| ←6 | Messages from the Universal House of Justice, 1963-1986 Request for Prayers for Moroccan Bahá’í Prisoners |
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| 17 October 1963 |
To all National Spiritual Assemblies
Dear Friends,
7.1 Our Bahá’í friends who were tried at Nador, Morocco, last year and who received sentences of death or life imprisonment are still being held in prison.[1] Their appeal which has been pending for nearly a year still has not been heard. However, we are pleased to report that another Bahá’í prisoner, Mohammad Manaan, of Tangier was recently provisionally released.
7.2 We are calling for believers throughout the world to pray at the Feast Of Qawl (November 23rd) that early favorable action may be taken in the cases of these devoted and steadfast friends whose long suffering on behalf of our Faith has been an inspiration to Bahá’ís everywhere.
7.3 The friends at the World Center will join you on that day by saying prayers at the Holy Shrines for our Moroccan friends.
- With loving greetings,
- THE UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE
Notes
- ↑ In April 1962 fourteen Moroccan Bahá’í men were arrested in Nador. On 31 October 1962, after more than six months of imprisonment, they were tried before the Criminal Court of Nador on charges of rebellion and disorder, attacks on public security, constitution of an association of criminals, and attacks on religious faith. On 10 December 1962 they were found guilty and sentenced. Their cases were then appealed to the Supreme Court of Morocco, which overruled the lower court’s verdict and released the men. A worldwide campaign to publicize the plight of the Bahá’í prisoners focused public opinion, favorable to the Bahá’ís, on the Moroccan authorities. For further information, see BW 13:288–89, and messages no. 8 and 12.
