Bahá’í World/Volume 30/Official Opening of the Terraces of the Shrine of the Báb

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[Page 37]

Official Opening of the Terraces of the Shrine of the Báb

...it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.

n the evening of 22 May 2001, in the gathering dusk, some 3,000 members of the Bahá’í Faith, joined by more than 600 special guests, gathered at the foot of Mount Carmel in Haifa, Israel. The Bahá’ís had come from more than 180 countries, as representatives of their communities, to witness the inauguration of the terraces of the Shrine of the Báb, towards the construction of which they had been contributing for more than 13 years. They shared this historic moment with their cobelievers and with the world at large via transmissions on a global satellite network and the World Wide Web, reaching millions of viewers in more than 70 countries.

The call to undertake this immense project had come some 14 years before, in 1987, when the Universal House of Justice stated, "the way is now open for the Bahá’í world to erect the remaining buildings of its Administrative Centre," thus fulfilling [Page 38]the intent of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and bringing to fruition the work of the Guardian in this regard. In its letter, the Universal House of Justice also wrote, “The great work of constructing the terraces, landscaping their surroundings, and erecting the remaining buildings of the Arc will bring into being a vastly augmented World Centre structure which will be capable of meeting the challenges of coming centuries and of the tremendous growth of the Bahá’í community...”

It was Bahá’u’lláh Who designated this particular location on Mount Carmel as both the spiritual and the administrative center of His Faith, when He visited Haifa during the last years of His life. In accordance with Bahá’u’lláh’s directive, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá built the Shrine of the Báb and interred His remains there in 1909. In the middle years of the twentieth century Shoghi Effendi beautified that Shrine and then undertook the construction of a classically designed structure to house the historic and sacred relics of the early period of the Bahá’í Faith.

Construction of the seat of the Universal House of Justice commenced in the 1970s and was completed in 1983. Four years later came the call for the building of the remaining structures and the terraces. For Bahá’ís the world over it was a project of great significance, coinciding with the emergence of their Faith from obscurity. Their contributions, whether large or small, connected them tangibly to the World Centre, and news of the completion of each stage of the construction projects was received with palpable enthusiasm.

No wonder, then, that the Bahá’ís chosen to represent their national communities arrived in Haifa in May 2001 with a sense of tremendous emotion. “I feel I am in a different world,” commented one delegate from Suriname, while another from Belarus said, “The idea that more than 3,000 people can come together to do this, it is an example that can show the way the world can

Letter dated 31 August 1987 to the Bahá’ís of the world.

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[Page 39]

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Representatives of more than 180 national Bahá’í communities gather in Haifa in May 2001.

be, without any problems or prejudice. All over the world, people are waiting for this." "To meet so many brothers and sisters, from different countries, speaking different languages, it brings me great happiness. I feel like I am next to God, with people of different colors, from difference places, and that we are flowers of one garden," said a participant from Bolivia. And another from Uganda: "When you see this place, you see that peace can come in the world. The [Page 40]Participants circumambulate the Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh as part of the devotional program at Bahjí on 21 May.

beauty here, it can bring people together. It is, like the Bible says, the Kingdom of God on earth."

The first event, on Monday 21 May, was a devotional program at the Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh, where participants prepared themselves spiritually for the week ahead by paying homage to the Founder of their Faith as prayers and readings from the Bahá’í sacred writings were read and chanted in Arabic, English, French, Persian, and Russian.

The following morning, participants convened at the Haifa Congress Center for a program featuring remarks by Hands of the Cause of God ‘Alí-Akbar Furútan and ‘Alí-Muḥammad Varqa.

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[Page 41]

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Hand of the Cause of God ‘Alí-Akbar Furútan chants a prayer during the devotional program at Bahji.

Matthew Weinberg, Director of Research for the Bahá’í International Community’s Office of Public Information, delivered a talk about the significance of the occasion, and the mayor of Haifa, Amram Mitzna, came to welcome the participants on behalf of the city. Also featured were a youth choir from the Democratic Republic of the Congo; Tabarsi, a group of young Romany musicians from Spain; and soloists performing gospel-style music.

That evening, on the 158th anniversary of the Báb’s declaration of His mission, the centerpiece of the inaugural events unfolded at the foot of Mount Carmel. The performance of two original symphonic works, commissioned by the Universal House of Justice and composed by Tolibkhon Shahidi of Tajikistan and Lasse Thoresen of Norway, thrilled those present.

2 See pp. 51-62 for the text of this talk. [Page 42]

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(Above) The more than 3,000 people gathered at the foot of the terraces. (Left) The composers, orchestra conductor, and soloists.

Mr. Shahidi's melodic and lyrical symphonic composition in three movements, entitled "O Queen of Carmel!", is based on a eulogy by Shoghi Effendi to the Shrine of the Báb. Mr. Thoresen's symphonic oratorio "Terraces of Light" in five movements is based on Bahá’u’lláh’s Tablet of Carmel. Both pieces were performed by the Israel Northern Symphony, Haifa, under the direction of Stanley Sperber, and the 70-voice Transylvania State Philharmonic Choir of Cluj, Romania, under the direction of Cornel Groza. Mezzo-soprano Patricia Green, tenor Stuart Howe, and baritone Brett Polegato were featured soloists, along with Austrian violinists Bijan Khadem-Missagh, his son Vahid, and his daughter Martha.

During the final movement of "Terraces of Light," as dusk was falling, guests watched light flood the 19 newly completed terraces surrounding the Shrine of the Báb, which extend more [Page 43]than a kilometer up the face of the mountain. "It was stunning," commented one delegate afterwards. "I felt myself in a different world. In the Bahá’í writings, it is said that music gives wings to the soul. And I felt that."

