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V
PROCLAMATION OF THE Bahá’í FAITH
He Who is the King of Kings hath appeared, arrayed in H is most wondrous glory, and is summoning you unto Himself. . . Arise, and serve Him Who is the Desire of all nations, Who hath created you through a word from H im, and ordained you to be, for all time, the emblems of H is
sovereignty. Bahá’u’lláh
1. THE PROCLAMATION OF Bahá’u’lláh
HAVING declared His Mission to His followers in Baghdad during those memorable days in the spring of 1863, it remained for Bahá’u’lláh to proclaim that same Mission to the world’s secular and ecclesiastical leaders. “This historic Proclamation was made at a time when the Faith was in the throes of a crisis of extreme violence,” writes Shoghi Effendi in God Passes By, “and it was in the main addressed to the kings of the earth, and to the Christian and Muslim ecclesiastical leaders who, by virtue of their immense prestige, ascendancy and authority, assumed an appalling and inescapable responsibility for the immediate destinies of their subjects and followers.”
“The initial phase of that Proclamation,” Shoghi Effendi continues, “may be said to have opened in Constantinople with the communication (the text of which we, alas, do not
(Opposite)
possess) addressed by Bahá’u’lláh to Sultan ‘Abdu’l—‘Aziz himself, the self-styled vicar of the Prophet of Islam and the absolute ruler of a mighty empire. So potent, soaugust apersonage was the first among the sovereigns of the world to receive the Divine Summons, and the first among Oriental monarchs to sustain the impact of God’s retributive justice. The occasion for this communication was provided by the infamous edict the Sultan had promulgated, less than four months after the arrival of the exiles in his capital, banishing them, suddenly and without any justification whatsoever, in the depth of winter, and in the most humiliating circumstances, to Adrianople, situated on the extremities of his empire.”
The following monarchs, and the Pope, were addressed by name, all, except Francis Joseph, being sent one or more individual Tablets.
The Proclamation of Bahá’u’lláh, a compilation of H is Own announcements, made one hundred
years ago, to the kings and ecclesisatical leaders of the world and to mankind in general, was
published by the Universal House of Justice in 1967 to mark the centenary of the inception of
that proclamation. A limited deluxe edition was printed for presentation to today’s kings and rulers.
195
[Page 196]196
’9
THE BAHA i WORLD
SULIAN ‘ABDU’L-‘AZiZ
“Observe, 0 king, with thine inmost heart and with thy whole being, the precepts of God, and walk not in the paths of the oppressor. . . Shouldst thou cause rivers of justice to spread their waters amongst thy subjects, God would surely aid thee with the hosts of the unseen and Of the seen, and would strengthen thee in thine aflairs. . . Overstep not the bounds ofmoderation, and dealjustly with them that serve thee.”
The Bettmann Archive
Sultén ‘Abdu’l-‘Aziz was deposed after a palace revolution, condemned by sentence of the Mufti in his own capital, and four days later assassinated (1876). The war of 1914—18 resulted in the dissolution of the Ottoman empire, the abolition of the sultanate, the proclamation of a republic, and the sounding Of the death—knell of a rulership that had endured for more than six centuries.
[Page 197]PROCLAMATION OF THE Bahá’í FAITH 197
ALEXANDER II
“Arise thou amongst men in the name of this all-compelling Cause, and summon, then, the nations unto God. . . Blessed be the king whose sovereignty hath withheld him not from his Sovereign, and who hath turned unto God with his heart.”
The Bettmann Archive
After suffering several attempts on his life, Nicolaevitch Alexander II, Czar of Russia, died at the hand of an assassin. The harsh policy of repression he initiated in the latter part of his reign and which his successors maintained, led eventually to a revolution which swept away on a bloody tide the empire of the Czars, bringing in its wake war, disease and famine, which led to the establishment of a militant proletariat Which massacred the nobility, persecuted the clergy, drove away the intellectuals, disendowed the state religion, executed the Czar with his consort and family, and forever extinguished the dynasty of the Romanofis.
[Page 198]198 THE Bahá’í WORLD
FRANCIS JOSEPH
“ We have been with thee at all times, and found thee clinging unto the Branch and heedless Of the Root. . . We grieved to see thee circle round Our Name, whilst unaware of Us, though We were before thyface.”
