Bahá’í News/Issue 658/Text
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| Bahá’í News | January 1986 | Bahá’í Year 142 |
President Reagan receives peace statement
Bahá’í News[edit]
Mírzá Muhammad-Qulí, Bahá’u’lláh’s faithful half-brother, reinterred | 1 |
UN Secretary-General Javier Pérez de Cuéllar accepts peace statement | 2 |
UN General Assembly’s resolution condemns persecutions in Iran | 4 |
In U.S., President Reagan receives House of Justice’s peace statement | 6 |
House of Justice member Hugh Chance visits home town in Kansas | 10 |
Extensive restoration of U.S. House of Worship nears completion | 12 |
Recent photos show construction progress at India, Samoa Temples | 13 |
Around the world: News from Bahá’í communities all over the globe | 14 |
Bahá’í News is published monthly by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States as a news organ reporting current activities of the Bahá’í world community. Manuscripts submitted should be typewritten and double spaced throughout; any footnotes should appear at the end. The contributor should keep a carbon copy. Send materials to the Periodicals Office, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091, U.S.A. Changes of address should be reported to the Office of Membership and Records, Bahá’í National Center. Please attach mailing label. Subscription rates: one year, $12 U.S.; two years, $20 U.S. Second class postage paid at Wilmette, IL 60091. Copyright © 1986, National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. World rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A.
World Centre[edit]
Bahá’u’lláh’s half-brother reinterred[edit]
To the Bahá’ís of the World
Beloved Friends,
It is with a feeling of joy and gratitude that we inform the Bahá’í world of the befitting reinterment of the remains of Mírzá Muhammad-Qulí, the faithful half-brother and companion in exile of Bahá’u’lláh, and of eleven members of his family, in a new Bahá’í cemetery on a hillside looking across Lake Kinneret and the hills of Galilee toward the Qiblih of the Faith. This historic event, coinciding fortuitously with the first formal presentation of “The Promise of World Peace” to a Head of State, is of especial significance in the annals of the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh.
On 12 November 1952 the beloved Guardian jubilantly cabled the Bahá’í world his announcement of the acquisition of vitally needed property surrounding the Most Holy Shrine and the Mansion of Bahjí in exchange for land donated by the grandchildren of Mírzá Muhammad-Qulí.
The land referred to in this cable had been in the possession of Mírzá Muhammad-Qulí on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee, at a place called Nuqayb. He and his family lived there and farmed the land for many years and on his passing, at the instruction of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, his remains were buried there, as were subsequently those of members of his family.
In 1937 Kibbutz Ein Gev was established just to the north of the farm, and the two groups of settlers lived as amicable neighbors until the war of 1948 forced the family to leave the land which, lying on the troubled frontier of the new State of Israel, was expropriated by the government. The grandchildren of Mírzá Muhammad-Qulí gave their rights in the land to the Faith which received in exchange the much-needed land in Bahjí. Thus the little cemetery passed out of Bahá’í hands. It remained untouched until 1972 when the decision was made to approach the authorities with a view to embellishing the site and maintaining it as a place of historic significance for the Faith. However, plans had already been made for the extension of the plantings of the kibbutz and the eventual development of the cemetery in that place. Negotiations were then entered into, as a result of which another plot of land in the immediate neighborhood, but slightly farther from the shore of the Lake on the slope of Tel Susita, was officially designated a Bahá’í cemetery and given over to the Bahá’í community. The work of fencing it and planting suitable shrubs and trees was then put in hand and preparations were made to reinter the precious remains of this family.
On the morning of Friday, 18 October 1985, as the final stage in this process, the remains of Mírzá Muhammad-Qulí himself were ceremoniously conveyed from the old cemetery to the new and were reinterred there in the presence of the Hands of the Cause of God Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum and ‘Alí Akbar Furútan, members of the Universal House of Justice and of the International Teaching Centre, and a large gathering of World Centre friends as well as representatives of the Israeli authorities and of Kibbutz Ein Gev. Mrs. Husníyyih Bahá’í, the granddaughter of Mírzá Muhammad-Qulí, who is now pioneering in St. Lucia in the West Indies, accompanied by members of her family, had been especially invited to attend the ceremony in honor of her illustrious forebear, to whom ‘Abdu’l-Bahá paid eloquent tribute in “The Memorials of the Faithful.”
November 17, 1985
United Nations[edit]
Secretary-General given peace statement[edit]
| ON EVE DAY COVENANT WE ANNOUNCE WITH PROFOUND GRATITUDE SUCCESSFUL PRESENTATION TO SECRETARY GENERAL UNITED NATIONS STATEMENT PEACE ADDRESSED TO PEOPLES WORLD. PRESENCE AMATU’L-BAHÁ RÚḤÍYYIH KHÁNUM AS HEAD DELEGATION BAHÁ’Í INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY INVESTED THIS EVENT WITH SIGNIFICANCE THAT WILL WARM HEARTS EVOKE ADMIRATION INSPIRE APPRECIATION FUTURE GENERATIONS. PRESENTATION 22 NOVEMBER TO SECRETARY GENERAL IN CONJUNCTION ONGOING PRESENTATIONS STATEMENT TO HEADS STATE THROUGHOUT WORLD PRESAGES NEW STAGE IN RELATIONSHIP BAHÁ’Í COMMUNITY TO UNITED NATIONS. IT IMMEDIATELY LENDS ADDED IMPETUS TO ACTIVITIES INTERNATIONAL YEAR PEACE BEING UNDERTAKEN WITH EXEMPLARY VIGOR EFFICIENCY BY NATIONAL LOCAL BAHÁ’Í COMMUNITIES.
