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| Bahá’í News | March 1989 | Bahá’í Year 145 |
Social and economic
development: an update
We are delighted to reaffirm the continuing expansion of the teaching work as evinced by the news just received that, during the last three months in Bangladesh, 5,000 souls have embraced the Cause of God enabling the formation of 108 new local Spiritual Assemblies.
In its report, the National Assembly commented on a receptivity unexperienced in the past, saying, “all witness ripeness of time.”
Our hearts are filled with gratitude to Bahá’u’lláh for the increasing efforts being devoted throughout the world to proclaiming, expanding and consolidating His precious Faith.
January 27, 1989
Bahá’í News[edit]
Senior officers meet at World Centre to consult on external affairs | 1 |
Some compelling ‘memories of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’ by Dr. Stanwood Cobb | 2 |
An updated review of Bahá’í social/economic development projects | 8 |
Around the world: News from Bahá’í communities all over the globe | 11 |
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 Management Information Systems, 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 in U.S. dollars must accompany the order. Second class postage paid at Wilmette, IL 60091. Copyright © 1989, National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. World rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A.
World Centre[edit]
Senior officers discuss external affairs[edit]
Pictured with members of the Universal House of Justice are senior officers of the Bahá’í International Community offices in the Holy Land, New York and Geneva, Switzerland, and representatives of five National Spiritual Assemblies who met December 30-January 1 in Haifa. The meeting evidenced the ever closer ties of collaboration that have been developed between the Faith and the United Nations, its agencies, and governments in many lands.
GREATLY PLEASED ANNOUNCE IMPORTANT CONSULTATIONS WORLD CENTRE PAST WEEKEND WITH SENIOR OFFICERS BAHÁ’Í INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY HOLY LAND, NEW YORK, GENEVA, AND REPRESENTATIVES OF FIVE NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLIES. FAR-REACHING DELIBERATIONS CENTERED ON INCREASED EXTERNAL AFFAIRS ACTIVITIES FAITH. MUCH ENCOURAGED EVIDENCES EVER CLOSER TIES COLLABORATION WITH UNITED NATIONS, ITS AGENCIES AND NATIONAL GOVERNMENTS MANY LANDS, RESULTING EXPANDED SPHERE INFLUENCE FAITH FIELD INTERNATIONAL INITIATIVES. HEARTENED BY REVIEW INDICATING INCREASING OPPORTUNITIES SHARE BAHÁ’U’LLÁH’S WORLD-REDEEMING MESSAGE VAST REGIONS CHINA, SOVIET UNION AND EASTERN EUROPE. REJOICE IN MOUNTING PRESTIGE CAUSE GOD WORLD-WIDE. INVITE ALL FRIENDS JOIN IN OFFERING PRAYERS THANKSGIVING BAHÁ’U’LLÁH FOR HIS SUSTAINED ABUNDANT BLESSINGS.
JANUARY 5, 1989
Essay[edit]
Some warm memories of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá[edit]
I first met ‘Abdu’l-Bahá vicariously, so to speak, and it was this meeting that brought me into the Bahá’í Faith in the summer of 1906. It happened that being in the vicinity of Green Acre that summer I made a pilgrimage there to see what it was all about. My curiosity had been aroused by weekly articles in the Boston Transcript. At the time I was studying for the Unitarian ministry at the Harvard Divinity School.
It was a warm Sunday afternoon in August. The big tent on Green Acre’s lower level, where the lecture hall now is located, was filled to capacity to hear some famous sculptor from New York. I was not greatly interested in his lecture. It was not for the sake of art that I had come, but for the sake of religion.
At the end of the lecture I went up to speak to Sarah Farmer—who had been presiding in her own ineffable way, shedding a warm spiritual glow upon the whole affair. As I had previously met her in Cambridge at the home of Mrs. Ole Bull, I ventured to recall myself to her.
Miss Farmer took my hand in hers and cordially held it while she looked into my eyes and asked, “Have you heard of the Persian Revelation?”
“No,” I answered.
“Well, go to that lady in a white headdress and ask her to tell you about it. I know by your eyes that you are ready for it.”
What had she seen in my eyes? I do not know. But what she had read there proved true. For within half an hour
We were ushered into a long study....I saw a large desk there, but no person sitting at it. Only a radiance of light. As we approached the end of the room, a majestic figure in Oriental garb became evident to me. It was ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.
from that moment I became a confirmed Bahá’í and have remained so ever since.
But it is of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá that I am writing, and not of myself. How did it happen that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, seven thousand miles away and a prisoner in ‘Akká, could at such a distance confirm me with such immediacy into the Bahá’í Faith?
It happened in this way. The path had been prepared, so to speak. For in reviewing books for the Boston Transcript which dealt with the prevailing and rapidly increasing flaws in our present civilization, and the need of a better world order, I had begun to debate deeply with myself on this matter of such great universal concern.
It is true, I thought, that a new and better pattern of civilization needs to be devised. But even if such a pattern—an ideal pattern—were conceived, who could put it over? Could I, as a clergyman, hope to convert all my congregation to it? Much less could I hope to convert the whole country. And no human being could by any conceivable power of vision and of personality bring all humanity into such a kingdom of perfection.
I still vividly remember how I was taking a long walk in the beautiful suburb of Chestnut Hill, around the reservoir, when the solution to this problem flashed into my mind. Someone must appear with more than human authority, in order to win the allegiance of the whole world to an ideal pattern for humanity.
This was my general frame of mind when Mary Lucas, the “woman in white”—a singer just back from visiting ‘Abdu’l-Bahá—took me under an apple tree on the sloping lawn and proceeded to unfold to me the Persian Revelation. Her exposition was very simple. It consisted only of these four words: “Our Lord has come!”
The moment Mary Lucas uttered those words I felt, This is it! How did it happen that I felt that way? The “woman in white” had not discoursed to me upon the spiritual character and greatness of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, nor upon the principles of the Bahá’í Faith. How great is the power of speech, when one simple utterance could sweep me—mind, heart and soul—into that Faith!
| This article, “Memories of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá,” by Stanwood Cobb, is reprinted from Bahá’í News Nos. 376 and 377 (July-August 1962). Dr. Cobb died December 29, 1982, two months after his 101st birthday. |
But it was more than those four words that empowered Mary Lucas to so usher me into the Cause. It was more than speech itself. It was a unique spiritual vibration which Mary Lucas had brought from ‘Akká that convinced me. And it was the strange cosmic dynamism with which her words were charged that moved my soul.
If ‘Abdu’l-Bahá Himself had stood under that apple tree and addressed me, I could not have been more convinced. For what is distance on the plane of spirit? Mary Lucas had brought the spirit of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá with her. I felt it, and I was convinced. Especially as my own soul had already sought out and found the answer to the world’s dire needs: Someone must appear with more than human authority.
So that was my first meeting with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá—strangely vicarious, perhaps predestined. The second meeting—with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in person
[Page 3]
while He was still a prisoner in ‘Akká—took place in the following way.
In February 1908 I had the great privilege of visiting Him in company with
Lua Getsinger, famous in the annals of
Bahá’í history.
I accidentally (or was it by destiny?) ran into Lua on the steps of Shepard Hotel in Cairo, Egypt, where I had gone for a few days of travel during the mid-year holidays of Robert College (Constantinople), in which at that time I was a teacher of English and Latin.
“What are you doing here?” asked Lua in great surprise.
“What are you doing here?” I replied, in equal surprise.
It seems that Lua was on a pilgrimage to ‘Akká, and she urged me to leave off my travels in Egypt and join her. I explained that I had written ‘Abdu’l-Bahá for permission to visit, but had been answered that at that time it was not advisable.
