February 29. On this date in 1996, Iain S. Palin of the UK Bahá'í Information Office wrote a letter titled "The Mahrami Case - What it is and Why it Matter" about the case of Dhabihu'llah (also rendered Zabihullah or Zabihollah) Mahrami.

February 29. On this date in 1996, Iain S. Palin of the UK Bahá'í Information Office wrote a letter titled "The Mahrami Case - What it is and Why it Matter" about the case of Dhabihu'llah (also rendered Zabihullah or Zabihollah) Mahrami.


Thursday 29 February, 1996
From Dr Iain S. Palin, UK
Bahá'í Information Office

THE MAHRAMI CASE - WHAT IT IS AND WHY IT MATTERS

Local Bahá'í communities all over the U.K. are contacting their M.P.s and Euro-M.P.s, and publicising the plight of a man sentenced to death in Iran. The case of Mr D. Mahrami may be just one sad item in a world-wide catalogue of abuses of human rights - but it is one which has implications for hundreds of thousands of people in Iran, Bahá'ís, Christians, and Jews alike.
It is the business of anyone who is concerned about human rights and religious freedom of conscience.
The enclosed report gives the facts.

THE MAHRAMI CASE - THE BACKGROUND

Since the Islamic Revolution in Iran that country has been under the rule of Muslim clergy of the Shi'ite sect. The state religion is Shi'ite Islam, and its teachings and rules form the basis of the country's constitution and laws. Religious minorities have faced varying difficulties. The Christian, Jewish, and Zoroastrian (Parsee) communities have had some measure of recognition, but they are second class citizens in their own country. However the followers of the Bahá'í Faith, Iran's largest non- Muslim religious minority, were singled out for persecution. The Bahá'í Faith had its beginnings in Iran a century and a half ago. Since then it has spread, to the extent that it is now the world's second most widespread religion after Christianity. Most Bahá'ís live outside the Middle East and have never had any connection with Islam. Despite this, the Muslim clergy of Iran refuse to consider it a religion, and because its teaching go against their own in many key aspects, they are determined to root it out of their country.
Thus the entire Bahá'í administration in Iran is banned, and many of its leading figures have been executed. At first the authorities maintained that this was for crimes they were supposed to have committed, but lately it has been admitted that it was done because they were Bahá'ís, and that the government does indeed have a programme to "cleanse" Iran of Bahá'í influence.
All Bahá'í property has been seized (not just community resources, but the homes of individuals), Bahá'í students are barred from going to university, many in work have been dismissed from the jobs, while retired people have had their pensions stopped.
In some particularly outrageous cases pensioners have been told they must repay to the state all pensions received since they retired, Bahá'í bodies have been removed from cemeteries and dumped, while their tombstones were taken and sold, and Bahá'í families have asked to pay for the cost of the bullets with which their relatives were executed.
For the past two - three years there has been some easing off of the pressure although the major discriminations against Bahá'ís remain. Bahá'ís are still in prison for their faith, two under sentence of death since 1992. It is against this background that the Mahrami case comes - with a fresh and worrying twist.

THE MAHRAMI CASE - THE FACTS

Early in January Mr Dhabihu'llah (also rendered Zabihollah) Mahrami, was arrested and interrogated in the city of Yazd, Iran. The news has just emerged that after that interrogation he was sentenced to death. Mr Mahrami, who was a lifelong Bahá'í having been born into a Bahá'í family, was, like most of his co-religionists, subject to much harassment by the authorities. Eventually a notice was published in a local newspaper bearing his photograph and announcing his recantation of his faith as a Bahá'í and his conversion to Islam. (In such rare cases of recantation as do occur, the authorities will usually insist on the person taking out such an advertisement.)
As a result of this Mr Mahrami was suspended from the Bahá'í community and over a period of time enquiries were made. He maintained that the notice had been placed without his knowledge or consent, and that while a form stating his recantation appeared to bear his signature, he had not knowingly signed that form and had not in fact recanted. It appears that some of Mr Mahrami's Muslim work colleagues may have placed the advertisement, apparently out of concern for him and a desire to see him spared further harassment.
When the Bahá'í community in Yazd was satisfied that events had taken place as Mr Mahrami said, and that he was indeed genuinely a Bahá'í, he was reinstated in the community. He made this reinstatement known to his colleagues and the authorities soon learned about it.
Mr Mahrami was then arrested and interrogated for alleged apostasy from Islam, a crime which carries the death penalty in the Islamic code as it is applied in Iran. Throughout his interrogations he made it clear that he was Bahá'í, and he resisted great pressure, including threats of death, which were employed to try to have him state he was a Muslim.
As a result the court in Yazd has declared Mr Mahrami guilty of apostasy and decreed that he should be executed, and his possessions should be con fiscated leaving his family destitute. The case has now been appealed to the Iranian Supreme Court, and Bahá'í communities in the U.K. are asking their M.P.s and Euro- M.P.'s to take all the steps they can to try to stop the sentence being carried out.
This case sets a worrying precedent, whereby someone in Iran can be taken as having converted to Islam, even if they did not genuinely do so, and then when they affirm their own faith they can be condemned to death for having apostatised from Islam. Although the Christian and Jewish minorities in Iran are not subject to the same pressure and persecution as the Bahá'ís, it is worth pointing out that they have no special status in the matter of conversion and recantation - in other words, the same thing could happen to one of them as has happened to Mr Mahrami.
The Bahá'í community in the United Kingdom believes that everyone should know the case of this unfortunate victim of base religious persecution.

February 29. On this date in 1952, Shoghi Effendi named seven individuals to the rank of Hand of the Cause of God, including Músá Banání, Corinne True, Clara Dunn, S͟hu'á'u'lláh ʻAláʼí, D͟hikru'lláh K͟hádim, Adelbert Mühlschlegel, and Siegried Schopflocher.

February 29. On this date in 1952, Shoghi Effendi named seven individuals to the rank of Hand of the Cause of God, including Músá Banání, Corinne True, Clara Dunn, S͟hu'á'u'lláh ʻAláʼí, D͟hikru'lláh K͟hádim, Adelbert Mühlschlegel, and Siegried Schopflocher.

Second Appointment of Hands of the Cause
Announce friends East and West, through National Assemblies, following nominations raising the number of the present Hands of the Cause of God to nineteen. Dominion Canada and United States, Fred Schopflocher and Corinne True, respectively. Cradle of Faith, Dhikru'llah Khadem, Shu'a'u'llah Ala'i. Germany, Africa, Australia, Adelbert Muhlschlegel, Musa Banani, Clara Dunn, respectively. Members august body invested in conformity with `Abdu'l-Bahá's Testament, twofold sacred function, the propagation and preservation of the unity of the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh, and destined to assume individually in the course of time the direction of institutions paralleling those revolving around the Universal House of Justice, the supreme legislative body of the Bahá'í world, are now recruited from all five continents of the globe and representative of the three principal world religions of mankind. Recently urged newly-appointed Hand of Canada, on occasion of his pilgrimage to Holy Land, to undertake preliminary measures, in conjunction with Canadian National Assembly for the establishment of national Haziratu'l-Quds similar to those already founded in Teheran, Wilmette, Baghdád, Sydney, Frankfurt, Cairo and New Delhi. Identical instructions were given appointed Hand of Africa in course of his just concluded pilgrimage, for the acquisition of property in Kampala to serve as local Haziratu'l-Quds to synchronize with formation of first Assembly in heart of Africa, to be regarded as nucleus of national administrative headquarters of Faith destined to arise on morrow of formation of National Spiritual Assembly of Central and Eastern Territories of African continent.
--Shoghi
[Cablegram, February 29, 1952]

During her Pilgrimage in 1953, Marguerite Sears, wife of Hand of the Cause of God William Sears, recorded Shoghi Effendi as having said...

