Bahá’í News/Issue 513/Text
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| No. 513 | BAHA’I YEAR 130 | DECEMBER, 1973 |
Birth and development of
the World Centre
By Ugo Giachery
[Page 0]
Page 2
Page 9
Page 17
| CONTENTS |
Messages from The Universal House of Justice | 1 |
Birth and Development of the World Centre | 2 |
A magnet for tradition | 9 |
The end of The Great Safari | 17 |
| 18 |
| COVER PHOTO |
A pen and ink drawing of Bahjí by Dr. David S. Ruhe.
| PHOTO AND DRAWING CREDITS |
Cover: Dr. David Ruhe; Inside Cover: Paul Slaughter, Jene Bellows, Violette Nakhjavani; Pages 2, 4, 5, 6, 7: Paul Slaughter; Pages 9, 10, 11, 12: Jene Bellows; Pages 17, 18, 19, 20: Violette Nakhjavani; Back Cover: “The Bettman Archives.” Drawings: Page 3: Book cover art courtesy George Ronald, London; Pages 8, 13, 21: Pat Faenza Lucas.
| CORRECTIONS |
The photograph at the bottom of Page 15, August 1973 Bahá’í News, is improperly captioned “Bahá’ís in Rangoon and nearby village areas in front of the National Center, in February 1973.” The caption should read: “The annual Convention of the Bahá’ís of India, held in New Delhi, in May 1973.”
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.
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 Membership and Records, National Bahá’í Center. 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois. U.S.A. 60091.
Gardens at Bahjí extended[edit]
REJOICE ANNOUNCE FRIENDS BEAUTIFICATION DURING CONFLICT AGITATING MIDDLE EAST FOURTH QUADRANT AREA SURROUNDING MOST HOLY SHRINE EMBRACING OLIVE GROVE SOUTHWEST PILGRIM HOUSE BAHJÍ. BLESSED SHRINE AND MANSION NOW COMPLETELY ENCIRCLED BEAUTIFUL GARDENS INSPIRED BY PATTERN ḤARAM-I-AQDAS CREATED BY BELOVED GUARDIAN. PRAYING SHRINES SUPPORTERS MOST GREAT NAME EVERY LAND MAY REDOUBLE EFFORTS PROMOTE INTERESTS PRECIOUS FAITH IN ANTICIPATION FIVE YEAR GLOBAL PLAN SOON TO BE LAUNCHED.
4 December 1973
Next plan to last five years[edit]
To all National Spiritual Assemblies
Dear Bahá’í Friends,
Five months separate us from Riḍván 1974 when the next global plan will be launched. For a period of five years the attention, resources and energies of the Bahá’í World Community will be directed to achieving the aims of this plan.
By Naw-Rúz 1974 you will have been notified of the overall goals of the plan and the specific tasks assigned to each of your national communities. Each one of you is therefore urged to arrange for a meeting, at Naw-Rúz or soon after, to which you will invite the Board of Counsellors in your zone to be represented and at which the plan can be considered and thorough consultation held on the manner in which each one of your communities will launch it.
You are asked to give careful consideration as soon as possible to the advisability of holding one or more conferences in conjunction with your Convention or soon after. You may wish to consult the Counsellors on this matter. We believe that such conferences would greatly assist in acquainting the friends with the nature and aims of the plan and in enlisting their enthusiasm and resolution to achieve it. All details as to the number of such conferences, their timing, their agendas are left entirely to your discretion, but we recommend that in planning them you attach great importance to the participation of youth so that they may feel wholly identified with the tasks assigned and give their immediate and maximum support to their accomplishment.
Now is the time to begin directing the thoughts and plans of the friends to the next great demand which will be made upon them and we assure you of our prayers at the Sacred Threshold that you may be guided and strengthened to take such decisions and make such plans as will enable your communities to anticipate with eagerness and receive with joy the new tasks to be offered them, tasks whose wholehearted and united accomplishment will raise the Community of the Most Great Name to a position where it may have far greater effect upon men’s minds and prepare it for further thrilling and awe-inspiring achievements in the pursuit of its ultimate goal of the redemption of mankind.
The Universal House of Justice
November 21, 1973
A portion of the gardens around the Mansion of Bahjí. The Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh is shown at the upper right hand corner of the photograph.
Birth and development of the World Centre[edit]
by Ugo Giachery
A view from the portico on the second level of the Mansion of Bahjí.
[Page 3]
Almost one year before the end of the
First World War, the Balfour Declaration, made in the name of the British
government, favoured a national home
for the Jewish people in Palestine. Since
the conquest of that land by the Caliph
‘Umar—twelve years after the Hijra
(A.D. 622, the first year of the Muslim
era)—a succession of Islamic dynasties
had ruled over the entire Middle East,
until the fall of the Ottoman Empire in
1922, an Empire that had extended from
Turkey and the Balkans to Morocco on
the Atlantic Ocean. Thus it had been
impossible for the Jewish population,
dispersed throughout the Old World, to
return to their promised land. The
Balfour Declaration brought a ray of
hope that their ‘diaspora’ might end,
although the Mandate, which was given
to the British government by the League
of Nations at the end of the First World
War and which lasted until May 1948,
could not favour or encourage the return
of the Jews to Palestine. It had to
maintain the status quo, because of the
prevailing Muslim population in the
whole territory.
When Bahá’u’lláh, His family and followers were exiled to ‘Akká in 1868, Palestine was a stronghold of Sunni Islám. To understand how terrifying were the forces of opposition against any Faith, other than Sunní Islám, it suffices to recall the intermittent sufferings and persecutions inflicted upon Bahá’u’lláh and those exiled with Him, from 1867 until 1908. It was the revolution of the Young Turks that finally brought an end to the era of tyranny and oppression. Nevertheless, the Omnipotent had already decreed such far-reaching changes that their realization has been a true source of wonder. The construction under the most adverse conditions of the Báb’s Sepulchre, on the site blessed and chosen by Bahá’u’lláh on Mt. Carmel, established the Spiritual Centre of the Bahá’í Faith on that holy mountain in the most dramatic and unassailable manner. Moreover, two decades earlier, Sultan
The book’s jacket.
‘Abdu’l-Ḥamíd, in person, by assenting
to the request to inter the sacred remains
of Bahá’u’lláh within the precincts of
the Mansion of Bahjí, had suddenly and
miraculously sanctioned the way to
implant in the soil of the Holy Land a
new, eternal Qiblih, a point of adoration
for countless generations of followers of
a regenerating, dynamic and universal
Faith. Thus the ‘twin cities’ of ‘Akká
and Haifa potentially became the solid
spiritual foundations of the evolving
World Order of Bahá’u’lláh.
Much has happened since those days, and the splendour and beauty now surrounding the two Holy Places are the fruits of the vision and skill of Shoghi Effendi.
