The Baha'i Faith: 50 Years in Singapore
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Source: Bahá'í Library Online (bahai-library.com), curated by Jonah Winters. Used by permission of the curator. Original citation: unknown, The Baha'i Faith: 50 Years in Singapore, bahai-library.com.
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TH E b a h á t f a it h
50 YEARS IN SINGAPORE
1950 - 2000

With compliments

The Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of Singapore

55 Cantonment Road
Singapore 089754
www.bahai.org sg
Email: nsasing@singnet.com.sg
Tel: 62226200 Fax: 62229166
THE B A H Á ’Í FAITH - 50 YEARS IN SINGAPORE
Copyright ®2000 by The Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of Singapore Ltd.

Published by
The Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of Singapore Ltd.
110-D Wishart Road
Singapore 098733
Tel: (65) 2733023
Fax: (65) 2732497
E-mail: nsasing@singnet.com.sg
Website: h ttp :/ / www.bahai-sg.org

All rights are reserved under all international copyright laws. Portions of
this publication may be used freely by any organisation provided that they
attribute as follows:
“Excerpted from The Baha’i Faith - 50Years in Singapore, a publication of
The Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of Singapore.”

ISBN 981-04-2499-X
PREFACE

The Baha’i Faith is the youngest independent w orld religion. Founded
more than a century and a half ago by His Holiness Baha’u ’llah, the Baha’i
Faith is today among the fastest growing of w orld religions w ith more
than six million followers in at least 233 countries and dependent territories.
According to the 1992 Encyclopedia Britannica Book o f the       , the Baha’i
Faith has already become the second m ost widespread faith after
Christianity in its geographic outreach.

Baha’is believe that there is only one God, the C reator of the Universe.
Throughout history, God has revealed Himself to humanity through a series
of divine Messengers - each of whom was the Founder of a great religion.
This succession of divine Teachers reflects a single historic “plan of G od”
for educating humanity about its Creator and for cultivating the spiritual,
intellectual and moral capacities of the entire hum an race. The goal of
this process of progressive divine revelation is to prepare for the
establishment of a world civilization based on equality and justice for all
human beings. The ever expanding Knowledge of God’s Will for humanity
to bring about a truly global society was revealed just over 100 years ago
by His Holiness Baha’u ’llah, w ho is the latest of these divine Messengers.

26 May 2000 will mark 50 years from the date the first Baha’i pioneer, the
late Dr. K.M. Fozdar, arrived on our shores. The Spiritual Assembly of the
Baha’is of Singapore is happy to publish this commemorative book to
mark the Baha’i Faith’s Golden Anniversary in our nation.

The Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of Singapore
April 2000
CONTENTS

His Holiness Baha’u ’llah                         1
Prophet Founder of the Baha’i Faith

History of the Baha’i Faith in Singapore         3

Advancement of Women                             20

Inter-religious Activities                       27

Environment                                      32

Education                                        35

Youth                                            37

Marriage and Family Life                         40

Singapore Association for Baha’i Studies (ABS)   41

The Goal of the Baha’i Faith                     42
HIS HOLINESS BAHÁIFLLÁH
(1817-1892)
P rophet Founder o f th e Baha’i Faith

Baha’u ’Mh, which means “The Glory of G od”, was bom in Teheran, Iran
in 1817. As a young man, He turned His back on a life of w ealth and,
sacrificing freedom and material possessions, devoted Himself to the
promulgation of laws, precepts and principles designed to carry humanity
forward. His mission, Baha’is believe, represents the age of fulfilment
prophesied by Krishna, Moses, Zoroaster, B uddha, Lao Tzu, Christ,
Muhammad, Gum Nanak and the founders of other great Faiths.

Bom the son of a wealthy government minister, Baha’u ’M h could trace
His family’s ancestry back to the great dynasties of Iran’s imperial past.
Yet, at the age of 22, Baha’u ’Mh declined the ministerial career opened to
Him and chose instead to devote His energies to a range of philanthropies
which had, by the early 1840s, earned Him widespread renown as “Father
of the Poor”.

This privileged existence swiftly eroded w hen Baha’u ’M h became one of
the leading followers of Siyyid Ali Muhammad known by his title the “Báb”
w hich m eans “G ate” in Arabic. The Báb, Himself the Founder of an
independent divine revelation, announced in May 1844 that His mission
was to prepare humanity for the imminent appearance of a new' messenger
from God, the One promised to all the religions of the world.

The religion of the Báb was widely accepted throughout Iran but it suffered
intense persecution from religious and government forces, w ho viewed
the Bab’s claim as heretical. The Báb was executed in 1850; Baha’u ’llah
Himself was arrested and throw n into a notorious dungeon in Teheran,
where conditions were so bad that few were expected to survive. It was
here, during His four m onth imprisonment, that Baha’u ’M h received a
vision of G od’s Will that He w as to bring hum anity a new religious
revelation.

O n His release, B aha’u ’M h w as subjected to a series of exiles and
imprisonments which lasted 40 years. The first was to Baghdad where, in
1863, B aha’u ’llah openly declared Himself as the M essenger o f G od
promised by the Báb and foretold in all the holy scriptures of the past.

VerilyIsay, this istheDay     hich     ikii id can
behold theFace, arid hearthe Voice. ofthePivmised One.
Baha’u ’M h

l
From B aghdad B aha’u ’llah w as exiled to Constantinople, then to
Adrianople, and finally to Akka, a penal city in what was then Palestine in
the Turkish Ottoman empire (modern-day Israel).

Throughout His years of imprisonment Baha’u ’llah revealed thousands
of divinely inspired verses which make up over one hundred volumes of
His Works. In these Writings, Baha’u ’llah expounded His doctrine, His
laws and His ethical guidance. The heart of His ethical teachings is
contained in “The Hidden Words”, a compilation of moral aphorisms. In
the “Kitab-I-Aqdas” or “Book of Laws”, He detailed the distinctive laws
and principles to be observed by His followers, and laid the foundation of
the Baha’i administrative order.

Some of the principles proclaimed by Baha’u ’llah for a global society are:
• Acceptance of the oneness of humanity and to be of service to
mankind
• Recognition of the divine origin and essential oneness of all the
world’s great religions
• Equal opportunities, rights and privileges for m en and women
• Elimination of extreme wealth and poverty, and spiritual solutions
to economic problems
• Compulsory universal education
• Adoption of an international auxiliary language
• Recognition that true religion is in harmony with science
• Independent search for truth, free from prejudices bom of custom
and tradition
• Sustainable balance between nature and technology
• Establishment of a world federation based on collective security
and justice for all.

Towards the end of His life, even though still under sentence of exile and
prison, Baha’u ’llah was allowed to move outside the city walls of Akka to
an estate know n as Bahji. It was here on 29 May 1892, that He passed
away and was laid to rest in a garden room adjoining the mansion in Bahji.
For B aha’is, this spot is the m ost holy place on earth and a place of
pilgrimage.

HISTORY OF THE BAHÁT FAITH IN SINGAPORE

Introduction

Singapore, although tiny in area and devoid of natural resources, is rich
and vibrant in the variety of its most precious asset -- its peoples and their
traditions.

Located at the crossroads of South East Asia, Singapore is influenced
both by the cultural as well as the commercial and industrial infusions
from the region and even the world at large. This vital mixture aided by an
enlightened government, has given Singapore its unique dynamism and
made it a model of political, economic and inter-religious stability. Its
multi-ethnic composition of four major races -- Malay, Chinese, Indian
and Eurasian and its four official languages - Chinese, Tamil, Malay and
English make Singapore a virtual miniature “U nited N ations” — a crosssection of humanity. Strategically located at the crossroads between north
and south and east and west, this tiny island has become one of the greatest
transportation and communications hubs of the world and at the cutting
edge of technological advances in South East Asia.

In terms of religious affiliation, almost every major Faith has found a
home in our nation. The Chinese are predominantly Confucianists, Taoists,
and Buddhists (what has been called “the Chinese religion”), the Malays
predominantly Muslim, the Indians predominantly Hindu and the Eurasians
predominantly Christian.

Winds of Change

In the realm of the planet’s political development the demarcation line
between the colonial and post colonial eras must be placed squarely at the
midpoint between the tw o halves of the 20th century when fully naif the
hum an race shirked off the yoke of empire and gained independence.
N ations emerging from the holocaust of W orld W ar II recognized the
imperative of globalization and created supranational agencies for the
protection and well-being of hum anity. W ith the ever-present threat of
planetary catastrophe looming in the background, these new political
arrangements with their military checks and balances and mechanisms for
socio-economic integration have, however imperfectly, continued on to
our present times.

As w ith the widening of our socio-economic and political horizons so,
too, on the plane of ethical and spiritual development predating the latter
by a half century, the end of the 19th century gave rise to new definitions
of Religion’s message and its purpose for being.

With the rapid increase in modes of travel, religions expanded their ambits
to envelope the globe and Singapore too, was touched by this process of
inter-religious mingling. The ethical and social mores it had inherited from
the surrounding region by virtue of its location were in turn confronted
and influenced by the rapid spread of modernism and technology providing
a fit setting for the arrival on its shores of yet another sacred Faith - the
world’s youngest independent religion - the Baha’i Faith, then itself barely
a century old.

