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Bahá’í News

November 1982

Bahá’í Year 139

Shoghi Effendi Rabbani
Guardian of the Bahá’í Faith
March 1, 1897—November 4, 1957

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Bahá’í News[edit]

The third of five International Conferences is held in Montreal, Canada	1
The World Centre staff pays loving tribute to the Greatest Holy Leaf	6
Counsellor Peter Khan speaks of remarkable life of Bahíyyih Khánum	7
Alberta, Canada, is the site of the 3rd North American Native Council	8
‘Trail of Light’ teaching teams blaze memorable path in Latin America	10
Association for Bahá’í Studies holds its seventh annual Conference	12
Around the world: News from Bahá’í communities all over the globe	14

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.

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International Conferences[edit]

Montreal: Charting course toward victory[edit]

More than 9,400 Bahá’ís from 50 countries including five of the Hands of the Cause of God gathered September 3-5 at the Olympic Velodrome in Montreal, Canada, for a Bahá’í International Conference that paid loving and eloquent tribute to the memory of the Greatest Holy Leaf and set a firm and unswerving course toward victory in North America at the midpoint of the Seven Year Plan.

The Universal House of Justice, the supreme administrative body of the Faith and architect of its worldwide teaching plans, was represented at the Conference by the Hand of the Cause of God Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum.

The Hand of the Cause of God Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum addresses the Children’s Conference which was held as a separate part of the International Conference in Montreal.

Her presence was especially appropriate as she is a native of Montreal who was raised there by her Bahá’í parents, architect Sutherland Maxwell (who also was a Hand of the Cause of God) and Mrs. May Maxwell.

Also present to celebrate the life and service of the Greatest Holy Leaf on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of her passing were the Hands of the Cause of God Shu’a’u’lláh ‘Alá’í, Dhikru’lláh Khádem, John A. Robarts and Dr. ‘Alí Muḥammad Varqá.

In addition to the Hands of the Cause, seven members of the Continental Board of Counsellors for the Americas attended the historic three-day gathering as did representatives of the National Spiritual Assemblies of Alaska, the Bahamas, Bermuda, Canada and the United States.

The Conference coincided with the 70th anniversary of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s visit to Montreal, which occurred from August 30-September 9, 1912, and the 80th anniversary of the establishment of the Canadian Bahá’í community.

Tight security[edit]

Security was extremely tight as a result of threats reported to the National Spiritual Assembly of Canada by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

The RCMP said Muslim extremists had threatened to disrupt the Conference and to harm certain individuals, but thanks to the precautionary measures that were taken those threats never materialized.

The Hand of the Cause of God

The Olympic Velodrome, site of the Bahá’í International Conference in Montreal, Canada. More than 9,400 Bahá’ís from 101 countries attended the historic Conference. (Photo by Jack Bowers)

[Page 2] The Hand of the Cause of God Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum (fourth from left) participates in a lively Native American dance with members of the ‘Trail of Light’ teaching team who were in Montreal following their successful tour of Central and South America this summer.

Entertainment at the International Conference in Montreal was splendid, with many fine groups and individuals performing. Among them was ‘Do’a’ (Ken LaRoche and Randy Armstrong) from Dover, New Hampshire.

Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum read the message to the Conference from the Universal House of Justice, delivered the keynote address Friday morning, closed the Conference Sunday evening with her second address, and also spoke at the separate Children’s Conference that was attended by about 1,200 Bahá’í children.

Prior to the Conference, she led a 12-member Bahá’í delegation that was received by the Governor General of Canada, Edward Schreyer, at Rideau Hall in Ottawa, seat of the Canadian Parliament.

A second Bahá’í delegation was received September 8 by the Prime Minister of Canada, Pierre Trudeau.

Dr. Bahíyyih Nakhjavání, an educator who is the author of several books, spoke Saturday afternoon on “The Life and Service of the Greatest Holy Leaf.”

Her address was followed by one of the most moving tributes ever witness-

[Page 3] ed at any Bahá’í gathering. A bouquet of 126 roses was placed on stage and the names of the 126 Bahá’í men and women who have been martyred or abducted since the Iranian revolution of 1979 were read aloud as many of those in the audience wept.

While the names were being read, the several hundred Conference participants who have lost husbands, wives, parents, brothers, sisters or other relatives in Iran stood silently, their heads bowed in prayer.

Photos of the Montreal Conference are by John McNair of East Patchogue, New York.

Another memorable event took place the following afternoon when all of the participants in the Children’s Conference, which was held at the nearby Pierre Charbonneau Centre, made their way to the Velodrome, marched down the center aisle as everyone stood and applauded, were assembled in front of the stage and sang the Children’s Conference theme song, “We Are Bahá’ís,” with the International Bahá’í Choir conducted by Jack Lenz.

On Friday afternoon and Sunday evening, Mr. Lenz conducted the Conference orchestra, choir and two soloists in musical tributes to the Greatest Holy Leaf which he composed.

Following a progress report Saturday morning on the Seven Year Plan by Counsellor Lloyd Gardner, the Hand of the Cause of God John Robarts spoke on “The Call to Pioneering,” after which several hundred of those at the Conference came forward to offer their services in the pioneering field.

Other speakers at the Conference and their topics:

Dr. Iraj Ayman, “The Role of Sacrifice and the Bahá’í Fund.”
Dr. Hossain B. Danesh, “Bahá’í Youth and the Cause of Universal Peace.”
Dr. William Hatcher, “The Development of the Local Spiritual Assembly.”
Mrs. Ginette Montabord, “The Individual and Teaching.”
Counsellor Farzam Arbáb, “Teaching the Masses.”
Mrs. Elizabeth Rochester, “The Creative Word.”
Counsellor Agnès Ghaznavi, “Bahá’í Marriage and Family Life.”

Gayle Morrison, author of To Move the World, the biography of the Hand of the Cause of God Louis G. Gregory, autographs a copy of the book during a special autograph session held at the Montreal Conference.

Some of the talks were presented in English, others in French. All were translated simultaneously into English, French, Spanish and Persian.

Dr. Hatcher’s address Saturday afternoon was followed by a presentation by the Continental Indigenous Council of North America that included a drum call, prayers in Inuit and Indian languages, and a hoop dance symbolizing the destiny of native peoples.

