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Bahá’í News

June 1988

Bahá’í Year 145

The sixth International Convention

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Bahá’í News

The Riḍván 1988 message from the Universal House of Justice	1
A photographic essay of the sixth Bahá’í International Convention	3
A progress report from World Centre on goals of the Six Year Plan	6
Some observations by Adib Taherzadeh on the Law of Huqúqu’lláh	10
Around the world: News from Bahá’í communities all over the globe	15

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 Riḍván 1988 message

To the Bahá’ís of the world
Dearly-loved Friends,

At this resplendent, festive season, we greet you all in a spirit of renewed hope.

A silver lining to the dark picture which has overshadowed most of this century now brightens the horizon. It is discernible in the new tendencies impelling the social processes at work throughout the world, in the evidences of an accelerated trend toward peace. In the Faith of God, it is the growing strength of the Order of Bahá’u’lláh as its banner rises to more stately heights. It is a strength that attracts.

The media are giving increasing attention to the Bahá’í world community; authors are acknowledging its existence in a growing number of articles, books and reference works, one of the most highly respected of which recently listed the Faith as the most widely spread religion after Christianity. A remarkable display of interest in this community by governments, civil authorities, prominent personalities and humanitarian organizations is increasingly apparent. Not only are the community’s laws and principles, organization and way of life being investigated, but its advice and active help are also being sought for the alleviation of social problems and the carrying out of humanitarian activities.

A thrilling consequence of these favorably conjoined developments is the emergence of a new paradigm of opportunity for further growth and consolidation of our worldwide community. New prospects for teaching the Cause at all levels of society have unfolded. These are confirmed in the early results flowing from the new teaching initiatives being fostered in a number of places as more and more national communities witness the beginnings of that entry by troops promised by the beloved Master and which Shoghi Effendi said would lead on to mass conversion. The immediate possibilities presented by this providential situation compel us to expect that an expansion of the Community of the Most Great Name, such as has not yet been experienced, is, indeed, at hand.

The spark which ignited the mounting interest in the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh was the heroic fortitude and patience of the beloved friends in Iran, which moved the Bahá’í world community to conduct a persistent, carefully orchestrated program of appeal to the conscience of the world. This vast undertaking, involving the entire community acting unitedly through its Administrative Order, was accompanied by equally vigorous and visible activities of that community in other spheres which have been detailed separately. Nonetheless, we are impelled to mention that an important outcome of this extensive exertion is our recognition of a new stage in the external affairs of the Cause, characterized by a marked maturation of National Spiritual Assemblies in their growing relations with governmental and non-governmental organizations and with the public in general.

Photo copyright © 1988 by Paul Slaughter

This recognition prompted a meeting in Germany last November of national Bahá’í external affairs representatives from Europe and North America, together with senior representatives of the Offices of the Bahá’í International Community, intent on effecting greater coordination of their work. This was a preliminary step toward the gathering of more and more National Spiritual Assemblies into a harmoniously functioning, international network capable of executing global undertakings in this rapidly expanding field. Related to these developments was the significant achievement of international recognition accorded the Faith through its formal acceptance last October into membership of the Network on Conservation and Religion of the renowned World Wide Fund for Nature.

At one of the darkest periods in the prolonged oppression of the dearly-loved, resolutely steadfast friends in Iran,

[Page 2] Photo copyright © 1988 by Paul Slaughter

Shoghi Effendi was moved to comfort them in a letter of astounding insight. “It is the shedding of the sacred blood of the martyrs in Persia,” he wrote, “which, in this shining era, this resplendent, this gem-studded Bahá’í age, shall change the face of the earth into high heaven and, as revealed in the Tablets, raise up the tabernacle of the oneness of mankind in the very heart of the world, reveal to men’s eyes the reality of the unity of the human race, establish the Most Great Peace, make of this lower realm a mirror for the Abhá Paradise, and establish beyond any doubt before all the peoples of the world the truth of the verse: ‘... the day when the Earth shall be changed into another Earth.’ ” Reflections like these, in adducing such wondrous future consequences from the horrific suffering to which our Iranian friends are subjected, illuminate the opportunity and the challenge facing us all at this crucial moment in the fortunes of the Cause.

The great projects already launched must be pursued to their completion. The terraces below and above the Shrine of the Báb and the Arc on Mount Carmel must be completed, fulfilling the glorious vision of the efflorescence of God’s holy mountain; the second World Congress must be held in the City of the Covenant to celebrate the hundredth anniversary of the inauguration of that Covenant; the steadily advancing work on the translation and annotation of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, the Most Holy Book, must be brought to publication; the interest shown by the friends in the Law of Huqúqu’lláh must be cultivated; the pioneers and traveling teachers must go forth; the expenses of the Cause must be met; all objectives of the Six Year Plan must be achieved.

But the paramount purpose of all Bahá’í activity is teaching. All that has been done or will be done revolves around this central activity, the “head corner-stone of the foundation itself,” to which all progress in the Cause is due. The present challenge calls for teaching on a scale and of a quality, a variety, and intensity outstripping all current efforts. The time is now, lest opportunity be lost in the swiftly changing moods of a frenetic world. Let it not be imagined that expedience is the essential motive arousing this sense of urgency. There is an overarching reason: it is the pitiful plight of masses of humanity, suffering and in turmoil, hungering after righteousness but “bereft of discernment to see God with their own eyes, or hear His Melody with their own ears.” They must be fed. Vision must be restored where hope is lost, confidence built where doubt and confusion are rife. In these and other respects, “The Promise of World Peace” is designed to open the way. Its delivery to national and governmental leaders having been virtually completed, its contents must now be conveyed, by all possible means, to peoples everywhere from all walks of life. This is a necessary part of the teaching work in our time and must be pursued with unabated vigor.

Teaching is the food of the spirit; it brings life to unawakened souls and raises the new heaven and the new earth; it uplifts the banner of a unified world; in ensures the victory of the Covenant and brings those who give their lives to it the supernal happiness of attainment to the good pleasure of their Lord.

Every individual believer—man, woman, youth and child—is summoned to this field of action; for it is on the initiative, the resolute will of the individual to teach and to serve, that the success of the entire community depends. Well-grounded in the mighty Covenant of Bahá’u’lláh, sustained by daily prayer and reading of the Holy Word, strengthened by a continual striving to obtain a deeper understanding of the divine Teachings, illumined by a constant endeavor to relate these Teachings to current issues, nourished by observance of the laws and principles of His wondrous World Order, every individual can attain increasing measures of success in teaching. In sum, the ultimate triumph of the Cause is assured by that “one thing and only one thing” so poignantly emphasized by Shoghi Effendi, namely, “the extent to which our own inner life and private character mirror forth in their manifold aspects the splendor of those eternal principles proclaimed by Bahá’u’lláh.”

