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| Bahá’í News | December 1984 | Bahá’í Year 141 |
60th anniversary issue
On the cover: Although the first issue of the ‘Bahá’í News Letter’ appeared in December 1924, it was not until November 1930—nearly six years later—that the first photographs appeared in the magazine. By that time the name had been shortened to Bahá’í News. Those first three photographs were of construction work on the Bahá’í House of Worship in Wilmette, Illinois, one of which—taken October 8, 1930—is reproduced as the front cover of our 60th anniversary issue. Also reproduced, on pages two through five, is the complete first issue of the Bahá’í News Letter which was largely the work of Horace Holley, who was then secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada.
Bahá’í News[edit]
Excerpts from the Guardian’s statements about Bahá’í newsletters | 1 |
How it began: The first issue of the ‘Bahá’í News Letter’ reproduced | 2 |
Bahá’í News through the years: A pictorial history of its changing face | 6 |
A look at the first editor of Bahá’í News, the remarkable Horace Holley | 8 |
‘Raising the Tent of Unity,’ by the Hand of the Cause A.A. Furútan | 9 |
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 within U.S.: one year, $12; two years, $20. Outside U.S.: one year, $14; two years, $24. Foreign air mail: one year, $20; two years, $40. Payment must accompany order and must be in U.S. dollars. 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.
The beloved Guardian on Bahá’í newsletters[edit]Shoghi Effendi Rabbani, who served the Bahá’ís of the world as Guardian of the Faith after the Ascension of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in 1921 until his own passing in November 1957, had a keen interest in Bahá’í publications of every kind, as these brief excerpts from letters written by the Guardian or on his behalf to Bahá’í national communities attest. His own literary skills were prodigious, his output voluminous, and his concept of the scope and direction of Bahá’í journalism far-reaching and progressive. From a letter of January 16, 1925, to the The first printed issue of the National Assembly’s News Letter, prepared and signed on behalf of the Assembly by its able secretary (Horace Holley), stands as a bright and eloquent testimony of his thoroughness, his industry, his conspicuous ability, his undoubted self-sacrifice. The Cause is entering upon a new era of renewed and concerted activity. Its method of presentation has unmistakably improved, and this general advancement in standard is in no small measure attributable to the distinctive capacity of your Assembly. My constant prayer is that He who watches over and inspires your manifold activities may bless more richly than ever before your noble endeavors. From a letter of February 7, 1925, to the May your cherished and promising Journal eloquently recount the tale of your deeds; acquaint your fellow-laborers in distant fields with your hopes, your plans, and your achievements; reflect the spirit of your selfless endeavors, and stand as witness of the growing vitality of the noble work you are destined to achieve. From a letter of April 10, 1925, to the The News Letter which you have lately initiated fulfills a very vital function and has been started admirably well. I would urge you to enlarge its scope, as much as your resources permit, that in time it may devote a special section to every phase of your activities, administrative, devotional, humanitarian, financial, educational and otherwise. That it may attain its object it must combine the essential qualities of accuracy, reliability, thoroughness, dignity and wisdom. It should become a great factor in promoting understanding, providing information on Bahá’í activity, both local and foreign, in stimulating interest, in combating evil influences, and in upholding and safeguarding the institutions of the Cause. It should be made as representative as possible, should be replete with news, up-to-date in its information, and should arouse the keenest interest among believers and admirers alike in every corner of the globe. I cherish great hopes for its immediate future, and I trust you will devote your special attention to its development, and by devising well-conceived and worldwide measures transform this News Letter into what I hope will become the foremost Bahá’í Journal of the world. From a letter of May 25, 1926, to the The News Letter should be extended, widely distributed and utilized as a means to supply information, coordinate activities and secure the support of all the believers to the institutions of the Cause. From a letter of January 30, 1943, He does not feel that the ‘Bahá’í News’ letter, published monthly for the information of the Bahá’ís, should be reduced in size, as it is read with deep interest by the believers everywhere, and the information it contains of the activities of the friends is a great stimulus to the work everywhere. |
THE BULLETIN OF THE NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY
Office of the Secretary
169 CHRISTOPHER STREET, NEW YORK CITY
O SON OF MAN!
Magnify My Cause, that I may make manifest unto thee the secret of My greatness and shine upon thee with everlasting Light.
- Baha’u’llah.
To the Assemblies of the United States and Canada
DEAR BAHA’I FRIENDS:
In order to extend the purpose of the general letters issued by the National Assembly, and increase their usefulness as a means to completer understanding and more active unity among all the friends, it has been decided to publish them in printed form, amplifying the letter itself with details of Baha'i activities as brought to our attention by Assemblies and individual believers throughout the world.
With the assistance of local Spiritual Assemblies, a copy will be placed in the hands of every active believer. A quantity of this News Letter is being sent to each secretary on our records, and the secretaries are requested to distribute them to the believers in their Assemblies. As hitherto, the letters of the National Assembly will be sent to all isolated Baha'is; and we urgently request that the names of all believers not members of local Assemblies be sent to the National secretary at the above address. We believe also that it will be of interest to Assemblies outside of the United States and Canada to receive copies regularly.
The subject to which all the friends are urged to give their closest attention at the present time is that of the decisions arrived at by the National Assembly in consultation with the Temple Committee and the believers who met in the studio of Mr. Bourgeois on the Temple grounds, Wilmette, Illinois, Sunday, October 19th. The purpose of this special meeting of consultation was fully explained in our general letter No. 3 dated September 25th.
Acting upon the recommendation of the Temple Committee, the National Spiritual Assembly voted the sum of seven thousand dollars to meet the costs of the following improvements upon the Foundation Hall and Temple grounds:
Two cloak rooms and toilets | $600.00 |
Partition to enclose meeting room | 400.00 |
Heating apparatus | 575.00 |
Weather-proofing roof | 1,700.00 |
Skylights | 1,300.00 |
Plank walk | 100.00 |
Shrubbery and vines | 400.00 |
Keeper's cottage | 2,000.00 |
| $7,075.00 |
The Temple Committee was requested to place contracts for this work at once, in order that these improvements may be reported as entirely completed at the National Convention of 1923. The result of this expenditure will be to place the Foundation Hall in condition of usefulness and also to make at least a beginning upon the work of beautifying the grounds.
Of far greater significance to the success of the Temple work as a whole was the decision to request the Temple Committee to gather together all legal documents, contracts, and accounts, including all receipts and expenditures and vouchers covering every item in connection with the work of the Temple from the earliest days, draw up a complete report based upon these records, and present this to the National Spiritual Assembly to be published for the information of all the friends in detail.
The treasurer of the National Fund was also authorized to pay five hundred dollars on each of the two outstanding Temple notes this quarter.
An itemized report covering receipts and expenditures for the Temple from April 1, 1924 to October 16, 1924, follows on next page.
It will be noticed that the Temple statement contains a payment on taxes amounting to $1503.13. Since that payment was made, permission has been received from Haifa to apply for tax exemption under the customary laws applying to property used exclusively for religious purposes, and it is improbable that any tax item will appear in the Temple Report for 1925.