The lighting of the Shrine was particularly poignant for Bahá’ís, who recalled that the Báb was denied even a single candle by which to read at night during the years He was imprisoned before His execution.

A statement by the Universal House of Justice, prepared for the occasion, described the Shrine as "a monument to the triumph of love over hate" and the surrounding gardens with their "rich variety of colors and plants" as "a reminder that the human race can live harmoniously in all its diversity.” In this turbulent time, the statement continued, "There is a light at the end of this tunnel of change, beckoning humanity to the goal destined for it according to the testimonies recorded in all the Holy Books. The Shrine of the Báb stands as a symbol of the efficacy of that age-old promise, a sign of its urgency."³

The evening event was attended not only by the 3,000 Bahá’í delegates from around the globe but also by some 600 dignitaries, including local and national political figures, local and regional religious leaders, and ambassadors from more than 30 countries. More than 100 members of national and international media were accredited. Throughout the world, millions more watched via satellite television and Webcast.

The following morning Bahá’í participants returned to the open-air amphitheatre at the foot of the terraces for a devotional program before ascending the terraces to circumambulate the Shrine. The prayers and music that formed the program represented a variety of cultures. Choral music was offered by the youth choir from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and an international choir formed at the Bahá’í World Centre, joined by a soloist from India, Vivek Nair.

3 See pp. 65-67 for the complete text of this statement. [Page 44]

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The ascent of the terraces was a profoundly spiritual act for the delegates, many of whom wore traditional native costumes. "I thought of the suffering of the Báb," said one man from Kenya. "He was put in prison and He was mocked and He was martyred and everyone thought that was the end. But now we see the glory that surrounds His Shrine and the adoration people feel when they visit it." A young woman from Mexico recalled the Biblical prophesy of Isaiah: "I thought of where it says, 'And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.' And when I saw all those people from all these nations, climbing up Mount Carmel, I felt that was the fulfillment of that prophesy. It is a privilege without words to be part of that."

A choir from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (above) and the international choir formed at the Bahá’í World Centre (right) perform at the foot of the terraces. [Page 46]

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(Left, from left to right) Architects Fariborz Sahba and Husayn Amanat are introduced by Hushmand Fatheazam, member of the Universal House of Justice.

(Above left) Kevin Locke teaches the audience a song from the Lakota tradition while Zhu Ming Ying looks on. (Above right) Atef Sadkaoui performs on the same evening.

Wednesday evening participants again gathered at the Haifa Congress Center. The program celebrated the accomplishments of the two principal architects responsible for the Mount Carmel Projects-Husayn Amanat, who designed the buildings on the Arc, and Fariborz Sahba, who designed the terraces and served as project manager for both the buildings and the terraces. A video documentary depicting the terraces' construction premiered during the evening. The two composers whose works were performed at the official opening were recognized as well. Musical selections from Chinese, Arabic, Indian, and American native traditions were highlighted.

In a letter to the Bahá’ís of the world written just a month before the inaugural events took place, the Universal House of Justice stated: [Page 47]

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The significance of the occasion lies principally in the pause it will allow for a review of the remarkable distance the Cause has covered in its development during the twentieth century. It will be time, too, for considering the future implications of the phenomenal accomplishments symbolized by the rise of the monumental structures on God's holy mountain-a rise that opens the spiritual and administrative centers of our Faith to the gaze of the world.*

This combination of reflection on the past and looking forward to the future formed the basis of Thursday's evening program. First, a dramatic narrative juxtaposed news events in the world at large with dramatic episodes from the history of the Bahá’í Faith. And then came the moment awaited eagerly by all delegates: The institution of the Universal House of Justice took the stage and delivered a message looking forward to the challenges and prospects for the Bahá’í community. In part, the message stated:

The majestic buildings that now stand along the Arc traced for them by Shoghi Effendi on the slope of the Mountain of God, together with the magnificent flight of garden terraces that embrace the Shrine of the Báb, are an outward expression of the immense power animating the Cause we serve. They offer timeless witness to the fact that the followers of Bahá’u’lláh have successfully laid the foundations of a worldwide community transcending all differences that divide the human race, and have brought into existence the principal institutions of a unique and unassailable Administrative Order that shapes this community's life. In the transformation that has taken place on Mount Carmel, the Bahá’í Cause emerges as a visible and compelling reality on the global stage, as the focal center of forces that will, in God's good time, bring about the reconstruction of society, and as a mystic source of spiritual renewal for all who turn to it.

4 Universal House of Justice, letter to the Bahá’ís of the world, Ridván 2001. 5 See pp. 69-73 for the full text of this message. [Page 48]

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Participants gather on the Arc path on Mount Carmel for the final devotional program on Friday morning.

The final official ceremony of the inaugural events was a devotional gathering on Friday morning. Delegates stood along the path connecting the buildings on the Arc on Mount Carmel as they faced the Shrine of the Báb and, across the bay near Acre, the Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh. The Tablets of Visitation, special prayers used by Bahá’ís when they visit these holy places, were read and chanted as all bowed their heads in reverent silence. Afterwards, participants lingered on the path and the steps of the buildings, mingling and laughing and bidding farewell to their newly met brothers and sisters from around the globe, as they readied themselves to return home.

During their stay at the Bahá’í World Centre participants were given much free time for prayer and meditation in the Shrines and gardens. They were also able to visit the grave of Amatu’l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum, the monument for which had been completed shortly before the official opening commenced. There they remembered an indomitable soul who had, for more than half a century, tirelessly traveled the globe and encouraged Bahá’ís everywhere in their efforts to build their communities and teach their Faith.

