Bahá’í World/Volume 17/The Universal House of Justice

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[Page 285]

Declaration of Trust

IN THE NAME OF GOD, THE ONE, THE INCOMPARABLE, THE ALL-POWERFUL, THE ALL-KNOWING, THE ALL-WISE.

The light that is shed from the heaven of bounty, and the benediction that shineth from the dawning-place of the will of God, the Lord of the Kingdom of Names, rest upon Him Who is the Supreme Mediator, the Most Exalted Pen, Him Whom God hath made the dawning-place of His most excellent names and the day-spring of His most exalted attributes. Through Him the light of unity hath shone forth above the horizon of the world, and the law of oneness hath been revealed amidst the nations, who, with radiant faces, have turned towards the Supreme Horizon, and acknowledged that which the Tongue of Utterance hath spoken in the kingdom of His knowledge: 'Earth and heaven, glory and dominion, are God's, the Omnipotent, the Almighty, the Lord of grace abounding!"

WITH joyous and thankful hearts we testify to the abundance of God's Mercy, to the perfection of His Justice and to the fulfilment of His Ancient Promise.

Bahá’u’lláh, the Revealer of God's Word in this Day, the Source of Authority, the Fountainhead of Justice, the Creator of a new World Order, the Establisher of the Most Great Peace, the Inspirer and Founder of a world civilization, the Judge, the Lawgiver, the Unifier and Redeemer of all mankind, has proclaimed the advent of God's Kingdom on earth, has formulated its laws and ordinances, enunciated its principles, and ordained its institutions. To direct and canalize the forces released by His Revelation, He instituted His Covenant, whose power has preserved the integrity of His Faith, maintained its unity and stimulated its world-wide expansion throughout the successive ministries of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi. It continues to fulfil its life-giving purpose through the agency of the Universal House of Justice whose fundamental object, as one of the twin successors of Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, is to ensure the continuity of that divinely appointed authority which flows from the Source of the Faith, to safeguard the unity of its followers, and to maintain the integrity and flexibility of its teachings.

The fundamental purpose animating the Faith of God and His Religion, declares Bahá’u’lláh, is to safeguard the interests and promote the unity of the human race, and to foster the spirit of love and fellowship amongst men. Suffer it not to become a source of dissension and discord, of hate and enmity. This is the straight Path, the fixed and immovable foundation. Whatsoever is raised on this foundation, the changes and chances of the world can never impair its strength, nor will the revolution of countless centuries undermine its structure.

Unto the Most Holy Book, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá declares in His Will and Testament, every one must turn, and all that is not expressly recorded therein must be referred to the Universal House of Justice.

The provenance, the authority, the duties, the sphere of action of the Universal House of Justice all derive from the revealed Word of Bahá’u’lláh which, together with the interpretations and expositions of the Centre of the [Page 286]Covenant and of the Guardian of the Cause who, after ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, is the sole authority in the interpretation of Bahá’í Scripture—constitute the binding terms of reference of the Universal House of Justice and are its bedrock foundation. The authority of these Texts is absolute and immutable until such time as Almighty God shall reveal His new Manifestation to Whom will belong all authority and power.

There being no successor to Shoghi Effendi as Guardian of the Cause of God, the Universal House of Justice is the Head of the Faith and its supreme institution, to which all must turn, and on it rests the ultimate responsibility for ensuring the unity and progress of the Cause of God. Further, there devolve upon it the duties of directing and co-ordinating the work of the Hands of the Cause, of ensuring the continuing discharge of the functions of protection and propagation vested in that institution, and of providing for the receipt and disbursement of the Huqúqu’lláh.

Among the powers and duties with which the Universal House of Justice has been invested are:

To ensure the preservation of the Sacred Texts and to safeguard their inviolability; to analyse, classify, and co-ordinate the Writings; and to defend and protect the Cause of God and emancipate it from the fetters of repression and persecution;

To advance the interests of the Faith of God: to proclaim, propagate and teach its Message; to expand and consolidate the institutions of its Administrative Order; to usher in the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh; to promote the attainment of those spiritual qualities which should characterize Bahá’í life individually and collectively; to do its utmost for the realization of greater cordiality and comity amongst the nations and for the attainment of universal peace; and to foster that which is conducive to the enlightenment and illumination of the souls of men and the advancement and betterment of the world;

To enact laws and ordinances not expressly recorded in the Sacred Texts; to abrogate, according to the changes and requirements of the time, its own enactments; to deliberate and decide upon all problems which have caused difference; to elucidate questions that are obscure; to safeguard the personal rights, freedom and initiative of individuals; and to give attention to the preservation of human honour, to the development of countries and the stability of states;

To promulgate and apply the laws and principles of the Faith; to safeguard and enforce that rectitude of conduct which the Law of God enjoins; to preserve and develop the Spiritual and Administrative Centre of the Bahá’í Faith, permanently fixed in the twin cities of ‘Akká and Haifa; to administer the affairs of the Bahá’í community throughout the world; to guide, organize, co-ordinate and unify its activities; to found institutions; to be responsible for ensuring that no body or institution within the Cause abuse its privileges or decline in the exercise of its rights and prerogatives; and to provide for the receipt, disposition, administration and safeguarding of the funds, endowments and other properties that are entrusted to its care;

To adjudicate disputes falling within its purview; to give judgement in cases of violation of the laws of the Faith and to pronounce sanctions for such violations; to provide for the enforcement of its decisions; to provide for the arbitration and settlement of disputes arising between peoples; and to be the exponent and guardian of that Divine Justice which can alone ensure the security of, and establish the reign of law and order in, the world.

The members of the Universal House of Justice, designated by Bahá’u’lláh ‘the Men of Justice’, ‘the people of Bahá who have been mentioned in the Book of Names’, ‘the Trustees of God amongst His servants and the daysprings of authority in His countries’, shall in the discharge of their responsibilities ever bear in mind the following standards set forth by Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Cause of God:

‘In the conduct of the administrative affairs of the Faith, in the enactment of the legislation necessary to supplement the laws of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, the members of the Universal House of Justice, it should be borne in mind, are not, as Bahá’u’lláh’s utterances clearly imply, responsible to [Page 287]those whom they represent, nor are they allowed to be governed by the feelings, the general opinion, and even the convictions of the mass of the faithful, or of those who directly elect them. They are to follow, in a prayerful attitude, the dictates and promptings of their conscience. They may, indeed they must, acquaint themselves with the conditions prevailing among the community, must weigh dispassionately in their minds the merits of any case presented for their consideration, but must reserve for themselves the right of an unfettered decision. God will verily inspire them with whatsoever He willeth, is Bahá’u’lláh’s incontrovertible assurance. They, and not the body of those who either directly or indirectly elect them, have thus been made the recipients of the divine guidance which is at once the life-blood and ultimate safeguard of this Revelation.’

