Update on Egypt

From the Bahá'í World News Service 29 January 2008:

EGYPT COURT UPHOLDS BAHA'I PLEA IN RELIGIOUS FREEDOM CASES CAIRO

In a victory for religious freedom, a lower administrative court here today ruled in favor of two lawsuits that sought to resolve the government's contradictory policy on religious affiliation and identification papers.

The Court of Administrative Justice in Cairo upheld arguments made in two cases concerning Baha'is who have sought to restore their full citizenship rights by asking that they be allowed to leave the religious affiliation field blank on official documents.

"Given the degree to which issues of religious freedom stand at the heart of human rights issues in the Middle East, the world should cheer at the decision in these two cases today," said Bani Dugal, the principal representative of the Baha'i International Community to the United Nations.

"The compromise offered by the Baha'is in these two cases opens the door to a way to reconcile a government policy that was clearly incompatible with international law -- as well as common sense," said Ms. Dugal.

"Our hope now is that the government will quickly implement the court's decision and allow Baha'is once again to enjoy the full rights of citizenship to which they are duly entitled," said Ms. Dugal.

The decisions today concerned two cases, both filed by Baha'is, over the issue of how they are to be identified on government documents.

The first case involves a lawsuit by the father of twin children, who is seeking to obtain proper birth certificates for them. The second concerns a college student, who needs a national identity card to re-enroll in university.

The government requires all identification papers to list religious affiliation but restricts the choice to the three officially recognized religions - Islam, Christianity, and Judaism. Baha'is are thus unable to obtain identification papers because they refuse to lie about their religious affiliation.

Without national identify cards - or, as in the case of the twin children, birth certificates - Baha'is and others caught in the law's contradictory requirements are deprived of a wide range of citizenship rights, such as access to employment, education, and medical and financial services.

These problems were highlighted in a report issued in November by Human Rights Watch and the Cairo-based Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR).

"Employers, both public and private, by law cannot hire someone without an ID, and academic institutions require IDs for admission," said the report. "Obtaining a marriage license or a passport requires a birth certificate; inheritance, pensions, and death benefits are contingent on death certificates. The Ministry of Health has even refused to provide immunizations to some Baha'i children because the Interior Ministry would not issue them birth certificates accurately listing their Baha'i religion."

The issuance of birth certificates is at the heart of the first case, which concerns 14-year-old twins Imad and Nancy Rauf Hindi. Their father, Rauf Hindi, obtained birth certificates that recognized their Baha'i affiliation when they were born.

But new policies require computer generated certificates, and the computer system locks out any religious affiliation but the three officially recognized religions. And without birth certificates, the children are unable to enroll in school in Egypt.

The second lawsuit was filed by the EIPR last February on behalf of 18-year-old Hussein Hosni Bakhit Abdel-Massih, who was suspended from the Suez Canal University's Higher Institute of Social Work in January 2006 due to his inability to obtain an identity card because of his refusal to falsely identify himself as either a Muslim, a Christian, or a Jew.

In both cases, lawyers representing the Baha'is have made it clear that they were willing to settle for cards or documents on which the religious affiliation field is left blank or filled in, perhaps, as "other."

This solution is what makes these two cases different from the lawsuit that was rejected by the Supreme Administrative Court last year. In that ruling, the Supreme Administrative Court rejected a decision by the lower that upheld the right of Baha'is to be properly identified on government documents.
________________________

For more information go to: BWNS

Family history research and unity

Just recently I've been trying to research my family history. It is a long process of finding various pieces of information about a relative and verifying that it is correct against other pieces of information about other relatives, which leads to discovery of more family members. And on it goes.

What has become a source of pleasure to me through this research is the feeling of unity I get with all the names I'm researching. Even when it turns out that the family I'm researching does not fit into my family tree I feel sure that when I go further and further back I will find them linked to our family in the end.

This thought of family unity had me thinking of world unity again, and seeing as the world is really one big family I don't think that is surprising. So I'd like to share some passages from the Writings of the Bahá'í Faith that teach about unity.

So powerful is the light of unity that it can illuminate the whole earth

Bahá'u'lláh, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 1


The tabernacle of unity hath been raised; regard ye not one another as strangers. Ye are the fruits of one tree, and the leaves of one branch.

Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 217


All men are servants of the One God. One God reigns over all the nations of the world and has pleasure in all His children. All men are of one family; the crown of humanity rests on the head of every human being.

'Abdu'l-Bahá, Paris Talks, p. 138


Consider the harm which comes to a family through discord and dissension. Consider, too, what favors and blessings descend upon that family when unity exists among its various members. Likewise reflect what would descend upon the great human family, - upon humanity in general - if unity were established.

Bahá'í Scriptures, p. 347


Consider: Unity is necessary to existence. Love is the very cause of life; on the other hand, separation brings death. In the world of material creation, for instance, all things owe their actual life to unity. The elements which compose wood, mineral, or stone, are held together by the law of attraction. If this law should cease for one moment to operate these elements would not hold together, they would fall apart, and the object would in that particular form cease to exist. The law of attraction has brought together certain elements in the form of this beautiful flower, but when that attraction is withdrawn from this centre the flower will decompose, and, as a flower, cease to exist.

