Bahá’í World/Volume 20/The Ten Year Crusade and the Knights of Bahá’u’lláh

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THE TEN YEAR CRUSADE AND THE KNIGHTS OF BAHA’U’LLAH

Adapted from a talk given by MR. ‘ALt NAQJAVANI’ to the Bahá’í World Centre staff in April 1992

MANY of us are working here and abroad to prepare for the events of the coming Holy Year—mthe Centenary of the Ascension of Baha’u’llah. Among the events which will be held in the Holy Land will be a reception for‘the Knights of Baha’u’llah. These precious souls had a unique part to play in an extremely important period of Bahá’í history, the Ten Year Crusade.lAs we look back over the development of the Faith during the one hundred years since the passing of the Blessed Beauty, it is appropriate to take the time to review a subject which engaged the entire Bahá’í world during the latter years of the ministry of Shoghi Effendi.

The significance of the Ten Year Crusade was described by Shoghi Effendi in a message he sent to the Intercontinental Conference in America on 4 May 1953. It was a long message, read to the assembly by Amatu’l-Bahá Rt'ihiyyih Ehénum, towards the end of which he reviewed the entire spiritual evolution of humanity. He said that this process—-this stupendous vast processconsists of ten parts. Part one consisted of all of the Prophets of God before the Báb. Part two began with the Báb, and then followed five parts representing major phases of the Faith up to 1921. The eighth part was his own ministry up to 1953.

Then he wrote:

The ninth part of this process—the stage we are now entering——is the further

diffusion of that same light over one hundred and thirty-one additional territories and islands in both the Eastern and Western Hemispheres, through the operation of a decade—long world spiritual crusade whose termination will, God willing, coincide with the Most Great Jubilee commemorating the centenary of the decla'ration of Baha’u’llah in Baghdad} ' The tenth part is everything we will be doing till the end of the Dispensation of Baha’u’llah. Shoghi Effendi continues:

And finally the tenth part of this mighty process must be the penetration of that light, in the course of numerous cmsades and of successive epochs of both the Formative and Golden Ages of the Faith, into all the remaining territories of the globe through the erection of the entire machinery of Baha’u’llah’s Administrative Order in all territories, both East and West, the stage at which the light of God’s triumphant Faith shining in all its power and glory will have suffiised and enveloped the entire planet.2 Of the entire range of the Bahá’í Dispen sation, we are in the tenth part. The ninth part—only ten years—was the Ten Year

1 Messages to the Bahá’í World, A compilation of letters from Shoghi Effendi (Wilmette: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1958), pp. 154—155.

2 ibid. p. 155.

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Crusade. And in the entire range of the universal process of spiritual evolution of humanity this stage stands out. This is an indication of the importance of the topic.

TEACHIN G PLANS

From 1844 to 1937 there were no Bahá’í Teaching Plans. The friends knew about teaching, about traveling to teach, and about martyrdom. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had encouraged the friends to form local assemblies and to set up funds and associations, and He had given the American believers the Tablets of the Divine Plan but there was no Administrative Order to prosecute this Vision.

During the first years of his ministry, Shoghi Effendi began to create the structures that we know today. He named the United States as the cradle of the Administrative Order as there was one National Spiritual Assembly there as well as for Canada, and they had been the recipients of the Tablets of the Divine Plan. Everything in terms of the formal inauguration of the Administrative Order began with the North American Bahá’í community. For 16 years, from 1921 to 1937, he said he built up the Administrative Order in the United States and Canada. Then, at Riḍván 1937, he gave them the first Seven Year Plan. Although it was a national plan, the messages were shared with the Bahá’í world collectively.

At the end of the first Seven Year Plan, in 1944, the Guardian gave the American friends a two—year respite. Then he gave them the second Seven Year Plan, from Riḍván 1946 to 1953. During the second Seven Year Plan of the United States, he urged the other ten National Spiritual Assemblies to have Plans, too. Consequently, the second Plan was paralleled by other Plans in Asia, Africa, Europe and Australasia.

In letters from the Guardian, there was reference to a third Seven Year Plan to take place after three years of respite. However, he changed his mind and decided that immediately upon the completion of the second

Seven Year Plan there would be a Ten Year Plan, not only for the United States and Canada, but for the entire Bahá’í world. T herefore, that third Seven Year Plan was cancelled, and was superseded by the Ten Year Plan. The first Plan with world—wide international collaboration was the Ten Year Crusade.

At the mid-way point of the Ten Year Plan, Shoghi Effendi passed away. The Hands of the Cause of God took over custodianship of the Faith and the Spiritual Crusade was completed. The Universal House of Justice came into existence and it took one year to review the situation before it developed, after consultation with the Hands of the Cause, the Nine Year Plan, from 1964 to 1973. Following Shoghi Effendi’s style, the House of Justice gave a year of respite from Riḍván 1973 to 1974, then gave the friends the Five Year Plan to carry out from 1974 to 1979, followed by the Seven Year Plan, 1979 to 1986, and the Six Year Plan, 1986 to 1992. Now we have the Holy Year, Riḍván 1992 to 1993, then we are to have the Three Year Plan, 1993 to 1996. What will happen after that, only Bahá’u’lláh knows.

MESSAGES LEADING UP TO THE

TEN YEAR CRUSADE The Guardian used the word “Crusade” as far back as 1939. Of course, this word has historical connotations in connection with the military expeditions of the European Christians who went to the Holy Land to liberate Jerusalem from Muslim rule. In 1939, two years after the inauguration of the first Seven Year Plan of the American believers, he began to use the term “Crusade” instead of “Plan.” In his Persian writings he used the word “Jihad,” which is “Holy War.” He subsequently used “Crusade” for the second Seven Year Plan, and then for the Ten Year Plan so that the latter became known as the T en Year Crusade, even more than the Ten Year Plan. He sometimes referred to the pioneers as “crusaders.”

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Shoghi Effendi did not give the Bahá’í world any indication of this Crusade in the earlier years of his Guardianship. However, in 1951, six years before he passed away, when he began to build up the World Centre by inviting outstanding believers to come to the Holy Land to serve on the International Bahá’í Council or to come as Hands of the Cause of God, he started referring to something very great that was going to happen.

