Bahá’í News/Issue 469/Text
| ←Previous | Bahá’í News Issue 469 |
Next→ |
 Proofread onceReturn to PDF view
|
| No. 469 | BAHA’I YEAR 127 | APRIL, 1970 |
| Riḍván |
|
“... the ages of darkness have passed away and |
Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum
tours
Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia
Meeting with officials in Awasa, Ethiopia: left to right, Violette Nakhjavání, Amatu’l-Bahá, the Chief Secretary of Sidamu
Province, the Chief of Police, the Governor of Gemeto, and
Board member Belete Worku.
In the theater of the Municipal Hall of Addis Ababa, on the evening of October 22, Rúḥíyyih Khánum gave her main public address in Addis Ababa on the subject, “The Bahá’í World Faith.” Over two hundred and seventy people attended, and the lecture was followed by a long period of written questions, the audience seeming reluctant to depart.
This was our second stay in the capital, and the appointments seemed to pile up on each other, literally day and night, prior to our departure for a visit to other cities in Ethiopia on October 25. An animated press conference resulted in excellent publicity in English-speaking daily, and various Amharic, newspapers. There were innumerable meetings and luncheons with the Bahá’ís. On the occasion of United Nations Day, the Addis Ababa community sponsored a public lecture, well attended, at which Dr. Cooppan, a member of the United Nations Secretariat stationed in Ethiopia, gave the principal address. And Rúḥíyyih Khánum, as honorary chairman, was able to first present the Bahá’í attitude toward, and relationship with, the United Nations.
When one has been received by His Imperial Majesty, the doors of protocol open for other contacts with high-ranking officials. We flew to Dera Dawa in the Province of Harrar and drove straight from the airport
*Quoted by Horace Holley, Religion for Mankind, p. 179
[Page 2]
A village meeting in Bulbula Plains between Gemeto and Addis Ababa. Rúḥíyyih Khánum is seated on the ground at the left, while Bahá’ís hold microphone toward her.
to call upon the Governor General, His Excellency
Workineh Wolcomanuel, who had set a time to receive
us. He is stationed in the ancient town of Harrar, the
city Haile Selassie I himself comes from, and was
waiting for us in his office at the Governorate. A tall,
handsome, most charming and polished man, he typifies the caliber of officials the Emperor himself chooses
to appoint to hold such high office.
We spent one night in Harrar and two in Dera Dawa, where Amatu’l-Baha, literally exhausted, was ill in bed for two days and could not meet in person the Governor of Dera Dawa. She was able, however, to send him her greetings and present him with a copy of Bahá’u’lláh and the New Era.
Dr. Leo Neiderreiter, a member of the National Assembly, who has recently bought an airplane in the hope it will facilitate teaching trips as well as visits to patients in different parts of the country, picked us up and flew us to the Port of Asab, where we had lunch with the small but very active and devoted group of believers there, and then to Masawa for a two-day, much needed rest at sea level.
Activities in Asmara, Eritrea[edit]
Again flying with Dr. Neiderreiter, we arrived in Asmara, the capital of Eritrea, on October 31, for a five-day visit. During this period, Rúḥíyyih Khánum addressed the Bahá’ís at a luncheon the community gave in her honor and at the Nineteen Day Feast she was able to share with them, on the eve of her departure; and on the other four nights consecutively addressed well-attended public meetings, at a number of which the same non-Bahá’ís were to be seen. This interest was unique in our experience and, combined with the wonderful spirit of love and harmony that pervades the small but devoted Bahá’í community in that city, seemed to draw forth from Amatu’l-Bahá a flow of eloquence that lifted both her and her hearers to a level of enthusiasm, and a communion of thought, that I have never seen before.
The first of these addresses was delivered at the Officers Club, where about one hundred and fifty people, many of them high-ranking government officials and town dignitaries, gathered to hear her speak on the subject of “Science and Religion.” Some of the remarks she made as her treatment of this subject greatly interested her hearers:
“There is a tradition in the East that knowledge was twenty-seven letters and that only two of these letters have been given to man in the past, but that when the Promised One came He would give the other twenty-five letters. As I say, this is a tradition, and it is not really of any importance except that it makes one wonder if there is not a relationship between this tradition, these prophetic words, and the fact that it is only in the last two hundred years really that what we understand today as modern science has come into existence.
“Electricity was always there, but nobody discovered its nature, nobody captured it and brought it down and harnessed it to machines. We had the knowledge of atoms in theory, but nobody ever even saw the molecule, they never saw an amoeba, they never saw bacteria before two hundred years ago.
“Nobody could make anything run that wasn’t run by purely natural means. People had horses, they had sailboats, they got around all over the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, the Mediterranean. They conquered each other through different methods; they subjugated different tribes and different races and nations in great empires like the Roman Empire, the Chinese Empire, the Egyptian Empire, the Syrian Empire, and so on.
“Man had a way of living, and in very much the same pattern for the thousands of years of known history. He reached great intellectual attainments; he created wonderful art; he created wonderful buildings; he created wonderful literature. He had an understanding of science in a very rudimentary form. He had medicine dating back from the ancient Greeks, and so on.
The Scientific Phenomena[edit]
“But why is it that in all these thousands of years he never learned to fly; he never made the internal combustion engine; he never went to the moon; he never had the principle of rockets; he never split the atom, and so on? He had intelligence, he had ability, he had all these same capacities that we see in ourselves today. And yet, somehow in all these thousands of years of recorded history none of this phenomena of scientific progress and development ever took place.
[Page 3]
“So, it seems to me that it might make us pause for
thought and ask ourselves, ‘Is there any better explanation than this old oriental tradition to explain why it is
that the same human race, having the same capacities,
and having all the same hands, arms, faculties that we
have now, never made this fantastic leap forward in
the past? Why did it come so suddenly, and how is it
that it has advanced so rapidly?’ Which really brings
us to one of the great problems of the age in which we
live: What are we going to do with this science?
“... It is quite trite to say nowadays that we are in danger of wiping out the human race if we have another atomic war; we all know that. We know the immense power of destruction which we have in modern armaments is not only quite capable of wiping out the big cities of the world, but if we have another war it will wipe out the great centers of civilization. It will wipe out my country — I am an American-Canadian — wipe out my two countries, probably.
“It won’t wipe out your country if it comes within the next decade because you are not worth dropping atom bombs on. You are amongst the fortunate people; you are not wealthy enough, and have not yet got enough modern science to make anybody want to waste one of these very beautiful, expensive, modern, destructive weapons on your country. So, if we have another atomic war, perhaps you will escape ...
“It is nice to think about the merits of the undeveloped countries, and it is rather difficult for somebody from my part of the world to think about the cost of being overdeveloped — and that is, of course, what we are in many places.
Tilting the Scales[edit]
“In the past, because of this teaching of Bahá’u’lláh that science and religion should go hand in hand, I always had the idea that this meant that religion had to give up being so limited; it had to come out of its very unscientific concepts about the universe, and it had to accept some of the things of modern science. But in the last few years, perhaps because I am getting older and wiser (I hope so!), it has occurred to me that now we have reached the tilting of the scales in the other direction, and that it isn’t so much the people who are still steeped in so-called religious traditions and a religious background that are the ones who now have to accept modern science.
“Modern science is rapidly reaching the point where it will have to accept some religion. If it is not rapidly affected by the higher moral values of religion, God knows what it is going to do to this planet. And I think that these are the thoughts that people have to think about to some extent. And particularly the youth have to think about them, because the young people nowadays are living in a world which is quite different from my generation. People in this audience who are, say, over forty-five, you are not going to be able to take away from us our concept of life, which is based on deep spiritual values. If we have become reconciled to the advances in modern science, our religious training of our childhood and our youth is too deep for you to be able (by you I mean the younger generation) to take it away from us.
“But what about the young people. They are growing up in modern schools and modern universities and receiving a highly scientific education. What are we
Arriving in Dera Dawa Airport in Ethiopia, Amatu’l-Bahá is greeted by a group of Bahá’í children.
going to give them? They will not give up science for
old-fashioned religion. Where the religious concept that
is taught to them is against science they will never give
up science for religion, which I think is one of the great
facts we must face today. One of the tragedies of this
particular point at which we stand in history is that the
youth, like anybody else in the world, desperately
needs moral guidance and moral help. But it is not
going to take it all wrapped up in the trappings of an
old-fashioned, unscientific outlook on the universe. It
cannot!