So it is with the great body of humanity. The wonderful Law of Attraction, Harmony and Unity, holds together this marvellous Creation.

'Abdu'l-Bahá, Paris Talks, p. 138

Negligent Mankind

Is it not astonishing that although man has been created for the knowledge and love of God, for the virtues of the human world, for spirituality, heavenly illumination and life eternal, nevertheless he continues ignorant and negligent of all this?

Consider how he seeks knowledge of everything except knowledge of God. For instance, his utmost desire is to penetrate the mysteries of the lowest strata of the earth. Day by day he strives to know what can be found ten metres below the surface, what he can discover within the stone, what he can learn by archaeological research in the dust. He puts forth arduous labours to fathom terrestrial mysteries but is not at all concerned about knowing the mysteries of the Kingdom, traversing the illimitable fields of the eternal world, becoming informed of the divine realities, discovering the secrets of God, attaining the knowledge of God, witnessing the splendors of the Sun of Truth and realizing the glories of everlasting life. He is unmindful and thoughtless of these. How much he is attracted to the mysteries of matter and how completely unaware he is of the mysteries of divinity!

'Abdu'l-Bahá, Foundations of World Unity, p 64

Finnish TV talk show host finds success in unconventional approach

A story from the Bahá'í World News Sewrvice

Television talk shows often use conflict as their formula to win viewers, but a young producer in Finland is making a go of it with a different model.

On his Monday night program, Aram Aflatuni presents a problem, then has a panel of experts try to solve it using consultation and cooperation.

"I don't believe in confrontational journalism," he says. "I do not think that it is an effective way of finding solutions."

His hour-long show - "Harkaa Sarvista," or "Grab the Bull by the Horns" - this week wraps up its first season of 15 episodes and has attracted as many as 345,000 viewers. Average viewership was 220,000 - 20 percent of the TV audience for its time period.

In Finland, TV shows often look for confrontation and "sometimes quite aggressive debate," said Juho-Pekka Rantala, a television executive who works on this show and others. "'Harkaa Sarvista' is different. It is looking for solutions."

Viewers are invited to submit an issue for consultation. If chosen, the person goes on the air and presents the problem to the panel.

Mr. Aflatuni, 31, is a member of the Baha'i Faith and said he tries to use part of a consultation model used by Baha'is as the starting point for his show.

It is a model that asks participants to remain personally detached from the ideas presented as everyone seeks a single truth or best outcome. No one "owns" or takes credit or blame for any idea offered during the consultation.

"It's a brave show because it is different," said Laura Jansson, a psychologist and human relations specialist who has appeared on the program.

"In principle, the consultative model is a key to the show's success," said Mrs. Jansson, who is a Baha'i. But viewers and even participants generally are unaware of the principles behind what is going on. More obvious, she said, is the skill of the host in guiding the conversation.

"People in the world today are very egotistical," she said. "They try and push everything through themselves and make themselves look good.... Aram keeps people focused on the issue and not themselves."

Immigration, asylum, schizophrenia, boss-employee relations, intercultural communication, and health care issues are among the subjects that have been addressed.

One week, a young refugee from Eritrea who was facing deportation appeared on the program and outlined his predicament. To weigh solutions, Mr. Aflatuni had gathered a lawyer, a clergyman, a psychologist, the head of a nongovernmental agency, a politician, and another refugee.

The discussion revealed some facts and produced some ideas, including a suggestion from the other refugee that the young man could go underground and thus avoid deportation. Not surprisingly, other panel members didn't feel that was the best idea - going underground is illegal and also psychologically harmful.

The panel suggested ways that the man might be able to stay in Finland legally and also talked about how he could prepare himself for the possibility of deportation.

It turned out that although the young immigrant had been working, his employment had not been deemed full-time and had not satisfied the authorities.

It wasn't anything that a good lawyer couldn't fix by talking to the various parties, and several attorneys indeed came forward after the show and offered their services free of charge. The young man no longer faces imminent deportation, and his case is being reconsidered by the authorities, Mr. Aflatuni said.

Still, Mr. Aflatuni's goal with the program is to go beyond resolving the dilemma of one individual and shed a broader light on society.

"One aspect of the show is to raise awareness of humanitarian issues," he said, noting that sometimes this means "putting pressure on the system" by informing the public of difficult situations or outright injustices.

"People have an inflated idea of the human rights situation in Finland," he said.

One unusual program addressed the subject of triplets, and the difficulties of parents of modest means trying to cope with three newborn babies.

"A woman from the Triplets' Association came on the show and said you really cannot do it without help," Mr. Aflatuni related. Also invited to speak was the father of a set of young triplets, and some 30-year-old triplets who described the experience of their family.

As a result of the program, one Finnish city changed its policy for public aid and will provide a helper five days a week for one family with three new babies, Mr. Aflatuni said.

Future TV plans

Mr. Aflatuni is determined to continue exploring the use of consultation on television as a way to resolve problems, but he says the challenges are stiff.

"There is pressure on me to change the show and make it more confrontational," he acknowledges. "But I think this will kill the spirit of the show. If you bring negative elements in, you destroy this consultative model that we are developing."