“But I have standing permission to take anyone with me,” urged Lua.
“But I have arranged a trip up the Nile with my friend, Hussein.”
“What is a trip up the Nile compared with the privilege of visiting the Master?”
Lua’s logic was convincing and her ardor compelling. Twenty-four hours later saw me ensconced in a room adjoining ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s in the historic “prison of ‘Akká,” in reality a large compound enclosed within walls.
My first actual meeting with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was bewildering. We were ushered into a long study, lighted by large French windows at the farther end. I saw a large desk there, but no person sitting at it. Only a radiance of light. As we approached the end of the room, a majestic figure in Oriental garb became evident to me. It was ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.
Lua Getsinger, with the devotion of a Mary Magdalene, fell to her knees and fervently kissed His robe. But what was I to do? I am not one who can act insincerely. Should I merely shake hands with Him? As I stood in hesitation, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, fully realizing my predicament, saved me from it by taking me in His arms and embracing me.
“You are welcome!” he said.
Every evening at dinner ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Who did not eat at that time, helped to serve us. He went around from guest to guest, putting more food upon the plates. This is the height of Oriental hospitality, to serve an honored guest with one’s own hands.
When the meal was over, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá would give us a brief talk on spiritual themes. I regret that I have not a memory sufficient to recall all that He said. But I do recall two of these messages of spiritual wisdom.
Once He said, “It is not enough to wish to do good. The wish should be followed by action. What would you think of a mother who said, ‘How I love you, my babe!’—yet did not give it milk? Or of a penniless man, who said, ‘I am going to found a great university!’ ”
On another occasion He spoke of the need for loving patience in the face of aggravating behavior on the part of others. “One might say, ‘Well, I will endure such-and-such a person so long as he is endurable.’ But Bahá’ís must endure people even when they are unendurable!”
Three extraordinary qualities which characterized all of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s utterances were to be found in these two brief conversations: His supreme logic; His delightful sense of humor; and the inspiring buoyancy with which He gave forth solemn pronouncements.
For instance, when He said, “But Bahá’ís must endure people even when they are unendurable,” He did not look at us solemnly as if appointing us to an arduous and difficult task. Rather, He beamed upon us delightfully, as if to suggest what a joy to us it would be to act in this way!
I want to emphasize this important point—the joyousness with which ‘Abdu’l-Bahá always depicted the spiritual life as He enjoined it upon us. And why not? Is man’s spiritual life not in reality more joyous than any other kind of life that he can lead?
This philosophy of joy was the keynote of all of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s teaching. “Are you happy?” was His frequent greeting to His visitors. “Be happy!”
Those who were unhappy (and who of us is not at times!) would weep at this. And ‘Abdu’l-Bahá would smile as if to say, “Yes, weep on. Beyond the tears is sunshine.”
And sometimes He would wipe away with His own hands the tears from their wet cheeks, and they would leave His presence transfigured.
On the occasion of this visit I had been under a severe strain at Robert College, due to disciplinary troubles. That was one of the reasons for my diversionary trip to Egypt. Also, I had been slowly recovering in previous years from a nervous depression due to overwork at Dartmouth College. I had been earning my way through Dartmouth, and also at the Harvard Divinity School. At times I would feel so depressed that I should have been glad to have found a hole in the ground, crawled into it, and pulled the hole in after me. I understood at such times the Hindu craving for extinction.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá came into my room one morning without His translator. He sat beside me and took one of my hands in both of His and held it for a minute or two. He had not at any time inquired as to my health. He knew. From that moment on I found myself permanently relieved of these depressive moods. No matter how hard the going, I have always since then been glad to be alive.
At last, all too soon, the time came to go. The three days assigned for our visit had come to an end. I shall never forget how Lua Getsinger sobbed as if her heart would break as she slowly descended the long flight of steps, looking back frequently at ‘Abdu’l-Bahá Who stood benignly at the top.
And I shall never forget how joyously ‘Abdu’l-Bahá smiled at Lua’s tears, knowing that they were more precious than pure gold. For they were the complete offering, at that moment, of Lua’s heart and soul to the Master—the instinctive expression of her great love. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá knew that these were not tragic tears. They were like the vernal showers that prelude the rich blossoming of spring.
Needless to say, the ensuing spring at Robert College was one of the most glorious periods of my life. Never had the birds sung so sweetly, the flowers and shrubs bloomed so exquisitely, the golden sunshine seemed so intoxicating. As for my disciplinary troubles at the college, they vanished like mist which the sunshine dispels. My pupils, some of whom had been carrying knives and revolvers, loved me again and more than ever. Such was the
[Page 4]
magic power that I brought from
‘Akká.
Again it was my privilege to visit ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in the summer of 1910, and this time at His own invitation. I was given the privilege of spending a week there, in the Persian guest house on the slopes of Mount Carmel. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá at this time was living in Haifa in the home built for Him by Mrs. Jackson, having been freed from His imprisonment by the Young Turks in the summer of 1908. The oppressive and cruel governor who had in vain sought graft from Him and had threatened to send Him to the malign dungeons of Tunis, had himself met the fate he had designed for ‘Abdu’l-Bahá—the fate of death, and at the hands of the Young Turks. And ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was enjoying, for the first time since His boyhood, the luxury of freedom.
He seemed to me more noble in countenance, more regal in bearing, more potent in the power of His presence than ever before. Every evening at sunset He met with the pilgrims, assembled in a large room, and gave a spiritual discourse.
One afternoon I found the pilgrims waiting outside at the gate for ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. He had been making a call upon the Turkish consul and was expected soon. After a few moments we saw His carriage stop at the foot of the short hill, where He got out in order to walk the rest of the way for the sake of exercise. All of the Persian pilgrims stood in their customary reverential attitude, awaiting His approach with bowed heads and arms crossed upon their breasts. I alone, as an American, took the privilege of watching Him as He approached, enjoying the majesty of His movements and the nobility of His appearance. But as He neared me I involuntarily also bowed my head. Some power emanating from Him seemed to obligate this attitude. So had Professor E.G. Browne, the only westerner ever to visit Bahá’u’lláh, felt obligated to bow his head in the presence of the Prophet.
This power emanating from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was not expressed for the purpose of producing submission. It was a power which He never expressed to non-Bahá’ís. Let us say, rather, that it was a privilege He gave us, of seeing a little behind the veil; of experiencing the direct effect of that Cosmic Power which in this early period of our development seems supernormal, however normal it may become to us at some distant future age of our soul’s development.
No, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá never put forth any of His spiritual power to dazzle, persuade or over-awe skeptics or unbelievers. Of this fact I shall later give a vivid instance.
On the day I arrived at Haifa I was ill with a dysentery which I had picked up in the course of my travels. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá sent His own physician to me, and visited me Himself. He said, “I would that I could take your illness upon Myself.” I have never forgotten this. I felt, I knew, that in making this remark ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was not speaking in mere terms of sympathy. He meant just what He said.
Such is the great love of the Kingdom, of which ‘Abdu’l-Bahá spoke so often and so much. This is a love that is difficult, almost impossible, for us to acquire—though we may seek to approximate its perfection. It is more than sympathy, more than empathy. It is sacrificial love.
Looking back, it seems strange that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá did not employ His healing power directly upon me, as He had done on the occasion of my previous visit. He left me to the care of His physician and to the prescribed medications. It took three days for me to get on my feet again.
Why did He not restore me directly to health by means of spiritual healing? There is some deep spiritual lesson here. It was not ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s province to go about healing physical diseases. It was His mission to expound the Teachings and express the spiritual potency of the world’s Divine Physician. Physical events and conditions are of less importance in our lives than the development of our spiritual nature.
