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| Bahá’í News | February 1980 | Bahá’í Year 136 |
PROFOUNDLY LAMENT UNTIMELY PASSING IN QUITO ECUADOR BELOVED HAND CAUSE
RAḤMATU’LLÁH MUHÁJIR FOLLOWING HEART ATTACK COURSE HIS LATEST SOUTH
AMERICAN TOUR. UNSTINTED UNRESTRAINED OUTPOURING OF PHYSICAL SPIRITUAL
ENERGIES BY ONE WHO OFFERED HIS ALL PATH SERVICE HAS NOW CEASED. POSTERITY WILL RECORD HIS DEVOTED SERVICES YOUTHFUL YEARS CRADLE FAITH HIS SUBSEQUENT UNIQUE EXPLOITS PIONEERING FIELD SOUTHEAST ASIA WHERE HE WON
ACCOLADE KNIGHTHOOD BAHÁ’U’LLÁH HIS CEASELESS EFFORTS OVER TWO DECADES
SINCE HIS APPOINTMENT HAND CAUSE STIMULATING IN MANY LANDS EAST WEST
PROCESS ENTRY BY TROOPS. FRIENDS ALL CONTINENTS WHO MOURN THIS TRAGIC
LOSS NOW SUDDENLY DEPRIVED COLLABORATION ONE WHO ENDEARED HIMSELF TO
THEM THROUGH HIS GENTLENESS HIS LUMINOUS PERSONALITY HIS EXEMPLARY UNFLAGGING ZEAL HIS CREATIVE ENTHUSIASTIC APPROACH TO FULFILLMENT ASSIGNED GOALS. URGE FRIENDS EVERYWHERE HOLD MEMORIAL GATHERINGS BEFITTING HIS
HIGH STATION UNIQUE ACHIEVEMENTS. MAY HIS RADIANT SOUL ABHÁ KINGDOM REAP RICH HARVEST HIS DEDICATED SELF-SACRIFICING SERVICES CAUSE GOD.
JOYFULLY ANNOUNCE COMMENCEMENT EXCAVATION TEMPLE SITE SAMOA PRESENCE HIS HIGHNESS MALIETOA TANUMAFILI II SPECIAL CEREMONY DECEMBER FIRST. THIS HISTORIC EVENT COINCIDES COMPLETION EXCAVATION AND LETTING TENDERS FOR CONSTRUCTION, MOTHER TEMPLE INDIA. CONFIDENT THESE VICTORIES WILL RAISE SPIRITS BRING JOY HEARTS FRIENDS DISTRESSED RECENT EVENTS CRADLE FAITH. OFFERING ARDENT PRAYERS THANKSGIVING HOLY THRESHOLD.
Contents[edit]
‘Abdu’l-Bahá |
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Memories of the Master penned by an early California believer | 2 |
Children’s conference |
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A pictorial glance at an historic event in the Netherlands | 8 |
Around the world |
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News from Bahá’í communities in every corner of the globe | 10 |
Cover
In late December, the Bahá’í world was stunned for the second time in less than four months to learn of the untimely death of a Hand of the Cause of God, as Dr. Raḥmatu’lláh Muhájir, an indefatigable teacher who criss-crossed the world many times exhorting the friends to greater efforts for the Cause, succumbed to a heart attack while on a teaching trip in Quito, Ecuador. His death, coming on the heels of the brutal slaying in Kampala, Uganda, last September of Enoch Olinga, his wife and three of their children, removes from our midst the two youngest Hands of the Cause and reduces the ranks of living Hands to fifteen.
Change of address should be reported directly to Office of Membership and Records, Bahá’í National Center, 112 Linden
Avenue, Wilmette, IL 60091, U.S.A. Please attach mailing label. Subscription rates: one year, U.S. $8; two years, U.S. $15.
Second class postage paid at Wilmette, IL 60091. Copyright © 1980, National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United
States. World Rights Reserved. Printed in the U.S.A.
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.
Memories of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá[edit]
(The following article is excerpted from Ramona A. Brown’s new book, Memories of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, published recently by the U.S. Bahá’í Publishing Trust. The book is a moving account of the early days of the Faith in California, days highlighted by the visit, in 1912, of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Ramona Brown (1889-1975), one of the earliest believers in the San Francisco area, witnessed some of the first stirrings of the Faith in California. Two excerpts are featured here, the first from Part 1, “Early Believers in California,” and the second from Part 2, “ ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in California.” Parts 3 and 4, not represented here, are entitled “After ‘Abdu’l-Bahá Returned to Haifa” and “Coda.”—Ed.)