By Way of India

S ay: teach y e th e C ause o f God, O p e o p le o f B ahá, f o r G od
hath p re sc rib e d unto every on e th e du ty o f p ro cla im in g H is M essage,
a n d regardeth it as th e m o st m eritoriou s o f a ll deeds. Baha’u’Uah

The subcontinent of India has always played a significant part in the
political, social and cultural fortunes of South East Asia. The British, for
instance, used to rule the Straits Settlements of Penang, Singapore and
Malacca from the office of the Governor-General in India. The spiritual
history of the region is also connected to India. Indian traders visiting the
region transm itted religions such as Buddhism, H induism and Islam to
countries such as Burma, Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia.

Characteristically, the first Baha’i teachers to this region, also came from
India. In the 1880’s, tw o Baha’i teachers, Sulayman Khan-i-Tunukabani
(popularly know n as Jamal Effendi) and Siyyid Mustafa Roumie, stopped
over in Singapore for a few weeks on their way to the Javanese and Celebes
islands.

Jamal Effendi was the first Persian teacher of the Faith sent to India in
1878 by the Faith’s Founder, Baha’u ’llah. His travel companion, Mustafa
Roumie was a Muslim of Iraqi descent, whom Jamal Effendi had converted
to the Baha’i Faith during his religious teaching tour in India. In the 1880’s
both of them decided to team up for the purpose of teaching the Faith to
the inhabitants of the countries of South East Asia. In Singapore, they
stayed in the Arab quarters of the tow n, as guests of the Turkish Vice
Consul, a well-known Arab merchant. They mixed freely w ith the Arab
community. It is very likely that they taught the Baha’i Faith in Singapore
to the Arab and Indian traders, but it is unlikely that they preached to the
Chinese race due to language problems and the fact that 19th C entury
Singapore was generally segregated geographically along racial lines.

The First Pioneers

It was only in 1950 that the first Baha’i “pioneers1” arrived in Singapore
for establishing the Faith. The first pioneer to arrive was D r Khodadad
M uncherji Fozdar, who after resigning from his medical practice in the
Indian State Railway set sail from Bombay and after a three week sea
journey reached Singapore on 26 May 1950. D r Fozdar was joined later
that same year on 19 September by his wife Shirin. Besides being the first
Baha’i to settle in Singapore, D r Fozdar also “pioneered” for the Baha’i
Faith in Africa as well as in the Andaman Islands in 1953-54 and was
bestowed w ith the title “Knight of Baha’u ’llah”2 by the Guardian of the
Baha’i Faith for his services in the Andaman Islands. The Fozdars came in
response to the call of the N ational Spiritual Assembly (“N SA ”) of the
Baha’is of India to all Baha’is in that sub-continent to establish the Faith
in all parts of South East Asia. W ith the help of friends, which he had
made on board ship, D r Fozdar quickly found employm ent as a private
medical ^practitioner in the colony. To ojaen Singapore to the Teachings of
the Baha’i Faith, D r Fozdar placed Baha’i books in the Raffles Library and
also gave public talks on his beliefs at the YM CA and the Theosophical
Society to which he was often invited.

Dr K.M. Fozdar and Mrs Shirin Fozdar
(1950)

1Pioneers are not “missionaries” in the commonly understood sense of the term since no
financial support is given or special theological training is involved. While “pioneering” may
constitute an individual’s sole purpose, Baha’i pioneers often combine it with practicing their
profession or furthering their formal education, business opportunities, or even as a creative
retirement.

2 “Knight of Baha’u ’llah” is a title bestowed by the great grandson of Baha’u ’llah, the
Guardian of the Faith His Eminence the late Shoghi Effendi Rabbani (1897-1958), upon 299
Baha’is who left their native land to open up new countries and territories to the Message of
Baha’u’llah during the Faith’s World Crusade which stretched from 1953 to 1963. The names
of the “Knights of Baha’u’llah” are recorded in an Honour Roll which is enshrined at the
Faith’s World Centre in its place of Pilgrimage.

*/ 4
The First Public Proclam ation o f the Baha’i Faith in Singapore
came about through an interview w ith D r K.M. Fozdar by The Straits
Times, w hich was published in its issue of 15 September 1950. Besides
summarizing the aims and teachings of the Baha’i Faith, the news item
announced the forthcom ing arrival on 19 Septem ber of his wife M rs
Shirin Fozdar under the heading “A Woman With A Message". The article
also contained a synopsis o f her m any rem arkable achievem ents
especially in the cause of w om en’s em ancipation.

The day after her arrival, Mrs. Fozdar gave a public lecture at the Singapore
Rotary Club, then the most prestigious club in the colony. As this was the
first public lecture given by a woman at the Rotary Club (then an all-male
preserve), the press found tnis newsworthy and reportedparts of her speech
the following day under the caption “No more nonsensefrom men, says Mrs.
Fozdar. ” This was just the beginning of hundreds of newspaper articles
about her3*6and the Baha’i Faith in the years that followed.

Some members of the Theosophical Society were very interested in the
teachings of the Baha’i Faith as they shared several com m on ideals
regarding the brotherhood of man and the fact that religion should be the
cause of unity. A significant portion of the early believers on the island
were in fact, former members of the Theosophical Society. A prominent
member of the Singapore Baha’i com m unity, M r Teon G eok Leng, a
professional accountant, was, for example, a form er President of the
Theosophical Society.

Teoh Geok Leng (1907-1986)

Affectionately known as “Uncle Teoh”, Teoh Geok Leng
embraced the Baha’i Faith in 1952 and was a member of the
first Local Spiritual Assembly (“LSA”) of the Baha’is of
Singapore. He remained a member of the Spiritual Assembly
until 1972 when he was elected to the newly established National
Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of Singapore. In the 50’s and
60’s, he made several trips to teach the Faith in the tin mining and rural districts of
Malaya.
“Uncle Teoh” was noted for his meticulous manner of preparing accounts for
the Spiritual Assembly of which he was a member and for his punctuality at
meetings. He was also the first official marriage solemniser for Baha’i marriages
appointed by the government and used to offer philosophical yet witty advice to
the newly married couples as they crossed the threshold to married life. Mr Teoh
Geok Leng is buried at the Choa Chu Kang Baha’i Cemetery.

3By reference to National Archives microfilm NA. 2044 it can be verified that there are over
500 pieces of newsprint publicity on the activities of Mrs Shirin Fozdar in “The Straits
Times” of Singapore.

Governance or Administration of Baha’i Communities

The L o r d h ath o rd a in e d th a t in e v e ry c ity a H o u se o f J u s tic e b e
establish ed w herein sh a ll g a th e r coun sellors to th e n u m ber o f B ah á4,
a n d sh ou ld it exceed the nu m ber it doth n ot matter. They sh o u ld consider
th em selves as en terin g th e C ou rt o f th e p re se n c e o f God, th e E xalted,
th e M o st H igh , a n d as beh oldin g H im W ho is th e Unseen. I t behoveth
them to b e th e tru sted ones o f th e M erc ifu l am on g m en a n d to reg a rd
them selves as th e g u a rd ia n s a p poin ted o f G od f o r a ll th a t d w ell on
earth. I t is in cu m ben t upon them to take co u n sel togeth er a n d to have
regard f o r th e in terests o f th e servan ts o f God, f o r H is sake, even as
th ey reg a rd th eir ow n interests, a n d to ch oose th a t w hich is m eet a n d
se e m ly ... Baha’u’Uah

The adm inistration of Baha’i communities predicated upon the above
teaching of Baha’u ’llah, is devoid of priesthood or clergy and instead
is characterized by a system of Assemblies or Houses of Justice elected
by the com m unity of believers w ithin each locale, w ith lim ited terms
of office for its m em bers. These elected bodies are responsible for
m inistering to the needs of the individual believer as well as the
com m unity at large. Thus, Baha’i governance functions th ro u g h
collective decisions based on the principles and procedures laid dow n
by Baha’u ’llah and not through personality or individual leadership.

The bedrock upon which members of the com m unity mingle w ith and
get to know their fellow Baha’is so as to enable them to elect annually
the m em bers of the Spiritual Assem bly is the in stitu tio n called “The
19-Day Feast” (quite like a tow n meeting) consisting of three parts:
“Devotional”, “Adm inistrative” and “Social”. The 19-Day Feast is held
on the first day of each of the 19 m onths com prising the Baha’i
Calendar (The 18th m o n th has four extra days to round out the solar
year of 365 days). D uring the devotional program m e, selections from
Baha’i H oly W ritings as well as the sacred Scriptures of other religions
are read or chanted. Thereafter, reports and consultations follow during
the administrative part, finally ending with refreshments and fellowship.

The Early Baha’i C om m unity of Singapore

W ithin tw o years of D r K.M. Fozdar’s arrival, there were a total of 12
declared believers in the Baha’i Faith, the first of w hom was M r
N araindas Jethanand. Thereafter, an election was held in A pril 1952
to decide w ho among the twelve w ould constitute the first governing
body for Baha’i affairs in Singapore. T he n in e elected m em bers of
this historic first Spiritual A ssem bly of the Baha’is of Singapore were4

4Signifying the numeral “9”
(in alphabetical order): M r Gianchand Datwani5, M r G oh Beng Wan, D r
John Fozdar678, D r K.M. Fozdar, Mrs Shirin Fozdar, M r Kishenchand
Khemani, M r Motiram, M r Ramsay, and M r Teoh Geok Leng.

Members of the first Local Spiritual Assembly of the Bahó'ls
of Singapore, incorporated July 28, 1952
Seated L to R: Mr Teoh Geok Leng, M r Gianchand Datwani, Mrs Shirin Fozdar, D r K.M. Fozdar., M r Ramsay
Standing L to R: Mr Goh Beng Wan, M r Kishenchand Khemani, D r John Fozdar, Mr Motiram
Mrs Shirin Fozdar is seen here holding the Persian Calligraphy “Ya-Baha-el-Abha”
(“O Glory of the Most Glorious”) symbolizing a name of God.