Beloved friends—you who are addressed by the Best Beloved, the Blessed Beauty, as “the solace of the eye of creation,” as “the soft-flowing waters upon which must depend the very life of all men”—we urge you, with all earnestness from the utter depths of our conviction as to the ripeness of the time, to lay aside your every minor concern and direct your energies to teaching His Cause—to proclaiming, expanding and consolidating it. You can approach your task in full confidence that this clear field of progress outstretched before you derives from the operation of that “God-born Force” which “vibrates within the innermost being of all created things” and which, “acting even as a two-edged sword, is, under our very eyes, sundering, on the one hand, the age-old ties which for centuries have held together the fabric of civilized society, and is unloosing, on the other, the bonds that still fetter the infant and as yet unemancipated Faith of Bahá’u’lláh.”

Have no fear or doubts. The power of the Covenant will assist you and invigorate you and remove every obstacle from your path. “He, verily, will aid everyone that aideth Him, and will remember everyone that remembereth Him.”

You have our abiding assurance of ardent and constant prayers for you all.

The Universal House of Justice
Riḍván 1988

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The sixth International Convention

All photos of the International Convention copyright © 1988 by Paul Slaughter

The sixth Bahá’í International Convention was held April 29-May 2 at the Bahá’í World Centre on the slopes of Mount Carmel in Haifa, Israel, and at the Haifa Auditorium. On these pages are photographs that we hope have captured some of the atmosphere and flavor of that historic event at which members of 132 National Spiritual Assemblies gathered to consult together and to elect the Universal House of Justice. Above: Delegates walk down the main path at Bahjí to the Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh. Right: A delegate from Korea is flanked by two delegates from Swaziland, all of them attired in colorful costumes that reflect their national heritage.

[Page 4] Left: Delegates to the sixth International Convention gaze upward in awe and wonder before entering the magnificent Seat of the Universal House of Justice. Above: Two beautifully costumed delegates are captured by the camera with the Seat of the Universal House of Justice in the background. They are Liv Vitols (left) of Norway and Jone Waqavesi of Fiji. Below: A delegate from Bolivia, Eusebio Marca Fily, rises to make a point during consultation at one of the Convention’s plenary sessions.

[Page 5] Above: ‘Alí Nakhvavání introduces his fellow members of the Universal House of Justice (left to right) Glenford Mitchell, Hushmand Fatheazam, Ian Semple, Peter Khan, David Ruhe, Hugh Chance, Hooper Dunbar and Adib Taherzadeh. Below left: Bob Napily, a delegate from Papua New Guinea. Below right: The Ninth Day of Riḍván is commemorated at the Shrine of the Báb. Leading the procession are the Hands of the Cause of God (left to right) William Sears, Collis Featherstone, Amatu’l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum and ‘Alí Akbar Furútan.

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The Six Year Plan: a statistical update

WORLD CENTRE GOALS

Publication of a copiously annotated English translation of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas and related texts

• A little more than one-third of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas was translated by the Guardian. Two-thirds of the remaining Text has been translated and the newly translated portions await final approval. Supplementary texts, such as its “Questions and Answers,” are being assembled for translation and initial steps have been taken for the preparation of annotations.

Education of the Bahá’í world in the Law of Huqúqu’lláh

• Consultations on the Huqúqu’lláh, attended by the Trustee, the Hand of the Cause ‘Alí Muhammad Varqá, and his deputies were held in the Holy Land. Eighteen deputy Trustees and 77 Representatives spread over the entire world have now been appointed or confirmed to assist the Trustee.
• Compilations, a codification and a brief history of the institution of the Huqúqu’lláh have been sent to the National Spiritual Assemblies and have been translated, published and widely distributed.
• The spontaneous response of a growing number of believers, including many westerners, has swelled by 150 percent the Huqúqu’lláh payments received from 88 countries.

Pursuit of plans for the projects on Mount Carmel

• Mr. Fariburz Sahbá has been appointed Project Manager to execute the designs of Mr. Husayn Amánat for the remaining buildings on the Arc. He has also been commissioned to design the terraces below and above the Shrine of the Báb.
• Toward the realization of these projects contributions for a reserve of $50 million have been called for, with an additional $20 million to $25 million during each of the succeeding 10 years for these and other activities at the Bahá’í World Centre.

Broadening the base of the international relations of the Faith

• The Office of Public Information now has liaison officers in London and Paris.
• The Bahá’í Faith became the sixth world religion to join the Network on Conservation and Religion of the World Wide Fund for Nature.
• The Bahá’í International Community’s United Nations Office and its branches have further extended the range of their influence through close collaboration with the United Nations departments and agencies, and with the conference of Non-Governmental Organizations. Areas of mutual interest and action included women, youth, family life, health, food and agriculture, education, the environment and human settlements, narcotics and drug abuse, and human rights.
• The United Nations Office of the Bahá’í International Community co-ordinated the actions of National Spiritual Assemblies in requesting, on behalf of the persecuted Bahá’ís in Iran, that positive action be taken by their governments, the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, and the United Nations General Assembly. Similar actions were taken in relation to the European Parliament.

WORLD-WIDE GOALS

Carrying the healing Message of Bahá’u’lláh to the generality of mankind

• Some 20 National Spiritual Assemblies have experienced large-scale enrollments during the past two years.
• A number of National Assemblies have identified minority populations for special teaching efforts. A four-day conference on Chinese teaching was held in Hong Kong, under the auspices of the International Chinese Teaching Committee; an international conference was held in Germany to discuss European teaching; and Romani teaching was the topic of a conference held in Spain.
• Of the 429 specific international pioneer needs named by the Universal House of Justice for the two-year period 1987-89, a total of 131 have been met. Another 918 Bahá’ís have settled in posts not specified as goals of the Plan.
• The use of music and drama for teaching is being widely adopted, with many National Assemblies reporting enthusiastic responses from Bahá’ís and non-Bahá’ís alike. Many notable individual and community efforts were recorded.
• The following table provides data on the present size of the Bahá’í world community:

	Africa	Americas	Asia	Australasia	Europe	World
Total Localities	37,234	27,067	41,882	2,866	3,088	112,137
Local Assemblies	5,967	5,594	6,490	730	705	19,486
Groups:
with 9 or more adults	5,145	3,172	19,678	496	72	28,533
fewer than 9 adults	12,544	9,592	8,292	766	1,211	32,405
Isolated Centers	13,578	8,709	7,422	874	1,130	31,713

A numerical decrease of 6,100 localities and 11,000 local Spiritual Assemblies occurred in India alone due to the revised civil areas of jurisdiction; similar changes took place in other countries.

