Bahá’í News/Issue 610/Text
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| Bahá’í News | January 1982 | Bahá’í Year 138 |
Letters from martyrs
SITUATION FRIENDS IRAN STEADILY DETERIORATING. ALTHOUGH REVOLUTIONARY COURT YAZD ORDERED RELEASE FOUR OF THOSE DETAINED PRESSURES IN DIFFERENT FORMS ARE MOUNTING IN YAZD AND OTHER PARTS COUNTRY. BAHÁ’Í WORKERS BEING INCREASINGLY EXPELLED FROM FACTORIES, BAHÁ’Í SHOPKEEPERS IN ONE PROVINCE ORDERED CLOSE DOWN FOLLOWING WITHDRAWAL BUSINESS LICENCES, SCHOOL AUTHORITIES SCRUTINISING RELIGION STUDENTS PRIOR TO REGISTRATION RESULTING IN REFUSAL REGISTER BAHÁ’Í STUDENTS IN ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS. DECREE ANNOUNCED BY MINISTRY OF EDUCATION PUBLISHED IN KAYHAN DAILY NUMBER 11397 DATED 9 MEHR 1360 (SEPTEMBER 30, 1981) LISTS CRIMES WHICH BAR PROFESSORS AND STUDENTS FROM BEING EMPLOYED OR REGISTERED AT UNIVERSITIES. AMONG CRIMES LISTED IS WHAT TEXT OF DECREE DESCRIBES AS MEMBERSHIP IN SECT WHICH IS RECOGNIZED BY MOSLEMS AS THE MISLED AND HERETICAL SECT. THIS IS OBVIOUS REFERENCE TO MEMBERSHIP IN BAHÁ’Í COMMUNITY. BAHÁ’Í CHILDREN AND YOUTH EXEMPLIFYING HIGH SPIRIT HEROISM STEADFASTNESS PREFERRING DEPRIVATION FROM SCHOOL AND UNIVERSITY EDUCATION TO RECANTATION FAITH.
OCTOBER 16, 1981
Corrections: On Pages 3 and 6 of the September 1981 issue of Bahá’í News, Mrs. Rose Perkal
Gates should be identified as Mrs. Rose Perkal Yarno, which was her name at that time. And on Page
10 of the November 1981 issue, Lowell Johnson and Michael Walker are identified in a photo caption
as chairman and secretary, respectively, of the National Spiritual Assembly of South Africa. Actually, they were the chairman and secretary of the annual Convention in that country. Mr. Johnson is presently the secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly whose chairman is Michael Sears. We regret the errors.
Bahá’í News[edit]
Excerpts from the last letters written by Bahá’í martyrs in Iran | 1 |
A loving message from the Hand of the Cause of God William Sears | 5 |
A U.S. teaching trip by 3 Canadian Bahá’ís leads to 70-plus enrollments | 9 |
A Bahá’í statement to the United Nations Human Rights Commission | 10 |
In Perú, the world’s second Bahá’í radio station begins broadcasting | 11 |
Around the world: news from Bahá’í communities all over the globe | 12 |
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 the Periodicals Office, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091, U.S.A. Changes of address should be reported to the Office of Membership and Records, Bahá’í National Center. 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 © 1982, National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. World rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A.
Iran[edit]
Letters from the martyrs[edit]
Excerpts from the will and testament, and last letters, of Mr. Mihdí Anvarí of Shíráz while he fasted in prison, prior to his execution on March 17, 1981:
... The value and personality of an individual are related to his patience and steadfastness in times of adversities. Two men were looking out through the bars of their prison. One looked heavenward and exclaimed, “What a bright sky! What glittering stars!” The other, gazing down to the earth, remarked, “What a dusty mess.”
If one attains to the recognition of truth, he will never be tormented with wotries ...
During our imprisonment, except for brief periods when we were obliged to rest, we have filled our hours with prayers. No moment is passed without our being occupied in the remembrance of God. Outwardly, people may conclude that we are indifferent or stoical, but our hearts are out of our control. Through our devotions we have endeavored to prepare our hearts to serve as a seat of the divine—I do not know if we are worthy to have our hearts become the recipients of His mercy; however, we desire His bounties and favors ...
The means which change this fire (of tribulation) into a rose garden are the rains of reliance on God and the sweet breezes of devotion. “He doeth what He willeth ...” The fire of love cannot be quenched by water nor extinguished by a breeze ...
These excerpts from the last letters of some of the recent martyrs in Iran, written from prison within the hour of their execution, were forwarded on behalf of the Universal House of Justice by the Department of the Secretariat at the Bahá’í World Centre.
Our hands are empty but our aspirations and resolve are high. When the test comes the resolve of people will be proven and their reliance will be manifested ...
I ardently pray that my deeds be accepted at the Threshold of God. I have nothing to offer but sins, however. Mine was a humble life and I surrender it for the good of humanity.
May God grant us the favor of attaining His good pleasure!
Excerpt from a letter by Auxiliary Board member Yadu’lláh Vaḥdat of Shíráz, written from prison before his execution on April 30, 1981.
O God, Thou art aware that I have no other wish than to attain a good end. O God, grant that we may win Thy good pleasure.
With a sincere heart I seek the good pleasure of God and am prepared for martyrdom. I am free of worry and I consider martyrdom a source of honor for myself and my children. I beseech Thee, O God, by the sacred blood of the Báb, the Exalted One, to cause us to attain a good ending. I supplicate God to grant me such a degree of faith and power as not to cause my footsteps to falter in the face of tribulations, even of martyrdom, and make me fail to attain the glorious end, that greatest honor.
I call to mind the poem:
- The fire of love is alive
even when Death arrives;
It is a lamp carried from
this house to the other!
I have prayed tens of times that God may grant me to drink of the wine of martyrdom and that my sacrifice may result in other friends’ release and return to the warmth and comfort of their homes and families.
Yesterday I wrote to my children urging them to pray for me that I might
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be enabled to partake of the grace of
God and offer my blood in His path.
With great patience and forbearance, with utmost faith, I express my allegiance to Bahá’u’lláh, the Founder of the Bahá’í Faith; to the Báb, His unique Forerunner; to ‘Abdul-Bahá, the Mystery of God, Exemplar and Interpreter of His Teachings; to Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of God’s Cause; to the Universal House of Justice, the infallible institution which today guides the destiny of the Faith; and to all Bahá’í institutions.
A view of the memorial service held in September 1980 at the Bahá’í House of Worship in Wilmette, Illinois, for the seven martyrs of Yazd and other Bahá’í martyrs in Iran.
I ask my children to hold, with great love and firmness, memorial meetings for me, and to show to all, but especially the families of my fellow-prisoners, a spirit of steadfastness and forbearance.
Last letter of Mr. Sattár Khushkhú of Shíráz, written from prison before his execution on April 30, 1981.
... Have no doubt about my courage and spiritual fortitude. I have passed the days of my life with honor, engaged in worthy efforts. I have tried always to be of help to the weak. Now I do not wish people to have pity for me. I only beg prayers from my relatives and friends—as I repeatedly begged when they visited me in prison—that I shall have a good end.
Even in the presence of the religious judge I never uttered a word indicating my weakness. Although I faced the cruelest insults and gravest charges our imprisonment has not been for our personal deeds. Perhaps it is for the good of the Cause of God that at this point in time a few should be imprisoned and some even attain to the high rank of martyrs, for the liberation of the Bahá’í community from the claws of the enemies requires sacrifice on the part of a few of the followers of Bahá’u’lláh. Therefore, should it be decreed that this humble creature be as a mere point in the great circle of the Cause it would be the greatest honor for him and his family. I am not sad, therefore, but happy and proud. Even if it should be decreed that I be released from this prison I rejoice that in my captivity I have become a new creation. It would then be my hope to serve the Cause with greater devotion and find another outlet through which I might sacrifice. I believe in the decrees of God and know that no leaf stirs but through His will.
