- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - NOT PROOFREAD OR FORMATTED TEXT BELOW COPIED FROM THE OCR-ED PDF ONLINE AT bahai.works THIS TEXT AND PDF ONLINE AT bahai-library.com/uhj_bahai_world_19 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - THE BAHA'I WORLD VOLUME XIX 140, 141 AND 142 OF THE BAHA'I ERA 21 APRIL 1983-20 APRIL 1986 A.O. The Mashriqu'l-Adhkar in Apia, Samoa. THE BAHA'I WORLD AN INTERNATIONAL RECORD Prepared under the supervision of The Universal House of Justice VOLUME XIX 140, 141 AND 142 OF THE BAHA'I ERA 21 APRIL 1983-20APRIL 1986A.D. BAHA'I WORLD CENTRE HAIFA 1994 © 1994 The Universal House of Justice World Rights Reserved NOTE: The spelling of the Oriental words and proper names used in this volume of The Baha 'i World is according to the system of transliteration established at one of the International Oriental Congresses. ISBN 0-85398-998-2 A Cataloguing-in-Publication entry is available from the British Library Printed in Great Britain by Butler & Tanner Ltd. Fro111e PREFACE THE successive volumes of The Bah,i 'i World have come to be anticipated by Baha'is as the record of their own collective endeavours on behalf of their Faith, of the establishment and development of its administrative order throughout the world and as the source of data, both historical and statistical, relating to the rise of that Faith during its formative age. By librarians and students The Baha'i World is becoming ever more widely known as a source of authentic information about the aims, tenets, history, activities, organization and growth of the Baha'i Faith. The editors therefore have always in mind the preservation of an even balance between the presentation of material of supreme interest to believers and of a fair and objective picture to enquirers. In this they are guided by the policy of Shoghi Effendi, Guardian of the Baha'i Faith, who directed the compilation of the successive volumes from I to XII covering the years 1925 to 1954. The first volume, known as Baha'i Year Book, was in fact a one-year survey; the next seven volumes were biennial, terminating in 1940; volume IX recorded the four years from 1940 to 1944; volume X was again biennial and volumes XI and XII presented the periods 1946 to 1950 and 1950 to 1954 respectively. All these volumes were published in the United States under the aegis of the National Spiritual Assembly and the supervision of the Guardian of the Baha'i Faith. Volume XIII , which recorded the passing of the Guardian and the course and completion of his Ten Year Crusade, covered the entire period from 1954 to 1963 and was produced under the supervision of the Universal House of Justice, which thenceforth assumed responsibility for publication. CONTENTS * Introduction AIMS AND PURPOSES OF THE BAHA'i FAITH, by David Hofman PART ONE THE BAHA'i REVELATION I. EXCERPTS FROM THE BAHA'i SACRED WRITINGS I. Baha'u'llah 9 2. The Bab 12 3. 'Abdu'l-Baha 15 II. EXCERPTS FROM THE WRITINGS OF SHOGHI EFFENDI The Call of Baha'u'llah, excerpts from The World Order of Balui áu 'I/ah 17 PART TWO INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'i ACTIVITIES I. THE SEVEN YEAR INTERNATIONAL TEACHING PLAN 1979-1986 I. The Completion of the Seven Year International Teaching Plan 23 A. The World Centre .................................. .. 23 I. The Seat of the Universal House of Justice ...................... . 23 2. Designs for Three Additional Buildings on the Arc .................. . 26 3. Development of the International Teaching Centre .................. . 27 4. The Baha'i International Community .................... .. 30 5. Emancipation and Protection of the Faith ........................ . 41 6. Collation and Classification of the Sacred Texts .................. . 54 7. Restoration and Maintenance of Holy Places 55 8. Growth and Development of the Baha'i World Centre 57 B. World-Wide Objectives 61 I. Divinely-Propelled Expansion of the Faith .............................. 61 2. The Growing Maturity of Baha'i Institutions 77 3. Spiritual Enrichment of the Baha'i Community ........................ .. 99 4. The Emergence of the Faith from Obscurity ..................... . 130 viii CONTENTS 2. Expansion and Consolidation of the Baha'i Faith to Ricjvan 143 Baha'i Era (21 April 1986) 144 Information Statistical and Comparative 144 A. Africa ............................................................... 144 145 c. Asia 145 D. Australasia and the Pacific Islands 146 E. Europe 146 II. INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'i ACTIVITIES 1983-1986 I. Survey by Continents 147 A. Africa ......................... 147 B. I~ C. 161 165 E. Europe 169 2. The Persecution of the Baha'i Community of iran 1983-1986 177 A. Survey of Events 177 e. Baha'is Killed in iran: 1978-20 April I 986 228 c. Baha'is Who Disappeared Without Trace in iran and are Presumed Dead: I979-20 April I 986 235 D. A Representative Selection of Documents Illustrating the Persecution of the Baha'i Community of iran: 1983-1986 247 E. Baha'i Children and Youth in Time of Persecution: 1983-1986 258 F. The Persecution of the Baha'i Community of iran: A Partial Bibliography of References from Books and Pamphlets, Journals, Newspaper Articles and Official Documents in Some European Languages, 1983-1986 270 3. The Persecution of the Baha'i Community of Egypt 1985-1986 283 A. Survey of Events: February 1985-20 April 1986 283 e. A Commentary on the Azhar's Statement Regarding áBaha'is and Baha'ism' 288 4. Baha'i Community Activities in Support of the United Nations International Youth Year 1985 297 A. We Cannot Fail Them ................................................ 297 B. Participation in International Youth Year 300 c. Letters from The Universal House of Justice 3 I I 5. The Promise of World Peace 324 A. The Promise of World Peace: Text of a Statement issued by the Universal House of Justice. October 1985 324 B. Dissemination of The Promise of World Peace. October 1985-20 April 1986 334 6. Social and Economic Development 346 A. Social and Economic Development Activities: A New Stage in the Evolution of Baha'u'llah's World Order. by Holly Hanson Vick 346 B. A Summary of Social and Economic Development Activities 351 7. Baha'i Scholarship 1983-1986 356 A. Associations for Baha'i Studies 356 ll. The West African Centre for Baha'i Studies, Lagos. Nigeria 366 c. Baha'i and Babi-Baha'i Scholarship Seminars. United Kingdom 368 D. Baha'i History Conferences. Los Angeles, U.S.A. 369 8. A Statement on the Encouragement of Baha'i Scholarship issued by the International Teaching Centre, 9 August I 984 372 CONTENTS IX 9. The visit of His Excellency Chaim Herzog, President of Israel. to the Baha'i World Centre, 21 October 1984 377 111. THE BAHA'i FAITH AND THE UNITED NATIONS I. Summary of the Years 1947-1983 378 2. The Baha'i International Community and the United Nations 1983-1986, by Victor de Araujo 380 Annex I 390 Annex II 392 Annex Ill 393 3. Achievements of the Baha'i Community in Advancing the Status of Women: A Report of the Baha'i International Community for the United Nations Decade for Women, 1976-1985 398 4. The Baha'i International Community Participation in the World Conference to Review and Appraise the Achievements of the United Nations Decade for Women and 'Forum '85', Nairobi. Kenya, 15-26 July 1985 412 5. Activities of the Baha'i International Community Relating to the Persecution of the Baha'i Faith in iran 1983-1986, by Margaret Knight 416 IV. RECOGNITION OF THE BAHA'i FAITH I. Incorporation of National Spiritual Assemblies 426 2. A Selection of other Documents Recording Official Recognition of the Baha'i Faith 435 PART THREE THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA'U'LLAH I. THE UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE I. The Constitution of the Universal House of Justice 457 II. THE HANDS OF THE CAUSE OF GOD I. The Hands of the Cause of God and the Extension of their Functions into the Future 465 A. The Rulers and the Learned ............................................. . 465 B. The Hands of the Cause of God ........................................ . 466 c . The Continental Boards of Counsellors 467 D. The International Teaching Centre 469 2. The Work and Travels of the Hands of the Cause 473 3. The Development of the Institutions of the International Teaching Centre and the Continental Boards of Counsellors 493 Ill. THE NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY I. Introduction, by Horace Holley 507 2. A Model Declaration of Trust and By-Laws for a National Spiritual Assembly 509 3. A Procedure for the Conduct of the Annual Baha'i Convention 517 IV. THE LOCAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY I. The Institution and its Significance .................. . 527 2. By-Laws of a Local Spiritual Assembly 537 CONTENTS V. THE INSTITUTION OF THE MASHRIQU'L-ADHKAR I. Foreword. by Horace Holley 544 2. The Spiritual Significance of the Mamriqu'l-A,!hkar 545 3. The Dedication of the First Mamriqu'I-A,!hkar of the Pacific Islands and the International Teaching Conference. Apia. Western Samoa. I 984 548 A. Report of the Dedication and Conference 548 11. Message of the Universal House of Justice 555 c. Text of the Address of His Highness Malietoa Tanumafili II 557 4. The Mother Temple of the Indian Subcontinent: Progress Report 559 5. The Jewel in the Lotus. by Charles Macdonald 567 VI. THE NO -POLITICAL CHARACTER OF THE BAHA'i FAITH Excerpts from the Writings of Shoghi Effendi 569 VII. RELATIONSHIP TO GOVERNMENT I. Loyalty to Government 575 2. The Baha'i View of Pacifism 576 3. Summary of the Guardian's Instructions on the Obligations of Bahi1'is in Connection with Mi litary Service 576 VIII. BAHA'i CALEN DAR. FESTIVALS AND DATES OF HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE I. Foreword 578 2. Baha'i Feasts. Anniversaries and Days of Fasting 578 3. Baha'i Holy Days on which Work should be Suspended 579 4. Additional Material Gleaned from Nabil's Narrative Regarding the Baha'i Calendar 579 5. Historical Data Gleaned from Nabil's Narrative regarding Baha'u'llah 582 6. Dates of Historical Significance in the Rise of the Baha'i Faith 586 PART FOU R IN M EMORIAM 'Alit'i, fil!u¥a¥u'llah 593 Geary. Irving 652 Anwar. Abdullah ('Abdu'llah Greeven. Inez Marshall Cook 608 Anvar) 614 Grossmann. Anna 639 Anwar. Munireh (Munirih Gung. Claire 653 An var) 614 Hipp. Suzette 641 Belcher. Edward 657 Joas. Sylvia 6 11 Collison. Reginald 'Rex' 595 liliniqi. 'lnayatu'llah 596 Cowan. Angus Weldon 703 liliaqi. á1zzat Janami 596 Cuellar. Yvonne Liegeois 619 liliniqi. Ru'ya 596 D,ilvand. fil!ahin ('fil!irin') 600 Kazimpur Amri. 'Abbas 676 Danielsen. Edith May Mi ller 625 Khin. Daw Thoung 700 Daugherty. Orpha 666 Knowlton. Samson 668 Davids. Mogamat Roeshdi Lake. Greta 687 (Rushdi) 650 Ljungberg. Eskil J. 658 Edwards. Julius A.G. 665 Loft, Melba Whetung 697 Gardner. Lloyd G. 663 Mahmudnii;had. Muna 600 CONTENTS Makwelung, Rose 672 Manton, Eric 647 Masehla, William Mmutle 607 Migette, Lucienne 610 Mitchell, William 684 Moul, Georgine A. 706 Muqimi-Abyanih, Zarrin 600 Nabil-i-Akbar Tawfiq, Nadirih 674 Nichols, Valeria Lamb 690 Nicklin, Eve B. 670 Nirumand, Mahiliid 600 Njiki, Samuel (Njiki Samuel Njenji) 615 Noorani, Shirin (fil!irin Nurani) 636 Nourse, Catharine E. 680 Orbison, Virginia ................... . 691 Parker, Herbert 681 Pavon, Raul 616 Printezis, Nikolas .................. . 649 Randrianarivo, Daniel 669 Revell, Ethel Cowan 627 Rezvani, Ehsanollah (ll)san'u'llah Riclvani) Rice, Emma Mandell Rodrigues, Jose C. Xavier Rowhani, Shapoor Aspandiar (fillapur Isfandiyar Rawl)ani') Sabiri, Simin Siyavumi, Jamiliid Siyavuilii, Tahirih Arjumandi Shrivastava, Kailash Sulaymaniy-i-Ardakani, 'Azizu'llah Stout, Janet Whitenack Szanto-Felbermann, Renee Taffa, Teresa Teo Geok Leng .................. . Thabit, Akhtar True, George Russell Ullrich, Margarite Joas Voelz, Genevieve E. Wakil, 'Abbas ('Abbas Vakil) Wells, Arnold Yalda'i, Nusrat Ghufrani PART FIVE DIRECTORY, BIBLIOGRAPHY, GLOSSARY I. BAHA'i DIRECTORY I. The Universal House of Justice .................................. . 2. The Hands of the Cause 3. The International Teaching Centre 4. Continental Boards of Counsellors 5. Baha'i International Community 6. National Spiritual Assemblies 7. Baha'i Publishing Trusts II. BAHA'i BIBLIOGRAPHY I. Baha'u'llah's Best-Known Works 2. The Bab's Best-Known Works 3. 'Abdu'l-Baha's Best-Known Works .............................. . 4. Some Compilations from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, the Bab and 'Abdu'lBaha 5. Shoghi Effendi's Best-Known Works 6. Language and Literature Achievements, 2 I April I 983-20 April I 986 A. Languages in International Use B. Invented Languages ...................................... ............................. . c. Africa D. The Americas E. Asia F. Australasia and the Pacific Islands 682 677 686 689 600 598 598 679 642 661 633 644 701 600 635 622 637 646 702 600 711 711 71 I 71 I 712 712 712 714 715 716 717 718 719 720 720 720 722 722 723 XII CONTENTS G. Europe ................................................. 725 H. Total by Continents ..................................................... ............................ 726 7. A Bibliography of Theses Relating to the Baha'i Faith ...................... 727 8. A Partial Listing of some Current General Baha'i Periodicals ........................ 728 A. Produced Under the Auspices of Baha'i Institutions 728 B. Produced Under Non-Institutional Auspices 728 9. A Partial Bibliography ofCommercially Produced Filmstrips on the Baha'i Faith, 197 1-1986 729 Ill. ORIENTAL TERMS I. Transliteration of Oriental Words Frequently used in Baha'i Literature 731 2. Guide to Transliteration and Pronunciation of the Persian Alphabet 733 3. Notes on the Pronunciation of Persian Words 734 4. Definitions of Some of the Oriental Terms used in Baha'i Literature 735 PART SIX LITERARY AND MUSICAL WORKS I. ESSAYS AND REVIEWS I. Glimpses of 'Abdu'l-Baha, by Muhammad-Shafi' Rouhani (Rawhani) translated from the Persian by Baharieh (Bahariyyih) Rouhani Maáani 745 2. Memories of Shoghi Effendi. Adapted from an Oral Account by áAli M. Yazdi 756 3. Yusuf 'AbduáI-Wal)id Otoluwa: An Appreciation, by K. H. Payman 760 4. Mark Tobey and the 'Two Powers', by Julie Oeming Badiee 761 5. Lilian Vaughan McNeill, by Lois Hainsworth 779 6. Social and Economic Development in the Baha'i Community of iran. by Holly Hanson Vick 783 7. Anton Graf Prokesch von Osten-áWorthy Representative of Europe'. by Kent D. Beveridge 787 8. Felix and Angustia Maddela. The First Baha'is of the Philippines. Adapted from a Memoir by Grace Maddela Boehner! and Walter Maddela 798 9. Rosey E. Pool: An Appreciation. Adapted from an Article by Anneke Schouten- B~ ~ II. VERSE 804 Ill. MUSIC 814 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Frontispiece: The Mamriqu'l-Af!.hkar in Apia, Samoa. Part One: The Baha'i Revelation Page The Shrine of Baha'u'llah at Bahji 10 The Shrine of the Bab 13 The Seat of the Universal House of Justice 20 Part Two: International Survey of Current Baha 'i Activities Graph illustrating growth of the Baha'i Faith 1953-1986 22 The supporting base of one of the pillars on the arcade surrounding the Seat of the Universal House of Justice 25 The Hands of the Cause of God Amatu'l-Baha Rui)iyyih Khanum and 'Ali-Akbar Furutan with Counsellor members of the International Teaching Centre on the occasion of that Institution's move into its new seat at 10 Haparsim Street, Haifa. in April 1984 28 Baha'i delegation to African Preparatory Meeting of the 7th UN Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; 28 November 1983 31 Baha'i delegation to the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) Regional Intergovernmental Preparatory Meeting for the World Con ference on the Decade for Women held in Tokyo, Japan; 26-30 March I 984 32 Presentation of a copy of the Peace Statement to the Executive Secretary for EC LAC (Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean) by a Baha'i delegation in Santiago, Chile; IO December 1985 34 Dr. Jane Faily conducting a workshop during Forum '85, held in connection with the World Conference on the Decade for Women in Nairobi, Kenya; July I 985 35 Baha'i exhibit in a UNICEF exhibition entitled 'Working Together for Children' held at the United Nations; 14--16 April 1986 37 A Baha'i presenting testimony during the European Parliament Public Hearing on 'Respect for Human Rights in Iran', held in Brussels, Belgium; 28 November 1985 39 Facsimile of a document protesting the persecution of the Baha'is in iran 45 Hmong Baha'i women from Laos in the Banuini Refugee Camp in Thailand circa 1985 51 Iranian Baha'i refugees in Pakistan circa 1985 51 Iranian Baha'is in Ireland, upon their arrival from refugee camps in Pakistan; 3 December 1985 53 xiv LIST OF ILL USTRAT IONS Exterior of the restored south wing of the House of'Abdu'llah Pama; 1986 55 Amatu'I-Baha Rul)iyyih Khanum speaking during the reinterment of the remains of Mirza Mul)ammad-Quli; 18 October 1985 56 A television crew from the British Broadcasting Corporation filming the Seat of the Universal House of Justice for a programme entitled 'Everyman'; 1985 60 A map depicting the 148 countries where National Spiritual Assemblies existed at Ri<;l van 1986 61 A graph showing the proportional increase by continent in the number of National Spiritual Assemblies I923-1986 63 Travelling teachers of the 'Enoch Olinga Project' visit towns along the Mataje River in South America in early 1983 70 Malaysian travelling teacher Easuary Duraisamy visiting the Hmien in the Ban Vinai Refu gee Camp in Thailand in 1985 70 Indigenous Baha'is of South and Central America meeting in Panama in August 1983 to form a 'Trail of Light' team 75 A Maori believer in New Zealand calls visiting Baha'is to a 'hui', or traditional gathering, in May 1983 75 Election of the Local Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Chi Ma Wan, a closed refugee camp in Hong Kong, at Ri<;lvan I985 80 The first Baha'i marriage between two Greenlanders; September 1984 83 Baha'i children in Pretoria, South Africa, in August 1985 83 An International Baha'i Youth Conference in Lima, Peru; August 1985 83 Women in a sewing class in Nagalur, Tamil Nadu, India; I 983 83 First newsletters of new National Spiritual Assemblies formed between Ri<;lvan 1983-1986 86 A representative sampling of Baha'i special interest journals 86 A selection of newsletters for women in various languages 88 A selection of newsletters for youth in various languages 88 A selection of newsletters for children in various languages 88 The Landegg Conference Centre, in Switzerland 90 The Mobile Institute in the Central African Republic 92 A map depicting the 113 National Spiritual Assemblies which were legally incorporated as of Ridvan 1986 93 Baha'i children performing during a Naw-Ruz celebration; Hawaii, 1985 95 A graph depicting the increase in various types of recognition accorded the Baha'i Faith from I 923-1986 96 Interior of the dome, Baha'i House of Worship near Apia, Western Samoa 100 Interior of the dome of the Baha'i House of Worship near New Delhi, India 103 Participants in the Baha'i Winter School in the Bahamas in 1985 105 A workshop for children at the Martha Root Institute; Mexico, I983 I07 'Teacher's Guide' volumes of the series A Baha 'i Programme fo r Mothers 109 A few of the 550 Baha'i youth from 24 countries at the Asian Baha'i Youth Conference in New Delhi, India, during August 1985 ..................................... 110 Participants in the Inter-Regional Baha'i Women's Conference held in Yaounde, Cameroon Republic, from 23-25 August 1985 112 Graph depicting growth in the number of development programmes during the Seven Year Plan 1979-1986 11 3 A Baha'i tutorial school in Rajshahi, Bangladesh 115 A Baha'i tutorial programme in Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A. 115 A Baha'i tutorial school in Millani, Chuquisaca, Bolivia 115 A Baha'i tutorial school in Banyowe-Bamanga, Haut Zaire 11 5 The Anis Zunuzi Baha'i School in Lilavois, Haiti 11 8 Auntie Claire's School in Kampala, Uganda 11 8 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS xv Baha'i School in Tadong, Sikkim 11 8 Colegio Nur in La Cisterna, Chile 11 8 Escola das Na~oes in Brasilia, Brazil 11 8 Faizi School in Loncopulle, Chile 118 Glory School in Shantiniketan, West Bengal, India II 9 New Day Montessori School in Karachi, Pa kistan 119 New Era High School in Panchga ni, Maharashtra, India 119 Rabbani Secondary School in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, India ......... , ........... . 119 Raimundo Oliveira Menezes School in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil ............. .. ., ........... . 119 Santitham School in Yasothon, Thailand 119 A free medical camp held by Baha'i physicians; Pakistan, 1985 120 A Radio Baha'i staff member in Caracollo, Bolivia, taping a programme in one of the station's production studios 121 A graph depicting the increase in the number of languages opened to the Baha'i Faith on each continent between 192 1 and 1986 122 A sample of novels, biographical works, children's literature, and literary criticism published by independent Baha'i publishing house George Ronald 124 Books in Persian, and a series of works in German on peace for the International Year of Peace, by independent Baha'i publisher Horizonte Verlag 124 Translations of the compilation Words of God 126 A representative sample of Baha'i literature in non-European languages 126 The Hands of the Cause of God Amatu'l-Baha Ru~iyyih Khanum, 'Ali-Akbar Furutan, and Paul Haney, during filming of The Pilgrimage 129 Filming of the first Baha'i music video, Mona 1virh rhe Children; 1985 133 Dorothy Freeman lecturing during an Associa tion for Baha'i Studies conference in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, in I 985 135 The presentation of a copy of A Cry ji-om rhe Hean to the Lord Mayor of Furth, Germany, in September 1983 138 The presentation of Baha'i Humanitarian Awards to prominent philanthropists in Taipei, Taiwan, in September 1984 138 Some of the published versions of The Promise of World Peace 142 A Baha'i billboard in Managua, Nicaragua, which promotes world peace 143 In the Central African Republic, the nation's High Commissioner of Information. Art and Culture listening to Counsellor Huiliang Ahdieh explain the panels of a Bahaái exhibit held in Bangui in 1985 148 In Cote d'Ivoire, Baha'is gathered for a deepening institute held during July I 984 in the new national l:laziratu'l-Quds at Abidjan 150 In Bophuthatswana, a television crew taking notes for a Baha'i programme 152 In Nigeria, the youthful office staff of the National Bahaái Centre 152 In Benin, Baha'i women from 18 countries gather for an inter-regional womenás conference held in Cotonou in 1984 152 In Botswana, Counsellor member of the International Teaching Centre. Hooper Dunbar visiting the friends in a village in July I 984 154 In Jamaica, the opening of National Convention; Kingston, 1985 156 In Dominica, Inuit Baha'i travelling teacher from Canada visiting the village ofSalybia in the territory of the Carib people in 1985 158 In Canada, the T wo Wings Conference brought over 450 young Baha'is to Toronto in 1986 to discuss the equality of men and women 160 In Guyana, a Regional Baha'i Children's Conference brought 200 children to the national l:la?iratu'l-Quds in Georgetown in 1984 160 In Nepal, the first national Baha'i Youth Conference was held in October 1985 and was attended by about 120 Baha'is from 10 districts 161 In Burma, a Baha'i children's class in Daidenaw: February 1985 162 xv i LI ST O F ILL USTRATIONS In India in 1985. a group of Baha'i musicians and entertainers based at New Era School in Panchgani travelled around the country teaching the Faith 163 In Hong Kong, a group of Baha'i youth-one disguised as 'Mr. Tree'-visited a children's hospital in August 1985 163 In Laos. members of the National Youth and Children's Committee are seen meeting in Vientiane in October 1983 163 In the Cook Islands. Prime Minister Sir Thomas Davis. KBE, receives Dr. Hamid Farabi. Baha'i travelling teacher from Trinidad 166 In Papua New Guinea, the first Local Spiritual Assembly in Sepik Province 167 In Fiji, a class in the Lomaivuna Baha'i Kindergarten, December 1984 167 In Vanuatu. the Local 1:la?iratu'l-Quds at Lenakel on Tanna Island 167 In Hawaii. a group of Baha'is gather by Counsellor Ben Ayala: I 986 168 In Austria. President Rudolf Kirchschlager receives a delegation from the National Spiritual Assembly in the Hofburg in 1984 170 In Finland. the first Local Spiritual Assembly of Rovaniemi 172 In France, the National f:la?iratu'I-Quds in Paris 172 In Germany, Baha'i youth in the Frankfurt area formed a football club 172 In Austria, an international youth conference in Innsbruck in July 1983 was attended by about 1.500 Baha'is from 40 countries 174 In the United ¥Kingdom, one of London's red double-decker buses carries a banner reading 'The earth is but one country and mankind its citizens' 175 A rose moulded from dough by a Baha'i woman prisoner as a gift for her husband to commemorate their wedding anniversary 176 Ornamental eagle near the Shrine of Baha'u'llah in the Baha'i gardens at Bahji 227 Individual photographs of some of the martyrs 236-246 The Mailiriqu'I-A,!hkar in Germany surrounded by 195 torches during a memorial service for the Baha'is in iran held in May I 986 257 Two bouquets of roses placed inside the House of Worship in Germany as a gift from the friends imprisoned in the three major prisons of iran 257 Documentation of the persecutions Representative press clippings reporting on the persecution of Bah:i'is in irirn 268-69 European Bahit'i Youth Conference held in Antwerp, Belgium: July 1985 315 Youth service project associated with the Ruhi Institute at Cali. Colombia 315 Filming the video 'Mona with the Children': Toronto. Canada: April 1985 316-17 Youth and children in the Baha'i school on the Lothian Farm in Zimbabwe: 1984 318 A team of Baha'i youth helping doctors in Jangh-Shani. Pakistan: 1986 318 Baha'i youth attending a gathering in Taumarunui. New Zealand: 1983 318 Baha'i youth in National Youth Congress Parade, Belize: March 1985 319 First National Baha'i Youth Conference. Athens, Greece: December 1984 319 The third National Baha'i Youth Conference: Myemensingh. Bangladesh: 1985 320 A fish farm created as a youth development project in Lomaivuna. Fiji: I 984 320 Vice President Peter Mmusi of Botswana opening the African Baha'i International Youth Conference in Molepolole on 13 August 1985 320 The Doloume Folklore Dancers: Kpodondji. Benin: cirm I 984 32 1 The Australasian Baha'i Youth Conference: Kauai. Hawaii: August 1985 321 A seminar on Youth and Community Development co-sponsored by the Singapore Baha'i Women's Council in August 1985 322 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS xvii Four Baha'i youth during summer school in Norway in July 1985 322 Colombian Baha'i youth singing during the International Youth Conference held in Lima, Peru, 2-5 August I 985 322 The National Baha'i Youth Conference held in Marburg, Germany. in 1984 323 Baha'i youth serving as a teacher in the Baha'i tutorial school in Machipisa, Zambia, in January 1985 323 Baha'i youth pioneer to Grenada deepens children registered as Baha'is during the Mona Teaching Project in August I 985 323 Two Baha'i youth in the United States planting trees for the International Youth Year in 1985 323 Photograph of members of the Universal House of Justice taken in September 1985 to be sent to Heads of State with copies of The Promise of World Peace 333 Presentation of The Promise of World Peace to the Governor-General of Australia by a Baha'i delegation 337 Presentation to the Governor-General of the Bahamas 337 Presentation to the President of Costa Rica 337 Presentation to the President of the Federal Republic of Germany 338 Presentation to the President of India 338 Presentation to the President of Ireland 338 Presentation to the President of Israel 339 Presentation to the President of the Marshall Islands 339 Presentation to the Acting Governor-General of Mauritius ...................... . 340 Presentation to the Governor-General of Papua New Guinea .............................. . 340 Presentation to the President of Peru ...................................................................... . 340 Presentation to the Governor of American Samoa 341 Presentation to the Captains Regent of San Marino 341 Presentation to the President of Sri Lanka 341 Presentation to the President of Suriname .......................... . 