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| Bahá’í News | February 1984 | Bahá’í Year 140 |
At the grave of the Guardian:
a tribute to the martyrs in Iran
On the cover: Some 1,300 Bahá’í's in the British Isles gathered last September 24 at the resting place of the beloved Guardian in London Cemetery, each bringing a white rose to lay on the tomb. The friends came at the invitation of the National Spiritual Assembly of the United Kingdom to demonstrate their love and support for the Bahá’ís of Iran and to pay loving tribute to the recent martyrs in that land. Mrs. Rouhiyyih Azizi, whose husband and two brothers were executed in Iran, is pictured laying roses in their memory.
Bahá’í News[edit]
Pressures, arrests continue in Iran despite ban on Bahá’í institutions | 1 |
Second resolution in U.S. Congress condemns Iran for persecutions | 2 |
President Reagan mentions Faith in Human Rights Day proclamation | 4 |
23 experts appraise condition of House of Worship in North America | 5 |
The evolution of a Local Spiritual Assembly is examined by a Bahá’í | 8 |
Around the world: News from Bahá’í communities all over the globe | 12 |
Bahá’í News is published monthly by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States as a news organ reporting current activities of the Bahá’í world community. Manuscripts submitted should be typewritten and double spaced throughout; any footnotes should appear at the end. The contributor should keep a carbon copy. Send materials to the Periodicals Office, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091, U.S.A. Changes of address should be reported to the Office of Membership and Records, Bahá’í National Center. Please attach mailing label. Subscription rates: one year, $12 U.S.; two years, $20 U.S. Second class postage paid at Wilmette, IL 60091. Copyright © 1984, National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. World rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A.
World Centre[edit]
Pressures, persecutions continue in Iran[edit]
To all National Spiritual Assemblies
Dear Bahá’í Friends,
Recent events in Iran following the banning of the Bahá’í administration indicate, unfortunately, the continuation of intense pressures against the defenseless Bahá’í community in that country.
Many of these pressures are being exerted by the authorities in the hope that the Bahá’ís will recant their faith and trade their love of Bahá’u’lláh for the comfort and security which the authorities offer them in exchange.
With great sadness the Universal House of Justice announces that many friends in prison are being tortured when they refuse to submit to the will of the authorities to deny their love for Bahá’u’lláh.
In addition, while it is true that no Bahá’ís have been executed since the statement calling for the disbanding of the administration of the Faith was made by the Attorney General on August 29, it has been reported that on September 19 a Bahá’í farmer in the town of Khuy, Mr. Akbar Haqíqí, died as a result of a beating by a mob instigated by the clergy.
Moreover, at least 140 Bahá’ís have been arrested in all parts of the country following the Attorney General’s statement, 50 of whom were detained on October 30 in the Caspian Sea area.
Although a number of the friends have been released, the total number of Bahá’ís still imprisoned in Iran, according to our records, stands at over 450.
Three believers who were advanced in age have died in prison and thus have joined the ranks of those who have laid down their lives in service to the Cause. They are:
- Mr. Husayn Nayyírí-Isfahání, 64 years old. Imprisoned in Isfahán and died just as he was going into court for his trial on November 29, 1982.
- Mr. Ahmad-‘Alí Thábit-Sarvistání, 67 years old. Died in prison in Shíráz on June 30, 1983.
- Mr. Muhammad Ishráqí, 81 years old. An Auxiliary Board member who died in prison in Tehrán on August 31, 1983.
Word has also recently been received that in the city of Dizfúl, a Bahá’í woman, Mrs. Irán Rahímpúr (Khurmá’í), was executed on May 12, 1983, after giving birth to her child. The baby was taken away by the Muslims and his fate is unknown.
One of the most obvious examples of persecution and proof of the evil intention of the Iranian authorities to uproot the Faith in that land is the destruction and desecration of Bahá’í cemeteries.
Recently there was an official advertisement in the newspapers in Iran indicating that the tombstones in the Bahá’í cemetery in Tehrán were being put up for sale. Since all markers on the graves are apparently being eliminated, it is possible that no trace of the Bahá’í cemetery will remain in future.
You may share the above information with the friends in your jurisdiction, and if you have been doing so in the past, with government authorities and the media.
With loving Bahá’í greetings,
Department of the Secretariat
November 7, 1983
United States[edit]
2nd resolution urges end to persecutions[edit]
Whereas more than 150 members of the Bahá’í faith have been brutally executed by Iranian authorities since the 1979 Islamic revolution; Whereas many Bahá’ís in Iran have disappeared and others have been tortured, persecuted, and deprived of their fundamental rights to personal property and employment; Whereas an edict issued by Iran’s Revolutionary Prosecutor General on August 29, 1983, has far-reaching implications that threaten the lives of 300,000 Bahá’ís residing in Iran and places the future practice of Bahá’ísm in jeopardy by dismantling the administrative structure of the Bahá’í religion; and Whereas these actions for the first time establish an expressed national policy which lays the level foundation for executions, arrests, the confiscation of property, denial of jobs and pensions, expulsion of Bahá’í children from schools, and other pressures which may be brought to bear by Iranian authorities on the Bahá’ís in Iran: Now, therefore, be it Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives Concurring), That the Congress—
Sec. 2. The Secretary of the Senate shall transmit a copy of this concurrent resolution to the President. |
On November 15, concurrent resolutions were introduced in the United States Senate and House of Representatives condemning the government of Iran for its brutal treatment of Bahá’ís and urging President Ronald Reagan to work with other nations in drafting an appeal to save the Bahá’ís from further persecution.
The Senate resolution, introduced by Sen. John Heinz of Pennsylvania, was co-signed by 33 members of that body.
The House version of the resolution was introduced by Reps. Tom Lantos of California, Jim Leach of Iowa, John Porter of Illinois and Gus Yatron of Pennsylvania.
Earlier that day, Sen. Heinz and Reps. Lantos and Porter appeared at a Capitol building press conference in Washington with Dr. Firuz Kazemzadeh, secretary of the U.S. National Spiritual Assembly, to voice publicly their support for the Bahá’ís in Iran and to express their outrage at the edict issued August 29 by Iran’s Revolutionary Prosecutor General declaring membership in Bahá’í institutions a criminal act.
A part of the press conference was telecast that evening on the “McNeil/Lehrer News Hour” on national public television.
Dr. Kazemzadeh appeared on that program and also was interviewed in English and Persian by the Voice of America.
Calling the open letter of September 3 from the National Spiritual Assembly of Iran to government leaders in that country “extraordinarily moving and terribly saddening,” Sen. Heinz said, “It appears ... that the Iranian government is about to embark on a program of oppression reminiscent of the Nuremberg Laws that started Nazi terror on its way.
“The stage is being set,” he continued, “for the next step toward the complete repression and possible annihilation of the Bahá’ís in Iran.”
Rep. Porter, who with Rep. Lantos is co-chairman of the House Human Rights Caucus, said, “We debated a long while whether introducing a resolution and drawing public attention to the plight of Bahá’ís in Iran would help them or hurt them.
