Bahá’í News/Issue 492/Text
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| No. 492 | BAHA’I YEAR 128 | MARCH, 1972 |
|
The Universal House of Justice Makes Joyous Announcement
—THE UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE
Haifa, Israel |
Historic Background of the Panama Temple[edit]
Nineteen thirty-nine—it was a terrible year, a wonderful
year! Storm clouds of ominous portent were soon to unleash a fury which would plunge practically the entire
“civilized” world into a flaming, churning holocaust of
hate, carnage, blood-shed and mass destruction. God’s
Army of Light was galvanizing its forces to burst through
the darkness, resplendent and glorious, to gather together a suffering mankind, amalgamated by the tests of
a fiery ordeal, into a vibrant, vital, pulsating organic
whole in which the little country of Panama was destined
to rise to a position of world importance and a point of
unity for “the North and the South, the East and the
West.” Here is the story of its beginnings.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Divine Plan[edit]
In 1919 the devout followers of Bahá’u’lláh in the United States gathered in New York City for their Eleventh Annual Convention and Bahá’í Congress. During the sessions, a series of Tablets from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, now known as the Tablets of the Divine Plan, were unveiled. Among them there was one which mentioned, in order, each one of the Latin American countries. It continued: “All the above countries have great importance, but especially the Republic of Panama, wherein the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans come together through the Panama Canal. It is a center for travel and passage from America to other continents of the world and in the future it will gain great importance.1
“... now is the time ... Become angels of heaven and travel and teach through all these regions.”2 Again He said, “... That place (Panama) will become very important in the future. The teachings, once established there, will unite the East and the West, the North and the South.”3
First to Arise to the Divine Summons[edit]
While many of the assembled friends were overwhelmed by the message conferring upon that enviable nation (the United States) its great spiritual mission, only one arose in immediate obedience to the challenging summons of Latin American conquest contained in it. Martha Root, extolled by the beloved Shoghi Effendi in 1939 as ‘The first, finest fruit which the Formative Age of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh has as yet produced ...”4 responded at once. This “foremost Hand of the first Bahá’í century”5 blazed her historic trail throughout Latin America and then around the world. Among the many honors she won was that of being the first Bahá’í to carry the news of God’s great redemptive Message to that small country “wherein the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans come together.”6
Arriving at the port of Balboa, October 25, 1919, she exerted herself to the utmost during her stay of one week. The first articles placed by a Bahá’í appeared in the local press, public talks were given at the Ancon Club House and the Union Church in Balboa, and the “doctors of the Canal Zone ports, ... the British Minister, and several ... of the American Governmental officials”7 received the Message directly from her. While it was impossible for her to visit the leper colony of Palo Seco, she sent literature and candies to these unfortunate souls.
From the date of the first tilling of the soil until May, 1939, the land lay fallow except for a sprinkling of Bahá’ís who tossed out a few handfulls of seed as they passed through Panama enroute to South American countries.
First Seven Year Plan in the United States[edit]
Meanwhile slowly and patiently the beloved Guardian during a sixteen year period, guided the highly favored North American Community in the erection of the machinery of their Administrative Order and set it into motion. By 1939 the first phase of the first Seven Year Plan (1937-1944) had been successfully executed through its instrumentality.
That year Shoghi Effendi called upon the friends assembled in the Annual Convention to arise to the second stage of the Plan—the “systematic penetration of Latin America,” through a “methodical advance along the line traced by the pen of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.”8 He urged them to bend their energies employing the newly constructed machinery in accordance with the primary purpose for which it was designed and erected, “promoting the growth and consolidating the pioneer movement.”9
First Pioneer Teacher in Panama[edit]
Of the many assembled friends, again one soul heard the call for Panama and arose at once. Thus, Mathew Kaszab won the enviable distinction of being the first (though temporary) pioneer teacher to Panama. He plunged into the arena with a fever of activity and dedication typical of his “unforgettable” service to the Cause during the few remaining years of his gloriously tragic life.
The Arrival of a Group of Pioneers[edit]
Immediately upon his arrival in Panama (May 18, 1939) Mathew launched a vigorous proclamation campaign through the press, radio and public talks. Interested souls were attracted and by October the first permanent pioneers, Louise Caswell and Cora Oliver, arrived along with John Eichenaur (enroute to El Salvador). The first Bahá’í in Panama had been found and the story which future history will record had begun to unfold.
The first two weeks of October, 1939 were a feast of “joyous spiritual association of five Bahá’ís”10 in Panama. John Eichenaur continued to his proposed destination and Mathew Kaszab departed for Nicaragua, the final phase of his pioneer service and life of selfless dedication to Bahá’u’lláh. Louise and Cora began to implant their roots deep in the soil of the lives of the people, to become an integral part of their new homeland.
The first step of the new pioneers was to enroll in the National University to learn the language, make valuable friends and exploit all possibilities such associations had to offer. During the ensuing months the range of their activities was wide, cutting across all levels and strata of society. Regular study classes were organized and pursued relentlessly. A center was established. Opportunities were seized for mass proclamation. The Message of Bahá’u’lláh was carried to all levels, from the President of the Republic to the humble, the meek and the lowly. Lasting bonds of personal love and affection, and sentiments of warm sympathy for the Faith were quickly gained. However, the excitement of the entry into the Faith in great numbers was destined to be the portion of others who followed in their wake, and Cora and Louise toiled in other Central American countries. While the winning of new souls was slow, it was, nevertheless, a sure process, as time has proven by the record of service and dedication of the group of first believers.
Steady Growth of the Faith[edit]
In a very short time the significance of the Guardian’s observation: “Though politically unsettled, religiously intolerant, socially backward and climatically inhospitable, these unexplored territories hold forth inestimable prizes for audacious adventures in the path of Bahá’í service,”11 assumed new dimensions. Cora and Louise reported shortly after their arrival: “We see all races mingling in apparent harmony and on a footing of equality. However, deeper investigation has revealed that the attitude of superiority of the Zone people is subtly influencing the Panamanians in favor of light skin. Recently we saw a school parade of medieval splendor, of much formality, priestly robes, artificial flowers and a statue of the Virgin. The educators, priests and nuns belong to an age that has passed. The solemn faces of the children testify to this. The different races were grouped together and the white superiority was implied by the chosen angels who were of the white race. At the University, preference is shown, as only two members of the staff are of Negro background while the majority of the students are on the dark side. We have also learned that no dark skinned people hold high political offices. The presence of two white women attending the University exemplifies the teaching that deeds are more powerful than words....”
“Driven by the unforeseen forces of a benign destiny the people of Panama are as yet unaware of the fact that they are being welded into a body politic evincing the oneness of humanity.”12
The pioneers developed “those qualities of renunciation, tenacity, dauntlessness and passionate fervor that can alone brave the dangers and sweep away the obstacles with which an infant Faith, struggling against vested interests and face to face with the entrenched forces of prejudice, of ignorance and fanaticism, must needs contend.”13
Cora and Louise grew; the Faith grew, new pioneers came. By April 1944, the Second World War was well into its darkest hours with pain and suffering gripping the vitals of the major part of the world. In the Western Hemisphere, the light of Bahá was increasing in intensity. The Faith had been firmly launched and the direction of its course in Panama had been set. A firm group of loyal and steadfast believers had been established.
Inter-American Conference Celebrating Centenary of Declaration of the Báb[edit]
Upon Alfred Osborne fell the honor of representing Panama at the Inter-American Conference commemorating the Centenary of the Declaration of the Báb (May, 1944). The curtain was being lowered on the first stage
Recent photograph of the House of Worship. Note workmen at top beginning to lay tiles to encase the dome. The building will be floodlighted at night.
[Page 4]
of the first epoch of the unfoldment of the Divine Plan.
God’s slowly advancing army was gaining strength and
preparing its associates for its future tasks of radiating
the new Light to the entire world.
With the convening of the All-American Teaching Conference (May 1944) in Wilmette in association with the Centenary Celebrations, the first chapter of the Panama story came to an end and a new chapter was about to begin. The first part of this chronicle dealt with Panama as an isolated unit. The second part knit her fate together with her sister Republics with which the next seventeen years was to be intimately associated. It was a period of internal development and external collaboration during which her star began to arise in fulfilment of her destiny.