In regard to health in general, I will quote here a statement which ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had made to me on my previous visit: that health is the expression of equilibrium; that the body is composed of certain elements, and that when these elements are in the right proportion, health results; and that if there is any lack or preponderance in these elements, sickness results.
Thus 50 years ago ‘Abdu’l-Bahá gave in a simple statement to me all the truths which the new science of biochemistry is now discovering.
But there is still another cause of illness, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá went on to say. Illness may be caused by nervous factors. Anything that shocks us or affects our nerves may also affect our health.
All that has been written to this point is a sort of introduction to the recording of my memories of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá on the occasion of His visit to the U.S. in 1912. The purpose of this introduction is to show what sort of a personage it was that on April 11, 1912, landed at the port of New York for an extended visit and lecture tour in this country.
Here was an Oriental in Oriental garb, a man Who had been a prisoner most of His life, a character Whose life was for the most part lived on a spiritual plane so lofty as to be almost beyond our comprehension. How did this Servant of God meet, fit into and adjust to the objective, dynamic and materialistic life of America?
‘Abdu’l-Bahá, upon landing in New York and being surrounded by alert and inquisitive reporters, was perfectly at home. And why not? Is there any limit to the power of the spirit? Was not ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s universal spirit as capable of dealing with the fast-vibrating technological Occident as it had been in dealing with the mystic and more spiritual Orient? We shall see, as this narrative continues, how He was “all things to all men”; protean in His universality; thoroughly at home in every environment.
This majestic figure—in tarboosh, turban and flowing robes—drew the newspaper men into His aura and immediately won their favor.
“What do you think of America?” He was asked.
“I like it. Americans are optimistic. If you ask them how they are, they say, ‘All right!’ If you ask them how things are going, they say, ‘All right!’ This cheerful attitude is good.”
And so ‘Abdu’l-Bahá won reporters’ hearts and continued to do so throughout His stay in America. He never seemed to them, or was described by them, as a strange or exotic personality. He always received favorable and
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constructive notices from the press.
For eight months ‘Abdu’l-Bahá traveled over the United States from coast to coast, giving addresses in churches, universities and lecture halls. Several of these addresses I was privileged to attend. As I look back on these occasions, I recall more vividly His platform presence than the contents of His addresses, which of course have all been published.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá did not, as a lecturer, stand still. His movements were very dynamic. He paced back and forth on the platform as He gave forth His spiritual utterances. I felt that the general atmosphere and the effect of His words were enhanced rather than diminished by the presence of a translator. For the techniques of translation gave ‘Abdu’l-Bahá a certain spiritual dignity, such as could not have been attained by a straight address in the language of His hearers.
The situation was as follows: ‘Abdu’l-Bahá would make a statement of a length within the power of the translator to render; then He would stand and smile as the translation was given, or He would nod His head to affirm important points. In other words, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá did not stand passive during the period of translation. He constantly illumined this translation with the dynamic power of His own spiritual personality.
And when He spoke, the Persian words—so beautiful and strong— boomed forth almost as musically as in operatic recitatives. While He spoke He was in constant and majestic motion. To hear Him was an experience unequaled in any other kind of platform delivery. It was a work of art, as well as a spiritual service. First would come this spiritual flow of thought musically expressed in a foreign tongue. Then, as the translator set forth its meaning to us, we had the added pleasure of watching ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s response to the art of the translator. It was, all in all, a highly colorful and dramatic procedure.
The substance of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s talks, here and in London and Paris, has been published and is available for study. One can perceive in all of these addresses and discussions a peculiar adaptation to the Occidental mentality and way of thinking. They are, to sum it up in one word, supremely logical.
The author, Dr. Stanwood Cobb, is pictured as he presented a talk in Atlanta, Georgia, shortly before his passing in 1982 at the age of 101.
It was the Greeks who taught the world how to think in logical terms, and they thereby laid the foundations for all Western thought and science. From the Greeks we have learned how to begin at “A” in order to get to “Z”—or as in Greek, from “Alpha” to “Omega.”
The Orientals do not think in quite this way. Their mentality has never submitted to the Greek discipline. Their minds are more mystical, more immediate in perception. They do not have to begin at “A” to comprehend the station of “Z.” Through spiritual sensitivity, through rapid intuitional processes, they can often gain an immediate awareness or comprehension of the ultimate—of the “Omega” itself.
All Oriental seers and prophets speak oracularly. One sentence, one paragraph will contain a wealth which a lifetime of thought cannot exhaust. Christ spoke this way. Bahá’u’lláh spoke this way.
But ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, for the sake of the Western world, adopted the Greek mode of presentation, carefully elaborating His theses and developing them from known and admissible premises. In no place is ‘Abdu’l-Bahá ever obscure or recondite. If He wishes to present a great spiritual truth, He takes it up at an initial point where its truth will be acknowledged by all, and then develops it into a larger presentation such as can expand our very minds and souls.
And so, whatever else ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was and in the future will be realized to be, it is recognizable even today that He was God’s special gift to the Occident. He translated the oracular teachings of Bahá’u’lláh into a language and form easily comprehensible to the West. So that no one, having available these lucid pronouncements of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, can say that the Bahá’í Faith is hard to understand. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá has set forth its Teachings with all the lucidity of daylight and the warmth of sunlight.
Regarding the countless personal interviews which the Master gave to Bahá’ís and non-Bahá’ís alike, volumes could be written. I will tell here only of the interviews which I personally was privileged to have.
When ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was in Boston, I seized the opportunity to take my father to see Him, from our home in the suburb of Newton. Father at that time was a venerable Boston artist, seventy-five years of age—an earnestly religious man, devout, spiritual and
[Page 6]
prayerful. He was sympathetic to my
adherence to the Bahá’í Cause, but he
had said, “Son, I am too old to
change.” While I was in Constantinople, Father had at my request attended some of the Bahá’í meetings in
Boston; and now he was glad to have
the opportunity to visit with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.
But what was my consternation to perceive that Father was taking the conversation into his own hands. It was an occurrence which I shall never forget. Father for some half-hour proceeded to lay down the law to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, or let us say, to enlighten Him on spiritual themes. Or to be even more exact, let us say that Father took the opportunity to express to the loving, listening ear of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá the spiritual philosophy which had guided him in life.
I sat there quite shocked. But I didn’t need to be. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá plainly was not shocked by this reversal of the customary role—He now to be the listener and His visitor the discourser. He sat there smiling, saying little, enveloping us with His love. And at the end Father came away feeling that he had had a wonderful interview. What a lesson in humility this was, that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá thus exemplified! There are so many times when we can help others best simply by being good listeners.
The last interview I had in this country with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was in Washington. Strange, that I don’t recall what He said. My heart was too full to take any notes! I can only recall how He embraced me at the end, kissed me, and said three times: “Be on fire with the love of the Kingdom!”
What is this “love of the Kingdom”? That is what humanity must henceforward spend a few thousand years to discover and apply to life. Did ‘Abdu’l-Bahá mean the love for the Kingdom or the kind of love that prevails in the Higher Kingdom? Or did He mean both these loves?
Here in these nine words ‘Abdu’l-Bahá summed up the gist of all His teaching, which was that love applied by means of the Holy Spirit is the one thing that will solve all problems, both of man as an individual and as a collective society.
The most important interview I had with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was in Paris in the spring of 1913. I was one of the staff of Porter Sargent’s Travel School for Boys. On my first visit He inquired about the school and asked me what I taught. I told Him that I taught English, Latin, algebra and geometry. He gazed intently at me with His luminous eyes and said, “Do you teach the spiritual things?”
