Bahá’í News/Issue 596/Text
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| Bahá’í News | November 1980 | Bahá’í Year 137 |
Seat of the Universal House of Justice
Contents[edit]
Cables from Haifa |
|
Including news of martyrdoms, arrest of Iranian National Assembly | 2 |
House of Justice |
|
New photos show exterior of Seat has been substantially completed | 3 |
‘Operation Daybreak’ |
|
In Honduras, 11-week teaching effort doubles number of believers | 4 |
Health and healing |
|
First International Bahá’í Conference is held in Ottawa, Canada | 8 |
Louhelen School |
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U.S. National Assembly approves $1.8-million reconstruction | 10 |
Around the world |
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News from Bahá’í communities in every corner of the globe | 12 |
Cover
Work is proceeding on schedule for the Seat of the Universal House of Justice on the slopes of Mount Carmel in Haifa, Israel, with the exterior virtually completed and work beginning on the interior including the underground utility plant and parking facility. A photographic report is on Page 3.
Change of address should be reported directly to Office of Membership and Records, Bahá’í National Center, 112 Linden
Avenue, Wilmette, IL 60091, U.S.A. Please attach mailing label. Subscription rates: one year, U.S. $8; two years, U.S. $15.
Second class postage paid at Wilmette, IL 60091. Copyright © 1980, National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. World Rights Reserved. Printed in the U.S.A.
Bahá’í News is published monthly 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. Manuscripts submitted should be typewritten and double spaced throughout; any footnotes should appear at the end. The contributor should keep a carbon copy. Send materials to: Bahá’í News Editorial Office, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, IL 60091, U.S.A.
[Page 2]
ANNOUNCE WITH DEEP SORROW HEARTRENDING NEWS MARTYRDOM ON MORNING
MONDAY SEPTEMBER 8 IN YAZD SEVEN DEVOTED STEADFAST BELIEVERS TWO OF
WHOM WERE AUXILIARY BOARD MEMBERS AND FIVE PROMINENT BAHÁ‘ÍS YAZD INCLUDING ONE SEVENTY-EIGHT YEAR OLD BELIEVER. LOCAL REVOLUTIONARY GUARDS WHO PERPETRATED THIS DASTARDLY ACT CHARGED INNOCENT FRIENDS
ON LOCAL RADIO WITH FALSE IMPUTATIONS SUCH AS SPYING AND SUBVERSIVE ACTIVITIES. THIS EPISODE WILL GO DOWN IN HISTORY AS ANOTHER EVIDENCE PATIENCE LONG-SUFFERING INNOCENT PERSIAN BRETHREN IN FACE OF UNABATED
HATRED VIRULENT MALICE INVETERATE ENEMIES FAITH. NAMES MARTYRS AS FOLLOWS: ‘AZIZU’LLAH ZABIHIYAN, FIRAYDUN FARIDANI, NURU’LLAH AKHTAR-KHAVARI, JALAL MUSTAQIM, MAHMUD HASANZADIH, ‘ALI MUTAHHARI, ‘ABDU’L-VAHHAB KAZIMI MANSHADI.
WITH HEARTS BURNING INDIGNATION DISTRESS ANNOUNCE ALL MEMBERS NATIONAL ASSEMBLY IRAN TOGETHER WITH TWO AUXILIARY BOARD MEMBERS FORCIBLY AND PEREMPTORILY TAKEN FROM MEETING IN PRIVATE HOME ON EVENING 21
AUGUST TO UNKNOWN DESTINATION. VIEWING RISING TIDE PERSECUTIONS STEADFAST HEROIC LEADERS HARASSED COMMUNITY HAD ALREADY ANTICIPATED POSSIBILITY SUCH AN UNWARRANTED ACTION AND HAD MADE ARRANGEMENTS FOR NINE
ALTERNATIVE MEMBERS ASSUME RESPONSIBILITIES NATIONAL ASSEMBLY IN CASE
THEY WERE UNABLE FUNCTION. NINE MEMBERS APPOINTED BODY NOW AT HELM DETERMINED DISCHARGE SACRED DUTIES FOLLOW IN FOOTSTEPS THEIR COURAGEOUS PREDECESSORS, REMINISCENT SPIRIT EVINCED UNDAUNTED HEROES FAITH DURING
MEMORABLE EPISODE BARFURUSH. NEW NATIONAL ASSEMBLY TOGETHER WITH WIVES CLOSE RELATIVES ARRESTED FRIENDS HAVE APPEALED AUTHORITIES FOR RELEASE LAW-ABIDING CITIZENS. THROUGH THEIR CONSTANCY AND VALOUR PERSIAN
FRIENDS HAVE ONCE AGAIN SET AN EXAMPLE OF SERVITUDE AT SACRED THRESHOLD
WORTHY EMULATION ALL FRIENDS EVERY LAND PARTICULARLY THOSE PRIVILEGED
SERVE ACTIVELY ON BAHÁ’Í INSTITUTIONS. CALL ON FRIENDS EVERYWHERE JOIN US
IN FERVENT PRAYERS THAT SELF-SACRIFICE PERSIAN BRETHREN MAY AT LAST YIELD
GOLDEN FRUIT THEIR RELEASE FROM YOKE TRIBULATION OPPRESSION SO NOBLY
BORNE IN PATH HIS LOVE MORE THAN ONE CENTURY. WILL INFORM NATIONAL ASSEMBLIES AS EPISODE UNFOLDS ACTION TO BE TAKEN IN RESPONSE THIS LATEST WAVE PERSECUTION FAITH LAND ITS BIRTH.