[Page 3]
Ella Goodall Cooper, addressed by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as ‘Jewel of the Spirit,’ and termed by Shoghi Effendi a Herald of the Covenant and a ‘dearly loved handmaid’ of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.
- From Part 1
- “Early Believers in California”
Our early Feasts were held in the home of Helen Goodall and conducted according to written instructions from the Master. Usually there were about thirty friends present. Sometimes a recently returned pilgrim would give an account of his visit with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, or Helen or Ella would read with great joy a message or a Tablet from Him. The early Feasts were not like the Feasts of today because at that time we did not have the Administrative Order. For the believers coming into the Faith today it may seem very natural that the Administrative Order is functioning vigorously. I wonder if they realize the sacrifice, effort, and time that was spent by those early believers who, at the direction of the Master, established and set in motion the administrative pattern. We had no books to study, no National Spiritual Assembly to direct us, no Guardian to guide us, no Universal House of Justice to lead us. We relied upon Tablets and instructions from our beloved ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and His letters of praise for those who were firm and steadfast in working to spread the fragrances, love, and unity of His Father’s Faith.
The home of Helen Goodall at 1537 Jackson St., Oakland, California, where many Bahá’í meetings were held in the early 1900’s.
Before we gathered for Feasts each one of us prepared himself with prayers, knowing that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá—our beloved Master, who carried the burden of all of the Bahá’ís on His shoulders—had said He would be present in spirit in our midst. We were met at the door by Helen and Ella, their faces illumined with beautiful smiles. We were soon seated at two long tables in the lovely dining room. There was no worldly chatter or trivial conversation. When we were seated at the table, Mrs. Goodall asked for a moment of quiet, and we silently said the Greatest Name. Then one of the believers passed from friend to friend anointing our foreheads with rose perfume and saying, “As this perfume is to the nostrils, so may this spiritual food refresh the soul.” This gesture was not a ritual, but it spread the fragrance of roses throughout the room, adding sweetness, and gave us time for meditation and silent prayers. Each one then read a verse from The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh, often followed by a prayer sent by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to Helen, which she read. After that we enjoyed the delicious material feast prepared for the guests. As we left, Helen and Ella said good-bye to us at the door and gave each of us some flowers from the tables. We left feeling closer to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and with love in our hearts for each other.
[Page 4]
I remember that one evening Ella Bailey was chosen to
anoint our foreheads with rose perfume. Ella was a school
teacher in Berkeley for many years and one of the early believers who attended the meetings at Helen’s home. She was
truly a blessed soul with a sweet, charming, ready smile. In
1909 she received the following Tablet from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá:
- To Ella M. Bailey,
- Upon her be Bahá’u’lláh!
- He is God!
- Upon her be Bahá’u’lláh!
- O thou maidservant of God!
- Be thou not sad on account of past vicissitudes and troubles, neither be thou discouraged by hardships and difficulties.
- Be thou hopeful in the Bounty of the True One, and be thou happy and rejoiced in the love of God.
- This world is the arena of tests, trials, and calamities. All the existing things are targets for the arrows of mortalities; therefore, one must not feel sad or disheartened on account of the travails or become hopeless over the intensity of misfortune and distress.
- Praise be to God that thou hast found the guidance of God, hast entered into the Kingdom of God, hast attained to peace and tranquility, and hast obtained a share from the Everlasting Bounty and Mercy.
- Therefore, pass the remaining days of thy life with the utmost joy and fragrance; and, with a joyful heart and tranquil mind, live and act under the protection of His Highness, the Clement.
It was Ella Bailey whom Shoghi Effendi named “the first
American martyr to be laid to rest in African soil.” Ella had
been a cripple since childhood, never in good health, rarely
free of pain. Despite her afflictions she taught the Bahá’í
Faith throughout her life and made many little-known sacrifices. Ella was a living example of courage to her many
friends, always happy and ready to do all she could for the
Cause. She was [the first] chairman of the Berkeley Spiritual
Assembly [in 1925-26].
In 1953 Ella Bailey attended the dedication of the Bahá’í House of Worship in Wilmette [and the launching of The Ten Year Crusade]. She returned to her home in the Berkeley Women’s City Club, where she had always welcomed friends and inquirers. Soon after her return, in response to Shoghi Effendi’s call for pioneers at that time, she arose with sublime courage to fill a post. At eighty-eight years of age, in failing health, she flew to Tripoli, Libya, to be with Robert Gulick and his family, there “to lay her bones” as she told me before she left.2 (That expression had been used at the dedication in reference to elderly Bahá’ís who wished to pioneer.)
