Bahá’í News/Issue 710/Text
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| Bahá’í News | June 1990 | Bahá’í Year 147 |
Construction begins on Terraces
at Shrine of Báb on Mount Carmel
Bahá’í News[edit]
Construction begins on Terraces adjacent to the Shrine of the Báb | 1 |
Bahá’í pioneer to Argentina finds it really is a small world after all | 2 |
Habib Taherzadeh sets forth some thoughts about ‘these latter days’ | 4 |
Catherine Huxtable: Story of indomitable will in face of grave illness | 6 |
Bahá’ís must conquer racism, whose ugly shadow darkens horizon | 8 |
Around the world: News from Bahá’í communities all over the globe | 10 |
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 © 1990, National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. World rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A.
| Work on extension of Terraces adjacent to Shrine of Báb begins on 146th anniversary of His momentous declaration |
|---|
| TO ALL NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLIES
WITH FEELINGS OF PROFOUND JOY ANNOUNCE TO FOLLOWERS OF BAHÁ’U’LLÁH IN EVERY LAND THAT ON MORNING OF TWENTY-THIRD MAY, ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY-SIX YEARS AFTER THE DECLARATION OF THE BÁB, WORK ON EXTENSION TERRACES COMMENCED. THIS HISTORIC OCCASION MARKED BY VISIT HIS SHRINE AND SHRINE OF ‘ABDU’L-BAHÁ BY THE HANDS OF THE CAUSE OF GOD AMATU’L-BAHÁ RÚHHÍYYIH KHÁNUM AND ‘ALÍ-AKBAR FURÚTAN, THE MEMBERS OF THE UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE AND COUNSELLOR MEMBERS OF THE INTERNATIONAL TEACHING CENTRE WITH FARIBURZ SAHBA, ARCHITECT OF TERRACES AND MANAGER OF ARC PROJECT, TO PRAY FOR DIVINE CONFIRMATIONS ENABLE UNINTERRUPTED PROSECUTION THIS MAJESTIC ENTERPRISE. SUBSEQUENTLY DETAILED PLANS WERE VIEWED FOR LENGTHENING EASTERN WING OF MAIN TERRACE OF SHRINE, MAKING IT EQUAL TO EXISTING WESTERN WING. GLORIOUS UNDERTAKING CREATION BEFITTING RESTING PLACE MARTYR-HERALD FAITH WAS ENVISAGED BY BAHÁ’U’LLÁH HIMSELF, WAS SOLEMNLY INITIATED BY ‘ABDU’L-BAHÁ WHO RAISED WITH INFINITE PAINS ORIGINAL STRUCTURE AND PLACED WITHIN IT THE SACRED REMAINS OF THE BÁB, WAS VIGOROUSLY PURSUED BY SHOGHI EFFENDI, WHO COMPLETED CENTRAL EDIFICE, EMBELLISHED IT WITH BEAUTEOUS SUPERSTRUCTURE AND CONNECTED IT WITH MAIN AVENUE TEMPLAR COLONY THROUGH CONSTRUCTION FIRST NINE TERRACES, IS NOW ENTERING UPON CULMINATING PHASE ITS DEVELOPMENT THROUGH EXTENSION BEAUTIFICATION NINE EXISTING TERRACES AND CONSTRUCTION NINE MORE TO REALIZE MONUMENTAL CONCEPT REACHING FROM FOOT TO CREST HOLY MOUNTAIN. CALL UPON FRIENDS EVERY LAND RALLY SUPPORT THIS SACRED ENTERPRISE NOW INSEPARABLY LINKED WITH ARC PROJECT EXPRESS BEFITTINGLY THEIR AWARENESS MAGNITUDE BOUNTY CONFERRED UPON MANKIND BY MINISTRY AND SACRIFICE BLESSED BÁB, DEMONSTRATE THEIR COMMITMENT TO BAHÁ’U’LLÁH’S CALL IN TABLET OF CARMEL TO ESTABLISH UPON THAT MOUNTAIN SEAT GOD’S THRONE AND FULFILL, THROUGH THEIR GENEROUS CONTRIBUTIONS, ‘ABDU’L-BAHÁ’S AND SHOGHI EFFENDI’S VISION OF EFFLORESCENCE MIGHTY INSTITUTIONS FAITH ON MOUNTAIN OF THE LORD. UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE
MAY 24, 1990 |
Commentary[edit]
It’s true: mankind is one[edit]
This true story is really two or three rolled into one, but they are so intertwined that it is best to tell them as one.
In 1978 Gerald and Rhea Laursen visited a friend at the Jemez Pueblo in northern New Mexico. It was a happy time, but a sad time as well because the friends were parting.
Vangie had listened carefully to the news that her friend Rhea was leaving New Mexico again to tell others of her belief in the oneness of mankind and the need for peace and unity among all the peoples of the world.
“As you travel in Argentina, teaching your faith,” asked Vangie, “will you carry a message for me?”
“If I can,” Rhea promised.
“You say you will visit the native people of Argentina. Will you tell them of us, that we are well, and that we would like to know how they are?” Vangie’s voice was low and intense.
“In our legends,” she continued, “repeated to us as we learn of our heritage and our religion, we are told of the time when our people were happy, one people—several tribes, but one people. We lived in what your people have named lower Mexico and the Canal Zone.
“We are told that the land was so fertile, the climate so lovely that we became a large and happy nation. However, we continued to grow, much as the lush vegetation, until the land was overrun.” Vangie hesitated as if in respect to her forefathers.
“Our wise men gathered in council; they knew it was their responsibility to find a solution.
“They prayed their prayers.
“They danced their dances.
| This article, “Mankind Is One,” was written for Bahá’í News by Rhea M. Coleman, a former pioneer to Argentina who now lives in Los Alamos, New Mexico. |
“They waited on the Great Spirit for guidance.”
Once again Vangie hesitated, almost as if she were questioning the right of an outsider to know this history. After a few moments, she continued:
“In a vision it was told we must separate. Some must move north, some must go south. Because we were all equal, none would be spared this migration.
“It was decided by the wise men that lots would be drawn, determining which families were to go to the south and which were to travel north.
“Our families came north. We were unprepared. The weather was severe, and we had never known cold. The land was dry and barren; we had only known lush, fertile ground.
“Our people built caves into the mountainside, and we survived the cold.
“We learned to cultivate the dry land and to water the corn with water from the rivers.
“Our people learned to build with the mud and the trees; we learned to love this barren but beautiful land which was now ours.”
Vangie’s voice changed from soft and sad to proud and almost challenging.
“Tell them we have prospered,” she said.
“We have suffered, but we have learned.”
Her voice rose again: “Tell them we are well. We are together. We have survived!”
Silence. Rhea waited.
“Tell them,” Vangie continued, “that we would like to hear from them.
“Will you do that for me? I know your message is important, but you are the first we have trusted with this request.”
Deeply honored, and tearfully grateful, Rhea said, “Yes, I will speak of this to your people. May I show them pictures?”
Vangie nodded.
Rhea kept her promise.
Whenever she met the native people in Argentina and talked of her own mission, she passed on the message and the greetings from Vangie.
The native people responded lovingly and gratefully, for they too had wondered about the stories the old ones had told.
Each time the request was carried out, Rhea wrote to Vangie of her people’s situation, and sent back pictures, just as she gave pictures of the Pueblo Indians to all who would listen.
Eventually, Rhea had an opportunity to visit the Mapuche tribe on the Lago Rosario Reservation, in the Patagonia region near the Antarctic.
During that visit she told of the message from the Jemez Pueblo.
As she spoke, the chief bowed his head. Because women in that area are not supposed to speak out, Rhea was afraid she had offended the chief.
