Bahá’í News/Issue 613/Text
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| Bahá’í News | April 1982 | Bahá’í Year 138 |
Bahá’í children’s class
Auke Bay (Juneau), Alaska
MARTYRDOM SHIDRUKH AMIR-KIYA WIFE MANUCHIHR BAQA SIGNIFICANT. SHE AND HUSBAND WERE HOSTS LOCAL ASSEMBLY TEHERAN WHEN THEIR HOME RAIDED AND BOTH WERE ARRESTED ALONG WITH 6 MEMBERS ASSEMBLY. AS IN OTHER CASES PRESSURE WAS BROUGHT RECANT FAITH SAVE LIVES. UNFORTUNATELY APPEARS HUSBAND DID NOT STAND TEST AND AS PUBLISHED NEWSPAPERS RENOUNCED FAITH AND WAS IMMEDIATELY RELEASED. HE INCREASED PRESSURE HIS WIFE SHIDRUKH BY PLEADING HER FOLLOW HIM. SHE CHOSE CROWN MARTYRDOM REFUSED BETRAY HER FAITH AND JOINED RANK IMMORTALS.
HISTORY WILL EVER EXTOL EXEMPLARY COURAGE RESOLUTE FAITH ONE WHO SACRIFICED HER LIFE THRESHOLD HER BELOVED.
JANUARY 14, 1982
Bahá’í News[edit]
The Universal House of Justice describes present situation in Iran | 1 |
From Yazd, a moving report of heroism by Bahá’í children, women | 4 |
In Michigan, Louhelen School reconstruction moves steadily forward | 7 |
A Bahá’í statement to the United Nations Human Rights Commission | 8 |
Australia creates a Special Humanitarian Program to help refugees | 10 |
A tribute to Olivia Kelsey, a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh who died at age 92 | 11 |
Around the world: News from Bahá’í communities all over the world | 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.
World Centre[edit]
Faith’s enemies wage campaign of terror[edit]
To the Bahá’ís of the World
Dearly-loved Friends,
With indignation and anguish the Bahá’ís of the world, over the past three years, have received continuously tragic news of the sufferings and martyrdoms of their brethren in Iran, where a reign of relentless terror is now encompassing that long-abused and downtrodden community.
The inhuman cruelties heaped on the followers of the Most Great Name—worthy descendants of their forebears, the Dawn-Breakers—in that land where the heroes and martyrs of the Faith have shed such lustre on their generations, are increasing daily.
We have seen how the House of the Báb in Shíráz and Bahá’u’lláh’s ancestral home in Tákur have been demolished, all Bahá’í endowments, including our Holy Places, have been seized, and the main financial assets of the community sequestered.
We have seen with what callousness Bahá’í children have been refused admission to schools, Bahá’í employees dismissed from government positions, and the essential human rights of the sorely-tried Bahá’ís violated, their means of livelihood undermined or destroyed, their homes plundered, their properties confiscated, their very lives snuffed out.
Alarming acceleration[edit]
Contemplating the history of the persecution of the Bahá’ís of Iran, we note an alarming acceleration in the degree of blatancy with which the traditional enemies of the Faith pursue their single purpose in extirpating the Faith in the land of its birth.
In the past, with the exception of a few specific instances, the persecution of the members of the Bahá’í community by those traditionally inimical to the Faith, was random and sporadic, resulting from the incitement of easily aroused mobs to attack the lives and properties of the Bahá’ís.
Now the enemies of God’s precious Cause who, as they themselves attest, have in the past twenty-five years organized themselves to counteract the influence of the Faith, to vilify and misrepresent its purpose and teachings, to inflame religious passions leading to the harassment and intimidation of the believers, to sow seeds of doubt among the friends and sympathizers, have infiltrated the ranks of officialdom, where, from this more advantageous position, they continue to instigate the persecution of the Bahá’ís.
The incidence of violation of the rights of the Bahá’ís is thus becoming more frequent as is well evidenced by reports published in the press of Iran in recent months.
Examples abound. For instance, formerly when Bahá’ís were arrested they were given an opportunity to defend themselves in some form of judicial proceedings held for the sake of appearance. On one occasion part of the proceedings which resulted in the execution of seven believers in Yazd, as late as September 1980, was televised.
But recently the court proceedings, if any, have been held in camera, and reports have even been received of the torture of Bahá’ís before their execution.
No longer are the relatives of imprisoned Bahá’ís permitted to visit them, as they were until recently; no longer are the condemned permitted to solace their families with letters of farewell or the making of wills before their execution; and, more tragically, disturbed by the large number of Bahá’ís and sympathetic people of other religions who attended the funeral services of the slain Bahá’ís, the authorities have now seized the Bahá’í cemetery in Teheran and do not permit burial there. Indeed, families of those most recently martyred were not even notified of the secret execution of their loved ones, whose bodies, unceremoniously deposited in graves for “infidels,” were only fortuitously discovered.
‘Stability and firmness’[edit]
Although the oppressors maintain that they are killing the Bahá’ís because they are guilty of serving as political agents and spies, it has been ascertained that in almost every instance of execution, the accused Bahá’í was offered recantation as a means of release.
The inveterate enemies of the Faith imagine that their persecutions will disrupt the foundations of the Faith and tarnish its glory. Alas! Alas for their ignorance and folly! These acts of oppression, far from weakening the resolve of the friends, have always served to inflame their zeal and galvanize their beings.
In the words of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, “... they thought that violence and interference would cause extinction and silence and lead to suppression and oblivion; whereas interference in matters of conscience causes stability and firmness and attracts the attention of men’s sight and souls; which fact has received experimental proof many times and often.”
Every drop of blood shed by the valiant martyrs, every sigh heaved by the silent victims of oppression, every supplication for divine assistance offered by the faithful, has released, and will continue mysteriously to release, forces over which no antagonist of the Faith has any control, and which, as marshalled by an All-Watchful Providence, have served to noise abroad the
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name and fame of the Faith to the
masses of humanity in all continents,
millions of whom had previously been
totally ignorant of the existence of the
Faith or had but a superficial, and oft-times erroneous, understanding of its
teachings and history.
The current persecution has resulted in bringing the name and character of our beloved Faith to the attention of the world as never before in its history.
As a direct result of the protests sent by the world-wide community of the Most Great Name to the rulers in Iran, of the representations made to the media when those protests were ignored, of direct approach by Bahá’í institutions at national and international level to governments, communities of nations, international agencies and the United Nations itself, the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh has not only been given sympathetic attention in the world’s councils, but also its merits and violated rights have been discussed and resolutions of protest sent to the Iranian authorities by sovereign governments, singly and in unison.
The world’s leading newspapers, followed by the local press, have presented sympathetic accounts of the Faith to millions of readers, while television and radio stations are increasingly making the persecutions in Iran the subject of their programmes. Commercial publishing houses are beginning to commission books about the Faith.