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Six Year Plan update

Greater involvement of the Faith in the life of human society

• Following the global distribution of the peace statement to heads of state and government officials, the peace issue has remained the single most effective bridge between the Bahá’í community and the people and organizations involved in development, ecology, family life, equality of the sexes, relief of famine, inter-religious cooperation, justice, eradication of racism, and promotion of the rights of indigenous people. Bahá’ís around the world organized conferences, exhibits, expositions, festivals and public meetings on peace during which the Teachings were shared with people from widely diverse backgrounds.
• A Bahá’í delegation, headed by Amatu’l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum, attended a conference and presented a paper for the International Society of General Systems Analysis Research in Budapest, Hungary.
• The 1988 Encyclopedia Britannica Book of the Year reported the Faith as having “a significant following in more sovereign and non-sovereign countries than any listing other than Christianity.”
• The Bahá’í International Community and the National Assemblies of Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Kenya and Lesotho were among some 300 organizations designated as “Peace Messengers” by the United Nations for their “significant contribution to the program and objectives of the International Year of Peace.”
• The Universal House of Justice convened a meeting in Germany of national external affairs representatives from 17 countries in Europe and North America, along with senior staff members of the Bahá’í International Community offices in New York City and Geneva, to confer on the extension of the range of their activities in government and public relations.
• Many National Assemblies trained individuals to work as public relations representatives while others held conferences and workshops on the effective use of the media. The International Bahá’í Audio-Visual Centre and its Amoz Gibson Centre for media training conducted far-flung and recurrent media educational efforts in Latin America and the Caribbean.
• After discussion of various Bahá’í principles with the President of the Constituent Assembly in Haiti, the Bahá’ís presented their ideas for a new National Constitution to the Assembly. Similarly, in Brazil 18 of 20 specific propositions for a new Constitution suggested by the Bahá’ís to the government were given first legislative approval. In New Zealand, the Bahá’ís submitted to the Royal Commission on Social Policy recommendations for 11 points of social principle and action. The Bahá’ís of Nigeria submitted a proposal to the government in response to a public request from the President for suggestions on the functions of the civilian government which is to return to power in 1990.
• In Jamaica, the Faith was accepted by the Caribbean Examination Council for inclusion in the secondary education curriculum. A series of lectures on the Faith, developed in Fiji and conducted at the University of the South Pacific, now forms part of the university’s extension services throughout the region. In Finland, a course of study for the Faith was accepted by the Central Board of Schools. A number of other National Assemblies are persevering in efforts to have the Faith included in the religious education curricula of secondary schools. There is one university course about the Faith offered in Thailand, and another at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, which is taught by an eminent non-Bahá’í scholar.
• More than 60 conferences were held throughout the world concerning a variety of issues related to implementation of the equality of the sexes.

A worldwide increase in the translation, production, distribution and use of Bahá’í literature

• New translations of the Sacred Text have been made in one Native American and three African languages, bringing the total in which there is Bahá’í literature to 802: 266 in Africa; 172 in the Americas; 174 in Asia; 110 in the Pacific Islands; and 80 in Europe. Many communities have printed new prayer books, some for children. The “Words of God” booklet was published in seven additional languages, for a total of 63 languages in which the booklet is available.
• There has been a substantial world-wide increase in the production of expositional literature by institutional and independent Bahá’í publishers. Peace and themes related to the peace statement have been dominant topics of Bahá’í publishing during this period.
• Under the aegis of the Universal House of Justice, an international publishing conference took place in Argentina on the subject of Spanish-language publications, and a second was held by the National Spiritual Assembly of the United Kingdom for publications in English.
• A large number of well-printed, well-bound and attractively presented items of Bahá’í children’s literature, journals and other educational materials, mainly aimed at younger children, were produced in many languages.

Acceleration in the process of the maturation of local and national Bahá’í communities

• Reports on community consolidation indicate a continuing need to focus on this vital element. Most National Spiritual Assemblies have developed teaching plans designed not only to increase the number of believers but also to consolidate the home communities, to assist lapsed Assemblies, and to reach and stimulate isolated believers. The following table presents statistics on local Spiritual Assembly activity:

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							% of
	Africa	Americas	Asia	Austral.	Europe	Total	LSAs
Conduct Feasts and Holy Days	2,213	2,140	1,226	476	652	6,707	34%
Meet Regularly	2,145	1,860	916	373	613	5,907	30%
Contribute to National Fund	1,050	1,644	643	332	640	4,309	22%
Hold Children’s Classes	780	1,435	720	289	375	3,599	18%
Undertake Extension Teaching	1,263	997	643	227	287	3,417	18%
Undertake Local Teaching	784	1,523	428	226	510	3,471	18%
Undertake Local Deepening	1,212	1,343	400	258	449	3,662	19%

• Consultation was the topic of study at institutes and summer schools in a large number of countries, and by many local communities, in preparation for sharing this vital method of problem-solving with the peoples of the world.
• To improve the functioning and efficiency of their national offices, a number of National Assemblies formed committees, engaged the services of individual believers, or introduced computer technology to assist the National Secretary and/or the Treasurer. An electronic mail network among National Spiritual Assemblies with the Bahá’í World Centre has begun and is in an early stage of development.
• Twelve National Assemblies conducted institutes for the members of local Spiritual Assemblies or their officers, while others distributed compilations or sent traveling teachers to educate local believers about the administration.
• With the incorporation of the National Spiritual Assemblies of the Marshall Islands and St. Lucia, there are now 115 incorporated National Spiritual Assemblies.
• Legal recognition came in a variety of ways, such as the registration of the National Assembly of Singapore as a charity under the Charities Act of 1982, the registration of Bahá’í schools by the governments in Fiji, Macau, Papua New Guinea and Sierra Leone, and the inclusion of the Faith on the Seychelles government’s national census forms.
• With the addition of Malawi and Guyana, the number of countries where Bahá’í marriage is recognized reached 56.
• Well-planned and organized summer and winter schools have been conducted by most National Assemblies, with increased attendance.
• A total of 114 National Assemblies have attained financial self-sufficiency and are meeting their own administrative expenses: 33 in Africa; 31 in the Americas; 22 in Asia; 8 in Australasia; and 20 in Europe.
• Thus far in the Plan, 133 properties have been acquired in 60 countries. The numerical growth of the Bahá’í communities, the emergence of the Faith into public and media attention, and the use of properties for purposes such as social and economic development activities have in some cases necessitated the enlargement and improvement of present structures or the acquisition of new ones.
• National Assemblies, with the help of property committees or property managers, are devoting much-needed attention to maintenance, conservation, insurance and security of their holdings.

Greater attention to universal participation and the spiritual enrichment of individual believers

• The major themes of spiritual education and individual deepening in most national communities were the Bahá’í laws, the Covenant, the Fund, and the Huqúqu’lláh.
• Fifteen Associations for Bahá’í Studies, primary promoters of Bahá’í scholarship and contact with academia, have now been formed. Various special interest groups have been developed in such fields as agriculture, the arts, consultation and conflict resolution, education, the environment, health, marriage and family life, science and technology, and women’s issues.

A wider extension of Bahá’í education to children and youth, and the strengthening of Bahá’í family life

• In addition to the large number of National Spiritual Assemblies which have long been involved in the Bahá’í education of children, 25 National Assemblies have reported the initiation of regular children’s classes. Institutes for teachers of Bahá’í children’s classes were conducted by at least 20 National Assemblies, while 14 others reported that they are developing their own lesson plans.
• Summer schools, institutes, conferences and other activities organized for youth have continued at a high level. In addition, reports indicate an increase in the number of youth offering a year or more of voluntary service.
• Initiatives undertaken to consolidate Bahá’í families include marriage and family life institutes, regular publications for children and parents, audio-visual productions, and summer school programs.

