Source: Bahá'í Library Online (bahai-library.com), curated by Jonah Winters. Used by permission of the curator. Original citation: Universal House of Justice, The Baha'i World: Volume 22 (1993-1994), Haifa: Bahá’í World Centre, 1994, bahai-library.com. ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── THE BAHA'i WORLD 1993-94 150 OF THE BAHA'i ERA THR, BAHA' I WORLD 1993á94 AN INTERNATIONAL RECORD BAHA'I WORLD CENTRE HAIFA © 1994 World Centre Publications Order department: 46 High Street Kidlington Oxford OX5 2DN England ISBN 0-85398-992-3 (Hardcover) ISBN 0-85398-993-1 (Softcover) A Cataloguing-in-Publication number is available from the British Library. THR / BAHA' I WORLD 1993o94 Printed at Alden Press Limited, Oxford and Northampton, Great Britain CoNTENTS Introduction INTRODUCTION TO THE BAHA'i COMMUNITY The Faith ofBaha'u'lhih 7 The Ministry of Shoghi Effendi 15 The Baha'i Community Today 23 WRITINGS AND MESSAGES Baha'i Sacred Writings 33 From the Universal House of Justice 39 EVENTS 1993-94 The Seventh International Baha'i Convention 51 Conference of Baha'i Counsellors 59 Mount Carmel Projects: Progress 1993-94 67 Year in Review 77 The Baha'i International Community: Activities 1993-94 131 Update: the Situation of the Baha'is in Iran 139 Murder of Three Baha'is in Ciskei 147 The Baha'i Faith in the Eyes of the World 151 ESSAYS AND STATEMENTS World Watch, by Ann Boyles 171 The Kitab-i-Aqdas: The Causality Principle in the World of Being, by WilliamS. Hatcher 189 Towards the Goal of Full Partnership: One Hundred and Fifty Years of the Advancement of Women, by Ann Boyles 237 A Baha'i Perspective on Issues of Concern to the World's Aboriginal Peoples, based on a statement by the Baha 'i Community of Canada 277 Statements by the Baha'i International Community: • World Citizenship: A Global Ethic for Sustainable Development 295 • The Family in a World Community 305 • Submissions to the United Nations World Conference on Human Rights 311 INFORMATION AND RESOURCES Obituaries 319 Statistics 323 Directory 327 Selected New Publications 333 A Basic Baha'i Reading List 337 Glossary 341 INTRODUCTION T 'he Baha'i World 1993-94 is the second in the new series of The Baha'i World volumes. The original series, created in 1925 by Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Baha'i Faith, appeared periodically and served as a public record of the Baha'i world community's activities and achievements from 1925 to 1992. The new series, the first volume of which covered the period of the second Baha'i Holy Year, 1992-93, will appear annually, and while it will continue to provide a record of the Baha'i community's current undertakings, it will also offer readers general information on the Baha'i Faith, its concerns, and its teachings. The 1993-94 volume is divided into five major sections. In the first section, 'Introduction to the Baha'i Community,' a trio of statements and articles provides an overview of the Baha'i Faith. The first, "The Faith of Baha'u'llah," was written by Shoghi Effendi in 194 7 to explain the independent status of the Faith to the Special Committee on Palestine. The second article, "The Ministry of Shoghi Effendi," is excerpted from J. Douglas THE BAHA'I WORLD Martin's and William S. Hatcher's excellent textbook The Baha'i Faith: The Emerging Global Religion, named by the Encyclopedia Britannica as a 1986 book of the year in religion. The third brief article, "The Baha'i Community Today," outlines the current conditions, activities, and future prospects of the followers ofBaha'u'llah around the world. The second section, 'Writings and Messages,' includes a selection from the sacred writings of the Baha'i Faith on the themes of unity, interdependence, and peace, and an article highlighting the major messages of the Universal House of Justice during the year under review. The third section of the volume, 'Events 1993-94,' offers an account of the Seventh International Baha'i Convention held in Haifa, Israel, in April 1993 and the International Counsellors' Conference held immediately following the Convention. The "Year in Review" comprises a survey of the multifarious undertakings of Baha'i communities from Vanuatu to Ireland, Argentina to Zaire, Siberia to Jamaica, while the article on the work of the Baha'i International Community highlights the efforts of the community to work through the United Nations to voice its ideals on the international stage. Other pieces feature an update on the situation of the Baha'is in Iran during 1993-94 and an account of the tragic deaths of three Baha'is in Ciskei last March. Progress on the monumental construction projects underway on Mount Carmel at the Baha'i World Centre in Haifa is detailed, with photos of various elements of the developments. A general survey of the print media's reportage of Baha'is' activities around the world completes the roundup of current events. 'Essays and Statements,' the volume's fourth major section, opens with "World Watch," a commentary on current world events and the theories that shape commonly held contemporary worldviews. William S. Hatcher's article "The Kitab-i-Aqdas: the Causality Principle in the World of Being" takes a philosophical approach to understanding Baha'u'llah's Most Holy Book, the first authorized translation of which was released in March 1993. Ann Boyles' essay "Towards the Goal of Full Partnership : One Hundred and Fifty Years of the Advancement INTRODUCTION of Women" discusses the distinctive Baha'i perspective on the issue of the equality of women and men and surveys a variety of historical and current enterprises undertaken by the Baha'i community to promote the achievement of full equality. It provides timely background reading as the world prepares for the upcoming United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women, to be held in Beijing in September 1995. A series of statements on topics central to events of 1993-94 completes this portion of the volume. First is an edited version of a statement on aboriginal peoples prepared by the Baha'i Community of Canada and presented to the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples in November 1993. Following are a series of statements prepared by the Baha'i International Community during 1993-94: the statement "World Citizenship: A Global Ethic for Sustainable Development" was presented to the first session of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development in New York in June 1993; "The Family in a World Community" was first distributed at the World NGO Forum launching the International Year of the Family in Malta in November-December 1993; the final three statements, dealing with various human rights issues, were delivered at the World Conference on Human Rights held in Vienna in June 1993. The final section, 'Information and Resources,' provides a number of useful reference items: brief sketches of prominent Baha'is who died during 1993-94; current statistics pertaining to the development of the Baha'i world community; a directory of Baha'i agencies around the globe; and an annotated list of selected new publications from Baha'i publishers. Finally, at the back of the book readers will find a list of introductory and basic reference books on the Baha'i Faith pointing to further sources for the interested reader. A glossary is also included to assist those who may be unfamiliar with certain Baha'i terms used throughout the volume. The scope of the international Baha'i community's undertakings expands rapidly, year by year, and it is hoped that the Baha'i World series will prove to be an effective means for briefly documenting those undertakings and for acquainting the THE BAHA:f WORLD general public with the aims and concerns of Baha'is around the world, whose ultimate goal is nothing less than the realization of Baha'u'llah's statement: "The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens." An international yearbook such as The Baha'i World shows how five million inhabitants of the globe are working to make that vision a reality. INTRODUCTION TO THEBAHA'f CoMMUNITY This statement was originally prepared by Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Baha'i Faith, for presentation to the United Nations Special Committee on Palestine in 1947. THEFAITH OF BAHA'U'LLAH he Faith established by Baha'u'lhih was born in Persia about T the middle of the nineteeth century and has, as a result of the successive banishments of its Founder, culminating in His exile to the Turkish penal colony of Acre, and His subsequent death and burial in its vicinity, fixed its permanent spiritual center in the Holy Land, and is now in the process of laying the foundations of its world administrative center in the city of Haifa. Alike in the claims unequivocally asserted by its Author and the general character of the growth of the Baha'i community in every continent of the globe, it can be regarded in no other light than a world religion, destined to evolve in the course of time into a world-embracing commonwealth, whose advent must signalize the Golden Age of mankind, the age in which the unity of the human race will have been unassailably established, its maturity attained, and its glorious destiny unfolded through the birth and efflorescence of a world-encompassing civilization. Restatement of Eternal Verities Though sprung from Shi'ah Ishim, and regarded, in the early stages of its development, by the followers of both the Muslim and Christian Faiths, as an obscure sect, an Asiatic cult or an offshoot of the Mu}lammadan religion, this Faith is now increasingly demonstrating its right to be recognized, not as one more religious system superimposed on the conflicting creeds which for so many generations have divided mankind and darkened its fortunes, but rather as a restatement of the eternal verities underlying all the