April 16. On this date in 2000, the Universal House of Justice addressed a letter to the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Brazil in reply to "a number of questions regarding resignation and membership on Regional Bahá’í Councils."

 

April 16. On this date in 2000, the Universal House of Justice addressed a letter to the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Brazil in reply to "a number of questions regarding resignation and membership on Regional Bahá’í Councils."

THE UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE DEPARTMENT OF THE SECRETARIAT

To the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Brazil Dear Bahá’í Friends,

16 April 2000

The Universal House of Justice received your email letter ... in which you ask a number of questions regarding resignation and membership on Regional Bahá’í Councils. We have been asked to reply to you as follows . . .

To begin, we are reminded in letters written on behalf of the beloved Guardian that service as an elected member of a Bahá’í institution is “a bounty, a privilege and a unique responsibility” which “all the friends should stand ready to accept . . . unless they are definitely incapacitated and could not possibly take up office.” Further, we find that,

. . . the Guardian wishes you to make clear to all the believers that membership in a Bahá’í Assembly or Committee is a sacred obligation which should be gladly and confidently accepted by every loyal and conscientious member of the community, no matter how humble and inexperienced.

It is, therefore, clear that a member of an elected body such as a Regional Council in Brazil should not resign from serving, except in extremely rare cases. With this in mind, we turn to the questions raised in your email.

You indicate that one situation that has occurred is when a believer is elected to both a Regional Council and a Local Spiritual Assembly. Further, you state that the procedure you have adopted in such cases is the same as when a believer is elected to both the National Spiritual Assembly and a Local Spiritual Assembly, that is, you consider his or her resignation from the Local Assembly justified.

In this connection, we are instructed to point out that the House of Justice does not approve the automatic resignation of a member of a National Assembly from a Local Assembly, but rather asks that the circumstances of each case be considered separately. Normally those elected to a Local Assembly and the National Assembly should make every effort to serve on both bodies. The House of Justice has stated that

If it is too much of a burden and impractical for an individual member to assume the responsibilities of serving on both the National and the Local Assembly, he should present his case to both bodies, and seek consultation. Each case should be considered separately, depending on the circumstances of each member. It may be found that if a National Assembly member is an officer of the Local Spiritual Assembly, his resignation as officer of the Assembly, instead of the membership of that Assembly, may solve the problem for that individual.

In the event that a solution cannot be found, however, membership on the National Spiritual Assembly would then take precedence over membership on the Local Assembly. The same principles would apply in the case of a believer who is elected to both a Regional Council and a Local Assembly. In such an instance, the Local Assembly would accept the resignation at its own discretion. Only if unusual circumstances arise would the case need to be referred to the National Assembly.

Another situation described in your email is one in which a member of a Regional Council is not able to participate in the meetings of the Council, either occasionally owing to professional

 obligations or for prolonged periods. In this connection, you ask what degree of flexibility the National Assembly has in replacing Council members. Here again, the principles are clear in the case of an elected body. In a letter written on behalf of the Guardian, we read the following in relation to membership on a Local Spiritual Assembly:

. . . It is only too obvious that unless a member can attend regularly the meetings of his Local Assembly, it would be impossible for him to discharge the duties incumbent upon him, and to fulfill his responsibilities, as a representative of the community. Membership in a Local Spiritual Assembly carries with it, indeed, the obligation and capacity to remain in close touch with local Bahá’í activities, and ability to attend regularly the sessions of the Assembly.

Further, we share with you the instructions below from the Guardian:

. . . it is establishing a dangerous precedent to allow Assemblies to put a time limit on non- attendance of their members at meetings of the S.A. [Spiritual Assembly], beyond which that person is automatically dropped from the Assembly and a vacancy declared.... There should be no time limit fixed by Assemblies beyond which a person is dropped. Every case of prolonged absence from the sessions of the Assembly should be considered separately by that Assembly, and if the person is seen to not want to attend meetings, or to be held away from them indefinitely because of illness or travel, then a vacancy could legitimately be declared and a new member be elected.

Clearly, then, no hard and fast rules should be made as to the length of the period of absence of an elected member of a Regional Council from its meetings before a vacancy is declared, and each case would need to be decided on its own merit. This is not to say that a National Assembly may not bring to a Council’s attention any problem it notes in the attendance of the members of a Council. Yet, as in the case of a Local Assembly, it is the Regional Council itself which should conclude that a vacancy should be declared—this, presumably, after observing that the member in question does not attend meetings, despite repeated encouragement and attempts to remove possible impediments. However, unlike a Local Assembly which can declare a vacancy and call for a by-election at its own discretion, the Regional Council would need to refer the case to the National Assembly for final decision. In the event that a vacancy is declared, it would be filled as specified in item 2.2.5 of the 30 May 1997 statement, that is, “by the person who had the next highest number of votes on the ballot in the preceding election.”

With loving Bahá’í greetings, Department of the Secretariat

This document has been downloaded from the Bahá’í Reference Library. You are free to use its content subject to the terms of use found at www.bahai.org/legal

April 16. On this date in 1985, the Universal House of Justice wrote an NSA "participation in anti-apartheid demonstrations and protest activities could be construed as involvement in politics, and therefore should be avoided."

 

April 16. On this date in 1985, the Universal House of Justice wrote an NSA "participation in anti-apartheid demonstrations and protest activities could be construed as involvement in politics, and therefore should be avoided."

