Bahá’í News/Issue 348/Text
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| No. 348 | BAHA’I YEAR 116 | FEBRUARY, 1960 |
Horace Holley Reviews Growth oF Administrative Order at Farewell Meeting on Eve of Departure for Holy Land[edit]
MORE THAN 200 Bahá’ís gathered in Foundation Hall of the Bahá’í House of Worship on Saturday evening, December 19, to bid farewell to Hand of the Cause Horace Holley and his wife, Doris Holley, who were leaving in a few days to reside at the World Center of the Faith in Haifa, Israel. H. Borrah Kavelin, chairman of the U. S. National Spiritual Assembly, who served as spokesman for the gathering, reviewed briefly the great accomplishments of Mr. Holley, expressed on behalf of all the members of the American Bahá’í Community their deep love and appreciation of both Mr. and Mrs. Holley, and their affectionate wishes for‘. their well-being and happiness in their new field of service.
In his opening remarks Mr. Kavelin commented on the coincidence of the facts that Shoghi Effendi served in his unique capacity as Guardian of the Cause of God for thirty-six years, and that Horace Holley also served in his capacity as secretary and member of the National Spiritual Assembly for the same number of years, including the twenty years when Canada was part of the first National Spiritual Assembly in the Western Hemisphere.
“How is it possible,” Mr. Kavelin asked, “to describe the depth and breadth of Mr. Holley’s services, all he has done, not only in this country but throughout the world? All of us will especially miss his golden pen, which has beautifully enhanced the literature of the Cause and explained so many vital principles having to do with the administration of the Faith in this country, We will also miss his great kindness, his true generosity, his fearlessness where the Faith is concerned, his veracity and his delicious sense of humor. We will miss the benefit of his wisdom, his understanding of the Teachings, his serenity, and his great spiritual strength.”
On behalf of the members of the National Spiritual Assembly, Mr. Kavelin also paid tribute to the undeviating manner in which Mr. Holley always fulfilled his tasks a secretary, the clarity and perceptiveness with which he could deal with every problem with which the National Assembly had to be concerned. He referred also to the value of the advice he was able to give to the National Assembly as a Hand of the Cause whenever it became necessary to call on him in that capacity.
“Mr. Holley is frail of body,” he said, “but his spirit is leonine, and we pray that his unparalleled service may long continue to enrich the annals of Bahá’í history.”
Mr. Kavelin paid tribute, too, to the many services which Mrs. Holley had performed for the Faith on important national committees and as hostess at the Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds. Hand of the Cause William B. Sears likewise spoke of Mr. Holley‘s remarkable achievements as a Hand of the Cause in the Western Hemisphere during the first and most difficult half of the World Crusade.
Although Mr. and Mrs. Holley had received innumerable letters of appreciation, farewell, and good wishes, only one was read at the gathering. It came from the National Spiritual Assembly of Canada, which expressed deep appreciation to Mr. Holley “for the many years of loving and selfless service and assistance so graciously and constantly rendered on behalf of, and to this younger sister Bahá’í community to the North.”
Mr. Holley opened his response by reference to his early years with the Bahá’í Faith, first in Paris and then in New York, and the difference he observed in the methods used to spread the limited knowledge and literature of the Faith available at that time.
“With the passing of the Master and the reading of His Will and Testament,” he said, “I began to glimpse something of the future Bahá’í Faith, not in detail but in the continuity provided by the Master. I was overjoyed at the appointment of the Guardian because then I knew we no longer had to choose between teachers to whom we would give our loyalty.
“Already there was the Temple Unity Committee,
but soon the National Spiritual Assembly of the United
States and Canada came into being, and with it the[Page 2]
election of local spiritual assemblies. We began to
understand the meaning of the Nineteen-Day Feast
and some particulars of our responsibilities as
Bahá’ís.”
H. Borrah Kavelin, chairman of the U.S. National Spiritual Assembly; Mrs. Doris Holley; Hand of the Cause
Horace Holley; and Hand of the Cause William B.
Sears on the platform at the farewell for the Holley: at
the Bahá’í House of Worship in Wilmette on December
19, 1959.
Mr. Holley felt that the administrative aspects of the
Faith were not developing fast enough, so he raised
all kinds of questions with the Guardian, both as a
member of the Local Spiritual Assembly of New York
and as a member of the National Spiritual Assembly.
As the answers came, he said, the pattern of the
administrative order began to unfold. Every time a
letter came from the Guardian giving answers to
specific questions, it was shared with the local assemblies. Finally Mr. Holley began to compile these
answers, and Bahá’í Administration came into being.
Mr. Holley pointed out that, as the Cause grew and the American Bahá’í community began to get responsibilities in other countries, the questions he had asked the Guardian helped to answer similar questions that came up in other areas where we were teaching, especially in the Western Hemisphere.
He spoke of the first Seven-Year Plan and the second Seven-Year Plan, based on the Master’s Divine Plan, and then the present Ten-Year Plan which is to culminate in the establishment of the Universal House of Justice.
“At that point,” he said, “we will lay our burden down, because that institution which has been promised divine guidance will have the say, and there will be no doubt about anything.” He continued: “Thus far we have been tracing the Bahá’í pattern in our limited Way, but nevertheless breaking down the barriers of prejudice, learning to understand human relationships, and beginning to see humanity as one indivisible organism. It is our mission as Bahá’ís to make this pattern a reality in our communities, a true pattern of the future World Order. Eventually the Universal House of Justice will become the regulator of human society. By that time we, through our proclamation of the teachings to the masses, should have succeeded in making people realize that this is not merely a new religion but a God-given plan, and the sooner it is established the better for everyone.
“We, the Bahá’ís of this day, have a great mission first, to understand the purpose of the Bahá’í Faith, and then to scatter the seeds of the new civilization proclaimed by Bahá’u’lláh. People who become Bahá’ís in the future will not have to go through the dark days of the passing of the Master and of the Guardian. We have collectively won that victory for the human race.
“Our present task now is to live the Faith day by day, to teach and to apply everywhere in life the spiritual laws and principles that come from the living God. You and I, as Bahá’ís, are prepared not only to understand the victory of the Faith, but are privileged to live in a day of unspeakable glory, It is one of the great miracles of God,” he said, “that He has used us to grasp and to proclaim the new vision of God and mankind across the earth.”
After reference to the work of the Hands of the Faith in the Holy Land and their great responsibilities, and of the great victories that are almost within our grasp, Mr. Holley closed by saying: “Let us be concerned in these crucial days, not with our petty differences, but with the glorious opportunities that are ours to help establish the beginning of the Kingdom of God on earth.”
At the close of the meeting, the friends were given the opportunity to come to the platform and express their farewells personally to Mr. and Mrs. Holley. A beautifully decorated table was spread at the rear of the hall, and refreshments were served.
Bahá’í Faith Receives Special Recognition at UN NGO Round Table Discussion in Paris[edit]
The Bahá’í International Community, as a member of the Non-Governmental Organizations of the United Nations, was invited to send representatives to a Round Table Discussion convened by the World Association of World Federalists in Paris on November 27-28, 1959, for the purpose of discussing steps to be taken in furthering objectives in connection with the idea of a Permanent United Nations Force.
Mrs. Lea Nys of Belgium and Joel B. Marangella of, France were asked to represent the Bahá’í International Community. Twelve international organizations sent representatives, namely: the World Association of World Parliamentarians for World Government, World Federation of UN Associations, World Veterans Federation, World Brotherhood, Friends World Committee for Consultation, International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, International Commission of Jurists, International Council of Women, Consultative Council of Jewish Organizations, Consultative Board of Jewish Organizations, World Association of World Federalists (convenors of the meeting), and the Bahá’í International Community, representing the national spiritual assemblies throughout the Bahá’í world.
The discussions were held in a Salle of the Cercle[Page 3]
Republicain in the heart of Paris. At the beginning of
the discussions the chairman called upon each organization to make an opening statement. The Bahá’í representatives took this opportunity to read a previously
prepared statement consisting primarily of pertinent
excerpts from Shoghi Effendi’s writings pertaining to
the requisite international institutions which must be
established in the world super-state.
Copies of this statement were then presented to all participants. They seemed to be particularly interested in learning that the Bahá’í Teachings had been given to the world in the middle of the last century, and that the Guardian of the Faith had written the statements used in our presentation more than twenty years agar Judging by the comments made to the Bahá’í representatives afterwards, this presentation was very enthusiastically received, and stimulated many of the participants to ask questions about the Faith during periods when sessions of the meeting were not in progress.
As a result of these conversations, many expressed an interest in knowing more about the Faith, and were accordingly provided with additional literature to the extent that it was available. It was particularly interesting to find that several people present had been to the Holy Land and had visited the Shrine of the Báb on Mount Carmel, with which they had been deeply impressed.
