Bahá’í News/Issue 366/Text
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| No. 366 | BAHA’I YEAR 118 | SEPTEMBER, 1961 |
International Baha’i Council Issues First News Letter
Dear Friends:
The Hands of the Cause in the Holy Land have asked the International Bahá’í Council to be responsible for seeing that a News Letter is issued from the World Center of the Faith. It will appear approximately every two months, and in it we hope to share with you some of the outstanding items of news which are received here, and also news of work ‘and developments at the heart and nerve center of the Faith in the Holy Land.
The days of our first meetings as an elected body were a moving and intensely interesting experience for the members of the International Bahá’í Council, whether they had been serving here for many years, or were newly arrived.
Meet With Hands of Faith[edit]
On Sunday, June 25, the Council joined the Hands of the Cause in the home of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and drove with them to Bahjí, where, after deeply moving moments of prayer and supplication in the Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh, a joint meeting was held in the hall of the Mansion Here the Hands conveyed to the Council the terms of reference with which it was to start its work, reiterating what they announced in 1959 from the annual gathering of the Hands in the Mansion of Bahá’u’lláh that two of the functions originally allotted to the Council by the beloved Guardian, namely “to forge links with” and “conduct negotiations related to matters of personal status with" the civil authorities here in the Holy Land, would continue to be discharged. To these were added duties involving the legal and financial protection and management of various properties at the World Center; assisting the Hands in preparation for holding the World Congress and electing the Universal House of Justice, both events which will take place in 1963; the issuing of a Bahá’í News Letter from the World Center; arrangements regarding guiding at the Shrine of the Báb and supervision of various other local matters.
The room provided for the meetings of the Council is the circular room in the Western Pilgrim House where the beloved Guardian used to dine with the pilgrims. The small room off it, through which he used to leave, has been equipped as an office. In this place, hallowed in the memories of so many believers who had the bounty of meeting Shoghi Effendi, the Council met for eight days. From time to time we went to the Master’s house for a meeting with the Hands, or would go out to inspect properties or consult insurance agents, etc., as we considered in detail the work before us. The volume of work at the World Center is prodigious, and it is the ardent desire of the International Council to render every help it can to the Hands of the Cause, whose already voluminous mail has increased since the formation of the twenty-one new national spiritual assemblies last Riḍván, and will no doubt continue to increase as the victories of the Crusade are won.
The Flame of Mass Conversion[edit]
The whole Bahá’í world is thrilled as the flame of mass conversion leaps from place to place. We hear that in Ceylon where there were eight new spiritual assemblies at Riḍván, raising the total to ten, there are signs of a sudden acceleration in the number of new believers. In India the flame is now a blaze, as attested by these extracts from a recent letter: “. . . It is really unbelievable to be confronted with thousands and thousands of people who literally beg you to go to their villages and make them Bahá’ís. You know that we have no money, we have no workers excepting a handful of them. But God is great! We have enrolled over 1,700 Bahá’ís during the last 4 months . . .” “Just to give you an idea . . . every other day villagers are forcing us to hold a conference in their village. They gather together people ranging from 300 to 800 participants in the conference, and something like 100 declare themselves Bahá’ís within the duration of two days. . . . They belong to different villages, and these different villagers want us to go to them. If we go to them there are still more from other villages represented In this new meeting who in turn call us to their places. . . .”
In Central and East Africa, where this flame was first ignited, 3,000 believers have declared in the last two months, raising the total to 17,000 Bahá’ís in 1,140 centers, of which 470 have local spiritual assemblies.
In one part of Central America the inhabitants of three Indian villages have embraced the Faith.
From South America the Hand of the Cause, Dr. Muhájir, writes: “In truth, to meet the Negroes of Africa and the red Indians of America was an unexpected bounty for me. Truly these people are the best people on earth and as our beloved Guardian promised they will be the standard bearers of the Cause, and through them it will spread. In spite of the fact that I was born in the Cradle of the Faith and from my childhood was used to the kindness, sincerity and pure-heartedness of the Persian Bahá’ís, especially those in the villages, I am convinced that these new believers have seized from us the palm of victory and turned a new page in the annals of our religion through their faith and sincerity.
“A conference of the Bolivian Indians was held and some of them came to it on foot, walking for four days to attend it, and returned four days’ walk to their homes; and all this way was through forests and ravines in the high mountains. The forty days I was in Bolivia were the best of my life, because of the love and loyalty of the Indians. I remember on one of my trips, I reached a village which we had driven to and from which we were to walk fifteen miles to another village through the mountains, where the Bahá’ís were waiting for us. After we had walked a few miles, a violent rain and hail storm broke out which made it impossible for us to go on. I was terribly upset and saddened by this, but we sent one of the Indians to the Bahá’í village to explain to the friends I had arrived at this other village and been waiting two days to go to them but had not been able to and I was very sad because of this and asked them to excuse me. The dear friends when they heard this said: ‘If it is impossible for him to come to see us we will go to see him.’ And all of the Bahá’ís, who were over a hundred in number, left and came to join me, We had a most spiritual and fruitful teaching meeting and afterwards they all walked back as they had come.
“I could never express the love and blessings these believers showered on me. My only wish is once again to go back to these countries and be the servant of these people and sacrifice my life for them.”
Newly Opened and Reopened Goals[edit]
Farther north in the Western Hemisphere the newly-formed N.S.A. of Nicaragua reports that all the teaching goals of their Twelve-Month Plan have been fulfilled in less than two months.
In some parts of the world territories which had fallen empty have been reopened. Liechtenstein was reentered in April. On May 9 a pioneer moved to Lifoa Island in the Loyalty Islands, the largest in the group with 8,000 inhabitants.
A tenth island of the Gilbert and Ellice archipelago has been opened to the Faith, and the R.S.A. of the South Pacific reports: “In the first year of its formation one of the Tongan believers was elected to the Regional Spiritual Assembly . . . and now last Riḍván another Tongan was elected . . .” “In Samoa . . . one believer has given up his job so that he can spend full time doing teaching work in the various villages and doing translation work.” “The Regional Spiritual Assembly has appointed Island Teaching Committees on each of the island territories where the Faith is firmly established, and the indigenous people are well represented on these committees. And of course it is the indigenous peoples who must do the translation work. Of the twenty local spiritual assemblies in our area, only five of them have pioneers in their community . . .”
