The American Bahá’í/Volume 12/Issue 8/Text
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THE DEFICIT in the National Fund approaches one-half million dollars. Page 5 THE RACE Unity page returns. Page 10 THE DATA Processing Office is profiled in our continuing series on the National Center. Page 11 AN URGENT appeal for pioneers is made by the International Goals Committee. Page 13 A NEW paperback edition of Some Answered Questions is now available. Page 15 |
House issues call for greater sacrifice
To the Bahá’ís of the World
Dear Bahá’í Friends,
At the outset of the Seven Year Plan, faced with tremendous tasks to be accomplished by the Bahá’í world, and confronted by the seemingly crippling financial losses that resulted from the savage onslaught of inveterate enemies upon the valiant believers in the Cradle of the Faith, the Universal House of Justice turned with fervent hope to the believers in the rest of the world, calling upon them to arise and champion the cause of their persecuted brethren in the international arena and, through self-sacrifice and the exercise of wise stewardship of the funds of the Faith, to enable its work to go forward unhindered by the sudden inability of the believers in Iran to continue their major role in providing the lifeblood of the Cause. In both fields, these past two years have witnessed astonishing victories.
THE MANNER in which the case of the persecuted Faith of Bahá’u’lláh has been blazoned in the media, conveying its message to millions of souls who had scarcely if at all heard of it before; and the degree to which world authorities have risen to plead its case and call for its vindication, have both been witnessed with eager and uplifted hearts by Bahá’ís in all lands.
Now the Universal House of Justice has instructed us to inform you that in supporting the Bahá’í International Fund the self-sacrificing followers of the Blessed Beauty have won similar victories.
The manifold acts of devotion and service that have been so distinctive a mark of progress in the opening phase of the Seven Year Plan have not only laid a firm foundation for the development of the institutions of the Faith worldwide, but have also been manifested in an outpouring of financial substance that has made possible the setting of goals for
14 more believers executed in Iran[edit]
WITH HEARTS BURNING WITH ANGUISH SHARE NEWS SOULS ANOTHER FOUR DISTINGUISHED BELIEVERS NOW GATHERED ABHÁ KINGDOM ON BEING MARTYRED YESTERDAY BY FIRING SQUAD: DR. MASIH FARHANGI, MEMBER BOARD COUNSELLORS WESTERN ASIA; BADI’ULLAH FARID, YADU’LLAH PUSTCHI, VARQA TIBYANIYAN.
JUNE 24, 1981
TRAGIC NEWS JUST RECEIVED THREE MORE PROMINENT PERSIAN BAHÁ’ÍS, BUZURG ALAVIAN, HASHIM FARNUSH AND FARHANG MAVADDAT EXECUTED TEHERAN YESTERDAY. CHARGES COMPLETELY MISREPRESENT BAHÁ’Í SERVICES AS POLITICALLY MOTIVATED ACTIVITIES... OFFERING PRAYERS HOLY SHRINES BLESSED BEAUTY MAY CONFIRM ALL EFFORTS ALLEVIATE SUFFERINGS OPPRESSED INNOCENT COMMUNITY
JUNE 23, 1981
WITH STRICKEN HEARTS SHARE NEWS SEVEN MEMBERS LOCAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY HAMADAN MARTYRED AFTER BEING TORTURED. EXECUTIONS CARRIED OUT DAWN JUNE 14 WITH APPROVAL SUPREME JUDICIAL COUNCIL ON USUAL TRUMPED UP CHARGES. THIS FRESH BLOW ANOTHER STEP IN PROSECUTION SCHEME TRADITIONAL ADVERSARIES UPROOT FAITH IN LAND ITS BIRTH ... NAMES OF SEVEN MARTYRS ARE AS FOLLOWS: MR. HUSAYN MUTLAQ, MR. SUHAYL HABIBI, MR. SUHRAB HABIBI, DR. NASIR VAFA’I, DR. FIRUZ NA’IMI, MR. HUSAYN KHANDIL, AND MR. TARAZULLAH KHUZAYN.
JUNE 15, 1981
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Following the martyrdoms in Hamadan the National Spiritual Assembly sent the following message to UN Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim;
- His Excellency Kurt Waldheim
- United Nations Secretariat
- 1 United Nations Plaza
- New York, N.Y.,
Dear Mr. Secretary-General:
We have learned with horror of yet another group execution of leading Bahá’ís in Iran. At dawn on June
The seven martyrs of Hamadan, Iran, are shown in prison in a photo taken between March 21 and April 21. They are (standing left to right) Husayn Khandil, Dr. Nasir Vafa’i, Suhrab Habibi, Dr. Firuz Na’imi, Tarazullah Khuzayn, and (kneeling left to right) Suhayl Habibi, Husayn Mutlaq. The seven were executed by a firing squad at dawn on June 14.
3,000-plus at 1st Continental Youth Conference[edit]
More than 3,000 Bahá’í youth from every one of the continental United States, Alaska, Canada, Hawaii, Mexico and at least 10 other countries gathered July 2-5 in Kansas City, Missouri, for the first Continental Bahá’í Youth Conference of the Seven Year Plan.
The historic conference was blessed by the presence of the Hands of the Cause of God Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum and Zikrullah Khadem.
AMONG THE OTHER guests at the conference were two members of the Continental Board of Counsellors for the Americas, Farzam Arbáb and Velma W. Sherrill; seven members of the U.S. National Spiritual Assembly; and members of the National Spiritual Assemblies of the Bahamas, the French Antilles and Mexico.
Visitors also came from Bermuda, England, Finland, Germany, Ireland, India, Nigeria and Pakistan.
The National Youth Committee, which together with the National Teaching Committee and other offices at the Bahá’í National Center helped plan and organize the conference on behalf of the National Spiritual Assembly, used the occasion to unveil the National Youth Plan for the three-year second phase of the Seven Year Plan.
The new plan, which emphasizes promoting the Faith, prayer and deepening, contributing to the Fund, and serving the Faith in one’s community, was received enthusiastically by the young people in Kansas City. (Details of the plan are on Page 7.)
Conference highlights included;
• Two addresses by Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum and another by Mr. Khadem.
• A gala public meeting and fireside Saturday evening that featured Bahá’í entertainers Seals & Crofts, Danny Deardorff, Leslie and Kelly and John Ford Coley, England Dan Seals, and the McPhersons.
• THE PREMIERE of a new one-act drama, “Soul Wars,” written by Dan Ware, a staff member at the National Treasurer’s Office.
• More than 20 special workshop sessions whose subject matter ranged from developing effective communication skills and planning one’s career to preparing for marriage and conducting effective firesides.
• Two separate presentations of the film, “The Pilgrimage,” written and narrated by Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum, and one of an audio-visual program, “The Heritage of the Martyrs.”
Participants in the first Continental Bahá’í Youth Conference of the Seven Year Plan gather for dawn prayers with the Kansas City skyline as a backdrop. More than 3,000 Bahá’í youth from Alaska, Canada, Hawaii, Mexico, the U.S. and 10 other countries attended the historic conference July 2-5.
Center schedules staff retreat[edit]
Since the staff at the Bahá’í National Center often does not have an opportunity to attend conferences, Summer Schools, or Winter Schools, the National Spiritual Assembly has decided to close the National Center from August 28-30 for a staff retreat.
This will be a period of spiritual rejuvenation for the staff, a time for prayer, meditation and contemplation in a quiet and secluded setting near the National Center.
While the switchboard at the National Center will remain open during the retreat, most staff members will not be working.
The National Spiritual Assembly asks that the friends please cooperate by deferring any calls except those of an emergency nature until the following week.
[Page 2]
VIEWPOINT
Editorial
Martyrdoms sow seeds of victory[edit]
As the persecution against the Bahá’ís in Iran increases in severity, Bahá’ís in other lands grow increasingly angry over the senseless and wanton attacks upon their fellow-believers.
For guidance on how we might best channel the energy aroused by our indignation, we can turn to the letters sent to the American Bahá’í community by the beloved Guardian, Shoghi Effendi, when in 1955 the Iranian Bahá’ís were under attack.
IN 1955 A PROGRAM was launched against the Iranian Bahá’í community that was similar in many of its features to the campaign of oppression being waged today.
Holy places were desecrated, homes, shops and farms plundered, adults and children beaten and ridiculed, and pressure exerted to force Bahá’ís to recant their faith. In the hamlet of Hurmuzk, a family of seven was hacked to pieces by a frenzied mob, and in Tehran the dome of the central administrative office building was demolished.
In response to these outrageous attacks, the Guardian directed the Bahá’í world’s appeal to the Secretary-General of the United Nations and various government officials of international stature. His advice to the American Bahá’í community is especially pertinent to us now:
“Faced with this organized and vicious onslaught on the followers, the fundamental verities, the shrines and administrative institutions of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh in the land of His birth, the American Bahá’í community cannot at this hour relax for a moment in the discharge of the multiple and sacred responsibilities it has pledged itself to fulfill ... and must indeed display a still greater degree of consecration and a nobler spirit of self-sacrifice in the pursuit of the goals it has set itself to achieve.”
Instead of lamenting the opposition the Faith was encountering and regarding it as a tragedy, Shoghi Effendi encouraged us to look at it as a blessing in disguise:
“INDEED THIS FRESH ORDEAL that has, in pursuance of the mysterious dispensations of Providence, afflicted the Faith, at this unexpected hour, far from dealing a fatal blow to its institutions or existence, should be regarded as a blessing in disguise, not a ‘calamity’ but a ‘providence’ of God, not a devastating flood but a ‘gentle rain’ on a ‘green pasture,’ a ‘wick’ and ‘oil’ unto the lamp of His Faith, a ‘nurture’ for His Cause, ’water for that which has been planted in the hearts of men,’ a ‘crown set on the head’ of His Messenger for this Day.”
He then told us precisely what we should do: proclaim far and wide the Faith’s existence, publicize its history, defend its verities, unveil its truths, demonstrate the character of its institutions, and advertise its aims and purposes.
The Guardian’s advice is as relevant today as it was in 1955.
We can only expect that the situation in Iran, unless stayed by the Hand of Providence, will worsen. But if we view every fresh attack as unleashing a new infusion of spiritual power upon the world and as sowing seeds that we in the West are to reap, we will have the strength to respond in the only befitting manner possible; namely, by resolving to raise up, for every believer who has been cut down, a hundred—nay, a thousand—new believers who will champion the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh and lead it triumphantly onward toward the fulfillment of its glorious destiny.
National Assembly OKs bid for radio license[edit]
The National Spiritual Assembly has announced its intention to authorize the filing of an application for a radio station to be located at the Louis G. Gregory Bahá’í Institute near Hemingway, South Carolina.
The application for the radio broadcasting license is to be filed with the Federal Communications Commission in Washington, D.C.
K. Dean Stephens, a consultant on radio in the Americas for the Audio-Visual Department at the World Centre in Haifa, will be involved in planning the Bahá’í radio station in South Carolina.
Mr. Stephens has played a large part in the construction of Radio Bahá’í in Otavalo, Ecuador, and is involved in developing the newest facility, “Radio Bahá’í of Lake Titicaca,” near Puno, Perú.
The FCC requires a one-year “construction permit” period for new broadcasting stations in the U.S. before an applicant’s final broadcasting license is granted.
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The American Bahá’í
(USPS 042-430) Published monthly by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, IL 60091. Second class postage paid at Wilmette, IL. Editor: Jack Bowers The American Bahá’í welcomes news, letters and other articles of interest from individuals and the various institutions of the Faith. Articles should be written in a clear and concise manner; black and white glossy photos should be included whenever possible. Please address all materials to The Editor, The American Bahá’í, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, IL 60091. Copyright © 1980 by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. World rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A. |
Michigan Bahá’ís back UNICEF[edit]
On May 23, the Bahá’ís of Escanaba, Michigan, held a proclamation in which the Faith showed its support for UNICEF.
Displaying Bahá’í and UNICEF posters, Lorraine Landau-Vader and John and Linda Walbridge sold UNICEF cards at a local shopping mall. Also available were “Love That Child” pamphlets.
Prior to the card sale, Mrs. Walbridge spoke for 45 minutes on a popular local radio interview program, with much of that time devoted to speaking about the Faith.
Bahá’ís in a town 30 miles from Escanaba reported that seekers were calling them after having heard the program.
Press releases about the card sale and the Bahá’í support of UNICEF appeared in three local papers, and posters were displayed in the downtown area.
A UNICEF representative in New York City later phoned the Escanaba Bahá’ís to congratulate them on the amount of publicity they had obtained for UNICEF.
Here are copy and photo deadlines for The American Bahá’í for September-December 1981:
September—Copy deadline, August 5; photo deadline, August 13.
October—Copy deadline, September 1; photo deadline, September 14.
November—Copy deadline, September 30; photo deadline, October 8.
December—Copy deadline, October 28; photo deadline, November 5.
Please submit articles, letters and other materials to The Editor, The American Bahá’í, Wilmette, IL 60091.
Gathering honors Greatest Holy Leaf[edit]
On April 11, the Bahá’ís of University Place, Washington, sponsored a conference in memory of the Greatest Holy Leaf.
Fifty-four people including some seekers attended the event.
The speakers included Auxiliary Board member Opal Conner and assistants to the Auxiliary Board Rouha Rose, Velda Piff, Olga Ruys, Jack Tingstad and Clyde Johnson.
Personal PROFILE[edit]
Name: Linda K. Jones
Community: Hilton Head, South Carolina
Occupation: Psychotherapist
Background: Linda Jones has always had a special interest in the preventive and holistic treatment of mental, emotional and nervous disorders, a fact that is reflected in the title of the book she is now writing: Preventive Courtship.
A psychotherapist with her own practice in Hilton Head, Ms. Jones has designed and conducted numerous seminars on courtship, consultation, marriage and family life, and effective communication for parents and for small companies. “Aiding Behavioral Change” is the title of a program she designed for disabled and disturbed elementary school children.
Ms. Jones began her professional career 17 years ago as an adoption case worker in Binghamton, New York. Later, she was employed by St. Luke’s Hospital in New York City as a medical social worker before joining the Hackensack, New Jersey, Hospital’s mental health center as a psychotherapist.
A graduate of St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York, Ms. Jones did graduate work in the schools of social work at Columbia and Fordham universities. She has had additional training in nutrition and clinical ecology in approaching mental problems from a psychological standpoint.
Her Bahá’í activities include service for the last five years on the National Education Committee, and service on several Spiritual Assemblies, most recently in Hilton Head.
Her article, “Raising Children of the Kingdom,” appeared in the October 1978 issue of Bahá’í News. She has also contributed to Child’s Way magazine (“The Lonely Billy Goat,” Spring 1978), and her article entitled “Consultation: A Process of Family Problem-Solving,” was used as part of the 1975 Family Life Conferences sponsored by the National Education Committee.
Ms. Jones has two sons, Christopher and Craig. Her hobbies include writing and tennis.
[Page 3]
LETTERS
Do ‘non-Bahá’ís’ feel excluded by the term?[edit]
To the Editor
After a recent fireside I had a wonderful opportunity to speak to a Hindu about his feelings toward the Faith.
First, he said he believed completely in Bahá’u’lláh, His station and His teachings.
THAT DIDN’T surprise me. As a former Hindu myself, I know how easy it is for Hindus to accept the Faith of God.
He went on to say, however, that he did not like the idea of joining a particular religion or denomination since, in a subtle way, this removes one somewhat from the rest of humanity.
He said he was committed to the idea of being a world citizen. I thought to myself, “You can’t be worried about that in the Bahá’í Faith!”
Then he said, “Take, for instance, the Bahá’í habit of referring to others as ‘non-Bahá’ís.’ Does this not set them apart when they hear the term?”
I had to admit that it had never occurred to me.
Two nights ago, the Phoenix community discussed the issue of race unity with Allan Ward and Albert Porter of Little Rock, Arkansas.
DR. WARD suggested that one obstacle to increasing the number of minorities in the Faith could be the aloofness of the Bahá’í community toward “non-Bahá’ís.”
Imagine, if you will, the impression a minority seeker receives when he is addressed as a “non-Bahá’í.”
If the Bahá’í community is primarily white, the translation of “non-Bahá’í” in the seeker’s mind could easily be “non-white” if the term were accompanied by any degree of aloofness.
Remember that “Bahá’í” means “of the Glory.” Do we ever want to refer to another soul as not being “of the Glory”?
Please have compassion for people who are on the verge of starting the final earthly mile in their spiritual journey on this planet and give them credit for the miles they have come.
Let the term “non-Bahá’í” be one that is used by the enemies of the Faith to describe themselves. They are the only ones who could ever deserve such a condemnation, and if so, it should come only from their own lips.
Phoenix, Arizona
To the Editor:
I am deeply moved by the suffering of our brothers and sisters in Iran.
Each day my mind pictures the horror and grief that must surely grip the roots of the Iranian Bahá’í community.
I SEE proud men and women deprived of their means of livelihood, bright students whose minds lie neglected, and worst of all, the eyes of children, scarred within, that plead for that bit of security that we in this country so often take for granted.
There is no heroism in this. There is no glory. There is only painful, gnawing suffering.
And there is no doubt that the blood of those oppressed souls in Iran that is so often lauded as a sort of “spiritual fertilizer” will nurture fruits whose hearts will be indelibly marked by a profound experience of horror.
This is the human side of the degradation of our brothers and sisters in Iran today.
If we ignore it through that form of “detachment” that so often betrays a rank indifference, how can we as a religious community assert ourselves as a beacon of justice or a protector of the weak as we are exhorted to do in the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá?
We must pray for our brethren in Iran, but our prayer must not be the fatalistic product of perceived impotence.
We must remind ourselves that martyrdom is, in the end, a euphemism for unjustified death, and that death has little meaning in a climate of public ignorance and indifference.
IT MAY WELL be the will of God that Iranians suffer in this period of political turmoil, but it may also be the will of God that the American Bahá’í community arise to protect and aid its own people.
I hope that by reading these brief thoughts, the American Bahá’í community will be moved to champion aggressively and consistently the cause of human dignity in Iran and in every other nation, including our own, in which the degradation of the defenseless exists.
Chicago, Illinois
(The American Bahá’í community has followed the directives of the National Spiritual Assembly in responding to what is an extremely delicate and dangerous situation for the Bahá’í community in Iran. The National Spiritual Assembly is in turn guided in its response by the Universal House of Justice, the supreme administrative body of the Faith.—Ed.)
To the Editor:
I’d like to pass along some thoughts to the friends who are planning a Bahá’í Persian/American wedding.
Since Iran has been in the news to the extent that some Americans have built up a strong prejudice toward Persians, a Bahá’í wedding, always a wonderful opportunity to teach the Faith, could do much to help put aside some of these prejudices.
| The American Bahá’í welcomes letters to the editor on any subject of general interest. Letters should be as brief as possible, and are subject to editing for length and style. Please address letters to the Editor, The American Bahá’í, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091. |
I HAVE attended several weddings, however, where the American customs, music, and dances were completely ignored.
The wedding itself is strange to non-Bahá’ís, and when the American guests and parents are relegated to the sidelines while the Persians express their joy by dancing in a strange and often sensuous manner, feelings of alienation can build up.
I have experienced such feelings myself, and I’m a Bahá’í!
I’ve also found myself put on the spot to explain what is going on to American non-Bahá’ís.
While Iran is very much in the news, there are still many parts of the U.S. where Americans only know Persians through the news.
I remember that I met a Persian for the first time in my life when I attended a Feast long after I had become a Bahá’í.
I HAVE SINCE come to love my Persian brothers and sisters, and their customs delight me. But I can easily put myself in the shoes of an American parent who knows nothing of this wonderful Faith ... who does not know that Persian Bahá’ís are different from the revolutionary forces in Iran.
I can picture myself listening to my daughter asking permission to marry an Iranian, if I were not a Bahá’í.
And I can see myself at the wedding, listening to the Persian music, watching the men and women dancing, and feeling like a stranger there.
