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No. 390

BAHA’I YEAR 120

SEPTEMBER, 1963

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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 15 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.

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Teacher Institutes Hasten Expansion in Korea

February 1963 marked the beginning of mass conversion in Korea. In 1962 a local assembly was formed in the farming village of Chakonsongmae, and the unity and activity of the first believers on Koha and on the Hosa Islands attracted the confirmations of Bahá’u’lláh. During the winter of 1962-1963 the Hands in the Holy Land asked Hand of the Cause Dr. R. Muhájir to visit Korea and the other countries of Northeast Asia.

On January 26, 1963, Dr. Muhájir arrived in Korea. Forced by illness to leave after only a week, he was able during his short visit to assist the believers in launching a bold teaching plan. The goal of 1,000 believers in two months was exceeded the first month. By the end of Riḍván 1963 enrollments had reached 2,047, with many others ready to come in. In 1953 there were about four Korean believers. At the beginning of the Guardian’s 1957 Six-Year Subsidiary Plan for the North East Asia Region there were two assemblies. There are now twenty-seven.

Years of Sacrifice Prepare Way

It is not possible to mention all those whose sacrifices and efforts in years gone by prepared the way for the current progress. All that can be done at present is to record the names of those who have been privileged to participate in the most recent activities.

Pusan was the first Bahá’í community to engage in a systematic effort of teacher training. It was begun during the days when pioneers Dale and Barbara Enger were on hand to assist in the work and to carry the cause to the remote farming territories. Although faced with limited time and inadequate resources the Bahá’ís, mostly students, began a special teaching campaign on January 1, 1963, and continued it through their winter vacation period. It was during that time that Dr. Muhájir came. College students Yi Sanggi, Yi Ukyun, Yi Chonghwan and Shin Yongmu each went to his native territory. The result was mass conversion in two districts and the establishment of nine new local assemblies. Among the other believers from Pusan who assisted were Kim Myongjong, So Byongin, Mrs. Yi Kapsun, Shin Munbon, Kim Dongkyu, Mr. Yu and Lt. Choi.

After the pioneer conference in Taegu with Dr. Muhájir, the first Korean believers volunteering to live and teach in the villages were Pak Chongkyu from Chonju, Yi Yunsop from Mokpo and Yang Jaeho from Kyongju. Later O Jongyong from Seoul and Cho Jinyong from Kwangju arose to devote their full time to teaching in remote areas.

Assistance Given by Hands

The watchful, loving guidance and the generous assistance of the Hands in the Holy Land gave everyone fresh courage to go forward, just when most needed. As an additional bounty, Hand Agnes Alexander (in her eighties) made the long journey from Japan during the period of the Fast. Her unforgettable visit to the

Korean believers gathered for the first teacher training institute, held in Taegu.

mass conversion district of Kajo — made possible through the generosity of Auxiliary Board member William Maxwell and by the hospitality of the new Korean believers of Kajo — and her visits to Taegu, Kyongju, Pusan and Seoul, during which time she saw no reason to break the Fast in spite of continuous daily travel, inspired all the believers to reconsecrate themselves to the Guardian’s appeal for teaching the Faith as never before.

Teacher Training Institutes Launched in April

To give impetus to mass teaching a teacher training institute was begun following the guidance of Dr. Muhájir based on experiences in India. William and Mary Maxwell offered their lovely home in Taegu (previously used as a home for Buddhist monks) as the training center for Korea. The Spiritual Assemblies of North East Asia and the United States provided half of the key money rental. The National Administrative Committee of the Bahá’ís of Korea was appointed to take charge of the new responsibilities and to promote mass conversion.

With the help of the old National Teaching Committee, Bill Maxwell organized and guided the first teacher training institute held April 4-7, 1963. Although Bill and Mary left Korea soon after, their loving services and generosity cannot be forgotten. Believers coming from four mass conversion areas to attend the first institute found the Taegu center overflowing with about eighty Bahá’ís. Teachers were: William Maxwell, William Smits, Kim Myongjong, So Byongin, Pak Sambong, Kim Ch’ang-jin, John McHenry III and Yang Jaeho.

