The American Bahá’í/Volume 10/Issue 12/Text
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National Assembly Rebuts Iran Charges[edit]
In response to recent allegations against the Faith by Iranian government officials in the news media and elsewhere, the National Spiritual Assembly prepared the following statement:
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Iranian government agencies outside Iran have apparently adopted a uniform stand in their replies to appeals being made on behalf of the Iranian Bahá’ís.
They say that Bahá’ís in Iran, unlike Bahá’ís elsewhere, have been involved in politics, conspired with and were favored and supported by the previous regime, and were prominent members of SAVAK, the Sháh’s secret police.
IN SUPPORT of these statements, these officials name as Bahá’ís: former Prime Minister Abbas Amir Hoveida; a former Minister of Agriculture, Mansour Rouhani; a SAVAK senior officer, Parviz Sabeti; and the physician to the Sháh, Dr. Ayadi.
The facts are that Hoveida’s grandfather was a Bahá’í, his father was expelled from the Bahá’í community because he became involved in political activity, and Hoveida himself was never a Bahá’í.
Rouhani’s father was a Bahá’í, his mother a devout Muslim, but Rouhani was never a Bahá’í.
Sabeti’s parents were Bahá’ís and they registered him in the community as a Bahá’í child. However, when he came of age he did not himself register as a Bahá’í and never became a member of the community.
UNLIKE CHILDREN of other religions, Bahá’í children do not automatically inherit the faith of their parents. When they come of age they must of their own volition express their belief in Bahá’u’lláh and His teachings.
Dr. Ayadi, however, is a Bahá’í. He held two positions: one as director of the army medical service, the other as a private physician of the court. Neither of these positions was regarded by the Bahá’í community as political in nature.
Although some Bahá’ís with unique qualifications were placed in positions of trust because of their ability and integrity, it is not true to say that Bahá’ís were favored by the previous regime.
On the contrary, they were denied civil rights, such as permission to register their Bahá’í marriages, the privilege to hold Bahá’í religious endowments in the name of the Bahá’í community, and freedom to publish Bahá’í literature or establish Bahá’í schools (indeed, during the reign of Shah Muhammad Reza Pahlavi’s father, more than 30 Bahá’í schools throughout the country were permanently closed).
MANY FROM the rank and file of the Bahá’ís were denied jobs and sometimes even their rights to pensions because of their refusal to deny their faith.
As to the alleged role of Bahá’ís in SAVAK, this is likewise untrue.
For example, in January 1979, through the machinations of SAVAK, an order was given to systematically loot and burn or otherwise destroy hundreds of homes of Bahá’ís.
This is a fact attested to by Muslim clerics belonging to the present regime who, during that period of terror and violence against the Bahá’ís, were among the first to try to dissuade the mobs from participating in the SAVAK plan, since the clergy knew that the aim of this plan was to give excuse to
On Sunday, October 14, the magazine section of Green Bay, Wisconsin’s daily newspaper, the Press-Gazette, published a four page feature on the Faith that included a high-contrast cover photo of the Bahá’í House of Worship in Wilmette, photos of the Spiritual Assembly of Green Bay, interviews with local believers, a presentation of the principles of the Faith, and a photo of Florence Delany, who has been a member of the Green Bay community since the formation of the first Bahá’í Group there in 1936. In appreciation of the positive article, the Green Bay Assembly sent a letter of thanks and a House of Worship Presidential Art Medal to Press-Gazette religion editor Judy Hierseman.
Study Program Planned By Education Committee[edit]
At the request of the National Spiritual Assembly, the National Education Committee is preparing a nationwide study program for January 1980 that will feature taped excerpts from a talk given by the Hand of the Cause of God Enoch Olinga.
The program, entitled “A Life of Service,” is scheduled for Sunday, January 27.
THE PURPOSE of the program is to bring together Bahá’í communities around the country in a joyful gathering to consider some of the qualities that should characterize a life of service to the Cause of God.
The program itself will be similar in format to the Victory Weekend program of 1978. It will begin with devotions on Sunday morning, followed by the tape of the Hand of the Cause Mr. Olinga.
Mr. Olinga, his wife and three of their children were slain by unknown assassins last September 16 at their home in Kampala, Uganda.
The tape will offer instructions regarding program activities and will allow ample time for the friends to discuss the principles and stories related by Mr. Olinga.
Both morning and afternoon sessions are planned, so arrangements should be made for a noon meal whether it be a luncheon potluck, a box lunch or a visit to a nearby restaurant.
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Inside ... TREASURER’S Office inaugurates a new financial newsletter. Page 3 THE PERSIAN Affairs Committee holds its organizational meeting. Page 4 TWENTY-FOUR Bahá’í youth from across the U.S. gather at the National Center to discuss their role in the Seven Year Plan. Page 5 THE SITUATION in Iran and the Bahá’í response to it are brought up to date. Pages 8 and 9 THE FIRST Massanetta Springs Bahá’í Conference in Virginia draws more than 650 believers and their guests. Page 16 |
National Fireside Dates Altered
Last month the National Teaching Committee announced its plans for a series of community and individual firesides to be held in Bahá’í communities across the country in upcoming months.
Since that time there have been some changes in the dates for the program. The corrected dates are as follows:
November 22-December 30: A unity Feast for the month of Qawl (Speech) begins a two-month period of individual firesides focusing on teaching non-Bahá’í members of families and people of other religions.
December 31-February 6: A unity Feast for the month of Sharaf (Honor) begins two months of individual firesides. The focus is on teaching youth. During this month is the study month in January being developed by the National Education Committee, based on the three spiritual requisites for teaching.
February 7-March 20: A unity Feast for the month of Mulk (Dominion) begins a two-month period focusing on the teaching of minorities.
March 21-April 27: A unity Feast for the month of Bahá (Splendor) begins a two-month period with the focus on teaching women and women teaching women. Also, activities are focused on the formation of Assemblies and the election of officers.
Special attention will be given to the formation of new Assemblies and ensuring that no existing Assemblies are lost.
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Editorial If an outside observer were to audit the way in which the American Bahá’í community spends its time, what would he find? We suspect that he would find a large number of people who believe deeply in meetings. Judging from our behavior, he might conclude that the Administrative Order is an instrument Bahá’ís use to perfect the art of group decision-making. HAVE WE forgotten that the primary and essential purpose of the Administrative Order is teaching? Shoghi Effendi, sensing as early as 1926 our tendency to become sidetracked by endless meetings, wrote to our National Spiritual Assembly: “... it is absolutely necessary that we bear in mind this fundamental fact that all these administrative activities, however harmoniously and efficiently conducted, are but means to an end, and should be regarded as direct instruments for the propagation of the Bahá’í Faith. “Let us take heed lest in our great concern for the perfection of the administrative machinery of the Cause, we lose sight of the Divine Purpose for which it has been created. “LET US BE on our guard lest the growing demand for specialization in the administrative functions of the Cause detain us from joining the ranks of those who in the forefront of battle are gloriously engaged in summoning the multitude to this New Day of God.” (Bahá’í Administration, p. 103) While consultative meetings no doubt play a key role in the work of the Faith, we must learn to use them properly. Disciplined thought, self-restraint, and eagerness to reach agreement help make consultation efficient and effective. It is said that when ‘Abdu’l-Bahá visited a meeting of the Spiritual Assembly of New York City in 1912, He sat observing the proceedings for some time and then arose to leave. Asked why He was departing, the Master replied: “I thought this was the Executive Committee.” The friends assured Him it was. “Then,” He asked, “when are you going to execute?” |
Once again the Bahá’í community of Salt Lake City, Utah, sponsored a booth at the annual Utah State Fair in September—and this year, the booth won a blue ribbon. Sixty-seven years ago, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá visited the Utah State Fair during a one-day stopover in Salt Lake City on His historic journey across the U.S.
COMMENT
Loving, Like Knowing, Requires Effort[edit]
By PATRICK W. CONWAY
“Love” is one of the most freely-used words in the English language.
Everyone, it seems, talks about love, everyone seeks it, and yet there appears to be a dearth of insight into what love is and how to find it.
Since according to Bahá’í sources, the capacity to love is one of the basic aspects of one’s purpose in life, there is little wonder that the failure to understand and develop this capacity has led to widespread frustration, emptiness and unhappiness.
PART OF THE problem, I believe, lies in the fact that we have given scant attention in western culture to learning how to love.
The modern myth promoted by the media and other shapers of thought and opinion is that love simply happens to us—we are “struck” by love, or we “fall in love.”
It is as if we have little or nothing to do with the matter, and can exert no conscious control over the process. Like passive clay, we await love’s imprint.
This attitude contrasts sharply with the way in which we approach knowing.
Society does not leave the education of its children to chance. The attainment of knowledge is not considered a fortuitous windfall, but rather the result of deliberate seeking and a conscious application of effort.
IF A PERSON remains ignorant amid such opportunity for learning, he and society are held accountable for his failure.
It seems inconsistent and arbitrary that we should be responsible for developing our capacity to know but not our capacity to love.
While the initial spark of attraction that kindles love for another may appear without design or intention, this does not imply that loving is outside the realm of conscious control, any more than does the spark of curiosity that leads to knowing imply that knowing is beyond the influence of choice or intention.
The scientist or scholar does not idly hope for knowledge—he actively struggles to gain it, taking full responsibility, and leaving nothing to chance.
THE BAHÁ’Í Writings indicate that the Source of all love is God:
“Through this (love of God)... man is endowed with physical existence, until, through the breath of the Holy Spirit—this same love—he receives eternal life and becomes the image of the living God. This love is the origin of all the love in the world of creation.” (‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Paris Talks, p. 180)
Thus, when the individual orients his reflective capacities toward God, he taps an infinite Source of love that cannot be threatened or upset by worldly contingencies.
In turning toward this Source, one gradually reflects this energy, thus developing the second kind of love: the love of man for God.
THIS LOVE gradually but persistently exerts a transforming effect on personal consciousness by laying the foundation for universal unconditional love:
“This (love for God) is the origin of all philanthropy; this love causes the hearts of men to reflect the rays of the Sun of reality.” (Paris Talks, p. 180)
The essence of our love for each other is rooted in our yearning for the divine, in our attraction to the ultimate Reality in the universe.
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This month’s article, “Learning to Love,” was written by Patrick W. Conway, an assistant professor of educational psychology at Oregon College in Monmouth, Oregon. Dr. Conway, who pioneered with his family to Kampala, Uganda, from 1961-63, earned a B.A. in psychology from the University of California-Santa Cruz, and a doctorate in developmental psychology and education from the University of Massachusetts in 1973. |
That which is truly lovable both in oneself and in another human being is the immanent reflection of Godlikeness. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá elaborates further on this vital connection:
“This love is attained through the knowledge of God, so that men see the Divine love reflected in the heart. Each sees in the other the Beauty of God reflected in the soul, and finding this point of similarity, they are attracted to one another in love.” (Paris Talks, p. 180)
THE EMPHASIS here on “seeing” the Beauty of God in another discloses the cognitive basis for transpersonal love, in contrast to the popular misconception that love is primarily a non-cognitive feeling or emotion.
Knowledge and understanding provide the foundation for spiritual kinship. Thus, the profound imperturbable love of the mystic originates with the effort to achieve insight—an arduous effort to struggle free from attachments, illusions and habits that typically obstruct knowing.
If God is the Source of love, then the capacity to love is strengthened by turning toward Him.
But there remains the question of how one begins to love an unknowable Being Whose reality is lofty and inaccessible to human understanding; a Being Whose handiwork is manifest in the infinite diversity of nature and yet Whose personal Essence is utterly hidden.
PARADOXICALLY, it is the personal dimension of any being that most readily stirs the human heart to love.
It is this paradox that evokes a heightened appreciation of the vital, indeed eternal, role of the Manifestation of God in the scheme of spiritual evolution.
It is the Prophet of God, His life and teachings, that provide to humanity the singular expression of God’s personal nature.
Finally, there is a form of love that, unfortunately, is seldom brought up in connection with the problem of learning to love, and that is the love of God for Himself.
WE BEGIN to see the importance of this form of love when we remember that there is a likeness between God and man, even to the point, Bahá’u’lláh writes, that “He hath known God who hath known himself.” (Gleanings, p. 178)
Keeping this likeness in mind, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s description takes on added meaning:
“This is the transfiguration of His Beauty, the reflection of Himself in the mirror of His creation. This is the reality of love, the Ancient Love, the Eternal Love. Through one ray of this love all other love exists.” (Paris Talks, p. 180)
Perhaps the lesson here is that we too must be capable of this form of love—a caring and loving for the intrinsic core of our own being—that Godlike nature enfolded within each of us—before we can truly love one another.
BECAUSE it is always there, it is easy to overlook the unique relationship each of us has with himself.
Of all the “selves” in the world, ours is the only one we feel and know from the inside. Unless we are able to love the only being, the only self we can know and experience directly, how is it possible for us to care and love any other being or self?
We know another’s feelings, hopes, sufferings, joys by inference from our own capacity to experience these things.
To the extent that each of us is touched directly by the transcendent nobility, the wealth with which God has endowed us, to that degree are we capable of discovering, recognizing, and truly loving that part of another person.
U.S., Canada Set Native Council[edit]
Working together, the National Spiritual Assemblies of the Bahá’ís of Alaska, Canada and the U.S. have planned a Continental Indigenous Council to be held in the summer of 1980 in Wilmette, Illinois.
Those invited to participate in the Council will include Native American believers, pioneers to Indian Reservations, and “special guests.”
The Council will discuss matters of concern to Indian Assemblies, determine ways in which to exploit teaching opportunities on Reservations, and launch the “Trail of Light” teaching team that will travel throughout Alaska, Canada and the U.S.
