Bahá’í World/Volume 34/Introduction to the Bahá’í Community

The Bahá’í World
Volume 34

Introduction to the

Bahé’l’ Community

n the United States of America, scores of volunteers organize

support to areas devastated by Hurricane Katrina. In Cambodia,

literacy and community banking skills are taught to villagers, assisting them to manage their own small businesses. Government officials join religious representatives in Cuba for a gathering pro- moting interfaith understanding. In Alaska, performers from diverse indigenous tribes provide the inspirational opening to a conference on the provision of essential services to children from Iow—income families. Young teenagers in Colombia dedicate their spare time to planting trees, Visiting the elderly, and teaching Children. In Russia, Visual artists contribute to a popular exhibition exploring the themes of spiritual search. In Tajikistan, children from the Roma commu— nity are empowered to become active participants in the progress of their society. Hundreds in the Gambia benefit from free lessons in basic computing skills to assist them in finding employment. Young Malaysians sing about gender equality and peace to an audience of inﬂuential citizens. Improving the legal and political responses to genocide is debated at a conference in the United Kingdom. Islanders off Australia’s northern coast participate in lively radio discussions on the meaning and purpose of life.

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Although all these activities are being carried out in far—Hung areas of the planet and their participants come from diverse back— grounds, they are all initiatives of the Baha’i community, rooted in a united, optimistic view of the world and its future.

The Baha’i International Community, comprising members of the Baha’i Faith from all over the globe, now numbers more than 5 million souls. Its members represent 2,112 ethnic and tribal groups who live in thousands of localities in 191 independent countries and 4; dependent territories. What was once regarded by some as a small, obscure sect was reported by the Britannica Book ofﬂoe Year 2005 to be the second—most widely spread independent religion in the world, after Christianity. Its membership cuts across all bound- aries of Class and race, governing itself through the establishment of local and national elected bodies known as Spiritual Assemblies. Its international center and the seat of its world governing council, known as the Universal House of Justice, are located in the Holy Land, in Haifa, Israel.

This article offers a brief introduction to the Baha’i community, its history, its spiritual teachings, and its aims and objectives.

Origins

In 1844, a young Persian merchant named Siyyid ‘Alf-Muhammad declared Himself to be the Promised Qa’im awaited by Shia Muslims. He adopted the title “the Bab,” which means “the Gate,” and His teachings quickly attracted a large following. Alarmed by the grow- ing numbers of “Babis,” as His followers were known, the Muslim clergy allied themselves with ministers of the Shah in an effort to destroy the infant Faith. Many thousands of Babis were persecuted, tortured, and killed in the following years, but the growth of the new religion continued even after the Bab Himself was imprisoned and later executed in July 1850. The horrific treatment of the Bébl’s at the hands of the secular and religious authorities was recorded by a number of Western diplomats, scholars, and travelers, who expressed their admiration for the character and fortitude of the victims. “1 . . . sympathize with Bébi’ism with all my heart,” wrote the Russian novelist Count Leo Tolstoy in 1903, “inasmuch as it teaches people brotherhood and equality and sacrifice of material life for service of God.”

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The Babi’ religion sprang from Islam in much the same manner that Christianity sprang from Judaism or Buddhism did from Hinduism. That is to say, it was apparent early in the Bab’s ministry that the religion established by Him was not merely a sect or a movement within Islam but an independent Faith. Furthermore, one of the main tenets of Bébi’ belief was the Bab’s statement that He had been sent by God to prepare the way for One greater than Himself, Who would inaugurate an era of peace and righteousness throughout the world, representing the culmination of all past religious dispensations.

Mirza Husayn-‘Ali' was one of the leading adherents of the Bébi Faith Who was arrested and imprisoned because of his allegiance to the Bab. Because of pressure on the Persian shah from European diplomats, He was spared from execution but was banished from Persia to Baghdad, Constantinople, Adrianople, and finally the penal colony of Acre in Palestine. Thus, the Persian government, which had secured the support of the rulers of the rival Ottoman Empire in suppressing the new movement, expected that His sphere of inﬂuence would be severely limited.

During His initial imprisonment, Mirzzi Husayn—‘Ali’ had received the first divine intimations that He was the Promised One ofWhom the Bab had spoken. He adopted the title “Baha’u’lléh,” which means “Glory of God,” and publicly declared His mission on the eve of His exile from Baghdad, in April 1863.