A Major Miracle[edit]
“It is going to cling to this modern universe that it lives in, where you go to the moon and get off and walk around, and you actually get back to this earth. This is the generation that these young people are living in, and this is the miracle of this generation. For that matter, it is one of the greatest miracles that has ever taken place in the history of mankind. It shows what powers man has in science. But if you ask young people to deny all this marvelous realm of science and cling to an outmoded religious concept — not an outmoded religion, because religion will never be outmoded as far as I am concerned, but the trappings of it can be outmoded — they will not be able to do it. And I don’t blame them, because I don’t think I would do it.
“So it seems to me that one of the great needs of this age in which we live is that we should be able to give people the essence of religion, a spiritual concept of life, a spiritual concept of the universe, and, at the same time, not criticize, and not ask them to give up miracles of a science that they have studied and that they are becoming more deeply interested in all the time.
Technology and Ecology[edit]
“This science, which is so capable of changing man’s environment and enabling him to live in a way he has never lived in the past, is also very much like a Frankenstein. We have conjured it up, and now it has placed our whole way of life and our whole planet in great danger; because, as I said before, it has this brilliant intellectual power in it. We have cast the light of our minds onto matter; we have invented means of releasing powers in matter we had never dreamed of having; but we haven’t any way of controlling it whatsoever, because our moral status is steadily deteriorating
[Page 4]
The Bahá’í Community of Asmara, Ethiopia, with Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum.
all the time. And I don’t believe that ten
million years of science is ever going to give man any
moral character. It is not the nature of science, because
if it were, then as science is increasing daily all over
the world, the knowledge of it, the technology that it
gives birth to, the understanding of it in schools and
universities everywhere, then if it has a redeeming
power, we should be getting better all the time because
certainly science is getting better.
“Then we must ask ourselves, ‘Why is it that with all this knowledge and all this power, society is getting worse and worse?’ Our scientists are in danger of absolutely destroying us and the world. It shows that somewhere there must be a terrible lack of balance. We have to get back to moral values, and those are the only values that can harness safely the powers of science.
“I am sure that people like you people here, educated people in Ethiopia, see what I am talking about more clearly than perhaps a comparable audience would in the West. I am afraid that we have already gone so far away from spiritual values in the midst of our materialistic civilization of the West that, although we believe some kind of ethical illumination is necessary, the spiritual part of man has become so weak that he does not understand how essential it is to have the balance of deep religious feeling in order to control the powers which we have released in modern science.
“I think we should ask, ‘What do we want of man?’ What is the use of a man who has all this power through technology, who can go to the moon and perhaps other places, who can change the climate of the world, who can change the nature of a human being? What use is he if he has not got any spiritual values? Does anybody want to live really in a world where you become increasingly small in the face of the machines and the gadgets and the technology that you yourself have created? ... There are many scientists in this world, perhaps too advanced, perhaps a little too pessimistic, who consider that man has already upset the ecology of this planet, poisoned the atmosphere of this planet to a point where it is off balance.
“Now, I can not believe that; that is too much. I believe he has almost done it ... But it shows you the dangers of a science that forgets the other part of what God has given us, which is the spiritual values. When we lose those, which are to me the eternal values, then we will have lost the balance of life on this planet. If we can harness the good things that science gives us, if we can ride on them like a horse that will carry us where we want to go, that is fine; but if it becomes a Frankenstein that devours us spiritually, that destroys all our moral values, that renders our youth absolutely hopeless, not to mention unmanageable, then what is the use of having more television, more science, more sprays, and more chromium furniture? What price will we pay for it if we pay the supreme price of our spiritual values?
Bahá’ís Envisage One World[edit]
“I don’t want to talk very much on this subject, but it seems to me that these are some of the challenging thoughts that this question, ‘Science and Religion,’ arouses in the mind. I would like to just add, as a Bahá’í, at the end of this, that we do not have a wholly pessimistic outlook. On the contrary, we Bahá’ís feel very strongly that, although the immediate future is dark, the distant future is bright, because we have fundamentally a spiritual concept of life and of this world, and we feel that God is not going to abandon His creature, Man. We feel that however far we may go in our scientific development today, however extreme, to what dangers and extremes we may go in modern science, still there will be a point where Man will come out of this fire. He may even go into the fire and singe his wings, but he will come out and fulfill his destiny, which is a very glorious destiny, and will always carry men to greater heights spiritually and intellectually as well as materially.
“The Bahá’ís envisage a world in the future which, because of the development of modern science, will have perforce become one world.”
Three Additional Talks[edit]
The following evening she had been invited to address the Teachers Association of Asmara. Over three hundred people were present, mostly principals and school teachers, as well as some students and members of the Ministry of Education. Rúḥíyyih Khánum, on her arrival, was taken into an office by the chairman of the meeting who wished to meet her and discuss his opening remarks. Because of this, we missed the announcement to the audience that she was sharing the platform with a representative of the Moral Rearmament movement. In complete ignorance of this, she launched into her subject. “The Moral Failure of Present Society,” and, carried away by the unusually wrapt attention of her hearers, spoke for about forty-five minutes.
At the end of her talk, to her horror, the chairman announced that, as the speaker on Moral Rearmament
[Page 5]
was still to address them, questions would be limited to
five minutes. Rúḥíyyih Khánum assured him she was
unaware that there was another speaker to come,
apologized for monopolizing the floor so long, and
suggested moving the questions. But as a number of
people had already raised their hands, the chairman
said he would allow a few questions. The audience
became so absorbed in the answers, including the
Moral Rearmament speaker (who sent word he waived
the right to give his address and preferred she should
continue with the questions), that the chairman let
them go on for at least half an hour. And there were
still people trying to put questions when he drew the
long meeting to a close.
Although this was undoubtedly one of the most inspiring talks Rúḥíyyih Khánum had ever given, it was exhausting for her in every way.
The next night there was a large public meeting in the Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds of Asmara, followed by a very successful Bahá’í exhibition. The Bahá’í youth of Asmara had worked throughout the previous night on its arrangement, and their efforts were greatly appreciated.
The last talk was to the public the following day, November 3, at the Women’s Christian Association, and I quote some of her speech on that occasion:
“Madame Chairman, ladies and gentlemen:
“I am very happy to be here in the Y.W.C.A. ... When I heard that I was invited to address a women’s organization, I was particularly happy; and I am astonished at the number of men who have dared to enter this meeting! I thought we ladies were going to have it all to ourselves. But, today, at lunchtime, when I said good-by to one of the Bahá’í gentlemen, he said, ‘Can we men come to the lecture; after all we are married to women?’ But, nevertheless, I consider that this is an entirely women’s affair, and everything I have to say is addressed to women ...
Humanity Flies on “Wings”[edit]
“Another thing that we have in the Bahá’í teachings is this concept of humanity as a bird. Humanity flies on two wings. One wing is men, and one wing is women: and if these two wings fly in perfect balance and perfect co-ordination, the bird of humanity, so to speak, can fly very high, just like any other bird: if its wings operate rhythmically and strongly and equally, the bird has power to go very high. And this is taught in the Bahá’í teachings, that men are one wing of humanity and women are the other wing of humanity ...
“I think that one of the most important things that women should do is to be conscious of the fact that, fundamentally, I believe, the guardian of morality and virtue is women — not men. The very nature of a woman, her physical nature, the nature of her emotions and her passions is such that she can be the one to lead the way to morality and virtue much more than a man. A man is swept by much more tempestuous passions, which he always is only too glad to give way to, than a woman; and if women will be firm morally, on all issues of life, they can raise up their entire family ...
“A man wants a woman to be something he can look up to, but for some strange reason he will do everything he can to pull her down. And if he cannot pull her down, then he is, inside, very pleased. If he can pull her down, he enjoys it, but he is disillusioned and it makes him
Amatu’l-Bahá and five of the Bahá’ís who were beaten and imprisoned in Gondar, Ethiopia.
unhappy. He does not really like it. But still he will do
everything he can, as I say, to undermine a woman, but
if she stands firm he will admire her, and it will have
a good effect on him. And I think that this is one thing
that women should teach their daughters. I think it is
something they should remember in their own lives,
and they should have the strength to be decent, clean,
noble, idealistic women because, by doing that, they
will raise the whole tone of the society in which they
live.