Ewing Galloway
Francis J oseph, Emperor of Austria and King of Hungary, was engulfed by misfortunes and tragedies unsurpassed in the calamities they inflicted upon his nation. The shrunken republic built on the ruins of his vanished Holy Roman Empire was, after a brief and precarious existence, blotted out from the political map of Europe.
[Page 199]PROCLAMATION OF THE BAHA’I’ FAITH
NAPOLEON III
“0 King of Paris! T ell the priest to ring the bells no longer. . . The Most Mighty Bell hath appeared. . . We have desired for thee naught except that which is better for thee than what thou dost possess and all the treasures of the earth. . . For what thou hast done, thy kingdom shall be thrown into confusion, and thine empire shall pass from thine hands. . . We see abasement hastening after thee, while thou art of the headless. . .”
. 1x
The Bettmann Archive
Napoleon III, the most august monarch of his day in the West, sustained ignominious defeat at the Battle of Sedan (1870), an event which marked one of the greatest military capitulations recorded in modern history. He lost his kingdom and spent the remaining years of his life in exile; his much vaunted empire collapsed, a ferocious civil war ensued, and the crowning of William I, the Prussian King, as Emperor of a unified Germany, took place in the Palace of Versailles.
199
[Page 200]200
THE Bahá’í WORLD
NASIRI’D-DiN EAH
“Look upon this Youth, 0 King, with the eyes of justice; judge thou, then, with truth concerning what hath befallen Him. . . They that surround thee love thee for their own sakes, whereas this Youth loveth thee for thine own sake, and hath had no desire except to draw thee nigh unto the seat ofgrace, and to turn thee toward the right—hand of justice.”
The Bettmann Archive
Négiri’d—Din fluih, in the plenitude of his power, was dramatically assassinated while at prayer on the eve of a jubilee celebration designed to go down in history as the greatest day in the annals of the Persian nation. The fortunes of his hapless house thereafter steadily declined, the scandalous and irresponsible misconduct of his successor leading to the ignominjous eclipse and final disappearance of the Qéjér dynasty.
[Page 201]PROCLAMATION OF THE Bahá’í FAITH 201
POPE PIUS IX
“ . . He Who is the Lord ofLords is come overshadowed with clouds . . . this is the day whereon the Rock (Peter) crieth out and shouteth . . . saying: ‘Lo, the Father is come, and that which ye were promised in the Kingdom is fulfilled.’ ”
Ewing Galloway
The undisputed head of the most powerful Church in Christendom was compelled to submit himself to dispossession of the Papal States and of Rome itself, over which the Papal flag had flown for one thousand years, and to witness the humiliation of the religious orders under his jurisdiction, adding mental anguish to his physical infirmities and embittering his latter years. The virtual extinction'of the Pope’s temporal sovereignty was signalized by the formal recognition of the Kingdom of Italy subsequently exacted from one of his successors in the Vatican.
[Page 202]202
THE Bahá’í WORLD
QUEEN VICTORIA
“God hath, truly, destined a reward for thee. . . He, verily, will pay the doer of good his due recompense . . . thou hast entrusted the reins of counsel into the hands of the representatives of the people. Thou, indeed, hast done well, for thereby the foundations of the edifice Of thine affairs will be strengthened, and the hearts of all that are beneath thy shadow, whether high or law, will be tranquillized.”
The Bettmann Archive
“The renowned Queen Victoria, whose sovereignty extended over the greatest political combination the world has witnessed” to whom Bahá’u’lláh “addressed an Epistle in which He . . . assures her that God would reward her for having ‘forbidden the trading in slaves,’ ” and “commends her for having ‘entrusted the reins of counsel into the hands of the representatives of the people,’ ” enj oyed the longest reign of any monarch in British history. Her grand—daughter, Queen Marie of Rumania, “. . . alone among all those of royal birth or station, was moved to spontaneously acclaim the greatness of the Message of Bahá’u’lláh . . . to commend the Bahá’í Teachings to all men and women, and to extol their potency, sublimity and beauty. . .”