342 Presentation to a representative of the Queen Regent of Swaziland ....................... . 342 Presentation to the Mayor of Taipei, Taiwan .................................... . 342 Presentation to the Dalai Lama of Tibet .................................. . .............. .. 343 Presentation to the Crown Prince of Tonga .................................................. . 343 Presentation to the Head of State of Uganda .......................................................... . 343 Presentation to the Secretary General of the United Nations 344 Presentation to the President of the United States of America 344 White doves, symbolizing peace, being released during the Baha'i Peace Exposition near Sydney, Australia, in I 986 345 Two Baha'i youth-one from iran and one from Norway-in May 1984 347 A pylon by one of the entrances to the Baha'i House of Worship in Wilmette 348 A meeting of a Local Spiritual Assembly in Cagayan de Oro. Philippines 349 The first Local Spiritual Assembly of Ponta Delgada, in the Azores: 1984 349 A Baha'i using a very simple machine to make adobe bricks for the Guaymi Cultural Centre, built by Baha'is in 1985 in Boca de! Monte, Panama 350 A child receiving an eye examination at the Eye Camp conducted under Baha'i auspices near Bangalore, India, in September 1983 353 The ground-breaking ceremony for the first Baha'i radio station in Africa. station ELRB at Monrovia, Liberia, on 14 December 1985 354 Participants in the first International Conference of the Association for Baha'i Studies of Colombia; August I 984 359 A panel of people who had met the Guardian speaking during the ninth annual conference of the Association for Baha'i Studies; November 1984 362 Dr. Victor de Araujo speaking during the tenth annual conference of the Association for Baha'i Studies; August I 985 363 xviii LIST OF ILL UST RATIO NS Mrs. Dorothy Freeman speaking during the tenth annual conference of the Association fo r Baha"i Studies; August 1985 363 Prof. Alessandro Bausani speaking during the first Symposium on the Baha'i Faith and Islam. held in Montreal, Canada; March 1984 364 Examples of monographs published by the Association for Baha'i Studies and affiliates in the period Ri(jvan 1983-1986 37 1 Examples of newsletters published by the Association for Baha'i Studies and affiliates in the period Ri(jvan 1983-1986 371 Visit of the President of Israel to the Baha'i World Centre in October 1984 377 Baha'i International Community representatives to the United Nations in New York in 1985 38 1 The Hand of the Cause of God Amatu'I-Baha Rui)iyyih Khan um hosting a luncheon in New York in November 1985 383 Baha 'is welcomed by the Deputy Secretary-General of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP); Tokyo, Japan; March 1984 384 Baha'i International Community representative Miss Alma Alzola speaking during the Latin American/Caribbean Regional Meeting: Montevideo, Uruguay; August 1985 386 Baha'i International Community representative Mr. Giovanni Ballerio speaking during the United Nations Congress in Milan. Italy; August/September 1985 389 Baha'i International Community representati ves to the European Regional Seminar for the International Year of Peace; Vienna, Austria; May I 985 397 The Local Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Kiberizi, Tanzania; 1986 401 A tree nursery demonstration during the National Women's Conference held in Nakuru, Kenya, in February 1985 403 Sewing classes conducted by Baha'is for women on the Lothian Farm in Zimbabwe 404 A graduate of the Ruh i Institute in Colombia teaches a Baha'i kindergarten in Alegrias, near Cali, in May I 986 405 Recording a programme for Radio Baha'i Ecuador in the studio at Otava lo, Ecuador; 1983 406 A Baha'i women ás class held in the home of one of the friends in Noga ta City, Japan, in January I 986 407 A student of the literacy project of the Baha'i Vocational Institute for the Training of Rural Women in Madhya Pradesh, India; 1986 408 One of the winners of the Baha'i Peace Poster Contest; Samoa; 1986 409 A Baha'i Women's Conference held in France in February 1985 410 A Baha'i Women's Conference held in Sweden in February 1985 41 I The Baha'i delegation to the World Conference to Review and Appraise the Achievements of the United Nations Decade for Women, held in July 1985 413 The Baha'i exhibit at the World Conference to Review and Appraise the Achievements of the United Nations Decade for Women; Nairobi, Kenya; July 1985 415 Baha'i International Community Representatives presenting a petition appealing for a stop to the persecutions of the Baha'is in Iran to the Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, United Nations Office, Geneva, Switzerland; 1985 424 Parr Three: The World Order of Baha 'u '//ah The Seat of the Universal House of Justice from the north 456 The Hand of the Cause of God H. Collis Featherstone and Mrs. Featherstone visiting the President of the Republic ofTrinidad and Tobago; March 1984 472 The Hand of the Cause of God Amatu'I-Baha Rul)iyyih Khanum with His Highness Malietoa Tanumafili II in Apia, Western Samoa, in August 1984 475 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS XIX The Hand of the Cause of God Amatu'I-Baha Rul)iyyih Khanum paying a courtesy visit to Indira Gandhi, the Prime Minister of India; 20 October 1984; New Delhi 475 The Hand of the Cause of God John Robarts at the land dedication ceremony for the Yukon Teaching Institute in Whitehorse, Canada; 9 July I 983 479 The Hand of the Cause of God Dr. Ugo Giachery with Mr. Fritz Semle, one of the first Baha'is in Switzerland, and Mr. Massih Sabet, at Landegg Academy. I 984 479 The Hand of the Cause of God H. Collis Featherstone took a photograph of his wife with the Baha'is of Pikosa Village in Papua New Guinea; 4 October 1984 484 The Hand of the Cause of God Dhikru'llah Khadem with friends attending a Pioneering Institute at the National Centre in Evanston, Illinois. U.S.A.; 1985 484 The Hand of the Cause of God H. Collis Featherstone and Mrs. Madge Featherstone meeting with the Baha'is of Taiwan at the National Centre; March 1985 489 The Hand of the Cause of God Dr. Ugo Giachery visiting the children during the Finnish Baha'i Summer School held in Kangasala in July 1985 489 The Hand of the Cause of God Dr. 'Ali-Mul)ammad Varqa in Lima, Peru, in August 1985 with Mr. Moozhan Martin and Mrs. Mercedes Sanchez 491 The Hand of the Cause of God 'Ali-Akbar Furutan visiting with youth during the Austrian Baha'i School held in Spittal am Pyhrn in I 986 492 The members of the Universal House of Justice, Hands of the Cause, Counsellor members of the International Teaching Centre and members of the Continental Board of Counsellors in Haifa for a Counsellors' Conference held 27 December 1985-2 January I 986 494 The Continental Board of Counsellors for Africa in December 1985 494 The Continental Board of Counsellors for the Americas in December I 985 496 The Continental Board of Counsellors for Asia in March 1986 496 The Continental Board of Counsellors for Australasia in December 1985 498 The Continental Board of Counsellors for Europe in December 1985 498 Counsellor Shirin Boman and Dr. Perin Olyai with friends during the second Himalayan Baha'i Teaching Conference, held in Sikkim in 1984 500 Counsellor Gila Michael Bah ta with display created to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the introduction of the Baha'i Faith into Ethiopia; I 983 500 The seat of the International Teaching Centre at 10 Haparsim Street, Haifa 502 The Council Chamber in the seat of the International Teaching Centre; 1985 502 Hands of the Cause of God, Members of the Universal House of Justice. and Counsellors attended a banquet in the House of 'Abdu'I-Baha in January 1986 504 Counsellor Hidayatu'llah Al)madiyyih consulting during the Counsellors" Conference held in.Haifa from 27 December 1985-2 January 1986 504 New National Spiritual Assemblies Page Page Andaman and Nicobar Islands ( 1984) 520 Martinique ( 1984) .. . ..................... . 523 Canary Islands ( 1984) 520 Yemen (North) (1984) ................. . 524 Cape Verde (1984) 521 Ciskei ( 1985) .............................. . 524 Equatorial Guinea (1984) 521 Cook Islands ( 1985) ................... . 525 French Guiana (1984) 522 Mali (1985) 525 Gabon ( 1984) 522 Mozambique ( 1985) 526 Grenada (1984) 523 Western Caroline Islands ( 1985) 526 Some members of a Local Spiritual Assembly in Ethiopia. 1986 541 Some members of a Local Spiritual Assembly in Chile. 1984 54 1 Members of the first Local Spiritual Assembly of Utsunomiya City. Japan; I 985 542 xx LIST OF ILL USTRAT IO NS Members of the first Local Spiritual Assembly of Francaville, Italy, in I 984 542 A Nineteen Day Feast in Nong Sameth, Thailand; November 1985 543 A Nineteen Day Feast in Portland. Oregon, U.S.A.; June I 984 ............................. 543 The Dedica1ion of lhe firs/ Ma21.riqu 'I-Ad./J.kar of 1he Pacific Islands Friends gathered for the dedication of the first Mailiriqu'I-AQ.hkar of the Pacific Islands fi le into the Samoan Temple on 2 September 1984 547 Mr. f:lusayn Amanat, architect of the Samoan Temple, holding a scaled model of the House of Worship wi th the completed building in the background 549 Baha'i youth with baskets of flowers they have brought to decorate the grounds and buildings for the Samoan Temple dedication ceremonies 550 The Hand of the Cause of God Amatu'I-Baha Rui)iyyih Khanum speaking during the dedication ceremonies in the áSamoan Temple on I September I 984 553 The Hand of the Cause of God Amatu'I-Baha Ruhiyyih Khanum sitting with His Highness Malietoa Tanumafili II and Her Highness Masiofo Lily of Samoa 554 The Hand of the Cause of God Amatu'I-Baha Ruhiyyih Khanum reading a message from the Universal House of Justice; Apia, Western Samoa; August 1984 555 His Highness Malietoa Tanumafili II reading his address on I September 1984 during the dedication ceremonies of the Mailiriqu'I-AQ.hkar in Samoa 557 Th e Mo/her Temple of 1he Indian Subconlinenl Mr. Fariburz Sahba showing the Canadian High Commissioner to India and his wife a model of the Indian Temple in New Delhi in May 1986 558 The construction site for the Indian Temple on 12 March 1984. with a boom extended for concreting operations 560 The Hand of the Cause of God Amatu'I-Baha Rtii)iyyih Khanum touring the Indian Temple site accompanied by architect Sahba; April 1984 561 Two views of the construction work on the Indian Temple in May 1985 564 Construction work on the dome of the Indian Temple in December I 985 565 A comparison of a model of the Indian Temple and the actual building still under construction on 13 January 1986 566 Par/ Four: In Memoriam The Shrine of Baha' u'llah at Bahji ............. ......... 589 Page Page 'Alfi fil!u'a'u'llah 594 Thabit. Akhtar 605 Collison. Reginald ' Rex 596 Yalda'i, Nusrat Ghufrani 606 Iiliraqi. ' lzzat Janami' Masehla. William Mmutle 608 áJnayatu'll,ih and Ru'ya 597 Greeven. Inez 609 Siyavuilii. Jamiliid 599 Migette. Lucienne 610 Siyi1vuilii. Tahirih Arjumandi 599 Joas. Sylvia 612 Dalvand. fil!ahin ('fil!irin ') 60 1 Anwar. Abdullah ('Abdu'llah Anvar) Mal)mudni;ct,ad. Muna 602 and M unireh ( M unirih Anvar) 614 Muqimi-Abyanih. Zarrin 603 Njiki. Samuel (Njiki Samuel Njenji) 615 Nirumand. Mahiliid 603 Pavon. Raul 617 Sabiri. Simin 604 Cuellar. Yvonne Liegeois 62 1 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS xx i Ullrich, Margarite loas Danielsen, Edith Revell, Ethel Amatu'I-Baha Ruhiyyih Khanum and 'Ali Na_lilijavani with Ethel Revell Szanto-Felbermann, Renee True, George Russell Noorani, Shirin (fillirin Nurani) Voelz. Genevieve E. Grossmann, Anna Hipp, Suzette Soleimani, Azizullah ('Azizu'llah Sulaymaniy-i-Ardakani) Taffa. Teresa Pia Wakil, Abbas ('Abbas Vakil) Manton, Eric Printezis, Nikolas Davids, Mogamat Roeshdi (Rushdi) Geary, Irving Gung, Claire (Claire Kleine-Gung) 'Auntie Claire's Kindergarten'; 1970 Belcher, Edward Ljungberg, Eskil J. Stout, Janet Whitenack Gardner, Lloyd G. Edwards, Julius A. G. Daugherty, Orpha Page 622 Knowlton, Samson 625 Randrianarivo. Daniel 627 Nicklin, Eve B. Makwelung. Rose 632 Toufigh. Nadereh Nabil-Akbar 634 (Nadirih Nabil-i-AkbarTawfiq) 635 Kazimpour Amri, Abbas ('Abbas 637 Ka~impur Amri) 638 Rice, Emma Mandell 640 Shrivastava, Kailash 641 Nourse, Catharine E. Rezvani, Ehsanollah 643 (li)san' u'llah Ridvani) 644 Mitchell, William 646 Rodrigues, Jose C. Xavier 648 Lake. Greta 649 Rowhani, Shapoor Aspandiar 651 (fillapur lsfandiyar Rawl)itni) 652 Nichols. Valeria Lamb 654 Orbison, Virginia 656 Loft, Melba Whetung 657 Khin, Daw Thoung 659 Teo Geok Leng 662 Wells, Arnold 664 Cowan, Angus Weldon 665 Moul, Georgine A. 666 Part Six: Literary and Musical Works The Shrine of Baha'u'llah circa 1920 The Shrine of the Bab in December I 919 The House of 'Abdu'I-Baha on 27 April 1920 The Eastern Pilgrim House, Haifa, on 4 April 1922 Yusuf 'Abdu'I-Wai)id Otoluwa Mark Tobey, circa 1935 Mark Tobey with Juliet Thompson and Frances Fales in the United States; 1920s Mark Tobey at Geyserville Summer School in California in 1943 Mark Tobey at the All-American Intercontinental Conference in Wilmette, 1953 Mark Tobey at the 'Mark Tobey Retrospective' in the Louvre; Paris, France; 1961 Mark Tobey working on a painting in his home in Basel. Switzerland; 1974 Lilian Vaughan McNeill Anton Graf Prokesch von Osten .................................... . Felix and Angustia Maddela Rosey E. Pool Page 668 669 67 1 672 674 676 677 679 681 683 684 687 688 690 69 1 692 698 700 701 703 705 706 746 746 75 1 75 1 760 76 1 765 765 770 776 776 779 797 798 802 INTRODUCTION AIMS AND PURPOSES OF THE BAHA'I FAITH D AVID H OFMA N RELIG ION has two objectives, the regeneration of men and the advancement of mankind. All men have been created to carry forward an ever advancing civili:arion proclaims Baha'u'llah, and The purpose of the one true God. exalted be His glory, in revealing Himself 111110 men is to lay bare those gems that lie hidden within the mine of their true and imnost selves. These aims of religion, universal and eternal, nevertheless have been conditioned to the capacities of each age or dispensation and the great religions of the past have developed their social orders within generally definable times and areas. Judaism, for instance, attained its peak under Solomon and was confined, before the dispersion, to the Near East; Zoroastrianism remained Persian until the Arab conquest and the settlement of a remnant in Western India; Christianity became the religion of European civilization; the building of the nation state undertaken by Islam remained a Muslim experiment until feudal Europe learned the lesson and its city states gave way to and adopted the more advanced order. It has remained for the Baha'i religion to declare and promote the cause of world order-the sine qua 11011 of its existence-and to disclose the concomitant unities of religion, of mankind and of historical purpose. ' Unity of family, of tribe, of city-state, and nation have been successively attempted and fully established. World unity is the goal towards which a harassed humanity is striving. Nation-building has come to an end. The anarchy inherent in state sovereignty is moving towards a climax. A world, growing to maturity, must abandon this fetish, recognize the oneness and wholeness of human relationships, and establish once for all the machinery that can best incarnate this fundamental principle of its life.' ' Religion sees the course of history as an organic process, moving towards the full realization ofall the potentialities implanted in man. The vicissitudes, the great advances, the hiatuses it regards as the natural unfoldment of that processjust as the succession ofbud, leaf, flower and fruit is the natural unfoldment in the life of a tree; or infancy, childhood. youth and maturity in that ofa man. Indeed, Baha'i scripture explains. the process is the same. The sun is the effective agent in the organic life of the earth; religion in that of humanity. The Sun of Truth is the Word of God upon 1rhich depends the educarion of those who are endoll'ed irith the power of understanding and of utterance . .! The creative Word. revealed in each stage of human progress by a Manifestation of God, and conditioned to the requirements of the time. is the effective agent in the long. single process of humanity's development from infancy to World Order. This truth is enshrined in all revealed religion although it needs the illumination of Baha'u'llah's revelation 10 enable men to perceive it. 'The first picture presented in the Bible is that of human unity in its simplest form; that of a single family. The last picture is 1ha1 of a unity manifold and universal in which all kindreds and tongues and peoples and nations are gathered into one and unified in the enjoyment of a common worship. a common happiness, a common glory. 'The great problem which. according to the Bible, confronts the human race in its progress 1 Shoghi Effendi. Guardian of 1hc Bah,i"i Faith. The U11fold111e11r vf World Ciri/i=cuion ~ Bah 1.táuá1bh, Dmáy,iy-i-D1i11iE.J.. 2 THE BAHA ' i WORLD is that of advancing from the barest, baldest unity through a long experience of multiplying diversities till ultimately a balance between the two principles is struck, poise is gained and the two forces of variety and unity are blended in a multiple, highly developed world fellowship, the perfection of whose union was hardly suggested in the primitive simplicity ofearly man. '1 This spiritual view ofevolution is the constant theme of religion. Each revelation refers to the past, looks forward to the future and concentrates upon the immediate need for spiritual regeneration and enlightenment. The Prophet evokes in human hearts a sacrificial love which transcends self-interest and causes the early believers to dedicate themselves entirely to the practice and diffusion of the new message. As it spreads it works like leaven in society, reforming its morals, uplifting its vision and promoting a greater diffusion of love in social action. 'World history at its core and in its essence is the story of the spiritual evolution of mankind. From this all other activities of man proceed and round it all other activities revolve.'' Unlike the revelations of the past, the Baha'i revelation releases not only the creative Word necessary to the renewal of spiritual vitality in the human spirit, but embodies that divine energy in an administrative order capable of bringing within its shade all the diversified ethnic groups and myriad types of the human race, who may find within its wide embrace a full, happy and purposeful life. Baha'i activity therefore is directed not only. as in the past, to the spreading of the Word, but to the establishment of the fabric of that Order which, enshrined within the creative Word itself, becomes the chief instrument for the further diffusion and social application of the Divine Message. This World Order. which the Baha'i Faith exists to establish. is none other than that long-promised Kingdom in which peace. justice and brotherhood shall prevail universally and 'the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea':' The establishment of this World Order is dependent upon the regeneration of mankind which must turn again to God and recognize 1 George Townshend. Thf' Hmrt vf the Go.1pel. 1939. ! ibid. ' Habakkuk 2:14. His purpose. The two aims of religion are, therefore, interacting and interdependent. Such a world-shaking transformation cannot be brought about by any movement of reform, however disinterested, nor by any unaided human effort. Modern man has turned away from God, and bereft of his traditional sanctions, has inevitably wrecked his old order which, in truth, is lamentably inadequate to modern conditions and is not susceptible of repair. Soon. is Baha'u'llah's prophetic view of our day, will the present-day order be rolled up. and a ne11á one spread out in its stead. Likewise, The signs of impending convulsfons and chaos can noiv be discerned, inasmuch as the prevailing order appears to be lamentably defective. The current aim of religion, embodied in the aims and purposes of the Baha'i Faith, is the promotion of the next stage in the organic process of human evolution-the coming ofage of the human race. The achievement of this maturity will be attested by the unification of mankind and the federation of the world in a single, all-embracing world society of human brotherhood. But great objectives are reached by dedicated pursuit of the preliminary and intermediate stages of the task. without ever losing sight of the ultimate goal. and this has been and is now the occupation of the Baha'i world community-the completion within specified times ofspecified goals. These teaching plans to which the Baha'is eagerly devote their lives do far more than simply increase the size and consolidation of that world community. They are devised and launched by the head of the Faith-the Guardian and now the Universal House of Justice-and are therefore conceived from a global view, directed to the immediate needs of the great objective, conservative of the community's resources, worldwide in scale permitting the organic development of each part according to its stage of growth but with due regard for the needs of the whole, fostering intensively the unity, the international co-operation. the diversification of the ethnic. religious and social backgrounds of its increasing membership and developing new resources for the next step forward. It should be noted that none of these plans is isolated in aim or conception but all are directed towards the implementation of three great charters. enshrined in Baha'i sacred Writings. which authorize and guide the expansion INTRODUCTION of the Faith and the development of its institutions. In past Dispensations the command to áspread the Gospel" has been general and unspecified. It was the inspired guidance of the beloved Guardian of the Baha"i Faith which disclosed to a spiritually delighted and grateful community yet another of the unique features of this Dispensation in the specific guidance given in these three charters for the implementation of this eternal command. Bahaáuállah"s Tablet of Carmel is the charter for the development of the Baha "i World Centre in the twin cities of áAkka and Haifa. the site of its most sacred Shrines-the tombs of the twin Prophets and of áAbdu'I-Baha, the Centre of the Covenant-its monuments and gardens. and of its áworld-shaking, world-embracing. world-directing administrative institutionsá.' The Will and Testament of "Abdu'I-Baha is the charter for the development of the administrative order of the Faith. In this majestic document, the child of 'that mystic intercourse between Him Who communicated the generating influence of His divine Purpose and the One Who was its vehicle and chosen recipient'.' are delineated the structure of the administrative order, its modus operandi. its main institutions, the chain of authority, the source of guidance and the position of every believer vis-a-vis the Covenant. It has been well called the áCharter of the New World Order of Baha'u'llah'. The Tablets al 1he Divine Plan, a series of fourteen let1ers wrillen by "Abdu'l-Baha to the believers of the United States and Canada, some addressed to the entire company of believers in the North American continent and others to those in named geographical areas of that continent, constitute the charter for teaching the Faith throughout the world. áAbdu"IBaha names the places, the people to whom teachers must go. the conditions under which they must travel and sellle and He reveals several prayers for those who undertake this all-important task. All the international plans of the Faith launched so far have set specific goals aimed at implementing these three charters and it is incontrovertibly apparent that never in any preceding Dispensation has the command to 1 Shoghi Effendi. The Spiriwal Po1e11cie.1á of" Thur Cm1 .H'cra1ed ~~ . ~ Shoghi Effendi. The Dispensarion of Balui á11 '/lci h. spread the Word of God been given. in the sacred text. such explicit guidance and detailed objecti ves. As the Faith of BahaáuáJhih increases in size and influence other aims and objectives become apparent and possible of pursuit. The relation ship wilh agencies. institutions and authorities of the non-Baha'i world becomes an important consideration once the community emerges from obscurity. and has led to public relations programmes and the development of closer association with the United Nations. The Baha'i International Community is accredited as a non-governmental agency with consultative status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOCJ and in various ways to other agencies of the Un ited Nations. The fostering of this relationship has been the goal of all international plans so far. and is visualized as a continuing process. There are other objectives related to the special characteristics of Baha"i life which become more and more important as the Faith grows and engages greater and greater public atlention. They affect Baha'i individuals. communities and institutions alike. These objectives fall into two groups-those concerned specifically with standards of conduct and those which relate to special Baha'i practices. The standards of conduct enjoined by the Prophet are invariably different from and sometimes diametrically opposed to the generally accepted ones of His day. High standards of conduct are. throughout Baha"i scripture. constantly upheld and urged upon the believers. but the Guardian oft he Faith in an essay writ1en in 1938 addressed to the believers in the United States and Canada laid great stress upon the áspiritual prerequisites ... which constitute the bedrock on which ... all teaching plans ... must ultimately rest .. ."' He writes ofá.. a high sense of moral rectitude in their social and administrative activities. absolute chastity in their individual lives. and complete freedom from prejudice in their dealings with peoples of a different race. class. creed or colour."' In his expansion of this theme he declared that This rectitude of conduct. with its implications of justice. equity. truthfulness. honesty. fairmindedness. reliability. and trustworthiness. must distinguish every phase of the life of the 1 Shoghi Effendi. Thi' Adre111 o( Oil'i11e ./11stin-. 'i bid. THE BAHA 'j WORLD Baha'i community.'' 'A chaste and holy life must be made the controlling principle in the behaviour and conduct of all Baha'is, both in their social relationships with the members of their own community, and in their contacts with the world at large.'2 'It requires total abstinence from all alcoholic drinks, from opium, and from similar habit-forming drugs. It condemns the prostitution of art and of literature, the practices of nudism and of companionate marriage. infidelity in marital relationships, and all manner of promiscuity, ofeasy familiarity, and of sexual vices.'3 'As to racial prejudice, the corrosion of which, for well nigh a century, has bitten into the fibre, and attacked the whole social structure of American society, it should be regarded as constituting the most vital and challenging issue confronting the Baha'i community [of that country] at the presenát stage of its evolution.'4 The regeneration of men-the first objective of religion mentioned in this essay-is therefore seen as the prime objective of the Baha'i Faith. Membership in the Faith is drawn from that society which permits and indulges itself in all those corrupt, immoral and prejudiced activities which Baha 'is are required to renounce, and since the Faith is steadily but persistently growing in numbers there is reason to hope that slowly but surely a regeneration wi ll take place. Further. these Baha'i standards of conduct are not for individuals alone. They must be the hallmark of Baha'i institutions and communities. 'Such a rectitude of conduct.' wrote the Guardian. 'must manifest itself, with everincreasing potency, in every verdict which the elected representatives of the Baha'i community, in whatever capacity they may find themselves. may be called upon to pronounce. It must be constantly reflected in the business dealings of all its members, in their domestic lives, in all manner of employment, and in any service they may, in the future. render their government or people.'' 'It must be made the hallmark of that numerically small, yet intensely dynamic and highly responsible body of the elected national representatives of every Baha'i community, which constitutes the sustaining pillar. and the sole instrument for the election in every community, of that Universal House 1 Shog hi Effendi. The Atfrml t~{ Di1¥i11e J11srin'. "ibid . 