The question embarrassed me. I did not know how to explain to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá that the necessity of preparing
I accepted always (‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s) statements with humility and with total conviction; not because of any assumption of authority, but because I always felt in the depths of my soul that what He said was the truth. It always rang true, so to speak.
the boys for college-entrance exams dominated the nature of the curriculum. So I simply answered: “No, there is not time for that.”
‘Abdu’l-Bahá made no comment on this answer. But He did not need to. Out of my own mouth I had condemned myself and modern education. No time for spiritual things! That, of course, is just what is wrong with our modern, materialistic “civilization.” It has no time to give for spiritual things.
But ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s question and His silent response indicated that from His viewpoint spiritual things should come first. And why not? The material world, as the expression of man’s spirit, is subordinate to the spiritual world. Therefore, education should begin with that which is primary and causal; and not with that which, as the creation of man, is secondary to his creative spirit and to the Creative Spirit of the cosmos.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá kindly invited me to bring Porter Sargent and the pupils to see Him. Mr. Sargent gladly accepted the invitation, and four of the boys did. The others had excuses, like those people in the Bible who were invited to the wedding feast but did not go. One boy had to buy a pair of shoes; another had planned to take afternoon tea at a restaurant where a gypsy orchestra furnished music, etc. How many of life’s important opportunities thus pass us by, through our own unperceptiveness or neglect!
I was deeply interested and concerned to see what impression ‘Abdu’l-Bahá would make on the owner of the school. Porter Sargent, 10 years my senior, was a confirmed and positive atheist. He had been a biologist, and was suffering from that spiritual myopia which so often afflicts this type of scientist. But he was an idealist, a humanitarian, a man of great vision for humanity, and somewhat of a genius.
In one intimate discussion with me on the nature of existence, during a long hike we took together on the sunny island of Capri, he had outlined to me his concept of life and the universe.
“What do you think of it?” he asked me, with some eagerness. Perhaps this was the first occasion on which he had so fully expounded his philosophy of life.
“It is splendid!” I said. “But it only covers half of existence.”
“What is the other half?”
“Spirit.”
But this other half did not exist for Porter Sargent. Idealist that he was, creative-minded, somewhat of a poet—I felt sad that not one ray of spirit could penetrate the pride of his intellect.
So when this golden opportunity came of an interview with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, I had great hopes. Now, in this intimate meeting with the Master, I thought, Sargent will be forced to realize the existence of spirit. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s spiritual potency will at last penetrate his shell of skepticism.
And so, when we came out from the hotel after a half-hour conference with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, I eagerly asked, “Well, what do you think of Him?”
I have never forgotten the shattering disappointment at the answer: “He’s a dear, kind, tired old man.”
I was chagrined. But this experience taught me two spiritual lessons. The first was that skepticism must solve its own problems in its own way. The second truth, even more important, was that spirit never forces itself upon the individual. It must be invited.
Theologians have frequently made the observation that God could easily force us to reverence and to stand in awe of Him, if He wished. But He does not wish to win man’s reverence and
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awe and love by any forceful means.
The initiative must come from man
himself.
And so in the case of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, I noticed on many occasions that He never expressed spiritual power for the purpose of dazzling people, or of winning them to a spiritual allegiance for which they were not inwardly prepared. The greater the receptivity of the individual, the greater was the revelation of spiritual potency which ‘Abdu’l-Bahá displayed to them.
Thus Juliet Thompson, who painted ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s portrait, has testified to the glorious revelations of Himself which her Subject at times made to her. In similar vein have testified the Kinneys, with whom ‘Abdu’l-Bahá spent several days. And May Maxwell once told me that she had received, on one sacred occasion in the presence of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, such a revelation of Him that she would never attempt to describe it.
But materially-minded people ‘Abdu’l-Bahá met upon their own plane, as He did Porter Sargent. And as I also saw Him do in Washington with the Turkish ambassador, on the occasion of Mrs. Parsons’ reception. This being a social affair, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá did not play the part of the Master, but the part of a guest amenable to the situation. And anyone who had looked into the large reception room, as I did, and had seen ‘Abdu’l-Bahá sitting in a corner and exchanging humorous stories with the ambassador would have seen in ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s facial expressions no trace of spiritual power. For He was not here primarily for spiritual purposes, but to play a social part.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá was indeed “all things to all men.” He was protean. If some were prepared only to see Him as the Old Man of the Sea, such He was to them. But if they were prepared to see Him as more than this, the degree of their receptivity was proportionately blessed.
In all my interviews with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá I had an extraordinary feeling of receiving truth from a higher plane than that of the mere intellect. Man’s intellect is an organ of discrimination, an instrument for analysis and attack. As we listen to others more learned than ourselves we are pleased to receive information, but we consciously reserve the right of judgment. Some of the things said to us we accept immediately; some with reservations; and some we inwardly oppose. No matter how wise, how learned the teacher, we reserve the right of our own judgment.
But with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá it was different. I accepted always His statements with humility and with total conviction; not because of any assumption of authority, but because I always felt in the depths of my soul that what He said was the truth. It always rang true, so to speak. Let us say, as it was said of another great leader of men, that He spoke “with authority.”
In the course of His lectures here and abroad, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá discoursed on many topics. Where did He get His wide knowledge of things and of affairs? He had had but one year of schooling at the age of seven. He had been a prisoner all His life. He had few books, no scholarly library, no encyclopedias.
Yet at Schenectady, as ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was being shown around the General Electric Works by Steinmetz, this “wizard of electricity” was observed to be eagerly absorbing ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s elucidation of electricity. The Rev. Moore, Unitarian clergyman who was present at the time, testified to me: “Steinmetz’s jaw seemed to drop open as he drank in ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s talk.”
“‘Abdu’l-Bahá, do You know everything?” Saffa Kinney is said to have asked.
“No, I do not know everything,” He replied. “But when I need to know something, it is pictured before Me.”
And so ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, on the occasion of His tour of the General Electric Works, knew more about electricity than did Steinmetz.
Shoghi Effendi has said that intuition is a power of the soul. It was this power that was always available to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and available in its totality. He has spoken many times of this “immediate knowledge”—this knowledge attained without the means of books or other humans, this strange intuitive power which to some degree is available to us all.
And often, in closing an interview after answering some abstruse question, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá would say, “Time does not permit of further answer. But meditate on this, and the truth will come to you.”
And so—although ‘Abdu’l-Bahá is no longer with us to answer our questions—the power of the Holy Spirit so strong in Him is still available to us, to guide, to fortify, to heal.
Uruguay[edit]
Pictured are some of the participants in Bahá’í children’s classes in Florida, southern Uruguay.
Development[edit]
Review of activities around the world[edit]
The worldwide Bahá’í community is growing in size, in strength, and in capacity. One clear indication of this expansion is the attention that Bahá’í communities are now giving to social and economic development. Development activities are a natural part of the growth of the Bahá’í community; they are a visible demonstration of Bahá’u’lláh’s Teachings put into practice, and cause the community to advance both spiritually and materially.
Bahá’í development means using the tools of the Faith—consultation, the network of administration, and human qualities such as humility and self-sacrifice—to confront the challenges of growth, to solve problems, and carry the community forward. Every society has needs and problems that even the smallest Bahá’í community can begin to address. The following are some examples.
AFRICA[edit]
Development activities in the African continent have attracted public support because they address local needs and are implemented by local communities, creating a sound foundation for further growth.
Kenya[edit]
The youth of Jeberen have been attending poultry-farming seminars in Gisambai and Bukuru and have visited a small-scale farm in Maragoli to prepare for their own poultry-farming and pig-raising project.