REMARKABLE RANGE ACTIVITIES THAT HAVE OCCURRED JUST ONE MONTH SINCE RELEASE STATEMENT IMBUES US WITH FEELINGS SATISFACTION JOY. GRATEFULLY RECOGNIZE BLESSINGS BEING SHOWERED COMMUNITY GREATEST NAME AS DERIVING FROM WORLD-AWAKENING SACRIFICES CHARACTERIZING LIVES OUR BELOVED HEROIC BROTHERS SISTERS WHOSE SPIRITUAL RESOURCES INDOMITABLE COURAGE HAVE WITHSTOOD NO LESS THAN SEVEN YEARS UNRELENTING ASSAULTS UNPRECEDENTED UPHEAVALS PERVADING BAHÁ’U’LLÁH’S NATIVE LAND. UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE
NOVEMBER 25, 1985 |
The first official meeting in the history of the Faith between the Bahá’í world community and the Secretary-General of the United Nations took place at noon Friday, November 22, at UN headquarters in New York City.
Thirty-eight years after the Faith’s official association with the UN was initiated by the beloved Guardian, Shoghi Effendi, the Hand of the Cause of God Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum presented the Universal House of Justice’s peace statement, “The Promise of World Peace,” to Secretary-General Javier Pérez de Cuéllar in a historic meeting that marked the representation of the Faith at the highest level of the international organization.
Two representatives of the Bahá’í International Community, Dr. Victor de Araujo and Gerald Knight, were privileged to join the Hand of the Cause for the highly successful 20-minute meeting with the Secretary-General.
Mr. Pérez de Cuéllar had received a copy of the peace statement the day before, and he assured the Bahá’í delegation that he had read a marked copy highlighting the salient points of the message, which he referred to as beautiful and inspiring. He mentioned the need for trust among nations and peoples if peace is to be achieved, and showed an interest in the Bahá’í delegation’s statements mentioning his annual Report on the Work of the UN Organization and the identification that Bahá’ís have with the aims, views and hopes expressed in that report.
The Bahá’í delegation was able to convey the purpose and universality of the Faith and the worldwide distribution of its membership from all
| This article was written by Shiva Tavana, the U.S. National Spiritual Assembly’s representative to the United Nations in New York City, from information provided by the Bahá’í International Community. |
backgrounds including many illiterates. The Bahá’í system of election and governance, the position of the House of Justice, and other topics also were discussed.
The Office of the Secretary-General had arranged for a photographer to take official pictures of the presentation.
During the week of November 22, Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum was the guest of honor at a series of lunch-
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The Hand of the Cause of God Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum, representing the Universal House of Justice and the Bahá’í International Community, presents a special copy of the
Supreme Body’s statement, ‘The
Promise of World Peace,’ to His Excellency Javier Pérez de Cuéllar, Secretary-General of the United Nations.
The presentation was made Friday,
November 22. (UN photo)
eons hosted by the Bahá’í International Community. At each of them, she expressed the appreciation and gratitude of Bahá’ís throughout the world for the support received from the United Nations for the alleviation of the persecution of Bahá’ís in Iran.
She spoke of worldwide Bahá’í activities in support of the work of the UN such as programs and activities for UN Day and Human Rights Day, amplified the Bahá’í perspective on the need for world peace, and expressed her admiration for the Report of the Secretary-General on the Work of the Organization.
Two luncheons for Ambassadors were attended by representatives from 26 countries as well as high level representatives of the UN Secretariat and a representative from the office of the Secretary-General. Ambassadors attending in person represented the following countries: Barbados, Belize, Costa Rica, Fiji, Senegal, Swaziland and Trinidad and Tobago. Another luncheon was held especially for diplomats engaged in the activities of the Third Committee which deals with social, cultural and humanitarian affairs. The Third Committee examines human rights issues such as the human rights situation in Iran.
A successful luncheon was also held for UN press correspondents. Among those in attendance from the international news media were representatives from the BBC, Reuters, Associated Press, UPI, the Voice of America, The New York Times, and World Union Press.
Most press representatives knew something about the persecution of Bahá’ís in Iran but little of the United Nations’ response or of the Faith in general. The luncheon presented an opportunity to remedy this through the presentation given by Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum and the Bahá’í International Community which generated a lively question-and-answer session. As a result, articles were published in The New York Times and The Washington Post, with all major wire services and the BBC filing stories.
At each of the luncheons, participants had a chance to hear a first-hand account of the suffering of Bahá’ís in Iran through the significant presence and participation of Ruhi Jahanpour who was imprisoned twice in Iran before escaping to Pakistan.
United Nations[edit]
Resolution expresses ‘concern’ over Iran[edit]
On Friday, December 13, 1985, the United Nations General Assembly adopted by a vote of 53-30 with 45 abstentions Resolution 40/141 concerning the human rights situation in Iran and including specific references to the situation of the Bahá’ís in that country.
The affirmative action, which was taken one week after the General Assembly’s Third Committee approved a similar resolution by a 53-22 vote with 41 abstentions, marks the first time that the General Assembly has adopted a resolution about the general human rights situation in Iran or about the particular situation of the Bahá’ís.
As such, it represents a major advance in the Faith’s efforts to secure the widest and clearest possible expressions of international concern over the persecution of Iran’s Bahá’í community, and reflects the result of intensive efforts over the past few years by National Spiritual Assemblies in many countries and by the Bahá’í International Community’s UN offices in New York and Geneva to bring the matter to the attention of the world body.
The action by the General Assembly follows the adoption of resolutions about the human rights situation in Iran, including the particular situation of the Bahá’ís, by the UN’s Commission on Human Rights in 1982, 1983, 1984 and 1985. The resolution approved by the Commission in 1985 placed these issues on the General Assembly’s agenda for the first time at its current session, and (also for the first time) commissioned a report about them for submission to the General Assembly as a basis for its discussions.