Eugene King, a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of Alaska, spoke on “The Destiny of the Native Peoples as Prophesied by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá,” after which members of the “Trail of Light” teaching team, composed of Native American Bahá’ís from Alaska, Canada and the U.S. who traveled through Central and South America this summer and attended the International Conference in Quito, Ecuador, were introduced.

The Native Americans presented a lovely Indian ceremonial blanket to Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum who responded by joining them in a spirited Native American dance.

On Friday the Conference was linked by telephone to the International Conference in Canberra, Australia, at which more than 2,000 Bahá’ís from about 40 countries were assembled with the representative of the Universal House of Justice, the Hand of the Cause of God Ugo Giachery.

Messages to the Montreal Conference were received from the Hand of the Cause of God William Sears and from the National Spiritual Assemblies of Bophuthatswana, Norway, Paraguay and Switzerland.

The widespread and generally excellent media coverage included daily radio and television reports and prominent articles and photos in many large Canadian newspapers.

The Voice of America was to broadcast a full report of the Conference to Persian-speaking countries in the Middle East.

Besides the Hands of the Cause of God, Counsellors, and members of National Spiritual Assemblies, a number of other notable Bahá’ís attended the Conference including:

Professor Christine Hakim, a sociologist and author of the recently published book, The Bahá’ís: Victory Over Violence. She is the daughter of noted cardiologist Manuchihr Hakim who was murdered in his clinic in Teh-

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ran in January 1981.

Mme. Lea Nys, a writer, teacher and translator who is the first Belgian to become a Bahá’í.
Dr. Victor de Araujo, the representative of the Bahá’í International Community at the United Nations in New York City.
John Huddleston, assistant director for budget and planning of the International Monetary Fund and author of the book, The Earth Is But One Country.
Jens Lyberth, an Inuit who is consultant to the Canadian Inuit Cultural Institute in the Northwest Territories.
Sam Bald Eagle Augustine, a Bahá’í of Micmac Indian background and a former elder of the First Nations Assembly.

Entertainment at the Conference was superb, ranging from instrumental selections by “Do’a,” santour player Kiu Haghighi, and the “New World Generation” jazz group to vocals by England Dan Seals, Gordie Munro, Suzanne Hébert, Nancy Ward, and the International Bahá’í Choir and dance by Roderick Johnson, soloist of the Theatre Ballet of Canada, and the Ballet Shayda from Ottawa.

Preceding the closing address Sunday evening by Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum, there was a special presentation entitled “Another Song ...” based on the poetry of Roger White.

Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum was among the speakers at the Children’s Conference for 6- to 14-year-olds. Also included were slide presentations, music and dance, devotions in many languages, and a balloon launch offered as a gift to the children of Montreal.

A nursery program was provided for children under the age of six years.

The largest Bahá’í bookstore ever assembled at any Conference carried nearly 300 titles in more than 30 languages including 15-20 new titles never before available to the Bahá’í community from publishers in 25 countries around the world.

Above: Native American dancers enliven one of the Children’s Conference sessions at Montreal. Below: The International Bahá’í Choir and its director, Jack Lenz, entertain on stage at the Velodrome.

The message to Montreal from the Universal House of Justice

To the friends gathered at the Bahá’í International Conference in Montreal

Dearly-loved Friends,

Seventy years ago ‘Abdu’l-Bahá visited Montreal, hallowing it forever. The visit of the beloved Master to America, the laying by Him of the cornerstone of the first Mashriqu’l-Adhkár of the West and the revelation by Him five years later of the Tablets of the Divine Plan, which invest its chief executors and their allies with special primacy, constitute successive stages in the gradual disclosure of a mission whose seeds can be found in the Báb’s address to the peoples of the West, urging them to aid God’s Holy Cause. This mission was given specific direction through Bahá’u’lláh’s summons to the rulers of America, calling on them to heal the injuries of the oppressed and, with “the rod of the commandments” of their Lord, to bring their corrective influence to bear upon the injustices perpetrated by the tyrannical and ungodly.

‘Abdu’l-Bahá revealed in clearer details than those given by either the Báb or Bahá’u’lláh the nature and scope of that glorious mission. In His eternal Tablets unveiling America’s spiritual destiny the Master wrote, “... the continent of America is, in the eyes of the one true God, the land wherein the splendours of His light shall be revealed, where the mysteries of His Faith shall be unveiled, where the righteous will abide and the free assemble. Therefore, every

[Page 5] section thereof is blessed ...” and, referring to Canada, He asserted that its future “is very great, and the events connected with it infinitely glorious.”

Even more specifically, He expressed the “hope that in the future Montreal may become so stirred, that the melody of the Kingdom may travel to all parts of the world from that Dominion and the breaths of the Holy Spirit may spread from that centre to the East and the West of America.”

After the passing of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and under the guidance of the Guardian the Bahá’ís of the world witnessed with awe and admiration the North American community arising as one man to champion the Administrative Order taking shape on their own soil, to embark upon the first collective teaching plan in the annals of the Faith, to lead the entire Bahá’í world in intercontinental teaching campaigns, to demonstrate with devotion their exemplary firmness in the Covenant, to extend their support and protection and relief to the oppressed followers of Bahá’u’lláh throughout the East and particularly in His native land, and to send forth valiant pioneers and traveling teachers to every continent of the globe.

These marvelous and noble exertions, calling for expenditure of resources almost beyond their means, paved the way for the achievement of glorious victories which synchronized with a series of world convulsions, signs of universal commotion and travail, and with repeated crises within the Faith. And in this day, while the blood of the martyrs of Persia is once again watering the roots of the Cause of God and when the international outlook is impenetrably and ominously dark, the Bahá’ís of North America are in the van of the embattled legions of the Cause.

Less than a score of years remain until the end of this century which the Master called “the century of light,” and He clearly foresaw that ere its termination an advanced stage would have been reached in the striving towards the political, racial, and religious unity of the peoples of the world, unfolding new horizons in scientific accomplishments, universal undertakings and world solidarity. The calls of the Master and Guardian plainly summon the Bahá’ís of the Americas to prodigies of proclamation, of teaching and of service.

