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[Page -1]

Bahá’í News

July 1987

Bahá’í Year 144

1987 United Nations:
Year of Shelter
for the Homeless

[Page 0]

Bahá’í News

Government of Egypt fines, imprisons 48 Bahá’ís for practicing Faith	1
World Centre summarizes significant achievements of Seven Year Plan	2
1912: Master blesses the interracial marriage of Louis, Louisa Gregory	8
Members of U.S. National Assembly attend a briefing in Washington	10
From World Centre, an update on worldwide recognition of the Faith	11
Bahá’í Community addresses UN Commission on Human Settlements	12
Around the world: News from Bahá’í communities all over the globe	14

Bahá’í News is published monthly by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States as a news organ reporting current activities of the Bahá’í world community. Manuscripts submitted should be typewritten and double-spaced throughout; any footnotes should appear at the end. The contributor should keep a carbon copy. Send materials to the Periodicals Office, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091, U.S.A. Changes of address should be reported to the Office of Membership and Records, Bahá’í National Center. Please attach mailing label. Subscription rates within the U.S.: one year, $12; two years, $20. Outside the U.S.: one year, $14; two years, 24$. Foreign air mail: one year, $20; two years, $40. Payment must accompany the order and must be in U.S. dollars. Second class postage paid at Wilmette, IL 60091. Copyright © 1987, National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. World rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A.

[Page 1]

Government fines, imprisons 48 Bahá’ís

On May 11, the government of Egypt levied fines against 48 Bahá’ís and sentenced them to the maximum term of three years in prison for allegedly violating a law banning Bahá’í activities in that country.

Nine who reside outside Egypt were convicted in absentia. Two others were found not guilty after recanting their faith.

“The acquittal of those who declared their acceptance of Islam clearly demonstrates that religious beliefs, not alleged activities, were the central issue,” said Dr. Firuz Kazemzadeh, vice-chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States.

The sentences, announced in Cairo by the Abdin Misdemeanor Court, followed the court’s refusal to allow full defense arguments and questioning of witnesses.

The Bahá’ís were released on bail and were expected to appeal the verdict.

Presidential Decree No. 263, signed in 1960 by then-President Gamal Abdel Nasser, ordered the dissolution of all Bahá’í Spiritual Assemblies in Egypt.

At the time, government officials said the order applied only to Bahá’í administrative organizations and their activities, adding that individuals would remain free to practice their religion.

Although they have scrupulously observed the terms of that decree, Egyptian Bahá’ís have been imprisoned on at least six occasions in the past 20 years, solely on charges relating to the practice of their religion.

The most recent ‎arrrests arrests‎ were made February 24 in a midnight sweep through several Egyptian cities during which the Bahá’ís’ homes were searched and their Bahá’í books and documents seized.

The Bahá’ís were charged with “holding ideas that run counter to the divinely revealed religions on which the system of government in Egypt is based” and of belonging to an “apostate religion.”

Egypt’s State Security Prosecutor found that those charges do not constitute a crime under the country’s penal code and transferred the case to another court for prosecution under statutes forbidding the use of religion to promote seditious ideas and under the 1960 law prohibiting organized Bahá’í activity.

Charges against the Bahá’ís included gathering in small groups, praying together in private homes, and being in possession of Bahá’í holy writings and prayer books.

Egyptian Bahá’ís, like their counterparts in Iran, have long been the target of attacks by Islamic fundamentalists.

Despite guarantees of religious freedom in the Egyptian Constitution, and despite Egypt’s adoption of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Bahá’ís have been victims of harassment, public slander and periodic arrests over the past 30 years.

In 1960 there were nearly 3,000 Bahá’ís in Egypt; today there are fewer than 500.

“Bahá’ís can hardly be considered a threat to the Egyptian state,” said Dr. Kazemzadeh. “Not only are their numbers insignificant, but as we know, their religion demands that they observe the law scrupulously and not participate in politics.”

Legislation introduced by Islamic fundamentalists in the Egyptian Parliament in 1985 called for fines and harsh punishment for anyone “laying open claim to prophethood,” any group “promoting claims to prophethood,” and any person who knowingly joins such a group.

Although Bahá’ís were not mentioned by name, the language used made it clear that they were the target of the proposed bill.

Bahá’ís are seen as heretics and apostates by Muslims who hold that Muhammad was “the Seal of the Prophets” and that there can be no new Revelation from God after Him. Muslims do not recognize the Faith as a valid religion, but view it as a conspiracy.

Fundamentalists in Egypt have called for the general boycotting of Bahá’ís, the “spilling of the blood of the Bahá’ís,” and the Islamic punishment of death for the Bahá’ís.

The Islamic Center of Cairo’s Al-Azhar Mosque and University, the foremost seat of learning in the Sunni Islamic world, has publicly attacked the Bahá’ís, while other Islamic groups have urged the government to exterminate them.

Since the arrests in February, news of attacks on Bahá’ís has appeared regularly in the Egyptian press including some government-sponsored newspapers. These articles allege heresy, atheism, immorality, espionage and promoting “Zionism.”

Dr. Kazemzadeh called the recent actions in Egypt “alarming,” since “they indicate that the wave of persecution that still afflicts the Bahá’ís in Iran is now spreading over other Muslim countries, based on the same fanatical arguments and motivated by the same spirit of religious intolerance.

“We are deeply concerned,” he said, “that such actions by Egypt, which is considered a tolerant and forward-looking nation, will send a dangerous signal to other countries in the Islamic world where there are hundreds of thousands of Bahá’ís.”

[Page 2]

Achievements of the Seven Year Plan

In its Riḍván 1985 message to the Bahá’ís of the world, the Universal House of Justice stated, “Victory in the Plan is now within sight and at its completion the summation of its achievements may well astonish us all.” The following year, the House of Justice noted that “the Seven Year Plan, the manifold achievements of which brought to a close the third epoch of the Formative Age, ran its course through a period of accelerating change in the Bahá’í community and in the world at large. Significant developments took place in this short span of years.”

The following synopsis presents the significant achievements of the Seven Year Plan, Riḍván 1979-1986.

World Centre Achievements

1. Completion and Occupation of the Seat of the Universal House of Justice in 1983. Work on this $28 million project commenced in June 1975; it was dedicated on April 29, 1978, during the fourth International Convention; its inauguration took place on June 17, 1982, through the holding of a seminar on the occasion of the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the passing of the Greatest Holy Leaf.

2. Approval of the Concept for the Other Buildings on the Arc in early 1986. Designs were prepared by Husayn Amánat, the architect of the Seat of the Universal House of Justice, for the Centre for the Study of the Sacred Texts, which will lie between the International Archives building and the Seat of the House of Justice; the International Teaching Centre; and the International Bahá’í Library.

3. Restoration of the House of ‘Abdu’lláh-Páshá. The restoration of the upper floor of the south wing, that part of the complex where the Holy Family dwelt, was completed in 1983 in time for delegates to the International Convention to visit. Since then, plans have been prepared for the restoration of the north wing which consists of a large room used for community gatherings in the time of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and a smaller room used by Shoghi Effendi.

4. Bahá’í Cemetery at Ein Gev. The establishment of a new Bahá’í cemetery near the Sea of Galilee, and the reinterment there on October 18, 1985, of the remains of Mírzá Muhammad-Qulí (the faithful half-brother of Bahá’u’lláh) and 11 members of his family, mark an important supplemental achievement in the Holy Land.

