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No. 522

BAHA’I YEAR 131

September, 1974

Largest gathering of Bahá’ís in history, page 2

From Badasht to St. Louis, by Dhikru’lláh Khádem, page 8

A conqueror for St. Helena, by W. G. Huxtable, page 15

[Page 0] page two

page five

page eight

CONTENTS

Cablegrams	1
Around the World
St. Louis gathering largest in history	2
Communities urged improve Bahá’í life	3
Victory requires intense commitment	5
Communities urged educate children	6
Dawn prayers said at “Gateway Arch”	7
From Badasht to St. Louis, by Dhikru’lláh Khádem	8
A conqueror for St. Helena, by W. G. Huxtable	15
In the interest of world unity, United Nations	17

COVER PHOTO

The Hand of the Cause of God Rúḥíyyih Khánum being greeted by fellow Hands of the Cause, National Spiritual Assembly members and the friends upon her arrival at the St. Louis airport.

PHOTO AND DRAWING CREDITS

Photo Credits—Front Cover: Bahá’í News; Inside Cover: Bahá’í News; Page 3: Bahá’í News; Page 4: Bahá’í News; Page 5: Rand McNally, Bahá’í News; Pages 6, 7: Bahá’í News; Page 9: Guy Murchie, Land of Resplendent Glory, Part I: “The Báb”; Page 12: Bahá’í News; Pages 15, 16: International Goals Committee; Page 17: Bahá’í News; Page 18: Rand McNally; Page 19 (Top) Rand McNally, (Bottom) Hutt (New Zealand) News; Page 20: (Top and Bottom) Bahá’í News, (Middle) Rand McNally; Page 21: Bahá’í News.

POSTAL INFORMATION

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.

Material must be received by the fifteenth of the 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.

[Page 1]

Cablegrams[edit]

St. Louis Conference invested with singular significance

27 AUGUST 1974

WITH HIGH HOPES AND HEARTS OVERFLOWING WITH JOY WELCOME CONVOCATION BY CHIEF PROSECUTORS DIVINE PLAN CONFERENCE ST. LOUIS. UNPRECEDENTED NUMBER ITS ATTENDANCE EXTENT ENTHUSIASM DETERMINATION RANK FILE BELIEVERS UNIQUENESS OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED THEM THIS CRUCIAL HOUR FORTUNES THEIR NATION AND MANKIND OPENING STAGE FIVE YEAR PLAN ALL COMBINE INVEST THIS CONFERENCE WITH SINGULAR SIGNIFICANCE ANNALS OF BELOVED FAITH. FERVENTLY PRAYING HOLY SHRINES ABUNDANT BLESSINGS MAY DESCEND SURROUND THIS EPOCHAL CONFERENCE ENABLE IT BECOME VEHICLE RELEASE FRESH SPIRITUAL ENERGIES ENTIRE AMERICAN COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTE EFFECTIVELY EARLY ATTAINMENT SHINING GOALS FIVE YEAR PLAN PAVE WAY FOR STILL GREATER TRIUMPHS AS WE APPROACH CLOSING DECADE FATE-LADEN RADIANT CENTURY. DO NOT RELEASE THIS CABLE NOW TEXT TO BE READ FIRST BY AMATU’L-BAHÁ.

UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE

South American Counsellors offer collaboration on pioneer goals

AUGUST 23, 1974

WHOLEHEARTEDLY PRAYING COMPLETE SUCCESS YOUR CONFERENCE. OFFERING COLLABORATION ACHIEVEMENT PIONEER GOALS SOUTH AMERICA. DEEPEST LOVE.

CONTINENTAL BOARD OF COUNSELLORS

Greetings from Hawaii

AUGUST 29, 1974

LOVING GREETINGS FRIENDS ASSEMBLED FIRST CONFERENCE FIVE YEAR PLAN. PRAYING OUTSTANDING SUCCESS GLORIOUS OCCASION LAUNCHING NEW PLAN. HAWAII REPRESENTATIVE AYALA ARRIVING FRIDAY AFTERNOON. ALOHA.

NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY BAHÁ’ÍS HAWAII

Early victory Plan expected by Indian believers

TO: THE HANDS OF THE CAUSE OF GOD, NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY MEMBERS, CONTINENTAL BOARD OF COUNSELLORS, AUXILIARY BOARD MEMBERS AND ALL THE FLOWERS OF HIS GARDEN GATHERED AT THIS, THE GREATEST COUNCIL MEETING. OUR PRAYERS ARE WITH YOU DURING YOUR GREAT MEETING. THE SPIRIT AND LIGHT THAT IS BEING CREATED FROM ST. LOUIS WILL FILL THE HEAVENLY CONCOURSE WITH JOY. THE FIVE YEAR PLAN WILL BE FULFILLED MANY MONTHS AHEAD OF TIME.

DAN R. YAZZIE, CHAIRMAN,
LOCAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY BAHÁ’ÍS OF DINNEBITO, ARIZONA.

[Page 2]

First National Bahá’í Conference of the Five Year Plan[edit]

United States:

Victory requires intense commitment[edit]

More than 10,000 Bahá’ís attended the First National Bahá’í Conference of the Five Year Plan in St. Louis August 29-September 1. The conference was the largest gathering of Bahá’ís in the history of the Faith. The decision of the National Spiritual Assembly to conduct this event was anticipated by several months the request of The Universal House of Justice that national conferences be held fittingly to launch the new Plan. Preparations for the St. Louis gathering took nearly a full year to complete. For the United States, the conference represented the final stage in the phased launching of the Five Year Plan. It was, as the National Assembly said in its annual report, “... the complete call to arms—the mobilization of all detachments of the Army of Light toward the conquest of their assigned objectives.”

The Hand of the Cause of God Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum attended as the representative of The Universal House of Justice. She addressed the friends on two occasions. “This Plan will undoubtedly be of tremendous historical significance,” she said at one point, “but just at what point it is coming in the fortunes of mankind we do not yet know. None of us knows what the years ahead may contain in the form of chastisement for mankind, of catastrophe, or world change, paving the way for the establishment of the oneness of mankind and the establishment of the Lesser Peace within this century.” During her stay in St. Louis, Rúḥíyyih Khánum also met with Mayor John Poelker at his City Hall office. The Mayor proclaimed August 25-September 1 Bahá’í Week in St. Louis, and he attended the Saturday morning session personally to welcome the Bahá’ís to the city. The Mayor’s proclamation stated that the greatest challenge facing mankind was the recognition of the oneness of mankind.

Five other Hands of the Cause of God attended, and each had the opportunity to address brief remarks to the thousands of Bahá’ís assembled there. The Hands present were Abu’l-Qasim Faizí, Collis Featherstone, Dhikru’lláh Khádem, John Robarts, and William Sears. The four Continental Counsellors for North America, Mr. Lloyd Gardner, Dr. Sarah Pereira, Mrs. Velma Sherrill, and Miss Edna True attended, as did many members of the Auxiliary Board.

In its presentation, the National Assembly announced the selection of three states visited by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá—California, Illinois, and New York—for special programs of intensive teaching and consolidation activities. Five cities visited by the Master will also receive special attention. These are San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, and Washington, D.C. At the time of the conference, pioneering assignments to six countries had been completed, the National Assembly announced. (The International Goals Committee expects to have goals in 13 countries completed by 37 pioneers by early October. It also expects to send out 60 pioneers by Riḍván 1975, completing half of the specific preliminary goals assigned to the United States in the new Plan.) “With inflation an increasing problem in all parts of the world, we are hastening to acquire properties in the countries assigned to us,” the Secretary of the National Assembly said, “and hope to have those in Bermuda and the Bahamas before the expiry of this coming year.” A special two-year plan for youth was announced, as well as a five-year plan for the state of California.

A highlight of the National Assembly’s activities in St. Louis was its meeting with representatives of hundreds of the Nation’s Local Assemblies. The purpose of this unusual meeting, the first of its kind in the United States, was, according to the National Assembly, “... to establish a closer relationship between the National Assembly and the local administrative bodies, and to evoke a feeling of the direction the Local Assemblies should take during the next five years in order to prosecute successfully the solemn mandate given them by The Universal House of Justice ...” Among the

A view of the arena of Kiel Auditorium during one session of the First National Bahá’í Conference of the Five Year Plan.

[Page 3] tasks set before the Local Assemblies were: to raise the Bahá’í population in all communities with Local Assemblies to at least 15 persons, to meet regularly, study the Writings, to learn how better to administer the Laws of the Faith; to observe Feasts, Holy Days, and Bahá’í anniversaries on a regular basis; to establish a local Fund and to contribute regularly to the National Bahá’í Fund.

The dominant theme in presentations by the Continental Counsellors was that the friends should assist in promoting the growth and consolidation of their Local Assemblies. It was noted that fully half of the Five Year Plan message is devoted to urging that Local Assemblies be strengthened. Counsellor Lloyd Gardner said that the Counsellors and the Auxiliary Board members in North America could be expected to spend more time with local institutions in the years ahead. He referred to a letter from The Universal House of Justice urging the Counsellors to spend more time at the grassroots. Counsellor Sarah Pereira added that cooperation among institutions of the Cause would be a key factor in the movement of Bahá’u’lláh’s World Order toward complete maturity. She urged the friends to take advantage of the Counsellors and the Auxiliary Board members in the work of strengthening the base of the Administrative Order.