On the evening of the twenty-seventh all of the participants were invited to dinner in the beautiful home of Miss Isabelle Kemp, an American woman who has lived in Paris for many years. Although Miss Kemp had been ill and for this reason was not able to attend the Round Table discussions or even to join her guests for dinner, she did come to the dining room to say a few words of greeting.
Miss Kemp thrilled us by speaking just as though she were a Bahá’í, stressing that the peoples of all religions must love one another and cooperate in a true spirit of worship of the one God, and urging all to remember always that the supreme law for world unity is the law of love.
Of particular note following the dinner was an after-dinner address given by Gilbert McAllister, secretarygeneral of the World Association of World Parliamentarians for World Government. The only reference to any organization during his address was concerning the Bahá’ís, which he singled out for special mention, saying how glad he had been to meet representatives of the Bahá’í Faith at the Round Table discussions, and then proceeding to an account of his visit to the Bahá’í gardens and Shrines on Mount Carmel which had made a great impression upon him.
There appeared to be general satisfaction with the manner in which the Round Table discussions had been conducted. They had been informal, with the comments of the representatives not interpreted as a commitment of their respective organization to any course of action. For this reason the discussions were open and frank, and there was an excellent exchange of views It was generally agreed that another conference of a similar type should be called next year.
The Bahá’í representatives felt that the two days of discussions had been useful and highly worthwhile. It was particularly heartening to note from the comments made that more and more people are beginning to think along the lines advocated by the Faith. In gatherings such as this one, it is becoming increasingly apparent that mankind is being propelled, however unwittingly, towards the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh. We were grateful not only for being able to participate in these interesting discussions, but for the excellent opportunity it provided to acquaint a large number of distinguished Europeans with the principles and teachings of our beloved Faith. It was felt that through the Grace of Bahá’u’lláh many new friends had been won for the Faith, and that the seeds sown would ultimately and inevitably aid the future work of the Faith in Europe.
—LEA NYS, JOEL MARANGELLA
First Samoan Islands Teaching Conference Formulates Four-Year Plan for Spread of Faith[edit]
On Sunday, October 4, 1959, friends from all over the Samoan Islands came, on foot, by car, bus, plane and boat, to the Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds, Apia, Western Samoa, to participate in the first Teaching Conference of the Samoan Islands. By the time the conference began thirty believers and twenty children and youth were gathered.
After opening prayers, the chairman of the Island Teaching Committee welcomed everyone, and together with the Western Samoan friends extended a special welcome to the American Samoan believers who had travelled so far to attend. This was followed by a talk by another of the friends on the purpose of the conference, and the message from the Hands of the Cause to the annual conventions, and the message from the Hands of the Cause to the Suva convention concerning teaching work in the South Pacific were highlighted, A general discussion followed, resulting in proposals being put forward from which a Four-Year Plan was drawn up.
First Teaching Conference of the Samoan Islands, held
at the Bahá’í Center at Apia on October 4, 1959.
At the end of the morning session the friends shared the midday meal together, to which all had contributed, and at which a roast pig was presented by the Western Samoan believers in honor of the American Samoan believers.
The afternoon session began with prayers, and was followed by a general discussion on how the Four-Year Plan could be accomplished, as well as discussion on such topics as translations, summer schools. and incorporation. From this, and as a preliminary step towards fulfilling the Plan, all the existing groups and the Apia Assembly pledged certain goals which they would endeavor to achieve by their own efforts.
As evening fell the Conference was brought to a close. The friends took leave of each other in a spirit of unity and harmony, each determined that his or her Group would be the first to attain assembly status under the Four-Year Plan.
Jamaica is 21st National Assembly Goal in Latin America by Ridván 1961[edit]
In answer to the numerous inquiries as to what national spiritual assembly is to be formed in Latin America besides the twenty listed by the Guardian in the goals of the World Crusade, the Hands of the Cause resident in the Holy Land have explained that Jamaica was added by Shoghi Effendi to the countries under the jurisdiction of the Regional Spiritual Assembly of the Greater Antilles, and therefore must have its National Spiritual Assembly also by Riḍván 1961, making a total of twenty-one independent national spiritual assemblies.
—U.S. NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY
New Interest in Faith in Northeast Africa Despite Condemnation by Eritrea Church[edit]
Bahá’ís of Northeast Africa are finding numerous outlets for the surge of enthusiasm that permeates that community. The National Assembly quotes a letter from their pioneer in Sudan, Bahrel Ghazal district, stating that in southern Sudan the “Bahá’í teachings find a fertile ground. The authorities, as well as the inhabitants, are not prejudiced. The number of those accepting the Faith is increasing steadily. . . . The status of an assembly may be reached by 1960.”
In Eritrea a condemnatory notice on the Faith from the Catholic bishop was read in all churches of the territory, but the Assembly of Asmara has written: “Our community is happy and . . . unceasingly engaged in teaching activities. In prayerful attitude, conscious of His unfailing protection, firm in the Covenant, we expteg all that He may ordain for us with joy and gratitude.”
A group of sixty-five, half of them guests of the Bahá’ís, showed considerable interest in an introductory talk on the Faith in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, given by Ato Mintesenot in the Amharic language. A warm discussion followed the talk, ending with a social period.
Deprived of Membership[edit]
The U.S. National Spiritual Assembly has been obliged to deprive Dr. John B. Cornell of Pacific Grove, Calif., of his Bahá’í membership because of his flagrant violation and disobedience of the authority of the National Spiritual Assembly over a long period of time.
—U.S. NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY
Bahá’í community of Kingston, Jamaica, at a picnic celebrating Bahá’u’lláh’s birthday.
First Teaching Conference in Philippines Enthuses Believers With New Sense of Purpose and Direction[edit]
THE FIRST Bahá’í Teaching Conference in The Philippines was held at Manila on November 27 to 29, 1959, when representatives of four assemblies and twenty centers gathered at the YMCA Youth Center Library.
At the opening session a hearty welcome was delivered by the conference chairman, Arturo Arellano, who then introduced the delegates from the various centers. Welcoming speeches were also delivered by William Allison, Manila Local Assembly chairman, and by Mrs. Luisa Mapa de Gomez, the first Filipino woman believer of Manila, Orlando Madclela acted as translator for the Ilocano dialect during this and all succeeding sessions.
Jamshed Fozdar, Auxiliary Board member, was also introduced. He represented the Regional Spiritual Assembly of Southeast Asia at the conference, and conveyed greetings from the assembly in his opening remarks.
Following these introductions, the chairman read greetings from Hand of the Cause Agnes Alexander, who had spent a week in Manila on her way home from the conference of the Hands of the Cause in Haifa.
Then Theodore Boehnert talked on the early history of the Bahá’í Faith, and after his talk Mr. Fozdar spoke on the station of the Báb.
After a brief recess, the morning session was resumed with a talk by Manuel Rodriguez on “Bahá’u’lláh, the Messenger of God,” followed by the reading nf a telegraphed message from Felix Maddela, the first Philippine Bahá’í, who was unable to attend the conference because of illness.
During the afternoon session, Mrs. Dionicia Vadel of Solano talked on the station of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and after a brief recess, Jack Davis, pioneer in Cebu, paid tribute to Shoghi Effendi.
Jamshed Fozdar, Auxiliary Board member; Mrs. Luiza
Mapa de Gomez, the first Filipino woman believer of
Manila; and Jack Davis, Bahá’í pioneer to Cebu, The
Philippines, at the first Philippine Teaching Conference.
Left: Attendants at the first Philippine Teaching conference, held at Manila on November 27 to 29, 1959. Right: Part of the audience at the public meeting held at the National Press Club in Manila during the teaching conference.
That evening a public meeting was held at the National Press Club, when Mr. Fozdar spoke on the subject “Can Religions Unite?”. A stream of questions followed his talk, and each was carefully answered to the satisfaction of the audience. At the end of the evening the friends left filled with new spirit and great eagerness to meet the new day.
On the second morning a study of the Covenant was led by Grace Maddela. Thought-provoking questions were asked, giving everyone a chance to participate in an open discussion.
Later William Allison conducted a study of the Administration of the Faith with Mr. Fozdar. It was stressed that love among the members is the most important aspect in the Bahá’í Administration, that its bedrock is unity. Consultation was emphasized as the basis for unity. Mr. Allison gave simple illustrations of how, even in tense moments, unity has been preserved among the Bahá’ís of Manila due to their purity of motive and sincerity of purpose. Members of the various centers were asked to discuss how unity was maintained in their communities.
At noon, luncheon was served at the National Press Club. Mr. Fozdar spoke on “Has Science the Solution for World Peace?”. Guests representing the Medical Society, Lawyers’ League, social workers, theosophists, realists, Catholic and Protestant sects were present.