Advances Made in Legal Recognition[edit]
The legal recognition of the Cause has also made several important advances. In New Zealand Bahá’í marriages now have legal approval throughout the country. A ruling of the Attorney General of South Carolina, U.S.A., dated April 3, 1961 authorized the solemnizing of Bahá’í marriages throughout the State. The L.S.A. of Jackson, Mississippi, U.S.A., received similar recognition on December 10, 1960.
This legal recognition of the institutions of the Cause is of great importance, for a rapid increase in the number of believers will inevitably arouse the opposition of unenlightened religious bodies and possibly the apprehension of those civil authorities which are ill-informed of the true nature and aims of the Faith. Already in Australia the activity of the Bahá’ís and especially the building of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár is drawing criticism in ecclesiastical newspapers from anxious ministersand this in turn publicizes the Faith and gives rise to more declarations.
German Temple Funds Needed[edit]
The Temple in Germany is steadily rising. The foundations are now complete and work is beginning on the superstructure. The principal cause of concern is still the need for funds; fifty-five percent of this years building costs still remain to be contributed.
The rise of these sacred buildings in so many parts of the world, and the settlement of so many territories, is leading to a greater inter-action of the teaching efforts of different countries. How often now when one introduces the Faith to a stranger does he reply: “Oh, yes; I saw your Temple in Kampala, or, “I met some Bahá’ís on the ship coming over.” A sign of this growing awareness of the interdependence of the Faith is the International Youth Summer School which is being held for the third time, this year in Delft in the Netherlands on August 4 - 14.
Fashioning the Instruments of World Order[edit]
It is this aspect of the Faith — its world-wide unity in purpose and action — which is seen so strikingly from the World Center, and which contrasts so vividly with the tensions and rivalries of a disordered world.
As the mighty Plan of God, inscrutable to mortal minds, works through the tumultuous processes of human history to knit the sundered limbs of mankind into one united body, the Bahá’ís see the fruits of their labors beginning to mature, and, in the words of our beloved Guardian, “Conscious of their high calling, confident in the society-building power which their Faith possesses, they press forward undeterred and undismayed, in their efforts to fashion and perfect the necessary instruments wherein the embryonic World Order of Bahá’u’lláh can mature and develop.”
—INTERNATIONAL BAHÁ’Í COUNCIL
World Center of the Faith.
July 29, 1961.
Commentary by Hands in the Holy Land[edit]
This is the first News Letter from the Holy Land issued by the recently elected International Bahá’í Council. The issuance of the News Letter from the World Center. is one of the functions assigned to the Council, which plans to send such a letter to the national assemblies approximately every two months.
We are confident that this publication will be a source of inspiration to the friends, giving them news of the progress of the Faith, and bringing them close to the Holy Land, referred to by our beloved Guardian as “the heart and the nerve center” of the Bahá’í World Community.
Please share this bulletin with the believers in your area through your own News Letter, or in any other way you deem advisable.
With warm Bahá’í love,
In the service of the beloved Guardian,
HANDS OF THE CAUSE IN THE HOLY LAND
(Signed) RUHÍYYIH
A. FURUTAN
PAUL HANEY
A. Q. FAIZI
JALÁL KHÁZEH
WILLIAM SEARS
JOHN FERRABY
July 31, 1961.
Toward World Peace
Religion is the greatest of all means for the establishment of order in the world and for the peaceful contentment of all that dwell therein. The weakening of the pillars of religion hath strengthened the hands of the ignorant and made them bold and arrogant. . . . Religion is a radiant light and an impregnable stronghold for the protection and welfare of the peoples of the world. . . . Should the lamp of religion be obscured, chaos and confusion will ensue, and the lights of fairness, of justice, of tranquillity and peace cease to shine.
—BAHÁ’U’LLÁH
The gift of God to this enlightened age is the knowledge of the oneness of mankind and of the fundamental oneness of religion. War shall cease between nations, and by the will of God the Most Great Peace shall come; the world will be seen as a new world, and all men will live as brothers.
—‘ABDU’L-BAHÁ
The most challenging aspect of the Bahá’í peace program is Bahá’u’lláh’s explanation of the nature and source of civilization, as renewed in the teachings of the Prophets of God. No one can doubt that the great religions of the world have influenced and molded the lives and institutions of vast segments of humanity. Each has created a wider unity and stimulated the development of a more progressive society. No other agency, whether of politics, economics, philosophy, science, or education, has demonstrated a comparable power to regenerate and guide the actions of men. If the creative force of true religion has played such a vital role in the past evolution of mankind, why should it not again be exerted at this crucial period and toward the only logical goal — world unity?
—From Bahá’í Peace Program (pamphlet)
September 17 has been designated by the United States National Spiritual Assembly as World Peace Day, a special annual event for proclaiming the Faith to the public.
Indians of Guatemala Stirred by Visits of Hands of Cause[edit]
Guatemala has been greatly blessed during the past few months by the visits of six Hands of the Cause. The realization of the responsibility which comes with such a great bounty is very clear to the believers. Each one of these devoted Hands brought a different facet of the Guardian’s great love for the believers, as well as the spirit of the World Center. As they traveled to the towns, the humble Indians felt a great closeness to them and their hearts were drawn to them as to a magnet. The difference of language was unimportant, as the spiritual language was dominant.
The first Hands to come were H. Collis Featherstone and William Sears, who arrived early in April. Mr. Featherstone brought the love of the Bahá’ís of Australia, told wonderful stories about the construction of the Sydney Temple and strengthened the ties with the Australian believers. The presence of William Sears at the convention inflamed all hearts with the desire to give greater service during the coming years. In May Zikru’lláh Khádem and Dr. Ugo Giachery made brief stops in Guatemala City, bringing stories of the work in other countries where they had represented the Hands of the conventions.
An Indian teacher-training school, held from May 22 to June 17 at the Indian Institute in Chichicastenango, covered a number of important subjects‘ Enoch Olinga was present for the first few days of the school, and Dr. Rahmatu’lláh Muhájir came for the entire last week. These two Hands imparted such a spiritual impulse that all were inspired, as never before, to go out and teach their own people.
This is a fascinating country with its many volcanoes, beautiful lakes and hundreds of villages—populated mostly by Indians of different customs, languages, dress and religion. These people, descended from the great Mayan civilization, have been ignored and deprived for four hundred years. Now, many are beginning to feel the power of Bahá’u’lláh and are awakening to some realization of their capacity. The Faith is giving them courage to express themselves, and their faces seem to say that some people do care about them.
The Bahá’ís are now going into the smaller, more remote villages to spread the Faith. Recently when Auxiliary Board member Mrs. Florence Mayberry was teaching in this country and visiting the smaller villages, the people turned out by the fifties and hundreds to hear of the Teachings.