I could then fully share with him the vision of the New Jerusalem, the new City of God, the Abode of Peace, and understand his labours around that Sacred Spot, urged on by the impelling necessity of preparing the haven in which the Ark of Salvation would sail. To it the world would turn for spiritual guidance, as the source of inspiration, of sincerity, of divine justice and illumination.
In retrospect we can see how much was accomplished in that brief period of years and why Shoghi Effendi seemed to be ever aware of the shortness of time in which so much had to be made ready. Of all the great qualities that adorned his character, zeal and eagerness were outstanding. These two virtues acted as spearheads for all his manifold and burdensome activities, keeping him abreast of events and material limitations, inspiring all who understood his plight and dedicated themselves, mind and body, to lighten his burden and help him bring into reality his long-range plans. So great was his appreciation that many times, grateful for the modest assistance I could render him, he would look at me with loving eyes and, smiling, would say, ‘I wish there were one more believer like you.’
As the Faith expanded and its institutions multiplied under his far-sighted guidance, it was imperative that the Shrine and its environs—the fountainhead of inspiration—should evolve with great power, prestige and dynamic impulse. This is the reason that Shoghi Effendi could not spare any effort, or hesitate, or brook any delay. For him it was like racing through space toward a luminous star, when speed and skill were of supreme importance, with no turning back or change of heart. The Faith of God was in the balance, and the propelling power was coming from the Almighty Creator.
|
Birth and Development of the World Centre, is a chapter in a new book by the Hand of the Cause Dr. Ugo Giachery entitled, Shoghi Effendi— Recollections, Copyright © 1973 under the Berne Convention, reprinted here by permission of the publisher, George Ronald, London.
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The golden threads, spreading and weaving through all continents, oceans and islands of the world—sustained and strengthened by that celestial power that he, the Guardian of the Cause of God, knew how to tap—were slowly but surely enmeshing the earth, each strand carrying with it the vibrations of understanding, compassion and love, issuing forth from the mystic heart of the Guardianship.
There is no doubt that he must have been seriously concerned about the
| The World Centre, in the Guardian’s vision, was the New Jerusalem, the Sacred Spot from which the Ark of Salvation would sail. |
The Shrine of the Bab.
political future of Palestine. In some of his messages mentioning the possibility of another world conflict, he expresses anxiety for events which might involve the World Centre of the Faith. I well remember that one evening, at table, Shoghi Effendi related the information imparted by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá concerning the erection of a befitting sepulchre for the Báb that would be worthy of a Prophet of God. Shoghi Effendi therefore felt that it fell upon him, the Guardian of the Cause of God, to carry out these instructions when conditions would permit and the political situation would warrant undertaking such a permanent and costly project.
When the devouring flames of the Second World War enveloped the whole earth, the situation in the Middle East became fraught with danger, threatening the very core of the Spiritual Centre of Bahá’u’lláh’s Faith. But again, God’s plan operated to protect men and possessions, bringing a solution which even today, at thirty years’ distance, can only be considered the result of an intervention of Divine Providence. Palestine and all the Middle East were spared the scourge and destruction of war, thus permitting the planning of new developments at the World Centre of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh.
In the forefront of Shoghi Effendi’s greatest goals and accomplishments in the Faith must be considered the enhancement and beautification of the Holy Places connected with the lives of the Central Figures of the Bahá’í Faith. The setting is Mt. Carmel. No doubt those followers of past religions who came to this holy mountain were fascinated by its great beauty, made interesting by rugged rocks spread over its face like flocks of reposing sheep; by the myriads of wild flowers of incomparable grace and variety, and by its crystal clear skies and the blue Mediterranean Sea. This holy mountain, in a land that for millennia has influenced man’s evolution and thinking, was destined to become anew the centre of miraculous developments leading to the regeneration of all mankind.
Bahá’u’lláh was brought to Palestine in 1868 as a prisoner of the rulers of the Persian and Turkish governments. During the long years of His sufferings and bondage it was not timely to provide an appropriate and dignified resting-place for the remains of the martyred Herald of His Revelation, the Báb, nor even to prepare an adequate place for this purpose in the Holy Land. During the last years of His life, however, He visited Haifa and pitched His tent on the slopes of Mt. Carmel. On one such occasion He expressed to His eldest son, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the wish that a worthy memorial and resting-place be erected on the spot designated by Him, near a cluster of cypress trees. These trees are still standing today, in great beauty and dignity, on the upper level of the ground south of the Shrine of the Báb, now part of the enchanting gardens surrounding that Holy Edifice.
The eagerness of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to comply with Bahá’u’lláh’s instructions brought to Him, in His turn, additional and untold suffering, which He summarized in the following remark: “Every stone of that building, every stone of the road leading to it, I have with infinite tears and at tremendous cost, raised and placed in position.” In God Passes By, Shoghi Effendi enumerates some of the problems that beset ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in His efforts to erect the Báb’s Sepulchre, a strong building of Palestinian stone, of simple architecture, necessarily reinforced by buttresses—this prompted His enemies to accuse Him of building a fortress and a store for ammunition—and provided with heavy, majestic iron doors and multiple windows.
To describe the situation existing in Palestine during the last decades of the nineteenth and the first of the twentieth centuries is beyond the purpose of these recollections, but I wish to mention briefly what I learned from Shoghi Effendi himself. In his childhood and youth he witnessed the end of an era in a
| The Master’s enemies accused Him of building a fortress and a store for ammunition on Mt. Carmel. |
An entrance to the Mansion of Bahjí.
land overrun by tyranny, plagued by corrupt government, epidemics and poverty.
“There were no opportunities available in those years,” he once stated, “because the collapse of the military, cultural and political structure of the Ottoman Empire was at hand, and the signs of the imminent disintegration of the last vestige of an ancient glory were evident even to my young eyes.”
These were the trying conditions under which the beloved Master, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, had to fulfill His mission, single-handed, opposed by a relentless foe, and with all His fortitude and strength undermined by forty years of privation and discomfort.
The Báb’s remains arrived in ‘Akká at the beginning of the year 1899, after almost fifty years of removal from hiding-place to hiding-place. The ascension of Bahá’u’lláh had taken place seven years earlier; during His lifetime He had arranged for several transfers of the remains to ensure their safety. But it was left to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá personally to gather the precious dust of the Martyr-Prophet, and place it with His own hands in the Mausoleum He had erected for that purpose on the slope of Mt. Carmel, at the spot designated by Bahá’u’lláh Himself. Interment of the Báb’s remains took place on the evening of the Feast of Naw-Rúz, 1909, one year after ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s release from imprisonment and bondage.
Shoghi Effendi, as a youth of thirteen, had been an eye-witness of this historical and moving event. He related to me the whole episode of the placing of the Báb’s luminous remains in the alabaster sarcophagus that had been donated and sent by the Bahá’ís of Rangoon, Burma. They were placed in the crypt in the now central room of the Mausoleum, which today consists of nine rooms, but at that time had only six rooms in two parallel rows, the crypt being then in the centre room of the row facing south. The heart-rending events that took place that night in that hallowed shelter, dimly illumined by candle light, were unfolded in precise and dramatic words which gave me a true vision of that long-awaited ceremony, the first stage in the unfoldment of many events to come, leading to the establishment of the World Centre of the Faith around that Sacred Spot.
