The American Bahá’í/Volume 13/Issue 4/Text
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Two more Bahá’ís join ranks of martyrs in Iran[edit]
ACCOUNTS HEROISM BELIEVERS CRADLE FAITH FILL OUR HEARTS WITH FEELINGS OF AWE, GRATITUDE, ADMIRATION. MOUNTING CRUELTIES OPPRESSORS MATCHED BY HEIGHTENED ENDURANCE STEADFASTNESS STAUNCH SUPPORTERS GREATEST NAME.
SINCE LAST REPORT ON 11 JANUARY 1982 CROWN MARTYRDOM HAS ADORNED TWO MORE LOVING SOULS, HUSAYN VAHDAT-I-HAQ OF TEHERAN AND IBRAHIM KHAYRKHAH OF BABU’L-SAR. THE FORMER, A HIGHLY QUALIFIED ELECTRONICS ENGINEER, WAS EXECUTED ON 28 FEBRUARY, EVE OBSERVANCE DECLARATION OF BÁB ACCORDING LUNAR CALENDAR, AND MR. KHAYRKHAH, ACTIVE BELIEVER CASPIAN AREA, TWO DAYS EARLIER. BOTH EXECUTED BURIED UNCEREMONIOUSLY WITHOUT RELATIVES FRIENDS BEING INFORMED.
CONFISCATION OF HOMES INNOCENT BAHÁ’ÍS WITHOUT PROVOCATION IS CONTINUING. LOOTING AND AUCTIONING OF FURNISHINGS OF BAHÁ’Í HOME IN ARDIKAN NEAR YAZD WAS PRELUDE TO SERIES SIMILAR RAIDS ON HOMES OTHER BAHÁ’ÍS THAT TOWN. IN SHIRAZ 17 MORE HOMES EITHER CONFISCATED OR IN PROCESS CONFISCATION. 35 ADDITIONAL BANK ACCOUNTS OF BAHÁ’ÍS IN SHIRAZ NOW FROZEN. SCORES OF BAHÁ’ÍS HAVE LOST THEIR JOBS OR BEEN DEPRIVED THEIR BUSINESS AND TRADE LICENSES. ON ONE OCCASION A HIGH-RANKING AUTHORITY DECREED, IN REPLY TO QUESTION FROM INSURANCE COMPANY, THAT A BAHÁ’Í WIDOW HAD NO RIGHT COLLECT HALF HER HUSBAND’S PENSION DUE HER NOR RETAIN CUSTODY HER CHILDREN. HISTORIC BAHÁ’Í SITES PROGRESSIVELY BEING DEMOLISHED INCLUDING HOUSE BABIYYIH IN MASHHAD.
Generous outpouring is needed to erase large deficit in Fund[edit]
This fiscal year draws to a close on April 27, leaving only a few more days in which to reduce the contributions shortfall that remains at about one-half million dollars.
The shortfall approached $800,000 last November, but was reduced to $500,000 by February as a result of consistent support, with six consecutive monthly goals surpassed.
The increase in contributions was due largely to an increase in regular support for the National Fund by individual believers. The National Spiritual Assembly appealed for 20,000 individuals to contribute to the Fund each month, and has received in reply more than 7,500 pledges of support from the friends.
Although participation totals have never quite reached that level (the highest month to date was 6,409), the number of individuals contributing has more than doubled when compared to the beginning of the last fiscal year.
Contributions received during April will determine the strength of the Fund as we enter a new fiscal year.
A sacrificial outpouring of gifts from Assemblies and Groups as well as from individuals can help to achieve a balance of revenue and expenses for the year. The efforts exerted during the next few weeks will make a difference.
The long-term condition of the National Fund will remain strongly connected to the efforts of the individual Bahá’í. The goal of 20,000 contributors each month is attainable, and will be pursued in the coming year with equal intensity.
“It is only evident,” the beloved Guardian stated in a 1941 comment written on his behalf that still holds true today, “that unless the flow of donations is regularly maintained by means of generous and continual support by all the believers ... the National Fund will never be able to meet the
House of Worship site for 73rd National Convention[edit]
The 73rd Bahá’í National Convention, coming at the outset of the second year of the second phase of the Seven Year Plan, will be held April 29-May 2 at the Bahá’í House of Worship in Wilmette, Illinois.
The 171 delegates to the Convention will elect the National Spiritual Assembly for 1982-83 and consult on matters of importance to the American Bahá’í community.
BECAUSE of the relatively limited seating capacity at the House of Worship, non-delegate seating already has been allocated, and those who haven’t yet made a reservation are therefore discouraged from attending, as no seating for them would be available.
Delegates to the Convention were elected by the Bahá’í community at large last October during 86 District conventions.
They are elected according to the principle of proportional representation, with each voting district having at least one delegate.
The National Convention opens with the seating of the delegates. Next, the National Spiritual Assembly presents its annual report on the status of the American Bahá’í community.
The election of the new National Spiritual Assembly is held at a point midway through the Convention, to give the incoming Assembly an opportunity to consult with the delegates and to present the broad outlines of its plans for the coming year.
THE NATIONAL Spiritual Assembly is elected by plurality vote. The nine people who receive the highest number of votes cast by the delegates are elected.
The National Assembly members are free to participate in discussions on the floor of the Convention, although only those who also are delegates may vote on questions that are called during the proceedings.
During the Convention, the delegates (“accredited representatives of the American believers,” as the Guardian called them) fulfill the functions of “...an enlightened, consultative and cooperative body that will enrich the experience, enhance the prestige, support the authority, and assist the deliberations of the National
Bahá’ís in the Los Angeles, California, area are reporting unprecedented media coverage of the Faith as a result of the recent martyrdoms of Bahá’ís in Iran. The persecutions in Iran were discussed on no less than 13 programs on five Los Angeles television stations between January 4-12. In addition, at least nine Los Angeles area newspapers have published recent articles about the persecutions while at least four radio stations in that city have broadcast news of the executions of Iranian believers or conducted interviews with their relatives living in the area and/or other Bahá’ís. Shown here are some of the estimated 2,500 believers who attended a memorial service January 9 in Los Angeles for the Bahá’ís who have been martyred in Iran. Reports of the service were carried in local newspapers and even in The New York Times.
| What’s inside
FLORIDA Bahá’ís hold mass media conference in Orlando. Page 2 THE SEVEN Mysteries of Life by Guy Murchie is nominated for an American Book Award. Page 4 ONE THOUSAND attend a New York City memorial service for the martyrs in Iran. Page 6 PLANS are announced for three more Regional Youth Conferences this year. Page 7 A COMPLETE listing of jeopardized Assemblies and Groups of seven or more adults in the U.S. Pages 10-11 |
Communities to receive new ‘Status questionnaire’
Selected Local Spiritual Assemblies and Bahá’í Groups should now be receiving a new semi-annual “Community Status Questionnaire” from the National Spiritual Assembly.
The long-range intent of the questionnaire, says Art Conow, assistant to the Secretary for planning and coordination, is to reduce the number of questionnaires from the National Center that Spiritual Assemblies are asked to complete each year.
THE TWO-PAGE form is designed for easy completion and return, says Mr. Conow.
Most answers require only estimates with few specific answers required. A check mark is all that is needed for a typical response, and the questionnaire is ready for return to the National Center without a stamp or envelope.
Subjects covered in the questionnaire include information on local community membership; marriages, births and deaths; expansion, consolidation and proclamation activities; Fund participation; minority teaching; Bahá’í school activities; pioneering, and travel teaching activities.
The information obtained via this questionnaire will be reduced by computer and made available to the various offices at the National Center.
The form includes a separate section that is designed to supply information for the National Spiritual Assembly’s semi-annual statistical report to the Universal House of Justice.
Last fall this information was gathered by means of a postcard questionnaire.
[Page 2]
VIEWPOINT
Editorial
Increasing our capacity for diversity[edit]
In the last four years the American Bahá’í community has undergone a major change in its composition.
As a result of the upheaval in Iran and the turmoil in Southeast Asia, large numbers of Persian, Laotian and Vietnamese Bahá’ís have entered the United States.
AT THE SAME TIME, many of our new believers are French-speaking people from Haiti and Spanish-speaking people from Mexico or the U.S.
The influx of new believers and Bahá’ís from other parts of the world has increased dramatically the diversity of the American Bahá’í community. This is a marvelous development, for it will help us advance our ability to demonstrate the principle of the oneness of mankind, the pivotal social teaching of the Faith.
This new development also presents the American Bahá’í community with the challenge of expanding its capacity to appreciate diversity. We all know that it is one thing to espouse a doctrine, and quite another thing to practice it.
As the beloved Guardian indicated in his extraordinary statement in The Advent of Divine Justice (pp. 33-34) on the responsibilities of whites and blacks in solving the racial problem in this country, both the minority and the majority elements have a responsibility to help the other in becoming fully integrated into all facets of society.
With respect to the challenges facing us now, it is the responsibility of the American believers to make a special effort to welcome the newcomers into the community, to invite them into their homes, to include them in all their activities, and to help them become adjusted to American life.
LIKEWISE, THE NEWCOMERS, whether they be Persian, Haitian or Asian, have a responsibility to learn English—the language of the United States—and to adapt themselves to the manner in which the American Bahá’í community now operates.
The sad and frightening fortunes of humanity have given us an extraordinary opportunity. May we seize it with vigor, determination and magnanimity.
This photo, taken early in March, shows that the exterior of the new dormitory buildings at the Louhelen Bahá’í School near Davison, Michigan, have been virtually completed in spite of inclement weather. The project was begun last August on the 50th anniversary of the school’s establishment.
Florida conference studies use of mass news media[edit]
Ninety-three Bahá’ís from Florida and other areas of the U.S. gathered February 6-7 in Orlando, Florida, to study the use of mass media for increasing awareness of the Faith, to examine the concept and structure of regional media committees, and to consult with representatives of the Office of Public Affairs, Parks Scott and James LaMacchia.
The conference was sponsored by the Office of Public Affairs, the Spiritual Assembly of Orlando, and the Florida District Teaching Committees.
Much of the time was dedicated to improving the skills of those present for their work with newspapers, radio and television.
The friends also had an opportunity to review newspaper materials and television videotapes from the Office of Public Affairs for use in the media.
Although the pace of the conference was fast, and careful economy of time was exercised, it was barely possible in two days to cover the wealth of material and information for study.
Mr. Scott presented a comprehensive report on the growing acceptance of and reliance on the Office of Public Affairs by international news media in reporting news of the Faith.
“Live and On Stage,” a Bahá’í road show company from Fort Lauderdale, gave a lively and professional performance that delighted everyone.
Letters
Training children a serious responsibility for Bahá’ís[edit]
| 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. |
To the Editor:
The training of children is definitely a responsibility we must not belittle.
The Master states, in Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, No. 103, “The education and training of children is among the most meritorious acts of humankind and draweth down the grace and favour of the All-Merciful, for education is the indispensable foundation of all human excellence ...”
WHO AMONG us would not wish to draw down “the grace and favour of the All-Merciful”?
In that same book, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá further explains the importance of a mother’s role:
“For mothers are the first educators, the first mentors; and truly it is the mothers who determine the happiness, the future greatness, the courteous ways and learning and judgment, the understanding and faith of their little ones.”
“ ...those present should concern themselves with every means of training the girl children; with teaching the various branches of knowledge, good behavior, a proper way of life, the cultivation of a good character, chastity and constancy, perseverance, strength, determination, firmness of purpose; with household management, the education of children, and whatever especially applieth to the end that these girls, reared in the stronghold of all perfections, and with the protection of a goodly character, will, when they themselves become mothers, bring up their children from earliest infancy to have a good character and conduct themselves well.”
A mother may well feel that she must stay home in order to devote herself to this responsibility. Many mothers, though, feel isolated and even bored spending their days at home.
My question is this: Can these mothers use their time in furthering the Cause?
IT TAKES a great deal of time to organize Bahá’í activities. A mother can connect herself to the Bahá’í community through her work and service for the Faith.
For example: If a mother feels she doesn’t get out of the house often enough to get to know and become friends with other Bahá’ís in the community, perhaps she could join a committee.
And if she would like further to be of service while polishing up her old typing skills, she could volunteer to be secretary.
Because of their unique awareness of the purpose of man and their belief in goodness on a world-wide scale, Bahá’ís tend to lead many-faceted lives. It is difficult for many to keep abreast of the needs of their community and offer their services.
Perhaps, then, what is needed is the time and interest of those who feel that their main occupation (such as child-rearing) is too one-sided or not quite as fulfilling as they would like it to be.
After all, what could be more fulfilling than service in the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh?
Minneapolis, Minnesota
To the Editor:
I am quite concerned about something that seems to have become a feature of the Bahá’í community—an intolerance of new ideas and new interpretations of what the Bahá’í Revelation means.
Too often I have seen new ideas rejected simply because they were not what Bahá’ís were used to thinking.
FREQUENTLY the proponents of new ideas are not even given a chance to present their point of view.
For example, at a Bahá’í summer school I attended, a speaker was kept from giving his presentation by persons shouting and interrupting because they did not agree with his interpretation of Bahá’í history.
It is not infrequent for it to be rumored that those with unpopular opinions are not “good Bahá’ís” or even that they are Covenant-breakers.
In such an intolerant atmosphere, those with unpopular views are afraid to express themselves.
There are a number of reasons why this condition is unhealthy. Not the least of these is that popular viewpoints may not be the correct ones.
For example, it was once the prevalent belief in the American Bahá’í community that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was the return of Christ; however, His own writings make it clear that this is not true.
The Guardian explicitly stated that the Bahá’í Faith guarantees freedom of expression (see Bahá’í Administration, p. 63). Thus it is clear that suppressing new ideas and new interpretations is not sanctioned in the Bahá’í writings.
It is therefore my hope that we Bahá’ís, who rightly pride ourselves in our tolerance of people of other religions, will be more tolerant of those within our own community who express new ideas.
Los Angeles, California
To the Editor:
I would like to express warm appreciation to The American Bahá’í for its October editorial, “Have we become too ‘Americanized,’ ” and to Ms. Peters and Mrs. Taylor for their candid and stimulating responses in the January issue.
The topic of what does or does not motivate American Bahá’ís has evoked some thoughts on united participation.
FIRST, we need to remember
[Page 3]
Edward H. Steinman (right), a law professor at the University of Santa Clara, accepts a Bahá’í human rights award from Ron Gilpatrick, chairman of the Spiritual Assembly of San Jose, California, during the Assembly’s 25th anniversary celebration January 9. Also honored for his contributions to American jurisprudence was Raymond Shonholtz, executive director of the Community Board Program in San Francisco.
San Jose Assembly marks 25th year with award dinner[edit]
The Bahá’í community of San Jose, California, marked the 25th anniversary of the formation of the Spiritual Assembly of San Jose with an awards banquet January 9.
The keynote speaker was Judge James F. Nelson, chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly and presiding judge of the Municipal Court, Los Angeles Judicial District.
Honored by the Assembly for their outstanding service and contributions to American jurisprudence were Edward H. Steinman, a law professor at the University of Santa Clara’s law school, and Raymond Shonholtz, executive director of the Community Board Program in San Francisco, which enables community residents to resolve conflicts and disputes outside the court system.
About 300 people including several members of the National Spiritual Assembly attended the program.
‘Building Bahá’í Civilization’ theme of 8th Harrisburg Institute[edit]
Don’t forget the eighth annual Spring Institute sponsored by the Spiritual Assembly of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, is to be held June 11-13.
The theme of the institute is “Building the Bahá’í Civilization.”
Speakers will include Auxiliary Board members Robert Harris and Javidukht Khadem; Mrs. Rouhi Huddleston of Vienna, Virginia, and Dr. Martin Minney of Harrisburg.
Accommodations include two nights lodging, five meals (three on Saturday, two on Sunday), use of recreation facilities (swimming pool, tennis courts, volleyball, bowling), bedding and towels.
The cost is $35 for those 10 and older, $17 for children ages 3 through 9. Under three years old, free.
Pre-registration deadline is May 6. For a registration form or additional information, write to the Spiritual Assembly of Harrisburg, P.O. Box 3108, Harrisburg, PA 17105, or phone 717-232-9163.
Bahá’í authors article[edit]
Robert Clifton, a Bahá’í from Maquoketa, Iowa, has an article entitled “Homing Sense in Iowans” in the Fall 1981 issue of Mensa Research Journal, a publication of American Mensa Ltd.
In a brief biographical note that follows the article, Mr. Clifton is identified as a Bahá’í.
Persian doctors honor martyrs with Fund contribution[edit]
Moved by the sacrifices of their brethren in Iran and the crisis in the National Bahá’í Fund, a group of 10 Persian physicians living in the U.S. has made a generous contribution to the Fund in memory of eight Bahá’í physicians who are among those martyred recently in the Cradle of the Faith.
The contribution was accompanied by a letter to the National Spiritual Assembly, the text of which follows:
Dear distinguished servants of Bahá’u’lláh:
With saddened hearts and with fervent prayers for our dearly loved and severely persecuted Bahá’í brothers and sisters in the “Cradle of the Faith,” we are sending our special contributions to the National Bahá’í Fund in memory of eight distinguished and noble Bahá’í physicians who have been martyred or missing in Iran for their belief in Bahá’u’lláh.
Chicago to host Women’s Conference[edit]
As plans move forward for the Bahá’í Women’s Conference to be held July 2-5 at the Holiday Inn in Evanston, Illinois, responses have come in from all over the country.
The Spiritual Assembly of Chicago and its conference committee hope that you are making plans now to share in this unique and exciting experience.
THE DEADLINE for pre-registration is May 15, and those who wish to obtain the special rates being offered to our group by the Holiday Inn must register with the hotel by June 15.
Those special rates are $40 for a single room, $45 for a double, $50 for a room for four.
Rates at other nearby hotels are comparable.
Banquet tickets are priced at $10, and other meals may be bought individually at the hotel dining room or at nearby restaurants.
The conference theme is “Women Achieving the Balance the Bahá’í Way.”
Included in the four-day gathering will be presentations on the effects of religion on women’s development, and especially the influence of the Bahá’í Faith on that development; men and women sharing responsibility; and “networking” (building support groups) as a concept to be applied to both the world of work and to single parents.
There will also be workshops on a variety of topics including love and marriage, life as a single Bahá’í woman, effective time management, problems of the single parent, and the spiritual education of children.
Teen-age girls are especially encouraged to attend, and at least one workshop is planned on the challenges of being a Bahá’í youth.
The Saturday evening banquet will include Bahá’í and non-Bahá’í speakers, and performances by women with talents in the performing arts.
