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Bahá’í News

July 1975

Bahá’í Year 132

Building the Ark on God’s Holy Mountain

[Page 0] Universal House of Justice Message

Excavation begins at the site of the Universal House of Justice Building

Joyfully announce commencement excavation site Universal House Justice Building arc Mount Carmel. Contract removal forty thousand cubic meters rock and earth at cost approximately two hundred thousand dollars. Invite all believers contribute unstintingly building fund ensure uninterrupted progress historic undertaking.

UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE

June 17, 1975

[Page 1]

Contents

Universal House of Justice message	Inside Cover
Excavation begins at site of Universal House of Justice Building
Building the Ark on God’s Holy Mountain	2
Historic letter from The Universal House of Justice and the beginning of a labor of love
The City of Love	5
‘Ishqábád and the ‎insititution institution‎ of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár
International Conferences	13
Plans made for Helsinki, Anchorage Conferences
International Bahá’í Community	13
Food, human settlements, public information sessions held
Around the World	14
Alaska, Cameroon Republic, Canada, Colombia, Hawaiian Islands, India, Iran, Italy, Leeward and Virgin Islands, Malaysia, New Zealand, North East Africa, Papa New Guinea, Spain, Swaziland, United States, Windward Islands, Zaire

page 5

page 14

page 17

Cover photo: men and machines begin removing earth and rock from the site of The Universal House of Justice Building. Shrine of the Báb is in the background.

Bahá’í News is published monthly 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. Manuscripts submitted should be typewritten and double spaced throughout; any footnotes should appear at the end. The contributor should keep a carbon copy. Send materials to: Bahá’í News Editorial Office, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, IL 60091, U.S.A.

Change of address should be reported directly to Office of Membership and Records, National Bahá’í Center, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, IL 60091, U.S.A.

Subscription rates: one year, US $8; two years, US $15.

Second class postage paid at Wilmette, Illinois 60091.

Copyright ® 1975, National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. World Rights Reserved. Printed in the U.S.A.

[Page 2]

Building the Ark on God’s Holy Mountain

“Haste thee, O Carmel, for lo, the light of the countenance of God ... hath been lifted upon thee ... Rejoice, for God hath in this Day established upon thee His throne, hath made thee the dawning-place of His signs and the day spring of the evidences of His Revelation.”—Bahá’u’lláh

Universal House of Justice Message

To the Followers of Bahá’u’lláh throughout the World

Dear Bahá’í Friends,

As the Five Year Plan gathers momentum in all parts of the world, with the followers of the Blessed Perfection firmly embarked on the course that will lead to victory, the time has come for us to contemplate, in preparation for its imminent initiation, the project which will rank as the greatest single undertaking of that Plan, the construction of a befitting seat for the Universal House of Justice in the heart of God’s Holy Mountain.

Nearly thirty-six years ago, after overcoming a multitude of difficulties, the beloved Guardian succeeded in transferring to Mount Carmel the sacred remains of the Purest Branch and Navváb, interring them in the immediate neighborhood of the resting-place of the Greatest Holy Leaf, and alluded, in these words, to the “capital institutional significance” that these events constituted in the unfoldment of the World Center of the Faith:

“For it must be clearly understood, nor can it be sufficiently emphasized, that the conjunction of the resting-place of the Greatest Holy Leaf with those of her brother and mother incalculably reinforces the spiritual potencies of that consecrated Spot which, under the wings of the Báb’s overshadowing Sepulcher, and in the vicinity of the future Mashriqu’l-Adhkár, which will be reared on its flank, is destined to

[Page 3] Work has started on the greatest single undertaking of the Five Year Plan, construction of The Universal House of Justice Building in the heart of Mount Carmel. In the left background is the Archives Building, and in the right background is the Shrine of the Báb.

evolve into the focal center of those world-shaking, world-embracing, world-directing administrative institutions, ordained by Bahá’u’lláh and anticipated by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and which are to function in consonance with the principles that govern the twin institutions of the Guardianship and the Universal House of Justice. Then, and then only, will this momentous prophecy which illuminates the concluding passages of the Tablet of Carmel be fulfilled: ‘Ere long will God sail His Ark upon thee (Carmel), and will manifest the people of Bahá who have been mentioned in the Book of Names.’

To attempt to visualize, even in its barest outline, the glory that must envelop these institutions, to essay even a tentative and partial description of their character or the manner of their operation, or to trace however inadequately the course of events leading to their rise and eventual establishment is far beyond my own capacity and power. Suffice it to say that at this troubled stage in world history, the association of these three incomparably precious souls who, next to the three Central Figures of our Faith, tower in rank above the vast multitude of the heroes, Letters, martyrs, hands, teachers, and administrators of the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh, in such a potentially powerful spiritual and administrative Center, is, in itself, an event that will release forces that are bound to hasten the emergence in a land which, geographically, spiritually and administratively, constitutes the heart of the entire planet, of some of the brightest gems of that World Order now shaping in the womb of this travailing age.”

The first of the majestic edifices constituting this mighty Center was the building for the International Archives of the Faith, which was completed in the summer of 1957 as one of the last major achievements of Shoghi Effendi’s Guardianship and which set the style for the remaining structures, which, as described by him, were to be raised in the course of time in the form of a far-flung arc on the slope of Mount Carmel. In the eighteen years since that achievement, the community of the Most Great Name has grown rapidly in size and influence: from twenty-six National Spiritual Assemblies to one hundred and nineteen, from some one thousand to seventeen thousand Local Spiritual Assemblies,

[Page 4] and from four thousand five hundred localities to over seventy thousand, accompanied by a corresponding increase in the volume of the work carried on at the World Center of the Faith and in the complexity of its institutions. It is now both necessary and possible to initiate construction of its institutions. It is now both necessary and possible to initiate construction of a building that will not only serve the practical needs of a steadily consolidating administrative center but will, for centuries to come, stand as a visible expression of the majesty of the divinely ordained institutions of the Administrative Order of Bahá’u’lláh.

Faced, like the Archives Building, with stone from Italy and surrounded by a stately colonnade of sixty Corinthian columns, the seat for the Universal House of Justice will contain, in addition to the council chamber of the House of Justice, a library, a concourse for the reception of pilgrims and dignitaries, storage vaults with air-purification for the preservation of original Tablets and other precious documents, accommodation for the secretariat and the many ancillary services that will be required. Conceived in a style of enduring beauty and majesty, and faced with stone that will weather the centuries, the building in its interior arrangements will be very simple and capable of adaptation in the generations ahead to whatever technological advances will be made by the rapid growth of human knowledge.

The erection of this building, which, comprising five and a half stories, far surpasses in size and complexity any building at present in existence at the World Center, presents a major challenge to the Bahá’í community, whose resources are already all too meager in relation to the great tasks that lie before it. But the spirit of sacrifice has been the hallmark of the followers of Bahá’u’lláh of every race and clime, and as they unite to raise this second of the great edifices of the Administrative Center of their Faith they will rejoice at having the inestimable privilege of taking part in a “vast and irresistible process” which

[Page 5] Shoghi Effendi stated is “unexampled in the spiritual history of mankind,” a process “which will synchronize with two no less significant developments—the establishment of the Lesser Peace and the evolution of Bahá’í national and local institutions—the one outside and the other within the Bahá’í world—will attain its final consummation, in the Golden Age of the Faith, through the raising of the standard of the Most Great Peace, and the emergence, in the plenitude of its power and glory, of the focal Center of the agencies constituting the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh.”