This first Spiritual Assembly, as is normal for these bodies, met regularly
to consult on matters concerning the Faith and the community and to plan
activities such as holding “fireside”3 meetings in their homes for expanding
their membership, as well as occasional public meetings.

As the com m unity grew larger, money was raised for an administrative
centre which believers could call their own. And, with a gradually enlarging
membership, the Baha’i Spiritual Assembly of Singapore asked the
government for a cemetery. A plot at Choa C hu Kang was given to the
Baha’i community in 1957. D r K.M. Fozdar who passed away in April 1958
was the first Baha’i to be buried there.

5Mr Gianchand Datwani and Mr Kishenchand Khemani after some years also set sail to
pioneer for the Baha’i Faith, the former to Hongkong and the latter to Indonesia.
6In 1954 Dr John Fozdar, settled in Brunei to pioneer there and was declared “Knight of
BaháVlláh” by the late Guardian of the Baha’i Faith for his services in that land.
7Regular fireside meetings are a means for Baha’is to talk about the teachings of their
Faith to friends and contacts.

Subsequent years also saw the arrival of other Baha’i pioneering families
in Singapore. They came to settle, and simultaneously, to pursue their
own career and business opportunities. Among them were Col. Eshragian,
from Persia, and his family in 1958. They stayed for tw o years before
leaving for Australia. O ther pioneers who resided in Singapore in the late
fifties and who stayed for at least a year included Mahesh Dayal and
Manguhbhai Patel from India, Wesley Huxtable from Canada and John
M cH enry III from the U nited States. In the sixties, these pioneers were
joined by M r and Mrs Rostum Rahnema from Persia and Mary Robinson
from Britain. D r and Mrs Fozdar also visited Malaya occasionally to help
there w ith the teaching of the Faith. Their second son D r John Fozdar
worked as a surgeon at the Singapore General Hospital for three years and
left Singapore in 1954 to pioneer for the Faith in Brunei. Through the
effort of all these dedicated early believers both foreign and local, the
numbers of Baha’is began to swell in Singapore and especially in Malaya.

During the years 1957 to 1964, the mushrooming Baha’i communities in
the countries and territories of South East Asia, comprising Thailand,
Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaya, Sarawak, Philippines,
Portuguese Tim or, Mentawei, Brunei, Andaman, N icobar and Cocos
Island, were administered by the Regional Spiritual Assembly (“RS A ”) of
South East Asia which was elected in 1957. In September of the following
year this RS A of South East Asia was given the privilege to host one of
the five Inter-continental Baha’i Conferences held under the aegis of the
W orld Centre of the Baha’i Faith. The honour of the venue for this
conference fell to Singapore. The other four Inter-continental conferences
also held that same year were in Kampala, Uganda in January; Sydney,
Australia in March; Wilmette, Illinois, USA in May; Frankfurt, Germany
in July.

The fifth Baha’i Inter-continental Conference held in Victoria Memorial
Hall (27-29 September 1958) was graced by the presence of the H and of
the Cause of God8, M r Leroy Ioas, the Representative of the Guardian of
the Baha’i Faith, His Emminence the late Shoghi Effendi Rabbani, and
eight other Hands of the Cause of God, besides members of various
National and Regional Assemblies.89

8 “Hand of the Cause of God” is a life-time rank bestowed by the Guardian of the Faith
upon the pre-eminent champions of the Faith . There have been a total of 47 Hands of
which 20 were appointed by Baha’u ’llah in the 19th century and the remaining by the
Guardian. The Hands do not participate in matters of administration which fall within
the purview of Local and National Spiritual Assemblies. Only two Hands are still alive.
Photo s h o w s the Hand o f the C a u s e o f G o d Mr loas seated on the left w h i l e Mrs Shirin
Foz da r . Chairperson o f the R S A o f South East A sia d eli vers her o p e n i n g address
w e l c o m i n g all the participants to this historic first international B a h a ’i C o n f e r e n c e to be
held in S outh East A sia, the C o n f e r e n c e S ecretary Mr Jam shed F o z da r and Dr M
S a l i n anpur w h o translated the p r o c e e d i n g s in Persian and French.

The many Baha’is from Singapore and Malaysia experienced for the first
time what an “international” Baha’i conference was like. They had the
rare opportunity to meet in one place many Hands of the Cause as well as
well-known teachers and believers of the Faith, who had journeyed from
many regions to come to attend this historic conference. The Singapore
com m unity became so enthused after the conference that a num ber of
them left the country to go as pioneers for the Faith to other lands.

The Baha’i Centres of Singapore

Early believers congregated in each other’s homes to read the scriptures,
to consult on administrative matters and to socialize.
By 1962, the Singapore Baha’i com m unity had raised enough money to
purchase a flat at Jalan Kechil for their meetings. This was sold a decade
later as it proved inadequate for the com m unity’s needs. Subsequently, a
small bungalow was purchased at H artley Grove, Frankel Estate in 1968.
W hen this became too small, a bigger place was found at Cooling Close in
1973. Subsequently, the Baha’is rented offices in town, after which a unit
was purchased at the A ssociation Building, G eylang. The Baha’i
administrative centre is currently situated at Wishart Road.

How do Baha’is raise funds?
Only Baha’is are permitted to contribute financially
for stric tly B aha’i activities and projects.
Accordingly, the Singapore Baha’i community is
financially supported by its own registered
membership. Local and national finances are
discussed at each Nineteen Day Feast. All individual
Nine-petalled Baha’i House   contributions are strictly voluntary and confidential.
of Worship, New Delhi

Singapore and Malaysia

The history of the Singapore Baha’i com m unity is also closely linked to
that of the Malaysian Baha’i com m unity. By virtue of the tremendous
response to her presence in Singapore in the various newspapers Mrs Fozdar
also became the “engine” for the entry of the Baha’i Faith in the then
Peninsula Malaya. Exactly tw o years to the date of her first stepping foot
in Singapore, The Straits Times of 19 September 1952 reported her public
talk in Penang the day before where she spoke on one of the cardinal
principles of the Baha’i Faith: “Equality ofopportunity fo r both      ”, and
emphasized the dire need for women’s education and upliftment. H er talks
in Malaya in the various towns and cities were arranged by the early Baha’is
of Malaya. Chief among these were Mr Yankee Leong (who in December
1953 became the first to accept the Baha’i Faith in peninsula Malaya), M r
and Mrs Leong Tat Chee, M r and Mrs G. Saurajan, M r K. Rajah, M r and
Mrs Tony Fernandez, D r and Mrs Chellie Sundram, Ms Jeanne Frankel,
Mrs Margaret Bates, (the last two both Knights of Baha’u ’llah for Nicobar
Islands) and others. The first Baha’i Spiritual Assembly in Peninsula Malaya
was established in Seremban in April 19549*1.

From 1952 Mrs Fozdar had been teaching the Faith in Malaya, and was
later joined by M r Yankee Leong and others. Their efforts proved successful
in creating the first Malayan Baha’i communities in Seremban, Malacca,
Kuala Lum pur and Penang. Together w ith a few other members of the
Singapore Baha’i community, Mrs Fozdar made several more teaching trips
across the Causeway, sometimes residing in places such as Kulai and Alor
Star semi-permanently.

9The first Baha’i Spiritual Assembly of what was to later become Malaysia was established
a year earlier in April 1953 in Kuching, Sarawak through the pioneering efforts of Mr
Jamshed Fozdar (the eldest of the Fozdar children) and his wife Parvati who had settled
there in early 1951.
In the early years the tw o communities, Singapore and Malaya, often
regarded themselves as belonging to the same com m unity. Malayans
attended conferences in Singapore while Singaporeans attended the summer
schools10of Malaya such as the 1957 summer school held in Malacca.

First World Congress of the Baha’i World

In 1963, a handful of Baha’is saved
quite a substantial sum of money to
help charter a plane to take them to
the first ever Baha’i World Congress
(28 May - 2 June), in London’s Royal
A lben Hall, a celebration of the
100th anniversary of Baha’u ’llah’s
Declaration of His mission as the
world Redeemer promised in all the
sacred scriptures of the past. The
Baha’i Faith had by 1963 established
itself in all the countries and depen­
dent territories of the planet and ranked second only to the 2000 year old
Christian Faith in the geographical coverage and ethnic diversity of its
planetary scope. Besides discussing new vistas for expanding the Faith’s
world-wide ambit and strength, the 6000 plus participants at the Congress
were also introduced to the nine m em ber Supreme Body of the Baha’i
W orld -- The Universal House of Justice11, elected a week earlier for the
first time by members of the N ational Spiritual Assemblies of 56 coun­
tries who had convened at the first International Convention held at the
Faith’s w orld centre in Haifa, Israel, under the shadow of one of its two
most H oly Shrines, that of His Holiness the “Báb”, on M ount Carmel. (See
above photo).

The purpose of summer schools is to give Baha’is the opportunity to acquaint themselves
with the social principles and laws of the Faith, its history and its relation to other religions.
11The Universal House ofJustice is elected every five years.

The intensive teaching effort put in by Baha’i pioneers everywhere in the
ten years preceding 1963, resulted in a tremendous increase in the number
of Baha’is and in the localities where they resided. The time had come for
the various national communities which had been under the jurisdiction
of the Regional Spiritual Assembly of South East Asia to elect their own
National Spiritual Assemblies.

