Brilliant Star/Volume 17/Issue 5/Text

volume 17 number 5

rilliant Star

november-december 1985

Qudrat Power ¢ Qawl Speech * Masa’il Questions 142

About the cover

Photograph by Duane Troxel. This is the ceiling of the throne room in the Emir’s palace in Kano, a large city in northern Nigeria. The Emir is the Muslim leader in Kano. Angular designs, such as this, are common both on the interior and exterior surfaces of Muslim homes in this region. The cover shows a particularly fine example of this type of decoration.

The Troxels, Duane and Stephie, served as pioneers to Nigeria in the mid-seventies.

Dear Children,

Africa! What picture does that word bring to mind? Jungles and elephants, tribal dances and villages? TV and movies would make us think that those things are all of Africa. But there’s so much more! Deserts and mountains, islands and cities, people of many nations and languages, proud kings and humble workers—and children, who play games and learn and dream just

like you do!

Did you know that while Shoghi Effendi loved all of the corners of the world to which our faith had been carried, there was one place that was extra dear to his heart? It was Africa. It is Africa that faces outward on the marble globe that tops the beautiful monument over the Guardian's grave It reminds us of how happy it made Shoghi Effendi that so very many Africans of different tribes and nations have become Baha ‘is and now truly are one family.

Let’s see what’s so special about Africa. Let us know what you think!

youn cdi fer

Love,

Brilliant Star is a publication of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahaiis of the United States. It is published six times each year, in January, March, May, July, September and November. Copyright © 1985 National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahaiis of the United States. World rights reserved.

Address manuscripts and other editorial contributions to Brilliant Star/Radpour, Suburban Office Park, 5010 Austin Rd., Hixson, In. 37343. Manuscripts should be typewritten and double-spaced throughout. Brilliant Star does not offer monetary compensation to its contributors. Return postage should be included if manuscript is to be returned. Single copy $2.50; 6 issues (one year) $12.00; 12 issues (two years) $23.00; foreign, surface mail, one year $15.00, two years $28.00; foreign, air mail, one year $25.00, two years $47.50. An index for the preceding year's issues is available for $2.00. For subscriptions, change of address and adjustments write to Brilliant Star Subscriber Service, Suburban Office Park, 5010 Austin Rd., Hixson, Tn. 37343. All other correspondence should be addressed to Brilliant Star/Richards, 4 Village Dr., Yardville, N.J. 08620. Printed in the U.S.A.

Brilliant Star is intended for children of all ages and

strives to:

e develop the child's awareness of the oneness of humanity

e increase the child's conscious awareness of his spiritual nature and the need for its development

e provide practical approaches to viewing life's difficulties

e develop the child's reasoning power and stimulate his love for the order of the universe

e provide a standard by which the child may learn to relate to others with love and justice

e assist parents and teachers in developing all of the child’s hidden talents and virtues

Brilliant Star Editorial Board

Mary K. Radpour Managing Director

Deborah Bley Editor-in-Chief

Mimi McClellan Music Editor

Rita Leydon Art Director

Rita Leydon Production

Janet Richards Secretary

Keith Boehme Consultant [Page 1]

whats inside

Letters From Our Friends

Olinga: the Father of Victories by Stephanie Fielding

In the Land

of Kakoo a silly story

by Duane Troxel

Be Not Idle But Active

a song to learn

2

4

Eee d

1Z

You area Cartographer 13

a map-making activity

In Celebration of Black History 16 a poem by Mary Lou McLaughlin

By Heart 17

The Yoruba’s King of Kings and the Emirs

of Hausaland 18 a look at tribal royalty by Duane Troxel

22

Many Prophets a symbolic picture story by Daniel Norris isveser

Z

yor

wre Love

Dg

African

Stone Game try this game by Rita Leydon

23

Ancient Royalty

of Africa by Roy Jones

2g

Make Your Own African

Instrument: A Banjo! by Janet Richards

re

26

The Beggar King 28 a story by

x $ tf A a sf

Stephanie Fielding fe es Pee : te, Y : a 2) \e iS A\2 ey is Book Nook 32 Parents’ Page 33 [Page 2]

Letlers from our friends

Jesse Gunter is eight years old, and lives in Isafjérdur,

Dear Brilliant Star, Iceland. He has a wonderful imagination and sent us his

My name is Aaron “elephant plane”. Cedarquist. I am seven years old. I live in Samaru, Nigeria, in West Africa. I like science and mathematics. I took my new green comb and put some water on it and put it up and down. It was a science experiment.

I am learning new prayers.

Allah’u’Abha, Aaron Cedarquist

Amelia Winger-Bearskin of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma is six years old (her birthday is during Ayyam-i-Ha!). She sent us a story and drawing about Glory, a unicorn in the “My Little Pony” toy collection:

Here is Aaron’ picture of the sun, and above is Aaron himself, up a tree!

Glory Goes to the Store

One day Glory was walking to the refrigerator when she saw there was nothing there She said, “I must go to the store” So she went off and stepped into her car and drove away. And she stopped at a stop sign and then she drove away again. And she stopped suddenly and she stepped out of the car to see what was the matter. She opened the trunk and fixed it up and went off to the grocery store She bought bread, eggs, hay and oats, bacon, and apples, and drove back to the show stable.

The End

[Page 3]

Ra ED Uy OS ISG Tes NSE ENF ) LOR Ae) SOA SAO | 7

The children’s classes a Limbe, in the African country of Malawi, meet on Fridays. Isabel Prickett, 11 yrs., sent along a drawing of life around the lake there.

Those Baha’ children in Alton, Illinois, are always so busy!, They held a Feast that they: planned and did all on their own, including a play called “The Christmas Dilemma”. Here are some of the children at the Alton Bahai Learning Center.

Dear Brilliant Star:

This is an energy-conserving building. There’s a bicycle pump which you turn, which turns a generator, which makes electricity, which charges the batteries.