Newsletter Offers Guide to Planned Giving[edit]
Last year, a believer’s bequest of stock helped the National Spiritual Assembly purchase a new Administrative Office Building.
Another Bahá’í left a parcel of land valued at $100,000 to the Faith. Last month, an elderly individual donated her home to the Fund.
WHILE MOST of us are accustomed to contributing to the Fund out of regular income, these special gifts show the importance of another source of contributing to the Fund—our accumulated assets.
Because of the importance of estate bequests, stock and real estate gifts, the National Spiritual Assembly has developed a “Planned Giving Program” to help individual believers to provide for such gifts to the Faith.
To educate the friends to this new program, the National Spiritual Assembly has begun distributing a newsletter, “Guidelines for Planned Giving.”
The newsletter has a dual purpose—to help you plan your financial affairs so as to increase your personal and family security and minimize tax liabilities, and to help you plan a satisfying and economical gift or bequest to the National Bahá’í Fund, if you desire.
THE STAFF of the Office of the Treasurer are familiar with basic tax and financial planning techniques. They also are aware that a large number of the friends have not taken advantage of the kind of planning that could save them many dollars.
As the Bahá’ís are encouraged to pay more attention to this important aspect of life, they may realize additional benefits for the Faith as well as for themselves and their families.
Each forthcoming issue of “Guidelines for Planned Giving” will cover one or more planning topics with the hope that this information will help the friends plan their own affairs.
Please take a moment to rate your own financial situation by filling in the chart below.
If you score 100 points or more, it is likely that you could benefit from tax, estate, or financial planning. Then, if you wish, write or phone the Office of the Treasurer for additional information.
Those interested in obtaining this new publication can request it from the Office of the Treasurer, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, IL 60091.
| Circle the number on each line that most closely describes you and enter it in the last column. | SCORE | |||||
| AGE | 21-30 1 |
31-40 2 |
41-50 3 |
51-60 6 |
Over 60 7 |
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| AVERAGE INCOME | $10,000-$20,000 10 |
$21,000-$30,000 20 |
$31,000-$50,000 30 |
$51,000-$75,000 40 |
Over $75,000 50 |
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| SAVINGS | $2,000-$5,000 10 |
$5,000-$15,000 20 |
$16,000-$25,000 30 |
$26,000-$40,000 45 |
Over $40,000 60 |
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| YOUR HOME | $20,000-$30,000 10 |
$31,000-$40,000 15 |
$41,000-$50,000 20 |
$51,000-$75,000 25 |
Over $75,000 30 |
|
| LIFE INSURANCE | $10,000-$20,000 10 |
$21,000-$30,000 15 |
$31,000-$50,000 20 |
$51,000-$100,000 25 |
Over $100,000 50 |
|
| PERSONAL PROPERTY | Under $5,000 5 |
$5,000-$15,000 10 |
$16,000-$30,000 15 |
$31,000-$50,000 20 |
Over $50,000 25 |
|
| EMPLOYEE BENEFITS Profit Sharing, Etc. |
$5,000-$10,000 5 |
$11,000-$20,000 10 |
$21,000-$30,000 15 |
$31,000-$40,000 20 |
Over $40,000 25 |
|
| BUSINESS INTEREST | $10,000-$20,000 10 |
$21,000-$30,000 15 |
$31,000-$50,000 20 |
$51,000-$100,000 25 |
Over $100,000 40 |
|
| INVESTMENTS & REAL ESTATE | $10,000-$20,000 10 |
$21,000-$30,000 20 |
$31,000-$50,000 30 |
$51,000-$100,000 40 |
Over $100,000 60 |
|
| SECURITIES | $10,000-$20,000 15 |
$21,000-$30,000 25 |
$31,000-$50,000 35 |
$51,000-$100,000 45 |
Over $100,000 60 |
|
| INDEBTEDNESS | Over $75,000 1 |
$75,000-$26,000 2 |
$25,000-$11,000 3 |
$10,000-$6,000 4 |
$5,000 & Under 5 |
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| TOTAL _________ | ||||||
Fund a Vital Part of God’s Kingdom, Covenant[edit]
Bahá’ís are called upon to carry out many tasks. Not only must we live in a material world and support our existence here, we must also help to establish the Kingdom of God on earth.
This means we have a number of responsibilities—to grow spiritually, to be a productive member of society, and to help build the new World Order.
Bahá’u’lláh, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi call these duties God’s purpose for man.
WE GROW spiritually by deepening and living a Bahá’í life. We are productive members of society when we work, maintain a household, raise a family, or go to school. And we help build the new World Order by being firm in the Covenant.
Being firm in the Covenant not only means following God’s purpose in our personal lives; it also means supporting and building our Bahá’í institutions and participating in their Plans.
How does the Bahá’í Administrative Order relate to the Covenant of Bahá’u’lláh? Shoghi Effendi, in The World Order of Bahá’u’lláh, states:
“It should be remembered by every follower of the Cause that the system of Bahá’í administration is not an innovation imposed arbitrarily upon the Bahá’ís of the world since the Master’s passing, but derives its authority from the Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, is specifically prescribed in unnumbered Tablets, and rests in some of its essential features upon the explicit provisions of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas. It thus unifies and correlates the principles separately laid down by Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and is indissolubly bound with the essential verities of the Faith.”
THE ADMINISTRATIVE Order was established by Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. It is an inseparable part of the Covenant, providing the framework of the Kingdom of God on earth.
An important part of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s guidance to the Bahá’ís was His establishment of the administrative institutions. This includes the establishment of the Bahá’í Fund:
“Moreover, the institutions of the local and national Funds, that are now the necessary adjuncts to all local and national spiritual assemblies, have not only been established by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in the Tablets He revealed to the Bahá’ís of the Orient, but their importance and necessity have been repeatedly emphasized by Him in His utterances and writings.” (Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 6)
The Bahá’í Fund is the bedrock of the Administrative Order. Therefore, we can understand that the Fund is a vital element of the Covenant.
When we accept the Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh as the Word of God for this Day, we become a party to His Great Covenant.
We promise God that we will follow His laws and obey His institutions. We agree to pray daily, to fast every year, to participate in Bahá’í elections, and to support the Fund.
Supporting the Faith materially is one way that we remain firm in the Covenant. Not only do we obey God, we also supply the material means to provide for the growth of the Administrative Order and the defeat of the destructive forces of materialism.
Increase in ‘Lifeblood’ Fortifies Faith’s ‘Heart’[edit]
To the American Bahá’í Community
Dear Bahá’í Friends:
What happens to you when your life is in danger?
Your heart automatically begins to beat faster, pumping blood to all parts of the body. This gives you extra strength to overcome the peril you are facing. In times of stress, a strong and steady supply of blood is needed to keep active and alert.
THE BAHÁ’Í community can learn a lesson from nature when responding to a crisis.
Shoghi Effendi called contributions to the Fund the “lifeblood” of the Faith. Like the heart with its four chambers, there are four Bahá’í Funds—local, national, continental and international.
These Funds rhythmically and harmoniously distribute the “lifeblood” of contributions throughout the body of the Faith.
This is a time of crisis in the Bahá’í world. Our reactions should be regular and generous, increasing the flow of contributions to all of the Funds, thereby sending energy and vitality to all parts of the body of the Cause of God.
With loving Bahá’í greetings.
THE BAHÁ’ÍS OF THE UNITED STATES
Dorothy W. Nelson, Treasurer
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Community Sacrifices Savings
(A copy of the following letter to the Universal House of Justice was sent to the Office of the Treasurer, which felt it merited sharing with the entire Bahá’í community.)
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Beloved Supreme Body:
We are moved to write and thank you for the visit of Mr. Kavelin to our area. As a result of his visit, our Assembly has decided to dissolve its Property Fund (which we were saving for a local Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds) and send the money to the International Fund.
We have also budgeted 40 per cent of our monthly contributions for the International Fund.
We hope, by this means, to convey to you that we gratefully accept the challenge—and the bounty—to the American Bahá’í community of assuming the lion’s share of the support of the World Centre.
We are enclosing a cashier’s check for the proceeds of our savings account; we only wish it could be more, but we are a small community of 13 adults.
We humbly request prayers for the success of our Seven Year Plan goals.
In His service,
Of Woodinville, Washington
[Page 4]
The Bahá’ís of the Wind River Indian Reservation in central Wyoming. Frank and Eva Mead, with Mrs. Mead’s mother and grandchild at a recent fireside on the Reservation. Mrs. Mead’s mother always attends the firesides, and failing health doesn’t stop her from joining in the round dance with Bahá’ís and guests. The firesides have attracted as many as 50 people, many of them Native Americans.
Wind River, Wyoming, Firesides Spur Teaching[edit]
Teaching on the Wind River Indian Reservation in central Wyoming has accelerated in recent months with well-attended firesides being held regularly at the home of Bahá’ís Frank and Eva Mead.
Last August, Mrs. Mead, an Arapaho Indian (her husband is a Cherokee), asked the Wyoming District Teaching Committee to help arrange a fireside in her home.
THAT FIRST fireside was so successful that soon carloads of Bahá’ís from Greeley, Colorado; Buffalo, Wyoming; and Billings, Montana, were traveling up to seven hours one way to attend the Saturday evening gatherings.
The firesides have attracted as many as 50 people, many of them Shoshone, Sioux or Arapaho Indians, with an average turnout of around 20.
While no declarations have resulted so far, several seekers have indicated that they would like to become Bahá’ís, and the District Teaching Committee is confident that a Spiritual Assembly can be established on the Reservation by Riḍván 1980.
The outdoor firesides usually include dinner, filmstrips, slide programs, songs, prayers, and “round dances,” all in a spirit of great love and unity.
ON SUNDAY mornings following the firesides, the friends gather on nearby hillsides for early morning prayers.
On October 14-15, the Bahá’ís participated in a pow wow on the Reservation.
As news of the teaching activities spread, Sue and Ken Graham, Bahá’ís from California, phoned the District Teaching Committee to say they were packed and ready to move to Wyoming. They wanted only to know where they’d be needed the most.
The Grahams have parked their mobile home on the Meads’ property and work in nearby Riverton, Wyoming, devoting the rest of their time to teaching on the Reservation.
Training Institutes Ready Pioneers to Take Posts[edit]
Bahá’ís who attended the Pioneer Training Institute held October 18-21 in Wilmette will be filling posts in Bermuda, Mexico, Austria, the Windward Islands, Puerto Rico, Fiji, and several African and South American countries.
In an ongoing program, representatives of the Spiritual Assemblies of Chicago, Detroit, and Ann Arbor, Michigan, attended the Institute to ascertain its scope and purpose and report back to their communities so that they will be better able to counsel prospective pioneers.
PIONEER Training Institutes usually are held every two months. About 120 believers have attended Institutes since the beginning of the Seven Year Plan.
Also attending the October sessions were a visiting pioneer from Thailand and two from El Salvador.
At the outset of the Seven Year Plan, the Universal House of Justice issued 412 pioneering goals for the Bahá’í world.
The U.S. International Goals Committee selected 75 of those goals to be filled by the anniversary of the Birth of the Báb, October 20, 1979.
As of the end of October, the U.S. had sent 86 overseas pioneers into the field since the start of the new Plan.
LAST JULY 27, the Universal House of Justice issued specific goals for some countries including 76 for the U.S.
Although this country has fulfilled the initial goal established by the International Goals Committee, it has not yet met the specific goals of July 27 set by the Supreme Institution.
Special needs include French-speaking pioneers to fill goals in such areas as Zaire, Togo, and the Cameroon Republic, as well as some Caribbean areas such as French Guiana and the French Antilles.
According to the committee, anyone who has a passport from a European Common Market country will be in a good position to pioneer to a Scandinavian goal.
Imaginative cut outs and the theme ‘Love That Child’ highlighted the Bahá’í booth at last August’s Ohio State Fair. The colorful booth attracted many visitors who stopped to ask questions about the Faith. Hundreds of people accepted pamphlets, while dozens signed interest cards.
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PIONEER ASSIGNMENTS TWO-YEAR OPENING PHASE OF THE SEVEN YEAR PLAN
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New Persian Affairs Committee Holds First Meeting, Sets Goals[edit]
The new Persian Affairs Committee, appointed October 1 by the National Spiritual Assembly, held its first meeting October 27-28.
Following an orientation session that stressed the importance of short-term goals such as helping newly-arrived Persian Bahá’ís obtain credentials and encouraging them to settle in goal localities, the committee discussed ways in which to help make Persian Bahá’ís feel more at home and welcome in this country.
THE COMMITTEE is making arrangements to have letters from the Universal House of Justice and National Spiritual Assembly translated into Farsi to be shared at the Nineteen Day Feast.
The National Spiritual Assembly has established a Persian Desk in the Secretariat to help in ministering to the special needs of the Persian friends as quickly as possible.
Members of the Persian Affairs Committee are Dr. Manucher Derakshani, Dr. Qodratullah Roshan, Mrs. Puran Stevens, Dr. Hooshmand Taraz, Mrs. Tahirih Radpour, and Mrs. Rose Lopez.
Committee members live in Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Texas, California, New York and Illinois.
The committee’s second meeting was scheduled to be held this month.
Proclamation Held In Pierson, Iowa[edit]
“Love That Child” was the theme of a month-long proclamation effort in Pierson, Iowa, that was culminated Sunday, October 20, with an awards program attended by 68 people.
Winners of a “Love That Child” poster drawing contest for children were announced, and winners and their parents were treated to a free dinner at a local cafe owned by a Bahá’í couple.