The silence became almost overwhelming as they awaited his response.
It seemed hours before he lifted his head and said, “What she has told us is the truth. We have the same story in our legends. We are the same people.”
For the first time, he looked directly at Rhea.
“Return to them our greetings,” he said, “and tell them how we are. You know more of what she wants to hear than we know what to tell her.”
His voice became heavy and sad as he talked about his tribe and the problems of the Reservation.
He told how the young people had begun to make fun of the stories of their origin.
How the older men had fasted for proof to pass on to the younger men.
How one had had a vision that said
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information about their origin and
their people would be brought to them
by a white-haired woman.
His voice was almost a whisper as he told how the younger men had roared with laughter on hearing this.
How the young men had suggested it was an old man’s wish for something different because in that area no one had ever seen a white-haired Indian, let alone a white-haired Indian woman!
The chief bowed his head as he explained that he was grateful and honored to be the one who received the message. He would, he said, pass the information on, and hoped the young men would listen, stay on the Reservation, and away from the problems of the cities.
The spirit was peaceful, the people in the room united.
Certainly one could say the jewel had been passed.
Also, one could say that what had happened was eventful enough for one day in the service of Bahá’u’lláh, couldn’t one?
But there is more.
Among the many reasons for the visit to the Reservation was the need to register the identification numbers of the Bahá’ís there. (A law had been enacted in Buenos Aires, requiring that all religions register the names of their members.) Gerald was recording the information.
“You’d better look at this I.D., Rhea,” he said. “They have the same name as you.”
Rhea had just been able to get the Mapuche women to talk with her (a considerable accomplishment) and wasn’t at all eager to look at someone’s I.D.
“Rhea, this is important. Look at this!” Gerald insisted, pointing his finger to the exact spot he wanted Rhea to read.
“Coliman! Why, that’s my name!” Afterward, Rhea hoped she hadn’t shrieked.
Gravely, the chief nodded.
“My family have always been chiefs,” he said. “Me, my father, his father, and his father’s father.
“When my father’s father’s father was young, he married a Welsh lady whose name was Coleman (in Spanish, Coliman).
“Her people tried to take her away, but she chose to stay with my great-grandfather.
The author (second from left) with American and Mapuche Indian friends in Argentina. Chief Califu is at the far left; Señora Califu is fourth from left.
“She taught him to read the white man’s books. She read from books, and taught the people how to use our earth to make better bricks, by using fire. The books showed how to build our houses strong, how to protect our health and our land.
“Together they made us a strong tribe.
“When the Spanish sent the black men against us, expecting to annihilate us, she read to us about the tactics of battle. We survived.
“My great-grandparents were wise. They lifted the Mapuches of Lago Rosario high.
“When the Spanish decided that since they couldn’t get rid of us we must live on the Reservation, my great-grandparents refused until they negotiated favorable terms.
“In return for staying on the Reservation, we were given schools. We were given our own hospital—with doctors, and the promise of training for our people. We now have Mapuche doctors, and this very week I watched my granddaughter become a registered nurse. Not a sister—not an aide—but a real registered nurse.
“However, we remain Mapuches and, as such, in Argentina, we are considered little better than a good dog, and less than the spirited horses we are allowed to raise and sell to the military.
“The government, when it required that we all be registered, refused us the right to use our maternal name (in Argentina, children use the name of their mother). The official edict said that no Indian had the right ‘to pretend’ to a white person’s name.
“Therefore, those of us who have the blood right, have Coliman as our middle name.”
Rhea explained that one of her great-grandfathers also came from Wales, that in the United States children used their father’s name. She explained that she felt they were cousins.
Gravely, the chief welcomed her onto the Mapuche Reservation, with the privilege of a home there.
Within the hearts of the pioneers the jewel glowed warmly. So much had happened that day that the couple, with their grandchildren, returned to Trevelin completely amazed.
Imagine! Two circles of unity had been completed before their eyes—in just that one day.
The greetings were carried from one branch of a long-separated family to another, reuniting a nation, while Rhea found a family, unknown to her, which, by virtue of that relationship, made her a member of the Jemez tribe of New Mexico.
Oh God! Increase my astonishment.
Essay[edit]
Reflections on ‘these Latter Days’[edit]
In the midst of this chaotic world when the structure of the old order is crumbling with bewildering rapidity, when mankind is groping in the darkness of illusion and despair, we Bahá’ís are immensely blessed through the grace of Bahá’u’lláh, inasmuch as the Universal House of Justice—that infallible Body which is guided by the Hand of the Blessed Beauty—brings us enlightenment and vision through its inspiring letters and messages, acquaints us with the shape of things to come, enables us to take account of the challenges we must face, indicates the nature of the tasks we are called upon to undertake, and gives us glad-tidings, faith and assurance to strengthen us in these crucial times and enable us to arise and render our humble service to His Threshold.
Some two years ago the Universal House of Justice called for “universal, rapid and massive growth of the Cause of God.” At that time the stage had been set through the heroic sacrifices of the beloved friends in Persia who, in vast numbers and over a long decade, had joyously drained the cup of martyrdom in order to vindicate the spiritual ascendancy of the Cause of God before the gaze of all mankind. Indeed, the fire of selfless devotion that those heroes of God had kindled in that land by the Will of the Lord shed imperishable glory and light upon all Bahá’í institutions throughout the world, infused a fresh capacity in the minds of men everywhere, and focused world at-
Last year the Universal House of Justice announced that due to an upsurge in teaching activities in certain regions, there was evidence that the ‘entry by troops’ promised by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá might soon take place.
tention on the Faith at all levels.
Last year the Universal House of Justice announced that due to an upsurge in teaching activities in certain regions, there was evidence that the “entry by troops” promised by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá might soon take place. Then this year the Bahá’í world was overwhelmed with joy and wonder at the thrilling news in the Riḍván message, affirming that the hope expressed a year ago had come true in no fewer than eight countries in Asia, Africa, South America and the Caribbean, and that fresh enrollments had reached the unprecedented level of half a million! This is indeed an historic and soul-uplifting victory—and it is interesting to note that all of the above nations belong to the so-called “third world” countries, a token of divine grace vouchsafed to these peoples.
But aside from being a delightful glad-tidings, “entry by troops” constitutes one of the signs of the time in which we live and is a significant event associated with the advent of the Lesser Peace. In a communication addressed to the American Bahá’í community in July 1953, the Guardian has given us a clear perspective as to how and in what circumstances the entry by troops will take place:
“This flow of fresh recruits will presage and hasten the advent of the day which, as prophesied by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, will witness the entry by troops of peoples of divers nations and races into the Bahá’í world—a day which, viewed in its proper perspective, will be the prelude to that long-awaited hour when a mass conversion on the part of these same nations and races, and as a direct result of a chain of events, momentous and possibly catastrophic in nature, will suddenly revolutionize the fortunes of the Faith, derange the equilibrium of the world and reinforce a thousandfold the numerical strength as well as the material power and the spiritual authority of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh.”
| This essay, “These Latter Days,” was written by Habib Taherzadeh, a member of the Bahá’í community of Brazil. Mr. Taherzadeh formerly worked in the Research Department at the Bahá’í World Centre and was coordinator of a group that translated the book Selections from the Writings of the Báb. |
Moreover, it is highly interesting to note that the promise of “entry by troops” originally comes from the Qur’án, as a sign of God’s victory in the “latter days.” This prophecy is set forth in a special chapter—one of the shortest ones, barely two lines long— stating that when the day of God’s victory arrives, you will see people entering the religion of God by troops. Also, there is another verse in the Qur’án that affirms this prophecy. It says: “The victory of God is near at hand. Convey this glad-tidings to the faithful.” In Islam, this prophecy is regarded as very significant, and in some Muslim countries the above phrase—“the victory of God is near at hand”—often appears engraved on stones or pillars or is elaborately painted on tiles above the entrances to mosques, houses or places of public gatherings. Yet few people, if any, have ever had a notion of its true meaning, for in past Dispensations the believers always consisted of a small minority, while the unbelievers commanded an overwhelming majority.
