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Bahá’í News

April 1981

Bahá’í Year 138

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PROFOUNDLY SHOCKED TRAGIC NEWS JUST RECEIVED OF ASSASSINATION IN HIS CLINIC OF PROFESSOR MANUCHIHR HAKIM DISTINGUISHED PHYSICIAN EMINENT PROFESSOR UNIVERSITY TIHRAN AND FOR SUCCESSIVE DECADES INTERMITTENTLY MEMBER CHAIRMAN NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY IRAN. SPIRIT COURAGE DEDICATION WITH WHICH THIS MOST RECENT MARTYR DISCHARGED SACRED RESPONSIBILITIES ON SUPREME NATIONAL BAHÁ’Í INSTITUTION CRADLE FAITH WORTHY EMULATION BAHÁ’Í ADMINISTRATORS AND FRIENDS EVERY LAND. DEEPLY DISTURBED THIS LATEST OMINOUS SIGN GATHERING CLOUDS FRESH CALAMITIES HARD-PRESSED FRIENDS IRAN. URGE USE THIS INFORMATION IN EFFORTS PROCLAMATION FAITH CONTACTS WITH AUTHORITIES WHERE DEEMED ADVISABLE.

Universal House of Justice

January 13, 1981,

PROFESSOR HAKIM, SON NOTABLE PHYSICIAN, WAS BORN IN TEHERAN 1911. STUDIED MEDICAL COLLEGE PARIS, OBTAINED DEGREE PROFESSORSHIP “AGREGATION.” WAS RENOWNED RESEARCHER FIELD ANATOMY, NAME IS TWICE CITED IN LE ROUVIERE IN FRANCE, FAMOUS MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA FOR HIS DISCOVERIES FIELD ANATOMY. VOLUMINOUS TREATISES, BOOKS HAVE BEEN PART OF TEXTBOOKS USED MANY MEDICAL COLLEGES.

RETURNED IRAN 1938 WHERE HE ESTABLISHED CHAIR OF ANATOMY AT UNIVERSITY TEHERAN. HIS BOOKS STILL USED AS TEXTS THAT FIELD IN IRAN. HE WAS A WELL-KNOWN SPECIALIST IN GASTROENTEROLOGY.

HE WAS DIRECTOR BAHÁ’Í HOSPITAL TEHERAN SINCE ITS INCEPTION SERVED THIS CAPACITY FOR 30 YEARS. THIS CHARITABLE HOSPITAL TREATED ALL IRRESPECTIVE RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION AND CARED FOR POOR FREE OF CHARGE WHEN NECESSARY. WAS FOUNDER BAHÁ’Í HOME FOR AGED WHICH ACCEPTED PEOPLE OF ALL RELIGIOUS RACIAL BACKGROUNDS. WAS DECORATED BY FRENCH GOVERNMENT WITH LEGION D’HONNEUR IN 1976 FOR HUMANITARIAN SERVICES.

FOR OVER QUARTER CENTURY WAS MEMBER AND WAS SEVERAL TIMES CHAIRMAN NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY IRAN. IN RECENT MONTHS RECEIVED CONSTANT THREATS ANONYMOUS TELEPHONE CALLS. IN EUROPE A FEW MONTHS AGO WAS WARNED BY FRIENDS NOT TO RETURN TO IRAN, BUT HIS SENSE DUTY SERVICE TO PEOPLE IN NEED MADE HIM RETURN DESPITE HIS KNOWLEDGE PERSONAL DANGER HIS LIFE.

ON 12 JANUARY 1981, ALONE IN PRIVATE CLINIC AFTER SEEING LAST PATIENT, UNKNOWN ASSAILANTS ENTERED OFFICE AND SHOT HIM TO DEATH.

Universal House of Justice

January 14, 1981

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Contents

The Seat
Recent photos show progress on structure to house Supreme Body	2
Two visitors
Dr. and Mrs. David Ruhe are warmly welcomed in Peru, Ecuador	4
Women’s rights
Bahá’í International Community reports on its many activities	8
A statement
To the World Conference on the United Nations Decade for Women	11
Around the world
News from Bahá’í communities in every corner of the globe	12

Cover

Construction continues on the imposing Seat of the Universal House of Justice on Mount Carmel in Haifa, Israel, with work now begun on the interior of the building. Some of the most recent photographs of the magnificent structure that soon will house the Supreme Body of the Faith are shown on Pages 2 and 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 © 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.