1805. The Bahá'í Must Scrupulously Avoid Involvement in Political Issues Therefore Cannot Participate in Anti-Apartheid Demonstrations

"In reply to your letter of 15 July 1985 seeking further clarification on the issue of apartheid, the Universal House of Justice has instructed us to point out that as the policy of apartheid derives from racial discrimination, it cannot be accepted by Bahá'ís wherever, and in whatever form, it may be practised.

"While the friends should, of course, support the principles of the Faith, including those advocating the oneness of mankind, and may associate with groups and engage in activities which promote these principles, they must scrupulously take care not to become involved in political issues. As stated in the letter to you dated 16 April 1985, participation in anti-apartheid demonstrations and protest activities could be construed as involvement in politics, and therefore should be avoided.

"...The world around us is seething with unrest caused by the conflicting interests of governments, peoples, races and individuals. Each of these contending parties has some good and some evil on its side, and, whereas we will unhesitatingly uphold Bahá'í principles, we will never become embroiled in these internecine conflicts by identifying ourselves with one or other of the parties, however much in our hearts we may sympathize with its aims.

"The positive attitude to the question of racial prejudice is radiant and whole-hearted exemplification of the principle of the oneness of mankind, first among the members of your National Spiritual Assembly and then throughout the Bahá'í community...."

(From a letter written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to a National Spiritual Assembly, August 18, 1985)

April 16. On this date in 1913, 'Abdu’l-Bahá cabled Ali Kuli Khan "Macnutt repented from violation of covenant but was not awakened." After several months’ correspondence between MacNutt and 'Abdu’l-Bahá via Ali Kuli Khan, MacNutt satisfied 'Abdu’l-Bahá that he had repented for his earlier errors."

 

April 16. On this date in 1913, 'Abdu’l-Bahá cabled Ali Kuli Khan "Macnutt repented from violation of covenant but was not awakened." After several months’ correspondence between MacNutt and 'Abdu’l-Bahá via Ali Kuli Khan, MacNutt satisfied 'Abdu’l-Bahá that he had repented for his earlier errors."

From the article titled MacNutt, Howard by Robert Stockman...

Theologically liberal, Howard MacNutt had an extremely high regard for the ability of persons to fulfil their own potential, to the extent of becoming like Christ in one’s spiritual abilities. One consequence was a belief that 'Abdu’l-Bahá had no extraordinary spiritual station; according to Charles Mason Remey, MacNutt did not "regard Him as being different in Spirit from other men. . . that through works and service and overcoming all He attained to this station." His view contrasted sharply with that of most Bahá’ís, and caused the Washington, D.C. Bahá’ís to cease inviting MacNutt to speak at their meetings, about 1906. It resulted in a severe personality clash with Arthur P. Dodge (q. v.), who viewed 'Abdu’l-Bahá as the return of Christ. It also resulted in MacNutt failing to appreciate the Bahá’í teaching that Covenant-breaking is a spiritual disease. When 'Abdu’l-Bahá came to the United States in 1912 He assigned to MacNutt the task of meeting with a group of potential Covenant-breakers in Chicago and warning them. He also ordered MacNutt to break all communication with Ibrahim Kheiralla and other Covenant-breakers. When MacNutt failed to cut his connections with the Covenant-breakers and failed to warn the Chicago group of their actions, 'Abdu’l-Bahá warned Howard MacNutt that he had violated the Covenant himself and commanded him to repent before a group of New York Bahá’ís, which he did on 18 November 1912. But the matter was not resolved; 'Abdu’l-Bahá cabled Ali Kuli Khan on 16 April 1913, "MACNUTT REPENTED FROM VIOLATION OF COVENANT BUT WAS NOT AWAKENED." After several months’ correspondence between MacNutt and 'Abdu’l-Bahá via Ali Kuli Khan, MacNutt satisfied 'Abdu’l-Bahá that he had come to understand and repent for his earlier errors, and 'Abdu’l-Bahá recognized MacNutt as a Bahá’í.

April 16. On this date in 1925, Palle Bischoff was born. He was the first Danish Bahá'í to become a Baha'i in Denmark and the first Bahá'í to pioneer to Greenland. He also served on the NSA of Scandinavia and Finland as Vice-Chair and the NSA of Denmark.

 

April 16. On this date in 1925, Palle Bischoff was born. He was the first Danish Bahá'í to become a Baha'i in Denmark and the first Bahá'í to pioneer to Greenland. He also served on the NSA of Scandinavia and Finland as Vice-Chair and the NSA of Denmark.

Palle Bischoff was born in Humlebaek, Denmark in 1925. He studied commercial science and obtained a degree in the field. He became a Bahá'í on November 17, 1947, and attended a Feast in Stockholm shortly after his conversion. In 1950 he chaired an evening at the Third European Teaching Conference in Copenhagen, and delivered a talk on Progressive Revelation.

In 1951 Palle was appointed to manage a fishing station at Edgesminde, Greenland for four months and another station in Govkussak in the winter by the Danish government, allowing him to become the first Bahá'í to pioneer to the country. He wrote the following to the Greenland Committee of the National Spiritual Assembly of Canada:

"It is exciting and I pray that I will be able to light the fire of the love of God among the people there so that the unity and harmony of the Cause of Bahá'u'lláh will be manifested also in that country"

He opened a ski school after retiring from managing the fishing stations, and lived in Greenland until 1954, when he returned to Denmark.

He served as Chairman of the 1956 Bahá'í Summer School of Moss, Norway. In 1957 he was elected to the National Spiritual Assembly of Scandinavia and Finlandas Vice-Chair, and he served on that Assembly until 1963. In 1961 he was elected to the first Local Spiritual Assembly of Frederiksberg in Denmark.