The pursuit of projects of social and economic development in well-established Bahá’í communities

• The following table provides a current summary of Bahá’í development programs:

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	Africa	Americas	Asia	Australasia	Europe	World
Agriculture and Forestry	62	11	35	14	0	122
Community Development	32	15	8	8	7	70
Education	191	104	479	20	11	805
Tutorial Schools	139	53	321	5	0	518
Pre-Schools	25	17	9	4	0	55
Literacy Projects	6	4	88	1	0	99
Other Projects	17	18	49	9	11	104
Health and Social Services	41	23	43	13	7	127
Radio Stations	1*	6*	0	0	0	7
Miscellaneous	9	264	19	13	46	351
	¯¯¯	¯¯¯	¯¯¯	¯¯	¯¯¯	¯¯¯¯
TOTALS	336	423	584	68	71	1,482

• The sixth radio station in the Americas was inaugurated in Temuco, Chile, in November 1986; the first radio station in Africa began broadcasting in Monrovia, Liberia, in March 1987.

• Currently, 95 National Spiritual Assemblies are involved in social and economic development efforts. The vast majority of these are small-scale local initiatives which need and receive little or no external support. Since Riḍván 1986, the number of development projects world-wide has increased by 44 percent, to 1,482.
• More than half of the Bahá’í development projects in the world are in the area of education. Of these, 70 percent are pre-schools or primary schools. The Maxwell International School, a secondary school in Canada, will open in September. Two new ventures into higher education were launched: a preparatory organization for a College of Human Services in India, and the Louhelen Residential College in the United States.

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Chile

More than 120 Bahá’ís and their guests gathered at Piedra Azul, about 15 km. (9 miles) from the port city of Puerto Montt in Chile’s 10th region, for the annual Southern Summer School. Classes were coordinated by the National Bahá’í Life Development Committee, while the physical facilities were arranged for and obtained by the Spiritual Assembly of Puerto Montt.

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Some thoughts on Huqúqu’lláh

One of the exalted attributes of the Manifestation of God, distinguishing Him from the whole of the human race, is His utter detachment from the things of this world. Bahá’u’lláh had no regard whatsoever for the possession of material things. He has clearly stated in His Writings that this material world has no worth in His sight. In several Tablets He states that if this world had any value, He would have been occupying its highest thrones. In a Tablet revealed in ‘Akká, He states that the One Who created this world has renounced it. For if it had any value He would not have allowed Himself to live in the most desolate of cities.

In another Tablet revealed in the Holy Land, He affirms that if His aim were to acquire earthly things, He could have taken possession of all that is on earth and no one could have questioned His authority to do so. He further states in the same Tablet that whenever He had accepted a gift from a believer, the basic reason had been to bestow His bounties and favors upon him. The mere acceptance of a gift endowed the soul of the individual with eternal blessings.

The believers sometimes sent articles such as carpets, clothing and similar items to Bahá’u’lláh, but He seldom used them for Himself. He usually gave all gifts away. One person who coveted them was His amanuensis, Mírzá Áqá Ján. Knowing that Bahá’u’lláh had no interest in keeping the

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It was during those ... epoch-making journeys that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá demonstrated a magnanimity and detachment characteristic of God’s chosen ones by declining with graciousness all offers of funds and gifts from friends and strangers.

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believers’ offerings for Himself, he longed to possess these gifts and Bahá’u’lláh sometimes gave them to him. Mírzá Áqá Ján did not realize that this was his test and the cause of his downfall. To be in close contact with Bahá’u’lláh, to serve Him day and night and to abide within such a sacred realm, required utter detachment from all earthly things. The desire for material benefits while serving in His holy presence was fatal.

God always tests man. The higher he is in the field of service, the greater are his tests. Mírzá Áqá Ján acted as a servant to Bahá’u’lláh and was the individual who was closest to Him. He was a materialistic and corrupt being who fell from grace during the latter part of Bahá’u’lláh’s life, later violated His covenant and perished spiritually.

When Bahá’u’lláh was in Adrianople a certain believer from Káshán by the name of Muhammad-Báqir presented Him with a small silk carpet. He wrote a Tablet, thanked him for the gift and showered His bounties upon him. He told him that He had accepted the gift, but was now returning it to him as a favor on His part. He stated that He preferred to sit on the ground in that remote Prison (Adrianople) than to sit on a silk carpet. This is a typical example of how Bahá’u’lláh would respond to gifts presented to Him.

One of the believers, a certain Mírzá Muhammad-Qulí, presented Bahá’u’lláh with an overcoat. In a Tablet, Bahá’u’lláh informed him that He had worn the coat for one day as a bounty on His part.

This article on the Law of Huqúqu’lláh is reprinted by permission of the publisher from Adib Taherzadeh, The Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh: ‘Akká, the Early Years, 1868-77 (Oxford: George Ronald, 1983), pp. 245-256, and The Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh: Mazra‘ih and Bahjí, 1877-1892 (Oxford: George Ronald, 1988), pp. 81-84.

There is an interesting story about another of the believers, Mírzá Ja‘far, in the early days of the Faith in Yazd. Hájí Muhammad-Táhir-i-Málmírí has recorded this in his memoirs:

Áqá Mírzá Ja‘far was an erudite divine of Islám. In his youth, he taught at a theological school....He left the school altogether when he embraced the Cause and became a very steadfast believer. In those days, the Ancient Beauty was in Baghdád. Knowing that He was living an austere life in that city, Mírzá Ja‘far wished to provide some funds for the relief of His blessed Person. In the end he came up with a plan. There were many vases and other ornaments made of copper in the mosques of Yazd. He used to go to a mosque at night, climb to the upper chambers, dismantle the ornamental copper vessels which were hanging from the ceiling, and take them home. Little by little he stole similar vessels from several mosques. In the end he gathered nearly half a ton of these copper items....He then transported them to Ardikán (about 100 miles from Yazd) to the home of a certain Ustád Kázim, an ironmonger. There he cut the copper articles to pieces and eventually succeeded in selling the metal for 70 tumans (a large sum of money in those days) in silver coins. He placed the silver inside a specially made leather cummerbund, tied it around his waist and set off on his journey on foot to Baghdád where he attained the presence of Bahá’u’lláh and presented the money to Him. The Blessed Beauty accepted the money from him, and bestowed upon him His blessings and fa-

[Page 11] vors. But He ordered him to accompany Mírzá Áqá Ján, Khádimu’lláh (the Servant of God), to the banks of the river and throw the money into its waters. Mírzá Ja‘far became a servant of the household, and was among those companions who accompanied Bahá’u’lláh to Istanbul.

Hájí Muhammad ‘Alíy-i-Afnán, a cousin of the Báb, had sent a length of white flannel to ‘Akká. According to a Tablet written in the handwriting of Mírzá Áqá Ján, Bahá’u’lláh graciously accepted the gift from him and although since His departure from Baghdád He was in the habit of wearing coats made only of black flannel, He ordered a white one to be made as a token of His grace and favors toward the Afnán.

According to Hájí Muhammad-Táhir, Bahá’u’lláh would usually wear a long woolen upper garment and a woolen cloak; and in the summer, cotton garments.