The goal for this period as set forth by Shoghi Effendi for the deliberation of the assembled delegates was as follows:
“... to deliberate on the measures to reinforce the ties binding them to their Sister Community, unitedly devise means for the inauguration of teaching campaigns in their respective Republics, the dissemination of Bahá’í literature, the multiplication of administrative centers as preliminary steps in the formation of Bahá’í National Assemblies, and lend impetus to the prosecution of any enterprise launched to carry still further the Plan conceived by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá for the American Bahá’í Community.”14
As a direct result of the consultation which followed, the Literature Distribution Committee for Central America, was appointed to facilitate the flow of literature being published in Chile. Its members were Alfred Osborne (Chairman), Louise Caswell, Cora Oliver and Julie Regal. To further cement the bonds among the various countries, a Special Bulletin Committee was established with Alfred Osborne as Editor and Professor Edelberto Torres, Assistant Editor. The difficult task of gathering news from each country was begun and the first Bahá’í News Bulletin in Spanish appeared in March, 1945. Panama, along with its sisters began to contribute its share to the slowly growing volume of translations and pamphlets suitable for wide distribution. The Inter-American Committee geared itself for a fresh outpouring of pioneers and itinerant teachers.
Growth of the Administration[edit]
As for Panama, its first and most important task still remained—the establishment of the first of the bedrock institutions to sustain the weight of yet another of the pillars buttressing the future Universal House of Justice. Already Local Spiritual Assemblies had been established in the capital cities of Mexico, Guatemala, San Salvador, Tegucigalpa and San Jose. Panama lagged behind. Through a concerted effort on the part of pioneers, native Bahá’ís and traveling teachers, the goal was won at Riḍván 1945 with the formation of the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Panama City. It was further consolidated by legal incorporation in 1947 through the voluntary assistance of a non-Bahá’í friend, Dr. Javier Laso de la Vega.
The newly established Local Spiritual Assembly arose to prove its strength in the field of extension teaching. Mrs. Louise Caswell moved to Colon where before the end of the year the first Bahá’í group was organized. A group was also formed in the Canal Zone Southern District.
While the main field of action was in Latin America, predominating roles were played by the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, the Inter-American Teaching Committee and the International School in Colorado Springs, Colorado (the generous gift of Mrs. Loulie Mathews by pioneers and traveling teachers, and in fact, the entire body of believers from that country.
The newly enrolled servants in Bahá’u’lláh’s path responded. Teachers began to arise to swell the ranks beyond the frontiers of their local communities. There was need for deepening and that broader association so essential to a fuller appreciation of the power and magnitude of Bahá’u’lláh’s great design.
First Latin-American Teaching Conference[edit]
The Inter-American Committee called for the first Latin-American Teaching Conference, January 20-26, 1946. In consultation with the Guardian, the honor of hosting this first important gathering was bestowed upon Panama.
Later the account of the Conference was published in the Bahá’í World, Volume X from which the following excerpts are quoted:
“Like an echo of the historic 1944 Bahá’í Centennial Celebration, similarly significant in the creative force it released and in the wide-spread repercussions it caused, the First Latin American Bahá’í Teaching Conference, held in Panama City from January 20th to 25th, 1946, will ever stand out as one of those portentous and definite milestones in the unfoldment of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Divine Plan. It marked a new stage in the expansion of the Cause and in the growing strength and harmony of its already established units.
“The idea of this Conference was conceived in the summer of 1945 and enthusiastically stimulated, especially by Mrs. Loulie Mathews, whose contribution to the Inter-America teaching work, since its very beginning, has been unique.
“The National Spiritual Assembly (of the United States) and Inter-America Committee were represented officially at the Panama Conference by Mrs. Amelia Collins, a member of both of these bodies. At one of the sessions of the Conference, Mrs. Collins spoke especially on Bahá’í Administration, stressing its vital importance and clarifying many of its functions and institutions. Native believers from ten of the Latin American Centers, and eight of the North American pioneers gathered in Panama City, and in a marvelous spirit of brotherhood and unity each contributed his or her part to the well-rounded program of this Conference. Mornings were devoted to informal sessions during which an intensive study was conducted of the Guardian’s latest book, God Passes By, of administration and of teaching methods.
“In the evenings public lectures were arranged with talks on some of the basic Teachings of the Faith, such as ‘Unity of Religion,’ ‘Progressive Revelation,’ ‘Oneness of Mankind,’ and ‘Divine Art of Living.’ The largest and most impressive public session was held Friday evening, January 25th, in the main auditorium of the Inter-American University which had been graciously placed at the disposal of the Conference Committee. Participating with two Bahá’í speakers, Dr. Octavio Mendez Pereira, Rector of the University and Delegate from Panama to the San Francisco Conference for the establishment of United Nations Organization, gave one of the principal addresses. Under the all-over theme of ‘Peace,’ Dr. Mendez Pereira spoke on the ‘Problem of Peace in the Light of the San Francisco Conference’ and brought out the need for a pact both more universal and more spiritual than that embodied in the U.N.O. Charter. Miss Elizabeth Cheney followed, delineating for her audience the ‘Lesser Peace,’ spoken of by Bahá’u’lláh. As a glorious climax and fitting close to this important public meeting and to the Conference itself, Mrs. Gayle Woolson, in her address on ‘The Most Great Peace’ unfolded the vision of that time when the ‘Lesser Peace,’ achieved mostly through the statesmen and rulers of the world, will be followed by the Golden Age of Bahá’u’lláh.
“Once more, in a measure unapproached since the Centenary, was the bond of unity between the followers of Bahá’u’lláh throughout the Hemisphere reinforced and
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a new impulse given to the Cause as a whole, creating in
all those present fresh determination to join their forces
to coordinate their activities and efforts, and with radiant
spirits to rededicate themselves to the advancement of
the Bahá’í Faith, in all of its aspects, throughout their
native lands.
“To a degree far exceeding the hopes and expectations of those instrumental in its planning, this unprecedented event aided, and contributed to, the growth of the Faith in Latin America, giving a fresh impulse to the coinciding processes of consolidation and of the expansion of the Cause. In the months immediately following it became increasingly evident that a firmer bond of understanding and fellowship had welded together the component parts of the Western Hemisphere, into a unified whole.”15
(To be continued)
Notes:
- Tablets of the Divine Plan, p. 10
- ibid, p. 11
- ibid, p. 26
- Messages to America, p. 30
- ibid
- ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in Advent of Divine Justice, p. 59
- Star of the West, Vol. XI, No. 12, p. 216
- Messages to America, p. 20
- ibid, p. 22
- History of Bahá’í Pioneers in Panama 1939-1940
- Messages to America, p. 20
- Notes of Interest to Bahá’ís, Panama, Oct. 1939
- Messages to America, p. 21
- ibid, p. 73
- Bahá’í World, Vol. XI, p. 708
Hawaiian Mass Teaching[edit]
Mr. Poova Murday spoke to over 1,000 people who attended a meeting on August 6, 1971, at the Molokai Fair in Kaunakakai, Hawaii, at which the entertainment was “The Bahá’í Aikanes,” a singing group. The gathering resulted in forty-three declarations.
Over a four-week period, mass teaching activities in Hawaii resulted in 700 declarations. These activities established the twenty-eight goal communities.
“Bahá’í Aikanes” sing at the Molokai Fair, Kaunakakai in August, 1971. Poova Murday is at the extreme right.
Hialani Hamilton dancing with “Bahá’í Aikanes”, Kaunakakai, Molokai, Hawaii, August 6, 1971.
Brussels Greets Singer[edit]
When the Bahá’ís of Brussels heard of the impending visit of the famous Bahá’í jazz trumpeter Dizzie Gillespie, they saw at once a chance for proclaiming the Faith in a new strata of society.
Some twenty Brussels Bahá’ís awaited Dizzie at the airport. On his arrival they welcomed him by shouting “Dizzie” and waving posters inscribed “Bahá’ís.” Of course the attention of many by-standers was caught and questions were asked about the Faith. On accompanying Dizzie to his hotel, they distributed Bahá’í pamphlets and a publicity leaflet for the concert with the added notation “Dizzie is a Bahá’í.”
Many friends attended the concert. Afterwards, when autograph-hunters besieged Dizzy the friends were surprised to see that Dizzy only signed his name to the Bahá’í leaflets.
Welcoming Dizzie Gillespie at the Brussels airport are: Dizzie in
center, Jean-Pierre Verhulst, left; from the back are Ismail
Foroughi and Mrs. Lea Nys, while Higous Fallahzadeh and
Arlette Mattheus hold posters high.
South Carolina Victory Conference Launches Operation “Gabriel”
January 28-30, 1972[edit]
From Canada, from New Hampshire, from Washington State, from the Midwest, from all over the North American continent, over 500 followers of Bahá’u’lláh gathered in response to Gabriel’s trumpet call to service. In Charleston, South Carolina, only a half mile from the old slave market, black and white, Indian and Oriental met in loving diversity.
