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Search for tag "War"
date |
event |
locations |
tags |
see also |
1799 in the year |
Napoleon, returning from Egypt, captured Jaffa and laid siege to Akka.
The French in Egypt were being threatened by the British Fleet. Napoleon's objective was to compare the Ottoman government to come to terms with the French. He defeated the Turks on the Plain of Jereel and advanced as far as Nazareth and Safed but failed to capture Akka. He withdrew his forces in June of 1799. [Handbook of Palestine edited by H C Luke and E Keith Roach, McMillan, London, 1922 pp22-23, Handbook of Palestine] |
Akka |
Napoleon I; History (general); War (general) |
|
1804 - 1813 |
Russo-Persian War resulted in a Russian victory. The Battle of Aslan Duz on 31 October 1812 was the turning point in the war, which led to the complete destruction of the Persian army, thus leaving Fath Ali Shah with no other option but to sign the Treaty of Gulistan on 24 October 1813. Numerically, Persian forces had a considerable advantage during the war, a ratio of 5 to 1 over their Russian adversaries, however, the Persian forces were technologically backwards and poorly trained - a problem that the Persian government failed to recognize.
With the Treaty of Gulistan Persia ceded what is now Georgia, Dagestan, parts of northern Armenia, and most of what now comprises modern Azerbaijan to Russia. |
Gulistan; Aslan Duz; Iran; Russia |
Russo-Persian War; Treaty of Gulistan; War (general); History (general); Iran, General history |
|
1828 10 Feb |
Defeat of the Persians at the hands of the Russians.
The Russo-Persian War of 1826–28 was the last major military conflict between the Russian Empire and Iran.
The war ended following the occupation of Tabriz and had even more disastrous results for Persia than the 1804-1813 war. The ensuing Treaty of Turkmenchay, signed on 10 February 1828 in Torkamanchay, Iran, stripped Persia of its last remaining territories in the Caucasus, which comprised all of modern Armenia, the southern remainder of modern Azerbaijan, and modern Igdir in Turkey. Through the Gulistan and Turkmenchay treaties Persia had lost all of its territories in the Caucasus to Russia making them the unquestioned dominant power in the region. [BBRSM55]
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Tabriz; Turkmenchay; Iran |
Russo-Persian War; War (general); History (general); Iran, General history |
|
1839 (In the year) |
Defeat of Persia at the hands of the British. [BBRSM55] |
Iran |
War (general); British history; History (general); Iran, General history |
|
1843 10 Jan |
The sacking of the holy city of Karbalá at the hands of the Turks. Thousands of its citizens were killed even those who had taken refuge in the Shrines of Imám Husayn or 'Abbás. [BBRSM55, HotD10, DB36-37]
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Karbala; Iraq |
Ottoman Empire; War (general); History (general) |
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1846 c. Nov |
Manúchihr Khán arranged a meeting between the Báb and the clerics to silence their opposition. After the encounter, about 70 of them meet and issued a death-warrant. [Bab112–13; DB205–9] |
Isfahan; Iran |
Manuchihr Khan; Bab, Life of; Death-warrant |
|
1865 (In the year) |
French diplomat Joseph Comte de Gobineau published Religions et les Philosophies dans l'Asie Centrale, over half of which is devoted to a study of the Bábí movement. He relied heavily on the Násikhu't-Taváríkh (The History to Abrogate All Previous Histories) written by Lisánu'l-Mulk. Bahá'u'lláh had condemned this account as "a falsification of history, one which even an infidel would not have had the effrontery to produce". [SUR36-37]
"The Comte de Gobineau’s work with its obvious parallels drawn between the life and martyrdom of the Báb with that of Jesus Christ, was the most influential volume in carrying the story to Western minds. The English poet and cultural critic Matthew Arnold, in A Persian Passion Play, wrote that the chief purpose of Gobineau’s book was to give a history of the career of Mirza Ali Mahommed…the founder of Bâbism, of which most people in England have at least heard the name. The notion that most people in England, in Arnold’s view, were aware of the Báb indicates how deeply His fame had penetrated into far-off societies." [Tales of Magnificent Heroism:
The impact of the Báb and His followers on writers and artists by Robert Weinberg.
Gobineau's work was written when Mírzá Yahyá was still known as the nominal head of the Bábí Faith between 1855 and 1858 when Gobineau was First Secretary and Chargé d'Affaires of the French Legation. Two embassy employees during his time there were ardent supporters of Mírzá Yahyá, one of whom was his brother-in-law. (He served as the Ambassador from March 1862 until September 1863.)
This work attracted a number of other European intellectuals, including E. G. Browne of Cambridge, who eventually became the most prolific western writer and researcher of the Bábi religion. [BBR17, MCS483; 500; 512
The Comte de Gobineau’s Religions et Philosophies dans l’Asie Centrale (1865)—with its obvious parallels drawn between the life and martyrdom of the Báb with that of Jesus Christ—was the most influential volume in carrying the story to Western minds. The English poet and cultural critic Matthew Arnold, in A Persian Passion Play, wrote that the chief purpose of Gobineau’s book was to give a history of the career of Mirza Ali Mahommed…the founder of Bâbism, of which most people in England have at least heard the name. The notion that most people in England, in Arnold’s view, were aware of the Báb indicates how deeply His fame had penetrated into far-off societies. |
France; Iran |
Comte de Gobineau; Babism; Edward Granville Browne; Mirza Yahya (Subh-i-Azal); Matthew Arnold |
|
1870 19 Jul – 1871 10 May |
Franco-Prussian War was a conflict between the Second French Empire of Napoleon III and the German states of the North German Confederation led by the Kingdom of Prussia. The conflict was caused by Prussian ambitions to extend German unification and French fears of the shift in the European balance of power that would result if the Prussians succeeded.
See KA90 for Bahá'u'lláh's reference to this and KAN121 for `Abdu'l-Bahá's interpretation. |
Germany; France |
Franco-Prussian War; War (general); History (general); Napoleon III |
|
1870 1 - 2 Sep |
Battle of Sedan. Napoleon III suffered defeat at the hands of Kaiser Wilhelm I. It resulted in the capture of Emperor Napoleon III and large numbers of his troops and for all intents and purposes decided the war in favour of Prussia and its allies, though fighting continued under a new French government. Napoleon went into exile in England, where he died in 1873.
Bahá'u'lláh referred to this in KA86.
|
Sedan; France; Germany; United Kingdom |
Franco-Prussian War; War (general); History (general); Napoleon III; Kaiser Wilhelm I; Kitab-i-Aqdas (Most Holy Book) |
|
1877 – 1878 |
As a result of the war between Russia and Turkey some 11 million people were freed from the Turkish yoke. Adrianople was occupied by the Russian ally, Bulgaria. The Ottoman enemies were brought to the gates of Istanbul. [BKG262; GPB225]- See BKG460 for the Siege of Plevna.
|
Edirne (Adrianople); Plevna; Turkey; Russia |
War (general); History (general) |
|
1887. 26 Jul |
Leyzer (Eliezer) Levi Zamenhof published, in Russian, La Unua Libro, (The First Book) of his fully-formed manual of the Esperanto language, signing it “Doktoro Esperanto”, the nom de plume of its creator. By way of explanation, the word "esperanto", in Esperanto, means "One who hopes".
Some estimates optimistically place the number of people familiar to some degree with the language at nearly two million, and it is now among the languages taught on the popular website and app Duolingo. But there are only perhaps some ten thousand fully fluent Esperanto speakers.
See JPost.com 8Feb2022 for a full history of the language and of the Zamenof family. |
Warsaw; Poland |
Leyzer (Eliezer) Levi Zamenhof; Zamenof; Lidia Zamenof; Esperanto |
|
1887 – 1888 |
E. G. Browne, the noted Orientalist, spent 12 months in Persia. An important purpose of his journey was to contact the Bábís. [BBR29]
For a list of his books and other works and his relationship with the Bahá'í Faith see BBR29–36.
Also see BBD47; Balyuzi, Edward Granville Browne and the Bahá'í Faith and Momen, Selections From the Writings of E. G. Browne.
While sailing from Naples to New York 'Abdu'l-Bahá gave an account of Mírzá Yahyá and his followers and of the complaints they made to Edward G. Browne: "They tampered with the contents of the history of Hájí Mírzá Jání by removing some of its passages and inserting others. They sent it to the libraries of London and Paris and through such falsehood induced him [Browne] to translate and publish the document. In order to achieve his own selfish desires, he had it printed." [Mahmúd's Diary p21] |
Iran; United Kingdom |
Edward Granville Browne; Mirza Yahya (Subh-i-Azal); Covenant-breakers; Haji Mirza Jani |
|
1888 29 Mar |
The first lecture in the West on the Bahá'í Faith (`Bábism') was given by E. G. Browne at the Essay Society, Newcastle, England. [SCU12] |
Newcastle; United Kingdom |
Edward Granville Browne; Firsts, Other |
|
1889 Jun |
E. G. Browne gave a paper on the Bahá'í Faith (`Bábism') at the Royal Asiatic Society, London. |
London; United Kingdom |
Edward Granville Browne; Royal Asiatic Society |
|
1890 c. |
E. G. Browne was in `Akká. Bahá'u'lláh was staying in the Templer colony in Haifa when he arrived. [BBR253] |
Akka; Haifa |
Edward Granville Browne; Templer colony; Bahaullah, Life of |
|
1890. 15–20 Apr |
E. G. Browne was granted four successive interviews with Bahá'u'lláh at Bahjí. [BBD43; BBR225; BKG371; GPB193]
See BBR225–32 for Browne's own account of the visit.
See BBR229–31, BKG371–3 and DH110 for Browne's pen portrait of Bahá'u'lláh.
'Abdu'l-Bahá gave Browne the manuscript of A Traveller's Narrative: the Episode of the Báb in the handwriting of Zaynu'l-Muqarrabín for him to translate. [EGB54, BW11p510]BFA1:445; Balyuzi, Edward Granville Browne and The Bahá'í Faith and Momen, Selections From the Writings of E. G. Browne.
E.G. Browne was also in the presence of Bahá’u’lláh in the Junayn Garden (occurred some time during his five day visit to Bahjí from April 15th to April 20th in 1890). [Reflections on the Bahá'í Writings.] |
Akka |
Edward Granville Browne; Bahaullah, Life of; Bahaullah, Pen portraits of; Pen portraits; Portraits; Travelers Narrative (book); Zaynul-Muqarrabin (Mulla Zaynul-Abidin); Bahji; Junayn gardens |
|
1891. (In the year) |
Bishárát (Glad-Tidings) is considered one of the major writings of Bahá'u'lláh. [Bahá'u'lláh's Bishárát (Glad-Tidings):
A Proclamation to Scholars and Statesmen by Christopher Buck and Youli A. Ioannesyan]
The Tablet of Glad-Tidings is a selective compendium of Bahaullah's laws and principles, sequentially presented in a series of 15 Glad-Tidings. As the Arabic term Bisharat suggests, these Glad-Tidings were a public announcement of some of the essential teachings of the new Bahá'í religion. The Glad-Tidings is the most extensive of several tablets by Bahá'u'lláh that present key teachings in a numbered structure. The Glad-Tidings may, in part, be regarded as serially articulated world reforms intermixed with religious reforms emanating from Bahá'u'lláh in his professed role as World Reformer. The Glad-Tidings also functioned analogously (albeit anachronistically) to a press release, serving not only as a public proclamation but to rectify the inaccuracies and gross misrepresentations that had previously circulated in print. Intended for widespread translation and publication, the Glad-Tidings was sent to scholars notably Russian orientalist, Baron Viktor Rosen (1849-1908) and Cambridge orientalist, Edward Granville Browne (1862-1926) and possibly pre-revolutionary Russian statesmen as well. As a Proclamatory Aqdas, the Tablet of Glad-Tidings was part of a much broader proclamation by Bahaullah, who proclaimed his mission to the political and religious leaders of the world.
buck_ioannesyan_bisharat_proclamation.pdf.
Bishárát from Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh p21-29.
See "Faculty Notes" by Robert Stockman.
See GPB216 and BBS158. |
|
Bahaullah, Writings of; Bisharat; Glad-Tidings; Baron Rosen; Edward Granville Browne |
|
1891. 15 Feb |
First public lecture in the West on the Bahá'í Faith was given by E. G. Browne at the Southplace Institute, London.
He spoke to the Pembroke College Literary Society in England (Martletts), at which the Faith was discussed at length.
|
London; United Kingdom |
Edward Granville Browne; Southplace Institute; Firsts, Other |
find reference |
1898 Jul or Aug |
Phoebe Hearst became a Bahá'í in California through the efforts of Lua and Edward Getsinger. [BFA1:XXVIII 139; LDNW14-15]
SBBH1:93 says this was July, based on Kheiralla's autobiography; BFA1 is based on a letter from Phoebe Hearst. |
California; United States |
Phoebe Hearst; Lua Getsinger; Edward Getsinger |
|
1898. 22 Sep |
The first Western pilgrims departed for `Akká, travelling via New York and Paris. [BFA1:XXVIII, 140–1, 230]
It was arranged by Phoebe Hearst, who had already planned a journey to Egypt for the autumn. [BFA1:140, AY60]
There were 15 pilgrims in all. Among them was Ibáhím Kheiralla and his family. [AB68; AY111]
|
New York; United States |
Pilgrimage; First pilgrims; Pilgrims; Phoebe Hearst; Lua Getsinger; Edward Getsinger; Robert Turner; Ibrahim George Kheiralla |
|
1898. 10 Dec |
The first Western pilgrims arrived in `Akká. [AB68; BBD13; BBRXXX; DH214; GPB257; SCU13; Bahá'í Teachings]
See MBBA146-152 for a description of how arrangements were made to accommodate the Western visitors in a relatively new city with no hotels and few houses. The city was built to accommodate the construction of the Suez Canal which had been completed in 1869. Other sources indicate that the pilgrims were accommodated in Cairo.
'Abdu'l-Bahá expressed His appreciation to Mírzá Áqá Nuri'd-Din for his service in accommodating the Western pilgrims. His Tablet seems to indicate that he was kept in place for that purpose. [MBBA152]
They divided themselves into three parties, using Cairo as a staging post. [AB68; BFA1:143; SBBH1:93]
See AB68–72; BFA2:9; DH61; GPB257, 259 for those included in the pilgrimage group.
Included were Mrs Hearst's nieces, a few American friends and, joining in London, Mrs Mary Thornburgh-Cropper and her mother. [SCU13. CH234-236; LDNW15]
In Paris the group was joined by two nieces of Mrs Hearst, Mrs Thornburgh, her daughter Miriam Thornburgh-Cropper and May Bolles. [AB68]
LDNW15 says that Ella Goodall and Nell Hillyer and May Bolles joined the party in Paris.
There were further additions in Egypt. [AB68]
See BFA1:143–4 for those included in the first group.
Among the group was Robert Turner, the first member of the Black race to become a Bahá'í. For 35 years, Turner faithfully served as butler to Phoebe Apperson Hearst and Senator George Hearst, parents of newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst. [AB72; BBD227; BFA1:139; GPB259]
`Abdu'l-Bahá received the pilgrims in the House of `Abdu'lláh Páshá. [BBD13, 108; DH61]
See AB68–71; BW16:104–5; CH235–6 and GPB257–9 for the pilgrims' responses to the pilgrimage.Edward Getsinger made a recording of `Abdu'l-Bahá chanting a prayer. [BFA1:160]
Getsinger also took photographs that he later tinted and published as an album. [LDNW16]
On the 18th of January, 1899, Lua received her first Tablet from 'Abdu'l-Bahá, in fact, it was the first Tablet addressed to a North American believer. [LGHC23]
See TF31-52 for details of Lua Getsinger's pilgrim experience and TF44-46 for 'Abdu'l-Bahá's parting remarks to the pilgrims.
The Getsingers returned from the pilgrimage with an Arabic copy of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas which was later translated by Anton Haddad. They departed on the 23rd of March, 1899. [BFA2:11; LGHC30]
See Star of the West, vol. VII, No. 4 or "Lua Getsinger - Herald of the Covenant" By Amine DeMille for a description of how 'Abdu'l-Bahá gave Lua the power to speak eloquently. [LDNW15] iiiii
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Akka; Cairo; Egypt |
Pilgrims; Pilgrimage; First pilgrims; Mary Virginia Thornburgh-Cropper; Robert Turner; First believers by background; Edward Getsinger; Lua Getsinger; Anton Haddad; Kitab-i-Aqdas (Most Holy Book); House of Abdullah Pasha; Abdul-Baha, Voice recordings of; Abdul-Baha, Life of |
|
1899. 23 Mar |
Edward and Lua Getsinger departed Akká and arrived in New York City on the 20th of May. [LGHC30]
Prior to her leaving 'Abdu'l-Bahá took a piece of bread, put some honey on it and told her to eat it, saying as He did so, "let all of your words be as sweetly flavoured by kindness to al people as this bread is flavoured by honey". She wrote that at that moment she felt as she swallowed that bread as if she had received a great spiritual blessing. LGHC25]
For His parting address to them see [LGHC27-28]
They brought with them a photograph of 'Abdu'l-Bahá as young man, a copy of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas in Arabic, a calligraphic rendering of the Greatest Name and a phonographic recording of the Master's voice. They left the record player in Akká for the Holy Family. [LGHC30]
|
Akka; New York; United States |
Edward Getsinger; Lua Getsinger; Pilgrimage; First pilgrims; Pilgrims; Greatest Name; Abdul-Baha, Voice recordings of; Abdul-Baha, Life of; Gifts |
|
1899 (Fall) |
Edward Getsinger appointed five men as a "Board of Counsel" for the Baha'is of northern New Jersey. Isabella Brittingham was made the honorary corresponding secretary, but was not a member of the body. [The Service of Women on the Institutions of the Baha'i Faith] |
New Jersey; United States |
Edward Getsinger; Board of Counsel |
|
1900 (In the year) |
The publication of Prayers, Tablets, Instructions and Miscellany, together with pilgrim's notes of the second party of American Bahá'ís to visit Akka, Palestine: Edward and Lua Getsinger, Arthur and Elizabeth Dodge and William and Anna Hoar.
This book "appeared at a time when Khayru'lláh's total alienation was no longer in doubt".
[AB87]
Ali-Kuli Khan was with that group of pilgrims. When one looks at this small book or only 91 pages, one is amazed at how little these early Western Bahá'ís had of the Words and the Writings...and how deep their faith was that so little sufficed. [AB88] |
Chicago; United States |
Publications; Translation; Prayer texts; Edward Getsinger; Arthur Dodge; William Hoar; Lua Getsinger; Elizabeth Dodge; Anna Hoar |
|
1900 7 Dec |
In New York, nine men were selected to govern the affairs of the Faith. Those serving were Arthur Dodge, Hooper Harris, William Hoar, Andrew Hutchinson, Howard MacNutt, Frank Osborne, Edwin Putnam, Charles Sprague and Orosco Woolson. Among the problems that they had to face was the effect of the disaffection of Kheiralla. [BFA2p36; Highlights of the First 40 Years of the Bahá’í Faith in New York, City of the Covenant, 1892-1932 by Hussein Ahdieh p5]
One of the men, William Hoar, had been present at the reading of the paper by Henry Jessop at the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago in 1892. Shortly after he began study of the Faith with Ibrahim Khayru'llah. Later Hoar moved to New York where he continued study with Anton Haddad. Haddad had learned of the Faith in Egypt from Haji 'Abu'l-Karim-i-Tihrani. [WMSH59] |
New York; United States |
Board of Council; Spiritual Assemblies; LSA; Ibrahim George Kheiralla; Arthur Dodge; Hooper Harris; William Hoar; Andrew Hutchinson; Howard MacNutt; Frank Osborne; Edwin Putnam; Charles Sprague; Orosco Woolson; Ibrahim George Kheiralla; Anton Haddad; Haji Abul-Karim-i-Tihrani. |
|
1902 (In the year) |
An extract from a Tablet to Mr. Howard MacNutt from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá refers to New York as the “City of the Covenant”. [Highlights of the First 40 Years of the Bahá’í Faith in New York, City of the Covenant, 1892-1932 by Hussein Ahdieh p8]
|
New York; United States |
Howard MacNutt; City of the Covenant (New York) |
|
1904 (In the year) |
The publication of The Book of Ighan (Kitáb-i-Íqán) by George V. Blackburne Co in New York. It had been translated by Ali Kuli Khan with assistance by Howard McNutt. This was the earliest translation into English of this book and was superseded by the publication of the translation by Shoghi Effendi. [BEL1.12]
A second edition was published in 1907 in Chicago by the Bahá'í Publishing Society and a third in 1915. [BEL1.13, 1.14]
The Book of Ighan. |
Chicago; United States |
Kitab-i-Iqan (Book of Certitude); Ali Kuli Khan; Howard MacNutt |
|
1905 (In the year) |
The publication of The New Revelation: Its Marvelous Message by Nathan Ward Fitz-Gerald.288p
BEL 7.974 describes the book as "A pot-pourri of introductory materials on the Bahá'í Faith, which includes much misinformation. Includes an early translation of The Hidden Words. Typography includes considerable bold typeface." |
Tacoma; Wash; United States |
Nathan Ward Fitz-Gerald; Publications |
|
1905. 23 May or 2 Jun |
A Nineteen Day Feast was celebrated in New York City, the first known to have been held in North America. [BFA2:XVI, 245]
It consisted of a devotional portion and a social part. The administrative aspect of the Feast was developed in the 1930s. [BFA2:245; SA208]
Howard and Mary MacNutt, along with Julia Grundy, had been on pilgrimage early in the year and had been encouraged to hold Feasts by 'Abdu'l-Bahá.