Hence, in 1964, the National Convention for Malaysia was convened to
elect its N ational Spiritual Assembly, w ith 19 delegates attending from
the different Baha’i communities in Malaya, Sarawak, Brunei, Sabah and
Singapore which would be administered by this National Assembly. This
first National Convention of Malaysia, held in Kuala Lumpur, was graced
by the presence of A m atu’l-Baha R uhiyyih Rabbani, the Baha’i w orld’s
most eminent personality, wife of His Eminence the late Shoghi Effendi
Rabbani, Guardian of the Baha’i Faith. As part of the Malaysian Baha’i
community, Singapore believers helped establish many local assemblies in
Malaysia as well as opening other localities where Baha’is went to reside.
Singapore also helped to acquire the Baha’i centre in Kuala Lumpur.

Although political separation from Malaysia occurred in 1965, the Singapore
Baha’i community remained part of the Malaysian Baha’i Community until
1972. D uring this period, the Singapore Baha’i com m unity also received
periodic visits from Malaysian Counsellors12 Yankee Leong and D r Chellie
Sundram as well as Malaysian Auxiliary Board Members, Leong Tat Chee
and Betty Fernandez to inspire the com m unity to greater efforts for the
Faith.

By the late sixties, it became clear that Singapore itself was developing its
own identity. Hence, the Faith’s supreme governing body - the Universal
House of Justice -- decided that the Singapore Baha’i Com m unity should
have its own national governing body. To prepare for this eventuality, the
NSA of Malaysia began to take steps to strengthen the Singapore Baha’i
community. This it did by organising some of its more im portant annual
programmes in Singapore. Accordingly, the first South East Asian Youth
Conference was held in Singapore in December 1969 and the Malaysian
W inter School, a highly popular activity w ith Malaysians, was held in

: “Counsellor” is a rank bestowed by the Baha’i World Centre upon eminently qualified
Baha’is who have demonstrated their capacity for encouraging Baha’i communities in the
held of teaching and service. Their term of service is five years which may be extended.
Counsellors, unlike National or Local Spiritual Assemblies, are not involved in the
iiminist ration of Baha’i communities. Counsellors cover their region of responsibility with
the help of members of their Auxiliary Boards (ABMs), who are appointed by the Counsellors.

Singapore in 1971, as well as the Oceanic Conference of the South China
Sea held the same year which attracted a few hundred believers from
various countries and nations.

The aim of the conference was to achieve immediate expansion of the
Faith and to raise a corps of travelling teachers, whose objective would be
to visit the Baha’i communities and groups in the area. Baha’i youths also
participated whole heartedly in this vital activity.

G.S. Santhanam Krishnan (1945-1975)

A youth who became a Baha’i following the Oceanic
Conference in 1971 was G.S. Santhanam Krishnan. H e
played a key role in establishing relations between the
B ah a ’i c o m m u n ity and th e lo cal press and in
strengthening the local Baha’i youth group. H e later
pioneered to India where he served w ith great courage
and devotion. H e passed away at his pioneering post in
1975.

One of the other youth was Navanita Sundram, then an undergraduate at
the University of Singapore, who also helped inaugurate a Baha’i Society
at the University.

By 1972 there were five Local Spiritual Assemblies in Singapore and a
greatly expanded and strengthened community.

Yan Kee Leong (1899-1986)

Malaysian Chinese Yan Kee Leong, renowned
cartoonist, played a crucial part in the spread of
the Faith in Singapore and Malaya. In 1953, Yan
arranged for a series of talks by Mrs Fozdar in
Malacca, Seremban and Kuala Lumpur. At the end
of the talks, he him self became a Baha’i. In
Malacca, the talk was presided over by the well-
Photo shows Mr Yan Kee       known Chinese scholar and politician, Dato Tan
Leong with his good friend   Cheng Lock. Very soon after, Baha’i communities
Tunku Abdul Rahman           sprang up in Malacca, Seremban and Kuala
“Father of Malaysia” at      Lumpur.
Hiroshima Japan (Nov 1952)

Leong Tat Chee (1910-1972)

Mr and Mrs Leong Tat Chee were active Baha’is from
Malacca who played an im portant role in the forma­
tion of the Local Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of
Queenstown in 1969.
Both Yan Kee Leong and Leong Tat Chee served on
the RSA of South East Asia. Both were appointed in
1964 as ABMs and they were the first Malaysian Baha’is
to travel extensively to teach the Chinese of H ong
Kong, Macau, Taiwan and Singapore. Both of them
resided in Singapore to help the com m unity grow in
the years just before the form ation of the NSA of Singapore in 1972.

Chellie Sundram (1920-1993)

D r Chellie Sundram was a distinguished physician from
Penang who became a Baha’i in 1958. As member of
the N ational Spiritual Assembly of Malaysia and later
of the C ontinental Board of Counsellors in Asia from
1968 until 1988, he paid many visits to Singapore. Known
fo r his a d m in is tra tiv e acu m en , his b r illia n t
conceptualization and his artistic talent, he contributed
to the development and strengthening of Singapore’s
Baha’i administration.

M   i

The National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of Singapore

In every country, where any of these people reside, they must behave
towards the government o f that country with loyalty, honesty and
truthfulness.
Baha’u’llah

The Singapore Baha’i Community had only a Local Spiritual Assembly for
tw enty years. From 1952-1957, it was under the aegis of the N ational
Spiritual Assembly of India. Then from 1957-1964, it came under the
administrative ambit of the Regional Spiritual Assembly of South East
Asia and thereafter, was under the purview of the N ational Spiritual
Assembly of Malaysia. In April 1972, an election was held among Singapore
Baha’is to elect nine members to form the first NSA of the Baha’is of
Singapore. Those elected were (in alphabetical order): Mrs George Lee,
M r G. Machambo, M r Kenneth Mak, Mrs Rose Ong, M r Henry Ong, Miss
Navanita Sundram, Mrs Lena Tan, Mr Edward Teo and Mr. Teoh Geok Leng.

Photo shows the Hand of the Cause of God Mr Jalal Khazeh repre­
sentative of the Universal House of Justice, with the newly elected
members of the first NSA of the Baha’is of Singapore.

Since then, members of the National Spiritual Assembly have been elected
each year by the Baha’is at an annual national convention. The delegates
to the N ational C onvention who are responsible for electing the ninemember NSA are themselves elected by their respective local communities
for this sole function. T here are c u rren tly five LSAs in Singapore
administering the local communities of Katong, Macpherson, Queenstown,
Serangoon and Yishun. Every year, each local community is apportioned

a num ber of delegates according to their respective Baha’i population.
The delegates are elected in much the same way as the local governing
council. There is no nomination or campaigning in the election process.

These administrative bodies use a distinctive m ethod of non-adversarial
decision-making know n as “consultation”. The principles of consultation
are laid down in Baha’u ’llah’s writings and are a procedure for building
consensus and making decisions. Baha’is have found consultation to be
useful in virtually any arena where group decision-making and co-opera­
tion is required, including their businesses and families.

Baha’i H oly Days were gazetted in 1972. The days gazetted are those when
Baha’is are required to abstain from w ork or school.

The Baha’i H oly Days gazetted are:

N aw Ruz M arch 21                                   sihT
(si the first day o f the Bahá Yyear)
Ridvan April 21, April 29, May 2           is a 12-day period with
festivities on the first, ninth and twelfth days marking the time
prior to the departure o f Bahá ii ’lláh from Baghdad when He
made His public Declaration to be God s messenger for today)
Declaration of Baha’u ’llah’s Forerunner, the Báb M ay 23
Ascension of Baha’u ’llah May 29
M artyrdom of the Báb July 9
Birth of the Báb O ctober 20
Birth of Baha’u ’llah N ovem ber 12

Baha’i World Centre’s statement on ‘B A H A ’U ’LLAH’ Presented to
Head of State

To mark the Centenary of the Passing of Baha’u ’llah on 29 May 1992, the
Baha’i World Centre published a comprehensive statement on the Life and
Message of Baha’u ’llah and the Universal House of Justice requested all
National Spiritual Assemblies to present the statement to their respective
Heads of State.

In Singapore, the statement on ‘B A H A ’U ’LL A H ’ was presented to His
Excellency President Wee Kim Wee on 22 July 1992 at the Istana by the
Representatives of the Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of Singapore Mr
and Mrs Jamshed Fozdar.

Photo shows President Wee Kim Wee with Mr and Mrs Fozdar in the Istana

Counselling Institutions

The decisions made by the governing bodies such as the Local Spiritual
Assemblies and the N ational Spiritual Assemblies are influenced by the
advice of a group of counselling institutions that are an inherent part of
the Baha’i administrative order. Chosen for their outstanding qualities
and a mature understanding of the Faith, the individuals who serve on
these institutions are appointed to act both as advisors to governing bodies
and as sources of encouragement and stimulation for individual members
of the Faith.

Foremost among these advisors are the “Hands of the Cause of G od”.

Hands of the Cause who visited Singapore include Shua’u ’llah Ala’i, who
stopped here to teach for a week in January 1960, Tarazullah Samandari in
1966 and A m atuTBahá Ruhiyyih Rabbani in 1961 and 1964. The latter
gave a well-received public talk entitled “All the Races are needed” at the
Singapore National Library. O ther Hands who visited Singapore were D r
R. Muhajir, A. Faizi, Collis Featherstone, Enoch Olinga and Jalal Khazeh.

To extend into the future the functions of the Hands of the Cause, the
Universal House of Justice designated a number of spiritually mature and
experienced individuals as “Continental Counsellors”.
Appointed to five-year terms, they reside in specific continental regions
and are charged to advise communities at the regional and national levels.
In 1985, a member of the Baha’i Com m unity of Singapore was appointed
a Counsellor for Asia by the Universal House of Justice.