Transported by Shoghi Effendi’s eloquent narrative I well understood the eagerness and urgency with which he had undertaken the construction of the outer Shrine of the Báb, which now graces the holy mountain. The hand of destiny made me his co-worker in securing the carved marble for that Holy Sepulchre in my native Italy, a privilege and honour that has blessed my mature years. That particular night, although I had already started on the work of obtaining and shipping the carved marble to Haifa, I realized more than ever how Shoghi Effendi had the ability to surmount any obstacle that came his way, shedding his inspiration and loving guidance in all directions. During the nine years (1948-57) that I assisted him in securing the material for the Báb’s Shrine and the International Archives, I became more and more aware of the power emanating from his spiritual dynamism, which assisted me in overcoming
| The Second World War, which enveloped the whole earth, threatened the very core of the Spiritual Centre of Bahá’u’lláh’s Faith. |
One of the avenues approaching the Mansion of Bahjí in the background. Lining the avenue on either side are stately cypress trees.
serious difficulties threatening, at the time, the continuance and completion of the work.
That same evening Shoghi Effendi related how, on 25 December 1939, thirty years after the interment of the Báb’s remains and following a well-conceived plan, he had entrusted to the sacred soil of Mt. Carmel, not far from the Báb’s Shrine, the bodies of the Purest Branch and the mother of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Their burial-places are also near those of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s sister and His wife, thus establishing the focal point of the Bahá’í administrative institutions of the World Centre of the Faith. While Shoghi Effendi was relating these vital episodes in the historical development of the Faith in the Holy Land, I could strongly feel his anticipation of great things to come.
His enthusiasm, always an element of his eloquence, lent a deep tone of certainty to the exposition of his plans for the future, not only at the World Centre but also throughout the whole globe. As on previous occasions when I was privileged to listen to his enumeration of far-reaching plans for the expansion of the Faith he so much loved, my soul was filled with awe and gratitude, for he was indeed the master-builder of the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh.
As my recollections return on the wings of memory, I feel again that sense of joyfulness and elation which was with me whenever I was near him, a mysterious, unbreakable bond that influenced and guided me in all the manifold activities he called upon me to perform. It was not personal magnetism, but the influence of the spiritual force that constantly emanated from him, a power made up of inspiration, insight, understanding, acquiescence, faith, vision and, above all, of full reliance upon the divine assistance of the Omnipotent.
The task of erecting the outer building surrounding the Shrine of the Báb was not a simple one, under the conditions prevailing at the conclusion of the Arab-Israeli conflict in 1948. Shoghi Effendi was fully aware of the almost insurmountable obstacles he had to face in order to carry out the diligently prepared architectural project in which time had to play the most important role.
Very little has been written concerning Shoghi Effendi’s plans, inaugurated well before the erection of the outer Shrine of the Báb, except for his mention in God Passes By (p. 411): “The dome, the final unit which, as anticipated by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, is to crown the Sepulchre of the Báb, is as yet unreared.” It is quite evident, however, from the vast and extremely beautiful grounds now gracing the environs of the Shrine, that the development of the gardens and of other buildings in its immediate vicinity was a continuous process in his mind, dating from the early days of his Guardianship when, in messages addressed to the Bahá’ís in the Western Hemisphere, he stressed the importance of donations of funds to enable him to purchase additional land around the Shrine. The manner in which he developed the gardens, leaving spacious areas on which other buildings could be erected, is definite proof that he was carrying out a well-envisioned plan for development and establishment of the spiritual and administrative seats of
| The development of the World Centre, an almost impossible task, was accomplished only by the will and determination of Shoghi Effendi. |
A view of Haifa at twilight from atop Mt. Carmel.
the World Centre of the Faith.
It is a saga of joy and dismay, of victories and delays, of hope, persistence and vision which if fully narrated would soften and conquer every heart. In the centuries to come, it will be seen that this enterprise, as embodied in this glorious and almost impossible task, was accomplished only by the will and determination of Shoghi Effendi. His boundless foresight and his indefatigable labours were the Pole star of his existence, by which he surmounted the difficulties and obstacles that very often opposed and threatened his plans during all the years of his stewardship.
In the months I spent in the Holy Land during the spring and early summer of 1952, when construction of the outer building surrounding the original Shrine was progressing with considerable difficulty—entailed by the illness and subsequent death of its architect, William Sutherland Maxwell, and by the serious illness of the building’s contractor who was never able to return to the work—I learned from Shoghi Effendi’s own lips the magnitude of his vision and determination to create on Mt. Carmel the Spiritual Capital of the very first universal Faith. He often cited passages from the Tablet of Carmel, and I became aware that each word of the text of this Tablet was ever present in his mind, as the inspiration guiding him in the vast and magnificent development of that area which, alas, was not to be completed by himself. A glimpse of the glory to come is given in his message dated 27 November 1954.
His oft-repeated, rather critical references to the present neglected condition of the spiritual centres of both Christianity and Islám revealed his determination to enhance, in contrast, the ultimate beauty and future prestige of the World Centre of the Faith, which he so earnestly and lovingly had evolved in his mind and was eagerly trying to bring into reality on Mt. Carmel.
If the Master, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, had met with infinite difficulties in the erection of the inner building of the Báb’s Shrine, it is certain that Shoghi Effendi had to face and carry on under an equal if not greater share of obstacles, anxiety, material and financial problems. Only his patience, courage and unfailing faith enabled him to overcome them. With a grieved heart he refers to some of these “recurrent crises” in that historic message to the believers in the United States and Canada dated 25 December 1938, when racial animosity, strife and terrorism were interfering with the project initiated to preserve and extend the area surrounding the Sacred Spots on Mt. Carmel and with the flow of pilgrims, whom he considered the “life-blood” of the heart and nerve centre of the world-embracing Faith of Bahá’u’lláh.
For every difficulty he conquered, his compensation in the joy of achievement was boundless. Day by day, with regular visits, he observed the erection of the superstructure. As the carved marble and granite were placed in position, piece by piece, block by block, his vision took form. The project became a living reality in all its beauty—beyond all expectation. His happiness could not be contained.