Second Institute Held in June

The second teacher training institute was held June 6-9. Forty-seven attendants from four provinces, representing about twenty Bahá’í communities, joined in group study which aimed at the consolidation of local assemblies and more rapid expansion everywhere. The approach to teaching found most helpful was the concept of attracting people’s hearts to Bahá’u’lláh rather than emphasizing the extensive principles and teachings. Four days after the conference ended Kim Jaedok, a believer who had attended, went to a village

[Page 3] near his farm and enrolled about 200 people. As a result, the Faith spread to neighboring villages.

Kang Unsong and Kim Chongkil, two devoted believers from the Hawei Islands, made a long trip by train and ship to assist at the institute. There was a warm welcome for Kim Ch’ang-jin who attended the World Congress in London. His talks on the Congress gave everyone a new sense of brotherhood and a vision of the future triumph of the Faith.

For the first time in a Korean conference the subject of how to teach children in mass conversion areas was brought up. Miss Kim Jomsu, Miss Chang Malhyang and Miss Pak Oksun spoke and invited discussion.

On the final morning the teachers gave summaries of their courses. As a token of the successful completion of the institute each person was presented with a badge of the Greatest Name and a copy of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Paris Talks.

First Indian Delegate Sparks Venezuelan Convention

The Third Annual Convention of the Bahá’ís of Venezuela took place on May 25 and 26 at the National Center in Caracas. The delegates and visitors were privileged to have Auxiliary Board member Donald Witzel in attendance. At one session he gave the friends a moving and beautiful description of the International Convention held at the Bahá’í World Center.

Reminder We do not maintain a file of photographs used as illustrations in BAHÁ’Í NEWS and do not have duplicate prints. Therefore it is impossible for us to fill requests for international pictures. Inquiries should be addressed to the country of origin. —BAHÁ’Í NEWS EDITORIAL COMMITTEE

The arrival of Celestino Rojas, first Indian delegate to a Bahá’í convention in Venezuela, aroused great excitement among those present. This intrepid believer had traveled a great distance from the village of Agua Linda in the interior of Apure State in order to take part in the consultation. It was in his home village that the first Yaruro Indians enrolled last December.

The members elected to the National Spiritual Assembly for 1963-1964 are: Luis Narváez (chairman), Peter McLaren (vice-chairman), Joan Lozier (secretary), Yolanda Rodríguez (recording secretary), Bernice Bernardo (treasurer), Mireya Muñoz, Elena de Newton, Addie Teske and Wilder Meza.

Group of believers at the National Convention of Venezuela. At center (in white) is the first Indian in the country to serve as a Bahá’í delegate.

Conference at Petaling Jaya, Malaya, called to plan for mass conversion. Among those shown are Hand of the Cause Dr. Muhájir, American pioneers Eleanor and Robert Wolff, and Edris Rice-Wray of Mexico who was visiting Malaya.

Annual Convention of the Bahá’ís of the South Pacific Region, held in Suva, Fiji Islands.

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What Is New in This Revelation?

By Elsie Cranmer

IT IS OFTEN DIFFICULT to bring people to the realization that Bahá’u’lláh is the great Universalist and that the whole of creation is now living within the circle of His radiance. Even His physical birth is of deep religious significance, combining and uniting, as it does, the two main religious streams of mankind, the Aryan (Zoroaster) and the Semitic (Abraham).

Whether we like it or not, unwilling or willing, conscious or unconscious, we are all recipients of the Most Great Light.¹

Bahá’u’lláh continually refers to the unity not only of God, His Prophets and all mankind, but of all creation. One feels that this cannot be emphasized enough. There is no part of life that, having once been brought into existence, does not play a part in the creative scheme of God. By that something which corresponds to evolution, all creation is not only a progression but a preservation. Nothing is lost.