In 1964 he was elected to the first National Spiritual Assembly of Denmark, and he served on the Assembly, or as an Auxiliary Board Member, until 2000. He was also elected to the Local Spiritual Assembly of Sollerod in 1964 and served on it until 1998.

The Universal House of Justice noted his "outstanding services" that "earned him an imperishable place in the annals of the Danish Bahá'í community" after his death.

Amatu'l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum referenced Palle Bischoff in a letter dated October 30, 1951, written to the NSA of Canada "The departure of Mr. Bond for the Arctic made the Guardian very happy; this, as well as the sailing of Mr. Bischoff for Greenland, mark the opening stage of the campaign to carry the Faith to the Eskimos, a planset forth by 'Abdu'l-Bahá and very dear to His heart."

October 30, 1951.

National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Canada.

Your letters ... have been received, with enclosures, and the beloved Guardian has instructed me to answer you on his behalf.

The Administrative Order is not a governmental or civic body, it is to regulate and guide the internal affairs of the Bahá'í community; consequently it works, according to its own procedure, best suited to its needs. A Bahá'í who does more than visit temporarily a community is considered for our administrative purposes as a resident and can vote and serve accordingly. Students in foreign lands, most obviously not residents, are registered as local Bahá'ís, and therefore entitled to do their share of work and play their part in the local community life. This should be pointed out to ... who seem to be confusing our internal administration with external practices which have no relation to it. As regards their personal attitudes the Guardian, remembering what a devoted worker ... has been in the past, is very sorry to see she is no longer active. He does not feel this will lead to either her happiness or that of ...; for, whenever we compromise with what is noblest and best in ourselves, we are the losers invariably.

The Guardian was delighted to hear the friends are at last responding to the urgent needs of the Plan and going forth as pioneers. Plans are concrete things, and not mere honors, and victories--like all other achievements in life--must be purchased at the cost of persistent efforts! He feels sure the Canadian Bahá'ís, perhaps slow to get under way, will display the counterpart of this British characteristic, and cling like bull dogs to their tasks, once they do get under way.

PIONEER TO GREENLAND

The departure of Mr. Bond 1 for the Arctic made the Guardian very happy; this, as well as the sailing of Mr. Bischoff 2 for Greenland, mark the opening stage of the campaign to carry the Faith to the Eskimos, a planset forth by `Abdu'l-Bahá and very dear to His heart.

Encouraging as these steps are, they do not take care of the main body of the work--the establishment of new Assemblies and groups. In order to accomplish this the entire Canadian Community will have to rise to a new level of activity, consciousness, and sacrifice, just as did the British Bahá'í Community during their Six Year Plan. Their success is perhaps one of the most remarkable ever achieved in the Bahá'í World because they were few in number, run down in health from the long years of suffering during the war, and poor in financial resources. Their determination, dedication and moral stamina, however, carried them through, and Bahá'u'lláh gave them the victory. He will give the same victory to everyone who shows the same characteristics. Success breeds success, and this same Community, now rightfully proud and conscious of its importance, is carrying on its African work in a brilliant manner. The Canadian Bahá'ís, more prosperous, less restricted, and equally capable, can accomplish just as much if they unitedly determine to do so.

The response made by the Canadian friends to the Guardian's appeal for support of the Shrine work has touched him very much. He wishes to thank all those who contributed for their loving generosity, and to assure them that their cooperation in this wonderful task has added to the spiritual beauty of an Edifice already so Holy and so beloved by all the believers the world over.

He wishes you all every success in the discharge of your arduous duties, and is praying for a marked quickening in the pace of the Five Year Plan.

With Bahá'í love,

R. RABBANI. 

1 Jameson Bond--first pioneer to the Canadian Arctic (District of Keewatin 1950, District of Franklin 1951-63, with Mrs. Gale Bond from 1953 on). 

2 Palle Bischoff--Danish believer, the first pioneer to Greenland (1951-54).

April 16. On this date in 1950, Shoghi Effendi wrote "There are two kinds of Bahá'ís, one might say: those whose religion is Bahá'í and those who live for the Faith. Needless to say if one can belong to the latter category, if one can be in the vanguard of heroes, martyrs and saints, it is more praiseworthy in the sight of God."

 

April 16. On this date in 1950, Shoghi Effendi wrote "There are two kinds of Bahá'ís, one might say: those whose religion is Bahá'í and those who live for the Faith. Needless to say if one can belong to the latter category, if one can be in the vanguard of heroes, martyrs and saints, it is more praiseworthy in the sight of God."

271. Two Kinds of Bahá'ís

"There are two kinds of Bahá'ís, one might say: those whose religion is Bahá'í and those who live for the Faith. Needless to say if one can belong to the latter category, if one can be in the vanguard of heroes, martyrs and saints, it is more praiseworthy in the sight of God."

(From a letter written on behalf of the Guardian to an individual believer, April 16, 1950: Living the Life, p. 16)

April 16. On this date in 1967, the UHJ wrote "it is necessary that Bahá'ís who intend to divorce be aware that they must consult with their Local or National Assembly, that basically a year of waiting must ensue before divorce can be effected, and that the Assembly has certain responsibilities toward the couple concerned about which they will be informed through consultation with the Assembly."