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THE SEAT

Exterior work nears completion on majestic home of Supreme Body

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TWO VISITORS

Dr. David Ruhe, a member of the Universal House of Justice, and his wife, Margaret, receive warm welcome in Peru, Ecuador

Dr. David Ruhe, a member of the Universal House of Justice, and his wife, Margaret, visited a number of Bahá’í communities in Peru and Ecuador last October as well as Radio Bahá’í in Otavalo, Ecuador, and the site of the Radio Bahá’í facility under construction on the shore of Lake Titicaca in Peru.

Believers from all parts of Peru were at the Lima airport October 2 to welcome the Ruhes. A crew from a Peruvian television network was there to interview them.

Following a meeting with the National Spiritual Assembly of Peru, Dr. and Mrs. Ruhe were guests at a large gathering of the friends at the Bahá’í National Center in Lima.

The next day the Ruhes, accompanied by their son, Chris, flew to Piura in the northern part of the country where Chris and his family are pioneering. People came from as far as Tumbes on the Ecuadorian

While children study the drumming that accompanies the pan-pipes, Aymara Indian musicians in the remote village of Caspa, Peru, entertain a group of visiting Bahá’ís last October that included Dr. David Ruhe, a member of the Universal House of Justice, and his wife, Margaret.

[Page 5] border and from Chiclayo to the south to attend the large public meeting that was held in Piura. Several Peruvian youth sang songs that they have written about Bahá’u’lláh.

Dr. and Mrs. Ruhe also visited believers in Arequipa, Juliaca, Puño and Chucuitos during their 11 days in Peru.

In Juliaca, after spending a day adjusting to the effects of the change in altitude, Dr. and Mrs. Ruhe, accompanied by a large group of believers, visited the newly finished building that will house the transmitters of Radio Bahá’í in the lakeside village of Chucuitos.

The new building is located on the shore of Lake Titicaca, the world’s highest inland sea. The site is surrounded by mountains.

Members of the Puño community, youth from Cuzco and Cerro de Pasco, and a group of Bolivian Bahá’ís had an opportunity to visit with Dr. Ruhe at a meeting that evening.

Caspa, a remote Aymara Indian village, was the next stop on the itinerary, and the Aymaras entertained their guests with food and pan-pipe music. With the aid of a translator, Dr. Ruhe spoke with the friends at the Bahá’í Center.

Later, he addressed an audience at the Bahá’í Institute in Juli, after which he consulted with local believers about the progress of the Faith in that area of Peru.

Everywhere he went, Dr. Ruhe spoke to the friends about the Faith’s progress around the world, the construction of the Seat of the Universal House of Justice, and the perilous situation of the believers in Iran.

Dr. Ruhe was among the speakers at a dinner party in Puño that was attended by the chief of the federal police, the mayor, and an officer from the local army headquarters.

The following evening Dr. and Mrs. Ruhe met with believers and their non-Bahá’í friends at the National Center in Lima.

Dr. David Ruhe, a member of the Universal House of Justice (seated at right), attends a Nineteen Day Feast in the mountain village of Angla, Ecuador, during his visit last October to a number of communities in Ecuador and Peru. Quechua-speaking believers in Angla listen to Feast programs that are broadcast by Radio Bahá’í.

Believers in Lima, Peru, form a reception party for the arrival of their honored guests, Dr. David Ruhe, a member of the Universal House of Justice, and his wife, Margaret.

Auxiliary Board member Rufino Gualavisi (second from right) is warmly greeted by Mrs. Margaret Ruhe (back to camera) and U.S. pioneer to Ecuador Ann Miller (far right). Others in the photograph (left to right) are Julita Acevedo de Stephens from Puerto Rico, Dr. David Ruhe, and Counsellor Raúl Pavón.

[Page 6] The Ruhes were special guests at an all-day picnic October 12 that was held at the Lima home of Mas’úd Khamsí, a Continental Counsellor for the Americas.

On October 13 the Ruhes traveled to Ecuador where they met with the friends at the Bahá’í National Center in Quito, toured the medium and short wave transmitter facilities of Radio Bahá’í, and attended a reception and luncheon held in their honor and a Nineteen Day Feast where they visited with local believers. Speaking to a large group of Bahá’ís in the nine-sided, thatched-roofed assembly hall at the Otavalo Bahá’í Institute, Dr. Ruhe expressed his pleasure at seeing, first-hand, the unified development of the indigenous Bahá’í communities. He referred to their special role in the Faith.

Mrs. Ruhe reminded the Quechua-speaking audience of the great contributions that women have to offer, stressing the principle of equality of opportunity for men and women.

During a reception at the Otavalo Bahá’í Institute, Dr. Ruhe expressed his surprise upon seeing the great natural beauty of the Otavalo Valley.