In a meeting of NY Board of Council at the home of Mr. Arthur Pillsbury Dodge on the 19th of May, Mr. Howard MacNutt described a Nineteen Day Feast he had attended in Acca. The Board then planned the First Nineteen Day Feast to be held the following Tuesday, June 2nd at the home of Mr. Fleming. [Highlights of the First 40 Years of the Bahá’í Faith in New York, City of the Covenant, 1892-1932 by Hussein Ahdieh p10]
|
New York; United States |
Nineteen Day Feast; Howard MacNutt; Mary MacNutt; Julia Grundy; Abdul-Baha, Life of; Pilgrims |
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1905. 5 Sep |
The Treaty of Portsmouth formally ended the 1904–05 Russo-Japanese War. It was signed on September 5, 1905,[1] after negotiations from August 6 to August 30, at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine, United States.[2] U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt was instrumental in the negotiations and won the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts. Were it not for US diplomacy and the military restraint displayed by the other European nations, the Russo-Japanese war might have become the first world war. [Wikipedia]
According to some historians, the 1905 Russo-Japanese War was the first truly modern war, involving as it did both the telegraph and the telephone, along with machine guns, barbed wire, illuminating star shells, mine fields, advanced torpedoes, and armored battleships. The war's resolution might also be called the world's first modern “peace,” inasmuch as its end came about through perhaps the first use of so-called multi-track diplomacy, involving not only the belligerents but also the United States and, significantly, input from civil society. [One Country]
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Portsmouth; New Hampshire; United States; Russia; Japan |
Portsmouth Peace Treaty; Theodore Roosevelt; Peace; War (general); History (general); Peace treaties |
|
1907. (In the Year) |
Edward 'Saffa" Kinney and his wife Carrie "Vaffa" were in pilgrimage during this year. 'Abdu'l-Bahá later described them as being "Pillars of th Faith in the City of the Covenant" for their steadfastness in the Cause. [SYH45] |
BWC |
Pilgrimage; Edward Kinney; Carrie Kinney |
|
1908. 30 Aug |
A "Feast of Rejoicing" was held at the home of Howard MacNutt at 935 Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn to celebrate the "freedom of 'Abdu'l-Bahá. It had been forty years since the exiles had been sent to Akka. [Bahá'í Bulletin Vol 1 No 1 p6; WMSH58-59] |
New York; United States |
Abdul-baha, Life of; Howard MacNutt |
|
1909 Summer |
Sir Ronald Storrs, then a student of Arabic of Edward Granville Browne, visited 'Abdu'l-Bahá in Akka. [BW10p192; CH226]
|
Akka |
Ronald Storrs; Edward Granville Browne |
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1909 Nov |
Charles Mason Remey and Howard Struven left the United States on the first Bahá'í teaching trip to circle the globe. [BFA2:348, GPB261]
They went to Hawaii, Japan, Shanghai, Singapore, Hong Kong and to Burma, India and `Akká. [BFA2:348–50; Video Early history of the Bahá'í Faith in China 2min56sec]
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Hawaii; Japan; Shanghai; China; Singapore; Myanmar (Burma); India; Akka |
Charles Mason Remey; Howard Struven; Travel teaching |
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1909 25 Nov |
Dr Susan Moody, a famed American homeopathist, arrived in Tihrán. She and four Persian Bahá'í doctors start the Sehat Hospital. Because the hospital was only accessible to the wealthy she established a private practice that was open to all women regardless of their ability to pay. [BFA2:359-360]
She spent two days in 'Akká en route to Persia and 'Abdu'l-Bahá conferred upon her the title Amatu'l-'Alí (Handmaid of the Most High). [BFA2:358]
Dr Sarah A. Clock arrived from Seattle in 1911 to assist her followed by Miss Elizabeth Stewart (nurse). [BFA2:361]
Dr Sarah Clock sailed from New York for Iran on 8 December 1910. She served the Bahá'í community of Iran with great sacrifice for years. While her main task was treatment of the sick, she never ceased educating the youth. She was an energetic tolerant and contented woman. Very often needy people were not only exempted from paying her meagre honoraria, but also received medicaments fro free. She was highly respected by the Bahá'í community and non-Bahá'í alike. Finally after twelve years of devoted service, she died of pneumonia in Tehran. [OLOMp43-44]
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Tihran; Iran |
Susan Moody; Sehat Hospital; Sarah Clock; Elizabeth Stewart; Women; Social and economic development; Homeopathy; Names and titles |
|
1909 Dec |
Charles Mason Remey and Howard Struven spoke at the first Bahá'í public meeting held in Honolulu. [BFA2:348; SBR189] |
Honolulu; Hawaii |
Charles Mason Remey; Howard Struven; Firsts, Other |
|
1910 (In the year) |
Charles Mason Remey and Howard Struven arrived in Shanghai and met with Áqá Mírzá `Abdu'l-Baqí Yazdí. They were probably the first Bahá'ís from the West to go to China. [PH25; Video Early history of the Bahá'í Faith in China 5min45sec] |
Shanghai; China |
Charles Mason Remey; Howard Struven; Aqa Mirza Abdul-Baqi Yazdi; Firsts, Other |
|
1910 (In the year) |
Within a year of her arrival in Persia, Dr. Susan Moody opened the Tarbíyat School for Girls in Tihrán. [BBD221–2; BFA2:360–1] Some of those serving at the school were:
Miss Lillian Kappes of Hoboken, New Jersey arrived in December of 1911 to serve as a teacher. She stopped in Thonon to visit 'Abdu'l-Bahá on the way. [SoW Vol 2 No 17 Jan 19. 1912 p2] She died on the 1st of December, 1920 of typhus and was buried there.
She was replaced by Genevieve Coy, a qualified psychologist, a Ph.D. in 1922 who was followed by Adelaide Sharp in 1929. Her mother, Clara Sharp joined her in 1931. [BFA2p361, AY233]
Elizabeth Stewart who served as a nurse at the school accompanied Lillian Kappes on her arrival. Miss Stewart served until 1924 when she returned to Philadelphia where she died in 1926. [ABF43]
Munírih Khánum Ayádí, the mother of Dr Karím Ayádí (later famed as the Shah much-trusted doctor) was Persia’s first official Director of the Tarbíyat School for Girls. She was widely recognized as exceptional, at a time when Persia’s Bahá’í women were only gradually emerging from their earlier state under Islam. Much respected by the men, her attitude toward them was one of total equality. Her greatness was in herself, her devotion to the Faith absolute, and she was made a member of such advanced committees as the Bahá’í Women’s Committee. Her views were moderated by her sense of humour, which included self-deprecation so that she never subjected you to her piety. One day during the Bahá’í Fast, she asked Marzieh Gall: ‘Do you think God would notice if I ducked into that room and sneaked a few puffs of tobacco?’ [AY333]
|
Tihran; Iran |
Tarbiyat School; Bahai schools; Susan Moody; Lillian Kappes; Genevieve Coy; Adelaide Sharp; Clara Sharp; Elizabeth Stewart; Women; Social and economic development; Munirih Khanum Ayadi; Karim Ayadi |
|
1911 22 Aug - 3 Sep |
`Abdu'l-Bahá took up residence at Thonon-les-Bains on Lake Leman (Lake Geneva). [AB140; GPB280; SBR219]
While there He encountered Zillu's-Sultán, the eldest son of the Sháh of the time, Násirid-Dín Sháh. It was he who had ratified the execution of the King of Martyrs and the Beloved of Martyrs and at least 100 others. The whole family was in exile in Geneva at this time. 'Abdu'l-Bahá was very courteous to this man who had been such an inveterate enemy of the Cause. [DJT172, AY19, GPB201] .
The Master sent for Juliet Thompson who had been waiting in London for His permission to join Him.
During His stay he had a visit from Annie Boylan, a member of the New York community that was experiencing disharmony. Unaware of Bahá'í election procedures, a group that was unhappy with the disunity and ineffectiveness of the Council had organized a vote to be rid of several of its Council members. 'Abdu'l-Bahá had written to the community a short time before recommending that the Council be expanded from 9 to 27 members so that all factions could be represented. He also recommended that women be included on the Council and that the name be changed to "the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of New York". This apparently addressed the problem of disunity because the New York community went on to contribute significantly to the progress of the Faith on a national level. [DJT181, BFA2p338]
Horace Holley, who lived at Quattro Torri, Siena, Italy at the time, along with his wife Bertha Herbert and baby daughter Hertha, visited 'Abdu'l-Bahá on the 29th and 30th of August. Please see his Religion for Mankind p 232-237 for a pen portrait of 'Abdu'l-Bahá.
He met with Elizabeth Stewart and Lillian Kappes who were on their way to Tehran. [find reference]
It would appear that He returned to Marseilles and travelled to London by sea. [SCU22-23] |
Thonon-les-Bains; Lake Leman; Marseilles; France; Switzerland; Italy; London; United Kingdom; New York; United States |
Abdul-Baha, Travels of; Abdul-Baha, First Western tour; Board of Council; Spiritual Assemblies; Unity; Zillus-Sultan; Persecution; Mirza Muhammad-Hasan (King of Martyrs); Mirza Muhammad-Husayn (Beloved of Martyrs); King of Martyrs and Beloved of Martyrs; Juliet Thompson; Horace Holley; Elizabeth Stewart; Lillian Kappes; Ships |
|
1911. 26 Aug |
'Abdu'l-Bahá gave a talk to those gathered at the hotel on the theme of unity. Present was Annie Boylan, a New York believer who had made the journey to present her case against another New Yorker, Howard MacNutt whom she believed was unfit to serve the Cause. [ABF31-33, DJT180-184] |
Thonon-les-Bains; France |
Abdul-Baha, First Western tour; Howard MacNutt; Annie Boylan |
|
1911 27 Aug |
'Abdu'l-Bahá and His party took a ferry to Vevey. a resort town on the other side of Lake Geneva (Lake Leman). Vevey was the location of the Dreyfus summer home and it was near here that Lady Blomfield and her daughters finalized the translation of Paris Talks [ABF33-44, DJT186, SoW vol 2 no 14]
He took a room at the Park Hôtel Mooser where He took some rest and also met Edith Sanderson and her mother. With the assembled friends He discussed immortality and divorce.
The party returned by ferry to Thonon-les-Bains, stopping at Évian-les-Bains. [DJT196-197]
In the afternoon He met with Lillian Frances Kappes and Elizabeth Harnill Stewart who had just arrived from America on their way to teach at the Tarbiyát School for girls in Iran. The school for boys had been in operation since 1897 and the school for girls was just being established in. [ABF43, SoW vol 2 no 18, SoW vol 2 no 14] Perhaps it was at this time He delivered the talk that has been entitled, "The oneness of humanity and of religions". ['Abdu'l-Bahá Speaks] |
Thonon-les-Bains; Vevey; Switzerland; Evian-les-Bains; France |
Abdul-Baha, First Western tour; Lady Blomfield; Edith Sanderson; Lillian Kappes; Elizabeth Stewart; Tarbiyat School; Bahai schools; Paris Talks (book) |
|
1911 4 Sep |
`Abdu'l-Bahá arrived in London accompanied by His secretary, Mírzá Mahmúd and Khusraw, His servant. This marked His first visit to the country and lasted 29 days. [ABL53, AB140; GBP280; SBR22, 148, BW4p378, In the Footsteps of the Master p.5]
CH149 says He arrived 8 September and 3 September as per the UK Bahá'í site.
Those Bahá'ís who assembled to meet him were listed as: Lady Blomfield (in whose home at 97 Cadogan Gardens He stayed), Mrs Thornburg-Cropper, Miss Ethel Rosenberg, Miss Gamble, Miss Herrick, Mrs Scaramucci, Miss Elsie Lee, Mr Catanach, Mr Cuthbert, Mr and Mrs Jenner, Miss Yandell, Miss Julia Culver, Mrs Stannard, Mr and Mrs Eric Hammond, The Rev Harrold Johnston, The Rev Cooper Hunt, Miss Juliet Thompson, Mrs Louise Waite, Mrs Movius, Mrs Claudia Coles, Mr Mountfort Mills, Mr Mason Remey and Miss Drake Wright. Mr and Mrs Dreyfus-Barney provided translation. In addition there were a number of Persians who took the opportunity to meet Him. [BW4p377]
As described by Lady Blomfield those who came to see him were: "Ministers and missionaries, Oriental scholars and occult students practical men of affairs and mystics, Anglican-Catholics and Nonconformists, Theosophists and Hindus, Christian Scientists and doctors of medicine, Muslims, Buddhists, and Zoroastrians. There also called: politicians, Salvation Army soldiers, and other workers for human good, women suffragists, journalists, writers, poets and healers dress-makers and great ladies, artists and artisans, poor workless people and prosperous merchants, members of the dramatic and musical world, these all came; and none were too lowly nor too great to receive the sympathetic consideration of this holy Messenger, who was ever giving His life for others' good." In addition there was a representation from the Bramo-Somaj Society, a Hindu reform group. [CH150-152]
See BW4p377 where Lady Blomfield reported that Prince Jalalu'd-Dawlih entreated to be received by 'Abdu'l-Bahá and when in His presence fell prostrate and implored pardon for his crimes. (see 1891 19 May) [BW4p377]
Among the list of visitors were: Professor Edward Granville Browne, Mr Tudor-Pole, Emmeline Pankhurst, a British political activist and leader of the British suffragette movement who helped women win the right to vote. [BW4p377]
See BW4p381 for the story of a homeless, suicidal man who had seen a picture of 'Abdu'l-Bahá in a newspaper in a shop window.
See BW4p382-383 for the story of the persistent journalist who imposed upon the appointment of two ladies from Scotland who had journeyed all that day and intended to make the return voyage that same evening.
For details of His stay in England see AB140–58 and GPB283–5.
It is implied that 'Abdu'l-Bahá was attended by Dr Lutfu-lláh Hakím while in London. [BW4p380]
During His stay in London 'Abdu'l-Bahá received death threats by anonymous letter and he was advised to give up He planned journey to Egypt. He ignored them. [BW4p 387]
During His stay in London He had professional photographs of Himself taken by the Irish photographer, James Lafayette (1853-1923). "...to have a picture of oneself is to emphasise the personality, which is merely the lamp, and is quite unimportant. The light burning within the lamp has the only real significance." [SBR25, BW4p383-384, ABF84]
|
London; United Kingdom |
Abdul-Baha, Travels of; Abdul-Baha, First Western tour; Abdul-Baha, Pictures and portraits; Portraits; Abdul-Baha, Death threats to; Mary Virginia Thornburgh-Cropper; Ethel Rosenberg; Juliet Thompson; Louise Waite; Mountfort Mills; Charles Mason Remey; Hippolyte Dreyfus-Barney; Jalalud-Din-Dawlih; Mirza Mahmud-i-Zarqani; Khusraw; Edward Granville Browne; Wellesley Tudor Pole; Emmeline Pankhurst; Lutfullah Hakim; James Lafayette |
|
1911 29 Sep |
A farewell reception was given for 'Abdu'l-Bahá in the hall mof the Passmore Edwards' Settlement in Tavistock Place. The Settlement movement of the late 19th century was intended to bridge the ever-widening gap between the poor and the middle classes. A purpose-built building would be constructed in a working class area and young solicitors, doctors, architects and other middle class professionals would be encouraged to live there while at the same time the working classes would be free to use the building and mix with them, using the building more or less as a community centre.
It was attended by a capacity crowd of some 460 people. [SYH41, ABL31-39, In the Footsteps of 'Abdu'l-Bahá p.18; SoW Vol 2 No 13 November 4, 1911 p4]
For more information on this remarkable philanthropist see John Passmore Edwards.
|
Byfleet; United Kingdom |
Abdul-Baha, Travels of; Abdul-Baha, First Western tour; Abdul-Baha, Talks at public places; John Passmore Edwards |
|
1911 21 Oct |
News of the Battle of Benghazi (17 October) was headline news. It was one of the opening salvos of the Turko-Italian War and began on the 17th of October when Italian invasion forces began their bombardment of the Turkish garrison. The Turks were forced to abandon the city and there were many lives lost, Italians, Turks and civilians.
His talk, The Pitiful Causes of War, and the Duty of Everyone to Strive for Peace. [ABF96-100 PT28-30]
See as well SoW Vol 2 No 14 November 23, 1911 p5 for His talk on the Battle of Benghazi.
The talk was attended by Remi de Gourmont, literary critic, essayist, poet and writer. The following day his editorial, "Le Béhhaïsmie: les idées dujour" was published in the newspaper Le France. [ABF95n287, 98] |
Paris; France; Benghazi; Libya; Turkey; Italy |
Abdul-Baha, First Western tour; War (general); History (general); Peace; Remy_de_Gourmont |
|
1912 11 Apr |
`Abdu'l-Bahá arrived in New York. [AB172; GPB281; APD3-5; SoW Vol 3 No 3 p3; Mahmúd's Diary p38-39]
As the ship that finally brought "‘Abdu'l-Bahá to the shores of the American continent passed by the Statue of Liberty, He threw His arms wide open in greeting, saying ”There is the new world’s symbol of liberty and freedom. After being 40 years a prisoner I can tell you that freedom is not a matter of place. It is a condition. Unless one accept dire vicissitudes he will not attain.
When one is released from the prison of self, that is indeed a release.” [‘Abdu'l-Bahá in Their Midst p.56; SYH54]
He remained on board doing interviews with a number of newspapermen. Edward Kinny was called to come on the ship and the rest of those awaiting were told to leave the pier, proceed to the Kinney residence and wait for Him. [Mahmúd's Diary p38-39; DJT233-234]
- See World Order Summer 1973 p45 for the story of disobedient Juliet Thompson and her friend Marjory Morton who remained behind on the quay to get a glimpse of Him.
One of the newspapermen to interview Him was Wendell Phillips Dodge who boarded the SS Cedric at quarantine and interviewed 'Abdul-Bahá coming up the bay. The article he wrote was given to all of the New York newspapers, and, through the Associated Press, was sent, though boiled down considerably, to newspapers throughout the world. See SoW Vol 3 No 3 April 28, 1912 p3 for the article.
When asked why He had come to America He said that He had come at the invitation of the peace congresses. [SYH53; MD8]
He stayed at the Ansonia Hotel at 2109 Broadway. [Luminous Journey 14:37, SYH55]
Talk at the home of Mr. Edward B. (Saffa, or Serenity) Kinney and his wife, Carrie (Vaffa, or Certitude), 780 West End Avenue, New York to some 200 people. This was the first private home in which 'Abdu'l-Bahá gave a talk on His American tour. [PUP3]
One of the Persians in the Master’s suite had cabled Alice Ives Breed in New York City, about the Master’s arrival date. Thus alerted, Ali-Kuli Khan directed the Persian Consul, Topakian (an Armenian businessman), to officially greet ‘Abdu’l-Bahá with full courtesies. Mr Topakian carried this out, and the Master was much pleased with his services. [AY85]
During His tour `Abdu'l-Bahá visited 49 cities and made approximately 400 addresses of which 185 were recorded. The combined audience for His talks is estimated to be 90,000 people. [SBBH1:110; Luminous Journey 1:37; 'Abdu'l-Bahá in America 1912-2012]
For a chronological list of talks given by `Abdu'l-Bahá while in North America see PUP473–8 or Index.
For details of His journey see AB171–339.
Ward, 239 Days; Balyuzi, `Abdu'l-Bahá; The Diary of Juliet Thompson; many editions of Star of the West and numerous biographies of Bahá'ís of the time as well as other books carry information about `Abdu'l-Bahá travels and talks.
He was accompanied by:
- Sayyid Asadu'lláh Qumí
- Dr Fareed Amin Ullah, He was a nephew of 'Abdu'l-Bahá and served as his translator during His tour of the West. Because of his disobedience, both he and his father were expelled from the Faith. See AY102-103 and AB230.
- Mírza Mahmúd-i Zarqání. He was a member of 'Abdu'l-Bahá's entourage for both the Western and European tours. He wrote an account of the travels in a book entitled Kitáb-i Badáyi'u'l-Áthár and called "Mahmúd's Diary" in the English translation. [APD151]
- Mirza Ahmad Sohrab. He had originally come to the West to assist Mírzá Abú'l-Fadl Gulpaygání in 1901. He remained and worked at the Iranian Consulate until 1912 and during this time he translated much of the correspondence between 'Abdu'l-Bahâ and the Western believers. After the American tour, he returned to the Holy Land. After the passing of 'Abdu'l-Bahá he rejected the authority of Shoghi Effendi and was expelled. [APD155]
See video entitled 'Abdu'l-Bahá and New York City.
|
New York; United States |
Abdul-Baha, Travels of; Abdul-Baha, Second Western tour; Abdul-Baha, Talks other; Ali Kuli Khan; Edward Kinney; Topakian, Mr; Consuls; Mahmuds Diary; Abdul-Baha, Life of; Abdul-Baha, Writings and talks of; - Basic timeline, Expanded; Abdul-Baha, Basic timeline |
|
1912 12 Apr |
Talk at Home of Mr. and Mrs. Howard MacNutt, 935 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, New York,
[PUP4]
Talk at Studio of Miss Phillips, 39 West Sixty-seventh Street, New York. [PUP7; DJT239; Mahmúd's Diary p39-41]
|
New York; United States |
Abdul-Baha, Travels of; Abdul-Baha, Second Western tour; Abdul-Baha, Talks other; Abdul-Baha, Talks at homes; Howard MacNutt |
|
1912 19 Apr |
Talk at Earl Hall,
Columbia University, New York. [PUP29; Mahmúd's Diary p47-48]
'Abdu'l-Bahá visited The Bowery Mission accompanied by Edward Getsinger and Juliet Thompson as noted in her unpublished Diary. They arrived with two heavy bags of quarters to distribute to the poor and spoke with hundreds of impoverished men. [OPOP165-168, PUP32]
He invited Mary William, a rare female journalist who wrote under the name of "Kate Carew". Her signature style was one of scepticism.
|
Bowery; New York; United States |
Abdul-Baha, Travels of; Abdul-Baha, Second Western tour; Columbia University; Abdul-Baha, Talks at universities; Charity and relief work; Social and economic development; Wealth and poverty; Edward Getsinger; Juliet Thompson; Bowery Mission; John Good |
|
1912 23 Apr |
Talk at Howard University, Washington, D.C. Howard University had been founded in 1867 to educate the newly freed slaves and by 1912 it was one of the foremost black universities in the country. It is reported that well over a thousand students, faculty members, administrators and guests jammed into the Rankin Chapel as 'Abdu'l-Bahá spoke with Louis Gregory standing beside Him. The Howard University Journal, 26 April 1912, published His entire address. [PUP44, APD29, 239Dp40; Mahmúd's Diary p50-54; SoW Vol 3 No 3 April 28, 1912 p14]
- To recapitulate His talk, `Abdu’l-Bahá emphasized the personal sacrifice of Northern whites for southern blacks in the
course of the Civil War, and that African Americans (as the descendants
of emancipated slaves) should therefore be grateful to whites in kind. In
so saying, `Abdu’l-Bahá invoked history (or a certain view of it) in order to
make history—by completing the unfinished work of the Emancipation
Proclamation. ['Abdu’l-Bahá’s 1912 Howard University Speech: A Civil War Myth for Interracial Emancipation by Dr Christopher Buck p134]
- See as well TMTW51.
Coralie and George Cook arranged for 'Abdu'l-Bahá to speak at Howard University. Both were professors at Howard,, she the Chair of Oratory and he was professor of Commercial and International Law and later the Dean of the School of Commerce and Finance. [AWD70, 165]
'Abdu'l-Bahá attended a reception at the Khan residence in the Persian embassy where He met Admiral Robert Peary. In the words of Juliet Thompson `Abdu'l-Bahá had told the Admiral, "That `for a very long time the world had been much concerned about the North Pole, where it was and what was to found there. Now he, Admiral Peary, had discovered it and that nothing was to [be] found there; and so, in forever relieving the public mind, he had rendered a great service." [DJT272-273]
It was on this occasion, at a dinner for the elite of Washington, that 'Abdu'l-Bahá asked, "Where is Mr Gregory? Bring me Mr Gregory!" when He saw that a place had not been set for him at the dinner table. Khan fetched Mr Gregory and 'Abdu'l-Bahá made a place for him on His right. 'Abdu'l-Bahá gave a talk on the oneness of humankind and Agnes Parsons, who was seated on His left, asked a question about spiritual healing. [SYH59]
Talk at Home of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur J. Parsons,
1700 Eighteenth Street, NW, Washington, D.C. about the Titanic disaster.
[PUP46; SoW Vol 3 No 3 April 28, 1912 p12; YouTube 'Abdu'l-Bahá - Life After Death]
Talk to Bethel Literary Society,
Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church,
M Street, NW, Washington, D.C.
[PUP49; SoW Vol 3 No 3 pg5] |
Washington DC; United States |
Abdul-Baha, Travels of; Abdul-Baha, Second Western tour; Abdul-Baha, Talks at universities; Howard University; Abdul-Baha, Talks at homes; Abdul-Baha, Talks at churches; Admiral Peary; Ali Kuli Khan; Agnes Parsons |
|
1912 19 May |
In the morning He spoke at the Church of the Divine Paternity, Central Park West, New York.