In addition to the elaborate program for adults, a special school for Bahá’í children was conducted during three of the four conference days. Around 1,700 children attended. The curriculum was designed to contribute to the development of children as Bahá’ís and to teach them ways to become active in Bahá’í community life. Seventy-five volunteer teachers were given two days of intensive training in working with children to prepare them for the program. The schedule included courses on basic Bahá’í facts, the Central Figures, and Bahá’í administration. Children were encouraged to memorize prayers, to give brief firesides, and to consider and report upon ways to reflect in their everyday lives such Bahá’í virtues as courtesy, honesty, and justice. “The children’s program is an integral part of the First National Bahá’í Conference of the Five Year Plan,” said Magdalene Carney, a member of the National Assembly and one of the principal coordinators of the school. “The National Spiritual Assembly decided that the conference must accommodate children in order to get parents involved,” she said.

The considerable attention given to publicizing and advertising the events at St. Louis by the National Assembly reflected their importance. In addition to using the large amounts of free radio and television time offered by broadcasters in the city, and to encouraging press coverage of the extensive proceedings, the National Assembly sponsored a paid advertising campaign that used radio, television, and newspapers to proclaim the Faith. The advertising agency that handled the campaign estimated that the materials were seen at least 11 million times during the week. That meant, the agency estimated, that 80 percent of the 2.5 million people in the metropolitan area read or heard of the Faith an average of six times. Reinforcing this advertising were thousands of posters, handbills, and special invitations distributed by local communities throughout the area. Stories on the Bahá’í Faith and the conference activities were published in local newspapers every day (The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, one of two St. Louis dailies, is among the ten largest papers in the country). A brief story was printed in The New York Times on September 1, the last day of the conference. Several hours of radio and television time were devoted to conversations and news interviews with Bahá’ís.

An exhibition in St. Louis of 23 paintings by the celebrated painter Mark Tobey, a Bahá’í, also contributed to the public’s awareness of the Faith. The exhibition at Washington University’s Steinberg Hall was sponsored jointly by the University and the National Spiritual Assembly. The paintings were loaned by Bahá’ís in different parts of the country. The University reported significant public interest in the exhibition, which ran from August 15 until September 5. This display of Tobey paintings served as a prelude to a larger showing scheduled to go on view in St. Louis in early December. The exhibition at the University received extensive publicity, all of which gave prominence to Mr. Tobey’s association with the Bahá’í Faith.

More than a thousand members of Local Spiritual Assemblies in the U.S. attended a special afternoon seminar conducted for them by the National Spiritual Assembly.

Communities urged improve Bahá’í life[edit]

An appeal from the Hand of the Cause Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum to improve the quality of Bahá’í community life and make it “the talisman that will draw mankind quickly under the shadow of Bahá’u’lláh” and “hasten the advent of the Kingdom of God on earth” drew prolonged applause from thousands of Bahá’ís gathered at the opening session of the First National Bahá’í Conference of the Five Year Plan in Kiel Auditorium Thursday evening. Describing the goals of the Five Year Plan given by The Universal House of Justice, Rúḥíyyih Khánum urged the friends to concentrate on improving the quality of

[Page 4] their individual lives and their contribution to the life of their local Bahá’í community.

Later, at the Kiel Auditorium, the words of Rúḥíyyih Khánum left no doubt that humanity was facing dark, though also glorious, times. “We stand at the threshold of another of those great plans of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Divine Plan,” she said. “I sometimes think we make things unnecessarily complicated in this world. The broad outlines of things are always simple. You can have as many details by the time you are finished with a subject as you care to have, but it seems to me the basic truths are simple.

“Really, we Bahá’ís are experiencing part of a love affair, the love affair begun very, very long ago, when God (according to different traditions and writings) seems to have gotten tired of being by Himself. He wanted someone to love Him, and so He made man. It seems to have been just as simple and just as beautiful as that. That is the whole history of our species, a love affair between God, our Creator, and the soul of man. We came into this world because He wants us to know Him and when we go out, we are drawn ever nearer towards our Creator, if we have developed our spiritual capacity.”

It is towards this development of our spiritual capacity, she added, that the great teaching plans are borne from the Tablets of the Divine Plan of the Master. “Into this drama comes the Best Beloved, the One to Whom this planet seems to have been introduced by God. This is Bahá’u’lláh’s planet. He offered it long, long ago in some mysterious way we do not understand and He will go on for 500,000 years, a period of time that is very dazzling to consider.

Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum

“We Bahá’ís find ourselves at this tremendous juncture in history, when the Supreme Manifestation has come, when mankind is coming of age. He wants to give mankind a gift at this period of his maturity. This is really what our religion is about and everything Bahá’u’lláh has given us is a key to this period of man’s early adulthood, leaving behind the period of its childhood. The way that this revelation of God, the first stage of educating us in our privileges and joys, is beginning, is called the Divine Plan of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.”

In moving terms, Rúḥíyyih Khánum described the importance of the Five Year Plan. “This Plan will undoubtedly be of tremendous historical significance,” she asserted, “but just at what point it is coming in the fortunes of mankind we do not yet know. None of us knows what the years ahead may contain in the form of chastisement for mankind, of catastrophe, or world change, paving the way towards the establishment of the oneness of mankind and the establishment of the Lesser Peace within this century.

“Nothing happens haphazardly in the Cause of God. We know there is an impetus from the Concourse on High and that they will assist as the Local Spiritual Assemblies try to implement ways in which community life will improve.”

She cited the example of villages in underdeveloped countries, where pioneers encouraged the new believers to meet together at dawn, even if it was only for a few minutes of shared prayer. “The pioneers tell the friends they will find something in their life spiritually from this that will help them through their day’s activities with a different spirit. Why do we in the West not do this also? It should not only be done in the villages.”

Referring to 16 goals outlined by The Universal House of Justice in a new pamphlet which will soon be available, the Hand of the Cause urged the friends to carry on the teaching and consolidation work simultaneously, to make great efforts towards improving the quality of life within the Bahá’í community, to reach out into every stratum of society and never to withdraw loving attention from the friends of the Faith, even those who do not officially enter its ranks. She recalled the painful example of an early Covenant-breaker who successfully won to his own evil designs many of the friends made by the Master during His visit to this country.

“It is only the words of the Manifestation of God that have the power to

Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum greets fellow Hands of the Cause of God William Sears and John Robarts.

[Page 5] regenerate man,” she declared, urging that teaching be expanded as consolidation takes place.

“As the Local Spiritual Assemblies are reinforced and the friends support their decisions, more and more of the believers in each community will be drawn into active service for the Cause of God.

“One of the things that thrilled me in the message of The Universal House of Justice about this Plan was the instruction to begin the nucleus of a joint spiritual life in our communities,” she added.

“If we Bahá’ís can wholeheartedly promote the work of the Five Year Plan,” she promised, “we will not only accomplish its goals but we will bring much quicker healing to the ills of our society. Let us direct our love towards Bahá’u’lláh, so that we will become able to love His followers with that impersonal, unchanging love that is unaffected even when we see things we do not admire or like.” She concluded with words of encouragement, picturing the advent of the Kingdom of God on earth.

St. Louis Gathering Largest in History[edit]

“We will see new believers entering our Faith by troops if we as individual Bahá’ís make an intense commitment to teach the Faith and to live a distinctive Bahá’í life,” Glenford Mitchell, Secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States, assured almost 10,000 Bahá’ís in an address at the Friday morning session of the St. Louis Conference.

Recalling the victories of the Nine Year Plan, when American believers exceeded by 2,000 the goal of 3,000 localities set by The Universal House of Justice, Mr. Mitchell called for the same great effort in this current Plan. “Surely we can strive to have a Bahá’í living in each county of the country,” he suggested.

To implement the plan set by The Universal House of Justice in anticipation of great expansion in the numbers of Bahá’ís on the home front, the National Spiritual Assembly has named California, Illinois, and New York as special goal areas, with the cities of Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, and New York chosen for concentrated attention. “When we thought of the singular position of Washington, D.C., visited so many times by the Master and not located in any state, we decided to add it to our list of special goal areas,” explained the National Assembly Secretary.

Mr. Mitchell also focused attention on world needs facing the American Bahá’í community.

“Pioneer goals for six countries have already been filled, and it is believed this number will be raised to 13 by September,” he announced. “With inflation an increasing problem in all parts of the world, we are hastening to acquire properties in the countries assigned to us and hope to have those in Bermuda and the Bahamas before the expiry of this coming year.”

He mentioned a unique situation in which the Local Spiritual Assembly of Fort Lauderdale had offered teaching assistance in the Bahamas. “The International Goals Committee is encouraging continuation of this successful effort,” said Mr. Mitchell, “which will greatly help in building the Local Spiritual Assemblies necessary before the establishment of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahamas, as assigned to us in the Five Year Plan.”

Bahá’ís warmly applauded news of a new believer in the Falkland Islands, a dentist, whose work has taken him to goal areas throughout the islands. “The National Assembly had been worried due to the departure from this important goal of two pioneers, but the Faith is greatly strengthened by a local person of stature entering it. Here we have to establish five groups by the end of the Plan.”

As well as the special states chosen for concentrated teaching effort, Bahá’í youth throughout the country are receiving a letter from the National Spiritual Assembly giving them a special role in the Five Year Plan. “We are hoping the youth will become transmitters of spiritual medicine to our fellowmen,” said Mr. Mitchell, “not channels for the social pathology which now afflicts so much of our society.”

Glenford E. Mitchell, Secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly.