“Another way that I think women must be very, very strong is in all the moral values: I am not talking about sex values now, I mean moral values. Often men are tempted to do something wrong. Supposing that a man is in great stress, he may even be a very nice man, and he has problems in his family, and he is tempted to do something dishonest or dishonorable. Supposing he is a man of religion, and he is tempted to go out of the path of his religion because he is under pressure. Then I think the woman should stand firm. She should put her confidence in God. She should say, ‘God will help me if I am strong and I do the right thing. If I believe in Him and turn to Him and pray to Him and do what I know is right in my religion’ ....”
The Male-Female Principle[edit]
Question: “Throughout the lecture you have been examining the position of women (and no doubt they deserve it) and the equality they are having now, and they deserve all these things. But there is one thing that astonishes me most, and that is that throughout the history of the world we have never heard about a single woman prophet. Could you just tell me the reason behind that?”
Answer: “I can answer that question, but I think it was hitting below the belt. The Chinese base their whole concept of the universe on, as I remember it, the principles of Ying and Yang — in other words, masculine and feminine, positive and negative — and this concept has existed in many philosophies. For instance, the sun is always considered the power of a man, it is a
[Page 6]
Rúḥíyyih Khánum and Violette Nakhjavání in front of the
small Siai Marchetti plane in which they flew a number of
times in Ethiopia.
male power. The moon is always considered the feminine power. The earth is considered feminine. We say
‘Mother Earth,’ whereas to the power of the sun we
give a masculine quality. And I think that there is no
doubt about it that there is something in it; it may be a
philosophical concept, but I think also it is borne out in
matter, because even matter itself is based on charges
of negative and positive electricity which form a balance inside the nucleus of the atoms.
“So there is this polarization; it exists, and it seems to create a tension of forces that pulls everything into a state of balance. There is no doubt about it that the aggressive, more positive force, if you like, the impregnating force, we associate with the male force, the male principle. The receiving force that develops things, the passive side, is woman. So it seems to me perfectly natural that we should have always conceived of God, the Creator, as the male principle because, after all, it is the creative power that we associate with God. And that same principle has been followed in the creative power of the Manifestation of God, which has always been a man. And as far as I am concerned, just because of this principle, which is a mysterious, if you like, philosophical concept, I think that all the Prophets of God will always be men. But I do not think it means that women are inferior; it means that they are different.”
The Mayor of Asmara, Degezmach Haregot Abbai, a well-known political figure, received us in his office in the Town Hall and spent a few moments discussing the Bahá’í teachings and general topics.
A Prince and Bahá’í History[edit]
But, undoubtedly, one of the most interesting figures we met in Ethiopia was His Highness Prince Asrate Kassa, related to the ruling dynasty, and Governor General of Eritrea. An imposing man of middle age, suave, exceedingly courteous (a characteristic most Ethiopians share with him!), he received Amatu’l-Bahá, accompanied by one of the Asmara believers and me, in his office in the Governorate and kept us talking for half an hour.
Rúḥíyyih Khánum discussed with him the art and history of his country, a subject on which he was obviously a well-informed scholar. After about fifteen minutes he said, “But let us discuss the Bahá’í Faith.” He told us how, at the time when His Imperial Majesty the Emperor went into exile and was staying in Jerusalem, he was a boy of thirteen and had been one of those in his entourage. He remembered a woman who had had an audience with the Emperor and given him a Bahá’í book, which particularly attracted the Prince’s attention because it was wrapped in ribbons of the national colors of Ethiopia. He had taken it from the Emperor’s room and read it.
Rúḥíyyih Khánum said this was indeed a remarkable coincidence as the woman was Mrs. Schopflocher, a friend of her family, a Bahá’í from her own city in Canada, Montreal, and the book had been Bahá’u’lláh and the New Era in Amharic, presented to the Emperor by her late husband, the World Head of the Bahá’í Faith!
It was obvious His Highness was well informed of the Bahá’í teachings, which he evidently admired, and he accepted with pleasure a copy of the book, The Proclamation of Bahá’u’lláh, which Rúḥíyyih Khánum presented him with on behalf of the Bahá’ís.
Axum, Lalibela, and Gondar[edit]
Our precious experiences in Ethiopia were drawing to a close. We flew off, on a brilliant sunny morning, from the high plateau on which Asmara nestles, and leaving the white city amidst its green trees proceeded with Dr. Neiderreiter and his wife to the ancient capital of Axum, where we parted reluctantly.
It was Rúḥíyyih Khánum’s intention to see at least a few of the historic places in so historic a land, and after half a day in Axum and two days in Lalibela we joined the Bahá’ís once again; this time in Gondar, another historic city, but one that now has special connotations for the Faith, as it is here that not long ago ten of the believers were severely beaten by a pack of drunkards and mistakenly hauled off to jail in the belief they were disturbing the peace. The misunderstanding and false accusations were soon straightened out on strict orders being received from the Capital to free the Bahá’ís; but the priest-inspired persecution served a useful purpose, for one of the priesthood went and inquired about the Faith and promptly accepted it. He was not the only new believer as a result of this local uproar.
Upon our return to Addis Ababa on November 9, we were again caught up in a whirl of activity. A lecture was given by Rúḥíyyih Khánum at the regular weekly Rotary Club luncheon; a dinner in her honor was given by His Excellency the Israeli Ambassador, to which members of diplomatic corps and other distinguished guests were invited.
She spoke three nights running at the Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds to the Bahá’í ladies, the Bahá’í youth, and on the occasion of the anniversary of Bahá’u’lláh’s Birthday, November 12, as well as the Addis Ababa Community banquet at the airport restaurant. A long, last, happy day with many of the Addis Ababa believers and friends was spent visiting the Bahá’ís in Sabeta and lunching on the way back to Addis Ababa in the hospitable home of one of the friends. A last reception was given in her honor, before the departure next day for Nairobi, at which some cabinet ministers and other prominent people were present.
The Crown Prince[edit]
The outstanding event, however, of this third and final sojourn in Addis Ababa was an interview with His Imperial Highness, Crown Prince Merid Asmatch Asfaw Wossen, which took place in a reception room in his palace on November 14. His Highness asked many questions about the Bahá’í Faith, and we found in him that same gentleness and extreme courtesy which was so notable in his sister, as well as in the Emperor himself. It was with his permission that photographs were taken on this historic occasion.
The spirit of unity and love which animates the Bahá’ís of Ethiopia is undoubtedly the cause of this attraction of so many blessings from on high. I have no doubt that it is this spirit which drew out of Amatu’l-Bahá torrents of most wonderful counsels and some of her most inspiring talks.
They Return to Kenya[edit]
On November 17, we returned to Kenya to complete our tour of that country. Three days later Rúḥíyyih Khánum delivered a public talk in one of the halls of the University of Nairobi, following upon the reception given in her honor by the National Spiritual Assembly and the Nairobi Local Assembly, at which distinguished non-Bahá’ís and friends were present.
The Board of Counsellors likewise arranged a meeting, held at the National Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds, for the believers of Nairobi and their friends to meet and be addressed by Amatu’l-Bahá. Again the Community lavished its love and hospitality on its beloved guest until the day came for our final departure, this time accompanied by Counsellor ‘Azíz Yazdí and his wife.
We proceeded on our final tour of Kenya: eleven days spent in the Western Provinces. During this period, except for one night, we slept either in the homes of the Bahá’ís or in one of the local Teaching Institutes.
Many Meetings, Conferences[edit]
Amatu’l-Bahá opened the Bahá’í Center of Givogi, where over a thousand believers and their friends, many of them Bahá’í children, were present. This area is the “singing” region of Kenya. In every Bahá’í meeting we had one group of children after another competing with each other in their beautiful Bahá’í songs. Many of these children are members of what is known there as “Bahá’í Character Classes.”
During these days, several large conferences were arranged where Bahá’ís attended from adjoining communities. In Kisumu, Rúḥíyyih Khánum spoke at a public meeting held in the hall of the Community Center. More than once, when on our way to a meeting, we were stopped by a small group of Bahá’ís and begged to just stop for a moment at their local center so that, as they would very lovingly say, Rúḥíyyih Khánum could bless their center.
Nights were as exciting as days on this trip, for Bahá’ís and their friends would drop in, and discussions would go on till very late in the night. As we could neither eat our supper nor put up our camp beds until they departed, we kept very irregular hours.