That report was disappointing. Andrés Aguilar of Venezuela, the Special Representative appointed by the Commission on Human Rights to investigate the situation in Iran and prepare the report, tried hard to enlist the
The action by the General Assembly follows the adoption of resolutions about the human rights situation in Iran, including the particular situation of the Bahá’ís, by the UN’s Commission on Human Rights in 1982, 1983, 1984 and 1985.
cooperation of the Iranian government but was unsuccessful in doing so, and was unable to visit the country to assess the situation for himself.
As a result, the report did not do justice to the persecution of Bahá’ís in Iran, in spite of copious evidence provided by the Bahá’í International Community and others.
Mr. Aguilar’s report concluded that the evidence presented “cannot be dismissed as groundless unless proved to be so on the basis of detailed information,” adding that “a continued monitoring of the human rights situation in the Islamic Republic of Iran is called for.”
In spite of that lukewarm conclusion, the resolution adopted by the General Assembly expresses deep concern over “specific and detailed allegations” of human rights abuses in Iran including summary executions, torture, and the oppression of religious minorities; endorses the report’s conclusion that continued monitoring of the situation is called for; requests the Commission on Human Rights to consider further steps to secure effective respect for human rights in Iran; and places the over-all situation there, including and in particular “the situation of minority groups such as the Bahá’ís,” on the General Assembly’s agenda for its next session in 1986.
The resolution thus assures that both the General Assembly and its Commission on Human Rights will continue to concern themselves with the question of human rights in Iran.
“This action represents the clearest possible signal of the depth and strength of the international community’s concern over the continuing persecution of the Bahá’í religious community in Iran,” says Gerald Knight, a representative of the Bahá’í International Community at the United Nations.
“It will be a great comfort to our community in Iran,” he adds, “to know that they have not been forgotten by the world outside, or by the UN.
“The Bahá’í International Community is deeply grateful to the United Nations, and especially to those member states which initiated this resolution and those which voted in favor of it, for their sympathy and support at this critical time.”
The resolution adopted by the General Assembly was sponsored by Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Costa Rica, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Samoa, St. Lucia and the United Kingdom.
Before its adoption, Syria and Pakistan made formal motions designed to prevent its adoption, but these were soundly defeated. Iran and Libya made statements attacking the Faith, with the usual accusations that the Bahá’ís are a political group associated with Zionism.
The specific references to the Bahá’ís in the text of the resolution are extremely important in terms of maintaining and increasing international concern over the plight of Iran’s Bahá’í community. They also represent a considerable achievement.
Strong pressure was exerted to delete
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TO NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLIES
WITH JOYFUL GRATEFUL HEARTS WE ACCLAIM UNPRECEDENTED RECOGNITION BAHÁ’Í COMMUNITY THROUGH ADOPTION BY UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF RESOLUTION MAKING SPECIFIC REFERENCE PERSECUTED FRIENDS IRAN. FOR FIRST TIME NAME PRECIOUS FAITH BAHÁ’U’LLÁH MENTIONED HIGHEST MOST WIDELY REPRESENTATIVE INTERNATIONAL FORUM YET ESTABLISHED THUS FULFILLING LONG CHERISHED WISH BELOVED GUARDIAN. SIGNIFICANCE THIS MOMENTOUS DEVELOPMENT ALSO UNDERSCORED BY FACT THAT ONLY IN THREE INSTANCES BEFORE HAS GENERAL ASSEMBLY ITSELF ADOPTED RESOLUTIONS CENSURING PARTICULAR COUNTRIES FOR BAD HUMAN RIGHTS RECORDS. PROCESS WHICH RESULTED SUCH A REMARKABLE OUTCOME BEGAN TWO YEARS AGO WITH DECISION UNITED NATIONS COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS TO SEND REPRESENTATIVE IRAN INVESTIGATE VIOLATIONS HUMAN RIGHTS INCLUDING THOSE DIRECTLY AFFECTING BAHÁ’Í COMMUNITY. THE COMMISSION DETERRED IN ITS INTENTION BY IRANIAN AUTHORITIES REFERRED ISSUE TO GENERAL ASSEMBLY WHERE MATTER WAS DISCUSSED FIRST IN THIRD COMMITTEE WHEN INTERESTS FAITH WERE VIGOROUSLY UPHELD BY REPRESENTATIVES VARIOUS COUNTRIES AND RESOLUTION WAS PROPOSED AND THEN IN PLENARY SESSION WHICH RATIFIED RESOLUTION ON 13 DECEMBER. NOTABLE CONSEQUENCE IS RETENTION ISSUE AGENDA GENERAL ASSEMBLY THUS PERMITTING INTENSIFICATION EFFORTS RELIEVE SITUATION SUFFERING BELIEVERS IRAN IN ANTICIPATION DAY COMPLETE EMANCIPATION FAITH GOD THAT LAND. WARMLY COMMEND ACKNOWLEDGE UNTIRING EFFORTS UNITED NATIONS REPRESENTATIVES BAHÁ’Í INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY RESOLUTELY SUPPORTED BY NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLIES ALL CONTINENTS.
OCCURRING IN CONJUNCTION WITH PRESENTATION PEACE STATEMENT BY AMATU’L-BAHÁ RÚḤÍYYIH KHÁNUM TO SECRETARY GENERAL UNITED NATIONS ONLY FEW WEEKS BEFORE, WITH ONGOING DELIVERY SAME STATEMENT TO HEADS STATE THROUGHOUT WORLD AND WITH UNEQUIVOCAL PUBLIC DEFENSE IRANIAN BAHÁ’ÍS BY PRESIDENT UNITED STATES AT HUMAN RIGHTS DAY CEREMONY, THIS INESTIMABLE ACHIEVEMENT DEFINITELY AFFIRMS EMERGENCE FAITH OBSCURITY HERALDS NEW PHASE IRREPRESSIBLE UNFOLDMENT DIVINELY APPOINTED WORLD ORDER BAHÁ’U’LLÁH.