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NOTICE
_______ has been deprived of his rights of membership in the Bahá’í community by the National Spiritual Assembly for his failure to behave responsibly as a member of the Bahá’í community. The National Assembly advises the Bahá’ís to be careful about lending him money or becoming involved in business dealings with him. _______ currently lives in Crete, Nebraska, and is employed as a _______. |
The awards program featured brief talks on the Faith and International Year of the Child, music by the Bahá’í group “Brand New Day” from Garrison, Iowa, and a mime, Phillip Wilson, a Bahá’í from Childersburg, Alabama.
On the day before the program, “Brand New Day” entertained at the grand opening of the Bahá’í-owned cafe and was invited to perform the following Sunday at a local church.
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VANGUARD Youth News |
Youth Air Concerns, Set ‘Plan’ Goals[edit]
Twenty-four youth and young adults from all parts of the country were invited by the National Teaching Committee to a conference on Saturday, October 13, at the Bahá’í National Center to discuss the current needs and concerns of Bahá’í youth in the U.S.
Following a meeting with the National Spiritual Assembly for prayers and a welcoming message at the Bahá’í House of Worship, the conference was begun with the young Bahá’ís joined by members of the National Teaching Committee and its staff, the staff of the National Youth Committee office, and a representative from the Bahá’í Publishing Trust.
THE FOCUS of the conference was on doubling the number of Bahá’í youth in the U.S. One of the recommendations acted upon by the National Teaching Committee was to have district youth committees under each District Teaching Committee, an idea that was strongly supported by the youth who were present.
Other means of doubling the youth population that were discussed included using local media (high school and college newspapers, for example), teaching the Faith to friends, using the performing arts to help spread the Faith, and collaboration among youth clubs to formulate teaching plans.
The need for a Bahá’í youth publication was consulted on, and ideas for the “Vanguard” section of The American Bahá’í and the new youth magazine, World Citizen, were presented.
Everyone agreed that Bahá’í youth need to gather together more often—at conferences, on projects, etc.—and that ideas need to be translated into action.
EACH REPRESENTATIVE was encouraged to return to his or her district and set up meetings of youth to discuss the points presented at the conference. One youth even arranged for a meeting at the airport the evening he returned home.
In addition to offering inspiration and guidance, the National Teaching Committee announced that the National Spiritual Assembly soon will appoint a new National Youth Committee.
With this new committee and district youth committees, the National Teaching Committee hopes to guide the energies and talents of young people toward tremendous victories during the Seven Year Plan.
At the same time, youth will be encouraged to become distinctive examples of the Bahá’í way of life. Methods of coping with peer pressure, school and family responsibilities, and personal deepening will be dealt with by the new District committees.
The National Teaching Committee recommended that the youth read The World Order of Bahá’u’lláh and The Advent of Divine Justice to prepare them for dealing with the problems the world faces today.
A spirit of deep resolve was generated among the representatives, who pledged to try and inspire other youth in their areas with that same energy and commitment.
In turn, hopefully, the entire youth population will arise to “contribute so decisively to the virility, the purity, and the driving force of the life of the Bahá’í community.” (The Advent of Divine Justice, p. 18)
About 30 Bahá’í youth from several Midwestern states were joined by 10 adults and children last August 17-19 at the ‘New Youth’ Conference sponsored by the Spiritual Assembly of Olmsted County, Minnesota.
Midwestern Bahá’í Youth At Minnesota Conference[edit]
Approximately 30 Bahá’í youth and 10 adults and children gathered August 17-19 in rural Olmsted County, Minnesota, for a “New Youth” Conference.
The conference theme was “Bahá’í Youth: The Voice of the New Race.” Its purpose was to bring the youth of the Midwest together to share teaching ideas and to inspire one another to arise to the call to service for Bahá’u’lláh.
THE GATHERING was sponsored by the Spiritual Assembly of Olmsted County and was planned and hosted by the Olmsted County Bahá’í Youth Club.
The conference opened Friday evening with an inspiring talk by Auxiliary Board member Stephen Birkland on heroic youth of the early days of the Faith.
On Saturday morning, Paul and Ellie Jacobi of Madison, Wisconsin, led a provocative discussion on how to choose a marriage partner.
Next, Dr. Khalil Khavari and Mrs. Sue Khavari gave a class on leading a fulfilling life through spiritual development.
Following lunch, the Youth Club conducted a workshop on developing spiritual attributes.
AN EVENING picnic at a nearby park included soccer, volleyball and other games, followed by a talk by Mr. Birkland on ways of coping with peer pressure by drawing strength from the Bahá’í Writings.
Later that evening, a bonfire was held at which Nanette and Tori Graves, Bahá’í Indian youth from northern Minnesota, performed on drums.
On Sunday morning, the Jacobis completed their class on marriage, discussing ways in which to maintain a happy and spiritual marriage.
Conference participants came from Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, and even Washington State.
At its close, letters from the conference were sent to the Universal House of Justice and National Spiritual Assembly, affirming the dedication of the youth as they assume their responsibilities to the Faith.
ADDRESSES OF FUNDS
- National Bahá’í Fund
- 112 Linden Avenue
- Wilmette, IL 60091
- Continental Bahá’í Fund
- 418 Forest Avenue
- Wilmette, IL 60091
- Bahá’í International Fund
- P.O. Box 155
- Haifa, Israel 31-000
(Note to Persian believers: The obligation to contribute to these Funds is separate from the Law of Huqúqu’lláh. For information on Huqúqu’lláh, write to K. Kazemzadeh, 15276 De Pauw St., Pacific Palisades, CA 90272.)
Caribbean Teaching ‘Fantastic,’ Youth From Oklahoma Reports
“Teaching and visiting other countries is fascinating. We all should experience it for ourselves,” says Mina Haidarian of The Village, Oklahoma.
Mina, 22, had the opportunity last summer to travel and teach in the Caribbean Islands. The trip was arranged through the International Goals Committee and included stops in the Virgin Islands, Barbados, Antigua and St. Lucia.
Mina was accompanied by Cora Langston, a school psychologist from Winslow, Arizona, and Betty Randall, a member of the National Teaching Committee of Barbados and the Windward Islands. They stayed five days on each island.
Here is some of what Mina had to say about her visit:
“The people were very kind and receptive to the Bahá’í Faith. We gave firesides on each island.
“On Antigua, a mass teaching effort resulted in many enrollments. The islands need manpower, however, to form consolidation teams to deepen the Bahá’ís in small villages and towns.
“We gained a great deal of experience and had some very pleasant moments with these people. We learned from them how to teach the Cause of God.”
The Spiritual Assembly of Clearwater, Florida, sponsored its first ‘Touchstone Weekend’ for youth in that area September 8-9 with a camping trip to Brooksville, Florida. Seventeen youth and seven adults enjoyed a cook out, soccer and volleyball games, swimming at a nearby lake, and moving accounts of the early history of the Faith. Three non-Bahá’í youth were so fascinated by these stories that each of them is now reading Release the Sun by the Hand of the Cause of God William Sears. When a rainstorm interrupted the cook-out, everyone moved indoors to a mobile home owned by hosts Jim and Lynn Sellers where the stories and fun continued.
House of Worship Host To Children’s Programs[edit]
The Bahá’í House of Worship presented two programs this fall in its continuing support of the International Year of the Child.
On Sunday, September 23, the Flower Garden Puppet Theater offered three plays, while on Sunday, October 21, Mrs. Carol Allen of Niles, Illinois, spoke on the plight of children around the world, especially those in the developing countries.
THE PLAYS presented by the Puppet Theater included a central African tale, “The Crocodile and the Hen;” an original musical, “Forever Green,” and a Greek folk tale by Aesop, “The Lion and the Mouse.”
Also featured on the same program was Miss Deborah Jackson, a 14-year-old violinist from Deerfield, Illinois.
The occasion marked the first time that a puppet show has been performed at the House of Worship, and the event was widely publicized.
More than 400 people, a third of them children, were in the standing-room-only audience in Foundation Hall.
The Puppet Theater’s cast consists of George and Mary Wilson of Benton Township, Michigan; their daughters, Jane (age 9) and Tirzah (7), and, of course, the Flower Garden puppets.
THE WILSONS have presented their show in schools, libraries and children’s homes across the U.S.
Mrs. Allen pointed out in her talk that children in the developing countries—in other words, approximately two-thirds of the world’s children—are without the essentials needed to live decent and productive lives.
These children lack basic health care, clean water, adequate nutrition, minimal education, and welfare services.
Mrs. Allen addressed each of these basic needs, showing that the key element in overcoming childhood deficiencies lies in improved education.
Indeed, she said, a revolution in education is needed.
Expanding on that theme, she explained how Bahá’u’lláh, in His Writings, has provided the understanding necessary to apply true education to find answers to the human dilemma. The meeting was dedicated to the children of Cambodia, where millions of people, young and old alike, are facing death by starvation.
Cast members of the Flower Garden Puppet Theater (left to right) Mary, Jane, Tirzah and George Wilson of Benton Harbor. Michigan, are shown following their performance September 23 in support of the International Year of the Child at the Bahá’í House of Worship in Wilmette.
‘New Era’ Published in Revised Esperanto Version[edit]
Bahá’u’lláh and the New Era, first translated into Esperanto by Lidia Zamenhof (Bahá’í daughter of the founder of Esperanto) and published in 1931, but long out of print in the original Esperanto edition, has been updated and republished by the Bahá’í Esperanto League.
Republication of Dr. J.E. Esslemont’s classic introduction to the Bahá’í Faith was made possible by a loan from the Universal House of Justice.
THE NEW Esperanto version uses the latest English edition of the book as the basis of the revised and updated translation.
Additional appendices have been added to aid the Esperanto reader.
The International Language (Esperanto) is read or used by more than a million people worldwide and is gaining increasing recognition in the developing nations and the United Nations as a possible alternative to the current linguistic problems that block effective communication.
The Bahá’í Esperanto League, which did the updating of Lidia Zamenhof’s original work, was formed in 1973 to help bring together the Bahá’í and Esperanto world communities.
AMONG THE principles enunciated by Bahá’u’lláh, the Founder of the Bahá’í Faith, is that of a universal auxiliary language.
The Bahá’í Esperanto League is preparing to launch a new worldwide campaign emphasizing what it calls “linguistic world citizenship”—(that is, use of a common second language) as a link between individuals, cultures, and the global community.
Copies of the new translation of Bahá’u’lláh and the New Era (as well as other Bahá’í materials in Esperanto) are available ($7.50 hardcover, $3.50 softcover, plus postage) from the Bahá’í Esperanto League, c/o Roan Orloff Stone, vice-secretary, 504 North 5th St., Gallup, NM 87301.
Children were engaged in a carefully planned program of activities during the education conference September 29 sponsored by the Spiritual Assembly of Fredonia, New York.
Fredonia, New York, Bahá’ís Host to Education Conference[edit]
To commemorate the International Year of the Child, the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Fredonia, New York, sponsored an education conference whose theme was “Educating for World Citizenship.”
The day-long event, held September 29 on the campus of Fredonia State University College, featured Dr. Dwight Allen as keynote speaker and several workshops on important issues related to its theme.
LAURETTA Haynes of Victor, New York, led a discussion on “Children in a Prejudice-Free World.” Dennis Smith of Cheektowaga, New York, spoke on “The Moral and Spiritual Education of Children.”
Phyllis Steinberg, a Fredonia State faculty member, led a workshop on “The Equality of Men and Women.”
“The Role of Language in Education” was explored by Brenda and Richard Snyder of Fillmore, New York, while Mary and Paul Kosek of Buffalo spoke on “Multicultural Education.”
Following a buffet luncheon, entertainment was provided by “Latin Inspiration,” a local Puerto Rican high school group, and the Fredonia State Gospel Choir.
A LATE afternoon panel discussion featured Dr. Allen, Miss Haynes, Mr. Smith, and Sister Marie Pollard, director of early childhood education at Fredonia State.
During the adult program, children were involved in special activities planned by Dr. Susan Theroux of Fredonia that dealt with the same issues being discussed by the adults.
Student members of the Elementary and Early Childhood Education Club on campus helped carry out the children’s program.
More than 70 Bahá’ís attended the conference along with many other interested persons.
Planning Spells Success For Wisconsin Program[edit]
Several months of planning led to a highly successful presentation in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, of Universal Children’s Day on behalf of that city’s Bahá’í community.
Among the highlights of the effort were:
• A feature article in the “Home Magazine” section of the local newspaper focusing on the rights of children and how they are being met in Eau Claire.
• A press release in the paper publicizing Universal Children’s Day and the Faith’s involvement in it.
• Preparation and publication of a “Children and Youth Directory” (a first for Eau Claire) in the “Home Magazine” in conjunction with the feature article. The directory lists the community agencies and organizations that offer services to children, youth and parents.
• A call for volunteers to help in providing services for children and youth via a coupon printed with the directory.
• A half-hour discussion on local television of Universal Children’s Day, the local Bahá’í project to observe the day, and the need for volunteers.
The publicity resulting from Bahá’í involvement in Universal Children’s Day already has led to an invitation to speak to the PTA on the International Year of the Child and children’s rights, and to a half-hour TV discussion of the Bahá’í Faith.
The Bahá’ís of Falls Church, Virginia, hosted two spaghetti luncheons for local senior citizens this year. The programs included Bahá’í and Christian prayers, piano and guitar music.
News Magazine Is Given Update on Iran[edit]
In late October the National Spiritual Assembly was asked by Hill and Knowlton, a public relations firm assisting the Assembly, to comment on three questions posed by the religion editor of a nationally-distributed news magazine.
The questions had to do with the situation of Bahá’ís in Iran and the U.S. Bahá’í community’s response to it.
