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Bahá’í News

February 1985

Bahá’í Year 141

U.S. Human Rights Day observance:
President Reagan signs proclamation

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Bahá’í News

House of Justice enumerates challenges facing Bahá’ís of the world	1
Document increases pressure on Iran’s Bahá’í prisoners; nine more die	2
Ninth annual ABS Conference celebrates ‘Vision of Shoghi Effendi’	3
President Reagan cites persecution of Bahá’ís on Human Rights Day	6
Britain’s House of Commons witnesses debate on Bahá’í persecutions	8
And in Australia, a Bahá’í testifies before top Parliament committee	12
Around the world: News from Bahá’í communities all over the globe	14

Bahá’í News is published monthly 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 the Periodicals Office, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091, U.S.A. Changes of address should be reported to the Office of Membership and Records, Bahá’í National Center. Please attach mailing label. Subscription rates within U.S.: one year, $12; two years, $20. Outside U.S.: one year, $14; two years, $24. Foreign air mail: one year, $20; two years, $40. Payment must accompany order and must be in U.S. dollars. Second class postage paid at Wilmette, IL 60091. Copyright © 1985, National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. World rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A.

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‘The challenges ... are by no means met ...’

To the Followers of Bahá’u’lláh in every land
Dearly-loved Friends,

Twelve months have passed since we addressed to the devoted followers of the Blessed Beauty throughout the world a message in which we outlined the major challenges which face the Cause of God and the thrilling opportunities which are presenting themselves for us to use in His Service.

There was an immediate and heart-warming response in offers of service, in plans of action put promptly into effect, and in contributions to the Fund.

The activities of the friends are still increasing, and evidences of rich harvests are appearing. In India alone, over 150,000 new believers have joined the Bahá’í community; in Samoa the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár has been dedicated amidst unprecedented recognition of the Cause; in Canada, at the conference held in London, Ontario, an upsurge of activity among the Bahá’í youth has started a movement which has caught the imagination of the friends far and wide. In relation to the Fund, however, the rate of contributions during the second six months of the year has slowed seriously, and we feel it is timely to draw to your attention that our letter of 2 January 1984 was not an appeal for a one-time herculean effort, but was intended to inform the whole world community of the present great challenges and opportunities which are not only immediate but require also a long-range, sustained increase in the efforts and self-sacrifices of the friends, both in service and in contributing from their financial resources to the advancement of the Faith.

The challenges which we enumerated then are by no means met, nor the opportunities wholly seized. The Indian Mashriqu’l-Adhkár, a building of great size and beauty, is still unfinished; plans for the further development of the World Centre, for the design and erection of the three remaining buildings on the Arc must be laid in full confidence that the funds for their completion will be made available; projects for social and economic development, for the establishment of Bahá’í schools and radio stations, for agricultural advancement, and a wide range of other urgently needed activities are multiplying; world-wide attention to the Faith has increased during the past year with even greater rapidity than before, demanding new measures to coordinate public information services and contacts with governments and leaders of thought; and last, but near to the hearts of all, is the need of funds to assist in the relief of those hard-pressed believers who have been forced to leave Iran, often penniless and in great distress, seeking to build a new life in other parts of the world.

Last April we were deeply touched by receiving a petition from the delegates gathered at the National Convention of the Bahá’ís of the United States, requesting that the Law of Huqúqu’lláh be made binding on all the believers in that country. Although it is not yet the time to take this far-reaching step, we were moved to decide that, as a preliminary measure, the texts relating to the Law of Huqúqu’lláh will be translated into English for general information against the time when this law will be applied more widely.

However, important as is the Law of Huqúqu’lláh, the devoted followers of Bahá’u’lláh have, even without it, every opportunity to contribute regularly and sacrificially to the work of the Cause. It is to a greater realization of the privilege and responsibility of supporting the multiple activities of our beloved Faith that we call you at this critical time in world history, and remind you that to support the Bahá’í funds is an integral part of the Bahá’í way of life. The need is not only now, but throughout the years to come, until our exertions, reinforced by confirmations from on high, will have overcome the great perils now facing mankind and have made this world another world—a world whose splendor and grace will surpass our highest hopes and greatest dreams.

With loving Bahá’í greetings,

The Universal House of Justice
January 3, 1985

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Ominous new document threatens Bahá’í prisoners

DISTRESSED INFORM YOU THAT RECENTLY IRANIAN GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCED ANOTHER OPPRESSIVE MEASURE AGAINST BAHÁ’Í PRISONERS. IN ORDER TO BE RELEASED PRISONER MUST SIGN FOLLOWING UNDERTAKING: “I THE UNDERSIGNED (DETAILS OF PERSONAL STATUS INCLUDING RELIGION) UNDERTAKE NOT TO HAVE IN MY POSSESSION ANY BOOK, PAMPHLET, DOCUMENT, SYMBOL OR PICTURE OF THIS MISGUIDED, ZIONIST, ESPIONAGE GROUP OF BAHÁ’ÍS. IF ANY OF THE ABOVE-MENTIONED ARTICLES BELONGING TO THIS HATED UNDERGROUND MOVEMENT IS FOUND ON MY PERSON OR IN MY HOME, THIS WILL BE TANTAMOUNT TO MY BEING OF THOSE “WHO WAR AGAINST GOD” AND THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL WOULD BE FREE TO DECIDE AGAINST ME IN THE MANNER HE DEEMS FIT.” THE TERMINOLOGY “WHO WAR AGAINST GOD” IS A TERM USED BY PRESENT REGIME TO SIGNIFY A CRIME DESERVING SENTENCE OF DEATH. BAHÁ’Í PRISONERS HAVE REFUSED SIGN SUCH AN INFAMOUS DOCUMENT FALSELY IMPUGNING THEIR FAITH. MOREOVER SIGNING SUCH A DOCUMENT WOULD LEAVE BAHÁ’ÍS OPEN TO HAVING SUCH ITEMS PLANTED ON THEIR PERSON OR IN THEIR HOMES. WAVE OF RECENT ARRESTS OF BAHÁ’ÍS SUGGESTS THAT AUTHORITIES PLAN EXERT PRESSURE ALL BAHÁ’ÍS TO SIGN SUCH AN IMPOSSIBLE UNDERTAKING. OBVIOUSLY FAITHFUL FRIENDS WILL REFUSE SUCCUMB SUCH CONTEMPTIBLE PLAN. WE REQUEST YOU PUBLICIZE AND INFORM GOVERNMENTS OF DETERIORATING SITUATION BAHÁ’Í COMMUNITY IRAN. UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE JANUARY 3, 1985

REGRETFULLY ANNOUNCE SAD NEWS EXECUTION OF SIX BAHÁ’Í FRIENDS IN TEHERAN: DR. RUHULLAH TA’LIM FROM KIRMANSHAH, DR. FIRUZ ATHARI, MR. ‘INAYATU’LLAH HAQIQI, MR. JAMSHID PUR-USTADKAR, MR. JAMAL KASHANI, MR. GHULAM-HUSAYN FARHAND. THE LAST FIVE PREVIOUSLY NOTIFIED TO YOU AS AMONG THOSE CONDEMNED TO DEATH. FATE OF REMAINING 19 IN BALANCE. ALL EXECUTIONS TOOK PLACE ON ONE DAY, 9 DECEMBER. DETAILS ARE UNKNOWN AS NEITHER RELATIVES FRIENDS WERE INFORMED. FACT OF EXECUTIONS DISCOVERED 8 DAYS LATER. ADVISE PUBLICIZE FACTS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE AND INFORM AUTHORITIES. SITUATION GRAVE.

UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE
DECEMBER 17, 1984

FURTHER TO OUR TELEX 17 DECEMBER WE SORROWFULLY ANNOUNCE NEWS EXECUTION BY HANGING OF DR. FARHAD ASDAQI ON 19 NOVEMBER AFTER FOUR MONTHS IMPRISONMENT AND TORTURE. MR. DIYA‘U’LLAH MANI’I-USKU’I AND MR. ‘ALIRIDA NIYAKAN DIED IN TABRIZ PRISON 13TH AND 11TH NOVEMBER RESPECTIVELY AFTER TWO AND A HALF YEARS IMPRISONMENT. CAUSE DEATH NOT ESTABLISHED.

UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE
DECEMBER 18, 1984

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ABS Conference commemorates Guardian’s vision

“The Vision of Shoghi Effendi” was the topic for in-depth discussion November 2-4 at the ninth annual Conference of the Association for Bahá’í Studies in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

Among the 1,150 people from a dozen countries who took part in the historic event, which was devoted to the memory of the Guardian of the Bahá’í Faith, were three of the Hands of the Cause of God Dhikru’lláh Khádem, John Robarts and ‘Alí-Muhammad Varqá—each of whom spoke at the Conference.

Another of the Hands of the Cause, ‘Alí-Akbar Furútan, presented a paper, “Shoghi Effendi and the Countries of the East,” which was read on his behalf by Dr. A.M. Ghadirian.

Among the other distinguished participants in the Conference were two members of the Continental Board of Counsellors for the Americas, Dr. Farzam Arbáb and Lloyd Gardner; Dr. Victor de Araujo, chief representative of the Bahá’í International Community at the United Nations in New York; and Dr. Rodrigo Carazo, president of the United Nations University for Peace in Escazu, Costa Rica.

The 1984 Hasan M. Balyúzí Lecture, “Shoghi Effendi: Expounder of the Bahá’í Faith,” by David Hofman, a member of the Universal House of Justice, was presented by Mr. Hofman’s daughter, Dr. May Hofman Ballerio of Geneva, Switzerland.

The winners of the Association’s annual writing contest were:

• Ann Boyles, a doctoral candidate in comparative literature at the University of New Brunswick (university category), “The Epistolary Style of Shoghi Effendi.”
• Bruce Filson, a freelance writer and editor from Hull, Quebec (creative writing category), “Seven Skies.”

A Saturday evening panel discussion led by believers who had met and known the Guardian included as its members (left to right) Mrs. Musa Banani, the Hand of the Cause of God John Robarts, Mrs. Robarts, and the Hand of the Cause of God Dhikru’lláh Khádem.

• Barbara Hacker, a Montessori school director from Malden, Massachusetts (general category), “Montessori and the Bahá’í Faith.”

Mr. Robarts, who celebrated his 83rd birthday November 2, was presented a bouquet of nine red roses, while a 10th rose, this one peach, was presented to Mrs. Robarts.

Mr. and Mrs. Robarts participated in a Saturday evening panel discussion led by believers who had met and known the Guardian. The other panel members were Mr. Khádem; his wife, Auxiliary Board member Javidukht Khádem; and Mrs. Musa Banani.

“Retrospective,” a film about Mr. Robarts’ life as a Bahá’í, was shown Friday morning and was followed by Mr. Robarts’ own comments.

An address by Dr. Varqá, “Reminiscences of Shoghi Effendi,” was presented Friday afternoon, while Mr. Khádem spoke the following afternoon.

Dr. Carazo’s address, “Peace: A Task for All,” focused on his work as president of the United Nations University for Peace.

Other speakers and their topics:

• Emeric Sala, “Shoghi Effendi’s Question.”
• Dr. Hossain Danesh, “Unity: The Creative Foundation of Peace.”
• Nat Rutstein, “Shoghi Effendi: Master Builder of a World Civilization.”
• Dr. Glen Eyford, “A Review of God Passes By.”
• Marion Finley, “The Pacific Rim: The Last Frontier.”
• Shapour Rassekh (presented by William Hatcher), “Les Dynamiques Culturelles et Sociales du Monde.”
• Jalal Quinn, “To the Paintings of Shoghi Effendi.”
• Roger Coe, “An Organic Order: Implications as to the Nature of the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh from the Writings of Shoghi Effendi.”

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• Sherif Rushdy, “Cybernetics and the Bahá’í Faith: Exploring the Mechanisms of Religion.”
• Diana Malouf, “The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh: Translation Norms Employed by Shoghi Effendi.”
• William Hatcher, “The Dispensation of Bahá’u’lláh.”
• J. Jameson Bond, “The Vision of Shoghi Effendi and the Unfoldment of the Tablets of the Divine Plan.”
• Richard Thomas, “A Review of Shoghi Effendi’s Vision as Expressed in The Advent of Divine Justice.”

A brief recitation, “Bahá’u’lláh,” was presented by Bayan Toeg, an elementary school student from Gloucester, Ontario.

Above: One of the Bahá’ís signs a life membership endowment in the Bahá’í International Health Agency. Below left: Dr. Farzam Arbáb, a member of the Continental Board of Counsellors in the Americas, addresses the Conference. Below right: The Hand of the Cause of God Dhikru’lláh Khádem (center) greets one of the friends between Conference session.

The annual meeting of the Association for Bahá’í Studies was held Friday evening.

Reviewed were the past year’s activities including regional conferences and the first International Symposium on the Relationship Between the Bahá’í Faith and Islam, held at McGill University in Montreal; recent developments in the international arena including the decision by the Universal House of Justice that the Association is free to establish branches in every country; publications of the Association including a volume on the persecution of Bahá’ís in Iran and a textbook on the Faith to be published by Harper & Row; the establishment of Association chapters at various universities; participation in major non-Bahá’í scholarly events; and a discussion of the next annual Conference and meeting to be held in August 1985 in Vancouver, British Columbia.

With the exception of the annual meeting, this year’s Conference was held at the Chateau Laurier in Ottawa.

Besides the various papers and other addresses, the Conference included panel discussions, workshops and musical presentations.

A panel on “Peace,” held Sunday afternoon, was chaired by Mary Sawicki and included among its members Dr. Carazo and Dr. de Araujo.

A musical tribute to the Guardian, Shoghi Effendi, was written by Jack Lenz and performed by Gordie Munro.