On the last day of the conference, the morning session was opened with prayers in Ilocano and English, followed by a talk on “Bahá’í Responsibility” by Mariano Tagubat. It was most pleasant to hear how the friends, with their great enthusiasm, took turns in suggesting practical methods of teaching the Cause.
Among the interesting experiences in teaching the Faith were those related by Tomas Alindada, Dominador Cacayan, Jovito Tottoc, Jack Davis, and Orlando Maddela. Many other friends recounted their experiences in this noble task, their trials and tribulations, their triumphs and their failures, and their continued efforts to win a soul to the Faith— all these sacrifices which strengthened their spirits in the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh.
Joel Fernandez conducted a lively discussion on how to teach the Faith to the youth. Mrs. Herrera, Mrs. Julie Raubitschek, Mrs. Dominador Cacayan, and others, gave pointers on how to inspire youth. Two young Bahá’ís, Mellie Maddela and Enriqueta Tagubat, spoke on how to teach the Faith in their friends.
Then a very inspiring message from the Hands of the Cause was read by Mr. Fozdar. Commenting on the successes of the conference, Mr. Fozdar told the friends never to be afraid to face great plans like this in the future.
The rest of the afternoon was devoted to a review of the past achievements of the Faith in the Philippines, the victories won and the goals yet to be achieved.
Summarizing the past accomplishments, Orlando Maddela and Arturo Arellano included the following:
Number of assemblies: 4; Number of centers: 21; Summer schools: 2; Teaching conferences: 1; Public meetings and teaching trips: several; Bahá’í Centers: 1; Languages used in translating literature: 2 (Ilocano and Tagalog); Items of translated literature: 4; Items of literature in the process of translation: 5; the printing of Bahá’í literature was undertaken by the Area Teaching and Development Committee chairman, Mr. Arellano, was widely used during the conference, and distributed to the public.
Following a call for pioneer work in the goal centers of the Philippines, six volunteers responded.
In concluding the conference, the committee thanked everyone for their active participation and wholehearted support.
Thus ended the first Bahá’í Teaching Conference in The Philippines, where old and young, rich and poor, occidental and oriental, all arose in humble thanksgiving and rededication to the beloved Cause of Bahá’u’lláh. That self-same spirit has found its true expression in the earnest desire of the believers to spreadthe Cause far and wide in the islands.
Not only have these souls been set afire with new enthusiasm, a new sense of purpose and direction, but The Philippines, as a nation, have begun to recognize the existence of this mighty and challenging Revelation.
These faithful servants of God, full of hope and prayerful guidance, have struck the first blow with their triumphant cry of “Ya Bahá’í-Abhá” in their campaign to win the hearts of mankind, the chosen receptacle for the Messages of Bahá’u’lláh.
—GRACE D. MADDELA
The first Sakai (aboriginal tribe) Bahá’í group in Malaya, on the occasion of the visit of Mrs. Shirin Fozdar, chairman of the Regional Spiritual Assembly of Southeast Asia. On Mrs. Fozdar’s right is Yankee Leong, a pioneer among the Salai tribes, and also a member of
the Southeast Asia Regional Assembly.
Report on American Pioneers to Latin America[edit]
The Western Hemisphere Teaching Committee has sent the following report on the settlement of American pioneers and settlers in Latin America Crusade goals between Riḍván and December 18, 1959:
Pioneers arrived in posts 20 adults 3 youth
Arrived at other posts 3 adults
Scheduled to arrive by mid-January 8 adults 1 youth
Probable departures by mid-January 8 adults
Teaching, Study, Goal Achievement Mark Activities in West Africa
E. Fananapazir conducting a teaching class in Yundum,
Gambia.
These Bahá’ís of three large Southern Cameroons communities met at Tiko to study the message from the
Hands of the Cause, led by Enoch Olinga.
Bahá’ís of Ebunji, Southern Cameroons, who attended teaching conference there.
The first Bahá’í marriage in Dakar, Senégal. took place in October 1959. Hand of the Cause Enoch Olinga and
the two witnesses watch as the bride and groom sign the marriage certificate.
Bahá’ís of four other Large communities met at Muea for a similar study session with Enoch Olinga.
Representatives of six Southern Cameroons communities at a teaching conference held at Bekume.
Brazil Teaching Congress Inspires New Unity and Dedication to World Crusade Goals[edit]
Fifty-five Bahá’ís, several children, and many interested visitors, in all representing eleven cities of Brazil, made the halls of the Ginasio Caio Martins ring with their greetings, conversations, and laughter during the three days of the seventh Bahá’í Congress of Brazil, which took place in Niteroi, State of Rio de Janeiro, the home of the very newest potential Bahá’í Assembly of Brazil, during the long weekend of October 31 to November 2, 1959.
We lived with so many enchanting emotions that they themselves became the most important results of the congress, lifting us through increasing heights to the climax of rededication and a determination to bring joy to the heart of our beloved Shoghi Effendi in his realms of glory, and to our zealously working, revered Hands of the Cause of God, through the feats of the Brazilian Bahá’ís during the year to come.
Conscious of the fact that all present were potential members of the future National Spiritual Assembly of Brazil, to be elected within only a year and a half, lifted by the stirring words of the Hands in their letter to the conventions of 1959, and awakened by the keywords of the congress in the call to action: Faith, Belief, Learning, and Unity, the Congress began with a spirit of enthusiasm.
The theme, “The Dynamic Bahá’í Life,” explained by Abdullah Sahihi, and exemplified in many stories of sacrifice and devotion of the Persian Bahá’ís present, was studied in detail during the three days of the Congress The teaching of children, marriage, family life, social life, community, and administrative life, were studied, consulted upon and resolved by citations of the teachings. From the discussion came suggestions which those present took back to put into effect in their communities.
For the first time a large number of Bahá’í youth was present, seven coming all the way from Bahia at great personal sacrifice, and others representing other communities. They gave enthusiasm both in their words and actions, to the idea of working more with the youth of the country, in clubs, and friendship classes.
Two illuminating talks were given on the subject of Bahá’í Administration, on the local and the national level, by Robert Miessler and Dr. Djalal Eghrari, pre paring this group for their future responsibilities. A stirring call to pioneering, with many quotations from the words of the Báb, Bahá’u’lláh, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Shoghi Effendi, and finally of the beloved Hands of the Cause, urging, pleading, promising comfort and help, and persuading the Bahá’ís to arise and help to bring to a successful conclusion the great World Crusade, was given by Sr. Aldo Cervani, who is preparing himself to leave for Colombia in the near future as a pioneer.
The evenings were devoted to festivities, there being films of the Holy Gardens in Haifa and of the Temple in Wilmette, a “leilão”—an auction, which netted CR$l2,400,00 (about $65.00) for the repairs of the Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds in Rio, folk songs and dances from Brazil and Persia, and always conversational groups which met and broke up to form others.
Letters from the congress were sent to the Hands of the Cause, to the National Spiritual Assembly, and to the pioneers who were not able to be present.
We Went home uplifted, rededicated, inspired, and praying that we could carry this feeling back with us to our communities and that it would be with us for the whole year to come. Realizing that even as we were united in such love at the congress, we were still united as we spread out over Brazil, and that from that unity flowed a power that comes from Bahá’u’lláh that can conquer all this great country in His name and for His service.
—MURIEL MIESSLER
The seventh annual Brazilian Teaching Conference held at Niteroi in the State of Rio de Janeiro on
October 31 to November 2, 1959.
Well-Attended Taiwan Summer School Features Inspiring Talks, Dedication of Tainan Center[edit]
The third Taiwan Summer School, held under the auspices of the National Spiritual Assembly of Northeast Asia, took place in the newly-constructed Tainan Bahá’í Center, October 10, ll, 12, 1959. Forty-seven attended, including Bahá’ís and friends from Taipei, Taichung, Hsinying, Tainan, Che-Lu-Che, Kungshou, Tsoying, and Pintang. Guests from Japan were Mr. Noureddin Momtazi, member of the National Assembly, accompanied by his wife, and Mrs. Joy Hill Earl, who acted as chairman of the Summer School.
Among the wide range of lectures, two subjects were interestingly and graphically presented by Mr. Momtazi: “The Necessity For A Divine Educator“ and “The Bahá’í World Faith.” Others included an illustrated talk. “The Power of the Mind” by Mrs. Edith Danielson Craig; “The Bahá’í View of Education” by Jerome Chu; “The Spiritual Meaning of Adversity" by Jimmy I-long; “Changing One’s Habits” by Ruthy Tu; “The Reconciliation of Science and Religion” by M. S. Yuan; “The Importance of Pioneering” by Mrs. Momtazi; and “Religion: What it Means” by Keith Craig.
A particularly challenging and interesting panel discussion presented pertinent Bahá’í teachings which would bulwark believers to withstand the strictures and pressures exerted by tradition-bound cultures, such as the Chinese.