Also, I have a windmill, and when the windmill turns, it turns a rod, which turns a generator, and makes more electricity. The lightbulb in the bathroom is run by electricity directly from the generator.

The toilet waste goes down through a pipe into a room, where it is mixed with leaves and dirt, and turned into compost for gardening.

Chris Hunsaker, 10 Marshall, Virginia PS. You have a good magazine.

[Page 4]

—

,

“sets

yrs,

nar’ >

ees

[Page 5]OLIN-GA

the Father of Victories

n 19538, Shoghi Effendi called on

the Baha'is of the world to join the Ten Year Crusade. It was time for the Faith to be spread to every part of the earth.

A Persian family, the Bananis and the Nakhjavanis, arose to set off to Uganda in East Africa shortly after hearing about the Guardian's plan. The family consisted of a man and his wife and their daughter and her husband. The Bananis and the Nakhjavanis were in Uganda for quite a while. They taught the Faith every day and led wonderful lives of example. But no one became a Baha'i.

They were joined by other pioneers and still no one became Bahda’is.

One day, as one of the pioneers talked about his coming pilgrimage, someone had a great idea. The pilgrim would ask Shoghi Effendi to pray for the success of their meeting at the exact same time that the meeting would take place.

The pilgrim returned with great news. Not only would Shoghi Effendi pray for them but he said that something very wonderful would happen that evening. .

Photographs provided by the Archives of the National Spiritual Assembly

By Stephanie Fielding

The friends were very excited. Something wonderful would happen!

On the day of the meeting they brought people from miles away to the meeting place. The house was filled. Everyone was expectant. Wonderful talks were given. Lovely refreshments were served. Everyone had a beautiful time and then everyone went home. Nothing had happened.

The pioneers sat down and looked at each other. They were so disappointed that they just sat and prayed and cried.

Suddenly, in the midst of their tears, there was a knock on the door.

Standing at the door was a young African man. They knew him well. He was a learned man and had even spoken briefly at the meeting. His name was Enoch Olinga.

Mr. Olinga came into the room and said to the friends, “I went home to bed, but I could not sleep. I just lay there and thought about this Faith and how I had to become a member of it. The feeling was so great that I could not wait until morning.” So the wonderful thing did happen after all.

The Nakhjavanis and the Bananis

please turn the page [Page 6]Two Hands of the Cause, Mr. Olinga and Dr. Muhajir, meet in the Holy Land at the Shrine of the Bab.

taught the first African believer well. Soon he was following his teachers’ example by leaving his homeland and going to another part of Africa to teach the Faith.

Mr. Olinga chose to go to Nigeria in West Africa. Nigeria is a very large country with very many people in it. He settled in a city in eastern Nigeria called Victoria. If you look for the city of Victoria in Nigeria today you won't find it. After Nigeria won its independence from England, the eastern part of the Cameroons decided it would rather be a part of the Cameroon Republic. So if you want to find Victoria on your map you must look for it in the Cameroons.

While living in Victoria, Mr. Olinga married a young woman named Elizabeth. They had a wonderful family of five children.

One of the places that Mr. Olinga taught the Faith was along the Calabar-Mamfe Road. Mamfe is a city in Cameroons and Calabar is a city in Nigeria. This road winds its way through some of the world’s most beautiful hills—the foothills of the Oban Mountains. Along the road there are many villages and it seems that in each of the villages there is at least one Bahai.

Some pioneers called this “The Allah’u’Abha Road” because everyone greets strangers in this area with the words, “Allaéh’u’Abha!”. Even people who are not Baha'is use the greeting.

Among the Bah@’is in the area if someone pretends to be great, people will ask, “Do you think you are as humble as Mr. Olinga?” After that, the pretender realizes that he can never be great unless he can learn to be as humble as Mr. Olinga.

One of the stories told about how humble this man Olinga was, starts on a teaching trip in the area of eastern Nigeria. A number of friends had been showing Mr. Olinga around and taking him different places to teach the Faith. Then it started to rain.

Now in Nigeria when it rains, it rains hard! It is sometimes difficult to even see across the road, it rains so hard. [Page 7]Well, the friends had somewhere to go and they had been doing all of the traveling that day by foot. So Mr. Olinga flagged down a taxi. The Bahda’‘is that were with him all climbed in the taxi. When it was full though, there was one person left standing outside. It was Mr. Olinga. He paid for the taxi and waited for the next one to come. He stood there in the rain in his suit. He always made sure that everyone else was happy and comfortable before he made himself comfortable.

So many people became Bahd@’is in Uganda, the Cameroon Republic and Nigeria because of Mr. Olinga that Shoghi Effendi called him the Father of Victories. This was also added to another title that the Guardian gave to all the people who opened new territories to the Faith during the Ten Year Crusade. That title was Knight of Baha’u'llah. Before the Ten Year Crusade was up, Shoghi Effendi had given him still another title. This one was Hand of the Cause of God.

When Mr. Olinga heard of the news of his appointment, he cabled Shoghi Effendi, “Beloved Guardian, Please recreate me!” But Shoghi Effendi never replied. For just days after he appointed the last group of Hands of the Cause, Shoghi Effendi passed away.

All of the Hands of the Cause were called together in the Holy Land by Ruhiyyih Khanum, Shoghi Effendi’s wife, They all met together to decide in what direction the Baha’i world should go. They worked hard. But they were very sad. One day one of the Hands said that they were too sad and that they should start laughing so that they could get some better work done. They all agreed and set

aside an hour a day for jokes and funny stories.

Their work became easier after that. Mr. Olinga laughed so loud and enjoyed this time so much that Ruhiyyih Khanum would jokingly say to him, “It’s joke time, Enoch. Go and hide.” Even if he had gone to hide he would have been found and brought to joke time because he was always the best audience.