In this “palace” that my fellow Bahá’ís and I now occupy, I am not sad; rather, I am happier than ever before in all the years of my life. My family should know that we have been granted an honor; the world and all its wealth cannot bestow an equivalent joy. It is but the grace of God that one as weak and unworthy as I should have been granted such an unending honor, the gift of spiritual and eternal life.
I ask that you remember me during your devotions so that I may be enabled to remain steadfast to my last breath and fulfil the vows I have made to my Beloved. In this way I can be a source of pride to my family.
Last letter of Mr. Suhráb (Muḥammad-Báqir) Ḥabíbí of Hamadán, written from prison before his execution on June 14, 1981.
My dear and affectionate Parvín, my
dear children, apples of my eye,
It is five minutes to 11 p.m. on
23/3/1360 (June 13, 1981). We have
been summoned by the revolutionary
court and called to the field of martyrdom. My wish is that you may share
the tranquillity of conscience and confidence of heart that I feel in these last
moments before my physical separation from you. It is stated in our Sacred
Writings that we Bahá’ís should always
observe calmness, dignity and moderation.
At this hour I express my recognition of the station of the Exalted Lord (the Báb) and of the Ancient Beauty as Manifestations of God; of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as the Centre of God’s Covenant; of the Guardian of the Cause of God as the interpreter of the Teachings; and of the station of the Universal House of Justice.
Farewell, farewell to all of you. I wish you all success.
You, dear Ilhám, and Ru’yá, are very fortunate girls to have a mother like mama who is not only your mother but your friend and confidant. I have not much to tell you now. All that I might wish to tell you is already recorded in the Sacred Words of God. Remember me in your devotions; I shall feel close to you in spirit. Always try to serve under the Bahá’í administration.
‘Happiness and success’[edit]
My dear Parvín, take good care of the children. My children, take good care of mama. May your father be sacrificed for you. I hope that you will not cry and mourn for this is against the wish of God.
Before I finish, I remind you again that whenever you feel moved to converse with me, read the Words of God. Whatever is in the true essence of my heart is recorded in the Books and Tab-
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lets.
My dear wife Parvín, I wish you happiness and success during your life. The will of God is that we should be physically separated, but spiritually we are always together. Do not grieve and have no sorrow because of what has happened to me. Be steadfast like a high mountain. My dearest children, Ilhám and Ru’yá, will be under your care.
Ask forgiveness from all my friends and family.
Your affectionate husband,
The last letter of Mr. Hidáyatu’lláh Dihqání of Shíráz while he fasted in prison, before his execution on March 17, 1981:
... I thank God that I am able to sacrifice my life for my religion and have committed no crime. I counsel all my children and relatives to be patient and forbearing before the will of God as I, myself, bow my head before His wish and good pleasure.
I again yield thanks that I am not being killed because of any crime or transgression that would bring shame to my family. I have, in fact, attained an honor that I never imagined I would deserve to attain. It is a great bounty to be numbered among the twenty-five thousand who have drunk from the cup of martyrdom. I beg God, the Almighty, to forgive any sins I may have committed in this world and to grant me His mercy.
‘We are most content’[edit]
At this moment I sit beside Mr. Mihdí Anvarí. I do not know how many hours remain for us. May God assist you and the dear friends all over the world. Be proud; be happy!
I leave you under the protection of God ... Believe me, I am not disturbed or sad but overwhelmed with inexpressible emotions...
Last letter of Mr. Tarázu’lláh Khuzayn of Hamadán, written from prison before his execution on June 14, 1981.
My dear Shamsí; my loving Mother and Brother,
It is now 11 p.m. We have been transferred from the prison to the court premises. They are about to execute all seven of us. Praised be to God, we are in the utmost submission to His will and are most content! God willing, we shall have a good ending. I hereby bid farewell to you dear ones and to other members of the family.
I have finished the two tapestries.* On these I have woven my name, the prison of Hamadán and the date, 138 Bahá’í Era. They are among my personal effects. Please take them from the prison.
‘I hope that our insignificant blood will water the blessed tree of the Cause of God, that the Faith will soon gain its independence ... and that future generations will be able to serve the Cause with the greatest comfort.’
I have previously written my will and testament. Please follow what is written in it.
I am grateful to the believers for the trouble they have taken on my behalf and beg forgiveness from them all. Kindly express my thanks to all who have come to visit us in prison.
I beseech your prayers. I hope that our insignificant blood will water the blessed tree of the Cause of God, that the Faith will soon gain its independence and the Bahá’ís of Iran their freedom, and that future generations will be able to serve the Cause with the greatest comfort.
I had started this evening to make a bracelet for my dear Faríbá and intended to weave her initials, F.M., into the design. Unfortunately I had no time to finish it; it was left behind when we were transferred here. I wish I had time to weave bracelets for Faríbá and Anítá, but this was not to be. Tell Túrán Khánum to kiss my brother, Qudrat, for me. The money entrusted to Túrán Khánum by Mr. Nuṣratu’llah may be spent in my memorial meetings in Ṭihrán and Hamadán.
Ṭarázu’lláh Khuzayn
(*It should be noted that during their year-long imprisonment the Bahá’í prisoners in Hamadán occupied themselves by weaving tapestries.)
Last letter of Mr. Suhayl Muḥammad-Báqir Ḥabíbí of Hamadán, written from prison before his execution on June 14, 1981. He opens with Bahá’í prayers.
O my God! May my life be sacrificed for Thy lovers! Make the blood of this despondent one to be shed in the way of those who are Thy friends and cause this withered body to become dust on the path trodden by Thy loved ones, O Thou Who art my God!
O God, my God! I testify to Thy oneness and Thy singleness. I beg of Thee, O Thou Possessor of Names and Fashioner of the Heavens, by the influence of Thine exalted Word and the potency of Thy Supreme Pen, to aid me with the standards of Thy power and might, and to protect me from the mischief of Thine enemies who have broken Thy covenant and Testament.
I bear witness, O my God, that Thou has created me to know Thee and to worship Thee. I testify, at this moment, to my powerlessness and to Thy might, to my poverty and to Thy wealth.
There is none other God but Thee, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.
O my relatives! Place your trust in God. Fix your gaze at all times on His bestowals. This is my last exhortation to you. I have reached the fulfilment of my wish.
Sunday 23.3.60
before my martyrdom,
Muḥammad-Báqir Ḥabíbí
Last letter of Mr. Ḥusayn Muṭlaq Árádní of Hamadan, written from prison before his execution on June 14, 1981.
My dear Báhirih, Payám and Parísá, and my beautiful Nází,
There is an end to every life. How wonderful it is when the end is accompanied by honour, truth and faith! In my last moments of life I beseech the Blessed Beauty to grant you hearts full of faith, love and kindness toward all people. I rejoice that my life has had a happy ending.
My love to all my relatives. Convey my sincere love, with great humility, to all, especially my Aunt and her family, and to the Grandfather.
Báhirih, my dear wife, my only re-
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gret is that you alone, after my departure, will carry the heavy burden in
life.
I pray even for those who have judged and wronged me. I hope that the truth of my case will be clarified to all people.
My dear Parísá, it is your birthday and I have prayed for you. In fact, I pray for all. Tonight I have had the most glorious prayers of my life.
I bid farewell to my brothers and sisters, and to my mother from whom I seek forgiveness. With my kisses.
Thank you for your love and kindness.
10:45 p.m. 23.3.60
Last letter of Dr. Masíḥ Farhangí of Ṭihrán, a member of the Continental Board of Counsellors for Asia, written from prison before his execution on June 24, 1981.
My dear Wife,
At this last moment of my transitory life, when I am on my way to the realm of eternity, I bid you farewell. I beg you to accept, with great patience and forbearance, what God has willed. Be thankful; be patient!
During our forty-four years together I have felt nothing but tranquillity and comfort. I had no wish except companionship with you. I hope you are pleased with me and will not deny me your loving prayers. “I have come from God and to God do I return.”
The beginning and the end of all is in the Hand of Providence; faith in God is a balm to the hearts and a cause of tranquillity of the souls and of our beings.