“On this fateful occasion of the launching of the Five Year Plan in the continental United States, we turn again with high expectations to the Bahá’í youth for the particular contributions of ‘spiritual energy, zeal and

[Page 6] idealism’ which they abundantly possess, for without such dynamic qualities the Plan cannot succeed,” he declared. Goals for the youth include dispersing at least 100 homefront pioneers, undertaking 500 domestic circuit-teaching trips, sending out 25 international pioneers, raising the number of Bahá’í college clubs to 350, and establishing 100 local youth clubs with the sponsorship of Local Spiritual Assemblies.

To the Bahá’í community at large, Mr. Mitchell addressed an appeal for each individual, group, and Local Spiritual Assembly to engage in regular study of the Teachings. “Each is encouraged to begin such a program now,” he said. “The great success we achieved during the Nine Year Plan will remain intact, and we will attain greater success, if we gain more knowledge of God’s purpose for man, and particularly of His immediate purpose.”

In addition, he called upon each Local Spiritual Assembly to adopt one or more of the following goals: to raise a neighboring group to Assembly status by next Riḍván; to bring an isolated center to group status or open a new locality.

“If you have succeeded in opening a locality, please try to stay at your post,” urged Mr. Mitchell. “If you must leave, bring someone in to take your place, or enlist the help of the nearest Local Spiritual Assembly or your District Teaching Committee to retain the light of the Faith in that area. By all means, let us not abandon localities or permit Local Spiritual Assemblies to fall into jeopardy. Our hope is to build communities to at least 15, to prevent the accidental loss of these precious institutions when believers find that they have to move out of a community.”

Some of the steps he recommended for newly-formed Local Spiritual Assemblies included bringing the number of adult believers to fifteen, meeting regularly for devotional and deepening meetings, supporting the local and national Bahá’í Funds with regularity, and observing the Feast on the actual Feast day.

Reaching new believers from diverse backgrounds, such as Armenian, Basque, Spanish-speaking, Indian, Greek, and Chinese, is also a prime goal for the American community, Mr. Mitchell said. “We are forming special committees to reach into these vitally important areas of our community, and hope for full support in those teaching activities from individual Bahá’ís and communities alike.”

Elaborating on the special plan for California, Mr. Mitchell announced the goal of 999 localities, and 95 Local Spiritual Assemblies in the state, as well as opening the remaining six counties which do not yet have Bahá’ís. In addition, California believers will attempt to incorporate 50 additional Local Spiritual Assemblies.

The Hand of the Cause of God A. Q. Faizí visited the conference children’s school and discussed the day’s activities with his newfound friends.

Communities Urged Educate Children[edit]

The Hand of the Cause of God Abu’l-Qásim Faizí interrupted an extended journey through North America to attend the St. Louis Conference. In his presentations there, he repeated a theme he had frequently voiced in Bahá’í communities on his route of travel: the education of children. The following are brief excerpts from his talks on education at St. Louis:

We all may forget the greatness and the glory and effectiveness of this conference in the near future, but the children, those susceptible angels of God, will never forget the conference. They will forever remember that they have been in an immense gathering, in rooms as large as football fields. To their imagination, everything is great. They played, learned, made music, sang songs, painted, and had wonderful days when their parents were attending the conference. This is the rock foundation of the Bahá’í education given to the children. They will always remember. Even now, they are pleading with their mothers and fathers, please take us to all the Bahá’í conferences.

Why do we lay so much stress and emphasis on this particular point? Because, in contrast with all other definitions of children given by the rest of the world, Bahá’u’lláh calls them treasure houses of God given to their parents. In these treasure houses, there are specific jewels. This means talents, potentialities, responsibilities, and many other things deposited by the hand of God in these little treasure houses. The function of the community of teachers and parents is first to unearth

The Hands of the Cause of God, Continental Board of Counsellors, and Bahá’ís from many parts of the world dressed in their traditional costumes illustrate the beautiful diversity of the Bahá’í family.

[Page 7] earth this treasure, to discover the jewels which have been deposited there by the hands of Might, polish these jewels, and then to let the whole of humanity benefit from them. That is why this great service rendered (by children’s teachers at the conference) will be greatly rewarded by God.

Dawn Prayers Said at “Gateway Arch”[edit]

Shortly before dawn on the third day of the St. Louis Conference, a caravan of buses began to traverse darkened city streets carrying busload after busload of the friends to Eero Saarinen’s other-worldly “Gateway Arch” on the banks of the Mississippi River. As the buses arrived, the Bahá’ís—more than 3,000 of them—walked across the empty parking lots towards the 630-foot tall concrete and steel arch, which St. Louisans consider the entrance to the American West. Two large columns split from the main group as they neared, moving swiftly to surround the arch.

In a moment the program began. One by one, speakers raised their voices in praise of God, beseeching His assistance in the work of the Five Year Plan of The Universal House of Justice. With the opening verses of the first Bahá’í chant, the red glow of morning filled the gray clouds, slowly giving way, as the dawn prayer-meeting progressed, to the penetrating light of day.

The words of the Blessed Beauty, Bahá’u’lláh, of His Holiness the Báb, and of the Master, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, took possession of the listening-hearts, creating such an urge for unity that hands unconsciously reached out to clasp those of another friend of God. That congregation stood motionless when the prayers had ended, afraid seemingly that the spell would be broken and that all would be swept from the beachhead of peacefulness and yearning so gracefully established.

Many gathered around an old Persian believer, whose age, dignity, and joy were a magnet drawing others to her. Slight of build but standing firmly on the grassy field, she showed in her face an assurance gained in sixty years of active teaching. To the question, “Are you happy to be here?”, she answered: “I see the Blessed Perfection, Bahá’u’lláh. I see His Holiness the Báb. I see the Master, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. I see the beloved Guardian, Shoghi Effendi. I see the Greatest Holy Leaf. They are all present here. We are in their presence and they bless us.” As she moved slowly away, surrounded by her loving relatives, she praised the Lord with a poem of Ṭáhirih.

As the friends returned to their hotels to get ready for the day’s first session, they could savor the promise of the Master, “He shall open unto you the doors of His knowledge, fill your hearts with His love, rejoice your spirits by the wafting of His holy fragrances, illumine your faces by the Manifest Light and elevate your names among the people.” (Bahá’í World Faith, p. 386)

Composer Russell Garcia conducts “A New World Symphony” at the proclamation meeting on Saturday evening.

A scene from “Yeast,” an original musical production by Mildred McClellan, performed at the conference by the New England Bahá’í Players.

[Page 8] More then 3,000 Bahá’ís join hands around the “Gateway Arch” at dawn to offer prayers for victories in the Five Year Plan.

From Badasht to St. Louis[edit]

an evaluation of the first
Bahá’í conference and the largest

by Dhikru’lláh Khádem

[Page 9] The fortress of Chihríq in the mountains of Ádhirbáyján. The Báb was in captivity there when the Conference of Badasht took place.

The beloved of all hearts, Shoghi Effendi, emphasized that the Conference of Badasht should be the source of inspiration for all Bahá’í conferences and that the spirit of that Conference should be reflected in all of them. In Badasht, the site of that historic gathering organized by Bahá’u’lláh, the clarion-call of the new Order was sounded. Recently in St. Louis, more than ten thousand people from every region of America and from many countries in the Bahá’í world arrived to participate in the final step of the phased launching of the Five Year Plan in the United States. At the end of four days, the believers streamed from that arena ready to strive to establish still farther afield outposts of Bahá’u’lláh’s new Order. The Conference at Badasht was the first in Bahá’í history, St. Louis was the largest. But these two milestone events are related in other interesting and significant ways, some of which will be explored in this article. It begins with an account of the Conference at Badasht and will follow with a discussion of the conference in St. Louis, held August 29-September 1.

The Conference of Badasht

“The Blessed Beauty made elaborate arrangements for Ṭáhirih’s journey to Badasht and sent her off with an equipage and retinue. His own party left for that region some days afterward.”¹

When the Conference of Badasht was held at the beginning of the summer 126 years ago, the Báb was a captive in the fortress of Chihríq in the mountains of Ádhirbáyján. As He Himself had predicted, He was confined for nine months in the fortress at Mah-Kú, whereupon He was transferred to Chihríq.² On His way in captivity, the friends had begged Him to flee, but He replied, “The mountains of Ádhirbáyján too have their claims, ...”³ In a Tablet of the Báb, as yet unpublished,* He asked how the wayward people could have been tested had He not consented to be confined in those mountains, and how the truth of the saying of the Imám Báqir, the fifth Imám, (“The things which will happen in Ádhirbáyján are necessary for us, nothing can prevent their occurrence.”⁴) could have been fulfilled.

From His captivity, the Báb urged His followers to “hasten to the Land of Khá,” “the province of Khurásán,”⁵ where Quddús and Mullá Ḥusayn had kindled amazing devotion in the hearts of the people of Mashhad (the capital).** Many were still on their way there when the historic events of Khurásán ended. On his way back from Khurásán, Quddús, the eighteenth Letter of the Living, whose station was second only to that of the Báb, arrived in the hamlet of Badasht at the hour of dawn. There he encountered a great number of his fellow believers. He resumed his journey to Sháh-Rúd, however, but was informed en route “... that Bahá’u’lláh and Ṭáhirih had, a few days before, left Sháh-Rúd for that hamlet; that a large number of believers had already arrived from Iṣfáhán, Qazvín, and other towns of Persia, and were awaiting to accompany Bahá’u’lláh on His intended journey....” “No sooner had Bahá’u’lláh been informed ... of the arrival of Quddús at Sháh-Rúd that He decided to join him. Attended by Mullá Muḥammad-i-Mu’allim-i-Núrí, He set out on horseback that same evening for that village, and ... returned with Quddús to Badasht the next morning at the hour of sunrise.”⁶

Upon His arrival in Badasht, “Bahá’u’lláh rented three gardens, one of which He assigned exclusively to the use of Quddús, another He set apart for Ṭáhirih ... and reserved the third for Himself.”⁷ The eighty-one disciples who had gathered from various provinces were His guests from the day of their arrival to the day they dispersed.⁸ ‘Abdu’l-Bahá shares with us the beauty of the scene and the details of these gardens:

In Badasht, there was a great open field. Through its

_____
*The original of this Tablet was sent to Shoghi Effendi by Mr. Khádem. A photocopy, from which this reference is taken, is still in his possession.