THE UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE
June 5, 1975

The Transformation of Mount Carmel

Men labor on Mount Carmel. Machines whine as rock and earth are removed.

Work has started on the second majestic edifice of the Administrative Order of Bahá’u’lláh.

Every step of that holy mountain is blessed by the Prophets.

The Old Testament speaks of it. The ancient Prophets of Israel trod there and it is said that Jesus and Mụhammed walked there also. It is the site of Elijah’s cave.

Bahá’u’lláh pitched His tent on Mount Carmel and He pointed out to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá the location on the slope of the mountain where the Báb’s remains were eventually placed.

In the Tablet of Carmel, Bahá’u’lláh says:

“He, verily, loveth the spot which hath been made the seat of His throne, which His footsteps have trodden, which hath been honored by His presence, from which He raised His call, and upon which He shed His tears.”¹

The beloved Guardian often spoke of the potent spiritual power of Mount Carmel, the vineyard of God.

On June 5, 1975, The Universal House of Justice announced the greatest single undertaking of the Five Year Plan, “the construction of a befitting seat for the Universal House of Justice in the heart of God’s Holy Mountain.”

On June 17, 1975, The Universal House of Justice cabled the joyful news that excavation work at the site on the central axis of God’s Own Arc was under way.

“It is now both necessary and possible to initiate construction of a building that will not only serve the practical needs of a steadily consolidating administrative center but will, for centuries to come, stand as a visible expression of the majesty of the divinely ordained institutions of the Administrative Order of Bahá’u’lláh,” The Universal House of Justice said in the historic June 5 letter.

To ensure uninterrupted progress, all believers were invited to contribute to the building fund. The removal of 40,000 cubic meters of rock and earth now under way will cost about $200,000.

The Universal House of Justice praised the spirit of sacrifice of the followers of Bahá’u’lláh and said they “will rejoice at having the inestimable privilege of taking part” in the process toward the establishment of the Lesser Peace and the evolution of Bahá’í national and local institutions.

One National Spiritual Assembly told its community: “Words are inadequate to express the sense of destiny this soul-stirring message from The Universal House of Justice invokes. They are conferring upon us the signal honor of participating in the completion of God’s Own Arc on His Holy Mountain. They are offering us the glorious opportunity and the priceless privilege to unite in a sacrifice whose mystery will bring into being that process ‘unexampled in the spiritual history of mankind’.”²

Shoghi Effendi wrote in 1954: “The ultimate completion of this stupendous undertaking will mark the culmination of the development of a world-wide divinely-appointed Administrative Order whose beginnings may be traced as far back as the concluding years of the Heroic Age of the Faith.”³

The transformation of Mount Carmel continues as envisioned by the Master and the Guardian.

The Hand of the Cause of God Ugo Giachery said of Shoghi Effendi: “He often had a faraway look as though he was seeing something not visible to our eyes, that he alone could see. He was planning in terms of centuries, not just a few years, in these basic buildings. It was the Guardian’s plan to create a solid Center that will withstand all the storms and conflicts of the world.”⁴

The Universal House of Justice Building will be faced, like the Archives Building, with stone from Italy and will be surrounded by a stately colonnade of 60 Corinthian columns. The building will face northward, toward Akká and Bahjí.

The building will contain a council chamber of the House of Justice, a library, a concourse for the reception of pilgrims and dignitaries, accommodation for the secretariat and many other ancillary services that will be required, and storage vaults with air-purification for the preservation of original Tablets and other precious documents.

1. Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, Bahá’í Publishing Trust, Wilmette, page 15.
2. New Zealand Bahá’í Newsletter, July 1975.
3. Messages to the Bahá’í World, 1950-57, Shoghi Effendi, Bahá’í Publishing Trust, Wilmette, page 74.
4. Bahá’í News, July 1958, page 12.

[Page 6]

The City of Love

‘Ishqábád and the institution of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár

By Bruce W. Whitmore

[Page 7] The Holiest House of Worship, the Mother Temple of the West, dedicated May 2, 1953, at Wilmette, Illinois, U.S.A. Bahá’u’lláh ordained the institution of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár to support individuals in their efforts to become “a true Bahá’í.”

The numerous curves of the rock-strewn pathway lessened noticeably as the weary traveler finally descended into the foothills of the Elburz mountains. Like so many others, he had left Tehran, nearly 460 miles to the southwest, to free himself of the suffering and anguish so frequently experienced by the Bahá’ís. His thoughts, however, were not of past agonies; he could think only of the wonders that lay before him. It was dusk but he did not consider stopping; he was too close to his long-sought goal.

Suddenly elation surged through him, for on the faraway horizon lay his destination: ‘Ishqábád (meaning City of Love), a mecca of peace and safety for all Bahá’ís. As he gazed across the desert plain of Western Turkistan, the last rays of the sun darted amidst the distant buildings and danced about a large domed structure rising high above the city. Even from far away he knew that radiant dome was the goal of his seemingly endless journey: the first House of Worship ever raised in Bahá’u’lláh’s Name.

As the moon began its steady climb into the evening sky and the traveler hurried toward the dim lights of the city, his thoughts turned to the events of the past which had established ‘Ishqábád as a refuge of serenity. The year was 1910.

When the Bahá’ís first settled in the area during the early years of Bahá’u’lláh’s Mission, all that existed were a few scattered mud huts. As the town grew, the Bahá’ís became an integral but unobtrusive element, contributing selflessly to the well-being and prosperity of the community.

Then tragedy struck as a group of Muslims, fearing the steady growth of the Faith, hired two assassins who brutally murdered a prominent and learned Bahá’í in the middle of the bazaar. The Russian authorities responded swiftly, arresting all those involved.

The Czar, Alexander III, sent a military commission from St. Petersburg to conduct the trial. The two assailants were found guilty of murder and sentenced to death. Six others, proved to have been involved in the murder plot, were ordered transported to Siberia. Strenuous efforts were made to have the verdict altered, but to no avail. However, right at the foot of the scaffold, it was announced that the Bahá’ís had magnanimously interceded for the murderers, who were banished to Siberia. Bahá’ís gained greatly in prestige. Furthermore, the ground was now prepared for the initiation of enterprises, such as the establishment of schools, libraries, and the construction of a House of Worship ... H. M. Balyuzi, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, (George Ronald, Oxford, 1971), p. 109.

During the early years of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s ministry, interest in building the first Mashriqu’l-Adhkár, as designated by Bahá’u’lláh, developed in many countries throughout the area that is now called the Middle East. The Master decided that ‘Ishqábád should be the site for the first Temple, and He sent Ḥájí Mírzá Muḥammad-Taqí, also known as Jenab Afnán, to coordinate the historic undertaking.