The National Assembly agreed to the request and submitted the following responses:
1. What are the American Bahá’ís doing in a tangible way to assist their brethren in Iran?
More than a thousand local Bahá’í communities in the United States have appealed directly by cable on behalf of the Iranian Bahá’ís to Ayatollah Khomeini and Prime Minister Mehdi Bazargan.
Similar appeals have been submitted through the Iranian Embassy and consulates in this country by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States, more than 400 local Bahá’í Assemblies and several hundred individual Bahá’ís.
INFORMATION on the disabilities being suffered by the Iranian Bahá’ís has also been shared with the President of the United States and other officials and agencies of the federal government.
The American Bahá’ís are conducting a campaign to enlighten the public not only as a means of aiding the Iranian Bahá’ís but also as an antidote against the odious calumnies emanating from Iranian sources and being spread in the United States—calumnies which in due course could dangerously prejudice the American public against the Bahá’ís in its midst.
Furthermore, all the Bahá’ís in the United States have on several occasions been called upon to offer prayers in concert with their co-religionists throughout the world for relief of the sufferings of their Iranian brethren.
2. Other than objecting to the violation of human rights, what do the Bahá’ís want the United States government to do?
Bahá’ís do not expect the United States government to interfere in the internal affairs of the Iranian government; nor are they aware of all the ways open to any one government to deal with another under the circumstances.
However, the Bahá’ís hope that in addition to protesting against the violations of human rights, the federal government would consider the following:
• INFORM THE Iranian government of its own knowledge of the good reputation and high ideals of the Bahá’ís and thus counter the dangerous influence of the calumnies being circulated about the Iranian Bahá’ís.
• Make its concerns known to the United Nations and to the general public.
Placing its faith in the educability of human beings, the United States government could thus shed light on an important human problem now festering in virtual obscurity, mobilize public opinion and appeal to the Iranians’ sense of shame and embarrassment, which might be the only available and effective means of rooting out the evils of oppression under which the Iranian Bahá’ís have been struggling.
For more than 13 decades, under all regimes in Iran without exception, the Bahá’ís have been oppressed and persecuted in that country, and their legitimate rights have been trampled upon.
DURING OUTBREAKS of persecution under the ex-Sháh, the Bahá’ís were martyred for their faith, the very house of the Báb now the object of renewed attacks was gravely damaged, the historic house of his uncle was totally demolished, Bahá’í cemeteries were desecrated, hundreds of individual Bahá’ís, because of their beliefs, were dismissed from government jobs or denied employment, more than 30 Bahá’í schools which were closed during his father’s reign were not allowed to reopen, and basic human rights were denied.
The ultimate hope of the Bahá’ís under the circumstances is that the United States government will impress upon the present regime in Iran the urgent need to remove these injustices for the good of the society and to allay the fears of an oppressed community still being maligned with the same calumnies that have been hurled against it for more than a century and experiencing persecutions and discrimination of increased severity at the present time.
3. Other than for human rights reasons, why should Americans care what happens to the Bahá’ís in Iran?
The high sense of justice of the American people, rooted in their historical experience as refugees from political oppression on account of religious beliefs, should cause them to care about the fate of the Iranian Bahá’í community.
The members of this community are urged by their principles to serve the interests of all mankind, to refrain from rebellion and violence, and to seek solutions to problems only through peaceful methods. This community has already suffered grave deprivations; its holy places, community properties, even cemeteries are now confiscated.
THE IRANIAN Bahá’ís have helped develop Iranian society socially and economically. Just as the German Jews—their artists, scientists and teachers—helped to build a society which eventually sought to exterminate them, so have the Iranian Bahá’ís sought to build their country.
To accuse them, as is commonly done these days in Iran, of being the instruments of the espionage activities of powerful Western governments, including the United States, is a gross injustice. And Americans should be concerned about that.
Although the Bahá’í Faith originated in Iran, the religion took root in the United States as a direct outcome of the Columbian Exposition almost nine decades ago. It was on this occasion that a Christian clergyman brought the existence of the religion to the attention of Americans.
It was thus that the United States Bahá’í community had its beginning. The initiative to establish the Bahá’í community in America was taken by Americans, not Iranians or anyone else.
The American Bahá’ís have taken their religion to a large number of countries in the hope that by spreading their commitment to the unity of mankind their own country will be assured of a long and peaceful future. And this they have done at times when the Iranian Bahá’ís were not free to teach their beliefs.
IN FACT, American Bahá’í teachers have died on Iranian soil. Thus there is a deep American involvement in the evolution of the Bahá’í religion in the country of its birth.
The American Bahá’í community has become a vital part of American society. Although its numbers are relatively small, its aspirations are expressed in the form of the unique, world-famous Bahá’í House of Worship which has recently been entered in the National Register of Historic Places.
This community strives only for the betterment of mankind. The ultimate goal of every Bahá’í, regardless of his religious or cultural background, is the unity of mankind.
Since Bahá’ís try to be positive, active members of their society, they offer their best to the society in which they live. Americans should realize the importance of a community concerned solely with the improvement of mankind and should support the Bahá’ís and their concerns here or abroad.
THE FACT THAT that many people of renown have written their tributes to the Bahá’í Faith should be a cause for Americans to care about the oppression of Bahá’ís anywhere in the world.
President Eduard Benes of Czechoslovakia, the Earl Curzon, Prof. E.G. Browne, Leo Tolstoy, Arnold Toynbee, President Lyndon Johnson, Helen Keller, Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas—these are but a few of the many thoughtful and important persons who have placed on record their appreciations of the Bahá’í religion.
For example, Justice Douglas wrote in his book, West of the Indus, concerning his experience with the Bahá’ís in Iran:
“The Bahá’ís have many businessmen among their number. They enjoy a fine reputation as merchants. The reason is that they maintain a high ethical standard in all their dealings. Merchants in the bazaar are quick to take advantage; they will cheat and palm off false or inferior goods. Never the Bahá’ís. They are scrupulous in their dealings; and as a result they grow in prestige.”
In a letter addressed to the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States, President Lyndon Johnson wrote:
“Your purpose is the purpose of America, your hope the hope of men of goodwill everywhere.... All thoughtful and far-sighted men respect the mission of your faith.”
Meg Fischbach of Green Bay, Wisconsin, was among the believers who manned the community’s ‘Love That Child’ booth at the city’s downtown shopping mall October 19-21.
Green Bay Sponsors IYC Booth[edit]
For three days (October 19-21), a United Nations Year of the Child booth was placed inside Green Bay, Wisconsin’s downtown shopping mall by the Bahá’í community in that city.
The Bahá’í booth, part of a community bazaar for non-profit organizations sponsored by the shopping mall, was designed by a local believer, Pamela Melendy.
A similar booth was set up on United Nations Day, October 24, in a corridor at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay by members of the university’s Bahá’í Club.
The Bahá’í community of Fort Collins, Colorado, used a display of posters, balloons and literature at the Foothills Fashion Mall in Fort Collins on September 23 and 30 to promote the International Year of the Child. Hundreds of people saw the display while shopping, and dozens stopped to pick up literature on the Faith and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). Two hundred ‘Love That Child’ balloons were given to children at the mall. Twelve seekers attended two public meetings using the Year of the Child theme; ‘Love That Child’ display ads were placed in two newspapers, and two radio stations played ‘Love That Child’ public service spots.
Crisis in Iran Calls for a New Teaching Impetus[edit]
The National Spiritual Assembly sent the following message to Bahá’í District Conventions in October:
•
For almost a year we have been telling you about the continuing attacks upon our Bahá’í brothers and sisters in Iran. The end is not yet in sight.
The current events in that troubled land have returned the Bahá’í community to the earliest days of martyrdom. On the horizon looms the threat of even greater trials.
HOWEVER, the Persian Bahá’ís are enduring this new calamity with the heroic fortitude that has characterized their reactions to the intermittent assaults they have sustained for more than a century, beginning with the immortal, the incomparable Dawn-breakers of the new Dispensation.
In this instance, we see persecution on a scale not reached heretofore in this century.
So extensive are its ramifications that the Human Rights Commission of the Federation of Protestant Churches in Switzerland recently released a report on the state of the Iranian Bahá’í community.
The report describes the persecution as administrative, financial, social and personal strangulation.
WE SEE the uprooting of thousands of Bahá’ís who have been driven from their homes, the destruction of Bahá’í-owned businesses, the confiscation of Bahá’í properties, the demolition of some properties, the dismissal of Bahá’ís from government jobs, the barring of Bahá’í children from public schools, restrictions on the holding of Bahá’í meetings.
But the most grievous act thus far has been the recent destruction of the sacred House of the Báb in shíráz.
We in America who wear with pride the beloved Guardian’s designation “Spiritual Descendants of the Dawn-breakers,” who have until now been spared the horrors of physical attacks, who enjoy unparalleled freedom, must undoubtedly rise in a sustained effort to defend our beleaguered brethren.
We have done well in responding to the National Assembly’s request that appeals be sent to government officials and that wide publicity be given to the plight of our Iranian friends.
THESE ACTIONS must necessarily be continued. For how can we remain silent while such a distinguished member of the Bahá’í family as the Iranian community groans under the yoke of oppression?
Yet far more is required than the necessary appeals and publicity.
A new consecration to the Cause, a new vigor in its promotion, a new quality in our Bahá’í community life are called for now that the present crisis has brought the attention of the world to the claims of Bahá’u’lláh.
The stated goals and objectives of the Seven Year Plan offer us clear guidance.
Might it not be timely this year at the gatherings of the District Conventions throughout the United States to hear as we have never heard before, see as we have never seen before the signals given us by the Supreme Institution of our Faith?
Our community cannot wait for a worse crisis to rouse it to greater effort in realizing its potential for growth and development.
The temporary paralysis in the Cradle of our Faith unquestionably implies that the members of the American Bahá’í community cannot now escape their responsibilities in earning the honor of the designation “Spiritual Descendants of the Dawn-breakers.”
the Bahá’ís of the United States
U.S. Officials Reply to National Assembly’s Appeal[edit]
By the end of October the National Spiritual Assembly had received a number of responses from prominent government officials to its appeal for assistance in helping to alleviate the distressing circumstances in which the Iranian Bahá’í community now finds itself.
Several of these responses are reprinted here along with remarks by Congressman Joseph Fisher of Virginia that appeared in the Congressional Record:
•
Dear Mr. Secretary:
Thank you for your letter and information on the plight of the Bahá’í community in Iran. Your concern for the plight of the Bahá’í community there is shared by me.
As you are aware, the Bahá’ís have suffered persecution since their founding. In the current Iranian situation, where the central authority is weak and religious fanatics have great influence, the condition of the Bahá’í community is appreciably worse.
The State Department has assured me that their officials are continuing to monitor new developments.
U.S. officials in Tehran have spoken to Iranian religious and government leaders about our concerns. In addition, they have conferred with leaders of the Iranian Bahá’í community.
The Bahá’ís have asked that the U.S. government not intervene directly out of fear that such attention could make their plight worse.
The sacking of the House of the Báb in shíráz in early September is one more incident in the continuing persecution of the Bahá’ís. The attack upon this holy place must be condemned by all people.
I have co-signed with other Senators a letter to the Iranian Prime Minister expressing our concern over the plight of the Iranian Bahá’í community.
I believe Iranian officials must be aware that the highest level of the United States government is concerned with the plight of the Bahá’ís.
However, strong statements by U.S. officials at this time do not appear to be in the interest of the Iranian Bahá’ís.
I will continue to monitor the situation and take actions necessary to assist Iranian Bahá’ís.
With best wishes,
Senate Foreign Relations Committee
Dear Mr. Secretary:
Thank you for your communication regarding the destruction of Bahá’í holy places in Iran.
I deeply share your concern and am aware of the gravity of the situation.
On February 16th, I wrote to President Carter to call his attention to the situation in Iran, and to appeal for his intervention with the government of the Ayatollah Khomeini.
On March 28th, I co-signed a Congressional letter addressed to the Prime Minister of Iran, his Excellency Mehdi Bazargan, expressing our anxiety over the fate of minority groups, among them the Bahá’ís, and asking that a policy statement of reassurance be issued by the Iranian government.
When the situation deteriorated even more, I followed these various appeals with a letter to Mr. Kurt Waldheim, Secretary General of the United Nations.
While expressing my outrage at the violations of human rights taking place in Iran, I strongly suggested that they be taken up by the United Nations Committee on Human Rights.
The United Nations issued a statement on this issue. However, international organizations as well as individual governments are limited in their degree of interference in the affairs of nations, no matter how revolting the events that are occurring.
The destruction of places of worship of any one group is certainly one of the most extreme manifestations of intolerance as well as of suppression of liberties.
I appreciate your contacting me on this issue.
Sincerely yours,
United States Senator
Dear Mr. Secretary:
Thank you for your further letter concerning the persecution of the Bahá’ís in Iran.
I appreciate the information you sent
Statement[edit]
Continued From Page 1
SAVAK to discredit and suppress them.
IN SUMMARY, it is feared that the present regime, as indicated by the similarity of the statements being given out by Iranian diplomatic agencies, is attempting to justify actions being taken against the Bahá’ís by asserting that the Bahá’í Faith is not a religion but a political party, and that the Bahá’í community supported the previous regime and thereby became powerful and wealthy.
The truth of the matter can be found in the Bahá’í principle and practice of complete abstention from participation in partisan politics which was demonstrated in Iran in 1975 when Bahá’ís even in the face of threats refused to become members of the Rastakhiz Party promoted by the previous regime.
In one case when a Bahá’í accepted a cabinet post under duress, he was deprived of membership in the Bahá’í community.
As to the allegation that the Bahá’í community reaped financial reward because of active involvement with the previous regime, the fact is that the vast majority of Iranian Bahá’ís are of the poorer classes living in villages. Few are wealthy, and among them a number were businessmen who provided facilities for employment of thousands of workers.