Ella recounted that once, during an interview with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, He had gazed a long time out of the window and then repeated her name several times, “Ella Bailey, Ella Bailey, Ella Bailey!” Then He turned to her and said, “He who loves Ella Bailey loves Me.”
Above, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá is surrounded by children and their parents on the steps of the home of Helen Goodall in Oakland, California, on October 12, 1912. Below, Mrs. Goodall, called by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá the ‘Spiritual Mother of the (Oakland) Confirmed Community,’ stands in the garden of the Master’s home in Haifa in 1920.
The first Unity Feast in the Oakland area was held at the Goodall home on March 3, 1908. The following July a Tablet was received and read by Helen in which the Master wrote of that Feast: “ ‘Abdu’l-Bahá with His heart and soul was present at your Naw-Rúz Feast. He associated and took part in your happiness, joy, and harmonious union. Therefore, thank God that ye had such a Friend and Caller; notwithstanding the distance of the thousands of miles, He was present in spirit at your Feast of love.”
All of our early Feasts in Helen’s home were very spiritual. The friends showed great love for each other and made great sacrifices to attend. Those were glorious times! There was such love among the friends that we seemed to be as one, and to this day we feel a special bond.
[Page 5]
Thornton Chase, designated by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as the first American Bahá’í, embraced the Cause of God in Chicago in 1894. He is buried in Inglewood, California, a suburb of Los Angeles.
- From Part 2
- “ ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in California”
In the late afternoon of October 16 the Master was host for a wonderful Feast at Helen Goodall’s home in Oakland. There were one hundred and twenty present from California, Oregon, and Washington.3 There were Dutch, French, Swiss, Persian, English, Japanese, and Canadian friends. A young Hindu attended, and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá said of him, “This Hindu son is a son of Mine.”
The three large rooms—the drawing room, the library, and the dining room—and the spacious entrance hall held long tables where the friends sat. The tables were decorated with yellow and gold chrysanthemums and fall-colored flowers. Large bowls filled with luscious fruits, candies, and cakes were in abundance. When we were all seated, the Master invited us to partake of the delicious food that was served. He stood between the spacious hall and the drawing room so that all of the friends could hear Him, and He said:
- Praise be to God! you are the guests of Mrs. Goodall. With the utmost love has she prepared this feast, and every kind of food is before you...
- This is a heavenly feast, an excellent meeting... The Supreme Concourse is now beholding this assemblage, proclaiming aloud: “Blessed are ye! Blessed are ye! Blessed are ye who are the servants of BAHA’O’LLAH! Blessed are ye who are the manifestors of faith! Blessed are ye who have such radiant countenances! Blessed are ye whose hearts are like unto rose gardens”.4
At left, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in front of the Goodall home on October 23, 1912, talking with friends including a group of East Indian students who had attended Frances Orr Allen’s Bahá’í classes in Berkeley.
We were blessed, He told us, for we had the bounty of His presence commemorating Bahá’u’lláh among us.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá strolled from room to room, pausing now and then to take a piece of fruit or a sweet and put it on someone’s plate. I was seated next to Madame Khan. I remember that He placed candy on our plates. She took hers and, as is the custom in Persia when one receives a precious gift, raised it to her heart, her lips, and her forehead before eating it. When He passed by or paused near us, we stopped eating; but He asked us to continue enjoying the bountiful repast while He talked.
As the Master walked through the rooms, He spoke of His Father’s Revelation, telling us how we could become follow-
[Page 6]
ers in His path. The rooms seemed filled with His radiance,
and His smile included us all. The feeling of happiness was
almost overpowering! Each one felt His love pouring over us.
- Praise be to God! you are imbued with spiritual susceptibilities, for verily you have been gathered together in this meeting through the love of God. It is the bounty of the Kingdom which has summoned you here. It is the Most Great Guidance which has called you here. It is the power of attraction which has drawn you together here, and it is the bestowal of the Kingdom of ABHA which has invited you to this feast. These are spiritual susceptibilities, and these are emanations of the conscience. Because of these susceptibilities, this radiant youth is seated here, and in the utmost of love I am patting him on the shoulder.5
The young man ‘Abdu’l-Bahá mentioned was Mr. Robinson, the husband of Ella’s cousin Alice Robinson. I wondered why ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had chosen this young man for such a blessing.