DECEMBER 17, 1985
those references from the text, on the basis that the Bahá’í community represents only a small part of the total population of Iran and is only one of a number of oppressed groups, and thus references to the Bahá’ís would lose votes for the resolution.
Indeed, a number of Arab and Muslim delegations made it clear that they would support the resolution if, and only if, the references to the Bahá’ís were deleted.
But thanks to strenuous Bahá’í efforts, both in western capitals and at the UN, the references were retained.
In speaking to the resolution, U.S. Ambassador Patricia M. Byrne said in part, “... I must also mention our great anguish over the treatment suffered by the members of one of the world’s most peaceful religions: the Bahá’ís of Iran.
“All organized Bahá’í activities were banned by decree in 1983. Many Bahá’í leaders were imprisoned and, since 1979, nearly 200 Bahá’ís—including teen-aged women—have been executed or tortured to death. Many have simply disappeared.
“Thousands have been imprisoned or forced into exile; tens of thousands have been dismissed from jobs, schools and universities. All Bahá’í community properties have been seized, including schools and cemeteries. Holy shrines have been demolished. Parents are not allowed to teach their children the Bahá’í Faith. The Bahá’í community in Iran of some 350,000 is under assault because it refuses to repudiate its religious beliefs.
“The courage and sacrifice of the Bahá’í community should not be in vain. The United Nations has the moral duty to speak out loudly in defense of the Bahá’ís; we cannot fail them.”
Puerto Rico[edit]
Six weeks of intensive teaching in Puerto Rico between mid-June and the end of July 1985 resulted in the enrollment of 62 new believers. The teaching teams then took the last weekend in July off to attend the Summer School at the Gordon Laite Bahá’í Institute in Canovanas.
United States[edit]
President receives peace statement[edit]
On Tuesday, December 10, President Ronald Reagan received the Universal House of Justice’s peace statement, “The Promise of World Peace.”
The presentation was made by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States during ceremonies at the Executive Office Building in Washington commemorating Human Rights Week.
The President also was given an inscribed porcelain plate in recognition of his devotion to human rights and his efforts on behalf of the persecuted Bahá’í community in Iran.
‘Rampant persecution’[edit]
In his remarks summarizing the status of human rights in countries all over the world, President Reagan said, “One of the more tragic cases today is that of the Bahá’ís whose leaders are with us today.
“The government of Iran is engaged in rampant religious persecution, especially against the Bahá’ís. Since 1979, 198 Bahá’ís have been put to death, 767 are imprisoned, some 10,000 made homeless, and over 25,000 forced to flee their country. Only the continued world outcry can help bring an end to their suffering.”
Also taking part in the Human Rights Week ceremony were Richard Schifter, Assistant Secretary of State for Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs, and Linda Chavez, deputy assistant to the President and director, Office of Public Liaison.
In the audience was a group of about 100 invited guests from various ethnic and religious organizations active in human rights causes.
Present as special guests of the President were the members of the U.S. National Spiritual Assembly and Counsellor Wilma Brady.
Judge James F. Nelson, chairman of the National Assembly, acted as spokesman during the presentation ceremony, which took place immediately after Mr. Reagan signed the Human Rights Week proclamation.
President Reagan receives a copy of the peace statement from Dr. Robert Henderson, secretary of the U.S. National Spiritual Assembly.
“Mr. President,” Judge Nelson said, “you have mentioned in your remarks the relentless persecution of the Bahá’ís in Iran, and though the Mullahs of that country may choose to perpetuate these atrocities, they must know that because of you and the voices that you will encourage to speak out against it, these cannot now be perpetrated except in the full light of public opinion.
“For this, we are deeply and eternally grateful.
“We are aware also, Mr. President, that this is not a one-dimensional commitment; that in addition, you are morally and spiritually committed to the establishment of the peace we all want among the nations of the world ...
“Therefore, Mr. President, in recognition of your devotion to human rights, the National Spiritual Assembly presents to you on behalf of the 100,000 American Bahá’ís, a commemorative plate, and in recognition of your continuous commitment to world peace, we have the honor, Mr. President, to transmit to you from the Universal House of Justice, the international governing body of the Bahá’ís of the world, a statement on world peace.”
Mr. Reagan, smiling broadly, accepted the porcelain plate from Soo Fouts and the peace statement from Dr. Robert Henderson, secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly, and thanked the Bahá’ís warmly for presenting them.
That the presentation was made as a
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Above: Judge James F. Nelson, chairman of the U.S. National Spiritual Assembly delivers the opening remarks before the presentation to the President. Below: Mr. Reagan signs the annual Human Rights proclamation.
The President holds aloft the peace statement and porcelain plate.
part of a public event marking Human Rights Day, and “that chief executive great Republic West openly championed rights unequivocally proclaimed innocence our sorely wronged brethren in Iran,” the Universal House of Justice said in a cable to the National Assembly, “have invested this achievement with (a) significance that can be appreciated only within context glorious promises your country’s destiny recorded our sacred Scriptures.”
The ceremony capped a 14-month effort by the National Spiritual Assembly through the Office of External Affairs to set up a meeting with the Pres-
| PROFOUNDLY GRATEFUL PRESENTATION PEACE STATEMENT PRESIDENT UNITED STATES RONALD W. REAGAN. THAT THE PRESENTATION OCCURRED AS PART PUBLIC EVENT MARKING HUMAN RIGHTS DAY AND THAT CHIEF EXECUTIVE GREAT REPUBLIC WEST OPENLY CHAMPIONED RIGHTS UNEQUIVOCALLY PROCLAIMED INNOCENCE OUR SORELY WRONGED BRETHREN IN IRAN HAVE INVESTED THIS ACHIEVEMENT WITH SIGNIFICANCE THAT CAN BE APPRECIATED ONLY WITHIN CONTEXT GLORIOUS PROMISES YOUR COUNTRY’S DESTINY RECORDED OUR SACRED SCRIPTURES. ON THIS PORTENTOUS OCCASION WE RECALL WITH HOPE AND JOY PROPHETIC WORDS BELOVED MASTER ADDRESSED YOUR ILLUSTRIOUS COMMUNITY: ‘THE PRESTIGE OF THE FAITH OF GOD,’ HE ASSERTED, ‘HAS IMMENSELY INCREASED. ITS GREATNESS IS NOW MANIFEST. THE DAY IS APPROACHING WHEN IT WILL HAVE CAST A TREMENDOUS TUMULT IN MEN’S HEARTS. REJOICE, THEREFORE, O DENIZENS OF AMERICA, REJOICE WITH EXCEEDING GLADNESS.’
UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE
DECEMBER 12, 1985 |
The President speaks out on behalf of the Bahá’ís in Iran.
ident, and marked the third year in a row in which Mr. Reagan has noted the persecution of Bahá’ís in Iran during his Human Rights Week address.
That same evening, the National Assembly sponsored a reception at the Sheraton Carlton Hotel for Bahá’ís in the Washington area whose support was so vital in arranging the successful presentation and for various government officials who have shown an interest in and helped alleviate the plight of Iran’s Bahá’í community.
The following day, two members of the National Spiritual Assembly, Judges Dorothy and James Nelson, presented copies of “The Promise of World Peace” to seven of the nine Justices of the U.S. Supreme Court.
The leather-bound copy presented to the President was specially prepared by the Universal House of Justice and included a brief letter of greeting to Mr. Reagan from the Supreme Body.
The porcelain plate, designed by Mildred Mottahedeh of New York City, a Bahá’í who is internationally known for her exquisite porcelain products, is inscribed: “To President Ronald Wilson Reagan, who raised his voice in defense of the persecuted Bahá’ís of Iran, a token of appreciation from the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States—1985.”
Counsellor Wilma Brady (left), who was a member of the U.S. National Spiritual Assembly before being named to her new position in November, and Mildred Mottahedeh, who designed the porcelain plate that was given to President Reagan, enjoy a lighter moment during a reception that followed the presentation.
A photograph of Mr. Reagan holding aloft the plate appeared December 11 in The Washington Post.
Publicity surrounding the event was good with major articles also appearing in The New York Times, the Wash-
[Page 9]
ington Times and other newspapers
and a segment on National Public
Radio’s evening news program, “All
Things Considered.”
Dr. Firuz Kazemzadeh, vice-chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly, was interviewed by the Voice of America for its overseas broadcasts.
The presentation to Mr. Reagan came some 18 days after “The Promise of World Peace” was given to United Nations Secretary-General Javier Pérez de Cuéllar by the Hand of the Cause of God Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum, representing the Universal House of Justice, and one week after the U.S. State Department noted in a press briefing that it had “again received alarming reports of the Khomeini regime’s severe persecution of Iran’s Bahá’í community.”
Citing the execution by firing squad of Azizu’lláh Ashjarí, a 50-year-old Bahá’í from Tabriz, a State Department spokesman said, “It is tragically ironic that Mr. Ashjarí was executed on the very day the UN General Assembly opened its debate on religious persecution.
“We again call upon the Iranian authorities to abide by the declaration on the elimination of all forms of intolerance and discrimination based on religion and belief.”
‘There is perhaps no more tragic case today than that of the Bahá’ís whose leaders are with us today. The government of Iran has engaged in rampant religious persecution, especially against Bahá’ís. Since 1979, 198 Bahá’ís have been put to death, 767 are imprisoned, some 10,000 made homeless and over 25,000 forced to flee the country. Only the continued world outcry can help bring an end to their suffering.’—President Ronald Reagan, December 10, 1985
Above: Judge James Nelson thanks the President for his words in defense of Iran’s Bahá’í community. Below: Soo Fouts (right), a member of the U.S. National Spiritual Assembly, chats with guests during a reception that evening. Below left: Also at the reception were Chester Kahn, a member of the U.S. National Spiritual Assembly, and Anita Ioas Chapman, the National Assembly’s public information representative in Washington.
United States[edit]
Mr. Chance returns ‘home’ to Kansas[edit]
A seven-year-long effort to proclaim the Cause in Winfield, Kansas, was rewarded last August with the formation of its first local Spiritual Assembly and a month later by a visit from Hugh Chance, a member of the Universal House of Justice who was born in Winfield.
Mr. Chance and Dr. Alberta Deas, a member of the U.S. National Spiritual Assembly, were among those taking part in a “World Peace Through Education” conference at Southwestern College in Winfield.
The conference, sponsored by the Spiritual Assembly of Winfield in observance of the upcoming UN International Year of Peace, brought together Bahá’í and non-Bahá’í participants in a day-long dialogue on ways to achieve a lasting peace.
Earlier, the mayor of Winfield proclaimed September 29 “Hugh Chance Day” in the town of 10,000.
The conference generated substantial local interest with the newspaper giving it four days of front-page coverage and one of the local radio stations carrying a three-day series of taped interviews with Mr. Chance.
Such media coverage, unprecedented in Winfield, was especially heartening since Winfield relies on those two sources for most of its local news, as do more than 20 other small towns in the area.
An additional aspect of the successful use of media was a half-hour television interview arranged for Mr. Chance on the ABC-TV affiliate in Wichita.
The peace conference combined addresses by Mr. Chance and Dr. Deas with two panel discussions involving non-Bahá’í faculty members from Southwestern College.
Mr. Chance presented a comprehensive overview of the Bahá’í perspective on peace with particular emphasis on the importance of education in attaining conditions for peace, while Dr. Deas, who recently returned from the UN International Women’s Conference in Nairobi, Kenya, spoke about the need to achieve the equality of men and women as a prerequisite to world peace.