Mrs Rose O ng
Mrs Rose Ong was appointed as
Counsellor for Asia and served
for the period of 1985-1995.
D uring this time, she was the
advisor to several N atio n al
Spiritual Assemblies in Asia.
She travelled extensively to many
countries of South East Asia as
well as to Taiwan, China and
Reader’s Digest, October 1998 Vol. 72 No. 427
Mongolia. In 1995, Mrs O ng
initiated the idea of a Singapore
Bookshelf in many libraries of the less endowed colleges in China. This
project caught the attention of both the Chinese and English press in
Singapore. Many kind-hearted Singaporeans donated their books. Collecting
and despatching books was tim e consuming but the effort has paid off.
To date, eleven colleges have received books for their libraries. The project
is ongoing.

The Advancement of W omen

“    Theworld o f humanity is possessed o f two wings the male and female.
-

So long as these two wings are not equivalent in strength the bird will not
fly. Until womankind reaches the same degree as man, until she enjoys the
same arena of activity, extraordinary attainment for humanity will not be
realised; humanity cannot wing its way to heights o f real attainment.”
Abdu’l-Baha

F or the first time in history, a major w orld religion has explicitly stated
that women and men must enjoy equal opportunity. The Baha’i Writings
also state that:

4   Girls should be given preference over boys when educational
opportunities and resources are limited.
4   In Baha’i marriage, neither the husband nor the wife has a
dominant voice.
^   Any apparent inequality between the capacities of women and
men is due solely to the lack of educational opportunities
denied to women in past ages.

N o t surprisingly, the rise of the early w om en’s movement in Singapore
and well before that in the w orld at large, is closely connected w ith the
Baha’i Faith. The w orld’s first woman suffrage martyr, Tahirih, the most
famous poetess of 19th century Iran, was a follower of the Faith who, fully
a half century before her sisters in the west proclaimed the cause of
women’s emancipation and for this she suffered martyrdom by strangulation
in 1852 at the young age of 35. H er fame, which after her m artyrdom
quickly spread even to the west in books and articles about her life and
aims, by renowned scholars in England, France and America, as well as in
the Middle East, was one of the chief causes motivating the suffragette
m ovem ent in the west to arise and successfully achieve w om en’s
emancipation.

In Singapore the movement for the emancipation of women got its start
exactly a century after T ahirih’s championing of this cardinal Baha’i
principle in the F aith’s cradle, her native Iran. This was marked by the
arrival on our shores on 19 September 1950 of Mrs Shirin Fozdar, an
ardent champion of the Baha’i Faith and a famous feminist who, long
inspired by Tahirih’s shining example had already made her mark as early
as 1934 in the League of N ations in the cause of w om en’s emancipation.
She was also an associate of M ahatma Gandhi (Father of M odern India)
in his task of establishing Hindu-M uslim understanding and amity in
western India, especially the hot-bed Ahmedabad. Mrs Fozdar became
recognized both by the public and in the mass media as the champion of
women’s rights in Singapore and, as the Secretary-General of the Singapore
Council of W omen which she founded in April 1952 amidst intense pub­
lic interest and press coverage, she spoke fearlessly on the controversial
issues of polygamy and divorce which affected women’s welfare adversely.
She was strongly supported by many eminent women, among them Mrs
Robert Eu, Mrs H.B. Amstutz, Mrs E.V. Davies, Ms Zahara Bte. N o o r
M ohammed and Mrs George Lee, w ho was elected the first President of
the SCW.

MRS GEORGE LEE (1904-1999)

Mrs George Lee was the President of the Singapore
Council of W om en (SCW), from its inception in 1952
until 1971. As President of the SCW, Mrs Lee was
responsible for the form ation of the first Girls Club in
Singapore in 1953 w hich was form ally opened by
Singapore Chief Minister, M r Lim Yew Hock. The girls
were taught English, Mandarin, cooking, sewing and the
art of self-defence13 during their free time. Mrs Lee
accepted the Baha’i Faith in March 1958. Mrs Lee visited several countries
for the dual purpose of teaching the Baha’i Faith and advancing w om en’s
emancipation.

In August 1959 Mrs Lee and Mrs
Fozdar visited China for a three
week to u r at the invitation of the
N ational W om en’s Federation to
inspect various w om en’s activities
in the PRC. While there, they also
L. to R. Mrs George Lee, Vice Premier and Foreign met some of the high government
Minister Marshal Chen Yi of the People’s Republic officials, among them the Vice
of China and Mrs Shirin Fozdar
P rem ier and Foreign M inister
Marshal Chen Yi, as well as many women’s organisations which were also
very interested in the efforts for the W omen’s Charter for Singapore.

As an active Baha’i, Mrs Lee was a prominent member of the Local Spiritual
Assembly of the Baha’is of Singapore in the fifties and sixties. In addition,
Mrs Lee was an elected member of the first National Spiritual Assembly of
the Baha’is of Singapore in 1972. Earlier, she was also elected to the National
Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of Malaysia in 1964 and 1965.

13The honorary instructor for which was Mr Jagjeet Singh Sehgal, BBM, PBM who
later became the Chairman of Singapore’s Central Sikh Gurdwara Board.
*/   .

Because of Mrs Fozdar’s fame as a crusader of w om en’s rights, the media
also frequently reported on other talks she delivered which were not merely
on w om en’s rights, but on other fundamental teachings of Baha’u ’llah
which addressed the spirit of the new age, such as the “Oneness of the
Human Race”, “The Source of Religion is O ne”, “A Spiritual Approach for
Economic Well-being”, “A Universal Language” and “A World Legislature”.
The people who came to listen to or read about her talks became
sympathizers and friends and some accepted the Baha’i Faith as the religion
for our times.

Mrs Fozdar’s work led to the legislation of the Muslim Ordinance of 1957,
which provided for the establishment of a Muslim law court (Syariah Court)
in 1958, so as to make the process of Muslim divorce more difficult. By 1961
the work of the Singapore Council of Women, spearheaded by Mrs Fozdar,
succeeded in the Singapore Legislative Assembly passing The W om en’s
C harter which protected the status and welfare of women in Singapore
w ith regards to marriage and divorce. It also abolished polygamy among
non-Muslims and changed the whole framework of Chinese marriages. All
marriages had to be legally registered from 1961 and those done solely
through customary Chinese rites were not recognized as legal.

Early appreciation of Mrs Shirin Fozdar’s struggle for women regardless of
race or religion came also from Singapore’s Founding Fathers. The
testimonial below from M r S Rajaratnam who was also Singapore’s first
Foreign Minister, is one of those attesting to Mrs Fozdar’s w ork for all
Singapore women.

***"•■                                                            M IN IS T E R F O R F O K e t C S A F F A IR S ,
W
"*:                                                                                SINGAPORE.
UFA.6 7 0 / 2 V e l . Ž                                               1 8 th A p r il,   1967.

Ur. Parwatl Gharat,
$Aii* *i C e n t r e ,
7 7 / ï S e t h a n g Su w . ,
SJÜ K JK C *, p . O , B o x 1 5 0 I .

Sear S ir ,

I ass pleaaed to not* that you ax* bringing: out
at •ouwenijr brochure 4« appreciation of the aerrioe* rendered
by U r*. ShiT in Fowiar.

1 h a v e known K x * . F e e d e r when « h e v s e in S in g a p o r e
« a d o f t h * a i n g l e « and ed v « y i n w h ic h aha e t r u g g l e d t o p r e r o t e
and « a f e g u a r d t h e r i g h t » o f * o » « a end t o e n h a n c e t h e e t a t u a of
woesen i n o u r o o u a t r y .      S h e d i d t h i * w it h o u t r e g a r d t o r a c e o r
c r e e d end I w o u ld l i k e t o 3 0 ! » w it h t h e o t h e r s in r e c o g n i t i o n
of h e r e e r r i c e » t o p r o a o t e j u s t i c e f o r w oaen i n A e ia .

Tour* »ineerely,

(3. Aitejaripnat*)

O ther countries in the region used Singapore’s W omen’s Charter as a model
for their own legislation in this important field. For her great contribution
to the social development of Singapore, Mrs Fozdar was the first person
singled out for tribute by the Singapore Council of W omen’s Organisations
(SCWO) in 1988.

Besides many others, the following tribute was received also from His Ex­
cellency President Wee Kim Wee on the occasion of Mrs Shirin Fozdar’s
passing.

After the passing of Mrs Shirin Fozdar (her resting
place is at Singapore’s Choa C hu Kang Baha’i Cem­
etery) on 2 February 1992 at the age of 87, the Asso­
ciation of Women for Action and Research (AWARE)
established in her m em ory the Shirin Fozdar Trust
Fund which was inaugurated on 15 May 1993 w ith
H.E. President Wee Kim Wee and First Lady Mrs Wee
as Guests-of-Honour.
Mrs Shirin Fozdar in
her 85thyear

$■/ 4
'   23
The objectives of the Shirin Fozdar Trust Fund are:

♦ To develop and support facilities that are beneficial to women,
such as training centres, crisis centres, homes and shelters for needy
women
♦ To provide educational and training opportunities in fields which
w ould benefit women, such as skills training for housewives to
re-enter the w orkforce and the training of counsellors.
♦ To study issues of gender and national development
♦ To fund publications and multi-media materials relevant to the
advancement of women

Based on these objectives, the Fund will benefit organisations and individu­
als w orking towards the advancement of women in general, and needy
women in particular.