Today, however, it is the Will of God that in this glorious Revelation the spiritual conquest of the planet be accomplished through world peace and the unification of all mankind, and that every disunited, warring and rebel-
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lious element within human society be
welded and fused into a harmoniously
functioning organ, like members of a
single human body. In His Writings,
Bahá’u’lláh states that in this Day
there will be no further respite for the
people of negation, nor will they have
any refuge to which to flee. He also has
written:
“After a time all the governments on earth will change. Oppression will envelop the world. And following a universal convulsion, the sun of justice will rise from the horizon of the unseen realm.”
‘Abdu’l-Bahá has likewise written: “All nations and kindreds will become a single nation. Religious and sectarian antagonism, the hostility of races and peoples and differences among nations will be eliminated. All men will adhere to one religion, will have one common faith, will be blended into one race, and become a single people. All will dwell in one common fatherland, which is the planet itself.”
Moreover, it is highly significant that in its Riḍván message the Universal House of Justice should have referred, for the first time, to the Lesser Peace as a “far glimmer” looming on the horizon and have affirmed the approaching culmination of the three collateral processes which, as Shoghi Effendi has foretold, should take place simultaneously, namely:
- The increasing maturity of Bahá’í institutions.
- Construction of the remaining buildings of the Arc on Mount Carmel.
- The establishment of the Lesser Peace.
The first two of these are goals of the Six Year Plan, to whose fulfillment by 1992 the Bahá’í world is wholly committed. The third is part of God’s own major Plan, and no one but Him knows the exact time of its advent, nor the manner in which it will come about. However, as the Master, the beloved Guardian and now the divinely inspired Universal House of Justice have clearly foretold, there is every indication that it will take place before long.
The advent of the Lesser Peace will bring about a drastic transformation in the life of man on this planet, as a result of which the age-old specter of war will be wiped out forever from the face of the earth, and the millennial prophecy, “They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks,” will be fulfilled during this generation. A federal system of world government will come into being which will, through the force of circumstance, adopt those universal Teachings of Bahá’u’lláh that have practically become the spirit of this age, such as universal education, a universal language, elimination of prejudice, equality of rights for both sexes, abolition of the extremes of poverty and wealth, and so on, and will incorporate them into its worldwide institutions. This will mark the inception of the age of human maturity and the establishment of the Most Great Peace. In the concluding passages of The Promised Day Is Come, Shoghi Effendi has set forth beautifully the consecutive steps in this vast process of man’s organic and spiritual evolution which God’s wisdom has lovingly destined for him.
Also, we must bear in mind that the Lesser Peace, which is a political union of all nations, is bound to be accompanied or preceded by a great commotion, by unprecedented upheavals. In a Tablet, Bahá’u’lláh states that the Faith of God fulfills a two-fold function: on the one hand, it acts like the soft breeze of spring that infuses a new life into all created things and enables them to grow and flourish; while on the other, it acts like a devastating autumn gale, uprooting enormous trees and laying waste huge buildings that hinder its irresistible advance. For it is evident that in order to erect a new building, the old one must be torn down and the ground cleared to prepare for the new construction. Outwardly this will be a painful process, though inwardly a blessing in disguise.
Shoghi Effendi says that the growth of the Faith of God today is like that of Christianity in its early years, when the mighty structure of the Roman Empire had to be demolished to make way for the rise and establishment of the new civilization based on the spiritual teachings of Christ. Now, in this age of transition, we can discern the same twofold process of integration and disintegration moving toward its climax on a world scale with ever-increasing momentum. At this juncture, Charles Kingsley’s fitting words come to mind:
- “The night is darkest before the morn,
- “When the pain is sorest the child is born,
- “And the Day of the Lord is at hand.”
One more word in conclusion: If we delve into the recent messages from the Universal House of Justice, we will notice that ample emphasis is given to the urgency of the present hour when God’s own mighty Plan is geared up to full operation. Therefore, it behooves us as Bahá’ís to display a new spirit of dedication and to fix our attention on the challenging responsibilities that confront us today; for this is our God-given opportunity to prove our worth, our genuine faith in Bahá’u’lláh. Happy and blessed are those who respond to the call without delay, lest this rare opportunity be forfeit forever.
The beloved Guardian, in a message written in 1955, makes this earnest appeal in a poignant voice that rings across the gulf of nearly four decades:
“O my spiritual brothers and sisters! The time has come that you should arise, to leave your homes, to hasten forward, to raise the Call of God. It is high time to go pioneering, to make the utmost endeavor in diffusing the light of divine guidance, to withstand the onslaught of the darkness of error. The days of your life are fleeting away. Make best use of this precious opportunity; otherwise alas, alas, we shall be full of grief and remorse for not having fulfilled our duty toward God....”
May Bahá’u’lláh bless and guide us, His humble servants, and enable us to serve Him in these anxious times through which we are now passing.
Italy[edit]
On March 20, Counsellor Louis Hénuzet visited an ongoing teaching project in Portici, Italy. On that day there were five enrollments, and the following day, during a Naw-Rúz unity Feast attended by 250 people, seven more were enrolled in the Faith.
There are now 105 new believers in Portici, and the community’s first local Spiritual Assembly was to have been elected at Riḍván.
The Board of Counsellors, Auxiliary Board members, and National Teaching Committee have begun deepening programs in the area, and a search is under way for a Bahá’í Center.
Inspiration[edit]
A ‘conqueror’ for St. Helena[edit]
Shortly before she died on the island of St. Helena in the South Atlantic Ocean, Catherine Huxtable received a written tribute from a medical specialist, Dr. A.T. Jousse, who was intensively studying the problems of the physically disabled. “Unfortunately, you have been faced with a progressive disorder for which the medical profession has nothing really to offer. That in itself is most discouraging, because each year you look forward to less physical activity and the decline is more rapid than that, due to the simple aging process with which we are all faced.
“I have no doubt, however, that your life has been greatly prolonged by your high motivation, and I quite agree with you that it has been very full. I think your influence has undoubtedly been much greater than that of most humans and much greater than anyone could evaluate ...”
Catherine felt that most of the credit for her full and successful life should have gone to “Bahá’u’lláh, Whose teachings will give anyone courage and power to fulfill his dreams....” Some of the credit she also ascribed to her husband and to her mother, her “generous, long-suffering helper.”
Catherine Rudyard (Heward) Huxtable was born January 6, 1932, at Charlwood House, Charlwood, Surrey, England, to Lt. Col. Stephen A. Heward and Mrs. Helen (Bury) Heward. She moved with her parents on their return to Canada in 1939 and received her primary and secondary education at Havergal College and Bishop Strachan School.
When she was eight or nine years old she was observed to be falling fre-
Catherine found it difficult to accept the fact that she would be crippled. She used a wheelchair when she was 15 but it took two years for her to accept its regular use as the means by which she could have a fuller, more flexible life.
quently, she was unable to run and climbed stairs slowly, and she tired quite easily. At the age of 10, muscular dystrophy was diagnosed. During the next few years, her back and legs weakened and later her arms too were affected. Her mother made arrangements for her to continue school using a routine as normal as possible but without gymnasium or outdoor recreation, and with a necessarily restricted social life. She could still walk, but with a poor sense of balance and frequent falling. However, she was able to attend Girl Guide camps during the summer. Those 10-day adventures living closely in a group with other girls and sleeping in tents or under the stars were memorable for her.