But in spite of this great wave of publicity now bringing the name of the Faith to the attention of large masses of mankind, and in spite of the many representations made to the authorities in Iran, the persecution of the Bahá’ís there continues. The world stands helpless before the imperviousness of that country to outside opinion or criticism.
In face of this tragic impasse we can only redouble our efforts to teach the Cause, taking advantage of the increasing interest in the character and principles of our beloved Faith created by the sufferings of the Persian community.
Indeed, this new wave of persecution sweeping the Cradle of the Faith may well be seen as a blessing in disguise, a “providence” whose “calamity” is, as always, borne heroically by the beloved Persian community.
It may be regarded as the latest move in God’s Major Plan, another trumpet blast to awaken the heedless from their slumber and a golden opportunity offered to the Bahá’ís to demonstrate once again their unity and fellowship before the eyes of a declining and skeptical world, to proclaim with full force the Message of Bahá’u’lláh to high and low alike, to establish the reverence of our Faith for Islám and its Prophet, to assert the principles of non-interference in political activities and obedience to government which stand at the very core of our Faith, and to provide comfort and solace to the breasts of the serene sufferers and steadfast heroes in the forefront of a persecuted community.
Our motto in these days of world-encircling gloom should be the Words of God addressed to the Blessed Beauty Himself: “When the swords flash, go forward! When the shafts fly, press onward!”
Future historians will have to assess the impact of this crisis on the onward march of a triumphant Faith. A detailed list of the steps that have already been taken by the Bahá’ís of the world during the past three years is attached for the study of the friends.
Our fervent prayers are offered most ardently at the Holy Shrines for the blessings of Bahá’u’lláh to surround His lovers and loved ones in every land, and to assist and confirm them as they face with certitude and confidence the challenges of the future.
With loving Bahá’í greetings,
January 26, 1982
SUMMARY OF ACTIONS TAKEN BY THE BAHÁ’Í INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY, NATIONAL AND LOCAL BAHÁ’Í INSTITUTIONS, GOVERNMENTS, NON-BAHÁ’Í ORGANIZATIONS AND PROMINENT PEOPLE IN CONNECTION WITH THE PERSECUTION OF
THE BAHÁ’ÍS OF IRAN
The Bahá’í International Community
- Issued official statements to the press;
- kept the Secretary-General and appropriate offices of the United Nations apprised of developments as they occurred;
- cabled the Ayatollah Khomeini, the President and Prime Minister of Iran, and the President of the Iranian Supreme Court, urging their intervention and refuting accusations made against the Faith;
- prepared materials and made statements in connection with the adoption of resolutions by the United Nations General Assembly, the United Nations Commission on Human Rights Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities, the European Parliament, and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe;
- made statements at the United Nations Commission on Human Rights on the Question of Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances;
- contacted the Iranian representative to the United Nations in New York in order to repudiate falsehoods made about the Faith and to provide him with the true facts;
- and prepared the “White Paper” and “Update” and arranged for their translation in three languages, the “Chronological Summary of Individual Acts of Persecution in Iran,” and other documents for submission to high-ranking officials, government and United Nations offices,
- and worldwide distribution to National Spiritual Assemblies.
Bahá’í Institutions
- National Assemblies throughout the world cabled the Ayatollah Khomeini on four occasions, the Prime Minister and Head of the Iranian Supreme Court three times each, and the Secretary of the Revolutionary Council of Iran once.
- 118 National Spiritual Assemblies cabled the Secretary-General of the United Nations, as did thousands of Local Assemblies, Bahá’í groups and isolated centers. It was estimated that some 10-15,000 cables reached him, protesting the execution of seven Bahá’ís in Hamadan.
- Over 10,000 Local Spiritual Assemblies cabled the Ayatollah Khomeini, urging his intervention regarding the expropriation of Bahá’í properties in Iran.
- Most National Assemblies contacted by letter or delegation, or sent cables to their respective Iranian Embassy or Consulate, on five occasions, and kept their government officials continually informed of developments.
- Selected National Assemblies cabled the Ayatollah Khomeini, the President and the Prime Minister of Iran, and the Secretary of the Revolutionary Council on several occasions. They also cabled or contacted their respective Iranian Embassy or Consulate at least eleven times; approached humanitarian, business or professional organizations; and were in constant touch with government offices and the media.
- A large number of National Assemblies pursued a well-organized campaign of approaching the mass media, providing them with accurate information about the Faith and refuting false accusations made by enemies of the Cause. As a result, an unprecedented volume of publicity occurred in leading newspapers and periodicals throughout the world, as well as in newspapers having modest circulations. Well-known journalists wrote articles, some of which were distributed through international news agencies. Interviews were held with families of the martyrs, individual Bahá’ís wrote letters to editors of newspapers, and many radio and television programs were aired, including “Iran’s Secret Pogrom” on W5 TV in Canada, and “Day One” and “John Craven’s Newsround” on BBC1 TV.
- Many National Assemblies contacted immigration authorities and appropriate government offices in efforts to assist the displaced Iranian Bahá’ís in extending their visas and obtaining work permits and travel documents. They established special committees to work specifically to assist the Iranian friends, and they set up Persian Relief Funds on a national scale to aid deserving cases. The National Assemblies of Australia and Canada worked out with their respective immigration offices procedures whereby the process of immigration by Iranian Bahá’ís would be facilitated.
- Bahá’í communities the world over have assisted Iranian students abroad, who have been faced with the termination of their education because they are unable to receive funds from their families in Iran whose assets in Nawnáhálán Company were frozen, or did not receive funds because the Iranian government prevented the transfer of money from Iran to Bahá’í students abroad. In some areas, Iranian Embassies have refused to extend the visas of Bahá’í students. Certain universities and colleges have allowed the Bahá’í students to continue their studies, and in some instances their tuition fees have even been waived.
Resolutions Adopted on Behalf of the Bahá’ís in Iran
- Canadian Parliament (2)
- House of Representatives, Australia
- Senate, Australia
- German Federal Parliament
- A meeting held in a committee room of the House of Commons, United Kingdom
- United Nations General Assembly, Third Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Religious Intolerance
- United Nations Sub-Commission on the Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities, Commission on Human Rights (2)
- European Parliament (2)
- Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (2)
- House of Representatives of the State of Alaska, U.S.A.
- House of Representatives, State of Illinois, U.S.A.
- International Association for Religious Freedom
Statements and Letters from Governments, World Leaders and Others
To name just a few:
- Prime Minister’s Office of the United Kingdom
- President Miterrand of France
- Offices of the King and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Belgium
- President and Minister of Cultural Affairs of Luxembourg
- All three parliamentary parties in Luxembourg
- Foreign Minister Hans-Dietrich Genscher of Germany
- Prime Minister Indira Gandhi of India
- 148 out of 150 Members of Parliament Netherlands
- Swiss Parliamentarians
- Western Samoan Government
- Minister of Foreign Affairs, Australia
- Governor of the Hawaiian Islands, U.S.A.