The Universal House of Justice was first elected on the first day, of the Festival of Rid-ván in the one hundred and twentieth year of the Bahá’í Era,’ when the members of the National Spiritual Assemblies, in accordance with the provisions of the Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and in response to the summons of the Hands of the Cause of God, the Chief Stewards of Bahá’u’lláh’s embryonic World Commonwealth, brought into being this ‘crowning glory’ of the administrative institutions of Bahá’u’lláh, the very ‘nucleus and forerunner’ of His World Order. Now, therefore, in obedience to the Command of God and with entire reliance upon Him, we, the members of the Universal House of Justice, set our hands and its seal to this Declaration of Trust which, together with the By-Laws hereto appended, form the Constitution of the Universal House of Justice.

121 April 1963 A.D. Hugh E. Chance Hushmand Fatheazam Amoz E. Gibson David Hofman H. Borrah Kavelin Ali Nakhjavani David S. Ruhe Ian C. Semple Charles Wolcott H. Fathe azam Cruz S. Gibson David Hofman. 7 Bouchvili ali Палијанкий David S. Pulle San b. Semple Charfer Wofcott

Facsimile of signatures on the Constitution of the Universal House of Justice; 26 November 1972. [Page 288]

By-Laws

THE Universal House of Justice is the supreme institution of an Administrative Order whose salient features, whose authority and whose principles of operation are clearly enunciated in the Sacred Writings of the Bahá’í Faith and their authorized interpretations. This Administrative Order consists, on the one hand, of a series of elected councils, universal, secondary and local, in which are vested legislative, executive and judicial powers over the Bahá’í community and, on the other, of eminent and devoted believers appointed for the specific purposes of protecting and propagating the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh under the guidance of the Head of that Faith.

This Administrative Order is the nucleus and pattern of the World Order adumbrated by Bahá’u’lláh. In the course of its divinely propelled organic growth its institutions will expand, putting forth auxiliary branches and developing subordinate agencies, multiplying their activities and diversifying their functions, in consonance with the principles and purposes revealed by Bahá’u’lláh for the progress of the human race.

I. MEMBERSHIP IN THE BAHÁ’Í COMMUNITY

The Bahá’í Community shall consist of all persons recognized by the Universal House of Justice as possessing the qualifications of Bahá’í faith and practice.

1. In order to be eligible to vote and hold elective office, a Bahá’í must have attained the age of twenty-one years.

2. The rights, privileges and duties of individual Bahá’ís are as set forth in the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi and as laid down by the Universal House of Justice.

II. LOCAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLIES

Whenever in any locality the number of Bahá’ís resident therein who have attained the age of twenty-one exceeds nine, these shall on the First Day of Riḍván convene and elect a local administrative body of nine members to be known as the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of that locality. Every such Spiritual Assembly shall be elected annually thereafter upon each successive First Day of Riḍván. The members shall hold office for the term of one year or until their successors are elected.

When, however, the number of Bahá’ís as aforesaid in any locality is exactly nine, these shall on the First Day of Riḍván constitute themselves the Local Spiritual Assembly by joint declaration.

1. The general powers and duties of a Local Spiritual Assembly are as set forth in the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi and as laid down by the Universal House of Justice.

2. A Local Spiritual Assembly shall exercise full jurisdiction over all Bahá’í activities and affairs within its locality, subject to the provisions of the Local Bahá’í Constitution.’

3. The area of jurisdiction of a Local Spiritual Assembly shall be decided by the National Spiritual Assembly in accordance with the principle laid down for each country by the Universal House of Justice.

III. NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLIES

Whenever it is decided by the Universal House of Justice to form in any country or region a National Spiritual Assembly, the voting members of the Bahá’í community of that country or region shall, in a manner and at a time to be decided by the Universal House of Justice, elect their delegates to their National Convention. These delegates shall, in turn, elect in the manner provided in the National Bahá’í Constitution² a body of nine members to be known as the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of that country or region. The members shall continue in office for a period of one year or until their successors shall be elected.

1. The general powers and duties of a National Spiritual Assembly are as set forth in the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi and as laid down by the Universal House of Justice.

By-Laws of a Local Spiritual Assembly. See p. 361. 2 Declaration of Trust and By-Laws for a National Spiritual Assembly. See pp. 337, 340. [Page 289]2. The National Spiritual Assembly shall have exclusive jurisdiction and authority over all the activities and affairs of the Bahá’í Faith throughout its area. It shall endeavour to stimulate, unify and co-ordinate the manifold activities of the Local Spiritual Assemblies and of individual Bahá’ís in its area and by all possible means assist them to promote the oneness of mankind. It shall furthermore represent its national Bahá’í community in relation to other national Bahá’í communities and to the Universal House of Justice.

3. The area of jurisdiction of a National Spiritual Assembly shall be as defined by the Universal House of Justice.

4. The principal business of the National Convention shall be consultation on Bahá’í activities, plans and policies and the election of the members of the National Spiritual Assembly, as set forth in the National Bahá’í Constitution.

(a) If in any year the National Spiritual Assembly shall consider that it is impracticable or unwise to hold the National Convention, the said Assembly shall provide ways and means by which the annual election and the other essential business of the Convention may be conducted.

(b) Vacancies in the membership of the National Spiritual Assembly shall be filled by a vote of the delegates composing the Convention which elected the Assembly, the ballot to be taken by correspondence or in any other manner decided by the National Spiritual Assembly.

IV. OBLIGATIONS OF MEMBERS OF SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLIES

Among the most outstanding and sacred duties incumbent upon those who have been called upon to initiate, direct and co-ordinate the affairs of the Cause of God as members of its Spiritual Assemblies are: to win by every means in their power the confidence and affection of those whom it is their privilege to serve; to investigate and acquaint themselves with the considered views, the prevailing sentiments and the personal convictions of those whose welfare it is their solemn obligation to promote; to purge their deliberations and the general conduct of their affairs of self-contained aloofness, the suspicion of secrecy, the stifling atmosphere of dictatorial assertiveness and of every word and deed that may savour of partiality, self-centredness and prejudice; and while retaining the sacred right of final decision in their hands, to invite discussion, ventilate grievances, welcome advice and foster the sense of interdependence and co-partnership, of understanding and mutual confidence between themselves and all other Bahá’ís.

V. THE UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE

The Universal House of Justice shall consist of nine men who have been elected from the Bahá’í community in the manner hereinafter provided.

1. ELECTION

The members of the Universal House of Justice shall be elected by secret ballot by the members of all National Spiritual Assemblies at a meeting to be known as the International Bahá’í Convention.

(a) An election of the Universal House of Justice shall be held once every five years unless otherwise decided by the Universal House of Justice, and those elected shall continue in office until such time as their successors shall be elected and the first meeting of these successors is duly held.

(b) Upon receiving the call to Convention each National Spiritual Assembly shall submit to the Universal House of Justice a list of the names of its members. The recognition and seating of the delegates to the International Convention shall be vested in the Universal House of Justice.

(c) The principle business of the International Convention shall be to elect the members of the Universal House of Justice, to deliberate on the affairs of the Bahá’í Cause throughout the world, and to make recommendations and suggestions for the consideration of the Universal House of Justice.

(d) The sessions of the International Convention shall be conducted in such manner as the Universal House of Justice shall from time to time decide.