Baha’u’llah was still nominally a prisoner when He passed away near Acre in May 1892, although the authorities had gradually loosened their restrictions as they became acquainted with Him and the nature of His teachings. During the long years of His exile Baha’u’llah revealed the equivalent of more than 100 volumes of writings, consisting of the laws and ordinances of His dispensation, letters to the kings and rulers of the East and the West, mystical teachings, and other divinely inspired writings. “The teachings of the 321be . . .” Tolstoy further commented in 1908, “have through Baha’u’llah’s teachings been gradually developed and now present us with the highest and purest form of religious teaching.” In 1914, the eminent British biblical scholar the Reverend T.K. Cheyne wrote, “If there has been any prophet in recent times, it is to Baha’u’llah we must go. Character is the final judge. Baha’u’llah was a man of

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the highest class—that of prophets.” A leading Oxford academic, Professor Benjamin Jowett declared, “This Bahé’i Movement is the greatest light that has come into the world since the time of Jesus Christ. You must watch it and never let it out of your sight. It is too great and too near for this generation to comprehend. The future alone can reveal its import.”

In His Will and Testament, Bahé’u’lléh appointed His eldest son, ‘Abbés Effendi, Who adopted the title “‘Abdu’l—Bahé” “Servant of Baha’i”), as His successor and the sole authoritative interpreter of His teachings. ‘Abdu’l-Bahé had shared His Father’s long exile and imprisonment and was freed only after a new regime was installed by the “Young Turk” movement in 1908. Shortly thereafter, at an advanced age, He embarked on an arduous journey to Europe and America Where, from 1911 to 1913, He proclaimed Bahai’u’lléh’s message of universal brotherhood and peace to large audiences, consolidated ﬂedgling Bahzi’i’ communities, and warned of the potential catastrophe looming on Europe’s darkening horizon. By the outbreak of World War I in 1914, ‘Abdu’l—Bahé had returned to His home in Haifa, just across the bay from Acre, and devoted Himself to caring for the local people, fending off famine by feeding them from stores of grain He had safeguarded for such an emer- gency. ‘Abdu’l—Bahé’s humanitarian services and His promotion of intercultural harmony were recognized by the British government, which, at the end of the war, conferred upon Him a knighthood—a title He acknowledged but declined to use. “One more eloquent of speech, more ready of argument, more apt of illustration, more inti— mately acquainted with the sacred books of the Jews, the Christians, and the Muhammadans, could, I should think, be scarcely found even amongst the eloquent and subtle race to which [‘Abdu’l—Bahei] belongs,” commented the distinguished Cambridge orientalist Professor Edward G. Browne, “These qualities, combined with a bearing at once majestic and genial, made me cease to wonder at the inﬂuence and esteem which he enjoyed even beyond the circle of his father’s followers. About the greatness of this man and his power no one who had seen him could entertain a doubt.”

‘Abdu’l—Bahé passed away in 1921 and is buried on Mount Carmel in a vault near the spot where He had interred the remains of the Béb some years before. Among the legacies that ‘Abdu’l—Bahé bequeathed to history is a series of letters called the 7216163 0ft/75 Divine Plan,

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which He had addressed to the Bahé’i’s of North America during the years ofWorld War I. These 14 letters directed the recipients to scatter to countries on all continents and share with their populations the teachings of Baha’u’llah—a mandate that led to the global expansion of the Baha’i community. In the following decades, the Baha’i teach— ings were spread throughout the world and attracted people from all walks of life. “It is a wondrous Message that Baha’u’llah and his son ‘Abdu’l-Baha have given us,” wrote the dowager Queen Marie of Romania in 1926. “Their writings are a great cry toward peace, reaching beyond all limits of frontiers, above all dissension about rites and dogmas . . . It teaches that all hatreds, intrigues, suspicions, evil words, all aggressive patriotism even, are outside the one essential law of God . . . If ever the name of Bahé’u’llah or ‘Abdu’l-Baha comes to your attention, do not put their writings from you. Search out their Books, and let their glorious, peace—bringing, love—creating words and lessons sink into your hearts as they have into mine.”

Another legacy of ‘Abdu’l—Baha is His Will and Testament, which Bahé’r’s regard as the charter of the administrative order conceived by Baha’u’llah. This document appointed ‘Abdu’l—Baha’s eldest grandson, Shoghi Effendi, as Guardian of the Baha’i Faith and authorized interpreter of its teachings. Successorship to the Founders of the Baha’i’ Faith would be shared by the Guardian and an elected Universal House ofJustice, whose complementary role would be to create legislation regarding the application of the Faith’s laws.