5. Extension of the Gardens in the Holy Land. A total of 66,265 square meters of land was acquired during the Plan: 13,150 square meters bordering the driveway from the western gate at Bahjí; 50,000 square meters adjacent to and northeast of the Mazra’ih property; and 3,135 square meters at Ein Gev.

6. Commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the Passing of the Greatest Holy Leaf. A compilation of her own writings and of others about her was published in her memory in July 1982.

7. Expansion of the Membership and Responsibilities of the International Teaching Centre. Through the addition of Counsellors Magdalene Carney, Mas’úd Khamsí, Peter Khan and Isobel Sabri in May 1983, joining the Hands of the Cause Amatu’l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum and ‘Alí Akbar Furútan and Counsellors Anneliese Bopp, Hooper Dunbar and ‘Azíz Yazdí, its membership was raised to nine. Commencing May 23, 1983, Counsellor members of the Teaching Centre serve a five-year term. Among the functions presently carried out are: exercising full responsibility for the direction and stimulation of the Continental Boards of Counsellors and serving as a liaison between them and the Universal House of Justice; preparing reports and recommendations to the Universal House of Justice for further development of the Bahá’í community; taking responsibility for the protection of the Faith; determining needs for the enrichment of Bahá’í life, and for the continued expansion and diversification of Bahá’í activities within the realms of teaching and consolidation; studying the needs for pioneers and traveling teachers, for literature and audio-visual materials.

8. Expansion of the Bahá’í International Community offices. In the course of the Plan, the Bahá’í International Community considerably broadened its relationship with the United Nations system beyond its headquarters in New York by establishing UN branch headquarters in Geneva and Vienna, and UN regional headquarters, or Regional Economic Commissions, in Africa (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia), Asia (Bangkok, Thailand), and Latin America and the Caribbean (Santiago, Chile). It has also increased its contacts with several of the UN specialized bodies and agencies, including the World Food Council (WFC), the World Health Organization (WHO), the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the International Labor Organization (ILO). Moreover, the Bahá’í International Community participated in sessions of the European Parliament and the Council of Europe and was thereby instrumental in bringing the situation of the Bahá’ís in Iran to the attention of those bodies. It also enjoys a close working relationship with the South Pacific Commission (SPC), an inter-governmental organization promoting the social and economic development of the countries of the Pacific region.

[Page 3] 9. International Bahá’í Refugee Office. This office, established in November 1984 in Canada at the request of the Universal House of Justice, is responsible for coordinating efforts to resettle Iranian Bahá’ís who have been forced to seek refuge in other countries because of the persecutions of the Iranian government. During the Plan, 38 National Assemblies have been involved in the resettlement of some 3,500 Iranian Bahá’í refugees.

10. Office of Social and Economic Development. This office, established in July 1983, has been given the task of helping the Universal House of Justice to promote and coordinate various activities in the Bahá’í world intended to uplift the social and economic life of peoples.

11. Office of Public Information. Established in May 1985, with its headquarters at the World Centre, as well as a branch in New York City, this office’s basic function is to disseminate accurate information on the Faith to government, international and national agencies, leaders of thought, the mass media and the general public. The purpose of these efforts is to foster a favorable climate of understanding among the peoples of the world concerning the aims and achievements of the Bahá’í community as well as to correct misinformation and combat opposition.

World-Wide Achievements

1. Dedication of the Temple in Samoa. In September 1978 a design for the Temple was approved; on January 27, 1979, the foundation stone was laid; construction was carried out by a New Zealand contractor; and the Temple was dedicated on September 1, 1984. Total project cost: $6,500,000.

2. Temple in India. Designs for the Temple were approved prior to the Plan; the foundation stone was laid on October 17, 1977; construction contract was awarded to an Indian company in 1980; construction was completed by June 1986; the Temple was dedicated between December 23-28, 1986. This undertaking has spanned three Plans at a total cost of $10 million.

3. Further Development of the Continental Boards of Counsellors. In November 1980, 63 Continental Counsellors were appointed for a five-year term of service starting on the Day of the Covenant, November 26, 1980. At that time, 13 zones were consolidated into five zones, each of which extends over the entire continental area. The number of Counsellors was increased to 72 in November 1985, and the first world-wide Counsellors’ Conference was held in the Holy Land in December 1985. The work of the Continental Counsellors is supported by the activities of 630 Auxiliary Board members who were appointed by the end of the Plan, and by at least 5,000 believers who are serving as assistants to the Auxiliary Board members.

4. Five International Bahá’í Conferences, 1982. Dublin, Ireland, June 27-29: 1,900 from 60 countries attending; Quito, Ecuador, August 6-8: 1,450 from 43 countries attending; Lagos, Nigeria, August 19-22: 1,100 from 90 ethnic groups attending; Canberra, Australia, September 2-5: 2,400 from 45 countries attending; Montreal, Canada, September 2-5: 9,400 from 101 countries attending.

5. Countries Opened to the Faith. By the conclusion of the Plan, Bahá’í communities were established in 166 independent countries and 48 dependent territories or overseas departments.

6. Formation of National Spiritual Assemblies. Twenty-two new National Assemblies, comprising one-sixth of the total number, were formed during this Plan. In addition, it was possible to re-form three National Assemblies: Uganda (1981), Nepal (1982), and Equatorial Guinea (1984). However, in 1981 the National Assembly of Zaire was dissolved for a temporary period; and in 1983 the National Assembly of Iran was dissolved as a result of the persecutions in that country.

Continent	No.NSAs Riḍván 1979	No.NSAs Riḍván 1986	Percent Increase
Africa	34	43	26
Americas	33	41	24
Asia	25	27	8
Australasia	14	17	21
Europe	19	20	5
WORLD	125	148	18

The following National Assemblies were established during the Seven Year Plan (with formation year in parentheses): Transkei (1980); Bermuda (1981); Bophuthatswana (1981); Leeward Islands (1981); Southwest Africa/Namibia (1981); St. Vincent and the Grenadines (1981); Tuvalu (1981); Uganda (1981); Nepal (1982); Dominica (1983); St. Lucia (1983); Andaman and Nicobar Islands (1984); Canary Islands (1984); Cape Verde (1984); Equatorial Guinea (1984); French Guiana (1984); Gabon (1984); Grenada (1984); Martinique (1984); North Yemen (1984); Ciskei (1985); Cook Islands (1985); Mali (1985); Mozambique (1985); Western Caroline Islands (1985).

7. Formation of Local Spiritual Assemblies. During the Plan, in 28 countries, the number of local Assemblies more than doubled, while an additional 39 countries had an increase of at least 50 percent. The formation of 9,230 new local Assemblies, bringing the total to 32,854 worldwide, surpassed the goal of the Plan by 2,004 Assemblies.

Continent	No. Assemblies Riḍván 1979	No. Assemblies Riḍván 1986	Percent Increase
Africa	4,535	7,258	60
Americas	5,424	6,500	20
Asia	12,473	17,524	40
Australasia	578	857	48
Europe	614	715	15
WORLD	23,624	32,854	39

8. Localities Opened to the Faith. During this period, in 142 countries or territories, the number of localities opened to the Faith was more than doubled; and in an additional 35 countries, it was increased by at least 50 percent. Over-all, 14,003 new localities were opened to the Cause, surpassing the goal of the Plan by 1,250.