Among the busy program of activities enjoyed by the Menu youth is a vegetable-growing project. (From “Arise,” the newsletter of the National Youth Committee, December 1988)
Zaire[edit]
During September, a two-week health education training program in the village of Mubambiro trained local Bahá’ís as leaders in health education
During the first week a play based on the importance of going to the clinic to have children weighed and immunized was presented to the Bahá’í community and the health staff of the local clinic, and received much praise from both audiences.
and the broad aspects of social and economic development, helped the local community with a tree-planting project, and received praise from local government officials. (Mubambiro is also the site of a Bahá’í project devoted to the advancement of the Bayanda (Pygmy) people.)
The training program was organized by the regional social and economic development committee of Kivu (CREDESE), and based on lessons from the Kenyan and Tanzanian Bahá’í Health Education Programs.
Ten Bahá’ís including three women and two members of the Bayanda tribe were chosen by their local Spiritual Assemblies to attend.
The daily program began with a deepening session which helped to establish a spiritual basis for the course. By the end of the two-week period, students were all involved in teaching various health-related topics using simple teaching aids—blackboards, health leaflets, and role-playing, the last an important aspect of the training, used to emphasize important points.
During the first week a play based on the importance of going to the clinic to have children weighed and immunized was presented to the Bahá’í community and the health staff of the local clinic, and received much praise from both audiences.
During the second week the program focused on the role of the health educator in the village and involved practice teaching with groups of villagers.
To demonstrate to the trainees their broader role in social and economic development, a survey was conducted to evaluate the greatest needs of the village, and a project was chosen to fill that need. The survey took the form of a “village walk.” Trainees visited each home, noting the problems of the village. As a result, they decided to help the local Assembly of Mubambiro to plant seedlings along a path to the village—inadequate firewood is a daily concern for the villagers.
A report describing the project says in part: “On Thursday morning a community-wide meeting was held in the Bahá’í Centre. Sixty people came, including children and youth and three friends of the Faith. The importance of trees to the community was discussed and then an explanation of how to plant a tree was given....Over 250 trees were planted in less than two hours....Unity in spirit and action was manifest in this project, which was started by the community because they saw a problem and a way to potentially solve it. It was a project that was carried out by the community with virtually no outside help....The result was a sense of pride and self-worth that was tangible.” The report adds that when traditional dances took place that evening, “the friends in Mubambiro danced longer than usual.”
On the final day the hospital administrator gave a well-received talk at the closing ceremony, and while praising the work of the Bahá’ís, promised his support to the health educators in the area. (Report from an individual received November 10, 1988)
THE AMERICAS[edit]
Initiatives exemplifying consultation and unified action, directed through
[Page 9]
the Bahá’í administrative channels to
address current community needs,
have enriched the Bahá’í community’s
experience while strengthening bonds
with the public.
Alaska[edit]
A groundswell of involvement in activities confronting problems related to alcoholism is emerging among the Bahá’ís and the community at large.
Last June, the local Spiritual Assembly of Oceanview and the Office of Teaching and Consolidation worked together to support the fifth annual Rural Provider’s Conference, sponsored by RurAL-CAP (a social service organization operated by Native Americans in Alaska), at Glenn-allen in the southeastern area of the country. One of the paramount aims of RurAL-CAP is to eliminate alcohol and drug abuse from the native community by the year 2000. The Bahá’ís were invited to take responsibility for feeding the 500 rural health providers and villagers who took part in the conference and to organize their bus and air transportation.
In the course of supporting this important social issue, the Bahá’ís were able to share the Faith through action. A letter received from the conference coordinator expresses gratitude and the hope of further collaboration: “On behalf of RurAL-CAP Alcohol Department I would like to take this opportunity to express our gratitude to the Bahá’í people ... our program is looking forward to a long working relationship with you in the future.”
The Bahá’í participants were equally grateful for the chance to serve the community in this way. (Report from Alaska Bahá’í News, August 1988)
ASIA[edit]
In many Asian countries the administrative network of the Bahá’í Faith, being based on a spiritual foundation where the aim, above all, is the upliftment and restoration of human dignity, is acknowledged by the public as praiseworthy, strong and enduring in contrast to the community at large which is often battered by opposing forces.
The implementation of educational and health projects in response to local needs has, over a period of time, seen significant changes in attitudes.
Philippines[edit]
The people of the Mangyan tribes in Oriental Mindoro were first introduced to the Faith during the mid-’60s. Soon after, the first local Spiritual Assembly was formed, and during the Five Year Plan the first tutorial school was established, fulfilling one of the Philippines’ goals.
Over the past two years a health project among the Mangyan people has been working to control and immunize against an upsurge in the incidence of malaria. The Bahá’ís’ commitment to this project, the manner in which they operate, and the effectiveness of the Bahá’í network have won the trust and support of government health authorities who, a September report from the National Spiritual Assembly states, are now expressing “much eagerness and enthusiasm to work with the Bahá’ís.”
The report continues: “The medical team sent by the Central Office and provincial coordinator was very impressed with the Bahá’í group because of the initiative, zeal and enthusiasm to help the far-flung communities.
“A seminar given by the Provincial Malaria Control Unit, attended by Bahá’í tutorial school teachers and Mangyan local Assembly members, was very successful.” The Bahá’ís, it says, are now considered volunteer workers.
“An encouraging development,” a report sent last July by the National Spiritual Assembly, says, “has taken place in these areas. Whereas before when asked who their leader was, the Mangyans would immediately point to their teacher as the spokesman and ... protector of the community. Now when asked ... they immediately say it is the local Assembly and all decisions are made by the local ... Assembly.”
In addition, on August 24 the Bahá’ís, the only religious group invited, attended a meeting in Mansalay on the topic of community development, at the invitation of the local government organizers.
AUSTRALASIA[edit]
Initiatives addressing local needs and using available resources have demonstrated the ability of Bahá’ís to coordinate activities involving various people from the public sector, and to provide practical measures with which to meet those needs.
These projects are simple but effective, providing a solid foundation for further development.
Papua New Guinea[edit]
A Child Education Teacher Training and Regional Women’s Institute held last September 16-18 in Rabaul used a lively program of demonstrations and workshops on child education, talks, and special presentations by three guest speakers—all experts in community health and education.
About 50 people from the northern Solomons as well as New Ireland and New Britain took part. Talks covered an historical overview of the emancipation of women and principles for peace.
The guest speakers, Diane Goldsmith, provincial nutritionist; Rose Porowai, senior inspector of community schools; and Barbara Maira, president of the Council of Women and a former family welfare officer, gave practical advice from their fields of expertise. (Report from the National Spiritual Assembly of November 21, 1988)
A report from the Continental Board of Counsellors of November 24 relays news of the active involvement of women in the administrative channels of the Faith and the full support for women’s initiatives demonstrated by the men in this active community.
Last year, the report says, the percentage of women on national and regional committees in Papua New Guinea was close to 50 percent, and there has been more than a two-fold increase in the number of women appointed as assistants to Auxiliary Board members. Sustained women’s activities are under way in Port Moresby, Lae, Rabaul, Goroka and several rural areas of the country.
A three-day women’s conference in Mt. Brown, Central Province, one of the most remote areas of the country, which was organized by the village women themselves, brought together more than 50 participants. During the conference, the men took charge of child-minding, cooking, washing and fetching water, thus giving their full support to the conference. The report notes that these events are novel and are considered major achievements in this part of the country.
A weekend women’s conference held last November at the National Bahá’í
[Page 10]
Centre in Lae is reported to have
drawn “an unexpected massive participation of women” who are not Bahá’ís. A report in “The Bahá’í Faith”
(news from the National Office) for
November adds that members of the
Morobe (Province) Women’s Association, which was holding its general
meeting in Lae, attended the event, and
“the women were most impressed with
the Bahá’í men who supported the
seminar by preparing and serving
‘mumu’ (a traditional food) on the Saturday evening.”