 

April 16. On this date in 1967, the UHJ wrote "it is necessary that Bahá'ís who intend to divorce be aware that they must consult with their Local or National Assembly, that basically a year of waiting must ensue before divorce can be effected, and that the Assembly has certain responsibilities toward the couple concerned about which they will be informed through consultation with the Assembly."

1317. Bahá'ís Who Intend to Divorce Must Consult with Local or National Assembly

"However, it is necessary that Bahá'ís who intend to divorce be aware that they must consult with their Local or National Assembly, that basically a year of waiting must ensue before divorce can be effected, and that the Assembly has certain responsibilities toward the couple concerned about which they will be informed through consultation with the Assembly."

(From a letter of the Universal House of Justice to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, April 16, 1967)

April 16. On this date in 2002, an article titled "Bahai feel bashed by local media" appeared in Haaretznoting "Articles have appeared in the local and national press accusing the Bahai World Center of receiving government tax reimbursements which it is not entitled to, of having unethical links with the Labor Party, of using excessive amounts of water to maintain the gardens."

 

April 16. On this date in 2002, an article titled "Bahai feel bashed by local media" appeared in Haaretz noting "Articles have appeared in the local and national press accusing the Bahai World Center of receiving government tax reimbursements which it is not entitled to, of having unethical links with the Labor Party, of using excessive amounts of water to maintain the gardens."

Bahai feel bashed by local media

By Charlotte Halle

The Bahai movement, which plowed $250 million into re-landscaping the gardens of its Haifa world headquarters, charges that it has been unfairly treated by the local media.

Articles have appeared in the local and national press accusing the Bahai World Center of receiving government tax reimbursements which it is not entitled to, of having unethical links with the Labor Party, of using excessive amounts of water to maintain the gardens and, most absurdly, of worshiping idols and using incense during religious practices.

Officials are particularly furious about an "untrue and unfair" article that appeared in the Haifa weekly newspaper Zman Haifa earlier this month, which claimed that the world center had received millions of shekels in irregular payments from the Israeli government. The Bahais are particularly distressed because they say the newspaper gave them just one hour to respond to the allegations before the article went to press.

"It upsets us that people look for an ulterior, negative motive in what we are doing," says Glen Fullmer, senior information officer at the center. He attributes the attacks to the Bahai community's dramatic shift from "obscurity" to "high-profile" target for media coverage following the opening of the new garden project.

"We were silent citizens," he says, "and sometimes the story we have to tell - that we are beautifying our holy places with voluntary contributions from Bahais around the world on a nonprofit basis - just doesn't seem to add up."

Based on an acceptance of all world religions, the Bahai faith supports the unification of humanity and the emergence of a global civilization. Its principles forbid accepting donations from any individual or institution outside of the faith.

The opening of the gardens surrounding the world-famous golden-domed Shrine of the Bab - a tranquil haven for visiting pilgrims - is the result of 15 years of planning and construction, and a $250-million investment by the Bahai community. The center signed an agreement with the Israeli government in 1987, entitling it to tax exemptions on the basis of the fact that it is an international religious, nonprofit organization. The center stands to receive a tax refund on the order of $20 million.

The Zman Haifa article was based on questions about tax reimbursement that were submitted by an independent auditor to the Ministry of Tourism.

Bahai sources claim that all the auditor's queries were satisfactorily answered, and that it was "defamatory" and unfair of the newspaper to portray the questions as based in fact. Furthermore, the world center placed a full-page advertisement in the newspaper a week later, refuting the paper's claims with quotes from Ministry of Tourism and Ministry of Finance officials. The Bahai center is still considering taking legal action against the newspaper for the "malicious and unprofessional" article.

Zman Haifa editor Sharon Gal told Anglo File that reporters had given the Bahais about seven hours to repond to the claims. Due to a "technical error," their response to the allegations had not appeared, but added that a response was printed in full the following week, the same week the full-page advertisement was published. He added that many editors would not have agreed to print the advertisement of the Bahais because it was so overtly critical of the newspaper.

Murray Smith, deputy secretary-general of the Bahai World Center, says the gardens have given a "big boost" to the social and economic life of Haifa, with almost 35,000 Israelis visiting the site every week since June. This represents a radical rise in the number of day visitors to the city, at a time when tourism is at an all-time low. He emphasized that entrance to the gardens is free and that they are open daily.

The opening of the gardens, Smith adds, has forced the Bahais into the "limelight," although they prefer to keep a low profile, to avoid "upsetting people in a way that will be of negative consequence to Bahais in other countries."

Smith dismisses as "completely false and erroneous" the claims in the media that the Bahais worship idols and use incense. He also outlined the world center's strict regulations - built into the planning of the gardens - stipulating avoidance of water-intensive plants, and use of state-of-the-art irrigation technology. He adds that many "positive" articles also appeared in the press following the opening of the gardens.

In general, says Smith, the Bahai center has enjoyed good relations with all Israeli governments, a fact that has not escaped the attention of the government of Iran. There, Bahai believers are persecuted under the fundamentalist Islamic regime, which accuses them of being Zionist collaborators. Baha'u'llah, the founder of the monotheistic Bahai faith - which broke off from Islam 150 years ago - arrived in the Holy Land from Iran as a prisoner of the Ottoman Empire in 1868 and died near Acre in 1892. According to Smith, when the Bahais arrived in Palestine, Baha'u'llah instructed his followers that they must not seek or accept converts here, a rule which is still strictly observed today.