Later Mr. John W. Matteson, who was seated with me at the same table, told me this story. These were days of spiritual investigation for many of the friends, and Mr. and Mrs. Matteson were searching for truth. When he saw the Master put His hands on that young man’s shoulder, Mr. Matteson thought to himself, ‘If ‘Abdu’l-Bahá did that same thing to me, I would believe.” However, the Master strolled into the other rooms. Presently He returned to that room, walked straight to Mr. Matteson, and placed His hands upon the young man’s shoulders. From that moment Mr. Matteson became, until his death in 1958, one of the most faithful followers of Bahá’u’lláh. He and his wife, Berdette, served in outstanding ways, and their son and daughter-in-law, Lorne and Eleanor, and their sons, are all ardent and active Bahá’ís in the Bay Area. Berdette Matteson passed away in Hayward, California, in January 1971.
The Feast was almost over when suddenly ‘Abdu’l-Bahá started up the stairway leading from the hall. There was a hush as we watched Him go, and we thought that He was leaving us. The Master stopped on a small balcony, halfway to the second floor, in front of a beautiful stained glass window. Then He stepped forward and, extending His arms with palms upturned, chanted this beautiful benediction:
- O kind Lord, verily this assemblage is longing for Thee and loving Thy beauty. Verily, these friends are set aglow with the fire of Thy love and are joyful because of Thy presence. They have turned to Thy Kingdom, seeking naught but Thy good pleasure, desiring naught but to pursue Thy pathway, and seeking naught save Thy good will. Not a day passes but they are occupied with Thy commemoration and are ever ready to serve Thee.
- O God, illumine these hearts. O God, make joyous these lives. O Lord, suffer these souls to attain to the superlative degree of spirituality in the world of humanity. O Lord, suffer these souls to become truly distinguished, and make them the manifestors of Thy favor and the recipients of Thy good gifts. Shine upon them with Thy radiant splendor, waft over them the breeze of Thy providence, and pour upon them the rain of bestowals from the clouds of Thy generosity. Thus these souls, like the flowers of the rose garden, shall grow in verdure and freshness, and among all mankind shall they be redolent of delightful fragrance.
- O Lord, confirm them all in Thy service, and aid them in guiding others to Thee. Brighten the eyes through witnessing Thy great signs; fill the ears with harmonies through Thy melodies; and refresh the nostrils through the fragrances of Thy Kingdom. Confer upon these souls the life everlasting, gathering them all together beneath the tabernacle of the oneness of the world of humanity.
- Verily, Thou art the Almighty! Verily, Thou art the Powerful! Verily, Thou art the Giver of good gifts.6
The Master continued up the stairs. Soon we all departed with hearts and minds filled with the wonder of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá with friends from many cities in California who gathered for the Feast on October 16, 1912, at the Goodall home in Oakland.
[Page 7]
Since the authors of Memories of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá were unable to document all of the details in the book, the foreword
states the following: “The variety of sources used in the
book, ranging as they do from authorized, published translations of the works of Bahá’u’lláh, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and Shoghi
Effendi, to unpublished translations of Tablets of
‘Abdu’l-Bahá sent to the early Bahá’ís, to stenographically
recorded talks, informal notes, letters, and memories of
numerous events, calls for a word of caution. Shoghi Effendi,
in a letter written on his behalf, has stated that Bahá’u’lláh
has made it clear enough that only those things that have been
revealed in the form of Tablets have a binding power over the
friends. Hearsays may be matters of interest but can in no
way claim authority... This being a basic principle of the
Faith we should not confuse Tablets that were actually revealed and mere talks attributed to the Founders of the Cause.
The first have absolute binding authority while the latter can
in no way claim our obedience. The highest thing this can
achieve is to influence the activities of one who has heard the
saying in person.’
“... For the binding words of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi one should go to the authorized, published texts. The hearsays or remembrances of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, filtered through the experiences and interpretations of the early Bahá’ís who met Him, one should place in a distinctly separate, nonbinding category. Yet such memoirs... give one a sense of the vibrance, of the love and patience, of the foresight and wisdom of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Such accounts are not binding, to be sure; but they are treasures of the early days of the Bahá’í Faith, priceless accounts of how ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s words influenced the lives of the authors.”—Ed.
From Part 1:
- National Bahá’í Archives, Wilmette, Illinois; the house style for the transliteration of Persian and Arabic words and for punctuation has been used.
- Ella Bailey was eighty-eight when she died. See Robert L. Gulick, Jr., “Ella M. Bailey,” Bahá’í World, Vol. XII, pp. 685-88.
From Part 2:
- Frances Orr Allen, in “Abdu’l-Baha in San Francisco, California,” Star of the West, 3, no. 13 (Nov. 4, 1912), notes that 110 attended.—Ed.
- ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, “Abdu’l-Baha at the Nineteen-Day Feast: October 16, 1912, at the home of Mrs. Helen S. Goodall, Oakland, California,” Star of the West, 4, no. 12 (Oct. 16, 1913), 203.
- Ibid.
