Bahá’í World/Volume 26/Fiftieth Anniversaries in Spain and Luxembourg
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During 1997 the Bahá’í' comntzzmities of Spain and Luxemboz‘trg marked Significant milestones in the history of their growth and development, both commemorating the fiftieth armiversary Of the establishment of the Bahá’í Faith in their lands.
50th ANNIVERSARIES
IN SPAIN AND LUXEMBOURG
I n the Tablets Of the Divine Plan, written between 1916 and 1917, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá called upon the Bahá’ís ofNorth America to arise and settle in farflung countries and territories where there were 110 or very few Bahá’ís. Throughout the following forty years, in response to this call, hundreds of individuals arose from their comfortable lives and travelled across the globe to settle in countries where they knew he one. There they established embryonic communities of a Faith that they believed in with total dedication. Two Of the countries specifically mentioned by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in the Tablets Of the Divine Plan were Spain and Luxembourg. As a result of the response of two lone women who arose and settled in these countries, Bahá’í communities were established on a firm foundation. In 1997—1998, these communities celebrated their fiftieth anniversaries.
Spain Virginia Orbison, the first member of the Bahá’í Faith to settle in Spain, arrived on 26 December 1946. An American who came Via South America, Miss Orbison found Spain under the shadow of
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despotism and in the grip of economic stringency, its peoples still suffering from the wounds of the Spanish Civil War and the Second World War. Her memoirs recount her entrance into the beautiful capital of Madrid through an “unattractive district, passing the remains of trenches, destroyed houses, and heaps of rubbish.” The Palace Hotel, where she first stayed, was a sad, cold place, without sufficient light or heating. This was her introduction to a country where she knew no One———and Spain’s introduction to an unfamiliar new religion.
Since that time, the growth of the Bahá’í community of Spain has been steady. About six months after Miss Orbison’s arrival, two brothers, Jose Maria and Manuel Bazo Barea, became Bahá’ís. On 20 April 1948, the first Local Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Madrid was formed. The following year, the Local Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Barcelona was also established, with an entirely Spanish membership. By 1954, two more sister Assemblies were formed, in Murcia and Tarrasa. The Ten Year Plan, initiated by Shoghi Effendi in 1953, brought wider horizons to Spain with the opening to the Bahá’í community of the Balearic Islands and Andorra, which had both been mentioned by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in the Tablets Of the Divine Plan. Four years later, at Riḍván 1957, the first Iberian Regional Spiritual Assembly—eonsist'mg of Spain, Portugal and the Azores—was elected. Prior to the election of the Universal House of Justice in 1963, the Spanish Bahá’í community had its own separate National Spiritual Assembly and more than two hundred believers, mostly Spanish. Close to the end of that decade, the long sought legal recognition of the Bahá’í community was achieved, making public teaching and public meetings possible.
In 1997, the Bahá’í community of Spain celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of the establishment of the Bahá’í Faith in the Iberian Peninsula. Half a century after the arrival of a single woman there, the Bahá’í community of Spain numbers sixty-eight Local Spiritual Assemblies and over three thousand believers. Some sixteen hundred people from fifty countries joined the commemorative celebrations, which were hosted by the National Spiritual Assembly in Madrid from 25 to 27 July 1997. The honored guest at these events was Hand of the Cause of God Amatu’l-Bahá Rt’ihiyyih Khánum.
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F iftz'eth (ZI‘IIZI'VEI‘SCZIy celebrations in Spain, 25—27 July 1997. Below: Honored guest at thefestiw'ties, Hand of the C ause afGad Anzatu ’I-Baha RLthyVI'h K_hammz. Left: The peifarmance Of a flamenco dance was one of the many artistic presentations at the gathering.
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Above: Nabil Perdu, member of the Continental Board Of Counsellors in Europe, addressed the gathering. Right: A conference highlight was a dramatic presentation about thefirst Baha ’z'pz’aneer to Spain, Virginia Orbison.
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THE Bahá’í WORLD
A representative of the National Spiritual Assembly of Spain opened the formal inaugural session, which preceded brief addresses from representatives of the General Board of Religious Affairs of the Ministry of Justice, the Federation of Religious Evangelical Organizations of Spain, and the Federation of Israeli Communities of Spain, all warmly acknowledging the activities of the Bahá’í community. Later, representatives of the National Assemblies of the Canary Islands and of Portugal spoke to the gathering.
During her address, Amatu’l-Bahá encouraged the Bahá’ís to share the Bahá’í Faith with those who have not yet heard of it and to remember the spiritual nature and immortality of the human soul and the importance of educating children in moral principles.