Charts and videos were used as teaching aids, presenting a broad range of health-related topics with the help of experts in the field.
Two other women’s conferences are reported to have taken place recently in the heart of the Highlands (Goroka and Lae), with 10 and 30 participants respectively. All of the above activities have resulted in radio and newspaper coverage on a national scale.
Fiji[edit]
A pioneer living in Fiji has begun a social development program while studying children’s literature at a university. With her two small children and a university lecturer, she has initiated a weekly story-reading program at an orphanage that houses 60 children, a 20-minute drive from her home. The event begins with story-reading in a large group setting and is followed by smaller group readings with the older children reading to younger ones. Each week the children’s library book displays are changed. (Report from an individual Bahá’í dated September 1988)
EUROPE[edit]
The Bahá’í communities in many parts of the world are realizing that they can reach and help heal the racial problems of their societies by presenting the Bahá’í vision of cultural harmony and the value of diversity, in contrast to the increasingly blatant racism and polarization developing in these countries.
The Netherlands[edit]
Responding to the racial tensions created by a lack of understanding between the immigrant populations and the Dutch people, the Bahá’ís in the Netherlands organized a conference on the theme of “The Multi-Ethnic Society of the Future,” showing the public the positive enrichment that such diversity potentially offers.
An article in the September 27, 1988, issue of Bahá’í Berichten says that “about 600,000 foreigners” reside in the Netherlands, a country whose total population is about 14,568,000. The article continues, “In Amsterdam half of the elementary school children come from immigrant families.
“Many Dutch people have trouble defining their attitude toward these newcomers, and it appears that foreigners have difficulty finding their way in our complicated society.
“Are we able to integrate ethnic and religious minorities within our society while maintaining our own identity? Can Dutch people ... experience another culture as an enrichment of their own world? ... What is intercultural education?”
To address these questions and ways of eliminating discrimination, two days of workshops and talks were held last October at the De Poort conference center. Speakers and workshop facilitators were professionals with a wide range of experience and knowledge, derived from working in the field of inter-cultural relations.
A report in Bahá’í Berichten for November 4 says: “The participating Bahá’ís were able to experience how important it is to organize and attend such conferences, where we can clearly play an important, inspiring and conciliatory role.”
Thailand[edit]
Golbang Jaffari, an 11-year-old Bahá’í from Thailand, holding her Arc Fund project, is pictured with the Hand of the Cause of God Collis Featherstone and Mrs. Madge Featherstone during their recent visit to Thailand. Golbang was inspired to begin a project to save money for the Arc Fund after hearing about it following the International Convention in Haifa, Israel.
The world[edit]
‘Trail of Light’ brightens ‘Carib Week’[edit]
During September 1988, a four-member Carib (Garifuna Indian) Bahá’í music and dance team from the “Trail of Light” project in Belize and Honduras made a memorable weeklong visit to their fellow Carib people in Dominica.
The visit corresponded with the annual celebration of Carib Week.
The group was received at Roseau Airport by the Carib chief, Irvince Auguiste, whose council acted as host to the group during its stay.
The team was interviewed by a crew from a local television station, and the interview was broadcast September 30 on a weekly cable TV news program.
The five-minute feature about the “Trail of Light” marked the first time a program about the Faith had been broadcast in that area.
On three occasions Dominica Broadcasting Service, the national radio station, mentioned the group as part of a news report, and on October 5 a radio interview with the team was aired as a special news feature.
An article and photograph of the group appeared in Dominica’s weekly newspaper, The New Chronicle.
At the gala cultural show for Carib Week on October 2, the group presented a 20-minute dance and drum performance for 500 people.
Afterward, gifts were exchanged between the Trail of Light team and Carib Council. In addition, presentations of the Universal House of Justice’s peace statement were made to other officials and a copy of the Kitáb-i-Íqán was presented to the Carib chief.
Fiji[edit]
Fourteen Bahá’í women from 11 Pacific Islands were given official observer status at the South Pacific Commission Women’s Affairs Conference held last September 17-23 in Fiji. Pictured are Mary Sawicki Power (left), delegate from the Bahá’í International Community in New York City, and Counsellor for Australasia Tinai Hancock.
A group of young Bahá’ís from Moce in the Lau Island group of the Fiji Islands is cutting sugar cane to raise money for the Fund and to travel to the second Bahá’í World Congress, to be held in New York City in 1992.
It was reported in Talanoa (Fiji Bahá’í News) for October/November 1988 that the group of cane cutters “cuts and loads more trucks per day than anyone has ever done and they have become the talk of the place because of their hard work.”
Grenada[edit]
At a meeting last October 11 of the United Nations General Assembly, Grenada’s Minister of External Affairs, Ben Joseph Jones, made a strong plea for that body to take steps to secure for the Bahá’ís in Iran “their God-given right to the sacred freedom to worship God in their own way.”
The continuance of the problem in Iran, he said, will always be a hindrance to the attainment of peace and stability in that country, and, he added, “I call upon this august body to take such steps as would cause the Iranian government to grant to the Bahá’ís their God-given right....”
New Zealand[edit]
About 200 people gathered last September 16 to celebrate the dedication of a new Bahá’í Center in Onehunga, Auckland, New Zealand.
The date coincided with the anniversary of the passing of the Hand of the Cause of God Enoch Olinga, in whose memory the Center is named. Mr. Olinga visited Auckland in 1958.
The ceremony was opened with a Maori welcome, speeches and music. Next came a talk by Ephraim Te Paa, a Maori elder from the far north of the country, who shared his recollections of Mr. Olinga.
Grace Olinga Manins, a daughter of the Hand of the Cause, then presented a talk dedicated to her father’s memory.
Messages from several Bahá’í communities in New Zealand were read and gifts presented.
Grace Olinga Manins presents a speech dedicated to her late father, the Hand of the Cause of God Enoch Olinga, at the opening of a Bahá’í Center in Auckland, New Zealand, last September. The Center, named in honor of Mr. Olinga, was opened on the anniversary of his passing. About 200 people attended the event.
Members of the ‘Spirit of Badi’ teaching campaign in New Zealand enjoy a
moment of relaxation and fellowship.
During the campaign 95 adults, youth
and children, divided into 19 teams, traveled the entire length of New Zealand’s South Island. Friendships were made with elders in Maori communities, and seven new believers were enrolled.
Zambia[edit]
The Bahá’ís of Zambia were given a pleasant surprise as they manned their booth at the annual Agricultural Show in Lusaka.
A group of young people, immaculately dressed in school uniforms, appeared with their headmaster, marching toward the booth and singing a popular Bahá’í song, “We Are Walking in the Light of Bahá’u’lláh.”
The Zambian Bahá’ís soon learned that the group was part of the government of Zimbabwe’s formal participation in the show, and that the headmaster, a Bahá’í, and many of his students, who are also Bahá’ís, were pleased to see the booth and decided to surprise the Zambian Bahá’ís.
The Agricultural Show is visited each year by an estimated 100,000 to 200,000 people from Zambia and neighboring countries. Under the direction of the Spiritual Assembly of Lusaka, Bahá’ís have taken part regularly in the show by organizing a Bahá’í display.
The Netherlands[edit]
Twenty-eight Bahá’ís from 10 countries took an active part last July 23-30 in the 73rd Universal Esperanto Congress at the De Doelen Center in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
In all, 2,800 Esperantists from 61 countries attended the Congress.
Bahá’ís made two official presentations: the first, centered on the Bahá’í House of Worship in India, was by Pierre Daoust of Luxembourg; the second, an introduction to the Faith by Luc Feidangi of the Central African Republic, was the first talk ever given by an African at a Universal Esperanto Congress.