(e) The Universal House of Justice shall [Page 290]provide a procedure whereby those delegates who are unable to be present in person at the International Convention shall cast their ballots for the election of the members of the Universal House of Justice.

(f) If at the time of an election the Universal House of Justice shall consider that it is impracticable or unwise to hold the International Convention it shall determine how the election shall take place.

(g) On the day of the election the ballots of all voters shall be scrutinized and counted and the result certified by tellers appointed in accordance with the instructions of the Universal House of Justice.

(h) If a member of a National Spiritual Assembly who has voted by mail ceases to be a member of that National Spiritual Assembly between the time of casting his ballot and the date of the counting of the ballots, his ballot shall nevertheless remain valid unless in the interval his successor shall have been elected and the ballot of such successor shall have been received by the tellers.

(i) In case by reason of a tie vote or votes the full membership of the Universal House of Justice is not determined on the first ballot, then one or more additional ballots shall be held on the persons tied until all members are elected. The electors in the case of additional ballots shall be the members of National Spiritual Assemblies in office at the time each subsequent vote is taken.

2. VACANCIES IN MEMBERSHIP

A vacancy in the membership of the Universal House of Justice will occur upon the death of a member or in the following cases:

(a) Should any member of the Universal House of Justice commit a sin injurious to the common weal, he may be dismissed from membership by the Universal House of Justice.

(b) The Universal House of Justice may at its discretion declare a vacancy with respect to any member who in its judgement is unable to fulfil the functions of membership.

(c) A member may relinquish his membership on the Universal House of Justice only with the approval of the Universal House of Justice.

3. BY-ELECTION

If a vacancy in the membership of the Universal House of Justice occurs, the Universal House of Justice shall call a by-election at the earliest possible date unless such date, in the judgement of the Universal House of Justice, falls too close to the date of a regular election of the entire membership, in which case the Universal House of Justice may, at its discretion, defer the filling of the vacancy to the time of the regular election. If a by-election is held, the voters shall be the members of the National Spiritual Assemlies in office at the time of the by-election.

4. MEETINGS

(a) After the election of the Universal House of Justices the first meeting shall be called by the member elected by the highest number of votes or, in his absence or other incapacity, by the member elected by the next highest number of votes or, in case two or more members have received the same highest number of votes, then by the member selected by lot from among those members. Subsequent meetings shall be called in the manner decided by the Universal House of Justice.

(b) The Universal House of Justice has no officers. It shall provide for the conduct of its meetings and shall organize its activities in such manner as it shall from time to time decide.

(c) The business of the Universal House of Justice shall be conducted by the full membership in consultation, except that the Universal House of Justice may from time to time provide for quorums of less than the full membership for specified classes of business.

5. SIGNATURE

The signature of the Universal House of Justice shall be the words 'The Universal House of Justice' or in Persian 'Baytu’l-’Adl-i-A’zam' written by hand by any one of its members upon authority of the Universal House of Justice, to which shall be affixed in each case the Seal of the Universal House of Justice. [Page 291]

6. RECORDS

The Universal House of Justice shall provide for the recording and verification of its decisions in such manner as it shall, from time to time, judge necessary.

VI. BAHÁ’Í ELECTIONS

In order to preserve the spiritual character and purpose of Bahá’í elections the practices of nomination or electioneering, or any other procedure or activity detrimental to that character and purpose shall be eschewed. A silent and prayerful atmosphere shall prevail during the election so that each elector may vote for none but those whom prayer and reflection inspire him to uphold.

1. All Bahá’í elections, except elections of officers of Local and National Spiritual Assemblies and committees, shall be by plurality vote taken by secret ballot.

2. Election of the officers of a Spiritual Assembly or committee shall be by majority vote of the Assembly or committee taken by secret ballot.

3. In case by reason of a tie vote or votes the full membership of an elected body is not determined on the first ballot, then one or more additional ballots shall be taken on the persons tied until all members are elected.

4. The duties and rights of a Bahá’í elector may not be assigned nor may they be exercised by proxy.

VII. THE RIGHT OF REVIEW

The Universal House of Justice has the right to review any decision or action of any Spiritual Assembly, National or Local, and to approve, modify or reverse such decision or action. The Universal House of Justice also has the right to intervene in any matter in which a Spiritual Assembly is failing to take action or to reach a decision and, at its discretion, to require that action be taken, or itself to take action directly in the matter.

VIII. APPEALS

The right of appeal exists in the circumstances, and shall be exercised according to the procedures outlined below:

1. (a) Any member of a local Bahá’í community may appeal from a decision of his Local Spiritual Assembly to the National Spiritual Assembly which shall determine whether it shall take jurisdiction of the matter or refer it back to the Local Spiritual Assembly for reconsideration. If such an appeal concerns the membership of a person in the Bahá’í communtiy, the National Spiritual Assembly is obliged to take jurisdiction of and decide the case.

(b) Any Bahá’í may appeal from a decision of his National Spiritual Assembly to the Universal House of Justice which shall determine whether it shall take jurisdiction of the matter or leave it within the final jurisdiction of the National Spiritual Assembly.

(c) If any differences arise between two or more Local Spiritual Assemblies and if these Assemblies are unable to resolve them, any one such Assembly may bring the matter to the National Spiritual Assembly which shall thereupon take jurisdiction of the case. If the decision of the National Spiritual Assembly thereon is unsatisfactory to any of the Assemblies concerned, or if a Local Spiritual Assembly at any time has reason to believe that actions of its National Spiritual Assembly are affecting adversely the welfare and unity of that Local Assembly's community, it shall, in either case, after seeking to compose its difference of opinion with the National Spiritual Assembly, have the right to appeal to the Universal House of Justice, which shall determine whether it shall take jurisdiction of the matter or leave it within the final jurisdiction of the National Spiritual Assembly.

2. An appellant, whether institution or individual, shall in the first instance make appeal to the Assembly whose decision is questioned, either for reconsideration of the case by that Assembly or for submission to a higher body. In the latter case the Assembly is in duty bound to submit the appeal together with full particulars of the matter. If an Assembly refuses to submit the appeal, or fails to do so within a reasonable time, the appellant may take the case directly to the higher authority. [Page 292]

IX. THE BOARD OF COUNSELLORS

The institution of the Boards of Counsellors was brought into being by the Universal House of Justice to extend into the future the specific functions of protection and propagation conferred upon the Hands of the Cause of God. The members of these boards are appointed by the Universal House of Justice.

1. The term of office of a Counsellor, the number of Counsellors on each Board, and the boundaries of the zone in which each Board of Counsellors shall operate, shall be decided by the Universal House of Justice.

2. A Counsellor functions as such only within his zone and should he move his residence out of the zone for which he is appointed he automatically relinquishes his appointment.

3. The rank and specific duties of a Counsellor render him ineligble for service on local or national administrative bodies. If elected to the Universal House of Justice he ceases to be a Counsellor.

X. THE AUXILIARY BOARDS

In each zone there shall be two Auxiliary Boards, one for the protection and one for the propagation of the Faith, the numbers of whose members shall be set by the Universal House of Justice. The members of these Auxiliary Boards shall serve under the direction of the Continental Board of Counsellors and shall act as their deputies, assistants and advisers.