“We thought we were prepared for it, having seen many photographs of Otavalo, but they were mostly of the staff standing in front of the Radio Bahá’í sign,” he quipped. “No one prepared me for the great arid chasms and mountains which we passed coming from Quito to Cayambe or the great natural beauty that one encounters as he enters the Otavalo Valley.”

Radio a blessing

He expressed pleasure upon learning that Radio Bahá’í broadcasts special programs on Bahá’í Holy Days and for Nineteen Day Feasts. In this way, he said, the radio is helping to develop the concept of the Bahá’í calendar among its listeners.

“It is wonderful to see it happening because in about three or four years of repetition and variation, I think you should be able to establish a Bahá’í calendar on a meaningful basis,” he commented.

One week prior to each Nineteen Day Feast, Radio Bahá’í broadcasts spot announcements encouraging local observances of the Feast. To supplement these reminders, Radio Bahá’í tries to arrange for at least one visiting believer in each rural, Quechua-speaking community.

Excerpts from the Bahá’í Writings as well as prayers and appropriate music are broadcast over

Dr. David Ruhe, a member of the Universal House of Justice (standing at right), addresses a newly-engaged couple during a party October 12 in the Lima, Peru, home of Continental Counsellor Mas’úd Khamsí. Dr. Ruhe, accompanied by his wife, Margaret (far right seated behind Dr. Ruhe), spent 10 days visiting Bahá’í communities in Peru before traveling to various communities in Ecuador.

This group of believers in Arequipa, Peru, complete with a hand-made banner, was on hand to greet Dr. and Mrs. David Ruhe on their arrival there last October.

[Page 7] Dr. David Ruhe is joined by a group of Bahá’ís for a walking tour of the short wave antenna site for Radio Bahá’í in Ecuador. The property, overlooking the volcanic Lake Cuicocha, is high in the Andes Mountains.

Radio Bahá’í for the indigenous believers.

Sitting in the open night air beneath a tile-roofed house of mudbrick in the rugged mountain village of Angla during a Nineteen Day Feast observance, Dr. Ruhe reflected his feelings: “I cannot tell you how moved I am to be with you, and i think that Bahá’u’lláh ... would be very pleased with the spirit of love and unity that is here ...”

Dr. Ruhe told members of the 10 families present that during the consultation he was happy to hear of their concern for the education of the children. All of these children, he observed, have a great role in the Bahá’í world of tomorrow.

Dr. Ruhe complimented members of the Angla Bahá’í community on their homes, and on the respect shown toward the women and children, and said he felt that every one of them should be happy to be living in such a beautiful country.

Bahá’u’lláh, he reminded them, loved the natural beauty of the countryside and preferred it to the city.

Dr. Ruhe had come to the Feast under an arch of flowers, a traditional sign of respect shown to honored guests. He left the Ecuadorian mountain village following the singing of “Allah’u’Abhá.”

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WOMEN

Principle of equality of sexes is practiced in Bahá’í communities all over the world

The following is a report of participation by the Bahá’í International Community in United Nations activities to promote the advancement of women.

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Since Bahá’u’lláh is the first Founder of a religion to proclaim women’s equality with men, Bahá’ís have a unique mandate to put this principle into practice in their community life, and to be in the forefront of the change taking place in the relationship between men and women in society at large.

The Universal House of Justice encouraged the process of improving the status of women in the Bahá’í world community during the Five Year Plan by calling upon 80 National Spiritual Assemblies, as a supplementary goal, to “organize Bahá’í activities for women.” Further, the Supreme Body said that during the United Nations International Women’s Year (1975), the Bahá’ís, particularly in these 80 national communities, should initiate and implement programs which will stimulate and promote the full and equal participation of women in all aspects of Bahá’í community life ...” In response to this directive from the Universal House of Justice, Bahá’í communities throughout the world observed International Women’s Year with a wide variety of informational programs and activities related to the well-being of women. Some communities began, in fact, to study the all-important spiritual dimensions of implement-

[Page 9] ing in Bahá’í life this important principle of equality.

Later, in its 1979 Naw-Rúz message to the Bahá’í world, the Universal House of Justice, inaugurating a new Seven Year Plan, included as one of the requirements for developing and fostering the spiritual, intellectual and community life of the believers, “the encouragement of Bahá’í women to exercise to the full their privileges and responsibilities in the work of the community ...”

In the world at large, the evolution of this principle of equality is reflected in the growing awareness by the United Nations that the full and equal development of women is essential to healthy economic growth and social harmony. The advancement of women is increasingly the subject of international and regional United Nations conferences and seminars. United Nations agencies—such as FAO, UNICEF, WHO, UNESCO—continue to gather information on the contributions made by women to all aspects of human society. The outcome of this investigation confirms the reality of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s words that “... until this equality is established, true progress and attainment for the human race will not be facilitated.”