[PUP126; DJT287]
`Abdu'l-Bahá traveled to Jersey City to speak in the Unitarian Church, the Brotherhood Church, Bergen and Fairview Avenues, of which Howard Colby Ives is the pastor. [SEBW143; 239D:70–1; AB194, PUP129] |
Jersey City; New Jersey; New York; United States |
Abdul-Baha, Travels of; Abdul-Baha, Second Western tour; Howard Colby Ives; Abdul-Baha, Talks at churches |
|
1912 25 May |
Talk at Home of Mr. and Mrs. Edward B. Kinney,
780 West End Avenue, New York.
[PUP154]
|
New York; United States |
Abdul-Baha, Travels of; Abdul-Baha, Second Western tour; Abdul-Baha, Talks at homes; Edward Kinney |
|
1912 11 Jun |
Talk at Open Committee Meeting,
Home of Mr. and Mrs. Edward B. Kinney,
780 West End Avenue, New York. [PUP183]
Talk at 309 West Seventy-eighth Street, New York. [PUP183]
Talk at 309 West Seventy-eighth Street, New York. [PUP186]
|
New York; United States |
Abdul-Baha, Travels of; Abdul-Baha, Second Western tour; Abdul-Baha, Talks at homes; Edward Kinney |
|
1912 16 Jun |
Talk at Fourth Unitarian Church,
Beverly Road, Flatbush, Brooklyn, New York. [PUP190]
Talk at Home of Mr. and Mrs. Howard MacNutt,
935 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, New York.
[PUP194]
Talk at Central Congregational Church,
Hancock Street, Brooklyn, New York.
[PUP197] |
New York; United States |
Abdul-Baha, Travels of; Abdul-Baha, Second Western tour; Churches; Abdul-Baha, Talks at churches; Abdul-Baha, Talks at homes; Howard MacNutt |
|
1912 5 Jul |
Talk at 309 West Seventy-eighth Street, New York, the home of Howard MacNutt. [PUP218]
Talk at 309 West Seventy-eighth Street, New York. [PUP220]
On this occasion 'Abdu'l-Bahá assigned Howard the task of deepening a group of Chicago Bahá’ís on the importance of the Covenant and instructing them not to associate with Covenant-breakers. Howard failed to complete this task and continued correspondence with associates of Kheiralla. For more information see this date.
|
New York; United States |
Abdul-Baha, Travels of; Abdul-Baha, Second Western tour; Abdul-Baha, Talks at homes; Howard MacNutt; Covenant-breakers |
|
1912 11 Aug |
Howard Colby Ives visited 'Abdu'l-Bahá at an inn where He was staying in the mountain summer resort of Dublin, New Hampshire. At this time he was still the preacher of the Brotherhood Church and was studying all available literature on the Faith. Subsequent to the visit he received his first tablet from 'Abdu'l-Baha dated the 26th of August. [PtF124-131; SEBW144] |
Dublin; New Hampshire |
Abdul-Baha, Travels of; Abdul-Baha, Second Western tour; Abdul-Baha; Howard Colby Ives |
|
1912 18 Nov |
`Abdu'l-Bahá had instructed MacNutt to meet with a group of potential Covenant-breakers in Chicago and warn them of the danger. He also ordered MacNutt to break all communication with Ibrahim Kheiralla and other Covenant-breakers. He had failed to do as directed. They met in the Kenny's home for the first time since his trip, where `Abdu'l-Bahá advised him that he had violated the Covenant himself and commanded him to repent before a group of New York Bahá'ís gathered there, which he did, reluctantly. [DJT371; AY121] |
New York; United States |
Covenant-breakers; Howard MacNutt; Ibrahim George Kheiralla |
|
1912 29 Nov |
Talk at Home of Mr. and Mrs. Edward B. Kinney,
780 West End Avenue, New York. [PUP449] |
New York; United States |
Abdul-Baha, Travels of; Abdul-Baha, Second Western tour; Abdul-Baha, Talks at homes; Edward Kinney |
|
1912 2 Dec |
Talk at Home of Mr. and Mrs. Edward B. Kinney, 780 West End Avenue, New York. [PUP452]
Talk at Home of Mr. and Mrs. Edward B. Kinney, 780 West End Avenue, New York. The subject of this talk was The Covenant. [PUP453]
Star of the West reported that 'Abdu'l-Bahá spoke of India on this date although there is no mention of such a talk in Mahmúd's Diary. [SoW Vol 5 No 2 April 9, 1914 p20-21] |
New York; United States |
Abdul-Baha, Travels of; Abdul-Baha, Second Western tour; Abdul-Baha, Talks at homes; Edward Kinney |
|
1912 18 Dec |
'Abdu'l-Bahá gave a talk at which E. G. Browne was present. He visited `Abdu'l-Bahá several more times while in London. [SoW Vol III no19 2Mar1913 p4, AB346, ABTM277-278]
Hájí Abu'l-Hasan-i-Ardakání (Hájí Amín) arrived in London from Paris with three young Persian. He spoke neither English nor French and had had some difficulty in getting from Paris to London. He crossed the English Channel and then found himself back in Paris. His second attempt was successful. [SoW Vol III no19 2Mar1913 p4, AB346–7, ABTM278] |
London; United Kingdom; Paris; France |
Abdul-Baha, Travels of; Abdul-Baha, Second Western tour; Edward Granville Browne; Haji Amin (Abul-Hasan-i-Ardikani) |
|
1913. 12 Feb |
Date of the last of the 12 letters sent to Edward Granville Browne by 'Abdu'l-Bahá. The first of these letters was written on the 4th of August, 1890. |
|
Edward Granville Browne |
find reference |
1913 7 Apr |
`Abdu'l-Bahá traveled to Bad Mergentheim by automobile to visit the hotel and mineral bath owned by Consul Schwarz, (Later named Disciple of `Abdu'l-Bahá by Shoghi Effendi). [AB383]
Later, in 1916 the local Bahá'í community commemorated the visit with the dedication of a monument, a life-sized likeness of the head of 'Abdu'l-Bahá on a granite stone about two metres in height. The Nazis removed it in 1937 but it was replaced in 2007. [BWNS524] |
Bad Mergentheim; Germany |
Abdul-Baha, Travels of; Abdul-Baha, Second Western tour; Cars; Consul Schwarz; Disciples of Abdul-Baha; Monuments; Abdul-Baha, Pictures and portraits; Portraits; World War II; BWNS |
|
1913 13 Apr |
`Abdu'l-Bahá was sick and the weather was bitterly cold. He went to the studio of Professor Robert A. Nadler of the Royal Academy of Art to sit for a portrait. He gave him a total of three sittings during His visit to Budapest. [AB387, MRHK368-9]
"The portrait is remarkable not only because of its art, but also because of its later miraculous fate. Reportedly, after heavy bombing in 1945, only that part of the building in which the painting was hung remained unharmed." [Renée Szanto-Felbermann Two Portraits p3, Rebirth: Memoirs of Renée Szanto-Felbermann p159]
The painting was purchased and taken to the Bahá'í World Centre in 1972. [SBBR14p118]
See SBBR14p108 for a picture of the portrait.
In the afternoon He visited the home of Sirdar Omrah Singh. [AB387]
In spite of a raging blizzard a good many attended His address at the hotel in the evening. [AB387] |
Budapest; Hungary |
Abdul-Baha, Travels of; Abdul-Baha, Second Western tour; Robert A. Nadler; Abdul-Baha, Pictures and portraits; Portraits; World War II; War (general) |
|
1913. 19 Aug |
'Abdu'l-Bahá took the decision to send Lua Getsinger to India. His words to her were published SoW Vol 4 No 12 p208. [LGHC189] |
Ramleh (Alexandria); Alexandria; Egypt; India |
Lua Getsinger; Edward Getsinger; Travel teaching |
|
1914 Jan - Feb |
'Abdu'l-Bahá sent Lua and Dr. Getsinger on a teaching tour in India. The duration of the tour and the places visited have yet to be confirmed.
She lectured at Theosophical Society Hall in Surat on "Purity and Divinity" (22 Jan); in Bombay, she spoke in Pratana Mandir Hall for an hour on "The Bahá’í Movement—Its Rise and Progress." (24Jan) She addressed the students of the Theistic Society on "Individual Spiritual Progress" (4 Feb); and in the Ideal Seminary she spoke on "Service as an Act of Worship." (8 Feb) In addition to the public lectures, to large and enthusiastic audiences, Dr. and Mrs. Getsinger were kept busy meeting people of various creeds. Lua's most important interview, and the one which ‘Abdu’l-Bahá spoke of as a "certain definite result", was with the Maharajah of Jalowar (Jhalawar) whom He had met in London. He wished to acquaint this receptive enlightened person with the Bahá’í teachings, and chose Lua to seek him out. The Maharajah received her most graciously, and afterwards corresponded with her, remaining a staunch friend of the Faith. [SoW vol. V, No. 2, p. 21-22; "Lua Getsinger -Herald of the Covenant" by Amine DeMille; BFA2:353]
|
Surat; Gujarat; Jhalawar; Rajasthan; Mumbai (Bombay); India |
Maharajah of Jalowar; Lua Getsinger; Edward Getsinger; Travel teaching |
|
1914. 15 Feb |
Dr Howard Bliss, the president of the Syrian Protestant College, visited 'Abdu'l-Bahá in part, to arrange for the Bahá’í students to spend their upcoming spring break in Haifa in the vicinity of the Shrines of Bahá’u’lláh and the Báb, affording them an opportunity to meet and learn from ʻAbdu’l-Bahá. [AB405]
By this time, Bahá’í students from Haifa and ‘Akká, as well as Persia, Egypt, and Beirut, had attended SPC (later called the American University at Beirut) for about a decade, in increasing numbers over the previous few years. There were no comparable institutions in their own countries, and attending universities in Europe or America was not yet practical for most. As SPC became a popular choice, the prospect of joining an existing group of Bahá’í students was an additional attraction. A sizable group of students as well attended the Université Saint-Joseph (USJ), also in Beirut. Together, they constituted a single coherent group, meeting together, visiting each other, and collaborating, for example, in the activities of the “Society of the Bahá’í Students of Beirut,” which had been formed in 1906.
[‘Abdu’l-Bahá and the Bahá’í Students] |
Haifa; Beirut; Lebanon |
American University of Beirut; Syrian Protestant College; Howard Bliss; Université Saint-Joseph |
|
1914 28 Jun |
The heir to the Austrian throne was assassinated in Sarajevo. |
Sarajevo; Serbia; Austria |
World War I; War (general); History (General) |
|
1914 28 Jul |
The Great War (1914–18) broke out in Europe. (28 July, 1914 to 11 November, 1918) Austria declared war on Serbia.
See Reading Reality in Times of Crisis: ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and the Great War by Amín Egea.
The world experienced horrors the like of which had never been seen with a long list of military engagements.
The Battle of Verdun (February to December 1916) 130,000 unknown dead on both sides
The first Battle of the Somme (July to November 1916) 1,000,000 casualties in four months
The naval battle of Jutland (31 May to 1 June) 21 ships sunk. |
Europe; Austria; Serbia |
World War I; War (general); History (general); Amin Egea |
|
1914 4 Aug |
England declared war on Germany. |
United Kingdom; Germany; Europe |
World War I; War (general); History (general) |
|
1914 1 Nov |
Turkey entered the war on the side of the Central Powers.
Palestine was blockaded and Haifa was bombarded. [GPB304]
`Abdu'l-Bahá sent the Bahá'ís to the Druze village of Abú-Sinán for asylum. [AB411; DH124; GPB304, BWNS1297]
For `Abdu'l-Bahá in wartime see CH188–228.`Abdu'l-Bahá had grown and stored corn in the years leading up to the war and was now able to feed not only local people but the British army. [AB415, 418; CH210; GPB304, 306]
Properties in the villages of Asfíyá and Dálíyá near Haifa were purchased by `Abdu'l-Bahá, and, at the request of Bahá'u'lláh, bestowed upon Díyá'u'lláh and Bahí'u'lláh. Land was also acquired in the villages of Samirih, Nughayb and 'Adasíyyih situated near the Jordan river. 'Adasíyyah was the village occupied by Bahá'ís of Zoroastrian heritage that produced corn for the Master's household. The village of Nughayb is where the relatives of the Holy Family lived. [CH209-210]
- See 'Adasiyyah: A Study in Agriculture and Rural Development by Iraj Poostchi. This village was purchased by 'Abdu'l-Bahá in 1901. He paid 400 Turkish gold lira for 920 hectares and then gifted 1/24th of the total area to the family from whom He had made the purchase.
- Under the guidance of 'Abdu'l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi this village became a model of agriculture and Bahá'í life. The Bahá'ís lost ownership after 1962 when Jordan implemented land reforms.
- 'Adasiyyah is mentioned in the film Exemplar (17:40-18:50).
See as well `Abdu'l-Baha in Abu-Sinan: September 1914
by Ahang Rabbani.
See Senn McGlinn's Abdu’l-Baha’s British knighthood for more background.
|
Palestine; Israel; Abu-Sinan; Haifa; Asfiya; Daliya; Samirih; Nughayb; Adasiyyih (Adasiyyah); Jordan |
World War I; War (general); Druze; Abdul-Baha, Life of; Abdul-Baha, Knighthood (KBE); British; Charity and relief work; Social and economic development; History (General); - Basic timeline, Expanded; Abdul-Baha, Basic timeline; Diyaullah; Bahaullah; Exemplar (film) |
|
1915 11 Oct |
Arthur Pillsbury Dodge, Disciple of `Abdu'l-Bahá, passed away in Freeport, New York. [SBR15]
He had become a Bahá'í in 1895 just before moving to New York City. He visited Haifa in 1900 and Dr. Edward Granville Brown in Cambridge. He was a lawyer, publisher and self-made man. In 1898 he held the first Bahá’í classes in his home and the first public meetings on the Faith with talks given by Dr. Ibrahim Kheiralla. The first person to become a Bahá’í in NYC was Mr. James F. Brittingham, then of Weehawken, NJ who first heard the message from his sister, Mrs. Dixon of Chicago. Mrs. Mary H. Tousey organized the classes at Dodge’s home. Later that year, Mr. Howard MacNutt received the message.
[Highlights of the First 40 Years of the Bahá’í Faith in New York, City of the Covenant, 1892-1932 by Hussein Ahdieh p3]
For biographies see Bahá'í Chronicles; BFA1:116-17, SBR1-16 and SW6, 13:100-1.
For his obituary see SW6, 19:161-7.
Dodge's books include The Truth of It (1901) [SW6, 13:101] and Whence? Why? Wither? (1907). [SW6, 13:101; BEL7.821]
|
Freeport; New York; United States |
Arthur Pillsbury Dodge; Disciples of Abdul-Baha; In Memoriam; Births and deaths; James F. Brittingham; Howard MacNutt |
|
1917 (in the year) |
Foreign troops occupied nearly all of neutral Iran. [AB416; BBRSM:87] |
Iran |
War (general); History (General); Iran, General history |
|
1917 6 Apr |
The United States entered World War I.
See CF36 for Shoghi Effendi's opinion of its participation in the war.
|
Europe; United States |
World War I; War (general); History (general); Shoghi Effendi, Life of |
|
1917 Nov |
`Abdu'l-Bahá sent a message to the Bahá'ís of the world assuring them of His safety. [AB412]
The Tablet was carried by an aged Arab Bahá'í, Hájí Ramadán. It took him 45 days to walk from `Akká to Tihrán. On his return trip he brought gold and messages. [AB412; CH206-7]
For text of the Tablet see CH207-8. |
Haifa; Tihran |
Abdul-Baha, Life of; Abdul-Baha, Writings and talks of; World War I; Haji Ramadan; - Basic timeline, Expanded; Abdul-Baha, Basic timeline |
|
1918 8 Jan |
President Woodrow Wilson in a speech on war aims and peace terms to the United States Congress outlined his Fourteen Points. It was a statement of principles for peace that was to be used for peace negotiations in order to end World War I.
Wilson was influenced by the Bahá’í Teachings in formulating his Fourteen Points, at least three Bahá’í volumes were known to be in the White House. The Hidden Words appears on a 1921 listing of Wilson’s private library. Also, a compilation on peace given the President by a delegation of Washington Bahá’ís ‘turned up in general reference at the Library of Congress marked “transfer from the White House”‘. In addition, Abdul-Baha on Divine Philosophy (Boston, 1918) was said to have much influenced his thinking. [AY155]
Commenting on the Fourteen Points laid down by the President for the world community, the
Master says that twelve of them derive from principles advocated by Bahá’u’lláh fifty years before, and that these Teachings had been spread worldwide through various publications, thus becoming known to leaders in Europe and America (Persian Tablets, vol. III, p. 312). [AY156-157]
US Office of the Historian.
|
United States; Washington DC |
Woodrow Wilson; Fourteen Points; History (general); Principles; Abdul-Baha, Writings and talks of; Abdul-Baha on Divine Philosophy; Peace; World peace (general); World War I; War (general); United States, Presidents |
|
1918 23 Sep |
"During the early years of World War I, though no longer imprisoned, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá faced repeated threats against His life by authorities who were antagonistic towards Him and the Bahá'ís. The Commander of the Ottoman fourth army corps had even threatened to crucify ‘Abdu’l-Bahá if the Turkish army were ever to be displaced out of Haifa." Lady Blomfield in London had learned of these threats and through her contacts in Cabinet, the British Army was instructed to protect Him and His family. [BWNS69, BWNS1202]
The British army took the city in the 1st Battle of Haifa: The battle was won due to a courageous uphill assault by the Jodhpur Lancers of the Indian Army who took the German and Turkish artillery and machine gun emplacements on top of Mount Carmel by surprise. This attack is believed to have been one of the last cavalry charge in modern military history. Each year, on this date, the Indian Army commemorates this victory as Haifa Day. [AY104; BBR335; DH148, Scroll In 68095]
For details of the battle see BBR335-6.
For letters from the British authorities stating that `Abdu'l-Bahá is safe see BBR336-7.
For a photos see The Indian Weekender 5 October, 2018 as well as Wikipedia.
For videos see India Today, The Battle of Haifa Part 1, The Battle of Haifa Part II.
See the story as recounted by Col (Dr) Divakaran Padma Kumar Pillay.
See as well Battle of Haifa: The Last Great Cavalry Campaign in History
by Ajeet Singh Choudhary. This article provides a comprehensive historical account of the Jodhpur Lancers and Battle of Haifa.
See PG85-86, on the 23rd of August, 1919 'Abdu'l-Bahá, in conversation with Major-General Watson, referring to the success of the British army in taking Haifa stated, "God hath wished it to be so, it was His Divine aid and assistance that made it possible." and "It was God that helped you from every standpoint."
|
Mount Carmel; Haifa; Israel |
World War I; War (general); History (general); Jodhpur Lancers; Indian Army; Armies; Germany; Turkey; Haifa Day; Abdul-Baha, Death threats to; BWNS; Lady Blomfield |
|
1918. 11 Nov |
The end of the First World War or the Great War.
It was a global conflict originating in Europe that lasted from 28 July 1914 to 11 November 1918. It led to the mobilisation of more than 70 million military personnel, including 60 million Europeans, making it one of the largest wars in history. An estimated nine million combatants and seven million civilians died as a direct result of the war, and it also contributed to later genocides and the 1918 influenza pandemic, which caused between 50 and 100 million deaths worldwide. Military losses were aggravated by new technological and industrial developments and the tactical stalemate caused by gruelling trench warfare. It was one of the deadliest conflicts in history and precipitated major political changes, including the Revolutions of 1917–1923, in many of the nations involved. Unresolved rivalries at the end of the conflict contributed to the start of World War II about twenty years later. [Wikipedia]
During the war Iran suffered horribly. It is estimated that during one year 120,000 people died of disease and starvation. The Bahá'í communities established relief centres to care for the believers and not a single Bahá'í starved or was even in need. [PG111]
|
Persia; Iran |
World War I; War (general); History (general) |
|
1919 28 Jun |
The Treaty of Versailles was concluded. The United States never signed the Treaty of Versailles, never joined the League of Nations which President Wilson's foes derisively referred to as ‘Wilson’s League’. The USA made separate treaties with Germany and the other Central Powers. Wilson died on the 3rd of February, 1924. [AY160-169; US Office of the Historian]
Shoghi Effendi's tribute is as follows:
"To ... President ... Woodrow Wilson, must be ascribed the unique honour, among the statesmen of any nation, whether of the East or of the West, of having voiced sentiments so akin to the principles animating the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh, and of having more than any other world leader, contributed to the creation of the League of Nations—achievements which the pen of the Centre of God’s Covenant acclaimed as signalizing the dawn of the Most Great Peace, whose sun, according to that same pen, must needs arise as the direct consequence of the enforcement of the laws of the Dispensation of Bahá’u’lláh." [CoF36] |
Versailles; France |
Treaty of Versailles; Peace treaties; Woodrow Wilson; League of Nations; History (general); World War I; War (general); World peace (general); Peace; Most Great Peace |
|
1920 27 Apr |
`Abdu'l-Bahá was invested with the insignia of the Knighthood of the British Empire in a ceremony in Haifa. [AB443; BBRXXX, 343-5; CH214; DH149; GPB306]
For the document recommending `Abdu'l-Bahá for knighthood, see BBR344.
The knighthood was in recognition of `Abdu'l-Bahá's humanitarian work during the war for famine relief. [AB443]
He accepted the honour as a gift from a `just king'. [AB443]
He did not use the title. [AB443]
For Lady Blomfield's account see AB443-4 and CH214-15.
See SoW vol 13 No 11 p298.
See Senn McGlinn's Abdu’l-Baha’s British knighthood. |
Haifa; Abu-Sinan; Palestine; Israel |
Abdul-Baha, Knighthood (KBE); Abdul-Baha, Life of; World War I; British; Charity and relief work; Social and economic development; Lady Blomfield; - Basic timeline, Expanded; Abdul-Baha, Basic timeline |
|
1922 (In the year) |
The publication of The Promulgation of Universal Peace: Talks Delivered by ‘Abdu’l‑Bahá during His Visit to the United States and Canada in 1912. Compiled by Howard MacNutt. Volume 2 was published in 1922 followed by Volume 2 in 1925. Volume 1 was published by the Bahá'í Publishing Committee in Chicago and Volume 2 by the same committee operating out of New York. [BEL3.98]
From the preface to the 1922 edition..."This treasury of His words is a compilation of informal talks and extemporary discourses delivered in Persian and Arabic, interpreted by proficient linguists who accompanied Him, and taken stenographically in both Oriental and Occidental tongue."
From the same preface is a letter from 'Abdu'l-Bahá to Howard MacNutt dated 13 April, 1919 approving his idea to publish the compilation of His talks in America and urging him to be most careful to reproduce the exact text as well as promising an "effulgent face" in the Abhá Kingdom as well as the praise and gratitude of the friends.