The American melting-pot of peoples needs the unifying power of the new Faith of God to achieve its fusion. The representative character of the Bahá’í community should therefore be reinforced through the attraction, conversion and support of an ever-growing number of new believers from the diverse elements constituting the population of that vast mainland and particularly from among Indians and Eskimos about whose future the Master wrote in such glowing terms. In the glorious freedom which enables you to proclaim, to teach and confirm, to educate and deepen yourselves and others in the verities of the Faith, you have precious opportunities of service denied to many of your fellow believers elsewhere.

If your blessed communities are to lead the world spiritually, as the Master envisaged, then the Faith must strike deeper roots in your hearts, the spirit of its teachings must be exemplified in ever greater measure in your lives, and God’s Holy Cause must be taught and proclaimed with ever greater intensity. In His immortal Tablets addressed to the Bahá’ís of North America ‘Abdu’l-Bahá assures each one of you that “whosoever arises in this day to diffuse the divine fragrances, the cohorts of the Kingdom of God shall confirm him ...”

You are met in this Conference to review the progress of the Seven Year Plan, to be confirmed, galvanized and sent into action. It is not enough for the North American believers to stand at the forefront of the Bahá’í world; the scope of their exertions must be steadily widened. In the words of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, “The range of your future achievements still remains undisclosed. I fervently hope that in the near future the whole earth may be stirred and shaken by the results of your achievements.” “Exert yourselves; your mission is unspeakably glorious. Should success crown your enterprise, America will assuredly evolve into a centre from which waves of spiritual power will emanate ...”

The valiant countries of North America should in the second half of the Seven Year Plan ensure that an ever-swelling number of pioneers and traveling teachers will arise and travel to and settle in countries which need their support, however inhospitable the local conditions may be, ceaselessly endeavoring to contribute to the expansion of the teaching work and the strengthening of the foundations of the communities they are called upon to assist. They should, moreover, continue their defense of the downtrodden, open their doors to their Bahá’í brethren who are seeking refuge in their lands, provide technological expertise to communities which need it, and supply an uninterrupted flow of resources to support the ever-increasing international projects of the Faith.

In their respective homefronts the Bahá’ís of North America should intensify the drive to attract the masses to God’s Holy Cause, to provide the means for their integration into the work of the Faith, and should become standard-bearers of an embryonic Bahá’í society which is destined to gradually emerge under the influence of the integrating and civilizing forces emanating from the Source of God’s Revelation. Such noble objectives cannot be fully achieved unless and until local communities become those collective centers of unity ordained in our Writings, and every individual earnestly strives to support the structure and ensure the stability of the Administrative Edifice of the Faith.

How fitting that this Conference, and the one held for Bahá’í children on a scale unprecedented in North America, should commemorate the 50th anniversary of the passing of Bahíyyih Khánum, the Greatest Holy Leaf, whose love for the North American believers and whose admiration for their heroism were so deep and so sustained and whose natural fondness for children was so characteristic of Bahá’u’lláh. May each of you emulate her unswerving devotion and loyalty to the Covenant of God and her perseverance in the path of His love. We shall mark this first day of your Conference, together with the one being held concurrently in Canberra, with prayers at the Holy Shrines that all may “become assisted in service and like unto brilliant stars shine in these regions with the light of guidance.”

With loving Bahá’í greetings,

The Universal House of Justice
September 2, 1982

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World Centre[edit]

A loving tribute to Greatest Holy Leaf[edit]

At 9 a.m. Saturday, July 17, about 250 staff members at the World Centre in Haifa gathered for the first event ever held in the Seat of the Universal House of Justice, a seminar on the Greatest Holy Leaf.

The day-long event was held on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the passing of Bahíyyih Khánum, the Greatest Holy Leaf, and followed by several hours a commemorative observance at the Shrine of the Báb.

The broad stairway, seven meters (23 feet) wide, leading down into the concourse of the Seat of the House of Justice from the second floor served as a dais. The friends were seated to the left of the main entrance, while behind them lay an area of comparable size that will permit the seating of more than twice the number of that day’s participants.

Numerous arrangements of roses and other flowers accented the structural beauty of the reception concourse whose design shows classic perfection of proportion.

A Tablet of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá addressed to the Greatest Holy Leaf was chanted and then repeated in English.

The first speaker was one who had close personal association with the Greatest Holy Leaf—the Hand of the Cause of God Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum.

She began her remarks, however, by calling to mind “one whose chair is empty today.” The friends’ thoughts turned to Amoz Gibson, the well-loved member of the Universal House of Justice whose death they had so recently mourned.

The Hand of the Cause then spoke for more than an hour sharing her memories of “Khánum,” as the Greatest Holy Leaf was known. She told of the privilege she had been given as a young girl of sharing intimate moments with Khánum in the Master’s house during her stay in Haifa with her mother in 1923.

Counsellor Anneliese Bopp presented a summary of the life of “the outstanding heroine of the Bahá’í Dispensation,” enumerating some of the titles by which Bahíyyih Khánum is called in the literature of the Faith, among which are: “well-beloved sister of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá”; the Holy Family’s “most precious, most great adorning”; “the brightly shining Leaf, the Remnant of Bahá, and His trust, the eternal fruit and the one last remembrance of the Holy Tree.”

Bahíyyih Khánum, known to Bahá’ís as the Greatest Holy Leaf.

The friends shared a picnic-style lunch of cold food in the staff dining room, still unfurnished but carpeted and with temporary buffet tables set up.

Precious memories[edit]

In the afternoon ‘Ali Nakhjavání, a member of the Universal House of Justice, shared precious memories from the life of the Greatest Holy Leaf.

He noted that the dome of the Seat is reminiscent of the dome of the monument to the Greatest Holy Leaf, saying that the architect intended this visible link between the two structures.

Mrs. Baharieh Ma‘aní gave an original presentation on the Greatest Holy Leaf’s place in religious history, outlining first the role of each of the outstanding women of previous Dispensations, and reinforcing the friends’ respect for the effective contributions made by Bahíyyih Khánum at several times in the history of the Cause.

During a tea break the friends went out by the back door of the concourse and sipped refreshments in the colonnade while admiring the dramatic display of color that had appeared in the terraced gardens in recent months. The five-tiered garden rises steeply for 25 meters (about 82 feet) and is profusely planted with a variety of flowers, blossoming shrubs and small trees.