Other music was presented by the Táhirih Choir, pianists Mark Ochu and Nuita Isserlin, and vocalist Nancy Ackerman.

[Page 5] Top photo: Among the talented entertainers at the ninth annual Conference of the Association for Bahá’í Studies were guitarist Gordie Munro and the Táhirih Choir. Left: Dr. Richard Thomas from East Lansing, Michigan, reads his paper, ‘A Review of Shoghi Effendi’s Vision as Expressed in The Advent of Divine Justice.’ Above: While parents attended the Conference, the children were given plenty to do as we see in this children’s class conducted by S. Thirlwall.

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President again cites persecution of Iran’s Bahá’ís

For the second year in a row, President Ronald Reagan has referred to the persecution of Bahá’ís in Iran as one of the most serious human rights violations in the world today.

“We Americans recognize a special responsibility to speak for the oppressed, wherever they may be,” Mr. Reagan said during a White House ceremony December 10 commemorating International Human Rights Day. “We think here of special cases like the persecution of the Bahá’í religious minority in Iran ...”

As the President was making his statement on behalf of human rights, the Islamic Revolutionary Government in Iran introduced a new document for Bahá’í prisoners to sign as a condition for their release (see the cable from the Universal House of Justice on Page 2).

The document amounts to a confession of membership in an espionage organization and an agreement that the one signing it should be found guilty of a capital offense if any article relating to the Faith is found on his person or in his home.

Meanwhile, as if to underscore Iran’s intention to ignore basic human rights provisions for some of its citizens, that country’s permanent representative to the United Nations said on December 7 that the Islamic Revolutionary Government “would not hesitate to violate” the provisions of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights whenever it had to choose between upholding the “divine law” of the country and violating secular conventions.

The Declaration, said UN representative Said Rajaie-Khorassani, does not accord with the system of values recognized by the Islamic Republic of Iran, and “could not be implemented by Muslims.”

On December 19, responding to a report of nine more Bahá’í deaths in Iranian prisons, U.S. State Department spokesman John Hughes said, “It is particularly poignant that Iran’s latest executions of Bahá’ís occurred on the very eve of Human Rights Day, which commemorates the adoption by the United Nations of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

After signing the Human Rights Day proclamation December 10, President Ronald Reagan turns to shake hands with one of the four Bahá’ís who were present for the ceremony, Iranian-born Dr. Vahid Alavian.

“At this year’s Human Rights Day commemoration, President Reagan declared that we who are free have a special responsibility to speak up for those who are not. Among the victims of persecution whom President Reagan cited on that solemn occasion were the Bahá’ís of Iran.”

The Human Rights Day proclamation signed by the President includes the following passage:

“As Americans, we strongly object to and seek to end such affronts to the human conscience as ... the persecution of the Bahá’í religious minority in Iran ...”

Four Bahá’ís were among the special guests invited to the Human Rights Day observance: Judge James F. Nelson, chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly; Dr. Firuz Kazemzadeh, vice-chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly; Dr. Vahid Alavian, a professor of engineering at the University of Illinois whose father, Buzurg Alavian, a member of the Spiritual Assembly of Tehran, was murdered June 23, 1981, by the Islamic Revolutionary Government of Iran; and Dr. Alavian’s wife, Dr. Barbara Ann Miller.

Dr. Kazemzadeh, who also directs the Bahá’í Office of External Affairs in New Haven, Connecticut, spoke the

[Page 7] following morning at the National Press Club in Washington, saying the Iranian government has begun a deliberate campaign of genocide against members of the Bahá’í Faith in that country.

Quoting the five-point definition of genocide set forth in the United Nations Convention on the Crime of Genocide, Dr. Kazemzadeh said the Islamic Revolutionary Government has persecuted the Bahá’ís by brutal actions in each of those categories, any one of which the Convention defines as genocide.

“Since 1979, more than 185 Bahá’ís have been executed or died in Iranian prisons,” said Dr. Kazemzadeh, “while thousands more have been arrested, denied jobs and legally earned pensions, and barred from universities, high schools and even primary schools.

“Bahá’í children have been ostracized in schools, and in a few cases, even taken from their families by Islamic authorities.

“We know of some 750 Bahá’ís in prison today,” he said, “several of them sentenced to death on charges based solely on religious differences.

“Many of those executed were women, who have always been considered equal to men in the Bahá’í Faith. Even teen-age girls were executed, on charges that they taught Bahá’í religious classes.”

The American Bahá’í community, said Dr. Kazemzadeh, welcomes President Reagan’s decision to submit the UN Convention on Genocide the Congress, which has not as yet ratified it.

“We hope the Congress will act promptly next year to approve the Genocide Convention, which establishes an important standard by which to measure the actions of regimes which violate human rights,” he said.

The Bahá’í community, said Dr. Kazemzadeh, considers the document to be signed by Bahá’í prisoners as a condition of their release to be “a serious violation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to which the government of Iran is a signatory.”

Bahá’í prisoners, he added, “are refusing to sign this statement, which they feel misrepresents the Bahá’í Faith and leaves them open to having Bahá’í materials that have been confiscated by Iranian authorities planted on their persons or in their homes as evidence that they are persons who ‘war against God,’ often a capital offense.”

Bahá’ís who attended the White House Human Rights Day ceremony December 10 were (left to right) Judge James F. Nelson, chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly; Dr. Firuz Kazemzadeh, vice-chairman of the National Assembly; Dr. Barbara Ann Miller; and her husband, Dr. Vahid Alavian.

The text of the statement introduced by the Iranian government is as follows:

“I, the undersigned (details of personal status including religion) undertake not to have in my posession any book, pamphlet, document, symbol or picture of this misguided, Zionist, espionage group of Bahá’ís.

“If any of the above-mentioned articles belonging to this hated underground movement is found on my person or in my home, this will be tantamount to my being of those ‘who war against God,’ and the Attorney-General would be free to decide against me in the manner he deems fit.”

The significance of the term “those who war against God,” according to the Universal House of Justice, resides in the fact that it is “a term used by (the) present regime (in Iran) to signify a crime deserving (a) sentence of death.”

During the State Department’s daily briefing December 19, Mr. Hughes said, “We appeal to the Iranian authorities to abide by the spirit of the letter of the Universal Declaration (of Human Rights), Article 18, which affirms, ‘Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in company with others, and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.’ ”

Last August, Amnesty International again called on the government of Iran to live up to its own Islamic constitution, and to UN covenants it has ratified, by acting to end its common practice of torturing political prisoners.

Citing testimony from an unspecified number of former prisoners who were held and tortured over the last three years, AI concluded that the evidence reveals “a pattern of torture of political detainees.”

The Amnesty International report came two months after Dr. Kazemzadeh presented testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on the torture of Bahá’ís in Iran.

Shortly after that hearing, the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) appointed a special representative to make a thorough study of the human rights situation in Iran and report back to the Council at its 41st session early this year.