And again from the same source is a letter from 'Abdu'l-Bahá to Albert Windust written on the 20th of July, 1919 asking him to name the book The Promulgation of Universal Peace and to direct that the Introduction must be written by Howard MacNutt. Prior to His coming to America the friends were unclear about His station and their differences in understanding was a major source of disunity. On one extreme were those who believed that 'Abdu'l-Baha was a man who, through the application and complete obedience to the Faith, had earned a high station, like Christ's disciple Peter, implying that others could do the same. In the other camp were those who insisted that He was the return of Christ. Little wonder that they were confused because never in religious history had there been someone like 'Abdu'l-Bahá, one Who held the station of "The Mystery of God". Howard's failure to understand 'Abdu'l-Bahá's station and disobedience to Him and taken him precariously close to the company of Covenant-breakers but through 'Abdu'l-Bahá's unfailing love and guidance he was able to come to a true understanding. The Introduction to the 1922 edition was his testament to the station of 'Abdu'l-Bahá. [DJT369-372]
The Promulgation of Universal Peace, although not "scripture", could be compared to Some Answered Questions in that it is a carefully transcribed record of His talks. Unlike that publication where He answered questions, in The Promulgation of Universal Peace it was 'Abdu'l-Bahá who chose the subject. Upon arrival in New York He said, "It is my purpose to set forth in America the fundamental principles of the revelation and teachings of Bahá'u'lláh." [PUPxii] |
Chicago; New York; United States |
Promulgation of Universal Peace (book); Howard MacNutt; Publications |
|
1922 Apr |
Shoghi Effendi sent verbal messages through Consul Schwarz to Germany and Ethel Rosenberg to Britain to form local spiritual assemblies and to arrange for the election of a national spiritual assembly in each country. [CB293; ER209, 211-12; PP56]
|
Germany; United Kingdom; United States; Canada |
Shoghi Effendi, Life of; Consuls; Albert Schwarz; Ethel Rosenberg; National Spiritual Assemblies; Local Spiritual Assemblies; Spiritual Assemblies; Executive Board |
|
1924 (In the year) |
The publication of The Book of Assurance (The Book of Ighan) translated by Ali Kuli Khan with assistance from Howard MacNutt published by Brentano's Publishers for the Bahá'í Publishing Committee in New York. It was published a second time in 1929. [BEL1.10-11] |
New York; United States |
Kitab-i-Iqan (Book of Certitude); Ali Kuli Khan; Howard MacNutt |
|
1926 25 Jan |
The passing of Professor Edward Granville Browne, (b. on the family estate in Gloucestershire, 7 February, 1862. d. near Cambridge). He is buried at Elswick Cemetery in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England. Find a grave.
Browne was a British orientalist who published numerous articles and books of academic value in the areas of Persian history and literature. He had a number of private interviews with Bahá’u’lláh at Bahjí in 1890. He was the only Westerner to have met Bahá’u’lláh and to have left a description of the experience (see Scholar Meets Prophet: Edward Granville Browne and Bahá'u'lláh).
In 1912-13, while `Abdu'l-Bahá was in Europe, Browne visited him in London and Paris. These visits were supplemented by some correspondence between the two. Other Bahá'ís, including Montford Mills, also visited and corresponded with Browne from time to time. When `Abdu'l-Bahá passed away in 1921, Browne penned a sympathetic obituary. He also wrote a pen-portrait of Àbdu'l-Bahá. [Bahá'í Tributes]
Charles Melville, Professor of Persian History at Pembroke College in Cambridge headed the Browne Archive Project to digitize Browne's diaries and notes.
See Encounter with Bahá'u'lláh, a short video about Browne's life and his famous interview.
See MCS529-545 for a discussion of Browne's lack of objectivity and his partisanship as a researcher that lead to his committing some serious errors in his work on the Bábí-Bahá'í Faith.
He himself a professor of Arabic, found the Báb's style of writing very difficult and said of his works: "...some are so confused, so full of repetitions, extraordinary works and fantastic derivatives of Arabic roots, that they defy the most industrious and indefatigable reader." [SBBH5p227]
Browne's Publications
- Religious Systems of the World: A Contribution to the Study of Comparative Religion (1889)
- A Traveller's Narrative Written to Illustrate the Episode of the Báb (1891) A history by`Abdu'l-Bahá which Browne translated and extensively annotated.
- Tarikh-i-Jadid or New History of Mirza`Ali Muhammad the Báb (1893) by Mirza Husayn Hamadani translated by E.G.Browne.
- Hájjí Mírzá Jani Kashani wrote a substantial history of the Bábi Faith sometime between 1850-1852. (He was martyred in 1852.) These memoirs as they were copied and re-copied and spawned a great many versions which differed particularly in their portrayal of Subh-i-Azál and Bahá'u'lláh, depending on the editor’s loyalty.
- In about 1880 Mírzá Husayn Hamadani with the support of Mírzá Abu'l-Fadl took some version of Mírzá Jani's 1851 account and worked it up into a new history, The Tárikh-i-Jadíd. He did this at the request of a Zoroastrian, Manakji, who then added a preface, an epilogue, and an unknown number of amendments to the text and then published it under his own name.
- Nabil-i-Akbar, in response to a commission by Bahá'u'lláh, made a revision of this work somewhere between 1880-1883 which is known as The Táríkh-i Badí‘-i Bayání.
- Browne used two these two manuscripts, The Tárikh-i-Jadíd and The Táríkh-i Badí‘-i Bayání to write the single volume The New History (tarikh-i-jadid) of Mírzá Ali-Muhammed, the Báb. In referring to Mírzá Jani's history throughout the footnotes, he was not aware of the problems of discerning what represents the original memoirs and what others have added.
- A Year Among the Persians (1893) Vividly describes his adventures, including his encounters with the Bahá'ís and Azalís during his time in Persian from October 1887 to September 1888. The memoir of his sojourn did much to familiarize English readers with the Báb, His gentleness and patience, the cruel fate which had overtaken him, and the unflinching courage wherewith he and his followers, from the greatest to the least, had endured the merciless torments inflicted upon them by their enemies. [Tales of Magnificent Heroism by Robert Weinburg.
- A chapter from the history of Cannabis Indica (1897)
- A Literary History of Persia From Firdawsí to Sa'dí (in four volumes) (1902-24)
- The Persian Revolution of 1905–1909 (1910) About the Persian Constitutional Revolution, of which Browne was an ardent supporter.
- He published, in Persian, the text of The Kitab-i-Nuqtatu'l-Kaf, being the earliest History of the Bábís compiled by Hájji Mírzá Jání of Kásgán between the years 1850 and 1852, edited from the unique Ms. Suppl. Persan 1071. (1910) This was a work that he had done at an earlier date. It was published at the instigation of Mirza Muhammad Qazvini, a well-known Iranian literary critic and Azalí sympathizer, who wrote the Persian Introduction to this volume. After the publication of this work, `Abdu'l-Bahá wrote to a number of Iranian Bahá'ís, urging them to compile material to refute its contents. One such work was Dashf al-Ghitá by Mírzá Abul-Fazl Gulpáyigání. [RR232]
[See The History and Provenance of an Early Manuscript of the Nuqtat al-kaf dated 1268 (1851-52) by William F. McCants and Kavian Sadeghzade Milani and
Nuqtat al-Káf by Kavian Sadeghzade Milani as well as
Nuqtat al-Kaf and the Babi Chronicle Traditions by Juan Cole;
The Bab's Stay in Kashan: A Historiographical Analysis of the Kitab-i-Nuqtatu'l-Kaf Based on the Kashan Pericope by Kavian Milani; MCS517; 541]
- When E.G. Browne published the Nuqtatu'l-Kaf with its Persian and English introductions that contained much material hostile to the Bahá'í Faith, a number of Bahá'í scholars worked on refutations of this book. [Mirza Abu'l-Fadl] Gulpaygani also began to work on such a book, but when heard that work on a similar book in Iran under the guidance of the Hands of the Cause had reached an advanced stage, he suspended work on his book awaiting a manuscript from Iran. Unfortunately he never got back to this book and at his death the manuscript was incomplete. When Mirza Abu'l-Fadl's papers were sent to his cousin Sayyid Mahdi Gulpaygani in Ashkhabad, the latter undertook to complete the work. The final work was published in Ashkhabad. Of the 438 pages of the book some 132 are attributed to Mirza Abu'l-Fadl. The final work, however, has a tone and vehemence completely uncharacteristic of Mirza Abu'l-Fadl and `Abdu'l-Baha instructed that it should not be distributed. [from a post by Adib Masumian to the [bahai-library.com/tarikh] list 25 April 2021]
.
- It is reported that 'Abdu'l-Bahá was "deeply annoyed" with Browne over the publication and dissemination of the Kitáb-i Nuqtatu'l-Káf as reported by Áqáy-i-Taqízádih in ´Ábdu'l-Baha's Meetings with Two Prominent Iranians introduced and translated by Ahang Rabbani. [World Order Vol 30 No 1 Fall 1998 p46]
- It would appear that Browne loved the Bábi movement however as the religion changed into the Bahá'í Faith, he insisted on calling it the Bábi religion. Browne did not understand the the claims of Baha’u’lláh and the transitional and the historical factors at work. He saw the early Bábi movement as the beginning of the Faith and thought that the Bahá'í Faith was a sect of Bábism. This was largely due to the influence of Bahá’u’lláh’s half-brother, Azal. Browne was disappointed that the Bahá'ís did not take up the cause of constitutional reform but he was well aware that 'Abdu'l-Bahá had forbidden participation in political struggles, and that had they supported the Constitutionalists, it would the brought that wrath of the persecution of the Bahá'ís down upon them.
- 'Abdu'l-Bahá is reported to have said, "They tampered with the contents of the history of Hájí Mírzá Jání by removing some of its passages and inserting others. They sent it to the libraries of London and Paris and through such falsehood induced him [Browne] to translate and publish the document. In order to achieve his own selfish desires, he had it printed." [MD24]
- Also from 'Abdu'l-Bahá, "I wrote to him, saying, `You are the first European teacher and author to have attained His Blessed Presence. Do not lose this distinction.' He did not understand me and his loss will be known when the lights of guidance shine in England with supreme brilliancy." [MD278]
- From GPB81, Browne's testimony, “One of those strange outbursts,”...“of enthusiasm, faith, fervent devotion and indomitable heroism … the birth of a Faith which may not impossibly win a place amidst the great religions of the world.” And again: “The spirit which pervades the Bábís is such that it can hardly fail to affect most powerfully all subjected to its influence.… Let those who have not seen disbelieve me if they will, but, should that spirit once reveal itself to them, they will experience an emotion which they are not likely to forget.”
- The Persian Constitutional Movement (1918) [MCS544]
- Materials for the Study of the Babi Religion (1918) The book represented no great amount of original work on Browne's part since it was mainly documents that he had collected.
- Arabian Medicine (1921) [Browne, Edward Granville by Moojan Momen] iiiii
- For scholarly works on the life of Browne see Selections From The Writings of E.G. Browne - On The Babi And Baha'i Religions by Moojan Momen and Edward Granville Browne and the Baha'i Faith by Hasan Balyuzi. Both have been published by George Ronald.
|
Newcastle-upon-Tyne; Cambridge |
Edward Granville Browne; In Memoriam; Births and deaths; Montfort Mills; Hajji Mirza Jani Kashani; Mirza Yahya (Subh-i-Azal); Mirza Husayn Hamadani; Mirza Abul-Fadl Gulpaygani; Manikchi Limji Hataria; Nabil-i-Akbar (Aqa Muhammed-i-Qaini); Abdul-Baha, Life of |
|
1926 26 Dec |
Howard MacNutt, Disciple of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, (b. 13 July, 1858 in Philadelphia) passed away in Florida after being struck by a motorcycle while walking to a meeting in a "Coloured" area. [Bahaipedia]
He died as a result of injuries sustained from a collision with a motorcycle while walking to a meeting in the Coloured section of the city. There was speculation that the traffic mishap was not accidental. See the newspaper article written by Beatrice Cannnady.
See AY321-323 for an account of his death and his funeral.
He had lost his beloved wife Mary about one month earlier. He had been a student of Ibrahim George Kheiralla in New York and became a Bahá'í in 1898. He had learned both Persian and Arabic to better understand the Writings. Howard MacNutt was elected to the Bahá’í Board of Counsel for New York when it was established on December 7th 1900 and served on the body for many years. [SEBW42]
In 1905 Howard and his wife went on pilgrimage and attended a Nineteen Day Feast held by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Who encouraged him to establish the practice in America. MacNutt consulted with the New York Board of Counsel after returning and a Feast was held in New York on May 23, 1905.
Howard wrote a booklet consisting of what he learned while on Pilgrimage titled Unity Through Love.
MacNutt also edited Mírzá Abu'l-Fadl's Bahá'í Proofs before it was first published in 1902 and revised Ali Kuli Khan's manuscript translation of the Kitáb-i-Íqán for publication in 1904.
He held a belief that `Abdu'l-Bahá had no extraordinary spiritual station and he did not regard Him as being different in Spirit from other men, that through works and service and overcoming all He attained to His station. This opinion resulted in MacNutt failing to appreciate the Bahá'í teaching that Covenant-breaking is a spiritual disease. When `Abdu'l-Bahá came to the United States in 1912 He assigned to MacNutt the task of meeting with a group of potential Covenant-breakers in Chicago and warning them. He also ordered MacNutt to break all communication with Ibrahim Kheiralla and other Covenant-breakers. When MacNutt failed to do as directed, `Abdu'l-Bahá advised him that he had violated the Covenant himself and commanded him to repent before a group of New York Bahá'ís, which he did on 18 November 1912. The matter was not resolved; `Abdu'l-Bahá cabled Ali Kuli Khan on 16 April 1913, "MACNUTT REPENTED FROM VIOLATION OF COVENANT BUT WAS NOT AWAKENED." After several months of correspondence between MacNutt and `Abdu'l-Bahá via Ali Kuli Khan, MacNutt satisfied `Abdu'l-Bahá that he had come to understand and had repented for his earlier errors. Even though `Abdu'l-Bahá recognized MacNutt as a Bahá'í his reputation in the Bahá'í community remained tarnished. To redeem himself he took on the task of compiling `Abdu'l-Bahá's talks in the United States and Canada and editing them. It was published as The Promulgation of Universal Peace, the name chosen by 'Abdu'l-Bahá himself, in 1922. MacNutt's preface contains a long and important statement about `Abdu'l-Bahá's station. His redemption was complete. [PUPxx]
See his "A Statement of Belief" written January 4, 1926 and published in Star of the West Vol 16 No 11 February 1926.
His obituary was published in Star of the West Vol 17 No 10 January 1927 p301.
For further details of his life and his brush with Covenant-breaking see SEBW35–42.
Also see "In Memoriam: Arthur Pillsbury Dodge, 1849-1915", SoW, Vol. 6, No. 19 (2 March 1916) p165 as well as BFA1p125, 168-17, DJT369-372, AOY111-133 and FMH35.
See BW2p218 for a photo.
HIs crowning achievement was the publication of The Promulgation of Universal Peace (1922) which was a compilation of the public talks given by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá while in America.
See Bahaipedia.
He was posthumously appointed as a Disciple of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.
|
Dade City; Pasco County; Florida; United States |
Howard MacNutt; Disciples of Abdul-Baha; In Memoriam; Births and deaths; Promulgation of Universal Peace |
|
1931 13 Jan |
Consul Albert Schwarz, (b. December 14, 1871, Stuttgart, Germany), Disciple of Abdu’l-Bahá, ‘Germany’s outstanding Bahá’í pioneer worker’ passed away. He was buried in Pragfriedhof – Stuttgart. [BW4:118–19, 264; Find a grave]
For his obituary see BW4:264–6.
See as well Bahá'í Chronicles. |
Stuttgart; Germany |
Consuls; Albert Schwarz; In Memoriam; Births and deaths |
|
1935. 24 Nov |
The passing of Dr. Howard Luxmoore Carpenter (b. 1906, d. 24 November 1935). He was buried at the Sunset View Cemetery in El Cerrito, California. [Find a grave]
A graduate of the Stanford Medical School in 1932.
He married Mardiyyih Nabil (later Marzieh Gail) in 1929, and in 1932 he and his wife left San Francisco for Vienna, where he took a medical course, and afterward at the Guardian’s direction traveled through Central Europe and the Balkans. With Martha Root in Vienna, Budapest and Belgrade, he then spent five weeks in Sofia, Bulgaria, assisting Miss Marion Jack, after which he stopped briefly in Saloniki and went on to Tirana, Albania, to visit Refo Chapary. He then left for Haifa, where he stayed three weeks on his way to Tihran.
In Iran, notwithstanding the efforts of the Assembly, he was prevented for more than one year from obtaining a medical license. His health failed, and he was bedridden for many months. At last his physical condition improved, he resumed activities as a member of the Unity of the East and West Committee, and the authorities granted him a license to practise medicine. At this time he was stricken with paralysis. He lay seven months in a hospital, after which Mr. and Mrs. Rahmat ‘Alá’í invited him to their home, surrounding him with the same loving care which they had given Keith Ransom-Kehler the year before. His doctors advised a return to the United States as his only hope for recovery; he braved the long journey across the desert by motor, the presence of the 'Ala’is, who escorted him to Haifa, helping him to survive it.
After nine days in Haifa, during which the Guardian visited him daily, he took a ship for New York where he was greeted by the National Spiritual Assembly, and then left by way of the Panama Canal for San Francisco. Here he had recourse to the best medical authorities, but was pronounced incurable. He passed away November 24, 1935 . He is buried at Sunset Memorial Park in Berkeley. The Bahá’í service held for him was conducted by Leroy Ioas of San Francisco; Bahá’ís of Berkeley, Oakland, Geyserville, San Francisco and Santa Paula were present, and the words of Bahá’u’lláh on immortality radiated such power as to efface all thought of death. [BW6 p491-493]
See Shoghi Effendi's tribute to him where he said:
Next to the late Mrs. Ransom-Kehler he may, indeed, be well considered as the foremost American believer who has, in the last few years, been assisted in rendering invaluable help to the Persian believers in their efforts for the establishment of the Administration in their country… .
["Uncompiled Published Letters"]
|
Berkely; United States; Budapest; Hungary; Belgrade; Serbia; Sofia; Bulgaria; Tirana; Albania; Tihran; Iran |
In Memoriam; Howard Carpenter; Marzieh Gail; Marion Jack; Marion Jack; Refo Chapary; Keith Ransom-Kehler; Rahmat Alai |
|
1937 21 May |
All Bahá’í activities and institutions were banned in Germany by a special order of the Reichsführer SS and the Gestapo Chief of Staff Heinrich Himmler when he banned the Bahá'í Faith in Germany. He blamed it on the religion’s “international and pacifist tendencies.” The Nazi government increasingly targeted the Bahá'ís after Himmler’s edict, first by tearing down the public memorial to 'Abdu’l-Bahá in Bad Mergntheim and then, in 1939, making mass arrests of the former members of the National Spiritual Assembly. Bahá'ís went to jail, some for very long periods, without charges. In 1942, more mass arrests occurred. Many of the Bahá'ís from Germany and the surrounding countries disappeared in the Nazi concentration camp system.
[BBRSM185; Bahá'í Teachings; German Bahá'í website archives; The German Baha'i Community under National Socialism p19]]
See talk by David Langness entitled Nazi Germany: The Untold Story of the Bahá'ís.
See Shoghi Effendi's letter of 11 February 1934 where he says in part:
The wave of nationalism, so aggressive and so contagious in its effects, which has swept not only over Europe but over a large part of mankind is, indeed, the very negation of the gospel of peace and of brotherhood proclaimed by Bahá’u’lláh. The actual trend in the political world is, indeed, far from being in the direction of the Bahá’í teachings. The world is drawing nearer and nearer to a universal catastrophe which will mark the end of a bankrupt and of a fundamentally defective civilization. [LDG1p55]
See letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi 10 November 1938 regarding the German community's efforts to have the government rescind the ban. [Messages from Shoghi Effendi to the Benelux countries pp38-40]
|
Germany |
Persecution, Germany; Persecution, Arrests; Persecution, Bans; Persecution, Court cases; Persecution, Other; Persecution; Court cases; World War II |
|
1938 27 Nov |
In a letter to the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the British Isles, Shoghi Effendi outlined the attitudes and obligations of Bahá’ís regarding military service. [BW17:384–5; UD122–3] |
United Kingdom |
Armed forces; Military; Weapons; War (general) |
|
1939 Ridván |
The first Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Budapest was elected. There were about 14 believers in the community, mostly of Jewish ancestry. This caused difficulty for the community in the Nazi persecutions that followed. [Rebirth: Memoirs of Renée Szanto-Felbermann p108]
According to the description of Renée Szántó-Felbermann, they could not even meet in Budapest: „It was at their (the Sugárs) house in Alag (today part of Budakeszi) that we elected the first Spiritual Assembly in the history of Hungary, Ridvan 1939. When we boarded the train for Alag, in order to avoid suspicion, we Bahá’ís did not remain together, but went by twos and threes. The same procedure was repeated on our arrival to Alag. It was a memorable, unforgettable evening, that Feast of Ridván in the small house at Alag fragrant with spring flowers. We were all deeply moved. And our dear Bertha Matthiesen was radiant. … Jenő Sugár was elected chairman, Mária Kleinberger became treasurer and I continued as secretary.” [www.bahai.hu]
See www.bahai.hu for a list of community members.
Ms Bertha Matthiesen spent a lot of time in Hungary between 1937 and 1939 when most declarations took place and the first spiritual assembly was formed.
[www.bahai.hu]
Mr Emeric Sala (Imre Szalavetz) a Canadian Bahá'í who was born in Hungary visited Budapest in 1933 and in 1937.
[www.bahai.hu]
Canadian travel teacher Ms Lorol Schopflocher visited Budapest in March-April 1937.
[www.bahai.hu]
|
Budapest; Hungary |
Local Spiritual Assembly; World War II; War (general); Persecution, Hungary; Persecution, Other; Persecution; Jews |
|
1939. 4 Jun |
In a letter addressed to the National Spiritual Assembly of the British Isles written on behalf of the Guardian he urged them to
"appeal to the government for exemption from active military service in a combatant capacity, stressing the fact that in doing so they are not prompted by any selfish considerations but by the sole and supreme motive of upholding the Teachings of their Faith, which make it a moral obligation for them to desist from any act that would involve them in direct warfare with their fellow-humans or any other race or nation."
[UD128]
See other correspondence on this theme: UD122; UD134; UD259
|
United Kingdom |
Armed forces; Military; Weapons; War (general) |
|
1939 3 Sep |
World War II began with Britain and France declaring war on Germany after Germany invaded Poland. |
Europe; Germany; United Kingdom; France; Poland |
World War II; History (general); War (general) |
|
1940 9 Feb |
The monuments of Navváb and the Purest Branch were dedicated at a ceremony in Haifa. [ZK293]
For details of the ceremony, see ZK293–6.
Marble* for the Monument Gardens came from Chiampo, Italy as did marble for the Archives Building, the Resting Place of Shoghi Effendi, the Seat of the Universal House of Justice, the Terraces Project, and the Houses of Worship in India and Samoa. [BWNS1223]
*Edward Keith-Roach OBE (Born 1885 Gloucester, England— died 1954) was the British Colonial administrator during the British mandate on Palestine, who also served as the governor of Jerusalem from 1926 to 1945 (excluding a period in the 1930s when he was governor of the Galilee). He was nicknamed “Páshá of Jerusalem".
He approved exemption from duties and established a policy that was continued by Israel that allowed materials for the BWC to enter duty free, such as the marble for the buildings on the Arc.
[Shoghi Effendi, Uncompiled Published Letters]
|
Mount Carmel; BWC; Chiampo; Italy |
Navvab (Asiyih Khanum); Mirza Mihdi (Purest Branch); Monument Gardens; Marble; BWNS; Shoghi Effendi, Life Of; Edward Keith-Roach |
|
1940. 14 or 15 May |
Shoghi Effendi determined to go to England; he and Rúhíyyih Khánum left Haifa for Italy via aquaplane en route to London. [PP 178]
For the difficulties and dangers of this journey that took them from Haifa to Heraklion on Crete and then on to Reggio and then a further 700km to Rome and another 500km to Genoa see PP178–80.