As we compare the slight improvements which it is now in our power to have done for the Temple, with that vision of a supremely gracious and beautiful edifice in completion, which has for so many years inspired the devoted friends of Abdu'l Baha throughout the world, it is only too evident that some vital spirit of executive power is still lacking among the members of the Cause in this country. The time has come for us to turn resolutely away from that expectation of results bestowed upon us as a gift from on high, and to deepen our own capacity to obey both the spiritual and material commands so often reiterated to us by word and by deed in the interests of the uniform World Plan, so that the advancement of the Cause in all its phases may rest upon the substantial foundation of human effort penetrated by a consciousness of the Divine Will for this age.
It is natural enough for periods of doubt and foreboding to seize upon any individual or even group. Such periods indicate that we have come to to the end of our present understanding of the Cause, and are, in fact, nothing more than opportunities to attain to a larger and more universal understanding. The pool of water left by the spring freshets will soon evaporate under the heat of the summer sun, while the spring that is fed from below will continue to give forth its pure waters throughout the year.
Let us all admit that each of us on entering the Cause brought with him something at least of his previous tradition and experience. So long as this element remains in our consciousness, we cannot but believe that this Cause will be served by the same means and methods used by members of other movements. But as this mental habit is overcome, and this spiritual veil is
NATIONAL BAHA'I ASSEMBLY
MOUNTFORT MILLS | Chairman |
HORACE HOLLEY | Secretary |
FLORENCE MORTON | Treasurer |
ALFRED E. LUNT | Assistant Treasurer |
- ELIZABETH GREENLEAF
- MAY MAXWELL
- AGNES S. PARSONS
- SIEGFRIED SCHOPFLOCHER
- ROY C. WILHELM
Office of the Secretary
- 169 Christopher Street
- New York City
Office of the Treasurer
- 5 Wheeler Avenue
- Worcester, Mass.
REPORT OF TEMPLE DIVISION OF THE
NATIONAL BAHA'I FUND
From April 1, 1924 to October 16, 1924
CASH RECEIVED
April 1—Balance from W. H. Randall, Treasurer | $1,191.23 |
30—Contributions in April | 3,705.75 |
May 31—Contributions in May | 4,886.57 |
June 30—Contributions in June | 61.00 |
July 31—Contributions in July | 1031.17 |
Aug. 31—Contributions in August | 402.92 |
Sept. 30—Contributions in September | 683.55 |
Oct. 16—Contributions to October to date | 205.03 |
Total Received $12,167.22
CASH PAID
April 1—A. E. Lunt, Secretary | $75.00 |
1—L. Bourgeois, salary April, May and June | 750.00 |
10—Mrs. True, expenses | 200.00 |
12—Telegraphing Convention | 19.30 |
21—Paid on acct. Temple note | 2,500.00 |
21—Paid interest and stamps on same | 70.50 |
30—Discount on checks at bank | 8.59 |
May 2—A. E. Lunt, Secretary | 75.00 |
2—Telegrams at Convention | 16.13 |
5—Taxes on Temple property | 1,503.13 |
5—Paid on acct. Bourgeois Note | 2,000.00 |
12—Building material | 421.50 |
14—Check returned protested | 21.43 |
19—Mrs. True, expenses | 200.00 |
31—Exchange on checks | 1.18 |
June 17—Mrs. True, expenses | 200.00 |
July 1—L. Bourgeois salary, July, Aug. & Sept. | 750.00 |
9—Mrs. True, expenses | 200.00 |
15—Paid on acct. Temple Note | 500.00 |
15—Interest on same | 57.49 |
29—Paid on acct. Bourgeois Note | 500.00 |
29—Interest on same ($73.13, $50.00) | 123.13 |
Aug. 21—Mrs. True, expenses | 100.00 |
21—A. E. Lunt, expenses to Chicago | 150.00 |
30—Mrs. True, expenses for September | 200.00 |
Sept. 30—S. Janas, Trucking | 133.00 |
Oct. 4—Mrs. True, expenses for October | 200.00 |
8—L. Bourgeois, salary for October | 250.00 |
Balance Temple Fund Account $941.83
NATIONAL BAHA'I FUND
Report No. 4—From August 30, 1924, to October 17, 1924
CASH RECEIVED
Aug. 30—Balance (Report No. 4) | $4,189.22 |
Sept. 30—Collections for September | 1,353.35 |
Oct. 16—Collections for October (to date) | 599.24 |
CASH PAID
Aug. 30—Mr. Vail (September) | $150.00 |
30—Mr. Gregory (September) | 125.00 |
30—Mrs. True | 200.00 |
30—Stanwood Cobb (Star) | 102.50 |
30—Mrs. Randall (advanced Mrs. Haney's expenses to Green Acre to consult N. S. A. about Star of the West) | 43.60 |
Sept. 17—Punjab, India group | 400.00 |
30—S. Janas, Truckman | 133.00 |
Oct. 4—Mrs. True for October | 200.00 |
Mr. Gregory (October) | 125.00 |
Mr. Vail (October) | 150.00 |
International Baha'i Fund | 95.00 |
Secretary's expenses for September | 96.64 |
8—L. Bourgeois, October salary | 250.00 |
Total Balance.......$4,071.07
In Chicago Bank - $891.56
In Worcester Bank - 3,179.51
$4,071.07
Submitted by Florence Morton, Treasurer.
removed by the universal forces which have their expression in and through Abdu'l Baha, our faith requires for its entire nourishment nothing outside of those steadfast assurances we have received from him.
That there exists in this country many hearts already prepared to join in the task of erecting an edifice to the Glory of God and the brotherhood of man; that there is even at this hour more than sufficient funds to give embodiment to the ideal of the Most Great Peace—and that these unknown brothers and sisters are as anxious to work side by side with us as we are to increase our own numbers—this is a fact of which we cannot have the slightest doubt. But neither can we have the slightest doubt that this assistance will be given us in but meager measure until we have fulfilled the conditions of sacrifice and love which alone can attract and convince the waiting souls.
The outer and visible point of unity corresponding to that inward and invisible oneness to which we, as Baha'is, have been called, is the National Fund. The institution of this central Baha'i Fund is yet so new and so unprecedented that we have failed to grasp its entire significance. In one aspect, the Baha'i Fund is a protection to every believer against those enthusiastic but frequently ill-advised solicitations which are inevitable where many hundreds of people are in close association year after year. In another aspect, the Baha'i Fund is our opportunity to prove our spiritual faithfulness upon the plane of practical affairs as upon the plane of mind and heart. By the
[Page 4]
supreme witness of Abdu'l Baha's own life, we know that faithfulness is a way of living which embraces the whole of life. Our first response to the opportunity offered us by the National Fund should be a reconsideration of our daily lives in every detail, so that they may become controlled by a new sense of order and inspired by a new purpose. The effect of our understanding of the National Baha'i Fund should be to cultivate our every resource to the utmost, for not otherwise shall we be able to feel any pride in our capacity to serve this aspect of the Cause. It is for each believer to determine for himself what portion of his income can be allotted to the Fund; it is for each believer to determine for himself just where to draw the line between economy and extravagance—the standard of giving has been set for us once and for all.
In still another aspect, the National Baha'i Fund is deeply significant, for it means that we ourselves are willing not to decide for which specific purpose our contributions shall be used. Otherwise, those who preferred the Temple above all other activities of the Cause would create a fund for the Temple alone; those who most deeply felt the necessity for teaching, would maintain a separate teaching fund; while those who wanted to spread the literature would be most interested in increasing a publishing fund. These separate centers of activity would inevitably, in time, while each might be perfectly legitimate in itself, lead to division and disharmony among the friends. Shoghi Effendi has given permission to specify the object of our contributions, but the ideal method is to leave this to the decision of the National Spiritual Assembly. We cannot too fully realize the fact that the institution of the National Spiritual Assembly is inseparably wrapped up with the institution of the National Fund.