WITH HEARTS LADEN WITH SORROW YET FILLED WITH PRIDE AND ADMIRATION ANNOUNCE MARTYRDOM IN CRADLE FAITH OF YADU’LLAH ASTANI AND FARAMARZ SAMANDARI RESPECTIVELY CHAIRMAN MEMBER LOCAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY TABRIZ. THESE TWO HEROIC SOULS, TOGETHER WITH BAHAR VUJDANI OF MAHABAD,
GHULAM-HUSAYN A’ZAMI OF SANGSAR AND ASADU’LLAH MUKHTARI OF BIRJAND,
WHO DURING PAST SEVERAL MONTHS ALSO SUFFERED CRUEL MARTYRDOM, HAVE
JOINED RANKS THEIR NOBLE FOREBEARS HEROIC AGE. BAHÁ’Í WORLD WITNESSING
WITH AWE AND WONDER VALIANT BELIEVERS CRADLE FAITH, WORTHY HEIRS OF
DAWNBREAKERS, ONCE AGAIN BEARING SUCCESSIVE WAVES OF REPRESSION AND
HARASSMENT, ARRESTS AND KILLINGS, AND CONFISCATION OF PERSONAL PROPERTIES:
MAY FOLLOWERS MOST GREAT NAME, INSPIRED BY PRODIGIOUS ACTS HEROISM THEIR LONG-SUFFERING BRETHREN IRAN, ARISE, WITH RENEWED CONSECRATION AND VIGOUR, WIN FRESH VICTORIES, REWARD SACRIFICES, COMPENSATE DISABILITIES, CHEER LONGING HEARTS STAUNCH STEADFAST BELIEVERS HOMELAND BAHÁ’U’LLÁH.
Seat of the House of Justice[edit]
Above, the new building for the Seat of the Universal House of Justice is shown in a photograph taken June 22, 1980. Except for the ceramic roof tiles, the exterior of the building is substantially completed. The temporary tower-like structure in front on the northeast corner has been used by photographers at the World Centre Audio-Visual Department to make a photographic record of the construction—in both still and motion pictures—since work began. The photo at left shows work proceeding on the underground utility plant and parking facility. It will be covered and landscaped when completed. Shown below is a view of the terraces behind the new building, looking eastward. Topsoil is being added for subsequent plantings that will cover the walls.
OPERATION DAYBREAK[edit]
In Honduras, a teaching campaign sweeps through the countryside, doubling number of Bahá’ís there[edit]
Operación Alborado (Operation Daybreak), one of the most ambitious teaching efforts ever undertaken in Central America, was completed August 31, 1980, in Honduras.
The widespread campaign, planned by the National Teaching Committee of Honduras under the direction of the National Spiritual Assembly, and formally unveiled at this year’s National Convention, resulted in the enrollment of 5,095 new believers—more than doubling the number of Bahá’ís in Honduras—and the establishment of 13 new Local Spiritual Assemblies.
Fifty-two public meetings in 11 states in Honduras were held during the campaign with a total attendance of approximately 6,700. Some 59 communities were visited by Bahá’ís during the 11-week effort that was divided into five regional projects.
The main teaching team had a nucleus of five members. Auxiliary Board member Bill Stover served as coordinator; Jhemhm Sayyah, secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly and National Teaching Committee, was the team secretary as well; native Honduran Alejandro Melendez, a member of the National Spiritual Assembly and National Teaching Committee, was responsible for locating food and housing for the team; Keith Bookwalter, also a member of the National Spiritual Assembly and National Teaching Committee, distributed and kept track of literature; and Judy Courtwright was in charge of equipment and photographs.
Santiago Jones, a pioneer from Belize, participated in the first three regional projects, while Behrouz Vatani, a pioneer from Írán, participated in projects 2, 3 and 4. Many other pioneers and indigenous believers were able to join the team on weekends, while others were able to help throughout the whole of one project or another. Special mention should be made of the assistance of Beatrice Rinde, an 82-year-old pioneer from the United States. During the Central Project she would load her Land Rover with whatever and whomever it would carry and joyfully lead the way for the teachers. The people were so attracted to Beatrice that she and her teaching partners were constantly surrounded, so that many people could be taught at one time. It was a bounty to have her assistance and
[Page 5]
Members of ‘Operation Daybreak’ teaching team included (left to right) Behrouz Vatani, a pioneer from Írán; Alejandro Melendez, a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of Honduras; Jhemhm Sayyah, recording secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly of Honduras and corresponding secretary of the National Teaching Committee; Auxiliary Board member Bill Stover, who coordinated the 11-week teaching campaign; Judy Courtwright, an assistant to the Auxiliary Board; and Keith Bookwalter, a member of the National Spiritual Assembly and National Teaching Committee of Honduras.
Some of the members of the Bahá’í community of Santa Rosa de Copan, Honduras.
During the teaching project in central Honduras this 111-year-old woman in the town of Siguatepeque declared her belief in Bahá’u’lláh.