**It was in Mashhad that Mullá Ḥusayn received the most glorious honor and gift from the Báb (His green turban) together with the command to unfurl the Black Standard and hasten to Jazíriy-i-Khadrá’. It was in Mashhad that Mullá Ḥusayn, in obedience to the Báb’s command, later hoisted the Standard and, waving it before him, led two hundred and two of his companions out of that city (they were gradually joined by others). It was this Standard which “was carried aloft all the way from the city of Mashhad to the shrine of Shaykh Ṭabarsí,” “the same standard of which Muḥammad, the Prophet of God, had thus spoken: ‘Should your eyes behold the Black Standards proceeding from Khurásán, hasten ye towards them, even though ye should have to crawl over the snow, inasmuch as they proclaim the advent of the promised Mihdí, the Vicegerent of God.’ ” (Nabíl, Dawn-Breakers, pp. 324, 351)

[Page 10] “The effulgence of Thy face flashed forth and the rays of Thy visage arose on high;
Then speak the word, ‘Am I not your Lord?’ and ‘Thou art, Thou art’ we will all reply.”
-from a poem by Ṭáhirih

center, a stream flowed, and to its right, left, and rear there were three gardens, the envy of Paradise. One of those gardens was assigned to Quddús, but this was kept a secret. Another was set apart for Ṭáhirih, and in a third was raised the pavilion of Bahá’u’lláh. On the field amidst the three gardens, the believers pitched their tents.⁹

“In those days the fact that the Báb was the Qá’im had not yet been proclaimed.”¹⁰ Even though the traditions of Islám stated that the promised Qá’im would come with a new Book and new Laws, the believers were not fully aware of the fact that the Revelation of the Báb represented the Dawn of a New Day and that His Teachings would abrogate and repudiate the ancient laws. It was Bahá’u’lláh, with the assistance of Quddús, Who arranged through the memorable gathering at Badasht to make the friends fully aware of these grave realities.

“Evenings, Bahá’u’lláh, Quddús and Ṭáhirih would come together.”¹¹ “According to the ‘Kashfu’l-Ghitá’,’ a decision had been previously arrived at between Quddús and Ṭáhirih, in accordance with which the latter was to proclaim publicly the independent character of the Revelation of the Báb, and to emphasize the abrogation of the laws and ordinances of the previous Dispensation. Quddús, on the other hand, was expected to oppose her contention and strenuously to reject her views. This arrangement was made for the purpose of mitigating the effects of such a challenging and far-reaching proclamation, and of averting the dangers and perils which such a startling innovation was sure to produce (P. 211). Bahá’u’lláh appears to have taken a neutral attitude in this controversy, though actually He was the prime mover and the controlling and directing influence throughout the different stages of that memorable episode.”¹²

Although Bahá’u’lláh “was the possessor of countless and boundless perfections,”¹³ was praised in the Qur’án as the Lord of the Day of Judgment, the Remnant of God, was referred to by Isaiah as “Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace,”¹⁴ through the Divine Wisdom, and because of the immaturity of man, He remained “still behind the veil of glory.”¹⁵ It is not inappropriate to note certain references to the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh in the Islámic traditions. In the year 59 (1843, a year before the declaration of the Báb), Qá’im and Qayyúm (the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh), it was prophesied, would both be manifest with all the virtues and powers of revelation, and that together Their fame would become known. However, the year 59 belonged to Them as the year prior to Their declarations. Qayyúm (Bahá’u’lláh) would also not declare until after Qá’im (the Báb) was martyred, the traditions said, and He would remain silent for a total of eleven years.¹⁶

This Hidden Treasure (Bahá’u’lláh), Who loved to be known, decided in Badasht to appear with His Most Great Name (Bahá), the Name which had been a concealed mystery and which adorns each of the 114 Súrihs of the Qur’án. The inscription “El-Bá, Bahá’u’lláh,” (B means Bahá’u’lláh), in Arabic, adorns the margins of some of the Latin editions of the Qur’án published in Turkey.

The following reference to the name of Bahá’u’lláh and to ‘Akká was made over 1300 years ago: “Ere long God will shine from the face of Bahíyu’l-Abhá [the Glory, the Most Glorious] with the name of Bahá, on the Day of Absolute, in the plain of ‘Akká.”¹⁷

The writer, when quoting these and similar references to the prime minister of one country was told, “It seems you Bahá’ís have gone to great lengths to add those passages to the Holy Books.” And the reaction of a dignitary in another country was that Bahá’u’lláh must have given Himself that Name because He knew of these references. He didn’t stop to think that if Bahá’u’lláh was the only one to have that knowledge then He must have been the Promised One Who was exiled to ‘Akká; and that He had not proceeded there by His own Will.

“On each of the twenty-two days of His [Bahá’u’lláh’s] sojourn in that hamlet He revealed a Tablet, which was chanted [by Mírzá Sulaymán-i-Núrí] in the presence of the assembled believers. On every believer He conferred a new name, without, however, disclosing the identity of the one who had bestowed it. He Himself was henceforth designated by the name Bahá. Upon the last Letter of the Living was conferred the appellation of Quddús, while Qurratu’l-‘Ayn [Solace of the Eyes] was given the title of Ṭáhirih. By these names they were all subsequently addressed by the Báb in the Tablets He revealed for each one of them.”¹⁸ The Tablets read at Badasht may in fact be considered the first Tablets revealed by the pen of Bahá’u’lláh.

All Things Made New

Quddús and Ṭáhirih had a passionate love for Bahá’u’lláh. They could not have failed to recognize Him and know His station. Quddús in responding to the Qur’ánic hymn of glorification and praise, “Holy, holy, the Lord our God [Subbúhun Quddús], the Lord of the angels and the spirit!”¹⁹ intoned for him by a band of enthusiastic admirers, directed their attention instead to Baqíyyatu’lláh, the Remnant of God, Bahá’u’lláh. “The Baqíyyatu’lláh will

[Page 11] be best for you if ye are of those who believe,”²⁰ he said. Ṭáhirih, the pure, “the noblest of her sex in that Dispensation,”²¹ praised Bahá’u’lláh in one of her glorious poems:

“The effulgence of Thy face flashed forth and the rays of Thy visage arose on high;

Then speak the word, ‘Am I not your Lord?’ and ‘Thou art, Thou art’ we will all reply.”

She also extolled Bahá’u’lláh in the Conference of Badasht with the title of the ‘potent King’ mentioned in the Qur’án.

“Each day of that memorable gathering witnessed the abrogation of a new law and the repudiation of a long-established tradition.”²² The spirit heightened constantly, until “the clarion-call of the new Order had been sounded.”²³

The fixed hour reached, the Great Resurrection made manifest the rise of Qá’im and Qayyúm.

“Then one day, and there was a wisdom in it, Bahá’u’lláh fell ill; that is, the indisposition was to serve a vital purpose. On a sudden, in the sight of all, Quddús came out of his garden, and entered the pavilion of Bahá’u’lláh.”²⁴ “He seated himself, when ushered into His presence, on the right hand of Bahá’u’lláh. The rest of the companions were gradually admitted to His presence, and grouped themselves around Him.”²⁵ “But Ṭáhirih sent him a message, to say that their Host being ill, Quddús should visit her garden instead. His answer was: ‘This garden is preferable. Come, then, to this one.’ Ṭáhirih, with her face unveiled, stepped from her garden, advancing to the pavilion of Bahá’u’lláh...²⁶ With utmost dignity, “Ṭáhirih stepped forward and advancing towards Quddús, seated herself on his right-hand side.”²⁷ “And as she came, she shouted aloud these words: ‘The Trumpet is sounding! The great Trump is blown! The universal Advent is now proclaimed!’ The believers gathered in that tent were panic struck, and each one asked himself, ‘How can the Law be abrogated? How is it that this woman stands here without her veil?’ ”²⁸

“She concluded her address with this verse of the Qur’án: ‘Verily, amid gardens and rivers shall the pious dwell in the seat of truth, in the presence of the potent King.’ As she uttered these words, she cast a furtive glance towards both Bahá’u’lláh and Quddús in such a manner that those who were watching her were unable to tell to which of the two she was alluding. Immediately after, she declared: ‘I am the Word which the Qá’im is to utter, the Word which shall put to flight the chiefs and nobles of the earth!’ ”²⁹

“ ‘Read the Súrih of the Inevitable,’ said Bahá’u’lláh; and the reader began: ‘When the Day that must come shall have come suddenly ... Day that shall abase! Day that shall exalt! ...’ and thus was the new Dispensation announced and the great Resurrection made manifest. At the start, those who were present fled away, and some forsook their Faith, while some fell a prey to suspicion and doubt, and a number, after wavering, returned to the presence of Bahá’u’lláh. The Conference of Badasht broke up, but the universal Advent had been proclaimed.”³⁰

Súrih 56—The Inevitable

When the day that must come shall have come suddenly, ...