How well I remember the light of elation that radiated from his handsome
[Page 8]
face when we gathered at his table for the
evening meal, during those days and
months after the quadrangular colonnade had been completed in all its
majesty and work had begun on the
octagon with its slender minarets, like
immense white fingers reaching into
space as if supplicating the infinity of
God’s love. It was an unforgettable
period of Shoghi Effendi’s life: appointment of the Hands of the Cause of
God; creation of the International Council, the forerunner of the Universal
House of Justice; the projected birth of
the twelfth National Spiritual Assembly
(Italy-Switzerland); preparation for
launching the Ten Year Global Crusade
and the very first International Conferences in four continents of the world;
acquisition of land at Bahjí around the
Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh and beautification
of that land; anticipation of completing
the Báb’s Shrine to coincide with the
centenary of Bahá’u’lláh’s first intimation of His Prophethood revealed to Him
in the “Black Pit” (or prison) of Ṭihrán;
drafting by his own hand the cleverly
devised map showing all the goals of the
Crusade—these were like golden
threads which he adroitly manipulated
to weave a world-wide pattern of enterprises involving the ingenuity, interest
and efforts of every follower of
Bahá’u’lláh. All these activities were
for him the source of an intense happiness and intimate satisfaction that spurred him forward in the practical execution of God’s plan for mankind.
I beg the reader to pause for a moment and consider how the erection of the outer structure of the Báb’s Shrine was an integral part of Shoghi Effendi’s universal conception of the expansion of the Faith and of the consolidation of its institutions at its World Centre, so that the mighty “Ark” of God would sail on the slopes of Mt. Carmel and bring thereon the “people of Bahá.”
On that particular evening to which I have referred, when Shoghi Effendi spoke to me alone, he expressed his deep sorrow that even the immediate members of his family had never understood his persistent efforts to beautify the grounds around the Shrine of the Báb, in anticipation of the day when the Great Shrine, desired by Bahá’u’lláh, would come into existence in all its regal splendour and beauty and be surrounded by gardens of loveliness and perfection, gardens already being laid out during the long years of patient waiting. “Never,” he said, “in the religious history of mankind has a Prophet of God been so highly honoured within a century of His Mission, by almost His own generation, and with so much love and world-wide concurrence.” Again, the flame of eager enthusiasm was lighting his face as he spoke.
[Page 9]
The village of Vescovato.
A magnet for tradition[edit]
team on Corsica
by Jene Bellows
[Page 10]
Below is part two of an account of the
activities of the U.S. Summer Youth
Project in France. Mrs. Bellows, the
author, was the coordinator of the
French Project. The first installment of
this two-part series appeared in the
October 1973 Bahá’í News.
“There were just two weeks remaining in the summer campaign in France that Sunday in August when I returned to the island of Corsica. The teaching teams in Sens and Clermont-Ferrand had had wonderful success, with a total of forty-five declarations between them, but there were no declarations in Vescovato.
The Corsican people, though outwardly friendly, are skeptical, tradition bound and insular. New faces are not accepted readily, but by the time I arrived, the teaching team was considered part of the summer scene in Vescovato.
Our meetings in the small store-front center next to the most popular village cafe were well attended. Many of the same people came nightly to sing the Bahá’í songs, to ask questions, and to look at our displays of posters and books. As they came to know us they seemed to want us to have success in teaching the Faith, but with others, not with themselves. They would bring new friends each night saying, “Make him a Bahá’í! He’s a Bahá’í!” Their approach to religion seemed to be completely without spirit. Some were interested only in politics, and for others the Catholic Church as used as a yardstick to measure everything that they learned about the Faith. Many times we heard the angry remark, “Comme l’eglise, comme l’eglise!” (like the church). One young man made a practice of stalking out of the meetings with these words, vowing he would never come back, only to return an hour later to listen some more.
Vescovato was swarming with summer visitors. Ex-villagers and young people who worked and studied on the continent were visiting their families during the holiday month of August. Without question everyone of them came to the Bahá’í Center. They came to talk, to argue, to joke, to sing, to listen, but not to declare. Juke box music blared in competition from the café next door, and the people wandered
The village of Furiani.
[Page 11]
from the Center to the café and
back again, while some sat at the little
outdoor tables and just watched.
Mothers soon learned that their children were safe when they were singing
with the Bahá’ís, and now and then a
shawl-wrapped woman would step in to
check on her youngster. For the most
part, though, the women stayed indoors
at night. Summer nights were for the
men and the young.
Daytimes we would walk through the village, talking with the women who stood or sat gossiping in their doorways. They would tell us of their soon-coming harvest work, cutting the grape vines in the fields, and laughingly dare us to join them. They would ask us to tell them of the United States. We would tell of Bahá’u’lláh and His Message, and show them pictures of Bahá’ís in the United States and other parts of the world. They would promise to come to the meetings, but they would never come.
One night, we decided to have an evening of prayers and music. Aileen Woo played her guitar, and Mary LaGasse, who joined the team after completing her flute studies in a conservatory in Nice, gave us a recital. This was to be a different psychological and spiritual approach. We began the meeting with a large group of children and one of the mothers who had come for her child. She stayed to listen, and then asked questions. The next day we found the women of the village had placed the stamp of approval on the Bahá’ís. The word had gotten around that the Bahá’ís had good teachings, and were serious people. Everywhere we went we would hear “Bahá’í or Bahá’u’lláh” following us as we walked. The lady who made Corsican cakes (a form of doughnut) in her little cave-like house in the center of the village, offered us samples to taste, saying “Bahá’ís are good people... eat, eat!”
And so it went. Our team resources were few as compared to the other teams. In order to reach Corsica, one must take a ten hour boat trip from Marseille, or a six hour trip from Nice. The boat schedule is erratic and space is difficult to book in the summer months. Because of this, the team was small. At the beginning there were only three American, Erin Barry, Aileen Woo and Kamal Zein, as fulltime members of the
Bahá’ís in front of the Bahá’í Center of Vescovato.
Teaching in the village of Romagnat, in central France.
[Page 12]
The village of Romagnat.
team. The weeks in July were spent in
choosing a goal village, finding housing and transportation with help from
the Bahá’ís in Bastia, a large port city
of Corsica. At the beginning of August
Suzie Jacobs of Bastia was free to
become a full time member of the team,
and Bashir Ziani, who had come from
Marseille, taught with us on weekends.
Farhan Yazdani, an intern in the
sanatorium in Tattone, eighty kilometers from Bastia, gave us his car for the
summer. He joined us whenever he had
free time, traveling by the two-car
“toonerville trolley” train, or by
“stop” (French for hitch-hike).
After our nightly meetings, and when the village would go to sleep, the only lights were the stars and the moon, and one swath of bright light that came from the wide open door of the “Boulangerie” (bakery) half-way up the hill overlooking the square. Each night the young men would sit lined up on the wall opposite the bakery door, and call to us to join them as we closed the Center. There, eating warm chocolate brioches, breathing in the good smell of bread baking for tomorrow’s breakfast mixed with scent of cool mountain air, we continued the discussions late into the night. The people admittedly had no patience for reading, but all the time in the world to talk and talk. This was the pattern of our days.
Some nights we planned tightly scheduled programs with slides and talks, and some nights we planned nothing but songs and free discussions. One Sunday we invited our friends to a Unity Picnic by the river. Some of the “sympathisants” and the friends from Bastia joined us that day. Perhaps that was why the villagers stayed away, all except for two young men who hid behind the trees and watched us. It was difficult and frustrating.