I’d like to suggest that Local Spiritual Assemblies who have been asked to witness the marriages of Persians and Americans take some time to consult with the future bride and groom, and advise them on these delicate matters.
It’s just that we should be aware of these kinds of things and exercise moderation and balance in all things, or so it seems to me.
Skokie, Illinois
To the Editor:
I would like to suggest two effective ways for believers to put Bahá’í principles into action while meeting people with similar interests.
First, contact your local Literacy Council. With 12 hours of training, you can be certified in the Laubach method, an internationally recognized method of teaching reading and writing.
AN ADDITIONAL three hours of training certifies one to teach English to the foreign-born. No teaching experience is necessary, only a sincere desire to tutor one person a few hours each week.
The training classes provide excellent opportunities to meet people who are serving others while the tutoring promotes the independent investigation of truth through education.
For information about a literacy program in your area contact: Laubach Literacy International, Box 131, Syracuse, NY 13210.
A second means of serving is through UNICEF.
UNICEF volunteers are concerned with the welfare of the world’s impoverished children. Their efforts help provide food, water, clothing, shelter, education and health care for children and their parents so the child may attain his birthright of a healthy, productive life.
UNICEF is a great way to work with people who already promote the principle of the oneness of humanity.
For information, check your phone book for a local United Nations Association office or contact the U.S. Committee for UNICEF, 331 E. 38th St., New York, NY 10016.
My husband and I are working in both these programs and have found the experiences most rewarding. Our opportunities for teaching the Faith while making friends in the community are almost limitless.
Dayton, Ohio
To the Editor:
During consultation at Feast we decided to suggest a plan to help increase participation in donating to the Fund. We are sure that the coupons we recently received will be an invaluable aid in this matter.
We were appalled by the low number of believers participating. Why not set aside a special day, we thought, perhaps a Feast day, and make it a “100 per cent contribution day”?
Think of the spiritual power released! Imagine the feeling of complete unity in this vital undertaking to advance the dearly loved Cause of Bahá’u’lláh!
Think too of the heartfelt thanks of our persecuted brethren in Iran. They have made the ultimate sacrifices—loss of jobs, property, and even their lives.
Let us rejoice in the hope that our donations will advance the Cause of God!
Marysville, Port Huron, and Port Huron Twp., Michigan
Two Bahá’ís speak[edit]
On March 13, “Religious Emphasis Week” at Weber State University in Ogden, Utah, featured two Bahá’í speakers.
About 25 people heard Muin Afnani and Peter Bruss of Ogden present a talk that was followed by a question-and-answer session.
[Page 4]
CLASSIFIEDS
CLASSIFIED notices in “The American Bahá’í” are printed free of charge as a service to the Bahá’í community. Notices are limited to items relating to the Faith; no commercial or personal messages can be accepted for publication.
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THE BAHÁ’Í National Center is presently accepting applications for a variety of positions. With the ever-increasing needs of the Seven Year Plan it is even more imperative than ever that mature, devoted individuals step forward and offer their services. Opportunities exist for switchboard support, secretarial and typist support, experienced receptionists and administrative aides. Skilled tradesmen and individuals in the financial and legal professions are also welcome to apply. For more information, please contact the Office of Personnel Affairs, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091, or phone 312-869-9039.
INCORPORATED Assembly in pleasant New Jersey suburb 12 miles from midtown New York City is in jeopardy and needs two or three homefront pioneers. Excellent schools. Four miles from the Wilhelm properties in Teaneck visited by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in 1912. Write to the secretary, Spiritual Assembly of Dumont, 14 Pine St., Dumont, NJ 07628, or phone 201-384-6799.
TEACHERS! There are many good jobs for teachers at the American School in San Salvador, the capital of El Salvador. The superintendent prefers to hire Bahá’ís because they tend to stay longer and make better teachers. Teachers are needed for all grades, from pre-school through 12th. The need is especially great for third through fifth grade teachers and middle and high school English teachers. Salaries are adequate to support a frugal family of four. A bachelor’s or master’s degree is required. Jobs start in August and September 1981. Please contact the International Goals Committee, Bahá’í National Center, for further information.
CHILD’S WAY magazine would like songs suitable for children (ages 6-11) or youth (12-15) that teach definite aspects of the Bahá’í Faith in an original and delightful way. For example, songs about the importance of tests, or that we must know of our own knowledge and not through the knowledge of our neighbors, or that work can be worship, or a song about the spiritual transformation of Fred Mortensen, or about Mr. Samandarí and the orange given to him by Bahá’u’lláh. Please write out the music as well as lyrics. No tapes, please. Send materials to Mimi McClellan, Route 2, Box 328, Danville, KY 40422.
¿HABLA ESPAÑOL? A small semi-rural Bahá’í community in Southern California needs your help to meet the goals of the second phase of the Seven Year Plan. Needed are fluent Spanish-speaking pioneers or traveling teachers to help deepen Spanish-speaking believers and reach a large non-English speaking population. Employment is available in all areas. The city is within an hour’s travel of 20 colleges and universities, sunny Pacific Ocean beaches, mountain ski slopes, Hollywood, Los Angeles, and two hours to San Diego and the Mexican border. For help in relocating, phone the Spiritual Assembly of Corona, California, at 714-734-1237 or 714-734-9593.
SINGLE Bahá’í would like to relocate to the Rocky Mountain area or the Pacific Northwest, preferably to a community that has about nine Bahá’ís. Would work until state residency was acquired, then continue education. If interested, please contact Ted Browne, c/o RR 1, Box 30, Wilber, NE 68465 or phone 402-821-2027.
AN ACTIVE Bahá’í community in Salem, Massachusetts, needs Bahá’ís to help develop this residential center and to teach in extension goal areas. Shared living space includes use of a substantial library of Bahá’í books and other related materials. Salem is near an excellent state college and graduate school. Help will be provided in finding employment. Contact Steve Hemingway, secretary, Spiritual Assembly of Salem, 1 Fairfield St., Salem, MA 01970, or phone 617-744-4586.
THE RAINBOW project needs ideas, sources and materials for teaching love and unity, racial harmony, and religious tolerance. Especially wanted are ideas for community action programs and integrated curriculum designs that would be applicable in schools and communities with small minority populations. Correspondence with anyone who is knowledgeable in this field would be most welcome. Please contact Vonnie Lincoln, 44494 W. McCully Mtn. Drive, Lyons, OR 97358.
PACIFIC University in Forest Grove, Oregon, needs another Bahá’í student so that a Bahá’í Club can be formed. Liberal arts, optometry school, physical therapy. If you speak Spanish you could be of great use in minority teaching work in the area. For more information please write to the Spiritual Assembly of Forest Grove, P.O. Box 332, Forest Grove, OR 97116.
FIFTH GENERATION American Bahá’í author is searching for information about Bahá’í relatives: Mrs. Leonora Georgianna Stirling of Boston, Massachusetts, and Hudson, New York; George A. Holsapple Jr. and Edith M. Holsapple of Hudson, New York. Their names are listed in Star of the West, Vol. 6, p. 156, as having signed the letter to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá from all the believers in the U.S. dated August 1, 1919. Also searching for personal accounts of visiting, traveling or teaching experiences with Mrs. Leonora Stirling Holsapple Armstrong, “spiritual mother” of the Bahá’ís of Brazil. Any information would be most appreciated and gratefully acknowledged. Please write to Mrs. Kristine Leonard Burgess, 2432 Cork Circle, Pearland, TX 77581.
RELOCATING to New Mexico. Ohio farm house, with or without land, for sale—3 bedrooms, 2 full baths, basement, 37 1/2 acres. Close support from active Bahá’ís in the area, which is on the edge of the Charles Mill recreational area near Mansfield and Mifflin. For details please phone Larry or Alice Twitchell, 419-368-8193.
WE NEED YOU in lovely Vernon County, Wisconsin, which has only three isolated Bahá’ís in 805 square miles, and they are 10 miles apart. Room and board is available plus some pay in exchange for work on a small farm and in a woodworking shop. Vernon County has forested valleys, picturesque hillsides, dairy farms, wonderful friendly people, peaceful winters and good healthful living. Please join us! Write to Cherry Grove Farm, Route 3, Box 273A, Viroqua, WI 54665, or phone 608-637-2477.
HOMEFRONT pioneer in Regina, New Mexico, 90 miles from Albuquerque, near Cuba and the Apache and Navajo Reservations, must move for wife’s health. This person has a modern two-bedroom chateau for sale and would like to see a Bahá’í retired couple enjoy and cultivate the seeds that have been planted. For more information, please phone 505-892-6061.
THE VALENCIA County Bahá’í community in sunny central New Mexico is soon to lose several members, leaving its numerical strength dangerously low (nine adults). A Bahá’í who must move would prefer to sell a large country home (including two fireplaces and stables) to Bahá’ís who are interested in homefront pioneering to this area. The home is 35 minutes south of Albuquerque. Assumable 11 1/2 per cent mortgage. Send replies to the Spiritual Assembly of Valencia County, P.O. Box 608, Peralta, NM 87042, or phone 505-869-2261.
Local Bahá’í Fund (local address). Supports teaching, consolidation and administrative work of a local Bahá’í community.
National Bahá’í Fund (Wilmette, IL 60091). Supports the efforts of the National Spiritual Assembly to direct, coordinate and stimulate Bahá’í activities throughout the country.
Continental Bahá’í Fund (418 Forest Avenue, Wilmette, IL 60091). Enables the Continental Board of Counsellors and its Auxiliary Boards to perform their missions of protection and propagation of the Faith in the Americas.
Bahá’í International Fund (P.O. Box 155, Haifa, Israel 31-000). Enables the Universal House of Justice to assist the work of National Spiritual Assemblies around the world, to maintain and beautify the Holy Shrines at the World Centre, and to provide services to pilgrims.
In memoriam[edit]
- Elva P. Allen
- Waterbury, Conn.
- April 6, 1981
- Willie Begay
- Houck, Arizona
- Date Unknown
- Moisa Bulcoaca
- Shreveport, La.
- April 24, 1981
- Haskie Burnside
- Houck, Arizona
- Date Unknown
- Hilario Chavez
- Surprise, Arizona
- May 18, 1981
- Willie Cheeseboro
- Elloree, South Carolina
- September 1980
- Dave Crokett
- El Paso, Texas
- Date Unknown
- Luther Dash
- Cameron, South Carolina
- Date Unknown
- Carl M. Daugherty
- Westerville, Ohio
- May 1981
- Eugene Davis
- Gresham, South Carolina
- April 14, 1981
- Lucius Deberry
- Franklin, Virginia
- Date Unknown
- Jose Dominguez
- Rodgers, Arkansas
- November 1980
- Louetta Engelder
- Phoenix, Arizona
- May 25, 1981
- John Evans
- Temple, Texas
- December 1980
- Rose Louise Ewald
- Morgan, Minnesota
- May 24, 1981
- Pearl Feldmeyer
- Geyserville, California
- May 6, 1981
- Thomas Frazier
- Summerton, South Carolina
- Date Unknown
- Herbert Fulmore
- Lake City, South Carolina
- June 20, 1980
- Ruben Garcia
- Hatch, New Mexico
- February 11, 1981
- Cecil Gibson
- Franklin, Virginia
- Date Unknown
- Willie Goodman Sr.
- Bennettsville, South Carolina
- 1973
- Isabell Hunter
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Date Unknown
- Cora Jackson
- Gresham, South Carolina
- Date Unknown
- Benjamin James
- Houck, Arizona
- Date Unknown
- Will M. James
- Sumter, South Carolina
- Date Unknown
- J.D. Jeffcoat
- Swansea, South Carolina
- December 31, 1980
- Merrill Jiggetts
- Baltimore, Maryland
- Date Unknown
- Elizabeth Katzoff
- New York, New York
- June 4, 1981
- Veeda Koch
- San Diego, California
- April 21, 1981
- Max Kopel
- Del Ray Beach, Florida
- December 16, 1980
- Bernadine Lee
- Nichols, South Carolina
- Fall 1980
- Cleo Lindsey
- Decatur, Georgia
- March 25, 1981
- Curtis Love
- Cameron, South Carolina
- Date Unknown
- Judy Missouri
- Sweet Home, Arkansas
- Date Unknown
- Kenneth Morals
- New York, New York
- May 23, 1981
- George Morgan
- Sweet Home, Arkansas
- 1980
- Mary Morris
- Nesmith, South Carolina
- July 1980
- Peggy Nez
- Indian Wells, Arizona
- 1980
- Willie Eva Patrick
- Harlem, Florida
- April 9, 1981
- Edward Pharo Jr.
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- May 28, 1981
- Katherine S. Pickett
- Albuquerque, New Mexico
- March 14, 1981
- Thelma Powell
- Rock Hill, Missouri
- June 3, 1981
- Angela Quow
- Oxon Hill, Maryland
- August 12, 1980
- Esther W. Rees
- Upland, California
- May 6, 1981
- Tom Roan
- Houck, Arizona
- Date Unknown
- Ruth D. Roberts
- Kansas City, Missouri
- Date Unknown
- Florence B. Seker
- New Castle, Pennsylvania
- February 1, 1981
- Zahra Shaidai-Menesh
- Denver, Colorado
- January 1, 1981
- Babak Shayan
- Northridge, California
- March 19, 1981
- Gertrude Spahr
- Lima, Ohio
- April 30, 1981
- Will Staford
- Sweet Home, Arkansas
- Date Unknown
- Locricha Stevens
- Florence, Arizona
- August 1, 1980
- Dorothy L. Thomas
- Seattle, Washington
- April 2, 1981
- Harry Thompson
- Novato, California
- May 11, 1981
- Anne Wells
- Indianapolis, Indiana
- September 26, 1980
- John White
- Winnsboro, South Carolina
- Date Unknown
- Sallie Williams
- Swansea, South Carolina
- December 30, 1980
- Anna E. Witschi
- Chicago, Illinois
- May 20, 1981
- Kenneth E. Wurzer
- Kenosha, Wisconsin
- May 17, 1981
- Dorothy Zucker
- Chapel Hill, North Carolina
- February 26, 1981
San Antonio believer Mary Crocker dies at 92[edit]
Mary Ellyn Crocker of San Antonio, Texas, who became a Bahá’í in 1946 at the age of 60, died January 23. She was 92.
Mrs. Crocker was a member of the first Spiritual Assembly of San Antonio and served on that Assembly for nine years.
In 1977 she was an honored guest at a state convention for Texas Bahá’í history at which the Hand of the Cause of God William Sears was present.
[Page 5]
THE FUNDS
Bahá’ís rally to assist Louhelen School effort[edit]
Many encouraging reports have been coming into the Office of the Treasurer regarding special efforts of individual believers and local communities on behalf of the Louhelen Bahá’í School.
The reports have come in from all parts of the country, indicating fund-raising projects or special goals set to assist the reconstruction project.
THE BAHÁ’ÍS of Ferndale, Michigan, established a plan to encourage the believers to double their contributions to the local Fund, while earmarking the extra funds for Louhelen.
The Spiritual Assembly of Baltimore, Maryland, offered a special presentation to its community at a recent Feast, recruiting “construction workers” for the school and also mentioning the project in the local bulletin.
Among the communities that have held fund-raising events are Schaumburg and Mt. Prospect, Illinois.
Schaumburg held an all-day event, including a silent auction as well as offering crafts and other items for sale. The Mt. Prospect event was centered around a potluck dinner.
Other Louhelen fund-raising events have been held in San Diego and Los Angeles.
In addition to community events, many individuals have taken action by purchasing promissory notes and making loans or contributions for Louhelen.
Two Bahá’í hair stylists set up shop at an outdoor cluster gathering in Kentucky, donating the proceeds from their work to the school.
BELIEVERS from outside the country also were inclined to get into the act. Two pioneers to the Island of New Britain, near Papua New Guinea, who read of the project in The American Bahá’í, forwarded a contribution to the Faizí endowment to help support the Louhelen reconstruction.
These believers expressed their awareness of the need to develop the features of Bahá’í education, especially regarding parent and teacher training.
This heartwarming response has moved us closer to the $1.25 million needed to begin construction.
However, only a few days remain until the August 31 deadline. Universal support from the body of believers and local communities can help get the new Louhelen School started.
What Can You Do?
There are four ways in which a believer can help build the Louhelen School:
- Through a contribution to the National Fund earmarked for the Louhelen Bahá’í School.
- Through a contribution to the “Faizí Endowment for Education.”
- Through a capital gift (i.e., stocks, property, etc.).
- Through the purchase of a promissory note (this is a loan to the National Spiritual Assembly that will be repaid in 10, 15 or 20 years).
Those who would like more information about how to help build the Louhelen Bahá’í School, or about any aspect of the project, are invited to return the coupon to the Office of the Treasurer indicating that interest.
New crisis looms
Large Fund deficit nears half-million dollar mark[edit]
The present level of contributions to the National Fund has created a deficit now approaching one-half million dollars. To meet its current expenses, the National Spiritual Assembly has had to go to the bank to borrow money—an action that it had hoped would not be necessary in light of present interest rates.
These financial difficulties have come about because monthly contributions have fallen well short of the goal set by the National Spiritual Assembly at Riḍván. Expenses are usually higher during the summer months than at other times of the year due to increased levels of activity throughout the country, and this year, expenses have increased substantially as a result of a number of special activities, including the Continental Youth Conference held in Kansas City, Missouri, in July.
Success with the National Fund depends upon our ability to achieve universal and sacrificial support from individual Bahá’ís as well as collective contributions from Assemblies and Groups.
The present imbalance between income and expenses presents us with a challenge similar to that faced last November. The National Spiritual Assembly hopes it will not have to curtail its vital activities at this critical time in the history of the Faith, but that the believers will instead rally to meet the pressing financial needs of the Cause.
|
Mercy—Rahmat
138 B.E.
Fund
| |||||||||||||||||
[Page 6]
YOUTH NEWS
A WONDERFUL SUMMER-FULL![edit]
Opportunities for summer teaching are still available for youth. Several projects are planned for late August and early September. Among them are:
Poplar, Montana: August 17-29. This project will be held on an Indian Reservation and projecteers will participate in a pow-wow designed to attract Native Americans to the Faith.
It is being sponsored by the National Teaching Committee in conjunction with the National Youth Committee and American Indian Teaching Committee. For details on this effort, teachers should contact the National Youth Committee office at 305-462-1919 or Lillian Torres-Beatty at 406-768-5230.
Grand Portage, Minnesota: August 29-30. This effort will be a special proclamation to open this Indian Reservation to the Faith.
Sponsored by the District Teaching Committee of Northern Minnesota, it is being held at the Grand Portage Inn near the U.S.-Canadian border. The program will feature speakers, entertainment and a pow-wow.
For more information about this project, contact Nanette Graves, project coordinator, at 218-751-7292, or the District Teaching Committee secretary, Jerry Wetterling, at 612-363-4479.
Franklin County, Pennsylvania: August 22-23. The District Teaching Committee of Eastern Pennsylvania will host a summer teaching effort in Franklin County on these dates.
Those who are interested in taking part should make arrangements by contacting Susan Troxel at 717-323-7860, or John Grinder at 717-323-4830.
A part of the crowd estimated at more than 6,000 who attended a Saturday evening public meeting at the Kansas City Municipal Auditorium during the first Continental Bahá’í Youth Conference.
‘Lark Skyrunner’ (Merrill Miller, left) battles ‘Dark Invader’ (Tom Ukinski) in a scene from ‘Soul Wars,’ a one-act drama presented by the National Treasurer’s Office at the first Continental Bahá’í Youth Conference in Kansas City.
Southern California to welcome Leadership Training Program[edit]
The first in a series of Youth Leadership Training Programs is scheduled for August 31-September 4 in Southern California.
The program, sponsored by the National Youth Committee and the Spiritual Assembly of Glendale, California, will be held at Asilomar.
The Youth Leadership Training Programs have been developed by the National Youth Committee to help youth recognize and strengthen their skills for service to the Faith.
A pilot program, held last January in South Carolina, has been expanded and revised by the committee, and the program to be held in California will be the first in a series of YLT programs that will ultimately be held in most areas of the country.