A Hand is one who serves the Cause in an outstanding manner. The American Hands were appointed: Leroy for services rendered during the first seven year plan, Dorothy for her teaching ability, Millie and Fred for their great financial contributions during times of greatest need. They upheld the Faith. Roy was a saint, Sutherland for the Shrine of the Bab, Horace for his services in the Administration, Mrs. True for her Temple Service, Mason for continued service over a long time and for visiting all countries for the Faith.
In the future outstanding scientists, writers, leaders in their fields, will immediately become Hands as soon as they become Bahá'ís. It does not necessarily mean that they are greater spiritually, but they must become so."

February 29. On this date in 1984, the Universal House of Justice wrote "The House of Justice regards the need to educate and guide women in their primary responsibility as mothers as an excellent opportunity for organizing women's activities. Your efforts should focus on helping them in their function as educators of the rising generation. Women should also be encouraged to attract their husbands and male members of their families to the Faith..."

February 29. On this date in 1984, the Universal House of Justice wrote (also here, here and here) "The House of Justice regards the need to educate and guide women in their primary responsibility as mothers as an excellent opportunity for organizing women's activities. Your efforts should focus on helping them in their function as educators of the rising generation. Women should also be encouraged to attract their husbands and male members of their families to the Faith..."

2083. The Need to Educate and Guide Women in Their Primary Responsibility as Mothers
"The House of Justice regards the need to educate and guide women in their primary responsibility as mothers as an excellent opportunity for organizing women's activities. Your efforts should focus on helping them in their function as educators of the rising generation. Women should also be encouraged to attract their husbands and male members of their families to the Faith so that the Bahá'í community will be representative of the society of which it forms a part. Gradually the spirit of unity and fellowship, as set forth in our teachings, will be reflected in the life of Bahá'í families."
(From a letter written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to a National Spiritual Assembly, February 29, 1984: Women)

February 28. On this date in 1988, Douglas Martin wrote a preface to the 1999 re-publishing of Shoghi Effendi's "Messages to Canada" which is a compilation of letters written to Canadian Bahá’ís from 1948 to 1957. Douglas Martin served on NSA of Canada from 1960 to 1985, when he was appointed director-general of the Bahá’í International Community's Office of Public Information at the World Centre in Haifa. He served in that capacity until 1993 when he was elected to the Universal House of Justice where he served until retiring in 2005.

February 28. On this date in 1988, Douglas Martin wrote a preface to the 1999 re-publishing of Shoghi Effendi's "Messages to Canada" which is a compilation of letters written to Canadian Bahá’ís from 1948 to 1957. Douglas Martin served on NSA of Canada from 1960 to 1985, when he was appointed director-general of the Bahá’í International Community's Office of Public Information at the World Centre in Haifa. He served in that capacity until 1993 when he was elected to the Universal House of Justice where he served until retiring in 2005.

February 28. On this date in 2019, the Universal House of Justice announced the publication of a compilation of extracts on prayer and devotional life.

February 28. On this date in 2019, the Universal House of Justice announced the publication of a compilation of extracts on prayer and devotional life.

February 28. On this date in 1928, Shoghi Effendi wrote "Regarding the use of the Master's film, the greatest care must be exercised lest we cheapen its value by too frequent and indiscriminate exhibition either amongst the believers or the non-Bahá'ís. Only on special occasions, such as important anniversaries, should the film be shown and its solemn sacred character should be duly emphasized."

February 28. On this date in 1928, Shoghi Effendi wrote "Regarding the use of the Master's film, the greatest care must be exercised lest we cheapen its value by too frequent and indiscriminate exhibition either amongst the believers or the non-Bahá'ís. Only on special occasions, such as important anniversaries, should the film be shown and its solemn sacred character should be duly emphasized."

1830. Viewing the Film of Abdu'l-Bahá
"Regarding the use of the Master's film, the greatest care must be exercised lest we cheapen its value by too frequent and indiscriminate exhibition either amongst the believers or the non-Bahá'ís. Only on special occasions, such as important anniversaries, should the film be shown and its solemn sacred character should be duly emphasized."
(From a letter of Shoghi Effendi, February 28, 1928)

February 28. On this date in 1938, Shoghi Effendi wrote "The inscription upon the Bahá'í ringstone is the symbol of the Greatest Name, Baha, who is the Manifestation of the essence of God. It is also symbolic of the three planes representing the World of God, the World of Revelation and the World of Creation."

February 28. On this date in 1938, Shoghi Effendi wrote "The inscription upon the Bahá'í ringstone is the symbol of the Greatest Name, Baha, who is the Manifestation of the essence of God. It is also symbolic of the three planes representing the World of God, the World of Revelation and the World of Creation."

909. Ringstone Inscription Explained
"The inscription upon the Bahá'í ringstone is the symbol of the Greatest Name, Baha, who is the Manifestation of the essence of God. It is also symbolic of the three planes representing the World of God, the World of Revelation and the World of Creation."
(From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, February 28, 1938)

February 28. On this date in 1949, Shoghi Effendi wrote American Bahá'ís "Advise you to suspend magazine for next two years. Appeal on my behalf to subscribers in East and West to devote their subscription fee to Temple Fund. Owing to present emergency such action would be highly meritorious."

February 28. On this date in 1949, Shoghi Effendi wrote American Bahá'ís "Advise you to suspend magazine for next two years. Appeal on my behalf to subscribers in East and West to devote their subscription fee to Temple Fund. Owing to present emergency such action would be highly meritorious."

Suspend World Order Magazine
Advise you to suspend magazine for next two years. Appeal on my behalf to subscribers in East and West to devote their subscription fee to Temple Fund. Owing to present emergency such action would be highly meritorious.
[February 28, 1949]

World Order was a multi-volume publication running from 1935 to 1949 and from 1966 to 2008. A description given in Volume 2, Issue 9 states "World Order Magazine is devoted to the promotion of these Teachings, which are the laws and principles of the new cycle. Month by month it affords glimpses of the new way of life and the New Civilization arising from the wreckage of the dead past."

World Order was a continuation of Star of the West (renamed The Bahá’í Magazine in later volumes) and World Unity Magazine.

'Abdu'l-Bahá arrived in Wilmette in 1912 for the ground-breaking ceremony during which he laid the cornerstone of the Bahá'í House of Worship.

The actual construction of the building did not begin until 1921, after Bahá'ís agreed to use a design by Louis Bourgeois.

On January 16, 1931, the dome of the Bahá'í House of Worship in Wilmette, which was nearing completion, caught fire. Wilmette and Evanston firefighters worked to save the structure, and damage was estimated at $50,000.

The temple was eventually dedicated on May 2, 1953.

February 28. On this date in 1942, a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to a "Bahá'í Sister" in the United Kingdom referred to another Bahá'í, stating that "Regarding ..., Shoghi Effendi is writing him direct, advisinghim to sever his membership in the Synagogue."

February 28. On this date in 1942, a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to a "Bahá'í Sister" in the United Kingdom referred to another Bahá'í, stating that "Regarding ..., Shoghi Effendi is writing him direct, advisinghim to sever his membership in the Synagogue."

'Abdu'l-Bahá had previously permitted membership in freemason lodges and non-Bahá’í religious organizations.