Continent	No. Localities Riḍván 1979	No. Localities Riḍván 1986	Percent Increase
Africa	26,508	35,657	35
Americas	22,110	26,570	20
Asia	49,051	48,730	-1
Australasia	2,586	2,902	12
Europe	2,449	2,848	16
WORLD	102,704	116,707	14

[Page 4] 9. Bahá’í Population Increase. The total Bahá’í population increase for the Plan was approximately 1,118,000, 518,000 of whom are adults. Worldwide, the community is growing at a rate of 4.4 percent per year, with an “enrollment rate” of 2.7 percent. Forty-nine countries exhibited an average annual growth rate of 10 percent or better for the Plan, and in 86 countries the number of adults was increased by at least 30 percent during these seven years.

Continent	No. Believers Riḍván 1979	No. Believers Riḍván 1986	Percent Increase
Africa	603,000	969,000	61
Americas	665,000	857,000	29
Asia	2,264,000	2,807,000	24
Australasia	70,000	84,000	20
Europe	19,000	22,000	16
WORLD	3,621,000	4,739,000	31

In 34 countries the percentage of Bahá’ís in the general population is greater than one percent; in six of these communities the percentage is greater than five percent: Tuvalu (5.8 percent); Belize (6.0 percent); Tonga (6.3 percent); Western Caroline Islands (7.7 percent); Marshall Islands (11.5 percent); and Kiribati (17.9 percent).

The following 22 national communities, each with at least 500 believers, more than doubled their adult Bahá’í population during the Seven Year Plan.

Australia	144 percent	Honduras	452 percent
Bangladesh	182 percent	Hong Kong	111 percent
Benin	111 percent	Malawi	153 percent
Brazil	129 percent	St. Lucia	192 percent
Cape Verde	1,567 percent	Sierra Leone	252 percent
Cent. African Rep.	102 percent	Singapore	131 percent
Chad	250 percent	Sudan	190 percent
Dominica	524 percent	Suriname	146 percent
Ghana	138 percent	United Arab Emir.	150 percent
Guinea Bissau	2,142 percent	Vanuatu	218 percent
Guyana	213 percent	Zimbabwe	103 percent

10. Diversity of the Bahá’í Community. Members of more than 300 ethnic groups which had not previously been represented in the Bahá’í community were enrolled during the Plan, bringing the total number of indigenous tribes, races and ethnic groups enrolled in the Faith to more than 2,100.

11. Local Spiritual Assembly Activities. The number of countries with active local Assemblies increased from 134 at the beginning of the Seven Year Plan to 179 by its conclusion. The following table provides an overview of the increase in local activities reported.

	No. LSAs Involved
Nature of Activity	1980	1986	Percent of Total LSAs	Percent Increase
Feasts, Holy Days	3,149	7,196	22	129
Meeting Regularly	2,747	6,081	19	121
Giving to Funds	2,472	4,596	14	86
Children’s Classes	1,731	4,295	13	148
Youth Activities	843	2,402	7	185
Women’s Activities	418	1,558	5	273
Extension Teaching	1,655	3,847	22	132
Local Teaching	1,460	5,699	33	290
Local Deepening	1,352	4,665	27	245

12. International Pioneering. Of the pioneers who have settled in foreign posts in response to the goals of the Universal House of Justice for the Seven Year Plan, 3,694 are still in the field: 746 settled in Africa; 980 in the Americas; 671 in Asia; 256 in Australasia; and 1,041 in Europe. These believers have originated from 125 countries and settled in 182 countries. Well over 1,900 of them are of Persian background, with another 900 and 200 being American or Canadian, respectively.

13. Traveling Teaching. Traveling teachers also contributed greatly to the progress of the Cause; more than 10,000 teaching trips were made during the Plan.

14. Border Teaching Projects. By the end of the Plan, 78 Assemblies had initiated the organization of teaching campaigns with other national communities.

15. Teaching Projects and Teaching Conferences. The following table shows the number of teaching projects and teaching conferences and the number of National Assemblies organizing those activities.

	Teaching Projects		Teaching Conferences
Continent	National Assemblies	No. of Projects	National Assemblies	No. of Conferences
Africa	11	12	37	754
Americas	29	73	40	662
Asia	5	39	18	784
Australasia	6	12	16	335
Europe	9	9	18	220
WORLD	60	145	129	2,755

16. Incorporation of National Spiritual Assemblies. Eleven National Assemblies were incorporated during the Seven Year Plan (10 of which were new National Assemblies), for a total of 113. Six were in Africa, three in the Americas, one in Asia, and one in Australasia.

17. Incorporation of Local Spiritual Assemblies. By the end of the Plan, a total of 2,309 local Assemblies had been incorporated in 85 countries.

18. Recognition of Bahá’í Marriage. During the Plan, Bahá’í marriage was officially recognized in Barbados, Mauritius, Burma and Uganda, bringing the total to 52 countries.

19. Recognition of Bahá’í Holy Days. Over the course of the Plan, official recognition of Holy Days was obtained in Bophuthatswana, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Chile and the Republic of Ireland, thus bringing the total to 71 countries.

20. Tax Exemption. A total of 54 countries had achieved this legal status by the end of the Plan, of which 17 were granted tax exemption during this Plan.

21. Financial Self-Sufficiency. The number of financially independent National Assemblies rose from 54 in 1979 to 113, or 76 percent of the total, in 1986. The number of local Assemblies contributing to their National Funds rose from 2,472 in 1980 to 4,596 in 1986.

[Page 5] 22. Social and Economic Development Activities. During the Seven Year Plan, the total number of development projects increased from 129 to 1,247, and the number of countries with such projects reached 93 (an increase of 73 countries).

	World	Africa	Americas
Agriculture, Forestry	74	35	13
Community Development	358	60	266
Education	732	169	115
Health, Social Services	78	28	14
Radio Stations	5	0	5
TOTAL	1,247	292	413
	Asia	Australasia	Europe
Agriculture, Forestry	20	5	1
Community Development	12	7	13
Education	427	13	8
Health, Social Services	25	2	9
Radio Stations	0	0	0
TOTAL	484	27	31

23. Academic Schools. The number of academic schools, operating in eight countries, increased from 10 to 40. An estimated 6,000 students, 85 percent of them non-Bahá’í, attend these schools. In addition, 34 academic schools were established by individuals as private ventures in 19 countries.

24. Tutorial Schools. The number of Bahá’í-operated tutorial schools grew from 111 in 1979 to 558 by the conclusion of the Seven Year Plan.

Continent	No. of NSAs	No. of Schools	Est. Enroll.
Africa	17	139	3,197
Americas	12	93	3,069
Asia	9	318	15,582
Australasia	5	8	136
WORLD	43	558	21,984

Continent	Percent of Non-Bahá’í Students	Avg. Enroll. School
Africa	46	23
Americas	60	33
Asia	12	49
Australasia	52	17
WORLD	20	40

25. Literacy and Vocational Training. At least 134 literacy, vocational and other educational programs were established by Bahá’ís during the Seven Year Plan.

26. Community Development Projects. The number of health-related activities increased from two to 78 during the Plan; the number of agricultural activities grew from three to 74, and the number of other community development projects increased from two to 358. These projects are taking place in 57 countries.

27. Radio Stations. Four radio stations became operational during the Seven Year Plan: Peru (1981), Bolivia and the United States (1984), and Panama (1986). Stations in Chile and Liberia were nearing completion by Riḍván 1986.

28. Translation of Bahá’í Literature. Of the 757 languages into which Bahá’í literature has been translated, materials have been published or reproduced in at least 520. In 109 languages, at least one book is available.