Portraits of Khánum and scenes associated with her life were shown in a slide presentation prepared by Mr. and Mrs. A.L. Thompson. This was followed by the recitation in Persian and English of a prayer from the Pen of the Greatest Holy Leaf—a fitting end to a day spent commemorating her saintly life.

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Greatest Holy Leaf[edit]

‘An event-filled and peerless life’[edit]

Bahíyyih Khánum, the Greatest Holy Leaf, and sister of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, occupies a unique position in the Bahá’í Faith. Shoghi Effendi describes her as “the outstanding heroine of the Bahá’í Dispensation,”¹ and informs us that both Bahá’u’lláh and the Master “proclaim her as an example to their followers, and an object worthy of the attention of all mankind.”²

It is particularly fitting that her name should be mentioned at this National Convention, as the United States National Bahá’í Archives contain a letter written on her behalf to Martha Root nearly 60 years ago, in which the Greatest Holy Leaf disclosed her excitement at the imminent prospect of meeting the first Bahá’ís from Australia and New Zealand to go on pilgrimage to the Holy Land.

Surveying her event-filled and peerless life, there appear to be three distinguishing characteristics which serve to illuminate the significance of her days on this earth. They are:

1. She offers an admirable role model to the women of the world in her quest for the true liberation which Bahá’í teachings offer. One of the mighty tasks in which the world-wide Bahá’í community is engaged is that of constructing

An address by Dr. Peter Khan, a member of the Continental Board of Counsellors for Australasia, at the 1982 Bahá’í National Convention in New Zealand. It is reprinted from the Australian Bahá’í Bulletin, August 1982.

a society in which the sacred principle of equality of men and women is expressed adequately. Bahá’í women might well find comfort and inspiration in contemplating the life of fulfillment exemplified by Bahíyyih Khánum—a fulfillment which she attained despite years of imprisonment,

‘... believers will celebrate her devotion to the protection of the Faith in her undeviating and unshakable adherence to the Covenant, standing firm in support of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as the Covenant-breakers in His family made their shameful attacks.’

lack of resources, opportunity, and freedom—and also despite physical suffering and years of ill-health consequent to the hardships endured in Adrianople.

Her life was enriched and ennobled by her participation in the administrative activities of the Faith, even to the extent of its custodianship during the temporary absences of Shoghi Effendi from the Holy Land during the early years of his ministry as Guardian of the Faith. During the entire course of this Dispensation, believers will celebrate her devotion to the protection of the Faith in her undeviating and unshakable adherence to the Covenant, standing firm in support of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as the Covenant-breakers in His family made their shameful attacks.

2. Her life is an instructive example to all Bahá’ís, men and women alike. Time permits mention of only a few of her peerless attributes. Her service to the Faith dates back to the period in Baghdad when, as a young girl, she carried out important assignments for Bahá’u’lláh. It was a service offered selflessly to Bahá’í and non-Bahá’í alike; her compassion and solace to the starving and afflicted people of the Holy Land during World War I demonstrates the consistency between Bahá’í belief and practice.

Even a cursory survey of her life shows that she found inner serenity in a stressful environment. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, in a Tablet addressed to the Greatest Holy Leaf, identifies the general principle applicable to Bahá’í service when He states:

“From the beginning of time sorrow and anxiety, regret and tribulation, have always been the lot of every loyal servant of God. Ponder this in thine heart and consider how very true it is ...”³

So it is today. The challenge to fulfill the goals of the Seven Year Plan; the sacrifices inherent in administrative functioning; the pressures coming from a wayward and declining society; all combine to produce stress in the life of a devoted believer—but this work is the work that God most wants done at this time; and this stress can be a constructive and positive factor promoting personal growth and spiritual development, and thus leading to an abiding and pervasive happiness. This sense of joy, this celebration of the wonder and mystery of life distinguished the Greatest Holy Leaf.

3. Her relationship with Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá offers an admirable example of the richness and tenderness which will increasingly distinguish Bahá’í family life.

Let us draw inspiration and instruction from the magnificent example of the holy life of Bahíyyih Khánum. As we meditate on the beauty of her character, and as we celebrate the success of her life, let us resolve to go forward in her footsteps and to find happiness and serenity through service to the Faith in these turbulent days.

References:

God Passes By, p. 108.

Guidance for Today and Tomorrow, p. 69.

Bahá’í Holy Places at the World Centre, p. 67.

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Canada[edit]

Third North American Native Council[edit]

HEARTS UPLIFTED WELCOME MESSAGE COUNCIL DELIGHTED WIDE REPRESENTATION LARGE ATTENDANCE PRESENCE DISTINGUISHED GUESTS. MAY HIGH RESOLVE GATHERED FRIENDS BE FULLY REALIZED MAY SPIRIT GENERATED AT COUNCIL PERMEATE RECEPTIVE MULTITUDES OF INDIAN POPULATION NORTH AMERICA. FERVENTLY PRAYING HOLY SHRINES CONFIRMATION ALL EFFORTS FULFILLMENT GLORIOUS DESTINY ENVISIONED BELOVED MASTER.

UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE
AUGUST 14, 1982

Four hundred forty-six Bahá’ís and their guests from 10 countries and representing 60 Indian tribes participated August 12-15 in the third North American Bahá’í Native Council on the Blood Indian Reserve in southwestern Alberta, Canada.

The Council, whose theme was “Come Soar with the Knowledge of the Spirit,” was blessed by the presence of the Hand of the Cause of God Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum.

Among the other participants were Counsellors for the Americas Lauretta King and Raul Pavón; Counsellor Shirin Boman from India; and members of the National Spiritual Assemblies of Alaska, Canada and the United States.

Although most of those present were from North America, some had traveled from as far away as Central or South America. All but about 50 of the participants were indigenous Bahá’ís and their non-Bahá’í guests.

Spiritual destiny[edit]

In an opening address, Eugene King, a Native American who is chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly of Alaska, challenged the native peoples to arise to fulfill their spiritual destiny.

Speaking strongly of the need for native believers to serve the Faith, he referred to a Tablet from the Báb in which He speaks of those who know of this Revelation and who might now be held accountable for prolonging the agony of the world should they fail to arise and teach the Cause of God.