During his visit to London in 1911, 'Abdu’l-Bahá had the following interaction with a Christian...

A student of the modern methods of the higher criticism asked ‘Abdu’l-Bahá if he would do well to continue in the church with which he had been associated all his life, and whose language was full of meaning to him. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá answered: “You must not dissociate yourself from it. Know this; the Kingdom of God is not in any Society; some seekers go through many Societies as a traveller goes through many cities till he reach his destination. If you belong to a Society already do not forsake your brothers. You can be a Bahá’í-Christian, a Bahá’í-Freemason, a Bahá’í-Jew, a Bahá’í-Muḥammadán. The number nine contains eight, and seven, and all the other numbers, and does not deny any of them. Do not distress or deny anyone by saying ‘He is not a Bahá’í!’

During his tour of North America in 1912, coverage in news stories would report this comment.
For example, on February 18, 1912, an article in "The Pittsburgh Pennsylvania Press" featured an article stating "In some respects the Bahá’í movement is the most remarkable of modern times. It isn’t a religion, in the sense that Christianity and Mohammedism and other faiths are religions. Its followers belong to many diverse sects, remaining Christian or Mohammedan or Brahmin as the case may be, and still being thorough going Bahis." During his visit to London in 1911, 'Abdu’l-Bahá had stated that "You can be a Bahá’í-Christian, a Bahá’í-Freemason, a Bahá’í-Jew, a Bahá’í-Muḥammadán."

And on February 28, 1912, the "SFO Daily News" of San Francisco featured an article stating "In some respects the Bahá’í movement is the most remarkable of modern times. It isn’t a religion in the sense that Christianity and Mohammedism and other faiths are religious. Its followers belong to many diverse sects, remaining Christian or Mohammedan or Brahmin as the case mya be, and still being thorough going Bahá’ís" During his visit to London in 1911, 'Abdu’l-Bahá had stated that "You can be a Bahá’í-Christian, a Bahá’í-Freemason, a Bahá’í-Jew, a Bahá’í-Muḥammadán."

Similarly, on September 1, 1912, "The Oregonian" of Portland, Oregon carried an article about ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, introducing him as the "Leader of Religions Movement Which Claims Three Million Followers" and quoting his statement "When in London he was approached by a student of higher criticism who asked ‘Abdu’l-Bahá if he should continue in the church. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá replied: “Yes, you must not dissociate yourself from it. Know this: the Kingdom of God is not in any society. If you belong to a society already do not forsake your brothers. You can be a Bahá’í-Christian, a Bahá’í-Freemason, a Bahá’í-Jew, Bahá’í-Mohammedan.”

In fact, 'Abdu'l-Bahá had encouraged the Bahá’ís of Manchester to emulate the freemasons...

October 1921
In the Name of God! O Sincere Servant of the Blessed Beauty!
Your detailed letter has been received, and has been the cause of the utmost joy and gladness. Praise be to God! The loved ones are all astir and active, but prudence is necessary. You have rent the veil too widely asunder. Explain to the loved ones that the rending of the veil to such an extent will be the cause of great agitation, and the harm thereof will reach to the Holy Land. Great caution is necessary. Discourses in churches and great public gatherings are in no wise permitted as in this place enemies, within and without, are lying in wait and are bent on aggression. Prudence requires that activity should, for the present, be concealed and carried on with the utmost moderation. Convey to the loved ones, one and all, on my behalf, the greatest longing, love and kindness. Give a spiritual message from me to Mr. Healds and say unto him: “Peruse the Gospel, how His Holiness Christ – may my life be a sacrifice to Him – says, ‘Conceal it, that the Pharisees may not be informed thereof.’ Now the same condition prevails.”
This matter is of the greatest importance. On no account let them contribute articles to the newspapers, and so long as they are not sure of any soul, let them breath no word to him. Consider how the Freemasons have for two hundred years carried on their work, and unto this day they have not openly declared it to any soul. Not until they find a hearing ear will they speak. The loved ones too must proceed with the greatest prudence, lest serious difficulties be created. If any one should travel to the Holy Land, he must on no account declare to anyone by the way that his purpose is to visit us. The loved ones must, in the presence of strangers, speak forth simply the teachings of the Blessed Beauty and mention no word of the belief concerning Him. Should anyone inquire, “What is your belief regarding the Blessed Beauty?” let them answer: “We regard Him as the foremost teacher and educator of these later ages and Abdu’l-Baha as the Centre of His Covenant.”

The original scanned document can be found at http://www.h-net.org/~bahai/docs/vol13/Barstow_600-623.pdf , where it is labeled BC#608. It was published through H-Net's Documents on the Shaykhi, Babi and Baha'i Movements.

Numerous statements by Shoghi Effendi and the Universal House of Justice would later contradict these statements, with Bahá’ís being explicity prohibited from associating with any other faiths.

On July 24, 1954, a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to the Spiritual Assembly of Japan stated that "So far as non-Bahá'ís affiliating with the Bahá'í Faith is concerned, either a person becomes a Bahá'í and accepts Bahá'u'lláh as the divine Manifestation for this day, or he does not...they can only become Bahá'ís on the basis of accepting Bahá'u'lláh as a divine Manifestation, and of course, with this goes the acceptance of the Bab as the Forerunner, and Abdu'l-Bahá as the Center of the Covenant, and the present Administrative Order. When a person has reached the sea of immortality, it is idle to keep seeking elsewhere."

1384. Affiliation with Faith Alone is Insufficient
"So far as non-Bahá'ís affiliating with the Bahá'í Faith is concerned, either a person becomes a Bahá'í and accepts Bahá'u'lláh as the divine Manifestation for this day, or he does not. The tenets of the Bahá'í Faith are simple as outlined by the Guardian, but they do not permit of any variations. In other words, if any members of the ... Movement wish to become Bahá'ís, they will be most welcome; but they can only become Bahá'ís on the basis of accepting Bahá'u'lláh as a divine Manifestation, and of course, with this goes the acceptance of the Bab as the Forerunner, and Abdu'l-Bahá as the Center of the Covenant, and the present Administrative Order.
"When a person has reached the sea of immortality, it is idle to keep seeking elsewhere...."
(From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to the Spiritual Assembly of Japan, July 24, 1953: Japan Will Turn Ablaze, pp. 76-77)

For example, on August 5, 1955, Shoghi Effendi addressed a letter to an individual believer...

1387. Bahá'ís Belonging to Churches, Synagogues, Freemasonry and the Like
"As regards the question of Bahá'ís belonging to churches, synagogues, Freemasonry, etc., the friends must realize that now that the Faith is over 100 years old, and its own institutions arising, so to speak, rapidly above-ground, the distinctions are becoming ever sharper, and the necessity for them to support whole-heartedly their own institutions and cut themselves off entirely from those of the past, is now clearer than ever before. The eyes of the people of the world are beginning to be focused on us; and, as humanity's plight goes from bad to worse, we will be watched ever more intently by non-Bahá'ís, to see whether we do uphold our own institutions wholeheartedly; whether we are the people of the new creation or not; whether we live up to our beliefs, principles and laws in deed as well as word. We cannot be too careful. We cannot be too exemplary.
"There is another aspect to this question which the friends should seriously ponder, and that is that, whereas organizations such as Freemasonry may have been in the past entirely free from any political taint, in the state of flux the world is in at present, and the extraordinary way in which things become corrupted and tainted by political thought and influences, there is no guarantee that such an association might not gradually or suddenly become a political instrument. The less Bahá'ís have to do, therefore, with such things, the better."