The first evening was highlighted by the dedication of the Tainan Bahá’í Center. Mrs. Earl gave the dedicatory address. The second evening was devoted to a public meeting, attended by seventy people. Mrs. Craig acted as chairman and Mrs. Earl Was again the speaker.
The graciousness with which Mr. and Mrs. Suleimani, the host and hostess, presided over the Summer School, the warmth of the love flowing between believers, the meaningful talks and the sincerity and eagerness of all to learn, truly served as propellants to hasten the attendants toward achieving the remaining objectives of the World Crusade.
Bahá’í Exhibit at Hawaii County Fair Proclaims Faith in Islanders, Visitors[edit]
More than forty thousand big islanders, tourists, and visitors from neighbor islands became acquainted, many for the first time, with the name Bahá’í on November 4 during the tenth annual Hawaii County Fair in Hilo, Hawaii’s second largest city.
The Hilo Bahá’í exhibit in the Education Section of the fair was one of twenty in this division. Simplicity and beauty were key factors in the planning, with The Greatest Name used as the central point of attraction. The Divine Revelators Chart and “Bahá’í World Faith” were the only lettered displays. The walls were in three shades of blue. The Greatest Name was beautifully made in gold and dark blue, and a generous supply of Bahá’í literature was displayed on a matching blue bookcase. Blue hydrangeas were later placed inside the booth, which provided an added attraction. Many people remarked about the peacefulness, serenity, and beautiful simplicity of the booth.
A great deal of interest and curiosity was aroused in those who passed by. Pamphlets were given out only to those who stopped by to request information, Hundreds hesitated at a distance long enough to read the Divine Revelators poster, and thousands silently formed the words, “Bahá’í World Faith” with their lips as they walked by.
The Hilo Junior Chamber of Commerce sent a letter of appreciation to the Hilo Bahá’ís for participating in the Fair, and invited them to prepare an exhibit for next year’s event.
The dedication n1 the Bahá’í Center at Tainan, Taiwan, was the featured event of the thin: Taiwan Summer School on October lo to 12, 1959. Participants at the summer school are shown outside the Center in the photograph at the left; to the right is pictured the friends at the dedication of the Center.
U.S. Baha’i Communities Take Lead in Observances of Anniversary of UN Declaration of Human Rights[edit]
THE ELEVENTH anniversary of Human Rights Day on December 10, 1959, celebrating the adoption by the United Nations General Assembly of a statement on the inherent and inalienable rights of the peoples of the world, went largely unnoticed by most American communities.
Citizens of this country, guaranteed individual respect and freedom by the federal Bill of Rights, for the most part do not appreciate the momentous significance of this declaration of human rights in other nations where individual freedom is practically non-existent, and where governments, although subscribing to this statement, fall far short of putting into practice these idealistic guarantees.
In those cities that did give some form of recognition to this historic occasion, many had their only observance in activities planned and conducted by the Bahá’ís. To that extent, Bahá’ís are keeping alive the importance of this document, and are reaffirming the basic principles contained in this universal declaration.
The Local Spiritual Assembly of Madison, Wis., acting on the suggestion of the Bahá’í Interracial Teaching Committee, and relating it to their own local observance of Human Rights Day, suggested to the Honorable Gaylord A. Nelson, Governor of the State of Wisconsin, and to Mayor Ivan A. Nestigen of Madison, that they issue a proclamation calling upon the citizens of the State and City respectively to publicly recognize and support the eleventh annual observance of United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Both were invited to be present at the public meeting sponsored by the Bahá’í community on December 5.
Both Governor Nelson and Mayor Nestigen responded wholeheartedly, the latter sending copies of this declaration directly to the local press. Both also expressed to the assembly appreciation of the invitation to attend the meeting but were unable to accept owing to previous commitments.
In his letter transmitting copies of his proclamation to the assembly the Mayor wrote: “Your efforts in regard to furthering the cause of Human Rights are certainly worth while, and in behalf of the City, I wish to commend you for these efforts.”
Bahá’ís of Greenville, S.C., sponsored a program on the observance of Human Rights Day on Sunday, December 13, hoping that a larger number of people would attend on that day. No cooperating group could be found to assist in presenting the program, so the Bahá’í observance was the only one in this city of 80,000 persons.
Printed invitations were sent to about 175 persons, and publicity appeared in two newspapers. The speakers, Nathaniel Schell, Jr., and Abraham Davis were both Negro. One is a speech and hearing therapist, the other a teacher. Two differing viewpoints of the source of human rights were presented: one that the rights are creatures of political institutions, the second that these rights are inherent in the nature of man, and are thus endowed by the Creator. Their non-dogmatic and friendly delivery eliminated any debate-like competition.
The program was opened with a prayer, and the Bahá’í chairman then stated the Bahá’í message of unity and outlined the background to the program and the Human Rights Declaration itself. At the close of the program refreshments were served, and there was a lively discussion session in which there was much rapport in the very divergent type of audience.
In Tacoma. Wash., the Bahá’í Human Rights Day program was presented on Friday, December 11. Here, also, there were two speakers: Rex Jones, field representative for the Washington State Board Against Discrimination, whose subject was “Looking Ahead in Human Relations”; and Major Pigford of Seattle. at present a student at the University of Washington, Whose topic was “Human Rights and the Golden Rule.”
Publicity for this Tacoma observance was given by two newspapers, and this was the only mention published of the anniversary of Human Rights Day.
Three speakers were presented at the Bahá’í observance in Syracuse, N.Y. Dr. Hamilton Niss outlined the Human Rights Declaration itself; Shridin Patil of Poona, India, spoke of progress in the establishment of human rights in his native country; and Mrs. Gool Aidun quoted from the various sacred writing in reference to human rights.
Invitations to the Syracuse meeting were mailed to about 300 persons, and two newspapers printed publicity for the meeting, which was held at the Syracuse University Chapel House.
St. Petersburg, Fla., held a Human Rights program at the headquarters of the National Council for Negro Women. Leon Cox, a teacher of political science, spoke on “Human Rights and the United Nations,” and Mrs. Betty Fiedler spoke on “Human Rights and the Bahá’í Faith.”
Posters from the United Nations were on display at the meeting. together with a large reproduction of the Charter of Human Rights. A daily newspaper printed stories of the meeting both before and after the event, and included photographs of the speakers and chairman.
Flint, Mich., gave their Human Rights Day program at the Flint YWCA, with Robert Gaines of Romeo as speaker. There were stories in nine newspapers in the Flint area, and thirty-one free announcements broadcast on nine radio stations.
The Flint Bahá’ís followed-up this Human Rights Day meeting with a fireside one week later at the home of Mrs. E. C. Luther, when Mrs. Eugene Peters spoke on “Human Rights and the Golden Rule.”
The Beverly, Mass., Local Spiritual Assembly constructed a display at the public library with a poster
and a book display that included Race and Man and
Man One Family, among others. Four other posters in
observance of Human Rights Day were displayed in[Page 11]
public places, and a newspaper story was published
in the Beverly Evening Times.
Beverly Bahá’ís also assisted an isolated believer, Mary Jane Carter of Topsfield, Mass., in presenting a public meeting on human rights in the Topsfield public library.
Hamburg, N.Y,, Bahá’ís gave an International Fellowship Dinner at the community center on December 12. After the dinner Mrs. Josephine Hipp gave a talk on the Bahá’í concept of human rights, followed by a showing of colored slides or Haifa. The pamphlet Faith for Freedom was distributed to the guests.
There was also a window display in a shopping center in Hamburg, using the Human Rights Day poster and a statement on Bahá’u’lláh’s plan for peace.
In Linwood, N.J., the Bahá’ís determined to present an observance of Human Rights Day that would provide a kindness and service to a group that is often forgotten in everyday life. The Atlantic City Colored Old Folk’s Home was chosen, and a program was pre pared on a tape recording consisting of “Words for the World” and talks on the Human Rights Declaration and the Bahá’í attitude toward these rights.
Because of the infirmities of age, many patients and residents heard the program in their beds over the inter-communication system. When it was over, many seemed overcome by the bounty of the Bahá’ís visit, and agreed that it should have been presented to a large hall of people “who could do something about it.” They were assured that they could, by praying.
Although it was expected that these aged people might not grasp the message of a new Revelator, as was the case a month earlier when a program on Central America was given, it was hoped that the program might be the means of attracting younger contacts, such as relatives, friends, and members of the staff.
This belief was born out in the interest shown that evening by the registered nurse in charge, who asked many questions about the Faith. Since then, other nurses and aides are studying the Faith through books and pamphlets distributed.
Doubtless other Bahá’í communities observed this anniversary of Human Rights Day and took advantage of a splendid opportunity to promulgate the teachings of the Faith on one of the two fundamental divine principles expounded by Bahá’u’lláh; however, reports of their activities have not been received by BAHÁ’Í NEWS.