He remembers one show where he invited doctors and nurses to discuss a health-care crisis, but tempers were short and people indeed became confrontational.

"It is too hard to find a solution under those circumstances," he said.

He said he had better success with a program that featured a 32-year-old convict who was being released from prison after 10 years. The man seemed serious about going straight but felt overwhelmed by a large debt that he owed.

On the program, the panel of experts counseled him to dismiss thoughts of the debt for the time-being and concentrate on getting a job. They also coached him about the way he seemed to cultivate his "tough-guy" image rather than exhibiting the humility that would help him in the working world.

"He still has an attitude problem," Mr. Aflatuni said, recounting that the man had found a job but then lost it. "Harkaa Sarvista" might revisit the case for a discussion of where things had gone wrong and how they might be made aright.

The idea of following a problem, periodically evaluating how the supposed solutions are working, and changing course or adjusting details as needed, is part of Mr. Aflatuni's vision for the program.

He said his biggest challenge as producer stems from his program being based on an untried concept.

"We don't have examples of a show like this on TV," he said. "It would have been easier to use an older show as a model. But as it is, we are the people that are creating the model."

To read more stories from the Bahá'í World News Service click here

Look into everything with a searching eye

Bahá'u'lláh said:

Look into everything with a searching eye.

Each individual human being should investigate spiritual truth for himself. His relationship to Almighty God is the responsibility of no one but himself. He can, and should, learn from the knowledge and experience of others, but he should not
accept their findings as the final truth for himself without a careful personal investigation.

That this search for spiritual truth would require constant effort we are told in the Bible. Deuteronomy says:

If from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all they heart and with all thy soul.
Deuteronomy 4:29

William Sears, Thief in the Night, p. 228

If, in the Day when all the peoples of the earth will be gathered together, any man should, whilst standing in the presence of God, be asked: "Wherefore hast thou disbelieved in My Beauty and turned away from My Self," and if such a man should reply and say: "Inasmuch as all men have erred, and none hath been found willing to turn his face to the Truth, I, too, following their example, have grievously failed to recognize the Beauty of the Eternal," such a plea will, assuredly, be rejected. For the faith of no man can be conditioned by any one except himself.

Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 143

Beautiful new Bahá'í website launched

A beautiful new website has just been launched by the Baha'i International Community.


The site follows a timeline of the life of Bahá'u'lláh from His early life in Tehran to His ascension at Bahji, near Akka in the Holy Land, through narrative and a series of photographs of places, artifacts and relics associated directly with Him, including some that have not been published before.

The launch of this website comes just before the Bahá'í holy day on 12 November that marks the anniversary of the birth of Baha'u'llah.

View the website at www.bahaullah.org

Another Bahá'í resource page

I recently found a very good resource page for things Baha'i which includes a list of links to many non-English Web pages that provide information on the Bahá'í Faith. The languages on this list run from from Afrikaans to Urdu, and even Welsh!

Check out the Bahá'í Association of the University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia.

Bahá'í Holy Day - the Birth of The Báb

A short history of the Báb

Siyyid Ali-Muhammad was born on October 20, 1819 in Shiraz, Persia (now Iran). His father died when He was at a young age and He was raised by his uncle, Haji Mirza Siyyid Ali. As a young man He joined the family business in Bushehr as a merchant.

On May 23, 1844, in an upper room of His home in Shiraz, the Báb declared to a young man, Mulla Husayn, that He was the Promised One foretold in Islamic and Bible scripture. The word Báb means Gate or Door and the Báb declared that He was the gate to One greater than Himself who was to follow Him. He called this great One, "Him whom God shall make manifest." Mulla Husayn was the first to believe in Him.

Seventeen others found the Báb independently and they became His first disciples whom He called The Letters of the Living.

He sent out His disciples to spread His message. The news that the Báb had declared that He was the Promised One crossed the land of Persia like wildfire and thousands of people embraced the new Faith. This caused fear and anger in the government and clergy and they arose to wipe out the Faith and all its followers.

After having made a pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina where He openly declared His Mission, he was arrested and taken to the Governor of Shiraz who publicly vilified and humiliated Him and then placed Him under house arrest in His uncle's house.

He was then forced to leave Shiraz and made His way to Isfahan. As he neared the city of Isfahan, the Báb wrote a letter to the Governor of the city asking him to appoint the place where He should live. The Governor was so moved by the courtesy of the Báb's letter that he instructed the highest religious official of the province to receive Him at his home and gave him a warm and generous reception.

Mosque in Isfahan

Again the Báb's fame spread through the city and people came to see Him every day and listen to His wisdom. This aroused the wrath of the clergy who secretly plotted to have the Him killed. The Governor, aware of their plans moved Him into his own home for His safely. During their conversations the Governor came to understand the greatness of the Báb's Revelation.

The Governor died just three months later. His successor did not know what to do with the Báb so sent a message to the Shah informing him that He was in his home. The Báb was invited by Muhammad Shah, the king of Persia to Tehran to meet him so he could learn of the new Revelation.

But the Shah’s Prime Minister was scared that if the Báb met with the Shah he would lose his position and his wealth so he convinced the Shah to change his orders and have the Báb taken to the mountain fortess of Mah Ku by the way of the city of Tabriz.