1 ibid 4 ibid. 5 ibid. whose very name and title, as ordained by Baha'u'llah, symbolizes that rectitude of conduct which is its highest mission to safeguard and enforce. '6 The attitudes deriving from such standards, and from all the varied teachings of Baha'u'llah, must pervade all Baha'i communities and imbue them with distinctive characteristics which can be recognized, amid the welter of opposing or mutually uninterested groups and factions into which modern society is disintegrating, as easily as the features of an individual in a crowd. Those special Baha'i practices which will inevitably characterize the Baha'i community, are the regular observances of its Holy Days and Festivals, the abstention from work on nine such days during the year, the observances by all members of the community of the annual fast, of the laws governing marriage and divorce, of daily prayer, of the invariable practice of consultation in all affairs of life, and particularly by the regular observance of the Nineteen Day Feast. The habitual practice of such laws and ordinances is an objective pursued by all Baha'is and Baha'i families. It is seen that the aims and purposes of the Baha'i Faith may be stated as the raising up of a world-wide community recruited from every race, nation, colour, religious and social background known on the planet, inspired, united and regenerated by the spiritual teachings and love of Baha'u'llah, dedicated to the building of that New World Order which 'may well be regarded as the brightest emanation'' of His mind and is none other than the long hoped for, Christ-promised Kingdom ofGod on earth. To prepare men for the gifts of that Kingdompeace, brotherhood, spirituality-and to raise its very fabric in the world, are the immediate and long-time objectives of the Baha'i Faith. The energies of the Baha'is therefore, in pursuance of these aims, flow in three major channels: individual spiritual development, conveying the message of Baha'u'llah to others, and developing the pattern of world society embodied in the Baha'i administrative order. All these activities derive from the sacred text and it is the unique feature of the Baha'i revelation that whereas the first two are common to all revealed religions it is only Baha'u'llah Who creates the institutions and reveals the ~ibid. ' Shoghi Effend i. God Passes By. p. 213. I N TRODUCTION laws. delineates the social order and establishes the principles of the civilization to which His revelation will give rise. Neither Moses nor Christ. Muliammad. Buddha. Zoroaster or Krishna did this. although They all foretold that it would be done by Him Who would take the government upon His shoulders and establish the Kingdom in peace and righteousness. None of the traditional motives operates to create the Baha"i community. neither former associations. political or economic identity of interest. racial or patriotic grouping. Only the recognition and love of Baha"u"llah brings into close relatedness and co-operative action people from every human background. of all types of character and personality. divergent and di versified interest. Through their brotherhood in Baha "u"llah the old crystallized forms of human divisiveness to which they formerly belonged. whether of class. race, religion, occupation, temperament or degree of civilization lose their rigidity and eventually disintegrate. The growing Baha'i community on the other hand is essentially based on love, is a brotherhood. a family, each member delighting in the diversity of its membership, welcoming the former pariah or outcast as a new flower in the garden, each as proud of his humanity as was ever the former chauvinist of his country. Within such a community the sun of Baha'u'llah's revelation can evoke new morals, new attitudes, new conventions, new hopes and visions, all enshrined within the text of the revela tion itself and which provide the spiritual atmosphere and distinctive culture of the new day. Such a community, as it grows, becomes more and more a true social order, providing a soil to human life, a climate for its best development, an arena for the practice of its highest aspirations, and a beacon light to attract and guide the disillusioned, spiritua lly impoverished, frenetic and frustrated peoples of the earth . The energies of this new culture, guided and conserved to the service of human welfare by the agencies of Baha'u'llah's World Order, will result in the prolifera tion of new arts and sciences, new social and economic relationships. new educational methods and a general accession of well-being and felicity. The vision of the Baha'i Faith. though glorious, is a practical one, and the number of its dedicated promoters grows with increasing speed. It is summarized in the following words by the Guardian of the Baha"i Faith in his essay The U11/'oldme111 of World Civili:ation: The unity of the human race. as envisaged by Baha'u'llah. implies the establishment of a world commonwealth in which all nations. races. creeds and classes are closely and permanently united, and in which the autonomy of its state members and the personal freedom and initiative of the individuals that compose them are definitely and completely safeguarded. This commonwealth must. as far as we can visualize it. consist ofa world legislature. whose members will. as the trustees of the whole of mankind, ultimately control the entire resources of all the component nations. and will enact such laws as sha ll be required to regulate the life, satisfy the needs and adjust the relationships of all races and peoples. A world executi ve. backed by an international Force. will carry out the decisions arrived at. and apply the laws enacted by. this world legisla ture. and will safeguard the organic unity of the whole commonwealth. A world tribunal will adjudicate and deliver its compulsory and final verdict in all and any disputes that may arise between the various elements constituting this universal system. A mechanism of world inter-communica tion will be devised. embracing the whole planet, freed from na tional hindrances and restrictions. and functioning with marvellous swiftness and perfect regularity. A world metropolis will act as the nerve centre of a world civilization. the focus towards which the unifying forces of life will converge and from which its energizing influences will radiate. A world language will either be invented or chosen from among the existing languages and will be taught in the schools ofall the federated nations as an auxiliary to their mother tongue. A world script, a world literature. a uniform and universal system of currency. of weights and measures, will simplify and facilitate intercourse and understanding among the nations and races of mankind. In such a wo rld society. science and religion. the two most potent forces in human life, will be reconciled. will co-operate. and will harmoniously develop. The press will. under such a system. while giving full scope to the expression of the diversified views and convictions of mankind. cease to be mischievously manipulated by vested interests. whether private or public. and will be liberated from the THE BAH ,\' i WORLD influence of contending governments and peoples. The economic resources of the world will be organized, its sources of raw materials will be tapped and fully utilized, its markets will be co-ordinated and developed, and the distribution of its products will be equitably regulated. 'National rivalries, hatred, and intrigues will cease, and racial animosity and prejudice will be replaced by racial amity, understanding and co-operation. The causes of religious strife will be permanently removed, economic barriers and restrictions will be completely abolished, and the inordinate distinction between classes will be obliterated. Destitution on the one hand, and gross accumulation of ownership on the other, will disappear. The enormous energy dissipated and wasted on war, whether economic or political, will be consecrated to such ends as will extend the range of human inventions and technical development, to the increase of the productivity of mankind, to the extermination ofdisease, to the extension ofscientific research, to the raising of the standard of physical health, to the sharpening and refinement of the human brain, to the exploitation of the unused and unsuspected resources of the planet, to the prolongation of human life, and to the furtherance ofany other agency that can stimulate the intellectual, the moral, and spiritual life of the entire human race. 'A world federal system, ruling the whole earth and exercising unchallengeable authority over its unimaginably vast resources, blending and embodying the ideals of both the East and the West, liberated from the curse of war and its miseries, and bent on the exploitation of all the available sources of energy on the surface of the planet, a system in which Force is made the servant of Justice, whose life is sustained by its universal recognition of one God and by its allegiance to one common Revelation-such is the goal towards which humanity, impelled by the unifying forces of life, is moving.' PART ONE THE BAHA'I REVELATION I EXCERPTS FROM THE BAHA'I SACRED WRITINGS 1. BAHA'U'LLAH B EHOLD the disturbances, which for many a long year, have afflicted the earth, and the perturbation that hath seized its peoples. It hath either been ravaged by war, or tormented by sudden and unforeseen calamities. Though the world is encompassed with misery and distress, yet no man hath paused to reflect what the cause or source of that may be. Whenever the True Counsellor uttered a word in admonishment, lo, they all denounced Him as a mover of mischief and rejected His claim. How bewildering, how confusing is such behaviour! No two men can be found who may be said to be outwardly and inwardly united. The evidences ofdiscord and malice are apparent everywhere, though all were made for harmony and union. The Great Being saith: 0 well-beloved ones' The tabernacle ofunity hath been raised; regard ye not one another as strangers. Ye are the fruits of one tree, and the leaves of one branch. We cherish the hope that the light of justice may shine upon the world and sanctify it from tyranny. If the rulers and kings of the earth, the symbols ofthe power ofGod, exalted be His glory, arise and resolve to dedicate themselves to whatever will promote the highest interests of the whole of humanity, the reign of justice will assuredly be established amongst the children of men, and the effulgence of its light will envelop the whole earth. The Great Being saith: The structure of world stability and order hath been reared upon, and will continue to be sustained by, the twin pillars of reward and punishment. And in another connection He hath uttered the following in the eloquent tongue:' Justice hath a mighty force at its command. It 1 Arabic. is none other than reward and punishment for the deeds of men. By the power of this force the tabernacle of order is established throughout the world, causing the wicked to restrain their natures for fear of punishment. In another passage He hath written: Take heed, 0 concourse of the rulers of the world' There is no force on earth that can equal in its conquering power the force of justice and wisdom. I, verily, affirm that there is not. and hath never been, a host more mighty than that of justice and wisdom. Blessed is the king who marcheth with the ensign of wisdom unfurled before him, and the battalions ofjustice massed in his rear. He verily is the ornament that adorneth the brow of peace and the countenance of security. There can be no doubt whatever that if the day-star of justice, which the clouds of tyranny have obscured, were to shed its light upon men, the face of the earth would be completely transformed. The Great Being, wishing to reveal the prerequisites of the peace and tranquillity of the world and the advancement of its peoples. hath written: The time must come when the imperative necessity for the holding of a vast. an allembracingassemblage ofmen will be universally realized. The rulers and kings of the earth must needs attend it, and, participating in its deliberations, must consider such ways and means as will lay the foundations of the world's Great Peace amongst men. Such a peace demandeth that the Great Powers should resolve. for the sake of the tranquillity of the peoples of the earth, to be fu lly reconciled among themselves. Should any king take up arms against another. all should unitedly arise and prevent him. If this be done, the nations of the world will no 9 10 Tl-IE BA láI A 'j WORLD longer require any armaments. except for the purpose of preserving the security of their realms and of maintaining internal order within their territories. This will ensure the peace and composure of every people. government and nation. We fain would hope that the kings and rulers of the earth. the mirrors of the gracious and almighty name of God. may attain unto this station. and shield mankind from the onslaught of tyranny. Likewise He saith: Among the things which insight and understanding to strive to translate that which hath been written into reality and action. In these days the tabernacle of justice hath fallen into the clutches of tyranny and oppression. Beseech ye the One true GodExalted be His glory-not to deprive mankind of the ocean of true understanding, for were men but 10 take heed they would readily appreciate that whatever hath streamed from and is set down by the Pen of Glory is even as the An orna111e11tal eagle in .front of the Shrine of Baha '11 'I/JI, at Bah.Ji. are conducive to unity and concord and will cause the whole earth to be regarded as one country is that the divers languages be reduced to one language and in like manner the scripts used in the world be confined to a single script. It is incumbent upon all nations to appoint some men of understanding and erudition 10 convene a gathering and through join! consultation choose one language from among the varied existing languages, or create a new one. to be taught 10 the children in all the schools of the world. The day is approaching when all the peoples of the world wi ll have adopted one universal language and one common script. When this is achieved. to whatsoever city a man may journey. it shall be as if he were entering his own home. These things are obligatory and absolutely essential. It is incumbent upon every man of sum for the whole world and that therein lie the welfare. security and true interests of all men: otherwise the earth will be tormented by a fresh calamity every day and unprecedented commotions will break out. God grant that the people of the world may be graciously aided to preserve the light of His loving counsels within the globe of wisdom. We cherish the hope that everyone may be adorned with the vesture of true wisdom. the basis of the government of the world. The Great Being saith: The heaven of statesmanship is made luminous and resplendent by the brightness of the light of these blessed words which hath dawned from the dayspring of the Will of God: It behoveth every ruler to weigh his own being every day in the balance ofequity and justice and then to judge between men and counsel them to do that which would direct THE BAH,\'i REVELATION their steps unto the path of wisdom and understanding. This is the cornerstone of statesmanship and the essence thereof. From these words every enlightened man of wisdom will readily perceive that which will foster such aims as the welfare, security and protection of mankind and the safety of human lives. Were men of insight to quaff their fill from the ocean of inner meanings which lie enshrined in these words and become acquainted therewith, they would bear witness to the sublimity and the excellence of this utterance. If this lowly one were to set forth that which he perceiveth, all would testify unto God's consummate wisdom. The secret of statesmanship and that of which the people are in need lie enfolded within these II J USTICE is, in this day, bewailing its plight, and Equity groaneth beneath the yoke of oppression. The thick clouds of tyranny have darkened the face of the earth, and enveloped its peoples. Through the movement of Our Pen of glory We have, at the bidding of the omnipotent Ordainer, breathed a new life into every human frame, and instilled into every word a fresh potency. All created things proclaim the evidences of this world-wide regeneration. This is the most great, the most joyful tidings imparted by the Pen of this Wronged One to mankind. Wherefore fear ye, 0 My well-beloved ones? Who is it that can dismay you? A touch of moisture sufficeth to dissolve the hardened clay out of which this perverse generation is III PRAISE be to God that thou hast attained! ... Thou hast come to see a prisoner and an exile . . We desire but the good of the world and the happiness of the nations: yet they deem us a stirrer up of strife and sedition worthy of bondage and banishment ... That all nations should become one in faith and all men as brothers: that the bonds of affection and unity between the sons of men should be strengthened; that diversity of religion should cease, and differences of race be annulledwhat harm is there in this? . Yet so it shall be: these fruitless strifes, these ruinous wars 1 Excerpted from lau'f1-i-Maq.f1id (Tablet of Maq,'.>lld ). 2 Excerpted from U111'f1-i-D1myti (Tablet or the World). words. This lowly servant earnestly entreateth the One true God-exalted be His glory-to illumine the eyes of the people of the world with the splendour of the light of wisdom that they. one and all, may recognize that which is indispensable in this day. That one indeed is a man who, today, dedicateth himself to the service of the entire human race. The Great Being saith: Blessed and happy is he that ariseth to promote the best interests of the peoples and kindreds of the earth. In another passage He hath proclaimed: It is not for him to pride himself who loveth his own country, but rather for him who loveth the whole world. The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens.' moulded. The mere act of your gathering together is enough to scalier the forces of these vain and worthless people. Strife and conflict befit the beasts of the wild. It was through the grace of God and with the aid ofseemly words and praiseworthy deeds that the unsheathed swords of the Babi community were returned to their scabbards. Indeed through the power ofgood words, the righteous have always succeeded in winning command over the meads of the hearts of men. Say, 0 ye loved ones! Do not forsake prudence. Incline your hearts to the counsels given by the most Exalted Pen and beware lest your hands or tongues cause harm unto anyone among mankind.' shall pass away, and the 'Most Great Peaceá shall come Do not you in Europe need this also? Is not this that which Christ foretold? ... Yet do we see your kings and rulers lavishing their treasures more freely on means for the destruction of the human race than on that which would conduce to the happiness of mankind These strifes and the bloodshed and discord must cease. and all men be as one kindred and one family Let not a man glory in this. that he loves his country: let him rather glory in this. that he loves his kind:' 'Words attributed to Bah,i'u'lhih by Edward Granville Browne (ed.). A Tmiáellerá.1á Narnuirt'. vol. II. x.xx i., xi. THE BAHA 'i WORLD 2. THE BAB ISSUE forth from your cities, 0 peoples of the West and aid God ere the Day when the Lord of mercy shall come down unto you in the shadow of the clouds with the angels circling around Him, exalting His praise and seeking forgiveness for such as have truly believed in Our signs. Verily His decree hath been issued, and the command of God, as given in the Mother Book, hath indeed been revealed. II 0 MY servants! This is God's appointed Day which the merciful Lord hath promised you in His Book; wherefore, in very truth, glorify ye III Goo hath, at all times and under all conditions, been wholly independent of His creatures. He hath cherished and will ever cherish the desire that all men may attain His gardens of Paradise with utmost love, that no one should sadden another, not even for a moment, and IV GLORY be unto Thee, 0 Lord! Although Thou mayest cause a person to be destitute of all earthly possessions, and from the beginning of his life until his ascension unto Thee he may be reduced to poverty through the operation of Thy decree. yet wert Thou to have brought him forth from the Tree of Thy love, such a bounty would indeed be fa r better for him than all the things Thou hast created in heaven and 1 Excerpted from the Qayy1i11111 át-Asmr'i (Chapter XLVI). ~ibid .. (Chapter LXXXV II). 1 Excerpted from the Persian Ba_nin (V I. 16). Become as true brethren in the one and indivisible religion of God, free from distinction, for verily God desireth that your hearts should become mirrors unto your brethren in the Faith, so that ye find yourselves reflected in them, and they in you. This is the true Path of God, the Almighty, and He is indeed watchful over your actions. 1 abundantly the name ofGod while treading the Path of the Most Great Remembrance. 2 that all should dwell within His cradle of protection and security until the Day of Resurrection which marketh the day-spring of the Revelation of Him Whom God will make manifest. earth and whatsoever lieth between them; inasmuch as he will inherit the heavenly home, through the revelation of Thy favours, and will partake of the goodly gifts Thou hast provided therein; for the things which are with Thee are inexhaustible. This indeed is Thy blessing which according to the good-pleasure of Thy Will Thou dost bestow on those who tread the path of Thy love. How numerous the souls who in former times were put to death for Thy sake, and in whose names all men now pride themselves; and how vast the number of those whom Thou didst THE BAHA 'j REVELA TI ON enable to acquire earthly fortunes, and who amassed them while they were deprived of Thy Truth, and who in this day have passed into oblivion. Theirs is a grievous chastisement and a dire punishment. 0 Lord! Provide for the speedy growth of the Tree of Thy divine Unity; water it then, 0 Lord, with the flowing waters of Thy goodpleasure, and cause it, before the revelations of Thy divine assurance, to yield such fruits as Thou desires! for Thy glorification and exal- Mother Book. for within the grasp of Thy hand Thou holdest the determined measures of all things. Thy goodly gifts are unceasingly showered upon such as cherish Thy love and the wondrous tokens of Thy heavenly bounties are amply bestowed on those who recognize Thy divine Unity. We commit unto Thy care whatsoever Thou hast destined for us, and implore Thee to grant us all the good that Thy knowledge embraceth. The Shrine of the Bab. talion, Thy praise and thanksgiving, and to magnify Thy Name, to laud the oneness ofThine Essence and to offer adoration unto Thee, inasmuch as all this lieth within Thy grasp and in that of none other. Great is the blessedness of those whose blood Thou hast chosen wherewith to water the Tree ofThine affirmation, and thus to exalt Thy holy and immutable Word. Ordain for me, 0 my Lord, and for those who believe in Thee that which is deemed best for us in Thine estimation, as set forth in the Protect me, 0 my Lord, from every evil that Thine omniscience perceiveth, inasmuch as there is no power nor strength but in Thee, no triumph is forthcoming save from Thy presence, and it is Thine alone to command. Whatever God hath willed hath been, and that which He hath not willed shall not be. There is no power nor strength except in God, the Most Exalted, the Most Mighty.' 1 Excerpted from Si!ll!cfio11.~Jiáo111 rh l:' Wriri11gJ 1~/' rhe B/1h. pp. 189-91. THE BAHA ' j WORLD V Tlrou arr God, 110 God is rlrere bur Tiree. LA UD ED and glorified art Thou, 0 Lord verged toward the focal centre of faith and cermy God1 Thou art supreme over the realm of titude, through which Thy luminous Words being and Thy power pervadeth all created streamed forth for the quickening of mankind things. Thou holdest the kingdom of creation and the essence of all knowledge was revealed within Thy grasp and dost call into being in from that Embodiment of bounty. May my life, conformity with Thy pleasure. my inmost being, my soul and my body be All praise be unto Thee. 0 Lord my God! I offered up as a sacrifice for the dust ennobled beseech Thee by such souls as are eagerly by His footsteps. waiting at Thy gate and by those holy beings I earnestly beg Thee, 0 Lord my God, by Thy who have attained the court of Thy presence, most glorious Name whereby Thy sovereignty to cast upon us the glances of Thy tender com-hath been established and the tokens of Thy passion and to regard us with the eye of Thy might have been manifested, and whereby the loving providence. Cause our souls to be oceans of life and of holy ecstasy have surged enkindled with the fire of Thy tender affection for the reviving of the mouldering bones of all and give us to drink of the living waters of Thy Thy creatures and for the stirring of the limbs bounty. Keep us steadfast in theá path of Thine of such as have embraced Thy Cause-I earnardent love and enable us to abide within the estly beg Thee to graciously ordain for us the precincts of Thy holiness. Verily Thou art the good of this world and of the next, to enable Giver, the Most Generous, the All-Knowing, us to gain admission into the court ofThy mercy the All-informed. and loving-kindness and to kindle in our hearts Glorified art Thou, 0 my God! I invoke Thee the fire of joy and ecstasy in such wise what by Thy Most Great name through which the the hearts of all men may thereby be attracted. hidden secrets of God, the Most Exalted, were Verily Thou art the All-powerful, the Pro- divulged and the kindreds of all nations con-tector, the Almighty, the Self-Subsisting.' VI G LORY be unto Thee, 0 Lord my God! beg Thee to forgive me and those who support Thy Faith. Verily Thou art the sovereign Lord, the Forgiver. the Most Generous. 0 my God' Enable such servants of Thine as are deprived of knowledge to be admitted into Thy Cause; for once they learn of Thee, they bear witness to the truth of the Day of Judgement and do not dispute the revelations of Thy bounty. Send down upon them the tokens of Thy grace and grant them. wherever they reside, a liberal share of that which Thou hast ordained for the pious among Thy servants. Thou art in truth the Supreme Ruler, the All-Bounteous. the Most Benevolent. 1 Excerpted from Selec1io 11 .1á from rfu, Wri1i11g.1á ------------<1-1---------+--i,f-------+---------l 69,54/ 50,O00 >--------------,1-,____ _____ --+-------+------1 / GOAL54,323 SG,OOOl------+-+-----/-+----+--f----+--------1 40,0001-------+--+-------+---+-+--------+-------- / 32,854 30,0001----------t--,t---Jf------+-+------+---c,_,./.~ ----l-GOAL 30,850 I 7-:::::1 20.0001------------,1-+-/-#-------+--+v-~~-----+--------1 17,037 15,186 / ...._ GOAL 13,955 11,071 / I 10,000 ~ ~~,~ 2,::: LJ. LO:l:C:;iA~~S:a:::;_._.-7 LA~S;: 53 63 64 73 74 79 86 TEN-YEAR CRUSADE NINE-YEAR PLAN FIVE-YEAR PLAN SEVEN-VEAR PLAN 1953-1963 1944-1973 1974-1979 1979-1986 I THE SEVEN YEAR INTERNATIONAL TEACHING PLAN 1979-1986 136-142 OF THE BAHA'I ERA 21 APRIL 1979-20 APRIL 1986 A.O. 1. THE COMPLETION OF THE SEVEN YEAR INTERNATIONAL TEACHING PLAN THE Seven Year Plan, the manifold achievements of which brought to a close the third epoch of the Formative Age, ran its course through a period ofaccelerating change in the Baha'i community and in the wo rld at large. Significant developments took place in this short span of years. These developments have been described in this survey, compiled by the Department of Statistics. The survey attempts to report on a wide range ofendeavour of the Baha'i world community, and to reflect its increasing diversity, by grouping together similar objectives of the Plan. The Seven Year Plan has been the most complex in terms of the number of goals assigned to the Baha'i communities. Over the course of the Plan, nearly one million pieces of numerical information, not including descriptive data on properties, pioneers, languages and tribal/minority enrolments, have been collected, and th is publication is based on information culled from tens of thousands of reports received at the World Centre from institutions of the Faith. A. THE WORLD CENTRE I. THE SEAT OF THE UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE THE initiation of the construction of the magnificent edifice. the Universal House of permanent Seat of the Universal House of Justice in a cabled message to the followers Justice in the Holy Land ranked as the of Baha'u'llah in every land stated: THIS greatest single undertaking of the Five Year AUSPICIOUS EVENT SIGNALIZES ANOTHER PHASE Plan; its completion and occupation in IN PROCESS FULFILMENT SAILING Goo's ARK ON January 1983 constitutes one of the major MOUNTAIN OF THE LORD AS ANTICIPATED IN achievements of the Baha'i world during TABLET CARMEL. WONDROUS CHARTER WORLD the Seven Year Plan. On 2 February 1983. SPIRITUAL AND ADMINISTRATI VE CENTRES FAITH upon the occasion of the occupation of this BAHA 'u' LLAH . 