Large Indonesian Baha’i Communities Reflect Light of Faith[edit]
Top right: Bahá’ís of Rembang and Lasem, Central Java.
Bottom right: Bahá’ís of Sigli, Sumatra.
Below: Bahá’ís of Makasar, Celebes.
Lecture Series Attracts Many New Seekers In Regional Teaching Campaign at Hartford[edit]
An intensive teaching campaign was initiated by the Hartford, Conn, Bahá’ís in September with a series of lectures on “Five Living Faiths.” Represented were Buddhism, by The Venerable Ratnasara Thero, United Nations delegate from Ceylon; Judaism, by Rabbi Samuel Silver, editor of American Judaism; Christianity, by Dr. Walter J. Skellie, principal of Assiut College in Egypt; Islam, by William R. Polk of Harvard University; and the Bahá’í Faith by Dr. Firuz Kazemzadeh of Yale University.
Dr. Kazemzadeh, in an outstanding presentation of the Faith, linked all the lectures together and furnished a fitting climax to the series.
The lectures, spaced two weeks apart, were held in the auditorium of the Hartford Public Library, and were advertised in the two leading newspapers with both paid and free advertising. In addition, five hundred personal invitations were sent out for each lecture.
Audiences ranged from fifty to eighty in attendance. with only about twenty of these being Bahá’ís. Sixty new names were added to the list of contacts; thirty-three of these were Hartford people, while the rest were from nearby towns. Two study classes have been formed as a result, and more follow-up public meetings and firesides are being planned by the New England Area Teaching Committee.
Hartford Bahá’ís were supported in planning, financing, addressing envelopes, and attendance at the lectures, by the Stamford, New Haven, and Greenwich Local Spiritual Assemblies, and by several isolated believers and groups in Connecticut.
Invaluable assistance was given by Mrs. Mildred Mottahedeh, Auxiliary Board member, who obtained several of the speakers under great difficulties, Who served as chairman of the first and last lectures, and who inspired all with her enthusiasm and confidence.
Bahá’ís and friends at the first Bahá’í wedding to be
held at Grénada, The West Indies, Since the St. George
Parish Local Assembly is not incorporated, there was
a civil ceremony in the morning and the Bahá’í ceremony in the afternoon, followed by a reception.
Local Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Khartoum
North, Egypt, for 1959-1560, which now includes two
native Sudanese.
The project was an experiment in regional cooperation and concentration under the aegis of the area
teaching committee. As such, it was a decided success. The few believers in Hartford could not have
carried out such an ambitious program alone. It was
evident in the happiness and enthusiasm for future cooperation expressed at the state convention that not
only Hartford, but the whole state, had received the
confirmations of the spirit promised to those who arise
and work together to teach the Faith.
—LORNA TASKER
First Public Proclamation of Faith Made by Guadalajara on UN Day[edit]
The first public proclamation of the Bahá’í Faith in Guadalajara, Mexico, was made on United Nations Day, October 24, 1959, with a public meeting at the College of Beautiful Arts, a dependency of Guadalajara University.
A committee composed of Mrs. Anna Howard, one of the original pioneers to Guadalajara, and two of her students who became Bahá’ís, Alfonso Jimenez and Miss Herlinda Risueño, arranged the details in close cooperation with the Guadalajara Local Spiritual Assembiy.
Invitations were sent to 300 persons, and were posted or announced at the Cultural Institute, the Benjamin Franklin Library, the College of Beautiful Arts, the Y.W.C.A., and at meetings of the American Society and the Garden Club.
At least seventy persons, including seventeen Bahá’ís, attended the meeting. The scheduled guest speaker was Dr. Manuel Castenada, a medical doctor and president of the Prensa Unida. At the last moment he was called out of town, so the Bahá’í speaker, Allah K. Kalantar, took over the meeting and was well-received by the audience, which included many contacts, some of them teachers of English.
The Spanish language daily newspaper Informador printed articles on two days preceding the meeting, and sent a photographer to the hall. Pictures of Mr.
First Local Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Chiclayo, Peru, formed on April 21, 1959. Front row:
Rosario Urteaga Gurabán, Antonio Alvarez Agurto,
and Yolanda Urteaga Garabán. Back row: Alberto
Guerrero Cisneros, Mercedes Sánchez Rivera, Esther
Noreiga Burga, Jeame Beane, Pattie Beane, and Jose
Burgos Alvarado.
Kalantar and Miss Risueño appeared in the newspaper.
Motion pictures of the meeting were made by a television company, and were telecast the next evening as part of the coverage of observances of UN Day throughout the world. The Bahá’í community of Guadalajara was the only organization that sponsored a UN Day meeting in this city.
Since our meetings are usually held in a home, we have heretofore been unable to obtain any publicity; therefore, although this event was indirect teaching, it was a great success which rejoiced our hearts.
—EMILIE M. KALANTAR
Four South American Countries Hold Teaching Conferences During Year[edit]
National teaching conferences were held in four countries of South America during 1959: in Vina del Mar, Chile, on October 10 to 12; in Asuncion, Paraguay, on November 15; in Montevideo, Uruguay, on November 28 and 29; and in Rosario, Argentina, on December 12 and 13.
More than thirty Bahá’ís attended the Chilean conference from Vina del Mar, Valparaiso, Quilpué, and Santiago. Sra. Else Cazcarra, Auxiliary Board member, contributed greatly to the spirit of the occasion, as did Miss Betty Becker, who recently arrived from Alaska as a pioneer to Valdivia, one of the two goal cities of Chile‘ Other pioneers present were Enrique Aguirre and Miss Mary Binda. A message of loving greetings, with a pledge of dedication to the fulfillment of the Chilean goals, was sent to the Hands of the Faith in the Holy Land.
Nine friends attended the Asuncion conference, which, although small in numbers, carried a spirit of dedication and serenity which all present mentioned, and a feeling of unity with friends teaching the Faith in Encarnacion and Concepcion who were unable to attend.
Eighteen believers attended the Montevideo conference with guests from Buenos Aires. There was a mood of assurance and joy as two new believers accepted the Faith, and pioneers from the goal city of Minas were present. A cable was sent to the Hands of the Faith in the Holy Land, which stated in part: “Goals assured, spirits rededicated desire surpass objectives.” Highlights included the understanding of needs to accomplish all goals, and contributions made by the newly-declared believers.
More than thirty attended the Rosario conference. In Argentina, the presence of Persian pioneers has created a new spirit, with a married couple pioneering in Rosario. two families in Cordoba, and another couple now in Buenos Aires prepared to go out where needed.
Bahá’í Participation in Kwangju UN Day Brings Increased Attendance at Firesides[edit]
For the second consecutive year the Bahá’í Faith was represented in Kwangju, Korea, at the annual United Nations Day ceremony. The Governor, the United Nations Association chairman, and the director of the United States Information Center were among the speakers. A brief Bahá’í talk was given by John McHenry III.
First Local Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Joplin,
Mo.a, formed on April 21, 1959. Front row: Mrs. John
Dix, Mrs. Grace Bell, Mrs. Ola Nyberg, Mrs. Jane
Altherr, and Dr. Opal Jensen. Back row: Lucian Reed,
John Dix, Alfred Jensen, and Dr. Leland Jensen.
At the suggestion of the acting chairman of the
United Nations Association, a Bahá’í-sponsored meeting was held in the banquet room of Kwangju’s new
[Page 14]
est and largest building. All three city newspapers
carried announcements of the meeting, and 160 invitations were sent out. About sixty persons attended,
mostly educators, teachers, and graduate students, and
including one reporter. Mr, McHenry gave a twenty
minute talk on the Bahá’í World Faith and the United
Nations, followed by color slides of the Gardens and
the Shrine of the Báb in Haifa. A lively discussion
resulted.
A significant consequence of the Bahá’í participation in the formal United Nations Day ceremonies was an increased attendance at the weekly fireside.
Two Traveling Teachers Visit Remote Villages in Dense Forests of Southern Cameroons[edit]
Hansel Ndando, secretary of the Regional Teaching Committee in the Southern Cameroons, Africa, gives a Vivid report of the hazards of his recent travels in this remote area:
“Solomon Tanyi and I have returned from a very exciting and adventurous tour of Overside. Leaving Mamfe, we arrived at Eshobi, and the first frightful sight that struck us was the “suspension bridges,” not hammocks. This is an awful sight. As you step on the more than 100 yard-long bridge it swings to and fro, tossing you up and down, left and right. My limbs gave way and I hesitated to proceed. Gathering all my force, I determined to go ahead, and on I went until I reached the end. These two bridges are enough to frighten anyone from visiting Overside.
First Local Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Galveston, Texas, formed on April 21, 1959. Front row: Miss
Patricia Friddell, Mrs. Shirley Ibsen, Mrs. Catherine
Gent, Mrs. June Pittel, and Mrs. Faye Dudley. Back
row: Leonard Pittel, Peter Ibsen, William Irving, and
Mack Wilder.