Auxiliary Board Member Bill Stover, a pioneer from the United States, entertains children in a village in western Honduras during ‘Operation Daybreak.’
[Page 6]
to marvel at her unflagging good
spirits.
Each of the five projects in Operación Alborada was dedicated to a different group or institution. For example, project 2 was dedicated to the Bahá’ís of Írán, project 4 to the Universal House of Justice, project 5 to the Hands of the Cause of God. Each of the projects was assisted by special prayers from the Universal House of Justice, the Hands of the Cause, the National Spiritual Assembly of Honduras, and the Continental Board of Counsellors for Central America.
The teaching methods were largely unstructured. For the most part, each individual taught alone using whatever approach was most comfortable. In the larger towns, teaching was confined to one neighborhood, or barrio, and in the evening a public meeting would be held at a community center or school in that same barrio. In smaller towns, the Bahá’ís tried to teach at every home. In every case, news of the public meetings quickly became general knowledge, and almost without exception the meetings attracted capacity audiences.
Unlike individual teaching, the public meetings were highly structured, and included entertainment for the children by Bill Stover (which was extremely important in terms of attracting the adults and putting them at ease); prayers; a brief introduction to the Faith, emphasizing progressive revelation, and a slide presentation.
The slides were carefully chosen to cover those points designated as necessary by the Universal House of Justice. Each presentation began with a short history of the Faith that covered the Báb, Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. This was followed by a discussion of some of the basic principles and teachings of the Faith including independent investigation of truth, universal education, equal rights for men and women, life after death, and so forth. The laws of the Faith were then introduced, emphasizing the importance of daily prayer and deepening, and including also the basics of Bahá’í administration. Throughout the presentation, the slides were used to illustrate the great diversity among the Bahá’ís of the world while demonstrating the unity among them. The slide presentation was followed by more music, during which time those who wished to enroll in the Faith could so so.
Generally, the team would spend one day and evening in each town; however, the schedule had enough built-in flexibility to provide for exceptions. For example, project 4 was in La Misquitia, a remote area of the country in which communities can be reached only by boat or on foot. In each of these communities, therefore, the team spent at least two days, the first for teaching and proclamation, the second for teaching and deepening.
One community, Brus Laguna, one of the largest towns in La Misquitia, deserves special mention. On the first day there, several indigenous people in one barrio, Cusuapayka, were taught the Faith. By the end of the following day these people had taught nearly everyone else in their community and had held their first deepening class. The next day about 15 of them came to see the team off. They had written a Bahá’í song in their native language, Misquito, which they performed. They also said they had land available for a Bahá’í Center and would begin immediately to build a temporary one.
One further note regarding the Misquito language: the words “Bahá’u’lláh” and “Bahá’í” are already a part of that language. Bahá’u’lláh means “now he is coming” and Bahá’í means “that’s it” or “it is certain.”
Here is a brief summary of the highlights of each project:
No. 1 (West, June 14-23)—Opened the state of Lempira (three new Local Spiritual Assemblies); one pioneer scheduled to arrive in October; acquired a Bahá’í Center in Santa Rosa de Copan; 666 new believers enrolled; seven new Local Spiritual Assemblies formed.
No. 2 (Central, June 24-July 4)—Dedicated the Bahá’í Center in
Members of the ‘Operation Daybreak’ team trek through rugged country en route from Pueblo Nuevo and Batalia, Honduras, small villages in the most inaccessible area of the country, Gracias a Dios. From left to right are Alejandro Melendez; Auxiliary Board member Bill Stover, who took to horseback after suffering a painful fungus infection in his foot; Behrouz Vatani (partially hidden behind Mr. Stover); Jhemhm Sayyah, and Keith Bookwalter.
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Some of the participants in a deepening class in Choluteca, a town in southern Honduras.
Siguatepeque with the assistance of the mayor and minister of education; 1,239 new believers enrolled; attendance of 1,400 at 10 public meetings.
No. 3 (South, July 7-16)—Mayor of the capital city of the state of Valle declared his belief in Bahá’u’lláh; every member of a youth club in that same city (Nacaome) was enrolled in the Faith; an Assembly was elected in Guascoran, Valle, that is composed of leading citizens of the community; in the city of Choluteca, a Bahá’í neighborhood (barrio) is functioning as a community; 1,161 new believers enrolled; attendance of 1,200 at 10 public meetings.
No. 4 (La Misquitia, July 20-August 6)—The barrio of Cusuapayka, in Brus Laguna, is completely Bahá’í and doing its own teaching; 77 new believers enrolled; one new Assembly formed.
No. 5 (North Coast, August 8-11)—An astonishing receptivity among the Garifunas, the indigenous Carob population of the North Coast; 1,258 new believers enrolled; attendance of 1,700 at 10 public meetings.
The entire teaching operation was a series of highlights of every description. Suffice it to say that we can see in Honduras today great capacity and even greater potential. We fully expect that the consolidation work will be as successful as the teaching, and will report later on its progress.—Judy Courtwright, for the Operation Daybreak team.
Children and youth who attended one of the public meetings in southern Honduras during ‘Operation Daybreak.’ The meetings included a slide presentation, guitar music and singing. Some 52 public meetings in 11 states were held with a total attendance of about 6,700.