A highlight of the four-day gathering was the announcement of the election of Chester Kahn to the U.S. National Spiritual Assembly.

Mr. Kahn, a Navajo Indian from Houck, Arizona, was present at the Native Council with other members of the “Trail of Light” teaching team composed of Native American Bahá’ís from North America.

The Council featured 15 workshop sessions on topics that included Native prophecies; the Bahá’í Faith and the Bible; Overcoming Hurt Through Spiritual Understanding; Native Music, Dance and Spirituality; Overcoming Alcoholism; and Building a Spiritual Marriage.

Other workshops focused on child education; Bahá’í youth; Native American women and the Faith; problem-solving without politics; and building a strong Bahá’í community.

A frequent topic of frank consultation during the workshops, according to one observer, was the issue of dealing with a predominantly white society including non-Native Bahá’ís.

During the consultation the indigenous friends spoke of their need to overcome fears and prejudices and to become one not only with other Native believers but with all of the friends. Participants offered one another strong encouragement to accomplish this.

Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum spoke on three occasions, during one of which she mentioned the spiritual challenges faced by indigenous peoples around the world and encouraged those present not to abandon their own spiritual values.

Bahá’ís, she said, must be actively involved in bringing about social change, not in a partisan political way but in every other way.

During the Council the Hand of the Cause visited the nearby Peigan Reserve where she met with a group of the elders of that tribe who, more than 20 years ago, had conferred upon her an Indian name that means “blessed mother.”

One evening during the Council she dined with a group of elders from the Blood Reserve.

Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum also was among the approximately 2,000 people who attended a Saturday evening pow wow that began at 8 o’clock and did not end until 3 o’clock Sunday morning. At one point, she joined in the lively dancing.

Another highlight of the Council was the arrival and introduction of members of “Camino del Sol,” the “Trail of Light” teaching teams that traveled this summer through Central and South America before linking up again in Quito, Ecuador, at the International Bahá’í Conference.

Team members shared moving accounts of their teaching experiences.

Saying that meeting with the various indigenous peoples in Mexico, Central and South America had affected them deeply, they expressed a heightened desire to unite North and South America in closer bonds of fellowship and

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Among the chairmen for the Council sessions was Martha Many Grey Horses, a Blood Indian from Lethbridge, Alberta, who became a Bahá’í two years ago during the second North American Native Council in Wilmette, Illinois.

She is now a member of the Continental Indigenous Council which planned the four-day Native Council meeting.

Tribute to martyrs[edit]

The program for the final day of the Council included a tribute to the martyrs in Iran and an address by Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum.

Following her presentation, the Hand of the Cause asked for questions from the audience. Instead, she was greeted by several non-Bahá’í Native Americans who expressed their desire to embrace the Faith.

In all, more than a dozen people declared their belief in Bahá’u’lláh during the Council sessions including three of the cooks.

The Council ended with participants singing “Alláh’u’Abhá” followed by tearful but happy farewells.

Above: The Hand of the Cause of God Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum addresses the audience at the third North American Bahá’í Native Council in Alberta, Canada. She discussed the spiritual challenges facing indigenous peoples around the world and stressed the importance of holding on to firm spiritual values. Left: No Native Council would be complete without exuberant dancing to the rhythmic beat of drums.

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Latin America[edit]

‘Trail of Light’ sets many hearts ablaze[edit]

Members of 10 North American native tribes blazed a “Trail of Light” through Latin America this summer during a wide-ranging teaching campaign that included visits to 10 countries in Central and South America.

The two teams of Native American Bahá’ís from Alaska, Canada and the United States traveled and taught in Mexico, Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, Bolivia, Chile, Perú and finally Ecuador, where they were linked up in time for the International Conference August 6-8 in Quito.

They taught, danced and sang for varied groups, forging bonds of friendship with their Latin American brothers and sisters in the Faith and especially with the indigenous peoples of the southern hemisphere.

The “Camino del Sol” (Trail of Light) began June 19-20 on the Navajo Reservation in Arizona where an international teaching conference at the site of the future Southwest Bahá’í Institute brought team members together for the first time.

Three members of the Continental Board of Counsellors for the Americas were present at the conference—Mrs. Carmen de Burafato of Mexico, Mrs. Lauretta King of Alaska, and Raul Pavón of Ecuador.

Mrs. de Burafato described the original migrations of the native peoples of the hemisphere, saying that the travels of the Bahá’ís along a “trail of light” was a dream come true.

A memorial service for Amoz Gibson, a member of the Universal House of Justice who passed away May 14, flooded the hearts of those present with memories of his early days as a pioneer on the Navajo Reservation and reminded them of his love for the Navajos and his confident vision of the teaching institute’s coming into being.

‘It is impossible to estimate the spiritual impact of this historic project, but it is certainly very great ... Everywhere, people were amazed to learn that the Faith had penetrated the indigenous areas of North America ...’

Prayers comforted the hearts as the “Trail of Light” campaign was dedicated to the memory of his indomitable spirit.

Following the conference the two teams set out from Arizona. One went to the six countries of Central America and the other to Chile, Bolivia, Perú and Ecuador where they were reunited at the International Conference.

MEXICO—The five-member team, accompanied by Counsellors King and Artemus Lamb, and by Fletcher Bennett, an Auxiliary Board member from Canada who filmed the activities, arrived June 21 in Mexico City.

In Tampico, State of Veracruz, interviews were held with the leading newspaper, the university newspaper and with television and radio stations. In Pablanta there were many meetings with Totonaco Indians of that region, and a proclamation for more than 100.

In Oaxaca City about 300 people attended a public meeting at which team members demonstrated their tribal dances and songs and shared the Bahá’í Teachings. In the indigenous village of Lachigoloo 175 people came to a public meeting. Both meetings were the largest of their kind ever held by Bahá’ís in the State of Oaxaca.

At the Bahá’í Center in Merida, Yucatan, an interview was filmed for television news and a fine newspaper article with photo was published. In other parts of the Yucatán peninsula 100 to 150 Bahá’ís and their friends came to each event. In Quintana Roo a proclamation in an open air theatre attracted an audience of more than 600. The performers shared samples of their tribal songs, dances, symbols and the basic teachings of the Faith. The next morning brought an interview with the President of the city.