I am greatly relieved at this moment, content and pleased. I yield my thanks to God that He has vouchsafed to me this final overwhelming blessing. Praised be God, the Lord of all the worlds! If my hands are empty of the treasures of the world, they have always been raised in prayers and thanksgiving to Him. And so, at this moment, my hands are raised in gratitude to my Lord.
I sent my watch through one of the guards to Ward No. 2. They are supposed to give it to you with other of my belongings. I have less than 400 tumáns in cash in my pocket. Our wedding ring and the Greatest Name were also given to the guards in order to be kept in the family.
Give my earnest greetings to all my dear ones. I am pleased with all of them. In the realm above I shall beg for all of you welfare and happiness. Friends and relatives are in my prayers at this moment. I think of them, one and all, and see them in my mind’s eye. Console Ṭahírih Khánum and my other
‘I am greatly relieved at this moment, content and pleased. I yield my thanks to God that He has vouchsafed to me this final overwhelming blessing ... And so, at this moment, my hands are raised in gratitude to my Lord.’
sisters. If possible, have prayers said at the graveside of my parents. God be with you.
Masíḥ Farhangí
Last will and testament of Mr. Farhang Mavaddat of Ṭihrán, written in Evin prison before his execution on June 23, 1981.
This is the will and testament of me, Farhang Mavaddat, written in Evin prison.
I offer my thanks and praise to God the Almighty and tender my complete recognition of the truth of all the Manifestations of God.
I exhort my dear children to rely upon the will of God and to be steadfast in their study of the Bahá’í Writings. They should also pray for their father. I earnestly request my dear Mihrí, who has always been a peerless wife to me to continue to care for my children and to be content with the will of God.
I request my friends to pray for me. If I have committed any wrong or have been disrespectful to anyone, I hereby beg forgiveness.
My dear family should remember that a verse from a poem is quoted in one of the writings of the beloved Guardian, which offers comfort:
- Glad tidings, glad tidings to the lovers
That the time of separation shall pass,
The time of Oneness shall come
And the Lord Himself shall rule.
Greetings to my dear father. I hope he is pleased with me.
Farídih, my dear sister, and her loving children, are always remembered by me.
Kisses to my dear ones—my children Payám, Nází and Naghmih—and to my dear wife, Mihrí. Preserve your bonds of unity and love.
At this moment my whole being is infused with a sense of honor; God grant that you also feel proud of your father.
I am sorry if my handwriting is not good; it is because I do not have my glasses with me.
It is my wish that my children will not wear mourning; rather, they should chant the Tablet of Visitation of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá on my behalf.
In this glorious journey I am in the company of Háshim Farnúsh and Buzurg ‘Alavíyán.
My dearest Mihrí, are you well pleased with me?
Farhang Mavaddat
Africa[edit]
The grandeur of the House of Justice[edit]
“The National Spiritual Assemblies, like unto pillars will be gradually and firmly established in every country on the strong and fortified foundations of the Local Assemblies. On these pillars, the mighty Edifice, the Universal House of Justice, will be erected, raising high its noble frame above the world of existence. The unity of the followers of Bahá’u’lláh will thus be realized and fulfilled from one end of the earth to the other ... and the living waters of everlasting life will stream forth from that fountain-head of God’s World Order upon all the warring nations and peoples of the world, to wash away the evils and iniquities of the realm of dust, and heal man’s age-old ills and ailments.
“Then will all our cherished hopes and aspirations be realized, the tree of our endeavours bear fruit ... and the hidden powers of the Cause of our Lord and God be fully manifested. Then will be unveiled to our eyes the inauguration of an era the like of which has never been witnessed in past ages.” — Shoghi Effendi
Beloved Friends, Colleagues, and fellow Bahá’ís:
On my second visit to the Holy Land this year on a special project, I was once again made keenly aware of the majesty and grandeur of our Supreme Universal House of Justice. Each time I am with them the joy and wonder of those days in the presence of our beloved Guardian come rushing back upon me, and I say to myself: “I have made another pilgrimage!”
How often every Bahá’í has said, What a blessing it would have been if only we had seen the Precious Báb, or been in the presence of the Blessed Beauty, Bahá’u’lláh, or could have visited the Holy Land when the Beloved Master was there. Many of us have looked upon the face of the beloved Guardian. Still more, however, have been deprived of all these past bounties and blessings.
Suddenly I realized that each one of these great blessings was ours all over again! Little by little it became clear to me that there were no such days as these very days we are living in now! These are the very days which the Báb, Bahá’u’lláh, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and our beloved Guardian had sacrificed their lives to bring to reality. These days!
I said to myself, do we really understand and appreciate
This letter from the Hand of the Cause of God William Sears was written last August to members of the Continental Board of Counsellors and National Spiritual Assemblies in Africa. Mr. Sears later requested that it be shared with the Bahá’ís in every country.
who it is that sends that Book, that Compilation, that Letter to us from the side of the Mountain of God? I vowed to myself that the next time I received a Letter or a Message from the Universal House of Justice, I would look upon it with new eyes, and listen to their words of guidance and instruction with new ears.
‘Thrilled to my fingertips’[edit]
I felt this overwhelming urgent desire to share my feelings with all the Bahá’í Institutions in Africa, and with my fellow Bahá’ís throughout that continent. I wanted you to see and feel all the things that enriched, deepened and inspired me on this “Second Pilgrimage.”
The wonders and accomplishments of our Universal House of Justice swept over me like a flood. I was thrilled to my fingertips!
I was standing on the top floor of the new Seat of the Universal House of Justice looking toward the Archives Building, the Shrine of the Báb, and up toward the Obelisk where Bahá’u’lláh had chanted the Tablet of Carmel, the Charter for all these World Centre Institutions. I could see the Spot where He foretold the Ark that God would sail on this holy Mountain manifesting the people of Bahá, the men of the House of Justice. I looked across the Bay toward the Prison-City of ‘Akká and the Mansion at Bahjí, and felt this tremendous urge to go down the Mountain and write this letter to you. To share with our continent, Africa, all the blessings from God which our Supreme Universal House of Justice has so generously and so bountifully bestowed upon us.
I went first to the three Holy Shrines, to pray for each one of you, and myself, for Africa as a continent, for every one of the Bahá’í Institutions and believers in Africa.
Then I began to set down my thoughts as follows:
The least glimpse into the majesty of this divine Institution would fill anyone with awe and wonder:
- “God, verily, will inspire them with whatsoever He willeth,” is Bahá’u’lláh’s incontrovertible assurance.
- The Universal House of Justice is the “Source of all good” and is “freed from all error,” ‘Abdul-Bahá confirms in His Will and Testament.
- Shoghi Effendi has written that it is the “Apex” of “Bahá’í Administration.” It is the “Supreme Organ” of the “Bahá’í Commonwealth,” and the “sole refuge for a tottering civilization.” It is this Body, the beloved Guardian points out, the members of which, in consultation, have been made “the recipients” of “the Divine Guidance”
- which is at once “the life’s blood” and “ultimate safeguard” of this Revelation.
- “All must obey the Universal House of Justice,” ‘Abdu’l-Bahá declares. “Obedience to it is obedience to the Cause. Opposition to it is opposition to the Blessed Beauty. Denial of it is denial of God, the True One.”
- The power and authority that is breathed upon the Universal House of Justice by the Holy Spirit is made forever clear in these Words of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Who tells us: “Renouncing any word of the Universal House of Justice is like unto the renunciation of a Word of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas.”
- “Observe how important this matter is!” ‘Abdu’l-Bahá points out. “The Blessed Beauty has ordained the House of Justice as the law-maker ... If the House of Justice had been operating (now) by the One True God ... I would have been the first to obey its decree, even if it had been against me.”