On November 21, 1968, a letter of the Universal House of Justice to the National Spiritual Assembly of Switzerland stated that "If a person is registered as a member of a church or similar religious organization he should withdraw from it on becoming a Bahá'í...one cannot be a Bahá'í and also a member of another religious organization...For a Bahá'í to be a member of a community which holds such beliefs is disloyalty to Christ and hypocrisy towards the Christians."

532. On Becoming a Bahá'í Should Withdraw from Church
"If a person is registered as a member of a church or similar religious organization he should withdraw from it on becoming a Bahá'í.
"In the case of new believers, it should be made clear to them in the course of teaching them the Faith that one cannot be a Bahá'í and also a member of another religious organization. This is simply a matter of straight-forwardness and honesty. A great part of the teaching of Jesus Christ concerned His Second Coming and the preparation of His followers to be ready for it. The Bahá'ís believe He has come. No Christian Church believes this; on the contrary, they either look for Him still, or have ceased to believe that He will come. For a Bahá'í to be a member of a community which holds such beliefs is disloyalty to Christ and hypocrisy towards the Christians.
"You should not formalize the method by which the withdrawal from the church is to be made, and certainly nothing should be added to a declaration form, if you use one. It should be left to the Local Spiritual Assembly which is accepting the declaration to satisfy itself, as it deems best in each case, that the new believer has already resigned from the church, or does so within a reasonable time of his declaration.
"In regard to the old believers, your Assembly should tactfully, and in a kindly way, make the Bahá'í position clear to them and gently persuade them to resign from their former churches. This is a matter for great tact and discretion. If such a believer remains adamant you will have to consider depriving him of his voting rights."
(From a letter of the Universal House of Justice to the National Spiritual Assembly of Switzerland, November 21, 1968: Canadian Bahá'í News, Special Section, March 1973, p. 6)

On March 26, 1956, a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer told him how to go about resigning from his Masonic Order with an explanation not to "prejudice the Masons or their friends, or arouse in them a feeling of anger against the Faith, or indeed need involve the Faith at all."

1390. Resignation from the Masonic Order
"As regards your question about the Masonic Order, he considers that the honest and courageous thing for you to do is to inform your Lodge that you no longer consider yourself, for purely personal reasons, a Mason; and would like to have your name taken off their list. If they should press you for an explanation, which he imagines is unlikely, everybody being free to do as they please in this world, you can explain to them that in the present chaotic period the world is passing through, with so many streams and counterstreams of political thoughts and prejudices of all kinds, racial, religious, etc., storming the minds of men, that you wish to disentangle yourself from all association with the past and to stand alone, free in your own ideas.
"He does not think that such an explanation will prejudice the Masons or their friends, or arouse in them a feeling of anger against the Faith, or indeed need involve the Faith at all."
(From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, March 26, 1956)

On February 17, 1956, a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer stated that "all the Bahá'ís everywhere have been urged to give up their old affiliations and withdraw from membership in the Masonic and other secret Societies."

1388. Bahá'ís Requested to Withdraw from Masonic and Other Secret Societies
"As regards your question about Masonry, the Bahá'ís, the Guardian feels very strongly, must learn at the present time to think internationally and not locally. Although each believer realizes that he is a member of one great spiritual family, a member of the New World Order of Bahá'u'lláh, he does not often carry this thought through to its logical conclusion: which is that if the Bahá'ís all over the world each belong to some different kind of society or church or political party, the unity of the Faith will be destroyed, because inevitably they will become involved in doctrines and policies that are in some way against our Teachings, and often against another group of people in another part of the world, or another race, or another religious block.
"Therefore, all the Bahá'ís everywhere have been urged to give up their old affiliations and withdraw from membership in the Masonic and other secret Societies in order to be entirely free to serve the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh as a united body. Such groups as Masonry, however high the local standard may be, are in other countries gradually being influenced by the issues sundering the nations at present.
"The Guardian wants the Bahá'ís to disentangle themselves from anything that may in any way, now or in the future, compromise their independent status as Bahá'ís and the supra-national nature of their Faith."
(From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, February 17, 1956)

Almost exactly a year earlier, on February 12, 1956, Shoghi Effendi addressed a letter to an individual believer addressing "Why Bahá'ís Are Requested to Withdraw from Membership in the Church, Synagogue, etc." explaining "that we are the building blocks of Bahá'u'lláh's New World Order ... the Bahá'ís should be absolutely independent, and stand identified only with their own teachings. That is why they are requested to withdraw from membership in the church, the synagogue, or whatever other previous religious organization they may have been affiliated with, to have nothing whatsoever to do with secret societies, or with political movements, etc. It protects the Cause, it reinforces the Cause, and it asserts before all the world its independent character."

1389. Why Bahá'ís Are Requested to Withdraw from Membership in the Church, Synagogue, etc.
"The point is not that there is something intrinsically wrong with Masonry, which no doubt has many very high ideals and principles, and has had a very good influence in the past.
"The reasons why the Guardian feels that it is imperative for the Bahá'ís to be dissociated from masonry at this time, and I might add, other secret associations, is that we are the building blocks of Bahá'u'lláh's New World Order ... the Bahá'ís should be absolutely independent, and stand identified only with their own teachings. That is why they are requested to withdraw from membership in the church, the synagogue, or whatever other previous religious organization they may have been affiliated with, to have nothing whatsoever to do with secret societies, or with political movements, etc. It protects the Cause, it reinforces the Cause, and it asserts before all the world its independent character.
"Another reason is that unfortunately the tremendous political influences in the world today are seeping deeper and deeper into men's minds; and movements which in the past were absolutely uninfluenced by any political tinge of thought now in many places are becoming infiltrated with political side-taking and political issues; and it becomes all the more important for the Bahá'ís to withdraw from them in order to protect the Faith.
"The Guardian believes that you, as an intelligent man, a Bahá'í, will see the need for this. It is only by all living according to general principles that we can knit the fabric of the Faith all over the world into a closer unity.
"He is fully aware that certain individuals are struck much more forcibly by such requests than others. This has been the case with some of the old Bahá'ís in England, who have been Masons from their boyhood on; but, as it is his duty to protect the Faith, he can only appeal to the Bahá'ís to assist him in doing so; and to consider the general good, rather than their personal feelings, however deep they may be, in such matters."
(From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, February 12, 1956)

February 28. On this date in 2009, the last among a series of 41 regional conferences of the Five Year Plan took place, in Kiev, Ukraine.

February 28. On this date in 2009, the last among a series of 41 regional conferences of the Five Year Plan took place, in Kiev, Ukraine.

Universal House of Justice member Peter Khan would later give a talk on July 3, 2009, later published as "Reflections on the Ridvan 2009 Message," stating,

As you are, I am sure, aware, that series of conferences had a galvanizing effect on the Bahá'í Community throughout the world and ultimately on the larger society. It was a tangible demonstration of the global spread of the Faith and it created a most welcome surge toward the goal of 1500 Intensive Programs of Growth by the end of the present plan.

How does membership in the International Teaching Centre lead to election to the Universal House of Justice?

How is it that with its nine members elected every five years from the male membership in good standing of the worldwide Bahá'í community by an electoral college consisting of all the members of each Bahá'í National Spiritual Assembly throughout the world, the membership of the Universal House of Justice consists exclusively of men who have previously been appointed to the International Teaching Centre by the Universal House of Justice?

With no overt campaigning or politicking permitted, upon what does the electoral college base its election of new members to the Universal House of Justice?