- Governor of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
Some Non-Bahá’í Individuals and Organizations that Issued Statements, Letters, Cables, or Press Releases
- Human Rights Commission of the Federation of Protestant Churches in Switzerland
- Amnesty International
- Trinidad and Tobago Bureau on Human Rights
- Former Chief Justice, India
- Commission on Social Action of Reform Judaism
- Pacific Conference of Churches
- 13 Heads of Colleges in Oxford, United Kingdom
- The Master, Balliol College, Oxford, England
- Iran Committee for Democratic Action and Human Rights (based in the United States)
- Action by Christians for the Abolition of Torture (based in France)
- A large number of Senators and Congressmen of the United States
Iran[edit]
Children, women perform heroic deeds[edit]
My dear Brother,
... I do not know where to begin, there is too much to be written about. In these days of constant struggle our children are in the vanguard. They always produce wonders. What is transpiring here is exceptional. Where were these heroes before? They must have existed but it is only now that they are able to manifest their spiritual potentialities, to reveal their precious essence, to prove the validity of the spiritual training they received from their families.
Most of our children, in different degrees, have now been given opportunities in their schools to demonstrate their heroism. In the Land of Ya (Yazd), the home of the brave, opportunities abound. So far over 100 of our children have been expelled from their schools because they are Bahá’ís. Their dismissal, which ordinarily one would expect would be the cause of sadness, has produced in them a joy and vitality which I cannot describe. Because of their response to their dismissal, all Yazd is shaken. Our precious children have shown such courage as to have caused all Yazd to wonder.
It should be said that all these children are among the very best students in the city. They attained the highest marks, were known for their exemplary conduct and were recognized as being exceptionally talented and intelligent. This has given rise to the first question among the people of Yazd: Why should the best be expelled?
This letter, forwarded from the World Centre, reports some of the recent developments in Yazd, Irán, and the heroic response of the Bahá’ís there, especially the women and children, to the continuing persecutions. The writer was herself arrested and imprisoned shortly afterward.
The second question in the minds of those who have expelled them arises from the courage and perseverance of these young ones. Although they were dismissed from school in an atmosphere charged with hatred and prejudice, our children have, with a sense of pride and a consciousness of being related to the followers of Bahá’u’lláh, collected their books and school bags with placid joy and left the school, smiling and walking with a light step, while their non-Bahá’í school friends wept for them.
I have to interrupt this letter as the
telephone is ringing.
(Later)
I have been informed that six members of the Local Spiritual Assembly of Ṭihrán have been arrested. Never a moment of peace! What strength is required to be able to concentrate our thoughts and compose our feelings!
I was writing about our children. The believers of Yazd have told us that there are very few Bahá’í children in the city who are unhappy and cry—they are those who as yet have not been expelled from the schools.
The teachers, and even the headmasters, are extremely upset by the instruction from the Ministry to dismiss Bahá’í children. One headmaster decided
to resign after receiving the order to
dismiss his Bahá’í students but he was
firmly warned against tendering his
resignation. However, on the day of
the dismissal of the Bahá’í students he
absented himself from school, having
clearly stated that he had no wish to
witness such an unjust action.
(Later)
I have been interrupted by another phone call. A husband and wife in Karaj have been executed by a firing squad for their “Zionist” activities. My thoughts immediately go out to Mr. and Mrs. ——— who are imprisoned in Karaj. Is this news true? Is it about them? Until we can verify this report, what anxiety we have to endure! The air is thick with rumors these days, none of them good. God knows what consternation fills our minds until we are able to verify the truth or falsehood of these rumors.
Pride and courage[edit]
I’m sorry—I was diverted again. This is what is happening to our children:
On the appointed day the teacher asks the class whether there are any Bahá’ís among the students. Our children—our patient, well-behaved, faithful and steadfast children—stand up and with great pride and courage introduce themselves as Bahá’ís. They are then sent to the office of the headmaster. The teachers, and sometimes the headmasters, are embarrassed and sad. In the office of the headmaster the children are first asked to deny their faith and continue their studies. These requests are in many instances expressed with love and concern because the staff in the school really like these distinguished and outstanding students and do not want to lose them.
But what they hear from these children surprises them. The children announce that they are Bahá’ís, that they personally decided to be Bahá’ís, that they cannot lie and deny their faith, and that they are proud of what they believe! At this point the headmaster and teachers have no alternative but to sign the order expelling them.
These children range in age from 7 to 17 or 18. It is a sight to see how cheerfully the Bahá’í children leave the school with no sense of shame, while their non-Bahá’í fellow students look on thoughtfully, some even weeping. Disturbances occur in the classroom
[Page 5]
after the Bahá’í children leave, and
challenging discussions take place between the remaining pupils and their
teachers. The children put questions
until the end of the school day and the
discussion is carried out to the streets.
The non-Bahá’í students invariably
ask: Isn’t it true that we are supposed
to have freedom of belief? What’s
wrong with the Bahá’í children—don’t
they worship God and pray? Why are
they being dismissed? The children
carry their questions home. Their
queries spread to all parts of the city
and are taken up in the streets and the
bazaars.
The parents of the dismissed Bahá’í children—themselves the essence of patience and steadfastness—exclaim with pride: What we have failed to achieve, our children are now achieving! They praise the children with candor and love. I doubt whether in the history of any society such honor has been heaped upon children of so tender an age.
The parents remark: “It is true that in the 138 years since the beginning of our Faith we have endured many hardships, but we have never been so successful as our children in proclaiming to the masses of the people of Yazd the exalted character of the Bahá’í Revelation, nor have our actions resulted, as have our children’s, in creating an atmosphere in which the Faith is being discussed so openly among the people in the streets and bazaars. Our persecuted children have succeeded in breaking through the barrier of prejudice of the hard-hearted people of this city.”
The parents go on to exclaim: “The events of the past have made us conservative and cautious; it is our children who have changed the atmosphere.” ... This change had its early beginnings last year when the martyrs shed their blood on the soil of Yazd. This change cannot be measured by existing standards.
A program of study has been arranged for our children at home; they are learning with great speed and progressing in all fields of knowledge. They will surely surpass their fellow students who are still in school. More important than this, we have promised ourselves to help these children become so well versed in the holy writings that each will become the envy of scholars. There is no doubt that this will come to pass.
Let me tell you something about the adults. The Bahá’í men and women—particularly the women—are facing tribulations with such equanimity that no comparable example can be found even among the legendary heroines of the past. These women are in fact creating new legends through their patience, steadfastness, love and detachment. They have conquered the hearts of everyone and won the praises of all. The forces of hatred have been vanquished by the power of their faith.