One of these exciting nights was in the Bahá’í Center in Nandi Land, very high in the mountains and very cold. More than twenty of the young girls, who had been assisting in arrangements during the day and remained for the evening meeting, spent the night with us, as it was too late and not safe for them to go home in the dark. The cold and the excitement of spending a night out resulted in continuous giggling and talking throughout the night.
The interview of Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum with his Imperial Highness Crown Prince Merid Azmatch Asfaw Wassen. On the left, Violette Nakhjavání.
[Page 8]
In most of these meetings, such as the conferences in
Malava, in Namawanga and Menu, the Bahá’ís had
invited the local dignitaries of the government and
churches. In Menu, the principal of the high school
invited Rúḥíyyih Khánum to address the students as
well as the teachers in his school.
The last meeting of Amatu’l-Bahá in Kenya was in the village of Nasianda, close to the border of Uganda. As the local Bahá’í Center was too small for our audience, the Bahá’ís decided to meet under the inevitable “big tree”; this particular one was gigantic.
On December 3 we returned to Kampala, almost four months to the day from our arrival in Africa in August. This is not the official tour of Uganda; and Rúḥíyyih Khánum has only met informally with the Kampala Community, at the homes of the ever-hospitable Bahá’ís, and attended several services at the Mother Temple of Africa.
Long Trek Planned[edit]
Amatu’l-Bahá, however, has met with Hand of the Cause Enoch Olinga and some of the members of the Board of Counsellors, as well as the National Assembly; and planned her next move, which will take us overland in the Land Rover through the Congo, Central African Republic, Chad, Gabon, Niger, Dahomey, and Togoland to Ghana. It is a long trek, a jump into the unknown, but we are confident that Bahá’u’lláh will watch over us and Counsellor Oloro Epyeru, who is accompanying us at least as far as Fort Lamey in Chad, and that as we go to serve His Cause, only that which He wishes can come to pass.
At the beginning of the great trek across Africa: Amatu’l-Bahá, Board of Counsellors member Oloro Epyeru, Violette Nakhjavání, and the Land Rover, on which is printed, “Rabbani African Safari.”
Ceylon[edit]
Members of the National Spiritual Assembly of Ceylon, 1969-70: (left to right) J. Vedamanickkam, K. D. G. Ratnam, B. D.
Saleh, K. C. Swarnaraj, treasurer, C. P. M. Anver Cadir, vice-chairman, K. Sivapirakasam, chairman, K. Chandradasa, V.
Chitravelu, secretary, and Sivananthavel.
The Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Cambridge, Massachusetts, achieved incorporation February 3, 1970. (Left to right, kneeling) Ramin Ashraf, Gary Gentzkow, and Manoucher Mohajeri; (standing) Samuel McClellan, Roberta Barrar, Rohanyyih Ashraf, Annette Chakerian, Kathleen Stanley, Frank Haendel.
Switzerland[edit]
Successful Swiss Bahá’í Winter School 1969-70. Held in Fiesch, in the Canton of Valais, there were one hundred eighty participants from fifteen nationalities, of which fifty were non-Bahá’ís.
CABLEGRAM RECEIVED FROM HAIFA, ISRAEL
February 20, 1970
GRIEVED NEWS PASSING MAIDSERVANT BAHÁ’U’LLÁH MAY SCHEFFLER PROMOTER FAITH FROM DAYS MASTER LONG TIME DEVOTED SERVICE NATIONAL OFFICE. CONVEY FAMILY ASSURANCE PRAYERS SHRINES PROGRESS HER SOUL RICH REWARD ABHÁ KINGDOM
A memorial service was held in the Bahá’í House of
Worship on the evening of February 19 for Mrs. May
Scheffler. Mrs. Scheffler passed away on February 18,
after a long life of constant service to the Bahá’í Faith.
She served many years at the Bahá’í House of Worship
as guide and teacher; on the hospitality committee; as
a member of the various teaching committees; and
faithfully, year after year, presented a friendly, efficient service to all who came to register at the national
conventions.
Most known of all to a host of friends who remain on this plane, and those who have preceded her to the Abhá Kingdom, was the hospitality of the Scheffler home in Evanston where the family lived for forty years. Theirs was an open house, a place at the table, and a warm welcome to Bahá’ís, their friends, and strangers who found their way from near and distant parts of the world. Back of this Bahá’í hospitality was the indefatigable service of May Scheffler, this devoted servant of Bahá’u’lláh.
The harmonious atmosphere of the Scheffler home, for which May Scheffler had such a unique gift; the cogent presentation of the teachings for which Carl Scheffler is remembered, along with his special stories of the Master (he having visited the Master in the Holy Land with Thornton Chase, the first American Bahá’í, in 1907); all created a milieu that was irresistible to most of the people who found their way to the countless firesides in that home. Many Bahá’ís today trace their awakening to the Bahá’í Teachings to these firesides.
The Master speaks of the spiritual unity that exists in a true Bahá’í marriage which, He states, will confer “eternal unity throughout all the divine worlds and improve the spiritual life of each other.” To the friends of May Scheffler, who feel her loss on this plane of existence, these words seem especially meaningful, remembering the spiritual atmosphere of the Scheffler home.
Mrs. Scheffler leaves two children, Harlan Scheffler and Mrs. Betty de Araujo, and two grandchildren, all of whom are active in the Bahá’í Faith.
Construction Starts on House of Worship for Panama[edit]
Letters from the National Spiritual Assembly of Panama bring the glad tidings that construction work at the site for the House of Worship for Panama is now proceeding after a prolonged rainy season and many holidays during December and January. Two large air compressors provide power for eight jack hammers as they excavate for the foundations in solid rock formation. The following pictures depict the scene and the work underway. They tell the story well, and we hope to present many more as the work progresses.
The first step in construction work: Building forms to be used
in pouring concrete for star-point walls. Forms will be 20 feet
high, 60 feet long, built in sections; then transported from
contractor’s yard to Temple site.
Staking out star points.
Machinery and men preparing to dig footings for star points.
Donna Kiser, right, pioneer in Bocas del Torro, visits Temple
site for first time with local believer, Teresa Buckley, and
National Spiritual Assembly secretary. Young man, far right,
is Santiago Bejerano, first and for the present, only Guaymi
Indian working on the Temple. Santiago started by shoveling
rock; has now been taught to operate a jack hammer, which
makes him very proud and happy.
First hole for star-point footing.
Steel reinforcement rods being placed for star-point footing.
[Page 11]
This photo shows progress in placing of steel reinforcement rods and the temporary office for the engineers.
First load of concrete coming up road to Temple site.
Preparing to pour first load of concrete.
Sign on Trans-Isthmiain Highway at entrance to Temple site.
Germany[edit]
The Bahá’ís of Stuttgart rented one of the most beautiful and best-known rooms in the city for this year’s World Religion Day meeting. They selected a theme, The Research of Peace and Religion’s Contributions to It, and had five speakers speak on it: A famous and well-known Protestant parson, a young Catholic theologian, a Hindu, a Muslim, and, of course, a Bahá’í. Some five thousand invitations were sent out; some four hundred non-Bahá’ís took part in this festive hour.
The meeting opened with excerpts from Holy Scriptures, and the whole program was enframed by music played by a youth orchestra. The climax of the program was a resolution composed by the speakers and read to the audience at the end of the hour. It read, approximately:
“The necessity of peace research is shown. The Federal President is asked to make it possible that such an institution for peace research is built up in Germany. The results should be told to the whole population, and there should be, also, occasions for discussing it. It is also said that television, radio, and the press can assist in the activity of peace research, and that there is to be found, primarily in the youth, a certain readiness for it.”
The Bahá’ís had printed five hundred copies of the exact text, and a copy was given to each person at the celebration. They also decided to send copies to the Federal President and to all ministers of public worship and education of the Federal Provinces.
Part of the audience and youth orchestra that celebrated World Religion Day in Stuttgart, Germany, this year.
Pennsylvania[edit]
Philadelphia — Carefully selected quotations from Bahá’u’lláh’s Writings, coupled with recent news items on subjects such as equality, the poor, celibacy of the clergy, and justice, provoked a series of questions from a Delaware County Presbyterian women’s circle early in February. Miss Joy Victory, who had been invited to meet with the group, was joined by Mrs. Edith Johnson as they answered questions on the purpose of creation, life after death, oneness of mankind, marriage, consultation, why we need a new prophet, and “the second coming.”