For example, on 25 February 1951, in a letter to the British National Spiritual Assembly (and almost on the same date he sent a cable to the American National Spiritual Assembly repeating virtually word for word what he had told the British Bahá’ís), he instructed the British Bahá’í community to have a Two Year Plan, beginning in 1951 and ending in 1953, to recruit pioneers to Africa.

On the success of this enterprise, [the

Two Year Plan] unprecedented in its

scope, unique in its character and immense

in its spiritual potentialities, must depend the initiation, at a later period in the Formative Age of the Faith, of undertakings embracing within their range all National

Assemblies functioning throughout the

Bahá’í World, undertakings constituting

in themselves a prelude to the launching

of world-wide enterprises destined to be embarked upon, in future epochs of that same Age [the Formative Age], by the

Universal House of Justice, that will

symbolise the unity and coordinate and

unify the activities of these National

Assemblies.1

This was the first hint Shoghi Effendi gave of the Ten Year Crusade. Under the Two Year Plan, he had instructed only five National Assemblies to work together to open Africa south of the Sahara and he put these National Assemblies under the auspices and coordination of the British

1 Unfolding Destiny: The Messages from the Guardian of the Bahá’í Faith t0 the Bahá’í' Community of the British Isles (London: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1981), p. 261.

National Assembly. In this letter he stated that at the end of the Two Year Plan, the Bahá’í world was to have undertakings which would involve and engage all National Assemblies, and there were eleven at that time.

In this letter he also gave the Bahá’í world a foreshadowing of two stages: one period with undertakings involving all National Spiritual Assemblies, that is, the Ten Year Crusade; to be followed throughout the Epochs of the Formative Age by enterprises which would be launched by the Universal House of Justice. I remember the discussions in Tihran by the scholars of the Faith about why Shoghi Effendi had said that those enterprises would be embarked upon by the Universal House of Justice. Why didn’t he say under the aegis of the Guardianship?

In this one short paragraph, Shoghi Effendi told the friends about the future in two ways. First something great was going to happen, then major enterprises were to occur under the aegis of the Universal House of J ustice.

Nine months later, on 30 November 1951, the Guardian sent a message in which he said that the Bahá’í World would hold intercontinental conferences for the first time. There had always been local and national conferences. Now, he said, the Faith was entering a new phase.

F orthcoming celebrations must be signalized through inauguration long anticipated intercontinental stage in administrative evolution of Faith marking its gradual development through successive phases of local, regional, national, international Bahá’í activity. Initiation this highly significant measure further cementing Bahá’í National Assemblies in five continents of globe will be acclaimed by posterity as counterpart to consolidation Faith at its World Centre through recent formation International Bahá’í Council in Holy Land.2

2 Messages, p. 17.

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This was another hint that the Bahá’ís were to engage in collaboration involving all National Spiritual Assemblies very soon.

At Naw-Rl'lz 1952, Shoghi Effendi announced that the eleven National Spiritual Assemblies of the Bahá’í world were to be joined by a twelfth, the ltalo-Swiss National Assembly. He praised the work of Dr. Ugo Giaehery in that cable, and said how important it was that at the beginning of this new international phase we had a new National Spiritual Assembly.

Anticipate entrusting to the youngest among the twelve National Assemblies of the Bahá’í World a specific plan enabling it, in conjunction with its sister National Spiritual Assemblies of the Bahá’í World, to promote in the course of the ten years separating the second from the Most Great Jubilee the Global Crusade designed to hoist the standard of Baha’u’llah in the remaining states, dependencies and islands of the whole planet.1 Here it was: the first intimation of the Ten

Year Crusade.

The next message I want to quote was written in June 1952 and was heartrending:

No matter how long the period that separates them from ultimate Victory; however arduous the task; however formidable the exertions demanded of them;... however grievous the ordeal of temporary separation from the heart and nerve-center of their Faith which future unforeseeable disturbances may impose upon them, I adjure them, by the precious blood that flowed in such great profusion, by the lives of the unnumbered saints and heroes who were immolated, by the supreme, the glorious sacrifice of the Prophet—Herald of our Faith, by the tribulations which its Founder, Himself, willingly underwent, so that His Cause might live, His Order might redeem a shattered world and its glory might suffuse the entire planetul adjure them, as this solemn hour draws

1 Messages, p. 23.

nigh, to resolve never to flinch, never to

hesitate, never to relax, until each and

every objective in the Plans to be pro claimed, at a later date, has been fully

consummated.2

That shook the Bahá’í world. The friends realized that while there was a wonderful thing happening—there would also be national Plans; each of these twelve National Spiritual Assemblies was going to have its own Plan, just as the ltalo~Swiss was to have its own Plan—and that there would be some rough times ahead.

Then came the auspicious moment, on 8 October 1952, when Shoghi Effendi announced the summary of the Ten Year Crusade. He gave the Bahá’í world the Crusades’s objectives, and the preamble of the message read as follows:

Feel hour propitious to proclaim to the entire Bahá’í world the projected launching on the occasion of the convocation of the approaching Intercontinental Conferences on the four continents of the globe the fateladen, soul—stirring, decade-long, worldembracing Spiritual Crusade involving the simultaneous initiation of twelve national Ten Year Plans and the concerted participation of all National Spiritual Assemblies of the Bahá’í world aiming at the immediate extension of Bahá’u’lláh’s spiritual dominion as well as the eventual establishment of the structure of His administrative order in all remaining Sovereign States, Principal Dependencies comprising Principalities, Sultanates, Emirates Shaykhdoms, Protectorates, Trust Territories, and Crown Colonies scattered over the surface of the entire planet. The entire body of the avowed supporters of Bahá’u’lláh’s allconquering Faith are now summoned to achieve in a single decade feats eelipsing in totality the achievements which in the course of the eleven preceding decades illuminated the annals of Bahá’í pioneering.3

2 ibid., pp. 38—39. 3 ibid., p. 41.

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He went on giving a summary of these goals. This message had an electrifying effect on the friends.