religions of the past, as a unifying force instilling into the adherents of these religions a new spiritual vigor, infusing them with a new hope and love for mankind, firing them with a new vision of the fundamental unity of their religious doctrines, and unfolding to their eyes the glorious destiny that awaits the human race. The fundamental principle enunciated by Baha'u'lhih, the followers of His Faith frrmly believe, is that religious truth is not absolute but relative, that Divine Revelation is a continuous and progressive process, that all the great religions of the world are divine in origin, that their basic principles are in complete harmony, that their aims and purposes are one and the same, that their teachings are but facets of one truth, that their functions are complementary, that they differ only in the non-essential aspects of their doctrines, and that their missions represent successive stages in the spiritual evolution of human society. Fulfills Past Revelations The aim of Baha'u'llah, the Prophet of this new and great age which humanity has entered upon- He whose advent fulfills the prophecies of the Old and New Testaments as well as those of the Qur'an regarding the coming of the Promised One in the end of time, on the Day of Judgment- is not to destroy but to fulfill the Revelations of the past, to reconcile rather than accentuate the divergencies of the conflicting creeds which disrupt presentday society. His purpose, far from belittling the station of the Prophets gone before Him or of whittling down their teachings, is to restate the basic truths which these teachings enshrine in a THE FAITH OF BAHA'U'LLAH manner that would conform to the needs, and be in consonance with the capacity, and be applicable to the problems, the ills and perplexities, of the age in which we live. His mission is to proclaim that the ages of the infancy and of the childhood of the human race are past, that the convulsions associated with the present stage of its adolescence are slowly and painfully preparing it to attain the stage of manhood, and are heralding the approach of that Age of Ages when swords will be beaten into plowshares, when the Kingdom promised by Jesus Christ will have been established, and the peace of the planet definitely and permanently ensured. Nor does Baha'u'lhih claim fmality for His own Revelation, but rather stipulates that a fuller measure of the truth He has been commissioned by the Almighty to vouchsafe to humanity, at so critical a juncture in its fortunes, must needs be disclosed at future stages in the constant and limitless evolution of mankind. Oneness of the Human Race The Baha'i Faith upholds the unity of God, recognizes the unity of His Prophets, and inculcates the principle of the oneness and wholeness of the entire human race. It proclaims the necessity and the inevitability of the unification of mankind, asserts that it is gradually approaching, and claims that nothing short of the transmuting spirit of God, working through His chosen Mouthpiece in this day, can ultimately succeed in bringing it about. It, moreover, enjoins upon its followers the primary duty of an unfettered search after truth, condemns all manner of prejudice and superstition, declares the purpose of religion to be the promotion of amity and concord, proclaims its essential harmony with science, and recognizes it as the foremost agency for the pacification and the orderly progress of human society. It unequivocally maintains the principle of equal rights, opportunities and privileges for men and women, insists on compulsory education, eliminates extremes of poverty and wealth, abolishes the institution of priesthood, prohibits slavery, asceticism, mendicancy and monasticism, prescribes monogamy, discourages divorce, emphasizes the necessity of strict obedience to one's government, exalts any work performed in the spirit of service to the level of worship, urges either the creation or the selection of an auxiliary international language, and delineates the outlines of those institutions that must establish and perpetuate the general peace of mankind. The Herald The Baha'i Faith revolves around three central Figures, the first of whom was a youth, a native of Shiraz, named Mirza 'Ali- Mul)ammad, known as the Bab (Gate), who in May, 1844, at the age of twenty-five, advanced the claim of being the Herald Who, according to the sacred Scriptures of previous Dispensations, must needs announce and prepare the way for the advent of One greater than Himself, Whose mission would be, according to those same Scriptures, to inaugurate an era of righteousness and peace, an era that would be hailed as the consummation of all previous Dispensations, and initiate a new cycle in the religious history of mankind. Swift and severe persecution, launched by the organized forces of Church and State in His native land, precipitated successfully His arrest, His exile to the mountains of Adhirbayj an, His imprisonment in the fortresses of Mah- Ku and Chihriq, and His execution, in July, 1850, by a firing squad in the public square of Tabriz. No less than twenty thousand of his followers were put to death with such barbarous cruelty as to evoke the warm sympathy and the unqualified admiration of a number of Western writers, diplomats, travelers and scholars, some of whom were witnesses of these abominable outrages, and were moved to record them in their books and diaries. Baha'u'llah Mirza I:Iusayn- 'Ali, surnamed Baha'u'llah (the Glory of God), a native of Mazindaran, Whose advent the Bab had foretold, was assailed by those same forces of ignorance and fanaticism, was imprisoned in Teheran, was banished, in 1852, from His native land to Baghdad, and thence to Constantinople and Adrianople, and finally to the prison city of Acre, where He remained incarcerated for no less than twenty-four years, and in whose neighborhood He passed away in 1892. In the course of His banishment, and particularly in Adrianople and Acre, He formulated the laws and ordinances of His Dispensation, expounded, THE FAITH OF BAHA'U'LLAH in over a hundred volumes, the principles of His Faith, proclaimed His Message to the kings and rulers of both the East and the West, both Christian and Muslim, addressed the Pope, the Caliph of Islam, the Chief Magistrates of the Republics of the American continent, the entire Christian sacerdotal order, the leaders of Shi'ah and Sunni Islam, and the high priests of the Zoroastrian religion. In these writings He proclaimed His Revelation, summoned those whom He addressed to heed His call and espouse His Faith, warned them of the consequences of their refusal, and denounced, in some cases, their arrogance and tyranny. 'Abdu 'l-Baha His eldest son, 'Abbas Effendi, known as 'Abdu'l-Baha (the Servant of Baha), appointed by Him as His lawful successor and the authorized interpreter of His teachings, Who since early childhood had been closely associated with His Father, and shared His exile and tribulations, remained a prisoner until 1908, when, as a result of the Young Turk Revolution, He was released from His confmement. Establishing His residence in Haifa, He embarked soon after on His three-year journey to Egypt, Europe and North America, in the course of which He expounded before vast audiences, the teachings of His Father and predicted the approach of that catastrophe that was soon to befall mankind. He returned to His home on the eve of the first World War, in the course of which He was exposed to constant danger, until the liberation of Palestine by the forces under the command of General Allenby, who extended the utmost consideration to Him and to the small band of His fellow-exiles in Acre and Haifa. In 1921 He passed away, and was buried in a vault in the mausoleum erected on Mount Carmel, at the express instruction ofBaha'u'llah, for the remains of the Bab, which had previously been transferred from Tabriz to the Holy Land after having been preserved and concealed for no less than sixty years. Administrative Order The passing of 'Abdu'l-Baha marked the termination of the first and Heroic Age of the Baha'i Faith and signalized the opening of the Formative Age destined to witness the gradual emergence of its Administrative Order, whose establishment had been foretold by the Bah, whose laws were revealed by Baha'u'llah, whose outlines were delineated by 'Abdu'l-Baha in His Will and Testament, and whose foundations are now being laid by the national and local councils which are elected by the professed adherents of the Faith, and which are paving the way for the constitution of the World Council, to be designated as the Universal House of Justice, which, in conjunction with me, as its appointed Head and the authorized interpreter of the Baha'i teachings, must coordinate and direct the affairs of the Baha'i community, and whose seat will be permanently established in the Holy Land, in close proximity to its world spiritual center, the resting-places of its Founders. The Administrative Order of the Faith of Baha'u'llah, which is destined to evolve into the Baha'i World Commonwealth, and has already survived the assaults launched against its institutions by such formidable foes as the kings of the Qajar dynasty, the Caliphs of Islam, the ecclesiastical leaders of Egypt, and the Nazi regime in Germany, has already extended its ramifications to every continent of the globe, stretching from Iceland to the extremity of Chile, has been established in no less than eightyeight countries of the world, has gathered within its pale representatives of no less than thirty-one races, numbers among its supporters Christians of various denominations, Muslims of both Sunni and Shi'ah sects, Jews, Hindus, Sikhs, Zoroastrians and Buddhists. It has published and disseminated, through its appointed agencies, Baha'i literature in forty-eight languages; has already consolidated its structure through the incorporation of five National Assemblies and seventy-seven local Assemblies, in lands as far apart as South America, India and the Antipodes- incorporations that legally empower its elected representatives to hold property as trustees of the Baha'i community. It disposes of international, national and local endowments, estimated at several million pounds, and spread over every continent of the globe, enjoys in several countries the privilege of official recognition by the civil authorities, enabling it to secure exemption from taxation for its endowments and to solemnize Baha'i marriage, and numbers among its stately THE FAITH OF BAHA'U'LLAH edifices, two temples, the one erected in Russian Turkistan and the other on the shore of Lake Michigan at Wilmette, on the outskirts of Chicago. 