Eight members of the first Local Spiritual Assembly
of the Bahá’ís of Antwerp, Belgium, formed on April
21, 1959. Front row: Mrs. Prudence Rose-Spanoghe,
Mrs. Anna Steinmann, and Mrs. Elsa de Koninck.
Back row: Dr. Hasan-Ali Kamran, Théo Durieux, Mrs.
Part Kamran, Jean Eystraeten, and Louis Steinmann.First Local Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Galveston, Texas, formed on April 21, 1959. Front row: Miss
Patricia Friddell, Mrs. Shirley Ibsen, Mrs. Catherine
Gent, Mrs. June Pittel, and Mrs. Faye Dudley. Back
row: Leonard Pittel, Peter Ibsen, William Irving, and
Mack Wilder.
Eight members of the first Local Spiritual Assembly
of the Bahá’ís of Antwerp, Belgium, formed on April
21, 1959. Front row: Mrs. Prudence Rose-Spanoghe,
Mrs. Anna Steinmann, and Mrs. Elsa de Koninck.
Back row: Dr. Hasan-Ali Kamran, Théo Durieux, Mrs.
Part Kamran, Jean Eystraeten, and Louis Steinmann.
“After crossing the bridges we entered a dense forest, climbing one hill after the other; over brooks and
streams, running through armies of ants and insects,
we reached Eshobi after three hours’ trek. We encountered many friends who were very happy to see
a stranger. We spent a night at Eshobi, and early next
day We left for Mukonyo. The road, or path, is Very
bad all through, and in certain places it is nothing
better than an animal-track. We visited with the friends
there for one day and proceeded to Nyang. This place
is very far. It is separated from Nyang by a forest
more than fifteen miles wide. The place is very remote
and life still very primitive. I find these people very
friendly and hospitable, but the place is so remote
that they themselves confessed they had not before
heard of Jesus Christ. We organized teaching classes
in each and every village we visited, but the people
are devoid of understanding. In Mukonyo and Nyang
there is no literate person. . . .
“I am visiting Besongabang, Ossing, and Takpa and from there I shall proceed to Tinto, Tali, Eheagwa, Edjuingarig, Takwai, Atebong, Taiyah, Elboa, BangaPongo, and Sabes. I wish to visit those remote places which have very little chances of seeing visitors. . . .”
Teaching Conference in Ulm, Germany, Studies Questions Asked by Followers of Other Faiths[edit]
The Regional Teaching Committee of Wurttemberg, Germany, held a teaching conference in Ulm/Donau on October 11, following a teaching conference held at Frankfurt. Theme of the Ulm meeting was “How do we Bahá’ís answer questions asked by those of other faiths?”. Dr. Eugene Schmidt emphasized the concept of salvation.
In the morning there was a public meeting attended by almost fifty persons. Dr. Schmidt spoke on “Can Religion Bring World Peace?”. He convincingly demonstrated that religion was not only one of the ways, but the only way to attain this.
—BAHÁ’Í NACHRICHTEN
The Covenant: A Threefold Challenge[edit]
THE FAITH has innumerable aspects. They are like display rooms in a great museum; a person can wander for years and never see everything. Perhaps each person needs a core of understanding to which he can attach everything else. One such core is the Covenant — our contract or agreement with God. The life of a Bahá’í can thus be divided into three parts:
(1) Accepting Bahá’u’lláh and the Covenant
(2) Learning the conditions of the Covenant
(3) Practicing its principles Every word that Bahá’u’lláh wrote is part of His Covenant with us. Emphasis is sometimes given to the part of Bahá’u’lláh’s Covenant obliging us to accept ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as Exemplar and Center of the Covenant, and to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Covenant with us to accept the Guardianship and the Administrative Order. These parts of the Covenant hold the Bahá’ís together so they can develop spiritually in the other parts of the Covenant — unity, love, justice, etc.
We might think of the whole Covenant that Bahá’u’lláh has made as a large, weighty contract. The believer, on accepting the Faith, signs the “document,” or agreement, and promises to live by its standards. This Covenant is all of Bahá’u’lláh’s Writings, and our signature is made on the card when we declare ourselves. Bahá’u’lláh is always true to His part of the agreement, for He promises direction, spiritual growth, etc., if the believer fulfills his part of the agreement.
The newly-awakened seeker is never aware of all the Clauses of his “contract,” for he continually and intensively delves into the Promises and the Threats. He, therefore, learns to accept and accepts to learn. He accepts Bahá’u’lláh realizing that his awareness of the teachings of the Faith will grow. This, then, is the first step in each of our Bahá’í lives-accepting Bahá’u’lláh and His Covenant.
How do we accept this Covenant? In the manner common in secular organizations and churches today, that we can pick and choose what we will accept? No. God is a Physician who loves us so much that He will not allow us to take just part of His prescription for our illnesses. For us, He wants complete spiritual health. The Guardian writes:
Allegiance to the Faith cannot be partial and half-hearted. Either we should accept the Cause without any qualification whatever, or cease calling ourselves Bahá’ís. The new believers should be made to realize that it is not sufficient for them to accept some aspects of the teachings and reject those which cannot suit their mentality in order to become fully recognized and active followers of the Faith. In this way all sorts of misunderstandings will vanish and the organic unity of the Cause will be preserved.
This step of signing our contract with God brings us to the threshold of a new life, in fact, to the meaning of life itself.
To change ourselves is foreign to most of our back grounds; yet the whole challenge of God’s Covenant is change. All the volition at our command must be mustered. “All that which ye potentially possess can, however, be manifested only as a result of your own volition. Your own acts testify to this truth.” And no matter what effort We made to find the Faith, greater effort is needed to practice the Covenant. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá writes: “To enter the Kingdom is easy, but to remain firm and constant is difficult. The planting of trees is easy, but their cultivation and training to strengthen their roots and to make them firm is difficult.”
The old world organizations think of joining the group as a final step. Joining the Faith is just the first step. As Glen Shook writes:
A monument to the memory of Edith and Joseph de
Bons on the shores of Lake Geneva at Geneva, Switzerland, was dedicated on November 15, 1959. Mrs. de Bons
was the first Bahá’í to accept the Faith in Paris, in
1900. MT. and Mrs. Lie Bans visited. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in
‘Akká and Alexandria, and received from Him many
Tablets, which are now in the International Archives
in Haifa. The monument is CL great block of silver granite, surmounted by a bronze eagle. Beneath the eagle
is :1 mil engraved with the words of Bahá’u’lláh.' “Verily
we are from God, and to Him we shall return.”
The dying from self is not the complete destruction of human personality, but is spiritual perfection, the subordination of the ego to the spiritual state of selflessness and sacrifice . . . This kind of subordination and transformation is necessarily slow. A man may suddenly realize the significance of the Prophet’s message, but character building is quite another matter.
Now we have accepted the Covenant, what do we do? Bahá’u’lláh tells us:
A twofold obligation resteth upon him who hath recognized the Day Spring of the Unity of God . . . The first is steadfastness in His love . . . The second is strict observance of the laws He hath prescribed . . . through which the truth may be distinguished and separated from falsehood.
Before we can be steadfast in the terms of this magnificent Agreement we have signed for eternity, we must know What the conditions are. Methods for learning these conditions include reading, prayer, meditation, and discussion.
We begin by reading our contract. If we sign a contract with an insurance company, we will probably read even the fine print. We have just gained the Great Assurance from God; surely we would read His contract, all of it. There is no substitute for reading the Covenant, including all that Bahá’u’lláh has written and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s clarifications.
William Sears, Hand of the Cause, has likened study of the Writings to spiritual meals. If we do not eat three complete meals a day, how can we have the strength to perform our spiritual work? If we do not continue to take nourishment, may we not waste away, spiritually starved, susceptible to the virus of spiritual diseases of gossip, prejudice, and disunity? We must be vigilant, never to be lulled into thinking that knowing about the Covenant and “eating” from it daily are the same thing.
Thus it appears that continuous and repeated reading of the Writings is vital to spiritual life; prayer and meditation on the material covered is necessary; and sharing with each other the things we have learned is important.
What about the third part of our life plan? How do we put the teachings into practice? Learning how to put the Teachings into practice can be considered a
Local Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Beverly
Hills, Calif., for 1959-1960, incorporated on April 10, 1959.
pioneering venture of the first rank. This can be
considered as part of “pioneering from an old self to
a new self.”
How do we apply the parts of the Covenant when driving, shopping, walking with a friend, telephoning, describing another person, washing clothes, playing the piano, or choosing our amusements? The salvation of mankind depends on the believers’ application of the Covenant when the child breaks a plate, when the friend has a problem, when you must decide between a particular television program and a study of the Teachings, and a thousand other daily episodes. These small actions are our “first line of defense” in our combat with non-spiritual forces. It is here that Bahá’u’lláh’s Covenant lives or dies in your life. It is moment by moment that the goal of salvation of mankind is achieved or lost.