By May 1953, Shoghi Effendi had already announced not only the summary but the details of the Ten Year Plan. Intercontinental conferences were held. To each one he sent a special message enumerating all the goals pertaining to that continent. He sent Hands of the Cause to be present at the Conferences, with a designated Hand representing him personally. All of this happened during that Holy Year.

HOLY YEARS

The Guardian first used the term “Holy Year” in a letter written on his behalf by his scoretary to the American Bahá’í community in November 1951. He explained in that letter that the Holy Year was to mark the Year Nine, a reference to the Báb’s prophecy that in the Year Nine—that is nine years after 1844, His own Declaration—the Promised One would come and the new Revelation would be born.

The Year Nine began from the time when Bahá’u’lláh received the intimation of His Revelation in the Siyah-C_hal in Tihran. He entered the Siyah~C_hal in August of 1852, and stayed in that Black Pit for four months. Shoghi Effendi explained that this intimation———this dream or mystic experience that Baha’u’llah wrote aboutw—occurred at the mid—way point of this period of four months. Bahá’u’lláh entered the Siyah-_C_hal approximately on 15 August, so Shoghi Effendi took 15 October as the beginning of the Holy Year.

To better understand the Holy Years, I refer you to this passage from God Passes By:

The first dawnings of that Light of peerless splendor had. .. broken in the city of Shiraz. The rim of that Orb had now appeared above the horizon of the Siyah C_ha1 of Ṭihrán. Its rays were to burst

forth, a decade later, in Baghdad, piercing

the clouds which immediately after its rise

in those somber surroundings obscured its

splendor. It was destined to mount to its zenith in the far-away city of Adrianople, and ultimately to set in the immediate

Vicinity of the fortress—town of ‘Akká.1

In these three short sentences, Shoghi Effendi described the process of the Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh. What happened during the period of the Báb should be considered as the period of the dawn. As the rim of the orb of the Sun appearedwsunrise—that moment was the birth of the Bahá’í Revelation in the Siyah-C_hal in Tihran. That began the first Holy Year. The Morning Sun was seen in Baghdad, the Declaration by Baha’u’llah of His Mission. The process reached its zenith in Adrianople, when Baha’u’llah wrote His letters to the Kings, the Proclamation of His Faith; That “Sun” proceeded on its predestined path and then set in the city of ‘Akká, at Bahjí, in 1892. As to the second Holy Year: sunrise fixed the time for the first Holy Year, and sunset will fix the time for the second Holy Year.

The first Holy Year, announced by Shoghi Effendi, stretched from 15 October 1952 to 15 October 1953, and during this time the first four Intercontinental Conferences were held. The second Holy Year, announced by the Universal House of Justice, is to begin at Riḍván 1992 and end at Riḍván 1993 with commemorative events to be held in the Holy Land in May 1992, and the second Bahá’í World Congress in New York in November 1992.

CENTENARIES

Another subject which might be helpful as background is the centenaries we have had so far during the Formative Age. The first was the Centenary of the Declaration of the Bab, the First Jubilee, in May 1944, the

1 Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By (Wilmette: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 2nd ed, 1987), pp. 102—103.

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Friends from Australia and New Zealand gathered in Sydney for the Dedication of the National Hazirat’ul-Quds and the Commemoration Of the Centenary of the Declaration Ofthe Báb, 20 May 1944.

highlights of which were ce1ebrations held all over the Bahá’í world. The second was the Centenary of the Martyrdom Of the Báb in July 1950, for which Shoghi Effendi called on the entire Bahá’í world to hold commemorative events. Next was the Birth of the Revelation of Baha’u’llah, the intimation of His Mission, referred to by the Guardian as the Second Jubilee, or sometimes the Great Jubilee. This was the beginning of the first Holy Year, as described above, and its highlights were the first four Intercontinental Conferences.

The fourth centenary was the Centenary of Baha’u’llah’s Declaration in April 1963. This was the Third Jubilee, or, as Shoghi Effendi called it in other writings, the Most Great Jubilee. The highlights were worldwide celebrations, particularly culminating in the first Bahá’í World Congress held in London. Next was the Centenary of the Revelation of the Stiriy-i—Muldk in Adrianople where, Shoghi Effendi said, the Sun “had reached its zenith.” This was in September 1967, and the highlights were the six Intercontinental

Conferences convened by the Universal House of Justice. Hands of the Cause of God went to all of these Intercontinental Conferences. Six of the Hands first Visited the House of Baha’u’llah in Adrianople before scattering, carrying with them a copy of the portrait of Baha’u’llah taken in Adrianople, which the friends at these conferences were privileged to view. The Centenary of the Ascension of Baha’u’llah is ahead ofus, and the beginning of the Holy Year, Riḍván 1992 to Riḍván 1993. The highlights will be the events here and in New York.

THE TEN YEAR CRUSADE

Shoghi Effendi sent his manuscript of the Ten Year Plan to two National Spiritual Assemblies, the United States and the British Isles, asking each of them to publish it. It is called, The Bahá’í Faith 1844 to 1952, Information Statistical and Comparative, and it is in two parts. The first part consists of statistics of the Bahá’í world as of 1953. The second part is called, “Supplement: Ten

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r)!

The Hand of the Cause of God Leroy Ioas greeting the friends on beh

i

alf Of the Guardian

during thefirst Baha zIntercontinental Conference, held in Kampala, Uganda, from 12 to 18 February 1953.

Year International Bahá’í Teaching and Consolidation Plan 1953—1963.” The bottom of the cover reads: “Compiled by Shoghi Effendi, Guardian of the Bahá’í Faith.” From pages 50 to 74 are the details of the Ten Year Crusade as laid out by the Guardian in full detail and in fitll splendor.

The first goal was, “Adoption of preliminary measures for the construction of Baha’u’llah’s Sepulchre in the Holy Land.” Some of the friends asked if Shoghi Effendi was planning to build a superstructure for the Shrine of Baha’u’llah. He answered that what he had in mind was to cleanse the surroundings of the Shrine and to create the Ḥaram-i-Aqdas. This was accomplished.