These stories reveal His magnanimity and utter detachment from the things of this world. Sometimes Bahá’u’lláh ordered simple gifts to be sent to certain people. For instance, on one occasion Mírzá Áqá Ján wrote on the instructions of Bahá’u’lláh to the same Hájí Muhammad-‘Alíy-i-Afnán, who was living in Hong Kong, asking him to send some china dishes which were intended as a gift for ‘Abbúd. On another occasion Mírzá Áqá Ján was instructed to ask another of the Afnáns to send a few pairs of spectacles complete with cases for presentation to some of the authorities. (In those days there were no custom-made spectacles. A type which was commonly worn had a simple magnifying glass as a lens.)

It must be pointed out that the same attitude of detachment from earthly things so permeated the souls of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi, the two successive Centers of the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh, that it was against their nature to turn their affection to the things of this world. They both lived austere lives and followed the example of Bahá’u’lláh. Although they received large contributions from the friends, they authorized their spending strictly for the promotion of the Cause of God and did not have the slightest inclination to spend the funds for their own personal ends. Indeed, similar to Bahá’u’lláh, neither of them had any personal assets, whether monetary or of any other type.

When ‘Abdu’l-Bahá traveled to the West to spread the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh and diffuse the divine fragrances in Europe and America, He had to use some of the funds which the Persian friends had contributed to Hájí Amín as Huqúqu’lláh. But He observed such care in spending the absolute minimum for Himself that His companions sometimes felt concerned about the lack of comfort which often resulted.

The renowned chronicler of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s journeys to the West, Mírzá Mahmúd-i-Zarqáni, His devoted secretary and companion, has recorded in his diaries (Badáyi‘u’l-Áthár) that when ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and His party were traveling across the United States, the train journey proved to be tiring—especially for ‘Abdu’l-Bahá Who was nearly 70 years of age. Yet in spite of this, He frequently declined to pay the extra small sum of money for sleeping accommodations on the train. Instead, He would sit up all night on the hard wooden seats and close His eyes to rest. But, as demonstrated on that journey, He opened His purse and generously placed coins of silver and gold in the palms of the poor and needy wherever He found them. How different are the ways of God and man!

It was during those same epoch-making journeys that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá demonstrated a magnanimity and detachment characteristic of God’s chosen ones by declining with graciousness all offers of funds and gifts from friends and strangers.

In his famous diaries Mírzá Mahmúd recounts a story of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá when He was in New York shortly before His departure from the United States:

“... that day some of the friends presented ‘Abdu’l-Bahá with some funds, but He did not take them in spite of their persistently begging Him to accept them. He said: ‘Offer it up to the poor on my behalf. It would be as if I have personally given it to them. But for me the best gift is the unity between the loved ones of God, their service to the Cause, the diffusion of divine fragrances and their carrying out the teachings and exhortations of the Blessed Beauty.”

On such occasions the believers became very sad, because their offerings were not accepted by their Beloved. In spite of this, the believers in New York, knowing that these were the last few days of His stay in the United States, gathered some presents for the members of the Holy Family (including the wife of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, His sister, daughters and other female members of His household)....Some of the friends had vowed together that they would persist in their request for acceptance of the gifts, that they would cling to the hem of His garment and not leave His presence until He had accepted their offerings. They presented their gifts and earnestly pleaded with Him to take them. He then spoke to them in these words:

“I am very grateful for all your services. Truly you have served me, offered hospitality, rendered your services day and night and persevered in the diffusion of divine fragrances. I shall never forget your devoted services, because you had no other motive but to attain the good pleasure of God, and had desired no station other than entry into His Kingdom. Now you have brought some gifts for my family. These gifts are very praiseworthy, but more exquisite than these are the gifts of the love of God which may be preserved within the treasure-house of the hearts. The former gifts are transitory, but the latter are eternal. These gifts are to be kept in boxes and upon the shelves and will eventually perish, but the other will remain eternally in all the worlds of God treasured within the heart. Therefore I carry with me your love to them (i.e., the Holy Family) which is the greatest gift of all. In our house there is no room for diamond rings or other jewelry. That house is devoid of the vanities of this world.

“Now, I accept these gifts, but I entrust them to you to sell them and send the proceeds to Chicago for the construction of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár (Bahá’í House of Worship).”

The friends, with tearful eyes, were disappointed. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá said: “I want to take with me a gift from you which may remain till eternity, the jewels which belong to the treasure-house of the heart.”

The Law of Huqúqu’lláh

The greater part of the donations given to the Cause by the believers was spent at Bahá’u’lláh’s behest in the

[Page 12] promotion of the Faith and the care of the poor and needy of the community. He Himself and the members of His family, however, lived an austere life. There were many occasions when He was in great need, but did not accept financial help from the friends.

In the Kitáb-i-Aqdas (the Most Holy Book), Bahá’u’lláh revealed the law of Huqúqu’lláh (the Right of God). It concerns those whose possessions reach a certain value. They are bidden by God to pay 19 percent of that value to the Centre of the Cause. In one of His Tablets, revealed in the words of His amanuensis, Bahá’u’lláh states that when the full text of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas was completed He did not order its release for some time because it contained the law of Huqúq, which has been ordained by God as a sign of His mercy and loving-kindness unto His servants. He explains that the reason for withholding the Book temporarily was His apprehensiveness lest some of the believers might not carry out this commandment or might come to the wrong conclusions. The mere contemplation of this, He says, is unworthy of the Day of God. The very thought that some, in their immaturity, might possibly assume that the Huqúq was intended for Bahá’u’lláh’s personal use, must have been extremely painful to Him. The most cursory study of His life and teachings will amply demonstrate that He constantly exhorted His followers to detach themselves from earthly possessions and not to place their affections in the things of this world. In His Tablet to Napoleon III, Bahá’u’lláh admonishes the emperor in these words which clearly demonstrate how worthless is this material world in His sight:

Exultest thou over the treasures thou dost possess, knowing they shall perish? Rejoicest thou in that thou rulest a span of earth, when the whole world, in the estimation of the people of Bahá, is worth as much as the black in the eye of a dead ant?

In another Tablet, Bahá’u’lláh makes a similar statement:

By the righteousness of God! The world, its vanities and its glory, and whatever delights it can offer, are all, in the sight of God, as worthless as, nay even more contemptible than, dust and ashes. Would that the hearts of men could comprehend it. Wash yourselves thoroughly, O people of Bahá, from the defilement of the world, and of all that pertaineth unto it.

The following passages gleaned from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh portray His expectations from His followers:

He is the true servant of God who, in this day, were he to pass through cities of silver and gold, would not deign to look upon them, and whose heart would remain pure and undefiled from

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The most cursory study of (Bahá’u’lláh’s) life and teachings will amply demonstrate that He constantly exhorted His followers to detach themselves from earthly possessions and not to place their affections in the things of this world.

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whatever things can be seen in this world, be they its goods or its treasures. I swear by the Sun of Truth! The breath of such a man is endowed with potency, and his words with attraction.