THE FEW WHO rightly or wrongly are being accused of corruption and other offenses should not be regarded as representative of the Bahá’í community as a whole. It is an injustice to hold any religious community responsible for the ill-doings of any one of its members who fails to reflect the principles promulgated by that religion.
The United States government and Americans with influence in Iran could greatly help the Bahá’í situation in Iran if they could discreetly approach the Iranian authorities and try to impress upon them that the Iranian Bahá’í community is loyal to its country and will never resort to subversive actions against the government, that American Bahá’ís, like their co-religionists throughout the world, hold Iran in high esteem as the birthplace of their Faith and are fully convinced and confident that the Bahá’ís in Iran are committed to the principle of abstention from subversive and political activities.
American Bahá’ís have high hopes that a way will be devised without publicity and without embarrassing either the Iranian or U.S. governments whereby, as an act of manifest justice, the Bahá’í Holy Places in Iran could be returned to the Bahá’í community.
As the new constitution makes no reference to the Bahá’ís, ways and means should be sought to extend to the Bahá’í community protection of its interests, and to ensure for its individual members basic civil rights, thus avoiding friction and frustration in such oft-recurring personal problems related to registration of marriages and births, employment, traveling documents, etc.
Unless these disabilities currently afflicting Iran’s largest non-Muslim religious minority are remedied, fanatical elements will be given free rein to repeatedly resort to mob violence against the Bahá’ís, embarrassing the government and preventing hoped-for peace and tranquillity in that country.
the Bahá’ís of the United States
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National Assembly Appeal Draws Warm Response[edit]
Continued From Page 8
me on the continuing persecution of the Bahá’ís. As one who is deeply concerned with the issue of human rights,
I have renewed this issue in the Senate in conjunction with a number of my colleagues.
I will do all I can to help alleviate the situation being imposed upon the Bahá’ís and other religious minorities in Iran. I will get back in touch with you on the further developments on this issue as they occur in the Senate.
With best wishes,
United States Senator
Dear Mr. Secretary:
Many thanks for your recent mailgram expressing your concern over reports of persecution of members of the Bahá’í Faith in Iran, and particularly the destruction of the Bahá’í Holy Shrine in shíráz.
The State Department informs me that sources visiting the site of the Shrine last week were unable to determine the extent of the damage inflicted in the September 8 incident.
Apparently this attack was only the latest in a series of anti-Bahá’í incidents which have been occurring since December 1978, arising from the alleged connection of the religious group with the Shah.
I am enclosing the information sheet provided me by the State Department for your review.
I have long been concerned with the plight of religious minorities in Iran, and on March 28, 1979, joined several of my colleagues in sending a letter expressing that concern to Prime Minister Bazargan in Tehran.
You may be certain that I will continue to follow this situation and to voice my concern.
With best wishes,
United States Senator
Dear Mr. Secretary:
I was pleased to receive your letter and documents concerning persecution against Iranian Bahá’ís. The documents testify to genuine human tragedy.
I will co-sign a letter with many other U.S. Senators to be sent to the Iranian Prime Minister seeking his explanation of these acts of persecution. The world need not sit by idly while these abusive acts are perpetrated.
I appreciate your concern and your assistance in providing information on the Iranian religious persecution situation.
Sincerely,
United States Senator
Dear Mr. Secretary:
This is to acknowledge and thank you for your letter of September 26 in which you enclose a number of materials on the present condition of the Bahá’í faith in Iran.
Like your earlier correspondence and enclosures, I intend to give these materials my close attention and will take them into consideration with respect to the Committee’s oversight of the various issues involved in U.S.-Iran relations.
With best wishes, I am
House Foreign Affairs Committee
The following remarks by Congressman Joseph Fisher of Virginia appeared in the Congressional Record of October 12, 1979:
•
MR. FISHER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks:
MR. FISHER. Mr. Speaker, I would like to call attention to a particular religious sect, the Bahá’í faith, whose origins are in Iran but whose followers have spread into many other countries, including the United States.
It seems especially appropriate to speak of religion at this time, when His Holiness Pope John Paul II has just finished his tour of the Eastern United States. In this spirit, I want to address the questions of religious freedom and tolerance as these matters relate to the Bahá’ís.
The Bahá’ís are a minority sect, considered sometimes a heretical sect of the Shi‘i Moslem religion. Perhaps as a result of conflicts arising from this fact, the Bahá’ís have never been guaranteed rights in the Iranian Constitution, even though such rights are guaranteed to other religious minorities in Iran, including Jews, Christians, and Zoroastrians.
Recently, a number of followers of the Bahá’í faith in this country have expressed concern to me about reports of harassment of Bahá’ís in Iran, and of confiscation of property and assets. The most recent incident reported to me is the attack occurring in Shíráz on September 8 against the Most Holy Shrine of the Bahá’ís.
I know something of the Bahá’ís. They are a peace-loving and dedicated people whose religious philosophy emphasizes the spiritual unity of mankind. They deserve as much attention and respect as any of the other religious groups mentioned in the Iranian Constitution.
I hope that the new Iranian Government will follow the humanitarian precepts of Islam and the principles of human rights.
I ask that the Iranian Government not only take steps to prevent persecution of minorities like the Bahá’í sect, but that Iranian officials actually make efforts to encourage the Bahá’ís and other religious groups to worship as their consciences dictate.
I also urge our State Department to do everything it properly can to assist Bahá’ís in this country in their efforts to preserve their shrines and their position in Iran, where it is now threatened.
Auction Aids Fund[edit]
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A group of 30 Bahá’ís from Green Bay, Wisconsin, and nearby communities raised $517.60 for the International Bahá’í Fund at a four-hour auction on October 20.
The auction followed a sandwich potluck and a program of music and readings in observance of the anniversary of the Birth of the Báb.
The money raised at the auction was presented to the Universal House of Justice in loving memory of the Hand of the Cause of God Enoch Olinga.
[Page 10]
Letters to the Editor
Book Review’s Criticisms Should Be Constructive[edit]
Dear Bahá’í Friends:
We were quite distressed by Sidney Morrison’s review (August 1979) of Dr. Allan Ward’s book, 239 Days.
The Master states: “Thus is it incumbent upon us, when we direct our gaze toward other people, to see where they excel, not where they fail.” (Selections From the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, p. 169)
IT IS SO difficult to write about the Faith. One must be so painstakingly careful, so meticulous about every detail, every nuance, every word. And it is impossible to express fully the depth of one’s love and reverence.
Those who spend years researching and writing books on the Faith deserve the utmost respect.
“All efforts and exertion put forth by man from the fullness of his heart is worship, if it is prompted by the highest motives and the will to do service to humanity.” (Pattern of Bahá’í Life, p. 60)
Dr. Ward’s book is a prayer, as are the efforts of other Bahá’í writers; indeed, as are the efforts of any artists, Bahá’í or not. Can we criticize a prayer?
A REVIEW is only one person’s opinion, but it can be powerful—witness the potency of the words of a New York Times critic.
Many an excellent play has folded because of a critic’s indigestion, prejudices, personal problems, etc. And the playgoers are thus denied the right to investigate the truth for themselves.
Surely, our Bahá’í readers should not be subjected to the same fate.
Why not simply give a synopsis of the book including quotes from it and such items as size of type, number of illustrations, etc.
This way, our writers’ works may be used appropriately. Readers will buy a book because of their interest in its subject matter, not because someone else thought it was fantastic; and no one will be discouraged from reading a book they might have benefited from because one person has found fault with it.
PRAISE IS so much more constructive than criticism. Are we not to look at the good qualities and overlook the bad?
It saddens us that Mr. Morrison’s review may keep some people from reading 239 Days. The book offers a fine glimpse of the Master’s ways and His effect on people; it is refreshingly quick, and easy to read.
Our Bahá’í writers should be cherished. The documented facts they unearth and place in our hands not only strengthen our faith, but give us weapons with which to face detractors and persecutors.
They are defenders of the Cause, and they conduct the defense often at considerable sacrifice of time and worldly reward.
Bahá’u’lláh wrote: “If any man were to arise to defend, in his writings, the Cause of God against its assailants, such a man, however inconsiderable his share, shall be so honoured in the world to come that the Concourse on high would envy his glory.” (Pattern of Bahá’í Life, p. 27)
Let us have the bounty of honoring our writers in this world too.
Poughkeepsie, New York
Dear Bahá’í Friends:
I am writing to you on behalf of handicapped children, adults, and families of the handicapped—Bahá’ís and friends of the Faith.
As the mother of a handicapped son, I have seen many things that sadden and concern me.
I REALIZE that not all Bahá’ís can be expected to be sensitive to the needs of the handicapped, but they should at least be aware of some obvious considerations, such as these:
1. Handicapped people do not mind sitting next to you and your family. You needn’t be afraid to sit next to them either. The “disease” is not contagious. Remember, too, that your children learn to deal with the handicapped through your example.
2. Handicapped people can carry on an intelligent conversation and do not mind when a person faces them while speaking. Some people, it seems, recognize the handicap but refuse to acknowledge the person.
3. Handicapped people like to attend Bahá’í functions. Please remember, it is difficult for the blind to drive, to find a new location, or to comprehend an agenda or newsletter when a reader isn’t available; for the deaf to understand when no one is there to interpret for them, or when too many people are talking; or for the wheelchair-bound to negotiate narrow, winding stairways, or move through rocks, grass or sand, especially alone.
OFFERS OF RIDES, directions, a phone call, courtesy and planning that takes them into account are always appreciated by the handicapped and their families.
4. Remember that families with handicapped members often have 24-hour responsibility in caring for them. Babysitters and other helping hands are hard to come by and expensive.
What better way to “live the life” than by offering a hand, a prayer, or a listening ear.
This is a meager list, but something on which to start.
Anytime a believer has a question about the handicapped and no one to ask, I’ll be more than happy to help.
Crownpoint, New Mexico
Dear Bahá’í Friends:
“Love That Child” has been especially meaningful to the Bahá’ís of Wilson Township, Wisconsin.
The phrase symbolizes the love the friends felt for a young member of the community, Melissa Herbst, who passed to the Abhá Kingdom last August 17.
A CEASELESS courage and an energetic spirit of love and service colored every aspect of her life, and armed with these qualities she proclaimed the Faith to everyone with whom she came in contact.
The memory of her wonderful example of faith has been a lesson to all as we carry forward the teaching work.
The Faith was proclaimed indirectly when the gifts from non-Bahá’ís at her passing were given to the local elementary school she attended.
This fall a “loft” was completed in the school’s library as a memorial and for children to use for climbing and reading, two of her favorite pastimes.
IN A MORE direct way, the Faith was proclaimed to an estimated 35,000 people when a large “Love That Child” float was lovingly pulled by the Bahá’ís through the streets of Sheboygan and Kiel, Wisconsin.
This fall, “Love That Child” will appear on a billboard on a well-traveled street in town near Missy’s former school.
A Universal Children’s Day program at the school will feature a puppet show, UNICEF bookmarks, and gifts for rainy day activities including a puzzle with the theme, “The Earth Is But One Country.”
Often we do not understand the wisdom of God’s Divine Plan, but it has become increasingly clear that Bahá’u’lláh gave us Missy, a great Bahá’í teacher.
Wilson Township, Wisconsin
Dear Bahá’í Friends:
My name is Eli Sheridan. I am an 8-year-old boy who has been pioneering in the Falkland Islands for three and one-half years now.
I am the only Bahá’í child in my town, and would like to exchange letters with other Bahá’ís, children or adults, in other parts of the world.
If anyone would like to write to me, my address is P.O. Box 114, Stanley, Falkland Islands, South Atlantic Ocean.
Falkland Islands
Dear Bahá’í Friends:
I was somewhat confused by your editorial of September 1979, in which you used the example of a youth who aspired to become the head of the World Bank to illustrate the need for excellence and competence in Bahá’í youth.
You followed that example with the remark that “high aims are the key to the ultimate triumph of the Bahá’í community.” Would it not have been more appropriate to state “high spiritual aims”?
THE WORLD BANK and international banking community have highly questionable affiliations with those forces in the world that seek to harness material advantage and power through the enslavement of man’s nature by greed and envy.
Most assuredly, the world banking community has made considerable advances through actions that run severely counter to the Laws of Bahá’u’lláh.
In that same issue, and ironically, beneath the editorial, was an article entitled “Crisis in Iran Puts Our Character to Test.”
The author cites the “severe spiritual crisis that the Faith is passing through ... ” Could not this crisis be rooted in our inability during this most grave and treacherous time to discriminate between which of the present-day institutions are worthy of our support, and which are the ones we must not support?
The Bahá’í institutions are worth supporting, but who would deny that the World Bank and its network receives more of our pay check than the Bahá’í Fund?
It is strange that the example used in your editorial appears to give credibility to that same Caesar who would have us render to him our tribute rather than giving that tribute to God.
Therein may lie the reason for the financial crisis we are suffering within the Faith.
Blaine, Washington
Dear Bahá’í Friends:
What a delightful confirmation it was for me, a relatively new Bahá’í, to read 239 Days: ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Journey in America, by Allan L. Ward.
Frankly, I was concerned when I bought the book that each of the 239 days might be related in such detail as to be tedious for the ordinary reader.
I SOON discovered that that was most emphatically not the case. The book was long enough to cover the subject fully, but short enough to be interesting.
For that matter, its charm lies precisely in its brevity. It piques the reader’s curiosity so he wants to know more about ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, which to me is the greatest service the author could render to Him and to the Faith.