Enoch Olinga Visits Indian Bahá’ís of San Rafael, Mexico[edit]
Hand of the Cause Enoch Olinga arrived at the Mexico City airport on the evening of May 27 for 8 soul-stirring forty-hour visit in the land of the Aztecs.
Addressing members of the National Spiritual Assembly of Mexico and the Mexico City community, he spoke these words: “Every Bahá’í is an instrument of God. You must not feel that your task is impossible. Do not admit defeat. Do your best to achieve the goals of our Faith. Nothing is impossible with God.”
Prior to his arrival, Mr. Olinga had expressed his
Enoch Olinga, Hand of the Cause from Africa, is shown
above fifth from left, back row, during visit to Indian
village, San Rafael, Mexico.
desire to Visit the Indian Bahá’ís in the village of San
Rafael, the town of the proud but humble descendants
of Cuautemoc, the last of the illustrious Aztec emperors. These people speak Spanish, but most of them
also speak the ancient Nahuatl.
The trip was made the next day in two cars, the party traveling along the mountainous and picturesque Puebla highway, flanked by tall pine trees, and through delightful pastoral villages. Mr. Olinga observed, “The houses and the general architecture are similar to those in parts of Africa.”
Mrs. Carmen Burafato, member of the National Assembly, serving as interpreter for Mr. Olinga, explained that Mexican architecture and culture originally came from Africa. When the Moors conquered Spain, they carried their cultures with them, and these later were transplanted to Mexico during the Spanish conquest.
In a little town along the way, a visit was paid to Margarita Cruz, who, with Manuel Rodriguez and Jorge Harper, brought to fruition the labors of earlier North American pioneers with the creation of an all-Indian local spiritual assembly. This brave woman, who has to have periodic blood transfusions, has volunteered to pioneer in another Indian village.
From the bedside of Margarita Cruz, Mr. Olinga went to the prison at Cholula, the town which has a church for every day in the year. Here he consoled the prisoners who were assembled in the prison yard.
At the principal goal of the journey, San Rafael, Enoch Olinga wordlessly and affectionately embraced each of the Bahá’ís as they formed a line to be received by him. The embrace was a hallowed symbol of a parallel history of the two primitive races—a physical and spiritual bond linking them together as proof conclusive of the oneness of mankind.
“The language of love is always understood,” said Mr. Olinga. “We must have love in our hearts; this is most important Vanity, prejudices and hate are contrary to God.”
Later he visited a tract of land given to the Faith by a believer, and attended a dinner arranged by the San Rafael and Puebla Bahá’ís. In his address he told them how African Bahá’ís overcame problems.
That evening a reception, attended by believers and their guests, was held in Mexico City, and later Mr. Olinga concluded his visit by participating in the observance of the Ascension of Bahá’u’lláh.
The Sydney Temple as It Neared Completion[edit]
Above: Partial view of the dome and three of the upper windows.
Above, left: Detailed view of the intricate design over the doors.
Left: Exterior view of the Temple us it appeared early in July.
Below: A group of believers an the steps of the Temple during the 1961 National Convention of Australia.
Argentina, Chile and Venezuela Cite NSA Formations
Argentina[edit]
The Bahá’ís of Argentina held their first national convention in Buenos Aires on April 22 and 23. The gathering was especially notable because of the presence of Hand of the Cause Dr. Hermann Grossman, who was himself born in Rosario, Argentina, where his family had been established for many years. Also attending were Mrs. Grossman, Auxiliary Board member Else Cazcarra, nine delegates and some fifty visitors.
Dr. Grossman commented on the spirit of responsibility, inspiration and service pervading the meeting, expressing the confident hope that this would be reflected in the activities of the new Bahá’í community of Argentina. Stimulated by these words, and with a sense of nearness to Bahá’u’lláh, the convention proceeded to carry out the solemn task of electing its first National Spiritual Assembly.
Lifted up by the completion of this historic act, the new national assembly, interpreting the feelings of all believers of the country, cabled the Hands of the Cause in the Holy Land to express loving appreciation of their help and to pledge supreme efforts toward fulfilling all remaining tasks. There was a strong conviction that if the believers could, during the months to come, stay as close to the principal figures of the Faith as they felt themselves to be during the convention, all the power needed for complete success would be granted.
One of the convention highlights was the earnest spirit animating the study and discussion of the historic message from the Hands of the Faith. This resulted in many important motions, for consideration by the new national assembly, regarding consolidation work in the four established communities of the country, deepening classes, extension projects, fire-sides, and utilization of a believer’s offer to carry the Cause to Argentina’s southernmost cities in the course of a business trip,
The Persian believers who had so generously come to help Argentina and Latin America were the objects of special thanks and loving appreciation. The hope was fervently expressed that they would be able to continue contributing their aid in this land where they had already labored with such joy, dedication and success.
Chile[edit]
Late in April, in the colorful city of Santiago with its lovely parks and gardens and its backdrop of snow-crowned mountains, the stage was set for Chile’s greatest Bahá’í event thus far: the establishment of its first National Spiritual Assembly.
On April 27 and 28 an introductory seminar was conducted as a means of providing a background for the national convention. stressing the significance of the occasion, it covered such subjects as the responsibility of teaching the Faith and the importance of founding the national administrative body.
On the second evening the delegates were welcomed to a reception in the Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds of Chile. This event was highlighted by the presence of Hand of the Cause Dr. Hermann Grossman, representing the Hands in the Holy Land.
On the following day Dr. Alexander Reid, as a member of the outgoing Regional Assembly of Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay, opened the convention. Soon afterward Dr. Grossman spoke to the friends, and as the climactic moment for the election of the national assembly drew near, he addressed them again to this effect: “A new national spiritual assembly is a new pillar in the building of the Universal House of Justice. When the first national assemblies were formed, their importance was not stressed as much as it is now, because soon we will have our Universal House of Justice. That is why you must understand as soon as possible the deep meaning of a national spiritual assembly and its great responsibility, because it is not a larger local spiritual assembly, but rather it has to be a doctor, a judge, a father, and has to Know the problems that affect the whole country. Right now, Latin America has the blessing of forming many of the pillars of the Universal House of Justice. That which is important now is to strengthen all the local spiritual assemblies through consolidation and to learn how to use the administration properly. I am quite sure that you will attain your goals, because before I came here I realized that the community of Chile is capable of fulfilling its duty, and I know that in the future it will make even greater efforts than in the past year.”