By Him Who shineth above the Day-Spring of sanctity! If the whole earth were to be converted into silver and gold, no man who can be said to have truly ascended into the heaven of faith and certitude would deign to regard it, much less to seize and keep it.... They who dwell within the Tabernacle of God, and are established upon the seats of everlasting glory, will refuse, even though they be dying of hunger, to stretch their hands, and seize unlawfully the property of their neighbor, however vile and worthless he may be. The purpose of the one true God in manifesting Himself is to summon all mankind to truthfulness and sincerity, to piety and trustworthiness, to resignation and submissiveness to the will of God, to forbearance and kindliness, to uprightness and wisdom. His object is to array every man with the mantle of a saintly character, and to adorn him with the ornament of holy and goodly deeds. Say, he is not to be numbered with the people of Bahá who followeth his mundane desires, or fixeth his heart on things of the earth. He is My true follower who, if he come to a valley of pure gold will pass straight through it aloof as a cloud, and will neither turn back, nor pause. Such a man is assuredly of Me. From his garment the Concourse on high can inhale the fragrance of sanctity.

While Bahá’u’lláh was reluctant to send a copy of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas to Persia, some of the believers were requesting that the laws of the Faith be revealed for them. As a result of these requests, Bahá’u’lláh eventually sent a copy, but gave clear instructions that no one was to implement the law of the Huqúq. For about five years after the revelation of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas this law was not put into execution. Then, as the Cause began to expand in Persia and neighboring countries, there was a need for funds, and those who were eligible to pay the Huqúq did so with joy and gratitude.

This is the text of the law of Huqúq-u’lláh as revealed in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas:

Should a person acquire one hundred mithqáls of gold (each mithqál is equal to 3.6416666 grams), nineteen mithqáls thereof belong to God, the Creator of earth and heaven. Take heed, O people, lest ye deprive yourselves of this great bounty. We have prescribed this law unto you while We are wholly independent of you and of all that are in the heavens and on the earth. Indeed there lie concealed in this command, mysteries and benefits which are beyond the comprehension of anyone save God, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Say, through this injunction God desireth to purify your possessions and enable you to draw nigh unto such stations as none can attain, except those whom God may please. Verily, He is the Generous, the Gracious, the Bountiful.

O people! Act not treacherously in the matter of Huqúqu’lláh and dispose not of it, except by His leave. Thus hath it been ordained in His Epistles as well as in this glorious Tablet.

Whoso dealeth dishonestly with God will in justice be exposed, and whoso fulfilleth the things he hath been commanded, divine blessings will descend upon him from the heaven of the bounty of his Lord, the Bestower, the Bountiful, the Most Generous, the Ancient of Days. Verily He desireth for you the things that are inscrutable to you at present, though the people themselves will readily discover them when their souls take their flight and the trappings

[Page 13] of their earthly gaieties are rolled up. Thus warneth you the Author of the Preserved tablet.

It must be noted that in the above passage Bahá’u’lláh has merely set the rate of Huqúq at 19 percent. It is not meant that the minimum amount subject to Huqúq is 100 mithqáls of gold; the minimum amount is the value of 19 mithqáls of gold. Bahá’u’lláh Himself has clarified this point in the following statement:

The minimum amount subject to Huqúqu’lláh is reached when one’s possessions are worth the number of Váhid (19); that is, whenever one owneth 19 mithqáls of gold, or acquireth possessions attaining this value, after having deducted therefrom the yearly expenses, the Huqúq becometh applicable and its payment is obligatory.

As regards its application, Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Faith, has stated through his secretary:

“Regarding the Huqúqu’lláh... this is applied to one’s merchandise, property and income. After deducting the necessary expenses, whatever is left as profit, and is an addition to one’s capital, such a sum is subject to Huqúq. When one has paid Huqúq once on a particular sum, that sum is no longer subject to Huqúq, unless it should pass from one person to another. One’s residence, and the household furnishings are exempt from Huqúq....Huqúqu’lláh is paid to the Centre of the Cause.”

Bahá’u’lláh was very anxious that no one should ever feel forced to pay the Huqúq. He instructed Hájí Abu’l-Hasan-i-Amín, the Trustee of the Huqúq, and other eminent Bahá’ís not to accept money from anyone unless they were sure that the individual wished to give with the utmost joy and devotion. He also forbade the soliciting of Huqúq by the Trustees. In many of His Tablets, Bahá’u’lláh has made such exhortations. To cite an example, the following is part of a Tablet revealed in honor of His Trustee, Hájí Amín:

O Abu’l-Hasan:

May my Glory rest upon thee! Fix thy gaze upon the glory of the Cause. Speak forth that which will attract the hearts and the minds. To demand the Huqúq is in no wise permissible. This command was revealed in the Book of God for various necessary matters ordained by God to be dependent upon material means. Therefore, if someone, with utmost pleasure and gladness, nay with insistence, wisheth to partake of this blessing, thou mayest accept. Otherwise, acceptance is not permissible.

The following passage from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh will shed further light on this subject:

For a number of years Huqúq was not accepted. How numerous the offerings that on reaching Our presence were returned to the donors, because they were not needed then. However, in recent years We have, in view of the exigencies of the times, accepted the payment of the Huqúq, but have forbidden solicitation thereof. Everyone must have the utmost regard for the dignity of the Word of God and for the exaltation of His Cause. Were a person to offer all the treasures of the earth at the cost of debasing the honor of the Cause of God, were it even less than a grain of mustard, such an offering would not be permissible. All the world hath belonged and will always belong to God. If one spontaneously offereth Huqúq with the utmost joy and radiance it will be acceptable, and not otherwise. The benefit of such deeds reverteth unto the individuals themselves. This measure hath been ordained in view of the necessity for material means, for “averse is God from putting aught into effect except through its means.” Thus instructions were given to receive the Huqúq.

In another of His Tablets, Bahá’u’lláh states that there is no act more reprehensible than to beg for funds in the name of God.

A special responsibility concerning the Huqúqu’lláh was placed upon the Hands of the Cause. As we have already stated, Bahá’u’lláh always insisted that no one should be solicited to pay the Huqúqu’lláh, and even that payment should not be accepted unless the individual was willing to observe the Huqúq with the utmost joy. In His Tablets to the Hands, Bahá’u’lláh often gives the details of the numerous occasions on which He refused to accept donations from individuals as the Faith did not need financial assistance at that time. He urges them to uphold the standards of detachment, dignity and magnanimity which their Lord has always displayed.

In a Tablet to Ibn-i-Asdaq, Bahá’u’lláh describes in the words of His amanuensis how at one time the King of the Martyrs had felt that the means of subsistence for the Holy Family and the believers in the Holy Land were inadequate. He had dispatched therefore Jamál-i-Burújirdí to the province of Khurásán to solicit the friends for the payment of the Huqúq. As soon as the news of this reached the Holy Land, Bahá’u’lláh immediately issued strict instructions to withdraw from this action. The verses that were revealed by Him on that occasion forbidding Jamál to proceed on his mission were charged with supreme authority and might.