The ‘Operation Daybreak’ team was joined in central Honduras by 82-year-old Beatrice Rinde (right), who pioneered from California to Honduras two years ago. Here the team makes its way across a shallow river. Standing on the river bank are team members Alejandro Melendez, Jhemhm Sayyah, and Rouhi Mantagari, a pioneer from Írán. Keith Bookwalter is standing next to the Land Rover; Bill Stover is leaning on its roof. In front are Azarnoush Hoor from Írán and two children.
HEALTHY OUTLOOK[edit]
Hand of Cause Robarts among 252 who attend first Bahá’í conference on health and healing held in Ottawa, Canada[edit]
The first Bahá’í International Conference on Health and Healing, sponsored by the Canadian Association for Studies on the Bahá’í Faith, was held June 1-4 in Ottawa, Canada.
Among the 252 people who participated were the Hand of the Cause of God John Robarts; Dr. Victor de Araujo, the representative of the Bahá’í International Community to the United Nations; a total of six members of the National Spiritual Assemblies of Canada, Haiti and Switzerland; six Auxiliary Board members, and an array of distinguished and much-loved friends from Canada, the Caribbean, Europe, Mexico, New Zealand and the United States.
The gathering marked the first time in which Bahá’í health professionals and their fellow Bahá’ís could come together and approach matters of health in the light of the Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh on the one hand and the latest scientific knowledge on the other. It was distinguished by a profound sense of unity, an attitude of search for truth, and respect and moderation.
The conference began with a presentation by Dr. de Araujo entitled “Health: A Global Perspective,” that gave the audience a world-embracing view of the health challenges and opportunities facing mankind in general and Bahá’ís in particular.
Dr. Hossain Danesh, a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of Canada, then presented a review of the historical relationship between religion and science, and especially between science and medicine.
Dr. Danesh pointed out that the era of the unity of scientific discovery and spiritual reality is fast approaching, and that its successful culmination would depend to a large degree upon the manner in which the present health crises were faced and dealt with. These crises, he said, are numerous, and include such areas as “disease ori-
[Page 9]
entation” vs. “health orientation,”
concepts of the nature of man as
an “animal” or a “machine,” the
changing nature of the doctor-patient relationship, the challenges of educating health professionals with a humanistic and
spiritual orientation, and the
many problems of ethics, both in
medical research and practice.
The primary task facing Bahá’ís and the health profession, said Dr. Danesh, is to bring scientific medicine and the spiritual Teachings of Bahá’u’lláh together into a compatible and workable whole.
These talks set the tone and direction of the conference. For the remaining two and one-half days, participants were given a wide array of challenging, informative and well-researched presentations such as “Mind, Body and Soul,” by Dr. Faraneh Khadem; “The Bahá’í Revelation and Lifestyle Alteration,” by Dr. David Smith.
Participants also had the pleasure of attending a performance Dr. A.M. Ghadirian; “Scientific Method and Search for Truth,” by Dr. Peter Morgan; “Total Stimulation for Children Recovering from Malnutrition,” by Linda Gershuny; “Nutrition: Key Factor in High Level Wellness,” by Dr. S. Raman; “Music Therapy,” by Jocelyn Boor; “Healing Relationships in Marriage,” by Ruth Eyford and Helgi Eyford; and “The Importance for a Physician to Turn to God,” by Dr. Agnes Ghazvani.
Workshops included “Smoking and Exercise,” conducted by Drs. Peter Morgan and Arthur Irwin; “Alcoholism, Drug Abuse, and Youth,” by Dr. A.M. Ghadirian and Ruth Eyford; “Bahá’í Life,” by Drs. David Smith and Glen Eyford; and “The Bahá’í Approach to Sexuality,” by Drs. Agnes Ghazvani and Hossain Danesh.
Participants also had the pleasure of attending a performance by the Ballet Shayda of Canada on the theme of “Women in Motion” that featured its newly choreographed, lovely and moving dance, “Genevieve.”
On the last day of the conference, a morning session of consultation and panel discussions was held at which participants shared their thoughts and views about the conference and the direction for the future.
Among their recommendations was that an administrative council or agency be created that would, under the guidance of the Institutions of the Faith, coordinate the work and activities of Bahá’ís in various fields of health and medicine, while facilitating research, education and service in harmony with spiritual principles and scientific facts.
The closing addresses were given by Florence Altass, a 96-year-old Bahá’í from England. She was unable to attend the conference, but sent a paper and taped message that were shared with the friends. In them, Ms. Altass, a therapist, outlined her successes in ministering to the needs of her patients and helping in their treatment through the use of therapeutic methods based on moderation, diet, and some of the basic principles enunciated by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.
The conference was closed by the Hand of the Cause Mr. Robarts, who had greatly encouraged the friends throughout the meeting, showering them with his love and guiding them with reminders of the importance of praying and turning to God for assistance when dispensing treatment. It was through Mr. Robarts’ closing remarks, in which he quoted from the Writings of the Faith, that the audience caught a glimpse of the unity of science and religion that will no doubt characterize the medical practices of the future.
Bahá’í News welcomes well-written reports[edit]
Bahá’í News is eager to receive reports and photographs of newsworthy Bahá’í activities held throughout the world. Subscribers find these reports in the “Around the World” section of Bahá’í News and in feature articles appearing in each issue.
