Bahá’í News/Issue 600/Text

←Previous

Bahá’í News Issue 600

Next→

Proofread onceReturn to PDF view

[Page 0]

Bahá’í News

March 1981

Bahá’í Year 137

The Mother Temple of the Antipodes

[Page 1]

Contents

Martyrs
In Yazd, Iran, 7 believers offer their lives for Cause of Bahá’u’lláh	2
‘Pilgrimage’
New film offers a breathtaking view of the Faith’s Holy Places	7
Support
European Parliament condemns persecution of Bahá’ís in Iran	8
Hawaii
National Spiritual Assembly presents 4th Agnes Alexander Award	10
Australia
Inter-faith service at House of Worship is nationally televised	11
Around the world
News from Bahá’í communities in every corner of the globe	12

Cover

The Bahá’í House of Worship in Sydney, Australia, was the scene of a remarkable occurrence last October 5 when an inter-faith service commemorating United Nations Week was videotaped by the Australian Broadcasting Commission and was later broadcast in its entirety nationwide. More than 350 Bahá’ís and their guests attended the service, a complete report of which appears on Page 11.

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 © 1981, 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]

SEVEN MARTYRS

In Yazd, Iran, a fourth group of seven believers faces death with faith, courage, and assurance

The following translation of a letter from Iran dated September 15, 1980, describing the circumstances surrounding the martyrdom of seven Bahá’ís in the city of Yazd was made available to the Bahá’ís of the world by the Universal House of Justice on November 23. In releasing the report, the Department of the Secretariat at the World Centre said the Supreme Body “hopes that the high spirit of the dedicated souls who are offering their lives in the Cradle of our Faith, and the courage and self-abnegation with which they give testimony with their blood to the purity and distinction of God’s Holy Cause, will inspire the friends in every land and stimulate them to reach loftier heights of self-sacrifice in service to the Cause of God.”

Bahá’u’lláh is witnessing from the Abha Kingdom how the calamities and tribulations which are pouring down like torrential rain have had an impact on our hearts and souls which, in these troublesome times, have melted into one, and how the martyrdom of these seven beloved friends has taken a part of our hearts and souls away from us.

You have instructed us to read the Fire Tablet and contemplate its meaning, and we assure you that almost every Bahá’í in Iran is following this counsel. The same sufferings which Bahá’u’lláh endured in the past are again being encountered by His beloved followers in the country of His birth.

Your Bahá’ís in Iran are a new creation. They not only endure the trials and tribulations, but they also value the great honor bestowed upon them in sharing even a drop of this honor bestowed on our beloved forbears. We are proud to share in the sufferings of the Blessed Beauty and His Most Great Branch. We are sincerely thankful.

The city of Yazd is a place where hundreds of martyrs have laid down their lives at the Threshold of the Faith. But now, for the fourth time in history, the heroes of Yazd, those essences of love and acquiescence, are offering the gift of “seven martyrs.” The first “seven martyrs of Yazd” sacrificed their lives during the Ministry of Bahá’u’lláh; the second “seven” filled the cup of martyrdom during the time of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá; the third “seven” gave their lives in the village of Hurmuzak in Yazd in the year 112 during the ministry of Shoghi Effendi; and now, during the time of the Universal House of Justice, the fourth group of “seven” have watered the barren land of Yazd with their blood.

It was ‘Abdu’l-Bahá who said that acceptance of suffering and martyrdom in the path of God is the highest wish of true lovers. In several Tablets ‘Abdu’l-Bahá Himself said that He longed to drink from the cup of martyrdom, and He stated how blessed were those who drowned themselves in a sea of tribulation for the love of God. Our latest “seven martyrs” were indeed manifestations of this longing of true believers, and they welcomed their fate with great valor.

It is interesting to note that most of the Bahá’ís in Yazd were expecting to have “seven martyrs.” At many conferences, for example, Mr. ‘Azíz’u’lláh Dhabíḥíyán, one of the Auxiliary Board members who was martyred, repeatedly announced that the fourth group of “seven martyrs” of Yazd would certainly come to pass. The Bahá’ís of Yazd were so convinced this would occur that when on the early morning of 8 September a rumor was passed that six Bahá’ís had

[Page 3] been executed, one of the friends said it could not be true, “There are either seven or none!” The man who completed the “seven” was an old Bahá’í from Manshád, a village near Yazd, who had been taken from his village only a few days before the date of the executions, and many of the friends in Yazd did not know about his arrest...

The story of these martyrs is both painful and glorious to tell. The same cruelties, fanaticism, and hatred which the enemies of God had shown in the last century are again unveiling themselves, and the same insults, harassment, and vengeance are being inflicted on the families of the martyrs and on the community as a whole. Such ruthlessness is still being continued.

Tortures and hoaxes

When the martyrs were in prison, the families were called several times by people who said they were phoning of behalf of the Revolutionary Komiteh, informing them to pick up the bodies of their relatives who had been executed. When the Bahá’ís, with great anxiety, went from Komiteh to hospital to morgue to cemetery, everyone denied having the bodies. After a few hours of such torture, it was revealed that the whole episode was a hoax aimed at harassing the families. Therefore, on 8 September, when the families were told to come and take delivery of the bodies, the friends immediately thought it was the same story which had been repeated several times.

Such tortures against the Bahá’ís have occurred in various ways. For example, when Mr. Dhabíḥíyán was arrested in Shíráz and was being transported to Yazd, his captors took him out of the car several times, blindfolded him, and tied him to a tree, pretending that they were intending to execute him. Each time, however, they shot into the air. It is unbelievable how Mr. Dhabíḥíyán and the others could remain so calm and composed when such indignities were being heaped upon them.

On the day before the executions, the families were permitted to meet with their beloved ones for one-half hour in the afternoon in the presence of a number of fanatical and evil guards who looked at them with the fire of hatred in their eyes. The prisoners were complacent, secure, and calm. Although nobody in that meeting was informed that this was to be the final visit, Mr. Dhabíḥíyán and Mr. Farídaní hinted that it might indeed be the last.