“We finally decided it would help them. Even fanatical and tyrranical regimes like the Ayatollah Khomeini’s have some sensitivity to world public opinion. If they are allowed to murder in the dark, the murders may never end.
“Women, children and older people
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Left: Sen. John Heinz of Pennsylvania
who introduced a concurrent resolution November 15 in the U.S. Senate
which strongly condemns the government of Iran for its persecution of Bahá’ís in that country and calls upon the President to work with other governments in drafting an appeal to save the
Bahá’ís in Iran from further persecution. Right: Rep. John Porter of Illinois who co-sponsored a similar resolution in the U.S. House of Representatives.
haven’t been spared, and we are afraid that this will go on and on unless we take an open, public stand against it and draw the attention of the people of the world to what is happening in Iran.
“We hope that by doing so ... we can somehow bring to an end this murderous pogrom against the Bahá’ís.”
It is especially poignant, said Rep. Lantos, “that it is the Bahá’í community which should be the object of such blatant and total persecution—a community that is dedicated to peace, to the recognition of the authority of civil government in all secular affairs, to the equality of men and women, and whose members wish only to practice their faith.
“... We already have 150 Bahá’í martyrs in Iran. We are calling on the government of Iran to stop this monstrosity, lest it be condemned by the civilized world for all eternity.”
There is some indication, said Dr. Kazemzadeh, “that when the world speaks, the Iranian government listens.
“It listens because it knows ... that the Bahá’ís have been guilty of no crimes; that they have not served as agents of foreign powers; that they have not been subversives; that Bahá’í women are not prostitutes—these are charges that have been flung against the Bahá’ís in so-called trials held in Iran in the last two or three years.
“Knowing all this, the perpetrators of the persecution must indeed be uncomfortable themselves. ...”
Dr. Firuz Kazemzadeh, secretary of the U.S. National Spiritual Assembly, is interviewed at a press conference November 15 in Washington, D.C.
The open letter to the government of Iran, said Dr. Kazemzadeh, “gains additional poignancy from the fact that the men who signed that letter were the successors of two sets of members of that same body, the first having disappeared without a trace in 1980, and the second having been executed in 1981.
“So these men lived for years under the sword, and they still had the courage to write and to make their position clear ...”
Sen. Heinz, in introducing the Senate resolution, said:
“On August 29 of this year, the revolutionary prosecutor general of Iran, during an interview with one of Iran’s leading newspapers, declared that Bahá’í religious institutions were now illegal and membership in them was a criminal act.
“This edict formally and officially outlaws the Bahá’í National Assembly in Iran, its 400 local assemblies, and all other governing bodies of the Bahá’í community.
“In one swift moment, with the ut-
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terance of a few words, the prosecutor
turned thousands of men and women
into criminals, open to persecution and
punishment at the whim of the government.
“... the Iranians have moved to establish the legal grounds for mass arrests and executions. They have brought the survival of the Bahá’í faith and its followers in Iran into question, and if the history of the treatment of the Bahá’ís under the present regime teaches anything, the future of more than 300,000 may well be in jeopardy.
“It is particularly sad, and quite ironic, that the Bahá’ís have been singled out by the Iranian authorities for such mistreatment and, I might add, treatment bordering on genocide, for it is a basic tenet of the Bahá’í Faith that they remain unattached to any specific political philosophy.
“In fact, it is non-interference in politics and an unparalleled obedience to government that guides their faith. Solely because of their refusal to recant their faith in favor of Islam have they had to endure constant and unceasing hardship.
“The Bahá’ís of Iran represent the only case in the world today in which people are being persecuted and killed based only on their religious beliefs, and not because of their opposition to the regime in power.
“It is because the light at the end of the tunnel for the Bahá’ís is little more than a flicker that we must maintain our interest, our opposition, and our hope.
“... I urge all of my colleagues to support this resolution. I urge them to co-sponsor it. I urge them to do so at the earliest possible opportunity—hopefully today.”
Three days later, on November 18, Rep. Michael Barnes of Maryland spoke in the House of Representatives on behalf of the Bahá’ís in Iran, saying, “This gentle, peace-loving community has no way to fight back against the hostile Iranian regime.
“Many Iranian Bahá’ís have accepted the fate of death rather than to recant their faith. They live with the confiscation of property, the destruction of holy shrines, the murder and imprisonment of their leaders, the incitement of mobs against them, the desecration of graves, false accusations of espionage, and now an all-out attack on Bahá’í religious institutions leaves no doubt of the ultimate aim of the current regime: the elimination of the Bahá’í faith from Iran, the country of its birth 139 years ago.
“The magnitude of the governmental assault on the Bahá’í community cannot be overstated. At stake is the survival of an independent religion.
“To make matters worse, the Bahá’ís have no recourse for redress of grievances. For this reason, it is critical that those outside Iran vigorously protest—in a public way—the actions of the Iranian government.
“Our greatest leverage is the weight of public pressure and criticism. We must publicly put the Iranian government on notice and expose its genocidal, systematic pattern of persecution against the Bahá’í community.”
| President Ronald Reagan is applauded after signing a Human Rights Day proclamation December 8 at the White House. Among those behind him is Mrs. Ramna Mahmoudi Nourani (second from left), both of whose parents were martyred in Iran.
In an official proclamation issued December 8 marking the 35th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, President Ronald Reagan cited the persecution of Bahá’ís in Iran as one of the most serious violations of human rights in the world today. Participating at the invitation of the White House in the Human Rights Day observance were Judge James F. Nelson, chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States; Dr. Firuz Kazemzadeh, secretary of the National Assembly; and Mrs. Ramna Mahmoudi Nourani, whose parents are among the more than 150 Bahá’ís who have been executed since the Islamic revolutionary government came to power in Iran four years ago. Last May, the President issued an appeal on behalf of the Iranian Bahá’í community, urging the Ayatollah Khomeini to spare the lives of 22 Bahá’ís who had been sentenced to death. Despite appeals from the President and other world leaders, those Bahá’ís—including 10 women and teen-age girls—were executed last summer. Congress is presently considering a second resolution, sponsored by more than 40 senators and 70 representatives, urging actions to relieve the plight of the Bahá’ís in Iran. |
United States[edit]
House of Worship given expert appraisal[edit]
Twenty-three Bahá’ís from 14 states and Canada who have expertise in a variety of areas encompassing the fields of science, engineering, architectural design, and construction-related enterprises responded to an invitation from the U.S. National Spiritual Assembly to participate November 18-20 in a Temple Restoration Seminar at the Bahá’í House of Worship in Wilmette, Illinois.
The 23 participants, who were chosen from a larger number of applicants, were assisted by a group of facilitators that included other invited guests and staff members at the Bahá’í National Center.
Historic overview[edit]
Following an orientation session that included a slide presentation on early construction phases of the House of Worship and an historic overview from archival documents related to the Temple’s construction, the seminar participants were assigned to small working groups that carefully examined the Temple from the top of its dome to its basement boiler room.