Unfortunately, some reports and photos can’t be published because important and necessary information has been unwittingly omitted by the correspondent.
More than likely, this occurs because the correspondent, describing an event about which he or she is knowledgeable, simply has forgotten to include the information. When one is a participant in or a witness to an event, it is sometimes easy to forget to include such basic information as where or when it took place. But whenever such information is omitted, the report usually cannot be published.
Please continue to send news of Bahá’í activities to Bahá’í News and include photos whenever possible. Before sending a report, please take a moment to review it and make sure that answers to the following questions are included: What, when, who, where, why?
That is, what was the event or activity; when did it happen; where did it take place; who sponsored it and who participated (be sure to include first and last names); and why, meaning what was the purpose of the event? By keeping this old journalistic rule in mind when writing, you can help assure that your report will be published in Bahá’í News.
Send articles and photos to Bahá’í News, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, IL 60091, U.S.A.
REBUILDING LOUHELEN[edit]
U.S. National Spiritual Assembly approves $1.8-million restoration of historic Michigan Bahá’í school[edit]
The National Spiritual Assembly of the United States has approved a $1.8-million construction project to restore the Louhelen Bahá’í School near Davison, Michigan.
At its meeting last May, the National Assembly endorsed the architectural concept for the project and authorized the Office of the Treasurer to proceed with plans for raising the funds needed to carry out the ambitious rebuilding program.
The Louhelen School, which was begun in 1931 by Bahá’ís Lou and Helen Eggleston of Davison, was closed in 1974 for reasons of safety.
A groundbreaking ceremony for the new facility was held September 1, and present plans call for reopening the school in 1981 in time for its 50th anniversary observance. That timetable, of course, is contingent upon raising the money to finance the project.
The beloved Guardian’s comments about the importance of the Louhelen School can be found in no less than 50 of his letters.
For example, he wrote through his secretary on December 10, 1942: “Shoghi Effendi feels very strongly that Louhelen should, in every way, be safeguarded as a Bahá’í institution ...
“It has grown to be one of the most important and one of the most valuable centers of Bahá’í learning, and should be maintained at all cost.”
Reconstruction at the school is to include the preservation of some existing buildings as well as the construction of new ones.
The present library will be preserved for use as an archives for the school; the former auditorium will become a storage building.
The Louhelen building and Eggleston home also will be preserved and restored to their original appearance. The Pullman dormitory building and four cottages are to be demolished.
Among the buildings being planned is a lodge center that will contain a cafeteria, kitchen, auditorium, registration area, lounge, administrative offices, bookstore and library.
A new classroom building will feature an arts and crafts room, five classrooms, and a nursery with a sunken play area. Each classroom will have its own screened outdoor patio.
Housing will be provided through the construction of 24 suites in two connected lodging clusters. The two-story structures will house up to 130 people.
The first modest study classes at Louhelen were held August 31, 1931. Primarily responsible for their organization and planning were Mabel and Howard
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An artist’s conception of the new Louhelen Bahá’í School near Davison, Michigan. The National Spiritual Assembly of the United States has approved a $1.8-million construction project to restore the school. The target date for completion is late 1981.
Colby Ives, and Grace and Harlan Ober. Among the many other friends participating in that first historic session were Fanny Knobloch and Mary Collison.
The passing years witnessed a lavish outpouring of talents and abilities at Louhelen by such believers as Corinne Knight True, Horace Holley, Amelia Collins, Leroy Ioas, Agnes Alexander, Curtis Kelsey, May Maxwell, and a host of others.
The Guardian constantly urged the believers on, reminding them time and again of what the embryonic school was capable of becoming, and of what the friends should do to help it become better and stronger each year.
Shoghi Effendi spoke often of the early Davison School as an “educational center,” and said to the friends that they must “widen the scope of their activities” and “extend the range and enhance the quality of (their) accomplishments.”
The present plans for reconstruction at Louhelen are being directed by the Louhelen Project Committee, working under the guidance of the National Spiritual Assembly and its National Education Committee.
A non-Bahá’í architect with a fine understanding of the goals and purposes of the Louhelen school has been engaged and is working on plans that are in harmony with the rich legacy of Louhelen.
Besides preserving and restoring a few of the buildings of importance to our Bahá’í heritage, he has designed and will establish new buildings that can serve the present and future needs of the community by expanding and developing as the Faith grows.
This is what the Louhelen Bahá’í school looked like to visitors arriving there in the 1930s and 1940s when the school was in its heyday.
Around the world[edit]
Mauritius[edit]
More than 40 Bahá’í youth enjoyed an evening of entertainment during a four-day institute April 30-May 4 in Peyreybere, Mauritius. The institute, sponsored by the National Teaching Committee of Mauritius, included classes on Bahá’í history, administration, laws, and ways of accomplishing the remaining goals of the present phase of the Seven Year Plan. Participants made traveling teaching trips to surrounding communities during the youth institute. Many participants said they would like to see similar institutes held more regularly.
Pakistan[edit]
Auxiliary Board member Parvin Yazamedi discussed the observance and sanctity of Bahá’í Holy Days during a Children’s Weekend Institute July 25 in Karachi, Pakistan.
The institute, organized by the Karachi Bahá’í community’s Education Committee, was attended by Bahá’í children and many of their parents.