Answering a Frequent Question

A question continually asked is, “What is new in this Revelation?” We can answer that in the Writings we will find the most astounding, astonishingly new truths. For instance, it is only recently that the man in the street has become aware of the possibility of life on other planets. Bahá’ís have known of the positive existence of such life for a long time. Ever since Bahá’u’lláh revealed this truth, in fact.²

An entirely new interpretation is given of Christ’s suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane. For centuries Christians have been taught that, although Christ was ever obedient to the will of His Father, He yet prayed that the cup of martyrdom might pass from Him. Bahá’u’lláh indicates³ that, on the contrary, Christ longed for such martyrdom. Was the cup referred to that of Christ’s earthly human life and not the cup in which Christians believed? The Christian conception is loving and human, Bahá’u’lláh’s truth, sublime.

However much we study the sacred writings, however, we can but get a glimmer of their real meaning. Only Manifestation can know Manifestation.

In the Son of the Wolf⁴ there is an extraordinary passage referring to a science which will entirely eliminate fear. We do not know if such a discovery has yet been made; but when the time comes for it to be proclaimed, it will put an end to all the diseases which have their origin in fear.

In the present state of the world, there is still a great deal of illness that the physicians do not seem able to cure. There are certain kinds of disease the pain of which is so intense and acute that the mental faculties grow confused. The sufferer cannot even think of God, much less pray to Him. He or she can but lie, dull, dumb, quiescent, waiting for the waves of pain to pass. When the body has recovered, the soul is often overcome by remorse because it thinks that it has been faithless to God. How blessed to read (and I use the word “blessed” advisedly) that the soul itself is unaffected by bodily ailment and the latter has been a veil between itself and God.⁵

There is yet another passage which surely must be of inestimable and precious comfort to those who sincerely long to be of service to the Faith but cannot function as they wish, because of physical infirmity. Such as the bedridden, for instance. They need not feel useless. They are not. They have only to read the sacred words aloud knowing, because of Bahá’u’lláh’s promise that the righteous part of humanity will be sustained thereby, each “righteous” soul receives a message from God whilst still traveling on its earthly human road.

Allaying a Common Fear

Many people are perturbed when they first hear of our Faith and its claims. They have been taught that the only way to approach God is through a particular Manifestation. Christians are especially fearful, as many believe that Christ is God, and that only through Him can they be “saved” and their sins “forgiven.” They are not aware of the claims made by other Manifestations. I will quote from two only.

“Sorrow not. Come unto Me alone for shelter. From all thy sins I will deliver thee.”⁶

“Hearken to Me, ye gods and men! Approach to behold Me. I am the Tathagata, the Lord, Who has no superior, Who appears in this world to save.”⁷

Even in the “Book of the Dead”⁸ (3500 B.C.) the same truth is expressed:

“... I come as Yesterday

As Prophet of the million years to be,

For nations and for peoples still untold.

I am the Child Who marcheth down the road

Of Yesterday, Today, and of Tomorrow.

I am the One, the only One, who goeth

Forever round His course through all horizons ...

Yea, I am He, and shall not die again ...”

Love is one quality, truth another, and justice yet another. These qualities manifest themselves through millions of human beings. The quality of each is universal, yet each in itself is but one, and cannot be divided. So it is with the Holy Spirit. The Instruments differ, but the Music is One.

1 Gleanings, p. 189.

2 Ibid., p. 163,

3 Prayers and Meditations, pp. 192, 193.

4 Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 32.

5 Gleanings, p. 154.

6 Bhagavad Gîtâ. Translated by Annie Besant.

7 Buddhist writings in The Bible of the World, edited by Robert Ballou.

8 An Anthology of World Poetry, edited by Mark Van Doren.

[Page 5] Third National Convention of Colombia. LEFT: White, Indian and Negro races are represented among those attending. Linares Arpushana, Indian delegate, wears the native skirt and peacock headdress. RIGHT: Delegates and friends gather outside the Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds in Bogota.

Annual Convention of Colombia Emphasizes Indian Teaching

The spirit of love and joy brought to the convention by those attending the Most Great Jubilee was further enhanced when the friends learned of the continued teaching work among the Indians. An Indian delegate, Linares Arpushana who does not speak Spanish, is a nephew of the first Bahá’í in La Guajira.