Their goal, as set forth by the National Spiritual Assembly, was to assess the over-all condition of the House of Worship, identifying specific problem areas, their probable causes and degree of severity; to recommend any immediate temporary measures that appear necessary; and to recommend a long-range plan for the over-all restoration of the House of Worship including any specific tests or studies required, priorities, scheduling of work, and estimated costs.
The findings for each area of the Temple by the six working groups were analyzed and recorded with the help of computers.
The result is a one-inch thick report to the National Spiritual Assembly that
Seminar participants left almost no stone unturned while examining the Bahá’í House of Worship for signs of deterioration.
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includes three pages of recommendations and 14 appendices which cover
each area of the Temple structure.
The final report was presented to Judge James F. Nelson, chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly, who thanked the participants on behalf of the Assembly and gave each of them a photograph of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and a prayer revealed by the Master for the House of Worship.
The National Assembly has appointed a six-member Temple Restoration Committee to proceed with more detailed studies, restoration scheduling, and implementation of plans.
The National Assembly also has ap- proved the expenditure of funds for the initial phase of the Temple restoration.
While the report indicates that the damage is serious and does require repairs, said Dr. Firuz Kazemzadeh, secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly, the building is not threatened by collapse.
What is required in light of the experts’ findings, he said, is a several year long program of restoration.
Participating in the Temple Restoration Seminar were:
- Mohammed Aazami, Glendale, California: a construction engineer and general contractor with 20 years’ experience in high-rise steel and concrete structures.
- Robert Armbruster, Oak Park, Michigan: a member of the Louhelen Bahá’í School Project Committee who is a civil engineer and project management specialist.
- Robert Basso, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: an architect, technical administrator and master specifications writer.
- John Bruton, Simi Valley, California: a mechanical engineer and project manager.
- Teck Chua, West Lafayette, Indiana: a specialist at Purdue University in the repair and restoration of concrete.
Plans examiner[edit]
- Dennis Davis, Wilmington, Delaware: a senior safety inspector, plans examiner and waterfront administrator.
- David Haddon, Port Hope, Ontario, Canada: a civil engineer who has been involved in previous studies of the House of Worship.
Above: Sam Clark (left), who served as chairman and convenor of the Temple restoration seminar, assesses progress with (left to right) Robert Shaw, Frederic McCoy (back to camera), Robert Armbruster and Joseph Marcial. Below: William Rix (center, with flashlight), a member of the House of Worship maintenance staff, points out possible areas of deterioration in Foundation Hall.
- Cyrous Khalilian, Aptos, California: an architectural engineer for highrise structures.
- Joseph Marcial, Pembroke Pines, Florida: an architect who specializes in the design and building of domed structures.
- William Maslauski, Springfield, Illinois: an architect who participated in previous studies of the House of Worship.
- Frederic McCoy, Ferndale, Michigan: an architectural coordinator and project manager who served on the Louhelen Bahá’í School Project Committee.
- Calvin Pritchard, Lauderdale Lakes, Florida: a general contractor.
- Ezatollah (Ezzy) Rohani, Woodinville, Washington: a construction manager and senior estimator.
- James Reinoehl, Columbus, Ohio: a metallurgical engineer and corrosion specialist who has done research in corrosion cracking of steel and has developed a computerized data system for bridge and rail safety inspection.
- Mehran Sattarzadeh, Orange, California: a construction engineer who specializes in design, layout, underground storage, concrete reservoirs and concrete foundations.
- Robert Shaw, Middleton, Wisconsin: a civil engineer, builder and developer with 30 years’ experience who served on the Rabbani Bahá’í School (India) Project Committee.
- Walter Steiger, Beaverton, Oregon: a member of the Army Corps of Engineers for 30 years who is involved in the design, construction and renovation of major composite buildings and aircraft hangars and who designed the Bahá’í National Center in Alaska.
- Cyrus Varan, Albuquerque, New Mexico: a structural engineer with 30 years’ experience who is a senior designer, publisher, researcher and educator.
- John Wilson, Somerville, Massachusetts: a specialist in computer-aided design.
- Dudley Woodard, Willoughby, Ohio: a metallurgist for 30 years who specializes in the deformation and fracture of metals.
- Shinji Yamamoto, Madison, Wisconsin: an architect for the State of Wisconsin who has been involved in previous studies of the House of Worship.
- Cengiz Yetken, Oak Park, Illinois: an architect and designer of high-rise steel structures who designed the Bahá’í Centers in Muncie, Indiana, and Vienna, Virginia, and is a consultant on the Louis Gregory radio station project.
- Robert Yoder, Rock Hill, Missouri: a chemist who specializes in protective coatings and is involved in research and development of corrosion resistant sealants.
Sam Clark of Ferndale, Michigan,
who served as a member of the Louhelen Bahá’í School Project Committee, was convenor and chairman of the
Temple Restoration Seminar.
Serving as seminar documentor was Frank Lucatelli, an architect from Kalamazoo, Michigan.
John Weiss, a liability insurance adviser from Greenfield, Wisconsin, and Stephen Koehl, acting general manager of NSA Properties Inc., also took part in the seminar.
The National Spiritual Assembly was so pleased by the splendid work done at the Temple seminar that it immediately scheduled a similar gathering of Bahá’ís with expertise in financial planning to explore methods of raising capital and financing various Bahá’í building projects.
The Financial Planning Seminar held January 26-29 at the Louis Gregory Bahá’í Institute near Hemingway South Carolina, focused on WLGI, the first Bahá’í-owned radio station in North America, and the properties at the Gregory Institute.
The National Assembly hopes that financial strategies developed at the seminar can be applied to other projects planned by the Assembly.
Methods and opportunities for investments and financing were looked into along with ways to maximize savings and investment profits of Bahá’ís who are in a position to invest funds that could be used to help develop or improve Bahá’í properties.
Left photo: Judge James F. Nelson, chairman of the U.S. National Spiritual Assembly, addresses participants in the House of Worship restoration seminar held November 18-20 in Wilmette. Right photo: A close inspection of the Temple interior by chemist Robert Yoder (kneeling) and metallurgist Dudley Woodard.
Commentary[edit]
Evolution of a Local Spiritual Assembly[edit]
It is the evening of the Nineteen Day Feast. From Maine to California, from Seattle to Miami, Bahá’ís have gathered to receive spiritual sustenance from devotions, to consult upon and carry forward the work of their communities, and to enjoy fellowship and hospitality.
From community to community the essentials of the Feast remain the same. Yet closer scrutiny reveals differences which are based not so much on culture or region as on size.
Smalltown, Anywhere, is a Bahá’í community of 12 active members and several others who seldom if ever attend meetings. This evening, its Feast is being held in the home of one of the Bahá’ís. The hosts have prepared the devotional part of the Feast and provided the refreshments. The business portion is informal and spirited with those present seated comfortably in the living room. The scene is a familiar one to most American Bahá’ís because Smalltown’s Feast is representative of the majority of Bahá’í communities. But not all Feasts are quite like this one.