When they are looted of their property, furniture and belongings they part with them as they would with outworn dolls and playthings, looking on as though they were mere spectators.
| Facsimile of the original Persian (with English translation) of a typical expulsion order dismissing a Bahá’í child from school as a result of his refusal to recant his faith
|
[Page 6]
They shower love upon those who
come to take away their belongings as
might an affectionate and indulgent
parent who with a smile will give a
worthless toy or plaything to a naughty
child. It appears that they even enjoy
the naughtiness of these children.
Such behavior has greatly influenced the hearts of the looters who are not great in number. Mr. K———, that heartless man who is the leader of those who are executing the Bahá’ís and confiscating their properties, and whose main task is to uproot the Faith in Yazd, is often seen entering the homes of the Bahá’ís, knocking upon their doors at any hour of the day or night. He has become such a familiar figure that the Bahá’ís jest with him, saying, “You have become one of us!” He even knows the nicknames of the Bahá’í children. If he does not make an appearance for some time the Bahá’ís tell him they miss him. Although Mr. K. comes to take away their property or to send their loved ones to prison, they are pleasant to him, joke with him, inquire about his health. They even tell him that one day he should become a Bahá’í in order to understand the significance of what he is now doing.
... The Bahá’ís of Yazd say that this unfeeling man, Mr. K., is treated by them as a member of the family. When he comes to seize their furniture the young men of the family help him carry out the heavier pieces; when he arrives they invite him to join them at the table and give him sweets, fruits, even meals. After he has eaten he goes around the house and selects the furniture he wants to take away. If he does not have a vehicle available he gestures toward the selected articles of furniture and tells the owner, “These are my trust with you; keep them safely until I return.” He sometimes even proposes that the family might buy back the furniture from him. The behavior of the long-suffering Bahá’ís in these appalling circumstances is unprecedented. They recognize that they are indeed giving away worthless dolls, as to an ignorant child.
The Bahá’ís whose homes have been confiscated do not leave the city but move to a small dwelling place, wherever they can find refuge ... Almost all the Bahá’í men have been required to leave the city and this has provided the children, youth and women an opportunity to prove their courage and valor. How proud we are of them! What a creation Bahá’u’lláh has raised up! Such conduct has been unheard of, even in legends. When the Bahá’ís of Yazd themselves relate these events they express amazement at the change
‘When he comes to seize their furniture the young men of the family help him carry out the heavier pieces; when he arrives they invite him to join them at the table and give him sweets, fruits, even meals.’
in themselves.
The people of Yazd have the reputation of being economical and thrifty; it is said that two families of Yazd could fight between themselves over possession of a valueless stick of wood. But look at them now! They have given up everything to show their love for Bahá’u’lláh. When one extends sympathy to them they express surprise, remarking that what they have parted with is worthless. They do not even denounce the thieves and looters when referring to them.
I cannot overlook mentioning a mother and daughter who are in prison—they are examples. The daughter is 60 years old and the mother is over 80. The fact of imprisoning such elderly innocent women is in itself very strange, but it has been done. These women are Bahá’ís of Zoroastrian background. All their possessions were confiscated and they are now in the women’s prison with over 100 prisoners of all kinds.
A few months ago a release order was issued for the mother, but she refused to leave unless her daughter was also released, so they remained in prison. Only ten days ago the authorities at last gave permission for them to receive occasional visitors.
Bahá’í visitors have witnessed the old woman embracing and demonstrating affection to the policewoman, before she would come forward to meet her visitors. During the course of the visit the old woman noticed a young male guard who was supposed to control the visitors. In her special Parsi-Yazdi accent she maternally addressed complimentary remarks to him with such obvious love and sincerity that the young man was visibly uncomfortable and ashamed. She remarked to her visitors, “I always thought that mothers could really love only their own children, but I have come to feel genuine love for these young men who are on duty.” The young guard had nothing to say, but stood with bowed head.
The fire of sincere love is melting the ice of hatred. Then with remarkable candor this old woman, more than 80 years of age, said to her visitors, “Tell everybody that Bahá’u’lláh has enabled me to perform miracles. Tell them that the Bahá’í prayers which I copy out for the sick ones in this prison cause them to become cured.” She related how one of the guards sought her out excitedly to tell her his story. “I was searching for you,” he said. “I wanted to tell you that the prayers you wrote out for me and my wife a year ago have been answered and our wish to have a baby is fulfilled. This has made it unnecessary for me to divorce my wife for her inability to conceive a child.”
In the evenings the women prisoners crowd together around the mother and daughter and ask them to tell them stories and speak to them. They speak most beautifully and with such a sweet accent that no one wants to go to sleep. Even the guards do not object.
When Sarafráz, the mother, has a visitor, she begs them to bring fruit from her orchard in order to make a feast for the prisoners. The old woman does not know that her orchard and other properties have been confiscated. But the visitors know what to do. They purchase large quantities of fruit so she can provide hospitality to her fellow prisoners. When have you heard stories like this?
Glad tidings! Glad tidings! The climate of this city in the midst of the desert is changed and the perfume of the love of God has filled all corners. In my next letter I will write you more such stories—if I am still alive, or free ...
United States[edit]
Louhelen construction moves forward[edit]
As these photos show, the reconstruction of the Louhelen Bahá’í School near Davison, Michigan, has been proceeding well in spite of inclement weather from September through early February. The photo at top right shows work nearly completed on dormitory No. 1; below right, construction work progresses on dormitory No. 2. The $1.9 million Louhelen project includes the construction of four new buildings on the property. Together, the two new dormitories will house 164 beds in a semi-private suite arrangement that includes restroom facilities. The new school center building, which was 30 percent completed by early February, will house a cafeteria with kitchen, dining area, lounge with fireplace, an audio-visual and council room, and a reception desk. The classroom building, also 30 percent completed, will include eight fully equipped classrooms plus an observation room for special students and sleeping quarters for children.
Workmen lay the foundation for a dormitory building at the Louhelen Bahá’í School near Davison, Michigan. The Louhelen project has been proceeding well in spite of inclement weather.
International Community[edit]
On the disappearance of Bahá’ís in Iran[edit]
An oral statement presented by the Bahá’í International Community to the Commission on Human Rights at its 37th session in Geneva, Switzerland, February 17, 1981.
•
Mr. Chairman:
The Bahá’í International Community is grateful to the Commission for this opportunity to make a brief statement on the disappearance of a number of prominent Bahá’ís in Iran.
Three were kidnapped between May 1979 and January 1980. Eleven others, including all nine members of the national administrative council of the Bahá’ís in Iran, were summarily arrested by Revolutionary Guardsmen at a private home in Tehran on 21 August 1980. The members of the families of these Bahá’ís have made every effort to locate their loved ones and have taken every possible opportunity to make inquiries of the authorities.
The appeals of the families have so far gone unheeded, and it is because of the acute anxiety of the families involved that we have decided to take this opportunity to raise this matter in this distinguished international forum. Through you, Mr. Chairman, we now repeat our appeal to the government of Iran, which, we feel sure, has it within its power to locate these disappeared persons.