The prisoners had first been confined in a regular prison cell, but for the last few days they had been kept in an underground basement which was hot and damp. The only contact with the outside world during the last moments of their lives was from a window which was a few meters above them, but at ground level of the outside yard.

Although we do not yet know the details or the place of the martyrdoms, it is rumored that they were killed in a garden outside the town; that one single guard was in charge of the executions; that while carrying out his duty, each of the prisoners begged to be the first one to be executed; and that the prisoners requested that they should be buried side by side in one place.

The bodies of the martyrs were first taken to the hospital and then to a piece of barren land outside the city limits. It should be recalled that the Bahá’ís previously had a beautiful cemetery in Yazd, but it had been confiscated and the graves desecrated. In its place they were given this barren land in the desert without water or other facilities.

When the news of the martyrdom of the seven Bahá’ís reached Teheran, many of the friends wanted to go to Yazd for the funeral. But in order to prevent a large and befitting service for the victims, the authorities compelled the Bahá’ís to bury the bodies on the same day, saying that they did not have refrigeration facilities to preserve the bodies. Even with such short notice about 200 Bahá’ís participated in the funeral. One of the friends brought barrels of water in his car, and the Bahá’í youth, including the son of one of the martyrs, dug the graves in the blazing sun. The bodies had to be washed out in the open on cement blocks which had been brought to the site for the graves. While the guards were looking at these events without feeling any shame or remorse, the friends dug seven graves side by side. Coffins were also brought and after the bodies were placed in them, prayers for the dead were recited in front of the seven coffins. None of the participants at the funeral wore black, including the families of the martyrs. It is significant that all of the arrangements for the grave preparation, burial, funeral, etc., were made spontaneously without specific instructions from the Local Spiritual Assembly or anyone else, which demonstrates the unity of purpose and thought manifested in the Bahá’í community of Iran during such troubled times. The graves were covered with flowers, and mosaic slabs were placed on each grave to identify it. The next day, however, when the friends returned in the early morning to the gravesites, somebody had taken away the flowers and had broken the mosaic slabs.

Televised ‘trial’

On the same day of the executions, 8 September, an announcement was made on Radio Yazd at 10 a.m. that in order to please the souls of the Muslims who had been killed during political disturbances one year previously on that date, seven Bahá’í spies had been executed. This news was repeated on the radio with great elation and two days later videotaped proceedings of the trial were shown on Yazd TV. The videotape, which was shown in two segments, showed

[Page 4] the tranquility, courage, and dignity of these beloved heroes. This televised account clearly shows how these courageous men were defending the Cause of God and not themselves. They did not deal with accusations made against them individually, but asserted that the glory of the Faith was free of all accusations. Those who saw the program said that the faces of the prisoners were calm, beautiful, and dignified, and that they were dressed as if they were going to a party. The prosecution read the charges and one of the prisoners, Mr. Akhtar-Khávarí, read the rebuttal which had been written by the prisoners in prison. Their testimony was in defense of the Cause and in refutation of the baseless accusations against the Faith. However, when this statement was being read, the television engineers manipulated the broadcast so that the sound was distorted and muffled and the defense was not heard clearly. Protests were made to the television station, even by non-Bahá’ís, but in order to offset the agitation of the non-Bahá’í public, the enemies of the Cause sought ways and means to intimidate and silence them.

In his congregational prayers the next day, Áyatollah Ṣaddúqí attached the Faith and asked the public to sign a scroll confirming the action of the Revolutionary Court. A few hundred “of the faithful” heeded his request and signed. The next day the media reported that thousands of people of Yazd had signed the scroll in favor of the verdict of the Court.

The wives of the martyrs have remained very strong and their children are courageously supporting their mothers and consoling others. They do not cry or lament and this astonishes everyone, including their non-Bahá’í friends. This display of composure and dignity increases the hatred of the enemies who want the satisfaction of seeing them suffer, but this satisfaction is not given to them by the relatives and friends of the martyrs.

What a great contrast between the degradation and moral decadence of these cruel enemies and the honor and exalted character of the lovers of the Blessed Beauty! I cannot begin to describe the courage, zeal, endurance and radiant acquiescence exhibited by these beloved friends of Yazd. This small town on the border of the desert has cultivated verdant fruitful trees in the vineyard of God, thanks to the blood of so many martyrs.

Pillars of strength

Here are a few comments about each of the seven martyrs:

Mr. ‘Azíz’u’lláh Dhabíḥíyán was a loving, kind, and energetic Bahá’í who had become an Auxiliary Board member. His pleasant personality and gentleness were an example to all believers. He and his fellow Board member, Mr. Firaydún Farídaní, who were martyred together, were pillars of strength. They had a very close relationship with the Local Spiritual Assembly of Yazd where they had been frequently invited for consultation.

Mr. Dhabíḥíyán was 56 years old at the time of his death, and he is survived by his wife and two children. He was a civil servant, but retired prematurely in order to be free to serve the Cause at all times. His area of service was Yazd, Kirmán, and Baluchistán, but since our Board member in Shíráz, Mr. Vaḥdat, was in prison, he also covered this area. Warmth radiated from his person which helped to solve the problems of the Bahá’ís. When the persecution of the Bahá’ís in Iran started last year, he was constantly on the move to meet with the friends and except for one or two days a month, he was not at home. His wife was also a wonderful servant of the Cause. She took care of the children in her home, and this enabled him to serve the Cause. She herself is a member of the Local Assembly of Yazd and is now being hunted by the enemies of the Faith.

Two Board members

There is a letter written by Shoghi Effendi addressed to Mr. Dhabíḥíyán’s mother in which he prayed that ‘Aziz may be endeared in this world and the world to come. His mother sent him to martyrdom knowing full well that he will be glorified in the Kingdom of God as he was loved and respected in this world. She does not weep for him, and those who meet this old, but strong and faithful woman cannot stop shedding tears, but she requests them to control themselves, saying, “It is said that in their exalted rank the martyrs will be grieved if we cry for them.”