- Ibid., p. 209.
Reprinted by permission from Memories of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Recollections of the Early Days of the Bahá’í Faith in California. Copyright © 1980 by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. Published by the U.S. Bahá’í Publishing Trust (cloth, catalog No. 7-32-10, $9.95, 122 pp., 29 sepia tone photographs, notes, index).
The Netherlands holds its first National Children’s Conference[edit]
More than 100 children from many Dutch Bahá’í communities gathered last September 1 at Lelystad for the first National Bahá’í Children’s Conference in the Netherlands.
A number of non-Bahá’í children from the Lelystad area also attended the conference.
The day’s activities were led by the children and included prayers, music, discussions, creative projects and games centered around the theme of the International Year of the Child.
A group of Bahá’í youth was busy all day producing a special Children’s Conference newspaper, copies of which were given to each of the participants at the close of the conference.
Topics discussed by groups at the conference included racial prejudice, and the prejudices of culture and religion. An afternoon recreation period was highlighted by singing and the baking and eating of pancakes.
The pancakes were cooked and eaten under a large tent (left photo) near the building in which the conference was held.
Craft projects (top photo opposite page) kept the children busy and happy while enabling them to release their creative energy.
Following the afternoon recreation period, Bahá’í and non-Bahá’í children released helium-filled “Love That Child” balloons (bottom photo opposite page).
Around the World[edit]
Hawaii[edit]
The Bahá’í float in the 1979 “Aloha Week” parade in Honolulu, Hawaii, won first prize in the non-commercial division and an honorable mention for the International Year of the Child award.
Competing with floats from other religious and community organizations, the float built by members of the Bahá’í community of Hawaii was presented the Mayor’s Award as best in its category.
Aloha Week is observed each year in Hawaii to recall the days when the islands were ruled by Kings and Queens. The theme of this year’s parade was “Hawaii’s People.”
More than 100 Bahá’ís helped with carpentry, plastering, pasting on flowers, painting and other tasks involved in building the float whose design included butterflies, bees, a cat, and more than 40,000 real flowers. Lettering on both sides of the float read, “Love That Child,” while the words “Bahá’í Faith” appeared in front and back.
Children from various ethnic backgrounds wearing “Love That Child” T-shirts rode on the float.
The float built by members of the Bahá’í community of Hawaii won first prize in the non-commercial division last September 22 in the annual ‘Aloha Week’ parade in Honolulu. The float’s design, built around the theme ‘Love That Child,’ featured flowers, bees, a cat, and butterflies whose wings moved up and down. This marked the 13th year in which Bahá’ís have entered a float in the parade. Over the years, the Bahá’ís have won five first place awards, three second place, and one third place. This year’s Bahá’í float was chosen to lead the parade, which was televised throughout Hawaii.
The parade, on Saturday, September 22, was
seen by more than 80,000 people who lined its
route in Honolulu and Waikiki. Hundreds of
thousands more watched on television in
Hawaii; videotaped highlights were shown on
national TV on the mainland on Thanksgiving
Day.
Spain[edit]
Two Bahá’ís who are international lawyers represented the Bahá’í International Community last September 16-20 at the ninth Conference on the Law of the World in Madrid, Spain.
Miss Jyoti Munsiff of the United Kingdom and Albert Lincoln of the Central African Republic presented the views of the Faith at various seminars and discussions, and distributed literature about the Faith to participants.
The King of Spain addressed the conference, which was attended by about 1,500 delegates from 120 nations, 50 of whom are judges.
All delegates wore name badges with the name of their country, except for the two Bahá’í representatives who simply had the word “Bahá’í” after their names, indicating their international status as members of the Faith.
Dominica[edit]
Bahá’ís on the Caribbean island of Montserrat rendered outstanding service during the recent havoc caused by hurricanes David and Frederick, helping a great deal in getting aid quickly to the places it was needed most.
After Hurricane David swept through Dominica, leaving that island without telephone or telegraph communications, a ham (amateur) radio operator was able to get his set going and begin relaying messages.
One of the first to hear his signal was Errol (Bobby) Martin, who is vice-chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the Leeward and Virgin Islands, and an assistant to the Auxiliary Board. Mr. Martin also is an officer of the Montserrat Amateur Radio Society.
Montserrat boasts the most powerful radio transmitter in the hemisphere, easily heard in Dominica. Messages from Dominica were relayed to Mr. Martin, who in turn sent them to Radio Antilles for broadcast. For days this radio chain was the only communications link between Dominica and the rest of the world, as well as between the government on Dominica and its own people.