On receiving these instructions, Jamál, that egotistical teacher of the Faith (who later became a Covenant-breaker), was hurt. He wrote a letter to Mírzá Áqá Ján, Bahá’u’lláh’s amanuensis, and complained that his services had never been accepted by, or were pleasing to, Bahá’u’lláh. He indicated in this letter that a number of believers, all from Jewish background, had donated a certain sum of money with the utmost pleasure. If their contributions were to be refused, they would become disappointed. As a result of his petition Bahá’u’lláh ordered the acceptance of the sum, but at the same time made arrangements for all of it to be used in financing the teaching activities of a few chosen teachers of the Faith in Persia.

In the same Tablet, Mírzá Áqá Ján gives further examples. When a few souls from Fárán (including Áqá Mír Muhammad Big and his son, Sháh Khalilu’lláh) attained the presence of Bahá’u’lláh, they presented a sum of money to Him in payment of the Huqúq. He graciously accepted their offering but then returned the full amount to them as a gift. He had done the same to many others, and Mírzá Áqá Ján mentions the names of some of them in this Tablet. He further states that all throughout this period the means of livelihood in the Holy Land had been so inadequate that it had been necessary to borrow money from time to time in order to enable the large number of pilgrims and believers to subsist. This Tablet was revealed a few months before the ascension of Bahá’u’lláh. Mírzá Áqá Ján mentions

[Page 14] that a sum of money had been donated some time before by an individual believer through His Trustee, Hájí Amín, but up to the time of writing Bahá’u’lláh had not accepted it. However, it had not been returned either, because it could become a cause of embarrassment.

Another example of the magnanimity and detachment from earthly things mainfested by Bahá’u’lláh comes to us through one of His Tablets to Mullá ‘Alí-Akbar. A devoted servant of the Blessed Beauty, ‘Azím-i-Tafrishí, had passed away in the Holy Land, and in his will he had left all his savings to his Lord. But Bahá’u’lláh issued instructions for the money to be sent to ‘Azím’s heirs in Persia.

The concept that a portion of one’s possessions is the right of God and belongs to Him may be appreciated by observing nature and examining certain physical laws. It has already been stated that the laws which exist in the physical world are also present in the spiritual worlds of God, and that religious teachings are the spiritual counterparts of physical laws. For instance, we may observe that the law of Huqúqu’lláh finds its parallel in the vegetable kingdom. We observe that the blossoms, the flowers and the fruits do not originate from the tree. They are the hidden properties of the soil. The tree brings out all these potentialities which the earth possesses. The earth is the producer of everything and the entire substance of the tree comes from it. The earth produces the root, the branches, the leaves and the fruits. It also provides all the nourishment for its growth and fruition.

Having established the fact that the tree owes its existence to the creative power of the earth, we note that each year the tree sheds its leaves upon the earth. It gives back to its creator, as a matter of course, a portion of its wealth. The fallen leaves do not benefit the earth. They act as a fertilizer and therefore their benefit reverts to the tree itself. This physical process is similar to the law of Huqúqu’lláh, and, as Bahá’u’lláh has stated, “the benefit of such deeds (payment of the Huqúqu’lláh) reverteth unto the individuals themselves.”

During Bahá’u’lláh’s Ministry the law of Huqúq was applicable to only a very small number of Bahá’ís. The great majority of the community were poor and not eligible to pay the Huqúq. Often the Trustee of Bahá’u’lláh was unable to fully cover the expenses of the Bahá’í teachers and those in need. Of course, Hájí Amín, the Trustee, was not pleased about this. In one of His Tablets, Bahá’u’lláh makes a sweet and humorous remark about His Trustee. He says: “We must impose a fine upon Jináb-i-Amín! We have one treasurer and he is bankrupt! Gracious God, there is one treasury belonging to God, and that is empty of funds. Indeed, by virtue of its exalted station, such a treasury ought to be freed and sanctified from earthly things and not be confused with the treasuries of the world.”

The Huqúq should not be confused with the normal contributions of a believer to the International Funds. Although both are donated to the Centre of the Cause—today to the Universal House of Justice—there is a great difference between the two. The Huqúq in reality does not belong to the individual, as it is the right of God, whereas ordinary donations are given by the believer from his own resources and are motivated by a heartfelt desire to give of one’s substance for the promotion of the Cause of God.

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Hawaii

Counsellor Lisiate Maka of Tonga (right) presents a copy of ‘The Promise of World Peace’ to Alton Wade (center), president of Brigham Young University-Hawaii, on January 12, 1988. Looking on is Jerry Strain, a member of the Bahá’í community of Koolauloa. The presentation was made at the Laie campus of Brigham Young in Oahu.

[Page 15]

The world

Friends in Cuba proclaim Faith

The Bahá’í community of Cuba was invited last August to take part in the closing ceremony in Havana of a Christian Conference for Peace.

The Bahá’ís took the opportunity to present copies of the peace statement in English, Portuguese and Spanish to the presidency.

In September, another opportunity to present the Faith came from a Presbyterian church in Havana at which Bahá’ís were invited to speak and present slides of the dedication of the House of Worship in India.

That same month, Bahá’ís were invited to a conference at the principal Methodist church in Havana by the Secretary-General of the World Council of Churches.

Also, for the first time since the revolution in Cuba, the Faith has been mentioned by the news media.

Various shortwave radio broadcasts last August and September mentioned the Faith, and on September 27 an article in the newspaper Juventud Rebelde recounted part of an interview between famed American jazz musician and Bahá’í John (Dizzy) Gillespie and Cuba’s President, Fidel Castro, which took place in February 1985.

In the interview, Mr. Gillespie said he is a Bahá’í and made known to the president that the inhabitants of the world are the citizens of one country. It was reported that Sr. Castro signified his basic agreement with that.

Bolivia

More than 250 people entered the Faith and 14 new localities were opened last November and December during the Samandari Teaching Project in Bolivia.

Courses of instruction for new believers were begun immediately on regional, zonal and local levels, with 30 such deepenings to be held before Riḍván.

Malaysia

Pictured are some of the 86 children from ages 5-13 years who gathered last December for a Children’s Institute in Larut Matang, Malaysia. It marked the first time that sessions were conducted in three languages: Tamil, English and Bahasa Malaysian. The children are reported to have impressed the guest speakers with their happiness and mature questions.

Switzerland

Bahá’ís gathered February 19-22 at the Cultural Esperanto Center in the Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, to hear talks on “The History of Esperanto in the Bahá’í Religion.”

One was about the Esperanto magazine, The New Day, which was distributed worldwide from 1925-36 by the Bahá’í community of Germany. It was eventually prohibited by the Nazi government, as was the Bahá’í Faith itself.

Also presented was a story about Martha Root and Lidia Zamenhof, daughter of the founder of Esperanto: how they met during the Universal Esperanto Conference in 1925 in Geneva, became friends and later performed invaluable services in promulgating far and wide both Esperanto and the Faith.

Another talk concerned the life of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá Who often emphasized the need for an international language and praised the usefulness of Esperanto.

The weekend was arranged by the Bahá’í Esperanto League together with the Esperanto Committee of the National Spiritual Assembly of Switzerland.