Artistic presentations played an important part in the three-day event, including the Ballet ofLaura Esteve, which dramatized the coming of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh to Spain, and a choral presentation of new pieces composed by Spanish Bahá’ís. Two photo exhibits—one on the history of the Faith in Spain and the other on Bahá’í Houses of Worship—were also prepared for the occasion.
Amon g the artistic presentations at the fiftieth anniversary celebrations in Spain was the performance of a ballet about the introduction of the Bahá’í' Faith t0 the country.
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SPAIN AND LQngMBQURG
Speeches were made on the history and development of the Bahá’í community, the role of the individual in the Bahá’í community, and the upcoming Challenges that face the Bahá’ís as the end of the century approaches. One feature of the gathering was special mention of the early Bahá’ís in Spain, including the first Basque and Gypsy adherents.
The closing address, given by Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum, recalled Virginia Orbison and her enterprising spirit. Amatu’l-Bahá once again stressed the need for Bahá’ís to share the Bahá’í teachings with those who have not heard of them and to use more creative means in presenting them.
Following the celebrations, Rúḥíyyih Khánurn and her traveling companion Violette Nam avani traveled to the Alicante and Basque provinces for thirteen days. During their visit to the Basque region, they attended the Bahá’í conference of Euska Herria in Vitoria, where more than one hundred believers from all parts of the area were in attendance. Amatu’l-Bahá also met with the Director of the Women’s Institute of the Basque Government and was interviewed by a number of journalists. In Alieante, she attended a reception given in her honor with representatives of the Bahá’í community of the Levante region. She also Visited the Antonio J iménez Institute of Human Resources, where she spoke to an audience of over two hundred Gypsy Bahá’ís about the importance of protecting minorities and recounted Shoghi Effendi’s joy upon learning of the enrollment of the Gypsies in the Bahá’í Faith.
Luxembourg
In February 1947, Honor Kempton, a British Bahá’í who had been living in Alaska (a territory she had opened to the Bahá’í Faith), arrived in Luxembourg—the smallest of the ten European countries with no Bahá’ís. There she witnessed the declaration of faith of the first Luxembourg Bahá’í, Suzette Hipp, the same year as her arrival and was instrumental in establishing the first Local Spiritual Assembly, of Luxembourg-Ville, in 1949. The development of the Bahá’í community continued, and in 1962 the Luxembourg National Spiritual Assembly was elected. The following year, Miss Kempton attended the first International Bahá’í Convention
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F mm left to right, Claude Levy, one Of the first Bahd ’I'S in Luxembourg, and
Ned BIaC/mzore, who was among th efirst pioneers t0 the comm}: recall the earl) days Of the Bahá’í community there durin g thefiftieth anniversaw celebration at the Bahá’í' center in Luxembomg- Vi] 1e, November I 99 7.
as a delegate from Luxembourg and participated in the first election of the Universal House Of Justice.
At the time Of the celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of the establishment of the Bahá’í Faith in Luxembourg, in 1997, the Bahá’í community consisted Of 11 Local Spiritual Assemblies and mere than 370 Bahá’í adults, youth, and children. The celebration, held in November, included an evening hosted by the National Spiritual Assembly, during which
Létzebuerg ‘ some of the first pioneers and e,“ ; = early native Luxembourg Bahá’ís
' shared their memories and impressions Of the growth and development of the Bahá’í Faith in the country. It also featured a photo exhibition of the development of the national Bahá’í community, and a Bahá’í book display.
In addition to the November The banner displayed at the Bahá’í' Observance: the Luxembourg center in Luxembourg- Ville during Bahá’í community held a gaththe fiftieth amziversaijv celebrations. ering at the Carole Municipal in
ffigt
9. NOV. 97
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SPAIN AND LW
Some Ofthe audience attending thefiftieth anniversary observance Ofthe introduction offhe Bahd ’z'Faith t0 Luxembourg
at the Cercle Municipal in Luxembourg- Ville,
April 1998.
Luxembourg-Ville 0n 2 April 1998. Invitations were sent to Ministers Of the Government, high-ranking Government officials, and other community leaders. Among the more than two hundred people attending were Grand Rabbi J oseph Sayagh and a representative of the Muslim community. Speakers presented the development of the Bahá’í Faith in Luxembourg and Europe. The fiftieth anniversary celebrations were covered by the Luxemburger Wort, one of the largest newspapers in the country, and the Républicain Lorrain.
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