During the period of his Guardianship, from 1921 to 1957, Shoghi Effendi concentrated on four main areas: the development of the Baha’i World Centre in the environs of Haifa; the translation and interpretation of the Baha’i sacred writings; the rise and consolida— tion of the institutions of the Baha’i administrative order; and the implementation of ‘Abdu’l—Bahé’s plan for the propagation of the Baha’i Faith around the world.

At the Baha’i World Centre, Shoghi Effendi effected the con— struction of a superstructure for the mausoleum containing the remains of the Bab, which had been brought secretly from Persia and interred by ‘Abdu’l—Baha in a spot designated by Baha’u’llah on Mount Carmel. Shoghi Effendi beautified and expanded the simple native stone structure, which is today a site of pilgrimage for Baha’is from all over the world. He enhanced the Baha’i properties and initi— ated construction of the International Baha’i Archives building to

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house the original Baha’i scriptures and artifacts from the early days of the Baha’i Faith. This building, the first on the arc—shaped path on the site designated as the world administrative center of the Baha’i community, was completed in 1957. Shoghi Effendi’s actions laid the foundations, literally and figuratively, for the further development of the Baha’i World Centre.

Shoghi Effendi was also instrumental in interpreting the writings of Baha’u’llah and ‘Abdu’l—Baha and in translating them from the original Persian and Arabic into English. The Guardian had served as secretary to ‘Abdu’l—Baha for a number ofyears and was a student at Oxford University at the time of his Grandfather’s passing. Shoghi Effendi’s mastery of Persian, Arabic, and English, coupled with the authority conferred upon him as the appointed interpreter of the Baha’i writings, made him uniquely qualified to undertake their translation. He also translated T/Je Dawn-Brea/eers, a history of the Babl' Faith; authored God Passes By, a history of the first century of the Baha’i Faith; and wrote thousands ofletters to communities and individuals around the world, elucidating passages from the Baha’i writings and giving direction and impetus to Baha’i communities.

Under Shoghi Effendi’s leadership, the Baha’i Faith signifi- cantly evolved from its obscure roots in nineteenth—century Persia to its current status as an independent global religious community. Dr. Eduard Benes, who became President of Czechoslovakia in 1935, described the Baha’i Faith as “one of the great moral and social forces in all the world . . . Such a movement as the Baha’i Cause which paves the way for universal organization of peace is necessary.” The British diplomat and founder of the World Congress of Faiths, Sir Francis Younghusband noted, “Its roots go deep down into the past and yet it looks far forward into the future. It realizes and preaches the oneness of mankind. And I have noticed how ardently its followers work for the furtherance of peace and for the general welfare of mankind.”

Development of the Administrative Order

Shoghi Effendi’s work in developing the Baha’i administrative order is one of the most dramatic legacies of his years as Guardian. The first step in this development was to encourage the organized, planned expansion of Baha’i communities in places where local and national

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Baha’i councils, known as Spiritual Assemblies, would eventually be established. The Guardian effected this global expansion of Baha’i communities through a series of international plans ofvarying dura- tion, during which 12 National Spiritual Assemblies were elected.

At the time of Shoghi Effendi’s sudden passing in 1957, the Baha’i community was in the middle of a global plan of expansion and consolidation called the Ten Year Crusade. During this period, which concluded in 1963—the centenary of Baha’u’llah’s declaration of His mission in the Garden of Ridvan in Baghdad—the goal was to open 132 new countries and major territories to the Faith and to expand existing communities in 120 countries and territories that had previously been opened. These ambitious targets were in certain instances actually exceeded by the end of the plan, in spite of the difficulties posed by the Guardian’s death.

‘Abdu’l—Baha, in His Will and Testament, had authorized the continuation of the Guardianship through the appointment by the Guardian of a successor from among his own sons, should he have them, or other direct descendants of Baha’u’llah. Such a designation was dependent upon the decision of Shoghi Effendi as to whether an individual could be named who met the demanding spiritual qualifications specified by ‘Abdu’l—Baha. Shoghi Effendi had no children and died without designating such a Guardian to follow him. He had, however, taken steps towards the election of the Universal House ofjustice, the supreme governing body of the Baha’i Faith. He had also appointed a number of individual Bahé’is to an auxiliary institution of the Guardianship called Hands of the Cause of God. These individuals had been charged with protecting the unity of the Faith and collaborating with National Spiritual Assemblies around the world to ensure that the goals of the Ten Year Crusade were won. Upon Shoghi Effendi’s passing, these men and women guided the Baha’i community to complete the plan initi— ated by the Guardian and to hold the first election of the Universal House ofJustice in 1963.