Catherine found it difficult to accept the fact that she would be crippled. She used a wheelchair when she was 15 but it took two years for her to accept its regular use as the means by which she could have a fuller, more flexible life. After leaving school at the age of 17 she made a trip to England with her mother and sister. It showed her that life was far from over, and she gained confidence when she realized that people treated her normally and seemed to like her.
Although the Heward family was financially comfortable, Catherine wanted to earn her own living in a useful way. She enrolled in a commercial art course but was unable to finish it because her arms were too weak to draw anywhere but at a desk, depriving her of the freedom of movement she felt was essential for an artist. Shortly after giving up the art course, she was successful in obtaining work doing beautiful and delicate petit point pictures and jewelry which enabled her to earn small amounts of her own money.
Using the wheelchair, and helped by her friends, she was able to enjoy a wider social life. She became interested in the ideas of the Unitarian Fellowship and was elected vice-president of its youth group.
| This article, “A conqueror for St. Helena,” by W.G. Huxtable, first appeared in Bahá’í News No. 522 (September 1974). |
She met her husband-to-be, Clifford Huxtable, at a university dance which she attended to listen to the music and share the company of people enjoying themselves. Clifford and Catherine were strongly attracted to each other. Both were seeking meaning and purpose in their lives, and together they became drawn to the Bahá’í teachings. Catherine had become severely troubled by the prospect of becoming bedridden and found comfort and strength in the Bahá’í teachings on the spiritual meaning of tests and difficulties. Clifford and Catherine formally declared their faith in Bahá’u’lláh in April 1952, in the home of John and Audrey Robarts whose teaching activities had been the initial indirect channel for their introduction to the Bahá’í Faith. They were married on May 7, 1955, in her parents’ home where they lived for two years. Catherine added to her accomplishments by serving in the administration of the affairs of the Faith in Toronto, where she was elected to the local Spiritual Assembly.
In November 1957 the Huxtables moved to Regina, Saskatchewan, a smaller city on the Canadian prairie, as pioneers. This move initiated an accelerating pace of pioneer service in the face of great obstacles. With the help of Miss Eileen White, who undertook
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the physical tasks of housekeeping,
Clifford and Catherine’s first pioneer
move, made despite the well-meant remonstrances of some friends and relatives, proved successful. They aided
the Regina community to develop on a
self-sustaining basis. By the time they
left it had doubled in numbers and become strong and united.
With the confidence born of accomplishment, and in response to the renewed call for believers to enter the pioneer field, Clifford and Catherine moved from Regina in September 1959, arriving on the Gulf Islands, off Canada’s west coast, in October. It was a source of great joy to them to be filling a goal specifically designated by Shoghi Effendi, the last one he chose. Cliff and Catherine were the first Bahá’ís to reside in the Gulf Islands. To move there they stepped onto a higher plane of determination and sacrifice. Catherine encouraged the move even though it meant her husband’s resignation from the security of a professional position in adult education, and the outlook for work in the Gulf Islands was not encouraging. Catherine was unable to walk at all even with help, and they had to accept the uncertainty and low pay of unskilled manual labor. Clifford obtained work making fences on a sheep ranch, and later as a deckhand on the ferry boats connecting the islands with the mainland. A year after their arrival he was offered the position of principal of an elementary school and their income became more dependable again. Catherine also worked as a local representative for a firm producing household and children’s goods.
Catherine had a warm and sincere interest in everyone she met. Their home was open to all comers, even to the sacrifice of her precarious health which required an ordered, settled and tranquil existence. Her dynamic contentment afforded encouragement to others burdened with difficulties. Her illness was turned into a blessing, and her overcoming its limitations, an instrument of attraction.
Within two years of their arrival in the Gulf Islands, a resident of the islands, the first to do so, accepted the Bahá’í Faith in their home. The first public meeting in the islands was held in May 1963. The group had grown to nine by December, and Catherine was elected chairman of the local Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the Gulf Islands when that body was formed in April 1964.
Although it had been assumed that the bearing of children might be unwise and possibly dangerous for Catherine, a son, Gavin Clifford, was born on June 27, 1962.
Having built the nucleus of the Bahá’í community of the Gulf Islands, Clifford and Catherine responded to the call of the Universal House of Justice, during the Nine Year Plan, for Canadian pioneers to the island of St. Helena in the South Atlantic. Again facing the uncertainty of insecurity of income, their goal an isolated speck in an ocean on the opposite hemisphere, they sold their home and possessions and set out with their young child, winter approaching, to cross the continent on the first stage of her final odyssey.
Traveling by auto, trailing a caravan with special fittings for the wheelchair, and equipped for overnight stops, the trio spent three months visiting Bahá’í communities in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec. In Montreal they stayed at the Maxwell home, the only Canadian home in which ‘Abdu’l-Bahá stayed during His visit to North America in 1912. Catherine addressed meetings and a children’s class. This part of the journey, undertaken at the request of the National Spiritual Assembly, helped to develop in the Canadian Bahá’í community a heightened awareness of pioneering in preparation for the discharge of that community’s widening international responsibilities, anticipated in the Tablets of the Divine Plan. Their journey included a sojourn with Catherine’s mother.
From Montreal they flew to Dublin, Ireland, and then to London, meeting and inspiring the friends in both centers. They departed from Southampton on March 29, 1966, on the R.M.M.V. Capetown Castle and arrived on St. Helena on April 9, living in a hotel and then in part of the ground floor of a town house. Four months later, Clifford was appointed to a teaching position in the school system of the British colony. Once again their income became more dependable and the position opened to them a small government-owned house.
Knight of Bahá’u’lláh Elizabeth Stamp was the first Bahá’í pioneer on St. Helena Island. She stayed at her post throughout the Ten Year Crusade before returning to the United States for reasons of health. Mrs. Stamp died in Connecticut in 1970.
They were deeply interested in all the people on the island and made many friends from all walks of life. Although Catherine’s health was continuing to deteriorate, all who knew her were inspired and cheered by her warmth, keen intelligence, wide interests and courage. She continued to maintain a voluminous correspondence, showing in her letters a sensitivity to the individualities of each of her correspondents. She continued to direct household affairs and supervised the care of her son, developing a close and affectionate relationship with him.
On St. Helena, as had been the case throughout her life, the medical doctors who attended Catherine went out of their way to ensure that she had the best possible care. However, her illness continued to progress and it became increasingly difficult for her to breathe. A machine was sent by friends from the United States in an attempt to help her respiration. After a few weeks of rapid deterioration of her health, she died in the early morning of October 25, 1967.
Her resting place in the hills of St. Helena is marked with a memorial contributed by Canadian friends and the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Canada.
Commentary[edit]
Purging the shadow of racism[edit]
We who live in the late 20th century are in a state of dangerous imbalance. We are scientific and technological giants, but moral and spiritual dwarfs. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the stark contrast between our ability to have instantaneous communication with every part of the planet and our inability to rid ourselves of prejudice. In spite of the overwhelming scientific evidence that humanity is one species and no segment of it is either intellectually or physically inferior, prejudice in the form of ethnocentrism and racism persists.
Prejudice against people belonging to a different tribe or culture dates back many millennia, long before its crystallization into prejudice against those of a different race. Indeed, until the voyages of discovery some 500 years ago, there was little contact between people of the three major races, who were isolated from one another by formidable geographical barriers. Since that time, even though isolating barriers have been eliminated through advances in technology, prejudice continues its long history by being passed from generation to generation. The most extreme form of prejudice—racism—has now infected the human family in every part of the globe. No one is completely immune to it.