The second goal was the opening of one hundred and thirty—one Virgin territories, whose names he specified. At that time roughly the same number of territories had already been opened, so opening one hundred and thirty-one new territories was equal to doubling the number of “countries within the pale of the Faith.” There were forty—one countries in Asia, thirty—three countries in

Africa, thirty countries in Europe, twentyseven countries in the Americas. However, during the evolution of the Plan, one new territory was added raising the total to one hundred and thirty—two, as will be explained later.

The next goal was the translation and publication of Bahá’í literature into ninetyone additional languages, the names of which Shoghi Effendi specified. There were to be forty in Asia, thirty-one in Africa, ten in Europe, ten in the Americas, and he assigned responsibility for translating and publishing these books and publications to designated National Spiritual Assemblies.

The fourth goal concerned the construction of two Mashriqu’l-Adhkárs, one in Tihran and one in Frankfurt. Circumstances in Tran did not permit the construction of the Temple in Tihran so, at a later date, he announced that the Kampala Temple in Uganda would replace the Temple in Tihran as a goal. A few months later he added Sydney, Australia, so two Houses of Worship were erecte instead of the one in Tihran. ‘

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Next was the acquisition of a site for the Temple on Mount Carmel. Mrs. Amelia Collins provided the funds, and Shoghi Effendi was able to purchase that very precious and important property which had been blessed by the footsteps of Baha’u’llah Himself at the time He revealed the Tablet of Carmel.

Another goal completed was the erection of the first dependency of the Temple in Wilmette, the Home for the Aged.

Next was the purchase of Temple sites in eleven countries, which he named—three on the American continent, three in Africa, two in Asia, two in Europe and one in Australasia.

The eighth goal was, “Development of the functions of the institution of the Hands of the Cause”. That became very important as the years went by. During the years that he was alive after launching the Ten Year Plan, Shoghi Effendi added more Hands t0 the number he had already appointed, then called on them all to appoint Auxiliary Boards of nine for each continent. Later he said that there should be two Auxiliary Boards instead of one—one for protection and one for teaching the Faith. Towards the end of his life he added more Hands of the Cause, and described them as the Chief Stewards of the Embryonic World Commonwealth. As can be seen, the institution of the Hands developed very rapidly during those four—and~one-half years.

The ninth goal was the establishment of a Bahá’í Court in the Holy Land. Shoghi Effendi did not intend for there to be a court which would supervise and oversee the judicial decisions of National Spiritual Assemblies, since the Head of the Faith was supervising and coordinating the work of the National Assemblies. The intention was something different. Just as other religions in Israel had certain rights according to the civil and religious laws of the land and had the right to have religious courts, so too should the Bahá’í Faith have a right to a religious court in Israel. But that court never materialized because there occurred a trend in Israel towards referral to secular instead

THE Bahá’í WORLD

of religious courts, and indeed a reduction of the power and authority of religious courts. This was studied very carefully by the Hands of the Cause, who produced documents explaining why this goal was not feasible under current circumstances.

The next goal was the codification of the Laws and Ordinances of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas. Shoghi Effendi himself worked on this, and a large package of his notes was passed to the Universal House of Justice When it was elected. These form the basis of the present Synopsis and Codification Of the Kitdb-iAqdas that was published, almost ninety—five per cent of which was the work of Shoghi Effendi. The Universal House of Justice completed and published the book.

Next was the establishment of six Bahá’í courts in chief cities of the Middle East. He named them: Tihran, Cairo, Baghdad, New Delhi, Karafli, Kabul. None of these were possible, some for the same reason that a court could not be established in Israel, and others because in those countries they were ultra-orthodox in their attitudes. The friends tried and were able, for example in Pakistan, to have the Bahá’í marriage certificate recognised, which is part of the work of a Bahá’í court, so some aspects of the goal were achieved. Likewise in New Delhi it was possible to obtain official recognition of the Bahá’í marriage certificate.

The twelfth goal was the extension of the international Bahá’í endowments in the Holy Land. Shoghi Effendi acquired many parcels of property both in Bahjí and in Haifa during the four years he was alive at the beginning of the Plan. Had he not acquired these properties on Mount Carmel we would not be able to work on the Arc and Terraces as we are now.

Construction of the International Bahá’í Archives Building was a goal which caused tremendous problems. Shoghi Effendi had the design made by Mason Remey, under his own supervision, and had it erected but could not complete it. During the last few years of the Plan, after the passing of Shoghi Effendi,

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the building was completed under the direction of the Hands of the Cause in the Holy Land and all the archives that had been kept in the three rooms to the south of the Shrine of the Báb were transferred to the new location.

It was a goal to construct a Tomb for the Wife of the Báb in Shíráz. The National Spiritual Assembly of Train did its best, but until today it has not been possible to achieve this important goal of the Ten Year Plan.

The next goal was the transfer of the remains of the Father of Baha’u’llah and the Mother and the Cousin of the Báb to the Bahá’í cemetery in Baghdad. The remains of the Father of Baha’u’llah were actually transferred and they are now in the Bahá’í cemetery. But the remains of the Mother and the Cousin of the Báb have still not been identified. These are among the last wishes of Shoghi Effendi that will have to be carried out in future years.

The sixteenth goal was the acquisition of four Bahá’í Holy Places in Train and ‘Iráq. Circumstances did not permit any progress in realizing the goal in ‘Iráq. In him, however, although it was possible to acquire two of the properties, these were subsequently confiscated by the authorities after the Revolution.

The seventeenth goal was the establishment of forty—eight new National Spiritual Assemblies. All of these were established during the Ten Year Crusade.

The next goal was met with the acquisition of forty-nine new Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds.

The acquisition of forty—nine national endowments and the framing of national Bahá’í constitutions for each of the new National Spiritual Assemblies was the next goal. Unfortunately in some countries, such as Tran, it was not possible to incorporate the National Assembly. However, national constitutions were drawn up and the National Assemblies operated within the terms of these documents.

Next was the incorporation of fifty-one National Spiritual Assemblies, which is

101

related to the goal above. As was explained, some of these National Assemblies could not be incorporated.

The twenty-first goal was the establishment of six national Publishing Trusts. All of these were established—two in the Americas, two in Asia, one in Africa and one in Europe.