Jenab Afnán, his features characterized by bright, smiling, blue eyes and a snowy-white beard, was a first cousin of the Báb. He and the Báb were close childhood friends and often played games together. It was for his father, the Báb’s uncle, that Bahá’u’lláh revealed the Kitáb-i-Íqán. Jenab Afnán sacrificed not only his time but also his wealth to raise the ‘Ishqábád Temple.

[Page 8] The Mother Temple of Africa, dedicated Jan. 14, 1961, at Kampala, Uganda. The House of Worship is the central Edifice to which individuals should turn for spiritual revitalization; a place to acquire virtues and serve your fellow man.

After the project was completed, he would return to Haifa, continuing to serve the Master until his death at the age of 85. He would be buried near Elijah’s grave on that same Mountain of God where the remains of his blessed cousin, the Báb, were laid.

Arriving at ‘Ishqábád in the latter part of 1902, Jenab Afnán busied himself with securing a suitable design for the Temple and making preparations for construction. Trenches were dug, and the foundation for a nine-sided structure was begun. Jenab Afnán, himself, laid the first stone.

Shortly after construction was started, the community received word that General Krupatikin, the governor-general of Turkistán, would lay a cornerstone for the building on behalf of the Czar. The following account, written two days after the event, reveals some of the joy and excitement that must have been felt.

On the 11th of Ramazan the Governor of the State, escorted by a company of officers and soldiers together with the foreign Minister and the local Consul, all dressed in uniform and decorated with royal medals, came to the blessed grounds of the Mashrak-el-Azcar to express his congratulations. Three days before his coming, the news was received and preparations were made for his reception. The grounds were especially adorned, and the most exquisite rugs were spread. Shady arbors and bowers were erected, each having nine columns. In the parlors, two tables were set, one of them covered with many kinds of sweetmeats, most luscious fruits and flowers of all kinds; on the other were placed the Holy Scriptures, the sketch of the Mashrak-el-Azcar, and both Russian and Persian translations of the history and the date of the building being newly erected....

At half past three that afternoon the Government carriages approached, and, at the first gate of the grounds, they stopped. They could have entered the grounds with carriages, but, through respect, they alighted at the gate. They walked over the beautiful rugs and came to where the believers were assembled. There were from six to eight hundred of the people of Baha and about the same number of Russians, Armenians ... (and other nationalities).

Then the Governor removed his overcoat and gloves, the officers all following his example, and came to the appointed place for his work....

Then the silver box (containing a description of the construction methods and the materials to be used in the building) was brought and presented to the Governor who took it in his hand and began the work. While he was laying the cornerstone, he spoke the following words which were translated by the interpreter, word for word: ‘It gives me great pleasure to realize the House of Worship of the Bahais is being erected in my days, and my hope is that I will see it when it is finished.’¹

Even though contributions were received from believers in Persia and other nearby countries, it was the tireless efforts of the local believers that made the completion of the project possible. Many thousands of stones were hand-carried to the site from the surrounding countryside while several masons labored month after month to raise the Temple’s walls. When finished, about 1905, it was nearly five stories high, towering above all other structures in ‘Ishqábád.

Located in the heart of the city, the Temple sat amid luxurious gardens bordered by four tree-lined avenues.

[Page 9] The Mother Temple of the Antipodes, dedicated Sept. 16, 1961, at Sydney, Australia. The educational institutions within the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár are intended to develop man’s awareness of the spiritual realities as well as the physical realities.

Its main entrance, facing the Holy Land and flanked by minarets, was two stories high and opened into a graceful rotunda crowned by a hemispherical dome of exquisite beauty. Two series of balconies, called loggias, surrounded the rotunda and opened out upon the verdant gardens.

At the four corners of the gardens were dependencies: the Bahá’í schools, a medical dispensary, and an inn for travelers. The Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds was located near the Temple while farther back lay a utilities building and the residence of the grounds keeper.

Over the years hundreds of believers made the long journey to the City of Love and many of them became part of the vibrant community. Expansion continued unabated in not only ‘Ishqábád but many Russian cities; even after the Bolshevik Revolution, there was no apparent opposition to the Faith as the Bahá’ís continued their teaching and publishing activities.

Then in 1922 “The official gazette of the Soviet government published an article in which it said that the Bahá’ís were turning the thoughts of the Russian from Bolshevism to their own religion and beliefs (and) consequently their efforts should be stopped.”²

Although some inconveniences were experienced following the appearance of the article, little open hostility occurred until 1926 when believers in Moscow were detained and questioned, their books and papers were confiscated, and, in some cases, their homes and other property were seized.

In 1928 the first Bahá’ís in ‘Ishqábád were arrested. The activities of the Spiritual Assembly were severely restricted, publications were suspended, and mail was confiscated.

Late in the summer of 1928, the government decreed that all places of worship inside Russia were henceforth property of the Soviet Union. For three months, the Temple’s doors were barred while local newspapers carried government-placed advertisements offering to rent the building. The Temple was reopened only after the Bahá’ís agreed to sign a costly rental contract.

Calm then settled over the Bahá’í communities of Russia. The lease was renewed on the Temple in 1933. Two years later, the government announced that religious structures were to be returned to their original owners, provided that specified major repairs could be completed within six months. Believers throughout Russia sacrificed their few remaining possessions to pay for the numerous repairs required on the Temple. The work was completed before the deadline, and ownership was transferred back to the Bahá’í community.

Public meetings were resumed in ‘Ishqábád and soon were being conducted twice weekly. A large sign was placed at the entrance to the Temple, proclaiming the principles of the Faith in four languages. The great Hall in the Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds again overflowed with Bahá’ís on Holy Days and other special events as melodious chanting and lyrical music filled the air.

The reprieve, however, was short-lived:

“On the eve of February 5, 1938, all the members of the Local Spiritual Assembly of ‘Ishqábád, and a great number of the friends were arrested by order of the authorities and that same night the houses of the friends were searched, and all Tablets, Bahá’í records and other articles were confiscated. Some of the women, more active than the rest in Bahá’í administrative affairs, were also led away to prison.”³

[Page 10] The Mother Temple of Europe, dedicated July 4, 1964, at Frankfurt, Germany. The Mashriqu’l-Adhkár is also a focal point for social, humanitarian, educational, and scientific pursuits.

For the final time, the Temple was seized. A Soviet law, requiring that a religious community must consist of at least 50 members to be allowed to maintain a place of worship, was enforced as the Bahá’í population of the City of Love, once numbering in the thousands, steadily fell.

“According to recently received information, the Soviet Government has taken over the Temple, has turned it into an art gallery, and is keeping it in its original condition. For there are no longer any Bahá’ís in ‘Ishqábád.”⁴

The Temple, however, was not destined to be used for other than that which God intended.