Graced and inspired by the presence of Hand of the Cause Dr. Raḥmatu’lláh Muhájir, Auxiliary Board members Jenabe Caldwell (from Alaska) and Thelma Thomas, National Spiritual Assembly representative Dr. Dwight Allen and the National Teaching Committee, this historic assemblage of Bahá’ís heard the secretary of the South Carolina Regional Teaching Committee, Mrs. Alberta Williford present the major goals and objectives of Operation “Gabriel”. They are:
- Form again all the Local Spiritual Assemblies established at Riḍván 1971,
- Establish 100 new Local Spiritual Assemblies, and
- Increase the total number of localities where Bahá’ís reside to 250.
To win these goals, each of South Carolina’s five District Teaching Committees had formulated plans. Since a major focus of the conference was the recruitment of Bahá’ís to work with Operation “Gabriel” for as long as possible, the District Teaching Committees also operated booths so that potential volunteers could come and talk personally with people from the district where they might be assigned to serve. There were also information booths on pioneering and Bahá’í Child Education and an incredibly complete Bahá’í bookstore. There were special children’s classes on both Saturday and Sunday, the latter being graced by a special performance by the “Northern Stars” and their “cookie munster”. Blue hairy “cookie”, the star of the Minnesota based “Northern Stars” Bahá’í puppet show, was one of the surprise hits of the conference.
By Saturday night the songs and plans of the District Teaching Committees, the presentations of the Regional Teaching Committee and the Deep South Committee and the words of Hand of the Cause Dr. Muhájir moved some nineteen Bahá’ís to volunteer for full time service in Operation “Gabriel”. The call for volunteers was given again on Sunday morning with even more positive results, seventy-one Bahá’ís volunteered for some kind of service—this makes a total of ninety.
[Page 7]
“Gabriel” book sales and exhibits.
Dr. Raḥmatu’lláh Muhájir.
First Spanish Summer School building, Liria, near Valencia. It was inaugurated on August 16, 1971.
Spanish Bahá’ís attending their first summer school in the new
building at Liria, near Valencia. More than nineteen Bahá’í
communities of Spain were represented and also some were
from abroad.
UGANDA[edit]
Zylpha O. Mapp, United States pioneer to Uganda, Director of Guidance at the Tororo Girl’s School, is on leave of absence from the public school system of Springfield, Massachusetts. She is working with the Uganda Ministry of Education in developing a guidance program in other schools of the nation. On home leave recently for a short visit, she was the speaker at the New York Bahá’í observance of World Religion Day. She was interviewed by the city’s leading newspaper and addressed a public meeting sponsored by the local Bahá’ís. Miss Mapp reported that the United States is building a number of schools in Uganda, and that United States National Spiritual Assembly member Dr. Dwight Allen is participating in the development of their educational methods.
On her visit to the House of Worship in Wilmette Miss Mapp shared recent news of Uganda in the form of the Uganda NATIONAL BAHÁ’Í NEWSLETTER, Number 2, of which she is editor.
The President of Uganda[edit]
On Thursday, 11th November at noon a telephone call was received advising the National Spiritual Assembly that the President of Uganda, General Idi Amin Dada had accepted our invitation to attend the one hundred and fifty-fourth anniversary of the birth of Bahá’u’lláh at the Mother Temple of Africa.
Announcements were put on the radio in six languages and all arrangements were co-ordinated with the office of the President.
The people started to gather at the House of Worship at about three o’clock. The number estimated was close to 1000. The President arrived at 5:30 p.m. and was cheered with loud shouts of “Dada oyee!” He was very charming and kind and extremely humble. The people crowded into the Temple with the overflow standing in the aisles or squatting in the doorways.
Prayers were read in English, Luganda, Persian, Swahili and Arabic. After a truly memorable service dignified in its presentation and befitting in its content, the Religious Affairs Secretary and the Press Secretary both commented on the wonderful words and Teachings of Bahá’u’lláh.
Upon completion of the Temple service, the President and his party were escorted by the Chairman and Secretary
President of the Republic of Uganda, General Idi Amin Dada, (extreme right) attending the celebration of the Birthday of Bahá’u’lláh in the House of Worship at Kampala.
[Page 9]
President of Uganda reading his speech on the commemoration of the Birthday of Bahá’u’lláh.
The President of Uganda receiving The Proclamation of
Bahá’u’lláh from Enos Epyeru, Chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly of Uganda. At the left is Mrs. Edith Senoga, Chairman of the Public Relations Committee.
of the National Spiritual Assembly and the Chairman and Secretary of the Public Relations Committee
to the Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds, where only about 150 people
could be accommodated.
The President was introduced to the Bahá’ís by the Secretary of Religious Affairs, Mr. Ntende. Then followed a short prayer, read by young Simon Robarts.
National Spiritual Assembly Chairman, Mr. Enos Epyeru, then gave his prepared address and presented the President with the book, The Proclamation of Bahá’u’lláh, beautifully leather bound.
In the President’s speech he referred to the followers of Bahá’u’lláh as being free from the misunderstandings or disputes which are found within other religious denominations in Uganda. “The fact that there is so much peace and tranquility among the followers of Bahá’u’lláh may mean one or more important things. They are truer in their faith, they take pains to ensure that the tenets of their religion are always upheld to the exclusion of other considerations. They are sincere and match their actions to the commandments in the holy books. They truly love one another ... They are truly shining examples of what a believer in God should be and do.”
In thanking the President for his fine address, Mr. Hassan Sabri described the President as a man who had brought God back into the picture. He also assured the President of the Bahá’ís’ loyalty to the Government and our prayers. Mr. Sabri then introduced General Amin Dada to Dr. Dwight Allen, member of the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States who was in Uganda for the Transfer Ceremony of the Tororo Girls’ School to the Ministry of Education, in Uganda.
This truly was a wonderful proclamation of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh in Uganda.
Four Bahá’ís participated in the Uganda National Association of Mental Health Seminar on “Student Health and the Strain of Study” held at the Lecture Theatre, Faculty of Education, Makerere University last month. In the Group Sessions Edith Senoga and Zylpha Mapp were able to throw some light on the problem. Vida Abbasi and Forough Ehsani also supported the meeting.
Lessons on Elections[edit]
Irene Bennett and co-workers have just completed a compilation on Bahá’í elections entitled: “Six Lessons on the Procedure and the Spirit of Bahá’í Elections.” This material was prepared at the request of the Continental Board of Counsellors. It is to be studied at Nineteen Day Feasts and at courses given locally or in larger conferences in the districts.
All this is in preparation for the forthcoming election of convention delegates to take place by the end of February. It was inspired by The Universal House of Justice and is taking place all over the world to improve the general conduct and standard of Bahá’í elections.
Teso[edit]
Literacy Classes have begun at the Kobwin Bahá’í Women’s Union held every Sunday at the Tilling Bahá’í Primary School. The classes are well-attended and are for both men and women. The women also continue with their embroidery work.
The President of Uganda and friends leaving the House of Worship and en route to the Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds.
[Page 10]
Kadoke Local Spiritual Assembly is also engaged in
this important work of teaching the friends to read and
write Ateso.
Information has been received, a copy of a letter written by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Bombay, India, giving them information about the layout of their Bahá’í Cemetery.
- “Which to outward appearance
- should look like a paradise.”
The Bahá’ís of Kampala are making arrangements to develop their cemetery along the lines recommended.
Bukedi[edit]
The Lumuli Local Spiritual Assembly on October 30 met to consult upon the teaching work in their area. The need for a team of nine people who know how to teach about Bahá’u’lláh and His life to go for a period of a week around the villages nearby this Local Spiritual Assembly was discussed. It was agreed that they would be willing to become that team.
Buganda Youth in Action[edit]
All during October the Youth of Kampala have been holding well-attended meetings with up to seventy-five persons present. The spirit is high, the friends are happy and the seekers are learning more about the Bahá’í way of life.
The National Education Committee urgently needed teachers for the Gulu Youth Institute which had been formed to meet the needs of the students there. On Saturday Nov. 20th they were told of the situation. On Sunday Nov. 21st, Vida Abbasi, Bakojja Musoke, Patrick Senoga, Christopher Senoga, Samuel Kabali, Lon Duncombe and Brian Rhodes left by taxi for Gulu.
Without hesitation the Kampala youth arose and answered the call.
Acholi Youth[edit]
On November 20, Bahá’í youth spoke about the Faith to twenty-five people and the Minister of Christ Church about Bahá’í. The minister is worried because his congregation is leaving him for Bahá’í.
Busoga[edit]
Two Bahá’í friends Nabuti Kyakulaga and Yonosan Nugweri of Bujabangula Bahá’í Community went on a voluntary teaching trip for five days. They visited Nakatokwe Local Spiritual Assembly and two new villages were opened by them, one in Bulaage, Busiki County and the other at Busenbatya in Bugweri County. During their trip thirteen people became Bahá’ís.