The Báb was in Mah Ku from July, 1847 to April, 1848. The Prime Minster had thought that by sending the Báb to this remote and inhospitable region His influence would wane and His Faith would be forgotten.

Through His majesty and loving kindness though, the Báb soon won the love and respect of both the official in charge of the fortress and the people in the region. The severe discipline placed upon Him was relaxed and the doors of the fortress were opened to His followers who came from far and wide to visit Him.

It was in Mah Ku that the Báb wrote the most important of all His Works, the Persian Bayan, which contained the laws of His Dispensation and clearly announced the coming of another Revelation greater than His Own, and urged His followers to seek and find "Him whom God shall make manifest."

Learning of the popularity of the prisoner of Mah Ku, the Prime Minister ordered Him to be taken to another prison, the fortress of Chihriq, in an even more remote region than before. Soon, here too, the people of the surrounding towns and the official of the fortress were attracted to the Báb's magnetic personality. Some of the most distinguished clergy of the region even accepted the new Faith and gave up their privileged positions to follow Him.

When the Prime Minister heard of the Báb's growing popularity he had Him sent to Tabriz where he was interrogated by the religious authorities in the hope of finding an effective way to put an end to His influence. At this meeting the clergy and government officials tried to humiliate Him but were overpowered by His majesty and greatness. His enemies were now convinced that as long as He was alive it would be impossible to stop His influence growing.

A few days later he was taken back to Chihriq where he stayed until in 1850, when a new Prime Minister, more bloodthirsty than the previous one, ordered His execution. From Chihriq, The Báb was taken back to Tabriz where, on July 9, 1850, in the barracks square, He was martyred with a companion.

Today the remains of the Báb and His companion are laid to rest in a beautiful Shrine on the slopes of Mt Carmel in Israel, brought there by the command of Bahá'u'lláh, the Glory of God, Him whom God did, indeed, make manifest.

The Shrine of the Báb on Mt Carmel, Haifa, Israel

Spiritual Springtime

Do ye know in what cycle ye are created and in what age ye exist?
This is the age of the Blessed Perfection
and this is the time of the Greatest Name!
This is the century of the Manifestation,
the age of the Sun of the Horizons
and the beautiful springtime of His Holiness the Eternal One!

The earth is in motion and growth;
the mountains, hills and prairies are green and pleasant;
the bounty is overflowing;
the mercy universal;
the rain is descending from the cloud of mercy;
the brilliant Sun is shining;
the full moon is ornamenting the horizon of ether;
the great ocean-tide is flooding every little stream;
the gifts are successive;
the favours consecutive;
and the refreshing breeze is blowing,
wafting the fragrant perfume of the blossoms.
Boundless treasure is in the hand of the King of Kings!
Lift the hem of thy garment in order to receive it.

If we are not happy and joyous at this season,
for what other season shall we wait
and for what other time shall we look?
This is the time for growing;
the season for joyous gathering!
Take the cup of the Testament in thy hand;
leap and dance with ecstasy
in the triumphal procession of the Covenant!
Lay your confidence in the everlasting bounty,
turn to the presence of the generous God;
ask assistance from the Kingdom. . .;
seek confirmation from the Supreme World;
turn thy vision to the horizon of eternal wealth;
and pray for help from the Source of Mercy!

Soon the whole world, as in springtime, will change its garb.
The turning and falling of the autumn leaves is past;
the bleakness of the winter time is over.
The new year hath appeared and the spiritual springtime is at hand.
The black earth is becoming a verdant garden;
the deserts and mountains are teeming with red flowers;
from the borders of the wilderness the tall grasses are standing
like advance guards before the cypress and jessamine trees;
while the birds are singing among the rose branches
like the angels in the highest heavens,
announcing the glad-tidings of the approach of that spiritual spring,
and the sweet music of their voices
is causing the real essence of all things to move and quiver.

‘Abdu'l Bahá, Bahá’í World Faith p 351

In this Day deeds rather than words are necessary

O SON OF MY HANDMAID!
Guidance hath ever been given by words, and now it is given by deeds. Everyone must show forth deeds that are pure and holy, for words are the property of all alike, whereas such deeds as these belong only to Our loved ones. Strive then with heart and soul to distinguish yourselves by your deeds. In this wise We counsel you in this holy and resplendent tablet.

Bahá'u'lláh, The Hidden Words of Bahá'u'lláh, Persian No. 76


O SON OF DUST!
Verily I say unto thee: Of all men the most negligent is he that disputeth idly and seeketh to advance himself over his brother. Say, O brethren! Let deeds, not words, be your adorning.

Bahá'u'lláh, The Hidden Words, Persian No 5


What profit is there in agreeing that universal friendship is good, and talking of the solidarity of the human race as a grand ideal? Unless these thoughts are translated into the world of action, they are useless.

'Abdu'l Bahá, Paris Talks, p. 16



If you desire with all your heart, friendship with every race on earth, your thought, spiritual and positive, will spread; it will become the desire of others, growing stronger and stronger, until it reaches the minds of all men.