In a Tablet the Beloved Master has written:
“Let it therefore not be imagined that the House of Justice will make any law according to its own concepts and opinions. God forbid! The Most Great House of Justice will establish laws and ordinances through the inspiration and confirmation of the Holy Spirit, because it is in the safekeeping and under the shelter and protection of the Ancient Beauty, and obedience to its decisions is a bounden duty and an inescapable obligation, and there is no escape for anyone. Say, O people, verily the Most Great House of Justice is under the wings of your Lord, the Compassionate, the All-Merciful, in other words under His protection, His care, and His shelter; for He has commanded the firm believers to obey that sanctified and all-powerful body, whose dominion is spiritual and of the Kingdom of Heaven, and whose laws are inspired and spiritual.”
Perhaps with this background, which is but one leaf from the tree of its greatness, we can begin to understand the miracles it has accomplished in the space of only eighteen years. There is no time to speak of each one of them in detail, but every one of these achievements is history-making in itself. The promise was enshrined in the words of our beloved Guardian about this Supreme House of Justice:
“When the Universal House of Justice shall have stepped forth from the realm of hope into that of visible fulfillment and its fame be established in every corner and clime of the world, then that august Body, solidly grounded and founded on the firm and unshakeable foundation of the entire Bahá’í community of East and West, and the recipient of the bounties of God and His inspiration, will proceed to devise and carry out important undertakings, world-wide activities and the establishment of glorious institutions. By this means, the renown of the Cause of God will become world-wide and its light will illumine the whole earth.”
‘Important undertakings’ carried out[edit]
The Universal House of Justice “stepped forth” into “visible fulfillment” in 1963. It has launched these “world-wide activities,” these great teaching plans: the Nine Year Plan, the Five Year Plan, and the Seven Year Plan now in progress.
It has already established ... glorious institutions ...
I wrote to you about the grandeur and majesty of these glorious Institutions in my last letter.
Before we begin to recount the fabulous victories that followed those “important undertakings” the Universal House of Justice has already proceeded to “carry out,” let us hear once more about the Supreme Body from the beloved Guardian.
“Then (with the establishment of the Universal House of Justice) will the banner of the independence of the Faith be
‘The Most Great House of Justice will establish laws and ordinances through the inspiration and confirmation of the Holy Spirit ... and obedience to its decisions is a bounden duty and an inescapable obligation ...’
unfurled and His Most Great Law be unveiled ... then will the ardent hopes of the people of Bahá be realized ... then will the throne of Bahá’u’lláh’s Sovereignty be founded in the Promised Land and the scales of Justice raised on high ...”
All of these tremendous promises have already been achieved, or are under way!
Those great souls who were called by Bahá’u’lláh the “people of Bahá,” those “men of justice,” those “Trustees of God” amongst His servants, have given to the world the mighty Constitution of this “crowning glory” of all Bahá’u’lláh’s Administrative Institutions. These Institutions are “the very ‘nucleus and forerunner’ of His World Order.”
They have showered upon us the glorious blessing of the Synopsis and Codification of the Laws and Ordinances of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, the Most Holy Book.
“Indeed,” Bahá’u’lláh tells us, “the laws of God are like unto the ocean, and the children of men as fish” swimming in that protective sea.
The Universal House of Justice with this book has given us a glimpse of that “breath of life” for “all created things.” Those were Bahá’u’lláh’s Words. With the coming of this Body we have a new awareness of this “mightiest stronghold” and the “highest means for the maintenance of order in the world” and for the “security of its peoples.”
The “Most Great Law” has been “unveiled” and the “throne” of Bahá’u’lláh’s “Sovereignty” has been “founded in the Promised Land” and those “scales of Justice” are being “raised on high.”
What days we are living in!
Now for the downpour of only some of those victories which are among those “important undertakings” the beloved Guardian promised us they would “carry out.” I have not listed them in order of importance, only the Universal House of Justice could do that. I have listed them as they flooded through my mind and memory and lifted me into a new realm.
- The last map our beloved Guardian made for us showed 4,500 centres in the Bahá’í world. He hoped it would reach 5,000 before the end of the Ten Year Plan. It reached more than 13,000. Since that day, under our Universal House of Justice, the number of Bahá’í centres now exceeds 100,000.
- There were even fewer Local Spiritual Assemblies in that day. Now the Universal House of Justice has inspired and guided the friends until they have raised up over 29,000.
- Twelve National Spiritual Assemblies launched the beloved Guardian’s Ten Year Plan. One hundred and twenty-five launched the current Seven Year Plan of the Universal House of Justice. Even more National Assemblies have been added since.
An entire letter could (and should) be written about each one of these marvelous victories. We have merely listed them for you. Even that, in itself, I am sure, leaves us overwhelmed and in awe and admiration. Our hearts are ready to burst. Every line telling of a new victory assures us that this indeed is the “House of the Lord of Hosts.”
- Acquired the Mansion of Mazra‘ih where Bahá’u’lláh was so happy. (Needs a volume!)
- Acquired the House of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá Pasha where the beloved Guardian was born; where the Master received the first pilgrims from the West on that pilgrimage which the beloved Guardian, Shoghi Effendi, said was a pilgrimage that changed the world. Some Answered Questions was written there—on and on and on!
- Raised the Obelisk on the spot where Bahá’u’lláh chanted the Tablet of Carmel, where a Bahá’í House of Worship will be raised, a “prayer house for all nations” as promised in Scripture.
- Have raised up, and will soon occupy the Majestic Seat on the side of God’s Holy Mountain, from where the “Law of God” is already going into all parts of the world as promised by Bahá’u’lláh, and envisioned by Isaiah.
- Great extension of the Bahá’í gardens at Bahjí, new entrances, a beautiful circle of green lawns, paths, and flowering trees surrounding the entire Spot where the “holiest dust” ever to be accepted into the “bosom of the earth” lies enshrined.
- The pilgrimage opened to additional thousands on the Anniversary of the Martyrdom of the Purest Branch, who asked that it might be so—a Son Bahá’u’lláh sacrificed for the regeneration, purification, and unification of all the peoples of the world.
- Wonderful new books to thrill every heart:
- Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh
Selections from the Writings of the Báb
Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
Call to the Nations
- Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh
- A special book of the Letters of Bahá’u’lláh to the Kings and rulers of the world: The Proclamation of Bahá’u’lláh. Presented to 126 Heads of State and leaders of mankind.
- Books filled with guidance both immediate and enduring:
- Wellspring of Guidance
Messages of the Universal House of Justice, 1968 to 1973
- Wellspring of Guidance
- Nine special compilations on every aspect of the Bahá’í Faith for the inspiration, deepening, and guidance of the World Bahá’í community in their teaching work so they can most effectively carry out the spiritual conquest of the planet.
- Consultative status at the United Nations, an accomplishment longed for by the beloved Guardian. An expanded and developed International Bahá’í Community at the United Nations.
The Hand of the Cause of God William Sears
- House of Worship in Panama, raised up at the crossroads of two continents, an area of great predictions and promises for the future of the Faith.
- Plans racing toward completion for the House of Worship in both Samoa and India.
- The House of Worship in Samoa will be in the land of the first King and reigning monarch to accept the Bahá’í Faith, the Malietoa Tanumafili II. He was present at the dedication of that House of Worship, and has visited the Resting-Place of the beloved Guardian in England.
- Commemoration of the one hundredth Anniversary of Bahá’u’lláh’s arrival in the Holy Land with some two thousand in attendance.
- Well over twenty International, Intercontinental, and Oceanic Teaching Conferences in every part of the world with all the attendant world publicity, press, radio, television and magazines. Fantastic proclamation!
- Established two Bahá’í radio stations in South America. More on the way.
- Four World Conventions in the Holy Land for the election of the Universal House of Justice by delegates representing some three hundred countries, territories, and islands of the seas and Bahá’ís in more than one hundred thousand centres around the entire planet.
- On and on go the wonders!
How thrilling!
How inspiring!
How overwhelming!
Beloved friends, in the midst of all this majesty and might, there is a tenderness and compassion unique in the religious history of the world. Never has there been an elected Body endowed with such transcendent authority and power coupled with such a kindness, consideration and compassion. The two exist side by side only here in this “Source of all good” which is “freed from all error.” No wonder it is the “sole refuge for a tottering civilization.” I know I said that before, but it is so beautiful I had to say it again.