On August 25, 1963, The Universal House of Justice announced to the Bahá’í world that the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár in ‘Ishqábád, the first Temple raised to the glory of Bahá’u’lláh, had been demolished by the authorities and the site cleared.... In 1948 violent earthquakes shook the whole town causing devastation and ruin. The building was seriously damaged. The only section that remained relatively secure was the central rotunda. Heavy yearly rains further weakened the structure to such a degree as to endanger the safety of houses in the vicinity. It was at this point that the authorities decided to demolish the remaining edifice and clear the site.... The Universal House of Justice appealed to Chairman Nikita Khrushchev to set aside the Temple ground as a public park and to agree to the erection of a suitable marker pointing out the significance of this site to the Bahá’ís of the world. It is not known whether any action was taken. The letter remains unanswered.⁵

Even though Bahá’í communities throughout Russia suffered hardship and persecution for several years, that land will be remembered fondly by Bahá’ís of future generations. Not only will it be noted for the influence it exerted on behalf of the Blessed Beauty in securing His release from the Síyáh-Chál in 1853 when the Russian Minister to Persia left no stone unturned to establish the innocence of Bahá’u’lláh, but it also provided an environment that allowed the believers of ‘Ishqábád to accomplish far more than just the building of the first Bahá’í House of Worship. All of the glorious events associated with the history of the City of Love pale when placed alongside the believers’ supreme achievement: the development of the institution of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár (the Dawning Place of the Mention of God) to a degree never before attained, thereby giving the Bahá’í world a foundation of experience invaluable to the present and the future.

Efforts of other Bahá’í communities during the early years of the Faith, however, cannot be dismissed lightly. Many localities in the land of Bahá’u’lláh’s birth had special places, albeit often only simple houses, where the friends could gather for prayer. The early believers were committed to educating their children and to providing for their fellow man through a variety of social and humanitarian services, all appropriate elements of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár.

Significant strides were made in other countries as well. For example, Kunjangoon, a small village nestled in the jungles of Burma where the Faith was embraced by hundreds of the villagers shortly after the turn of the century, quickly achieved

[Page 11] The Mother Temple of Latin America, dedicated April 29, 1972, at Panama City, Panama. These structures, incomparable in their beauty and majesty, are always domed, always nine-sided, and always surrounded by breathtaking gardens.

remarkable standards. A school was built, an administrative agency was established, and a special place for prayer was set aside; many of the activities the people engaged in were supportive of the concepts of the institution.

It is ‘Ishqábád, however, that must be recognized for having achieved the first viable, cohesive, functional institution complete with several stately structures which served as dependencies and which will be characteristic of Mashriqu’l-Adhkárs in the future.

The institution of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár, ordained by Bahá’u’lláh, is the practical exemplification of the spiritual reality of our Faith. He revealed that God’s purpose for man is “to know Thee and worship Thee”⁶ and declared that knowing and loving God is the “generating impulse and the primary purpose underlying the whole of creation.”⁷ He called upon each individual to be of service to humanity and emphatically stated that all work done in the spirit of service is elevated to the station of worship.

‘Abdu’l-Bahá stated that:

He is a true Bahá’í who strives by day and by night to progress and advance along the path of human endeavor, whose most cherished desire is so to live and act as to enrich and illuminate the world, whose source of inspiration is the essence of Divine virtue, whose aim in life is so to conduct himself as to be the cause of infinite progress. Only when he attains unto such perfect gifts can it be said of him that he is a true Bahá’í. For in this holy Dispensation ... true Faith is no mere acknowledgment of the Unity of God, but the living of a life that will manifest all the perfections and virtues implied in such belief.⁸

It is the institution of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár that Bahá’u’lláh has provided specifically to support individuals in their efforts to become “a true Bahá’í”. The first requirement delineated by the Blessed Beauty is gaining knowledge of God’s purpose for man. Educational institutions within the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár are intended to develop man’s awareness of not only the physical but also the spiritual realities of our existence. Individuals become fully cognizant of the two specific obligations for which God has declared them responsible: that of acquiring virtues and that of being of service to their fellow man.

’Abdu’l-Bahá teaches that our purpose in life is to acquire virtues—the attributes of God translated into human behavior. Shoghi Effendi confirms that the object of our lives should be to promote the oneness of mankind. Indeed, he says that the oneness of mankind is the pivot around which all of Bahá’u’lláh’s Teachings revolve.⁹

Bahá’u’lláh stated that: “It is incumbent upon every man of insight and understanding to strive to translate that which hath been written into reality and action”.¹⁰ The process, beginning with acquiring knowledge, is complete only when that knowledge is manifested in action for the betterment of humanity. The transition is dependent upon volition, defined as “the action of consciously willing or resolving; the making of a definite choice or decision with regard to a course of action; the exercise of the will.”¹¹ Volition may be acquired primarily through the use of one of God’s special gifts: prayer. By enabling us to free ourselves from all attachment to anything but God and by supporting our

[Page 12] individual efforts to develop the essential qualities of perseverance and patience, prayer becomes an absolute necessity in translating that which we know into that which we do.

The Guardian explained that the very “core of religious faith is that mystic feeling which unites man with God. This state of spiritual communion can be brought about and maintained by means of meditation and prayer. And this is the reason why Bahá’u’lláh has so much stressed the importance of worship....

“The believers ... should, therefore, fully realize the necessity of praying. For prayer is absolutely indispensable to their inner spiritual development, and this ... is the very foundation and purpose of the religion of God.”¹²

It is the “central Edifice” of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár, the House of Worship, to which individuals turn for spiritual revitalization; a haven in which to seek out spiritual power and energy. These structures, inspiring man to attain new heights of artistic excellence, are incomparable in their beauty and majesty. Always domed, always nine-sided, always surrounded by breathtaking gardens, they irresistibly beckon man to enter and commune with his Father.

Shoghi Effendi, however, emphatically warned that:

But however inspiring the conception of Bahá’í worship ..., it cannot be regarded as the sole, nor even the essential, factor in the part which the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár, as designed by Bahá’u’lláh, is destined to play in the organic life of the Bahá’í community. Divorced from the social, humanitarian, educational and scientific pursuits centering around the Dependencies of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár, Bahá’í worship, however exalted in its conception, however passionate in fervor, can never hope to achieve beyond the meager and often transitory results produced by the contemplations of the ascetic or the communion of the passive worshipper. It cannot afford lasting satisfaction and benefit to the worshipper himself, much less to humanity in general, unless and until translated and transfused into that dynamic and disinterested service to the cause of humanity which it is the supreme privilege of the Dependencies of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár to facilitate and promote.¹³

These dependencies, “... institutions of social service as shall afford relief to the suffering, sustenance to the poor, shelter to the wayfarer, solace to the bereaved, and education to the ignorant ...”¹⁴, are arenas in which the finest fruits of man’s science and technology as well as his spiritual understanding and insight will be applied. As focal points for action, they allow individuals to fulfill their God-given obligations by conscientious and deliberate integration of the attributes of God within their souls through service to humanity. Not only do they experience spiritual growth, but a life filled with meaning and contentment as well.

It should not be inferred, however, that the dependencies are the only places where spiritually motivated action can be released. If our goal is to serve humanity through the application of the attributes of God, then obviously it is appropriate to strive toward achieving that goal daily through every interaction with our fellow man. The institution of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár, embodying the physical application of spiritual principles, guides and supports us individually in these efforts.