The Bahá’í writings refer to music as a "ladder of the spirit" and drama as "the pulpit of the future." The Universal House of Justice has encouraged the development of the arts in the Faith as the world community has matured, and at the inaugural events, participants experienced the power of the arts to move hearts and [Page 49]uplift the spirit. Music-symphonic, choral, vocal solo, and instrumental, whether traditional indigenous, classical, jazz, or gospel-from various parts of the world was featured throughout the programs, and drama also formed part of one of the evenings. No doubt such artistic offerings will inspire other artists to develop their own expressions in the future.

Media coverage of the inaugural events was unprecedented. Stories were produced by the Associated Press, Agence France Press, Le Monde, the Religion News Service, Trouw (Amsterdam), PTI India News Agency, Itar-Tass, La Stampa, SABC (South Africa), ARD German Radio, and many others. News media crews from CBC-TV (Canada), NBC-TV and CBS-TV (US), The New York Times, BBC Radio, CNN International, UPI, and ORF Austria also covered the story. In Israel, the events were aired live on cable television, and the Israel Broadcast Authority's classical music station also broadcast the 22 May evening event live, relaying it for later broadcast to European Broadcasting Union stations. The Webcast page received almost 40,000 visits during 22 and 23 May.

Following the events, the Universal House of Justice addressed a letter, dated 1 June 2001, to the Bahá’ís of the world, reflecting on what had transpired. It wrote, "Our hearts overflow with joy, our heads are bowed in gratitude to the Blessed Beauty, as we contemplate the astonishing success of the ceremony that inaugurated the Terraces of the Shrine of the Báb." And it continued,

It is too soon to assess the immediate impact of this unexampled global proclamation of the Faith; nor can its implications for the progress of the Cause be immediately understood. There can be no doubt, however, that so vast a proclamation will accrue towards the advancement of the process of entry by troops, on which the energy of the loved ones of Bahá’u’lláh everywhere must be even more intensively focused than before....

May the manifest wonders of the Lord of Hosts invigorate and fortify the friends throughout the world in their devoted endeavors to pursue the avenues of service that He has so graciously opened before them.

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[Page 50]Bahá’ís from nearly two hundred countries ascend the terraces of the Shrine of the Báb on Wednesday morning. [Page 51]

A Sacred History

Talk by Matthew Weinberg, given at the Haifa Congress Center on the morning of 22 May 2001

Today we commemorate a sacred history of unexampled love, supreme sacrifice, and divine vision. It is a narrative prefigured in the pronouncements of the great seers of the past. As we stand awestruck at the majestic structures and the "tapestry of beauty" now defining the face of God's Holy Mountain, and ponder the mysterious processes responsible for the remarkable transformation of this once barren domain, the words of Isaiah echo on all sides: "The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose... the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the Lord, and the excellency of our God."¹

In an enterprise revealing a tenacity of purpose, a sustained selflessness, and the power of unified action, the followers of the Greatest Name in all corners of the planet seized a unique moment in time. The raising up of this directing center of the Kingdom of Bahá’u’lláh evokes astonishment at His eternal might and gratitude for His generous dispensations of grace. For we are nothing more than His humble instruments striving to achieve His just and compassionate purpose. The completion of this grand undertaking at once provides evidence of the tangible greatness of the Cause of the ‘Abhá Beauty and is a testimony to the existence of an objective spiritual reality—for such an accomplishment could not be brought about by human effort and insight alone. Certainly, the spiritual forces involved lie beyond our comprehension. As Bahá’u’lláh Himself testifies, "This, truly, is a Revelation which revealeth itself only once every five hundred thousand years. Thus have We removed the barrier and lifted the veils."²

¹ Isaiah 35:1-2. ² Bahá’u’lláh, quoted in a letter of Shoghi Effendi to the Bahá’ís of the East, Naw-Rúz 101 BE. [Page 52]

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This occasion offers us the opportunity to look back at a fate-laden and triumphant spiritual journey.

More than 150 years ago, a youthful Prisoner, banished to a desolate mountain fortress, boldly addressed the ruler of Persia in these words: "I am the Primal Point from which have been generated all created things. I am the Countenance of God Whose splendor can never be obscured, the Light of God Whose radiance can never fade." Speaking with an astounding power reminiscent of the Prophets of old, the Báb proclaimed the arrival of a new Day, that long anticipated moment in human history when the Promised One would "fill the earth with equity and justice" and "with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord."5

His "trumpet-blast of knowledge" awakened the darkened land of Persia and endowed all who responded with "a new eye, a new ear, a new heart, and a new mind." His message, though, was not directed to that land alone, for He was the Bearer of a Revelation destined to transform the spiritual life of the human race. "O ye peoples of the earth," the Báb declared, "Enter ye, one and all, through this Gate...." To pass through this Door was to step out of the darkness into the light of God's love and compassion; it led to the "Path of Truth" and to the "ways of peace."8

The Báb was the portal through which the long expected universal Manifestation of God would soon appear. He clarified the central aim of His mission by explaining that "the purpose underlying this Revelation, as well as those that preceded it,

3 The Báb, Selections from the Writings of the Báb (Haifa: Bahá’í World Centre, 1982), p. 12. 4 Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Bahá’u’lláh: Selected Letters, 2d rev. ed. (Wilmette: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1993), p. 179. 5 Habakkuk 2:14. 6 Bahá’u’lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh (Wilmette: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1994), p. 267. 7 The Báb, Selections, p. 56. 8 The Báb, Selections, p. 61. [Page 53]has...been to announce the advent of the Faith of Him Whom God will make manifest." The basis for all human accomplishment is to be found in the teachings of this Most Great Luminary, and "the sum total of the religion of God," He says, "is but to help Him."10 For the Báb, a climacteric in human development had been reached, and He was the "Voice of the Crier, calling aloud in the wilderness of the Bayán" and announcing to humanity that it was entering the period of its collective maturity.