[Page 203]PROCLAMATION OF THE Bahá’í FAITH
WILLIAM I
“Say: 0 King of Berlin! Give ear unto the Voice calling from this manifest T emple. . . Take heed Iestpride debar thee from recognizing the Dayspring of Divine Revelation, lest earthly desires shut thee out, as by a veil, from the Lord of the Throne above and of the earth below. . . We hear the lamentations of Berlin, though she be today in conspicuous glory.”
The Bettmann Archive
William I, conqueror of Napoleon III, sustained two attempts on his life. His throne was bequeathed to William II whose pride and short-sightedness engulfed Europe in the Great War of 1914—18 which in turn precipitated swift and sudden revolution in the German capital. Communism appeared in a number of cities; the princes of the German states abdicated. Fleeing ignominiously to Holland, William II was compelled to relinquish his right to the throne. The constitution of Weimar marked the extinction of the empire, giving rise to a treaty whose severe terms provoked “the lamentations” prophesied by Bahá’u’lláh half a century before.
203
[Page 204]204
In addition to the foregoing summons to individual kings and rulers, Bahá’u’lláh proclaimed His Message in Tablets and other passages in His Writings addressed to the kings and rulers collectively, to the “Rulers of America and the Presidents in every land,” to the world’s religious leaders, to the clergy and people of various faiths, and in the Great Announcement to mankind.
“A glance at the Writings of the Author of the Bahá’í Revelation,” wrote Shoghi Effendi,1 “will reveal the important and significant fact that He Who addressed collectively an immortal message to all the kings of the earth, Who revealed a Tablet to each of the outstanding crowned heads of Europe and Asia, Who
THE Bahá’í WORLD
issued His call to the sacerdotal leaders of Islam, both sunni and shi‘ih, Who did not exclude from His purview the Jews and the Zoroastrians, has, apart from His numerous and repeated exhortations and warnings to the entire Christian world, directed particular messages, some general, others precise and challenging, to the heads, as well as to the rank and file, of the ecclesiastical orders of Christendom—its pope, its kings, it patriarchs, its archbishops, its bishops, its priests, and its monks.”
“Never since the beginning of the world,” Bahá’u’lláh testified, “hath the Message been so openly proclaimed.”
2. DELIVERY OF THE PROCLAMATION TO TODAY’S HEADS OF STATE
In its introduction to the compilation of Bahá’u’lláh’s announcements to the many categories of humanity, as well as individual rulers, whom He addressed, the Universal House of J ustice wrote:
One hundred years ago, Bahá’u’lláh, Founder of the Bahá’í Faith, proclaimed in clear and unmistakable language, to the kings and rulers of the world, to its religious leaders, and to mankind in general that the long-promised age of world peace and brotherhood had at last dawned and that He Himself was the Bearer of the new message and power from God which would transform the prevailing system of antagonism and enmity between men and create the spirit and form of the destined world order.
At that time the splendour and. panoply of the monarchs reflected the vast power which they exercised, autocratically for the most part, over the greater portion of the earth. Bahá’u’lláh, an exile from His native Persia for His religious teaching, was the prisoner of the tyrannical, all-powerful Sultan of the Ottoman Empire. In such circumstances He addressed the rulers of the world. His Tablets to particular kings and to the Pope, although delivered, were either ignored or rejected, their wise counsels and d ire warnings went unheeded, and in one instance the bearer was cruelly tortured and killed.
The Promised Day is Come.
