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Bahá’í News

May 1988

Bahá’í Year 145

Peace: the message continues

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On the cover: Bahá’ís all over the world continue to present copies of the peace message from the Universal House of Justice, “The Promise of World Peace,” to public officials and other prominent persons. In this photograph, taken last December, Gov. Henry Bellmon of Oklahoma (left) receives a copy of the statement from the Spiritual Assembly of Oklahoma City, which was represented by Dr. George Cooper. Gov. Bellmon is the second governor of Oklahoma to have received a copy of the Bahá’í statement on world peace.

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On February 17, the Egyptian Court of Appeals in Cairo acquitted 12 Bahá’ís who were among 48 convicted last May 11 of allegedly violating a law banning Bahá’í activities in that country and sentenced to three years in prison. Others of the original 48 were scheduled to be re-tried in March.

The National Spiritual Assembly of the United States issued a statement saying it was delighted with the outcome of the hearing and expressing its gratitude to the U.S. government, which through the Department of State and Congress brought its concern for the Egyptian Bahá’ís to the attention of the country’s government officials, and to other governments who put forth efforts on behalf of the Egyptian Bahá’ís.

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Bahá’í News

Some reflections from a Bahá’í perspective on today’s mass media	1
Words of advice, encouragement from Counsellor Adib Taherzadeh	4
U.S. National Assembly testifies before Congress on genocide issue	8
Bahá’í community makes solid inroads in multi-racial Trinidad, Tobago	10
Around the world: News from Bahá’í communities all over the globe	12

Bahá’í News is published monthly by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States as a news organ reporting current activities of the Bahá’í world community. Manuscripts submitted should be typewritten and double-spaced throughout; any footnotes should appear at the end. The contributor should keep a carbon copy. Send materials to the Periodicals Office, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091, U.S.A. Changes of address should be reported to the Office of Membership and Records, Bahá’í National Center. Please attach mailing label. Subscription rates within 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 © 1988, National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. World rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A.

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The media: Handle with care

Bahá’u’lláh referred to the swiftly-appearing newspapers of the late 1800s as “a wonderful phenomenon and a great matter.”¹ If “wonderful” and “great” are His characterizations of newspapers, what would He say about the complex networks of electronic media that now girdle the planet? If the newspaper medium is a “wonderful phenomenon and a great matter,” then radio, cinema and the various contemporary forms of audio and video communication are simply beyond the power of words to describe.

Bahá’u’lláh wrote in that same Tablet that newspapers are as “a mirror which is endowed with hearing, sight and speech,” and that they “display the doings and actions of the different nations; they both illustrate them and cause them to be heard.”² Unfortunately, mankind has strayed far from the true spirit of religion, and is consequently experiencing a degree of universal anarchy and upheaval unparalleled in recorded history. In characterizing some aspects of the present social and moral decline, Shoghi Effendi wrote: “In whichever direction we turn our gaze, no matter how cursory our observation of the doings and sayings of the present generation, we cannot fail to be struck by the evidence of moral decadence.”³ He continues to note, referring directly to the media, the “degeneracy of art and music, the infection of literature, and the corruption of the press.”⁴

And yet how far have we sunk in the short period of time since those words were written only decades ago. “With sovereign unconcern,” writes the noted Bahá’í scholar, Udo Schaefer, summarizing in 1983 the current state of affairs, “the permissive society now permits modes of behavior that have been taboo for thousands of years ... the prohibition signs toppled—except for one: ‘Prohibition prohibited!—Taboos taboo!’ ”⁵

This article, “Relating to the Media Requires Careful Reflection,” was written by Richard and Joyce Harmsen of Big Rapids, Michigan.

So what is it that the media are reflecting into our communities and homes? They are reflecting, to a great extent, the present moral and social gloom, a fact that was colorfully expressed by television producer Eliot Daley when he described commercial television in North America in the early 1970s as “death and disaster one moment, trivia and banality the next, cemented together with the 60-second mortar of manipulation and materialism.”⁶

How can an inappropriate way of relating to the media potentially undermine our spiritual development? The media literally saturate our lives and permeate every aspect of society. In this regard the media can be considered culture-bound, and thus, like eating habits, are difficult to analyze objectively, much less modify or change. Being almost synonymous with culture itself, the media have a considerable subconscious influence. “Television is a powerful teacher—and dangerous because we are not aware of being taught when watching it,” writes Nathan Rutstein in his book, Go Watch TV. “Information and knowledge seem to seep into our consciousness without our knowing it. Values are inculcated and we become acculturated.”⁷

This process of acculturation can be a good or bad thing. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá pointed to the media’s potential for good when He wrote: “The publication of high thoughts is the dynamic power in the arteries of life; it is the very soul of the world.”⁸ Think of the effect on the world of just the Bible and Qur’an alone, or the use of print and other media in formal education, or the globalizing effects of modern communications media.

On the other hand, the media continue to be an effective catalyst in the negative process of cultivating materialism and immorality. It is the subliminal nature of the media, and man’s unawareness of his true nature, that make them so effective as a tool in the hands of “those with not so noble aims and interests,” as Counsellor Farzam Arbáb so tolerantly referred to those who wield control.⁹ Some, such as Dr. Ernest Dichter, a pioneer in motivational research, make a conscious effort to change the values of society. Dr. Dichter has admitted that “the task of advertising is not primarily to sell products, but to convince Americans that the hedonistic approach to ... life is a moral, not an immoral one.”¹⁰

In an effort to sell, with the primary motivation being self-interest, advertisers and media professionals have found that appealing to the public’s lower nature—that is, to baser physical and emotional needs and fears—is effective. Blind to the spiritual reality of man, these media professionals have unwittingly become responsible in part for promoting the moral breakdown of society.

This process of moral degradation

[Page 2] can be slow or quite rapid, but it can go on whether or not we are aware of it. As one individual observed, his grandparents’ generation “now watch with apparent interest and not the least trace of embarrassment, television programs which would have shocked and disgusted them 20 years earlier.” This is a good illustration of the gradual subliminal process that can undermine the morals of an entire generation. Actually, it is alarming and tragic to think that in two or three generations “marriage,” “chastity” and “fidelity” could lose their meaning to a large part of society. Alexander Pope, in his Essay on Man, wrote in this regard:

“Vice is a monster of so frightful mien;

“Is to be hated needs but to be seen;

“Yet seen too oft, familiar with her face,

“We first endure, then pity, then embrace.”¹¹

But according to the Hand of the Cause of God A.Q. Faizí, the degenerative process can be almost instantaneous. In one of his talks, Mr. Faizí explains Bahá’u’lláh’s warning that we should not even approach those things that are unwholesome, and likens our unwitting approach to stepping into a pit of tar, where our retreat is much more difficult than our approach. In the story, two Arabian boys were returning home and one wanted to save time by crossing a supposedly hard lake of tar. His companion argued against it, but “the other boy wouldn’t listen. He went some steps and then the left foot was down—imperceptibly. To pull the first one out, he had to press the right one harder. The right foot went in. Gradually, gradually he was drowning, but very, very slowly. The other boy ran for help and ... they brought a car and chain. When they pulled, the bones were separated ... he couldn’t bear it. They brought a helicopter ... (but) eventually he was drowned.”

Young people especially, Mr. Faizí concluded, “must be very careful of the first step....They’re so sticky, these evil habits of life.”¹² Examples of taking a “first step” via the media might include browsing curiously through a pornographic magazine or glancing at an X-rated movie on cable television, or indiscriminately exposing oneself to popular cinema which is saturated with unhealthy attitudes and images, or reading popular literature which often depicts immorality, violence and lust for power and prestige. The problem comes when we think we are immune—that it can’t hurt us—like the boy at the tar pit.

Mr. Faizí relates another story, this one told by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, about “a very pious person who asked one of these ruffians who used to drink and smoke and do everything like that to ‘come and pray with me for 40 nights and then see how you’ll be transformed.’ The man replied with a confident smile: ‘You come with me for only one minute and see how you’ll be transformed!’ ”¹³

Modern communications media have made it infinitely easier to “approach” those things that are unhealthy to the spirit of man, and much of the time we allow these images and ideas to literally invade our homes and saturate our lives uninterrupted. But exactly how do television and the media gradually and persistently desensitize us to violence and immorality? According to Dr. Joseph Wolfe, a behavior modification therapist, “systematic desensitization is most effective when done with images ... in a non-threatening environment.”¹⁴

Karen Mains, a noted Christian author, has found that television viewing in the home parallels remarkably the process used by behavior modification therapists to help parents alter negative behavior in children. She challenges the listener, or in this case the reader, to “make your own comparisons to television viewing.