The unbounded ardor and intrepidity engendered by the Báb’s clarion call marked the first chapter in an extraordinary drama of spiritual and moral renewal. The heroism of His lovers, their superhuman fortitude, and deeds of consecration shook Persia to its depths and attracted the attention of the world. Engulfed in a maelstrom of fanaticism and hate, the followers of the Lord of the Age evinced prodigies of courage and devotion that defy all description. "Through the blood which they shed," Bahá’u’lláh affirms, "the earth hath been impregnated with the wondrous revelations of Thy might and...Thy glorious sovereignty."12 And it is that same blood, Shoghi Effendi states, which constituted "the seed" of a divinely conceived administrative order "destined to overshadow all mankind."13 We cannot forget, then, the shedding of this "crimson ink" by the thousands of Bábí heroes and heroines when we gaze upon the monumental structures on the Mountain of God.

At the center of our thoughts is the ultimate, the glorious sacrifice of the Exalted One Himself. The "Fruit of the Tree of God's successive Revelations"14 yielded its precious seed to the

9 The Báb, Selections, p. 106. 10 The Báb, Selections, p. 85. 11 Bahá’u’lláh, Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh revealed after the Kitáb-i-Aqdas (Wilmette: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1997), p. 12. 12 Bahá’u’lláh, cited in Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By (Wilmette: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1995), p. 80. 13 Shoghi Effendi, World Order of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 52. 14 Shoghi Effendi, cited in The Báb, Selections, p. 3. [Page 54]"mill of adversity" 15 in the city of Tabriz, quenching temporarily the "Flame of that supernal Light...."16 When contemplating the inexplicable phenomenon of the Báb's martyrdom our hearts are filled with wonder, and we are moved to exclaim our powerlessness before One Who is Omnipotent. "The whole world," Bahá’u’lláh testifies, "rose to hinder Him, yet it utterly failed. The more severe the persecution they inflicted on that Sadrih of Blessedness, the more His fervor increased, and the brighter burned the flame of His love." He Who was "the Herald of a new Era and the Inaugurator of a great universal prophetic cycle"18 had, in the words of one prominent European writer, "sacrificed himself for humanity.... Like Jesus he paid with his life for the proclamation of a reign of concord, equity, and brotherly love."19

Deprived of the youthful and magnetic Voice which was its instrument, the mysterious "God-borne Force" animating the new Revelation then began to pulsate within the gloom and darkness of the Síyáh-Chál. There, "He, for Whose sake the world was called into being,"20 the Supreme Manifestation of God anticipated by the Báb and all the Chosen Ones before Him, began to radiate the Light of an all-embracing and transformative love. From that "Black Pit" of deprivation and despair, the "Wronged One of the World" and the "All-Knowing Physician" arose to diffuse the "divine remedy" of unity to the ends of the earth. "...He Who is the Ancient Beauty hath come," Bahá’u’lláh Himself avers, "...that

15 Shoghi Effendi, Messages to the Bahá’í World, 1950-1957 (Wilmette: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1995), p. 154. 16 The Báb, Selections, p. 74. 17 Bahá’u’lláh, The Kitáb-i-fqán (Wilmette: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1993), p. 234. 18 Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, p. 57. 19 A.L.M. Nicolas. See Emily McBride Périgord, Translation of French Foot-Notes from The Dawn-Breakers (New York: Bahá’í Publishing Committee, n.d.), p. 61. 20 Bahá’u’lláh, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf (Wilmette: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1995), p. 56.

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[Page 55]He may quicken the world and unite its peoples. They, however, rose up against Him with sharpened swords, and committed that which caused the Faithful Spirit to lament.... At one time they cast Him into prison, at another they banished Him, and at yet another hurried Him from land to land."21

Bahá’u’lláh suffered so "that all the dwellers of...earth" could be "born anew."22 And as He attests in His Most Holy Book, "Because He bore injustice, justice hath appeared on earth, and because He accepted abasement, the majesty of God hath shone forth amidst mankind."23 Overcoming torture, imprisonment, betrayal, and exile, and scorned by political rulers and religious leaders alike, He, the "Unifier of the children of men" and the "Organizer of the entire planet," succeeded in bringing into existence a worldwide community dedicated to belief in the oneness of God, the oneness of all the great religions, and the oneness of the human family. He had revealed Himself to stir humanity from its “strange sleep," to awaken it to its innate excellence, nobility, and beauty.

The mystical quest had been redefined as a quest not only for meaning but for a new way of life. A forsaken and forgotten Prisoner called upon humankind to finally break free from the ancient shackles of prejudice, violence, superstition, and material desire.

His tribulations and banishments, the vehicles of a preordained Divine plan, eventually brought Him to this, the "Most Holy Land," the "abode of the Prophets," the geographic and spiritual heart of the planet. And here He raised His "Tabernacle of Glory" on the "Hill of God." The "New Jerusalem," the "City of God" mentioned in the Tablet of Carmel, the "heavenly Law...which is the guarantor of human happiness,"24 had been established.

21 Bahá’u’lláh, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 63. 22 Bahá’u’lláh, Prayers and Meditations (Wilmette: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1998), p. 44. 23 Bahá’u’lláh, The Kitáb-i-Aqdas (Wilmette: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1993), para. 158, p. 76. 24 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá (Wilmette: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1997), p. 59. [Page 56]Lord of Hosts Himself pointed to the spot where the precious remains of His Herald, the "Primal Beauty," should find their permanent place of rest. "The time fore-ordained unto the peoples and kindreds of the earth is now come," Bahá’u’lláh confirms. "The promises of God, as recorded in the holy Scriptures, have all been fulfilled."25