Let me give you but one example: Every Tuesday morning before the day’s work begins in this “Land of unfading Splendour,” all the Bahá’ís serving at the World Centre are called together by the Universal House of Justice to its present Seat—a gathering of love—to join them in prayers, prayers of protection, guidance, inspiration, and thanksgiving. There follows a report from the Universal House of Justice to all the workers in the World Centre, giving them the highlights of the past week. They share events from all over the world, the victories, the crises, the news of every significant thing happening everywhere in the Bahá’í world, so that all, without exception, will feel an intimate, vital part of this great work of God.
This is the House of the Lord of Hosts we are speaking about, our own wonderful Universal House of Justice. Authority and power, tenderness, thoughtfulness and compassion—all together!
How lucky we are to be alive in this day, and to have the opportunity to serve this unique and wondrous Body in any way we can.
To paraphrase the Words of the Beloved Master, these are but the least of the significance of this “Most Great House of Justice.” Indeed, as promised in Scripture, the “nations” have “flowed” toward this “House of the Lord,” and it is only the beginning. Through it, as foreseen by the Old Testament Prophet, Habakkuk, “the knowledge of the glory of the Lord (Bahá’u’lláh) has covered the earth as the waters cover the sea.”
We shall close these words of love ... by citing yet another tribute of the beloved Guardian to our Universal House of Justice:
“Through it (the Universal House of Justice) the ardent hopes of the people of Bahá will be realized. Through it, the pillars of the Faith (the National Spiritual Assemblies) on this earth will be firmly established, and its hidden powers be revealed, its signs shine forth, its banners be unfurled and its light be shed upon all peoples.”
Beloved friends, fellow-workers in the fruitful African vineyard—during these dramatic and richly-blessed days of the Seven Year Plan, I feel confident that we shall surge forward as never before in the accomplishment of the goals of this second phase of the Plan.
Just the contemplation of who it is that has called us into action, and who it is that is guiding us, inspiring us every step of the way, praying for us, encouraging us in everything we do—all this, surely, will electrify our souls and illumine our faces with a brilliance that will itself attract even greater victories.
I close this letter as I began it, with more words of tender love about this wondrous Universal House of Justice of ours, this glorious House of the Lord of Hosts, from the beloved Guardian:
“... the unity of the Cause of God and the victory of His Faith will, even as the sun, become manifest in this Exalted Body.”
With tenderest, grateful love to each Bahá’í in Africa for your loving and dedicated services. Press on!
Hand of the Cause of God
United States[edit]
Native Americans respond to Message[edit]
A teaching trip last October to several Indian Reservations in the northwestern United States by three Bahá’ís from Canada resulted in the enrollment of more than 70 people in the Faith.
Members of the teaching team were Rick Belcourt (Cree Indian) from Calgary, Earl Healy (Blood) from Fort MacLeod, and Fari Jalili-Otsali, a Persian Bahá’í who is living in British Columbia.
Their visit, which began October 3 at the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming, was carried out under the auspices of the American Indian Teaching Committee in response to a goal of the second phase of the Seven Year Plan to develop “cross border projects giving special attention to Indian Reservations ...”
Day of prayer[edit]
Efforts to reach the Arapaho and Shoshone tribes at Wind River date to the 1940s and have continued to the present day.
One year to the day before the arrival of the teaching team, the Bahá’ís of Wyoming circled the Reservation with a day of prayer that the Indian people might respond to the Teachings of Bahá’u’lláh.
The response to the latest effort at Wind River was most gratifying, with more than 50 new believers, one new locality (Fort Washakie) opened, the Bahá’í Group in Riverton, Wyoming, restored to Assembly status, and preparations under way for election of the first Spiritual Assembly of the Wind River Reservation.
Among those who declared their belief in Bahá’u’lláh are an Arapaho and a Sioux medicine man.
After the teaching team was interviewed by two reporters from the Reservation newspaper, both young women were enrolled in the Faith.
To assure adequate follow-up in deepening and consolidating the new believers, the American Indian Teaching Committee has appointed a six-member Consolidation Task Force.
The second stop for the Canadian teaching team was the Crow Reservation in Montana whose Assembly was lost last Riḍván when membership slipped to seven.
In all, there were 14 declarations on the Crow Reservation, which will enable it to restore its Assembly at Riḍván.
A brief visit was made to the Lame Deer area of the Northern Cheyenne Reservation where the team was met by a recently settled homefront pioneer, Steve Blakely, and several Northern Cheyenne friends.
As a result, five new believers were welcomed into the Faith, further strengthening the Bahá’í community and Assembly on that Reservation.
Above: More than 70 Native Americans were enrolled in the Faith in October as a result of a teaching trip to Indian Reservations in Wyoming and Montana by (left to right) Earl Healy, a Blood Indian from Fort McLeod, Alberta; Fari Jalili-Otsali, a Persian now living in British Columbia; and Rick Belcourt, a Cree Indian from Calgary, Alberta. Below: James Big Lake, a new believer from the Crow Agency in Montana, with Mrs. Jalili-Otsali.
Bahá’í International Community[edit]
An oral statement on combating racism[edit]
An oral statement presented by the Bahá’í International Community to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights at its 37th session in Geneva, Switzerland, February 13, 1981.
•
Mr. Chairman:
The Bahá’í International Community welcomes this opportunity to address the thirty-seventh session of the Commission on Human Rights on agenda item 21(b), “Implementation of the Programme for the Decade for Action to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination.”
It is because of our long-standing commitment to the eradication of all forms of prejudice that we have asked for the floor today. This commitment is based on the teachings, revealed over one hundred years ago, of the Founder of the Bahá’í Faith. In His writings we find a detailed analysis of prejudices—whether of race, nationality, religion, sex, or class—and a detailed description of the means whereby these divisive prejudices will be eliminated from our planet.
It is our purpose in this brief statement to give an indication of how Bahá’í communities throughout the world are making a steady contribution to the goals of the Decade and, with your permission, Mr. Chairman, introduce another perspective into the debate on this subject with a few ideas on how, based on a realization of his spiritual capacities, the individual can make an effective contribution to achieve harmony in society.
The Bahá’í world community represents a cross-section of humanity, including almost all races, nationalities, classes, trades, professions, rich and poor, literate and illiterate. It comprises the members of the Bahá’í Faith living in more than 100,000 localities in over 300 countries and territories and unites men and women of many religious backgrounds. Over 1,600 ethnic groups are represented.
As part of our commitment to the elimination of racial prejudice, we have cooperated wholeheartedly with the United Nations programs in the
‘We believe that it is possible to achieve the organic unity of the entire human race and that the elimination of racism and racial discrimination is dependent on a consciousness of world unity.’
field of human rights. Through our 126 national affiliates (131 as of Riḍván 1981—ed.), we have constantly promoted awareness and understanding of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and of the numerous instruments which the United Nations has brought into existence to protect the rights of all peoples.
A few examples of Bahá’í cooperation are annual worldwide observances of Human Rights Day; human rights conferences, seminars, and awards; and programs and publications for special anniversaries of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
In our view, the elimination of prejudice and discrimination—whether of race, nationality, sex, creed, or class—cannot be achieved without proper education, without proper attitudes and values, without proper motivation.
We believe that it is possible to achieve the organic unity of the entire human race and that the elimination of racism and racial discrimination is dependent on a consciousness of world unity. The peoples of the world will, eventually, come to realize that their own happiness is dependent on the attainment of happiness for the entire human family.
We have to become educated, we believe, in renewed spiritual values and teachings which alone can rescue mankind from the pursuit of selfish interests and the resultant oppression of his fellow beings.
Bahá’ís regard all people as invaluable members of society, whose talents and unique contributions are equally important factors in building world order. Whilst individual groups should be encouraged to regard their own culture, heritage, and mother tongue with pride and admiration, it is at the same time essential that we should all be conscious of a diversified world in which we must live in harmony with, and respect, other peoples, other cultures, other languages, and other heritages.