23 THE BAHA 'j WORLD A. The Building The Seat comprises six storeys: lower basement, upper basement, ground floor, first floor, second floor and third floor. Fifty-eight fluted pillars adorn the arcade surrounding the building. Each column, I 0.8 metres tall, is crowned with a capital ornamented by a triple row of acanthus leaves, in Corinthian style. A portico supported by six columns projects forward from the colonnade at the main entrance to the building, the point of the axis of the Arc. The proportions of this portico establish the necessary relationship of harmony and proportion with the International Archives building; its depth and height recall similar porticos in Persian architecture, while the space it provides gives an 'impression of inviting all to enter'. The wide window of the Council Chamber, directly above the main fa~ade and entrance, faces the bay and beyond that the Shrine of Baha'u'llah at Bahji. The eastern and western wings, currently used as offices, flank the octagonal core which houses the Council Chamber, rotunda, and multi-purpose room. The dome of the Seat, based on an octagon and deliberately subdued so as not to compete with the dome of the Shrine of the Bab, caps the central core which has the Council Chamber as its heart. The building, clad in marble but with a structural core of reinforced concrete, covers an area of 68 x 36 metres, providing 11 ,000 square metres of floor space. It has a height of 14 metres, with a total distance of 25 metres from the base to the top of the dome. The structural design allows for future installation, as necessary, of new technological requirements. Terraced hanging gardens have been cut into the mountain behind the building. In determining the choice of stone for the Seat, a detailed study revealed that Pentelikon marble, the same stone as that used in the Acropolis in Athens, would be the best choice since the Parthenon has retained its beauty for 25 centuries. The white marble was quarried at Mount Pentelikon, cut rough-hewn to fit specifications for the base shafts and capitals of the columns and flat to cover the skeleton of the building. It was then sent to the lndustria dei Marmi Vicentini in Chiampo, Italy for carving. The Italian artisans used specially designed machinery, which incorporated newly-devised electronic controls to ensure precision, for fashioning the 2.400 cubic metres (approximately 9,600 tonnes) of marble into the pieces used for the Seat. They turned the columns mechanically against fixed saw blades and shaped the capitals with high-speed computer- controlled saws. They then sculpted the columns with hand-held electric chisels. In Haifa, a French team eventually placed the marble in position, fixing it to the main structure in a way to protect it from the expansions and contractions of the concrete. This was done with special stainless steel anchors which hold the marble against the concrete but allow it to move independently. A separate building underneath a landscaped hillside contains the air-conditioning and heating equipment, electrical transformers and main control panels which are anticipated to service all the buildings on the Arc. A 44-car parking garage forms part of this complex. B. Chronological Highlights of Construction The Universal House of Justice had appointed Mr. Husayn Amanat as the architect of the Seat of the Universal House of Justice in September I 973. Once the Seat's design had been chosen in 1974, Mr. 'Aziz Khabirpur, the resident engineer, moved to Haifa and set up a site office in the former Minor Archives building. Work on the Seat commenced with excavation of the hillside in June 1975. The earth and stone which were removed amounted to more than 65,000 cubic metres. Large caves found in the limestone required great volumes of concrete to fill them. In October 1976 the hundreds of working drawings, including fullsize plans for the Corinthian capitals, were shipped to Haifa; December witnessed the first shipment of finished marble to the building site as well as the shaping of the platforms and terraces. After soliciting bids from a number of firms, the Universal House of Justice chose Paul S. Goldschmidt, Ltd. in Haifa as the general contractor in January 1977. The first concrete footings were poured in February 1977 and by June construction of the upper and lower basement wa lls was proceeding. Also in June the workmen poured concrete for the foundation and the floor of the lower basement. By July the upper basement walls were in place and the pouring of central columns, which supported the dome, was completed. The first slab of the outer perimeter at ground-floor level was being placed by October INTERNATIONAL SU RVEY OF CURRENT BAHA 'i AC TIVITIE S 1977, and in January 1978 concrete was poured on the level of the Council Chamber. The third-floor wall forms were completed by 12 April of that year. On 29 April 1978, the dedication of the Seat took place during the Fourth International Convention at a befitting ceremony which included the reading of the Tablet of Carmel. Amatu'I-Baha Rul)iyyih Khanum placed a casket containing dust from the Holy Shrines in a niche of the Council Chamber's outer wall to sanctify the building. Progress was made toward constructing the roof and the octagon and on 31 July 1978 the first piece of marble, a pilaster base, was lifted into place at the ground-floor level. Part of the building's marble mantle was completed by October, and November witnessed the affixing of more marble plates. By mid-December all the columns on the north and east sides were in place. In April 1979, the exterior concrete construction, except for the entablature, main staircase and annex to the lower basement, was complete. The placing of all marble on the main structure plus the erection of all columns and capitals had also been completed and the interior finishing had commenced. Doors and windows in Italian wa lnut. as well as plaster element for cornices. mouldings and domed ceilings. were being fashioned in Italian factories at that time. Work progressed during the summer and autumn. the entablature being completed in July 1979. and on 16 October the first pre-cast sections of the terrace wa lls could be placed. By 6 December the marble sections for the dome were being laid after the cement surfaces had been painted with bitumen for waterproofing. The roof, heavily coated with waterproofing and a tar-felt blanket as well as other insulation against the sun, had wood-stripping laid down to prepare the way for green ceramic tiles similar to those on the Archives building. On 13 December the marble steps leading to the front entrance were laid and six months later. in June 1980, the marble exterior was completed. The interior work continued, including the laying of polished Red Nelson granite tiles in The supporting base of one olthe pillars on the arcade s11rruu11di11g the Seat o/the U11i1¥erwl House of Justice. THE BAHA 'i WORLD the Reception Concourse (November 1980), Rosso Magnabeschi (Asiago) in the banquet hall, Rosso Collemandia in the anteroom of the Council Chamber. Bottichino in the internal staircases and Jerusalem white in the access plaza and its retaining walls and pavings. The laying of roof tiles commenced in February 1981. Rubbed walnut balustrades at the eastern end of the concourse were erected in July 198 1, and the Council Chamber's domed ceiling was also completed that month. The inauguration of the Seat of the Universal House of Justice took place on 17 July 1982 in a most appropriate manner through the holding of a seminar on the occasion of the commemoration of the Fiftieth Anniversary of the passing of the Greatest Holy Leaf. From that time onwards, the Concourse of the Seat has been used for some of the. Holy Day commemorations in Haifa, and each group of pilgrims has been received there by the Universal House of Justice. The final stages of this 28-million-dollar project took place through autumn and winter of 1982, including the construction of the main gate in December. After IO years of planning and construction, the members of the Universal House of Justice were able to transfer their offices to the Seat during the last two weeks of January I 983, as did several of the departments. At Ric)van 1983, during the Fifth International Convention, the election of the Universal House of Justice was held in the Reception Concourse. On 21 October 1984, the House of Justice received President Chaim Herzog of Israel as its first honoured guest in the banquet hall. Various dignitaries and other special guests and groups frequently tour the building by invitation. From 27 December 1985 and 2 January I 986 the Seat of the Universal House of Justice was the scene of the historic Counsellors' Conference at which the Six Year Plan for 1986-92 was discussed. 2. DESIGNS FOR THREE ADDITIONAL BUILDINGS ON THE ARC SHOGHI EFFENDI described the buildings for the Institutions to be housed on Mount Carmel in these words: 'These Edifices will, in the shape of a far-flung arc, and following a harmonizing style of architecture, surround the resting-places of the Greatest Holy Leaf ... of her Brother ..., and of their Mother. . The ultimate completion of this stupendous undertaking will mark the culmination of the development of a world-wide divinely-appointed Administrative Order whose beginnings may be traced as far back as the concluding years of the Heroic Age of the Faith.' The Guardian constructed the International Archives building in the classic Ionic order, thus establishing the style of architecture for the Arc. The Universal House of Justice, the 'crowning glory of His [Baha'u'llah's] administrative institutions', now has its permanent Seat on the axis of that Arc at its highest and most prominent point. The task of preparing plans for the three remaining buildings which are to occupy the Arc on Mount Carmel was given by the House of Justice to Mr. l:lusayn Am/mat, the architect of the Seat of the Universal House of Justice, who presented a series of concepts. During the summer of 1985, the House of Justice requested that a conceptual report of the project be prepared taking into account a vast number of factors which would impinge on the construction of the buildings, and the resolution of which would be essential before the work could begin. The plans, which had been approved in general, were then further refined by Mr. Amanat as a result of these studies, resubmitted early in I 986, and accepted by the Universal House of Justice as a fulfilment of the goal of the Seven Year Plan. The designs are for the Centre for the Study of the Texts, which will lie between the International Archives building and the Seat of the Universal House of Justice, the International Teaching Centre and the International Baha'i Library. The buildings of the International Teaching Centre and the International Baha'i Library will be situated symmetrically opposite those of the Centre for the Study of the Texts and the International Archives building. INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA 0 i ACTIVITIES 3. DEVELOPMENT OF THE INTERNATIONAL TEACHING CENTRE ONE of the goals of the Seven Year Plan for the World Centre was stated as follows: The Institution ofthe International Teaching Centre will be developed and its functions expanded. This will require an increase in its membership and the assumption by it and by the Continental Boards of Counsellors of wider functions in the stimulation on an international scale of the propagation and consolidation of the Faith, and in the promotion of the spiritual, intellectual and community aspects of Baha'i life.' This goal was accomplished successfully through a number of significant developments occurring over the course of the Plan. In the opening phase of the Seven Year Plan, the Universal House of Justice increased the International Teaching Centre to seven, through the addition of Miss Anneliese Bopp in 1979, joining the Hands of the Cause Amatu'IBaha Rtil:iiyyih Khanum, Paul Haney, and 'AliAkbar Furtitan, and Counsellors Hooper Dunbar, Florence Mayberry, and 'Aziz Yazdi, constituting the nucleus of the Teaching Centre in the Holy Land. After the passing of Mr. Haney in December I 982, the number of resident members of the Teaching Centre was reduced to six. In May 1983, following the Fifth International Convention, this number was raised to nine by the further addition of Counsellors Magdalene Carney, Masáud Khamsi. Peter Khan and Isobel Sabri. The services of Mrs. Mayberry as a Counsellor member of this Institution were brought to an end in 1983 when she left the World Centre for reasons of health. The establishment, on 23 May 1983. ofa fiveyear term for the Counsellor members of the International Teaching Centre represents a further step in its evolution. In April I 984, the International Teaching Centre moved into new offices at 10 Haparsim Street, near the House of the Master. in the historic building which had served for several decades during the ministry of Shoghi Effendi as the Western Pilgrim House and which had been the Seat of the Universal House of Justice for the first twenty years of its existence. This building will serve as the seat of the International Teaching Centre until its permanent home is erected on the Arc, in close proximity to the Seat of the Universal House of Justice. The functions assigned to the International Teaching Centre when it was brought into being in 1973 were expanded significantly in I 983. Among the fu nctions presently being carried out by the International Teaching Centre are the following: -exercising full responsibility for the direction and stimulation of the Continental Boards of Counsellors and serving as liaison between the Continental Counsellors and the Universal House of Justice. By this means, the guidance of the Universal House of Justice. conveyed through the International Teaching Centre to the Continental Counsellors. reaches all elements of the world-wide Baha'i community. through the Auxiliary Board members and their assistants. -preparing reports and recommendations to the Universal House of Justice for the further development of the Baha"i community. based on the information it receives about the condition of the Cause in all parts of the world. -taking responsibility for the protection of the Faith. At present. the principal emphasis is being placed on fostering detailed study of the Covenant and the Holy Writings as the impregnable fortress for the followers of the Blessed Beauty and on taking constructive measures to maintain unity in the community. -determining needs for the enrichment of Baha"i life, and for the continued diversification of Baha á; activities within the realms of teaching and consolidation. Exercise of this function includes study of means by which the economic and social life of the Baha á; community can be developed. determination of teaching approaches which will enable the Faith to penetrate new segments of human society. the fostering of Baha"i scholarship. and monitoring of trends in current thought as a basis for showing how the teachings relate to the needs ofmankind and cast illumination on the currents of the condition. The Hands ol the Cause ol God Amatu '/-Bahci R,ihiyyih K!,cinum and 'A li-Akbar Funita11 ll'itl, Counsellor members of the /11ternatio11al Teaching Centre on the occasion of the move of that Institution into its neir seat at 10 Haparsim S treet in Haifct 011 /5 April /984. /11 fron t ro11 á. /eji to righr: Counsellor A:i::: Ya::di, Rzi~1iyyih Kluinum. Mr. Funitan, and Counsellor Annehese Bopp. Back roll', left to rigl,t: Cou11sel/ors Peter Kl,a11, Isobel Sabri, Magdalene Camey. Mas'ud Klwmsi, Hooper Dunbar. -studying the needs for pioneers and travelling teachers, for literature and for audio-visual materials. Increasingly, the work of the International Teaching Centre extends beyond the quantitative aspect of the expansion of the Baha'i community, with greater attention being given lo raising its qualitative level, promoting the spiritualization ofthe community, and studying the long-term trends in the growth of the Faith on a regional or international basis. The International Teaching Centre is also concerned with encouraging the rapid deployment of manpower, in the form of travelling teachers and pioneers, and of material resources, in the form of literature and funds, to meet unusual opportunities for promotion of the Faith which arise unexpectedly. Al the beginning of the Seven Year Plan, 13 Boards ofCounsellors existed. assigned lo zones embracing the entire planet. In June 1979. the Universal House of Justice announced that the duration of the term of office of Continental Counsellors would be five years, lo start on the Day of the Covenant, 26 November 1980; th is provision of a specific term had been envisaged in the initial appointment of Counsellors in 1968. In November 1980, a total of 63 Continental Counsellors were appointed, and the 13 zones were consolidated into five zones, each of which extends over an entire continental area. Al that time, the Boards of Counsellors were given wider discretion to decide upon such matters as the division of the continental area into smaller zones, the location of offices for each Board. and the manner in which members of the Auxiliary Boards would report to and operate under the Counsellors. This greater flexibility enabled the Boards lo apply the widely-varied backgrounds. experiences, talents and capacities of the Board members to the needs and opportunities within each part of the continent. In some areas. teams of two or three Counsellors were formed to deal with special needs in a country, or to facilitate co-ordination of teaching projects. INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'i AC TIVITIES During the first phase of the Plan, extensive consultations were held between the Universal House of Justice and the Teaching Centre regarding appropriate means of opening the way in the next phase of the Plan for the Teaching Centre and the Boards of Counsellors to have a greater degree of participation in the development and financing of special teaching projects and in the provision ofBaha'i literature. These consultations resulted in each Board having at its disposal an annual special teaching projects fund to draw upon for contribution to National Funds for projects agreed upon by the Counsellors and National Assemblies involved. These projects generally meet special needs or take advantage of unusual opportunities and can be suggested either by the Counsellors, in the light of specific requirements of which they become aware, or by the National Assemblies themselves. The growing experience in the use ofthis fund makes it evident that this procedure provides great scope for creativity and facilitates quick reaction to unanticipated needs. Other funds provided annually to the Boards of Counsellors from the Baha'i International Fund, through the International Teaching Centre, enable the Counsellors to disburse funds to the National Spiritual Assemblies in support of literature and audio-visual subvention. This allows National Spiritual Assemblies to reduce the selling price of certain items of literature to a level affordable by the mass of the community; permits National Spiritual Assemblies to order literature from abroad which would otherwise be unobtainable because of currency controls; facilitates publication of books in vernacular languages; and provides for greater and wider dissemination of audio-visual materials. There has also been an increased emphasis on preparation of literature and audio-visual items which more closely express the Baha'i teachings within the diverse cultural and linguistic forms of the Baha'i communities. The ties between the Continental Pioneer Committees and the Continental Boards of Counsellors have been strengthened, with the work of the Pioneer Committees now being directed by the International Teaching Centre, which has also been given the responsibility ofadministering the International Deputization Fund. This development will increasingly facilitate a more effective deployment of pioneers and travelling teachers, and improve the accu racy with which needs are identified and results evaluated. A new five-year term commenced in November 1985 with an increase in the number of Continental Counsellors from 63 to 72. A few weeks later, the Universal House of Justice convened an historic Counsellors' Conference, conducted under the aegis of the International Teaching Centre, at which the Continental Counsellors gathered in the Holy Land from 27 December 1985 to 2 January 1986. This unprecedented gathering, held in the Seat of the Universal House of Justice, consulted on the opportunities and challenges facing the Baha'i world community, including measures needed to successfully complete the Seven Year Plan, formulation of goals for the Six Year Plan, and new conditions in the Baha'i community associated with the emergence of the Faith from obscurity, and the dissemination of the Universal House of Justice's statement to the peoples of the world entitled The Promise of World Peace. The Conference closed on a dramatic note with the announcement by the Universal House of Justice, in its concluding message, that the Baha'i world was entering a new epoch in the Formative Age of the Cause. Associated with this transition is the newly initiated process by which the national goals of the Six Year Plan are to be formulated largely by each National Spiritual Assembly in consultation with the Board of Counsellors for its continent. The Seven Year Plan also witnessed notable developments in the work of the Auxiliary Boards, including an evolving differentiation in the functions of the Propagation and Protection Boards and the institution of a five-year term of office, to commence on 26 November 1986. The Auxiliary Board members for Propagation are increasingly concerned with fostering the goals of the Plan and stimulating contributions to the Fund, while the Auxiliary Board members for Protection devote major attention to promoting deepening in the Covenant, preserving unity, fostering the spiritual profundity of the believers, and preparing the Baha'i community for the opposition which it will increasingly face as an inevitable concomitant to the expansion of the Faith. The members of these Boards are vitally concerned with the consolidation of the Faith, and their distribution world-wide is as follows: 30 THE SAHA 'j WORLD PROTECTION BOARD PROPAGATION BOARD Continent Allocated Appointed Allocated Appointed Africa 81 70 99 95 Americas 54 52 11 7 111 Asia 99 77 117 103 Australasia 27 25 36 34 Europe 27 27 36 36 World 288 251 405 379 A highly beneficial feature of the Seven Year Plan has been the closer collaboration between the two arms of the Administrative Order in their common pursuit ofthe advancement ofthe Plan's objectives. Reports of Auxiliary Board members, their promotion ofthe plans and aims of the National Spiritual Assemblies in their contact with the grassroots of the community, and their occasional meetings with national committees have all contributed to enhancing this collaboration. The services of assistants to Auxiliary Board members, whose appointment was first provided for in 1973 by the Universal House of Justice, flourished during the Seven Year Plan. The activities ofassistants are monitored, supervised and guided by the Auxiliary Board members, and periodic training sessions conducted by the Board members are provided them. These assistants have played a vital role in the work of stimulating and encouraging the Assemblies and believers at the local level, and the success of the Seven Year Plan owes much to the sacrificial exertions of the thousands of believers scattered over the surface of the earth who have served in this capacity. At present, over 5,000 believers are serving as assistants to Auxiliary Board members. 