Can we not, from now on, cherish as one more characteristic example of the bounty of Abdu'l Baha this privilege of uniting in one conscious loyalty the spiritual and material phases of our lives—so tragically sundered today in the lives of the great majority of mankind?
The report of the National treasurer submitted at the last meeting of the National Spiritual Assembly is given on page 2.
A later report of the Treasurer, to be given in full in our next Letter, shows that the balance at this moment is only slightly over one thousand dollars. In view of this crisis, the National Spiritual Assembly has appointed a National Finance Committee, representing all five Regional Divisions, to assist in removing the root causes for such a condition. The work of this Committee will be taken up in detail in another Letter, but meanwhile we urge each individual believer to resolve to contribute a minimum of one dollar a month to the National Fund during 1925.
If such results follow this statement of facts, then it will be possible to formulate some concrete plan for erecting the first external unit of the Temple. The real plan for building the Temple is surely contained in the general Letter, of Shoghi Effendi—and it is to mark a beginning of faithfulness to those Letters that we are emphasizing the solemn need for active unity as proved by deeper interest in the welfare of the National Fund.
It is hoped that every aspect of these important subjects will be thoroughly discussed by the friends in their local Assemblies, and a just balance be arrived at between the local and national funds. Individuals, after contributing to their local Fund, may also contribute directly to the National Fund. Only by immediate and whole hearted response from one and all can we meet even the comparatively slight financial obligations already undertaken in behalf of the Temple—and this is but one of the several responsibilities carried by the National Fund.
Even the brief summary of the current events of the Cause given below will reveal how successfully the friends of Abdu'l Baha, are carrying the Message to the public in these stirring days. In later News Letters more space will be devoted to these happenings, so that all may be fully informed.
- Yours in service to Abdu'l Baha.
- National Spiritual Assembly.
- by: Horace Holley, Secretary.
WORK OF NATIONAL COMMITTEES[edit]
For many years past, the Archives Committee has been collecting original copies of Tablets and other irreplaceable documents and souvenirs of the Cause, and keeping them properly safeguarded in bank vaults at Chicago.
All the beautiful messages from Abdu'l Baha made accessible to us through the three printed volumes of Tablets were originally collected by the Archives Committee. Had this work not been done, the publication of those three volumes could never have been accomplished.
| "The time is indeed ripe for the manifold activities, wherein the servants and handmaids of Baha'u'llah are so devoutly and earnestly engaged, to be harmonized and conducted with unity cooperation and efficiency, that the effect of such a combined and systematized effort, through which an All-Powerful Spirit is steadily pouring, may transcend every other achievement of the past, however glorious it has been, and may stand, now that, to the eyes of the outside world the glorious Person of the Master is no more, a convincing testimony of the potency of His everliving Spirit."
SHOGHI EFFENDI
|
It will be remembered that Volume Three of the Tablets appeared in 1915, while many of Abdu'l Baha's most important communications to individuals and groups in this country were received between 1915 and 1921, a period which gave us the Tablets of the Divine Plan and likewise Abdu'l Baha's final messages of exhortation and of love.
To make possible in the near future a fourth and final volume of authoritative Tablets, it is most essential that all believers and Assemblies possessing original Tablets shall as soon as possible entrust them (accompanied by the original signed translation, if possible) to the Archives Committee. Otherwise, within the lapse of a few years, as the recipients inevitably pass away, many priceless Tablets will be lost to the Cause, and the task of collecting the other Tablets will be increased a hundredfold.
As it is precisely those final Tablets of which we all have need to ponder at this time, the National Spiritual Assembly joins with the Archives Committee in urging individual believers and Assemblies to lose no time in placing their Tablets at the disposal of all the friends by sending them to the Archives Committee. The secretary of this committee is Miss Gertrude Buikema, 1827 W. Roosevelt Road, Chicago, Illinois. The official receipt of the Archives Committee will be forwarded to the sender without delay, and a detailed report of the work of this committee will be presented at the National Convention of 1925.
Under the experienced and capable editorship of Stanwood Cobb, Mariam Haney and Jinabi Fadil, the Baha'i Magazine (Star of the West), has since May been presenting the Message in a universal way that cannot fail to attract the attention of interested people. With the expansion of the Cause it has become necessary for the magazine to develop away from the
[Page 5]
point of view of membership in a limited group toward a broad and fundamental interpretation of current problems reflecting the spirit of the teachings rather than the passing events of the Movement.
The Baha'i Magazine today should be regarded as a teacher in the real sense of the word, and as such deserving of our cordial support not merely to the extent of our own personal subscription, but by means of additional subscriptions and copies to be passed on where they are likely to accomplish the most good. Five months' subscription to a new subscriber, one dollar; yearly subscription, three dollars; two subscriptions to one address, five dollars. Address Baha'i News Service, P. O. Box 283, Chicago, Illinois.
The work of the Library Committee has also been very rapidly developing. This committee has placed Baha'i literature in hundreds of public libraries throughout the country, and at the present time has nearly one thousand libraries on its active list. Supported entirely from the National Fund, the work of this committee is among the most far-reaching efforts being made to serve the Cause in this country, and as the resources of the National Fund permit, many thousands of additional volumes will be placed in public libraries by this committee, thus bringing the Message Within reach of a vast number of people. Those desiring to assist the Library Committee should address the secretary, Miss Elizabeth Hopper, 1105 Park Road, N. W. Washington, D. C.
The Publishing Committee have recently issued a new catalog, copies of which have been sent to all Assembly librarians on its list. Copies can be obtained by addressing Baha'i Publishing Committee, 169 Christopher Street, New York City.
The following new books can now be obtained: Shoghi Effendi's translation of the Hidden Words, 25c; The Book of Assurance (Ighan), $1.50: Baha'u'llah and the New Era by Dr. Esslemont, $1.50: The Wisdom of Abdu'l Baha (Paris Talks), 40c; Prayers and Tablets of Abdu'l Baha, translated by Shoghi Effendi, 15c; Episodes in My Life, by Moneereh Khanum, translated by Ahmad Sohrab, 35c; Abdu'l Baha's First Days in America, from the diary of Juliet Thompson, $1.00; Baha'u'llah and His Message, a pamphlet by Dr. Esslemont, 20c; photo-engravings from photographs of Abdu'l Baha and also the Baha'i Temple, 10c each. A selection of the general letters of Shoghi Effendi will be published within a few weeks, 15c.
NEWS OF THE CAUSE[edit]
Space does not permit in this number of the News Letter to give an adequate survey of the many important meetings that have been held during the past few months.
On September 26th, 27th and 28th, under the chairmanship of Mrs. Cooper, the Teaching Committee of the Western States Region held its second annual Baha'i Conference and Congress, at the California Club, San Francisco. The sessions of the Conference were attended by delegates from twenty-one Assemblies, including Honolulu and British Columbia. It was the Western States Region which first inaugurated this ideal method of linking together the local Assemblies for consultation in response to Abdu'l Baha's advices in the Tablets of the Divine Plan. No other method can overcome the inherent difficulties presented by the size of this country and Canada, and as time goes on we can confidently expect that such regional conventions will assume a significance second only to that of the National Convention itself. The public meetings presented the teachings to many interested people, the addresses being delivered by Willard P. Hatch, Howard MacNutt, George Latimer, and the Baha'i Juniors under the direction of Mrs. Kathryn Frankland.