Further, the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár, including the House of Worship and all of the dependencies—among them the Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds (The Sacred Fold), the administrative headquarters of the elected local and national institutions of our Faith—motivates man collectively to “carry forward an ever-advancing civilization”¹⁵ and is therefore fundamental to the unification of the human race. It draws together people of diverse and often opposing backgrounds and elevates their purposes and standards to a level far above the hatreds and prejudices so prevalent today. With their goals fixed upon lofty, noble aspirations, these individuals experience an inevitable transformation as their former animosities steadily assume less significance, while the achievement of their aspirations assists the concept of the oneness of mankind to move forward relentlessly.

The institution of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár is the “necessary agency capable of removing the ills that have so long and so grievously afflicted humanity ...”¹⁶; therefore, it will be essential to mankind long before imposing, regal structures, such as those at ‘Ishqábád, appear throughout the countryside. Initially, perhaps, existing structures in cities and towns everywhere will be called upon to shelter its social and spiritual activities, and thus “provide the essentials of Bahá’í worship and service, both so vital to the regeneration of the world.”¹⁷

The Guardian, commenting on its loftiness, its potency, and its unique position, declared that the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár is “one of the outstanding institutions conceived by Bahá’u’lláh.”¹⁸ Little wonder, then, that Bahá’ís will always marvel at the momentous achievements of those early believers of ‘Ishqábád.

References

1. Thornton Chase Papers. Collection M-4, Box 2, Folder 40. National Bahá’í Archives, Wilmette, Ill.
2. “Survey of Current Bahá’í Activities 1928-1930: Persecution Under the Soviet Régime,” The Bahá’í World, vol. III, 1928-1930 (New York: Bahá’í Publishing Committee, 1930), p. 35.
3. “Survey of Current Bahá’í Activities in the East and West: Persecution and Deportation of the Bahá’ís of Caucasus and Turkistan,” The Bahá’í World, vol. VIII, 1938-1940 (Wilmette: Bahá’í Publishing Committee, 1942), p. 87.
4. Ibid., p. 89.
5. “The Razing of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár in ‘Ishqábád,” The Bahá’í World, vol. XIV, 1963-1968 (England: Broadwater Ltd., 1974), pp. 479-480.
6. Bahá’u’lláh, “Short Obligatory Prayer,” Bahá’í Prayers (Wilmette: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1970), p. 117.
7. Bahá’u’lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh (Wilmette: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1963), p. 65.
8. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Bahá’í Year Book, vol. I, 1925-1926 (New York: Bahá’í Publishing Committee), p. 12.
9. Daniel C. Jordan, “Knowledge of God’s Purpose for Man,” Bahá’í Comprehensive Deepening Program: Knowledge, Volition and Action (Wilmette: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1973), pp. 5-6.
10. Bahá’u’lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 250.
11. The Compact Edition of the Oxford English Dictionary (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1971), p. 3653.
12. Shoghi Effendi, Letter dated December 8, 1935, to an Individual Believer, “Letters from the Guardian: 2. To Individual Bahá’ís,” Bahá’í News, number 102 (August 1936), p. 3.
13. Shoghi Effendi, “The Spiritual Significance of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár,” The Bahá’í World, vol. VIII, p. 513.
14. Ibid., p. 511.
15. Bahá’u’lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 215.
16. Shoghi Effendi, “The Spiritual Significance of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár,” The Bahá’í World, vol. VIII, p. 514.
17. Ibid.
18. Ibid.

[Page 13] International Conferences

Plans underway for Helsinki meeting

About 1,500 persons are expected to attend the International Teaching Conference to be held July 6-8, 1976, in Helsinki, Finland.

This will be the first of eight International Teaching Conferences scheduled by The Universal House of Justice to be held during the Five Year Plan.

The primary purpose of this Conference, one of the two scheduled in the Arctic for July 1976, is the rapid achievement, in the northern hemisphere, of one of the three major objectives of the Plan—“a vast and widespread expansion of the Bahá’í community.” The Hand of the Cause of God Ugo Giachery will represent The Universal House of Justice.

Finlandia Hall, a modern mid-town congress and concert center, has been reserved for the Helsinki Conference and preparations for the three-day teaching and proclamation are well underway. The Conference will also provide an opportunity for an intensive teaching and proclamation effort in Finland.

The second Arctic Conference will be held in Anchorage, Alaska, July 23-25, 1976. The Hand of the Cause of God H. Collis Featherstone will be the representative of The Universal House of Justice on that occasion.

Information about travel and accommodations in Helsinki and Anchorage will soon be available through all National Spiritual Assemblies.

International Bahá’í Community

Conference held on public information

The Bahá’í International Community was represented at the Regional Conference of Non-Governmental Organizations sponsored by the United Nations Office of Public Information in May. The conference was held at the headquarters of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific in Bangkok, Thailand. From left are Counsellor Firaydún Mítháqíyán from Laos, Counsellor Vincente Samaniego from the Philippines, and Auxiliary Board member Mrs. Shantha Sundram.

Mr. Bond attends Tehran, Cairo meets

Jameson Bond, a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of Canada, represented the Bahá’í International Community at the Preparatory Regional Human Settlements Conferences for Asia, the Pacific, and Western Asia held in Tehran June 14-19, and for Africa held in Cairo June 21-26.

These were important meetings for the Bahá’í world since the Bahá’í International Community was included in the official list of participants at both conferences, and Mr. Bond received in both Tehran and Cairo official invitations from the Iranian and Egyptian governments for a reception and a dinner.

Bahá’í International Community participation in these conferences not only showed the Bahá’í concern for the problem of human settlements, understood in the broad sense of “human communities,” but provided a historic opportunity to foster the recognition and prestige of the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh in countries where it has experienced much difficulty.

Faith represented at World Food Council

Dr. Victor de Araujo and Dr. Marco G. Kappenberger represented the Bahá’í International Community at the first session of the World Food Council in Rome, Italy, June 23-27.

The Council was formed at the 1974 World Food Conference to establish programs to eliminate starvation and hunger within the next decade by increasing food production in ‎devloping developing‎ countries, improving consumption patterns and nutrition, and strengthening food security.

As a means of implementing this goal, the Council discussed the necessary steps to make food available for the most seriously affected developing countries and to meet minimum food requirements; to implement an international undertaking on food security; to provide fertilizer and pesticides for developing countries; and to bring into existence as soon as possible an International Fund for Agricultural Development agreed upon at the World Food Conference.

The Bahá’í representatives met many delegates, including several ministers of agriculture. They also had an interview with the Council president, Sayed A. Marei, speaker of the People’s Assembly of Egypt.

The Bahá’í International Community joined with several other non-governmental organizations in submitting an official statement expressing support for the World Food Council and offering constructive comments.

[Page 14] Around the World

Alaska

Progress of work on Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds

Construction of the Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds in Anchorage is continuing on schedule.

Masonry was completed at the end of June in preparation for the next step of framing.

The artist’s sketch shows how the building will look when it is finished.

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Cameroon Republic

Mr. Samandarí attends Conference

Counsellor Mihdí ‎Samadarí Samandarí‎ represented the Continental Board of Counsellors of Western Africa at a recent National Teaching Conference in Mamfe, Cameroon.

About 80 Bahá’ís attended the important Conference. A film and slide program on the second evening drew a large and appreciative public audience, and one person accepted the Faith.