On behalf of the Universal House of Justice, the Bahaa Esperanto-Ligo (BEL) presented a contribution to the worldwide Esperanto movement to help construct an Esperanto Cultural Center in Bialystok, Poland, the birthplace of Dr. Ludwig Zamenhof, who invented the international language in 1887.
The contribution was made in memory of Dr. Zamenhof’s daughter, Lidia, who was a Bahá’í and an outstanding teacher of Esperanto.
One room in the Center, which is expected to be completed in 10 years, will be named for Lidia Zamenhof.
During the “Tago de la Paco” (Day of Peace), which has become a traditional part of the Esperanto Congress, Heinz-Dieter Maas, the chairman of BEL, presented the Bahá’í statement on nature, which was translated into Esperanto and published for the occasion.
Mr. Maas also represented the Faith during an interfaith meeting.
The next two Universal Esperanto Congresses will be held in Brighton, England (1989) and Havana, Cuba (1990).
Central African Republic[edit]
A Bahá’í conference in Salangar village, about 30 kms (18 miles) from Bimbo and Bangui in the southwestern area of the Central African Republic, drew about 70 people, among whom were the village chief, local dignitaries, and representatives of the Catholic and Apostolic churches. Also present was a representative of the National Spiritual Assembly.
Among those at the conference were 50 pygmies. Four Bahá’ís came on foot from Bangui while 15 traveled from Bimbo.
The event coincided with the anniversary of the introduction of the Faith in that locality. Topics discussed included the role of women, the Bahá’í law concerning alcohol, and the Bahá’í Funds.
Leeward Islands[edit]
A Caribbean Women’s Conference, sponsored by the Bahá’ís of the Leeward Islands, was held last September 9-11 on the island of Antigua. Participants, half of whom were not Bahá’ís, came from 12 countries.
Northern Ireland[edit]
Fifty-three people took part in a North-South Conference last September in Londonderry, Northern Ireland, whose purpose was to explore ways to promote the Faith within the Catholic community.
Representatives from the National Spiritual Assemblies of the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland emphasized the need for collaboration in this common teaching goal.
On one afternoon a room was rented in Shantallow, a predominantly Catholic area of the city, and 26 participants gathered there to pray, after which they went out to meet the local people, putting into practice ideas generated during the conference.
Bangladesh[edit]
A Bahá’í delegation presents a copy of The Bahá’í World, Vol. XVIII, to the vice-president of Bangladesh, Justice Nurul Islam (right), during a meeting last August 14. The Bahá’ís were warmly received by the vice-president who asked many questions about the Faith during an ensuing discussion.
A Women’s Conference held last May 14 at Lota Village, Khulna, Bangladesh, drew 60 women and men, among them a representative of the National Women’s Committee and a traveling teacher from Singapore.
As a result, 23 people including members of six families embraced the Cause.
The Spiritual Assembly of Dacca, Bangladesh, operated a free medical camp at the country’s Bahá’í National Center last September 15-30 to care for victims of the recent flood disaster.
The service was advertised in the newspaper and by a banner fixed at the roadside near the Center.
A Bahá’í from Mymensingh, who is also a medical worker, received publicity in local papers for his services, rendered while traveling and teaching in the area.
Bahá’í International Community[edit]
Last December 15, two representatives of the Bahá’í International Community to the United Nations in New York City, Dr. Victor de Araujo and Mary Sawicki Power, met with the deputy Permanent Representative of the USSR to the UN, Victor Zvezdin, and the Counselor at the Mission, Semyon Dzakhayev, to express the sympathy of Bahá’ís around the world for the suffering experienced by the Armenian people as a result of the recent earthquake disaster.
The half-hour meeting included a discussion of the global nature of the Bahá’í community and its involvement in peace-oriented issues and social and economic development.
At the request of Mr. Zvezdin, Bahá’í statements on disarmament are being sent to him along with a copy of the peace statement, which is also being sent to Mr. Dzakhayev.
A contribution was given to the Russian representatives as a token of Bahá’ís’ concern for the well-being of the afflicted Armenian people.
The Bahá’í International Community’s office in New York City was recently elected to serve as Secretary of the Board of the “Conference on Non-Governmental Organizations in Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations” (CONGO) for 1989-91.
CONGO is an umbrella group which ensures that all consultative NGOs have equal and direct access to the UN and have the opportunity to take part in the NGO dimension of UN programs and activities.
The board is elected every three years when the General Assembly of the conference convenes, on an alternating basis, in New York City or Geneva, Switzerland.
The BIC has been a member organization of CONGO since gaining consultative status in 1970. This is the first time it has been elected to serve as Secretary.
Yugoslavia[edit]
Nineteen young Bahá’ís from eight countries were among the 700 participants representing more than 40 countries at the 44th World Esperantist Youth Congress held last July 15-22 in Zagreb, Yugoslavia.
It marked the first time that a delegation of Bahá’ís was invited by the World Esperanto Youth Organization (TEJO) to attend the Congress.
Two lectures were given by Bahá’ís, one on the principle of consultation and the other accompanying a slide program about the Faith.
At an interfaith meeting during the Congress, Bahá’ís made up half of the audience.
An article in an issue of the Congress newspaper mentioned the newly founded youth section of the Bahaa Esperanto-Ligo (Bahá’í Esperanto League).
Laos[edit]
The Hand of the Cause of God Collis Featherstone and Mrs. Madge Featherstone join a group of children at the National Bahá’í Center in Vientiane during their visit last year to Laos.
Belize[edit]
An extensive teaching campaign which resulted from a meeting between Counsellor Hedi Ahmadiyyih and the National Spiritual Assembly of Belize is using the arts as a medium for teaching.
The campaign, aided by Robert Reneau, a Bahá’í musician from Belize who now lives in the United States, has swept through the country, inspiring a renewed spirit of action, especially among the youth.
Mr. Reneau, who was invited by the National Spiritual Assembly to take part in the campaign, organized a group of youth, teaching them songs and dances. More items were added to the show that developed as the group moved from one district to another, finally covering all districts in Belize.
The highlight was a performance at the Bliss Institute auditorium in Belize City which was advertised on radio and television. Mr. Reneau was interviewed on radio about his visit to Belize.
A significant feature of the campaign is that many of the young people taking part are residents of Belize, whereas past teaching efforts were carried out mainly by traveling teachers.
West Malaysia[edit]
Twenty-three new local Spiritual Assemblies have been formed in West Malaysia since Riḍván 1988, raising the total to 95—the maximum possible for that region of the country.
Solomon Islands[edit]
Bahá’ís played a major role during the recent “Women’s Week” sponsored by the Honiara Council of Women in the Solomon Islands.
A Bahá’í prayer was chosen as the opening prayer for the official opening ceremony. The president of the Council, a Bahá’í who is the only female lawyer in the Solomons, was among the featured speakers during the weeklong festivities.
Bahá’ís marched in the opening parade and later presented a performance of traditional dances.
The National Spiritual Assembly of the Solomon Islands has been offered 15 minutes for a regular program on the Faith on Radio Solomon.
It marks the first time that the Bahá’ís have been given air time on Radio Solomon, which reaches 5,000 villages throughout the islands.
Two newspaper reports last September 23, in the Solomon Islands Toktok and The Solomon Star, reflect on the enormous contributions made to the Solomon Islands by Alvin J. Blum, a Bahá’í who died 20 years ago.
Alvin Blum and his wife, Gertrude, Knights of Bahá’u’lláh, arrived at their pioneer post in 1954, the first Bahá’ís in the Solomons.
A public memorial service for Mr. Blum was held at the Bahá’í Center in Honiara.
Young Bahá’ís sit proudly in their float which was part of a parade celebrating the 10th anniversary of the independence of the Solomon Islands. About 20,000 people saw the parade.