At this point in our social and spiritual evolution, we stand at a great watershed in history—we are at the threshold of planetary maturity. This generation must explore the root causes of racism, understand them, and then alter those personal attitudes and ways of looking at others that prevent amity and concord.
| This article, “Out of the Shadows,” was written by Dr. Khalil A. Khavari, a Bahá’í from Bayside, Wisconsin. It appeared originally in “Peace Talks,” a quarterly publication of the College of Letters and Science at the University of Milwaukee-Wisconsin. |
Understanding prejudice requires the recognition that in an earlier time it played a key role in social organization. Throughout history, humanity has been divided into groups: tribal, ethnic, national, and others. Irrespective of the size and type of the group, prejudice against others served the function of forging identity, solidarity, a sense of belonging and acceptance—the bases for both physical and psychological security. Those outside of the group, the “others,” were cast in the role of adversaries.
In the past, negative feelings about “others” were used to form in-group cohesion and to enable the group to continue as a separate entity; they engendered loyalty and closer cooperation among the members. Compared to “their way,” “our way” of life and of doing things was perceived as superior or even the only way.
In the face of perceived threats from adversaries, the tribal, ethnic or national group would forget its internal squabbles and problems when it was necessary to mobilize to defend itself. Prejudice against others was a strong motivator for protecting the group; it was an insurance against military defeat, exploitation, enslavement, absorption, and even the obliteration of the group itself.
In our time, we can no longer use prejudice against others as an instrument for our own survival. It has become obsolete, just as war itself has become unthinkable as a means of settling disputes in a nuclear age. Yet, a racist mentality lingers on in 20th-century society—dividing us from each other, tying us separately with ropes of prejudice, suspicion and contention. Why?
Let us look first at the differences between a healthy sense of self-esteem or self-worth and its unhealthy extreme of narcissism and egotism. Having a high regard for one’s race, ethnicity or nationality is in a real sense an extension of a high regard for one’s self. Feelings of self-worth and self-esteem are psychologically healthy, but when positive group identity is accompanied by prejudice toward others, it is a perversion and very destructive.
In the same way that ideas of self-worth can be perverted into egotism and narcissism, a positive sense of group identity can be perverted into the sickness of racism and ethnocentrism. When prejudice causes the individual to assign negative characteristics to an entire group, the perversion is complete.
Racism is attractive because it gives a person a false sense of self-righteousness, superiority, and psychological security. It marks the boundaries that define the in-group versus the out-group. Racism and ethnocentrism are thus perversions of the noble impulse of love for one’s own people and culture. Yet, the love of one’s own people, culture and nation is not at all incompatible with the respect and love of others. Love for one’s heritage need not be expressed by hatred and animosity toward others. All cultures, races and ethnic groups belong to one human family and should be equally valued—since it is now well-established that biologically there is but one race, the human race. Prof. Jay Gould of Harvard University writes: “Human races are not separate species.... They are recent, poorly differentiated sub-populations of our modern species, Homo Sapiens ... marked by remarkably small genetic separations.”1
The nuclear age has made all our past instruments of limited group security obsolete. The only way that we can now have genuine security is to eliminate racism—a barrier of the defunct
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old order that keeps us from our cherished goal of the healing unity necessary for permanent world peace.
It is time to realize that prejudice, a twisted and insidious emotion, has outlived its historical effectiveness. It can only motivate social and political policies that are oppressive and divisive. We need to recognize our larger kinship to the whole species.
Group identity, belonging, and solidarity are the bases for both physical and psychological security. Recognizing this legitimate need for security, we need to extend and widen the limited ethnic and racial allegiances we now have. In addition to love for our own group, we can each develop a sense of belonging to the whole human race, a sense of solidarity with all peoples and cultures who are, after all, only superficially different from our own. The more we learn about others and the more we understand our inherent similarities and recognize our common humanity—the more effectively we can eliminate our prejudices.
Ethnic identity need not and should not be abandoned as the price of peace. Universal solidarity can be achieved by connecting the diverse peoples of the world in a chain of interlocking circles—each retaining its cultural heritage, yet each linking harmoniously with the larger heritage of mankind.
Freedom from racism, prejudice, divisiveness and hatred is true freedom. It is the foundation for a lasting and meaningful world peace, the kind of peace that provides not only for tranquillity among the peoples of the earth but also within the heart and mind of each individual.
Prejudice was a stone-age tool of primitive groups of human beings, isolated physically and psychologically from one another. It served the group’s esprit de corps and identity. Now that social, demographic, scientific, technological and information revolutions have transformed our formerly vast planet into a global village, racism and ethnocentrism are not only obsolete, they stand in the way of our species’ survival. Anthropologists tell us that humanity evolved physically in Africa and then, after millions of years of living together, dispersed over the globe. In our time the branches of the human family can come together again. We must make it a planetary family reunion, enjoying our diversity yet feeling the deep bonds of unity in an everlasting peace.
FOOTNOTE
- Stephen Jay Gould, Human Equality Is a Contingent Fact of History, Natural History (November 1984), pp. 26-33.
Cameroon[edit]
Pictured are many of those who took part last December in a Regional Bahá’í Youth Conference in Bamenda, Cameroon. Six people embraced the Faith during the conference.
The third Regional Bahá’í Youth Conference for the North West Province of Cameroon was held last December 16-17 in Bamenda. Fifty-three young Bahá’ís from 10 localities in the province gathered to consult on “Transformation.”
Workshops conducted by the youth included “Training Our Spiritual Selves,” “The Fields of Service for Youth,” and “The Challenges of Modern Society to the Bahá’í Youth.”
A two-day deepening institute followed the conference at which topics of study included the Covenant, the sufferings of Bahá’u’lláh, the Six Year Plan, and Bahá’í laws.
The world[edit]
Mr. Furútan visits Soviet Union[edit]
On March 16, the Hand of the Cause of God ‘Alí-Akbar Furútan left the Holy Land to visit the Bahá’ís in the Soviet Union.
Before departing he said, “My heartfelt wish for many years has been that once again my eyes might behold the vast, rich land of Russia, especially because in 1930 I received a letter from the beloved Guardian, which he penned himself, stating the following: ‘It is my hope that you will, in the future, be able to render great services in Russia.’ ”
At the University of Dushanbe, Mr. Furútan spoke to 400 people, of whom only 25 were Bahá’ís, although he was unable to speak openly about the Faith.
On April 19, in Moscow, he was interviewed for a program about the Faith on Soviet Television.
During a visit to Moscow University, Mr. Furútan was invited to address a seminar at the Institute of Psychology and Pedagogy. Expecting an audience of perhaps 30, he was quite surprised to find more than 300 students in attendance. His topic was the relationship of psychology to religion, and he was able to speak directly about the Faith.
The highlight of Mr. Furútan’s visit to date has been the election at Riḍván of the local Spiritual Assembly of Moscow. On April 24, the following message was telephoned to the National Spiritual Assembly of Germany and relayed to the Universal House of Justice via electronic mail:
“After 60 years, the local Spiritual Assembly of Moscow has been reformed in the presence of the Hand of the Cause of God ‘Alí-Akbar Furútan. ... the local Spiritual Assembly was honored to meet with the Hand of the Cause and Counsellor Polin Rafat. Heavy agenda and great responsibilities await us. Yours in His service, the local Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Moscow.”
Sakhalin Island[edit]
Abbas Katirai (left), a long-time pioneer and former member of the National Spiritual Assembly of Japan, arrived with his wife, Resvanieh, March 24 in Sakhalin, opening the Soviet island to the Faith. Since Sakhalin was the last remaining goal of the Ten Year Crusade (1953-63), Mr. and Mrs. Katirai have become Knights of Bahá’u’lláh. With Mr. Katirai in this photograph, taken at the market in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, are his son Foad (in hat and dark glasses) and two friends.