4. THE BAHA'I INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY A. Expanding Relationships and Activities A considerable increase in the activities of the Baha'i International Community in collaboration with the United Nations has taken place during the Seven Year Plan in major areas of the United Nations programmes, resulting in a further development of ties between the Baha'i International Community and the United Nations. one of the goals of the Plan. Three fundamental trends in the affairs of the Baha'i world have provided the basis for making this possible: the increased public relations activity arising from the persecution of the Baha'is in iran, the consequent general emergence of the Faith from obscurity, and the introduction of social and economic development activities as an integral part of Baha'i activity. A booklet entitled The Baha á; International Community and the United Nations, reflecting the growing Baha'i presence at the United Nations, was published in I 985. Overview of Relationships The Baha'i International Community has, since I 970, enjoyed consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council, the body responsible for co-ordinating and directing the economic and social work of the United Nations, its specialized agencies and institutions. The Baha'i International Community also has consultative status with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), and working relations with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and the UN Centre for Human Settlements (UNCHS). In addition, it has also been associated with the UN Department of Public Information (DPI) since 1948. In the course of the Seven Year Plan, the Baha'i International Community considerably broadened its relationship with the United Nations system beyond its headquarters in New INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA ' i ACTIVITIES York by establishing UN branch headquarters in Geneva and Vienna, and UN regional headquarters, or Regional Economic Commissions, in Africa (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia), Asia (Bangkok, Thailand), and Latin America and the Caribbean (Santiago, Chile). It has also increased its contacts with several of the UN specialized bodies and agencies, including the World Food Council (WFC), the World Health Organization (WHO), the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Participation in Conferences and Meetings An important ongoing activity has been Baha'i participation in major United Nations and other international, conferences through capable Baha'i representation at these gatherings and presentation of written and/or oral statements highlighting a Baha'i view on the conference. During the Plan, the Baha'i International Community participated in well over 200 conferences and meetings. Statements were pre- Bahci 'i International Community representatives to the African Regional Preparatory Meeting of the Seventh United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 28 November 1983. Leji, Mr. Gila Bahta; right, Mr. Befete Worku. (UNESCO), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the International Labour Organization (ILO). Moreover, the Baha'i International Community has been involved with other international bodies. It participated in sessions of the European Parliament and the Council of Europe and was thereby instrumental in bringing the situation of the Baha'is in iran to the attention of those institutions. The Baha'i International Community also enjoys a close working relationship with the South Pacific Commission (SPC). an inter-governmental organization promoting the social and economic development of the countries in the Pacific region. sented at virtually all major conferences and at a great many lesser meetings, while personal contacts with government and United Nations officials were considerably extended. The Baha'i International Community participation covered numerous subjects in the broad areas of international peace and disarmament, social and economic development. and human rights. Collaboration 1ritli Non-Governmental Organi:ations The Baha'i International Community continues to associate and co-operate with other non-governmental (NGO) organizations at the THE BAHA 'i WORLD United Nations through active membership on many NGO/UN committees in New York, Geneva and Vienna; participation in numerous NGO conferences and meetings; and in the cosponsorship of statements for various UN conferences and meetings. A representative of the Baha'i International Community is, at the time of writing, the VicePresident of the Executive Board of the Conference of Non-Governmental Organizations in Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council (CONGO), an umbrella organization representing the non-governmental sector at the United Nations. A representative also currently serves on the Board of the NGO Committee on Development. During the Seven Year Plan, representatives of the Baha'i International Community served (and in some instances are still serving) in the following capacities as NGO committee officers: Chairman of the Human Rights Committee, Chairman and Secretary of the NGO Committee on UNICEF, Chairman of the Youth Committee (Vienna), Vice-Chairman of the Committee for the Decade of Women, Vice-Chairman and Secretary of the Youth Committee, Vice-Chairman of the Department of Public Information/NGO Executive Committee, Secretary of the Sub- Committee on Women (Geneva), and Treasurer of the Committee on Human Settlements. Collaboration with Baha'i Institutions The Baha'i International Community UN operations have necessitated, and greatly benefited from, extensive and growing contacts with Baha'i institutions around the world. Participation in conferences has required collaboration with Continental Boards of Counsellors, National Spiritual Assemblies and individual Baha'is with relevant professional backgrounds who have lent their expertise, including drafting statements, and represented the Baha'i International Community. The Baha'i International Community has continued to encourage National Spiritual Assemblies to establish and foster relationships with the United Nations offices in their coun tries, sponsoring or co-sponsoring activities in observance of United Nations days, years, and other events to make the United Nations aims and programmes better known. Information received about the increased United Nations related activities at national and local levels in the Baha'i world has been compiled and reported to the United Nations Department of Public Information. Balui 'i /111er11ational Community representatives to the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (£SCA P) Regional lntergoi¥ernmental Preparatory Meeting for the World Conference on the Decade for Women, held in Tokyo, Japan, 26-30 March 1984. Front row, leji: Mrs. Kimiko Schwerin. Back ro11á.from leji: Miss Yoko Ishihara, Mrs. Mahin Moghbel, and Mrs. Marife Ya:dani. INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CU RRENT BAHA 'i ACTIVITIES Internal Developments Concomitant with the growth and diversification of the United Nations operations of the Baha'i International Community has been an increase in personnel resources, and the development of its structure, necessary to meet the new challenges and opportunities of recent years. The number of persons engaged in the work of the Baha'i International Community offices and representatives at various United Nations centres grew to some 20 full-time staff, supplemented by a number of volunteers on an ongoing to temporary basis. In addition to the main office in New York, a European branch office of the Baha'i International Community was established in 1981 in Geneva, considerably broadening the potential for co-operation with the United Nations. The activities of the Geneva office, focused initially on the area of human rights, have gradually expanded to include other major areas of United Nations work. Since I 980 the Baha'i International Community has been represented at the Vienna International Centre, the new United Nations branch headquarters in Austria, which is an important focal point for United Nations activities in the areas of youth, women, the family, the ageing, the disabled, narcotic drugs and crime prevention. In I985 Baha'i International Community representation was also established with UNEP and UNCHS at their headquarters in Nairobi; and similar arrangements are being made at the United Nations regional headquarters in Africa, Asia and Latin America, as well as at the South Pacific Com mission. B. Peace and Disarmament The Baha'i International Community responded to an invitation to address the United Nations General Assembly at its 1982 Second Special Session on Disarmament. On that occasion it circulated a new edition of The Promise ofDisarmament and Peace, a statement prepared for the earlier 1978 Disarmament Session. This brochure and the oral statement were mailed later that year, during Disarmament Week-a yearly event beginning on UN Day, 24 October-to UN delegations and members of the UN Secretariat. Copies were also sent to Baha'i communities around the world, with a letter encouraging Baha 'is to participate in Disarmament Week and in a World Disarmament Campaign launched by the United Nations. Both before and after the Special Session, the Baha'i International Community co-operated with the UN Centre for Disarmament Affairs, and participated in the work ofthe NGO Committees on Disarmament in New York and Geneva, as well as in NGO conferences and meetings organized by these committees. When the United Nations designated I 986 as the International Year of Peace (IYP) proclaiming it as an occasion for rededication by member states to the goals of the UN Charter, the Baha'i International Community assured the IYP Secretariat of wholehearted Baha'i participation in commemorating the year; provided the IYP Secretariat with detailed information on Baha'i teachings and principles regarding peace, and offered evidence of the efforts of the Baha'i world community for over 100 years to achieve the goal of peace. As an indication of this collaboration, the Baha'i International Community participated in all four UN regional seminars held during 1985 in preparation for the IYP, presenting comprehensive statements on the seminar topics of 'Preparation for Life in Peace', and the relationships between peace and disarmament, and between peace and development. In addition, the Baha'i International Community took part in several meetings in New York and Europe organized by the United Nations for the purpose of consulting with non-governmental organizations on a programme for the IYP. A major Baha'i contribution to IYP was made on 22 November I 985 when Amatu'lBaha Rul)iyyih Khanum, accompanied by Dr. Victor de Araujo and Mr. Gerald Knight of the Baha'i International Community, presented The Promise of World Peace to the SecretaryGeneral of the United Nations on behalf of the Universal House of Justice. During her visit to the United Nations, Amatu'l- Baha Rul)iyyih Khanum hosted a number of luncheons which were attended by diplomats and United Nations officials. A special luncheon for the press was well attended and resulted in extensive media coverage of the General Assembly's consideration of the situation in iran and, particularly, of the persecution of Baha'is in that country. Presentation of a copy of The Promise of World Peace to Mr. Norberto Goncalec. Executive Secretary for ECLA C (Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean). in Santiago. Chile. on 10 December 1985. From left to right: Dr. Alexander Reid; Mr. Goncalec; Dr. Paul Ojermark; Mrs. Elena Velasques; Mr. Robert Siegel. C. Social, Economic and Humanitarian Affairs Social and Economic Developme111 Most of the work and financial resources of the United Nations system are devoted to supporting development in Third World countries. The growing involvement of Baha'i communities in social and economic development as a regular part of their activities has therefore made it possible to broaden considerably the scope of Baha'i International Community-UN operations by providing opportunities to develop existing contacts and create new ones with organizations active in this area, aimed at exchanging development concepts, providing information about the rapidly growing Baha'i activities, and achieving concrete collaboration. In this connection, the process of forging closer relationships with the UN Regional Commissions, UN ICEF, WHO, FAO, UNEP. UNCHS, UNESCO, and SPC, referred to above, has been embarked upon. In order to develop continuous and solid co-operation with the headquarters of these UN agencies in various countries. the Baha'i International Community is currently establish ing committees of representatives in several of those locations. The Baha'i International Community has participated in an increasing number of con ferences on international economic relations, general and rural development, community and social development, food and agriculture, health and nutrition, the environment, human settlements, science and technology, forestry, population and other subjects. The Baha'i statements presented have become more specific in nature, including references to Baha'i perspectives on development, Baha'i experiences in the field and tangible project examples. The Baha'i International Community has also been invited to contribute to the development policy of the United Nations and related organizations in recent years, and has provided statements to UNDP, UNEP and the World Commission on Environment and Development. In addition, the Baha'i International Community has given guidance and support to National Spiritual Assemblies, Baha'i communities, and individual Baha'is regarding social and economic development, particularly in relation to contacts and collaboration with the United Nations agencies and projects. Proposals for Baha'i collaboration with the United Nations and other international development organizations have been made and in some cases such collaboration has commenced. as in the INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA 'j ACTIVITI ES case of the nutrition programme of the South Pacific Commission, for which the Baha'i International Community has arranged for training support by Baha'i volunteer experts and cosponsored a nutrition poster which has been spread throughout the Pacific region. The Baha'i International Community has on several occasions during the Seven Year Plan provided a measure of emergency and disaster relief assistance to countries, either directly to their governments or through the UN organizations. At the global level, the Baha'i International Community is actively engaged in the NGO Wom en During the Seven Year Plan, there was a significant expansion of Baha'i involvement in United Na tions programmes and activities to promote the advancement of women. The Baha'i Interna tional Community participated in two UN world conferences on women held during the period-the first in Copenhagen, Denmark in July 1980, to observe the mid-point of the UN Decade for Women; and the second in Nairobi, Kenya in July 1985, to mark the completion of that Decade, elaborate on its accomplishments and set strategies for the achievement of specific goals by the year 2000. BahiI 'i International Community representath1e Dr. Jane Faily is seen giving a 1rorkshop on 'Prohle111 Solving Skills for Women in Managerial Positionsá duringFon11n '85. a 111eetingfor Non-Gol'ent111enwl Organi:ations held concurrently with the World Conference 011 the Decade for Women in Nairobi. Kenya, in July 1985. development committees, particularly in support of efforts to strengthen NGO contributions lo UN development strategies, and in facilitating concrete development collaboration with such UN organizations as UNICEF and UNDP. In the efforts to foster Baha'i collaboration with the UN system in social and economic development activities. priority is given to projects especially designed to benefit disadvantaged women, children and youth. Contacts with UN ICEF have been particularly fruitful as it has become awa re of the extent of Baha'i activities on behalf of children. At Copenhagen, the Baha'i International Community. represented by three Baha'i women. submitted a written statement for inclusion in the Conference background documentation. To the World Conference on the Decade for Women. held in Nairobi. the Baha'i International Community sent a delegation of ten women and men and presented a report prepared on the advancement of the status of women in the Bahaái comrnunity during the Decade. based on the responses of 77 National Spiritual Assemblies to a questionnaire on women's activities and progress made during THE BAHA'j WORLD the Decade, as well as obstacles which remain to be overcome. This paper became part of the official background documentation for the Conference. Forum '85, the parallel NGO meeting held in Nairobi, attracted over 50 Baha'i women from different parts ofthe world. Planning for Baha'i International Community participation in the Forum activities was assisted by the Continental Office of the Board of Counsellors in Africa, located in Nairobi, and the National Spiritual Assembly of Kenya. An outstanding Baha'i exhibit on women and development was displayed at the Forum, and a Baha'i participant conducted a workshop on managerial skills for women. Individual Baha'is attending the Forum experienced a rich opportunity to engage in dialogue with women from every part of the world, sharing Baha'i views on issues related to the development of women. In addition to the two majorá UN Conferences, the Baha'i International Community was represented at more than 25 UN and UNrelated meetings on women during the period of the Seven Year Plan, including meetings in preparation for the World Conferences, sponsored by UN Regional Economic Commissions; regular and special sessions of the UN Commission on the Status of Women; meetings of expert groups; and seminars and conferences sponsored by non-governmental organizations. A growing number of women were given an opportunity to represent the Baha'i International Community at these meetings, promoting in the process an ever-widening network of cordial relationships with individuals distinguished for their work for the advancement of women. Youth When, in December 1979, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 1985 as the International Year ofYouth (IYY), the Baha'i International Community warmly welcomed this decision, since it permitted an even more substantive Baha'i expression of the vital role that youth can play in bringing about world peace and in building a world civilization. Accordingly. the Baha'i International Community took part in the sessions of the IYY Advisory Committee, created to formulate a specific programme of measures and activities prior to and during IYY. and established a close relationship with the UN Secretariat for IYY at the Vienna International Centre. It also played an active role as a member of the NGO Committees on Youth in New York and Vienna, and participated in the deliberations of the Sub-Committees on IYY, the IYY Tree Project, Street Youth, and the NGO Intergenerational Committee on ageing and youth, all in New York. During this period the Baha'i International Community took part in several UN and UNrelated conferences in different parts of the world. The Baha'i International Community representatives attended the I 983 Annual DPI/NGO Conference in New York on 'The Challenge of Youth in Our Changing Society', after having helped plan that event; and took part in an IYY preparatory conference in Costines ti, Romania, as well as in a discussion on 'Improving Channels of Communication between the United Nations and Youth'. In 1985 the Baha'i International Community sent a delegation to the IYY International Youth conference in Kingston, Jamaica, where it circulated a statement on The Contribution of Youth to Peace. It also took part in a Latin American/Caribbean regional meeting for IYY and, in November 1985, made a major contribution to the planning and success of an IYY Non-Governmental Organization Conference at United Nations Headquarters. Both prior to and during IYY , the Baha'i International Community provided information and materials to Baha'i communities around the world for Baha'i activities in conjunction with this Year. It encouraged the participation of Baha'i communities on National IYY Commissions and provided guidance and suggestions to assist Baha'i youth in undertakings that would contribute to the goals of IYY. The Baha'i International community, in collaboration with the Department of Statistics at the World Centre, has prepared a comprehensive report for the UN and the Baha'i world on the results of creative activities carried out by Baha'i youth world-wide in observance of IYY. Children The International Year of the Child (IYC) 1979 was enthusiastically supported by the Baha'i International Community. Ninetyfour national communities participated, as accounted in a widely distributed report describing the specific activities of the Baha'i INTERN ATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BABA'i ACTIVITIES ' ~ The Baha'i display in the UNICEF exhibition 'Working Together for Childrená. held at the United Nations in New York, 14-16 April 1986. community in promotion of IYC, as well as ongoing Baha'i programmes and publications on behalf of children. This report prompted the following response from the UN Special Representative, the Assistant SecretaryGeneral for IYC, in a letter of thanks to the Baha'i International Community: 'I cannot express my feelings of gratitude in more adequate ways to your organization for the allout cooperation and support which you as an NGO extended to our IYC Secretariat and above all to the children of the world for the promotion of their welfare and development. I pray and hope that the Year 1979 (IYC) was just a beginning of Baha'i's deep commitment for the child's causes and that your widespread advocacy wi ll now begin to bear fruit on behalf of the child'. The Baha'i International Community continued to take part in the annual sessions of the UNICEF Executive Board, submitting statements on pertinent issues in 1984 and 1985, and was represented at a meeting on Children in Latin America and the Caribbean in 1979. It also participated in NGO Forums held at the time of Executive Board meetings. In addition to serving on numerous committees and participating in special meetings in observance of the Year of the Child. the Baha'i International Community took part in activities concerning the disabled child, breast-feeding and infant feeding, assistance lo children in emergency situations, NGO/UNICEF fieldlevel relations, and the status of women. Baha'i International Community representatives have also served for some years as assistant editor of the NGO/UNIC EF Newsletter and on the Editorial Board of the UNICEF publication NGO Forum (now Action for Children). Other Social Ajji,irs During this period the Bah,\'i International Community continued its involvement in United Nations activities dealing with problems of crime prevention and drug abuse. It took part in the 1980 and 1985 Congresses on Crime Prevention and the Treatment of Offenders. presenting a Baha'i view on the issues. while continuing its collaboration with the United Nations Branch on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice. Likewise. while working closely with the UN Division of Narcotic Drugs THE BAH i\ 'i WO RLD and contributing its suggestions to a report for an international campaign against drug traffic. it participated in the yearly sessions of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs. expressing whenever possible a Baha á; perspective on the spiritual impetus needed to prevent drug abuse. When the United Nations began considering the well-being of the ageing-persons over 60 years old-the Baha'i International Community showed its interest by participating in the 1981 Un ited Nations Assembly on the Ageing. as well as in a prior NGO Forum on Ageing. It also welcomed the International year of Disabled Persons by taking part in sessions of a United Nations Advisory Commillee convened to prepare a programme of action to improve the conditions of the disabled and by contributing to a brochure on disabled children, published by the NGO Commiuee of UN ICEF. Further opportunities for Baha'i co-operation world-wide are now possible during the United Nations Decade for Disabled Persons (19831992). In addition, as the United Nations began to express its concern for the well-being of the family in contemporary society, the Baha'i International Community established a warm relationship with the responsible UN unit and took part in a UN Inter-regional Seminar on 'Changing Families' held in Moscow. D. Human Rights Persecution qf the Bahll 'is in ircin The persecution of the Baha'is in iran had an immediate and drama tic impact on the activi ties of the Baha'i International Community during the period under review. First. the United Nations Office was called upon to contact the United Nations Secretary-General and ambassadors representing friendly countries to enlist their sympathy and support for diplomatic efforts to persuade the authorities in Tihran to put a stop to the anti-Baha'i activities of fundamenta list elements. Contacts were also made with the Iranian Ambassador to the United Na tions. In 1980. when it became apparent that quiet diplomatic efforts were fruitless. the Universal House of Justice called upon the Baha'i International Community to take the case to public meetings of the European Parliament. the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and the United Nations SubCommission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities. In September 1980, all these bodies adopted resolutions on the plight of the Baha'is in iran. The role of the Baha'i International Community was to co-ordinate the efforts of National Spiritual Assembl ies in approaching the members of the above international bodies and to arrange for appropriate representation and statements at their meetings. As the persecution intensified, the Baha'i International Community co-ordinated efforts to obtain still further resolutions by these bodies. These efforts led to resolutions being adopted by the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in I 982. 1983 and 1984, and culminated in the adoption by the Commission of a resolution in I 985 which called for a report to the United Nations General Assembly in December 1985. On the basis of this report and the debate which fo llowed its presentation, the General Assembly, on 13 December 1985, adopted a resolution on the human rights situation in iran which contained specific references to the situation of the Baha'is. This was the first time that the General Assembly had adopted a resolution dea ling with the persecution of the Baha'is, and was an historic development in the recognition of the Faith and the defence of the long-persecuted Baha'i community in iran. The February-March I 986 session of the Commission on Human Rights took up the mailer once again when it conducted its annual review of situations representing gross violations of human rights. It had before it the report of its Special Representative on iran and decided to renew his mandate and to ask him to report both to the General Assembly in late 1986 and to its own next meeting in February 1987. In addition to the above resolutions by United Nations and European bodies dealing with human rights. the efforts of the Baha'i International Community. co-ordinated with those of National Assemblies. resulted in or contributed to: a. joint representation by governments to the Secretary-General of the United Nations and to the Iranian authorities in Tihnin: b. debates by the General Assem bly. the Commission on Human Rights and its SubCommission on Prevention of Discrimi na tion and Protection of Minorities in INTERNAT IONAL SURVEY OF CU RRENT BAI-IA "i ACTI VITl l::S 39 which atlention was specifically drawn to the religious nature of the persecution; c. discussions of the situation by the Human Rights Commillee in July 1982, when it reviewed the question of whether inin was observing and implementing the provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to which it is a party; d. discussions of the situation by the Commit1ee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination in March I 983, when the Commillee considered inin's report on its implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, which includes provisions for protecting freedom of religion; e. consideration of cases of missing Baha'is by the Commission on Human Rightsá Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances; f. hearings held by the International Labour Organization's Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations on iranás Discriminatory treatment of Bahit"is in relation to em ployment; g. appeals on behalf of Baha'is sentenced to death made by the United Nations Special Chairman on Summary or Arbitrary Executions: h. a hearing on the human rights situation in iran. including the case of the Bah{i'is. held by the European Parliament in November 1985; 1. the publication ofa Minority Rights Group report entitled Tl,e Balui¡is ~l ira11 revised and updated in 1985. The Baha'i International Community prepared a number of publications concerning the persecutions in iran which were distributed at United Nations meetings and to National Spiritual Assemblies. These included The Balui 'is i11 irtln: A Repon 0 11 the Persecution ofa Relig ious Mrs. 0/ya Roohi:adegan is seen prese11ti11g testi111011_rbefore the £uropea11 Parliament Puhlit Heari11g on "Respect for Human Rights' in inln. The Hearing 1ras held in Brussels. Belgium. 011 28 Nol'emher 1985. From leji to right: Mr. Barry J´aters (European Parlia111e111 Secrewrial): Mrs. 1'all de11 Hemáel (Co-Chairperson); Mr. Christopher Sprung (Balui 'i Spokesperso11); Mrs. Ro11hi:adega11 (Ba/11i¡i Witness),á Mr. Ka:em Sama11dari (Translator): Mr. Jamshid Sw11i111i (Bahd'i M1i111ess) . THE BAHA 'j WORLD Minority (first published in 1981, revised and updated in 1982): Major Del'eiopments, July 1982-July 1983 (updating the preceding publication): and Persecution of the Baha 'is in irtin. 