July 27. On this date in 1972, "His Majesty King Motlot-lehi Moshoeshoe II received Amatu’l-Bahá in an audience at which tea was served. His Majesty is a highly educated young man brought up mostly in England, much loved by the people of Lesotho."

July 27. On this date in 1972, "His Majesty King Motlot-lehi Moshoeshoe II received Amatu’l-Bahá in an audience at which tea was served. His Majesty is a highly educated young man brought up mostly in England, much loved by the people of Lesotho." 

From Shoghi Effendi's death in 1957 until her own death in 2000, Amatu'l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum traveled to over 185 countries and territories.

As documented in Violette Nakhjavani's The Great Safari of Hand of the Cause Rúhíyyih Khánum...

On the afternoon of July 27, His Majesty King Motlot-lehi Moshoeshoe II received Amatu’l-Bahá in an audience at which tea was served. His Majesty is a highly educated young man brought up mostly in England, much loved by the people of Lesotho. Rúḥíyyih Khánum told His Majesty about our trip, touching briefly on the Faith. She spoke about her strong belief in the spiritual destiny of Africa and her hopes for the future services its people would render humanity. The King became very interested and asked her if the Bahá’í Faith was progressing in his country or whether we knew there were still many people here who believed in their ancestral religion. Rúḥíyyih Khánum replied, “Yes, the Faith is spreading somewhat in Lesotho.” Then she continued: “I was born and brought up in a Christian environment, although my parents were Bahá’ís and I have always been a Bahá’í; but my background and environment were all Christian. Then after my marriage I lived in the Muslim environment of Palestine. Since the Jewish State of Israel was formed I have lived in close contact with the Jewish religion. I have come to the conclusion that the followers of these three great religions are among the most prejudiced and intolerant people in the world. Later on, coming in contact with the Buddhists I realized they are much more tolerant than the Christians, Jews or the Muslims. The Hindus are extremely tolerant. But of all the people of the world I have come to the conclusion that the so-called pagans are the most tolerant and lack any real religious prejudice and that is why I enjoy teaching them more than any others.”

She went on to say that after three years of traveling in Africa “I have become convinced that the African is fundamentally without prejudice; his only prejudice is tribal because that is his immediate historical background. He has no racial or religious prejudice. Often in Africa I have seen among the not too highly educated people, members of two quite different religions such as Catholics and Muslims married and living in harmony.”

His Majesty obviously found these ideas new and listened with wrapt interest. Amatu’l-Bahá had brought him a beautiful gift of a Persian hand painted dish and saucer, wrapped in the Persian manner in a beautiful silk scarf. The King, who had been a guest of the Shah of Persia at the Persepolis celebrations, opened this gift and for a moment held his breath in sheer pleasure at the sight. Shyly he asked “Do you think you could wrap this up again in the same way so that when my wife comes back from the country she may have the same pleasure I had in opening this beautiful gift?” So Rúḥíyyih Khánum wrapped this gift in her exquisite way.

During their conversation she told him that she loved his country and praised the Lesotho huts, saying she was so impressed by the houses that she would like to come and live in Lesotho, build herself one or two typical Lesotho mud huts, buy a horse to ride and eat the delicious mutton and cornmeal of the country every day. The King was very surprised at this. It was evident that it had never occurred to him that the native houses were beautiful or desirable in any way! He assured her she would be most welcome. He made no move to end the interview and seemed to be enjoying the conversation very much. But after more than an hour, Amatu’l-Bahá made her excuses and we left, accompanied by His Majesty with great courtesy to the front door.

July 19. On this date in 1972, as documented in Violette Nakhjavani's "The Great Safari of Hand of the Cause Rúhíyyih Khánum", Amatu'l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum "visited the Bahá’ís of Lesotho. The two Counsellors, Shidan Fat’he-Aazam and Bahiyyih Ford accompanied her on most of this tour. A press conference was held which resulted in a good article about the Faith. Rúḥíyyih Khánum and Mr. Fat’he-Aazam were received by the Minister of State and this official interview was reported over the national radio."

July 19. On this date in 1972, as documented in Violette Nakhjavani's The Great Safari of Hand of the Cause Rúhíyyih Khánum, Amatu'l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum "visited the Bahá’ís of Lesotho. The two Counsellors, Shidan Fat’he-Aazam and Bahiyyih Ford accompanied her on most of this tour. A press conference was held which resulted in a good article about the Faith. Rúḥíyyih Khánum and Mr. Fat’he-Aazam were received by the Minister of State and this official interview was reported over the national radio."

December 21. On this date in 1913, Frederick Laws, an American Bahá'í who became the Knight of Bahá’u’lláh for Basutoland, was born in Pineridge, Alabama.

December 21. On this date in 1913, Frederick Laws, an American Bahá'í who became the Knight of Bahá’u’lláh for Basutoland, was born in Pineridge, Alabama.

November 16. On this date in 1987, Frederick laws, an American Bahá'í who became the Knight of Bahá’u’lláh for Basutoland, died in the state of Washington.

November 16. On this date in 1987, Frederick laws, an American Bahá'í who became the Knight of Bahá’u’lláh for Basutoland, died in the state of Washington.

February 4. On this date in 1906, Kathryn Alio was born. An early American Bahá'í who pioneered to Alaska, Lesotho and Iceland, she served on the National Spiritual Assembly of Alaska.

February 4. On this date in 1906, Kathryn Alio was born. An early American Bahá'í who pioneered to Alaska, Lesotho and Iceland, she served on the National Spiritual Assembly of Alaska.

Kathryn Alio was born in Columbus Ohio on February 4, 1906 as the second of six children. She cared for her younger siblings as a child. At some point she moved to Dayton where she worked as a secretary at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.

She became a Bahá'í while living in Dayton by 1940 and despite being an isolated Bahá'í she remained an active member of the community, attending an inter-city Teaching Conference in Springfield in 1946. By 1949 a Local Spiritual Assembly of Dayton had been established, and Kathryn served as its Secretary.

In 1954 she left Dayton, pioneering to Fairbanks in Alaska, and moving to Anchorage shortly after arriving. She was elected to the Alaskan National Spiritual Assembly shortly after it was established and served on it until 1963. She served as editor of Alaska Bahá'í News from 1962 to 1964. In 1967 she was a member of a Proclamation Committee in Anchorage, which aimed to teach the Faith on a wide scale.

Kathryn pioneered to Lesotho in the late 1960’s and wrote a report on the first Lesotho National Convention in 1971. She moved from South Africa to Iceland, and returned to Alaska during the 1970’s where she worked at a department store in her old age.

In 2005 she moved to Waltham Crossings, where she lived with her sister Phyllis.
She died on September 25, 2009, at the age of 103.

December 21. On this date in 1913, Frederick laws, an American Bahá'í who became the Knight of Bahá’u’lláh for Basutoland, was born in Pineridge, Alabama.

December 21. On this date in 1913, Frederick laws, an American Bahá'í who became the Knight of Bahá’u’lláh for Basutoland, was born in Pineridge, Alabama.

November 16. On this date in 1987, Frederick laws, an American Bahá'í who became the Knight of Bahá’u’lláh for Basutoland, died in the state of Washington.

November 16. On this date in 1987, Frederick laws, an American Bahá'í who became the Knight of Bahá’u’lláh for Basutoland, died in the state of Washington.