Bunyoro[edit]
District Teaching Committee met on September 25th, 1971 and heard the reports of the friends who had gone to the Teaching Conference in Kampala. Reference was made to the Lake Victoria Plan of Dr. Muhájir “to be jointly achieved by the National Spiritual Assembly, Local Spiritual Assemblies and all the Bahá’ís of the world.” In addition, plans outlined by Mr. Enoch Olinga, Hand of the Cause of God and the Continental Board of Counsellors at the recent Victory Conference were consulted upon.
BAHÁ’Í YOUTH CONFERENCE—LA VEGA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC—NOVEMBER, 1971
Louis G. Gregory Institute — Hemingway, South Carolina[edit]
Showing the dormitory building under construction at the Louis
G. Gregory Institute, at Hemingway, South Carolina. It is
planned to give housing and camping facilities for forty people.
The building at the right is the auditorium and administrative
building for the Louis G. Gregory Institute to be dedicated in
the summer, 1972. At the left is the dormitory, nearing completion. Due to mass enrollment, it is estimated that now about
one-fourth of the believers in the United States live in South
Carolina.
HAND OF CAUSE VISITS BOTSWANA[edit]
In the three short days of his visit to Botswana, Hand of the Cause of God Enoch Olinga, accompanied by Board of Counsellors member Shidan Fatheázam and traversing the country from north to south, travelled nearly 500 miles over dirt and sometimes rain soaked roads, visited three of the youngest and most active Bahá’í communities in Botswana and gave a public talk and a radio interview in the nation’s capital.
To a country suffering under the influence of a firmly established, discriminatory, fundamentalist belief, the visit of an African Hand of the Cause gave healthy, tangible evidence of the truly universal and non-discriminatory character of the Bahá’í Faith. At the same time Mr. Olinga’s talks were, for Bahá’ís raised in the theories of a materialistic and literal-minded church, a much needed clarification and re-explanation of the basic Bahá’í principles.
Visit to Ratholo[edit]
On Wednesday afternoon, November 17, Enoch Olinga arrived in Ratholo, a small, isolated village with a sizeable Bahá’í community which has sprung up in just the past few months. In a meeting with some forty-five Bahá’ís and non-Bahá’ís the Hand spoke about Progressive Revelation and mentioned many of Bahá’u’lláh’s social principles. Always, in his talk, he sought to broaden the minds of his audience—to carry their thoughts beyond Ratholo and Botswana; to give them a picture of a Faith universal in its Teachings and universal in its appeal. He brought love and greetings from the Bahá’ís of Rhodesia and Malawi, from the Bahá’ís of his home country of Uganda, and from The Universal House of Justice in Haifa, Israel. “Everywhere there are Bahá’ís—the Bahá’í Faith has spread to every part of the world, even to Ratholo!”
During the question and answer period one of the audience, a teacher from the nearby secondary school, said that he had read extensively about Islam, and could accept it as being one of the world’s great religions—“but why,” he asked, “is Bahá’í, which also claims to be a great world religion, never mentioned in the history books?” Mr. Olinga, answered that the people who write history books have been unaware of the Bahá’í Faith. However, when historians become Bahá’ís, it will be a different story altogether!
It is hard to convey in words the wisdom of the Hand of the Cause. He never argued, he never challenged, he never over-burdened his audience—on the other hand, he
Office of National Spiritual Assembly of Botswana.
never watered down the Teachings to please his listeners.
His talk was deep enough for the most intellectual, but
clearly stated the basic Bahá’í truths which are understandable by the most simple and uneducated. It was
wonderful to hear.
A few days later the head-master of the primary school declared his Faith in Bahá’u’lláh. He said that after hearing Mr. Olinga’s explanation of religion, he had no choice—he had to become a Bahá’í!
Bonwapitse and Palla Road[edit]
The next day, Thursday, was the busiest day for Mr. Olinga. He held meetings in the morning and early afternoon in Bonwapitse and Palla Road, two young and especially spirited Bahá’í communities. In Bonwapitse, a village which six months earlier had been visited by Hand of the Cause Dr. Mühlschlegel, the Bahá’ís had recently organized the first child-education class in the country. Now, during the visit of Enoch Olinga, they pledged to build their local Bahá’í center by Riḍván 1972, in order to fulfill the Nine Year Plan goal for Botswana.
In Palla Road the Bahá’ís killed a cock, insisting that their visitors enjoy a meal before speaking. At the meeting, attended by over thirty Bahá’ís and non-Bahá’ís, Enoch Olinga again spoke on Progressive Revelation, and reviewed the basic Bahá’í principles.
Inside main room of the National Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds of Botswana.
Public Meeting in Gaborone[edit]
The climax of Mr. Olinga’s visit was his Thursday night talk in Gaborone. Speaking to more than seventy people, the great majority of them non-Bahá’í—and present at their first Bahá’í meeting—the Hand of the Cause first introduced himself and then explained the meaning of the word “Bahá’í”. He then went into the history and nature of the Faith, and into its central teaching of Progressive Revelation. The audience had mixed reactions to his message, but virtually all were impressed with the speaker himself and with the quality of his talk. One member of the audience later said that he had never before heard such an intelligent speaker, using such good English!
The questions ranged from Christian subjects, to the subject of South Africa—difficult questions, but ones which Mr. Olinga handled admirably, and which he used to expand upon his original talk.
Later that evening, in an intimate talk with the Gaborone Bahá’ís and some of the National Assembly members, Mr. Olinga, said that he had seen wonderful Bahá’ís in the villages, and hoped that the administrators of the Faith would care for them; would nurture and strengthen them in the new religion which these villagers had so recently embraced.
Friday morning, the Hand of the Cause gave a radio interview, and then left Botswana for South Africa.
Progress Report of Botswana[edit]
The month of August 1971, for Bahá’ís in Botswana was spectacular in that they accomplished many goals and had historic “firsts”. They held the first public talk in the capital city of Gaborone, given by Counsellor Bahiyyih Ford at the Town Hall, which was also broadcast over Radio Botswana. She spoke on “African Traditional Beliefs and the Unity of the World’s Religions.”
The National Spiritual Assembly members were all present when incorporation papers were filed and accepted in September, thereby accomplishing one of our most difficult goals. Five Local Assemblies are now going ahead with incorporations, another Nine Year Plan goal.
In August the National Spiritual Assembly became legal owners of the National Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds and celebrated the first Feast in the building. The main building of the Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds has a large meeting room, guest bedrooms, bathroom, kitchen, etc. A smaller house at the back contains space for the national offices, a stock room, shower.
Other goals won by Botswana in the last eighteen months are the opening up of over sixty-seven localities (the goal was fifty) and translating some Bahá’í Writings into one of the Bushmen languages.
Botswana was not one of the countries planned to have its own National Spiritual Assembly during this Plan, so these goals are in addition to the initial Plan, due to the loving foresight and guidance of The Universal House of Justice.
Last year the National Spiritual Assembly was overwhelmed with all the work before it in its infancy and concentrated on spreading the Message of Bahá’u’lláh to as many places as possible and also writing suitable pamphlets in the Tswana language, these to be given away.
The result of teaching among the masses was startling when analysed at Convention: over forty Chiefs were reached by the National Spiritual Assembly and told about Bahá’u’lláh. This included Paramount Chiefs, sub-Chiefs and Headmen. Over fifty-seven villages were visited and meetings were called and literature distributed. Over sixty mass meetings were held in the village Kgotlas (Chief’s meeting place). Over 5,200 were given the Good News. The number of localities opened to the Faith was almost doubled.
This year the teaching has not been so widespread but consolidation has been the major theme and it is hoped that many more Local Spiritual Assemblies will be formed by next Riḍván.
Botswana is mostly desert and the people tend to congregate along the main railway line. However, teaching is difficult; as they are mainly farmers, they spend nine or ten months at their “lands”—a portion of land which belongs to the tribe or family they must cultivate to live. Crops are poor due to long droughts and late, or sometimes too early rains.
There are only four pioneers and they must travel great distances in order to cover the areas needing attention. More pioneers are needed.
“Bahá’í village” of Bonwapitse, Botswana where the majority of the people are Bahá’ís including the Chief and his family.
National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’í of Botswana. Standing: Stanley Matenge, Esther Moncho, Isaac Kgang, Dennis
Makiwa, Maureen Gruber, Robert Sarracino; seated: Bogatsu
Pheto, Jeffrey Gruber, Broer Oageng. August, 1971.