W ith the formation of the Singapore Council of W om en’s Organisations
(“SCW O”) in 1980, a broad-based umbrella body very much like its prede­
cessor, the Singapore Council of Women, the Baha’i W om en’s Committee
(later the Baha’i Office for the Advancement of Women “BO AW ”) became
one of the first associations to seek affiliation w ith it.

In their respective stints on the SCW O executive board, Baha’i women
such as Lena Tan, Christine Lee, Lalitha Nambiar and Anula Samuel served
mostly as H on. Treasurer an d /o r H on. Secretary and were also active in
committees such as publication and research. In 1993, the BWC teamed up
w ith the SCW O to publish the book Voices          Choices - the W omen’s
Movement in Singapore, a landmark book which traces the history of the
women’s movement in Singapore and which was launched on 25 July 1993
by H.E. President Wee Kim Wee.
Voices and Choices - The Womens Movement in Singapore (1993): this comprehensive

book traces the history of
the women’s movement in
Singapore,          delineates
women’s present status and
charts their aspirations for
the future. It was jointly pub­
lished by the BO AW and
SCWO, and launched by
President Wee Kim Wee and Mrs Wee
President Wee Kim Wee             with members o f the SCWO-BOAW Book
Committee at the Gala Dinner (1993)

Singapore Baha’i women were also actively involved in the Fourth U N
W orld Conference for W omen in Beijing inl995. Eleven Baha’is went as
part of the forty-eight strong SCW O contingent and the tw o workshops
contributed by the SCW O during this conference were organised by the
BOAW. These two workshops were on “Women, W ork and Family” and
“Young W omen and a Violence-free society”

Photo shows Mrs Goh Chok Tong with members of the BOAW on 17 Mar
1994 when she was presented a book on “The Baha’i Lotus Temple” in New
Delhi that she had visited on 24 Jan 1994 during Prime Minister Goh Chok
Tong’s State Visit to attend India’s National Day on 26 Jan 1994.

The BOAW has also worked closely with government ministries. In 1995-
6, D r H.B. Danesh, an internationally renowned psychiatrist was invited
by the BOAW to conduct a series of public workshops on marriage, family
life and personal development. D uring his visits, he met w ith several
government and non-government organisations, medical and educational
institutions working in the areas of family violence and juvenile delinquency
as well as w ith the H onourable M r Abdullah Tarmugi, the M inister for
Community Development. In 1997-8, BOAW and SCWO jointly organised
a series of talks by medical doctors on various aspects of w om en’s health.
This project was given the endorsement of the M inistry of Health.

”   / f

W hen the new SCW O building opened in 1998, the BOAW was among
the first to establish its office there. It is now the focal point for Baha’i
women in their activities for service to the public.

Baha’i women are also active in other w om en’s organisations. A Baha’i,
D r Phyllis Chew, became President of AW ARE in 1998. During her ten­
ure as President, she launched a public exhibition on the atrocities of
mass rape and collected 45,000 signatures for a petition to the Indonesian
President and the U N Commissioner for Human Rights. D r Chew is also a
founder member and past President of the University W om en’s Associa­
tion of Singapore (UWAS), an affiliate of the International Federation of
University Women (IFUW).

M any other Baha’i w om en have also been recognised for their active
contibution to society at large. The following Baha’i women were also
recipients of “The Long Service Award” from the Ministry of Community
Development: D r Phyllis Chew, Mrs Fatima Tia Traazil, Mrs Anula Samuel,
Ms Lynette Thomas, Ms Tan Lay Kuan and Mrs Rose Ong.

Inter-religious Activities

Know thou assuredly that the essence of all the Prophets o f God
is one and the same. B aha’ullah

World Religion Day

In an endeavour to emphasise the common features underlying the sacred
teachings of the religions in our multi-religious and multi-racial nation,
the Baha’i C om m unity recently (1995) revived the observance of W orld
Religion Day in Singapore, the first observance of which was organised
by the Singapore Baha’is in 1956 w ith the Chief M inister M r Lim Yew
H ock as the guest of honour at the Victoria Memorial Hall.

Since 1995, four W orld Religion Day observances have been held in
Singapore. The first tw o were organised by the Baha’is while the third
observance in 1997 was jointly organised by the Baha’i com m unity of
Singapore and the Inter-Religious Organisation (IRO)14 of Singapore. The
fourth observance of W orld Religion Day was organized for the first time
by the IRO.

The Aim of World Religion Day

The underlying purpose of World Religion Day, inaugurated over fifty years ago and
now regularly observed in over eighty countries on the third Sunday of January, is to
foster the establishment of inter-faith understanding and harmony by emphasizing the
common denominators in all religions.
The message of World Religion Day is that mankind, which has stemmed from one
origin, must now strive towards the reconciliation of that which has been split up.
Human unity and true equality depend not on past origins, but on future goals, on what
we are becoming and whither we are going. The prime cause of the age-old conflict
between man and man has been the absence of one ethical belief, a single spiritual standard
one moral code.
The history of man’s cultures and civilizations is the history of his religions. Nothing has
such an integrating effect as the bond of a common Faith. The history of religion shows that
all religions had this unifying power— the power to instil in the hearts and minds of their
adherents the fundamental verities, the vital spiritual standards, and thus establish a unity of
conscience for motivating man towards founding great cultures and civilizations.
Hence, through World Religion Day observances dedicated towards encouraging the
leaders and followers of every religion to acknowledge the similarities in each of our
sacred Faiths, a unified approach to the challenges that confront humanity can be agreed
upon and then applied on an ever- expanding scale to permeate the very psyche of
mankind, so that it can be made to see the whole earth as a smgle country and all numanity
its citizenry.

14The IRO Singapore is one of the oldest if not the oldest IRO in the world. It originally
began with members from the Hindu, Jewish, Buddhist, Christian, Muslim and Sikh Faiths
with the Zoroastrian, Baha’i and Taoist Faiths joining in 1961,1995 and 1996 respectively,
thus comprising in its membership all the nine independent world religions.

These observances clearly filled an im portant niche in Singapore’s multi­
religious society for greater awareness of each others’ sacred Faiths and
audiences of over 1000 packed the hall for every observance to hear the
eminent religious personalities address common denominators from the
perspective of their own religions. The government too extended its vital
support by the presence of Ministers and Ambassador-at-Large as guests of
honour for each of these annually observed most popular publicly held
inter-Faith events in our nation.

Em inent national and international personalities also conveyed their fe­
licitations for World Religion Day observances to its organisers.

A ppreciations

“The President sends his best wishes fo r a meaningful and successful observance. "
Principal Private Secretary to the President of the Republic of Singapore -1/9/94

“I congratulate you fo r taking tim e to attend this gathering to observe World Religion Day and...
wish you every success in your deliberations to bring about peace and tranquillity, no m atter how
distant the ultim ate goal may be. "
Former President Wee Kim Wee
(message to the Chairman and all participants of World Religion Day Inaugural Observance in
Singapore 1995)

“He wishes the occasion a success. "
Principal Private Secretary to Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew - 13/6/95

“I congratulate the B ahai C om m unity o f Singapore fo r organising this inaugural observance. I
hope it w ill become an annual event. This is an auspicious year to hold this observance because it is
the 50th anniversary o f the end o f the Second World War and the founding o f the United Nations.
What is the purpose o f this observance? It is to prom ote understanding and a m ity among the
different religions ana their followers. This is a worthy goal. It is a goal which the world needs
because, in some parts o f the world, we still see the existence o f religious intolerance, religious
hatred, and religious conflict. ''
Professor Tommy Thong-Bee Koh
Singapore’s Ambassador-At-Large
(Keynote Address delivered at the Inaugural Observance of World Religion Day in Singapore 1995)

“I assure you o f m y prayers fo r all who w ill take part in World Religion D ay that you may be one
heart fu ll o f love in the Heart o f God. "
Mother Teresa - 9/8/96

“I am heartened by this large gathering o f people fro m different religious faiths, coming together
fo r the com mon purpose o f fostering inter fa ith understanding. Today's gathering is a significant
reflection o f our efforts to promote and preserve racial and religious harm ony in Singapore. "
Mr Lim Hng Kiang
Minister for National Development
(Keynote Address delivered at 2nd Observance of World Religion Day in Singapore 1996)

“The World Religion Day observed fo r the third year in Singapore is significant in that the Inter
Religious Organisation (IRO) is co-organising it with the World Religion Day committee o f the
Baha'i C om m unity which organised the first two observances here. The intention is fo r the IR O to
organise fu tu re W R D observances to continue the good w ork started by the Singapore Baha'i
C om m unity."
Mr Abdullah Tarmugi
Minister for Community Development
(Keynote Address delivered at 3rd Observance of World Religion Day in Singapore 1997)

This is indeed a blessed occasion where we seepeople, not only o f differentfaiths, but o f different races coming
togetherand interactinginpeace andgoodwill asyou do today. Farfrom seeingour differences as impediments, we
see them, rather, as causesfor us to meet and celebrate; to know and understand each other. Is not diversity the
essence o f life and creationfor us to cheńsh and appreciatef

The commemoration o f W orld Religion Day in Singapore was started by the B ahai com m unity
fo u r years ago. B ut the Inter-Religious Organisation or IR O has agreed to be responsible fo r
organising the annual observance fro m this year onwards. This 4th observance o f World Religion
D ay in Singapore is therefore significant in that it is the first tim e the IR O is hosting it.
Mr Abdullah Tarmugi
Minister for Community Development
(Keynote Address delivered at 4th Observance of World Religion Day in Singapore 1998)

The 3rdPrize in the World Religion Day Essay Competition in 1998 was won by Baha’i youth
Ms Kelly Koay for the second year in succession. As Ms Kelly was in the USA pursuing her
studies in medicine, her sister Ms Michelle Koav is seen here receiving the award on Kelly’s
behalf from the guest of honour the Honourable Mr Abdullah Tarmugi, Minister for Com­
munity Development. The aim of these Essay Competitions which were only open to Singapore
youths, was to encourage them to learn about other Faiths besides their own.