The extensive newspaper quotes fascinated me, not only for the beautiful tributes to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, but also for the flavor of the times that they conveyed.
To me, the references to current events in 1912 did a superb job of placing ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s epoch-making journey in context.
AGAIN, AS a new Bahá’í I was not really convinced of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s impact on America, except on a relatively small group of His followers.
This book, however, dispelled for all time any doubt I might have had—not from Bahá’í sources, but from the hard-nosed journalists of those times. I’ll never forget Kate Carew’s article in the New York Tribune.
A friend once said to me that whenever he reads a Bahá’í book, he imagines a non-Bahá’í looking over his shoulder.
In this context, it is difficult for me to imagine that even the most skeptical non-believer, after reading Dr. Ward’s book, could doubt the remarkable extent of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s impact on vast numbers of influential and ordinary Americans during His trip.
FOR THAT matter, the book left me with the impression that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá certainly did become a celebrity in an incredibly brief time, and without benefit of a high-powered public relations organization or mass electronic media.
What I feel is the book’s most important attribute is that the friends can confidently recommend it to non-Bahá’ís, since it is as far removed from a religious tract as could be imagined, with a resulting profound impact on thinking people.
Mr. Ward should know that the above echoes the sentiments of everyone I know who has been privileged to read his marvelous book.
Eliot, Mexico
Mayor I. W. Berryhill (center) of Andalusia, Illinois, declared October 1 Universal Children’s Day in that village during a Bahá’í-sponsored observance at the Andalusia Elementary School. Shown with the mayor are Jay Snell, chairman of the Spiritual Assembly of Andalusia, and Alice Brown, secretary of the Assembly. The mayor spoke at the observance, as did Mrs. Carol Mason, a Bahá’í from East Moline, Illinois. Bahá’í children from neighboring communities completed the program with musical selections.
[Page 11]
The Great Plains Bahá’í Summer School was held June 25–July 1 at the Youth Leadership Center near Aurora, Nebraska. It was the largest Great Plains school to date, with about 90 adult Bahá’ís and 60 children attending. Speakers included Auxiliary Board member Ronna Santoscoy; Robert Imagire, an assistant to the Auxiliary Board; and Seymour Weinberg. Students at a music writing workshop conducted by the musical group, ‘Brand New Day,’ wrote a song about the International Year of the Child that later was sung during a variety show.
Belize Seeks Teaching Teams For August 1980 Campaign[edit]
Calling all nature lovers! A month-long teaching project will be held next August in Belize, Central America, a country famed for its wildlife and orchids. Teaching teams are needed for two-week periods for deepening and consolidation in villages.
Who can go? You (if you are 18 years of age or older). The language spoken is English.
The air fare from Miami, Florida, is about $200. Living expenses will be minimal because volunteers will live in tents and cook their own meals.
The use of a van would be beneficial for transporting volunteers to the various villages. The van could be driven from the U.S. through Mexico to Belize.
Begin planning for the trip now. Study the history, customs and geography of Belize.
Practical incidentals: A passport and vaccinations for smallpox, typhoid, tetanus and polio are required. Volunteers must bring their own camping equipment.
What is the first step? Please contact the International Goals Committee, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, IL 60091, or phone 312-256-4400.
Peoria, Arizona, hosted a Bahá’í youth conference last March 31–April 1 sponsored by the Intercommunity Teaching Committee of Peoria, Northwest Maricopa County, and Glendale. The conference theme was ‘Prepare! It’s Your Tomorrow.’ Participants included Auxiliary Board member Nancy Phillips.
India Project Needs Volunteers[edit]
The International Goals Committee is seeking volunteers for a teaching project in India scheduled to be held in February 1980.
The National Teaching Committee of India will host a special teaching program for the volunteers.
If you are over 18, have your own funds, and are interested in taking part in this project, please complete the form below and return it to the International Goals Committee, or you may phone 312-256-4400 and speak with Miss Kim King.
Among the teachers at the Minnesota Bahá’í Summer School, held July 29–August 5 at Frontenac, was the Hand of the Cause of God John Robarts (second from left).
A Persian festival was among the highlights of this year’s Minnesota Bahá’í Summer School.
Hand of Cause Robarts Among Teachers At Minnesota School[edit]
Those who attended the 1979 Minnesota Bahá’í Summer School, held July 29–August 5 at Frontenac, had the bounty of three outstanding adult class teachers, a greatly expanded and improved youth program, and a well-planned children’s curriculum.
The school was especially privileged to number among its teachers the Hand of the Cause of God John Robarts whose students were fascinated by his course on “Fervent Prayer.”
Other adult classes were “Facing the Future, Armed With Our Past,” presented by Auxiliary Board member Stephen Birkland, and “The Book of Revelation—A Whiff of the Incense,” taught by Richard Creager.
Children attended classes on topics that included “Scientific and Spiritual Advancement,” “Loving Relationships,” “Early Bahá’ís of the West,” and “Stories From the Dawn-Breakers.”
Participants also enjoyed a wide variety of optional activities and the family-oriented evening and recreational programs that included hiking, a Persian festival, bonfires, and the annual talent show.
Moral Growth Requires Firm Ground Rules[edit]
(EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the last of a six-part series on moral and spiritual education by Dr. Susan Theroux of Fredonia, New York. Dr. Theroux received her Ph.D. in education at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst.)
•
Setting the Stage for Principled Thought and Action[edit]
The goal of moral education is principled thought and action.
However, moral development cannot be taught in a didactic manner; it can only be encouraged and facilitated.
Thus, one can speak of ‘preparing’ the child for moral development, and ‘setting the stage’ for moral behavior.
THE FIRST refers to the process of moral development described above. The second refers to certain conditions that must prevail if moral behavior is to occur.
These conditions, though not sufficient in themselves to facilitate development, are usually necessary prerequisites.
They are ground rules, reinforced by modeling, and actual experience in service.
Ground Rules[edit]
The purpose of ground rules in education is to safeguard the rights of the individual and to provide examples of principled behavior.
In early childhood, children need to have certain limits set on their behavior—limits that reflect order in human relationships.
OBEDIENCE to these rules gives children the opportunity to observe the result when justice and unity prevail, and will encourage them to live by these principles where no ground rules exist.
If ground rules are to be effective, they must be few in number and enforced consistently.
The purpose and intent of every ground rule should be fully explained to the child with reference to the spiritual principles upon which it is based so that he or she can begin to understand the relationship between principle and action.
Parents and teachers must follow and consistently uphold the ground rules themselves if they expect the children to do so.
UNLESS WE practice adherence to the rules, it will be difficult for children to understand the reasons for such rules, and we will undermine their confidence in us.
When enforcing the rules, it is important to appeal to the divine nature whose intentions are pure and to consult with the child about his infringement of them.
Perhaps he was unaware of the infringement, or had a plausible reason for disobeying the rule.
During this consultation, the child is lifted above the animal or human impulse and learns to evaluate his behavior with reference to a principle.
IF WE ARE convinced, however, that his intentions are not good, other measures may have to be taken, such as removing him from the situation.
In all cases, the reason for the rule should be explained in a way the child can understand and in terms of spiritual principles.
Modeling[edit]
Modeling, or teaching by example, is one of the most powerful influences on the behavior of children.
Again and again, we see in children patterns of behavior the parents never dreamed they were transmitting and the children did not realize they were imitating.
BEHAVIOR is learned through modeling without any necessary reward or punishment. Parents should be aware of the power of modeling and use it to their advantage.
If parents wish their children to think and act on the basis of principle, they must be the first to model principled action.
If we drive above the speed limit, for example, our children will find it difficult to understand obedience to it.
If we criticize others, our children will learn to be critical. If we take lightly our responsibilities to the Faith, our children cannot comprehend its significance.
Of course, each of us is in the constant process of spiritual growth and transformation.
PARENTS MAKE mistakes and have to fight their own spiritual battles. Our children need to know this too.
If we approach our problems in mature ways, through prayer, meditation, consultation and honest effort, our children will learn some invaluable skills that will serve them throughout life.
Parents should be frank in admitting that they are human and make mistakes too, and should constantly direct their children to the one and only Perfect Exemplar.
Service[edit]
The soul is created to serve and loves to serve. Only the lower nature wants to serve only itself and to restrict its energies in ways that foster laziness.
Studies have shown that children who engage in responsible action, such as teaching another child, or making gifts for children in a hospital, are more likely to engage in responsible actions again than children who haven’t had that experience. (E. Staub, The Development of Prosocial Behavior in Children. Morristown, N.J.: General Learning Press, 1975)
IT SEEMS that one receives a good feeling from serving others that encourages him or her to continue serving.
It is important for children to be given responsibilities as they grow older, so they will feel that they are contributing members of society, and will learn to take responsibility for themselves.
One of the most important responsibilities each of us has is to become aware of and develop his own potential.
Since our potential can become known only as the Creator reveals it, passing this revelation on to our children is a primary purpose of Bahá’í education.
AT THE SAME time, we must help children develop their physical, mental and spiritual potential; otherwise, it will be difficult for them to have a good feeling about themselves.
Children whose abilities are not being challenged or utilized may turn to worthless or destructive behavior.
Childhood is the time during which the talents and abilities are developed so that one can serve mankind as an adult, and “at the hour of death, ascend, in the utmost purity and sanctity and with absolute detachment, to the throne of the Most High.”
Learning activities should be balanced with service activities for maximum growth.
A child who feels responsible for himself and for others, and who feels competent to help others, is in the best position to lead a life of useful service.
“The Prophets and Messengers of God have been sent down for the sole purpose of guiding mankind to the straight Path of Truth. The purpose underlying their revelation hath been to educate all men, that they may, at the hour of death, ascend, in the utmost purity and sanctity and with absolute detachment, to the throne of the Most High.” (Gleanings From the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, pp. 156-157)
Dr. Tim Rost, senior lecturer in education at Kenyatta University in Kenya and author of a forthcoming book, The Brilliant Stars: The Bahá’í Faith and the Education of Children, spoke to about 30 of the friends September 4 in Evanston, Illinois. Using the Bahá’í Writings as the basis for his remarks and conclusions, Dr. Rost covered a variety of topics relating to education, and ended with a view of the educational system of the future and its role in bringing about world unity and peace.
Among the many visitors to the Bahá’í Intercommunity School in South Florida this year was National Spiritual Assembly Secretary Glenford E. Mitchell (kneeling in center and wearing jacket and tie). Attendance at the 25 sessions held during the school’s first year averaged between 50 and 60 with a top attendance of 110 at its Ayyám-i-Há celebration.
S. Florida Bahá’í School Moves to New Home[edit]
The Bahá’í Intercommunity School in South Florida began its second year of operation October 14 in a new permanent home.
The school, sponsored by the Bahá’í community of South Broward County, held 25 sessions during its first year with an average attendance of 50 to 60 persons and a high of 110 for its Ayyám-i-Há celebration.
Each two and one-half hour school session includes prayers, singing, and a guest speaker, followed by classes geared to every age from two to 72.
Every six weeks there is a teaching effort with direct teaching by the adults while children and their teachers visit local nursing homes with songs, prayers, and gifts for the residents.
Among those who visited the school during its first year were the Hand of the Cause of God William Sears and his wife, Marguerite; and National Spiritual Assembly members Daniel C. Jordan and Glenford E. Mitchell and their families.
Bahá’ís Set Sail[edit]
Several Bahá’ís from Cape Cod, Massachusetts, sailed two hours to Nantucket Island, 90 miles at sea, September 30 to participate in a Cluster Teaching meeting and lend support to Nantucket’s Universal Children’s Day program at the Gaslight Theatre.
Twelve Bahá’ís and 24 non-Bahá’ís attended the program that included songs and readings; a puppet show by elementary school children whose drama coach is a professional actress; several short skits by a Bahá’í who also is an actress; and two talks, one of them by a Bahá’í on the topic, “Divine Education.”
Auction Nets $3,000[edit]
On September 15, the Bahá’ís of Central Montgomery County, Maryland, sponsored an auction for the benefit of the Persian Relief Fund.
Believers from Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia helped raise more than $3,000 during the auction that was held at the National Institute of Computer Science in Gaithersburg, a school owned by a Bahá’í couple.
[Page 13]
The Bahá’ís of northern Door County, Wisconsin, were represented in the annual 4th of July Parade in the village of Bailey’s Harbor with this colorful entry dedicated to the International Year of the Child. Other ‘Love That Child’ activities included posters, balloons, and ads in county village newspapers during the summer and fall festival season.
New Hampshire Fund-Raiser Aids World Centre[edit]
In less than four hours on September 16, Bahá’ís raised more than $1,700 for the Bahá’í World Centre at a Fall Fund-Raising Festival sponsored by the Bahá’í community of Dover, New Hampshire, at the Green Acre Bahá’í School in Eliot, Maine.
The theme of the festival, which was conceived and carried out in only 10 days following the recent visit by H. Borrah Kavelin, a member of the Universal House of Justice, and a meeting in Boston between the National Spiritual Assembly and believers in that area, was “sacrifice.”
More than 60 believers enjoyed food, games, and the auction itself whose purpose was to raise funds to help build the Seat of the Universal House of Justice.
Before the auction, the friends were inspired by a slide presentation, ‘The Greatest Undertaking,’ which depicts construction of the Seat of the Supreme Body on Mount Carmel in Haifa, Israel.
Classified Ads[edit]
CLASSIFIED ADS in The American Bahá’í are intended as a service to the U.S. Bahá’í community and are printed free of charge.