Recent French Activities[edit]
Al and Joany Lincoln, American pioneers in France, write of activities there.
Street teaching in Blois, France.
As the friends are beginning to realize from other reports that are trickling in, doors are opening and opportunities for successful teaching in Europe are being
discovered everywhere. The youth activities have been
sparked with a new fire—especially since the all European Youth Conference in Switzerland in August with
the Hand of the Cause of God Rúḥíyyih Khánum—and
for the first time in France campuses and youth
centers were pursued with regularity throughout the
year. Whereas before it was difficult to find even a few
truly interested people, now numbers of youth have begun frequenting the meetings. Everyone is encouraged
and uplifted by the new wave of successes, and the whole
French Bahá’í Community is being more deeply welded
together. Pioneers and native believers who have been
holding down their posts for ten and fifteen years, often
isolated and without many results in their teaching efforts, are finding to their joy that their steadfastness,
prayer and effort are finally bearing the cherished fruits
of new declarations, new Local Spiritual Assemblies, and
other achievements. This summer a number of French
youth, on hearing of the Faith while vacationing in Italy,
England and Switzerland, have joined the ranks of
Bahá’u’lláh. As we have been lacking in native French
believers, this is of particular importance. All this leaves
us with the feeling that His Hand is decreeing now as
the time for the great move forward, and is lovingly
guiding us toward the completion of our goals.
The French National Youth Committee devised a very challenging six month teaching program, designed to reach the different levels of society from factory workers to grape pickers to university students to Gypsies to vacationers—all residing in the different geographic areas of France. Numbers of youth were mobilized and set out on the various teaching projects. The results were declarations and a more unified and uplifted Bahá’í Community. Among those who declared their faith in Bahá’u’lláh were a number of Gypsies in the Paris area. This has been of particular importance as the Guardian mentioned this minority group as a special goal for France.
A very short stopover after their Pilgrimage by Seals and Crofts and their wives was a thrill for all the French Bahá’ís of the Paris area. The decision of the wives to remain and help out with the newly launched youth program was a wonderful one and gave us insights into how to mass teach as well as concrete results in new declarations.
The effect of the American Project in Switzerland has been felt all over Europe. The example has been set—it has been proved possible to have large scale enrollment in Europe (not only in Switzerland) and many of the European friends are more encouraged than ever before to push ahead for total victory by the end of the Nine Year Plan.
Music has been a particularly successful method for teaching. Recently many doors have opened to singers and instrumentalists that were closed before to someone who wanted to give a talk or public meeting with a religious theme. New levels of publicity through the radio, T.V., newspapers etc. have also been reached. In two months there were fifteen different proclamation events in ten different cities or towns of France—sometimes in youth centers, sometimes in universities, and other times in rented hotels and halls. There was much publicity by the friends for the evenings — especially direct street handouts on the day of the event. And then a panel or directed discussion usually followed the musical presentation. Thus, musicians are especially welcome to come and help us—singers, groups, individuals—someone who can give us that spiritual nourishment of the soul that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá speaks of in a passage on the importance of music. It has helped to reach down through the intellectual layers and crusts to the very hearts and souls of the French people and especially the students.
Now many more French youth are learning to play, and with the help of Switzerland we have even distributed our first songbook and cassette in both French and English so the friends can learn the songs in their own language. This will be a very good aid for anyone preparing to pioneer or travel teach in a French-speaking country.
Youth outing and proclamation at Metz, France.
[Page 15]
Newly declared Gypsy friends with pioneers and traveling
teachers in France. In the group are Al and Joany Lincoln,
Billie Crofts and Ruby Seals.
Panel presentation at Dijon University, Dijon, France.
At the Amelia Collins Bahá’í School at Liancourt, Haiti on the occasion of the visit of Hand of the Cause, Dr. A. M. Varqá, in August, 1971. Pioneers and friends are attending a conference on pioneering held by Dr. Varqá.
BOLIVIA[edit]
A recent teaching trip in Campo, south-east of Sucre, Bolivia.
Left to right in back: Manigeh Cannon, Sra. Barrientes, Al
Cannon, Sr. Barrientes, and traveling teacher Facundo Cardoso
with the children of the Señor and Señora.
In the village of Sudanez, Bolivia. Left to right, in back: Sra.
Barrientes and Manigeh and Al Cannon with children of the
Señora. The Señor is one of the city officials and the couple are
the first Bahá’ís in the area which is near the southern end of
Bolivia.
[Page 16]
Representatives from 18 villages were delighted meeting Hand of the Cause Mr. Collis Featherstone at the Post Oceanic Conference held in Savannakhet at the last of October.
NEWS FROM LAOS[edit]
The National Spiritual Assembly of Laos worried over the damage to the airport of its capital city, Vientiane, caused by the disastrous flood last September. All aircraft had to be transferred to neighboring towns for safety, and there was uncertainty as to when operations would be resumed. The reason for concern was the intended first visit of Hand of the Cause Collis Featherstone to Laos. The alternative route would be by air to Bangkok, then to northeast Thailand, Udorn, and then travel with a pioneer.
The miracle happened, and Mr. Featherstone was able to arrive by air on October 2, from Saigon and was met by several Bahá’í friends.
He spent the afternoon visiting the recently purchased Temple site, accompanied by National Spiritual Assembly members and an Auxiliary Board member. A dinner was given for him and pioneers that evening at the National Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds.
Mr. Featherstone flew the next day to Savannakhet to attend a Post Oceanic Conference. Representatives and friends from eighteen villages were present at this meeting and heard Mr. Featherstone speak on “Progressive Revelation and Bahá’í Administration.” Although there was a Buddhist Lunar festival going on, in addition to the conference, small firesides were held.
There were other meetings for Mr. Featherstone on his return to Vientiane, and he was able to consult with the National Spiritual Assembly concerning the Nine Year Plan goals. The visit exhilarated and inspired the friends.
Pioneering in India[edit]
Where else on this earth could a Bahá’í walk on a college campus and tell the President he had a great and glorious Message to give him and the students and within thirty minutes be telling 700 students and professors of our beloved Faith? After the talk the President, five professors and seventy students declared. Yes, this happened recently to Dr. Ray Johnson in Nagpour, India.
A Family of Mass Teachers[edit]
The Roths of Miami, Florida have been actively mass teaching in Colombia, according to a letter from daughter Dana Roth, received by her father, Martin Roth, who, after mass teaching there at intervals, returned to home base. Mrs. Roth, daughters Dana and their fourteen-year-old Lisa, with the assistance of dedicated Colombiano Leandro Cuberos and other Bahá’ís, found 434 waiting souls in Sta. Lucia from December 18 to 23, 1971. They had plans for teaching in Cartegena and Aracataca, opened to the Faith in September.
First Teaching Institute in Madina Village, New Ireland[edit]
Two hundred persons attended the official opening of the first Teaching Institute in New Guinea on December 28, 1971, held in Madina Village, New Ireland.
Interspersing speeches were choral selections given by the Madina Bahá’í Children’s Choir, and by choirs from a number of village church groups in New Ireland.
The opening ceremony was performed by Auxiliary Board member Rodney Hancock, and Elti Elias, a leading Madina Bahá’í renowned for her work among the women of New Ireland. Representing the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Papua and New Guinea were Tamun Kosap and the Chairman, Noel Bluett. Speeches were also given by the member of the Assembly for New Ireland, and a representative of the United Church, both of whom spoke of the need for unity, and the work of the Bahá’ís towards this end.
After the Teaching Institute had been opened by cutting the palm fronds stretched across its front doors, a feast of taro, kau kau, banana, pork, beef and chicken, was provided for all of those attending. These delicacies had been cooked in island fashion using hot coral stones to cook the food, which had been wrapped in banana leaves and buried beneath the sand.
An outstanding feature of the party was the dancing groups. These dancers were believers from all over New Guinea who have become Bahá’ís while working on a nearby plantation. They demonstrated by the variety of their costumes that they came from different tribal areas, and that the Bahá’ís of Madina have been working as a Teaching Institute in reality before the building was erected.
For the two days after the opening of the Institute some seventy-five Bahá’ís attended the seventh summer school to be held in New Ireland. Most of the classes were taken by New Ireland Bahá’ís whose knowledge of the Faith has been considerably deepened by the series of summer schools held since 1964.
Auxiliary Board member Rodney Hancock conveyed love and greetings from the Continental Board of Counsellors. The National Spiritual Assembly Chairman, Noel Bluett, gave a talk on Bahá’í Administration and marriage laws. An added bounty for the School was the presence of Barbara Wild, a Canadian pioneer, who had come to New Ireland after spending two years teaching in the Solomon Islands. Miss Wild presented a session on Bahá’í History.