On October 17th and 18th, the Teaching Committee of the Central States held a Convention in the Foundation Hall of the Temple at Wilmette, preceded by a feast given by the Chicago Assembly in the studio of Mr. and Mrs. Bourgeois.
During the sessions of this Convention, effective methods of presenting the Message were explained by experienced teachers, particularly with relation to the Baha'i education of the young. A public meeting was held in the Foundation Hall on Sunday, October 19th, with addresses by Charles Mason Remey, Mrs. Stuart W. French and Jinabi Fadil. The teaching work now being carried on by Jinabi Fadil in the western states will be described in a later number of the News Letter.
The recent general letter of the Philadelphia Assembly gave us all inspiring news of the success of the Convention for Amity held in Witherspoon Building on October 22nd and 23rd. Since Mrs. Parsons received the original instructions from Abdu'l Baha concerning the importance of these meetings of reconciliation between the white and colored races in America, four Amity Conventions have been held. In the face of deep-rooted prejudice, the Philadelphia Assembly gave a demonstration of the new spirit of unity which made a deep impression on all who had the privilege to attend these meetings. The Baha'i Message was presented at the first session by Albert Vail and at the second session by Hooper Harris.
The Montreal Assembly reports a most successful public meeting held in the ballroom of the Ritz-Carlton on Friday, October 24th, Sutherland Maxwell chairman. Dr. John Herman Randall of New York City spoke on the Cause and afterward declared that he had never felt a more responsive audience. Given due preparation, and effective speakers, the Message of Baha is the most powerful magnet in the world. The Assembly which once experiences this power can never again be satisfied with small, private meetings.
Since the return of Shoghi Effendi to Haifa, the most important news of the Cause outside this country has been the great interest with which the two papers on the Baha'i Cause were received by the audience attending the Conference of Some Living Religions within the British Empire, held at the Imperial Institute, London, from September 22nd to October 3rd. Quoting from a general letter from the Spiritual Assembly of London, dated November 12th: "The paper which presented the Baha'i Message was the product of consultation and cooperation, and was read by Mr. Mountfort Mills, the delegate from the Canadian Baha'is, in clear and reverent tones reaching every part of the large hall, and was listened to with wrapt attention. Through the guidance of Abdu'l Baha the text was clearly inspired by his spirit, which was felt by all the believers.
"Ruhi Afnan then spoke in faith and wisdom, his youth and enthusiasm winning all hearts to a close attention to the Baha'i teachings he gave with sincerity and conviction. The power of the spiritual Presence was like a baptism. We felt the outpouring which Abdu'l Baha foretold would awaken the world with the Divine Message, and this must have been reflected in all hearts who were praying with us for the illumination of the world on that day of great opportunity."
Pictorial[edit]
The changing face of Bahá’í News[edit]
Biography[edit]
The first editor, Horace Holley[edit]
Horace Holley was born in Torrington, Connecticut, in 1887. As an adult he made his home in New York City and after his election to the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada he served there as its secretary.
He moved to Wilmette, Illinois, in 1938 when the National Center was established there. In 1951 he was appointed a Hand of the Cause of God by the beloved Guardian, and in late 1959 he was called to Haifa where he served as a Hand of the Cause in the Holy Land until his death in 1960.
Those associated with Mr. Holley at the National Center during his tenure as secretary (1938-59) knew him as a highly intellectual man, greatly gifted in the literary field, the author of many articles and books about the Faith, and the compiler of many of the writings of Bahá’u’lláh, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and the Guardian for the deepening and guidance of the friends. He was also a poet and among his works was a published book of verse which unfortunately is no longer available.
| The first issue of Bahá’í News, published in December 1924, was almost entirely the work of Horace Holley, who was then secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and Canada. In 1974, this reminiscence of Mr. Holley was written for the 50th anniversary issue of Bahá’í News by Sophie Loeding who in 1940 was invited by the U.S. National Assembly to become the first full-time employee in the Secretariat. Miss Loeding, who now lives at the Bahá’í Home in Wilmette, worked at the National Center until her retirement in 1968, and served as Mr. Holley’s secretary until he was called to the Holy Land in 1959 to join the Hands of the Cause of God residing there. |
Those who worked with him knew him as a kind man, generous and thoughtful of others, never showing impatience, never demanding but always getting from us the utmost in cooperation and service. He was a great reader and student, had a phenomenal memory and a keenly analytical mind. As secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly for a period of many years he was called upon, as the Cause spread, to deal with an ever-increasing correspondence ranging over a wide spectrum of topics.
His letters were well reasoned, concise, and always conveyed the exact meaning he had in mind. He had a voluminous correspondence with the beloved Guardian, who expressed admiration and appreciation for his services and gave him many literary tasks to perform. Perhaps the most outstanding was that of arranging in legally acceptable form Shoghi Effendi’s instructions regarding the structure and organization of the Administrative Order of Bahá’u’lláh: The American Declaration of Trust of the National Spiritual Assembly and the By-laws of a Local Spiritual Assembly.
After Mr. Holley—in conjunction with Mountfort Mills, a Bahá’í lawyer—completed this important task, the material was submitted to the Guardian who approved it and designated it the pattern to be followed by all national Bahá’í communities in the world. The achievement of this immensely important task assigned to him by the Guardian will no doubt stand over the years as the crowning point of a distinguished career.
The range of information stored in Horace Holley’s memory was wide indeed, and factual. He knew the literature of the Faith and of related subjects as few others did, and could call upon this knowledge at will when necessary.
He was a fluent and scholarly speaker, both in extemporaneous discourses and with carefully prepared material. He never used a written text to give presentations. Once when asked if in preparing his addresses he wrote out the text, he said: “I make myself a skeleton and dress the skeleton as I go along.” The “dressed skeleton” was always a thorough presentation of the topic, the “dress” being taken from the vast fund of information stored in his remarkable memory.
His many gifts made Horace Holley a natural channel for furthering the work of the Cause, not only in the United States, but abroad as well; the clarity of his thinking, his broad vision and ability to convey, through both the written and the spoken word, the fundamental teachings of the Faith and their application to our daily lives, made him an unforgettable figure in the annals of the Faith.
Contemporary, friend, and co-worker of well-remembered believers like May Maxwell and Siegfried Schopflocher of Canada, Mountfort Mills, Roy Wilhelm, John Bosch, George Latimer, Nellie French, Corinne True, Amelia Collins, Helen S. Goodall, Ella Cooper and many other great souls who responded to the call of Bahá’u’lláh, Mr. Holley was one of those who did the “spade work” for the magnificent edifice the young Bahá’ís of today and tomorrow will ultimately erect.
To have had the opportunity to serve as his secretary was a great privilege and a great learning opportunity. He had a keen sense of humor, was wise, unselfish, clear thinking; a ready tool forged for use by the beloved Guardian, to whom he was always faithful, loyal and obedient.