“1. The person views familiar images in a comfortable, non-threatening situation. He is completely relaxed. No emotional arousal is noted.

“2. Certain images or scenes known to arouse emotional reactions are introduced. The patient’s relaxation ceases.

“3. The scene shifts or viewing is interrupted. The viewer’s arousal is not allowed time to react.

“4. The viewer is given a respite period of approximately one minute during which he resumes a relaxed mental and physical state. This is facilitated by eating or drinking.

“5. As the viewer’s emotions subside, the viewing of non-threatening images resumes. The subject is completely relaxed. No strong feelings are noted by the therapist.

“6. This cycle is repeated and therapists who use systematic desensitization claim that it usually only requires 20 to 30 exposure sessions to alter a person’s feelings from acceptance to rejection or, more importantly, for the purposes of our discussion, from rejection to acceptance.”¹⁵

For the last 35 years, Ms. Mains concludes, “television has enjoyed a luxury no behavior modification therapist ever dreamed of having. It’s been allowed to work its demoralizing effects in its subject’s most relaxed, natural and non-threatening environment—his own home. But most of all, television has been allowed to rehearse its basic collection of limited themes over and over again—not 30, but thousands of times; not in weekly therapy sessions but daily.”¹⁶

If the behavior of a maladapted patient can be modified in 30 desensitization sessions, what is the effect on a human being who has spent much of his formative years in front of a television set? And what do we—and our youth and children—see? According to Donald Wildman of the National Federation for Decency, four out of five scenes of sexual intercourse implied on television are between non-married couples.¹⁷ And by the time the average youngster graduates from high school, he or she will have seen around 1,800 murders simulated on the television screen.¹⁸

Regularly courting commercial television in North America will not, according to the best evidence, turn us into criminals or deviants, but it does have the capacity to sap our spiritual energy, desensitize us to violence and immorality, waste our precious time, and thus undermine our efforts to cultivate spirituality and to develop the distinctive characteristics of Bahá’í life.

This point can readily be appreciated if we view the home, as Mr. Faizí has suggested, as a kind of spiritual womb-world in which the soul and spirit of every family member should be nurtured and strengthened.¹⁹ He points out that backbiting, among other things, can completely destroy that environment. “Courtesy and dignity are what bring nobility and standing to man,” wrote Shoghi Effendi in a letter

[Page 3] to an individual, “whereas frivolity and facetiousness, ribaldry and effrontery will lead to his debasement, degradation and humiliation.”²⁰ These qualities are regularly modeled on North American television. Surely a regular media menu of these qualities, as well as immorality, sarcasm, fault-finding, violence, slander and other negative behavior representative of much of today’s television programming can effectively thwart our efforts to spiritualize our lives, which is so absolutely essential to true human happiness and the fulfillment of our sacred trust.

“We cannot segregate the human heart from the environment outside us,” Counsellor Hooper Dunbar explains, emphasizing the importance of the environment upon our spiritual condition. Paraphrasing the Guardian, Counsellor Dunbar continues, “The inner life molds the environment, and the environment deeply affects the inner life of man ... and every abiding change in the life of man is the result of these mutual reactions.”²¹ It is for this reason, he says, that we must consider carefully how to create the best possible environment in our homes, and the media looms as a significant factor in the creation of this environment.

There is yet another concern. In economics, decisions are seen in terms of the “opportunity costs” which no longer are possible once the money has been committed. If thought of in this way, in terms of what constructive activities we and our children could alternatively be engaged in—whether they be physical, spiritual or intellectual in character—we often realize that television or other media entertainment is a poor investment given the alternatives. According to Dr. Urie Bronfenbrenner, a specialist in human development, “The primary danger of the television screen lies not so much in the behavior it produces as the behavior it prevents—the talks, the games, the festivities ... through which much of the child’s learning takes place and his character is formed.”²²

Viewing the media within the context of man’s spiritual reality can alter radically our perception of what is appropriate or inappropriate, healthy or unhealthy. Shoghi Effendi points out that “evil forces do take control of our life, but it is within our power to free ourselves from falling under their influence,” and that “they (the Bahá’ís) should therefore open their eyes to the existing conditions, study the evil forces that are at play, and then with a concerted effort arise and bring about the necessary reforms....”²³ That the nature and power of the media warrants serious consideration by every Bahá’í, and that it is worthy of general consultation within Bahá’í communities, should now be apparent. Notwithstanding this pressing concern, however, the media’s culture-bound nature dictates that we should when discussing these issues use tact, wisdom, moderation and tolerance lest—God forbid—it should become a source of disagreement and division among the friends.

What we see, hear and read does affect us, often subconsciously and, at times, dramatically. Why not, through selective control, use these “wonderful” phenomena we call the media to inspire and uplift us, rather than allowing them, through indiscriminate or unwise exposure, to counter and even overtake our efforts to realize our spiritual potential.

Perhaps these timeless words of the beloved Guardian, Shoghi Effendi, can serve us well as a standard by which to guide our media-related behavior: “Such a chaste and holy life, with its implications of modesty, purity, temperance, decency, and clean mindedness, involves no less than the exercise of moderation in all that pertains to dress, language, amusements, and all artistic and literary avocations....It calls for the abandonment of a frivolous conduct, with its excessive attachment to trivial and often misdirected pleasures....It condemns the prostitution of art and of literature....It can tolerate no compromise with the theories, the standards, the habits of a decadent age.”²⁴

NOTES

1. Bahá’í World Faith: Extracts from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá (Wilmette, IL: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1976), p. 171.
2. Ibid.
3. Call to the Nations: Extracts from the Writings of Shoghi Effendi (Haifa: Bahá’í World Centre, 1977), p. 66.
4. Ibid., p. 10.
5. Udo Schaefer, The Imperishable Dominion (Oxford: George Ronald, Publisher, 1983), p. 206.
6. Quoted in Nathan Rutstein, Go Watch TV (New York: Sheed and Ward, 1974), p. 22.
7. Rutstein, Go Watch TV.
8. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, The Secret of Divine Civilization (Wilmette, IL: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1957), p. 109.
9. Farzam Arbáb, “Participant of the Bahá’í Youth Movement,” taped presentation at the Bahá’í International Youth Conference in Columbus, Ohio (Images International, 1985), tape 1, side 1.
10. Quoted in “Modern Advertising: The Subtle Persuasion,” The Christian Science Monitor, January 27, 1987.
11. Quoted in Karen Mains, “The Television Altar,” a Chapel of the Air Radio Broadcast, Abuse Broadcasts, 11:36, May 2, 1986.
12. A.Q. Faizí, “The Education of Children: Talks by A.Q. Faizí,” an unpublished manuscript of transcribed talks by the Hand of the Cause of God A.Q. Faizí, 1976, pp. 19-20.
13. Ibid., p. 20.
14. Quoted in Mains, “The Television Altar.”
15. Mains, “The Television Altar.”
16. Ibid.
17. Ibid.
18. Ibid.
19. A.Q. Faizí “The Education of Children,” p. 41.
20. Quoted in Trustworthiness: A Compilation of Extracts from the Bahá’í Writings (London: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1987), p. 23.
21. Quoted by Hooper Dunbar in “The Forces of Light and Darkness,” a taped presentation at the Louhelen Bahá’í School (Davison, MI: Reflections, 1985), tape 1, side 1.
22. Quoted in Go Watch TV, p. 129.
23. Quoted by Dunbar, “The Forces of Light and Darkness,” tape 1, side 1.
24. Shoghi Effendi, The Advent of Divine Justice (Wilmette, IL: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1969), p. 25.

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A three-tiered plan for success

Dearly Loved Friends,

“The stage is set for universal, rapid and massive growth of the Cause of God.”

These soul-stirring words were issued at Riḍván 1987 by the supreme Institution of our Faith, the Universal House of Justice.