During the closing session of the school, the attendants were thrilled by the declaration of a university student, Margaret Elias, the daughter of Elti Elias. Margaret will be returning to her university studies in 1972 with the aim of bringing the healing message of Bahá’u’lláh to her fellow students.
New Teaching Institute opened in Madina, New Ireland, under the National Spiritual Assembly of Papua and New Guinea. Shown is the children’s choir on this occasion.
Peace in the Midst of War — A visit to Vietnam[edit]
There I was—straddling the back of a motorbike—bumping along the ribbon of a road that cut through
the rice paddies outside of Bien Thuy, South Vietnam.
We made a right angle turn smack through a puddle
and onto a road that bisected a village of orderly compact grey dwellings surrounded by well kept vegetation.
Shy, smiling faces appeared everywhere, and laughing,
squealing children ran out from their yards. As I looked
to the right and left and right—there it was! Above
every door—the Greatest Name. (Was I in the Abhá
Kingdom? I never imagined I would enter the next world
on the back of a motorbike.) Then we stopped before a
house with a sign that indicated it was the Bahá’í Center
for this Cham village. The Chams, an ancient and noble
people with a proud heritage, had accepted Bahá’u’lláh
and were now constructing their world in His pattern.
How wonderful it was to stroll through that spot chatting with Auxiliary Board member Van Loi enjoying the peace of the place and the sweetness of the Bahá’ís there.
Riding back I kept thinking of the moments spent there talking of world peace, the unity of mankind, comparing fashions with the women and speaking of raising our children. In how many towns or villages on the planet today are we privileged to enter and abide with such fellowship and unity of thought? Surely I had visited a city of the future.
This is but one of the amazing adventures I have had in South Vietnam. Another fond memory is walking many kilometres to a village nestled at the foot of the mountains to visit the Bahá’í School which had been constructed by the Bahá’ís who also pay the salary of the teacher. The first glimpse of it was festive—on the red tin roof, a large white, nine-pointed star shone, and flanking the entrance large white and red banners and standards showed welcome words in Vietnamese. The earthen floor and the mud and straw walls were crowned by a picture of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Sitting among the students at their rough-hewn benches and desks of uneven metal and timber, I knew they were among the most fortunate souls in the world. Not only would they learn about academic subjects, but more importantly, they would know the reason for their existence, the meaning of life and what was pleasing to God.
The esteem with which the Faith is held by other religions and officials is high. On a previous trip to the Mekong Delta Mr. Le Loc of the National Spiritual Assembly, Mr. Quan of the National Teaching Committee and I had been received at many pagodas and talked at length with the monks. We visited the province chief, mayor, police chief—all spoke knowingly of the Bahá’ís and of their activities toward peace and unity.
Oh, I am not going to minimize the conditions there—everywhere the signs of war are evident. Flying over the land one observes the fields that are pocketed with bomb craters. Every able-bodied man is in uniform and armed. One only travels in the provinces during the daytime, and then usually after one is sure the road isn’t mined. The night is full of the “Boom! Boom! BOOM!” of fighting.
The suffering of the people is beyond comprehension. Their endurance is also beyond comprehension. The hot tears of the women have left their indelible mark on my heart. One woman whose husband was the Vice-Chairman of a Local Spiritual Assembly, had not seen him for two years. He was still a captive of the Viet Cong. Every family and every individual is afflicted. But there in the midst of the chaos in this war-torn country, the hope, the radiance of the Bahá’ís is an invincible shield.
West Meets East in Travel Teaching[edit]
Some of the guests arriving to attend World Religion Day meeting in Saigon, January 16, 1972. Photo was taken by Reuben E. Busby, U.S. civilian employee, stationed in Vietnam, Reporter for the English Language Committee of the National Teaching Committee for Vietnam. His wife, Beatrice Busby, on the staff at the U.S. National Center in Wilmette, recently visited with him in Thailand.
While in Thailand they participated in a Bahá’í conference in Chiang Mai, where Mr. Busby was one of the speakers. Mr. and Mrs. Busby were the speakers at the memorial service for the fiftieth anniversary of the passing of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá held at the Bangkok Bahá’í Center. Mrs. Busby spent two and a half weeks in Germany on her way to Thailand and had the bounty of travel-teaching and assisting in the preparations for a Youth Conference held in Dortmund, Germany.
HONG KONG NEWS[edit]
On November 24th the Bahá’ís put together a nine-poster exhibition that was shown in the community center of Tsuen Wan, a city near Kowloon. The exhibit was viewed by about 350 persons. A total of 3,000 pamphlets and invitations to the exhibit and evening’s public meeting were also distributed throughout the area on the three days preceding the exhibition. The evening talk was lightly attended, but two local residents joined the Faith, bringing to four the total number of believers in Tsuen Wan.
On November 26th a slide show and talk were presented to just one department of a far flung Hong Kong University campus. Twenty-five students were introduced to the Faith, and four of these were very interested and expressed a desire to investigate further. It was a very friendly and encouraging meeting.
The last several days special consideration has been given for the organization and carrying out of consolidation to go hand in hand with the continuing efforts of teaching and proclaiming the Faith to the population of Hong Kong. Early this morning the friends gathered for prayers and readings to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the passing of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. This day marks the end of the forty-day teaching effort in Hong Kong; but the last forty days have been just one more stage in the continuing growth of the Faith in Hong Kong.
Progress in Trinidad and Tobago[edit]
The National Teaching Committee of Trinidad and Tobago, with the assistance of three Area Teaching Committees, has embarked upon a plan of opening at least one new locality a week in order to accomplish their Convention pledge for the formation of at least one-hundred and fourteen Local Spiritual Assemblies by the end of the Nine Year Plan.
To put this plan into action, the National Teaching Committee held a One-Day Teaching Seminar in Central Trinidad in which forty selected local teachers, plus other believers were invited to participate. The program topics were Methods of Teaching through Visual Aids, The History of the Faith, and Bahá’í Elections. Songs and music were interspersed with the sessions.
Teachers came from over twenty towns and villages throughout Trinidad. When the call came for volunteers for teaching, the response was overwhelming. Now volunteers have formed teams under the guidance of their respective Area Teaching Committee and have started opening up new areas.
Their method is first to contact the Chairman of the Village Council, introduce the Faith to him, and obtain permission to use the Community Center. After this, door-to-door invitations are extended to villagers to attend a Bahá’í lecture and slide show at a given time. Results have always been good, with many persons accepting the Faith. Children are attracted to Sunday Classes. More man-power is needed.
Library Presentations[edit]
The Chief Librarian of the Central Library was contacted for the purpose of placing Bahá’í books in the various branches throughout Trinidad and Tobago. The offer was eagerly accepted, so ten copies of each of these books have been presented: Bahá’u’lláh and the New Era, Some Answered Questions, Divine Art of Living, and Paris Talks. The book presentation was photographed and received good newspaper publicity.
Meeting the Mayor of San-Fernando[edit]
A courtesy call was paid to the Mayor of San-Fernando, Mr. Carlyle Kangalee, at the Town Hall. He was officially presented with Bahá’í literature. In an hour visit, he was cordial and sympathetic. He expressed his willingness to assist the Bahá’í Faith in whatever way he could do so.
Interfaith Meeting at Holy Faith Convent[edit]
An Inter-Faith meeting organized by the youth groups of Caroni County and chaired by a Senator, was held at the Holy Faith Convent, Couva. Religions represented were Christian, Hindu, Muslim and Bahá’í. Each religion was represented by a speaker. The Bahá’í speaker was Miss Shamsi Sedaghat who gave a forty-five minute talk on progressive revelation and the beauties of the Bahá’í Faith. Her talk was so convincing that the entire audience, in one voice, expressed its willingness to hear more. Mr. Leopold Fraser and Mr. Lawrence Coward contributed toward answering many questions. The teacher at the Convent who spoke on Christianity was impressed with the principles of the Faith and requested literature on the subject, then invited the Bahá’í speakers to give a series of talks on Comparative Religion to her students.
This request has been carried out and a second lecture was delivered by a new and brilliant young native Bahá’í, Mr. Junior Nickolas, and another lecture delivered to the Muslim Young Group, which was cordially received. The lectures will be continued.
Bahá’í Sunday School for Children[edit]
In more than five villages throughout Trinidad, Sunday Schools are conducted for the children, both Bahá’í and others. Classes are held regularly and attendance varies from twenty-five to eighty. Children are eager and enthusiastic. Recently the father of a brilliant boy of ten (Hindu background) embraced the Faith through the child who carried the spirit of the Faith home with him. Now we realize the wisdom of the Message of The Universal House of Justice to our first National Spiritual Assembly of Trinidad and Tobago to concentrate upon teaching activities for youth and children. The results have been excellent.