Special reprint[edit]
The power of Bahá’u’lláh’s Revelation[edit]
The Revelation of the Báb, as testified by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, is likened to the sun when it enters the Vernal Equinox; the station of Bahá’u’lláh, on the other hand, is commemorated when the sun reaches its highest point at midsummer. Thus these two successive Revelations which have shed illumination upon the earth from the unseen Realm can be regarded as two distinct seasons. The Revelation of the Báb is similar to the regenerating and life-giving springtime which brings freshness and fertility to the earth, while the second Revelation is likened to the period of fruitfulness in the summer.
The inception of the former, the life-giving Revelation of the Báb, caused the soil of men’s hearts and minds to be prepared through the love of God, so that the spiritual seeds and flowers could be planted therein; while the advent of the latter in the “year eighty” ushered in the fruit-laden summer, when the sun reached its highest station. This spiritual summer adorned the trees of the seeking and receptive souls with wondrous fruits and delectable bounties.
Now if we survey the course of man’s intellectual development in recent centuries, we shall notice that since the advent of the Revelation of the Báb in 1844 (1260 A.H.), the world of being has entered upon a new phase, that the intellectual and spiritual powers of man have been quickened enormously and that an unprecedented potentiality has been infused in man, enabling him to perceive spiritual truths, to understand and discover hidden things and to study and formulate the laws of science. Thus the year 1844
It is remarkable that even the rest of humanity who showed indifference to the Call of God and failed to receive illumination from the Day-Star of His Revelation should also have been affected by the Light of this New Day.
may be said to have marked the termination of the phase of man’s childhood and signalized the “coming of age” of the human race.
Here is an analogy. If we place the water on the fire and heat it, it begins to absorb the heat from the moment it is put on the fire. It gradually approaches the boiling point, and if we continue the act of heating, the temperature rises steadily to 100° C. when the water begins to boil. In a similar manner, the world of humanity has advanced gradually through the ages and centuries as a result of the guidance and education bestowed upon it by the Divine Manifestations. Then in the year 1844, the glorious effulgence of the Sun of Truth shone upon the world of creation in its utmost splendor and brought about mankind’s “coming of age.” During the past centuries man has been groping along the path of material and spiritual progress as a caravan trudges along the road in the dark with the aid of the stars and the moon. Today the Sun of Truth is shining in the plenitude of its glory and the caravan of human civilization is advancing by leaps and bounds in the dazzling light of the Sun.
Those detached and devoted souls who turned to the Sun of Truth and received divine bounties and confirmations directly from the Manifestation of God became imbued with wondrous powers and displayed many amazing deeds. The evidence of their spiritual power has caused all men to wonder. A careful study of the history of the Faith would acquaint us with those momentous events which stand associated with their prodigious lives.
It is remarkable that even the rest of humanity who showed indifference to the Call of God and failed to receive illumination from the Day-Star of His Revelation should also have been affected by the Light of this New Day. They have been prompted unconsciously to make wonderful progress in various stages of material civilization within a brief period. Imagine a newly born babe flashing past a hundred years’ life-span overnight!
It is evident that when the spring season comes and the vernal showers fall abundantly everywhere, the whole earth becomes verdant automatically, grass grows everywhere and the trees blossom forth in luxuriant beauty. If you go to the top of a rocky mountain in springtime, you can find lots of green plants growing even out of tiny crevices in the solid rock.
| This article, “Raising the Tent of Unity,” by the Hand of the Cause of God ‘Alí-Akbar Furútan, is reprinted from Bahá’í News No. 460 (July 1969). |
Now let us elaborate the point about the momentous influence of the Bahá’í Revelation. We note that from the remote past which goes back to 6,000 years B.C. until the year 1844, the total number of inventions that the men of learning and science succeeded in bringing to light were no more than about seventy. Some of these inventions are very significant, others are secondary. The former comprise such inventions as papyrus, water-clocks, the draw-bridge, gun powder, the printing press, telescope, microscope and others. This means that during this vast stretch of time which runs into many centuries only about seventy inventions were given to us by the men of learning. On the average it comes to
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only one new invention for every 150
years.
Let us now consider the space of time between 1844 and 1949. In the course of 105 years no less than 90 important inventions have appeared; that is to say, roughly one new invention per year. To enumerate but a few, we have photography and the many developments related to it including motion pictures in color; engines powered by various fuels which drive trains, automobiles, airplanes, ships and submarines; the many devices for recording and reproducing sound with ever increasing fidelity; the X ray; radio, television and the host of other inventions made possible through the discovery of electricity and the harnessing of the power in the atom.
This amazing outburst of inventive talent which has manifested itself since 1844 arrests our attention and is unmistakably attributable to the divine creative power released through the Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh.
In a Tablet revealed by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá we read: “O ye the friends and handmaids of the Merciful! This is the Day that the Sun of Truth has shone from the horizon of existence. Its dawn is so resplendent and its rays are so brilliant that the heavy clouds were dispersed and the Sun shone with the utmost brightness from the horizon of the world. That is why a new regeneration is witnessed in all created things. Consider how much the sphere of sciences and arts has been expanded in this age. How many wonderful discoveries and innovations have appeared; to what extent the powers of thought have progressed and what great inventions have been materialized. This century is equal to one hundred centuries. That is to say if one were to put together the achievements of a hundred centuries against those which have appeared in this century, the latter would far exceed those of the past hundred centuries. For example, if you collected all the books that were written and compiled throughout the past ages and similarly gathered together all the books and publications that have appeared in this century, the volume of the books published in this age would be many times more than the volume of the books written in past ages.
“Consider what a great influence has the Daystar of the world exerted upon the realities of all beings. But a thousand times alas! that the eyes are blind, the ears are deaf and the minds and hearts are heedless to this sublime Grace. Therefore, strive with all your hearts to awaken those who slumber. And upon you be the Glory of the Most Glorious!”
It is noteworthy that since the appearance of the Báb, as human capacity of perception increased and enormous strides were made in material progress, mankind has been, to a corresponding degree, increasingly tormented by the devastating fires of its highly materialistic civilization.
We Bahá’ís believe that the sole remedy for all the ills and afflictions which have assailed humanity today lies in following the Teachings of Bahá’u’lláh—a remedy for the application of which His Holiness the Báb offered up His life and thousands of Bahá’ís have been persecuted to death.
The fact is that the longer men delay in accepting this holy Cause, the longer they hesitate to utilize this divinely bestowed healing Remedy, the more distant will grow their hour of deliverance from the ills and sufferings that afflict them and the farther off will be the Day when the Ark of human prosperity and salvation, having weathered grave dangers, will reach the haven of security.
Experience shows that nothing else but the priceless Faith of Bahá’u’lláh, nothing short of His world-encircling, world-redeeming Order could bring salvation to man and release him from the fetters of prejudice. This mighty Cause is fed by the Power supplied from the Kingdom of God, its vigor is sustained by heavenly might, and its wondrous spirit has flowed into the hearts of men and has uprooted age-old superstitions and vain imaginings.
History bears witness that none of the world’s potentates, kings or emperors, notwithstanding their invincible power, their vast armies, their unlimited wealth and resources, ever succeeded in uniting the hearts of men or in creating harmony between two religious sects. This is because only the divine Manifestations have the power to establish fellowship and concord among men. In the Qur’án it is written: “And if thou should have given all that is on earth, thou could not have brought reconciliation and unity among their hearts, but God verily united them.” (Sura 8, verse 63) And that is how in this holy Dispensation, through the power of the Word of God and the outpourings of His exalted Pen, people from diverse religions, creeds and factions, who previously bore hatred against one another; people from every race and culture, whether eastern or western, are now united under the unfurled banner of the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh with the utmost unity and love as the members of a single family. One cannot observe the slightest evidence of estrangement or alienation amongst them.