The onward march of the Faith, recently impelled by the guiding hand of Bahá’u’lláh directing His Supreme Institution step by step along the path of its glorious destiny, must evoke in our hearts feelings of pride, of unbounded joy and gratitude at His holy threshold. The successive victories already achieved within so short a period of time since the termination of the third epoch of the Formative Age, both at the World Centre and throughout the globe, are truly soul-stirring and laden with such potentialities as can generate enormous spiritual forces for a greater expansion of the Faith everywhere.

To these creative energies which come to us from on high is coupled the spiritual potency of the blood of the martyrs of Persia in recent times. These two forces combined enable the tree of the Cause of God to grow. One imparts to it the heat and the light which emanate from the Sun of Truth, the Author of our Faith; the other supplies water to its roots which penetrates deep into the soil of the human heart.

Although these forces are invisible to our eyes, their effect is clearly discernible. The former releases its energies through the instrumentality of the Covenant of Bahá’u’lláh. It finds expression through an ever-flowing stream of guidance and enlightenment which, today, issues forth from God’s Universal House of Justice, the channel for the outpouring of that world-vitalizing Spirit generated by His glorious Revelation. The latter force released by the martyrs comes from the world of man. It is the response of the believers sacrificing their all in the path of their Beloved. It seems that whenever these two forces—one descending from on high from the realms of God, the other arising out of sacrifice and ascending from the world of man—combine, a new strength and vitality is imparted to the community of the Most Great Name.

The beloved Guardian, in one of his messages to the Persian believers as far back as 1933, attributed the winning of many victories of the time, and indeed of the future, victories such as Queen Marie of Rumania’s attraction to the Faith, or the notable teaching exploits in the West and the growth of the Faith in general, to the powers released by the blood of the martyrs which has been shed in such great profusion in Persia since the inception of the Faith in that country.

This letter from Adib Taherzadeh, a member of the Continental Board of Counsellors in Europe, was written to the Bahá’ís in Ireland on the anniversary of the martyrdom of the Báb, July 9, 1987.

And now these forces are mysteriously at work. The Universal House of Justice clearly issued this fate-laden message:

“The stage is set for universal, rapid and massive growth of the Cause of God.”

These words have set in motion at this particular moment in time those creative energies which are described above and which are now suspended between earth and heaven, ready to descend upon those who believe, who arise, and who turn.

BELIEVING wholeheartedly that the statement of the Supreme Body about the “massive growth” of the Faith is absolutely true and valid;

ARISING with a selfless and determined spirit to teach the Cause of God; and

TURNING to Bahá’u’lláh with devotion to become the recipient of His bestowals and confirmations.

When these three elements are brought together, miracles will happen and our teaching efforts will result in a “massive growth” of the Cause of God.

Let us examine these three vital factors separately:

1. BELIEVING

Recognition of the station of Bahá’u’lláh

There is nothing more precious and more vital for a Bahá’í than his faith in Bahá’u’lláh, believing that He is the Supreme Manifestation of God. But faith is a relative term; its intensity varies in individuals and is dependent upon the extent to which one has recognized the station of Bahá’u’lláh.

The beloved Guardian has made it “the first obligation” of a believer to deepen his understanding of the Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh. These are his words:

“To strive to obtain a more adequate understanding of the significance of Bahá’u’lláh’s stupendous Revelation must, it is my unalterable conviction, remain the first obligation and the object of the constant endeavor of each one of its loyal adherents. An exact and thorough comprehension of so vast a system, so sublime a revelation, so sacred a trust, is for obvious reasons beyond the reach and ken of our finite minds. We can, however, and it is our bounden duty to seek to derive fresh inspiration and added sustenance as we labor for the propagation of His Faith

[Page 5] through a clearer apprehension of the truths it enshrines and the principles on which it is based.”

Steadfastness in the Covenant

Recognition of the station of Bahá’u’lláh and believing in Him, important as they are, will not be a sufficient guarantee of one’s faith unless one remains loyal and steadfast in His Covenant. One of the distinguishing features of our Faith is that Bahá’u’lláh has not abandoned us to ourselves. He has left in our midst a source of divine guidance to which we can turn. He conferred His Divine powers and authority upon ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and made a firm covenant with the believers to follow and obey Him with absolute devotion and love. And, this covenant was further extended to include Shoghi Effendi and the Universal House of Justice.

Today, the Universal House of Justice is the Centre of the Cause. The Bahá’ís do not consider this august institution to be purely an international administrative body of the Cause operating by the talents of its individual members.

To hold such a view is tantamount to denying one of the most sacred truths of their Faith. We believe that the Universal House of Justice is the prescribed and authentic channel through which Bahá’u’lláh guides His followers in the service of His Cause. It is an institution described by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as “the source of all good and freed from all error.” It is an institution whose pronouncements are not solely the product of human thinking, but are divinely guided and possessed of that creativity which is born of the Cause of God in this day.

Beloved friends, the Universal House of Justice states:

“The stage is set for universal, rapid and massive growth of the Cause of God.”

The first and foremost factor which will bring about a “massive growth” of the Cause of God is an immovable conviction that the words of the Universal House of Justice are endowed with creativity and, therefore, that victory for the Cause at this time is possible of accomplishment.

2. ARISING

But victory will come only if we arise to play our part in the Covenant by teaching His Cause. To have faith in Bahá’u’lláh and to be loyal to the institutions of the Cause, vital as these are for the spiritual development of the soul, will not adequately fulfill our part in the Covenant of God.

What remains to be done is to arise to serve His Cause. And the greatest service has always been that of teaching. If we do not arise to teach, the channels of grace will remain closed; no amount of devotion to Bahá’u’lláh and humility toward the Centre of the Cause will release the powers from on high. It is the very act of arising which, in itself, will attract the confirmations of Bahá’u’lláh. In many of His Tablets, Bahá’u’lláh has assured His followers that if they arise with faith and devotion to promote His Cause, the unseen hosts of His confirmations will descend upon them and make them victorious. The following passage gleaned from the Kitáb-i-Aqdas is one such statement among many:

“Verily, we behold you from Our realm of glory, and shall aid whosoever will arise for the triumph of Our Cause with the hosts of the Concourse on high and a company of Our favored angels.”

The role of the individual

The law of the Covenant of God determines that unless man takes a step, God’s assistance cannot reach him. The belief that the power of Bahá’u’lláh will by itself accomplish the promotion and establishment of the Faith throughout the world without the believers fulfilling their obligations to teach and build up the institutions of the Cause is unfounded and at variance with the laws of the Covenant of God. Indeed, the confirmations of Bahá’u’lláh will not descend if the individual does not arise to serve His Cause. In some of His Writings as far back as the days of ‘Akká, Bahá’u’lláh has stated that if all the believers had fully carried out His teachings in their daily lives, the great majority of the peoples of the world would have recognized Him and embraced His Cause in His days.

So the “massive growth” of the Cause of God is in our hands. Bahá’u’lláh will play His part only if we play ours. The part we have to play is to create in our hearts the urge to teach. Without this urge, our activities will be superficial and will not endure.

The urge to teach comes about when the believer recognizes the greatness of the Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh and, as a result, becomes enamored of Him. The greatness of the Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh, in turn, dawns on the individual when he reads the Holy Writings regularly, studies the history of the Faith, and associates with the “loved ones” of God and His “chosen ones” whose companionship Bahá’u’lláh has described in these words:

“He that seeketh to commune with God, let him betake himself to the companionship of His loved ones; and he that desireth to hearken unto the word of God, let him give ear to the words of His chosen ones.”

Frustration in the teaching work

One of the basic laws of nature is that for every action there is a reaction. This law exists in the Faith also. As soon as the individual arises to teach, he will be tested in various ways, often without realizing it. Each time he is successful in passing a test, he will acquire greater spiritual insight and will grow stronger in faith. He will come closer to God and will serve the Cause with greater enthusiasm but his tests will be more difficult next time.

This is one of the reasons that some believers arise to teach the Cause, but when tests come their way, they find their activities frustrated and their enthusiasm dampened. Detachment from the things of this world is the key by which one may overcome these tests and intensify the urge to teach. In the world generally, detachment from material things is identified with mendicancy, asceticism and poverty. Such a view is not upheld by the teachings of the Faith.