Germany[edit]
Active teaching is under way in East Germany. Local Spiritual Assemblies and individual Bahá’ís from West Germany have established contact with mayors and other public officials in East Germany, and have received permission from those authorities to have information stands in various cities.
Inquiries from residents in East Germany are regularly received at the National Bahá’í Office in West Germany.
On February 6, a letter was received from someone who had been introduced to the Faith through a pamphlet and who, after reading it, wrote: “I have reached the conviction that I must be a member of ‘our’ Faith. I am sorry that I do not have my own house, because I would have offered a room for receiving people to talk about our Faith and to enlist every interested citizen of our country to our Cause. There are realistic opportunities for an ... extension of our Faith in East Germany.”
Argentina[edit]
About 1,250 people including 400 who were not Bahá’ís attended the 50th anniversary Commemorative Conference of the passing of the Hand of the Cause of God May Bolles Maxwell, which was held February 27-March 1 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Attendees came from as far away as Canada, Hawaii, Israel and Spain, and seven Indian tribes were represented.
The special guest at the conference was Mrs. Maxwell’s daughter, the Hand of the Cause God Amatu’l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum. Also warmly welcomed were three members of the Continental Board of Counsellors: Eloy Anello, Isabel de Calderón and Shapoor Monadjem.
The conference was focused on remembrances of Mrs. Maxwell’s many international services and her flame-like love for the Cause of God which led her, in ill health at the age of 70, to journey to the southernmost outpost of the Faith in South America and, in the words of the beloved Guardian, “lay down her life in such a spirit of consecration and self-sacrifice as to merit the crown of martyrdom.”
During the conference the Hand of the Cause, accompanied by Counsellor Monadjem and a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of Argentina, had a filmed interview with the president of that country, Carlos Menem, and two members of his Cabinet.
On the final day of the conference, Amatu’l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum was received by the mayor of Buenos Aires and presented him with a copy in Spanish of the pamphlet, “A Pattern for Future Society.” She also met with the president of the Foundation for Peace and Brotherhood.
Twelve people were enrolled in the Faith during the conference.
Taiwan[edit]
The Council of Agriculture of the Executive Yuan (Senate) of Taiwan has agreed to co-sponsor, with the National Spiritual Assembly of Taiwan, a Bahá’í education program on environmental protection. This marks the first formal joint effort between the Bahá’ís of Taiwan and the government, heralding the opening of many new areas for service for the Bahá’ís there.
Ivory Coast[edit]
Pictured are some of the 150 Bahá’ís who attended the Harmittan Bahá’í School last December in Ivory Coast. They came from 21 localities, with some walking nearly 30 kilometers (18 miles) to be present.
United Kingdom[edit]
A special dedication ceremony was held April 14 at the newly refurbished Hazíratu’l-Quds of the United Kingdom.
The gathering marked the reopening of the National Centre following a 15-month period during which it was closed for extensive remodeling and upgrading of facilities. The renovations took place under the guidance of the Universal House of Justice to allow the Centre to better serve not only the Bahá’ís of the U.K. but the worldwide Bahá’í community as well. The Centre now houses the Office of the Secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly and the Bahá’í Information Office.
A conference on “Community and Diversity,” sponsored by the Association for Bahá’í Studies for English-speaking Europe, was held April 6-8 at Newman College in Birmingham, England.
Forty people from the United Kingdom, Ireland and Holland took part in the program, which included the presentation of 18 papers including two from Belgium, whose authors were unable to attend.
The keynote speakers were Prof. Alan Rogers of the University of Reading, a distinguished figure in the fields of adult and continuing education, and Dr. Seosamh Watson, senior lecturer in the faculty of Celtic Studies at University College in Dublin and chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Republic of Ireland.
Thailand[edit]
The Spiritual Assembly of Chiang Mai, Thailand, dedicated its new Bahá’í Center last November 12, the anniversary of the Birth of Bahá’u’lláh.
The governor of Chiang Mai presided, thanking the Bahá’ís for teaching spirituality to the people of Chiang Mai. He said that as the area progresses materially, it needs to progress spiritually as well, and he wished the Bahá’ís success.
Following the dedication ceremony the Wildfire theatre group, which was visiting Chiang Mai, entertained.
That afternoon the Bahá’ís and their guests celebrated the Birth of Bahá’u’lláh, an occasion that was considered to be a great success, especially as 37 of the guests accepted the Faith.
Papua New Guinea[edit]
These children were photographed during a busy day at the LAES Keravat pre-school, one of several pre-schools initiated by the Bahá’ís of Papua New Guinea. Among other things, students at these pre-schools study their a-b-c’s, work on carpentry projects, plant trees, and work on developing ‘gutpela pasin’ (good qualities).
Republic of Ireland[edit]
An article in a recent issue of Ireland’s Kilkenny Standard Monthly Review opens with the question, “Why is an Iranian accountant selling health foods in Kilkenny?” It goes on to tell the story of a Bahá’í from Rasht in northern Iran who came to Ireland as a refugee from the Ayatollah Khomeini’s Islamic fundamentalist regime.
Also in Ireland, the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine carried an article about a Bahá’í in Tralee who is an acupuncturist and psychotherapist as a part of its monthly feature entitled “A Day in the Life of ...”
An interview with the Bahá’í, who was a recent runner-up for the Tyringham Practitioner of the Year Award, included a discussion of his life and profession, and mentioned the Faith.
Western Caroline Islands[edit]
The Western Caroline Islands have witnessed a large number of declarations since last Riḍván. About three and one-half percent of the population of these islands is now Bahá’í.
Panama[edit]
A group of Guaymi Indian Bahá’ís, eight men and eight women, took part in the 12th National Craftsmanship Fair held at the Atlapa Convention Centre in Panama.
The group, whose presentation was entitled “Traditions of Guaymi Dances,” came from Boca de Remedio, an indigenous community which is entirely Bahá’í.
The director of the group gave a talk on the Bahá’í message of the unity of mankind and told of the work of the Faith in preserving Guaymi culture.
Pamphlets about the Faith were given to members of the audience, among whom were the Minister of Commerce and Industry and other national government officials.
Israel[edit]
Voices of Israel is the first English-language poetry journal in Israel. Besides carrying verse by Israeli poets, the current issue (Volume 17) introduces poems by three persons not resident in Israel, three of whom are Bahá’ís: Jeff Williams and Michael Fitzgerald of the U.S. and Chris Cholas of Belize. The Faith is mentioned in notes about the contributors.
Australia[edit]
Artist Lorni Hyland (right), an Australian Aboriginal Bahá’í, displays a sample of her work for the friends. The tapestry is an example of traditional Aboriginal design. She is holding carved and painted Emu eggs.
India[edit]
David Hofman, retired member of the Universal House of Justice, arrived last December 11 in Trivandrum, India, for a week-long visit to Kerala State. The visit had been announced in a leading newspaper which helped inform the public of his presence.
While in Trivandrum, Mr. Hofman was interviewed on television and on All-India Radio. During the radio interview, he was asked to talk about various aspects of the Faith, especially its relevance to present-day world challenges. Mr. Hofman also took the opportunity to invite his listeners to visit the Bahá’í House of Worship in New Delhi.
Mr. Hofman was the guest at a well-attended press conference organized by the Press Club of Trivandrum, speaking of the Mission of Bahá’u’lláh in building a new civilization. More than 50 reporters, representing all of the newspapers in Kerala, took part in the conference.
A second press conference, at Ernakulam, was equally well-attended and successful.
Mr. Hofman and Counsellor S. Nagaratnam were received by the former Maharaja of Kerala for an hour-long meeting, the first time the Message of Bahá’u’lláh had been discussed with the royal family. Mr. Hofman gave the former Maharaja a copy of “The Promise of World Peace” and invited him to visit the House of Worship.