Canada

Prayer stressed by National Assembly

At its first meeting this year, the National Spiritual Assembly of Canada adopted a suggestion by the Hand of the Cause of God John Robarts to spend the first and last hour of each Assembly meeting in prayer.

Speaking before the delegates and visitors at the Canadian National Convention held in Guelph, Ontario, Mr. Robarts called upon the Canadians to “pick up the threads of the prayer campaigns” held in the past and “from coast to coast, every Bahá’í be concerned with praying and asking Bahá’u’lláh to help us.”

In addition to his suggestion for the National Assembly, Mr. Robarts proposed that Local Assemblies include 30 minutes of prayer in each meeting and that every Bahá’í in Canada say the Long Obligatory Prayer, the teaching prayer for Canada, and the Greatest Name 95 times ... every day.

“I guarantee, friends, that if this were done across Canada, our problems would be over. We would enter our third year of the Five Year Plan with our goals well ahead, with our national Fund in excellent shape, and we would be the happiest group of people in the world, and we would have at least a doubling of our community.”

The Hand of the Cause of God William Sears also spoke at the Convention. He focused his remarks on Canada’s responsibility for the French-speaking goals of the Five Year Plan.

“You know that 50 per cent of your goals are in the French-speaking countries of the world ... 50 per cent!” said Mr. Sears. “Do you know why? Because you are the co-heirs of the Tablets of the Divine Plan. The United States doesn’t have any French-speaking peoples ... they do not have the resource ... to send people out into the French-speaking world ... La Belle Province is going to conquer the French goals ... Canada is going to win one of the most glorious, one of the most singularly important victories of the Five Year Plan and in the world by conquering the French-speaking countries ... nobody else can do it.”

Miss Kelson named as Board assistant

Miss Ina Kelson has been appointed assistant to Auxiliary Board member Adrienne Reeves, the Continental Board of Counsellors for North America announced.

Miss Kelson will serve in the Atlantic Provinces.

[Page 15] Colombia

Mr. Mühlschlegel stirs believers

The Hand of the Cause of God Adelbert Mühlschlegel addressed a number of meetings during a recent tour of Colombia.

One gathering was attended by 450 friends. In addition, Dr. Mühlschlegel was interviewed on radio and spoke to many enquirers.

Dr. Mühlschlegel is on a three and one-half month visit to Latin America.

His tour of Colombia was reported to the World Center in a letter from the Bahá’ís of the north coast.

As a result of his visit, the letter said, “and the bounty of Dr. Mühlschlegel’s wisdom, gentleness, and kindness, and the humbling example of what is true service during five blessed days, we can never again be the same. In spite of his age, delicate health, and the unaccustomed heat, Dr. Mühlschlegel spared neither his time nor energy to serve Bahá’u’lláh, and rather than avail himself of ready translators, he exerted himself constantly to speak directly to the friends in Spanish, which effort affected the believers deeply.”

Hawaiian Islands

Office established for human rights

The Spiritual Assembly of Hawaii has announced the establishment of an office for human rights known as NAHBOHR. The name stands for National Assembly of Hawaiian Bahá’ís Office for Human Rights.

The purpose of NAHBOHR is to promote this year an active observance of International Women’s Year and in this and future years to promote the achievement of human rights. The office will also establish an award for service to humanity.

Mrs. Gladys Johnson of Waianae was appointed director of NAHBOHR. She is a member of the Spiritual Assembly of Waianae and chairman of its Teaching Committee. She previously served on the National Bahá’í Child Education Committee.

Tony Pelle of Kaneohe was appointed secretary of NAHBOHR. He also serves as the public information officer for the Hawaii Bahá’í Community.

The office of NAHBOHR will be located at the National Bahá’í Center, 3264 Allan Place, Honolulu.

India

300 hear the message from the House of Justice

More than 300 friends from all parts of India attended the National Teaching Conference held May 23-26 at Bangalore.

The Conference was preceded by a well-attended press conference and a public meeting on May 22. Both events resulted in excellent publicity.

Charles Macdonald was the main speaker at the public meeting. Dr. V.K.R.V. Rao, a distinguished educator and a former education minister in the government of India, was the principal guest.

Counsellor Shirin Boman of the Continental Board of Counsellors for South Central Asia opened the Conference by reading a message from The Universal House of Justice calling upon the friends to “arouse the multitudes from slumber before it is too late.” All present felt that this gathering was destined to change the destiny of India.

Workshop discussions were held on a number of topics, including “Living the Life,” “Bahá’í Education of Children,” and “Strengthening Local Spiritual Assemblies.” An appeal for sustained support for the National Fund evoked a tremendous response.

India First Spiritual Assembly of Agartala The first Spiritual Assembly of Agartala, Tripura, is pictured with Auxiliary Board member S. Chatterjee (seated second from left).

The mature and practical suggestions that were made during the conference, it was reported, and the participation of indigenous people, are conclusive evidence that Indian believers are now increasingly determined to bring the “waiting, pure-hearted noble masses” into the Faith in large numbers as rapidly as possible.

[Page 16] Around the World

Iran

16,700 attend Bahá’í School

The following are highlights gleaned from a report by the National Spiritual Assembly of Iran concerning activities within the community during the last six months of 1974.

A total of 314 Persian-speaking Bahá’ís residing in other countries or pioneering abroad visited the Bahá’í Summer School, which attracted a total attendance of 16,700. A special session was devoted to Bahá’í youth.

Forty representatives from different parts of Persia participated in a teacher training course in which they prepared themselves to train, advise, and guide those friends who conduct children’s classes. One traveling teacher went throughout the country, under the direction of the National Assembly, assisting Local Assemblies with youth and child education programs.

Bahá’í youth have served actively as traveling teachers. A three-day class conducted by Counsellor Masíḥ Farhangí of the Continental Board of Counsellors in Western Asia drew 70 young Bahá’ís who participated in workshops on teaching.

The 300 Persian communities where Youth Committees have been established held conferences in October to consider how to hasten the implementation of the Five Year Plan.

The Bahá’í Women’s Committee of the National Spiritual Assembly has been conducting courses and other programs concentrated on the themes of improving Bahá’í family life, child education, and accomplishment of the Five Year Plan goals.

Italy

Plans are pushed for youth campaign

An enthusiastic group of 170 persons attended the National Youth Symposium at Florence-Saltino held May 29-June 2.

Counsellor Anneliese Bopp of the Continental Board of Counsellors for Europe gave an inspiring talk.

There were four declarations. Plans were made for the second year of the youth campaign, including pioneering, traveling teaching, greater participation in the Fund, and classes to develop the characteristics of Bahá’í life.

Leeward and Virgin Islands

Free radio time nets good response

The Spiritual Assembly of St. Thomas has obtained free radio time, and in June, a series of 52 fifteen-minute broadcasts about the Faith was launched.

Scripts for the broadcasts were adapted from the book “52 Bahá’í Talks for All Occasions,” by the late Sidney I. Dean.

The Assembly said the response has been exciting.

New Zealand

Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds is dedicated

More than 50 Bahá’ís came to Wanganui recently for the dedication of the Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds, one of the goals of the Five Year Plan for New Zealand.