Bahá’u’lláh, viewing that old world and seeing it “at the mercy of rulers so drunk with pride that they cannot discern clearly their own best advantage” declared that “. . . the strife that divides and afi‘licts the human race is daily increasing. The signs of impending convulsions and chaos can now be discerned, inasmuch as the prevailing order appears to be Iamentably defective.” Although painting in sombre tones the ‘divine chastisement’ which would assail most of those rulers and engulf in ruin the peoples of the world, He nevertheless left no doubt about the outcome. “Soon”, He declared, “will the present day order be rolled up and a new one spread out in its Stead. ” Since the ascension of Bahá’u’lláh in 1892, in the Holy Land, the rolling up of the old order has become the daily experience of mankind and no abatement of this process is descernible. The essence of Bahá’u’lláh’s World Order is the unity of the human race. “O ye children of men”, He writes, “the fundamental purpose animating the Faith of God and His Religion is to safeguard the interests and promote the unity of the human race. . .” And He warns, “The well-being of mankind, its peace and-security, are unattainable unless and until its unity is firmly established.” The achievement of this unity is Bahá’u’lláh’s declared mission and the aim of all Bahá’í activity. Its outline and structure are indicated in the following passage from the writings of
[Page 205]PROCLAMATION OF THE Bahá’í FAITH 205
Shoghi Effendi, great-grandson of Bahá’u’lláh by vested interests, whether private or public, and Guardian of the Bahá’í Faith: and will be liberated from the influence of
The unity of the human race, as envisaged by Bahá’u’lláh, implies the establishment of a world commonwealth in which all nations, races, creeds and classes are closely and permanently united, and in which the autonomy of its state members and the personal freedom and initiative of the individuals that compose them are definitely and completely safeguarded. This commonwealth must, as far as we can visualize it, consist of a world legislature, whose members will, as the trustees of the whole of mankind, ultimately control the entire resources of all the component nations, and will enact such laws as shall be required to regulate the life, satisfy the needs and adjust the relationships of all races and peoples. A world executive, backed by an international Force, will carry out the decisions arrived at, and apply the laws enacted by, this world legislature, and will safeguard the organic unity of the whole commonwealth. A world tribunal will adjudicate and deliver its compulsory and final verdict in all and any disputes that may arise between the various elements constituting this universal system. A mechanism of world inter—comrnunication will be devised, embracing the whole planet, freed from national hindrances and restrictions, and functioning with marvellous swiftness and perfect regularity. Aworld metropolis will act as the nerve centre of a world civilization, the focus towards which the unifying forces of life will converge and from which its energizing influences will radiate. A world language will either be invented or chosen from among the existing languages and will be taught in the schools of all the federated nations as an auxiliary to their mother tongue. A world script, a world literature, a uniform and universal system of currency, of weights and measures, will simplify and facilitate intercourse and understanding among the nations andraces of mankind. In such a world society, science and religion, the two most potent forces in human life, will be reconciled, will co-operate, and will harmoniously develop. The press will, under such a system, while giving full scope to the expression of the diversified views and convictions of mankind, cease to be mischievously manipulated
contending governments and peoples. The economic resources of the world will be organized, its sources of raw materials will be tapped and fully utilized, its markets will be co-ordinated and developed, and the distribution of its products will be equitably regulated.
National rivalries, hatreds and intrigues will cease, and racial animosity and prejudice will be replaced by racial amity, understanding and co-operation. The causes of religious strifewill be permanently removed, economic barriers and restrictions will be completely abolished, and the inordinate distinction between classes will be obliterated. Destitution on the one hand, and gross accumulation of ownership on the other, will disappear. The enormous energy dissipated and wasted on war, whether economic or political, will be consecrated to such ends as will extend the range of human inventions and technical development, to the increase of the productivity of mankind, to the extermination of disease, to the extension of scientific research, to the raising of the standard of physical health, to the sharpening and refinement of the human brain, to the exploitation of the unused and unsuspected resources of the planet, to the prolongation of human life, and to the furtherance of any other agency that can stimulate the intellectual, the moral, and spiritual life of the entire human race.
A world federal system, ruling the whole earth and exercising unchallengeable authority over its unimaginably vast resources, blending and embodying the ideals of both the East and the West, liberated from the curse of war and its miseries, and bent on the exploitation of all the available sources of energy on the surface of the planet, a system in which Force is made the servant of Justice, whose life is sustained by its universal recognition of one God and by its allegiance to one common Revelation—such is the goal towards which humanity, impelled by the unifying forces of life, is moving.
Bahá’u’lláh’s message is one of hope, of love, of practical reconstruction. Today we reap the appalling results of our forebears’ rejection of His divine call; but today there are new rulers, new people, who perchance may hear and avoid
[Page 206]206
or mitigate the severity of impending catastrophe. It is with this hope and believing it to be its sacred duty, that the Universal House of Justice, the international governing body of the Bahá’í Faith, proclaims again, through publication of these selected passages, the essence of that mighty call of a century ago. In the same hope and belief the Bahá’ís throughout the world will do their utmost duringthis centenary period to bring to the attention of their fellowmen the redeeming fact of this new outpouring of divine guidance and love. We believe they will not labour in vain.