The children began their day’s activities with a prayer chain for the friends in Írán. Activities included singing, speech-making and drama geared toward Bahá’í themes. Participants also enjoyed athletic events.
A Bahá’í Youth Seminar, held three days earlier in Karachi, had as its theme “The Role of Bahá’í Youth during Political Upheavals.” The seminar, organized by the Bahá’í Youth Commitee of Karachi, included speeches in the Urdu and Persian languages.
Many of the Spiritual Assemblies in Pakistan have adopted a one-year plan of teaching activities. Teaching trips throughout the country have been taking place, and follow-up deepening classes have been organized in mass teaching areas.
International teaching trips have been made to Baluchistan, Sind, Punjab and the North West Frontier Province of Pakistan by believers from neighboring countries. A new Local Spiritual Assembly was formed earlier this year in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan.
Chile[edit]
The first Bahá’í-owned school in Chile began operation in March in the rural Mapuche area of the Province of Cautín. The National Spiritual Assembly cabled the Universal House of Justice on March 12, “With great joy announce completion construction first rural Bahá’í school, Loncopulle ...”
A school building was acquired through donations from individual believers. The government subsidizes rural schools by paying a stipend based on the number of students enrolled. The stipend is sufficient to cover the costs of administration and teacher salaries.
Cameroon Republic[edit]
Two regional summer schools were held simultaneously in Cameroon from March 22-28. A school for English-speaking believers was held in Victoria, while a French-speaking summer school with a similar agenda was conducted in Ebolowa.
Counsellor Mihdí Samandarí spoke on topics including Bahá’í administration, the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, and the life of the Báb.
The school agendas included daily study classes on books such as The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh and the Synopsis and Codification of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas as well as some of the writings of Shoghi Effendi.
Evening activities featured talks on special subjects, quizzes, singing and dancing.
The school sessions ended with an examination on topics that had been studied by the approximately 25 participants at each of the two summer schools.
The three non-Bahá’ís who attended the French-language school in Ebolowa declared their belief in Bahá’u’lláh at the close of the six-day summer school session.
A group of participants at the first regional Bahá’í summer school in Ebolowa, Cameroon, March 22-28. Dr. Mihdi Samandari, a Continental Counsellor for Western Africa, is standing at the far left.
A children’s class during the first summer school in Ebolowa, Cameroon, March 22-28. Marthe Ekemeyong, the teacher, is standing at the end of the table.
Participants in the English-language regional summer school at Victoria, Cameroon, March 22-28.
South and West Africa[edit]
Continental Counsellor Bahiyyih Winckler and two Auxiliary Board members were among the 152 delegates and guests April 25-27 at the National Convention of South and West Africa in Potchetstroom, South Africa. Guests included 30 youth.
Auxiliary Board member Shanta Basin of Lesotho read the message from the Continental Board of Counsellors for Southern Africa.
Healing prayers for the Hand of the Cause of God William Sears were offered in nine languages.
Mr. Sears was to have represented the Universal House of Justice at the inaugural National Convention in neighboring Transkei, but was unable to attend because of illness.
The National Treasurer of South and West Africa reported that the goal for local contributions to the Fund was exceeded during the previous year.
Consultation at the Convention covered a number of ideas related to teaching and consolidation, deepening, child education, and projects for youth.
Convention delegates sent a congratulatory cable to the first National Convention of Transkei, a new country that had previously been under the jurisdiction of the National Spiritual Assembly of South and West Africa.
Members of the National Spiritual Assembly of South and West Africa elected during the National Convention are L. Johnson, M. Walker, R. Mazibuko, M. Sears, C. Khunou, E. Liknaitzky, R. Gates, M. Seepe and S. Kukama.
Alaska[edit]
More than $30,800 in contributions to the National Fund were made by delegates and guests at the 24th Annual Convention held April 25-27 in Anchorage, Alaska.
Guests at the Convention included Continental Counsellor Velma Sherrill and Auxiliary Board members Howard Brown, Fletcher Bennett, Ray Hudson, Lauretta King and Raye Mullin along with their assistants.
The National Teaching Committee of Alaska reported to the delegates that 58 Spiritual Assemblies had been re-elected in Alaska. The goal was 60 Assemblies.
The National Spiritual Assembly unveiled the “Hub Assembly” concept to delegates and guests. “Hub” Assemblies are those Assemblies that are centrally located in communities that serve as cultural, social or transportation centers for surrounding areas.
The 19 “Hub” communities identified by the National Spiritual Assembly are targets for development so that they, in turn, can support Bahá’í community development in the towns and villages around them. “Hub” communities identified have either a Spiritual Assembly or Bahá’í Group at present.
Convention participants were asked to select one of the seven Alaskan priority communities and one of the 19 “Hub Assembly” areas for prayers during the present Bahá’í year.
Forty believers from many parts of Alaska who are either involved in business or interested in the subject gathered May 31-June 1 at the Anchorage Regional Bahá’í Center for a “Bahá’í Business Workshop” sponsored by the National Spiritual Assembly of Alaska.
The workshop included much time for participants to discuss business-related topics. Structure for the workshop was provided by speakers who discussed the benefits and problems faced by Bahá’ís as employers and employees.
Other topics discussed included investing in a business; the acquisition and use of wealth; “Politics, Business and Bahá’ís,” and estate planning and how this can benefit the Fund.