[Page 12]
CABLEGRAM RECEIVED FROM HAIFA, ISRAEL
February 23, 1970
GRIEVED LOSS DEDICATED SERVANT BAHÁ’U’LLÁH CURTIS KELSEY. HIS LONG TIRELESS LABORS MINISTRIES MASTER GUARDIAN AND SUBSEQUENT SERVICE AUXILIARY BOARD WESTERN HEMISPHERE PROVIDE OUTSTANDING EXAMPLE SELFLESS DEVOTION CAUSE GOD. CONVEY FAMILY ASSURANCE PRAYERS PROGRESS HIS SOUL ABHÁ KINGDOM.
Auxiliary Board member Curtis DeMude Kelsey
passed away February 20, 1970, while residing in Bradenton, Florida, and at the culmination of work on a
Florida state-wide deepening conference, for which Curtis was the guiding spirit. Shortly before this he had
undertaken a teaching circuit in the Hawaiian Islands.
During the past year he had engaged upon many
teaching visits in North America, including inspiring
participation in last year’s Alaskan Summer School
and in meetings with youth.
Mr. Kelsey’s death followed a serious operation in connection with the heart difficulty which had troubled, although not limited, him for many years. Born March 6, 1894, his age was just short of 76. Of those years, fifty-three had been spent in meritorious service to the Bahá’í Faith. He became a Bahá’í in 1917, following in the footsteps of his mother, an early Bahá’í.
By his wish, his funeral service was simple and private. He was interned in the Veterans Division of the Royal Palm Cemetery at St. Petersburg, Florida. A week later, March 1, two memorial services were held: One in his home in Bradenton; the other in Teaneck, New Jersey. Hand of the Cause of God John Robarts, Mrs. Sylvia Ioas, Mrs. Constance Baker, and Mrs. Margarite Ullrich participated in the Bradenton memorial.
Curtis was a historic figure in the Faith, his service spanning both its Heroic and Formative Ages. After serving in France during the First World War, in 1920 he was called by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to come to the Holy Land to set up the electric light plants contributed by Roy Wilhelm, another historic servant of the Faith later to be posthumously named Hand of the Cause of God.
Mr. Kelsey installed three light plants: One for the Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh at Bahjí; one at the Shrine of the Báb; one for the house of the Master. It was ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s wish that the two Holy Shrines be lighted simultaneously. Therefore, Curtis would work for two weeks on one, and an alternate two weeks on the other. Thus, although after His passing, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s wish was fulfilled. Both Shrines were illumined at the same time.
Mr. Kelsey remained in the Holy Land eight months, arriving there in September 1921. In November, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá ascended. During those weeks prior to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s ascension, Curtis visited many times with the Master and, as he would say, “always with great joy.” He has told his family and friends that his greatest impression of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was of His humility and service. Curtis determined to follow in his footsteps. Also he was greatly affected by a statement made to him by the Master. In the words of Curtis, “ ‘Abdu’l-Bahá said the only difference between Him and us was that He was dependent on Bahá’u’lláh every instant, and we sometimes forget.”
When he and his wife, Harriet, were on pilgrimage for twenty-six days in 1953, Mr. Kelsey again performed a service, this time under the beloved Guardian, by installing a pump and cistern to water the Shrine Gardens. At that time the Guardian told Harriet they should be very happy that all their children were Bahá’ís. These children are: Mary Louise Suhm, June Remignanti, Carol Rutstein, and Allyn Morgan Kelsey (the latter deceased in 1965). Not only these children, but also their husbands and wife are Bahá’ís. And of the fourteen Kelsey grandchildren, the four who have passed the age of fifteen have formalized their Bahá’í loyalty by declaration.
No praise can be too high to offer Harriet Morgan Kelsey, a Bahá’í at the time of her marriage to Curtis, for her steadfast devotion and assistance to her husband throughout his long service to the Faith. This reached a poignant height when, during his last illness, she carried out the last strenuous arrangements for the Florida state-wide conference long dreamed of by Mr. Kelsey and which occurred only one week before his passing.
Among the highpoints of his service, in which Harriet so unselfishly assisted him, was his appointment to the Auxiliary Board of the Western Hemisphere, following the decision of the Guardian in 1957 that the Auxiliary Board membership should be doubled. He first served on the Protection Board, and later on the Teaching Board. In all capacities he inspired both youth and adults, of all cultural backgrounds, with his talks on the Teachings and with his wonderful reminiscences of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. It was moving even to look at him — a tall, gentle man, silver-haired, with a warm smile and a face shining with the reflected spirit of the Master Whom he loved so dearly.
Falkland Islands[edit]
Margaret and John Leonard presenting The Proclamation of
Bahá’u’lláh to Sir Cosmo Haskard, Governor of the Falkland Islands, on November 12, 1969. The Governor commented that his diary contains a notation that two years previously the Bahá’ís had honored Bahá’u’lláh’s Birthday during a radio broadcast.
Bradenton, Florida[edit]
A State-Wide Bahá’í Family Gathering[edit]
(The Continental Board of Counsellors has graciously permitted us to share the following letter addressed to them and the Auxiliary Board members by the Hand of the Cause of God William Sears. It is such an inspiring account of the “State-wide Gathering” of the friends held in Bradenton Florida, February 14-15, that it is being published as a report of that event. An important item which Mr. Sears omitted was his own participation as the speaker for the very successful public meeting on the subject, “What’s Ahead for America.”)
Beloved co-workers, colleagues and friends:
This is a brief report on the joyous Bahá’í gathering held in Bradenton, Florida, during the past weekend. It was sponsored by the Continental Board of Counsellors of the Bahá’í Faith in North America, and was the inspiration and fondest wish of our dear friend and co-worker, Curtis Kelsey. It was in every way a smashing success!
For many years dearest Curtis has carefully planned, prayed for, and energetically worked for this end. All his fondest dreams came true. Although he himself had suffered a heart attack and could not participate, his presence was felt throughout every minute of the weekend gathering. The conference had that same wonderful spirit which permeates all the conferences called by the Continental Board of Counsellors, and had a special little extra “plus,” it seemed to those of us present. This was a feeling of a precious closeness to our beloved Master, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Throughout his sixty years of service to our cherished Cause, Curtis has always brought us especially close to the beloved Master. It seemed as though the Master were there at each session to fulfill every hope that Curtis had, and to see to the glorious fruition of all his plans....
The sessions for the Bahá’ís only were held in the Conquistador Room of the downtown Cabana Motel, and the room was well named: Conqueror. A large gathering of friends from all parts of Florida and from the adjoining states assembled there. Hand of the Cause of God John Robarts, National Spiritual Assembly member Jack McCants, Auxiliary Board members Mrs. Velma Sherrill and Dr. William Tucker, Mrs. Leroy Ioas, members of the International Goals Committee, and the dynamic youthful representative, Miss Linda Marshall, all took part in these proceedings; and I had the joy of participating as well.
The conference was especially blessed by the presence of John Birks “Dizzy” Gillespie, one of the great names in jazz music; Carol Rutstein, a talented artist, and blessed by being the daughter of Curtis Kelsey; Seals and Crofts, the new recording artists who have been attracting considerable attention wherever they play; and that shining star in the crown of Mr. Kelsey, his gifted wife Harriet, who is not only loved by Curtis, but much loved by all of us. In the session between public meetings on Sunday, a friend of Mr. Gillespie’s was so excited by his appearance in Bradenton that this gentleman brought along a bass fiddle player, a drummer, and himself on the piano, so that all of them together with “Dizzy” Gillespie might play a special session of impromptu music for the friends.
Sessions Well Attended[edit]
Not only were all the sessions of the Bahá’í gatherings well attended and the room filled to overflowing, but the public meetings held in the Municipal Auditorium of Bradenton exceeded the fondest dreams of all those who participated in the planning. The hall was packed, and it was necessary to seat the overflow crowd in the balcony which circles the auditorium.
On the Sunday morning of the final day, there was a delightful half-hour television show in which Hand of the Cause of God John Robarts, Miss Linda Marshall, and Mrs. Frisby of Bradenton all participated in a most effective and inspiring manner.