After the passing of his wife, Mr. Maxwell had been invited by Shoghi Effendi to come and live in Haifa. On the same day that Shoghi Effendi and Rúhíyyih Khánum left the Holy Land, Sutherland Maxwell left Montreal to meet up with them in Europe. A few days after their arrival in Italy, Rúhíyyih Khánum travelled to Genoa to meet her father who had arrived on the Italian vessel, the S.S. Rex, that had departed New York. [PP178] |
Haifa; Genoa; Italy; London; United Kingdom |
Shoghi Effendi, Life of; Shoghi Effendi, Travels of; Amatul-Baha Ruhiyyih Khanum; Shoghi Effendi, Basic timeline; World War II; - Basic timeline, Expanded |
|
1940 25 May |
After having obtained a visa for Britain in Rome, Shoghi Effendi and Rúhíyyih Khánum left for England. They entered France at Menton and then travelled to Marseilles and eventually to St. Malo. A few days later the Italians enter the war against the Allies. [PP179] |
Rome; Italy; Menton; Marseilles; France; United Kingdom |
Shoghi Effendi, Life of; Shoghi Effendi, Travels of; Amatul-Baha Ruhiyyih Khanum; World War II |
|
1940 2 Jun |
Shoghi Effendi, Rúhíyyih Khánum and Sutherland Maxwell left St Malo, France, for England and arrived the next morning In Southhampton. The following day St. Malo was occupied by the Nazis. Shoghi Effendi seemed acutely aware of the danger to himself and to the Faith should he fall into the hands of the Nazis because the Cause had already been banned in Germany and his inveterate enemy, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, was allied with them. [PP 179–80]
Their passage from St Malo to Southhampton took place on the same day as the history troop evacuation from Dunkirk was in full swing when every available vessel was involved in moving troops from France to England. |
St Malo; France |
Shoghi Effendi, Life of; Shoghi Effendi, Travels of; Amatul-Baha Ruhiyyih Khanum; World War II |
|
1940 28 Jul |
Shoghi Effendi, Rúhíyyih Khánum and Sutherland Maxwell left England for South Africa aboard the SS Capetown Castle. It was Mr Maxwell's close friendship with the Canadian High Commissioner in London, Vincent Massey, that helped them secure the sea passage. [PP180]
They departed Southhampton just three days before the German High Command issued an order to the Luftwaffe to establish air superiority along the British Channel coast in preparation for the invasion of England. This resulted in the bombing and strafing of all civilian shipping out of British Channel ports.
Risking U-Boat attacks the ship took them to Durban where they found that all flights to Khartoum had been booked by the military.
They left Mr. Maxwell in Durban to await a flight to Khartoum while Shoghi Effendi and Rúhíyyih Khánum tried to make their way to Khartoum overland. The trip across Africa took them to Stanleyville, Congo; Juba in the Sudan; down the Nile to Khartoum and back to Palestine through Cairo. [PP180–1, TG159]
They arrived in Kisangani then Stanleyville a few weeks later (July 28, 1940), stayed for a week at the Stanley Hotel and made an excursion in the virgin forest. On the way to Juba, the Guardian also stayed in the village of Nia-Nia. [bahai.org]
|
United Kingdom; Africa; South Africa; Congo; Sudan; Egypt |
Shoghi Effendi, Life of; Shoghi Effendi, Travels of; Amatul-Baha Ruhiyyih Khanum; Amatul-Baha Ruhiyyih Khanum, Journeys of; Sutherland Maxwell; World War II; Shoghi Effendi, Basic timeline; - Basic timeline, Expanded |
|
1941 20 Jun |
The passing of Howard Colby Ives (b. 11 Oct 1867, Brooklyn, New York, d. Pulaski County, Arkansas, USA). He was buried in Pinecrest Memorial Park and Garden Mausoleum, Alexander, Saline County, Arkansas. [BW9p608-613; Find a grave]
He and his wife Mabel spent nearly the last twenty years of his life as itinerant teachers. (Often teamed up with the Obers and the McKays) For example they came to Toronto in November of 1938 and stayed for about 10 months. During that time Mabel gave more than 150 lectures in Toronto and about 70 in Hamilton, Toronto's expansion goal. Howard, who was had had heart problems and who was rapidly losing for sight and hearing at the time, complemented her abilities by doing personal deepening with receptive souls. [TMLF62-67, SEBW139-154]
Some of his works were:
- The Ocean of His Utterances Unpublished study course in the Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh using the books of Bahá'u'lláh, Abdu'l‑Baha, and Shoghi Effendi, compiled and with commentary by Ives. Not yet formatted.
- Portals to Freedom (1937) A collection of anecdotes and history of Abdu'l-Baha's travels to the United States, as told by one observer. [BEL7.1313 to 7.1320]
- The Song Celestial (1938) A mystical book about Mr. Ives' search for God, in which a seeker asks God various questions, and God responds. [BEL7.1321-1322]
Also see Mother's Stories:
Recollections of Abdu'l-Baha by Muriel Ives Barrow Newhall (Daughter of Howard and Mabel Ives)
|
Little Rock; AR; Brooklyn; NY; Toronto |
Howard Colby Ives; In Memoriam; Mabel Rice-Wray Ives |
|
1942 (The early 20th Century) |
Bahá'í Scholarship
The publication in 1865 of the Comte de Gobineau’s (1816-1882),Les Religions et Les Philosophies dans l'Asie Centrale created an interest in Europe. A scholar that was inspired by Gobineau was E.G.Browne. He travelled to Iran and also visited Bahá’u’lláh in Akka in the latter days of His life. He translated two histories of the new religion and published two other books as well as a number of articles. He also made an important collection of manuscripts that he gave to Cambridge University Library. Bahá'ís have criticized Browne's work for being too sympathetic to Azal, Baha'u'llah's half-brother and implacable enemy. One of the books that Cobineau for Les Religions... was Násikhu't-Taváríkh (the 'history to abrogate all previous historiies') by Lisánu'l-Mulk. This book had been condemned by Bahá'u'lláh as a falsification of history one which even an infidel would not have had the effrontery to produce. [SUR36-37]
A.L.M. Nicolas (1864-1939) was a French consular official in Iran who researched and wrote a biography of the Báb as well as translating three of the Báb's major works into French.
Just as the Báb was the centre of the scholarly interests of Gobineau, Browne and Nicolas, some Russian scholars who were more interested in Bahá'u'lláh. Baron Viktor Rosen (1849-1908), the director of the Oriental Department of the University of St. Petersburg was assisted by Aleksandr Tumanski (1861-1920). He spent a great deal of time with the Bahá'í community of Ashkhabad and with Mirza Abu'l-Fadl Gulpaygani. Although he did not write as much as Browne or Nicolas, what he did write was derived from a very deep and thorough investigation. [L&E43-83]
See An Officer and an Orientalist: Alexander Grigorevich Tumanskii and His Contribution to Russian Historiography on and Policy towards the Babi-Baha’i Religion by Soli Shahvar, Bahá'í Studies Review 20 (1), 3-19
There was much interest in scholarship in the early days of the Faith because almost all of the most important disciples of the Báb were Islamic religious scholars, as were many of the leading converts to the Bahá'í Faith in later years. The most important of these was the above mentioned Mirza Abu'l-Fadl Gulpaygani (1844-1914). He was learned in the Zoroastrian and Jewish scriptures and spent some time in the Christian West at the request of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá prior to His visit.
During the 1930s to 1960s, a second generation of Iranian Bahá'í scholars, such as Fadil Mazandarani (1881-1957), 'Abdul-Hamid Ishraq-Khavari (1902-1972), and 'Azizu'llah Sulaymani (1901-1985) systematized Bahá'í theology and law, developed aids for scholars such as dictionaries of Bahá'í terminology, and wrote histories and biographies. This was of course a more traditional style of scholarship than is current in the West, but it continues to be useful to all present scholars.
The above-described initial flurry of interest in the Bábí and Bahá'í religions in the West was not sustained and from the 1920s to the 1970s, there were no Western scholars who were as deeply engaged as the above-named ones and only a handful of studies that can be said to have done much to advance knowledge. From the 1970s onward, there gradually emerged a new stream of scholars who can be said to be a fusion of the above two groups, the Western and the Bahá'í scholars. This new generation of scholars mostly began as Bahá'ís, although some have subsequently left the religion. They use Western academic methodology and most operate from within Western universities but they have access to insider information and resources. Apart from these individuals, the Bahá'í Faith has been very little studied by Western scholars of religion.
A word must also be said about what passes for scholarship on the Bahá'í Faith in Iran and to a lesser extent in the rest of the Middle East. Bahá'ís have been persecuted in many Middle Eastern countries and rejected by Islamic leaders, and one form of this discrimination has involved the manipulation of information. For most of the last 100 years, deliberately distorted or falsified information and documents have been created mostly by some within the Islamic religious establishment and then distributed as though these were facts about the Bahá'í Faith. Since the Bahá'ís have had no ability to respond to this material in the Middle East, these distortions have gradually become accepted in the Middle East as the truth. One example is the forged memoirs of Count Dolgorukov, the Russian ambassador to Iran in the 1840s to 1850s.
This and other contradictions were so clearly spurious that even some Iranian scholars debunked them when they were first published in the 1940s. But despite this, they are often regularly cited by Middle Eastern writers up to the present day as though they are a reliable source for the history of the religion.
Since the Islamic Revolution of 1979, this manufacturing of disinformation and forged material has increased greatly with programs in the media, articles, and books appearing on a frequent basis, especially in the government-run media. The result is that there is almost nothing published in the Middle East that has reliable information about the Bahá'í Faith in it. A little of this sort of scholarship has also appeared in the West; some Christian missionaries, notably Reverend William McElwee Miller(1892-1993)(Also see WOB83) have written anti-Bahá'í material and ex-Bahá'ís have published academic work that is calculated to make the Bahá'í community resemble a cult as portrayed in the anti-cult campaigns that were carried out in the Western media in the 1980s. [The above was copied from the website Patheos and has been edited for brevity. It was contributed by Dr. Natalie Mobini]
See as well the publication of Der Bahā'ismus, Weltreligion der Zukunft?: Geschichte, Lehre und Organisation in Kritischer Anfrage (Bahá'ísm-Religion of the Future? History, Doctrine and Organization: A Critical Inquiry) by Francesco Ficicchia under the auspices of the Central Office of the Protestant Church for Questions of Ideology in Germany.
|
|
Bahai studies; Babism; Comte de Gobineau; Edward Granville Browne; A.L.M. Nicolas; Baron Rosen; Alexander Tumansky; Mirza Abul-Fadl Gulpaygani; Mirza Asadullah Fadil-i-Mazandarani; Abdul-Hamid Ishraq-Khavari; Azizullah Sulaymani; Reverend William McElwee Miller; Francesco Ficicchia; Baron Viktor Rosen |
|
1942 Aug |
Lidia Zamenhof was killed in the gas chambers at Treblinka. [HDBF516]
For her obituary see BW10:533–8.
See also Lidia by Wendy Heller, GR, Oxford, 1985 and Lidia Zamenhof, a cosmopolitan woman and victim of the Holocaust.
See JPost.com 8Feb2022 for a full history of the language and of the Zamenof family.
iiiii
|
Treblinka; Poland |
Lidia Zamenhof; World War II; Persecution, Poland; Esperanto |
|
1945 8 May |
The war in Europe ended.
For Shoghi Effendi’s response see MA80–1, PP185 and UD175.
For the war’s effect on the Bahá’í community worldwide see BW17:80.
See CF36 for Shoghi Effendi’s opinion of the significance of the role of the United States in the war. |
Europe |
World War II; War (general); History (general) |
|
1945 14 Aug |
The German Bahá’ís, 80 per cent of whom lived in the American sector of occupied Germany, obtained permission to re-organize. [BBRSM185]
A US soldier stationed in occupied post-war Germany, John Eichenauer, helped during the first days of the reconvening of the community. The American Bahá'ís sent money, food and literature, and aided them in rebuilding the administrative structures. [BWNS390]
Brief mention of this event is made in this film on Vimeo.
|
Germany |
Persecution, Germany; Persecution, Other; Persecution; World War II; BWNS; John Eichenauer |
|
1945 2 Sep |
The war in Japan ended. |
Japan |
World War II; War (general); History (general) |
|
1945 24 Oct |
The United Nations was formally established.
For the relationship of the Bahá’í Faith to the United Nations see BW16:327–52.
See SDC64-65 for 'Abdu'l-Bahá's prophetic statement, written in 1875, "True civilization will unfurl its banner...".
The temporary headquarters for the United Nations was established in Lake Success, NY in a warehouse formerly occupied by the Sperry Gyroscope Company. (1946-1952).
See the United Nations Charter. |
San Francisco; California; United States |
United Nations; Secret of Divine Civilization (book); Collective security; Prophecies; World War II; War (general); Peace; History (general) |
|
1946. 20 Jul |
The National Spiritual Assembly of the United States enquired of the Guardian whether the existence of the United Nations in its present form changed the attitude of the Baha'is toward military duties which might require the taking of human life. The Guardian's reply, written by his secretary, was:
...the Bahá'ís should continue to apply, under all circumstances, for exemption from any military duty that necessitates the taking of life. There is no justification for any change of attitude on our part at the present time.
The Universal House of Justice amplified this later statement:
There is no objection in a Bahá'í enlisting voluntarily in the armed forces of a country in order to obtain a training in some trade or profession, provided that he can do so without making himself liable to undertake combatant service. [BW17:384–5]
|
United States |
Armed forces; Military; Weapons; War (general) |
|
1948 (In the year) |
War broke out in Palestine.
See DH118 for the effect on the Bahá’ís.
|
Palestine |
War (general); History (general) |
|
1948 21 - 22 Apr |
The 2nd Battle of Haifa: A Jewish offensive to gain control of the strategic port of Haifa. Prior to the 30-hour battle, the Arab population of Haifa was estimated to be 65,000 compared to 70,000 Palestinian Jews. At the end of the operation, the Arab population was reduced to about 4,000 people. [Battle of Haifa]
|
Haifa |
War (general); History (general) |
|
1949 24 Apr |
The passing of Montfort Mills.
He had been a believer since 1906 and by 1909 he had made two pilgrimages to 'Akká as well as a third in early 1921.
In 1922 he and Roy Wilhelm were invited to Haifa to discuss the possibility of calling for the formation of the Universal House of Justice.
He was the first chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and Canada when it first formed in 1922 and was elected to that body seven times between 1922 and 1937 and was responsible for the final draft of the Declaration of Trust and By-Laws adopted in 1927.
One of his most outstanding achievements was his role in the case of the appeal for possession of the House of Bahá'u'lláh in Baghdád. He made two trips to Baghdad and had audiences with King Feisal. During one of these trips he was brutally assaulted and suffered the effects for many years.
He met with Professor E. G. Browne and, after hearing Mr. Mills explanation of the evolution of the Faith and of the Covenant, Mr. Browne realized he had been veiled by conflicting claims and disturbances following the martyrdom of the Báb and expressed a desire to translate later Bahá'í works but died before this contribution could be made. [BW11p509-511] |
United States; Baghdad; Iraq |
House of Bahaullah (Baghdad); In Memoriam; Edward Granville Browne; Births and deaths; Covenant-breakers |
|
1949. 9 Dec |
The General Assembly of the United Nations adopted the Resolution entitled Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.
It was largely through the one-man campaign of a Polish jurist, Raphael Lemkin, someone who had lost family members in the Nazi holocaust, and who had invented the term "genocide", that the Resolution was adopted. [In Search of a Better World by Payam Akhavan p91-92]
The attitude at the time could be summed up in the words "Never again!" however the world would have to wait another 50 years before the International Criminal Court would be established to provide any real meaning to this Resolution.
See IBM and the Holocaust: The Strategic Alliance Between Nazi Germany and America's Most Powerful Corporation by Edwin Black. It is the stunning story of IBM's strategic alliance with Nazi Germany -- beginning in 1933 in the first weeks that Hitler came to power and continuing well into World War II. As the Third Reich embarked upon its plan of conquest and genocide, IBM and its subsidiaries helped create enabling technologies, step-by-step, from the identification and cataloging programs of the 1930s to the selections of the 1940s. A book review. |
|
Genocide; United Nations; Justice; Law, International; World War II; War (general); History (general) |
|
1951 Sep |
National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States provided guidance on military service. [BN No 247 September 1951 p4] |
United States |
Armed forces; Military; Weapons; War (general) |
|
1953 Oct |
Earle Render arrived in the Leeward Islands and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:453] |
Leeward Islands |
Knights of Bahaullah; Islands |
|
1953 13 Oct |
Esther Evans and Lillian Middlemast arrived in Castries, St Lucia, and were named Knights of Bahá’u’lláh for the Windward Islands. BW13:457] |
Castries; St Lucia; Windward Islands |
Knights of Bahaullah; Islands |
|
1953 16 Oct |
Benjamin Dunham Weeden and his wife Gladys (née Anderson) arrived in Antigua and were named Knights of Bahá’u’lláh for the Leeward Islands. [BW13:453]
For the story of Ben Weeden’s life see BW15:478–9.
For the story of Gladys Weeden’s life see BW18:692–6. |
Antigua; Leeward Islands |
Knights of Bahaullah; Islands |
|
1953 Oct |
Shirley Warde arrived in British Honduras (Belize) and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:449] |
British Honduras (Belize); Belize |
Knights of Bahaullah; Shirley Warde |
|
1954 Feb |
David Schreiber, an American, arrived in Antigua and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh for the Leeward Islands. [BW13:453] |
Antigua; Leeward Islands |
Knights of Bahaullah |
|
1954 21 Feb |
Charles (‘Chuck’) and Mary Dayton from the United States, settled in Charlotte Amalie, on St Thomas, and wre named Knights of Bahá’u’lláh for the Leeward Islands. [BW13:453] |
Charlotte Amalie; St Thomas; Leeward Islands |
Knights of Bahaullah; Islands |
|
1954 (April) |
A mere eight months after settling in British Cameroons, Enoch Olinga, along with
the community of new believers at his pioneering post received a cable from Shoghi
Effendi asking for African believers to settle in British Togoland, French Togoland, the Ashanti Protectorate and in the Northern Territories Protectorate before the following Ridván.
Although Bahá'ís for only a few months, their response was instantaneous; the largest difficulty
arose in limiting themselves to the four names required to fulfill the designated posts. This was determined by a vote. David
Tanyi, Edward Tabe, Benedict Eballa, and Martin Manga were duly selected. Samuel Nyki was sent to French Cameroon. Each one established a Local Spiritual Assembly in their
assigned posts within two years.
[A Brief Account of the Progress of the Bahá'í Faith in Africa Since 1953 by Nancy Oloro-Robarts and Selam Ahderom p4; KoB71] |
Cameroon; British Togoland (Ghana); French Togoland (Togo); Ashanti Protectorate (Ghana); Northern Territories Protectorate (Ghana) |
Pioneering; David Tanyi; Edward Tabe; Benedict Eballa; Martin Manga; Samuel Njiki (Samuel Nyki) |
|
1954 Apr |
Edward Tabe, a youth from Cameroon, no older than fourteen, and Albert Buapiah from the Gold Coast arrived in British Togoland and were named Knights of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:450; KoB78-79; BWNS249] |
British Togoland (Ghana); Ghana |
Knights of Bahaullah; Edward Tabe; Albert Buapiah |
|
1960. 20 Aug |
The presentation of the doctoral dissertation of Allan Luctus Ward entitled An Historical Study of the North American Speaking Tour of 'Abdu'l-Bahá and a Rhetorical Analysis of His Addresses |
Ann Arbor; Michigan |
An Historical Study of the North American Speaking Tour of Abdul-Baha and a Rhetorical Analysis of His Addresses; Allan Ward; Allan Luctus Ward |
|
1965. 20 Sep |
The obligation that Bahá'ís should seek exemption from combatant service was specifically affirmed by the Universal House of Justice in a letter to the American National Spiritual Assembly. That letter said:
It is for each believer, under pain of his own conscience, to determine for himself what his actions should be, bearing in mind that the application of these principles is the spiritual obligation of every Bahá'í. It is rather for your Assembly to see that adequate instruction is provided so that the friends will let these principles be mirrored forth in their actions, and that they will be so steadfast in their love for Bahá'u'lláh that it would be unthinkable for them to willingly place themselves in a position where they must take human life. [Universal House of Justice letter to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States ref41]
|
United States |
Armed forces; Military; Weapons; War (general) |
|
1966 (In the year) |
Florence Parry, the first to become a Bahá’í in the West Leeward Islands, enrolled. |
West Leeward Islands |
Florence Parry |
|
1966. 11 Sep |
The rescue of six Tongan boys from the uninhabited island of 'Ata by Peter Warner and his crew on his yacht the Just David. The boys, all students at St Andrew's College, had stolen a 25 foot whaling boat and, on their first night at sea, had lost the sails and the rudder in a storm. They lost the little food they had carried as well. They were adrift for 8 days without water before reaching the island in June 1965. By the time Warner arrived, the boys had set up a commune with a food garden, hollowed-out trees to store rainwater, a gymnasium, badminton court, chicken enclosures. and a permanent fire. [Wikipedia]
This documentary was made in 1966 shortly after the rescue.
Here is Peter Warner's own story of the rescue.
A documentary has been made of the experience. Here is the trailer.
In 1974 Peter Warner was once more in the right spot at the right time, when he rescued a shipwrecked sailing crew on Middleton Reef in the Tasman Sea, with the help of Sione Filipe Totau, one of the Tongans he had rescued earlier.
Mr Warner lived in Tonga for thirty years where he became a Bahá'í and help found Ocean of Light International School. His time there was documented in his autobiography called Ocean of Light: 30 Years in Tonga and the Pacific. In the 1990s he moved to the Northern Rivers of NSW, and become a noted macadamia farmer and tree manager near Lismore, before settling in Ballina. This period of his life was covered in his autobiography Twilight of the Dawn.
He died on the 13th of April 2021 at the age of 90 after his boat capsized during an attempted crossing of the Ballina Bar in rough conditions.
[The Echo] |
Nukualofa; Tonga; Ballina; Australia |
Peter Warner; In Memoriam; Bahai schools; Ocean of Light International School |
|
1967 (In the year) |
Mr O. T. Shelton arrived on St Eustatius in the West Leeward Islands, the first pioneer to the island. |
West Leeward Islands |
First travel teachers and pioneers |
|
1967 Ridván |
The National Spiritual Assembly of the Leeward, Windward and Virgin Islands was formed with its seat in Charlotte Amalie. [BW14:93; Ridván 1966
| Charlotte Amalie; Leeward Islands; Windward Islands; Virgin Islands |
National Spiritual Assembly, formation |
|
1967 Ridván |
The National Spiritual Assembly of Belize (British Honduras) was formed with its seat in the city of Belize. Elected were: Cora Oliver (recording xec’u.), Bernice York, Rauhartgiz Yegcmeh. Dr. Hedaiatullah Ahmadiyeh (chairman), George Gable, Katherine Hope (secretary), Wallace Tillet, Shirley Warde (treasurer), and Nut Neal. [BW14:93; Bahá'í News No 436 July 1967 p2]
Upon forming the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Guatemala in 1961, it was made responsible for administrating the Bahá’í community of British Honduras although there were no Bahá’ís in British Honduras at the time. British Honduras remained under its jurisdiction until forming its own National Spiritual Assembly in 1967.
[Bahaipedia Guatemala; BN No 435 June 1967 p6] |
Belize; British Honduras |
National Spiritual Assembly, formation; Cora Oliver; Bernice York; Rauhartgiz Yegcmeh; Hedaiatullah Ahmadiyeh; George Gable; Katherine Hope; Wallace Tillet; Shirley Warde; Nut Neal |
|
1968 Dec |
George Howard arrived on Union Island, the first person to take the Bahá’í Faith to the Grenadine Islands. |
Grenadine Islands |
George Howard |
|
1968. 10 Dec |
The Louis G. Gregory Award for Service to Humanity was established by the National Spiritual Assembly in 1968. The first recipients, honoured at a banquet in the Washington Hilton and sponsored by the North American Bahá’í Office for Human Rights (NABOHR, were the Xerox Corporation and Clark M. Eichelberger.