1 This Administrative Order, unlike the systems evolved after the death of the Founders of the various religions, is divine in origin, rests securely on the laws, the precepts, the ordinances and institutions which the Founder of the Faith has Himself specifically laid down and unequivocally established, and functions in strict accordance with the interpretations of the authorized Interpreters of its holy scriptures. Though fiercely assailed, ever since its inception, it has, by virtue of its character, unique in the annals of the world's religious history, succeeded in maintaining the unity of the diversified and far-flung body of its supporters, and enabled them to launch, unitedly and systematically, enterprises in both Hemispheres, designed to extend its limits and consolidate its administrative institutions. The Faith which this order serves, safeguards and promotes, is, it should be noted in this connection, essentially supernatural, supranational, entirely non-political, non-partisan, and diametrically opposed to any policy or school of thought that seeks to exalt any particular race, class or nation. It is free from any form of ecclesiasticism, has neither priesthood nor rituals, and is supported exclusively by voluntary contributions made by its avowed adherents. Though loyal to their respective governments, though imbued with the love of their own country, and anxious to promote at all times, its best interests, the followers of the Baha'i Faith, nevertheless, viewing mankind as one entity, and profoundly attached to its vital interests, will not hesitate to subordinate every particular interest, be it personal, regional or national, to the over-riding interests of the generality of mankind, knowing full well that in a world of interdependent 1. By 1993, the Baha'i Faith was established in 188 independent countries and 45 dependent territories or overseas departments, with a total of 165 National or Regional Assemblies. Literature had been published in more than 800 languages and dialects. There are Baha'i Houses of Worship in Australia, Germany, India, Panama, Uganda, the United States and Western Samoa, and lands have been purchased for at least an additional 112 Temples. peoples and nations the advantage of the part is best to be reached by the advantage of the whole, and that no lasting result can be achieved by any of the component parts if the general interests of the entity itself are neglected. Nor should the fact be overlooked that the Faith has already asserted and demonstrated its independent religious character, has been emancipated from the fetters of orthodoxy in certain Ishimic countries, has obtained in one of them an unsolicited testimony to its independent religious status, and succeeded in winning the allegiance of royalty to its cause .... The following is an extract from William S. Hatcher and J Douglas Martin, The Baha'i Faith: The Emerging Global Religion (Harper and Row, 1985), 64-72. THE MINISTRY OFSHOGHI EFFENDI 1921- 1957 T he period between 1921 and 1963 in Baha'i history is most readily accessible through consideration of the major projects undertaken by Shoghi Effendi in the execution of his role as Guardian. Four areas of activity particularly stand out: the development of the Baha'i World Centre, the translation and interpretation of Baha'i teachings, the expansion of the administrative order, and the implementation of the divine plan of 'Abdu'l-Baha. Immediately after assuming his responsibilities, and continuing throughout his life, Shoghi Effendi devoted a great deal of time to the physical development of the Faith's international headquarters in the area surrounding the Bay of Haifa. During the lifetimes of Baha'u'llah and 'Abdu'l-Baha, several parcels of land had been gradually acquired by the community of exiles. Of these, the two most important were the site of the shrine where the body of Baha'u'llah was interred (in the vicinity of the mansion ofBahjijust outside Acre), and the site of the shrine on the side of Mount Carmel above the city of Haifa which contained the remains of the Bah. Through the generosity of individual Baha'is, bequests, and responses to special appeals by Shoghi Effendi, these properties were vastly increased during the Guardian's ministry. Magnificent gardens were laid out, the first of a number of monumental buildings were erected, and a master plan was created for the development of a spiritual center and administrative complex that would meet the needs of a rapidly growing international community and which would be able to expand with it, a complex designed to rank among the most beautiful in the world. A widely dispersed religious community was thus provided with a center of pilgrimage and guidance that would greatly contribute to creating a sense of common identity. High on the list of priorities of any religious system must be the determination of the canon of its scripture and the application of these sacred writings to the circumstances of individual and community life. Empowered by 'Abdu'l-Baha's Will as the sole authoritative interpreter of the Baha'i writings, Shoghi Effendi interpreted world events in the light of the Baha'i scriptures and shared with the Baha'i community the results of these analyses in the form of lengthy letters to the Baha'i world. At the same time, the nascent Baha'i communities around the world were deluging Haifa with questions on an enormous range of subjects in the Baha'i writings, and the Guardian's answers to these inquiries also formed a significant portion of the interpretation of the revelation ofBaha'u'llah. In the early 1940s Shoghi Effendi focused his analytical attention on the events of Baha'i history; and in 1944, in commemoration of the centenary of the declaration of the Bah, he produced a highly detailed study covering the entire century from the Bah's first announcement of his mission to Mulla I:Iusayn to the completion of the frrst "Seven Year Plan." Shoghi Effendi's program to interpret the Baha'i writings was considerably aided by the fact that he was in a position to serve as the principal translator of the writings from Persian and Arabic into English. He had studied English from early childhood and as a young man was able to continue his studies at the American University of Beirut and subsequently at Oxford THE MINISTRY OF 8fiOGHI EFFENDI University, where he remained until the time of' Abdu'l-Baha's death in 1921. Since the major administrative bodies of the Baha'i Faith during the first critical decades of the Guardianship were located in English-speaking countries, Shoghi Effendi's ability to express and interpret Baha'i concepts in the English language provided an invaluable source of guidance to the new faith in the Western world. His role as an interpreter was also of long-range importance to the development of the Baha'i community. It assured unity of doctrine during the early years of the faith's global expansion and thus greatly reduced the threat of schism. Parallel with his translation activities and the development of the World Centre of the faith, Shoghi Effendi devoted much of his energies to bringing into existence the system of administrative institutions as they had been conceived by Baha'u'llah and established in embryonic form by 'Abdu'l-Baha. Each locality with nine or more adult believers was encouraged to elect a "Local Spiritual Assembly" to govern the affairs of the faith in that area. As soon as the number of local spiritual assemblies in any given country provided a sufficiently broad base, the Guardian urged the election of a national spiritual assembly, vested with full jurisdiction over the affairs of the faith in that particular country. A steady stream of correspondence from Haifa provided these nascent institutions with guidance concerning the application of the Baha'i writings to the conduct of community life. More general communications urged all believers to give their wholehearted support and obedience to the bodies they elected. Baha'i principles of consultation were identified and assemblies were urged to conscientiously train themselves in group decision-making. In accordance with 'Abdu'l-Baha's Will, between the years 1951 and 1957, the Guardian appointed a number of distinguished believers as Hands of the Cause of God and charged them with special responsibilities for teaching the faith and protecting its institutions. The crowning unit of this global administrative structure was the institution of the Universal House of Justice, conceived and named by Baha'u'llah. Shoghi Effendi indicated that, as soon as the expansion of the Baha'i community permitted, a Universal House of Justice would be elected by the entire international Baha'i community, acting through their national spiritual assemblies. Shoghi Effendi's reasons for devoting so much time and energy to the development of the Baha'i administrative order during the first years of his guardianship soon became apparent. The administrative institutions of the faith