Mr. Dhabíḥíyán was in Shíráz to assume his post as an Auxiliary Board member when the Revolutionary Guards raided his home several times in order to capture him. His wife, being thus harassed, was advised by the Local Spiritual Assembly to leave the city and go elsewhere. Mr. Dhabíḥíyán, although apprehensive for the safety of his family, did not leave his field of service; day and night he met with the friends to encourage them. He did not reach home any night before midnight. When he was advised to rest, he would say that it was not the time for rest and that he had to meet the Bahá’ís, who at this time were despondent and concerned.

Those who saw Mr. Dhabíḥíyán recently in Shíráz said he was more radiant than ever. One day when he was going out to meet the friends, the enemies of the Cause, who had been searching for him in Yazd, found and arrested him in Shíráz and with great insults and abuse took him toward Yazd. Several times on the way they faked an execution scene, as mentioned before, but nothing made him waver. They finally reached Yazd where he was placed in custody with the other prisoners.

Mr. Firaydún Farídaní was also an Auxiliary

[Page 5]

‘... the enemies of the Cause raided his home while he was praying
and they kicked him to the ground ... They took away
all his Bahá’í books and set fire to his storeroom.
After a few days his wife died of shock.’

Board member and was from Zoroastrian background. He had an immaculate character and was hospitable, detached, and loving. When the Local Assembly members of Yazd were arrested and his own life was in danger, he not only refused to escape but on the contrary made himself visible so that everybody in Yazd could see that Bahá’ís don’t run away. He also refused to leave Yazd because he thought the friends needed him more than ever at that time. It was he who telephoned daily his colleagues in Teheran, and, as always, was jubilant, resolute, and consoling.

After his martyrdom his son and son-in-law, who went to his funeral, were also arrested. In the face of these tribulations other family members have remained patient and steadfast and are a source of courage to their fellow Bahá’ís.

The youngest of the martyrs among the seven was Mr. Maḥmúd Ḥasanzádih, who was 41 years old at the time of his death. He is survived by his wife, two daughters (15 and 14 years old), and a nine-year-old son. His father is Muslim and his mother is a Bahá’í.

From early youth Mr. Ḥasanzádih was an enthusiastic Bahá’í, and many times he expressed his wish to become a martyr. Whenever he bought valuable things for his family, he told his wife that he had obtained them for her and the children, so that in future they would not be in need, and he said he wanted nothing for himself except the crown of martyrdom. He used to express this wish so much that his friends nicknamed him “Mr. Martyr.” They assured him, however, that the period of martyrdom had passed, but Mr. Ḥasanzádih was not convinced. His continuous services in Yazd so endeared him to the Bahá’ís of that city that he soon became a member of the Local Assembly, and while serving in this capacity he was arrested and with great eagerness attained his heart’s desire.

Mr. ‘Alí Muṭahharí was the brother-in-law of Mr. Ḥasanzádih, and these two were so close to each other that they collaborated in their services to the Faith and were helpful companions. Together they solved the problems of their fellow believers. Mr. Muṭahharí had a small car which always traveled to and fro in service to the Faith. He even used it to transport the deceased to the cemetery. His non-Bahá’í neighbors recognized his spirit of dedication and brought their problems to him. He really deserved to wear the crown of martyrdom.

He is survived by his wife and five children, the eldest being a 21-year-old-son, who was the one to actually dig his grave, and the youngest a 12-year-old daughter, who was the only person permitted to meet with her father and with the other Bahá’ís in prison.

The oldest martyr in this group was Mr. ‘Abdu’l-Vahháb Kázimí Manshádí, whose age was estimated to be between 85 and 90. His father, Mr. Ḥusayn Kázimí, was also a martyr and the account of his martyrdom is recorded in the “History of the Martyrs of Yazd.”

A ‘walking Qur’án’

Mr. Kázimí was so stooped that while walking his fingers almost touched the ground. When those who knew him heard that he was one of the martyrs, they asked how he could have been shot since he could not stand erect. His body showed that three bullets went through his abdomen rather than his chest, and that he was later shot in the forehead.

A distinguishing characteristic of his was his remarkable memory and the fact that he knew much of the Qur’án by heart. He was known as “a walking Qur’án,” and he even corrected those who were quoting from the Qur’án during his trial.

He was living in the village of Manshád near Yazd, and perhaps his knowledge of the Qur’án and his zeal for teaching others made him a target for arrest. From his early youth he had seen many attacks on the Faith, and he was frequently stoned and beaten, the marks of which were evident on his head and other parts of his body.

Ais months ago the enemies of the Cause raided his home while he was praying and they kicked him to the ground, which made his 70-year-old wife concerned for his life. They took away all his Bahá’í books and set fire to his storeroom. After a few days his wife died of shock. The old man remained in Manshád alone. His sons and daughters insisted he leave Manshád and go to their homes outside the village, but he refused and said he did not want to leave his “trench.” Several days later the Revolutionary Guards raided his home again and after beating and heaping insults upon him, they took him to the car and set out toward Yazd. The two guards discussed about how much time

[Page 6] was being wasted on this old man and one of them suggested that they run over him with the car and be finished with him. The other guard, however, refused to give in and instead gave his consent to leave Mr. Kázimí in the desert to die. They pushed him out of the car and left him, with injured hands and feet, to perish in that desert area during the night. The driver of a passing car saw him and, taking pity on him, gave him a ride to a village 14 kilometers from Manshád. He knew his way from there and after going through hills and desert he finally reached home. When he was seen alive the next day in Manshád, the enemies apprehended him and this time took him straight to prison. Thus, at the time of the trial of the Bahá’ís of Yazd, Mr. Kázimí raised the number to seven.

Grave tests

Mr. Núr’u’lláh Akhar-Khávarí was a knowledgeable and devoted Bahá’í who was 61 years old at the time of his martyrdom. He is survived by his wife and four sons. He was in India in his younger days and for many years served on the National Spiritual Assembly of that country. He was faced with grave tests during his life, but his love for Bahá’u’lláh and his certitude in the Faith helped him surmount all difficulties and trials.