And last September, Sen. Charles Percy of Illinois, then chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, announced that the committee had unanimously endorsed a resolution to strengthen U.S. policy against torture.

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Commons sees first debate on Iran persecutions

On Friday, December 21, 1984, the persecution of Bahá’ís in Iran was addressed for the first time by a member of Great Britain’s House of Commons. Here is the text of his remarks and of a reply to them by Richard Luce, the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

•

2 p.m.

Mr. Roger Freeman (Kettering): The House will soon be adjourning for the Christmas recess. In this country, Christmas is a time for the unity of the family and religious worship. It is essentially a happy time. For members of the Bahá’í community, of whom there are some 5,000 in this country, it will not be a happy Christmas because they will be thinking of their families, friends and relatives in Iran who are still suffering great persecution. It is to that community that our thoughts and actions should turn. I am grateful for the opportunity of introducing this brief debate on the intense suffering of the Bahá’í community in Iran and I am particularly grateful to my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, for coming to reply to the debate. His great interest in the subject is much appreciated.

I emphasize that since my hon. Friend’s answer to a written question on 16 May this year, the situation in Iran has worsened. While it is true that recently relations between Britain and Iran have improved—I much welcome that—I do not believe that the position of the Bahá’í community has improved at the same time. I ask Her Majesty’s government constantly to remind themselves of the plight of the Bahá’í community. I hope that the Minister will have the chance to affirm to the House today that the government will take full advantage of the recently improved relations with Iran to alleviate

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‘I hope that the Minister will have the chance to affirm to the House today that the government will take full advantage of the recently improved relations with Iran to alleviate in any way they can the problem of the Bahá’í community.’

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in any way they can the problem of the Bahá’í community.

I have maintained correspondence with some members of the Bahá’í community in my constituency. They live in constant worry for members of their families among the estimated 300,000 Bahá’ís who have not been fortunate enough to escape from Iran. That fear for the lives of their relatives and friends is profound, and understandably so.

Before explaining the exact nature of the present Bahá’í problem, it may be beneficial to the House for me to describe briefly the nature of the Bahá’í faith, which is relatively new to me and has been explained clearly by my constituents. It was born and developed under Islam in the middle east in the 19th century. Arnold Toynbee described the faith as

“an independent religion, on a par with Islam, Christianity and other recognized world religions. Bahá’ísm is not a sect of some other religion; it is a separate religion and has the same status as other recognized faiths.”

The implication is that the Bahá’í faith is no heresy or perversion of an existing religion, but should be respected as a separate religion.

The Bahá’ís’ creed does not threaten the existing regime in Iran in any way. A fundamental theme is the oneness of mankind, and the teachings of the faith are auxiliary to that principle: they are beliefs in education, individual freedom and equal respect for men and women.

Members of the Bahá’í faith support efforts to bring about international unity which, they believe, will ensure progressively more equitable distribution of world wealth. They regard other world religions, however antagonistic their beliefs or morals, as providing the key to international unity.

I draw attention to the comments of Lord McNair who correctly said in another place on 10 February 1982 that the Bahá’ís reminded him of the Society of Friends, showing the same gentleness, tolerance and rejection of force. They have, however, been persistently subjected to intense persecution in Iran.

Although the 1979 revolution was hailed as a breakthrough for political liberty, persecution has since escalated. Since 1978, 188 named Bahá’ís have been executed and a further 15 have disappeared. A further 750 are believed to be in prison, 19 under sentence of death. I ask the House to consider the grave implications of that for their families and friends in this country and throughout the world. One of my Bahá’í constituents has told me that since 1982 three members of her immediate family have been imprisoned and then hanged. I have also received specific reports of relatives being tortured. The House will understand if I do not go into the details here.

The House should roundly condemn the false justifications advanced by the Iranian government for their behavior. The Bahá’ís have been accused of supporting the previous regime. Yet they refused all political appointments under the Shah. They are accused of being anti-Islam. On the contrary, they accept the divinity of the Koran as well

[Page 9] as the Bible. Their headquarters in Israel is said to show Zionist sympathies. Yet that headquarters was established 80 years before the creation of the state of Israel. Finally, they are said to form part of a Western conspiracy concocted in the 19th century by the British Foreign Office in league with the United States and Russian governments and have therefore been arrested on charges of conspiracy. If the Bahá’ís are not executed for their beliefs but for their alleged illicit activities against the state, that is a paradox as their religion forbids them to be involved in any kind of political activity.

In 1975, the government of Iran ratified the international covenant on civil and political rights. They have also ratified several other significant covenants which together encapsulate the fundamental rights to life, freedom from torture, fair trial, and freedom of conscience and opinion. In 1981, the Islamic Council issued a universal declaration of human rights, granting freedom of creed and protection from harassment by all official agencies. In addition, the Koran itself declares that minority religions must be protected under Moslem law. The treatment of the Bahá’í community is therefore in direct contravention of the Iranian government’s own moral and religious principles.

The world in general and Britain in particular are justified in urging the Iranian government to observe the basic principles of human justice and religious liberty. Those are the cornerstones of our society, and we should not be ashamed of championing those principles and broadcasting their importance to all governments, especially Iran’s. So far the British government can only be congratulated for their contribution to the efforts of international organizations in condemning Iranian policy.

The United Nations has maintained constant pressure, and as my hon. Friend the Minister said in a written answer in May this year, the United Nations Economic and Social Council has vociferously deplored the persecution. In May 1984, the council decided to appoint a special representative to make a thorough study of the position. I understand that that was endorsed by the United Nations Commission on Human Rights on 29 August. The House would appreciate some information from the Minister as to how matters stand in relation to the United Nations resolution that has the endorsement of the Commission on Human Rights.

Similarly, on 10 April 1983, the European Parliament called upon Iran to suspend the persecution and condemned the “gross violation of human rights.”

The European Parliament asked individual Foreign Ministers to “make representations ... in order to ... halt all manner of persecution and discrimination to which the Bahá’í minority (in Iran) is subject.”

That is a round condemnation and a clarion call. In addition, Australia, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, Canada and the United States of America have all condemned the Iranian persecution.

While the persecution increases, the government should increase their pressure on Iran. Full advantage should be taken of the recent improvement in relations between the two countries—an improvement which I wholeheartedly welcome. Regrettably, the openings for such action may be limited. The House will realize the many limitations upon direct pressure and persuasion, but the government should continue to pursue this matter within the forum of international organizations.

The opportunity exists for the government to exploit the thaw in relations for the good of the Bahá’ís. Those who are suffering in Iran, and those in my constituency, other constituencies and throughout the world, who live in constant fear for the lives of their families and friends in Iran, beg the government to do all that they can and to use all their goodwill and muscle, directly and indirectly through international organizations, for the sake of the Bahá’í community in Iran.

2:12 p.m.