Detachment, from a Bahá’í point of view, may be described as submission of one’s will to the will of God and to seeking His good pleasure above one’s own. When a person reaches this exalted position, the interests of the Faith take precedence over his personal interests. And, when the time comes to arise for the service of the Cause, he will be ready to meet the challenge whatever the cost. Becoming detached from something of this world is often a painful process and involves sacrifice.

But when the believer gives up something dear to him for the sake of the Cause of God, mysterious forces as testified by Bahá’u’lláh will be released, which will cause the Faith to grow. To offer up one’s time, to labor for the establishment

[Page 6] of the Faith in a locality, to give up the comforts of home and go as a pioneer to foreign lands, to offer up one’s substance for the promotion of the Cause, to be persecuted for one’s faith, and even to give one’s life at the end—all these sacrifices are meritorious in the sight of God and will undoubtedly bring victory to His Cause, provided one’s motives are pure and sincere.

3. TURNING

When we arise with confidence and determination to teach the Cause of God, our efforts will bear fruit if we turn to Him. This is the key to our success in teaching. Without His confirmations and assistance our services will not produce the desired effect. Our teaching activities will be frustrated if we rely on our own knowledge and other accomplishments, no matter how great these may be. To confront the seeker with a set of proofs, no matter how irrefutable, or to demonstrate the truth of the Faith with indisputable logic, will not necessarily win him over to the Cause of God. On the contrary, these often become barriers for him.

Teaching the Cause is the act of revealing to the individual, progressively, and with great wisdom, glimpses of the light of Bahá’u’lláh’s Revelation in such a way that each time he can feel a measure of the Faith’s vivifying spirit penetrate his heart. This can only be achieved when the Bahá’í teacher carries the power of Bahá’u’lláh with him and teaches the Cause while his heart is in communion with the Source of divine power. Then, and only then, can his talks and conversation influence the hearts of his hearers. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá has set the example for us.

Reliance on the power of the Holy Spirit

In one of His talks in ‘Akká, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá said that whenever He was about to speak to a congregation during His journeys to the West, He used to turn His heart to the Abhá Kingdom for a few minutes and beg for God’s assistance. He would not begin to speak until He could feel that the confirmations of Bahá’u’lláh were surrounding Him.

During His travels in Europe and America, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, on many occasions, spoke to His companions of the power of divine assistance which, He affirmed, was alone responsible for His outstanding success in the proclamation of the Faith to the people of the West. To cite an example:

After giving one of His brilliant discourses to a distinguished audience in Denver, Colorado, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá turned to a few of His companions and said: “Did you see what a fire I ignited in the hearts of people? ... A teacher must be inspired himself if he is to inspire others.”

On another occasion in that same city, commenting to His companions on the honor which was shown to Him by the public and the enthusiasm created in the hearts of many people, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá attributed these victories to the confirmations of Bahá’u’lláh, and said: “We must not imagine that these marks of honor which are shown to me are because of my talks or the eloquence of my words.” Then, pointing to the lamps in the room, He said: “These lamps which are lighted will become dark as soon as they are switched off from the source of energy.” By this remark, He meant that if the power of divine assistance were cut off, there could be no success in one’s service to the Cause of God.

This is why ‘Abdu’l-Bahá has advised Bahá’í teachers that when they intend to give a public talk on the Faith, they should turn their hearts to Bahá’u’lláh and ask for divine guidance from on high. It is then that His confirmations will reach them and inspire their utterances. Of course, this advice does not exclude the study of a subject or research by a believer who intends to speak on a specific topic. But teaching the Cause is a different matter altogether. Indeed, a teacher who becomes the recipient of Bahá’u’lláh’s confirmations will be in no need of a prepared talk. His words, as attested by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, will move the hearts and inspire his audience.

In one of His Tablets, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá states:

“O thou maid-servant of God! Whenever thou art intending to deliver a speech, turn thy face toward the Kingdom of Abhá and with a heart detached, begin to talk. The breaths of the Holy Spirit will assist thee.”

and again, in another Tablet, He affirms:

“Speak, therefore; speak out with great courage at every meeting. When you are about to begin your address, turn first to Bahá’u’lláh, and ask for the confirmations of the Holy Spirit, then open your lips and say whatever is suggested to your heart; this, however, with the utmost courage, dignity and conviction.”

TEACHING THE CAUSE

Success in teaching

Success in teaching depends on one’s ability and readiness to draw upon the power of Bahá’u’lláh. There is no alternative. If the believer does not open the way for Bahá’u’lláh through his love for Him, by his life, and by teaching the Cause with devotion, His confirmation and assistance cannot reach him, and he will fail in his service to Him. Those who rank foremost among Bahá’í teachers were always conscious of the presence of Bahá’u’lláh at every stage of their teaching activities. It was because of the consciousness of His presence that they were enabled to approach with genuine love and humility those who were seeking the truth, attracting them with the warmth of their faith and the creative power of their words. It was this consciousness that enabled them to radiate the glory of the new-born Faith of God, to demonstrate its truth, to promote its interests, to withstand the onslaught of its enemies, and to win imperishable victories for their Lord.

The power of Bahá’u’lláh does not come to us by itself. God pours out His bounties and grace upon man, but man must make the necessary move to receive them. Without him opening his heart and submitting himself, the gifts and bounties of God cannot reach him. In The Hidden Words, Bahá’u’lláh has laid down the law of this Covenant in these words:

“Love Me, that I may love thee. If thou lovest Me not, My love can in no wise reach thee. Know this, O servant.”

Necessary qualities for a Bahá’í teacher who wishes to draw upon the power of Bahá’u’lláh are humility and self-effacement. We note in nature that energy can be generated between two points where there is a difference of levels. Water can flow from a higher plane to a lower one; electrical energy may be generated when there is a difference of potential between two points in the circuit. Similarly, to draw on the power of Bahá’u’lláh, the believer must assume

[Page 7] a position of lowliness in relation to Bahá’u’lláh’s station of loftiness. Bahá’u’lláh may be likened to the summit of a mountain and the believers to the valley below. In the same way that water pours from the mountain-top into the valley, the energies of the Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh and the tokens of His power and might can reach a Bahá’í who turns to Him in a spirit of true humility and servitude. The Writings of the Central Figures of the Faith bear abundant testimony to this basic principle which governs the relationship of man to his Creator. In The Hidden Words, Bahá’u’lláh prescribes: “Humble thyself before Me, that I may graciously visit thee ...”

Teaching the Cause is a daily activity

There are certain routines in this life such as eating, sleeping and working that must be observed on a daily basis. These routines cannot be altered to become weekly or monthly. Similarly, there are certain observances in the Faith that are to be carried out on a daily basis. The obligatory prayers, the reciting of the Holy Writings, and the act of teaching are among these daily obligations. To disregard this basic requirement is to impede one’s spiritual growth. The beloved Guardian said through his secretary:

“... Never must they let a day pass without teaching some soul, trusting to Bahá’u’lláh that the seed will grow. The friends should seek pure souls, gain their confidence, and then teach that person carefully until he becomes a Bahá’í, and then nurture him until he becomes a firm and active supporter of the Faith.”

Search for receptive souls

There are a great many receptive souls in every locality who have the capacity, and are ready to embrace the Cause of God. Our challenge is to find these souls. But as experience has shown, this challenge cannot be met by our usual methods of attracting people to the Cause. The most effective way is, prior to our teaching activity, to pray every day, and beseech God to guide us to these souls. And to pray ardently until we feel that our prayers are being answered. But praying alone is not enough; it has to be followed by action, and action is to come into contact with people, knowing that Bahá’u’lláh will guide us to those souls who are being prepared for His Cause.

To do all these things, we must be ready to sacrifice some of our cherished ways of life in order to allocate a reasonable period of time each day for praying, for coming into contact with people, and for teaching those who will be attracted to the Cause.

The act of teaching

Bahá’u’lláh has described teaching as “the most meritorious of all deeds.” To carry out such an act of devotion to God, the Bahá’í teacher must, as exhorted by Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, act with wisdom. In one of His Tablets, Bahá’u’lláh counsels one of the believers not to disclose to people everything about the Cause at first, but rather to teach them little by little until they are ready to absorb more. He likens this process to feeding infants who need to be given a little milk at a time until they grow in strength and are able to digest other food. This exhortation of Bahá’u’lláh is the basis of teaching the Cause of God. The principles involved are quite similar to those that a schoolteacher employs in teaching his or her students little by little and in accordance with their capacity. Before teaching the Cause to anyone, it is important to know his background and capacity. The most successful teachers are those who, after familiarizing themselves with the beliefs and ideas of an individual, reveal the truths of the Faith to him gradually. But the little they impart is the correct remedy and is so potent as to influence and stimulate the soul and enable it to take a step forward and become ready to absorb more.