In the city of Yazd he was a member of the Local Spiritual Assembly and its secretary. He had a very good command of speech and spoke good English, and he was employed as a translator in an industrial factory in that town. Recently, because of his Faith, he was forced to retire. He had a pleasant and likeable personality, and he was the one who read the defense paper on behalf of his fellow prisoners at the trial.

Mr. Jalál Mustaqím, 52 years old, is survived by his wife, three daughters, and a son. The inhabitants of Yazd knew him for his honesty and integrity in his business. He had been very active in the Faith from his early youth, was appointed an assistant to the Auxiliary Board, and for many years served as a member of the Local Spiritual Assembly of Yazd.

These wonderful souls laid down their lives at the Threshold of Bahá’u’lláh. Their martyrdom has not abated the thirst of the ferocious enemies of the Cause, who are now searching for the families of the martyrs. Not a day passes without harassment by these cruel people. They are looking for Mrs. Ḥasanzádih and Mrs. Dhabíḥíyán, who are members of the Local Assembly of Yazd. The son of the old devoted martyr, Mr. Kázimí, who came to his father’s funeral, was arrested. They took him back to Shíráz to show to the other members of his family, and there they arrested one of his sons-in-law. The two of them are both now in prison in Shíráz.

Talk of an impending massacre of the Bahá’ís of Yazd is very prevalent, but the friends are neither concerned nor wavering in their resolve. On the way to Yazd the son of Mr. Kázimí, in reply to repeated threats of the guards that all of the Bahá’ís in Iran will be massacred, said, “What does it matter? Bahá’u’lláh says He will raise up from pebbles those who will raise His call!”

A few days ago all the Bahá’í men in Manshád were arrested and taken to other villages. After being detained for a few days they were released, but they were told they had one week to repent and become Muslims.

The glorious history of the Faith is repeating itself. Our heroes are the same as those in the early days of the Faith. I cannot imagine anyone to be any stronger, firmer, and more loving that the heroic souls we see among the Bahá’ís in Iran today.

The prayers of the friends throughout the world have a great deal of influence on our reborn community. In his writings the beloved Guardian made it clear to us that it was God’s Will that the Bahá’ís of Iran should sacrifice their all so that the oneness of humankind may be established. In the past two years the Iranian Bahá’ís have not slackened in their submission and sacrifice. We must be sure that the Bahá’ís of Iran are ready, to the last man, to give their lives for peace and for the love of mankind. We are seeking afflictions in the path of God. We do not pray for these tribulations to be removed. We need your prayers that God will grant such love and power to our hearts that we will be able to meet the hatred, cruelty, and enmity and replace these with love, kindness, and eternal friendship.

[Page 7]

‘THE PILGRIMAGE’

The Pilgrimage, a feature-length 16mm color film with optical soundtrack that was written and directed by the Hand of the Cause of God Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum, has been produced by Prism Productions and is available through the Bahá’í Distribution Service of Canada.

The two-hour film, made with the permission and approval of the Universal House of Justice, guides the viewer through a breathtaking tour of the World Centre of the Faith including the Shrines of Bahá’u’lláh, the Báb and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and retraces the footsteps of Bahá’u’lláh, Who spent the last 24 years of His life and more than half of His ministry as a Prisoner in the fortress-city of ‘Akká and its environs.

The Pilgrimage opens and closes with interviews of the Hands of the Cause of God in the Holy Land: Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum, ‘Alí-Akbar Furútan, and Paul Haney.

All the Bahá’í Holy Places are depicted in soul-satisfying detail: ‘Akká, Bahjí, the Riḍván gardens, Mazra’ih and Haifa. The Hand of the Cause Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum, whose long association with the World Centre began with her first pilgrimage to the Holy Land, in 1923, is the widow of Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Bahá’í Faith. Because of her 20 years’ association with him, as his wife and personal secretary, and her subsequent work as a Hand of the Cause of God in the Holy Land, she is eminently qualified to act as a guide and commentator for the marvelous experience of the pilgrimage that this film affords.

National and Local Spiritual Assemblies, as well as individuals, are encouraged to order copies of this unique and historic film. While it undoubtedly has widespread appeal and significance for the Bahá’í community, it may also be shown to non-Bahá’í audiences, providing an opportunity to present the Faith in a dignified and interesting manner.

The Pilgrimage is available in English, French, and Spanish. It is wound on four separate half-hour reels to facilitate screening. The purchase price is $700 (Canadian) plus air mail postage.

To order, please make check or money order payable to Bahá’í Distribution Service, 7200 Leslie St., Thornhill, Ontario L3T 2A1, Canada.

[Page 8]

SUPPORT

In Strasbourg, France, the European Parliament strongly condemns Iran’s persecution of Bahá’ís

“Behold how in this Dispensation the worthless and foolish have fondly imagined that by such instruments as massacre, plunder and banishment they can extinguish the Lamp which the Hand of Divine power hath lit, or eclipse the Day Star of everlasting splendour. How utterly unaware they seem to be of the truth that such adversity is the oil that feedeth the flame of this Lamp!” (Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, XXIX)

•

Shoghi Effendi writes in God Passes By (p. 409) that the history of the Bahá’í Faith “may be said to resolve itself into a series of pulsations, of alternating crises and triumphs, leading it ever nearer to its divinely appointed destiny.”

In the recent history of the Faith, no crisis has been greater than that faced by the sorely persecuted believers in Iran—yet their sufferings have led directly to major triumphs for the Faith in terms of worldwide publicity and prestige. One such triumph was witnessed recently in Europe.

The ancient city of Strasbourg in the Alsace region of northeastern France is commonly known as “Europe City,” for it is the seat of the Council of Europe and the meeting place of the European Parliament.

The European Parliament is an organ of the European Economic Community (EEC) and is composed of 410 elected representatives from the nine Common Market countries—Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.