International Women’s Year was successful in strengthening the United Nations’ commitment to improving the condition of women. The General Assembly established a Decade for Women (1976-1985) and adopted a plan of action to be achieved during that time. Further, the UN decided to hold a second World Conference on Women in 1980 to review the progress made in the first five years of the decade, and to make provision for the achievement of the remaining goals during the last half of the decade. Within this framework, non-governmental organizations (NGO’s)—such as the Bahá’í International Community—have been invited to participate in United Nations activities to accomplish the goals and objectives of the decade.

The Bahá’í International Community, in its consultative work with the Economic and Social Council and with UNICEF, is making an important contribution to United Nations programs based on the enlightened views about women that are found in the Bahá’í Writings, and on the experience gained through the practice of the principle in Bahá’í community life.

The Bahá’í International Community sent delegates to four meetings that were sponsored by the regional United Nations Economic Commissions in preparation for the 1980 mid-decade World Conference. On those occasions it was possible to present prepared statements on the Bahá’í view of the equality of the sexes and to share information on the activities of Bahá’í communities to advance the situation of women. These conferences also gave Bahá’í representatives an opportunity to meet and talk with prominent women from their region. Such growing involvement in United Nations meetings at the regional level is bearing the fruit of increased recognition of the Bahá’í International Community in these geographical areas. Gradually, the Bahá’í world community is becoming known for its concern for women’s progress, and appreciation is growing for the quality of its contribution.

Mrs. Lily A. Monze, a delegate of the Pan-African Institute for Development to the World Conference on the UN Decade for Women, peruses Bahá’í literature at a reception for delegates held last July 23 at the Bahá’í National Center in Copenhagen, Denmark. The reception was sponsored by the Bahá’í International Community and the Bahá’í community of Denmark.

The mid-decade regional meetings took place in Paris, France; New Delhi, India; Macuto, Venezuela; and Lusaka, Zambia. In Paris, Mrs. Annette Zahra’i and Mrs. Francoise Teclemarian attended a seminar of the Economic Commission for Europe on the Participation of Women in the Economic Evolution of the Region (July 1-12, 1979); Counsellor Zena Sorabjee, Mrs. Tahira Vajdi and Mrs. Bharati Gandhi represented the Bahá’í International Community at the Regional Preparatory Conference held in New Delhi (November 5-9, 1979) under the sponsorship of the Economic and Social Council for Asia and the Pacific; Mrs. Araceli Tapia and Mrs. Helena Neri were Bahá’í delegates to the Second Regional Conference on the Integration of

[Page 10] The Bahá’í delegation to the World Conference on the United Nations Decade for Women held July 14-30, 1980, in Copenhagen, Denmark. From left to right are Mahshid Fatio, Annette Zahra’i, Mary Sawicki.

Women in Development, organized by the Economic Commission for Latin America in Macuto (November 12-16, 1979), and Mrs. Ruth Vuyiya, Mrs. Kathleen Higgs, Mrs. Linda Kendel, and Mrs. Sandra Tjitendero were the Bahá’í representatives at the Second Regional Conference on the Integration of Women in Development, sponsored by the Economic Commission for Africa in Lusaka (December 3-7, 1979).

At the world Conference of the United Nations Decade for Women, held in Copenhagen, Denmark, July 14-30, 1980, the Bahá’í International Community was represented by Mrs. Mary Sawicki, Mrs. Mahshid Fatio and Mrs. Annette Zahra’i. A written statement, prepared for distribution at the Conference, presented for consideration two key principles that have been found effective in Bahá’í communities now functioning in more than 340 countries and territories of the world: first, “that a declaration of equality of the sexes based on a universally acknowledged authority and having influence on the hearts and minds of people, is a most effective motivation for change,” and second, “that an authoritative statement of equality must be binding on men as well as women, since it is essential that men recognize the equal status of women, for women to be freed from the struggle for their rights, and for each sex to complement and help the other.”

The Bahá’í delegates attended the conference sessions and were present when 57 governments signed the newly-adopted “Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.” Mrs. Sawicki represented the Bahá’í International Community at a reception given by Dr. Lucille Mair, Secretary-General of the World Conference, and delegates participated in other social events arranged by government delegations.

A forum for non-governmental organizations was also held during the first 10 days of the conference. A beautiful exhibit was set up by the Bahá’ís of Denmark; literature was distributed widely, and the Bahá’ís had full opportunity to talk with the visitors to the forum. More than 8,000 people attended this event. Danish Auxiliary Board member Ingelise Sorensen was invited to join a panel discussion on the role of religion in development. Other Bahá’ís from Denmark, Ireland and the Netherlands took advantage of the rich opportunities to share with the participants Bahá’í answers to the problems associated with the status of women.