Mr. Olinga never stopped serving the Cause of God. He was constantly moving and traveling and visiting the friends and giving talks all over the world. He taught with great wisdom and love, whether he was speaking to 400 people in an elegant hall in Hawaii or with ten people in a humble home in Africa.

His last years he spent in his home in Uganda. They were very difficult years because there were so many bad things happening in that country. The House of Worship in Kampala was even closed for a while by governmental order. The people of the country were living in terrible hardship.

One day some bad people came to the Olinga house and killed Mr. Olinga and his entire family except for his son George who was not home at the time. His death made everyone in the Baha'i world very sad and very angry. It also made everyone realize how important it is for everyone to hear about the Faith so terrible things like this will stop happening.

When we think of all that he did during his lifetime and all the happiness he brought, we have to smile because we know that Mr. Olinga has got to be smiling. Somewhere in the Abha Kingdom this big, dark-skinned, sweet man is still bringing joy and serving his God. @ [Page 8]

n the land of Kakoo

lived a rooster named Doodle, who would push out his chest and say “KA-KA-KA-DOODLE!” Every morning at dawn, hed get up with a yawn and crow: “KAKA-DO, DOODLE DO, DO-YE-UDLE.”

Now this overstuffed bird had an overstuffed head. He believed so devoutly in his dawncrowing-outley that he thought, “Without me, no sun can come outley! Without me to crow, the sun would stay down,

2 wouldn't shine on the

children, wouldn't light up the town. The plants would all die and the

Illustrated by John Solarz

children would cry and the clouds would get lost and go BUMP! in the sky.”

One day to Kakoo came a truth-testing Goo, who had heard of the boast of the rooster named Doodle. Said the Goo to himself, “T’ll show Doodle it’s not his crowing that raises the sun from its cot. I'll show him by keeping the sun in its bed. I'll show him his crowing is just noise in his head.”

Just before dawn, Goo set to work quick, gluing the sun with his sungluing trick. First he trucked in nine-jillion, four-billion-and-one [Page 9]

in the land of

exotic rare jellybeans to cover the sun. He poured over this eight-thousandand-two cases of superfast-quick-drying glue. Then he grinned, and he hid in the bushes to wait for that cocky old Doodle to swallow his bait, to watch Doodle crow and crow all day long in vain for a sun that would not heed his song.

The time came for Doodle to pull off his act. Up he climbed on the fence and cut loose with a “KACK"” Cut loose with a “KA KA KA-DO DOYE-YOUDLE”

Now the heat from the sun made the jellybeans run and they oozed and

they squoozed—Oh, the colors were fun! And the sun it did rise, and it painted the skies, with a rainbow of sun-baked Goo-jelly-surprise!

Now the Goo was so mad at that arrogant cock, he decided at sunset to work ’round the clock to build a great net to hold back the sun, so it couldn’t come up when the rooster was done— crowing and bragging and having his fun.

All night long the Goo slaved, driving stakes, hauling cable, crossing yellow silk sashes with green ropes of sable. Laying catgut and horsehair, fishline and lace,

kakoo

weaving and winding all over the place; building a snare to hold back the sun—to keep it from rising—to spoil Doodle's fun.

Again Doodle mounted up high on his perch, smiled to himself smugly, raised his beak with a smurch. Then he threw out his wings and leaned back towards the sky, and cut loose with a blast that made the moon cry!

All this time the sun strained at the ropes and the cable, the horsehair and catgut, the green lines of sable, till it burst through its bonds and popped up in the blue, just as bird Doodle said

please turn the page [Page 10]

[Page 11]his last “KA-KA-DO” At this the Goo burst from his place in the leaves, purple with rage, he rolled up his sleeves Up he marched to bird Doodle and said to his face, “So you're the wonderful rooster who brings light to this place! Let me throw you a party, Mr. Ka Ka Ka Doodle! A party! A party! A party! A lulu! A party for me and a party for youdle.” Then he brought in the cakes and the cookies and ices. Sugar and frosting and rare eastern spices, cabbage creme pudding and broccoli tarts, eggplant ice cream with artichoke hearts,

popsicles, marshmallows, ruby red kisses,

lollipops, jawbreakers, dill pickle fizzes...

And that Doodle, he ate and he ate and he ate; till he doubled his size and he tripled his weight! His belly it stretched, it got bigger and fatter, till he couldn't stand up without help from Koo Katter. But worse than not strutting or stalking about, Doodle was sick, couldn’t crow, couldn’t shout. He groaned, “Without me, no sun can come out!”

The time was just six and the dawn it was due, and a smile could be seen on the face of the Goo.

Do Doodle was hoisted by rope to his place. Kellygreen was the color of Do-Doodle’s face. He stuck out his tongue to try filling his lungs. As he sucked in the air to give voice to his shout, Do-Doodle saw stars! Do-Doodle passed out!

Up the sun popped, and the stars they went out, and the creatures of Kakoo began running about, telling the story of Ka Ka Ka-Doo and how he was tricked by a truthtesting Goo.

Now the moral is this: Never tell someone You should get credit for something you didn’t do.

11 [Page 12]

Illustrated by Cindy Pacileo

Be Not Idle But Active

words by ‘Abdu’'l-Baha music by Mimi McClellan

(a two part round) *second part begins

ser a Are ye use-less weeds oor are ye _ fra - grant

herbs? Are ye bar-ren trees or _ treesthat yi-eld

fruit? Be yenot idle but _§act-ive

and... fear .. .xtot!

12 [Page 13]C

know about Africa!

There is a huge, dry area 1 e whose name, Sahara, even means “desert”. It covers nearly one third of Africa. Color the northern part of Africa light brown, where the Sahara is.

Uganda was the home zZ . of Hand of the Cause of God Enoch Olinga. There is a Baha’i House of Worship in its capital city of Kampala. Draw a star in Uganda for the city of Kampala.

The hottest temperature 3 e ever recorded anywhere on earth was 136°F (58°C), and was in Libya! Draw a thermometer in Libya, with its mercury at the top.