Time was running out, and soon we would have to close the Center and leave the island. Feast night, we decided, would be for us. We were tired. We hiked up to the highest point in the village and sat on the edge of a cliff that fell away to the valley below. The night was still and dark. There, with flashlights, we prayed and prayed, and sang, and chanted prayers. And we prayed some more, pouring our hearts out to Bahá’u’lláh. When we scrambled off the cliff-edge to solid ground, we found our exit was blocked by villagers! Men, women, children, and youth!! All had been sitting silently and observing.
The next night we had five declarations...young men who wanted to go to the cliff and pray. That night we told Andrée Orsoni of the declarations. She said, “Of course! I am a Bahá’í too! I believe in Bahá’u’lláh! Surely He is God.” Andrée works in the café next door to the Center, serving people all day, seven days a week, year around. Her days start at seven a.m. and in the summer months, end at one a.m. A young married woman with a gentle smile and always helpful, she is the information center for Vescovato. Andrée had not had time to come to our meetings. But Valentine Antomarchi, her ten year old niece had come every night. She had learned the Bahá’í songs, and memorized some prayers. And she taught the Faith to her aunt. Andrée is now the strongest Bahá’í in Vescovato.
The next day we started deepening the new believers, another test of patience. There was no way to conduct classes of any kind. People came and went, constantly interrupting. When we found a different location in which to hold the deepening classes, our nightly followers found us, and broke up the meeting. But during the next day, Joseph Gavi, an old man who had searched for a new religion all his life, became a Bahá’í. And Pierrot Giancili, a man often ridiculed by the villagers because he wasn’t as smart as they thought he should be, declared his belief in Bahá’u’lláh. He had waited a long time, watching us. He came to every meeting. His first act of service to the Faith was to find us a larger light bulb for the Center.
Others declared, totalling eleven...eight Vescovatans, and three visitors from the mainland. All this happened the last few days of the campaign.
We left the island with mixed emotions. We knew the necessity of deepening the new believers. We knew the people were difficult to get to know, and that strange consolidation teachers would not be able to make contact with
[Page 13]
them. Hadn’t they all hidden themselves the night the Bastia Bahá’ís
came to visit? Who was to deepen
them?
It’s been difficult writing this story of Vescovato. It doesn’t build to a grand climax. Instead of reporting that all eleven new Bahá’ís are now deepened and bringing in their friends and families, on my return trip to the village we found that out of the eight that lived there, three declarations were valid. The villagers were genuinely happy to see me back, and surprised and pleased that I wanted to spend my vacation days with them before returning to United States. The vacation atmosphere was gone, the village blacked out completely each night at 8 PM, and daytimes all were hard at work. After five days, I had the feeling that I should either get a job there or leave. It was time to go.
Bashir Ziani and Machid Sabet were with me, and during the course of this last visit we made new friends for the Faith, on a deeper level. Some of the more serious members of the village came to talk with us, people who used to hover around the outside of our meetings, listening and watching. They were genuinely pleased that Bashir had decided to pioneer in Vescovato, and there would be more opportunities to continue to learn about the Bahá’í teachings.
There were a total of sixty declarations in France last summer, far less than during last year’s teaching campaign. However, Mr. Vovard, a new believer in Sens, has written me that the new community there has formed a group, and I quote, “is now flying on its own wings”. Mayme (Marylee) Clark has stayed behind in Clermont-Ferrand to pioneer, and the reports from that region show that consolidation efforts are moving forward. There are four Bahá’ís, five with Bashir, in the little mountain village of Vescovato, for as I was packing my things to leave the village for the last time, Mamoun came to declare his belief in the Faith. He told me he wants to help bring a Local Spiritual Assembly into existence in Vescovato by Ridván.
Accustomed to stories of thousands of people becoming Bahá’ís in a few days, this may not seem dramatic. But for those of us who taught the Faith in France this summer, great victories were won. Sixty souls have accepted Bahá’u’lláh, and thousands have heard His name for the first time. Television news covered the teaching efforts on two separate occasions, and the ground has been broken for future gains.
For all those who participated in the Summer Campaign in France, the members of the teaching teams and those who provided support with food, lodging, funds and prayers, I would like to close with these words of our Beloved Master, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá:
“The souls of the well-favored among the concourse on high, the sacred dwellers of the most exalted Paradise, are in this day filled with burning desire to return unto this world, that they may render such service as lieth in their power to the threshold of the Abhá Beauty”
“How thankful must we be for having been made in this Day the recipients of so overwhelming a favor! Would that we had ten thousand lives that we might lay them down in thanksgiving for so rare a privilege, so high an attainment, so priceless a bounty!”
Around the World[edit]
People in restaurants (far right) lean over railing to see film being shown at
Bahá’í booth below.
Lusaka Agricultural Show[edit]
A month before the Lusaka Agricultural Show, in Zambia, the Lusaka Local Spiritual Assembly decided that they would apply for a booth. To their surprise and delight one was available—a corner booth near two entrances to Jubilee Hall, right below a restaurant.
They had all the experts they needed to prepare their booth; an architect, an artist, several engineers, an electrician, a seamstress, a carpenter. All the same, it was a hectic time. But by the opening day, surprisingly all was ready.
There were two counters for pamphlet and book displays. On one side a large sign said, “BAHÁ’Í FAITH—1 World 1 Family.” Next to this was a screen, upon which was projected the film of the dedication of the Panama Temple. The film attracted large crowds and the people in the restaurant would lean over the railing to watch too.
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Auxiliary Board member Dr. John Davidson (right), and National Assembly Secretary Mrs. A. Cookson (left). |
More than 57,000 people visited the Show. 3,500 pieces of Bahá’í literature were given out. 350 requests for further information were recorded.
More than 20 visitors to the Show are now Bahá’ís, and follow-up teaching meetings are still being held.
Bahá’í classes[edit]
About 50 Bahá’í children attend the children’s classes which are held every day at Magamba-Kwalonge village, in Tanzania. The two teachers have taught the children songs and prayers.
New Zealand Youth Conference[edit]
The New Zealand Youth Conference
The 1973 National Youth Conference for New Zealand was held during
the weekend of 24-27 August, at Otaki,
near Wellington, New Zealand.
The Continental Board of Counsellors for Australasia was represented by Auxiliary Board member Dr. John Davidson. Auxiliary Board member Mrs. Gina Garcia was also present at the conference.
Messages were read from the New Zealand National Assembly and the Australian National Assembly, and the following telegram was received from Bahá’í youth of Brisbane, “Radiant Bahá’í souls in the land of the long white cloud loving prayers for a fruitful and joyous gathering of the children of Baha”.