A highlight of Bahá’í participation in the conference forum was a reception given at the Bahá’í Center in Copenhagen for representatives of international NGO’s. The 50 or more guests who attended enjoyed the hospitality so warmly offered by the Danish Bahá’í friends. Three representatives of the International Association of Women Lawyers attended particularly to show their support for the Bahá’ís because of the persecution and suffering of the Bahá’ís in Iran.

Ultimately, the basis for truly effective participation of the Bahá’í International Community in the United Nations programs for the advancement of women will be the degree to which individual Bahá’ís and their communities implement the teachings of the Bahá’í Faith on the equality of rights, responsibilities and opportunities for men and women everywhere.

Bahá’í literature table at the forum for non-governmental organizations (NGO’s) held during the World Conference on the UN Decade for Women last July in Copenhagen, Denmark.

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A STATEMENT

Bahá’í International Community outlines Faith’s position on equality of women

The following statement was submitted by the Bahá’í International community, a non-governmental organization in consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), at the World Conference of the United Nations Decade for Women held July 14-30, 1980, in Copenhagen, Denmark.

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In response to the request for non-governmental organizations not only to strengthen and implement existing programs aimed at women’s integration in development, but also to revise and redefine, if necessary, “development concepts, objectives, and policies to achieve it,” (Agenda item 9, Part 3, Section IV, “International Policies and Programmes,” Programme of Action for the Second Half of the United Nations Decade for Women: Equality, Development, and Peace, A/Conf.94/22), the Bahá’í International Community would like to present for consideration two key principles which have been found effective in Bahá’í communities now functioning in more than 340 countries and territories of the world.

1. A declaration of equality of the sexes based on a universally acknowledged authority and having influence on the hearts and minds of people, is a most effective motivation for change. The recognition of this authority must not be through compulsion. It can only be effective as it attracts in freedom all nationalities, races, and classes to its validity and instills the desire to abandon prejudice in favor of loving cooperation.

The teachings of Bahá’u’lláh, Prophet-Founder of the Bahá’í Faith, declare the equality of men and women to be a divine law in this age and proclaim this principle to be essential for an understanding of the oneness of humanity and the establishment of world unity and world order. They advocate the spiritual education of both men and women through the influence of revealed religion, which has been a most powerful and fundamental influence in human life throughout history.

The Bahá’í International Community, observing the marked changes occurring in the different cultures and ethnic groups represented at present among its members, has noted the willingness of people to reorient their lives in obedience to the principle of equality of sex. All of the guiding laws and concepts in the Bahá’í teachings not only have appeal for people of all backgrounds but are applicable to their needs in all areas of the world. The beneficial aspects of diversity are maintained while prejudices which prevent the full development of all people are systematically abolished.

2. An authoritative statement of equality must be binding on men as well as women, since it is essential that men recognize the equal status of women for women to be freed from the struggle for their rights, and for each sex to complement and help the other.

The education of both sexes must proceed on the basis of a spiritual equality, in which men and women are the same, an equality which must be expressed before all else, in the acquisition of praiseworthy qualities and attributes. When instilled in the earliest years, these standards of excellence result in cooperation rather than competition, love and kindness rather than anger and hatred, and beyond this, in appreciation for the contributions of both men and women. Relieved of the pressure of the struggle for power or dominance, both sexes understand that equality does not mean becoming identical in function.

Since mothers are the first educators of humanity, the community must give preference to the education of women who, in turn, have an obligation to strive to acquire moral and spiritual qualities. In their function as mothers, they will then educate their children from the earliest age in the goals of life which insure the nobility and happiness of human beings.

It is the Bahá’í experience that women who have become motivated to develop their spiritual potential and become examples of the highest human qualities are true educators. They benefit themselves, their families, and the community at large. They acquire skills, develop intellectual acumen, and in turn become respected and admired, earning the praise and gratitude of men and women alike.

These two important principles will, in the Bahá’í view, guide men and women, as they participate in community life, to a dedication to the best interests of humanity, in a spirit of service rather than competition and confrontation. When linked with the qualities of compassion, justice, honesty, and trustworthiness, service becomes a most effective means for orderly growth and for the preservation of group harmony. The drive for superior positions or status will gradually disappear. Pressure groups, partisan interests and negative attitudes have no place in such an environment. Every individual becomes, therefore, free to work in a constructive way for the advancement of his family, his nation, and humanity as a whole.