Hugh Chance, a member of the Universal House of Justice, is given a corsage before speaking September 29 at a peace conference in Winfield, Kansas.
The conference was opened and closed with prayers in various languages including English, Persian, Spanish, Russian and Vietnamese.
Music was provided by Steve and Jean Smith of Tulsa, Oklahoma, both of whom are widely known for their skill on the hammered and mountain dulcimers.
In the evening, the conference ended with a “unity celebration” co-sponsored by the Spiritual Assembly of Winfield and the Southwestern College Council on Ministry.
After a brief message of welcome from Mr. Chance, there were musical selections by the Winfield Bahá’í children’s class, the Winfield Second Baptist Church (an all-black church), local Laotian musicians and dancers, Steve and Jean Smith on the dulcimers,
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a Christian guitarist-vocalist, and the
Southwestern College Brass Ensemble.
This was followed by a cookies-and-punch reception hosted by the Bahá’ís.
The conference and unity celebration had a special impact in Winfield because the college plays such a visible role in the community and because Winfield has a well-developed peace movement.
The new set of peace pamphlets and “Wage Peace” buttons were available at the conference, and each of the resource persons (panelists, musicians) was given a copy of the book Waging Peace.
Meanwhile, Mr. Chance presented a copy of A Crown of Beauty to the college library (his mother attended Southwestern some 80 years ago).
The Spiritual Assembly of Winfield is discussing with the college the possibility of creating a “peace garden” at the college which the Bahá’ís would maintain.
While in Winfield, Mr. Chance also delivered the “sermon” at the Sunday morning worship service at two churches, a large Methodist church and the smaller all-black Second Baptist Church, which hosted a reception for Mr. Chance after the service.
Sunday afternoon, Mr. Chance conducted a delightful fireside for five seekers and the local Bahá’ís.
That evening, Mr. and Mrs. Chance were guests at a dinner in their honor given by the Winfield Oratorio Society, whose 150 members had met with Mr. Chance at the Bahá’í World Centre during the group’s 50th anniversary tour of Israel last summer.
The dinner was held in a church that Mr. Chance’s parents had attended 60 years ago, and among the guests was his childhood piano teacher who remembered the Chance family before they moved from Winfield in 1922.
Mr. Chance was presented a framed copy of the mayor’s proclamation, and Mayor Lucien Barbour read the proclamation to the audience of more than 100, citing Mr. Chance’s work for the Faith as evidence of his life-long desire to eliminate prejudice of all sorts and calling him “an emissary of peace from Winfield to the world.”
The overwhelmingly non-Bahá’í audience then gave Mr. Chance a standing ovation.
Monday morning, the Bahá’ís said their goodbyes at a breakfast for Mr. and Mrs. Chance, his brother and sister-in-law, who had traveled to Winfield with them, and Dr. Deas.
The spiritually charged weekend had its beginnings seven years ago when two Bahá’ís, Ron and Jean Gould, moved to Winfield.
Soon afterward, another couple moved to town and a Bahá’í Group was formed.
The teaching work was constant, and gradually doors began to open, seekers came in increasing numbers,
Mr. Chance addresses the importance of education in achieving world peace.
and firesides and proclamations became more numerous and more successful.
Finally, two declarations and three homefront pioneers brought the Group to Assembly status.
The Bahá’ís of Winfield have been privileged to enjoy a warm correspondence with Mr. Chance dating back to the time when it was first learned that he was a Winfield native.
The friends had long dreamed of a visit by Mr. Chance, but there was no appropriate opportunity before the visit to Haifa last year by the Oratorio Society.
Mr. Chance’s offer to meet with the group, and the Society’s warm response to him, encouraged the Winfield Bahá’ís to suggest a return visit.
At the 1984 Kansas District Convention, the Winfield Bahá’ís had offered to host a conference on the arts and scholarship, and thought such a conference would afford a perfect occasion for a visit by Mr. Chance.
He accepted the invitation, and in light of the request from the Universal House of Justice that observances of the International Year of Peace be arranged, the theme of “World Peace Through Education” was chosen for the conference, which providentially was scheduled just before the release of the House of Justice’s statement on world peace.
The conference itself served not only to improve relations with the college and its faculty, it also generated at least three tangible interfaith projects that will be pursued by Bahá’ís and non-Bahá’ís: (1) the possible establishment of an interfaith council, (2) a campus peace/future studies discussion group, and (3) a summer language/intercultural program for children.
United States[edit]
Temple restoration nears completion[edit]
An extensive restoration project at the Bahá’í House of Worship in Wilmette, Illinois, begun in the fall of 1984, is nearing completion, according to Robert Armbruster, manager of NSA Properties Inc. and a member of the Temple Restoration Committee.
“The major goals of the project have been completed, and we’re making progress on the final stages,” says Mr. Armbruster.
Areas of primary concern were the problem of water intrusion, corrosion of the building structure, deterioration of the exterior, stairs and walks, and the lack of quality in the finish of Foundation Hall.
The committee’s basic task, that of stopping further leakage and corrosion, has been completed.
Water had been leaking through the glass dome for some time, contributing to the corrosion. The committee contacted various skylight companies to consult on reconstruction of the dome. As a temporary measure, a clear plastic drape was placed over the inner concrete dome below the 55-year-old skylight.
As a permanent solution, two approaches were considered.
In the first, parts of the outer dome would be removed; the old skylight would then be disassembled and taken out through the gaping hole in the roof.
Later, a new skylight would be inserted piece by piece through the open roof and assembled. It was estimated that this procedure would take more than a year, cost well over $1 million, and prohibit use of the Temple until it was completed.
A contractor from Super Sky International Inc. then examined the dome, testing the old rafters, and concluded that the existing frame could easily support the load of a new skylight.