Bahá’í Week-End School[edit]
The South Area Teaching Committee has planned a week-end school to be held on the Mayaro Beach for three days in February. The program will include Bahá’í History, Administration, Principles and Laws with recreation and prayer sessions. There will be classes and entertainment for children and a public meeting and slide show in the Village Hall.
Weekly Radio Broadcast[edit]
We are happy to announce that after two years of communication with the officials of two broadcasting units in this country, we have obtained permission to present Bahá’í principles on the air. This consists of a six minute talk given every Wednesday at 9:25 a.m. over Radio Trinidad. This program is receiving a tremendous public acclaim and has served to make known the name “Bahá’í”.
Two views of the Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds of Zaire (formerly Congo Kinshasa) at Bukavu.
THE GREAT SAFARI[edit]
of Hand of the Cause Rúḥíyyih Khánum[edit]
Part six
A three day program took us to villages and towns
of the East Central State, the land of the Ibos. In the
village of Bende, over 200 adults and children, Bahá’ís
and their friends gathered to welcome their beloved and
long awaited guest. In almost all of these village meetings the Chief was present out of respect for Amatu’l-Bahá. The Chairman of the Local Spiritual Assembly
would read a beautiful address of welcome and a detailed program for the meeting had been written out.
Indeed, this is the custom throughout both Nigeria and
the Cameroon. The addresses were beautifully composed
and very moving.
In Bende they told of donating a piece of land for the erection of their Bahá’í Center or any other Bahá’í institution. They proudly informed Rúḥíyyih Khánum that the number of believers in this year had increased from eleven to sixty-five. As many ladies and children were present at this meeting, Amatu’l-Bahá spoke at length on the greatness of the station of women in society and also of the importance of the spiritual education of children.
At the time set aside for questions and answers a fanatical voice loudly protested against the Teachings of the Bahá’í Faith, claiming that the only way to salvation is through Jesus Christ. This excited the local Bahá’ís but the wise and dignified non-Bahá’í Chief of the village lifted up his cane and roared an order of silence to all! He said “No pressure has been placed on anyone to come to this meeting or to accept this religion; anyone who objects to it should leave and go; the rest of us who want to hear more of the Teachings and came to welcome this distinguished guest would like to remain in peace and order.” With these words the meeting returned to order and happiness.
In the town of Umuahia, although it was raining and restrictions on night meetings keep many people indoors, eighteen people turned up to meet Rúḥíyyih Khánum and listen to her beautiful words. She spoke on life after death, which always fascinates the African people. They like to hear her tell that the life of this world is as different from the world to come as the life of the embryo in the womb of its mother is different from its world after birth.
Rúḥíyyih Khánum’s explanations of matters such as the existence of ghosts and spirits, whether they can harm us in this world, the power of “juju” or witchcraft, and other such topics are so vivid and clear that one can see the joy and relief on the faces of her audience.
A Story by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá[edit]
Often she tells this beautiful story of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá which is an example of the relation of the soul of man in this world to the next world, or eternal life. It is the story of a stranger who arrives in a strange city and finds all of its inhabitants gathered in the market square looking anxiously up at the sky. He inquires the reason for this from a man standing nearby and is told: “It is the custom in this city that, once a year, a bird comes out of the sky, circles about and alights on the head of one of the men and this man then becomes the king for a year.” The stranger looks up and soon sees a bird appear which circles and then alights on his own head. At this point all the people acclaim him as their King and carry him off to the palace.
The man who had given the information said to the new King. “Since it was I who told you about our custom and now you have been chosen King, make me your Prime Minister.” The King agrees to this. As the Prime Minister watches him and finds he is a just and good man, doing his duty to his subjects, he comes to the King one
Rúḥíyyih Khánum, with some of the Bahá’ís in Umukwe, Nigeria.
[Page 21]
Amatu’l-Bahá with some of the Bahá’ís in front of the Bahá’í Center in Ikotuba, Akpabyo, Nigeria.
day and said: “Come with me, I have something to show
you” and takes him down to the seaside. There, far out,
the King sees a desert island where an old and miserable
man, naked and starving, is crying out and begging for
help. The King asks who this wretched creature is and
the Minister answers: “That is our King of last year.
At the end of the year we take our old King and throw
him away on an island. This is our custom.”
The King is distressed and bemoans his fate and says that he never chose to be King and doesn’t want to end in such a terrible condition and terrible place. The wise Minister then tells him: “Now, while you are King, you have the power, you have the money, you have the men to obey you; so choose an island and bring your people and cultivate your island. Dig wells for water and build yourself a palace there. Then when the day comes for you to be cast off, you will go from one palace to another and be even better off than you were before.” The King heeds him and does this.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá uses this beautiful example to teach us that each one of us, when born into this world is like a king, and has power and means of building a future palace, a shelter against the day one leaves this earthly kingdom and goes to the heavenly kingdom. With deeds and virtues developed in this world, each man builds his heavenly home and prepares for his eternal future.
The Village of Umuosu[edit]
In the village of Umuosu Amatu’l-Bahá was received by a large number of enthusiastic Bahá’ís. Under a huge tree she addressed the friends and spoke of the great power of unity. She reminded the friends that they were good judges of seeing the truth of this, having experienced the strife and disunity that led to their recent civil war from the effects of which they were still suffering.
The Village of Ubaha[edit]
In the village of Ubaha we met with only a few of the Bahá’ís as most of them had gone away in search of work. The National Spiritual Assembly of Nigeria had printed special posters of welcome, giving a photograph of Amatu’l-Bahá on her historic tour of Nigeria and including their address. Some 2,000 of these handbills were printed and displayed in remote villages by local communities all the way from Lagos. On our route we could see these posters nailed to trees and on the walls of huts.
The Villages of Umukwe and Itungwo[edit]
In the square of the village of Umukwe under a gigantic tree a group of Bahá’ís and their friends gathered to welcome Amatu’l-Bahá and listen to her words of love and wisdom.
The village of Itungwo was not on the itinerary but the friends sent an appeal and begged their beloved guest to stop at their village also, and bless their village too, with her presence.
In this village they had erected a very beautiful shelter from palm branches and decorated it with flowers. They presented Rúḥíyyih Khánum with an official address of welcome and showered her with their love and affection. As there were quite a number of women present at this meeting, Rúḥíyyih Khánum spoke mostly on the importance of the role of women in society. She spoke of the great blessings and bounties that Bahá’u’lláh showered upon the female sex. She spoke of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s statement that the first educator is the mother, therefore to educate a woman is of great importance.
She also spoke on the importance of prayers and devotions in every family and for every individual, giving the example of the Master, likening the heart to a mirror. If you turn this mirror earthward you only reflect the darkness of the earth but if you turn it to the heaven you will reflect the heavenly light. She likened the cares and the attachments of this life to the dust which covers the surface of a mirror and pointed out that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá said that through prayer we polish and remove the dust of everyday life from the mirror of the heart.
By this time Amatu’l-Bahá was so exhausted that her voice was broken with fatigue. She had spoken to five large gatherings in less than twenty hours, yet she was unwilling to cut any of these meetings short or to show any sign of haste. This is one of the most beautiful qualities of Rúḥíyyih Khánum. She always said “When you do something, do your best, give all of yourself and not just part of it.”
In the town of Aba a meeting was arranged to welcome Amatu’l-Bahá where she spoke to the Bahá’ís and some of their friends on the importance of service and devotion to the Cause, relating some unforgettable incidents associated with the martyrdom of the early believers. She reminded us that we today are the spiritual descendents of those heroes of the Faith.
Port Harcourt[edit]
The last of this unbroken chain of meetings, eight in
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Amatu’l-Bahá with the Bahá’í dancers in Akpabyo, Nigeria.
With the Singing Committee of Akpabyo, Nigeria.
forty-eight hours, was the Nineteen Day Feast in Port
Harcourt where Rúḥíyyih Khánum encouraged the
friends to consciously work on themselves to acquire
the virtues that Bahá’u’lláh wants each one of us to have.
She gave a very simple but clear example. She said that some years ago she went to a teacher to learn some physical exercises in order to strengthen herself for her forthcoming visit to Asia. The first day her teacher came to the house she told Rúḥíyyih Khánum to lie flat on the floor and raise her feet up in the air. To her horror she discovered that she was incapable of raising them more than an inch from the ground! It had never occurred to her that she had lost the muscular control of her own body through lack of use. She set herself, over a period of many months, to regain command of her muscles through practicing a daily series of exercises, which, incidentally, she still does. She said that as a result of these daily exercises she is now able not only to raise her feet but to put them behind her head. She used this as an example of not only what we can learn to do through regular and systematic practice, but as an example that we can cultivate and strengthen our virtues and spiritual qualities through assiduously practicing them. Indeed, this is enjoined upon us in the Teachings of Bahá’u’lláh.