provided the necessary instruments for the implementation of 'Abdu'l-Baha's "Divine Plan" to spread the message around the world. Before the widely scattered community could undertake so great a task, it was necessary to establish decision-making administrative bodies capable of mobilizing the necessary manpower and resources. Moreover, it was essential that adequate time be allowed for these institutions to learn the rudiments of Baha'i administration and consultation. Accordingly, it was not until 193 7, sixteen years after the death of 'Abdu'l-Baha, that Shoghi Effendi began systematically working on realizing the objectives laid out in the series of letters sent by 'Abdu'l-Baha to the Baha'is of North America. In April 1937 the first seven-year plan was launched with three major goals: (1) to establish at least one local spiritual assembly in every state of the United States and every province of Canada; (2) to make certain that at least one Baha'i teacher was residing in each Latin American republic; and (3) to complete the exterior design of the first Baha'i house of worship in North America- a building whose cornerstone had been laid by 'Abdu'l-Baha during his visit in 1912, and which, in many ways, symbolized the international Baha'i community itself. Despite the obstacles created by the outbreak of World War II, this plan was successfully completed on the centenary of the declaration of the Bah, in May 1944. Following a two-year interval, a second seven-year plan was launched in 1946. The focus of this effort was Europe, which at the time had only two national spiritual assemblies: those of Great Britain and Germany. The plan also called for the creation THE MINISTRY OF SHOGHI EFFENDI of local spiritual assemblies throughout Latin America and a great multiplication of those in North America. The successful conclusion of this plan likewise coincided with a major Baha'i centenary, the one-hundredth anniversary of the inception of Baha'u'llah's mission in the Siyah-Chal in 1953. One of the major goals of this seven-year plan was the establishment of an independent national spiritual assembly in Canada. This was achieved in 1948, and in 1949 was followed by its incorporation by a special Act of Parliament, an achievement which Shoghi Effendi pointed out was "unique in the annals of the Faith, whether of East or West." The two most impressive single achievements of this second plan had a special connection with the North American Baha'i community. April 1953 marked the formal dedication of the house of worship at Wilmette, Illinois, which was to be the first of similar structures to be built on all five continents of the globe. The designer was a French-Canadian architect named Jean-Louis Bourgeois. His magnificent conception was hailed by the Italian architect Luigi Quaglino as "a new creation which will revolutionize architecture in the world. Without doubt," he added, "it will have a lasting page in history." One other major triumph of these years was also a building, a magnificent shrine to crown the stone edifice built by 'Abdu'l-Baha to serve as a mausoleum for the Bab. The architect of this shrine was another Canadian, William Sutherland Maxwell, with whom 'Abdu'l- Baha had stayed during his visit to Montreal. The exquisite design, in which a golden dome crowns a white marble arcade and rose-colored granite pillars, has provided the Baha'i World Centre on Mount Carmel with one of the most beautiful landmarks on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. In 1953, without any lapse of time, Shoghi Effendi launched the Baha'i community on the most ambitious undertaking in its history- a global plan which he termed a "Ten Year World Crusade." This plan would conclude in 1963, the centenary of the declaration of Baha'u'llah in the Garden of Ri<;lvan. One hundred and thirty-two new countries and major territories were to be opened to the faith and the existing communities in 120 countries and territories were to be expanded. National spiritual assemblies were to be established in most countries in Europe and Latin America, and vast increases were called for in the numbers of assemblies, believers, and property endowments. This plan, like those before, was achieved on schedule (indeed was far exceeded); but under circumstances very different from any the Baha'i community might have anticipated. In early November 1957, while on a visit to England to purchase furnishings for the Baha'i archives building on Mount Carmel, Shoghi Effendi contracted Asian flu. On November 4, he died of a heart attack, leaving the Baha'i world stunned and temporarily distracted, its ten-year plan only half completed. The Guardianship was theoretically a continuous one. 'Abdu'l-Baha's Will and Testament authorized the Guardian of the Baha'i Faith to appoint a successor from among the direct descendants of Baha'u'llah but indicated certain qualities such a successor must possess. Shoghi Effendi died without designating a successor, as apparently no other members of the family met the demanding spiritual requirements laid down in the Covenant of Baha'u'llah and in The Will and Testament of 'Abdu '1-Baha. There would, therefore, be no second Guardian; the only other institution endowed with the authority to assume the leadership of the Baha'i community was the Universal House of Justice- a body which had yet to be elected. Three interrelated factors provided an answer to the dilemma facing the Baha'i world: (1) from statements Shoghi Effendi had made, it was apparent that he considered that conditions would be ready for the election of the Universal House of Justice when the ten-year plan was successfully completed; (2) in the meantime, the Baha'i community would receive the basic guidance it required from the detailed plan already laid down by Shoghi Effendi; and (3) fmally, in one of his last messages to the Baha'i world, he had named the Hands of the Cause as the "Chief Stewards" of the faith and called on them to collaborate closely with the national spiritual assemblies in assuring that the ten-year plan was carried out and that the unity of the faith was protected. Heartened by this last message, the Hands of the Cause organized their work around a series of annual "Conclaves." THE MINISTRY OF SHOGHI EFFENDI These consultations produced a number of major statements, including the formal declaration that Shoghi Effendi had left no will and had appointed no heir to the Guardianship (Conclave of 1957), and the announcement that the Universal House of Justice would be elected by the membership of all the national spiritual assemblies of the Baha'is of the world in 1963 (Conclave of 1959). By April 1961 twenty-one new national spiritual assemblies were established in Latin America; and, a year later, an additional eleven were elected in Europe. The remaining goals of the ten-year plan were likewise either accomplished or surpassed. In the spring of 1963, precisely one hundred years after Baha'u'llah first declared his mission to a handful of followers in the Garden of Ri<;lvan, the members of the fiftysix elected national spiritual assemblies around the world carried out an election of the first Universal House of Justice. In a remarkable gesture of renunciation, the Hands of the Cause disqualified themselves from serving as elected members of the supreme administrative institution of the Baha'i community. For Baha'is, the election of the first Universal House of Justice represented an event of transcendent importance. After more than a century of struggle, persecution, and recurrent internal crises, and through democratic electoral processes, the Baha'i community had succeeded in bringing into existence a permanent institution for the guidance of all the affairs of the faith. Moreover, its establishment had been conceived by Baha'u'llah himself and was patterned on principles laid down in his writings and in those of 'Abdu'l-Baha. The cosmopolitan membership of the ftrst Universal House of Justice seemed particularly appropriate to the institution's nature and functions: the nine members from four continents represented three major religious backgrounds (Jewish, Christian, and Muslim) as well as several ethnic origins. Beyond its institutional importance, the establishment of the Universal House of Justice symbolized the element which Baha'is regard as the essence of their faith: unity. The emergence of the Universal House of Justice as the unchallenged authority in all the affairs of the community meant that THE BAHA:f WORLD the Baha'i Faith had remained united through the most critical period of a religion's history, the vulnerable first century during which schism almost traditionally takes root. THEBAHA'f CoMMUNITY TODAY I n the thirty-one years since the election of the Universal House of Justice, the growth of the Baha'i community has been dramatic. From a membership of an estimated 408,000 in 1963, the number of believers has now risen to some five million. During the same period the number of National and Regional Spiritual Assemblies has grown from 56 to 165 and the number of Local Spiritual Assemblies from 3,555 to approximately 18,000. Altogether, it is estimated that at least 2,112 different ethnic and tribal backgrounds are represented, and the literature of the Faith appears in over 800 different languages. Statistics published by the Encyclopedia Britannica and the World Christian Encyclopedia indicate that, with its diffusion to 205 countries, the Baha'i Faith is now the second most widespread of the world's religions, exceeded only by Christianity. 