Islam is the main Ai religion in the northern part of Africa. Can you draw a crescent moon as a symbol of Islam in Algeria?

Copper is mined in Zaire. D - Place a penny under the map with the country of

You are

a

artographer!*

a map-maker

by Keith Boehme and Deborah Bley

hen someone talks about geography, we'll bet you think of maps with mountains and rivers. There are many kinds of geography other than learning about only the physical layout of a country. We can also learn about the kinds of things a country grows, makes or mines. We can draw maps that show what languages are spoken in an area, or what religion the people prac-___ tice. Geography can show us how much rain falls in a country, or which places are ruled by kings or by governments chosen by the people.

Africa is a continent that is made of many different peoples, languages, religions, resources and beautiful lands. We want you to help us complete the map of Africa (on the next two pages) by drawing in some things that make Africa special. When you are done, we think you'll be surprised at the new things you

Zaire over the penny (you may need some help to get it in place!). Now make a rubbing of the penny to remind you of Zaire’s copper.

6G Chocolate is made from - cacao beans, and one place they grow well is in Cameroon. Draw a chocolate bar in Cameroon.

Gold and diamonds are 7 - found in many African countries, but more comes from South Africa than from any other country in the whole world! Draw a ring of gold and a diamond shape in South Africa to help you remember its treasures.

Vanilla is from the big 8 - island of Madagascar. How about a vanilla ice cream cone on Madagascar!

In the Congo and Gabon, 9 - mahogany and ebony trees grow. Their wood makes beautiful furniture. Draw some trees in Gabon and the Congo.

You may know that 1 0 - the desert countries in the Sahara produce oil, but so does Angola in southern Africa. Draw an oil well in Angola.

Mount Kilamanjaro 1 1 - isthe highest spot in Africa, with snow on its peak! It is 19,340 feet high and

is in Tanzania. Draw a mountain peak there on

the border with Kenya.

Lake Chad is a big 12 - lake, but you could probably wade across it! It is only 3-4 feet deep. Find Lake Chad where the countries of Chad, Niger, and Nigeria come together, and color it blue.

1 a Mauritania is famous « for its wonderful

fishing grounds. Draw a fish on the coast of Mauritania.

a

please turn the page

13 [Page 14]ZN ied wl @ ft a

> 8 y

o Ww av Kys Nygisa™

[Page 15]

a SRR fy [Page 16]16

¢

seasons past [vse blanketed the garden, A standard of beauty set By a simple hue, and so it is and still it can, this garden of white thrill my very heart. _~<

Then, a springtime arrived =< With colors, colors alive! Black is Beautiful, red and Yellow blossomed above the Richness of the brown earth, Hues by which to measure The standard,

and so it is

a challenging delight.

The garden complete: Flowers sway, confidently In unison, each in their unique beauty With open arms.

The fragrances of diversity deeply inhaled. At last, finding comfort,

I sit in.this garden, “ A sight for reflection.

Illustrated by Patti Van Horn [Page 17]

By Heart

9 A bdu'l-Bahd spoke a lot about the beauty of the whole

human family, in all of its rich colors, and He always reminded us to see the real and lasting part of each person: his spirit. When you learn this verse and can say it from your memory, you will have another jewel from the Master to call upon whenever you are learning to get along with people who may be different from you!

“ © thou who hast an illumined heart! Thou art even as the pupil oF the eye, the very wellspring oF The Light, FoR Goo’s Love hath CAST ITS RAYS UPON THINE INMOST BEING & Thou hast TURNED Thy FACE TOWARD The KINGDOM OF thy Lord...

“ Let Them Look NOT Upon a MaH’s CoLouR BuT UpoN hishearT...” — ‘ABou'L-Baha *

Selections from the Writings of ’Abdu’l-Baha, p. 113

Calligraphy by Michael Hughey

17 [Page 18]Ki

18

the Yorubas

Photographs by Duane & Steffie Troxel

. the

ng of Kings . Emirs of Hausaland

outh of the Sahara Desert lies West

Africa. For centuries the black peoples of West Africa had their own tribal governments. Each tribe had its king, chiefs, elders, and so on. In the early 1800’s, Europeans came to West Africa. Over a period of time the Europeans made these lands a part of their empires. African kings and chiefs and their peoples then had to obey laws made by the Europeans and their representatives.

Since World War II, most West African countries have gained their independence from Europe. Each new nation formed its own government. But none of these new governments went back to the old tribal leadership.

by Duane K. Troxel

Too many tribes, each having its own leaders, would make it difficult to unite a nation.

But the people never completely gave up their loyalty to their own leaders. The kings, chiefs, and elders were called traditional leaders. And to this day some traditional leaders still command great power and respect among their peoples.

Within Nigeria, a former British colony, is the Yoruba (say yore-oh-bah) tribe. Over 10 million Yorubas still recognize the Oni of Ife as their “King of Kings”. The current Oni was crowned in 1930, and has ruled over 50 years! His palace is in the holy city of Ile-Ife, deep in the tropical rainforest. [Page 19]facing page: Yoruba men beat “talking drums” in Ile-Ife, Nigeria.

Once during every Yoruba’s lifetime ey (RAE RE ——

ae Ae wae

he is expected to make a pilgrimage to Ile-Ife. The town has many shrines that pilgrims visit. Visiting the palace grounds of the Oni of Ife is

a special treat.

Just inside the gates are the Oni’s messengers. They are easy to spot. Exactly half of each messenger’s head is Shaven bald. On my visit I had the rarest treat of all. I was introduced to the Oni himself!

The Oni is almost 100 years old now! As he approached, Yoruba tribespeople lay flat on the ground to show their respect and obedience. I was there to show him a film in a small building not far from the palace. above: The Oni approaching from

After he was seated on his throne his palace his chiefs approached. One by one they lay on the floor and spoke with him. Never once did they look him directly in the eyes. It is considered disrespectful to do this.