Greenbelt fetes Religion Day[edit]
Representatives of most of the religious groups in Greenbelt, Maryland, were among the 30 people who attended a World Religion Day observance in that community on January 29.
The gathering was sponsored by the Greenbelt Clergy Association in response to an idea set forth by the Spiritual Assembly of Greenbelt.
Among the speakers were Msgr. William F. O’Donnell of St. Hugh’s Catholic Church, Rabbi Steven Bayer, and Bahá’ís Robert Imagire, who spoke on Buddhism, and Theodies Washington, who spoke about the Faith.
the Champion builders[edit]
JULIET THOMPSON
From early childhood Juliet Thompson showed a talent for painting.
By age 12, following the death of her father, she was able to sell some of her pastel portraits to help family finances. By 1889, when she was 16, Juliet already had acquired a reputation for her art work.
IN 1901, at the invitation of Alice Barney, the mother of Laura Clifford Barney, Juliet moved from New York City to Paris to study art at the Sorbonne. She was accompanied by her mother and brother.
That same year she saw a photograph of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and immediately recognized His face as the one she had seen in a dream some years ago when she was seriously ill with diphtheria.
Miss Thompson became a Bahá’í that same year after studying the Faith with May Bolles Maxwell, the mother of the Hand of the Cause of God Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum, and thus became one of that first group of believers in Paris.
Back in New York, her art studio became a center for Bahá’í meetings. Largely through her efforts, many people declared their belief in Bahá’u’lláh.
In 1908, the year after ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was released from His imprisonment, Miss Thompson was one of the Kinney party to make a pilgrimage to Haifa.
She saw the Master again, first in France and then in Switzerland, when she traveled in 1911 from New York to Europe.
JULIET WAS one of the believers on hand in 1912 to greet ‘Abdu’l-Bahá upon His arrival in New York City.
It was she who arranged for Him to be received by the rector of the Church of the Ascension in New York during an evening service. Seated in the bishop’s chair beside the altar, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá answered questions about the Teachings from members of the congregation.
In February 1912, against her mother’s wishes, Juliet had spoken
More than 100 attend Hempstead interfaith service[edit]
An interfaith fellowship service sponsored by the Bahá’ís of the Town of Hempstead, New York, and supported by Bahá’ís from New York City and many Long Island communities was held last December 13 at St. John’s Baptist Church in Inwood, Long Island.
The service, attended by more than 100 people, was part of a new effort by believers in the area to reach out to those of other faiths in love and unity.
Bahá’ís report that they have been accepted with open arms by many clergymen who look to them for guidance as to how to awaken the spirit in their congregations.
At a fireside, one clergyman said, “You Bahá’ís are shaking us up. You’re reminding us of what we’re supposed to be doing.”
Another clergyman, speaking to his congregation at the end of an interfaith service, said, “I’ve experienced such a spirit of true love with these people (Bahá’ís) which I feel is lacking in our own congregation.”
A Baptist church deacon said to his church members, “You should listen to these Bahá’ís; they have taught me many things of which I was ignorant.”
Vito Benenati, a Bahá’í from Rockville Centre, is continuing to work closely with clergy in the area to plan further interfaith services in which the friends might participate.
Part of the audience of more than 100 that attended an interfaith service December 13 sponsored by the Bahá’ís of the Town of Hempstead, New York.
2nd Bristol Conference slated May 28-30[edit]
The second annual Bristol Bahá’í Conference will be held May 28-30 at Virginia Intermont College in Bristol.
The conference is sponsored by the Spiritual Assembly of Bristol.
Speakers will include Ron Parsons of Manitoba, Canada, a former minister who is now an Auxiliary Board member; John Adler from South Carolina, an assistant to the Auxiliary Board; Dr. Monib Collestan, a fifth generation Bahá’í who is a noted surgeon; and Mrs. Rezvanieh Collestan, who is distinguished as the first woman teacher at the University of Tunis in Tunisia.
There will be separate programs for adults, for youth, and for children two years and older.
The conference will emphasize how the Bahá’í Faith fulfills Christianity and Islam and how this understanding can enrich teaching efforts among fundamentalist Christians and others.
Workshops will be offered in the afternoons.
The cost is $55 for five meals and two nights, or $35 for five meals only, for those 11 years and older; $40 for five meals and two nights, or $35 for five meals only for children (6 to 10 years old); and $35 for five meals and two nights, or $25 for five meals only for children ages 2-5.
There is a pre-registration fee of $10 for adults, $5 for children (who must be pre-registered to attend classes).
To pre-register, make checks payable to the Bristol Bahá’í Conference Committee and mail to Mrs. Anita Williams, registrar, P.O. Box 6071, Roanoke, VA 24017.
For more information please phone 703-982-6984.
Murchie book award nominee[edit]
The paperback edition of The Seven Mysteries of Life by Bahá’í author Guy Murchie, published by Houghton Mifflin, is one of 90 hardcover and paperback books that have been nominated for the third annual American Book Awards.
The award winners will be announced on April 22.
The award ceremony, which honors the winners, nominees and judges, will be held Tuesday, April 27, at Carnegie Hall in New York City.
Award winners each receive a $1,000 cash prize and a Louise Nevelson sculpture.
The nominated books were chosen by 11-member panels of judges that included authors, booksellers, critics, librarians, editors and publishers.
Mr. Murchie’s book, subtitled “An Exploration in Science and Philosophy,” is one of five paperback books nominated in the “Science” category.
Regional Asian Teaching Committee sets conference for western states in May[edit]
The Regional Asian Teaching Committee for the Western States is planning to host the first regional Asian Teaching Conference ever held in that area.
The gathering will take place the last weekend in May. All those who are interested or involved in teaching among the Asian peoples should plan to attend.
For more information please contact the secretary of the Regional Teaching Committee, Tek-sing Lee, ________ San Marcos, CA 92069, or telephone 714-744-9123 after 5 p.m. (PST) weekdays.
Korea reschedules 60th anniversary observance[edit]
The celebration of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the Bahá’í Faith in Korea, previously scheduled for May 2-3 in Seoul, has been rescheduled for August 5-6, 1982.
The celebration will be followed by the annual Bahá’í summer school, to be held August 6-8 at Sindo Beach on a nearby island.
Convention[edit]
Continued From Page 1
Spiritual Assembly.”
The deliberations and decisions of the Convention are, however, only advisory.
The opinions expressed by the delegates are recommendations to the National Spiritual Assembly, which, as the Guardian urged, are to be given serious consideration by the incoming National Assembly.
The authority of the National Spiritual Assembly as the supreme administrative institution of the Faith in the U.S. continues uninterrupted even while the Convention is in session.
The Guardian explained that the National Convention is a temporary gathering whose status is “limited in time to the convention sessions, the function of consultation at all other times being vested in the entire body of believers through the Local Spiritual Assemblies.”
AFTER the Convention, the delegates return home to acquaint their fellow believers with the accomplishments, decisions, and aspirations of the Convention.
The first Bahá’í Convention in the U.S. was held in Chicago on Thanksgiving Day, November 26, 1907. It was convened to discuss construction of a House of Worship in North America.
The handful of believers who assembled there, in the words of the Guardian, “...arose, despite the smallness of their numbers and their limited resources to initiate an enterprise which must rank as the greatest single contribution which the Bahá’ís of America, and indeed the West, have yet made to the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh.”
The second National Convention, held in 1909, established the nine-member Executive Board (six men and three women were elected) that later was to evolve into our National Spiritual Assembly.
For purposes of numbering, the 1909 Convention is counted as the first U.S. Bahá’í Convention.
That Convention was held on the very day that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá entombed the remains of the blessed Báb on Mount Carmel. Thirty-nine delegates attended that second Convention, representing 36 Bahá’í communities.
The present figure of 171 delegates (19 x 9) was established by the Guardian in 1937, and later affirmed by the Universal House of Justice.
Before each Convention, the House of Justice restates the number of delegates that are to be elected to represent the community.
To date, there has been no change in the number specified by the Guardian.
[Page 5]
THE FUNDS
Sacrifice essential part of one’s relationship to God[edit]
This is the sixth in a seven-part series on important aspects of the Bahá’í Fund. Although man functions in a material world through material expressions, he is called upon to acquire divine attributes and to manifest spiritual behavior. The Fund, as a Divine Institution, provides man with a means to grow spiritually and to demonstrate that growth through action. The purpose of this series is to highlight the spiritual principles that underlie the outwardly material act of giving to the Fund.
•
Sacrifice is perhaps the most important and most weighty of all the subjects addressed in this series.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá said that sacrifice is “a most great subject, and is inexhaustible.” Therefore this topic certainly cannot be covered completely in this brief article.
THE DEEPENING course, “The Mystery of Sacrifice,” offered by National Treasurer’s Representatives throughout the country, provides an in-depth look at this vital principle.
Each of us could spend a lifetime coming to a true understanding of sacrifice, while trying, as much as possible, to incorporate it into his life.
Although ‘Abdu’l-Bahá termed sacrifice a “mystery,” it is obviously something that each individual must strive toward, for He also stated that “until a being setteth his foot in the plane of sacrifice, he is bereft of every favor and grace ...”
If we examine the relationship between the Fund and the concept of sacrifice, we can consider the Fund as a type of training ground for us to grow in our understanding of this subject.
The ultimate sacrifice that the Writings call us to is the sacrifice of self, a state described by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as one in which “man should sacrifice all his conditions for the divine station of God.”
This state cannot be reached all at once, of course. It is a condition toward which we develop throughout our lives, and the progress that we make is related to what we learn and practice of sacrifice through such means as giving to the Fund.
REGARDING sacrifice and the Fund, the Guardian wrote: “There can be no limit to one’s contributions to the National Fund. The more one can give the better it is, especially when such offerings necessitate the sacrifice of other wants and desires on the part of the donor.
“The harder the sacrifice the more meritorious it will be, of course, in the sight of God. For after all it is not so much the quantity of one’s offerings that matters, but rather the measure of deprivation that such offerings entail.”
This process of giving up our wants and desires in service to God is the foundation of achieving the greater sacrifice of self.
Beyond supporting the Fund, sacrifices for the Faith can take place through other areas of service—such as teaching, pioneering, and living the Bahá’í life.
Looking at the broad spectrum of the sacrifices required of the Bahá’ís in the U.S., the Guardian stated that they “are comparable to none but those which their spiritual forbears have willingly accepted at the hour of the birth of their Faith more than a hundred years ago.”
As individual believers, we may at times feel burdened by what appear to be demands for our time or money, especially with regard to a Fund appeal or the National Spiritual Assembly’s call for 20,000 regular supporters of the National Fund.
BUT IF we look with our spiritual eyes it is apparent that these are situations in which sacrifice is needed to win victories for the Faith and to serve the Cause.
The responsibilities are actually opportunities—the burdens are, in reality, blessings.
Consider the example of the believers in Iran. It would indeed be inconceivable to imagine that any outbreak of persecution in that community would be met by less than the heroic and selfless response that the friends are now demonstrating.
Yet suppose that in the face of attacks the members of the Persian community decided that they no longer would make the necessary sacrifices and would simply give in to the enemies of the Faith? The entire Bahá’í world would be shocked and devastated—surely this could never occur!
This example helps put our own situation into proper perspective. We, as the servants of Bahá’u’lláh in America, have equal responsibility to match the sacrifices of our brothers and sisters in Iran.
The principle of sacrifice is the same, no matter what the particular circumstances, and the efforts must be as rigorous and steadfast—only the outward expression of the principle itself changes.
Letters from martyrs underscore true meaning of sacrifice for Cause[edit]
The last letters of the martyrs bear eloquent testimony to the true meaning of sacrifice. These excerpts, written by the martyrs in prison often within the hour of their execution, were forwarded on behalf of the Universal House of Justice by the Secretariat at the World Centre. A more extensive rendering of these letters was printed in the January 1982 issue of Bahá’í News.
•
Excerpts from the will and testament, and last letters, of Mr. Mihdí Anvarí of Shíráz while he fasted in prison prior to his execution on March 17, 1981:
...The value and personality of an individual are related to his patience and steadfastness in times of adversities. Two men were looking out through the bars of their prison. One looked heavenward and exclaimed, “What a bright sky! What glittering stars!” The other, gazing down to the earth, remarked, “What a dusty mess.”
If one attains to the recognition of truth, he will never be tormented with worries ...
During our imprisonment, except for brief periods when we were obliged to rest, we have filled our hours with prayers. No moment is passed without our being occupied in the remembrance of God.
The means which change this fire (of tribulation) into a rose garden are the rains of reliance on God and the sweet breezes of devotion. “He doeth what He willeth ...” The fire of love cannot be quenched by water nor extinguished by a breeze ...
Our hands are empty but our aspirations and resolve are high. When the test comes the resolve of people will be proven and their reliance will be manifested ...
•
Excerpt from a letter by Auxiliary Board member Yadu’lláh Vaḥdat of Shíráz, written from prison before his execution on April 30, 1981.
With a sincere heart I seek the
138 B.E.
National Bahá’í
Fund
Individual Participation
goal—20,000 individuals
Contributions
goal—$316,000
$320,000
received
goal
$4,559,645
$5,056,000
$6,000,000
SHORTFALL: $496,355
Memorial program in New York City honors martyrs[edit]
One thousand people including many concerned non-Bahá’ís attended a memorial program for the Bahá’í martyrs in Iran held January 30 at the New York Hilton Hotel.
The service was sponsored by the Spiritual Assembly of New York City.
Among the speakers were the Hand of the Cause of God Zikrullah Khadem; members of the National Spiritual Assembly Dr. Wilma Brady, Dr. Firuz Kazemzadeh, and Glenford E. Mitchell; and Dr. Victor de Araujo, representative to the United Nations for the Bahá’í International Community.
The meeting was opened by Dr. Brady, who also is chairman of the Spiritual Assembly of New York City.
Included in the program were readings from Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh and The Hidden Words.
Also read were messages from the Universal House of Justice and the National Spiritual Assembly.
Among the expressions of support for the Bahá’ís in Iran cited during the memorial service was one from Academy Award-winning actress Joanne Woodward.
Sacramento slates 2nd Arts Festival[edit]
The second Bahá’í Festival of the Arts will be held in May in Sacramento, California, building on the success of last year’s festival which was seen by hundreds of people who had no previous knowledge of the Faith.
Artists from all over the U.S. submitted their work to the first festival, held at the Sacramento Community Center, a few blocks from the place at which ‘Abdu’l-Bahá spoke to the people of Sacramento in 1912.
PRIZES were given for the best two-dimensional and three-dimensional work.
In addition, singers, dancers, musicians, actors and Indian story tellers from three western states performed before enthusiastic audiences.
The opening night reception was attended by hundreds who hadn’t before heard of the Faith.
This year, the Bahá’ís of Sacramento plan to have even more well known performers at the festival to help bring the name of the Faith before the public.
They are inviting all artists and performers, in whatever form, to join them in making the second Bahá’í Festival of the Arts an even greater success.
For information please contact the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Sacramento, P.O. Box 161232, Sacramento, CA 95816.
Bahá’ís in Monterey area give Human Rights Award[edit]
Mrs. Narita Monhollan, a 73-year-old resident of Monterey, California, was honored by the Bahá’ís of the Monterey Peninsula at their annual Human Rights Day luncheon last December 12.
Mrs. Monhollan, who is severely handicapped by arthritis, was recognized for her untiring efforts over 23 years in arranging transportation for the handicapped in that area to attend major events such as the Monterey County Fair.
It was noted that Mrs. Monhollan’s award was given in conjunction with the United Nations Year of the Handicapped.
Fifty-one people including 15 non-Bahá’ís attended the luncheon.
The guest speakers were Dr. George Faul, a non-Bahá’í who is past president of the Monterey Peninsula College, and Mrs. Ruth De Fay, a Bahá’í from Santa Cruz.
Entertainment was provided by Bahá’ís Carol and Ron Lyle of Burlingame.
The event, which was planned by the Spiritual Assembly of Monterey, was well covered by the local press, radio and TV.
Dennis Gayle, chairman of the Spiritual Assembly of Monterey, California, presents that community’s 1981 Human Rights Award, inscribed with words of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, to Mrs. Narita Monhollan during Monterey’s annual award presentation last December. Mrs. Monhollan, who is severely crippled by arthritis, was honored for her efforts over 23 years in arranging transportation for the handicapped to area events.
Shown here are many of the more than 80 Bahá’ís who participated last December in the winter session of the first Oklahoma Bahá’í School held at the Central Oklahoma Christian Camp north of Oklahoma City. Auxiliary Board member Ronna Santoscoy was keynote speaker at the school whose theme was ‘Making Obstacles Your Opportunities.’
Eliot community hosts Human Rights Day dinner[edit]
The Bahá’í community of Eliot, Maine, observed United Nations Human Rights Day last December 12 with an international dinner that was attended by more than 75 people from nine countries.
Following the dinner, prayers were said in Vietnamese, Korean, Cambodian and English. Jane Grover gave a brief talk in English on human rights.
Entertainment was provided by Randy Armstrong of Dover, New Hampshire, a member of the recording group “Do’a,” and David Wold, also of Dover.
MR. Armstrong improvised on the Japanese biwa, the Chinese moon lute, and the Spanish classical guitar, and Mr. Wold performed two western classical piano pieces.
Guests at the dinner included natives of Cambodia, Chile, Costa Rica, Iran, Japan, Korea, Laos, Perú and Vietnam.
Among them was a group of Indochinese people from the Boston, Massachusetts, area.
In addition, two young men who had been in the same refugee camp in Thailand met for the first time in the U.S. at the dinner.
The opportunity to hold the event came about through Mrs. Grover’s work as a teacher of English as a second language with the Indochinese Resettlement Project.
“Teaching English to or tutoring refugees is a wonderful way to serve and make friends for the Faith,” she says.
The Green Acre Bahá’í School in Eliot offers a 30-hour course each summer in teaching English as a second language.
Teaching plans mapped for L.A.’s Chinatown[edit]
On February 15, a group of 18 Bahá’ís (14 adults and four children) came together in Los Angeles, California, under the guidance of local and Regional Asian Teaching Committees to teach the Faith in that city’s Chinatown.
Included in the group were Bahá’ís from China, Malaysia, Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines, Iran and the U.S.
The friends prayed together, had lunch in Chinatown, then broke up into small teams to speak with people and offer them pamphlets in Chinese.
As a result of this initial effort, a Bahá’í who lives near Chinatown has agreed to hold weekly firesides in Chinese, and perhaps monthly firesides in Vietnamese or Laotian as well.
A teaching plan for the area is being developed, and the Bahá’ís in all areas are being encouraged to spend more time in Chinatown to pray, shop, eat and just walk around to try and develop friendships.