Conceived by Baha’u’llah Himself, the institution of the Universal House ofJustice is established on principles laid down in the Baha’i sacred writings. Its initial election, by the members of the 56 National Spiritual Assemblies that existed in April 1963, clearly demonstrated the principle of unity so central to the Baha’i Faith, with the nine

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members coming from four continents and representing a variety of religious and ethnic backgrounds.

Based on the authority conferred on it by the Founder of the Faith, the Universal House ofJustice is now elected every five years. It stands as the acknowledged central authority in the worldwide Baha’i community and has, during the past 43 years, launched eight global plans for the advancement of the Faith. From a worldwide population of 408,000 in 1963, the Baha’i community has grown to more than 5 million members, and the number of National and Regional Spiritual Assemblies has grown from 56 to I79.

Spiritual and Moral Teachings and Baha’i Community Life

The force that unites this diverse body of people is the vision achieved through their belief in Baha’u’llah as a Manifestation of God, in the social and administrative structures He established, and in the spiritual and moral teachings He propagated. Central to these spiritual teachings is the concept that there is only one God and that the world’s great religions have been established by Messengers or Manifestations of this Divine Reality—Abraham, Krishna, Moses, Buddha, Zoroaster, Jesus, and Muhammad—Who have been sent throughout history to deliver a divine message commensurate with humanity’s stage of development. Though the religions’ social teachings change through this process of progressive revelation, the spiritual essence of all the major religions remains the same: humanity has been created to know and to worship God. The Baha’i perspective sees the cumulative benefits of progressively revealed religions as fundamental to an “ever—advancing civilization.” What divides various religious communities, Baha’is believe, comes not from God but from humanity and its accretions to the essential religious teachings brought by the divine Messengers.

At this stage of humanity’s development, the unity of the human race must be recognized, the equality of women and men must be established, the extremes ofwealth and poverty must be eliminated, and the age-old promise of universal peace must be realized. Liken— ing the development of the human race to that of an individual, the Baha’i writings say that we have passed through stages analogous to infancy and childhood and are now in the midst of a tumultuous

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adolescence, standing on the threshold of maturity. Baha’u’llah taught that humanity is destined to come of age, but the course it takes to achieve that goal is entirely in its own hands.

To promote the development of a society in which Baha’i ideals can be fully realized, Baha’u’llah established laws and moral teachings that are binding on Bahé’r’s. Central to these is daily obligatory prayer. Study of and meditation upon the Baha’i sacred writings each morning and evening are also enjoined. Baha’is between the ages of 15 and 70, with certain exceptions, observe an annual 19-day, dawn- to—dusk fast. Baha’u’llah referred to prayer and fasting as the “twin pillars” of faith, an indication of their importance and the benefits to be gained from them. He also raised work to the level ofworship. The main repository of Baha’u’llah’s laws is a volume entitled the Kitab—i—Aqdas, or the “Most Holy Book.”

There are no dietary restrictions in the Baha’i Faith, but the consumption of alcohol and the use of narcotic and hallucinogenic drugs are forbidden, as they affect the mind and interfere with spiritual growth. Baha’u’llah counseled Baha’is to be honest and trustworthy, to render service to humanity with an abundance of deeds rather than mere words, to be chaste, and to avoid gossip and backbiting. He enjoined a high standard of personal morality and decency upon His followers. The importance of the family is central to Baha’i community life, as is the moral and spiritual education of children.

Baha’l’s often gather together in their communities to study the sacred writings of their Faith and to pray, but a central feature in Baha’i community life is a meeting called the Nineteen Day Feast, at which all members join in worship, consult about com— munity affairs, and socialize. Pending the further development of Baha’i communities, these meetings often occur in rented facilities, people’s homes, or in local Baha’i centers. The Baha’i writings call for the erection in each community of a beautifully designed House of Worship, surrounded by gardens and functioning as a spiritual center of activity. A variety of social and humanitarian institutions are also to be established around it. Seven Baha’i Houses ofWorship presently exist—in Australia, Germany, India, Panama, Samoa, Uganda, and the United States. Plans have been launched for the construction of an eighth House ofWorship in Chile, and sites have

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been purchased around the world for the erection of many more. The Houses of Worship are open to people of all faiths—or those professing no particular faith—for prayer and meditation. Services are nondenominational. There are no sermons, only readings and prayers from the Baha’i writings and scriptures of other faiths With music by an a capella choir. This preserves the sacredness of the experience ofhearing and meditating upon the Holy Word Without the interference of man—made concepts.