The king acted with great dignity. He asked me a few questions and thanked me for my help. I couldn’t help thinking that before the coming of the white man, the Oni and his kings, the Obas, held the power of life and death over their people.

below left: A Yoruba chief in prostrate position while talking with the Oni.

below right: The Oni seated upon his throne.

[Page 20]20

Far north of Ile-Ife live the Hausa peoples. They dwell in the arid lands on the fringe of the Sahara Desert. Many Hausas are nomads who graze their cattle over the vast plains. City dwellers are mostly merchants and tradesmen.

Northern cities are surrounded by

walls. Here is a typical northern house.

Each town has a mosque because northerners are Moslems. Their religion is Islam. Their traditional leaders are the Emirs.

A relative of the Emir of Kano.

The Emirs still wield great power. One symbol of that power is the number of wives each Emir can boast. One Emir surprised a Baha’i lady friend of ours by inviting her to become his wife—his fourth wife!

The Moslem influence is very pronounced in northern Nigeria.

The clothing and customs are very similar to those of North Africa and Arabia, and even the artwork has complex designs like Moslem art elsewhere in the world.

Did your mother ever threaten to send you to Timbuktu? Well it’s not terribly far from Kano, Nigeria, where most of these pictures were taken.

Baha'i pioneers in Africa and elsewhere show great respect to both the traditional leaders and the native governments under which they live. @ [Page 21]

SP

De ee psi

A camelinaKano courtyard. The Emir’s palace in Kano, northern Nigeria.

A Hausa woman selling her wares in the courtyard of the Emir’s palace.

en

[Page 22]22

(yee ONE GOD, MA NY PROPHETS by Daniel Norris

PB.

x 8 we sea li ~*~ x 4 a x 5 Y THAT A You MIGHT SA A ) THIS TRANSMITTER COULD 7 oe ‘pe A SYMBOL FOR GOD. Bae 4 WE CAN'T PICTURE GOD i TRANSMITTER, sakes iat wit, Het? 7 \ +o EXPLAIN... G we fi See d) ree

THERE IS ONLY owe GoD SENDING ALL MANKIND MESSAGES

we THESE DIFFERENT RADIOS ARE LIKE

wt THE DIFFERENT MESSENGERS OF GoD.

THEY ALL LOOK DIFFERENT, BUT EACH ONE IS GIVING THE SAME MESSAGE FROM

GOD, TO ALL OF US. ee

pové

e /

“EVERY ONE OF THEM IS THE WAY OF Gop CONNE CTETH THIS woRL WITH THE REALMS ABOVE...THEY ARE THE MANIFESTATIONS OF ou i

/) ? ? BAHA U LLAH [Page 23]

Afri Stone Game

by Rita Leydon

\

pbs ancient Sumerians thought up this game 3000 years ago, and it is still very popular in Africa. You need two players, a bag of small smooth pebbles (dry beans work Just as well), a game board (can be a wooden board with twelve small bowls and two bigger ones hollowed out; or twelve small bowls and two bigger ones; or two small bowls and one styrofoam egg carton). Read the directions twice before you play!!

To start: Position the game board or bowls between the two of you. Put three stones in each of the twelve smaller bowls (each player has six of these and one bigger bowl, A free turn is earned when a player or Home Bin to her right). puts her last stone in her own Home Bin. It

(ee) (2) (3) © @ &) 7 ca nate free turns in a row. CisseeeO)sceza0

Object of the game: To collect

more stones in your Home Bin than your A capture happens when a player puts

partner does in her Home Bin. her last stone in an empty bowl on her own side. Then she can capture (take) all the

stones in her partner’s bowl on the opposite

To play: The first player picks up all side and put these in her own Home Bin. the stones in any bowl on her side, then

moving counter-clockwise, she puts one stone fy in each bow] that comes along (both on her Gr) G3) (6) GS bis) own side and her partner’s). Don’t put stones in your partner’s Home Bin, though. (2) és) 3) (e) Take turns. (6°) Oe¢ iS on —¥ (9) 63)(29 (22)(23) The game ends when either player has used up all her stones so that 3) ¢2) @) C) her six bowls are empty. The partner takes a

all the stones she has left in her bowls and puts them in her Home Bin. Whoever has the —* most stones in her Home Bin is the winner. 23

[Page 24]24

Ancient

Royalt Ya rriSh

by Roy Jones

There are many stories about the kings and queens of Africa, and here are four of them. We hope that you will see why they are still remembered for

their greatness!

Ce VII was queen of Egypt from 69 to 30 B.C. She became queen of Egypt at 17! Cleopatra was the most famous of the queens of Africa. She has mistakenly been portrayed as a Caucasian woman but, in fact, Cleopatra was a black African queen. She was both charming and brilliant, and spoke several languages, including African dialects, Latin, Hebrew, Greek and Syrian.

Cleopatra VII did a lot to influence Rome. In her own kingdom, she had visited with Egyptian scientists, artists, architects and accountants. As an ally of Julius Caesar and Marc Antony, she brought her broad knowledge and experience as an Egyptian to the court of Rome, and so enriched Roman culture.

Cleopatra wanted Egypt to become a world power, and her friendship with Julius Caesar helped her in this goal.

% 74 oe ; es |

Ww

“Hungering Lion’, became the king of Mali and the Mandingo people in the year 1230.

As a boy, Sundiata was very sickly and crippled. No one thought young Sundiata would ever be able to walk. Sundiata was intelligent with lion-like determination. He worked courageously to overcome his handicap. He not only learned to walk, but to ride a horse better than anyone else in the land! The Mandingo people accepted him as their true leader.