Venezuela[edit]
The Bahá’ís of Venezuela held their first national convention at the Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds in Caracas from April 24 to 26, 1961. With happy and grateful hearts they met for their most significant step in the beloved Guardian’s Crusade: the establishment of their national assembly.
Among those present for the event was Hand of the Cause Dr. Ugo Giachery. Also attending were Cyrus Monadjemi and Miss Mercedes Sanchez—representing the outgoing Regional Assembly of Brazil, Peru, Columbia, Ecuador and Venezuela—who, in collaboration with representatives of Venezuala’s five local assemblies, served as coordinators and organizers of the convention. A majority of the members of the established communities, as well as isolated believers from several other localities, were in the gathering.
A two-day preconvention school presented three special courses on cardinal qualities that should be manifested in the individual believer and the Bahá’í community. Dr. Giachery reviewed the progress of the Crusade and the Guardians incredible sacrifices in connection with it. Together with Mr. Monadjemi and Miss Sanchez, the revered Hand elaborated on the principles of administration and the responsibilities of the delegates as they approached the task or electing venezuela’s national body.
After the opening of the convention itself, the me mentous Message from the Hands of the Faith was read and discussed. The election of the national assembly was carried out the next day and its accomplishment conveyed to the Hands in Haifa by cable. Several offers were made to pioneer. one of them in relation to carrying the Cause to the Indians.
On the final day the program continued with consultation on mass conversion and other subjects. At an evening party given by the National Teaching Committee and others of the friends, Dr. Giachery spoke feelingly and impressively of the personality or beloved Shoghi Effendi. Then followed the farewells, mingled with expressions of deep gratitude to Dr. Giachery, and to Miss Sanchez and Mr. Monadjemi as well, for the direction and counsel which had contributed so greatly to the initial Venezuelan convention.
First National Spiritual Assembly of Argentina, formed April 1961. Seated, left to right. Cayetano Liardo (treasurer), Adela de Tormo, Mary Binda (recording secretary), José Mielnik (chairman), Ricardo Schwartzman. Standing: Shapoor Saeed, Miguel Angel Paniagua, Cinar Torres López (secretary), Hoossman Taraz (vice-chairman).
First National Spiritual Assembly of Chile, elected April 1961. Left to right: Sergio Aparicio, Sra. Lina de Smithson (vice-chairman), Sm. Fabienne Guillon (treasurer), Edmundo Fuchslocher, Srta. Leticia Franchino (recording secretary), Carlos Martinez (chairman), Srta. Emma Cabezas, Enrique Aguirre, Dr. Alexander Reid (secretary).
First National Spiritual Assembly of Venezuela, formed
April 1961. Seated: Marines de Caro, Blanca lie Campos,
Charla de Voss. Standing: Anselmo Torres Morales,
Aziz Mohtadi, Hans Voss, Camila Grandi, Feliciana
Bourrillon, Eduardo Maa Garnarra.
Group of delegates and visitors attending the first National Bahá’í Convention of Argentina, April 1961. Hand of the Cause Hermann Grossmann seated center.
Part of the audience attending a public meeting in
Thun, Switzerland, June 9, 1961.
Teaching conference for the French section held In
Neuchatel, Switzerland, July 2, 1961.
New Assemblies, Heightened Activities Strengthen Faith in Switzerland
First Local Spiritual Assembly of Lucerne, Switzerland, formed April 21, 1961. Left to right: Julia Rieder,
Frances Jones (secretary), Myrna Davis, Lorana Kerfoot (chairman), Joanna Thomas, William F. Davis
(treasurer), Elsa Steinmetz (vice-chairman), Claire
Wenger, Ida Inwyler.
First Local Spiritual Assembly of Locarno, Switzerland, formed April 21, 1961. Front row, left to right: Rose Perkal (secretary), Myrtle Robinette, Alice Bekler, Josie Madonia. Back row: Edward F. Lacy (vicechairman), Dorothea S. Lacy, Etty Graefie (treasurer),
Dorothy Craddock (recording secretary), Larry Mack
Craddock (chairman).
First Local spiritual Assembly of Biel/Bienne, Switzerland, farmed April 21, 1961. Left to right: Betty
Sadeghian, Irma Fuller (chairman), Robert: Fuller,
Doris Lohse (vice-chairman), Lydia McVicker (secretary), Djalal Sadeghian, Eugenie Meyer, James
Holmlund (treasurer), Sami Naderi.
First Local Spiritual Assembly of St. Gallen, Switzerland, formed April 21, 1951. Front row, left to right: Alice Morgan, Ethel Taylor (secretary), Vivian Taylor,
Gwili posey (vice-chairman). Back row: Harry Taylor
(chairman), Alyce Janssen, Ben Schreibman, Rosa
Lehne, Claire Meyer.
International News Briefs[edit]
This past June Hand of the Cause Shu’a’u’lláh ‘Ala’i made several brief visits in Europe. In Brussels, Belgium, he met with the friends of Charleroi and Antwerp, as well as with those of the host city Bringing inspiration, as always, General ‘Alá’í gave news of recent developments in Latin America, and particularly in Jamaica and Colombia, where he participated in the conventions which elected two of the new national spiritual assemblies. He pointed out that mankind is thirsting for a panacea for its ills; that the Universal House of Justice will serve the true interests of the people and is the only way to peace; that Bahá’ís must awaken humanity to the truth — by touching the hearts of their fellow-men and by establishing the Administrative Order.
During May, in the course of a trip through Canada. Hand of the Cause Hasan Balyuzi visited a number of Indian Reserves. Accompanied by two members oi the National Eskimo and Indian Teaching Committee of Canada, he stopped at the Poorman Reserve in Saskatchewan — where a pow-wow was held in his honor — and also at the Muscowpetung Reserve. Earlier he had visited Ontario Indians. and later he went on to the Peigan Reserve in Alberta, and to British Columbia.
Mr. Balyuzi’s talks were simple and direct, and appealed to the hearts of the many who came to hear him, At the Poorman Reserve, the chief and his wife walked three miles to meet him. There the Hand of the Cause, a relative of the Báb Himself, and thus a relative of beloved Shoghi Effendi, expressed gratitude to the Guardian for making the meeting possible.
On Sunday, April 23, 1961, the Local spiritual Assembly of Addis Ababa witnessed the first Bahá’í marriage between an Ethiopian Bahá’í, Ato Yirdau Teclehaaimanut, and a non-Bahá’í Ethiopian girl, Weizeret Genet Nebebe. Many nun-Bahá’í relatives and friends of the bride and bridegroom attended and were impressed by the simple and beautiful ceremony, which took place at the local Center.