Participants explored the Writings as well as practical problems faced by believers operating a business. Consultation led to the observance that profit is not a bad concept, and that success in business is important not only for the businessman or businesswoman but also for the Faith through support of the Fund.
Two suggestions emerged from the workshop discussions. One was that a “talent pool” listing of Alaskan believers should be compiled. The listing would include individuals’ professional skills and experience for the benefit of potential Bahá’í employers.
The other idea proposed is that a feasibility study be conducted on methods and costs involved in establishing a Bahá’í investment fund. Such a fund could be created when enough money was accumulated to make it possible.
The National Spiritual Assembly of Alaska sent out questionnaires to believers prior to the “Bahá’í Business Workshop,” and received positive responses to the idea along with suggestions for workshop topics.
Fiji Islands[edit]
Participants at a Bahá’í Youth Study Weekend May 3-4 are shown in front of the National Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds in Suva, Fiji Islands. Yee Wah Sing, the young man wearing a white shirt and standing in the center of the back row, is the first Fiji-born Chinese to accept the Faith in the Fiji Islands.
United Kingdom[edit]
Fifteen people have attended firesides in Middlesbrough, United Kingdom, during the past two years as a result of quotations from the Writings that have appeared on the local newspaper’s church page.
Five of these seekers have embraced the Faith. Several others who were first attracted by the Bahá’í quotations in the weekly church column still attend Bahá’í functions.
Honduras[edit]
Artemus Lamb, a Continental Counsellor for South America, addresses the capacity crowd gathered June 7 at the Hotel Lincoln in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. The public meeting was part of a proclamation effort sponsored by the Spiritual Assembly of Tegucigalpa.
Six people in the audience at a public meeting June 7 in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, embraced the Faith immediately after the meeting ended.
Speakers at the gathering were Continental Counsellor Artemus Lamb of Mérida, Mexico, and three area believers. The theme of the meeting was “The Spiritual Foundations of Social Peace.”
The conference room was filled to capacity, and many in the audience remained afterward for an informal question-and-answer period. Many guests took pamphlets and purchased Bahá’í books.
The meeting was part of a proclamation campaign sponsored by the Spiritual Assembly of Tegucigalpa. Four hundred printed invitations that included a quotation from Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh had been sent to government officials; political, intellectual and business leaders, and to personal friends.
Counsellor Lamb said that this was the first large proclamation of its kind in Tegucigalpa since the Hand of the Cause of God Ugo Giachery spoke in the same hotel some 15 years ago.
Speakers at a proclamation meeting June 7 in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, were (left to right) Jhemhm Sayyáh of La Ceiba, Honduras; Angel Coca of Tegucigalpa, Honduras; Daniel Wegener, also of Tegucigalpa, and Continental Counsellor Artemus Lamb of Mérida, Mexico. Six members of the capacity audience declared their belief in Bahá’u’lláh immediately after the meeting ended.
Puerto Rico[edit]
By early April, an island-wide proclamation and teaching campaign had reached 60 of Puerto Rico’s 78 municipalities.
The program, called “Crece con Nosotros” (Grow with Us), consists of sending teaching teams to an area to initiate radio and TV coverage, launch a direct-mail campaign and take advantage of other teaching opportunities.
The campaign goals are to have believers in all 78 municipal districts of Puerto Rico and Assemblies in 30 districts, to raise all isolated centers to Group strength, and to make the names “Bahá’í” and “Bahá’u’lláh” known to the average citizen of Puerto Rico.
More than 80 believers have contributed their time to the success of the teaching program.
A special pamphlet that includes an address and telephone number for more information has already resulted in inquiries.
United Nations[edit]
Dr. Victor de Araujo, the representative to the United Nations for the Bahá’í International Community, was invited to address the UN Department of Public Information’s annual conference June 19 for its accredited non-governmental organizations.
The over-all theme of the conference was “The Moral Imperatives of Opposing the Arms Race.”
Dr. de Araujo called the attention of the 400 conferees to the need for unity, quoting Bahá’u’lláh’s words that “The well-being of mankind, its peace and security are unattainable unless and until its unity is firmly established.”
He spoke of the “inevitability of peace,” pointing out that world unity is already “a reality ... though not an actuality.”
Other Bahá’í participants at the UN conference were Dr. Harry Collymore, chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly of Trinidad and Tobago, who chaired a colloquium on “The Relationship Between National and International Security,” and Dr. Richard St. Barbre Baker, a well-known conservationist.
Bolivia[edit]
Eight of the nine members of the National Spiritual Assembly of Bolivia, elected at its National Convention last April 25-27, gathered for this photograph with Counsellor Raúl Pavón (back row center, with dark glasses) and several Auxiliary Board members.
Paraguay[edit]
Four of the five Bahá’í-sponsored tutorial schools functioning in Paraguay at Riḍván were begun during the past year.
Twenty-six indigenous Paraguayans, half of them Bahá’í children, are taught five days a week at a school in Palomita. Materials and Bahá’í books are provided by the National Indian Teaching Committee. The teacher is paid by the government’s Ministry of Education.
Groups of students ranging from 10 to 40 children and adults meet from two to five times each week at four other rural schools. Their teachers are Bahá’ís who are in the process of becoming certified by the Ministry of Education, which will then provide their salaries.