In Burgeoning Suburb, for example, the chairman of the Assembly has stepped to the microphone to call the business part of the Feast to order. There are about 50 adults present, and the children have left for another room to begin their classes.
Burgeoning Suburb has about 75 active members and another 20 or so on the roll who attend meetings only infrequently. As usual, the Feast is being held in a rented room at a local school, which the community has
| This article on “The Evolution of a Local Spiritual Assembly” was written for Bahá’í News by M. Kathryn Jewett, an attorney who lives in Richmond, Virginia. |
used since it outgrew homes.
Several families have worked together, with guidance from the Feast Committee, to plan the devotions and provide refreshments. The business part of Feast is long and formal and includes many committee reports and announcements. Consultation is limited and often dry. Some older members fondly remember the days when Nineteen Day Feasts were held in homes, and regret the loss of community intimacy.
The Big City Bahá’í community outgrew its rented hall several years ago, and this evening has gathered in its Center’s auditorium. Of the 500 people on its rolls, nearly 200 are present. This large Feast is unique because most Big City Feasts are now held in quadrants of the city, the Assembly having divided the community in regions several years ago. Hence, Feasts for the entire community are eagerly anticipated as a chance to see those who live in other areas of the city.
The Feast Committee has planned the devotional program and provided refreshments with money from the local Bahá’í Fund. To facilitate consultation, microphones have been placed throughout the auditorium. The business part of Feast has been carefully planned in advance by the Spiritual Assembly. Consultation seems often to consist of speeches instead of a sharing of ideas because so few are willing to speak before an audience of 200. And with so many people present, it is difficult to have more than superficial chats with a limited number during the social part of Feast. Even though the community apparently likes the larger Feasts, the Assembly is discouraged by their cost and by the lack of meaningful consultation. Consequently, it has been debating whether to continue to hold them at all.
Elsewhere, Teeming Metropolis community has not held a community-wide Feast in years. This evening, as usual, its Feasts are being held in various locations throughout its jurisdiction, mostly in homes. Tomorrow morning, several more will be held.
There are so many area Feasts in Teeming Metropolis that it is no longer possible for a member of the Spiritual Assembly to be present at each one; therefore, the Assembly has appointed representatives to chair and carry out other tasks at each area Feast. Packets have been carefully prepared in advance to assure that each Feast covers those items of business that the Assembly has determined are important. Consultation flows well and notes are taken so that matters raised can be reported back to the Assembly. In most respects these area Feasts resemble the one being held in Smalltown, but the resemblance is deceptive. Beneath the similarities, the Feasts in Teeming Metropolis reflect the solid foundation of experience gained by that community during its growth and evolution, while the Feasts in Smalltown reflect the fact that the community is still in its infancy.
Bahá’í Institutions Are Organic[edit]
The Writings of the Faith, especially those of the Guardian, Shoghi Effendi, are replete with descriptions of the evolutionary character of the administrative order. For example, he refers to the institutions as “organic” and “ever-expanding.” He speaks of the “gradual consolidation of the administrative structure which its avowed followers the world over are labouring to raise and fortify ...” (From a letter written by Shoghi Effendi to the Bahá’ís of the West, dated October 29, 1926, and quoted in Unfolding Des-
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tiny, p. 60). Further, he promises that
the Bahá’í institutions of the future
will not be like those of today:
“... Not only will the present-day Spiritual Assemblies be styled differently in the future, but (they) will be enabled also to add to their present functions those powers, duties, and prerogatives necessitated by the recognition of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh, not merely as one of the recognized religious systems of the world, but as the State Religion of an independent and Sovereign Power ...” (The Bahá’í World, Vol. III, p. 108).
As parents who are schooled in child development are better able to carry out their roles in rearing children to adulthood, so the more the process of the development of Spiritual Assemblies is understood, the fewer will be the growing pains. By studying existing Bahá’í communities, from those with the newest fledgling Assemblies to large and long-standing urban communities with mature Assemblies, it becomes possible to discern distinct stages of development. What is presented here is an attempt to delineate those stages.
From the outset the reader should be aware that, while the following comments are generally true, each community will have factors that make it unique, and that therefore some observations may not apply in particular cases.
The key element that serves to determine each stage of growth is the number of active Bahá’ís in a community. That factor alone, for example, determines how large a facility is needed for the Nineteen Day Feasts and how effective consultation can be. The number of active members has a significant impact on the Assembly itself, with sizable increases in numbers requiring qualitative changes in the way the Assembly operates, aside from the more obvious changes in meeting places.
Because the key lies in the number of active believers, the stages of community development apply whether the community is rural, suburban or urban. Of course, a town with roughly a thousand residents will never be faced with some of the problems that cities with millions of residents will encounter. Nevertheless, as hundreds of people in that smaller town become Bahá’ís, it will find itself experiencing essentially the same difficulties that now confront many urban Bahá’í communities.
Many active, vital Bahá’í communities stagnate at the point at which they should be evolving into the next stage of their development. This is due partly to fear of change, and partly to their inability to make the adjustments that are necessary for a successful tran-
As parents who are schooled in child development are better able to carry out their roles in rearing children to adulthood, so the more the process of the development of Spiritual Assemblies is understood, the fewer will be the growing pains.
sition. Change requires flexibility and courage. Looking ahead to future needs can help dispel the fear of change, and plans can then be laid to help bring about and ease the metamorphosis necessary for continued growth.
Stage One: 9 to 25-301[edit]
During the early stages of a Bahá’í community, when the number of its active adherents ranges from nine to 25 or 30, a Local Spiritual Assembly’s primary focus is on its very survival. It learns how to become organized and begins to explore the tasks that lie before it. Although some of these tasks are delegated to individuals or committees, by and large the work of the community is carried out by the Assembly members themselves.
Assembly officers during the early period of its development should, of necessity, be chosen for their ability to perform certain tasks themselves. For example, the secretary should be able to draft and type letters, and the treasurer should know how to keep simple financial records. The chairman’s role is not as important as it is during later stages of a community’s development; he or she need only know how to conduct small meetings.
It is at this time that an Assembly often begins to acquire the basic equipment needed to carry out its work, such as filing cabinets, a typewriter, and letterhead stationery. It begins also to build a community lending library and appoints a community librarian who is responsible for book sales and library maintenance.
The majority of meetings, including the Nineteen Day Feasts and those of the Assembly, are held in homes. The community functions as a single unit with one Feast and with activities geared to attract the participation of all of its members. Often, a high percentage of the community’s income is forwarded to the National, Continental and International Funds since most of its material needs are taken care of by community members and it does not have the expense of a building or staff.
To make maximum use of limited resources, many activities are carried out in cooperation with nearby communities. The number of children and youth is too small to develop an exciting program for those age groups without pooling with other communities.
When the community has 15 active members it should incorporate, thus giving the community its first true indicator of permanence.