Systematic campaign[edit]
The details of this situation, including all the approaches to officials, have now been filed with the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances.
We have also presented to the Working Group, at its request, extensive information on the background to this situation, but we would like, with your
‘During and since the revolution, the Bahá’ís in Iran have been the repeated victims of violent attacks. Individuals have been beaten, terrorized and savagely murdered. Properties have been confiscated, desecrated, and in some cases destroyed.’
permission, Mr. Chairman, to give the Commission a brief summary of this background.
Since the start of the recent revolution, prominent Bahá’ís in many parts of Iran have been arrested (and, in some cases, executed) as part of a continuing and systematic campaign to demoralize, paralyze, and ultimately eradicate the Iranian Bahá’í community.
Although Iran’s 300,000 Bahá’ís are indigenous Iranians and constitute the largest religious minority in the country, they are denied recognition under the new Constitution (which recognizes the smaller Christian, Jewish, and Zoroastrian minorities) and are thus placed outside the protection of the law. Those who wish to perpetrate attacks on Bahá’ís and their property may therefore do so with almost complete certainty that they will go unpunished.
Since the inception of the Bahá’í Faith in Iran in 1844, the Bahá’ís have been the most frequently persecuted group in that country. In the mid-nineteenth century, over 20,000 early believers were the victims of massacres, and the Iranian Bahá’í community has subsequently suffered continued persecution at the hands of successive governments.
During the Pahlavi régime (1921-1979), when outbreaks of physical violence against Bahá’ís were fairly sporadic, a large volume of discriminatory legislation was enacted which deprived the Bahá’ís, both individually and as a community, of many basic rights and freedoms.
During and since the revolution, the Bahá’ís in Iran have been the repeated victims of violent attacks. Individuals have been beaten, terrorized, and savagely murdered. Properties have been confiscated, desecrated, and in some cases destroyed. The businesses of individual Bahá’ís have been confiscated and their bank accounts frozen.
The enemies of the Bahá’í Faith have conducted a campaign of vilification against the Bahá’í community, designed to identify the Bahá’ís as supporters of the ex-Sháh, agents of SAVAK, opponents of Islam, spies for Israel, moral degenerates, and enemies of the Iranian government and people. The charges brought against the executed Bahá’ís included some or all of these accusations.
Such charges are totally without foundation. The Iranian Bahá’ís—in common with their fellow believers the world over—are obliged, as an article of their faith, to show loyalty and obedience to the government of the country in which they live, whatever its form or policies, and to abstain from participation in politics or involvement in any subversive activity. They are committed to the highest standards of morality and rectitude in their public and private lives.
In addition, Bahá’ís believe in the essential oneness of all the great religions, including Islám, consider these faiths as divine in origin, and honor and revere their founders. These facts have repeatedly been presented to the
[Page 9]
Iranian authorities, together with evidence that the Iranian Bahá’ís have
steadfastly upheld these fundamental
principles of their Faith—but all such
representations, and all appeals for
justice and fair treatment for the Bahá’ís, have gone unheeded.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Statement presented by the representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran at the 37th session in Geneva, Switzerland, February 17, 1981.
•
Mr. Chairman:
The statement just made by the representative of the Bahá’í International Community calls for the following remarks on the part of the observer delegation of the Islamic Republic of Iran:
‘Although Iran’s 300,000 Bahá’ís are indigenous Iranians and constitute the largest religious minority in the country, they are denied recognition under the new Constitution ... and are thus placed outside the protection of the law.’
Firstly, the case of religious minorities in Iran is dealt with by our Constitution, which grants to them the exercise of their rights according to their liturgy, therefore the Bahá’ís in Iran are part of what is called the majority of the Iranian people—a majority which has the same rights and which is subject to the same duties and obligations under the laws of the Republic.
Secondly, as to the case of disappearance or kidnapping to which the representative of the Bahá’í International Community has referred. Those are unfounded and mendacious allegations which I am authorized by my government to refute formally. In fact there exist in Iran no cases of disappearance; all those who are detained, whether Bahá’ís or any other person, are so detained under law and by order of legally constituted tribunals and for actual deeds of which they are accused. And I am authorized to say that the Islamic tribunals judge them under the principles of humanism and mercy, all the principles and standards of justice and equity having been applied in their case. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Shown are speakers at a World Religion Day program held in January at the city hall in Londonderry, Northern Ireland. Behind them is part of a new Bahá’í exhibit that was to be taken to various locations in Northern Ireland following its unveiling at the World Religion Day meeting in Londonderry.
Australia[edit]
Special Humanitarian Program unveiled[edit]
For more than two years the Bahá’ís of Irán—Irán’s largest religious minority—have been the target of a new wave of unprecedented religious persecution.
Christians, Jews and Zoroastrians have also been the subject of persecution in Irán, but they have declared rights and legal protection. The Bahá’ís do not enjoy similar rights and are increasingly being singled out in an attack which now appears to be designed to totally eliminate the Bahá’í community in Irán.
By late October 1981, more than 96 Bahá’ís were known to have been executed, another 200 are under arrest, countless numbers have gone into hiding and some 10,000 families are believed to have fled the country.
It is reported that Irán’s central revolutionary committee has more than 20,000 names on an arrest list compiled from confiscated Bahá’í office documents.
In addition to clear evidence of intimidation, job sackings, property confiscations—both private and community, and desecration of holy places, membership on Bahá’í Assemblies is now officially sanctioned as punishable by death.
Resolutions of both the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Australian Parliament condemning these persecutions and referring them to the United Nations were passed on March 26 and August 19, 1981, respectively.
Australian government representa-
This summary of events relating to the persecution of Bahá’ís in Irán, culminating in the announcement of the Australian government’s Special Humanitarian Program, is reprinted from the Australian Bahá’í Bulletin, December 1981.
tions have been made to Iranian authorities in Canberra, and in February 1981, Australian representatives raised the issue at the United Nations Human Rights Commission in Geneva, Switzerland.
At the special request of the Prime Minister all Commonwealth governments attending the October 1981
The S.H.P. is a humanitarian response by Australia that focuses on individual members of oppressed minorities anywhere in the world ...
meeting of C.H.O.G.M. in Melbourne were informed of the growing plight of the Bahá’í community in Irán, and in November 1981, the Australian government brought the matter forward for mention in the General Assembly of the United Nations.
In a humanitarian response to clearly documented violations of basic human rights involving religious discrimination, the Australian government has developed a Special Humanitarian Program (S.H.P.) within the Australian immigration policy, to enable persecuted persons anywhere in the world, including the Bahá’ís, to immigrate to Australia.
Australia is believed to be among the first governments to establish a special immigration program, short of refugee status, as a matter of government policy following the growing persecution of the Bahá’ís in Iran.