[Page 16]

Panama

The Rev. Ephraim Alphonse (center), author of the Guaymi-English-Spanish Dictionary, was recently presented with 1,000 copies of the dictionary by the Bahá’ís of Panama during a ceremony at the Bahá’í House of Worship. The Rev. Alphonse has lived in the Guaymi area of Panama for 37 years and has devoted much of his life to the preservation of the cultural identity of the Guaymi people, learning their language and translating it. Pictured with him are Sindulfo Bejerano (left), a member of the staff of Radio Bahá’í in Panama, and Augustin Rodriguez, a Bahá’í traveling teacher.

Ivory Coast

Zekrollah Kazemi, a member of the Continental Board of Counsellors in Africa, was among the speakers at an “African Roundtable on Religious Freedom” sponsored by the World Council on Religious Freedom and held last November 16-18 in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.

Mr. Kazemi’s presentation was titled “The achievement of the world village of God, a challenge to promote understanding and tolerance of differences among religions, beliefs and religious practices: a regional appraisal.”

The Counsellor linked the idea of a world village of God to the declaration of Bahá’u’lláh more than a century ago. He then spoke of “The Promise of World Peace,” quoting several passages from that message from the Universal House of Justice to the peoples of the world.

The Bahá’í concepts presented at the conference aroused the interest of the audience and led to the inclusion of a Bahá’í speaker on the ad hoc committee to draft and approve a resolution from the symposium.

After the conference, participants were invited to meet with President Félix Houphouet-Boigny. The Bahá’ís took advantage of the opportunity to present him with a copy of the peace statement.

Marshall Islands

Dr. Gary Morrison, a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of Hawaii, was the guest speaker at the Marshall Islands Peace Conference held last October 24 in Majuro.

Eighty-four adult participants heard talks on various peace-related topics and saw presentations to prize-winners in a Bahá’í-sponsored peace essay contest.

•

Four recent weddings and a kamem (first-year birthday party) were occasions for indirect teaching in an area of the Marshall Islands where social and religious tradition form a stronghold against change.

The opportunity to explain Bahá’í marriage laws and the spiritual nature of marriage as the basic family structure impressed the community in which common-law marriage is the custom.

A young Marshallese Bahá’í spoke to those gathered to celebrate the first birthday of one of the children in the community, stressing in his remarks the spiritual nature of the child.

When a child is born to a Bahá’í couple, he explained, “the parents realize that they have two children: the physical child and the spiritual child.”

The audience, which at first seemed disinclined to listen to a “non-minister” speak of prayers, the spiritual life, and God, fell into silence and listened attentively to the words the young man had been inspired to speak.

Bahamas

A letter from the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the Bahamas appeared recently in the Nassau Guardian in response to charges made against the Faith by the Islamic Foundation in a letter to the editor.

The National Assembly’s letter delineated Bahá’í principles and provided a comprehensive history of the Faith.

Ghana

The first Bahá’í Women’s Conference in the western region of Ghana was held January 30-31 in Bowodie.

Seventy-eight Bahá’ís attended the event at the Bowodie Bahá’í Center, a mud-walled structure perched on a hill, the most prominent landmark in Bowodie.

Counsellor Beatrice Asare and four members of the National Spiritual Assembly were present and contributed to the discussions on the education of children, the Covenant, Bahá’í marriage, equality and morality, as well as major concerns of the community such as getting more women into the Faith and encouraging their full participation.

[Page 17]

India

Major efforts in the environmental field undertaken by the Bahá’ís of India include tree-planting and conservation.

At the New Era High School in Panchgani, students have begun plantation work on the steeply sloping hills above the surrounding valleys. The goal is to re-establish ground cover to prevent erosion.

Village school children in Uttar Pradesh and adults in three districts of that state have become involved in tree-planting. During the past year 8,000 trees were planted; the goal is to double that number this year.

The Rabbani High School and Nursery Conservation Program in Madhya Pradesh combines community development and instruction in practical skills with its standard middle and high school programs.

Since 1985, more than 10,000 surviving trees have been planted in neighboring villages.

A tree nursery begun in 1984 has produced more than 40,000 seedlings in its own nursery and 15,000 in each of two villages. Through an awareness campaign, the school has created a demand for all the trees and is presently increasing the size and scope of the program.

In cooperation with the World Food Program, the school has taken on a project in nearby villages to construct and popularize a smokeless stove for village homes which uses about 60 percent less fuel, thus conserving the use of wood.

Four hundred such stoves have been built and are in use, and the number will eventually be in the thousands.

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A pilot project in health and sanitation training took place in January in Malhousi, Uttar Pradesh, India. The project, organized by the State Bahá’í Council, trained 106 tutorial school teachers in specific skills from which they could earn income while rendering service to the community.

The program covered first aid skills, personal hygiene, water sanitation, and home sanitation.

Participants also learned the importance of immunization and decided to hold classes for parents in the villages on their return.

Sri Lanka

The National Spiritual Assembly of Sri Lanka has announced that as a result of the Anwer Cadir teaching project, all localities in an entire administrative district of the country have been opened to the Faith.

The project, carried out in loving memory of one of the first Bahá’ís in Sri Lanka who served for many years as chairman of its National Assembly before his death in 1981, opened 109 localities in the Kegalle District, which had been the scene of many Bahá’í activities since the early 1950s.

Especially noteworthy is the fact that the project was organized, funded and supported by the local believers.

The final locality, entirely Muslim with most families living close to the mosque, was opened after six trips by various teaching teams.

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All locality goals (268) have been opened and five local Assemblies have been formed in the Kandy District Teaching Project in Sri Lanka.

By January 18, nearly 500 new believers had been enrolled, and it is estimated by those taking part that 5,000 people had heard of the Faith since the campaign began.

The balance of the goals are being actively pursued while consolidation is in progress with regular deepening of the new believers.

Republic of Ireland

At the suggestion of the Bahá’í International Community’s United Nations office, and with the approval of the Universal House of Justice, the National Spiritual Assembly of the Republic of Ireland spearheaded an effort last December to bring Angelo d‘Almeida Ribeiro (right), the UN Special Rapporteur on religious discrimination, to Ireland. A steering committee composed of 13 groups was formed with Patrick O’Mara, secretary of the National Assembly, serving as its secretary. Mr. Ribeiro, who has the task of investigating the implementation of the UN Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1981, spent three days in the Republic of Ireland meeting with theologians, educators, lawyers, government officials, diplomats, religious leaders, women’s groups, etc. At all of these events a representative of the Faith was present and was freely associating and discussing matters with these leaders of thought, an opportunity never before experienced by the Bahá’ís of Ireland.

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Bahá’u’lláh

Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh

Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh The sixteen Tablets included in Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh were revealed by Bahá’u’lláh after the formulation of the laws and ordinances of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas. Shoghi Effendi characterized these Tablets as “mighty and final effusions of, His [Bahá’u’lláh’s] indefatigable pen.” They are Tablets that “must rank among the choicest fruits which His mind has yielded, and mark the consummation of His forty-year-long ministry.” These significant and much loved Tablets include the: Book of the Covenant Most Holy Tablet Glad Tidings Tablet of the World Tablet of Wisdom From the U.S. Bahá’í Publishing Trust PS $4.50 Bahá’í Distribution Service 415 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois 60091   Tel. 1-800-999-9019