By the time a community reaches 25 to 30 members it begins to find that it can no longer fit comfortably into any but the largest homes. Its workload has become too heavy for the members of the Spiritual Assembly to carry without help. It has begun to enter the next stage of development.
From this transition point until the community reaches Stage Four, the Assembly will be concerned with the problem of having suitable space for meetings. Consequently, it should begin setting aside funds for the day, rapidly approaching, when the community no longer will be able to hold Nineteen Day Feasts in the homes of its members.
Stage Two: 25-30 to 100-150[edit]
By the time a community expands from 25 or 30 Bahá’ís to 100 or 150, the Spiritual Assembly usually has learned how to perform many of its fundamental tasks. It has found that it must delegate more of its work, and has a growing number of committees, few of which function consistently because the Assembly remains a novice at delegating and supervising tasks.
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While the Assembly members themselves continue to carry out many
duties, such as working with the children or contacting the media, they begin
to find that they have little time for any
responsibility other than the Assembly’s own meetings. They do, however,
serve in many cases as the Assembly’s
liaisons to its committees.
The Assembly officers continue to carry out their jobs themselves, although the secretary’s duties have usually been divided between a corresponding and recording secretary, and perhaps even a membership secretary. The chairman has become more important, not only for the smooth conduct of the Assembly’s lengthening agenda but for conducting the consultation at the Nineteen Day Feast.
The Assembly’s records have grown to the point at which storage in homes is a problem. It is ready to rent office space where it can store its records and equipment, maintain its lending library and archives, and hold Assembly and committee meetings. Once it has an office where it can keep its typewriter, filing cabinets and office supplies, it can begin acquiring furniture such as bookshelves, a desk, and a conference table. This office is the community’s first Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds; but as it looks toward the day when it will own a building, the Assembly may also decide at this stage to purchase a piece of land where a Bahá’í Center can be built once a sufficient amount of money has been saved. The goal of the community will be to acquire or construct a building large enough to accommodate the entire community.
The community has given up holding Feasts in living rooms and has rented a hall. Because of a lack of time and the large number of people who are present, consultation has decreased and there is a feeling of loss of intimacy. Time limits must often be set for each of the sections of the Feast. The chairman, following a carefully planned agenda, has become the key to a successful business portion. In spite of the Assembly’s best efforts to exercise control, there are many announcements and reports that consume time and sometimes deaden the Feast.
The community librarian has had to become better organized to manage the growing lending library and book sales; the librarian’s tasks may even have to be shared among several persons. Because Feasts are now held in a rented temporary facility, it is difficult to have a wide range of items available for sale.
The community now has enough children and youth to warrant active programs for those age groups. The percentage of community members participating in activities such as deepenings and social events has decreased, as has the percentage of in-
With a growing amount of clerical work the Assembly may begin to consider buying more equipment, such as a copier to ease its paper work and an inexpensive microcomputer to help maintain its membership and financial records.
come sent to the various Bahá’í funds.
As the community grows toward 100 or more active members, it continues to try and function as a single unit with one Feast, but the size of the community and its diversity of interests make apparent the need to divide the community into smaller units. Already, small “friendship groups” or cliques have developed naturally within the community.
Stage Three: 40-602 to 300-400[edit]
When a Bahá’í community has between 40 or 60 to 300 or 400 members, the Assembly finds two urges pulling it in opposite directions. It wants the community to function as a single unit, while at the same time it sees the need for smaller units of activity, usually based upon neighborhoods. By now the community has a Center or is actively working to acquire one, and the Assembly is finding it increasingly difficult to hold large meetings for the entire community.
Meanwhile, the Assembly has had to learn to delegate responsibility. It has become a planning, organizing and supervising body that leaves the execution of most tasks to committees or representatives. The committees themselves have begun to assume greater responsibility for planning and to have subcommittees; even personal problems are usually delegated to a committee or representatives who may not even be Assembly members. Because of its heavy agenda, the Assembly tries to spend little time conferring with individuals.
The duties of Assembly officers have evolved as well. Now the chairman must be able not only to chair an Assembly meeting but also to speak well in front of a large audience. To present reports at large gatherings, the corresponding secretary must likewise have some public speaking ability and must have the capacity to supervise and work well with those whom he or she now must call upon to help with at least some of the routine clerical work. The treasurer must have a good knowledge of bookkeeping and finance, for the community may now have funds that must be skillfully invested including trust funds given as gifts to the community. The secretary, and perhaps the treasurer, may at this juncture receive some financial compensation for their time, and/or have the help of a part-time or full-time assistant, possibly paid.
With a growing amount of clerical work the Assembly may begin to consider buying more equipment, such as a copier to ease its paper work and an inexpensive microcomputer to help maintain its membership and financial records. If there is a Center, it may include a bookstore with part-time or full-time staff.
In communities of more than 200 active members, the Feasts possibly are conducted in homes according to geographical areas. At the outset of this arrangement, at least one Assembly member will usually be present to chair each Feast, and the Assembly will prepare in advance packets that include an agenda for the business session; copies of correspondence to be read from the Universal House of Justice, National Spiritual Assembly, Auxiliary Board members, and so on; a report from the Local Spiritual Assembly; and announcements and information about book sales and the lending library. Someone will be designated to report the results of consultation to the Assembly.
Occasionally, the entire community will meet for a combined Feast which requires considerable advance planning. Consultation at these larger gatherings is usually difficult, as only
[Page 11]
those who feel comfortable speaking
before a large audience contribute.
The Bahá’í Center, once acquired, consumes a large amount of income for its upkeep. It has become a mixed blessing that improves community activities by giving the friends a more permanent home while at the same time adding to its problems because of its maintenance and staffing needs.
It has also become increasingly difficult to communicate quickly with the community, and events must be planned farther in advance to publicize them effectively to the Bahá’ís.
The committee structure has become centered gradually on the geographic areas used for the Feasts. For example, the teaching committee may have subcommittees for each Feast area that plan events in their neighborhood. Social, teaching and deepening activities have become increasingly neighborhood-centered. The community’s size has decreased the need for planning joint activities with nearby Bahá’í communities.
Stage Four: 300-400 +[edit]
When a community has grown beyond 300 to 400 active members, the Assembly ordinarily has delegated its tasks to the point at which it is primarily a policy-making body that handles only the most important matters. Its officers have become executives with a paid staff, and the secretary must usually, of necessity, be at least a part-time employee.
It has become virtually impossible to attempt to have a Nineteen Day Feast for the entire community, even occasionally. Instead, Feasts are held in homes by neighborhood. After a point, there are so many Feast observances that it is no longer possible to have an Assembly member present at each one of them. The Assembly may therefore decide to appoint chairmen for each area who are then instructed as to how the Assembly wants each Feast to be conducted.
Area committees have become increasingly important, not only in planning and carrying out activities in their neighborhoods, but in keeping the Assembly informed about the health of the community in each area. These committees serve at the behest of the Assembly, possibly after an advisory vote by the Bahá’ís in each area.