Sundiata’s army grew very strong and conquered the cruel Soso (say “su-su”) empire. Because of Sundiata’s leadership, Mali became the most powerful state in the Western Sudan. Before Sundiata’s death in 1255, Mali became powerful and prosperous because of Sundiata’s wise leadership. Sundiata is considered to be Mali’s greatest king, and there are still stories being told about his bravery and fine character. Mf

Illustrated by Robin Allen [Page 25]

ing Samori Tori of

Bissantugu was known as “The Black Napoleon of Sudan” because of his ability to lead his army in conquest of other lands. His goal was to unify all parts of West Africa into a single state. His kingdom spanned 100,000 square miles of land, which made him the most powerful West African ruler. King Samori was a dedicated and devoted Moslem and follower of Islamic law. He demonstrated his commitment to Islam by building a mosque in each city of his state.

To expand his kingdom, Samori had to keep the Europeans from invading parts of West Africa. He was so good as a military general that France's greatest commanders gave him the title “The Black Napoleon of the Sudan”.

3 i ue

a yo

SSS

ee

oS

Cs

a

unni Ali Ber, known as Ali x the Great, became ruler and king / of Songhay in 1464. Ali the Great i captured Timbuktu about four years after becoming ruler of Songhay.

Timbuktu was the center of business

and learning in Africa, so winning that city was indeed a great deed. Although many historians describe King Sunni Ali as a “master tyrant” and even “a scoundrel”, he was highly praised by his own people.

Sunni Ali ruled the Songhay empire ‘ for almost 28 years. He was a fearless 3. warrior, hated by his enemies but +“ loved by his people. He is remembered ve* for the strong foundation of governvee ment he built as king. @

25 [Page 26]make your

~eOwn african

instrument:

BANJO! by Janet Richards

D: you know the banjo belongs to the lute family? And guess where it Dae It originated in West Africa. It was often made from a gourd with a stick neck and any number of strings running from the bottom of the gourd to the top of the neck. West Africans who were slaves brought the banjo to America in 1688. In the 19th century, an American musician, Joel Wilher ae developed the native banjo into what we know today.

You will need: an oatmeal box, with lid, cut down to 2 inches high, 12 inch wooden ruler, 6 thumbtacks and nylon

fishing line.

1 With an Exacto eknife, make a slit in each side to slide the ruler through. Be careful! Glue at the slits.

2 In the lid cut an arc e (half circle) and bend it up. Put 4 slits in the part that is bent up.

3 Glue the

e lid on.

4 Paint your banjo e traditionally brown

and the lid white or the

colors of gourds (yellow, orange & green).

26

[Page 27]

5 When itisdry, push end to a bottom tack. tack. Do the other side e2thumbtacks into Taketheline upandover exactly the same. You

the end of the ruler and the end of the ruler may need to put small 2 into each side of the neck and down the banjo slits in the top of the ruler at the top. through the 1st slitin ruler neck to hold the

the arc and around the line in place. String your banjo end tack. Continue up e using the fishing next slit and over neck Tune line. Tie the beginning _and tie to the top neck e and play!

Illustrated by Winifred Barnum Newman [Page 28]

[Page 29]

th Beggar

[ee ago there lived a woman named

Fumi. Fumi was a rich woman. She had a lovely house with straight mud walls and the finest cane supported the thatch on her roof. She had a farm with plantain and yam and cassava. She also kept chickens and goats. But what made Fumi proudest was that she had seven handsome, intelligent and strong sons.

Well, six of her sons were strong. The middle son, Ade, had been dropped by a neighbor girl when he was a baby and he was never able to walk. But despite his handicap, Ade was a very intelligent, helpful and cheerful person.

During the time of Fumi great kings fought

King

by Stephanie Fielding

great battles.

One day as Fumi and her sons were coming back from the fields after a day of farming, they heard a great commotion and, looking toward the town, saw much smoke. Then they heard the warning drums. The army of the great Olorunshogo was attacking, stealing food and taking people as slaves.

“Hurry, my sons!” shouted Fumi. “The soldiers are coming! We must escape!” She picked up the baby Babatunde and tied him to her back. To Wole, the oldest son, she gave a bundle of farming tools and seeds to plant. To Yinka and Fola, the next two oldest sons, she gave food to live on for a few days. To Fatai, the fifth son,

she gave a cage full of squawking chickens and to Bola, the sixth son, she gave three tethered goats.

“What about me, Mother?” cried Ade.

“I’m sorry, my son, but we must hurry. If we take you we will all be captured,’ Fumi called back as she put a bundle of household items on her head. “Besides, they will not make a cripple a slave.”

“But you are taking the goats; the goats are not your sons!” he shouted after her.

Ade sat in shock for a minute trying to decide what he must do. Then he heard a thud on the roof and a crackling sound. Smoke started seeping through the thatch. The house was on fire.

“No time to sit and think,” he said out loud. “They might not take you as a slave, but you could be burned up in your house or just killed outright. Get going, Ade!”

The gray parrot leashed to a perch squawked, “Ade loves you!”

“I won't leave you, my friend,’ said Ade as he pulled himself up on a bench and untied the parrot’s leash. “We will escape together.” Ade put a few essentials in a wrapper, tied it ina sling and threw it around his shoulders.

In each hand he took a block of wood and, putting them on the ground in front of him,

please turn the page

29 [Page 30]he was able to swing himself and his useless legs forward on his arms, set himself down, and put his arms ahead of him for another step.

He moved along in this fashion for what seemed like hours until he reached the river. Night was falling as he found a canoe at the riverside. He pushed it into the middle of the river and climbed inside, falling asleep as soon as he lay down out of sight.

The next day he was awakened when the boat stopped abruptly in the roots of some mangrove trees.

As he sat and listened to his surroundings he heard in the distance the sounds of a city.

He pulled himself into the city where everything was brown. Hardly a green thing in sight. And so many people. He never went to the city with his mother or brothers.

As he approached, he noticed that there were a lot of people sitting at the gates. As he got closer he saw that some were blind and others were crippled. They begged for food and money from those people that walked by.

Ade had always been a useful person and could not understand what these people were doing. He was confused.

He sat down among them and leaned against the city wall. Should he ask for money from others so he could live or should he work like he had always done?