Our culture is noted for cramming the heads of our children with principles, without telling them how to practice them. May we not enter the Faith with the same deficiency?
Is not much of the perilous condition of the homefront due to this simple lack of not knowing how to practice the beautiful teachings we have espoused? We are confronted with this great challenge of how to get these beautiful Teachings inside us. And the question is how. Might not assemblies and groups, families and deepening classes, as well as individuals, profitably turn their attention to the methods for achieving the application of the Covenant in daily circumstances? Should this not be the heart of our collective activity — pioneering in finding methods for practicing the Teachings? Because we all know, in the last analysis, that this is the only real method of teaching, the only way of fulfilling the Covenant, the only purpose for which God sent Bahá’u’lláh — transforming the old self to a new self to eventually achieve world unity.
As Shoghi Effendi dramatically challenges us:
Such staunchness of faith, such an unsullied love, such magnificent loyalty, such heroic constancy, such noble courage, however unprecedented and laudable in themselves, cannot alone lead us to a final and Complete triumph of such a great Cause. Not until the dynamic love we cherish for Him is sufficiently reflected in its power and purity in all our dealings with our fellow-men . can we hope to exalt in the eyes of a self-see ing World the genuineness of the all-conquering love of God. Not until we live ourselves the life of a true Bahá’í can we hope to demonstrate the creative and transforming potency of the Faith we profess.
In summary, then, we can see that the life of a Bahá’í might be divided into three parts:
(1) Accepting Bahá’u’lláh and the Covenant
(2) Learning the conditions of the Covenant
(3) Practicing its principles.
—ALLAN WARD, CAL ROLLINS
Santa Monica PTA Exhibit of Religion’s Symbols and Holy Days Includes Bahá’í Faith[edit]
Exhibits and publicity about the Bahá’í Holy Days were included in the Holiday Workshop of the Santa Monica, Calif., Council of Parents-Teachers Associa-
Bahá’í exhibit booth at the Oklahoma State Fair, held
in Oklahoma City from September 26 to October 4, 1959.
tions, November 20-21, 1959. The workshop was devoted
to a study of the religious emblems, symbols, and holy
days of the five most active religions in the Santa Monica area—Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, Moslem, and
Bahá’í, and was the local effort to express a principle of
the National Congress of Parents and Teachers which
states: “We believe that by understanding the characteristics, culture. and religions of all people, and by
recognizing the interdependence of the nations of the
world, we shall move nearer the goal of enduring
peace.”
The workshop brochure, “Stories of Religions’ Holidays,” carried a sketch of the nine-pointed star of the Bahá’í Faith and a large letter B, with the following quotation from Gleanings: “All the Prophets of God proclaim the same faith.” The meaning of the star was explained, reference was made to the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh, and the major Bahá’í Holy Days were listed.
Each religion represented at the workshop had two exhibits, one in the entrance and one in the main auditorium. The Bahá’í exhibit in the entrance was a low table underneath the nine-pointed star, displaying a leather placque of The Greatest Name and an open volume of The Bahá’í World. The other exhibit was a long table tastefully decorated with a centerpiece of nine candles and red and white roses, with dishes of fruits, nuts, dates. and figs representing the type of gifts that are exchanged.
All of the exhibits drew much favorable comment in the community.
Magazine Publishes Bahá’í Article on International Language Need[edit]
The International Language Review for July-December 1959, a magazine ($2.50 per year) published “without prejudice for or against any international language system” by Floyd Hardin, P.O. Box 393, Denver 1, Col., presents a fine article by Evelyn Lackey Bivins entitled “The Bahá’í World Faith and the International Language.” It carries also a dignified advertisement about the aims and purposes of the Faith.
Butte Bahá’ís Asked to Submit Statement for Publication on Local labor Dispute[edit]
As another evidence of the growing recognition of the Bahá’í Faith as a religion of action, the Bahá’í group of Butte, Mont., has reported that on December 14 it received a request from the local Chamber of Commerce for a statement for publication, along with statements from other organizations, in the two local newspapers bearing on the five-month-long copper strike which was having serious effect upon the local economy.
Mindful of the fact that Bahá’ís must not become involved in any controversies, and yet wishing to inform the public of the Bahá’í teachings regarding strikes, the Bahá’í group responded by providing the following statement:
“ ‘Abdu’l-Bahá (son of the Founder of the Bahá’í Faith) said the solution of the economic questions will not be brought about by array of capital against labor and labor against capital in strife and conflict, but by the voluntary attitude of good will on both sides.” This was signed by the correspondent and published and printed prominently with sixteen other statements.
The Butte Bahá’ís report also that one of its members is represented on the Board of Directors of the Butte Citizens Project, Inc., which is an association organized for civic welfare and development.
Spence Air Base Chaplain Writes Atlanta LSA on Exemplary Character of Bahá’í Trainee[edit]
The following portions of a letter addressed to the Atlanta, Ga., Bahá’í Assembly, signed by Capt. Angus O. Youngblood, base chaplain at Spence Air Base, Moultrie, Ga., is being shared with the friends because it expresses so warmly the high regard Captain Youngblood has for the Bahá’í Faith as a result of his association with a Persian Bahá’í enrolled in the flight training program at this air base, Referring to this young man by name, the Captain says:
Local Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Long Beach,
Calif., for 1959-1960, incorporated on April 20, 1959.
“As Base Chaplain, I have found this man to be most[Page 18]
I3
sincere in his spiritual life, and to be possessed with an
exemplary character. His conduct has consistently
been entirely above reproach. In my opinion he is an
outstanding testimony to the high moral and spiritual
standards of your faith.”
Referring to the forthcoming United Nations Day program planned by the Atlanta Bahá’ís, the letter continues: “My sincere best wishes to you and the people of the Assembly on this special day of prayer and devotions. May the people of your faith throughout the world be blessed with peace, is my prayer also.”
Faith Represented at Oklahoma State Fair[edit]
The Bahá’í World Faith was represented at the Oklahoma State Fair, which took place September 26 through October 4, This year, attendance at the Fair exceeded 300,000 people, from other states and countries as well as Oklahoma. The Oklahoma City Bahá’í community was most happy to have this fine opportunity to spread the Teachings of Bahá’u’lláh, as many visitors to the Fair stopped at the booth and showed an interest in the Bahá’í Teachings. Approximately 4,000 pamphlets about the Faith were distributed to these visitors, as well as several editions of Tomorrow and Tomorrow. Many registered in the Guest Book and requested more information. Also, a request was made for a Bahá’í speaker for a Unitarian Fellowship in a neighboring Oklahoma town.
Bellaire Group Donates Books to School Library[edit]
The Bellaire, Texas, Bahá’í group has donated God and His Messengers to the children’s section of the public library, and has purchased Renewal of Civilization and Living Today for Tomorrow’s World for the junior high school library. The group suggests that often the school libraries are more grateful and more willing to accept an unlimited number of books than are the public libraries.
First Local Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Sapporo, Japan, formed on April 21, 1959. Front row: Mrs.
Kikue Kuzumaki, Miss Seiko Saida, Miss Hisako Takahashi, G. V. Tehrani, and Yoshira Sasaki. Back row:
Miss Keiko Doi, Kinkichi Shimatani, Nobuo Takase,
and Kazuo Kuzumaki.
First Local Spiritual Assembly oy the Bahá’ís of Bontain, Smith Celebes, Indonesia, formed on April 21, 1959.
BAHA’I IN THE NEWS[edit]
The Ṭihrán Journal Magazine, published in Tihran in the English language, carried an article in its July 11, 1959, number entitled “Irán’s Television Pioneer” concerning Habib Sabet and his establishment of a television service in Ṭihrán.
On page 33 there are two paragraphs which state that Mr. Sabet is a Bahá’í and carries out the Bahá’í teachings in his business relationships and in the conduct of his life.
We are reminded by the Hands resident in the Holy Land that this is the first time a publication in Iran has carried such a statement, thus giving public recognition of the Faith. The article, moreover, is important because of the position which Mr. Sabet holds in the eyes of the public because he has established the television service and other public undertakings.
The magazine states: “In his dealings with people, socially or in business, he adheres to the precepts of his religion. He is a Bahá’í. He believes entirely in their laws, which insist upon honesty, integrity, and doing good for the benefit of society.
“I asked him if his religion, which is in the minority in Moslem Írán, had ever hindered his progress in business. He said that in the beginning it sometimes did, until people learned to respect him for his precepts and to trust him in his dealings.”
Under the heading “Questions and Answers,” the Baton-Rouge State Times of November 29 stated: “Bahá’ísm is a religious movement that was started in Persia about the middle of the 19th century.”