By leaving the old system in place and attaching a new, watertight system over the existing dome, the cost would be cut in half, renovation would take far less time to complete, and the building could remain open during the entire process.
Also, a new skylight riding “piggyback” over the old would create an air space that would provide insulation, cutting heat loss in the enormous dome and giving a “state of the art” weather shield.
The committee agreed to this plan. Work was begun in the fall of 1984 and completed last spring.
Meanwhile, Laurance Cazaly, a structural engineer, looked at the original plans of the building and the physical structure itself.
After running a computer analysis to calculate the strength and stability of the structure, he determined that if deterioration were averted by cleaning away corrosion, the steel truss would remain strong enough to support the building.
As a result, the structure was blasted with water and sand to clean off the rust, then treated with a high performance protective coating to prevent further deterioration.
A new roofing material, “Derbigum,” enabled the roof to be rebuilt without the use of metal “flashing” against the curved surface of the building, which would have been difficult to install. The windows around the building were recaulked as well.
Mr. Armbruster, who assumed the position as manager of NSA Properties Inc. in March 1985, says the committee is now working on the problem of sealing leaks in the basement caused by cracks and drainage from the outside walks and stairwells.
Plans are also being devised to restore the ornamental concrete skin, which is deteriorating rapidly, and to complete the visitors’ center in the basement, a part of the Temple that was never properly finished despite its great popularity with the public.
In November 1983, 23 professional architects, engineers, contractors and project managers took part in a House of Worship Restoration Seminar in Wilmette.
They concluded in a report to the National Spiritual Assembly that immediate action should be taken to avert the accelerating deterioration and to save the building from irreversible damage.
Six of those at the seminar were chosen by the National Assembly to serve on the Temple Restoration Committee: Mr. Armbruster; David Hadden, a civil engineer from Port Hope, Canada; Frederic McCoy, an architect from Ferndale, Michigan; Robert Shaw, an engineer, developer and contractor from Middletown, Wisconsin; Shinji Yamamoto, the State Architect for Wisconsin; and Cengiz Yetken, an architect/designer from Oak Park, Illinois.
At Riḍván 1984, the committee’s efforts were given support by the Universal House of Justice which, in its Riḍván message to the U.S., instructed the believers to “... adopt, initiate and sustain a well-defined, phased plan to renovate the Mother Temple of the West.”
The Temple is now more structurally secure, says Mr. Armbruster, and steps have been taken to protect it in the future.
A new maintenance routine initiated by the properties department includes regular inspection of the Temple. With a better record of the state of repair, he says, problems can be spotted and diagnosed earlier, and action taken to avert a crisis.
Houses of Worship[edit]
Progress reports from India, Samoa[edit]
Above left: Workmen use scaffolding while applying the outer covering of one of the ‘leaves’ comprising the lotus design of the Mother Temple of the Indian Subcontinent. Above: The lovely Temple on the outskirts of New Delhi begins to take its final form in this recent photograph. The dedication is scheduled for January or February 1987. Below left: The Mother Temple of the Pacific in Apia, Western Samoa, is seen in this photograph taken in June 1985. The ancillary building which will house support services and administrative functions can be seen in the foreground.
The world[edit]
Pakistan offers free medical program[edit]
A free medical program was begun last June 29 in the village of Deh Jokio, Pakistan, by that country’s National Bahá’í Youth Committee in cooperation with the Social Welfare Association Government of Sind.
Carrying out fortnightly visits to the village was a team of Bahá’í youth consisting of Dr. Zeba Frooghi; Dr. Seema Nekahakter; a medical student, Dr. Farhad Mashrequi; Behruz Mashrequi, and Farsheed Motahid.
The medical camp not only fulfills a goal of social service, it has proven to be an effective means of proclaiming the Faith.
When the team arrives, an announcement is made at the local mosque on loudspeakers that a team of Bahá’í doctors has come to give free medical treatment to the villagers.
A banner saying “Free Medical Camp” is displayed by the Bahá’ís, and each prescription given carries a Bahá’í insignia.
The National Youth Committee hopes the medical camp may continue as a regular service, and is grateful to the Spiritual Assembly of Karachi for providing financial assistance.
The free medical camp organized by the National Youth Committee of Pakistan has given medical aid to more than 350 patients suffering from a wide range of ailments in the village of Deh Jokio. The camp is so successful and beneficial that women and children have walked many miles to avail themselves of its services.
Canary Islands[edit]
The National Spiritual Assembly of the Canary Islands, formed at Riḍván 1985, sponsored its first Children’s Summer School last July at a mountain camp surrounded by a pine forest.
A national committee arranged a lively and enriching three-day program, conducted entirely by children, which included wonderful talks during the morning sessions and outdoor activities in the afternoons.
Thirty-four children, Bahá’ís and their friends, ages seven to 14, participated.
Nigeria[edit]
Women from six states in Nigeria came to attend a Bahá’í National Women’s Conference held last August 17-18 in Calabar. Some of them are shown here in front of the Calabar Bahá’í Center where the weekend of talks, questions, music, dancing and a Bahá’í wedding was enjoyed.
Gabon[edit]
The Bahá’í community of Moanda, Gabon, has devised a clever way in which to raise funds for construction of a new Regional Bahá’í Center.
Land for the Center has been acquired and a Bahá’í architect has drafted a design. Now the Moanda community has invited the Bahá’ís of Gabon to help by purchasing one brick, one sheet of metal, one bag of cement, one hour of bulldozer time, or one window.
The price for each item is listed in the national bulletin. Each contributor is given a receipt which is a facsimile of his or her contribution: a paper brick, a paper window, etc.
United Kingdom[edit]
Bahá’í prayers are included in two new publications by non-Bahá’ís in the United Kingdom.
The first, Dear God, a book of prayers for children, is published by Basil Blackwell; the second, The Oxford Book of Prayer, edited by Bishop George Appleton for the Oxford University Press, is a collection of prayers and meditations from the world’s religious traditions.