Youth who are interested in attending a YLT program should contact the National Youth Committee to find out when a session might be held in their area.
Anyone who would like to attend the YLT program in California may contact the Youth Committee at 305-462-1919.
18th Youth Work/Study Project set at Bahá’í National Center in August[edit]
The Mother Temple of the West will be the site in late August of the 18th Work/Study project sponsored by the National Youth Committee.
The project, which will begin August 24 and end August 30, will be held at the Bahá’í National Center in Wilmette, Illinois.
THE YOUNG people participating in the project will work at various offices at the National Center and attend a number of deepening activities that have been specially arranged for this event.
“The Work/Study project gives youth a priceless opportunity to learn more about the activities at the National Center,” says Charles Cornwell, secretary of the National Youth Committee. “It’s also a wonderful chance for youth to make some new friendships with their peers from other parts of the country.”
The National Youth Committee will be taking applications for the project on a first-come, first-served basis. All interested youth should contact the Youth Committee at 305-462-1919 at once to get their applications processed.
Costs for the project are estimated at $12 per day for meals. The National Youth Committee will provide housing and transportation in the Wilmette area, and all youth must make their own travel arrangements to and from the project.
Youth who require financial assistance should contact their Local Spiritual Assembly or District Teaching Committee.
6 Regional Youth Conferences slated[edit]
The National Youth Committee recently announced the scheduling of six Regional Youth Conferences to be held during the fall and winter of 1981.
These conferences are being planned to carry out the instructions of the Universal House of Justice which called for the holding of at least five Regional Youth Conferences during each year of the three-year second phase of the Seven Year Plan.
The conference schedule is as follows:
- Green Acre Bahá’í School, Eliot, Maine—September 18-20.
- Louis G. Gregory Bahá’í Institute, Hemingway, South Carolina—November 27-29.
- Disney World, Orlando, Florida—December 25-27.
- Navajoland (site to be announced)—December 25-27.
- Michigan (site to be announced)—March 26-28.
- (Site to be announced)—April 10-12.
More than 100 youth attend conference at Fresno State U.[edit]
More than 100 youth including several non-Bahá’ís, attended a conference April 11-12 at Fresno (California) State University that was geared toward the application of the Writings of the Faith in our daily lives.
The conference was sponsored by the Central California No. 2 District Youth Committee.
The purpose of the conference was reflected in such topics for discussion as the Covenant, teaching, and living the life.
The speakers included Harlene Lang, an assistant to the Auxiliary Board, and Fernando Huerta, who recently returned from pioneering in Bolivia.
After each talk, participants broke into groups of about 15 each to discuss in depth the topic, its ramifications in their personal lives, and the implications in the Writings for the world as a whole.
One exciting outgrowth of the conference was a commitment by the members of the District Youth Committee and campus club members to establish a network of communication for youth within the state.
Sunday, April 12, was spent teaching in Madera, a local goal area. Approximately 45 youth handed out more than 800 invitations to a public fireside that evening.
The response to the conference was quite positive, with many youth expressing an interest in having more conferences of this kind.
One declaration was recorded at the conference.
Entertainment was provided by Arle Summit and Don Reed.
[Page 7]
YOUTH NEWS
Youth[edit]
Continued From Page 1
• A panel discussion during which the members of the U.S. National Spiritual Assembly answered questions from the youth.
• Addresses by youth speakers Gisu Muhájir of Brookline, Massachusetts, and Mark Sisson of Los Angeles, California.
• Special presentations by the National Teaching Committee, Race Unity Committee, Public Affairs Office, Southwest Bahá’í Institute Committee, Bahá’í Publishing Trust, and representatives of the Bahá’í communities of Alaska, Canada and Mexico.
• Three late-night social events that featured entertainment ranging from bluegrass music to modern jazz along with dancers from several countries.
Conference sessions and the public meeting were held at the Kansas City Municipal Auditorium, with workshops and exhibits in nearby H. Roe Bartle Hall.
A comprehensive program for the estimated 350 children attending the conference was planned and carried out by the National Teaching Committee and a large staff of volunteers.
THE KEYNOTE address Thursday evening was given by Glenford E. Mitchell, secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly.
Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum spoke at both the Friday and Saturday morning sessions, while Mr. Khadem spoke Friday evening.
Saturday’s public meeting, also at the Municipal Auditorium, drew an estimated 2,000 to 3,000 non-Bahá’ís.
The fireside that followed also was well-attended, with at least eight declarations reported afterward.
A large scroll with hundreds of signatures was sent from the conference to the Universal House of Justice.
At the Friday session, Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum read the following cablegram to the conference:
“Recalling beloved Guardian’s high hopes Bahá’í youth America would participate both teaching administrative spheres Bahá’í activity, his firm conviction such participation would demonstrate to critics enemies Faith alike that Cause God is intensely alive, sound to ots very core, its destinies in safekeeping, and sensing that time has come tap eager enterprising spirit animating today’s youth, we call on you, spiritual inheritors of youthful followers of Blessed Báb seize opportunity presented this significant moment offer services National Local Spiritual Assemblies in ardent emulation spirit devotion martyrs Cradle Faith. Be assured fervent loving prayers fruitful conference.
Above: Festive Persian dancing was an Important part of the first Bahá’í Continental Youth Conference held July 2-5 in Kansas City, Missouri. Below: A comprehensive program for the estimated 350 children through age 11 at the conference was provided by the National Education Committee.
National Spiritual Assembly’s Message to Youth Conference[edit]
To each youth attending the Continental Youth Conference in North America for 1981, we extend our warmest love and best wishes.
The fiery tribulations which greeted the dawn of the Bahá’í Revelation in Iran more than one century ago have been rekindled. Just as with the illumined youth of that borning time, the heroes of today are yielding with astonishing joy and saintly selflessness their material substance, even their life-blood, once again to proclaim by their deeds the signal truth that a new Revelation has come, a new Age begun.
We who currently witness the miraculous fortitude of the Iranian Bahá’í community in the face of these calamities may well question ourselves as to what might be our response should we be subjected to similar tests of faith. But not finding ourselves in such circumstances, we might better ponder what should be our action, here where we stand, to redeem this suffering and sacrifice.
The freedoms we enjoy in North America enable us to proclaim our Faith and live the Bahá’í life without fear. These freedoms enable us to prepare without hindrance for a future whose prospects are brightened or dimmed by what we who claim to possess the fruits of the Tree of Knowledge now do with our lives.
The youth are particularly endowed with the potentialities to make our tomorrows better, for they will surely inherit the future. But their numbers are as yet too few for them sufficiently to aid in the spiritual transformation for which Western society, indeed the entire planet, craves.
Thus, we address to you this urgent plea from the uttermost depths of our longing: that you, the Bahá’í youth of today, take serious note of the vital challenges which a woefully troubled world presents to the enlightened followers of Bahá’u’lláh and resolve to carry out to the full the specific charge given to the youth by the Universal House of Justice, namely, that you teach the Faith, particularly to your own generation, among whom are some of the most open and seeking minds in the world.
May the fresh spilling of the martyrs’ blood infect your spirit with the zeal, enthusiasm and determination to realize the ideals and noble intentions which your commitment to the Lord of the Age has awakened in your breasts.
the Bahá’ís of the United States
Among the stellar entertainers at the first Continental Bahá’í Youth Conference in Kansas City were (left to right) Dash Crofts, Danny Deardorff and Jim Seals.
The Three-Year Youth Plan[edit]
At the first Continental Bahá’í Youth Conference, held July 2-5 in Kansas City, Missouri, the National Youth Committee unveiled the National Youth Plan, outlining the goals for American Bahá’í youth for the three-year second phase of the Seven Year Plan.
The goals are divided into four specific areas: promotion of the Faith; prayer and deepening; the Fund; and service to the Faith.
IN ITS PREFACE to the plan, the National Youth Committee recalled the beloved Guardian’s request that the youth of America “raise the Banner of the Faith to ever higher and more glorious heights. The youth should become severed from all things of the world and, filled with the dynamic power of the Holy Spirit, arise to spread the Message and quicken the hearts.”
In return, the Guardian promised that “ ...the Divine Confirmations will surely come to each and every one of you who arise to teach the Faith.”
The new plan, the Youth Committee writes, “gives each individual fresh opportunities to fulfill the Guardian’s heartfelt wish. The National Youth Committee stands ready to assist you in any way possible. Please call upon us. We are praying for your success.”
The specific goals of the plan include:
Promotion of the Faith
• Increase the number of youth enrollments within the Bahá’í community aiming at doubling the number of youth from 3,000 to 6,000, paying special attention to teaching youth from minority groups.
• Provide 25 international pioneers who will stay at their posts for a minimum of one year. Incorporate study abroad with pioneering.
• Provide 50 international traveling teachers to assist in developing the Faith in foreign lands.
• Provide 75 homefront pioneers to assist in forming College Clubs, paying special attention to well-known minority-oriented colleges, and settling in towns with large groups in order to help the locality reach Assembly status in conjunction with the “Rhythm of Growth” theme.
• Expand the youth network to 500 functioning clubs, including College Clubs, High School Clubs, local Youth Clubs and District Youth Committees.
• Make a special effort to participate in at least one of the five Regional Youth Conferences and in special holiday and summer teaching projects.
Prayer and Deepening
• Pray and read a portion of the Creative Writings daily. Develop the habit of memorizing portions of the Sacred Texts.
• Participate in youth study classes designed to broaden your understanding of the history of the Faith, the Covenant, and the Administrative Order.
The Fund
• Contribute to the Fund regularly, striving to do so every 19 days.
Service to the Faith
• Excel in your classwork and strive to obtain proficiency in a foreign language, especially Spanish, French, Russian and Chinese. Your education should be aimed toward training for a trade or profession that will assist you in providing a lifetime of service to the Cause of God.
• Be of service to your local community by participating in service projects, teaching events, supporting the local Fund, hosting Feasts, holding children’s classes, and supporting activities of the Local Spiritual Assembly.
“We are called upon by our beloved National Spiritual Assembly,” the Youth Committee said in its letter to the American Bahá’í youth, “to teach the Faith to our generation as never before with renewed and sustained enthusiasm.
“This is our opportunity to win many victories for the Faith and to bring the world closer to the time when humanity will live together as one family.”
[Page 8]
EDUCATION
District Conventions vital part of electoral plan[edit]
This is the fifth in a series of articles on the development of Local Spiritual Assemblies prepared by the National Education Committee. District Conventions will be taking place in October, and the subject of this installment is the importance of encouraging the friends to attend these annual Bahá’í events.
•
1. How can Local Spiritual Assemblies help prepare the friends for District Convention?
“Local Assemblies can explain to the friends the purpose of the District Convention, inform them of the date and time of the convention, and organize transportation to it.” (The Development of Local Spiritual Assemblies, p. 50)
2. What is the primary purpose of a District Convention?
“At the annual District Convention the adult members of the Bahá’í community elect the delegates who in turn elect the National Spiritual Assembly.” (The Development of Local Spiritual Assemblies, p. 49)
3. Why is it necessary to have a two-step election process for the National Spiritual Assembly?
Shoghi Effendi has explained, “It is expressly recorded in ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Writings that these National Assemblies must be indirectly elected by the friends; that is, the friends in every country must elect a certain number of delegates, who in their turn will elect from among all the friends in that country the members of the National Spiritual Assembly.” (Bahá’í Administration, pp. 39-40)
4. Is the election of delegates then the only purpose of a District Convention?
“The District Convention consists of more than the casting of ballots. It also provides an opportunity for consulting on issues vital to the progress of the Faith and for making recommendations to the National Spiritual Assembly.” (The Development of Local Spiritual Assemblies, p. 50)
5. How vital is it for an individual to attend the District Convention in person?
The Guardian, through his secretary, wrote: “He ... wishes to stress the importance of reminding the believers that they should make every possible effort to attend the meeting for the election of the State or Province delegates, in order to stimulate a larger group consciousness which will greatly facilitate the process of the believers becoming acquainted with each other, and provide an intermediary stage—which will become increasingly valuable and necessary between the local organization, represented by the group or Assembly, and national collective action, represented by the activities of the Convention (National) and the institution of the National Assembly.” (Bahá’í News, No. 168, March 1944)
6. How does attending and participating in the District Convention contribute to the growth of the Bahá’í community?
The National Spiritual Assembly has written, “Unlike the former faiths, one is a Bahá’í not merely by accepting certain truths and principles, but rather by expressing them in one’s daily life; and also by direct service in establishing the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh.
“These are days of uncertainty and dire peril. As we participate wholeheartedly in the activities of the Faith, so do we create the Kingdom on earth which no onslaught nor disaster can overwhelm.” (Bahá’í News, October 1959)
7. Should every adult believer take part in the electoral process for Convention delegates?
Shoghi Effendi has stated, “I feel I must reaffirm the vital importance and necessity of the right of voting—a sacred responsibility of which no adult recognized believer should be deprived ...” (Bahá’í Administration, p. 198)
District Conventions across the nation are scheduled for Sunday, October 4. The National Education Committee hopes that you will note this date on your calendar and make a special effort to attend and participate in this vital step toward building the Kingdom of God on earth.
Bahá’í given Foundation award in ‘search for geniuses’ program[edit]
Roy Mottahedeh, a Bahá’í who is a professor of Islamic history and Near Eastern languages at Princeton University, has been chosen by the John D. and Catherine MacArthur Foundation of Chicago as one of 21 “exceptionally talented individuals” who are to receive awards of from $24,000 to $80,000 annually for the next five years.
The awards are being made, according to the donor, in the hope that the winners will come up with “discoveries or other significant contributions to society.”
The “search for geniuses,” as the foundation has labeled the program, leaves the winners free to spend their prize money and time as they choose. They are not obligated to produce a scholarly paper or artistic work.
The awards cannot be canceled or called back at any time over the five-year period.
Dr. Mottahedeh, who also has won a Guggenheim fellowship, is the son of Rafi and Mildred Mottahedeh of New York City.
The Bahá’ís of Roanoke, Virginia, received a trophy for their entry May 9 in the 100th anniversary parade of the American Red Cross. The professionally built float, about 30 feet long, included a large globe and a stairway decorated in blue and gold. Bahá’ís from Roanoke City and Roanoke County who rode the float represented five nationalities and a diversity of ages. The parade was seen live on a local television station that covers a large area of southwestern Virginia.
51 attend deepening in Eugene, Oregon[edit]
Fifty-one Bahá’ís from 11 communities attended a special deepening April 5 in Eugene, Oregon, on “The Mystery of Sacrifice.”
The deepening, sponsored by the Spiritual Assembly of Eugene, was conducted by National Treasurer’s Representatives Steve Toussaint, Joe Ferguson and Theresa Ganong.
The Bahá’ís of Nassau County, New York, participated May 25 in the annual Memorial Day parade in East Meadow, Long Island. For the first time, Bahá’ís were invited this year to provide a speaker. The prayer for America was recited, and Christopher Holm, a member of the Spiritual Assembly of the Town of Hempstead, read these words of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: ‘The greatest desire of all of you is for peace. Today one can render no greater service than to work for peace. War is darkness, peace is light; war is death and peace is life; war is misguidance and peace is guidance; war is devil and peace is God.’ The Bahá’ís were presented a citation for their annual participation in the observance.
Last vocabulary quiz presented for ‘The Promised Day Is Come’[edit]
This is the last in a series of vocabulary quizzes prepared by the National Education Committee to help the friends become familiar with some of the more challenging words used in The Promised Day Is Come (1981 edition). Simply choose the word or phrase that is closest in meaning to the word in question. Correct answers are on Page xx along with the actual sentence in which the word was used. Have fun!
•
1. Inexorably. (a) inefficiently; (b) unknowingly; (c) relentlessly; (d) deceitfully.
2. Incarceration. (a) imprisonment; (b) cremation; (c) collapse; (d) trial.
3. Implacable. (a) innocent; (b) dissatisfied; (c) unyielding; (d) wretched.
4. Progenitor. (a) disciple; (b) parent; (c) forbearance; (d) ruler.
5. Adamantine. (a) flexible; (b) valuable; (c) natural; (d) inflexible.
6. Imbued. (a) drunk; (b) embarrassed; (c) imitated; (d) saturated.
7. Inviolable. (a) invincible; (b) profane; (c) peaceful; (d) unseen.
8. Discernment. (a) prejudice; (b) insight; (c) epistle; (d) desecration.
9. Machinations. (a) graceful movements; (b) tools; (c) automated equipment; (d) evil schemes.
10. Recompense. (a) thoughtfulness; (b) reward; (c) meditation; (d) harmonize.
11. Incalculable. (a) mathematical; (b) abacus; (c) Innumerable; (d) difficult.
12. Sanctioned. (a) approved; (b) protected; (c) joined; (d) chained.
13. Denunciation. (a) double talk; (b) apology; (c) precise explanation; (d) public condemnation.
14. Impunity. (a) poison; (b) accusation; (c) freedom from punishment; (d) dross.
15. Paramount. (a) predominant; (b) matched steeds; (c) hobby horse; (d) equivalent.
[Page 9]
EDUCATION
These world leaders received Tablets from Bahá’u’lláh. Can you name them?[edit]
“...He Who is the Lord of Lords is come overshadowed with clouds ... this is the day whereon the Rock (Peter) crieth out and shouteth ... saying: ‘Lo, the Father is come, and that which ye were promised in the Kingdom is fulfilled.’ ”
“God hath, truly, destined a reward for thee ... He, verily, will pay the doer of good his due recompense ... thou hast entrusted the reins of counsel into the hands of the representatives of the people. Thou, indeed, hast done well, for thereby the foundations of the edifice of thine affairs will be strengthened, and the hearts of all that are beneath thy shadow, whether high or low, will be tranquillized.”
“O King of Paris! Tell the priest to ring the bells no longer ... The Most Mighty Bell hath appeared ... We have desired for thee naught except that which is better for thee than what thou dost possess and all the treasures of the earth ... For what thou hast done, thy kingdom shall be thrown into confusion, and thine empire shall pass from thine hands ... We see abasement hastening after thee, while thou art of the heedless ...”
In September, the National Education Committee is inviting Bahá’í communities across the nation to organize study groups on The Promised Day Is Come, Shoghi Effendi’s masterful analysis of the crisis of our age. The Promised Day Is Come tells of Bahá’u’lláh’s proclamation of His Mission to the world leaders of His day, a proclamation that was met with derision and silence. Shoghi Effendi shows how the rejection of the principles and spirit of the new Faith led to the religious, political, economic and moral turmoil that has since engulfed the entire planet. Written in 1941, The Promised Day Is Come continues to be relevant to the resolution of concerns and fears that beset our own era. The National Education Committee hopes that each Bahá’í community will make a special effort in September to study and discuss The Promised Day Is Come, and to reflect upon the message of hope and ultimate spiritual redemption that it offers humanity.
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THE PROMISED DAY IS COME |
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Answers: From left to right are Pope Pius IX, Queen Victoria of England, Napoleon III of France.