Day that shall abase! Day that shall exalt!

When the earth shall be shaken with a shock, ...

And they who were foremost on earth—the foremost still [Quddús and Ṭáhirih]....

These are they who shall be brought nigh to God,

In the gardens of delight; ...

No vain discourse shall they hear therein, nor charge of sin,

But only the cry, “Peace! Peace!”

And the people of the right hand—oh! how happy shall be the people of the right hand! [believers gathered]

Amid thornless sidrahs...

And in extended shade,

And by flowing waters,

And with abundant fruits, ...

Praise therefore the name of thy Lord, the Great.

Súrih 75—The Resurrection

It needeth not that I swear by the day of the RESURRECTION, ...

He asketh, “When this day of Resurrection?”

But when the eye shall be dazzled, ...

And the sun and the moon shall be together,

[the sun, Muḥammad; the moon, ‘Alí: ‘Alí Muḥammad, the name of the Báb]

[This verse confirms a well known tradition addressed to ‘Alí by the Prophet Muḥammad in the book of Váfí “There will be one advent for me and two for you, once before Muḥammad (‘Alí-Muḥammad, the name of the Báb) and once after Ḥusayn (Ḥusayn-‘Alí the name of Bahá’u’lláh).”]

On that day man shall cry, “Where is there a place to flee to?” ...

[Page 12] Bahá’ís enjoyed fellowship and music in the Boulevard Room of the Jefferson Hotel at the close of each day’s conference program.

On that day shall faces beam with light,

Outlooking towards their Lord; ...

The St. Louis Conference

The First National Bahá’í Conference of the Five Year Plan, which manifested the spirit of the historic Conference of Badasht, opened in St. Louis with an exciting devotional program in praise and thanksgiving to the Author of our glorious Cause, and with a message from the Supreme Body of the Faith, The Universal House of Justice. This conference was the largest ever held in the history of the Faith. Attending were more than ten thousand followers of the Greatest Name, recruited from many nations, tribes, races, and colors of the globe.

The purpose of the conference was to proclaim the Faith to the world, and to discuss the fulfillment of the goals of the Five Year Plan of The Universal House of Justice, launched by that Body through its representatives, the Hands of the Cause of God, as standard bearers, at National Bahá’í Conventions around the world.

The convener of the conference was the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States, a divinely-ordained institution, its members the generals of the Army of Life in this country.

The participants at the Conference of Badasht in the cradle of the Faith were the 81 Dawn-Breakers who went to offer up their lives in the path of their Beloved at a time when the call of God had reached only two countries, Persia and ‘Iráq. The participants at St. Louis were thousands of the spiritual descendants of the Dawn-Breakers, an envious title conferred upon the Bahá’ís of America by the beloved Shoghi Effendi himself. They came to the conference in the cradle of the Administrative Order to follow the example of their spiritual ancestors in offering their time, their resources, their very lives—to serve and sacrifice for Bahá’u’lláh. They responded to the call of His House of Justice at a time when the love of Bahá’u’lláh is filling the whole world, as the waters cover the sea, and His Message is penetrating all the corners of the planet, to cities and villages whose very names—according the beloved Guardian—are difficult to pronounce.

During the Conference of Badasht, the Báb, the Prophet-Martyr and Herald of Bahá’u’lláh, was a captive in the mountains of Ádhirbáyján. He is no longer in captivity. The light of His might and dignity has dazzled His admirers, and His promise addressed to His Blessed Self (“Be patient, O Apple of My eyes. Verily, God has pledged with Him Thy might in all the lands”)³¹ has been fulfilled. He, exalted be His Name, now sits upon His Throne of dignity. And as a consequence of the astounding labors of the beloved Shoghi Effendi, the Sign of God on earth, the Queen of Carmel (the Shrine of the Báb), in all its glory, with all of its embellishments, has become a Supreme Paradise, one of the wonders of the planet, and the spiritual world center of the Cause of God. The Ark of God (The Universal House of Justice), long prophesied by the Tongue of Power and Glory (Bahá’u’lláh), has sailed on the mountain of Carmel; its guidance is apparent everywhere. It was apparent, for example, at the St. Louis Conference where the friends prepared to exert themselves to teach the Faith, and to vie with one another in winning the goals of the Five Year Plan.

The World Order of Bahá’u’lláh was heralded in the Bayán, the Mother Book of the Báb, written while He was a Prisoner at Mah-Kú: “Well is it with him who fixeth his gaze upon the Order of Bahá’u’lláh, ...”³² A year later the clarion-call of that new Order was sounded at Badasht.

Today that new Order is firmly established. We have seen the Constitution of the House of Justice published, and the Seat of Legislation, one of the goals of the Five Year Plan assigned to the World Center, is on the verge of construction. According to the beloved Shoghi Effendi, “The Ark of God will be built around the Arc.” No wonder that “Mankind’s ordered life hath been revolutionized through the agency of this unique, this wondrous System [World Order of Bahá’u’lláh],”³³ and the eyes of every dweller of the earth is each day witnessing the collapse of the present order. Lord, increase my astonishment in Thee!

How earnestly we wish that the beloved Shoghi Effendi, who so often quoted from memory the verse from the Tablet of Carmel, “Ere long will God sail His Ark upon Thee,”³⁴ who urged the believers to pray and to await the fulfillment of the prophecies of that glorious Tablet, and who did not leave us before he brought it into its embryonic form, were present amongst us to witness all these glories, the choice fruits of his strenuous labors.

How ardently we wish that he were with us and that we could hear him melodiously exclaim, with joy and excitement, “Bi-bíníd fuyúḍát-i-Jamál-i-Mubárak-rá!” (Behold the bounties of the Blessed Beauty [Bahá’u’lláh]); or to hear his sweet voice echoing along Mount Carmel, reciting one of the poems of Bahá’u’lláh that refers to the growth of the Faith in the West, “O beauty of God, unveil Thyself so that the sun may rise from the West”;³⁵ or to hear him confidently exclaim, “The Cause will become a flame in America.” O beloved

[Page 13]

To mitigate the effects of the challenging proclamation of the Báb,
Quddús and Ṭáhirih agreed that she should publicly proclaim the
independent character of the Revelation, while he should
reject her views.

Shoghi Effendi: “For how long should these torrents of tears stream from my every eyelash! Multitudes are praising Thee with a passionate love, whilst Thou art absent from amongst them.”³⁶

At the Conference of Badasht Bahá’u’lláh Himself was present. At the St. Louis Conference His blessings and bounties were apparent. At some of the sessions many cried for joy continually, as if in those sessions they saw reflected the Kingdom from on high. The participants were surrounded by the showers of the abundant bounties of Bahá’u’lláh. They felt in spirit the presence of their Beloveds, Bahá’u’lláh, the Báb, Abdu’l-Bahá, and Shoghi Effendi, as well as the presence of the Greatest Holy Leaf, the Purest Branch, the mother of Abdu’l-Bahá, the Letters of the Book, the Leaves of Sidrah, the Afnán, the Hands, the martyrs, and all the promoters of the Faith. What a joy! What a bounty!

At the Conference of Badasht a new name was bestowed upon each of the participants. In St. Louis all felt they were numbered among the “chosen” rather than the “called” (Jesus said that many are called but few are chosen) and that the names of all of the believers, as Bahá’u’lláh said, are more known to God than to themselves.

At Badasht “the veils that guarded the sanctity of the ordinances of Islám were sternly rent asunder, ...”³⁷ In St. Louis, the call of peace, goodwill, love, and the oneness of mankind, was raised and proclaimed; the signs of the Kingdom of the Father were apparent; discussions were held on strengthening the foundations of Bahá’u’lláh’s Commonwealth, Bahá’í life, etc.; and the call of Yá Bahá’u’l-Abhá! Yá ‘Alíyyu’l-A’lá’! was raised to the heavens from the hearts and lips of more than ten thousand believers.

Bahá’u’lláh has shared with us the exalted words He heard in the Síyáh-Chál, the Black Pit in the slums of Ṭihrán where He was imprisoned: “One night in a dream, these exalted words were heard on every side: ‘Verily, We shall render Thee victorious by Thyself and by Thy pen. Grieve Thou not for that which hath befallen Thee, neither be Thou afraid, for Thou art in safety. Ere long will God raise up the treasures of the earth—men who will aid Thee through Thyself and through Thy Name, wherewith God hath revived the hearts of such as have recognized Him.’ ”³⁸

Let Náṣiri’d-Dín Sháh arise from his grave, as Abdu’l-Bahá said, and see how “the treasures of the earth” have been raised up to aid the Wronged One of the world. And it is only the beginning. There was the Síyáh-Chál, and now there has been this glorious St. Louis gathering! There were those calamities, and now there are all these dignities!

For the sake of brevity, I refrain from presenting all the details of the exciting talks of the speakers at St. Louis. These have been recorded with the best modern devices, with cameras, television, and radio. Some details were published with astounding rapidity in The American Bahá’í, and the rest will surely be shared with the believers.

My pen is again out of my control! There was the Síyáh-Chál and the chains of Qará-Guhar, “chains of such galling weight that their mark remained imprinted upon His [Bahá’u’lláh’s] body all the days of His life”;³⁹ then in St. Louis there were the almost 3,000 Bahá’ís who hastened to the “Gateway Arch” at dawn to raise their voices in prayer and praise to Bahá’u’lláh, the Wronged One (from a building high overhead, unbeknownst to those below, a film was made which was later broadcast over local television stations); the Mayor of St. Louis who paid a glorious tribute to the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh; and the large public proclamation of the Cause of God which was such a success.