Counsellor Lamb writes: “It is impossible to estimate the spiritual impact of this historic project, but it is certainly very great, both on local Bahá’ís and on friends of the Faith and the public. Everywhere, people were amazed to learn that the Faith had penetrated the indigenous areas of North America; furthermore, they were deeply impressed by the spirituality, capacity and love of the team. Already in Mexico, new concepts, ideas and plans are being discussed on how to carry this process forward, both on a national and an international level.”

BELIZE—On July 9 the team left for Belize, reduced now to four members, as one person had to return home due to a back injury. Public meetings were given in Corozal, Orange Walk and Belize City, attracting large crowds in the last two places. Dances and songs and some talks on the Faith were video taped for local television, and two shows were recorded for the regular Bahá’í radio program of Belize. A newspaper article for July 9 proclaims “First time in Belize! American Indians visit.”

PANAMA—The team arrived July 21 to undertake a schedule that included radio and television appearances, public meetings, and participation in the first Bahá’í Native Council in that region. A cable received July 30 at the World Centre in Haifa reports

[Page 11] the outstanding results of that Council: “Overjoyed outcome first native council Guaymi Indians, catalyzed (by) inspiring North American kin, “Trail of Light,” signalizing beginning fulfillment indigenous traditions, Bahá’í prophecies. Consultation fruitful, continued spiritual cultural interchange development. More than 1,000 Guaymi believers joined by Panamanian Cuna, Costa Rican Guaymi, Talamanca, Teribe representatives, despite torrential rains. Historic gathering further blessed presence Counsellor Pringle and indigenous Auxiliary Board member. Recommendation made, fund initiated establishment Native Council Panamanians, Costa Rican tribes. Rising indigenous enkindlement Faith Bahá’u’lláh.”

CHILE—In Region IX (where 89 of Chile’s Local Assemblies are and where 14,000 Bahá’ís live) there were public performances at two schools, at the Bahá’í Institute, the Cultural Center of the city of Temuco—250 present—and at a municipal school in Temuco for 600 children and faculty. The team also performed in a park in Santiago, recorded music and interviews for Bahá’í radio, and gave a public performance in Concepcion.

“Publicity for the group,” according to Chile’s Feast Newsletter, “put the Faith in the ‘first rank’ since not only were there numerous articles in the press in Concepcion, Temuco and Santiago, but also photos and articles on the covers of the dailies of Temuco and Concepcion and of the Chronicle of Santiago, an English-language paper. In Temuco the Sunday supplement of July 4 devoted the entire first page to the subject. Radio interviews were outstanding in all the cities. Among all the activity, however, the most moving was the heart-to-heart contact with our brothers the Mapuche Bahá’ís. The crowning glory, we might say, came at the end of their performance in Temuco when they danced the ‘Eagle Dance’ together with a Mapuche group, Kalle-Kalle Mapu, interchanging their tribal costumes. Mr. Athos Costas, Counsellor of the Continental Board in the Americas, who accompanied them on the trip said, ‘The full effect of this visit still has not been manifested ...’ ”

PERÚ—On July 18 the team was

This photograph of members of one of the ‘Trail of Light’ teaching teams appeared July 2 on the front page of the Chronicle in Santiago, Chile, with an article about the team and its journey to Latin America to meet indigenous peoples and tell them about the Bahá’í Faith.

met at the border between Bolivia and Perú by the directors of Radio Bahá’í of Puno with their Volkswagen and by Auxiliary Board member Boris Handal with the Bahá’í jeep. The following day the team members participated in a large conference in Caspa where, through radio and visits, hundreds of people had been invited. From early morning to four o’clock in the afternoon there was an exchange of performances between the visitors in their colorful costumes and local groups, with the Faith proclaimed at every opportunity to the 3,000 people in attendance. In the late afternoon of that same day, the “Trail of Light” team performed for an audience of more than 1,000 in the town of Juli.

In Puno on July 21 they visited the College of Fine Arts and radio and television stations, accompanied and assisted by Counsellor Mas‘ud Khamsí and Auxiliary Board members Mr. Handal and Andrés Jachakollo. In Cuzco the following day they met hundreds of campesinos and visited Machu Picchu where they were the center of attraction.

Arriving in Lima, the team members visited newspapers and were interviewed for 20 minutes on a television news program. At midday they flew to visit the Aguarunas, a jungle tribe. Accompanied by Enrique Sanchez, who had arranged the visit two weeks earlier, they met with hundreds of Aguarunas and their chiefs, performing for them and proclaiming the Faith. From Lima they left for Ecuador to join the other half of the “Camino del Sol” at Quito, where their participation was one of the highlights of the Bahá’í International Conference.

[Page 12]

Canada[edit]

‘Bahá’í Studies’ holds 7th Conference[edit]

The Hand of the Cause of God John Robarts was among the more than 650 Bahá’ís who attended the seventh annual Conference of the Association for Bahá’í Studies held August 30-September 2 at the Chateau Laurier in Ottawa, Canada.

The Conference theme, “The Bahá’í Option,” was explored in a variety of addresses and papers, and in workshops and symposia on scholarship, curricula, health, and international development.

Among the Conference participants were Dr. Farzam Arbáb, a member of the Continental Board of Counsellors for the Americas; three members of the National Spiritual Assembly of Canada, Dr. Hossain Danesh, Glen Eyford and Douglas Martin; and three members of the U.S. National Spiritual Assembly, Dr. Wilma Brady, Judge Dorothy W. Nelson and Judge James F. Nelson.

Also attending were Counsellor Raul Pavón; Dr. Victor de Araujo, the representative of the Bahá’í International Community at the United Nations; and Dr. Betty J. Fisher, general editor of the U.S. Bahá’í Publishing Trust.

This year’s Hasan Balyúzi Lectureship was delivered by Gayle Morrison, a Bahá’í historian and educator from Hawaii who is the author of To Move the World, a biography of the Hand of the Cause of God Louis G. Gregory.

Mrs. Morrison’s topic was “A New Creation: The Power of the Covenant in the Life of Louis Gregory.”