	Number of Languages	Addit’l Languages	Number of Languages	Percent Increase
Continent	1979		1986
Africa	212	37	249	17
Americas	126	44	170	35
Asia	163	5	168	3
Australasia	75	11	86	15
Europe	75	9	84	12
WORLD	651	106	757	16

29. Enrichment of Literature. During the Plan, on the average, 410 literature items were produced during each year. Of the total of 2,872 items for the Plan, 736 are first-time translations, produced by 91 National Assemblies.

Continent	No. of NSAs Reporting Publications	Sacred Writings	Other Books
Africa	33	305	260
Americas	31	169	166
Asia	20	323	482
Australasia	16	66	88
Europe	18	352	436
WORLD	118	1,215	1,432

Continent	A-V Materials	Total Pub’s
Africa	84	649
Americas	55	390
Asia	43	848
Australasia	16	170
Europe	27	815
WORLD	225	2,872

30. “Words of God.” The Words of God compilation, distributed in September 1981, has been translated into 100 languages and published in 53.

31. Correspondence Courses. During the Seven Year Plan, 219 correspondence courses, in 57 languages, were administered by 88 National Assemblies, of which 38 noted that they initiated their first correspondence course in this period.

32. Audio-Visual Materials. In the course of this Plan, a total of 395 versions of deepening tapes was produced, as well as 68 tapes of Bahá’í scripture, 81 new tapes of Bahá’í music, and 83 printed materials for this purpose.

33. Publication of Bulletins and Newsletters. Some 939 bulletins and newsletters were disseminated locally and nationally in a total of 58 world languages. The following table shows the increase in the number of nationally distributed periodicals.

Continent	Periodicals 1979	Periodicals 1986	Percent Increase
Africa	48	80	67
Americas	73	115	58
Asia	54	115	113
Australasia	21	30	43
Europe	50	92	84
WORLD	246	432	76

[Page 6] 34. Bahá’í Seasonal Schools. 128 National Assemblies conducted more than 1,880 seasonal (summer or winter) schools, for a sum of 7,650 days, with a combined participation of more than 170,000 Bahá’ís. Eighty of these Assemblies held such schools for the first time during the Seven Year Plan.

35. Bahá’í Institutes. During the Plan, 1,044 institutes were conducted by 99 National Assemblies, more than half of which were for spiritual deepening. Forty-one National Assemblies acquired new permanent institutes, bringing the number to 75 national communities with such facilities.

36. Education of Children. Sixteen National Assemblies report that all of their local Assemblies were providing a Bahá’í education to all children, and in 45 countries there are children’s classes in more than half of the local Assembly areas.

Continent	NSAs Reporting Children’s Classes-1980	NSAs Reporting Children’s Classes-1986
Africa	29	46
Americas	31	42
Asia	19	30
Australasia	17	20
Europe	17	27
WORLD	113	165
Continent	Total No. of Classes 1980	Total No. of Classes 1986
Africa	241	889
Americas	769	1,418
Asia	395	1,361
Australasia	197	310
Europe	129	317
WORLD	1,731	4,295

There have been 525 institutes for training teachers of children’s classes held in 77 countries, and 20 National Assemblies produced more than 30 different lesson plans. A total of 209 education seminars were held in 47 countries. Also during the Plan, 226 new children’s books were printed, of which 30 are prayer books. Prayers for children are now available in 24 languages.

37. Youth Activities. Youth in 100 countries took part in International Youth Year activities: eight international youth conferences were held, attended by more than 11,200 youth and adults; 49 national/regional conferences were held on all continents; in 30 countries Bahá’í youth extended their services to non-Bahá’í agencies, fostering cordial relations with government authorities and prominent persons and resulting in widespread proclamation of the Faith. During the Plan, 19 periodicals for youth were established. In 125 national communities, more than 378 teaching events were directed specifically toward youth, 1,126 conferences for youth were held, and 231 consolidation activities for them were undertaken.

38. Women’s Activities. The number of national communities with specific activities geared toward the women in their communities doubled, to 116. Concurrently, the number of local Assemblies organizing such activities almost quadrupled, having risen from 418 in 1980 to 1,558 in 1986. There were 434 national and regional women’s conferences, with a combined attendance of 16,500 believers. Specifically planned activities for teaching the Faith to women took place in 101 countries, and 19 periodicals were established especially for women.

39. Family Life. 203 events in 45 countries focused on family life and parenting, and special literature concerning the Bahá’í teachings on family life was published in 26 countries.

40. Acquisition of Bahá’í-Owned Properties. The table below shows the number of properties acquired by 134 national communities during the course of the Plan. Some 118 of these properties were donated to the Cause.

Continent	Total	Nat’l Haz-Quds	Nat’l Endowmt
Africa	197	6	9
Americas	196	8	13
Asia	115	2	7
Australasia	70	3	3
Europe	69	3	5
WORLD	647	22	37
Continent	Temple Sites	Local/Dist. Haz-Quds	Other
Africa	4	111	67
Americas	1	78	96
Asia	6	53	47
Australasia	4	37	23
Europe	1	38	22
WORLD	16	317	255

This increase brings the worldwide number of national Hazíratu’l-Quds to 149, national endowments to 170, and sites for future Mashriqu’l-Adhkárs to 127.

41. Mobile Teaching Institutes. In fulfillment of a goal of the Seven Year Plan, eight audio-visual Mobile Teaching Institutes were acquired, in the Central African Republic, Chad, Malawi, Mauritius, Tanzania, Transkei, Uganda and Zimbabwe.

42. Proclamation in the Media. The following table presents the number of media items on the Faith reported by National Assemblies during the Plan.

	TELEVISION		RADIO
Continent	No. of NSAs	No. of Items	No. of NSAs	No. of Items
Africa	9	77	18	170
Americas	20	209	25	282
Asia	7	21	8	45
Australasia	5	72	12	178
Europe	12	56	11	168
WORLD	53	435	74	843
	NEWSPAPER
Continent	No. of NSAs	No. of Items
Africa	13	100
Americas	25	6,563
Asia	11	302
Australasia	10	927
Europe	16	1,721
WORLD	75	9,613

[Page 7] 43. Feature Programs. The table provides a tally of televised programs lasting more than 20 minutes, radio programs lasting more than five minutes, and newspaper articles that featured the teachings of the Faith.

	TELEVISION
Continent	No. of NSAs	No. of Items
Africa	8	43
Americas	13	31
Asia	4	5
Australasia	4	22
Europe	4	18
WORLD	33	119
	RADIO
Continent	No. of NSAs	No. of Items
Africa	14	36
Americas	11	37
Asia	3	5
Australasia	8	53
Europe	12	81
WORLD	48	212
	NEWSPAPER
Continent	No. of NSAs	No. of Items
Africa	11	18
Americas	11	63
Asia	6	6
Australasia	7	20
Europe	9	28
WORLD	44	135

44. Media Volume. The following chart shows the total media coverage of the Faith for each phase of the Seven Year Plan.

	NEWS STORIES
Phase	TV	Radio	Newspaper
First phase	29	82	79
Second phase	202	270	1,077
Third phase	83	274	1,852
	ADVERTISING
Phase	TV	Radio	Newspaper
First phase	16	15	15
Second phase	74	116	53
Third phase	29	81	79
	FEATURES
Phase	TV	Radio	Newspaper
First phase	4	44	37
Second phase	20	277	213
Third phase	20	90	87

Forty National Assemblies devised and carried out media plans; 23 National Assemblies held a total of 135 media workshops; and 67 National Assemblies established systems for conveying news about the Iranian situation quickly and efficiently to the media in their country.