“Universal Peace,” ‘Abdu’l-Bahá affirms, “is a momentous enterprise, but it requires unity of conscience, which is the foundation for this mighty enterprise.” Thus the meaning of Isaiah’s prophecy becomes evident, wherein it says:
“And it shall come to pass in the last days that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills, and all nations shall flow unto it;
“and many people shall go and say, come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, and He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His path: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
“And He shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people; and they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not raise sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.” (Isaiah II:2-4)
Now the Bahá’í world is a fine replica of this glorious world to come, the advent of which is but the ardent desire of all mankind. If the inhabitants of this earth assembled beneath the Tent of Unity and drank the Water of everlasting life from this Fountain, then every trace of enmity, strife and discord would disappear and all men would abide in perfect freedom and security.
In one of His Tablets ‘Abdu’l-Bahá says: “Today nothing but the potency of the Word of God, which dominates the realities of things, is able to unite and harmonize the minds, thoughts,
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hearts and souls of the world of humanity under the shade of one tree.
This power pervades all things and motivates all men; it coordinates and organizes the world of humanity.
“Praise be to God! In this Day the radiant light of the Word of God has dawned upon all the horizons, and people from every group, tribe, nation, race and community have gathered beneath the shade of the Word and are united and assembled together in utmost harmony.
“How numerous are the meetings that are embellished by the presence of peoples from different countries, races and tribes! Should a soul enter this meeting, he would think that those present must have come from the same fatherland, the same country, the same tribe, having a single thought, a single opinion, a single object, while in fact one comes from America, one from Africa, one from Asia, another from Europe, from India or from Turkistan; one is an Arab, a Turk, a Persian, a Greek; and notwithstanding this, they meet together with the utmost harmony, unity, love, freedom, oneness and joy. All this is due to the influence of the Word. If all the earthly powers join together, they cannot establish even one such gathering that could turn the different nations into a single community through the same love, fellowship, joy and enthusiasm; and by raising a melody in the midmost heart of the world, it is able to abolish strife, quarrel, war and bloodshed and to establish the universal peace, reconciliation and oneness of mankind. Is there any power that can withstand the influence of the Word of God? No, by the Almighty God! The evidences are obvious and the proof is conclusive. An unbiased observer will be amazed and astonished. He would bear witness that all the nations, races, tribes and governments of the world should be very joyous, grateful and contented on account of the Teachings and Exhortations of Bahá’u’lláh, since these divine Teachings change the beasts of prey into grazing animals and transform the creeping creatures into the fowls of the air. They change human beings into heavenly angels and enable the world of humanity to become a repository of the divine perfections.”
The beloved Guardian wrote: “These momentous events have all transpired in the world during the few years after the termination of the first Bahá’í Century. Therefore it is obvious how great are the events that will gradually unfold themselves in the course of this stupendous century—the century associated with the rise of the divinely-ordained New World Order— and in the subsequent centuries of this blessed second Age of the Bahá’í Era as well as in the Golden Age which constitutes the last, the crowning Age of the first Era of this Holy Cycle.”
It is earnestly hoped that Bahá’ís the world over may, by the Grace of Bahá’u’lláh, be enabled to consecrate their efforts to the proclamation of His Message in this period, so that each one may gain the crown of everlasting glory in the path of service and become a torch of guidance and a promoter of love and peace among all men.
Argentina[edit]
Athos Costas (holding the Greatest Name), a member of the Continental Board of Counsellors in the Americas, is pictured with a group of the friends in Burzaco, Argentina, which includes two members of the National Spiritual Assembly of Argentina and one Auxiliary Board member.
The world[edit]
73,000 new believers enrolled in India[edit]
Seventy-three thousand people were enrolled in the Faith in less than three months during a recent teaching campaign in Bhind, North Madhya Pradesh, India, which was named and carried out in memory of the Hand of the Cause of God Raḥmatu’lláh Muhájir.
Bhind, densely populated and possessing the highest literacy rate in that Indian state, is the area in which mass teaching first began more than 20 years ago.
Auxiliary Board member Kailash Srivastava and volunteer teachers, working without any financial support from Bahá’í institutions, succeeded in enrolling the vast number of new believers and in establishing Spiritual Assemblies in every one of the 1,200 villages in the area.
Bahá’ís in several villages offered a quantity of wheat as a contribution to the fund of the State Teaching Committee.
A strong deepening program is in progress with resident teachers and literature being provided to the large number of new Bahá’ís.
An eight-minute radio program was broadcast on the anniversary of the Declaration of the Báb last May 23 over All India Radio in Chandigarh, Punjab State.
The program, which was arranged by the Spiritual Assembly of Chandigarh, was the first Bahá’í broadcast from that city.
Two villages in the Mandsaur District of India’s Madhya Pradesh State have recently begun holding regular deepening classes on The Gleanings.
Seventeen Spiritual Assemblies have been formed in South Madhya Pradesh, and two of them are conducting children’s classes.
Four Auxiliary Board members were among those who took part in a recent self-supporting Bahá’í conference in Lakhpada Village in the Kanpur District. Besides financing the conference, villagers made a contribution to the Bahá’í Funds.
Dominican Republic[edit]
Shown are participants in the Bahá’í National Youth Conference held last June 16-17 near Jarabacoa, Dominican Republic. Among those at the conference were many non-Bahá’ís.
Sheila Rice-Wray, a pioneer to the Dominican Republic who is now in her 70s, was one of the speakers last June 16-17 at a National Youth Conference held near the town of Jarabacoa, Dominican Republic.
Her topic was “What I would do if I were a youth again.”
A report of the conference described Miss Rice-Wray as “the youngest person” present.
The National Spiritual Assembly of the Dominican Republic arranged for the broadcast from May to August of a 12-part series on the Faith called “Crece con Nosotros” over national television, and plans to run the programs a second time.
The series, which features individual Bahá’ís being interviewed about the Faith, has been well-received in the Dominican Republic. Many viewers have written to ask for more information.
A Family Life Conference was held September 22-23 at the Bahá’í National Center in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
Presentations focused on education, the problems of being the only Bahá’í in a family, and how to improve the spiritual life of one’s spouse.
Much of the consultation was directed toward practical ways of applying Bahá’í principles in one’s daily life.
France[edit]
Pictured are the 30 French-speaking Bahá’í children from Belgium, Canada, France, Luxembourg and Switzerland and their teachers who attended a Bahá’í Summer School this year in Torcieu, France. The school grew out of a cooperative effort by the National Children’s Committees of Belgium, France and Switzerland that also resulted in the translation of several Bahá’í children’s books. The collaboration was inspired by border teaching activities in Europe.
Haiti[edit]
On behalf of the National Spiritual Assembly of Haiti, that country’s Anís Zunúzi Bahá’í School has begun publication of a quarterly newspaper, “Timun” (which in Haitian Creole means children or, more literally, “little people”) and subtitled “Development of Bahá’í Education in Haiti.”
The purpose of the newspaper is to inform its readers of the development of the Bahá’í school and all activities relating to it including rural development projects centered there.