Baha’is in the IRO

The first Baha’i member of the IRO was D r Suresh Sahadevan who became
a member in 1995. Mr Jamshed Fozdar and Mr Foo Check Woo were the
first Baha’is to serve on the executive Council of the IRO. Mr Fozdar served
as the Hon. Secretary for a two-year period from July 1996-August 1998.
During his tenure as Hon. Secretary, Mr Fozdar was delegated to represent
the IR O 15 at the Executive Committee Meeting of the Asian Conference

15The IRO’s objectives are to inculcate the spirit of friendship and co-operation among the
leaders and followers of different religions and to improve the condition of the adherents of
different religions in generally accepted moral principles. The IRO conducts regular inter­
faith seminars and public talks to increase tne puhlic’s knowledge about the various
religious observances, and holds prayers and blessings ceremonies for various government agencies
and civic institutions. It is also consulted by Committees of Parliament on matters or ethics
and beliefs of the citizenry.

on Religion and Peace in Ayuthaya, Thailand held in O ctober (15-19)
1996, which was opened by the Former Prime Minister Prem Tinsulanonda
Privy Councilor to His Majesty King Rama IX of Thailand. In June (21-
26) 1998 M r Fozdar also represented the IR O at the U nited Religions
Initiative Global Summit III held in Stanford University, California, USA.
M r Fozdar and M r Foo were succeeded by M r Selvam Satanam and Lt.
Col. Yeo Yew Hock on the IRO Council.

Mr Fozdar later served as Chairman of the IR O ’s Committee for the Com­
memorative Postage Stamp to mark the IR O ’s 50th Anniversary in 1999
and, with Committee members M r V.R. N athan (Chairman of the Hindu
Endowments Board) and Brother Joseph M cNally (Former President of
LaSalle-SIA College of Arts), was successful in having the Singapore Post
issue on 15 January 1999 the IRO Commemorative stamp in three denomi­
nations listing on it in chronological order the names of its nine constitu­
ent religions: Hindu, Jewish, Zoroastrian, Buddhist, Taoist, Christian, Mus­
lim, Sikh, Baha’i.

This set of three stamps was issued by Singapore Post on 15 January 1999 to commemorate
the 50th anniversary of the Inter-Religious Organisation, Singapore. The design shows the
Organisation’s logo, its motto and the names of its nine constituent religions in chronologi­
cal order.

Baha’i Presidency of the IRO

In conform ity w ith the IR O ’s policy of annually rotating the H on.
Presidency among its nine constituent religions, the period from August
1998 to August 1999 saw a member of the Baha’i Faith, M r Selvam Satanam,
as the IR O President. M r Satanam, at the age of 29, was the first Baha’i to
become H on. President of the IR O since the Baha’is joined in 1995. His
term of office saw the IRO hosting a first-ever exhibition on the nine major
religions of Singapore at the prestigious Singapore History Museum marking
the IR O ’s 50th Anniversary, and also the publication of the revised edition
of the book (first published in 1993) entitled “Religions in Singapore” which
sold out within a couple of months of publication. The Honourable Minister
for C om m unity Development M r Abdullah Tarmugi presided at the
opening of the exhibition and the launch of the book.
The IRO published the revised edition
of “ Religionsin Singapore^m W )9^^

In keeping w ith the tradition initiated by Singapore’s First Head of State
President M r Yusof Ishak and followed by the Second President D r
Benjamin Sheares as well as the Fourth President M r Wee Kim Wee,
Singapore’s Fifth President M r Ong Teng Cheong also hosted a reception
on 3 June 1999 at the Istana for representatives of the nine constituent
religions in the IRO Council.

Photo shows His Excellency President Ong standing front row centre
and on his right IRO President Mr Selvam Satanam of the Singapore
Baha’i Community.

Environment

Every mano f discernment, while walking upon the earth, feeleth
indeed abashed, inasmuch as he is fully aware that the thing which
is the source of his prosperity, his wealth, his might, his exaltation,
his advancement and power is, as ordained by God, the very earth
which is trodden beneath the feet o f all men. B a h a ’u ’llah

Active since 1992 when it was first established, the Baha’i Office of
Environment (BOE) promotes through its activities a vision of sustainable
development which combines economic, ecological and spiritual principles.
The protection of the environment is viewed in the broadest possible sense
as Baha’is believe that recognition of the oneness of m ankind is a
fundamental component of the environment movement.

The office works closely with various organisations with a view to sharing
information and collaborating on educational projects on environmental
conservation. It has contributed to awareness of our ecological problems
through exhibitions, talks and children’s activities. It also takes part in
regular coastal and nature reserve clean-ups and organises activities to mark
Earth Day, World Environment Day and Clean and Green Week.

C ollaboration w ith o th er green groups, including the Singapore
Environmental Council, has led to the informal setting up by the Office,
of a green network for consultation on current concerns. This has resulted
in a higher degree of inter-group co-operation and collaboration.

Environm ental activities across interfaith lines have also been initiated,
w ith talks by different religions on their perspectives concerning the
environment, as well as inter-faith commemoration of Earth Day.

Representatives of Singapore’s religious communities and BOE members at the interfaith
commemoration of Earth Day at Fort Canning Park

Representatives of the BOE have attended regional and international
conferences on the environment, including those organised by UNESCAP
in Bangkok, the G lobal N G O C onference on E nvironm ent and
Development in Paris, and others.

Recently the Earth Charter, originally drafted for adoption by the Earth
Summit in 1992, has been redrafted following substantial input from a
broad-based group of N G O ’s, including religious groups. Internationally
and locally Baha’is are part of initiatives to make better known this important
values statement which addresses the fundamental issues underlying any
attempts to solve environmental and other problems.

Earlier, in 1990, B aha’i
women organised The Arts
fo r Nature which was one
of the first attempts to raise
public awareness on the
n eed to c o n se rv e o u r
environment in Singapore.
The works of more than 60
local artists were selected
an d th e ir p a in tin g s ,
sculptures and installation pieces were displayed at the Empress Place
Museum and the proceeds from the sale of the paintings donated to the
Save the Turtles Campaign of the Malayan Nature Society. The production
of the full-colour catalogue was sponsored by the Hongkong and Shanghai
Banking Corporation, as part of its “Care for N ature” programme.

In 1992, a Baha’i, Mrs Fatima Tia Traazil became the first woman to win
the Ministry of Environment’s Green Leaf Award in the individual category
for outstanding contribution to environmental protection and preservation.
She also served on the Board of the Singapore Environment Council from
1992-1998.

Photo shows Mrs Traazil receiving the Green Leaf Award on 7 November
1992 from the Minister of Environment the Honourable Dr Ahmad Mattar.

Education

Regard man as a mine rich in gems o f inestimable value. Education
can, alone, cause it to reveal its treasures, and enable mankind to
benefit therefrom. B a h a ’u ’llah

C hildren’s moral education classes open to all are held regularly by the
Singapore Baha’i Com munity. Virtues and the skills of co-operation and
consultation are taught in an atmosphere of fun and enjoyment.

The independent investigation of reality, whether scientific or religious is
strongly encouraged. Scientific knowledge and religious education are
regarded as the two wings of the bird of humanity. Baha’u ’llah’s Writings
portray science and religion as different yet harmonious approaches to the
comprehension of reality. These two paths are essentially compatible and
mutually reinforcing.

Baha’i children are taught
about the principles, history
and p ractice of all w o rld
religions since “Oneness of
Religion” is one of the cardinal
principles of the Baha’i Faith
and, in accordance w ith the
F a ith ’s   p rin c ip le    of
“Independent Investigation of
T ruth”, the children of Baha’i
parents may choose which
religion they wish to belong to
when they reach the age of
fifteen.

In 1989, when the Ministry of
E d u c a tio n and      th e
G overnm ent Parliam entary
Committee for Education were
studying w hether religious
knowledge ought to be taught
in sch o o ls, th e B ah a ’i
com m unity made representations for school children to be taught a
curriculum that covers all the world religions. The Baha’i Community
*/
submitted that “through such a curriculum the students will gain an
appreciation of the common origins of different religions and much of the
animosity and misunderstanding that are the result of ignorance will be
dissipated”.

Grow with Nature Banner Project

This was organised in 1991 by the Singapore Baha’i Community to create
awareness in school children of the importance of protecting and caring
for the environment. O ver 80 banners painted by primary, secondary
and tertiary students were displayed along the Singapore River during
that year’s Clean and Green Week.

Youth

Blessed is he who in the prime o f his youth and the heydey o f his
life will arise to serve the Cause o f the Lord o f the beginning and of
the                 end,and adorn his heart with His love. The manifestation of
such a grace is greater than the creation of the heavens and of the
earth. Blessed are the steadfast and well is it with those who are
firm. B a h á V llá h

Baha’i youth, wherever they reside, are com m itted to a strong moral
code that forbids intoxication of any kind, prohibits prem arital sex
and discourages smoking. They are exhorted to uphold the highest
virtues in both their personal and public life and to look outside
them selves to see how th e y can be o f service to th e w o rld of
humanity.