45. Regular Radio and Television Programs. The number of Bahá’í-oriented radio programs increased all over the world, from 24 in 1979 to 124 by Riḍván 1986. Thirty-eight National Assemblies are now producing regular programs, several of them in indigenous languages, for both commercial and public radio. Fourteen National Assemblies now produce 33 weekly television programs.

46. Association for Bahá’í Studies. These Associations, which promote and encourage study of the Faith and seek ways in which to present it in academic circles, have now been established in Australia, Austria (for Germanic-speaking people), Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, India, Ireland (for English-speaking Europe), Nigeria and Switzerland (for French-speaking Europe).

47. Cordial Relations. 108 National Assemblies reported contacts with 11,245 dignitaries on some 900 occasions during the Seven Year Plan. Bahá’í delegations have met directly with 73 heads of state in 44 countries, and 54 heads of government in another 35 countries. All government ministers or all members of the Cabinets of 47 nations have been contacted, and all members of the parliaments of 29 nations have been presented with information about the Faith.

48. “The Promise of World Peace.” By Riḍván 1986, this statement had been presented to 167 world leaders. The following table provides the continental distribution of the presentations of the peace statement.

	Independent Nations		Dependent Territories
Continent	Direct	Indirect	Direct	Indirect
Africa	14	31	2	1
Americas	17	8	4	3
Asia	5	26	1	2
Australasia	8	1	7	3
Europe	5	24	2	2
United Nations	1
WORLD	50	90	16	11

SOURCES

1. The Seven Year Plan, 1979-1986, Statistical Report, Department of Statistics, Bahá’í World Centre, Riḍván 1986.
2. The Bahá’í World, volume XVIII, Bahá’í World Centre, 1986.
3. Bahá’í International News Service, No. 152, February 1986, p. 19.
4. Bahá’í International News Service, No. 154, April 1986, p. 17.
5. Bahá’í International News Service, No. 155, May-June 1986, p. 13.
6. Bahá’í International News Service, No. 157, August 1986, p. 15.

---

This synopsis of the significant achievements of the worldwide Bahá’í community during the Seven Year Plan, 1979-1986, was prepared by Dr. Áhang Rabbání, director of the Department of Statistics at the Bahá’í World Centre in Haifa, Israel, where he has been serving since 1981.

[Page 8]

Master blesses Gregorys’ marriage

On August 3, 1912, while staying at the home of Mrs. Arthur J. Parsons in Dublin, New Hampshire, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá reiterated His blessing of the interracial marriage of Louis Gregory and Louisa Mathew.

According to the Guardian of the Faith, Shoghi Effendi, that blessing was one of the seven most significant acts performed by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá during His historic visit to North America. Its significance is best seen in the context of the time, a time when close relations between black men and white women were often considered grounds for lynching the blacks; when theories of the supposed inferiority of the black race and the harmful effects of racial mixing were supported not only by popular “science” but also, in many cases, by the law; and when some 25 states had either declared interracial marriage a criminal offense or did not recognize such unions.

The Hand of the Cause of God Louis Gregory and his wife, the former Louisa Mathew, in a photograph taken shortly after their marriage in 1912.

Louis Gregory, a black American lawyer, and Louisa Mathew, a white well-educated Englishwoman, who had met as Bahá’ís on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land and become friends, were encouraged by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to marry. Louise (as she was called by her friends) related part of the story in a letter to Mrs. Parsons: “In this country ‘Abdu’l-Bahá first revealed to me symbolically, through a white flower which He told me to give Mr. Gregory & by looking at me in a peculiar way conveyed his meaning to me, that He wished me to marry Mr. Gregory. Curiously enough after this love began to grow in my heart & the desire for the marriage whereas before I only liked Mr. Gregory as a friend.”

Louis and Louisa Gregory were married Friday, September 27, 1912, in the parsonage of an Episcopal church in New York City (Bahá’ís in America were not at the time empowered legally to conduct marriage ceremonies) while ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, en route to California. Three days later, Mr. Gregory described the ceremony in some detail in a letter to a friend, Pauline Hannen:

“Some weeks ago, Abdul Baha, who has watched over Louise and me with the tender solicitude of a loving father, sent me a Message directing me to use the utmost judgment in order to avoid criticism in regard to our approaching Marriage. With me ‘the utmost judgment’ was prayer for Divine Guidance, in which Louise heartily joined me. Our prayers have been heard and answered and we are very happy. Every matter connected with the event went off without friction, although some things were quite difficult.

“On last Friday at noon, at the residence of Rev. Everard W. Daniel, just nine persons were present, including the minister and his wife, the bride and

[Page 9] groom. After the ceremony of the Church of England was completed, the groom said, ‘Verily we are content with the Will of God.’ And the bride responded, ‘Verily we are satisfied with the Desire of God’ (the Bahá’í marriage vows, as they were then translated). Then Mr. MacNutt read the Tablet of Abdul Baha on marriage. Mr. Braithwaite followed, reading a Tablet revealed to the groom three years ago of which the following is an extract: ‘I hope that thou mayest become a herald of the Kingdom, become the means by which the white and colored people shall close their eyes to racial differences, and behold the reality of humanity.’ Mrs. Botay closed with the Tablet of Baha’o’llah, Protection. Then the wedding party repaired to the wedding breakfast. In this small company were represented Christian and Jew, Bahais and non-Bahais, the white and colored races, England and America, and the three Bahai assemblies of New York, Philadelphia and Washington.

“During the ceremony there was a light rainfall. This, Mrs. Nourse says, was a Bahai sign, the Bounty of God. After the ceremony the skies cleared, the sun shone and everything and everybody seemed to be happy. The same afternoon we arrived here (in Atlantic City) on our honeymoon. We find ourselves very harmonious and very happy.”

In her biography of Louis Gregory, To Move the World, Gayle Morrison writes: “To the Bahá’ís ... who eluded the principle of the oneness of mankind with ‘an attitude of apology and distortion,’ ‘Abdu’l-Bahá not only announced the goal of intermarriage but demonstrated it with a fait accompli: the marriage of Louis and Louise Gregory.”

The Gregorys, she writes, “did not see themselves as a cause, except insofar as ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had made an example of them; and, happy as they were to give encouragement to the cause of racial unity, they did not relish the attention their marriage focused upon them. Beyond superficial differences of color and background, they saw themselves simply as fellow believers, as friends who had, through the good offices of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, become loving partners in life.”

Louis and Louisa Gregory in their later years at their home near the Green Acre Bahá’í School in Eliot, Maine.

[Page 10]

Breakfast briefing in nation’s capital

On April 2, representatives of the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States attended a breakfast briefing in Washington, D.C., sponsored by the U.S. House of Representatives’ Human Rights Caucus.

The National Assembly was represented by its secretary, Dr. Robert C. Henderson, and its vice-chairman and director of the Office of External Affairs, Dr. Firuz Kazemzadeh.

The co-chairmen of the House Caucus, Reps. Tom Lantos of California and John Porter of Illinois, both stated in their introductory remarks that in their opinion the plight of the Bahá’í community in Iran is the most egregious violation of religious rights in the world today.

Five other congressmen attended the breakfast: Ben Gilman, Bill Green and Ted Weiss, all of New York state; Jim Leach of Iowa, and Henry Hyde of Illinois.