The elected governing body of the world's Bahai community, the Universal House of Justice, has its seat in Haifa on Mount Carmel, adjacent to the Shrine of the Bab and the new gardens. Haifa and Acre together comprise the international spiritual and administrative center for the five million followers of the Bahai faith, of whom 800 live in Israel, volunteering for a time at the Haifa headquarters before returning home.

The sentiments in the article are reflected in the 2007 Israeli documentary film "Bahais in My Backyard"which includes interviews with Murray R. Smith (at 9 minutes 20 seconds), Moshe Sharon (at 12 minutes and 10 seconds), Nigar Bahai Amsalem (at 13 minutes 50 seconds), and Frederick Glaysher (at 40 minutes)

Moshe Sharon serves as Professor Emeritus of Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem where he serves as Chair in Bahá'í Studies. In the interview he states that the only Bahá'í academic chair in the world is in Israel due to his efforts in convincing Hebrew University to establish one and his efforts in finding a benefactor to fund the position. Even at the time of the interview, there were other Bahá'í academic chairs in existence, such as the ones established at Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya, a state university in Madhya Pradesh, in 1991 and at the University of Maryland in 1993.

Moshe Sharon denies the existence of Bahá'u'lláh's descendants in Israel. Despite Sharon's denial of the existence of such relatives, they do exist, and one of Bahá'u'lláh's great-granddaughters, Nigar Bahai Amsalem, is featured in the film. The denial of these descendants, no less by a purported academic who is "Chair of Bahá'í Studies" at arguably Israel's best university, is curious.

Frequently interviewed by Israeli media, Moshe Sharon has been called "Israel's greatest Middle East scholar". Among his political views is that there is "no possibility of peace between Israel and the Palestinians whatsoever, for ever" and that peace agreements with Arabs are "pieces of paper, parts of tactics, strategies...with no meaning." He blames the Bosnians' being Muslim for the Yugoslav conflict of the 1990's and argues that "The only way to avoid military confrontation with Iran is to leave this military confrontation to powers bigger than Israel." "

Who are Bahá'u'lláh's descendants? They are a varied group of people. Some, such as Nigar Bahai Amsalem, have married Israeli Jews. Shoghi Effendi's brother Husayn married someone Shoghi Effendi would describe as a "lowborn Christian girl." Others have married Indians. Still others have married Arabs. In fact, Munib Shahid, Shoghi Effendi's cousin through `Abdu'l-Bahá's daughter Ruha, married Serene Husseini Shahid, and their daughter, Leila Shahid is a prominent Palestinian diplomat currently serving as General Delegate of Palestine to the European Union. She is frequently interviewed, particularly by francophone media,. Although Munib Shahid made trips abroad to promote the Bahá'í Faith, Shoghi Effendi would declare Munib Shahid a Covenant-breaker with the the following cable to the Bahá'í world in November 1944:

Monib Shahid, grandson of both `Abdu'l-Bahá and the King of Martyrs, married according to the Moslem rites the daughter of a political exile who is nephew of the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem. This treacherous act of alliance with enemies of the Faith merits condemnation of entire Bahá'í world." Bahá'í News, No. 172

In March 1950, Shoghi Effendi would send a cable: "Faithless brother Hussein, already abased through dishonorable conduct over period (of) years followed by association with Covenant-breakers (in) Holy Land and efforts (to) undermine Guardian's position, recently further demeaned himself through marriage under obscure circumstances with lowborn Christian girl (in) Europe." Shoghi Effendi would later defend the use of the term "lowborn Christian girl" as follows: "Regarding his cable concerning Hussein: he has been very surprised to note that the terms 'low-born Christian girl ' and 'disgraceful alliance' should arouse any question; it seems to him that the friends should realize it is not befitting for the Guardian's own brother, the grandchild of the Master, an Afnán and Aghsán mentioned in the Will and Testament of the Master, and of whom so much was expected because of his relation to the family of the Prophet, to marry an unknown girl, according to goodness knows what rite, who is not a believer at all.

April 16. On this date in 1981, the UHJ wrote "In such countries it is comparatively easy to bring large numbers of new believers into the Faith…"

 

April 16. On this date in 1981, the UHJ wrote "In such countries it is comparatively easy to bring large numbers of new believers into the Faith, and this is such a thrilling experience that visiting teachers often tend to prefer to do this rather than help with the consolidation work ... The first teacher who was careless of consolidation, instead of planting and nourishing the seeds of faith has, in fact, "inoculated" the people against the Divine Message and made subsequent teaching very much harder."

"The ... problem occurs most frequently in countries such as those in Africa, where there is entry by troops. In such countries it is comparatively easy to bring large numbers of new believers into the Faith, and this is such a thrilling experience that visiting teachers often tend to prefer to do this rather than help with the consolidation work ... It should be pointed out that, especially if they [the travelling teachers] are assigned to expansion work, they must remember that consolidation is an essential and inseparable element of teaching, and if they go to a remote area and enroll believers whom no one is going to be able to visit again in the near future, they may well be doing a disservice to those people and to the Faith. To give people this glorious Message and then leave them in the lurch, produces disappointment and disillusionment, so that, when it does become possible to carry out properly planned teaching in that area, the teachers may well find the people resistant to the Message. The first teacher who was careless of consolidation, instead of planting and nourishing the seeds of faith has, in fact, "inoculated" the people against the Divine Message and made subsequent teaching very much harder." (16 April 1981, Universal House of Justice. In Messages from the Universal House of Justice 1963-1986, p. 483; and Seven Year Plan, p. 165) [34]

April 15. On this date in 1924, Hadi Afsahi was born in Tehran, Iran. A notable Iranian Bahá’í, he pioneered to Sweden, where he served on the inaugural National Spiritual Assembly and later as an Auxiliary Board member for the Continental Board of Counsellors for Europe.