Gradually, as the community has evolved through each stage, the variety of community activities has become increasingly more diverse. The Assembly finds more and more that the needs within its own community consume a larger share of its income, leaving a smaller percentage for contributions to outside Funds. The community’s resources have grown to the point where it no longer needs to pool resources with its neighbors. In fact, while the community may invite others to attend its events, there are actually fewer jointly planned activities or intercommunity committees than there were when the community was small.
The future holds promise that the path the community is now traveling will continue, with more decentralization and delegation as the community keeps growing. Feast areas will shrink from neighborhoods to city blocks, and perhaps even smaller units. Like a cell redividing, the possibilities for growth reach far beyond our present limited perspectives of Bahá’í community life.
Final Comments[edit]
The experience of existing Bahá’í communities suggests that it is important for each community to evolve naturally through each stage of growth rather than to try to jump too quickly from one to another or to bypass a stage all together. For example, a small Bahá’í community that acquires a Center before it is ready for one will often be paralyzed by a responsibility it cannot handle. On the other hand, a Spiritual Assembly in a larger community that has never learned to delegate responsibility will find itself quickly incapacitated.
Circumstances may not, however, permit a gradual transition. For instance, the sudden influx of Iranian refugees at the time of the overthrow of the Shah swelled the ranks of many communities with new, active believers. Some difficulties resulted because those Assemblies did not have the requisite background experience to make the adjustments necessary to cope with the unexpected increase in numbers.
Each community must therefore evaluate realistically where it is in its growth and be flexible enough to make any needed adjustments. It should constantly look toward the future and lay the necessary groundwork for the next stage in its growth. But as a boy cannot become a man without first being a youth, the community must be patient with itself and courageously anticipate the future while meeting the needs of the present.
- The numbers given here and throughout the article refer to the number of active believers.
- The reason for the overlap with Stage Two is that some communities have been able to handle a Center successfully with about 40 active members. While this is not often true, some communities seem to mature faster than their numbers alone would indicate.
Denmark[edit]
Shown here are most of the 50 people who attended the Danish Bahá’í Summer School last July 9-16. A special guest at the school was the Hand of the Cause of God Ugo Giachery (seated near center).
The world[edit]
Free clinic in India treats 952 eye patients[edit]
Nine hundred fifty-two people were treated during the first free Bahá’í Medical Camp for Eye Patients held last August 17-23 at Government High School in Maddure, Karnataka State, India.
One hundred-twenty of the patients were operated on, while the others received medicine, treatment, and free eye glasses.
Hundreds learned of the Faith, and the head of the Mysore Health District praised the Bahá’ís for their principles and their actions.
The breakthrough in setting up the complex project came when the principal of the local medical college became a Bahá’í, according to Habib Habibi of Bangalore, the Bahá’í who was chiefly responsible for organizing the camp.
The principal of the medical college introduced Mr. Habibi to the head of the eye department at the K.R. Hospital in Mysore and to members of the Mobile Operations Unit. These doctors agreed to take part in the project and promised to supply surgeons, nurses and medications at no cost under certain conditions.
The Bahá’ís agreed to meet those conditions, which included locating a suitable building for 100 beds, facilities to be turned into an operating room, an examining room, water and sanitary facilities, lighting, accommodations and food for the medical personnel and patients, publicity, and advance planning.
The one element above all others that made the Bahá’í camp successful, says the Karnataka State Teaching Committee, was the prayers of the Universal House of Justice.
From dawn to dusk on the first day of the camp, blind and partially blind villagers arrived with their dependents. They came by bullock cart, rickshaw, and on foot from surrounding villages.
More than a hundred of these people needed urgent major operations. Two surgeons and a team of 12 assistants worked non-stop and with great dedication throughout the day.
On the final day of the camp, patients were given final medications and told to return in two months for a check-up and to obtain their prescriptions for eyeglasses.
Patients were then given a hearty breakfast before they set off for their homes. Many expressed the feeling that never before had they experienced such care and love.
A similar medical camp was scheduled to be held last September in Arakara, near Mandya, India.
Representatives of 15 state and local youth committees in India participated with other young people last June 22-24 in the 14th annual Youth Planning Conference in Pune. The conference was organized by the National Youth Committee.
Special guests were two members of the Continental Board of Counsellors who attended a part of the program and inspired those present to rise to the new challenge of organizing children’s classes all over India and to conduct training conferences for children’s teachers.
Participants presented reports of their activities, discussed ways of improving their efforts, and explored new goals for the coming year.
The message from the Universal House of Justice to Bahá’í youth all over the world was received on the final day of the conference and was studied by everyone present.
Since the close of the conference, the National Youth Committee has been receiving reports of successes from youth throughout India.
Members of India’s National Youth Committee participated with members of 15 state and local youth committees at the 14th annual Youth Planning Conference held last June 22-24 in Pune.
United Kingdom[edit]
Pictured are members of the South Uist Bahá’í community in the Outer Hebrides islands west of Scotland. The photograph was taken last fall during the visit of Dr. Ridvan Moqbel, a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of the United Kingdom (back row, center). Dr. Moqbel also visited the friends on the remote islands of North Uist and Benbecula to share with them the spirit of the International Convention in Haifa and to convey to these Bahá’ís, who don’t often receive visitors, the loving greetings of their National Assembly.
Australia[edit]
Members of the Bahá’í Society at the University of New South Wales, Australia, recently circulated to 1,000 students and 500 staff members at the university a letter describing the sufferings of the Bahá’ís in Iran and actions taken by various governments on their behalf.
The letter also announced a public meeting held last September 29 at which two members of the National Spiritual Assembly of Australia spoke.
Four informational meetings were attended by 34 non-Bahá’ís.
Sri Lanka[edit]
Thirty-five Bahá’ís from the Sabara-Gamuwa region of Sri Lanka attended a regional conference last September 20-21 at the Dehiowita Bahá’í Center. The conference was conducted in the Sinhala language.
Youth from the Eswatte Bahá’í community presented a play and slide program; Auxiliary Board member Neil Chandrasekara gave a presentation on Bahá’í administration, and M.L.C. Chandrasekara led a discussion of The Hidden Words.
A talk on the principles of the Faith was followed by a group discussion.
Twenty-five people attended a Bahá’í Family Conference last September 25 at the Kandy Bahá’í Center in Sri Lanka. Six non-Bahá’í women came as observers to the conference which was sponsored by the National Women’s Committee of Sri Lanka.
While the children were being cared for, their mothers heard presentations on “The Role of Women and Men in Bahá’í Life.”
Belgium[edit]
A French television crew was among a large number of visitors attracted to a Bahá’í exhibit last May 27-29 at a European festival in Brussels, Belgium.
The festival, held in Heysel, the exhibition park of Brussels, had as its theme “The World We Choose, an Exhibition on the Quality of Life and Human Values.”
A booth sponsored by the National Spiritual Assembly of Belgium featured a display of Bahá’í books, and visitors were offered free literature in several languages.