Also present were aides representing a dozen other congressmen.

Mrs. Marjorie Sonnenfeldt of the public relations firm of Fleishman & Hillard, who had made most of the arrangements for the event, attended the breakfast and the National Assembly’s follow-up sessions and meetings.

To publicize the situation of the Bahá’ís in Iran, the National Assembly, two days before the breakfast, had placed an ad in The Washington Post about the three most recent executions of Bahá’ís in that country.

These killings, the National Assembly said in the Post ad, “are not isolated incidents but part of a systematic effort to destroy a religious community....

“The world must not forget the continuing plight of these innocent victims of fanaticism and religious intolerance.”

After the briefing, Dr. Henderson, Dr. Kazemzadeh, Mrs. Sonnenfeldt and the Office of External Affairs staff met with Mrs. Annette Lantos, the wife of Congressman Lantos, and other congressional staff to discuss suggestions made at the breakfast and other activities to help publicize the plight of the Bahá’ís in Iran.

Pictured are some of those who attended a breakfast briefing April 2 in Washington, D.C., sponsored by the U.S. House of Representatives’ Human Rights Caucus to discuss the persecution of Bahá’ís in Iran.

Later, the two members of the National Assembly met for more than an hour with Rep. Tom Foley, the House majority leader.

Finally, they conferred with several members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee to explain the concern of the American Bahá’í community for the safety of its co-religionists in Iran.

[Page 11]

Statistical update

The following information is provided by the Department of Statistics at the World Centre.

World-wide recognition of the Bahá’í Faith

In 126 National Spiritual Assembly areas, either at the national level or at a local level in one of the areas under the jurisdiction of the National Spiritual Assembly, Bahá’ís have succeeded in incorporating their National and local Assemblies or obtaining from the authorities certificates recognizing the existence of the Bahá’í community and enabling it to function legally. On the following list, the type of recognition achieved is coded as follows:

N—National Spiritual Assembly incorporation	M—Recognition of Bahá’í marriage
L—Local Spiritual Assembly incorporation(s)	T—Tax exemption
H—Bahá’í Holy Days recognition

National Assembly	N	L	H	M	T	National Assembly	N	L	H	M	T	National Assembly	N	L	H	M	T
Alaska	X	X	X	X	X	The Gambia	X				X	Papua New Guinea	X	X	X	X	X
Andaman/Nicobar Is.	X	X				Germany	X	X	X		X	Paraguay	X	X	X		X
Argentina	X	X	X		X	Ghana	X	X	X	X	X	Peru	X	X	X		X
Australia	X	X	X	X	X	Greece			X			Philippines	X	X	X	X	X
Bahamas				X		Guadeloupe	X	X				Portugal	X
Bangladesh	X	X	X	X	X	Guatemala	X	X	X		X	Puerto Rico	X	X	X	X
Barbados	X	X	X	X		Guyana	X	X	X		X	Reunion	X	X
Belgium	X	X			X	Haiti				X		Rwanda	X
Belize	X	X	X	X	X	Hawaii	X	X	X	X	X	Samoa	X	X	X	X
Benin	X				X	Honduras	X	X				Senegal	X
Bermuda	X			X	X	Hong Kong	X	X	X		X	Seychelles	X	X	X		X
Bolivia	X	X	X		X	Iceland	X	X	X	X	X	Sierra Leone	X				X
Bophuthatswana	X		X			India	X	X	X		X	Sikkim	X
Botswana	X	X				Rep. of Ireland	X	X	X		X	Singapore	X	X	X	X	X
Brazil	X	X	X	X	X	Italy	X	X		X		Solomon Islands	X	X	X	X	X
Burkina	X					Ivory Coast	X					South & West Africa	X
Burma	X	X		X		Jamaica	X	X	X	X		SW Africa/Namibia	X		X		X
Burundi		X				Japan	X				X	Spain	X	X	X
Cameroon	X	X				Kenya	X	X	X		X	Sri Lanka	X	X			X
Canada	X	X	X	X	X	Kiribati	X	X		X		St. Lucia	X
Cape Verde Is.	X					Korea	X		X	X	X	St. Vincent		X
Central African Rep.	X	X				Laos	X		X	X		Suriname	X	X
Chad	X					Lebanon		X	X			Swaziland	X	X	X	X	X
Chile	X	X	X		X	Leeward Islands	X	X				Sweden	X	X	X	X
Colombia	X	X	X			Lesotho	X	X				Switzerland	X	X	X		X
Cook Islands		X				Liberia	X	X	X	X	X	Taiwan	X	X	X	X	X
Costa Rica	X		X			Luxembourg	X	X	X			Tanzania	X	X	X	X
Cuba	X	X				Madagascar	X	X				Thailand	X		X
Cyprus		X			X	Malawi	X		X	X		Togo	X	X
Denmark	X	X	X	X		Malaysia	X		X	X	X	Tonga		X	X	X
Dominica	X	X				Mariana Islands	X	X		X	X	Transkei	X				X
Dominican Republic	X	X	X			Marshall Islands	X			X		Trinidad/Tobago	X	X	X	X
East Caroline Is.	X			X		Mauritius	X		X	X	X	Turkey					X
Ecuador	X	X				Mexico					X	Uganda	X	X	X	X	X
El Salvador	X	X				Netherlands	X	X	X			United Kingdom	X	X	X	X	X
Equatorial Guinea		X				New Caledonia	X	X				United States	X	X	X	X	X
Ethiopia		X	X		X	New Zealand	X	X	X	X	X	Uruguay	X	X
Fiji	X	X	X	X	X	Nicaragua	X	X				Vanuatu	X	X		X
Finland	X	X	X	X		Nigeria	X	X				Venezuela	X	X	X
France	X	X				Norway	X	X		X		Virgin Islands	X	X	X	X
French Guiana		X				Pakistan	X	X	X	X		West Caroline Is.				X
Gabon	X					Panama	X	X	X	X		Zambia	X	X	X	X	X
												Zimbabwe	X	X	X	X	X

[Page 12]

Statement to UN on human settlements

The United Nations has proclaimed 1987 as the International Year of Shelter for the Homeless (IYSH). It is estimated that one-quarter of the world’s population lacks adequate shelter and lives in unsanitary and unhealthy conditions. The IYSH is aimed at creating a deeper awareness around the world about this critical situation, and stimulating initiatives to address it. The specific objective of the activities during the year is to improve the shelter and neighborhoods of the poor and disadvantaged, particularly in developing countries, and to lay the basis for a continuation of this effort until the end of the century.

The IYSH is concerned not only with housing but with all the physical and socio-economic factors that determine over-all living conditions—access to land, sanitary and environmental amenities, primary health, community services, employment and education.

While the specific issue of housing is not normally addressed by Bahá’í communities at this time, the IYSH may provide opportunities to share with others Bahá’í principles and examples of universal participation, education, and community development, all of which are essential components of a sustainable process of improving human settlements.

Bahá’í communities might also choose to support the year by commemorating World Habitat Day, which is the first Monday in October.

The Bahá’í International Community has been involved with the settlement issue at the UN for many years, and presented the following statement in April to the Tenth Session of the United Nations Commission on Human Settlements in Nairobi, Kenya.

•

The Bahá’í International Community wishes to address the basic chal-

---

It is estimated that one-quarter of the world’s population lacks adequate shelter and lives in unsanitary and unhealthy conditions. The IYSH is aimed at creating a deeper awareness around the world about this critical situation ...