In the Bahá'í electoral system, the exposure of potential candidates to electors is a premium. Members of the International Teaching Centre routinely travel throughout the world, giving them vital face-time with members of the National Spiritual Assemblies who serve as electors for the Universal House of Justice.

Consider the cases of Stephen Birkland and Stephen Hall. Stephen Birkland was appointed to the International Teaching Centre in 2008 and elected to the Universal House of Justice in 2010. Stephen Hall was appointed to the International Teaching Centre in 2005 and elected to the Universal House of Justice in 2010.

In a letter dated October 20, 2008, the Universal House of Justice called for a series of 41 Regional Conferences intended to mark the mid-point of the Five Year Plan and motivate participants to re-dedicate themselves to the goals of the Plan upon returning home. The Regional Conferences were held from November 1, 2008 through March 1, 2009.

In that period, Stephen Birkland attended the following Bahá'í Regional Conferences...

Date	Location of Bahá'í Regional Conference
November 1-2, 2008	Lusaka, Zambia
November 8-9, 2008	Johannesburg, South Africa
November 29-30, 2008	Antofagasta, Chile
December 6-7, 2008	Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
January 17-18, 2009	Vancouver, Canada
February 7-8, 2009	Frankfurt, Germany
February 21-22, 2009	Accra, Ghana

Source: Bahá'í World News Service search for "Stephen Birkland"

In that period, Stephen Hall attended the following Bahá'í RegionalConferences...

Date	Location of Bahá'í Regional Conference
November 15-16, 2008	Bangui, Central African Republic
November 22-23, 2008	Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo
November 29-30, 2008	Yaoundé, Cameroon
December 6-7, 2008	Portland, Oregon, United States of America
December 13-14, 2008	Stamford, Connecticut, United States of America
January 3-4, 2009	Abidjan, Ivory Coast
January 17-18, 2009	Lae, Papua New Guinea
January 24-25, 2009	Sydney, Australia
January 31-February 1, 2009	Auckland, New Zealand
February 7-8, 2009	Frankfurt, Germany

Source: Bahá'í World News Service search for "Stephen Hall"

No other Bahá'ís receive as much exposure to electors of the Universal House of Justice as do members of the International Teaching Centre.

With the turnover of the Universal House of Justice's nine members and with the International Teaching Centre's being composed of nine members, some of whom are women and therefore ineligible for election to the Universal House of Justice, a man's appointment to the International Teaching Centre serves as a presumption to eventual election to the Universal House of Justice.

When the Universal House of Justice appoints members to the International Teaching Centre, they are in fact selecting their own replacements.

In the Bahá'í electoral system, with no overt campaigning and politicking permitted, the exposure of potential candidates to electors is a premium. The nine members of the International Teaching Centre routinely travel throughout the world, giving them vital face-time with members of the National Spiritual Assemblies who serve as electors for the Universal House of Justice. In fact, every single one of the current members of the Universal House of Justice previously served as a Counsellor member of the International Teaching Centre.

With the turnover of the Universal House of Justice's nine members and with the International Teaching Centre's being composed of nine members, some of whom are women and therefore ineligible for election to the Universal House of Justice, a man's appointment to the International Teaching Centre serves as a presumption to eventual election to the Universal House of Justice.
To illustrate further, in a letter dated October 20, 2008, the Universal House of Justice called for a series of 41 Regional Conferences intended to mark the mid-point of the Five Year Plan and motivate participants to re-dedicate themselves to the goals of the Plan upon returning home. The RegionalConferences were held from November 1, 2008 through March 1, 2009.

Each of the 41 Regional Conferences was attended by two Counsellor members of the International Teaching Centre with the exception of the Conference held at Uvira, the Democratic Republic of Congo, which had only one representative. The Counsellor members of the International Teaching Centre at the time of the RegionalConferences were Juan Francisco Mora, Ayman Rouhani, Stephen Hall, Stephen Birkland, Zenaida Ramirez, Joan Lincoln, Rachel Ndegwa, Uransaikhan Baatar, and Penelope Walker.

Of this cohort of Counsellors, the five lady members (Zenaida Ramirez, Joan Lincoln, Rachel Ndegwa, Uransaikhan Baatar, and Penelope Walker) were ineligible for election to the Universal House of Justice.
Of the four male members at the time of the 41RegionalConferences (Juan Francisco Mora, Ayman Rouhani, Stephen Hall, and Stephen Birkland), all have been elected to the Universal House of Justice.
In practice, the Bahá’í electoral system most closely resembles council democracy as it still exists in Cuba, wherein individuals elect Local Spiritual Assemblies, who then elect National Spiritual Assemblies, who then elect the Universal House of Justice. With no politicking or partisanship allowed, there is little turnover in leadership and Universal House of Justice members almost invariably serve until retirement or death. In the people's democracies of the Eastern Bloc, these career bureaucrats were known as the nomenklatura.

The next member elected to the Universal House of Justice will be Andrej Donoval, who is the longest tenured male member of the International Teaching Centre, having been appointed to that body in 2013.

February 28. On this date in 1912, "SFO Daily News" of San Francisco featured an article stating "In some respects the Bahá’í movement is the most remarkable of modern times. It isn’t a religion in the sense that Christianity and Mohammedism and other faiths are religious. Its followers belong to many diverse sects, remaining Christian or Mohammedan or Brahmin as the case mya be, and still being thorough going Bahá’ís" During his visit to London in 1911, 'Abdu’l-Bahá had stated that "You can be a Bahá’í-Christian, a Bahá’í-Freemason, a Bahá’í-Jew, a Bahá’í-Muḥammadán."

February 28. On this date in 1912, "SFO Daily News" of San Francisco featured an article stating "In some respects the Bahá’í movement is the most remarkable of modern times. It isn’t a religion in the sense that Christianity and Mohammedism and other faiths are religious. Its followers belong to many diverse sects, remaining Christian or Mohammedan or Brahmin as the case mya be, and still being thorough going Bahá’ís" During his visit to London in 1911, 'Abdu’l-Bahá had stated that "You can be a Bahá’í-Christian, a Bahá’í-Freemason, a Bahá’í-Jew, a Bahá’í-Muḥammadán."

During his visit to London in 1911, 'Abdu’l-Bahá had the following interaction with a Christian...

A student of the modern methods of the higher criticism asked ‘Abdu’l-Bahá if he would do well to continue in the church with which he had been associated all his life, and whose language was full of meaning to him. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá answered: “You must not dissociate yourself from it. Know this; the Kingdom of God is not in any Society; some seekers go through many Societies as a traveller goes through many cities till he reach his destination. If you belong to a Society already do not forsake your brothers. You can be a Bahá’í-Christian, a Bahá’í-Freemason, a Bahá’í-Jew, a Bahá’í-Muḥammadán. The number nine contains eight, and seven, and all the other numbers, and does not deny any of them. Do not distress or deny anyone by saying ‘He is not a Bahá’í!’

During his tour of North America in 1912, coverage in news stories would report this comment.
For example, on February 18, 1912, an article in "The Pittsburgh Pennsylvania Press" featured an article stating "In some respects the Bahá’í movement is the most remarkable of modern times. It isn’t a religion, in the sense that Christianity and Mohammedism and other faiths are religions. Its followers belong to many diverse sects, remaining Christian or Mohammedan or Brahmin as the case may be, and still being thorough going Bahis." During his visit to London in 1911, 'Abdu’l-Bahá had stated that "You can be a Bahá’í-Christian, a Bahá’í-Freemason, a Bahá’í-Jew, a Bahá’í-Muḥammadán."