Our prayers must be true and pure so that God may take notice of them. She said a mother listens carefully to her child’s cry and decides whether the cry is just to draw her attention or whether he is in real pain or hunger. If it is the latter, she instantly reacts, but if the former, she does not pay much attention. So it is with God, if our cry is from the very depths of our heart and soul, He surely will reply to our need.
The City of Calabar[edit]
On September 28 we left the city of Port Harcourt and drove to the capital of South Eastern State, the city of Calabar. The week of our stay was packed with activities. Amatu’l-Bahá spoke at a public meeting on “The Spiritual Destiny of Africa”. She met with some of the elite of the city at a dinner-reception given in her honor at the home of the Auxiliary Board member, Mr. Friday Ekpe and Mrs. Ekpe. She had an excellent radio interview on the Faith conducted by the head of the radio station who was deeply interested in the Teachings. In addition to this she met, on more than one occasion, with local believers and addressed a large gathering of students at one of the commercial colleges.
The Village of Akpabyo[edit]
One day and night were spent in the village of Akpabyo, which was a highlight of her visit to Nigeria. Her arrival coincided with the national celebration of Independence Day. A troup of Bahá’í men dancers from the village, attired in colorful skirts and feather headdresses, accompanied by drummers and followed by over one-hundred believers, young and old, met their guest at the junction with the main road and walked, dancing and drumming, through the jungle noonday heat for about a mile. It was a glorious and befitting welcome such as they reserve for visits of the highest personages in their land. As this procession made its way, in house after house as we went by, a Bahá’í woman would come out, sometimes an old lady or a mother with her babe on her back, and dance around ceremoniously, joyfully shouting “Alláh-u-Abhá”.
The Village of Ikotuba[edit]
At last the procession reached the village of Ikotuba, the first spot where the Bahá’í Faith penetrated into Nigeria from the Cameroon and where today they have a teaching institute as well as the largest number of believers in Nigeria. Over 200 believers gathered at the Institute to welcome Amatu’l-Bahá and hear her words of encouragement and wisdom. In this community they have a singing committee of about fifteen men and women who made up a powerful choir. They sang many beautiful songs they had composed, praising Bahá’u’lláh, explaining His Teachings and giving hope to mankind.
Ceremoniously, they presented Amatu’l-Bahá with a beautifully carved and painted stool in the shape of an elephant, properly dedicated to her with the date and place written on it.
Rúḥíyyih Khánum pointed out the importance of the spiritual command of Bahá’u’lláh which enjoins upon each of us to teach His Faith, now most important, because the priesthood has been abolished. She explained that all the religions of the past, including the traditional religion of Africa, have had priests and that these priests have rendered a service to humanity; if they were good they had a great influence on the people and raised them to higher levels; if they were evil, they did a lot of harm and had a bad influence on the people. “In the past,” Rúḥíyyih Khánum explained, “Literacy was the prerogative of only a very small section of society, primarily the priests. It was the duty of the priest to tell others what was written in the Book and guide the multitude of adherents. In this day, however, literacy is the common property of all. Within a few generations illiteracy will have been completely abolished from the face of the earth. Because of this, in this new day in which we are living, it will be possible and it will be the duty of every man to study the scriptures of his Faith, and follow and propagate it himself.”
Rúḥíyyih Khánum pointed out that the world is full of words today and they all resemble one another,
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whether coming from the mouth of a priest, philosopher
or scientist; therefore, it must be largely through deeds
that we Bahá’ís can distinguish ourselves and demonstrate the effect of the Words of Bahá’u’lláh on our lives.
Until late that evening the dancing and music continued and the activities were repeated the next day.
In a neighboring village a new Bahá’í Center had been constructed and Rúḥíyyih Khánum was requested to visit it and pray in it. So we went there on foot. When we returned we attended a meeting held at the Teaching Institute where Rúḥíyyih Khánum spoke to a large group and several accepted the Faith. The occasion ended with a luncheon to which all were invited. As nearly every local meat or fish dish in this part of Africa is liberally spiced with red pepper it is fortunate that both Rúḥíyyih Khánum and I learned to eat hot food during our trip to India.
On October 5, we left for the Republic of Cameroon, after a twenty-eight day visit to Nigeria. A Cameroon believer, one of the first to carry the Faith to Nigeria, and who is still a most active and dedicated traveling teacher, accompanied us to Mamfe. He regularly visits this area where he has been instrumental in forming over ten Local Assemblies. It took us over six hours to travel a distance of ninety miles stopping at many of these villages to greet the Bahá’ís. In some places Rúḥíyyih Khánum would get out and say a few words of encouragement and distribute pamphlets to inquirers.
We were touched by a young man who greeted us in one village then jumped on his bicycle, rode ahead of us so fast we could not catch up with him, and carried the news of the coming of Rúḥíyyih Khánum—then he
Bahá’ís of Akpabyo, Nigeria, presenting a gift of a carved stool to Rúḥíyyih Khánum.
would be there when we arrived, ready with a speech
he had written for the occasion.
These precious gems of Bahá’u’lláh, hidden in the remote jungles and deserts, islands and prairies are our beloved brothers and sisters in great need of our love and encouragement. If we only knew the joys and blessings we receive from visiting them and loving them—far greater than anything we can give them in return—we would all hasten to this field of foreign service and partake of the infinite blessings Bahá’u’lláh has reserved for those who arise to spread His Message.
Counsellors and Board Members Meeting in Guatemala[edit]
Guatemala City, Guatemala, in January hosted a meeting of Counsellors and Auxiliary Board members for Central and South America and the Antilles. Front row, left to right: Counsellors Alfred Osborne, Hooper Dunbar, Carmen Burafato and Artemus Lamb. Back row, from left to right: Auxiliary Board members Rodrigo Tomas from Costa Rica, Parvis Rohani from Honduras, Ruth Pringle from Panama, Edith McLaren from Guatemala, Gabriel Torres from El Salvador and Pablo Lucas from Mexico.
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French Language Publishing Trust Has New Headquarters[edit]
An outstanding event of the last months was the transfer of the Bahá’í French-language Publishing Trust to its new headquarters located in the rearranged ground-floor of the Belgian Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds in Brussels.
All book stocks (valuing some $36,000) have now been transferred there and an office is on a permanent basis.
Since its foundation in 1962, the Publishing Trust has expanded considerably. Its turnover of $6,000 in the year 126 doubled in 127. Its shipments go to all quarters of the French-speaking world, i.e. France, Belgium, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Canada, Haiti, Martinique, both Congo republics, Dahomey, Vietnam, Polynesia, etc.
Its catalog lists some 40 titles, comprising some 20 basic works. Several manuscripts are being prepared for printing and will be published as soon as funds are available. Next to appear will be a revised edition of Bahá’u’lláh et l’Ere nouvelle; its increased number of copies will allow a cheaper price and a wider distribution.
Mrs. Nanny Rizzardi is manager of the French Publishing Trust.
A group of Bahá’ís and seekers attending an institute in the national Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds of Guatemala which was given by the Counsellors and Auxiliary Board members.
Human Rights Day in Sierra Leone[edit]
The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of West Africa sent two of their National Public Relations representatives to Sierra Leone for a proclamation program during Human Rights Week. It turned out to be a very successful assignment for Mrs. Georgia Sanchez and Mr. Jamshid Fanniyan.
The news broadcast after Mrs. Sanchez arrival announced a special visitor. This was made possible by Mr. Cole, Secretary to the Ministry of External Affairs.
The Ministerial Association was helpful in approaching both editors of Government newspapers, which gave the fullest cooperation. The Daily Mail, on Friday, Dec. 10 had a headline “Bahá’ís Observe Human Rights Day.” The editor, a Muslim just recently returned from his Pilgrimage to Mecca, asked for a personal interview. The Nation published a similar article under the caption “Let’s Pray for Peace.”
Auxiliary Board member Shidan Koucheckzadeh and Mrs. Sanchez were separately interviewed for broadcasting twice. Mrs. Sanchez was also interviewed on the “Women’s View Only” program. Questions were timely and difficult, and successfully answered.
Mr. Fanniyan and Mrs. Sanchez were interviewed on the news TV about their visit and their connection with the Faith. The interviewer’s opening comment was that he had just visited the beautiful Bahá’í gardens in Haifa.
The National Spiritual Assembly of West Africa was pleased with the results in Sierra Leone.
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