The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Mr. Richard Luce): My hon. Friend the Member for Kettering (Mr. Freeman) has done the House a service by raising this important matter, and I congratulate him warmly on the great deal of thought that he has put into the issue and on the knowledge that he has displayed of the plight of the Bahá’í people in Iran. I assure him that I listened carefully to his views.

This matter causes the government much concern. Indeed, they have taken several positive steps to try to help the Bahá’í community in Iran, and I shall describe some of those steps in a moment. My hon. Friend echoed the disquiet that has been expressed by many hon. Members for many months, if not years. I have received many letters from hon. Members expressing anxiety on behalf of their constituents about the position of the Bahá’í community in Iran. I will go further and say that I maintain close contact with representatives of the Bahá’í community in the United Kingdom. Only yesterday I met the Secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United Kingdom, Mrs. Hardy, who also visited me in 1983 to express her worries about the Bahá’í community in Iran. The assembly in this country keep me and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials carefully briefed about developments there and their own anxieties—above all, about the imposition of the death penalty on many Bahá’ís. I can assure my hon. Friend that we shall continue to keep in very close touch with the leaders of the community in this country.

My hon. Friend spoke with great knowledge about the background to the Bahá’í faith which, as he said, was established in Iran in the middle of the last century. It grew out of Shia Islam and its adherents describe it as an independent religion but one which is not opposed to Islam. It is a monotheistic faith. It acknowledges all past revelations but to the fundamentalist believers of Islam the Bahá’í faith is regarded as a heresy. Bahá’í communities exist in over 150 countries. In 23 countries, over 1 per cent of the population are Bahá’ís. It is estimated that there are about 300,000 Bahá’ís in Iran, a very large number in India and several thousand in Europe. The community in the United Kingdom numbers about 5,000. They are organized into about 90 local assemblies, all of whom elect representatives to the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United Kingdom.

There are persistent accounts of the persecution of members of the Bahá’í community in Iran, including a number of executions, to which my hon. Friend referred. The Bahá’í commu-

[Page 10] nity is able to produce a good deal of evidence of discrimination and ill treatment. Unlike the Christian community in Iran, the Bahá’ís are not a protected minority under the constitution. The Iranian authorities claim that no Bahá’í has been persecuted or discriminated against as a result of his faith. Rather, they take the line that any Bahá’ís that suffer punishment do so for other reasons, such as political opposition to the government, a point to which my hon. Friend referred during the course of his speech.

I should like to comment, first, on the attitude of Her Majesty’s government to human rights as a whole. We deplore the abuses of human rights that occur in many parts of the world. Indeed, in 1978 I wrote a pamphlet on the subject of human rights and foreign policy. A central element in our foreign policy is to work to defend and strengthen human rights in many parts of the world. We all share a sense of outrage over gross abuses, such as summary execution, torture, detention without trial, denial of political rights, repression of religious minorities and many other abuses of human rights. I believe that we in this House all share the desire to use Britain’s influence to help make the world more humane.

In my view, there is no one way of doing this. It is a continuous process of choosing the right means and the right time to take action which will be likely to be effective. There is a range of options that we can and do pursue. These include bilateral pressure, representations in conjunction with our partners in the Ten or with other countries in various parts of the world and by taking a leading part in the United Nations—for example, the Commission on Human Rights and the General Assembly. I assure my hon. Friend that we shall maintain all our efforts in this crucial field of human rights. We must, in each individual case, judge the best approach to adopt in order to help those whose rights are violated. The kind of influence we can best bring to bear will vary in each case.

As for Iran, one of several countries in which human rights abuses cause us great concern, the Bahá’í community is subject to real and particular suffering. Our overriding concern as a government, and that of my hon. Friend, is the safety and well-being of those to whom we are trying to give help. We must never at any stage do anything that we believe might jeopardize their prospects. Western representations on behalf of the Bahá’í community have, on occasion, served only to strengthen Iranian feelings against the Bahá’ís. Britain is not the country best placed to make bilateral representations on behalf of the Bahá’ís. Our historical involvement in Iran is an important factor that mitigates against our success in

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‘The plight of the Bahá’ís is a matter of legitimate international concern, and Her Majesty’s government will continue to take whatever action we judge to be the most helpful in partnership with the international community.’

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this matter at the moment. We must take care not to take action which is counter-productive. I am sure that my hon. Friend would agree with that.

Equally, we shall not be afraid to voice concern and disquiet where that is necessary, appropriate and helpful. Against that background, in general, our best approach on the issue is to act in concert with our partners in the Ten and to couple that with action in international forums. A good deal has been done in both those respects.

The Ten—this is an important area in which we can help with some influence—view the persecution of the Bahá’í community with great concern. The Iranian authorities have been made fully aware of the Ten’s attitude in that matter through direct contacts with the Iranian government. We have joined our partners in the Ten in a series of démarches by the representatives of the Ten.

The most recent example of such a démarche was on 2 October this year when representatives of the Ten in Teheran drew the attention of the Iranian government to the deep concern felt by the Ten over continuing reports of the persecution of the Bahá’í community in Iran. The representatives of the Ten handed over to the Iranians a list of the Bahá’ís reported to have been executed in the previous six months and explained the damage done to the image of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

It was pointed out that the Ten member states, together with Iran, are signatories of the international covenant on civil and political rights, and consequently are under an obligation to take an interest in the matter. The Ten asked for assurances concerning human rights in Iran and the status of the Bahá’í community.

The Ten followed that up on 29 November in a speech given by the Irish presidency on behalf of the Ten to the third committee of the United Nations General Assembly drawing attention to the persecution of the Bahá’í community and reiterating their support for the appointment of a special representative of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights to make a thorough study of human rights in Iran.

The Ten urgently renewed their appeal to the government of Iran to adhere to their obligations under the international covenant on civil and political rights. I can assure my hon. Friend that we shall continue to urge the Ten to act vigorously in that way.

Then we come, as my hon. Friend rightly said, to action that we can take in the United Nations. A special representative was appointed following a resolution, co-sponsored by the United Kingdom, on human rights in Iran which was adopted on 14 March at the 40th session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights. The resolution specifically referred to the Bahá’ís. In his speech, the United Kingdom’s delegate to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, Sir Anthony Williams, urged the government of Iran to accord to all their citizens all the rights to which they are entitled, in particular the right to life, liberty and security of person, the right to a fair trial, and the right to profess and practice their views and beliefs— religious, political and other—even when those do not chime with official dogma. Sir Anthony noted that persecution for religious reasons is, in the view of the United Kingdom, as intolerable as persecution for racial reasons. The United Kingdom will continue to take every opportunity to express its views on human rights in Iran at the United Nations Commission on Human Rights. May I suggest to my hon. Friend that this is the most im-

[Page 11] portant forum as far as the United Nations is concerned?

My hon. Friend has launched a valuable debate and I have no doubt that the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran will note the views that he has expressed, views that have been echoed in other ways by many other hon. Members. I have sought to set out the government’s position and I have explained carefully the reasons for the steps that we have taken over the past few months. I can assure my hon. Friend that we shall continue to take seriously the views expressed by the Bahá’í community and by my hon. Friend and many others.