There were posters all over the city telling about the event, and showing the pictures of those who were to participate during the sessions. Newspaper articles were plentiful, and advertising also drew the attention of the entire area to this exciting event.
The entire spirit of this weekend was “a call to action.” Pioneers were there who were on their way to the Caribbean islands, to South America, to Africa, and to the South Pacific. Many more were inspired to volunteer their services during those uplifting sessions. The November 16 letter of our supreme Universal House of Justice was the keynote throughout, and all the speakers, participants, and consultation focused with a “flame-like intensity” upon this call to “heroic action.”
No doubt you will be hearing officially, and perhaps in more detail, from other sources regarding this delightful time we all had together, thanks to the foresight and vision of our beloved colleague, Curtis Kelsey. This is just an informal, quick-off-the-mark report, because the joy of those hours was too exciting not to share with you immediately.
Saturday Evening Prayers[edit]
On the Saturday night before the public meeting, there were groups in the various rooms in the motels and hotels where the friends were staying, who were reciting the “Remover of difficulties” five hundred times in order to attract the blessings from on high for the final day of that conference. Many of us circled about amongst the friends, from room to room, joining in the prayers. These sessions were conducted quietly, with dignity, and with a spirit of intense devotion to these crucial days that lie ahead.
Our beloved Master, and our beloved Guardian, seemed very close to all of us during these precious days. The spirit of our Universal House of Justice was a spur to encourage us on so the hopes of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi might be quickly realized, not only on the home front of America, but throughout the planet where we (the United States and Canada) have so many vital goals as the “co-heirs” of the Tablets of the Divine Plan.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá was brought even closer to us when a special gift was given to each one attending the sessions, by Mr. Kelsey, a very sweet and lovely picture of the beloved Master....
The urgency of these crucial days when, as our Universal House of Justice has pointed out, we are all entering “the dark heart of the age of transition” and may well be faced with many recurring crises that may
[Page 14]
place obstacles in the path of our freedom to teach, was
repeatedly placed before those gathered in Bradenton.
We all know only too well that the time is short. One of
the participants reminded us of those words of the
beloved Master carrying both the sorrow and the joy,
the difficulties and the promise, of these days:
“Thou hast written regarding the tests and trials to be manifested in the American countries. Know this, that hardship and misfortunes shall increase day by day, and the people will be distressed. The doors of joy and happiness will be closed upon all sides. Terrible wars shall happen. Disappointment and the frustration of hopes shall surround the people from every direction until they are obliged to turn to God. Then the lights of great happiness will enlighten the horizons, so that the cry of Yá-Bahá’u’l-Abhá may arise upon all sides. This will happen.”
The beloved Master wrote these words to Mrs. Brittingham in a Tablet in 1904, and we need only to look at the world around us to realize that these days are upon us. We shall never have a greater opportunity to awaken the friends to the possibilities of these days in which we are now living. They will never come again. We must not lose the opportunity of a second, an hour, a day, a month — every beat of the heart is precious.
A Debt of Gratitude[edit]
We all owe a debt of loving gratitude to Curtis for launching this wonderful gathering in Bradenton, for there seemed to be generated there a fresh spirit of consecration and sacrifice, and a determination on the part of all present that the days ahead will be quite unlike the days we left behind.
Although you were not with us in person, your dearly loved faces were always before us, and you were often in our thoughts and prayers.
With warmest and tenderest love, on behalf of dearest Curtis, I send you this all-too-inadequate report.
| February 17, 1970 | —WILLIAM SEARS |
The gathering received a personal welcome from the
Mayor of Bradenton and written greetings from the
Governor of Florida. Mr. Sears’ “Wake Up America!”
was a dynamic Bahá’í talk, bringing the entire occasion to a rising crescendo of purpose and resolve. Mr.
Robarts, in his talk especially emphasized the power
and efficacy of the long obligatory prayer.
Mr. Sears told a story of how one Latin America local assembly had used its entire resources of $3.10 to buy a copy of Some Answered Questions. Later, on a bus, an editor noticed an assembly member carrying the book. His interest was so aroused that he gave the Bahá’ís extensive newspaper publicity and helped them obtain free radio publicity.
California[edit]
San Rafael Bahá’ís joined with other communities and groups in Marin County to observe World Religion Day as part of the Unity Octave 1970 week-long observances in San Rafael. John Fleming, of San Francisco, was chairman for the January 18 Bahá’í meeting, which drew the largest audience of the programs held throughout the week.
Kaduna, Nigeria[edit]
The first teaching conference ever held in Northern Nigeria was convened in Kaduna in December 1969. All of the fourteen newly enrolled Bahá’ís attended one or more sessions. A feature of the conference was a session for translation of some of the prayers and Hidden Words into Yoruba, one of the more than two hundred languages of Nigeria. Following the conference, the Kaduna Bahá’ís made individual teaching folders consisting of photographs and charts illustrating some of the basic teachings of the Faith.
Africa[edit]
Members of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of
Uganda and Central Africa. (Seated) Tokolamu Okello, chairman, Javan Gutosi, vice-chairman, Sospater Isimai, secretary,
Mrs. Elizabeth Olinga, treasurer. (Standing) Albert Ochamodek, Julius Nambafu, John Simon Omiyo, Moses Senoga,
Augustine Masatti.
Three Bahá’í Institutes have been built this year and two
are operational. Each institute accommodates thirty-two students at a time, and courses last for ten days, during which
the friends are deepened in the spiritual teachings, the laws,
and on individual responsibilities as Bahá’ís.
El Salvador[edit]
An All-Salvador Deepening Conference in San Salvador, El
Salvador, sponsored by the National Spiritual Assembly. The
conference was convened at the home of Quentin and Jeanne
Farrand.
Honduras[edit]
The Hondureño Teaching Institute for Indigenous Teachers, held at Karbila, near
Tegucigalpa, Honduras, December 24-26.
Guatemala[edit]
Pioneers and Bahá’ís of Guatemala City, January 3, 1970, grouped outside the Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds, when Universal House of Justice Member David Ruhe visited there.
Australian Summer Schools, B.E. 126[edit]
This year has again witnessed a fusion in love and harmony of friends of all ages, from diverse backgrounds, into one unified community at the summer schools. Pakistan, India, Egypt, Israel, South Africa, Scotland, Persian, and all Australian states were represented; there were Bahá’ís from Jewish, Christian, Hindu, and Muslim backgrounds.
The attendance was small until Christmas eve, but then rapidly built up to full capacity. Both schools functioned smoothly, with due credit going both to management and the cooperation of the friends.
Talks on the lives of the Báb, Bahá’u’lláh, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and Shoghi Effendi were universally enjoyed. “We heard of the tremendous power that the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh exerted over all those who came in contact with them. We were moved by accounts of incidents in the lives of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi....” In a talk on Shoghi Effendi, Mrs. Joy Bohradsky included a history of the Faith’s development in Australia.
A detailed study of the Kitáb-i-Íqán was undertaken in one session, and Frank Khan’s knowledge of Islamic scriptures was of great benefit to the friends in this study.
The first meeting each afternoon dealt with one of the principles of the Faith, with speakers emphasizing how these principles provide valuable solutions for which the world is crying.
The evening programs tended to be taken at a more leisurely pace. One new feature which all felt should be kept on and developed was the holding of a “musical evening” at each school. On one evening a scene from The Chosen Highway was enacted by the children; and prior to another evening’s program, a session of prayers for teaching in Australia and Samoa was held.
The schools have witnessed a steadily increasing enthusiasm which cannot but culminate in an unanimous resolve to teach the Faith with renewed enthusiasm and utmost endeavor.
Australia Celebrates 50th Anniversary[edit]
Australia’s first National Teaching Conference, held in Adelaide, South Australia, on January 23-25, commemorated the fiftieth anniversary of the Bahá’í Faith in Australia.
The conference was attended by Hand of the Cause of God H. Collis Featherstone, Board of Counsellors member Howard Harwood, Auxiliary Board member John Davidson, seven members of the National Spiritual Assembly, as well as some one hundred and thirty friends from most of the states of Australia. In addition, four Bahá’ís from the Solomon Islands and the New Hebrides Islands were present, and two newly-enrolled Aboriginal believers.
This highly successful gathering resulted in the rising of six pioneers, four traveling teachers, and the pledge of a piece of land to fulfill an endowment goal.