As Hurricane Frederick approached close behind David, communications between the Caribbean islands remained tenuous. Mr. Martin was on the air early every morning, keeping up with the path of the second hurricane through radio operators in the U.S. Virgin Islands and Florida.
Also helping was another Bahá’í, Julian Rogers, who recently arrived from Barbados to become program director at Radio Antilles and spent eight straight days at the station during the crisis period.
Mr. Rogers made certain that Radio Antilles kept everyone informed of the hurricanes’ paths and what precautions to take. It was through Mr. Rogers that Kurt Waldheim, secretary-general of the United Nations, sent an offer of aid to the government of stricken Dominica.
Although there was considerable loss of property, there were no reports of deaths among the Bahá’ís of Dominica.
No lives were lost on Montserrat, which has 120 registered Bahá’ís in its population of about 15,000.
Sweden[edit]
Eighteen children from Uppsala, Sweden’s Red Cross youth organization participated last October 24 in a United Nations Day program sponsored by the Bahá’í community of Uppsala. Eighteen Bahá’ís and 16 seekers also attended the event, which included songs and entertainment by two 8-year-old Bahá’í children and a presentation entitled ‘An International Perspective on the Conditions of Children’ by pediatrician Mehari Gebre-Medhin and Hans Odemyr, a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of Sweden. The event received wide coverage in local newspapers and on the radio.
The Spiritual Assembly of Partille, formed in 1976—the first to be formed in Sweden during the Five Year Plan—now boasts seven new believers since March 1979. Partille is a small town near Gothenburg.
Bangladesh[edit]
Nearly 50 Bahá’ís, including pioneers and two Auxiliary Board members, were present last August 17-19 at a regional teaching conference in Mymensingh, Bangladesh. Among the topics discussed were living a Bahá’í life, obedience to the Administrative Order, the importance of giving to the Fund, and the importance of teaching.
Twenty-two Bahá’ís representing 14 communities, five guests and four children attended a Regional Teaching Conference in the southwest zone of Bangladesh last October 5-6. The believers pledged to form 13 Local Spiritual Assemblies, begin five children’s classes, and donate three parcels of land for Bahá’í Centers.
The Regional Teaching Committee of Rajshahi, Bangladesh, sponsored a Teaching Conference last September 21-23 at the district Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds in Rajshahi. Twenty-eight Bahá’ís from four localities came together for deepening and encouragement to participate more actively in helping to win the goals of the first two-year phase of the Seven Year Plan.
New Zealand[edit]
The Bahá’ís of New Zealand held a National Youth Conference this summer, their first such gathering of the Seven Year Plan, at Awahou Marae, just north of Roturua on New Zealand’s North Island.
Among those who attended the conference was Dr. Cheli Sundrum, a Continental Counsellor for South East Asia.
Speakers included Auxiliary Board member Owen Battrick who spoke of the sacrifices of Bahá’í youth during the early years of the cause in a talk entitled, “From the Báb to You.”
Other talks covered topics ranging from faith, steadfastness, and assurance to marriage and education.
The conference also featured a concert, skits, games, poems, prayers, songs, a basketball game, and a visit to nearby hot springs.
Bermuda[edit]
Dr. Victor de Araujo, the Bahá’í International Community’s representative to the United Nations, was the keynote speaker last November at an International Year of the Child banquet in Bermuda.
Speaking to an audience that included His Excellency Sir Peter Ramsbotham, governor of Bermuda; the Hon. Dr. Clarence James, minister of Health and Social Services; and the U.S. Consulate General, Dr. de Araujo stressed the importance of world unity in improving the conditions of its children in an address entitled “No Child Is an Island.”
Although the gathering was a Bermuda national IYC event, a Bahá’í prayer for mankind was read at the banquet, and a workshop the following day included a Bahá’í prayer for unity.
In addition to his banquet address, Dr. de Araujo discussed political and religious awareness in our children during a conference workshop session on November 17. His arrival in Bermuda received newspaper and television coverage.
A large number of non-Bahá’ís attended the conference, which was sponsored by the Bermudian government’s IYC Coordinating Committee. Many pieces of Bahá’í literature were distributed, while the Bahá’í exhibit booth, one of 10 at the conference, drew considerable attention with its “Love That Child” and “Children Give Color to the World” themes.
Dr. Victor de Araujo, the Bahá’í International Community’s representative to the United Nations, was the keynote speaker last November at the IYC Conference in Bermuda sponsored by the Bermuda International Year of the Child Coordinating Committee. Dr. de Araujo was greeted on his arrival in Bermuda by Lady Ramsbotham, the wife of the governor of Bermuda and honorary chairman of the Bermuda IYC Committee. Also on hand to welcome him were Georgia Sanchez-Stevens (left), a Bahá’í pioneer to Bermuda from the U.S. and IYC Committee public relations officer, and Conchita Ming (right), chairman of the Bermuda IYC Committee.