Dr. Allen guest on radio show[edit]
On Friday, January 22, Dr. Dwight W. Allen, a member of the National Spiritual Assembly, was a guest on the radio talk show “Contact” on WGY, one of the most popular stations in the Schenectady, New York, area.
Dr. Allen, who is professor of urban education at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, gave a brief introduction to the Faith, then answered questions ranging from the Bahá’í position on racial prejudice and women’s rights to the persecutions in Iran and how American Bahá’ís are helping their co-religionists there.
An open discussion with call-in listeners was then begun, and because of the great interest that was shown, the program, which was to have ended after one hour, was extended to two hours.
As a result of the program, several listeners have contacted the local Bahá’í community asking for more information about the Faith.
A follow-up public meeting the next day was well attended in spite of a heavy snowstorm.
The first Spiritual Assembly of Stanton, California, was formed January 8. In the past year the community has grown from five adult Bahá’ís to 13. Represented on the Assembly are people of Italian, Mexican, Japanese, Dutch and Persian background. Its members are (back row left to right) Farzad Deldjoui, Carlos Velazquez, Sohrab Varga, Manoucher Vahdat, and (front row left to right) Nuraniyih Badi’iyan, Farideh Varga, Audrey Velazquez, Hisako Schlatter, Tomas Van Hees.
[Page 7]
YOUTH NEWS
Which One?[edit]
(Which one of the Regional Youth Conferences are YOU going to? ...)
At Riḍván, the second year of the three-year phase of the Seven Year Plan will be under way, and the National Youth Committee has planned a new series of Regional Youth Conferences to be held around the country.
Details of the conferences, which are scheduled during the spring and summer months, are provided below, along with a registration coupon. The friends are encouraged to register as early as possible for these important events that have attracted capacity attendance during the first year of the three-year phase.
Louisiana: From May 28-31 the youth will gather at Camp Ruth Lee near Clinton for a four-day conference. Costs for housing, meals and registration are $45 per person. The program will begin in the afternoon on Friday, May 28, and continue through lunch on Monday, May 31 (Memorial Day).
Navajo-Hopi: The Southwest Bahá’í Institute site is the location for the next Regional Youth Conference, to be held June 11-13. The cost has yet to be finalized, but will be minimal in this rustic camp setting. The conference is scheduled to coincide with the “Trail of Light” teaching campaign, and youth are encouraged to plan to stay in the area afterward to participate in this important teaching effort. The conference will open on Friday afternoon and end on Sunday afternoon.
California: On July 2-5, a Regional Youth Conference will be held at Francisco Torres in Goleta. Because of the holiday weekend, the conference will run for four days and three nights, with a total cost for housing, meals and registration of $74 per person. The conference will begin with dinner Friday evening and conclude by noon on Monday.
Other Regional Youth Conferences for the second year of the three-year phase of the Plan are being finalized, and full particulars on all of these events will be given in future issues of The American Bahá’í.
Young Bahá’í writes of pioneer experience in Zaire[edit]
Last year a Bahá’í youth from San Diego, California, left the country to pioneer to Zaire.
Karin Ryan has written to tell of the spiritual consequences of this special service to the Cause, and the National Youth Committee is pleased to share some of her thoughts in the expectation that it will inspire other youth to arise to serve the Faith as a youth pioneer:
“HOW CAN I explain my feelings? Being here in Zaire, watching a baby Bahá’í community growing, with all its problems and joys, its failures and its victories... To realize how far we have to go, and how exciting it is to be living in this time!
“Sometimes I get so frightened and I don’t know why. I guess sometimes I feel very alone, probably because I’m not praying enough.
“But when I really pray, that’s when I feel so close to Bahá’u’lláh and then nothing else matters.
“I remember one night not too long ago, just after the rainy season started. It was a stormy night and I woke up to a huge bang of thunder, as the lightning had struck just outside my window, and you can imagine the crash...
“I woke up more frightened than I ever remember being in my life. But after saying the Greatest Name over and over, I remembered that my mother told me something I had once said to a little neighbor when I was four years old.
“I said to him, ‘If you are a Bahá’í, you won’t be afraid anymore.’... So if I listen to the wisdom of that four-year-old child, I seem to feel better.
“Tomorrow I’m supposed to leave for Boende, a small river town in the northwest region of Equator (state). I’ll be staying with a woman pioneer named Rohan. She’s truly a legend and I hope to learn from her experience.
“I HAVE been reading the stories of the martyrs in Iran. Oh! how my heart tears when I read these things! It is so hard to believe that we are living again in the age of the Dawn-breakers.
“If only I could give my life in service to this mighty Cause as a living martyr, to shed my living blood and tears in the path of the Divine Order, I feel my soul could fly endlessly in an atmosphere of incomparable ecstasy.
Campus ‘letter’ campaign scores resounding success as students, media respond[edit]
Feedback from the recent campaign on college campuses in the U.S. has been most encouraging as the college clubs take advantage of precious opportunities to teach and proclaim the Faith.
In February, the National Spiritual Assembly asked all Bahá’í college clubs to launch a campus campaign of letters to U.S. congressmen in connection with hearings on religious persecution being held by Congress.
THE CLUBS also were instructed to reprint and distribute an open letter to the Iranian government protesting the treatment of Bahá’ís in the Cradle of the Faith.
The response to this request was both immediate and dramatic. Tens of thousands of copies of the open letter were distributed to college faculty and students. Many Bahá’í clubs designed petitions for public signature that were forwarded to members of Congress.
Several clubs sent delegations to visit congressmen and appeal personally on behalf of the Bahá’ís in Iran.
The campaign drew the attention of the media on most campuses where comprehensive articles on the persecution of the Bahá’ís in Iran appeared in many campus papers and several campus radio stations interviewed Bahá’ís.
Most important, the response from the non-Bahá’í population at the colleges and universities has been highly sympathetic and supportive.
“Incredible,” said one club. “Very positive,” said another. In all, the result of the campaign was that thousands of people had a first-hand opportunity to learn about the atrocities being perpetrated against the Bahá’ís in Iran and to show their support.
Many new friends of the Faith were welcomed at follow-up meetings and firesides, and many new seekers had a chance to investigate the Cause of God.
ANOTHER important by-product of the campaign was the new level of activity and unity that was established among club members in clubs around the country.
Many of these clubs have written to say that the campaign served as a rallying point for activity that resulted in a heightened sense of unity and harmony in the club.
To help the clubs in their follow-up, a poster series on the principles of the Faith was mailed to each club.
The posters were distributed by the National Youth Committee, which is working on additional series for distribution in the near future to all Bahá’í college clubs.
Youth Committee encourages ‘buddy system’ for Bahá’í youth[edit]
Everyone has heard of the “buddy system”... if you’re swimming or hiking, you’re always encouraged to find a “buddy”... someone to pair up with in case of emergency.
How about a “buddy system” for Bahá’í youth?
IN almost every community there are usually a few youth who don’t get a chance to participate in the various functions, who can’t get a ride to the youth club meeting, or feel left out of the mainstream of Bahá’í activity.
But if every youth had a buddy... someone who would take that little extra time and attention and show some concern, everyone would benefit. Both halves of the buddies would have a new friend, and the community as a whole would have greater support and participation.
The process is really quite simple. The youth in a given area could each select another individual as a buddy. One’s buddy might be a new believer, a Bahá’í who has recently moved into the community and doesn’t yet know anyone, or a pre-youth who isn’t quite ready to participate in youth activities on his own but is a bit too “old” for children’s programs.
Once you’ve chosen your buddy, you should take some time to get to know him or her and find out the kinds of activities that are of interest to him.
Be sure to invite him to attend the various youth activities that are going on... maybe offer him a ride to Feast or call him once a week just to see how he’s doing.
The result will be a new Bahá’í friendship!
Got a new address?[edit]
MOVING? Got a new telephone number? Don’t forget to let your local community secretary and the National Spiritual Assembly know about your new address and phone number right away so there will be no interruption in receiving your Bahá’í mail.
For your convenience, there is an address form on the last page of this issue of The American Bahá’í. Simply put it in an envelope and mail to: Bahá’í National Center, Office of Membership and Records, Wilmette, IL 60091.
[Page 8]
IGC: PIONEERING
World News[edit]
Fifty-one people declared their belief in Bahá’u’lláh during a 10-day teaching campaign last December in Puerto Rico that was coordinated by that country’s Eastern Regional Teaching Committee.
The cities of Yabucoa and Guayama on Puerto Rico’s southeastern coast were raised to Assembly status, while several other areas were reinforced by the enrollment of new believers ...
One hundred-forty Bahá’ís from 25 localities attended the 1981 Alaska National Teaching Conference last October 10–11 at the Wildwood Native Complex near Kenai.
Speakers at the conference, which focused on Alaska’s remaining goals for the Seven Year Plan, included Continental Counsellors Angus Cowan and Lauretta King and Auxiliary Board members Jetta Brewer, Eugene King and John Kolstoe ...
A 13-week proclamation campaign launched in January by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Mariana Islands included a series of 30-second spot announcements in prime time on the highly acclaimed and popular weekly program “60 Minutes” televised from Guam.
The campaign also included radio spots and newspaper ads ...
About 200 non-Bahá’ís were among some 500 people who attended a program last December 10 in Vancouver, Canada, entitled “The Persecution of the Bahá’ís in Iran: A Holocaust in the Making.”
The program, organized by the Spiritual Assembly of West Vancouver, had as its main speaker Douglas Martin, assistant secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly of Canada ...
The National Spiritual Assembly of the Mariana Islands is sponsoring a teaching project in May following the International Teaching Conference in Manila.
Meetings will be held May 11 and 12 on Guam, followed by teaching on Guam and the other islands of the Marianas.
Hospitality is available in Bahá’í homes for a limited number of traveling teachers ...
The academic excellence achieved by three Bahá’í students in Papua New Guinea was reported recently in a Rabaul newspaper under the headline “Bahá’í Student Successes.”
Jenny Homerang was graduated with top marks from the Rabaul Secretarial College; Qudrat Larawin was the top student in grade six in all the community schools of the Gazella Peninsula, and Poigo Willie was voted the top girl guide of the year ...
Bahá’ís should consider pioneering ‘most urgent duty’[edit]
“In the meantime we call on all believers everywhere to prayerfully consider their personal circumstances, and to arise while there is yet time, to fill the international goals of the Plan ... This must be done at all costs. No sacrifice, no deferment of cherished plans must be refused in order to discharge this ‘most important’ of the many ‘important’ duties facing us.”—Messages from the Universal House of Justice, pp. 89–90
•
While the term “Bahá’í pioneer” may be relatively new, the role of the Bahá’í teacher who chooses to forsake his home in order to promote the Cause in distant lands has been indispensable since the very outset of the Bahá’í Revelation more than 130 years ago.
Bahá’u’lláh Himself has called pioneering “the prince of all goodly deeds.”
‘ABDU’L-BAHÁ testified on several occasions that the years He spent traveling through Europe, India and North America were not enough, and that were He not plagued by ill health He would travel ceaselessly to all parts of the world.
The beloved Guardian, Shoghi Effendi, in a further elucidation of those thoughts, charged the believers to make pioneering “ ...the paramount and most urgent duty” and the “dominating passion” of their lives.
And finally, the Universal House of Justice has designated international pioneering as the “most important” of the many “important duties” facing the Bahá’í community.
While it is obvious that not every believer is in a position to pioneer, it would seem essential that every Bahá’í “prayerfully consider” what role he might play, either immediately or in the foreseeable future, in this crucial aspect of the Faith’s advancement.
One of the duties of the institutions of the Faith is to assist the believers in planning their affairs in such a way as to be of maximum service to the Cause throughout their lives.
There are many practical considerations involved when one is contemplating the possibility of serving in the international field.
YET Shoghi Effendi emphasized that “ ...neither the threatening world situation, nor any consideration of lack of material resources, of mental equipment, of knowledge, or of experience—desirable as they are—should deter any prospective pioneer teacher from arising ...”
Every believer can arise by consulting with the institutions and their committees in regard to his personal situation and the avenues of service that lie before him.
The very presence of a pioneer in a foreign land promotes the pivotal principle of the Faith: the oneness of mankind.
This fact alone demands that prospective pioneers arise to demonstrate the validity of our world-embracing teachings.
While pioneers are of assistance in all phases of teaching and consolidation, and at the same time, remind the indigenous believers of the inherent capacity of this Cause to unite peoples of all backgrounds, we nonetheless cannot lose sight of the fact that the pioneer himself is the recipient of manifold bounties and assistances.
Speaking of his newly acquired insights, one pioneer recently wrote: “Pioneering is an adventure, not so much outwardly, but spiritually.”
“THE LAST frontier is the Inner spiritual world ... You must get out of your own community to grow spiritually ...”
“Theoretically, you can pioneer in your own home town, but practically speaking, because the grooves we dig for ourselves are so deep, you must make the move in
Shown are participants in the Pioneer Training Institute sponsored by the International Goals Committee and held February 26–28 at the Bosch Bahá’í School near Santa Cruz, California. The 28 Bahá’ís present were making plans to pioneer to Mexico, the Leeward Islands, Denmark, Australasia, Fiji, Asia, the Marshall Islands, Liberia, South America, Thailand and Nigeria. One of the participants was a representative of the Spiritual Assembly of Los Angeles.
Friends are invited to Taiwan gathering[edit]
The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Taiwan invites the friends who plan to attend the International Conference in Manila in May to a post-conference gathering May 15–16 at the Bahá’í National Center in Taipei.
The Assembly would be especially happy to welcome those who could spend some time teaching in Taiwan (either from May 10–15 or May 17–22).
Low cost accommodations near the Center are available, and traveling teachers can be accommodated in the homes of Bahá’ís or in Centers when traveling.
Newsletter available[edit]
“Arise,” the Bahá’í newsletter of the Windward Islands, is being offered on a subscription basis to Bahá’ís everywhere.
The newsletter is published about once every six weeks. The subscription price is $1 per issue to cover the cost of printing and mailing.
If you wish to subscribe, please make check or money order payable to Keith Bloodworth, editor, “Arise,” c/o Box 669, Castries, St. Lucia, Windward Islands.
U.S. Pioneer Goals—Revised November 23, 1981
Second Phase of Seven Year Plan—To Be Filled by Riḍván 1982
| AFRICA | Assigned | Filled | Y | |||
| (E) | Gambia | 2 | ||||
| (E) | Liberia | 2 | ||||
| (F) | Mauritania | 2 | ||||
| (A,F,S) Morocco | 2 | |||||
| 8 | ||||||
| ASIA | ||||||
| (J) | Japan | 2 | 2 | |||
| (P,E,C) Macao | 2 | |||||
| (E) | Nepal | 2 | ||||
| (T,E) Thailand | 2 | __ | ||||
| 8 | 4 | |||||
| EUROPE | ||||||
| (D) | Denmark | 7 | 1 | |||
| 7 | 1 | |||||
| AMERICAS | ||||||
| (E) | Bahamas | 1 | ||||
| (F) | Fr. Antilles | |||||
| Martinique | 1 | 1 | ||||
| (E) | Leeward Is. | 2 | 2 | |||
| (F) | Fr. Guiana | 1 | ||||
| (E) | Windward Is. | |||||
| Dominica | 2 | __ | ||||
| 7 | 3 | |||||
| LANGUAGE KEY | ||||||
| A—Arabic | ||||||
| C—Chinese | ||||||
| D—Danish | ||||||
| E—English | ||||||
| F—French | ||||||
| J—Japanese | ||||||
| P—Portuguese | ||||||
| S—Spanish | ||||||
| T—Thai | ||||||
| AUSTRALASIA | Assigned | Filled | Y | |
| (E) | Caroline Is. | |||
| Kosrae | 1 | |||
| (E) | Fiji | 2 | 2 | |
| (E) | Marshall Is. | 6 | ||
| (E) | Marianas | |||
| Guam | 1 | |||
| Rota | 2 | |||
| Saipan | 2 | |||
| (F) | New Caledonia | 2 | __ | |
| 16 | 2 | |||
| TOTAL ASSIGNMENTS | ||||
| Africa | 8 | |||
| Americas | 7 | |||
| Asia | 8 | |||
| Australasia | 16 | |||
| Europe | 7 | |||
| TOTAL | 46 | |||
| GOALS FILLED BY U.S. | ||||
| U.S. Goals | 10 | |||
| Goals Assigned to Other Countries | 6 | |||
| Non-Goals, Overfills and Refills | 72 | |||
| TOTAL | 88 | |||
| Reopened Goals | ||||
| *Bahamas | 1 | |||
| *Fr. Antilles | 1 | |||
| Malawi | 2 | |||
| *Austria | 2 | |||
| *Denmark | 1 | |||
| *From first phase of Plan | ||||
| Y-Youth | ||||
[Page 9]
EDUCATION
Local Assembly has duty to promote love, harmony[edit]
This is the tenth in a series of articles on the development of Local Spiritual Assemblies prepared by the National Education Committee. The subject of this month’s article is the role of the Local Assembly in fostering love and harmony in its Bahá’í community.
•
1. Why are love and harmony essential for the developing Bahá’í community?
Bahá’u’lláh has revealed, “The fundamental purpose animating the Faith of God and His Religion is to safeguard the interests and promote the unity of the human race, and to foster the spirit of love and fellowship amongst men.” (Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 215)
2. What role does the Local Spiritual Assembly play in fostering love and harmony in its community?
‘Abdu’l-Bahá wrote, “The Spiritual Assemblies are collectively the most effective of all instruments for establishing unity and harmony.” (Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, pp. 83-84)
And the Universal House of Justice has written, “The divinely ordained institution of the Local Spiritual Assembly operates at the first levels of human society and is the basic administrative unit of Bahá’u’lláh’s World Order. It is concerned with individuals and families whom it must constantly encourage to unite in a distinctive Bahá’í society, vitalized and guarded by the laws, ordinances and principles of Bahá’u’lláh’s Revelation. It protects the Cause of God; it acts as the loving shepherd of the Bahá’í flock.” (“The Five Year Plan,” p. 6)
3. Where should the Local Spiritual Assembly begin in uniting its Bahá’í community?
“If the Local Spiritual Assembly is to unite its community in a distinctive Bahá’í society, the members themselves must first become the exponents of unity. To be truly effective leaders, they must exemplify in their lives the principles they wish the community to follow.” (The Development of Local Spiritual Assemblies, p. 161)
And ‘Abdu’l-Bahá states, “The first condition is absolute love and harmony amongst the members of the Assembly. They must be wholly free from estrangement and must manifest in themselves the Unity of God ...” (Bahá’í Administration, p. 22)
4. Is there any particular activity that the Assembly might wish to focus on in fostering love and harmony among the believers?