This great gathering, the largest in Bahá’í history, was held in St. Louis to discuss the role of the American believers in the Five Year Plan and to inspire them to arise wholeheartedly and unitedly to promote the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh. The friends gave thanks for the bounties of Abdu’l-Bahá showered upon the American believers, and determined to expend lavishly all their God-given resources in winning the goals of The Universal House of Justice.

“O ye apostles of Bahá’u’lláh! May My life be sacrificed for you! ... Behold the portals which Bahá’u’lláh hath opened before you! Consider how exalted and lofty is the station you are destined to attain; how unique the favors with which you have been endowed.... Ere long ye will, with your own eyes, witness how brilliantly every one of you, even as a shining star, will radiate in the firmament of your country the light of Divine Guidance and will bestow upon its people the glory of an everlasting life.... The range of your future achievements still remains undisclosed. I fervently hope that in the near future the whole earth may be stirred and shaken by the results of your achievements.... Be not concerned with the smallness of your numbers, neither be oppressed by the multitude of an unbelieving world.... Exert yourselves; your mission is unspeakably glorious.”⁴⁰

[Page 14] The Guardian would often quote a poem of Bahá’u’lláh referring to the growth of the Faith in the West, “O beauty of God, unveil Thyself so that the sun may rise from the West.”

Finally, as at the Conference of Badasht, where the believers, invited to befittingly celebrate that great occasion, “the day of festivity and universal rejoicing,”⁴¹ arose and embraced each other and with unparalleled enthusiasm left the Conference, while “mountain and valley re-echoed the shouts with which that enthusiastic band,” journeying to the arena of martyrdom, “hailed the extinction of the old, and the birth of the new Day,”⁴² the participants in the gathering at St. Louis determined, with unprecedented joy and excitement, and with the saying “Yá Bahá’u’l-Abhá, Yá ‘Alíyyu’l-A‘lá’!” raised aloud, to follow the way of their great Exemplar, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.

They closed the conference by singing the hymn “Look at Me, follow Me, be as I am, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.” The floor and ceiling seemed to vibrate as their voices strained to reach the heavens and penetrate to the Abhá Kingdom. That beautiful hymn brought tears to the eyes. The friends left the conference for the arena of action and sacrifice, many embracing each other as they left. The spirit of that conference prompted many to vigil the whole night in ardent prayers with no aim of sleep, beseeching their Lord to make them worthy for service to Bahá’u’lláh and His glorious Faith.

“ ‘O, that I could travel,’ ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, crying out from the depths of His soul, gives utterance to His longing, in a memorable passage, in the Tablets of the Divine Plan addressed to the North American believers, ‘even though on foot and in the utmost poverty, to these regions, and raising the call of “Yá Bahá’u’l-Abhá” in cities, villages, mountains, deserts and oceans, promote the Divine teachings! This, alas, I cannot do. How intensely I deplore it! Please God, ye may achieve it!’ ”⁴³

Please God, we may achieve it!

Notes

‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Memorials of the Faithful, trans. Marzieh Gail (Wilmette, Ill.: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1971), p. 200.
Nabíl-i-A‘ẓam [Muḥammad-i-Zarandí], The Dawn-Breakers: Nabíl’s Narrative of the Early Days of the Bahá’í Revelation, trans. and ed. Shoghi Effendi (Wilmette, Ill.: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1932), p. 243.
Ibid., p. 236.
Ibid., p. 259 (note).
Ibid., p. 269.
Ibid., p. 292.
Ibid.
Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By (Wilmette, Ill.: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1944), pp. 31-32.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Memorials of the Faithful, p. 200.
Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, pp. 31-32.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Memorials of the Faithful, pp. 200-201.
Nabíl, Dawn-Breakers, p. 294 (note).
‘Abdu’l-Bahá, A Traveller’s Narrative, trans. Edward G. Browne (New York, N.Y.: Bahá’í Publishing Committee, 1930), p. 3.
Bible, Isaiah 9:6.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá, A Traveller’s Narrative, p. 3.
Istidláliyyih Na’ím, pp. 130-131.
Dalá’il’u’l-‘Irfán, p. 156.
Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, p. 32.
Nabíl, Dawn-Breakers, p. 352.
Qur’án, 11:85.
Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, p. 33.
Nabíl, Dawn-Breakers, p. 293.
Ibid., p. 297.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Memorials of the Faithful, p. 201.
Nabíl, Dawn-Breakers, pp. 293-294.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Memorials of the Faithful, p. 201.
Nabíl, Dawn-Breakers, p. 295.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Memorials of the Faithful, p. 201.
Nabíl, Dawn-Breakers, pp. 295-296.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Memorials of the Faithful, p. 201.
From the Báb’s Commentary on the Súrih of Joseph.
Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, pp. 324-325.
Bahá’u’lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, trans. Shoghi Effendi, rev. ed. (Wilmette, Ill.: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1952), p. 136.
Ibid., p. 16.
From The Mathnaví by Bahá’u’lláh.
From a poem of Shaykh Bahá’í, well-known mathematician, 953 A.H. (circa 1571)-1031 A.H., who discovered the Greatest Name.
Nabíl, Dawn-Breakers, p. 293.
Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, p. 101.
Ibid., p. 72.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá, quoted by Shoghi Effendi in The World Order of Bahá’u’lláh (Wilmette, Ill.: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1938), p. 77.
Nabíl, Dawn-Breakers, p. 296.
Ibid., p. 298.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá, quoted by Shoghi Effendi in Messages to the Bahá’í World: 1950-1957, rev. ed. (Wilmette, Ill.: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1971), p. 38.

[Page 15]

A conqueror for St. Helena[edit]

The story of the indomitable Catherine Huxtable’s
heroic efforts to overcome great personal tragedy and
pioneer for the Cause of God.

by W. G. Huxtable

Shortly before she died on the island of St. Helena in the South Atlantic Ocean, Catherine Huxtable received a written tribute from a medical specialist, Dr. A.T. Jousse, who was intensively studying the problems of the physically disabled. “Unfortunately, you have been faced with a progressive disorder for which the medical profession has nothing really to offer. That in itself is most discouraging, because each year you look forward to less physical activity and the decline is more rapid than that due to the simple aging process with which we are all faced.

“I have no doubt, however, that your life has been greatly prolonged by your high motivation, and I quite agree with you that it has been very full. I think your influence has undoubtedly been much greater than that of most humans and much greater than anyone could evaluate ...”

Catherine felt that most of the credit for her full and successful life should have gone to “Bahá’u’lláh, Whose teachings will give anyone courage and power to fulfill his dreams...” Some of the credit she also ascribed to her husband and to her mother, her “generous, long-suffering helper.”

Catherine Rudyard (Heward) Huxtable was born January 6, 1932 at Charlwood House, Charlwood, Surrey, England, to Lt. Col. Stephen A. Heward and Mrs. Helen (Bury) Heward. She moved with her parents on their return to Canada in 1939 and received her primary and secondary education at Havergal College and Bishop Strachan School.

When she was eight or nine years old she was observed to be falling frequently, she was unable to run and only climbed stairs slowly, and she tired easily. At the age of ten, muscular dystrophy was diagnosed. During the next few years, her back and legs weakened and later her arms too were affected. Her mother made arrangements for her to continue school using a routine as normal as possible but without gymnasium or outdoor recreation, and with a necessarily restricted social life. She could still walk, but with a poor sense of balance and frequent falling. However, she was able to attend Girl Guide camps during the summer. Those ten-day adventures living closely in a group with other girls and sleeping in tents or under the stars were memorable for her.

Catherine found it very difficult to accept the fact that she would be crippled. She used a wheelchair when she was fifteen but it took two years for her to accept its regular use as the means by which she could have a fuller, more flexible life. After leaving school at the age of seventeen she made a trip to England with her mother and sister. It showed her that life was far from over and she gained confidence when she realized that people treated her normally and seemed to like her.

Although the Heward family was financially comfortable, Catherine wanted to earn her own living in a useful way. She enrolled in a commercial art course but was unable to finish it because her arms were too weak to draw anywhere but at a desk, depriving her of the freedom of movement she felt essential for an artist. Shortly after giving up the art course, she was successful in obtaining work doing beautiful and delicate petit point pictures and jewelry which enabled her to earn small amounts of her own money.

Using the wheelchair, and assisted by her friends, she was able to enjoy a wider social life. She became interested in the ideas of the Unitarian Fellowship and was elected vice-president of its youth group.

She met her husband to be, Clifford Huxtable, at a university dance which she attended in order to listen to the music and to share the company of people enjoying themselves. Both Clifford and Catherine were strongly attracted to each other. Both were seeking meaning and purpose in their lives and they became drawn together to the Bahá’í teachings. Catherine had become severely troubled by the prospect of becoming bedridden and found comfort and strength in the Bahá’í teachings on the spiritual meaning of tests and difficulties. Clifford and Catherine formally declared their faith in Bahá’u’lláh in April, 1952, in the home of John and Audrey Robarts whose teaching activities had been the initial indirect channel for their introduction to the Bahá’í Faith. They were married on May 7, 1955, in her parents’ home where they lived for two years. Catherine added to her accomplishments by serving in the administration of the affairs of the Bahá’í Faith in

[Page 16] Toronto, when elected to the Local Spiritual Assembly.