Do not despair! Work steadily. Sincerity and love will conquer hate. How many seemingly impossible events are coming to pass in these days! Set your faces steadily towards the Light of the World. Show love to all; 'Love is the breath of the Holy Spirit in the heart of Man'. Take courage! God never forsakes His children who strive and work and pray! Let your hearts be filled with the strenuous desire that tranquillity and harmony may encircle all this warring world. So will success crown your efforts, and with the universal brotherhood will come the Kingdom of God in peace and goodwill."

'Abdu'l Bahá, Paris Talks, p. 29

BAHA'I WORLD LOSES MOST DISTINGUISHED MEMBER

HAIFA, Israel, 24 September 2007

The worldwide Baha'i community has lost its most distinguished member with the death of Dr. Ali-Muhammad Varqa.

He passed away on the evening of 22 September 2007 at his home in Haifa.

In 1955, Dr. Varqa was appointed to the high rank of "Hand of the Cause" by Shoghi Effendi, Guardian of the Baha'i Faith. Dr. Varqa served in that capacity, on the international level, for 52 years until his passing. He was the last survivor of the 27 Hands of the Cause who were alive when Shoghi Effendi passed away in 1957.

Dr. Varqa came from a well-known Iranian family that has served the Baha'i Faith with distinction for generations. After obtaining a doctorate from the Sorbonne in Paris in 1950, he taught in Iran at the universities of Tabriz and Tehran and served the Baha'i community there in various administrative capacities. In 1979 he moved to Canada, and later established his residence in Haifa to serve at the Baha'i World Center.

He was born in 1912 in Tehran, Iran, and received his name from 'Abdu'l-Baha in memory of his grandfather, who had been killed for being a follower of Baha'u'llah.

Dr. Varqa traveled to many countries as a representative first of Shoghi Effendi, then of the Universal House of Justice, the international governing council of the Baha'i Faith. In that capacity, Dr. Varqa attended the first national conventions held in Belgium, Luxembourg, the Congo, Mauritania, Central Africa Republic, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Czechoslovakia and Greenland.

Dr. Varqa is survived by three daughters and six siblings. His funeral was to take place the morning of 24 September, with burial in the Baha'i cemetery in Haifa.

From the Baha'i World News Service

O My servants! Sorrow not if, in these days and on this earthly plane, things contrary to your wishes have been ordained and manifested by God, for days of blissful joy, of heavenly delight, are assuredly in store for you. Worlds, holy and spiritually glorious, will be unveiled to your eyes. You are destined by Him, in this world and hereafter, to partake of their benefits, to share in their joys, and to obtain a portion of their sustaining grace. To each and every one of them you will, no doubt, attain.

Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 329

The prison of self

O MY SERVANT!
Free thyself from the fetters of this world, and loose thy soul from the prison of self. Seize thy chance, for it will come to thee no more.

Baha'u'llah, The Hidden Words, Persian, no 40)

'Abdu'l-Bahá said: - "Luxuries cut off the freedom of communication. One who is imprisoned by desires is always unhappy; the children of the Kingdom have unchained themselves from their desires. Break all fetters and seek for spiritual joy and enlightenment; then, though you walk on this earth, you will perceive yourselves to be within the divine horizon. To man alone is this possible. When we look about us we see every other creature captive to his environment."

'Abdu'l Bahá, 'Abdu'l Bahá in London, p 87

Night hath succeeded day, and day hath succeeded night, and the hours and moments of your lives have come and gone, and yet none of you hath, for one instant, consented to detach himself from that which perisheth. Bestir yourselves, that the brief moments that are still yours may not be dissipated and lost. Even as the swiftness of lightning your days shall pass, and your bodies shall be laid to rest beneath a canopy of dust. What can ye then achieve? How can ye atone for your past failure?

Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 320

Mothers - trainers of children

Although both parents share in the overall responsibility of educating the children, the mother is given recognition as the first educator of humanity, and she must be carefully prepared for this task. Her education, in fact, from the Bahá'í point of view, is more necessary and important than that of man, for woman is the trainer of the child from its infancy. If she be defective and imperfect herself the child will necessarily be deficient; therefore imperfection of woman implies a condition of imperfection in all mankind, for it is the mother who rears, nurtures and guides the growth of the child.

Baha'i International Community, Equality of Men and Women A New Reality, 5 Apr, 1993

Our work is worship to God

It is incumbent upon each one of you to engage in some occupation - such as a craft, a trade or the like. We have exalted your engagement in such work to the rank of worship of the one true God. Reflect, O people, on the grace and blessings of your Lord, and yield Him thanks at eventide and dawn. Waste not your hours in idleness and sloth, but occupy yourselves with what will profit you and others. Thus hath it been decreed in this Tablet from whose horizon hath shone the day-star of wisdom and utterance.

Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Aqdas, p. 30


It is enjoined upon every one of you to engage in some form of occupation, such as crafts, trades and the like. We have graciously exalted your engagement in such work to the rank of worship unto God, the True One. Ponder ye in your hearts the grace and the blessings of God and render thanks unto Him at eventide and at dawn. Waste not your time in idleness and sloth. Occupy yourselves with that which profiteth yourselves and others. Thus hath it been decreed in this Tablet from whose horizon the day-star of wisdom and utterance shineth resplendent.

Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 26 [Tablet of Bisharat (Glad Tidings)]

South African film shows faith in action

A new documantary programme about the Bahá'í Faith aired today (19th August) on South African television. This is what the Bahá'í World News Service reported about it.

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, 19 August 2007 (BWNS)

Two professional filmmakers have finished an hourlong documentary about three Bahá'ís and how they practice their faith, and the film is being aired on television in South Africa and neighboring countries.

"Bahá'í Faith: A Way Forward" was produced by Ryan and Leyla Haidarian at the request of the South African Broadcasting Corporation, which has licensed rights to the documentary for two years.

"We created this film to show what the Bahá'í Faith has to offer on a practical level for the world," Mrs. Haidarian said.

The film gives an introduction to the Bahá'í Faith and focuses on three individuals in South Africa and how their faith is reflected in service to others:

- Eunice Mabaso turned her home into an orphanage after her brother and his wife died and she took in their four children. Over the years, hundreds of other orphans - many of them living in poverty in the streets - came to her home for shelter, love, and protection. "We can change the poverty and crime of this earth," she says. "The future of South Africa will become brighter."

- Iraj Abedian, an economist and policy adviser to the government, tries to address problems resulting from extremes of wealth and poverty. One of his projects is a collective home-financing program that helps low-income working people save money and invest, but he is careful to emphasize that his work is based on principles from what he believes is a divine plan. He says you can look at the world as a construction site, "full of dust and mud and rubbish, and yet see in it the (new)
edifice that is rising.... To be at work on the construction site - it's exciting."

- Tahirih Matthee helps provide training programs for people with no experience using computers and the Internet. Her course includes education about gender equality - she points out that equality of women and men is an explicit teaching of the Baha'i Faith - and also information about HIV/AIDS prevention. "For something to be successful, you need vision," she says. "Every person can be happy when things are ideal, but our true nobility lies in the journey of being happy precisely when
things are not ideal."

The new film includes historical photos of the Baha'i community of South Africa, including its founding during the time of apartheid.

"In those days, the Baha'is stuck to the letter of the law, but they didn't really stick to the spirit of the law," says the film. A fundamental principle of the Baha'i Faith is the unity of the races and the elimination of prejudice.

Great precaution was taken for the first election of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of South Africa. It was held in a farmhouse, and whites entered through the front door, black Africans through the back door.

"If the security police approached, the African Bahá'ís began cleaning and cooking. The white Bahá'í played cards and socialized," the narrator relates.

The Haidarians produced and financed the documentary through their company, Race Productions, in South Africa.

Ryan Haidarian heads up development and production at the National Film and Video Foundation of South Africa, the organization that produced the Academy Award-winning film "Tsotsi." A graduate of the University of Texas at Austin in the United States, Mr. Haidarian won numerous awards, including HBO's Peabody Award, for a documentary about famed American football coach Darrell Royal.

Leyla Haidarian has worked as a journalist, actress, and filmmaker in Europe, North America and Africa, and can currently be seen playing a supporting role in a South African drama series.


"Bahá'í Faith: A Way Forward" can be seen on the Web at www.doubletake.tv/cms/way-forward-english. The Web site also gives information for ordering a DVD.

A step in the right direction in Israel?

Israeli religious leaders establish an unprecedented joint council

On 27 June 2007, a new forum called the Council of Religious Community Leaders in Israel convened in Jerusalem. The conference was the culmination of months of work by a steering committee, set up at the initiative of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and the Interior, for the purpose of improving inter-religious dialogue and promoting issues of common interest to all the religions in Israel.

Representatives from the Jewish, Muslim, Druze, Greek Orthodox and other Christian denominations, Bahá'í, Ahmadiyya and Samaritan faiths attended the conference.

At the conference, the religious leaders adopted a covenant wherein they make a commitment to the sanctity of human life and denounced violence against the innocent, especially violence in the name of religion. They state also that children must be educated in this respect. Relgious and cultural heritages should be preserved and free access for all believers to their holy sites should be guaranteed.

The full text of this convenant can be read on the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs' website.

Iranian Baha'i students shut out of vocational education

Another story about Iran's ongoing persecution of the Baha'i community of Iran. From the Bahai World News Service.

NEW YORK, 31 July 2007
Iranian Baha'is seeking to enter Iran's technical and vocational institutes have been effectively barred from admission for the coming academic year, since the application to sit for the entrance examinations leaves them with no option but to deny their faith, which Baha'is refuse to be coerced into doing.

The Baha'i International Community learned recently that the 2007 form for the entrance examination for undergraduate courses under the technical and vocational education system indicates that only one box may be marked for religion.

The applicant is given three choices - Zoroastrian, Jewish, or Christian - and if none of the boxes is marked, the form explains, the applicant will be considered Muslim. This is unacceptable to Baha'is.

"Under this system, Baha'is cannot fill out the application without a de facto denial of their faith, which is against their religious principles," said Bani Dugal, the Baha'i International Community's principal representative to the United Nations.

"Accordingly, Iranian Baha'is will not be able to take this entrance examination, and so they are effectively blocked this year from obtaining technical and vocational education in Iran.

"Such a denial of access to education violates the internationally established right to education, to which the government of Iran has agreed, and reflects yet another facet of Iran's continuing persecution of the Baha'i community of Iran," said Ms. Dugal.