I shall consider carefully the other points made by my hon. Friend. The plight of the Bahá’ís is a matter of legitimate international concern, and Her Majesty’s government will continue to take whatever action we judge to be the most helpful in partnership with the international community. I assure my hon. Friend that the anxieties of the Bahá’í community will remain a matter of deep concern to my right hon. and learned Friend the Foreign Secretary and myself in the coming months.

Mr. Freeman: I am sure that the House will be very grateful for what the Minister has said. Has he any intelligence on whether the representative appointed by the United Nations commission to which he referred has been able to visit Iran? If not, will the Minister assure the House that when he has some information on the point he will communicate it to those who are interested in the subject, not only in this House but outside?

Mr. Luce: It will be the task of the representative to report back to the United Nations, and that will happen before too long. With regard to the activities of the representative and how far they have gone, I think that it would be best for me to write to my hon. Friend in due course. I shall let him know as soon as I can what progress the representative is making.

Canada

The Hand of the Cause of God John Robarts (third from right) is shown with Counsellors for the Americas who attended a recent Counsellors/Auxiliary Board members Conference in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The Counsellors are (left to right) Lloyd Gardner, Dr. Farzam Arbáb, Angus Cowan, Lauretta King and Dr. Peter Khan, a Counsellor member of the International Teaching Centre in Haifa.

[Page 12]

Joint committee of Parliament hears Bahá’í witness

Chairman—Do you wish to make a statement?

Dr. Davidson—Yes. I would like to speak briefly to the submission. I see no need to rehearse the problems which we are confronting with the arms race and so on, but one point which I think is very relevant is the transitional character of the age in which we are living. You might say that we are in a situation of extremely unstable equilibrium. This point was brought home to me quite strongly at the weekend when I was listening to the “Science Show” when a professor of cryptography was being interviewed. He made the point that, if there is a finite probability of war, if the situation persists long enough, then war is almost certain. From the point of view of the Bahá’í community, what we feel our country should be looking toward is some form of world civilization which will carry forward peace into the future on a secure basis, rather than some form of order which can just preserve peace from crisis to crisis ....

We feel that the establishment of a stable, peaceful society requires a reconstruction of the relationship between the nations of the world to develop a more effective world authority for the adjudication of disputes between nations and for the maintenance of peace. We feel that the United Nations at the present time is inadequate to play this role and that the real cost

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Dr. Davidson: ‘From the point of view of the Bahá’í community, what we feel our country should be looking toward is some form of world civilization which will carry forward peace into the future on a secure basis ...’

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of peace is for the nations of the world to give up some of their sovereignty so that there can be world authority capable of maintaining peace. Of course, this would require disarmament to the point where such an idea becomes viable.

Chairman—On a page of your submission you say:

“... however, it must now be clear that the United Nations Organization itself is inadequately constituted as a world authority for the maintenance of peace and order.”

Why do you see the United Nations in that way and what sort of structural organization would you recommend to take its place, if you see something taking its place?

Dr. Davidson—We feel that one of the problems with the United Nations is the separate representation of the nations and the power of veto which gives certain nations the right to exercise a disproportionate authority in the decision-making role. Also, we see the International Court of Justice as having a key role. We feel that its decisions should be binding on nations in matters affecting the execution of international law, rather than nations being able to decide themselves whether decisions should be binding on them.

Mr. Coleman—Your submission—I think you were quoting ‘Abdu’l-Bahá—refers to the adoption and promulgation of an international auxiliary language. Does that language exist at the moment or is it to be established?

Dr. Davidson—It is our view that it is really up to the nations of the world to select either an existing natural language or an artificial language. We do not believe that it should replace the mother tongue of the people, but it should be taught as a subsidiary language to facilitate communication.

Mr. Coleman—Could it be Esperanto or one of those?

Dr. Davidson—Yes, they would be contenders, certainly.

Mr. Coleman—You also referred to peace studies, which is quite a controversial area in that people differ about what should be in such courses. Some people are strongly opposed to some proposed courses as being politically biased and so on. Is there any particular peace studies course which is an example of the sort of thing your organization favors, as distinct from, let us say, teaching the Bahá’í Faith?

Dr. Davidson—No, we do not have a specific curriculum for a peace studies course. We do feel, however, that it is important that peace studies should transcend political controversies. From our point of view, the establishment of

Recently Dr. John Davidson, a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Australia, represented that body before the Australian Parliament’s Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence. This summary of pertinent questions asked by the committee during his appearance is reprinted from the Australian Bahá’í Bulletin, October 1984.

peace requires consensus and agreement, and it would be a matter of concern to us if it became politicized.

Mr. Coleman—You refer in your submission to the persecution of Bahá’í believers in Iran. Are there other countries in the world in which people of your Faith are persecuted?

Dr. Davidson—There are other countries in which we are not able to function in an organized way, but there are no other countries, to my knowledge, where Bahá’ís are being imprisoned and so on.

Mr. Coleman—Are these other

[Page 13] countries also Islamic?

Dr. Davidson—Yes, they are quite often Islamic.

Mr. Coleman—My next question is not a personal one, but is purely to give me an understanding of what is in your mind. You swore on the Bible, which was interesting to me. How does the Bible figure in the Bahá’í Faith?

Dr. Davidson—We regard the Bible as part of divine revelation. From the Bahá’í point of view, all the major world religions are divine in origin and we respect them equally.

Chairman—I have thrown this question (peace studies) out to a few witnesses because I have a problem with what is a very straightforward question: What are peace studies? What are our children or adults going off to study?

Dr. Davidson—As I see it, you can look at peace studies in two ways. You can look at a special curriculum on peace studies or you can do what the Japanese do and say that education should be education for peace. When they plan their curricula, they take account of the relationship of history or literature or whatever to peace. For instance, I would hazard a guess that a very substantial part of our history is based on war, how certain wars start and what causes them. It seems to me that instead of asking what is the cause of war, we could ask what is the cause of peace and try to establish the conditions in a country which have made it possible for peace to be attained and preserved. So one possibility is to re-examine existing curricula, such as history and literature, and see the relevance of peace. Perhaps it has been seriously underplayed in the construction of curricula.

If we want to look at peace studies directly, as a possible addition, I guess we would have to look at both the current situation in armament and arms control and peace treaties and things like that, and also at conflict resolution and ways of promoting harmony. For instance, I can recall when I was studying psychology at Queensland University that at that stage there was quite a lot of difficulty in the settlement of Italian migrants in the Riverina. It was, at that time, the work of the Agricultural Extension people to try to make some contribution in this area. They arranged a fair in the town hall where they displayed artifacts, sewing and needlework and that sort of thing, and this had very little impact on the Australian population. However, it happened that soon after that the school fence was in need of repair and both Australian and Italian parents were mobilized. The effect of working together in rebuilding a fence was very beneficial and resulted in Australians inviting Italians into their homes and so on. I believe there is a lot of evidence to show that equal status contact is one of the most effective ways of overcoming group prejudice, and this kind of thing could be developed. What are the ways in which our prejudices can be overcome?