Classes utilize Dios Nos Ilumina, a basic literacy text produced by the National Spiritual Assembly of Colombia.
Argentina[edit]
The National Spiritual Assembly of Argentina undertook special projects at Riḍván to win back lost Assemblies and to strengthen those in rural areas of the country.
A team of three believers managed to reach nearly all the communities assigned to them in the southern region of Argentina, in spite of heavy snowfalls and poor roads.
In some cases they took native believers from one area to visit for the first time believers in a neighboring community. Six Assemblies were formed as a result of their efforts.
Felipe Jara, a traveling teacher from Chile, assisted in the election of five Assemblies, two of which had been lost the previous year.
Another team of two believers visited nearly every community that had an Assembly and all those that had lost them in northern Chaco Province and the city of Corrientes.
They used a recorded message in the Toba language to help them explain Bahá’í elections. This was much appreciated by the Indian believers.
A second project in northern Argentina saw two pioneers meet with native traveling teachers in specific communities that had been previously arranged by telegrams.
Each individual took responsibility for assisting with the election of one or more Assemblies. One Indian believer rode his bicycle 80 kilometers (about 50 miles) to and from a community where he helped with the election of an Assembly.
At least 10 Assemblies were formed in Chaco Province, and the Assembly in Corrientes was reelected.
India[edit]
A prominent story in the newspaper Northern India Patrika of June 9 begins with this statement: “The Uttar Pradesh Governor, Mr. C. P. N. Singh, has called upon the people to follow the teachings of the Bahá’í Faith in order to bring peace and harmony in the strife-torn world.”
The Governor was inaugurating the Bahá’í centenary celebration in Lucknow, India. The newspaper article went on to say that the Governor “praised Bahá’u’lláh, the founder of the Bahá’í Faith, for his great vision of oneness and his message of peace and brotherhood.”
On June 8 the same newspaper, published simultaneously in Lucknow and Allahabad, India, carried a lengthy article titled “The Bahá’ís—A Century in India.” The article described the history of the Faith in India, and listed some Bahá’í principles.
Most of the English and Hindi newspapers in Lucknow reported on proclamation events planned by the Bahá’í community in celebration of the centenary. All-India Radio and Television in Lucknow provided wide coverage of Bahá’í events.
The proclamation activities also were the subject of a motion picture newsreel that appeared in June in theaters throughout India.
Sweden[edit]
The Hand of the Cause of God Ugo Giachery and Continental Counsellor Adib Taherzadeh were guest speakers in July at the Swedish/Norwegian Bahá’í Summer School that was held in Mölnlycke (near Gothenburg), Sweden, and attended by 250 believers and their children.
Dr. Giachery and Mr. Taherzadeh touched on a number of topics including the restoration of ‘Abdu’llah-Pasha’s house at the World Centre, the recent deaths of the Hands of the Cause of God, detachment, and teaching the Faith.
Other highlights of the school were a program of music and dance in a city park, a public meeting, a public concert featuring a number of Bahá’í musicians, and a program honoring Dr. Giachery’s recently-deceased wife, Angeline.
Believers from Sweden, Norway and Finland participated in a weeklong “Midsummer Camp” in June at Arjeplog, Sweden, a mountain village in Lappland that is a goal locality.
Believers from the three countries shared the planning of this deepening program that also allowed time for fellowship.
The first two summer camp sessions for believers in northern Scandinavia, in 1978 and 1979, were held in the Lofoten Islands and sponsored by the Norwegian Bahá’í community. Next year’s “Midsummer Camp” will be held in Finnish Lappland.
Two Swedish Bahá’ís were among the participants in the 65th International Esperanto Congress held in August in Stockholm, Sweden.
The National Spiritual Assembly of Sweden sent a message of welcome in Esperanto to the Congress delegates, and a committee of Swedish believers arranged a public meeting during the Congress.
Several believers who have been studying Esperanto made a teaching trip through Sweden following the close of the Congress.
The Hand of the Cause of God Ugo Giachery (seated, with hand raised) talks with Swedish and Norwegian believers at the Bahá’í Summer School held in July at Mölnlycke (near Gothenburg), Sweden, and attended by 250.
Adib Taherzadeh, a Continental Counsellor for Europe, addresses the more then 200 believers at the Swedish/Norwegian Bahá’í Summer School held in July at Mölnlycke, Sweden.
Nigeria[edit]
A group of Bahá’í musicians from Nigeria and the Cameroon Republic who compose and sing their own music have produced a cassette tape in commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the Faith in Nigeria.
The group, calling itself “The Waves of One Sea,” began performing last year in support of the UN International Year of the Child.
The Bahá’ís appeared on Kaduna television, on a local radio station and on a children’s program in Jos, Nigeria. The group then performed at several schools in the northern states of Nigeria in conjunction with programs on the International Year of the Child.
Kaduna television adopted a song written by “The Waves of One Sea” as the theme song for a weekly program.
[Page 18]
A Traveler’s Narrative. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s engrossing account of the rise of the Bábí and Bahá’í Faiths—essential reading for students of the origins and history of these faiths.
Translated by Edward G. Browne.
Catalog No. 7-06-27. Cloth $9.00
Catalog No. 7-06-28. Paper $4.00
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