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DEVOTED AND COMPETENT workers are needed to serve at the Bahá’í National Center. Applications are presently being accepted for: Program Administrator–Bahá’í Schools: Under direction of the National Education Committee, coordinates activities of 20 school committees across the country. Reviews course outlines and develops curricula. Requires a degree in education or educational administration. Experience in classroom teaching preferred. Must have ability to inspire volunteers. HVAC Plumber: Maintains, installs and repairs all facility pipeline systems as needed. Requires five years plumbing, heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems repair experience. If you are available and qualified to serve in either of these capacities, please contact the Bahá’í National Center, Personnel Office, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, IL 60091, or phone 312-256-4400.
BAHÁ’ÍS NEEDED in Eastern Tennessee. A new Assembly is soon to be formed in Hamblen County. Positions available at Morristown and Walters State Community Colleges include instructor in computer science, teacher in fire science, instructor in journalism and photography. There is also a need for a social worker in Hamblen County, which is 40 minutes from Knoxville and 45 minutes from the Smoky Mountains. For more information, please contact Eddie Little, P.O. Box 1972, Morristown, TN 37814, or phone 615-581-2121.
COPIES OF the Bahá’í Child Education Teaching Training Handbook are now available from the National Education Office. The manual is specifically designed for persons with a background in education. Topics include “Educational Principles and Methods,” “Materials and Resources,” Curricular Samples,” and miscellaneous subjects ranging from “Recreation” to “Activities for Youth and Pre-Youth.” The manual is loose-leaf, 3-hole punched, and does not include a binder. The cost is $9. Copies may be obtained by writing to the National Education Office, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, IL 60091. When ordering, please make checks payable to “Bahá’í Services Fund,” and be sure to indicate the address to which you would like your manual sent.
CLAREMONT, New Hampshire, needs three adults to save its Assembly. Claremont, a mill town of about 15,000 near Hanover and Keene, has good schools, employment possibilities, and the New Hampshire Vocational-Technical College. For more information, write to the Spiritual Assembly of Claremont, P.O. Box 443, Claremont, NH 03743.
IMMEDIATE opening for a fourth grade teacher at the Corcoran School in Corcoran, California. The school principal is a Bahá’í and would like to hire a Bahá’í as a teacher. For more information, please phone 209-227-9553.
MILLWOOD, Washington, near Spokane, has eight adults in its community, and needs one more to save its Assembly. Prospective homefront pioneers are encouraged to secure more information by writing to the Spiritual Assembly of Millwood, P.O. Box 141013, Spokane, WA 99214.
HOMEFRONT pioneer urgently needed on the Fort Hall Indian Reservation near Pocatello, Idaho, where efforts to establish a Spiritual Assembly composed largely of Native Americans have been ongoing for a number of years. Two members of the present Assembly will soon be moving from the Reservation. Housing is available on the Reservation, and there are employment possibilities nearby in Pocatello, Blackfoot, or Idaho Falls. The Indians on the Reservation are Shoshone and Bannock. For further information, contact the Spiritual Assembly of the Fort Hall Reservation, P.O. Box 8706, ISU, Pocatello, ID 83209.
CHILD’S WAY magazine is seeking artists with illustration skills for occasional freelance assignments. Please send 5 to 10 Xerox samples of your work to Rita Leydon, Child’s Way art director, Box 127, Lahaska, PA 18931.
SOUTHERN NEW MEXICO–West Texas Christmas Teaching Project. Get away from all that snow and cold! Come teach in a receptive area among courteous, warm receptive souls. Don’t lose valuable Christmas vacation time! Help us teach among Hispanic people; Spanish-speaking teachers especially needed. Last year’s project opened 25 new localities and led to more than 100 enrollments. This year we’ll concentrate on raising new Assemblies and saving two jeopardized Assemblies. The project begins Saturday, December 22, in the Las Cruces, New Mexico, area and will run from two to three weeks with additional teaching and follow-up thereafter. Contact the District Teaching Committee c/o Richard Gurinsky, Box 239, Mescalero, NM 88340, or phone 505-671-4640.
BAHÁ’Í WEEK in Maryland, April 12–20, 1980. An intercommunity committee has been formed and is working with the District Teaching Committee in coordinating teaching plans. Needed are Bahá’í musicians to perform in many capacities such as at banquets, shopping malls, and on college campuses. Housing and reimbursement for traveling expenses can be provided. If possible, please send a tape of your music to Mrs. Allison Vaccaro, secretary of the Baltimore Proclamation-Teaching Committee, 2539 Steele Road, Baltimore, MD 21209, or phone 301-358-7807.
OJAI, CALIFORNIA, needs a Bahá’í individual or family to adopt it with the intention of raising an Assembly from scratch. Ojai (a Chumash Indian word meaning “nest”) is 30–60 minutes from urban areas with good job possibilities; 14 miles inland from the Pacific coast and surrounded by lovely mountains, it’s an ideal place for hiking and other outdoor recreation. For more information, please write to Tim Jones, 123 Besant Road, Ojai, CA 93023, or phone 805-646-7390.
HOMEFRONT PIONEERS are needed in the East Ridge (metropolitan Chattanooga, Tennessee) area. Chattanooga is the world’s eighth largest industrial center, with many educational and employment opportunities. An Assembly is being formed in Knox County (Knoxville is the site of Energy Expo 1982). For details, please contact Eddie Little, P.O. Box 1972, Morristown, TN 37814, or phone 615-581-2121.
CHILD’S WAY magazine’s art director requests assistance from the Bahá’í community with photos of non-Caucasian children to better portray “the Bahá’í child” on the covers of the magazine. Negatives or contact sheets preferred: black and white only. Please write to Rita Leydon, Child’s Way art director, Box 127, Lahaska, PA 18931.
TO THE ARIZONA couple who wrote to the Bahá’í community of Taos, New Mexico, requesting living situation information in order to move there: Your letter was misplaced and we’ve been unable to respond. Please write again! Truly sorry for the inconvenience. Spiritual Assembly of Taos, General Delivery, El Prado, NM 87529.
SOCIOLOGISTS wanted. I am a sociologist at Iowa State University whose areas of interest include the sociology of religion, gerontology, the family, and social psychology. I would like to contact other Bahá’í social scientists for consultation, exchanging ideas, and possible collaboration in future research endeavors. For more information, please contact Chris Johnson, 1534 5th St., Boone, IA 50036, or phone 515-294-4612 or 515-432-3166.
HOMEFRONT pioneers needed to help restore the Elko, Nevada, Bahá’í community to Assembly status. Elko, a small community in the mountains of northern Nevada, has a good school system that includes a community college. It is a comfortable, scenic community with many possibilities. If you’d like to help, please contact the Elko Bahá’í community, c/o LeRoy J. Butts, 1058 Southside Drive, Elko, NV 89801, or phone 702-738-8984.
THE CARNATION, Washington, Bahá’í Group needs only one more member to form its Assembly. Carnation, in the lush Snoqualmie Valley of western Washington, has grown rapidly, from one adult Bahá’í in December 1978 to its present membership of eight adults. The town has a population of 800; the lifestyle is friendly and relaxed, and the fast-growing, prosperous Redmond-Bellevue area is only 20 to 30 minutes away. The local economy is based on construction, logging and farming. The Cascade Mountains are nearby, and Seattle is only an hour away. For more information, contact the Bahá’í Group of Carnation, P.O. Box 179, Carnation, WA 98014, or phone Niki Sellers (206-333-4590) or Jim and Deb Schoppert (206-333-4935).
BAHÁ’Í PEN-PALS wanted. All letters or postcards will be answered as promptly as possible. Through correspondence, the bonds of unity within the worldwide Bahá’í community can be strengthened. Please write to Mrs. Maryann Dirmyer, RD No. 4, Stonecrest, Tunkhannock, PA 18657.
URGENTLY NEEDED: Retired couple to serve as caretakers at the San Diego Bahá’í Center. Please write to 6545 Alcala Knolls, San Diego, CA 92111, or phone 714-571-2970, 714-292-9129, or 714-268-3999.
THORNTON, COLORADO: Nice two-bedroom apartment to share, 20 minutes north of Denver with easy access to business and industry. A small Bahá’í community with a recently-formed Spiritual Assembly needs strengthening to help maintain adequate membership. Apartment available in January. Contact Larry Peifer, 8901 Huron, A-104, Thornton, CO 80221 or phone 303-427-8295.
Montana Booth A Prize Winner[edit]
A booth entered in the annual Beaverhead County (Montana) Fair last August 28–31 won a ribbon for the Bahá’í Group of Beaverhead County, near Dillon.
The booth’s theme was the International Year of the Child, and the display included “Love That Child” posters, pamphlets and balloons.
It was the first of a number of teaching activities planned by the Group whose members include five adults, one youth and two children.
On September 8, the local radio station began using “Love That Child” public service spots.
The station management was so impressed by the spots that the Bahá’ís were offered time for more spots at any time.
The mayor of Dillon declared October 1 “Universal Children’s Day” in that city, at the request of the Bahá’ís, and a copy of the proclamation appeared in the newspaper.
Also printed was an article about Universal Children’s Day submitted by the Bahá’ís.
On September 29, the Beaverhead County Group distributed 150 “Love That Child” balloons to children in downtown Dillon.
These activities have brought a good deal of favorable reaction from local residents.
The Bahá’ís of Wyandotte, Michigan, participated July 19–21 with a booth at the annual Wyandotte Street Art Fair and sidewalk sale. This marked the fourth consecutive year in which the Bahá’ís were invited to take part. Until this year, they were the only religious group represented with a booth. The fair, advertised as the second largest in the state, had an estimated attendance this year of 250,000. The theme of the Bahá’í booth was ‘Love That Child,’ supporting the International Year of the Child.
[Page 14]
Enayatu’llah Vahdat, a pioneer to Brazil for 25 years, speaks to Persian friends in the Los Angeles area about pioneering to South America during a visit to the U.S. and Canada last July. As a result of Mr. Vahdat’s talks in Los Angeles, New York, Toronto and Montreal, 31 Persian families volunteered to pioneer to South America.
Persians Urged to Pioneer[edit]
Enayatu’llah Vahdat, a pioneer to Brazil for 25 years, visited the U.S. and Canada last July to speak about the need for pioneers to South America and encourage the Persian friends to consider pioneering there.
At the Los Angeles Bahá’í Center, Mr. Vahdat so moved the friends with his appeal that 31 Persian families volunteered to pioneer to South America.
As of the end of October, about seven Persian families already had left for South America. The friends had volunteered to pioneer to Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Peru, and Venezuela.
Mr. Vahdat also spoke to Persian believers in New York, Toronto and Montreal.
David Villaseñor, a Bahá’í who is an artist and Indian sand painter, explains the symbolism of the Aztec calendar during a meeting September 16 in San Luis Obispo, California, commemorating World Peace Day. The Bahá’ís of San Luis Obispo County purchased a replica of the calendar and presented it to the county in honor of the occasion.
Indian Art Highlights Program[edit]
The Bahá’í Inter-Community Association (BICA) of San Luis Obispo County, California, observed World Peace Day September 16 in San Luis Obispo with a presentation of Indian sand paintings and the relationship of Indian prophecies to world peace by Bahá’í artist David Villaseñor.
A special feature of the program was Mr. Villaseñor’s explanation of the Aztec calendar, a replica of which was purchased by the Bahá’ís and presented to the county to help commemorate World Peace Day.
Presentation of the calendar to the county Board of Supervisors was carried on radio and television and given coverage in the local newspapers.
Accompanying the calendar was a plaque inscribed with a quotation by Bahá’u’lláh and stating that the presentation was made in honor of World Peace Day.
Study Program[edit]
Continued From Page 1
COMMUNITIES wishing to participate in this nationwide activity should immediately reserve January 27, 1980, on their calendars. Community members should be notified about the meeting and a site should be secured. Neighboring communities or cluster groups may also be invited.
Plans should be made for a children’s program or child care so that families will be free to attend the program too.
Program materials will be mailed to all Assemblies and large Groups (5 or more) early in January and should arrive in ample time for the meeting.
The National Education Committee sincerely hopes that the joy and dedication so characteristic of the Hand of the Cause Mr. Olinga may inspire these meetings all across the country. May his voice and the lessons he shares remind us of his own life lived in devoted service to the Cause of God.
It is the National Education Committee’s hope that the friends will find “A Life of Service” to be an informative, inspiring program that is a convenient supplement to the plans of local communities.
UNC-Asheville Offers 6-Week Course on Faith[edit]
Persistent efforts by the District Teaching Committee of Western North Carolina, in cooperation with the Spiritual Assembly of Asheville, coupled with renewed interest in the Faith resulting from the persecution of Bahá’ís in Iran, led last fall to the inclusion of a six-week course, “Introduction to the Bahá’í Faith,” at the University of North Carolina at Asheville.
The course, offered by the school’s Department of Continuing Education, was publicized by 200 announcements to former students and by an article and photo in the local newspapers.
NINE STUDENTS, eight of whom were not Bahá’ís, attended the course including Mrs. Alice Wutschel, director of the Department of Continuing Education.
Mrs. Kathy Reimer, a member of the Asheville Bahá’í community and the District Teaching Committee, taught the course without compensation, thus enabling the school to offer it for a small registration fee of $7.
That fee covered the cost of a copy of the course textbook, Bahá’u’lláh and the New Era.
Mrs. Wutschel, obviously impressed by the course, suggested that a similar presentation be offered to the local YWCA.
The YWCA agreed to sponsor a six-week introductory course on the Faith, and even arranged for a large insert advertising it to be placed in the newspapers.
In a report to the National Spiritual Assembly detailing the Teaching Committee’s success in placing the course, Mrs. Reimer expressed her belief that it was due primarily “to our being very flexible, offering all sorts of options and allowing the university to choose the best option for its needs.”