1. The members of the Auxiliary Boards shall be appointed from among the believers of that zone by the Continental Board of Counsellors.

2. Each Auxiliary Board member shall be alloted a specific area in which to serve and, unless specifically deputized by the Counsellors, shall not function as a member of the Auxiliary Board outside that area.

3. An Auxiliary Board member is eligible for any elective office but if elected to an administrative post on a national or local level must decide whether to retain membership on the Board or accept the administrative post, since he may not serve in both capacities at the same time. If elected to the Universal House of Justice he ceases to be a member of the Auxiliary Board.

XI. AMENDMENT

This Constitution may be amended by decision of the Universal House of Justice when the full membership is present.

The Hands of the Cause Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum and Paul Haney (to the right) with members of the Universal House of Justice elected at Ridván 1978. Left to right: Mr. ‘Alí Nakhjavání, Mr. H. Borrah Kavelin, Mr. Amoz Gibson, Mr. Hushmand Fatheazam, Mr. Ian Semple, Dr. David S. Ruhe, Mr. Charles Wolcott, Mr. David Hofman, Mr. Hugh Chance. A reproduction of one of Mishkin-Qalam’s illuminated designs of ‘The Greatest Name’ forms the backdrop. [Page 293]

THE FOURTH INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION FOR THE ELECTION OF THE UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE Ridván 1978

THIRTEEN Hands of the Cause of God, fifty-two members of twelve Continental Boards of Counsellors, and 474 members representing 108 National Spiritual Assemblies gathered at the World Centre of the Faith during the Riḍván Festival for the Fourth International Bahá’í Convention. The nine members of the Universal House of Justice and the three Counsellors residing in the Holy Land were also present.

The delegates enjoyed three days of pilgrimage and prayers at the Shrines and Holy Places of the Faith, cast their votes in the election of the Universal House of Justice, saw and heard reports on the progress of the Faith during the first four years of the Five Year Plan, and participated in many hours of consultation on the means required for the complete achievement of the goals of the Plan.

In addition, the fifty-two Counsellors remained in the Holy Land for another five days for consultation with the thirteen Hands of the Cause and the three Counsellors who, with the remaining three Hands of the Cause’ who were unable to be present, constitute the International Teaching Centre of the Faith. The members of the Universal House of Justice also joined in the consultation.

Saturday, 29 April

The delegates, who had previously enjoyed three days of prayers in the Shrines of the Faith and pilgrimage to many of its Holy Places, gathered in Haifa Auditorium for the election of the Universal House of Justice.

The Hand of the Cause of God Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum, who presided, welcomed the delegates to the first session of the Convention and set the theme for the election with these words: ‘World society is disintegrating before our eyes—political, social, economic, and religious systems alike—and the only refuge that remains for mankind is this gift of Bahá’u’lláh, the refuge and hope of mankind.

‘You are privileged to vote for the Universal House of Justice, the body that watches over the destinies of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh, the body that guides, protects, and encourages us as we steer our course to the Kingdom of God on earth.’

She concluded: ‘How great, how sacred is the responsibility that confronts those who vote in this election, seeking help, guidance, and inspiration from Bahá’u’lláh.’

Then, as Rúbiyyih Khánum presided, the chief teller—Mr. Jameson Bond of Canada—began to call the roll of the 1,107 members of the 123 National Spiritual Assemblies in the Bahá’í world.

As the delegates moved to the auditorium stage to cast their votes, the remaining delegates and visitors spontaneously applauded as the names of National Assemblies were called—in some cases with increased enthusiasm as particularly great achievements of the believers in some areas of the world were remembered, or particular hardships recalled.

Many of the delegates were dressed in the costumes of their homelands, and the total effect of the colourful procession was one of solemn dignity, great enthusiasm and joy, and humble awareness of the importance of the election itself.

Fifteen of the 123 National Spiritual Assemblies, through circumstances beyond their control, were not able to be represented at the Convention. The tellers cast their ballots, which had been sent by mail, as the roll was called. Nine National Assemblies had all of their members present: Canada, Denmark, Germany, Írán, Italy, Portugal, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Eleven others had eight members present, and twelve were represented by seven members.

The election process took all morning to complete. The tellers then retired to tabulate the results of the election.

Dr. Adelbert Mühlschlegel, Enoch Olinga, Ḥasan M. Balyúzí. [Page 294]Counsellor Thelma Khelgati of Western Africa (back row, centre) with delegates from Niger who participated in the fourth International Convention for the election of the Universal House of Justice; Ridván 1978. Left to right: Mrs. Doris Dejwakh, Mr. Moussa Kangai Kamaya, Mrs. Parvin Djoneidi, Mr. Hassane Adanou, Mr. Mohammad Djoneidi.

Early in the afternoon, the participants assembled at the construction site of the Seat of the Universal House of Justice—on the Arc of Mt. Carmel in the vicinity of the Shrine of the Báb and just above the resting-places of the Sister, Mother, and Brother of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá—for a solemn but joyous ceremony in which a casket containing Dust from the Shrines of the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh was placed in the structure by Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥiyyih Khánum on behalf of the Universal House of Justice.

The Hand of the Cause Dr. Ugo Giachery, who presided, pointed out to the delegates that it was ‘something unique we are witnessing here’, and he recalled how Shoghi Effendi, in anticipation of the establishment of the Universal House of Justice, had called into existence the International Bahá’í Council. The audience applauded warmly as Dr. Giachery called to the front of the group Miss Ethel Revell, who with Rúḥiyyih Khánum and Dr. Giachery was a member of the original Council appointed by Shoghi Effendi.

Then Rúḥiyyih Khánum established the theme and purpose of the ceremony. She pointed out that, to her, the Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh is a ‘Wellspring of Peace’ on the planet; that out of His Resting-Place pours a fountain of peace. ‘But from this building will emanate the Laws of the Dispensation of Bahá’u’lláh’, since the role of the Universal House of Justice is to protect, enforce, and enact new laws for the world in the Name of Bahá’u’lláh. ‘From this source (the House of Justice) will come the Justice that Bahá’u’lláh speaks of in His Writings,’ she said, pointing out that today—when the Administrative Order is still being built and the Faith is still attempting to spread itself throughout the world—we are enjoying the ‘paternal and loving forebearance of the guidance and protection of the House of Justice.’ Then she added: ‘But the day will come when it will blaze with Justice! That will be the day of the solution of all the problems of the world!’

Rúbiyyih Khánum then unveiled a box, which contained a silver casket (a gift to her from the Guardian) in which were sealed two small boxes containing the Dust from the two Holy Shrines and a scroll written in English and Persian which described the contents of the casket.

As the assemblage quietly sang Alláh-u-Abhá, Rúbíyyih Khánum—accompanied by architect Husayn Amánat and ‘Aziz Khabírpúr, the resident engineer for the construction—ascended a set of temporary steps to a small niche which had been prepared in the building, high above the main entrance. With her own hands, she placed the casket in the niche, took up a trowel, and sealed it into place.