And on February 28, 1912, the "SFO Daily News" of San Francisco featured an article stating "In some respects the Bahá’í movement is the most remarkable of modern times. It isn’t a religion in the sense that Christianity and Mohammedism and other faiths are religious. Its followers belong to many diverse sects, remaining Christian or Mohammedan or Brahmin as the case mya be, and still being thorough going Bahá’ís" During his visit to London in 1911, 'Abdu’l-Bahá had stated that "You can be a Bahá’í-Christian, a Bahá’í-Freemason, a Bahá’í-Jew, a Bahá’í-Muḥammadán."

Similarly, on September 1, 1912, "The Oregonian" of Portland, Oregon carried an article about ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, introducing him as the "Leader of Religions Movement Which Claims Three Million Followers" and quoting his statement "When in London he was approached by a student of higher criticism who asked ‘Abdu’l-Bahá if he should continue in the church. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá replied: “Yes, you must not dissociate yourself from it. Know this: the Kingdom of God is not in any society. If you belong to a society already do not forsake your brothers. You can be a Bahá’í-Christian, a Bahá’í-Freemason, a Bahá’í-Jew, Bahá’í-Mohammedan.”

In fact, 'Abdu'l-Bahá had encouraged the Bahá’ís of Manchester to emulate the freemasons...

October 1921
In the Name of God! O Sincere Servant of the Blessed Beauty!
Your detailed letter has been received, and has been the cause of the utmost joy and gladness. Praise be to God! The loved ones are all astir and active, but prudence is necessary. You have rent the veil too widely asunder. Explain to the loved ones that the rending of the veil to such an extent will be the cause of great agitation, and the harm thereof will reach to the Holy Land. Great caution is necessary. Discourses in churches and great public gatherings are in no wise permitted as in this place enemies, within and without, are lying in wait and are bent on aggression. Prudence requires that activity should, for the present, be concealed and carried on with the utmost moderation. Convey to the loved ones, one and all, on my behalf, the greatest longing, love and kindness. Give a spiritual message from me to Mr. Healds and say unto him: “Peruse the Gospel, how His Holiness Christ – may my life be a sacrifice to Him – says, ‘Conceal it, that the Pharisees may not be informed thereof.’ Now the same condition prevails.”
This matter is of the greatest importance. On no account let them contribute articles to the newspapers, and so long as they are not sure of any soul, let them breath no word to him. Consider how the Freemasons have for two hundred years carried on their work, and unto this day they have not openly declared it to any soul. Not until they find a hearing ear will they speak. The loved ones too must proceed with the greatest prudence, lest serious difficulties be created. If any one should travel to the Holy Land, he must on no account declare to anyone by the way that his purpose is to visit us. The loved ones must, in the presence of strangers, speak forth simply the teachings of the Blessed Beauty and mention no word of the belief concerning Him. Should anyone inquire, “What is your belief regarding the Blessed Beauty?” let them answer: “We regard Him as the foremost teacher and educator of these later ages and Abdu’l-Baha as the Centre of His Covenant.”

The original scanned document can be found at http://www.h-net.org/~bahai/docs/vol13/Barstow_600-623.pdf , where it is labeled BC#608. It was published through H-Net's Documents on the Shaykhi, Babi and Baha'i Movements.

Numerous statements by Shoghi Effendi and the Universal House of Justice would later contradict these statements, with Bahá’ís being explicity prohibited from associating with any other faiths.
On July 24, 1954, a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to the Spiritual Assembly of Japan stated that "So far as non-Bahá'ís affiliating with the Bahá'í Faith is concerned, either a person becomes a Bahá'í and accepts Bahá'u'lláh as the divine Manifestation for this day, or he does not...they can only become Bahá'ís on the basis of accepting Bahá'u'lláh as a divine Manifestation, and of course, with this goes the acceptance of the Bab as the Forerunner, and Abdu'l-Bahá as the Center of the Covenant, and the present Administrative Order. When a person has reached the sea of immortality, it is idle to keep seeking elsewhere."

1384. Affiliation with Faith Alone is Insufficient
"So far as non-Bahá'ís affiliating with the Bahá'í Faith is concerned, either a person becomes a Bahá'í and accepts Bahá'u'lláh as the divine Manifestation for this day, or he does not. The tenets of the Bahá'í Faith are simple as outlined by the Guardian, but they do not permit of any variations. In other words, if any members of the ... Movement wish to become Bahá'ís, they will be most welcome; but they can only become Bahá'ís on the basis of accepting Bahá'u'lláh as a divine Manifestation, and of course, with this goes the acceptance of the Bab as the Forerunner, and Abdu'l-Bahá as the Center of the Covenant, and the present Administrative Order.
"When a person has reached the sea of immortality, it is idle to keep seeking elsewhere...."
(From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to the Spiritual Assembly of Japan, July 24, 1953: Japan Will Turn Ablaze, pp. 76-77)

For example, on August 5, 1955, Shoghi Effendi addressed a letter to an individual believer...

1387. Bahá'ís Belonging to Churches, Synagogues, Freemasonry and the Like
"As regards the question of Bahá'ís belonging to churches, synagogues, Freemasonry, etc., the friends must realize that now that the Faith is over 100 years old, and its own institutions arising, so to speak, rapidly above-ground, the distinctions are becoming ever sharper, and the necessity for them to support whole-heartedly their own institutions and cut themselves off entirely from those of the past, is now clearer than ever before. The eyes of the people of the world are beginning to be focused on us; and, as humanity's plight goes from bad to worse, we will be watched ever more intently by non-Bahá'ís, to see whether we do uphold our own institutions wholeheartedly; whether we are the people of the new creation or not; whether we live up to our beliefs, principles and laws in deed as well as word. We cannot be too careful. We cannot be too exemplary.
"There is another aspect to this question which the friends should seriously ponder, and that is that, whereas organizations such as Freemasonry may have been in the past entirely free from any political taint, in the state of flux the world is in at present, and the extraordinary way in which things become corrupted and tainted by political thought and influences, there is no guarantee that such an association might not gradually or suddenly become a political instrument. The less Bahá'ís have to do, therefore, with such things, the better."

On November 21, 1968, a letter of the Universal House of Justice to the National Spiritual Assembly of Switzerland stated that "If a person is registered as a member of a church or similar religious organization he should withdraw from it on becoming a Bahá'í...one cannot be a Bahá'í and also a member of another religious organization...For a Bahá'í to be a member of a community which holds such beliefs is disloyalty to Christ and hypocrisy towards the Christians."

532. On Becoming a Bahá'í Should Withdraw from Church
"If a person is registered as a member of a church or similar religious organization he should withdraw from it on becoming a Bahá'í.
"In the case of new believers, it should be made clear to them in the course of teaching them the Faith that one cannot be a Bahá'í and also a member of another religious organization. This is simply a matter of straight-forwardness and honesty. A great part of the teaching of Jesus Christ concerned His Second Coming and the preparation of His followers to be ready for it. The Bahá'ís believe He has come. No Christian Church believes this; on the contrary, they either look for Him still, or have ceased to believe that He will come. For a Bahá'í to be a member of a community which holds such beliefs is disloyalty to Christ and hypocrisy towards the Christians.
"You should not formalize the method by which the withdrawal from the church is to be made, and certainly nothing should be added to a declaration form, if you use one. It should be left to the Local Spiritual Assembly which is accepting the declaration to satisfy itself, as it deems best in each case, that the new believer has already resigned from the church, or does so within a reasonable time of his declaration.
"In regard to the old believers, your Assembly should tactfully, and in a kindly way, make the Bahá'í position clear to them and gently persuade them to resign from their former churches. This is a matter for great tact and discretion. If such a believer remains adamant you will have to consider depriving him of his voting rights."
(From a letter of the Universal House of Justice to the National Spiritual Assembly of Switzerland, November 21, 1968: Canadian Bahá'í News, Special Section, March 1973, p. 6)

On March 26, 1956, a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer told him how to go about resigning from his Masonic Order with an explanation not to "prejudice the Masons or their friends, or arouse in them a feeling of anger against the Faith, or indeed need involve the Faith at all."