Mr. Eichelberger, Chairman of the Commission to Study the Organization of Peace, will receive the award for his accomplishments in the field of human rights over a period of many years. He was a consultant to the League of Nations Secretariat and was a member of a committee to prepare the first U.S. working draft of the United Nations Charter. He was a consultant to the U.S. delegation to the 1945 Conference in San Francisco to organize the United Nations. His most recent effort was overseeing the drafting and presentation of a special report on The United Nations and Human Rights. He is the author of four books on the U.N.
The Xerox Corporation was selected because of its sponsorship of the television series Of Black America and its other outstanding efforts in behalf of human rights. [Bahá'í National Review Issue 12 December 1968 p3; Bahá'í National Review Issue 14 February 1969 p10] |
Washington DC |
Race amity; Louis G. Gregory Award for Service to Humanity; Louis Gregory |
|
1969 Jun |
For the Bahá'í position on military service see War, Governance, and Conscience in This Age of Transition by National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States published by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States in the National Bahá'í Review. |
United States |
Armed forces; Military; Weapons; War (general) |
|
1972 (In the year) |
Derek and Sally Dacey, the first resident pioneers on Montserrat in the East Leeward Islands, arrived at their pioneer post. |
East Leeward Islands |
First travel teachers and pioneers |
|
1974 (In the year) |
The National Spiritual Assembly of the Leeward and Virgin Islands held its first annual National Teaching Conference. [BW16:187] |
Leeward Islands; Virgin Islands |
Conferences, Bahai; Conferences, Teaching; Teaching; First conferences |
|
1981 Ridván |
The National Spiritual Assembly of the Leeward Islands was formed with its seat in St John’s, Antigua. [BW18:107, 171]
The National Spiritual Assembly of the Virgin Islands was formed. It has jurisdiction over both the British Virgin Islands and U.S. Virgin Islands. [Virgin Islands, U.S. and British by Patricia Paccassi; BN No 605 August 1981 p5] |
St Johns; Antigua; Leeward Islands |
National Spiritual Assembly, formation |
|
1987 6 – 8 Feb |
Maori women held the first National Women’s Hui in the tribal area of Ngati Tuwaretoa, New Zealand. [BINS163:8] |
Ngati Tuwaretoa; New Zealand |
Maoris; Firsts, Other; Indigenous people |
|
1988 8 Mar |
Shirin Fozdar, ardent champion of women’s rights and influential women’s leader, was honoured for her work for equality and women’s advancement at a ceremony organized by the Singapore Council of Women, which she founded in 1952. [BINS176:7] |
Singapore |
Shirin Fozdar; Women; Awards |
|
1989 6 May |
The Bahá’í World Centre received one of six awards given by the Council for a "Beautiful Israel" in a ceremony in Jerusalem. [BINS199:2] |
Jerusalem; BWC |
World Centre; Awards |
|
1991. Mar 1991 |
In March the first Baháʼí Local Spiritual Assembly was re-elected in Warsaw. By 1992 the National Spiritual Assembly was elected. [Wikipedia] |
Warsaw; Poland |
Local Spiritual Assembly, formation |
|
1991 Ridván |
The National Spiritual Assembly of the West Leeward Islands was formed. [AWH86; BINS246:1; VV113] iiiii
|
West Leeward Islands |
National Spiritual Assembly, formation |
|
1991 Ridván |
The National Spiritual Assembly of the Leeward Islands that was formed in 1981 was renamed the National Spiritual Assembly of the East Leeward Islands following the splitting of this region. [East Leeward Islands
by Patricia Paccassi] |
Antigua; East Leeward Islands |
National Spiritual Assembly, formation |
|
1992 Ridván |
The National Spiritual Assembly of Poland was formed with its seat in Warsaw. [CBN Jan92 p2, BINS270:2; BW92–3:119; VV121] |
Warsaw; Poland |
National Spiritual Assembly, formation; |
|
1992 5 Jun |
The Bahá'í Vocational Institute for Rural Women, a non-profit education project based in Indore, India, was one of 74 individuals and institutions presented with the United Nations Environment Programme ‘Global 500' award in Rio de Janeiro. [BINS272:5; BW92–3:125; VV110]
For picture see BW92–3:183. |
Rio de Janeiro; Brazil; Indore; India |
Bahai Vocational Institute for Rural Women; Women; Social and economic development; United Nations; Environment; Awards |
|
2002 6 June |
City Montessori School in Lucknow, India won the UNESCO Peace Education award in recognition of its efforts to promote the universal values of education for peace and tolerance and to renew the principles of secularism at a time when these values and principles are increasingly being challenged. The school was founded by Mr. Jagdish Gandhi and his wife Bharti in 1959 with only 5 students and has since earned a reputation for a high level of academic excellence — and for a distinctive program of moral and spiritual education. In 1999 the Guinness Book of World Records recognized City Montessori School as the world's largest school by enrollment. The school had some 22,000 students that year. In 2002 it had 26,000 students in grade levels ranging from pre-primary to college and in 2010-11 enrolment was 39,437. In 2014-14 it was over 47,000. Technically speaking, CMS is not so much a school as a school district, with some 20 branches spread throughout Lucknow. [CMS site, BWNS165, BWNS146, One CountryVol.14,Issue 1] |
Lucknow; India |
Awards; UNESCO; City Montessori School; Bahai schools; Social and economic development; BWNS |
|
2004 11 Feb |
A member of the British Bahá'í community, Lois Hainsworth, received the award of Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) at Buckingham Palace.
The announcement of the award for services to three organizations that promote the rights of women was made in the United Kingdom's New Year's Honours List. The citation refers to Mrs. Hainsworth's services to the Women's National Commission, the Bahá'í Office for the Advancement of Women, and UNIFEM UK. [BWNS273] |
Buckingham Palace; London; United Kingdom |
Lois Hainsworth; Order of the British Empire (MBE); Women; Awards; BWNS |
|
2009 Apr |
Beth McKenty, longtime pioneer to Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada received the Caring Canadian Award from the Governor General of Canada for her work in the community. [BWNS711]
Beth, a teacher by training, has taught English in Arizona, China, Japan, and Sakhalin Island, then pioneered to Nunavut where she, among many other things, started a painting project, “The Arctic Youth Art initiative,” which has reached youth in many Inuit settlements and led to her winning this award. |
Iqaluit; Numavut; Iqaluit; Canada |
Awards; Beth McKenty; BWNS |
|
2015 6 Nov |
The première of Mercy's Blessing, a film by May Taherzadeh in Lilongwe, Malawi. To date it has won 12 film awards and has been distributed for use in 115 countries. [Official Web Site]
See the trailer.
The film can be purchased on Vimeo.
See her Ted Talk entitled The Power of Film to Inspire Social Change and her foundation Inspire Courage for Change. |
Lilongwe, Malawi |
Mercys Blessing; Film; Documentaries; Arts; Awards; May Taherzadeh; Inspire Courage for Change Foundation; Ted Talk |
|
2016 13 - 16 Oct |
The public dedication of the Mother Temple of South America in Santiago, Chile. The opening ceremonies were attended by over 5,000 people from 110 countries. Live video coverage of the public opening ceremony was provided on the Bahá'í World News Service website for approximately 90 minutes and the video recording has been made available at that website.
The Mashriqul-Adhkár (Dawning-Point of God’s Remembrance) is located outside of Santiago in Peñalolen, a commune whose name means "reunion of brothers" in the local language. [BWNS1128].
The temple was built in the foothills of the Andes, between mountains and city. The 2,415 square-metre edice (26,000-square-feet) is essentially one large room with nine doors made of bronze. The interior is surrounded by a dome that is made up of nine elements – called petals. These begin wide at the bottom of the building and then narrow upward to meet in a spiral at the top, separated by crescent-shaped windows and a round window at the top. The outer surfaces of these petals are made of 32-millimetre-thick panels of cast glass, which have a ruddy, milky quality to them; the inner surfaces are made of smooth Portuguese marble. Both layers are translucent.
Each of the nine wings of the building has two surfaces – one of cast glass and one of stone both of which rest on the steel structure. Each of those two surfaces has more than 1,000 separate components in more than 150 different shapes categorized as droops, slumps, bullnoses, shoulders, elbows, or spines. Each piece, which had to be crafted in three dimensions, was shaped using digital models. [BWNS1126]
Canadian architect, Siamak Hariri, began work on the $20-million project in 2003. [BWNS1127] The landscape architect was Juan Grimm, one of the most well-known landscapers of Latin America.
The Universal House of Justice was represented by Counsellor Antonella Demonte from the International Teaching Centre.
Message from the Universal House of Justice.
Pictures
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Specifics
Location: Santiago, Chile
Foundation Stone:
Construction Period: 2013 – October 2016
Site Dedication:13-16 October 2016
Architect: Siamak Hariri
Landscape Architect: Juan Grimm
Seating:
Dimensions:2,415 square-metre (26,000 square-feet)
Cost: approximately $30m
Dependencies:
References:
BWNS800,
BWNS921,
BWNS940,
BWNS959,
BWNS982,
BWNS1123,
BWNS1125,
BWNS1055,
BWNS1199
-
Since its dedication in October 2016, the Temple has been a recipient of an International Architecture Award as well as awards for structural artistry from the Institution of Structural Engineers, for innovation in architecture from the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada, for innovation from the American Institute of Architects, for design excellence from the Ontario Association of Architects, for “Best in Americas, Civil Buildings,” from World Architecture News, and for Architectural and Cultural design from American Architecture Prize. [BWNS1262]
- The Temple design won the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) International Prize. This renowned prize is awarded every two years and was created to celebrate socially transformative, respectful, uplifting and inclusive architecture. [FloorNature site.]
- This site states that since the opening some 1.4 million people have visited. Some weekend have had up to 36,000 visitors.
- This site has some spectacular photographs.
- The announcement that Hariri Pontarini Architects had won the prize on the 25th of October, 2019.
- Some spectacular pictures, some of which were taken during the construction.
- See a short video made by Hariri Pontarini Architects.
|
Santiago; Chile |
Mashriqul-Adhkar, Santiago; Mashriqul-Adhkar, Mother Temples; Mashriqul-Adhkar, Quick facts; Mashriqul-Adhkar (House of Worship); Siamak Hariri; Mashriqul-Adhkar, Design; Architecture; Awards; Architects; Juan Grimm; Counsellors; Marble; Gardens; BWNS; Dedications; - Basic timeline, Expanded |
|
2017. 3 Mar |
The publication of Toward Prosperity The Role of Women and Men in Building a Flourishing World Civilization, the Bahá’í International Community’s contribution to the 61st United Nations Commission on the Status of Women which took place at the United Nations Headquarters in New York from 13 to 24 March 2017 as a follow-up to the Fourth World Conference on Women and to the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly
entitled “Women 2000: gender equality, development and peace for the twenty-first century”. [BIC Statements] |
New York; NY |
Toward Prosperity |
|
2017 15 May |
Hundreds of Yemenis gathered in front of the Criminal Prosecution building in the capital city of Sana'a. They were denouncing the arrest of Yemeni citizens of the Bahá'í faith and calling for their release. The demonstrations were not led by the usual human rights crew but by tribal leaders of some of the most influential tribes in the country, prominently that of the Bani Mattar.
What brought the tribes out was the arrest of Sheikh Walid Saleh Ayyash, who has the distinction of being both a prominent tribal figure and one of the 2,000 or so Yemenis who practice the Bahá'í faith. It was Ayyash’s faith that led to his arrest on April 19, as he was driving from the city of Ibb to the port of Hudaydah. Along with another Bahá'í who was in the car, Ayyash was arrested by Houthi forces and transferred to the Hudaydah prison. A statement by the tribal leaders called Ayash “a distinguished personality among the Arab tribes … well-known for his integrity and wisdom, for his love, loyalty and devotion to his country, for his tolerance and respect for the government and the law.”
The leaders had previously met with Khalid Al-Mawari, the Houthi government’s Chief of Special Criminal Prosecution. He had promised them that Ayyash would be transferred to Sana'a. When that failed to happen, they organized the demonstration. [TRACKPERSIA 25 Aug 2017] |
Sanaa; Yemen |
Sheikh Walid Saleh Ayyash; Khalid Al-Mawari; Persecution, Yemen; Persecution, Other; Persecution; Human rights |
|
2017 6 Nov - 22 Jan |
An exhibition of Bahá'u'lláh’s writings opened at the John Addis Gallery in the British Museum.
One of the central themes was the power of the Word, which refers to divine revelation, a concept fundamental to the origins of all the world’s great faiths. The exhibition showed original handwriting of Bahá'u'lláh, as well as other archival items associated with His life such as His reed pens and examples of "revelation writing" by His scribe as he tried keep up with Bahá'u'lláh's dictation.
The exhibition, timed to commemorate the period of celebration of the 200th anniversary of His birth, was open to the public until the 22nd of January. [BWNS1220]
See the British Museum blog entitled Displaying the Bahá'í Faith: the pen is mightier than the sword. |
London; United Kingdom |
British Museum and British Library; Exhibitions of Bahai manuscripts and relics; Relics; Bahaullah, Writings of; Exhibitions; Reed pens; Reed (general); Calligraphy; Revelation writing; Kalimat-i-Maknunih (Hidden Words); Bahaullah, Pen portraits of; Pen portraits; Edward Granville Browne; Gifts |
|
date |
event |
locations |
tags |
see also |
1913 (In the year) |
Edward W. Harris, a farmer who had homesteaded in the Gull Lake area, (specifically Carmichael) was the first Bahá'í known to have lived in SK. After his passing in 1922 his son, Edward D. Harris continued to operate the family farm with his mother and followed the Faith from 1934 to 1941. After the passing of his mother (Annie E. Harris b.1869 - d.20 October, 1941) he abandoned the farm taking only his clothes. Beatrice Magee, a neighbour who lived near the Harris farm, found an apple box full of Bahá'í literature and as a result become a Bahá'í in 1978. [OBCC121]
The grave of Edward William Harris (b.19 March 1871, London, England, d. 22 March, 1922) is marked with a tombstone bearing The Greatest Name. [OBCC128]
Find a grave for his wife Annie.
And for their son, Edward William Harris, the Younger. |
Gull Lake, SK |
Edward W. Harris; Annie E. Harris; Beatrice Magee |
|
1922. 22 Mar |
William Edward Harris was a farmer who had homesteaded in the Gull Lake area (specifically Carmichael) where he and his wife (Annie E. Rehm b. 1869, Fedonia. Wis. m. 7 July, 1892, d.22 March, 1922, Carmichael, SK) had moved from North Dakota in 1908 or 1909. He was the first Bahá'í known to have lived in Saskatchewan. After his passing only his son, Edward W. Harris (b.13 March, 1902, Milwaukee, Wis. d. 17 February, 1981 Prince Rupert, BC) continued to operate the family farm with his mother. After the passing of his mother he abandoned the farm at what appeared to have been at a moment's notice taking only his clothes with him when he left. His next know address was Haysport, BC from 1950. He is believed to have lived his latter days in Prince Rupert and is buried there.
Beatrice Magee moved to a neighbouring farm in 1951 when she married. The Harris home was still there with its linens, furniture, books, photos and even a coffee pot on the stove. She said she would often go there and speculate why someone would walk out on a lifetime of work and memories. She admitted to "spiriting out" a large apple box full of early Bahá'í literature that she had recovered from the dirt and the bird droppings. Although she had never met this mysterious man, she would often think of him, wondering what he had been like, why he left so suddenly and what happened to him. She resolved to someday search through the box of literature and when she did, in 1978, she became a Bahá'í.
Another curious thing is that the gravestone of the elder Harris, (Edward William Harris (b.19 March 1871, London, England, d. 22 March, 1922, Carmichael, SK) is marked with a tombstone bearing "The Greatest Name", a Bahá'í symbol often found on the headstones of those who have followed the Faith. Where had this man learned of the Faith and how did he managed to maintain his convictions in isolation for all those years?
Find a grave Edward and Annie Harris.
Find a grave Edward Harris Jr in the Fairview Cemetery in Prince Rupert, BC. |
Gull Lake; SK |
Edward William Harris; In Memoriam |
|
1927 (In the year) |
The formation of a Bahá'í Youth Group in Montreal, perhaps the first in the Western World. [OBCC78, 85]
Some of the members were: Mary Maxwell, George Spendlove, Rowland Estall, Emeric and Rosemary Sala, Teddy Edwards Alizade, Norman McGregor, Judie Russell Blakely, Dorothy and Glen Wade, Edward Dewing, Gerrard Sluter, David Hofman, Rena Gordon and Eddie Elliot.
The Bahá'í youth group was a social club organized by Ruhiyyih Khanum called the "Fratority Club." By this word, Ruhiyyih Khanum meant to put together the words "fraternity" and "sorority" and had invited to belong to it people, mostly young students at McGill, who would otherwise not have been able to find membership in the exclusive fraternities and sororities around the campus. [Black Roses in Canada's Mosaic:
Four Decades of Black History
by Will C. van den Hoonaard and Lynn Echevarria-Howe]
A Bahá’í youth group had been started in California in 1912, but the Montreal group was the first in North America to systematically study the teachings—an exercise that had a long—lasting influence on the development and growth of the Bahá’í community in Canada and elsewhere. Members of the group would later distinguish themselves as some of the best-known teachers, administrators, pioneers, and writers of the Bahá’í Faith. [BWM46] |
Montreal, QC |
Youth Group; George Spendlove; Rowland Estall; Emeric Sala; Rosemary Sala; Teddy Edwards Alizade; Norman McGregor; Judie Blakely; Russell Blakely; Dorothy Wade; Glen Wade; Edward Dewing; Gerrard Sluter; David Hofman; Rena Gordon; Eddie Elliot |
|
1927 (In the year) |
The second local spiritual assembly in Canada was elected in Vancouver. [OBCC125]
Those elected were: George Monroe (chair), Stanley Kemp (tres.), Evelyn Kemp (sec'y), Rhoda Harvey, Thursa Murwood-Clark, Christina Monroe, Isobel Seifert, Florence Sherborne, and Katherine Warnicker. [OBCC130] |
Vancouver, BC |
Local Spiritual Assembly, formation; George Monroe; Stanley Kemp; Evelyn Kemp; Rhoda Harvey; Thursa Murwood-Clark; Christina Monroe; Isobel Seifert; Florence Sherborne; Katherine Warnicker |
|
1938. 30 Apr |
The passing of Grace Robarts Ober (b.19 February, 1869 Ontario, Canada) in Wilmette, IL). She was buried at the Mount Pleasant Cemetery South Eliot, York County, Maine,
She was the aunt of John Robarts and was introduced to the Cause by Lua Getzinger in 1906.
She met her husband Harlon Ober when she was working at Lanier Camp on River Road in Eliot, Maine. He was at Green Acre during the time of the visit of 'Abdu’l-Bahá, Grace went with Lua to prepare a place for 'Abdul-Bahá in Chicago and then, after subletting her cottage at Green Acre she made arrangements for His visit to New York City. It was the wish of 'Abdu'l-Bahá that she marry Harlan Ober. Lua came to her to give her this news. She had only met Harlon a few times and was unprepared to contact Harlan so Lua wrote to Harlan - and Harlan, radiant at the thought that he was obeying a suggestion of his beloved Master, took the next train to New York from Boston where he lived. He came at once to see Grace and together they went walking through Central Park where he proposed and Grace, still. dazed.and uncertain, accepted - because it was the will of 'Abdu’l-Bahá. Grace Robarts and Harlan Ober were married by 'Abdu’l-Bahá at the home He was staying in in New York City. Later that same day they were married again by the laws of New York when Howard Colby Ives performed the legal ceremony.
In 1938 Grace went on an extensive teaching trip through the Southern states. She had been very ill previous to this. The teaching trip ended in time for her to reach Wilmette and attend the Convention in the spring of 1938. It was a very radiant Convention and the report Grace gave of her teaching trip was one of the high points of it because Grace herself was so radiant and filled with the glory of the great privilege of teaching. She stood there, before the crowded hall in the Bahá'í House of Worship, filled with the great glory that shone from her and, closing her report, she uttered a tremendous clarion call for pioneers and for teachers. Then she walked down to resume her seat amongst the delegates. But on her way she paused beside Harlan, who had just been re-elected to the National Spiritual Assembly. "I want to congratulate you now" she whispered, "I may not have time later", They smiled at each other with the perfect understanding that had always existed between them. Then Grace slipped into her own seat. As she sat down her head drooped slightly and those glancing at her assumed she was lost in prayer. But when she made no movement for many moments someone touched her and realized something was wrong. Edris Rice-Wray and Katherine True both moved forward - and Grace was gone - gone through her Open Door - gone on her beautiful journey to the arms of 'Abdu'l- Bahá.
|
South Eliot; Maine |
Grace Robarts Ober; In Memoriam; John Robarts; Lua Getsinger; Howard Colby Ives |
|
1939. 25 Jun |
What has been termed the "first international Bahá'í picnic embracing Canada and the United States" was held at Queenstown Heights at the invitation of the Toronto Assembly. It was the brainchild of Howard Ives who was living in Toronto at the time. He and Mabel had "grand-children" on both sides of the border.
Willard McKay chaired the event with talks provided by Doris McKay, John Stearns, Mrs. Pettibone, Elizabeth Brooks, Mrs, Marguerite Firoozi. Lulu Barr, Mrs. Enos Barton, Mr, and Mrs. John Robarts and, of course, Mr. and Mrs. Howard Ives.
It was attended by 74 persons, 4 of which applied for enrollment in the Faith that day. It was an occasion for Bahá'í youth on both sides of the border to meet each other.
Plans were made to widen the New York-Pennsylvania Bahá'í speaker circuit to include Canada and the first youth conference was planned for Jamestown, NY.
[FMH277; BN No 128 August 1939 p7; OBCC179]
Bahá'ís will note the significant fact that a decisive battle was fought on this site during the Revolutionary War. General Isaac Brock was killed but thanks to a regiment of "coloured" soldiers and Native allies, the Canadian forces were able to dispel the invading forces and take almost 1,000 prisoners.
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Queenstown, ON; Toronto, ON; Jamestown, NY |
International Bahai Picnic; Howard Ives; Mabel Rice-Wray Ives; Doris McKay; Willard McKay; John Stearns; Mrs. Pettibone; Elizabeth Brooks; Mrs, Marguerite Firoozi.; Lulu Barr; Mrs. Enos Barton; John Robarts; Audrey Robarts; Lloyd Gardner |
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1941. 20 Jun |
The passing of Howard Colby Ives (b. 11 Oct 1867, Brooklyn, New York, d. Pulaski County, Arkansas, USA). He was buried in Pinecrest Memorial Park and Garden Mausoleum, Alexander, Saline County, Arkansas. [BW9p608-613; Find a grave]
He and his wife Mabel spent nearly the last twenty years of his life as itinerant teachers. (Often teamed up with the Obers and the McKays) For example they came to Toronto in November of 1938 and stayed for about 10 months. During that time Mabel gave more than 150 lectures in Toronto and about 70 in Hamilton, Toronto's expansion goal. Howard, who was had had heart problems and who was rapidly losing for sight and hearing at the time, complemented her abilities by doing personal deepening with receptive souls. [TMLF62-67, SEBW139-154]
Some of his works were:
- The Ocean of His Utterances Unpublished study course in the Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh using the books of Bahá'u'lláh, Abdu'l‑Baha, and Shoghi Effendi, compiled and with commentary by Ives. Not yet formatted.