The eventual placement of the Holy Dust of the Martyr-Prophet in the mausoleum on Mount Carmel—a signal victory of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and that Shrine’s further beautification represented a striking reversal of the tragic circumstances surrounding the Báb’s ministry. The juxtaposition of two mountains—Máh-Kú and Carmel—now comes into clear focus. "In this mountain I have remained alone," the Báb laments in referring to Máh-Kú, and "In His presence," He continues, "there is not at night even a lighted lamp!"26 How mighty is the All-Glorious One! The Báb is no longer alone on the mountain; He is now at the center of "both the visible and invisible worlds": "the Point," as acclaimed by Bahá’u’lláh, "round Whom the realities of the Prophets and Messengers revolve," 27 and "the Spot," as extolled by the Master, "round which the Concourse on high circle in adoration."28

The Youth of Shíráz, the "Essence of Essences" and the "Morn of Truth," had journeyed from a castle of oblivion to a lighthouse of splendor lit by the oil of His incomparable sacrifice. The darkness of one had been supplanted by the divine illumination of the other. In remembrance of the linkage between the two mountains, in 1953 Shoghi Effendi reverently placed a fragment of the plaster ceiling of the Báb’s prison cell in the fortress of Máh-Kú beneath the gilded tiles of His Shrine’s majestic dome.29

25 Bahá’u’lláh, The Proclamation of Bahá’u’lláh to the Kings and Leaders of the World (Haifa: Bahá’í World Centre, 1967), p. 110. 26 The Báb, Selections, pp. 16, 87. 27 Bahá’u’lláh, Prayers and Meditations, p. 300. 28 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, cited in Shoghi Effendi, Citadel of Faith: Messages to America 1947-1957 (Wilmette: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1995), p. 96. 29 Shoghi Effendi, Messages to the Bahá’í World, 141.

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[Page 57]Thus, as foreseen in the Holy Book, the Spirit of Elijah had come back to the mountain of the Lord to once again serve as a luminous beacon pointing to the "Perfect Way."30 The Sepulcher of the Báb is the "Queen" at the heart of the world who each day in her evening glory is the visible expression of the Báb’s cry: "I am the Lamp which the Finger of God hath lit...and caused to shine with deathless splendor."31 And tonight we shall see yet one more miracle: This mighty Lamp crowned in gold shall be encircled by myriad other lamps, setting the entire mountain ablaze in light; and so we shall behold light upon light!

"How great is the potency of thy might," is the Guardian’s tribute to the "Queen of Carmel," "a might which has bewildered the souls of the favored ones of God and His Messengers!"32 As she glows with brilliance, and with her wings spread over the guiding institutions of God's Cause, we cannot fail to recall the Divine assurance given to the Báb: "Be Thou patient, O Qurratu’l-’Ayn, for God hath indeed pledged to establish Thy sovereignty throughout all countries and over the people that dwell therein."33

In our inauguration of a befitting approach to the sacred Spot enshrining the earthly remains of the "Gate of God"-one day to become the "Pathway of the Kings and Rulers of the World"- we can discern a momentous victory of the meek. In accordance with prophecy, at the time of the appearance of the Promised One, it is said that all things are to be reversed. Bahá’u’lláh explains: "Through this reversal He hath caused the exalted to be abased and the abased to be exalted."34 The dedicated and selfless efforts of Bahá’ís across the decades of the twentieth century to raise up and adorn the Shrine of the Báb-as well as the great Administrative Centre in its shadow-is undoubtedly a triumph of the unheard

30 Bahá’u’lláh, Tablets, p. 103. 31 The Báb, Selections, p. 74. 32 Shoghi Effendi, letter to the Bahá’ís of the East, Naw-Rúz 111 BE. 33 The Báb, Selections, p. 57. 34 Bahá’u’lláh, cited in note 171 in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, p. 238. [Page 58]peoples of the world. Adhering to the vision and guidance of the Master and the Guardian, the followers of the Blessed Beauty in every land that noble but humble "army of light"-overcame all obstacles and vanquished the forces of darkness that sought to extinguish the Divine Flame kindled by the Báb and intensified by Bahá’u’lláh. Reflecting on these events we can only say, "Glorified, glorified be His meekness...."35

The verdant natural mosaic now extending from the foot to the crest of Mount Carmel presents humankind with a profound message of hope. The struggle for the spiritual regeneration of the world, which is our Faith's ultimate mission, is, in some sense, given expression by the greening and blossoming of this mountain. As the variegated elements of the gardens encircling the Holy Precincts effloresce into ever more resplendent patterns of beauty, so too our teachings tell us "the earth of human potentialities will blossom with its own latent excellence and flower into praiseworthy qualities." 36 But these capacities of the human spirit will only flourish "through the restoring waters of pure intention and unselfish effort."37 The magnificent gardens and flowing waters now decorating God's "Vineyard" speak to the nobility of human beings of what is possible for human society to achieve when it consciously turns to the bountiful outpourings of the Holy Spirit. They suggest quite directly that the transformation of the outer world is contingent upon an inner transformation of the heart.

In 1911, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, in His first public address in the West in London, declared, "This is a new cycle of human power. All the horizons of the world are luminous, and the world will become indeed as a garden and a paradise."38 As humanity traversed the

35 Bahá’u’lláh, Gleanings, p. 242. 36 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, The Secret of Divine Civilization (Wilmette: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1994), p. 4. 37 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Secret of Divine Civilization, p. 4. 38 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in London: Addresses and Notes of Conversations (London: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1987), p. 19.

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[Page 59]subsequent decades of the century-a century darkened by harrowing periods of ferocity and depravity and illumined by elevating flashes of creativity and unity—‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s vision of a transformed world unfolded. While the full consummation of His vision is likely to occur only in the distant future, its essential features and direction have been irreversibly established. At this juncture, the very purpose of the Bahá’í community is to demonstrate that it is possible to create gardens of justice and understanding patterns of collective life based on trust, cooperation, rectitude of conduct, and genuine concern for others. May our own unremitting quest for unity in diversity illuminate others. And as the terraced gardens of Carmel manifest in their beauty and diversity the ideal of harmony, may the world itself recognize its capacity to effect the unity which is the only pathway to peace and well-being. We thus offer to humanity two powerful examples: ourselves and this mountain of splendor.