Essay awards[edit]

The 1982 essay contest awards were presented in the high school category to Saba Arjomand of Port Moody, British Columbia, for “Economics in Third World Countries”; in the university category to Randy Gottlieb of Camuy, Puerto Rico, for “Needs Assessment Survey to Determine the Training Requirements of International Bahá’í Travel Teachers”; and in the individual category to Robert Cameron of Duluth, Minnesota, for “The Number Nineteen and the Disconnected Letters of the Qur’án.”

The world[edit]

An ‘accidental’ proclamation by design[edit]

An unexpected proclamation took place in Lahore, Pakistan, last summer when the Spiritual Assembly of Lahore decided to employ an architectural firm to submit a design for a new local Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds.

Unexpectedly, the architect hired for the project assigned the task to his class of architectural students at the National College of Arts. Each of the 56 students was asked to submit a design for the Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds.

A Bahá’í who visited the college on the day the designs were presented was astonished to find 56 lovely and different concepts, each one based on some aspect of the Teachings of the Faith.

Each student introduced his or her design, and “it seemed for a moment,” said the visiting Bahá’í, “as if they were all Bahá’ís.”

____________

Fifty Bahá’í youth from a dozen localities in Pakistan attended a National Youth Conference held April 2-3 in Hyderabad. Speakers included members of the National Spiritual Assembly and the Auxiliary Board.

The conference theme was “sacrifice,” and 10 youth volunteered to become homefront pioneers to help form and consolidate new Assemblies.

Eight youth arose to make a weeklong teaching trip, while five others agreed to conduct teaching institutes in mass-taught areas. Contributions from those present enabled the conference to be self-supporting.

____________

Dr. Sabir Afaqí, a member of the Continental Board of Counsellors for Asia, met July 29 with members of the National Spiritual Assembly of Pakistan at the beginning of his visit to various cities in that country.

The Counsellor attended a conference July 30 in Thatta that also was attended by assistants to the Auxiliary Board members for Sind Province.

Shown here are participants in a conference for assistants to the Auxiliary Board held July 30 in Thatta, Pakistan. Among those attending the conference were Counsellor Sabir Afaqí and Auxiliary Board members Shamsheer Ali and Parvin Yazamedi.

That evening, Dr. Afaqí met with the Trustees of the Bahá’í Publishing Trust of Pakistan and members of the National Teaching Committee.

Before leaving for Quetta, the Counsellor addressed Bahá’ís in Karachi during a Nineteen Day Feast observance.

Zimbabwe[edit]

Three conferences, each of which was planned by the National Teaching Committee, were held in Zimbabwe to honor the 50th anniversary of the passing of Bahíyyih Khánum, the Greatest Holy Leaf.

More than 80 people attended the conference at Mizpah Farm in Mashonaland. Among the speakers was a representative of the National Spiritual Assembly who called for a renewed sense of dedication on the part of all the Bahá’ís in Zimbabwe by learning from the example of Bahá’ís in Iran who are sacrificing their personal comfort and even their lives for the Faith.

Fifteen Bahá’ís from Gweru and Kwekwe attended the Midlands Conference in Gweru whose speakers also included a representative of the National Spiritual Assembly.

Speakers at the third conference, in Gumtree, Matabeleland, included Auxiliary Board member Enayat Sohaili and a representative of the National Spiritual Assembly.

During a lunch break, the non-Bahá’í owner of Gumtree Farm visited the conference and offered the Bahá’ís a room in the compound for their exclusive use.

[Page 15]

Thailand[edit]

This photo, taken last March, shows a new building under construction for the Bahá’í school at Yasothon, Thailand. Classes were scheduled to begin in mid-May for children from farms and villages in northeastern Thailand. Local residents are happy to see the new Bahá’í school facility being built, and the government has expressed its support and desire to be of assistance.

Bénin[edit]

Auxiliary Board member Frédéric Hodonou addresses the more than 60 people who attended the Harmattan Summer School last December 19-21 at the National Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds in Cotonou, Bénin.

An “Association for Bahá’í Women” was created during a recent regional conference in Bénin’s Ouémé Center. The association was formed in response to one of Bénin’s goals for the Seven Year Plan, that of encouraging the participation of women in Bahá’í activities.

The new association began immediately to make plans for the participation of Bahá’í women at the International Conference in Lagos, Nigeria.

Bahá’í women now gather in Abomey and Lotcho, Bénin, to sing and get acquainted. In Lotcho, they also maintain the Bahá’í Center.

Meanwhile, Bahá’í women in Doloumé have formed a singing group that performed at the dedication of the regional Bahá’í Center in Zou, Bénin, last January, at a border conference in Doloumé in February, and at local institutes.

The women singers are accompanied by a group of young instrumental musicians.

Australia[edit]

The photography of Effie Baker, the first woman Bahá’í of Australia, forms part of an exhibit entitled “Australian Women Photographers, 1890-1950” that is presently touring that country.

Miss Baker’s work is represented by four hand-colored silver prints of wildflowers that were loaned by the National Spiritual Assembly of Australia.

She is described in the exhibition catalog as a Bahá’í, and reference is made to her 1930 photographs of historical places of the Faith in Iran.

Miss Baker was sent to Iran to carry out that task by the beloved Guardian. She accomplished it so well that he included some of her photos in the 1932 publication of The Dawnbreakers.

Earlier, Shoghi Effendi had invited her to come to the Holy Land where she served for 11 years as hostess at the pilgrim house.

Miss Baker returned to Australia in 1936. She continued her photography and her services to the Faith, living at the National Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds at the request of the National Spiritual Assembly of Australia. She died in January 1968 at the age of 87.

Lesotho[edit]

Forty adults and as many children attended a two-day regional teaching conference last summer in Thaba-Limpe, Lesotho. Two women and an 11-year-old child had walked for two days to reach the conference site.

The gathering was sponsored by the National Teaching Committee.

[Page 16]

Mexico[edit]

Pictured are the 52 delegates to the 22nd Bahá’í National Convention of Mexico, held April 30-May 2 at the Martha Root Institute in Muna, Yucatan. Among the guests at the Convention were Counsellor Fred Schechter and his wife.

Gregorio González, a Zatopec Indian Bahá’í (center) is shown with the first two Bahá’ís of Roayaga, Oaxaca, Mexico, who were enrolled in the Faith during Mr. Gonzalez’ trip last May to this Zatopec Indian village.