The following cable to the Universal House of Justice was sent during the Conference, “Alláh’u’Abhá—Two hundred enthusiastic overwhelmed dedicated youthful members Cause Bahá’u’lláh with Board Members Gina Garcia, John Davidson also friends Australia, Tonga, Samoa assembled consulting their privileged part in plans spreading beloved Cause in Australasia—Aroha Nui”.
Auxiliary Board member John Davidson spoke during the first evening on “The Administrative Institutions—Channels for the Life Giving Spirit”, and with the aid of well constructed flip charts, emphasized the importance of the Bahá’í art of consultation. Auxiliary Board member Gina Garcia led a vital discussion on community life and the feast during the final session on Sunday afternoon. Much interesting consultation centered on the importance of children attending and participating in the 19-Day Feast. Other interesting sessions were held on the Local Spiritual Assembly, the Covenant and the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, being a Bahá’í youth, and teaching—with specific reference to New Zealand’s goals during the interim year.
On Saturday evening, films were shown, including one on the dedication of the House of Worship in Panama, and a newly released “Summer Breeze”, featuring Seal and Crofts.
UN Day in Musuam[edit]
Members of the National Assembly of
the Philippines, with Continental
Counsellor
for South East Asia Mr. Chellie
Sundram (standing, third from left), and
Auxiliary
Board members Mr. Dominador
Anunsacion (standing, extreme left),
and Mr. Fred
Ramirez (standing, extreme right).
A United Nations Day celebration
was conducted by the Bahá’ís of
Musuam, a town in the province of
Bukidnon, on North Mindanao, in the
Philippines, from October 24-26,
1973. Bukidnon is a mountainous and
plateau region, with a population of
roughly 400,000 people, who engage
primarily in corn, coffee, hemp, rice
and pineapple farming, and some grazing.
The highlight of their celebration, at Musuam’s Fulbright Gardens, was a display of Bahá’í books, magazines, pamphlets, and, of course, UN materials. The Bahá’í exhibition was opened by a Catholic priest and a Protestant woman pastor.
Approximately 400 people came to see the exhibition. On the first day a college student declared his belief in Bahá’u’lláh. Eighty persons attended a slide show fireside given on one evening. Next day the same fireside was attended by sixty people.
Continental Counsellors meet[edit]
Photographs taken during the Continental Board of Counsellors Conference in Valparaiso, Chile, November 24-25. The group shot is of the National Spiritual Assembly of Chile, with Counsellor Mahsu’d Khamsi (extreme left). The second photograph shows Auxiliary Board member for Chile, Dr. Eduardo Roe (left), Mr. Khamsi, and Mr. Reed Chandler (right), a member of the National Assembly.
Bahá’ís meet President Kerekou[edit]
A delegation of Bahá’ís was granted an interview with the newly elected President of the Republic on 21 June. His Excellency, Mathieu Kerekou, spent forty-five minutes with the Bahá’í delegation.
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Recollections of the Guardian A copy of a card which was mailed to more than 4,000 colleges, universities, and other educational institutions throughout the world. It announces the publication of a new book by Mr. Giachery, a section of which is published in this issue of Bahá’í News. |
Following a series of questions about the aims and ideals of the Faith, he promised the friends that he would give them support in their endeavors to gain recognition for the Faith and assured them of his permission to utilize the national radio network with the same degree of frequency granted to other religions, if they made application to do so.
The interview with the President was announced on the radio with comments about the nature of the Bahá’í Faith.
The end of the Great Safari[edit]
by Violette Nakhjavani
The day we spent in two villages with the Bahá’ís in Fizi was one of the happiest days of our stay in Zaire. The village of Ngovi, which was the nearest village to the damaged bridge that separated us from hundreds of villages and tens of thousands of believers, was chosen to receive beloved Rúḥíyyih Khánum. Almost 2,000 people, mostly believers representing more than forty communities, were gathered. A group of them had walked more than 100 kilometers over the mountains to get to the meeting. These mountain villages are practically cut off from the rest of the region, because even during the dry season only a part of the area is accessible by a car with four-wheel drive. The rest of the area must be reached on foot.
Somehow, news of Amatu’l-Bahá’s arrival in their region reached the mountain villages. A delegation came down to the nearest village to find out more about this news. When they arrived, they found the believers streaming in from all over that district to cross the river to attend the meeting in Ngovi; they promptly joined the friends and came to this meeting.
Amatu’l-Bahá with His Excellency President Grégoire Kayibanda of the Republic of Rwanda, taken at his palace in Kigali.
It took the two Auxiliary Board
members and the National Spiritual
Assembly and Teaching Committee
representatives quite some time to calm
down these mountain friends and answer their vehement protestations at
having been neglected and not properly
advised of Amatu’l-Bahá’s arrival.
With proper notice a much larger group
of the believers might have come to
welcome her and hear her talk. It should
be noted that the omission was not
deliberate. Communications in Africa
are an ever-present obstacle to organized activity of any kind.
A number of Pygmy Bahá’ís from nearby villages also attended this meeting. The decorations and arches erected in this village were very beautiful. There were five rows of nine poles, set about five meters apart; forty-five poles altogether. These structures were roofed with branches.
The branches were not leafy enough, and the hot morning sun penetrated easily. The ladies present would get up from time to time, remove one of their outer skirts or their cloth headgear, and spread them over the branches to increase the shade. I counted twenty-five pieces of brightly colored material spread gaily over our heads.
The exemplary conduct of the Bahá’ís of Fizi has been for many years a source of pride not only to the Bahá’ís of this region, but also to their National
| The Guardian himself visited Africa to introduce this new world Faith. |
Amatu’l-Bahá meeting with Rwanda believers near the town of Butare.
Assembly. There are numerous local centers throughout this district, erected wholly by the local believers, without any assistance from outside. The holding of Nineteen Day Feasts and Local Spiritual Assembly meetings is a common thing here. The regular donations of the Fizi believers to the different Funds has been exemplary. Many believers in this district have suffered imprisonment and have been beaten because they were Bahá’ís. Some have been falsely accused or suspected in periods of civil distress and strife. The believers here have sacrificed a great deal because of their love for the Faith. Their greatest blessing and protection has been their strict adherence to the Laws of Bahá’u’lláh, such as abstinence from alcoholic beverages, the practice of monogamy, and non-interference in politics. Disobedience of the law by any individual believer, we were told, is promptly reported to the Local Spiritual Assembly concerned, which makes a detailed report to the National Spiritual Assembly, and recommends a just punishment.
The thirst and eagerness of the Bahá’ís to learn more, to drink in every word uttered by Amatu’l-Bahá, was evidenced on this beautiful, alert and smiling faces, with their shining eyes. The unusual and tangible spirit of these believers conveyed itself to the heart of beloved Amatu’l-Bahá, eliciting from her such thoughts and words as to make this meeting one of the rarest I had witnessed.