Olavo Novaes reported that the hundred believers in Leticia, a border town, are successfully teaching the Faith, and have helped form assemblies in neighboring towns of Brazil and Peru. Mrs. Betty Toomes told of the work in Chocó where her husband, Lewis, is pioneering among the Negroes and Indians.

In preparation for the convention a conference was held the preceding day, with the evening devoted to reports from Haifa and a showing of slides.

Members of the National Spiritual Assembly for 1963-1964 are: Habib Rezvani, Luís Montenegro (chairman), Mrs. Gloria Fritzschel (recording secretary), Mrs. Betty Toomes (secretary), Stewart Waddell (treasurer), Charles Hornby, Mrs. Ellen Sims, Elahi Kalantar (vice-chairman), Leonor Porras.

400 Attend Annual Souvenir of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá

Over 400 people attended the annual Souvenir of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, held on June 29 at Evergreen Cabin in West Englewood, New Jersey, to commemorate the Unity Feast given there by the Master in 1912. For the first time in fifty-one years the picnic portion of the event was “rained in.” While this caused a quick move indoors for the noon-time refreshments, it did not affect the success of the day.

In the course of the program Mrs. Lee Blackwell gave an address on “ ‘Abdu’l-Bahá — His Desires and Prayers,” and John Savage read the talk which the Master gave in 1912. H. Borrah Kavelin, member of the Universal House of Justice, spoke briefly about the significance of that newly elected international body.

Special guests were Miss Margaret Staten and George Coleman, who rendered musical selections. Lionel Gonzalez served as chairman. Mrs. Ruhieh McComb and Joseph Ioas led the devotions, and some forty helpers worked in cooperation with the Souvenir Committee during the highly spiritual and congenial commemoration.

Following the Jubilee believers from many countries visited Neuchatel, Switzerland. In this group are guests from America, France, Iran, Ireland, Mauritius and Tunisia. The Bahá’ís from Mauritius chanted prayers in several languages, including African Zulu.

[Page 6] National Convention of the Bahá’ís of Switzerland held at the Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds in Bern on May 25, 1963.

Group of Iban believers, including a chief (right, holding ceremonial sword), in the interior of Sarawak. A youthful believer from Vietnam, Vijay Fozdar (center, rear), spent two months in the ulus (jungles) learning how to teach the Iban people. There are about ten thousand believers and seventy local assemblies in the country.

Some of the sixty believers and guests, including eight Chinese exchange students, at the Race Amity Day picnic held in Raleigh, North Carolina.

[Page 7] National Spiritual Assembly of Nicaragua, 1963-1964. Left to right, seated: Mrs. Cecilia Blake, Miss Creadell Haley, Mrs. Leticia de Escalante (treasurer). Standing: Armando Fonseca Duval (chairman), José Barahona (recording secretary), Jorge Harper, Hooper Dunbar, Salomón Escalante Elizondo (secretary), Edgar Gómez Fonseca (vice-chairman).

National Spiritual Assembly of Germany, 1963-1964. Left to right, seated: Miss Anneliese Bopp (secretary), Otto Häfner (treasurer). Standing: Günter Maltz, Ruprecht Krüger (chairman), Dr. Eugen Schmidt (vice-chairman), Hartmut Grossmann, René Steiner, Mrs. Margot Dörnbrack, Dr. Bozorg Hemmati.

National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Switzerland, 1963-1964. From the left: Dr. Walter Ott (vice-chairman), Daniel Schaubacher (secretary), Elsa Steinmetz (recording secretary), Olga Schär, William Hatcher, Fritz Semle (chairman), Martha Müller, Fritz Schär (treasurer), Anna Kunz.

Hands Cable National Assembly on Passing of Early Believer

“Grieved (by) news (of the) passing (of) Louis Voelz, devoted (and) steadfast early believer. Extend (our) deepest sympathy (to the) family (and) assure (them of our) loving prayers (at the) Shrines.”