 

April 15. On this date in 1924, Hadi Afsahi was born in Tehran, Iran. A notable Iranian Bahá’í, he pioneered to Sweden, where he served on the inaugural National Spiritual Assembly and later as an Auxiliary Board member for the Continental Board of Counsellors for Europe.

A fourth generation Bahá’í, Hadi Afsahi was born on April 15, 1924 in Tehran, Iran, and received his early education at the Bahá’í Tarbíyat School in that city. After earning a degree in civil engineering from the University of Tehran he worked with the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company from 1947 to 1959 and pioneered to two different localities within the country. Mr. Afsahi was a member of the first Local Spiritual Assemblies in the Iranian cities of Masjid-i-Sulayman and Gachsaran. He married Mehri Golmohammadi in 1953, and the couple had two children, May and Aram. In January 1960, Mr. Afsahi left Iran for Sweden, settling in Uppsala, a pioneer goal city, to be joined several months later by his family. In Sweden, he served as a member of the first Local Spiritual Assembly in Uppsala and was also a member of the country's National Teaching Committee from 1960 to 1967. Elected as a member of the first National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Sweden, he served on that body from 1962 until 1968, when he was appointed as a member of the Auxiliary Board of the Continental Board of Counsellors for Europe, in which capacity he served until 1993.

Mr. Afsahi made many trips throughout Sweden and internationally to teach the Bahá’í Faith. Within Sweden, he was active in teaching minority groups such as the Roma people and the native Sámi people of Lapland. During his years in Sweden Mr. Afsahi worked as a high school teacher of mathematics, physics, and chemistry, until his retirement in 1989. He was also involved with the United Nations Association and the National Sámi Organization.

Hadi Afsahi died on April 28, 2003. In its message after his passing, the Universal House of Justice wrote of his "long-serving and steadfast devotion, his warm and radiant spirit, and his indefatigable dedication to the teaching work," which it "recalled with deep gratitude".

April 15. On this date in 1886, Saichiro Fujita, the second Japanese to become a Bahá'í, was born in Yanai, Japan.

 

April 15. On this date in 1886, Saichiro Fujita, the second Japanese to become a Bahá'í, was born in Yanai, Japan.

Saichiro Fujita was born in Yanai, Japan, on April 15, 1886.

He went to the United States when he was a teenager as he wanted to complete his education there. While he was attending school in Oakland, California in 1905 he was taught the Faith by Kathryn Frankland who also helped to teach Kanichi Yamamoto and his children.

Sachiro Fujita converted to the Bahá'í Faith in 1905. The American Bahá'ís had trouble pronouncing Fujita's name so while there he took the first name, Harriston, but that was eventually dropped.

When 'Abdu'l-Bahá made his trip to America, Fujita met him in Cleveland, where he was working for a Bahá'í doctor. 'Abdu'l-Bahá invited Fujita to travel with him, so Fujita joined the group. Fujita would accompany ‘Abdu'l-Bahá across many American cities including Kenosha, Wisconsin, St. Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota, Denver and Glenwood Springs, Colorado, Salt Lake City, Utah, and San Francisco and Stanford, California.

Fujita expressed the desire to go to Palestine with 'Abdu'l-Bahá, and spend the rest of his life serving him. 'Abdu'l-Bahá accepted Fujita's offer but for the next seven years guided Fujita's studies in the United States for the special services that he would do for him. In 1919 Fujita left for Palestine and stayed there until 1938. He helped in many ways: maintaining 'Abdu'l-Bahá's car; installing electric wiring; gardening; and serving pilgrims.

Perhaps one of his greatest services was after the death of 'Abdu'l-Bahá in 1921, when Shoghi Effendi left for rest and relaxation in the Bernese Oberland with his cousin Ruhi Afnan. 'Abdu'l-Bahá's sister, Bahiyyih Khanum, took over the affairs of the Faith until Shoghi Effendi returned to Haifa to assume his duties as Guardian of the Faith. As Fujita's English was fluent, he wrote letters at the direction of the Greatest Holy Leaf. 

In 1938, Shoghi Effendi sent to Sachiro Fujita to live with his family in Yamaguchi Prefecture. This happened around the same time that Shoghi Effendi disbanded the Haifa Spiritual Assembly and sent the small Palestinian Bahá'í community, all of them Persians, to leave the territory of Mandatory Palestine and move to Iran.

In 1955, Shoghi Effendi permitted Fujita to return to what had become Israel, where he would continue to work under the Custodians and the Universal House of Justice until his death on May 7, 1976.

April 15. On this date in 1976, "The House of Justice points out that calamities have been and are occurring and will continue to happen until mankind has been chastened sufficiently to accept the Manifestation for this day. Abdu'l-Bahá anticipated that the Lesser Peace could be established before the end of the twentieth century."

 

April 15. On this date in 1976, "The House of Justice points out that calamities have been and are occurring and will continue to happen until mankind has been chastened sufficiently to accept the Manifestation for this day. Abdu'l-Bahá anticipated that the Lesser Peace could be established before the end of the twentieth century."