The Local Assembly of Port Vila in the New Hebrides (South Pacific) has formed its first youth committee, four of whose members made teaching trips to the outer islands of Tongia and Tanna by inter-island plane during school holidays. A stop was made in Port Vila by the pioneer, Alvin Blum, and Silas Misimanu, both from the Solomon Islands, on their return from the South Pacific annual convention in Fiji. They visited the Nur School, a Bahá’í institution opened in November of 1958 under the guidance of the pioneer, Mrs. Bertha Dobbins.
Attending the convention in the South Pacific is often difficult for the delegates, especially for those of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands. The only delegate from these islands who could attend traveled fourteen days by a small boat in order to reach Suva, Fiji. The rewards, however, exceeded the effort, and writing for the Bahá’í Bulletin of the South Pacific, he said, “You must tell (your community) about the things which the convention delegates decided, and so you make them strong and happy . . . flaming torches of Bahá’u’lláh’s love.”
For the eleventh time, the Bahá’ís of the Northern New England States conducted an annual public meeting on July 2, 1961 at the Cathedral of the Pines, where between 200 and 300 people heard a Bahá’í talk on “The Key to a New Vitality in Religion” by Mrs. Martha Kavelin, This spot, a mountain top at Rindge, N.H., is dedicated to the worship of God by people of all religions and races, and is available for that purpose to all groups.
A large number of books and a Temple model were incorporated in a display held for three days during May at a shop in the center of Sydney, Australia. Believers from various metropolitan areas manned the display, which brought the immediate, tangible result of several names and addresses of passers-by who requested further information.
In Wollongong, Australia, considerable interest in the Faith has been shown by members of the Presbyterian clergy and their congregations, resulting in a series of study classes, one of which was held at the home of a minister. Subjects in the series include: fulfillment of New Testament prophecies, the Station of Christ, a study of Islam and its relationship to Christianity, and a deeper study of the proofs of Bahá’u’lláh’s Manifestation.
Accounts of (our successful public meetings in Switzerland within a period of ten days indicated an increase of proclamation activities in that country. On May 31 Frau Annemarie Kruger of Singen spoke at
Attendants at the Alaska Bahá’í Summer School held June 30 to July 5, Juneau, Alaska. Zikru’lláh {{u|Kh}ádem, Hand of the Cause in the Western Hemisphere, is shown in first row, center.
Dr. Rahmatu’lláh Muhájir, Hand of the Cause (holding
Greatest Name), witll believers of Bahia, Brazil. After
attending the 1961 National Conventions of Bolivia and
Paraguay, Dr. Muhájir spent several days visiting the
friends in Brazil.
Biel/Bienne on “God’s New Revelation.” In her persuasive talk she referred several times to words of her
grandfather, the late Prof. August Forel, who espoused the Bahá’í Faith after receiving the now famous
tablet from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. On June 6, in Locarnoo, a
number of contacts and believers gathered at the residence of Mrs. Rose Perkal for “Alaska Night,” occasioned by the presence of Mrs. Evelyn Huffman, member of the Alaska National Spiritual Assembly, then
returning from Haifa, and her fellow-pilgrim, Mrs.
Mary Jane Fowlie. Two days later, again in Locarno,
Dr. Erik A. Blumenthal of Immenstadt, Germany,
spoke at the Montaldi Hotel on “The Art of Living Together,” and the next evening he presented the same
address before a large group at the Hotel Frienhof, in
Thun.
On June 7, 1961 the Galen Drake Show, a prominent program on radio station WOR NYC, devoted about twenty-five minutes to an interview with Ben Kauf_man of Dumont, N.J., who had been invited by the New York city Community to be the Bahá’í representative, The questions and answers pointed up the need for a universal religion to bring about world peace and unity. It is estimated that the program has a daily following of over two million listeners.
Over 350 Celebrate Forty-Ninth Annual Souvenir oi ‘Abdu’l-Bahá[edit]
On the rain-freshened grounds of Evergreen cabin in West Englewood, New Jersey, more than 350 believers and seekers gathered on June 24 for the forty-ninth annual Souvenir of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Amid greetings of old friends and new, they shared lunch under the pines. Then they assembled before the main entrance to the cabin for the afternoon program, their minds and hearts joined in thanksgiving for the mission of the Master in America, and for His presence as host at the first Unity Feast held in that same spot in 1912.
Each year the committee in charge strives earnestly to recapture the spiritual joy of that first gathering.
The beloved Guardian said that in the future the commemoration is likely to extend over more than a single day, and this is easy to understand in the light of the global significance already attached to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s American visit.
This year’s program was ushered in by Chairman Nathan Rutstein. Since children were always drawn to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, two young voices recited selections from the Hidden Words. After this opening, the talk given by the Master in 1912 was read by Mrs. Etta Woodlen. William deForge, Auxiliary Board member, stirred the audience with recollections of lives that were reborn in service to God, as the Master, traversing North America, touched the hearts of those who became the early Bahá’í heroes of the hemisphere. Toward the close of the afternoon old friends and special pioneers were introduced in order that they might share their rich experiences.
Many enjoyed the special privilege of a prayer service in the lower pine grove, where the Master had stood just forty-nine years ago, and came away feeling that in this experience particularly the Souvenir became a living monument to the memory of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Later, still other factors made their contributions: earnest private discussions regarding the Faith; the viewing of pictures taken at the 1912 gathering, and of archives exhibits including personal belongings of the Master, as well as tablets and letters from His pen; and an evening program, arranged by the Audio-Visual Committee, that once more focused minds and hearts on the memory of the Master and the special blessing conferred by the annual observance.
A gifted reporter summed up the mood of the day in these notable words: “There is a spontaneous warmth extended from heart to heart; the atmosphere is relaxed and the day is calm; the friends are happy, and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá has returned with comfort and love for each one who will accept His personal Souvenir.” And the effect of the commemoration on the many guests can be gauged by the following extracts from a letter which appeared in a local newspaper: “Truly an international, interracial, and cosmopolitan assembly, this representation of humanity was an inspiring thing to see. . . . Here were good will, sobriety, fellowship, and the feel of spiritual strength all about, including that almost tangible thing known as brotherhood. . . . It would have been presumptuous for anyone to have said ‘God bless you’ to those people. They were blessed by the very fact of being there.”
Hand of the Cause, Zikrtu’lláh Khádem, with the Indian
and Eskimo students attending Alaska Bahá’í Summer
School, June 30-July 5.