Haifa, 1967
THE BAHA
,
’1 WORLD
A special limited edition of this book was printed1 and presented individually to one hundred and forty Heads of State. In each volume so presented was pasted a personal letter addressed by name to the ruler or president. Fifty-five of these were sent through the courtesy of the country’s ambassador to the United Nations, the remainder being delivered either personally by a delegation from the Bahá’í community in each country, by a special representative of the Universal House of Justice or, in the case of two or three copies, by post. Most copies were courteously acknowledged.
1 See p.194.
[Page 207]PROCLAMATION OF THE Bahá’í FAITH 207
' THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINOTON
October 6, 1 967
TO THE MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF THE BAHA'IS OF THE UNITED STATES
I am pleased to greet you on this centenary of your eventful history, and to acknowledge the growing good you do.
Yours has been a work of love. You have sown seeds of righteousness 'and justice, and humanity will reap rich harvests from your toil.
Your purpose is the purpose of America, your hope the hope of men of, goodwill everywhere. On every V front, our nation presses forward for a world where hatred has no place and where all may walk in peace and live in freedom, decency, and understanding.
A11 thoughfiul and farsighted men respect the mission of your faith. For every one of us looks forward to that day when the earth will truly be one country -and mankind its citizens.
Facsimile ofa letter from the President of the United States ofAmerica, Lyndon B. Johnson.
[Page 208]208 THE Bahá’í WORLD
Facsimile of a letter addressed by the private secretary of H .M. Queen Juliana to the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the Netherlands ackno wledging receipt of The Proclamation of Bahá’u’lláh.
i FAITH 209
PROCLAMATION OF THE BAHA
Presentation of The Proclamation of Bahá’u’lláh to His Majesty King Phumipon Adulyadet of Thailand by members of the National Spiritual Assembly, November, 1967.
Presentatian of The Proclamation of Bahá’u’lláh to the President of Ecuador, Dr. Otto Arosenmza G., April, 1968.
1 WORLD
210 THE BAHA
w.) , 35, f.;,‘ H&K ‘. , ; ,, , M ., Presentation of The Proclamation of Bahá’u’lláh to the President of the Republic of Paraguay, General Alfredo Stroessner, by members of the National Spiritual Assembly, November, 1967.
Presentation of The Proclamation of Bahá’u’lláh to Mr. T. J. Molefhe, Private Secretary to the President of Botswana, Sir Sererse Khama, March, 1968.
[Page 211]PROCLAMATION OF THE Bahá’í FAITH
211
3. PROCLAMATION TO MANKIND IN GENERAL
The first mention of a world-wide proclamation effort was made by the Universal House of Justice in its message to the Bahá’í world at Riḍván 1966:
The splendid achievements in the pioneering and teaching fields, together with the enthusiastic attention given to the preparation of plans for the befitting celebration of the centenary of Bahá’u’lláh’s Proclamation of His Message to the kings and rulers of the world, have sealed with success the first, and opened the way for the second phase of the Nine Year Plan, a phase in which the Bahá’í world must prepare and arm itself for the third phase, beginning in October 1967 when the six intercontinental conferences1 will sound the “opening notes” of a period of proclamation of the Cause of God extending through the remaining years of the Nine Year Plan to the centenary, in 1973, of the revelation of the Kitáb—i-Aqdas. The three-fold purpose of these conferences is to commemorate the centenary of the opening of Bahá’u’lláh’s own Proclamation of His Mission, to proclaim the Divine Message, and to deliberate upon the tasks of the remaining years of the Nine Year Plan.