Another vital requirement is to have some basic knowledge of the Faith and to be able to converse with people on matters of religion. The source of this knowledge is the Kitáb-i-Íqán, and also Some Answered Questions. Furthermore, the Bahá’í teachers of today must be knowledgeable about various ideologies prevailing at the present time, be aware of the problems and difficulties facing humanity, and be able to put forward effectively the relevant teachings of the Faith as the remedy for the ills of humankind.

OUR CHALLENGE: ‘MASSIVE GROWTH OF THE CAUSE’

Beloved friends, the time has come to change radically our vision of teaching, to arise as never before for the promotion of the Faith, to enter the arena of teaching with unrelenting perseverance, to place our reliance on Bahá’u’lláh, to get on our knees and pray to Him for the descent of His confirmations which alone can guide our steps, to come in contact with a far greater number of people than has been our experience so far, to apply wisdom in all our teaching efforts, and to be assured of victory provided we arise to fulfill our responsibilities, and are never frustrated or disheartened when tests come our way and results are not readily forthcoming.

These words of Shoghi Effendi, written so eloquently almost half a century ago, are particularly applicable to our time. He presents us with a challenge so moving, so fateladen and so glorious:

“... There is no time to lose. There is no room left for vacillation. Multitudes hunger for the Bread of Life. The stage is set. The firm and irrevocable promise is given. God’s own Plan has been set in motion. It is gathering momentum with every passing day. The powers of heaven and earth mysteriously assist in its execution. Such an opportunity is irreplaceable. Let the doubter arise and himself verify the truth of such assertions. To try, to persevere, is to ensure ultimate and complete victory.”

Would to God that every believer, young or old, man or woman, employed or out of work, newly enrolled or veteran, might set aside at least one hour a day exclusively for Bahá’u’lláh—to do nothing during that time but to pray, to attract His confirmations, and then to go out for the sole purpose of coming into contact with some receptive souls who are ready to respond to the call of God in this age.

If every believer arises to do this every day with devotion, audacity and wisdom, great powers will descend upon us from on high, and we shall be astonished at the unbelievably large numbers of people who will embrace the Cause of God.

With deepest Bahá’í love,

Adib Taherzadeh
Stepaside County, Dublin
July 9, 1987

[Page 8]

Congress hears Bahá’í testimony

The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States presented testimony March 16 at a hearing in Washington, D.C., before the House of Representatives’ Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Immigration, Refugees and International Law. The panel was considering H.R. 807, “The Genocide Convention Implementation Act of 1987.”

The National Assembly was represented at the hearing by its secretary, Dr. Robert C. Henderson.

Dr. Henderson appeared as part of a “concerned groups” panel whose other members were Hyman Bookbinder (for Elie Wiesel and the American Jewish Committee); William Haratunian, chairman of the Board of Directors of the Armenian Assembly of America; and Dith Pran, an author and photojournalist whose tribulations in Cambodia were the basis for the movie “The Killing Fields.”

Also offering statements in favor of the Resolution were Sen. William Proxmire of Wisconsin; Richard Schifter, Assistant Secretary of State for Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs; Victoria Toensing, deputy Assistant Attorney General, Criminal Division, Department of Justice; and Trisha Katson, director of legislative affairs for the Liberty Lobby.

A second panel of “concerned groups” was comprised of Paul Hoffman, a board member of Amnesty International; Stephen Klitzman, chairman of the International Human Rights Committee of the American Bar Association; Seymour Reich, president of B’nai B’rith International; Kathleen Stone, member of the Board of Directors of the Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt Institute; and Alvin Steinberg, chairman of the National Planning Committee of the Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith.

DR. ROBERT C. HENDERSON
Testifies before House panel

H.R. 807, the Genocide Convention Implementation Act, makes genocide a federal crime, establishes penalties for commission of that crime, and defines the jurisdiction of the United States over acts of genocide.

Its passage is essential before ratification by the President of the United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, whose ratification was approved 83-11 by the U.S. Senate on February 19, 1986, after nearly 37 years of consideration.

During that time the Senate Foreign Relations Committee held many hearings on the Convention, favorably reporting it to the full Senate no less than six times.

The Convention has been in force since January 1951, and 96 other countries have become parties.

The National Spiritual Assembly began its support for U.S. ratification of the Genocide Convention in 1985, working with a core of 15 organizations which together coordinated the effort that led to Senate ratification in 1986.

To provide grassroots support for H.R. 807, the legislative component that puts into law the penalties to be assessed for the crime of genocide, the National Spiritual Assembly asked Bahá’ís in key areas of the country to write articles or letters to their local newspapers or to phone their congressmen on behalf of their Bahá’í communities to urge passage of the legislation.

The Convention’s failure for so many years to win Senate approval is evidence of the deeply held opposition to the treaty and of the tenacity of the issues which some feel are raised by it.

Those issues include: whether such a human rights treaty is within the treaty power of the U.S.; whether the Convention might override provisions in the Constitution; whether it would affect the balance of power between Federal and state jurisdiction in criminal matters; and whether it would require extradition of U.S. citizens to other countries where they might be charged with genocide.

Other issues have been raised by the definition of genocide used in the Convention, the exclusion of political groups from that definition, the compulsory jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice, and the role of an international penal tribunal.

In September 1984, the Reagan administration announced its support of ratification of the Convention with the

[Page 9] inclusion of three understandings and one declaration favored by the executive branch and Senate Foreign Relations Committee since 1970.

Senate passage in 1986 included provision for implementing legislation referred to in Article V of the Convention, which is the area addressed by H.R. 807.

The Bahá’í community was invited to send a representative to the Subcommittee’s hearing because of the widespread knowledge within the government of the persecution of Bahá’ís in Iran, the elements of which, as Dr. Henderson pointed out in his testimony, constitute genocide as defined by the Convention.

“Most of us will agree,” Mr. Schifter told the Subcommittee members, “that genocide is not likely to take place within the borders of the United States.

“Our action on this Convention ... underlines our role of leadership in the free world on behalf of the cause of human rights.

“It is for that reason that we sincerely hope that the House will act on this bill at an early date and that it will soon become law.”

Following is Dr. Henderson’s statement to the Subcommittee on behalf of the National Spiritual Assembly:

“Genocide is the ultimate crime against humanity. The United Nations Convention on Genocide to which, after decades of debate, the United States has recently adhered, defines the crime of genocide as ‘any one’ of five kinds of action, ‘committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group as such.’

“Thus the concept of genocide is much broader than outright massacre and includes other measures designed to destroy groups of people.

“The Bahá’ís, members of a worldwide religious community dedicated to peace, unity and brotherhood among all peoples, nations and religions, have been victims of genocide in Iran for more than a hundred years.

“Shortly after the inception of the Bahá’í Faith in mid-19th century Iran, some 20,000 of its early followers were killed at the bidding of the Shi‘ite clergy supported by the government. In the last 20 years the Bahá’ís of Iran have once again become victims of acts in every one of the categories that define genocide. For example:

“The Convention defines killing as genocide, and the Iranian government has executed since 1979 more than 200 Bahá’ís, most of them leaders of the community.

“The Convention states that ‘causing serious bodily or mental harm’ is genocide; and thousands of Bahá’ís have been unjustly imprisoned and subjected to torture to compel them to recant their faith.

“The Convention states that ‘deliberately inflicting ... conditions of life calculated to bring about (the) physical destruction’ of the group is genocide.

“Iran has not only confiscated all the Bahá’í community property—meeting places, schools, hospitals, shrines and even cemeteries—but forced the Bahá’ís to disband all the elected assemblies which governed the Bahá’í community and to give up all organized religious activity.

“The last two types of action defined as genocide involve ‘imposing measures intended to prevent birth within the group (and) forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.’ Iranian Bahá’ís have suffered these outrages as well.