‘Abdu’l-Bahá wrote, “In brief, this is my hope: that the Nineteen Day Feast become the cause of great spiritual solidarity between the friends, that it may bring believers into the bond of unity, and we will then be so united together that love and wisdom will spread from this center to all parts. This Feast is a divine Feast. It is a Lord’s supper. It attracts confirmation of God like a magnet. It is the cause of the enlightenment of hearts.” (Bahá’í Meetings/The Nineteen Day Feast, p. 21)
5. While love and harmony are clearly the standard, harsh words do sometimes arise within Bahá’í communities. Is there a general policy the friends should be encouraged to follow when this happens?
Shoghi Effendi, through his secretary, stated: “When criticism and harsh words arise within a Bahá’í community, there is no remedy except to put the past behind one, and persuade all concerned to turn over a new leaf, and for the sake of God and His Faith refrain from mentioning the subjects which have led to misunderstanding and inharmony. The more the friends argue back and forth and maintain, each side, that their point of view is the right one the worse the whole situation becomes.” (The Bahá’í Life, p. 19)
6. For some communities, achieving love and harmony is a difficult struggle. What might be the reason for this?
The Universal House of Justice has written, “The decline of religious and moral restraints has unleashed a fury of chaos and confusion that already bears the signs of universal anarchy. Engulfed in the maelstrom, the Bahá’í world community, pursuing with indefeasible unity and spiritual force its redemptive mission, inevitably suffers the disruption of economic, social and civil life which afflicts its fellow men throughout the planet.” (“The Seven Year Plan,” p. 4)
And Shoghi Effendi, through his secretary, wrote, “The friends must, at all times, bear in mind that they are, in a way, like soldiers under attack. The world is at present in an exceedingly dark condition spiritually; hatred and prejudice, of every sort, are literally tearing it to pieces. We, on the other hand, are the custodians of the opposite forces, the forces of love, of unity, of peace and integration, and we must constantly be on our guard, whether as individuals or as an assembly or a community, lest through us these destructive, negative forces enter into our midst. In other words, we must beware lest the darkness of society become reflected in our acts and attitudes, perhaps all unconsciously. Love for each other, the deep sense that we are a new organism, the dawn-breakers of a New World Order, must constantly animate our Bahá’í lives, and we must pray to be protected from the contamination of society which is so diseased with prejudice.” (The Bahá’í Life, p. 14)
Additional information on promoting love and harmony in the Bahá’í community can be found in Guidelines for Local Spiritual Assemblies, The Development of Local Spiritual Assemblies, and The Bahá’í Life, available from the Bahá’í Publishing Trust.
Questions[edit]
Continued From Page 1
“SINCE there is a deadline for this data,” says Mr. Conow, “that is the main reason that we are asking that the completed questionnaire be returned to the National Center within 30 days of receipt.”
If that is not possible, he adds, the rest of the questionnaire will still satisfy the needs of the National Center and should be completed and returned as soon as possible.
The new questionnaire is not designed to replace the Local Spiritual Assembly’s annual report to its community, but it is intended to furnish the National Center with selected data from these annual reports to help in planning, says Mr. Conow.
A new Bahá’í directory listing the names and addresses of secretaries of Local Spiritual Assemblies and District Teaching Committees was scheduled to be available in early April.
Spiritual Assemblies and Groups that have consulted on the National Spiritual Assembly’s letter of December 30, 1981, on the subject of Bahá’í directories and community membership printouts and have sent in their suggestions will be sent a copy of the new directory, says Mr. Conow, but the directories will not be mailed automatically to every Assembly and Group. They must be requested.
The directory that is now available, he explains, is the first of two parts and contains the names and addresses of Assembly and District Teaching Committee secretaries.
THE SECOND part of the directory will include the names and addresses of the Hands of the Cause of God residing in the U.S., members of the Continental Board of Counsellors for the Americas, and Auxiliary Board members.
The directory that was last published at the beginning of 1980 will now be available twice each year, as will community membership computer print-outs.
Four out of every five Assemblies and Groups that responded to the National Spiritual Assembly’s letter of December 30, says Mr. Conow, indicated that biannual community membership print-outs would serve their needs.
New ‘Curriculum Guide’ provides framework for Bahá’í lesson plans[edit]
The National Education Committee is making available a Bahá’í Curriculum Guide that includes (1) educational topics, (2) suggested methods for teaching various topics, and (3) suggested age levels at which topics are best taught.
The Guide provides a framework from which lesson plans can be developed.
The Guide is intended to provide cohesion and direction for Bahá’í child and youth education, and to help insure a logical sequence of instruction.
It has application in the classroom, the home, and the local Bahá’í community, and can be used by both the professionally trained teacher and by the lay person with no formal training in education.
Copies of the Guide can be obtained by writing to the National Education Committee, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091.
The cost is $2 each. Checks should be made payable to “Bahá’í Services Fund” and earmarked “Curriculum Guide.”
[Page 10]
TEACHING
Complete listing of jeopardized Assemblies, Groups of 7 or more[edit]
The following is a list of the numerically jeopardized Assemblies in the U.S. and the Groups of seven or more adults (potential Assemblies) as of March 3.
Although 109 of our 1,631 Assemblies are in numerical jeopardy, the National Teaching Committee predicts that the goal of 1,700 Assemblies will be won.
Through the help of the District Teaching Committees, Auxiliary Board members and their assistants, and the work of Local Spiritual Assemblies themselves with their extension teaching goals, many of the 109 jeopardized Assemblies will be saved and many of the 305 Groups of seven or more will form Assemblies by Riḍván.
Jeopardized Assemblies[edit]
- (Number of members in parentheses)
- Prattville, Alabama (8)
- Maricopa County N, Arizona (6)
- Tolleson, Arizona (3)
- Jacksonville, Arkansas (7)
- Ridgecrest, California (8)
- Merced County, California (7)
- Anderson JD, California (6)
- Nevada City, California (8)
- Sonoma County S JD, California (3)
- La Canada/Flintridge, California (5)
- San Gabriel, California (6)
- Temple City, California (6)
- Imperial Beach, California (5)
- Lake Forest/El Toro, California (5)
- Yucaipa, California (6)
- Arroyo Grande Rural, California (8)
- Baywood/Los Osos, California (8)
- Morro Bay, California (5)
- Santa Maria, California (5)
- El Paso County E, Colorado (8)
- Littleton, Colorado (8)
- La Jara, Colorado (8)
- La Plata County, Colorado (7)
- Mesa County, Colorado (4)
- Bridgeport, Connecticut (2)
- East Hartford, Connecticut (5)
- Ellington, Connecticut (7)
- Norwalk, Connecticut (8)
- W. Hartford Town, Connecticut (8)
- Largo, Florida (7)
- Melbourne, Florida (7)
- Sarasota, Florida (8)
- Alachua, Florida (7)
- Atlantic Beach, Florida (8)
- Jacksonville Beach, Florida (8)
- Collier County, Florida (7)
- Lake Harbor, Florida (7)
- Miami Beach, Florida (6)
- Miami Lakes, Florida (8)
- St. Lucie County, Florida (7)
- Rome, Georgia (5)
- Waynesboro, Georgia (7)
- Nez Perce Reservation, Idaho (8)
- Batavia, Illinois (7)
- Warren County, Iowa (6)
- Emporia, Kansas (8)
- Prairie Village, Kansas (7)
- Richmond, Kentucky (6)
- Gorham, Maine (8)
- Yarmouth, Maine (7)
- College Park, Maryland (6)
- Arlington Town, Massachusetts (5)
- Watertown Town, Massachusetts (6)
- Battle Creek, Michigan (8)
- Fruitport Twp., Michigan (6)
- Kalamazoo Twp., Michigan (8)
- Superior Twp., Michigan (5)
- Wyandotte, Michigan (8)
- St. Louis County, Minnesota (6)
- Virginia, Minnesota (7)
- Olmsted County, Minnesota (8)
- West St. Paul, Minnesota (7)
- Marshall, Missouri (7)
- Rock Hill, Missouri (8)
- Miles City, Montana (8)
- Kearney, Nebraska (8)
- Keene, New Hampshire (8)
- Laconia, New Hampshire (8)
- Dumont, New Jersey (7)
- Roswell, New Mexico (7)
- Ruidoso, New Mexico (7)
- Cortlandt, New York (6)
- Oyster Bay, New York (5)
- Fredonia, New York (5)
- Hamburg Town, New York (7)
- Ithaca Town, New York (7)
- Durham County, North Carolina (8)
- Morganton, North Carolina (5)
- Minot, North Dakota (7)
- Mentor, Ohio (8)
- Beavercreek Twp., Ohio (7)
- Ada, Oklahoma (8)
- Okmulgee, Oklahoma (8)
- Sapulpa, Oklahoma (8)
- Spencer, Oklahoma (8)
- Clackamas County NW, Oregon (7)
- Creswell, Oregon (6)
- Swarthmore, Pennsylvania (6)
- Cranston, Rhode Island (8)
- Wilson County, Tennessee (8)
- Maverick County, Texas (8)
- Travis County, Texas (5)
- Benbrook, Texas (7)
- University Park, Texas (7)
- Harris County NE, Texas (7)
- Huntsville, Texas (6)
- Livingston, Texas (5)
- Pasadena, Texas (8)
- Roanoke County, Virginia (3)
- Carnation, Washington (7)
- Orcas Island, Washington (8)
- Clark CCD #3, Washington (1)
- Cowlitz CCD #1, Washington (8)
- Pierce CCD #2, Washington (6)
- Sumner, Washington (8)
- Turnwater, Washington (6)
- Wapato, Washington (8)
- Wausau, Wisconsin (8)
- West Allis, Wisconsin (7)
- Groups of seven or more
- (Number of adults in parentheses)
- Mountain Brook, Alabama (7)
- Auburn, Alabama (8)
- *Mobile County, Alabama (10)
- *Prichard, Alabama (7)
- Whiteriver, Arizona (7)
- *Klagetoh Chapter, Arizona (13)
- Winslow, Arizona (7)
- *Yuma County, Arizona (13)
- *Casa Grande, Arizona (8)
- *Douglas, Arizona (9)
- Naco, Arizona (8)
- *Nogales, Arizona (20)
- *Fayetteville, Arkansas (8)
- Fort Smith, Arkansas (14)
- Jonesboro, Arkansas (7)
- *Pine Bluff, Arkansas (7)
- Woodson, Arkansas (7)
- Wrightsville, Arkansas (8)
- *Albany, California (10)
- *Antioch, California (9)
- *Belmont, California (12)
- *Carmel, California (7)
- Los Altos, California (9)
- *Menlo Park, California (11)
- Millbrae, California (9)
- San Bruno, California (10)
- *Seaside, California (10)
- *S. San Francisco, California (11)
- *Bakersfield JD, California (8)
- Fresno JD, California (9)
- *Livingston, California (12)
- *Manteca, California (8)
- *Auburn, California (13)
- *Central Valley JD, California (9)
- Dixon, California (7)
- *Oroville, California (8)
- Placerville, California (7)
- *Vallejo, California (11)
- *Woodland, California (7)
- Crescent City, California (7)
- Fortuna, California (8)
- *Napa, California (14)
- *Sonoma County C JD, California (30)
- Willits, California (7)
- *Covina, California (7)
- *El Segundo, California (8)
- La Verne, California (9)
- *South Gate, California (8)
- Valinda-Citrus JD, California (12)
- Walnut, California (8)
- *Brawley, California (10)
- *Coronado, California (9)
- *Desert JD, California (9)
- *La Habra, California (8)
- *San Bernardino, California (15)
- San Bernardino MCD C, California (8)
- *South Bay JD-San Diego County, California (8)
- Stanton, California (12)
- *Victorville, California (11)
- *Lompoc, California (9)
- *San Luis Obispo, California (11)
- San Luis Obispo JD #2 N, California (8)
- Florence, Colorado (8)
- Lafayette, Colorado (8)
- Northglenn, Colorado (7)
- Ramah, Colorado (8)
- Westminster, Colorado (7)
- Wheat Ridge, Colorado (8)
- *Alamosa, Colorado (7)
- *Palisade, Colorado (7)
- Enfield Town, Connecticut (7)
- *Hamden, Connecticut (7)
- *Mansfield Town, Connecticut (7)
- *Milford, Connecticut (7)
- *New Canaan, Connecticut (7)
- *Ridgefield, Connecticut (10)
- Wallingford, Connecticut (7)
- Waterbury, Connecticut (9)
- Winchester Town, Connecticut (7)
- Atlantic, Delaware (7)
- Greater Newark, Delaware (9)
- Greater Wilmington, Delaware (11)
- Milton, Delaware (8)
- Newark, Delaware (8)
- *Panama City, Florida (10)
- Casselberry, Florida (7)
- *Daytona Beach, Florida (8)
- Ocala, Florida (9)
- Greater High Springs, Florida (8)
- *Coral Springs, Florida (10)
- Jupiter, Florida (8)
- North Lauderdale, Florida (7)
- North Miami Beach, Florida (7)
- *Plantation, Florida (10)
- *Clayton County, Georgia (9)
- Fulton County S, Georgia (10)
- *Spalding County, Georgia (13)
- *Thomaston, Georgia (12)
- Brunswick, Georgia (8)
- *Byronville, Georgia (9)
- *Calhoun County, Georgia (12)
- *Edison, Georgia (9)
- Greater Marshallville, Georgia (49)
- *Houston County, Georgia (23)
- Ideal, Georgia (11)
[Page 11]
TEACHING
Business committee plans series of four regional conferences[edit]
The Business and Professional Affairs Committee, recently appointed by the National Spiritual Assembly to stimulate and improve teaching among people in business and the professions, has planned a series of four regional conferences, the first of which was to be held April 17 in Atlanta, Georgia.
Other conferences are scheduled to be held in June in Los Angeles, California; in July in Evanston, Illinois; and in October in New York City.
THE TITLE selected for each of the four conferences is “Business and Professional Affairs Conference: Recognition, Understanding, Action.”
They are designed to stimulate teaching the Faith to professional people through the exchange of ideas and presentations regarding the importance of reaching this stratum of society, encouraging more active participation in the Bahá’í community, and creating a better understanding of the importance of excellence and achievement.
The committee, which grew out of a conference for Bahá’ís in business and the professions that was held last September in Wilmette, convened its first meeting on January 2.
Committee members are Farhang Javid of Pittsfield, Massachusetts, chairman; Jeffrey Mondschein of Westport, Connecticut, vice-chairman; Larry Miller of Roswell, Georgia, secretary; Dr. Robert Henderson of Roswell, Georgia, treasurer; Shahab Fathazam of New York City; Dr. Riaz Khadem of Atlanta, Georgia; and Dr. Bahia Mitchell of Wilmette, Illinois.
Pioneer[edit]
Continued From Page 7
“My only prayer is that whatever little I have to offer to Bahá’u’lláh will prove to be acceptable in His eyes, and that He will permit me to be ranked with the lowliest of servants.
“Perhaps, if I am worthy, I will be allowed to partake of the privilege of having near access to His love.
“I am so happy! I cannot explain with words! God has given me a most precious gift!”
Fund[edit]
Continued From Page 1
needs and requirements of the Cause, particularly in these days when the national activities of the American believers are assuming such wide and increasing proportions.”