Among the other dignitaries who met with Mr. Hofman were the Chief Minister of Kerala State and the head of the Institute for English Studies.
The Rotary Club of Central Trivandrum held a special meeting in honor of Mr. Hofman, at which the club president quoted from the peace statement while introducing Mr. Hofman. After speaking about the Faith and its relevance to this scientific age, Mr. Hofman was asked many questions.
One of the most memorable events of Mr. Hofman’s visit was his participation in the inauguration of Bahá’í Bhavan, the state Hazíratu’l-Quds. More than 150 people attended the ceremony, which was presided over by Counsellor Nagaratnam. It was announced on radio and television and covered that evening on a television news report.
World Centre[edit]
The diversity of these young volunteers serving at the Bahá’í World Centre in Haifa, Israel, demonstrates the unity of mankind in action and has an impact that is felt far beyond the Centre itself. In February, Glen Duncan, a Bahá’í from Australia and former worker at the World Centre, shared the photo with another Australian youth whom he met while traveling in Eastern Europe. On looking at it the young man, who had been bitterly complaining about the bleak and ugly city in which they were staying, was transformed. ‘All those smiling, happy young faces together from all around the world,’ he said, ‘is the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen. Tell me more about this religion of yours!’
Trinidad/Tobago[edit]
Following a successful teaching campaign in Chaguanas which brought 1,000 new believers into the Faith, the National Teaching Committee of Trinidad and Tobago launched a new teaching-deepening campaign in central and southern Trinidad dedicated to the memory of the Hand of the Cause of God Ugo Giachery.
The target areas were Las Lomas No. 2, St. Helena, Kelly Village, and the surrounding areas in central Trinidad, and Mayo, Whiteland, Poonah and surrounding areas in the south. The general plan included visiting and deepening Bahá’ís in those communities while teaching their families, friends and neighbors.
From September 15-December 31 the campaign witnessed the enrollment of 809 new believers, restored four local Assemblies and two children’s classes, held 25 deepenings, distributed Bahá’í literature among isolated Bahá’ís and non-Bahá’ís, and organized two special meetings for old and new Bahá’ís to meet with Counsellors Rodrigo Tomas from Costa Rica and Peter McLaren from Venezuela.
Romania[edit]
Bahá’í activities in Romania are gathering momentum as student pioneers from Germany help that neophyte community to hold firesides. The friends report a steady flow of new believers, and the Bahá’í community of Cluj, now 17 strong, has asked permission from the National Spiritual Assembly of Germany to form Romania’s first local Spiritual Assembly. They are also searching for a suitable location for a Bahá’í Center.
There has been one article about the Faith in a Romanian newspaper and interviews on radio and television that focused on the humanitarian and medical assistance offered by the Bahá’ís to the people of Romania in recent weeks.
Philippines[edit]
The village of Mabaras-Liwanag, in the hinterlands of Oriental Mindoro Province in the Philippines, can be reached only on foot, and the journey is at least two days’ walk from the nearest highway. The local Spiritual Assembly of that isolated community decided that a cooperative store would render an important service to the Mangyan community. So one was planned with the intention that all profits would be saved in a special fund for teaching and socio-economic projects.
Already the Assembly has had many opportunities to use the fund to benefit the community. The first purchase was a Coleman lantern for use during evening meetings, as there is no electricity in the village.
When Bahá’ís noticed that the community water supply, derived from a nearby spring, needed cleaning, they bought four bags of cement and a few tools to build a small catchment. Now there are plans to improve their tutorial schoolhouse, so they have been acquiring lumber for the construction of a permanent building.
Mabaras-Liwanag is one of a number of villages under the civil jurisdiction of Barangay Panaytayan. The Barangay has come to trust the Spiritual Assembly and honors its decisions in settling disputes in the village. The Assembly conducts weekly deepening classes that are attended by about 50 people, who maintain a spirit of warmth in the open and courteous consultations.
Because of the Assembly’s success in managing the affairs of its community, Mangyans from other villages have been visiting to see how the meetings are conducted and how the consultations are handled.
The Bahá’ís of the Philippines held a seminar/workshop February 19-25 on “Bahá’í Radio Programming.” Counsellor Vicente Samaniego, an Auxiliary Board member and three members of the National Teaching Committee helped trainer Douglas Moore, a Bahá’í from Alaska, conduct the seminar for 15 trainees.
New Zealand[edit]
Pictured are members of ‘Youth for One World’ which was formed at the recent Pacific Bahá’í Youth Conference in Auckland, New Zealand. The young people teach the Faith by presenting two-hour performances about peace followed by public meetings and firesides. Included in the group are members of ‘Wildfire,’ a popular dance group that recently toured Asia.
Canada[edit]
Students at the Maxwell International Bahá’í School in British Columbia, Canada, are using music and drama as well as public talks to reach out to the community with the Message of Bahá’u’lláh. Performances already held include one on Saltspring Island, commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Bahá’ís’ presence there, and another at the Education Network Conference in Vancouver.
United States[edit]
Pictured is this year’s exhibit by the Bahá’ís of Manatee County, Florida, at the Manatee County Fair, whose theme was ‘The Beauty and Bounty of Manatee County.’ The Bahá’í exhibit, which included continuous showings of video tapes depicting the Shrines of Bahá’u’lláh and the Báb, the Seat of the Universal House of Justice, and Bahá’í Houses of Worship around the world, won first prize in the category of Religious and Service Organizations. This marked the 21st year in which the Bahá’ís of Manatee County have taken part in the Fair, which this year drew more than 100,000 visitors.
Hungary[edit]
The Bahá’í singing group “El Viento Canta” (The Singing Wind) continued its tour of Eastern Europe in January with a number of concerts in Hungary, each of which was followed by “coffee house” firesides at which lively discussions of the Faith continued for several hours.
In Sopron, about 400 people heard the group, whose members were able to speak openly about the Faith.
On January 23 they performed for about 150 people including the Argentinian Ambassador at the Military Club in Budapest. Also attending were students from Chile, Peru, Mexico and Venezuela.
The following evening, four members of the group attended a fireside at the home of a Hungarian Bahá’í at which two people declared their faith, one from Hungary and the other from East Germany.
On January 26, two members of the group were interviewed on television; the interview, along with clips of their concert, was aired January 28 on a station that reaches 2,500 homes.
A concert on January 28 was attended by 50 people, 20 of whom were Russians. Afterward, the Russians were given copies of the peace statement in Russian.
The group performed again in Budapest on January 29, this time as guests of the Argentinian Ambassador. Present were the ambassadors from Chile, Colombia, Nicaragua, Uruguay and Venezuela, along with representatives from the Mexican and Peruvian embassies.
On January 31, El Viento Canta performed for 450 high school students and their teachers in Szentendre.
Pakistan[edit]
The fourth phase of the Saied Hindi Teaching Campaign in Pakistan ended February 23 with 369 people accepting the Faith, among them people of Muslim, Ahmadiyyah and Hindu backgrounds.
In addition, 75 new Bahá’í localities have been opened and two new local Spiritual Assemblies formed, at Khanpur and Chak No. 8P Katta. The latter is the world’s first local Assembly comprised entirely of newly enrolled Bahá’ís of Ahmadiyyah background.
A significant victory is the large number of women who have been enrolled. In Chak No. 21, one Amhadiyyah woman was enrolled, and in another village nine women embraced the Cause. Altogether, 100 of the new believers are women.
Germany[edit]
Since the opening of the Berlin Wall last November, the Bahá’ís of West Berlin and West Germany have distributed some 250,000 copies of a shortened version of “The Promise of World Peace.” The shortened version is called “Friedenschancen” (Chances for Peace) and is being given to East German visitors to the West and directly to citizens in the German Democratic Republic.