---

lenges of human settlements, highlighted by the Executive Director of the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements in his address to the ninth session, and reflecting our own perspective and experience in this area.

In his address, the Executive Director emphasized that, as we currently tackle the global problem of inadequate shelter and settlements,

“the issue is not, anymore, one of devising new strategies ... the 10 years of work after Vancouver have shown us the practical and implementable ways of turning the aspirations of the people into reality.”¹

He then went on to state that the

“agenda for the next 10 years must be to find the necessary capacities to apply ... enabling strategies (which) must contain a response to two main challenges: first, how to deal with problems posed by the settlement needs of large numbers of people; and secondly, how to provide for effective autonomy of community-based groups.”²

The first of these challenges requires, as the Executive Director has observed, a recognition of the fact that the fundamental inequalities in society, which are manifested in human settlements, must also be addressed.

The Bahá’í perspective on this matter has been articulated by the international governing council of the Bahá’í Faith as follows:

“The inordinate disparity between rich and poor, a source of acute suffering, keeps the world in a state of instability, virtually on the brink of war. Few societies have dealt effectively with this situation....

“The solution calls for a combined application of spiritual, moral and practical approaches. A fresh look at the problem is required, entailing consultation with experts from a wide spectrum of disciplines, devoid of economic and ideological polemics, involving the people directly affected in the decisions that must urgently be made....

“It is an issue that is bound up not only with the necessity for eliminating extremes of wealth and poverty but also with those spiritual verities the understanding of which can produce a new universal attitude. Fostering such an attitude is itself a major part of the solution.”³

As regards the second main challenge, we outlined the general principles for the establishment and promotion of autonomous community-based and participatory groups in our statement to the ninth session of the Commission, copies of which we are making available as a supplement to this statement. Those principles were drawn from our own experience with community development in many countries and cultures. This Bahá’í experience has been generated primarily. in local Bahá’í communities and their democratically elected governing bodies, the local spiritual assemblies. Such local Bahá’í assemblies were first formed in the beginning of this century, and their number has increased ever since. Presently, the Bahá’í International Community comprises more than 30,000 local assemblies, as well as some 148 national Bahá’í assemblies,

[Page 13] in most countries.

Bahá’í local assemblies are autonomous in the conduct of their affairs, and operate through a system of commonly accepted consultative principles. This includes regular consultations with the local Bahá’í community as a whole, for the dual purpose of familiarizing all community members with plans and activities, and receiving from them new ideas and recommendations. The assemblies often appoint local committees to whom particular community activities are assigned for planning and action. The assemblies also act as intermediaries between the local community and local authorities and organizations.

In recent years, the role which these organized Bahá’í communities play has been rapidly expanding to include diverse social and economic development activities for the benefit of both the Bahá’í community itself, and the larger local community of which it forms a part. In the increasing involvement in areas such as primary and adult education, activities for women and youth, child care, primary health care, building of local centres and housing improvements, food production, etc., the motivating spirit is one of service, cooperation, human development, and self-reliance.

If this experience of the Bahá’í International Community can contribute in any measure to the work of Habitat in the coming years, as it endeavors to develop “the necessary capacities to apply enabling strategies,” we are happy to offer our support and collaboration.

1. Dr. Arcot Ramachandran, Executive Director, UNCHS (Habitat), opening address to the Ninth Session of the Commission on Human Settlements, Turkey, May 5, 1986.
2. Ibid.
3. The Universal House of Justice, “The Promise of World Peace,” October 1985.

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Global Urbanization:
Percentages of urban and rural inhabitants

[Page 14]

The world

Bahá’ís on N. Zealand Women’s Council

New Zealand’s National Bahá’í Committee on Women was recently inducted into that country’s National Council on Women.

At the Council’s annual meeting, the speaker who proposed that the Bahá’ís be admitted spoke appreciatively of her branch’s good relations with the Bahá’í community. Afterward, the proposal was adopted unanimously.

A current project supported by the National Bahá’í Committee on Women is the “Women’s Appointment File.” Bahá’í women are being encouraged by the committee to add their names to a list of women interested in being appointed to serve on one of New Zealand’s 569 statutory boards, commissions and tribunals. Fewer than 10 per cent of those presently serving in the more than 4,000 positions on these public bodies are women. The file now comprises the names of about 1,000 women who would be willing to serve on statutory boards.

The Committee on Women feels that this is an excellent means of demonstrating the talents and diversity of Bahá’í women in New Zealand.

•

In the heart of the tribal area of Ngati Tuwharetoa, New Zealand, 107 women including members of the country’s National Spiritual Assembly and National Teaching Committee, and immigrant women from the Pacific Islands, gathered last February 6-8 in the Waihi Marae for the first National Women’s Hui (conference).

A report indicated that substantive issues were confronted and that the role of women in the Bahá’í community was demonstrated in an ‎atmophere atmosphere‎ of “solidarity, support and love.”

India

Tree of the Hands of the Cause of God are pictured in the Ancillary Building of the House of Worship in India during an award ceremony in which Amatu’l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum presented the award she holds to two outstanding non-Bahá’ís who contributed greatly to the construction of the Temple. Seated with her are the Hands of the Cause William Sears (left) and Collis Featherstone (right) and Kishan Khemani, treasurer of the National Spiritual Assembly of India. Standing is the architect of the Temple, Fariburz Sahbá.

South and West Africa

The distribution of a tabloid-sized newspaper on peace to 1,000 prominent people in South Africa is a part of the National Spiritual Assembly’s energetic follow-up to its presentation of the peace statement which was made last year.

The tabloid, similar to one produced last year, includes news of recent efforts for peace and is mailed with a prayer book printed especially for the purpose, which includes a prayer for peace translated into Afrikaans, Northern Sotho, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zulu. In addition to the national mailing of 1,000, local Spiritual Assemblies have received copies for local distribution.

The effort has been buoyed by recent nationwide radio and television mention of the Faith in connection with an exhibition of the works of the late Reginald Turvey, a Bahá’í and South African painter whose works have been increasingly admired in recent years.

[Page 15]

Peru

The Bahá’ís of Peru held a Peace Exposition last December 13-14 in Lima entitled “What Can I Do for Peace?”

Free spots were broadcast on local television, and a printing house supplied 1,000 free posters to help publicize the event.

One hundred forty-five banners depicting peace themes were contributed by schools, peace groups, Girl Guides, Boy Scouts, the Red Cross, and local Spiritual Assemblies throughout the country. The banners were joined to a giant ribbon which was hung around a park.

The exposition included performances by folk dancers, singers and a variety of musical groups. There was also an exhibit of peace-oriented literature and a book sales stand staffed by Bahá’ís.

Thailand

Counsellor Iraj Ayman took part last January 26-27 in a peace forum entitled “An International Round Table Talk on Peace” at Mahidol University in Thailand. The forum was sponsored by the Research Center of Southeast Asian Cultures.

Dr. Ayman spoke about the Faith as part of a panel discussion, “Looking Ahead: Concrete Strategies for Peace.” Other panelists were a Buddhist, a Christian, a Muslim and a Sikh.

Twenty distinguished scholars from other countries including Japan, Australia and the United States contributed to the Round Table Talk.

Kenya

A project launched last February 8 by the Spiritual Assembly of Nairobi, Kenya, aims at the enrollment of large numbers of believers this year. Teams are teaching in universities, colleges, schools and medical centers, while daily firesides are being held in homes and at the Bahá’í Center.