The ceremony was preceded and followed [Page 295]

FIVE YEAR PLAN

BNU

Mr. Anthony Providence of St. Vincent, Windward Islands, addressing his fellow delegates during the fourth International Convention.

Partial view of the exhibit on display during the fourth International Convention.

Delegates from Japan who participated in the fourth International Convention for the election of the Universal House of Justice; Ridván 1978. Left to right: Mr. Abbas Katirai, Mr. A. Moghbel, Mr. Yuzo Yamaguchi, Miss Nobuko Iwakura, Mrs. Barbara Sims, Mr. Shigeyuki Hayashi. [Page 296]by a programme of prayers and readings in Persian, English, Portuguese, Swahili, and French.

Immediately afterwards, the delegates assembled in the Pilgrim House courtyard, in the vicinity of the Shrine of the Báb, for the celebration of the Ninth Day of Riḍván. The Hand of the Cause Abu’l-Qásim Faizi presided at the programme. After readings and prayers in English, Arabic, French, Persian, and Spanish, the delegates and visitors—led by Rúhíyyih Khánum and Mr. Faizi—circumambulated the Shrine in which are entombed the earthly remains of the Báb, the ‘Martyr-Prophet and Herald’ of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh, and of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the Centre of Bahá’u’lláh’s Covenant with mankind.

On Saturday evening, the delegates reassembled in Haifa Auditorium for an audiovisual presentation on the state of the Five Year Plan. The Hand of the Cause William Sears presided and helped narrate an impressive slide programme which recounted the manifold accomplishments of the Bahá’ís of the world during the first four years of the Plan, and pointed the way to victories yet to be achieved.

In his closing remarks, Mr. Sears reminded the Bahá’ís that, although significant victories had been achieved, there was still a ‘considerable distance to go to win the kind of victory that would bring joy to the heart of Shoghi Effendi and to the Universal House of Justice’. He pointed out that final victory could be won if each would dedicate himself to personal transformation of his own spiritual life.

Sunday, 30 April

The Hand of the Cause Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum opened the session by reading the Universal House of Justice’s message to the Convention. She was introduced by the Hand of the Cause Paul Haney, who presided. The House of Justice’s message was distributed to all the delegates present and subsequently forwarded to all National Spiritual Assemblies for dissemination by them to the believers in their jurisdictions.

Then Amatu’l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum opened the Convention to the first of five consultative sessions. She particularly called on the assembled delegates to recount some of the stories of difficulty and trials suffered for the Cause. Many told of difficulties the friends in their areas had met and overcome in their efforts to spread the Teachings and promote the work of the Cause.

Finally, at the close of the session, Mr. Haney called for the report of the tellers. The chief teller reported that 1,056 ballots had been received and 9,333 votes had been tabulated. Then, as he read the names of the nine men elected to the Universal House of Justice, each made his way to the stage to stand before the Convention. They were:

Mr. Alí Nakhjavání Mr. Hushmand Fatheazam Mr. Amoz Gibson Mr. Ian Semple Dr. David Ruhe Mr. David Hofman Mr. Charles Wolcott Mr. Hugh Chance Mr. H. Borrah Kavelin

The delegates stood in spontaneous applause, and after Mr. Nakhjavání spoke a few words on behalf of the men of the House of Justice, the session closed with the delegates singing Alláh-u-Abhá and Yá-Bahá’u’l-Abhá. Consultation continued in the afternoon session, with the Hand of the Cause H. Collis Featherstone presiding. He recalled the morning’s events with these words: ‘Future generations would love to have been present this morning on the occasion of the election of the Universal House of Justice and the events we were privileged to witness. As the outside world sinks beneath a burden of trials and tribulations, we are seeing the development of the Cause of God in its resistless march toward victory.’

The Sunday evening time was given over to consultation between representatives of National Assemblies and the Continental Boards of Counsellors in their respective zones. In addition, National Assemblies consulted among themselves and with each other—as they did throughout the Convention—on the means for winning the final goals of the Plan and on the co-ordination of mutual activities and programmes.

Monday, 1 May

The third day of the Convention was entirely dedicated to consultation. The Hand of the Cause John A. Robarts presided at the morn- [Page 297]Delegates from Ghana who participated in the fourth International Convention for the election of the Universal House of Justice; Ridván 1978. Left to right: Mr. David Tanyi, Mr. Beattie Casely-Hayford, Mr. Philip Smith, Mr. Andrew Sagde, Miss Eleanor O'Callaghan, Mr. Yaw Asare, Mrs. Blanche Musah. Many delegates wore the costumes of their homelands.

Mr. Kawku Negblé Antigah, a delegate from Togo.

Mr. Adrien Zanou Gnambode, a delegate from Benin. [Page 298]ing session. He commented that 'a recurring theme of the remarks of the delegates was the recognition of the power of the Holy Spirit, and the fact that it can and does assist us. This is the power to which we can all turn and the assistance will be given to complete our goals,' he said, adding: 'Let us make this universal, divine power our guide in directing our energies to the tasks before us. Only through clinging to this power of the Holy Spirit can we overcome our own weaknesses and frailties, ignore the shortcomings of others, and be led to ultimate victory."

The Hand of the Cause Dr. Rahmatulláh Muhájir presided at the afternoon consultative session. He invited the delegates to direct their attention to the subject of mass conversion. He pointed out that 'We do not know when the Formative Age will give way to the Golden Age,' but that Shoghi Effendi once said that the efforts of the Bahá’ís would 'herald the advent of the Golden Age of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh.' Therefore, Dr. Muhájir said, the Bahá’ís can bring the Golden Age nearer by tireless and effective teaching among the masses of humanity.

'This is the time for growing, for gaining numerical strength in the Cause. The time is ripe-it was always ripe, for this. The Master said that humanity would enter the Faith in troops.'

Dr. Muhájir called to the stage Bahá’ís from several regions of the world, who discussed their experiences and victories in the teaching work among various groups.

Tuesday, 2 May

The Hand of the Cause Dhikru’lláh Khádem presided over the final consultative session of the Convention. He reminded the friends that Shoghi Effendi was delighted to be able to say that 'The Cause of God has reached places that are difficult to pronounce!' He told the delegates: 'We must respond to win the goals; we must teach ourselves and then teach others. We have a grave responsibility. . . If we ourselves arise and take the lead in the teaching work, the friends will follow us.'

In the closing address to the Convention, the Hand of the Cause Dr. Ugo Giachery summarized the events of the preceding days, and then repeated the theme that had recurred throughout the long sessions of the Convention: That the members of the National Spiritual Assemblies themselves had a responsibility to be an example of selfless devotion, of unremitting acitivity, of constant service to the Cause.

He warned that the administrators of the Faith must not believe that administration alone would win the victories of the Five Year Plan and of the Plans that would be unveiled in the future, and thereby hasten the advent of the Golden Age of humanity. 'We must have passion for the Cause,' he said.