- Portals to Freedom (1937) A collection of anecdotes and history of Abdu'l-Baha's travels to the United States, as told by one observer. [BEL7.1313 to 7.1320]
- The Song Celestial (1938) A mystical book about Mr. Ives' search for God, in which a seeker asks God various questions, and God responds. [BEL7.1321-1322]
Also see Mother's Stories:
Recollections of Abdu'l-Baha by Muriel Ives Barrow Newhall (Daughter of Howard and Mabel Ives) |
Toronto; Hamilton |
Howard Colby Ives; In Memoriam; Travel Teachers; Mabel Rice-Wray Ives |
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1942 (In the year) |
Muriel Warnicker moved to Edmonton from Vancouver and Marcia Atwater moved to Edmonton from the United States.[ OBCC217] There were only a few isolated Baha’is living in Alberta. [A.Pemberton-Pigott Thesis p8] |
Edmonton, AB; Vancouver, BC |
Muriel Warnicker; Marcia Atwater |
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1950 Ridván |
The Spiritual Assembly of Forest Hill was established. Members were: Jameson Bond, Alice Hall, Jessie Manser, Marian Ogden, Stewart Ogden, Mildred LePoidevin, Tom LePoidevin, Audrey Robarts, and John Robarts. It was the 18th spiritual assembly to form. [CBN No 14 July 1950 p15] |
Forest Hill, ON |
Local Spiritual Assembly; Jameson Bond; Alice Hall; Jessie Manser; Marian Ogden; Stewart Ogden; Mildred LePoidevin; Tom LePoidevin; Audrey Robarts; John Robarts; Local Spiritual Assembly, formation |
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1954 Apr |
Howard Gilliland, an Air Force captain, arrived in Labrador and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh. Because of housing difficulties his family was not able to join him. He left in February of 1955. [BW13:453; KoB269] |
Labrador, NL |
Howard Gilliland; Knights of Bahaullah |
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1970. 12 Jan |
An animated presentation entitled "The Community of Baha'u'llah" made its initial presentation at the Art Centre in Ottawa. They had just come from their trial run in St. Lambert, Quebec and had a plan to visit Oshawa, Hamilton, Guelph, North Bay, Fort William (Thunder Bay), Winnipeg, Brandon, Regina, Saskatoon, Edmonton, Lethbridge, Kelowna, Vancouver, Nanaimo and Victoria before doing their final presentation in Toronto just before the National Convention.
The hosts for the presentation were: Al Houdek, Gerry Bourassa; Leslie Houdek, Sandra Kostaschuk, Garry Berteig; Larry Brown, and Valerie Berteig with Dick Stanton as the Tour Manager.
Travelling exhibit was intended as a vehicle to introduce the Message of Baha'u'llah. They utilized film, sound and slides, as well as traditional art forms. The plan was to have the local communities integrate interested person into the community after the team had made the initial contact. The eight member team made the three month trip in two vehicles, an Econoline van and a station wagon. [CBN No 236 January-February 1970 BE 126 p1]
The tour continued into the Maritimes for several more months with some changes in the team to include Gale Bundy, Fred Ward, and Bob Kingdon. The tour ended at Rochdale College in Toronto. [email exchange with Garry Berteig 4 January 2020] iiiii
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St Lambert, QC; Ottawa, ON; Oshawa, ON; Hamilton, ON; Guelph, ON; North Bay, ON; Fort William, ON; Thunder Bay, ON; Winnipeg, MB; Brandon, MB; Regina, SK; Saskatoon, SK; Edmonton, AB; Lethbridge, AB; Kelowna, BC; Vancouver, BC; Nanaimo, BC; Victoria, BC; Toronto, ON |
Proclamation; The Community of Bahaullah; Al Houdek; Gerry Bourrassa; Leslie Houdek; Sandra Kostaschuk; Gary Berteig; Garry Brown; Valerie Berteig; Dick Stanton; Fred Ward; Gale Bundy; Bob Kingdon |
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1978 Ridván |
The formation of the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Summerland. The members were: Marjorie Pearson, Ilene Ross, Constance Bergstrom, Howard Miners, Marguerite Miners, Mary Cecilia Malins, Bonnie Olson, Gary Arnold, Robert Olson. [CBN No 315 June/July1978 p5] |
Summerland, BC |
Local Spiritual Assembly, formation; Marjorie Pearson; Ilene Ross; Constance Bergstrom; Howard Miners; Marguerite Miners; Mary Cecilia Malins; Bonnie Olson; Gary Arnold; Robert Olson |
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1980. 2 - 4 Jun |
Fifth Annual Conference of the Association of Bahá'í Studies was held in Ottawa.
A group of lectures were given on the life and work of Hand of the Cause Mr. Hasan Balyuzi. Dr. Abbas Afnan and Dr. Muhammed Afnan, both of whom are relations of Mr. Balyuzi and belong to the family of the Blessed Bab, talked about Mr. Balyuzi’s illustrious lineage. Hand of the Cause of God, Mr. John Robarts provided an appreciation of Mr. Balyuzi’s service as a member of the Institution of the Hands of the Cause. Mr. Douglas Martin gave the final talk of the lectureship session reviewing the immense work of Mr. Balyuzi as an historian. The Association has established a continuing lectureship in Bahá'í history, in Mr. Balyuzi’s honour.
Another new feature of the annual conference was the presentation of awards for the three best essays and research on Bahá'í studies. Catherine Nelson-McDermott of British Columbia was the recipient of an award for the best essay in the high school category for her paper, “Tahirih”. Alanna Robertson of Prince Edward Island was chosen in the univer- sity category for her essay entitled; “Music: Its Influence on the Spirit”. Robert Stockman of Rhode Island received the award for the best research in the individual category for his work, “‘A History of the Rhode Island Baha’i Community”. Each winner was the guest of the Association, presented his/ her paper during the conference, and received a commemo- rative plaque.
The presentations on the theme of history were very well received. Dr. Alan Ward’s talk, “‘Abdu’1l-Bahá and the American Press”, set the tone of the conference, with ease, humour and clarity. Gol Aidun recounted the relationship of Manakji Limji Hataria, an historical figure in the Zoroastrian community, with the Bahá'í Faith. Stephen Whitney’s paper entitled “The Second Century”, reviewed the condition of the major religions in their second century of existence and compared their history to the second century of the Bahá'í Faith. A major presentation by Dr. Jean-René Milot of the University of Montreal entitled “L’Origine de la foi baha’i sur l’arriére plan shi’ie”, was given. This talk by an invited guest speaker enabled the friends to witness the accuracy and fairness with which truly informed non-Baha’i scholars could view the Bahá'í Faith.
The panel presentation on ‘‘Baha’i Scholarship” was inaugurated this year and was very successful. A special addition was a presentation by Mr. Richard St. Barbe Baker en- titled ‘‘The Founding of the Men of the Trees”.
News of the decision to proceed at once with the planned purchase of a building to house the offices of the Association and gradually expand into a Centre for Baha’i Studies gave a final note of excitement and confirmation to the year’s proceedings. [BCVol 2 No 12 September/October 1980 p29]
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Ottawa, ON |
Bahai Studies, Associations for; Abbas Afnan; Muhammed Afnan; John Robarts; Douglas Martin; Catherine Nelson-McDermott; Alanna Robertson; Robert Stockman; Alan Ward; Gol Aidun; Stephen Whitney; Jean-René Milot; Jean-René Milotr |
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1981. 29 - 31 May |
The 6th annual Conference of the Association for Bahá'í Studies was held in Ottawa and was attended by some 350 Bahá'ís.
This year, with the approval of the Universal House of Justice, the name of the Association was changed from the Canadian Association for Studies on the Bahá’í Faith to the Association for Bahá’í Studies in recognition of its increasingly international character. Also, the Association recently purchased a modest house on the campus of the University of Ottawa to serve as a Center for Bahá’í Studies and as an administrative headquarters for the organization.
The presentations included: “The Psychological and Spiritual Aspects of Personal Growth,” by Hossain Danesh, a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of Canada who is a practicing psychiatrist; a discussion of the use of computers in indexing the Bahá’í Writings, presented by Edward Fox, a doctoral candidate in computer science at Cornell University; “John the Baptist—The Forgotten Manifestation,” by Jack McLean, a doctoral candidate in religious studies at the University of Ottawa; and a presentation on the life and works of Mishkín-Qalam, the famous Bahá’í calligrapher, by Gol Aidun of Brandon, Manitoba.
Also included in the conference was the second annual Ḥasan Balyúzi Lectureship—given this year by Douglas Martin, secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly of Canada, who spoke on the persecutions of the Bahá’ís in Iran under the Pahlavi regime, and by Glenford E. Mitchell, secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, who discussed the reaction of people in the West to the current wave of persecutions in Iran.
The last presentation of the conference was that of Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum who had recently arrived in North America after several months in Central America. Although not entirely recovered from an illness acquired during her travels, she spoke vigorously—although, uncharacteristically, while seated. Her principal theme was the corrosive effects of the prejudice of the educated toward the illiterate, though she stressed the importance of the contribution of the educated in the Faith and in society.
She also urged the Bahá’ís to redouble their efforts, citing a passage pointed out to her by the beloved Guardian, Shoghi Effendi, in which Bahá’u’lláh, while still in Baghdád, had said that if the Bahá’ís had busied themselves with what He had commanded them to do, “now the entire world would be clothed in faith.”
[BN Issue 607 October 1981 p7; BCVol 3 No 5 July/August 1981 p5] |
Ottawa, ON |
Bahai Studies, Associations for; Hossain Danesh; Edward Fox; Jack McLean; Gol Aidun; Douglas Martin; Glenford E. Mitchell; Ruḥiyyih Khanum |
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2009 Apr |
Beth McKenty, longtime pioneer to Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada received the Caring Canadian Award from the Governor-General of Canada for her work in the community. [BWNS711]
Beth, a teacher by training, has taught English in Arizona, China, Japan, and Sakhalin Island, then pioneered to Nunavut where she, among many other things, started a painting project, “The Arctic Youth Art initiative,” which has reached youth in many Inuit settlements and led to her winning this award. |
Iqaluit, NU |
Beth McKenty; Caring Canadian Award; Governor General Award |
|
2016. Jul |
The publication of A Love That Could Not Wait: The Remarkable Story of Knights of Bahá’u’lláh Catherine Heward Huxtable and Clifford Huxtable by Jack McLean. It was published by One Voice Press in Essex Maryland.
This is the remarkable story of the love, marriage and pioneering exploits of Cliff and Catherine Huxtable, Knights of Bahá'u'lláh to the Gulf Islands and pioneers to St Helena Island, a goal of the Ten Year Crusade.
The book is available in pdf and Word format on Jack's website. |
Regina, SK; Salt Spring Island, BC; St Helena Island |
Jack McLean; Wes Huxtable; Catherine Heward; Catherine Huxtable; Knights of Bahaullah |
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2017. 21 Sep |
The passing of Raymond Theodore (Ted) Anderson (b. 5 August 1924 Mount Horb, WN) in Innisfail, AB. [Find a grave]
He earned his BA and two master's degrees in Oregon and Chicago where he became a Bahá’í. Ted met his wife Joan Storie at the Bahá'í House of Worship in Chicago. They married in 1951 and pioneered to Whitehorse in 1953 where they earned the title, Knights of Bahá'u'lláh. During their time in the Yukon they were adopted by the Tlingit First Nations of Carcross-Tagish. In 1965 Ted was appointed as an Auxiliary Board Member for Alaska by Zikrullah Khadem and served in that capacity along with Howard Brown.
Ted and Joanie relocated to Red Deer, Alberta in 1972 and Joanie passed away in 2000.
[Bahaipedia; CBN 410 p5; Find a grave]
See mention of the Andersons in A New Skin for an Old Drum: Changing Contexts of Yukon Aboriginal Bahá’í Storytelling by Lynn Echevarria.
See as well The Yukon Bahá’is: Establishing an Archive of Historical Materials and First Nations Life Histories by Lynn Echevarria.
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Mount Horb, WN, USA; Whitehorse, YT; Innisfail, AB |
Ted Anderson; Joan Anderson; Joanie Anderson; In Memoriam; Knight of Bahaullah; Auxiliary Board Members; Howard Brown; Tlingit; Lynn Echevarria |
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2018. May |
The launch of the book Equals and Partners: A Spiritual Journey Toward Reconciliation and Oneness, Wazin Îchinabi, a memoir written by southern Alberta author Patricia Verge. The book is a history of the Bahá'í Faith on the Stoney Naked Nation over a period of 35 years.
See Bahá'í Blog for a brief interview with Pat.
The book was published by Friesen Press and is available at Amazon.ca.
See Pat's website. |
Stoney Nakoda First Nation, AB |
Equals and Partners: A Spiritual Journey Toward Reconciliation and Oneness, Wazin Îchinabi; Patricia Verge; Pat Verge |
|
from the main catalogue
- `Abdu'l-Baha in Abu-Sinan: September 1914, by Ahang Rabbani, in Bahá'í Studies Review, 13 (2005). The story of Abdu'l-Bahá's relocating the Haifa/Akka Bahá'í community of some 140 people to a nearby Druze village to keep them safe during World War I. [about]
- 'Abdu'l-Bahá in California (1912). Over 1000 pages of notes from Abdu'l-Bahá's visit to California in 1912, written between 1912-1918, some hand-written and some published in Star of the West. Includes notes by Frances Allen, Howard MacNutt, Ameen Fareed, Mirza Sohrab, et al. [about]
- `Abdu'l-Bahá's 1912 Howard University Speech: A Civil War Discourse for Interracial Emancipation, by Christopher Buck and Nahzy Abadi Buck (2012). Presentation at Grand Canyon Bahá'í Conference on Abdu'l-Bahá and the Black Intelligentsia, especially W. E. B. Du Bois; his speech to the NAACP; and reproductions of many newspaper clippings covering his visit to Washington, DC. [about]
- Abdu'l-Baha's 1912 Howard University Speech: A Civil War Myth for Interracial Emancipation, by Christopher Buck, in Abdu'l-Bahá's Journey West: The Course of Human Solidarity, ed. Negar Mottahedeh (2013). Overview of the event, press coverage, publications of the speech, the Emancipation Proclamation "myth" and its historical influence, the role of whites, and the rhetoric of progress. [about]
- Accessing literature on the Bahá'í Faith: Emerging search technologies and recent results, by Graham Hassall, in Online Journal of Bahá'í Studies, 1 (2007). Survey of search technologies that can be used to find documentation on the Bahá'í religion, and a summary of results of such searches for the period 2003-2006. [about]
- Achieving Reconciliation in a Conflicting World, by Ismael Velasco, in Journal of Bahá'í Studies, 18:1-4 (2008). The dynamics of conflict against the backdrop of globalization, and religion's role in fostering unity. A "logic of reconciliation" will allow us to find harmony among ideas, individuals, and communities. [about]
- African American Baha'is, Race Relations and the Development of the Baha'i Community in the United States, by Richard Thomas (2005). Robert Turner, Susie Steward, Louis Gregory, and the roles played by blacks in the history of the Bahá'ís of the US. [about]
- Alain Locke: Race Leader, Social Philosopher, Bahá'í Pluralist: 94th Annual Commemoration of ‘Abdu'l-Baha's 1912 Visit to Howard University, by Christopher Buck (2006). Available both as audio and PDF, and includes press release. [about]
- Alleged Pro-German activities: Edward C. Getsinger, Case #317323, by Federal Bureau of Investigation (1918). Forty pages of FBI files investigating Edward C. Getsinger and possible Bahá'í opposition to the war, or alleged pro-German sentiment. Includes Edward and Lua Getsinger's passport applications. [about]
- "And universal peace — in what Book is this written?": How and Why 'Abdu'l-Bahá Identified "New" and Distinctive Bahá'í Principles, by Christopher Buck (2022). Reflections on ‘Abdu’l-Bahá's answer to the question "What has Bahá’u’lláh brought that we have not heard before?"
[about]
- Báb's Epistle on the Spiritual Journey towards God, The, by Todd Lawson, in Lights of Irfan, Book 3 (2002). A preliminary translation and discussion of the Bab's Risála fi's-Sulúk, one of his earliest extant compositions. It provides a brief discussion of the mystic quest, and sheds light on the Báb's relationship to the Shaykhi movement and to Sayyid Kázim. [about]
- Babi Concept of Holy War, The, by Denis MacEoin, in Religion, 12:2 (1982). An influential and controversial article, one of the first modern academic examinations of Bábí history. Discusses Islamic jihad, Bábí jihad, martyrdom, and political struggles. [about]
- Babi Pamphlet, A, by W. A. Rice, in The Church Missionary Intelligencer, 53:27 (1902). Review of an unnamed booklet sent to E.G. Browne, a "little manuscript book of 118 small pages, written in the beautiful Persian character," which was "originally composed before Behaullah’s death in 1892." [about]
- Babism, by E. G. Browne, in Religious Systems of the World: A Contribution to the Study of Comparative Religion (1890). An early academic account of Babi-Bahá'í history and belief. [about]
- Bahá'í Faith in Turkey, The, by John Walbridge, in Essays and Notes on Babi and Bahá'í History (2002). Includes bios of individuals from Turkey who figure prominently in Bahá'í history. [about]
- Bahá'í Fundamentalism and the Academic Study of the Babi Movement, by Denis MacEoin, in Religion, 16:1 (1986). A response to Afnan and Hatcher's "Western Islamic Scholarship and Bahá'í Origins," on the issues of faith-based approaches to religious history and textual criticism. [about]
- Bahá'í Reference Library Wiki Overlay, by Brett Zamir (2013). Broswer add-on (software) overlaying the official Bahá'í Reference Library (reference.bahai.org) with links back to collaboratively editable wikis (at bahai9.com, bahaikipedia.org, wikipedia.org, and bahai.works) for compiling info by work/paragraph. [about]
- Bahá'í Students and American University of Beirut in the Early 20th Century, by Reed M. Breneman (2008). The influential activities of the campus Bahá'í association in Beirut, 1900-1920 and during the first World War. [about]
- Bahá'í Tradition, The: The Return of Joseph and the Peaceable Imagination, by Todd Lawson, in Fighting Words: Religion, Violence, and the Interpretation of Sacred Texts, ed. John Renard (2012). Overview of the status of violence in the Bahá'í tradition, and the historical/social conditions in which these doctrines were articulated. [about]
- Bahá'ís, The, by Lady Sarah Louisa Blomfield, in The Sufi Quarterly, 3 (1928). A "comprehensive account of the inspiration and ideals upon which Baha’ism is built up" — overview of the history and teachings of the Bahá'í Faith. [about]
- Bahá'u'lláh's Bishárát (Glad-Tidings): A Proclamation to Scholars and Statesmen, by Christopher Buck and Youli A. Ioannesyan, in Bahá'í Studies Review, 16 (2010). Historical and textual study of the one of the major writings of Bahá'u'lláh, and new theories as to its provenance and purpose; it may have been revealed for E. G. Browne. [about]
- Bahá'u'lláh's Lawh-i Haqqu'n-Nas: Tablet of the Right of the People, Provisional Translation, by Bahá'u'lláh, in Online Journal of Bahá'í Studies, 1 (2007). A tablet on the metaphorical character of this world. [about]
- Bábís of Persia, The: I. Sketch of Their History, and Personal Experiences amongst Them, by E. G. Browne, in Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, 21:3 (1889). Results of Browne's investigations into the doctrines, history, and circumstances of this "most remarkable" religious phenomenon, and outline of things yet to be studied. [about]
- Bábís of Persia, The: II. Their Literature and Doctrines, by E. G. Browne, in Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, 21:4 (1889). Overview of Bábí literature and doctrine. [about]
- Beyond Death's Grey Land, by Sidney Edward Morrison, in dialogue magazine, 1:2 (1986). Reflections from a Bahá'í perspective on the Vietnam War, the nature of war, dehumanizing humanity, and being a soldier. [about]
- Birth of a Monotheistic Religion in Modernity, The: On Jihad and Martyrdom in the Baha'i Faith, by Sasha Dehghani, in Martyrdom in the Modern Middle East, ed. Sasha Dehghani and Silvia Horsch (2014). The Bahá'í Faith responds to major questions of modernity such as the claims of science, world peace, and women's rights. Elements of continuity between early Christianity and mystical Islam can be found in the abolishment of military jihad. [about]
- Book of Ighan, The: (The Kitáb-i-Íqán), by Bahá'u'lláh (1915). An early edition of the Book of Certitude, prepared with supervision of Abdu'l-Bahá (editions: 1904, 1907 and 1915). [about]
- Book Search: Jump to any page of the Sacred Writings or Primary Literature (-). Jump to any page in any book of the Sacred Writings. See also Random page. [about]
- Browne and the Babis, by Arthur J. Arberry, in Shiraz: Persian City of Saints and Poets (1960). Brief history of the Babis and E. G. Browne's relations with them. [about]
- Browne's Mirza Yahya, Before and After His Second Visit: Tarikh-i-Jadid vs. Materials for the Study of the Babi Religion, by Grover Gonzales (2019). E. G. Browne visited Yahya, Subh-i-Azal, in 1890 and 1896. He wrote about Azal with a positive tone in New History (1893) and a disillusioned tone in Materials (1918). This is a brief history of Browne's shifting perspective of the Azalis. [about]
- Browne, Edward Granville: Babism and Bahá'ísm, by Juan Cole, in Encyclopaedia Iranica, Volume 4 (1990). Brief excerpt, with link to article offsite. [about]
- Browne, Edward Granville: life and academic career, by Michael Wickens, in Encyclopaedia Iranica, Volume 4 (1990). Brief excerpt, with link to article offsite. [about]
- Browne, Edward Granville: Persian Constitutional movement, by Kamran Ekbal, in Encyclopaedia Iranica, Volume 4 (1990). Brief excerpt, with link to article offsite. [about]
- Browne, Edward Granville, by Moojan Momen (1995). Short biography of an English orientalist and famous scholar of the Bábí and Bahá'í Faiths. [about]
- Catalogue and Description of 27 Bábí Manuscripts, by E. G. Browne, in Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society (1892). Categorization, descriptions, and excerpts of 27 manuscripts by the Bab, Bahá'u'lláh, Abdu'l-Bahá, and Subh-i-Azal. [about]
- Catalogue and Description of 27 Bábí Manuscripts 2 (Continued from Page 499), by E. G. Browne, in Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society (1892). Categorization, descriptions, and excerpts of 27 manuscripts by the Bab, Bahá'u'lláh, Abdu'l-Bahá, and Subh-i-Azal. [about]
- Celestial Burning, A: A Selective Study of the Writings of Shoghi Effendi, by Jack McLean (2012). Style, content, and context of the major writings of the Guardian; providential history; critique of Hegel; the military metaphor; the language of interpretation; history of the apostolic age. [about]
- Century of Light, by Universal House of Justice (2001). Survey of the history and dramatic changes of the 20th Century and the Bahá'í Faith's emergence from obscurity, "demonstrating on a global scale the unifying power with which its Divine origin has endowed it." [about]
- Compilation of the Holy Utterances of Bahá'u'lláh and Abdu'l-Bahá, Concerning the Most Great Peace, War and Duty of the Bahá'ís toward their Government, by Bahá'u'lláh and Abdu'l-Bahá (1918). An early compilation, prepared for the Tenth Annual Convention, April 1918. [about]
- Dawn over Mount Hira and Other Essays, by Marzieh Gail (1976). A collection of essays on various topics of interest to Bahá'í studies and history. Most of these were first published in Star of the West and World Order between 1929 and 1971. [about]
- Declaración de la Comunidad Internacional Bahá'í ante la Conferencia Internacional de las Naciones Unidas sobre la Relación Entre el Desarme y el Desarrollo, by Bahá'í International Community (1987). El Año Internacional de la Mujer. Nueva York, Nueva York, 24 de agosto-11 de septiembre de 1987 [about]