1979-/985: A 6-Year Campaign to Eliminate a Religious Minority (published in September 1985 for use at the 40th session of the United Nations General Assembly). Reji,gee Activities A new development in the role of the United Nations Offices of the Baha'i International Community was brought about through the steady flow of Iranian Baha'i refugees seeking asylum in other countries. This necessitated the development ofcontacts and effective relations with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and in 1984 a refugee desk for this purpose was established in the Geneva office. This desk has been working with the Geneva headquarters of UNHCR, as well as with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Inter-governmental Committee on Migration, to increase general understanding ofthe reasons for the persecutions and the true nature of the Faith. More specifically the Baha'i International Community refugee desk, in close collaboration with the International Baha'i Refugee Office (I BRO) in Toronto, Canada, has co-operated with UNHCR on Baha'i refugee movements and has attempted to secure their agreement and co-operation in regard to Baha'i refugee programmes. The activities ofthe IBRO have been reported elsewhere in this section. Problem Situations in Countries other than ircin Part of the ongoing activity of the Baha'i International Community is to deal with problems being experienced by Baha'i communities in countries other than iran. During the Seven Year Plan, considerable effort was exerted on behalf of the Baha'i communities in Morocco and Egypt. United Nations representatives of the Baha'i International Community met with the ambassadors of these countries and sought their favourable intervention with their governments. Some National Spiritual Assemblies were called upon to contact the ambassadors of the same countries in their capitals. When these efforts failed to produce the necessary results. the Baha'i International Community co-ordinated the efforts of a number of National Spiritual Assemblies to enlist the diplomatic support of their governments in these situations. Contribution to Human Rights Issues Since it obtained consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council in 1970, the Baha'i International Community has regularly participated in meetings of the Commission on Human Rights (one of the functional commissions of the Economic and Social Council) and of the Commission's subsidiary organ, the Sub-Commission on Discrimination and Protection of Minorities. During the Seven Year Plan the Baha'i International Community delivered statements at the annual meetings ofthese bodies on a wide range of human rights issues, including racism: religious intolerance; economic, social and cultural rights; rights of the child, minorities, the mentally ill, indigenous populations and the disabled; genocide; torture; and the status of the individual in international law. In addition, the major concerns of the Baha'i International Community-to eliminate racism and religious intolerance-found expression respectively in the United Nations Second World Conference to Eliminate Racism and Racial Discrimination, held in 1983, and in the United Nations Seminar on the Encouragement of Understanding, Tolerance and Respect in Matters Relating to Freedom of Religion or Belief, held in 1984. The Baha'i International Community also participated in five other seminars on human rights topics. Recognition of the Faith The efforts of the Baha'i International Community at the United Nations have also contributed to efforts to gain recognition of the Faith in a number of countries. These efforts have included contacts with ambassadors of these countries as well as visits by Baha'i International Community representatives to some of the countries concerned for meetings with highlevel government officials. It is often through such interventions-which the respect accorded the Bahil 'i International Community at the United Nations makes possible-that the true nature of the Faith can be conveyed to government officials, thus contributing to its pro tection. INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'i ACTIVITIES 5. EMANCIPATION AND PROTECTION OF THE FAITH THE deliberate efforts of the revolutionary leaders of iran to exterminate the Baha'i community through economic intimidation, legal harassment, mob violence, and the imprisonment, torture and execution of prominent Baha'is, a campaign which has continued unabated from the beginning of the revolution in 1978, have been the most intense and prolonged attack on the Faith since the time of Baha'u'llah. The valour and fortitude of the Iranian believers have been a major motivating force of the Seven Year Plan. Their suffering has evoked the sympathy of governments and those in authority, leading the Faith out of obscurity; and the example of their willing selfsacrifice has inspired the Baha'is all over the world to new service and dedication to the Faith. Oppression of the Faith has not been confined to Iran, however. The recrudescence of Islamic fundamentalism in many nations has led to increasingly explicit and virulent statements against the Faith, which threaten the safety of the believers in these lands. During the past seven years 4,053 Baha'is in ten nations have been imprisoned for their Faith (more than 100 outside of Iran). Baha'i institutions have been banned in nine nations and Baha'i properties confiscated in six. The status of the Baha'i community in some of these countries and the efforts being made on their behalf are outlined below. Algeria The official decree of I 969 which banned the Baha'i Faith is still in effect. Congo Unremitting endeavours have been, and are still being made to regain official recognition of the Faith. In response to applications made by several religious organizations, including the Baha'i community, the Supreme Court is considering conferring general freedom of religion in the country. Once the decree is confirmed, the way will open for the Faith in the Congo. Its reinstatement in the very near future is earnestly hoped for. Egypt To the constraint of lack of recognition of their institutions over a period of many years was added, at the end of February 1985, a direct attack in the form of the arrest of 4 I Baha 'is from various parts of the country, charged with offences against laws introduced by the late President Nasser in 1960 banning activities of Baha'i institutions in Egypt. All have been released while their case has gone to the courts. In recent months sinister developments have been noted as progressively more virulent attacks from Muslim fundamentalists appeared in the press, not only in Egypt, but throughout the Middle East. Twenty-five National Spiritual Assemblies have been instructed by the Universal House of Justice to bring this denial of human rights to the attention of their respective governments and to focus world-wide on the situation of the Baha'is in Egypt who have broken no law and are being persecuted solely on the basis of their religion. (See 'The Persecution of the Baha'i Community of Egypt' elsewhere in this volume.) Indonesia The administrative institutions of the Faith were banned in 1962 by President Sukarno. A similar ban was imposed at the same time on many other internationally-affiliated organizations. When the new regime came to power, the ban on other organizations was rescinded but, despite many appeals to the authorities, the ban on the organized activities of the Baha'i Faith remained in force. In I 972 the Attorney-General confirmed the ban and added a further prohibition against organized Baha'i teaching activities. In 1975, several Baha'is in various parts of the country were arrested, given light sentences and released. A few months later four believers were sentenced to five years' imprisonment. Each of them remained in prison for the full five years. Meanwhile, the Baha'is understood that the prohibitions contained in the two above-noted decrees constituted a ban on the administrative activities of the Baha'i Faith and on teaching activities organized by Baha'i administrative institutions. Accordingly (and in conformity with the fundamental Baha'i principle of obedience to government), all Baha'i administrative institutions in Indonesia were disbanded by the Baha'is, and organized teaching likewise ceased. THE BAHA 'j WORLD However. these two rulings did not legally prevent the friends, as followers of the Baha'i Faith, from practising its laws and precepts (such as the laws of prayer and fasting) in their personal lives. from replying to individual questions from friends and associates about the teachings ofthe Baha'i Faith. or from deepening in the teachings of the Faith and helping other Baha'is to do so. Therefore, small Baha'i gatherings were held in various parts of the country to deepen the friends and to lift their spirits. Women's classes were held regularly. In 1984. four Baha'is-one of whom had already spent five years in prison-were arrested and sentenced to terms of imprisonment rang ing from one to five years on charges of (I) membership in a banned religious group, (2) teaching and spreading the teachings ofthe said group, and (3) insulting Islam and weakening its spiritual influence in the eyes of the general public. In July 1985 it was reported that three youths in Mentawai were imprisoned for having married according to Baha'i law. They were required to do hard labour and were not given sufficient food. When one of them, in the course of his interrogation, cited to the authorities the alleged freedom of religion in Indonesia, he was beaten. As these false charges stem from misunderstanding or from the fanatical behaviour of local elements of the Government in western Java, various steps are being taken in an attempt to clarify to the Indonesian leaders the true attitude of Baha'is towards Islam. and to draw to their attention the fact that the first two charges are at variance with the provisions ofthe Constitution ofIndonesia which grants freedom of individual religious belief. iron The oppression of the Baha'i community of iran, subtle but ever-present during the prerevolutionary period. escalated in the years since I 979 into a systematic and organized effort to destroy every trace of the Faith in the land of its birth. Through the desecration of Baha'i Holy Places. through mob violence, through economic and legal intimidations that have disrupted the life of every single believer. and through the imprisonment and execution of prominent Baha'is. the revolutionary authorities in iran have sought to demoralize the Baha'i community and force its members to deny their Faith. Although a storm of international protest has caused the Iranian Government to try to conceal its persecution of Baha'is, and the number of believers being killed has been somewhat reduced since 1984, many of the seven hundred and sixty-three or more Baha'is who remain in prison are being subjected to brutal torture, and thousands more have been made homeless and deprived of any means of support. Between August 1978 and April I 986 more than one hundred and eighty Baha 'is have given their lives for the Baha'i Faith. Ofthese, thirteen have died in prison, five have been assassinated, twenty have been killed by mobs, and the remainder have been executed for refusing to recant their belief. Fourteen others disappeared without a trace and are presumed dead. In September I 979, the Holy House of the Bab, one of the two centres for pilgrimage ordained by Baha'u'llah, was demolished and its site has been obliterated by construction of a road and public square. Baha'u'llah's childhood home in Takur was destroyed in December 1981 , and the site offered for sale to the public. The National Ha~iratu'l-Quds was made into a 'Free Muslim University', and the Baha'i Hospital in Tihran was expropriated. Baha'i cemeteries have been desecrated, and the believers forced to bury their dead in barren land reserved for 'infidels'. All Baha'i properties in inin were confiscated soon after the revolution, and by the end of 1981 almost every property owned by the Baha'i community had been desecrated or destroyed. Mob violence directed against Baha'i individuals, families, and even whole communities has occurred throughout irim. Baha'i children have been beaten by their fellow students: elderly men and women have been dragged from their homes, beaten and tortured because they would not deny their Lord. Thousands of believers have been driven from their homes. while their property has been stolen or destroyed. All the Baha 'is in one village were herded into a stable into which smoke was funnelled until they were near death; hundreds of Baha'is of another village were held for days in a walled garden without food or water. On one day in December 1978. hundreds of Baha'i homes near fil!iraz were burned. all lootable property stolen. and the friends severely beaten. INTERNATIONAL SUR VEY OF CURRENT BAH,i.'i AC TIVITIES Baha'i literature has been confiscated and its production banned. It is a crime punishable by death to have in one's possession or in one's home 'any book, pamphlet, symbol or picture' of 'this hated underground movement', 'the misguided, Zionist, espionage group of Baha'is'. In such terms, as inflated as they are inaccurate, the Revolutionary Government describes the Baha'i community and its activities. The life savings of over 15,000 believers were lost when the Government expropriated the assets of the Nawnahalan Society, a banking institution which the friends had organized in the early 1900s and which had been encouraged by ' Abdu'l-Baha. The individual bank accounts of believers have also been confiscated. The Iranian friends have never had the legal right to be Baha'is; the present Constitution is based on Islamic law and it recognizes and protects only the civil rights of Muslims and the followers of officially recognized minority religions. Since the Baha'i Faith is not a legally recognized religion, Baha'i marriages are considered invalid. Also, Baha'is are denied identity documents; they may not legally leave the country, and they may not sell property. Many Baha'i pioneers to other countries have experienced difficulties because the Iranian embassies will no longer renew their passports. Baha'is have been excluded from any form of Government employment; retired civil servants have lost their pensions, and some believers have been imprisoned because the Government demanded they return their salaries for many years of employment. Pressure has been put on private employers to fire their Baha'i employees, and the trading licences of Baha'is have been cancelled. Baha'i shops and businesses have been looted and burned, and the livestock and crops of Baha'i farmers destroyed. These measures have left countless numbers of believers destitute, and have contributed to the steady flow of Baha'i refugees to other countries. The courage of Baha'i children, who staunchly defended the Faith against the attacks and ridicule of their teachers and who calmly accepted their expulsion from schools as a consequence of their belief in Baha'u'llah, has inspired the friends around the world. Baha'i students may no longer attend any Government school; Baha'i graduates have been refused their diplomas or degrees, and have been denied the opportunity of taking their final examinations. The Baha'i youth of iran have responded to this deprivation by organizing themselves to teach each other, and by joyfully offering their services to the Baha'i community. Members of Baha'i National and Local Spiritual Assemblies and other prominent believers have been especially singled out for persecution since the beginning of the revolution. Early in 1979, all the records of the National Spiritual Assembly, including a complete membership list of all the believers in iran, were confiscated by the Government. All nine members of the National Spiritual Assembly were kidnapped on 21 August 1980, and it is assumed that they were killed. Another National Spiritual Assembly was elected, and eight of the nine dedicated servants were executed on 27 December 1981. Once again, a National Spiritual Assembly was elected and, with a courage reminiscent of the earliest days of the Faith took up their duties. Hundreds of Local Spiritual Assembly members have been imprisoned; most of the members of the Local Spiritual Assemblies of Tihran, of Yazd, of Hamadan, of Shiraz, and of many other towns and cities have been executed. Unable to destroy the institutions of the Cause through imprisoning or even killing the members, the Iranian authorities banned all Baha'i administrative and community activities and made membership of a Baha'i Assembly a criminal offence. In response, on 3 September 1983, the National Spiritual Assembly immediately informed the Attorney-General of its willingness to obey the law, and took the opportunity to refute all the false charges that had been made against the Baha'is. This bold and confident document has been widely circulated among non-Baha'i Iranians now living abroad. Baha'i prisoners are being tortured in order to force them to confess publicly that they are spies and that the Faith is an espionage organization. Some believers have lost their sight, hearing, or sanity as a result of torture. Since February 1984, nine believers have died in prison; and the prison authorities have not allowed their fami lies to see the bodies, an indication that they were probably tortured to death. The authorities cannot conceal the suffering of these devoted souls. Each midnight execu THE BAH,\'i WORLD tion, each secret burial, has been publicized by Baha'i communities on every continent and has become the object of world-wide condemnation. The Universal House of Justice has co-ordinated the defence of the Baha'is in inin by directing National Spiritual Assemblies and the Baha'i International Community at the United Nations to appeal to the Iranian Government directly and, subsequently, to appeal to other governments and international bodies and to public opinion through the media to condemn the persecutions. On 208 occasions during the past seven years the Universal House of Justice has sent circular letters or cables to all National Spiritual Assemblies asking them to take specific actions in response to the per secutions. Unprecedented publicity for the Faith has resulted from the heroic steadfastness of the Iranian Baha'is and the efforts of the Baha'i International Community and national and local Baha'i communities to mobilize world opinion on their behalf. The United Nations General Assembly, the European Parliament, world leaders and national governments have called on iran to treat its Baha'i population with fairness. Great prestige has been won for the Faith as many ofthose in authority on every continent became familiar with the nature of the cause and expressed their sympathy for the suffering of the Baha'is. On the following pages will be found a partial list of the resolutions passed and other actions taken. The numerous expressions of support, coming from every corner of the globe, continuously as the persecution persists, bear witness to the undeniable power of the pure-hearted self-sacrifice of the followers of Baha'u'llah in His native land, Iran. The following list does not represent an exhaustive report of actions taken on an international scale on behalfoftheoppressed Baha'is of iran, as these are too numerous to detail, but it reflects in some measure the world-wide support and sympathy of those in authority and people of prominence for the plight of the Iranian Baha'is, as well as the dedicated efforts of the Baha'i world community, to draw the persecutions to public attention. The activities of the Baha'i International Community on behalf of the Baha'is of iran are reported elsewhere in this volume under The Baha'i Faith and the United Nations'. RFSOLUTIONS ADOPTED I. I. THE UNITED NATIONS a. The United Nations General Assembly I) Declaration on the Elimination of all Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief, 25 November 198 I 2) Resolution on the Elimination of All Forms of Religious Intolerance, 18 December 1982 b. United Nations Commission on Human Rights, 11 March 1982 and 8 March 1983 c. The United Nations Sub-Commission on the Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities, IO September 1980, 9 September I 98 I, 8 September 1982, 5 September 1983 and 29 August 1985. A resolution was also passed on the topic of Religious Intolerance on IO September 1982 d. World Federation of United Nations Associations, October I 983 e. United Nations Commission on Human Rights, March I 984-representative to go to iran f. United Nations Commission on Human Rights called for report on human rights situation in iran, including Baha'is, 14 March 1985 g. United Nations Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities adopted resolution 29 August 1985 h. United Nations General Assembly for first time adopted resolution regarding situation in iran including reference to Baha'is, 13 December 1985 i. United Nations Commission on Human Rights appointing new special representative to replace Andres Aguilar, to report on human rights situation in iran, March 1986 2. REGIONAL BODIES a. Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe I) Declarations tabled by members, 29 September 1980 and 14 May 1981 2) Resolution adopted 29 January I 982 b. European Parliament, 19 September 1980, IO April 1981 and IO March 1983 c. World Association of World Federalists, July 1985 INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAH,\'i AC TIVITIES 45 f iiiiiiiliiliiiiiiiiiiililililiiililil 9 :::::::~:::~:::a::a:~;áb.,, I ~~~ i StateDf.!~,~ttJ ......; SECONO SESSION -1984 ~. HOUSE JOINT MEMORJAL 1 ~ I NTJIOVUCEV BY REPRESENTATIVE NICK L SALAZAR A/ID ALL MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES I ~ A JOINT MEMORIAL : EXPRESSING COIIDEMNATION OF IRAN ' S BRUTAL PERSECUTION OF MEMBERS OF THE BAHA' 1 FAITH g WHEREAS , .the pelt6e.c.u.ticn 06 MembeJt.o 06 the Baha. 1.(. Fa.i.th and .the du.t.u..c..t.i.on 06@::t~eh~¥¥¥.c.t~~ .i.n I!UUt W ou.tlta.ge.d .the. people o 6 New Mexico, the U~e.d s.ta..tu =:já Wf/EREA.S, .the. gove/t.ltmen.t oft lJU:ttt /UU, ou..tlo.we.d a.U Ba.ha.'-i. 1M.tUu-t.ioti6 .ln that 3" c.ou.n,t1ty a.ttd de.chvted membVt.6h.lp ht Saha' ,l ~.tluLtlve. bod.lu a. CJL.Un.u10..l a.ct; and á.::,::::t, WHEREAS, Membe,'t..!, oft the. Ba.ha.' .l Fa:Lth, an .utde.pe.ndent, pea.c.eftul a.nd law-ab.ld.lng ~. 1t.e.Lig,lo1.U> c.onrnu.nU.y, have. be.en peJr.u.cu..te.d, toll..tultuL , .(.1"p.'1,Uone.d and ex.e.c.u.te.d by .the . IMtt.i.a.n goveJtnme.nt 6M no Jt.eJU,on o.thVt than thfU/1. 1t.£.Ug.lou.6 be.U.e.6t.; .rutd I 3 :=iá WHEREAS , Juc.h ge.noc.lda.l a.c.li.on6 vJ..ol.a.te. bM.lc. human lti..ghu and otLtlt.age. C.0 171'f!Ott ~dee.ency and civilized people. e.v~Vl.e.; rutd WHEREAS, c.onde.mn.a-ti.on-6 06 1Mn'-6 m.i.6.tJte.a.t>ne.nt¡o6 the Ba.ha.'.l Coimutu.ty have. bun vo,lc.e.d by .tlte P1t.u.idvit o6 the. UnJ..ted Sta.tu 1 .the Urt.ile.d Sta.tu Con91tU.6, ma.ny 06 .the.,tie. Uttlted sta.te..o a.nd the. Uni.te.d Na.:tioM; á NOW , THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVEV BY THE LEGJSLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO tluLt the. Me.mbl.'.lt4 06 the. tfot.Uie. 06 Re.p11.ue.nta..tlvu a.nd .the. Sena.te 06 .the. S.t.ite 06 New Alex..i.c.o , MOc.mbled 1,n .the. .t.e.ve.n.ty-oe.c.ond ye.M 06 S:t.a..tehood, e.xp,te.J.t. thu.A .t.hoc.k a.nd 1t.e.vu.l.!.i.on a..t th..w b/\.1.1.ta.l 1t.ep1te...t..t..Wn a.nd pVL6e.c.u.tlon o!\ th..ui 11.e.U.g.lou..t. m.ln.oll.-Uy by .tlie c.u/Ul.en..t govM.J11J'len-l 06 111.an and jo,i,n the o:t.a..tei,, tttLU.Oiu, a.ttd pe.i:iple.o 06 the 3 uJO!t..ld .fo c.ondc.mn.ln.g ouc.h ac.tion6 a.nd poUc..i..u; and SE IT FURTHER RESOLVEV .tha.t .tiil.t. Memo/U.ll.l be. .tlt.an.t.mlt.ted to .t /tc. Cong11.uo 06I I.the thuted St(ltCA , the. P11.u.i.dc.11.t 06 the Utt.-Ued s.ta.te.o, .the. /.i ('J,l) Aleuc.o Cong11.e.o.u.011a.l ~Ve..tc.ga.u.oa, tltc. SeC1Le..tM.IJ-Ge11Vta.t oA the UitUc.d Na.lion..t. Gene/1.a.l A.t.1ic.mbly and to -tltc. Sp..t}L-(,tudl. Moembi1/ o!\ the. Baha.'-L!i o!\ Sa.Itta. Fe, New Meu.c.o, lnc.011.poMte.d, M I, 1tC.pllC6 en . .ta.U..vu o !\ tlte. Ba.Jut'-<. Comm ¥ á ne.d. ale \-The Ca~to(, ~ of ,$0.ntti 'Fe . I rc ráá Facsimile of a document protesting the persecution of the Baha 'is in iran. THE BAHA'i 3. NATIONAL AND PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENTS a. Australia I) Senate, February 198 1, August 1983 2) House of Representatives, August I 98 I b. Canada, House of Commons, July 1980 and July 1981 c. Fiji, Senate, March I 982 d. Federal Republic of Germany, May 1981 e. Northern Mariana Islands Legislature, March 1984 f. Spain, Human Rights Commission of the Senate, March I 982 g. United States I) Senate, September 1982 (published June I 983), November 1983 2) House of Representatives, September 1982, November 1983 3) State Senates a) Alaska, April 1979 b) California, August 1982 c) Hawaii, April 1982 d) South Dakota, March 1983 e) Washington, May 1983 f) Massachusetts, July 1983 (published Congressional Record US Senate) g) Maryland, February I 984 Joint Resolution h) Colorado, April 1984 Joint Resolu tion 4) State Houses of Representatives a) Illinois, March I 979 b) South Dakota, March 1983 c) Washington, May 1983 d) Alabama, June 1983 e) New Jersey, July 1983 f) Maine, September I 983 g) New Mexico, February I 984 h) Minnesota, May 1984 h. Virgin Islands, June 1983 4. JOINT REPRESENTATIONS a. To the Iranian Government In Tihran I) On 31 January 1982 by 15 governments- Australia, Belgium, Denmark, France, the Federal Republic of Germany, Greece. Republic of Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Sweden. Switzerland and the United Kingdom 2) In July 1982 by 16 governments-all those above, plus Finland WORLD 3) On 27 December 198 1 by 15 governments (as in I above) 4) European Economic Community, July 1983, on behalf of the ten member countries plus Switzerland, Sweden, Portugal, New Zealand and Australia 5) Ten member countries of European Economic Community, October 1984 b. To the United Nations Secretary-General by Ambassadors of the European Economic Community countries in New York, 12 February and 17 July 1982 c. To the Islamic Conference and the United Nations by European Parliament, July 1983 II. CONGRESSIONAL HEARING IN THE UNITED STATES, MAY 1982 Ill. I. ACTIONS TAKEN IN LEGISLATIVE SESSIONS AND PUBLISHED IN OFFICIAL RECORDS a. Australia, Senate and House of Representatives, March 1982; Senate, November 1982 b. Brazil, Senate, April I 982 c. Canada, House of Commons, November 1979 d. Federal Republic ofGermany, 3 questions to Federal Government, September 1982 e. Italy, 2 questions to Minister of Foreign Affairs, February/March 1982; motion to Parliament, March 1982, question to Senate, May 1982 f. Netherlands, statement made by Minister for Foreign Affairs, September 1982 g. Norway-statement made by Foreign Minister, May 1982 h. United Kingdom, House of Commons, June 1981, March 1983, June 1983; House of Lords, February I 982 i. United States, House of Representatives, October 1979, July and September 1981, March 1982, March 1983; Senate, February 1982andJune 1984; Statements in Senate and House of Representatives, 1984; Congressional Record, June 1984 contains extraordinary array of speeches INTERNATIONAL SUR VEY OF CURRENT BAHA 'j ACT IVIT IES 2. STATEMENTS, APPEALS, ENQUIRI ES. LETTERS OF SUPPORT, ETC. 1979 I) Swiss Parliamentarians 2) Governor of the Hawaiian Islands 3) Numerous Senators and Congressmen of the United States 4) Prime Minister of the United Kingdom 5) All three Parliamentary parties of Lux embourg 6) Bureau of Human Rights, Trinidad and Tobago 1980 I) Former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of India 2) Government of Western Samoa 3) Governor of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands 4) Nine political factions of the Dutch Parliament 5) Minister of Cultural Affairs, Luxembourg 6) Minister of Foreign Affairs, Australia 1981 I) Statements made at the 37th session of the Human Rights Commission in Geneva by delegations from Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom 2) King of the Belgians 3) President of France 4) Foreign Ministers of Australia, Belgium. the Federal Republic of Germany. and the Netherlands 5) Under-Secretary of State, Italy 6) Minister of Justice, Costa Rica 7) Minister of Missions and Religious Organizations, Central African Republic 8) Statements made in Third Committee of the 36th session of the United Nations General Assembly by representatives of Australia, Fiji, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, the United Kingdom (on behalf of the member states of the European Economic Community), and the United States 9) Various Ministers of Liberia 1982 I) Presidents of France and Kiribati 2) Prime Ministers of Belize. France, Western Samoa, and New Zealand 3) Office of President and Vice-President. The Gambia 4) Ministers of Foreign Affairs. Australia. Belgi um, France. the Federal Republic of Germany. Luxembourg. the Netherlands. and Panama 5) Deputy Prime Minister of Swaziland 6) Governor-General of Jamaica 7) Minister of State, the United Kingdom 8) Secretary of State, San Marino 9) Government of Finland I 0) Government officials of Mexico 11) Legislators in Luxembourg, the United States. and the Virgin Islands 12) Eleven Parliamentarians of Finland 13) Office of Special Affairs, Chile 14) Minister of Education. Australia 15) A leading jurist in India 16) Commission for Foreign Affairs of France 17) Tallahassee, Florida, Ministerial Association, Resolution, the United States 18) Committee on Church and International Affairs, United Church of Canada 19) Amnesty International 20) President of National Council of Churches, the United States 1983 I) Assistant Secretary of State, the United States, to the Congressional Subcommittee on Human Rights and International Organizations 2) Government of Finland to Iranian Representative in Helsinki 3) Ministers of Foreign Affairs in Canada. Republic of Ireland. Italy. Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Sweden 4) House of Lords, the United Kingdom 5) Presidents of the United States and Austria 6) Mayor of the City of New York. the United States 7) Minister of the Interior. Luxembourg 8) Permanent Mission of Greece to the United Nations 9) Mayor of the City of Londonderry. Northern Ireland 10) Apostolic Delegate in the United Slates assures that Pope John Paul is aware of the persecution and that every effort is being made by the Holy See to bring about its termination THE BAHA'i 11) Resolution, World Congress of Social Psychiatry, Japan 12) Department of Immigration, Panama 13) Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs, the United States 14) Inter-Faith Ministries, Wichita, Kansas, the United States, 'week of prayer' 15) Governor and officials of Colorado, the United States 16) American Bar Association publication 17) Statements at 38th General Assembly of the United Nations by Australia, Canada, Greece, the Netherlands, Norway, the United States 18) Publication of appeal by prominent people, the Federal Republic ofGermany /984 I) Under-Secretary of State áfor Foreign Affairs, Italy 2) Minister for Home Affairs, Solomon Islands 3) Senators in the Virgin Islands 4) Notice of Motion, House of Repre sentatives, Australia 5) Foreign Office of Italy 6) Secretary to the Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands 7) Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Australia, France, Republic of Ireland, Luxembourg, New Zealand 8) Chief Rabbi, Republic of Ireland 9) Greater Yarmouth Ecumenical Council in Maine, the United States I 0) Congressional Hearing in the United States 11) Deputy in Federal Chamber of Deputies, Brazil 12) Central Conference of American Rabbis 13) Petition signed by 70 members of the Japanese Diet 14) Chancellor and three members of Parliament, the Federal Republic of Germany 15) Professor of Ecumenical Theology in the Federal Republic of Germany 16) Report in Hansard, the United Kingdom 17) President of the United States at Human Rights Day ceremony /985 I) Parliamentary Question in Austria WORLD 2) Visit by the former Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany and his party to the Shrine of the Bab 3) Letter sent by a physician with signatures of other physicians to the SecretaryGeneral of the United Nations 4) Letter from 47 Senators, 80 Congressmen, to UNHRC, the United States 5) Resolutions passed in Arkansas House and Senate condemning persecutions, the United States 6) Unanimous support in Senate, Australia, published in 5 pages Hansard 7) Appeal signed by leaders all political parties and others, Norway 8) International Conference on Religious Liberty, President of the United States and the Secretary of State 9) Prime Minister of Western Samoa 10) Mrs. Simone Veil, Speaker of the Parliament of France, stating that the SubCommission of European Parliament on Human Rights was to hold a public hearing on human rights in iran 11) Fifty-minute documentary, 'The Quiet Revolution', created in the United Kingdom by non-Baha'i producers 12) Baha'i delegation before European Parliament Hearing in Belgium 13) United Nations, Ambassadors of the United States, Fiji, representatives of Australia, Luxembourg (for ten member countries European Community) and Canada 14) The United States President Reagan's speech at Human Rights Event features persecutions; President signs proclamation in which Baha'is are mentioned /986 (to 21 April, Riifvan 143 Baha'i Era) I) United States, statements Congressional record, May, June, July and October 2) 1986 United Kingdom, discussion in House of Lords 3) Announcement by State Department USA of recent killing and calling for a 'world outcry' 4) Official document ofthe German Federal Parliament, the 'Bundestagá presented motion on general issues of war between iran and 'Iraq. referring also to Baha'i persecution INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAH,\'i AC TIVITIES 5) West German Chancellor Dr. Helmut Kohl states publicly that persecuted Baha'is will receive asylum in Germany Other reports on the persecution ofthe Baha'i community of Iran in the period under review appear elsewhere in this volume. (See 'The Persecution of the Baha'i Community of Iran' and 'Activities of the Baha'i International Community Relating to the Persecution of the Baha'i Faith in Iran'.) Kampuchea (Cambodia) Baha'i activities have been suspended and there is no contact with the friends in Kampuchea. Refugees from that country are, however, being approached by the Baha'is in Thailand and other countries and are given Baha'i literature in Khmer. Baha'i activities among the Khmer people in refugee camps in Thailand are described hereafter. Laos Following a period of six years during which no elections for Baha'i administrative institutions could be held and the Spiritual Assembly of the Laos People's Democratic Republic simply remained in existence, an election was held in 1982, and efforts have been made since that time to recover lost Local Spiritual Assemblies and re-activate the believers. The first formal meeting held at the Baha'i centre built on the Temple site took place in January 1982 and was attended by local officials who were very receptive to the Cause. A number of National Spiritual Assemblies have set up programmes to contact Laotian Baha'i refugees and to assist them in their reabsorption into the community. Laos has meritoriously recovered 27 of the original 107 Local Spiritual Assemblies listed in I975, accomplished despite the political chaos. Considering restrictions on local travel and inter-state movements, difficulties of communication, and the disenchantment of the Government with religions, this accomplishment speaks well for the zeal and enthusiasm of the friends. Many more localities have been identified where there are some Baha'is, but due to difficulties of travel and communication it will take time before they can begin again. Much attention is given by the Laotian parents to the education of their children, and children's classes, particularly in Vientiane, are very popular. A new local Baha'i centre was constructed in Ban Viengkham Tai through contributions of the friends in that country. Since Laos is very poor, this type of achievement is particularly praiseworthy. In addition, the community has decided to become self-su pporting. The National Centre in Vientiane, purchased in January I 969, is very well maintained and its gates are open to welcome everyone. The Laotian Government has officially proclaimed that in Laos three religions may conduct activities: Buddhism, Christianity and the Baha'i Faith. This continuing good relationship with the Government may be attributable to the policy ofthe Baha'i community ofinforming the Government in advance ofany activities they plan to undertake. As to social and economic development, the community in Sinkhana has started a livestock development project, and in Ban Viengkham Tai, under the sponsorship of the Local Spiritual Assembly, an agricultural project has been undertaken. Libya The Baha'i Faith continues to be banned in this country. Mauritania This National Spiritual Assembly was formed in 1978 and functioned until March I 983 when five Mauritanian and two pioneer believers were arrested, interrogated and held briefly in prison. Since that time no elections have been held, and the National Spiritual Assembly had to be dissolved. Morocco In April 1983 the Government prohibited all Baha'i meetings, and in December of that year members of the community were arrested in Mohammadieh and Casablanca; one believer in Tetuan was taken later in to custody in June 1984. The believers in Mohammadieh were convicted and sentenced to two years' imprisonment but were subsequently released. An appeal has been lodged against the verdict, the outcome of which is awaited. In the Tetuan case, a prison sentence of three years resulted and an appeal to the Supreme Court was unsuccessful. The believers involved have demonstrated exemplary fortitude and steadfastness and have been courageously supported by their fellow Baha'is. TH E BAHA 'i WORLD Tunisia Although it was known that recognition of the Faith was unlikely, nevertheless the Baha'is for some years were free to practise their religion quietly. However, in October 1984 the activities of the Faith were curtailed and some members of the community were interrogated. No arrests have been made. Vietnam The Baha'is in Vietnam have been forbidden by the Government to meet and to practise their religion since 1978. All Baha'i centres throughout the country have been either closed or confiscated by the authorities. When the National l:faziratu'l-Quds in Ho Chi Minh City was seized, two members of the National Spiritual Assembly who were there at the time were summarily arrested and sent to 're-education' camps. One of them was released early in 1982 because of ill health, but the other is still in detention and all efforts to secure his release have so far been unsuccessful. A Baha'i from Switzerland visited the friends in Vietnam and found them to be steadfast and strong in the Faith. Appeals have been made by the Baha'i International Community, a number of governments and independent agencies to free the Baha'i prisoners and to grant members of the Baha'i community the religious freedom guaranteed in the Constitution of Vietnam. Three of the friends in Vietnam recently approached the authorities requesting permission for the Baha'is to meet together for prayers and other spiritual gatherings and have asked for the return of their National Haziratu'l- Quds for this purpose. It is not known whether there has been a response to their application. Recent information has been received that in order to pass the university examinations it is necessary to belong to the 'Youth Movement', membership in which is extremely difficult, if not impossible, for the Baha'i youth. It has also been pointed out that the Baha'i who was released is still, after four years, under the supervision of the local authorities, has not been given back his citizenship and faces many hardships. The friends in Vietnam are very hard-pressed and face economic difficulties. A number of Baha'i communities have undertaken projects to contact Vietnamese refugees residing in their countries to distribute literature to them and to meet with them for teaching and deepening purposes. Parcels of medicines, clothes, and other necessities are sent regularly to the Baha'is in Vietnam by individual Baha'is. The National Spiritual Assemblies of Australia, Denmark, France, Norway, and Sweden have been called upon by the Universal House of Justice to participate in this programme. International Baha'i Refugee Office (IBRO) The International Baha'i Refugee Office, established in November 1984 by the National Spiritual Assembly of Canada at the request of the Universal House of Justice, is responsible for co-ordinating the efforts to resettle Iranian Baha'i refugees. The resettlement process, which involves obtaining a general agreement with the government of each receiving country to accept Baha'i refugees, finding sponsors (relatives and/or Baha'i Assemblies) for each individual or family, and which requires consultations on each specific case, has called for high-level collaboration with government officials and international organizations. The immigration authorities of many countries have been sympathetic to the plight of the Baha'is and supportive in offering them new homes. The field officers of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees have been among the greatest advocates for the Baha'i refugees, sparing no effort to assist them in whatever way they can. The Baha'i International Community in Geneva acts as the liaison for the International Baha'i Refugee Office with the head office of United Nations high Commission for Refugees in Geneva. Thousands of Iranian believers have been forced to seek refuge in other countries because of the persecutions by the Iranian Government. In addition to those who have fled from iran, almost all Iranian believers who had arisen to pioneer were, to all intents and purposes, made stateless when the Government refused to renew their passports, and many were deprived of any form of support when the student subsidies and old-age pensions of Baha'is were terminated. In 1981, the first requests for help were made by Iranian Baha'i students in the Philippines, whose funds from home were cut off, who could not work in the Philippines, and were in danger of being deported. Requests for assistance from Iranian Baha'is stranded in India occurred in 1981. In the latter part of INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CU RRE NT BAHA ' i ACTIVITIES Hmong Baha 'i women ji-0111 Laos in the Banuini Refugee Camp in Tl,ailand circa 1985. Iranian Balui á; reJi,gees in Pak is ran circa 1985. TH E BAHA 'j WORLD 1981 a new development emerged: Baha'is began trickling across the borders of iran into Pakistan and Turkey, fleeing from the increasing persecutions in iran. This trickle has increased to a steady flow. At the time of this report, there are approximately 1,500 Iranian Baha'i refugees in Pakistan and another 70 in Turkey awaiting resettlement. Approximately 30 to 40 refugees weekly are entering Pakistan from iran. Thirty-eight National Spiritual Assemblies have been involved in the settlement of these believers. In Turkey and Pakistan, refugees are received and introduced to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees; Italy, Austria and Spain serve as transit centres for refugees trying to enter the United States; and 30 countries have received refugees. Five other national communities are in the process ofreceiving refugees. According to information provided by the International Baha'i Refugee Office, Baha'i agencies have helped some 3,500 Iranian refugees settle in other countries during the Seven Year Plan and are currently working on the resettlement of an additional 1,500 refugees. Canada was the first Baha'i community to respond to the plight of the Iranian refugees, and its very successful programme of settling them in over 200 small communities throughout the country has served as a model for other nations. The materials developed by the National Spiritual Assembly ofCanada to assist its communities in preparing for the refugees have also been utilized by other National Spiritual Assemblies. The Baha'i resettlement programme in Canada is so highly esteemed by the Government that Canadian Immigration Officers located in other countries have been willing to recommend the acceptance of Baha'i refugees by those nations. In I 980, representatives of the Canadian National Spiritual Assembly approached officials in Canada's Department of Employment and Immigration; and an agreement was signed which authorized the National Spiritual Assembly to act as a national agency able to sponsor refugees for resettlement in Canada. From I98 I to the present time, the following number of Iranian Baha'i refugees from the following countries have been accepted into Canada: 215 Baha'is from the Philippines, 366 from India. 122 from Spain, 100 from Turkey, 83 from Nigeria. 441 from Pakistan, and 338 from other countries. In total, over 2,100 Baha'i refugees have been settled in Canada to date. With the realization that the flow of refugees from iran was continuing, representatives of the Canadian National Spiritual Assembly began making attempts in I 983 to open other countries for the settlement of Baha'i refugees. Through contact with the Embassies in Pakistan of both the United Kingdom and Australia, the Canadian National Spiritual Assembly representative was able to present the situation of the Baha'i refugees and gain acceptance for the first few cases to those countries. The same demarche, supplemented by efforts of the National Spiritual Assembly of Austria, was used to open Austria as a processing country for the United States. In April 1983, a representative of the Canadian National Spiritual Assembly travelled to Spain and, with the assistance of an international agency there, opened Spain as a processing country for the United States in March I 984. Thirty-seven refugees were accepted into Italy in transit to the United States. The National Spiritual Assembly of Australia has also been extremely successful in settling Baha'i refugees. Iranian believers have been placed in goal areas, and a booklet on Persian/Australian cultural issues has been published to assist in their integration into the community. Since the acceptance of the first Baha'i refugees in 1983, the Australian Government has accepted hundreds of Baha'is, totalling 850 to date. The Australian Government will accept refugees who have no relatives in Australia, as long as they do not have relatives in other countries outside iran. The first Baha'i refugees were accepted into the United Kingdom in 1983 and since tha, time, under a system of dual sponsorship by a relative and the National Assembly, 176 refugees have been settled in the United Kingdom. The Government will accept for settlement only Baha'is who have close relatives residing in that country. A large number of Baha'i refugees, estimated to be several thousand, have entered the United States, sponsored by relatives or by the Government. At present, no exact figures are available, as the refugees often do not contact the Baha'i Persian/American Affairs Committee of the United States. Since there is no Immigration and Naturalization Service office in Pakistan to Iranian Baha 'is outside of the National lfw;iratu 'I-Quds in Dublin, Ireland, upon their arrival from refugee camps in Pakistan ; 3 December 1985. process refugees to the United States, refugees there wishing to enter the United States must travel to processing centres in Austria, Spain or Italy. The National Spiritual Assembly of the United States has made several approaches to its Government, acquainting them with the situation of Baha'i refugees and requesting both that a larger quota of the total number of refugees be allo1ted for Baha'is, and that the acceptance of refugees be expedited so that the time spent in the processing countries can be lessened. As a result of the United States Government's refugee policy, the National Spiritual Assembly unfortunately has no control over where the refugees are sent to sellle within the United States; but efforts have been made to encourage refugees to homefront pioneer to goal areas. Videotaped deepenings and a slide programme have been prepared to foster intercultural understanding among Persians and Americans. The Universal House of Justice has stated that it would like the Iranian Baha'i refugees to seltle in various countries of Africa, Asia and Latin America, as well as Europe and North America. The co-ordinator of the International Baha'i Refugee Office, Mrs. Mona Mojgani (Muna Mumgani), has travelled to 22 countries in Europe and Latin America and met with more than 10 government ministers and officials in order to secure acceptance for Baha'i refugees in these places. These officials often include high-ranking officers of the Immigration Control Department, senior officers of the Foreign Affairs Division, members of the Department of Justice, chief representatives of the UNHCR, directors of the Red Cross, principal officers of the Ministry of the Interior, Ministers of External Affairs, and officials of the Ministry of Labour, to name a few. As a result of these efforts, 79 Iranian believers have been settled in Europe, and agreements have been obtained for the settlement of at least 370 in Central and South America. Several National Spiritual Assemblies stated that without the assistance of the refugees the Seven Year Plan goals would not have been won. In each of the countries visited, the National Spiritual Assembly worked closely with the co-ordinator of the International Baha'i Refugee Office, meeting to discuss the implications of the settlement of refugees in their country, and sending liaison members with the co-ordinator to meet with government officials. The National Spiritual Assemblies responded with dedication to the opportunities presented by the plight of the Iranian Baha'i refugees. They made plans to sellle the friends in their countries, often arranged for accommodation, and encouraged their local communities to envelop wi th loving kindness these homeless believers who have suffered such loss. THE BAHA'i WORLD 6. COLLATION AND CLASSIFICATION OF THE SACRED TEXTS THE collation and classification ofthe steadily growing collections of the Sacred Texts and the writings of the Guardian held at the Baha'i World Centre continued throughout the Seven Year Plan. To foster the growth of the believers' understanding of the fundamentals of the Faith, to enrich their spiritual lives, and to support their efforts in teaching the Cause of God, the Universal House of Justice instructed the Research Department to prepare a series of compilations gleaned from the Writings of the Faith, which were then circulated to National Spiritual Assemblies: October 1979-A set ofthree compilations from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, the Bab and 'Abdu'I-Baha to serve as samples for translation into other languages January 1980-Extracts ji-om the Bahl,á; Writ ings Discouraging Divorce March 1980-The Importance of Prayer, Medi tation and the Devotional Attitude October 1980-Attendance of the Members of a Spiritual Assembly at its Meetings August 1981 -The Po1Ver of Divine Assistance November 1981 -Excellence in All Things January I 982-Family Life January 1983-The Importance of Deepening Our Knoiv!edge and Understanding of the Faith September 1984-Muntakhabati az Makatib-iFfwlrat- i-Abdu '/-Baha [a compilation from the Persian Writings of 'Abdu'I-Baha] July 1985-Huququ 'I/ah August 1985-Peace November 1985-Care in Handling Baha'i Funds January 1986--Women These 13 major compilations were supplemented by scores of smaller compilations on specific subjects prepared at the direction of the Universal House of Justice in response to the developing needs of the Baha'i community. A volume, entitled Bahiyyih Khanum, the Greatest Holy Leaf; containing the letters to the Greatest Holy Leaf and statements about her by Baha'u'llah, 'Abdu'I-Baha and Shoghi Effendi as well as her own letters, was published in 1982 to commemorate the Fiftieth Anni versary of her passing. Mrs. Marzieh Gail, and a committee at the World Centre, were responsible for the new translations included in this publication. The Archives Office at the World Centre cares for the collections of sacred and historical documents and relics, arranges the collections and creates aids to improve access to the records. The history of the Archives has been one of continuing to improve the conditions under which the materials are kept and to make advances in cataloguing and indexing methods. A particularly marked evolution has occurred during the period covered by the Seven Year Plan. The conditions under which both the Sacred Texts and other documents of the Central Figures and the Guardian are kept have been considerably improved, as have those of all other papers in the Archives. A long-term programme to create a computer database containing the Sacred Writings and letters of the Guardian was inaugurated during the closing years of the Seven Year Plan. In its initial stages, data regarding the English correspondence of the Guardian was entered into the computer and made available for research purposes. Later stages, which will take place over a period of years, will foreseeably include the entry of the full text of the English letters of the Guardian into the database and its gradual development to include the Writings of Baha'u'llah, the Bab and 'Abdu'I-Baha. This programme is supplemented by a project to create a computer database containing the Baha'i Writings published in English, which will be continually developed and enlarged. A computer count of the collection of letters written by or on behalf of the Guardian showed that 11 ,480 letters are currently held, of the estimated 22,500 letters to which the Guardian is known to have replied. As a result of this discovery, in August I 984, the Universal House of Justice made a fresh appeal for National Spiritual Assemblies and individuals to notify the World Centre of any such letters in their files, thus enabling the Archives office to trace those items still required to complete the collection. Three hundred and twenty letters written by or on behalf of Shoghi Effendi have been received in response to this appeal. INTERNATIONAL SUR VEY Of CURRENT BAHA 'j AC TIVITIES 7. RESTORATION AND MAINTENANCE OF HOLY PLACES Exterior of the restored south wing of the House of 'Abdu 'I/ah Pcim_ci; /986. A. Restoration of the House of 'Abdu'llah Pafil!a Plans for the restoration of the House of 'Abdu'llah Pailia have been painstakingly prepared on the basis of historical photographs and documented recollections, including those of Mrs. Zeenat (Zinat) Baghdadi who was closely associated with the household in the days of 'Abdu"l-Baha. This has been necessary because in the years intervening between 'Abdu'l-Baha's occupation of the House and its return to the possession of the Faith, major alterations had been made in the buildings, dividing the upper floor into small apartments and using the ground floor as a fire station; and many parts had become seriously dilapidated. The roofs and ceilings were replaced: 120 cubic metres of Katrina wood were specially imported from Turkey to construct beams, ceilings and much interior woodwork in accordance with the former patterns. The plaster-work and most of the facing stones of the walls had to be replaced with a local type of sandstone purchased from demolished buildings which was then cut and fitted on the site. After much searching, furniture ofthe correct period was collected from many places, and the interior was refurbished under the direction of Amatu'l-Baha Rtibiyyih Khanum to re-establish the character and atmosphere of the building as it was in the time of the Master. In a wing of the building which had not been occupied by the Holy Family accommodation for the custodians was constructed, as well as a large reception room for pilgrims. The restoration of the upper floor of the south wing, that part of the complex where the Holy Family dwelt, was completed in 1983 in time for the delegates to the International Convention to visit. Since then, a clinic, which had continued to occupy the north wing following the purchase of the property by the Faith, was moved out and plans have now been prepared by Mr. Saeed Samadi (Sa'id Samadi) for the restoration of this wing, comprised of a large room used for gatherings of the community in the time of 'Abdu'l-Baha and a small room used by Shoghi Effendi. The work of restoration is now in process. A small house adjoining the property has also been acquired to protect the site. THE SAHA 'i WORLD B. Baha'i Cemetery al Ein Gev An important supplemental achievement in the Holy Land was the establishment of a new Baha'i cemetery near the Sea of Galilee, and the reinterment there in October 1985 of the remains of Mirza Muhammad-Quli and eleven members of his family. Mirza MuhammadQuli, the faithful half-brother of Baha'u'llah, for many years farmed in the Galilee after Baha'u'llah and His companions were permitted to leave the prison in 'Akka, and when he died in I 9 IO he was buried on his land. The farm property, including the family cemetery which was situated along the south-eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee, in a sensitive area near the border of the new nation, was donated to the Faith by the heirs of Mirza Mul:,ammadQuli. Shoghi Effendi was able to exchange this farmland for vitally needed property surrounding the Most Holy Shrine and the Mansion of Bahji. Negotiations with the authorities regarding the re-establishment of the cemetery began in I 972 when it was learned that it would not be possible to restore and maintain the cemetery at its original site, which had become a part of Kibbutz Ein Gev. A nearby plot of land, located slightly farther from the shore of the Sea of Galilee on the slope ofTel Susi ta, was eventually designated as a Baha'i cemetery. In I 985, the plot was fenced, stone walls built at each corner, two wrought iron gates erected, gravel paths laid out, and trees and shrubs planted. On 18 October 1985, the remains of Mirza Mul:,ammad-Quli were ceremoniously conveyed from the old cemetery to the new one and were reinterred there in the presence of the Hands of the Cause Amatu'l-Baha Rul:,iyyih Khanum and "Ali-Akbar Furutan, members of the Universal House of Justice and of the International Teaching Centre. Representatives of the Israel authorities and of Kibbutz Ein Gev, a large number of Baha'i World Centre staff, and some of the descendants of this illustrious companion of Baha'u'llah were also present on that befitting and dignified occasion. Amaru '/-Baft(I R1il_1iyyih Khdnum speaking during the reinlerment of the remains of Mir:(/. Mul_wmmad- Quli in rhe ne1r Balui á; cemetery al £in Gev near