Next, “Participation by the women of Persia in the membership of National and Local Assemblies,” was accomplished with flying colors. The first year that this permission was made effective two Bahá’í women were elected to the National Spiritual Assembly of lran. (Incidentally, Shoghi Effendi gave the same instruction to the National Spiritual Assembly of Egypt and Sfidan, one year after Persia.)

The next goal was the establishment of seven Israeli branches of National Spiritual Assemblies. This was very interesting. Shoghi Effendi established under Israeli law what are today called “friendly societies.” Instead of calling them, let us say, “Bahá’í Holding Societies,” he had each one named after a National Assembly operating at that time: for example, the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States—Israel Branch. One of the wonderful things that he did was to incorporate one of these “friendly societies” in the name of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Tran—lsrael branch. Shoghi Effendi used to say that in Train the authorities did not recognize us but in Israel the National Spiritual Assembly of Train had been incorporated. He transferred property in the names of these various legal entities. On Panorama Road, above the Shrine of the Báb, there is still a piece of land recorded in the land registry in the name of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of lrén—Israel branch.

The twenty—fourth goal was the establishment of a national Bahá’í Printing Press in Tihran. This was with the understanding that the National Assembly of Train would be incorporated and have its own printing press. This was not possible. However, the National Assembly of Train succeeded in establishing

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an informal publishing house which published Bahá’í books without actually owning a printing press. The books were typed, mimeographed, bound and distributed. Many books in our Bahá’í library today are those published during that period of the Ten Year Crusade. It was not official, but it was on the path to the fulfilment of this goal formulated by the Guardian.

Bahá’ís had ties with the United Nations, but Shoghi Effendi made it a goal to reinforce them. T wo years before he passed away, the persecutions in Tran allowed the friends to develop much closer connections with various UN agencies such as the Security Council, theHuman Rights Commission and other agencies in New York. The Guardian seemed to have anticipated this development, and urged the friends to build on those relationships. This process has continued, and now we have an efficient office in New York, another in Geneva, yet another in the Pacific, and so on.

For the purposes of the Ten Year Crusade Shoghi Effendi treated the Soviet Union as two parts, the European section which he counted as part of Europe, and the Asian republics which he regarded as part of Asia. According to his reports, there were thirteen unopened republics in the Soviet Union and

Charles Dunning, the Knight ofBahd ’u ’Zldh for the Orkney Islands, with Brigitte Hasselblatt, the Knight of Bahá’u’lláhfor the Shetland Islands, 0. 1 95 4.

THE Bahá’í WORLD

he named them. It was subsequently learned that there were Bahá’ís in some of these areas, whose presence had not been reported to him. A few territories were opened by traveling teachers. We will discuss these matters later.

The last goal, the twenty-seventh goal, was the convocation of the Bahá’í World Congress in 1963 in Baghdad. As events unfolded, it was not possible to have the Congress in Baghdad and it was held in London. In retrospect it seems so appropriate that it was held in London because that was where Shoghi Effendi had passed away. Many Bahá’ís went to that first Congress, on the one hand to pay their respects to their Guardian who had passed away while labouring for the Cause at the mid-way point of his Spiritual Crusade, and on the other to celebrate the one hundredth anniversary of the Declaration of Baha’u’llah.

After giving the friends the obj ectives of the Ten Year Crusade, Shoghi Effendi explained that it was to have four phases. The first phase was the opening of the Virgin territories, to occur over the first year. During the year he named the Knights as they arrived at their pioneer posts. Second was the acquisition of national Ḥaẓíratu’l-Qudses and endowments, over a period of two years. There was a tremendous effort by the Bahá’ís all over the world to win these goals. Third, the multiplication of Bahá’í localities and the formation of sixteen new National Spiritual Assemblies over a period of two years. This was done. And then, just before his passing, he said the fourth phase was to witness a vast increase in the number of believers and localities and the erection of the Temples of Africa, Australasia and Europe. The Hands of the Cause of God continued working on this fourth phase for the rest of the ten years.

THE KNIGHTS OF BAHA’U’LLAH

The word translated as “knights” was used by Baha’u’llah in His Writings. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá also used the word, as well as the word “horsemen.” By knights they meant heroes:

[Page 103]THE COMMEMORATION OF HISTORIC ANNIVERSARIES

Knights of Bahá’u’lláh Alvin and Gertrude

Blum at their post in the Solomon Islands with their daughter, Keithie (front), John Mills

(left) and the Head of the Bamu T ribe in 1954.

they used the word as translated by Shoghi Effendi with a lower case “k.” Shoghi Effendi took this word and used it as an accolade. It became a title, with a capital “K.” After announcing the goals of the Ten Year Crusade, Shoghi Effendi made this announcement on 28 May 1953:

Flaming inscribe, chronological order, names spiritual conquerors illuminated Roll of Honor, to be deposited entrance door inner Sanctuary Tomb of Bahá’u’lláh, as permanent memorial contribution champions His Faith Victorious conclusion opening campaign Global Crusade. . . 1 This was the first time he had used the

words “Roll of Honor.” It was a new term for the Bahá’ís, as were “Holy Year” and “Crusade,” and of course, “Knights” as a title. As we just saw, Shoghi Effendi wanted one hundred and thirty-one countries and territories of the world opened to the Faith during one year. To encourage the friends to arise, he said he would open a list upon which he would inscribe the names of those

1 Messages, p. 49.

103

pioneers who would go to these unconquered regions. This caught the imagination of Bahá’ís all over the world.

About a month later, Shoghi Effendi explained what he had in mind. In letters written on his behalf, he gave many explanations, two of which I will quote from:

There are no objections to more than one pioneer settling in these areas [meaning these Virgin areas]. If the original one to whom the territory has been assigned [meaning the NSA] cannot proceed at this moment, they will still be reaching their goal even though someone else might reach that point sooner than they. All who proceed to these points at this time will be designated as Knights of Baha’u’llah and their names be carried on the Roll of Honor to be deposited permanently in the Shrine of Baha’u’llah.

All pioneers reaching Virgin areas at this time are carried on the honor roll as Knights of Baha’u’llah. In other words, there may be four or five Knights of Baha’u’llah for one country. The Guardian has been considering how long this period of settlement by the Knights of Baha’u’llah should continue, but has not yet set the date. Up until that time, every individual settling in a Virgin area will be carried on the honor roll.