- Desarme y la Paz, El, by Bahá'í International Community (1985). [about]
- Desert Enlightenment: Prophets and Prophecy in American Science Fiction, by Justice Hagan (2013). On the pivotal role in the development of the central characters the narratives of the novel Dune, the comics The Rise of Apocalypse, and the film Star Wars. Contains a few passing mentions related to the Bahá'í Faith. [about]
- Development of the Babi/Bahá'í Communities, The: Exploring Baron Rosen's Archives, by Youli A. Ioannesyan (2013). 19th-century private letters and diplomatic correspondence from a prominent Russian scholar, one of the first to study the rise of the Babis. Excerpt from book: contents and Introduction. (Offsite.) [about]
- Divide and Rule: The Creation of the Alawi State after World War I, by Necati Alkan, in Fikrun wa Fann ("Art and Thought") (2013). Summary of 20th-century history of the Nusayri/Alawi Shi'i movement in Syria and Turkey. (No mention of Bahá'ís.) [about]
- Dying for God: Martyrdom in the Shii and Babi Religions, by Jonah Winters (1997). Religious and cultural meanings of martyrdom/witnessing, and their role in Shí'í and Bábí history. [about]
- Edward Granville Browne, by Christopher Buck, in British Writers, Supplement XXI (2014). Bio of E.G. Browne, with focus on his books and translations. [about]
- Edward Granville Browne and the Bahá'í Faith, by H.M. Balyuzi: Review, by L. P. Elwell-Sutton, in Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society (1972). [about]
- Efficient Searches and Shortcuts, by Brett Zamir (2022). A series of videos introducing rationales for, and details on use of, browser keyword shortcuts with the Bahá'í Writings [about]
- English Amongst the Persians During the Qajar Period 1787-1921, The, by Denis Wright (1977). Passing mentions of Bahá'ís seeking support or asylum from British consulates or missionaries in the 1800s; overview of E. G. Browne's time in Iran. [about]
- Explanation of Spiritual Evolution as Taught from the Bahá'í Teachings, by Lua Getsinger and Edward C. Getsinger (1899). Chart "Cycle of Life" allegedly drawn on Abdu'l-Bahá's behalf (1899) to refute reincarnation; accompanying text quoting Lua's pilgrim's notes by Curtis Kelsey (1958); a letter from the Universal House of Justice (1997); and a talk by Lua Getsinger (1911). [about]
- First Recorded Bahá'í Fireside, The, by Christopher Buck, in Bahá'í Studies Review, 21 (2019). An episode from Browne's A Year Amongst the Persians which can be regarded as a first "fireside" — a meeting with Bahá'ís in Shiraz in March 1888. [about]
- Five Books About 'Abdu'l-Baha: Review, by Kazem Kazemzadeh and Firuz Kazemzadeh, in World Order, 6:1 (1971). Brief reviews of books by Myron Phelps (1904), Howard Colby Ives (1962), Mirza Mahmud-i-Zarqani (1914), Habib Mu'ayyad (1961), and Yunis Khan-i-Afrukhtih (1952). [about]
- From Babism to Bahá'ísm: Problems of Militancy, Quietism, and Conflation in the Construction of a Religion, by Denis MacEoin, in Religion, 13:3 (1983). One of the first critical examinations of Bábí history; a continuation of themes first examined in "The Bábí Concept of Holy War." Includes examination of the numbers of Bábí martyrs, the nature of Orientalism, and Western re-interpretations of the Babis. [about]
- Gate of the Heart: Understanding the Writings of the Báb, by Nader Saiedi: Review, by Jack McLean (2009). Review of the book, expanded into an essay on the Bab's ethics, laws, and use of symbolism. [about]
- German Baha'i Community under National Socialism, The: A Historical Perspective With Notes, Postscript, and Photographs, by Harry Liedtke (1999). Examination of why Bahá’ís, as an international Community or as individuals, did not play an active role in preventing the rise of the Nazis; in truth, they acted heroically and did exactly what was asked of them by the Guardian. [about]
- Good of the World and the Happiness of the Nations, The: A Study of Modern Utopian and Dystopian Literature, by Elham Afnan, in Journal of Bahá'í Studies, 1:4 (1989). The Bahá'í Writings, with their new understanding of human destiny, can bridge the gap between utopian visions of progress from 19th-century literature and dystopian visions of 20th-century fiction, disillusioned by war and social and economic disasters. [about]
- Guardian's Wartime Travels, The, by Harry Liedtke (2016). Brief chronology of world events 1938-1940 juxtaposed with Shoghi Effendi's travels in 1940, when he left Haifa for England nine months after the beginning of the war. [about]
- Heart of the Gospel: The Bible and the Bahá'í Faith, by George Townshend (1939). Using only the text of the Bible, Townshend provides a new reading of Scripture as a guidebook for those who seek a universal view of religion and the contemporary world. [about]
- Humanitarian Responses to Global Conflicts, by Universal House of Justice (2015). A letter to and response from the House about why Bahá'ís do not condemn the 2014 attacks on Gaza, and principles to consider when addressing conflicts. [about]
- Humanity of Evil, The: Bahá'í Reflections on the film The Act of Killing, by Bernardo Bortolin Kerr (2014). The theology of evil throughout history and in Bahá'í thought; ways in which people de-humanize and become alienated from their own selves; on forgiveness and merciful love in the face of justice and punishment. [about]
- In Memoriam, in Bahá'í World, Vol. 4 (1930-1932) (1932). Ethel Rosenberg, Claudia Stuart Coles, Consul Albert Schwarz. [about]
- In re. Bahá'í Temple Unity (Alleged German Religious Propaganda): Alfred S. Lunt, Case #304495, by Federal Bureau of Investigation (1918). Seven pages of FBI files investigating Alfred S. Lunt and Mirian Sevasly and possible Bahá'í opposition to the war. [about]
- Interdependence of Bahá'í Communities, The: Services of North American Bahá'í Women to Iran, by Baharieh Rouhani Ma'ani, in Journal of Bahá'í Studies, 4:1 (1991). Some early American Bahá’í women’s contribution to the development of the Iranian Bahá’í community. [about]
- International Criminal Court: A Bahá'í Perspective, by Dan Wheatley, in Associate, 33-34 (2001). Brief history of the ICC, and Bahá'í support of it. [about]
- Introduction to Nuqtat-al-Kaf, and Index and Concordance to the Persian Bayán, by E. G. Browne, in Kitab-i Nuqtat al-Kaf: Being the Earliest History of the Babis (1910). Browne's English-language introduction to the earliest Bábí history Kitab-i Nuqtat al-Kaf, plus his detailed, annotated "Index of Chief Contents" of the Persian Bayán. [about]
- Introduction to the Lawh-i Haqqu'n-Nas, An, by Jean-Marc Lepain, in Online Journal of Bahá'í Studies, 1 (2007). Summary of the tablet Lawh-i Haqqu’n-Nas, Tablet of the "Right of the People," on the metaphorical character of this world. [about]
- Just War from the Bahá'í Perspective, by Vargha Taefi (2006). A Bahá'í view is that the individual's will is subordinate to society's will. Comparison of this attitude with contemporary international political theory, and on justifying war as "humanitarian intervention." [about]
- Kitab-i-Aqdas Windows Help File software, by Peyman Talaei (1999). A hyperlinked version of the Aqdas in the Windows Help File format (for Windows 3) which can be used for easy study and reading. [about]
- Laws Abrogated by Bahá'u'lláh (2018). Laws abolished from previous religions and from the Bayán. [about]
- Letter to Martha Root, by Abdu'l-Bahá (1920). A letter to believers in America. [about]
- Lidia Zamenhof, by John T. Dale (1996). Brief biography of the daughter of Ludwig Lazarus Zamenhof, the creator of Esperanto. [about]
- Light, The, by Ian Kluge (2001). True life war story of an unexpected encounter with the miraculous in a large asylum for the incurably insane. [about]
- Lighting the Western Sky: The Hearst Pilgrimage and the Establishment of the Bahá'í Faith in the West by Kathryn Jewett Hogenson: Review, by Janet Ruhe-Schoen, in Journal of Bahá'í Studies, 24:1-4 (2014). [about]
- Literary History of Persia: Volumes 1-4, by E. G. Browne (1902). The essential text for students of Iranian literature through the ages. [about]
- Living Purposefully in a Time of Violence, by Holly Hanson (2001). Contemplation of Bahá'í responses to the global issues raised by 9/11. [about]
- Macnutt, Howard, by Robert Stockman (1995). [about]
- Martyrdom in Jihad, by Jonah Winters (1997). Unlike Judeo-Christianity, Islam does not contain a core of martyrdom. Rather, it occurs in three disparate areas: war/jihad, asceticism, and Shi'ism. I examine the relationship between jihad and martyrdom and their classical and contemporary meanings. [about]
- Materials for the Study of the Babi Religion (1918). An early collection of historical documents related to Bahá'í and Bábí studies. (Not fully complete.) [about]
- Mediation, Transformation and Consultation: A Comparative Analysis of Conflict Resolution Models, by Guy Sinclair, in Online Journal of Bahá'í Studies, 1 (2007). The Bahá'í principle of consultation as a framework for mediation, transformation, and the process of conflict resolution. The need for dialogue between all those concerned with such goals. [about]
- Message on World Peace, by Universal House of Justice (2019). Letter about important steps the world made towards world peace, and the current situation, in relation to the activities the Bahá'ís are involved with. [about]
- Messianic Roots of Babi-Bahá'í Globalism, The, by Stephen Lambden, in Bahá'í and Globalisation (2005). Contrast of the continuity between the globalism of the Bab’s Qayyum al-asma’ and Baha’u’llah’s globalism, verses breaks between the two, e.g. the abandoning of jihad as a means of promoting a globalisation process. [about]
- Migrants and Refugees in Europe, by Universal House of Justice (2015). Principles to guide the response of the Bahá’í community to the dramatic social changes concerning the 2015 influx into Europe of people fleeing conflict in the Middle East, especially Syria. [about]
- Military Metaphor in Bahá'í Sacred Literature, The, by Jack McLean (2005). Martial symbology is common in the Bahá'í Writings, especially those of Shoghi Effendi, yet the Writings are expressly pacifistic. This article examines the apparent contradiction. [about]
- Monologues on the Bicentenary of the Birth of Baha'u'llah and Howard University Visit Commemoration, by Vasu Mohan and Donna Denize (2017). Five biographical monologues delivered in the fictionalized voices of Harriett Gibbs Marshall, Laura Dreyfus Barney, Louis Gregory, Alain Locke, and Pocahontas Pope. [about]
- Mother's Stories: Recollections of Abdu'l-Bahá, by Muriel Ives Barrow Newhall (1998). Stories of Abdu'l-Bahá and early Bahá'ís told by Muriel Ives Barrow Newhall (1897-1984), daughter of Howard Colby Ives and Elizabeth Church Hoyt. [about]
- New History (tarikh-i-jadid) of Mirza Ali-Muhammed the Bab, The, by Husayn Hamadani (1893). Detailed history of the Bab, translated into English. Also known as Tarikh-i Badi'-i Bayani. [about]
- No Known Address, by Duane L. Herrmann (2020). Nine poems selected by the author, from a collection of Holocaust poetry. [about]
- No More Jihad: Muhammad's Message in Baha'u'llah's Dream, by Christopher Buck and Necati Alkan (2017). Essay about a Tablet of Baha’u’llah in which He describes a dream in which He "associated" with the prophet Muhammad. [about]
- "Note on Maceoin's 'Bahá'í Fundamentalism'" and "Afnán, Hatcher and an old bone", by Muhammad Afnan and William S. Hatcher, in Religion, 16:2 (1986). Two shorter follow-up essays, offering closing thoughts on a previously-published debate about issues of historical accuracy, academic neutrality, and faith-based scholarship. [about]
- Nuqtat al-Káf, by Kavian Sadeghzade Milani, in Encyclopaedia Iranica (2008). Brief excerpt, with link to article offsite. [about]
- Nuqtat al-Kaf and the Babi Chronicle Traditions, by Juan Cole, in Research Notes in Shaykhi, Babi and Bahá'í Studies, 2:6 (1998). History of the writing of this early Bábí historical text, and some recent interpretations of its history. [about]
- Obligatory Prayer Reminder Script: Applescript code for Entourage 2004 (Macintosh only), by Brett Zamir (2005). Microsoft Entourage apple script to remind one to say the obligatory prayer before sunset. Script retrieves the sunset time from the internet for your local area and uses that as a basis for the reminder. [about]
- Ocean: Bahá'í Writings search engine (1998). Complete search engine for Bahá'í texts and books from other religions (offsite).
[about]
- Off the Grid: Reading Iranian Memoirs in Our Time of Total War, by Negar Mottahedeh, in Middle East Research and Information Project (2004). Observations on contemporary culture and gender issues in Iran. [about]
- Orientation of Hope and Lessons in World Crisis, The, by Alain Locke, in Bahá'í World, vols. 5 and 9 (1936). Two essays meditating on the relevance of Bahá'í principles to the period preceding and during the Second World War. [about]
- Persian Revolution of 1905-1909, The, by E. G. Browne (1910). Includes discussion of Bahá'ís and Bábís in "Attitude of Bahá’ís towards Persian Politics" (pp. 424-429) and "The Assassination of Nasiru'd-Din Shah" (60-62). Search text for Bábí for other references. [about]
- Persian Revolution of 1905-1909, The, by E. G. Browne: Reviews, by Various (1996). Three reviews, published in CIRA Bulletin, International Journal of Middle Eastern Studies, and Journal of Islamic Studies. [about]
- Physical Discpline of Children, by Research Department of the Universal House of Justice (1994). The Bahá'í concept of punishment within the overall context of justice and world order; the principle of reward in child-rearing; physical vs. moral and intellectual discipline. [about]
- Picture Gallery of Early British Bahá'ís (1998). Published in honor of the UK Bahá'í Centenary, 1998/99. [about]
- Political Non-Involvement and Obedience to Government: Compilation by Peter Khan with Cover Letter from Secretariat, by Abdu'l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi (2003). Current world events can cause confusion and anguish among those seeking global peace. Rather than being drawn into prevailing attitudes and disputes, Bahá'ís must hold a broader long-term perspective. [about]
- Portals to Freedom, by Howard Colby Ives (1983). A collection of anecdotes and history of Abdu'l-Bahá's travels to the United States, as told by one observer. [about]
- Power and the Bahá'í community, by Moojan Momen, in Lights of Irfan, 19 (2018). While Bahá'í social teachings may have sounded new and exciting a century ago, that is no longer the case today. The problem the world faces is not in the principles that would lead to a better society, but in their application. [about]
- Prayer for Steadfastness, by Abdu'l-Bahá (n.d.). Authorized translation of a short prayer, probably revealed for a Western believer. [about]
- Precious Glimmers: The Bahá'í Faith in New York, 1892-1932, by Hussein Ahdieh (2020). Highlights of the first forty years of the Bahá'í Faith in the City of the Covenant, 1892-1932. Includes chronology of meetings, conferences, activities, and milestones, and photographs. [about]
- President Wilson and the Bahá'í Connection, by Paul Pearsall, in Herald of the South (1988). Short overview of myths and facts on the Wilson-Bahá'í connection. Includes addenda on the League of Nations, by Vincent Littrell, and on the Fourteen Points, by Bahram Nadini. [about]
- Protecting the Human Family: Humanitarian Intervention, International Law, and Bahá'í Principles, by Brian D. Lepard, in Journal of Bahá'í Studies, 13:1-4 (2003). The moral and legal problems raised by the use of military force to aid human rights victims. Relevant Bahá’í ethical principles and how these might assist us to reform existing international law to better protect all members of the human family. [about]
- Provisional Translations of Selected Writings of the Báb, Baháʼuʼlláh, and ʻAbdu'l-Bahá, by Peyman Sazedj (2009). Twenty-four translations from 2009, 2010, and 2011 copied from the defunct website peyman.sazedj.org. [about]
- Public Discourse on Race: Abdu'l-Bahá's 1912 Howard University Speech, by Christopher Buck (2012). Presentation at Louhelen Bahá’í School on ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and the black intelligentsia, his views of the Civil War and the Emancipation Proclamation, and his message to African Americans and the "Whites." [about]
- Questions and Answers on War and Related Issues (2003). Compilation of passages and commentary on the military, political activism, disarmament, pacifism, and collective security. [about]
- Qur'an and Violence against Non-believers, The, by Ted Brownstein (2017). An examination of two sections of The Qur'an that supposedly authorize the slaughter of innocent non-Muslims. [about]
- Reading Reality in Times of Crisis: 'Abdu'l-Bahá and the Great War, by Amin Egea, in Bahá'í World (2021). How ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s analysis of the crises of His time was profoundly distinct from contemporaneous “progressive” movements and thinkers. [about]
- Reis naar het Hart van de Qur'án: Het Heilige Boek van de islam voor hen die nadenken (door een niet-moslim), by David Russell Garcia (2022). Een overzicht van de Koran en zijn thema's: islam versus het christendom; wetten, geestelijke en sociale principes; heilige oorlog en vechten; redenen achter de reputatie van de islam als een oorlogsreligie; apocalypse. [about]
- Remembering 'Abdu'l-Baha's Call for Unity, a Century after World War I, by Bahá'í World News Service (2018). Collection of newspaper articles and photographs of Abdu'l-Bahá, on the general theme of unity in the face of war. [about]
- Replacing the Sword with the Word: Bahá'u'lláh's Concept of Peace, by Nader Saiedi, in Bahá'í World (2019). The writings of Bahá'u'lláh reconstruct foundational concepts such as mysticism, religion, and social order; theories of peace, including democratic, Marxist, and sociological. [about]
- Responding to an Attack on Humanity, by Alan Bryson (2010). Reflections on the events of 9/11. [about]
- Responding to the War in Ukraine, by Universal House of Justice (2022). Actions Bahá'ís are taking in response to the invasion of Ukraine; the role of prayers and acts of service in bringing about a future without destructive weapons. [about]
- Revisiting Vietnam: A Case for Reading "Those War Books", by David Langness, in dialogue magazine, 1:3 (1986). Brief reviews of a dozen books about the Vietnam war. [about]
- Ridván 2022: Bahá'í Era 179. Annual message to the Bahá'ís of the world. [about]
- Saving Private Ryan: Review, by Milan Voykovic and Shamim Razavi, in Bahá'í Studies Review, 8 (1998). Review of film, with thoughts for Bahá'ís: Is there such a thing as a "just war"? What forms of "sacrifice" can be justified? When should collective ethics override individual conscience? [about]
- Scholar Meets Prophet: Edward Granville Browne and Bahá'u'lláh (Acre, 1890), by Christopher Buck and Youli A. Ioannesyan, in Bahá'í Studies Review, 20 (2018). Details of E.G. Browne's handwritten notes about his meeting with Bahá'u'lláh, his stay in Akka in April 1890, and his correspondence with Russian academics. [about]
- Selections from the Writings of E. G. Browne on the Bábí and Bahá'í Religions, ed. Moojan Momen: Review, by John Danesh, in Journal of Bahá'í Studies, 1:3 (1989). [about]
- Spiritual Body and Celestial Earth: From Mazdean Iran to Shi'ite Iran, by Henry Corbin (1977). An analysis of interrelated themes in Iranian religion, including the angelology of Mazdaism and Islamic Shi'ite concepts of spirit-body identity. Includes descriptions of cosmologies in Zoroastrian, Shi'i Islamic and Shaykhi philosophies. [about]
- Study of the Meaning of the Word "Al-Amr" in the Qur'án and in the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, A, by Moojan Momen, in Lights of Irfan, Book 1 (2000). Examines two controversies about the Arabic-Persian term "al-amr"/"amr" regarding Quranic prophecy and the status of Subh-e Azal. [about]
- Tablet of Glad-Tidings: A Proclamation to Scholars and Statesmen, by Christopher Buck and Nahzy Abadi Buck (2012). The Lawh-i-Bishárát as a Proclamatory Aqdas and public announcement of principles from 'The Most Holy Book'; a proclamation to scholars and statesmen; Cambridge manuscripts from the E.G. Browne Collection; response to modernity; Persian original. [about]
- Tablet on the Right of the People (Lawh-i haqq al-nas), by Bahá'u'lláh (2016). On some situations relating to a person’s private rights, in this case theft and debt, with a larger meditation on the spiritual rights a person earns through righteous deeds, and God’s promise to reward good deeds and punish the wrong. [about]
- Tales of Magnificent Heroism: The Impact of the Báb and His Followers on Writers and Artists, by Robert Weinberg, in Bahá'í World (2019). This concise survey explores how this particular episode in humanity’s religious history resonated so strongly through the decades that followed. [about]
- TextBrowser, Bahaiwritings, and Bahai-browser.org: Web apps for browsing the Bahá'í Writings with customizability , by Brett Zamir (2022). Tutorial videos on an experimental web app to browse Writings with high customizability and in parallel. [about]
- The Cause of Universal Peace: 'Abdu'l-Bahá's Enduring Impact, by Kathryn Jewett-Hogenson, in Bahá'í World (2021). On Abdu'l-Bahá's interest in the Lake Mohonk Conferences on International Arbitration in New York, 1912, and the Quaker founders Albert and Alfred Smiley; Leroy Ioas and the World Unity Conferences; World Unity magazine (later World Order). [about]
- Theology of Osama bin Laden, The: History and 9/11, by Susan Maneck (2001). Overview of the Muslim thinkers who influenced bin Laden and their motivations, and some historical context. [about]
- Time of Peril, Prospects for Peace, by Glenford Mitchell (2001). Talk at the Bahá'í Unity Center in Atlanta. [about]
- Translation list (2009). Index to talks, letters, and other items translated from Persian and Arabic to English by Adib Masumian; listed here for the sake of search engines and tagging. [about]
- Transliteration-Ready Fonts, by Violetta Zein (2021). Downloads of four font sets — AbrilFatface, Apollo, Cinzel, and Didot — modified to contain the 5 underdotted letters (and their 5 capitals) often used in Bahá'í transliteration. For Mac or PC. [about]
- Traveller's Narrative Written to Illustrate the Episode of the Báb, A, by E. G. Browne and Abdu'l-Bahá (1891). Annotated translation of 'Abdu'l-Bahá's history of the Bábí and early Bahá'í movements, dated 1886; includes many historical appendices by Browne. [about]
- Voyage to the Heart of the Koran: The Holy Book of Islám for Thinking Minds (By a Non-Muslim), by David Russell Garcia (2003). A lengthy overview of the Qur'án and its themes for a Bahá'í audience; holy war and fighting; reasons behind Islám's reputation as a war-like religion; theology of Islám vs. Christianity; laws and admonitions; spiritual and social principles; apocalypse. [about]
- War, Governance, and Conscience in This Age of Transition, by National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States, in The Bahá'í National Review, 20 (1969). A whitepaper on issues of Bahá'í involvement in the military services. [about]
- Western Islamic Scholarship and Bahá'í Origins, by Muhammad Afnan and William S. Hatcher, in Religion, 15:1 (1985). A critique of articles by Denis MacEoin, and a defense of Bahá'í interpretations of history vis-à-vis academic criticism. [about]
- What is a Content Management System?, by Jonah Winters (2003). A brief overview of the technology underlying the Bahá'í Library Online circa 2003, and why this technology represents the next step in the Internet's evolution [since this essay was written, the term Web 2.0 has been popularized for said "next step"]. [about]
- Yahyá, Mírzá, by Moojan Momen, in The Bahá'í Encyclopedia (2009). On the younger half-brother of Bahá’u’lláh, later his opponent, known as Subh-i-Azal, described by Shoghi Effendi as "the arch-breaker of the Covenant of the Báb." [about]
- Year Amongst the Persians, A, by E. G. Browne (1893). Browne's famous account of his extended visit to Iran in 1887-1888; includes many references to Bábí and Bahá'í history and personages. [about]
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