VOCABULARY QUIZ ANSWERS
1. (c) Relentlessly. “The mighty process already referred to had to pursue inexorably its course.” (p. 54)
2. (a) Imprisonment. “It was during his (‘Abdu’l-‘Azíz’) reign and that of his nephew and successor, ‘Abdu’l-Hamíd II, that the Center of the Covenant of God had to endure, for no less than forty years, in the fortress-town of ‘Akká, an incarceration fraught with so many perils, affronts and privations.” (p. 60)
3. (c) Unyielding. “His (Násiri’d-Dín Sháh’s) reaction to the Divine Message borne to him by the fearless Badí‘, the ‘Pride of the Martyrs,’ who had spontaneously dedicated himself to this purpose, was characteristic of that implacable hatred which, throughout his reign, glowed so fiercely in his breast.” (p. 65)
4. (b) Parent. “Islám, at once the progenitor and persecutor of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh, is, if we read aright the signs of the times, only beginning to sustain the impact of this invincible and triumphant Faith.” (p. 99)
5. (d) Inflexible. “Well might he muse upon the havoc which the rising tide of nationalism and skepticism has wrought in the adamantine traditions of his country.” (p. 94)
6. (d) Saturated. “Man must now become imbued with new virtues and powers, new moral standards, new capacities.” (p. 94)
7. (a) Invincible. “The colossal events that have heralded the dissolution of so many kingdoms and empires have almost synchronized with the crumbling of the seemingly inviolable strongholds of religious orthodoxy.” (p. 74)
8. (b) Insight. “Among these ‘veils of glory’ are the divines and doctors living in the days of the Manifestation of God, who, because of their want of discernment and their love and eagerness for leadership, have failed to submit to the Cause of God, nay, have even refused to incline their ears unto the Divine Melody.” (p. 79)
9. (d) Evil schemes. “They (leaders of religion) have placed their sordid machinations above the Divine decree, have renounced resignation unto the will of God, busied themselves with selfish calculation, and walked in the way of the hypocrite.” (p. 80)
10. (b) Reward. “He, verily, will pay the doer of good his due recompense, wert thou to follow what hath been sent unto thee by Him Who is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.” (p. 35)
11. (c) Innumerable. “Know thou that though My body be beneath the swords of My foes, and My limbs be beset with incalculable afflictions, yet My spirit is filled with a gladness with which all the joys of the earth can never compare.” (p. 34)
12. (a) Approved. “Turn away from that which ye lay hold of, and which the Book of God, the True One, hath not sanctioned, for on the Day of Resurrection ye shall, upon the Bridge, be, in very truth, held answerable for the position
[Page 10]
RACE UNITY
“When the racial elements of the American nation unite in actual fellowship and accord, the lights of the oneness of humanity will shine ...” (‘Abdu’l-Bahá, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 54)
Comment
History sheds light on oppression[edit]
The study of relatively recent history can be quite useful to us in gaining a broader perspective on the matter of superiority and suspicion.
In the not too distant past, a group of Europeans arrived on the shore of a distant land. They found the natives backward and savage by their standards, wearing animal skins for clothing, decorating their bodies with colored clays, carrying spears, steeped in superstition and practicing all manner of rituals.
THEY WERE A PEOPLE comprising many tribes at war with one another, each group intent on the annihilation of the others.
The invading Europeans looked down on these people, calling them barbarians and placing little or no importance on them as human beings, expressing by word and by deed the contempt that they felt for a race of people that they considered inferior and mentally not competent to attain a very high level of civilization.
Nevertheless, these newcomers imposed their culture and religion on the natives, forcing them to cast aside their traditions, culture, beliefs and even language, the most precious of all cultural assets—an asset so prized by them that even to this day a few of those natives retain their native tongue.
The invaders worked with the natives, commingling blood and establishing a new nation that even now expresses clannishness and tribal attitudes in its social interactions.
From this new nation have come many peoples who have forgotten the historical significance of the humiliation and denial of human rights and human dignity that was so harshly meted out to them without compassion.
These people now look back on their country with great pride and a new sense of superiority borne out of the recognition of the greatness and the achievements of its people—for that conquered land became a great nation with an illustrious history, with the power to conquer and rule over a vast portion of the earth.
THESE ORIGINALLY DEPISED and oppressed natives are members of the Anglo-Saxon race who were conquered and set on a new path, against their will, to a glorious destiny.
How tragic it is that a people who arose from such humble beginnings should have utterly forgotten their own suffering and the bitter taste of humiliation that they now often inflict on the peoples that they have conquered and dominate.
The valuable lesson which history, that harsh educator of mankind, has repeatedly given to all of us is easily forgotten, and superiority and suspicion enter the arena of life to perform their chief function—keeping people apart and holding back the progress of the entire human family.
2nd Tennessee Institute set[edit]
Featured speakers at the second Tennessee Bahá’í Conference to be held September 4-6 at Monteagle include Dr. Wilma Brady, a member of the National Spiritual Assembly; Dr. Jane Fally, a clinical psychologist at the University of Ottawa, Canada; and Mary Kay Radpour, editor of Child’s Way magazine.
The conference theme is “Building a Bahá’í Society.” A staff of teachers will provide a separate children’s program.
Housing includes dormitories, a Holiday Inn, and cabins. For registration information contact Zia Ahmadzadeh, Route 1, Box 835, Morristown, TN 37814, or phone (evenings) 615-586-9247.
Teacher training under way at Gregory Institute[edit]
The Louis G. Gregory Bahá’í Institute in Hemingway, South Carolina, has begun a summer series of teacher-training programs.
The weekend programs, each lasting two weeks, are designed to train teachers to teach at the preschool, elementary and middle school levels.
The first programs were held in July and August. The dates of future programs will be announced later.
Teachers in the programs are engaged in the preparation of units for a given subject and daily or weekly lesson plans. The field aspect involves teaching children’s classes, conducting firesides, and helping to deepen Local Spiritual Assemblies.
‘$1 Institute’ slated[edit]
The second Western Colorado $1 Summer Institute will be held September 5-7 at a campground in the Rio Grande National Forest.
For a registration form and complete institute plans, please send a legal-sized stamped self-addressed envelope to Box 877, Alamosa, CO 81101.
No race or culture holds a monopoly on prejudice[edit]
Dear Friends:
I would like to commend you on this task of opening a channel of communication with respect to this disturbing issue, rightly called by Shoghi Effendi “the most challenging issue.”
The universality of prejudice, whether based on differences of culture, religion, color or caste, is one of the vilest diseases of mankind.
No race or culture holds a monopoly on prejudice. According to one well known scholar, “One of the most common themes of literature through the ages has been that of the prejudiced person or that of the person or persons prejudiced against. World literature is replete with such examples, supporting what must be called a most disturbing premise; no culture holds a monopoly on prejudice. Given the proper time and the right conditions, prejudice will reappear like the plague ...”
My only offering to this complex problem is a reiteration of the words of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá concerning the mission of those blessed souls, the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh:
“These two blessed souls devoted their lives to the foundation of international peace and love among mankind. They strove with heart and soul to establish the teachings by which divergent people might be brought together and no strife, rancor or hatred prevail.
“His Holiness Bahá’u’lláh, addressing all humanity, said ... that man must recognize the oneness of humanity, for all in origin belong to the same household and all are servants of the same God.
“Therefore mankind must continue in the state of fellowship and love, emulating the institutions of God and turning away from satanic promptings, for the divine bestowals bring forth unity and agreement whereas satanic leadings induce hatred and war.” (Bahá’í World Faith, p. 233)
Within our human family, “some are asleep; they need to be awakened. Some are ailing; they need to be healed. Some are immature as children; they need to be trained. But all are recipients of the bounty and bestowals of God.” (Bahá’í World Faith, p. 246)
Browns Mills, New Jersey
Dear Friends:
I must compliment you for your good intentions in producing a page in The American Bahá’í devoted to the issue of racial unity.
Unfortunately, racial antagonism cannot be overcome by good intentions alone.
It is valid that a key to at least understanding the phenomenon of bigotry lies in education and self-evaluation, but at the same time we must acknowledge that racial prejudice and racism are not synonymous.
One may choose to approach racial conflict as simply the result of learning or the lack of it, but in such a distinctly racist nation as ours, that perception betrays not only a gross naiveté but a collective myopia of the worst sort.
Racial antagonism may be an affair of the heart and mind on the pages of The American Bahá’í or in our Bahá’í communities, but in the slums, barrios and Reservations that dot the country it is clear to their inhabitants that they are the victims of racism, an institutionalized and pervasive program of domination and exploitation of minorities to the ends of the dominant strata of society.
Racism is deeply rooted in the economic and social history of this country. Its basis is material, not spiritual.
All of the good intentions and high-minded platitudes placed upon the altar of racial justice will not make a dent in American racism.
Until the American Bahá’í community grasps the reality of racism and begins to offer some concrete alternatives to the exploitation that it produces, we will be forever dismissed as pie-in-the-sky dreamers.
If we wish to change racial antagonism into racial unity, we must go to the source—racism itself.
Chicago, Illinois
Dear Friends:
I must admit that it puzzled me greatly when I first read the passage in The Advent of Divine Justice regarding the expressions of “gratitude and appreciation” between the races referred to by the Master.
As a member of a minority group, I felt that it was the only passage I had read in the Writings that really disturbed me.
Recently, I read the passage again, and I still felt that I could not bring myself to the point of expressing gratitude or appreciation to any of my white friends simply for having treated me as a human being.
After spending more time thinking about it, however, I began to feel that perhaps it had a broader meaning than the one I thought it had as I read it.
Then I remembered how eager I had been to express my gratitude and appreciation to Sen. Hubert Humphrey after he had worked hard for the passage of some important civil rights legislation during the Johnson administration.
That made me realize that there are many white people who have taken a strong stand for the equality of the races, even when they have had to suffer for it. To them, I feel that I could easily express my gratitude and appreciation.
St. Paul, Minnesota
From the Writings[edit]
“We desire but the good of the world and the happiness of the nations; yet they deem us a stirrer up of strife and sedition, worthy of bondage and banishment ... that all nations shall become one in faith and all men as brothers; that the bonds of affection and unity between the sons of men shall be strengthened; that diversity of religion shall cease, and differences of race be annulled. What harm is there in this?
“Yet so shall it be; these fruitless strifes, these ruinous wars shall pass away and the ‘Most Great Peace’ shall come. Is not this that which Christ foretold? Yet do we see your kings and rulers lavishing their treasures more freely on means for the destruction of the human race than on that which would conduce to the happiness of mankind ... these strifes and this bloodshed and discord must cease, and all men be as one kindred and one family.
“Let not a man glory in this, that he loves his country. Let him rather glory in this, that he loves his kind (humanity).
“O ye discerning ones of the people! Verily, the Words which have descended from the heaven of the Will of God are the source of unity and harmony for the world. Close your eyes to racial differences and welcome all with the light of oneness.
“Be the cause of the comfort and the advancement of humanity. This handful of dust, the world, is one home; let it be in unity. Forsake pride; it is a cause of discord. Follow that which tends to harmony.”—Bahá’u’lláh (quoted in Star of the West, Vol. 12, No. 5, June 5, 1921)
[Page 11]
NATIONAL CENTER
Data Processing has big job at National Center[edit]
Because they are capable of performing so many sophisticated functions, it is often thought that computers themselves possess a high level of intelligence, and are somehow responsible for the data that they produce.
The fact is, however, that computers are mere load carriers. They do not “think” as we do, but are useful work and time savers.
WHAT COMES out of a computer, says Shahpur Sohaili, manager of the Data Processing Office at the Bahá’í National Center, is only as good and as useful as what is fed into it.
At times, says Mr. Sohaili, the people who work with computers refer to them as “donkeys,” because a donkey carries the load and does not think about it.
The National Center’s new “donkey”—that is, its new computer—is a Univac V77/800.
The V77 has a 147-megabyte disc drive and a 600-line/minute printer plus seven operational terminals and one operator console terminal.
What that means, says Mr. Sohaili, is that the computer is a “mini-computer,” the second largest variety (next to large main frames) manufactured.
“The interesting thing about this computer,” he says, “is that in its power, flexibility and expansion capabilities it is comparable to the largest main frame variety, and this is why it was selected.”
The National Center’s computer is, in fact, capable of performing many of the functions that a main frame computer can perform, and at a significantly lower cost.
THE RECENT changeover to the new computer, says Mr. Sohaili, was a major undertaking because it also involved a change in the way that information, called “data,” is processed.
The new “on-line” data processing system allows instant updates of computer-stored data by several people addressing the computer simultaneously through its several terminals.
This was not possible, says Mr. Sohaili, under the “batching” system that was used with the National Center’s previous leased computer.
The conversion to the on-line system used with the new computer took more than a year for programming and detail designing following the initial period of planning and design, says Mr. Sohaili.
“It is the sort of major conversion,” he says, “that will hopefully not be required in the future.”
During the year-long design and programming of the new system, Mr. Sohaili and his three-member staff continued running the other computer system.
“THIS WAS only possible with so few people,” he says, “because of the dedication of the staff and careful organization.”
Data Processing staff members in addition to Mr. Sohaili are Ronald E. Greene, senior analyst/programmer; Hossein Kian, analyst/programmer, and Marian Schmidt, data entry and computer operator.
While the changeover to the new system was taking place, they had to gain a detailed understanding of operations in each office at the National Center that is concerned with the computer system to properly design the new system with their particular needs in mind.
“This was necessary,” says Mr. Sohaili, “because each office at the National Center concerned with the data processing system is looking at a part of the system, while we in the Data Processing Office are looking at the whole.
“The proper integration of the system is one that meets the service requirements of all its users.”
Membership information for Local Spiritual Assemblies, Groups, District Teaching Committees, and individual Bahá’ís supplied to the Data Processing Office by the Office of Membership and Records presently makes up more than 80 per cent of the data processed by the National Center’s computer, says Mr. Sohaili.
OTHER computerized information at the National Center, such as Treasurer’s receipts, Bahá’í subscriber service data, and mailing labels for The American Bahá’í rely on the basic Bahá’í membership data base supplied through the Office of Membership and Records.
What is done, says Arthur Conow, director of planning and coordination at the National Center, is that information provided by the Office of Membership and Records is taken and processed for use by all departments at the National Center and, in fact, all of the country.
Every believer has some connection with the Data Processing Office. If that individual subscribes to Bahá’í News, World Order magazine, or Child’s Way, there is yet another connection with Membership and Records’ data stored in the computer, says Mr. Conow.
Every believer’s name, address and Bahá’í identification number is a part of the membership data base.
Mailing labels for The American Bahá’í come directly from this membership data, supplied to the Data Processing Office by the Office of Membership and Records.
A turning point in planning for data processing at the National Center occurred about five years ago, says Mr. Sohaili, when the then-existing Data Processing Committee took a close look at future growth.
AT THAT TIME, he says, there was no computer at the National Center. The National Spiritual Assembly was renting time on a computer at the University of Illinois’ engineering department in Urbana.
Once the decision was made to have a computer at the National Center, an IBM System 3 Model 12 computer was leased to bring the computer operation within the Center itself.
It was while looking into a suitable replacement for the IBM system that the National Spiritual Assembly approved the concept of “distributed processing” as a philosophy for future planning and growth in data processing, says Mr. Sohaili.
Purchasing a newer and larger computer every few years, he says, would not only be expensive, it would mean that the Data Processing Office was reacting to growth rather than anticipating future needs of the American Bahá’í community.
Distributed processing allows for volumes of work to be processed at various places and then brought together for use at a central point instead of processing all data at one point.
By using the distributed processing philosophy, says Mr. Sohaili, computer equipment and processing can be spread in a variable fashion for greatest flexibility.
“This concept of planning and developing data processing operations,” he explains, “allows, for example, for use of regional or state computers that would be duplicates of the system at the National Center. These computers could communicate among themselves or within their own areas.”
ANOTHER possibility, he says, is that the computer system at the National Center could be extended by the addition of computer terminals at various locations interconnected with it.
“Flexibility,” says Mr. Sohaili, “is the key to the whole idea. The concept allows the Data Processing Office to be ready to meet various needs with less expense.”
The new computer is not physically large. Yet its present 512,000 information piece (or “byte”) memory capacity can be increased four-fold to two million bytes of memory. This potential for future expansion can be housed within the present equipment cabinet, says Mr. Sohaili.
An important part of the mandate for the Data Processing Office is effective utilization of data processing.
“This,” he says, “is a much larger area of responsibility than merely receiving data and producing print-outs of it on request. Unless the system is effectively coordinated, the data processing operation will suffer seriously.”
The new computer with its on-line data processing system represents a significant step forward in the effective operation of data processing at the National Center.
“It means,” says Mr. Sohaili, “that the Data Processing Office is poised for service in whichever direction the National Spiritual Assembly and its offices at the National Center wish to move.”
Shahpur Sohaili (second from right), manager of the Bahá’í National Center’s Data Processing Office, talks things over with senior analyst Ron Greene while staff members Hossein Kian and Marian Schmidt tend to the new Univac V77/800 computer.
A workman installs ceiling panels in the new Data Processing Office at the Bahá’í National Center’s administrative office building in Evanston, Illinois.
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PUZZLE!PUZZLE Two Puzzles in One! One side makes a calendar with the Arabic and English names for the nineteen Bahá’í months, and the other side a garden filled with children of all races! A unique gift for 5 to 11 year olds. Reversible, 50 pieces.
To order, see your community librarian, or use the handy order form on page 4 of the Mini Catalog. |
[Page 12]
IGC: PIONEERING
World NEWS[edit]
A “100-Day Teaching Plan” sponsored by the National Spiritual Assembly of Perú that ended at Riḍván resulted in the election of 125 Local Spiritual Assemblies, the enrollment of 700 new believers, and the acquisition of a local Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds ...
The Hand of the Cause of God Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum spoke to a large audience of Bahá’ís in Guatemala during her visit to that country in early March ...
Approximately 50 people participated April 9-12 in the first Bahá’í Youth Conference ever held in eastern Nigeria.
The conference, organized by Nigeria’s National Youth Committee, was held at the Afikpo District Bahá’í Center in Ndibe Village, Imo State ...
Two declarations took place during a Naw-Rúz observance sponsored by the Bahá’í community of Dublin, Ireland.
More than 200 people, most of whom were non-Bahá’ís, attended the event ...
The first Cantonese-language broadcast to mention the name of Bahá’u’lláh and the Bahá’í Faith was presented March 21 by a commercial radio station in Hong Kong that can be heard in Canton, China, as well as in Hong Kong and Macao.
That same evening, the broadcast was repeated in English ...
Eighty people including 30 non-Bahá’ís were present May 9 at the first meeting on the Faith ever held at the University of Coimbra, Portugal.
Speakers included Saiid Jalali, a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of Portugal, and Auxiliary Board member Fernando Mesquita ...
More than 75 students at a teacher training college in Afikpo, Nigeria, expressed their desire to become Bahá’ís and the first Spiritual Assembly of Etiti Ama Oso, Nigeria, was elected during a teaching campaign last February by a group of about 30 believers from nine Nigerian cities ...
Fifty Bahá’ís and their guests participated February 27-March 1 in a youth conference in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic.
The conference focused on study of the Tablets of the Divine Plan and individual goal-setting ...
The National Spiritual Assembly of the United Kingdom has announced the acquisition of the first Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds in Wales.
The purchase of the property in Bangor completes the outstanding goal of the Five Year Plan for the United Kingdom that called for the establishment of four more Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds—one in each in England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales ...
Thumbnail sketches of goal countries[edit]
Here are thumbnail sketches of some of the South and Central American countries designated by the Universal House of Justice as goal areas during the first year of the second phase of the Seven Year Plan.
The numbers of pioneers needed in each country can be found on the goals list printed on these pages. More information about jobs and about the countries themselves can be obtained by writing to the International Goals Committee, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091. Phone 312-869-9039.
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Uruguay—Once called the “Switzerland of South America,” Uruguay and its warm and friendly people now need your help.
The people are mainly of Spanish and Italian descent and most follow the Roman Catholic religion. Spanish is the official language, but English is the second language of Uruguay.
A basic command of Spanish makes job hunting much easier.
According to the National Pioneering Committee of Uruguay, there are many opportunities there for someone to independently start his own business.
The rolling hills and grassy plains of Uruguay, the smallest country in South America, are ideal for farming and cattle raising.
The seasons, though temperate, are the opposite of those in the U.S., with June the coolest month (40° average temperature) and January the warmest (95° average).
The standard of living is comfortable, and no great health hazards exist. Housing and utilities are reasonable.
Study in public schools and universities is free. Good public health care is available, and postal and telephone service is generally good.
Sound interesting? If you are ready, willing and able to help the 1,200 Bahá’ís in Uruguay, there is a real need for your help in the slow process of deepening and consolidation.
Venezuela—The first Spanish conqueror after Columbus’ historic journeys to the New World named the land Venezuela, or “Little Venice,” because the houses on stilts reminded him of Venice, Italy.