Argentina[edit]
A celebration for peace, planned by the local Spiritual Assembly of Almirante Brown, Buenos Aires, Argentina, drew 300 people including various officials and won praise from the mayor of the city, who said he was proud of the Bahá’í community for the upliftment resulting from the event.
Among many activities was a panel discussion involving the mayor, the president of the local Rotary Club, the dean of Oriental studies at the University of Buenos Aires, and representatives of the Catholic Church, the International Movement for Peace, and the local Assembly.
Taiwan[edit]
More than 1,070 new believers have entered the Faith in Taiwan since Riḍván 1988 as a result of the Muhájir Teaching Campaign.
At present, more than 20 full-time teachers are working on the project including eight from Taiwan, four of whom are new believers and have dedicated up to a year of service.
Four of the seven members of Taiwan’s National Teaching Committee are now attending full-time to the growing needs of the campaign.
The Malaysian/Singaporean Bahá’í musical teaching team visited Tsim Tsar Chui and Taipo, Taiwan, last June 3-30, teaching in local Bahá’í Centers, public parks, auditoriums, retirement homes, teachers’ colleges, schools, department stores and railway stations, and bringing 91 people, most of whom were youth, into the Faith.
It is especially noteworthy that the group was able to perform for more than 1,000 students at two schools, given that access to schools in Taiwan is quite difficult.
The mayor of Yuli, a town in Taiwan, was so drawn to the message of the peace statement that he has expressed a desire to arrange a study session for all members of the town’s City Council and their staff to learn more about it.
Belgium[edit]
Two Bahá’ís were among about 85 delegates from 15 European countries taking part last November 3-6 in a meeting of the European Assembly of the World Conference on Religion and Peace (WCRP) in Brussels, Belgium.
Seven religions were represented at the conference, whose purpose was to consult on “Building Peace Through Trust.”
Besides the two official Bahá’í delegates—Dona Adamson from the United Kingdom and C. Kleijne, a youth from the Netherlands—four Bahá’ís attended as fraternal delegates, and at least 10 members of the Bahá’í community of Brussels participated actively in workshops and attended meetings.
WCRP is a forum for interfaith dialogue on issues pertaining to peace. As a non-governmental organization (NGO), it submits statements prepared at such conferences to the United Nations.
Hong Kong[edit]
Two teaching institutes organized by pioneers from Taiwan have spurred teaching activity in Hong Kong, resulting in many new enrollments in the Faith.
The first of these institutes, which were planned by Jack Davis and Kazuo Honda, was for a teaching team, the second for members of the National Spiritual Assembly, Auxiliary Board members and members of the National Teaching Committee.
Both were highly successful in nurturing a strong feeling of love and unity between the believers and the institutions of the Faith, as well as leading to enrollments—70 new believers in less than two weeks.
Among the reported activities was a presentation of the Faith to 400 students and 20 teachers which was arranged by a school principal in Taipo.
A coffee shop manager gave the teaching team permission to speak to his patrons. A brief presentation and an invitation to those who were interested to hear more resulted in 15 enrollments.
Mr. Davis has begun a nine-day institute in Macau, raising the spirits of the Bahá’í community there with the prospect of teaching.
Puerto Rico[edit]
Pictured are those who took part in a course on Bahá’í International Service held last June 19-July 4 at the Amoz Gibson Training Centre in Arecibo, Puerto Rico.
Instructor Michael Stokes (right) consults with Nooshin Burwell, coordinator of Radio Bahá’í Ecuador, during one of last summer’s radio courses at the Amoz Gibson Training Centre for Bahá’í Media in Arecibo, Puerto Rico.
Uganda[edit]
Following persistent efforts by the Bahá’í community of Uganda, a delegation of three members of that country’s National Spiritual Assembly was given a 45-minute audience last September 27 in which to present the peace statement to President Yoweri Museveni.
Before that meeting, the delegation met with the Presidential Press Unit and answered many questions about the Faith. The briefing, which lasted well over an hour, attracted the interest of many State House staff members.
The meeting with the president evolved into a discussion of many aspects of the Faith. He had many questions about its history, its relationship to current world issues, and the persecution of Bahá’ís in Iran.
In addition to the peace statement, the president was given copies of Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, the Kitáb-i-Íqán, and The Earth Is But One Country.
The presentation ceremony was broadcast September 30 and October 1 in the country’s 11 major languages on Radio Uganda News.
Nigeria[edit]
Last September 19, the Bahá’í community of Nigeria was granted a license which authorizes them to hold marriage ceremonies at the National Teaching Institute in Oghara, Bendel State. The marriage license is a privilege granted to only some religions in Nigeria.
Papua New Guinea[edit]
Pictured are many of the 43 adult Bahá’ís and 17 children who attended the Bahá’í Unit Convention last December 4 in Rabaul, Papua New Guinea. It marked the first time in which the Bahá’ís of East New Britain had gathered to elect a delegate to the Bahá’í National Convention to be held next April in Lae. Most of the friends, who came from Watom Island, Kokopo, Wonga Wonga Plantation, Rahim Village, Balanataman and Rabaul, had heard about the meeting on the Toksave Program on Radio East New Britain.
Ecuador[edit]
Since June, Ecuador’s Radio Bahá’í has been sponsoring the annual Ñucancho Tono Festivals, regional events for amateur musical competitions.
The first of these festivals was held last June in Pichincha Province. Its finale featured 21 amateur groups.
Some of the winners of previous festivals are presently touring Europe and America. All have publicly thanked Radio Bahá’í for opening the door to musical achievement; one group presented a plaque to the station in recognition of its work.
Last August, Radio Bahá’í was given another award for community service. The plaque, recognizing its work for children, was presented by the former First Lady of Ecuador, Mme. Febres Cordero.
Norway[edit]
Friendship, love, and a strong feeling of unity were the keys to success at a three-day service project and youth conference held last April in Alta, in the far northern region of Norway.
Fifty-six young people from all over Norway and six from Finland took part in the energy-packed conference, focusing on planning practical actions that could be adopted in local areas on their return home.
India[edit]
The teaching successes last September in India’s Kerala State came as a result of a teaching campaign launched August 21 in the Cannamore district.
Hearing of a forthcoming arts festival, at which more than 500 artists from all parts of India and the Lakshadweep Islands were participating, the Spiritual Assembly of Cannanore seized the opportunity to present the Faith.
Within a week, 88 new believers had been enrolled and three new localities opened to the Faith, including the Lakshadweep Islands. Seven of the 20 artists from those islands returned home as Bahá’ís.
As of the end of November 1988, more than 300 new believers had been enrolled.
The first 15 days of an intensive teaching campaign last October in India’s Orissa State resulted in 2,600 enrollments. Fifty Bahá’ís have volunteered for two months of full-time service in the teaching effort.
Last October 8, the Hon. Shri Nar Bahadur Bhandari, chief minister of Sikkim, visited the Bahá’í House of Worship near New Delhi, India.
Thirteen Bahá’ís from seven localities attended the first Bahá’í Health Professionals’ Seminar held last September 3-5 at the New Era Development Institute in Panchgani, India.
Women from one of the five model villages of Panchayat Bamnouti in Uttar Pradesh, India, gather with visitors. The village, Rajja ka Purwa, which is an all-Bahá’í village, was visited by a group of nine people which included members of the Board of Counsellors, the National Spiritual Assembly, the Auxiliary Board, and local development projects.
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| Bahá’í Writings |
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| Characteristics of the Bahá’í Community |
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| Non-Partisan Character |
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| Bahá’í Administrative Order |
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| Social and Economic Development |
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| Bahá’í History |
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| Relationship to the United Nations |
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