1390. Resignation from the Masonic Order
"As regards your question about the Masonic Order, he considers that the honest and courageous thing for you to do is to inform your Lodge that you no longer consider yourself, for purely personal reasons, a Mason; and would like to have your name taken off their list. If they should press you for an explanation, which he imagines is unlikely, everybody being free to do as they please in this world, you can explain to them that in the present chaotic period the world is passing through, with so many streams and counterstreams of political thoughts and prejudices of all kinds, racial, religious, etc., storming the minds of men, that you wish to disentangle yourself from all association with the past and to stand alone, free in your own ideas.
"He does not think that such an explanation will prejudice the Masons or their friends, or arouse in them a feeling of anger against the Faith, or indeed need involve the Faith at all."
(From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, March 26, 1956)

On February 17, 1956, a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer stated that "all the Bahá'ís everywhere have been urged to give up their old affiliations and withdraw from membership in the Masonic and other secret Societies."

1388. Bahá'ís Requested to Withdraw from Masonic and Other Secret Societies
"As regards your question about Masonry, the Bahá'ís, the Guardian feels very strongly, must learn at the present time to think internationally and not locally. Although each believer realizes that he is a member of one great spiritual family, a member of the New World Order of Bahá'u'lláh, he does not often carry this thought through to its logical conclusion: which is that if the Bahá'ís all over the world each belong to some different kind of society or church or political party, the unity of the Faith will be destroyed, because inevitably they will become involved in doctrines and policies that are in some way against our Teachings, and often against another group of people in another part of the world, or another race, or another religious block.
"Therefore, all the Bahá'ís everywhere have been urged to give up their old affiliations and withdraw from membership in the Masonic and other secret Societies in order to be entirely free to serve the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh as a united body. Such groups as Masonry, however high the local standard may be, are in other countries gradually being influenced by the issues sundering the nations at present.
"The Guardian wants the Bahá'ís to disentangle themselves from anything that may in any way, now or in the future, compromise their independent status as Bahá'ís and the supra-national nature of their Faith."
(From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, February 17, 1956)

Almost exactly a year earlier, on February 12, 1956, Shoghi Effendi addressed a letter to an individual believer addressing "Why Bahá'ís Are Requested to Withdraw from Membership in the Church, Synagogue, etc." explaining "that we are the building blocks of Bahá'u'lláh's New World Order ... the Bahá'ís should be absolutely independent, and stand identified only with their own teachings. That is why they are requested to withdraw from membership in the church, the synagogue, or whatever other previous religious organization they may have been affiliated with, to have nothing whatsoever to do with secret societies, or with political movements, etc. It protects the Cause, it reinforces the Cause, and it asserts before all the world its independent character."

1389. Why Bahá'ís Are Requested to Withdraw from Membership in the Church, Synagogue, etc.
"The point is not that there is something intrinsically wrong with Masonry, which no doubt has many very high ideals and principles, and has had a very good influence in the past.
"The reasons why the Guardian feels that it is imperative for the Bahá'ís to be dissociated from masonry at this time, and I might add, other secret associations, is that we are the building blocks of Bahá'u'lláh's New World Order ... the Bahá'ís should be absolutely independent, and stand identified only with their own teachings. That is why they are requested to withdraw from membership in the church, the synagogue, or whatever other previous religious organization they may have been affiliated with, to have nothing whatsoever to do with secret societies, or with political movements, etc. It protects the Cause, it reinforces the Cause, and it asserts before all the world its independent character.
"Another reason is that unfortunately the tremendous political influences in the world today are seeping deeper and deeper into men's minds; and movements which in the past were absolutely uninfluenced by any political tinge of thought now in many places are becoming infiltrated with political side-taking and political issues; and it becomes all the more important for the Bahá'ís to withdraw from them in order to protect the Faith.
"The Guardian believes that you, as an intelligent man, a Bahá'í, will see the need for this. It is only by all living according to general principles that we can knit the fabric of the Faith all over the world into a closer unity.
"He is fully aware that certain individuals are struck much more forcibly by such requests than others. This has been the case with some of the old Bahá'ís in England, who have been Masons from their boyhood on; but, as it is his duty to protect the Faith, he can only appeal to the Bahá'ís to assist him in doing so; and to consider the general good, rather than their personal feelings, however deep they may be, in such matters."
(From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, February 12, 1956)

February 27. On this date in 2013, The Guardian newspaper carried an article titled "Bahá'í student expelled from Iranian university 'on grounds of religion'"

February 27. On this date in 2013, The Guardian newspaper carried an article titled "Bahá'í student expelled from Iranian university 'on grounds of religion'"

Bahá'í student expelled from Iranian university 'on grounds of religion'
'Impressively talented' Paniz Fazl-Ali reportedly had one year to go to complete her engineering degree
An Iranian student belonging to one of the country's most persecuted religious minorities appears to have been expelled from university because of her beliefs.
Paniz Fazl-Ali, a civil engineering student at Iran's University of Science and Technology (IUST) in Tehran, has been banned from continuing her undergraduate degree after it emerged that she is a member of the Bahá'í community, activists said.
Daneshjoo News, a website which gathers information about students across Iran, reported on Wednesday that Fazl-Ali, who is described as "impressively talented", was informed last week that she has been expelled.
She is reported to have successfully finished her third year and had only one year to graduate from the typical four-year engineering programme.
Every year hundreds of thousands of students across the Islamic republic compete with each other in a keenly contested entrance exam held for public universities. Only a few thousands are accepted in top Iranian universities such as the IUST.
In university registration forms, students are required to reveal their religion, but Bahá'ís, who are a banned religious minority, usually leave it blank – as did Fazl-Ali.
"Last month the university administrators summoned me and asked me to fill the section about my religion and I wrote Bahá'í," she told Daneshjoo News. "Last week, as I went to see one of my test results, I noticed that I have been expelled."
Islam is the official religion in Iran and only Christians, Jews and Zoroastrians are tolerated as accepted religious minorities with access to higher education, although each face various restrictions. Bahá'ís, however, have been banned since 1981.
"The day after I got the news I went to the university with my father to pursue what had happened. But nobody gave us any explanation," she said.
Iran considers the religion of a child to be that of his father. Those who convert to other religions risk arrest or even execution for apostasy. In October 2009, an Iranian Christian pastor, Youcef Nadarkhani, was arrested for converting at the age of 19 to Christianity from Islam, his parent's religion, although he insisted he was never a practising Muslim. He was initially sentenced to death for apostasy but was released from jail in September.
After the 1979 Islamic revolution, the authorities stepped up the persecution of the Bahá'í community, accusing its members of having links with or spying for Israel, mainly because the Bahá'í governing body, the Seat of the Universal House of Justice, is based in Haifa.
At least 219 Bahá'í in Iran were executed because of their religious allegiance after the 1979 revolution.
Iranian Bahá'ís have been deprived of their rights, such as access to education or the right to own a business, and are often persecuted for their beliefs. Seven leaders of the Bahá'í community have been in prison for the past five years, each serving 20-year jail sentences.
Bahá'ís might be able to survive in the Iranian society as long as they keep their religion secret, but according to their beliefs they cannot lie if forced to reveal their faith. In 2001, only five Bahá'ís were in jail in Iran, but since 2004 more than 600 arrests have been made and at least 110 Bahá'ís are currently in jail, including the seven leaders, Fariba Kamalabadi, Vahid Tizfahm, Jamaloddin Khanjani, Afif Naeimi, Mahvash Sabet, Behrouz Tavakkoli and Saeid Rezaie.
Scores of Bahá'ís have been expelled from universities in Iran in recent years.
"International law provides that access to education is a basic human right, and Iranian universities have no excuse for denying qualified students the right to attend simply because they are Bahá'ís," said Kishan Manocha, a spokesman for the UK's Bahá'í community. "It is clear that, so long as Bahá'ís are unjustly denied access to higher education, the years of systematic persecution and quiet strangulation against the Iran's sore-tried Bahá'ís continue unabated.
"We call for this injustice to cease, and that Iran's Bahá'í community be treated with the same rights as the ordinary Iranian citizens they are."
The UN's special rapporteur on Iran, Ahmad Shaheed, has described Bahá'ís as "the most persecuted religious community" in the Islamic republic and has repeatedly expressed concerns about their access to education in the country.
"The numbers of Bahá'ís that are in prison have increased – over 100 at the present time according to the information I have," Shaheed said in a speech in New York in October 2012.
"They face a whole range of discrimination, from being unable to practice their faith [to] being denied access to basic services," he said. "And often they face charges unrelated to their faith – national security charges."
A leaked official communication from Iran's ministry of science, research and technology to 81 universities across the country in 2006 shows that they have been instructed to expel all their Bahá'í students.
"If the identity of Bahá'í individuals becomes known at the time of enrolment or during the course of their studies, they must be expelled from university," stated the letter, according to the Bahá'í World News Service.