Those visitors included university professors, artists, writers, a member of the party accompanying King Baudoin of Belgium, members of Amnesty International, and busloads of school children and their teachers.
Also visiting the booth were a noted French author, one of the panelists at the principal public program, and a Russian man now living in France who was so familiar with the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh that he was able to recite whole passages from memory.
When King Baudoin visited the festival, two Bahá’ís met him and offered him a press kit on the Faith which he graciously accepted. He also asked for and was given Bahá’í brochures that were being distributed at the festival.
French television photographed the Bahá’í booth on two occasions, and it was seen briefly on the evening television news program.
For the second year, Professor M. Masgani, a Bahá’í who lives in The Netherlands, traveled to Antwerp, Belgium, each week last year to teach a class of university undergraduate and graduate students a course on the Faith under a program organized by the Faculty of Comparative Religion in Antwerp.
Founded in 1980 by a group of eight individuals of varying religious backgrounds, the Faculty of Comparative Religion grew out of the Belgian branch of the World Congress of Faiths.
The Faculty has strong ties to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and is presently negotiating with the Belgian Ministry of Education for recognition at the completion of a full four-year course.
The National Spiritual Assembly of Belgium, which chose Mr. Masgani to teach the course on the Faith in Antwerp, describes the Faculty’s academic approach as one that is very much in line with that of the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh:
“One acquires not only knowledge, but also a greater understanding and respect for the essence and origin of each religion.”
Excerpts from a video tape made by a Belgian delegate at the Fifth Bahá’í International Convention last April 28-May 2 in Haifa, Israel, were broadcast May 11 during the evening news on a French-language television station in Brussels.
The video tape was also shown at the Belgian Bahá’í National Convention to bring to the friends the “deeply moving moments” of the International Convention.
Ivory Coast[edit]
Seated (left to right) at the head table for a United Nations Day conference last October 24 in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, are speakers Kassimi Fofana, a recently appointed member of the Continental Board of Counsellors in Africa; Usher Assouan, the mayor of Cocody, Ivory Coast; Mr. Rotival, the United Nations representative in Abidjan; and Counsellor Zekrollah Kazemi.
More than 150 people including university professors and other prominent residents of Abidjan, Ivory Coast, attended a Bahá’í-sponsored United Nations Day observance last October 24 at the National Library in Abidjan.
The speakers included Counsellor Zekrollah Kazemi; Kassimi Fofani, a newly appointed member of the Board of Counsellors in Africa; and Mr. Rotival, the local UN representative.
The event was chaired by Usher Assouan, the mayor of Cocody, a suburb of Abidjan. Mr. Assouan is an international lawyer and former representative of Ivory Coast to the UN Human Rights Commission.
The mayor closed the conference by thanking the Bahá’ís for their initiative in organizing it.
Advance publicity included several announcements over a three-day period on national radio, and interviews of Bahá’ís on national television.
Greenland[edit]
Indigenous believers attended the Greenland Bahá’í Summer School for the first time this year.
The 14 Bahá’ís who met June 24 in Holsteinsborg, a coastal settlement just north of the Arctic Circle, included six Greenlanders and visiting Counsellor Lloyd Gardner.
Italy[edit]
Pictured are many of the 850 people who participated last September 4-12 in the 22nd Italian Bahá’í Summer School at Cosenza. Seated in the second row slightly left of center is the Hand of the Cause of God Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum who was making her first visit to the Italian Bahá’í community.
Eight hundred-fifty people from 19 countries attended the 22nd Italian Bahá’í Summer School held last September 4-12 in the southern city of Cosenza.
Special guests at the school were the Hand of the Cause of God Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum, who was making her first visit to the Italian Bahá’í community, and Dr. Leo Niederreiter, a member of the Continental Board of Counsellors in Europe.
About 120 children attended special classes arranged for them by the Italian National Children’s Committee.
A total of 17 guests at the school, most of whom are women from southern Italy, declared their belief in Bahá’u’lláh.
Seven members of the Spiritual Assembly of Potenza, Italy, and Auxiliary Board member Gianfranco Mazzoni met last June 26 with Emilio Colombo, the Italian minister of foreign affairs.
The minister agreed following patient approaches by the friends to meet officially with representatives of the Bahá’í institutions to discuss the persecution of Bahá’ís in Iran.
The Hand of the Cause of God Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum is shown with some of the children who attended the 22nd Italian Bahá’í Summer School last September 4-12 in Cosenza.
During the meeting Mr. Colombo was asked to speak on behalf of the Bahá’ís to the Iranian delegation to the United Nations.
Mr. Colombo said he was well-informed about the situation of Bahá’ís in Iran and promised to do what he could on their behalf.
Hawaii[edit]
Samieh Labib-Wood (right), a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Hawaiian Islands, is shown with Pat Bryant, deputy director in the State of Hawaii’s department of personnel, as they attended Hawaii’s annual Women’s Conference held last October 19-20 at Maui Community College. Both women conducted workshops at the conference. Mrs. Labib-Wood’s was entitled ‘Women: The First Educators of Mankind.’ She has been invited to direct a workshop at the International Women’s Conference to be held later this year in New York City.
Panama[edit]
Fernando Reid (left) spoke about the achievements of the United Nations during a well-attended program last October 24 at the Bahá’í National Center in Panama City, Panama, that was held to observe the 38th anniversary of the founding of the UN. Many in the audience came from Panama’s National University, and a lively exchange of questions and answers followed Mr. Reid’s presentation. Also pictured is the coordinator of the public program, Rosemary Baily.
More than 150 people attended a
conference on world peace last October
20 at the museum of the Hombre Panamefio that was sponsored by the National Spiritual Assembly of Panama
and included a guitar and piano concert.
The guests included representatives of the United Nations, members of the diplomatic corps, and government officials. The program, which included a proclamation of the Faith, commemorated International Peace Day.
Meanwhile, in Colon, International Peace Day was observed with an open air concert that featured a local band.
A “Week of Peace” was begun with special devotions at the Bahá’í House of Worship in Panama City. Readers at the Temple program included the director of Panama’s National Theatre and a well-known poetess.
International Peace Day also was observed in David, where a public talk was presented, and in the city of Puerto Armuelles.
Benin[edit]
Television and radio reports on the persecution of Bahá’ís in Iran and contact with several government officials were among the results of a teaching trip to Benin last October 18-21 by Shoghi Ghadimi and his wife, two Bahá’ís who live in Liège, Belgium.
A meeting to which government officials and prominent members of Benin society were invited was broadcast on radio, and a widely publicized meeting that featured the Ghadimis as speakers was carried on television.
The Ghadimis were received by His Excellency Mathieu Kerekou, the president of Benin, who expressed his sympathy for Bahá’í principles and encouraged further visits.
Mr. and Mrs. Ghadimi also met with the ministers of higher education, scientific research, literacy and culture, the vice-chancellor of the National Order, the president of the Central Court, the president and secretary of the Chamber of Commerce, the chancellor of the university, and the director of the provincial normal school.