In the afternoon, the participants assembled at Bahjí for the celebration of the Twelfth Day

Silver box holding two containers of Dust from the Shrines of Bahá’u’lláh and the Báb which was placed by the Hand of the Cause Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum in the new building which will serve as the Seat of the Universal House of Justice. [Page 299]The Hands of the Cause and Counsellors gathered at Mazra’ih; May 1978. Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum is seen in the centre of the second row. [Page 300]of Riḍván. The Hand of the Cause ‘Alí-Akbar Furútan presided. The nearly 600 Bahá’ís were seated in a giant arc around the outer perimeter of the Haram-i-Aqdas, facing the Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh, as prayers and readings were offered in Arabic, Spanish, English, Persian, and French.

Then, in solemn procession, Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum and Mr. Furútan led the assemblage in humble circumambulation of the Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh, in Whose Name the Convention had gathered, and for the advancement of Whose Cause their lives were dedicated.

Wednesday-Sunday, 3-7 May

After the National Spiritual Assembly members began dispersing to their homes throughout the world, the fifty-two members of the Continental Boards of Counsellors began a series of plenary and zonal sessions with the sixteen members of the International Teaching Centre who were present in the Holy Land. The members of the Universal House of Justice also attended the sessions.

The meetings were for the purpose of discussing the objectives of the Five Year Plan and the development of the Institution of the Counsellors and their Auxiliary Boards—including the use of assistants—in areas of concern such as the protection of the Faith and the propagation of the Cause in years ahead. The zonal meetings dealt with points of more regional concern.

On the final day, the Hands of the Cause and Counsellors were received by the Universal House of Justice at a farewell luncheon held at Mazra’ih.

Mr. Alibe Mimba, a delegate from Surinam, having just cast his ballot, is invited by Amatu’l-Bahá Rúhlyyih Khánum to pause for a photograph. Rúḥtyyih Khánum had enjoyed Mr. Mimba’s hospitality during her visit to the Bush Negro communities of Surinam on her Green Light Expedition in 1975. [Page 301]

3. THE HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE OF THE ERECTION OF THE SEAT OF THE UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE

Address of the Hand of the Cause Paul Haney to the Bahá’í International Teaching Conference in Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico, February 4–6, 1977

THE destiny of the Holy Land in relation to our Faith, as every Bahá’í knows, has been foretold in the sacred Writings of the prophets of old, in Tablets revealed by Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and in the writings of Shoghi Effendi.

The fulfilment of these prophecies and allusions began with the banishment of Bahá’u’lláh and His arrival in ‘Akká in 1868. Since that historic event the spiritual heart and the nerve centre of the Bahá’í world has been located in the Holy Land, first in ‘Akká, and then in both Haifa and ‘Akká, following the transfer of the remains of the Báb to Mount Carmel and their interment in the bosom of that Holy Mountain.

From the Holy Land, the world spiritual centre of the Faith since 1868, the Master, and later the Guardian, as the divinely-appointed Centres of Bahá’u’lláh’s Covenant, fostered and directed the spiritual and administrative development of the Cause throughout the Bahá’í world.

During both the early and later years of his ministry, Shoghi Effendi gradually disclosed to the believers the future evolution of the World Centre and the glory of the divinely ordained Institutions which would be established there. In these successive and majestic messages the beloved Guardian described the relationship of these Institutions to the Shrines and Holy Places which had long comprised the world spiritual centre of the Faith. Of these the Shrine of the Báb on Mount Carmel stands pre-eminent, surpassed only by the Tomb of Bahá’u’lláh in Bahjí. The Guardian referred to the resting-place of the Báb as ‘a focal centre of divine illumination and power’¹ which would, as the institutions comprising the World Administrative Centre of the future Bahá’í Commonwealth became established, continue to flourish and expand ‘until the full measure of its splendour will have been disclosed before the eyes of all mankind’.²

In referring to the International Archives building, standing in the shadow of the Shrine of the Báb, Shoghi Effendi told us that the completion of this edifice would in turn herald the construction of several other structures which would serve as the administrative seats of the divinely ordained institutions of the Faith at its World Centre. He stated that these edifices would be in the shape of a far-flung arc and would surround the resting-places of the Greatest Holy Leaf, the Purest Branch and the Holy Mother, and that their completion would mark the culmination of the development of the world-wide, divinely-appointed administrative order of the Faith, and would fulfil the glad tidings and promises revealed by Bahá’u’lláh in the Tablet of Carmel.

It was the Tablet of Carmel which generated the spiritual impulse for the rise and establishment of the Bahá’í international institutions in the Holy Land, a process which Shoghi Effendi told us ‘may be traced as far back as the concluding years of the Heroic Age of the Faith,’³ and which will attain its final consummation in the Golden Age, ‘through the raising of the standard of the Most Great Peace and the emergence in the plenitude of its power and glory of the focal centre of the agencies constituting the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh. The final establishment of this seat of the future Bahá’í World Commonwealth will,’ he told us, signalize at once the proclamation of the sovereignty of the Founder of our Faith and the advent of the Kingdom of the Father...’⁴ Thus it was the Tablet of Carmel which is the charter for the development of the institutions of the Faith at its World Centre, including the establishment

¹ Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, p. 277. ² ibid. ³ Shoghi Effendi, Messages to the Bahá’í World 1950-1957, pp. 74-75. ⁴ ibid. [Page 302]lishment of the supreme edifice of the Universal House of Justice.

Let us attempt to understand, through these majestic words of our beloved Guardian, the extent of the blessing conferred upon the entire world through the establishment of the Universal House of Justice, and particularly the significance of the seat of that mighty institution which the Bahá’ís of the world are now called upon to build. In explaining the significance of the Tablet of Carmel as the charter for the establishment of the Universal House of Justice, Shoghi Effendi stated that:

'In this great Tablet (of Carmel) which unveils divine mysteries and heralds the establishment of two mighty, majestic and momentous undertakings... the Spiritual and Administrative World Centres of the Faith Bahá’u’lláh refers to an "Ark," whose dwellers are the men of the Supreme House of Justice, which in conformity with the exact provisions of the Will and Testament of the Centre of the Mighty Covenant is the body which should legislate on laws not explicitly revealed in the Text. In this dispensation, these laws are destined to flow from this Holy Mountain, even as in the Mosaic Dispensation, the law of God was promulgated from Zion. The "sailing of the Ark" of His laws is a reference to the establishment of the Universal House of Justice, ..."

In another passage the Guardian referred to the Supreme Body of the House of Justice as 'the dome of the Edifice' (of the Administrative Order of the Faith) that would have to be raised 'on its prescribed site on the slopes of the divine Vineyard, the "Mountain of the Lord', to adorn the institutions of God's New Order with this crown of high distinction'.