Prior to the September 1980 session of the European Parliament, the National Spiritual Assemblies of the nine Common Market countries, like other National Assemblies of the world, had derived great encouragement from the fact that the plight of the Iranian Bahá’í community had received a warm and sympathetic response from the press as well as from parliamentarians and government authorities in several countries.

During the session of the Parliament, it quickly became apparent to the Bahá’ís as they moved about

[Page 9] the Palais de l’Europe that the persecution of their fellow-believers in Iran was a major topic of discussion among parliamentarians when they met informally outside the council chambers. Inside, the parliamentarians demonstrated their concern for the fate of the Iranian Bahá’ís by introducing a large number of motions deploring the persecutions.

So numerous were these motions that the Parliament finally agreed that they should be consolidated into one motion, so that an early decision could be made as to whether the Bahá’í case merited urgent debate. The different political groups agreed to support a single motion and it was decided, with only two abstentions, that the Bahá’í case should be placed on the agenda for emergency debate.

Without doubt, the news of the martyrdoms of seven Bahá’ís in Yazd, Iran, served to reinforce the Bahá’í case and helped convince the Parliament of the need for urgent and positive action. Thus do tragedies sometimes lead to triumphs.

The triumph, in this case, came shortly after midday on Friday, September 19, when the Bahá’ís—conscious that they were witnessing the making of Bahá’í history, and struggling to hold back tears of joy—heard the European Parliament unanimously adopt a Resolution that strongly and wholeheartedly supported the Bahá’í case. The contents of that Resolution were summarized by the Universal House of Justice in a message of September 25 to all National Spiritual Assemblies:

“EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT MEETING IN STRASBOURG AND COMPRISING OVER 400 MEMBERS UNANIMOUSLY ADOPTED ON SEPTEMBER 19 HISTORIC RESOLUTION WHICH DENOUNCES SYSTEMATIC CAMPAIGN PERSECUTION IRANIAN BAHÁ’ÍS AND VIOLATION THEIR ELEMENTARY HUMAN RIGHTS, CALLS UPON GOVERNMENT IRAN GRANT BAHÁ’Í COMMUNITY LEGAL RECOGNITION AND PROTECTION, AND UPON FOREIGN MINISTERS EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES MAKE URGENT REPRESENTATIONS TO IRANIAN AUTHORITIES CEASE PERSECUTION BAHÁ’ÍS ALLOWING THEM PRACTISE THEIR RELIGION FREELY AND ENJOY FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN RIGHTS, AND REQUESTS MEMBER STATES IMPOSE EMBARGO ON ALL SALES OF SUBSIDIZED SURPLUS AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS: TO IRAN UNTIL FULL HUMAN RIGHTS ARE RESTORED TO IRANIAN CITIZENS. THIS REMARKABLE DOCUMENT ENDS WITH STATEMENT THAT EVIDENCE SUGGESTS ARRESTS, EXECUTIONS OF BAHÁ’ÍS ARE CONTINUING AND INCREASING ACCORDING TO PREARRANGED PLAN AND ONLY SPEEDY RESPONSE BY EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT CAN STOP THESE DEVELOPMENTS.”

---

Friday, 19 September 1980

RESOLUTION
on the persecution of members of the Bahai community in Iran

The European Parliament,

• recalling its unfailing attachment to the international protection of human rights,
• recognizing in particular the need to protect the rights of religious minorities in all countries,
• concerned at the systematic campaign of persecution directed in Iran against the 300,000 members of the Bahai community (the biggest religious minority in Iran) and the accompanying violations of fundamental human rights, in particular:

(a) the refusal of any legal protection to the Bahai minority,

(b) the summary arrest, detention and execution of leaders of the Bahai community,

(c) the confiscation or destruction of the resources and means of subsistence of the Bahais and the arbitrary dismissals or refusals to employ Bahais,

(d) the threats and acts of violence against the Bahais in an attempt to force them to repudiate their faith,

1. Condemns the violation of the human rights of all religious minorities in Iran, more particularly the members of the Bahai faith whose rights as a religious minority are not recognized by the Iranian constitution;

2. Calls upon the Government of Iran to grant the Bahai community the legal recognition and protection to which all minorities are entitled under the provisions of the various UN pacts and convention on human rights;

3. Also condemns the illegal measures taken against Catholic and Anglican leaders and the execution of leading members of the Jewish community;

4. Calls upon the Foreign Ministers of the European Community meeting in political cooperation to make urgent representations to the Iranian authorities to put an end to the persecution of the members of the Bahai community, and to allow them to practise their religion freely and enjoy all civil, political, social, economic and cultural rights;

5. Requests the Commission and Council to impose an embargo on all sales of surplus agricultural products to Iran where subsidies by European taxpayers are involved until full human rights are restored to Iranian citizens;

6. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, Commission, the Foreign Ministers meeting in political cooperation, to the Government of Iran, to the Governments and Parliaments of the Member States and to the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

---

[Page 10]

AGNES ALEXANDER AWARD

Blind community leader honored in Hawaii

Albert Kaleianuinui Sing, community leader, former Community Action Program executive, and a blind person, is the fourth recipient of the Agnes Baldwin Alexander Award for Service to Humanity presented annually by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the Hawaiian Islands and its human rights arm, NAHBOHR.

The award, which honors the memory of the Hand of the Cause of God Agnes Alexander who introducted the Faith to Hawaii in 1901, was presented last December 26 at an International Year of the Disabled banquet at the Princess Kaiulani Hotel in Honolulu.

Mr. Sing was recognized for his civic-mindedness, his outstanding community service over many years, and for achieving all of this despite his being blind.

Mr. Sing was and is active with service organizations dealing with the blind, the aged, health and welfare, and economic opportunity. He has received the Honolulu Lions Club’s Blind Man of the Year award (1970), the Governor’s Award for contributions to the Community Action Program, and other awards. He has served as chairman of the State Advisory Council for Children and Youth and is presently its Legislative Committee chairman.

Making the award presentation was the director of NAHBOHR, Mrs. Gladys Johnson of Waianae. She was assisted by Judge Betty M. Vitousek of the Family Court, Honolulu, and Mrs. Gladys A. Brandt, an educator and community leader, who were the first and third recipients of the Alexander Award.