Groups[edit]
Continued From Page 10
- Lapwai, Idaho (10)
- *Moscow, Idaho (8)
- *Ada County, Idaho (7)
- Jerome, Idaho (7)
- Rigby, Idaho (7)
- *Harlem Twp., Illinois (9)
- Oak Brook, Illinois (9)
- Villa Park, Illinois (9)
- *Zion, Illinois (10)
- *Buffalo Grove, Illinois (8)
- *Forest Park, Illinois (9)
- *Northbrook, Illinois (7)
- *Palatine Twp., Illinois (9)
- *Wheeling, Illinois (7)
- Colp, Illinois (7)
- *Ullin, Illinois (8)
- *Gary, Indiana (9)
- *Mishawaka, Indiana (8)
- Speedway, Indiana (9)
- Vincennes, Indiana (7)
- Ankeny, Iowa (7)
- Mason City, Iowa (7)
- Waverly, Iowa (8)
- Independence, Kansas (7)
- *Newton, Kansas (8)
- *Salina, Kansas (8)
- *Bogalusa, Louisiana (46)
- Covington, Louisiana (8)
- *Gretna, Louisiana (8)
- Kenner, Louisiana (9)
- La Place, Louisiana (8)
- Metairie, Louisiana (9)
- Port Sulphur, Louisiana (9)
- *Slidell, Louisiana (14)
- Thibodaux, Louisiana (7)
- *Crisfield, Maryland (8)
- Eden, Maryland (8)
- Salisbury East, Maryland (10)
- Salisbury West, Maryland (22)
- *Annapolis, Maryland (10)
- *Frederick, Maryland (10)
- *St. Mary’s County, Maryland (9)
- Attleboro, Massachusetts (7)
- Belchertown Town, Massachusetts (7)
- Haverhill, Massachusetts (7)
- Holyoke, Massachusetts (8)
- *Nantucket, Massachusetts (7)
- Quincy, Massachusetts (7)
- Sunderland Town, Massachusetts (10)
- Woburn, Massachusetts (8)
- Marquette, Michigan (7)
- Mien Park, Michigan (7)
- *Benton Twp., Michigan (9)
- Chelsea, Michigan (7)
- Farmington Hills, Michigan (8)
- *Niles, Michigan (9)
- *Pittsfield Twp., Michigan (8)
- *Pontiac, Michigan (10)
- *Royal Oak Twp., Michigan (9)
- *Southfield, Michigan (9)
- Traverse City, Michigan (7)
- W. Bloomfield Twp., Michigan (7)
- Wright County, Minnesota (8)
- *Biloxi, Mississippi (8)
- *Clarksdale, Mississippi (11)
- *Hinds County, Mississippi (29)
- Toogaloo, Mississippi (8)
- *Clayton, Missouri (7)
- *Independence, Missouri (7)
- *Joplin, Missouri (7)
- Queeny Twp., Missouri (8)
- *Rogersville, Missouri (7)
- *Warrensburg, Missouri (9)
- *Blackfeet Reservation, Montana (7)
- Browning, Montana (11)
- *Crow Agency, Montana (26)
- Fort Belknap Res., Montana (7)
- *Kalispell, Montana (7)
- *Washoe County S, Nevada (7)
- *Bristol Town, New Hampshire (8)
- *Claremont, New Hampshire (8)
- *Lebanon, New Hampshire (7)
- N. Woodstock, New Hampshire (9)
- *Woodstock Town, New Hampshire (9)
- Bloomfield, New Jersey (7)
- Camden, New Jersey (7)
- *East Orange, New Jersey (9)
- *Englewood, New Jersey (13)
- *Hackensack, New Jersey (7)
- New Brunswick, New Jersey (8)
- Orange, New Jersey (7)
- *Paterson, New Jersey (10)
- Princeton Twp., New Jersey (8)
- Verona, New Jersey (7)
- *Jicarilla Res., New Mexico (9)
- *San Juan County, New Mexico (9)
- Velarde, New Mexico (13)
- *Ramah Chapter, New Mexico (7)
- Rock Point Chapter, New Mexico (7)
- Columbus, New Mexico (9)
- La Union, New Mexico (8)
- Tularosa, New Mexico (7)
- *Beacon, New York (8)
- *Fishkill Town, New York (7)
- *Great Neck Plaza, New York (7)
- *Monticello, New York (9)
- *Mount Vernon, New York (7)
- New Paltz, New York (7)
- *Ossining, New York (14)
- *Plattsburgh City, New York (9)
- *Poughkeepsie Town, New York (7)
- *Rockville Centre, New York (11)
- *Scarsdale, New York (9)
- *Farmington Town, New York (7)
- Hilton, New York (8)
- *Ithaca City, New York (13)
- *Jamestown, New York (8)
- Pittsford Town, New York (7)
- Potsdam, New York (8)
- New Fane, New York (7)
- Sodus Point, New York (8)
- Union Town, New York (7)
- Carrboro, North Carolina (7)
- Chatham County, North Carolina (8)
- Clarkton, North Carolina (7)
- High Point, North Carolina (7)
- Wadesboro, North Carolina (15)
- Ayden, North Carolina (19)
- Belhaven, North Carolina (7)
- *Elm City, North Carolina (7)
- Macedonia, North Carolina (11)
- Robersonville, North Carolina (7)
- Rocky Mount, North Carolina (8)
- *Wake Forest, North Carolina (16)
- *Washington, North Carolina (14)
- *Wilmington, North Carolina (7)
- Windsor, North Carolina (18)
- *Cherokee Res., North Carolina (8)
- Matthews, North Carolina (13)
- *Mecklenburg County NE, North Carolina (8)
- Shelby, North Carolina (7)
- *Bismarck, North Dakota (9)
- *Devils Lake Sioux Res., North Dakota (9)
- Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio (7)
- *East Cleveland, Ohio (7)
- *Euclid, Ohio (8)
- *Kent, Ohio (8)
- Oberlin, Ohio (8)
- Stow, Ohio (9)
- Warren, Ohio (9)
- Fairborn, Ohio (7)
- *Kettering, Ohio (8)
- *Urbana, Ohio (7)
- Adair County, Oklahoma (9)
- Boynton, Oklahoma (7)
- Chouteau, Oklahoma (10)
- Greater Jay, Oklahoma (7)
- Greater Sasakwa, Oklahoma (7)
- Muskogee, Oklahoma (13)
- New Lima, Oklahoma (8)
- *Redbird, Oklahoma (29)
- *Tahlequah, Oklahoma (7)
- *Wagoner, Oklahoma (28)
- Altus, Oklahoma (8)
- Clinton, Oklahoma (7)
- Duncan, Oklahoma (9)
- El Reno, Oklahoma (24)
- Enid, Oklahoma (13)
- Guthrie, Oklahoma (22)
- Kingfisher, Oklahoma (15)
- Langston, Oklahoma (13)
- Noble, Oklahoma (9)
- Oklahoma County, Oklahoma (7)
- Baker, Oregon (10)
- *Burns, Oregon (7)
- Greater Eugene, Oregon (8)
- Illinois Valley, Oregon (8)
- Malheur County, Oregon (8)
- *Marion County, Oregon (10)
- *McMinnville, Oregon (7)
- *Polk County, Oregon (7)
- *Prineville, Oregon (11)
- Tillamook, Oregon (8)
- *Warm Springs, Oregon (13)
- *Wasco County, Oregon (8)
- *Woodburn, Oregon (12)
- *Bethlehem, Pennsylvania (7)
- Cheltenham Twp., Pennsylvania (7)
- *Eaton Twp., Pennsylvania (7)
- Haverford Twp., Pennsylvania (7)
- Pottstown Borough, Pennsylvania (8)
- Williamsport City, Pennsylvania (10)
- York, Pennsylvania (7)
- *Newport, Rhode Island (9)
- De Kalb Twp., South Carolina (12)
- Elloree Circle, South Carolina (16)
- Flat Rock Twp., South Carolina (11)
- Irmo, South Carolina (12)
- *Lynchburg Twp., South Carolina (10)
- Richland County S, South Carolina (7)
- Chesterfield County S, South Carolina (9)
- Florence County, South Carolina (17)
- Greater Hartsville, South Carolina (18)
- Johnsonville, South Carolina (12)
- Marion County N, South Carolina (109)
- North Marion, South Carolina (12)
- North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina (21)
- Anderson County, South Carolina (16)
- Blackstock, South Carolina (7)
- Buffalo, South Carolina (7)
- Hickory Grove, South Carolina (7)
- Liberty, South Carolina (7)
- York County N, South Carolina (9)
- Beaufort County, South Carolina (9)
- Charleston County, South Carolina (9)
- Colleton County, South Carolina (8)
- Moncks Circle, South Carolina (22)
- Moncks Corner MD, South Carolina (15)
- Summerville, South Carolina (7)
- *Aiken, South Carolina (8)
- Clarks Hill, South Carolina (7)
- Johnson City, Tennessee (7)
- Allens, Tennessee (12)
- Greater Oakland, Tennessee (8)
- Moon City, Texas (8)
- *Georgetown, Texas (10)
- Kerrville, Texas (8)
- *Killeen, Texas (13)
- *Marion, Texas (13)
- *Sonora, Texas (9)
- Jacksboro, Texas (7)
- *Midlothian, Texas (9)
- El Campo, Texas (11)
- Fort Bend, Texas (9)
- Orange, Texas (10)
- Port Arthur, Texas (11)
- Walker County, Texas (8)
- Tulia, Texas (9)
- Batesville, Texas (7)
- Edinburg, Texas (7)
- Laredo, Texas (9)
- Bountiful, Utah (7)
- San Juan County, Utah (7)
- *White Mesa, Utah (15)
- Hartford Town, Vermont (8)
- *Rochester, Vermont (8)
- *Herndon, Virginia (13)
- Manassas, Virginia (10)
- Winchester, Virginia (13)
- Portsmouth, Virginia (7)
- *Southampton County, Virginia (11)
- *Ellensburg, Washington (9)
- Kennewick, Washington (7)
- Okanogan, Washington (8)
- Bothell, Washington (7)
- Kingsgate, Washington (7)
- *Mercer Island, Washington (9)
- *Mountlake Terrace, Washington (14)
- Normandy Park, Washington (7)
- Port Madison Res., Washington (7)
- *Pierce CCD #1, Washington (7)
- *Raymond, Washington (8)
- *Thurston CCD #2, Washington (11)
- *Vancouver, Washington (12)
- *Huntington, West Virginia (7)
- Logan, West Virginia (8)
- Montgomery, West Virginia (7)
- Wetzel County, West Virginia (7)
- Stevens Point, Wisconsin (7)
- *Brookfield, Wisconsin (7)
- Cedarburg, Wisconsin (9)
- Delafield Twp., Wisconsin (8)
- Elkhorn, Wisconsin (10)
- Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin (7)
- Muskego, Wisconsin (7)
- Wilson Twp., Wisconsin (8)
- *Riverton, Wyoming (7)
- *Rock Springs, Wyoming (8)
- Wind River, Wyoming (17)
- *Denotes former Assembly
[Page 12]
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)
Bahá’u’lláh’s servant, Esfandayar: ‘A king among men’[edit]
The following story by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá illustrates how every person may well take pride in his ethnic background and identity. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá always saw the good in another individual, and this rejoiced His heart.
•
My grandfather had many coloured maids and servants. When the Blessed Perfection became the head of the family he liberated all of them, and gave them permission to leave or stay, but if they desired to remain it would, of course, be in a different manner.
However, all of them, revelling in their new-found freedom preferred to leave, except Esfandíyár, who remained in the household and continued to serve us with proverbial faithfulness and chastity.
THEN when Bahá’u’lláh became known as a Bábí, and he was teaching many people, the populace rose against him, and with the tacit consent of the government, our house was pillaged and ransacked.
My father was put into prison and we were persecuted on all sides. For days the rabble in their fanatical fury and rage threw stones into our house, broke the windows and damaged everything.
At that time I was probably six or seven years old. Everybody had left us, and our family then consisted of my mother, my sister (the Greatest Holy Leaf) and Áqá Músá.
Fearing that the stones thrown into the house might hit one of us, my mother set out and rented a small house in an entirely different quarter of the city, and for fear of recognition she carried us safely to our new, humble quarters by night.
On the other hand, the enemies of my father, who had poisoned the mind of the Sháh by saying that he harbored secret plans against the throne, were convinced that Esfandíyár was the guardian of all the secret plans of Bahá’u’lláh.
THEREFORE, they imagined that if once they laid their hands on Esfandayar they would force out of him everything, and then be able to substantiate their vague accusations with these solid facts.
Hence they commissioned one hundred and fifty policemen to find him and bring him before them.
Esfandayar had a chum with whom he passed most of his time. At first they tried to get hold of his chum, thus he might divulge the hiding-place of Esfandayar, but they failed in their purpose.
One midnight we were roused out of our sleep by a loud knocking at the door. It was opened, and lo and behold, it was Esfandayar.
My mother said to him with anxiety: “How is it that thou art yet in the city? Dost thou not know that there are one hundred and fifty policemen after thee? Fly as quickly as thou canst. If they get hold of thee, thy life will be in danger.”
But he smiled and answered: “No, I will not leave Teheran, even if an hundred or a thousand policemen are after me. I am not afraid. I have many debts in the bazaar. I owe money to many shopkeepers, and before I leave this city I must pay off all the debts. I do not want the people to say afterward that the negro servant of Bahá’u’lláh escaped without paying his debts.”
THEN HE left us, and for one month and a half he walked in broad daylight in the streets and bazaars, and finally succeeded in clearing off all his financial obligations. All this time the policemen were after him, but could not catch him.
Then, one night he appeared again, and said: “I am now free. I have actually paid all my debts and will leave the city with a clear conscience.”
He went to Mazandaran, and the governor, who was not a Bahá’í, engaged him as his equerry and protected him from the pursuit of his enemies.
Years lapsed, and the governor, being a religious man, desired to make a pilgrimage to the holy city of Karbala. Naturally, he took with him Esfandayar, who by this time had grown so much in his favor that he could not bear to be separated from him.
When they reached the city of Baghdád, Esfandayar was overjoyed to stand again in the presence of Bahá’u’lláh because he loved him most intensely.
HE REQUESTED Bahá’u’lláh to keep him, saying that he would rather leave the governor and serve his old master. But Bahá’u’lláh said to him: “You must act in this matter in accord with the wish of the governor. You owe him a debt of deep gratitude, because at a time when your life was in danger, he gave you a position and stopped the persecution of your enemies. Now, if he is willing to have you remain with us, we will accept you; otherwise you must continue to serve him with the same zeal and sincerity that you have served us in the past.”
Esfandayar went to the governor and explained his case.
He answered: “It is impossible. I cannot find in this wide world another man as honest and faithful as thyself. Thou must continue to stay with me. I have grown to love thee and will do everything to add to thy comfort and happiness.”
Of course Esfandayar was heartbroken over this decision, but he had to abide by the decision of the Blessed Perfection. He in turn consoled him with his blessings showered upon him.
Esfandayar returned to Mazandaran with the governor and stayed with him until his last day.
Such was the sterling faithfulness of Esfandayar that whenever I think of him, my eyes grow dim with tears.
He was a king among men, a glorious star in the heaven of humanity. Although his face was black, his heart was white as the snow. He was peerless and had no equal.
I cannot sufficiently praise him. I love him. He was a glory and a jewel on the crown of the coloured race, for his life was a noble record of proud achievement, and the whole world may learn a lesson from it.
From Star of the West (Vol. 9, No. 3), April 28, 1918, pp. 38-39.
Mrs. Eileen Lau (left) and Mrs. Ruth Forrest, both of Ninety Six, South Carolina, were recipients in November of the second ‘Exemplary Life Awards’ presented by the Bahá’ís of Greenwood County North, South Carolina. The awards are given in recognition of a life of devotion to God manifested in loving service to mankind. Eighty people including 65 non-Bahá’ís attended the award reception in Greenwood. Mrs. Lau is director of the Speech and Hearing Service at Midlands Center in Columbia, South Carolina; Mrs. Forrest has been a teacher at the McCormick Middle School for 15 years, 12 of those years with the mentally handicapped.
Questionnaire on ‘The Most Challenging Issue’
Based on Pages 28-34 in The Advent of Divine Justice
- What is our most challenging issue?
- What is prejudice?
- Who is our Exemplar?
- What special qualities did He have?
- Can you offer examples of His life of unity?
- On what grounds should we not differentiate among peoples?
- If we differentiate at all, what kind should it be?
- How can we do this?
- Why should we do this?
- What should be our watchword?
- Does God distinguish between black and white?
- What is most acceptable to Him?
- What do blacks and whites have in common here?
- What separates people in this country?
- How can we compare different people to different notes in music?
- Will unity require effort and will from everyone? Explain.
- What will assure the world’s peace?
- How can prejudice be effaced?
- If the problem of prejudice is not solved, what could happen?
- What attitudes must whites drop?
- What attitudes must blacks adopt?
- What then is required of everyone?
“Think ye of love and good fellowship as the delights of heaven, think ye of hostility and hatred as the torments of hell.”—Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, p. 245
Your letters, cards are welcome[edit]
The Race Unity Committee has received mail from many parts of the country concerning “The Most Challenging Issue.” The “year of awareness” appears to have been a great success.
Mail expressing interest, concern and hope toward the eradication of the last of lingering prejudices has come from such places as Lansing, Michigan; Belford, New Jersey; Taylorsville, Mississippi; Rialto, California; Austin, Texas; Detroit, Michigan; Kent, Washington; Highland Park, Illinois; Charlottesville, Virginia; Champaign Township, Illinois; Lyons, Oregon; and Duluth, Minnesota.
Please continue to write to the Race Unity Committee c/o Dr. Carole Allen, secretary, ________ Norfolk, VA 23508.
Reports of your plans to help eradicate prejudice and foster racial amity are most welcome. Please be aware that your letter might reach The American Bahá’í, on the Race Unity Page, unless you specify that you do not want it published. Published letters may not be anonymous.
Master: Color makes no difference[edit]
A coloured man from South Africa who was visiting ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, said that even now no white people really cared very much for the black man.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá replied: Compare the present time and the feeling towards the coloured people now, with the state of feeling two or three hundred years ago, and see how much better it is at present. In a short time the relationship between the coloured and white people will still further improve, and bye and bye no difference will be felt between them. White doves and purple doves exist, but both kinds are doves.
Bahá’u’lláh once compared the coloured people to the black pupil of the eye surrounded by the white. In this black pupil you see the reflection of that which is before it, and through it the light of the Spirit shines forth.
In the sight of God colour makes no difference at all, He looks at the hearts of men. That which God desires from men is the heart. A black man with a good character is far superior to a white man with a character that is less than good.—From ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in London, pp. 63-64
Letters[edit]
Continued From Page 2
that the upheaval in the old world has been building and expanding for generations. One generation did not create it, nor will one generation solve it—let alone any one individual.
However, a prolonged emergence of individual “examples” rallying around the Writings and behind our administrative institutions will begin to have an influence.
The individual Bahá’í can be an example while talking about the suffering of our Bahá’í family in Iran to his friends.
We should not be timid. We need to present the truth openly to our friends before they hear it from pulpits or from distorted commentaries.
We have a golden opportunity to channel our frustrated energy into informing people of the Bahá’í view. If relationships turn into Bahá’í relationships, wonderful; if not, perhaps those friends will be the first to support our defense against malicious attacks.
Second, one of our “spiritual battles” today is the skirmish between turning our attention to the Writings and service or to other things.
The answer lies in balance, which requires individual judgment.
SINCE no one knows what is in the heart of his fellow Bahá’ís, we need not waste time feeling intimidated or intimidating each other over our degree of participation.
We need to encourage one another to participate as much as we can. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá did this through praise, not by fault-finding.
Those who can’t participate 100 per cent today may perhaps be participating 120 per cent at some other time. Those who are not participating at all need to be showered with extra love and extra praise.
Third, we need to be aware of the timing in our service to the Faith. We need to monitor our ever-changing lifestyle as we grow, and encourage ourselves and others with “You are doing the best you know how at this time.”
For example, the Bahá’í who is a student should not be made to feel guilty for not supporting an activity because he has an exam to study for that evening.
In the short run, that is his decision. In the long run, his investment in training today could, in time, return to the Faith tenfold because of his expertise.
EACH of us could look at his own position in the spectrum of life and ask, “At this time, how can I best serve the Faith and to what extent?” The answer should be based on our own feelings and goals, not on the “envy of others” position or on anguish over another’s seeming lack of activity.
What is happening in Iran presents American Bahá’ís an opportunity to look at themselves, plot their course of service, and make a new beginning.
We can choose to shudder with bewilderment and look into the dark future with gloomy hope, or we can choose to rededicate our lives and move forward with courage and confidence, praising each other all the way.
Rockford, Illinois
To the Editor:
“Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses, yearning to be free ...”
I was struck recently by what seemed a paradox—although the above words are inscribed on the Statue of Liberty as a “creed” for our nation, they state eloquently what I perceive to be our position as Bahá’ís to the whole of humanity; that is, we exist, as Bahá’ís, to be of service to God’s creation—as individuals through love, and as an administrative order through justice and equity.
WE ARE capable of offering rest to the weary, sustenance to the poor, opportunity to the enslaved, and the promise of hope and freedom to the beleaguered through the Teachings of Bahá’u’lláh.
As our nation, perhaps unknowingly, is guided by the will of God, so too is the world community of man. As Bahá’ís, we have the bounty of knowingly acting on the will of God as set forth in the Writings.
Although the country may offer the vessel of liberty to those who are in need, our Faith may indeed offer the spirit to vitalize the vessel, thus making it useful for the well-being of man.
I have in my mind the image of a lovely, strong lady offering in words what we can offer in deeds—a viable refuge so needed and yearned for today.
May we ever work toward that princely state of being described by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: “I beg of God that ye will be bringers of joy, even as are the angels in Heaven.”