Mr. Harry Penrith, Aboriginal believer, addressing the first
National Teaching Conference, Adelaide, South Australia, January 1970. Four Bahá’ís from the Solomon Islands and the
New Hebrides Islands were among the many guests at the
conference.
Australia’s first National Teaching Conference, Adelaide, South Australia, January 23-25, marks the fiftieth anniversary of the introduction of the Bahá’í Faith into Australia.
Spirited Crowd Packs Education Conference[edit]
An unexpectedly large crowd of nearly one thousand Bahá’ís attended the first National Bahá’í Conference on Education on February 20-22, in Wilmette, Illinois. The conference was sponsored by the National Spiritual Assembly through its North American Bahá’í Office for Human Rights as part of the Bahá’í observances of the United Nations International Education Year.
Meeting for deepening in the Writings and to make recommendations to the National Spiritual Assembly, the huge gathering of friends from all regions of the United States, representing many minorities and walks of life, brought a unique spirit to Wilmette, and the spirit was sustained throughout the three-day conference.
The agenda itself reflected great unity in diversity. The roster of eight speakers included persons from the black, American Indian, and African Indian minorities, as well as parents, students, and professional educators. This element of diversity extended to the twenty-three workshops which met three times during the conference and made more than one hundred recommendations in the area of proclamation and teaching to the National Spiritual Assembly.
Dr. Daniel Jordan set the tone for the meetings in his opening talk in Foundation Hall at the House of Worship on Friday evening. The purpose of education in this new Dispensation, he said, was to free man “to become the true spiritual being that God had in mind when He created him.”
Meetings Move to College Facilities[edit]
As planned, subsequent meetings on Saturday and Sunday were held in the facilities of the National College of Education. There, on Saturday evening, Poova Murday of Fort Meyers, Florida, declared that only the Bahá’ís can be the educators of mankind, because only they have a grasp of the spiritual teachings which can free man to become their true spiritual selves.
Stressing the special role of American Bahá’ís, he said, “Americans, in comparison to the rest of mankind, are all highly educated. The key question is: What are you going to do with all this education?”
Pioneer! was his answer; and he underscored it by asking a number of Bahá’ís who are going pioneering to come to the stage and tell about their plans.
On Saturday, earlier in the day, Mrs. Victoria De Lee, Richard Thomas, and Bob Henderson made presentations which emphasized the need for education and justice for the minorities so that individuals in all walks of life may realize their potentials. And Edward Carpenter, Headmaster of Harlem Preparatory School in New York City (a widely acclaimed school located in a converted supermarket in Harlem), presented his “Models for Change.”
Dr. Stanwood Cobb Honored[edit]
Dr. Stanwood Cobb received a standing ovation from the spirited crowd, as he received a plaque of the Greatest Name from Mr. Carpenter, for his long service as a writer, teacher, and administrator in the field of education. Dr. Cobb spoke eloquently on how he became a Bahá’í and how ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had spiritualized his ideas of education.
A set of engaging presentations occupied the Saturday afternoon session. A multi-media presentation, using sound and slide images, emphasized the joy of educating children. A pioneering presentation spoke of “the pioneer as a spiritual educator,” and featured talks by veteran pioneers. The Laubach Literacy Method was demonstrated as a simple tool which Bahá’ís could use to teach people to read and write. A microteaching presentation, using closed circuit television, focused on proper consultation techniques.
First National Bahá’í Education Conference, Wilmette, Illinois, February 20-22, 1970.
[Page 18]
House of Worship Chorus and Mr. and Mrs. James C. Allen entertain at National Education Conference, Wilmette, Illinois, February 20-22.
There was also a “walk-through” happening, consisting of a sixty-foot long sausage of vinyl in which
colored slides were projected and music played. The
lesson here was the need to re-orient our senses, to see
things with a different perspective in this radiant century.
A Cappella Chorus Participates[edit]
On Sunday, the conference closed with great joy and spiritual power. The Bahá’í Choir, which sings at the House of Worship, led off. A puppet demonstration followed; then Gary Hillaire of the Lummi Indian tribe explained how the Indian finds true education through nature.
Dr. Dwight Allen, Dean of the School of Education at the University of Massachusetts, gave a summation of the conference and spoke of “where do we go from here?” Characterizing it as “a screaming success,” because of the feeling of unity and spirit, Dr. Allen frankly admitted that it was just the beginning, and that no one at this point in history can understand the full scope of Bahá’í education. He said that the more than one hundred recommendations submitted to the National Spiritual Assembly would, no doubt, stimulate meaningful action by Bahá’í institutions.
In addition to action at the administrative level, Dr. Allen stressed the importance of individual action. Bahá’ís should think of ways to implement their own educational concepts, as seen in the light of the Sacred Writings, he said.
It was felt by many that the meetings were some of the most spirited in recent memory, and that it was a very encouraging kick-off to proclamation activities during International Education Year. The conference ended on the same spiritual note on which it had begun, with singing by the whole gathering and the chanting of a prayer.
California[edit]
San Rafael, California, World Religion Day meeting, January 18, Mrs. Florence Mayberry, Auxiliary Board member, speaking.
Auxiliary Board member Mrs. Florence Mayberry discusses
the Faith following World Religion Day meeting in San Rafael,
California, January 18.
[Page 19]
Celebration of the close of the school year at the Indian Bahá’í School, Lagoa Grande, Bahía, Brazil.
BRAZIL[edit]
Lagoa Grande Indian School[edit]
Two hundred persons, including municipal dignitaries, were present at the celebration of the end of the school year of the Bahá’í Indian School at Lagoa Grande on November 23, 1969.
Representing the National Spiritual Assembly were Sras. Guitty Milani, and Touba Maani and her daughter Shahla of Vitória, Espírito Santo, who had traveled to Mirandela in the state of Bahía for this purpose and to offer the congratulations of the National Assembly to the intrepid Bahá’í teacher, Sra. Durvalina Santos, who has traveled about an hour in each direction, day after day through hot sun and drowning rains, on foot or on burrow, to reach her beloved school and to impart a rudimentary education to these isolated children. There were many speeches of congratulations.
Sr. Mario Furtado, head of the Regional Indian Foundation, read several pages of the Writings of the Guardian about the future civilization, and its requirements, and concluded by reading one of the Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh.
The formal celebration was followed by a luncheon served to those present.
The National Assembly representatives also visited the communities of Salvador, Lauro de Freitas, São Cristovão, and Portão, in the same region of Bahía, stimulating them all to increased activity and, especially, to teach the many children of the region who are eager to have the Bahá’í training. They also had successful interviews with the television channels with the largest audiences, where they were surrounded during two hours by interested reporters for Tribuna da Bahía and A Tarde. These resulted in other published interviews, both about the Faith itself and in action in the school of Lagoa Grande.
Progress in Indian Teaching[edit]
Because of recent trips of Bahá’ís to the Indian Community near Mirandela, Bahía, and near Maceió, Alagoas, as well as to the Regional FUNAI headquarters in Recife, and finally to the National FUNAI headquarters in Brasilia, three very important leaders of the National Indian Foundation have expressed themselves as very favorable to the Faith and its activities among the Indians of Brazil. One of them has said, in part:
“... this which the Bahá’ís do, I like. They use a wonderful psychology.”
Traveling Teachers[edit]
The newly-named member of the Continental Board of Counsellors, Mas’ud Khamsi, was in Brazil from December 24 to December 30. He met and consulted with the National Spiritual Assembly, and on Christmas Day visited the Persian friends of the state of São Paulo. Next, he met with the Bahá’í youth of this region and, finally, representatives of the various committees of this state at a combined meeting.
Auxiliary Board members Osmar Mendes and Edmund Miessler have visited the Bahá’í communities in the states of São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Guanabara, and Minas Gerais during the past month. Other teachers have made important teaching trips, including one to Niteroi, which is now calling for help from the National Youth Committee to plan for action that may attract the younger element to the Faith.
Colombia[edit]
Youth, “in a wonderful atmosphere of love and happiness,”
at a recent institute for the training of traveling teachers (for
the area of the Chocá) in Medellin, Colombia.
Seychelles Islands[edit]
The first inter-island teaching conference and school was held on the Island of La Digue, some twenty-five miles east of Mahe on Sunday, January 12.