Bahá’ís throughout the world are attempting to put into practice in their daily lives teachings and principles which they have accepted as the guidance for the well-being and happiness of all.
Our commitment to minorities and indigenous peoples—and, as I said in my introductory remarks, there are over 1,600 ethnic groups represented in the growing Bahá’í world community—is based on the writings of the Bahá’í Faith.
Every Bahá’í community should, and I quote, “feel it to be its first and inescapable obligation to nurture, encourage and safeguard every minority belonging to any faith, race, class or nation within it.” Discrimination against any race is, and again I quote, “a flagrant violation of the spirit that animates the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh.” Bahá’u’lláh is the Prophet Who founded the Bahá’í Faith over one hundred years ago.
The central obstacle which prevents
[Page 11]
the complete abolition of racism and
racial discrimination is, we believe, a
limited understanding of the nature of
the human being and of the source of
his happiness.
The qualities which are inherent in all peoples, and which need to be nurtured and given full expression in society, are love and compassion, justice, and such moral qualities as trust, honesty, and truthfulness.
The development of these virtues can provide, within society, the environment in which each human being can develop his full potential.
The source of the development of these virtues—and consequently the elimination of divisive prejudice of all kinds—lies, we believe, in education in divine teachings and laws.
A clear view of the progressive nature of religion and the gradual unfoldment of a divine plan destined to bring about world peace and a world civilization will enable mankind to strive for the elimination of prejudice throughout the world.
The goal for which the Bahá’í International Community is striving is, therefore, a world society in which national rivalries, hatreds, and intrigues will cease, and racial animosity and prejudice will be replaced by racial amity, understanding, and cooperation.
In conclusion, therefore, the Bahá’í International Community is pledged to cooperate in UN programs whose goal is, and I quote General Assembly’s resolution A/35/34, “the pursuit of harmonious relations between races and communities.”
As I said at the beginning, Mr. Chairman, we are pleased to have this opportunity to share our experiences in overcoming divisive prejudices with the Commission on Human Rights, and we will always be ready to offer these experiences to the Commission and to other appropriate UN bodies.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Perú[edit]
Radio Bahá’í of Lake Titicaca on the air[edit]
From a report by Boris Handel, Michael Stokes and Kurt Hein.)
At noon on July 9, 1981, the 131st anniversary of the martyrdom of the Báb, Radio Bahá’í in Chucuito, Perti, began its initial transmission in a highly charged atmosphere mixing the solemnity of that date with the jubilation of all those present.
The words of the short Obligatory Prayer in the Aymara language were followed by the same prayer in Quechua and Spanish while all the believers reverently bowed their heads.
“Radio Bahá’í, transmitting on 890 KHz,” continued the voices of the station’s three announcers, “lovingly salutes all the people of the altiplano today in its first transmission ...”
While the greetings in three languages continued, Counsellor Mas’úd Khamsí could be seen outside, listening to a small transistor radio and surrounded by attentive, overjoyed Bahá’ís.
Inside the station, others were busily monitoring the broadcast and double-checking the newly installed equipment. Among them were K. Dean Stephens, a broadcasting engineer and adviser to the Audio-Visual Department of the Universal House of Justice, who was lost among the embraces of the dedicated friends with whom he had collaborated in the realization of this project.
Following the historic 38-minute broadcast, the friends assembled hand-in-hand at the base of the station’s antenna to intone “ ‘Alláh’u’ Abhá” and to offer prayers of thanksgiving.
The newly constructed main building housing the station has an area of about 1,000 square meters. It is on Bahá’í property 16 kilometers (almost 10 miles) from the city of Puno, in a small valley between two hills, bordered on one side by the shore of majestic Lake Titicaca, legendary birthplace of the Inca people.
The physical plant consists of two buildings situated beside a grove of eucalyptus trees close to the Pan-American Highway, which traverses the otherwise barren landscape at about 3,900 meters (12,000 feet) above sea level.
One building contains a reception area, administrative office, staff meeting room, master control room, production control room, performance studio, etc. Studio and control room walls are covered with curtains made from the reeds found growing in abundance on the shore of Lake Titicaca and used for centuries by people of the region for their boats and houses. The reeds were found to be excellent acoustical material.
The other building houses a diesel-powered generator for supplying electricity. However, plans call for the installation of a windmill coupled to storage batteries, with the aim ultimately of eliminating dependence upon conventional power sources—a step toward the use of alternative energy to serve the needs of the Faith.
Immediately after the initial broadcast, people in the area began coming to the station to place announcements on the air.
The world[edit]
Committee standardizing Chinese terms[edit]
A committee of five Bahá’ís from Taiwan, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Singapore and the Bahá’í World Centre, appointed by the Universal House of Justice, has developed a list of more than 100 Bahá’í terms in Chinese characters.
The Committee for the Study of the Standardization of the Representation of Bahá’í Terminology in Chinese Characters (Chinese Standardization Committee) met for the first time last August 7-13 in Taiwan.
The work thus far accomplished has been shared with 11 National Spiritual Assemblies and Bahá’í Publishing Trusts that are, or may become, involved in the production of Bahá’í literature or publications in Chinese.
The newly translated terms include the Names of the Central Figures of the Faith, Bahá’í administrative terms, the Bahá’í calendar, Bahá’í Holy Places, names and titles of persons prominent in Bahá’í history, and miscellaneous words and phrases.
The Universal House of Justice has praised the committee’s work and the loving spirit in which it is being carried forward. The committee will be ongoing, and is in continuous session by correspondence. The members will meet again as a body later this year in Singapore.
The ultimate goal is to develop a standard glossary of Bahá’í terminology in Chinese characters to be used wherever Bahá’í literature and publications in the Chinese language are produced.
Panama[edit]
Short wave radio listeners in Panama can now tune in the broadcasts from Radio Bahá’í in Otavalo, Ecuador.
Programs from Otavalo now reach Panamanians Monday through Saturday for four hours each day on 2.34 MHz. Songs and music are interspersed with “cunas,” or spot announcements, and every hour there is a 15-minute program on a Bahá’í theme.
Panama itself is “expanding the use of radio,” as called for in its Seven Year Plan directive from the Universal House of Justice. Three radio stations in that country now carry Bahá’í programs.
A schedule published in Panama’s “Boletin Bahá’í” for July 1981 lists broadcasts on three Panamanian stations from different cities.
In Panama City, hour-long Bahá’í programs are broadcast twice each month, and a Bahá’í spot announcement can be heard each weekday.
The Bahá’í program “Words of Wisdom” is broadcast on both AM and FM in the west-central province of Veraguas three times a week. The program offers selections from the Bahá’í Writings.
Bahá’í spot announcements are carried once each day (except Saturdays) on Panama’s National Radio Network.
Pictured are participants in the Bahá’í Winter School held July 27-31 in the mountainous Guaymi Indian region of Panama. Classes were offered in Spanish and the Guaymi language.
About 200 people, most of whom
are Guaymi Indians, attended a Bahá’í
Winter School July 27-31 in the mountains of Panama.
A guest speaker was Continental Counsellor Donald Witzel, who 18 years ago, traveling on horseback and on foot, brought the Message of Bahá’u’lláh to these same Guaymi people.
Today there are approximately 2,000 Guaymi Bahá’ís who have many functioning Spiritual Assemblies, three tutorial schools sponsored by Assemblies, and regular children’s classes.
Classes were held during the Winter School for Spanish- and Guaymi-speaking believers.
Thirty children participated in separate classes specially planned for them.
A new teaching plan was announced, and five teaching teams were formed to help carry out the announced goals.
Cameroon Republic[edit]
More than 100 people including Continental Counsellor Dr. Húshang Ahdieh, five Auxiliary Board members, and four members of the National Spiritual Assembly of Cameroon attended a national Bahá’í youth conference July 24-26 in Yaounde, Cameroon.
During the conference, which was dedicated to the believers in Iran, 22 teaching and consolidation teams were formed for 25 projects throughout the country.
A cablegram sent to the World Centre noted the “spirit of joy and determination (of the) Bahá’í youth (was) greatly increased” and added that they have “resolved (to) increase service (to our) beloved Cause.”