Auxiliary Board member Gina Garcia dedicated the center, and Toni Smit read a message from the National Spiritual Assembly. Also present were Mrs. Brenda Maxwell and Miss Diane Maxwell, daughter and grand-daughter, respectively, of the first Bahá’ís in Wanganui, Mr. and Mrs. Erica Watkin. Mrs. Maxwell presented to the Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds a painting by her father of the House of Worship in Wilmette, Ill.

A declaration just before the dedication and another one at a Regional Conference which followed added to the joyous feeling of the weekend.

North East Africa

Ethiopians solve election problem

Six years ago there was one Local Spiritual Assembly in what later became known as the mass conversion area of Sidamo. Seventy Local Spiritual Assemblies were formed this year!

The Bahá’ís in this spiritually fertile valley had some problems with elections. The people of Sidamo were used to an open atmosphere when choosing their leaders and had difficulty adjusting to secret ballot.

The number of Local Spiritual Assemblies increased to 18 in 1972 and to 59 in 1974. Problems continued despite efforts by the National Teaching Committee. A plan had been developed to send volunteers and literature to Sidamo. They conducted the elections.

Malaysia First Teaching Institute at Sarawak This group attended the first Teaching Institute at Kampong Tun Razak (Triboh), Sarawak, East Malaysia, which was inaugurated on March 29.

Problems developed in finding enough manpower for the elections this year. Abdul Nabi, a pioneer to Awassa, set up deepening institutes on Bahá’í election

[Page 17] procedure for a small group of teachers and others.

They went into Sidamo to observe—not conduct—the elections. There were no problems this year.

Papua New Guinea

950 hear talks by Dr. Peter Khan

More than 700 persons, including almost the entire student body, heard Auxiliary Board member Peter Khan talk about the Faith at a university in Lae recently.

Large crowds were turned away because the hall was filled.

Dr. Khan also spoke at a university in Port Moresby where about 250 persons attended.

In Lae, the vice-chancellor of the university chaired Dr. Khan’s meeting. “It was a victory for the Faith to receive the sponsorship of the university and its chancellor,” the National Spiritual Assembly of Papua New Guinea reported.

Dr. Peter Khan is flooded with questions after address at university in Lae, New Guinea.

The Assembly said that plans are underway to pursue the awakened interest of the students.

A luncheon to introduce Dr. Janet Khan to the women of Lae was held at the home of Counsellor Violet Hoehnke of the Continental Board of Counsellors for Australasia.

Mrs. Khan spoke on International Women’s Year and its relation to the Faith. Present were the wives of the district commissioner and the chief of police, the matron of the local hospital, and a newspaper reporter.

Spain

Bahá’ís gather at Regional Youth School

Participants in the first Regional Bahá’í Youth School held in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands, on March 29, 1975. Santa Cruz is the capital city of the Canary Islands which lie in the Atlantic Ocean some 800 miles southwest of the Spanish coast. The islands form two provinces of Spain.

Arucas Bahá’ís win mountain village rally

The Bahá’ís of Arucas won the first prize in an auto rally at the small mountain village of Valleseco. The driver was Hilario Perdomo, kneeling in front of the car (with glasses). Behind the car are Mrs. Heidrun Schmoller and Horst Schmoller, pioneers from Germany and Chile, respectively. All participated in teaching activities.

[Page 18]

Note in a bottle points out oneness

In March 1974, Peggy True, a pioneer in the Canary Islands, wrote a brief note referring to the Faith and containing her name and address, sealed it in a glass bottle, and cast it into the sea.

On May 30, 1975, she received the following letter from Auxiliary Board member Edith McLaren who is serving the Faith in Nicaragua:

“You will be very happy to know what happened to your little proclamation note which you sent out in a bottle in March 1974.

“For about 10 days before Riḍván I was visiting several towns on the Atlantic coast with another pioneer helping the Local Spiritual Assemblies to prepare for their elections ... In one town where there are at least forty registered Bahá’ís (Tasbapouni), north of Bluefields, a native woman brought us your note which she found on the shore near her home.

“The friends there and in other towns we visited were very excited about this and it helped them really feel the oneness of Bahá’ís in all the world ... They were even more excited to know that I knew you—it arrived the only full day I spent in their town!”

Swaziland and Mozambique

Bahá’í funeral held For Mr. Christopher Kuhlase

A Bahá’í funeral was held on April 5 for Christopher Kuhlase who was fatally injured in an automobile accident.

Mr. Kuhlase was a member of the first National Spiritual Assembly of Swaziland, Lesotho, and Mozambique and served two consecutive years as the assistant secretary of the Assembly.

It was the first Bahá’í funeral service held at the Leroy Ioas Teacher Training Institute in Mbabane, Swaziland.

Approximately 500 people attended, including many of his fellow-workers who spoke lovingly of his services to the government and people of Swaziland in his role as the undersecretary of the Foreign Affairs Department. A representative of the cabinet paid great tribute to his life and character.

Andrew Mofokeng of Lesotho spoke on “Life After Death” and passages from the Bahá’í Writings were read.

The clergyman who represented the family at the graveside was brief in his presentation and later expressed his appreciation of the beauty of the Bahá’í service.

One of the family later remarked: “When I came to the funeral I was torn and full of grief in my heart, but as the service progressed I became calm and comforted. It was not only the service but the beauty of the Bahá’í surroundings which comforted and uplifted me.”

United States

Youth goal won with Conferences

One goal of the Two Year Youth Program, announced last year by the National Assembly at the historic conference in St. Louis, was for youth to “participate in the series of state and district conferences, including one on an Indian reservation, to be held in 1975 to stimulate the winning of the youth goals.”

The goal was completed June 29 at the conclusion of a five-week series of 51 youth conferences sponsored by the National Youth Committee in cooperation with Local Spiritual Assemblies and District Teaching Committees throughout the country.

More than 2,700 believers attended these meetings, which focused on “Planning a Life of Service.” Through lectures, workshops, and fellowship they learned what opportunities exist for service to the Faith, what must be done to plan for education, careers, marriage, and future Bahá’í service, and how to set personal goals.

In the words of one young Bahá’í, “These two days ... have given a wonderful view of what Bahá’í life is and a glimpse of what the Golden Age of the Faith can be.”

---

Largest group at Pioneer Institute

Fifty prospective pioneers attended sessions at the National Center in Wilmette, Ill., June 12-15 designed to assist them in successfully filling the goals of the Five Year Plan.

The Pioneer Institute was the largest since the institutes began in 1970.

After the Institute, the friends were headed for such posts as American Samoa, Caroline Islands, Honduras, Tanzania, Guatemala, Leeward and Virgin Islands, San Andres, Brazil, Haiti, Colombia, Indonesia, Uruguay, Kenya, Zaire, French Guyana, India, Belize, Fiji, the Central African Republic, Ecuador, Peru, Nicaragua, and Togo.

[Page 19]

Special visits held at House of Worship

The first in a series of four-day organized visits to the House of Worship this year was labeled “a significant experience” by many of the Bahá’ís who took part.

The visitors received an intensive introduction to the conduct of Bahá’í administration and the workings of the National Spiritual Assembly.