1 These figures, the product of a conservative statistical 1. Encyclopedia Britannica, 1992; World Christian Encyclopedia, 1982. methodology, indicate that the Baha'i community likely ranks as the most diverse organized body of people on the planet today. That a relatively small religious community should have experienced such growth in both numbers and diversity at so early a stage in its history is an extraordinary accomplishment. The same may be said of the community's success in establishing its credentials in the eyes of civil authority. Far from rejecting the world and the institutions that govern it, the Baha'i community has deliberately pursued a close relationship with civil authority, as an integral part of its development. Through continuous efforts in a series of global development plans, Baha'i Spiritual Assemblies at both local and national levels have become legally incorporated in the great majority of the territories where the Faith has been established. Similarly, the Faith's marriage ceremony has secured formal recognition in a great many civil jurisdictions and, in various parts of the world, Baha'i holy days are beginning to gain a status similar to that accorded to other independent faiths in the calendars of businesses, schools, and government offices. At the United Nations, the Baha'i International Community has steadily expanded the recognition accorded to it as an international non-governmental organization (NGO) enjoying consultative status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). It has been particularly active in the fields of human rights, the needs of women and children, environmental concerns, and the pursuit of sound sustainable development policies. Its international efforts in these areas are coordinated by various specialized agencies, the United Nations Office, the Office of Public Information, the Office of the Environment, and the Office for the Advancement of Women. Far from acting merely as another international lobbying group focused principally in New York and Geneva, however, the Baha'i International Community represents an association of democratically elected national and local councils united in their beliefs and goals, and reflective of the entire diversity of humankind. The community's efforts in the United Nations system have gained not only a forum for the Baha'i Faith's universal ideals, but also an opportunity to contribute directly to laying the foundations of international order. Much attention is THE BAHA'I COMMUNITY TODAY given by Baha'is to ensuring that, to the extent circumstances in various regions permit, society in general is made aware of the existence of the Faith and its teachings. Publishing trusts print and distribute a great variety of Baha'i literature, ranging from compilations of the writings of the Central Figures of the Faith, to scholarly commentaries, popular books, newsletters, and magazines. Other media are also extensively utilized: films, videos, television programs, spot announcements, radio broadcasts, newspaper articles and advertisements, pamphlets, posters and manuals, correspondence courses, exhibitions, lecture series, and winter and summer schools. The objective of all this activity has been to ensure that, in time, every human being on earth will come in contact with the message ofBaha'u'llah. A Baha'i institution that has figured prominently in this program of public education is the House of Worship. Today there are Baha'i Houses of Worship on every continent, and a great many additional sites have been purchased around the world for future construction of these edifices, which are intended to play a central role in Baha'i community life. Around each, in time, will be constructed other institutions, such as schools or colleges, hostels, homes for the aged, and administrative centers. At the present time the Houses of Worship are not used principally for Baha'i community services. Rather, they are open as places for persons of all religious backgrounds (or those professing no particular faith) to meet in the worship of the one God. Services are non-denominational and consist of readings and prayers from the scriptures of the world's faiths, with no sermons or other attempts to cast these teachings in a mold of specifically Baha'i interpretation. The only requisite architectural feature of a House of Worship is that it have nine sides, symbolic of completeness and comprehensiveness, as nine is the highest single number. The expansion of the Faith proceeds, as was the pattern established under the ministry of Shoghi Effendi, through a series of international teaching plans. Increasingly, however, as the national and local institutions of the Faith have matured and become consolidated, the plans have been set in terms of general objectives decided on by the Universal House of Justice, with the details being established by the National Spiritual Ass em- THE BAHA'I WORLD blies themselves, in consultation with the Continental Boards of Counsellors. A Six Year Teaching Plan, the fourth Plan undertaken since the election of the Universal House of Justice in 1963, was successfully concluded at Ri<;lvan 1992. Following the Holy Year (1992-93), the Baha'i community embarked on a Three Year Plan. An analysis of the achievements of the Six Year Plan indicates that growth has been particularly rapid in India, Russia, and several former Eastern Bloc countries, as well as such far-flung countries as Bangladesh, Brazil, Chad, Guyana, Haiti, Kenya, Macau, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Zaire. By far the most dramatic feature of the recent expansion has been the extraordinary response to the Faith by the peoples of Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, following the collapse of the barriers that had long prevented free intercourse with the populations of these lands. National or Regional Spiritual Assemblies were established in Czechoslovakia, Romania, and the entire former USSR in 1991. In 1992, National or Regional Assemblies were established in Albania; Azerbaijan; the Baltic States; Central Asia; Hungary; Poland; Russia, Georgia, and Armenia; and the Ukraine, Belarus, and Moldova. The rapid expansion in the numbers of Local Spiritual Assemblies throughout Central Asia led to the announcement by the Universal House of Justice that at Ri<;lvan 1994 five new National Assemblies would be established in the region formerly under the jurisdiction of the one Regional Assembly. Preparations were made for the Regional Spiritual Assembly of Central Asia to be renamed the National Spiritual Assembly of Turkmenistan and for four new National Spiritual Assemblies to be established in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. The Universal House of Justice also indicated that a new Regional Spiritual Assembly would be formed in Slovenia and Croatia and new National Spiritual Assemblies in Cambodia and Mongolia. A development which has given enormous impetus to the expansion and consolidation of the Faith in the past decade has been the intensification of its persecution in the country of its birth. Throughout the last century the Baha'is of Iran were the THE BAHA.'f COMMUNITY TODAY object of bitter attacks by elements among the Muslim majority incited and led by Islamic clerics. Under the Pahlavi Shahs (1925-1979), this long-standing prejudice against the Faith on the part of segments of the Muslim population was harnessed to political ends, with the Baha'i minority serving to distract public attention from various unpopular policies of the regime. With the triumph of the Islamic Revolution in 1979, efforts at the total suppression of the minority Faith became systematized. By 1993 more than two hundred Baha'is had been executed or assassinated, hundreds more had been imprisoned, and tens of thousands had been deprived of jobs, pensions, businesses, and educational opportunities. All national Baha'i administrative structures had been banned by the government, and holy places, shrines, and cemeteries had been confiscated, vandalized, and destroyed. Aroused by this deliberate attempt to destroy their parent community, Baha'is around the world launched an intensive campaign of protest. Many thousands of newspaper articles appeared, and the situation was made the subject of countless television and radio stories. Several national governments and legislatures condemned the actions of the Iranian government or expressed concern about the fate of the Iranian Baha'is. Most important, in a series of resolutions that gave specific attention to the Baha'i situation, the United Nations Commission on Human Rights and fmally the General Assembly itself began to press the Iranian regime to observe the international human rights covenants to which it was committed. In response to this international outcry, the ámost violent aspects of the persecution gradually abated by the early 1990s. However, the Baha'is of Iran remain without any fundamental guarantee of their rights to practice their religion freely, and the efforts of their co-religionists around the world to maintain pressure for the emancipation continues. 