The country is about the size of Utah, Colorado, Wyoming and Idaho combined, and most of its 12.4 million people are “mestizos” (mixed white and Indian).
Spanish is the official language, but increasing numbers of people speak and understand English. The constitution, adopted in 1961, provides for a president, senate, and chamber of deputies, all elected for five years by popular vote. Religious freedom is guaranteed under the constitution.
Venezuela is the richest and most urban of the South American countries. While it is one of the world’s leading producers of petroleum, it also has stressed industrial development. Exports include petroleum, petroleum products, and iron ore.
Coffee is the major agricultural product. Although Venezuela is a country in which changes and improvements are occurring almost daily in every phase of life, it is not uncommon to see the old and new side by side.
People who have technical skills, such as engineering or computer technology, are most in demand in Venezuela. Some English teachers have started their own schools and are teaching the Faith while teaching English. All education, including university, is free in government-supported institutions. Elementary education is compulsory from ages 7 through 14.
The people are outgoing and have a good sense of humor. Their largest celebration is the week-long “carnival” with water fights, parades, dancing in the streets, and many other activities.
There are more than 200 Local Spiritual Assemblies in Venezuela. In the villages, people are quite receptive to the Faith, but in Caracas and other cities the teaching is more difficult.
Almost all of Venezuela is lovely, and all of it needs pioneers.
Paraguay—Paraguay is in the heart of South America surrounded by Argentina, Brazil and Bolivia. It is divided into two regions by the Paraguay River.
In the west is the arid, sparsely settled region of the Chaco; the eastern plateau region, where most of the people live, is subtropical, with a warm, humid and rainy climate.
The people of Paraguay are quite friendly. About 95 per cent are of mixed Spanish and Indian (Guarani) descent. Spanish is the official language and spoken by about 75 per cent of the people, but Guarani is spoken universally.
Society in Paraguay is centered around the extended family. Young and old attend most activities together. Meals together often last two hours or more. Families spend hours talking together.
Roman Catholicism is the state religion, but there is religious freedom in practice.
Children from the village of Sabana Larga, Falcon State, Venezuela, are shown with their teacher following a Bahá’í children’s class there.
Bahá’ís hold car wash[edit]
As a part of “Operation Befriend,” the Bahá’ís of Springfield, Oregon, sponsored a free car wash May 31.
The event was advertised on local radio and television, and the Bahá’ís were able to use a large area parking lot on a busy downtown street corner.
The reaction from non-Bahá’ís was delightful. Everyone was extremely friendly and wanted to talk at length about the Faith. Some tried to pay for the car wash, and a large number accepted pamphlets.
Some practical advice on teaching in Panama[edit]
By CYNTHIA ALLEN
How to teach in Panama? Just teach!
The people there are highly receptive. They will listen to the Message in the streets and stores, at bus stops, fruit shops, and on their “porches.”
At the Temple site, visitors are always asking questions.
ON THE PRACTICAL side, traveling teachers and the people they visit would benefit from learning some Spanish. A prepared program would also be useful.
Unless one speaks Spanish and knows where to go, it is essential to notify the Bahá’ís in Panama of his arrival before departing from the states.
Remember, the climate is quite hot, so do take light clothing (100 per cent cotton is the coolest).
Finally, currency is not a problem. The monetary unit in Panama is the Balboa, which is worth exactly one U.S. dollar. The dollar is also legal tender.
There were many inspiring events for me in Panama.
One Panamanian Bahá’í woman who goes to work each day at 2 p.m. goes out teaching until 12:30 or 1 o’clock. Then she rushes home to get ready for her job. What impressed me most was her spirit and dedication.
I met another woman who has been holding children’s classes for the past five years. She gave the children a Naw-Rúz party. I watched her cook and make ready for about 25 children. The love and attention she gave to each of them made it so special.
THE MOST impressive part of my visit was a trip to one of the Indian Reservations.
These Indians gave a four-day Institute that was well presented. They focused on the Central Figures of the Faith—the Báb, Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. It was so beautiful being there with my Bahá’í “family.”
These friends have almost nothing to eat but rice, three times a day. But the spirit is high.
I learned a lot from my Indian friends. I can’t wait to return and help with the teaching work in any way that I can.
A group of Bahá’í women and children at the Indian Bahá’í Institute in the Republic of Panama.
[Page 13]
IGC: PIONEERING
Friends must act now to gain pioneering victory[edit]
By Mary Louise Suhm
Secretary, International Goals Committee
Time is running out. An urgent appeal is being made by the International Goals Committee to all those believers who have thought about pioneering, even to the point of applying to the committee, but for one reason or another have procrastinated about leaving for their posts.
Only eight months remain until Riḍván 1982, when 279 world pioneering goals must be filled. The friends must make their plans now to perform the “prince of all goodly deeds” and ensure the victory.
While it may seem that the new goals are assured, based on the successful settling of pioneers during the initial two-year phase of the Plan, the committee points out that only 76 of the 400 or so people who pioneered actually filled assigned goals. This means that only 38 goals per year were filled.
During 1981-82, the committee has decided to fill 50 goals, believing that at least 100 pioneers will go to non-goal areas. It would seem that this should be a simple task to fill 50 goals when, in fact, one of the reasons that the goal countries are chosen by the Universal House of Justice is because of the relative difficulty in finding people who have the qualifications, professionally, physically, and spiritually, to fill these posts.
Therefore, greater emphasis must be placed on these countries to ensure a broad cross-section of people from various backgrounds and nationalities living there, thereby hastening the unification of and demonstrating the oneness of mankind. Another reason is that there is a tremendous need in these countries for extra hands to help do the work.
While most countries have wonderfully deepened Bahá’ís and don’t need anyone to teach them anything about the Faith, our presence in these countries is a learning and a growing experience for everyone concerned.
The people who benefit most are the pioneers, a fact attested to by the pioneers themselves in letters received daily from all over the world.
Many of the pioneers who have arisen to serve have been amazed by the doors that have opened for them after making the decision to pioneer and contacting the International Goals Committee. While it takes a longer time for preparations to be made for some, others have been able to leave for posts in as little as two weeks.
The committee may have heard of a job that is just right for a particular person, and that person is able to take care of his or her personal affairs on short notice. For others, especially those with families, there are more things to be taken into account.
The point to remember is that with prayer and consultation with the committee, marvelous things can happen that will surprise all of us, and fill the goals with room to spare.
The committee urges you not to look at your weaknesses and frailties, or at your savings account with its lack of large sums, but rather to contact it as soon as possible if there is even the slightest chance that you can be in a goal country by next Riḍván.
Contact the International Goals Committee, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091, or phone 312-869-9039.
Terry Madison, a Bahá’í pioneer from the U.S. to Suriname, a country on the northeastern coast of South America, was instrumental in arranging a five-hour telethon May 2 on national TV for the benefit of that country’s handicapped people. Here Ms. Madison (standing left of cantor) faces her co-host on the telethon, Guno Maya (left). Entertainment was provided by many of Suriname’s top performers, some of whom are themselves physically handicapped.
Sketches[edit]
Continued From Page 12
Paraguay’s economy is based primarily on agriculture, cattle raising and forestry.
At the present time, conditions are excellent for starting one’s own business there. The country is experiencing an economic boom that should last at least 10 years, or until a $10 billion hydroelectric plant is completed.
It is difficult to obtain employment outside of the capital city that would support a pioneer, except in construction work.
Paraguay has a National Spiritual Assembly, and in the fall of 1980 there were 42 Local Spiritual Assemblies in the country.
Colombia—Colombia lies on the northernmost tip of South America.
Its diversity of altitude, temperature and rainfall produces an extraordinary variety and abundance of vegetation and topography.
It is legal for an American citizen to work in Colombia, and it is usually possible to arrive on a tourist visa and later change it to a residence visa when work is obtained.
The easiest job for an American with virtually any background to acquire is that of teaching English as a second language.
The International Goals Committee office maintains a list of schools and Institutes in Colombia that hire Americans for this purpose—regardless of whether or not they have any sort of teaching degree or certificate.
It is not necessary to speak Spanish to secure employment teaching English, but it does help. In addition, for those who do speak some Spanish, there are usually jobs for engineers, chemists, and teachers of other subjects.
Bolivia—Bolivia lies in the central part of South America, covering an area about the size of Tennessee.
The country has a wide variety of land and climate conditions, ranging from hot and humid tropical lowlands to the Andes mountains, which are cool and windy.
The people of Bolivia are primarily Indian, and are receptive to the Faith.
Past experience indicates that it is not difficult for Americans to find work in Bolivia. There are a number of jobs each year for those who can teach English as a second language, and these jobs usually do not require a teaching certificate.
In addition, there are jobs in technical schools, construction work, laboratories, electronics, electrical repair and maintenance, public health, medicine, the import/export business, and hotel management.
Self-employment is also a good possibility for those with a little capital and the proper skills.
Educational institutions of all kinds are available, from primary schools to graduate universities.
The National Spiritual Assembly of Bolivia has specifically mentioned that Bolivia is a country to which a single woman can safely pioneer.
PIONEER GOALS ASSIGNED TO THE WORLD
For the second phase of the Seven Year Plan
1981-1982
| AFRICA | |||
| Assigned | Filled by U.S. | ||
| (P) | Angola | 2 | |
| (F) | Benin | 2 | |
| (E) | Botswana | 2 | |
| (F) | Burundi | 2 | |
| (F) | Chad | 3 | |
| (F) | Comoro Is. | 2 | |
| (F) | Congo | 2 | |
| (S) | Equatorial Guinea | 2 | |
| (F) | Gabon | 2 | |
| (E) | Gambia | 2 | |
| (E) | Ghana | 2 | |
| (E) | Lesotho | 4 | |
| (E) | Liberia | 4 | |
| (F) Guinea | 2 | ||
| (F) | Madagascar | 2 | |
| (E) | Malawi | 2 | |
| (F) | Mali | 2 | |
| (F) | Mauritania | 2 | |
| (A,F,S) Morocco | 3 | ||
| Sénégal | |||
| (P) Guinea Bissau | 2 | ||
| (P) Cape Verde Islands | 2 | ||
| (E) | Sierra Leone | 3 | |
| (F) | Somalia | 5 | |
| (E) | So. & West Africa | 4 | 1 |
| (E) Bophuthatswana | 2 | ||
| (E) Namibia | 2 | ||
| (A,E) | Sudan | 4 | |
| (F) Djibouti | 2 | ||
| (E) | Tanzania | 6 | |
| (F) | Togo | 2 | |
| (E) | Transkei | 1 | |
| (F) | Tunisia | 3 | |
| (E) | Uganda | 4 | |
| (F) | Zaire | 10 | |
| (E) | Zambia | 4 | |
| 100 | |||
| AMERICAS | |||
| (E) | Barbados | 2 | |
| (S) | Bolivia | 4 | |
| (S) | Colombia | 4 | |
| (S) | Dominican Republic | 2 | |
| (F) | Fr. Antilles | 4 | |
| (S) | Guatemala | 5 | 1 |
| (F) | Haiti | 5 | |
| (E) | Jamaica | 2 | |
| (E) | Leeward Is. | 10 | |
| (S) | Paraguay | 4 | |
| (S) | Puerto Rico | 5 | |
| (D,F) | Surinam-Fr. Guiana | 4 | |
| (E) | Trinidad-Tobago | 2 | |
| (S) | Uruguay | 6 | |
| (S) | Venezuela | 4 | |
| (E) | Virgin Is. | 3 | 1 |
| (E) | Windward Is. | 10 | |
| 76 | |||
| ASIA | |||
| Assigned | Filled by U.S. | ||
| (C,E) | Hong Kong | 4 | |
| (K) | Korea | 4 | |
| (E,C) | Macao | 2 | |
| (E) | Nepal | 2 | |
| (E) | Sikkim | 2 | |
| (E) | Sri Lanka | 2 | |
| (E,T) | Thailand | 4 | |
| 20 | |||
| AUSTRALASIA | |||
| Caroline Is. | |||
| (E) Yap | 1 | ||
| (E) Palau | 3 | ||
| (E) Truk | 5 | ||
| (E) | Fiji Is. | 2 | |
| (E) | Kiribati | 4 | |
| (E) | Mariana Is. | 2 | |
| (E) | Marshall Is. | 4 | |
| (F) | N. Caledonia | 2 | |
| (F) Loyalty Is. | 2 | ||
| (F) Marquesas Islands | 1 | ||
| (F) Society Is. | 2 | ||
| (F) Tuamotu Archipelago | 1 | ||
| New Zealand | |||
| (E) Cook Is. | 6 | ||
| (E) Niue | 1 | ||
| (E) | Papua New Guinea | 10 | |
| (E) | Samoa | 3 | |
| (E) | Solomon Is. | 6 | |
| (E) | Tuvalu | 4 | |
| (F,E) | Vanuatu | 6 | |
| 65 | |||
| EUROPE | |||
| (Gr,E) | Cyprus | 2 | |
| (Dn) | Denmark | 10 | |
| (Fn) | Finland | 6 | |
| 18 | |||
| World Goals | 3 | ||
| Non-Goals, Overfills, Refills | 13 | ||
| Total | 16 | ||
| Re-opened Goals (from first phase of Seven Year Plan) | |||
| Bahamas | 1 | ||
| French Antilles | 1 | ||
- LANGUAGE KEY
- A-Arabic
- C-Chinese
- Dn-Danish
- D-Dutch
- E-English
- F-French
- Fn-Finnish
- Gr-Greek
- K-Korean
- P-Portuguese
- S-Spanish
- T-Thai
[Page 14]
PUBLICATIONS
‘Bahá’í World’ an absorbing chronicle of Faith[edit]
In their treasury of Bahá’í Sacred Writings, literature, and documents from 1936 through 1944, Volumes 7, 8 and 9 of The Bahá’í World offer glimpses into the lives of Bahá’u’lláh and three heroines of the Faith.
Volume 9 includes an article by the Hand of the Cause of God Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum on “The Prayers of Bahá’u’lláh” in which she remarks on how much of Himself Bahá’u’lláh has revealed to us in His prayers and meditations.
SHE WRITES: “At times it is as if, in some verse or line, we are admitted into His own heart, with all its turbulent emotions, or catch a glimpse of the workings of a mind as great and deep as an ocean ...”
Such turbulent emotions can be seen again in Volume 8, in the reproduction and translation of a Tablet revealed by Bahá’u’lláh in ‘Akká as His son, Mírzá Mihdí, the Purest Branch, was being prepared for burial in His presence.
Volume 8 also focuses on the lives of three early heroines of the Faith.
A section on Munírih Khánum, the Holy Mother, wife of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, on the occasion of her passing in 1938, contains excerpts from her autobiography and articles by believers that describe encounters with her and praise her exemplary life.
A talk by Martha Root on “Ṭáhirih’s Message to the Modern World” portrays Ṭáhirih’s brilliance of mind, independence of thought, and love for the Báb. The talk relates how her life and martyrdom advanced the cause of the equality of women.
A section on Queen Marie of Rumania, commemorating the first anniversary of her passing in 1937, includes passages from her writings and articles about her that show the effect of the Faith on her life.
“Queen Marie of Rumania and the Bahá’í Faith” by George Townshend movingly depicts her acceptance of the Faith amid great emotional turmoil.
AMONG THE MANY illustrations in the three volumes, Volume 7 contains a photograph of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá at Green Acre in 1912, surrounded by many distinguished early believers, and a photo of early believers in Chicago around 1900.
These and other items make The Bahá’í World an absorbing chronicle of the Faith. Volumes 7, 8 and 9 will be available this month.
To order The Bahá’í World, Volumes 1-12 (Catalog No. 333-000-10, $176 NET), see your local Bahá’í librarian or order directly from the Bahá’í Publishing Trust Distribution Center, 523 Green Bay Road, Wilmette, IL 60091.
The Bahá’í World is also being offered through a special payment plan that is sure to suit your budget. For details, see the ad in this issue of The American Bahá’í.
National Center seeks help to win Plan goals[edit]
The second phase of the Seven Year Plan is under way, and individuals are needed to help in many areas.
If you find yourself in a position to relocate, please contact the Bahá’í National Center to consult about the most effective way for you to participate in winning the goals of the Plan.
International or homefront pioneering, working at the National Center or the World Centre are examples of ways in which one might serve the Cause.
Individuals giving prayerful consideration to serving in these ways should consult with their Local Spiritual Assembly for advice about their plans. For specific opportunities, please refer to the classified advertisements on Page 4.
Mrs. Park, former pioneer, dies at 46[edit]
Mrs. Rentha G. Park of Ottawa, Kansas, a Bahá’í since 1963 and a former pioneer to American Samoa, died June 12 at the age of 46.
Mrs. Park, a native of Decatur County, Indiana, was an educational consultant. She earned a master’s degree in education at the University of Wisconsin-Stout.
Mrs. Park served on Spiritual Assemblies in Clearwater, Florida; Durango, Colorado; Norman, Oklahoma; Knoxville, Tennessee; and Manhattan, Kansas, and on District Teaching Committees in Wisconsin and Kansas.
Morgantown sponsors Race Unity Day picnic[edit]
Twelve adult Bahá’ís, nine children, and 16 non-Bahá’ís from five counties celebrated Race Unity Day on Saturday, June 13, with a picnic at Krepps Park in Morgantown, West Virginia.
The event included games, talk, and delicious foods from several countries.
Message[edit]
Continued From Page 1
second phase of the Plan that will enhance the prestige of our beloved Faith and hasten the day of its complete emergence from obscurity.
The financial needs of the first phase of the Plan have been fully met. The teaching work has continued with unabated zeal.
The Seat of the Universal House of Justice is now nearing completion and the funds required for that tremendous task are in hand. The Mashriqu’l-Adhkár of the Indian sub-continent is rising and the work on that for Samoa will shortly begin.
Now the Universal House of Justice turns with loving confidence to those beloved ones of God who have responded with such zeal to fulfill the commitments that it has been guided to undertake, and has asked us to lay before you the needs of the year which has just begun.
ALTHOUGH THE TASK of raising the Seat of the House of Justice on God’s Holy Mountain is now well-nigh behind us, the work on the two Mashriqu’l-Adhkár has acquired additional urgency.
The unstable condition of the world and rapidly rising prices make it essential to complete these two enterprises at the earliest possible date. Thus, major expenditures which it had been hoped could be spread over a number of years must be met within the next twelve months.
The public attention drawn to the Faith by the Iranian situation and the many valuable friendships and contacts that have been made with those in authority demand, if the ground now gained is not to be rapidly lost, expansion and intensification of the activities of the representatives of the Bahá’í International Community with the United Nations and its specialized agencies, as well as with other international bodies such as the Parliament of Europe.
The Universal House of Justice has therefore taken the decision to establish an office of the Bahá’í International Community at Geneva, with a full-time representative. It has also become necessary to allocate large sums to the provision of a wider range of Bahá’í literature in many languages and to develop the Bahá’í use of radio.
The Universal House of Justice has estimated that to meet all these urgent goals as well as carrying on the current work of the Faith during the year 1981-82, an increase of 50 per cent over the amount of contributions for the year just past will be required.
It therefore asks every believer and every community to consider prayerfully the degree to which they can take part in this mighty effort, and to strain every sinew to ensure that the tasks placed by an omniscient and all-wise Ordainer on the shoulders of His privileged lovers will be worthily and speedily performed.
The House of Justice assures you all of its loving, fervent prayers in the Holy Shrines for your guidance and assistance.
With loving Bahá’í greetings.
Department of the Secretariat
June 8, 1981
‘Pilgrimage’ film now available for sale or rental through Trust[edit]
The Pilgrimage, a 16mm color film that was written and directed by the Hand of the Cause of God Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum, is now available for sale or rent from the Publishing Trust.
This two-hour film takes the viewer on a remarkable tour of the Bahá’í Holy Places at the World Centre of the Faith, including the Shrines of Bahá’u’lláh, the Báb, and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and retraces the footsteps of Bahá’u’lláh during His years of imprisonment in the Holy Land.