The National Bahá’í Office in Langenhain, West Germany, now receives letters and inquiries about the Faith on a daily basis from East German residents. Interviews with hundreds of seekers have taken place, while dozens of interested people who offered their names and addresses are being visited by traveling teachers.
The mayors of various cities in East Germany have received delegations of West German Bahá’ís and have accepted copies of the peace statement.
The National Spiritual Assembly has given permission to West German Bahá’ís and local Spiritual Assemblies to teach freely in East Germany, and has made teaching, proclamation and deepening there its first priority for the remaining period of the Six Year Plan, in addition to its goals in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union.
Ecuador[edit]
RUFINO GUALAVISÍ
Rufino Gualavisí Farinango, a renowned indigenous Bahá’í teacher, died March 23 in Otavalo, Ecuador.
Mr. Gualavisí taught the Faith to thousands of indigenous people and campesinos and helped open many difficult areas of the country to the Faith, often accompanied by his spiritual father and teaching companion, Counsellor Raúl Pavón. Although beaten and imprisoned at various times, he remained steadfast and never once wavered in his teaching efforts.
He is buried in the cemetery “Parques del Recuerdo” in Quito, on the left side and adjoining the resting place of his good friend and staunch admirer, the Hand of the Cause of God Rahmátu’lláh Muhájir. On learning of Mr. Gualavisí’s passing, the Universal House of Justice cabled the National Spiritual Assembly of Ecuador:
“Deeply saddened news passing outstanding sacrificial teacher Cause God Rufino Gualavisí. His noble qualities, his loving nature, his immense services indigenous masses native land never to be forgotten and worthy source pride your community. Urge hold befitting memorial meetings his blessed memory throughout country. Assure fervent prayers Holy Threshold for progress his radiant soul Kingdom on high. Kindly extend heartfelt condolences family and friends.”
Leeward Islands[edit]
The “Sparks of Peace” Bahá’í Youth Project, a collaborative effort between the Continental Board of Counsellors and the National Spiritual Assemblies of the Caribbean area, was designed to encourage native West Indian youth to travel and teach while providing young Bahá’ís from other areas an opportunity to learn more about the Caribbean.
The project was sponsored by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Leeward Islands and coordinated by its National Youth Committee.
Fourteen National Assemblies took part, sending 24 youth and chaperones to the project. These formed five teams that traveled and taught in nine islands and countries before convening in Guyana for a Bahá’í Youth Conference.
Each of the groups was identified by a team name.
“Mirrors of Reflection” went to the U.S. Virgin Islands. Most of their activities were service-oriented such as cleaning and painting equipment in two parks and working with government officials on a proposal for increasing awareness of United Nations’ functions in the Caribbean.
The team also did some direct teaching, presented several firesides and shared the Message with about 30 young people at Wesleyan Holiness Youth Camp.
Meanwhile, the “Song of the Wind” group visited Dominica and St. Vincent, working on service activities for the Association of the Disabled.
The “Quddus” team visited both Guadeloupe and Martinique, helping the former community realize its goal of opening two villages to the Faith.
They taught, took part in service activities, and were interviewed by radio and newspaper reporters.
In Barbados, the “Mulla Husayn” team’s activities included direct teaching, firesides and public meetings that led to a number of enrollments.
In Grenada, they joined the “Mona” teaching campaign already in progress, dividing their time among teaching, deepening and doing chores.
The “Royal Falcon” team spent its time in Trinidad, both north and south. Most of their efforts were spent on direct teaching, and they enrolled about 150 people.
Zaire[edit]
As a result of the efforts of a group of traveling teachers who braved the nearly impenetrable jungle of the Ubundu zone in the province of Haute-Zaire, more than 200 people have become Bahá’ís in that remote hard-to-reach area of Zaire.
Eighty people were enrolled in the village of Batiamoliko; in another village of about 40, the entire population became Bahá’ís; and in the village of Bafale, there are now more than 50 adult Bahá’ís and about 40 Bahá’í children.
In spite of the difficulty of reaching the area, the friends do their best to teach the Faith. The people in the Ubundu zone are receptive, and there are now 12 Bahá’í communities in the area.
The Bahá’í Club at the University of Kisangani in Haute-Zaire has been given its own room in which to meet and host activities. The club, which has 48 members, has sponsored a literary competition and shown a film about the Bahá’í House of Worship in India.
Recently, the club sponsored a conference on abortion, which included speakers from the university’s psychology and education departments. The conference drew nearly 1,000 students.
Haiti[edit]
One of four Bahá’ís who went last November to teach in the village of Anse-a-Macon, on the island of Cayemite off the coast of Haiti, meets the wife of a new believer and some of her neighbors. The Bahá’ís on the island are holding deepenings and children’s classes for its 12,000 residents who, it is believed, will all become Bahá’ís.
A Bahá’í children’s class in the village
of Anse-a-Macon, on the island of
Cayemite, off the coast of Haiti. A
team of four Bahá’ís traveled to the island last November to teach and, it was
hoped, to enroll the island’s 12,000 residents.
Brazil[edit]
Reports from the Southern Teaching Project in Alvorada, Brazil, say that in two days, February 13-14, 228 people were enrolled in the Faith.
As of the end of February, more than 600 new believers had been enrolled.
Alvorada has had a Bahá’í school for the past 15 years, so many of the new Bahá’ís are long-time friends of the Faith. As a result, the campaign is bringing in new believers who are already well-informed about the Faith.
While enrollments continue and the campaign has been extended beyond its February closing date, deepenings have begun through visits to the new Bahá’ís and their families.
The efforts of Auxiliary Board member Tuba Maani, four local Spiritual Assemblies, and pioneers and traveling teachers from three states in Brazil have contributed greatly to the success of the project.
Cook Islands[edit]
Pa Tepareu Ariki, Lady Davis, hereditary ruler and president of the House of Ariki and wife of the former prime minister of the Cook Islands, Sir Thomas Davis, died last February 2 in New Zealand. The 68-year-old Ariki, lovingly known to her people as “Auntie Pa,” was one of the Cook Islands’ earliest Bahá’ís, having accepted the Faith more than 30 years ago.
The Universal House of Justice expressed its sorrow in a cable to her husband that called attention to “her outstanding services behalf her people” and advised that appropriate memorial gatherings be held throughout the Cook Islands and at the House of Worship in Samoa.
In 1985, Pa Ariki was elected to the first National Spiritual Assembly of the Cook Islands. She attended, as part of the Cook Islands contingent, the dedication of the House of Worship in Apia, Western Samoa.
Also in 1985 she presented a copy of the peace statement to her husband, the prime minister, on behalf of the National Assembly of the Cook Islands. As a result, he and Lady Davis visited the Bahá’í World Centre and met with the Universal House of Justice.
Zikrullah Khadem
The Itinerant Hand of the Cause of God
With Love
by Javidukht Khadem
| by Mr. Khadem, each one illustrating the emphasis he placed on obedience to the institutions, on Bahá’í family life and unity, and on fasting, prayer, pilgrimage, and teaching.
HC $24.95 / SC $14.95 |
| AN INSPIRING BIOGRAPHY of the Hand of the Cause of God Zikrullah Khadem, this book is a story of love—one man’s love of God, of the Central Figures of the Bahá’í Faith, and of his unfaltering devotion to
Shoghi Effendi. Written by Zikrullah Khadem’s wife, Javidukht Khadem, this book is a tender portrait of her husband, depicting over sixty-one years of service to the Bahá’í Faith. Also contained in the biography are essays written by the five Khadem children that capture the spirit of love and guidance given |