2 2. See "Update: The Situation of the Baha'is in Iran," pp. 139-145 of this volume, as well as pp. 132-134, concerning the activities of the Baha'i International Community at the United Nations with regard to the human rights situation in Iran. As has so often been the case throughout religious history, the persecution had effects almost precisely contrary to those intended. The worldwide attention given to efforts to alleviate the suffering of the victims entailed a massive education of government officials, academics, the media, and the general public in many lands about the nature of the Baha'i Faith and its aims and teachings. The very nature of the issues involved has tended to throw into clear relief the peaceful and progressive character of the Baha'i community. It is hardly surprising that so dramatic an increase in public awareness coincided with a great increase in the membership of the Faith. Moreover, the experience of arising together to defend their fellow believers against an unprovoked assault had a powerful consolidating effect on the Faith's highly diverse membership around the world, deepening members' understanding of th~ implications of their beliefs and providing Baha'i institutions with an unparalleled experience in coordinating their efforts. Throughout these same years the education of the community advanced greatly through a series of messages drafted by the Universal House of Justice and published in many languages. Particularly important was The Promise of World Peace, a twenty-one page document issued in the fall of 1985, which analyzed the reasons that world peace has for so long been considered unattainable and declared that these barriers could at last be overcome. The effect of this message, published in over a million copies and distributed to leaders of thought, government bodies, and the media, was to provide the members of the Baha'i Faith with the conceptual framework for a program of collaborative action with a wide range of like-minded organizations. The keynote, the message declares, is the coming of age of humankind: A candid acknowledgment that prejudice, war and exploitation have been the expression of immature stages in a vast historical process and that the human race is today experiencing the unavoidable tumult which marks its collective coming of age is not a reason for despair but a prerequisite to undertaking the stupendous enterprise of building a peaceful world. That such an enterprise is THE BAHA'i COMMUNITY TODAY possible, that the necessary constructive forces do exist, that unifying social structures can be erected, is the theme we urge you to examine. 3 As the Faith's teachings became even more widely known, the Universal House of Justice decided that the time had come for the public presentation of the Baha'i message to focus much more directly on its Author. Accordingly, on 3 April 1991, it forwarded to National Assemblies a statement prepared by the Baha'i International Community's Office of Public Information, entitled Baha 'u 'llah. Published, like the statement on peace, in many languages and large print runs, the document was also made the centerpiece of an intensive campaign of public information. Its objective was to set Baha'u'llah's mission in the context of the global crisis that had, by the closing decade of the century, become a commonplace of public discussion: As the new millennium approaches, the crucial need of the human race is to find a unifying vision of the nature of man and society ... For, without a common conviction about the course and direction of human history, it is inconceivable that foundations can be laid for a global society to which the mass of humankind can commit themselves. Such a vision unfolds in the writings of Baha'u'lhih, the nineteenth-century prophetic figure whose growing influence is the most remarkable development of contemporary religious history ... The phenomenon is one that has no reference points in the contemporary world, but is associated rather with climactic changes of direction in the collective past of the human race. For Baha'u'llah claimed to be no less than the Messenger of God to the age of human maturity ....4 As the Baha'i community commemorated the centenary of Baha'u'llah's passing in 1992, His message was seen to have taken visible shape in a community that represents a microcosm 3. The Universal House of Justice, The Promise of World Peace (Haifa: World Centre Publications, 1985), 3-4. 4. Baha'i International Community, Office of Public Information, Baha 'u 'l!ah (London: Baha'i Publishing Trust, 1991), 1-2. of the human race itself and is established in every comer of the globe. The network of administrative institutions conceived by the Founder is now in place throughout the planet. His teachings, translated into many languages, now provide the central spiritual guidance in the lives of its heterogeneous membership. In the decades immediately ahead, the existence of such a community will offer increasingly encouraging evidence that humanity, in all its diversity, can learn to live and work as a single people in a global homeland. - á - -- - ! BAHA'i SACRED WRITINGS Writings of Baha 'u 'llah T he purpose underlying the revelation of every heavenly Book, nay, of every divinely-revealed verse, is to endue all men with righteousness and understanding, so that peace and tranquillity may be firmly established amongst them. Whatsoever instilleth assurance into the hearts of inen, whatsoever exalteth their station or promoteth their contentment, is acceptable in the sight of God. How lofty is the station which man, if he but choose to fulfill his high destiny, can attain! To what depths of degradation he can sink, depths which the meanest of creatures have never reached! Seize, 0 friends, the chance which this Day offereth you, and deprive not yourselves of the liberal effusions of His grace. I beseech God that He may graciously enable every one of you to adorn himself, in this blessed Day, with the ornament of pure and holy deeds. He, verily, doeth whatsoever He willeth. 0 ye that dwell on earth! The distinguishing feature that marketh the pre-eminent character of this Supreme Revelation consisteth in that We have, on the one hand, blotted out from the pages of God's holy Book whatsoever hath been the cause of strife, of malice and mischief amongst the children of men, and have, on the other, laid down the essential prerequisites of concord, of understanding, of complete and enduring unity. Well is it with them that keep My statutes . . . .The well-being of mankind, its peace and security, are unattainable unless and until its unity is firmly established. This unity can never be achieved so long as the counsels which the Pen of the Most High hath revealed are suffered to pass unheeded. Through the power of the words He hath uttered the whole of the human race can be illumined with the light of unity, and the remembrance of His Name is able to set on fire the hearts of all men, and bum away the veils that intervene between them and His glory. One righteous act is endowed with a potency that can so elevate the dust as to cause it to pass beyond the heaven of heavens. It can tear every bond asunder, and hath the power to restore the force that hath spent itself and vanished .... The utterance of God is a lamp, whose light is these words: Ye are the fruits of one tree, and the leaves of one branch. Deal ye one with another with the utmost love and harmony, with friendliness and fellowship. He Who is the Day Star of Truth beareth Me witness! So powerful is the light of unity that it can illuminate the whole earth. The one true God, He Who knoweth all things, Himself testifieth to the truth of these words . . . .The light of men is Justice. Quench it not with the contrary winds of oppression and tyranny. The purpose of justice is the appearance of unity among men. The ocean of divine wisdom surgeth within this exalted word, while the books of the world BAHA'i SACRED WRITINGS cannot contain its inner significance .... Appreciate ye the value of this utterance; it is a noble fruit that the Tree of the Pen of Glory hath yielded. Happy is the man that giveth ear unto it and observeth its precepts. Verily I say, whatever is sent down from the heaven of the Will of God is the means for the establishment of order in the world and the instrument for promoting unity and fellowship among its peoples . . . .0 well-beloved ones! 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. We cherish the hope that the light of justice may shine upon the world and sanctify it from tyranny. If the rulers and kings of the earth, the symbols of the power of God, exalted be His glory, arise and resolve to dedicate themselves to whatever will promote the highest interests of the whole of humanity, the reign of justice will assuredly be established amongst the children of men, and the effulgence of its light will envelop the whole earth. This is -the Day in which God's most excellent favors have been poured out upon men, the Day in which His most mighty grace hath been infused into all created things. It is incumbent upon all the peoples of the world to reconcile their differences, and, with perfect unity and peace, abide beneath the shadow of the Tree of His care and loving-kindness. It behoveth them to cleave to whatsoever will, in this Day, be conducive to the exaltation of their stations, and to the promotion of their best interests. Happy are those whom the all-glorious Pen was moved to remember, and blessed are those men whose names, by virtue of Our inscrutable decree, We have preferred to conceal. Beseech ye the one true God to grant that all men may be graciously assisted to fulfil that which is acceptable in Our sight. Soon will the present-day order be rolled up, and a new one spread out in its stead. Verily, thy Lord speaketh the truth, and is the Knower of things unseen. THE BAHA:f WORLD Writings and Utterances of 'Abdu '1-Bahti F or thousands of years the human race has been at war. It is enough. Now let mankind, for a time at least, consort in amity and peace. Enmity and hatred have ruled. Let the world, for a period, exercise love. For thousands of years the nations have denied each other, considering each other as infidel and inferior. It is sufficient. We must now realize that we are the servants of one God, that we turn to one beneficent Father, live under one divine law, seek one reality and have one desire. Thus may we live in the utmost friendship and love, and in return the favours and bounties of God shall surround us; the world of humanity will be reformed; mankind, enjoy a new life; eternal light will illumine, and heavenly moralities become manifest. As preordained by the Fountain-head of Creation, the temple of the world hath been fashioned after the image and