The Pilgrimage will not only give Bahá’í communities an inspiring evening, but will present them with an opportunity to proclaim the Faith in an interesting and dignified manner.
The Pilgrimage is available for sale in English, French or Spanish. The purchase price is $700 (Canadian) plus air mail postage. To order, please make check or money order payable to the Bahá’í Distribution Service, 7200 Leslie St., Thornhill, Ontario L3T 2A1, Canada.
The English version of The Pilgrimage is available for three-day rental for $55. Communities that wish to rent the film must send a letter to the Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 415 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, IL 60091. The letter should include (1) the name of the film; (2) your first, second and third choices of dates desired; and (3) a rental fee of $55 (includes 10 per cent for postage and handling).
The rental fee must accompany the letter and cannot be charged to a librarian’s account.
For more information about film rentals, please phone the Bahá’í Book Store at 312-256-2957 any working day from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Central Daylight Time.
Association for Bahá’í Studies schedules 2 U.S. conferences[edit]
The Association for Bahá’í Studies will hold two conferences in the United States this fall at which a number of scholars will present papers on aspects of Bahá’í studies.
The first of these conferences will be held over the Labor Day weekend, September 4-7, at the Green Acre Bahá’í School in Eliot, Maine.
THE SECOND will be held October 9-12 at the Bosch Bahá’í School in Santa Cruz, California.
Papers already scheduled for the Green Acre conference include presentations on psychiatry and spirituality by Hossein Danesh, a psychiatrist and member of the National Spiritual Assembly of Canada; on economics and moral values by William Hatcher, a professor of mathematics at Laval University in Quebec; on Thornton Chase by Robert Stockman of the Harvard Divinity School; and on Bahá’u’lláh’s Four Valleys by John Walbridge, a doctoral candidate in Islamic studies at Harvard.
The schedule for the Bosch conference has not yet been announced.
Anyone who is interested in giving a paper or a literary or artistic presentation at one of these conferences should submit the paper or an abstract thereof to the Association
[Page 15]
PUBLICATIONS
Stage 2 in ‘Rhythm of Growth’ plan focuses on building a Bahá’í Group[edit]
The “Rhythm of Growth” is the program adopted by the National Spiritual Assembly to guide the American Bahá’í community during the last five years of the Seven Year Plan.
The “rhythm” is the systematic pattern of expansion and consolidation essential to the growth and health of every Bahá’í community.
TO KEEP the “rhythm” going, a community must have the knowledge required to function properly at whatever stage of growth it finds itself.
To aid in providing that knowledge, the Publishing Trust has designed packages of materials to suit communities of every size from one to 30 or more.
These packages were outlined in the “Rhythm of Growth” catalog that appeared in the June issue of The American Bahá’í.
In the July issue of The American Bahá’í, we examined “Stage One: Organizing Yourself” to give the friends an idea of the reasoning behind the organization of these materials, so that they might receive the maximum benefit from their use.
In this issue we will look at “Stage Five: Building a Group.”
According to the rhythmic pattern of growth set by the National Spiritual Assembly, a Group of five or more Bahá’ís has the responsibilities of building toward and preparing for Assembly status.
These twin responsibilities call for two important activities: teaching the Faith, and learning how to become organized.
THE FIRST package in Stage Five is “5A: Organizing Your Group” (Catalog No. 505-011-10, $3.50 NET).
The four Group Seminar Outlines in this package will help your Group to organize itself. These seminars will prepare your Group for the duties and responsibilities of a Local Spiritual Assembly, help increase its cohesion and executive ability, focus its attention on the important status of teaching endeavors, allow it to discern between administration and procedure, and help it in studying and deepening on the Covenant.
As your Group pursues its teaching endeavors, The Seven Year Plan will help it to realize how its efforts are contributing to winning the goals of the worldwide Bahá’í community.
Selected Writings of Shoghi Effendi will help inspire those efforts with the Guardian’s insights into the moral and spiritual disintegration of our present day society and his call for action in stressing the dire need for the establishment of the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh.
The next package in Stage Five, “5B: On the Road to Nine” (Catalog No. 505-021-10, $3.50 NET), will help your Group to function more effectively as it moves toward Assembly status.
Consultation: A Compilation provides guidance for the Group’s decision-making from Bahá’u’lláh, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Shoghi Effendi, and the Universal House of Justice.
The writings of Bahá’u’lláh, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and Shoghi Effendi, included in Bahá’í Meetings/The Nineteen Day Feast, discuss the purpose and significance of Bahá’í meetings and Feasts, emphasize the humility, submissiveness and unity that should be exemplified by the friends, and provide specific guidelines for the manner in which meetings and Feasts should be conducted.
The Continental Boards of Counsellors compilation will increase your Group’s understanding and appreciation of the Administrative Order. It may also suggest ways in which your Group can consult with the Auxiliary Board member or assistants in your area.
With the last package in Stage Five, “5C: Preparing to Elect Your Assembly” (Catalog No. 505-031-10, $13.50), you are completing your preparatory education for becoming a Local Spiritual Assembly.
The Local Spiritual Assembly is a compilation of the writings of Bahá’u’lláh, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi that sets forth the spiritual foundations of the Local Assembly, focuses on the qualifications, election and participation of its membership, offers guidelines for its consultation, and examines the relationship between the Local Spiritual Assembly and the Bahá’í community as a whole.
A cassette tape presentation on The Majesty and Greatness of the Local Spiritual Assembly allows your Group to join a study and deepening session with the Hand of the Cause of God William Sears.
Your preparation for Assembly status is completed by The Trusted Ones of God: The Local Spiritual Assembly, which is the title of an illustrated booklet and 17-minute color filmstrip that take a comprehensive look at the functions and duties of the Local Spiritual Assembly.
The fruit of your efforts as an organized and active Bahá’í Group is the establishment of a Local Spiritual Assembly. In the next issue of The American Bahá’í we will look at the materials provided for “Stage Nine: Building a Local Spiritual Assembly.”
To order the packages of materials in Stage Five, use the order form on Page 4 of the mini-catalog in this issue, or the coupon on Page 16 of the “Rhythm of Growth” catalog in the June issue of The American Bahá’í.
B. Dalton to distribute four Bahá’í books throughout U.S.[edit]
Four Bahá’í titles will soon be available in 110 bookstores in the U.S., according to Greg Weiler, marketing manager of the Bahá’í Publishing Trust.
B. Dalton, a nationwide bookseller, recently purchased large quantities of four Bahá’í books to be offered for sale in its bookstores in various parts of the country.
The four books are The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh (paper edition), The Divine Art of Living, Bahá’u’lláh and the New Era (paper edition), and The Bahá’í Faith: An Introduction.
This is the first time in the history of the Publishing Trust, says Mr. Weiler, that a major commercial book chain has acquired Bahá’í books for sale.
Mr. Weiler believes that if these books generate enough sales, B. Dalton will increase its stock of Bahá’í titles.
This, he says, will depend largely upon the assistance of the friends in purchasing these books from B. Dalton outlets and encouraging seekers to do the same.
On behalf of the Publishing Trust, Mr. Weiler is asking the friends to help make this venture into the commercial book selling field a successful one.
The promotion and sale of Bahá’í literature in bookstores will be an effective means of proclaiming the Faith throughout the country.
‘Questions’ now available in paper[edit]
The new paper edition of Some Answered Questions (Catalog No. 106-038-10, $4), now available from the Publishing Trust, makes this series of talks by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá accessible to every Bahá’í.
The subjects addressed by the Master touch many aspects of our daily lives.
HIS TALKS on proofs of the existence of God, the soul’s progress after death, and the differences between men and animals relate to those fundamental questions that lead human beings to seek spiritual education.
His discussions of the growth and development of the human race, the limits of free will, and the relations between labor and management concern us as members of a society enmeshed in scientific, moral and political controversies.
A major portion of the book is devoted to the Divine Manifestations, a topic that is especially significant to us as followers of Bahá’u’lláh and as Bahá’í teachers.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s clarifications of biblical prophecies and Christian doctrines, which occupy another large segment of the book, help us to relate the Faith to those whose religious background and training is centered primarily in Christianity.
Each of the answers in Some Answered Questions is like a jewel, small but brilliantly detailed. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s use of language makes spiritual concepts as vivid as the world around us.
In discussing man’s potential for spiritual growth, the Master says: “He is at the last degree of darkness, and at the beginning of light ... at the end of the night and the beginning of day ...”
IN SPEAKING of the perfections of God, He asks: “Can the creation be perfect and the creator imperfect? Can a picture be a masterpiece and the painter imperfect in his art? ... Moreover, the picture cannot be like the painter; otherwise the painting would have created itself.”
‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s discourse on “Spiritual Proofs” is a comparison between the seasonal changes on earth and the spiritual cycle of the appearance of a Prophet, the spread of God’s teachings throughout the world, and the gradual corruption of the religion of God into empty forms, until a new Prophet comes to refresh the spirits of men.
Some Answered Questions is a work to be studied and cherished by every Bahá’í as a model for everything spoken or written about the Teachings of Bahá’u’lláh.
To order your copy of Some Answered Questions (Cloth, Catalog No. 106-037-10, $11; paper, see Catalog No. and price above), see your Bahá’í community librarian or use the handy order form on Page 4 of the mini-catalog in this issue of The American Bahá’í.
[Page 16]
PÁGINA HISPANA
Mensaje de la Casa Universal de Justicia[edit]
A los bahá’ís del mundo
Queridos amigos bahá’ís,
Al comienzo del Plan de Siete Años, frente a tareas formidables que el mundo bahá’í debía realizar, y enfrentados por las pérdidas financieras aparentemente lisiadoras que resultaron de la embestida feroz de enemigos empedernidos a los creyentes valientes en la Cuna de la Fe, la Casa Universal de Justicia se volvió con esperanza férvida a los creyentes en el resto del mundo, llamándoles a levantarse y, en la arena internacional, ser campeones de la causa de sus hermanos perseguidos, y, mediante la abnegación y el ejercicio de la sabia administración de los fondos de la Fe, permitir que su trabajo siga adelante sin que sea un impedimento la repentina incapacidad de los creyentes en Irán de continuar con su papel principal en la provisión de la sangre vital de la Causa. En ambos campos estos dos años pasados han atestiguado victorias asombradoras.
La manera en que se ha proclamado el caso de la perseguida Fe de Bahá’u’lláh en los medios de comunicación masiva, llevando su mensaje a millones de almas que antes apenas se habían oído hablar de él; y el grado en que autoridades mundiales se han levantado para abogar por ella y pedir su vindicación: ambos han sido atestiguados por bahá’ís en todos los países con corazones anhelantes y alentados. Ahora la Casa Universal de Justicia nos ha indicado que debemos informarles a ustedes que en apoyo del Fondo Internacional Bahá’í los abnegados seguidores de la Bendita Beldad han ganado victorias similares.
Los múltiples actos de devoción y servicio que han sido una marca tan distintiva de progreso en la fase inicial del Plan de Siete Años no solo han provisto una base firme para el desarrollo de las instituciones de la Fe en todo el mundo, sino que también se han manifestado en un derramamiento de peculio que ha hecho posible el fijar metas para la segunda fase del Plan que enaltecerán el prestigio de nuestra amada Fe y adelantarán el día de su emergencia total de la oscuridad.
Las necesidades financieras de la primera fase del Plan se han cumplido completamente. El trabajo de la enseñanza ha seguido sin disminución de celo. La sede de la Casa Universal de Justicia ahora se acerca a su terminación y los fondos requeridos para esa tarea formidable están disponibles. El Mashriqu’l-Adhkár del sub-continente Indico está elevándose, y pronto comenzará el trabajo en el de Samoa.
Ahora la Casa Universal de Justicia se vuelve con confianza cariñosa hacia los amados de Dios que han respondido con tanto celo para cumplir con los compromisos que ella se ha sentido guiada a emprender, y nos ha pedido poner delante de ustedes las necesidades del año que acaba de comenzar.
Aunque la tarea de elevar la Sede de la Casa de Justicia sobre la Montaña Sagrada de Dios ahora nos queda prácticamente por detrás, el trabajo de los dos Mashriqu’l-Adhkár ha adquerido mayor urgencia. La condición inestable del mundo y los precios que suben rápidamente hacen que sea esencial completar estas dos empresas en la fecha más cercana posible.
Por ende, gastos principales que se había esperado podrían espaciarse a lo largo de varios años deben enfrentarse dentro de los próximos doce meses. La atención pública dirigida hacia la Fe por la situación iranea y las muchas amistades y contactos valiosos hechos con personas en posiciones de autoridad exigen, si el campo ganado no ha de perderse rápidamente, la expansión e intensificación de las actividades de los representantes de la Comunidad Internacional Bahá’í con las Naciones Unidas y sus agendas especializadas, así como con otros organismos internacionales tales como el Parlamento Europeo. Por ende la Casa Universal de Justicia ha decidido establecer una oficina de la Comunidad Internacional Bahá’í en Ginebra, con un representante de tiempo completo. También se ha hecho necesario asignar grandes sumas de dinero a la provisión de una gama más amplia de literatura bahá’í en muchos idiomas y al desarrollo del uso bahá’í de la radio.
La Casa Universal de Justicia ha hecho la estimación que para hacer frente a todas estas metas urgentes y también realizar el trabajo corriente de la Fe durante el año 1981/82, se requerirá un aumento del 50 porciento sobre el monto de las contribuciones del año que recién terminó. Por ende pide a todo creyente y a toda comunidad considerar con espíritu de oración el grado en que puede participar en este gran esfuerzo, y forzar cada fibra de su ser por asegurar que las tareas colocadas por un Ordenador omnisciente y sapientísimo sobre los hombros de sus amantes privilegiados sean realizadas digna y rápidamente.
La Casa de Justicia les asegura a todos ustedes de sus oraciones cariñosas y fervientes en los Santuarios Sagrados para que sean guiados y ayudados.
Con cariñosos saludos bahá’ís,
Departamento de Secretaría
8 de junio de 1981
Los Consejeros y miembros de la Asamblea Espiritual Nacional en Lincolnwood, Illinois.
Métodos de expansión y consolidación[edit]
Un equipo constituido por cuatro Consejeros Continentales para las Américas y tres miembros de la Asamblea Espiritual Nacional se reunieron el 28 y 29 de Mayo en Lincolnwood, Illinois, para explorar métodos de expansión y consolidación con la meta de determinar lo que trabaja mejor en la enseñanza directa a minorías y la enseñanza en el límite internacional.
La reunión de dos días, asistida por Consejeros Continentales Dr. Farzam Arbáb, Dra. Sarah Pereira, Fred Schechter, Velma Sherrill y miembros de la Asamblea Espiritual Nacional Dr. Dwight Allen, Dra. Magdalene Carney y Soo Fouts, incluyó una revisión de todos los materiales disponibles sobre expansión y consolidación.
El equipo trazó planes para campañas de enseñanza experimentales en localidades específicas en los EE.UU. Los resultados de su consulta serán reportados al Cuerpo Continental de Consejeros y a la Asamblea Espiritual Nacional.
La creación de este equipo fue uno de los resultados de la reunión conjunta de los 10 miembros del Cuerpo Continental de Consejeros para las Américas y todos los nueve miembros de la Asamblea Espiritual Nacional el 21 de febrero en Wilmette, Illinois.
La meta es de tomar toda la ventaja de lo que se ha aprendido en las Américas acerca de los procesos gemelos de expansión y consolidación.
Asistentes a la reunión conjunta del 21 de febrero sintieron que el éxito de los esfuerzos en los EE.UU. ejercerían una influencia favorable en similares esfuerzos de enseñanza directa en otras partes del mundo y que la colaboración de la Asamblea Espiritual Nacional y los Consejeros Continentales en este trabajo sería vital para su éxito.
Ritmo para el crecimiento y desarrollo de la comunidad[edit]
“La comunidad mundial Bahá’í, creciendo como un saludable nuevo cuerpo, desarrolla nuevas células, nuevos órganos, nuevas funciones y poderes a medida que avanza a su madurez ...”
•
El crecimiento tiene una pauta. Cuando una pauta se expresa a través del tiempo, produce un rítmo. Si la comunidad Bahá’í es como un nuevo cuerpo que crece, también tendrá una pauta, un ritmo. Sentir el rítmo de la Causa es sentir su vitalidad y poder, y responder a su ritmo es encajar nuestra vida en esta pauta.
La pauta es esencialmente una alternación rítmica de expansión (lo que produce nuevas células) y consolidación (desarrollando nuevos órganos, que son muchas células organizadas o consolidadas para que puedan generar nuevos poderes y nuevas funciones).
Cada Bahá’í es como una minuscula célula cuyo trabajo es multiplicarse (expandir) y al mismo tiempo llegar a integrarse con las otras células (es decir, consolidar) para formar nuevos órganos, tales como Asambleas Espirituales.
La Asamblea Espiritual Nacional ha marcado el compás para una pauta rítmica para el crecimiento y desarrollo de la comunidad Bahá’í durante los años que vienen:
De uno a cinco: Dondequiera que haya un creyente aislado, la meta inmediata es traer nuevas almas a la Fe y preparar el camino para un grupo activo de cinco. Una vez de que esta meta se haya cumplido, el grupo puede empezar a echar los cimientos para una Asamblea Espiritual Local. El grupo querrá elegir oficiales, establecer metas de enseñanza, metas de reuniones hogareñas, metas para el Fondo, y empezar a trabajar para elevar el número de creyentes en la comunidad a nueve para formar su Asamblea Local.
De grupo de cinco a nueve: Una vez que el número alcance los nueve, se debe formar la Asamblea, elegir los oficiales, y debe empezar a trabajar en nuevas metas; metas de asistencia a la Fiesta, metas para el Fondo, metas de profundización, proyectos de enseñanza, proclamación, y cosas por el estilo ayudarán a formar una comunidad Bahá’í bien profundizada y con sólidos fundamentos. El primer objetivo de la Asamblea, entonces, es la preservación y crecimiento de aquella Asamblea, lo significa más expansión dentro de la comunidad. El próximo paso es alcanzar los 15 miembros.
De una Asamblea Local a una comunidad de quince: Una vez que la comunidad está firmemente basada y ha ya alcanzado los 15 creyentes adultos, se deberían establecer tres nuevos objetivos: (a) la incorporación; (b) adoptar una meta de enseñanza de extensión; y (c) aumentar el número de creyentes a 30. En esta etapa, la comunidad puede empezar a enfocar en metas más detalladas, tales como abrir nuevas localidades a la Fe, ayudar a comunidades Bahá’ís más
[Page 17]
PROFUNDIZACIÓN
Consejos para la familia[edit]
La Educación de los Hijos
Cada niño al principio de la vida es como una rama verde y tierna en las manos de sus padres. Su padre y madre pueden entrenarle de la manera que ellos escojan. No deben ser negligentes en este asunto, no deben ser deficientes.
Nota Para El Padre:
Usted tiene un papel muy importante en la educación de sus hijos. No debe dejar esta en manos solamente de su esposa. Es importante estudiar y consultar sobre las enseñanzas de la Fe Bahá’í. Traten de pensar en ejemplos prácticos que podrían ocurrir en sus vidas y con sus hijos, y en la forma en que responderían a ellos. De esta manera llegarán a estar más de acuerdo en sus ideas y mejor preparados para educar a sus hijos.
Aunque su trabajo no le permita pasar mucho tiempo en el hogar, he aquí algunas sugerencias que pueden contribuir mucho a la educación de sus hijos.
A. Orar con ellos.
Desde el principio del embarazo oren por su hijo, ya sea individualmente o juntos. Especialmente la madre debe orar mucho; las oraciones tienen una gran influencia y efecto en el niño desarrollo.
Cuando sus hijos crezcan, permítanles oír sus oraciones. Aunque estén jugando sin poner atención, oirán sus palabras; la casa se llenará de las vibraciones de la Palabra de Dios; y el espíritu de la oración envolverá sus almas.