Mr. Coleman—Getting-back to the 1919 principles, I would like to hear your comment on a couple of them. One of them is the independent investigation of reality and the other is the voluntary sharing of property. Could you perhaps expand on those principles?

Dr. Davidson—Yes. Independent search after truth to us is essential in overcoming the limitations of traditionalism. We see this as necessarily being built into the process of education.

I think that most educationalists would feel that this principle is embodied in our system of education in Australia, anyway, to encourage people to investigate for themselves, although perhaps not as much as might be desirable. What was the second question?

Mr. Coleman—The emphasis is on independent thinking. I was concentrating on the word “reality” and wondering what you meant by “reality.” The other one was about voluntary sharing of property.

Dr. Davidson—At the time ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was writing even a system of universal taxation was not widely accepted, and that is another of the principles which were taught in the Bahá’í Writings. In addition to a state enforced contribution to the welfare of the people, the Bahá’í teachings express the thought that those who have more should voluntarily make contributions to support the underprivileged ....

Equatorial Guinea

Pictured are eight of the nine members of the National Spiritual Assembly of Equatorial Guinea for 1984-85.

[Page 14]

Germany’s Temple to acquire first dependency

At Riḍván 136 Germany was given a wonderful new goal within the Seven Year Plan: the Mother Temple of Europe was to acquire its first accessory building—a home for the aged.

First, the National Spiritual Assembly of Germany checked with the World Centre to determine how large the home should be and how far from the Temple it should be located. The U.S. National Spiritual Assembly was asked for reports of its experience, the first assessment of construction costs and viability was made, and Mr. Teuto Rocholl was appointed as architect.

There was a lively response to the request published in Bahá’í News for the friends’ suggestions and ideas. The many valuable ideas were gathered in a memorandum and given to the Committee for the Home for the Aged which was then formed. This team, consisting of five Bahá’ís, inspected the grounds of the House of Worship and looked for a suitable place in which to locate the home. At length they decided on an area between Eppsteiner Straße and the Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds including the adjoining piece of land. The advantages of this site are that it is close to a residential area, there is only a short walk to the bus stop and shops, and it is sheltered from the wind. The committee also suggested that the National Assembly stipulate a “quiet zone” around the Temple that may not be built on.

The National Assembly approved the site and the suggestion for a quiet zone of 150 meters around the House of Worship, and so the planning could proceed. The first discussion was held with Mr. Rocholl, and according to the results of this meeting he was to make the first architectural drafts.

This report on the first dependency of the Mother Temple of Europe was submitted to Bahá’í News by the National Spiritual Assembly of Germany.

Mr. Rocholl then turned to the building authority in Hofheim, where the plan was warmly welcomed. In April 1984 Mr. Rocholl submitted the first plans, which were then discussed with him and also in his absence. Mr. Rocholl tried to include all the suggested alterations, and soon the altered plans were on the table. In November, after further consultation and alterations, the interim building permit inquiry with the latest plans corresponding to the model was submitted to the building authority.

This completes the first phase of the planning stage. The next task is to make a draft for the interior fittings; for the financing, which can be staggered and made possible by buying, renting or other means; for the profitability calculation, whereby costs of maintenance and personnel are important; as well as consideration of the conditions imposed by the building authority. Those conditions will be forthcoming after the interim building permit inquiry has been examined.

The present draft is designed in such a way that we need not build the entire structure at one time. We can begin with the central unit, the square central section, and build only one or two wings at first. The other parts and the house for personnel can be built later (in the meantime, the personnel can live in some of the apartments).

On the model one cannot see the House of Worship, which is situated somewhat at a distance from its upper corner. From the corner to the right the Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds can easily be seen, and from the lower corner to the left the Eppsteiner Straße leads toward the “Torhaus,” which, like the House of Worship, could not be fitted onto the model. The large number of small trees in the middle indicate a residential garden, which is to be set out on top of the previously excavated earth. There will be a car park immediately adjoining the Eppsteiner Straße. The path

[Page 15] leading to the Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds will be leveled out to a certain degree. The light and shade on the picture of the model show the incidence of light at noon.

We hope that we will soon have an answer to our construction request and that the detail work on the plan will proceed at a good pace so that by the end of the Seven Year Plan we will have the final plans for the construction.

Denmark

Eskil Ljungberg, a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh, was honored recently by his many friends in the Faroe Islands on the occasion of his 98th birthday. Mr. Ljungberg, who still attends most Bahá’í meetings and other events, has made many friends among the Faroese since he arrived as a pioneer 31 years ago following the Stockholm Conference.

Samoa

One hundred children and youth ranging in age from two months to 20 years attended a recent Children’s Conference on Savai’i, the largest island of Samoa. Children came from nine villages on the island of Upolu alone.

A special guest at the conference was Counsellor Suhayl ‘Alá’í.

Botswana

Eighty-six people including 44 non-Bahá’ís attended a United Nations Day dinner party last October 23 sponsored by the Spiritual Assembly of Gaborone, Botswana, to mark the 39th anniversary of the UN’s establishment.

Participating were representatives of the ministers of commerce and industry, and local government and land; the chief of the city of Gaborone; the assistant resident representative of the UN Development Program, and the resident program officer of UNICEF who praised the Bahá’ís for sponsoring the event and quoted from the Guardian during her address on the need for human rights, world unity and peace.

Another speaker was Auxiliary Board member Daniel Ramoroesi.

* * *

Valuable publicity for the Faith resulted from a recent visit to Botswana by Hooper Dunbar, a Counsellor member of the International Teaching Centre.

On the first day of his visit to Gaborone, a radio interview with Mr. Dunbar was broadcast after the 6 p.m. news. Also, a Bahá’í who works at the station arranged to have a report of Mr. Dunbar’s visit broadcast twice the following day as a headline news item.

An article about the Counsellor’s visit was published in the Daily News, and another interview with him appeared in The Botswana Guardian.

About 40 believers attended a meeting with Mr. Dunbar in Gaborone, while the same number attended another meeting during his visit that was held in the village of Manyana.

Greece

Sixty-one people were present last August 29-September 2 at the 9th Bahá’í Summer School in Greece.

Speakers included Counsellor Betty Reed and two Auxiliary Board members.

Four non-Bahá’ís were among those attending the Summer School along with believers from Canada, Cyprus and Zaire.

[Page 16]

Thailand

Pictured are members of the Bahá’í Women’s Committee of the Ban Vinay Hmong Refugee Camp in Leoi province, northeastern Thailand. These Bahá’í women are helping to plan deepening activities and classes for women in the camp.

El Salvador

More than 229 people from all parts of El Salvador attended a National Bahá’í Youth Conference last August 3-5 which was organized by the three youth committees of El Salvador: the Bahá’í University, International Youth Year, and Art and Graphics committees.