He was so deep in thought that he didn’t hear the warning cry that the king’s soldiers were coming. All of the beggars flew away from the city gates and hid. Only Ade remained seated by the wall, still pondering his future.

He finally made a decision.

“My name is Ade— crown! I shall be as dignified as my name and live by my intelligence?’ he said to no one in particular.

“It is he!” came a voice directed at Ade.

He looked up into the face of a man dressed in fine clothing and surrounded by armed men. One carried a huge fan that protected the man from the sun.

The man fell down on his knees and kissed Ade’s dusty feet. The [Page 31]other men did the same and then lifted him onto a platform and marched him through the town.

“What’s happening? Where are you taking me?” Ade asked the finely dressed man who walked beside him.

“The king just died. The babaloa cast the rocks and bones and said, ‘Go to the city gates and find a dead man who is not dead, wearing a crown of intelligence instead of jewels, a beggar that will be king’ You are the beggar that will be king”

Ade tried hard to be a good king. What he didn’t know he would ask of his ministers and the babaloa and soon he became very good at the job of being king.

One day, many years later, Ade sat by the window in his palace. He saw a sight that looked very familiar and yet very strange. It was a procession of six men, three women and four children. The older woman was leading the way and they were coming toward the palace.

“No one walks like that except my mother!” he cried. Then he called one of his ministers and gave him instructions.

Ade’s mother, his six brothers, two new wives and four young children were seated in the throne room when the King was carried in on a seat covered with leopard-skin

hides. He was dressed in the finest cloth and on his head sat a crown encrusted with cowerie shells. The shells hung in strands before the face of the king, protecting it from the sight of these common people. On a perch attached to the throne was a gray parrot with a pink breast.

“Speak, woman!” shouted Ade.

Fumi stumbled forward, afraid of this great king and said, “Dear king, we have come for many miles. Years ago we were driven from our home by soldiers. Then we were driven from our new home by drought. Now we come to you begging that you show us mercy and allow us to live in your kingdom.”

“We only accept honest people in this kingdom,” Ade bellowed. “Are you honest people?”

“Oh yes,’ trembled Fumi.

“Are these all of your children?”

“Yes,” answered Fumi. “These are all my children.”

“Guards! Take them away! She is lying.”

“Wait! wait,’ pleaded Fumi. “There was one other son, but he is not with us.’

“Where is he?” Ade demanded.

“He is dead.”

“Guards, she is lying. Kill them all!” shouted Ade.

“No, no, we left him. When the soldiers came,

we left him.” She fell to her knees in tears. “Oh, Ade,’ she wept, “wherever you are, I’m sorry; oh, Ade, oh, Ade.”

At hearing Ade'’s name, the parrot on the perch perked up and said, “Ade loves you!”

The realization swept over the entire family that they were in the presence of Ade who was now very powerful and had their lives in his hands. Ade removed his crown, revealing his face.

They all fell on the ground weeping, expecting the worst.

“What should I do with them?” Ade asked his counsellor.

“To leave a king to die is punishable by death,’ he said.

“True,” agreed Ade, at which a moan went up from the floor.

“But what would the people say,’ asked Ade, “if good King Ade had his entire family killed?”

“They wouldn't mind. After all, you are king”

Another wail went up from the floor.

“And what would they say if I spared them despite their negligence toward me?” he asked.

“They would say, ‘he is indeed, Good King Ade!’”

“So let it be,’ declared Ade, “that Fumi and her sons be given a farm and given the rights and privileges of the king’s family.”

And Fumi and her seven sons lived happily ever after. Hl

Ol [Page 32]32

Book Nook

by Simon Beint, age 13, of Brixworth, Northants, England

Second Birth

by Gail Radley, illustrated by Richard Morgan, published by Baha? Publishing Trust of the United Kingdom, London, 1984.

efore you had a name,

before you were even born into this world, you were alive. As you grew ready to be born, you couldn't possibly imagine who or what you were,

but you were a human being—a person with a body, mind and soul that made you different from anyone who ever lived in the past or who will live in the future. But who are you? What are you? Second Birth answers these questions and so will help you understand the purpose of life.

This book explains the meaning of life after death to children. It has allegories such as the body being like a glove puppet. Just as your hand gives life to the puppet, so your soul gives life to the body. Fun as it is, the puppet gets dirty, torn and needs washing and mending, and becomes a nuisance. After a time, the hand feels uncomfortable covered up by the worn out puppet and wants to be free. In the same way, the soul is free to do more without the body. This and many other ideas in the book are taken from the writings of ‘Abdu’1-Bahéa. [Page 33]

Parents

On the Development of Prejudice in Children

page

by Mary K. Radpour

ee

.../ freedom from prejudice/ should be the immediate, the universal,

and the chief concern of all and sundry members of the Bahai community of whatever age, rank, experience, class, or color, as all, with no exception must face its challenging implications, and none can claim, however much he may have progressed along this line, to have completely discharged the stern responsibilities which it inculcates.”

Shoghi Effendi, Advent of Divine Justice, pp. 18-19

Fe people in America for whom racial prejudice is a concern would dispute that prejudice is pervasive. We live ina world in which material influence is seen as the measure of the worth of a person. How can we live immersed in a society with such standards and not be influenced by it? How can we rear our children to be impervious to its pressures?

We know that identifying racial prejudice in our own lives requires a daily

stocktaking—a taking account of ourselves—in order to determine how successful our pernicious education in prejudice has been and how well we have weeded the gardens of our hearts to root it out. But when we observe our children, we are convinced of their innocence. We know that they are not prejudiced at birth. Prejudice is something which they acquire in the process of being miseducated. Nevertheless, in spite of our efforts, we see that they too must struggle to stay free of this negative influence.