The Louis Gregory Memorial Bahá’í Primary School
at Dusai Village, Uganda, showing the type of construction used at both schools.
Two Bahá’í Primary Schools Opened in Uganda[edit]
On July 3 two Bahá’í primary schools were opened in the villages of Tilling, Teso District, and Dusai, Bukedi District — both in eastern Uganda (Africa). Thirty-six boys and girls, four to seven years of age, have so far been enrolled at the Tilling School and twenty-two at the school in Dusai. Named in memory of Hand of the Cause Louis Gregory and dedicated by ‘Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum last January, the schools welcome children from Bahá’í homes and from other religious backgrounds.
In 1956 the beloved Guardian indicated that, funds and manpower permitting, the time might be ripe for erection of a Bahá’í school in Uganda. Investigations, in progress as early as 1953, were accelerated. In 1958 Mr. and Mrs. Rafi Mottahedeh and their son Roy generously contributed an initial sum of money for the building of not only one but two schools, and pledged a further sum annually to help with their perpetuation. Later that year revered Hand of the Cause Enoch Olinga and his brother. Stanley Ikara, donated five acres of land on the main road in Tilling Village, Tilling, the home of Mr. Olinga, was the first village in Uganda to receive the Light of Bahá’u’lláh. Shortly after this another devoted believer, Olupat Apuru, gave three acres of land in Dusai Village. Both villages are in the center of heavily populated Bahá’í areas.
During 1959-60 the National Assembly of Central and East Africa and its School Building Committee completed the legal formalities concerning the land, engaged an architect and contractors, approved the designs, and had the buildings erected. Both schools consist at this initial stage of one classroom accommodating forty children, a headmaster’s office and a storeroom. The buildings are constructed of cement blocks, corrugated asbestos roofing tiles, concrete floors, and wooden doors and window shutters. The believers themselves assisted in clearing the land and will soon start erecting the cooking and dining shelters. These subsidiary buildings are at present of mud, wattle and grass construction.
The national assembly has appointed a Bahá’í Schools Management Committee, which works through a local subcommittee and a Bahá’í manager for each school. Two fine teachers have been engaged, one of whom is a Bahá’í. Both schools have been registered with the Government Education Department — still further official recognition of the Faith in Uganda. Much teaching equipment has been bought, contributed or made, including many toys never before seen by village children. The children will wear simple, inexpensive uniforms and will be provided with breakfast before they start their morning's study, A nominal sum is being charged for fees and food. Religious instruction at this early stage will consist of health and character training, plus Bahá’í prayers, songs and stories.
For six months the schools will function as kindergartens. In January 1962, at the beginning of the Uganda school year, the children will proceed to Primary 1. Plans are being made for enlarging and perpetuating the schools. It is hoped that it will be possible to develop them ultimately into full-fledged six- or eight-year primary schools.
It is impossible to overestimate the value of these schools in the mass conversion work of Uganda, Together with the Temple and the Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds, they are visible signs to the believers of the strength and permanence of the Faith, Both schools will be used in the evenings and on week ends for adult literacy classes, week-end schools, training courses, women’s homecraft courses, Feasts, and assembly and committee meetings.
It is hoped that the believers in other, parts of the world will take an interest in the progress of the schools and in the welfare of these sweet and lovely children. In the words of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: “It is incumbent upon thee to nurture them from the breast of the love of God, to urge them towards spiritual matters, to turn unto God and to acquire good manners, best characteristics and praiseworthy virtues and qualities in the world of humanity, and to study sciences with the utmost diligence; so that they may become spiritual, heavenly and attracted to the fragrances of sanctity from their childhood and be reared in a religious, spiritual and heavenly training. Verily, I beg of God to confirm them therein.”
—ISOBEL SABRI
Pupils and parents on opening day at the Louis Gregory Memorial Bahá’í Primary School, Tilling Village. Uganda.
National Spiritual Assembly of Canada, 1961-1962. Front
row, left to right: Fred Graham, Mrs. Peggy Ross,
Mrs. Audrey Westheuser (secretary), Douglas Martin.
Back row: Glen Eyford, Harold Moscorp (treasurer),
L. G. Gardner (vice-chairman), Angus Cowan, Rowland
E. Estall(chairman).
BAHA’I IN THE NEWS[edit]
In chapter seven of the late Dr. Tom Dooley’s book, The Night They Burned the Mountain, a Laotian medical assistant tells Dr. Dooley, a devout Roman Catholic, how he became a part of the famous “Medico" program through Dr. Táeed, a Bahá’í. The latter is described as a high-minded man who not only helped the assistant and his brother but also did a great deal for their tribe, traditionally looked down upon by their fellow-countrymen.
The November-December 1960 issue of Comoto, an Esperanto magazine published in Japan, carried an article entitled “A Universal Temple of Light.” It shows the Mother Temple of the West and gives an accurate account of its history and structure. It also lists the words of Bahá’u’lláh which appear over the entrances and in the alcoves. The author of the article is not named, but a note indicates that it was translated from Portuguese into Esperanto by Manuel de Freitas.
In the Chicago Tribune for Sunday, November 13, 1960, Arthur Veysey gave well-meant it inaccurate publicity to the Shrine of the Báb in writing of “Haifa with its replica of Chicago’s Bahá’í temple.”
When a young Bahá’í wife on Grenada Island, in the West Indies. applied to an official of her former church for a baptismal certificate, needed for identification purposes in preparing tor a trip, she was refused on the ground that she had “renounced . . . the True Faith.” Presumably she was eventually granted the certificate, but in the meantime (on February 4 and 5, 1961, respectively) two Grenada newspapers, The West Indian and The Torchlight, together devoted forty column inches to leading editorials denouncing the church's action as an infringement of the freedom of worship.
The American Geographical Society’s book, Israel — one of a series of paper-backs published by Nelson Doubleday. Inc., Garden City, N.Y., for children of junior-high age — includes a fine picture of the Shrine of the Bah. As with all pictures in the books, it is to be pasted in by the reader adjacent to the text describing it.
When Mrs. Shirin Fozdar of the Regional Spiritual Assembly of Southeast Asia left Singapore, after eleven years‘ residence, to establish a home In Bangkok, Thailand, she was featured in a farewell article appearing in the April 25, 1961 issue of the Straits Times. The article accorded prominent recognition to her connection with the Faith and to her work in the interest of women’s rights.