The Baha'i International Community decries the government's actions not only against Baha'i students - who are deprived of higher education solely for their religious beliefs - but also against any other Iranian students who are being denied access to higher education on clearly insupportable grounds, such as for giving voice to beliefs or opinions that are not officially endorsed, Ms. Dugal said.

Last autumn, after more than 25 years during which Iranian Baha'is were outright banned from attending public and private universities, several hundred Baha'i students were admitted to various educational institutions around the country. This came about after the government stated its position that the reference to religion on entrance examination papers to nonspecialized universities and colleges did not identify university applicants by their religion, but only gave the religious studies subject on which they had been examined. This clarification was accepted by
the Universal House of Justice, the international governing body of the Baha'i Faith.

The acceptance of Baha'i students at Iranian universities has, however, been short-lived, Ms. Dugal said.

According to the latest figures from Iran, of the Baha'i students who took the national entrance examination last year, ultimately some 200 were admitted and enrolled. Over the course of the school year, however, over half that number - at most recent count, at least 128 - have been expelled as school officials discovered they were Baha'is. This has led observers to conclude that Iran's statements last year were nothing more than a ruse intended to quell international protest over the
denial to Baha'i students of access to higher education.

"This latest news about the registration form for technical and vocational education only serves to further confirm that Iran continues to play games with Baha'i students in their country, and that its promises of access to higher education for them are hollow," said Ms. Dugal.

For other stories about the Baha'i Faith visit the Baha'i World News Service website.

The Bahá'í Faith and Christianity

As to the position of Christianity, let it be stated without any hesitation or equivocation that its divine origin is unconditionally acknowledged, that the Sonship and Divinity of Jesus Christ are fearlessly asserted, that the divine inspiration of the Gospel is fully recognized, that the reality of the mystery of the Immaculacy of the Virgin Mary is confessed, and the primacy of Peter, the Prince of the Apostles, is upheld and defended.

Shoghi Effendi, The Promised Day is Come, p. 109


A friend asked how the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh contrasted with the teachings of Jesus Christ. "The teachings are the same." declared 'Abdu'l-Bahá; "It is the same foundation and the same temple. Truth is one, and without division. The teachings of Jesus are in a concentrated form. Men do not agree to this day as to the meaning of many of His sayings. His teachings are as a flower in the bud. Today, the bud is unfolding into a flower! Bahá'u'lláh has expanded and fulfilled the teachings, and has applied them in detail to the whole world.

'Abdu'l Bahá, 'Abdu'l Bahá in London, p. 92

Dynamics of prayer

First a word on "pilgrims notes."

While on pilgrimage pilgrims often take down notes of talks and sayings they hear at the world centre to share with their friends when they go home. These notes are called "pilgrims notes" and although interesting are not considered part of the authentic writings of the Faith.

According to the Teachings of Bahá'u'lláh no authority can be attached to a mere hearsay, no matter through whom it may come. The Tablets that bear the seal or signature of Bahá'u'lláh and the Master are the only parts of the literature that have any authority and that constitute the basis of our belief. All other forms of literature may bear points of interest but they cannot be considered as authentic.

(Compilations, Lights of Guidance, p. 439)

While these notes taken down by the pilgrims do not constitute as official pronouncements made by the Guardian, and therefore should not be imposed on the friends, those who wish to share them with the members of the Community should, under no circumstances, be prevented from doing so. Though not strictly official, and in some instances inaccurate and misleading, these notes, as experience has shown, can be of tremendous help, guidance and inspiration to many individual believers, and their value as such should therefore be readily admitted."

(Compilations, Lights of Guidance, p. 439)

The following steps on the dynamics of prayer belong to the class of statement known as "pilgrim's notes" and as such have no authority but you may find them intersting.

While in Haifa, the beloved Guardian of the Cause gave to the writer (Mrs Ruth Moffat), the most concise, complete, and effective formula she has ever seen, for the Dynamics of Prayer. After saying to stress the need of more prayers and meditation among the friends, he said to use these five steps if we had a problem of any kind for which we desired a solution or wished help.

First Step. - Pray and meditate about it. Use the prayers of the Manifestations as they have the greatest power. Then remain in the silence of contemplation for a few minutes.

Second Step. - Arrive at a decision and hold this. This decision is usually born during the contemplation. It may seem almost impossible of accomplishment but if it seems to be as answer to a prayer or a way of solving the problem, then immediately take the next step.

Third Step. - Have determination to carry the decision through. Many fail here. The decision, budding into determination, is blighted and instead becomes a wish or a vague longing. When determination is born, immediately take the next step.

Fourth Step. - Have faith and confidence that the power will flow through you, the right way will appear, the door will open, the right thought, the right message, the right principle or the right book will be given you. Have confidence, and the right thing will come to your need. Then, as you rise from prayer, take at once the
fifth step.

Fifth Step. - Then, he said, lastly, ACT; Act as though it had all been answered. Then act with tireless, ceaseless energy. And as you act, you, yourself, will become a magnet, which will attract more power to your being, until you become an unobstructed channel for the Divine power to flow through you. Many pray but do not remain for the last half of the first step. Some who meditate arrive at a decision, but fail to hold it. Few have the determination to carry the decision through, still fewer have the confidence that the right thing will come to their need. But how many remember to act as though it had all been answered? How true are those words - "Greater than the prayer is the spirit in which it is uttered" and greater than the way it is uttered is the spirit in which it is carried out.