Some thirty Bahá’ís sailed to Praslin Island on the eleventh for an overnight stop and visit with Bahá’ís there. Early Sunday morning some sixty Bahá’ís sailed from Praslin to La Digue. Upon arrival, they walked together to the conference hall some two miles away. At both Praslin and La Digue, the islanders were impressed at the number of Bahá’ís visiting their islands.
This meeting of the friends from the three main islands of the Seychelles group afforded them an opportunity to discuss how they can best spread the Message of Bahá’u’lláh before Riḍván 1970, and was classified by them as an “unforgettable unity gathering.”
CAMEROON[edit]
Bafang Bahá’í Community, Cameroon Republic, February 1970.
Bahá’í Community of Tangang, Cameroon Republic, the day they dedicated their Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds, January 15, 1970.
Some of the Bahá’ís who came to Abong Mbang, East Cameroon, to celebrate Bahá’u’lláh’s Birthday.
Local Spiritual Assembly of Tangang, Cameroon Republic, on the day they dedicated their Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds, January 15, 1970.
[Page 21]
Lobe Estate Bahá’í Community, Cameroon Republic, December 1969, gathered for deepening classes — and celebrating birth of a new baby.
Extension course participants at New Era Teaching Institute,
Edea, East Cameroon, December 1969: (left to right) Samuel
Mba, Anthony Ude, John Besong, Karen Bare (teacher and
pioneer), Kamakes Raphael, Joseph Pamol (teacher) Joseph
Egbe, Joseph Nga, Anthony Tabi, James Agbor (visitor, secretary L.S.A. Douala).
Bahá’í Community of Kupe, Cameroon Republic, at celebration of Bahá’u’lláh’s Birthday, 1969.
[Page 22]
Members of the 1969-70 National Spiritual Assembly of the
Bahá’ís of Spain: (left to right — front) Fernando Sanz, Parvin
Jimenez, José Lopez, R. Mehrabkhani; (rear) Isidro Torrella,
Miguel Medina, D. Forghani, Antonio Jimenez, Emilio Egea.
SPAIN[edit]
Publicity[edit]
Since the Bahá’í Faith was legalized in Spain in June 1968, the press has done a great service for the proclamation of the Faith. More than fifty articles have been published in newspapers and magazines, some of them in the form of extensive reports taking more than a whole page.
In order to publish a “Bahá’í News” in Spain, it was necessary to follow a long, legal procedure that is standard with any periodical. After permission was obtained, all details about our Bahá’í News Bulletin were published in the Official Government Bulletin. Since this Bulletin has a great diffusion, it attracted many people, among them the directors of news agencies who sent journalists to make reports about the Faith. Consequently, more articles appeared in the newspapers.
The National Spiritual Assembly has appointed a new committee to answer the letters that are pouring in from all parts of the country. Even from Germany, as we received a letter from a Spanish person there whose family had sent him newspapers. The ones that wish to learn more about the Faith receive a correspondence course, and whenever possible the Bahá’ís travel to meet them.
International Meetings[edit]
Two meetings of an international character were held in Spain in January. On January 17, in the local Bahá’í Center of Barcelona, the National Spiritual Assembly hosted a meeting of the Continental Board of Counsellors for Europe, with their Auxiliary Board members from southern Europe. Consultations were held on the progress of the Nine Year Plan and ways to assure its fulfillment in the various countries represented. In addition to Board of Counsellors members Dorothy Ferraby and Eric Blumenthal, this gathering was attended by three Auxiliary Board members from Italy, two from Switzerland, one from France, one from Portugal, and two from Spain.
On that evening, all of the Board members met with Bahá’ís from the entire northeastern region of Spain. About one hundred and twenty Bahá’ís gathered at the Bahá’í Center of Terrasa.
A week later, in Madrid, the National Spiritual Assembly hosted the first Iberian Conference, at the request of the Continental Board of Counsellors. This gathering was privileged to have the attendance of Hand of the Cause of God Dr. Ugo Giachery, as well as the three Auxiliary Board members for the Peninsula, Miss Sara Tiffon, Mrs. Maria Marques, and Charles M. Ioas. This meeting, on January 24-25, also afforded the National Teaching Committee an opportunity to meet and forge specific plans for greater cooperation on an international level.
New Zealand’s 1970 Summer School[edit]
The annual summer school was held at Mangere Marae from the afternoon of January 4 to the morning of January 9 in beautiful weather; and in surroundings “symbolizing the teachings of the Bahá’í Faith,” as one young Maori guest said, as she walked around the buildings and gazed at the display of posters and pictures inside the dining hall.
Attendance was around twenty-four people sleeping each night and an average of twelve more from Auckland area each day. The program included studies on prayer and meditation, The Advent of Divine Justice, and the Covenant of Bahá’u’lláh. There was a very stimulating workshop on the Bahá’í community, and talks on “Our Commitment as Bahá’ís,” “The Challenge of Travel Teaching,” and “Knowing Our Faith.” Three panel discussions were presented in which people from outside the community participated: Religion Faces Today’s World; The Maori Contribution to New Zealand — Past and Future; and, To Unite the World.
During the course of the sessions, questions of prayer and consultation arose, and on the last evening those attending took part in a mock election of a local spiritual assembly. Those elected then consulted on questions that had arisen, and several recommendations were sent to the National Spiritual Assembly for consideration in planning the next summer school.
Of particular interest was the large number of youth of both sexes in attendance and the interest and dedication to the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and the Guardian.
A highlight of the activities was the picnic at Hyde-Dunne Memorial property in Candia Road, Henderson, during which two Idesia trees were planted by Miss Kitty Carpenter and Hugh Blundell. For those who had not seen the property, it was a breathtaking experience: The beauty of the trees and stream; the peace of that seemingly isolated spot, which is actually not far from a main road; the knowledge that it is close to fifty years since Mother and Father Dunn, to whom the spot is dedicated, came to Australia, bringing the Message of Bahá’u’lláh to us all.
An added delight to the end of the summer school was the arrival back in Auckland of the youth returning from the conference held in Western Samoa.
[Page 23]
On January 9, the Mayor of Delhi, India, Hansraj Gupta (second from left), signed a proclamation declaring January 18 as World Religion Day for the City of Delhi.
A teaching conference in Madanpalli Village, Andhra Pradesh, India, October 14, 1969. All residents of the village are Bahá’ís, and belong to the Lambadi tribe.
Bahá’í Conference on Education - One of the many workshops, Wilmette, Illinois.
[Page 24]
A Bahá’í youth at booklet and pamphlet display on street in Mantova, Italy, November 7-11, 1969.
Italy[edit]
The first full-scale Bahá’í proclamation week in Italy was held in Mantova, November 7-11, 1969, a small town in the heart of the peninsula. The aim was to reach the greater part of the population of the city and have the Faith known, at least in name, to all strata of society in a certain area. Copies of The Proclamation of Bahá’u’lláh were presented to leading local dignitaries.
The week’s activities included public conferences, round-table discussions, a concert, and the showing of slides. Attendance was numerous, and a lively interest was shown by those present. Long discussion periods would always follow the meetings. Publicity was good before and after the week, not only in local papers but also in some well-known papers read all over central Italy.
Many people expressed the desire to follow-up at firesides, and the head of the police congratulated the Bahá’ís on their meetings and expressed the hope that the Faith would grow as he believed the Teachings were directed towards the well-being of humanity. Experience has shown that it is possible to arouse the interest of people in a provincial town, and it will be an incentive to improve the methods to further spread the Faith in Italy.
California[edit]
The Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of National
City, California, achieved incorporation October 8,
1969. (Left to right, standing) Robert Anderson,
Arnold Stein, Melvin Chester, Charles Farmer and
Blair Fuller; (seated) George Loxterman, Patty Loxterman, Betty Farmer, and Levina Fuller.
BAHÁ’Í NEWS is published for circulation among Bahá’ís only 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.
BAHÁ’Í NEWS is edited by an annually appointed Editorial Committee: Mr. Aaron Bowen, Managing Editor; Mrs. Eunice Braun, International Editor; Miss Charlotte Linfoot, National Spiritual Assembly Representative; Mr. Rexford C. Parmelee, Mrs. Sylvia Parmelee.
Material must be received by the twenty-fifth of the second month preceding date of issue. Address: Bahá’í News Editorial Office, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois 60091, U.S.A.
Change of address should be reported directly to National Bahá’í Center, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois, U.S.A. 60091.