Aims, Objectives, and Activities

As the Universal House ofjustice stated in a message addressed to the peoples of the world written in October 1985, coinciding with the United Nations International Year of Peace, “Acceptance of the oneness of mankind is the first fundamental prerequisite for reorganization and administration of the world as one country, the home of humankind.” The ultimate aim of the Baha’i Faith is to establish unity among all the peoples of the world, and it is because of its orientation towards unity on an international scale that the Baha’i community has been active at the United Nations since that organization’s inception. Today, the Baha’i International Community, a nongovernmental organization (NGO) that repre— sents the collective voice of national Baha’i communities around the world, enjoys special status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). It is particularly involved in addressing human rights issues, the needs of women and Children, and environmen- tal concerns, as well as pursuing sound, sustainable development policies. To coordinate its international efforts in these areas, the Baha’i International Community’s United Nations Office and Office of Public Information, as well as the Office of the Environment and the Office for the Advancement of Women, collaborate with National Spiritual Assemblies around the world. The Baha’i Inter- national Community’s activities at the United Nations have earned it a reputation as one of the most effective religious NGOS in the UN system. Its national and international representatives have taken active roles in the major world summits and NGO forums sponsored by the United Nations during the past decades.

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Baha’i’s look towards a day when a new international order will be established, a commonwealth to which all the nations of the world will belong. As Shoghi Effendi wrote in 1936:

The unity of the human race, as envisaged by Baha’u’llah, implies the establishment of a world commonwealth in which all nations, races, creeds, and classes are closely and perma— nently united, and in which the autonomy of its state members and the personal freedom and initiative of the individuals that compose them are definitely and completely safeguarded. This commonwealth must, as far as we can Visualize it, consist of a world legislature, whose members will, as the trustees of the whole of mankind, ultimately control the entire resources of all the component nations, and will enact such laws as shall be required to regulate the life, satisfy the needs, and adjust the relationships of all races and peoples. A world executive, backed by an international Force, will carry out the decisions arrived at, and apply the laws enacted by, this world legislature, and will safeguard the organic unity of the whole commonwealth. A world tribunal will adjudicate and deliver its compulsory and final verdict in all and any disputes that may arise between the various elements constituting this universal system.l

Shoghi Effendi went on to describe the tremendous benefits to humanity resulting from such a world order:

The enormous energy dissipated and wasted on war, Whether economic or political, will be consecrated to such ends as will extend the range of human inventions and technical develop- ment, to the increase of the productivity of mankind, to the extermination of disease, to the extension of scientific research, to the raising of the standard ofphysical health, to the sharpening and refinement of the human brain, to the exploitation of the unused and unsuspected resources of the planet, to the prolonga— tion of human life, and to the furtherance of any other agency that can stimulate the intellectual, the moral, and spiritual life of the entire human race.2

To make its aims and ob'ectives widel known and to tomote J y P its perspective on varlous ISSUCS, the Baha’i International Community

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not only collaborates with like—minded organizations within and out— side of the United Nations, but it also engages in public information efforts to bring the spiritual and social principles of the Faith to the attention of people everywhere. The persecution of the Bahé’i’s in Iran since the 1979 Iranian revolution has prompted wide dissemina— tion of information about the Baha’i Faith in the international news media. More than 200 members of the Faith have been executed for their belief, which is considered as heresy by the regime, and thousands more have been imprisoned, fired from their jobs, or had their homes confiscated or their pensions cut off as a result of govern- ment orders. Baha’l’s around the world have responded in unity to this ongoing persecution in Iran—the land in which their religion was born—by petitioning their governments to take action against this injustice. It is, to some degree, as a result of these efforts that the persecutions have not been more extreme, although Iran’s Baha’is still face the possibility ofarbitrary imprisonment and execution, and are still denied fundamental rights and freedoms.3