She said the foundation of all creation is love. It was the love of our Creator that caused us to come into being, and it is our love for Him that will cause us to establish our eternal connection with Him. In The Hidden Words, Bahá’u’lláh says, “Love Me, that I may love thee. If thou lovest Me not, My love can in no wise reach thee.” This is the essence of life. Rúḥíyyih Khánum then offered the following example: If a thirsty man reaches a spring of water but has no hands or receptacle with which to drink, he knows the life-giving water is there, he knows that he should drink of it in order to live, but he is not equipped to partake of it. The love and the mercy of God are there, abundant and always available for us to reach, but we must make the effort to get to them.
She said the body of man is exactly like that of the animal, because physically man is an animal, with all the characteristics of animals. What distinguishes man from the animals is his soul, the spiritual side of man which survives death and lives eternally. It is this side of man that is created in the image of God, and during our earthly life, must be developed.
On January 14 we left Goma and entered Rwanda, accompanied still by Mrs. Pawlowska. On our way to the capital we stopped to visit several communities. In the village of Nhomero, more than 140 adults and children received Amatu’l-Bahá on a hillside looking out to beautiful, rugged terrain. She spoke of life after death and mentioned several ways we can help our loved ones in the other world, like offering prayers for them or giving money to the Fund in their names, or undertaking some special service to the Cause on their behalf.
In the home of one of the believers, near the town of Butare, where the Cause was first taught by the dear Collisons in 1953, Amatu’l-Bahá met with the Bahá’ís and their friends and spoke to them of the progress of the Faith all over the world, and particularly its progress in Africa.
On our return trip to Kigali, she met with the believers and their friends in two suburbs, and held deep discussions on the proofs of the truth of the Message of Bahá’u’lláh.
In the village of Taba more than 150 people, mostly non-Bahá’ís, attended Rúḥíyyih Khánum’s talk. She encouraged the believers to make an effort to travel away from their village and to carry this wonderful message of love and brotherhood to others; she spoke of the life of the Master, and recounted how, at the end of His life, when His body was old and His health broken by a lifetime of suffering, exile and imprisonment, He made long and exhausting journeys to carry the Message of His beloved Father to the people of the West; and how, before His passing, He had appealed to the believers to travel and teach.
Amatu’l-Bahá said, “I am a widow, sixty-two years old; I have no children, no sisters, no brothers, no parents. The only reason I have come to Africa, at this age, is in response to the beautiful words of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and because the only time the beloved Guardian gave any indication of what I might do after him, was one day, when suddenly, he looked at me and said, ‘What will become of you after I die ...?’ This distressed me very much and I pleaded with him not to say such a terrible thing, that I would never live after he was dead; but he continued and said, ‘I suppose you will go and visit the friends in different countries and encourage them.’ If I can do this at my age,” she said, “of course
[Page 19]
you can do it too.”
The last village meeting was in Kagina, in Rwanda, where more than 250 people gathered to receive Amatu’l-Bahá. Our meetings were often held on a hillside, outside the crowded village. Here they had erected a special shelter of branches and leaves to protect us from the blazing sun. Rúḥíyyih Khánum spoke to them about the purpose of creation and the journey of the soul of man through the different worlds of God. The life of man in this world, she said, is only a period of preparation for the eternal world of God; if, in this life, we make no spiritual preparation for that eternal life, we will be unhappy and undeveloped when we die and pass on to the next world.
In Kigali Amatu’l-Bahá was interviewed on radio about the Bahá’í Faith. This was particularly important because it was the first time news of the Faith was broadcast in the country. The highlight of her visit to Kigali, however, was her audience with President Grégoire Kayibanda, the President of the Republic of Rwanda. This meeting took place on January 17, at the President’s residence. It lasted forty-five minutes, during which time Rúḥíyyih Khánum was able to speak on many different topics that deeply interested the President. He was a teacher by profession before entering politics, and is a very thoughtful man, deeply interested in spiritual subjects. Amatu’l-Bahá several times mentioned the name of Bahá’u’lláh and some of His Teachings, particularly the principle of obedience to government. She presented the President with a copy of her own book, Prescription for Living, which interested him very much, and a copy of the pamphlet on obedience to government. I am sure this interview and the personality of Amatu’l-Bahá impressed him deeply and influenced his subsequent decision to grant official recognition to the Faith.
One of the topics Rúḥíyyih Khánum touched upon in her talk with Mr. Kayibanda was her love for the people of Africa and the glorious destiny that lies ahead for them. The President was pleased by her statement.
He replied, “I have studied the philosophy of the people of the West, which is very different from the African understanding and belief. You take birth, puberty, maturity and death as one process. When you reach death it is all cut off and stops, that is the end. Then there is something called eternal life, but that is vague and separate from all the different phases of this life.
“We Africans believe in birth, puberty, marriage, maturity, death and the continuation of life into an after life, all as one unbroken line,” he said. “We do not see them as separate parts.”
Amatu’l-Bahá told him this was exactly the Bahá’í belief and doctrine. His Excellency was very kind and permitted me to take his photograph with Amatu’l-Bahá, which necessitated stepping out into the garden where there was more light.
The purpose of the appearance of all the Manifestations of God is to teach man how to develop his soul and control and harness his animal side. These Divine Teachers give us the shortest directions to reaching our goal; but, man, unfortunately, through ignorance and stubbornness, always chooses the longest way, which is thorny and full of suffering. The physical life is finite and of short duration compared with the eternal and everlasting life of our souls. The soul of man is like a mirror; if this mirror is turned down to the dark earth, it reflects only the mud, but if it is turned upwards to the light of God and to spiritual matters, then it reflects the divine light and glory.
For more than two hours Amatu’l-Bahá spoke on these subjects and answered many questions. It was with great reluctance on everyone’s part that the meeting finally ended. That afternoon we had to go to a second meeting, in the village of Katota.
The Bahá’í Center of Katota was built on the top of a small, steep hill, up high for all to see; the steep path to the Center was decorated with green, flower-covered arches, a beautiful and delicate symbol of love and unity. More than 500 people, mostly Bahá’ís, came to welcome Rúḥíyyih Khánum. She praised their building, especially the site they had chosen for it. She said the beloved Guardian always advised and encouraged the believers to buy, if possible, Temple lands on hillsides; this Center is seen by all the villagers and passers-by, and is itself a silent teacher proclaiming the oneness of God, the oneness of religions and the oneness of mankind. This was a long and exhausting day, but that night, when we went to sleep in our dormitory with 68 beds, tired but blissful,
| Even presidents and kings were visibly affected by an encouraging word, she said. |
At the Kagina the whole hillside was thick with people.
| Amatu’l-Bahá visited thirty-four countries in three years. “If I can do this at my age, you can too,” she said. |
Tea party at a friend’s home in Burundi.
our souls were uplifted by the memory of our visit with such lovely believers.
The last stage of Amatu’l-Bahá’s tour of Zaire was along the western shore of Lake Kivu. This area has been newly opened to the Faith. In the village of Tshibanodja more than sixty greeted her. They had borrowed a house still under construction for this meeting and had decorated the exterior and interior with flowers.