Feroza Yaganegi (left), one of the Knights of Bahd ’u ’lla'lh for Goa, with Gulnar Aftabi, wife of the other Knight ofBahd ’u ’Zldh for

Goa in 1953.

[Page 104]

104 THE Bahá’í WORLD

The Knights of Bahá’u’lláh for French

T ogoland, David T anyi (second from left) and Vivian Wesson (second from right),

with new believers in Accra in 1 95 6.

Friends started rushing: they longed to be on the Roll of Honor and among the Knights of Baha’u’llah. When you examine the Roll of Honor today you will see that some of the difficult countries only have one solitary Knight, and some of the easier countries have five, six, seven Knights.

Then, in May 1954, came this ominous announcement:

The Roll of Honor, after the lapse of one year since the launching of the World Crusade, is now closed, with the exception of pioneers who have already left for their destination, as W611 as those first arriving in the few remaining Virgin territories. . . 1 When Mr. Abbas and Mrs. Rezvanieh

Katirai went to the Sakhalin Islands in 1990, they became Knights since it was the last unopened territory left from the Ten Year Crusade. They set the seal on the Knights of Baha’u’llah.

The total number of territories opened by Knights was 122, with a footnote which reads, “Including the Gulf Islands, supplementing the Anticosti Islands, both in Canada.” The story of this footnote is as follows.

1 Messages, p. 69.

Shoghi Effendi had named 131 territories to be opened, including Anticosti Island in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Canada. The National Assembly wrote to Shoghi Effendi to state that no pioneer could go to Antioosti as it was owned and entirely controlled by a paper company. Only people employed by that company could go there, and Bahá’ís had been unsuccessful in obtaining jobs. Two further possibilities were for hunters or for people related to the islanders to go there, but neither of these were opened to Bahá’ís. Shoghi Effendi wrote back to tell them to choose another island. T hey consu1ted and chose the Gulf Islands, which Shoghi Effendi approved.

In the end, the National Assembly was able to open Anticosti Island, as originally envisaged. Shoghi Effendi named a Knight for Anticosti and it is on the R011 of Honor. Because the Gulf Islands had already won the honor of being a Virgin territory Which produced a Knight, the Bahá’í world ended with 132 Virgin territories instead of the original 131.

One may note that 122 territories opened by Knights of Bahá’u’lláh do not equal the 132 Virgin territories named by Shoghi

Edythe MacArthur, who moved to the Queen Charlotte Islands ofCanada in 1953 and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh.

[Page 105]THE COMMEMORATION OF HISTORIC ANNIVERSARIES

Effendi. This is because 10 were opened by other means. There were some countries where there were Bahá’ís about whom Shoghi Effendi had never received reports. When he learned of these he announced in one of his Riḍván messages that he now considered these countries already opened. As the Bahá’ís there had gone before the opening of the Ten Year Crusade they could not be named Knights. In other cases, countries were opened by traveling teachers who could not reside thereuBahá’ís who went back and forth—and through them people enrolled in the Faith. Usually it was not just one person, but a whole group of people who went at different times. Together there were 10 territories in these categories which explains the 122.

The total number of Knights was 257: 131 men; 126 women. The total number of Knights still alive is 159. The total number still living at pioneering posts is 14. The number settled during the lifetime of Shoghi Effendi and still at their post is 10—-~God bless them. The number of Knights intending to be present at the Centenary events in the Holy Land is 108.

THE ROLL OF HONOR

The Roll of Honor is on a parchment that Shoghi Effendi himself ordered. He also found the artist who would put the names on the Roll. It has spaces, like cartouches, for each country, in four columns. If there was more than one Knight of Bahá’u’lláh for a country their names were written in smaller letters, and if there was just one name, that name enjoyed the full space of the cartouche. This Roll of Honor will be displayed when the Knights of Baha’u’llah come to the World Centre. The next day, it will be placed in a special sealed box and then laid by Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum at the entrance to the Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh. We know where

105

Shoghi Effendi had planned to deposit it because when he sent a picture of the new door to the Shrine (the present door to the Shrine) to the American National Assembly he asked them to publish the picture and describe it and to add that immediately behind this door the Roll of Honor would be deposited.

A map has also been made. It is in the style of the maps of Shoghi Effendi, and shows the 132 territories. From each country there is a line on which the name of each Knight is written, and like an arrow the line pierces the country. It is in color, and will also be displayed. A copy will, of course, be made available to the friends.

The Knights of Bahá’u’lláh t0 the Canary Islands, Gertrude Eisenberg (right) and George and Marguerite T rue, with the T rue ’5 son Barry in 1953.

[Reprints of the Roll of Honor as well as the map showing the 132 territories drawn by Shoghi Effendi, are enclosed in the cover pockets of this volume of The Bahá’í World]

[Page 106]

106

THE BAHA’I’ WORLD

THE KNIGHTS OF BAHA’U’LLAH

LISTED BY VIRGIN TERRITORIES AND DATES OF SETTLEMENT 1953—1990

ADMIRALTY ISLANDS Violet Hoehnke V11 1954

ALBANIA Found to be already open

ALEUTIAN ISLANDS Elaine Caldwell VIII 1953 Jenabe Caldwell VIII 1953 Elinore Putney V 1954

ANDAMAN ISLANDS Khodadad M. Fozdar X1 1953

ANDORRA William Danjon X 1953

ANTICOSTI ISLAND Mary Zabolotny IV 1956

Supplemented by:

GULF ISLANDS

Catherine Huxtable IX 1959 Clifford Huxtable IX 1959

ASHANTI PROTECTORATE Benedict Eballa IV 1954

AZORES Lois Nolen X 1953 Richard Nolen X 1953

BAHAMA ISLANDS

V. Gail Curwin X 1953 Gerald Curwin X 1953 Ethel Holmes X 1953 Maurice Holmes X 1953 Andrew Matthisen I 1954 Nina Matthisen I 1954

BALEARIC ISLANDS Virginia Orbison VIII 1953 Jean Deleuran XII 1953 Tove Deleuran XII 1953 Charles Ioas I 1954