February 27. On this date in 1983, the New York Times carried an article titled "Iran's Baha'is: Some Call it Genocide."

February 27. On this date in 1983, the New York Times carried an article titled "Iran's Baha'is: Some Call it Genocide."

IRAN'S BAHA'IS: SOME CALL IT GENOCIDE
By R.w. Apple Jr.
Feb. 27, 1983
For centuries the city of Shiraz, in southwestern Iran, has been a center of Persian poetry and intellectual life. The very word ''Persian'' comes from Pars, the name of the region centering on Shiraz. It is also the birthplace of the Bab, a 19th-century prophet whose teachings led to the creation of the Baha'i faith.
Two weeks ago in that city, the latest chapter in a long history of the Baha'i persecution unfolded before an Islamic tribunal. Of 21 members of the sect on trial for spying and alleged links with Israel, 20 were condemned to death, according to a Baha'i spokesman in London. The remaining defendant was pardoned.
The Baha'is have been the scapegoats of Persian and then Iranian society for generations. Donald M. Barrett, the secretary-general of the Baha'i World Center in Haifa, Israel, says 20,000 Baha'is have been killed in Iran during the last 100 years. Since the advent of the Khomeini regime in 1979 at least 135 Baha'is, many of them spiritual leaders, have been executed.
The adherents of this relatively little-known religion seem unlikely villains. They uphold the divine origin of all major religions, including Islam. They shun violence, abstain from partisan politics and advocate unexceptionable principles such as the ''development of good character'' and the ''eradication of prejudices of race, creed, class, nationality and sex,'' to quote from a recent pamphlet. Claiming adherents in 173 countries, the Baha'i faith published literature in some 600 languages and dialects. It maintains vast domed houses of worship in Wilmette, Ill.; Frankfurt-am-Main, West Germany; Kampala, Uganda; Sydney, Australia and Panama City, Panama. Others are being built in India and Samoa.
In Iran, however, members of the sect have always been considered heretics by the Shi'ite Muslim majority, while their relative prosperity has attracted the hostility of those less well-off. There are between 300,000 and 400,000 Baha'is in Iran, according to officials of the faith. Mr.Barrett estimated that 10,000 have left the country since the revolution. For the last six months, he added, none have been able to leave. Applications for exit visas must now specify the applicant's religion, and Baha'is are being turned down.
Although Savak, the secret police of the late Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, is believed to have persecuted some members of the sect, and despite the Shah's refusal to reopen Baha'i schools closed by his father in 1934, the Baha'is served the old regime under their doctrine of obedience to the temporal authorities of the country of residence. Indeed, the Shah was so certain of their loyalty, he used Bahai's to maintain army communications. That led the Khomeini regime - especially the mullahs, who resent the Baha'i challenge to their authority - to accuse the sect of collaborating with a corrupt government.
''That is absolutely false,'' Mr. Barrett said. ''Baha'is are forbidden from participating in partisan politics. Baha'is were the only group who, at great risk, refused to join the Shah's political party. We were nonpolitical and continue to be nonpolitical.''
Nonetheless, officials in Teheran see the sect as a classic example of the impurity of the Shah's Iran. They further believe that Baha'is are in league with an Iranian enemy, Israel, citing as evidence receipts from contibutions made by Iranian Baha'is to shrines at Haifa and at Acco in Israel. In fact, Israel is the Baha'i holy land.
Religious differences heighten Iran's contempt for the sect. Because Baha'is do not make distinctions between men and women, they do not segregate the sexes at religious services, as demanded by Iran's Islamic fundamentalists. Baha'i women wear no veils, having cast them aside in the last century. Baha'is are accused of immorality because their marriage rites are not recognized in Iran and no civil marriage exists. A member of the sect commented, ''We can betray our faith and marry according to Moslem precepts, or we can remain true to our beliefs and find ourselves accused of adultery, prostitution and other sins.''
Meanwhile, Baha'is are being denied recognition under the Islamic constitution, which in theory protects Iran's Jewish, Christian and Zoroastrian minorities. This has permitted what the Baha'i office at the United Nations calls a ''campaign of religious persecution so malevolent, so intense, so sustained and so far-reaching that it presages the eradication of the Baha'i community as a religious minority in Iran.'' It appears now that about three years ago the Khomeini Government initiated a program to break the sect's organizational back. The faith has no priests or mullahs and hence no ecclesiastic hierarchy; it is run by councils or assemblies elected by secret ballot each year. On Aug.21, 1980, all nine members of the National Spiritual Assembly in Teheran were arrested. Nothing has been heard of them. Since then, Mr. Barrett said, members of local spiritual assemblies in every locality have been picked up. Exact numbers are not known, but it seems that thousands have been jailed or abducted.
Businesses have been confiscated, trade licenses revoked; retired government employees have lost pensions. Houses, crops and animals have been destroyed; shrines and cemeteries demolished; children have been denied places in schools. The house of the Bab in Shiraz - which means as much to Baha'is as the Church of the Nativity means to Christians, the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem means to Jews and the Kaaba shrine in Mecca means to Muslims - was bulldozed, Mr. Barrett said. The site is now a parking lot.
Condemnations by the European Community, the United States and the United Nations have ''slowed the process of total obliteration of the Baha'i faith in Iran,'' according to Mr. Barrett. But other Baha'i leaders and several independent observers use the word ''genocide'' to describe what they fear is happening.