The Boston Globe for April 20, 1961, published a full-page article, with a large map in color, to commemorate Israel’s 19th Independence Day. In an explanatory listing of points of interest shown on th map, the reference to Haifa conveyed a distinct Bahá’í flavor: “HAIFA (pop. 170,000) — Israel’s main port at foot of Mt. Carmel. Home of Technion, Israel Institute of Technology, Shrine of the Báb and Bahá’í Temple and gardens, and world center of Bahá’í faith.”
Fourteenth Annual Convention of the Bahá’ís of Canada, held in Toronto, April 28-30, 1961.
National Spiritual Assembly of France, 1961-1962.
Seated, left to right: Henriette Samimy, Sara Kenny,
Florence Bagley, Lucienne Migette. Standing: Lucien
Jouardon, Alain Tamenne, Dr. A. H. Barafroukhteh,
Lucien McComb, A. Raffat.
A story in the Chicago Daily News for December
10, 1960 cited Bahahs of the San Francisco Bay area,
along with about sixty Christian and Jewish congregations, for their support of the 1960 open-housing covenant campaign. 3000 signers of the “covenant” indicated
willingness to welcome into their neighborhoods people
of any race, creed, or national origin,
The February 2, 1961 issue of the Danish weekly magazine Ude og Hjemme, published in Copenhagen, included an extensive, elaborately illustrated account of the Faith. Included were pictures of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Dr. Zamenhof (originator of Esperanto), Nasiri’d-Din Shah, the Shrine of the Báb, International Archives Building, the Wilmette and Frankfurt Temples, and a group of Danish Bahá’ís and their Center.
March 16, 1961 issues of The New York World Telegram and Sam and other newspapers published a reference to the Faith by Inez Robb, one of the most widely read syndicated columnists in the United States Traveling in the Holy Land, Miss Robb reported on Haifa as being Israel's great port city, and then went on to say, “There is a great golden dome in Haifa that floats above the modern city, the most recent confirmation that this is indeed a holy land that attracts as if by a magnet the devout of many faiths. For that golden dome is neither Christian nor Hebrew nor Muslim. It shimmers in the sun above the great Bahá’í shrine set in the finest garden in Israel.”
Dr. Paul F. Clark, distinguished American bacteriologist, recently wrote as follows: “. . . man, this worst predator with the gun, carries on the conflict ruthlessly with his own species even in the realm of his religions where ideals and altruism should rule. Are not all the major religions essentially the same in their underlying philosophies? Norman Cousins in his stimulating book Who Speaks for Man gives . . . the Golden Rule . . . as taught in nine religions of the world. The Bahá’í Cause. Buddhism, Christianity, Confucianism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Shintoism, and Zoroastrianism all express the same idea. . . .” (From Pioneer Microbiologists of America, pp. 321,22, University of
Spiritual Assembly of Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada, in
corparated March 14, 1961. Seated, left to right: Mrs.
Georgie Hughes, Mrs. Mary Brda, Miss Sally Jackson,
R. Wilson. Standing: Glen Hughes, Jerry Erda, Lorne
Murphy, S. Lubeseder, David Jackson.
Wisconsin Press, Madison, Wisc., 1961.) (The complete
phrasing of a similar list of variants of the Golden
Rule was given in the Utah Parent-Teacher Bulletin
for December, 1960.)
The March-April 1961 issue of The Beacon, a British “magazine of esoteric philosophy,” included a sympathetic article on the history and precepts of the Faith. The publication undertakes to present “the principles of the Ageless Wisdom as a contemporary way of life," and the article characterized Bahá’u’lláh, with something less than complete understanding, as “among the Forerunners of the New Group of World Servers.”
In its issue of May 20, 1961, The Times of Viet Nam, published in Saigon, gave prominence to forthcoming observances of the Declaration of the Báb in “over 50 different centers in Viet Nam.” The article also covered other pertinent facts about the Faith and displayed a picture of the Mother Temple of Africa.
Preparations by five Houston, Texas, believers for pioneering in Switzerland led to a 37-column-inch story in the March 4, 1961 issue of The Houston Post. The article not only covered the pioneering venture but also gave comprehensive information about the Faith and the activities of the Houston Bahá’ís.
Elsie Uyematsu, columnist with The Kashu Mamichi, a Japanese-English daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, devoted her entire column of February 9, 1961, to information and friendly commentary on the Faith stemming from firesides she attended in nearby Alhambra.
In its May 26, 1961 issue, the Kent News (published at the Kent School, Kent, Conn.) recalled that internationally known alumnus Guy Murchie became a Bahá’í as the result of a Chicago Tribune assignment to “write up” the Faith. Mr. Murchie recently published a new book, Music of the Spheres, and, said the News, is working on a companion volume. It also reported that he intends to write a book about the Bahá’í World
Second Tongan Bahá’í Summer School, December, 1960,
with Mrs. Judy Blakely, pioneer teacher.
Faith, which he commended to his school friends as
“a still little-known fulfillment of Christianity, and
therefore of potential interest to everyone at Kent.”
John L. Marlow, a Bahá’í of Sarasota, Florida, has published a volume of free verse in which, says a reviewer, he “cuts across all lines of dogma and creed in his appeal to man’s deep instinct for brotherhood.” The foreword, by Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas, definitely connects the author with the Faith. (The book, Wayfarer on the Mountain, is published by Vantage Press, Inc., 120 West 31st Street, New York 1, N.Y.)
The International Language Review, January-March 1961 issue, contains a full-page account of the Bahá’í marriage of the editor, Floyd Barnes Hardin, to Mrs. Evelyn Lackey Bivins, a Bahá’í of Gulfport, Miss. The same issue carries a half-page statement on what the Bahá’í Faith teaches with respect to the need for a universal auxiliary language.
The Concordia Tract Mission in St. Louis, Mo., has published a sixteen-page pamphlet entitled “Bahá’ism,” intended to acquaint Lutherans with the Bahá’í Faith, its activities and six particular points that the author claims to be “untenable” to Christians. Except for these points most of the material is accurate. and seven out oi eight references listed for further study are authentic Bahá’í publications.
The June 1961 issue of the magazine Fellowship in Prayer includes two items related to the Bahá’í Faith. The first is a condensed version of the U.S. National Spiritual Assembly's 1956 statement on the Oneness of Mankind; the second, an accurate two-page introduction to the Faith, entitled “The Bahá’í Viewpoint,” by Elsie Cranmer.
As has happened before in cases of good vicinity publicity, the flow of visitors at the House of Worship
Teaching Conference held in Saigon, Vietnam, May 7,
1961.
in Wilmette was perceptibly larger for several days
following June 19, 1961, when the Chicago Daily News
published an outstanding illustrated story on the Faith
by religion writer Dave Meade.