The Special Humanitarian Program[edit]
The Special Humanitarian Program (S.H.P.), part of the Australian government’s immigration policy, was developed over some 18 months by close discussion between government authorities and the National Spiritual Assembly, and was announced in Parliament by the Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs, the Hon Ian Macphee, on November 18, 1981.
It is a new program for the entry of members of minority groups, including Bahá’ís, fleeing substantial discrimination or avoiding significant violation of human rights in their homelands.
The S.H.P. is a humanitarian response by Australia that focuses on individual members of oppressed minorities, anywhere in the world, who often are unable to satisfy internationally accepted criteria defining refugees.
Those eligible are persons living in temporary asylum outside of their own country and unable to return for fear of substantial discrimination, who have no comparable claim to another country’s settlement resources.
Those accepted will need to demonstrate a personal claim by having close relatives settled in Australia or ties with a well-established community, able and willing to provide necessary settlement support.
Individual overseas applicants claiming close non-family ties with Australia can lodge their applications at an overseas Australian Consulate or Embassy. Applicants will need to satisfy normal character and security requirements and medical standards consistent with humanitarian considerations and any legislative requirements. Priority will be given to those in greatest need of compassionate entry.
Inquiries from Bahá’ís within Australia may also be directed to the Bahá’í Persian Affairs Committee of the National Spiritual Assembly.
In announcing the program, the Minister said, “The government would naturally expect that those entering under the S.H.P. would contribute to the development of a socially-cohesive, multi-cultural Australia.”
United States[edit]
Knight of Bahá’u’lláh Olivia Kelsey: Tribute to a devoted servant of Faith[edit]
Olivia Kelsey was born February 9, 1889, on her family’s farm in Delaware County, Ohio.
After her mother died when she was 11 years old, she left home to live with a maternal uncle and his wife in Cleveland, Ohio. She completed her education there, and went to New York City with a classmate who was interested in a career in the theatre.
Through an extraordinary chain of events she met Madama Ada Dow Currier, the great Shakespearean teacher, and began to prepare for a career as a Shakespearean actress. Olivia performed various roles under the heading “Heroines of Shakespeare” in New York, all produced under the direction of Madame Currier. Her studies in drama and music continued for 12 years.
Troubled by religious conflicts in her home, Olivia said she often wondered about religion and why the great Founders who had appeared throughout history did not appear again. The answer to her question came when she met Francis Arthur Kelsey and learned of the coming of Bahá’u’lláh. She and Mr. Kelsey were married in 1929, and three years later she formally embraced the Faith.
The Kelseys’ home in New York became a center of Bahá’í activity and hospitality. Olivia began writing poems and articles on various subjects, some of which were published in World Order magazine: “The American Indian,” “Glimpses of Sweden,” “In the Mirror of Creation,” and “Poverty or Wealth?”
A religious-historical drama depict-
This brief remembrance of Olivia Kelsey, a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh, was written by Florence Ullrich Kelley of Kaneohe, Hawaii, and Lois Bierly Walker of Alpha, Ohio.
ing the early history of the Faith, entitled “Two Shall Appear,” was published, as were a pageant entitled “Had They Believed,” a scenario, “A Universal Language,” and a satire, “Gulliver’s Return.”
It was during her years in New York that Mrs. Kelsey compiled the material for her book, Bahá’í Answers, which was published (with the approval of the National Spiritual Assembly) in 1947. The book is a collection of 95 questions about the Faith with answers compiled from the writings of the Báb, Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. It is presently scheduled for republication with new material owing to the growth of the Faith.
She became deeply interested in animal welfare, with her source of inspiration a Tablet from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to Roy Wilhelm on kindness to animals. She quoted from the Tablet on all of her many talks over radio and television on behalf of local and national humane organizations, and while pioneering in Monaco during the Ten Year World Crusade she presented a copy of the Tablet to Prince Rainier and Princess Grace.
After Arthur Kelsey’s death in 1937, Olivia began her long service as a Bahá’í pioneer. Under the first Seven Year Plan (1937-44) she pioneered to Louisville, Kentucky, at the direction of the National Teaching Committee. She worked in many communities there and helped many others with public information and public relations, two subjects that engrossed her attention during her entire 50 years in the Faith. From the beginning she made efforts to reach small town newspapers, even going to the towns to make personal contacts.
In May 1944, Mrs. Kelsey participated in the centenary celebration of the Declaration of the Báb, held at the Bahá’í House of Worship in Wilmette, Illinois. At the invitation of a friend, she moved to Kansas, where she remained until the call for pioneers came at the beginning of the Ten Year Crusade in 1953.
She retired from her profession and left the U.S. in March 1954 for Monaco, for which service she was given the honor of being named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh by the beloved Guardian, Shoghi Effendi.
She made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land in 1954, and while she was there the Guardian told her that, after the first Bahá’í Assembly was assured in Monaco, she could go to France to teach the Faith there. And so in 1959, in response to a call from the Hands of the Cause, she went to Toulouse and later to Montpelier to help the Bahá’ís in those cities. During her years in Monaco and France she attended many European summer schools, the Frankfort Conference in 1958, and the World Jubilee in London in 1963.
In failing health, Mrs. Kelsey returned to the U.S. in 1964, at the age of 75, and settled in Columbus, Ohio, where she devoted herself particularly to publicity work and extension teaching.
When the Five Year Plan was launched in 1974, she was able to fulfill her wish to go to South Carolina and West Virginia on teaching trips. She was then 85 years old.
No longer able to live alone, Mrs. Kelsey spent her last few years with friends in Xenia and Yellow Springs, Ohio, and her final months at the Friends Care Center in Yellow Springs. But neither ill health nor limited means slowed her will to teach or her devotion to the Cause she loved. Until the day she passed to the Abhá Kingdom she was actively teaching her nurses and all who came in contact with her.
The world[edit]
Puerto Rico campaign sees 51 declare[edit]
Fifty-one people declared their belief in Bahá’u’lláh during a 10-day teaching project last December in Puerto Rico that was coordinated by that country’s Eastern Regional Teaching Committee with the help of the National Teaching Committee and two other regional teaching committees.
The cities of Yabucoa and Guayama on Puerto Rico’s southeastern coast were raised to Assembly status, while several other areas were reinforced by the enrollment of new believers.
The campaign was based at the Bahá’í Center in Cayey with several teaching teams traveling by car along winding mountain roads. Team members included two families from Cayey and three recently enrolled Bahá’ís.
The teams spent part of their time visiting believers who had not been in contact with the friends for several months.
Gilberto Trinta (left), a new Bahá’í from Yabucoa, Puerto Rico, is shown with Bahá’í youth Chad Smith and Rita Luz Porto from Cayey, Puerto Rico, who taught Mr. Trinta during a 10-day teaching campaign last December that was coordinated by Puerto Rico’s Eastern Regional Teaching Committee and resulted in 51 declarations.