Then will our Bahá’í community truly be a refuge for the “huddled masses.” Then will we ourselves be truly free and mobilized by our destined capacity.
Fall City, Washington
Two Bahá’ís from Baltimore, Maryland, have been appointed by Gov. Harry Hughes to serve on the Maryland Commission on Indian Affairs. Earl C. Brooks (left), shown receiving his commission from the governor, is a Lumbee Indian from North Carolina who is executive director of the Baltimore American Indian Center. He and his wife, Lorraine, are members of the Bahá’í community of Baltimore. Carl A. Durkee, the other Bahá’í named to the commission, is a practicing attorney who has handled many cases for Lumbee Indians and those from many other tribes. He is a member of the Bahá’í community of Baltimore County.
As a part of their observance of Human Rights Day, the Bahá’ís of metropolitan Detroit, Michigan, presented an award for meritorious service December 4 to WJBK-TV in Detroit. About 120 people attended the award banquet at which Paul Thompson (left) of WJBK-TV accepted the award on behalf of the station from Changiz Guela, a member of the Spiritual Assembly of Detroit. The award cited the station for its ‘important contributions to creating greater public awareness of significant human issues.’
Spanish-speaking Bahá’ís organize teaching campaign to cover Florida[edit]
Fifteen Spanish-speaking Bahá’ís gathered February 13 in Miami, Florida, to organize a teaching campaign for the state of Florida.
Although the majority of those attending the conference were bilingual, the conference was held entirely in Spanish.
AUXILIARY Board member Ben Levy attended the conference and spoke to the friends briefly to encourage their efforts.
The conference was chaired by Shirin Selph, secretary of the Regional Spanish Teaching Committee.
Oscar Cardozo, also a member of the Regional Committee, spoke of the love of Bahá’u’lláh for humanity.
Thirty- and 60-second radio spot announcements, acquired from CIRBAL in Maracaibo, Venezuela, were played by John Nicol, who spoke about the use of radio as an aid in the teaching campaign.
As a result of the conference, a teaching project was planned for May 23-24 in Belle Glade, Florida, to be preceded by six weeks of advertising in Spanish in local Spanish-language newspapers and on radio.
Anyone who would like to participate in the Belle Glade teaching campaign is invited to contact Mrs. Shirin Selph, ________ Village, Gainesville, FL 32603; phone 904-373-2296.
[Page 14]
PÁGINA HISPANA
Curso de Estudio No. 3: La base de todas las religiones[edit]
No puede caber duda alguna que los pueblos del mundo, sea cual fuere su raza o religión, derivan su inspiración de una sola Fuente Celestial y son los súbditos de un solo Dios. Las diferencias entre las ordenanzas bajo las cuales viven, deben ser atribuidas a los cambios en los requisitos y exigencias de la edad en que fueron reveladas.—Bahá’u’lláh
•
Si es que aceptamos; que la tierra es un solo país y la humanidad sus ciudadanos, que la humanidad es un organismo viviente cuya salud depende de la salud de cada uno de sus miembros, que la especie humana es una sola y que a los ojos del Creador todos Sus hijos son iguales, entonces, en nuestro afán de ver las implicaciones de este pensamiento, veremos cómo el Dios único se manifiesta a los hombres por intermedio de los Profetas, conocidos también como los Mensajeros de Su palabra o como Sus Manifestaciones.
MUCHOS siglos después de Su aparición, siguen siendo venerados y Su sabiduría continúa iluminando e inspirando a millones de seres humanos en toda la tierra.
Algunos pueblos reverencian a Moisés, otros a Krishna, a Zoroastro, a Buda, a Cristo, a Mahoma o a Bahá’u’lláh.
Las enseñanzas de estos reveladores de la Unidad Divina no han sido contradictorias ya que todos han expresado las mismas verdades esenciales. Todos han exhortadao a los hombres a creer en Dios y a amarlo y a hacer el bien.
Sus vidas han sido ejemplo de integridad y pureza. Todos fueron honrados por miles de creyentes, muchos de los cuales dieron sus vidas por seguir Sus enseñanzas.
Ninguno de estos Profetas levantó Su voz para atacar o denigrar a otro Profeta. Moisés ensalza a Abraham, Cristo reverencia a Moisés, Mahoma reconoce y alaba a Cristo y Bahá’u’lláh exalta la Divina Estación de todos los mensajeros de Dios.
No obstante la evidente unidad existente entre todos estos Mensajeros de Dios, con el transcurso del tiempo Sus seguidores se han apartado de Sus enseñanzas y, llenos de prejuicios, dogmas y ritos creados por ellos mismos, han provocado grandes contiendas, luchas y separaciones completamente opuestas a las enseñanzas de los Profetas.
POR ESTE motivo, cada vez que la religión cae en decadencia viene un nuevo Mensajero de Dios cuya misión es renovar y purificar la religión y dar nueva vida espiritual a la humanidad.
Los nombres de los Portavoces de Dios son diferentes, pero sus enseñanzas espirituales eran esencialmente iguales en las normas de órden social donde varían Sus preceptos.
En un tiempo la justicia se hacía tomando “ojo por ojo y diente por diente,” pero esto es inaplicable en el mundo de hoy.
En cierta época el divorcio era permitido; posteriormente fue prohibido a causa de haber cambiado las circunstancias.
Todas las religiones aceptan el descanso en un día de la semana, pero mientras los judíos observan el sábado, los cristianos observan el domingo y los musulmanes el viernes. Estas y otras diferencias circunstanciales han dado orígen a prejuicios nacidos de la ignorancia, los que han creado enemistad entre las religiones.
La vida y el progreso del hombre depende de la Palabra de Dios. En tiempos pasados los hombres estaban separados por océanos, cadenas de montañas, bosques, desiertos y rios.
Todas estas barreras geográficas y físicas han sido vencidas por las invenciones modernas.
LA EXISTENCIA de estas barreras naturales ha sido la razón para que hubiera numerosos Reveladores de la Palabra de Dios, para que toda la humanidad pudiera recibirla.
Hay, además, otra razón para esto y es que, con el transcurso de los siglos, ha ido creciendo la capacidad social e intelectual del hombre. Por lo tanto, de tiempo en tiempo necesita recibir una nueva porción de la Verdad Esencial, que es tanto alimento para su espíritu como energía propulsora para la civilización.
Esta Verdad Esencial es revelada siempre por un Mensajero Divino.
El fundador de la religión es el verdadero Educador del hombre. Lo entrena en la moral y en las virtudes más elevadas. Le da a conocer su realidad espiritual.
Todos los Mensajeros de Dios han cumplido con este cometido y han entrenado a los hombres en honestidad, veracidad, integridad, respeto por el prójimo y desprendimiento en bien de los demás.
La enseñanza esencial de todas las religiones es la misma.
“Si las religiones investigan la realidad y buscan la Verdad Esencial de sus propios fundamentos, llegarán a un completo acuerdo y no se encontrarán divergencias. Sin embargo, por cuanto las religiones se encuentran sumergidas en imitaciones dogmáticas y han abandonado los fundamentos originales, por cuanto las imitaciones varían considerablemente, por este motivo las religiones están en divergencia y muestran mutuo antagonismo. Estas imitaciones pueden ser comparadas con las nubes que oscurecen la alborada del sol; pero la realidad es el sol. Si se dispersan las nubes, el Sol de la Realidad brillará sobre todos y desaparecerán las divergencias. Entonces las religiones estarán de acuerdo por cuanto, en lo fundamental, son todas iguales.”—‘Abdu’l-Bahá
Algunos de los participantes durante el instituto que se realizó en Miami.
Se reunieron quince Bahá’ís de habla hispana en Miami, Florida[edit]
Reuniéronse en Miami, Florida, el día 13 de febrero, quince Bahá’ís de habla español con el propósito de organizarse para una campaña de enseñanza en el Estado de Florida.
Aunque la mayoría de los asistentes eran bilingües, la conferencia se llevó a cabo completamente en español.
EL SR. Benjamin Levy, miembro del Cuerpo Auxiliar, asistió a la conferencia como oyente, y brevemente dirigió palabras estimulantes a los Amigos allí reunidos.
Presidió la conferencia la Sra. Shirin Selph, siendo ella secretaria del Comité Regional de Enseñanza Hispana.
El Sr. Oscar Cardozo, también miembro del Comité Regional, habló del amor de Bahá’u’lláh para la humanidad.
Así también se presentaron cintas de cuñas de 30 y 60 segundos adquiridos de CIRBAL, en Maracaibo, Venezuela, por el Sr. John Nicol, quien habló sobre el uso del radio en conjunto con la campaña de enseñanza.
La conferencia fue tan animada y tan productiva que los Amigos Bahá’ís encontraban que el tiempo no era suficiente para realizar todo lo que querían hacer, aunque el programa duró siete horas.
No obstante, se organizó un proyecto de enseñanza para el pueblo de Belle Glade, Florida, los días 23 y 24 de mayo, precedida por seis semanas de anuncios en español en la prensa y las radiofusoras locales de lengua hispana.
Quien desée participar en la campaña de Belle Glade, favor de dirigirse a la Sra. Shirin Selph, Gainesville, FL 32603; teléfono 904-373-2296.
PENSAMIENTO BAHÁ’Í
ES UNA REVISTA DE PROFUNDIZACIÓN PUBLICADA POR EL COMITÉ NACIONAL DE VIDA BAHÁ’Í DE ESPAÑA.
UNA PUBLICACIÓN BIMENSUAL DIRIGIDA A TODOS LOS BAHÁ’ÍS DE HABLA HISPANA, QUE CONTIENE ARTICULOS Y TRABAJOS PARA EL ESTUDIO A FONDO DE LAS ENSEÑANZAS BAHÁ’ÍS.
DESEAMOS RECIBIR COLABORACIONES EN FORMA DE ARTICULOS, ESTUDIOS DE TEMAS BAHÁ’ÍS, ETC. DE NUESTROS QUERIDOS AMIGOS DE AMERICA.
LA SUSCRIPCION ANUAL (6 NUMEROS) PARA AMERICA ES DE:
- 550 Pesetas (Aprox. $U.S. 5.75) por correo ordinario
- 650 Pesetas (Aprox. $U.S. 6.85) por correo aéreo
POR FAVOR DIRIJAN SU CORRESPONDENCIA, TRABAJOS Y SUSCRIPCIONES A:
- Francisco Javier González
- Edificio Cayuco, 8-B
- PALMA NOVA, Mallorca
- BALEARIC ISLANDS, ESPAÑA
¡UNA SUSCRIPCIÓN A PENSAMIENTO BAHÁ’Í ES UN BUEN OBSEQUIO!
La Enseñanza Personal: Los Consejos del Báb[edit]
¡Oh Mis queridos amigos! Sois los portadores del nombre de Dios en este Día. Habéis sido elegidos como los depositarios de Su misterio.
Os incumbe a cada uno de vosotros manifestar los atributos de Dios y ejemplificar, por vuestras acciones y palabras, los signos de Su rectitud, Su poder y gloria.
Los mismos miembros de vuestro cuerpo deben dar testimonio de lo exaltado de vuestro propósito, la integridad de vuestra vida, la realidad de vuestra fe y el elevado carácter de vuestra devoción ...
Los días en que la vana adoración era considerada suficiente han llegado a su fin. Ha llegado la hora cuando nada sino el motivo más puro, apoyado por acciones de inmaculada pureza, pueden ascender al trono del Altísimo y ser aceptadas por Él ...
... No toméis en cuenta vuestras limitaciones y debilidad; fijad vuestra mirada en el poder invencible del Señor, vuestro Dios, el Todopoderoso.
¿Acaso no ha hecho que Abraham, en tiempos pasados, a pesar de su aparente impotencia, triunfara sobre las fuerzas de Nimrod?
¿No ha hecho posible a Moisés, cuyo cayado era su único compañero, vencer al Faraón y sus huestes?
¿No ha establecido el poder de Jesús, pobre y humilde como era a los ojos de los hombres, sobre las fuerzas combinadas del pueblo Judío? ¿No ha sometido a las tribus bárbaras y militantes de Arabia a la sagrada y transformadora disciplina de Muhammad, Su Profeta?
Levantaos en Su nombre, poned toda vuestra confianza en Él y estad seguros de la victoria final.
[Page 15]
PUBLICATIONS
Essay on Greatest Holy Leaf heads list of 7 new titles[edit]
Seven new titles from George Ronald—five for adults and two for children—are now available from the Bahá’í Publishing Trust, according to Greg Weiler, marketing manager.
Khánum: The Greatest Holy Leaf, as remembered by Marzieh Gail, heads the list of new adult titles. The 38-page essay calls to mind the story of Baḥíyyih Khánum, the daughter of Bahá’u’lláh, her sorrows and services, and the love she inspired and gave to others.
The book also provides a brief glimpse of the family of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and of the young Shoghi Effendi.
Khánum: The Greatest Holy Leaf (Stock No. 332-077), available in a cloth edition only, is priced at $4.95. It should provide valuable material for the commemoration on July 17 of the 50th anniversary of the passing of the Greatest Holy Leaf, as called for by the National Spiritual Assembly.
The Seven Martyrs of Hurmuzak, by Muḥammad Labib, translated and introduced by Moojan Momen, should provide valuable background material for discussions of the present persecutions in Iran.
The book details, with eyewitness accounts and photographs taken shortly after the event, the violent murders of seven Bahá’ís in Hurmuzak in July 1955. The book also includes newspaper reports of the subsequent trial and conviction of the perpetrators.
The Seven Martyrs of Hurmuzak contains 63 pages and 23 black-and-white illustrations. The cloth edition (Stock No. 332-078) is priced at $8.50, the paper edition (Stock No. 332-079) at $3.95.
Two additional titles—Response and These Perspicuous Verses—should spark new thoughts about ways in which to study the Creative Word.
Response, by Bahíyyih Nakhjavání, explores the dual nature of human relationships to God, Bahá’u’lláh, other people, and Bahá’í communities.
Through consideration of three important women in Bahá’í history—the Greatest Holy Leaf; the wife of Bahá’u’lláh; and Ṭáhirih—Ms. Nakhjavání challenges the reader to search out mysteries enshrined in the Creative Word.
Response is available in a cloth edition (Stock No. 332-075) at $8.95 and in a paper edition (Stock No. 332-076) at $4.50.
In These Perspicuous Verses, Robert McLaughlin has taken a short passage from Epistle to the Son of the Wolf and provided a set of fascinating, thought-provoking and inspiring notes. The book lends itself both to private and group study.
Available in both a cloth edition (Stock No. 332-080) for $7.95 and a paper edition (Stock No. 332-081) for $3.95, These Perspicuous Verses is sure to prove a landmark in the development of the study of the Bahá’í Writings.
For those who enjoyed Roger White’s Another Song, Another Season, there is a new treat: a second volume of poetry entitled The Witness of Pebbles (Stock No. 332-082, $10.95 cloth; Stock No. 332-083, $5.95 paper).
The Witness of Pebbles, like Mr. White’s first volume, contains portrayals of Bahá’ís and the spirit and idealism of the Bahá’í revelation—as well as a vein of Voltairean irreverence.
Two books for 7- to 11-year-olds—Call Me Riḍván and The Horse of the Moonlight—round out the new titles from George Ronald.
The Horse of the Moonlight (Stock No. 332-085, $7.50 cloth), by Irene Taafaki, tells the story of Tim, who takes an imaginary trip on a moonlight horse to a very special stable.
There a red roan explains how he carried Bahá’u’lláh on the first stage of His exile from Baghdád. A wild stallion recounts his taming by the Báb, and an old war horse remembers carrying Mullá Ḥusayn into battle. The element of fantasy and adventure brings a new dimension to stories from Bahá’í history.
Call Me Riḍván, by Wendy Momen, will appeal to all children over seven who have had to cope with being Bahá’ís in a mostly non-Bahá’í environment.
Nine-year-old Riḍván Hart moves to a new town (a Bahá’í goal) and must learn to cope with teachers and children who can’t pronounce his name. An unexpected friend—and a prayer—help him find a way to solve his problems and to learn more about what it means to be a Bahá’í.
Call Me Riḍván (Stock No. 352-084), illustrated with black-and-white line art, is available in a paper edition only. The price is $1.90.
To order copies of any of these new titles see your local librarian or phone the Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 800-323-1880.
‘The Open Door’ back in print, available from Publishing Trust[edit]
“The Open Door,” the popular booklet on life after death, is once again in print and may be ordered from the Bahá’í Publishing Trust.
“The Open Door,” printed in black ink on rich cream stock and highlighted with a touch of yellow, has been designed for gift presentations and for mailing. It contains quotations from the writings of Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá on life after death that will bring consolation and understanding to those who have lost loved ones.
“The Open Door” (Stock No. 340-058) is priced at 10 for $5.50. To order copies see your local librarian or phone the Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 800-323-1880.
New Spanish edition of ‘New Era’ ready[edit]
A new edition of Bahá’u’lláh y la Nueva Era: Una Introduccion a la Fe Bahá’í (Bahá’u’lláh and the New Era) is now available from the Bahá’í Publishing Trust.
The new Spanish translation of Dr. J.E. Esslemont’s classic work is completely revised to reflect the updated text of the most recent English edition of the book.
A unique feature of this new edition of Bahá’u’lláh y la Nueva Era is a study guide. Each chapter is preceded by a list of questions. Hence an individual or group can design deepenings on each chapter or on various themes in the book.
A detailed index also makes the book especially easy to use for deepening sessions.
Bahá’u’lláh y la Nueva Era (Stock No. 431-015), which has 310 pages, is priced at $5. To order copies see your local librarian or phone the Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 800-323-1880.
New book by the Hand of the Cause Sears chronicles Iran persecutions[edit]
A Cry from the Heart, a new book by the Hand of the Cause of God William Sears, will be available at the Bahá’í National Convention, according to Greg Weiler, marketing manager of the Bahá’í Publishing Trust.
Mr. Sears, deeply moved by the savage onslaught on the heroic Bahá’í community in Iran, has written a dramatic account of the current persecutions.
In doing so, he has drawn on his own travels in Iran where he came to know and love the Persian Bahá’ís. He also makes use of detailed information available at the World Centre, where he wrote the first draft of the book.
The Universal House of Justice feels that the book can be used in many ways, and that it will be warmly welcomed by the Bahá’ís.
It can interest many people in the events taking place in Iran. It can be used as a topical introduction for seekers. It can be offered to local newspapers and radio stations for review. And it can be offered to bookstores for display.
Further details and ordering instructions on A Cry from the Heart, which will be available in both paper and cloth editions, will be forthcoming in The American Bahá’í and in the Bahá’í Publishing Trust Update as they become available.