likeness of the human body. In fact each mirroreth forth the image of the other, wert thou but to observe with discerning eyes. By this is meant that even as the human body in this world, which is outwardly composed of different limbs and organs, is in reality a closely integrated, coherent entity, similarly the structure of the physical world is like unto a single being whose limbs and members are inseparably linked together. Were one to observe with an eye that discovereth the realities of all things, it would become clear that the greatest relationship that bindeth the world of being together lieth in the range of created things themselves, and that co-operation, mutual aid and reciprocity are essential characteristics in the unified body of the world of being, inasmuch as all created things are closely related together and each is influenced by the other or deriveth benefit therefrom, either directly or indirectly .... . . .Hence it was stated that co-operation and reciprocity are essential properties which are inherent in the unified system of the world of existence, and without which the entire creation would be reduced to nothingness .... BAHA'I SACRED WRITINGS ... when contemplating the human world thou beholdest this wondrous phenomenon shining resplendent from all sides with the utmost perfection, inasmuch as in this station acts of cooperation, mutual assistance and reciprocity are not confmed to the body and to things that pertain to the material world, but for all conditions, whether physical or spiritual, such as those related to minds, thoughts, opinions, manners, customs, attitudes, understandings, feelings or other human susceptibilities. In all these thou shouldst find these binding relationships securely established. The more this interrelationship is strengthened and expanded, the more will human society advance in progress and prosperity. Indeed without these vital ties it would be wholly impossible for the world of humanity to attain true felicity and success . . . . In cycles gone by, though harmony was established, yet, owing to the absence of means, the unity of all mankind could not have been achieved. Continents remained widely divided, nay even among the peoples of one and the same continent association and interchange of thought were wellnigh impossible. Consequently intercourse, understanding and unity amongst all the peoples and kindreds of the earth were unattainable. In this day, however, means of communication have multiplied, and the five continents of the earth have virtually merged into one. And for everyone it is now easy to travel to any land, to associate and exchange views with its peoples, and to become familiar, through publications, with the conditions, the religious beliefs and the thoughts of all men. In like manner all the members of the human family, whether peoples or governments, cities or villages, have become increasingly interdependent. For none is self-sufficiency any longer possible, inasmuch as political ties unite all peoples and nations, and the bonds of trade and industry, of agriculture and education, are being strengthened e~ery day. Hence the unity of all mankind can in this day be achieved. Verily this is none other but one of the wonders of á this wondrous age, this glorious century. Of this past ages have been deprived, for this century- the century of light- hath been endowed with unique and unprecedented glory, power and illumination. Hence the miraculous unfolding of a fresh marvel every day. Eventually it will be seen how bright its candles will bum in the assemblage of man. Behold how its light is now dawning upon the world's darkened horizon. The first candle is unity in the political realm, the early glimmerings of which can now be discerned. The second candle is unity of thought in world undertakings, the consummation of which will ere long be witnessed. The third candle is unity in freedom which will surely come to pass. The fourth candle is unity in religion which is the comer-stone of the foundation itself, and which, by the power of God, will be revealed in all its splendour. The fifth candle is the unity of nations- a unity which in this century will be securely established, causing all the peoples of the world to regard themselves as citizens of one common fatherland. The sixth candle is unity of races, making of all that dwell on earth peoples and kindreds of one race. The seventh candle is unity of language, i.e., the choice of a universal tongue in which all peoples will be instructed and converse. Each and every one of these will inevitably come to pass, inasmuch as the power of the Kingdom of God will aid and assist in their realization. FROM THE UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE T he Universal House of Justice was ordained by Baha'u'lhih, in the Kitab-i-Aqdas, His book of laws, as the supreme legislative institution of His Faith. The duties with which it has been charged are outlined in the following statement from its constitution: To direct and canalize the forces released by His Revelation He [Baha'u'lhih] instituted His Covenant, whose power has preserved the integrity of His Faith, maintained its unity and stimulated its world-wide expansion throughout the successive ministries of 'Abdu'l-Baha and Shoghi Effendi. It continues to fulfil its life-giving purpose through the agency of the Universal House of Justice whose fundamental object, as one of the twin successors of Baha'u'llah and 'Abdu'l-Baha, is to ensure the continuity of that divinely-appointed authority which flows from the Source of the Faith, to safeguard the unity of its followers, -and to maintain the integrity and flexibility of its teachings. 1 1. The Constitution of the Universal House of Justice (Haifa: Baha'i World Centre, 1972), 3-4. From the writings of Baha'u'lhih, 'Abdu'l-Baha, and Shoghi Effendi; and from the communications of the Universal House of Justice, Baha'is gain not only their vision of a world where justice and unity prevail, but they are also provided with guidance as to how to build that world. While the Universal House of Justice communicates primarily with the Baha'i world community, a wider public is acquainted with its statement on peace, written in 1985 on the eve of the United Nations International Year of Peace and addressed to the peoples of the world. Dissemination of this document formed the core of a global campaign undertaken by the Baha'i community throughout the Year of Peace and beyond. Letters and messages, whether addressed to individual believers, to Baha'i communities, or to the generality of humankind, provide the major means by which the Universal House of Justice communicates its vision and its directives to the world. While letters to individuals often respond to personal issues and queries on broader subjects, the circular letters of the. Universal House of Justice, addressed to all or selected National Spiritual Assemblies or collectively to the Baha'is of the world, cover especially important topics and may give guidance, analyze the situation of the world and of the community, or announce significant events. This section of The Baha 'i World features excerpts from a selection of major letters of the Universal House of Justice written between April 1993 and April1994. Riqvtin Message 150 B.E. Each year during Ric;lvan, the twelve-day period between 21 April and 2 May commemorating Baha'u'llah's public declaration of His mission in the Ric;lvan Garden near Baghdad in 1863, the Universal House of Justice addresses a major letter to the Baha'is of the world. The letter often serves as a review of significant events of the past year, setting them in the context of the Baha'i Faith's development around the globe as well as the general world condition. Often the letter also outlines the challenges and opportunities lying before the community in the year ahead. In its "Ric;lvan message" of 150 B.E., or April1993 THE WIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE C.E., the Universal House of Justice begins by reviewing the events of the second Baha'i Holy Year, from Ri<;lvan 1992 to Ri<;lvan 1993, noting particularly the activities connected with both the commemoration of the centenary of Baha'u'llah's passing in the Holy Land in May and the World Congress, attended by over 27,000 Baha'is from around the world, in New York City in November 1992. "These," it remarks, "were of a rare category of experience" which not only increased the recognition of the Baha'i Faith by various agencies around the world but also led the community "to a deeper understanding of [its] relation to Baha'u'llah than hitherto obtained." Elaborating this theme, the House of Justice continues: The greater appreciation in ourselves of the universality of the community, of its embodiment of the first and over-arching principle of His Faith, has left a new and compelling impression upon our hearts; the effects of that awareness were strikingly demonstrated at the commemoration in the Holy Land last May and more broadly at the World Congress last November~ as if to confirm our assurance in these desperately troubled times that the world of humanity is moving inexorably towards its as-yet elusive destiny of unity and peace. Praising "the innumerable, imaginative efforts undertaken by the friends around the world, from remote villages to great cities, in observance of these important anniversaries," the House of Justice goes on to note "the unprecedented publicity accorded the purpose and activities of the Holy Year through the mass media in large and small countries, the notice given by legislative bodies and public officials to the centennial, the gestures of recognition and appreciation of the Faith by governmental agencies, [and] the involvement of representatives of the Baha'i International Co~unity in major global events." 