West Africa[edit]
The Hand of the Cause of God Raḥmatu’lláh Muhájir (standing left of center in white shirt and tie) traveled through four West African countries on a teaching trip that began in June 1979 and ended the following month. Dr. Muhájir visited villages in Togo, Ivory Coast, the Cameroon Republic, and Benin where native believers were contacted and encouraged to take an active role in the teaching work. Many villagers declared their belief in Bahá’u’lláh during this group teaching effort led by Dr. Muhájir.
Australia[edit]
Sixty women from Victoria State, Australia, attended the first Bahá’í Women’s Conference in Victoria State last August 19.
The conference was co-sponsored by the Auxiliary Board and the Local Spiritual Assembly of Moorabbin. It was held in response to the Seven Year Plan message from the Universal House of Justice that calls for “... the encouragement of Bahá’í women to exercise to the full their privileges and responsibilities in the work of the community ...”
The keynote speaker was Dr. Janet Khan, a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of Australia. Her talk, based on the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was entitled “What Equality Really Means.”
Morning sessions were devoted to a discussion of the lives of the central women figures of the Heroic Age of the Faith: Tahírih and Bahíyyih Khánum, the “Greatest Holy Leaf.” Afternoon sessions included discussions of the kinds of reinforcement women can give one another in their Bahá’í work and lives.
Two local papers publicized the event. The Sunday Observer ran the headline “Bahá’í First” above an article on the day of the conference; The Age printed interviews with two women who were attending the conference.
The Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Tumut Shire, New South Wales, Australia, recently sponsored its second annual Education Seminar. Eight non-Bahá’ís attended the event. Two days before the seminar, the Spiritual Assembly of Tumut Shire sponsored a booth in the high school’s ‘career days’ program. The theme of the Bahá’í booth was ‘My Career as a Parent.’
Publications[edit]
Daily Lessons Received at ‘Akká: January 1908, by Helen S. Goodall and Ella Goodall Cooper (73 pp., appendices, notes; paperback. Price in U.S.: $4.85 NET).
Daily Lessons is one of the earliest published accounts of life in the prison household of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. It includes descriptions of the authors’ pilgrimage, anecdotes about interesting incidents, and questions answered by the Master.
Also featured are several talks by Hájí Mírzá Haydar-‘Alí—a well-known Persian teacher of the Faith—and letters from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to the book’s authors.
Originally published in 1908 by the Bahá’í Publishing Society, the book has been revised for this new edition.
Earlier this year, the Publishing Trust reprinted another personal account of an early pilgrimage—Ten Days in the Light of ‘Akká, by Julia M. Grundy (paperback, $4.85 NET).
Daily Lessons takes its title not just from the direct oral instruction of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, but also from the lessons He taught by His deeds.
On each day of the authors’ two-week pilgrimage in 1908, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá invited His visitors to luncheon, where He greeted them with a few words in English and spoke on various matters. However, the authors observed, “If He never spoke one word to the pilgrims, the only lesson necessary would be His daily life.”
Some of the subjects ‘Abdu’l-Bahá spoke about to the pilgrims were sacrifice, accidental happenings, evil thoughts, automatic writing, miracles, and the journey of the Israelites.
To order Daily Lessons Received at ‘Akká or Ten Days in the Light of ‘Akká, see “How to order” below.
Lote Tree, a new stereo LP featuring the Hand of the Cause of God William Sears, is now being distributed by the U.S. Bahá’í Publishing Trust. The price in the U.S. is $10 each.
Lote Tree combines the talents of Mr. Sears and entertainers Seals and Crofts, Walter Heath, England Dan and John Ford Coley, and Danny Deardorff. It was arranged by Russell Garcia and produced by a team of top professionals including Louis Shelton and Joseph Bogan.
The first side includes songs and narration about the Báb, Bahá’u’lláh, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Shoghi Effendi, and the Universal House of Justice. Mr. Sears’ narration sets the mood and helps the listener understand the significance of the Bahá’í Faith.
The second side consists of five songs written and recorded by Bahá’ís.
Lote Tree was produced by Prism Productions to raise money for the International Bahá’í Fund and to make an artistic contribution to the Bahá’í community. The album can help create a Bahá’í atmosphere in one’s home. It can also be presented as a gift or be used for deepenings, firesides, and radio proclamations.
How to Order: Please order from your librarian, Bahá’í Publishing Trust, or Sales/Distribution Committee. If necessary, order directly from the Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 415 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, IL 60091 U.S.A.