BARANOF ISLAND Grace Bahovec

Helen Robinson IX 1953 Gail Avery H 1954

BASUTOLAND Elizabeth Laws X 1953 F rederick Laws X 1953

BECHUANALAND Audrey Robarts II 1954 John Robarts II 1954 Patrick Robarts II 1954

BHUTAN Ardeshir Faroodi VI 1954 Shapoor Rowhani VI 1954

BRITISH CAMEROONS Enoch Olinga X 1953

BRITISH GUIANA Malcolm King X 1953

BRITISH HONDURAS Cora Oliver IX 1953 Shirley Warde X 1953

BRITISH TOGOLAND Albert Buapiah IV 1954 Edward Tabe IV 1954

[Page 107]

THE COMMEMORATION OF HISTORIC ANNIVERSARIES 107

BRUNEI

Harry Clark 11 1954 Charles Duncan II 1954 John Fozdar IV 1954

CANARY ISLANDS Gertrude Eisenberg X 1953 George True X 1953 Marguerite True X 1953 Shoghi Riaz Ruhany VI 1954

CAPE BRETON ISLAND Frederick Allen X 1953 Jean Allen X 1953

Grace Geary X 1953 Irving Geary X 1953

CAPE VERDE ISLANDS Howard Menking I 1954 J oanne Menkingl 1954

CAROLINE ISLANDS Virginia Breaks XI 1953

CHAGOS ARCHIPELAGO Puva Murday V 1957

CHANNEL ISLANDS Ziaoullah Asgarzadeh IX 1953 Evelyn Baxter IX 1953

CHILOE ISLAND Zunilda de Palacios X 1953 Louise Groger VI 1954

COCOS ISLANDS Frank Wyss VI 1955

COMORO ISLANDS Mehraban Sohaili VIII 1954

COOK ISLANDS Edith Danielsen X 1953 Dulcie Dive 1 1954

CRETE Rolf Haug X 1953

CYPRUS

Abbas Vakil VIII 1953

R. Hugh McKinley IX 1953 Violet McKinley XI 1953 Samira Vakil XI 1953

DAMAN Ghulam Ali Kurlawala VI 1953

DIU

Gulnar Aftabi XII 1953

Kaykhusraw Dehmobedi X11 1 95 3

Bahiya Rowhani XII 1953

DUTCH GUIANA Elinor Wolff X 1953 Robert Wolff X 1953

DUTCH NEW GUINEA Elly Becking X 1953 Lex Meerburg IV 1954

DUTCH WEST INDIES Matthew Bullock XI 1953 John Kellberg IV 1954 Marjorie Kellberg IV 1954

ESTONIA Opened by traveling teachers

F ALKLAND ISLANDS J ohn Leonard II 1954

FAROE ISLANDS Eskil Ljungberg VIII 1953

FINNO—KARELIA Opened by traveling teachers

FRANKLIN K. Gale Bond IX 1953 J. Jameson Bond IX 1953

FRENCH CAMEROONS Meherangiz Munsiff IV 1954 Samuel Njiki IV 1954

[Page 108]108

THE Bahá’í WORLD

FRENCH EQUATORIAL AFRICA Max Kanyerezi IX 1953

FRENCH GUIANA Eberhard Friedland X 1953

F RENCH SOMALILAND Fred Schechter VIII 1953 Fahimah Elias V 1954 Sabri Elias V 1954

FRENCH TOGOLAND David Tanyi IV 1954 Mavis Nymon V 1954 Vivian Wesson V 1954

FRENCH WEST AFRICA Labib I$fahéni XI 1953 Habib I$fahéni IV 1954

FRISIAN ISLANDS

Elsa Grossmann IX 1953 Geertrui Ankersmit X 1953 Ursula Von Brunn X 1953

GALAPAGOS ISLANDS Gayle Woolson IV 1954 Haik Kevorkian V 1954

GAMBIA F eriborze Roozbehyan II 1954

GILBERT & ELLICE ISLANDS

Elena F ernie III 1954 Roy Femie HI 1954

GOA Roshan Aftabi VH 1953 Feroza Yaganegi VII 1953

GRAND MANAN ISLAND Doris Richardson IX 1953

GREECE

Amin Banani VIII 1953 Sheila Banani VIII 1953 Carole Allen IX 1953 Dwight Allen IX 1953

HADHRAMAUT

Adib Baghdadi X11 1953 Wahida Baghdadi XII 1953 Husayn Halabi II 1954

HAINAN John Z.T. Chang VIII 1959

HEBRIDES Geraldine Craney X 1953

ITALIAN SOMALILAND Soheil Samandari III 1953

Mehdi Samandari XI 1953 Ursula Samandari XI 1953

JUAN FERNANDEZ ISLAND Adela 1. de Tormo X 1953 Sa1vador Tormo X 1953

KARIKAL Salisa Kermani VIII 1953 Shirin Noorani VIII 1953

KEEWATIN Dick Stanton IX 1953

KEY WEST

Arthur Crane V11 1953 Ethel Crane V11 1953 Howard J . Snider IX 1953

KAZAKHSTAN Found to be already open

KIRGIZIA Found to be already open

KODIAK ISLAND Jack Huffman VI 1953 Rose Perkal V11 1953 Bernard Guhrke H 1954

[Page 109]THE COMMEMORATION OF HISTORIC ANNIVERSARIES 109

KURIA—MURIA ISLANDS Munir Vakil I 1954

LABRADOR Howard Gilliland IV 1954 Bruce Matthew IV 1954

LATVIA Found to be already open

LEEWARD ISLANDS Earle Render X 1953 Ben Weeden X 1953 Gladys Weeden X 1953 Charles Dayton 11 1954 Mary Dayton 11 1954 David Schreiber II 1954

LIECHTENSTEIN Amir Huschmand Manutschehri VIII 1953

LITHUANIA Opened by traveling teachers

LOFOTEN ISLANDS Mildred Clark VIII 1953 Loyce Lawrence VIII 1953

LOYALTY ISLANDS Daniel Haumont X 1955

MACAO

Frances Heller X 1953 Carl Scherer XII 1953 Loretta Scherer XII 1953

MADEIRA

Ella Duffield IX 1953 E1izabeth Hopper IX 1953 Sara Kenny IX 1953 Adah Schott IX 1953