Shown are delegates and visitors at the Bahá’í National Convention held last April 24-26 at the National Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds in Victoria, Cameroon. Mrs. Thelma Khelghati, a member of the Continental Board of Counsellors for Africa, was a special guest at the Convention.
United States[edit]
At the request of the Universal House of Justice, John Huddleston, a Bahá’í from the United States who is budget director of the International Monetary Fund, and his wife, Rouhi, visited a number of countries in the Pacific area last summer to proclaim the Faith.
During his visit to New Zealand, Mr. Huddleston took part in seven radio interviews and one for television. More than 1,280 column inches of newspaper space was devoted to reports of his visit to that country.
In Papua New Guinea, he made courtesy calls on government officials and left copies of his book, The Earth Is But One Country. Mr. Huddleston also spoke at a public meeting that was held at a university.
In Brisbane, Australia, he addressed the Royal Geographic Society, met with officials at several universities, and was interviewed by the Australian Broadcasting Commission.
In New Caledonia, Mr. Huddleston met with two government leaders, administration officials, and a United Nations representative.
In Vanuatu, he spoke with the minister of finance and the manager of the Central Bank.
The National Spiritual Assembly of Fiji arranged an evening reception to which dignitaries of the city of Suva were invited. Mr. Huddleston spoke about the persecution of Bahá’í’s in Iran to an audience that included the minister of commerce and the first secretary of the Chinese consulate.
During his visit to Suva, Mr. Huddleston was interviewed by a newspaper reporter and on radio.
He addressed two large public meetings in Tonga and participated in another public meeting at a high school. Although his talks at the school and during an interview on Radio Tonga were on the International Monetary Fund, Mr. Huddleston was introduced as a Bahá’í.
In Western Samoa, he spoke to a university audience and at a well-attended public meeting at the Bahá’í Center. He also was interviewed by a newspaper and on radio, and met with several government officials.
Mr. Huddleston had other radio and TV interviews in American Samoa, where he also conducted a fireside and attended a luncheon for various officials.
Everywhere the Huddlestons visited, the persecution of the friends in Iran was fully discussed. In most cases, the sympathy and concern expressed by various officials was spontaneous and sincere.
Many doors previously closed to the friends were opened, and opportunities to proclaim the Faith abounded, especially to the officials and leaders of thought in the countries visited by Mr. Huddleston and his wife.
Mariana Islands[edit]
The most ambitious project ever undertaken by the Bahá’ís in the Mariana Islands was launched last August 9 when a large number of believers met at the National Center on Guam to learn details of the plan.
The campaign, a 13-week media proclamation effort designed to introduce the Faith to residents of Guam, Rota, Saipan and Tinian islands, was to include 78 spot announcements during television news programs, more than 300 spot announcements on two radio stations, 73 ads in a local newspaper, and at least four public meetings.
More than $6,500 of the estimated $12,000 needed for the campaign was pledged before it began.
Luxembourg[edit]
In Luxembourg, renowned musician John Birks “Dizzy” Gillespie performed with his sextet last July 9 at the “Festival Echternach-Luxembourg.”
Mr. Gillespie spoke of the Faith during the concert before performing “Olinga”—his original composition dedicated to the memory of the Hand of the Cause of God Enoch Olinga.
Pakistan[edit]
A four-member Bahá’í delegation met last August with the governor of Pakistan’s Sind Province and presented him with a volume of The Bahá’í World. The governor welcomed the believers and asked them questions about the Faith.
The meeting was part of a week of proclamation activities August 22-28 that was organized by the local teaching committee in Karachi.
The week began with the reading of prayers for the Bahá’ís in Iran. Two firesides were held each day, and informal meetings were held at the Bahá’í Center in Karachi. Bahá’í literature in English and Urdu was distributed by the friends throughout the week of proclamation.
Fifty Bahá’ís from four communities attended a teaching conference August 7 in Thatta, Pakistan, that was organized by the teaching committee of Karachi with help from the Spiritual Assembly of Thatta.
About 70 people attended a meeting August 14 at the Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds in Quetta that was planned to observe Pakistan’s independence day.
Television cameramen were present, and a news report of the program was broadcast the following day by a local TV station.
Forty-four Bahá’ís from 11 localities participated August 5-10 in a deepening program in Rawalpindi that included separate children’s classes.
Topics for deepening included Baha’i administration, the Guardian, direct teaching, Bahá’í marriage, and the elimination of prejudice.
A 10-day deepening program in Quetta also was well-attended. These classes were organized by the National Teaching Committee of Pakistan.
Finland[edit]
Two gatherings of believers and their guests were held in Lapland (northern Finland) last summer. Shown here are participants in the annual Nordic Midsummer Bahá’í Camp at Tervola, Finland, a town near the Arctic Circle. Those who were present included Continental Counsellor for Europe Hartmut Grossmann and visitors from Norway and Sweden.
Spain[edit]
The National Spiritual Assembly of Spain has begun a campaign aimed at helping the friends to reach various levels of Spanish society with the Bahá’í Message.
The Assembly has suggested to the believers that for a three-month period they concentrate on proclaiming the Faith to physicians, medical students and faculty members at medical colleges in Spain.
The friends have been asked to plan proclamation meetings at medical schools, and to be sure to invite local doctors to public meetings in their area.
The National Spiritual Assembly also suggested that Bahá’ís offer their doctors a copy of Bahá’u’lláh and the New Era and that they keep a file of contacts among doctors and submit a list of those doctors who have received Bahá’í books.
At the end of the three-month period, the National Assembly was to notify the Spanish believers of people in other areas of society to be contacted.
Paraguay[edit]
The Bahá’ís of Paraguay have dedicated their new National Information Center in Asuncion to the memory of the Hand of the Cause of God Raḥhmatu’lláh Muhájir. A plaque on the building states that it is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Muhájir “because of his inspiring and tireless teaching of the Bahá’í Faith.”
Ethiopia[edit]
Belete Worku of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, combined a recent two-month business trip to seven countries with a traveling teaching effort during which he taught the Faith in 27 cities in Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, the United States and countries in the Middle East.
During his trip, from January to March 1981, Mr. Worku made direct contact with 150 seekers and more than 2,000 Bahá’ís across North America.
He found them to have a lively interest in Ethiopia, and shared news of the progress of the Faith in that country.
Papua New Guinea[edit]
One of the goals given by the Universal House of Justice to the National Spiritual Assembly of Papua New Guinea for the three-year second phase of the Seven Year Plan has been accomplished with the opening to the Faith of Goodenough Island in the Dentrecasteaux Group southeast of the mainland in Milne Bay.
When the goal of opening three island groups was announced, Auxiliary Board member Noel Bluett offered to fly Bahá’í teachers to these remote islands in his single-engine plane.
Lopena Vera, a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of Papua New Guinea, and his brother-in-law, Karl, who is a relatively new believer, decided to make the trip to these little-known islands.
After a week-long delay due to bad weather, the plane took off from Lae, but its first attempt to land at Goodenough Island was prevented by heavy rain. Mr. Bluett returned the following day and left his two passengers on the grassy airstrip.
When he returned a week later, Mr. Bluett found the Bahá’ís waiting at the airstrip with a group of residents of the island who were loaded down with gifts of food and mats.
Among the group was the first Bahá’í resident of Goodenough Island. Many other islanders had expressed an interest in the Faith.
Above: Residents of Goodenough Island are shown with two Bahá’ís from Papua New Guinea who opened the island to the Faith during a recent weeklong teaching effort. Below: Auxiliary Board member Noel Bluett (center) flew Bahá’í teachers Lopena Vera (left), a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of Papua New Guinea, and his brother-in-law, Karl, to Goodenough Island in this single-engine plane.
All of the residents of tiny Makati Island in the West New Britain province of Papua New Guinea are Bahá’ís, and all participated in building a local Bahá’í Center on the island. All the wood for the Center had to be brought to the island by canoe. The dedication ceremony last August 30 was attended by the chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly of Papua New Guinea and by two Auxiliary Board members, Noel Bluett and Roslyn Bale.