Because there were non-Bahá’ís present, Rúḥíyyih Khánum spoke on the Message of Bahá’u’lláh and its significance in the world today. The children, who have a regular Bahá’í class, recited prayers and sang Bahá’í songs for us. On January 10 we left for Goma; we bade farewell to the friends in Bukavu, and to the believers gathered at the center for an intensive deepening course for several months. Bahá’ís from Fizi and elsewhere had been meeting at the Bukavu Center for an extended teaching institute to deepen a larger number of believers, who would, in turn, conduct similar courses in villages throughout their region.
Goma is the town on the opposite end of Lake Kivu from Bukavu, on the Rwanda frontier. Accompanied by Mrs. Pawlowska and the secretary of the Regional Teaching Committee, who was an excellent translator, we drove over a ghastly dirt road through the hills, to meet in some villages along our way. An Auxiliary Board member, Mr. Shabani Salatiel, one of the oldest believers in Kivu, went ahead to prepare the friends for Amatu’l-Bahá’s arrival. In the village of Kiniezeri, where only three or four months earlier the Message of Bahá’u’lláh had been introduced, the believers had already built a very presentable local center, now beautifully decorated to honor their distinguished guest. More than 120 people anxiously listened to the words of encouragement and love from Amatu’l-Bahá, who spoke on the power and potency of the Word of God. She said it is through this power that hearts are changed, characters are transformed, and the lives of men become mirrors of the Will of God; love must nourish our souls with the transmuting power of the Word of God, and thus allow the Will of God to shine through our lives. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá used to tell the believers that He wished for them to be distinguished. In this way people would see in us something different and good and wonder what it was that made us different. They would soon ask us to share it with them.
We said goodbye to the Board member, Mrs. Pawlowska, who had accompanied us on so many trips, and to the dear Kigali believers, and drove off to Burundi, the thirty-third African country on our tour(if one includes the visit to the Seychelles, our thirty-fourth country). Although we had little hope of being able to see anyone but the dear Egyptian pioneer family who have steadfastly served the Faith there for many years, Rúḥíyyih Khánum felt impelled to make this extra journey for their sake. We arrived in Bujumbura after an all-day drive. During our two nights and one day visit, we were able to meet with the Egyptian family and a few of the old and dear believers in the city. Because of the state of emergency which had existed, and the necessary restrictions imposed upon all persons by the government, it was not possible to visit the believers or hold any meetings. In fact, it was little short of a miracle that we got our visa to go there at all, as we were told that no tourists were being permitted entry for the time being.
However, five of the African believers were privileged to meet Rúḥíyyih Khánum and share a cup of tea with our group. These dear friends, because of the disturbances in their country, have been deprived of any form of public Bahá’í life. Consequently, their joy at meeting Amatu’l-Bahá was very touching. In her conversation she told them about the dedication of the Panama Bahá’í Temple and about the rapid spread of the Cause of God throughout the world. She encouraged them to be patient and to read and study the Teachings of Bahá’u’lláh. In her deep love and sympathy for these friends, Rúḥíyyih Khánum spontaneously took out a vial of attar of rose from her handbag and anointed the entire company. She had never done a thing like this before, except the Temple dedications, as the believers prepared to view the blessed portraits of Bahá’u’lláh and the Báb. It brought to our minds the words of the Prophet Muḥammad, “... and their end shall be perfumed.”
On our way back through Tanzania we stopped for a couple of days in the
[Page 21]
beautiful town of Arusha. The friends
there arranged for a reception in
Amatu’l-Bahá’s honor, to which a
number of distinguished guests were
invited. They listened with interest to
Amatu’l-Bahá’s short talk on “The
Spiritual Destiny of Africa. ”A daylong get-together in the home of one of
the devoted pioneer families there enabled many of the believers from the
town, as well as nearby villages, to be
near Rúḥíyyih Khánum, listen to her,
ask questions and participate in discussions. During the afternoon the announcement of the engagement of two
of the young pioneers, one from Iran and
one from India, turned the meeting into a
most joyous occasion for all present.
During the three weeks we were in Nairobi to prepare for our final departure from Africa, Rúḥíyyih Khánum and I made a five-day, 1,000-mile journey to the northeastern part of Kenya, one of the wilder and more untouched portions of that beautiful country, to visit some of its famous tribal people. We drove to Maralal, Lake Rudolf, across the desert to Marsabit, and then back to Nairobi. By the time we finished driving in Africa, the Land Rover’s speedometer registered 36,000 miles. In itself this distance is not great. But considering the type of roads these miles were driven on, one realizes what a tremendous achievement this was. The last engagement of Rúḥíyyih Khánum was a very happy day spent with a large number of Bahá’ís in the National Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds. She made many observations about Africa, and voiced her conviction that what is needed most in the world today is a sincere demonstration of unity and harmony among the believers, words of encouragement for our distressed fellow men, a positive outlook, seeing the good in people and mentioning it, and ignoring the bad. Even heads of state, presidents, and kings were visibly affected by an encouraging word, she said; how much more the ordinary men, who have so often received nothing from the white man but criticism and ridicule.
Looking back on this period of three years, eight months and eleven days, during which Amatu’l-Bahá was absent from Haifa, almost three years of which were spent on the continent of Africa, I cannot help but feel gratitude at being a witness to one of the greatest acts of devotion and servitude in the history of this period of our Faith. The seeds of the Message of God, spread abundantly throughout this continent by our most beloved Guardian a little over 20 years ago, had, during these last few years, been continuously watered and nurtured by the presence of Amatu’l-Bahá, the last link between humanity and the blessed source of our religion, the four Central Figures of our Faith. Amatu’l-Bahá crossed the continent of Africa twice and with her deep love breathed a new life and a new hope into all its inhabitants. I firmly believe that future generations will study her life, her services and her travels in those lands honored by her visits, and pattern their conduct on her example, inspired to follow in her footsteps. To my fanciful imagination, her visit to the resting-place of her most beloved Shoghi Effendi in London was symbolic. It was in July 1969, from that blessed spot, that she took her leave and started on her long African Safari; and now, in February of 1973, she came back, laying her services and her victories at his feet.
| Kaiser Wilhelm I | Napolean III | Násrid-Dín Shah |
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The Kings who said no
The pictures are available in black and white prints, black and white glossies, and black and white 35mm slides. Unlimited international rights have been secured for the reproduction of these pictures by any Bahá’í institution, and for reproduction of these pictures by any other media in connection with a Bahá’í story. Your local Bahá’í librarian or authorized Bahá’í distributor may have them in stock, or can supply you with prices and ordering information. If these materials are not available in your area, please write the International Bahá’í Audio-Visual Centre, 1640 Holcomb Road, Victor, New York 14564, for additional information.
International Bahá’í Audio-Visual Centre
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