Haifa, Israel	(Signed) HANDSFAITH
July 10, 1963

In 1902 Louis Voelz accepted the Faith in Kenosha (Wisconsin) where he was a member of the assembly for over forty years and secretary for thirty-five years. The Voelz family had the great bounty of entertaining ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in their home during His visit to America. Mr. Voelz made several models of the Temple, including one requested by Shoghi Effendi, which is now in the Mansion of Bahjí. Another was displayed at the 1933 World’s Fair in Chicago.

BAHA'I IN THE NEWS

This column contains only references to the Faith itself. References to individuals or purely local activities are not included except incidentally when mentioned in articles about the Faith which appear in mass news media.

A feature article in the February-March Land of the Bible Newsletter, published in New York by Israel Information Services, an agency of the Israel government, noted that of a hundred million trees hoped for in the country, one-fourth have already been planted. Among them, says the story, are those on Mt. Carmel in “... one of the most beautiful and imposing gardens in the world, laid out by a Persian religious sect — known as the Bahá’ís — that is neither Christian nor Jewish nor Moslem, but claims to unite features of all these religions in its capacious glorification of God and humanity....” Here, the extensive reference concludes, “... the Bahá’ís have built their impressive golden-domed sanctuary, set in exotic Babylonian gardens.”

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In the recent novel The Man Who Played God, by Robert St. John, one of the characters alludes to the Shrine of the Báb and exclaims, “I love that golden dome. For Haifa it’s like a jewel tucked in a lady’s hair.”

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An editorial in the May issue of Worldwide Evangelist, a bimonthly journal published in St. Louis, Missouri, denied that Christianity is on the wane but mentioned “the rapid growth of various religions such as the Bahá’í religion” as instrumental in making inroads into the Christian community. The Faith was cited as “a good example” of syncretism — “a subtle effort to

[Page 8] combine the elements of Christianity with other religions.”

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A travel page in the June 25 New York World Telegram featured a striking illustration with this caption: “The white marble Bahá’í Shrine on the slopes of Mt. Carmel in Haifa, Israel, is one of the attractions for visitors to Israel’s International Music Festival.” An accompanying article on the festival included a short paragraph about the Shrine and gardens.

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A Finnish-English exercise book for children, published in Helsinki, includes excerpts from I Am A Bahá’í, by Guy Murchie. The Child’s Way is given credit for some of the other material used.

Dignify of Dress Requested in Pictures of Publication Partly because of requests that have originated at various times with the beloved Guardian and Hands of the Cause, the Editorial Committee of BAHÁ’Í NEWS earnestly requests that dignity of dress be observed in pictures intended for publication. Allowances must of course be made for native dress, the nature of the occasion, and so forth. The believers are, however, reminded that BAHÁ’Í NEWS (and such other publications as The Bahá’í World) are organs and archives of the Faith, and as such the photographs reproduced in them should possess a dignity consonant with the situations pictured. For instance, it is suggested that when a national or local assembly poses for an official photograph, all male members should, if at all possible, wear a coat and tie. Women in such pictures—and in all pictures—should be shown suitably dressed and, particularly if seated, in positions bespeaking propriety and dignity.

Calendar of Events

FEASTS

September 8 — ‘Izzat (Might)

September 27 — Mashíyyat (Will)

U.S. NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY MEETINGS

October 18-20

Front page of a special souvenir edition of the London Evening News & Star for April 29.

Baha’i House of Worship

Visiting Hours

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

Sundays

3:30 to 4:10 p.m.

Public Meeting

Sunday, September 15

4:15 p.m.

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BAHÁ’Í NEWS is published for circulation among Bahá’ís only by the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, as a news organ reporting current activities of the Bahá’í World Community.

BAHÁ’Í NEWS is edited by an annually appointed Editorial Committee: Mr. and Mrs. P. R. Meinhard, Managing Editors; Mrs. Eunice Braun, International News Editor; Miss Charlotte M. Linfoot, National Spiritual Assembly Representative.

Material must be received by the twentieth of the second month preceding date of issue. Address: Bahá’í News 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.