Durante la tarde, entre otras oraciones, siempre repítale la Oración Obligatoria del Mediodía. Así, desde el principio de la vida, su hijo se acostumbrará a “cumplir” con decir esta Oración Obligatoria, y a la vez “se dará cuenta” del propósito para el cual nació.
B. Platicar con ellos.
Permítales que le cuenten de sus intereses y experiencias; y comparta con ellos algo de su propia vida, su trabajo, su infancia y sus intereses. También platique con ellos acerca de Dios, de Bahá’u’lláh y de Sus Enseñanzas.
C. Escucharles a ellos y contestar sus preguntas con explicaciones amplias, veraces, y adecuadas a su edad.
D. Darles la mejor educación posible. Su hijo tiene muchas capacidades y talentos latentes. Por medio del aprecio y del estímulo, ustedes pueden ayudarle a desarrollarlos. Así pues, es importante que ustedes presten atención a los intereses y aptitudes de su hijo y que le den la oportunidad de ejercer y mejorar sus facultades.
E. Disciplinarles por medio del amor y la firmeza y no a golpes. “Los niños deben ser esmeradamente cuidados, protegidos y entrenados. En eso consiste la verdadera paternidad y maternidad y la misericordia paternal y maternal”—‘Abdu’l-Bahá
Bahá’u’lláh y ‘Abdu’l-Bahá enseñan un nuevo método de disciplina basada en una combinación de amor y de firmeza. Amen mucho a sus hijos y demuéstrenselo. Sus hijos corresponderán a ese amor y querrán complacerlos, cumpliendo con sus deseos. Si sienten su amor lo suficientemente, no querrán lastimarlos desobedeciendo sus preceptos.
F. Darles un buen ejemplo.
G. Consultar frecuentemente con su esposa sobre las enseñanzas de Bahá’u’lláh y colaborar para ponerlas en práctica.
Una oración más;
“Oh Dios, refresca y alegra mi espíritu, purifica mi corazón, ilumina mis poderes. Dejo todos mis asuntos en Tus Manos. Tú eres mi Guía y mi Refugio. Ya no estaré triste ni afligido, seré un ser feliz y alegre. Oh Dios, ya no estaré lleno de ansiedad, ni dejaré que las aflicciones me fatiguen, ni que me absorban las cosas desagradables de la vida.
“Oh Dios, Tú eres más amigo mío, que yo lo soy de mí mismo. A Ti me consagro Señor.”—‘Abdu’l-Bahá
Administración Bahá’í[edit]
Los principios de la administración Bahá’í fueron dispuestos por el propio Bahá’u’lláh, de modo que el sistema no puede compararse con otras organizaciones religiosas, cuyos adeptos decidieron el modelo de sus instituciones después de la muerte del Fundador de la Fe.
Hay otro aspecto importante de la Fe Bahá’í que la destaca de otras religiones. Bahá’u’lláh durante su vida, designó a ‘Abdu’l-Bahá “centro de su Convenio.” Estableció por escrito que después de su muerte, los seguidores deberían acudir a ‘Abdu’l-Bahá para que les aclarase cualquier cuestión. Aunque los Bahá’ís están autorizados a comentar las enseñanzas de su Fe y expresar sus puntos de vista sobre cualquier tema, ningún Bahá’í por más ilustrado o santo que sea, tiene derecho a sostener que sus ideas son las únicas correctas ni a esperar que sus correligionarios acepten su interpretación de las enseñanzas de Bahá’u’lláh. Solo ‘Abdu’l-Bahá tuvo autoridad para explicar e interpretar los escritos de Bahá’u’lláh. De este modo, se impedía que la Fe Bahá’í se dividiera en sectas y cismas.
En su Voluntad y Testamento, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá hace un convenio similar con los Bahá’ís del mundo. A su muerte, habrían de aceptar el orden administrativo de Bahá’u’lláh y acudir a Shoghi Effendi, el Guardián de la Causa. Bahá’u’lláh y ‘Abdu’l-Bahá tomaron también otras medidas para asegurar la unidad de la Fe Bahá’í; éstas serán comentadas al explicar las distintas funciones de las instituciones Bahá’ís.
La base preliminar de estas instituciones fue creada en la época de ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, pero quedaron firmemente establecidas en todo el mundo bajo la dirección del Guardián de la Causa. Seguidamente, examinaremos la forma en que los Bahá’ís trabajan unidos para el logro de los ideales que sostienen.
El Orden Administrativo Bahá’í, a medida que se expanda y se consolide, llegará a ser considerado no solo como el núcleo sino como el mismo modelo del Nuevo Orden Mundial, destinado a abarcar, en la plenitud del tiempo, a toda la humanidad.—Shoghi Effendi
Pilares de la vida[edit]
En este universo todo está gobernado por leyes definidas. En la tierra vemos ejemplos de esto en las estaciones que se repiten, en la vida de las plantas y de los animales que nos rodean. Solo el hombre tiene la facultad de obedecer o no las leyes que gobiernan su vida. De la elección que él haga dependerá no solo su felicidad en este mundo sino también su progreso futuro cuando deje su vida terrenal.
Cuando la naturaleza espiritual del hombre es adiestrada y cultivada, éste sobresale del mundo animal y refleja los atributos de Dios. Sus facultades físicas y mentales son empleadas en la promoción de la verdadera civilización y para alcanzar la verdadera felicidad.
Por lo tanto, observemos por un momento algunas de las leyes eternas que regulan la vida espiritual del hombre y de las depende su progreso.
La Oración
Cuando un hombre ha tenido hambre durante mucho tiempo, deja de sentir el agujón del hambre aunque su cuerpo no pueda vivir sin alimentos. Lo mismo ocurre con el alma. Si él no se comunica con Dios por medio de la oración, puede que no sienta la necesidad de hacerlo, pero su alma necesitará este alimento para continuar fuerte y saludable.
Bahá’u’lláh dice que el hombre debe aprender a amar a Dios y a comunicarse con Él mediante la oración.
En la Fe Bahá’í la oración no está acompañada de ritual alguno. Lo importante es la sinceridad y la concentración.
Para enseñarnos a orar, Bahá’u’lláh ha escrito muchas oraciones hermosas que han ayudado a miles de personas, aunque la oración pueda ser también sin palabras.
Bahá’u’lláh pide a sus creyentes que recen todos los días. Además de las distintas oraciones que pueden usarse en toda ocasión, Bahá’u’lláh ha indicado tres oraciones obligatorias de las que el Bahá’í debe elegir una para su uso diario. He aquí una de las oraciones de Bahá’u’lláh:
“Soy testigo, oh mi Dios, de que Tú me has creado para conocerte y adorarte. Atestiguo en este momento mi impotencia y Tu poder, mi pobreza y Tu riqueza.
“No hay otro Dios más que Tú, el Que Ayuda en el Peligro, el Que Subsiste por Sí Mismo.”—Bahá’u’lláh
Preguntas y respuestas[edit]
Estimados Amigos Bahá’ís,
Con esta edición de la “Página Hispana” comenzará una sección de contestaciones a unas Preguntas.
Están Uds. invitados a enviar cualquier pregunta que tengan sobre las enseñanzas Bahá’ís o de cualquier tema de interés.
Manden sus cartas a la siguiente dirección:
- PÁGINA HISPANA
- National Teaching Committee
- Bahá’í National Center
- Wilmette, Illinois 60091
Muchas Gracias,
Página Hispana
Pregunta
Qué creen los Bahá’ís sobre la vida después de la muerte
Respuesta
Las enseñanzas Bahá’ís que se refieren al gran misterio de la muerte y de una vida más allá de los soberanos umbrales, ofrecen a las mentes perplejas y a los corazones apesadumbrados un mensaje radiante de esperanza, consuelo y estímulo para una vida noble.
Porque Bahá’u’lláh, el Profeta de Dios para esta nueva era, y Su hijo, el Intérprete de Sus enseñanzas, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, han corrido algunos de los velos que ocultan lo invisible, y han explicado mucho de lo que, hasta ahora, parecía vago y desconcertante.
Pero los misterios del más allá y los secretos del universo no pueden ser revelados totalmente, ya que el lenguaje de los hombres es como el lenguaje de los niños, y tales revelaciones no podrían ser comprendidas correctamente por nosotros en este mundo. Solo algunas verdades necesitan ser conocidas, con el objeto de aclarar nuestros pensamientos, inspirar y guiar las actividades de nuestra vida terrena.
Parece que fuera necesario, antes de que podamos comprender algo del significado de la existencia en la vida del más allá, que comprendamos el propósito de esta vida, y cómo debería ser considerada.
Mundo Embrionario
Se nos enseña que la vida en la carne es solo la etapa embrionaria de la existencia. Puede ser comparada con el proceso de gestación del niño, cuando adquiere y desarrolla gradualmente la forma y los atributos que necesitará para su vida en el mundo físico. Así el hombre necesita desarrollar en la vida terrenal aquellas cualidades del espíritu que le permitirán no solo funcionar en forma adecuada aquí y alcanzar la felicidad espiritual, sino también le servirán, al morir, para un renacimiento a la vida del más allá.
El propósito de la existencia terrena es, por lo tanto, permitir al hombre desarrollarse mediante las experiencias de la alegría y del dolor, mediante la lucha, realización y actividad bien dirigida, aquellas cualidades espirituales de amor, pureza, humildad, desprendimiento, veracidad, sabiduría, fe y servicio a la humanidad, que constituirán su vida en las esferas de la eternidad.
“Oh Hijo del Espíritu! Mi primer consejo es este: Posee un corazón puro, bondadoso y radiante para que sean tuya una soberanía antigua, imperecedera y sempiterna.”—Bahá’u’lláh
[Page 18]
PERSIAN PAGE
[Page 19]
PERSIAN PAGE
Ritmo de la comunidad[edit]
Continued From Page 16
nuevos, etc. (Se debe notar que a los 15 miembros, las Asambleas deben adoptar una meta de enseñanza de extensión. Esto no excluye, sin embargo, a aquellas Asambleas firmes de menos de 15 que deseen adoptar una meta. Solo significa que a los 15, se debería hacer una meta como un paso automático.)
De una comunidad de 15 con una Asamblea incorporada a una comunidad de 30: Una vez que la comunidad haya alcanzado los 30 miembros, llega a ser una base de recursos humanos de la cual se pueden enviar pioneros (dentro del país o al extranjero), que puede adoptar metas y trabajos más extensos, organizar conferencias e institutos, desarrollar proyectos especiales de enseñanza (como son los proyectos para las minorías), y continuar de expandir la comunidad, ganando nuevas almas para la Causa de Bahá’u’lláh.
Studies[edit]
Continued From Page 14
for review as soon as possible.
Please send materials to the Association for Bahá’í Studies, Box 2577, Station D, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1P 5W6.
Reservations for the conferences should be made through the respective schools:
Registrar, Green Acre Bahá’í School, P.O. Box 17, Eliot, ME 03903.
Registrar, Bosch Bahá’í School, 500 Comstock Lane, Santa Cruz, CA 95060.
Several additional conferences will be held in various parts of Canada during December.
Danny Deardorff profiled in PBS television special on his life, music[edit]
Danny Deardorff, a Bahá’í who lives in Vashon Island, Washington, was profiled May 1 on a half-hour public television program about his music and his life.
The program, entitled “Danny Deardorff’s Rainbow,” was presented shortly before the scheduled release of Mr. Deardorff’s first solo album, “Chameleon,” which is being completed with the help of Jim Seals, Dash Crofts, Marcia Day and a host of professionals from Los Angeles to Seattle.
A Danny Deardorff fan club is being formed in the Seattle area. For information, write to the club at P.O. Box 448, Seattle, WA 98111.
Martyrs[edit]
Continued From Page 1
14, seven outstanding and respected members of the local Bahá’í governing body in Hamadan faced a firing squad after having been imprisoned and tortured. They were: Mr. Husayn Mutlaq, Mr. Suhayl Habibi, Mr. Suhrab Habibi, Dr. Nasir Vafa’i, Dr. Firúz Na‘imi, Mr. Husayn Khandil and Mr. Tarazulla Khuzayn. Similar executions have occurred before this in Tabriz, Tehran, Shíráz and Yazd.
THE SUPREME Judicial Council in Tehran approved the execution of these men, as it has on prior occasions since March, on the basis of trumped-up charges, including corruption on earth, fighting God and his messenger, and collaboration with world Zionism. These charges bear no relation whatsoever to reality but serve as a refrain in the shrill rhetoric being used by the Shi‘ite clergy in their fanatic opposition to the Bahá’í Faith, which they regard as a heresy.
Far more ominous, however, has been the verdict announced for the first time last March in the case of the trial of two Bahá’ís in Shíráz making membership in Bahá’í institutions and teaching the Bahá’í religion crimes punishable by death. Since then the Iranian Bahá’í community has feared for the lives of the members of some 500 local Bahá’í governing bodies throughout the country, each comprising nine persons, and of the members of the Bahá’í national governing body who were abducted last August and taken to an unknown destination.
The immediate threat of summary executions hangs over the scores of prominent Bahá’ís now being held in prison in a diabolical attempt to force the rank and file of the Bahá’í community to recant their faith. Iranian authorities have remained impervious to the thousands of appeals addressed to them by the Bahá’ís of more than 300 countries and dependencies. The persecution of the Iranian Bahá’ís, abetted by the recent high court rulings, clearly has assumed the pattern of a genocidal campaign.
SHAKEN and distressed by the dark fate rapidly enveloping the entire community of our beleaguered co-religionists, we urgently appeal to you, Mr. Secretary-General, immediately to lend the full weight of your influence to arranging to send a special representative or a United Nations Commission to Iran at the earliest possible moment to ascertain the condition of the Bahá’ís and to take forthright measures to lift the oppression burdening this peace-loving, law-abiding people, whose only guilt is their belief in the essential unity of the world religions, the oneness of all the races of mankind, the equality of men and women, and the benefits of compulsory education as necessary means toward the establishment of a universal and lasting peace.
Please be assured of our gratitude and respect.
Archival materials must be carefully preserved[edit]
This is the fourth in a series of articles on Bahá’í archives written by the National Bahá’í Archives Committee.
•
Preservation: Paper and most other archival materials have the following enemies: man, fire, temperature and humidity, acid, light, insects and rodents, mold.
The following gives some general advice about dealing with each of these enemies.
Man: Man damages archival material through theft, mistreatment or ignorance. To protect archival material, the archives should be kept under lock and key and no one should use the archives without the permission and under the supervision of the archivist.
A record should be kept of all researchers, and only pencils should be used while working with the records.
Fire: While Bahá’í archives can rarely, at present, be housed in fireproof buildings, the archivist should take every possible precaution against fire.
This might include acquiring fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, or fireproof safes or filing cabinets.
Temperature/humidity: The temperature and humidity in the archives should be kept at a constant level 24 hours a day. Temperature should be kept between 60° and 70°F and humidity between 45 per cent and 60 per cent.
Wide fluctuations in temperature or humidity can be as damaging as prolonged periods of too high or too low readings.
An air conditioning system is one of the best investments an archives can make, but if it is not feasible, then portable humidifiers and dehumidifiers should be used.
Acid: Acid in paper breaks down its fibers and causes the paper to become brittle. Acid can remain in paper after it is manufactured if the paper is made from groundwood or alum sizing.
The cheapest forms of paper, like newsprint, have groundwood, while most types of bond paper that are not 100 per cent cotton rag or the new “permalife” type will have alum sizing.
There is little that can be done at this time, as an inexpensive and efficient way of de-acidifying papers has not yet been developed.
Acid can also be transferred to paper, whether from another object next to it or from sulfuric acid in the air.
This is why archival material is placed in acid-free containers. Highly acidic material, like newspapers, should not be placed against items that are free of acid.
Light: The ultraviolet rays in sunlight and fluorescent lighting can damage paper and other archival material.
Therefore, an archives should be placed in a windowless room, or windows should be covered up. Plastic filters can be purchased to filter the ultraviolet rays from fluorescent lights.
Insects and rodents: There are many kinds of insects and rodents that feast on archival material. If any are found in the archives, a pest control company should be called in.
It is important to seal any openings that could harbor pests. Also, the archives should be kept clean and no foods or beverages should be allowed in.
Mold: Mold cannot grow if the humidity is kept below 65 per cent, so it is important to keep the humidity under control.
Sources of archival supplies: (1) Hollinger Corporation, P.O. Box 6185, 3810 South Four Mile Run Drive, Arlington, VA 22206. Archival supplies like folders and boxes. Best for bulk orders due to fairly large minimum order quantities.
(2) Highsmith Company, P.O. Box 25, Highway 106 East, Fort Atkinson, WI 53538. Library supplies.
(3) Light Impressions, 131 Gould St., Rochester, NY 14610. Supplies for storage and preservation of photographs.
(4) TALAS, 130 5th Avenue, New York, NY 10011. Archival and conservation supplies. Low minimum quantities, so suitable for small archives.
(5) University Products, P.O. Box 101, South Canal St., Holyoke, MA 01040. Archival and library supplies.
For more information on the organization and maintenance of a Bahá’í archives, write to the National Bahá’í Archives Committee, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091.
Answers[edit]
Continued From Page 9
ye occupied.” (p. 85)
13. (d) Public condemnation. “Not one Prophet of God was made manifest Who did not fall a victim to the relentless hate, to the denunciation, denial and execration of the clerics of His day!” (p. 79)
14. (c) Freedom from punishment. “Might not that same mullá ponder the torrents of blood which, during the long years when he enjoyed impunity of conduct, flowed at his behest ...” (p. 95)
15. (a) Predominant. “It does insist, however, on the subordination of national considerations and particularistic interests to the imperative and paramount claims of humanity as a whole, inasmuch as in a world of interdependent nations and peoples the advantage of the part is best to be reached by the advantage of the whole.” (p. 122)
Bahá’í Publishing Trust[edit]
MINI CATALOG[edit]
New Books
Some Answered Questions: NEW Cloth, Paper Editions
‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s much loved series of table talks in which He offers traditional and rational proofs for the validity of the Faith, explains some of its fundamental aspects, examines a great variety of Christian doctrines and Biblical prophecies, and discusses the origin and conditions of man and many other topics. Includes new foreword suitable for introducing the Faith to seekers and libraries. Also includes new index. 305 pp.
- Cloth 106-037-10 $11.00
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Mothers, Fathers, and Children: Practical Advice to Parents: NEW for parents
A practical and encouraging guide for parents and teachers by the Hand of the Cause of God A. Furútan on how to train a child according to Bahá’í principles while dealing with day-to-day family and classroom situations.
- Cloth 332-070-10 $9.00
- Paper 332-071-10 $4.50
Remember My Days: The Life Story of Bahá’u’lláh: NEW for youth
By Lowell Johnson. A compact, easily-readable version of the life of Bahá’u’lláh, which includes incidents from His childhood and many touching details about His wife and children. Perfect for youth and non-Bahá’ís as a brief but personal look at Bahá’u’lláh’s life story. 41 pp.
- Paper 352-083-10 $2.50
New for Children and Youth
Puzzle Puzzle: NEW for Children
One side makes a calendar. The other side makes a garden! This reversible, 50-piece puzzle teaches children the Arabic and English names for the nineteen Bahá’í months and also lets them put together a garden filled with children of all races. 5–11 years.
- Puzzle 840-025-10 $5.00
O God, Guide Me ... Quilt Poster: NEW for Children
Brighten your child’s room with this photographic reproduction of a quilt designed by Vicky Hu. It features quotations from the Writings, beautifully illustrated with a variety of colorful scenes in embroidery and appliqué. Poster includes dark blue border and the words “O God, Guide Me ...” in white. 16 x 22 inches.
- Poster 859-009-10 $3.00
The Scottish Visitors: A Story About ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in Britain: NEW for Children
One day, a newspaperman rudely interrupts ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s meeting with some visitors, including two Scottish ladies. The guests are angry and upset, until ‘Abdu’l-Bahá shows them—by his patience and human understanding—how a true Bahá’í should act. Text by Anthony A. Lee. Illustrated by Rex John Irvine. 25 pp.