Subscription information can be obtained by writing to Majzub, 8951 S.W. 85th Avenue, Miami, FL 33156, U.S.A.
Republic of Ireland[edit]
A new approach to public meetings has been adopted by the Spiritual Assembly of Waterford, Ireland, which has designed a series of talks on topics of interest to local residents and presented them as a public service.
One believer who mentioned the Faith spoke on “Health and Healing” and drew thoughtful questions from the audience. Nine non-Bahá’í women who attended another talk by a Bahá’í woman on “Sexual Equality: Myth or Reality” were favorably impressed.
The Spiritual Assembly of Waterford reports that these meetings are “gaining considerable respect for the Bahá’í Faith in Waterford.”
Jameson Bond, a Canadian Bahá’í who is a professor of anthropology, was interviewed on radio during his teaching visit last May and June to the Republic of Ireland.
Although most colleges and universities in the country were closed for the summer, Dr. Bond met with staff members at various third level institutions and spoke at several public meetings.
In Cork, he spoke on “Unity in Diversity—the Canadian Experience in Multi-culturalism.” One of those in the audience was an anthropologist who had traveled 40 miles to attend the lecture.
Hawaii[edit]
The Hawaiian Bahai community’s float in the annual Aloha Week parade, held September 29 in Honolulu, won the Mayor’s Award for the best entry in the non-commercial division. The float, designed and constructed by Bahá’ís from all parts of Oahu and from some of the neighboring islands, was covered with more than 40,000 flowers. This was the 18th year in which Bahá’ís in Hawaii have taken part in the parade, and their floats have now won a total of 15 awards. Riding on this year’s float were Bahá’ís of various ethnic backgrounds, most of them youth. The parade was seen by about 100,000 people along its route and by hundreds of thousands more on television.
Benin[edit]
More than 250 people from 18 countries attended an Inter-Regional Bahá’í Teaching Conference for Benin, Togo and Ghana that was held last August 2-5 in Benin.
Among the speakers was Hooper Dunbar, a Counsellor member of the International Teaching Centre in Haifa.
Representatives of all government ministries and other prominent guests attended a reception opening the conference which featured an exhibit of Bahá’í books.
Following the conference, inter-Assembly consultation was held with Counsellors Friday Ekpe, Kassimi Fofana and Mihdí Samandarí and Auxiliary Board members in the area. Teaching teams were then formed to move out into the surrounding country.
The Faith was proclaimed extensively in Benin last July when a Bahá’í Women’s Conference was held for five of the country’s provinces.
The National Spiritual Assembly of Benin reported that “the whole country is abuzz with the name ‘Bahá’í.’ ”
Conference participants included visitors from several European and West African countries.
Lea Nys, a traveling teacher from Belgium, was received twice by Benin’s President and was accompanied on one of the visits by representatives of the National Spiritual Assembly of Benin.
Mrs. Nys also was able to visit three government ministers, the president of the National Women’s Organization, and several other officials.
She was interviewed on television on four occasions, took part in several radio interviews, and was the subject of at least two newspaper articles.
Honduras[edit]
Counsellors Artemus Lamb and Ruth Pringle and Auxiliary Board members Bill Stover and Barry Smith from Honduras and Rodrigo Tomas from Costa Rica participated recently in the first International Garifuna Congress in Honduras.
More than 500 Garifunas (the descendants of blacks and Carib Indians living on the Caribbean coast of Central America) from Honduras, Guatemala and Belize attended the Congress, which was held in a hall constructed by the Bahá’ís of Sambo Creek, Honduras.
Members of this relatively young Bahá’í community also arranged the food, housing and entertainment for the Congress. The event was held in collaboration with the ministry of culture and tourism.
Among the speakers at a Bahá’í National Teaching Conference last August in La Ceiba, Honduras, were Isobel Sabri, a Counsellor member of the International Teaching Centre in Haifa, and Dr. Farzam Arbáb, a member of the Continental Board of Counsellors for the Americas.
Counsellor Sabri explained more fully the role of social and economic development projects in the consolidation of Bahá’í communities.
As a result of the guidance given by the Counsellors, and from consultation two weeks later with Counsellor Artemus Lamb, Auxiliary Board members and members of national committees at a National Planning Seminar, the National Spiritual Assembly of Honduras reorganized and consolidated its committees and strengthened its regional teaching committees to administer the plans made for the remainder of the Seven Year Plan.
A group of young Bahá’í singers and dancers from Costa Rica known as “Ya” provided many proclamation opportunities last July among the youth in Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula, Honduras, where they performed.
Their appearances were reported on radio and television and in local newspapers.
Liberia[edit]
Ranzie Casu, a Bahá’í who is a professional singer, introduced her audiences to the Faith during several informal concerts that she presented in Liberia last April as a part of her recent visit to West African countries.
One of Mrs. Casu’s concerts was given for an audience of about 250 students at the Booker T. Washington Institute. Wherever she went, the songs with Bahá’í themes and her words of introduction to the Faith evoked lively questions.
Her visits attracted considerable media attention too. On one occasion Mrs. Casu described the Bahá’í teachings during a 30-minute radio interview, and she sang songs and spoke about the Faith during a 30-minute television program in Liberia.
Mrs. Casu next visited Sierra Leone where she met with the friends, gave several performances, and was able to sing and talk about the Faith on a number of radio and television programs.
Canada[edit]
Three Bahá’ís were among the speakers at a recent conference in Halifax, Nova Scotia, whose title was “To Move the World.”
Bahá’í speakers at the gathering, which was dedicated to the memory of the Hand of the Cause of God Louis G. Gregory, included the Hand of the Cause John Robarts, Counsellor Sarah Martin Pereira, and Dr. William Roberts.
After presentations by the Bahá’í speakers on the unity of mankind, Dr. H.A.S. Wedderburn spoke about his experiences with early integration efforts in Nova Scotia and his respect for the Bahá’ís whom he has met, especially the Hand of the Cause of God Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum.
Another non-Bahá’í speaker, Dr. P. Anthony Johnstone, said that to his knowledge, “nowhere in Canada is any group but the Bahá’í Faith working actively for the oneness of the races.”
Alessandro Bausani, professor of Persian literature and Islamitics at the University of Rome, delivers a paper on the Bahá’í view of religious history at the first symposium on the relationship between Islam and the Bahá’í Faith held last March 23-25 at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. The symposium was co-sponsored by the university’s Institute of Islamic Studies and the Association for Bahá’í Studies. Seated at the right is Douglas Martin, secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly of Canada, who served as co-chairman of the symposium.
Mauritius[edit]
Proclamation efforts and meetings with prominent citizens took place last May 28-June 12 in Mauritius during a visit to that country by Jagdish Gandhi, a traveling teacher and member of the National Spiritual Assembly of India.
Mr. Gandhi was able to present several Bahá’í books to His Excellency the acting Governor General, Sir Cassam Moolan, and to hold a cordial half-hour meeting with him.
Mr. Gandhi also was granted an hour-long meeting with His Excellency the High Commissioner of India, Prem Singh, during which the relationship between the Faith and Hinduism was discussed as well as the persecution of Bahá’ís in Iran. Other meetings were held with government and news officials.
Mr. Gandhi spoke at public meetings and deepening institutes arranged during his visit by the National Spiritual Assembly of Mauritius.
The news media provided extensive coverage of Mr. Gandhi’s visit including lengthy articles in Mauritius Today and in the weekend magazine Dimanche.