Bahá’í designs logo for minority program[edit]
Ronald Marotte, a Bahá’í from St. Cloud, Minnesota, who is an artist, has designed the logo for the Mayor’s Minority Integration Program in that city.
The logo, with Mr. Marotte’s explanation of it, is being used on letterheads, posters and informational leaflets published by the St. Cloud Human Rights Commission.
[Page 16]
CLASSIFIEDS
Classified notices in The American Bahá’í are published free of charge as a service to the Bahá’í community. Notices are limited to items relating to the Faith; no personal or commercial messages can be accepted for publication. The opportunities referred to have not been approved by the National Spiritual Assembly, and the friends should exercise their own judgment in responding to them.
•
TEACHING jobs are open at a primary through junior high school in Arusha, Tanzania. There are two immediate openings for anyone able to leave on short notice, and at least five definite openings for the September 1982 term. The school offers pioneers one of the best salaries available in Tanzania, free meals and housing, and transportation. In addition, the schedule allows ample time for Bahá’í activities. Tanzania is an English-speaking country in eastern Africa, and more pioneers are needed there. For more information contact the International Goals Committee, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091, or phone 312-869-9039.
THE NATIONAL Spiritual Assembly of Taiwan invites all the Bahá’í friends who are planning to attend the International Conference in Manila to participate in its post-conference gathering to be held May 15-16 at the National Center in Taipei. Traveling teaching can be arranged for either of two periods: May 10-15 or May 17-22. Low-cost accommodations can be arranged near the Center. For more information please contact the International Goals Committee, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091, or telephone 312-869-9039.
THE BAHÁ’Í National Center is presently accepting applications for the following positions: Customer service assistant, Bahá’í Publishing Trust—Receives and processes orders and accounts of local librarians. Identifies, researches and corrects domestic customer order problems. Office experience and light typing required, similar work experience preferred. Secretary/receptionist, Bahá’í Publishing Trust—Receives visitors, answers telephones, types, maintains office supplies. Must have proven general office experience and type above 50 wpm. Must maintain high standards of attendance and punctuality and possess a gracious demeanor. Pilgrimage coordinator—Plans and schedules pilgrimages to the Bahá’í World Centre. Answers inquiries and arranges details. Heavy phone work, typing 50-plus wpm. Requires ability to manage time and work with little supervision. Must be courteous and have a pleasant telephone manner. Transfer clerk—Receives and processes transfers into and out of the country, enters changes on computer terminal. Opens and distributes mail, corresponds with believers by letter and by phone. Must have proven general office experience and type above 50 wpm. For more information or to obtain applications, please contact the Personnel Office, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091, or phone 312-869-9039.
SUMMER JOBS at the Green Acre Bahá’í School: An innkeeper and maintenance person are needed from May through September. Also cooks, program directors, a housekeeper, book sales person and other staff are needed in July and August. Write to the Green Acre Bahá’í School, P.O. Box 17, Eliot, ME 03903.
JONESBORO, Arkansas, has six adult Bahá’ís and needs three more to form an Assembly. Jonesboro, 250 miles south of St. Louis, is a university town of 30,000. An industrial, retail, manufacturing, educational and medical center for northeastern Arkansas, it is one hour by car from Memphis, Tennessee. Arkansas State University offers a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs including an intensive English program for international students. For more information contact Margaret Dean, P.O. Box 3645, State University, AR 72467, or telephone 501-932-0878.
HOMEFRONT pioneers are needed to help establish a Spiritual Assembly in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, a city of 25,000 that has something to offer people of every age, interest, nationality, etc. An active Bahá’í community holds regular deepenings, firesides, Feasts and children’s classes. We would be more than willing to help anyone who is interested in pioneering here in any way we can. For more information please write to Valerie Konopacky, secretary, Stevens Point, WI 54481.
STUDENTS are desperately needed as homefront pioneers to help form an Assembly and help strengthen an already established Bahá’í college club in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. There is a lovely four-year college that is growing and yet still is small enough to foster one-on-one relationships between teachers and students. The community is ready to help you in any way it can, should you choose to come to Stevens Point. For more information please write to Valerie Konopacky, secretary, Stevens Point, WI 54481.
STEWARTVILLE, Minnesota, has six adult Bahá’ís (two young couples and two adults in their 80s) and needs, wants and is praying for a Spiritual Assembly. All Bahá’ís are asked to consider moving to Stewartville, a city of 4,000 with all necessary shopping conveniences 12 miles from Rochester (population 56,000), as homefront pioneers. Employment is not a problem in Rochester, the retail and medical center of southeastern Minnesota, especially in medical, electronic, and retail operations. The Bahá’í children’s program in the Rochester area is exceptional with weekly classes and parental participation encouraged. In addition, there is a full schedule of deepenings and firesides. Please consider joining us and helping to create another Assembly for Bahá’u’lláh. We will be happy to help in finding housing or employment. Please write to Rich or Maryann Klann, _______ Stewartville, MN 55976, or telephone 507-533-8975.
OLDER Bahá’í News issues: I have duplicates of all issues between January 1973 and December 1978 plus many others. If you are interested in trading for other old Bahá’í News issues or books, or if you have duplicate pre-1964 issues you would like to sell (I need several to complete my set), please write to Tom Rockwell, ________ Goleta, CA 93117.
THE NATIONAL Bahá’í Archives Committee is planning to hold its 1982 Archives Institute June 23-27 at the Bahá’í National Center in Wilmette, Illinois. Those who are interested in attending the program should submit to the Archives Committee by May 20 a brief statement of their background and why they would like to attend the institute, which is designed to introduce believers interested in the archival field to the nature and functions of a Bahá’í archives. Attendance will be limited to eight persons, and each participant will be responsible for his or her expenses and housing. Please address requests to the National Bahá’í Archives Committee, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091.
THE BAHÁ’Í community of Bellingham, Washington, wants to sponsor a relay team in a “ski to sea” festival May 29-30. The race starts with skiing at Mt. Baker, to bicycles, to canoes, to running, to sailing, about 50 miles total with five or six on a team. Anyone who is interested in participating is asked to please contact the Spiritual Assembly of Bellingham, P.O. Box 103, Bellingham, WA 98227. Phone 206-734-6505 (evenings) or 206-733-4567 (weekdays).
THE SPIRITUAL Assembly of Roswell, New Mexico, is in jeopardy. The Assembly has not been meeting regularly, and Feasts and Holy Days are not being observed. The spiritually challenging city of Roswell has fine public schools, a university, and its own symphony orchestra. It is an excellent retirement community with mild weather most of the year. For more information please write to Neva Jean Claus, P.O. Box 998, Roswell, NM 88201.
LIVE AND SERVE in University Place, Washington, a lovely Puget Sound community that welcomes homefront pioneers to help preserve its Assembly. An unincorporated suburban community of 24,000 near Tacoma, University Place has its own school district with four elementary schools and excellent junior and senior high schools. Teacher salaries are among the nation’s highest. There is easy access to shopping and services (including the world’s largest indoor mall), two universities, a law school, community colleges, vocational schools, the second largest municipal park in America, a zoo, museums, ballet, and theatre groups. The crime rate is extremely low, and recreational opportunities—summer and winter—abound. Winters are light, and spring and fall are glorious. Come watch the eagles and blue herons along a creek; we’ve even seen deer and foxes within our borders. Housing is modest to moderate, well below the national average in cost. Come help us light up the Pacific Northwest! Write to the Spiritual Assembly of University Place, Box 19, University Village, Tacoma, WA 98466, or phone 206-564-1844.
THE LITTLE ROCK Bahá’í Center needs a host, hostess or couple to live at the Center to receive phone calls, provide information to friends and inquirers, oversee book sales and loans between meetings, and prepare the Center for activities. Applicants should be self-supporting, preferably retired. There is no payment for the position, but there is reduced monthly rent for accommodations at the Center. One bedroom is set aside for private quarters. Between meetings, the meeting area, kitchen and office are usable for living area, food preparation and work space. Applicants should enjoy meeting people, answering questions, and being at the heart of community life. The Center has been in the same location for 10 years; its dedicated hostess during that period recently passed away. Applicants are invited to send a brief statement of their background, experience as a Bahá’í and general reasons for interest in this kind of service to the Faith to the Spiritual Assembly of Little Rock, _______ Little Rock, AR 72205, as soon as possible.
A CHANCE to spend two weeks at Green Acre at minimal cost. Write for information about the Work/Study Program to the Green Acre Bahá’í School, P.O. Box 17, Eliot, ME 03903.
HOMEFRONT pioneers are needed to help form a Spiritual Assembly in Benbrook, Texas, a rapidly growing city about 15 miles from downtown Fort Worth and 25 miles from the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport. Lovely climate and recreation centers: 27-hole public golf course, tennis courts, baseball diamond, and the large Benbrook lake for fishing, sailing or swimming. For those seeking an education, there are many universities and junior colleges in the area, and the unemployment rate is among the lowest in the country. Housing costs and apartment rents are comparatively low. More information may be obtained by writing to the Bahá’í community of Benbrook c/o Maud S. Reimholz, secretary, ________m Benbrook, TX 76126. Phone 817-249-2781.
YANKTON, South Dakota, invites you to come and teach or pioneer to the oldest city in that state. The Bahá’ís of Vermillion will raise a new Assembly there in support of the state’s Convention goal of 10 new Assemblies this year! Yankton, population 12,000, is 23 miles west of Vermillion, home of the University of South Dakota (which includes a law school, business school, medical school, nursing school, school of education, and college of fine arts), and a few miles from Gavins Point Dam on the Missouri River. Employment is available in several light industries, in summer tourist trade, two small private colleges, and two hospitals—one a 155-bed general hospital, the other the state mental hospital. For more information please contact the Spiritual Assembly of Vermillion, P.O. Box 402, Vermillion, SD 57069, or phone 605-624-9207 or 605-624-8330.
THE SECOND annual Bahá’í Festival of the Arts will be held in May in Sacramento, California. Painters, sculptors and photographers should contact Doris Klumb for information and entry blanks. Performers who wish to lend their talents should contact Bonnie McCarty. Both may be contacted c/o the Spiritual Assembly of Sacramento, P.O. Box 161252, Sacramento, CA 95816.
NORTHERN Minnesota—land of 10,000 lakes, majestic woods, and wonderful people—is an excellent location for homefront pioneers. Jeopardized Assemblies, unopened Indian Reservations, and other unopened localities provide a marvelous opportunity for Bahá’í service. For more information, please contact the District Teaching Committee of Northern Minnesota, P.O. Box 187, Chisholm, MN 55792.
PIONEER post/job offer in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. A teacher for English preschool and for teaching English as a second language to all ages; five class hours a day, four days a week. The job begins in fall 1982. Requirements: Bachelor’s degree in one of the following areas: early childhood development; elementary education; bi-lingual education; or English as a second language. Salary: 12-month contract at 250 pesos a month, sufficient pay for a single person to cover room and board, personal necessities, and traveling teaching costs. For more information please contact the International Goals Committee, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091. Phone 312-869-9039.
VERMONT is a nice place to live but a tough place in which to
Ads[edit]
Continued From Page 16
make a living. The Spiritual Assembly of Burlington—the state’s largest city—wants Bahá’ís to think about the sacrifice they could make by choosing to live in Chittenden County—particularly Burlington. Here you can (on the average) expect to earn at least $2,000 more per year than in Vermont generally. For more information please contact the Spiritual Assembly of Burlington, Burlington, VT 05401, or phone 802-862-6675.
BAHÁ’ÍS can use personal computers in many ways that can be of benefit to the Faith. Those of us who either have computers in our homes or who are thinking of buying a computer can aid each other’s efforts to serve the Faith by organizing a “Bahá’í Computer Users’ Association” to exchange information on programs, hardware, software, compilations, or ideas for serving the Faith with personal computers. For information please contact Roger Coe, Box 95, Navajo, NM 87328, or phone 505-777-2230. Please include postage stamps with written requests for information to help defray expenses.
WHERE can we turn except to you to save our Assembly? Inglewood Judicial District, California, is in jeopardy. We need two, we need you! Please prayerfully consider how you can render this service to the Seven Year Plan of the Universal House of Justice. Join with us to help this sweet community survive and grow. Contact Blanche Grant, ________ Hawthorne, CA 90250, or phone 213-644-5919.
THE BAHÁ’Í Group of Schenectady, New York, has six adult members and hopes to have an Assembly by Riḍván 1982. There are good job opportunities in places such as the General Electric Company, the Albany Medical Center, and the New York State administrative offices. There are also several major colleges and universities with excellent facilities. Everyone is welcome. For more information please contact Khodadad Varahramyan, Bahá’í Group of Schenectady, P.O. Box 34, Schenectady, NY 12301, or phone 518-377-8063.
WOULD YOU like to teach children’s or youth classes at the Green Acre Bahá’í School this summer? If so, please write to the school at P.O. Box 17, Eliot, ME 03903.
OLNEY, Texas, needs homefront pioneers to help establish its Spiritual Assembly. Olney is a pleasant town (population about 6,000) in north-central Texas and serves a four-county trade area. Jobs in a variety of industries. Town spirit is community-oriented; excellent for raising children. For a profile on Olney, write to the nearby Spiritual Assembly of Graham, ________ Graham, TX 76046, or phone 817-549-6769.
ADDISON, Texas—a rapidly growing area just north of Dallas—has a critical need for homefront pioneers to help save its jeopardized four-year-old Assembly. There are presently eight adults and one youth in the community. The area offers good employment opportunities in a variety of fields, offers quick and easy access to the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport, and is surrounded by several active Bahá’í communities. If you would like further information, please write to the Spiritual Assembly of Addison, P.O. Box 782, Addison, TX 75001.
QUALIFIED Bahá’ís who would be interested in serving as art director of Child’s Way magazine should contact Rita Leydon, Box 127, Lahaska, PA 18931, with a résumé. Working knowledge of design, layout, type design and specifications, photography, illustration, printing specifications and a general flair for designing the printed page are necessary. Access to darkroom facilities would be helpful. The position offers no monetary compensation at this time. Child’s Way, published six times a year, is a 36-page magazine for 5-12 year-old Bahá’í children.
THERE ARE a number of excellent teaching positions open for the 1982-83 school year in El Salvador, and prospective pioneers have a good chance of obtaining these positions due to recent press coverage in the U.S. that has reduced competition for them. Jobs that are open include: superintendent, elementary school principal, head librarian (K-12), ESL specialist (K-12), middle school counselor, teachers in nearly all grade levels (elementary) and nearly all academic areas (secondary). For more information about the present situation in El Salvador and employment opportunities there, contact the International Goals Committee, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091, or phone 312-869-9039.
THREE homefront pioneers are needed to help save a jeopardized Assembly in Xenia, Ohio, a mid-state community with two predominantly black universities, Central State and Wilberforce, in the immediate area. Formation of Bahá’í clubs on these campuses is a goal of the Xenia community. Housing would be offered to a female student over 21 who could help the community in meeting these dual objectives. For information please write to Sue Higgins, Xenia, OH 45385. Phone 513-372-2588.
THE SECRETARY of the Spiritual Assembly of Batavia, Illinois, has learned that there are a variety of jobs available at the Fermi Lab near Batavia with on-the-job training for those who are employed. The Fermi Lab has to do with various kinds of atomic research and testing. For more information please contact Mrs. Eleanor Oleson, secretary, Spiritual Assembly of Batavia, ________ Batavia, IL 60510, or phone 312-879-0738.
WANTED: Bahá’ís to serve on the first Spiritual Assembly of Seneca Falls, New York, the birthplace of the women’s rights movement in the U.S. Seneca Falls, in the heart of the Finger Lakes area, is an hour’s drive from Rochester, Syracuse and Ithaca. Many employment opportunities are available, from fire fighter to machinist, teacher to accountant. Three colleges are within a 30-minute drive. This stable, active Group of six adults and five children is looking for deepened Bahá’ís to reflect the diversity of mankind’s ages, races and nationalities. Please contact Dennis and Donna Mahoney, Seneca Falls, NY 13148, or telephone 315-568-6039.
HOMEFRONT pioneers: Consider Homewood, Alabama, a long-standing, active community whose membership has slipped to eight. We are actively engaged in direct teaching, proclamation through the mass media, and a variety of inter-community activities. Homewood is directly south of Birmingham, and homes are reasonably priced. There are employment opportunities in the health and communications fields. Please phone Mrs. Zohreh Bartlett, and let us know when you’re coming!
MEDICAL personnel: travel teach and serve in the Caribbean. The National Council for International Health (NCIH) has been awarded a grant to provide shortterm medical volunteers to the less developed countries (LDCs) of the English-speaking Caribbean and is looking for certain medical specialists who are willing to volunteer about three months of service to these countries. Project funds will pay all travel costs plus a small honorarium. The LDCs will provide food and lodging. At this time the following assignments are available: Antigua: anesthesiologist. St. Vincent: radiologist. Montserrat: nurse-midwife. Belize: pediatrician, anesthesiologist, pathologist. Other specialists may be needed in the future. This is an excellent way to learn about another culture, acquire medical experience in the field, and teach the Faith by example and deed. For further information, please write to the International Goals Committee, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091, or phone 312-869-9039.
HOMEFRONT pioneers, please consider Marina, California, one of the seven incorporated cities on the world-renowned Monterey Peninsula, 125 miles south of San Francisco and 345 miles north of Los Angeles on beautiful Monterey Bay. Marina, with a population of 20,647 (6,700 of whom are military), needs permanent residents to maintain its jeopardized Assembly. The Monterey Peninsula has about 200,000 residents; average summer temperature is 59 degrees, average winter temperature 55.5 degrees! The economy is based in part on military payrolls, contracts and services, and a large-scale visitors and convention industry. In addition, there are research laboratories and some light manufacturing. There is an excellent school system from K-12; a private university offering upper division and graduate courses in business administration; world-renowned Monterey Institute of Foreign Studies; and Hopkins Marine Station (the marine biology facility of Stanford University). More than 60 art galleries and studios are located in the Peninsula area, which also is known as the “golf capital of the world.” Because Marina is on the northerly fringe of the Peninsula, housing is more reasonable than in some other communities, with houses ranging from $80,000 to $175,000, rentals from $300-$375 a month for apartments and $550-$800 for houses. For more information write to Mrs. Brenda Calvert, secretary, ________ Marina, CA 93933, or phone 408-384-9237.