Compilation: Principles of Bahai Administration, p. 90

Please note that this blog won't be updated for the next two weeks as I'll be out of town for that time.

Religions change and alter

...If religions did not change and alter, there would be no need of renewal. In the beginning the tree was in all its beauty, and full of blossoms and fruits, but at last it became old and entirely fruitless, and it withered and decayed. This is why the True Gardener plants again an incomparable young tree of the same kind and species, which grows and develops day by day, and spreads a wide shadow in the divine garden, and yields admirable fruit. So it is with religions; through the passing of time they change from their original foundation, the truth of the Religion of God entirely departs, and the spirit of it does not stay; heresies appear, and it becomes a body without a soul. That is why it is renewed.

'Abdu'l Bahá, Some Answered Questions, p. 166

Thinking globally

... [the Bahá'í community] is a single social organism, representative of the diversity of the human family, conducting its affairs through a system of commonly accepted consultative principles, and cherishing equally all the great outpourings of divine guidance in human history. Its existence is yet another convincing proof of the practicality of its Founder's vision of a united world, another evidence that humanity can live as one global society, equal to whatever challenges its coming of age may entail. If the Bahá'í experience can contribute in whatever measure to reinforcing hope in the unity of the human race, we are happy to offer it as model for study.

Universal House of Justice, The Promise of World Peace - A Statement to the Peoples of the World, October 1985


Read The Promise of World Peace in its entirety or download a copy as a pdf file.

The missing link

It has been brought to my attention that the link below for the Bahá'í Date software is broken or unavailable. Apologies for this, but the good news is that the software is now available through a new link. You can now download it here.

Baha'i Date software

Install Baha'i Date and you can have the correct Baha'i date ready on your desktop at a moments notice. Also have the accurate location of Bahji from anywhere on the globe as an added feature.

Download the software here

True Bahá'í by definition

He is a true Bahá'í who strives by day and by night to progress and advance along the path of human endeavour, whose most cherished desire is so to live and act as to enrich and illuminate the world, whose source of inspiration is the essence of divine virtue, whose aim in life is so to conduct himself as to be the cause of infinite progress. Only when he attains unto such perfect gifts can it be said of him that he is a true Bahá'í. For in this holy Dispensation, the crowning glory of bygone ages and cycles, true faith is no mere acknowledgement of the unity of God, but rather the living of a life that will manifest all the perfections and virtues implied in such belief.

'Abdu'l Bahá, translated by Shoghi Effendi and published in The Bahá'í World, vol. 2, "1925-1928"
The Compilation of Compilations vol II, p. 346)

The Ascension of Bahá’u’lláh - Bahá'í Holy Day

In the early hours of 29th May Bahá’ís around the world commemorate the passing of Bahá'u'lláh, the founder of the Bahá'í Faith.

Although still a prisoner, during the last years of His life Bahá’u’lláh lived in the mansion of Bahji outside the walls of the prison city of Akka. It was here that He passed away in the early hours of 29th May 1892.



Nine months before His passing Bahá'u'lláh spoke of His desire to leave this world and it became increasingly clear that the time of His passing was nearing.

On the evening of May 8th 1892 Bahá'u'lláh developed a slight fever which, though it worsened the following day, then seemed to improve. He continued to meet friends and visitors but it was plain that He was not well.

Six days before Bahá'u'lláh passed away He called His followers assembled at Bahji to His bedside where He spoke gently and affectionately to them for the last time.

"I am well pleased with you all" He said "Ye have rendered many services, and been very assiduous in your labours. Ye have come here every morning and every evening. May God assist you to remain united. May He aid you to exalt the Cause of the Lord of being."

The fever returned, stronger than before, and Bahá'u'lláh's condition steadily worsened. Then at the hour of dawn on May 29th 1892 his spirit passed out of this world.

The news of Bahá’u’lláh's passing was telegraphed to the Sultan and the opening words of the message read "the sun of Bahá has set". A room was chosen close to the mansion and just before sunset on the very day of His passing Bahá’u’lláh’s body was laid to rest. His resting place is the most holy spot in the world for Bahá’ís and the place to which Bahá’ís turn towards in prayer and visit on pilgrimage.

Let not your hearts be perturbed, O people, when the glory of My Presence is withdrawn, and the ocean of My utterance is stilled. In My presence amongst you there is a wisdom, and in My absence there is yet another, inscrutable to all but God, the Incomparable, the All-Knowing. Verily, We behold you from Our realm of glory, and shall aid whosoever will arise for the triumph of Our Cause with the hosts of the Concourse on high and a company of Our favoured angels.

Bahá’u’lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 139


Be not dismayed, O peoples of the world, when the day star of My beauty is set, and the heaven of My tabernacle is concealed from your eyes. Arise to further My Cause, and to exalt My Word amongst men. We are with you at all times, and shall strengthen you through the power of truth. We are truly almighty.

Bahá’u’lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 137