Friends Have Fun At July Camp-Out[edit]
Twenty-eight adults and 23 children attended a “Bahá’ís Having Fun Together” camp-out July 27–29 at the Ehlert farm in rural Augusta, Wisconsin.
Bahá’ís and guests came from three states: Wisconsin, Arizona and Florida.
The weekend activities included movies, games, good food, fun and laughter.
The event was sponsored by the Bahá’í Group of Eau Claire County.
Auction Raises $625[edit]
To help meet the needs of the Bahá’í International Fund, the Bahá’ís of Capitola, California, sponsored an auction on September 23.
About 20 people attended the event, and $625 was raised.
Among the items sold was a lovely Persian vase with hand-painted designs surrounding the Greatest Name on one side and the ring symbol on the other. The vase was bought in Iran during a pilgrimage some years ago.
In Memoriam[edit]
- Mrs. Beulah Amos
- Homestead, Florida
- Date Unknown
- Mrs. Elizabeth J. Anderson
- Conway, South Carolina
- September 1979
- Mrs. Eva Auston
- Beaufort, S. Carolina
- June 1, 1978
- Jerry Benjamin
- Columbia, S. Carolina
- September 10, 1979
- Mrs. Luberta Boyd
- Raceland, Louisiana
- 1978
- Mrs. Hilda C. Butler
- Grandview, Washington
- Date Unknown
- Willie D. Canty
- Conway, South Carolina
- 1975
- Jimmy A. Chacon
- Yuma, Arizona
- Date Unknown
- Raleigh DeWitt
- Conway, South Carolina
- Date Unknown
- Dock Dixon Jr.
- Lakeview, S. Carolina
- Date Unknown
- William Emanual
- Shreveport, Louisiana
- January 21, 1979
- Sam Fly
- Fort Yates, N. Dakota
- Summer 1979
- Mrs. Amadee Gibson
- Los Angeles, Calif.
- Date Unknown
- Mrs. Gladys Graham
- Lake City, S. Carolina
- Date Unknown
- Steve A. Hale
- Arkadelphia, Arkansas
- August 1, 1978
- Miss Martha Heber
- Portsmouth, N. Hampshire
- January 23, 1979
- Mrs. Ruby Hinds
- Tacoma, Washington
- August 1979
- Willie M. Hood
- Decatur, Illinois
- July 1979
- Michael A. Jefferson
- Kokomo, Indiana
- October 2, 1979
- James Johnson
- Mt. Holly, S. Carolina
- 1978
- Mrs. Meta Johnson
- Anderson, S. Carolina
- October 4, 1979
- Andrew Kahn
- Houck, Arizona
- August 13, 1979
- Mrs. Karoline Lindemann
- Red Bank, New Jersey
- September 4, 1979
- Mrs. Elizabeth MacKrill
- Phoenix, Arizona
- May 24, 1979
- Worth McClellan
- Dillon, South Carolina
- Date Unknown
- Mrs. Rosalee McIntosh
- Anderson, S. Carolina
- September 21, 1978
- Mrs. Susanna B. Meinhard
- Albuquerque, New Mexico
- August 21, 1979
- Harold Moore
- Homestead, Florida
- Date Unknown
- Luther B. Myers
- Hemingway, S. Carolina
- 1975
- Mrs. Dorothy B. Osthelder
- Sheboygan, Wisconsin
- September 11, 1979
- Mrs. Octavia S. Perry
- Norfolk, Virginia
- September 1979
- William Reaves
- Highland Park, Illinois
- September 1979
- Mrs. Anna Robinson
- Anderson, S. Carolina
- Date Unknown
- Mrs. Marie Robinson
- Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin
- October 4, 1979
- Mrs. Jo Sands
- Tacoma, Washington
- March 14, 1979
- Ricky Sutton
- Denver, Colorado
- October 14, 1979
- Clarence Stroud
- Homestead, Florida
- Date Unknown
- Miss Florence E. Walker
- Worcester, Mass.
- July 1979
- Melvin Washington
- Raceland, Louisiana
- Date Unknown
- Alvin White
- Hemingway, S. Carolina
- 1971
- Mrs. Helen Williams
- Greenville, S. Carolina
- August 5, 1977
- Mrs. Gladys Weeden
- Henniker, N. Hampshire
- September 12, 1979
- Robert A. Williams
- Greenwood, S. Carolina
- December 1977
- Mrs. Vivian Young
- Des Allemands, La.
- June 1979
FROM THE
Bahá’í Publishing Trust
Gift Ideas!
New Bahá’í Literature[edit]
Selected Writings of Bahá’u’lláh
By Bahá’u’lláh. A new cloth gift edition of a popular selection of Bahá’u’lláh’s Writings. Set in relatively large type on large pages, the new edition is inviting and easy to read. Grey ribbon bookmark. A perfect gift for seekers, new Bahá’ís, friends of the Faith, local dignitaries. 125 pp., references.
7-03-24 cloth $4.50; 40/$171.00
7-03-23 paper (1975 edition) $1.10; 10/$8.50
New Recordings/Gift Ideas[edit]
For Adults, Children, Bahá’ís, Non-Bahá’ís
Lote Tree
An exciting new stereo L.P. that combines the talents of many well-known Bahá’ís, including
- William Sears, Hand of the Cause of God
- Seals and Crofts
- Walter Heath
- England Dan and John Ford Coley
- Russ Garcia, Danny Deardorff, and others
Side A features songs and narration about the Báb, Bahá’u’lláh, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Shoghi Effendi, and The Universal House of Justice. Mr. Sears’ stirring narration helps the listener understand the significance of the Bahá’í Faith.
Side B features live selections including “The Prisoner,“ “Forever Like the Rose,” “One Planet, One People, Please,” “The Little Kings of Earth,” and “The Seven Valleys.” Lote Tree is perfect for gifts or for creating a Bahá’í atmosphere in your home. Also for deepenings, firesides, radio proclamations. Produced by Prism Productions to raise money for the international funds and as an artistic contribution to the Bahá’í community.
6-35-18 stereo LP $10.00
Happy Ayyám-i-Há!
(Advance orders now being taken)
Coming in January—the first Bahá’í children’s album! Features Hand of the Cause of God William Sears, Bahá’í children, and professional musical accompanists. Mr. Sears talks to the children between selections, explaining the songs and the Bahá’í Faith in a warm and easy-to-understand way.
Nine songs on Bahá’í themes, including “God Loves the Best of Us,” “The Ayyám-i-Há Song,” “Oh ‘Abdu’l-Bahá,” “The Abhá Kingdom,” and “Oh God! Educate These Children.”
An ideal gift for Bahá’í children and those familiar with the Bahá’í Faith. For deepening, teaching, lifting the spirits of kids and adults. Printed lyrics enclosed. Produced by Danny and Joyce Deardorff in cooperation with Prism Productions.
Note: This album was announced in last month’s American Bahá’í, but due to circumstances beyond our control, is not yet completed. Send your order now, and we will ship the album to you as soon as it is available in January.
6-35-19 stereo LP $10.00
1980 Bahá’í Calendars[edit]
For Personal, Community Use
NOTE: Except for the Pocket Calendar, all 1980 Bahá’í calendars cover a full fifteen months, from January 1980 through March 1981. Beginning in 1981, all of the calendars will be geared to the Bahá’í year, which begins on Naw-Rúz, March 21.
1980 Bahá’í Memo Pad Calendar
New this year! A convenient calendar pad with one Gregorian month per tear-off sheet. Indicates all Bahá’í Holy Days and Nineteen Day Feasts. Allows ample space for writing in dates of your appointments, meetings, and firesides. Use flat on desk, hang on wall, or carry in three-ring binder. Perfect for use at Local Spiritual Assembly meetings. 8½ x 11 inches.
6-69-90 $2.00; 10/$19.00
1980 Bahá’í Date Book
You’re a busy person, and you want to keep track of all your appointments and meetings, Feasts, and Holy Days. Why not put the new Bahá’í Date Book to work for you? Improvements this year:
- more space for notes on each page
- slightly smaller size than previous years; fits more easily in pocket or shoulder bag
- weeks begin on Sunday, end on Saturday
Attractive green cover. 3½ x 6½ inches.
6-69-30 $1.00; 10/$9.50
1980 Bahá’í Wall Calendar
Features a beautiful full-color photograph of the Shrine of the Báb at night. 8½ x 11 inches.
6-69-40 $.50; 10/$4.50; 50/$18.50; 250/$70.00
1980 Bahá’í Pocket Calendar
Fits conveniently in purse or billfold.
6-69-60 $.10; 10/$.90; 100/$7.50
137 B. E. Bahá’í Planning Calendar
Covers thirteen Gregorian months beginning March 1, 1980. Special offer! Order now and receive one free 136 B. E. Planning Calendar with each new 137 B. E. Planning Calendar. 25 x 38 inches.
6-69-10 $2.50; 5/$12.00
How to order:
Bahá’ís who do not have easy access to a Bahá’í librarian may use the coupon order form below. Otherwise, please order through your local librarian. Bahá’í librarians: If you use this form, write library account number at top.
Massanetta Conference Draws 650-Plus[edit]
More than 650 Bahá’ís and their guests gathered August 31–September 3 at the Massanetta Springs Conference Center in the lovely Shenandoah Valley near Harrisonburg, Virginia, for the first Massanetta Springs Bahá’í Conference.
The conference was specially blessed by the presence of the Hand of the Cause of God Zikrullah Khadem who inspired everyone present with his zeal and great love for the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh.
THE ATTENDANCE was more than double that expected by the sponsoring Spiritual Assembly of Staunton, Virginia, and the conference planning committee.
Participants came from 19 states and the District of Columbia, as well as from the Bahamas, Canada, Iran, Italy, Spain and many pioneering posts.
Conference participants, in addition to Mr. Khadem, included Auxiliary Board members Albert James, Javidukht Khadem, and Dr. William Tucker as well as several assistants to the Auxiliary Board.
An outstanding array of distinguished speakers shared many thoughts and ideas on the conference theme, “Spiritual Enrichment and Self-Dedication,” based on the Seven Year Plan message from the Universal House of Justice that emphasizes preparation for tests through spiritual enrichment.
MR. KHADEM related many memorable stories, enkindling in the hearts of his audience a greater appreciation and love for the marvelous Covenant of Bahá’u’lláh, which, he reminded everyone, unites for the first time the administrative and spiritual centers of the Religion of God in one place.
Besides sharing memories of the beloved Guardian, Mr. Khadem spoke about how the Faith is spread and established through the sacrifice and devotion of the believers rather than through wealth or worldly power.
Mrs. Khadem said the Word of God should “blow the ashes from our hearts” so that the flame of love for Bahá’u’lláh may burn ever more brightly and not be extinguished by the ashes of apathy, which she labeled the greatest internal enemy of the Faith.
Other speakers were:
Dr. Wilma Brady, Bahá’í representative to the United Nations, who spoke on “Family Life and the International Year of the Child” and “Facing the Tests Ahead: Specific Guidance for the Spiritual Survivor.”
DR. HESHMATALLAH Farhoumand, a former member of the National Spiritual Assembly of Ethiopia, who discussed “Bahá’í Prophecies and the Future.”
Dr. Dwight Allen, whose topic at a special public meeting was “Mining the Richness of Inner Diversity.”
Dr. Allan Ward, author of a new book about ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, who spoke on “ ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Footsteps to Follow” and “ ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: The Master Teacher.”
Robert Imagire and Carl Reynolds whose subject was “An Evaluation of Teaching Techniques.”
Gregory Dahl who spoke on “Sacrifice and Service: Pioneering and Leaving the Cities.”
THE UNIVERSAL House of Justice, responding to a request from the sponsoring Assembly for prayers for the conference, cabled this reply:
“KINDLY CONVEY LSA STAUNTON, VIRGINIA ASSURANCE PRAYERS SUCCESSFUL MEETING HARRISONBURG COMING WEEKEND. UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE.”
Another special blessing was the presence at the conference of many Persian believers, some of whom had only recently arrived from Iran.
Among its first fruits were several declarations including that of Richard Hartley of Rockingham County, where the conference was being held.
Mr. Hartley declared his belief in Bahá’u’lláh following Saturday evening’s public meeting, thus moving the Rockingham County Group closer to Assembly status.
Conference participants contributed $2,787 to the National Fund and $7,799.15 to the Seat of the Universal House of Justice.
As the conference ended Sunday afternoon, the news was heard that the Spiritual Assembly of Staunton already had begun making arrangements for another Massanetta Springs Conference in 1980.
The Center at which this year’s conference was held is owned by the Presbyterian Synod of Virginia.
The Hand of the Cause of God Zikrullah Khadem addresses the first Massanetta Springs, Virginia, Bahá’í Conference
The Bahá’í community of Palo Alto, California, exhibited photos of Bahá’í Houses of Worship and Bahá’ís around the world at an invitational ‘Religion and Culture Festival’ held last May 8–9 at Foothill College in Los Altos Hills. Large posters proclaimed Bahá’í principles including progressive revelation, world unity, and the oneness of mankind. Bahá’í musicians Ron and Carol Lyles performed for an audience of faculty, students and guests. Numerous Bahá’í pamphlets were displayed and distributed, and other faiths participating in the festival were given flowers by the Bahá’ís of Palo Alto.
To celebrate its formation last July, the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Omak, Washington, entered this flower-bedecked float in the 47th annual Omak Stampede Parade on August 12. More than 10,000 people saw the parade, in which the Bahá’í float, composed of hundreds of multi-colored, handmade flowers and featuring a globe and banners that read ‘One Planet, One People...Please’ and ‘The Bahá’í Faith Unifies Mankind,’ won a handsome first-place trophy. There were more than 115 entries in the parade, which was led by the grand marshal, Gov. Dixie Lee Ray.