Therefore the construction of the building which will be the seat of the House of Justice on Mount Carmel is really an instruction, a command, from our beloved Guardian, as well as from the House of Justice, to which all of us, the Bahá’ís of the world, must respond, and in so doing hasten the dawn of that glorious era so clearly foreshadowed in these majestic passages from the writings of Shoghi Effendi:

'This World Administrative Centre of the Bahá’í community constitutes the pivot of the New World Order of Him Who is the Vivifier of mouldering bones and the Source of infinite grace and bounty. It 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 Centre to which the followers of His most sublime and glorious Faith must turn and the focal point which will mirror forth the effulgent splendours of the Kingdom of God, the Almighty, upon all regions. It is the fountainhead of divine civilization, the fairest, the noblest fruit of the Bahá’í Revelation-a civilization whose effects will, during the third, the Golden Age of the Bahá’í Dispensation and in the course of the future Dispensations, become clearly manifest, and whose bountiful outpourings will, like unto a torrential flood, burst forth upon all mankind."³

And in other passages referring to the time when the Supreme Institution of the House of Justice would be established and function from the Holy Land, Shoghi Effendi told us that:

'Through it the pillars of the Faith on this earth will be firmly established and its hidden powers be revealed, its signs shine forth, its banners be unfurled and its light be shed upon all peoples.'... "Then will be unveiled before our eyes the inauguration of an era the like of which has never been witnessed in past ages.' 'Then will the throne of Bahá’u’lláh's sovereignty be founded in the promised land and the scales of justice be raised on high. Then will the banner of the independence of the Faith be unfurled, and His Most Great Law be unveiled and rivers of laws and ordinances stream forth from this snow-white spot with all-conquering power and awe-inspiring majesty, the like of which past ages have never seen. Then will appear the truth of what was revealed by the Tongue of Grandeur. "Call out to Zion, O Carmel, and announce the joyful tidings: He that was hidden from mortal eyes is come. His all-conquering sovereignty is manifest. His all-encompassing splendour is revealed ... O Carmel ... well is it with him that circleth around thee, that proclaimeth the revelation of thy glory, and recounteth that which the bounty of the Lord, thy God, hath showered upon thee"."4

'Shoghi Effendi, Message to the Bahá’ís of Persia, Naw-Ruz 1955. ³ ibid. ¹ ibid. Shoghi Effendi, Message to the Bahá’ís of Persia, 27 November 1929. [Page 303]

4. THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE BUILDING FOR THE SEAT OF THE UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE

The Greatest Single Undertaking of the Five Year Plan

The Hand of the Cause Amatu’l-Bahá Rúhlyyih Khánum is seen placing the casket containing Dust from the Holy Shrines of the Faith in a niche above the front entrance of the Seat of the Universal House of Justice, in the outer wall of the council chamber during the International Convention on 29 April 1978. Assisting her are architect Husayn Amánat, right, and ‘Aziz Khabirpúr, the resident engineer for the building's construction. [Page 304]A view of part of the entablature. White Pentelikon marble from Greece, also known as 'Caesar's white', is used in the structure. Pentelikon marble was used in the building of the Parthenon.

In Chiampo, Italy sections of the fluted columns are viewed by, left to right, Sohrab Youssefian, Husayn Amanat, ‘Aziz Khabirpúr and G. B. Danda, director of Industria dei Marmi Vicentini.

Fifty-eight columns in the Corinthian style are used in the building and were carved by master craftsmen of Chiampo.

Each column is 10.80 metres high and is adorned with a capital ornamented by a triple row of acanthus leaves. [Page 305]

THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHÁ’U’LLÁH

‘It is now both necessary and possible to initiate construction of a building that will not only serve the practical needs of a steadily consolidating administrative centre but will, for centuries to come, stand as a visible expression of the majesty of the divinely ordained institutions of the Administrative Order of Bahá’u’lláh,’ the Universal House of Justice announced to the Bahá’ís of the world on 5 June 1975.

On 17 June 1975 the House of Justice cabled: JOYFULLY ANNOUNCE COMMENCEMENT EXCAVATION SITE UNIVERSAL HOUSE JUSTICE BUILDING ARC MOUNT CARMEL STOP CONTRACT ENTAILS REMOVAL FORTY THOUSAND CUBIC METRES ROCK AND EARTH AT COST APPROXIMATELY TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS STOP INVITE ALL BELIEVERS CONTRIBUTE UNSTINTINGLY BUILDING FUND UNINTERRUPTED PROGRESS HISTORIC UNDERTAKING,

and on 10 January 1977: JOYFULLY ANNOUNCE SIGNATURE AGREEMENT GENERAL CONTRACTOR FOR ERECTION SEAT UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE AT COST JUST OVER TWO MILLION DOLLARS STOP FIRST SHIPMENT FINISHED MARBLE DELIVERED SITE ...

By March 1978 construction had reached the level of the floor immediately above the council chamber and more than 2,200 tons of finished carved marble had been delivered to the site. A contract was signed with a French firm for placing the marble on the building after the completion of the concrete shell. Exterior concrete construction was completed by April 1979 except for the entablature, main staircase and the annex to the lower basement. The placing of the marble to sheathe the main structure and the erection of all columns and capitals is now completed and the placing of the entablature marble has commenced. Interior finishing work has begun and fabrication of doors and windows in Italian walnut, as well as the plaster elements for cornices, mouldings and domed ceilings, is proceeding at suppliers' factories in Italy.

The site of the Seat of the Universal House of Justice on the slopes of Mt. Carmel as it appeared when excavation commenced on 17 June 1975. [Page 306]In June 1977 the walls were being constructed for the upper and lower basements (looking eastward).

When this photograph was taken on 17 February 1977 the first concrete footings were being poured.

Pouring concrete for the foundation; 10 June 1977. [Page 307]A northward view shows the walls of the upper basement in place; 5 July 1977.

Pouring the concrete floor of the lower basement; 29 June 1977.

Pouring the central columns which support the dome as well as, in part, the council chamber; 15 July 1977. [Page 308]Further progress in construction of upper and lower basements; 31 August 1977.

The first slab of the outer perimeter at the ground floor level as it appeared on 12 October 1977.

The upper and lower basements; 26 November 1977. [Page 309]Pouring concrete on the council chamber level of the building; 16 January 1978.

The main staircase leading from the grand concourse to the council chamber floor as it appeared on 8 January 1978.

Forms for the walls of the third floor are seen in place on 24 March 1978. [Page 310]View of some of the delegates to the fourth International Convention who gathered on 29 April 1978 for the ceremony during which the Hand of the Cause Amatu’l-Bahá Rúhlyyih Khánum placed in a niche in the outer wall of the council chamber a casket containing Dust from the Holy Shrines.

The third floor walls were completed when this photograph was taken on 12 April 1978.

By 30 June 1978 progress had been made toward constructing the roof and the octagon of the dome. [Page 311]The first piece of marble, a pilaster base, is seen being lifted into place; 31 July 1978.

This view of the construction, taken from the International Archives building, shows the progress as of 4 October 1978.

Part of the marble cladding and a section of a column are seen in this view showing the advancement made as of 24 October 1978. [Page 312]By 30 November 1978 additional cladding had been affixed and the columns along the east side of the building had begun to rise, section by section.

The columns and capitals on the east and north sides as they appeared on 13 December 1978.