- Paper 352-076-10 $2.50
Stories from “The Dawn-Breakers”: Back in Stock!
The Hand of the Cause of God William Sears retells dramatic incidents from the Heroic Age of the Faith in this series of stories adapted from Stories from the Dawn-Breakers, a book by Zoe Meyer about the early years of the Bahá’í Era. An excellent means for introducing children to episodes from Bahá’í history. 217 minutes.
- Set of four Cassettes 831-025-10 $25.00
Fly through the Bahá’í Year: NEW for 5–10 year olds
A red bird and a yellow butterfly introduce children, in rhymed verse, to the Wilmette House of Worship and to the Bahá’í year filled with Holy Days and other observances. Written and colorfully illustrated by Terry Ostovar.
- Paper 352-075-10 $5.00
Role of Bahá’í Youth in Today’s World: Back in Stock!
A talk by the Hand of the Cause of God Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum in which she discusses how youth can best relate to the political movements, social changes, and morality of this age according to the standards of Bahá’u’lláh. Includes a question and answer session on a variety of important issues.
- Cassette 831-001-10 $8.50
The Secret in the Garden: NEW Paper Edition!
This award-winning story of how a small, observant girl helps the people of her village to learn about unity in diversity will delight adults and children alike with its wit and humor. Written and illustrated by Winifred Barnum Newman. Also available on cassette.
- Cloth 353-013-10 $5.50
- Paper 353-014-10 $3.00
- Book/Cassette 353-015-10 $8.00
New on the Continental Boards of Counselors
The Continental Boards of Counselors: NEW Booklet
A chronological compilation of letters, extracts of letters, and cables from The Universal House of Justice that traces the development of the Continental Boards of Counselors and Auxiliary Boards from 1968 through 1981, delineates their duties and responsibilities, and clarifies their relationships to the other institutions of the Administrative Order. Also contains an address on the institution by Counselor Edna M. True. This compilation will help us to understand why this institution is vital to the progress of the world Bahá’í community. 81 pp.
- Paper 215-067-10 $4.00
The Continental Board of Counselors: Its Role and Station: Back in Stock!
A study and deepening class on the importance of the Continental Boards of Counselors conducted by the Hand of the Cause of God William Sears. Use with the new Continental Boards of Counselors booklet. 60 minutes.
- Cassette 830-036-10 $7.00
A Moment with the Institution of the Continental Board of Counselors: Back in Stock!
A presentation by Counselor Edna True and four Auxiliary Board Members that contains priceless reminiscences of the Master and early U.S. believers, inspirational guidance for teaching and pioneering, and practical advice on handling opposition to the Faith. 58 minutes.
- Cassette 831-076-10 $7.00
For NEC’s September Study Tape
The Promised Day Is Come
In this 1941 letter to Western Bahá’ís, Shoghi Effendi analyzes the main trends in the last hundred years, and in forceful terms points to mankind’s rejection of Bahá’u’lláh as the underlying cause of the present worldwide social and moral chaos. An indispensable perspective on current world events.
- Cloth 108-017-10 $11.00
- Paper 108-018-10 $5.50
New Bookplates
Bahá’í Library Bookplates: NEW Bookplates
Are you concerned about losing your books, but reluctant to mark them up by putting your name in them? Bahá’í Library Bookplates are the perfect way to put your name into all your books and to proclaim the Faith at the same time. They are attractive green-and-white labels of pre-glued paper that can be placed on the inside covers of your books. The bookplates feature the Greatest Name in the center of a nine-pointed star. Bookplates will not only designate your personal library; they will also prompt questions from non-Bahá’í friends who happen to glance through or borrow your books. Each package contains twenty bookplates. 4 1/8 x 3 3/8 inches.
- Package 842-001-10 $4.00
New Persian Tape
In Memory of the Martyrs: NEW Cassette!
An exquisite selection of chants and songs by the renowned Persian artist Shokouh Rezai, recorded at the House of Worship in Wilmette. Included are Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, odes by Bahá’u’lláh, a poem by Ṭáhirih, and more. Both Persian and non-Persian friends will enjoy it as a beautiful background for prayer and meditation and an exhilarating addition to Feasts. 47 minutes.
- Cassette 832-025-10 $8.00
New Stereo Cassettes
The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh: New Stereo Cassette Donna Kime’s lyrical voice brings out the poetic beauty of Bahá’u’lláh’s Hidden Words. Excellent for Feasts and deepenings.
- 60 minutes. Catalog No. 832-022-10 $8.50
Flight: NEW Stereo Cassette. A diversity of cultures as well as musical styles is represented in this collection of original songs by Bahá’í musicians that includes the soft rock of England Dan and John Ford Coley, the jazz improvisations of Do’a, and the rhythm and blues of John and Sharon Barnes.
- 60 minutes. Catalog No. 832-021-10 $8.50
The Lote Tree: NEW Stereo Cassette The Central Figures, the Guardian, and the principles and institutions of the Faith are dramatically portrayed with narration by the Hand of the Cause of God William Sears and with songs by Bahá’í artists such as Seals and Crofts and England Dan and John Ford Coley.
- 60 minutes. Catalog No. 832-023-10 $8.50
Happy Ayyám-i-Há!: NEW Stereo Cassette Between musical selections, the Hand of the Cause of God William Sears shares “grandfatherly” talk with a group of children about various aspects of the Faith. For all year long!
- 60 minutes. Catalog No. 832-044-10 $8.50
Cassettes Back in Stock
Shoghi Effendi: Guardian of the Bahá’í Faith: Back in Stock!
A talk by the Hand of the Cause of God Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum in which she describes the Guardian’s painstaking precision as a writer, his remarkable perseverance, and his joy upon hearing of the progress of the Cause. She also elucidates the importance of his writings as a source of inspiration and guidance for “bringing into existence” the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh. 90 minutes.
- Cassette 831-003-10 $8.50
Prophecies Fulfilled by the Coming of Bahá’u’lláh: Back in Stock!
A six-part study and deepening session on three cassettes by the Hand of the Cause of God William Sears that traces the promises recorded in the holy scriptures of past ages and shows how they were fulfilled by Bahá’u’lláh. Total time: 180 minutes.
- Set of Three Cassettes 830-004-10 $18.00
A Commentary on the Kitáb-i-Aqdas’: Back in Stock!
A commentary by the Hand of the Cause of God A. Q. Faizí on the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, followed by excerpts from the Most Holy Book of Bahá’u’lláh. 60 minutes.
- Cassette 830-051-10 $7.00
The Significance of Covenant-Breaking: Back in Stock!
The Hand of the Cause of God William Sears is featured in a study and deepening session on Bahá’í teachings regarding Covenant-breaking. Conversational in tone, this tape is well suited for both individual and group use.
- Cassette 830-091-10 $7.00
The Majesty and Greatness of the Divinely Ordained Local Spiritual Assembly: Back in Stock!
This study and deepening session conducted by the Hand of the Cause of God William Sears offers a wealth of information and insight on the Local Spiritual Assembly. 90 minutes.
- Cassette 830-090-10 $8.50
More Cassettes for Deepening
“Legacies of Service” is an ongoing series of cassettes featuring Hands of the Cause of God. Five are now available. Buy one, or buy the set at a savings.
Use for:
- □ Gifts for new believers
- □ Deepening classes
- □ Personal library
- □ Summer schools
- □ Youth classes
“Are You Happy?” Hand of the Cause of God Enoch Olinga talks of the spiritual quality of happiness and the joy of teaching.
60 minutes: NEW Catalog No. 6-31-52 $6.50
“My only desire ... was to serve His Cause.” Hand of the Cause of God Agnes Alexander shares the story of her introduction to and acceptance of the Faith, her pioneering experiences, and her dedicated service to the Faith.
70 minutes: NEW Catalog No. 6-31-51 $6.50
“The Triumph of the Cause.” Hand of the Cause of God Hasan M. Balyúzí, in a recording made at the 1963 World Congress in London, gives a historical perspective of the Ten Year Crusade and leaves us with Shoghi Effendi’s guidelines for winning the goals of the plans generated from the administrative centers of the Faith.
30 minutes: NEW Catalog No. 6-31-53 $5.00
“In the Days of the Guardian.” Hand of the Cause of God Leroy Ioas shares moments spent with the Guardian that reveal his power, wit, and compassion.
60 minutes: Reissue Catalog No. 6-31-50 $6.50
“In His Presence.” His meeting with Bahá’u’lláh is the focus of Hand of the Cause of God Ṭaráẓ’u’lláh Samandarí’s talk. Marzieh Gail translates.
60 minutes: Reissue
- Catalog No. 6-30-99 $6.50
“Legacies of Service,” set of 5 cassettes
- Catalog No. 6-31-54 $28.00
Works on the Bahá’í Faith
Stories from the Delight of Hearts: The Memoirs of Ḥájí Mírzá Ḥaydar-‘Alí’
Learn about the fascinating life story of one who braved the persecutions of family, friends, and fellow-countrymen to embrace the Bábí Faith. Ḥájí Mírzá Ḥaydar-‘Alí’s commitment to the new religion finally took him to the Holy Land, where he attained the presence of Bahá’u’lláh. Translated and abridged by the Hand of the Cause of God A. Q. Faizi. 163 pp., notes.
- Cloth 331-098-10 $9.00
The Dawn-Breakers
An extraordinary eyewitness account of the early years of the Bahá’í Era, centering around the Báb. Translated and edited by Shoghi Effendi, this historical work contains extensive explanatory footnotes from the writings of European historians and scholars. It also contains a genealogy of the Báb, many photographs, a glossary, and a guide to the pronunciation of proper names. Essential for studying and teaching the Faith and preparing for pilgrimage.
- Cloth 331-053-10 $20.00
- Sale price $9.00 only when ordered on the order blank on page 4 of this August Mini-Catalog.
For Children
My Baby Book
An excellent tool for reinforcing your small child’s sense of Bahá’í identity. My Baby Book provides you with a handy place for keeping records of your child’s physical and spiritual growth. For your child it is a book to which he can return again and again for a personalized account of his first years. 8½ x 11 inches. 32 pp.
- Cloth 352-053-10 $16.00
Sunflower Books, Set of 4
Simple first-person text and suitable activities help children learn simple Bahá’í concepts and gain a sense of Bahá’í identity. Includes My Bahá’í Book, My Favorite Prayers and Passages, God and Me, and Our Bahá’í Holy Places. 3–7 years.
- Paper 353-005-10 $7.50
Bahá’í Prayers and Tablets for the Young
Features 28 prayers revealed by Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and 10 Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá for children and youth. For younger children, older children, and youth.
- Cloth 315-054-10 $5.00
God and His Messengers
Children learn about the concept of progressive revelation in this collection of stories, written in a warm, conversational style, about the lives of several of the Manifestations of God, including Moses, Buddha, Jesus, Muḥammad, the Báb, and Bahá’u’lláh. Text by David Hoffman. Illustrated by Zohreh Zahra’í. For grades K–5.
- Paper 352-042-10 $3.95
Come and Sing
This appealing collection of songs will assist children in understanding and developing the attributes of God. Ideal for children of any age or faith. Produced by Warren Kime and Susan Engle.
- LP 835-021-10 $8.50
- Stereo Cassette 832-020-10 $8.50
For Youth
A New World Order: Deepening Portfolio #1
Prepared by the National Teaching Committee for youth deepenings, each Deepening Portfolio contains excerpts from the Bahá’í writings and concludes each section with questions for discussion. A New World Order introduces three subjects basic to deepening: the mission of Bahá’u’lláh, the Covenant, and the role of the individual. Also includes a message from The Universal House of Justice detailing three fields of service open to youth.
- Paper 365-010-10 $1.50
A New Race of Men: Deepening Portfolio #2
This deepening portfolio deals with five of the many spiritual virtues that the Bahá’í community is struggling to manifest to the world: sacrifice, courtesy, obedience, cleanliness, and reverence.
- Paper 365-011-10 $1.50
The Suffering of Bahá’u’lláh: Deepening Portfolio #3
This deepening portfolio focuses on the purpose and significance of the suffering that Bahá’u’lláh chose to endure during His lifetime. Illustrated by Dale Robison Martin and Thomas Kubala.
- Paper 365-012-10 $1.50
Ali’s Dream: The Story of Bahá’u’lláh: NEW for youth
By John Hatcher. For 11–15 year olds: a fictional story of 11-year-old Ali, whose life becomes a quest for the meaning of a dream that leads him to an understanding of his Bahá’í heritage and his spiritual destiny. Into the story of the search the author weaves scenes from Bahá’í history, drawing from them truths about the acquisition of spiritual qualities.
- Cloth 352-080-10 $9.95
- Paper 352-081-10 $4.95
The Birth of the Bahá’í Faith
A brief illustrated history of major events in the Heroic Age of the Faith, from the birth of the Báb to the passing of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Excellent for teaching and deepening youth and new Bahá’ís of all ages. Text and illustrations by Debbie D. Whitman.
- Paper 352-055-10 $1.00
New Stereo Cassettes—See page 2
New Jewelry
Nine-Sided Greatest Name Pendant: NEW
This gold-plated, nine-pointed pendant features the Greatest Name embossed on an enamel background that comes in three colors. Includes 18-inch chain. A great conversation starter.
- Gold 862-058-10 $14.00
- Gold w/red 862-059-10 $20.00
- Gold w/green 862-060-10 $20.00
Greatest Name Filigree Pendant: NEW
A delicate filigree border surrounds the Greatest Name embossed on an enamel background that comes in three colors. Includes 18-inch chain. An elegant way to proclaim the Faith.
- Gold 862-055-10 $14.00
- Gold w/green 862-056-10 $20.00
- Gold w/red 862-057-10 $20.00
Ringstone Lapel Pins: NEW
The Bahá’í ringstone symbol in gold color is featured on an attractive enamel background. Five different colors to choose from. Sold in sets of five only.
- Lapel Pins Sets of Five Only 861-096-10 $18.00
Filmstrips Back in Stock
‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Glimpses of Perfection: Back in Stock!
An account of the Master’s visit to America in 1912, showing the profound effect He had on the early American believers and suggesting the deep significance of His journey to the West. Black and white, 16 minutes.
- Filmstrip 800-007-10 $16.00
Each One Teach One: Back in Stock!
Imaginative cartoon artwork and the song “Each One Teach One” help demonstrate how the Faith will grow when every Bahá’í works toward bringing at least one person into the Faith each year. Color, 3 minutes.
- Filmstrip 803-003-10 $15.00
The Trusted Ones of God: The Local Spiritual Assembly: Back in Stock!
A deepening program that explains the spiritual foundation, election, and duties and responsibilities of the Local Spiritual Assembly. Features cartoon artwork. Script based on the booklet of the same name. Color, 17 minutes.
- Filmstrip 800-066-10 $16.00
- Booklet 368-013-10 $.50 10/$3.00
Out of God’s Eternal Ocean: Back in Stock!
An audio-visual account of the first fifty years of the Bahá’í Era. Script and photographs dramatically highlight such events as the Báb’s Declaration to Mullá Ḥusayn and the arrival of Bahá’u’lláh and His followers in ‘Akká. Color, 30 minutes.
- Filmstrip 801-058-10 $20.00
Pilgrimage to the House of the Báb: Back in Stock!
A priceless record of that sacred spot in Shíráz, Persia, where the Báb declared His Mission. Features a rich selection of photographs of the House of the Báb and a narration that includes two previously untranslated excerpts from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh. In Spanish and English. Color. 20 minutes (English), 22 minutes (Spanish).
- Filmstrip 801-088-10 $20.00
Land of Resplendent Glory: Back in Stock!
A three-part series on the Báb, the Letters of the Living, and Bahá’u’lláh that shows landmarks and holy places of great significance to the Faith. Written and photographed by Guy Murchie. Black and white, 58 minutes.
- Parts I, II and III 804-005-10 $40.00
Rhythm of Growth: Stages 1B and 1C—See page 4
For Human Rights Day
Building a Unified Community
A proclamation pamphlet essential for Human Rights Day observances. Unified communities emerge, the pamphlet says, when every individual develops characteristics that enable him to interact successfully in his family, in his marriage, and in his local, national, and international communities.
- Pamphlet 340-098-10 10/$2.50
Becoming Your True Self
Dr. Daniel C. Jordan discusses the nature of human potential and explains how the Bahá’í Faith enables the individual to realize his potential. This realization develops a sense of self-worth and a compassionate social conscience, and eliminates the need to express hostility—“all prerequisites of world unity and peace.”
- Pamphlet 340-015-10 10/$5.00
For Your Rhythm of Growth Core Library: Stage 1B
The Power of the Covenant
Package 1B, entitled “Adding to Your Treasures,” continues the Bahá’í education of the individual believer. The Power of the Covenant is a series of booklets that will introduce you to the source of the strength and unity of the Faith, Bahá’u’lláh’s Covenant with Mankind. These booklets show how the Covenant is the key to the unity of mankind, discuss the protection of the Covenant from the attacks of the Covenant-breakers, and examine the subject of external attacks on the Faith.
- Parts I, II and III 365-004-10 $4.00
Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
Once you understand the place of the Covenant as the “fortified fortress” of the Faith and the source of its vitality, you can more readily appreciate the significance of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Will and Testament. This is the fundamental document from which the Administrative Order derives its authority. It outlines the major features of the Administrative institutions, and ensures the protection of the unity and integrity of the Faith, and is the charter of a future world civilization.
- Paper 106-020-10 $1.50
The Pattern of Bahá’í Life
This compilation of the writings of Bahá’u’lláh, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and Shoghi Effendi will assist you in your personal growth by offering guidance on the subjects of purity, kindliness, and radiance—three of the virtues mentioned by Bahá’u’lláh in the Arabic Hidden Word No. I. Within the context of these attributes, the compilation includes such topics as chastity, sincerity, self-expression, cleanliness, and unity.
- Paper 315-030-10 $1.50
The Individual and Teaching: Raising the Divine Call Paper
You will find renewed excitement and purpose for your teaching work from this compilation of writings from Bahá’u’lláh, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and Shoghi Effendi that offers inspiration, advice, and guidelines for teaching.
- Paper 215-060-10 $2.00
Rhythm of Growth, 1B, all four books Catalog No. 501-021-10 $4.50 NET
For Your Rhythm of Growth Core Library: Stage 1C
Spiritual Foundations: Prayer, Meditation, and the Devotional Attitude
Package 1C, “Completing a Core Library,” adds the finishing touches to the basic information through which the individual believer’s spiritual life can flourish. In Spiritual Foundations the writings of Bahá’u’lláh, the Báb, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and Shoghi Effendi will reinforce your daily habits of praying, reading from the Writings, and meditating on the Creative Word as the foundations of spiritual growth.
- Paper 215-066-10 $1.50
Selected Writings of Bahá’u’lláh
An excellent subject for your deepening and meditation is this small booklet bringing you potent passages from Bahá’u’lláh’s Writings on such topics as the path to God, the soul, and unity, peace, and justice.
- Paper 303-023-10 $1.50
Tablets of the Divine Plan
Deepening on the Writings will help to provide you with the competence and confidence you need as you engage in the vital task of teaching the Faith. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s teaching mandate to the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada dynamically underscores the responsibilities of the North American Bahá’ís in achieving the global teaching goals.
- Cloth w/map 106-009-10 $11.00
- Paper 106-011-10 $4.50
The Advent of Divine Justice
In a letter to the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada, Shoghi Effendi provides instructions for carrying out the mandate of the Tablets of the Divine Plan by setting forth the spiritual prerequisites for success in every activity of the Faith. In studying this work, you will understand how your teaching work is contributing to the expansion of the entire world Bahá’í community.
- Paper 106-002-10 $4.50
From Strength to Strength
This inspirational history of the Faith from 1921–1973 will allow you to see the effect of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s teaching mandate upon the Bahá’í world. It details the growth of the Administrative Order under the Guardian and the heroic response that was made to the Tablets of the Divine Plan.
- Paper 332-030-10 $4.50
Rhythm of Growth: 1C, all five books
- Catalog No. 501-031-10 $7.50 NET