In executing the mandate given to him by the Master, the beloved Guardian, through immense effort and creativity, embellished the Shrine of the Báb with an "exquisite shell," designed the Arc on the Hill of God, and beautified the Holy Precincts. Each step he undertook in the development of the World Centre was matched by a great thrust forward in the teaching field. As Shoghi Effendi mapped the terrain of Mount Carmel, he also mapped the earth to every last degree. Under his energizing and divinely inspired leadership, and in accordance with the Plan conceived by the Center of the Covenant, a valiant band of believers extended the spiritual dominion of Bahá’u’lláh to the remotest regions of the globe, presenting to the world a working model of a unified "commonwealth of peoples."39

This response to the "summons of the Lord of Hosts" led to the great victory of 1963. With the election of the Universal House of Justice, the "sailing of the Ark" of God's laws mentioned in the

39 Shoghi Effendi, trans., The Dawn-Breakers: Nabil's Narrative of the Early Days of the Bahá’í Revelation (Wilmette: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1996), p. 667. [Page 60]Tablet of Carmel was realized. 40 Through this unique collective act, the long awaited "scales of justice" had been raised by the Bahá’ís of the world and "the Hand of Omnipotence" had "established His Revelation upon an enduring foundation."41 The "living waters of everlasting life," Shoghi Effendi indicated, would now "stream forth from that fountain-head of God's World Order upon all the warring nations and peoples of the world, to wash away the evils and iniquities of the realm of dust, and heal man's age-old ills and ailments."42

The establishment of the Universal House of Justice constituted a remarkable demonstration of the spirit of faith. This spirit was again manifest in the monumental projects of the past decade. Given the privilege of building up the agencies of the New World Order "foreshadowed by the Báb, enunciated by Bahá’u’lláh, and established by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá," the projects drew the support of every segment of our community. And how could it be otherwise? For as Shoghi Effendi has explained, the "World Administrative Center of the Bahá’í community...stands as the emblem symbolizing the basic unity of all nations, governments, and peoples, and as the seat of sovereignty and the dawning-place of both spiritual and temporal power. It is the supreme center to which the followers of His most sublime and glorious Faith must turn and the focal point which will mirror forth upon all regions the effulgent splendors of the celestial throne of Him Who is the Creator of men. It is the fountain-head of divine civilization which is the fairest, the

40 Shoghi Effendi, letter to the Bahá’ís of the East, Naw-Rúz 111 BE, cited in Adib Taherzadeh, The Covenant of Bahá’u’lláh (Oxford: George Ronald, 1992), p. 402. 41 Shoghi Effendi, World Order of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 109. 42 Shoghi Effendi, letter to the Bahá’ís of the East, 27 November 1929, cited in Covenant of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 407. 43 Shoghi Effendi, Messages to America: Selected Letters and Cablegrams Addressed to the Bahá’ís of North America, 1932-1946 (Wilmette: Bahá’í Publishing Committee, 1947), p. 49.

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[Page 61]noblest fruit of the Revelation of the Most Great Name...."44 This then provides insight into our essential identity. As Bahá’u’lláh is the Prophet of civilization, we are the builders of civilization. As He is the Divine Educator, we are students learning to apply His teachings to the problems and needs of the world. As He is the Source of light, we are the agents of light, casting beams of love and confidence into the darkness. We are, therefore, instruments amplifying Carmel’s call: "He that was hidden from mortal eyes is come! His all-conquering sovereignty is manifest; His all-encompassing splendor is revealed."45 Our mission is the spiritual empowerment of the whole of the human family-to open up vistas of justice, freedom, and culture that have never before been seen. "A race of men," Bahá’u’lláh assures us, "incomparable in character, shall be raised up which...will cast the sleeve of holiness over all that hath been created...."46

The stunning structures on the Arc provide a glimpse of the civilization to be. In their features of balance, proportionality, and harmony they echo Bahá’u’lláh’s exhortation to humanity to return to the Golden Mean, the "Middle Way"-to infuse all human endeavor with equity, mutuality of purpose, and moderation. In their sublimity and elegant solidity, the buildings now erected offer a striking contrast to the disintegrating institutions and bankrupt mores of a directionless society. To a shaken and agitated world they reflect the "calm new light of Peace and of Truth which envelops, guides, and sustains" those who have embraced the "law and love of Bahá’u’lláh."47

The achievement that we have gathered to celebrate is one truly worthy of our spiritual forebears. It is an accomplishment that both vindicates the suffering of the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh and

44 Shoghi Effendi, letter to the Bahá’ís of the East, Naw-Rúz 111 BE. 45 Bahá’u’lláh, Gleanings, p. 16. 46 Bahá’u’lláh, cited in Shoghi Effendi, The Advent of Divine Justice (Wilmette: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 2000), p. 31. 47 Shoghi Effendi, World Order of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 109. [Page 62]foreshadows the wonders that the age of human maturity will reveal. In bringing these extraordinary projects to fruition we can now begin to visualize what the writer of the Apocalypse saw long ago: "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people.... And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain...."48

In pondering the significance of what the lovers of Bahá’u’lláh have wrought on the mountain of God, we can only recall the words of one of the seven martyrs of Tehran, who, while awaiting the moment of his own death, gazed upon the bodies of the two martyrs who had preceded him and who still lay entwined in each other's embrace. "Well done, beloved companions!' he cried."49 Indeed, my brothers and sisters, well done!