The National Spiritual Assembly of Benin planned sustained follow-up events to take full advantage of the opportunities presented by the visit of Mr. and Mrs. Ghadimi.
French Antilles[edit]
The National Spiritual Assembly of the French Antilles reported last October 11 that the 11th Local Spiritual Assembly had been formed on Martinique, and the 17th Assembly was ready to form on Guadeloupe.
Switzerland[edit]
Bahá’ís from 25 countries and 20 non-Bahá’í guests attended the first group of Summer School sessions last July-September at the new Bahá’í Center of Landegg, in northeastern Switzerland on the southern shore of Lake Constance near Rorschach.
Six courses on a variety of topics were presented in English, Italian, German and French. Special classes were offered for children.
Visitors to the Landegg Center during the summer programs included Counsellor Aziz Yazdi of the International Teaching Centre in Haifa; Counsellors in Europe Ursula Mühlschlegel and Louis Hénuzet; Manúchihr Salmánpúr, a Counsellor in Asia; and Auxiliary Board members F. Dustdar, W. Golmer, P. Firoozmand, H. Göltenboth and Dr. J.P. Vader.
The school programs included both lectures and workshops. Evening programs featured a variety of entertainment including films, slide presentations, Bahá’í stories, and music from the East and West. A total of four concerts were presented.
A group of 25 Bahá’í youth on a summer teaching campaign in Switzerland arrived from Innsbruck, Austria, and enjoyed a special program planned especially for them.
A Swiss woman who attended the first Summer School session declared her belief in Bahá’u’lláh, as did two teen-agers who visited Landegg.
The National Spiritual Assembly of Switzerland has planned 19 school sessions and 10 seminars at the Landegg Bahá’í Center from December 26, 1983, through December 28, 1984.
Seventy Bahá’ís from various parts of Switzerland attended an annual teaching conference last October 1-2 in Neuchatel. Among the participants were Counsellor Ursula Mühlschlegel and all members of the Auxiliary Board in Switzerland.
Twenty Bahá’ís offered to support activities in goal localities, while two of the friends offered to undertake traveling teaching work.
Trinidad/Tobago[edit]
His Excellency Sir Ellis Clarke, president of Trinidad and Tobago, is shown with Shahrzad Jamalabadi, a Bahá’í youth who was one of a group of seven students who met with the president for nearly two hours as part of a recent school social studies project.
Shahrzad Jamalabadi, a young Bahá’í from Trinidad and Tobago, was among a group of students who met last September 28 with His Excellency Sir Ellis Clarke, the president of Trinidad and Tobago, as part of a school social studies project.
Miss Jamalabadi served as captain of a team of seven students who talked with Mr. Clarke for more than one and one-half hours.
Afterward, she described the president as “excellent in every point of view,” and Mr. Clarke wrote to Miss Jamalabadi, saying that she had conducted the interview quite effectively.
Hong Kong[edit]
The Bahá’í community of Hong Kong has been receiving good local media coverage of the persecutions in Iran, but only after a surprising turn of events.
At first unsuccessful in bringing the suffering of the martyrs to public attention through the usual media channels, the National Spiritual Assembly of Hong Kong placed a notice headed “In Memoriam” for each of the martyrs in the South China Morning Post, one of the leading English-language newspapers in the region.
As a result, the Bahá’ís were asked to appear on a television program that deals with current events. Two Bahá’ís were interviewed for 10 minutes on the prime time program.
Since that time, the South China Post has begun to carry wire service articles about the persecutions in Iran, sometimes even before the local Bahá’í community receives the information.
Meanwhile, the National Proclamation Committee has become successful in obtaining interviews from all the mass media.
Radio interviews were heard last March, May and July. The most recent television interview was with Russell Garcia, a Bahá’í who is a well-known musical composer and conductor.
A Chinese-language magazine in Hong Kong prepared a feature article on the Faith which was scheduled for publication last August.
The steady increase in media exposure has brought about a corresponding increase in enrollments with more than 30 new Bahá’ís joining the Hong Kong community in the two months following Riḍván 1983.
Kenya[edit]
Bahá’ís in Mombasa, Kenya, have been taking part in a fuel wood conservation program that was begun in 1982 by a non-governmental energy conservation group.
The Bahá’í community of Mombasa was invited to participate in the group’s first workshop. Last March, a group of Bahá’ís attended an agroforestry course at the Farmer Training Centre where a method of making improved “jikos” (charcoal burners) was demonstrated.
That demonstration was repeated several months later at the Bahá’í Center in Mombasa. The results include a group of trained people who are working steadily under Bahá’í sponsorship to make the improved jikos.
So far, 200 jikos have been produced for satisfied customers who report a significant drop in their charcoal consumption.
The Spiritual Assembly of Mombasa feels that by aiding this project it is promoting some of the principles of the Faith, including work as worship and individual pursuit of high standards in order to help carry forward an ever-advancing civilization.
MARTHA ROOT
Lioness at the Threshold
byM. R. GARIS
a highly readable biography of North America’s
greatest teacher and the foremost Hand of the Cause of God
raised up by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s will in the
- In South America her mule slipped dangerously close to the edge of a precipice as she crossed the Andes in the dead of winter
- In Shanghai she raced toward the harbor in a ricksha while fleeing from an aerial bomb attack on the city
- In Manila she was nearly crushed by a stampeding crowd struggling to survive one of The Philippine’s worst earthquakes
- She spent weeks on the ocean in cramped staterooms, many hours on wooden seats in third-class railroad cars, myriad nights in uncomfortable hotel rooms
Martha Root’s motivation: a whole-hearted, almost literal response to Abdu’l-Bahá’s Tablets of the Divine Plan.
Her goal: to devote her life and her considerable talents to bringing the message of Bahá’u’lláh to seekers around the world.
In 1909 Martha Root, a respected Pittsburgh journalist, became a Bahá’í and set her sights on the world. She traversed the globe five times ■ spoke to hundreds of audiences ■ reached millions through her newspaper articles and radio broadcasts ■ visited world leaders, scholars, kings, and maharajas ■ befriended a queen ■ tirelessly supported Esperanto and world peace conferences ■ arranged for translations of Bahá’í writings into many languages.
And she won the admiration of countless Bahá’ís and non-Bahá’ís alike. In 1939, when Martha
Root died, Shoghi Effendi wrote that her death was the heaviest blow to the teaching work since
‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s passing. Today she still sets the pace for all who arise to teach.
————————————————————————
M. R. Garis, the current writer of the Uncle Wiggily stories, is a long-time resident of Amherst, Massachussets
| M. R. Garis, the current writer of the Uncle Wiggily stories, is a long-time resident of Amherst, Massachussets |
xv + 496 pages, notes, index to places, general index, 70+ photographs
| Hardcover | Catalog No. 332-105 | $2000* |
| Softcover | Catalog No. 332-106 | $1100* |
- Available from
- Available from
415 LINDEN AVENUE, WILMETTE, IL 60091
*Valid only in the United States. All others write for
prices and ordering and shipping instructions.