By 24 January 1979 all the columns on the north and east sides had been placed and forms prepared for pouring supports for the entablature. [Page 313]A pre-cast coffered soffit is seen being hoisted into position; 3 May 1978. [Page 314]

5. A TRIBUTE BY CHIAMPO¹

A stirring and poignant chapter in the history of the erection of the Seat of the Universal House of Justice—the mighty Centre from which God's Law shall go forth to unite and perfect mankind—was written not at the World Centre of the Faith, but in the village of Chiampo, Italy, where the marble for the new building was carved by the remnant of a dwindling race of master workmen in the white stone which has quickened man's senses for aeons.

ON 4 July 1979, the Mayor of the city of Chiampo, Italy, wrote an unusual letter. Addressed to the resident engineer in charge of the construction of the new building for the Seat of the Universal House of Justice, the letter said, in part:

'I have the honour to be the Mayor of Chiampo—that is, of the town which, through the Industria dei Marmi Vicentini, has had the privilege of carving the marble for the Seat of the Universal House of Justice, Bahá’í World Centre, Haifa.

'In remembrance of this work, my Administration has asked—and obtained permission of the Industria dei Marmi Vicentini—for a duplicate of one of the columns, to be erected in our main square in witness of the ingenuity, the art, and workmanship of our valley, and also in memory of a work of art and a Faith that will live for centuries for the peace and brotherhood of the human race....

The Mayor's letter added that he and the citizens of Chiampo hope that their contribution to the beauty and perfection of the new building will not be forgotten. And he enclosed a booklet that the city published for the dedication of the column on 17 June 1979.

The booklet is a remarkable document. It relates the history of the stonecutters of Chiampo—the origins of which are 'lost in the mists of time', and tells how son succeeded father in the 'noble profession' almost as a religious vocation, and the valley 'rang with the sweet song of hammers and chisels' as stonecutting became a 'notable and characteristic source of life, riches, and art for the people of Chiampo'.

In 1904, the town of Chiampo helped establish a local School for the Arts and Professions in an attempt to direct some of the local young people into the one activity which the local economy and local resources had offered for over two millennia. Over the years the school trained hundreds of young people in design, pottery, the history of art, and the working of marble. The school no longer exists, and only its last pupils remain in Chiampo, 'heirs to the splendid and ancient art which now—unhappily—is perhaps dying out in our area.'

Adapted from Bahá’í International News Service, Bulletin No. 102, 31 August 1979.

The booklet continues: 'However, the competence, virtuosity, and dedication of these last stonecutters are gifts still recognized, appreciated, and sought after in the world—and it is thanks to them that today, on Mount Carmel, in Haifa, Israel, is rising the "Parthenon of Chiampo".'

The document then describes the station and the role of the Universal House of Justice and explains some of the history and principles of the Faith, adding: 'And so, in the way of all civilized peoples of the world, and in witness of their own ideals, they wanted to enrich the earth by the construction of a monumental edifice in marble—a project almost anachronistic in an era when the protagonists of building and architecture are cement, iron, aluminium, and glass.'

The building is compared with the Parthenon (it is larger and more beautiful), and recalls 'a similar edifice, in Ionic style and with smaller dimensions' which was built in Haifa in 1957 also by Industria dei Marmi Vicentini—a reference to the Bahá’í International Archives building, erected by Shoghi Effendi as the first of the great Institutions of the Administrative World Centre to be placed around the Arc on the face of Mt. Carmel.

The booklet notes that although 2,000 workers laboured for fifteen years to build the Parthenon, the 2,400 cubic metres (about 9,600 metric tons) of marble for the Seat of the Universal House of Justice were cut, shaped, and carved by twenty workmen in only 26 months—a prodigy made possible by the use [Page 315]of machines alongside manual work' in all of the geometrically-designed pieces. It points out, however, that painstaking hand carving by true artists was necessary on many of the pieces the capitals, entablature, and cornices 'where the marble cutting and relief work had to recreate the magic play of light and chiaroscuro which is so enchanting in ancient buildings'.

Then the booklet points out the reason for erecting a duplicate of one of the columns in the main public square of Chiampo:

The workmen realized that there was a distinct danger, because so few fine marble structures are being built today, that in Chiampo itself 'of such great dedication and demonstrated executive skill there would remain only the memory, inevitably destined to fade with the passing of time. The marble workers, to avoid this, decided that a sample of one of the columns of the building in Haifa-identical in material and execution-should be put in the centre of the square in witness of the flourishing art of our region and as an example and a warning to the younger generations, so that they would not abandon an ancient and glorious tradition.'

A parchment scroll was inserted into the column as it was erected, explaining the purpose for its existence and giving the names of all of the workmen who participated in the 'admirable collaboration' between the people of Chiampo and the Bahá’í World Centre.

The booklet contains a long poem, of forty stanzas, written in the dialect of the Veneto by one of the marble-workers, Giulio Piazza. Some excerpts in both the original language and in a somewhat literal translation are set out below:

'La xe la vera storia de on tempio tanto caro on laoro cussí raro che lo devo racontar.... 'Sto gran capolavoro che xe sta fato a Ciampo i lo ga fato artisi ancor de vecio stampo. Che ga fato 'sto laora xe sta tanta brava gente e gh'è mancà poco che i lo fassa anca par gnente. Dire come l'è sta fato ghe xe solo 'na solusion no l'è sta fato par intaresso, ma solo per passion.... A stemo completando on laoro grande e belo e tuto sarà messo sul bel monte Carmelo. Xe scrito so la Bibia, e non la xe legenda, ch'el sarà de Dio la so grande tenda...."

"This is the true story of a very rare temple, of such a dear one that I want to tell you of it.... This great masterpiece which was made in Chiampo was shaped by artists of the good old kind. This work was done by many good people and they would have done it for nothing. There is only one way to say how it has been done: Not for profit was it done, but only for love.... We are now completing a great and beautiful work which will be raised on beautiful Mount Carmel. It is written in the Bible --and it is not a fable- that it will be the Great Tent of God....'

(Translated from the booklet 'Una Colonna, Una Storia' ['A Column, A Story'] published in June 1979 by the town of Chiampo, Italy) [Page 316]The Italian firm of Industria dei Marmi Vicentini in the spring of 1978 published an impressive eight-page brochure designed to acquaint potential customers with the quality of their work in architectural marble. The entire booklet is devoted to the new Seat of the Universal House of Justice.

In many impressive pictures and in accurately-written passages, the firm tells of the history of the Faith, the role of the Universal House of Justice, and gives some details of the design of the building itself.

They point out that their quarries will provide 85,000 cubic feet of 'Caesar's White' marble of Pentelikon quality, the same marble that was used in the Parthenon in Athens. They further point out that the Parthenon has forty-six columns each 31.5 feet high, while the new Seat of the Universal House of Justice has 'A peristyle of fifty-eight columns, each thirty-three feet high... decorated with magnificient entablatures and surmounted by a great dome.'

Una Colonna Una Storia

A cura dell'Amministrazione Comunale di Chiampo (Vicenza) 1979

Booklet published by the town of Chiampo, Italy to commemorate the erection in the main public square of a duplicate of one of the columns which grace the new building for the Seat of the Universal House of Justice.