“In supporting human rights throughout the world and in ratifying the United Nations Convention on the Prevention of the Crime of Genocide, the United States explicitly commits itself to an unrelenting struggle for the elimination of what is undoubtedly the greatest evil of our century.

“The power and influence of the United States are indispensable for the achievement of victory in this struggle.

“The Bahá’ís make no specific proposals for legislation in support of the Convention, but they do wish to emphasize the spiritual and moral imperative that all laws necessary for the implementation of the Convention be passed, unanimously if possible, or at least by an overwhelming majority.

“During the first three weeks of March, Bahá’ís observe a fast, devoting the early hours of every morning to prayer and meditation, attempting to spiritualize their lives, and hoping to bear witness to the unity of humanity, to the need for protecting the weak, to the duty of succoring victims of oppression.

“It is in this spirit that we urge our representatives to approach the legislative task now before them.”

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Australia

Pictured are four of the 717 Bahá’ís who attended last December’s Australian National Teaching Conference which boasted strong participation by Islanders and Aborigines. Those shown represent (left to right) Papua New Guinean, Asian, Australian Aboriginal and Iranian backgrounds, an accurate reflection of the multicultural Bahá’í community in Australia.

[Page 10]

Faith flourishes in multi-racial arena

“Every creed and race finds an equal place,
“And may God bless our Nation.”

The sentiment expressed in this line from the national anthem of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is indeed represented in these two lovely and unique tropical islands, situated at the end of the string of Caribbean Islands and separated from Venezuela by seven miles of clear, calm water.

Due to a quirk of history, the population of Trinidad and Tobago is an amalgam of peoples from all corners of the earth who have brought with them their various cultures and religions.

Trinidad was discovered in 1492 by Christopher Columbus. Later, the Spanish landed and claimed the territory, and within a few short years succeeded in virtually wiping out the indigenous population of cannibalistic Carib and peaceful Arawak Indians (a few of whom still survive), thanks to superior weapons and imported European diseases.

The Spanish consolidated their position and introduced slaves from Africa to work on the land in Trinidad, while the French, Dutch and Portuguese struggled to maintain sovereignty over Tobago. Some of these Europeans plundered and left, but a few settled, as well as some Frenchmen who came from other islands during the French Revolution. In 1797 the British conquered Trinidad and added to their vast empire, which by that time already included Barbados and Tobago.

When slaves were emancipated in 1834, the plantation owners had to look elsewhere for laborers. First they tried the Chinese, but this proved unsuccessful because of the heat and poor working conditions, although many of the Chinese who came later became successful businessmen and shopkeepers.

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Bahá’ís have ... undertaken the publication of a newsletter for the Interreligious Organization in which contributions are made by people of all religious persuasions, thus facilitating the exchange and blending of thoughts and ideas.

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The owners then looked to the Uttar Pradesh area of India for potential laborers. Some, including children, were abducted—lured on board ships with the promise of an ample supply of sugar and candy. Others came voluntarily, having been promised either a return trip home after five years or land of their own. After a long and often terrible journey, they disembarked to find endless sugar plantations, hard work in the burning sun, low pay and no way to return after five years, although some were given land as promised. Later, a few Syrian families came to Trinidad as merchants and settled there.

This multitude of immigrants arriving over the years were the ancestors of the present inhabitants of Trinidad and Tobago. They brought with them their diverse cultures and religions, which they continued to practice in comparative seclusion for some time. Now, however, a new generation has been moulded with a new outlook and new identity.

A foreigner (of yet another land and culture) once asked a young girl of obvious Indian descent, “Are you Indian?” To which she replied, with some surprise, “No, I’m Trinidadian.” How did the change in identity come about? Primarily by successive generations of peoples being born in the country and living together, associating closely with one another, and being educated together.

In the past the various religious denominations ran the schools, and if a child wished to attend a certain school he would have to accept that particular religion. This required some children to change their religion, but it also meant that children from different racial and religious backgrounds were associating freely with one another. Later, with the advent of free government primary education, children of an even wider variety of backgrounds began meeting and mingling side by side, and frequently intermarried when they grew to adulthood.

The point is that prejudice, which separates, whether it be racial, religious or economic, is not intrinsic or inherited—it must be taught. In these relatively small islands, it simply was not practical for such a diversity of people to remain separate, and so these prejudices were not reinforced. The successive generations became integrated, accepting that they were equal to one another and tolerating their differences; i.e., unity in diversity.

Another significant development in Trinidad and Tobago in recent years has been the founding of an Interreligious Organization, initiated by Mr. Wahid Ali. It is an organization unique in the world, going far beyond any ecumenical movement for unity among Christian denominations.

The Interreligious Organization of Trinidad and Tobago is comprised of four of the world’s major religions, each of which is represented in this country. In recent years the Hindus, Christians and Muslims have been joined by the Bahá’í Faith, which has played a significant role in supporting and encouraging the activities of the organization. During a recent antidrug campaign leaders of the four re-

[Page 11] ligions appeared on television to express their support. The Catholic archbishop, representing the largest Christian sect, introduced them all, referring to the Bahá’ís present as representing the fourth religion of Trinidad and Tobago.

Bahá’ís also took part in a rally at the National Stadium, during which a printed Bahá’í prayer was given to members of the audience to be read by all as an opening prayer. Also at this rally, the president of Trinidad and Tobago gave a short talk, expressing his support in very Bahá’í-like terms.

The Interreligious Organization, which consists of leaders of the various religions, is proving to be quite influential. Through this organization the Bahá’ís have been invited to take part in many interfaith services in churches, mosques, temples and other locations throughout the country. In fact, it is becoming fashionable to launch new ventures with an interfaith service including the reading of Bahá’í prayers, which are considered to be very beautiful.

A group of happy Bahá’ís from Trinidad and Tobago outside the Bahá’í Centre in Palmyra.

Bahá’í concepts are often quoted by those in authority in religious or governmental offices, whether or not the source is named. Bahá’ís have also undertaken the publication of a newsletter for the Interreligious Organization in which contributions are made by people of all religious persuasions, thus facilitating the exchange and blending of thoughts and ideas.

This group of ‎religous religious‎ leaders is respected and consulted by the government on various issues, for example an amendment to a government bill concerning rape and women’s rights.

At the opening of Parliament, following the election of a new government late in 1986, an open-air religious service was held in a large public square outside the Parliament building. Here Bahá’ís were positioned next to the president and played a prominent role by reciting the opening prayer, which was also recited by everyone present, copies having previously been distributed among the crowd. The service was attended by thousands of people and was televised and broadcast live throughout the country. Many heads of state and dignitaries from neighboring islands and countries attended, some of whom were impressed by the Organization and expressed a desire to develop a similar institution in their own country.

Truly, in Trinidad and Tobago, religious and racial tolerance exists, and the Interreligious Organization has played an important part in bringing the Bahá’í Faith out of obscurity in this country, so that now it can be included among others in the concept expressed by the national anthem:

“Every creed and race finds an equal place,
“And may God bless our nation.”

[Page 12]

Hawaii welcomes Mr. and Mrs. Sears

In January, the Bahá’í community of Hawaii welcomed a visit by the Hand of the Cause of God William Sears and his wife, Marguerite. They came to meet with the friends and to consult with the Board of Counsellors for Australasia which convened for one of its regular meetings January 14-20 on Kauai, an island neighboring Honolulu.

On January 15, Mr. Sears spoke to a large gathering of Bahá’ís on Kauai, encouraging them to “strive for the victories” that can be theirs.

Later that same day, he met for two hours with the National Spiritual Assembly to discuss collaboration on the publication of his two latest books, Tokoloshe and The Half-Inch Prophecy.

That evening, Mr. Sears conferred with the Counsellors, the National Assembly, and the four Auxiliary Board members for the area. In a cable to the Universal House of Justice, the National Assembly called the meeting a significant step toward the growing spirit of unity between the senior institutions of the Faith.

Mr. Sears also spoke twice to the friends in Honolulu: on January 23 and at a public meeting on January 30 which drew more than 140 people to the National Hazíratu’l-Quds.

Mrs. Sears gave a fireside on January 22 for more than 50 Bahá’ís and their guests.