Members of one of the teaching teams
that participated in a 10-day campaign
in Puerto Rico last December are
shown before visiting a village on the
country’s southeastern coast. When the project was completed, 51 people
had declared their belief in Bahá’u’lláh
and two Groups had been raised to Assembly status.
Korea[edit]
A proclamation campaign last September, sponsored by the National Spiritual Assembly of Korea, resulted in the publication of brief quotations from the Writings on 14 occasions in the Seoul Daily News, a national newspaper with a circulation of around 800,000.
The newspaper is read in all parts of the Republic of Korea, especially by government officials and village leaders. The quotations from the Writings were followed by the publication of an article on the basic teachings of the Faith.
Initial response to the publicity included 16 inquiries from 13 areas of Korea, with many more expected to be received.
Pakistan[edit]
Speakers at the Human Rights Day observance last December 11 in Lahore, Pakistan, were Auxiliary Board member Y. Bijnori and Juan R. Cole, a Bahá’í from Los Angeles, California, who was in Pakistan to do academic research.
A report of the meeting, held at the Lahore Bahá’í Center, was published the following day in the Pakistan Times.
Forty-five women, Bahá’ís and non-Bahá’ís, attended a women’s conference November 26 in Rawalpindi. The non-Bahá’í participants showed great interest in the Faith.
Meanwhile, Bahá’í books were presented to the principals of six local colleges by representatives of the Bahá’í community of Karachi during a proclamation week November 22-28.
A three-member Bahá’í delegation presented Bahá’í literature to the provincial minister of transport and minorities. During the 20-minute meeting, the minister asked many intelligent questions about the Faith’s tenets and administration.
The proclamation activities, organized by the Karachi Teaching Committee, included a public meeting on November 20.
One hundred-fifty Bahá’ís from 21
localities in Pakistan attended the Bahá’í winter school last December 26-28
in Hyderabad.
Classes covered Bahá’í history, laws, administration, and teachings. In addition, special sessions were held on the station of martyrdom and the mystery of the Greatest Name.
On one morning, the National Youth Committee made a two-hour presentation on the Seven Year Plan. Children and youth presented skits, songs and dramas for the evening sessions.
Auxiliary Board members Parvin Yazamedi and Shamsher Ali met during two afternoon breaks with 20 of their assistants.
S. Nagaratnam, a member of the
Continental Board of Counsellors for
Asia, arrived in Pakistan last January
15 from India.
After meeting with members of the National Spiritual Assembly in Karachi, Counsellor Nagaratnam conducted a two-day deepening program for Auxiliary Board members and their assistants in Karachi and Hyderabad.
Mr. Nagaratnam then visited with the friends in Rawalpindi and Lahore before returning to Karachi.
A delegation of Bahá’ís attended a
reception last December 14 in honor of
Pakistan’s minister of minorities that
was organized by the Federal Advisory Council for Minorities Affairs. Both
the minister and his secretary requested
more Bahá’í books.
Many children attended a Children’s Weekend School in Karachi last January 11 that was organized by the Karachi Bahá’í Education Committee.
Classes were held in the morning, and art and singing contests were held during the afternoon, with prizes given to the best artists and performers.
Belgium[edit]
Ned Blackmer, a pioneer from the United States who is a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of France, addresses an audience of Bahá’ís and non-Bahá’ís last October 4 in Arlon, Belgium, during Belgium’s “National Teaching Days” conference series organized by that country’s National Teaching Committee. Mr. Blackmer spoke about the Bahá’í teachings, Bahá’í life, and steps toward a recognition of Bahá’u’lláh. Later, members of the audience were divided into small groups for discussion of various Bahá’í-related topics.
Hawaii[edit]
Within the first three months of her arrival in Hawaii, Samieh Labib, a Persian pioneer from the U.S. mainland, had been interviewed on six radio stations and by four newspapers regarding the persecution of Bahá’ís in Irán.
One of the articles was published by a leading newspaper that is read on all eight of the Hawaiian islands.
The publicity about the persecutions began during Ms. Labib’s visit to the island of Maui where she had been asked to represent the National Teaching Committee during “Bahá’í Week” on the island.
At a university campus, she approached a woman whom she thought was a student. Instead, she found that the woman was news director of the largest radio station and newspaper on Maui. The woman was eager to conduct an interview and immediately called for a photographer.
As a result, Ms. Labib was interviewed on all four of the island’s radio stations and by both newspapers.
Afterward, she was invited to speak at an annual women’s conference on the role of Bahá’í women in Irán. Hawaii’s female lieutenant governor, who also spoke at the conference, invited Ms. Labib to a private luncheon at the state capitol.
A bond of friendship was established, and the lieutenant governor was invited to a Persian dinner at Ms. Labib’s home in Honolulu on January 15 to which leading government officials and the media were invited to meet with members of the National Spiritual Assembly of Hawaii.
India[edit]
Above is a general view of the construction site of the Mother Temple of the Indian sub-continent near New Delhi showing particularly the podium slab and ancillary building. The central circular inner podium is the floor of the House of Worship, hemmed by stagings for six of the nine arches, upon which will rise the superstructure. The surrounding outer podium will comprise the walkway around the House of Worship.
Vanuatu[edit]
More than 50 people declared their belief in Bahá’u’lláh during a teaching campaign last October in Middle Bush, Tanna, Vanuatu.
During the last few months, a special committee of the National Spiritual Assembly of Vanuatu has been proclaiming the Faith to government officials. Among those who have been contacted are the President, George Sokamanu; the speaker of the parliament, and Vanuatu’s roving ambassador.
All of these officials have been pleased to accept literature presented to them, and have expressed their sympathy and support for the Bahá’ís in Iran.
Switzerland[edit]
Shown here are children who attended the 1981-82 Swiss Bahá’í winter school held in Mels.
Liberia[edit]
Shortly after Edward Epp, a pioneer from Canada who is a professional artist, arrived last September in Monrovia, Liberia, the University of Liberia’s art department asked him to participate in an art exhibition that resulted in a substantial proclamation of the Faith.
Mr. Epp spoke of the Faith during an interview to promote the art exhibit on a nationwide television program. The interview also was broadcast on radio.
The Faith was again the subject of conversation when many of the people Mr. Epp met in the process of preparing his works for the exhibit asked why he had come to their country.
And the Faith was mentioned prominently in Mr. Epp’s printed biographical statement that was distributed at the exhibition. The explanation of his works included a quotation from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh.
The exhibit was seen by the president, faculty and students at the university as well as by embassy personnel and the general public.
One university instructor asked for some Bahá’í books, and several students expressed an interest in attending fireside.
Edward Epp, a professional artist from Canada, used his talents to proclaim the Faith upon his arrival last September as a pioneer to Monrovia, Liberia.