427. Calamities Will Continue Until Mankind is Chastened Sufficiently...

"You make reference to calamities and request specific answers if there are any as to when they may occur and with what magnitude. The House of Justice noted your comments that you have read what Bahá'u'lláh had to say about the collapse of the old world order and the coming of the new, and that in recent times friends returning from their pilgrimages spoke of meetings with Hands of the Cause and members of the House of Justice in which the coming of great world upheavals was related to a time 'around the end of the Five Year Plan and afterwards'. The House of Justice points out that calamities have been and are occurring and will continue to happen until mankind has been chastened sufficiently to accept the Manifestation for this day. Abdu'l-Bahá anticipated that the Lesser Peace could be established before the end of the twentieth century. However, Bahá'ís should not be diverted from the work of the Cause by the fear of catastrophes but should try to understand why they occur. The beloved Guardian, in innumerable places, has explained the reasons for these occurrences, and since they happen from time to time as explained above we should not be concerned as to when they occur."

(From a letter written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer, April 15, 1976)

April 15. On this date in 1965, the Universal House of Justice wrote the NSA of the U.S. "A very great responsibility for the future peace and well-being of the world is borne by the youth of today. Let the Bahá'í youth by the power of the Cause they espouse be the shining example for their companions."

 

April 15. On this date in 1965, the Universal House of Justice wrote the NSA of the U.S. "A very great responsibility for the future peace and well-being of the world is borne by the youth of today. Let the Bahá'í youth by the power of the Cause they espouse be the shining example for their companions."

2142. Future Peace--Great Responsibility Borne by Youth

"A very great responsibility for the future peace and well-being of the world is borne by the youth of today. Let the Bahá'í youth by the power of the Cause they espouse be the shining example for their companions."

(From a letter of the Universal House of Justice to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, April 15, 1965)

April 15. On this date in 1987, an Australian Bahá’í asked the UHJ about the Prayer for the Dead, receiving the reply "The Prayer for the Dead should be read in its entirety by one person, while all others stand in silence. It is not the practice for those present to repeat any part of the prayer in unison."

 

April 15. On this date in 1987, an Australian Bahá’í asked the UHJ about the Prayer for the Dead, receiving the reply "The Prayer for the Dead should be read in its entirety by one person, while all others stand in silence. It is not the practice for those present to repeat any part of the prayer in unison."

Recitation of the Prayer for the Dead

22 MAY 1987

The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Australia

Dear Bahá’í Friends,

In response to your letter of 15 April 1987 enclosing a letter from Miss . . . concerning the Prayer for the Dead, the Universal House of Justice instructs us to reply as follows.

The Prayer for the Dead should be read in its entirety by one person, while all others stand in silence. It is not the practice for those present to repeat any part of the prayer in unison.

With loving Bahá’í greetings,

DEPARTMENT OF THE SECRETARIAT

April 15. On this date in 2001, the online magazine Themestream published an article titled "The Talisman Crackdown" by Karen Bacquet, who was later named as an apostate by Moojan Momen in "Marginality and Apostasy in the Bahá'í Community." For background see the Universal House of Justice's letter dated April 7, 1999, titled "Issues Related to the Study of the Bahá’í Faith" and Juan Cole's response, dated June 14, 1999, titled "Commentary on Letter of Universal House of Justice dated April 7, 1999".

 

April 15. On this date in 2001, the online magazine Themestream published an article titled "The Talisman Crackdown" by Karen Bacquet, who was later named as an apostate by Moojan Momen in "Marginality and Apostasy in the Bahá'í Community." For background see the Universal House of Justice's letter dated April 7, 1999, titled "Issues Related to the Study of the Bahá’í Faith" (also here) and Juan Cole's response, dated June 14, 1999, titled "Commentary on Letter of Universal House of Justice dated April 7, 1999".

The Talisman Crackdown The Baha'i Faith is often described as an open and tolerant religion, classed with New Age groups or Unitarian Universalists because of its teachings concerning the unity of all religions, racial harmony, and world peace. What is little-known even within the Baha'i community is that the elected Baha'i institutions have historically kept strict control of any public information concerning the religion and has been willing to use threats and sanctions to silence members who have unorthodox views.

The Baha'i Faith was founded in 1863 by the Iranian prophet Baha'u'llah (1817-92). While this young religion within the milieu of Shi'ih Islam, it has been in the U.S. since the turn of the century. It has, however, experienced slow growth for most of that time. One exception to this trend was during the late '60s and early '70s when young baby-boomers were engaged in a great deal of spiritual seeking and began joining alternative religions in large numbers. Some of the young people who joined the Baha'i Faith during this period planned their lives in order to be of service to their new-found faith -- studying religion, Middle Eastern history, and learning Arabic and Persian.

When Baha'i scriptures support scholarship, conservative administrators were quite mistrustful of what has been called "the culture of critical discourse" of these young intellectuals. There had been a few clashes between the two, even before the rise of cyberspace. In the late '70s, some of them formed a study group in the Los Angeles area, putting out a small, local newsletter. This newsletter was effectively silenced when the National Spiritual Assembly insisted that it be subject to "prepublication review" -- a requirement for all publications by Baha'i writers when they address Baha'i subjects, even when the material is being sent to non-Baha'i publishers. This review process, which Baha'i officials insist is not censorship, is resented by many Baha'i writers and intellectuals. The effect on the community at large is that before the popularity of the Internet in the '90s, few Baha'is had ever heard anything but "official" views concerning Baha'i issues.