MAGDALEN ISLANDS Kathleen Weston IX 1953 Kay Zinky IV 1954

MAHE

Lionel Peraji X 1953 Khodarahm Moj gani III 1954 Qudratollah Rowhani III 1954

MALTA

Una Townshend X 1953 Olga Mills XI 1953 John Mitchell V11 1954

MARGARITA ISLAND R. Katharine Meyer X 1953

MARIANA ISLANDS Robert Powers Jr. V 1953 Cynthia Olson V 1954

MARQUESAS ISLANDS Gretta Jankko III 1954

MARSHALL ISLANDS Marcia Atwater VIII 1954

MAURITIUS Ottilie Rhein X1 1953

MENTAWAI ISLANDS Rahmatu’lláh Muhájir II 1954 Irén Muhájir II 1954

ST. PIERRE AND MIQUELON Ola Pawlowska X 1953

MOLDAVIA Annemarie Kriiger

MONACO

Nellie French IX 1953 Azizullah Navidi H 1954 Shamsi Navidi II 1954 Olivia Kelsey III 1954

F lorence Ullrich III 1954

MONGOLIA Sean Hinton XII 1988

[Page 110]110

THE Bahá’í WORLD

MOROCCO (INTERNATIONAL ZONE) Manoutchehr Hezari IX 1953 Hormoz Zendeh IX 1953 E1sie Austin X 1953 Mohammed Ali J alali X 1953 Hossein Rowhani Ardekani X1 1953 Nosrat Rowhani Ardekani XI 1953 Ali Akbar Hassanzadeh Rafii-Rafsandj ani X1 1953 Shayesteh Rafii-Rafsandj ani XI 1953 Abbas Rafii Rafsandjani XI 1953 Mary L. Suhm IV 1954 Richard Suhm IV 1954 Evelyn Walters IV 1954 Richard Walters IV 1954

NEW HEBRIDES Bertha Dobbins X 1953

NICOBAR ISLANDS . Margaret Bates VII 1957 J eanne Frankel VII 1957

NORTHERN TERRITORIES PROTECTORATE

Julius Edwards IX 1953 Martin Manga IV 1954

ORKNEY ISLANDS Charles Dunning X 1953

PONDICHERRY

Saeed Nahvi V11 1953 Shyam Behari La1 VIII 1953 Shokat Nahvi XI 1953 '

PORTUGUESE GUINEA Hilda Rodrigues IX 1953 J 086 Xavier Rodrigues IX 1953

PORTUGUESE TIMOR Florence Fitzner VI 1954 Harold Fitzner VI 1954 Jose Marques V11 1954

QUEEN CHARLOTTE ISLANDS Edythe MacArthur VIII 1953

REUNION Opal Jensen X 1953 Leland Jensen III 1954

RHODES Elizabeth Bevan 1 1954

RIO DE ORO Amin Battah X 1953

ROMANIA F ereidun Khazrai X1 1968

RUANDA—URUNDI Dunduzu Chisiza VI 1953 Mary Collison VI 1953 Rex Collison VI 1953

ST. HELENA Elizabeth Stamp V 1954

ST. THOMAS ISLAND Elise Schreiber II 1954

SAKHALIN Abbas Katirai III 1990 Rezvanieh Katirai III 1990

SAMOA ISLANDS Lilian Wyss I 1954

SAN MARINO Tabandeh Payman IX 1953 Sohrab Payman IV 1954

SARDINIA Marie Ciocca XI 1953

[Page 111]THE COMMEMORATION OF HISTORIC ANNIVERSARIES 111

SEYCHELLES ISLANDS Kamil Abbas X1 1953 Abdul Rahman Zarqani I 1954

SHETLAND ISLANDS Brigitte Hasselblatt IX 1953

SICILY

Caro1Bagley X 1953 Florence Bagley X 1953 Gerrold Bagley X 1953 Stanley Bagley X 1953 Susan Bagley X 1953 Emma Rice X 1953

SIKKIM Udai Narain Singh VIII 1953

SOCIETY ISLANDS Gretta Lamprill X 1953 Gladys Parke X 1953

SOCOTRA ISLAND Mirzá Aqé Ehjtn KaméliSarvisténi III 1955

SOLOMON ISLANDS Alvin Blum III 1954 Gertrude Blum III 1954

SOUTH WEST AFRICA Ted Cardell X 1953

SOUTHERN RHODESIA ‘Izzatu’lláh Zahré’i V1 1953 Claire Gung X 1953 Eyneddin Alai XII 1953 Tahereh Alai X11 1953 Kenneth Christian I 1954 Roberta Christian 1 1954

SPANISH GUINEA Elise Schreiber V 1954

SPANISH MOROCCO Earleta Fleming X 1953 John Fleming X 1953 Alyce J anssen X 1953

SPANISH MOROCCO (continuefi

Luella McKay X 1953

Bahia Zeinol-Abedin X 1953 Fawzi Zeinol-Abedin X 1953

SPANISH SAHARA Muhammad Mugtafé X 1953

SPITSBERGEN Paul Adams VI 1958

SWAZILAND

John Allen IV 1954

Valera Allen IV 1954

Bula Mott Stewart IV 1954

TADZHIKISTAN Found to be already open

TIBET Udai Narain Singh IX 1955

TONGA ISLANDS Stanley Bolton Jr. 1 1954 Dudley Blakely V11 1954 Elsa Blakely V11 1954

TUAMOTU ARCHIPELAGO Jean SevinI 1954

UKRAINE Found to be already open

UZBEKISTAN Found to be already open

WHITE RUSSIA Helmut Winkelbach XII 1978

WINDWARD ISLANDS Esther Evans X 1953 Lillian Middlemast X 1953

YUKON Joan Anderson IX 1953 R. Ted Anderson IX 1953

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[Page 113]

PART THREE

INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT Bahá’í ACTIVITIES

142—148 OF THE Bahá’í ERA 21 APRIL 1986—20 APRIL 1992

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