Sri Lanka[edit]
For the first time, an English-language daily newspaper in Sri Lanka has published a front page article on the Bahá’í Faith.
The headline appearing in the daily paper The Island last June 24 read, “Iran’s discrimination against Bahá’ís condemned.”
It was only the second time that news of the Faith has appeared on the front page of any newspaper in Sri Lanka.
The article appeared following a press conference on the martyrdoms in Iran that was held by the National Spiritual Assembly of Sri Lanka.
Belgium[edit]
Christine Samandari-Hakim, author of Les Bahá’ís ou victoire sur la violence (The Bahá’ís or Victory over Violence) autographs a copy of the book at an International Book Fair held last March 10-18 in Brussels, Belgium, where an attractive and well-stocked booth displayed a wide range of Bahá’í literature.
More than 300,000 people visited an International Book Fair last March 10-18 in Brussels, Belgium, at which an attractive and well-stocked Bahá’í booth displayed a wide variety of Bahá’í literature including publications of the Bahá’í Publishing Trust of Belgium.
A video tape about the Faith was played at low volume, and Bahá’ís were on hand to answer questions. Arrangements were made for interviews with media representatives.
Christine Samandari-Hakim, a Bahá’í sociologist who is the daughter of a recently martyred member of the Spiritual Assembly of Tehran, was present at the fair to autograph copies of her book Les Bahá’ís ou victoire sur la violence (The Bahá’ís, or Victory over Violence).
Denmark[edit]
Fifty-six Bahá’í youth from five Nordic countries and Germany attended a special Bahá’í conference last June 4 in Denmark that was sponsored by the Continental Board of Counsellors for Europe.
The purpose was to share experiences gained in six countries, and to consult on the next phase in a Nordic youth program based on the messages from the Universal House of Justice to the Dublin Conference, the conference in Innsbruck, Austria, and the Bahá’í youth of the world.
The young people consulted on teaching in eastern Europe, spiritualization campaigns, and the United Nations International Year of Youth.
Cameroon[edit]
In a letter dated February 13, 1984, the director of Cameroon’s Civil Cabinet expressed his appreciation to the Bahá’ís of the Republic of Cameroon for the message of congratulations that was sent to the newly elected president accompanied by copies of The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh, Paris Talks and Call to the Nations.
The letter acknowledged the mutual aims of Bahá’ís and the government regarding progress in that country and valued the work being done by the Bahá’ís.
Senegal[edit]
Recent activities in Senegal included a Bahá’í Regional Children’s Conference sponsored by the National Women and Children Committee which was attended by 80 children and 30 adults from five localities.
Elsewhere, at least one Bahá’í youth from each locality in the country with a Local Spiritual Assembly and visiting youth from The Gambia, Mauritania and Ivory Coast attended a National Youth Conference at the Bahá’í National Center in Dakar.
And seventy-five believers participated in Senegal’s third annual Spring School in Dakar. Among the speakers were two members of the Continental Board of Counsellors for Africa, Husayn Ardekání and Zekrollah Kazemi.
United Kingdom[edit]
Local dignitaries were among the participants last September 20 in the sixth Unity Day reception sponsored by the Bahá’í community of Ealing, a suburb of London, and held in the Ealing Town Hall.
Special guests included the deputy mayor and his wife; the Undersecretary of State of the Department of the Environment; two local Members of Parliament; and a member of the Ealing Borough Council.
All of these guests expressed their interest in the well-being of the Faith and their willingness to provide help.
One speaker, a member of Parliament from West London, said that because he is quite interested in human rights he would willingly approach the Human Rights Commission of the European Economic Council to obtain help for the Bahá’ís whenever requested.
The deputy mayor of Ealing was presented a copy of Bahá’u’lláh and the New Era which he said he would begin reading that evening.
The Bahá’í community of Ealing, a suburb of London, sponsored an attractive and well-placed booth last August at the Southall Carnival Show. The two-day event drew several thousand people each day.
Many contacts were made, and some of those who visited the Bahá’í booth attended a fireside held in the home of a local Bahá’í family.
The Bahai Group of Omagh, Northern Ireland, was invited recently to provide a luncheon speaker for the local Rotary Club, and, departing from tradition, the club asked for an introductory talk on the Faith.
Thirty prominent citizens of Omagh heard the talk by Dr. Iain Palin, a Bahá’í from Londonderry. Afterward, a vote of thanks was proposed by a Catholic priest who spoke highly of the Faith.
The priest applauded the Faith’s world-embracing view, recognized the need to respect the followers of all religions, sympathized with the plight of Bahá’ís in Iran, and concluded by wishing “God’s blessing on your work.”
Bophuthatswana[edit]
Kathy Reimer, a pioneer to Bophuthatswana from the United States, has been accepted for the master’s degree program at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg to research the effects of agricultural programs on village families, especially on women.
Mrs. Reimer has been employed by Agricorps, a government agency that offers training in agricultural management and sponsors agricultural development programs.
United States[edit]
Sara Kay Hatch, a Bahá’í artist and former pioneer to Korea, won first prize in the fine arts show at the 1984 South Carolina State Fair for a mixed media landscape titled “Bahá’í Era.”
Mrs. Hatch, who now lives in Columbia, South Carolina, was presented with the $1,000 State Fair Purchase Award for her winning entry. Reports of the award presentation with photographs of Mrs. Hatch and her winning piece were published in the two Columbia newspapers.
Other paintings by Mrs. Hatch, all of which bear titles indicating the Faith as the source of their inspiration, were exhibited last year in a special one-woman show at the American Cultural Center in Seoul, Korea.
While pioneering in Korea for five years with her husband and two children, Mrs. Hatch was a guest professor of art at Keimyung University in Taegu.
Panama[edit]
A recent national painting contest in Panama that drew 2,000 contestants between the ages of five and eight years was won by Oscar Alexis Torres, a Bahá’í child from Panama City whose first place painting, entitled “One Planet, One County ... Please,” featured the earth surrounded by people with hands joined in friendship.
Results of the contest, which was sponsored by the young people’s section of a bank, were reported by the local press.
World Centre[edit]
Prominent citizens of Haifa, Israel, including members of that city’s chapter of Rotary International, are seen examining a display of Bahá’í books during a visit last June 30 to the library of the Seat of the Universal House of Justice. The visit was part of a special tour of the Bahá’í World Centre. At the left is William Collins, the librarian at the World Centre.
THE DAWNING PLACE
Bruce W. Whitmore’s long-awaited history
of North America’s Bahá’í House of Worship and the
community that built it ...
- DID YOU KNOW THAT—
- the first national Bahá’í administrative body in the world was formed to build North America’s first House of Worship?
- at least fifteen designs were considered for the project?
- Foundation Hall was rumored in the twenties to be a giant fish tank?
- a fire in 1931 engulfed the entire superstructure?
- 743 tons of quartz were used in the dome alone?
- it took fifty years to complete the project?
by |
| 331 pages, including foreword, appendices, notes, index
Hardcover edition Softcover edition
|
- *Available from Bahá’í Publishing Trust, Wilmette, IL,
- U.S.A., at prices listed plus 10% postage and handling.
- Or order through your National Bahá’í Distribution
- Service; prices may vary.
- Available from
- Available from
415 LINDEN AVENUE, WILMETTE, IL 60091