Another attempt at getting unofficial views published in the community was the magazine Dialogue, which was published briefly in the mid-1980s. Although the editors and staff cooperated with the often cumbersome review process, the magazine was viewed with great suspicion by the National Spiritual Assembly. At the 1988 National Convention, when delegates from around the country gathered to elect the next year's Assembly, External Affairs Secretary Firuz Kazemzadeh denounced a particular article slated for publication called A Modest Proposal and described those involved with the magazine as "dissidents". Faced with such hostility, and with their reputation thus ruined in the eyes of the community, the editors stopped publication. Several of those involved in the L.A. study group and Dialogue magazine were later active participants on the Talisman forum.

The nucleus of the email forum called "Talisman" began when two old friends, Professor Juan R.I. Cole of the University of Michigan and Professor John Walbridge of the University of Indiana began an intense email correspondence concerning some aspects of early Baha'i history. (The results of this research can be seen in Cole's book Modernity and the Millennium, available through Amazon.) Both men had been Baha'is for more than twenty years, and had been "pioneers" (Baha'i missionaries) in the Middle East during thier youth. In the early 1990s, these email discussions continued on a small forum called, somewhat whimsically, "Majnun"(this Arabic word means "crazy"). The members of Majnun were all scholars and specialists, and the forum was quite academic.

In 1994, Walbridge started up Talisman, a more open forum on a big listserv at the University of Indiana. While the stated purpose of the list was the academic study of the Baha'i Faith, a great majority of the participants were not specialists or college professors. Old-time members of Talisman describe those early days as a time of excitement and wonder. Because of the pattern of Baha'i missionary work, most Baha'is live in small, scattered communities of less than 30 people. While the Baha'i community prides itself on its ethnic diversity, many Talisman participants had never been exposed to such diverse views on Baha'i teachings. Outspoken feminists found themselves corresponding with old-fashioned Middle Eastern men; legalistic administrators talked to mystics; scriptural literalists went head-to-head with scholars using academic methods.

While Talisman was exciting, it also tended to be contentious, and Baha'is traditionally value "unity" and the harmony of the group. More conservative Baha'is, including those serving on Baha'i institutions, were deeply disturbed by Talisman's rather freewheeling and argumentative atmosphere.

Matters came to a head in late 1995, when David Langness was contacted by the National Spiritual Assembly(NSA)concerning an email he had written to Talisman about the Dialogue episode. He had been the main author of A Modest Proposal and gave vent to the secretive way Baha'i jurisprudence is handled. This post also made the statement that the Universal House of Justice had not approved of the NSAs action in the Dialogue case. The NSA called the statement a lie and insisted that he publicly apologize and retract the statement. (There seems to have been considerable difference between public and private statements on this issue, and I personally believe it to be a matter of confusion rather than dishonesty.)Langness posted a reluctant retraction but it was deemed unsatisfactory by the NSA. He was penalized by the loss of his "administrative rights". This meant that he could not vote, or be elected to a Baha'i institution, or participate in any even that was limited to Baha'is in good standing.

In February 1996, a young member of Majnun (the smaller list continued with its more specialized discussions) was furious at the way the NSA handled the case and suggested that an organized protest be formed along with a written statement of reform proposals for Baha'i administration. Another member of this small circle of friends responded with a humorous message, gentle vetoing the idea as potentially causing more harm than good, and saying that the administration couldn't do anything about the existence of Talisman or the spread of liberal ideas, even though they disliked it. Fatefully, this email was sent to the broader forum, Talisman, instead of to the Majnun list. This message, later dubbed the "Majnun post"was misinterpreted as evidence of a conspiracy and used as an excuse to investigate the prominent posters on the list.

These included John Walbridge and his wife, Linda, Juan Cole, Steven Scholl of White Cloud Press and founding editor of Dialogue magazine, and Anthony Lee of Kalimat Press, an independent Baha'i publisher. Accounts differ concerning the nature and purpose of this investigation. Cole, who had made the most extensive public statements on the crackdown insists that he was threatened with being called a "covenant-breaker" if he did not stop posting his liberal views on email forums. (A covenant-breaker is a heretic who advocates a form of authority other than the Baha'i institutions. The penalty for this is shunning.) Baha'i officials deny that Cole was ever threatened.

The only written evidence of the nature of the threats made against the Talisman posters are two letters by Counselor Stephen Birkland, the Baha'i official asssigned to the investigation, to Scholl and another Talisman participant.Both of these letters end with the warning that "your promulgation of views contrary to the Teachings was damaging to the Cause. If you were to resume in any fashion this course of action, the effect would be to bring you into direct conflict with the Covenant"; that is, they would be regarded as "covenant-breakers". The letters also make it clear that Birkland's instructions came from the supreme governing body of the Baha'i Faith, with its seat in Haifa.

In the aftermath of Birkland's investigation, Linda Walbridge, Steve Scholl and Juan Cole resigned their Baha'i membership. Walbridge shut down the Talisman list, but Cole, the only one of the five to remain significantly active in cyberspace, started the list up again almost immediately at the University of Michigan. In December 1999, the list, now known as talisman9, moved to eGroups, where it still has over 100 members. Other email forums, including the academic list H-Bahai, and the liberal discussion list Zuhur19, can be regarded as direct descendents of Walbridge's Talisman.

While administrators have been powerless to prevent freedom of expression in Baha'i cyberspace (a phenomenon the Universal House of Justice has called "a campaign of "internal opposition"), it has taken membership away from two others who had become prominent on the later Talisman forums: Canadian fantasy writer Michael McKenny in 1997, and Alison Marshall of New Zealand in 2000.

Author's note: This article first appeared in the online magazine Themestream. It was published on IAMValley April 15, 2001.