In November, 1957, the couple moved to Regina, Saskatchewan, a smaller city on the Canadian prairies, as pioneers. This move initiated an accelerating pace of pioneer service in the face of great obstacles. With the aid of Miss Eileen White who helped with the physical tasks of housekeeping, Clifford and Catherine’s first pioneer move, made despite the well-meant remonstrances of some friends and relatives, proved successful. They aided the Regina community to develop on a self-sustaining basis. By the time of their departure it had doubled in number and became strong and united.

With confidence born of accomplishment, and in response to the renewed call for believers to enter the pioneer field, Clifford and Catherine left Regina in September, 1959, arriving on the Gulf Islands, off Canada’s west coast, in October. It was a source of great joy to them to be filling a goal specifically designated by Shoghi Effendi, the last one he chose. Cliff and Catherine were the first Bahá’ís to reside in the Gulf Islands. To move there they stepped onto a higher plane of determination and sacrifice. Catherine encouraged the move even though it meant her husband’s resignation from the security of a professional position in adult education and the outlook for work in the Gulf Islands was not encouraging. Catherine was unable to walk at all even with help, and they had to accept the uncertainty and low pay of unskilled manual labor. Clifford obtained work first making fences on a sheep ranch and then as a deckhand on the ferry boats connecting the islands and the mainland. A year after their arrival he was offered the position of principal of an elementary school and their income became more dependable again. Catherine also worked as a local representative for a firm producing household and children’s goods.

Catherine had a warm and sincere interest in everyone she met. Their home was open to all comers even to the sacrifice of her precarious health which required an ordered, settled, and tranquil existence. Her dynamic contentment afforded encouragement to others burdened with difficulties. Her illness was turned into a blessing, and her overcoming its limitations, an instrument of attraction.

Within two years of their arrival in the Gulf Islands, a resident of the Islands, the first to do so, accepted the Bahá’í Faith in their home. The first public meeting in the Islands was held in May, 1963. The group had grown to nine by December, and Catherine was elected chairman of the Local Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the Gulf Islands when that body was formed in April, 1964.

Though it had been assumed that the bearing of children might be unwise and possibly dangerous for Catherine, a son, Gavin Clifford, was born on June 27, 1962.

Having built the nucleus of the Bahá’í community on the Gulf Islands, Clifford and Catherine responded to the call of The Universal House of Justice in the Nine Year Plan, for Canadian pioneers to the island of St. Helena in the South Atlantic Ocean. Again facing the uncertainty and insecurity of income, their goal an isolated speck in the ocean on the opposite hemisphere, they sold their house and possessions and set out with their young child, winter approaching, to cross the continent on the first stage of her final odyssey.

Traveling by automobile, trailing a caravan with special fittings for the wheelchair and equipped for overnight stops, the trio spent three months visiting Bahá’í communities in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, and Quebec. In Montreal, they stayed at the Maxwell home, the only Canadian home in which ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had stayed during his journey to North America. Catherine addressed meetings and a children’s class. This part of the journey, made at the request of the National Spiritual Assembly, helped to develop in the Canadian Bahá’í community a heightened awareness of pioneering in preparation for the discharge of that community’s widening international responsibilities, anticipated in the Tablets of the Divine Plan. Their journey included a sojourn with her mother.

From Montreal, they flew to Dublin, Ireland, and then to London, meeting and inspiring the friends in both centers. They departed from Southampton on March 29, 1966, on the R.M.M.V. Capetown Castle and arrived on St. Helena on April 9, 1966, living in a hotel and then in part of the ground floor of a townhouse. Four months later Clifford was appointed to a teaching position in the school system of the British colony. Once again their income became more dependable and the position opened to them a small government-owned house.

They were deeply interested in all the people on the island and made many friends from all walks of life. Although Catherine’s health was continuing to deteriorate, all who knew her were inspired and cheered by her warmth, keen intelligence, wide interests, and courage. She continued to maintain a voluminous correspondence showing in her letters a sensitivity to the individualities of each of her correspondents. She continued to direct household affairs and supervised the care of her son, developing a close affectionate relationship with him.

On St. Helena, as had been the case throughout her life, the medical doctors who attended her went out of their way to ensure that she had the best possible care. However, the illness continued to progress and it became increasingly difficult for her to breathe. A machine was sent by friends from the United States in an attempt to help her respiration. After a few weeks of rapid deterioration of her health, she died in the early morning of October 25, 1967.

Her resting place in the hills of St. Helena is marked with a memorial contributed by Canadian friends and the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Canada.

[Page 17] Human Rights Day, 1973, at the House of Worship in Sydney, Australia.

In the interest of world unity[edit]

A review of international Bahá’í programs in support
of special United Nations days during 1973.

by the Bahá’í International Community

[Page 18] The Bahá’í Faith has been closely associated with the non-political activities of the United Nations since the spring of 1947, when the National Assembly of the United States and Canada received accreditation as a nongovernmental organization and was permitted henceforward to send observers to U.N. conferences and hearings. A year later the eight existing National Assemblies were recognized collectively as an international non-governmental organization under the title of “Bahá’í International Community.” In 1970 the Bahá’í International Community was granted consultative status with the Economic and Social Council, a 27-member agency charged by the General Assembly with responsibility for all the economic and social activities of the U.N. This recognition fulfilled a goal of the Nine Year Plan and a long-cherished hope of Shoghi Effendi. The result of this new status was that the Bahá’í International Community was able to submit statements and opinions on matters under consideration by the Economic and Social Council.

The Bahá’í International Community has for decades participated in regional and international conferences consulting on the critical problems facing the world community. Last January, for example, Bahá’í representatives attended the 25th session of the Commission on the Status of Women in New York, submitting documents for consideration which described the position of women in Bahá’í communities and suggested ways in which the Bahá’í principles described could help to resolve injustices developing from the widespread inequality between men and women.

Bahá’í communities everywhere yearly demonstrate their concern for the world organization by participating in and sponsoring observances of the special United Nations days. These regular observances began during the lifetime of the Guardian and have become a regular feature of Bahá’í community calendars. Direct participation in U.N. programs gives Bahá’í communities a chance to demonstrate their abiding concern for the unification of the human family and for the establishment of a permanent peace. They also fulfill the Guardian’s instructions that Bahá’ís associate themselves with all U.N. activities that are consonant with Bahá’í principles.

The article which follows, compiled by the Bahá’í International Community, surveys the extent of Bahá’í involvement in these celebrations during 1973.

Alaska: Alaskan Bahá’í communities observed both United Nations Day and Human Rights Day. For UN Day the Haines Bahá’ís erected a display in a local bank and purchased space for newspaper publicity. Spruce Cape put on a slide program and had information on the event published in the local press. Nenana held a public meeting for both occasions. In Matanuska the Bahá’ís took part in a Human Rights Day luncheon sponsored by the Kiwanis Club, and handed out UN posters to the principals of the town’s three schools.

Australia: Bahá’í youth in Sydney formed part of a thousand-voice choir for the annual United Nations Day interfaith prayer service in the town hall. More than 5,000 people attended the service. The program consisted of prayers from the Hindu, Buddhist, Christian, Muslim, Jewish, and Bahá’í holy books. The principal speaker at the event was 13-year-old Ruth Duncan, a Bahá’í from Dubbo. Her subject was “Unity in Diversity.” One other Bahá’í read a Bahá’í prayer during the service. The entire program was filmed and taped by various Australian news services, and interviews with several participants, including Bahá’ís, were broadcast nationwide. One set of tapes was sent to the Queen of England as a memento, and one set to UN Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim.

More than 30 events were planned by Bahá’í communities throughout Australia to celebrate the UN anniversaries. Observances included prayer meetings, picnics, film festivals, and dinner parties. In its report to the Bahá’í International Community, the Australian National Assembly said that Bahá’ís “responded in a fantastic way to our communications for carrying out United Nations activities.”

Bangladesh: In Dacca, a sizable audience gathered to hear Francis Lacoste, chief of the United Nations Mission in Bangladesh, speaking at a meeting sponsored by local Bahá’ís. The audience remained despite a cyclone that moved unexpectedly into the area.

Belgium: The Bahá’ís of Brussels cosponsored a public meeting at the Brussels Sheraton Hotel with the Belgium League for the Defense of the Rights of Man and the Belgian United Nations Association. More than 10,000 invitations were issued for the event; one hundred people attended. The speakers were William Deswarte, vice-president of the League for the Defense of the Rights of Man, and Louis Hezunet, a Bahá’í from the Brussels community.

Bolivia: An exhibition of posters and a slide program on the United Nations were shown in Cochabamba’s Palace of Culture on Human Rights Day. The program was a cooperative venture between the Bahá’ís and the UN Information Center in Bolivia. Generous radio and newspaper coverage carried the story to the public.

Brazil: Bahá’í-initiated activities for both Human Rights Day and United Nations Day made the news in Brazil during 1973. The Bahá’í Institute of Porto Alegre, a primary school with more than 200 registered students, was the only school in an area of more than one-and-a-half million people to schedule an observance of United Nations Day. The program was given expansive coverage by two newspapers and two radio stations. Delegations of teachers and students from nearby schools attended the Institute’s program, which included a panel discussion

[Page 19] of UN agencies’ contributions to health, nutrition, and the control of disease.