It might be helpful for us to realize that prejudice enters our children’ lives at critical stages and in very subtle forms. The very same mechanisms which aid our children to become civilized and socialized are those which will assist them in acquiring prejudice. We want them to be so sensitive to our feelings that they will know which occasions require that they be especially courteous and polite. This same sensitivity to us causes them to know when we are reticent, or distant, or even uncomfortable with another person; they internalize this awareness and model it themselves. Their models for prejudiced responses are everywhere. In the attitudes of our extended family, our neighbors, their teachers, their classmates—the opportunities for making subtle discriminations are ubiquitous. From their books, from television, from the evening news our children learn who the disadvantaged people of the world are. Life itself will present incidents which underline these lessons: people who are rude to them because of their race, situations wherein they are distrusted because of their race or that of their associates.

We are all aware that children grow. We see the stages of development passing in the growth of their skills with language, in their motor skills, in their understanding. What may not be so obvious but

is equally fundamental is the change | which occurs in their understanding of who thev are and who others are in relation to them. Children under the age of 3 rarely exhibit anything but curiosity

irticle is one of

os wall appear in the

tea by Mrs, Radpour concerning racial understanding: Nov-Dec. 1986 Brilliant Star.

about differences between people; however, they are particularly sensitive to whatever appears to be a threat to them. Unless someone actually abuses them, physically or verbally, they take their cues about who is threatening from the adults around them. When they see adults beginning to respond to situations with fear and anger, they try to puzzle out the meaning of it. By the age of three, they are beginning to articulate their understanding and/or the explanations they have been given. “You're not going to go to a school with black teachers, are you?” asked one three-year-old of my daughter, clearly frightened by the prospect. “Why did you have a white girl at your birthday party?” asked another four-year-old of a friend, concerned about this lapse in her friend’s good judgement. An alert parent can respond to these situations with explanations about what is really worth being frightened about, but the most convincing demonstration to the child is seeing his or her parents in multi-racial circumstances, happy, comfortable, and able to address racial differences with a matter-of-fact stance.

At around the age of five, children begin to internalize a set of standards about what is “good” and what is “bad.” Some of these rules are crystal clear to him because of his own experience in violating the rules. Others are vague; but because the child is super-sensitive to the questions of what is good and what is bad, he will readily pick up on such clues long before a child of another age. Any hint that someone is stupid because he does not speak the common language or ugly because of his skin color is readily accepted by the child of this age as true. Because one’s sense of identity and selfworth begins to be solidified at this stage, the child is now particularly vulnerable to negative evaluations of self, formed in response to prejudiced statements from others. It is even possible at this stage for the child to begin to imagine how a playmate might respond in prejudice, even when this has not happened in reality. One five-year-old in my acquaintance told me she would never say “Allah’u’Abha” to her friends at school, or they might think that she was saying a bad word. That she believed they would see it as a bad word rather than just as a different word suggests that she had already begun to notice one of the unfortunate beliefs of the prejudiced world: different ts bad. This is the time for us to Le the other: Different is wonderful. ,

en the ages of 6 and 11, children

- the second concerning the opportunities presented by each

are particularly concerned with success in attaining goals of education. Their selfworth becomes measured in terms of how well they read, in whether they have an accent, in their social skills on the playground. Those who fail in school are particularly vulnerable to being the objects of the derision of others. If their failure is due in part to the poverty of their home (inadequate nutrition, illiterate or uneducated parents, chaos in family relationships leading to inability to concentrate) a gulf begins to form between them cad other children. If teachers of children of this age were alert, they could use these years to teach other kinds of competencies: generosity; truthfulness, humility, fair-mindedness. Children who fail in one kind of learning may be excellent in another; their future success may revolve around the kind of recognition they have received in these years for qualities of character and personality. But today there is a void in the education of children concerning how one can appropriately respond to others who are different or in some respect deficient. This void enhances the gulf between those who are favored and those who are not. The unfavored child begins to choose an identity based on other competencies: on being bigger and tougher, quicker at offering ridicule, more sassy toward authorities, and these standards become the measure of his or her worth. The favored child loses too. He or she knows that not all of his : advantages are earned, particularly if racial or other kinds of prejudice are at work. In order not to feel threatened by this knowledge, he becomes insensitive to the prejudices at work around him. He develops a patronizing attitude. Here again, one can only marvel at the possibilities available to us who teach children about prejudice and liberate them from its grasp.

Between adolescence and childhood an interesting event occurs. The child seems to re-evaluate all that he or she has learned in the process of re-integrating it into a clear sense of who he is. He is ina state of flux, or of disorganization. Consequently, a single event or happening can seem to re-shape him. In spite of the pressure on a child of this age to make prejudiced judgements, he or she is not yet formed in terms of racial or other kinds of prejudice. He is still malleable. And as he moves toward adolescence he is more and more drawn to others of his own age. This attraction can be so powerful that the child will overlook differences in order to have a playmate or to learn a highly desirable skill (ie., breakdancing, or skateboarding). There is still enough frankness that the child may even inquire into cultural or racial differences, checking out the errors about which he has been educated.

By mid-adolescence, a child has internalized the values of his society or learned an alternative set of values from his family. In order to solidify these values, he must practice them in a group of people who reward their adoption and condemn their rejection. His peers become very important, as every parent of a teenager knows. When his or her peers. support values which encourage diversity and discourage racial prejudice, a child can be well onto his way into an adult life where racial prejudice is an annoying feature of the world around him but not a permanent structure within him. This is not to say that his close association with those who are different from him will not

assist him in discovering hidden biases. But his energies will be free to discover the possibilities in the belief that diversity is a blessing. @

n stage of development for

33 [Page 34]

Kate Richards, age 3, of Yardville, N.J., sent us this drawing of “Two Families of Baha'is”. Thank you Kate!

an @ Y Brilliant Star Suburban Office Park

5010 Austin Rd.

Hixson, Tn. 37343

Return and forwarding postage guaranteed

Non-profit org. U.S. postage

PAID

Hixson, Tn. Permit 24