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Around the world

Nigeria

A program developed by Bahá’í women of Kano State, Nigeria, in support of the United Nations International Decade for Women was presented last June at three women’s schools to a total audience of approximately 1,000.

The program that included special music composed for the occasion and sung by the Bahá’í singing group “The Waves of One Ocean” grew out of a suggestion by the National Committee on Women’s and Children’s Activities that prominent Nigerian women be contacted.

While visiting women’s school and college principals, the believers learned that there were a number of openings for Bahá’í speakers. This resulted in a plan to commemorate the midway point of the International Decade for Women.

Two Bahá’í women educators spoke at the Women’s Teachers College in Gezawa, Nigeria, at a government secondary school in Kura, Nigeria, and at the St. Louis Secondary School. They discussed the role of women in society and in the home. All three programs were described as well-received proclamation events.

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The Faith was the subject of a 45-minute television program and 30-minute radio interview in the Lafia-Makurdi area of Nigeria. Local believers report that these proclamations were highly successful and have led to the opportunity to prepare a series of 19 radio programs on various aspects of the Faith.

Children in Lalupon, Nigeria, are the first residents to be attracted by a group of young Bahá’í musicians who participated last January in direct teaching campaigns in Lalupon and three other cities in western Nigeria: Ibadan, Ife and Oshogbo. In Lalupon residents came out of their houses to find out what the activity was about. Pamphlets were distributed and the film ‘Green Light Expedition’ was shown. The teaching effort also included visits to the town chief and elders.

A Bahá’í children’s class in Omotosho, Nigeria, is taught by Feyi Onibonokuta (center) who is using a series of 19 lessons prepared in English and Yoruba and published by the National Spiritual Assembly of Nigeria. The man holding a Bahá’í calendar (at far left) is the head man of the village who immediately accepted the Teachings of Bahá’u’lláh when the Faith was first brought to his village. Residents of this village located near the city of Ibadan are anxious for their children to learn Bahá’í prayers and songs about God.

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France

The Hand of the Cause of God Ugo Giachery, four members of the National Spiritual Assembly, and four Auxiliary Board members were among the 140 people at the national teaching conference last November 1-2 in Montpellier, France.

Participants represented 29 localities, mostly in southern France.

One person at the conference declared his belief in Bahá’u’lláh. Participants made personal teaching commitments including homefront pioneers to three jeopardized Spiritual Assemblies and 10 traveling teachers.

The National Spiritual Assembly of France cabled the World Centre:
“... Enthusiastic, encouraging response friends electric atmosphere renewed zeal devotion.”

Virgin Islands

Members of the Spiritual Assembly of Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, Juliette Soderberg (left) and Juanita Cunningham present a copy of The Dawn-breakers to Dr. Henry Chang, director of libraries, archives, museums and archaeological services of the Virgin Islands. The presentation was made by the Spiritual Assembly as part of its observance of UN Human Rights Day last December.

Taiwan

Sixty-five prominent Taiwanese citizens including government dignitaries, artists and educators as well as believers from various parts of Taiwan attended the first Bahá’í Humanitarian Service Award program last October 21 that was planned under the guidance of the National Spiritual Assembly and held in a distinguished Taipei hotel.

The two humanitarian awards were presented by The Hon. Lee Teng Hui, mayor of Taipei, on behalf of the Bahá’í community of Taiwan.

Award recipients Dr. Ruth Wright-Hussey, an internationally-known educator, and Professor Liang Tsai Ping, a world-famous musician, as well as the mayor paid warm tribute to the Faith and to the believers of Taiwan for hosting the event.

The program was carefully planned for four months by a task force appointed by the National Assembly. Printed invitations were sent to a carefully selected segment of Taiwanese society that had not been reached by previous proclamation efforts. The event received press coverage before and after the award dinner.

Many local Bahá’í communities in Taiwan sent large floral arrangements to the hotel for the Bahá’í-sponsored program.

Guests at the Bahá’í-sponsored Humanitarian Service Award presentation last October 21 in Taipei, Taiwan, are, (seated left to right) Dr. Ruth Wright-Hussey, one of the two award recipients; the Hon. Lee Teng Hui, mayor of Taipei; and Professor Liang Tsai Ping, the second award recipient. The two people seated to their right are unidentified. Standing are Bahá’ís Marie and Victor Tom, masters of ceremonies. The mayor of Taipei made the award presentations on behalf of the Bahá’í community of Taiwan.

[Page 14]

Fiji Islands

Dr. William Maxwell, chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Fiji Islands (left), chats with Her Royal Highness Princess Anne of the United Kingdom upon her arrival last October 12 for ceremonies marking the 10th anniversary of Fijian independence. Dr. Maxwell responded to Princess Anne’s questions about the Faith. Later, during an interfaith service at the National Stadium in Suva, readings from the Bahá’í Writings were presented in Fijian, Hindi and English.