Sierra Leone

The National Spiritual Assembly of Sierra Leone recently announced the acquisition of two acres of land in the Bo District. A Bahá’í teaching institute will be built on the property.

Italy

Four Bahá’ís from Bari, Italy, met with the Italian President of UNICEF, Dr. Arnoldo Farina (center), during the International Meeting of UNICEF held last February 3-8 in Bari. Pictured (left to right) are Gianni Mennone, chairman of the Spiritual Assembly of Bari; Muzio Loconte, a Bahá’í singer who performed during the conference; Dr. Farina; and Corrado Todrani and Habbib Allenadaf, two of the several Bahá’í youth from Bari who volunteered their services to the UNICEF committee during the international gathering. Delegates came from 28 countries to consult on the plight of hungry children around the world.

Hong Kong

On January 15, Asia Television Ltd. featured the Bahá’í Faith on its Chinese-language channel in a program called “I Love Hong Kong.” The theme of the show is to present new or unusual items of interest to the public.

The Hong Kong Bahá’í community’s Community Relations Committee had sent press releases to all newspapers, radio and TV stations announcing a visit last December to Hong Kong by Marco Kappenberger, a representative of the Bahá’í International Community in Switzerland. As a result, an ATV research writer visited the National Bahá’í Center and decided that the Faith would make a good subject for the prime time (8 p.m.) program.

The National Assembly feels that many Chinese were informed of the Faith through the program, and that the exposure will give added impetus to the teaching work in Hong Kong.

Bavaria

The Bavarian State Ministry for Education and Culture has given permission for Bahá’í children to be absent from school on the nine Bahá’í Holy Days. A circular advising the educational authorities of the new policy was distributed last January 19.

[Page 16]

Malawi

Last December 27-January 3, the Bahá’í community of Malawi hosted a meeting of the Continental Board of Counsellors for Africa. Seventeen Counsellors from 14 countries came to consult together.

The Counsellors also attended a buffet luncheon at a local hotel with the mayor of Lilongwe and other local government, civic and religious leaders.

They were able to meet with the Bahá’ís of Malawi, attending a Nineteen Day Feast with the Bahá’ís of Lilongwe, a conference for Bahá’í committee members, and a two-hour meeting with the National Spiritual Assembly.

The luncheon with dignitaries was reported in the Daily Times of Malawi, and the Counsellors’ visit was reported on local radio.

Marshall Islands

Pictured during her pilgrimage to the Holy Land last February is Mrs. Aketa Katjang, the first Marshall Islander to undertake a Bahá’í pilgrimage.

Pakistan

To celebrate the International Year of Peace, the Spiritual Assembly of Hyderabad, Pakistan, sponsored a symposium on world peace last September 19 at Bahá’í Hall in Hyderabad.

The deputy mayor was chief guest and was joined by about 40 other guests including professors, lecturers, teachers, students, and wives of officials.

Speakers from four religions presented their views on world peace, and the Universal House of Justice’s peace statement was distributed to many of those at the meeting.

•

On a recent visit to Peshawar, Pakistan, Counsellor Sábir Áfáqí helped the local Spiritual Assembly to convey the peace statement to 40 prominent people including nine provincial ministers, the vice-chancellor of the university, and the chief editors of newspapers.

The statement was received by all of them with great respect.

•

Bahá’ís were responsible for providing free medical attention and health education last July for 410 patients at medical camps in Sultanabad, Bhutta Village, and Muhammadi Colony in Karachi, Pakistan.

This example of service to humanity was repeated last August 5-8 at the Bahá’í Center in Thatta.

Virgin Islands

A Bahá’í educator, Dr. Rodney Clarken of the College of the Virgin Islands, has developed a lesson plan for promoting peace in the classroom which has been sent to almost all of the 1,200 teachers in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The plan was also shared with the Bahá’í National Center in the U.S. which forwarded it to all of the 365 Bahá’í children’s classes in the country.

[Page 17]

Vanuatu

On February 7, after Cyclone Uma passed over some of the islands of Vanuatu, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake, the following message was received from the World Centre: “Deeply concerned safety friends following storm. Universal House of Justice.”

This reply was sent: “Friends Efate Lenakel area safe. Still no confirmed news safety friends Tanna due difficulty communications. All homes and National Centre partially damaged. Centre Erakor destroyed, Lenakel okay. Weather favorable clearing reconstruction work.”

Two Bahá’í couples are pictured on the eve of their marriages last January 31 at the Lenakel Bahá’í Center on Tanna Island, Vanuatu. In the front row are the two witnesses, both members of the Spiritual Assembly of Lenakel. In the back row are the two couples: Willy Nouveli and Iami Iolu, and Thomas Ialuaing and Elizabeth Kauia.

Papua New Guinea

Pictured are members of a literacy class in the village of Kora, Western Highlands of Papua New Guinea, which was organized by Knight of Bahá’u’lláh Violet Hoehnke, who is in the back row (fourth from right).

Australia

The works of Effie Baker, an early Bahá’í photographer who was known for her many splendid photographs of Bahá’í sites in Iran and the Holy Land, are included in a new book by Greenhouse Publications, Australian Women Photographers.

Trinidad/Tobago

The Sunday magazine of the Trinidad Guardian for January 18, in a full-page photograph of the opening of the country’s parliament, pictured Bahá’ís Laurence Coward and Dr. Hamid Farabi.

They were participants in an interfaith service ‎the that‎ followed the formal opening of parliament, which is the major public event of the year in Trinidad and Tobago. In the photograph, the Bahá’ís are in the front row, next to the new Prime Minister, A.N. Robinson, and his wife, and President and Mrs. Ellis Clarke.

The Bahá’ís were first on the program, followed by representatives of the Christian, Hindu and Muslim communities.

Caroline Islands

The first local Spiritual Assembly of Lelu on Kosrae in the Eastern Caroline Islands was formed in February by joint declaration. Kosrae is one of four principal islands of the Eastern Carolines group which together make up the Federated States of Micronesia.

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new from the Bahá’í Publishing Trust

At last! New pocket-sized and hardcover reprints of Shoghi Effendi’s compilation of the prayers revealed by Bahá’u’lláh

Bahá’u’lláh Prayers and Meditations

Nearly 200 prayers and devotional passages revealed by Bahá’u’lláh in handsome new bindings that match the hardcover and pocket-sized reprints of Gleanings and Kitáb-i-Íqan HC $1495     SC $375 Order through your local distribution representative, or send check or money order (no charge for postage or handling on orders shipped within the continental U.S.) to: Bahá’í Distribution Service 415 LINDEN AVENUE, WILMETTE, IL 60091 TEL. 1-800-323-1880 *Price valid only in the United States

new from the Bahá’í Publishing Trust

An Introduction to the Bahá’í Faith BAHÁ’U’LLÁH AND THE NEW ERA

BUILDING A PEACEFUL AND GLOBAL CIVILIZATION A CHALLENGE TO HUMANITY by J. E. Esslemont

A reprint of the popular and comprehensive introduction to the Bahá’í Faith, featuring ■ new design ■ updated statistics and facts about the Bahá’í community ■ some new translations of passages from the writings ■ new reference list softcover $350 Order through your local librarian, or send check or money order (no charge for postage or handling) to: Bahá’í Distribution Service 415 LINDEN AVENUE, WILMETTE, IL 60091 TEL. 1-800-323-1880 *Price valid only in the United States