Both books are available at commercial bookstores in the United Kingdom.
Kiribati[edit]
The first National Bahá’í Youth Conference in Bikenibeu, Kiribati, was opened last August 30 with an address by a government representative. One hundred youth including some from the outer islands were inspired by a message from the Universal House of Justice. In their cabled response, they said they confidently welcomed the challenges given to them.
Cyprus[edit]
An international Bahá’í Summer School was held August 12-22 at Kyrenia in northern Cyprus with a total attendance of 55 adults and 22 children who came from the north and south of Cyprus and seven other countries.
Counsellor Adib Taherzadeh enriched the session by his participation, and two Auxiliary Board members from Turkey were also welcome guests.
Japan[edit]
The National Spiritual Assembly of Japan met recently with two members of the Continental Board of Counsellors in Asia. Seated (left to right) are Mrs. Barbara Sims, Miss Nobuko Iwakura, Counsellor Rúhu’lláh Mumtází, Counsellor Hideya Suzuki, Miss Yoko Ishihara; standing (left to right) are Shigeyuki Hayashi, Abbas Katirai, Dr. Toshio Suzuki (secretary), Yuzo Yamaguchi (treasurer), Hiroyasu Takano (chairman), and Miss Tomo Fushimi.
About 55 people attended a two-day Bahá’í Winter School last January 12-13 in Tokyo, Japan. Shown speaking is Dr. Yasuyuki Hosoda, a longtime Bahá’í who is an eminent heart surgeon.
Norway[edit]
Thirty-three Bahá’í refugees were admitted to Norway in the spring of 1985 and have been integrated rapidly into Norwegian Bahá’í community life. Government agencies have noted with interest the successful integration of the Bahá’í refugees, as such harmony with the welcoming community has been difficult to achieve for other refugee groups entering Norway.
One Bahá’í refugee there is donating his services to help train drug-addicted youth in the art of karate in return for their promise to abandon the use of drugs. Progress so far has been excellent; many of the youth have changed their behavior patterns and have stopped using drugs. Local authorities have given the Bahá’í the use of a school gymnasium in which to continue the project.
During the past year the National Teaching Committee of Norway has urged communities to present the Bahá’í message in high schools and colleges. The campaign, called “Plant a Bahá’í Seed in a Classroom,” has had a tremendous response with about 2,000 students informed about the Faith during the 1984-85 school year. Some schools have even requested annual programs.
This year’s Norwegian Bahá’í Summer School was held July 7-13 at Hove Camp, Tromóya, in Arendal. With 200 participants from 15 countries, it was the largest summer school ever held in Norway. Its theme was ‘The Faith’s Emergence from Obscurity.’ Speakers included Counsellor Agnes Ghaznavi and Auxiliary Board member Gerd Strand. A parallel program for children also was held.
Angola[edit]
Three new Spiritual Assemblies have been formed in Angola, bringing the total to five in that country. Traveling teacher Farhad Aghdasi cabled the World Centre, “(The) joy, vigor (and) vitality (of the) Bahá’í community (in) Angola (are) indescribable.”
Uganda[edit]
One hundred-thirty people from four countries visited the Kapchorwa district of Uganda for an intensive week-long teaching effort. Participants, most of them school teachers, came from Kenya, Malaysia, Uganda and the United States and included the Mobile Institute team, an organized travel-teaching unit. Lapsed Assemblies were re-formed and deepening programs held.
Austria[edit]
“Confidence in the Power of God” was the theme for the Bahá’í Summer School held the last week in August in Badgastein, Austria. One hundred-ninety Bahá’ís from nine countries attended the school, which was characterized by a great feeling of unity and excitement.
Thailand[edit]
The Spiritual Assembly of Khao-I-Dan refugee camp in Thailand, elected in June 1985. Second from the left (wearing a Bahá’í T-shirt) is Ly Chorn, the first person in the camp to declare his belief in Bahá’u’lláh. Fourth from the left is Sieng Born, one of five residents of the camp who had become Bahá’ís in Cambodia in the 1960s. During the past year more than 400 Khmer refugee families in the camp have been enrolled in the Faith.
India[edit]
On August 4, the Bahá’í youth of Indore conducted a medical camp in the community of Yeshwant, India.
Three Bahá’í doctors and eight other young people set up the camp in which 160 patients were examined. Medications were prescribed and given to the patients free of charge.
The villagers’ evident need for regular medical attention has prompted the decision to hold such camps once each month. The youth are asking the Health Ministry of Madhya Pradesh to supply free medicine.
One of the young doctors, a second generation Bahá’í, stood first in his recent final medical examination at the university.
One hundred-thirty Bahá’ís and their guests took part in a Bahá’í Summer School at Himachal Pradesh. At the close of the school, there were three declarations of faith in Bahá’u’lláh.
Later, two traveling teachers undertook at 10-day trip in Himachal, the result of which was the enrollment of 40 Buddhists from two tribes and the formation of two new local Spiritual Assemblies.
Pictured is the book stall of the Bahá’í Publishing Trust of India which won the award for best display at the book exhibition held last June 2-9 in Bhubaneswar, Orissa (East India).
Kenya[edit]
Teaching projects last August in the Bungoma and Embu districts of Kenya brought 535 new believers into the Faith in only one week. Twenty lost Assemblies were re-formed in Bungoma and seven new Assemblies were elected in Embu.
Australia[edit]
One thousand Bahá’ís gathered last September 5 on the Gold Coast of Australia for a teaching conference at which the Hand of the Cause of God Collis Featherstone led a study session on “The Promise of World Peace.”
Tuvalu[edit]
In September, the National Spiritual Assembly of Tuvalu sponsored its first National Youth Conference. Forty delegates came from seven islands.
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