Iran martyrs[edit]
Continued From Page 1
IN FACE SUCH OPPRESSIVE MEASURES. THOUSANDS BAHÁ’ÍS IRAN UNMINDFUL OF POSSIBLE DIRE CONSEQUENCES, HAVE COURAGEOUSLY APPEALED BY LETTER OR CABLE TO VARIOUS HIGH OFFICIALS AT NATIONAL AND LOCAL LEVELS COMPLAINING ABOUT BARBARIC ACTS GROSS INJUSTICE, HAVE REVEALED THEIR NAMES AND ADDRESSES, AND HAVE EXPRESSED HOPE THAT FEAR GOD WILL ULTIMATELY AWAKEN BLOODTHIRSTY AND HATE-FILLED INDIVIDUALS TO DISGRACEFUL ABUSE THEIR POWERS AND INDUCE THEM CEASE BEHAVIOUR ABHORRENT ALL CIVILIZED PEOPLE.
BAHÁ’ÍS IRAN ARE GRATEFUL THEIR BRETHREN THROUGHOUT WORLD BECAUSE THEY HAVE NOT ONLY SUCCESSFULLY RAISED THEIR VOICES IN NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL FORUMS BUT ALSO HAVE PLEDGED REDOUBLE THEIR EFFORTS SERVE BAHÁ’U’LLÁH IN NAME CO-WORKERS CRADLE FAITH, IN ORDER TO COUNTERACT EVIL MACHINATIONS ENEMIES CAUSE DESIGNED ERADICATE FAITH IN LAND ITS BIRTH.
MARCH 9, 1982
Auction nets $400-plus for Fund[edit]
More than $400 was raised for the National Bahá’í Fund at a “service auction” January 16 sponsored by the Spiritual Assembly of Central Lane County, Oregon.
Services auctioned ranged from babysitting to cooking, use of a canoe for a weekend, downhill skiing lessons, help in learning a prayer in Persian, and so on.
Varqa, Bahai children’s magazine, now published in 3 languages[edit]
Varqa, a children’s magazine that was published for eight years in Iran, is now being produced on a bi-monthly basis in India in three languages: Persian, English and Hindi.
By subscribing to Varqa, you will not only be receiving a magazine that has more than proved its worth by winning the love and affection of children; your subscription will also enable a child in India who is unable to pay for it to receive the magazine.
The republication of Varqa is dedicated to the memory of the Hand of the Cause of God Abu’l-Qásim Faizí who loved children and did much to encourage their Bahá’í education.
[Page 18]
PERSIAN PAGE
Ten years ago ...[edit]
The National Spiritual Assembly announces two institutes to be held in the summer of 1973 as a part of a special program to improve the quality of Bahá’í life in the U.S.
The two-week institutes are to be held in July at the Green Acre Bahá’í School in Eliot, Maine, and at Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon.
The faculty is to include members of the National Spiritual Assembly and Auxiliary Board members. Plans include special programs with members of the Continental Board of Counsellors participating.
Subjects to be studied are Bahá’í history, the Administrative Order, and basic Bahá’í beliefs concerning God, His Manifestations, and the Covenant ...
“Improving the Quality of Bahá’í Life” is to be the theme of all Bahá’í school sessions in 1972, the National Bahá’í Schools Committee announces, following the example set by the National Spiritual Assembly in its move to help transform the American Bahá’í community.
To help Bahá’í school councils and committees maintain the highest possible quality at the various schools, members of the National Schools Committee recently visited with each of the 15 councils and committees ...
The International Goals Committee announces international Summer Teaching Projects for youth in eight European countries and in eight other countries in Central and South America ...
Fifty Bahá’í high school clubs are formed, meeting a goal of the Five Year Youth Program.
There is a possibility that the goal may be exceeded by up to 30 clubs, but this can’t be verified until all of the club constitutions have been received at the National Center ...
Meanwhile, 277 Bahá’í college clubs are formed on campuses across the U.S., leaving 23 more to be formed to meet the goal.
It is reported that the second U.S. Bahá’í junior high school club has been formed in Olympia, Washington. The goal for junior high school clubs is eight ...
The Bahá’í community of Ganado, Arizona, announces plans for a Bahá’í Unity Conference to be held June 2-4 on the Navajo Indian Reservation ...
The South Carolina Regional Teaching Committee announces plans for another Victory Conference to be held in July at Clemson University in South Carolina ...
ALVIN ‘BILL’ MYERS
Pioneer to South Dakota Alvin Myers dies at 56[edit]
Alvin “Bill” Myers, a member of the Bahá’í community of Rapid City, South Dakota, who went to that community as a homefront pioneer in 1963, died May 22, 1981, 34 years to the day on which he declared his belief in Bahá’u’lláh.
Mr. Myers was 56 years old.
Juliet[edit]
Continued From Page 4
at the Bowery Mission, a place of refuge for derelicts who often slept in parks or on doorsteps.
She arranged for the Master to speak there about two months later, an invitation that He accepted.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá gave Miss Thompson a 1,000-franc note, asking that she exchange it for the equivalent in American quarters and meet Him at the mission with the quarters in a bag.
She arrived with Dr. Edward Getsinger, each of them carrying a large bag of coins.
THE MISSION director asked Miss Thompson to introduce ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. At the end of the program He gave each person in the audience one of the quarters, the price of a bed for the night.
In June 1912, when ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was in Juliet’s studio and had agreed to sit while she painted His portrait, she was overwhelmed by the task.
Later, she wrote of that moment when she had said to the Master, “ ...Pray for me, or I am lost. I implore You, inspire me. ‘I will pray,’ He answered, ‘and as you are doing this only for the sake of God, you will be inspired.’
“And then something happened. All fear fell away from me, and it was as though Someone Else saw through my eyes ...”
Although Miss Thompson’s original pastel portrait of the Master has been lost, reproductions of it have survived.
She kept a detailed diary of her experiences with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Later, she wrote an essay entitled “ ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the Center of the Covenant” and “Peace Compilation,” a collection of the utterances of Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá on the Bahá’í promise of peace, published in 1918. Her book, I, Mary Magdalen, was published in 1940.
IN 1926 Miss Thompson, with Mary Maxwell (the Hand of the Cause of God Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum, daughter of her beloved friend and teacher, May Maxwell), made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land where they met the Guardian, Shoghi Effendi.
During World War II Miss Thompson pioneered for more than a year to Mexico. After the war she lived and taught the Faith for a year in New Orleans before returning to New York.
When the Ten Year Crusade began in 1953, Juliet and her friend Daisy Smyth wanted to pioneer, but Juliet’s heart condition prevented it.
Juliet, who had served for many years on the Spiritual Assembly of New York City, passed away on December 9, 1956.
In a cable calling for a suitable memorial service to be held at the House of Worship in Wilmette, the beloved Guardian referred to Juliet Thompson as an “outstanding, exemplary handmaid (of) ‘Abdu’l-Bahá” who compiled “ ...over half-century record manifold meritorious services ...”
Martyrs[edit]
Continued From Page 5
good pleasure of God and am prepared for martyrdom. I am free of worry and I consider martyrdom a source of honor for myself and my children. I beseech Thee, O God, by the sacred blood of the Báb, the Exalted One, to cause us to attain a good ending. I supplicate God to grant me such a degree of faith and power as not to cause my footsteps to falter in the face of tribulations, even of martyrdom, and make me fail to attain the glorious end, that greatest honor ...
I have prayed tens of times that God may grant me to drink of the wine of martyrdom and that my sacrifice may result in other friends’ release and return to the warmth and comfort of their homes and families.
•
From the last letter of Mr. Sattár Khushkú of Shíráz, written from prison before his execution on April 30, 1981.
Perhaps it is for the good of the Cause of God that at this point in time a few should be imprisoned and some even attain to the high rank of martyrs, for the liberation of the Bahá’í community from the claws of the enemies requires sacrifice on the part of a few of the followers of Bahá’u’lláh. Therefore, should it be decreed that this humble creature be as a mere point in the great circle of the Cause it would be the greatest honor for him and his family. I am not sad, therefore, but happy and proud. Even if it should be decreed that I be released from this prison I rejoice that in my captivity I have become a new creation. It would then be my hope to serve the Cause with greater devotion and find another outlet through which I might sacrifice. I believe in the decrees of God and know that no leaf stirs but through His will.
•
From the last letter of Mr. Suhráb (Muhammad-Báqir) Habíbí of Hamadán, written from prison before his execution on June 14, 1981.
It is five minutes to 11 p.m. on 23/3/1360 (June 13, 1981). We have been summoned by the revolutionary court and called to the field of martyrdom. My wish is that you may share the tranquility of conscience and confidence of heart that I feel in these last moments before my physical separation from you. It is stated in our Sacred Writings that we Bahá’ís should always observe calmness, dignity and moderation ...
Farewell, farewell to all of you. I wish you all success.
You, dear Ilhám, and Ru’yá, are very fortunate girls to have a mother like mama who is not only your mother but your friend and confidant. I have not much to tell you now. All that I might wish to tell you is already recorded in the Sacred Words of God. Remember me in your devotions; I shall feel close to you in spirit. Always try to serve under the Bahá’í administration.
•
From the last letter of Mr. Tarázu’lláh Khuzayn of Hamadán, written from prison before his execution on June 14, 1981.
It is now 11 p.m. We have been transferred from the prison to the court premises. They are about to execute all seven of us. Praise be to God, we are in the utmost submission to His will and are most content! God willing, we shall have a good ending. I hereby bid farewell to you dear ones and to other members of the family ...
I beseech your prayers. I hope that our insignificant blood will water the blessed tree of the Cause of God, that the Faith will soon gain its independence and the Bahá’ís of Iran their freedom, and that future generations will be able to serve the Cause with the greatest comfort.
•
From the last letter of Dr. Masíḥ Farhangí of Tehrán, a member of the Continental Board of Counsellors for Asia, written from prison before his execution on June 24, 1981.
The beginning and the end of all is in the Hand of Providence; faith in God is a balm to the hearts and a cause of tranquility of the souls and of our beings.
I am greatly relieved at this moment, content and pleased. I yield my thanks to God that He has vouchsafed to me this final overwhelming blessing. Praised be God, the Lord of all the worlds! If my hands are empty of the treasures of the world, they have always been raised in prayers and thanksgiving to Him. And so, at this moment, my hands are raised in gratitude to my Lord.
’82 La Leche League calendar lists eight Bahá’í Holy Days[edit]
A 1982 calendar published by the La Leche League International, an organization devoted to promoting the breast feeding of children, includes eight Bahá’í Holy Days in its listing of 1982 international holidays.
Included are the Feast of Naw-Rúz, the Feast of Riḍván, the Twelfth Day of Riḍván, the Declaration of the Báb, the Ascension of Bahá’u’lláh, the Martyrdom of the Báb, the Birth of the Báb, and the Birth of Bahá’u’lláh.
In Memoriam[edit]
- James Ant
- Lame Deer, Mt.
- February 14, 1982
- Taghi Badiee
- San Diego, Calif.
- February 15, 1982
- Marvin W. Bauers
- Milwaukee, Wis.
- January 31, 1982
- Dr. Eduard Bonn
- Brillion, Wisconsin
- December 16, 1981
- Roy Othello Brooks
- Rialto, California
- January 11, 1982
- Mrs. Delores Carrasco
- Canutillo, Texas
- December 29, 1981
- Miss Sandra Cleaver
- Dallas, Texas
- November 1980
- Col. Jacob Davenport
- Davis, California
- February 2, 1982
- Frank Dembroski
- Hollywood, Fla.
- September 1981
- James Elmore Hays
- Greenwood, S.C.
- February 4, 1982
- Leonard J. Hippchen
- Richmond, Va.
- January 21, 1982
- Mrs. Alvena Lange
- Lombard, Illinois
- February 2, 1982
- Mrs. Florence Lilliendahl
- San Jose, California
- January 1982
- Miss Beulah Magruder
- Little Rock, Ark.
- June 8, 1981
- Harry S. Merson
- Falmouth, Mass.
- December 4, 1981
- Gabriel Navarette
- El Paso, Texas
- 1980
- Vernon T. Thompson
- Portland, Oregon
- December 16, 1981
- Dr. Pedro W. Walls
- Glendale, Arizona
- January 8, 1982
- Kenneth S. Willey
- Ft. Collins, Colo.
- January 3, 1982
College student attends classes at Bahá’í House of Worship[edit]
Jennifer Robinette, a freshman at De Pauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, spent January attending classes at the Bahá’í House of Worship in Wilmette.
One of her professors, Dr. William Harman of the university’s department of philosophy and religion, recommended that Miss Robinette, who is not a Bahá’í, select the Faith for a research project as a part of the university’s off-campus winter study program.
“We assigned four introductory books for her to read and then had her spend several days at the House of Worship,” says Bruce Whitmore, secretary of the House of Worship Activities Committee. “We explored the Faith in great detail; we did not mince words.”
IN ADDITION to extensive interviews with Mr. Whitmore and members of the House of Worship staff, Miss Robinette, a Methodist, spent time monitoring tours and the Sunday devotional program as well as co-guiding with a Bahá’í.
She also toured the National Center offices where she had the opportunity to interview Dr. Magdalene Carney, assistant secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly, and David Smith, secretary of the National Education Committee.
To fulfill the requirements of the project, she prepared two lengthy reports, one on the life of Bahá’u’lláh and another on the teachings and aims of the Faith.
“Dr. Harman has indicated that he wants to repeat the program later in the year, this time with three or four students,” says Mr. Whitmore. “We’re very excited about this development and hope to use it as a stepping-stone to encourage other colleges and universities in the Midwest to work with us in sponsoring accredited courses of study on the Faith at the House of Worship.”
UNICEF kit to include proclamation by Bahá’ís[edit]
The Bahá’í Group of Montrose, Colorado, planned an observance last October 1 for Universal Children’s Day that was to have included a proclamation by the mayor of Montrose.
Since no proclamation could be found for the event, the Bahá’ís wrote their own. Unfortunately, the mayor was out of town for several days and was unable to sign the proclamation.
The Bahá’ís of Montrose (three adults, one youth and one child) later reported their observance of Universal Children’s Day to UNICEF and sent with it a copy of the unused proclamation.
On December 30, the community received a letter from UNICEF saying that the proclamation was such a good idea that it would be included, as written, in the 1982 Universal Children’s Day kit with original art work contributed by the Bahá’ís of Live Oak, California.
Tests, pain, spiritual growth mark pioneer experience[edit]
Continued From Page 8
order to jolt yourself out of your adaptation to the society you live in. In a new area, you start pioneering your own soul, which is the real pioneering.”
The happiest, most successful pioneers usually are those who have made trust in God their shield and protection.
One pioneer in Uganda, Africa, writes: “In Uganda the cost of living is at least three times more than my income. Yet we survive and I really can’t explain how.
“I no longer question it or worry about it because I know God will provide. At one point the dear Counsellors and the wonderful friends from their area brought us food.
“Another time a man I had helped when his wife was ill appeared with a chicken ... We marveled at God’s goodness in providing, just when the need was so great ...”
THE BELOVED Guardian wrote that tests and pain are an integral part of pioneering.
A youth who is pioneering in Denmark makes reference to the tests when she writes, “ ...one is forced to grow and grow in ways he never could at ‘home.’ You grow spiritually and practically, and much closer to Bahá’u’lláh.
“It’s hard because of the tests, but knowing that each test draws you closer to Bahá’u’lláh, your Best Beloved, makes them endurable and even appreciated.”
A number of pioneers have written that the recent crisis in the Cradle of the Faith has led them to a deeper understanding of the role they must play.
A pioneer to Venezuela wrote of having befriended a young Iranian woman years ago. That same woman was recently martyred in Tehran.
“It seems absolutely amazing to me,” this pioneer wrote, “that someone I sat and talked with, a young woman about my age, nothing seemingly unusual about her, could be a martyr for the Faith.
“IT MADE me reflect a lot about my own life and about my services as a pioneer. Here I am, another seemingly usual person, who has arisen to claim a station in our Faith.
“A station so high that Bahá’u’lláh, in talking about those who have forsaken their homes to guide the servants of God, says, ‘So great are the things ordained for the steadfast that were they, so much as the eye of a needle, to be disclosed, all who are in heaven and on earth would be dumbfounded.’
“Am I worthy of this station? I came to the conclusion that I’m not. That my services in the pioneering field have not been enough to deserve that station. In this woman’s death I heard a message—‘Arise and vie with me for my great reward!’ ”
What is the outcome when souls arise to serve in the international field?
The goal is clearly envisioned in ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s exhortation to “ ...spread abroad the teachings and ordinances of the loving Lord so that the world may become another world, the darkened earth may become illumined and the dead body of the people may obtain new life.”
Only the Bahá’í community can carry forward this great work, for, as stated by the Universal House of Justice, “Upon our efforts depends in large measure the fate of humanity.”
The American Bahá’í community periodically receives new pioneering goals from the Supreme Institution. America has never failed to achieve its international goals, and with the help of the Divine Concourse the friends will continue to arise in ever-increasing numbers to meet this great spiritual challenge.
Referring to the pioneers and prospective pioneers who were ever close to his heart, the beloved Guardian wrote: “Let these words of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, gleaned from the Tablets of the Divine Plan, ring likewise in their ears, as they go forth, assured and unafraid, on His mission: ‘ ...Exert yourselves; your mission is unspeakably glorious.’ ”
This float, sponsored by the Bahá’í community of Pendleton, Oregon, won second prize in the 1981 Pendleton Round Up parade. The float’s message, ‘The Earth Is But One Country and Mankind Its Citizens,’ was seen by thousands of people from many parts of the world who attended the parade. The float itself was the result of a combined effort by several Bahá’í communities including Pendleton, Cottage Grove and the Umatilla Indian Reservation.
House of Justice issues new guidelines for India House of Worship contributions[edit]
Some problems have arisen in connection with the receipt of contributions to the Fund for the House of Worship in India.
To avoid future difficulties, the Universal House of Justice asks National Assemblies henceforth to use the following procedure, which supersedes the instructions given in its letter of June 25, 1981, to all National Spiritual Assemblies.
1. National Assemblies that are free to use the word “Bahá’í” on their checks should make contributions payable to “The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of India” and mail them to Syndicate Bank, Foreign Exchange Branch, Connaught Circus, New Delhi 110001, India, for deposit to A/c Temple Fund, S.B. A/c No. 239.
2. National Assemblies that cannot use the word “Bahá’í” in their communications should make contributions payable to R.N. Shah and Zena Sorabjee and mail them to Syndicate Bank, Foreign Exchange Branch, Connaught Circus, New Delhi 110001, India, for deposit to A.B. A/c No. 592.
In all cases, you should notify the National Spiritual Assembly of India of amounts contributed and dates transmitted to the above-mentioned accounts.
Local Spiritual Assemblies and individuals should follow the same procedures.