The first Bahá’ís in the Zatopec Indian settlement of Agua Fría, Oaxaca, Mexico, are shown as they were enrolled in the Faith last May by traveling teacher Wilfrido Canseco (partially hidden behind the man wearing a hat). Mr. Canseco, who opened the locality to the Faith during his first teaching trip there, has since returned to continue the teaching work and to begin deepening the new believers.

Samoa[edit]

One hundred-fifty people from Samoa, Tuvalu, the Cook Islands, Kiribati, New Zealand and the United States attended a women’s conference last July in Samoa that was planned to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the passing of the Greatest Holy Leaf.

Participants included members of the family of His Highness Malietoa Tanumafili II.

Presentations focused on the life of the Greatest Holy Leaf; health; children; family life; practical and spiritual values; equality and rights of men and women; and the culture and traditions of island women.

Afterward, the National Spiritual Assembly of Samoa wrote, “This unique gathering is assuredly a result of the lifetime of servitude of the Greatest Holy Leaf.”

Central African Republic[edit]

Shown here are the 28 women who attended a regional Bahá’í Women’s Conference last July 9-11 in Bossangoa, Central African Republic. The conference, organized by the women of Bossangoa, had as its theme prayer in the Bahá’í family. Participants acted out situations in which prayers can be of help in decision-making, and each of them memorized at least one new Bahá’í prayer.

[Page 17]

India[edit]

Shown are the 115 children and their teachers at the first children’s deepening institute held June 7-14 at the Orissa State Bahá’í Center in Bhubaneswar, India.

One hundred-fifteen children from 13 villages in Orissa State, India, attended the first children’s deepening institute ever held at the state Bahá’í Center in Bhubaneswar last June 7-14.

The children, who came from Bahá’í and non-Bahá’í families, were provided with meals and boarding as well as medical care during the week-long institute that was sponsored by the State Teaching Committee of Orissa.

Following dawn prayers and breakfast each day, the children were divided by age into two groups for classes in which they were taught Bahá’í prayers, quotations from the Writings, moral lessons, the history of the Faith, and stories about the Central Figures.

During arts and crafts periods, the girls were taught embroidery while the boys were given drawing lessons.

The children played games each afternoon and enjoyed evening entertainment that included a slide show, dramatic presentations, singing and other musical performances. Many participated in a singing competition, with prizes distributed by Auxiliary Board member H. Moghelpour.

At the close of the institute, the children were given an exam in which they were asked to reproduce whatever they had learned during the week.

Teachers and members of the State Teaching Committee were surprised by the results, which showed that the students remembered almost everything they had been taught.

The first meeting in the Mother Temple of the Indian Subcontinent was held May 2 for delegates and guests at the Bahá’í National Convention of India.

The meeting, held in the Temple’s outer basement area, was a moving tribute to the memory of Ardeshir Rustampur, the donor of the Temple land.

The institution of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár was explained, and the guests were taken on a guided tour of the Temple construction site.

On May 3, in a solemn and moving ceremony, a brick from the Síyáh-Chál, the “Black Pit” in Tehran where Bahá’u’lláh was imprisoned for several months, was placed within the crown of one of the Temple’s nine arches between layers of steel bars before the concreting was done.

Before the brick was placed, the importance of the relic from the Síyáh-Chál was explained to the engineers and workers who gathered on the Temple floor for prayers.

Counsellor Shirin Boman visited Bihar State, India, last July to begin teaching work in the tribal area of Ranchi and to give added impetus to the proclamation work in Patna, Bihar’s capital city.

The Faith is being proclaimed by the media in Patna where there is a Bahá’í who is a journalist and another who is employed at a radio station. Families of professional people—lawyers and other officials—are accepting the Faith in Patna.

United Kingdom[edit]

The Spiritual Assembly of Exeter, England, has resolved to celebrate Bahá’í Holy Days, whenever possible, by offering some service to the less fortunate people in that community such as those in children’s homes, hospitals, or homes for the elderly.

On the anniversary of the Declaration of the Báb, the community held a party for disabled children at a local hospital.

Bahamas[edit]

Fifty-eight Bahá’ís from four islands in the Bahamas and from the United States and Canada attended the first Bahá’í Summer School in Nassau, held last July 4-10.

Two Bahamians were enrolled in the Faith, and media coverage of the event was extensive.

[Page 18]

The charming and delightful story of a Bahá’í student
whose energy and devotion contributed to the growth
of the Bahá’í Faith in Berkeley and at
Stanford University

YOUTH
IN THE
VANGUARD
by
Marion Carpenter Yazdi

Youth in the Vanguard tells the fascinating story of the first Bahá’í student at the University of California at Berkeley and at Stanford University. In the familiar chores of finding meeting places, placing speakers, sending out invitations, putting up posters, and writing notices for newspapers, you will find a kinship with a predecessor that transcends time and place.

A special treat also awaits you in the story of one who set her course so deliberately in the footsteps of the Master, who grew up with the loving guidance and encouragement of such stalwart pioneer workers as Helen Goodall, Ella Cooper, Kathryn Frankland, and Ella Bailey, and who had her academic career shaped by letters from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi.

Youth in the Vanguard tells the story of two loves—Marion Carpenter Yazdi’s love for a dashing young Persian graduate student whom she met at Berkeley when a quota system foiled her dreams of entering Stanford University as a freshman, and her love for the Bahá’í Faith.

Marion Carpenter Yazdi first heard about the Bahá’í Faith in 1912 when her mother read aloud a newspaper article about ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in the Los Angeles Times. In 1914 she learned more about the Faith from a Bahá’í salesman and became a Bahá’í. From that time to this the Bahá’í Faith has provided the ballast and direction for her life. Except for two short periods she has spent most of her life in Berkeley, serving the community at large as a teacher and businesswoman, and the Bahá’í Faith in a number of capacities.

Cloth edition only. 211 pages, Forewords by Ali M. Yazdi
and publisher, preface by author, notes, index, many photographs.
Catalog No. 332-089 $14,00*

*Valid only in the United States. All others write for
prices and ordering and shipping instructions.

Available from

Bahá’í Publishing Trust
415 LINDEN AVENUE, WILMETTE, IL 60091