2 Another event of great significance to the Baha'is, also noted in the letter, was the release in March 1993 of the frrst 2. See The Baha 'i World 1992-93 for a complete account of the events in which the Baha'i world community took part during the Holy Year. THE BAHA'i WORLD authorized English edition of the Kitab-i-Aqdas, known also as the Most Holy Book, Baha'u'llah's book of laws. This release, the Universal House of Justice states, carries implications not only for the Baha'i community but for humanity as a whole, with the gradual enforcement of the laws contained in it. Addressing the increasingly "confused and paradoxical" current world situation in which "simultaneous signs of order and chaos, promise and frustration" become daily more apparent, the Universal House of Justice instituted a Three Year Plan for the growth and consolidation of the Baha'i community, beginning at Riqvan 1993. Though "its brevity is compelled by the swiftly changing tides of the times," the House of Justice notes in its Riqvan letter that the Plan's "primary purpose is indispensable to the future of the Cause and of humankind." Necessary for the success of this Plan is, first of all, a "massive expansion of the Baha'i community." The Universal House of Justice notes the mutuality of the expansion and administration of the Faith. Influx of great numbers of believers will, it states, provide scope for the institutions of the Faith "to be able to develop and adequately demonstrate their inherent capacity to minister to the crying needs of human.ity in its hour of deepening despair." The three-fold theme of the Three Year Plan centers around "enhancing the vitality of the faith of individual believers, greatly developing the human resources of the Cause, and fostering the proper functioning of local and national Baha'i institutions." The Riqvan message deals with each of these aspects in some detail. With regard to the first objective, the Universal House of Justice points out the necessity for individual believers to become spiritually transformed and to cultivate a sense of spirituality, obeying the laws and principles of Baha'u'llah which constitute a "wholesome medicine" for humanity in this age. With regard to the development of the human resources of the Faith, the Universal House of Justice does not speak of training and the acquisition of knowledge as ends in themselves but as means to apply spiritual principles to administer the affairs of humanity. Finally, in writing about the proper functioning of institutions, the House of Justice outlines THE ljl{IVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE the principles applicable: that the members should thoroughly familiarize themselves with their duties; adhere strictly to principle; remove estrangement and sectarian tendencies from their modes of functioning; win the affection of those they serve; involve individual members of their communities in the work as much as possible; and aim constantly at improving their performance. The end result, it states, will be a rekindling of hope in disillusioned members of society. In the final portion of its RiQ.van message, the Universal House of Justice outlines its own activities, to be undertaken simultaneously to the Baha'i world community's pursuit of the objectives outlined above: it will coordinate the "widely diverse activities" of the Baha'i community on a global scale, direct the burgeoning external affairs work, and pursue the completion of the Mount Carmel construction projects according to the established timetable. 3 The letter concludes with a statement of the need for increased material resources to complete the work that has begun on Mount Carmel, and with an appeal to individual believers throughout the world to arise and redouble their efforts to serve their Faith. The House of Justice clearly points out the crucial nature of their response: The goals of the Three Year Plan will not be easily won, but áthey must be magnificently achieved, whatever the sacrifice. There should therefore be no hesitation or delay on the part of individuals or Spiritual Assemblies in attending to them, lest the problems of mankind pile up unchecked, or the rise of internal crises slows us down. Pointing to the historical pattern of alternating victory and crisis within the Baha'i community, the Universal House of Justiceá ends its message by saying, "As we savour the triumphs of the Holy Year, let us not forget the reality of this recurrent experience. Let us also remember that our blessings are equal to our challenges, as repeatedly shown by our glorious history.." 3. For further discussion of the significance of the Mount Carmel Projects, see The Baha'i World 1992-93, pp. 169-176. Messages Regarding the Institutions of the Faith Other major messages from the Universal House of Justice written during the period from Riqvan 1993 to Riqvan 1994 can be grouped according to a number of different topics. First, there were a number of letters concerning the senior institutions of the Faith. On 30 April1993, an electronic message was sent to all National Spiritual Assemblies announcing the results of the election of the Universal House of Justice at the Seventh International Convention: ANNOUNCE NEWLY ELECTED MEMBERS ~RSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE 'ALi NAKHJAVANi, GLENFORD MITCHELL, ADIB TAHERZADEH, IAN SEMPLE, PETER KHAN, HUSHMAND FATHEAZAM, HOOPER DUNBAR, FARZAM ARBAB, DOUGLAS MARTIN. On 13 May 1993, a message announced the appointment of the International Teaching Centre for its next five-year term and also thanked the retiring members for their services on the institution: WITH JOYFUL HEARTS WE ANNOUNCE APPOINTMENT COUNSELLOR MEMBERS INTERNATIONAL TEACHING CENTRE FOR FIVE-YEAR TERM BEGINNING 23 MAY 1993: MR. KISER BARNES, MR. HARTMUT GROSSMANN, MRS. LAURETTA KING, MRS. JOAN LINCOLN, MR. SHAPOOR MONADJEM, MR. DONALD ROGERS, MR. FRED SCHECHTER, MRS. KIMIKO SCHWERIN, MRS. JOY STEVEN- SON. PROFOUNDLY GRATEFUL MR. MAS'Un KHAMSI AND MR. PETER VUYIYA FOR ILLUSTRIOUS RECORD YEARS DEVOTED LABOURS IN DEVELOPMENT WORLDWIDE OPERATION THIS VITAL INSTITUTION. On 24 June 1993 a letter to the Baha'is of the world documented the significance of the consultations held at the Counsellors' Conference following the International Convention and outlined the functions of the International Teaching Centre, an institution which the Universal House of Justice characterized as having "abundantly demonstrated its capacity and THE "(lliiVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE eagerness to assume the wide range of responsibilities conferred upon it."4 Messages Concerning the Mount Carmel Projects As work continued on the construction projects currently under way on Mount Carmel in Haifa, Israel, including construction of two administrative buildings at the Baha'i World Centre- the Centre for the Study of the Texts and the International Teaching Centre- and the building of the nineteen terraces to enhance the beauty and dignity of the Shrine of the Bah, the Universal House of Justice wrote to the Baha'i communities around the world announcing the issuing of tenders for the projects and the signing of contracts. A further letter outlining the significance of the building projects was sent on 4 January 1994, referring to them '-as "a manifest expression of the emergence from obscurity of the Faith of Baha'u'llah and of the determining role it is ordained to play in the affairs of humankind. When the buildings are completed, they will stand as the visible seat of mighty institutions whose purpose is no other than the spiritualization of humanity and the preservation of justice and unity throughout the world. " 5 The Situation of the Bah a'is in Iran The period 1993-94 witnessed further persecutions of the Iranian Baha'i community, and the Universal House of Justice wrote a number of letters to Baha'i National Spiritual Assemblies around the world to inform them of the situation and to urge them to bring it to the attention of their governments. On 17 May 1993, a letter was sent to selected National Spiritual Assemblies concerning denial of legal reparations to the family of a Baha'i killed in an automobile accident on the grounds that the victim was a Baha'i, followed on 20 May by a letter 4. For a detailed discussion of the institution of the International Teaching Centre and the deliberations held during this conference, see pp. 59-66. 5. See pp. 67-75 for further details concerning the work on the Mount Carmel Projects in 1993-94. regarding the confiscation of Baha'i properties in various cities in Iran. By July 1993, the Iranian government had undertaken full-scale destruction of the Baha'i cemetery in Tehran, desecrating Baha'i graves, disinterring some two thousand bodies and transporting them to an unknown location. This action prompted a letter from the Universal House of Justice on 4 July and a further letter on 21 July, informing National Spiritual Assemblies .that work on the destruction of the cemetery had been stepped up to three shifts per day in an effort to complete the work before objections could be raised through diplomatic channels. The response of Baha'i communities around the world was evident in the extensive coverage of the desecration carried by print media in widely diverse locations, from the Cook Islands News in the South Pacific to the New York Times. 6 Expansion of the Baha'i Faith The Universal House of Justice addressed two letters to the Baha'is of the world specifically regarding the expansion of the Faith. The first, written on 9 November 1993, spoke in detail about the receptive climate for massive expansion of the Baha'i Faith in various areas and the means by which the Baha'i world community can pursue such expansion. The second letter, of 26 November, announced the imminent formation, at Ri