El Salvador[edit]
A four-fold increase in contributions to the National Fund resulted from a conference on sacrifice in El Salvador last October that was sponsored by that country’s National Spiritual Assembly.
The dramatic increase in contributions came at the halfway point of a two-month period of prayer and sacrifice called for by the National Assembly in its efforts to sustain the teaching activity in El Salvador without financial assistance from the International Fund.
Contributions were received in the form of donated clothes and jewelry, cash, and increased monthly pledges by the friends. The National Spiritual Assembly has in past years called for similar periods of sacrifice.
Increases in the number of enrollments and in the number of new Local Spiritual Assemblies being formed are reported in Sonsonate and Santa Ana, El Salvador.
Nearly 200 believers attended an area teaching conference October 25 in Sonsonate, where daily radio programs on the Faith have been broadcast since 1980. The announcer for these programs has become a Bahá’í, and each week a handful of enrollment cards from Sonsonate arrives at El Salvador’s National Bahá’í Center.
The Faith has received widespread publicity in El Salvador as a result of two recent interviews of Bahá’ís on two television programs.
Auxiliary Board member Gabriel Torres and two members of the Spiritual Assembly of San Salvador were interviewed for about 45 minutes on a program called “Popular Dialogue on Education” that was broadcast three times.
Rafael Garcia, secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly of El Salvador, and a young Salvadorean-Iranian Bahá’í couple were interviewed on a TV program called “Family.”
Professor José Antonio Mayorga, a Bahá’í who is the interviewer for both of these weekly programs, asked the National Spiritual Assembly to select individuals for the program following Counsellor Hidáyatu’lláh Aḥmadíyyih’s meeting October 11 with the National Assembly and members of the National Teaching Committee. Dr. Aḥmadíyyih had encouraged greater efforts to obtain publicity for the Faith in El Salvador.
Approximately 200 people attended a youth conference October 17-18 at Lake Coatepeque that was sponsored by El Salvador’s National Youth Committee. Contributions made at the conference paid for more than one-half of its costs.
One week later, some 40 Bahá’ís attended a conference sponsored by the National Children’s Committee. Among the topics for discussion were teaching spiritual values to children and planning children’s classes.
A traveling teaching team has made several trips to towns and villages not directly affected by combat in El Salvador’s ongoing civil war.
In one village, San Juan Tepezontes, there are now about 15 believers, and many others seem receptive to the Bahá’í Message.
Papua New Guinea[edit]
Continental Counsellor Suhayl ‘Alá’í (left) consults with members of the Auxiliary Board for Papua New Guinea (left to right) Rosalind Bale, Elti Kunak, Ruhi Mills and Lundeng. The meeting took place in Rabaul, Papua New Guinea, in June. It followed a gathering of about 50 believers and their guests who saw a film made during the laying of the cornerstone for the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár in Samoa.
This newly acquired Bahá’í Center in Rabaul, Papua New Guinea, was first used last September when a meeting on the Fund was held there. The meeting was conducted by the treasurer of the National Spiritual Assembly of Papua New Guinea.
Trinidad/Tobago[edit]
Dr. Harry Collymore (standing), chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly of Trinidad and Tobago, addresses the first of what is hoped will become a series of inter-religious meetings last October 21 at the city hall in Port of Spain, Trinidad. The theme of the Bahá’í-sponsored event to which leaders and representatives of the established religious bodies were invited was “How Can Religious Unity Be Achieved?”
Cheryl Thorpe (standing), a pioneer to Trinidad from the United States, addresses members of the press and of the National Spiritual Assembly of Trinidad and Tobago during a press conference last October 20 called to provide updated information on the plight of Bahá’ís in Iran. Mrs. Thorpe spoke about the significance of the Báb, while another pioneer, Dr. Hamid Farabi from the United Kingdom, presented reporters with an update on the situation of the friends in Iran.
Malawi[edit]
Eighty-six people attended a teaching conference last June 13-14 that was organized by the Spiritual Assembly of Mangombo, Malawi.
Classes were held on the importance of the Local Spiritual Assembly, the Fund, direct teaching, and the importance of child education. The program included dawn prayers and the reading of Bahá’í writings.
The National Spiritual Assembly of Malawi praised the Spiritual Assembly of Mangombo for its “self-reliance” in planning the two-day teaching conference.
The head man of Mangombo expressed his pleasure with the Faith, saying, “... I have had no Bahá’í case in my court. What I have seen in the Bahá’ís is unity, peace and love.”
Alaska[edit]
One hundred-forty Bahá’ís from 25 localities attended the 1981 Alaska National Teaching Conference last October 10-11 at the Wildwood Native Complex near Kenai.
Speakers included Continental Counsellors Angus Cowan and Lauretta King and Auxiliary Board members Jetta Brewer, Eugene King and John Kolstoe.
The conference began with a review of Alaska’s goals for the Seven Year Plan, which include the need to increase significantly the number of believers in Alaska including indigenous peoples.
Others who spoke at the conference were Ben Kahn, a Navajo Indian believer from Window Rock, Arizona, and Lee Brown, a native believer from Vancouver, Canada.
Two years ago, Alaskan Bahá’ís who are members of the Tlingit tribe adopted Counsellor Cowan into their “family.” At this year’s conference, two of the Tlingit friends presented him with a ceremonial blanket during a Tlingit “naming ceremony.”
Zambia[edit]
Bahá’ís in Mpika, Zambia, have opened five new localities to the Faith, introduced the Faith to district authorities in Chinsali, and participated in agricultural shows in Mpika, Isoka, and Chief Chikwanda, where about 600 people heard about the Faith.
The friends in Mpika hold regular deepening classes, early morning prayer sessions, and weekly firesides. Several young Bahá’ís who were recently graduated from Mpika Agricultural College hope to become homefront pioneers.
By Jeanne Frankel de Corrales
“How cold could it be? I wondered. Much less than zero. Finally, the wind died and the storm abated, for the moment at least. The sun tried to come out. I looked outside. The snow came almost up to the window. Dear God, we are buried in it!”
Every Bahá’í who goes on pilgrimage begins the journey with a sense of anticipation. And so it was with Jeanne Frankel as she set out from Stamford, Connecticut, in the early weeks of 1963. She would take the train across Europe, traveling swiftly on the legendary Orient Express—perhaps even saved from the usual inconveniences by her sacred purpose, she thought.
Luckily for her readers, she was not saved. Her train became stranded in the snow during one of the worst winters in memory. She and the other passengers had to fight the elements to survive. Jeanne learned how the barriers to the unity of mankind can crumble in the face of necessity as she organized a team to care for the sick and needy.
A true Bahá’í adventure story: the excitement and suspense will keep the reader spellbound to the last page.
Paperbound · 111 pp. · 4¼” x 7”
Retail price: $2.50
Catalog Number 352-078
Bahá’í Publishing Trust
415 LINDEN AVENUE
WILMETTE, ILLINOIS 60091