Postage and handling: Inside U.S.: Add 75 cents on orders under $5. Outside U.S.: For surface shipment, add 10 per cent of order (minimum $1.50).
Írán[edit]
(The following excerpts are from a letter dated August 2, 1979, that was sent to the World Centre in Haifa by a Persian Bahá’í.-Ed.)
“The Bahá’í is of Írán are blessed in these days with an extraordinary heroism. They are fearlessly engaged in explaining the Bahá’í position, teaching the Faith, and defending the Cause against infamous slander.
“Their frankness and promptness in meeting the situation is praiseworthy, and they do not hesitate to talk about the Faith with people from all strata of society, including university and government officials and the people they meet in public parks, taxis, buses and on the streets.
“The Bahá’í youth, who are now able to compare the loftiness of the Teachings with other ideologies which once may have seemed attractive to them, have increased their zeal and attachment to the Cause; they beg the National Spiritual Assembly to give them the bounty of serving their glorious Faith. They are faithful couriers for the National Assembly, delivering greetings and messages to the friends in remote parts of the country.
“Some young Persian students from abroad, who came to visit their families in Írán for the summer holidays, are so moved by the enthusiasm of the Bahá’ís in their home communities and by the new fields of service open to them that they are refusing to leave the country to resume their studies, because they do not wish to deprive themselves of the wonderful opportunities for service in Írán.
“Because of so many accusations and attacks against the Bahá’í Faith, the Íránian people have become more inquisitive and many questions are being asked—thus providing the Bahá’ís with an excellent opportunity to tell them about the Faith.
“And the generosity of the friends in contributing to the Fund is unprecedented in the history of the Faith in Írán. Those who are short of money give jewelry, watches, and other valuables they may have.”
Panama[edit]
More than 400 Guaymí Indian believers from 20 communities attended the dedication last April of the first Indigenous Bahá’í Institute in Panama, at Boca de Soloy, Chiriquí province. The Institute is for the promotion of Bahá’í teaching activities, and the deepening and consolidation of the Guaymí believers in the Cause of God.
New Hebrides[edit]
Three deepening institutes, the first held under a new National Deepening Plan in New Hebrides, were conducted last November 3-4 in Santo and November 9-11 in Vila and Tanna. The program for each institute was designed by the National Teaching Committee of New Hebrides.
At the Vila Bahá’í Center, 30 Bahá’í youth and adults along with about 30 children heard Auxiliary Board member Palene Hnaloane speak on “Martyrs in the History of the Cause and at the Present Time,” “Progressive Revelation,” and “Unity in Bahá’í Communities.” They also heard a report by New Zealanders Bruce Plowman and Warren Parkinson of their recent teaching trip in the Banks Islands.
Zaire[edit]
Many of the participants at the 1979 Bahá’í National Convention in Zaire came there on foot or by truck over flooded roadways that made travel extremely difficult. It was the first National Convention held in Zaire since 1976.
Continental Counsellor Isobel Sabri, Auxiliary Board members from four regions, and about 30 delegates were among those who attended this year’s Bahá’í National Convention in Zaire, the first one held in that troubled country since 1976.
A war in the southern part of the country prevented the Convention in 1977, while in 1978, another outbreak of war coupled with a cholera epidemic made even a vote by mail impossible.
This year’s Convention was held at the village of Kabimba, in Kivu Province, in a large mud-brick Center built by the friends. A handful of participants came by plane; most came by truck or on foot over flooded roadways that made travel extremely difficult. Some traveled for days from the mountain regions.
The spirited consultation focused on the goals of the Seven Year Plan and on Bahá’í academic schools that are being built in Zaire.
Members of three tribes were elected to the National Spiritual Assembly. Representatives from each region sang a song in their tribal language, while Counsellor Sabri presented each delegate and National Spiritual Assembly member with a photograph of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.
Members of the Auxiliary Board, the National Spiritual Assembly of Zaire, and its committees (left to right) at the 1979 Bahá’í National Convention in Zaire. Shown (left to right) are Selemani Bin Kimbulu, Paul Hanbury, Mwenebatu, Barhabazi-Iragi-Bahá, Deborah Butler, Akilimali Mboko, Tukumbane, Mutumbala Ebunga.
[Page 18]
Memories of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, a warm, personal account of the early days of the Bahá’í Faith in California—days highlighted by the 1912 visit of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.
By Ramona Allen Brown. Catalog no. 7-32-10. Cloth. $9.95
Bahá’í Publishing Trust
415 Linden Avenue/Wilmette, IL 60091 U.S.A.