The Free Press, Saturday, August 8 (city not given) published a photograph of Mrs. Shirin Fozdar with an article reporting her plan to visit China for three weeks at the invitation of the National Women’s Federation of the Republic of China on a lecture tour to promote the principle of equality for women.
The article describes her as a “staunch supporter of the Bahá’í Faith, chairman of the Southeast Asia Bahá’í Association and secretary of the Singapore Bahá’í Assembly.”
The Straits Settlement Times, September 4, reports MISA Fozdar as quoting a Chinese official as telling her: “If China decides to have a religion in future, it will be the Bahá’í Faith.”
Seven members of the first Local Spiritual Assembly
of the Bahá’ís of Manila, The Philippines, formed on
April 21, 1959.
In an article describing the current “religious boom”
in America, the Washington, D. C., November 3 Evening Star refers to the Bahá’ís as a group which is
“large in the sense that somehow one does not expect
to find this rather exotic Eastern teaching widely
spread across America.”
Esquire for December carries a letter written to the editors which makes this reference to the Faith: “God, except that of the Bahá’ís, is not on an international scale.”
An illustration of the Shrine of the Báb appeared in the Hollywood Citizen-News of November 16 with a caption stating: “The golden dome of the Bahá’í Temple on the slopes of Mt. Carmel dominates Haifa, Israel’s chief port on the Mediterranean.”
The Afro-American of November 14 uses a story issued by Bahá’í Press Service on the birthday of Bahá’u’lláh under the caption “U. S. to Observe Bahá’u’lláh’s Birth.”
References to the Faith have appeared in recent books on comparative religion:—Religions of the World by Gerald L. Berry; Comparative Religion by A. C. Bouquot; and Encyclopedia of Religion and Religions by E. Royston Pike.
“The Old Grow Young at Baliali,” by Sarah Boyden, an illustrated feature in Sunday-Midwest Magazine, published with the Chicago Sun-Times on October 18, is an intensely interesting and sympathetic treatment of the Bahá’í Home in Wilmette.
The Negro History Bulletin, October 1959, published by the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, Inc., reprints an article by Etta Woodlen of the National Bahá’í Interracial Teaching Committee entitled “What is the Bahá’í World Faith?“ It is illustrated by a photograph of a group of Bahá’ís gathered in front of the Temple, and also by a photograph of the Temple itself.
In the Religious Calendar carried by Detroit News, August 15, appeared a reference to William Sears as being at the Davison Bahá’í School. A photograph of Mr. Sears accompanied the reference.
An illustration of the Bahá’í House of Worship with a descriptive reference appears in The American Eagle for September-October 1959 as part of an article on “A Year-Round Vacation in Chicago.”
An illustrated travel folder published by the Moore-McCormick Lines contains colored photographs of a number of famous, attractive, or unusual sights the tourist sees on shore trips. “Building with gold dome is the Persian Shrine, set in beautiful gardens on the slopes of Mount Carmel overlooking the busy harbor.”
The Jewel, bulletin issued by Jewel Tea Co., in November 1959 contains a two-page illustrated article entitled “First in U.S.A.” on the Bahá’í House of Worship. Photographs of the auditorium, the gardens, and the building itself accompany the descriptive text. “Bahá’í House of Worship in Wilmette was built as a symbol of hope for all peoples.”
Travel Magazine for November 1959 carries an article by Yohanson Behram entitled “Eternal Israel” with this passage: “Returning to Haifa you should make it a point to View the city from the top of Mount Carmel at night. The famous Persian Gardens owned by the Bahá’í sect, Elijah’s cave, museums, and Israel’s Institute of Technology should all be seen if time allows.”
A monthly bulletin circulated by the Lancaster, Pa. Business and Professional Women’s Club includes several quotations. One is from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá:—“If you meet those of a different race or color, do not mistrust them and withdraw into your shell of conventionality, but rather be glad and show them kindness. Think of them as different colored roses growing in the beautiful garden of humanity, and rejoice to be among them.”
The Florida Times-Union, Jacksonville, November 15 contains in its travel section a large photograph of Mount Carmel with the caption: “Bahá’í Temple Dominates Mount Carmel Slopes.”
Town-North, Dallas, Texas, July-August 1959, carried a feature article by Bob Parker entitled “Bahá’ís Faith that traces its roots back through Christianity and the other great religions, but one that is entirely new.” This is one of a series on “What We Believe.” The article concludes: “This, then, is Bahá’í—a new religion, an idea that in itself is revolutionary to many —but one which its followers feel is destined to conquer the world.”
Local Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Flagstaff,
Ariz., for 1959-1960, incorporated on July 27, 1959.
Wilmette Life, October 1, reports that “nearly 50,000[Page 20]
persons visited the Bahá’í House of Worship in Wilmette during the four summer months of June, July,
August, and September . . . Fifteen countries of Europe
were represented by these visitors, five countries of
Asia . . . three countries of Africa . . . five of Central
America . . . six of South America . . . four of the
Pacific Islands, as well as Canada and Alaska, Many
of the comments written in the guest book by visitors
complimented the House of Worship and Gardens as
one of the most beautiful locations in the Western
Hemisphere.”
A pamphlet published by Franciscan Printery, Pulaski, Wis., entitled “Arguments with a non-Catholic" states that Bahá’í Temples “contain statues of Christ, Mohammad, Buddha and all the other ‘noted’ religious leaders of all peoples.” This erroneous statement was denied by the US. National Spiritual Assembly in a letter to Franciscan Printery dated September 16.
In its issue dated September 17 Wilmette Life carried an item reporting the return of Mrs. Amelia E. Collins from Haifa, Israel, “world center of the Bahá’í Faith, where she spends the greater part of the year in service to the international interests of the Bahá’í community.”
“Towards a New Architecture,” a leading article in the quarterly magazine entitled New Age Interpreter, states: “Two magnificent architectural creations that assumed outward form in strict obedience to the spiritual activity they came into being to express come immediately to mind. These are the Goetheanum in Dornach, Switzerland, (the geographical dictionary giv this as being in northern France) and the Bah Temple in Wilmette, Illinois. . . . Neither the Bahá’í Temple nor the Goetheanum follow any earlier architectural models. Both arise fresh and free out of im
National Bahá’í Addresses[edit]
Please Address Mail Correctly!
National Bahia Administrative Headquarters:[edit]
536 Sheridan Road, Wilmette. Ill.
National Treasurer:[edit]
112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Ill.
Make Cheeks Payable to: National Bahá’í Fund[edit]
Bahá’í Publishing Trust:[edit]
110 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Ill.
Make Checks alyable to: Bahá’í Publishing Trust Bahá’í News:
Editorial Office: 110 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Ill.
Subscription and change of address: 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Ill.
pulses released in this day, and suited to the unfolding demands of the future.”
A chronology of the faith was sent on request to Consolidated Science Bureau, Chicago, on September 18 for publication in a book entitled Time, of an educational character for circulation in schools, colleges, newspapers, business houses, etc.
Two universities have requested review copies of Secret of Divine Civilization: the University of Rome and the Hebrew University, Jerusalem,
Baha’i Publishing Trust[edit]
Out of Stock[edit]
Prescription for Living by Rúḥíyyih Rabbani in the paperbound edition will not be available for some weeks pending an entirely new, inexpensive, paperback edition to be issued by the English publisher. The Heart of the Gospel by George Townshend in clothbound edition is also not presently available, pending a new edition. An announcement will be made in BAHÁ’Í NEWS when these books are again available. Meanwhile no back orders are being recorded for these two books, The other editions of the above titles, cloth and paper binding respectively, continue to be on hand.
Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 110 Linden Ave., Wilmette, Ill.
Calendar of Events[edit]
FEASTS[edit]
February 7—Mulk (Dominion)
March 2—‘Alá’ (Loftiness)
INTERCALARY DAYS[edit]
February 26 to March 1
DAYS OF FASTING[edit]
March 2-21
U.S. NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY MEETINGS[edit]
February 12-14
Baha’i House of Worship[edit]
Visiting Hours[edit]
Weekdays
1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. (Auditorium only)
Sundays and Holidays
10:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (Entire building)
Service of Worship[edit]
Sundays
3:30 to 4:10 p.m.
BAHÁ’Í NEWS is published by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States as a news organ reporting current activities of the Bahá’í World Community.
Reports, plans, news items, and photographs of general interest are requested from national committees and local assemblies of the United States as well as from national assemblies of other lands. Material is due in Wilmette an the first day of the month preceding the date at issue for which it is intended.
BAHÁ’Í NEWS is edited by an annually appointed Editorial Committee. The Committee for 1959-60; International News Editor, Mrs. Eunice Braun; National News Editor, Miss Charlotte M. Linfoot; Managing Editor, Richard C. Thomas.
Editorial Office: 110 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois, U.S.A.
Change of address should be reported directly to National Bahá’í Office, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois, U.S.A.