A full-page report in the May 15, 1961 issue of Semana, Colombian weekly news magazine, not only took cognizance of Colombia’s first national Bahá’í convention, held in Bogota from April 30 to May 2, but gave a succinct summary of the principles and aims of the Faith. Unfortunately, a misunderstanding resulted in the placing of the name of Bahá’u’lláh under a picture of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Other illustrations showed Hand of the Cause Shu’a’ulláh ‘Alá’í and a group of the assembled believers.
On May 23, 1961, Newsday, published in Garden City, Long Island, N.Y., ran a story entitled “Americans in Africa: Can They Take It?” The reference was to hardships in store for the American government’s Peace Corp members who will serve there. At least a partial answer to the question in the title was supplied by Newsday’s account of how two Chicago Bahá’ís, Mr. and Mrs. Sherman Rosenberg, have lived ‘in Nigeria over three years under the auspices of the “African-American Institute. The Rosenbergs are credited with being the only American teachers who have returned for a second tour of duty. They, in turn, give credit to the Faith as a sustaining force, and the author of the story, Paul Conklin, characterizes it as “a religious community with a strong tradition for serving others.”
A travel page in the New York Herald Tribune for April 16, 1961, carried an extensive story devoted to Chicago’s newest hotels, skyscraper apartment houses, supper clubs, and a great exposition center. But dominating the article was its only illustration: a boldly captioned picture of the Wilmette Temple “just north of Chicago . . . the center in America for the Baháist faith, a belief in the unity of all religions.”
The 1961 edition of the publication, Facts about Israel, distributed by Israel Office of Information branches in various cities, mentions the Shrine of the Báb and its gardens as among Haifa’s chief points of interest. In addition. a section entitled “Religious Communities” includes this statement: “The Bahá’í shrines in Haifa and Acre attract large numbers of pilgrims. The international body which manages the affairs of this universal religion is established in Haifa.”
The April 13, 1961 issue of Wilmette Life, a weekly newspaper published in the Illinois town which is graced by the Mother Temple of the West, depicted a large mosaic-tile mural designed and made by art students and teachers for the foyer of the local junior high school. Shown in the mural, along with examples of school activities and Wilmette’s harbor on Lake Michigan, is the town’s best-known landmark — the great House of Worship itself.
A brief, “boxed” article on the travel-and—resorts page of the Detroit Free Press for April 9, 1961, revived the familiar comparison of the Wilmette Temple with the Taj Mahal, and by implication suggested it as a Vacation goal. The article was credited to United Airlines, which have periodically given the Temple valuable publicity.
An Italian Sunday newspaper, Domenica del Corriere, published an article from the Holy Land under the stimulating title, “A New Earth for a New People.” The caption of an accompanying illustration identified the picture’s principal points: “Haifa, Mount Carmel, with the Iranian Bahá’í Temple (Shrine of the Báb) in mint.”
Members of the National Spiritual Assembly of India,
1961-1962.
Hand of the Cause Tarázu’lláh Samandarí (to right of Greatest Name) with delegates and friends attending
the Thirty-Second Annual Convention of India held in New Delhi, April 1961. Mr. Sarmandarí also addressed a
public meeting while in New Delhi.
The winter, 1960 edition of Trees and Life, a distinguished British magazine devoted to the handingnn and enlargement of man’s tree heritage throughout
the world, acknowledged goodwill messages received
from the U.S. National Spiritual Assembly and the
Geyserville Bahá’í School during the First Redwood
Reunion, held in California last December. Any question as to the relevancy of such an event to the Faith[Page 16]
of Bahá’u’lláh is dispelled on consideration of the credo
of the fellowship sponsoring it: “We believe that without fair play to earth we cannot exist physically,
without fair play to our neighbour we cannot exist
socially or internationally, and without fair play to
out better selves there is no individuality or constructive leadership.”
Two-day Institute conducted July 8 and 9 in Fargo, N.D.
The August 1961 issue of Sepia, an important monthly
published in Fort Worth, Texas, included a laudatory
account of Bahá’í principles and activities, and characterized the Faith as a rapidly growing “space age
religion . . . predicated on the oneness of mankind.”
Embellished with seventeen illustrations, of which ten
were in full color, the story ranks high among the
publicity notices received in the United States during
the year.
The May 1961 issue of The Cornell College Alumnus carries a reference to Hugh E. Chance, graduate of 1933, as having been elected to membership of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. It mentions the location of the National Bahá’í Headquarters as Well as the House of Worship and Mr. Chance’s teaching activities.
The summer 1961 edition of TWA Ambassador, published for passengers on Trans World Air Lines planes, carries on page 19 an aerial view of the Bahá’í House of Worship. The caption identifies the location of the Temple and the Faith for which it stands, suggests it as a point of interest for visitors to Illinois, and states that it is open to all for prayer and meditation.
Guillermo Sotomayor and Eduardo Gonzalez Expelled from Faith[edit]
The following cablegram, dated July 20, from the Hands of the Faith residing in the Holy Land to the National Spiritual Assembly of Ecuador is published here for the information and protection of all Bahá’ís who have had or may in the future have any contact with these two persons:
“Owing (to) continuation (of their) activities (in) undermining (the) institutions (of the) Cause (of) God Sotomayor (arid) Gonzalez (have been) expel led (from the) Faith (and) all association (with them is) forbidden.
—HANDSFAITH
Mr. Guillermo Sotomayor lives in Quito, Ecuador, and Mr. Eduardo Gonzalez in Guayaquil, Ecuador.
—U.S. NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY
Calendar of Events[edit]
FEASTS[edit]
September 8 — ‘Izzat (Might)
September 27 — Mashíyyat (Will)
U.S. NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY MEETINGS[edit]
September 1-4
October 13-15
Baha’i House of Worship[edit]
Visiting Hours[edit]
Weekdays
10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (Entire building)
7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. (Auditorium only)
Sundays and Holidays
10:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (Entire building)
5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. (Auditorium only)
Service of Worship[edit]
Sundays
3:30 to 4:10 p.m.
Public Meeting[edit]
Sunday, September 17
4:15 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 on the first day of the month preceding the date of issue for which it is intended.
BAHÁ’Í NEWS is edited by an annually appointed Editorial Committee. The Committee for 1960-61: Mrs. Eunice Braun, International News; Miss Charlotte M. Linfoot, National News; Miss D. Thelma Jackson and Mrs. Harriett Wolcott, Editors.
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.