Charlotte Pelle (above right) is pictured as she opened the annual session of the Hawaii State Senate on March 21 with Bahá’í Prayers. Her husband, Tony Pelle (left photo), chairman of the National Teaching Committee of Hawaii, read prayers at the opening session that same day of the Hawaii State House of Representatives. The Bahá’ís of Hawaii have been invited to open these meetings with prayers every year at Naw-Rúz.

Swaziland

Four hundred-fifty Bahá’ís from 31 countries attended an international Bahá’í Summer School held last December 19-24 in Swaziland.

They were addressed at the opening session by the Minister of the Interior, representing the Prime Minister, who commended the Faith.

United Kingdom

Dr. A.P. Flint, chairman of Flint and Neill Partnership in London, recently received a special award from the Institution of Structural Engineers for the firm’s work on the Bahá’í House of Worship in New Delhi, India.

The award was given for realization of the architect’s concept, which suffered only minor changes, producing a building that emulates the beauty of a flower and is striking in its visual impact.

Two Bahá’ís attended the Gold Medal Special Awards Dinner at which Dr. Flint was honored.

In accepting the award, he said that it is not often that engineers are able to take part in a project that is “dedicated to the Glory of God.”

He said further that his firm was privileged to have made a contribution to the beautiful building and to have been able to conform closely to the inspired vision of its architect, Fariburz Sahba.

•

The Bahá’í community of Chelmsford, England, received an invitation from Amnesty International for an Iranian refugee who had recently moved to the town to speak at its annual meeting.

About 25 members of AI heard a moving account of the believer’s experiences as a prisoner and about the many difficulties and persecutions the Bahá’ís in Iran must endure.

Some 20 copies of “The Promise of World Peace” were given out, and Amnesty International offered its help and support to the Bahá’ís in Iran.

[Page 13]

Italy

Last January, a 45-minute program in an Italian television series on “Men and Prophets” was devoted entirely to the Faith.

The introduction, by Prof. Sergio Noia, a lecturer in languages and literature at the Catholic University of Milan, was accurate and impartial.

He described the independent nature of the Faith, explained its clear distinction from Islam, and showed that religious fanaticism has been the cause of the persecution of the Faith from the time of the Bábís to the present.

Giovanni Fava, secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly of Italy, was interviewed on the spiritual, social and organizational aspects of the Faith.

•

Students ranging in age from 3-12 years in a Bahá’í children’s class in Milan, Italy, recently raised money to “adopt” a child in Haiti by paying his tuition for a year at the Anís Zunúzí Bahá’í School in Lilavois.

The funds came from the sale of useful and decorative items made by the children and sold to the community.

Greece

Bahá’í youth in Greece report that they were “overjoyed” by the arrival of youth from Cyprus, Italy and the United States at their Youth Winter School last December 24-27 in Loutraki.

The school embodied at least two “firsts” for Greece: the first participation of youth from other parts of Europe, and the first time that the school has been held at a non-Bahá’í site.

Ecuador

Pictured is one of the dance groups which took part last June 5 in a Children’s Festival sponsored by Radio Bahá’í in Otavalo, Ecuador. The annual event, called ‘Guaguamanta Guaguapac,’ a Quechua phrase meaning ‘by the children and for the children,’ is presented by Radio Bahá’í to promote the talents of rural children and foster an appreciation of their culture. Last year’s festival involved 17 schools and 3,000 spectators in an eight-hour program of music, dance, poetry and drama.

Haiti

Last October 3, a young couple was united in marriage in a moving and spiritual ceremony at the Anís Zunúzí Bahá’í School in Haiti.

On the afternoon of the same day, family members and friends filled a nearby church for a Christian ceremony. An inscription on the church reads “The Glory of God.”

Brazil

Proposals were made last fall by the National Spiritual Assembly of Brazil to the Constitutional Assembly that is drafting a new Brazilian Constitution.

In a document entitled “The Bahá’ís and the Constitutional Assembly,” submitted to the Senators and deputies comprising the drafting group, the National Assembly set forth recommendations based on Bahá’í principles on topics including human rights, education, international relations, the rights of women and indigenous peoples, and more.

To date, 46 Senators and deputies have written favorable and substantive responses to the Bahá’í proposals.

•

Bahá’ís in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, have appeared regularly for several months each Thursday morning on a program called “Our Land, Our People” on the National Radio Station. Several enrollments have resulted from the program of music, commentary and music.

Singapore

A Bahá’í singing group from Malaysia arrived last December 8 in Singapore to take part for five days in a street teaching campaign.

Singaporean youth and Malaysian helpers, organized into four or five teams, contacted about 200 people through street teaching.

A total of 40 seekers attended four musical firesides given by the Malaysian singers. Impressed by the presentation of the Bahá’í message, many of the inquirers stayed far into the night to talk to their hosts.

The National Teaching Committee of Singapore says that the spirit of sacrifice, devotion and single-mindedness and the attitude, dress and conduct of the young Malaysian Bahá’ís left a positive, deep and lasting impression on the Singaporean youth and community.

[Page 14]

India

On January 4, a 15-minute telecast in India featured the Bahá’í House of Worship in New Delhi, calling it “the architectural marvel of the 20th century.”

Since that time a record number of visitors has been received, with a record-breaking 50,000 in a single day on January 26. In only one hour, between 4:30 and 5:30 p.m., some 25,000 visitors were welcomed.

On February 7, the National Assembly’s Nineteen Day Feast letter reported the event: “... every avenue leading up to the central auditorium was packed with excited, colorful crowds coming to see ‘New Delhi’s equivalent of a dream in marble,’ as described by the Evening News, a Delhi daily. The visitors were interested not only in seeing the Temple, but also wanted to know who are the Bahá’ís and what are the teachings of the Bahá’í Faith. This type of proclamation the Temple at Bahapour is doing is something whose scale the Bahá’ís ... never imagined.”

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On January 30, a delegation of Bahá’ís was received by Dr. S.D. Sharma, the vice-president of India.

The group was composed of Counsellor Zena Sorabjee; R.N. Shah, secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly of India; Dr. T.K. Vajdi, Jagdish Gandhi and Mr. S. Olyai.

They invited the vice-president to the House of Worship in New Delhi and presented him with a selection of Bahá’í literature including “The Dawning Place of the Remembrance of God” (a book about the Temple) and Vol. XVIII of The Bahá’í World.

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Sixty-two women attended a deepening institute presented last November at the Malhousi (India) Bahá’í Center by the Bahá’í State Council of Uttar Pradesh.

In describing the event, P.C. Agnihatri, director of Bahá’í tutorial schools for Uttar Pradesh, said, “Very often you ask about miracles in the Bahá’í Faith. This gathering itself was a miracle, where ladies had come outside of their homes to discuss the evils of society and to give their views.”

He called the institute “a unique occasion for enlightening the women of this area,” suggesting that a women’s winter school in the area could help “to activate the other half of India’s strength (its women), who have been imprisoned within four walls for so many centuries.”

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In Kerala, a state in southwestern India bordering the Arabian Sea, a teaching campaign among tribal peoples of the Trivandrum District, undertaken by women who were mostly volunteers, has resulted in the enrollment in the Faith of almost the entire population of two tribal villages, according to a telegram from Counsellor S. Nagaratnam.

Papua New Guinea

The Bahá’í Women’s Committee of Papua New Guinea hosted a seminar on ‘Health Care for Our Children’ January 31 at Rabaul International Primary School. The invited speakers were Rita Kinakap, Sister in charge of the Rabaul Town Clinic; Dr. Jalal Mills, a dentist; Diane Qually, a provincial nutritionist; and a physician, Dr. Margaret Cass. About 40 people heard the speakers while fathers supervised children’s games.

The largest gathering of Bahá’í youth ever held in Papua New Guinea was held last July 5-8 in Lae. About 70 youth from various parts of the country enjoyed a high-quality program and brought credit to the Faith by their cooperative behavior, punctuality and radiant spirits.

The largest group, from Simbu Province, had prepared choral and dramatic performances. Other young people came from Rabaul, Kimbe and Lae, and there was one youth from Baiyer River in the western highlands.

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The Bahá’ís of Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, raised $10,075 for the Arc project in the Holy Land through a special event held last November 28, the Day of the Covenant.

The sum was offered, they said, as a token contribution in loving response to the worldwide appeal by the Universal House of Justice.