More than 150 people attended the banquet whose principal speaker was Dr. William Maxwell, professor of education and director of the school of education at the University of the South Pacific in Fiji.

Dr. Maxwell, the first Bahá’í pioneer to Korea, has served on the National Spiritual Assemblies of North East Asia, the United States, and Fiji. He is the editor of numerous textbooks and author of many articles on education, and has developed several educational games designed to improve a child’s I.Q.

Dr. Maxwell spoke on “An Ounce of Prevention,” stressing that the birth of handicapped children could be prevented in many cases if mothers would follow the rules of good health and nutrition before and while carrying a child in the womb.

Mistress of ceremonies at the banquet was Miss Lynne Ellen Hollinger of Honolulu. Tracy Hamilton, chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly, welcomed those who attended and presented background information on the Bahá’í Faith. Music was provided by the Hawaii Bahá’í Chorus, directed by Rick Wood, and by classical guitarist Peter Kun Frary.

Gov. George R. Ariyoshi of Hawaii, U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Inouye, U.S. Rep. Cec Heftel, Mayor Frank Fasi of Honolulu, and the state Office of Children and Youth sent messages to the banquet and congratulations to Mr. Sing.

Among the guests at the banquet were Lt. Gov. Jean S. King and representatives of Gov. Ariyoshi, Sen. Inouye, Sen Spark Matsunaga, Rep. Heftel, Mayor Fasi, and Mayor-elect Eileen Anderson.

Organizations represented included the State Commission on the Handicapped; the state Office of Children and Youth, State Department of Health; Hawaii Council of Churches; Hawaii State Library; United Nations Association; Rotary International; Hawaii Speech, Language and Hearing Association; Aloha Council for the Blind; Easter Seal Society; Hawaii Association for Children with Learning Disabilities; Hawaii Association of Retarded Citizens; and Hawaii Federation for the Blind.

Civic leader Albert Kaleianuinui Sing of Honolulu, Hawaii (second from right) receives the fourth Agnes Baldwin Alexander Award for Service to Humanity presented on behalf of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the Hawaiian Islands and its human rights arm, NAHBOHR, from Mrs. Gladys Johnson of Waianae (right), director of NAHBOHR. Also shown (left to right) are educator and community leader Mrs. Gladys A. Brandt of Honolulu, and Judge Betty M. Vitousek of the Family Court, Honolulu, who were the third and first recipients, respectively, of the award. The presentation was made during a banquet last December 26 that was attended by more than 150 people.

[Page 11]

Service at Mother Temple of Australia televised

An hour-long inter-faith service last October 5 at the Bahá’í House of Worship in Sydney, Australia, was videotaped and later broadcast in its entirety throughout the country over the Australian Broadcasting Commission’s television network. It marked the first time that a program at this House of Worship was televised.

On Sunday morning, October 5, the green lawns outside the Temple basked peacefully in the spring sunshine. Inside, there was an air of mounting activity and excitement as final preparations were made. The 16-member Temple choir was tuning up, the readers received their programs and checked their scripts while television crew members tested lights and camera equipment.

A team of ushers seated the more than 350 believers and their guests. At 11 o’clock the choir began singing to open the hour-long service in commemoration of United Nations Week. A 10-minute presentation of singing and readings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh had been selected for the occasion by the choir master.

The service included readings from Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish, Christian and Muslim scriptures in addition to the Bahá’í Writings. The 19 guest readers included three Christian ministers, a representative of the Great Synagogue in Sydney, a Hindu lecturer in the Department of Religious Studies at Sydney University, and Dr. Keith Suter, a UN representative from Sydney.

The guest of honor was Dr. Hugo Idoyoga, director of the UN Information Center for Australia. Other dignitaries present included a member of the Australian Parliament and his family; the mayor of Kuring-gai and his family, as well as the president of the Warringah Shire Council.

As the service was being videotaped, more than 50 children who were gathered in the assembly hall on the Temple grounds eagerly watched the entire program on a television monitor that had been specially installed for their viewing.

Program participants attending a luncheon that followed the service in the House of Worship expressed their pleasure in being a part of the Bahá’í-sponsored event. Many commented on the beauty of the Bahá’í Writings. Dr. Idoyoga was presented with a copy of the book, The Earth Is One Country.

The videotape of the service in the Temple was telecast throughout Australia on October 26 as a part of the TV network’s “Divine Worship” program series. Believers attending Australia’s nationwide regional teaching conferences that day took time out to watch the televised service in attentive and, in some cases, tearful silence. For these friends, seeing the Faith so boldly proclaimed and hearing the words of the Blessed Beauty on nationwide television was a memorable and moving experience.

Above: Last-minute preparations are made by a camerman from the Australian Broadcasting Commission’s television network prior to the start of an inter-faith service last October 5 at the Bahá’í House of Worship in Sydney. The service was videotaped for later broadcast throughout the country. Below: More than 350 Bahá’ís and their guests await the start of the service that commemorated United Nations Week in Australia.

[Page 12]

Around the world

Mauritius

The chairman of the City of Quatre-Bornes, Mauritius, addresses an audience of approximately 100 who gathered at the Bahá’í Center in Quatre-Bornes last October 23 to mark United Nations Day.

Approximately 100 people attended a meeting last October 23 at the Bahá’í Center in Quatre-Bornes, Mauritius, that was sponsored by the National Spiritual Assembly of Mauritius in honor of United Nations Day.

Speakers included a representative of the National Spiritual Assembly, the chairman of the Spiritual Assembly of Quatre-Bornes, and a representative of UNESCO.

Afterward, the guests were invited to visit a display of UN materials and Bahá’í literature that had been set up in the Bahá’í Center. This exhibit was open to the public on the following day and advertised in four newspapers.

Two members of the National Spiritual Assembly presented the resident representative of the UN Development Program with a copy of the book Call to the Nations and a letter from the National Spiritual Assembly on the occasion of UN Day.