48 Revelation 21:3-4. 49 Shoghi Effendi, trans., The Dawn-Breakers, p. 454.

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[Page 65]From the Universal House of Justice

On the Occasion of the Official Opening of the Terraces of the Shrine of the Báb

22 May 2001

With joyful and thankful hearts, we welcome all who have come from near and far to join us on this auspicious occasion for the Bahá’ís of the world. We acknowledge with deep appreciation the presence of so many distinguished guests.

A century and a half have passed since that unspeakable tragedy in the northwest of Persia when the Báb faced the volley fired at Him from the rifles of 750 soldiers. The soldiers had followed the orders of the highest authorities in the land. The Báb’s mangled body was then thrown on the side of a moat outside the city, abandoned to what His cold-blooded persecutors thought would be a dishonorable fate. They had hoped thus to put an end to the growing influence of His teachings on masses of people throughout the country. These masses had accepted, in the face of intense persecution, the Báb’s claim to prophethood, and their lives were being transformed spiritually and morally as He prepared them for what He said was the dawn of a new age in which a world civilization would be born and flourish. The expectations that stirred countless hearts were heightened even more sublimely by the Báb’s announcement that One greater than He would soon arise, One Who would reveal the unparalleled character of the promised world civilization that would signify the coming of age of the entire human race.

We are met not to lament the tragedy of the Báb’s martyrdom and the persecutions that followed; rather have we come to celebrate the culmination and acknowledge the meaning of an unprecedented project that had its beginning over a century ago. It was then that Bahá’u’lláh, Whom the Ottoman authorities had banished to Acre to serve out His days in confinement, visited Mount Carmel [Page 66]and selected the spot where the remains of His Herald would be interred. We humbly trust that the wondrous result achieved by the completion of the nineteen terraced gardens, at the heart of which rises the Shrine of the Báb, is a fitting fulfilment of the vision initiated by Bahá’u’lláh.

The sufferings sustained by the Báb so as to arouse humanity to the responsibilities of its coming age of maturity were themselves indications of the intensity of the struggle necessary for the world’s people to pass through the age of humanity’s collective adolescence. Paradoxical as it may seem, this is a source of hope. The turmoil and crises of our time underlie a momentous transition in human affairs. Simultaneous processes of disintegration and integration have clearly been accelerating throughout the planet since the Báb appeared in Persia. That our Earth has contracted into a neighborhood, no one can seriously deny. The world is being made new. Death pangs are yielding to birth pangs. The pain shall pass when members of the human race act upon the common recognition of their essential oneness. There is a light at the end of this tunnel of change beckoning humanity to the goal destined for it according to the testimonies recorded in all the Holy Books.

The Shrine of the Báb stands as a symbol of the efficacy of that age-old promise, a sign of its urgency. It is, as well, a monument to the triumph of love over hate. The gardens which surround that structure, in their rich variety of colors and plants, are a reminder that the human race can live harmoniously in all its diversity. The light that shines from the central edifice is as a beacon of hope to the countless multitudes who yearn for a life that satisfies the soul as well as the body.

This inextinguishable hope stems from words such as these from the Pen of Bahá’u’lláh: “This is the Day in which God’s most excellent favors have been poured out upon men, the Day in which His most mighty grace has been infused into all created things.” May all who strive, often against great odds, to uphold [Page 67]principles of justice and concord be encouraged by these assurances.

In reflecting on the years of effort invested in this daunting project, we are moved to express to the people of Haifa the warmth of the feeling in our hearts. Their city will for all time be extolled by the Bahá’ís everywhere as the place in which the mortal remains of the youthful Prophet-Herald of their Faith finally found refuge, and this after half a century of having to be secretly moved for protection from one place to another in His native land. The patience and cordiality shown towards the Bahá’ís throughout the most difficult years of the construction work exemplify the spirit of goodwill in which so much of the world stands so greatly in need.

Haifa is providentially situated on Mount Carmel, with its immortal associations with saintly visionaries, whose concern throughout the ages was largely focused on the promise of peace. May Haifa achieve wide renown not just as a place of natural beauty but more especially as the city of peace.

Let the word go forth, then, from this sacred spot, from this Mountain of the Lord, that the unity and peace of the world are not only possible but inevitable. Their time has come. [Page 68](Above left) Youth from around the world reciting a prayer of the Báb. (Above right) The choirs from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Bahá’í World Centre perform together.

(Below) The crowd shows its appreciation at one of the events. (Below left) A scene from the dramatic narrative. (Below right) The group Tabarsi from Spain. [Page 69]

From the Universal House of Justice

To the Believers Gathered for the Events Marking the Completion of the Projects on Mount Carmel 24 May 2001

Dear Bahá’í Friends,

One hundred and forty-eight years have passed since the moment in the darkness of the Síyáh-Chál when Bahá’u’lláh received the Divine summons to rise and proclaim to all on earth the dawning of the Day of God:

Verily, We shall render Thee victorious by Thyself and by Thy pen.... Erelong God will raise up the treasures of the earth- men who will aid Thee through Thyself and through Thy Name, wherewith God hath revived the hearts of such as have recognized Him.

In terms of historical time, it is but the briefest of spaces that separates that primal moment from the splendid victory we celebrate here this week. You who have come together from every corner of the earth and from every segment of the human family represent a cross-section of those whom Bahá’u’lláh has raised up to aid Him, and no one among us can hope to express adequately the gratitude we feel at being in that company.

The majestic buildings that now stand along the Arc traced for them by Shoghi Effendi on the slope of the Mountain of God, together with the magnificent flight of garden terraces that embrace the Shrine of the Báb, are an outward expression of the immense power animating the Cause we serve. They offer timeless witness to the fact that the followers of Bahá’u’lláh have successfully laid the foundations of a worldwide community transcending all differences that divide the human race, and have brought into existence the principal institutions of a unique and unassailable administrative order that shapes this community's life. In the [Page 70]transformation that has taken place on Mount Carmel, the Bahá’í Cause emerges as a visible and compelling reality on the global stage, as the focal center of forces that will, in God's good time, bring about the reconstruction of society, and as a mystic source of spiritual renewal for all who turn to it.