In Singapore, the Baha’i Y outh D evelopm ent G roup (“B Y D G ”) is
affiliated to the N ational Y outh Council (“N Y C ”) and Baha’i youth
regularly participate in the programmes of the N Y C. In 1997 and
1999 a Baha’i youth, Michelle Koay, was chosen by the N Y C to be a
m em b er of th e d eleg a tio n th a t re p re se n te d S in g ap o re at th e
International Y outh Forum in South Korea.

The BYDG runs weekly workshops for Baha’i youth to study the
application of the spiritual and moral teachings of the Baha’i Faith
in th e ir daily lives. Singapore Baha’i y o u th have co n trib u ted to
com m unity service projects w ithin Singapore and in China, Mongolia,
M yanm ar and Indonesia.

In 1996 a contem porary perform ing arts group, “The Singapore Baha’i
Y outh W orkshop”, was set up by a group of Baha’i youth to convey
the principles of the Baha’i Faith through songs, dance and drama.
The W orkshop has since perform ed at num erous youth carnivals,
schools, old folks’ homes and concerts. T heir perform ances have
m ainly been on the eradication of racial prejudice, the prevention
o f su b sta n c e abuse and th e a c q u is itio n o f v irtu e s su ch as
trustw orthiness, justice and unity. Their signature perform ance is the
“Step D ance” which has its origins in Africa and is a perform ance
demonstrating the powerful impact of unity and cooperation.

#
The Singapore Baha’i Youth W orkshop performing the “Step Dance” at the official
opening of the N ational Y outh Centre in 1996 by the H onourable Prim e Minister
Mr Goh Chok Tong.

Baha’i youth have made their m ark in international efforts to prom ote
peace and conservation of the environm ent. Singapore Baha’i youth
contributed articles to two books published by Peace Child International,
namely “Rescue Mission Planet Earth: a children’s edition o f Agenda
and “A World In Our Hands”. In the case of the latter book, which detailed
the past, present and future of the United Nations, the submission of the
Singapore Baha’i youth was considered w orthy of an invitation for a
representative to be on the editorial board. A Singapore Baha’i youth, Jordan
Melic, had the honour of being selected to travel to New York to present a
copy of the book to U N Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali on the
occasion of the 50th Anniversary celebrations of the U N held in San
Francisco in 1996.

AWorld in
[>ur Hands

Singapore Baha’i youth Jordan Melic, 14, presenting copy o f : “A World in O ur Hands to U N
Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali (1 9 9 6 )____________________________________

Extreme right: Singapore Baha’i youth, Sonia Ong and Adeline Koay at the 42nd Session of
the Commission on the Status of Women at the United Nations in 1998.

In 1998, tw o Singapore Baha’i youth, Sonia O ng and Adeline Koay,
represented the Baha’i International Community at the 42nd Session of the
Commission on the Status of Women at the United Nations in New York.
They were the only Singapore youth present at the conference. In 1999
another Baha’i youth, Nadya Melic, represented Singapore at Peace Child
International’s Young Person’s Millennium Conference in Hawaii, USA.

Many of the Baha’i youth in Singapore are active in sports and have earned
recognition for their contributions. M r A nthony Joseph donned Singapore
national colours for hockey from 1967 to 1973. An outstanding player from
his school days in Raffles Institution, A nthony earned his first call up to
the national squad when he was only 17 years old. A nthony was a member
of the Singapore team that w on the historic gold medal at the 1973 SEA
Games and in that same year he was also the captain of the national Under
23 team. A nother Baha’i, Selvam Satanam who also hailed from Raffles
Institution, was awarded the Singapore Schools Sports Council National
Colours Award in 1986 for his services in the Singapore Combined Schools
hockeyteam.

Baha’i youth have also distinguished themselves in other arenas. The 1999
SLA Inter Junior College Debating Competition saw Jordan Melic winning
the coveted Best Speaker of the Series Award.

ł
Marriage and Family Life

Marriage is “                                  afortress for well-being and salvation”.
Baha’u’Mh

Baha’i marriage is recognized under the laws of Singapore and since 1972
Baha’i Marriage Solemnizers have been appointed by the Registrar of
Marriages.

Baha’is affirm that the family is the basic unit of society. Unless this all
im portant building block is healthy and unified, society itself cannot be
healthy and unified. Monogamous marriage stands at the foundation of
family life. Inter-racial marriages are also encouraged in the Baha’i teach­
ings, which stress the essential oneness of the human race.

Parental permission for marriage is obligatory. Once it is obtained, the
marriage takes place, requiring only the simplest of ceremonies. In the
presence of two witnesses designated by the local Baha’i governing council,
the couple recites the following verse: “We will all, verily, abide by the will of
God.” For Baha’is, that simple commitment to live by God’s will implies all
of the commitments associated w ith marriage, including the promise to
love, honour and cherish.

Beyond these simple requirements, Baha’is are free to arrange their own
marriage celebration.

The signing of the marriage certificate at a Baha’i wedding in the presence of
Mr Kuek Yi Hsing the Singapore Baha’i Marriage Solemnizer (2ndfrom right).

Singapore Association for Baha’i Studies (ABS)

Thesanctified souls should ponder and meditate in their hearts
regarding the methods of teaching. From the texts o f the wondrous,
heavenly Scriptures they should memorize phrases and passages
bearing on various instances, so that in the course o f their speech
they may recite divine verses whenever the occasion demandeth it,
in as much as these holy verses are the most potent elixir, the greatest
and mightiest talisman. So potent is their influence that the hearer
will have no cause for vacillation.
BaháV lláh

The ABS is a committee of the Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of Singapore
and was set up in April 1996. It organises an annual conference at which
invited speakers deliver talks on aspects of the Baha’i Faith and Comparative
Religion.

These talks then form the basis for a series of papers which are collected
into the Singapore Baha’i Studies Review. This journal promotes religious
and cultural harmony and provides a forum to discuss how religion might
be applied to solve contem porary problems. Thus far four volumes have
been published, on such topics as unity of religions, the soul and the after­
life, and challenges for the new millennium.

Four volumes of the Singapore Baha’i Studies Review

The Goal of the Baha’i Faith

“Thewell-being of mankind, its peace and security, are unattainable
unless and until its unity is firmly established. ”
B aha’u ’llah

The driving force behind the civilizing of human nature, Baha’u ’llah asserts,
has been successive interventions of the Divine in history. It has been through
this influence that the innate moral and spiritual faculties of hum anity
have been gradually developed and the advance of civilization made possible.
Associated with the missions of such transcendent figures as Krishna, Moses,
Zoroaster, Buddha, Lao Tzu, Jesus, M uhammad, and G uru Nanak, the
phenomenon is an ever-recurring one; it is without beginning or end because
it is fundamental to the evolutionary order itself.

A lthough nurtured by the process, hum anity has never understood it.
Instead, people have constructed around each episode in their spiritual
experience a separate religious system. Throughout history the religious
impulse has been hobbled by the resulting contradictions and bitter
conflicts.

Baha’u ’llah compares the maturation of the human race as a whole to the
experience of its individual members who struggle, successively, through
the stages of infancy, childhood and adolescence. Today, hum anity has
entered on its collective coming-of-age, endowed w ith the capacity to see
the entire panorama of its development as a single process. The challenge
of m aturity is to accept that we are one people, to free ourselves from the
limited identities and creeds of the past, and to build together the
foundations of global civilization.

The vital contribution which the teachings of Baha’u’llah make to Religion
is the development of spiritual tru th from the area of the individual
conscience to embrace the area of human and social relations as a whole.
Thus, wherever Baha’i communities exist, exists also a true cross-section of
the human race united in conscience and united in purpose.

Hence, to Baha’is, both for themselves individually, as well as for the collective
development of humanity, the ‘purpose for being’ has a single and identical
goal - W O RLD U N ITY , achievable only through the emergence of an
ethically developed race conscious and convinced of its intrinsic spirituality
and dedicated to the full realization on the material plane of the all-tooevident fact which our scientific and technological achievements have
irrefutably forced upon us mentally -- a fact emphatically proclaimed 150
years ago by BahP’u ’llah - that the earth is a single home and all humanity
one family.

In the words of the late Guardian of the Baha’i Faith:

The unity of the human race as envisaged by Baha’u’llah
implies the establishment of a world federal system ruling the
whole earth and exercising unchallengeable authority over its
unimaginably vast resources. Blending together the ideals of
both the East and the West. Liberated from the curse of war
and its miseries. A system in which Force is made the servant
of Justice, whose life is sustained by its universal recognition
of one God and its allegiance to one common Revelation.
Such is the goal towards which humanity, impelled by the
unifying forces of life is moving.

W hatever be their professions, in whatever climes they labour, their one
over-riding calling — the prime directive — the achievement of the unity
of the human race, is the vision that animates and energizes every Baha’i,
and to which all peoples are lovingly invited to pledge their allegiance.
The year 2000 marks the golden anniversary o f the arrival of
the B aha’i Faith in Singapore. This commemorative book
documents the history, achievements and contributions o f the
Baha’i community during those fifty years. Among these have
been the championing of women’s rights, fostering inter-faith
cooperation and understanding, promoting an environmental
ethic and advancing moral education for children. The foundation
of Baha’i belief is in the unity of God, of religion and of humanity
and it is this that propels Baha’is to work for the greater good
of society wherever they may reside.

ISBN 981-04-2499-X
-- The Baha'i Faith: 50 Years in Singapore (Used by permission of the curator)