chanyakura Bahá’í Center, about one-and-one-half miles away by trail (no road). The Center has a bed and chairs and tables, and will seat about sixty people. Their Shrine of the Báb picture is hung up only on special occasions because the white ants are very active at this location. The Assembly gathered for their photo and then bade farewell to the teaching team. The team then walked back to Mufungo
Some of the members of the Local Spiritual Assembly of Seven with bricks for their new Bahá’í Center.
Some of the Assembly members of Chanyukura, Rhodesia at their recently completed Center.
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where they got into their car and headed for Gwavi.
There they were to pick up the Gwavi Assembly Chairman who was to act as translator for the trip to the
Tonga-speaking peoples. While looking for the Chairman, the teachers met and signed up several more
villagers. Darkness fell and it was too late to set off for
even more remote areas, so another pleasant evening
was spent around the Gwavi campfire. This was highlighted by a Bahá’í declaration during a total eclipse of
the moon.
Chichemba[edit]
On the morning of August 7, the team set off for a visit to the primitive Tonga people near the village of Chichemba. The Tongas are a very colorful people who wear very little clothing but do wear an abundance of beads, bracelets and necklaces. Their bodies are covered with decorative patterns of scars. The Tonga women knock out their upper front teeth and pierce their ears and noses. The women smoke hookahs made from gourds. The Tongas are hard working craftsmen and build their homes with walled-up granaries in the center. The Bahá’ís met the Chichemba Chief and got permission to teach in his area, and an invitation to return when he could round all his people up to hear the Bahá’í message. They passed out what little Bahá’í literature they had left. This was “Do You Know in What Day You Are Living?” which had been translated many years before in England. Because so few Tongas can read and write, this was the only literature that was in adequate supply. Yet another shortage developed on the way home. This time the teaching team ran out of money. But with a brief-case full of Bahá’í declaration cards, and with seven more active, deepened Local Spiritual Assemblies left behind, the happy teachers wondered “Who needs money?”
Addis Ababa Teaching Conference[edit]
A National Victory Teaching Conference was held at the end of June this year in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia for believers of the North East Africa region. This Conference was sponsored jointly by the Continental Board of Counsellors for Central and East Africa and the National Spiritual Assembly of North East Africa.
The Conference was attended by Counsellor Mr. Aziz Yazdi, by the members of the National Spiritual Assembly of North East Africa, the Auxiliary Board members for the region, believers from various parts of Ethiopia and particularly by the friends of the Addis Ababa community. In the photograph, Mr. Yazdi (with white hair) is seen kneeling behind the lady who is seated behind the Greatest Name. Mr. Beleta Worku, Auxiliary Board member, is third from the right, standing.
BAHÁ’Í PUBLISHING TRUST[edit]
Memorials of the Faithful. By ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Translated by Marzieh Gail.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s remembrances of seventy-nine believers, most of whom followed Bahá’u’lláh into exile and prison, spoken by the Master during the latter half of 1915. The translator has written that “this is a book about people who were trying to get into prison rather than to escape from it, because they were prisoners of a great love. Their love was for Bahá’u’lláh...”
Among those memorialized by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá is Mishkín-Qalam, the leading Persian calligrapher whose calligraphic arrangement of the Greatest Name hangs in many Bahá’í homes. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá teaches us how the realms of the material and the divine touch when He writes of the man who enjoyed a special position among the notables of Ṭihrán that “He wielded a musk-black pen, and his brows shone with faith.”
Mishkín-Qalam
Of Mishkín-Qalam’s journey to Bahá’u’lláh, the Master wrote: “He crossed the great distances, measured
out the miles, climbing mountains, passing over deserts
and over the sea, until at last he came to Adrianople.
Here he reached the heights of faith and assurance; here
he drank the wine of certitude. He responded to the
summons of God, he attained the presence of Bahá’u’lláh, he ascended to the apogee where he was received
and accepted.”
After the ascension of Bahá’u’lláh, Mishkín-Qalam journeyed to India to be with the friends there. But when ‘Abdu’l-Bahá heard that he was growing helpless, He summoned Him once again to the Most Great Prison, where he was “at all times” the Master’s “close companion”—a companion whom ‘Abdu’l-Bahá described in these words: “He was a compendium of perfections: believing, confident, serene, detached from the world, a peerless companion, a wit—and his character like a garden in full bloom.”
Symbol of the Greatest Name arranged by Mishkín-Qalam and signed by him.
Adorning this first English translation of Memorials of the Faithful is a calligraphic design in the form of a bird
of paradise by Mishkín-Qalam himself. “It is an artistic
arrangement of the phrase ‘Bismi’lláhi’l-Bahíyyi’l-Abhá’ which means ‘In the name of God, the Glorious,
the Most Glorious.’ Hand of the Cause of God, Zikru’lláh Khádem, describes it as a ‘bird of paradise in the form of the Greatest Holy Name sitting on the tree of
Toubá (tree of paradise) ... an art form found in many
Bahá’í houses in Persia, framed and hung in a place of
honor.’ ”
Memorials of the Faithful is essential for understanding in the words of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the Perfect Exemplar, how it is that the spiritual qualities of faithfulness—not the outward details of individual lives—earn their own reward and constitute themselves their own memorials.
Order through your Community Librarian when possible. Orders under $5 must include $.30 for handling and
postage. Personal orders must include payment.
Bahá’í Publishing Trust
415 Linden Avenue
Wilmette, Illinois 60091
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Vietnam Continues Rapid Enrollments[edit]
In Vietnam the Thuong Bahá’ís in the Highland now number around thirty thousand. The Faith is still growing fast in this area at the rate of about three thousand new enrollments every month.
Deepening classes have been organized in the various villages for these new Bahá’ís. Mr. Le Loc, Chairman of the National Assembly of Vietnam, since August 1 spent ten days in Pleiku and Binh-Dinh assisting the friends in teaching and deepening.
BAHÁ’Í NEWS is published for circulation among Bahá’ís only by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís 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. Evelyn Hardin, Managing Editor; Miss Charlotte Linfoot, National Spiritual Assembly Representative; Mr. Rexford C. Parmelee, Mrs. Sylvia Parmelee.
Material must be received by the twenty-fifth of the second month preceding date of issue. Address: Bahá’í News Editorial Office, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois 60091, U.S.A.
Change of address should be reported directly to Membership and Records, National Bahá’í Center, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois, U.S.A. 60091.