A year later, at Riḍván 1967, the specific task was set:
As we approach the third phase of the Nine Year Plan there opens before us a prospect of enthralling opportunities such as to thrill the heart of every ardent follower of Bahá’u’lláh. For more than a century we have toiled to teach the Cause; heroic sacrifices, dedicated services, prodigious efforts have been made in order to establish the out-posts of the Faith in the chief countries, territories, and islands of the earth and to raise the framework of the Administrative Order around the planet. But the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh remains, as yet, unknown to the generality of men. Now at last, at long last, the worldwide community of the Most Great Name is called upon to launch, on a global scale and to every stratum of human society, an enduring and intensive proclamation of the healing message that the Promised One has come and that the unity and well-being of the human race is the purpose of His Revela 1 Areport of these Intercontinental Conferences appears on pp. 221 et seq.
tion. This long—to-be-sustained campaign, commencing next October in commemoration of the centenary of the sounding Of the “opening notes” of Bahá’u’lláh’s own Proclamation, and gathering momentum throughout the remainder of the Nine Year Plan, may well become the spearhead of other plans to be launched continually until humanity has recognized and gratefully acclaimed its Redeemer and its Lord.
A hundred years ago Bahá’u’lláh Himself addressed the kings, rulers, religious leaders, and peoples of the world. The Universal House of Justice feels it its bounden duty to bring that Message to the attention of the world leaders today. It is therefore presenting to them, in the form of a book, the essence of Bahá’u’lláh’s announcement. Entitled The Proclamation of Bahá’u’lláh, a special edition will be presented to Heads of State1 during the opening of the proclamation period and a general edition will be available to the friends in English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish. . .
World-wide proclamation, the unknown sea on which we must soon sail, will add another dimension to our work, a. dimension which will, as it develops, complement and reinforce the twin processes of expansion and consolidation. This pattern of teaching, emerging so soon after the completion of the framework of the Administrative Order, may well be the means of advancing the vital work of consolidation and of rendering more effective the teaching wisdom which has been gained in a hundred years, and more particularly since the beloved Guardian called us to systematic and planned activity. Therefore, in those countries where we are free to publicize our religion, this activity must become part of our regular work, included in budgets, assigned to national and local committees for study and implementation and above all for coordination with the programs operating to achieve the goals of the Nine Year Plan. Every effort of proclamation must be sustained by teaching, particularly locally, where public announcements should be related to such efforts. This coordination is essential,
1 See p. 204 for further report on the presentation of The Proclamation of Bahd‘u’lláh to today's kings and rulers.
[Page 212]212
for nothing will be more disheartening than for thousands to hear of the Faith and have nowhere to turn for further information.
The Bahá’ís of the world embarked with
THE Bahá’í WORLD
great enthusiasm on this new and satisfying them.
ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BIRTH OF Bahá’u’lláh
November 12, 1967, will mark the 150th anniversary of Bahá’u’lláh’s birth. We call the entire Bahá’í world to joyful celebration, befitting an event so momentous to the fortunes of humanity.
The Universal House of J ustice feels that the coincidence of this great occasion with the opening of the proclamation period provides a splendid opportunity for bringin g to public attention both the spiritual and social import of the Cause. Not only its message, but the historical fact of a new Revelation, with all its implications of a new and world-wide civilization, shou1d be made clear.
Let the friends not hesitate to welcome to their observances, even to those of a devotional character, the non—Bahá’í public, many of whom may well be attracted by the prayers and expressions of gratitude of the believers, no less than by the exalted tone of passages from Bahá’í Writings.
June 25, 1967
THE UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE
form of activity. National and local communities made long-ranging plans to deliver the message of Bahá’u’lláh to their countrymen, using all means of communication available to
[Page 213]PROCLAMATION OF THE Bahá’í FAITH 213
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The Bahtf’z’s of Canada sponsored a booth at the Canadian National Exhibition held in Toronto during the months of August and September, 1963.
, cuchsq wdtsz “cyan Ho GfiRB'iN ‘ _ " ‘MAfiCH’I‘fSJSEA' ' ' accosm'cx PLACE - pulp); 0.. ' ‘. nmsc‘non‘ 0F .ERANK hymn KY
Each year during the period covered by this volume the Bahá’í’s of the United States sponsored
a colourful exhibit at the Chicago World Flower and Garden Show. The Exhibit held in March,
1964, featuredgardens reminiscent of those at the World Centre in Haifa. Over 365,000 visitors saw this large and prominently placed display.
i WORLD
214 THE BAHA
On Sunday, May 3, 1964, Miss Marian Anderson planted a “Marian Anderson” rose bush in
the Temple gardens in Wilmette. The Hand of the Cause Leroy Ioas said on that occasion,
“It is befitting that in these beautiful gardens surrounding this universal House of Worship,
dedicated to the oneness of mankind, of religion and of God, Miss Anderson shouldplant this
universal symbol of the unity of the world, ofpurity and of perfection . . . for the rose is truly the one universal flower, found in all parts of the world.”