Sweden[edit]
A 15-minute program that was planned entirely by Bahá’ís was broadcast June 6 on Swedish national radio. The program included music, readings from the Bahá’í Writings, and information about the Faith.
The Bahá’í community in Sweden has been busy bringing the persecution of the friends in Iran to the attention of Swedish public and government officials.
Ten news releases have so far been sent to radio and television stations and to 30 Swedish newspapers.
Two members of the National Spiritual Assembly of Sweden met with the country’s secretary of foreign affairs and presented him with a copy of Bahá’u’lláh and the New Era. The secretary assured them of his efforts to aid the Bahá’ís in Iran.
A positive working relationship has developed between the National Assembly and the Swedish Emigration Bureau due to their numerous contacts regarding the many Persian believers who have recently arrived in Sweden.
One of the most exciting aspects of recent teaching work in Scandinavia is the cooperative efforts of the Bahá’í communities of Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark that have developed in response to a call from the Universal House of Justice for closer collaboration.
Last February, a joint teaching effort involving Bahá’ís from Norway and Sweden was held on the island of Åland, Finland.
A teaching conference last August 14-16 in Piteå, Sweden, attracted believers from Finland, Norway and Sweden to that northern city.
Shown are participants in a border teaching conference August 14-16 in Piteå, Sweden. Auxiliary Board member Hadi Afsahi (far right) was among the believers from Finland, Norway and Sweden who carried out the proclamation effort.
In an effort to reach Sweden’s Finnish-speaking minority, posters in Finnish and Swedish were placed around Piteå. One of the public meetings was conducted in Finnish, and newspaper ads for proclamation events were published in both languages.
Chile[edit]
Many indigenous Bahá’í youth were among the 120 people who attended a national youth conference July 18-19 in Nueva Imperial, Chile.
Conference participants planned a chain of prayers for the martyrs in Iran and committed themselves to achieving individual and community teaching goals.
Contributions made at the conference financed the gathering and also provided a contribution to Chile’s National Fund.
United Kingdom[edit]
More than 950 people from 20 countries attended a Bahá’í Youth Conference last July 16-19 at Chigwell in Sussex that launched the second phase of the Seven Year Plan for Bahá’í youth in the United Kingdom.
Participants in this largest gathering ever of youth in the United Kingdom included the Hand of the Cause of God Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum, Continental Counsellor Adib Taherzadeh, three members of the National Spiritual Assembly of the United Kingdom, and four Auxiliary Board members.
The conference was dedicated to the memory of those Hands of the Cause of God who recently passed to the Abhá Kingdom. Topics discussed included ways in which the lives of the recently departed Hands of the Cause may inspire Bahá’í youth to greater service.
Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum discussed the meaning of liberty, the age of declaration of faith, association with non-Bahá’ís, and the virtues of a correct upbringing and moral rectitude.
Presentations were made on the history of the Divine Plan, the goals of the second phase of the current Plan, the present international climate of world events from a Bahá’í perspective, and the National Teaching Plan for youth.
Also presented was a seminar on world problems during which questions were answered by Counsellor Taherzadeh, members of the National Spiritual Assembly, and Auxiliary Board members.
On the final day of the conference, a panel discussion on various subjects of special interest to youth was held.
A cable sent from the conference to the Universal House of Justice closed with these words: “ENTIRE CONFERENCE AROSE PLEDGE DAILY LIFE SERVICE BAHÁ’U’LLÁH. BESEECH PRAYERS CONFIRMATION THEIR EFFORTS.”
Alaska[edit]
More than 60 people attended the Chilkat Valley Bahá’í Summer School last July 27-August 1 in Haines, Alaska.
Speakers at the school included John Kolstoe, chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly of Alaska; Guy Murchie, author of The Seven Mysteries of Life and other books; and Dr. Khalil Khavari, a professor at the University of Wisconsin.
Classes were presented on the Covenant, the present and future challenges of the Formative Age of the Faith, and reacting positively to stress.
Mr. Murchie discussed some of the topics covered in his several published books, and gave a preview of a new book he is writing on the history of the Faith.
Children and youth attended separate classes that were centered on Bahá’í attributes, prayer, and applying Bahá’í principles to one’s life.
The use of dance, drama, singing, nature walks and crafts was included in the program for children and youth.
A weekly Bahá’í radio program,
“The Glad Tidings,” was first broadcast last July 28 on the only radio station in Barrow, Alaska. The Barrow
community had prayed and planned
for years to make the program a reality.
The program is heard in Barrow, the northernmost city on the North American continent, and in the outlying villages of the North Slope.
Australia[edit]
In Wollongong, New South Wales, 225 Bahá’ís gathered on the last weekend in August with the Hand of the Cause of God Collis Featherstone for an institute that was opened by the Lord Mayor of that Australian town.
Participation by three Auxiliary Board members and a presentation of the new film “The Pilgrimage” brought deepened understanding and an intense spiritual atmosphere to deliberations on the three-year phase of the Seven Year Plan.
The Netherlands[edit]
The International Association for Religious Freedom, an 80-year-old organization composed of 46 member groups in 20 countries, has directed its representatives at the United Nations to express concern and all member groups to protest the treatment of Bahá’í’s in Iran.
A resolution in support of the Bahá’ís in Iran was adopted by 98 of the 99 delegates to the organization’s 24th Triennial Congress held last July 24-29 in The Netherlands.
The resolution cited the denial of legal protection to the Bahá’í community of Iran and the record of arrests, abuses and executions there.
The two Bahá’ís from The Netherlands and one from Germany who were present as special guests of the association heard it offer a “tribute to those who have been martyred for their faith, and sympathy for their relatives, friends and supporters.”
Zimbabwe[edit]
Doreen Mpofu, a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of Zimbabwe (standing in center holding child), talks with the approximately 50 children who participated last August in a Bahá’í children’s conference held in Matabeleland Province near Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. The gathering was the first of a series of conferences planned for children in the region. Standing at left is Fariborz Davoodi, a son of the former secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly of Iran who has been missing for almost two years. Seated near Mrs. Mpofu is Ann Morris, an 88-year-old pioneer to Zimbabwe from the United States.
Malaysia[edit]
A nationwide two-week school vacation in Malaysia in July and August allowed time for four highly successful Bahá’í events: a National Youth Camp at Malacca that was attended by 170 people; a Bahá’í Summer School in Butterworth; a regional Bahá’í school in Sabah; and another Bahá’í school session at Port Dickson that was attended by 350 believers including five members of the Continental Board of Counsellors for Asia.
During that same time, a new teaching plan was launched during a meeting between representatives of the National Spiritual Assemblies of Malaysia and Thailand.
Fourteen pioneers arose during the meeting, and the national community of Malaysia resolved to meet a specific contributions goal by Riḍván 1982 in response to the June 8 letter from the Universal House of Justice stressing the urgent need to complete the Bahá’í Houses of Worship in Samoa and India.
DELIGHT
OF
HEARTS
THE MEMOIRS OF ḤÁJÍ MÍRZÁ ḤAYDAR-‘ALÍ
TRANSLATED AND ABRIDGED BY A. Q. FAIZI
♦
MR. FAIZI’S LAST BOOK
Only a few months before his passing, the Hand of the Cause Mr. Faizi published his
translation of this testimony of courage, faith, and service. He thus made available
to the West the recollections of “the Angel of Carmel,” Ḥájí Mírzá Ḥaydar-‘Alí.
This great Bahá’í teacher served the Faith during the Ministries of the Báb, Bahá’u’lláh,
and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. With poignant devotion, surprising frankness, and delightful humor,
Ḥaydar-‘Alí recalls his life in the presence of the Central Figures of the Faith.
This exciting book is a must on every Bahá’í reading list.
BAHÁ’Í PUBLISHING TRUST
415 Linden Avenue Wilmette, Illinois 60091
ISBN 0-933770-11-1
Clothbound · 168 pp. · Photographs