Hong Kong

Bahá’ís in Hong Kong joined with a dozen like-minded groups last October 24 to stage a Peace Fair at the Island School on Hong Kong Island.

The eight-hour fair attracted 1,000 people with its offerings of music, a video film festival, cooperative games, a magic show, vegetarian food from many countries, and a peace exhibit.

The Bahá’ís gave away balloons with the legend “Peace: Don’t Leave the World Without It,” distributed and sold Bahá’í literature, and were represented in the video festival by the tape on “The Promise of World Peace.”

[Page 15]

Canada

A Bahá’í soccer team has been formed in the greater Vancouver area of British Columbia, Canada, as a social and economic development project of the Bahá’í community of New Westminster. All team members but one are Bahá’ís. They plan to join the Greater Vancouver Senior Soccer League to contact people of many cultural backgrounds and introduce them to the Faith.

At the University of Saskatchewan, the local chapter of the Association for Bahá’í Studies co-sponsored an evening seminar last January on “Agriculture—Values, Ethics and Ecology.”

Bahá’í agriculture students chose the theme and gave it a spiritual perspective throughout the seminar. Among the participants were a noted university ecologist, a Unitarian minister, and an award-winning Canadian author.

The 200 attending also included many professors, farmers and students along with 12 Bahá’ís.

On the Saskatchewan campus, where many students have embraced the Faith over the years, the seminar was an important advance in establishing the reputation of the Association for Bahá’í Studies.

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The Spiritual Assembly of Summerside, Prince Edward Island (population 9,000) is making an effort to deliver the Universal House of Justice’s peace statement to every residence in town.

The plan was launched when the mayor of Summerside signed a Bahá’í proclamation designating last September 14 as International Day of Peace. By the end of that month, 1,850 copies of the statement had been delivered, and only four percent were turned down.

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The Gol Aidun Mobile Teaching Institute, named in honor of a Canadian Bahá’í who was killed late in 1986, began operations last August in a remote area of northern Alberta province, where the native people have shown an exceptional degree of receptivity to the Faith.

Combined teaching and deepening aspects of the campaign, it is hoped, will bring a speedy development of the Faith to that area.

Panama

The Bahá’í radio station in Boca del Monte, Chiriqui Province, Panama, which has been on the air since January 29, 1987, working with the Guaymi Cultural Center at Boca de Soloy whose activities promote the education, culture, health and agriculture of the Guaymi people, Bahá’ís and others.

[Page 16]

Spain

Pictured are members of the local Spiritual Assembly formed recently in Loja, Spain, the majority of whose members are Roma. This is the second such local Assembly formed among the Romani people of Spain.

New Zealand

More than 500 Bahá’ís gathered last October on the Ratana Pa south of Wanganui, New Zealand, for a National Teaching Conference.

Those present represented more than 15 nationalities including Maori, Tongan, Samoan, Persian, Pakeha and Peruvian along with some friends from other Pacific Island groups including Tuvalu, the Cook Islands, Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands and the Philippines.

The special guest speaker, Counsellor Maka from Tonga, was an inspiration to everyone.

Also attending were three members of the National Spiritual Assembly of New Zealand, two Auxiliary Board members, and the members of the National Teaching Committee.

The major topic of consultation was the Six Year Plan goal of “Unity in Diversity.”

Iceland

Iceland’s endowment property at Skogar in the northwestern area of the country is the object of a reforestation project begun by the original owner and presently carried on by the Bahá’í community.

The property is the birthplace of a renowned Icelandic poet, Matthias Jochumsson, whose nephew donated it to the Faith, asking that the Bahá’ís continue Mr. Jochumsson’s plans to transform the land into a forest.

Part of the Skogar area is important in the history of Iceland, having been mentioned in one of the famous Icelandic sagas, and it is rich in natural beauty. Through their efforts to preserve it, Bahá’ís are earning the respect of area residents and reforestation authorities.

Guyana

The first national conference for assistants to the Auxiliary Board in Guyana was held last January 8-10 near Georgetown.

Group discussion, which focused on the special tasks of assistants during the Six Year Plan, was facilitated by Counsellor Peter McLaren and six members of the National Spiritual Assembly of Guyana.

Mariana Islands

Members of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Mariana Islands are pictured during a meeting with Joseph F. Ada, the governor of the Territory of Guam (fourth from left) at which he was given a copy of ‘The Promise of World Peace’ and a calligraphic rendering of a selection from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh on ‘trustworthiness,’ a major theme of his administration. Pictured with the governor are (left to right) Wesley Daniels, Patricia Daniels, Annabelle Aguon, Anna Jen Smithwick and Thomas Smithwick.

A letter from the Superintendent of Education of the Northern Mariana Islands to the National Spiritual Assembly of the Mariana Islands, dated September 10, 1987, granted permission for Bahá’í children of Saipan, Tinian and Rota to be absent from school on six Bahá’í Holy Days falling within the school calendar year.

[Page 17]

Trinidad/Tobago

Pictured during a recent performance at the Bahá’í National Center in Port of Spain, Trinidad, are the Carmel Minstrels from Guyana, South America. The performance was given as part of their six-nation tour of the southern Caribbean which included stops in Grenada, Antigua, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Barbados, and Trinidad and Tobago. The Minstrels also performed outside Guyana at the 1986 Caribbean Peace Conference in Barbados. Members are (left to right) Delese Brisport, Lorraine Pierre, Errol Brisport, Terrence Simmons, Terrence Jordan, and (seated) Frank Adamson.

The National Teaching Committee of Trinidad and Tobago recently won its goal of enrolling a number of new believers greater than the number lost as martyrs in Iran.

Two hundred-fifty people entered the Faith in a 60-day period as believers from all areas of the country rushed to the teaching field to support the National Teaching Committee’s plan. Thirty-seven Bahá’ís (including four youth and three children) were in the field on one or more occasions, while most of the Teaching Committee members took part in all the activities.

The friends visited 40 localities, mainly visiting Bahá’ís in their homes, deepening them and their children, and teaching nearby relatives and friends. Apart from such visits, 14 deepenings were held with from five to 55 people present. During these deepenings, the new believers contributed spontaneously to the Fund.

Three traveling teachers came to help with the campaign: from Barbados, Malaysia and the United Kingdom. The entire campaign was self-supporting; no monies from the National Teaching Committee’s budget were expended.

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Thirty new Bahá’ís were enrolled during a weekend meeting in Tobago last December 11-14 of the National Teaching Committee of Trinidad and Tobago.

The meeting was part of a teaching-deepening campaign adopted by the National Teaching Committee to visit on a weekly basis the various Area Teaching Committees.

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A story headed “Senator lauds work by Bahá’í members” appeared in last December 7’s issue of the Trinidad Express.

The article resulted from remarks made at a dinner given by the National Spiritual Assembly in honor of Sen. Sahadeo Basdeo of Trinidad and Mrs. Basdeo, who had recently visited the House of Worship in India. Dr. Basdeo enthusiastically conveyed his impressions of that visit to more than 200 Bahá’ís and their guests.

The newspaper report stated that Dr. Basdeo had praised the Bahá’ís for their contribution to international peace and human understanding, and congratulated the National Assembly for extending that contribution to Trinidad.

In Trinidad and Tobago, he said, the Bahá’í influence has helped to strengthen and enrich the spiritual fabric of the nation, with its already diverse religious and ethnic character.

Cook Islands

In February, two special events in Rarotonga brought distinction to the Bahá’í community of the Cook Islands.

On February 12, a youth conference was visited by former Cook Islands Prime Minister Sr. Thomas Davis and his wife, Lady Pa Ariki Davis, a Bahá’í and member of the Cook Islands nobility.

One week later, a National Teaching Conference began with a youth concert in Constitution Park which was attended by 600 including members of six youth groups.

A highlight of the teaching conference was an address by telephone from the Hand of the Cause of God Collis Featherstone.

Central African Republic

Due to the efforts and support of the Bahá’ís of Batalimo, the Central African Republic now has its first all-Pygmy local Spiritual Assembly.

The accomplishment owes much to the many years of work by Jean-Robert Lalawé, a pioneer from Chad. The Pygmy believers are devoted and know by heart many prayers and passages from the Bahá’í Writings. Two members of the community attended last year’s National Convention.

[Page 18]

MARRIAGE

A FORTRESS FOR WELL-BEING

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