In observance of the centenary of the Declaration of Bahá’u’lláh the Bahd’z's of Edinburgh presented the city with a tree. Mr. J. Robertson, the oldest Bahá’í in Edinburgh, is shownplanting the tree. Councillor Robertson-Murray accepted the tree on behalf of the city.
PROCLAMATION OF THE BAHA I FAITH 215
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peopled mforwhomkapcaksbuvcforlheBahá’í odd nth.
Adopwi by the Same, Ochobc: 1‘. ”65. Adoptad by tin Home of Rzmmtafives, December 9, 1965.
-Ma% 1 ' WJ-YW
0M0] IMEMVI W149". W fifw am
The above Senate Concurrent Resolution extolling the Bahá’í Faith was adopted by both houses of the Legislature of the State ofMichigan in 1965, and copies were widely circulated.
[Page 216]216 THE Bahá’í WORLD
Bahá’í display at the International Fair in Nice, France, March 13—14, 1966. More than 5,000 people visited the display and 4,000 pieces of literature were given away, and many invitations
to Bahá’í fireside meetings were accepted.
In April, 1966, the Bahá’í’s of Connecticut in the United States sponsored a “Bahá’í Week”. A bookmobile toured the State with a display of Bahá’í books and literature.
PROCLAMATION OF THE BAHA i FAITH 217
Bahá’í Houses of Worship, often referred to as “silent teachers”, are an effective means of
proclaiming the Faith. Baroness Maria Von Trapp, whose life story inspired the musical play
The Sound of Music, visited the House of Worship in Wilmette in April, 1966, and was greeted
by Dr. David S. Ruhe, Secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States (to
the left of the photograph), and Mr. Salvatore A. Pelle, Director of Public Information for the Bahá’ís Of the United States.
a . M V t . v , .. , , In September, 1966, the Bahá’ís Of the Seychelles Islands sponsored a Bahá’í Peace Day programme addressed by Mr. Edward Sanches, a Bahá’í visitor from the Philippines. Others
participating in the programme were Dr. Guy Lionnet, M.B.E., Director of Agriculture, and Archdeacon I. T. Winterbum, M.A.
5,? I
[Page 218]218 THE BAHA’I’ WORLD
During the National Convention in 1966, the National Spiritual Assembly of Guatemala presented twenty-two trees, including two ciebas, the national tree of Guatemala, to the city of Huehuetenango.
The Bahá’ís of Hawaii sponsored an award—winning float in the Aloha Week Parade held on
October 14, 1967. The theme Na Opio I Ke Ola O Ka Aina (The Youth is the Life of the Land)
was spelled out in large floral letters along the side. It was estimated that 75,000 people attended
the parade, and that an additional 225,000 saw it on television. In addition, the Faith was mentioned in radio and television newscasts and in the local newspapers.
[Page 219]PROCLAMATION OF THE Bahá’í FAITH 219
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Attendants at the Bahd’z booth at the International Book Fair in Frankfurt, West Germany, October, 1967. The Bahá’í Publishing Trusts of Germany, the British Isles and Belgium participated in sponsoring the literature display.
The Australian Dawn-Breakers singing group made a month-Iong tour of New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia during January, 1968. T hey presented a musical fireside written by Russell and Gina Garcia who rehearsed the group and accompanied them on their tour. In South Australia thegroup visited several Aboriginal missions and presented the Bahd’z' Teachings.
220 THE BAHA i WORLD
Representatives of the Bahá’í Faith who attended the Memorial Service for Bishop Joost a'e Blank, held in observance of Human Rights Year, 1967—1968, at Westminster Abbey. Bishop de Blank was Chairman of the United Kingdom Committee for Human Rights Year, and was Archbishop of Cape T own from 1957 to 1963, and from 1964 to 1968 a Canon of Westminster. The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the British Isles participated as a member organization of the United Kingdom Committee for Human Rights Year.