tire Sea of Galilee in October 1985. INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CU RRE N T BAHA ' i ACTIVITIES C. Extension of the Gardens The gardens that grace and enhance the Holy Places at the World Centre have been extended and improved during the Seven Year Plan. New land has been acquired, new gardens established, and extensive work has been carried out to renovate existing gardens. A total of 66,265 square metres of land has been acquired during the Plan: I 3,150 square metres bordering the driveway from the western gate at Bahji, 50,000 square metres adjacent to and northeast of the Mazra'ih property, and 3,135 square metres at Ein Gev. During the Seven Year Plan, the south-west quadrant of the gardens surrounding the Shrine of Baha'u'llah was completed, and two new gardens were planted in the neighbourhood of the Collins gate. New gardens were established surrounding the driveway from the western gate and the parking lot at Bahji. Thousands of plants have been used to create the 5,000 square metres of new gardens which surround the Seat of the Universal House of Justice. The five terraces that form a retaining wall behind the building have become a brilliant tapestry of colours. At Bahji, seedlings ofthe great pine trees have been planted in order to ensure the continued existence of this grove which provided shade for the Blessed Beauty. Fruit orchards similar to the ones that existed in the time of Baha'u'llah are being planted at Mazra'ih and in the Ri{!van gardens. Replacement of the cypress trees surrounding the Shrine of the Bab and in the Monument Gardens, has been undertaken, as well as extensive pruning and replanting. The Monument Gardens have also been repaired and new wiring for garden lights installed. The appearance of the garden on Hagefen Street in the city of Haifa where Baha'u'llah pitched His tent has been enhanced, and many new ornamental plants and more lawn areas have been added to the Baha'i cemetery in Haifa. The work of preserving and maintaining the Baha'i gardens at the World Centre has been strengthened both through the services of professional gardeners who are Baha'is, and those who serve as garden apprentices. A plant production facility, begun in 1983, now provides almost all plants and trees needed for the gardens. Plans for a comprehensive irrigation project and professional pest control are now under way. 8. GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE BAHA'I WORLD CENTRE DuRING the past seven years the Baha'i World Centre has grown in size and complexity in order to meet the challenges of a greater volume and diversity of work. Four agencies of the Universal House of Justice have been established: the Office of Social and Economic Development at the World Centre; the Office of Public Information, based in Haifa with an office in New York; Comunicacion lntercambio y Radiodifusion Baha '/ para America Larina y el Caribe (CIRBAL), with its head office in Maracaibo, Venezuela; and the International Baha'i Audio-Visual Centre (IBA VC), based in Toronto, Canada. A. Pilgrimage The programme of pilgrimage has been expanded during the Seven Year Plan to include a visit to the House of 'Abdu'llah Pama and the Seat of the Universal House of Justice. Until Naw-Rtiz 1984, pilgrims numbered 80 in each group. Since that time the number has been increased to I00. Twenty groups of pilgrims visit the Holy Land each year during the pilgrimage season which lasts from late October through July ofthe following year. During the Plan 9,440 Baha'is visited the Holy Land as pilgrims, and 4,244 as short-term visitors. B. Baha'i World Centre Library The Baha'i World Centre Library comprises the major collection of materials that will become the International Baha'i Library, in addition to several branch collections in other World Centre institutions and departments. The Library collects all printed and audio-visual materials on the Baha'i Faith or which include significant reference to it; background material 58 THE BAHA'i on iran, Islam and comparative religions; and general reference works. The materials include: books. pamphlets, journal articles in the original or photocopy, periodicals and newsletters, annual reports and directories. programmes, maps, posters and broadsides, newspaper clippings, cassette and reel tapes, sound discs, videocassettes. motion pictures, slide series and programmes, and filmstrips. National Spiritual Assemblies, their committees, and Baha'i Publishing Trusts are requested by the Universal House of Justice to deposit such materials produced by them with the Baha'i World Centre Library in specified quantities. The Library has compiled a number of lists of materials it still needs, including published Baha'i materials which have not been received at the World Centre and publications on other subjects which contain references to the Faith. The Baha'i World Centre library tias actively pursued the establishment of contacts with other libraries and cultural institutions throughout the world and has established gift and exchange activities with a number of them. The holdings of the Baha'i World Centre Library grew dramatically during the Seven Year Plan, increasing from 5,550 titles in 1979, to 22,427 in I 986; from 21,393 volumes in I 979, to 64,778 in 1986. The number of languages in which Baha'i literature is available grew from 280 in 1979 to 520 in 1986. C. Office of Social and Economic Development The Office of Social and Economic Development, established in July 1983, has been given the task of assist ing the Universal House of Justice in the promotion and co-ordination of various activities in the Baha'i world intended to uplift the social and economic life of peoples. While a few Baha'i communities have been undertaking humanitarian and communityoriented development activities since the early days of the Faith, it is only now that the overall growth and development of the Local and National Assemblies has reached a level where economic development can be generally encouraged and become an integral and a regular part of community life. The basic principles underlying Baha'i social and economic development differ considerably from those of many international humanitarian agencies. The pace at which such activities WORLD proceed depends primarily on the degree to which they are needed and wanted at the grassroots level, as well as on a judicious utilization ofavailable resources. The development and more skilled use of the Baha'i concept of consultation, with its implications of dynamic unity of thought and action, is one of the most valuable assets to be derived from these new activities. The Office of Social and Economic Development, therefore, deals in the first instance with questions ofmotivation, resources and consultation, and assists National Spiritual Assemblies in guid ing their own local communities toward appropriate projects that will enable the believers to apply the spiritual principles of the Faith to the needs of their communities. In addition, it offers guidance and coordination to some of the larger, more established development projects such as the Baha 'i radio stations, academic schools, and rural development projects. Co-operative activities between national communities are also being developed. A fuller report on Baha'i activities concerning social and economic development appears elsewhere in this volume. D. Office of Public Information In May 1985, the Universal House of Justice decided that it was timely to systematize the handling of information on the Cause at the international level. The result was the creation of the Office of Public Information. The Office represents the third of the specialized agencies of the Baha'i International Community (the other two being the Community's Secretariat and its United Nations Office). Its basic function is to disseminate accurate information on the Faith to governments, international and national agencies, leaders of thought, the mass media and the general public. The aim of these efforts is to foster a favourable climate of understanding among the peoples of the world about the aims and achievements of the Baha'i community as well as to correct misinformation and combat opposition. The Office of Public Information has its headquarters at the World Centre, as well asa branch in New York City. The work of the latter is primarily concerned with direct publicity through the wire services and major international media. It is also extensively involved INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BMIA"i ACTIVITIES in public relations activities both in New York and other major world centres. The responsibilities of the central office in Haifa include the dissemination of information to Baha"i institutions around the world. and the production of appropriate printed and audio-visual materials. E. Comunicacion lntercambio y Radiodifusion Baha'i para America Latina y el Caribe CIRBAL was established by the Universal House of Justice in 198 1 to promote the development of Baha'i radio and mass media activities in Latin America. CIRBAL provides advice and support in the establishment of Baha'i radio stations, training of media personnel, and encouragement and advice in the exploitation of the mass media for the benefit of the Faith. CIRBAL consultants assist National Spiritual Assemblies in the technical, management and programming aspects of establishing and maintaining Baha'i radio stations. The Amoz Gibson Training Centre in Arecibo, Puerto Rico, has held 12 courses since 1982; and CIRBAL has also sponsored or assisted with seven other radio courses during the Seven Year Plan. Efforts to encourage Baha'i communities in the use of the media include: a travel-training trip by CIRBAL personnel to 11 Caribbean countries in I 984; the publication of cassettes of original music with Baha'i themes, scripts and recordings for radio programmes, as well as pamphlets on how to use the media; and the dissemination of a media newsletter which was merged with the IBA VC newsletter in 1985. F. International Baha'i Audio-Visual Centre A field agency of the Baha'i World Centre, the International Baha'i Audio-Visual Centre was transferred from Rochester, New York to Toronto, Canada by the Universal House of Justice in the fall of 1979. The Centre operates as an information clearing-house and point of co-ordination and stimulation in the audiovisual field, an area of Baha'i activity which includes both the portable media of film, videotape, audio-tape, slides and posters, and the broadcast media of television and radio. Its initial objective has been to stimulate and assist production and distribution of audio-visual materials at local and national levels, and to keep abreast of new methods. materials. and projects. disseminating such information as widely as possible. This work involves guidance and consultation on audio-visual methods. identification of appropriate materials, and advice about the production and subsequent distribution of useful items for the assistance of national and local Baha'i communities. Twice yearly. a newsletter summarizing current audio-visual activities in the Baha'i world is published and circulated to Counsellors, National Assemblies, national committees, and individual Baha 'is working and interested in the audio-visual media. This correspondence and news have increased during the course of the Seven Year Plan, bearing witness to the world-wide proliferation of initiatives to exploit the audiovisual media to serve the Cause of God. The International Baha'i Audio-Visual Centre organized four international audiovisual media conferences-in Florida. the United States and the Yukon, Canada in 1984; and in Frankfurt, Germany, and Port of Spain. Trinidad in 1985-which resulted in several major audio-visual projects. The Centre collaborates extensively with its sister agency. CIRBAL. Several media training projects are now being planned, based on two successful radio workshops conducted by the International Baha'i Audio-Visual Centre at WLG I in South Carolina, United States. in 1985. G. Communications The records kept regarding the communications of the Universal House of Justice demonstrate the volume of work carried out at the World Centre. Approximately 24.000 items of correspondence were sent to the Universal House of Justice each year. In response, some 6,000 letters to specific correspondents and 70 circular letters were sent out. During 1986, over 3,870 telexes and cables were received and 4,761 were sent out. The developing use of electronic mail for communications with National Spiritual Assemblies and other Baha'i agencies was inaugurated in May 1985: 1,373 electronic mail messages came in to the World Centre and 1,065 were sent out between May 1985 and Ric)van 1986. An increasing deployment of computer technology has greatly facilitated the work of the World Centre staff during the past seven years. 60 THE BAHA 'i WORLD Information storage and retrieval systems have improved the capacity and efficiency of almost every office, and techniques are now being developed to catalogue, store and retrieve electronically the Holy Writings, as well as the correspondence of the Universal House of Justice. H. Public Prominence of the World Centre The emergence of the Faith from obscurity, on a global scale; the completion of the Seat of the Universal House of Justice; the persecutions in iran which engendered world-wide efforts on behalf of the beleaguered friends in the Cradle of the Faith; and the steady consolidation of Baha'i institutions, have focused increasing anention on the Baha'i World Centre. During the past seven years, an unprecedented number of diplomats and official representatives of governments and international organizations have visited the World Centre. In addition, many media organizations have sent teams to Haifa to report on the Faith. Ambassadors from the following 14 nations have visited the World Centre during the period under review: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Costa Rica, Finland, the Federal Republic of Germany, Liberia, Norway, Peru, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States. Embassy officials from France and Japan also visited. Official visits to the Baha'i World Centre in Haifa were made by the representatives of the Governments of Brazil, Egypt, France, the Federal Republic of Germany, India, Israel, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Spain, the United Kingdom and Uruguay. A delegation from the European Parliament was received, as were visitors from the World Council of Faiths, the World Affairs Council, and Rotary International. International and national media services which have come to Haifa to report on the Faith include: the Associated Press; CBC News; BBCTV; RAI Italian Television; Australian Television, '60 Minutes' programme; Yugoslavian á National Television; French National Television, German National Television; and the World Zionist Organization press service. Twenty-eight newspapers in I 3 countries have sent reporters and photographers to the World Centre including: l e Monde, France; Los Angeles Times, the United States; Reader's Digest, China, France, Spain and the United States; Aftenposten, Norway; Expressen, Sweden; Politiken , Denmark; la Gazzella def Mezzogiorno, Italy; The Age, Australia; The Jerusalem Post, Israel. National television news teams have come from Australia, England, Italy, Israel, France, and the Federal Republic of Germany, as well as from one independent station in Canada and five in the United States. A telel'ision crew from the British Broadcasting Corporation filming the Seat of the Universal House ofJustic" /Or a programme entitled 'El'eryman' which aired in the United Kingdom in October 1985. INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA' i ACTIVITIES B. WORLD-WIDE OBJECTIVES 1. DIVINELY-PROPELLED EXPANSION OF THE FAITH THE Cause of God spreads throughout the world as the believers endeavour to bring the Message ofBaha'u'llah to their fellow men. The success of their efforts is seen in Baha'i population growth, increase in the number of localities where Baha'is reside, increase in the number of Local Spiritual Assemblies, and in the formation of new National Spiritual Assemblies. The Baha'i world has registered tremendous gains in these important indicators ofthe Faith's expansion since Ric)van 1979. The work ofpioneers and travelling teachers, the successful prosecution of teaching projects and the increasing level of individual teaching activity have all contributed to this achievement. The exemplary victories won by indigenous Baha'i populations testify to the vitality of the Faith of Baha'u'llah. I.I. FORMATION OF NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLIES The steady expansion of the Baha'i community which characterized the Seven Year Plan is clearly evidenced in the growing number of National Spiritual Assemblies. Twenty-two new National Assemblies, comprising one-sixth of the total number of these pillars of the Universal House of Justice, were formed during this period. This brings almost to completion the process initiated by the beloved Guardian, in which large regional Spiritual Assemblies, each composed of a number of independent nations, were established and then divided into smaller, usually national, jurisdictional areas as the national Baha'i communities grew in strength and capacity. For example, the ten National Spiritual Assemblies of Africa which supervised the affairs of the believers in 47 sovereign states and dependent territories in 1964 have grown into 43 distinct National Assemblies- one in every independent nation where the Faith is not constrained by lack of religious freedom. The same process is evident in the Pacific; the National Assembly of the South Pacific Islands, formed in 1959, has become ten separate National Spiritual Assemblies. In the Caribbean the National Assembly of the Leeward, Windward, and Virgin Islands, formed in 1967, has divided into nine separate National Assemblies. At the present time, there are seven independent nations where the Faith can be openly practised that do not have National Assemblies: Andorra, Liechtenstein, Malta, Monaco. Nauru, San Marino, and St. Christopher-Nevis. There are 38 other independent nations that do not have National Assemblies; these are either countries where circumstances have not permitted teaching the Faith openly, where the Faith has been banned due to religious persecution, or the national Spiritual Assembly has not been formed for other reasons. Shaded areas ofthe map depict the 148 countries where National Spiritual Assemblies exist, Riefvan (21 April) 1986. THE BAHA 'i WORLD The successful extension of Baha'i administrative institutions has been the result of concentrated planning and effort. In its Naw-Rilz 1979 message to the Baha'is of the world the Universal House of Justice anticipated the formation of 19 National Spiritual Assemblies during this Plan. They include eight in Africa: Angola, Bophuthatswana, Cape Verde, Gabon, Mali. Mozambique, South-west Africa/ Namibia, Transkei; eight in the Americas: Bermuda. Dominica, French Guiana, Grenada, Leeward Islands, Martinique, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines; and three in Australasia: the Cook Islands, Tuvalu, the Western Caroline Islands. This list was further supplemented, in March I 98 I, by the addition of Equatorial Guinea and Somalia in Africa, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in Asia, thus bringing the total to 22 projected new National Assemblies for the Seven Year Plari. By Ri<;lvan 1979. 125 National Spiritual Assemblies had been formed world-wide. Therefore, with the goal to form another 22 National Spiritual Assemblies. it was anticipated that 147 Continent No. of NSAs Ri~l:. .1.:.~..:..,.. ,Jt.10 1.J-:I ~...'.!.,.l ._,,._,_.,,.;~ .!:.,tl,,....;,J i.r-i.1 rt!:..:. ~~y. v~J.J ~,~á .:.._..:.~~ 41!..; .Jr¥¥¥~. -á-á l;-1P, "L,...,....,... á,f,á :..:.~ i.s.)}-il ,4,j(;..;},;,.:r.:I ~t,; ~lo.u,1 1 ~41 -~~\.; ¥:.u,..;...b.t~:Ty ,.Jl.J J.:...-S :-l..1.;...:_\:.:.fli If ¥.11.. .J~;I .:.~IL, 1.W l~t á1¥-l-1,' r1~1,L .;_J.:J of rl_,.,.IJ .:'~~I .i~,_.,. rr. '-~4J ,~~l 1 .:...:;.l~ ._rl~.:_! .:.,:~ y.l_~-J ..s'~:-1 ..;.....,'..; ..s"l..1_;,;_ft .: l,J,.;T .iL;.,_~ ~:,; .;,:;..:Stl.,.,;.,.á_I .S.,_,.) ..:..,~ -:. '._,.;.....,~.) .,) }.:. L,il.J~l.i. ..:.,LT~~ :..vI11I ~ Jl};y.l r l.1...>.:-l, ..1.ul(~i.: ,.,~t.;. ,.1.lJ1 .Jtr~~Li ~~~.r.tJ.' ; _.:, ,,;;i/, ¥ ':. J )' ' _I Letter from the Ministry of Health to the Head of the Personnel Office of Ti/min Province (date not legible) advising them ofthe inappropriateness ofemploying Baha 'is in Government organi:ations, and the need for the present employees to either recant or be dismissed. THE BAHA'i WORLD lti1/T/lli,j I T I t¥Y¥ .,.,._. .,_: ~.,Jl~,,_.-i ...UI r-' , 0.3...~vl;l.&1;1, l8J r+=--..::..Wl..1..., 01,.-t=---Jl}I, ~l.!~¥.,flf;l_/_,¥..li_,,xc.~"-!~,i4 J ¥.................................:áááá;á¥"á~¥¥¥"¥áááá J ¥i:.,~ -=-l;lt,!;1-~1¡ ...,..~;U-~}u ,á J ~Ll ..:..~~ ~-¥¥¥ ~ r.,.~_-,_,...1 ¥..i;_,_x,.) .>y,:,_,... JljJ Jly,IJ tl;_ __,1 ~l-.-., '¥¥¥-;;4 -0 11 ~ .::-1 oJ,L ¥'r.~ fi' .::-lj.,...._, J, ...!.,.... ....,l,....... h........~~y......................~ .-,..,..+!~.~.h~.~~....-, J.... . . ..........)L, ..... .........-C./~r¥¥á¥ááááá¥áááá¥ááááááááá¥á¥ááááááááááá¥ááááááááááá¥ááááááá á¥-r J ..¥.......¥.¥¥¥.>L. ...........;, ¥.J~~-..... ááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááá ááááááááááááááá-1"' ................,L...............-",t_YJ'¥ ...........................................................-, I -~-~-;_ ./v)o y.,...--=.J.,;-~ o&.:....i1JJ y:1.> ..::..L-j--J 11 ..;~á_:ljJ '"'l...il CSJ~ iSjLj4 L)_,.;uá .,__,~":......t~:'.ti:1~(':':.~.~.{r:'.~~.1-!.¥¥¥...~:J>'.:... .:,_,;Lu.,.¥,t..:....ij..... ,.. ....c,.., f.1.;;_. jJ; 1 ., ....;); á , ¥..;;. I.IJ:¥l'l(,j':>':, v-111' ;.,r-:.i.... 0...uu ! , ¥.,L. -.>l:.:...1 J.t l.Si; ~,¥ .>:>_/á=--r,,S:.-. ¤¤ J..!~u-' )i: ;-/.~ ..::..~J.) d.AJj! J!li (L/.,..it~;,. u';11 j l rt.I)~~ t_'¡fe.1 ~,i.; j! (áY) ' .' á. á .,, JI~~~~~: Verdict of the Ministry of Oil dated I 1.2.1362 (I May 1983) dismissing from work in Government organi:ations and affiliated institutions Mr. Hidciyatu '/lcih /mti!..!J.cili, due to his membership in the Bahci á; Faith. -LY.. á..;m..EfMM#i#IWIW l@U OAW.JIW ._.,.._,:~_:.)~ .,.~. 1 -L ....L:.1. ~10 ..;1..,. =t,LL ~~'¥:. j~:; =t,LL,i\7\-\T :,.l1c';,_-,,_:, ..1..1,.;!J L;....)--U \::..a c..r:..-.,;J á---á _ áá0z~ ... ~lJt.1yc.t.....:.. ~i ~.,11..~~:,:) 1~ 1¥ ¥T\á1\t"' á---.{., ¥ _1.....=.iL,,,L,11', ~¥0~?1:~-1i..J~ '-':-'eC. --~?--áááááááá áá :I,._'"'.) 1-~i..1, v,,;~,1~~-~-,'J ¥¥ A~71....JL :'_:_ __ , ......1.-.A.c:.,.=.,~.._--,,,..(~':"l..!.:..L.. 1:J"'-\.\.1'<,,:,,'-1,.j~ ¥áá á áá.,J..4váá~á ¥ Tt\S\H t á;;,.¥~¥--1¥ ,~ <---á ""-',t.J¥~1i...L ::.1J.. á?,_c,... --áá, ,l.-_t.;_.Ll L. J~c.¥ J~t.J.,..:-1.._, I TiZ.\'-' \ r,á-"\~\ 7.;;.r..!t. ......J:; i:_:: áá 1-J~~ .1....L 10 .,J;_--..J 1t. :_':4,.L ~~1...11, Jc..1..¥ ~..01,.l'--..-)lá.,.:L l'l-':-1.,~.l.--<."J-"J ,, 1.. __ ~..:...':-\J~~ l~li :.;l~':,J.., IJlfJ~?.. ...J1..-,A ;.,:J,:.., )1~-U, ...-.¥ ¥:á~: 1..:..'-('-1.J -:Al -:,rk-~-.+¥ -,A<-¥-lL ~ti..u.lu ~!....(.11-..:., ' .._1'l.) ~~.,t-tti Ji..-1i..u 1~:;.Jt.':V.L';.}-.clu ~ 1u ~1 t',l ¥ ~....c.!:.:: 1 ~I:..)-=., 1,.-4 ,.I-=, ~ ¥'1.~ .:t,.. .J 1.. 1 l f t. I--.;.. ,._..)-cl<. .¥., AJt., t H...,Jl -:.iJ =j 1...1¥ c..x1k~ r 1J1.., . ;-,Al..;__J L1.. 1¥¥¥1i..-c.t.J-=.Lc..¥¥¥ ~,~:.L. .;.....:J " 4 :-..~~:...~ -~ ..:..;1J.. J~-.c!J .....:...i.JC ~-4,.a t.-!-'..'U .,J,...::.,l-~..:.. Jt..~ ~~u u....1-iJ ~c. d~:...c.Jl.> 1-lc:'.--u ~-">JJf't;/6/TA ">JJ' ,.s\.:,li.; i;-~ ¥ ..,;L>I'. t)I~ \,. .r-lS. .;.,.... , ¥ ..,..,S )>-.,. ..,.....S ._ IJ_-, È .,__ .,,,. J ., .>..!JI_,; ..S; .>,; \:....1 r.,..~. rli. \,. ¥,SI .i. ._,. L 1.,.. '--,.,_~~, ¥ ..,;)-> vL) J ,J~ -5I ¥ 1;_:..;_, (~,.Jl..~ ) .J\.; . ..;_,.1 0 1.,., ..s =l.2;,$; -á-.. -¥. '----¥~;-:_:--rec-:-:-IIS.,il¥.1 ~.I.I./.~_.-: . :" I. --., ~-;.,:.: ¥ ..,, ., ' / Lei/er from the Municipality of Nawm,ahr to Mr. 'Ali-Ri(ia Khanlari, dated 30.5.1364 (21 August /985) informing him of their refusal to issue him with a work permit due to his membership in the 'wayward sectá of Baha '/. . ...... ¥JL..:. OVV á:r:A:. _,;Jl.)41':/ l>J,1: >J .,./').;.;i .:,1! l_~ ; ,JI _, ,t.; ~¥J/' ArH"A¥ JU'-.:, 1),, trr u:á-~ JJ...\:.....¥ ' :.\ ,á. --:: áá,-,. "1. .,ii J.>i 1' \ r\ i,\" ~; J, Jái ..:..f .,_:. ,)l}~I; r -0 -uox 441 ![111\Ail \RAH HllX l\l9fiJ AOU \R ,., v-r.-J_,;.,.:..S_,.;,rl J_,..;....,J _,it,._,L.L,-.s uu...,,uJ }11..:..i ._, ...,..,,1., -., ..__. ;JU ,w,J, ;)I;. Iv---,:yJ.,J fa,_;¥¥¥1 _._.I¥ JI., 0L.u_,,...;ILo. ~ J--J .,1 .. 11 án ¥ n 111 t,r f ,f 11 .,L..l ... ~.,..,.,...i.il Ji...u.a! ,:>1----1;1 t'l;.. ,:..,J.-t!..:-1 ._, ,5 ._;4-< .>1.,JI 1:1_,;..I.,. .;,..-._,1.:.t-1_.,,..1.,, ts . I , v-----'<)-(, lfJ,c1,t,i,1_~á I_,.,: .l, _ _,: ;'..,á ) _,~£.~r Lei/er from the Iranian National Industries Company to Mr. H,illiang Killiavar: dared 18. I. 1363 (7 April 1984) informing him ofhis dismissal from services. 'Despite your persnerance and competence in the progress of the affairs of the company, and your economising al its jimds. and also de.,pire your good manners and goodly behaviour throughout the period ofyour services. based on the circular lei/er number 2026 I dated 16.9.1360 (7 December 1981). regarding the dismissal ()j'Ba/11i á; emplorees. your services in this company are ended as of' 18. 1.1363 (7 April 1983). Notice regarding the Rel'ieiving Council of the Ministry of Oil published in Kayhan neivspaper, issue number //832. dated l/././362 (31 March /983). áwe hereby notify all members of the ll'ayivard Balui á; sect ll'ho hal'e appealed for a rel'ie 11á . that they should come to receil'e their invitation forms as soon as possible. Failure to do so would lead to a verdict being issued in their absence.á INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'i AC TIVITI ES ¥JW cu~ __,~.>.J $ J /. .._sl&-~ J ,~ ,s¥¥¥-J ? ._,.b-L.. cc¥l.;K. u~ ~4-, ._IL.; ....;_,Jjlu,.._,l,c:.,L..,t>l,1.:,,1._,....,._, ... , .,,_.:.,. ¥ .,1., ..,t;. .:,l.jl.. 0 ,1,.,1...:,,u "-< t,,b ¥'1_;1 ¥ ....:,.,,.1,...,.,l., 'L,,t...,.t...: . ..,_.L.¥ ~~f,-c:..-1..,e-<"'< 7 ~~I ~ _\.'.:.~ .~ y::.l..:,.:;.S_;..~~_;:... ~)...~tS..>~I .,.: :_(.~ ~( ~~ ¥..1 yy' ., 1~.,.. -! -á ..I'( -...; Leller from the joint-stock companies of Quds Stores to Mr. Nasir !i/J.u'lih-Pak dated 20.5.1363 (I I August 1984) informing him ofhis dismissal from work due to his membership in the áwayward Baha '/ sect'. THE BAHA ' i WORLD (Qi) :l';'J¥ 4"!~ 1-,,c-,,4-..,-.,.') .:,f_;J ISJL..)91 _/ ..:.,1_,._lc-i.L.oj\.... y :J ..,.:5wl._:,L..t!:.: 1.S)JIJ,.I: .:... ..:..,-;,J ,s~t}; ti': i:.c..:,-;,; Mr:.r-r ..,ill r 0r .;,iW-> 1... á"':--._..:'." ,) ,; ¥'-..t:-.:i"!t~> _ .:i'A rá ~~ ;u _, ..,.. ) .)1 r, ¥ ..,:...: ,i.J-'~... l'l¥ f' ¥ -~-, ..,.i; l)Jl ,1"" ¥-'~ -;,.J~ ¥ :;..x ~.¥ ...,. ;.)T r,.5-;i .)1J..!ll ,..,~ 0rr , f'1r¥n -' l"\r¥ vr ,rL Le11er ji-0111 the tractor factory in irtin to Mr. "A:i:u 'I/ah Ziyadi-{i}J_im_van (date not legible) informing him qf' dismissal from ivork. 'Of course, should you announce your acqui11al from the ivayivard Bal,(/ 'i sect by producing valid documents, there will be no objection to you working here.. INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CU RRENT BAH ,\' i ACTIVITIES "1Y/\\,. . LIii H\", ' . -' r_,,; .l..,". ¥., L. r-.:'.___:,'_ _,,,;.,J ___._., LL /\Y ..::..,, ,,c.. t,., l; J., .r..:.,I le-, .JL. "I,) ->"-'Jáá'-' 4< c... \-.::U ¥.,.,... 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IP."-'' ~1.,r:,. ~ .,~ ,.:,L.:.,:..-.;~-:-ul+a-)o ....~~,., ...~,.:,,:.S'... 1 01;~....1 _n iJ;,s ..S.lt-_n ...l.!.lS .,.4-_y, ~~~......,,1..,...1~1':'t..,(1.Jl ...,-) ...;.,~ _n ...,...~. JllJ, _y, ~JII~ _n ,J"'!f .:,I .:.,'--.!..!. ~ J ~l.. _y\ ..,..P""' ...Ul.:.t;,., _YA ._;~ ~Y' t...., _yy ~,_.., .:,il..'.;..:.:. 1,..,, ,:,L.~ .......4 u¥~ ,.____j,a,.l.. _n ,hi....,: ; ..i.. _n .J}1 r!.....,~ _,.. . .;,..;.. .,.,~ t .....~ Jo& ~... ~.. ,,. ..,. ~ ..,....~ ~,~ ¥ J , ..._,.~A,lfa..,....:,iL..:,..,, ......,1 .......:.1~ .:,_,..i ~4, 0 .,I,_; U.J~~ U~ ~.,. ,_,..)4..1 y)Aa.l _;á.a-.,1t.,1 J .._. ,S ;) ..,.)1.-1 J.1 ~,..~., ... i..,.1 ,;;;J~ á .:..~~ á b 17101 d t d 14 Shahrivar 1362 (5 September 1983) Article i11 the lttih\'in newspaper. ,_ssue num er . -~; 1 I-. R olution the licenses of 32 anno,mcing that, 'At the order oj the Central Court OJ t 1e_ s am,c . ev ¥ Balui 'i attorneys have been withdrawn. INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAH A'i ACTIVITIES The Mafilriqu'/-A