The visit began June 19 with a presentation by Counsellor Edna True of the Continental Board of Counsellors for North America who talked about the early days of the construction of the House of Worship. A film of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s visit to the United States, which included a segment on His visit to Wilmette to lay the cornerstone of the Temple, was also shown.

The following day, Glenford Mitchell, secretary of the National Assembly, discussed the significance of the construction of the seat of The Universal House of Justice, the teaching plans of the National Assembly, and the operation of the national committees.

Then the visitors went to the National Center, touring all of the committee offices, the Bahá’í Publishing Trust offices, and the Bahá’í Home for the Aged.

On the third day, they heard Charlotte Linfoot, assistant secretary of the National Assembly, talk about the Administrative Order and the development of the National Assembly, drawing from her many years of experience in national administrative positions. Stephen Jackson, assistant to the National Assembly Treasurer, discussed the importance of the Fund.

On the final day, the visitors toured the House of Worship and were guests of the National Assembly secretaries for lunch at the Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds.

Hundreds of Bahá’ís have requested reservations for the special visits, but the groups are being limited to 30 at a time.

Institute focuses on Indian teaching

Over 100 Bahá’ís took part in the first Oregon Indian Teaching Institute at Tygh Valley, Ore., June 20-22.

One of the goals of the Five Year Plan is the establishment of 25 Local Spiritual Assemblies on Indian Reservations in the United States. At present, there are 12.

One goal of the Oregon District Teaching Committee, one of the sponsors of the Institute, is to raise a Spiritual Assembly on each of the three Indian Reservations in Oregon during the Five Year Plan.

The Institute was also sponsored by the Auxiliary Board and the Bahá’í Groups of Wasco County and The Dalles.

Participating in the program were Auxiliary Board members Nancy Phillips and Paul Pettit, and assistants to the Auxiliary Board Ethly Lindstrom and Willard Kimerling.

Methods to reach Spanish studied

A teaching seminar was held at the Bosch Bahá’í School June 6-8 by the National Spanish Speaking Teaching Committee.

The purpose was to discuss various aspects of reaching and teaching Spanish-speaking persons, one of the goals of the Five Year Plan.

One major idea explored in depth at the seminar was more effective use of ‎telvision television‎ and radio stations which broadcast in Spanish.

Expansion completed At Gregory Institute

Another step in the expansion of teaching facilities has been completed.

A classroom-dining hall has been added to the Louis Gregory Bahá’í Institute at Hemingway, S.C.

The building is 62 x 30 and can be divided into three sections to provide greater flexibility for classes. One section is connected to the kitchen and is used as the dining hall.

In addition, a covered walkway was constructed, connecting the administration and new classroom building to the dorm. And insulation was installed in the administration building.

Work was supervised by the National Properties Committee with many volunteers laboring under the hot South Carolina sun. The volunteers also stained the exterior of the dorm building, painted a garage, constructed two basketball courts and one volleyball court, tended the garden and trees, and did general maintenance work.

Thousands of Bahá’ís have used the Institute since its dedication in 1972. For example, more than 800 persons attended activities in June alone.

[Page 20] Around the World

National Center gets a cleaning

Improvements have been made to the interior of the House of Worship at Wilmette, Ill.

New draperies for the auditorium and gallery windows were recently installed. It was the second change of draperies since the building was dedicated in 1953.

In addition, the chairs in the auditorium have been reupholstered, much of the interior ornamentation has been cleaned, and the lighting fixtures have been cleaned and buffed.

Meanwhile, the staff of the National Bahá’í Center suspended normal activities on June 19 to participate in a massive exterior cleanup project.

Among the tasks completed:

• Painting the greenhouse for the Temple gardens;
• Cleaning the galleries and the gallery windows of the House of Worship;
• Cleaning the siding at The National Center offices;
• Painting the portions of the Secretarial offices;
• Raking the large beach at Lake Michigan, removing the underbrush and cleaning the banks along the lakefront property.

The crew broke at midday for a picnic lunch on the lawn of the Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds in an atmosphere of festivity.

June 19 was a day for extra hard work at the National Center. Top left, Charlotte Linfoot assistant secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly, scrapes paint, and a staff member applies fresh paint inside at left. Above, old curtains from the House of Worship are discarded, and, below, grass and weeds along the lakefront property are chopped.

Windward Islands

Extensive teaching program starts

The National Assembly has launched an extensive teaching program in 13 areas of the Windward Islands. The program will be expanded throughout the Five Year Plan.

Proclamations, institutes on teaching, conferences on Local Spiritual Assemblies, and the quality of Bahá’í life are some of the subjects to be explored during the program.

The program this year will be concentrated in 13 areas on Barbados, Dominica, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, and Grenada.

Zaire

Mr. Hanbury named to Auxiliary Board

The Continental Board of Counsellors in Central and East Africa has appointed Paul Hanbury as a member of the Auxiliary Board.

Mr. Hanbury has been a pioneer to Zaire from Canada for many years and has served on the Spiritual Assembly of Zaire.

[Page 21]

Illuminated (decorated) Prayers and Passages of Bahá’u’lláh for teaching and deepening make welcome gifts, provide inspiring wall decoration, and aid in memorization. Illuminated Prayers and Passages of Bahá’u’lláh Preservation and consolidation of the victories won: This is one of the three major objectives of the Five Year Plan as the Cause of God goes “from strength to strength” throughout the worldwide Bahá’í community. We can do this even in the face of rising global chaos if we use the strengthening serenity of our Sacred Texts, the Creative Word of God, to deepen and consolidate Bahá’ís. For this purpose, several short, simple, powerful quotations of Bahá’u’lláh have been chosen and are now available in large type, illuminated by dignified artwork. These attractive, brief prayers and meditations are suitable for framing or other kinds of display. Ten different quotations have been printed on 8.5 by 11-inch paper — large enough for wall or window display, yet small enough to be carried in a notebook. Members of teaching, proclamation, conference, and consolidation committees might want to pay particular attention to this set for possible use at summer schools, institutes, and children’s classes. They are excellent for complementing normal teaching materials or for gifts to participating individuals at Bahá’í gatherings. The large type and easy-to-handle pages also make the material useful for persons with poor eyesight or for beginning readers, either children or adults, who are not yet accustomed to Bahá’í literature. In addition, these passages are generally brief enough so that students can memorize them without difficulty. The entire set of ten can be bound into a new believers’ booklet either as they are or mounted artistically on colorful heavy paper. Further decorative illumination can then be added, limited only by the artist’s imagination. In this way, homemade albums can be tailored to a variety of indigenous cultures. Other possible uses include mementos for friends on special Bahá’í occasions or gifts for the sick or shut-in. These ten quotations by Bahá’u’lláh are available either in complete sets or as individual prayers and meditations in multiples of ten. How to Get the Illuminated Prayers and Passages of Bahá’u’lláh Your local Bahá’í librarian or authorized Bahá’í distributor may have them in stock or may be able to supply you with prices and ordering information. If, however, you cannot find them in your area, you may send your inquiry to the International Bahá’í Audio-Visual Centre, 1640 Holcomb Road, Victor, N.Y. 14564, U.S.A., for forwarding to the proper organization.