Auxiliary Board member Richard Mirkovich traveled from Costa Rica to attend the conference. Other participants included a group from Guatemala.

Workshops focused on the message to youth from the Universal House of Justice; morality; love and sex; spiritual health; and love, engagement and marriage.

Among the speakers was a representative of El Salvador’s ministry of education.

The program included a candlelight service in memory of the recent martyrs in Iran.

Guyana

Frank and Eve Fernandes, natives of Guyana who now live in Barbados and are members of that country’s National Spiritual Assembly, achieved recent successes in proclaiming the Faith in Guyana.

Mr. Fernandes presented a piano recital at the National Cultural Centre in Georgetown last July 21. Two hundred-fifty people, most of whom were not Bahá’ís, attended the recital, which was sponsored by the National Spiritual Assembly of Guyana.

It was widely advertised in the press, and was followed by two radio interviews. The National Assembly of Guyana hosted a reception for government officials, media representatives and local businessmen on the evening before Mr. Fernandes’ recital.

Malaysia

A group of Bahá’í women in East Malaysia are operating a communal farm, the proceeds from which are donated to the Bahá’í Fund.

The women also have their own conferences with child care provided by the men. The costs are supported by the proceeds from the farm.

As a result of these activities, a suggestion has been made to the National Spiritual Assembly of Malaysia that seminars be held on the equal roles of men and women.

* * *

More than 500 people including Bahá’ís from 46 communities and four members of the Auxiliary Board attended a recent three-day Bahá’í Summer School in Malacca, Malaysia.

There were 33 class sessions for youth, women, children, Tamil and Chinese believers. Bahá’ís in charge of the program received 25 offers from prospective pioneers or traveling teachers.

Tonga

A direct mailing piece in Tongan and English that describes Bahá’í teachings on loyalty to government has been hand delivered to His Majesty King Tupou IV of Tonga.

The same literature has been mailed to various government and education officials in Tonga.

Two new booklets, Writings of Bahá’u’lláh and Stories of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, have recently been published in the Tongan language.

Uganda

Six hundred students at a primary school in Tilling, Uganda, which was the home of the Hand of the Cause of God Enoch Olinga, learned of the Faith recently during a special presentation arranged by two Bahá’ís, Benson Kariuki and Enoch Olinga’s son, George Olinga.

The two Bahá’ís planned the presentation because sometimes students leave the school without having heard about the Faith.

In his remarks at the close of the meeting for junior and senior level students, the school’s headmaster commented that he was happy with the occasion, and added that although he knew about the Faith, it had increased his understanding of the relationship between the various Bahá’í institutions.

Canada

The Faith was proclaimed throughout Winnipeg, Canada, last October 1-7 in an effort by the Bahá’í community there to reach all levels of society, the government and the media.

Participants in Winnipeg’s “Bahá’í Week” events included Counsellor Angus Cowan and Auxiliary Board member Jamshid Aidun.

[Page 17]

United Kingdom

The National Spiritual Assembly of the United Kingdom has officially designated property owned by the Faith on the outskirts of Belfast, Northern Ireland, as a Temple site.

The property was willed to the National Assembly by a Bahá’í who lived in Belfast and who passed away some years ago. The house that stands on the property is being restored and will be put to use for the Faith.

The extensive Temple site behind the house is on the crest of a hill with a commanding view of the surrounding countryside including the Northern Ireland parliament buildings at Stormont.

The recent clearing of the property, which had become overgrown in recent years, and the restoration of the house have drawn favorable comment in the local press.

Netherlands Antilles

This portable Bahá’í exhibit is used to proclaim the Faith at the public library and city market place in Oranjestad, Aruba, Netherlands Antilles. The exhibit has been seen by many visitors to the city from North and South America and the Caribbean area. Bahá’í books and pamphlets are given to each inquirer.

India

Shown are teachers and some of the 75 young students at a school near Darjeeling in northeastern India that is sponsored by the Spiritual Assembly of the Singell Tea Estate. The school and its five Bahá’í teachers were recently visited by members of the Area Teaching Committee of Darjeeling.

The National Spiritual Assembly of India recently began a three-month project at the Faizí Institute to strengthen 150 Spiritual Assemblies and to train some 300 selected believers.

Twenty-six school teachers and 12 traveling teachers attended a five-day institute that inaugurated the program. The speakers included Counsellor Zena Sorabjee and three members of the National Spiritual Assembly of India.

A follow-up report referred to the spirit and enthusiasm of the teachers of South Madhya Pradesh.

Swaziland

At the request of the Canadian government, the National Spiritual Assembly of Swaziland has agreed to be a distributing agency for Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) funds to be used for disaster relief.

Housing repair materials, food, and, if necessary, clothing will be distributed by a committee formed to handle the project. Guidelines for distributing the approximately $4,000 have been set, and the committee hopes to accomplish all necessary work on a volunteer basis.

The National Spiritual Assembly released some funds to begin the work even before receiving money from the Canadian government.

Grants for relief work are being made to several other religious and educational institutions in Swaziland.

Kenya

Many Bahá’í communities in Kenya have been offering mothers’ conferences that include fellowship and classes in sewing, teaching children Bahá’í values, and general health measures.

The programs have been received enthusiastically in Mtepeni, Karimboni, Namawangu, Kalifi, Malava, Luanda, Chango and Matunga. In some cases, men have joined the classes.

[Page 18]

from BellwoodPress

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4 stories about change and inner growth

SPECIAL STRENGTHS

written by GAIL RADLEY illustrated by JOE BODDY

Proud Eagle knows he is the King of Birds and enjoys showing off.

Mother Opossum adopts Small Fox and is perplexed
when he can’t learn opossum ways.

Loner the Ant thinks the colony is
too crowded and goes off by herself
to start a new life.

Berit the Lemming realizes
there’s danger in following the crowd,
though no one believes her.

What do these characters do? They develop special strengths when they meet their problems in unforeseen ways.

Peer pressure, pride, adoption, and being a loner are the themes that run through their four stories.

When the characters learn about humility, cooperation, mutual acceptance, and being true to one’s self, they are surprised to discover that inner growth and transformation are not so hard after all.

And when you and your children discover these delightful forest creatures, you can share their struggles and triumphs, while internalizing abstract Bahá’í principles behind these engaging tales.

GAIL RADLEY, author of Zahra’s Search, is a journalist
and a freelance writer who has published three novels
for teenagers, and a picture book for children.

JOE BODDY, is a member of the Society of Illustrators,
who specializes in children’s books.

Ages 3-7 years 64 pages, 5½ x 8¼ inches ISBN 0-87743-703-3 Softcover

$450*

*Available from Bahá’í Distribution Service
Wilmette, IL, U.S.A., at prices listed plus 10% for
postage and handling.

Available from

Bahá’í Distribution Service
415 LINDEN AVENUE, WILMETTE, IL 60091 ■ TEL. 1-800-323-1880