Bahá’ís figured prominently in an interfaith service last October 12 at the National Stadium of Suva marking the 10th anniversary of Fiji’s independence.

The National Spiritual Assembly was invited to join an interfaith committee planning the event and was allotted time on the program that featured Christian, Hindu, Muslim and Bahá’í readings and prayers.

The Bahá’í readings, two passages from The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh and a prayer for mankind by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, were printed in a commemorative brochure that was distributed to 6,000 people.

The Bahá’í readings were presented in Fijian, Hindi and English. The Bahá’í presentation was the only one on the program that included the Fijian language.

Guests of honor at the event were Her Royal Highness Princess Anne of the United Kingdom; her husband, Captain Mark Phillips; Ratu Sir George Cakobau, governor general of Fiji, and dignitaries from all of the Pacific islands, Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, France and the United States.

Dr. William Maxwell, chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Fiji Islands, was in the reception line for the arrival of the royal party. Dr. Maxwell was the last in the presentation line and as a result he chatted briefly with Her Royal Highness, responding to questions about the Faith, its relationship to Islám, and its status in Iran and in Fiji.

Approximately 20 seats were allocated to Bahá’ís on the special dais set aside for dignitaries from all religions. These were filled by members of the National Assembly and by local believers. The group of Bahá’ís included Fijians, Indians, Chinese, Tuvaluans, Europeans, Tongans and Samoans.

Following years of effort and prayer by the believers in Fiji, this was the first time that the Faith had been invited to participate in an ecumenical service on a national level, signifying its official recognition as an independent religion in that country.

India

Nine hundred fifty-one people were enrolled in the Faith last August in India’s Andhra Pradesh State following a visit to 74 localities by three assistants to the Auxiliary Board.

The three assistants, accompanied by pioneers and local believers, were able to help surpass the goal of enrolling 500 people in the Kurnool District.

Believers in 46 localities in Andhra Pradesh transmitted their contributions toward the construction of the Mother Temple of the Indian Sub-continent to the visiting assistants to the Auxiliary Board.

Ireland

Visitors to the Bahá’í Summer School in Waterford, Ireland, last August 10-12 included the city’s mayor, Tom Brennan (second from left), and Philip Hainsworth, a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of the United Kingdom (far left), who viewed a Bahá’í literature display along with Patrick O’Mara, a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of Ireland (center), and Tony McGinley, a member of the committee that designed the exhibit that included photographs of Bahá’í Holy Places and various activities along with Bahá’í books.

[Page 15]

United States

More than 400 people in the San Francisco Bay area, most of whom are Spanish-speaking, declared their belief in Bahá’u’lláh during the four weeks from December 23 to January 23, according to a report from the California Central District No. 1 Teaching Committee.

Earlier direct teaching efforts by believers in that District resulted in approximately 150 declarations from early last July to mid-December.

The District has been divided into teaching zones, each of which is named for one of the recently-deceased Hands of the Cause of God. The teaching campaign was to continue until Riḍván 1981.

________________

Dr. Dwight Allen, a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, proclaimed the Faith on 97 occasions to more than 12,000 people in seven countries during a trip last November 4-December 22 that took him to India, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Egypt and the United Kingdom.

Dr. Allen spoke at proclamation meetings, conducted deepening classes, and addressed youth conferences. He was asked to speak at memorial programs for the Hand of the Cause of God Abu’l-Qásim Faizí in Hong Kong, Taiwan and London.

Dr. Allen described the journey that was undertaken in conjunction with a professional assignment for the East Asian Regional Council of Overseas Schools as one he made in memory of his father, John W. Allen, a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh and pioneer to Africa for 26 years until his death last August 31.

In India, where most of his speaking engagements took place, Dr. Allen visited Bahá’í communities in New Delhi, Lucknow, Chandiargh, Gwalior, Bhopal, Indore, Panchgani and Bombay. He also visited the construction site of the Mother Temple of the Indian Sub-continent where he observed that seven of the nine pylon footings for the House of Worship had been completed.

In many of his talks Dr. Allen, who is university professor of urban education at Old Dominion and Norfolk State universities in Virginia, spoke about the need for all of the world’s educational systems to recognize the interdependence of all mankind and to recognize that as the world becomes more complex, people need to anticipate crises rather than merely react to them.

Science, he told his audiences, needs aid and a sense of direction that is supplied by an awareness of spiritual forces.