In Vitoria, the Bahá’í community also developed programs for the two UN observances. For United Nations Day, Vitória Bahá’ís placed posters in downtown shop windows, and sponsored a radio program and a display in the university library. For Human Rights Day, Bahá’ís designed an elaborate display about the United Nations for the windows of a centrally located city shop owned by a local Bahá’í. The display attracted the attention of the community newspaper, which published a large feature story on the Bahá’í Faith.

Bahá’ís in Rio de Janeiro were invited by the Civil Servants Union to participate in a panel discussion on United Nations Day. Walber Garcia, the Brazilian National Assembly’s United Nations representative, discussed the relationship between the United Nations and the Bahá’í Faith. His talk was later published in the union’s national newsletter.

The Bahá’í community of Santo Andre focused on bringing these events to the attention of educational institutions. Slide programs were shown at schools ranging in enrollment from 150 to 4,000 pupils. Nine separate presentations were made during a four-day period. The response was so enthusiastic that the Bahá’ís were asked to continue providing this service to Santo André Schools in subsequent years.

British Honduras: The Bahá’ís of Belize sponsored a half-hour radio program on Human Rights Day. A representative of the local UN office served as Master of Ceremonies for the broadcast, which reached an estimated 130,000 people. The Bahá’í community also sponsored an essay contest in the city’s secondary schools.

Cameroon: A UNESCO official addressed a public meeting organized by the Bahá’ís of Buea to commemorate Human Rights Day. Dr. Mihdi Samandari, a member of the Continental Board of Counsellors for Central and East Africa, was chairman at the meeting, which was attended by approximately 40 people. United Nations and Bahá’í pamphlets were distributed. The public meeting was taped and later broadcast over the radio three times.

Chad: The only public recognition of United Nations Day in Chad came as the result of a program prepared by the Bahá’í community there. The main speaker at the public meeting held at the Bahá’í Center in N’Djamena, the national capital, was a UNESCO official who discussed the major trends in the development of the world organization.

Dahomey, Togo, and Niger: Bahá’ís of these three West African countries sponsored a successful public meeting for Human Rights Day at the National Bahá’í Center in Cotonou, Dahomey. The Attorney General of Dahomey, Alexandre Durand, a recent participant in the UN-sponsored Conference on Human Rights and the Law in Cairo, shared the platform with Mrs. Leslie Larsen Gottert, a Bahá’í. Following their talks, the UN film Workshop for Peace was shown.

Local cooperation was excellent: the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) office provided the film, posters, and pamphlets which were displayed at the Bahá’í Center, as well as transportation for participants in the event, the American Cultural Center loaned chairs, and the projectionist came from the French Cultural Center.

Ecuador: In Quito, the Bahá’í Club at Catholic University successfully proclaimed United Nations Day on campus. Posters were displayed throughout the university, and a display with literature was set up in the main classroom building. More than 1,000 brochures were taken well before 9 A.M. In the evening, a well-known economist spoke on behalf of the Bahá’ís on the subject of foreign trade. The United Nations flag was raised over the campus in the early morning and remained in place throughout the day. A report on activities in Ecuador appeared in Commitment, the official publication for Non-Governmental Organizations

The Mayor of Lower Hutt, New Zealand, proclaimed Oct. 24 U.N. Day at the request of the local Bahá’í group. From left to right: Mayor J. Kennedy-Good, Mrs. Anna Dankl (Chairman of the Bahá’í group), Mrs. Dianne Power (Secretary), and Mr. E. C. Perry (Town Clerk).

[Page 20] The UN Day Bahá’í exhibit at Catholic University in Quito, Ecuador.

published by the United Nations Development Program. A Human Rights Day observance at Catholic University had an equally encouraging reception.

Ethiopia: A discussion about the international activities of the United Nations went far into the night after a Human Rights Day program sponsored jointly by the Local Spiritual Assembly of Asmara and the National Assembly of East Africa. The guest speaker for the event was Kingsley D. Dube, senior information officer for the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa. Mr. Dube’s public talk dealt with the individual’s human rights as embodied in the United Nations Charter. One of the questions for Mr. Dube from the audience: “Why do you mention only the Bahá’í Faith in relation to the United Nations?” As part of his response, Mr. Dube said the Bahá’ís were a “like-minded organization.”

Finland: Variety was the principal characteristic of Finnish Bahá’í observances of the United Nations anniversaries. Events included talks, films, slide shows, dramatic readings, and a dance performance. They were presented in, among other places, a university student lounge, a hotel ballroom, a coffee house, a theater, and a discotheque. The dance program was organized by Raija Kaeste, the only Bahá’í in her community. She organized a free dance performance by the town’s children that illustrated concepts promoted by UNICEF. In Lahti, the children received permission from the local government to sponsor a music and dance festival on United Nations Day. Brief talks on the purposes of the UN were presented between entertainment events. On Human Rights Day, more than 100 people crowded into a discotheque to hear a presentation by a Bahá’í speaker.

Ghana: Two communities sponsored United Nations Day observances during 1973.

Bahá’ís of Asmara, Ethiopia, gather to observe Human Rights Day on December 10.

[Page 21] At Cape Coast, the National Youth Committee sponsored a lecture at the Aggrey Memorial Secondary School where Dr. Amir Badiei gave a public talk. In Kumasi, the Local Spiritual Assembly sponsored a lecture at the University of Science and Technology. Dr. John Powell, a Bahá’í affiliated with the university’s Technical Consultant Center, gave the talk.

The Bahá’í community was the only religious group invited by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to serve on an ad hoc committee to prepare the nation’s observance of Human Rights Day. Gordon H. Jackson, Vice-Chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly, was designated to represent the Bahá’ís. He was subsequently invited to appear on Ghanaian television to explain the relationship between the Bahá’í Faith and the United Nations. Mr. Jackson was asked later to be chairman of a symposium on human rights at the Accra Community Center.

Gilbert and Ellice Islands: In anticipation of United Nations Day, the National Spiritual Assembly distributed background information materials on the observance to the colony’s Director of Information. Printed materials on United Nations work, as well as the Bahá’í Faith, were sent to the King George IV boarding school, to the island Teachers College, and to the Department of Education for distribution to all primary schools.

Iran: A Bahá’í-sponsored meeting for Human Rights Day was attended by a large number of Bahá’ís and non-Bahá’ís. A display noting some of the major features of the Bahá’í Faith and its relationship to the UN was exhibited publicly for a two-week period.

Principality of Monaco: “The celebrations of these two days had as their goal a better understanding of the general aims and activities of the United Nations, as well as a presentation of the Bahá’í point of view,” said Anne-Marie Dupeyron, Secretary of the Local Spiritual Assembly of Monaco. A Bahá’í display on the ground floor of a city office building, which had been exhibited for several months, was modified to convey United Nations information as the dates for the observances approached. The changes in the display were reported in newspapers, and on radio and television.

Panama: About 100 people attended a Human Rights Day program in Panama City. Following the scheduled United Nations and Bahá’í speaker presentations, a national dance company performed traditional Panamanian folk dances. A local television station filmed portions of the program, which were broadcast on the news the following day. Articles about the gathering were published in the city’s Spanish and English newspapers.

Papua and New Guinea: The only United Nations event in Lae was a meeting sponsored by the Bahá’ís. The Mayor of Lae and two Catholic priests were among the 40 people who attended.

UN Day exhibit in Trier, West Germany

Paraguay: More than 4,500 people from the town of Villarrica (pop. 25,000) attended a special United Nations Day program sponsored by the Bahá’í community. Several films about the UN and the Bahá’í Faith were shown, and quantities of literature were distributed. A talk focused on the Faith’s interest in the principles of unity and cooperation underlying the formation of the world organization.

Spain: Public meetings were held in a number of communities, accompanied by the distribution of United Nations and Bahá’í literature. In Barcelona, for example, two Bahá’ís were interviewed. A total of more than 1,000 people attended these meetings. A twenty-minute program on the United Nations was aired by Radio Svizzera Italiana, and another program was broadcast by a television station. Literature was distributed to 15 high schools, and a presentation was made before the Cultural Film Association meeting in Lugano.

Tonga: To commemorate Human Rights Day, the National Assembly of Tonga and the Cook Islands purchased a full-page ad in The Chronicle, the national newspaper. The page carried a statement of Bahá’í teachings on human rights and obligations and the community’s participation in United Nations affairs. The following evening, the president of the official state church commented favorably on the ad during a radio broadcast.

[Page 22]

Bahá’í Identity Jewelry[edit]

“The graceful ringstone symbol at the heart of each piece of enameled jewelry is gold-plated and set into various backgrounds. There are inexpensive rings that can be adjusted to fit nearly any finger, with matching pins, brooches and pendants. These have a cloisonné enamel background in red, green, blue or black. Because they are inexpensive, they are not designed to withstand continuous wear or abrasion.

How to Order

Your local Bahá’í librarian or authorized Bahá’í distributor may have this jewelry in stock or he may be able to supply you with prices and ordering information.

If, however, this jewelry is not available in your area, please write to the International Bahá’í Audio-Visual Centre, 1640 Holcomb Road, Victor, N.Y. 14564, U.S.A., for information on where it may be obtained.

	Product Numbers
	Red	Green	Blue	Black	Gold**
Ring	20006	20007	20008	20009	*
Pin	20010	20011	20012	20013	*
Brooch	20014	20015	20016	20017	*
Pendant, 18 mm.	20018	20019	20020	20021	20633
Pendant, 29 mm.	20022	20023	20024	20025	*
* Not available.
** Gold plated. No enamel.

Display kit of one of each of the five designs, assorted colors: Product Number 20686.