The Baha’i community has also taken a proactive approach to promulgating its views. The statement on peace issued by the Universal House of Justice in 1985, entitled T/ae Promise of World Peace, sparked a worldwide campaign of presentations and public awareness programs throughout the International Year of Peace and since, aimed at government figures, leaders of thought, and the general population. The centenary of Baha’u’llah’s passing in 1992 was commemorated, in part, with the publication of a statement detailing His life, teachings, and mission, designed to increase knowledge of the Baha’i Faith among members of the public. A statement presenting the Baha’i perspective on social development, 7776 Prosperity ofHumankind, was disseminated at the World Summit for Social Development in Copenhagen in March 1995, and later that year a statement entitled Turning Pointfor All Nations was re— leased as a contribution to discussions on the future of the United Nations during its 50th anniversary. In 1999, the Baha’i International Community released Who [5 Wiring the Future? Reﬂections on the Twentieth Century. Most recently, in 2002, the Universal House of Justice addressed a message to the world’s religious leaders.‘i

The Baha’i community has also been continually engaged in a series of international teaching plans. It has seen rapid expansion in different parts of the world, perhaps most notably in Eastern Europe

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and the former Soviet Union, where national Baha’i communities have been established in recent years following the collapse of long- standing political barriers. New national governing bodies are also being formed elsewhere, as the Universal House of Justice deems communities to have reached a sufficient level of maturity.

In just over 160 years, the Baha’i community has succeeded in establishing a pattern of community life that promotes the spiritual development of the individual and channels the collective energies of its members towards the spiritual and material revival of society. It has acquired the capacity to reach large populations with its teachings. It has learned to translate the principle of consultation, promoted by Baha’u’llah, into an effective tool for collective decision making and to educate its members in its use. It has devised programs for the spiritual and moral education of its younger members and has extended them not only to its own children and junior youth but also to those of the wider community. It has created a rich body of literature which includes volumes in scores of languages that address both its own needs and the interest of the general public. It has become increasingly involved in the affairs of society at large, undertaking a host of social and economic development projects. Particularly since 2001, it has systematically educated thousands of its members through a worldwide program of training to develop the skills, insights, and knowledge needed to build a new and prosper— ous society that draws upon the talents and contribution of every member.

The work of the Baha’i community increasingly attracts the attention and admiration of inﬂuential people concerned with humanity’s future direction. At celebrations in 2005 marking the centenary of the establishment of the Baha’i Faith in Germany, Gabriele Mueller—Trimbusch, Stuttgart’s deputy—mayor for social affairs, remarked, “The respect you pay to other world religions, your openness for people who have different opinions, your message of peace for the world we live in, makes you a greatly appreciated partner for us. Stuttgart highly values the activities of the Baha’i community, because it participates in the social life of our city in an exemplary manner.”

The mayor of Kingston, Jamaica, Desmond McKenzie recently commented, “The Baha’i’s have applied their Faith to many of our social problems, including social prejudices, economic deprivation,

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and physical disadvantages, and, in so doing, they have contributed immensely to reducing tensions in these areas.”

“In many ways, Baha’is embody the spirit of community cohe— sion that is so important to our society,” wrote Tony Blair, prime minister of the United Kingdom, in March 2005, “The Baha’i community, in its outlook on life, and in its proactive work in the interfaith, cohesion, and antidiscrimination fields, shows how much faith—based bodies can contribute to wider society.”

The existence and growth of the Baha’i community offer irrefut- able evidence that humanity, in all its diversity, can learn to live and work together in harmony. While Bahé’i’s are aware of the turmoil in the world surrounding them, their view is succinctly expressed in the following words, taken from 7776 Prosperity ofHumankind:

A world is passing away and a new one is struggling to be born. The habits, attitudes, and institutions that have accumulated over the centuries are being subjected to tests that are as necessary to human development as they are inescapable. What is required of the peoples of the world is a measure of faith and resolve to match the enormous energies with which the Creator of all things has endowed this spiritual springtime 0f the race.5

The source of this faith and resolve is the message offered by the teachings of Baha’u’llah, a message that deserves the thoughtful consideration of all those who yearn for peace and justice in the world.

NOTES

1 Shoghi Effendi, 7776 lVor/d Order ofBa/Jd’u’lla’las Selected Letters, 2nd rev. ed. (Wilmette, IL: Baha’i Publishing Trust, 1991), p. 203.

Ibid., p. 204.

See pp. 41—42, 115—27 for further information on the continuing persecution of Iran’s Baha’i community.

For the full text of this message and a report on its presentation around the world, see The Ba/m' ’2’ World 2002—2003 (Haifa: World Centre Publications, 2004), pp. 79—87 and 89—98.

Baha’i International Community Office of Public Information, The Pros— perity of Humankind (1995). See The 8454’? World 1994—95 (Haifa, World Centre Publications, 1996), pp. 273—296, for the complete text of this state— ment.