Norway

Some of the 23 Bahá’í youth and their non-Bahá’í friends who participated last November 21-23 in the first youth weekend above the Arctic Circle in Stokmarknes, Norway, gathered for this group photograph. Two participants from Stokmarknes, located near the Lofoten Islands, declared their belief in Bahá’u’lláh. The North-Norwegian Teaching Committee plans soon to hold another youth weekend in northern Norway.

[Page 13]

Solomon Islands

All but two of the friends in the western province of the Solomon Islands participated in a teaching conference that was held last August in Litiana, Solomon Islands.

Children’s activities included hearing Bahá’í stories, learning prayers, and singing songs. The children’s program ended with a trip to the beach where competition was held for the best sand model of the Most Great Prison in ‘Akká.

It was noticed during the first day of the conference that few women were participating. One of the men at the conference found the women gathered in the kitchen as is customary in their society. The men usually sit and talk while the women cook.

When this was discovered the women were asked to leave the kitchen, and the men shared the responsibility for cooking so that the women would be able to attend the conference sessions.

Believers in the area of the conference site contributed money to purchase flour from which the women made bread. It was then sold, and the proceeds were sufficient to pay the conference expenses and send a contribution to the National Spiritual Assembly.

Participants at a teaching conference last August in Litiana, Solomon Islands, gathered in front of the conference site for this group photograph.

Children sing songs they learned during a program they presented for the adults at a teaching conference last August in Litiana, Solomon Islands.

Leeward/Virgin Islands

The National Spiritual Assembly of the Leeward and Virgin Islands directed two traveling teachers, Chris Cholas of New Mexico and Mel Allen of Puerto Rico, to the Leeward Islands of Antigua and Montserrat during their October 6-17 teaching trip.

Fifteen people were enrolled in the Faith in Piggotts, a village on Antigua. A meeting called for the election of their first Spiritual Assembly was attended by Counsellor Rowland Estall.

The meeting had to be held by candlelight due to a short circuit in the building’s electrical system. The candlelight attracted a number of adults and children, many of whom stayed to observe a Bahá’í election and to learn about the Faith.

Most of the 12,000 inhabitants of the Island of Montserrat know of the Faith through the efforts of West Indian believers and an American pioneer couple, Craig and Elizabeth Owens.

A group of people in Harris’ Village on Montserrat gathered to watch a presentation of the Faith to a young deaf man during a public meeting. When the fascinating presentation was finished and the man expressed his desire to become a Bahá’í, a cheer went up from the crowd.

The Leeward Islands are preparing to form their own National Spiritual Assembly during Riḍván 1981 with its seat in St. Johns, Antigua.

GRIEVED LEARN PASSING DEVOTED PIONEER KAREN WOODEAD. HER MERITORIOUS SERVICES FAITH SOUTH AMERICA ADD LUSTRE HER COURAGEOUS EFFORTS IN UNITED STATES DURING NINE YEAR PLAN. KINDLY CONVEY OUR LOVING SYMPATHY TO DAUGHTER AND ASSURANCE PRAYERS PROGRESS MOTHER’S SOUL.

Universal House of Justice

October 27, 1980

[Page 14]

Guatemala

Twenty-four people declared their belief in Bahá’u’lláh and more than twice that number signed up to take a correspondence course on the Faith as the result of a teaching trip by seven Bahá’ís last December to the Departments of Izabel and Zacapa in Guatemala. Top left: Roberto Sabuleto, a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of Guatemala, and Persian pioneers Mahvash Layazali and Agdash Rahmatulahi with their Guatemalan guides enter a boat to cross the river to the town of Quehueche. Above: Mahvash (left) and Agdash with a newly-declared believer in Livingston. The woman’s husband has been a Bahá’í for a number of years. Her sister also embraced the Faith during this trip. Left: A children’s class is held on the beach. Shown with the children and their Bahá’í teachers are a couple who were walking by and were attracted to the Faith by the class itself. Also helping in the teaching effort were Jerman Oloslo; Auxiliary Board member Eduardo Tay; and American pioneers to Guatemala Daniel Orey and Connie Kraft.

Bahamas

Representatives of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahamas hold a press conference with a reporter from The Tribune, Nassau’s evening newspaper, on July 25. The relaxed, two-hour meeting resulted in a story about the Faith that was published in that evening’s edition of The Tribune. Shown at the press conference that was held at the Bahá’í National Center in Nassau are (left to right) Michael Horton, a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahamas; Tribune reporter Mark Beckford: Shamsi Sedaghat, a member of the Public Relations Committee of the National Spiritual Assembly; and Brian Smith, chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahamas.

[Page 15]

New Zealand

The importance of the role of women in building a new World Order was emphasized during a Bahá’í Women’s Conference held last September 6-7 in Auckland, New Zealand.

The conference focused on women’s responsibility to claim their equal station with quiet dignity and assurance, since men, who are equally involved in the upheaval of traditional sexual roles, may not have such a well-defined set of goals.

The weekend conference, designed to allow participants time to consult on their ideas regarding women’s emerging equality, included six workshop sessions.

The workshops allowed conference participants to express and share their views on the role of Bahá’í women today, women in teaching, Bahá’í and Polynesian women, the equality of men and women, pioneering, and the role of women in the future.

Among the suggestions made at the conference was one that regular women’s meetings be planned to continue the discussions begun at the conference and to assist women in offering encouragement to one another.

United States

James F. Nelson (left) chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly of the U.S., addresses a large audience last September 27 on the grounds of the House of Worship in Wilmette, Illinois, during a memorial program honoring the seven Bahá’í martyrs of Yazd, Iran. Later, nearly 1,000 Bahá’ís and their friends from the Chicago area and elsewhere filled the auditorium in the House of Worship to pay tribute to the heroic sacrifice made by their fellow-believers in the Cradle of the Faith. The memorial program received extensive media coverage that included reports on two Chicago television stations, an article in a Chicago newspaper, and another carried on a U.S. news wire service.