Reflection on what the Bahá’í community has accomplished throws into heartbreaking perspective the suffering and deprivation engulfing the great majority of our fellow human beings. It is necessary that it should do so, because the effect is to open our minds and souls to vital implications of the mission Bahá’u’lláh has laid on us. "Know thou of a truth," He declares, "these great oppressions that have befallen the world are preparing it for the advent of the Most Great Justice." "God be praised!" ‘Abdu’l-Bahá adds, "The sun of justice hath risen above the horizon of Bahá’u’lláh. For in His Tablets the foundations of such a justice have been laid as no mind hath, from the beginning of creation, conceived." In the final analysis, it is this Divine purpose that all our activities are intended to serve, and we will advance this purpose to the degree that we understand what is at stake in the efforts we are making to teach the Faith, to establish and consolidate its institutions, and to intensify the influence it is exerting in the life of society.

Humanity's crying need will not be met by a struggle among competing ambitions or by protest against one or another of the countless wrongs afflicting a desperate age. It calls, rather, for a fundamental change of consciousness, for a wholehearted embrace of Bahá’u’lláh’s teaching that the time has come when each human being on earth must learn to accept responsibility for the welfare of the entire human family. Commitment to this revolutionizing principle will increasingly empower individual believers and Bahá’í institutions alike in awakening others to the Day of God and to the latent spiritual and moral capacities that can change this world into another world. We demonstrate this commitment, Shoghi Effendi tells us, by our rectitude of conduct towards others, by the discipline of our own natures, and by our complete freedom

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[Page 71]from the prejudices that cripple collective action in the society around us and frustrate positive impulses towards change.

The standards set out by the Guardian apply to the entire Bahá’í community, both in its collective life and in the lives of its individual members. They hold, however, particular implications for Bahá’í youth, who are blessed with the enviable advantages of high energy, flexibility of mind, and, to a great extent, freedom of movement.

The world that Bahá’í youth are inheriting is one in which the distribution of educational, economic, and other basic opportunities is grossly unjust. Bahá’í youth must not be daunted by such barriers. Their challenge is to understand the real condition of humanity and to forge among themselves enduring spiritual bonds that free them not only from racial and national divisions but also from those created by social and material conditions, and that will fit them to carry forward the great trust reposed in them.

Bahá’u’lláh encourages us to anticipate from the youth of His community a much earlier advance to maturity than is characteristic of the rest of society. Clearly, that does not in any way diminish the importance of the pursuit of education, of economic realities, or of family obligations. It does mean that Bahá’í youth can accept― and should be encouraged to accept-a responsibility of their own for moral leadership in the transformation of society. In vindication of these words, we invoke the memory of the One Whose Shrine has today set the Mountain of God ablaze with light, and the memory of the band of youthful heroes and heroines whose greatness of soul and sacrifice of self launched on its course the enterprise in which we are engaged.

The achievement we are today celebrating brings into focus two paradoxical realities. Within the Faith itself, the gathering strength of the Bahá’í community presages a great surge forward, intimations of which are already everywhere apparent. Inevitably, as Shoghi Effendi several times emphasized, this advance will excite even more intense opposition than the Cause has so far encountered, opposition that will in turn release the greater forces needed for the still more demanding tasks that lie ahead. [Page 72]

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The world in which our efforts are taking place is likewise undergoing profound changes. On the one hand, the vast network of agencies and individuals that promote understanding and cooperation among diverse peoples affirms ever more powerfully the growing recognition that the "earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens." On the other hand, it is equally clear that the world is moving through a period of social paralysis, tyranny, and anarchy, a period marked by the widespread neglect of both governmental and personal responsibility, the ultimate consequences of which no one on earth can foresee. The effect of both developments, as Shoghi Effendi also pointed out, will be to awaken in the hearts of those who share this planet with us a longing for unity and justice that can be met only by the Cause of God.

A long and arduous process of struggle, experimentation, and construction has led to the victories that lift our hearts as a new century opens. Through the rapidly proliferating system of institutes and the energy being invested everywhere in area growth strategies, the Bahá’í community has moved swiftly to capitalize on what has been achieved. However deep may be the gloom enveloping the world, the future has never looked so bright for the prosecution of Bahá’u’lláh’s mission. We who have been privileged to gather here this week have witnessed, with our own eyes, the dawning fulfillment of the words revealed by the Lord of Hosts on this mountain over a century ago, words which cause the very atoms of the earth to vibrate: "Verily this is the Day in which both land and sea rejoice at this announcement, the Day for which have been laid up those things which God, through a bounty beyond the ken of mortal mind or heart, hath destined for revelation."

Such a privilege carries with it an equally great responsibility, the responsibility to do our part, whatever the sacrifice, whatever the difficulty, to see that the poignant desire expressed by Bahá’u’lláh on that historic occasion is fulfilled: "Oh, how I long to announce unto every spot on the surface of the earth, and to carry to each one of its cities, the glad-tidings of this Revelation-a Revelation [Page 73]to which the heart of Sinai hath been attracted, and in whose name the Burning Bush is calling: 'Unto God, the Lord of Lords, belong the kingdoms of earth and heaven."

With all the fervor of thankful hearts, we will pray at the Holy Threshold that Bahá’u’lláh will bless and confirm every effort you make to advance His purpose for the redemption of humankind and the healing of its ills.

With loving Bahá’í greetings,

THE UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE

The members of the Universal House of Justice at the Haifa Congress Center on 24 May.