He reported tremendous receptivity to the Bahá’í Message in the countries he visited. For example, in Bangkok, Thailand, he reported that the public meeting sponsored by the National Spiritual Assembly was attended by the largest number of university and United Nations officials ever to attend a Bahá’í proclamation in that country.

Above: Dr. Dwight W. Allen, a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, wields a pickaxe during ground breaking ceremonies for the Raḥmatu’lláh Muhájir Bahá’í School in Indore, India. Below, Dr. Allen in a rare moment of relaxation with some of the friends in Gwalior, India. Counsellor Shirin Boman is seated at the far right in the second row. Dr. Allen proclaimed the Faith 97 times to more than 12,000 people on his seven-nation trip.

[Page 16]

Trinidad/Tobago

“Investigate the Bahá’í Faith Independently on Independence Day” was the theme of a public meeting last August 31 at the Bahá’í Center in Port of Spain, Trinidad.

Many invitations were distributed prior to the meeting that was scheduled for the anniversary of the country’s independence.

The program included workshops on “The Oneness of Mankind,” “The Human Soul,” “Life Eternal” and “Administration—A Spiritual Tool.”

Various references from the Writings relative to each topic were sought out during the lively discussions. Because those present wished to continue research and discussion on these and other subjects, arrangements were made to meet each Sunday to continue the classes.

Papua New Guinea

The approximately 40 people participating in the August 26-27 National Youth Conference in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, gathered for this group photograph in front of the Sogeri Bahá’í Institute, the site of the youth conference. Distinguished guests present included the Hand of the Cause of God H. Collis Featherstone (seated middle row near center) and his wife, Madge (middle row far right), along with two members of the National Spiritual Assembly of Papua and New Guinea and Auxiliary Board member Mrs. Mihrshahi. The youth organized the program that included a play about Bahá’í marriage.

Participants at one of the regular weekly youth deepening classes in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, gathered for this group photograph. The classes, conducted in English, are held in the home of one of the pioneers in Port Moresby, and often the guest speakers are believers who are traveling through the city.

Nicaragua

One hundred-thirty people, including 55 non-Bahá’ís prominent in business and the professions, attended a public program last November 8 in Managua, Nicaragua, that was designed to reach influential residents of the country’s capital city.

Using the theme “Bahá’u’lláh—His Call to the Nations,” the proclamation meeting was held in the country’s most prestigious hotel and featured talks by Continental Counsellors Carmen de Burafato, Artemus Lamb and Paul Lucas.

The program was received with great courtesy and apparent interest as the majority of the audience stayed an hour after the program to talk with individual Counsellors in small groups. A fireside was held at a nearby home for those who wished to continue asking questions.

Publicity for the meeting included the distribution of 1,000 flyers in schools, universities and shopping centers; the placing of many posters; and 550 printed invitations that were hand delivered to business and professional people, ministries, embassies, and government offices, as well as newspaper and radio publicity.

The public proclamation to a segment of Managua’s residents not reached previously by other teaching activities fulfilled a three-year goal of the Bahá’í community.

Chile

After three years of continuous effort the Nur School, a Bahá’í primary school sponsored by the National Spiritual Assembly of Chile, has received official governmental recognition.

The resolution signed last September 8 by the Secretary General of the Ministry of Education for the Metropolitan Region declares “Colegio Nur” to be a private, co-educational institution offering daily, primary instruction in arts and sciences and basic general education.

[Page 17]

Japan

Participants at the national teaching conference last November in Shizuoka, Japan, gathered for this group photograph. Guest speakers included Auxiliary Board members Dr. Ikuo Mizuko and Kimiko Schwerin (holding the Greatest Name).

Alaska

Sixty-five people from southeastern Alaska attended a Bahá’í winter conference last November 7-9 in Petersburg, Alaska.

Speakers at the weekend gathering were Eugene King and Tod Jones, members of the National Spiritual Assembly of Alaska; Auxiliary Board members Howard Brown and Fletcher Bennett; and five assistants to the Auxiliary Board.

Subjects presented at the adult classes included the Covenant, confirmations from teaching, the life of Shoghi Effendi, spiritual parenthood, and the unity of science and religion. A panel discussion focused on the tireless service rendered by the Greatest Holy Leaf, Bahíyyih Khánum; Munírih Khánum, and other outstanding women in the history of the Faith.

The conference included a humorous version of the Bible story of David and Goliath, equating David to the believer with a dream who is ready to overcome all obstacles.

Dominica

Edrick Auguiste (left), the first Carib Indian of Dominica to become a believer, presents a copy of Volume XVI of The Bahá’í World to His Excellency Aurelius Marie, Dominica’s head of state, during a visit last August.

[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