KINDLY CONVEY LSA JOLIET, ILLINOIS, DEEP SATISFACTION EFECTIVENESS PROJECT OLINGA. WARM WELCOME NEW ADHERENTS CAUSE PRAYING SHRINES COMMUNITY’S CONTINUING SUCCESS EXPANSION. LOVING GREETINGS.

UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE

September 4, 1980

•

Ninety-six residents of Joliet, Illinois, a city of 85,000 about 35 miles southwest of Chicago, had declared their belief in Bahá’u’lláh two months after the start of “Project Olinga,” a direct teaching campaign named in honor of the Hand of the Cause of God Enoch Olinga.

The Spiritual Assembly of Joliet began planning for the teaching effort last January. Project Olinga began July 5 with training sessions aimed at proper use of the direct teaching booklet.

Teams of two or three believers then visited all parts of the city and approached residents at restaurants and on their front porches, looking for receptive souls, and on occasion were invited into their homes.

Consolidation activities include visits to new believers on weekends and two evenings each week. The Spiritual Assembly of Joliet has extended “Project Olinga” until Riḍván 1981.

_______________

Reports from the 18 Bahá’í Summer School committees serving the American Bahá’í community indicate that nearly 5,000 people attended Bahá’í Summer Schools in the U.S. during 1980.

More than half of those attending were children or youth. The National Education Committee was pleased to learn that well over 900 youth attended Bahá’í schools last summer. There were at least 38 declarations at U.S. Bahá’í schools in 1980.

Sixteen of the Bahá’í schools in the U.S. are located throughout the country and hold one- or two-week sessions each summer in rented facilities.

The backbone of the U.S. Bahá’í school system continues to be the permanent schools, the Bosch Bahá’í School near Santa Cruz, California, and the Green Acre Bahá’í School in Eliot, Maine.

[Page 16]

Guyana

A series of weekend teaching activities in the East Berbice area of Guyana led to an eight-day project last August during which 89 people embraced the Faith, two new Spiritual Assemblies were formed, and two localities were opened to the Faith.

Each day during the teaching project a display was set up in front of a shop in the principal town. Thousands of passersby saw the display, and many stopped to listen and ask questions. Some people declared their belief in Bahá’u’lláh. Others asked when the Bahá’ís would be visiting their own villages.

More than 50 of the new believers from 13 communities participated in a deepening conference in Reliance, Guyana, that was held at the end of the week-long teaching project.

A few days later four of the newly-enrolled Bahá’ís joined a team of traveling teachers for a week of teaching activity in Zeeburg, located in the other corner of Guyana.

During this second project 52 people declared their belief in Bahá’u’lláh, and a new Spiritual Assembly was formed. This was the first time that local believers from that area of Guyana went out as traveling teachers.

Interested passersby crowd around three Bahá’í youth who were manning a teaching display last August in the principal town of East Berbice, Guyana. A total of 89 people embraced the Faith during the eight-day teaching project.

A group of musicians that includes pioneers from Canada, Malaysia, Scotland and Puerto Rico entertains the more than 50 new believers who participated in a deepening conference last August in Reliance, Guyana, following a successful eight-day teaching effort there.

Tanzania

Delegates and guests at the Bahá’í National Convention in Tanzania gathered for this group photograph.

[Page 17]

Switzerland

The Hand of the Cause of God Ugo Giachery was among the more than 200 people from all over Europe attending the Swiss summer school last July 26-August 3 in Taverne, Switzerland.

Canada

Participants at the ‘Gathering’ last August 1-3, an annual event begun by the Hand of the Cause of God William Sears (at left), also included (left to right) the Hands of the Cause of God ‘Ali-Muḥammad Varqá, John Robarts and Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum. Guests included representatives of the National Spiritual Assemblies of Canada and the U.S. and several Auxiliary Board members and their assistants.

The Hands of the Cause of God Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum, John Robarts, William Sears and ‘Ali-Muḥammad Varqá were the featured speakers last August 1-3 at a meeting in Hope Township, Ontario, Canada, that was attended by representatives of the National Spiritual Assemblies of Canada and the United States along with several Auxiliary Board members and their assistants.

The meeting, an annual event initiated by the Hand of the Cause William Sears and known as the “Gathering,” this year included a memorial service honoring the Hands of the Cause of God Enoch Olinga, Raḥmatu’lláh Muhájir, Ḥasan M. Balyúuzí and Adelbert Mühlschlegel.

Mr. Sears turned a key portion of the program over to representatives of the National Spiritual Assembly of Canada who introduced that Assembly’s plan designed to focus the resources of the Canadian Bahá’í community on winning its remaining international pioneering goals.

_______________

In introducing a motion in the Canadian Parliament that supports the Iranian Bahá’í community, the Hon. Geoff Scott referred to the execution of two Iranian believers and asked his fellow lawmakers for “sympathetic support” for this “grave matter of urgency.”

On July 16 the Canadian Parliament adopted the following resolution:

“That this House of Commons deplores the continued persecution of religious minorities in Írán, especially the 200,000 Bahá’ís, and urges that this total abuse of religious tolerance be brought to the attention of the Human Rights Commission of the United Nations.”

[Page 18] Have you wished for a baby book designed for Bahá’ís?

My baby book is the world’s first baby book for Bahá’ís. It includes space for:

• Bahá’í birth certificate
• Bahá’í birthday
• records of spiritual education
• first Bahá’í community
• first Feast and Holy Day
• first prayer memorized
• first children’s classes

Also includes space for traditional information such as:

• details of birth
• family tree
• first pictures
• medical records
• physical, social, mental development
• photographs
• cards of welcome

A total of 32 pages for recording your child’s physical and spiritual growth.

Impressionistic watercolor illustrations and carefully chosen Bahá’í quotations make the baby book a coffee-table conversation piece and invite questions from non-Bahá’í friends and relatives.

Text by Deborah Christensen   Illustrations by David Cunningham

Catalog No. 7-52-53 Cloth $14.00

Order from: Bahá’í Publishing Trust

523 Green Bay Road/Wilmette, IL 60091